Memories of 2019 axe resurface as left-arm seamer seeks confirmation of role in India

Matt Roller12-Sep-2023

It was a hospital pass. On the day that Jofra Archer linked up with England’s white-ball squad, training at the Kia Oval as he continues his rehabilitation from an elbow injury, David Willey found himself sitting in the indoor school, fielding questions from the media.Four years ago, Archer was fast-tracked into England’s ODI squad in the weeks before the World Cup and Willey was squeezed out as a result. As Archer bowled England to the trophy in the final against New Zealand at Lord’s, Willey “shed a tear” while watching on TV, and assumed his international career was over.It is to Willey’s credit that he finds himself in England’s provisional squad for the 2023 tournament. He has 36 ODI wickets at 22.19 in the last four years; in this World Cup cycle, only Adil Rashid has more. He has also contributed with the bat and in the field, and has impressed in the first half of the ongoing four-match series against New Zealand.Archer bowled off his full run on a practice strip on Tuesday morning, before rolling out some left-arm spin and having a short hit in the nets later in England’s training session. “He looks in a good place,” Willey said. “I don’t know where he’s at, fitness-wise, but he’s bowling good wheels out there today.”It remains unlikely that Archer will feature in England’s finalised World Cup squad but his involvement in training suggests that he is on course to fly to India as a travelling reserve, allowing England to monitor his progress in his recovery and draft him into their squad in the event of an injury to a frontline seamer.Speaking last month, selector Luke Wright said that England had “run out of time” in their bid to get Archer fit for the World Cup: “There is a duty of care with him. We have to make sure that, long term, we get it right… If something miraculous happens with him, we have time to change things but I just don’t see it happening.”If Archer does not make it back in time for the World Cup, he could feature on England’s white-ball tour to the Caribbean in December, where they are due to play three ODIs and five T20Is. They will also hope he is fit enough to play a role in their defence of the T20 World Cup next June.Jofra Archer bowls in the middle as he continues rehab from an elbow injury•PA Photos/Getty Images

As for Willey, his recent fitness record is the best of the six seamers England named in their provisional squad, and he repeatedly referred to himself as “a donkey” while speaking to the press. “Me staying fit, touch wood, is probably an asset to the group, with guys who sometimes struggle with niggles and things,” he said.”Call me a donkey if you want, but to take a donkey out to what could be a tough trip, you just might need a donkey. They keep going, donkeys, don’t they?” When discussing England’s squad, he joked: “We’ve got pretty well everything covered – and you’ve got the donkey as well.”Despite his performances in the build-up, Willey will not believe his place at the World Cup is secure until he leaves for India. “Until you’re on that flight out there you can’t rest on your laurels,” he said. Asked specifically about the possibility of being cut from the squad at the last minute, he said: “Hopefully not.”Goodness me, that would be a tough one to take… [but] it is professional sport, and things do change. I made a promise to myself that I’d play every game for England as if it was my last and I try and do that now. Things change and, if it changes for me, then it’s nothing I haven’t been through before.”

David Warner, Mark Wood, Shadab Khan and Ambati Rayudu are among the major overseas players signed up for the second season of UAE’s ILT20, which will start in January next year. Warner and Wood, rivals at the Ashes recently, will team up at Dubai Capitals, while Shadab joins Pakistan team-mates Shaheen Shah Afridi and Azam Khan at Desert Vipers.Rayudu, who retired from all Indian cricket after IPL 2023 and is currently playing in the CPL, has been signed up by MI Emirates, while Martin Guptill and Maheesh Theekshana will play for Sharjah Warriors alongside Lewis Gregory.Apart from Warner and Wood, Capitals have also signed up Andrew Tye, Dasun Shanaka, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sam Billings. Josh Little, Laurie Evans, Ravi Bopara and David Willey have been signed up by Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, while Mujeeb Ur Rahman, part of Capitals last season, has moved to defending champions Gulf Giants. Qais Ahmed, meanwhile, has moved from Giants to Warriors.Related

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Kusal Perera, Akeal Hosein and Corey Anderson have been drafted in by MI Emirates apart from Rayudu. They have also acquired up and coming Sri Lanka mystery spinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth.USA’s Saurabh Netravalkar and Noshtush Kenjige have been picked by Giants and MI Emirates respectively, while Bas de Leede and Roelof van der Merwe are the two Netherlands players in the mix, as part of Vipers and Capitals respectively. Scotland team-mates Chris Sole and Mark Watt will be part of Warriors while Brandon McMullen is part of Knight Riders.The last stage of the squad-building process will involve selecting the UAE players.The second season of the ILT20 will run more or less concurrently with the second season of the SA20 league in South Africa, and will overlap with the last stages of the BBL, too. That aside, there’s England’s five-Test tour of India starting January 25, which could force players like Root and Wood to leave the ILT20 early.

The squads at this stage

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
New signings: Brandon McMullen, David Willey, Jake Lintott, Josh Little, Laurie Evans, Michael Pepper, Ravi Bopara and Sam Hain
Retentions: Ali Khan, Andre Russell, Charith Asalanka, Joe Clarke, Sabir Ali, Sunil Narine, Marchant de Lange and Matiullah KhanDesert Vipers
New signings: Adam Hose, Azam Khan, Bas de Leede, Michael Jones, Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi
Retentions: Alex Hales, Ali Naseer, Colin Munro, Dinesh Chandimal, Gus Atkinson, Luke Wood, Matheesha Pathirana, Rohan Mustafa, Sheldon Cottrell, Sherfane Rutherford, Tom Curran and Wanindu HasarangaDubai Capitals
New signings: Andrew Tye, Dasun Shanaka, David Warner, Mark Wood, Max Holden, Mohammad Mohsin, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Nuwan Thushara, Roelof van der Merwe, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Sam Billings
Retentions: Dushmantha Chameera, Joe Root, Raja Akif, Rovman Powell and Sikandar RazaGulf Giants
New signings: Dominic Drakes, Jordan Cox, Karim Janat, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Saurabh Netravalkar and Jamie Smith
Retentions: Aayan Afzal Khan, Carlos Brathwaite, Chris Jordan, Chris Lynn, Gerhard Erasmus, James Vince, Jamie Overton, Rehan Ahmed, Richard Gleeson, Sanchit Sharma and Shimron HetmyerMI Emirates
New signings: Akeal Hosein, Ambati Rayudu, Corey Anderson, Kusal Perera, Nosthush Kenjige, Odean Smith, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth and Waqar Salamkheil
Retentions: Andre Fletcher, Daniel Mousley, Dwayne Bravo, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Jordan Thompson, Kieron Pollard, McKenny Clarke, Muhammad Waseem, Nicholas Pooran, Trent Boult, Will Smeed and Zahoor KhanSharjah Warriors
New signings: Chris Sole, Daniel Sams, Dilshan Madhushanka, James Fuller, Johnson Charles, Kusal Mendis, Lewis Gregory, Maheesh Theekshana, Mark Watt, Martin Guptill, Sean Williams and Qais Ahmed
Retentions: Chris Woakes, Joe Denly, Junaid Siddique, Mark Deyal, Muhammad Jawadullah and Tom Kohler-Cadmore

It would be fair to say that for much of this season, there has been very little for Tottenham Hotspur fans to celebrate.

Ange Postecoglou’s side have struggled for the majority of the domestic campaign, languishing in the second half of the Premier League table and already being out of both cups.

However, they’ve started to see a number of injured players return and, against Ipswich Town, picked up their third league win on the bounce.

Moreover, one of the surprise stars of this season could now replace one of Antonio Conte’s signings, who has struggled this year.

Conte's most important Spurs signings

Before we get onto the Conte signing, who could see himself replaced in the coming weeks, it’s worth looking at a few of the Italian’s Spurs signings who are still key members of the first team.

The first player who comes to mind is undoubtedly Dejan Kulusevski, who completed his 18-month loan move to N17 in January 2022.

While he has endured ups and downs in the capital, he is now arguably one of the most talented players in the entire squad and is frankly undroppable.

For example, in just 41 appearances, totalling 3030 minutes, the “world-class” dynamo, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored ten goals and provided ten assists, which comes to a goal involvement every 2.05 games, or every 151.5 minutes, and makes him the most productive player in the squad.

During his time in the hot seat, the former Chelsea manager welcomed Rodrigo Bentancur, who joined alongside the Swede, and Yves Bissouma, who joined the club from Brighton & Hove Albion for around £25m in June 2022.

Now, while neither one has been as effective as Kulusevski, they’ve still played prominent roles within the first team this season, with the Uruguayan making 28 appearances thus far and the Malian 32.

Finally, a player who is arguably just as important to the starting lineup but has barely played this season thanks to injury is Cristian Romero, as even though he completed his loan move to the club under Nuno Espírito Santo, it was under Conte’s management that he made his move permanent.

However, there are still two more signings made by the serial winner who are still in the first team picture, although one looks like he could be set to replace the other.

The Conte signings in competition at Spurs

In terms of surprise packages for Spurs this season, the first name that probably should come to mind is Djed Spence, who has fought his way back from being left out of the Europa League squad to being one of the most critical players in the team.

In fact, the Englishman, signed under Conte’s tenure for around £20m in July 2022, has been so impressive this term in attack and defence that he looks ready to replace another of the Italian’s signings at right-back: Pedro Porro.

In fact, with Destiny Udogie back at left-back on the weekend, that is what happened, as the former Middlesbrough player started off the right of the back four, while the £40m former Sporting CP star started on the bench.

Now, the Spanish full-back is most certainly a brilliant outlet going forward, as shown by his nine-goal involvements this season, but he has been something of a liability in defence at times, with his performance against Ipswich in the reverse fixture earlier this season earning him particular ire from journalist Mitch Fretton, who described him and Radu Dragusin as “absolute horror shows” at the back.

There have also been a few occasions this season in which he has been shown up by opposition attackers, such as in the FA Cup game against Aston Villa and by Leandro Trossard away to Arsenal.

Moreover, when we compare the 25-year-old’s underlying defensive numbers to the Englishman’s, it becomes increasingly apparent who the more reliable defender is.

Tackles

3.02

2.31

Tackles Won

2.50

1.67

All Blocks

1.77

1.62

Shots Blocked

0.73

0.60

Passes Blocked

1.04

1.03

Aerial Duels Won

1.15

0.43

For example, the “unbelievable” 24-year-old ace, as dubbed by the iconic Ian Wright, comes out on top for tackles and tackles won, all blocks, shots blocked, passes blocked, aerial duels won and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, it’s hard not to look at Spence as the better full-back at the moment, as while he might be slightly less effective going forward, he can do his primary job to a much higher standard.

So, with stories touting Porro with an exit in the past, it might be time for Daniel Levy to stick with the Englishman and cash in on the Spaniard.

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With new England boss Thomas Tuchel set to name his first squad since replacing interim coach, Lee Carsley, next week, there may well be a raft of Manchester City connections running through the Three Lions roster.

Indeed, the German tactician could once again call upon the likes of Phil Foden and Rico Lewis, while ex-Etihad star, Kyle Walker, will also be looking to maintain his regular role as he targets 100 caps for his country. Jack Grealish and John Stones will, however, likely miss out through injury.

Perhaps more interestingly, there may also be a wave of one-time City academy stars involved for the March internationals, with Cole Palmer the headline name, while the likes of Liam Delap and Morgan Rogers – who have scored 17 Premier League goals between them season – may also have an outside chance of inclusion after starring for Ipswich Town and Aston Villa, respectively.

There could even be a wildcard opportunity for Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens to shine after his return of 15 goals and assists in Germany in 2024/25 to date, with the dazzling winger having departed City on a free transfer back in the summer of 2020.

That handful of names may well be joined by another former Man City asset, with Pep Guardiola having perhaps been left to regret another notable sale of recent times…

Man City's goalkeeping dilemma

Among the number of issues for Guardiola and co to resolve this season is in the goalkeeping department, with the time perhaps having come to acquire a suitable, long-term replacement for Ederson in the sticks.

The unique Brazilian – who has remarkably recorded three Premier League assists this season – had lost his place to teammate Stefan Ortega earlier in the campaign, although has managed to wrestle back his starting berth of late, having started five of the last six top-flight games.

That said, the former Benfica man hasn’t exactly enjoyed a smooth recall to the side, having notably been branded “nowhere near enough” by CBS pundit Jamie Carragher, following the 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid last month.

As Carragher stated following the 31-year-old’s costly errors in that Etihad loss, it is now “at the stage with Man City where they need a new goalkeeper”, particularly with Ederson’s contract set to expire next year.

Ortega has largely been an able deputy, yet the German ‘keeper is even older than his teammate at 32, while having also endured a mixed spell of his own, after scoring an own goal in the narrow victory over Leyton Orient.

With all that in mind – and with reports in recent weeks suggesting that City may splash the cash to sign £62m-rated Porto stopper, Diogo Costa – Guardiola may well regret selling another bright young English talent who could well have walked into the current team.

Man City already sold the perfect Ederson replacement

Ederson may have been off the boil of late, yet it is worth remembering that this is a player who has helped Guardiola’s side sweep all before them over the past eight years or so, with the Citizens having undoubtedly struck a bargain with their £35m capture of the left-footer.

Market Movers

That said, there may be a tinge of frustration that a better succession plan has not been put in place at the Etihad, outside of signing an ageing Ortega as a backup.

Indeed, there may be those – with hindsight on side – who believe that Burnley number one, James Trafford, should have been kept on board, with the 22-year-old now shining in England’s second tier.

Stat (per 90)

Ederson

Trafford

Goals against

1.22

0.27

Shots on target against

3.61

2.24

Save percentage

69.2%

87.8%

Clean sheets

0.28

0.73

Clean sheet percentage

27.8%

72.7%

Save percentage (penalties)

N/A

100%

Passes attempted

34.5

34.5

Passes completed (launched)

3.22

3.39

Pass completion

86.6%

73.6%

Crosses stopped

0.50

0.52

Tipped to potentially join the likes of Palmer in Tuchel’s England set-up, the former City academy graduate – who joined the Clarets on a £15m deal in 2023 – has been integral to Scott Parker’s promotion-chasing side this season.

The 6 foot 6 stopper has racked up a ridiculous haul of 12 successive clean sheets in the Championship, while conceding just nine times in total in the division in 2024/25.

Such form has led to notable praise from his manager, with Parker stating back in January:

Also tipped to be “world-class” by ex-teammate, Palmer, Trafford was memorably the hero at the U21 European Championship in 2023, having saved a 96th minute penalty to steer the Young Lions to victory.

Of course, the Burnley ace did endure a difficult season last term in the top-flight, after conceding 62 goals in just 28 outings, yet his form this time around has not gone unnoticed, with Newcastle United seemingly showing serious interest.

Amid those links with the Magpies, the belief is that Trafford is worth around £30m, thus marking a 100% increase in relation to his £15m fee from almost two years ago.

If recent signs are anything to go by, that valuation will soar even higher, with City left to regret not holding on to yet another big English talent would could well have walked into the current starting lineup.

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Still looking to replace John Eustace, who controversially chose to take the Derby County job, Blackburn Rovers are reportedly set to hold talks with a former Premier League manager this week.

Blackburn seeking Eustace replacement

Whilst Eustace was suffering a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Queens Park Rangers on his Derby debut, Blackburn were rubbing salt in his wounds by simply picking up where they left off – securing a 2-0 victory over Plymouth Argyle.

The credit for that result deserves to go the way of David Lowe, who has stepped up to take interim charge and continued Blackburn’s push to finish inside the Championship’s top six.

Whilst it’s certainly not a case of no Eustace no party for Blackburn, they’re still in need of a replacement and that search has already seen various names mentioned, including Lowe’s.

The interim boss has undeniably made a solid first impression and may well be considered a candidate should those at Ewood Park fail to land a former Premier League manager.

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According to the Lancashire Telegraph, Blackburn are now set to hold talks with Gary O’Neil this week. The manager was sacked by Wolverhampton Wanderers back in December and has been out of work ever since, perhaps leaving the door ajar for a Championship move.

Going from Eustace to O’Neil would certainly be quite the move. The former Wolves and Bournemouth boss is a manager of Premier League quality and guided those in the Midlands into the top half at his best. Now, by stepping down to the Championship, he could take a historic club back to the top flight at long last.

In a crucial week for their managerial search, Blackburn should go all out to secure O’Neil’s signature.

"Great" O'Neil would be impressive coup

By appointing O’Neil, not only would Blackburn be taking a key step towards promotion but they’d also be preparing for life in the Premier League. The former Portsmouth player kept Bournemouth up when not many, if any expected him to do so then took Wolves back into the top half before ultimately struggling in the current campaign amid a lack of reinforcements and a frustrating list of injury concerns.

Previously praised by Jamie Carragher for the “great” job he did at Bournemouth, O’Neil could arrive at a Blackburn side ready to earn a place in the play-offs. Sat as high as fifth and inside the top six by four points, those in Lancashire have 13 games to keep hold of their place and grab their chance to eventually set a date at Wembley come May.

It won’t be a routine job and following Eustace will take some doing, but a former Premier League manager should be more than capable of creating history. Blackburn belong in the Premier League and many will say the same for O’Neil to create a match made in heaven as talks commence this week.