Robin van Persie's Heerenveen side fell to a 9-1 defeat against AZ Alkmaar, bringing about the Dutch side's worst-ever loss.
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Aston Villa have been boosted by the news that a 23-year-old transfer target is open to a return to the Premier League under Unai Emery this summer.
Aston Villa transfer news
The Villans have enjoyed a memorable week, with the 3-3 draw at home to Liverpool on Monday helping play a part in them reaching the Champions League, as well as Manchester City winning 2-0 away to Tottenham the following night.
It is a massive achievement by Emery and his players, but the main focus now has to be on signing top-quality players who could take Villa to the next level, with NSWE needing to provide the manager with the funds to bring in the right talent while also abiding with PSR rules.
Joshua Zirkzee has emerged as one target for the Midlands club at the end of the season, with Monchi personally really wanting to sign the young striker. The 22-year-old has scored 11 Serie A goals for Bologna this season, as well as netting seven times in 19 caps for the Netherlands' Under-21s.
Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain and Spain midfielder Carlos Soler is also seen as a primary target for Villa, with Emery's men believed to be in advanced talks to snap him up. He is contracted at PSG until the summer of 2027, however, so they may not be able to sign him on the cheap.
Aston Villa boosted over target with "big skills"
According to a new report from Give Me Sport, Aston Villa are interested in signing Lille midfielder Angel Gomes, with the 23-year-old open to a return to England this summer.
The report says that he is "refusing to rule out the possibility of sealing a return to his homeland when the transfer window reopens", adding that "Emery has been given renewed optimism of being able to entice the 18-cap England Under-21 international to the Midlands".
Gomes could be an excellent option for Villa before the beginning of next season, and the fact that he would be happy to join the Emery revolution has to be seen as a positive. The Englishman made just 10 appearances for Manchester United during his stint at Old Trafford during his younger days, but Lille boss Paulo Fonseca has heaped praise on him since moving abroad: "Angel is maybe the most intelligent player I have in my team.
"He understands faster than the others everything about the game; he loves the game. He loves to learn and he is a player with big skills, big technique.
"He is a player who under pressure it is not easy to steal the ball off him and who discovers the space so easily. He is young, he has a big talent. I believe with the right coach, with the right project, with the right game for him, he can have the possibility to have a big step in his career."
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At 23, Gomes is still such a young player, and his ability to play in either a defensive or more attacking midfield role would make him a great option for Emery, in terms of squad depth. Eight assists in Ligue 1 this season highlight his creativity, and he could grow further as a footballer alongside better teammates.
West Indies are hoping to host South Africa for either five T20Is or two Tests in September, according to Johnny Grave, the Cricket West Indies chief executive. But how they manage to squeeze either of this in between the CPL and the IPL is a puzzle: the CPL is scheduled to end on September 10 in Trinidad and the IPL is set to begin on September 19 in the UAE. On top of that, the South African government is yet to grant permission to its cricket team to leave the country since its borders shut down because of the Covid-19 situation in the country.CSA director of cricket, Graeme Smith, had earlier indicated that South Africa players will need a minimum of six weeks to prepare for a series and they are currently not in an official training camp.South Africa were originally scheduled to tour the Caribbean to play two Tests and five T20Is from July 23 to August 16 but the visit had to be postponed, like many others, because of the pandemic.”We very much hope that South Africa will be able to come here in September for either a T20-only tour or a Test-only tour at the very least,” Grave told Starcom Radio’s Mason and Guests cricket show. “It will be dependent on the IPL. South Africa have a number of their Test players who have IPL contracts, whereas in this current Test team we don’t have any IPL players.”We won’t be able to play Test cricket against South Africa during the IPL, Cricket South Africa have made that very clear to us. They’ve got a commitment to their players to allow them to go and play in the IPL.”West Indies are currently playing a Test series in England, and most of their players will then be seen in the CPL, scheduled for August 18-September 10.”The plan as we are working on now is that the players would come home [from England], they will have the weekend at home. Those that are in the Caribbean Premier League will head down to Trinidad on probably August 3 so it’s a quick turnaround,” Grave said. “CPL finishes on September 10. We hope very much that South Africa will follow immediately after that. Whether we can get the full tour in or we’re going to have to look at a split tour between the Tests and the T20s, we don’t know.”
Pochettino's confidence and ambition were on full display in his introductory USMNT news conference
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Nearly a month after reportedly agreeing to take the job, Mauricio Pochettino finally arrived and was introduced Friday as the new U.S. men's national team coach in his first news conference in New York City's Hudson Yards.
“I am really happy to be here, because I think it’s an amazing project and challenge that we have ahead," Pochettino said. "I am so excited, I am so happy.”
U.S. Soccer had officially announced that it had hired Pochettino to replace the fired Gregg Berhalter Tuesday, less than 30 minutes before the USMNT played New Zealand in the second of two friendlies – they drew that match 1-1 after losing to Canada 2-1 on Saturday.
Pochettino wasn't at either match, but said Friday that he watched both and is eager to restore hope for a USMNT that crashed out of the Copa America and is less than two years away from hosting the 2026 World Cup, saying "If we believe all together we will achieve."
The excitement for the official unveiling was palpable, with USSF president Cindy Parlow Cone saying, “This is a monumental day for U.S. Soccer."
Here are five takeaways from Pochettino's inaugural comments as the new USMNT coach.
Embracing America
From Pochettino's opening comment, the veteran coach was confident and appeared genuine about the opportunity to jump into international management and to do so with the U.S.
"It was a dream for us," Pochettino said. "It is true that many years ago we start thinking about trying to manage a national team. Obviously, USA was on our list for many reasons… I'm so happy, I hope we can [put] on a great show here."
He added, "Our initiative is always to win, respect our values and try to evolve."
Pochettino stressed that he wants to build a playing style that aligns with America's identity as a country. In Pochettino's mind, that means playing on the front foot.
"We are in the USA, I think to convince our fans, it's about showing attractive football. Aesthetic is really important," Pochettino said. "We want to play nice football, good football, exciting football, attacking football."
The manager referenced American culture, especially sports, throughout his answers.
"You know USA have great athletes, you know the sport, it's a winning, winning future, winning mentality," Pochettino said. "In soccer, we need to be inspired by the many sports we have here."
He also pointed to the instant success of USWNT coach Emma Hayes. Just weeks after officially taking the job, Hayes led the U.S. to its fifth Olympic gold medal at the Paris Games.
"Emma for me is the best coach in the world… and the women’s team in history has won everything," said Pochettino, who like Hayes recently coached at Chelsea. "That’s what we need to match here.”
AdvertisementLoose, but needs some adjustment
If there was one thing that was very apparent, it was Pochettino's looseness. Here's a man who is in a country he's never managed before or likely lived in, interacting with media — most of whom he hasn't met previously. Yet, he was unflappable, showing some swagger. Even in instances in which aspects of a question were lost in translation, Pochettino was cool, chill and relaxed.
"We are here because we want to win. We are winners," Pochettino said with confidence. "We are successful, very successful coaching staff."
It's bravado that is earned after largely successful stops at Southampton, Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, with a 51.7 percent win rate at those clubs.
Though he appeared to be more confident speaking in his native Spanish, there was an assured nature that was evident from the start of the conference.
He even managed to joke with GOAL US writer Ryan Tolmich after a question about all of the speculation and then ensuing delays prior to his official arrival.
"I'm happy and I hope you're happy too," he said with a laugh.
GettyDefining culture
Earlier this week, alarm bells were sounded after USMNT star Christian Pulisic said he hoped Pochettino brings a "culture that is willing to fight, that is willing to take risks."
As a result, a lot of the questions Friday were centered about the changes he would bring to the team from a culture standpoint.
Rather than have a preset expectation, Pochettino said his priority is instilling belief.
"We need to believe in big things," Pochettino said. "We need to believe that we can not just win one game, but the World Cup."
He said that he will be direct with his players and is aiming to kick off conversations with his team to learn more about the squad. When pressed on Pulisic point, Pochettino said that he understood the winger's frustrations and promised a higher level of intensity under his watch.
"The most important thing is to create something special," Pochettino said. "To feel something when you arrive to the national team… It's not because they just called me and we're going to play. We are going to compete. And competing is completely different than coming to play."
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Dealing with limited window
Pochettino was asked about having just 10 international windows to prepare the Americans in advance the World Cup, which will kickoff in June 2026 in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The Argentine confidently snapped his fingers and said "Football is like this."
Pochettino then scoffed at the notion that he won't have enough time to implement his strategy and approach, saying confidently "we have time."
"I think everyone thinks that there is no time to prepare and to arrive in our condition to the World Cup," he said. "What I want to tell you that I am in the opposite side. I believe that there is time enough. I don't want to make an excuse and don't want to create an excuse for the player to say, 'Well, yeah, we don't have time to buy into the new idea, the new philosophy, the new football'.
"I think the players are so intelligent and so talented, and they can, I think, play in a different way. For sure, I think we have time. We have time, and we need to really believe in seeing big things. We need to believe that we can win. We need to believe that we can win the World Cup."
Pochettino did mention that he and his coaching staff will need to be "clever" in the way they communicate things to the national team. He later stressed that he isn't going to treat exhibition matches as friendlies, as his aim is to raise intensity to ensure the proper preparation is in place.
"Friendlies aren't friendlies," Pochettino said. "Show your best for your country… that is everything."
He added, "We want all players that arrive Day 1 in training camp to think big."
Aston Villa’s hopes of reaching their first European final in over 40 years took a major hit on Thursday evening, succumbing to Olympiacos 4-2 at Villa Park.
The first leg of their Europa Conference League clash against the Greek giants was supposed to end in a victory for the home team, taking an advantage back to Greece, yet it didn’t quite go as planned.
Of course, a place in the final is not out of reach, but they will need to vastly improve next week in order to fight back from a 4-2 deficit.
Unai Emery’s side are still in charge of their own destiny, in both Europe and the Premier League, but big performances will be needed over the coming weeks to end the season on a high.
The Spaniard will have one eye on the upcoming summer transfer window. If Villa do secure qualification for the Champions League, then he will need to make a few more signings to help bolster his squad.
Aston Villa transfer news
According to Football Insider, Villa reportedly want to sign Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho in the summer.
The centre-forward has rejected an offer of a contract extension at the Foxes which would see him extend his stay, but it now appears as though this will be his final season with the club.
Emery will have some money to spend in the window, but adding a few players on free transfers will help him utilise his budget far better in the hopes of signing genuinely top-class players who can take the Midlands side to the next level.
The Spaniard signed Youri Tielemans from the Foxes last summer on a free transfer and luring the Nigerian international to the club could allow Emery to repeat that blinder, no doubt about it.
Youri Tielemans’ stats for Aston Villa this season
The Belgian midfielder had shone during his time at Leicester, making nearly 200 appearances for the club since joining in 2018 from AS Monaco.
During that time, he scored 28 goals along with chipping in with 26 assists, and the Foxes faithful will forever remember his wonderful striker during the 2021 FA Cup final against Chelsea to see the club win the trophy for the first time.
Metric
Conference League
Premier League
Goals
1
1
Assists
1
6
Key passes per game
1.4
0.6
Big chances created
1
5
Successful dribbles per game
0.3
0.5
It appeared as though Villa had secured one of the bargains of the summer when it was announced he had joined the club, giving Emery the chance to work with a sublime midfielder who was heading into his peak years.
Despite the initial excitement, the 26-year-old had to wait until November to make his first Premier League start for the club, undergoing a rocky introduction to life at Villa Park.
Since the turn of the year, however, he has started 12 league matches while playing key roles in their European ties against Ajax and Lille, which has seen them reach the semi-finals of the Conference League.
Tielemans currently ranks seventh among the Villa squad for big chances created (four) in the Premier League, along with ranking sixth for goals and assists (seven), seventh for tackles (1.3) per game and 16th for possession lost per game (6.6), showcasing his talent across a range of metrics for the club this term.
Although he endured a tough start, it is beginning to look like the midfielder is enjoying his football again as he emerges as a key player under Emery.
Signing Iheanacho could be a solid addition to the first-team squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
How Kelechi Iheanacho could fit it in at Villa
The main area in which Emery needs to strengthen is with regard to his attacking options. Yes, Ollie Watkins has enjoyed a sensational season, scoring 27 goals, and registering 12 assists, but if he suffers an injury, Villa don’t have much in the way of backup.
Jhon Duran has failed to hit the ground running during the current campaign, netting only six times in all competitions.
Iheanacho has plenty of Premier League experience first and foremost, which will be a big bonus for Emery. In stints with Leicester and Man City, the 27-year-old has played close to 200 games in the English top flight, scoring 42 goals along with racking up a further 26 assists, a decent enough strike rate in terms of a reliable backup option.
The striker hasn’t quite enjoyed the finest of seasons with the Foxes, however, finding the back of the net just six times, although he has played only three Championship matches since the turn of the year.
Despite averaging just 42 minutes per game and starting ten league games throughout 2023/24, the centre-forward has still managed to score five times, creating three big chances while succeeding with 58% of his dribble attempts – 0.6 per game – suggesting that he has still shown glimpses of his talents when given the opportunity to do so.
The 6 foot 1 striker has been dubbed “prolific” by talent scout Jacek Kulig in the past and certainly has the pedigree to step up whenever Watkins needs a rest, or dare we say it, suffers an injury.
He may not be the big-name signing that is expected this summer, but Emery will have to be realistic as to who he goes and spends money on, especially if the club wish to comply with financial fair play regulations.
This means a few bargains will have to be found and Iheanacho definitely fits the bill in that regard.
Not only does he have a host of experience in the top flight, but he can even drop slightly deeper if required, depending on how Emery will set up next season.
Adding another centre-forward or two will be a priority this summer for the manager in order to ease the burden on Watkins. The Englishman is a fantastic player, but he can’t do everything on his own, thus indicating the need for a couple of others to chip in when he isn’t at the races.
On a free transfer, Iheanacho sounds like a superb investment – as Tielemans has proven to be.
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He’s a player in-demand…
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The former CA chief executive could not galvanise the game amid questions over the financial impact
Andrew McGlashan17-Jun-2020
Kevin Roberts speaks to presspersons in Melbourne•Getty Images
March 15Two days after the Australia-New Zealand ODI is played behind closed doors at the SCG the remainder of the Australian season is cancelled.”We’re in uncertain times, and it’s difficult to project precisely what will transpire over the next number of months,” Roberts said. “We really empathise with the situation for winter sports, we are more fortunate with the timing of this.”April 16A report in early April, put together by CA’s chief medical officer Dr John Orchard, painted a positive picture of the 2020-21 cricket season being able to take place as planned, but a week later the sport is thrown into chaos when it is announced that the majority of staff are being stood down on 20% pay.April 21Amid growing resentment from various parties, including staff and the ACA, about the way the stand downs had been managed, Roberts addresses the issue publicly for the first time.”It wasn’t an overreaction because we’re dealing with a situation that’s hitting us unfortunately at the low point of our cash cycle over four years,” Roberts said. “We reach a point in early September where if there’s more shocks as we’ve had over the last month or more, where our reserves are very thin and in fact effectively we’d chart a path to zero if we didn’t take drastic action.”April 29With anger mounting, Roberts apologises to staff for the way the stand downs were announced but insists the cuts have to go ahead despite many questions over whether the financial position is as dire as is being made out. Earl Eddings, the CA chairman, becomes increasingly involved in the situation.May 6The first major response from the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) highlights the significant fault lines that are emerging around CA’s financial forecasts particularly as signs for the 2020-21 season are improving and India’s tour, worth A$300 million, looking like it will happen in some capacity.In an email to members, ACA chief executive Alistair Nicholson wrote: “Cricket is able to express an optimistic and confident posture about its capacity to weather the pandemic, and has the opportunity to put in place effective plans for cricket to be played this summer. With this, cricket’s financial position will likely remain positive.”May 18Amid growing talk that financial cuts will see reduction in domestic competitions, ACA chairman Greg Dyer pens a strongly-worded column slamming CA. “That at the first sign of a headwind, states are being asked to take significant cuts, which are in turn filtering down to local cricket, suggests that something is horribly wrong with the current model.May 26Tensions continue to rise among the states with New South Wales and Queensland opposed to 25% cuts in their grants (which had been negotiated down from an initial figure of 45%) while Western Australia say they will only sign up to the deal if there is a collective agreement. Job losses among the states grow towards 150, including a swathe of community cricket staff at Cricket Victoria. A few days earlier Roberts had given the India tour a “9 out of 10″ chance of taking place.”We have been told for a long time how big a deal the Indian tour is, so to hear that optimism brings the depth of the cuts into focus,” Queensland chairman Chris Simpson said. “Eighty percent of our funding comes from one source [CA] and they have said they potentially have solvency issues, so it is our duty to act on that information. We disagree with a lot of the information provided but we still had to act.”June 3After a number of delays, Roberts presents CA’s financial position and outlines the need for 25% cuts across the business saying they faced a deficit of A$142 million if no action was taken. “Given the economic uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic, many organisations are working with scenario plans rather than developing precise financial projections that may need to be updated various times in ever-changing circumstances,” he said.Roberts increasingly becomes sidelined from talks with states and the ACA with Eddings and board member Paul Green taking charge.June 4The ACA swiftly responds to CA’s financial projections – the players’ body is not impressed by the lack of detail provided to them – and confirms it will formally challenge the board’s forecast of a 48% reduction in revenue and the subsequent impact on player payment.”The ACA expresses a lack of confidence in these reforecasts,” Nicholson said. “They do not appear to be reasonable or consistent with an obligation of good faith, as required. From what the ACA has been able to determine so far, cricket is yet to suffer a significant adverse revenue event and the outlook for the game remains positive.”June 15There had been suggestions of a breakthrough with hope of bringing all parties together for talks, but tellingly this was being led by Eddings. After a weekend of board meetings it emerges that Roberts’ position has become untenable and he tenders his resignationJune 16Nick Hockley, who ran the T20 World Cup organising committee, is installed as interim chief executive.”Kevin and the board and I have been working hand-in-glove over the last three to four months around this,” Eddings said. “We thought it’s time now and Kevin agreed with the board that it’s time for a new leadership and he tendered his resignation accordingly for the good of the game.”
MatériaMais Notícias
A “Era Enderson Moreira” no Botafogo começou no início da semana, quando o técnico foi apresentado pelo clube. No entanto, o primeiro desafio à frente do Alvinegro Carioca acontece na tarde deste sábado, às 16h30, noEstádio Lourival Baptista, em partida válida pela 14ª rodada da Série B. O jogo terá transmissão em tempo real do LANCE!.
>Você lembra quais foram os últimos dez técnicos do Botafogo?
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Logo de cara, Enderson já terá que quebrar um “tabu” do Botafogo neste início de Série B. Até aqui, o Alvinegro não conseguiu vencer nenhum jogo fora do Rio de Janeiro na competição. Em sete partidas disputadas, foram três empates e quatro derrotas. O time, inclusive, é o terceiro pior visitante da segunda divisão.
> Veja a tabela da Série B
Para reverter esse cenário, o ideal seria ter força máxima para a partida. Contudo, Enderson Moreira terá a ausência de peças importantes para encarar o Confiança. Chay e Kanu, dois dos principais jogadores do Alvinegro, estão machucados e sequer viajaram para Aracaju.
Além deles, Pedro Castro recebeu o terceiro cartão amarelo contra o Goiás e cumprirá suspensão neste sábado. Carta fora do baralho também é o volante Luís Oyama, que segue lesionado. Assim, sem os volantes titulares, é provável que o treinador mande a campo uma dupla inédita.
Enderson Moreira, inclusive, já havia falado na coletiva de imprensa de apresentação sobre a possibilidade da chegada de reforços ao Botafogo. De acordo com ele, o Alvinegro Carioca precisa ser “pontual” e “criativo” nesse ponto.
> Conheça o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!
Bom, o mesmo vale para o jogo deste sábado. Com um elenco que ainda não conseguiu engrenar na competição e repleto de desfalques, cabe a Enderson ser criativo o bastante para fazer o Botafogo apresentar um futebol que seja capaz de vencer o Confiança, em Aracaju.
– Esse momento do Botafogo, acima de tudo, precisa conquistar resultados. A competição está parelha, mas o mais importante é como vai terminar. O que passou a gente infelizmente não pode modificar, o que está distante não podemos agir tanto. Temos que pensar no Confiança e trazer os três pontos contra uma equipe que sempre foi difícil de jogar contra – disse Enderson, quando chegou ao clube.
Despite excelling defensively under boss Sean Dyche during the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, Everton have struggled within the attacking third to produce quality on a regular basis.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Abdoulaye Doucoure both notched up seven goals in the league, but endured droughts throughout the campaign, with the latter failing to score for over four months – a period that saw the club pick up just one win in 15 outings.
The Toffees only managed a tally of 40 goals in their 38 Premier League matches, with only bottom club Sheffield United producing a total fewer than Dyche’s side.
They desperately need reinforcements in the final third but will need to act in a sensible manner to prevent breaching the Premier League’s strict PSR rules for a third time in the last 12 months.
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Outgoings will undoubtedly be the focus this summer, but the club should also target a forward, with the Toffees already eyeing up one player to improve the goalscoring situation at Goodison Park.
Everton interested in a talented youngster
According to the Daily Mail, Everton are interested in signing Newcastle United youngster Yankuba Minteh this summer, after the Gambian impressed away from St James’ Park this season.
The 19-year-old has scored ten goals and provided five assists in his 27 appearances for Arne Slot's Feyenoord in the Eredivisie, as he looks to gain experience ahead of a potential first-team spot for Newcastle next season.
However, despite his stellar campaign in the Netherlands, Eddie Howe’s side, like the Toffees, are enduring their own FFP worries and may look to cash in on Minteh this summer despite never making an appearance for the Magpies’ first team.
The Telegraph's Luke Edwards has previously stated that Newcastle could look to move the forward on in the summer to try and combat their FFP and PSR situation, with Everton looking to take advantage and secure a player capable of improving the Toffees’ forward line tenfold.
Minteh could become Everton’s next Anthony Gordon
Anthony Gordon is arguably the best player in even years to come out of the club’s academy, featuring in the first team before departing for a colossal £45m transfer fee in 2023.
He’s since excelled in the Premier League under Howe, reaching double figures in goals and assists for the first time in his professional career, subsequently now named in England's provisional squad for the Euros.
It might be a far-fetched comparison, but when delving into the duo’s respective stats from 2023/24, there’s real evidence that Minteh could follow in Gordon’s footsteps at Goodison.
Whilst he’s featured in a lower-quality division, Minteh, who’s been described as a “jewel” by scout Jacek Kulig, has dominated the former Toffees forward, demonstrating the quality he possesses at his tender age.
The Gambian has been influential under soon-to-be Liverpool boss Slot, averaging 7.9 progressive carries and 3.7 successful take-ons, with Gordon unable to get near the youngster with his respective tallies of just 4.3 and 1.7.
Progressive carries
4.3
7.9
Successful take-ons
1.7
3.7
Shot-creating actions
4.5
5.8
Shots per game
2.5
3.5
Touches in attacking areas
4.6
9.9
He’s also created more opportunities in the final third, creating 5.8 shot-creating actions and averaging 3.5 shots per 90, with Gordon averaging one less per match in each category.
Minteh likes to feature on the opposite side to Gordon, but his attacking stats and ability to cut inside onto his stronger foot, make him a great option for Dyche on the right-hand side and one that could certainly replicate Gordon's time on Merseyside.
Whilst he’s unproven in the Premier League, the club must take a plunge on Minteh this summer, with the attacker potentially available at a cheaper price than many other attackers of his quality.
He would undoubtedly improve Dyche’s attack, whilst providing the opportunity to make the club a hefty profit in the years ahead – making the Toffees more sustainable and helping their current financial situation.
Everton must rue losing a star who's now worth £42m more than Lookman
The former Everton man created new history in the Europa League final last night.
ByEthan Lamb May 23, 2024
The latest Covid-19 restrictions have the potential to impact the start of the domestic season
Andrew McGlashan09-Jul-2020Cricket Victoria are starting to consider the various scenarios that could be required to allow their domestic season to start on schedule if the new Covid-19 lockdown of Melbourne means the teams are unable to play at home.Melbourne and Mitchell Shire – an area north of the city – returned to lockdown at midnight on Wednesday after a spike in Covid numbers which has also led to fresh border restrictions being put in place.It has created major problems for various winter sporting codes who have rushed to try and keep their seasons going by moving teams to inter-state hubs. While cricket still has some time on its side with the season more than two months away the contingency planning is starting with one potential scenario that Victoria could spend the first chunk of the season on the road.While there is currently no schedule for the domestic season, last year the men’s summer began in late September with a period of Marsh One-Day Cup matches before the Sheffield Shield in early October with the rest of the one-day competition played alongside.If the first part of the season followed the same structure as last year it could also include some Women’s National Cricket League matches ahead of the WBBL which, in its first standalone tournament in 2019-2020, took place during October and November. There are two Melbourne-based WBBL teams, the Renegades and the Stars.”I’m just doing some pre-planning as to how it could look if we were forced to quarantine or get an exemption to be able to quarantine in one of the northern states or across the west,” Shaun Graf, Cricket Victoria’s general manager of cricket told . “If we had to quarantine and these [Marsh Cup] games are later in September we’d be looking to have to get out of here if we were able to early September, hopefully get exemptions across the other states and play away from home. That’s one the scenarios I’m looking at, hence I’m looking at we could be away for anything up to two months.”Graf does not believe the potential of being in a hub for an extended period of time would present the same challenge for cricketers as it is doing for some other sports. The players are used to travelling for extensive periods, albeit usually spread across a whole season with 35-40 days on the road for the Shield, although the additional bio-security measures would be a challenge.”We’ve spoken to players, it’s not quite the same as for football codes because we are used to travelling and being on the road a long period of time but everyone needs to know that this may be a scenario if we are to kick the season off,” he said. “We’d have to make sure players stay within the compound of hotels, that’s something we’d need to look at because you haven’t got the freedom to go for a run or have a hit of gold so we’d have to look at those issues that footy has confronted. But generally from a travelling point of view it doesn’t really faze a cricket side as much as the football codes.”Graf added that while travel is a “fairly major cost” in normal circumstances he would expect Cricket Australia to help with the additional expense of a hub which would entail the need for a larger squad. “If we were in the situation where we had to go into a hub we’d talk to CA and I’d expect there would be some offset,” he said.For the immediate future, Victoria’s pre-season for both the men’s and women’s squads has not been stopped by the new lockdown with elite sport having an exemption to train with strict bio-security measures in place. Graf revealed up to six Victoria players have been tested for Covid-19 after reporting symptoms but have all come back negative.
With the rebuild at Elland Road already underway, it appears that the higher ups at Leeds United have made it clear who will be the focal point of next season's promotion bid.
Leeds set for mass exodus following Wembley heartbreak
After failing to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking, a number of Leeds' top stars look set to depart West Yorkshire this summer.
Much of the Elland Road faithful are now resigned to the fact that Crysencio Summerville will be leaving Leeds this summer with the winger linked with a move to the Premier League. It is also likely that his left sided counterpart, Wilfred Gnonto will be eyeing up a move away from the Championship after the Italian pushed for a transfer at the start of last season.
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With Summerville and Gnonto combining for 27 goals in the league last season, it is clear that Leeds will face a major task to replace this output if the duo are to depart. Whilst there is no doubt that the Whites will be dipping into the transfer market this summer, those at the top of Leeds are looking closer to home for their new star man.
Farke puts key man at the centre of next season's promotion bid
As first reported by Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke, Leeds United are set to build around Archie Gray ahead of next season's bid to return to the Premier League. The 18-year-old has enjoyed a breakout season with his boyhood club, featuring 52 times as Leeds came agonisingly close to promotion.
O'Rourke has stated that "Gray has long been touted as an outstanding talent behind the scenes at Thorp Arch" and that Leeds are "putting him at the centre of their plan to gain promotion back to the Premier League next season". After picking up the Championship Young Player of the Season aswell as a slew of other awards, there is no wonder why the higher ups at Elland Road view him as the future of the club.
During his maiden season, Gray has been a vital part of Farke's side. Playing as either a right back or central midfielder, the teenager has excelled everytime he has stepped on the pitch and has not let his first taste of senior football phase him in the slightest.
Whilst keeping Gray is the plan for Leeds, the 18-year-old will not be short of suitors from across Europe's elite clubs. Among the interested sides are Arsenal with reports suggesting that the offer for Gray could be too good for the Whites to turn down.
Currently commanding a wage of just £5,000 per week, Gray is under contract at Elland Road until the summer of 2028. With the England youth international unlikely to push for a move away from his boyhood side this summer, making Gray the focal point of the side may be enough to rebuff any big offers that could come in.