Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has praised youngster Leny Yoro after the defender finally made his Premier League debut against Arsenal.
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Five years, four stress fractures, one bout of surgery and countless injections separate Reece Topley, the England rookie who took part in his side’s wide-eyed journey towards the final of the last World T20 in India in 2016, from the seasoned, 27-year-old pro whose career could yet come full circle as England’s latest T20I campaign prepares to get underway in Ahmedabad.The fact that Topley is still playing cricket at any level is remarkable in itself. By his own admission, he was “totally done with it” at one stage of his interminable injury agonies – not least on one grim afternoon in the summer of 2018, when a call to say he had been picked for the India ODIs was trumped by another confirming that, yes, he would be undergoing a back operation.But the fact that Topley has fought back from the brink, to muscle himself a berth in England’s full-strength T20I squad, is a testament to the enduring attributes of a 6ft 7in left-arm seamer – a rare breed of bowler who can generate good pace and sharp swing from his awkward high action, and whose skills at the death have not been diminished in the interim.It remains to be seen whether those attributes can earn him an instant recall (“if I get an opportunity it’s about performing that role to Morgy’s standards,” he said) but, having flirted with all manner of alternative career paths – including human-rights lawyer and financial markets analyst – during his years on the sidelines, he’s gagging to get back to the career he thought he’d fallen out of love with.Related
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“It’s unbelievable to be back amongst the set-up and with these lads,” he said. “The last time I played, I had that innocence of youth when it was that natural progression. I took it in my stride and it never really fazed me.”This time round, I seemed to enjoy the process of getting selected, working back into the team a lot more. It feels like I have really had to work hard for it, and possibly I took that for granted first time round. But this time it is something I cherish.”This will not be Topley’s official England comeback. That milestone was ticked off in the summer, against Ireland at the Ageas Bowl in August, where he capped a very serviceable return to the fray by claiming his first international wicket for 1597 days with the final ball of the innings.But, having also travelled to South Africa on the curtailed white-ball tour before Christmas, these five matches in Ahmedabad could yet mark the start of his true comeback – especially given what they could mean for the T20 World Cup in the autumn.”I do view this as a second career in a way,” Topley said. “I had such a long break in the middle, I’m older and more mature as a person, I have a totally different outlook on what being a pro cricketer is.”The last time I played in a T20 was at the World Cup, that game in Mumbai where we chased down 230-odd,” he added. “It was a very memorable game. A lot has happened between that, obviously, but I’m very pleased to be back, and quite proud of everything I have overcome.”Reece Topley played his first England international in four years against Ireland•Getty Images
That contest, against South Africa at the Wankhede, remains England’s highest T20I chase, and the third-highest for any nation. And for Topley, it proved to be the end of the road in the short term, as his two overs were slammed for 33 runs, only days after he had endured similar treatment from Chris Gayle and West Indies.But the format, in Topley’s estimation, has accelerated in the interim, and as and when he gets his chance to prove his mettle once more, he’s confident that he’ll have the mental resolve to rise to the evolving challenges, just as he had to overcome his numerous and daunting threats to his career.”I’ve still got certain attributes from last time I played for England,” he said. “I’m still a swing bowler up top and a fairly decent death bowler, but any progression that has been made, it’s probably inside my own head.”I moved away from cricket for a year, and when I came back, the game had moved on. It wasn’t until I played that I realised how batsman are taking the Powerplay differently, how things are changing at the death. It was only through that competition that you really get a grasp of how the game has moved.”Back at the start my career, you’d have your five best bowlers bowling. Whereas now, every position has a role and everyone, 1 to 11, is more under the microscope now. It’s not necessarily about the individual performances, it’s about the death bowlers closing out an innings, it’s about the guys up front taking wickets, it’s about spinners or fast bowlers taking wickets in the middle, if that’s your role.”Topley returns to a very different team dynamic as well. Whereas England’s last World T20 campaign was conducted on a wing and a prayer, with Eoin Morgan instructing his players to “embrace the naivety” of being the competition’s outsiders, this time they arrive as 50-over world champions, and the No. 1-ranked side in both white-ball formats. As such, the chances to impress may be scarcer, but the rewards of success could be more lasting.”If I get the opportunity, it’s for me to force [Morgan’s] hand and take that chance,” Topley said. “Whatever the role for the game that I’ve been given, perform that for the team so that Morgs has a difficult choice of leaving me out, whenever that time comes.”It’s probably one of the harder teams in the world to try and crack into. I can only do that by taking opportunities if any come my way. Healthy competition for places is what you need in a great side and, if you look back to the one-day series leading up to the World Cup that England won, there was massive competition for places there. I think that shows it’s healthy. I am going to try and take all the opportunities that come my way and hopefully perform my role for the team.”But whatever happens, Topley is at least back on the stage that his ability has long warranted, even if his body has struggled to match up to the expectations.”I’ll be honest, I did sort of give up at one point,” he said. “I was totally done with it. I remember people saying I wouldn’t play cricket again. I’d washed my hands of cricket and was well on to looking at other things. But I think it was something to do with being told you can’t do something. When it comes full circle to playing cricket, it is extremely rewarding. And thankfully I can say it’s pain free. It’s something I won’t take for granted again.”
Anthony Gordon admits that he was “quite close” to joining Chelsea during Thomas Tuchel’s time with the Blues, as a “big opportunity” passed him by.
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Tim Paine said scratching a guard is something Smith did regularly with no intention of removing another player’s mark
Daniel Brettig12-Jan-2021Australia have closed ranks around Steven Smith and his habit of shadow batting and re-marking guard during matches, after stump camera footage that showed him doing so during Rishabh Pant’s SCG innings raised suspicions of sharp practice.In an episode not a million miles away from when Justin Langer once tapped the bails off during a Test in Sri Lanka in 2004, an extension of his habit of touching them regularly when walking past as a fielder, Smith was seen shadow batting at Pant’s end as if left-handed and then scraping his spikes down the line of middle.While he apologised for his own behaviour during a Test match that Australia would most likely have won without him dropping three critical catches on the final day, Paine was adamant that Smith had meant nothing sinister or annoying to Pant by what he had done on the crease line. Even so, Paine conceded that Smith would need to reconsider venturing into those areas in future “because of the perception of it”.”I’m glad you asked that, because I have spoken to Steve about this. And I know he’s really disappointed with the way it’s come across. If you’ve watched Steve Smith play Test cricket, that’s something he does every single game, five or six times a day,” Paine said. “He’s always standing in the batting crease, shadow batting. We know he’s got those many Steve Smith quirks and one of them is he’s always marking centre.Related
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“He was certainly not changing guard and I’d imagine if he was then the Indian players would have kicked up a bit of a stink at the time. When he’s in the field, he likes to walk up to where he bats and visualizes how he’s going to play. Yesterday you could see him up there, playing a couple of shots as a left-hander – as if [working out] where he wanted Lyno to pitch the ball.”And one of his mannerisms – he does it a lot – was marking centre, he wasn’t by any stretch of the imagination trying to change guard or do anything like that.”Smith, winner of the match award for his scores of 131 and 81 – his first century on Australian soil since the Newlands scandal in April 2018 – was “quite upset” in Paine’s words to be facing further questions of his character around re-marking the crease.”Steve’s quite upset about it. It’s something we always have a laugh about because he just loves batting so much and even when he’s out on the field he’s shadow batting and marking centre,” Paine said.Rishabh Pant put plenty of pressure on Australia during the final day•Getty Images”I’m sure if people are happy to look back at the footage you’ll see it happens probably more than once a Test match with Steve. There’s no way in the world he was trying to change Rishabh Pant’s guard or anything like that. Now that it’s come up as it has it’s something he might have to look at because of the perception of it.”The close examination of all actions and words on the field, whether through the many camera angles or the now ubiquitous recording of conversations around the stumps, did not reflect well on Australia on the final day of the Test, something Paine was more than happy to acknowledge during his unscheduled media appearance. But he also defended some of the mindless chatter being offered by the likes of Matthew Wade and Marnus Labuschagne as they fielded in close to the bat for long periods as Nathan Lyon tried to bowl India out.”We fully understand that they are on all the time,” Paine said of the stump microphones. “Was it the stump mics that took away from the Test or me? It was probably my behaviour. I know – for some silly reason you forget at times they’re on. But I need to be better than that. I know they’re on. We’ve seen plenty of instances in the past when you can get stuck into the batsman and do it in a way that’s a lot better than the way I did it yesterday. We understand that.”I love the way Wadey goes about it. He and all of us need to understand that sometimes how things can look are not how they are in the middle. That’s something we need to be aware of. Yesterday wasn’t our finest day as a team, and it’s something we’ll address this morning. I certainly don’t want to change the way Wadey goes about it or anyone in our team goes about it.”
Wolverhampton Wanderers will be hoping to build on an impressive 2023/24 season next campaign. Last term, many thought they would struggle to survive the drop in the Premier League with huge financial constraints in the transfer market.
However, they defied expectations and managed to finish 14th in the table on 46 points, just three points behind tenth place Crystal Palace, meaning a top-half finish was not out of the realms of possibility. Wolves’ finish is a real testament to the wonderful job O’Neil has done at Molineux.
It is a baptism of fire at the start of next season for Wolves. They travel to the Emirates Stadium on the opening day, to face back-to-back runners-up Arsenal, before hosting Chelsea at Molineux in game week two. The Midlands club then make the trip to the City Ground to face a Nottingham Forest side who will no doubt be desperate to improve on their 17th-place.
With a big season coming up, the Old Gold could well look to move some players on from their squad. There is one major player who could well be on his way out, after almost leaving last summer.
The player in question here is Portugal international right-back Nelson Semedo, who is currently representing his country at Euro 2024. The 30-year-old was linked with a move away during the 2023 summer window, but could now depart this year, instead.
Semedo is one of three senior players who are entering the final year of their contract after the club triggered a two-year extension to his current deal last season. However, as per Steve Madeley of The Atheltic, he has the “most delicate situation” out of the three expiring players’ deals.
Madeley explains that, due to such a high value, the Portugal right-back “will have to sign a new deal or be sold this summer” for the club to maximise his value. They paid upwards of £37m to sign the player from Barcelona back in September 2020.
The 30-year-old played a fair amount in 2023/24 under O’Neil, 41 times to be exact, including 36 appearances and 3,093 minutes in the Premier League. However, his contract situation means a move could well come about for the defender, and they might well have a ready-made replacement in the academy.
The player who could be an ideal replacement for Semedo is young right-back Dexter Lembikisa. The 20-year-old spent last season on loan at Rotherham before Scottish side Hearts took over his loan spell in January.
The young right-back played an important part for both Rotherham and Hearts. He featured 44 times in all competitions for both clubs, playing an impressive 3,336 minutes. He is also a full international with Jamaica, picking up ten caps so far, and recently making his Copa America debut.
|
Lembikisa mins per competition 2023/24 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Competition |
Games |
Minutes |
|
Championship |
25 |
2,008 |
|
FA Cup |
1 |
81 |
|
Carabao Cup |
1 |
78 |
|
Scottish Premiership |
9 |
682 |
|
Scottish Premiership Top Six Split |
4 |
292 |
|
Scottish Cup |
4 |
195 |
|
Stats from Transfermarkt |
||
Lembikisa is highly thought of at Molineux. He has already played four times for Wolves' first team, making his debut on the 12th of November 2022, against Arsenal. His most recent appearance for the Midlands side came against Liverpool in the FA Cup in 2023, although he has only ever played once in the Premier League.
His former academy coach at Wolves, Steve Davis, is one man who speaks highly of Lembikisa. Following an FA Youth Cup victory over Tottenham in 2022, Davis described the youngster as a “top player”, explaining that he is “a great example to the other lads”, before calling him “outstanding”. That is high praise from such an important figure on your footballing journey.
Given Lembikisa’s experience on loan this year, and his importance for Jamaica at the Copa America, he could well be ready to step into the shoes of Semedo in 2024/25. Should the Portuguese full-back leave Molineux over the summer, Lemibikisa could be a surprise replacement.
The youngster is a right-back who is confident going forward and is a good crosser of the ball. Not only that, he is great defensively, averaging 3.59 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes as per Fbref.
The 20-year-old could be the ideal replacement for Semedo and an excellent option at right wing-back for O’Neil in his transitional back three system.
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Angus Sinclair
Jun 22, 2024
After announcing the arrival of John Ruddy, Newcastle United are now reportedly set to announce the capture of their fifth summer signing, as Eddie Howe adds to his squad even further.
Newcastle transfer news
It's been a hectic week for Newcastle, who sold Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest to comply with the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules in a deal that also saw Odysseas Vlachodimos come in the opposite direction. Not resting there on the goalkeeper front, the Magpies then announced the arrival of veteran shot-stopper Ruddy.
Speaking for the first time since putting pen to paper, Ruddy told the club's official website: "This is a massive club and it's a massive opportunity, so I'm really excited to get started. It was an opportunity I couldn't turn down. It's a huge, huge club which is only going one way and to be a part of that, however big or small, is going to be very pleasing and very exciting."
The Magpies have wasted no time admiring their work, however, and have instead instantly turned their attention towards another new arrival. According to MozzartSport via NUFC Blog, Newcastle are set to announce the arrival of Miodrag Pivas in the coming days, adding to their aforementioned new shot stoppers and defenders Lloyd Kelly and Lewis Hall.
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Those at St James' Park have reportedly agreed an £800k deal with Jedinstvo Ub and will unveil the 19-year-old defensive midfielder soon, before instantly sending him on loan to the Netherlands or Belgium this summer. Pivas can play both in midfield and at centre-back in a major boost for Howe, as he looks ahead to the future of his squad.
Pivas, meanwhile, will hope to impress on loan next season before arriving to stake a claim for a first-team role.
"Oustanding" Pivas is one for the future
Still just 19 years old, there's no doubt that Pivas is one for the future rather than a player who will have an instant impact on Howe's side. In a way, his pending arrivals sums up Newcastle's transfer window so far fairly accurately.
Out of the five fresh faces that they've so far welcomed, only Kelly stands out as a player who should be guaranteed a consistent role next season. Of course, that's not to say that Pivas' time won't come, however, having been described as "outstanding" by Magpie Media on X.
Pivas' versatility is a particularly impressive asset and one that Newcastle should look to utilise as soon as they feel that the midfielder is ready to compete for a place in their side, especially after they struggled for defensive depth in the last campaign. Whilst the 19-year-old won't steal many headlines, his arrival is certainly one for the future at St James' Park.
Leeds United could be left concerned about the latest talk surrounding Archie Gray, at least in the opinion of Sky Sports man Paul Robinson.
Sales needed at Elland Road
Daniel Farke's side need to raise around £100m via player sales this summer, according to reports, after missing out on promotion from the Championship.
Though the number was not confirmed by the chairman of the Yorkshire side Paraag Marathe, he did admit "trade-offs" were necessary this summer, name-checking Gray in the process.
"It's a little too early to answer specific questions. I can't talk on specific players right now. If I can paint the big picture for you, there are certain things we need to do and we will make sure we are fully compliant with P&S as we always have been, and there are certain trade-offs that we have to make. We will get to the drawing board and figure out which moves we have to make to make sure we are compliant. It is too early to say, obviously Archie is a tremendous player, as all the players who have put so much effort in for us, but every season brings change. I can't yet comment on it, but we'll see what happens."
Free transfer: Leeds could now move to sign "immense" £35k-p/w PL player
He could prove quite the bargain this summer.
ByBen Browning Jun 6, 2024
Crysencio Summerville is the man everyone expects to leave, while Wilfried Gnonto and Georginio Rutter have also both been strongly linked with moves away from the club in the two weeks since playoff heartbreak.
But there is one man they desperately won't want to lose.
Robinson concerned over Gray's future at Leeds
Now, Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson, talking to Football Insider, said he is worried about the future of premier talent Gray, who could be one of those sold to help balance the books at Elland Road. Indeed, he suggested that the fact the youngster was named by Marathe could be a bad omen for the summer.
“They won’t be able to keep the squad intact. We know about the financial situation the club is in and the losses they have recorded. We also know about the unpaid transfer fees, which is going to be a problem. FFP and PSR are going to become an issue.
“The fact the chairman has said there are going to have to be tradeoffs and deals done, and he actually namechecked Archie Gray in that statement.
“That will be worrying for Leeds fans, they will hate this, because he’s a player they will be keen to keep hold of. You are looking at the likes of Gray, Gnonto and Summerville potentially leaving."
Gray was an emerging star over the most recent campaign, appearing 44 times in the Championship and starting all three play-off games. Traditionally a midfielder, he has been deployed at right back for the majority of the campaign but could move back to a more central berth in the future, and he is thought to have caught the eye of Arsenal, Liverpool and Bayern Munich among other clubs.
Archie Gray's versatility 2023/24
Position
Games played
Right back
30
Defensive Midfield
6
Central Midfield
10
Attacking midfield
3
Leeds and their fans may well be desperately hoping that they make enough through sales of other players to keep Gray for at least another season, when his value could increase even further and, more importantly, he could play a key role in their push for promotion once more.
It looks set to be a busy summer for Everton on several fronts, with a fresh name already emerging as a reported target for the Toffees in need of bargain deals in the coming months.
Everton transfer news
Not only do those at Goodison Park have to worry about incomings and outgoings this summer, but they've also got a potential takeover to finally get over the line. Following the collapse of 777 Partners' deal, it's John Textor who seems most likely to swoop in and save Everton, with an offer reportedly on the cards. His arrival could at least ease the financial problems at Goodison, but that may not be enough to prevent exits such as Amadou Onana's.
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The Belgian has already been linked with the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in a deal worth £50m this summer. And whilst his exit would leave a gaping hole in Sean Dyche's squad, the profit of his departure would undoubtedly go a long way, especially if Everton found the right replacement. In an ideal world, Onana will leave for a substantial fee, before the Toffees find a cheaper alternative to match his quality, which is where Armin Gigovic could come in.
According to Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider, Everton are racing to sign Gigovic this summer alongside Crystal Palace and West Ham United. The FK Rostov midfielder has enjoyed a successful loan spell at FC Midtjylland over the last 18 months – a move that took place due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine – and could now be available for loan once more this summer.
Into the final year of his contract at Rostov, Gigovic could seal a loan move this summer before moving on for free in a permanent switch next year. If the Russian side do demand a fee for their midfielder, meanwhile, then he could cost Everton and others a reported £12.7m.
"Strong" Gigovic has already impressed against Pickford
Helping Midtjylland win the Danish Superliga this season, Gigovic has since gone on to impress for Bosnia and Herzegovina in an international friendly against England and Jordan Pickford at St James' Park to start the three-team Premier League race for his signature.
Playing 82 minutes, the midfielder reportedly stood out despite the 3-0 defeat in the end. He's certainly got his admirers in Bosnia too, with X account Bosniaco describing Gigovic as "strong" at the end of May.
Still just 22 years old, there could be plenty more to come from Gigovic, who may well find himself on his way to Merseyside this summer to ease their potential Onana blow. The Bosnian certainly ticks plenty of boxes for the type of deal that the Toffees need to be making in the summer window.
MatériaMais Notícias
O São Bernardo FC anunciou oficialmente o meia Bruno Tatavitto, na última quinta-feira. O atleta chega por empréstimo até o fim da temporada para disputar o Campeonato Paulista sub-20 e a Copa Paulista pelo clube do ABC.
Tatavitto valorizou o período de treinamentos e elogiou o elenco do São Bernardo.
“Grupo muito receptivo, fui muito acolhido por eles. É um grupo que tem bastante dedicação. Estamos prontos para estrear bem”, disse o jogador, antes de falar sobre suas expectativas nos torneios.
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“Os treinos são muito bons, é uma equipe qualificada. Espero contribuir para fazermos um bom campeonato”, acrescentou.
A estreia do Bernô no Paulista sub-20 acontecerá na próxima quinta (5/8), contra o Guarani, no estádio 1º de Maio.
تمكن نيس من تحقيق الفوز على نظيره لوهافر بنتيجة 2/1، ضمن منافسات الدوري الفرنسي 2024/2025.
وواجه نيس خصمه لوهافر، في الجولة الرابعة عشر بمنافسات الدوري الفرنسي على ملعب “أليانز ريفييرا”.
وغاب الدولي المصري، محمد عبد المنعم، عن مواجهة اليوم بسبب الإصابة ولم يحدد بعد موعد عودته حسبما أكد مدرب الفريق في المؤتمر الصحفي قبل المباراة.
اقرأ أيضًا.. فيديو | ماذا قدم عمر مرموش في مباراة آينتراخت فرانكفورت وأوجسبورج بالدوري الألماني؟
انتهى الشوط الأول سلبي النتيجة بين الفريقين، مع تكافؤ في الاستحواذ لكل من نيس ولوهافر.
افتتح أصحاب الأرض التسجيل عند الدقيقة 55 من علامة الجزاء عن طريق جايتان لابورد.
وتمكن بدر الدين بوعناني من التوقيع على ثاني أهداف نيس في المباراة بحلول الدقيقة 75، من صناعة جايتان لابورد.
هدف لوهافر الوحيد في المباراة جاء بحلول الدقيقة الثالثة من الوقت المحتسب بدل من ضائع للشوط الثاني عن طريق جوتيير لوريس من ضربة رأسية.
وبهذه النتيجة، يرتفع رصيد نيس إلى النقطة 23 في المركز الخامس بترتيب الدوري الفرنسي، بينما تجمد رصيد لوهافر عند النقطة 12 في المركز السادس عشر. أهداف مباراة نيس ولو هافر اليوم في الدوري الفرنسي