4/10 Man City duo who "offer nothing" must now never start together again

da stake casino: Manchester City’s winless run after the international break extended to two games, following a disappointing 2-0 home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.

da blaze casino: It was a night where Pep Guardiola made ten changes, with Nico Gonzalez the only player to keep his place in the side. However, it was not a decision that paid off.

It was a fairly equal first half, with City failing to exert any sort of dominance on the German side, which you might expect from them at the Etihad Stadium. They only managed five shots in that first 45 minutes.

Alejandro Grimaldo opened the scoring for the visitors in the 23rd minute, striding into the box unmarked and sweetly striking a left-footed volley into the bottom right corner.

It was a superb finish, but poor defending from Guardiola’s side to allow him that much space.

In the second half, the City manager turned to the bench, calling upon the likes of Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki to get his side back into the game. Yet, a header from Patrick Schick in the 54th minute doubled Leverkusen’s lead and was enough to seal the win.

It was a poor performance from City, with some players failing to take their chances.

City's worst performers vs. Leverkusen

On a night where Guardiola rotated his side, it could have been the moment for some players to stake a claim for a more regular starting spot. Well, one of the players who struggled was defender Nathan Ake.

The Dutchman has become a squad player under the former Barcelona manager in recent times, and did not exactly cover himself in glory on Tuesday night.

There is a case to be made that he was at fault for Schick’s goal, allowing the Czech Republic striker to get in front of him in the penalty box and head home. It was poor defending from the experienced Ake.

Another player who underwhelmed was Omar Marmoush. The Egyptian attacker is Haaland’s understudy at the Etihad Stadium, so it will always be hard for him to get regular minutes as a number nine.

Against Leverkusen, he was completely isolated and struggled to get involved in the game, being replaced by the Norwegian in the 65th minute.

Marmoush managed just 18 touches of the ball, didn’t manage a shot and could only win two out of five duels.

As poor as Ake and Marmoush were, two City players were arguably worse.

Man City's 4/10 duo must never start together again

Marmoush and Ake were disappointing, but two players who really played poorly were Savinho and Oscar Bobb. They were City’s two wingers against Leverkusen, but City Chief, a page over on X, said they “offer nothing” when playing out on the flanks.

Indeed, it was a night to forget for both of the wide men.

They didn’t cause Leverkusen many major problems, having a combined 12 touches in their box, creating two chances between them and losing the ball 34 times altogether.

Savinho and Bobb stats vs. Leverkusen

Stat

Savinho

Bobb

Touches in opposition box

10

2

Chances created

0

2

Passes into final third

1

0

Ground duels won

5/12

3/4

Number of times ball lost

25

9

Stats from Fotmob

One person who noticed how lacklustre the wingers performed was Manchester Evening News reporter Simon Bajkowski. He gave them both a 4/10 rating, explaining that Bobb ‘went missing’ after the opening minutes and Savinho had no ‘meaningful contributions’.

With Jeremy Doku and Cherki tending to be Guardiola’s first-choice wingers this term, it is hard to see how the pairing that started against the German side will get into the team together again.

Individually, the quality is there, but as a duo, they lack the potency and perhaps confidence to pose a real threat to a full-back. It was certainly a passive showing against Leverkusen, especially with City losing for most of the game.

It is hard to see how Guardiola doesn’t switch back to his first-choice wide pairing, after such a disappointing performance from Bobb and Savinho.

They would fit well with more direct wingers on the other flank, but as a duo, are perhaps too similar and not urgent enough in one-vs-ones to cause frequent problems.

Worse than Savinho: Man City star is in danger of becoming another Grealish

This Manchester City star is in danger of becoming the next Jack Grealish after another off-performance versus Bayer Leverkusen.

2 ByKelan Sarson Nov 26, 2025

Abhishek: 'The team has always told me to keep my attacking intent'

“That was a big moment for me, that when the team wants me to do that, then I can do it”

Sreshth Shah22-Jan-20253:09

Abhishek: ‘At SRH and India, I have the freedom to express myself’

Abhishek Sharma has had a blistering couple of years in the IPL and his elevation to the India T20I side has been justified by his performances, which now includes a 34-ball 79 against England in Kolkata.But he has also blown hot and blown cold over this period, being dismissed for under 20 in eight of his first 12 T20I innings and also putting on some big-hitting shows. With India having a plethora of top-order batters, all potentially breathing down his neck and vying for the same position, the pressure can build on a man who is still only 24.However, Abhishek said his captains and coaches have told him never to change his style of play, and that’s what has given him the freedom to play fearless cricket.Related

Can England's batters find a way to test India's bowling depth?

Varun's overspin renaissance shows no sign of slowing down

Abhishek, Varun lead India's demolition of England

“I have thought always from the start to be a team player,” Abhishek said at the press conference after setting up India’s win over England in the first T20I with 43 balls to spare. “In India, there will always be a lot of competition [when it comes to selection] in our senior team. But when Suryakumar [Yadav, the T20I captain] and Gautam [Gambhir] tell me to always keep my intent, that was a big moment for me, that when the team wants me to do that, then I can do it.”As a batsman, it can play on your mind if you don’t score runs in three-four-five innings, but the way the coach and captain have managed all the players, even when I’ve not done well – even then they tell us, ‘we know you’re going to win the game for us, any game, just go and express yourself’ – I think when the captain or coach say this, you get confidence and you back yourself.”Abhishek has worked closely with some great batters as a young man coming up the ranks, especially at Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and he credits them for not only improving his batting but also giving him the scope to play freely.”I believe I’m very lucky in this,” he said. “I was working with [Yuvraj Singh] at first. Going forward, I had Brian Lara, who really helped me at SRH. Moving forward, Dan Vettori was pretty simple, he just wanted everyone to express themselves, and I think that gave me the freedom to play my shots. So obviously, with Yuvraj Singh, Brian Lara and even Gauti right now, they just want me to showcase my talent the way I play and to back myself.”

Abhishek also revealed his style of preparation leading into big tournaments and series, while giving a vote of confidence to India’s new batting coach Sitanshu Kotak.”I think it comes at the camp only, once you’re practicing for a tournament,” Abhishek said. “I try and want to face the kind of bowlers I will potentially face in a match.”Special mention to Kotzy sir [Kotak] and Abhishek Nayar . Both helped me in the nets to get me similar bowlers. I always believe that going into a match or a particular tournament, I hope I get similar bowlers that I will get in the match. Shot selection is very simple for me. I watch the ball and react.”On a good batting surface in Kolkata, Abhishek did not forget to credit the India spinners for their strangle-job of an explosive batting line-up to restrict them to 132, calling Varun Chakravarthy a “game changer”.”I think if you see the last few series, the way Varun has bowled, I think he has been a game changer for us,” he said. “When you get good wickets all around in the T20 format, you have to have that bowler that bowls really well. It is always difficult for other teams to pick him up. Also, the other spinners, Ravi Bishnoi and Axar [Patel] . It is very difficult for batters to play shots.”

فيديو | بعد رحيل فيريرا.. الزمالك يعود لطريق الانتصارات في الدوري بثلاثية أمام طلائع الجيش

استعاد الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، نغمة الانتصارات بعد الفوز على طلائع الجيش، اليوم الأحد، بثلاثية مقابل هدف، ضمن منافسات مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

الزمالك التقى مع طلائع الجيش، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثالثة عشر من مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي.

طالع.. ترتيب هدافي الدوري المصري بعد ثنائية ناصر ماهر وهدف الدباغ أمام طلائع الجيش

وتقدم فرسان ميت عقبة في الدقيقة السابعة، عن طريق ناصر ماهر بعد تلقيه تمريرة رائعة من نبيل دونجا لينفرد بحارس طلائع الجيش ويصوبها في المرمى مباشرة.

وفي الدقيقة 48 عزز ماهر التقدم محرزًا الهدف الثاني له وللزمالك تسديدة من داخل منطقة الجزاء تصدى لها محمد شعبان حارس مرمى الطلائع، ليتابعها اللاعب بنجاح في المرمى.

وسجل الفلسطيني الدولي عدي الدباغ، الهدف الثالث في الدقيقة 61 من عمر المباراة، من رأسية مميزة بعد تلقيه عرضية من زميله أحمد فتوح.

وجاء هدف طلائع الجيش الوحيد في الدقيقة 81 عن طريق محمد عاطف من رأسية داخل منطقة الجزاء.

ورفع الزمالك رصيده إلى 22 نقطة في المركز الثاني بشكل مؤقت، بينما تجمد رصيد طلائع الجيش عند 10 نقاط في المركز الثامن عشر.

وقاد الزمالك، في مباراة اليوم أحمد عبد الرؤوف بعد توليه المسئولية الفنية عقب رحيل البلجيكي يانيك فيريرا بسبب تراجع النتائج. أهداف مباراة الزمالك وطلائع الجيش في الدوري

Worse than Bruno Fernandes vs Everton: Amorim must bin Man Utd's 3/10 flop

da spicy bet: “One of the most disgusting showings I have ever seen.” Those were the words used to sum up Manchester United’s 1-0 home loss to Everton by H, analyst for The Overlap.

da bet nacional: One year on from Ruben Amorim’s first game in charge, the Red Devils put in a performance to forget at Old Trafford.

The Toffees, who started the game on the front foot, were down to 10 men early on in strange circumstances.

Idrissa Gueye was sent off for fighting with Michael Keane. However, the red card did not affect the Toffees, who soon took the lead after a stunning individual goal from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

United were lacklustre in attack for much of the game, with Amorim sticking rigidly to his infamous 3-4-2-1 system, which, on Monday night, did not work. They had 25 shots, but managed just six on target, and looked devoid of any creativity.

The closest the Red Devils came was through Joshua Zirkzee, making his first start of the season. His well-directed header looked goal-bound, but Jordan Pickford pulled off a superb diving stop to keep it out. That was as good as it got for United.

It was a night to forget for Amorim’s side, with Bruno Fernandes one man who struggled.

Fernandes' stats vs. Everton

So often, the player United look towards in the moments when they need inspiration, Fernandes struggled to have a real impact on the game.

Perhaps that is because the Red Devils boss plays him so deep, where he cannot have as much of an influence in the final third.

On Monday against Everton, a club the Portuguese star has had plenty of success against, the final killer ball, something that would normally carve open a defence, was missing.

The United captain tried his luck from range twice but failed to test Pickford and missed a golden opportunity late on from close range, after good play by Mason Mount.

His disappointing performance was noticed by Steven Railston, United writer for the Manchester Evening News. He gave their skipper a 4/10 match rating, describing Fernandes’ efforts against the Toffees as “sloppy.”

The stats certainly reflected that rating. Normally, one of the players who can muster something up out of nowhere, United’s number 8 could only create two chances, despite looking after the ball well, losing it just 13 times out of 115 touches.

It was certainly not the best night at the office for Fernandes, although there was one of his teammates who was far more disappointing.

Man United's worst player vs Everton

It was a night to forget for several United stars, but one of those who struggled most was Patrick Dorgu. The Dane had little impact on the left-hand side and was too often slack in possession or missing the final pass to create an opportunity.

Indeed, Dorgu’s stats from the game highlight his struggles against the Toffees.

He had 41 touches, completing just 76% of his passes and only creating one chance. He also blazed an effort over the bar after getting on the end of a good cross from Zirkzee in the first half.

Dorgu key stats vs. Everton

Stat

Number

Touches

41

Pass accuracy

76%

Opposition half passes completed

8/15

Possession lost

11

Duels won

2/6

Crosses completed

0/3

Key passes

1

Stats from Sofascore

Railston did not seem to think highly of the United number 13’s performance against the Toffees. He gave the 21-year-old a 3/10, the lowest of any teammate, claiming that he “looks low on confidence” and put in a “poor” showing on Monday.

The journalist also suggested Diogo Dalot will come into the side on Sunday for United’s trip to Crystal Palace. Certainly, Amorim will have a selection decision ahead of the clash at Selhurst Park, with the wing-back’s place in the side perhaps on the line.

As Utd Faithfuls said over on X, he can be “unreliable” at times. Coming up against a high-flying Eagles team on Sunday lunchtime, this might be cause for concern, and Amorim might well decide to rotate the youngster out of the side.

There are options at his disposal. Dalot is one player who could operate out there, or a centre-back could slot into the side, with Luke Shaw pushing further up the pitch to play high and wide instead.

It will be interesting to see if Amoirm decides to switch things up and take Dorgu out of the side against Palace. It is certainly a must-win game for United, as they look to get back to winning ways and push for Europe.

Better than Joao Gomes: Man Utd make £52m "monster" a concrete target

Man Utd are looking to add depth to their midfield this winter

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 24, 2025

Raza, Nyamhuri take three each to skittle Afghanistan on rain-reduced day

The visitors, who made five changes heading into the Test, were bowled out for 157 on the first evening

Ashish Pant02-Jan-2025

File photo: Sikandar Raza came back into the side, and picked three wickets•AFP

It had taken Zimbabwe 197 overs and over two days to take ten Afghanistan wickets in the opening Test. A few days later, at the same venue, Zimbabwe required just 44.3 overs and less than two sessions to bowl Afghanistan out for 157, and take early control of the second Test in Bulawayo.Newman Nyamhuri and Sikandar Raza picked three wickets apiece while Blessing Muzarabani got two as none of the Afghanistan batters managed to build on starts. In reply, the Zimbabwe openers Ben Curran and Joylord Gumbie had a tricky three overs to face which they eventually survived.The conditions were very different at the start of the opening day, with persistent rain greeting the two teams, and the toss delayed by close to four hours.When the conditions improved, Craig Ervine had no hesitation in bowling first on what his opposite number Hashmatullah Shahidi described as a “spicy pitch”. Zimbabwe made two changes to their playing XI from the first Test, bringing in Richard Ngarava and Raza, while Afghanistan made five changes to their side. That included them handing Test debuts to Fareed Ahmad, Riaz Hassan and Ismat Alam.The Bulawayo pitch had a green tinge to it, but Muzarabani and Ngarava failed to extract much movement largely due to them being on the shorter side. The Afghanistan openers Abdul Malik and Riaz largely looked unhurried, and managed just 25 runs in the first ten overs.Blessing Muzarabani got two wickets•Zimbabwe Cricket

But a moment of brilliance in the field gave the hosts the opening. Riaz pushed a full delivery from Ngarava to the right of point, and set off for a single, only to be sent back by Malik quite late. Riaz, who was almost halfway down the pitch, scurried back, but Bennett sprinted to his right, picked up the ball with one hand, and in one swift motion smashed the stumps at the striker’s end to catch the batter short.In the next over, Nyamhuri got a short-of-a-length ball to rear up sharply, thus catching Malik’s gloves through to the wicketkeeper.Shahidi and Rahmat Shah, who had stitched a record stand in the opening Test, then looked to arrest the slide. Shahidi began with a fierce cut off Muzarabani over backward point while Rahmat also got off the mark with a four, albeit a streaky one past the wicketkeeper’s left.Rahmat then struck two more fours off Muzarabani, but got a reprieve when he got a thick outside edge off Ngarava to Dion Myers, who spilled a relatively comfortable catch at gully. Thus, Shahidi and Rahmat moved to lunch unbeaten.But it did not take Zimbabwe long to strike after the break, with 18-year-old Nyamhuri once again getting into the act by squaring Shahidi up, and trapping him bang in front of the stumps for 13. Afsar Zazai, another centurion from the first Test, then came in and immediately found his bearings.But it was Raza’s introduction into the attack which brought about Afghanistan’s downfall. He varied his pace brilliantly, bowled wicket-to-wicket lines, and had both Rahmat and Zazai second-guessing. Nyamhuri also stuck to a plan, and induced multiple outside edges before Raza orchestrated a collapse.Ben Curran and Joylord Gumbie survived a tricky 20-minute burst before stumps•Zimbabwe Cricket

Rahmat, unable to get Raza away, tried to unsettle him by trying a cheeky lap sweep. But Raza fired the ball in on middle, and Rahmat missed it to see his leg stump pegged back. Ngarava then got rid of Zazai with a snorter before Raza cleaned debutant Alam up with a yorker as Afghanistan slipped from 81 for 3 to 84 for 6 in the space of ten balls.Rashid Khan unfurled a number of strokes as soon as he walked in by spanking Raza for three back-to-back cover drives. Shahidullah also got his first boundary away via a wristy flick. Muzarabani, who was wayward all day, finally got the ball to land on a channel outside off and induced a thin edge off Shahidullah’s blade through to the wicketkeeper. Rashid then failed to keep a short and wide delivery off Muzarabani down, with deep point taking an easy catch.When Raza cleaned Yamin Ahmadzai up for his third wicket, the end was nigh for the visitors. But Zia-ur-Rehman and Fareed added a run-a-ball 27 for the final wicket, with debutant Fareed smashing a four and a six in his 19-ball 17 to take Afghanistan past 150.The Zimbabwe openers survived a tricky 20-minute burst from Afghanistan, and will want to wipe off the deficit early on day two. Rain and a wet outfield allowed only 47.3 overs to be bowled on the opening day, but the Test has already moved on at a rapid pace.

مران الزمالك | محاضرة من فيريرا.. وجاهزية الثنائي المصاب استعدادًا لمواجهة البنك الأهلي

خاض الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، تدريباته الجماعية، اليوم الثلاثاء، على ملعب استاد الكلية الحربية، استعدادًا لمواجهة البنك الأهلي في الدوري.

ويستعد الزمالك لمواجهة البنك الأهلي، المقرر لها يوم الخميس المقبل، على ستاد القاهرة الدولي، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية عشرة لمسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وحرص البلجيكي يانيك فيريرا، المدير الفني للفريق، على إلقاء محاضرة بالفيديو على اللاعبين قبل انطلاق المران، وشرح فيها بعض الأمور الفنية والخططية التي سيتم تطبيقها في مران اليوم، استعدادًا للقاء البنك الأهلي في الدوري.

وشدد فيريرا على ضرورة التركيز وبذل أقصى جهد في التدريبات، من أجل تحقيق الفوز في مباراة البنك الأهلي، وأكد صعوبة وأهمية اللقاء، كما منح المدير الفني اللاعبين بعض التعليمات لتنفيذها في مران اليوم.

طالع | إداري الزمالك السابق: شاهدت خطاب إيقاف دونجا.. وأقول الحق ولو على رقبتي

وانتظم ناصر منسي وأحمد ربيع، ثنائي الفريق، في التدريبات الجماعية، بعد تماثل الثنائي للشفاء من الإصابة، وكان ناصر منسي يعاني من إصابة قوية في العضلة الخلفية، في حين اشتكى أحمد ربيع من تعرضه لإجهاد عضلي.

واطمأن الجهاز الطبي على جاهزية الثنائي قبل المران ليشارك اللاعبان في التدريبات الجماعية بصورة طبيعية.

وأدى آدم كايد وأحمد شريف تدريبات تأهيلية، في ظل التعافي من إصابتهما، حيث يعاني آدم كايد من إصابة في عضلة السمانة، في حين يعاني أحمد شريف من إصابة في العضلة الضامة، ويسعى الجهاز الطبي لتجهيز الثنائي للمشاركة في التدريبات الجماعية خلال الفترة المقبلة.

ويحتل فريق الزمالك، المركز الخامس، في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري الممتاز، برصيد 18 نقطة، من 10 مباريات فاز في 5 وتعادل في 3 وخسر في 2.

£150k-a-week Arsenal player keen on joining AC Milan after Igli Tare talks

da fezbet: Arsenal have just as many outgoings to sort out as new signings potentially coming through the door, with Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta revamping almost the entire squad ahead of a crucial 2025/2026 campaign.

New Fabregas: Arsenal trying to sign "one of the best CMs in the world"

Arsenal could sign one of the best young midfielders in the game.

ByMatt Dawson Jun 24, 2025

da bet nacional: The biggest name who appears poised to leave N5 very soon is star midfielder Thomas Partey.

The Ghanaian re-established himself as a firm favourite under Arteta last season, putting his previous injury woes behind him and making over 50 appearances in all competitions.

Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)

Money on new signings

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

Partey starred in both midfield and as an emergency right-back, which proved pivotal for the Gunners as they reached the Champions League semi-finals, despite coping with the various absences of key players due to fitness issues.

His renewed form even prompted the club to open talks over an extension for the £200,000-per-week star, but according to recent reports, negotiations have hit a standstill, and it is growing increasingly likely that Partey could leave when his contract expires at the end of this month (The Athletic).

While Arsenal assess alternatives to Partey, with Sevilla’s midfield sensation Lucien Agoume repeatedly linked in the last week, the 32-year-old isn’t Arteta’s only potential next departure – following the confirmed exits of Kieran Tierney, Jorginho, Raheem Sterling and Neto.

Left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko has seemingly been deemed surplus to requirements by Arsenal’s manager after his limited appearances last season, and AC Milan are showing a very keen interest in the Ukraine international.

Oleksandr Zinchenko keen on joining AC Milan after talks

Zinchenko has reportedly held “positive” talks over a move to Atletico Madrid, but Milan are also believed to be firm contenders for the £150,000-per-week ace.

As per Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport, Milan’s sporting director, Igli Tare, recently held talks with Zinchenko’s representatives, and the 28-year-old is becoming increasingly open to a San Siro move.

This comes as Milan look to sign an heir for Theo Hernandez, who could soon be joining Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, with Zinchenko seen as an immediate potential replacement for the Frenchman.

His high wages are the main obstacle standing between Zinchenko and a potential move to Milan, but Arsenal are apparently ready to sell the player for around £17 million, which is feasible for the Rossoneri.

Despite falling down Arteta’s pecking order in the last 12 months, Zinchenko has been a wonderful servant to Arsenal overall, and the ex-Man City defender could still have plenty to offer abroad.

“He moves out of his position and gets into little pockets to try and make things happen and this is quite incredible. You can tell that he’s played under Pep Guardiola because he plays in a similar way,” said former Arsenal defender Armand Traore to talkSPORT in 2023.

“For Arsenal, he’s been great. The second choice left-back is Kieran Tierney [and] he’s a great left-back, but at the moment he can’t get much of a game because of how great Zinchenko has been.

“He’s also great for the mentality of the whole squad because he’s won titles. I think he’s come in and been absolutely fantastic. I’m really impressed with him. He’s almost like the cherry on top [of the cake].”

Brendon McCullum promises focus on entertainment as England white-ball era begins

England take on T20 World Cup champions in five-match series to start new coach’s tenure

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jan-2025

Jos Buttler shakes hands with Brendon McCullum after his century at Edgbaston in June 2015•Getty Images

Brendon McCullum’s era as England’s white-ball head coach gets underway in Kolkata on Wednesday, with a promise to carry over his Test team’s focus on aggression and entertainment, both in their upcoming series against India and on into the Champions Trophy, and a faith that captain Jos Buttler’s “best years are yet to come”.McCullum’s unveiling in the role has been a long time coming. His new deal, as England’s dual red- and white-ball head coach, was announced back in September, and he has since overseen consecutive Test tours of Pakistan and New Zealand while Marcus Trescothick covered the one-day role in an interim capacity.Now, however, McCullum is straight into the hot seat, with a five-match T20I campaign against the newly-crowned T20 World Cup champions, followed by three ODIs against the finalists of the last 50-over World Cup in 2023, ahead of their Champions Trophy opener against Australia in Lahore on February 22.Speaking at Eden Gardens ahead of the first T20I, McCullum described England’s batting as being “as powerful as anyone’s in the world”, but said that, at this stage, he was more focused on freeing up his players to perform at their best, rather than gunning for outright victory.Related

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Root returns for England's Champions Trophy campaign

Mahmood granted visa ahead of England tour of India

“Obviously, we want to win every game we play, to try and be successful, and that’s ultimately the mission for us,” he said. “But our conversations and the language which we use within the dressing-rooms is quite different.”It’s about trying to get the best out of the talent that sits within the dressing room, trying to gel the guys as best we can, trying to work out complementary skills, and how we how we play the style of cricket that gives us our greatest chance.”I’m desperate for us to play a really watchable brand of cricket,” he added. “With the talent we have, there’s no reason why we can’t. We’ve got a batting line-up which is as powerful as any batting line-up in the world. We’ve got gun spinners, very good fielders and guys who bowl absolute rockets with the ball, so you’ve got options there to be able to entertain and give yourself the greatest chance of success.”McCullum takes over a white-ball set-up deep in the throes of transition, with the team having lost both its 50- and 20-over World Cup titles in the space of seven dispiriting months in 2023-24. His selections for this campaign, however, made it clear that he intends to use his joint coaching role to unify the Test and one-day set-ups, with eight of his 15 selections for the ODI squad having featured in the longer format in the course of 2024.One man who stands apart in that regard, however, is the captain Buttler, who played the most recent of his 57 Tests on the 2021-22 Ashes tour. Speaking back in September, McCullum memorably declared that his first task would be to cheer up his “miserable” captain, who at the time had been struggling with a long-standing calf injury.”He’s smiling, that’s good. He’s very happy at the moment,” McCullum confirmed, adding that his pre-existing relationship with Buttler, forged during his own playing days at the IPL and around the world, had enabled them to hit the ground running as a captain-coach combination.Buttler returned from injury on England’s tour of the Caribbean last year•Getty Images

“Obviously we’ve known for a couple of months that this was going to unfold, so there’s been plenty of time to chat to Jos over the last couple of months,” McCullum said. “When I took over the Test job, Stokesy and I knew each other and there was a mutual respect, but wouldn’t say we were friends necessarily, even though it’s now a really tight personal relationship, as well as a working relationship.”With Jos, we actually start from a slightly stronger base. Jos and I have been friends for a long time, we’ve often shared some of the philosophies of game, and that friendship gives us really good base to be able to be able to get things going pretty quickly with this team.”He’s in really good space. He’s excited about the team, and the opportunity that sits in front of us, I’m sure we’ll see Jos really enjoy himself over the next couple of years, and hopefully finish with a real strong enjoyment for the game at the back end of his career.”McCullum also confirmed that Buttler would once again be relinquishing the gloves, in order to lead the team from the field rather than behind the stumps, with Phil Salt likely to continue in the role he took on for both series in the Caribbean in November.”It’s really a really positive thing for us, because it gives Jos the opportunity to have the last say with the bowler, and to have that relationship built at that last second, rather than from 22 yards away,” McCullum said. “We’ve got great keeping options within the side as well.”At the age of 34, and as a double World Cup-winner, Buttler has little left to prove as one of the modern greats of the white-ball game. But, having witnessed the success and enjoyment that Stokes has got from leading the Test team over the past couple of years, McCullum believes there’s scope for Buttler to put a cap on his own career in a similar manner.”I think his best years are definitely ahead,” he said. “Sometimes, when you get the opportunity to lead in the latter part of your career, you can be a little bit desperate for success and that can create frustrations, and it doesn’t become quite as enjoyable.”But if you can let yourself go a little bit, with nothing to prove other than trying to get the best out those around you, sometimes that can lift your game up a bit more. Those are the conversations Jos and I have had. He’s fully on board with that, he’s excited about the next little while, and I’m sure you’ll see him smiling.”It’s going to be a tough tour. We’re taking on a very good India side, and I’m sure we’ll play what I hope is a very watchable style of cricket. I’m sure there’ll be some times we don’t quite get it right but, hopefully, we’ll chisel away at that over the next few weeks and be in good shape come the Champions Trophy.”But we are very much focused on this series, knowing India are a very good cricket team, particularly in their own conditions.”

Definido! Saiba qual estádio irá receber o confronto entre Grêmio e Botafogo

MatériaMais Notícias

da luck: O confronto entre Grêmio e Botafogo, válido pela nona rodada do Brasileirão, já tem estádio definido. Na manhã desta sexta-feira (7), o governador do Espírito Santo anunciou, por meio do “X”, que a partida acontecerá no dia 16/06, às 18h30, no Estádio Kleber Andrade, em Cariacica.

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da bet nacional: ➡️ Tudo sobre o Fogão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Botafogo

Anteriormente, a partida iria acontecer no Alfredo Jaconi, em Caxias do Sul, mas já tem mudança confirmada. No segundo turno, o jogo também será em campo neutro, já que as duas equipes fecharam um acordo.

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BotafogoBrasileirãoGrêmio

Tottenham now preparing bid to re-sign ace as Levy misses buy-back clause

da poker: Despite missing the deadline to trigger their buy-back option, Daniel Levy and Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly preparing an offer to re-sign a Premier League defender.

Daniel Levy: "Failure is not an option"

da bwin: The biggest decision of Tottenham’s summer so far has undoubtedly been the appointment of Thomas Frank after showing Ange Postecoglou the door. The decision to sack Australian is one that split opinion just weeks after the Lilywhites ended their trophy drought by winning the Europa League against Manchester United.

Levy has since spoken for the first time since sacking Postecoglou, revealing that it was a difficult decision emotionally. He told reporters: “I don’t regret appointing Ange, I’m very grateful to Ange. In his first season we finished fifth and in his second we were over the moon to win a trophy.

“But we need to compete in all competitions, and we felt that we needed a change. Emotionally it was difficult but we feel that we’ve made the right decision for the club. “I’ve got very broad shoulders. Failure is not an option, the desire [is] to succeed. And because it’s so difficult, I want to succeed even more.”

Frank green-lights move for "decisive" star to replace Tottenham forward

The Dane is “crazy” about signing him.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 21, 2025

Whether those in North London agree with the decision or not, Postecoglou’s departure has since opened the door for Frank to step into the hot seat for the biggest job of his career.

It has been a long time coming for the Dane, who took Brentford to new heights despite often lacking in resources. Now at Tottenham, he has the chance to prove that he belongs at the very top by turning things around in North London.

That turnaround must start away from the pitch and in the transfer window, however, with names such as Antoine Semenyo alongside a name that Spurs fans know well already among the headlines on that front.

Tottenham preparing offer to re-sign Cirkin

According to reports relayed by The Northern Echo, Tottenham are now preparing a formal offer to re-sign Dennis Cirkin despite missing the deadline to trigger their buy-back clause from Sunderland.

The left-back has blossomed into an impressive talent since swapping Spurs for Wearside and now finds himself back in the Premier League with the Black Cats. That return has not gone under the radar, however, and Levy now has his sights set on a reunion.

Cirkin would not only hand Frank an instant boost in his backline but also help Spurs to fill their homegrown quota in the Champions League next season. On all fronts, it is a deal that may make sense for the Lilywhites.

Sunderland are reportedly eager to keep hold of Cirkin and tie their defender down to a new contract. Whether they are able to convince their defender to ignore the interest of his former club remains to be seen, though.

Alas, having already lost Jobe Bellingham for big money, the Black Cats have proved their ability to drive a hard bargain and with no buy-back clause to fall back on, Spurs could yet face some tough negotiations.

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