Lionel Messi is pretty reliable over free-kicks, but one of his latest strikes for Inter Miami appeared to hit an unsuspecting toddler in the crowd.
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Argentine icon bagged brace in 'Clasico'Had chance to complete treble late onRadar from set-piece was a little offWHAT HAPPENED?
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was in action for the Herons against Florida neighbours Orlando City on Saturday. He bagged a brace in that contest and was looking to complete a ‘Clasico’ hat-trick when lining up a set-piece in the closing stages.
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Messi’s effort did not miss by much, but he did send it curling narrowly over the crossbar. Those in the stands had little time to react as the 20-yard effort came sailing their way, with spectators sat close to the pitch finding themselves very much in the firing line.
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A young supporter, sporting a black Inter Miami kit, appeared to be struck by the ball as it ended up stuck on her seat. The youngster in question avoided any injury, but they were a little shaken and tears flowed as the game continued around her.
The event to mark a year until the 2019 World Cup was a call to rally round and support an event that is returning to these shores for the first time in two decades
Andrew Miller30-May-2018It wasn’t hard to determine what the theme of next year’s World Cup is set to be, given the ICC’s choice of venue for its event to mark the tournament’s one-year countdown.A bar and courtyard in East London’s iconic Brick Lane, the heart of the capital’s Bangladeshi community, was jam-packed with legends of tournaments past, as well as fans and kids representing all ten of the competing nations. It amounted to a call to arms to the myriad cultures that make up the British Isles, to rally round and support an event that is returning to these shores for the first time in two decades.It will do so, according to the tournament organisers, with appetites whetted and lessons learnt from the two ICC events that took place in England last year – the Champions Trophy and Women’s World Cup. Both passed off without a hitch, allowing David Richardson, the ICC chief executive, to breathe a sigh of relief at once again working with the ECB, a board which has “a culture of doing things well in advance, as opposed to other parts of the world where there is a culture of leaving things to last minute”.On one key aspect of the World Cup strategy, however, the ICC and ECB haven’t seemed quite so aligned in recent weeks. In spite of their shared commitment to participation, particularly among Asian communities, the recent comments of the ECB chairman, Colin Graves, that young people “are just not attracted to cricket”, prompted a diplomatic response from Richardson, who clearly hopes that next summer’s events will provide a more thorough refutation of that claim.”That is very much an English viewpoint,” Richardson said. “Globally we are seeing in our sport, compared to other sports, the average age of the fan is lower than even football and certainly rugby. Market by market, it varies widely – in England, I think, there is a bit of a challenge making sure we re-engage with the youth and grow the game from a participation point of view – but elsewhere in the world, it is quite positive.”That implication was borne out by ticket sales for last summer’s Champions Trophy. According to the ECB’s own figures, supporters of a South Asian heritage accounted for 40 percent of the total sales, boosted no doubt by the presence of three Asian teams alongside England in the semi-finals. For standard bilateral events featuring England and a touring team, however, that figure has been just 3 percent.Nevertheless, Steve Elworthy, the tournament director, accepts that there is still room for improvement, in spite of a 90 percent attendance figure during the Champions Trophy, particularly in reaching beyond cricket’s traditional supporters and engaging those for whom the World Cup may yet be their first glimpse of the sport.Cricket fans in East London gather at an event to mark one year until the 2019 World Cup•Getty Images”The criticism [last year] was that it didn’t necessarily break out of the cricket bubble,” Elworthy said. “But 55 percent of the people who came to the Champions Trophy hadn’t been to cricket in the last five years or so – there was a huge Asian support base for it – we want to build on that.”Plans to extend the World Cup’s reach could include a bespoke opening ceremony on the eve of the tournament, while the notion of Fan Parks and “inner-city take-overs” – “from Durham right down to Taunton” – are also being discussed.”We have stated ambitions to engage with a million kids between now and the end of the tournament,” Elworthy added. “We have 100,000 tickets earmarked for under-16s for the World Cup. We have an opportunity to re-engage and drive huge participation.”And that message will doubtless be music to the ears of the ECB hierarchy, whose bid to reboot the sport’s popularity in England and Wales has been dented in recent weeks by a hostile reception to their proposed 100-ball format.And Richardson himself wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about the notion of a fourth format for a sport that is already struggling to balance the competing demands of Tests, 50-over and T20s.”Our strategy is clear in that we’ve got three formats of the same game, which is challenging in itself to keep them from cannibalising each other,” he said. “But what it does do is provide us an opportunity to provide an offering to everybody, every type of cricket fan, from the traditional old Test cricket fan to a youngster who wants something to be happening every ball.”And the 50-over version, I think, is that perfect fit between Test and T20. It provides a perfect day’s entertainment, we’ve seen that around the world – it is very popular elsewhere in the world — and the World Cup has got that prestige which I think will help cement 50-over cricket’s popularity well into the future.””But certainly there isn’t an appetite to increase and create another format.”Asked if the ECB needed help from the ICC to frame their message, particularly in the form of a successful staging of the World Cup, Richardson responded: “We don’t need to hold their hand or do anything [like that]. They are quite capable themselves, I’m sure.”But the bottom line is that this does present a huge opportunity – and we saw it with the Women’s World Cup – to attract a new audience to get people enthused who weren’t necessarily going to cricket matches season after season. I think there is a huge opportunity in having an event in your own country.”
Sri Lanka came to life during their 219-run DLS thrashing of England in the fifth ODI and Thisara Perera suggested his T20 side would be on the attack again
Andrew Fidel Fernando26-Oct-2018Fresh from piling on 366 against England in the final one-dayer, Sri Lanka are hopeful the tables they turned on Tuesday will remain upended, that the boots will stay switched, and that their batsmen will continue their plunder in the T20 on Saturday. Sure, victory in the fifth ODI came in a dead rubber against a substantially weakened England side, but its emphatic nature – the 219-run DLS win was Sri Lanka’s biggest this decade – has injected fresh energy into what had been an ailing limited-overs side.In particular, Sri Lanka may seek to target England’s key bowlers. In the fifth ODI they succeeded in taking more runs off legspinner Adil Rashid than they previously had in the series. Sri Lanka’s new T20 captain Thisara Perera said an aggressive approach against Rashid could pay dividends again.”If you take the last game, whatever we wanted to do against Rashid worked, I thought,” he said. “We wanted to be positive against him. When we have that mindset we can put a bowler under pressure. So we urged the batters to go out and play positively. But we also kept an eye on the variations to expect from each bowler.”The batsmen who began Tuesday’s onslaught were Niroshan Dickwella, who has had a good limited-overs leg of this tour, and Sadeera Samarawickrama, who made his maiden international fifty. The pair put on Sri Lanka’s first century opening stand since July 2017, and may have the opportunity to provide more early-overs fireworks. Because Kusal Perera remains sidelined with a quad strain, Samarawickrama has been brought into the squad, and will likely open the innings again.”We gave them the last couple of games hoping to get a good start, because we have to give players opportunities often,” Thisara said. “I thought they grabbed it by both hands. We have just a few games before the World Cup and we hope to settle on a side, rather than allowing new players to come in and find places.”On a personal note, Thisara believes the T20 captaincy came back to him on account of his much improved batting and bowling form in 2018. He had been T20 limited-overs captain for a stint in late 2017, before being replaced by Angelo Mathews in the role, but now takes the job back from Mathews. Having had three poor years between 2015 and 2017, Thisara has made an emphatic recovery this year, and averaging 37.66 and striking at 176 with the bat, even if his bowling in the shortest format hasn’t been as good as it has been in ODis.”Captaincy was not something that I expected,” he said. “I was keen on representing the country, and captaincy came to me as I became senior. I was taken out as captain this year, but when I started performing again I was entrusted with leadership again. If I can perform as a player and continue to lead the side I will be happy with that.”
Australia have packed 10 days of cricket into the last three weeks, and their T20I captain hopes the team can cap a hard month on the road with a title win
Liam Brickhill in Harare07-Jul-2018With one match to go before a well-earned break, Australia captain Aaron Finch is hoping his team will cap a hard month on the road with a victory. “Hopefully leading into this final, we’re saving our best for last and then the boys will get a little break,” Finch said.Australia have packed 10 days of cricket into the last three weeks, and they’ll need the rest ahead of a busy 2018-19 season. After a trip to the UAE for Tests, ODIs and a T20I against Pakistan, the side will play South Africa, India and Sri Lanka over a summer that will also feature an expanded Big Bash League.Australia have also been coming to terms with a new era both on and off the field, with the addition of new faces to their squads bringing with it a general need for recalibration. While there’s still room for improvement, Finch thinks there have been “great developments” in the team.”Slowly we’re starting to find the right balance and a little bit more of an understanding of how each other play the game,” Finch said. “There’s a few new faces around, so as a captain I think it’s important to have more of an understanding of guys strengths and things where there’s room for improvement. There’ve been some great developments over the last few months on tour. We’ve trained hard.”But hard yakka in the nets hasn’t necessarily transmuted into success. Inconsistent results certainly aren’t down to any lapses in their training schedules: Australia have trained for an hour or more after their last two games in Harare, braving plummeting mid-winter temperatures, and several players have spoken about the effect new coach Justin Langer is having. All the same, their last few games have been marked by both record-breaking peaks and repeated blunders.”I don’t know if rusty is the right word,” Finch said. “We’re still just slightly off in our execution with the bat, ball and in the field. Putting down a couple too many chances in the field – well, one is too many. With the ball we’re probably just leaking that one over that’s a real big one. In the past we’ve been really good at, if we’re hit for a boundary early, shutting down the over and getting out of it. Lately there’s been too many 15, 16-plus overs. With the bat, anytime you have to get a new partnership going, it makes it more difficult.”It would have been nice for our in batters to make sure that we got the job done comfortably [against Zimbabwe]. A little too close for comfort, but in the end getting a win is important, leading into the final with momentum.”Finch’s personal returns have also been mixed in the tri-series, with 240 runs (and a new world record) in his first two innings followed by 19 runs from his next two. But such are the vagaries of T20 batting, Finch said, targetting another big knock in Sunday’s final.”I feel like I’m playing very well at the moment. I’m not too bothered by a couple of low scores to be honest. T20 cricket tends to be high risk at the start of the innings and as long as I’m moving well and hitting the ball in the middle of the bat I’m pretty confident. Having played a lot of T20 cricket now, I understand the highs and lows of a batter in this game so it’s just about making sure that you’re giving yourself the best chance, making the right decision under pressure, and I still feel as though I’m doing that. It just hasn’t gone my way in the last two games, but hopefully a big one in the final.”Sarfraz Ahmed and Aaron Finch at the toss•AFPFinch will be up against an attack Australia hadn’t seen much of in T20Is before their trip to Zimbabwe. Australia’s last T20I against Pakistan before the tri-series was at the World T20 in 2016, and while they have played each other in other formats, Australia have had to scramble to adapt their gameplans on a quick turnaround while in Harare.”They’ve got a lot of very dangerous players,” Finch said of Pakistan. “If you look at the stats from this series, Fakhar Zaman has been outstanding and a real thorn in our side for a couple of games. He’s also been really consistent in this format for quite a long time. Obviously [Mohammad] Amir came back and bowled really well in the last game. They’ve got a lot of left-arm options. And then Shadab Khan as well, bowling legspin and spinning it both ways is also a threat. We reviewed heavily after the game against Pakistan and came up with some really solid plans for their bowlers and batters.”The world no. 1 ranking will remain out of Australia’s grasp even if they win Sunday’s final – they needed an unbeaten run through the tri-series to snatch the position away from Pakistan – but Finch said that winning the tri-series, rather than gaining ranking points, was Australia’s goal throughout.”On this tour, there’s been no talk about ‘we have to win this tournament to become no. 1’. It’s about winning the tournament for Australia. We’ve put ourselves in a position to do that, so that’s a real positive. We haven’t played our best cricket in the last couple of games, but there’s room for improvement and come tomorrow I’ve got a real good feeling that we’ll bring our A game.”Though rankings aren’t the focus, a win in the final would mean that Australia’s T20 side would be their top-ranked men’s team in second position (their women’s side is no. 1 overall), and Finch put their climb up the tables from sixth position last year down to the increased number of T20Is on their calendar. Australia have played 17 T20Is since the last World T20 in early 2016, winning 12. Between the 2014 and 2016 World T20s, they had played just 10 games, losing six.”We’ve been really consistent over the years in T20 cricket with some great sides,” Finch said. “In the past there’s been a lot less T20 cricket played as a country outside of the world tournaments. When you’re playing one game generally per series, if that, it can be quite hard to get your ranking up there. I think over the last 18 or 24 months we’ve played a lot more T20; we’ve probably had a lot more settled side over that time as well. I think there’s merit in how we’ve moved up the rankings.”
Manchester United’s recent 3-0 loss to Newcastle United in the EFL Cup means that their start to the 2023/24 campaign – which has included eight losses in 15 matches – is their worst since the 1962/63 season.
The result on Wednesday ensures they will not be defending the League Cup they won back in February and with just one win in three Champions League ties along with just five wins in the Premier League, there may not be any silverware adorning the United trophy cabinet this season.
Erik ten Hag is a man coming under severe pressure and unless results perk up immediately, starting with a tie against Fulham on Saturday, then his reign at the club could be short-lived.
The Dutchman has not been helped with a plethora of injuries disrupting his squad as the likes of Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw and Aaron Wan-Bissaka have been missing for large spells of the current season and a failure to field a first-choice defence has hindered the club.
The players he has been able to call upon however have not delivered consistent performances which match his ambitions and this has led the Old Trafford side down a slippery slope.
It is evident that his business in the summer transfer market was far from ideal, with Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Sofyan Amrabat struggling to settle in and stamp their authority on the team.
If the Dutchman is still in the United hotseat come January, then he could use the winter window to add some much-needed quality to his squad as his attacking option have left a lot to be desired so far this season.
Indeed, Rasmus Hojlund, Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Antony and Bruno Fernandes have scored just seven goals between them throughout the whole campaign.
Could this tempt Ten Hag to delve into the transfer market in a few months for another centre-forward? A previously linked striker, Benjamin Sesko, is reportedly going to be available in January for a potential move.
Man Utd transfer news – Benjamin Sesko
The Red Devils had a chance to sign the young striker from Domzale back in 2019 according to The Athletic, yet it was during the summer of 2022 when United really stepped up their interest in the youngster as Ten Hag wanted to bolster his options.
However, the Dutch boss missed out on signing him as Sesko ended up joining RB Leipzig from Red Bull Salzburg for a fee in the region of £55m.
Benjamin Sesko
Fast-forward nearly 18 months, however, and it appears as though the 20-year-old ace may be ready to move on from the German side already having failed to really settle at the Bundesliga outfit.
That’s according to 90min, who claim that United and Newcastle will be on high alert having been notified of Sesko’s soon-to-be availability.
Having signed another one of Europe’s most promising strikers in Hojlund during the summer, it looks as though Ten Hag is building a team which could challenge for honours in the future. Will he be here to see the fruits of his labour, however?
As mentioned, the United boss has been let down by the lack of goals from his attacking players this term, with Martial in particular once again failing to show the Dutchman any signs of quality.
Anthony Martial’s season in numbers
The Frenchman has just a few months remaining on his current contract at United, and It is safe to say that he has hardly done anything of note to deserve a new and improved deal.
Across the whole squad in the Premier League, the former AS Monaco striker ranks tenth for shots on target per match (0.3) along with ranking 19th for successful dribbles per game (0.1) while scoring no goals in the competition at all.
6
0
2
0
0.6
0.3
2
0
8
0
The 27-year-old dud has netted just once all season, in an EFL Cup match against Crystal Palace, and he does not appear to have enjoyed playing under Ten Hag, scoring a total of ten goals during the Dutchman’s spell at United so far.
With players such as Martial underperforming, alongside Rashford and Fernandes, it shows how little United have going forward, which is why they could make a splash in January.
Making a move for Sesko may not solve every problem they currently have, but his vast potential and clinical nature would surely ensure he is an upgrade on Martial.
Benjamin Sesko would be better than Anthony Martial
The £58k-per-week striker has scored more than Martial since the start of last season (24 vs ten) and he has been making his mark on the continent over the previous 12 months.
The Slovenian forward is already outshining the current United player for domestic performances this term, indicating exactly why he would be a wonderful signing for Ten Hag.
According to FBref, Sesko has registered more shots on target per 90 (2.1 vs 0.8) than Martial, along with registering more shot-creating actions per 90 (2.51 vs 2) and higher successful take-on percentage (62.5% vs 50%) clearly demonstrating his vast potential as a threat at the top end of the pitch this term.
With 57 goals across just 136 professional matches, Sesko has displayed a ruthlessness nature which could get better the more he develops and learns his trade.
He was lauded as a “machine man” by talent scout Jacek Kulig back in 2021 as he was bursting onto the scene with FC Liefering, and he continued that scoring streak with Salzburg before sealing his move to Germany.
Ten Hag will be buoyed by the fact he could be available in the January transfer window and making a move for the young starlet should be a priority, especially considering there are other clubs interested in securing his signature.
Martial has failed to live up to the enormous hype that was generated following his move from Monaco in 2015 and while he has shown flashes of his talent during his eight-year stint at Old Trafford, it simply has not been good enough – as his aforementioned statistics under the current boss prove.
Alongside Hojlund, Sesko could be a future star and the Red Devils will know that if they lure him to Manchester, he could develop into a fantastic option for them at the top end of the pitch, which is not what their current French marksman is.
Manchester United will have been grateful for the international break as a chance for Erik ten Hag to regroup and gather his thoughts ahead of a crucial few weeks ahead.
Having won the EFL Cup and secured qualification for the Champions League during his maiden season in charge, it looks as though second-season syndrome is setting in as United have lost six of their 11 matches so far.
It's clear that he needs more depth in his playing squad and while the summer transfer window saw the Red Devils sign the likes of Mason Mount, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund, they haven’t had the desired impact thus far.
Hojlund has scored three times in the Champions League, yet is goalless in the Premier League and the Dutchman will need more from the youngster.
The Old Trafford side missed out on a variety of targets during the transfer window, most notably Victor Osimhen, Harry Kane and even Moises Caicedo as he looked to bolster his squad.
Harry Kane for Bayern Munich
All three would’ve been wonderful signings, yet it is perhaps where United are in the current market that they didn’t make the move to Manchester.
It was another name which the Red Devils were linked with however that Ten Hag should make a more concrete effort to sign in the January transfer window – Joshua Kimmich.
Were Man Utd close to signing Joshua Kimmich?
Towards the end of the transfer window, reports in Spain suggested that Kimmich was emerging as a key target for the Dutchman ahead of the 2023/24 season.
With just two years left on his current contract, it appeared as though the summer represented the perfect opportunity for Bayern Munich to rake in a massive profit on the midfielder.
The move never materialised however and United ended up signing Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat on deadline day as a way to strengthen in the middle of the park.
He joined on a season-long loan move with an option to buy for £21.4m but have the club managed to secure a solid deal, or are they better going back in for the German during the January transfer window?
What has Kimmich won in his career?
Since joining the Bavarian side back in 2015, the German has gone on to become one of the finest midfielders on the continent and has amassed 358 appearances for Bayern, while scoring 40 goals and grabbing 99 assists in the process.
His list of honours is just as impressive, with the 28-year-old winning the Champions League in 2020 alongside eight Bundesliga titles and a handful of other domestic trophies and there is no doubt United would have a player with a wonderful winning mentality should they lure him to England.
Bayern Munich
358
40
20
RB Leipzig
55
3
0
All stats via Transfermarkt.
His performances during the 2019/20 campaign led to lavish praise from Jose Mourinho, who said: "I see him as a top right-back, left-back, centre-back, No.6, No.8, No.10… he has the qualities to be anything!
"I think he looks to me, very intelligent related to football, very intelligent, understands the moments of the games and understands the difference between positions and understands what he has to do here and what he has to do there. I think he’s phenomenal, an absolutely phenomenal player."
High praise indeed and with United currently struggling so far this season, conceding 19 goals across just 11 games, they are clearly failing to win the midfield battles, resulting in some poor results and a drop in confidence.
Amrabat has been deployed as an emergency left-back due to injuries to Luke Shaw and Tyrrell Malacia, yet Kimmich would certainly be the better option in the heart of the pitch than the Moroccan.
Is Joshua Kimmich better than Sofyan Amrabat?
When compared to positional peers, Kimmich has showcased his talents across a range of metrics and he currently ranks in the top 8% for assists per 90 (0.24), top 5% for shot-creating actions per 90 (4.32), top 1% for passes attempted per 90 (87.63) and the top 3% for progressive passes per 90 (9.44), clearly indicating that he offers a solid threat going forward with come incisive passing.
In comparison, Amrabat when compared to positional peers, fails to rank in the top 50% for either assists (0.05) or shot-creating actions (1.77) per 90, while also doesn’t rank as highly as Kimmich for passes attempted per 90 (69.29) and progressive passes per 90 (7.12) and these metrics see him ranked in the top 11% and 14% respectively.
This suggests Kimmich has been the better performer throughout the course of the last 12 months and considering he is playing for one of the biggest teams in Europe makes these displays even better.
This season, the German has been in outstanding form, averaging 3.1 key passes per game, creating two big chances and grabbing three assists.
Amrabat on the other hand, has averaged one key pass per game, created zero big chances and also failed to register an assist. He has been playing out of position, however.
The Bayern gem has also outshone Amrabat defensively, making more tackles (2.3 to two), interceptions (one to 0.7) and has won a higher percentage of total duels per game (57% to 43%) proving he can contribute both going forward while also helping his side out defensively during matches.
Missing out on him back in the summer looks like a huge mistake by Ten Hag, and he must surely reignite another move for the 5 foot 9 ace when the winter transfer window opens up in a couple of months. It may, however, cost a pretty penny with Football Transfers valuing him at £48m.
His performances have been outstanding in recent months, and it looks as though he is going from strength to strength and United need some rejuvenation throughout the midfield area.
Casemiro is 31, so is Christian Eriksen and with Scott McTominay playing a bit part role, the next few transfer windows will be vital in establishing some depth in this area.
Kimmich is still in his peak years and given that he has won everything there has to be won in Germany, might a new challenge await itself in Manchester?
Tottenham Hotspur have been told they have a truly "perfect" youngster as talkSPORT pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor makes a James Maddison comparison.
Spurs form under Ange Postecoglou
Spurs supporters are quite simply in dreamland right now, as popular head coach Ange Postecoglou enjoys the best start made by any new manager in Premier League history. Wins over Bournemouth, Man United, Burnley, Sheffield United, Liverpool, Luton Town and Fulham have sent table-topping Tottenham on an imperious run of form as they gear up to take on struggling Crystal Palace later today.
It's been a remarkable early-season run and Spurs' best start to a campaign since 1960/1961, where they went on to clinch a domestic double. Postecoglou is seemingly transforming the mood around N17, with Australian already setting a very high standard for his squad.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou.
"I don't go into a job not believing I can't make an impact," said Postecoglou ahead of Crystal Palace (via football.london).
"That's my role. Like I said a few times, my measure of that is not really having some predetermined timeframe of when that happens or it happens. It's just trying to focus on putting the things in place that are important for what we're trying to build. Along the way the progress comes at various times and at different sort of trajectories.
"We're in a good space at the moment but again we've still got plenty of work to do to make sure what we do now is sustainable. That's the main thing. It's not about making a short-term impact, it's about building something which hopefully brings sustained opportunities of success for the club."
Star players like Maddison and Son Heung-min are a huge part of Tottenham's upward trajectory and look set to play a key role once again versus Palace this evening. The former has quite simply dazzled since joining Spurs from Leicester City for around £40 million, as Maddison is showered with praise for his incredible impact.
Udogie transforms Spurs "just as much"
Another player to seriously impress at Tottenham this season has been Destiny Udogie, who forms part of Postecoglou's starting eleven week-in, week-out. The Italy international could miss Palace due to fitness issues, which would surely be a blow considering his excellence. TalkSPORT'S Gabriel Agbonlahor, speaking to Football Insider this week, even claimed Udogie has transformed Spurs "just as much as Maddison".
Destiny Udogie
“I really like Udogie. I’ve watched him a lot this season. He struggled initially with Saka in the derby, but in the second half – he was outstanding. Almost any left-back left one-on-one with Saka would strugglebut he owned him. He’s strong, he’s quick, he’s good on the ball, he can get into dangerous areas and get assists – he’s the left-back and player Tottenham were crying out for.
Dribbling
Ball interception
Tackling
“He’s the perfect left-back because he’s taller than the average, and he’s strong and aggressive. For me, he’s been a revelation alongside Van de Ven and they’ve really transformed that defence, just as much as Maddison has transformed them at the other end”.
James Vince struck a half-century as Hampshire secured a five-wicket win to move closer to the knockout stages
ECB Reporters Network30-May-2018 ScorecardReece Topley bowled Hampshire to the brink of the Royal London Cup’s knockout stages as they beat Middlesex by five wickets at Merchant Taylors’ School.Topley, who committed himself to white-ball only cricket over the winter as he makes another injury comeback, made Middlesex regret their decision to bat first in bowler-friendly conditions following a delayed start.His 4 for 40 ensured the hosts were restricted to just 199 for 8 in their 45 overs, a target the South Group leaders made comfortably, despite a mid-innings wobble, led by 56 from England discard James Vince.Eyebrows were raised when Middlesex skipper Steven Finn opted to bat after winning a toss delayed for an hour by early morning rain.Deprived of club captain Dawid Malan on Test duty and England one-day skipper Eoin Morgan, ruled out with a cracked finger, much depended on openers Paul Stirling and Nick Gubbins. However, Gubbins perished early, caught in the gulley for 9 giving Topley his first wicket.Under murky skies and with an outfield too wet to afford batsman value for their shot-making, even Stirling with two centuries already in the competition struggled to break the shackles.He did hoist Topley for one huge six into the car park but trying to repeat the shot he fell to the next delivery, holing out at mid-off.This left Max Holden, making his List-A debut for Middlesex and the barely more experienced Stevie Eskinazi needing to entrench.The pair kept the scoreboard ticking but save for a huge straight six from Holden boundaries were scarce in a third-wicket stand of 62 ended by Vince who trapped Eskinazi lbw for 42.Topley then returned to the attack to have Holden caught behind for 38 just as the hosts were attempting to accelerate.Overseas player Hilton Cartwright and wicketkeeper John Simpson attempted another rebuild before the former had his furniture rearranged by former Middlesex man Gareth Berg.And when Simpson lofted Mason Crane into Topley’s clutches at mid-off just three overs later Middlesex were 158 for 6.A few lusty blows from Tom Helm got Middlesex to the brink of 200, but Topley bowled him to complete his four-wicket haul.In reply, Rilee Roussow was caught behind to a reckless swipe off Finn, who also had Alsop caught by Eskinazi at short cover.But with Joe Weatherley providing solid support for the free-flowing Vince the visitors were seemingly cantering inexorably towards victory with even the competition’s leading wicket taker Ravi Patel – back on his old schoolground – unable to unsettle them.Vince’s 50 came in 64 balls, but with his team in cruise control the England man needlessly took on mid-on fielder James Franklin who promptly ran him out.When Weatherley holed out to Finn at mid-off from the bowling of Sowter six balls later, Middlesex briefly had hope.Sowter had Bradley Taylor caught behind for 11 to crank up the tension, but Jimmy Adams and Lewis McManus’ 60-run stand eased Hampshire home with 26 balls to spare.
Adam Lallana was seen with England's Under-21 squad at St George's Park as players made their way onto the training pitch.
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Lallana present at England U-21 trainingBrighton midfielder starting to coachFirst linked up with England in SeptemberWHAT HAPPENED?
When England posted a video of day one of this month's training camp, some fans couldn't get their head around 35-year-old Lallana being with the group of Young Lions as it initially gave the impression that the Brighton veteran was just another member of the squad.
AdvertisementTHE EXPLANATION
Even though he's still playing fairly regularly with Brighton – 19 Premier League appearances so far this season – Lallana already has an eye on the future and his role with England's Under-21 squad is in a coaching capacity. The midfielder first took on the role during the September international break, mentoring the next generation of England players and honing his own coaching skills.
WHAT LALLANA SAID
Speaking about his experience with England after his first camp with the squad in September, Lallana said: "It was an amazing insight for me into what may lie in the future, I was delighted with the opportunity and thankful to Brighton and Roberto [De Zerbi] for not just being happy for me to go, but excited that I got the opportunity.
"I was involved in training and took a few little bits, just being that bridge between the coaches and the players. I am still playing in the Premier League so I will still experience the same things as those boys – frustrations, losing and winning as a player.
"When you're young you want everything now, you can be inpatient, so I can help in those areas, while also getting an opportunity to see the blueprint of being a successful coach."
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DID YOU KNOW?
Lallana was named England's senior men's player of the year in 2016 ahead of Jamie Vardy and Wayne Rooney in second and third respectively. But with injuries later taking a toll on his club career, he played his last England game in 2018 at the age of just 29.
Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has recently entered talks regarding a new long-term contract, and a reliable journalist has now revealed the time frame in which it’s likely to be signed.
How old is Alexander-Arnold and how many matches has he played?
Alexander-Arnold is now 24 years of age and has been at the club ever since his childhood days having graduated from the academy in 2016 to become a regular feature of the first-team, where he’s so far made a total of 277 senior appearances to date.
The England international has recently been rewarded for his service by being named vice-captain by Jurgen Klopp, and his leadership qualities alongside his high standard of performances have seen him attracting interest from high-profile clubs overseas.
According to 90min, Barcelona and Real Madrid are admirers of the right-back, and it’s this outside attention that has forced FSG into taking the necessary steps to secure his long-term future on Merseyside which is exactly what they have done.
Football Insider have claimed that the two parties have reached an agreement in principle for their homegrown talent to extend his stay in the Premier League, and a club correspondent has now delivered an update as to when supporters could see the deal getting finalised.
Is Trent Alexander-Arnold signing a new contract at Liverpool?
Writing in his column for CaughtOffside’s Daily Briefing, Liverpool reporter Neil Jones confirmed that Liverpool are aiming to announce Alexander-Arnold's new contract by the end of December. He said:
“I would expect Liverpool to get Trent Alexander-Arnold’s contract situation sorted by the end of the year. He is into the final two years of his current deal, and there is absolutely no doubting his importance to Liverpool’s long-term plans.
"He is already the creative fulcrum of the side, and his promotion to vice-captain in the summer tells you everything you need to know about his standing off the pitch. He’s one of the club’s key players, and one who has huge significance given he’s come through the academy.
“I don’t expect any hiccups in negotiations. Alexander-Arnold wants to stay and Liverpool want to keep him. There will be a lot of clubs hoping something goes wrong, but I don’t see it. Trent’s future lies at Anfield.”
Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold.
How many assists does Alexander-Arnold have?
During his 277 senior appearances for Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold has posted 89 goal contributions (73 assists and 16 goals), showing how much he loves using his pace to burst down the flank, dribble past his marker and create chances for himself and his teammates in the final third.
The PLG client, who already earns £180k-per-week, has carried that impressive form into this season as he’s so far whipped a total of 16 crosses into the opposition’s box, which is the third-highest total throughout the squad, behind Andrew Robertson who is top on 38 and Dominik Szoboszlai in second on 17, via FBRef.
Klopp’s “genius”, as hailed by Jones himself, has also played a huge part in the club’s success over the years having helped to secure seven trophies, including the Premier League and Champions League, so Alexander-Arnold signing an improved deal would be nothing less than he deserves.