Tag Futebol

Nathan Lyon’s place in the Australian team has been in doubt since the series loss to South Africa, but Usman Khawaja thinks he’s bowled much better than the numbers suggest

Melinda Farrell in Brisbane17-Dec-2016By stumps on day three, Nathan Lyon’s statistical contribution to the Test was a modest total of one wicket and 29 runs, but his theatrical contribution has been far greater, to the point where his Australian teammates have dubbed him a “cult hero”.In his first-innings tenth-wicket partnership with Jackson Bird, Lyon frustrated Pakistan but delighted the crowd with clips off the pads, strong drives and one particularly powerful pull shot off Mohammed Amir.Since then the number of shirts bearing his nickname, ‘Garry’, ballooned at the Gabba. When Australia have been in the field, fans have roared with delight each time Steven Smith has brought him on to bowl, in a manner usually reserved for most explosive fast bowlers.Lyon’s place in the Australian team seemed to be in doubt when Australian selectors made a raft of changes in the wake of heavy losses in the first two Tests against South Africa. But Usman Khawaja felt Lyon had been unlucky in recent matches.”I think he’s been bowling well for a while now and just hasn’t been getting rewards,” he said after play on day three. “I’ve seen a couple of dropped catches here and there and what not, and that’s just a part of cricket. If you just look at his stats, yeah they didn’t look great, but I always felt like he was still bowling all right and just wasn’t getting the rewards.”He’s bowling pretty well at the moment and he bowled quite well last game, the pink-ball game. The crowd is on his side, which I’m sure always helps, which is always fun. I’ve never seen anything like that. It’s pretty good.”Lyon hails from New South Wales, which makes his popularity with the famously parochial Queensland crowd even more unusual. The two states are fierce rivals in all sports, but Lyon has been given a more boisterous reception than Queensland Bulls players, Khawaja and Matt Renshaw.”He’s been playing it up a little bit,” Khawaja said. “We’re calling him Queensland’s new favourite son. I’ve been booted out, me and Renshaw are gone. It’s been awesome how the crowd has been getting behind him. We keep trying to get ‘nice, Garry’ in there at some point. It’s been good.””We love it. It’s good fun. It’s nice to see the crowd get amongst it. It’s random. Social media’s funny, how things can just blow out of proportion. I call him the new cult hero. Everyone just seems to love him. It’s good fun. Hopefully he can take a few wickets tomorrow and get the crowd up again.”

Michael Beale has already made five signings for Glasgow Rangers since taking charge of the Ibrox side back in November last year, with Nicolas Raskin and Todd Cantwell joining in January, while Kieran Dowell, Dujon Sterling and Jack Butland have all joined on free transfers over the previous few weeks.

No stone is being left unturned in Beale’s chase to knock Celtic off their perch and with a host of players departing Ibrox, the 42-year-old will need to be extremely diligent to replace them effectively and without splurging vast sums on players who might not impress.

One player who the Light Blues have been linked with since the new boss arrived is FC Cincinnati forward Brandon Vazquez, with scouts having been sent to monitor his performances, although the likes of Everton and Crystal Palace are also keen on making a move for the American.

The Gers are thin in resources with regard to their attacking department, especially due to Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent leaving, although Vazquez certainly has the capabilities to fill the void vacated by the Colombian.

Could Rangers sign Brandon Vazquez?

Nothing can be ruled out at this stage, particularly due to a potentially large turnover in playing staff over the coming weeks.

The 24-year-old has set MLS alight with his performances over the previous 18 months, netting 20 goals in all competitions during 2022, while already grabbing six in 20 so far this term, suggesting he is consistent in front of goal.

Beale could certainly form a formidable duo with him and the aforementioned Cantwell, as the Englishman has enjoyed somewhat of a career rejuvenation since joining the Gers in January.

Having registered zero goal contributions in 18 games for Norwich City during the first half of the season, Beale sparked a belief that he could succeed in Scotland and was rewarded with six goals and five assists in 20 matches, announcing himself to the Premiership.

Now imagine these two in the same team, creating chaos for opposition defences throughout Scotland and even in Europe. The 25-year-old created five big chances and made 1.3 key passes per game in the league during his brief spell in Glasgow already, indicating that Vazquez would be fed regularly with opportunities to add to his goal tally.

Having scored a goal once every 154 minutes, the Cincinnati hitman could take advantage of Cantwell’s creativity. His 19 MLS goals were spread fairly evenly between his right and left foot, alongside scoring a few with his head, therefore, the English midfielder could feed the ball into him several different ways, and it would still prove successful, such is his adaptability with both feet.

Former journalist turned agent Chris Smith, described Vazquez as a player who “has developed into a ruthless goalscoring machine” and Beale is in desperate need of someone like this ahead of a vital 2023/24 season.

With the summer transfer window on the horizon, Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly eyeing a summer swoop for Aston Villa hotshot, Ollie Watkins, amid the uncertainty surrounding Harry Kane's future at the club.

According to reports in Spain late last week, the Villa marksman has been identified as a possible replacement for his England colleague at N17, with Kane having been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid of late with just 12 months left to run on his existing deal.

This latest piece suggests that the Lilywhites have shown an 'interest' in snapping up Watkins as a result, albeit with Premier League rivals Arsenal and Manchester United also said to be monitoring the 27-year-old ahead of the summer transfer window.

While the report goes on to add that the former Brentford striker has a market value of around €32m (£28m), there have been previous suggestions that the seven-cap ace is worth closer to £70m, having been in talk over a new deal at Villa Park.

That may appear a sizeable outlay for Daniel Levy and co, although Watkins could well be a perfect striking solution for Spurs next season…

Should Tottenham sign Watkins?

The one-time Exeter City man has certainly emerged as an attractive target having enjoyed a stellar end to the 2022/23 campaign, the £75k-per-week machine ending the season with a respectable haul of 15 league goals – taking his total tally in the competition to 40 goals across the last three seasons.

That fine record from the "lethal" goalscorer – as praised by pundit Trevor Sinclair – has seemingly caught the attention of those in north London, with it no surprise that Watkins is being lined up amid the rampant speculation surrounding the future of Kane.

The addition of the Villa man could also be a perfect match for prospective new boss, Ange Postecoglou, with the Greek-Aussie looking all but certain to be named as the next permanent manager at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

While the 57-year-old is not yet in the door, there have been claims that the Celtic coach is keen to bring prolific forward, Kyogo Furuhashi with him from Parkhead, with the Japanese international having ended the recent campaign with 34 goals to his name in all competitions.

With Watkins offering the benefit of having already shown his class in the Premier League, the Englishman could well prove to be a dream alternative to the current Hoops star, thus allowing Postecoglou to find his next talisman in the process.

Aside from knowing where the back of the net is, the two men are also alike due to their impressive movement when leading the line, with Postecoglou previously hailing Kyogo as the "best" he has ever seen with regard to that trait.

Watkins is also adept at being able to stretch a defence, with the Torquay native – who has been studying the likes of Edinson Cavani in order to improve that side of his game – having been lauded by journalist Josh Bunting, who stated:

"His movement opens up the centre-backs and it allows him to make those direct runs in between."

The comparison between the pair can also be made due to their quality off the ball, with Watkins described as "selfless in terms of what his work rate is" by ex-Villans boss Dean Smith, while Kyogo has also been described as someone who "hounds defences" by former Bhoys ace, John Collins.

With the latter man having played an integral role in steering Postecoglou's men to treble glory this season – after finishing as the leading scorer for the Old Firm giants – perhaps Watkins can emulate that feat and become the Greek-Aussie's new leading man at Spurs.

Tottenham Hotspur have made contact with former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique as the north Londoners continue searching for a new manager.

What's the latest Spurs manager news?

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is under mounting pressure as supporters stage protests against him and the ownership of ENIC this season.

Tottenham are currently in disarray, remaining without both a permanent first team manager and sporting director, with Levy needing to resolve these key issues as soon as possible.

Ex-head coach Antonio Conte departed north London nearly two months ago as Spurs' hunt for his replacement continues to drag on, while Spurs are reportedly stepping up the chase for Paratici's successor as well.

Going back to who could step into Conte's shoes, there are a fair few candidates still in the frame, including Sporting boss Ruben Amorim, Feyenoord’s Arne Slot and Brighton’s highly rated Roberto De Zerbi.

Meanwhile, the likes of Oliver Glasner and Brendan Rodgers have also been linked recently, coming after former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann dropped out of the running.

The latter coach in particular stood out as an exciting option given his status as, arguably, one of the most exciting young managers in Europe.

The decision not to pursue Nagelsmann is surely a baffling one, but according to a report, Enrique may well still be in contention.

The 53-year-old, like Nagelsmann, is currently one of the most elite managers readily-available for hire after leaving his most recent post in charge of the Spain national team.

As per journalist Matt Law, writing for The Telegraph, it is believed the north Londoners "have contacted" Enrique over replacing Conte – coming after repeated links to the Champions League winner.

As well as the Spaniard, Celtic’s Ange Postecoglou and Slot remain of interest to them.

Who is Luis Enrique?

Enrique certainly holds plenty of pedigree as a trophy-winner and could come as an exciting option for Spurs supporters, not least due to his attack-minded style of play.

He's also been revered by other top coaches in the beautiful game, like Man City boss Pep Guardiola, who holds his compatriot in very high esteem.

Speaking all the way back in 2018, the treble-chasing tactician claimed his fellow former Barca manager could take on any job in the world.

“He’s a top, excellent, amazing manager," said Guardiola."He can train wherever he wants and Arsenal is one of the biggest clubs in the world.”

Allrounder Albie Morkel will captain Titans in limited-overs cricket in 2016-17, but will not be available to play first-class cricket, he has informed the franchise

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jun-2016

Allrounder Albie Morkel will captain Titans in limited-overs cricket in 2016-17, but will not be available to play first-class cricket. Morkel, 35, said he took the decision because he did not want to keep spending so much time away from his family, and also wanted to allow someone younger the chance to come through in first-class cricket.Morkel has become a limited-overs specialist of late, having played only one first-class game in the 2015-16 season, and just the one other since 2011-12. In all he has played 77 first-class matches, scoring 4117 runs at 44.26 and taking 203 wickets at 30.28. He played only one Test for South Africa, against Australia in Cape Town in March 2009.While he had led Titans to a title win the domestic T20s last season – they also won the first-class competition, the Sunfoil Cup – they finished at the bottom of the table in the domestic one-dayers. That, Morkel said, did not bother him too much going into next season, given the team had lost a lot of players to the national set-up. “I think the environment at Titans is so healthy that it produces good performances,” Morkel said. “But we just lacked continuity and we were not settled as a team. In two games, we lost nine players who were simultaneously selected for South Africa A and South Africa.”Morkel had been in good touch in Titans’ successful Ram Slam T20 campaign, taking 10 wickets from 11 games while conceding less than five runs an over, and also scoring 198 runs at a strike rate of 141.42. He had a more middling Momentum One-Day Cup, with six wickets at an average of 42.00 and just the one fifty in seven games. He told the Titans website that he would demand high standards of himself in the coming season, and will stand down as limited-overs captain if he cannot find form.

Match facts

Friday, June 3, 2016
Start time 1300 local (1700GMT)

Big Picture

South Africa seem to play series in the Caribbean that few fans will remember. The last time they toured the region was in 2010, during the football World Cup hosted in South Africa. Safe to say their clean sweep of the three formats has been forgotten. This time, they are visiting for a tournament that is seemingly even less relevant: a triangular ODI series scheduled a year before the next major tournament.With the series comprising day-night games, fans in South Africa are more likely to go to bed and unlikely to watch more than the first 30 overs, but that does not mean there is nothing at stake. For South Africa coach Russell Domingo, almost everything is at stake. Even though the independent review, which was due to scrutinise his performance, has been scrapped, Domingo’s position remains precarious and he will have to turn things around quickly to keep his post. He will also have to do that without the team’s pace ace.Officially, Dale Steyn was rested for this series in preparation for the Test season but he is instead playing T20 cricket for Glamorgan. Morne Morkel, Kagiso Rabada and Kyle Abbott will have to carry the attack, and there will also be an opportunity for the spinners to play starring roles. South Africa’s batting line-up is settled and, with AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock to call on, they will be expected to make the final.West Indies, on the other hand, are in danger of being shut out of their own party, though it seems to have just gotten started following the double World T20 triumphs. In keeping with West Indies’ selection policy of picking only players who were available for their domestic 50-over tournament, Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo and Darren Sammy were left out. Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine are back for the first four matches, but that is scant consolation given their other areas of concern.The hosts are short on ODI game time, having last played nearly seven months ago, when they lost to Sri Lanka in November. Their two warm-up matches against a Barbados Select XI took place without their captain and several other players who were at the IPL, and they lost both. But pride in the region is at an all-time high and if they are to pull off a coup, South Africa is their first target.

Form guide

(last five completed games, most recent first)
West Indies LLLLW
South Africa WWWLL

In the spotlight

Sunil Narine returns to international cricket after spending six months on the sidelines working on his bowling action. In the recent IPL, he played a supporting role in the Kolkata Knight Riders attack, taking 11 wickets at an average of 27.63. At home, against a South Africa middle order that is notoriously soft facing spin, he has the opportunity to come into his own.After an underwhelming performance at the World T20, where his batting position was changed at the 11th hour, AB de Villiers stormed back into form at the IPL. He was the third highest run-scorer overall, and racked up six fifties and a century in 16 innings for Royal Challengers Bangalore. De Villiers is leading South Africa into a new era, after their worst season in recent memory, and there will be no better way for him to do it than with the bat.

Team news

Pollard and Narine should slot straight into West Indies’ XI. Darren Bravo will headline the batting line-up with World T20 hero Carlos Brathwaite, while Jerome Taylor and Jason Holder will shoulder the pace attack.West Indies (probable) 1 Johnson Charles, 2 Andre Fletcher, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 7 Carlos Brathwaite, 8 Jonathan Carter, 9 Jason Holder (capt), 10 Sunil Narine, 11 Jerome TaylorFaf du Plessis has been ruled out of this match as he recovers from a broken finger, giving Rilee Rossouw a chance to show what he can do. Farhaan Behardien will likely keep the No. 6 spot and Chris Morris could edge out Wayne Parnell for the allrounder’s role. With Morne Morkel back, South Africa may have to choose between an extra seamer in Kyle Abbott or a second spinner in Aaron Phangiso to complete their attack.South Africa (probable) 1 Hashim Amla, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Rilee Rossouw, 4 AB de Villiers (capt), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 Chris Morris, 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 Morne Morkel, 10 Kyle Abbott/Aaron Phangiso, 11 Imran Tahir

Pitch and conditions

South Africa and Australia are expecting the Guyana surface to be slow and low, and to take turn. Run-scoring could be sluggish but things will not be easy on the field, with high heat and humidity that could prove energy-sapping, even at night. There is a strong chance of rain during the day, although the probability drops to below 40% from 5pm.

Stats and trivia

• This is the first time all matches of an ODI series in the West Indies will be played under lights
• The only other time West Indies and South Africa competed against each other in a triangular series was in 1993, when South Africa hosted West Indies and Pakistan. West Indies won that series

Quotes

“They are a very dangerous team in all formats. They’ve got match-winners from start to end. It’s in their home conditions. They know it better than we do. They’ve got their home support.”
“They generally bank on their quicker bowlers, but they also have a few spinners whom we have to look out for.”

Newcastle United could seemingly be ready to raid relegation strugglers Leicester City this summer, amid reports that the Magpies are now interested in prising a further player from the King Power Stadium, alongside James Maddison…

What's the latest on Harvey Barnes to Newcastle?

According to transfer insider Graeme Bailey, the Tynesiders have been keeping a close eye on Foxes winger, Harvey Barnes, having also held a long-standing interest in teammate Maddison, after reportedly submitting a £50m bid for the latter man last summer.

Writing on Twitter regarding that interest in the Leicester pair, Bailey stated: "Newcastle United have done their homework on Harvey Barnes and he is a summer option for them. The Magpies are already interested in his team-mate James Maddison, but that won't be an easy deal to finalise."

In the attached piece for 90min, the piece goes on to add that Barnes – whose current deal is set to run until 2025 – is 'ready to move' at the end of the season, with the 25-year-old harbouring hopes of establishing himself in Gareth Soutgate's England squad, ahead of next year's European Championship.

Would Harvey Barnes be a good signing for Newcastle?

The notable benefit of signing the former West Bromwich Albion loanee – who is valued at around £22m, according to CIES Football Observatory – would be that he has already proven his quality in the Premier League, having been a real "threat" from the flanks in recent years, as per Statman Dave.

The one-cap menace has been a reliable attacking weapon for Leicester of late despite the club's overall woes, having scored ten goals and provided three assists in all competitions this season, taking his overall tally for his current side to 74 goal involvements in 181 games across all fronts.

A truly direct and dynamic asset in his wide berth, the hope would be that Barnes would be able to dovetail nicely with Newcastle's club-record signing, Alexander Isak, with the towering striker currently in red-hot form with five goals in his last five league outings.

The 6 foot 4 "handful" – as lauded by pundit Harry Redknapp – could no doubt benefit from having another figure to ease the goalscoring burden alongside him, with Barnes clearly rather clinical in front of goal as he ranks in the top 11% among his European peers for non-penalty goals.

Equally, like Isak – who has averaged 2.14 progressive carries per 90 over the past year, as per FBref – the Englishman would also be able to drive Eddie Howe's side up the pitch due to his dribbling prowess, with the £40k-per-week ace averaging 3.34 for the same metric.

To have that deadly duo at their disposal next season could help the Magpies kick on once again, both domestically and – all being well – in Europe.

With the summer transfer window looming large, one area that Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe will seemingly be keen to strengthen is in the midfield ranks, with the Englishman's options in that department currently rather limited following the departure of Jonjo Shelvey in January.

As per Football Insider, the Magpies are ready to move to find a partner for Bruno Guimaraes ahead of next season, with the report suggesting that the club have set aside 'huge' funds in order to find an ideal talent to slot in next to the influential Brazilian.

According to the Daily Mail, one player who could seemingly fit that brief is Wolverhampton Wanderers star, Matheus Nunes, with the Tynesiders named in the piece as one of a handful of Premier League clubs who are interested in signing the Portugal international this summer.

The former Sporting CP man – who could cost in the region of £45m – only made the move to England ahead of the start of the current campaign, although a strong debut campaign at Molineux has ensured that a summer departure could already be on the cards.

The 24-year-old is clearly a player who the St James' Park hierarchy have been tracking over an extended period of time with reports back in 2021 having outlined the club's interest, while Howe and co were also said to be eyeing a move last summer, prior to the playmaker eventually joining the Old Gold.

Would Nunes be a good signing for Newcastle?

It would undoubtedly be something of a coup for Newcastle were they able to snap up a player who was previously hailed as "one of the best players in the world" by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, with Nunes likely to prove something of an upgrade on academy graduate, Sean Longstaff, in the centre of the park.

The differing quality between the pair is showcased by the fact that the Wolves man is simply "unbelievable when he has the ball at his feet" – according to ex-teammate Goncalo Santos – as he notably ranks in the top 9% among his European peers over the past year for successful take-ons and in the top 16% for progressive carries as a marker of that ball-playing quality, while Longstaff, by contrast, ranks in just the bottom 10% and the bottom 22% for the same two metrics, respectively.

It is also seemingly Nunes who has come out on top so far this season with regard to his ability to win back possession after averaging 2.1 tackles per game from his 27 top-flight outings, while the current Newcastle man has averaged just 1.3 tackles per game from his 30 league appearances.

With the northeast side seemingly looking for a box-to-box asset to partner Guimaraes, the Molineux star could also be a better fit due to his ability to drive forward from deep for his side after averaging 1.3 successful dribbles per game, while Longstaff, by contrast, has averaged just 0.3 in that regard.

Nunes' attacking prowess was also showcased during last weekend's victory over Chelsea, with the Brazil-born gem lashing in a stunning, volleyed effort from the angle to inflict defeat on Frank Lampard's men.

That moment of brilliance will no doubt have further piqued the interest of those back on Tyneside, with it set to be no surprise if the Magpies do revive their previous interest in the one-time Estoril man this summer.

Celtic defender Carl Starfelt has admitted that he is happy with life in the Scottish Premiership ‘right now’ amid recent exit links.

The Lowdown: Attracting interest

The Hoops centre-back made the move to Parkhead from Rubin Kazan back in 2021 and he’s gone on to become a regular feature under Ange Postecoglou, making 75 appearances.

The Swedish international is currently the manager’s overall joint-second top-performing player with a match rating of 7.36, with his impressive displays having caught the eye south of the border.

Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the 27-year-old’s situation will be ‘one to watch’ in the summer with several unnamed English top-flight clubs monitoring him ahead of the upcoming window.

The Latest: Starfelt’s comments

Speaking during a recent interview with Fotbollskanalen, Starfelt was asked whether he would be keen on a move to England.

As quoted by The Daily Record, he revealed he’s very happy in Glasgow and his agent is taking care of things:

“No, I like it very much as it is right now. My agent will take care of the rest and then if something comes up, we’ll deal with it then. But I have no thoughts right now except for Celtic.

“It’s fantastic. Of course, it is something special to win great titles and it is something you really strive for as a football player. To be able to be at a club where it is expected of you and where it means so much to so many people is also incredible and a great feeling.

“We dominate in matches and get a lot of the ball. Defending high, and having a lot of play as well, I have had to develop many, many areas. It’s a big club where you are expected to win so you really have to push yourself to develop all the time.”

The Verdict: Great news for Ange

Starfelt has been dubbed a ‘cornerstone’ by Postecoglou himself so it’ll be great news for the boss to learn that his defender is committed to seeing out the project at Celtic.

The Bhoys star currently averages 4.8 aerial wins and 4.4 clearances per league gam,e showing his physical presence both on and off the ground whilst recording a 91.8% pass success rate, highlighting his calmness and composure when playing out from the back (WhoScored).

The Stockholm native has also netted two goals and provided one assist this season so is a threat in the final third when it comes to set pieces and picking a pass (Transfermarkt).

Starfelt’s contract isn’t set to expire until 2025 so the Hoops are in a strong negotiating position, but they should still do everything they can to keep hold of him beyond the summer.

Newcastle United fans have reacted online with much excitement after learning that their club is linked with a big summer transfer move for Dusan Vlahovic.

What’s the latest on Dusan Vlahovic to Newcastle?

Due to the Premier League club’s wealthy owners, the Magpies can now attract some of Europe’s top talents, as proven by recent deals for Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes and Sven Botman.

And so, when this season ends and the summer window opens, you can expect Eddie Howe and co to spend big and add some real quality to the Newcastle United ranks.

One name already being touted as an option is Juventus striker Vlahovic. Indeed, as per reports in Catalan media, the Toon are willing to pay €75m (£66.7m) for the player in the next transfer market.

Seeing as the Serbia international turned down the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham to join Juve for £66.6m in January 2022, it would be a bit of a shock to see him end up at Newcastle just 18 months later.

But with 19 goals in 45 games, he’s been impressive but not necessarily brilliant and with the Serie A giants caught in plenty of off-field controversies, perhaps a sale could suit both teams.

Either way, amid these links, the Newcastle faithful seem excited. Here ate some of the best reactions…