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Ricky Ponting is probably the only person in Australian cricket who could call national coach Justin Langer a “control freak” and get away with it.Not only because the pair are such close friends, but also because of the deep empathy and understanding that Ponting holds for difficult task Langer has guiding Australian cricket through an unprecedented phase.Ponting’s care for both his great mate and Australian cricket is a huge part of the reason he’s accepted a part-time role as Langer’s assistant for Australia’s World Cup campaign.”I think it’s been as hard on him as it possibly could be just because of the situation Australian cricket has found itself in with some senior players being out, a lot of changes happening internally,” Ponting said.”Knowing what Justin is like as well, I’m not . . . well I will say it, he’s a bit of a control freak. He wants to make sure that everything is exactly how he wants it to be and that’s the way it should be as the head coach of the Australian cricket team. You should have everything lined up the way you want it. He’s just come into the job at a really difficult time.”That’s what makes it even more exciting for me to get in and get my hands dirty and help him out as much as I possibly can. We are great mates. We know each other really well. We’ll work really well together, I’m sure, if he can put up with me. But no doubt it’s been a tough, but I think I’ll be able to take a bit of that workload away from him when I get involved as well.”The job of Australian cricket coach has escalated to a point where it is becoming almost impossible to manage for one man. Darren Lehmann, who vacated the position post the Cape Town scandal, outlined the enormity of the role while commentating on on Saturday night.”The hardest thing is you’re away 300 days a year,” Lehmann said. “You don’t sleep. Three hours a day was about all you got. You’re worried about the players. You’ve got selection issues going on all the time. You’ve got media, you’ve got board meetings, you’ve got high performance meetings, all these other things going on and you’ve got to try and cater for the six state coaches, the 66 players playing around [the country], the 25 contracted players, three different formats and then you’ve got to keep your family going okay.”Justin, I think, will be a fantastic coach for Australia. He’s got to find out what works for him. At the moment he’s probably not sleeping and not getting the results he would like but he’ll get there.”The bans of Australia’s two best players in Steven Smith and David Warner and one of Langer’s young talents in Cameron Bancroft, the loss of public trust, and the vast fallout that followed only added to the extraordinary pressure and stress levels.Selection during a staggeringly packed summer has also been a hot topic. Something that Lehmann identified as an enormous challenge. “I reckon I watched one Shield game a year for my five years as Australian coach,” he said. “You physically can’t because you’ve got so much going on with the Australian team.”Nothing exemplified this challenge better than January 17 this year. Langer was at the MCG all afternoon helping prepare the ODI team for a series deciding match against India. It meant he was unable to watch newly selected Test aspirants, who were playing Sri Lanka in a tour game Hobart ahead of a Test match a week later, and possible World Cup candidates and 2020 T20 World Cup candidates who were also playing in a BBL game in Brisbane.The addition of Ponting to Langer’s coaching team, albeit for the World Cup only, comes at a critical time. He is the godfather of Australian cricket and his presence, if only for a short time, will unburden the coach and energise the players.It is understood Langer has already used Ponting as a sounding board over the summer but Ponting’s many commitments as a commentator with and coach of the IPL franchise Delhi Capitals meant his council was not always available at short notice. Those lucrative commitments are also unable to be matched by Cricket Australia for Ponting’s services full-time.The challenge for Cricket Australia is how to get Ponting involved more permanently. There was a possibility of the Australian coaching jobs being split towards the end of Lehmann’s tenure with Ponting rumoured to take full control of the T20I side in the lead-up to 2020 before Cape Town scuppered all best-laid plans. But for Ponting the door remains ajar.”There’s a chance to do more, especially around white-ball cricket,” he said. “I don’t think I’d do much around Test cricket for the fact it’s through the summer and obviously my commentary commitments through the summer it makes it hard, but with the World T20 coming up as well, I think I might be able to do a bit more work around the group with that as well.”

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Considerado o time sensação dos últimos meses de 2020 no futebol brasileiro e líder com sobras do futebol nacional, o São Paulo viu tudo mudar em um mês. Neste domingo (31), o Tricolor foi derrotado por 2 a 1 para o Atlético-GO, no estádio Antônio Accioly, em Goiânia, pela 33ª rodada do Brasileirão, e completou seis partidas sem vencer na competição.

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No comando do Tricolor desde setembro de 2018, o técnico Fernando Diniz considera a fase atual, que iniciou com o empate sem gols contra o Grêmio, no dia 30 de outubro, no Morumbi, pelo jogo de volta da semifinal da Copa do Brasil, que decretou a eliminação do Soberano no torneio, até o revés para o Dragão neste fim de semana, uma das piores desde que iniciou o trabalho no time.

> Veja a classificação do Brasileirão e simule os próximos jogos

De acordo com o treinador são paulino, não são só os resultados positivos que estão em falta, mas, na média, o desempenho do seu elenco não tem o agradado nos últimos jogos.

– Eu acho que o desempenho que a gente está tendo hoje é um dos piores desde que eu tô aqui, essa sequência desde que virou o ano. Não é que jogamos todas as partidas mal, contra o Coritiba a gente jogou bem no segundo tempo, mas, na média, a gente está jogando mal e colhendo resultados piores ainda – disse Diniz em entrevista coletiva virtual concedida após a derrota em Goiânia.

Com a queda de desempenho e resultados ruins, o Tricolor, que fechou o mês de janeiro com seis jogos e nenhuma vitória, despencou para a quarta colocação no Campeonato Brasileiro. Fernando Diniz acredita que a eliminação na Copa do Brasil pode ter um peso grande para a queda, mas que o grupo está buscando essa resposta no dia a dia.

– Acho que pesa um pouco a desclassificação para o Grêmio. A gente teve uma série de jogos que as coisas não aconteceram e determinaram a confiança, empate com o Coritiba quando o jogo estava na mão, hoje estava 1 a 1 e tomamos um contra-ataque e a derrota… não é uma pergunta fácil de responder. Estamos buscando as respostas todos os dias. Trabalho não está faltando no dia a dia – ressaltou o treinador.

Das sete derrotas do São Paulo no Campeonato, quatro foram nas últimas oito rodadas, sendo delas três após a virada do ano.

Newcastle United are in the midst of an injury crisis right now but have still managed to pick up some huge wins in the Premier League, particularly Saturday's 1-0 victory at home to Manchester United.

Eddie Howe has had to bandage his team up, but those who walk over the white line have certainly stepped up to the plate as of late for the head coach, having picked up massive results in recent weeks against the likes of the Red Devils, Arsenal, Chelsea and even Paris Saint-Germain.

The defence, in particular, has been left bruised and battered with injuries as Dan Burn, Matt Targett, Sven Botman and Nick Pope are all sidelined with long-term problems, meaning Newcastle's defence is quite a makeshift one.

Nevertheless, the back four have done really well so far, and one player in particular has exceeded expectations.

Tino Livramento's stats this season

Tino Livramento joined Newcastle United during the summer for £40m following Southampton's relegation from the Premier League. However, given the form of Kieran Trippier and Burn either side of the centre-backs, the young defender struggled to break into the first-team.

Heading into November, Livramento's only start for the Geordie outfit came in a 1-0 win at home to Manchester City in the EFL Cup back in September, although his display was certainly impressive.

Club legend Malcolm Macdonald called Livramento "faultless" throughout the game and admitted that Howe needed to find a place in the starting lineup for the exciting fullback, although it wasn't until Burn's injury that Livramento had the opportunity to shine for the Magpies, albeit at left-back.

Nevertheless, after a string of stellar performances on the left, the 21-year-old has made the position his own.

In fact, Livramento is outperforming Burn in a number of key metrics this season, meaning the latter could struggle to reclaim his starting place in the team upon returning from injury.

Tino Livramento vs Dan Burn

Per 90 Metrics

Livramento

Burn

Assists

0.13

0

Expected Assists

0.07

0.02

Progressive Passes

4.36

3.16

Key Passes

0.91

0.23

Passes To Penalty Area

0.91

0.38

Passes To Final 1/3

2.91

2.93

Crosses

1.2

0.67

Progressive Carries

2.91

0.6

Tackles

2.91

1.73

Tackles Won

2.13

0.96

Interceptions

1.47

0.81

Errors

0

0.08

Stats via FBref

Livramento could have been seen as a long-term replacement for Trippier who is now on the wrong side of 30, but with the Chelsea academy product finding his feet on the left, perhaps another player in Howe's ranks could be his successor.

Harrison Ashby's stats this season

Livramento wasn't the only fullback Newcastle United bought this year. The club also managed to secure the services of Harrison Ashby from West Ham United for a reported £3m back in January.

Ashby was highly rated at West Ham United, with former captain Mark Noble even claiming that the wide defender has a "real physical stature". The 22-year-old had made seven appearances in all competitions for the Hammers over the past three seasons but appeared merely twice last term before making the switch to the Mags.

Nonetheless, after a handful of appearances in the Premier League 2 with Newcastle's U21s, Ashby was sent out on loan to Swansea City at the beginning of the current campaign. It's been a tricky season for the Swans, who recently sacked head coach Michael Duff, but Ashby is still playing plenty of first-team football, making 13 appearances so far, including 11 in the Championship.

Ashby has a bright future ahead of him and with Livramento looking likely to hold onto his left-back berth long into the future, the Swansea loanee could come for Trippier's place over the coming seasons, with the latter turning 34 next year.

Trippier is still outperforming Ashby by a large margin in attack but the young defender has performed quite well defensively in comparison to the England international.

Harrison Ashby vs Kieran Trippier

Per 90 Metrics

Ashby

Trippier

Assists

0.12

0.51

Expected Assists

0.05

0.36

Progressive Passes

1.69

7.33

Key Passes

0.39

3.04

Passes To Penalty Area

0.65

2.07

Passes To Final 1/3

1.69

4.81

Crosses

3.37

8.32

Progressive Carries

1.3

1.85

Tackles

3.25

1.63

Tackles Won

2.44

0.88

Interceptions

2.33

0.88

Errors

0.13

0.07

Stats via FBref

Trippier is one of the best attacking fullbacks in the world so it'll always be difficult for a young player to reach his heights. However, Ashby is playing regular first-team football for the first time in his career and his numbers are certainly encouraging.

Former Swansea manager Duff even admitted that Ashby came to the Swansea.com Stadium with a "really positive character reference" from Trippier, whom the coach played with at Burnley for a few seasons before retiring.

Perhaps Howe may look to implement him into the team next season, handing Trippier a few nights off, with an eye to having a permanent changing of the guard between the pair.

Sri Lanka will hop over to Scotland for two ODIs before making their trip to England and Wales for the 2019 World Cup, Cricket Scotland has confirmed in a press release. They will compete in two ODIs – on May 18 and May 21 – with the venues slated to be announced in December.The last time Sri Lanka played Scotland was before the 2017 Champions Trophy for two unofficial ODIs staged in Kent, with Scotland upsetting the visitors in a high-scoring first game. Sri Lanka, though, bounced back to level the series 1-1.Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer was excited at the announcement of a contest against a Full Member nation, and believed that playing in front of home crowds would only push the hosts to play better cricket.”There is nothing better that playing cricket at home in front of a full house of Scottish fans and we are determined to continue to improve on our recent performances,” Coetzer said. “We will be well prepared for these matches and go out to win.”We are really excited to be playing these ODIs versus another Full Member. Following our 1-1 draw in the 50-overs series last year, it will be a real challenge for us to go one better and win this ODI series.”The last ODI between the two sides in Scotland was in 2011, when a Lasith Malinga five-wicket haul skittled the hosts out for 101.The 2019 World Cup begins just nine days after the ODI series, with Sri Lanka’s first game scheduled against Afghanistan on June 4 in Cardiff.

Aston Villa are now believed to be keeping close tabs on a player after it emerged that he is likely to leave his current employers in January, according to reports.

Aston Villa's impressive season so far…

Following a meteoric rise from relegation contention to securing Europa Conference League football last term, many wondered how Unai Emery would go about improving on an exceptional debut campaign in charge at Villa Park. Youri Tielemans, Nicolo Zaniolo, Pau Torres, Clement Lenglet and Moussa Diaby were brought in with the help of NSWE and their ambition in the market looks to have paid off on the field, as Aston Villa sit fifth in the Premier League table with 25 points from their opening 12 matches.

Depending on certain factors, the English top flight could be awarded an extra Champions League place this term as the competition transitions towards an expanded "Swiss league" format, which will allocate an additional position to two nations who collectively performed the best in comparison to other countries in the season previous, which is a carrot Emery and company will have an eye on at Villa Park.

Nevertheless, consistent performances will be needed on a weekly basis to achieve this dream, which may be complicated further if Aston Villa embark on an extended run in the Europa Conference League, which they are one of the favourites to win.

Despite fanfare and excitement surrounding Aston Villa's potential league finish in 2023/24, former Villans midfielder Lee Hendrie isn't getting carried away when forecasting where his old side may end up, as he stated via BBC Sport when asked about their hopes of finishing in the top six: "I'd take a top-half finish. I don't think we'll finish in the top six. I really think that's a big ask. Again, if they finished seventh, eighth, I think it'd be a really good season."

With the January window fast approaching, it looks as if NSWE and Emery have set their sights on another highly-rated player that could help Aston Villa's push for continental qualification.

Aston Villa plotting Samuel Iling-Junior bid

According to TEAMtalk, Aston Villa are "primed" to make an approach for Juventus winger Samuel Iling-Junior in the January window as Emery looks to add some variety in the final third, with the Turin outfit open to selling.

Samuel Iling-Junior at Juventus – all competitions (Transfermarkt)

Appearances

22

Goals

1

Assists

3

Nevertheless, they will have to fend off competition from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Fulham to sign the England Under-21 international, who is under contract at Serie A giants Juventus until the summer of 2025. His interested suitors will send scouts to watch Iling-Junior in action for the young Three Lions in their upcoming double-header against Serbia and Northern Ireland.

Labelled "superb" by Football Talent Scout – Jacek Kulig, the 20-year-old winger has excellent positional awareness and ranks favourably in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues in the art of progressive passes received in the opposition's penalty area, taking in around 8.38 per 90 minutes, putting him in the 97th percentile for this metric, as per FBRef.

Showing an impressive ability to pop up in dangerous attacking areas and just needing to sharpen up his end product, he is seemingly primed for a move, and Villa Park could be an ideal environment for Iling-Junior to continue his development as his stock continues to rise.

Declan Rice suffered an unhappy return to the London Stadium as West Ham United put in an excellent performance to stun Arsenal 3-1 and book a trip to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

The Hammers had lost three on the spin prior to this fixture and David Moyes was heavily criticised for his team selections, namely the decision to persist with Michail Antonio as the figurehead of their forward line.

On Wednesday night, however, the Scotsman reshuffled his attack, which worked to devastating effect. Mohammed Kudus was outstanding on the right flank and Jarrod Bowen ran riot as a lone striker.

Jarrod Bowen's statistics against Arsenal

Since arriving from Hull City for £18m in January 2020, Bowen has established himself as one of West Ham's most important players.

He ended last season as their top scorer with 13 goals in all competitions and has already amassed seven in 13 appearances this term, underlying how crucial he is to the Hammers attacking threat.

Bowen is excellent at driving forward with the ball, has the intelligence to make incisive runs and exhumes calmness in and around the 18-yard box – all attributes that point towards him being a dangerous forward.

Throughout his career, Bowen has predominantly been utilised as a right winger, rising to prominence at the Tigers through his devastating form as an inverted winger and carrying that across to east London.

Jarrod Bowen in numbers vs Arsenal

Shots on target

2

Dribble Success

2/3

Pass Success

83%

Cross Success

1/4

Duels Won

10/20

Tackles Won

4

Fouled by the opposition

3x

Stats via Sofascore.

On the occasions he's been used as a forward for West Ham, however, the Englishman has thrived, scoring ten goals and supplying five assists in 24 appearances.

Moyes decided to use him as a striker against Arsenal and it worked a treat, as he contributed to every dimension of West Ham's attack, from supplying the wicked corner delivery that saw Ben White divert into his own goal to his thunderous second-half strike that put the tie beyond the visitors reach.

A constant thorn in the Gunners' side having completed two of his three attempted dribbles and peppered Ramsdale's goal with two shots on target, as per Sofascore, Bowen was in imperious form on the night and also impressed with his defensive work.

He set the standard by pressing from the front, winning nine of his 16 ground duels and was constantly throwing himself into challenges, making four tackles and intercepting once, however, he wasn't the only hero in claret and blue on the night.

Mohammed Kudus' statistics against Arsenal

Kudus' favoured position is on the right flank, but since arriving at the club in the summer, he's been mostly used in a central attacking position.

With Bowen shuffled into the striker role, the Ghanian was moved out to the right wing and he thrived in that position, putting in an exceptional all-round display.

Described as "special" by journalist Dan Woffenden for his goal, which saw him expertly control a Nayef Aguerd switch and calmly slot the ball past Ramsdale, Kudus displayed his touch of class.

That well-taken goal provided ample reasoning as to why West Ham shelled out £38m for him in the summer, while his quality in possession was also complimented by his boundless work rate.

Kudus constantly tracked back for the sake of his team and helped Vladimir Coufal double up on Leandro Trossard, making four tackles, winning six ground duels and intercepting play on one occasion.

Moyes has been put under severe scrutiny for his team selections in recent weeks, but the Scotsman deserves plaudits for getting it completely right in the attacking third on Wednesday night.

With this formula responsible for dismantling Arsenal, he has to continue with it against Brentford on Saturday.

Arsenal have started the new Premier League campaign in similarly blistering fashion as they did the last, as Mikel Arteta is seeking to mount yet another title charge, but actually see it through until the end this time.

His summer additions are expected to provide the edge needed to topple Manchester City, with their win last weekend proving that the likes of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and David Raya are already making their mark and offering the step-up needed.

However, to fund such a summer of free-spending, there unsurprisingly had to be a few casualties.

It always felt like Edu and his Spanish manager were building towards a window of such magnitude, having seen big-earners like Mesut Ozil, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette all banished for the betterment of the team.

After all, shattering the club's previous record transfer by bringing in the former West Ham United captain marked a monster transfer, and one which needed some alternative deals to offset the £105m expended.

Unfortunately, there are no better sales to be made than from the academy, marking pure profit as they go down on the books as created for free. As such, the widespread interest in Folarin Balogun proved too good to be true, and having arrived at the perfect time to cash in.

Why did Arsenal sell Folarin Balogun?

Whilst the desperation for funds likely played a big role in sanctioning the of their promising 22-year-old marksman, given the £35m they would eventually recoup marked a huge fee for someone who had only made ten senior appearances for the Gunners, there were naturally other factors that fed into the deal.

Having enjoyed a blistering loan spell with Stade Reims, where he scored 21 goals across 37 Ligue 1 showings, the young American had truly put himself on the map.

His manager during that period, Will Still, would unsurprisingly rush to praise the man who was spearheading his unlikely push for Europe: "He’s unbelievable, he has real talent but he is also just a top person. He’s trying to learn the language – we have a bit of banter because his French is terrible (but) I think he realises: being good here will allow him to get the spotlight and attention he needs."

Having now moved permanently, his language learning will certainly have to improve, as he seeks to maintain that newfound spotlight by continuing his fine form.

So, upon returning to the Emirates, he was bound to want more play time, which was a concern he has voiced since leaving: "Football is a competitive sport, and of course, the manager sometimes makes choices: sometimes there are opportunities for some players, and sometimes it’s a bit difficult. I wanted to play, I wanted to prove to people that I can compete at this level."

"I think the decision was natural, but I wouldn’t say there is any regret. As a young player, I want to play".

Clearly, with Gabriel Jesus returning from injury and Eddie Nketiah viewed as a solid backup, a starting first-team spot was massively unlikely. Whilst the sale was hardly received well, as few fans enjoy seeing academy stars offloaded, it was one which Arteta sought to justify: "We didn’t have space for him in the squad to give him the minutes that he needs.

"He was doing well last year in his loan period. He’s evolving the right way and wanted the chance to continue developing his career. He’s going to a really good club that has huge experience of developing talent, as everybody knows. So I’m really happy for him as well."

How is Folarin Balogun playing?

Since making last season's loan permanent, Balogun has shown little signs of slowing down. Even if Arteta's men may be flying too, as they sit top of the Premier League alongside rivals Tottenham Hotspur, they would certainly benefit from the exploits of the youngster, especially given the mini injury crisis suffered recently.

Seeing Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli both absent from the starting XI in that aforementioned win over Pep Guardiola's outfit, a new setup had to be enforced which saw Jesus pushed out to the left wing, with Nketiah through the middle.

Whilst the former is a passable option, the latter cannot be trusted to lead the line for an extended period of time, with former Gunners defender Gael Clichy supporting such a notion: "Arsenal need a backup for Jesus, someone young who can push him to score more goals.

"Eddie Nketiah has scored some big and important goals for Arsenal, but he's not as good as Gabriel Jesus. Nketiah has proved he can be a difference-maker, but I don’t know if he's a player who can take Arsenal to the title. That's why I think Mikel Arteta should bring a top backup striker to compete with Jesus."

Unfortunately, they already had one in Balogun, who has managed to post three goals and one assist in five Ligue 1 games, boasting a conversion rate of 23%.

How good is Gabriel Jesus?

This kind of form even puts Arsenal's Brazilian forward to shame, who despite having been deployed out of position on occasion, remains nowhere near as proficient as the four-cap international.

After all, whilst the former City star may have endured an injury-hit term last year, he was also largely very profligate, having scored 11 in the league from an expected goals of 14.16.

GK

Bernd Leno

LB

Kieran Tierney

CB

Ben White

CB

Pablo Mari

RB

Calum Chambers

CM

Granit Xhaka

CM

Albert Sambi-Lokonga

CAM

Emile Smith Rowe

LW

Gabriel Martinelli

RW

Nicolas Pepe

ST

Folarin Balogun

It seems that this campaign will be no different, as he only has one goal in the Premier League after six games. Given how the former City man started last season, recording nine goal contributions in his opening 11 league games, he faces an uphill battle to finish on an admirable tally.

Enduring such a low-scoring run of form unsurprisingly has seen his goal conversion rate drop to a lowly 14%, nowhere near that of Balogun's. Perhaps, had Arteta not been so quick to offload the forward, he might have provided some real competition for Jesus, and actually usurped him for a period had such profligacy continued.

Although the funds they received marked a massive sum, coming at an incredibly useful time, in the long run it could actually prove to be a thoughtless move that might have set them back in the striker department.

Tottenham Hotspur have already enjoyed a fine start to life under Ange Postecoglou, but he will be far from one to rest on his laurels.

Back-to-back Premier League Manager of the Month awards will mean nothing to the Australian, who encouraged his fans to let their imaginations run wild following their fine start to the new campaign: "No, no, no, let them go, let them enjoy it. I've said this before, my role is not to burst peoples' bubbles. Let them get excited and ahead of themselves, that's the beauty of being a supporter."

Much of this fine form is owed to the transfers made over a revolutionary summer, with James Maddison and Micky van de Ven having combined at both ends of the pitch to help spearhead their run to the top of the league.

However, it seems that could already be set to look ahead to January, with one in-form ace already on the Australian's wish list.

Who could Spurs sign in January?

Having unloaded £40m for the former Leicester City creator, and handed Wolfsburg a further £43m to pry the Dutch defender, it is clear that this regime is set to perhaps be a more free-spending one as Daniel Levy hopes to inject enough impetus to turn them into challengers once again.

So, even if Serhou Guirassy has only moved in the last window, thus likely making his prospective price tag even more inflated, if that is what Postecoglou desires, the chances are they will acquire him.

That is at least what journalist Dean Jones expects, who told the Ranks FC Podcast earlier in the week that the Lilywhites were keeping an eye on the Stuttgart striker who will see a £17m release clause become active next summer.

Whilst that alone would mark an incredible coup, it is a move made even more likely given the £100m they acquired late on for Harry Kane's sale last summer, which actually went unspent. It will take one hell of a footballer to possibly replace the England international, but given the blistering form that the 27-year-old is enjoying in Germany, there is every chance that he could achieve such a feat should he translate his form to England.

What did Harry Kane achieve at Spurs?

Although his departure is still fresh in the memory, it is always worth outlining just how good the 30-year-old was for Lilywhites, having burst through the academy as an unknown youngster.

Few could possibly have predicted the levels that the 86-cap superstar would reach, eventually growing to become both the club and his country's all-time leading scorer, surpassing legendary figures such as Jimmy Greaves and Wayne Rooney in the process.

He departed north London having amassed a mouth-watering tally of 278 goals and 64 assists, and actually hit double figures in nine consecutive Premier League campaigns.

It therefore should come as no surprise that pundit Jamie O'Hara rushed to praise him before his exit, telling talkSPORT (23 March, 10.30 pm): I’ll put it out there; I think he is the greatest striker English football has ever produced.

"He is immortal in the game of football. You are always going to remember Harry Kane for what he achieved for Tottenham, for England and in the Premier League."

He was a creative leader and a goalscoring leader, but no longer are both of those fields required. The former has been more than filled by Maddison, but the latter could now be filled by Guirassy.

Who is Serhou Guirassy?

There is not a player within Europe's top five leagues that has scored more league goals than the France-born finisher, who is sitting on an unparalleled 13 Bundesliga goals after just seven appearances.

That is the level being upheld by the clinical forward, who has unsurprisingly been a lightning rod for praise after such a mesmeric start to the season that is perfectly mirroring Spurs'. Amiens SC coach Luke Elsner once noted: "Serhou is a young player and he also makes mistakes on the field. But he has been so valuable in many matches.

1

Serhou Guirassy

13

2

Lautaro Martinez

9

3

Erling Haaland

8

4

Jude Bellingham

8

5

Harry Kane

8

Stats via One Versus One.

"What I liked enormously is that, despite the fact that his match didn't go as he would have liked, he didn't let up. He made defensive efforts, he tried to make up for it when he lost the ball. He doesn't always score, but in terms of mentality, he is irreproachable."

That kind of attitude will go down well with Postecoglou, who would love to add such a red-hot forward to combine with Maddison.

Having also only moved in the summer, the 26-year-old magician has taken like a duck to water in north London, with his seven goal contributions in just eight games a fine return and further backed up by his 3.3 key passes and 2.4 ball recoveries per game, via Sofascore.

It therefore should come as no surprise that former Chelsea ace Joe Cole sought to laud such fine business: "The more I think about it he could be the best signing of the summer. I am so excited for him, especially the way Ange plays. Look at the players that have played that position at Spurs, [Glenn] Hoddle, [Paul] Gascoigne, [Luka] Modric. Ange giving him the VC shows how astute and clever he is. James is a leader."

He is arguably the in-form player in the Premier League, and yet Guirassy is arguably outperforming him, boasting a truly astounding goal-conversion rate of 42% alongside the 2.1 key passes he too is recording per game, as per Sofascore.

It seems that the Guinea international boasts the creativity that saw Kane lauded as well as his proficiency, and could not only help finish off the numerous chances that Maddison forges, but even give the midfielder some additional opportunities to score himself.

The Stuttgart star could provide an additional injection of firepower needed to help push them over the line, realising those lofty ambitions that Postecoglou wants his fans to retain.

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has been at the club for almost two years, but a reliable journalist has shared an update on his future due to him being monitored for another job away from St. James' Park.

How have Newcastle started the season?

In the Premier League, the northeast outfit have had a mixed start to the new campaign where having won two and lost three of their opening five matches, they find themselves 12th in the top-flight table having taken six points from a possible 15.

At St. James’ Park, Howe was appointed back in November 2021 and the positive change that he’s made to the spirit around the building both on and off the pitch are clear to see, but following an underwhelming opening this term compared to the last, questions have been asked as to whether he is still the right man for the job.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the 45-year-old is currently not under immediate pressure with the owners fully supportive of his position and there isn’t any concrete update at this stage that would suggest they are thinking of relieving him of his duties.

Is Eddie Howe leaving Newcastle?

Writing in his column for CaughtOffside, however, CBS reporter Ben Jacobs named Howe as a candidate who is currently being considered by The FA for the England job should Gareth Southgate decided to step down from his position next year. He said:

"Southgate won’t be sacked. That’s not an option being considered, and rightly so in my view. It’s just a case of whether he stands down after Euro 2024. His contract expires in 2024 as it stands. The FA are already considering options.

“Graham Potter will definitely be a candidate. He was the leading choice for the next England manager prior to joining Chelsea. But the way he handled that (albeit difficult) job may have given The FA a few doubts.

“Eddie Howe is another name on The FA’s radar. I just don’t see Howe wanting to leave Newcastle, though, next year if everything goes according to plan this season.

"And Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is an interesting one to watch. The FA would love to have him. If Manchester City again dominate, could Pep be tempted by a fresh challenge?"

What is Eddie Howe's record at Newcastle?

Since joining Newcastle, Howe has taken charge of 80 games, during which he’s secured 40 wins, 20 draws and the same number of defeats, whilst averaging 1.75 points per match, via Transfermarkt, so it’s vital that the board do everything they can to retain his services.

The Wasserman client, who has a preferred formation of a 4-3-3, has also received the Premier League’s Manager of the Month award on two occasions whilst in the dugout in the northeast, and the individual recognition he's getting for his work on the sidelines is what he deserves.

The Amersham-born coach, of course, has additionally led the side back to the Champions League for the first time in 20 years and they did extremely well to secure an opening 0-0 draw against AC Milan at the San Siro on Tuesday night, so Howe being dismissed or leaving for England duty would really be a shock.

MatériaMais Notícias

Nesta quarta-feira, depois de cinco jogos sem vencer, o Corinthians reencontrou o caminho das vitórias ao bater o Athletico-PR por 1 a 0, aos 49 minutos do segundo tempo, com um gol de Everaldo. No entanto, o grande herói da partida foi o goleiro Walter, que fez seis grandes defesas e garantiu que o time não fosse vazado, mesmo jogando 20 minutos com um a menos.

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Na estreia de Vagner Mancini, o Timão não fez boa partida, principalmente no segundo tempo, e foi pressionado pelo Furacão durante a maior parte dos 90 minutos. Naturalmente, a meta corintiana foi insistentemente ameaçada, mas para isso lá estava Walter, que da melhor forma possível substituiu Cássio, suspenso após expulsão na derrota para o Ceará, no último domingo.

Ao todo foram nove defesas do arqueiro alvinegro, segundo o SofaScore, mas seis delas foram mais complicadas. Sendo quatro nos primeiros 15 minutos do segundo tempo, quando o Corinthians não conseguia jogar. A mais difícil das nove aconteceu aos 15 minutos, quando Renato Kayzer recebeu belo passe de calcanhar de Geuvânio e ficou cara a cara com Walter, que fez um “milagre”.

Por essas e outras, ele recebeu o troféu de melhor do jogo, fornecido pela TV Globo, mas humildemente dividiu os méritos com a equipe e classificou a vitória como a “cara do Corinthians”, como pediu Vagner Mancini.

-Foi uma vitória com cara de Corinthians. No final do jogo. Dedicação de todos, um a menos e não nos abatemos. Fomos premiados no final. Esse prêmio é do grupo todo, dos que não estão, também. Só agradeço a Deus pelo momento.

No próximo domingo, às 16h, diante do Flamengo, na Neo Química Arena, Walter deve retornar ao banco de reservas, pois Cássio volta de suspensão, mas sua participação, mesmo que tenha sido por uma partida fez toda a diferença. Com a vitória, o Corinthians foi a 18 pontos na tabela, subiu para a 14ª posição e deixou a zona de rebaixamento na 16ª rodada da competição.

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