Jose Mourinho has issued a message to Fenerbahce fans while reiterating his commitment to club's education scholarship.
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Mourinho shares message for fansPledges commitment to club's scholarship programmeFenerbahce to face Adana Demirspor on SaturdayWHAT HAPPENED?
The Portuguese coach once again pledged his commitment to the club's education scholarship programme as he sent out an emotional and heartfelt message to the fans of the Turkish giants. Mourinho joined the club in June 2024 on a two-year deal.
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Fenerbahce has been running a noble programme for the past two years where they issue educational scholarships to students in need in Turkey. The former Manchester United and Chelsea manager claimed that one of the things that convinced him to join the club was when he heard about their cause.
WHAT JOSE MOURINHO SAID
The 61-year-old's message to the fans read, "Dear Public and Fenerbahce Fans, I greet you all with affection. Months ago, when we were meeting for the very first time with Fenerbahce, I was given the most detailed depiction of the club’s history, its position as the largest sports club in the world, its story, goals, facilities, large community and unique grandstands. And this story got me very excited. One of the things that drew my attention the most in this unique story was the step taken by this great club and community for children in the last two seasons, under the leadership of its football team.
"When I was told, for the last two seasons, Fenerbahce has been granting education scholarships to students in need in the country; the coach and the team embrace the project and the community is, as always, the most important part of this. I realized how meaningful this step was. I will repeat what I said for Fenerbahce and its fans during my signing ceremony and I will take the first step as a part of this meaningful project: Your dreams are now my dreams. I too embrace the dreams of Fenerbahce to support the children of this country, with the sense of responsibility and belonging the Club has for its nation. I would like to share with the fans that I will be launching for this season the education scholarship campaign which was carried out for the last two seasons by Fenerbahce. I believe that first our footballers, then our great fans will once again become a proud part of this meaningful step. And that our dreams will be as one for the children of this country! I love you all very much. Jose Mourinho."
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR FENERBAHCE?
The Turkish Super Lig side will be next seen in action on Saturday in a league clash against Adana Demirspor before facing Lille in the second leg of the Champions League at home six days later.
Chelsea have left Raheem Sterling, Wesley Fofana and Ben Chilwell out of their squad to face Servette in their Europa Conference League play-off.
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Sterling dropped for Man City clashAlso left out of squad to face ServetteFuture at Chelsea now in serious doubtWHAT HAPPENED?
Sterling's future at Chelsea has been thrown into doubt after he was dropped for their Premier League opener against Manchester City. The winger responded by issuing a statement calling for "clarity" on his future, while manager Enzo Maresca said after the game it was a "technical decision." Maresca has now named his squad for Chelsea's next game, against Swiss side Servette, and has once again left Sterling on the sidelines.
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Chilwell, Fofana and new signing Tosin Adarabioyo were also not included on the club's A-list submitted to UEFA ahead of the game. Maresca has already told Chilwell to look for a new club before the transfer window closes. The Chelsea boss is currently working with a bloated squad and has admitted "there's no space for all of them" when asked if he wants Sterling in his squad. The winger has been linked with a move to Juventus, but the Serie A giants must sell before they can buy.
DID YOU KNOW?
Sterling is likely to fall further down the pecking order at Chelsea in the coming days as the Blues are set to announce the signing of Joao Felix from Atletico. The Premier League side have agreed a deal worth £45.5 million (€53m/$59m)for the Portugal international.
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Chelsea take on Servette at Stamford Bridge on Thursday and then head to Molineux to face Wolves in the Premier League. Maresca's teamsheet for that game will likely make interesting reading once again.
It hasn't been the best of seasons for Manchester United this year, to put it lightly.
Erik ten Hag has been unable to build upon his impressive first season at Old Trafford. His side are sitting in sixth place, 13 points from the Champions League spots, and fighting tooth and nail for a place in the Europa League with four games remaining.
United's issues aren't limited to one area of the pitch either. Their goal difference of plus one highlights their weaknesses in attack and defence, meaning that this summer is likely going to be one filled with transfer activity as Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co try to build a squad capable of challenging the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal in the future, and it looks like he has already identified a potential long-term upgrade for Raphael Varane.
Raphael Varane
Manchester United transfer news
According to a recent report from the Times, Crystal Palace 'fear' that star centre-back Marc Guéhi could be set to leave the club in the summer, with Manchester United one of the clubs most interested in his services should that happen.
The report has revealed that, alongside Arsenal, the Red Devils have already sent scouts to watch the former Chelsea ace and are primed to strike with just two and a bit years remaining on his £50k-per-week deal.
Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi.
The report has also revealed that should the 23-year-old United target leave Selhurst Park in the summer, it'll cost interested parties around £55m, and while that would certainly represent a sizable investment from Ratcliffe and Co, it could be somewhat offset by the potential departure of one of the highest earners at Old Trafford, Varane.
According to a report from ESPN last week, the three-time European Champions could allow the former Real Madrid ace to leave the club for nothing to free up his £340k-per-week wages to invest in fresh signings such as Guehi.
Man United's Raphael Varane
That said, how does the young Englishman stack up to the French superstar?
How Guéhi compares to Varane
Now, on the surface, it might seem entirely unfair to Guehi to compare him to one of the most decorated defenders playing today, a centre-back who has won the World Cup, four Champions Leagues, three La Liga titles, one Spanish Cup, one League Cup and plenty of other individual awards, but when it comes down to their pure underlying numbers, it's closer than you might imagine.
For example, according to FBref, while the former Lens-gem has his young rival beat in certain metrics such as progressive passes, progressive carries, passing accuracy, shot-creating actions and aerial duels won, he comes out second best in several other relevant statistics.
Progressive Passes
3.87
2.74
Progressive Carries
1.07
0.61
Progressive Passes Received
0.13
0.28
Passing Accuracy
88.7%
86.6%
Completed Passes
45.7
50.6
Live Passes
46.6
55.9
Shot-Creating Actions
1.00
0.85
Goal-Creating Actions
0.07
0.09
Tackles
1.20
1.23
Tackles Won
0.73
0.80
Miscontrols
0.40
0.38
Dispossessed
0.13
0.09
Ball Recoveries
4.40
5.28
Aerial Duels Won
1.40
1.37
These include ball recoveries, tackles won, goal-creating actions, live passes, completed passes and, perhaps most crucial for how the modern game is played, the number of times he is dispossessed and the number of times he miscontrols the ball.
Furthermore, with The Athletic revealing that centre-backs do not hit their peaks until the age of 27, the young Palace "tank", as described by former England U21 teammate Josef Bursik, has plenty of time to reach Varane's progressive passing and carrying levels in the right setup.
Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi.
Ultimately, while it would be foolish to expect Guéhi to come into the United side next season and have the impact that a fully fit Varane could in his pomp, there is no reason why he couldn't reach that level in time.
Moreover, with United unlikely to seriously challenge for the top honours in the immediate future, the "complete" centre-back, as talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, could be the perfect long-term upgrade for the Frenchman.
Man Utd eyeing summer transfer for "dangerous" £49,000-a-week USMNT star
The USA international’s contract talks with his current club have stalled.
Asitha Fernando, the right-arm quick, is the only replacement who has been called up
ESPNcricinfo staff02-Mar-2020Sri Lanka’s 3-0 sweep in the ODIs against West Indies has come with some collateral damage. Fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep and allrounder Dhananjaya de Silva will miss the two-match T20I series which begins March 4, after both picked up injuries in the third ODI on Sunday. Asitha Fernando, the right-arm quick, is the only replacement who has been called up.Pradeep hobbled off the field after 4.3 overs in Pallkelle, picking up a hamstring injury three deliveries into his second spell. De Silva injured his wrist during the second innings after scoring a half-century that took the hosts to a match-winning score of 307.Fernando’s only Sri Lanka appearance came in an ODI in 2017, where he bowled just two overs against Zimbabwe. Since then, he has been in and out of squads – across all three formats – without breaking into the playing XI. In 20 T20 games, he has an economy of 6.98 and an average of 16.84. Even so, he is once again likely to be behind the first-choice trio of Lahiru Kumara, Lasith Malinga, and Isuru Udana in terms of the pecking order.Fernando has been chosen partly due to his first-class form. He has taken 26 wickets at an average of 17.61 across four matches in the ongoing Premier League Tournament. It is likely because the first-class competition is in full swing that that the selectors have named no replacement for de Silva, as well.Angelo Mathews and Dasun Shanaka, also, offer pace options. Their form, together with the recent consistency shown by Thisara Perera and Wanindu Hasaranga may be why there was no replacement sought for de Silva.Hamstring injuries have been a constant problem for Pradeep, and this one will keep him out for at least six weeks, which means that he is not available for the forthcoming Tests against England. In any case, he has not been chosen in the longest format for a while, mainly because of his injury problems.De Silva, meanwhile, is understood to be facing a shorter recovery period, and should be back in time for the Tests, the first of which begins on March 19.Updated Sri Lanka squad: Lasith Malinga (capt.), Avishka Fernando, Kusal Perera, Shehan Jayasuriya, Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lakshan Sandakan, Isuru Udana, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara
Real Madrid have asked national team coaches to leave out some of their star players for the upcoming Nations League matches.
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Madrid urge teams to leave out star playersSpanish side hoping to rest Euro 2024 playersGermany left out Rudiger but France called up MbappeIMAGOWHAT HAPPENED?
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann surprisingly left out defender Antonio Rudiger as he announced his team for the upcoming matches against Hungary and Netherlands, with reporting that the decision comes following a request from Madrid, who wish to give some of their big names another chance to rest after competing at Euro 2024.
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According to Los Blancos also made a similar request to France regarding Kylian Mbappe hoping to give their new signing some time to relax and potentially and prepare for the long and intense season that has only recently begun.
GettyDID YOU KNOW?
While Germany granted Madrid their wish, France coach Didier Deschamps decided against leaving out Mbappe as he named the attacker in his team, insisting that it was the ex-Paris Saint-Germain star's choice to join up with the squad.
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WHAT NEXT FOR RUDIGER & MBAPPE?
German defender Rudiger and Mbappe will likely be involved on the pitch later on Thursday, August 29 evening when Real Madrid take on Las Palmas as they look to keep their gap with Barcelona from opening up further.
The Ireland allrounder has opted for a future in Australia and could play for them when she qualifies
Daniel Brettig25-Jun-2020Australia’s coach Matthew Mott believes Kim Garth’s switch from Ireland to a deal with Victoria should be the spur to help usher in women’s professional contracts for Irish cricket to stave off the risk of losing a generation of female talent to wealthier nations.As a former member of Ireland’s coaching staff during the 2015 men’s ODI World Cup, Mott has plenty of strong relationships on both sides of the equation, and while backing Garth’s decision to pursue a fully professional future, agreed that there was growing danger that emerging nations could have their best players poached by richer set-ups, not least Australia given the pre-eminence of the WBBL as the best domestic T20 event in the world.While the Covid-19 pandemic has made life difficult for all cricket administrators, Mott was hopeful that the Garth episode would help accelerate Ireland’s move to a more fully-resourced and funded program for the women’s team, allowing players to make the game their careers without needing to venture overseas in this manner.ALSO READ: Kim Garth leaves Irish cricket for future in Australia”It’s incredibly important and maybe this is a good thing for Irish cricket – I think it might help fast-track some stuff for their professionalisation,” Mott said. “They surely don’t want to be losing good players and I know that happened in the men’s game. A number of the best Irish players were going to play for England and one ended up captaining England, so I think they’ve certainly improved in that area.”They’re building their momentum and they need to be playing against good teams and getting better all the time. It’s a difficult thing. I’m very close mates with Ed Joyce who’s the Irish coach, so I was aware of it some time ago and I think it’s disappointing personally for Irish cricket, they’ve put a lot of work in over the last two years, but obviously a cricketer’s ambitions are very important and she’s a very ambitious young player and I think it’s the best thing for her cricket at the moment.
I have always wanted to play cricket for a living and that’s something I just couldn’t turn down at this stage in my career, which is why I made the decision. Excited to start with @VicStateCricket but obviously bitter sweet and will really miss all at @Irelandcricket
— Kim Garth (@kim_garth) June 24, 2020
“You’ve got to back that decision, it’s a really gutsy decision to go to the other side of the world and try to follow your dream. We’ve got a great structure here and it’s very attractive for her and she knows our system quite well having been here for a few years as well. I am disappointed for Irish cricket, having coached there myself and know how difficult it is to hold on to good players, but at the end of the day she’s got to do the best thing by her and it will be really interesting to see how far she can take her cricket.”The links between Cricket Australia and Cricket Ireland are strong and multi-faceted. During the Covid-19 lockdown period, Mott and the Australia captain Meg Lanning were involved in a series of video seminars geared at aiding the Irish game, while there is also a considerable shared heritage between the two nations dating back deep into the 19th century.”They just love their cricket and that’s the thing that struck me in my time with the Irish team, just how passionate they are about the game and we just want to see them do well,” Mott said. “Kim made a decision off her own bat, there was certainly nothing from CA to try to entice her over here, but that being said we’ll always welcome good cricketers into our setup.”Garth is expected to seek permanent residency in Australia and Mott said that if she became eligible for the national side she would be treated like any other player. “I think she’s a very talented player, and when you look at the Irish team, whenever we come up against them, she’s the first name talked about If she comes over and does well, our selectors have shown they will reward performance and she’s got every opportunity that everyone else has. She’ll be a welcome player in our domestic format.”Casting his mind back to last week’s announcement of 40 redundancies across CA, Mott said that the women’s national team had been fortunate in not losing much in the way of staff or resources, even as the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane has its operations scaled back in favour of players spending more time with their own state squads.Kim Garth in action for the Perth Scorchers•Getty Images”First and foremost, it was a really difficult week for anyone in Australian cricket,” he said. “I think we’re all hurting, we’ve seen a number of really good staff members leave our workplace, and a lot of those are life-long friendships that will still be there and hopefully one day when cricket really gets strong again and we get out of this crisis, those people are welcomed back.”In terms of the women’s program we’ve been quite fortunate, we’ve taken some hits but we’ve also just hibernated a couple of programs and hopefully when we come out of this we can re-engage. We’ve got to make better use of the resources we’ve got, our programs are going to have to be really in-sync and on-point, so we’re looking at it as a real challenge.”Mott admitted he was more concerned for cricket’s smaller nations, and budgetary decisions currently being made that might push back the development of the women’s game outside of Australia. “I worry for some of the developing nations to be honest,” he said. “For places like Sri Lanka that aren’t as established in their women’s programs, and I just hope they can hold on through this period.”The ICC are definitely trying to champion some of the developing countries to be stronger and that’s something all the big nations need to be aware of. We want a global game, we want a world game and where we can help out some of the developing countries whether it’s with our human resources or just helping in tournament play and giving them some key messages.”Having strong domestic competitions, the next frontier is India, we’d love to see an IPL get up and running and giving our players a chance to play in different conditions and experience different cultures as well.”
Whilst the Sheffield Wednesday fans packed into the Stadium of Light rejoiced at their team pulling off an unbelievable escape from relegation at the full-time whistle, most of the hardened Sunderland supporters had scurried home already after being subjected to a dismal final day loss.
Most of the stadium was empty come the end of the Championship clash in the home sections, with Danny Rohl's men strolling to a comfortable 2-0 victory in a clash that was meant to be far more nervy and tense for the travelling Owls.
Sunderland lacked any real drive to try and make Wednesday fight for a vital three points, with the Black Cats unable to make the home fans smile briefly to see out a shocking campaign by picking up a rare win with just three shots on target from 18 efforts.
There could now be a huge summer clear-out on Wearside to try and propel Sunderland into a far more positive era next campaign, which might even see this midfielder – who was touted for a major move up to the Premier League in January – just allowed to leave after underwhelming the last few torrid weeks.
Pierre Ekwah's performance vs Sheffield Wednesday
Previously being watched by the likes of Crystal Palace and Fulham ahead of a big move, those Premier League suitors might hold off on their interest in Pierre Ekwah now based on his uninterested showing against Wednesday on the final day.
Caught out ball-watching for the Owls' opener at the Stadium of Light, with Barry Bannan given far too much freedom on the ball by Ekwah to then pick out Liam Palmer to place home, Wednesday got so much joy against the Black Cats by just displaying more energy venturing forward through the middle of the park.
The former West Ham United youngster was way off the pace throughout against the buoyed-on visitors away just from this moment in isolation, however, with a meagre one shot attempted on James Beadle's goal from the 22-year-old alongside a weak two tackles being attempted to try and disrupt the flow of Rohl's men.
Hauled off in the 71st minute by interim boss Mike Dodds, who has presumably now bowed out of being Sunderland's next cursed manager with this defeat, it wasn't a shock to see Andy Tomlinson of the Roker Report hand out a disappointing 3/10 rating to Ekwah after the dust had settled from the 2-0 loss.
Minutes played
71
Touches
53
Key passes
0
Shots on goal
1
Tackles
2
Dribbled past
1
With Tomlinson describing the 22-year-old's display as being "pretty anonymous", Ekwah's downfall in the senior ranks has been an intriguing one to watch unfold considering how promising of a gem he looked at the start of the season.
The 6 foot 2 midfielder looked like an absolute golden steal at the start of the campaign – having joined from West Ham United in January of 2023 – after a blistering performance against Southampton in September last year, bagging two strikes as the Black Cats tore the Saints to shreds in a comprehensive 5-0 victory.
Since then, the fortunes of both teams have significantly changed, as has Ekwah's standing in the Black Cats camp with the very real possibility that the Frenchman could be offloaded this coming summer if a top-flight party takes a punt on his services.
Pierre Ekwah's transfer value in 2024
Sunderland would still be able to demand a high fee for their up-and-down 22-year-old to depart, with this transfer valuation higher than that of first-team regular Dan Neil – according to Football Transfers – despite Neil being a consistent performer for the Black Cats this season throughout all of the mess.
Despite underperforming during Sunderland's terrible end to the season, Ekwah still finds himself being worth a high £4.6m, a figure the Mackems would surely only be too pleased to receive.
Neil, who has been largely everpresent this campaign and dependable with four goals and five assists from 44 total matches, surprisingly is worth £600k less than his inconsistent counterpart at £4m.
1. Anthony Patterson
£11m
2. Jack Clarke
£7.6m
3. Jobe Bellingham
£6.6m
4. Adil Aouchiche
£5.4m
5. Abdoullah Ba
£5.3m
Sourced by Football Transfers
Ekwah doesn't quite get into the top five highest valued assets at the Stadium of Light when scanning the table above, but the likes of Abdoullah Ba and Adil Aouchiche – who fit into the same bracket as Ekwah as raw and unreliable youngsters who have shown their inexperience – could also be moved on soon especially when you consider their equally hefty values.
Selling on the underperforming central midfielder could prove to be the smartest call of the three when you consider how much the 22-year-old's value has risen over the last few years despite struggling in patches.
Sunderland midfielder Pierre Ekwah.
Glancing back to 2022, when Ekwah was an unknown entity to Sunderland supporters in the Hammers youth system, Ekwah was worth just a paltry £51k – according to Football Transfers – with his value then skyrocketing all the way up to a superior £2.8m in 2023 after a move to the Stadium of Light went through.
This could make for a very interesting off-season saga in Wearside, therefore, regarding Ekwah's future with a massive temptation to cash in on the topsy-turvy midfielder now especially if a Premier League club gambles on the 22-year-old to come good making the step-up and bids a handsome amount.
Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil.
There will be no such uncertainty over Neil's future, however, with the former academy product turned occasional Sunderland captain champing at the bit for the next campaign already to try and make his boyhood club promotion challengers once more.
With a new manager an absolute priority first and foremost before any incomings or outgoings are confirmed, this summer promises to be dramatic and hectic and one the powers that be at Sunderland must get spot on to make up for such a car crash of a campaign that's been finally put out of its misery.
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Manchester City’s rivals are being warned that trying to stop Erling Haaland has become “mission impossible”, with the Norwegian almost unplayable.
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Moved to the Etihad in 2022Won Treble in debut campaignContinues to shatter recordsGettyWHAT HAPPENED?
Premier League defences have been finding that out the hard way since Haaland completed a transfer to the Etihad Stadium from Borussia Dortmund in 2022. His debut campaign in English football delivered 52 goals and a historic Treble triumph – as City landed Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League honours.
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Another domestic crown was secured last season, along with a second Golden Boot for Haaland, and former City captain Richard Dunne – speaking in association with online bingo site, – has told GOAL when asked how the prolific 24-year-old can be contained: “It’s certainly not a one-man job, you need help. You need people to cut off the supply line. Sometimes you have got to stand back and just admire genius footballers and accept that if he wants to, he is going to do things because of the way that he moves, the desire that he has got to score goals, the positions that he gets himself into. He’s so difficult to contain.
“A lot of the time it used to be the Arsenal side that were the best team, and Thierry Henry was the striker that you had to try and stop. It was almost impossible because of the supply line into him – it comes from all angles, from the back and through midfield. You are, unfortunately, in a position where you’re playing the best team in the world, with the best centre-forward in the world, who is desperate to score goals. It’s almost mission impossible in terms of trying to stop him on a regular basis.”
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There was a time when defenders would favour rough treatment, with an early kick knocking a striking rival into place. That is not the case with Haaland, as the burly Norway international welcomes a physcial test. No-nonsense centre-half Dunne added: ”Physically, he’s probably one of the biggest players in the league. Centre-halves are looking at him and thinking ‘he’s quicker than me, he’s stronger than me, he can shoot off both feet, he can beat me in the air, what chance have I got?’ He relishes it.
“He loves scoring all different types of goals. That’s what I love about watching him, he’s happy to touch the ball once or twice and score a goal. He doesn’t care about getting involved, he just wants to do the job that he is being asked to do. He is doing it amazingly well.”
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DID YOU KNOW?
Haaland has been smashing records with City on a regular basis, and would appear to have many more in his sights. He is well on course to become a Premier League great, with Dunne saying of seeing the Blues’ talismanic No.9 take up such a standing: “It is incredible what he has achieved, especially as he is still so young. There is talk of him signing a new contract at Manchester City and if that keeps him here for another five or six years, that will be enough for him to break all sorts of records. The fact that he’s not just done it at Man City, he’s done it at previous clubs, suggests that he’s just a serial goalscorer and he’s not going to stop wherever he is. I don’t see him taking his foot off the gas any time soon.”
Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler sent up order as England look to set game up
The Report by Valkerie Baynes19-Jul-2020A new-ball burst by Stuart Broad has left England with sniff of victory and the chance to stay alive in their series against West Indies heading into the final day of the second Test.After Saturday’s washout at Emirates Old Trafford, England awoke on Sunday morning needing to take 19 wickets in two days.For a long time it appeared they wouldn’t come close as West Indies thwarted them with a confident, calm batting display as they initially set about avoiding the follow-on. Then came Broad, armed with the second new ball and a point to make.Wicketless in the series so far – after being left out of the first Test, much to his disappointment – Broad claimed three wickets for one run in 14 balls with West Indies still needing 18 runs to avoid the follow-on.Chris Woakes claimed three wickets of his own as West Indies lost their last six for 45 runs, limping past the 270-run mark to avoid following on and posting a first-innings total of 287, still 182 runs adrift.England signalled their intention to build the lead quick-smart, sending out Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler to open the second innings with about an hour’s play left on the fourth day.The move backfired somewhat when Kemar Roach, wicketless for nearly 11 months and 521 deliveries before claiming two scalps in England’s first innings, bowled Buttler for a three-ball duck and then Zak Crawley for 11.At the close, Stokes remained not out alongside Joe Root, with England leading by 219 runs.Broad was recalled for the second Test as part of a new-look attack alongside Sam Curran and Woakes following Jofra Archer’s disciplinary omission and the decision to rest James Anderson and Mark Wood.Half-centuries for Kraigg Brathwaite, Shamarh Brooks and Roston Chase had West Indies looking steady and unflustered.Curran had done some early damage when he claimed the wicket of opener John Campbell late on the second day to send West Indies to 32 for 1 in reply to England’s 467 for 9 declared.Alzarri Joseph, the nightwatchman, was unbeaten on 14 when play finally resumed some 40 hours later, and he moved to 32 off 52 deliveries, surviving two chances. Joseph was dropped on 19 by Stokes, who appeared to have been distracted as Crawley started to dive across him in the slips before stopping himself, and withstood a run-out chance on 21 as Dom Sibley’s shy at the stumps from extra cover was off target.It was Dom Bess who got Joseph in the end with his second ball, tempting him into a prod to Ollie Pope at short leg.Shai Hope came in with something to prove, having struggled since posting twin centuries at Headingley in 2017. He did little to alleviate the pressure when Curran struck again with an offcutter that Hope edged to Buttler behind the stumps.Brathwaite looked settled, sharing in 50-plus-run patnerships with Joseph, Hope and Brooks on his way to 75, the latter union yielding 76 runs. Even when Stokes accounted for Brathwaite with a straightforward caught-and-bowled, there seemed no cause for panic with Brooks still at the crease and Chase and Jason Holder to come.West Indies remained on course, with Brooks and Chase adding 43 runs, but then England took the new ball in the 81st over, handing straight to Broad, who struck in his second over with it when he sent Brooks on his way, lbw for 68.Broad then negated any threat posed by Jermaine Blackwood, whose second-innings 95 was crucial in West Indies sealing victory by four wickets at the Ageas Bowl. Broad pegged back Blackwood’s middle and off stumps with a ball that kept low off a length for nought and Broad had two wickets in two overs.Another lbw in Broad’s next over accounted for Shane Dowrich, who reviewed the decision to no avail, with Hawk-Eye confirming umpire Michael Gough’s decision.When Woakes had Holder caught by Root at slip, West Indies still needed 10 to avoid the follow-on. Chase guided them past the mark with a four off Curran en route to his 51 before he fell to Woakes, as did last man Shannon Gabriel.All eyes will turn to England’s declaration and whether they give themselves enough time to take the second new ball late on the final day if needed.
Glasgow Rangers ran out 5-2 winners over Dundee in an exciting match at Ibrox in their penultimate Scottish Premiership clash of the season on Thursday night.
The Light Blues went into the game knowing that anything other than a win would see their fierce rivals confirmed as league winners.
They, unfortunately, found themselves 2-0 down by the 40th minute of the outing as Dundee struck twice within two minutes.
Philippe Clement's side, however, fought back thanks to goals from Ross McCausland, Cyriel Dessers, Todd Cantwell, and two from Scott Wright.
Whilst Cantwell was the star of the second half comeback but Ross McCausland also caught the eye and both players should now be considered undroppable ahead of the final day and the SFA Cup final later this month.
Todd Cantwell's 9.6/10 Dundee masterclass
The former Norwich City attacking midfielder put on a masterclass in the attacking midfield position on Tuesday night with his sublime attacking play.
He produced a fantastic cross from the left flank to set up Dessers for the equaliser to make it 2-2, with the Nigerian striker able to guide his header into the far bottom corner.
The 26-year-old star then stepped up with a sensational finish – albeit possibly intended as a cross – from the right flank into the far top left corner to make it 3-2 and complete the comeback.
Sofascore rating
9.6
7.06
Goals
1
0.09
Assists
1
0.13
Key passes
6
1.1
Big chances created
2
0.17
As you can see in the table above, Cantwell put on a show at Ibrox with a staggering six key passes and two 'big chances' created to go alongside his goal and assist.
The English star has offered far more than Tom Lawrence usually does in that position, as shown by the statistics in the table, and should now have nailed down his place in the XI moving into the last two matches.
Tom Lawrence
Lawrence has only produced two goals and three assists in 23 Premiership matches across the entire season, and Cantwell racked up almost half as many goal involvements in one match on Tuesday night.
The former Canaries whiz has now scored six goals and provided five assists in 23 league starts for the Light Blues this term, which illustrates how much more he offers than his Welsh teammate at the top end of the pitch.
He had been an unused substitute against Celtic last weekend and just proved that Clement should not drop him again, as the Gers missed his creative presence in their 2-1 defeat at Parkhead.
Fabio Silva and Todd Cantwell
The Scottish giants only mustered up one shot on target in that narrow loss and the attacking midfielder has proven time and again, including against Dundee, that he has the ability to make things happen in the final third as both a scorer and a creator of goals.
That is why Clement must not drop him down to the bench, barring a fitness issue, in either of the next two matches, and moving into the 2024/25 campaign.
Why 21-year-old Ross McCausland is now undroppable
McCausland should also now be considered undroppable for the Belgian head coach after he popped up with a fantastic performance down the right flank.
Dujon Sterling's absence provided the academy graduate with an opportunity to stake a claim for his place ahead of the final two matches, and for next season, and he grasped it with both hands.
Rangers forward Ross McCausland.
Rangers were in desperate need of a spark after the crowd began to voice their displeasure at being 2-0 down to Dundee in the first half, and the young winger was the man to step up in their time of need.
McCausland showed great invention, determination, and skill to pull one back just before half time as he capitalised on lackadaisical defensive work to steal in and prod the ball into the back of the net after a clever touch around the corner.
The 21-year-old whiz registered an 8.1 Sofascore rating out of 10 for his performance on the night, as he also went on to assist Wright's second with a quick break through the middle and pass to the Scottish forward on the left.
He completed five of his eight attempted dribbles and won seven of his 11 ground duels on the night, which speaks to his exciting and direct play as well as his desire to track back and work hard for the team.
The dynamo, who created two chances for Rangers, got the crowd on their feet with his goal, his dribbles, his assist, and his infectious work rate, which is why he should now be undroppable for Rangers.
Ross McCausland's 23/24 season in numbers
The former B team star has struggled to nail down a regular place in the lineup in the Premiership this season, with only half of his appearances coming as a starter.
He has featured in 28 league matches for the Scottish giants and started 14 of those, which shows that Clement has not yet trusted him to start week-in-week-out yet.
In those 14 starts, the talented speedster has now racked up two goals and four assists for his electric efforts, to go along with 1.4 tackles and interceptions per game.
McCausland has offered glimpses of his quality in possession as a scorer and a creator as well as off the ball with his work rate to track back and cut out opposition attacks.
The Northern Irish wizard, who scored nine goals in 41 B team matches for the academy, needs to play regularly to continue his progress and develop consistency in his game.
It is hard to be a consistent performer if you are not playing consistent minutes, due to the fluctuating game time and situations that the forward has been thrown into, and that is another reason why the manager should make him undroppable over these next two games.
Ross McCausland
Allowing McCausland to start the last two matches, making it three straight starts in total, would also provide the manager with an insight into how the youngster could cope with being a regular starter next season.
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This could then, therefore, be an opportunity for the former academy star to put his name forward to be considered a key part of the plans for the 2024/25 campaign and beyond as a starter, rather than as a back-up option.