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Travis Head and Alex Carey will provide an early-season boost as the team look to build on a drought-breaking win late last summer

Andrew McGlashan05-Oct-2022

Henry Hunt is one of the emerging batters in Australia•Getty Images

Captain Travis Head
Coach Jason GillespieSquad
R=Rookie, CA=Australia contract
Wes Agar, Jordan Buckingham, Kyle Brazell (R), Aiden Cahill (R), Alex Carey (CA), Bailey Capel (R), Jake Carder, Harry Conway, Brendan Doggett, Daniel Drew, David Grant, Travis Head (CA), Isaac Higgins (R), Henry Hunt, Spencer Johnson, Thomas Kelly, Ryan King (R), Jake Lehmann, Nathan McAndrew, Nathan McSweeney, Ben Manenti, Harry Mathias (R), Harry Nielsen, Lloyd Pope, Liam Scott, Henry Thornton, Jake Weatherald, Nick WinterWinter moves
Harry Conway has some big shoes to fill, effectively replacing Dan Worrall who now plays for Surrey as a local and won’t return to Australian state cricket. Sam Kerber, Corey Kelly and Ryan Gibson were released. It will be interesting to watch Henry Thornton who earned a contract after impressing for Adelaide Strikers in the BBL then in a handful of Marsh Cup outings for Victoria while Ben Manenti started well in the Marsh Cup.Related

Pattinson ends Victoria career as retirement looms

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Last season
At last. The final game of the competition saw South Australia win their first Shield match in over two years when they chased down 326 on the final day against New South Wales. Until then it had been a season of small games amid defeats against Western Australia and Queensland. After making 492 in the opening match – a high-scoring draw against WA – they only crossed 300 once in their remaining first innings.South Australia Shield fixtures

October 6-9: vs Victoria, Karen Rolton Oval
October 16-19: vs Tasmania, Adelaide Oval
October 31-November 3: vs New South Wales, Wollongong
November 11-14: vs Western Australia, WACA
November 20-23: vs Queensland, Adelaide Oval
December 1-4: vs Tasmania, Hobart
February 10-13: vs Western Australia, Adelaide Oval
February 20-23: vs Victoria, Junction Oval
March 2-5: vs Queensland, Gabba
March 14-17: vs New South Wales, Karen Rolton Oval

Player to watch
Henry Hunt marked himself out as one of rising stars in Australian batting with 610 runs at 42.92 including three centuries last season, which he followed with another hundred for Australia A in Sri Lanka. It won’t be too long before the Test sides needs at least one new opener and another strong summer should keep Hunt firmly in the frame. Two years after his Shield debut, Daniel Drew earned another opportunity and marked it with a maiden century against Victoria. Liam Scott continues to have the makings of a promising allrounder: the batting is yet to kick on, but he took 13 wickets at 20.15 last season.Australia radar
Travis Head and Alex Carey should be available until at least mid-November which will add significant strength to the batting line-up. However, both will be in India when the competition resumes in February, unless Head’s poor returns in Sri Lanka cost him a spot but falling out of the squad entirely seems unlikely. Head averaged 44.00 in his six matches last season, but Carey only managed 19.88 in his six appearances. South Australia are unlikely to have anyone else pushing for international contention unless a batting-injury crisis strikes and brings Hunt further into the equation or Nathan McAndrew is elevated further from Australia A.

da heads bet： West Ham United are growing frustrated with a “strong” player behind-the-scenes, as manager Julen Lopetegui and technical director Tim Steidten begin searching for his potential replacement in January.

West Ham endure disappointing start under Lopetegui

da 888casino： There have been a plethora of calls for Lopetegui to be sacked after a disappointing start to the campaign for West Ham, who’ve won just three out of a possible 11 Premier League games and sit 14th in the table.

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Posts 1 ByEmilio Galantini Nov 20, 2024

Their form isn’t quite what was expected after their £120 million splash on new signings in the summer transfer window, and some members of the media believe West Ham have gone “backwards” since David Moyes left the London Stadium dugout earlier this year.

In truth, the Hammers appear to lack any clear identity or style under Lopetegui, with Sky Sports’ Dan Bardell telling West Ham Zone that it was never a match made in heaven.

“I never thought it was an appointment that was a match made in heaven,” said Bardell.

Match

Date

Opponent

Competition

Result

#13

09/11/2024

Everton (H)

Premier League

0-0 draw

#12

02/11/2024

Nottingham Forest (A)

Premier League

3-0 loss

#11

27/10/2024

Man United (H)

Premier League

2-1 win

#10

19/10/2024

Tottenham (A)

Premier League

4-1 loss

#9

05/10/2024

Ipswich (H)

Premier League

4-1 win

#8

28/09/2024

Brentford (A)

Premier League

1-1 draw

#7

25/09/2024

Liverpool (A)

Carabao Cup

5-1 loss

#6

21/09/2024

Chelsea (H)

Premier League

3-0 loss

#5

14/09/2024

Fulham (A)

Premier League

1-1 draw

#4

31/08/2024

Man City (H)

Premier League

3-1 loss

#3

28/08/2024

Bournemouth (H)

Carabao Cup

1-0 win

#2

24/08/2024

Crystal Palace (A)

Premier League

2-0 win

#1

17/08/2024

Aston Villa (H)

Premier League

2-1 loss

“Lopetegui has achieved things in the game and isn’t a bad manager, but when you think of West Ham fans’ complaints about Moyes, I don’t necessarily think Lopetegui is the natural fit to come in and play swashbuckling football, it’s just not what he does.

“The results will have to improve quickly, like this spokesman has said, because that is the nature of football, it’s difficult for Lopetegui but results and performances aren’t brilliant at the moment.“

West Ham travel to Newcastle United to face the Magpies in their first game back after the international break, and a bad result there could spell more trouble for their under-fire manager.

West Ham frustrated with Fullkrug as Lopetegui searches for replacement

Crocked new striker Niclas Fullkrug’s unavailability hasn’t helped matters, either, with the £27 million marksman failing to make any desired impact as he struggles to make his return from a persistent achilles tendon injury.

According to GiveMeSport, West Ham are running out of patience with Fullkrug amid his injury woes, and it is believed Lopetegui is looking for a potential replacement as Steidten contemplates bringing in a replacement on loan in January.

The east Londoners are believed to be after a short-term solution going forward, so a new number nine coming in to temporarily bolster West Ham’s options is apparently on the cards this winter. It is a bitter blow to take for Fullkrug as he battles to come back from injury and contribute to West Ham’s season, following a previously great 2024 for the player.

“Fullkrug is a beast, if you’ll allow me to use that term,” said Italian journalist Giancarlo Padovan to Sky Italia (via Milan Posts).

“In the sense that he’s a powerhouse, and I mean that in a positive way. He scores headers, he’s physically strong, and he can also make deep runs. He wasn’t Nagelsmann’s first choice, but whenever he came on, he always performed very well.”

Australia are expected to hand a T20I cap to Tim David, while Pant has something to prove for India

Sruthi Ravindranath19-Sep-20223:48

Jaffer backs Karthik over Pant in the India XI

Big Picture
Post the 2021 T20 World Cup, India have played a total of 29 T20Is heading into this series. Australia, meanwhile, have played just nine. Irrespective of their prep, Australia might turn up in their usual confident manner at the T20 World Cup – but this time they’ll have to defend the title in their backyard. And they have quite a bit to figure out compared to their better-prepped opponents.In the age of packed cricket calendars and schedules, it does seem quite surprising that these two teams haven’t played each other in a T20I since December 2020. India won that away series 2-1, while Australia won the last T20I series they played in India, in February 2019. Also, how can we forget match in Mohali, when Virat Kohli left Australia speechless? Irrespective of the format, the meetings between these two countries have always been high-octane and largely competitive, and this series should be no different, provided Australia can overcome a few selection questions.Related

Tim David's long-awaited Australia debut is finally on

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Rahul: 'No one is perfect; strike rate is something I am working at'

Their captain Aaron Finch’s recent form seems to be among the biggest of concerns. Steven Smith’s middling strike rate has also raised questions around his place in the XI. And, Australia are without the injured trio of Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis for this series, while David Warner has been rested. The team playing this series looks quite different from Australia’s first-choice World Cup side. But it does give Australia the space to experiment with the back-ups but they will also want to build a winning momentum. They have five more matches after this series – a two-match series against West Indies and three T20Is against England at home – before the T20 World Cup.It’ll be interesting to see how Tim David, who will be in Australia colours for the first time, fits into the international set-up. Australia are also likely to experiment with Josh Inglis, making him open alongside Finch. Finch said there will be a lot of “mixing and matching” ahead of the World Cup.India, meanwhile, have had some time to figure out what has worked for them and, more importantly, what hasn’t. They’re back home after some travelling, having won bilateral T20I series in Ireland, England and the Caribbean. But it was their most recent prep – at the Asia Cup – that left them with key takeaways.After the Asia Cup Super 4s exit, captain Rohit Sharma said India were “90-95% settled” ahead of the T20 World Cup. Their aggressive approach has largely worked out well. Kohli finally hit form, so his place in the XI is – at least for now – no longer a debate. They are entering the series with the strongest available squad and will be looking to mainly focus on making roles clearer.4:48

Hodge: Australia shouldn’t look back from this point when it comes to Tim David

The return of Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel means Hardik Pandya no longer has to be the third seamer in the side. India will also want to see how they can use the likes of allrounders Axar Patel and Deepak Hooda better. Rohit was clear KL Rahul has his backing as the opener. As for Pant, India will be hoping he comes good in the series. India still have a home series against South Africa to go before the T20 World Cup to further firm up their plans.Form guide
India WLLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia LWWWLIn the spotlight
All eyes will be on Tim David, who will be looking to showcase his power-hitting skills, this time in Australia colours. The Singapore-born batter has impressed in various T20 competitions, most recently in the IPL as well, and he’ll be looking to replicate his success on the international stage. His big-hitting skills aside, his ability to take on spinners and quicks alike makes him a must-have in a T20 side. He averages 32.48 with a strike rate of 164.12 in T20s. He is likely to take up the middle-order spot in Stoinis’ absence in this series. But Australia will not be able to accommodate him if both Stoinis and Marsh are fit when the World Cup begins. It’s Smith’s position that appears a bit vulnerable as of now – but he too has the reputation of being the anchor in the XI – so it remains to be seen how Australia fit David into their XI at the World Cup.Rishabh Pant is yet to find his mojo in T20Is•Associated Press

Rishabh Pant has not quite been able to live up to the expectations in the T20 format. In T20Is since 2020, he has averaged just 27.63 and has struck at 129.95 in 32 innings. At the Asia Cup, Pant had to be brought into the XI in place of Dinesh Karthik following an injury to Ravindra Jadeja as India wanted a left-hand batter in the middle. But he could only make scores of 17 and 14 against Sri Lanka and Pakistan respectively in the Super 4s. While having Pant and Karthik in the squad offers them flexibility, it looks like India can currently accommodate only one of the two in the XI. Pant will have to make use of his time in the middle in the upcoming T20Is to get back into form before the T20 World Cup.Team news
Umesh Yadav, who was originally meant to undergo rehab for a quad injury in Bengaluru, has been called into the squad after Mohammed Shami tested positive for Covid-19. But with the return of Bumrah and Harshal, India are unlikely to play Umesh in the XI.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Rishabh Pant/ Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Axar Patel, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar/ Deepak Chahar, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Jasprit BumrahWith Marsh absent, Smith will bat at No. 3 against India. David looks set to make his Australia debut in the middle order. Australia are also likely to play Inglis – who has so far played at No. 3 and in the middle order in T20Is – as an opener and push Matthew Wade down the order. Cameron Green, who has been impressive with the ball and the bat, has been brought back into the T20I squad – having played a solitary match in April this year – and is also likely to find a place in the XI.Australia (probable): 1 Aaron Finch (capt), 2 Josh Inglis, 3 Steven Smith, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Matthew Wade (wk), 6 Tim David, 7 Cameron Green, 8 Adam Zampa, 9 Pat Cummins, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Sean Abbott/ Daniel SamsPitch and conditions
It is expected to be partly cloudy and humid in Mohali tomorrow, with a 25% chance of precipitation in the evening. In T20s since 2018, the chasing team has won seven out of 11 matches at the ground. On the eve of the match, Finch said the wicket had “a bit of grass on it”.Stats and trivia
Kohli’s 718 runs against Australia are the most by any player against an opposition in men’s T20IsAustralia have won each of their last three T20Is in IndiaJasprit Bumrah has dismissed Glenn Maxwell seven times in 15 meetings in T20sQuotes
“… Only we know what role is expected of each person. Everyone is trying to give their best, and not every time will a player succeed. And that is the kind of environment we have created, that players are not afraid to play, or players are not afraid to make mistakes.”
“The last thing you want to do is have an injury derail your whole campaign because you’re pigeon-holed into playing one style of cricket or one structure of team.”

عبّر لاعبو الأهلي عن سعادتهم البالغة بالتتويج بلقب الدوري المصري الممتاز لموسم 2024-2025، بعد الفوز الكاسح على فاركو بسداسية نظيفة، في اللقاء الذي أقيم على استاد القاهرة، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثامنة من مرحلة الحسم، ليُتوج الفريق رسميًا بالدرع رقم 45 في تاريخه.

وأكد كريم الدبيس، في تصريحات لقناة “الأهلي” عقب نهاية اللقاء، أن هذا اللقب جاء بعد تعب وتضحيات كبيرة من جميع اللاعبين.

وقال: “أبارك للاعبين، الأهلي تعب وضحّى كثير، وهذا الدوري يستحق أن يكون موجودًا داخل الأهلي، نلعب دائمًا لآخر نفس وبروح البطل، لا يوجد شيء لدينا اسمه مستحيل”.

هاني رمزي: الأهلي أعطى درسًا جديدًا.. وهذا اللاعب أسطورة

وأضاف: “دائمًا نكون متواجدين ونؤمن أننا أبطال الدوري، وبإصرار اللاعبين وجهودهم حققنا اللقب، وهذا الدرع سيمنحنا دفعة قوية قبل المشاركة في كأس العالم للأندية.”

من جانبه، أشاد المدافع المغربي أشرف داري بالأجواء الإيجابية داخل الفريق، مؤكدًا أن روح العائلة كانت سرًا رئيسيًا وراء حصد اللقب.

وقال في تصريحات لقناة “أون سبورت”: “لدينا لاعبين يمتلكون خبرات كبيرة، وكلنا سعداء مع بعض، كونا عائلة حقيقية داخل الملعب وخارجه، وإن شاء الله نواصل حصد المزيد من البطولات لإسعاد الجماهير”.

وكان الأهلي قد حقق اللقب رسميًا بعد وصوله للنقطة 58، متفوقًا بفارق نقطتين عن بيراميدز، ليُثبت من جديد قدرته على حسم البطولات حتى في المواسم الاستثنائية، التي شهدت تغييرًا في نظام الدوري بتقسيم الفرق إلى مجموعتي تتويج وهبوط.

ويستعد الأهلي لمراسم تسلم درع الدوري المصري في الجولة الأخيرة، قبل التحضير للاستحقاق العالمي المنتظر في صيف 2025، حين يشارك في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية بالولايات المتحدة.

da 888casino： Amid yet more frustration on the pitch, Manchester United could suffer an added blow off the pitch, with Barcelona now reportedly tracking one of their star players despite Erik ten Hag believing he is not yet world class.

Man Utd transfer news

da realbet： To say that the Red Devils have endured a disappointing start to the campaign would be an understatement. Despite several summer signings which, on paper, strengthened Ten Hag’s side across the pitch, not much has changed at Old Trafford. Already, just two months into the season, they’ve suffered humiliating defeats against rivals Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur and had to rely on Harry Maguire to rescue a point against Porto in the Europa League.

It’s the type of start that once again puts their Champions League qualification hopes in doubt in what could quickly lead to speculation over the future of certain star players. If the Red Devils aren’t competing against Europe’s best in 2025, then players could be tempted by the exit door, including one of their most dangerous forwards.

Related Forget Bruno: 3/10 Man Utd dud may have cost Ten Hag his job after Porto

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Posts 1 ByJoe Nuttall Oct 4, 2024

According to The Sun, Barcelona are now keeping tabs on Alejandro Garnacho, who Manchester United value at a hefty £50m ahead of 2025. The La Liga giants know all about Argentine wingers and could move to make Garnacho one of their main men amid his struggle to consistently start over the struggling Marcus Rashford at Old Trafford.

Those at the Nou Camp may well hand Garnacho the belief that Ten Hag has failed to instil, having refused the notion that his star man is already a world class player. The Dutchman told reporters when asked the question: “You have gone too quickly. World class is something where he has to go a long way.

“He has a high potential, 100 per cent. But last season he contributed and he can be a starting XI player. It starts with hard work. That has brought him to where he is now and that will bring him to being a world class player because I agree he has the potential.”

"Superb" Garnacho is destined for the top

The only question that should come Garnacho’s way is whether his journey to the top of European football will include Manchester United, because this is a player who’s shown all the traits of playing alongside the very best with or without the Red Devils. At just 20 years old, the Argentine is arguably United’s biggest threat going forward, with four goals and three assists in 10 games this season representing that in an otherwise blunt attack.

Dubbed “superb” by Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig, Garnacho would be wise to at least consider his options if Barcelona came swooping in when 2025 arrives.

As Manchester United’s struggles continue, they could be dealt the ultimate blow by one of their main men, courtesy of Barcelona.

All his performances between January 17, when he provided his sample, and March 22, when he accepted a provisional suspension, “have been disqualified”

ESPNcricinfo staff17-May-2022

Zubayr Hamza will be eligible to return to cricket on December 22, 2022•Cape Cobras

Zubayr Hamza has been banned from “all cricket-related activities” for nine months by the ICC after admitting to an anti-doping rule violation.The South Africa batter provided an out-of-competition sample on January 17 in Paarl which was found to contain Furosemide, a substance specified in Section S5 of the 2022 WADA Prohibited List. Hamza accepted the provisional suspension, which was backdated to March 22, meaning he will be eligible to return to cricket on December 22, 2022.In addition, all of the international cricket that Hamza played between January 17, when he provided the sample, and March 22, when he was banned, have been stripped from his stats. That’s essentially one Test match against New Zealand, where he scored 25 and 6.The ICC release made a point to mention that Hamza wasn’t significantly at fault for the substance found in his sample with Alex Marshal, the general manager – integrity unit, adding it was “a timely reminder to all international cricketers that they remain responsible for anything they put into their bodies, to know exactly what medication they are taking so as to ensure it does not contain a prohibited substance and does not result in an anti-doping rule violation”.”I have never intentionally taken a prohibited substance,” Hamza said in a statement issued by the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA), “And I am relieved that the ICC determination confirms this fact. The past few months have been difficult for me on a personal and professional level, and I have learnt lessons that I will share with my fellow players.””We are pleased that Zubayr will be back playing cricket at the end of this year,” SACA CEO Andrew Breetzke said. “SACA will continue to support Zubayr during the period of his suspension.”On March 23, CSA had issued a statement confirming that Hamza was “not disputing” the positive test and was “cooperating fully with the ICC” on the matter, and had agreed to voluntary suspension.Hamza made his Test debut against Pakistan in early 2019 when he became South Africa’s 100th Test player since readmission. He made his ODI debut against Netherlands in November last year, scoring 56 in a washout. He has played six Tests in all and had withdrawn from both Test and ODI series against Bangladesh earlier this year because of “personal reasons”.

علق اللاعب جول كوندي، مدافع الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة على غيابه الفترة المقبلة عن الملاعب بسبب الإصابة.

وكان أعلن نادي برشلونة غياب كوندي عن الملاعب لمدة 3 أسابيع بسبب إصابة في عضلة الفخذ، تعرض لها خلال مباراة الفريق أمام إنتر ميلان.

وواجه الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة نظيره إنتر ميلان بقيادة سيموني إنزاجي، في ذهاب نصف نهائي بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، وانتهت المباراة بالتعادل الإيجابي لمدة 3/3.

اقرأ أيضًا | تشيزني: هذا ما فكرت به قبل تسجيل كوندي هدف فوز برشلونة أمام ريال مدريد

ووجه كوندي رسالة للجمهور عبر حساباته الرسمي على السوشيال ميديا وقال: “أشعر بخيبة أمل كبيرة لإصابتي في هذه المرحلة من الموسم، في وقت حاسم من الموسم”.

وأكمل: “أحيانًا لا يمكنك التحكم في كل شيء، ثقتي تامة بأن هذا الفريق سيستمر في تقديم أفضل نسخة بغض النظر عمن الذي يلعب”.

وأتم قائلًا: “شكرًا لكم جميعًا على دعمكم، فهذا يعني الكثير لي”.

MatériaMais Notícias

da dobrowin： No sábado (14), às 19h, Internacional e Corinthians se enfrentam pela sexta rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro no Beira-Rio, em Porto Alegre.

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da betobet： > GALERIA – Giuliano comanda vitória do Timão na Copa do Brasil; veja notas

A partida terá transmissão exclusiva do serviço pay-per-view Premiere para todo o Brasil. O fã de esporte também poderá acompanhar o jogono tempo real do L!, e em áudio na parceira LANCE!/Voz do Esporte.

O Timão lidera o Brasileirão com 12 pontos em cincos jogos. A equipe de Vítor Pereira não perde há cinco partidas. Do outro lado, o Colorado também vive sequência invicta, sem ser derrotado há sete jogos. O time de Mano Menezes ocupa o9º lugar na tabela, com oito pontos.

> TABELA – Confira e simule os jogos do Timão e Inter no Brasileirão

INTERNACIONAL X CORINTHIANS
Local: Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre (RS)
Data e hora: 14 de maio de 2022, às 19h
Árbitro: Braulio da Silva Machado (FIFA) [SC]
Assistentes: Alex dos Santos (SC)eThiaggo Americano Labes (SC)
Árbitro de vídeo: Emerson de Almeida Ferreira (MG)
Onde assistir:Premiere (todo o Brasil) e no tempo real do L! e em áudio na parceira LANCE!/Voz do Esporte

da bet sport： If the discourse around the summer transfer window dictated a team’s final league standing come May, Liverpool would have finished their first Premier League season under Arne Slot in a pretty concerning position.

da roleta： Much of the flak fired at FSG on social media was justified – to a degree. Liverpool needed to reinforce their defence and sign a deep-lying midfielder and did neither. Having fallen short against Arsenal and Manchester City in the title race last year, this was questionable.

But Liverpool tried. They tried to sign Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad, only for the Spaniard to reject their advances. The Reds will not spend for the sake of spending; it would need to be the right player.

In defence, it could have been Goncalo Inacio, but he didn’t end up moving to Merseyside.

Arne Slot wanted to sign Goncalo Inacio

Liverpool have been keen on signing Inacio for some time now. In 2023, speculation was rife that Liverpool would make their move in what proved to be Jurgen Klopp’s final summer transfer window at the Anfield helm, but it didn’t materialise in the end, with the centre-back penning fresh terms in his homeland.

The 23-year-old has had quite the start to life on the senior stage, winning two Liga Portugal titles across the past four seasons despite the division being routinely dominated by Benfica and Porto, and he’s been praised for his “immense” technical quality by analyst Raj Chohan.

Liverpool might be biding their time considering the talent of the existing options in Slot’s rearguard, but Inacio has earned his stripes by this point, with 179 senior Sporting appearances and 12 Portugal caps to his name, and was there for the taking during the off-season.

It seems that the Sporting hierarchy was considering Inacio’s sale in August, with reports from the country claiming that they would consider offers totalling €45m (£38m), which is some distance below the £50m release clause that was part of his extended contract agreed just one year before.

Manchester United signed Matthijs De Ligt from Bayern Munich, but Liverpool will need to address their defensive dilemma at some point in the not-too-distant future and could have done so with Inacio – especially given the uncertainty surrounding Ibrahima Konate during the summer months.

Konate had not finished the campaign under Klopp well at all, losing his place to Jarell Quansah in the Premier League and being chastised for his “dreadful” displays by The Athletic’s James Pearce.

One that got away

The transfers that nearly happened but never did. This article is part of Football FanCast's One That Got Away series.

Expand Collapse

Had Inacio been signed, Konate might not have enjoyed the regular minutes that he has been handed by Slot so far, perhaps negating what is proving to be a wonderful resurgence.

Why Liverpool kept faith with Ibrahima Konate

Given that Inacio is left-footed, Konate wouldn’t have jockeyed for a starting spot all the time. The Portugual international may instead have been viewed as the long-term successor for Virgil van Dijk’s position in the team – perhaps he still is.

But Quansah is a real talent and could be a regular member of the starting line-up in a few years, and Konate is not going to want to budge from his reclaimed spot in central defence any time soon, playing like a man possessed this season.

Of course, it was the Frenchman’s mistake that let Wolves back into the game last weekend, with a defensive miscommunication with Alisson Becker allowing the hosts to scoop the ball into space and fire into an empty net, but this loss of concentration shouldn’t detract from a blistering start to the era.

As you can see, he’s been a mountain for the Reds this term, and if he can keep fitness levels on his side, could be in for his finest campaign yet.

It’s worth noting that the role of a defender, first and foremost, is defending. Now this is hardly revelatory, but it does perhaps shine a light on why interest in Inacio was not followed with an official transfer offer.

This season, he has been a key figure in Ruben Amorim’s title defence, and indeed, has performed well, showcasing his high-level distribution by completing 93% of his passes, as per Sofascore, also averaging 4.7 ball recoveries and 87 touches per game, highlighting his athleticism and importance, very much in the thick of the action.

But hold on a minute, what about his success in the duel? How does that compare to Liverpool’s defensive options – take a look.

Inacio vs Liverpool CBs (24/25): Duel Success

Player

Duels won per game

Success rate

Goncalo Inacio

3.3

49%

Virgil van Dijk

4.2

63%

Ibrahima Konate

4.8

74%

Jarell Quansah (23/24)*

4.5

64%

All Stats via Sofascore

As you can see, Inacio is considerably less effective in the duel. Jarell Quansah was hooked at half-time of Liverpool’s opener against Ipswich Town this season for failing to win enough duels for Slot, and given that he won four of eight contested (50%), this doesn’t bode well for Inacio, whose efforts across six fixtures have led him to a 49% success rate.

Moreover, Konate can do it all in regard to technique and progression. As per FBref, the France international ranks among the top 4% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 5% for progressive passes, the top 10% for progressive carries and the top 1% for aerial battles won per 90.

He’s a dynamic and hulking centre-back, bearing a strong bond with Van Dijk and currently boasting the Premier League’s meanest defence, having conceded twice from six games.

Inacio might have his strengths, but Slot and Liverpool’s transfer team were wise not to oust their titan for a new part, just because.

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Posts ByConnor Holden Sep 29, 2024

Gloucestershire bowlers chip away but left facing sizeable first-innings deficit

David Hopps15-Apr-2022

Harry Brook compiled an excellent innings•Getty Images

News of Joe Root’s resignation as Test captain had caused regret to descend momentarily upon Yorkshire’s band of travelling supporters as they gathered in little clutches around the Bristol ground before start of play, but by the time that stumps were drawn they were able to applaud their latest champion. Root should have many thousands of Test runs in his locker before retirement and the odds are that when all is said and done Harry Brook will be alongside him as an established, battle-hardened member of England’s middle order.Brook averaged 38 in the Championship last season, making more of an impact in the shorter formats, but he remains ambitious to be an all-format cricketer and his hundred against Gloucestershire at the first time of asking, on a magical spring day, indicated that he is a player of growing resilience. “I regard Test cricket as the pinnacle,” he said.Such an assertion will delight many, but maintaining a commitment to all formats is challenging, especially when – as was the case with Brook last winter – it involves T20 stints in both Pakistan and Australia. He was strikingly self-critical when he offered up the thought that he had not taken full advantage of his England Lions opportunity in the winter, consumed by too many thoughts about the impending Big Bash. “Training and things,” he said, and left it there. Perhaps this innings began to put things right.If Root’s resignation had not been viewed as a done deal, Brook suggested that in the Yorkshire dressing room there had been little surprise. “We sort of expected it,” he said. They will now hope that Root’s return to Championship cricket might happen sooner than later as he concentrates on getting his batting in order and, if it does, then Brook will benefit from batting alongside him.Brook’s certainty ultimately dominated the second day, just as the compact figure of Gloucestershire’s opening batter, Marcus Harris, had dominated the first. He saved all his uncertain moments for when he was 99, his touch suddenly deserting him – what’s more against the bower who had met him with the most authority of all. “I was timing it well until I got to 99 – and then I didn’t time one for five overs,” he reflected.A single over from Ben Charlesworth saw Brook dropped low down at second slip by Tom Lace, an excellent delivery this; be dumbfounded by a thigh-high full toss; and then hop around after he was struck on the boot by a yorker. A back-foot steer through point secured his hundred, his second of the year, following a first T20 century for Lahore Qalanders in the Pakistan Super League. He fell in the next over, 101 from 164 balls, dead-batting a delivery from Josh Shaw on to his stumps.Watching Brook was a serious business for many Yorkshire onlookers on the day of Root’s resignation. Broken by the inadequacies of others will be the view from the White Rose. “Morning chaps, how are you doing?” had been the cheery greeting from an unsuspecting Gloucestershire supporter in a Panama hat (not at all Northern apparel) as he collected a couple of foldaway chairs, and organised his partner and dog into approved position. Three pairs of eyes glanced up momentarily and remained determinedly silent. Coming late and chatting like that in the middle of an over, what’s the world coming to? The Man Who Talked Too Much got the message and walked off in search of a coffee.Brook remains a bit of a fidget. There is always a pitch to tap, a glove to fiddle with, a shot to hone. On one occasion, he held up Zafar Gohar in his run-up to clear away an imagined speck of grass. When a stump was broken by a fielder’s throw, he hyperactively helped knock it back in. If you happen to miss a shot, the likelihood is that he will relive it for you seconds later, or at last relive a perfect version of it. But when the ball is bowled, that nervous energy increasingly comes together into certainty of thought and stroke.His blemish on 99 apart, he offered Gloucestershire little hope, although he might have run himself out on 18 when he lackadaisically assumed he could collect a routine single square on the off-side only to find Harry Duke, at the non-striker’s end, wracked with youthful uncertainty. Either might have been run out, neither was.Yorkshire had chipped 37 off Gloucestershire’s 227 on the first evening, but at 135 for 4 the match was in the balance. Adam Lyth and Dawid Malan both promised to go big, but Lyth edged a tempting wide half-volley from Charlesworth to first slip and Malan played on against Ajeet Dale, who tucked him up from slightly back-of-a-length and forced a faint inside edge. The suspicion was that Malan has been vulnerable to this dismissal before, the portcullis not quite falling in time, but it would not be altogether surprising if data analysts were able to pore through hours of footage to prove otherwise.From 135 for 4, with Brook’s innings yet to take shape, the match was in the balance, but Brook found good support from Duke and Dom Bess in stands of 91 and 71; if that continues, a wicketkeeper at No. 6 and a spin-bowling allrounder at No. 7 promises excellent balance. Duke found momentum with three boundaries in an over against Shaw, fortunate perhaps that Charlesworth flinched at backward point as he failed to pick up the flight of the ball.As Brook assumed control, Gohar’s left-arm spin played an important holding role. He made an impact last season with 11 wickets against Durham and was the first signing made under the new head coach, Dale Benkenstein. Brook, having his first sight of him, played him circumspectly, and failed to take a boundary off him. There was a wicket, too, Duke, caught at the wicket trying to dab.Many in the south-west feel that Gloucestershire can finish above Somerset this season, although the way their West Country rivals have started, that assumption may not mean too much. Behind the game here, there is nevertheless a solidity about them that augers well and Gohar can make a vital contribution to that.