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Dom Sibley latest to succumb to illness as England mull changes

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Opening batsman is the 11th player in the touring squad to go down sick

George Dobell in Centurion30-Dec-2019Spare a thought for holiday-makers catching a flight to Cape Town from Johannesburg on New Year’s Eve.For there is a fair chance some of them will be sharing a plane with an England squad so sickly that they should probably be led by a hooded figure ringing a mournful warning bell.News that Dom Sibley, the opening batsman, is the latest to succumb to the illness means that 17 members* of the touring party – including backroom staff – have been ill at some stage. The England management remain keen not to use the episode as an excuse for the lacklustre performance in Centurion – and, to be fair, it wasn’t as if it was the only lacklustre performance of the year – but there is no doubt it has hampered them.ALSO READ: Bess pushing for Cape Town selection amid Leach fitness struggleAlthough the news about Sibley is a setback, there is some optimism within the camp that they are, at last, coming to the end of the saga. But although most of those previously affected are now back in training, it will take some time to regain the fitness and stamina levels they had before. And in these temperatures – and at these altitudes – that is a real issue.There has been some encouraging news. Jack Leach, who spent time in hospital in New Zealand after sustaining gastroenteritis, is out of quarantine and will travel with the rest of the squad to Cape Town. It remains unlikely he will be considered fit for the second Test, however, as he has hardly bowled a ball for a month. Dom Bess and Matt Parkinson are vying for a spot in his place. At present, it seems Bess is ahead in that race.It may make sense to consider contingency plans. Although the team management are adamant they do not require further reinforcements – they do have 19 men here, after all – it may be worth asking Gareth Batty, the Surrey offspinner, to attend nets over the next few days.Batty is currently here in his role as part of the talkSPORT commentary team and was deemed good enough for a Test spot as recently as November 2016. He remains, aged 42, a first-class player with Surrey – he played eight Championship games in 2019, twice as many as Parkinson did – and could, perhaps, provide some assurance should Bess and Parkinson also fall ill in the coming days. Batty recorded his best first-class figures – 8 for 64 – in May. England could do much, much worse.Dom Sibley is the latest England player to suffer with illness•Getty Images

While it’s too early to rule Sibley out of contention for Cape Town, his illness could provide opportunity for Zak Crawley to come in as an opening batsman. Equally, it could provide a reprieve for Jonny Bairstow, who looks set otherwise to make way for the returning Ollie Pope. While inexperienced, Crawley does have an excellent reputation for his ability to play quick bowling. Chris Woakes is also out of quarantine and understood to be on the mend.If England do elect to play a spinner at Cape Town – that is not certain; South Africa did not pick one in their last Test on the ground and Pakistan’s spinner, Yasir Shah, finished wicketless – it will leave them with a tricky decision over which seamer to leave out.Sam Curran, who was probably the pick of bowlers in the first innings in Centurion and offers more than most with the bat, could consider himself unfortunate to be left out, while Jofra Archer, despite proving expensive, proved his value with a five-wicket haul in England’s second innings.That would leave England needing to decide between the two leading wicket-takers in their Test history: James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Both may feel they have come on for the run-out in the first Test; Broad was clearly suffering the after effects of illness and Anderson was playing his first game since the start of August. It’s the sort of decision that could leave the management feeling sick.*
Players: Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Joe Denly, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
Non-players: Carl Hopkinson (fielding coach), Graham Thorpe (batting coach), Sam Dickason (security manager), Greg Stobart (digital manager) and two local liaison officers (one in Benoni and one in Centurion)ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Don't have to be too hard on ourselves – Dale Steyn

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Senior pacer not worried after big defeat to Australia, but says South Africa must learn from their mistakes

Firdose Moonda22-Feb-2020Dale Steyn wants South Africa to “adapt quicker” to keep pace with the T20 game and joked that they “can’t get any worse” after their defeat to Australia in Johannesburg on Friday night.

South Africa 20% of match fee

South Africa have been fined 20% of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate in the first T20I against Australia. South Africa were found to be one over short after time allowances were taken into account, which led to the fine. Captain Quinton de Kock pleaded guilty to the offence and and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need of a formal hearing with match referee Andrew Pycroft.

South Africa were bowled out for their lowest T20 total and lost by their biggest margin in the format during the opening game of the three-match series, appearing to have undone much of the gains they made against England. Steyn, however, is not too worried about his team’s performances yet.”You are allowed to have a blow-out,” Steyn said. “We played some good cricket against England. It was one of the better series that I’ve played against England, even though we lost. We batted superbly and we bowled in patches really well. We don’t have to be too hard on ourselves.”This team is going to be learning. I hope our growth will be upwards. Even though we are losing, the process that Mark (Boucher) and Quinny [Quinton de Kock] have put in place is the right one.”South Africa are yet to win a series this summer under new coach Mark Boucher, and though Quinton de Kock’s white-ball captaincy started well with victories in the opening ODI and T20I against England, the team still lacks consistency. At the Wanderers, Steyn saw South Africa make many of the same mistakes they made against England, which he hopes they can rectify by the time they get to Port Elizabeth for Sunday’s second fixture.”We’ve got to start learning a little more from the mistakes we made against England. We carried it into Australia,” he said. “In the first six overs, we were a little bit too wide. We’ve got to adapt a little bit faster.”Steyn, along with Lungi Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada, was responsible in the start Australia got off to, with 70 runs coming in the Powerplay and a slew of short, wide balls despite Boucher emphasising the need to pitch the ball up. Rabada, in particular, came under scrutiny for his off-colour return from a period of extended rest.Rabada was suspended for the final Test against England in late January and was given time off the white-ball leg of the series, during which he travelled to Chicago for the NBA All Star game, but came back lacking rhythm and presence. Steyn, though, expects him to improve.”It’s lovely to have KG back with the ball. I know he went for a couple of runs but he hasn’t been around so he is probably feeling ring rust,” Steyn said. “And the younger bowlers like Lungi (Ngidi) and And (Phehlukwayo) look up to someone like him. Big time.”The same could be said of Steyn, who is the most experienced bowler in the side by some distance and has showed his own ability to innovate with clever use of slower balls. Steyn, who retired from Tests last year, admitted that being out of the international scene showed him how tough it is at the top level and, like his team-mates, he wants to get better.”Although I have played my entire career at the highest level, if you haven’t played for a while, you quickly come back and realise that it moves a lot faster than any other level. Playing in the MSL was great, I went to the Big Bash which was fantastic but this was two levels harder. I can hopefully rewind the clock a little bit and bring some of those golden years back.”

England need 'resilient cricketers' in overseas conditions, says Graham Thorpe

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‘We’re still a developing side’ claims batting coach after England toil to draw in Hamilton

Alan Gardner04-Dec-2019England batting coach, Graham Thorpe, has urged those players in the Test set-up to keep focusing on how to improve their games as Chris Silverwood and Joe Root seek to build a team that can challenge to win back the Ashes in Australia.A rain-affected draw in Hamilton extended England’s poor away record under the captaincy of Root – they have won just four times in 15 overseas Tests since he took over in 2017. But pointing to the inexperienced nature of the squad in New Zealand, Thorpe suggested there was plenty of scope for England to improve their performances in unfamiliar conditions, saying they would need “resilient cricketers” for the Australia tour of 2021-22.ALSO READ: England must raise fielding standards to help toiling bowlers to catch a breakThe bowlers, in particular, faced some hard yards in Mount Maunganui and Hamilton. Sam Curran was England’s leading wicket-taker, with six at 39.66, while Jofra Archer, on his first overseas assignment, finished with two at 104.50. The decision to go into the second Test with a five-man pace attack also came under scrutiny, particularly after New Zealand batted their way to safety at 241 for 2 on the fifth day at Seddon Park.”We’re still very much a developing team from a coaching point of view, we’re trying to identify those characters who can take us forward,” Thorpe said. “Jofra’s had a new experience; abroad, never been to New Zealand, first time he’s bowled with a Kookaburra ball, it’s a learning curve for him. As with more games under Sam Curran, the variety of our attack, what have we got? Have we got different performers which we can use abroad?”Even playing without a spinner in this game, people might criticise it but you’ve also got to look at what you’ve got as well. Can you play differently from time to time? We’ve got to keep developing our players, no doubt about that. They have to ask themselves when they come away from a trip like this: where can I get better? Because the big picture is down the line in a couple of years’ time, we’ll need resilient cricketers going to Australia.”

England’s record with the Kookaburra ball remains a source of concern. Over the last four years, English seamers average almost 10 runs per wicket more in countries where the Kookaburra is used (Australia, Bangladesh, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the UAE), although their next assignment, in South Africa, may feature surfaces friendlier to pace bowling.Thorpe highlighted the example of Neil Wagner, New Zealand’s Man of the Series and an expert at creating openings with short-pitched bowling, as something for England to keep in mind as they seek a sharper edge on their travels.”Generally you’ve got a few plans as bowlers,” Thorpe said. “When guys first go to the crease, they’re vulnerable for a period of time and you need bowlers who can carry out different strategies at different times throughout the course of a Test match. Maybe it’s some different angles, some different styles of bowling. Wagner bowls in a certain way, [Ben] Stokes tried that, and it was against two good batsmen, and all of a sudden they can become a little ruffled in the way they play. That’s a style.”How much can we do with the ball? We’ve got to work very, very hard to go off-straight as well, so taking care of the ball. South Africa has slightly different surfaces, a little bit more carry so again our players have got to look ahead.”There have been some challenges, players might say they’ve been flat pitches but we know that on flat pitches there is pressure on batters to make sure they put big runs on the board and then there’s pressure on bowlers to make sure they find a way of having sometimes three tactical ways of getting batsmen out: one when they’re first in, one when they’re set and another one in terms of what can we do with the ball? Maybe to be able to get some movement with that Kookaburra ball. There’s plenty in the mix.”One obvious positive for England was in the performance of their captain at Seddon Park, as Root recorded his first hundred in 15 innings and highest score overseas.”It’s great to see Root come back and scoring some runs and how he is in the dressing room as well, that’s great for his confidence. He was already held in very esteem in the dressing room, so he’s just confirmed that and also that he’s a world-class player as well. Everyone goes through little dips in their career so it’s great to see him back up and running with the bat.”

Cowan and Bailey give Tasmania victory

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A 134-run stand between Ed Cowan and George Bailey steered Tasmania to a four-wicket victory over Western Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Dec-2010
Scorecard
A 134-run stand between Ed Cowan and George Bailey steered Tasmania to a four-wicket victory over Western Australia and ensured that Test-reject Xavier Doherty’s fine spell of 2 for 46 from 12 overs did not go to waste.Cowan stroked 82 at better than a run a ball while Bailey finished unbeaten on 79 to guide his team home with four balls remaining despite a flurry of late wickets.Doherty had opened the bowling after Bailey chose to field first and despite his accuracy the visitors got off to a steady start with Shaun Marsh and Liam Davis. The pair reached 70 before Davis was trapped in front aiming a sweep at offspinner Jason Krejza for 35 but Marsh and Luke Pomersbach ensured further slip-ups before the 20-over suspension.In the second stint Marsh went on to make 52 before becoming the first of two victims for Doherty. Adam Voges contributed a quick-fire half-century, striking seven boundaries in the process but it was a 62-run sixth-wicket stand at the end of the innings that carried the total towards 245.The brisk opening stand between Mark Cosgrove and Rhett Lockyear was in stark contrast to the approach adopted by Western Australia and ensured the home side were in good shape responding to Western Australia’s 20-over score. The openers fell in quick succession, however, just before the break to give the visitors an opening before Cowan and Bailey’s steadied the ship.Tasmania needed a further 150 to win when Cowan and Bailey resumed their stand. While neither battered the boundary boards with expansive shots both ran well between the wickets and picked up runs smartly to build a perfect foundation to the victory. Cowan had reached 82 before he offered a catch to Marsh and Travis Birt was run out for 1 an over later. Jonathan Wells kept Bailey company in an important 35-run stand and despite two more wickets, Bailey held firm to give his team victory.

Singapore create history by clinching T20I victory over Zimbabwe

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Sean Williams’ fifty had made it seem like the game was Zimbabwe’s but Janak Prakash and Sidhant Singh sprung a surprise nobody expected

The Report by Sreshth Shah29-Sep-2019When Tony Munyonga cut teenager Sidhant Singh for only a single in the game’s final ball at the Indian Association Ground in Singapore, history was made as the home side beat a Full Member nation for the first time in international cricket.In a rain-hit 18-overs-a-side contest, Zimbabwe fell four short of the 182-run target despite Sean Williams’ 66, to lose their first game of the tri-nation series that now sees both teams (and the other side Nepal) tied on two points each.Singapore’s captain Amjad Mahboob was understandably proud of his team at the presentation: “I just spoke to my boys, ‘Just do your best, just fight until the last ball; just don’t care about the result and just give your best and see the result came in our favour’. Yesterday we lost. Yesterday I didn’t play [against Nepal who won the game by nine wickets]. Just today, I came and I told the boys pre-game that to play to our potential. To not be scared. We are a young side and it’s a great feeling to beat a Test nation. We are very happy.”It seemed victory was Zimbabwe’s when Williams was at the crease. He had struck five sixes and as many fours in his 35-ball stay, but fell in the 16th over with Zimbabwe still 19 away from the target. Only four down, they were still favourites to cross the line with Ryan Burl and Richmond Mutumbami in the middle, but a double-wicket over from medium-pacer Janak Prakash – which cost only seven runs – turned the scales in Singapore’s favour.With the big-hitting Burl gone and Zimbabwe’s lower order suddenly exposed, Mahboob brought back fast bowler Sidhant for the game’s final over, and he delivered, conceding only five when Zimbabwe needed ten.”I’ve been around for a while now and getting myself that close and not finishing the job is very disappointing for me and I take that to heart,” Williams said. “Obviously because I’m a leader of the side and I’ve got to be the one that stands up and finishing the job.”Zimbabwe’s innings was given an early impetus by their opener Regis Chakabva, who struck 48 in 19 balls. Chakabva was brutal, in particular, on Vinoth Baskaran, taking 18 runs in just one over. That put Zimbabwe ahead of the net run-rate early and with No. 3 Williams for company, they added 41 for the second wicket. Williams switched to big-hitting mode against Tim David, whacking him for 24 runs in the 12th over. And yet, somehow, Singapore stayed in the game with three tight overs that saw both set batsmen dismissed. Thereafter, it was a matter of holding their nerve, which they did, conceding only one boundary in the final two overs to complete a remarkable win.That Singapore made 181 for 9 was courtesy their wicketkeeper-batsman Manpreet Singh and allrounder David. Both struck 41 each, in 23 and 24 deliveries respectively, to lift Singapore to a challenging total. Singapore had earlier added over 60 in the Powerplay thanks to their openers Rohan Rangarajan (39) and Surendran Chandramohan (23) but Burl’s two wickets in his opening spell pegged Singapore’s progress back in the middle overs.It was then that David and Manpreet added a quickfire 38 for the fourth wicket, and when the former was dismissed in the 13th over, the latter hit the accelerator. Singapore added 59 off the last five overs, and that late burst, eventually, was the difference between the two sides.Williams, though, felt the game slipped away from Zimbabwe a little after that. “We lost Tino Mutombodzi there,” Williams said. “We were actually planning on going in that [14th] over. That could’ve been a turning point in the game and then we just lost a clutter of wickets again. Obviously having Timycen [Maruma] injured early on in the game wasn’t great for us. But, look, these things happen. The outfield and the weather conditions happen and we’ve got to deal with that and come up with some better plans and better mental conditions to win the game.”

Australia consider full hand of quicks

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Australia are considering unleashing four specialist fast bowlers to soften up England, but first Ricky Ponting has to be convinced the WACA surface will not trick him again

Peter English at the WACA15-Dec-2010Australia are considering unleashing four specialist fast bowlers to soften up England, but first Ricky Ponting has to be convinced the WACA surface will not trick him again. Ponting delayed naming his XI for Thursday’s crucial third Ashes Test until he has a final look at the pitch, which is much greener than usual.Ponting has misread this wicket before, most notably against India in 2007-08 when it looked fast but played low and slow, and had a rare discussion with the groundsman Cam Sutherland today. If Australia go with the pace quartet of Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus they will be flooded with options. Shane Watson’s availability actually makes a speed quintet possible, while the legspinner Steven Smith is also on call.The chances of Michael Beer, the left-arm orthodox spinner, making his debut have reduced slightly, although the hosts could quickly revert to a more traditional attack if the pitch dries out before the toss. To level the series 1-1 Australia require 20 wickets, four more than they have managed in the first two Tests.The WACA used to be a fast-bowling Mecca and every time teams come here they expect short-pitch tactics to stir up their opponents. Australia are preparing an attempt to bounce England’s top order and deliver some discomfort to the tourists, who have dominated since being dismissed for 260 on the opening day of the series. “I honestly feel the pitch conditions here are as foreign to English players as probably anywhere else in the world and hopefully we can exploit that this week,” Ponting said.It is impossible to understate the importance of this game for Australia. If they lose England will retain the Ashes and Ponting’s captaincy and playing future will be on the line. He usually announces his side the day before the game but will toss and turn for another night before deciding what to do.Western Australia, the local state side, have also been confused by the surface, which although it looks green is not always conducive to seam. Ponting is unsure whether it will play as it looks. “There’s a chance of that and that’s probably due to the different type of grass that’s on it at the moment,” he said. “It’s not the thicker, coarse grass that was on the wicket the last couple of years, it’s a finer leaf sort of grass.”When you’ve got wickets like that the ball tends to skip off that grass rather than holding on it. That’s why it’s important to get a good feel of it tomorrow morning and see how hard it is, and whether there’s any moisture left in the surface before we make our decision.”Hilfenhaus and Harris will be used as into-the-wind bowlers while Johnson, who has been trying to rebuild his action over the past week, will be able to charge in with the breeze. Siddle is another who will enjoy having the wind at his back if he is selected. Both Hilfenhaus and Johnson didn’t bowl in the nets during the final practice session in preparation for their returns after being dropped for the Adelaide game.Whether Siddle, who hasn’t take a wicket since his six on the opening day in Brisbane, or Beer fits in is still to be determined. Ponting said Beer’s inexperience would not be a factor in deciding the line-up.”It’s more so we can get the best four bowlers for us on that wicket, it’s as simple as that,” he said. “The fact that Michael is a debutant doesn’t come into it. If he’s in our four best bowlers for the wicket we see tomorrow then he’ll play.”Spinners have been successful over the latter stages of Shield games in Perth this season and Ponting planned to have lunch with Beer to talk tactics. Australia have Smith to bat at No.6 and bowl as well, but the team management seems confused by all the potential options.If he plays, Beer will be heavily involved in the second half of the game, while an extra paceman will be expected to cause more problems in the first innings. Ponting has too much to think about but must be wary about over-stocking his pace department on a surface that has bitten him before.

Everton urged to sign Brighton’s Lamptey

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Everton should ignore Carlo Ancelotti’s concerns over Tariq Lamptey and seal a deal for him after Paddy Kenny urged the Brighton & Hove Albion defender be signed instead of Norwich City’s Max Aarons.

What’s the word?

While speaking with Football Insider, Kenny suggested Everton would be making a mistake by signing Aarons fresh off a Premier League promotion-clinching campaign.

The Toffees are reportedly exploring a deal to sign the Canaries product, who is keen on a move to Merseyside, but are reluctant to pay the £30m fee needed.

Everton chiefs are working to lower Norwich’s valuation but may struggle to drive a hard bargain after Daniel Farke’s side secured their return to the top-flight, and will rival Watford for the Championship title over the final games.

Lamptey has also been linked with a potential summer switch to Goodison Park with the Blues undeterred by the 20-year-old signing a new £40,000-per-week contract in January, although Ancelotti is thought to have concerns over his height at 5 ft 5.

Yet Kenny insists the Chelsea product would be the better option as Seamus Coleman’s long-term successor, as Aarons could be another miss rather than hit in the transfer market.

“They could be making a mistake,” the former Ireland international said. “He [Aarons] is a Championship player, he’s not Premier League at the moment. It is a lot of money to pay for a player who has just been promoted but has only played one season in the Premier League.

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“Lamptey could be the one, he’s a very good player. Everton are hit-and-miss – you don’t know what you’re going to get from them each week. They need to start getting a little bit more consistent. A right-back, you’d think, would be part of that.”

Should Everton sign Lamptey over Aarons?

Aarons would appear to be the favourite to occupy a place in Ancelotti’s plans next season with Everton rating the 21-year-old highly, and believing he can deliver a similar impact to that seen from Ben Godfrey since his arrival from Norwich in October.

That’s not to say Lamptey is out of the running entirely, as the Toffees also consider the electric Brighton full-back to be a ‘great talent’, but he most likely is second on the shortlist at best given Ancelotti’s supposed concerns and a similar £30m asking price.

A season-ending hamstring injury has also kept Lamptey out of action since December, to see that his sample size for the 2020/21 campaign is far less than Aarons’ having only played 11 games to the Canaries dynamo’s 44 appearances across all competitions so far.

Yet having more than four times the minutes on the pitch has only resulted in Aarons (3,898 minutes) offering one more assist than Lamptey (890) – who Neal Maupay claims “doesn’t have limits” – while being matched for goals scored with one each.

Lamptey also won 0.5 of his 1.5 aerial duels per Premier League appearance before being consigned to the treatment room, just shy of 5 ft 9 Coleman’s 0.6 from 1.5 over 11 outings, while 5 ft 10 Aarons has won 0.9 of 2.2 in the Championship after winning 0.6 of two in the top-flight last term, per WhoScored.

If Lamptey’s height is the only prevailing concern Ancelotti has, then Everton should ignore his concern and launch a pursuit with Brighton likely to demand as much to sell as Norwich are for Aarons, who Kenny seemingly fears is only a second-tier talent.

AND in other news, Everton have been told to pay £34.5m for a 23-year-old that Carlo Ancelotti would welcome at Goodison Park…

Celtic: Musonda endures injury hell after exit

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Charly Musonda was such a valuable signing to Celtic that the Bhoys tried to bring him to Parkhead twice.

In the summer of 2017, he nearly joined the Hoops on loan before his parent club decided to keep him at the club instead.

He became part of Chelsea’s Premier League squad and played nine times in all competitions for the Blues that term. In the process, he picked up an assist in Europe and also in the top-flight.

Though, after a lack of first-team opportunities Celtic ultimately got their man in January 2018.

After penning temporary terms, Musonda said: “I feel really good. Massive club, really looking forward to it. I’m very lucky to be here and I’m very happy to be here. It’s going to be unreal to play at Celtic Park. Hopefully I can do well for the team.”

Unfortunately, despite Brendan Rodgers’ desire to see him thrive, it was an unsuccessful stint in Glasgow for the Belgian.

Upon signing for an initial 18 months, the former Celtic boss cited Musonda’s “wonderful ability.”

Rodgers added: “I’ve known him for a few years. A big thank you must go to Chelsea. He’s a shining light in their academy.”

Musonda would eventually play just eight times for the Bhoys, being recalled in May after Chelsea lost their patience. He failed to score during his time in Scotland and it was unsurprising they recalled him; he wasn’t even in the squad during the end of his stay.

Since he departed Paradise, his career has fallen off the wagon in one of the worst ways possible.

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The attacking midfielder headed to Vitesse in the Netherlands but after making four appearances early in the 2018/19 season on loan, he’s not been seen on the field of play since.

Musonda has been through his very own version of hell and he’s not in the clear yet either. He picked a cruciate ligament injury in his knee and hasn’t played for the best part of 19 months.

Speaking in December he said: “It’s been four years since I played back to back professional games, three years since I last played for my club, two of those last four years, I’ve been injured with the post cruciate ligament of my knee.”

The midfielder continued: “Doctors told me going through surgery after being out for so long would be the end, an impossible mountain to climb, were the exact words. This is my story and how I keep training and staying ready, despite the odds, one day I’ll be back.”

Now 24, Musonda has returned to light training with Chelsea and has hired his own personal fitness and conditioning strength. He is still yet to appear for the Blues since resuming light ball work in what has been a nightmare two years.

Is the end in sight for the midfielder? Time will tell. Described as a “big talent” by Rodgers, the £42k-per-week earner once had the world at his feet.

Another prodigy off the Chelsea production line, his lack of opportunities has been through complete misfortune, rather than some of the other reasons academy graduates have been handed throughout the years.

Just as his career was beginning to take off, it was effectively ripped away from him. Musonda undoubtedly deserves a second chance.

AND in other news, Big U-turn emerges in Celtic manager search, it’s great news for supporters…

ESL update could deal Spurs Kane blow

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Tottenham Hotspur’s decision to join the European Super League could have some seriously dangerous consequences, especially when it comes their chances of keeping hold of Harry Kane.

This bombshell was revealed on Monday as Spurs became one of the ESL’s 12 founding clubs, something that has understandably gone down like a lead balloon across the footballing world.

Not only have supporters voiced their concerns but governing bodies like FIFA, UEFA and the Premier League among others have condemned the plans and are set to do all they can to stop the breakaway league from becoming a reality.

UEFA released a statement suggesting that they could pursue legal action over the proposals and insisted that those players involved in the new league would be banned from domestic, European and international competitions, whilst the rebel clubs could be booted out of these competitions too.

In addition to that, Spurs have also withdrawn from the European Club Association (ECA), which will only increase the prospect of them being unable to qualify for the Champions League or Europa League any longer.

The Lilywhites have been involved in one of the two European competitions for 11 straight seasons, and they made the UCL final in 2019. Daniel Levy’s decision to join the ESL takes away this privilege and two potential competitions that they could qualify for, and potentially win.

Kane’s future was already in doubt prior to this announcement, and will surely be in grave danger now, especially as he’s the England national team captain too.

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The 27-year-old continues to break goalscoring records in England but ultimately, he has no silverware to back up what should’ve been an illustrious career so by limiting the competitions that Spurs play in, and potentially even risking their expulsion from the Premier League, Levy is playing a dangerous game if he wants the 219-goal striker to stay in north London.

In addition to that, if Kane stays and plays in the ESL, then his England career could well be over and that’s certainly something he will not want to lose as he has the potential of becoming the first Three Lions skipper to lift a trophy since Bobby Moore in 1966.

Gareth Southgate’s side have a chance to win the European Championships this summer, and barring any qualification issues, they could make a run at winning the World Cup in 2022 too, after reaching the semi-finals in 2018.

“I am looking forward to a really special couple of years with the Euros in the summer and then the World Cup in 2022,” revealed Kane back in October.

So Levy may well have just dealt Spurs a huge hammer blow in more ways than one, this news surely has Kane reeling in fury and that’s not a good thing when considering his long-term future in north London.

Of course, in any scenario where he chooses to leave in order to maintain his place in the England set-up, Kane wouldn’t be able to move to another Super League club as they too could see their players banned from representing their national teams.

However, there are still some huge clubs such as Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain who are not part of the breakaway and who could, in theory, still have the finances to purchase a player as good as Harry Kane. PSG have been linked with a move for Kane in the past too so a move to the French capital isn’t something that is beyond the realms of possibility.

If UEFA and co. get their way, Spurs will only have the ESL to play for and the fact that Spurs are one of the weaker sides of the Super League Founder Members makes it highly unlikely that they can win that competition either, so Kane is looking at a trophyless future, one where he can’t captain his country. Those factors will surely anger the Tottenham superstar and as a result, will put his future with the club in even more doubt.

AND in other news, here’s how Spurs could look under Ryan Mason with three forgotten stars returning…

Sunderland: Bailey Wright back in training

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Everything is incredibly rosy at Sunderland right now. They have a new owner in Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and they are within touching distance of promotion.

The Mackems sit in third place but, with two games in hand, they could rise to the summit of League One in the near future. That could take them to a deserved place in the Championship, a moment which would cap off a season in which they finally broke their trophy drought.

There are only a handful of matches left now and, on Friday lunchtime, Lee Johnson had some news which will come as music to the ears of Sunderland supporters.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, he shared a positive update on the injury front by saying: “A lot of players were training today which is good. It’s a very difficult team selection because of that. There’s a lot of players fit and confident.”

Johnson added: “We’ve got Bailey Wright back in training as well today which was nice to see so there’s many positives. At the same time, there’s total focus to what is a really big game.”

Wright has been out since the middle of February now with a calf tear. It’s a period on the sidelines which has seen him miss 11 league outings and, crucially, the EFL Trophy final win over Tranmere.

Considering how long the centre-back has been sidelined, it’s unlikely that he’ll be fit enough to start on Saturday when the Mackems face Charlton. That being said, it’s quite pleasing that he’s back among the group ahead of the promotion run-in.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-sunderland-transfer-rumours-and-news-grigg-denayer-louis-dreyfus-sanderson-melamed” title=”Latest Sunderland transfer news and views!”]

The Australian had only missed one match this term before getting injured, so he is clearly an important fixture in the Black Cats’ side. His return will have left the manager quite excited, although Johnson could now have a large selection headache.

After all, Dion Sanderson and Luke O’Nien have been near-impeccable as a centre-half pairing. Since Wright’s injury, Sunderland have kept seven clean sheets in the league.

A dilemma could therefore be on the cards in the coming weeks. Does the manager bring Wright back into the starting XI and move O’Nien further forward? That’s certainly one option he could consider.

Johnson may also choose to move Sanderson to full-back, a role in which he has already played this season.

Either way, news of Wright’s return can only be seen as a positive. He could bring vital leadership skills to the table during the closing weeks of the campaign as promotion potentially draws near.

AND in other news, SAFC flop sees his value fall by 90% after leaving, he’s spent 1004 days out injured…

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