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Arsenal supporters have been handed some relief in regard to the club’s transfer planning, in the wake of sporting director Edu Gaspar’s sudden departure from N5.

Edu announces Arsenal exit after five-year stay

The former Gunners midfielder was arguably one of Arsenal’s finest off-field appointments in recent years, with the high-ranking club chief playing a key role in transforming them from a mid-table side to genuine Premier League title contenders.

Edu tried to sign Barcelona superstar before Arsenal exit with talks held

He was a key target for the Brazilian.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 5, 2024

The Brazilian, who was responsible for an array of key first-team signings and Mikel Arteta’s appointment, is now drawing the curtain on a memorable five-year stay at the Emirates – after it was announced on Monday that he is officially parting company.

Chelsea (away)

November 10

Nottingham Forest (home)

November 23

West Ham United (away)

November 30

Man United (home)

December 4

Fulham (away)

December 8

The news appeared to come out of nowhere, and it was the last thing fans wanted to hear, following a run of disappointing top-flight results which have left Arsenal playing catch up in the title race and seven points behind leaders Liverpool.

Edu now appears set to work under Evangelos Marinakis, where he will head up operations to oversee the development of clubs like Nottingham Forest, Olympiacos and Rio Ave under the Greek’s umbrella.

Jason Ayto could be a clear choice to replace Edu at Arsenal, considering how closely he has worked with the 46-year-old during their time together in north London. For now, those within and outside the club will be thankful for Edu’s influential services and saddened by his exit.

“We respect Edu’s decision and thank him for his immense contribution and dedication to drive the club forward,” said club co-chair Josh Kroenke in a statement.

“Everyone at the club wishes him well. We are all so fond of him and the positive energy he brings to everything and everyone. Change and evolution is a part of our club. We remain focused on our strategy and winning major trophies. Our succession plan will reflect this continued ambition.”

Comforting Arsenal transfer update shared after Edu Gaspar exit

Naturally, questions have been asked about how this impacts Arsenal in terms of preparation for both January and next summer.

Reliable journalist Simon Collings, writing a piece for Standard Sport, has shared a comforting update on Arsenal’s transfer plans after Edu’s exit this afternoon.

Indeed, he writes that Arsenal’s transfer groundwork is often done well in advance, sometimes even 12 months, and the club’s remaining executive team have real experience conducting marquee deals – so it appears they will be more than capable of filling in while Arsenal contemplate how best to replace Edu long-term.

In a time like this, the club’s all-round structure will be put to the test, as well as their general recruitment team, so it will be very interesting to see how they cope without Edu as Arteta chases a first league title for Arsenal in 21 years.

Former England captain wants law changed to prevent the suffering of terminally ill patients

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2021Ray Illingworth, the former England captain, has revealed he is being treated for oesophageal cancer, and has called for assisted dying to be legalised in the UK after witnessing the way his wife Shirley suffered from the same disease.Illingworth, who captained England to victory in Australia in 1970-71 and went on to become English cricket’s most powerful figure in the mid-1990s, says that he has undergone two rounds of radiotherapy and hopes to hear a positive prognosis when his condition is reassessed next month.”They got rid of a lot of the tumour but there were still two centimetres left, originally it was eight,” he told The Daily Telegraph. “They are just hoping to get rid of the last bit with extra double doses. I will see how these next two doses go, keep my fingers crossed and hope I have a bit of luck.”However, having cared for his wife for the final years of her life, prior to her death in March, Illingworth has lent his support to the Assisted Dying Bill, which received its second reading in the House of Lords in October, and would enable mentally competent adults to make the decision to end their own lives.At present, the 1961 Suicide Act states that anyone who is found to have assisted a person to take their own life could face up to 14 years’ imprisonment. However, earlier this month, Jersey became the first British parliament to approve assisted dying, with the prospect for a draft law by 2023.”I don’t want to have the last 12 months that my wife had. She had a terrible time going from hospital to hospital and in pain. I don’t want that,” Illingworth said. “I would rather go peacefully. I believe in assisted dying. The way my wife was, there was no pleasure in life in the last 12 months and I don’t see the point of living like that, to be honest.”But we don’t have assisted dying in England yet so you don’t have the option do you? They are debating it and I think it will come eventually. A lot of doctors are against it but if they had to live like my wife did in her last 12 months they might change their minds.”

SLC says if the trio ends up with a disciplinary breach within the next two years, the remainder of the suspension would also kick in

Madushka Balasuriya07-Jan-2022The trio of Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis and Niroshan Dickwella have had their one-year bans on playing international cricket lifted less than six months into the suspension period. The decision follows a request made by them – similar to the one which saw their six-month domestic ban lifted early as well to allow them to compete in the LPL in December – while the last few months have also seen each of them undergo counselling.”The latest decision was taken following a request made by the three players to Sri Lanka Cricket to lift the ban imposed on them, pursuant to the conclusion of the LPL 2021,” an SLC media release stated. “Based on such request, Sri Lanka Cricket obtained a report from the doctor appointed by SLC to provide counselling for the three players during their period of suspension.”They will now be eligible for selection in domestic cricket as well as for the national side.SLC stated that if the three players end up with a disciplinary breach within the next two years, then the remainder of the suspension would also kick in, which in their case is a little over six months. “The lifted suspension will remain suspended for a period of two years, during which the three players’ conduct will be closely monitored by the SLC,” the release added.The ban was enforced by SLC following Sri Lanka’s tour of England last year, during which the trio was found to have breached bio-bubble protocols. The suspension meant all three missed out on Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup campaign, though their absence paved the way for exciting talents such as Pathum Nissanka and Charith Asalanka.Their return to competitive action in the LPL saw each attain success, but to varying degrees. Dickwella produced explosive cameos early in the tournament before runs dried up as it progressed. But Gunathilaka couldn’t quite replicate the dominance that had seen him top the charts in the first LPL in 2020. However, his belligerent display in last month’s final – albeit in a losing cause – offered a glimpse into his potential. Meanwhile, Mendis, who was instrumental in Galle Gladiators’ run to the final, finished as the top-scorer this time with 327 runs at a strike rate of 148.63.”Accordingly, the three players will be able to engage in playing domestic cricket with immediate effect and will also be available for national selection, subject to complying with mandatory fitness standards,” the release concluded.While Dickwella and Mendis will be available for selection in both red- and white-ball cricket, Gunathilaka would be there only for limited-overs internationals. The 30-year-old has informed SLC of his retirement from Test cricket; with 299 runs in eight Tests, Gunathilaka was rarely a mainstay in the format and hadn’t played a Test since 2018. The news comes in the same week that Bhanuka Rajapaksa announced his retirement from international cricket.Sri Lanka’s next assignment is a three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe in Pallekele, which begins on January 16.

Arsenal have opened talks with the representatives of an “exciting” forward, who is said to be one of the most sought-after players in Europe.

Latest Arsenal transfer news

The Gunners are clearly keen on bolstering their attacking options as we approach the January transfer window, with Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Šeško recently being named as potential targets for Mikel Arteta. Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran is also on Arteta’s radar, with reports suggesting a bid of £46m has already been knocked back, highlighting the manager’s desire to strengthen his frontline after a mixed start to the campaign.

Arsenal fan and YouTuber Joel Beya has also echoed this sentiment, insisting the club urgently need to sign a striker if they are to compete for major honours this season, with Kai Havertz now without a goal in his last three Premier League appearances.

The north London club have long been reliant on Bukayo Saka to weigh in with goals and assists, with the England international appearing in every single Premier League game during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns as well as 35 of 38 fixtures last term.

The 23-year-old has made a solid start to the current season too, averaging more than one goal contribution per-game in the Premier League, but there are now indications that Arteta is looking to bring in a back-up option on the right flank.

Arsenal keen on Geovany Quenda

According to reports from Spain, the Gunners have already opened talks with the representatives of Sporting CP youngster Geovany Quenda, who is described as a ‘revelation’ and one of the most sought-after players in Europe.

However, there may be stiff competition for the 17-year-old’s signature, as there are a number of other Premier League clubs in the race, including Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea. Despite the £84m release clause included in Quenda’s contract, Arsenal – and the other suitors – are willing to spend big to get a deal over the line, as they are aware of the enormous talent that he possesses.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has waxed lyrical about the starlet in the past, describing him as “one of the most exciting talents in Portugal”, and he has since gone on to impress considerably at senior level. The Bissau-born ace scored a stunning goal for Sporting against Porto in the Super Cup prior to the ongoing season, making it 3-0 to the reigning Portuguese champions, although they remarkably went on to lose 4-3.

Since then, the Sporting academy graduate has gone on to establish himself in the first team, chalking up 10 appearances in the league so far this season, which is an impressive feat given that he is still only 17 years old.

Arsenal may already have their own star boy in Saka, however Quenda is clearly showing signs that he could go on to be a top player at the highest level, so it is exciting they are in the mix for his signature.

However, Arteta’s priority in the January transfer window should be a new striker, given that Havertz has hardly been prolific in front of goal this season.

The former New England Revolution forward-turned-Apple TV analyst joined Mic'd up to preview Inter Miami, Messi and the MLS season

MLS starts in full on Saturday. Inter Miami are the consensus favorites, Lionel Messi and all. Still, there are other teams who have built – and built smartly – this offseason. Cincinnati, Atlanta, and LAFC will all surely threaten, especially with Miami spread thin across multiple competitions.

And Apple TV analyst Taylor Twellman, inevitably, has a take on what to expect.

"I think Miami naturally will take the headlines – as they should," Twellman says. "You set the record for most points in a regular season, and then you absolutely lay an egg in the playoffs. How do they redeem themselves? How do they deal with the congestion of the Club World Cup and the showcase of all of that, while [Luis] Suarez and Messi and [Sergio] Busquets and [Jordi] Alba are one year older."

And then there are the other teams to contend with. The Galaxy look a much-changed side from the one that rolled to MLS Cup just a few months ago. Meanwhile, the addition of an expansion team in San Diego FC only offers more excitement. Cavan Sullivan, barely 15 and soon bound for Manchester City, might play a role for the Philadelphia Union. His arc will make for great watching, Twellman says.

"At this moment, I like the hunger that I see in him, I like the humility that I see in him, while also being confident in what he wants to do," he says. "There is a fine line between cocky and confident. And I say he's still hungry and confident, and he's trying to prove something."

Twellman is now in his 15th year covering soccer in the U.S.. He has played for the USMNT 30 times, won MLS MVP and taken home the golden boot twice. There is arguably no one in this media landscape that understands American soccer better.

Twellman weighed in on MLS, Messi and Miami and Sullivan in the latest edition of Mic’d Up, a recurring feature in which GOAL US taps into the perspective of broadcasters, analysts, and other pundits on the state of soccer in the U.S. and abroad.

Getty Images SportON WHAT TO EXPECT FOR 2025 MLS SEASON

GOAL: What are you most looking forward to about MLS this year?

TWELLMAN: I think Miami naturally will take the headlines, as they should. You set the record for most points in a regular season, and then you absolutely lay an egg in the playoffs. How do they redeem themselves? How do they deal with the congestion of the Club World Cup and the showcase of all of that, while Suarez and Messi and Busquets and Alba are one year older? What does the roster look like? How does [Javier] Mascherano in his first first team professional gig, how does he handle that? So naturally that becomes a huge talking point.

The fact that the Portland Timbers get rid of their MVP candidate in Evander – and the fact that FC Cincinnati goes out and spends $12 million to go get him. Lucho Acosta moves to Dallas. All of a sudden the dominoes fall on one player being unhappy. All of a sudden it turns, I would argue, three teams into interesting storylines. I think Cincinnati with [Kevin] Denkey and Evander, if they click, and click fairly early, I think you're looking at arguably the best team in MLS. Matt Miazga comes back healthy, Miles Robinson is there. I just think Denkey gives them a completely different animal at forward, a poacher that they've never had.

Brandon Vasquez was good. Brenner was good. But they're nowhere near Denkey's quality from what I've seen and from what I've gathered from scouts in Europe. So if Evander plays the way he does last year, and Denkey comes in and bangs in 15-plus goals – as long as they stay healthy, which was an issue last year – you're going to be hard pressed to give me a better argument on who's the better team.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportON THE FAVORITES TO WIN MLS CUP

GOAL: Denkey seems a proper player, what do you expect from him?

TWELLMAN: If you look at the pedigree of the player, he's banged in goals everywhere he's been. It's not like he's had a one-off year and they're trying to monetize it. He bangs in goals for fun. So that becomes an interesting player, someone that's still young, that's hungry, that wants to further their career

GOAL: Who else are you looking out for?

TWELLMAN: You look at Atlanta and the way they've spent money – the way they've gone out and spent money throughout their entire history – but they did this in a much more calculated way. Chris Henderson comes over from Miami, and is arguably one of the best technical directors in all of MLS. Look at what he did with the salary and the problems, and the penalties in Miami to still build something out of that. And now he comes to Atlanta, they go out and get [Miguel] Almiron, and they go out and get [Latte] Lath. And now, all of a sudden, you're looking at a team that wants to return to where they are now. I'm so intrigued to see if the balance is right that team. But if it is, that's another one where you're looking at and saying, "Hang on a minute, Atlanta may be back to where Josef Martinez and Miguel Almiron were a couple years ago."

GOAL: How about out west? Can LA Galaxy repeat?

TWELLMAN: What happens in MLS with your salary cap and how it works is when you're successful, more often than not, your players have bonuses that roll into the salary cap, and it makes it a little difficult to navigate that. And you've seen some of those moves with [Dejan] Joveljic and [Gaston] Brugman – I think that's going to be interesting… [Joseph] Paintsill's injured now for six to eight weeks. Ricky Puig, more than likely, is out for the season after tearing his ACL in the playoffs.

I think it's going to be very difficult for the Galaxy to repeat. Saying that, it depends on what happens in the summer, and how they find ways to rebuild that roster. But at the beginning of the year, I think they're going to be hard pressed to have the same kind of success that they had last season… Now, Christian Ramirez gives them a bonafide nine to score goals. But Paintsill being out doesn't help. The first eight to 10 weeks of the year they're missing their attack.

I think LAFC is going to be a very interesting one. I think the Galaxy winning motivates the hell out of them. I think they also are being very pragmatic in the winter window, understanding that the summertime comes around, that maybe that's their bigger move. Is that Antoine Griezmann? Is that someone else? But LAFC under Steve Cherundalo have shown the propensity to be a winner no matter who's on that roster. And I expect the same. Olivier Giroud's got to be better than what we saw in those 8-10, games last year, so that's obviously an X factor for them.

Seattle goes out and makes a couple good moves. I still think they're a superstar or two away from being a real contender, but Brian Schmetzer is always going to have that team prepped. He's always going to get the most out of that group. But Jesus Ferreira, Paul Arriola, those are legit MLS players. But are they good enough and strong enough to make that team a title contender? When you look at what Cincinnati's done, what Atlanta's done, I don't know if that's the answer.

IMAGNON THE EXPECTATIONS FOR CAVAN SULLIVAN

GOAL: I wanted to ask about a different talent – someone a lot younger. How good is Cavan Sullivan?

TWELLMAN: Well when Manchester City's scouting department – arguably the best in the world – calls him the best 14-year-old in the world, then he's obviously got to be doing something right. I've seen Cavan Sullivan play at his level, and two or three levels above him. He's got something. I coached him in the All Star game for MLS NEXT last year. My favorite part about coaching him and seeing him up close is he wants to win, he wants to compete. He wants to just do anything and everything he can to help his team. In the moment he's being asked to do a lot of media, and up to this point, it hasn't really gotten to him.

I think that's a real tip of the cap to his family. I think his small group around him is doing a good job of keeping him hungry. But when Man City moves mountains to get you under their umbrella, for lack of a better word, and allows you to stay home playing MLS and all that? He's special. Now, he's got a long way to go, and I think he would even tell you that. But at this moment, I like the hunger that I see in him, I like the humility that I see in him, while also being confident in what he wants to do. There is a fine line between cocky and confident. And I say he's still hungry and confident, and he's trying to prove something, and I think Philadelphia may want to use him more than they thought they would at the end of last year.

GOAL: What do you make of his decision then to stick around in Philly? Because he could have ended up in the City academy.

TWELLMAN: You got to remember, Man City owns New York City. So they know first-hand that it's much more beneficial for him to be playing in MLS first team football, playing with men than going to the academy. He'll have plenty of time to get acclimated to the City way, but he gets to finish his school. He gets to be home. He gets to mature a little bit, but also while playing at a higher level than Manchester City's Academy. Man City knows that. They obviously understood that. I think Cavan pushing hard for that really works. But Man City understand that playing for Philadelphia's first team is going to be more beneficial to him being over in Manchester, being loaned out or playing Academy games.

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United Soccer LeagueON COMPETITION IN AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL SOCCER

GOAL: I wanted to touch on quite a landmark announcement, with USL saying it's going division one. What do you make of it? Is it a threat to MLS? Is it the start of this idea that MLS might absorb it?

TWELLMAN: I think it's a product of this country and this continent be being very, very excited and proactive about the World Cup coming here, and all of the eyeballs that are going to be on this continent, this country, this summer, with the Club World Cup. But more importantly, with the largest World Cup that's ever going to happen. I saw the same announcement that everybody else saw. I'm as interested as everybody else is. There seem to be a lot of questions still remaining.

But listen, Major League Soccer is all about the growth of the game. Everything they've done about the growth of the game has come through their academy and developing their youth and whatnot. So I think that's where Major League Soccer stands. That's where I stand. But of course, anyone that loves this country as much as I do, I'm as interested as everyone else on what U.S. Soccer has planned with growing this sport off the heels of the World Cup in '26.

GOAL: It struck me as interesting timing, with everyone trying to tap into that excitement.

TWELLMAN: Yeah, absolutely. But on the other hand, the real question is, how many other countries around the world have competing first divisions?

Bruno Fernandes has been a superb servant for Manchester United throughout his time at the club. He recently reached an incredible milestone, making his 250th appearance in that famous Red shirt. Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw, and Victor Lindelof are the only players currently at the club with more appearances than the United skipper.

In that time, the Red Devils icon has racked up an impressive number of goals and assists. Fernandes has found the back of the net 83 times and registered a further 73 assists for his teammates.

At just 30 years of age, the Portuguese attacker is at the peak of his powers. However, the Red Devils might well soon think of a succession plan for their talisman further down the line, and they have recently been linked with the dream replacement.

United’s Fernandes replacement

The player in question here is highly-rated Norweigan attacking midfielder Sverre Nypan. The 17-year-old, who plays for Rosenborg BK in his homeland, has been making waves across Europe this summer and is wanted by some of the biggest clubs in football.

According to GiveMeSport, the Red Devils are one of the sides interested in signing him, and ‘have been tracking’ the talented teenager for a number of years. They are thought to have been left ‘hugely impressed’ with Nypan.

However, the 13-time Premier League champions must not mess around if they want to get the Norweigan. GiveMeSport note that Chelsea, AC Milan and RB Leipzig are also interested in the youngster.

With a move for Nypan ‘now seen as almost a certainty in 2025’, United will have to get a move on if they want to sign him. However, he may come with a hefty price tag. Rosenborg’s sports manager Mikael Dorsin suggested a price as high as £84m would be needed to sign the teenage sensation.

Why Nypan would be a good signing

It is fair to say that the 17-year-old has been impressive for Rosenborg this term. The youngster has been a prominent first-team player for the club, playing 31 times, scoring seven goals and grabbing ten assists in that time.

That includes a superb record of seven goals and seven assists in 26 appearances in the Eliteserien, the top-flight in Norway. Although that might not be the highest standard league in Europe, they are more than commendable stats at just 17 years of age.

Interestingly, Nypan has already played against United, during the Red Devils’ preseason in July. It is fair to say he performed well, as the stats from Sofascore demonstrate. The Norway under-21 international created two chances and completed six out of seven dribbles that day.

Football scout Antonio Mango described the midfielder as a “special talent”, and that certainly rings true when looking at his stats from the Elitserien campaign, courtesy of Sofascore.

Notably, the teenager has created six big chances each game. He is a slick dribbler, with a 61% dribble success rate, and works hard off the ball, completing four ball recoveries and five ground duels each game.

Stat

Number

Games

26

G/A

14

Big chances created

7

Key passes per game

1.3

Ball recoveries per game

4

Ground duels won per game

5

Dribble success rate

61%

This could fit well in Ruben Amorim’s system. The new Man United head coach operates with two number 10s, who must be gifted on the ball, which Nypan clearly is. Crucially, the pair are required to press high with lots of intensity, as ESPN correspondent Rob Dawson explained. With the number of ball recoveries he makes and duels he wins, this is clearly something the midfielder can do.

It is expected that Fernandes will be a first-choice in one of those number 10 roles, and it should be a seamless transition between him and the Norway youth international should the time arise. The United skipper has created seven chances this term, averaging 4.4 ball recoveries and winning 4.5 ground duels per game, according to Sofascore.

The duo are certainly very similar statistic-wise. It would be a longer-term plan, to replace the Red Devils captain with the talented Norweigan prodigy.

Learning off Fernandes, one of the greats at Old Trafford in recent years, could be a perfect education, and he might then be ready to step into his shoes once he moves on, however long that may be.

Amorim’s perfect wing-back: Ten Hag sold Man Utd gem now worth 132% more

The talented youngster should have been a hit for Man Utd.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 16, 2024

The centre-back was imperious in both penalty areas and snatched the winner despite Ruben Amorim's side playing the second half with 10 men

Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes bailed out their atrocious team-mates to earn Manchester United a 3-2 win over Ipswich Town on Wednesday to end all serious talk of relegation around Old Trafford. But doubts about the team and, in particular, certain individuals aren't going anywhere after abysmal errors from Andre Onana and Patrick Dorgu, who was sent off in the first half.

United had not lost at home to Ipswich since 1984 – also the last time they were beaten at Old Trafford after leading at half-time – but they did everything in their power to throw this one away. The game was less than 40 seconds old when Liam Delap got through on goal and whistled a shot past the far post, and only four minutes were on the clock when they fell behind to a self-inflicted goal worthy of displaying in a Hall of Shame. Dorgu received a high ball with Jaden Philogene on his tail, but had plenty of options. Instead, he decided to ignore Onana running towards him and poked the ball past his goalkeeper and into the path of a hugely grateful Philogene, who walked the ball into the net.

It was the 21st time United had conceded the first goal this season in 41 games, and for a period the entire team looked as if they were infected by the blunder. It took some expert set-piece deliveries from Fernandes to bring them back to life as the Portuguese's free-kick was headed into his own goal by Ipswich captain Sam Morsy midway through the first half. Four minutes later, the Red Devils got their noses in front following a Fernandes corner, Matthijs de Ligt striking third time lucky after Maguire and Diogo Dalot had been denied by Ipswich 'keeper Alex Palmer.

But there's no such thing as a quiet and relaxing game at Old Trafford these days and United shot themselves in the foot twice more before half-time. Dorgu earned a straight red card after a VAR review for his rash foul on Omari Hutchinson, and minutes later Onana made his second gaffe when he was fooled by Philogene's low cross, which seemed aimed for Delap but curled straight into the bottom corner.

United, however, showed that they have some team spirit after all and early in the second half Maguire met a Fernandes corner and restored the hosts lead. It was backs against the wall stuff from then on, but the Red Devils dug their heels in to collect their first home win in the league in more than a month.

GOAL rates United's players from Old Trafford…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Andre Onana (2/10):

Had no communication with Dorgu for the opener after charging out and was completely flummoxed by the presence of Delap for the second. Quite simply, a United 'keeper cannot afford to make the amount of errors he is making.

Matthijs de Ligt (6/10):

The pin-ball wizard for the second goal but still suspect at the back, losing track of Delap for Ipswich's second goal.

Harry Maguire (9/10):

The perfect response to his woeful display at Goodison Park. Knocked away practically all of Ipswich's aerial balls and was United's biggest threat down the other end. His mere presence helped lead to the equaliser, he sparking the danger for the second goal and then scored the third.

Leny Yoro (6/10):

Demonstrated his knack for progressing the ball and had one great foray into the area, although still needs to master the art of defending.

AdvertisementAFPMidfield

Diogo Dalot (5/10):

Made some poor decisions, although he kept the faith in attack and set up De Ligt's goal.

Manuel Ugarte (5/10):

Couldn't impose himself on the game and his passing was again questionable.

Bruno Fernandes (8/10):

His brilliant deliveries played a part in all three goals – it is scary to think where United would be without him.

Patrick Dorgu (1/10):

The performance from Hell! Showed a shocking lack of awareness to gift Philogene his first and looked determined to make amends. Had some good passages of play, but then made the horror challenge which ended his night, earned him a three-game ban and landed his team in huge trouble.

Getty Images SportAttack

Joshua Zirkzee (5/10):

Charged around the pitch a lot and had some nice touches, although couldn't turn them into genuine chances.

Rasmus Hojlund (4/10):

The goal-drought extends to 17 games with another non-display. Infuriated fans by running over a cross from Yoro that he could have hit. Hooked in the 67th minute, should have come off earlier.

Alejandro Garnacho (5/10):

His usual tenacious but flawed self, creating danger but then taking too long to shoot or pass. Still, it felt unwise to sacrifice him at half-time after Dorgu's sending off.

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Getty Images SportSubs & Manager

Noussair Mazraoui (6/10):

Helped steady the ship despite being a man down. Also showed solidarity to Ugarte by throwing Delap to the floor after he had pushed the Uruguayan.

Casemiro (5/10):

Did what was needed to see out the win.

Victor Lindelof (N/A):

Brought on in added time to run the clock down.
Christian Eriksen (N/A):

On in stoppage-time.

Ruben Amorim (6/10):

Will have been shocked by the errors he witnessed. It is to his credit that his team managed to go ahead again after the red card and hold on.

Re-engaging with players, appointing a new coach, and refreshing the BBL are on Henderson’s agenda

Alex Malcolm17-Feb-2022New Cricket Australia chairman Lachlan Henderson got on the front foot on his first day at the wheel, stressing the need for the CA board to re-engage with Australia’s players as well as refreshing the BBL, while also appointing a new men’s coach and a new ethics commissioner in the first few months of his tenure.There are some wounds to heal between the CA board and the administration and the men’s team and former players, in particular, following the resignation of coach Justin Langer after the Ashes. That came hot on the heels of Tim Paine’s resignation as Australia’s Test captain prior to the start of the Ashes. CA and the board were widely criticised for the way the two issues were handled from a governance perspective.Related

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Maxwell to miss Pakistan tour and likely start of IPL

Paine involved in Tasmania coaching set-up

“I think our former players, both recent former players and more distant former players, have all earned the right to an opinion about what happens in the game,” Henderson said. “And I’ll be doing a lot of listening in my first few weeks and months in the role and that’ll include talking to our past players.”My communication style will be to be open, transparent, hopefully consistent. I work in health care. We’ve negotiated a pandemic in the last two years. That’s required a fair amount of resilience. So within the bounds of the confidentiality of boards, I hope that there’s a really open and transparent way forward.”Henderson was appointed unanimously by the board on Thursday after an interview process with a select group of candidates. He became the fourth CA chairman in four years and the third in five months, taking over from interim chairman Richard Freudenstein, who took on the role following the resignation of Nick Hockley.Henderson comes to the job with a glittering resume in both his profession as chief executive of Epworth HealthCare and cricket governance, where he has been WACA director and chairman and a CA director since 2018 after moving from Perth to Melbourne. He also played junior cricket for Western Australia and first grade cricket for University Cricket Club in Perth.He pointed to better communication and stronger relationships with the current playing groups without compromising good governance.”I think we do need to re-engage with our players,” Henderson said. “That’s been incredibly difficult. They’ve been mostly operating out of bio-secure bubbles. But, as a new chair of the board, I’d like to think that we re-engage with our cricketers, both males and females. And also my role is to also talk to cricketers at all levels, from grassroots right through to the elite players.”

“The first step in the Big Bash renewal is the strategy. The actual structure of the Big Bash and any changes like that are not on our agenda at the moment. We will look at what’s the best for cricket”Lachlan Henderson

Henderson acknowledged that the process surrounding Langer’s resignation did need reviewing after the way it played out.”It got messy in terms of things playing out in the media,” he said. “But the board’s role was to receive recommendations from management. We made our decision based on that. With any significant decision like that boards should reflect on that process that was involved. It is unfortunate that a bit of that played out in the media, and we will reflect on whether that should have been accelerated through the summer.”Henderson, who was chairman of the WACA when Langer was WA and Perth Scorchers coach, confirmed he had reached out to the former coach and spoken to him via text. He hoped to have a conversation with him in the coming weeks. He also said that he was keen for an appointment of a new men’s coach, or coaches, “sooner rather than later” but acknowledged that the appointment process was in the hands of CEO Nick Hockley and Head of national teams Ben Oliver.He revealed that CA’s board has a new cricket strategy for 2022, which involved reviewing and refreshing the BBL. The BBL has struggled through back-to-back Covid-ravaged seasons, and while TV ratings have remained strong, there are concerns around the product and the competition as a whole, particularly with a new TV rights deal to be negotiated in 2024.One major challenge for Lachlan Henderson is juggling his CEO role at Epworth HealthCare with the travel demands as CA chairman•Getty Images”The first step in the Big Bash renewal is the strategy,” Henderson said. “The actual structure of the Big Bash and any changes like that are not on our agenda at the moment. We will look at what’s the best for cricket.”It’s a really important product for our states and their financial capacity as well and obviously for our players, we’ll be engaging with them as well. It’s not about a complete overhaul. We have a great product. But we’re doing it to renew and refresh the BBL.”There’ll be a consideration around the length of the season, also the duration of the season. I think they’ll all really be important considerations as we look at the Big Bash and we’ll consult widely with those involved in the product, our states, our players, our partners, our broadcast partners, and we’ll work out what’s the best way forward.”Henderson noted that CA had a A$ 40 million bio-security cost from the last two seasons that it needs to recoup from a financial perspective, as well as a decline in participation at grass-roots levels because of Covid-10 that needed to be addressed.His other major focus in the first few months of his tenure would be to appoint a CA ethics commissioner, which is one of the final recommendations of the 2018 Ethics Center review yet to be implemented. “I’ll be making that appointment in the weeks ahead after we review all the candidates that are available.”One major challenge for Henderson is juggling his difficult CEO role at Epworth HealthCare with the travel demands as CA chairman. He will not be going to Pakistan with the Test team, although Hockley will be. He will attempt to travel with the men’s and women’s teams later in the year.

Tourists reach close without loss and hoping to force pace on final day

Valkerie Baynes19-Mar-2022The Kensington Oval DJ had tried with a track that was positively thumping while the one in the middle was as flat and lifeless as a piece of blank vinyl. In the end, the man on the decks resorted to the mellow tones of Ben E King’s , as if pleading with those watching to stick around and see out the day.It was, after all, Test cricket they were watching in pure form, not jazzed up or enhanced by anything, not least the pitch that meant “attritional” was the theme of the day.The fact it was the theme for a third day running had other words springing to mind instead but took nothing away from Kraigg Brathwaite sticking around for a marathon 160 compiled over more than 11-and-a-half hours, an innings which dragged West Indies to 411 all out in response to England’s first-innings 507 for 9 declared. A deficit of 96 runs at least offered some potential for an intriguing final day.It took nothing away from Jack Leach either, as he epitomised England’s toil in the field with three wickets for 118 runs in 69.5 overs, by some distance more than twice as many overs as either Ben Stokes or Saqib Mahmood, who claimed two wickets each.By the time bad light ended play two overs before the scheduled close on day four, England had extended their advantage to 136 runs at 40 without loss in their second innings with Zak Crawley unbeaten on 21 and Alex Lees not out 18.With no real sign of the surface breaking up yet and with only 19 wickets falling across four days, it was hard to see England having time to make a competitive declaration and then bowling West Indies out, but stranger things have happened.West Indies thought they’d made something happen when Crawley was struck on the knee roll by Kemar Roach, but Crawley overturned his dismissal when ball-tracking showed the delivery was missing leg stump.Veerasammy Permaul got one to turn emphatically from the rough outside off stump to almost bowl Lees through the gate, and although it missed everything, including the gloves of keeper Joshua Da Silva for a bye, it might prove informative for the final day.Leach finally prised out Brathwaite, who had faced 489 deliveries for his knock, with a gem that belied the fact he had bowled 63.4 overs for just one wicket to that point. As satisfying as his second must have been, Leach’s celebration was understandably muted after equally long hours of hard graft culminated in Brathwaite’s dismissal, pressing forward in defence against the third new ball which pitched on middle and leg, turned and clipped the top of off stump before tea.Having claimed just one wicket in the morning session, England took 3 for 45 in 27 overs during the afternoon in what felt like an action-packed period of play compared to the previous two days.Jason Holder fell on the second ball after lunch without adding to his tally of 12 to give Mahmood his maiden Test wicket. Into his 14th over of the match when he bowled centurion Jermaine Blackwood – on 65 at the time – off a no-ball, Mahmood had to wait overnight and until his 18th over before he had Holder well caught, top-edging high towards Matt Fisher, who had to wheel round at mid-on and run back to snaffle the chance, holding on as he went to ground.Chris Woakes had been used sparingly but he struck after Brathwaite fell to remove Roach lbw, the dismissal upheld on umpire’s call when DRS showed the ball was just kissing leg stump.After the interval, with the hosts eight wickets down, Mahmood claimed his second scalp, trapping Permaul lbw, and then Leach got his third, hard-won wicket when he had Da Silva out lbw for 33 with one that rapped the pad in line with leg stump.Stokes claimed the only wicket of the morning session, removing nightwatchman Alzarri Joseph, who put on 52 runs for the fifth wicket opposite Brathwaite and faced 75 balls for his 19 runs before slashing a shorter, wider delivery towards gully, where Dan Lawrence took the sharpest of catches moving to his left.Lawrence had earlier been on the receiving end of a Joseph six – a highlight of another sedate session, powered over deep square leg – adding to his two fours, one of which came via a glorious cover drive off Lawrence.

The German is set to name his inaugural squad for his first two games in charge and should consider giving these previous call-ups another shot

The wait is almost over. Five months after being appointed and more than two months after finally beginning work, Thomas Tuchel is set to name his first England squad for the Three Lions' opening World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia. The coach has both been up and down the country watching live games and monitoring potential players from afar while working from home, to the chagrin of certain sections of the English media.

There has been a lot of attention on the players who are hoping for a first ever England call-up after impressive seasons, such as Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap and Arsenal full-back Myles Lewis-Skelly, but Tuchel will also be considering a number of players who have already proven themselves but for different reasons have faded from the international picture.

GOAL looks at six players who have played their way back into contention for a place in the England team and who will be eagerly checking their phones when Tuchel announces his squad…

Getty ImagesAaron Wan-Bissaka

Aaron Wan-Bissaka represented England at every age group, but has still never made a senior appearance, with an injury forcing him out of the only squad he was called into back in 2019. He holds dual nationality with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but is yet to represent the African nation at senior level, suggesting he is holding out for an eventual return to the England scene.

And there could be no better time for him to make his Three Lions bow. Wan-Bissaka's one-on-one defending has always been his major strength, but he has stepped up in an attacking sense since joining West Ham, and recently starred in the Hammers' shock win at Arsenal amid a run of directly contributing to four Premier League goals since November.

With Kyle Walker on the decline, England sure could do with another right-back who can defend reliably, while Wan-Bissaka's attacking improvements should only increase his chances of a long-awaited international bow.

AdvertisementGettyIvan Toney

Ivan Toney showed his capacity to make an instant impact when he set up Harry Kane's winner against Slovakia just a few minutes after coming off the bench at Euro 2024, while he also scored a penalty in the shootout win against Switzerland. He clearly felt he had deserved a bigger role in the tournament, but him moving away from the Premier League to join Al-Ahli effectively ended his international career.

But should it have? Toney is scoring for fun in Saudi Arabia, having netted 10 goals in his last six games to make it 21 for the season in the Pro League and AFC Champions League. England, meanwhile, still have few alternatives to Kane as a centre-forward, and the captain's fitness can never be taken for granted.

There is another argument for getting Toney involved again, too: Many England players – especially Kane – looked burned out at the Euros after a relentless European season, while several players who are now plying their trade in the Middle East, such as N'Golo Kante and Aymeric Laporte, looked refreshed due to the slower pace of the game at their new homes.

Getty ImagesJames Maddison

It does not feel right that a player of James Maddison's quality and capacity to make the difference in a flash has only made seven appearances for England. The midfielder has had a bit of a fraught relationship with the national team after he dropped out of a squad in 2019 having contracted the flu, only to be photographed in a casino days later. But Maddison's talent and recent form, namely his 17 goal contributions in 21 appearances, warrants him being given a second chance.

And Tuchel certainly seems to think so, having reached out to Maddison about the possibility of him returning to the squad. The Tottenham midfielder's flair could make a real difference to England when searching for a goal in a tight, tense knockout game, and after a Euro 2024 where so many players seemed afraid to step up, that alone feels like a reason for him to be recalled.

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AFPMarcus Rashford

Marcus Rashford had been part of every England tournament squad since he broke through in 2016, so it was a huge shock when Southgate left him at home for Euro 2024, even if his performances for Manchester United did not justify his inclusion. Rashford's England career appeared to be over altogether after interim boss Lee Carsley discarded him for the six Nations League games, but Tuchel's appointment sparked speculation that a recall could be on the cards.

And Rashford would fully deserve another opportunity if it comes. He has revitalised his flagging career while on loan at Aston Villa, looking every bit the player who scored 30 goals in a season for United two years ago while thriving back in a 4-2-3-1 formation. He looks much more motivated, he looks sharp and he looks dangerous. He has provided three assists in his last four appearances for Unai Emery's side and has made a real impression on his team-mates in training.