Newcastle United are close to completing a transfer for a £20m-rated player, according to one journalist.

Newcastle transfer rumours

The Magpies finished in the Champions League places and reached the League Cup final in 2022/23. Their 2023/24 campaign, in comparison, was something of a letdown. They were plagued with injury issues, and this was very much reflected in the form across the season. The North East outfit were eventually able to put together a string of positive results to secure a 7th-place finish in the Premier League, but Manchester United's FA Cup triumph over Manchester City means that there will be no European football at St James' Park next term.

Newcastle can replace Bruce signing with deal for £28m "goal machine"

Newcastle are looking to make more additions after the arrival of Lloyd Kelly.

ByEthan Lamb Jun 15, 2024

As a result, Eddie Howe and co are no doubt eager to strengthen this summer as they battle it out to once again secure Champions League football. Newcastle have already signed out-of-contract Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly, who is understood to have penned a five-year deal with the club.

In terms of potential signings still on the table, Ferran Torres has been linked with a move to St James' Park, with Barcelona potentially willing to move him on. Juventus' Samuel Iling-Junior has also been backed to join the Magpies before the 2024/25 season gets underway, while former Arsenal star Matteo Guendouzi is believed to be of interest.

Newcastle close to signing "terrific" £20m player

Now, it appears Newcastle are close to completing their second signing of the summer following the capture of Kelly. The player seemingly on his way up north is Burnley and England shot-stopper, James Trafford.

The 21-year-old joined the Clarets from Manchester City last summer and endured a rough debut season at Turf Moor. Burnley were relegated from the Premier League with a -37 goal difference, while Trafford himself conceded 62 goals and kept just two clean sheets in 28 league outings across the past season.

Despite his struggles on the pitch, however, Trafford still looks to have a bright future ahead of him. He was named in England's provisional Euro 2024 squad before being cut earlier this month, while ex-Burnley boss Vincent Kompany labelled the keeper as "terrific" in December of 2023 after a 2-0 loss to Liverpool.

Newcastle are also apparently still a fan of Trafford despite his struggles in 2023/24 as according to journalist Ben Jacobs, the Englishman is close to making a move to St James' Park, with a fee of £20m being asked for by the Clarets.

“There’s opportunism not just because Burnley have gone down but because they have lost their manager – Vincent Kompany,” Jacobs said via TBR.

“There would be a lot of interest there in moving to Fulham (for Jacob Bruun Larsen). The only downside there is that according to my information, James Trafford to Newcastle is getting quite close to being done. Burnley are pushing for a fee of £20m, and Burnley will be in a stronger position in the market.”

It would be easy to say that this is becoming a season to forget for Liverpool, but Arne Slot’s Reds have in actual fact sunk so low that this wretched campaign will be seared into the fanbase’s memory for years to come.

The Premier League champions have lost nine of their past 12 matches in all competitions, including twice at Anfield in a space of just five days. This is beyond concerning: this is a calamity.

For all the mitigating circumstances at the Merseyside club, there is simply no excuse for the lack of fight and intensity that fans have watched all too often since the summer, Liverpool having established themselves as title winners and broken the summer spending record.

Alexander Isak is the most expensive player in British history, joining Liverpool from Newcastle United for £125m on deadline day.

His only goal since joining came against Southampton in the Carabao Cup. The Sweden striker has not integrated well, though it’s not exactly easy to dovetail into this current Liverpool side.

He needs more support, and that’s why sporting director Richard Hughes is surveying the market for a new wide forward to replace Mohamed Salah.

Why Liverpool want to replace Mohamed Salah

Salah’s struggles this season must be viewed through a wide and balanced lens. The 33-year-old has been wildly out of sorts, but he’s ageing, grieving the passing of his teammate Diogo Jota and playing a tweaked role now that Liverpool have signed big-money strikers.

Taking all this into consideration, he’s still struggling to perform to the expected level. This is perhaps why Liverpool are gearing up for winter bid for Bournemouth’s versatile forward Antoine Semenyo, who has a £65m release clause.

But should Liverpool be aiming higher? After all, they need to land an elite winger who will succeed in rekindling Isak’s world-class quality.

Well, they may have found their man in Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise, with Spanish sources suggesting that Liverpool are prepared to fight for the 23-year-old’s signature next summer.

Olise joined Bayern from Crystal Palace in 2024 and has since staked his claim as one of the most exciting forwards in the business. Vincent Kompany’s side know this and will demand a staggering €140m (equating to £122m) sum for his sale.

Arsenal and Manchester United are also keen, so Hughes had better roll up his sleeves.

Why Liverpool should sign Michael Olise

It might have been an unhappy return to English shores for Olise this week as his Bayern team were beaten 3-1 at the Emirates, but the right winger still caught the eye, completing three dribbles and winning eight duels.

A fully-fledged member of Didier Deschamps’ France set-up, Olise has proven himself across a range of different levels, and now he is ready to take the baton from Salah and become a superstar at Anfield.

Should Salah find a purple patch within him once again, the fact remains that his £400k-per-week contract expires at the end of next season, and Liverpool are somewhat short of options on that flank.

The two could cohabit on Liverpool’s attacking flank next season, and Olise has the athleticism and output to ensure Isak reminds everyone that he is “the best striker in the Premier League”, as he was hailed by Jamie Carragher for his form with Newcastle during the 2024/25 campaign.

Olise ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists and shot-creating actions, the top 4% for progressive passes and the top 7% for successful take-ons per 90, data via FBref.

Harry Kane is a very different type of number nine to Isak, but the Sweden international’s more energetic and mobile playing style might actually give rise to Olise’s finest creative qualities.

Indeed, Isak is fast and furious, skilful on the ball. His ability to split lines open with cleverly-timed runs would play into Olise’s playmaking.

Hailed as “one of the best wingers in the world” by podcaster Henry Swain, Olise would be taking Salah’s place on the right, whereas Isak is tussling for a starting berth with Hugo Ekitike, who also joined Liverpool this summer.

Should the Reds succeed in adding Olise to their ranks, he has the potential to become their star forward. This is quite a claim, Isak, Ekitike and Florian Wirtz are among the attacking options at Slot’s disposal, after all.

But it’s the truth. Here is a player whose proven ability across so many different areas underscores his quality. He is artful on the ball and combative and physical when he needs to be. Isak might have proven himself in front of goal in the Premier League, but his start to life on Merseyside shows that he has weaknesses within his game.

Olise, after all, has recorded 62 goal contributions from only 74 matches for the German giants, and that after enjoying a talismanic role at Selhurst Park with Palace.

Toward the end of the 2023/24 campaign, Carragher spoke on Sky Sports of Eberechi Eze and Olise’s brilliance for Oliver Glasner’s Palace. He said those Eagles would fly high at top clubs in the Champions League.

The pundit was right. Olise is a superstar, and given his Premier League and European experience, his flair and gusto, he would be the perfect right-sided forward to take Salah’s place and combine with a striker like Isak to fire Liverpool back into the ascendancy – and keep them there.

But given his potential to succeed Salah, and unenviable task if ever there was one, Olise might even prove a better deal than Isak, whose success perhaps runs counter to Ekitike’s own long-term ambitions at the front of the Anfield ship.

As bad as Konate & Van Dijk: £85m Liverpool duo cannot start together again

Liverpool plummeted to new depths after losing 4-1 to PSV at Anfield in the Champions League.

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 27, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

da bet7： O Botafogo fechou a permanência de dois jogadores considerados com potencial internamente. O Alvinegro concluiu a compra de Vitinho e Vitor Marinho junto ao Resende na noite desta segunda-feira, após um encontro entre representantes dos dois clubes no Rio de Janeiro. O Glorioso vai desembolsar R$ 500 mil para adquirir a dupla.

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da luck： + Minutas começam a ser trocadas, e Botafogo fecha a contratação de Erison, ex-Brasil de Pelotas

Inicialmente, a opção para o clube de General Severiano adquirir os jogadores era de R$ 700 mil. O Resende abriu mão de parte do valor para que o negócio tivesse final feliz e por saber que os dois estavam adaptados ao clube. O Gigante do Vale, portanto, foi parte importante para o negócio acontecer.

Vitinho e Vitor Marinho atuaram por empréstimo no time sub-20 na última temporada – o primeiro, inclusive, chegou a fazer uma partida pelo profissional. Os dois foram titulares com Ricardo Resende e ajudaram o time de base na conquista da Copa Rio/OPG e o vice na Copa do Brasil.

Os direitos econômicos de cada jogador serão divididos entre os clubes – 50% para cada nos dois casos. O Botafogo vai quitar as parcelas do pagamento nos próximos meses.

Vitinho, inclusive, apareceu na reapresentação do elenco principal nesta segunda-feira, no Estádio Nilton Santos. Vitor Marinho é esperado nos próximos dias. Os dois farão a pré-temporada com a equipe profissional e ficarão à disposição de Enderson Moreira para o Campeonato Carioca.

da blaze casino： After securing promotion to the Premier League last season, Ipswich Town are looking to use the summer window to build a squad capable of competing with the big boys.

McKenna looks to build top flight ready team

da stake casino： Following their exceptional second-placed finish in the Championship last season, the Tractor Boys are now making sure that their team is ready to stave off relegation in the next campaign.

Related Ipswich could smash transfer record to sign star who's perfect for McKenna

Ipswich Town could show they mean business moving up to the Premier League with this record purchase.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Jun 25, 2024

Ipswich's recent retained list saw a number of out of favour players shown the door at Portman Road in order to make room for new signings.

Ipswich Town retained list 2023/24

Leaving the club at contract expiry

Returning to parent club after loan

Sone Aluko

Omari Hutchinson

Panutche Camara

Jeremy Sarmiento

Nick Hayes

Kieffer Moore

Kayden Jackson

Lewis Travis

Dominic Ball

Brandon Williams

In regard to incomings at Ipswich the most recent rumours have linked the Tractor Boys with moves for new defenders. Hull City's Jacob Greaves has long been a target for McKenna with the Tigers' vice-captain also attracting interest from numerous Premier League clubs.

Joining Greaves on Ipswich's shopping list is West Ham full back Ben Johnson. The 24-year-old has rejected multiple contract offers from the Hammers as he looks set to become a free agent this summer.

With shoring up their defence clearly a priority for Ipswich this summer, the club now look close to signing a highly rated shot stopper from a fellow Premier League outfit.

Ipswich set to complete deal for goalkeeper this week

As first reported by HITC, Ipswich Town are confident of getting deal done for Carl Rushworth this week. The 22-year-old is currently on the books at Brighton & Hove Albion, who are seemingly eager to move the Englishman on this summer.

The outlet understands that the one time England under 21 player is the Tractor Boys' number one target between the sticks as they look to sign a goalkeeper that they think is ready to compete in the Premier League.

Rushworth spent last season on loan at Swansea City, where he played in all 46 of the Swans' league games, keeping ten clean sheets in the process. The 22-year-old's performances in South Wales saw him earn significant praise from manager Luke Williams who waxed lyrical about the keeper back in February, telling the press: "Rushy is incredible – I think he is going to be a top keeper

"I think he is going to be with us next season of course, but after that he is going to go on and be a top Premier League keeper I am sure because of the quality he has but also the personality he has to go with it."

Whilst Williams' prediction of Rushworth playing Premier League football appears to have come true, the Swansea boss will not get his wish to keep the shot stopper for another year. Instead, Ipswich will allow Rushworth to leapfrog another season in the second tier and become McKenna's number one as they look to make a good account of themselves in the topflight.

Lionel Messi is back in history-making mode at Inter Miami, with the Argentine superstar equalling an impressive MLS record held by Carlos Vela.

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Herons claimed 2024 Supporters' ShieldReadying themselves for MLS Cup bidArgentine superstar rewriting history booksFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has had to nurse his way back from two injuries during the 2024 campaign, forcing him to sit out several matches. He has still been able to post 20 goals and 16 assists in MLS – with a combination of 36 goal contributions placing him fifth on single season charts.

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowAdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Messi’s efforts helped Inter Miami to claim the Supporters’ Shield, as they set a new record for most points in a regular season campaign, and now has his sights set on ultimate MLS Cup glory. He heads into the play-offs having netted an 11-minute hat-trick last time out against the New England Revolution.

DID YOU KNOW?

Those exploits earned Messi another Player of the Matchday nod, having previously earned similar recognition on matchdays nine, 11, 12, 32 and 36. He joins LAFC’s ex-Arsenal striker Carlos Vela (2019) and former Inter Miami assistant coach Jason Kreis (1999) as the only men to have earned six Player of the Matchday awards in a single season.

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Messi has also made MLS history alongside fellow former Barcelona star Luis Suarez. The veteran Uruguayan frontman plundered 20 goals in the 2024 campaign, making Inter Miami the first team to have two players on their books that reached that mark in a single regular season.

علق هاني سعيد، المدير الرياضي لنادي بيراميدز، على قرعة الدور ربع النهائي من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، مشيراً إلى ثقة الجهاز الفني والإداري في لاعبي الفريق.

وأسفرت القرعة عن مواجهة بيراميدز والجيش الملكي المغربي، في إطار مواجهات دور ربع النهائي للبطولة الإفريقية.

وقال هاني سعيد في تصريحات للمركز الإعلامي: “المسؤولية كبيرة على النادي لأنه يمثل مصر في البطولة، ويسعى بكل تأكيد لتشريف كرة القدم المصرية، وأتمنى أن يكون نهائي البطولة مصري خالص يجمع بين بيراميدز والنادي الأهلي، وحتى يكون اللقب مصريًا في النهاية”.

طالع أيضاً.. موعد مباراة بيراميدز والجيش الملكي في دور الـ8 من دوري أبطال إفريقيا 2025

وأضاف: “الجميع على ثقة في لاعبي نادي بيراميدز والجهاز الفني، والكل جاهز لخوض المرحلة المقبلة من دوري الأبطال، دون النظر إلى المنافس أو اختيار منافس بعينه لأن من يسعى للقب عليه مواجهة أي منافس محتمل، وبيراميدز جاهز تماما لمباراتي الجيش الملكي، والتركيز منصب حاليا على الانتهاء من مراحل حسم الدوري، وبعدها يتم فتح صفحة دوري الأبطال”.

وأتم: “المرحلة الحالية صعبة وتتطلب التركيز الكامل، في ظل مباريات قوية وحاسمة في الدور الأول للدوري ومن الضروري الفوز بها قبل بداية مرحلة الحسم، وهناك مباريات في كأس مصر وكأس الرابطة، قبل أن يتم فتح ملف دوري الأبطال مع بداية شهر أبريل ومن الضروري التركيز الكامل في ظل ارتباط الفريق بأربع بطولات غاية في القوة”.

The legspinner was a threat throughout the final of what will be a rematch for in the decider

Daniel Brettig06-Apr-2021Though rain curtailed his chances of delivering an outright victory, Mitchell Swepson showed why he looms as a major threat to New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield final with another outstanding exhibition of wrist spin bowling on the final day of the drawn match in Wollongong.A rematch between these two teams was confirmed when Western Australia were bowled out at the WACA having been set 480 by Tasmania. With the Covid-19 situation having now improved in Brisbane the five-day final appears set for Allan Border Field from April 15-19.Swepson finished with 4 for 59 to take his season tally to 29 wickets at 22.44 from just four Shield matches – either side of a neck injury – and again spun the ball expansively on a deteriorating surface to keep the Blues batsmen wary throughout a day that ended shortly after lunch due to persistent showers.Nathan Lyon was named Player of the Match for his workmanlike figures of 6 for 128 in the Bulls’ first innings of 433, but it was Swepson’s improvement across the course of the game to be the standout threat on the final day that would have excited the Australian selectors most of all.One early leg break that pitched around leg stump and then fizzed past the defensive bat of Jason Sangha underlined the difficulty of facing Swepson. Matt Gilkes was fortunate to survive a vehement lbw appeal when he padded up on the back foot to a delivery that spat out of the footmarks and appeared destined to hit the stumps in the same way Daniel Hughes had been bowled on the third evening.Sangha made it as far as 29 before he flicked Swepson from around the wicket into the lap of the short leg fielder Bryce Street, who somewhat fortuitously hung on. Gilkes went on to his second half century of the match, as part of a young NSW batting line-up that functioned rather better than the older top six that had been routed in their previous game against Tasmania, before edging Brendan Doggett behind in the last over before lunch.When play resumed, Swepson made short work of the debutant Lachlan Hearne, tempting the left-hander into a drive and then zipping a leg break back between bat and pad to rumble the stumps. At this point, the Blues led by only 84 runs with five wickets remaining and more than half the day’s allotted overs to be bowled.Wicketkeeper Baxter Holt eked out 18 deliveries without scoring as the lead advanced by another nine runs, before the rain that briefly interrupted the morning session returned more steadily to hasten the abandonment.

The leadership has plotted and planned and pulled off some extraordinary things of late, the enormous weight of the missing trophy evident at every stage of their run

Sidharth Monga19-Mar-20253:33

Aakash Chopra: India have now moved far ahead of other teams

India needed to lose control.It’s not that they were a bad team. They had lost just three matches in the last two ODI World Cups. Two matches in the last two Champions Trophies. Three matches in the last two T20 World Cups.This was an enviable record, but also a record that kept India from pushing the boundaries of what this extremely talented side was capable of achieving. Then came the early exit at the T20 World Cup of 2021. It brought about a reset in the leadership – they perhaps would not have had the freedom to challenge the batters had India made another semi-final.One of the effective tools used by the management to get the point across was control percentages when attacking. They were unusually high. It told the batters two things: they were not attacking enough good balls, and they were not giving the opposition chances when they attacked. There was clear room for more risks.Related

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The intent changed to an extent, India began to put up above-par scores in bilateral series, but as the 2022 T20 World Cup approached, the ideal combination became elusive. Jasprit Bumrah was injured beforehand, and Ravindra Jadeja joined the list as India went to the dress rehearsal, the Asia Cup in the UAE.As Hardik Pandya’s fitness could not always be relied upon, Rohit Sharma, the new captain, wanted to play two spinner-allrounders to provide for contingencies. The injury to Jadeja denied him that experiment. Axar Patel took Jadeja’s place when Rohit wanted him for the slot that they kept trying to fill with Washington Sundar and Deepak Hooda. With Kuldeep Yadav still only coming back from injury, they settled on R Ashwin as the spinner for left-hand batters. They didn’t make it to the final of the Asia Cup.By the time India reached Australia, sans Bumrah, their other main death bowler, Harshal Patel, coming back from injury, had completely lost form. In an ideal world, they would have played Harshal at No. 8 and Yuzvendra Chahal, Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh as bowlers who couldn’t bat. Bumrah could be replaced with Mohammed Shami, but Harshal’s replacements couldn’t bat, which meant India had to sacrifice the wristspinner.

The intent had to be initiated by players whose places in the side were certain and not by those who would be disposed if they failed in pursuit of quick runs. Too much of that had happened in the past. It also meant that the combinations and tactics had to be much better

Again, whenever the stakes grew or whenever the conditions were tricky, the batters fell back to the default options. It happened against South Africa in Perth, and it was repeated against England in the semi-final when India fell woefully short. The Adelaide semi-final was stark. England handcuffed them with spin. They just had the wrong guys batting together all through the start and the middle. At the end, did we see Rohit wipe a tear or two?The revival would have to start with Rohit. The feedback the leadership got from the players was that they needed the leaders to first walk the talk. That meant the intent had to be initiated by players whose places in the side were certain and not by those who would be disposed if they failed in pursuit of quick runs. Too much of that had happened in the past. It also meant that the combinations and tactics had to be much better. For example, there was no way Rohit and Virat Kohli should bat together for too long outside the powerplay.With the onus on himself, Rohit doubled down on his need for depth, the 8-6 formula. He wanted to play every game with eight batters and six bowlers so that the batters could be freed, so that they had options to counter match-ups.India have achieved the cheat code of three allrounders in the XI whenever Hardik Pandya is fit•CREIMASA sting operation on the then chairman of selectors brought into the frame Ajit Agarkar. Now the team management included three men who could healthily challenge each other without any mistrust: Agarkar, Rohit and coach Rahul Dravid. Tough calls were now taken and explained properly to the players. Shubman Gill replaced Shikhar Dhawan in ODIs even though the players still rated Dhawan highly. KL Rahul was trusted as the middle-order rock. He and Shreyas Iyer were given until the last possible moment to prove their fitness for the ODI World Cup.The intent began to bleed into the ODIs as well. India were a solid ODI team previously too, but you could close your eyes and predict a score of 51 for 1 in the powerplay, and you wouldn’t be off by more than 2%. It worked great when the top three scored all the runs, but it didn’t give the others any breathing space when they went to bat. Rohit became the intent bunny in ODIs as well.It was a rained-out match where the teams shared points, but in Pallekele in the Asia Cup, the leadership knew the team had turned a corner. In an eerie resemblance to the T20 World Cup match against Pakistan, India lost the early wickets of Rohit and Kohli to Shaheen Shah Afridi as the ball moved around in humid conditions. Even at 66 for 4, Ishan Kishan and Hardik counter-attacked. India went on to score 261 for 8. When they came up against Pakistan next, they all went hammer and tongs to end with 356 for 2.Quality was meeting intent in the batting. Kuldeep was back to his best, and Bumrah was fit. Everything was looking great, but then Axar got injured again. Axar as the second allrounder had been in India’s plans for a while as they knew the next two World Cups would be in India and the West Indies, both places where they could afford to play two spinner-allrounders. Kuldeep’s return meant they had a spinner to take the ball away from left-hand batters unlike Chahal earlier.2:43

Harbhajan Singh: 2027 World Cup might be too far for Rohit Sharma

This combination of unique circumstances would let India achieve the cheat code of three allrounders in the side whenever Hardik would be fit. They tried to promote Axar in the batting order every now and then, notably against Pakistan in Melbourne and once in an ODI loss to West Indies in July 2023. In Axar’s absence, though, India relied on Shardul Thakur to be the eighth batter.When Hardik went down during the ODI World Cup, India had to leave Thakur out for a more specialised bowler in Shami. Only Rahul and Kohli will know if that lack of depth played a part in their back-to-default conservatism in the World Cup final in Ahmedabad, where, throughout the tournament, there were clear signs that batting becoming much easier under lights.This was only their fourth defeat in the last three ODI World Cups, but one that stung them the most. They had played fearless, attractive and dominant cricket to get to the final. Their narrowest wins were by four wickets and 70 runs. The defeat in the final left everyone too shocked to react, let alone analyse or think of the next World Cup, barely six months away.The T20I captain, Hardik, was injured with no timeline for a return. The ODI captain hadn’t played a T20I since the Adelaide debacle two years ago. The coach’s tenure was over, and he was happy to walk away without a world title. The selectors now had to take the less-than-ideal route of selecting the captain first and then the team. Not least because the captain could convince the coach to come back for one last ride. Had any of the three men been different, the band wouldn’t have come back together.1:21

Is Shreyas now India’s most reliable ODI batter?

Now, finally, the blueprint of eight batters and six bowlers could be put in place. Everyone was fit, and the West Indies pitches always have some grip. Except that the selectors wanted an offspinner-allrounder in the squad because they envisaged the XI would include Jadeja this allrounder. Rohit and Dravid pressed for Axar because they wanted to go with Jadeja Axar.With Shivam Dube’s emergence and the Axar gambit, Rohit and Dravid had enough options to deny oppositions a match-up at both ends. They could split right-hand batters, they could split those who struggled against spin, they had six bowlers plus Dube to choose from. As some of us suspected before, and the rest of us have learned since, this was still not India’s optimal T20I XI. Even if you disregard the belated emergence of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal was clearly the best opener out there at that time, and a left-hand batter to boot.Even at 34 for 3 in the final, India could pair Kohli up with Axar and Dube, and give India a target to bowl to. India were either due some luck or used up a year’s worth in the climax of that match – a six goes out of the ground and the replacement ball reverses, David Miller mistimes a full toss even when hitting downwind – but now they finally had a trophy to show for their processes and their dominance.The enormous weight of the missing trophy became apparent only during the celebrations back in Mumbai. Deep inside, the players and the management knew they were an exceptional side with two exceptional campaigns behind them, but they still felt what they felt: horrible after Ahmedabad, overjoyed after Barbados.In the following months, the Test transition arrived in earnest, but the T20I and the ODI sides remain formidable. The new management not only carried forward the Hardik-Jadeja-Axar cheat code, but they were shrewd enough to change the Champions Trophy squad at the last moment to include another wicket-taking spinner because they knew all their matches would be played on a tired Dubai square that had just hosted a T20 tournament. There is no evidence to suggest India would not have won even if they were playing on 350 pitches, but the Dubai conditions did make their job easier.Now, India are a team that have lost only one match in their last three ICC tournaments. From 2013 Champions Trophy onwards, they have missed out on the knockouts of only one of the 11 ICC tournaments. Of the other ten, only four have been semi-final defeats.Moments after winning this year’s Champions Trophy, Rahul perhaps summed up the reasons behind this dominance best.”It’s just pure skill and the way we’ve all played our cricket growing up,” Rahul said with unusual clarity for such a heady moment. “We’ve had to face a lot of challenges. We’ve had to face pressure from the time we held the bat and from the time we decided to be professional cricketers. I think it’s just the first-class cricket, BCCI, how they’ve groomed every player, every talented player that comes around. They’re giving us opportunities and platforms to showcase our skills and to put ourselves under pressure and keep challenging ourselves and getting better.”The leadership needs to already start thinking of the next two years if they want to continue celebrating•ICC via Getty ImagesThe talent pool is vast and, consequently, the pressure they face at every step on the way to the top is immense. That is also perhaps why they hold onto their places at the top a little too tightly. That is why the leadership constantly needs to keep making them feel secure enough to keep pushing their boundaries.There is still one final step to go to earn comparisons with the best-ever sides. If they can defend their T20 crown next year, India will be regarded as the best T20I side of all time. They will start as the favourites for it, but this dream team with all kinds of cheat codes will not be easy to replicate in the 2027 ODI World Cup, a title only Kohli among the current players has won. Compare this to the Australia of 1999 to 2009: they always had a well-rounded ODI attack to outperform their opposition in conditions as diverse as South Africa in 2003, India in 2006, the West Indies in 2007 and South Africa again in 2009. They also almost always had at least two allrounders who almost never broke down. Even they have never been able to crack both ODIs and T20Is at the same time.India will not magically find a strike bowler with the batting ability of Brett Lee or Andy Bichel. That means at any given point of time only three of Kuldeep, Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Mohammed Siraj and Shami can play. Axar and Jadeja, if the latter is still around, won’t make for an optimal combination on your usual South African tracks. Hardik’s body is what it is. Gill, Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and Rahul form a formidable batting core even if Rohit doesn’t make it, but some work will be needed to attain this kind of balance in South Africa.There has been cause aplenty to celebrate over the last two years, but the leadership needs to already start thinking of the next two years if they want to continue celebrating. With all the talent in the country, it won’t take much to remain very good, but excellence is what they want to continue aiming for.

The centerback had nothing but praise for the hire of the Argentine, as the USMNT enters a new era under his leadership

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• Chris Richards praises Pochettino hire
• Thanks U.S. Soccer for not taking "safe route"
• Defender currently injured, will miss October camp

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  U.S. international Chris Richards is thrilled with the hire of Mauricio Pochettino as coach of the U.S. men's national team.

  In an interview for the Crystal Palace matchday program, the 24-year-old central defender said that the Argentine's history at the club level is what has him enthused – but that he is also pleased that U.S. Soccer didn't choose to go the "safe route" by selecting an MLS-level manager.

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  WHAT RICHARDS SAID

  "You’ve seen [Pochettino's] success in club football,” Richards said. “It’s another sign that U.S. Soccer is pushing to better the game. Hiring a manager like Pochettino shows that you’re serious about growing the game.

  "We could have gone down the safe route by choosing a potential coach from the MLS, but I think them going for a coach that might turn them down and going for coaches of caliber is very impressive from U.S. Soccer."

  Though currently injured, Richards said he's still excited to help take the program to the next level.

  “I’m really excited for it – hopefully we can win games and tournaments with him," he said. "It's funny, people ask me when I'm playing for a team USA: ‘How far do you think you can go in the World Cup?’ I say I want to win it. Whatever I do, we want to be the best at and we want to win.”

  Unfortunately for the defender, he is going to miss out on the October camp due to injury, as he will continue training and recovering with Palace during the international break.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Several MLS managers, notably both Wilfried Nancy and Steve Cherundolo, were both names that emerged as potential candidates for the U.S. vacancy this summer.

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR PALACE AND THE USMNT?

  Palace clash with Liverpool Saturday, before the international break begins next week. The U.S., meanwhile, host Panama and travel to Mexico this month when Pochettino takes the touchline for the first time.

Tom Banton retained in squad after standing in for Dawid Malan during Sri Lanka ODIs

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jul-2021

England have named an unchanged 16-player squad for the three-match ODI series against Pakistan, which gets underway in Cardiff on July 8.England are already 2-0 up in their ODI series against Sri Lanka, with the final match taking place in Bristol on Sunday. Tom Banton was a late call-up for that series, after Dawid Malan withdrew for family reasons, and he retains his place in the squad to face Pakistan.Speaking in the wake of England’s eight-wicket win in the second ODI against Sri Lanka, at The Kia Oval on Thursday, Graham Thorpe indicated that changes could be afoot for the Bristol fixture, as England seek to test their bench strength ahead of the Pakistan series, which he admitted was likely to be a stiffer test of their credentials than Sri Lanka have managed to offer.”Potentially the Pakistan series could push us further,” Thorpe said. “We’ve been pleased with our own performances. We didn’t want any complacency to creep in. And because of the competition we have, the players want to put in good performances.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“Sri Lanka have a decent group of players, there’s no doubt about that. I think they’ve been weakened more on their batting side than their bowling unit but I believe Pakistan will be a team that’s further ahead in terms of experience and how they’ll be able to challenge. It’ll probably be a tougher contest.”One player who could come into the mix for the Bristol match is George Garton, the Sussex left-arm fast bowler. If selected, he will be making his England debut, three years after he was drafted into the Test squad as a replacement in the 2017-18 Ashes.Liam Dawson, Hampshire’s left-arm-spinning allrounder, is another player who has yet to feature in either match so far, and could be set for his first England appearance since 2018, having been a non-playing reserve in the 2019 World Cup-winning squad.England will name their squad for the T20I leg of the Pakistan series later this month, a series which will serve as an important pointer ahead of the T20 World Cup in the UAE and Oman this winter.”I think it will be a very good series,” Moeen Ali said. “Pakistan are normally a very good side, they give us good games, and I think they’ll be a stronger opposition than Sri Lanka, which means you get more of a chance to bat and bowl as a player who’s down the order, for example, and hasn’t been bowling much.”Definitely, they are one of the best [T20I] teams in the world, along with West Indies, India, Australia,’ he said. “I think Pakistan are our bogey-team in World Cups, they always seem to do really well against us, so we can’t take them lightly at all, they are a fantastic team with quality players.”England ODI series vs Pakistan
1st ODI, Cardiff, July 8
2nd ODI, Lord’s, July 10
3rd ODI, Edgbaston, July 13