The Argentine has done the unthinkable by taking over at Stamford Bridge, but it's a move that makes sense, despite his Spurs love affair
After an exhaustive and exhausting search for a permanent manager, Chelsea's co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart have found their man: Mauricio Pochettino.
It was unthinkable that the cherished former Tottenham boss would ever take charge of another Premier League club, let alone one of Spurs' greatest rivals, but the concept of Pochettino taking his seat in the Stamford Bridge dugout is something that Chelsea and Spurs fans alike will have to get used to, with the Argentine's arrival on an initial two-year deal finally being confirmed on Monday.
It will be a divisive appointment in some quarters, given his seemingly unbreakable bond with the Tottenham fanbase (however one-sided that relationship has become), but he is the ideal candidate to guide Chelsea out of the mess they currently find themselves in and on to better things.
GOAL breaks down just why that's the case…
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The perfect project
Things were supposed to be wildly different at the end of Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali's first full season as Chelsea owners, especially after two transfer windows of lavish spending.
But instead of fighting for silverware, the Blues find themselves out of each cup competition and desperately staving off a descent into the mire of lower mid-table, more than 30 points off the pace set by Premier League leaders Manchester City and second-placed Arsenal.
Similarly, but perhaps not as drastically, Pochettino's stock has dipped since his unceremonious dismissal at Paris Saint-Germain a year ago, but he is still regarded as one of the best in the business and will be keen to prove that at Stamford Bridge – much like another PSG cast-off, Thomas Tuchel, before him.
As a result, Pochettino's arrival cannot be viewed as a top manager joining a top club, but rather a coach with a point to prove joining a team that is in desperate need of galvanising.
Chelsea could well be the perfect fit; Pochettino's reputation is built upon improving struggling teams and helping them to reach their full potential; he guided Southampton to what was their highest-ever Premier League finish in 2013-14, before famously taking a Tottenham side that had been incapable of qualifying for the Champions League to the final of the 2019 edition.
That incremental improvement at both clubs has been underpinned by an exciting, front-footed brand of football, and Boehly and Eghbali will be desperate for Pochettino to implement those ideas with an expensively assembled squad bursting with unfulfilled attacking talent.
Chelsea and Pochettino are wounded animals, and together they could become something very dangerous.
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The longevity Chelsea crave
That's not to say that Pochettino turned Spurs' fortunes around as soon as he arrived at White Hart Lane.
He only took Tottenham from sixth to fifth in his first season and still missed out on that elusive Champions League place – something Tim Sherwood was effectively sacked for a year prior.
The key in north London, though, was that he was given the time and afforded the patience to mould the team in his image, ultimately building something incredibly special over a five-year period and breathing life into the club both on and off the pitch.
Given the resources and existing squad that will be at his disposal at Stamford Bridge, Pochettino will back himself to replicate his exploits on the west side of the capital and oversee gradual improvement. A title challenge within the next three seasons should perhaps be the realistic aim.
At 51, he is still relatively young, he has previously professed his love of living in London, and he is an advocate for the attacking brand of football the Chelsea owners seem to want their team to play.
Boehly and Eghbali had hinted that they wanted a manager for the long-term and there would be patience throughout the bad times, but having pulled the plug on their Graham Potter project very prematurely, they should have some confidence that Pochettino has the credentials to oversee the development of the team for a number of years.
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The fans wanted him
The general consensus has always been that Pochettino's profound connection with the Tottenham fanbase would be a stumbling block to a move to any other Premier League club.
As it turns out, that is probably wasn't the case – and he was even willing to join one of Spurs' most bitter rivals.
The Chelsea hierarchy was reportedly pleasantly surprised by the fans' reception to the news that Pochettino was in line for the role, a testament to the Argentine's popularity throughout the game and a reflection of a desire to laud his arrival over Spurs.
Surprisingly, this is unlikely to be a divisive appointment, with Blues followers clearly craving the kind of synergy the coach fostered with Tottenham supporters during his time there – especially having failed to warm to his predecessor Potter – and another stick with which to beat their foes across the capital.
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The players wanted him
It's not just the supporters who are in favour of Pochettino becoming Chelsea manager – the players are keen on the idea, too.
According to , the first round of news that he could be coming generated excitement in the dressing room, with many members of the squad aware of the Argentine's coaching, motivational ability and man-management skills. They've no doubt been reading more about him since then.
During his time in north London, it was clear that Pochettino's players would run through a brick wall for him, and having looked distinctly unmotivated at times under both Potter and interim manager Frank Lampard, the Chelsea squad is clearly prepared to get down to work for the right person.
Leeds United have been guilty of some poor transfer deals in the past but the appointment of Victor Orta in 2017 has helped to transform the Yorkshire outfit from Championship strugglers into a fairly solid Premier League side.
The Spaniard has also made mistakes, with the likes of Jean Kevin-Augustin no doubt at the forefront of Leeds fans' minds after the club were ordered to pay £24.5m in compensation to the rarely-seen Frenchman earlier this month, but in the large part, he has been responsible for signing some incredible players at Elland Road.
One such example is Tyler Adams, as the young midfielder's value has flown up during his time in the Premier League, and he looks set to be a vital player for The Peacocks in the significant future.
How much did Adams cost Leeds United?
Following the exit of Kalvin Phillips in the summer of 2022, it seemed clear that Leeds were going to have to invest heavily in a new defensive midfielder to fill the boots of the home-grown England international.
The USA international had accumulated 103 appearances during his time with RB Leipzig, contributing two goals and three assists, so represented a great option for Leeds when considering his experience of top-level football and obvious long-term potential.
Orta sanctioned a deal worth €17m (£15m), which could rise to €23m (£20.2m) with add-ons, and he has established himself as a key player at Elland Road throughout the 2022/23 campaign, earning regular starts under both Jesse Marsch and Javi Gracia.
Across his 24 Premier League appearances so far this campaign, the tough-tackling midfielder has averaged a solid 6.73 rating from WhoScored for his performances, which sees him currently ranked as the fifth-best player in Gracia's squad.
Journalist Tomi Oladipo was quick to label Adams a "monster" in Leeds' midfield after their 3-0 demolition of Chelsea earlier this season and his average of 3.7 tackles per game, the best of anyone at Elland Road, certainly reinforces that.
Although Adams has been absent for Leeds' recent games through injury, with the Yorkshire outfit very much in the Premier League's relegation battle after their 5-1 defeat against Crystal Palace last time out, his performances have not gone unnoticed by the wider footballing world.
As per Football Transfers, the midfielder's transfer value has shot up to €39.6m (£34.8m), which represents a hugely impressive 133% increase on the £15m Leeds initially paid.
Therefore, Orta deserves a huge amount of credit for bringing in the £55k-per-week star on such a bargain deal, and Leeds fans will be hoping to see the 24-year-old continue to shine upon his return from injury.
ScorecardTymal Mills took three wickets and bowled a maiden in his four overs•Getty Images
South African David Wiese hit boundaries of successive deliveries in the final over to ease Sussex to a four-wicket win over Kent in a low-scoring thriller in the NatWest T20 Blast at Hove.Chasing 141, after Tymal Mills had again impressed with 3 for 15, Sussex needed eight off the final over but after David Griffiths conceded a single and then bowled a wide, Wiese – who has extended his stay as second overseas player at Hove for another two weeks – drove to the extra cover boundary before guiding the next delivery to the third man rope to seal victory with three balls to spare.It was Sussex’s other overseas player, Ross Taylor, who set up the win with a measured 62 off 50 balls. Sussex were struggling on 68 for 4 after 12 overs in their response when Taylor was joined by Chris Jordan in a match-winning stand of 61 from 39 balls.Taylor struck offspinner James Tredwell for 16 off three balls in the 16th over to tilt the contest Sussex’s way and although both he and Jordan fell to catches in the deep off Mitch Claydon in the penultimate over, Wiese held his nerve to secure a third win out of four in the South Group for his side.Claydon took 3 for 25, having earlier bowled Ben Brown while Matt Coles also impressed, finishing with 1 for 17 and claiming the key early scalp of Sussex skipper Luke Wright, who was caught at deep square leg for 3.Kent had been bowled out for 140 off the final ball of their innings, having been put in, after some impressive work from Sussex’s seamers on a slow pitch.England international Jordan led the way with 3 for 18. In his first spell he removed Daniel Bell-Drummond with a slower ball and returned to the attack to have Alex Blake caught at cover and Darren Stevens at midwicket.Jordan was well backed up by left-armer Mills, whose searing pace made it tough for the Kent batsmen. Mills yorked Coles and then removed Tredwell and Griffiths in his final over to finish with 3 for 15 while Wiese took 2 for 33 including Kent captain Sam Northeast, who returned to form with 53 off 33 balls which included two fours and four sixes, all struck in the area between long on and mid-wicket before he mis-timed a leg-side pull allowing Wiese to take a simple return catch.Sussex’s seamers were well supported by leg-spinner Will Beer, who had the dangerous Sam Billings lbw sweeping as Kent’s innings tailed off alarmingly, with the last five wickets falling for nine runs.
Surrey have announced Michael Di Venuto as their new head coach on a three-year deal to replace Graham Ford who has recently returned to work with Sri Lanka.Di Venuto, who played nine ODIs, is currently Australia’s assistant and batting coach and recently took charge of the team when Darren Lehmann suffered DVT. His final Australia assignment will be the T20 tour of South Africa next month and he will join Surrey in early April ahead of the start of their Championship campaign against Nottinghamshire on April 10.Greg Blewett, who is currently Australia’s fielding coach, will take on the batting responsibilities with the national side.Di Venuto has extensive experience of the county game having played for Sussex, Derbyshire and latterly Durham with whom he won back-to-back County Championship titles in 2008 and 2009.”It has been a huge honour and privilege to have worked with the Australian team but the chance to come to a club of the size and potential of Surrey as head coach was too big an opportunity for me to turn down,” Di Venuto said.”As someone who has always enjoyed the county game, I have followed Surrey’s progress over the last couple of years and look forward to working with this talented squad of players.”Alec Stewart, the Surrey director of cricket, said: “Following the departure of Graham Ford it was vitally important that we found another high quality coach with a great work ethic and excellent knowledge of the English county game.”Michael is a good people person and his twelve years of county experience will be invaluable. He is highly regarded within the Australian setup for his ability to work with and get the best out of players both individually and collectively.”Being able to appoint a coach from a top quality International team can only serve to benefit the club and I would like to thank Cricket Australia for their professional dealings and understanding in enabling us to make this appointment in time for the start of the new season.”Pat Howard, Australia’s general manager, thanked Di Venuto for his work alongside Darren Lehmann over the last three years.”Michael has played a very important role supporting the Australian team over the last three years, including this past home summer when he stood in for Darren Lehmann as head coach,” Howard said.”He has brought a tremendous work ethic and commitment to the role and we have no doubt that this head coaching opportunity with Surrey will provide him with fantastic experience leading his own team, continuing his rapid development as an elite coach.”
Wolverhampton Wanderers would have feared a relegation battle in the Premier League this campaign and those fears are coming to fruition having recorded four losses from their first six matches.
The latest of those poor results came at Kenilworth Road on Saturday afternoon as the Old Gold stumbled to a 1-1 draw against Luton Town, although after spending the whole second half with ten men, Gary O'Neil would have seen that result as one point gained rather than two dropped.
On Tuesday evening, the Old Gold can put their disastrous league form to the side and focus on their trip to take on Championship high-flyers Ipswich Town in the third round of the Carabao Cup.
The Tractor Boys have announced their return to the second tier in exceptional style, winning seven of their opening eight matches with their only defeat coming against Leeds United.
A distraction this competition may be – but it isn't any easy one at that for Wolves – and they'll have to be on the ball against a side brimming with confidence who will sense an upset could be in the offing.
What is the latest Wolves team news?
With the chance to utilise the full depth of his squad, O'Neil is expected to make several changes against Ipswich but at least one of those will be enforced.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Wolves' outstanding performer from their 3-1 defeat against Liverpool, followed that terrific display up with a shocking one against Luton as the midfielder was sent off for making an inexcusable challenge on defender Tom Lockyer.
Wolves manager Gary O'Neil
On a much brighter note, midfielder Joe Hodge, who caught the eye in their 5-0 thrashing of Blackpool in the previous round, is working his way back from a muscular problem – which he sustained in the last round – and has a slim chance of returning for this tie.
Elsewhere, Matt Doherty, Boubacar Traore, Toti Gomes, Fabio Silva and Sasa Kalajdzic should all get their chances to impress O'Neil from the off, as could on-loan Manchester City midfielder Tommy Doyle, who has featured twice off the bench in the Premier League so far.
Should Tommy Doyle start vs Ipswich?
After joining on loan with an option to buy for £4.3m, Doyle's opportunities in the Wolves team have been limited thus far, however, with a suspension to Bellegarde and Mario Lemina likely to be rested, the Englishman could get his chance to shine.
The 21-year-old starred in the Sheffield United side that was promoted to the Premier League last season, scoring four goals and registering seven assists, as he impressed at Bramall Lane in a Paul Heckingbottom system that allowed his technical attributes to flourish, operating in a dynamic midfield three with James McAtee and Sander Berge.
Possessing the technique and superb passing range to dictate the tempo of matches – as taught at Man City – the midfield metronome looked a cut above at Championship level when compared to his positional peers, ranking in the top 5% for expected assists, top 12% for shot creating actions, top 13% for passes into the final third and top 15% for progressive passes, as per FBref.
At times this campaign, Wolves have struggled in the absence of the technically astute Ruben Neves and although Doyle is unable to replicate the impact of the Portuguese, he can offer O'Neil a calmness on the ball in midfield and that could be key tonight with Ipswich likely to start fast out of the blocks.
The 5 foot 8 "set-piece specialist" – as lauded by England under-21 teammate Charlie Cresswell – can provide Wolves with quality from dead-ball situations too, which is also something they've missed in the absence of Neves.
Doyle was one of the stand-out players in the Championship last term and earned his move to a Premier League side on the back of his consistent displays. Now, the stage is set for him to show O'Neil what he can offer the Old Gold in future matches.
Ryan Harris, the former Australia fast bowler and now coach, has been reprimanded and handed a suspended fine of A$3,000 (US$ 2300 approx) for voicing his displeasure at the obstructing-the-field decision made against Alex Ross when playing for Brisbane Heat against Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League.In a series of tweets, Harris let fly at the umpiring decision resulting in Ross’ dismissal, a moment that the Heat captain Brendon MCullum later blamed on his opposite number George Bailey for failing to withdraw his appeal. Cricket Australia has subsequently defended the decision, while the Queensland Cricket chief executive Max Walters has questioned why the board was so eager to worry about technicalities over the wider appeal of the game.”Ryan Harris, CA High Performance coach, has been charged for breaching the CA Code of Conduct on 10 January 2018, in relation to a number of tweets he sent about the KFC Big Bash League match featuring Brisbane Heat and Hobart Hurricanes,” a spokesman said. “Harris was reported for breaching CA’s Code of Conduct Article Level 2.2.3 – public or media comment that is detrimental to the interests of cricket, irrespective of when or where such comment is made.”Every player and any player support personnel are required to adhere to Cricket Australia’s Code of Conduct. This includes any person employed by, contracted to, representing or otherwise affiliated to CA or any State or Territory Association or BBL/WBBL team. The proposed sanction was a reprimand and fine of $3,000, fully suspended, subject to Harris not being found guilty of any further breach of the Cricket Australia Code of Conduct for a period of 24 months from 10 January 2018.”There has been mounting discontent among players about numerous umpiring decisions during the BBL, at the same time as a surfeit of teams are penalised for slow over rates, including the Hurricanes and Perth Scorchers on Friday. However CA has stood by the third umpire Simon Lightbody and the on-field umpires Geoff Davidson and Simon Fry, who has also stood in seven Tests, 38 ODIs and 12 T20Is.”The dismissal of Alex Ross from Brisbane Heat saw the batsman change direction, turn to watch the direction of the throw and run on the pitch,” a spokesman said. “The third umpire concluded that the change of running direction of the batsman, after seeing the direction of the throw, obstructed the wicketkeeper’s opportunity to affect the run-out.”Obstructing the field is one of the more difficult decisions to interpret as it is based on umpires assessing the intent of the batsman. After assessing footage of the incident alongside the Laws, playing conditions, and cues that umpires are provided, CA believes the obstructing-the-field decision is justified.”Walters has said that while the Heat accepted the decision, he wondered at CA’s priorities. “The umpire is always right and we congratulate the Hurricanes on their victory,” he said. “It’s time to move on. But we need to understand clearly that mum, dad and the kids are interested in being entertained, not subjected to a forensic examination of the rule book.”For his part, Ross has explained that he was not intending to block the throw but to avoid being hit by the ball. “You must always respect the umpires decision, but I wanted to clear the air and state my intentions in the run last night,” he wrote on Twitter. “I can unequivocally say I was trying to run away from the line of the ball to avoid being hit, as I felt I was going to make my ground.”
Wolverhampton Wanderers are 'trying to iron' out terms of a deal to potentially bring a vastly experienced former England international to Molineux this summer despite their known financial issues, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.
Will Wolves finally actually make a signing after Doherty?
Wolves have endured a tumultuous summer window that yielded shock news in the last few days after former boss Julen Lopetegui left the club earlier this week due to a breakdown in communication regarding recruitment behind the scenes, as per Sky Sports.
The Spaniard reportedly became frustrated at their Financial Fair Play situation and 'lost faith' in his capacity to change matters at the club when told that the near £70 million sum the Old Gold generated by letting players leave the club would not be reinvested in securing arrivals.
Ex-Bournemouth boss Gary O'Neil has since took the hot seat at Molineux on a three-year contract and will be keen to ensure his side start 2023/24 in a positive fashion, as per BBC Sport.
One main target for Wolves this summer has been West Ham United defender Aaron Cresswell and Football Insider report that they are 'expected' to complete the signing of the 33-year-old in the final weeks of the window.
Hammers boss David Moyes is demanding a fee of £4 million for the Liverpool-born left-back while Wolves have only stumped up £2.5 million so far in negotiations; nevertheless, they are keen to bring Cresswell to the West Midlands due to his extensive top-flight experience.
Last term, Cresswell made 38 appearances in all competitions for West Ham and played his part in helping the east London outfit to achieve Europa Conference League glory, as per Transfermarkt.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Jones thinks that both Wolves and West Ham are trying to find a solution regarding Cresswell following what has been a 'strange situation' over the last few weeks.
Jones stated: “This is a strange situation because West Ham weren’t asking for that much money, yet the initial deal hit the bumpers, and now the player is trying to get his head around what happens next.
“There has been an indication that a revised plan from the Wolves end is being worked on, but I have to admit there are sources around that one that have seemed shaky about it because of all the other issues and messages coming out of the club.
“He is currently looking for a new challenge but also some security around a longer contract, which he thought he would get with Wolves. Cresswell has had to show good mental resilience during this, especially with the season so close.
“But with such a long-standing relationship with West Ham, I think there is a level of respect in trying to iron all of this out so that he does not end up stuck in limbo.”
What else could happen at Wolverhampton Wanderers over the coming weeks?
New boss O'Neil faces the difficult task of preparing his side to take on Manchester United at Old Trafford next Monday and will know his side will need to be at their best to stand any chance of claiming a result, as per Sky Sports.
West Ham veteran striker Michail Antonio is being eyed by the Old Gold as they aim to bolster in the forward areas between now and the close of play in the market, according to TEAMtalk.
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Nevertheless, FootballTransfers claim that Scottish Premiership champions Celtic and Sky Bet Championship outfit Leeds United are also keen to acquire the Jamaica international.
Manchester City youngster James McAtee is another name on the radar for Wolves, though they will need to fend off competition from several clubs in Britain and around Europe to snap up the 20-year-old, as per The Daily Mail.
Either side of a stop-start hour in which the focus of the Delhi Test shifted to the quality of the city’s air, India extended their dominance over Sri Lanka with bat and ball
The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy03-Dec-20172:11
Chopra: ‘Kohli’s hunger for runs is insatiable’
Either side of a stop-start hour in which the focus of the Delhi Test shifted to the quality of the city’s air, India extended their dominance over Sri Lanka with bat and ball. Virat Kohli brought up his sixth double-hundred and carried on to post his highest Test score, and, following a declaration in bizarre circumstances at 536 for 7, India’s bowlers took over, reducing Sri Lanka to 131 for 3 in their reply. An unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 56 between Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal raised Sri Lanka’s morale towards the end of the day, but they still ended it trailing by 405 runs.Sri Lanka’s fielders came out wearing face masks after lunch, and play was twice held up in smoggy conditions, with the air pollution in the vicinity of the Feroz Shah Kotla going up to “very unhealthy” levels. The two fast bowlers, Lahiru Gamage and Suranga Lakmal, went off the field midway through their overs, and eventually, with Sri Lanka struggling to put 11 players on the park, Kohli declared, signalling pointedly that his team was happy to bowl in these conditions.When Sri Lanka began their innings, it was their offspinning allrounder Dilruwan Perera rather than Sadeera Samarawickrama – who had been off the field since being struck on the helmet at short leg on day one – who walked out to open alongside Dimuth Karunaratne.India’s fast bowlers, with a total of 536 behind them, charged in at full tilt in the half hour that remained before tea, and blasted out two wickets. Karunaratne fell to the first ball of the innings, done in by Mohammed Shami, who angled one into the left-hander from around the wicket, hit the pitch hard on a shortish length, and got it to seam away from him. Forced to play by the angle, he feathered an edge through to the keeper.Then Ishant Sharma, going wide of the crease, did the No. 3 Dhananjaya de Silva for length. Shuffling across the crease, and neither coming forward nor going back, he jabbed uncertainly at the ball, playing well outside the line, and was struck on the back leg in front of the stumps.In the first four overs after tea, India dropped two catches at second slip. First, it was Shikhar Dhawan moving in front of Cheteshwar Pujara at first slip, shelling a chest-high chance when Dilruwan drove away from his body at Shami. Then it was Kohli, falling to his left when Mathews poked uncertainly at an Ishant delivery that straightened in the corridor.Dilruwan, who had looked fairly comfortable since his reprieve, timing his cover drives particularly well, then fell at the end of a 61-run stand with Mathews, sent on his way after India successfully reviewed a not-out lbw decision from Nigel Llong. A straighter one from Ravindra Jadeja struck him in line when he stepped out of the crease, and ball-tracking suggested the ball would have hit the stumps. Dilruwan, however, could have survived had he stretched out a little further; it turned out that the ball had struck his pad 2.99m from the stumps – at 3m, ball-tracking cannot reverse the umpire’s decision.Mathews looked extremely shaky in the early part of his innings, camping deep in his crease and poking away from his body on numerous occasions. In an effort to bowl fuller at him, however, the fast bowlers occasionally overpitched, and he put those balls away, a straight drive off Ishant particularly eye-catching. Slowly, he grew in confidence, enough to greet R Ashwin’s belated introduction – he came on in the 28th over – by hitting him for successive sixes to bring up his fifty.In fading light, Mathews and Chandimal survived a testing period before stumps, against Shami’s reverse-swing and the accuracy of Jadeja and Ashwin. With a few overs under his belt, Ashwin began looking particularly dangerous, finding the right pace for this pitch and threatening both edges from over and around the wicket. Bad light brought the examination to a halt three minutes from time, but it will begin all over again when Sri Lanka resume their innings.India began the day’s play on 371 for 4, and Sri Lanka, having picked up two quick wickets late on day one, may have harboured some hope of clawing their way back into the Test match. If they did, Kohli and Rohit Sharma quelled it with a fifth-wicket partnership of 135. It came to an end off what was to be the second-last ball before lunch, when Rohit fell for 65, bottom-edging a square-cut to the keeper off Lakshan Sandakan.India lost two more wickets after lunch. Gamage got one with the first ball after the first pollution break, R Ashwin reaching out at a wide one without moving his feet and steering it to gully – it wasn’t the first time he had been dismissed in this manner in the recent past.Then, in the midst of all the breaks in play, Sri Lanka finally found a way past Kohli. It was Sandakan’s fourth wicket, another good ball amidst an otherwise inconsistent mix, and another reminder of the talent that Sri Lanka will need to nurture with care. Kohli went back to a flat one bowled from left-arm around, perhaps playing the trajectory rather than the length. It skidded on – slow-motion replays indicated it may have been a flipper – and rapped him on the back pad, in front of the stumps. Kohli reviewed, but the ball didn’t have far to travel, and ball-tracking suggested it would have hit a good chunk of leg stump.If the 87 runs Kohli scored on Sunday didn’t come with quite the same ease as his first 156 on Saturday, it had little to do with Sri Lanka’s bowling, which remained unthreatening and inconsistent. Kohli, instead, had to fight his own body, which was beginning to show the toll taken by scoring three successive Test hundreds. A stiff back slowed him down between wickets, and brought India’s physio onto the field, but Kohli just kept batting.Sri Lanka persisted with spin for the first six overs of the morning, hoping for Sandakan to conjure up a wicket or two, but neither he nor Dilruwan made any impact on the pair in the middle. Rohit, on 6 overnight, took no time settling in, and launched Sandakan over long-off in the fourth over of the day before picking up two more fours in the next two overs.On came the second new ball, and Kohli clipped Lakmal’s first ball to the midwicket boundary. It turned out to be the first of six fours – the pick of them a Rohit pull off Gamage, hit just wide of mid-on – in six overs from which Lakmal and Gamage conceded 32. Kohli soon swept past the 200 mark, getting there with a pulled double off Lakmal, after which Rohit reached his fifty with a straight six off Dilruwan.
Tottenham Hotspur target Harry Maguire could fit the mould of Ange Postecoglou's high-octane system and succeed at playing out from deep, but there are some doubts, according to journalist Paul Brown.
Which clubs are keen on Harry Maguire?
One report in Spain via Football365 claim that Tottenham could be about to 'accelerate' their pursuit of Maguire this summer as his time at Old Trafford ticks towards a close.
Spurs boss Postecoglou is believed to want to 'focus all of his efforts on Maguire' and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has emerged as a 'possible destination' for the £190k-a-week ace.
According to Sky Sports, West Ham United have emerged as another potential suitor for Maguire and have held early discussions with the England international over a move to the London Stadium.
Nevertheless, a gap in valuation is said to exist between the Hammers and Manchester United, who would ask for a considerable bid even to consider letting Maguire depart in this window.
Last term, Maguire, who was hailed at "classy" recently, made 31 appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils and was mainly used as a rotational squad option, as per Transfermarkt.
In conversation with Lord Ping cited by METRO, former Tottenham and Manchester United striker Teddy Sheringham encouraged Maguire to move to Spurs this summer, stating: "Harry Maguire would be an excellent option for Tottenham. Whenever you watch Maguire play for England, he rarely lets anyone down. He is a solid, proven professional that is well suited for the Premier League."
Of course, the former Leicester City defender was recently stripped of the Manchester United captaincy and Bruno Fernandes has been appointed as his successor.
Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Brown thinks that Maguire to Tottenham is a transfer he could see 'working out' under Postecoglou, though he also stated that his pace could be a "potential issue".
Brown told FFC: "I think the manager and he way he wants to play, you know, with a kind of high tempo, let's go at people kind of style. I think Maguire's ability in possession would be quite important for that, finding that first pass out of defence. I think he fits in possibly quite well there. The only thing I would say is that I don't think the Spurs backline is massively blessed with pace at the moment and neither is Maguire, so that could be a potential issue. In principle, it's one that I could see working out."
What next for Tottenham Hotspur?
Spurs boss Postecoglou will be keen to add to his additions of James Maddison, Gugliemo Vicario and Manor Solomon in the next few weeks as he readies his side for action in 2023/24, as per Transfermarkt.
Football London journalist Alisdair Gold has taken to Twitter X to reveal that Tottenham could be set to bid for Fulham central defender Tosin Adarabioyo, stating on the social media platform: "Also understand there is a growing expectation Spurs will make a bid for Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo as one CB arrival. The 25-year-old is believed to be keen on the move and Spurs have shown a lot of interest in him. Again, they can't hang around though."
Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo
In light of speculation surrounding the future of Harry Kane in north London, Flamengo striker Pedro has emerged as an alternative in case the England international is sold to Bayern Munich, according to The Independent.
Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic has also been earmarked to replace Kane and has been made available due to financial problems at his current employers, as per Football Insider.