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Trevor Hohns steps down having served collectively on the selection panel for 21 years

Andrew McGlashan01-Aug-2021George Bailey has been named the new chairman of selectors of the Australia men’s team following the retirement of Trevor Hohns.Bailey, who played 125 times for Australia, joined the panel in 2019 and takes on the top job ahead of selecting squads for the T20 World Cup and the Ashes later this year.Hohns steps down having served collectively on the selection panel for 21 years – 16 as chairman – across two periods from 1991 to 2005 and 2016 to 2021.”Firstly, I would like to thank Trevor for his incredible work which has helped shape the success of Australian cricket over a long period, including during my days as a player and captain,” Bailey said.”In what can be a challenging job Trevor has always been calm, consistent and approachable. Similarly to his journey, he has made my transition from player to selector as smooth as possible. There is a lot I will take from Trevor’s style and very much look forward to the journey ahead.”George Bailey joined the selection panel in 2019•Getty ImagesHohns’ first period as chairman from 1995-2005 involved a period of huge success for the national team which included the 1999 and 2003 World Cup victories plus the record run of 16 Test wins.He stepped down from his first stint after the 2005 Ashes defeat but returned in 2016. The second spell included the dramatic fallout from the Newlands ball-tampering scandal which required the management of the post-ban returns of Steven Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft that happened during the 2019 Ashes were Australia retained the urn in England for the first time in 18 years.”The game has been great to me and I have loved every minute of it, from the good times to the bad,” Hohns said. “I have been extremely fortunate to be involved with some of the greatest Australian teams of all time and many of the best players to have played the game.”The successes of the side over the years have been great but I remember my time just as much for the wonderful people you work with and those you meet along the way. It has been an amazing journey for me, but all things come to an end. I am happy with my decision.”Trevor Hohns’ first period as chairman from 1995-2005 involved a period of huge success•Getty ImagesBen Oliver, Cricket Australia’s head of national teams, paid tribute to Hohns’ service to the game and the qualities of his successor.”The impact Trevor has had on Australian cricket has been unparalleled over a long period of time,” he said. “For someone to have played such an integral part in so many incredible eras is a feat few, if any, ever achieve.”The role of national selector is one of the most scrutinised in Australian sport and Trevor has performed it with great strength, judgement and humility. We will miss his experience but respect his decision to take a step back from the game and are grateful for his stewardship.””George is a highly respected leader who is now well established on the NSP alongside Justin as the head coach,” he added. “He has brought recent playing experience with a deep understanding of the game, an open and collaborative style and a desire to keep improving the selection function.”Oliver also confirmed a third member of the selection panel would be appointed in the coming months.

If there is one area of the squad for Manchester United that needs rebuilding during the 2024 summer transfer window, it is the midfield. It could be decimated this summer, with player departures and potential sales in the middle of the park, too.

There are some players who are guaranteed to stay at Old Trafford. Captain Bruno Fernandes has been linked with a move away to Saudi Arabia but seems likely to stay. Mason Mount and exciting youngster Kobbie Mainoo will also stay at the club ahead of next season.

In terms of departures in midfield, one has already occurred. Sofyan Amrabat’s loan has expired, and he has now left the club. However, there are talks of the club negotiating a new deal to keep the player at the club, which could be at lower terms than the buy clause in his old loan deal.

The trio of Casemiro, Scott McTominay and Christian Eriksen could also all leave Old Trafford this summer. The Daily Mail reported in April the trio were part of a ten-player list who could exit the club.

With that in mind, United will certainly need to add to their depth in midfield this summer. They have recently been linked with one player who could add depth and quality to the middle of the park.

Man Utd target Ligue 1 midfielder

The player in question here is Paris Saint Germain and Uruguay midfielder Manuel Ugarte. Despite only playing for one season with the French champions, Ugarte could depart the club this summer.

According to a report from Le 10 Sport, United are 'exerting a lot of pressure behind the scenes' on PSG in order to get a deal over the line, with the board 'very optimistic' about getting a deal done for Ugarte.

The report suggests the Red Devils have tabled an offer for the 23-year-old midfielder worth £38m, which has been 'accompanied by several bonuses'. It's further explained that PSG head coach, Luis Enrique, will have the final say and could decide he wants to keep Ugarte.

Whilst United lead the race for the Uruguay international, they are not the only club interested in signing the midfielder. United’a Mancunian rivals Manchester City, as well as Spanish giants Barcelona, are also interested in adding the tough-tackling Uruguay to their squad to bolster their midfield options.

Why Ugarte would be a good signing

It may be somewhat surprising that PSG are willing to move on Ugarte just a year after they signed him from Sporting for £51.1m. He played 37 times for PSG last term, which included only 25 games in Ligue 1.

The defensive midfielder plays in a similar mould to France and Chelsea legend N’Golo Kante. Like the World Cup winner, Ugarte is a tough-tackling midfielder, who one analyst praising his “aggressiveness, tenacity and determination” off the ball.

Indeed, this is reflected in his FBref stats, too. The PSG midfielder averages 2.32 tackles won per 90 minutes, and 1.86 interceptions made. This places him in the top 2% and top 4% amongst midfielders in Europe respectively.

Not only that, Ugarte reads the game very well and has excellent recovery pace, something that is reflected in his ball recovery stats per 90. The Uruguay international averages an impressive 8.14 ball recoveries, which ranks him in the top 1%. It really is no wonder that he was described as a "destroyer" by football analyst Ben Mattinson on X.

Tackles attempted

4.11

99th

Tackles won

2.32

98th

Interceptions

1.86

96th

Tackles + interceptions

5.97

99th

Ball recoveries

8.14

99th

As a result, the Uruguay international could become the perfect partner for United’s captain Fernandes, given his defensive ability. It would allow the Portugal international to have less defensive responsibility and flourish more in the final third.

Last season, Fernandes’ 18 Premier League goals and assists were the most amongst United’s squad, as per Sofascore. If he was freed up even more with Ugarte behind him, then we could well see Fernandes’ numbers explode further.

A partnership of Ugarte and Fernandes could well be a match made in heaven for United. Not only do the Red Devils get to add a tenacious defensive midfielder to their squad, who is happy to do the dirty work, but he could help unlock their captain and allow him great freedom in the final third. For just £38m, it could be the dream deal for United to do this summer.

Teddy Sheringham: £65m England star could now be "heading to Man Utd"

Teddy Sheringham was speaking exclusively to FFC about Manchester United’s recruitment.

ByMatt Dawson Jul 10, 2024

The problem with climbing the Premier League table is that other teams come in and try to nab your best players.

Crystal Palace are the latest side to try and deal with this depressing inevitability.

Oliver Glasner is set to lose one of his star players, Michael Olise, as his £55m move to Bayern Munich looks all but certain now.

However, while losing the Frenchman is far from ideal, the money the club are set to receive should help them bring in the right players for Glasner, and based on recent reports, their attention is firmly on a brilliant youngster who could be the perfect teammate for Eberechi Eze.

Crystal Palace transfer news

According to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Palace have already drawn up a shortlist of potential Olise replacements, with Antonio Nusa being one of the most prominent names.

The Italian claims that the South Londoner's interest in the young Norwegian is "concrete" but does not mention a potential price they may have to pay to secure his services.

However, The Palace Way claimed earlier this month that the Club Brugge ace could cost Steve Parish and Co around £32m.

It might be a tough deal to get over the line, and it's certainly not cheap, but given how Nusa is spoken about and the promise he has shown at such a young age, this could be an ideal way to spend the Olise money and future-proof the side.

Why Nusa would be a great teammate for Eze

So, if the Eagles are able to get their hands on Nusa this summer, fans probably shouldn't expect him to come in and immediately replicate the sort of performances they have gotten used to from Olise.

That's not to say he couldn't come in and light up Selhurst Park, but at 19 years old and having never played in a top-five league, he would likely need some time to adapt.

However, he has the raw ability and skill set to develop into a player of the Frenchman's calibre and become a dream teammate for Eze in time. While he is a natural winger, Glasner masterfully used the former Reading star as one of his two attacking midfielders last season, so there is no reason to think he couldn't do the same with the youngster.

For example, last season, "the future of Norwegian football", as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored four goals and provided four assists in 46 appearances, or 2213 minutes, which works out to a goal involvement every 276 minutes, which is pretty handy for a young prospect.

Moreover, according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions in the next best 14 competitions, the Langhus-born gem is in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers for progressive carries and successful take-ons, the top 3% for progressive passes received, the top 6% for touches in the opposition's box, the top 11% for total shots and the top 17% for non-penalty expected goals and assists, all per 90.

Progressive Carries

6.79

Top 1%

Successful Take-Ons

4.38

Top 1%

Progressive Passes Received

12.20

Top 3%

Touches in the Oppositions Box

6.36

Top 6%

Total Shots

3.07

Top 11%

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.51

Top 17%

Described as a "1v1 specialist" and possessing "electric pace" by data analyst Ben Mattinson, the rapid youngster could be the slightly more adventurous and attack-minded attacking midfielder in Glasner's system at Selhurst Park.

At the same time, Eze could use his fantastic creative ability to craft chances for him or get on the end of opportunities brought about by the youngster's chaos-causing take-ons.

Crystal Palace could sign Glasner a "monster" £25m Guehi replacement

The talented defender could be just as good for the South Londoners.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 23, 2024

Ultimately, while it's a sizable sum to spend on a young player outside the traditional top-five leagues, Nusa looks to be an incredible prospect, and in signing him, Palace can improve the first team and plan for the future.

Thierry Henry believes PSG are more balanced without Kylian Mbappe, but also admitted they have "lost a bit of magic" with the Frenchman's exit.

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Mbappe joined Real Madrid in the summerPSG's European struggles continueFour points from three UCL games Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Luis Enrique could have done with someone of Mbappe's class in attack as he watched his Paris Saint-Germain side stumble to a 1-1 draw against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League. PSG had 26 shots on goal, including 18 in the second half, but were unable to find a winner after fighting back from 1-0 down.

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That result leaves PSG with work to do if they're to qualify automatically for the round of 16. They have four points from their opening three matches and lie in 17th place before Wednesday's fixtures, several spots beneath the coveted top eight. The situation is rosier in France, where PSG lead Ligue 1 after going unbeaten through their first eight games, but Henry believes Mbappe's exit has impacted their ability to turn close encounters, such as the PSV fixture, into wins.

WHAT HENRY SAID

“I think they are a team. They are a bit more stable, less counters. But they still lost Mbappe," the former Arsenal striker said on CBS Sports Golazo. "It’s very difficult. For example in a game like that, Kylian can turn it into a 2-1 or a winning goal towards the end, a moment of magic. He can turn it around. You lost a bit of magic but the team looks a bit more sound in terms of balance. But obviously the result is not good enough."

When asked by Jamie Carragher if Mbappe's departure means less pressure for Luis Enrique and his players, Henry replied: "No, the same. You decided to get rid of those guys. The way it was with the crowd and everything, they decided to go young and I was calling that when I was in France. But when you go young, you can’t go full young too early. You need to have a couple of guys that can be around. Marquinhos stayed, [Achraf] Hakimi is passing the veteran status. You need to have guys that can help those guys to be better also. It doesn’t mean that because Kylian Mbappe left it is easier, I think [Luis Enrique] has to be disappointed in that result tonight."

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR PSG?

PSG, who are embroiled in a legal battle with their former striker, travel to in-form Marseille on Sunday. Plans will also be underway for their next Champions League encounter, a home tie against Atletico Madrid on November 6.

Gary Neville called Manchester United an "absolute disgrace" after their 3-0 thrashing at the hands of Tottenham on Sunday.

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• United embarrassed by Tottenham 3-0
• Erik ten Hag's third league defeat of the season
• Gary Neville berates his former team

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Gary Neville did not hold back when analysing United's woeful performance against Tottenham on Sunday afternoon. Brennan Johnson's early strike, which was set up by a marauding Micky van de Ven run, set early disappointment among the Old Trafford crowd, which was added to by Bruno Fernandes' dismissal just before the break.

  The second half started in the same vein with Dejan Kulusevski getting a quick goal two minutes after the restart and Dominic Solanke killed United off with a third. Neville was on commentary and he let his feelings be known as it played out.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT GARY NEVILLE SAID

  Former United captain Neville even suggested the players should have a meeting on Monday morning without Ten Hag to "decide what they want to do". He added to Sky Sports: "They need to get a grip on that dressing room. The first half was as bad as it gets. This is a shocking day, a sobering day. This is a really bad day for Ten Hag."

  The former United defender was also critical of club captain Fernandes after he saw red for a high challenge on James Maddison.

  Neville said: "That sums up Manchester United in the first half. They have been an absolute disgrace. It's one of the worst performances I have seen under Ten Hag. And that is saying something. It is really bad. Today has shocked me about how low they have gone."

• WHAT JAMIE REDKNAPP SAID

  It wasn't just Neville who laid into United and Ten Hag, former Tottenham and Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp was also pointing fingers at the Dutchman for the collapse against Spurs.

  He said to : "It gets to a point where you almost feel sorry for the manager as well. He looks completely out of his depth, he looks like he's struggling to motivate his team. Man Utd and Ten Hag are going backwards. You can't complain anymore, he's got his back four in place, he's got all the players at his disposal – there's no excuses. They are rock bottom right now. I just don't see where they can go from here. They're as bad as I've seen a United side. It's embarrassing. A club of this stature shouldn't be producing performances like that."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR TEN HAG AND UNITED?

  The games don't get easier, as United face Porto in the Europa League and Aston Villa in the Premier League after that. Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount could be doubts for the European game after coming off against Spurs due to respective knocks. For United's trip to the Midlands, they will be without Fernandes through suspension. The pressure is piling on Ten Hag and if he is unable to get this side purring the calls for his sacking will get louder and louder.

Liverpool are in a dire rut of form at the moment and the pressure only ramped up on Arne Slot following their 3-3 draw with Leeds United on Saturday evening.

As if Slot didn’t think things could get any worse, what hasn’t helped is Mohamed Salah’s remarkable interview after the game.

The Egyptian has been on the substitutes bench for the last three games and according to reports, will not travel to Milan when the Reds face Inter in the Champions League this week.

What Mo Salah has said about his Liverpool future

Salah was in conversation with reporters after Liverpool’s dismal draw with Leeds at the weekend and it’s safe to say he did not cover Slot and Co in glory.

“‘I’m very disappointed, Salah began. “I’ve done so much for this club – everyone can see that – over years, especially last season, sitting on the bench I don’t know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That’s how I feel it.”

The Liverpool great continued: “It’s very clear that someone wants me to get all the blame. Club promised me a lot in summer. So far I I’m on bench three games, so can’t say they have kept those promises.

“I say many times I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden we don’t have any relationship, I don’t know why. It seems like someone does not want me in the club.

“But again this club, I always support it. my kids will always support it. I love the club so much and I will always do. I called my mum yesterday because I knew I wasn’t going to start and told my mum and dad to the Brighton game [next Saturday].”

How Salah trained on Monday

Salah smiled and chatted with his teammates on Monday as he attended the club’s first training session since his outburst over the weekend.

He arrived on the training pitch in conversation with French striker Hugo Ekitike. Salah listened as Slot addressed the squad and then took part in a series of warm-up and passing drills, interacting with the likes of Curtis Jones, Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai.

The session was overseen by Slot who is really up against it now. Who the Liverpool board decide to side with, Salah or the Dutchman, will be very interesting.

The story of how two men got together to make a 6’4″ fast bowler go from delivering magic balls to being ready for the grind of Test cricket

Deivarayan Muthu13-Oct-2024One session was all it took for Canterbury to realise they needed Will O’Rourke.At the time, he had just moved from Auckland to Christchurch for his tertiary studies, but he had informed Paul Wiseman, New Zealand cricket’s talent identification manager, that he was also seeking opportunities to bowl during the winter. So Wiseman called up Peter Fulton, the former New Zealand batter and current head coach at Canterbury. Fulton and Brendon Donkers, the high-performance development coach, were immediately impressed with what they saw. At 6’4″, O’Rourke had the potential to be their brand-new cutting edge.Fulton had first met O’Rourke when he was in charge of New Zealand at the 2020 Under-19 World Cup in South Africa. He was a moments bowler back then, capable of creating ooohs and aaahs, but that rarely wins cricket matches.Related

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“I think when he first started playing first-class cricket for Canterbury, he probably bowled too short and he beat the bat a lot, but didn’t necessarily take a lot of wickets because he wasn’t always threatening the stumps,” Fulton tells ESPNcricinfo.In a sign of things to come, O’Rourke’s first three Test wickets were lbw, bowled, and bowled. Everybody sees the height and the pace – including the batters – and maybe that’s why they aren’t expecting him to pitch it up.O’Rourke was perhaps the only positive to come out of New Zealand’s tour of Sri Lanka last month. He took eight wickets, including a five-for, at an average of 23.12 and a strike rate of 39.62, even though he is extremely new to international cricket and was playing on pitches designed to nullify his kind of bowling. That display confirmed what Fulton had thought all along. It also highlighted another strength of O’Rourke’s: he’s a quick learner.”For all the improvements he’s made over the last three-four years, I still feel he’s got a lot of improvement in him,” Fulton says. “He’s played some white-ball cricket – a little bit of 50-over cricket against Bangladesh – he’s probably just scratching the surface in terms of his white-ball game and T20 game as well. No reason to think that he won’t be able to adapt over the years as other teams scout him a bit better and he works out what he has to do to evolve his game.”O’Rourke has already had some practice in that regard. While working with Donkers, he realised there were some technical flaws in his bowling action and worked to remedy them.

“He may not take a whole lot of wickets on this tour, but if he doesn’t, he will again at some stage in the future. He will learn and will work out what he needs to do. So, really excited to see him go over there in India and see how he bowls against some high-class players”Peter Fulton on Will O’Rourke’s tour of India

“I won’t claim to be an expert in fast-bowling actions; Brendon Donkers made some good adjustments,” Fulton says. “Will probably fell away a little bit at the point of release in his action. They [Donkers and Co.] just worked on trying to maximise the attributes that he already had. He’s already tall, so he tried to get him nice and tall at the crease so that he’s delivering the ball as high as possible.”They also tinkered around some things with his wrist and, at times, he moves the ball back into the right-hander. But when he gets his wrist right, he also has the ability to swing the ball away from the right-hander. It didn’t take him very long to pick that up and understand that there’s a difference between being told something and actually understanding something.”When O’Rourke started his domestic career, he largely operated in the 130kph range, but he can now crank it up towards 140kph and also move the ball both ways at that pace. Prioritising fitness and working in a competitive environment like Canterbury, which has a number of other international fast bowlers like Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Henry Shipley and Zak Foulkes, have accelerated O’Rourke’s growth.”That work ethic, and the attention O’Rourke has paid to the S&C [strength and conditioning] side of the game is what has taken him from bowling maybe 120ks-early 130ks to now touching towards 140,” Fulton says. “When he first started to come to our trainings, he wasn’t unfit, but he wasn’t that strong and hadn’t spent a lot of time in the gym. But now if you compare him to all our contracted players at Canterbury, he’s probably the one leading the running sessions and fitness.Brendon Donkers and Peter Fulton have played key roles in shaping Will O’Rourke’s career at Canterbury•Getty Images”Don’t think he’s played with Kyle yet. Kyle’s obviously injured now – so they haven’t crossed paths much on the field as yet. But definitely being around other guys like Matt Henry as well [helps]. O’Rourke has picked up a lot from some of those guys. Also, the competitive environment in Canterbury with other good players and other good bowlers around you, I guess it raises the standard of all the players and O’Rourke has certainly been a beneficiary of that.”O’Rourke isn’t getting “carried away” by the success in Sri Lanka, Fulton says, and he had hit the Canterbury nets along with the likes of Henry and newly appointed New Zealand captain Tom Latham before flying out to India. Facing India in India can be as unforgiving as it gets – more experienced fast bowlers have struggled against gun batters in this part of the world – but it could prove to be an important learning curve in his fledgling career.”He [O’Rourke] is pretty excited about the challenge of going to India, which probably along with playing Australia in Australia is the two toughest challenges in world cricket,” Fulton says. “You can’t guarantee results; you just have to try and stick to the process and hope the results come. I’ve got no doubt whether he takes a lot of wickets in the first Test or the second or third… I have no doubt that he will bowl well and learn.”He may not take a whole lot of wickets on this tour, but if he doesn’t, he will again at some stage in the future. He will learn and will work out what he needs to do. So, really excited to see him go over there in India and see how he bowls against some high-class players.”

He has also equalled Kumble’s record of 35 five-wicket hauls, the most by any India bowler

Sampath Bandarupalli25-Feb-20241:11

Manjrekar: Ashwin’s artistry on show once again

354 Wickets in Test cricket for R Ashwin in India, the most by any bowler, surpassing Anil Kumble’s tally of 350. Ashwin is ranked fourth in the list of most Test wickets by a bowler at home.35 Five-wicket hauls in Test cricket for Ashwin, the joint-most by an Indian, alongside Kumble. Only three bowlers have bagged more five-fors in Tests – Muthiah Muralidaran (67), Shane Warne (37) and Richard Hadlee (36).27 Five-wicket hauls for Ashwin in home Tests, the second-most for any bowler, going ahead of Herath’s 26. Ashwin is now only behind Muralidaran, who tops the list with 45 five-wicket hauls at home.ESPNcricinfo Ltd16 Five-wicket hauls for Ashwin while opening the bowling in Tests. He has picked up 170 wickets at an average of 19.09 in the 51 innings where he opened the bowling. Thirteen out of those 16 opening-the-bowling five-fors have come in home Tests.91 Test wickets for Ashwin at home against England, the most for an Indian bowler against any opponent. Ashwin went past Harbhajan Singh’s 86 strikes against Australia in 14 Tests played in India.12 Five-wicket hauls for Ashwin in the third innings of a Test match, the joint-second most for any bowler. Muralidaran has the most third-innings five-fors in Tests with 21, while Kumble and Warne also have 12. Four of Ashwin’s 12 five-fors in the third innings have come after India conceded a first-innings lead.37y 159d Ashwin’s age coming into the Ranchi Test. He is now the second-oldest Indian to claim a five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Vinoo Mankad remains the oldest having got one aged 37 years and 306 days, against Pakistan in Peshawar in 1955.12 Venues where Ashwin has taken a five-wicket haul in India, out of the 16 grounds he has played Test cricket. Ranchi is now the 19th Test venue where Ashwin has bagged a five-wicket haul. Only three bowlers have five-fors at more venues than Ashwin – Muralidaran (25), Warne (20) and Wasim Akram (20).