Ex-MLS player Brandon Aubrey has become an NFL star for the Dallas Cowboys in their kicker position.
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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is not allowing the club's incredible achievements last season to stop him from improving the squad this summer.
The Citizens boss has already added Chelsea central midfielder Mateo Kovacic to his roster after securing the treble of the Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup trophies in the 2022/23 campaign.
There could be further changes to the Spanish head coach's options throughout the coming weeks. Arsenal and Juventus are both reportedly interested in signing centre-back Aymeric Laporte, who only played 12 league games last term.
The Spain international found himself below Ruben Dias, John Stones, Manuel Akanji, and Nathan Ake in the pecking order, which could make an exit this summer the right time for the 29-year-old stopper, to avoid another year of irregular game time.
Who could replace Aymeric Laporte at Manchester City?
The Evening Standard recently reported that City are one of a number of clubs showing an interest in Chelsea central defender Levi Colwill, who could be a dream replacement for Laporte.
It has been claimed that the Blues have offered him a new contract to remain at Stamford Bridge but the England U21 international wants to hold talks with Mauricio Pochettino to ascertain his role moving forward before committing to them.
Bringing Colwill in, who may cost around £40m, would allow Guardiola to sanction an exit for the former Athletic Bilbao enforcer as, like the current City man, he is a left-footed defender who can play in the heart of the backline or as a full-back.
The 20-year-old would come in as a player with the potential to be an excellent long-term addition to the side, rather than as an immediate upgrade on what the manager already has at his disposal.
This means that he would suit the limited role that the £130k-per-week outcast played last season as the English titan would not be relied upon as a regular starter and would be allowed to ease his way into life at The Etihad.
Colwill, who was once described as a "huge talent" by scout Jacek Kulig, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.76 across 17 Premier League appearances on loan at Brighton & Hove Albion during the 2022/23 campaign, which would place him 19th in the City squad.
However, he averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.10 across 29 Championship outings for Huddersfield in the previous season and that score would rank him ninth for City along with being above the likes of Stones and Dias.
This suggests that the potential is there for the talented youngster to be an outstanding left-footed centre-back if he can adapt to top-flight football and eventually translate his form for the Terriers over to the Premier League.
Therefore, Colwill could be a shrewd long-term investment by Guardiola and City, whilst also allowing the manager to part ways with Laporte before the deadline.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:27
Moonda: Nicholls’ positivity most impressive
Henry Nicholls’ maiden Test century was the centrepiece of a New Zealand fightback on the opening day at the Basin Reserve which was capped by the removal of both South Africa’s openers. JP Duminy nipped in with a career-best 4 for 47 as South Africa’s spinners shared six wickets to keep New Zealand to 268, but that total grew in significance when Tim Southee and Colin de Grandhomme struck in a tense seven-over period before stumps.From 21 for 3 – after early damage done by Morne Morkel and Kagiso Rabada – New Zealand’s total represented a good recovery particularly considering the inexperience of the top order. That said, when Nicholls and BJ Watling put on 116 for the sixth wicket, they will have expected a few more than they ended up with from 217 for 5. The fact that they slipped against the fill-in offspin of Duminy, who claimed three wickets in consecutive overs, will have been a little difficult to stomach.Still, it was South Africa who finished feeling queasy. Faced with a 25-minute period to face before the close, Stephen Cook’s poor series continued when he edged a loose poke to second slip and then de Grandhomme, given the new ball ahead of Neil Wagner, had Dean Elgar taken in the same position: it took New Zealand 548 balls to remove him twice in Dunedin and 19 to get him the first time here.The fact New Zealand’s bowlers had something to work with was down to Nicholls. He entered with Rabada having taken two wickets before conceding a run, the ball moving and Kane Williamson already dismissed. He weathered the challenge through to lunch and came out with a very positive intent after the break.Shortly after the resumption, he twice upper cut Morne Morkel over the slips and then danced down the pitch at Keshav Maharaj to bring up his fifty. He fell for 98 against Bangladesh earlier this season, but did not have to linger long in the 90s on this occasion: he flayed a wide delivery from Rabada through backward point then pulled him over square leg to reach his century from 150 deliveries.Some of his driving was especially sweet, latching on when South Africa’s quicks overpitched in search for swing, and, with the aplomb of someone renowned as a good player of spin, he milked Maharaj. At a time when there are concerns about the batting depth behind Williamson and Taylor it was a timely innings, both in the short term for this match and the future shape of New Zealand’s middle order.Nicholls’ wicket, missing a flick at Duminy, sparked New Zealand’s second slide but that should not distract from an outstanding innings which came from his side in the mire. De Grandhomme went softy against Duminy, advancing down the pitch and edging to slip but Watling, who had followed his half-century in Dunedin with 34 off 132 balls, will count himself unlucky having under-edged a sweep onto his back pad flap which looped up for Quinton de Kock.Spin was not at the forefront of Faf du Plessis’ mind when he won the toss. He thought the ball would swing on a slightly warmer day and was also eager to target New Zealand’s lightweight-looking top order in the absence of Ross Taylor. The early exchanges justified him on both accounts.Tom Latham’s struggles continued when he edged Morkel to third slip before Rabada, shifted from the new-ball to first change, made an immediate impact. A full, swinging delivery trapped Williamson lbw and when the New Zealand captain called for DRS there was a malfunction with the system – understood to be caused by a piece of mud kicked up by Rabada which confused two of the cameras – which meant ball-tracking wasn’t available. It looked like it would be clipping at worst, and New Zealand did not lose the review because the full system wasn’t available, but it was scant consolation for losing their captain.Having plied his trade on the domestic scene for 15 years, Neil Broom began his Test career with a four-ball duck, but he wouldn’t have fallen to many better catches in that time than the snaffle by de Kock. Rabada, this time nipping the ball away, found Broom’s outside edge and de Kock dived full-length in front of first slip – the ball would not have reached Hashim Amla.As had in Dunedin, Jeet Raval showed good judgement outside off, waiting to pick off anything on the pads or overpitched and, alongside Nicholls, gave New Zealand a foothold only for it loosen on the stroke of lunch. Late in the session, du Plessis turned to spin. Firstly it was from Duminy, a brief experiment for the offspinner to target two left-handers, before turning to his specialist in Maharaj. He drew an edge first ball which just eluded Amla at slip, brought a nervous jab at another delivery before, tossing one a little wider, Raval pushed away from his body.Nicholls and James Neesham took 25 off a two-over post-lunch spell from Morkel as New Zealand rattled to three figures, but the surge was stopped in its tracks when Neesham dragged his back foot out of the crease against Maharaj. Neesham knew he was out of his ground and virtually walked for the stumping. For all the focus on South Africa’s quicks, it was Maharaj’s seventh wicket of the series. At that point, New Zealand had lost half their side for 101 and risked being a distant second by the end of the day. Yet, when stumps arrived in the late-summer Wellington sunlight, the match was fascinatingly balanced.
The Bangladesh captain has responded to discussion about his workload by saying that he is happy with his roles in the Test squad and his future as a captain is solely in the BCB’s hands
Mohammad Isam14-Feb-20170:59
Mushfiqur Rahim has said this three-pronged role in Bangladesh’s Test team is not a concern for him
Mushfiqur Rahim has said that his role as Bangladesh’s Test captain is open for “analysis” by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) but he is happy to continue in the triple role of wicketkeeper, batsman and captain. While there was always the odd question about his captaincy since he abruptly quit the ODI post in 2013, the criticism has increased since 2015 and it flowed into the Hyderabad Test, where his wicketkeeping also came under the scanner.After his proficient 127 in the first innings that kept Bangladesh in the game, it has become evident that his role as a dependable middle-order batsman is gaining importance.Mushfiqur, however, has said that since the BCB has entrusted him with the three roles since 2011, he will happily oblige as long as they decide otherwise.”My average is not more than 33 or 34, so how can I be the No. 1 batsman of Bangladesh? If you are entrusted with two or three roles, that means the management has shown faith in you,” he said. “So I need to deliver in all three departments. If I am not doing well, it’s up to the board to take a call on my future.”At the moment, I am enjoying what I am doing – I love to spend time in the middle and the way you can do your job is to spend time in the middle rather than in the dressing room. There are people who are sitting outside [BCB officials] who can take a decision but as far as I am concerned, I am happy to do all three. Captaincy is not in my hands. The board can analyse and take a call.”During India’s first innings, Mushfiqur made some errors as a wicketkeeper and captain, chiefly the missed stumping of Wriddhiman Saha when he was on 4. He also used Shakib Al Hasan for only 24 of the 166 overs. Although Shakib was expensive, he was used at times when Bangladesh were looking for wickets, so his high economy rate was justifiable at the time. According to Mushfiqur, they wanted Shakib to bowl high-impact spells rather than the long ones, which became the job of the two young spinners.Mushfiqur had given Wriddhiman Saha a reprieve in the first innings•AFP
“Our spinners led the bowling attack. The team management and I felt that Taijul Islam and Mehedi [Hasan] Miraz did their job properly, so we kept faith in them. It depends on who is bowling well on the particular day. I thought Taijul and Miraz were bowling well in partnership.”We want Shakib to bowl as much as it is useful to the team. He is not in a position to bowl a long spell. We want him to provide us a breakthrough. The rest of the work is for the other bowlers. We are happy with Shakib’s bowling. I thought he bowled well in the second innings.”It was surprising to hear of this new role for Shakib, who is the most experienced bowler in the line-up and someone with a proven capability of stemming the run-flow. Taijul and Mehedi ended up bowling 89 overs in which they took five wickets at an economy of 3.6 per over.Mushfiqur said that India should have been restricted to 550 in the first innings to give Bangladesh less batting time against their spinners in the second innings, pointing out that the bowling unit and top order in particular had to quickly make amends.”If we could have restricted them to 550 at least, they would have had to bat another session which means we would have batted three sessions instead of four in the second innings,” he said. “In that area, we gave 170 runs more. Also while batting, if someone from the top four could have gone big, we could have got closer. That first innings was crucial.”We need to execute our plans as a bowling unit. I hope the bowlers learn quickly. In the end, you need to take wickets to put pressure on other teams.”
North Zone got the better outcome from their drawn Bangladesh Cricket League game against South Zone at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium courtesy their 44-run first innings lead.North Zone declared their first innings on the third day, after amassing 492 runs for 9 in 189.3 overs. Naeem Islam was their top scorer with 185 while Jahurul Islam and Suhrawadi Shuvo struck fifties. Naeem hit 13 fours and two sixes in his 10 hours and 15 minutes stay at the middle.Left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak went past 450 first-class wickets in his 100th game. He is now the leading wicket-taker in Bangladesh’s domestic first-class cricket.South Zone came within 44 runs of North Zone’s big score, as they were bowled out for 448. Fazle Mahmud made 147 with 14 fours and three sixes. He lasted 311 balls in another long stay at the crease – this time for almost eight hours. Mosaddek Hossain and Ziaur Rahman struck 54 and 57 respectively. Taijul Islam took five wickets from his 50 overs.There were very little time left on the final day, with North Zone making 69 for two in 25 overs.Yesterday, Liton Das’ maiden double-century set up East Zone’s nine-wicket win over Central Zone.
The Blaugrana have won their first league title in three years on the back of a historic defence, but they have rarely excited the Camp Nou crowd
When Xavi accepted the Barcelona job in November 2021, he spoke of his deep connection to the club. He asserted he was a "Cule" through and through. He understood what the fans wanted. He knew all about the mandate of winning and impressing in the process. He referenced Johan Cruyff and Pep Guardiola. Most importantly, though, he emphasised his embodiment of "Barca DNA".
In his words, that meant a return to the glorious football of old. His side would not only win, he asserted, but they would look good doing so. That claim was a relief for a fanbase that had been subject to some poor and unsuccessful football under the stewardship of Ronald Koeman. Fans knew that this wouldn't be total football or Tiki-Taka, but it was supposed to be pretty.
Except, it hasn't been. Despite the 4-2 derby win over Espanyol that sealed the title, the Blaugrana are mostly drab and methodical. They are, as their results suggest, a very good team. They have wrapped up their first La Liga title in three years, and will likely be clear by double-digit points once all is said and done.
But they are more akin to a Jose Mourinho side than a Guardiola one. And although Xavi has delivered on the first principle of the job, his inability to do this all in the so-called Barca way suggests that the future might not be so exciting for the very fans Xavi set out to impress.
GettyA strong spine
Xavi does have to be given some credit. Barcelona have lacked a cohesive identity for some time, and at the beginning of this campaign, looked to be far behind defending champions and great rivals, Real Madrid. In a battle of pure footballing quality, at least in the Spanish sense, Barcelona were always going to lose.
The manager has responded by adapting. He quickly realised that he cannot beat Madrid by trying to out-attack them. Instead, Barcelona are solid, difficult and pragmatic. They keep possession well, and have shown that they can play some eye-catching football in moments. But this is a team built on its strong spine and defensive excellence. The Blaugrana have only conceded two goals at home in La Liga all season, while goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has set the league record for clean sheets.
Sergio Busquets, meanwhile, has endured something of a revival. After spending 18 months tracking back in a state of defensive recovery purgatory, he has been allowed to play deeper. The soon-to-depart club captain is simply being asked to intercept, tackle and pass. These are the things that he is very good at.
The evolution of Gavi has certainly also helped. The reigning Golden Boy winner is a confusing player, mostly because he is the antithesis of the Barcelona legends he has been compared to. The midfielder has so easily been likened to the likes of Xavi and Andres Iniesta, but in reality, he's more like a shrunken, technically advanced Pepe.
This is a player who flies into tackles, kicks opponents relentlessly, and spends 90 minutes being a pest. It makes for fascinating viewing, this buzzing presence being a complete nuisance. But it works, giving Barca a much-needed midfield bite.
Even Robert Lewandowski offers a previously-missing physicality up front, the 6'1 Poland striker is unafraid to use his lanky limbs to bully centre-backs.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesImprovement in unexpected areas
Xavi's appointment was met with optimism for what it could mean for the development of Barcelona's attacking players. It figured to be key in the technical improvement of Gavi and Pedri, and perhaps revival of Frenkie de Jong's languishing tenure. And while all three have undoubtedly become more complete players, it is in defensive areas — Xavi's most obvious weakness as a player — that Barcelona have seen the most development.
The most obvious beneficiary is Ronald Araujo. The Uruguay centre-back always had the physical tools to be a top-tier defender, but his instincts and technical ability had often been questioned. A patchy injury record, expiring contract and often uncomfortable relationship with passing the ball only added to the jeopardy. But he has since penned a new deal, stayed fit, and, far more importantly, become a markedly more composed player.
Araujo is, by this point, comfortably one of the best in his position in Europe. His pace and athleticism make him able to deal with a more direct game, while his ever-improving distribution has been him become far more press-resistant than in his early Barca tenure. There was always potential here – Xavi has just unlocked it.
The same can be said for Andreas Christensen. A player who Chelsea were willing to let go, Christensen has turned from a speculative free-agent signing to a keystone of this Barcelona back four. He certainly benefits from Araujo's defensive presence, but his complementary passing ability helps balance the duo with aplomb.
There are, admittedly, some issues at the back. Youngster Alejandro Balde, so eager to get forward, is often susceptible to counter-attacks. Jules Kounde, a makeshift right-back, is often uncomfortable at the position — something he has openly acknowledged. Still, this is a back four, with Ter Stegen behind it, that has shown it is capable of winning a league.
Getty ImagesUnrealiable going forward
It is not necessarily a great betrayal of the club ethos to be good at the back. Barcelona have fielded some memorable defensive units over the years, and have been home to some of the best centre-backs in football history.
But the Blaugrana aren't legendary for their ability to keep the ball out. The renewed global interest in the club brought about by Lionel Messi prime years and Guardiola's revolution was based on the principle of sublime attacking football. That's a burden that every Barcelona manager, including Xavi, has to deal with. It is, after all, impossible to recreate Messi-ball without Messi.
As such, Xavi has tried to build a Barca attack in his own image. The results have been underwhelming. The arrival of Lewandowski last summer, in fact, saved what would have otherwise been a tepid attack.
There is a formula here. The Blaugrana rely on the one-on-on trickery of Ousmane Dembele for goals and service out wide. They can also count on Pedri and De Jong to thread line-breaking passes. And even though Lewandowski has not matched the goalscoring rate that he set at Bayern Munich, his movement and finishing ability is still elite.
But there are flaws, too. Barcelona lack a creative presence in the middle, and are often devoid of ideas when faced with the kind of low blocks that teams tend to deploy against them. There is also a lack of cohesion on the left wing. Although Balde makes plenty of lung-busting runs, he is yet to establish a true connection with either Lewandowski or whichever central midfielder Xavi employs on that side. On the right, Kounde is simply unable to offer much of an attacking option; he is still very much a central defender at heart.
The result is a handful of low-scoring but comfortable affairs. Barcelona have won 14 La Liga games by one goal this season; they average fewer than two goals per game; and they have consistently scraped wins against bottom-half clubs. In short, they are a convincing side on the defensive end, but immensely uncertain at the other.
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GettyThe solution?
The natural response has been to turn where most of those associated with the club have turned to for the past two years. There is a real chance that Messi will be available to sign this summer, and despite the near-impossible financial task of creating space for his salary, it is possible that the World Cup winner could be playing at Camp Nou once again next season.
And going after the best of all time to solve arguably Barca's biggest issue makes sense. Indeed, it is a logical reaction to bring in arguably the best creative player the game has ever seen to soothe one's attacking woes.
But it is not, as Paris Saint-Germain have found, all that simple. Messi alone is no longer a guaranteed net positive as a player, especially in a side that already has its own collection of egos and personal priorities. He can, and will, do wonderful things, but it would require sacrifices of those around him.
It is impossible, then, to piece together Xavi's allegedly pre-assembled tactical puzzle. And while the manager is a shrewd tactician, there is no obvious way to ensure balance while adding Messi to Barcelona's current attacking threats. There is every chance, then, that Messi will offer a spark, but that will certainly come to the detriment of others.
The quality of football here is hard to predict. Still, there is no guarantee that Messi make Barcelona better as a whole — or even more watchable.
Sri Lanka recovered from 26 for 5 on the first day against Australia in Colombo to reach 214 for 5 at stumps. Dhananjaya de Silva was the stand-out with his maiden Test century, compiled in an unbeaten 188-run stand with Dinesh Chandimal
The Report by Brydon Coverdale13-Aug-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDhananjaya de Silva and Dinesh Chandimal rescued Sri Lanka on a gripping first day in Colombo•AFP
Sri Lanka: 214 for 5. Hardly an inspiring score at stumps on the first day of a Test. Runs ground out, just a few wickets here and there, Australia probably on top. Nope. This was not the kind of day that can be judged from the closing score. It was a day on which Sri Lanka’s top order capitulated to be 26 for 5. A day on which Dhananjaya de Silva, in his third Test, led the recovery with a brilliant maiden century. And a day that ended with Sri Lanka in command.The runs came slowly, but at least they came. They came with patience, class, respect for good bowling and, yes, a little bit of luck. But the way de Silva and Dinesh Chandimal rebuilt this innings was, for fans of Test cricket, a thing of beauty. Australia’s batsmen could learn something from their approach. By stumps, de Silva was on 116 from 240 balls, Chandimal on 64 from 204, and their partnership was worth 188. They had undone all Australia’s morning work.The dry pitch turned from the first hour. Nathan Lyon picked up two wickets early, then like Jon Holland, bowled well without fortune as the day wore on. Sri Lanka’s three-man spin attack will pose Australia significant challenges. There was little swing, not as much reverse as in the previous two Tests. Australia picked four pace bowlers but used only three. All of the pace wickets came from Mitchell Starc, comfortably Australia’s best player of the series.If Australia’s batsmen have looked bewildered on this tour, the selectors appeared similarly baffled in Colombo. How else to account for shortening their batting order when runs have been their biggest problem? Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja were dropped, Shaun Marsh and Moises Henriques came in. Henriques, with a first-class batting average of 31, an average of 15 in the last Sheffield Shield season, and no first-class cricket since November, was listed at No.5. He did not bowl.The selectors believe Henriques bats well against spin. It is true that he scored 68 and 81 not out against India on Test debut in Chennai in 2013. But he failed to reach double figures in the rest of that tour, a series that also featured clouded selection policies. It remains to be seen how Henriques will handle Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera and Lakshan Sandakan, but his selection was a clear message to the incumbents: learn how to play spin, or you won’t play in Asia.Sri Lanka’s batting has also faltered often in this series, but always there has been someone to rescue them. In Pallekele it was Kusal Mendis with a remarkable maiden Test century in the second innings. In Galle it was Mendis again, with 86 after the score wobbled to 9 for 2 on the first morning. This time it was de Silva, who entered this series uncapped, and by stumps on day one in Colombo sat second only to Mendis on the series run tally.The precarious situation when de Silva walked to the crease cannot be forgotten: 26 for 5. Yes, the series was already won, but suddenly there appeared the very real prospect of Sri Lanka finishing with a humiliation: overhauling their lowest ever Test total, the 71 they scored against Pakistan in Kandy in 1994, seemed a distant goal. And indeed, when de Silva was given out caught at bat pad off Lyon for 5, disaster seemed likely.But de Silva knew he had not hit the ball – hadn’t even got close to it, really. He reviewed the decision of umpire S Ravi and was rightly reprieved and from then on – this was the 20th over of the morning – not a single wicket fell for the rest of the day. There were some nervy moments – Mitchell Marsh spilled a tough chance at gully when Chandimal was 11, two Australian reviews were struck down, de Silva was dropped by Shaun Marsh at cover on 104 – but the batsmen survived.De Silva attacked when given the chance and struck three fours in one over from Starc. He was strong when pulling and flicking off his pads, though his boundaries came all around the ground, including plenty through cover. His fifty came with a lofted boundary over cover off Mitchell Marsh, his hundred with another boundary cut off the legspin of Steven Smith. It took de Silva 209 deliveries to reach his century. It was a proper Test innings.Chandimal was even more circumspect, nudging singles and rotating the strike, playing the perfect foil to de Silva. His fifty came from 165 deliveries, and by stumps he had struck only four fours. Even more than de Silva he showed Australia’s batsmen how a challenging pitch can be handled: with the utmost patience. Chandimal himself had walked out at 24 for 4, a frenetic first hour bringing plenty of wickets.Sri Lanka’s openers continued their disastrous series, Kaushal Silva flashing at Starc and edging to slip for a 15-ball duck, and Dimuth Karunaratne bowled trying to drive Starc for 7 from 34 deliveries. Neither man has reached double figures even once in this campaign from five innings, Sri Lanka’s series triumph having come in spite of their insipid top order. What might they have achieved if the openers had found form too?Lyon was called on in the sixth over of the Test and immediately found some turn. In the 12th over he struck with a delivery that was fullish, quick and spun appreciably, and Kusal Perera managed only an edge to Smith at slip. Lyon claimed another wicket when Angelo Mathews top-edged a sweep and was caught at fine leg for 1.Then Mendis flashed hard at a Starc delivery that angled across him and Smith snapped up his third catch at slip for the morning. Mendis had been the key batsman in the first two Tests, and Australia thought his wicket was the big one. As it turned out, at least two big ones were still waiting to be taken at stumps.
Newcastle United are reportedly interested in signing Manchester City youngster Taylor Harwood-Bellis in the summer transfer window.
Is Harwood-Bellis having a good season?
The 21-year-old is currently out on loan at Burnley and he has enjoyed an impressive spell there this season, helping the Clarets lie on the verge of a return to the Premier League. He has started 27 games in the Championship since arriving from the Etihad, being given plenty of minutes by City legend Vincent Kompany, who is excelling in charge.
This is invaluable experience for Harwood-Bellis, who has averaged 3.1 aerial duel wins and 2.5 clearances per game in the league in 2022/23 to date, as he looks to reach his potential as a highly rated centre-back. It is clearly going to be difficult for the Englishman to make the grade at City, however, with the Premier League champions having a wealth of top-quality options in that area, from Ruben Dias to Nathan Ake.
For that reason, Harwood-Bellis – whose current deal expires in the summer of 2024 – could look for a new challenge at the end of this season and leave the Citizens permanently in the summer, and a fresh exit rumour has now emerged.
Could the youngster head to Newcastle this summer?
According to 90min, Newcastle are "one of a number of Premier League clubs showing a strong interest" in Harwood-Bellis ahead of the summer window. City are believed to have plans in place "to hold extension talks at the end of the season", although it remains to be seen if he will want to sign a new deal.
It is claimed that the youngster "recognises he is some way down the pecking order" under Pep Guardiola, which is why joining another club could make more sense.
While Harwood-Bellis is clearly a big talent for City to have in their ranks – Kompany has called him "incredible" – it could be best for his development to move on at the end of the season. Granted, if he is happy to sign a new contract and be a bit-part player, that would be no great issue as far as City are concerned, but there is the risk that this would stunt his progress.
He has shown this season what an effective player he can be when given a chance, even at just 21, and in order to match his promise, he needs to be a regular starter for a team from this point onwards.
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Start time 1500 local (0930GMT)
The cruelty of the World T20 qualifying phase is that every game is crucial and Scotland’s key moment may already have come and gone. Their defeat to Afghanistan meant their hopes of progressing now depend on themselves and other results. So for them, there has to be a bigger picture. And there is. Scotland have played 19 matches in six global limited-overs tournaments but are yet to win a game.Zimbabwe will be pleased to hear that because they need another victory before facing the group’s strongest team, Afghanistan, in what they hope will be a showdown for a place in the main draw. Zimbabwe have already recorded one win but it was achieved in untidy fashion. Their batsmen squandered starts, their bowlers lost their lines and they were occasionally comical in the field. They did not look like the only Full Member in the group and would want to tighten up on the basics.Scotland have already faced Afghanistan and found that their bowlers struggled to contain aggressive batting but they were able to respond with runs themselves. They got off to a speedy start before the middle order collapsed and fizzled out, and given the nature of Zimbabwe’s attack that concentrates on a squeeze upfront rather than at the end, Scotland may eye an opportunity to record a first victory.
(last five completed games most recent first)
Zimbabwe WWWLL
Scotland LWLWL
Although a team will take a win no matter how messy in a major tournament, Zimbabwe’s disciplines need to improve if they are to sustain hopes of playing in the main draw. The opening match saw three run-outs, three batsmen holing out, two dropped catches and several misfields. They got away with it once but will not want to risk slipping up as the qualifiers continue.Calum MacLeod was identified by Paul Collingwood as someone who has played a lot of high-pressure cricket, presumably at Warwickshire, and would know how to handle tough situations but his recent scores don’t suggest that. MacLeod has not got past 20 in his last 12 T20Is but has a century in the format at domestic level and will know he is due some runs.
Zimbabwe may want to add a more attacking spinner to their arsenal but with Graeme Cremer out injured, their only other option is Tendai Chisoro, who went wicketless in the warm-ups against West Indies and HPCA XI. If they are after a change in the batting line-up, they could make space for Peter Moor or Chamu Chibhabha but only by leaving someone like Sikandar Raza or Malcolm Waller out.Zimbabwe: (probable) 1 Hamilton Masakadza, 2 Vusi Sibanda, 3 Richmond Mutumbami (wk), 4 Sean Williams, 5 Sikandar Raza, 6 Malcolm Waller, 7 Elton Chigumbura, 8 Donald Tiripano, 9 Wellington Masakadza, 10 Tinashe Panyangara, 11 Tendai ChataraScotland’s pace attack adjusted well to very their pace and slow Afghanistan briefly on Tuesday, and they may also think of bringing in another spinner considering the Nagpur pitch. Allrounder Con de Lange, who bowls left-arm spin, could complement the 19-year-old legspinner Mark Watt.Scotland: (probable) 1 George Munsey, 2 Kyle Coetzer, 3 Calum MacLeod, 4 Matt Machan, 5 Richie Berrington, 6 Preston Mommsen (capt), 7 Matthew Cross (wk), 8 Josh Davey, 9 Safyaan Sharif, 10 Mark Watt, 11 Alasdair Evans
The Nagpur surface proved difficult to score on freely on the first day and it is expected to continue challenging batsmen. Although it did not take much turn, taking pace off the ball was effective for the seamers and batsmen will have to spend time building an innings. The mercury is only headed in one direction – up – with temperatures expected hotter on Thursday compared to Tuesday. Both teams will hope the crowd numbers balloon like that too.
Fabrizio Romano has said that ‘many clubs’ are scouting Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier ahead of the summer window.
The Lowdown: Meslier planning to quit?
The French goalkeeper has been a regular at Elland Road in recent years and became the youngster goalkeeper in Premier League history to reach 100 appearances. The 23-year-old helped the Whites to a much-needed 4-2 win over Wolves on Saturday, a result that lifted Leeds up into 14th place in the table.
However, with relegation a real possibility, there have been some worrying reports regarding Meslier’s future. The Leeds ‘keeper, along with Robin Koch and Jack Harrison, is already allegedly ‘planning to quit’ Elland Road and find a new club if Championship football comes the Whites’ way at the end of the season.
Chelsea have become the latest side to show a real interest in Meslier, as per Football Insider, and are ‘prepared to out-bid their rivals in order to secure his signature’.
The Latest: Romano’s comments
Romano provided an update on Meslier in his daily column for CaughtOffside, saying that ‘many clubs have sent their scouts to follow him’, but ‘Leeds want to keep things quiet and not to open any negotiation’ at this moment in time.
“Links with someone like Illan Meslier and a top club like Chelsea are normal, he’s a very talented goalkeeper and many clubs have sent their scouts to follow him.
“But at the moment, Leeds want to keep things quiet and not to open any negotiation now. Chelsea are yet to make a decision on the goalkeepers situation.”
The Verdict: One to watch
Should Leeds suffer relegation, then it looks almost certain that Meslier would depart Yorkshire. However, if Javi Gracia keeps Leeds up, the club would be under no pressure to sell Meslier, who is under contract until 2026.
He has been a brilliant performer for Leeds under a number of managers and was praised by teammate Brenden Aaronson earlier in the season, who said:
“You see it from him every single day. I think there was one day last week where he was saving everything and we were just shooting on him. He has so much quality in goal. He’s such a great goalie.”
Meslier also already ranks 39th in the all-time Premier League saves list with 365, so if Leeds manage to avoid the drop, they could keep hold of one of their star players, making the next few months crucial both on and off the pitch.