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Fast bowler currently in UK, and unlikely to be risked with series beginning on December 1

Vithushan Ehantharajah25-Nov-2022England fast bowler Mark Wood is a doubt for the first Test against Pakistan.Wood has been in the UK recovering from a hip injury sustained during England’s successful T20 World Cup campaign and will join up with the Test squad in Rawalpindi this weekend. Though the injury ruled the 32-year-old out of the semi-final against India, he was considered fit to play in the final against Pakistan before it was decided not to take a risk with selection for such a high-profile match.His rehabilitation is said to be tracking well. However, with just three training days ahead of the start of the series on December 1, it seems unlikely he will be able to accrue the necessary number of overs at a high enough intensity to prepare himself for the rigours of a Test match.Wood returned to international duty in Pakistan during the T20Is after missing the 2022 summer and showed how crucial his pace was as a point of difference, with six wickets at 7.33 in his two appearances in the seven-match series. He carried that form into the World Cup, with nine wickets at 12.00 in four matches, bowling the fastest spells and even walking away with the fastest delivery of the tournament – a full delivery at 154.74kph to New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips.Wood’s absence from the Abu Dhabi leg of this winter, where the squad has been warming up alongside England Lions ahead of their first Test series in Pakistan for 17 years, is unrelated to his injury. Both he and Yorkshire batter Harry Brook were given two weeks at home after the World Cup to rest as they were the only two players in all three first-team squads (Pakistan T20Is, World Cup, Pakistan Tests) before the end of the year.Speaking on Friday after the final day of England’s warm-up match, which was swapped for a two-hour training session, England captain Ben Stokes was optimistic on Wood’s fitness and said there will be no cover drafted into the squad.”No, we’re sticking with it,” said Stokes. “We’re not going to call up another seamer to this group.”We took the decision to let Brooky and Woody spend that time at home, obviously being at Pakistan and the World Cup,” Stokes said. “We felt a week at home for them would be more beneficial, just to get their batteries recharged, and obviously with Woody’s injury, getting home and being around his wife and child would be better than being out here and getting all his rehab, which he could do at home.Ben Stokes looks on during England’s practice session in Abu Dhabi•ECB Images

“We’ve let them go home. I haven’t had much contact with them, just to let them chill out and relax. From all reports, Woody’s coming on nicely and we’ll see how he is when he gets out here.”One addition to the original party of 15 has been Rehan Ahmed. The leg-spinning allrounder was part of the Lions, and officially called up to the main squad on Wednesday. Director of cricket Rob Key revealed on Thursday that this had been the intention all along.It was a huge show of faith in an 18-year-old with just three first-class matches to his name, but those at the ECB, particularly performance director Mo Bobat, are convinced he is ready for this elevation.Stokes evidently feels the same. When asked if he would have any qualms selecting Ahmed in an XI this winter, he was unequivocal in response: “No, absolutely not. That was one of the things where we said ‘yes, we are bringing him into the squad to give him that experience and get him involved’. If anything came down to it and we felt like we wanted to select him, then we definitely would.”He’s obviously not the finished article yet, but we feel with someone like that – the way that he bowls, the way that he bats – getting him into this environment will do him the world of good. Being around all the senior players and getting to work with the best coaches in the world, in my opinion, is only going to do him the world of good.Related

• Ollie Pope to captain England in warm-up as Ben Stokes sits out

• Rehan Ahmed could become youngest man to play a Test for England after call-up for Pakistan tour

• Jofra Archer makes encouraging return to England colours after long injury lay-off

• Rob Key: Rehan Ahmed's Test fast-tracking was the plan all along

“I don’t think this should be looked at as a huge amount of pressure put on his shoulders. I think it should be looked as a great opportunity for a young lad to come in, to be in this environment, and be able to work on his skills. And then hopefully, who knows where the next two or three years will take him. We just wanted to get him in and make him feel comfortable around the ground.Stokes himself has been stepping up his work since the World Cup. He took no part in the first two days of the match between the Test squad and England Lions, instead opting to net and bowl in the middle during the intervals.”I looked at this fixture here in particular, and honestly thought I’d get more out of these three days training,” Stokes said. “Getting my bowling workloads back up again after having a break after the World Cup in particular. I like working on my skills in the nets rather than being out there in the middle. I’ve really benefited from these three days, definitely, and just because I’ve missed this game, I don’t feel like I’ve missed a trick or feel underprepared. We’ve still got three days out in Pakistan to prepare for the first Test.Liam Livingstone has been dealing with a sore ankle this week. But after getting through eight overs of bowling on the field on Thursday, as well as a few more out in the middle during the breaks, Stokes was happy to report a clean bill of health.”There’s no injury within the group which is great – the first time in a while, so that’s good. We’ve had a few lads on the Test tour be out here with the Lions a couple of weeks before we met up. It’s all about peaking at the right time and the message at the start of the camp was to build up towards two days before that Test, and still have something left in the tank to get going, because you don’t want to burn yourself out now and almost be ready a week too early.”

Real Madrid have sent a letter to the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) complaining about refereeing standards after their 1-0 loss to Espanyol.

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• Madrid lost in controversial Espanyol clash
• Club sent letter demanding refereeing reforms
• Called for officials to be removed

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  La Liga leaders Madrid lost 1-0 through a late goal from Carlos Romero, who was lucky to escape a red card earlier in the second half for a harsh challenge on Kylian Mbappe. Espanyol committed 14 fouls to Madrid's three and were given two yellow cards over the 90 minutes at the RCDE Stadium on Saturday.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Madrid have since sent an official letter of complaint to Spanish football's governing body saying that the refereeing system is being "discredited" by decisions that the club argue have gone beyond "human error". The letter also called for the audio recordings of various VAR reviews during the match.

• WHAT REAL MADRID SAID

  "The events that occurred in this match have exceeded any margin for human error or referee interpretation. What happened at the RCDE Stadium represents the culmination of a completely discredited refereeing system, in which decisions against Real Madrid have reached a level of manipulation and adulteration of the competition that can no longer be ignored. The two most serious refereeing decisions in this match have once again revealed the double standards with which Real Madrid is refereed," the letter states.

  "The brutal challenge on Kylian Mbappe, from behind, on the calf and with no possibility of contesting the ball, carried out in the 60th minute of the match by the Espanyol player who would later end up scoring the winning goal for his team, deserving of immediate expulsion as highlighted by the world press, ended with the decision of the referee, Alejandro Muniz Ruiz, to only show a yellow card without the VAR, with Javier Iglesias Villanueva as responsible, intervening to correct a manifestly erroneous decision, leaving unpunished an aggression that in any other competition would have been an exemplary sanction."

  The complaint continued: "Real Madrid cannot accept that the competition continues to be governed by a discredited refereeing system, whose main officials, far from being removed, continue to exercise decisive functions in decision-making. It is not enough to make superficial changes or to replace some directors; the only way to restore the credibility of Spanish refereeing requires a comprehensive reform that includes, as an essential element, the replacement of those referees whose connection with stages under suspicion compromises the legitimacy of the system and perpetuates its lack of transparency."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MADRID?

  The Spanish giants will await a reply from the RFEF and hope that reforms are soon adopted. Despite the controversial loss, Madrid are still top of La Liga and a point clear of Atletico Madrid, who they face on Saturday just three days after they meet Leganes in the Copa del Rey.

The Aussies are finally batting, umpires are making howlers, and Trott’s temper is given a work out. Ah to be at Old Trafford…

Andy Bloxham02-Aug-2013Choice of game
With the Aussies returning to the shores from whence they came, and no Test scheduled for my local venue, Edgbaston (scandalous, I might add), I opted for the curtain-raiser of the pivotal third Ashes Test at an extensively redeveloped Old Trafford.
It’s the first occasion on which I’ve attended the opening day of an Ashes Test match, and nothing quite compares to that spine-tingling first airing of “Jerusalem” as the players take the field. Against the Old Enemy, it’s especially poignant.Key performer
Michael Clarke. Chris Rogers can consider himself rather unfortunate to have missed out here – it was his uncharacteristically fluent and aggressive innings at the top of the order that set the tone for a fine Australian batting performance – but the tourists, as is so often the case, owe much of their early success in this Test match to their brilliant captain.Clarke’s unbeaten century was not his most authoritative, nor was it bursting with the effortless elegance that we’ve become accustomed to, but it steered his team in to what could prove to be a match defining position of strength come the end of a scorching hot day in Manchester. After a tentative start in which he groped at a probing James Anderson like a promiscuous teen, Clarke found his dancing shoes and combined fleet-footed, crisp footwork with nothing short of Rolex timing. He knows a thing or two about making it a big one, too, so expect plenty more to be added on day two.One thing I’d have changed about the day
Well, England winning the toss would have been nice, wouldn’t it? On a magnificent English summer’s day which, when combined with a largely unresponsive surface, provided about as much assistance to England’s seam bowlers as a 16-year-old work experience employee would to MI6, it was just about the perfect day for batting.Oh, and the minor issue of howling third-umpire decisions as part of the DRS process could do with some remedying, couldn’t it?The interplay I enjoyed
Anderson to Clarke. James Anderson possesses a fine record against Australia’s captain, and for 30 minutes or so at the beginning of the latter’s innings it had looked a trend comfortably set to continue. Clarke offered the look of a man batting knee-deep in treacle, but somehow managed to survive the inquisition to see England’s conjuror off and set himself for what was to become his 26th Test century. Only Shane Watson, who served up the batting equivalent of Quasimodo, had looked more out of kilter before reaching double figures.Wow moment
Usman Khawaja’s dismissal being upheld. Then Steve Smith surviving after England were utterly convinced that he had edged a James Anderson delivery through to wicketkeeper Matt Prior. Without seeing replays any clearer than those displayed on the big screen inside the ground, they appear on the face of things to have been a) clearly incorrect and b) another nail in the coffin of a review system that has already had a 300ft deep grave dug by India’s cricketing hierarchy.Filling the gaps
Thwaite’s finest. A roast pork and stuffing bap. Spiced potato wedges. The varied cuisine that filled the gaps between the cricket (and the one in my stomach) had the simultaneous effect of emptying my wallet at a pace swifter than Mike Gatting going up for thirds at an all-you-can-eat buffet.Crowd meter
Pretty quiet, actually. Whether I’m just accustomed to the gladiatorial atmosphere of an England Test at Edgbaston, or whether the English contingent had been shocked in to silence by the sight of an Australian batting unit showing some application and looking like actual cricketers, it was a largely subdued affair.
A word for the large gathering of Aussie “Fanatics” sat behind me, though. They were naturally stunned and delighted in equal measure by the close of play scoreboard, but provided great value throughout the day and took banter as liberally as they dished it out. It is one of the great joys of being a cricket spectator that you can share a beer with someone from the other side of the world and have a good chat, regardless of what is taking place on the field.Close encounter
Jonathan Trott spent a short period of the afternoon session out on the boundary in front of where we were sat, and soon copped some abuse from a well-oiled Aussie. Trott is a batsman renowned for his ability to exist untroubled within his own bubble when out in the middle, but Trott the fielder is clearly a different proposition. Whatever had been said angered the England No. 3, and his Australian assailant was quick to ignore an offer to come down and say it to his face. The Australian bowlers should ask the spectator in question for a few tips.Overall
DRS gaffes aside, that was what Test cricket is all about. Blazing sunshine, unrelenting cricket from both sides and a full house. Australia are in a commanding position, but the beauty of Test cricket is that, come lunch tomorrow, that outlook could have dramatically changed.Marks out of 10
8. Painfully prolonged third-umpire referrals took plenty of the spontaneity out of the game, and the fact that they were then incorrect added a farcical edge that didn’t sit well. Thankfully, the weather and the majority of the cricket made for a tremendous day out.

Rub of the green, invisible heroes, plants in rival teams… is it too early to say ?

Sidharth Monga26-May-2022Forget the role clarity. Never mind the death bowling of Harshal Patel and death batting of Dinesh Karthik. Leave aside Wanindu Hasaranga in the middle overs. If you are a Royal Challengers Bangalore fan and believe in signs, you are probably already playing “” at wedding celebrations. For it looks destined right now that this is Royal Challengers’ year. You probably know more signs than us, but here are a few that are staring us right in the face.If you haven’t noticed these, you either don’t follow IPL or are just trying to be a hipster by following only teams that have no connect with the geographical units they claim to represent: Rajasthan Royals or Punjab Kings or whatever their name was last week or Delhi Capitals.

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DRSYou probably get nightmares of the marginal calls gone against your team or that erroneous short run that you believe ended up costing you a playoffs spot, but this year the rub of the green has been on Royal Challengers’ side. Remember the second ball Karthik faced in the Eliminator? Looked gone for a duck. Not given. Saved by an umpire’s call on the review.Who will forget Rishabh Pant, so trigger happy on most days with DRS requests, being conservative in a match that Royal Challengers desperately needed Mumbai Indians to win against Capitals?All these marginal calls are going against Royal Challengers’ rivals elsewhere. Capitals’ Rovman Powell not getting the no-ball, for example. Gujarat Titans’ Matthew Wade hitting the leather off the ball only for Ultra Edge to not show a sound signature. With some luck, we might even have a year when Royal Challengers don’t demand for an aspect of decision-making to be taken away from the umpires.Related

• The thing that makes Sanju Samson special

• Manjrekar: KL Rahul needs to bat 'quicker rather than longer'

• du Plessis on Harshal: 'Every time I feel the pressure, I go to him'

• Patidar, Rahul and their different high-wire acts

• Stats: Patidar's big-match hundred

They are dropping your match-winnersBoth Rajat Patidar and Karthik were dropped when the partnership was hardly past 10: in the end they end up with 92 in 41 balls.Also before we let Pant go, he dropped Karthik on five in the league game against Royal Challengers only for Karthik to score 66 off 34 that buried Capitals.Speaking of match-winnersShouldn’t they be Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell and Virat Kohli? Between them, Maxwell and Kohli have played three innings of 40 or more at a strike rate above 140. du Plessis last had such a big impact on May 8. It’s the others who have been carrying them. You would think with two matches remaining the big three are due according to the law of averages.He’s won it with Mumbai. He’s won it with SRH. He’s won it with CSK. This year, Karn Sharma is with RCB. Should we say more?•BCCIWhat are the odds?Patidar was supposed to be getting married during this IPL. It was only an injury to young Luvnith Sisodia – an event so unremarkable that the IPL release doesn’t even mention what injury – that brought Patidar in as replacement after Royal Challengers had let him go. He spent more than 20 days on the bench, and came in only when others played them out of contention. Now he won you the Eliminator with his first century in T20 cricket.Plants in rival teamsIf Patidar is an example of a lost soul finding its way back, another lost soul helped them from the outside. Tim David was part of Royal Challengers last year but they made not a single bid for him at the auction table this year. Only for David to score 34 off 11 in Mumbai’s final league match to make sure Capitals finished below Royal Challengers.The invisible heroStarting 2016, only Mumbai have been able win the IPL without Karn Sharma in their squad even though Karn has played only four matches in the playoffs. That’s four titles in four playoff matches, one with Sunrisers Hyderabad, one with Mumbai, two with Chennai Super Kings. In one of the title runs, he didn’t play a single game.If you think all of Royal Challengers’ calls at the auction table have worked only in a circuitous way, you have another thing coming. They managed themselves a steal deal this year: Karn Sharma at the base price of INR 50 lakh.The captainThe last time a team won the IPL from outside the top two, it was an overseas captain leading them. du Plessis is the only overseas captain in the playoffs this year. Okay now we are taking it too far but you get the drift.

Phoenix batter downplays efforts, suggests Henry Brookes deserved match award

ECB Reporters Network11-Aug-2022Will Smeed expressed his joy at becoming the first-ever centurion in the Hundred’s history, after his stunning 101 not out helped Birmingham Phoenix to a dominant 53-run victory over men’s champions Southern Brave at Edgbaston.The 20-year-old struck his ton from just 50 balls to make him the owner of the highest individual total in the 100-ball format, eclipsing the 92 made by both Liam Livingstone and Jemimah Rodrigues last season.”I never really felt like I was close to a hundred until right at the very end,” he said. “I knew they were going to bowl wide to me, and I just tried to hit the ball.”I think my role is to just try and smack it at the top. I didn’t get off to a flier but I caught up and kept going from there.”Smeed, who recently made his England Lions debut against South Africa, was keen to heap the praise onto his teammates.”Everyone stuck their hand up today, everyone’s doing their job,” he said. “It felt like we were above par, it felt like if we bowled well and fielded well and stuck to our plans, we’d win the game, and we obviously saw that.”The way we’re set up, we’re looking to play positive, so if a few people can come off every game then that should leave us in a good position. There’s a lot of belief in the group that everyone playing can do a job for the team.”Will Smeed leaves the field of play unbeaten on 101•ECB/Getty Images

Seamer Henry Brookes took 5 for 20 on his Hundred debut, and player of match Smeed wasted no time in making sure his efforts didn’t go unnoticed.”Brooksy bowled amazingly. I feel like I’ve stolen [the award] off Brooksy,” he chuckled. “He got five wickets and two catches, but it’s a team game at the end of the day and we’ve all contributed. He should get all the plaudits.”The England prospect is now – quite understandably – looking forward to continuing his side’s momentum for the rest of the competition.”It was nice to get going, obviously we didn’t lose a game here [at Edgbaston] last year so let’s keep that going,” he said. “We had a couple of training sessions and that sort of made me feel good again, so whether we’re playing or training I don’t really mind.”

Jose Mourinho huddled up to a steward during the Europa League tie between Anderlecht and Fenerbahce that was marred by fighting in the stands.

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• Fenerbahce vs Anderlecht paused due to fighting
• Mourinho wrapped his arm around a steward
• Turkish side into last 16

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The game in Belgium was paused for 15 minutes due to scrapping between fans but it was all love for Mourinho, who was later seen with his arm around a steward and seemed relaxed before half-time.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Mourinho's good mood might have had something to do with the way the match was panning out, with his side cruising into the last 16 of the Europa League. Fenerbahce earned a 3-0 aggregate lead in the first leg last week and a 2-2 draw at Anderlecht was enough to seal comfortable qualification.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The crowd trouble was cleared up after a 15-minute delay, when the players were sent inside into the dressing rooms having initially attempted to reason with the fighting fans themselves. Fenerbahce's Bright Osayi-Samuel was seen demanding that security staff break up the incident but was dragged away by team-mates.

• WHAT NEXT FOR FENERBAHCE?

  Fenerbahce led 1-0 when the game was stopped, the eventual 2-2 draw suiting them nicely. They now progress to the last 16, where they will take on Rangers or Olympiakos.

GOAL sat down with Schmetzer to talk Club World Cup, a potential MLS schedule shift, and Seattle's expectations

MIAMI – Brian Schmetzer sees the potential in the Club World Cup. The tournament has been met with a mixed reaction worldwide. Some see it as a platform for the growth of the game in America. Others see it as an unnecessary strain on already stretched sinews. The reality might end up being somewhere in the middle. But for Seattle, one of two MLS clubs competing, it's a massive opportunity according to the Sounders' manager.

"If we can pull out a result against any one of those three teams. That makes a statement that MLS is not so far behind some of the other teams in the world," Schmetzer told GOAL at MLS's Media Day.

And he might just be right. Seattle is in a group with PSG, Botafago, and Atletico Madrid. Getting anything from fixtures against the Ligue 1 champions, Copa Libertadores holders, and surprise La Liga contenders would be immense.

But that's not the only relevant tournament in the scope of American soccer. The conversation around the sport has broadened in recent weeks. There is talk of a switch to a fall-spring calendar that mimics the European setup. And Leagues Cup, once a point of controversy, has been revamped.

"I think the league will try and figure [a new schedule] out. I think they'll make it work – if it happens. Because I don't know if that's 100 percent yet, but you know, we'll deal with it," Schmetzer said.

But outside of that, there's soccer to worry about. Seattle has been active in the market, bringing in Jesus Ferreira from FC Dallas. The forward, who has 15 goals in 23 USMNT appearances, might just give a club that was less than 10 minutes away from hosting MLS Cup a real cutting edge. Paul Arriola will also undoubtedly offer a boost out wide.

Ahead of the MLS season, Schmetzer joined GOAL Convo, a weekly Q&A with central figures in the American soccer scene, to discuss his expectations for the 2025 MLS season, the Club World Cup and what star additions will mean for Seattle.

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  ON THE STATE OF MLS

  GOAL: I wanted to start with this talk of a schedule change, about maybe a fall-spring calendar. What's your opinion on that? Would you like to see it?

  SCHMETZER: Well, look, those decisions are made way above my pay grade, but I can see it happening. MLS has done a great job. And, you know, the country is so big, weather in different cities, and there's going to be challenges. But there were challenges playing in the windows that we do now, so I think the league will try and figure it out. I think they'll make it work – if it happens. Because I don't know if that's 100 percent yet, but you know, we'll deal with it.

  GOAL: And what do you think the biggest strength of MLS is right now?

  SCHMETZER: Growth. I mean, our league has had unbelievable growth, even since 2009 when the Sounders came in, it's grown exponentially. So, you know, we are definitely with all of that growth, with the Club World Cup in Seattle, and then the World Cup in Seattle. It's big.

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  ON THE CLUB WORLD CUP

  GOAL: On the Club World Cup, that's significant for you guys, right? What are you looking forward to about it? And maybe, what are your expectations as well?

  SCHMETZER: Look, expectations have to be in line. I mean, those are great teams. We want to be competitive. If we could get a result, that would be unbelievable. You know, starting with Botafogo, Joao Paulo, one of our players, used to play there, so there's a good connection there. Young Obed Vargas, let's just say he has a good game against Atletico Madrid. Let's just see, and does that make his market value go higher?

  We have a young man named Georgi Minoungou, a French African player, playing him against PSG, one of his teams that he looked up to growing up, and having that young man have a good performance in that match. Let's see where that takes the player and our club. Let's just see, but it's going to be exciting.

  GOAL: For American teams, do you think it's more about the experience of playing teams that would maybe be a little bit further above you in the global football pyramid in that sense?

  SCHMETZER: I think the league wants us to do well. They want us to be competitive. Obviously, Miami is in there with Messi, you get all of that. But look, again, if we can pull out a result against any one of those three teams, that makes a statement that MLS is not so far behind some of the other teams in the world.

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  ON LEAGUES CUP

  GOAL: I wanted to ask about the Leagues Cup. There was a bit of controversy around the tournament. How does that need to change?

  SCHMETZER: How does it need to change? I liked it. I mean, look, there were some nuances. There were teams that bowed out early in that competition, then they had a month off in the middle of your year. That's certainly an issue. We were fortunate enough to get into the quarterfinals. So our rhythm was OK. Trying to play more of your games against Mexican teams rather than MLS matchups, I think that's one area that I'd probably focus on.

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  On 2025 expectations

  GOAL: And then final question, what are the expectations for this season from your point of view?

  SCHMETZER: Well, expectations are always high in Seattle. We made it to the conference final, and were eight minutes away from maybe hosting a final while getting into overtime. Credit to Greg [Vanney] and the Galaxy. But how did they it was, it was, you know, it was a good match. Our expectations are always to compete for trophies.

Liverpool made it two wins from their first two Champions League games this season, thanks to a 2-0 win over Italian outfit, Bologna. Arne Slot’s side were dominant throughout the game, and never really looked troubled, sealing the points thanks to goals from Alexis Mac Allister and the inevitable Mohamed Salah.

Mac Allister, a World Cup winner with Argentina, scored a simple tap-in, but it was superb play in the buildup. The midfielder linked up play nicely, before making a late dart into the penalty box and getting on the end of a teasing cross from Salah, to give the Reds the lead.

Salah’s goal doubled the lead for the home side with 15 minutes to go, cutting inside onto his left foot and lashing it into the top corner. It was a goal that capped off a dominant showing from Slot’s men, who sit fifth in the table of the new group phase.

There were certainly some standout performances throughout the evening at Anfield. Not least from Mac Allister, who was one of the stars of the show for Liverpool. However, it will come as no surprise to hear that one of the standout players once again was Salah.

Salah’s stats vs. Bologna

It was another vintage display from Liverpool’s Egyptian king at Anfield, and he once again put on a show for the Liverpool supporters. The winger was at his brilliant best, creating chances and looking like a constant threat on the attack.

His goal was superb, a trademark Salah finish. The Reds’ number 11 cut inside on his left foot, dummying with a clever drop of his shoulder, before driving into the Bologna penalty box and firing home into the top left-hand corner, as pinpoint as you could ask for. That goal went along with his superb assist for Mac Allister in the first half.

He received an impressive 9/10 rating from Ben Fleming, a journalist for The Metro. He hailed Salah’s performance which ultimately made the difference for Slot’s side, calling him ‘the architect’ of the Reds’ dominant win.

Indeed, his superb contribution was reflected in his Sofascore stats at full-time. Salah had a surprisingly low 37 touches of the ball but managed to provide three key passes and create one big chance, as well as creating the opener and sealing the three points with his wonder strike.

Salah’s performance was mightily impressive, but there was arguably a player who stood out more than the winger. That player is Ryan Gravenberch.

Gravenberch’s stats vs. Bologna

Since he was given the task of playing as a number six under Slot, Gravenberch has gone from strength to strength in a Liverpool shirt, and Wednesday night’s performance against Bologna was no different.

It was a superb, metronomic display at the base of the Reds’ midfield from the Dutchman, who has previously been deployed in more advanced roles. However, he seems right at home as a number six, dictating play with ease, and using his 6 foot 2 frame to his advantage, gaining an upper hand physically against opposition midfielders.

His stats from the game show just how impressive he was. The former Bayern Munich midfielder had 58 touches, two more than Liverpool’s first goalscorer Mac Allister. He was effective on the ball, creating two chances and completing three out of four dribbles. The Dutch international also won four out of six ground duels.

Gravenberch received an 8/10 from Fleming for his efforts against the Italian side on Wednesday. The journalist explained he ‘continues to thrive; as a number six, and explained that he ‘bossed’ the midfield at Anfield.

Slot will no doubt be delighted with the progress his side are making; the Reds have six points from six in the Champions League and are currently top of the Premier League. They look to extend their five-match winning run against Crystal Palace on Saturday lunchtime.

Liverpool wanted to sign £50m star for Klopp but ended up with Szoboszlai

Would he have been the better fit for Arne Slot’s side?

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 2, 2024

Three books on the master commentator and Australia captain offer you the wisdom of Benaud

Paul Edwards20-Dec-2015Sometimes it is wise to succumb to temptation. Asked to review three books that celebrate the life of Richie Benaud, this cricket writer is itching to respond in the pithy style of the great man himself:And now he has. Not a word wasted there, and potential readers can get on with the business of ordering.Yet even sitting at a desk, one intuits the late Benaud’s distaste for hyperbole. If you must, Benaud might say, but can we please dispose of this idea? Before long, Benaud’s list of truly great men and women is produced and one recalls his dismissal of the idea that Shane Warne getting out for 99 might be labelled “a tragedy”. Words are not candyfloss.All of which illustrate one of the beguiling paradoxes of Benaud’s career – that while no one in cricket was more easily or frequently impersonated, there was still nobody like him.All three of these books are anthologies and each has plenty to commend it. The ideal stocking-filler is probably , edited by Rob Smyth, which does not suffer in the least from being confined to extracts from the but might have benefited from the inclusion of a contents page. A particular strength of Smyth’s book is that the last third of it includes a season-by-season chronicle of Benaud’s career, but we also have a host of tributes to his skill as a commentator and his shrewd assessments of his countrymen. For example, there is this from the 1973 on Dennis Lillee:

“Though he looks flamboyant in action on the field, Lillee is essentially a man of simple character, preferring a king-size steak to the more spicy continental dishes, and the occasional glass of beer to the magnum of champagne… On the field, a man who shows an obvious dislike to batsmen, he is of equable temperament once the day’s play is over, and the only thing he is prepared to dislike in cricket at the moment is the type of field set for him in one-day fixtures on the England tour.”

, seems on first glance to be a slighter book, one that can easily be placed in the coffee-table category. But it is not so. For one thing, the photographs have been well-chosen and are superbly reproduced. For those of us currently thinking about how the camera supplies a different history of the game, they provide a wonderful chronicle of Benaud’s career from the multifaceted springtime of Worcester in 1953 to the not-too-grand elder statesman speaking alongside a statue of himself at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2008.Some of the writing is very fine, too. Consider this from AG (Johnny) Moyes:

“No slow bowler can reach the top of the hill – it is a difficult upward climb – without much planning, perseverance and hard work. There is no proper pathway to success except through blood, sweat and tears, for the spinner must learn to take a hiding without giving ground. Purposefulness, endurance and brains are prime necessities. Benaud has these qualities, and that is why he finally emerged from the clouds into the sunshine of rich and continued success. He is without doubt one the most gifted slow bowlers in cricket’s long history.”

For some of us, Richie Benaud was always there, a soundtrack to our cricketing lives. Shrewd, articulate, wise, he was the perfect antithesis of RC Robertson-Glasgow’s one-way critic. He was commentating when we fell for the game and he policed our love with astute observations.As the cricketing world spins ever more rapidly we will wonder what he might have said about it all. Richie himself might observe that there are other commentators and we should listen to them. He might also add that it might not be such a bad idea if we made up our own minds a little more. Quite true, but when we need to be reminded of Benaud’s unique voice we will have these three fine anthologies and his own books on our shelves. Marvellous, indeed.Benaud in Wisden
Edited by Rob Smyth
Wisden
198 pages, £10.99Remembering Richie
Richie Benaud and friends
Hodder and Stoughton
334 pages, £20Those Summers of Cricket – Richie Benaud 1930-2015
Hardie Grant
185 pages, £20

West Ham United have now been offered an ex-Chelsea manager as a potential replacement for Julen Lopetegui, with the Spaniard facing his last chance saloon against Wolves in the Premier League on Monday.

Julen Lopetegui could be fired if West Ham fail to beat Wolves

It has been reported by reliable media sources that Lopetegui has been given one last chance to save his job against Wolves (The Telegraph), with insiders viewing the all-important clash as a “cup final” in terms of the 58-year-old’s future.

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A disastrous start to the season for Lopetegui was exacerbated by demoralising defeats to Arsenal and Leicester City last week, which piled even more pressure on the Spaniard, who’s led West Ham to just four league wins so far this season.

Lopetegui has been slammed on various occasions for his tactics, player selection and overall approach to games – with calls to relieve the ex-Spain boss of his duties prevalent long before the last few days.

There have been reports that “several” senior West Ham stars are not behind their manager, and other media sources believe that Lopetegui has frustrated key club figures with last-minute changes to game plans (GiveMeSport).

In response, the Hammers are drawing up contingency plans in case they’re forced to fire their current head coach, with reliable club source ExWHUemployee revealing earlier this week that they’ve held talks with multiple managers already.

Graham Potter, Sergio Conceicao, Kasper Hjulmand, Roger Schmidt, Thomas Frank, Edin Terzic, Massimiliano Allegri and Matthias Jaissle have all been linked with the potentially vacant post this week.

New candidates are emerging on a consistent basis, with former Chelsea, Juventus, Napoli and Lazio boss Maurizio Sarri also in the frame.

West Ham offered ex-Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri to replace Julen Lopetegui

Sources in Italy last month reported that West Ham have been considering Sarri as an option, and French news outlet Foot Mercato now backs this up with a new claim.

Indeed, it is believed West Ham have been “offered” Sarri, with David Sullivan and Tim Steidten apparently open to the possibility of handing him a job back in the Premier League.

Famed for his brand of “Sarri-ball”, which was successful at Napoli and drew admirers, the tactician boasts a Europa League triumph from his time at Chelsea and a Scudetto from his period in the dugout at Juve.

Called “extraordinary” on a tactical level by his former star midfielder Jorginho, the 65-year-old won Serie A’s Manager of the Year award in 2016/17 and guided Lazio to second place a year before he left the Stadio Olimpico.

Sarri does have major credentials, and if supporters want to see attacking football, he could be a good option considering that the Italian is known for being an offensive-minded coach (The Football Analyst).