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Aston Villa excruciatingly missed out on a Champions League spot on the final day of the Premier League season as a controversial 2-0 away loss at Manchester United went completely against them.

Unai Emery’s men won’t have dwelled on this disappointment for too long, however, with the grandeur of Europe’s elite competition actually congesting their fixture list across a busy 2024/25, leaving them potentially a little empty in energy to push into those top five positions.

It could also be a summer of much change at Villa Park with Emiliano Martinez and Emiliano Buendia set to leave the West Midlands giants, alongside a whole host of exciting additions potentially entering the building.

Whenever it comes to new faces joining the Villans’ ranks, the Premier League high-flyers will surely always be on the lookout for their next Jack Grealish, with a reunion deal also not completely off the table.

Grealish's current situation at Manchester City

It’s been bubbling away in the background for some time now, but the former homegrown Villa talent could now finally exit the Citizens this summer, having been left out of Pep Guardiola’s camp for the upcoming Club World Cup.

Unfortunately for Grealish, his time at City has now been reduced to a sorry state of affairs, with the former £100m buy only starting seven top-flight games last season.

It’s a far cry away from the days where Grealish would terrorise many a Premier League defence donning Villa claret and blue – as seen in his 32 goals and 43 assists from 213 Villa contests – with the ultimate confidence boost needed for the 29-year-old to salvage his fading career potentially an emotional return to home soil.

However, Emery and Co. could instead go after this alternative target away from sentimentally snapping up Grealish, with this fresh target displaying shades of Grealish’s game all across his own bumpy career path.

The "special" Aston Villa target who has shades of Grealish

After all, Villa Park will be seen as a worthwhile next destination for this low-on-confidence winger, considering Marcus Rashford managed to collect a promising four goals and six assists this season just gone for Villa on loan, after the start of his messy Manchester United divorce came to the surface.

Jadon Sancho is also deep in his own exit route out of the Red Devils, with a report from TEAMTalk earlier this week speculating that United are desperately trying to offload their expensive flop, which has led to Villa taking an interest in the out-of-sorts attacker as a potential Rashford replacement.

There is some method to Villa’s madness here with Sancho displaying flashes of his “special” quality – as he was lauded by Enzo Maresca during his brief Stamford Bridge stay – at Chelsea, as seen in his promising tally of five goals and ten assists in West London.

With 12 strikes also next to his name during his cursed United stint, it’s not completely ludicrous to suggest that Emery can work his magic on another Red Devils outcast here.

His swagger down the left and ability to twist and turn defenders for fun at his peak, not far off Grealish’s own exuberant game, when confidence is also coursing through his veins.

Indeed, that similarity in possession is seen in the fact that Grealish ranks in the top 1% among his European peers for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref, while Sancho is not too far behind, amid his ranking in the top 13%.

LW

Sancho

61

7

11

RW

Sancho

19

4

0

CF

Sancho

2

1

0

AM

Sancho

1

0

0

LM

Sancho

1

0

0

LW

Grealish

121

24

23

AM

Grealish

26

1

4

LM

Grealish

11

2

2

CM

Grealish

8

0

2

CF

Grealish

3

0

0

RW

Grealish

2

0

0

SS

Grealish

1

0

0

Sourced by Transfermarkt

It’s even clearer from the table above where both Sancho’s and Grealish’s strengths lie, with Emery potentially getting the best out of the ex-Borussia Dortmund man to come by playing him down his preferred left flank, away from shoehorning him in elsewhere. With a transfer value of £31m, according to Football Transfers, a move could be a no-brainer.

Both players find themselves at a crossroads in their careers, with Grealish a certainty to leave the Etihad, alongside Sancho at Old Trafford – the latter could well thank Villa Park down the line for mending his broken career.

He's Grealish 2.0: Aston Villa keen on £55m star who has the "X Factor"

Aston Villa are looking to upgrade their attacking options this summer

ByJoe Nuttall Jun 3, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

da prosport bet： Restando pouco mais de uma semana para o fechamento da janela de transferências, o São Paulo avançou durante esta terça-feira (25) nas tratativas com o Ceará para conseguir antecipar a liberação do ponta Erick, jogado cujo contrato com o clube nordestino vai até o final do ano e que já tem um acordo para ser reforço do Tricolor a partir de 2024.

O Lance! apurou que o clube do Morumbi aceita atender algumas das reivindicações do Vozão para liberar a sua principal peça do plantel que luta para conseguir o acesso na Série B. A principal delas é a liberação de algumas peças reveladas em Cotia por empréstimo para reforçar o clube alvinegro.

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Pelo menos duas ‘crias da base’ devem ser repassadas ao Ceará para que ele aceite abrir mão dos cinco meses restantes do contrato de Erick sem receber dinheiro em volta. Um nome acabou sendo revelado por fontes do clube tricolor à reportagem: Pedrinho Vilhena, meia promovido aos profissionais pelo ex-técnico são-paulino Rogério Ceni no início do ano e que não entrou em campo ainda pelo clube.

O plano do São Paulo não era se desfazer de um de seus talentos mais promissores. Vilhena seguia a rotina de nomes como Beraldo, que foram promovidos de Cotia para a Barra Funda, mas permaneceram apenas treinando por cerca de um ano com os profissionais para se ambientar melhor ao estilo de jogo do time principal e, principalmente, se adequar fisicamente à carga exigida.

Entretanto, há pressão por parte do estafe do jogador para que ele ganhe ritmo de jogo. E no entendimento do atual comandante tricolor, Dorival Júnior, o empréstimo poderia ser benéfico para ajudar em seu desenvolvimento.

Uma lista com nomes de outros jogadores, a maioria ainda não promovida em definitivo para a rotina de trabalhos de Dorival, deverá ser encaminhada ao Ceará para escolha. Segundo o Lance! apurou, evidente que atletas com mais destaque no plantel atual, como Matheus Belém, estão descartados na negociação.

O São Paulo busca antecipar a chegada de Erick desde o início do mês, quando acertou um pré-contrato com o atacante. Depois da fracassada negociação com Marinho, o clube do Morumbi vê no jogador de 24 anos a opção ideal para atender a necessidade de um jogador rápido pelos lados do campo, capaz de romper linhas.

Erick foi uma indicação do próprio Dorival, que trabalhou com ele no Vozão no ano passado. O jogador, que já foi considerado o quarto maior driblador do mundo e estrela deste ano no clube, com 34 jogos, 13 gols e oito assistências, aumentou a idolatria da torcida sendo um dos poucos destaques a seguir no Ceará após o rebaixamento à segunda divisão. Desde o começo do ano e o início do assédio do São Paulo o discurso dele é de querer ficar até o final do ano para ajudar no acesso.

Inicialmente, o Ceará fez jogo duro com a diretoria são-paulina. Pediu o pagamento integral da multa para liberá-lo. Depois o valor chegou a cair para R$ 6 milhões. Diferente de Marinho, quando o clube do Morumbi propagou aos quatro ventos o interesse e a proposta, desta vez adotou o silêncio. E para ajudar os corações cearenses, até emprestou o lateral-direito Orejuela, sem espaço no Tricolor, para ajudar na aproximação. Ao que tudo indica, a tática, agora, deu certo.

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And just like that, Tottenham Hotspur miss out on another chance for silverware.

Ange Postecoglou’s side travelled to Anfield for the second leg of their League Cup semi-final last night, and while they did so with a 1-0 advantage, they won’t be heading to Webley Stadium next month.

The North Londoners were unable to keep Liverpool at bay and never looked even remotely like scoring themselves, so while the hosts eventually ran out 4-0 winners, it could have easily been more.

With all that said, the Lilywhites have to now dust themselves off and go again, as they still have two more chances to win a trophy this season, although to give the team the best chance of doing so, Postecoglou must drop one of his star players for new boy Mathys Tel.

Why Tel has to start

So, while Tel did get his first run out in a Spurs shirt late into the first half last night, the main arguments for why he should be starting the FA Cup game on the weekend, and the Premier League games after that, do not stem from his somewhat underwhelming performance.

In fact, they don’t even really come from what he did with Bayern Munich prior to his move this season, as Vincent Kompany hardly gave him any game time. Instead, they stem from his outrageously impressive form last season.

For example, despite still only playing 1406 minutes of first-team football across 41 appearances, the young Frenchman racked up a brilliant haul of ten goals and provided six assists.

Appearances

41

Starts

10

Minutes

1406′

Goals

10

Assists

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.39

Minutes per Goal Involvement

87.87′

That means that, in a season in which he was just 18 years old at the start, the player Spurs believe to be a “generational” talent, per journalist Graeme Bailey, maintained an average of a goal involvement every 2.56 games, or every 87.87 minutes.

Moreover, according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and the Europa League, the Sarcelles-born ace sits in the top 9% of attacking midfielders and wingers for total shots, the top 13% for successful take-ons, the top 14% for assists and more, all per 90.

In short, the Bayern loanee is an exceptionally exciting attacker who could and would inject some much-needed dynamism into Spurs’ frontline, and therefore, he must start in place of a veteran for the foreseeable future.

The Spurs star Postecoglou must drop

The unfortunate reality of last night’s dismal display is that you could probably make a case for why most of the starting lineup shouldn’t keep their place for the game against Villa on the weekend.

However, the manager is not blessed with the squad depth to make wholesale changes and, stars like Dejan Kulusevski have shown earlier this season that, at his best, he’s unplayable.

Therefore, the player that Postecoglou should be looking to drop in place of Tel is none other than club captain Son Heung-min.

The South Korean superstar is an icon of both the team and the league, but last night was yet another game that seemingly passed him by, as while he rattled the crossbar in the dying embers, he was unbelievably ineffective for practically the entire match.

It might sound harsh, but it’s an opinion shared by the Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, who gave the winger a 4/10 match rating at full-time, writing that he ‘struggled to make any inroads’ against the Reds’ steadfast defence, which is also borne out in his statistics.

Minutes

93′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Shots on Target

0

Dribbles (Successful)

2 (0)

Passing Accuracy

10/17 (59%)

Key Passes

0

Touches

29

Crosses (Accurate)

3 (0)

Long Balls (Accurate)

1 (0)

Ground Duels (Won)

5 (1)

Aerial Duels (Won)

1 (0)

Lost Possession

13

Dribbled Past

2

In his 93 minutes on the pitch, the former Bayer Leverkusen star failed to have a single shot on target, failed in 100% of his attempted dribbles, maintained a dismal passing accuracy of just 59%, played no key passes, took just 29 touches, failed in 100% of his crosses and long balls, lost four of five ground duels and 100% of aerial duels, lost the ball 13 times and was dribbled past twice.

Ultimately, it was a diabolically poor performance from the captain, and given the fact he’s set to turn 33 in the summer and research carried out by The Athletic revealed that wingers see a dramatic decline in their ability to take players on at 30, it seems incredibly unlikely that we’ll ever see him back to his best.

Therefore, to give the team the best chance of finally lifting some silverware this season, Postecoglou must drop Son from the starting lineup and replace him with the incredibly dynamic, unpredictable and exciting Tel, especially ahead of Villa on Sunday.

Alongside Kinsky: Spurs ace who lost 10/12 duels ruined their trophy hopes

Spurs were thumped at Anfield as their dreams of Wembley faded away.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 7, 2025

The young defender has been compared to Virgil van Dijk, but to get anywhere near that level, he'll have to become Benfica's next star first

Just look at the names that have emerged from Benfica. Even narrowing it down to players from the last few years, there are some of football's biggest names. Enzo Fernandez, Darwin Nunez, and Goncalo Ramos left for colossal transfer fees. So, too, did Ruben Dias, who immediately showed he's one of the best defenders in the world. Go back just a little bit further, and you find Joao Felix and Ederson. Angel Di Maria is a former star, too.

The thing is, though, you have to break through at Benfica before you emerge from Benfica. And that's no easy task. Some of the best prospects in the world arrive in Lisbon with big dreams of someday breaking through.

American defender Josh Wynder is one of those prospects, and he's inching closer to that first-team breakthrough. Since arriving in Portugal, Wynder has generally taken the patient road, working his way up through the club's youth system. The former Louisville City defender recently got a taste of the first-team in a cup game, though, and American fans will be watching on eagerly, hoping that that taste can soon turn into a chance for Wynder to show why he might just be one of the next big prospects to impress with one of the world's best talent developing clubs.

GOAL takes a look at Wynder as he nears a potential leap forward for club and country.

Connor CunninghamWhere it all began

It's hard to believe that Wynder is just 20 years old. For those that have followed his career, it seems like he's been around for quite a while.

After initially signing with hometown Louisville City in 2021, the teenage defender rapidly emerged as one of the brightest prospects in American soccer. In addition to his initial success in the USL, Wynder went on to be a key player for the U.S. on the youth level, captaining the U-19s and emerging as a starter for the 2023 U-20 World CUp team that went all the way to the quarterfinals.

He also got a taste of the U.S. Men's National Team, earning a call-up in April 2023 for the Continental Clasico against Mexico. He didn't feature, but in many ways, the message was sent by U.S. Soccer: they were watching.

The federation wasn't alone, either. Benfica were keeping an eye on Wynder, too, and, after a trial with the club, his mind was all but made up.

"When I first got there [for my trial], I enjoyed it," Wynder told GOAL upon making his move in the summer of 2023. "Then a week into it I called my parents and I was like, 'I could see myself here'. I hadn't made the decision, but I told them that I can see myself here. When I got back to Louisville, I talked it over with my parents, talked with my agent, and then the next step for me was to get my parents over there to see the area and get comfortable, because they're going to be coming overseas visiting me. I think there's a lot of pieces but it all worked out."

He added: "They develop young players really well, and that suits me perfectly. Also, just the way they play, they're a ball-playing team, which fits my playing style very well, too. It's a good area, where the facilities are, and I think the coaching staff really did a good job when I was on trial. They're communicating with me and giving me a plan, and I think the pieces just kind of put themselves together for me."

AdvertisementLouisville CityThe big break

Before even arriving at Benfica, Wynder was given a path forward. It would start with the reserves. Before he could think about taking the field in the top flight, he had to adapt and, just as importantly, prove he was ready.

"They see me starting with the second team," Wynder said in 2023. "Hopefully, I'll integrate well with the team and start playing as soon as possible and doing well. Then, my goal is to get into the first team by the end of the year, at least training with the first team, because I think that should be my aspiration for this year. Hopefully, in the next year, or within two to three years, I'll be with the first team, starting or making appearances, whatever it is, but those are my goals."

In that sense, Wynder is right on time. Wynder has been a rock for Benfica B in the Portuguese second division, scoring four goals across 30 appearances from the centerback position. That consistency earned him a brief look with the first team.

On April 9, Wynder made his first-team debut for Benfica, coming on as a 77th-minute substitute in the first leg of the club's cup win over Tirsense. Benfica went on to win 9-0 across the two legs, with Wynder also named to the bench for the second match, although he didn't see the field in another blowout win.

Wynder's debut was a reward for his play with the club's second team, for sure, but it was also likely a sign of things to come if reports out of Portugal are to be believed.

Louisville CityHow it's going

It doesn't seem Benfica will be in a position to offer many more minutes this season. Currently second in the Portuguese league, Benfica is level on points with league leaders Sporting CP heading into a clash between the two this weekend. The club will then close the league campaign with a match against Braga before then facing Sporting CP in the cup final on May 25. These are high-stakes games and not the ones to throw a young centerback into.

Next season, though? That's when things could change.

According to Portuguese outlet Record, Wynder is expected to be promoted to the first team next season. His performances have reportedly impressed the club's hierarchy, who now believe he's ready for the big step up to the first team.

It would be huge for Wynder, who would then get a chance to prove himself for a heavy-hitter in a solid league. It could also mean minutes in top competitions, from this summer's Club World Cup right onto next season's Champions League. Benfica seem to believe he's nearly ready for those types of opportunities, and they may be coming soon, even if it likely won't be this season.

GettyBiggest strengths

Listed at over six feet tall, Wynder has no problems with the physical side of the game. He's proven to be dangerous on set pieces with both Benfica B and the U.S. youth teams, which is always a pretty big bonus for a young centerback. His athleticism will help him when he does make the move to first-team soccer and his aerial ability will help earn him trust from coaches.

His size and athleticism won't be what Benfica is focused on, though. No, the Portuguese giants will also be pleased with his technical development. Wynder always looked comfortable on the ball with Louisville City but, when playing for a team like Benfica, that skillset needs to be taken to a different level.

The club routinely dominates lesser opponents in the Portuguese league, which means defenders have to be as comfortable passing the ball as they are heading it away. In many ways, Wynder projects to be a modern-day defender, one who can impact the game both with the ball and without it.

Batsman, captain, innovator, inventor, mentor, commentator and writer – Martin Crowe was all of that during a career that did not end after he retired from the game

Compiled by George Binoy03-Mar-2016Martin David Crowe was born on September 22, 1962 in Henderson, Auckland, to parents Audrey and David Crowe. He had a sister Deb and an older brother Jeff, who played 39 Tests and 75 ODIs for New Zealand. Russell Crowe, the actor, was a younger cousin.In 1968 at the age of around 6, Crowe joined Cornwall Cricket Club in Auckland, the start of a lifelong association. In fact, on February 27, 2015, during his battle with lymphoma, Crowe took part in a match to mark the club’s 60th anniversary. “My dad’s ashes are up there on that bench so I thought it would be nice to bat an over, if I last the over,” Crowe told ONE News ahead of the game “I was going to treat this as my last outing on the old ground.” He made 25 not out off 20 balls in his final innings.Crowe attended Auckland Grammar School as a 13-year old in 1976 and spent five years in the institution. This is what his headmaster Sir John Graham, a former All Black, wrote about him in 1980 (taken from martincrowe.com): “MD Crowe is one of the outstanding young men to have attended Auckland Grammar. He has excelled in every aspect of school life in which he has been involved and no boy in the School’s history has done more for his school’s reputation than Martin Crowe. He is a young man of the highest quality and all-round potential. He is dedicated and determined in all he does, he has the intelligence and the ability to do all things well. His character is strong, dependable and independent. I have the highest regard for him as a young New Zealander.”Crowe was fast tracked in domestic and international cricket. The rapid progress he made, however, wasn’t always beneficial. “From the age of 14 when I was picked for the Auckland under-23 side and then as 12th man for a Shell Trophy final. I was basically given a script that was way beyond my years. Emotionally I was totally unprepared and ever since, I’ve always been playing catch-up with that emotional stability,” Crowe told in 2006. “All I kept feeding was an ego. In terms of my emotional development I was always three years out of my depth and I’ve had issues throughout my career with it.”On January 19, 1980, at the age of 17, Crowe made his first-class debut for Auckland against Canterbury, scoring 51 in the first innings. His domestic career ended in the 1995-96 season and he finished with 19,608 first-class runs at an average of 56 in 247 matches, representing Auckland, Central Districts, Somerset and Wellington. His List A career comprised 261 matches in which he scored 8740 runs at an average of 38.16.The 1992 World Cup was the zenith of Martin Crowe’s career – he led New Zealand to the semi-final and was Player of the Tournament•Getty ImagesCrowe was 19 when he made his ODI debut , against Australia at Eden Park in Auckland, on February 13, 1982. He did not bat in New Zealand’s 46-run victory that day, despite them losing six wickets. Two weeks later, Crowe made his Test debut, at Basin Reserve, where he was run out for 9 in a rain-hit draw against Australia. “When I played for New Zealand when I was 19, against Lillee and Thomson, I rattled off scores of 9, 2, 0 and 9. And then I ran up to the far north of New Zealand to be with my sister. I couldn’t face anyone in public,” Crowe told in 2014. “And then I finally went down to the pub to play a game of pool. At the bar there was this big Maori man, and he said, “Hey, Crowe! I hope you can play pool better than you can play cricket. I was trapped. I couldn’t go anywhere. This was the farthest pub in New Zealand, and in that moment I realised I had to fix this problem of failure.”After seven Tests, in which he scored only 183 runs at 15.25, Crowe made his maiden Test century – a match-saving 100 against England in Wellington. “But Martin, the younger of the Crowe brothers, showed exceptional maturity for a 21-year-old, batting for 276 minutes without making a visible mistake until the stroke that got him out, an edge to slip that gave Gatting his first Test wicket,” reported. “Crowe’s driving, reminiscent of Greg Chappell’s in its rifling precision, accounted for most of his 19 fours.” Crowe went on to make 17 Test hundreds, a New Zealand record that still stands.Between 1984 and 1988, Crowe played county cricket for Somerset, where he replaced Viv Richards. Ian Botham was not happy at losing the West Indian batsman and disparagingly called Crowe “a good club cricketer”. Crowe went on to play 48 matches for Somerset, making 3984 runs at an average of 59.Crowe’s second and third Test hundreds were a brace of 188s in April and November 1985. The second of those came in a famous innings win at the Gabba, where Crowe’s performance complemented Richard Hadlee’s 15 wickets to seal New Zealand’s first Test victory in Australia. “Martin was sublime, really. Watching from the other end I was constantly amazed at the time he had to play his shots,” John Reid, who scored 108 in that innings, told ESPNcricinfo in 2015. “When they pitched the ball up, he drove it well. When they pitched it short he cut, hooked and pulled the ball. He dominated their attack to an extent I could not emulate. I was actually consciously feeding him the strike to ensure that his ability to dominate the attack could be utilised to better the chances of winning.” In contrast, the first of those 188s had been an exercise in patience that helped New Zealand draw a Test in Guyana. Crowe had batted nine and a half hours, longer than any of his previous first-class innings.In 2011, Martin Crowe attempted a comeback to club cricket at the age of 48. It lasted one match•Getty Images”At the age of eight, I said to my dad that I am going to score a century at Lord’s one day,” Crowe told . He made two – the first in July 1986 and the second in 1994.Bruce Reid struck Crowe on the jaw during the Christchurch Test in 1986. Crowe was on 51 when he mistimed the hook and had to leave the field to get ten stitches. He returned with New Zealand 190 for 6 in the first innings, in response to Australia’s 364, and counterattacked to make 137 off 226 balls. “It was a display which drew comparisons with Sutcliffe’s epic innings for New Zealand at Johannesburg in 1953-54,” Wisden reported.Crowe made 1348 first-class runs at an average of 103.69 for Central Districts in the 1986-87 domestic season to help win the Shell Trophy for his team. The 1676 runs Crowe scored that summer remains the New Zealand record for the most runs in a season.In early 1987, Crowe made 119, 104 and 83 in three Tests against attacks comprising Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner, Michael Holding, Courtney Walsh and Tony Gray to help New Zealand draw the series against West Indies 1-1. “Sometimes you got too conscious because you tried too hard to deal with the challenge,” Crowe told about what could trip him up in the middle. “And against West Indies you had to accept it was hit or miss. Out of five, you were going to have three failures but if you could have one good innings and a half-good innings, you would average 40 and that would be okay in that era of the ’80s.”Crowe captained New Zealand for the first time in a Test against Pakistan in October 1990. He led his country in 16 Tests – of which New Zealand won two and lost seven – and 44 ODIs (21 wins, 22 defeats). As captain, he averaged 54 with the bat in Tests and 45 in ODIs.Martin Crowe contributed to New Zealand cricket even after he stopped playing, mentoring players such as Ross Taylor and Martin Guptill•Getty ImagesOn February 4, 1991, Crowe made the highest individual Test score for New Zealand – a record that stood for 23 years – but also became the only batsman to be dismissed for 299. He batted 610 minutes in that innings against Sri Lanka, and said after the game: “It’s a bit like climbing Everest and pulling a hamstring in the last stride.” His 467-run partnership with Andrew Jones was also a world record at the time.In February and March 1992, Crowe led New Zealand to the semi-finals of the World Cup, the highlight of his captaincy career. He was Player of the Tournament for being the top-scorer – 456 runs at an average of 114 – and for his innovative captaincy: Crowe used a spinner to open the bowling and restrict batsmen during the fielding restrictions, and also deployed a pinch-hitter to exploit those very restrictions when New Zealand batted. “Marty was a very creative and brilliant thinker, the genesis came from him. Tactically he was light years ahead of anyone else I played under,” former New Zealand bowler Gavin Larsen said in 2014. “He was the boss, he ran the gig. He was like a chess master, the way he moved his players around. He was just clever.” Crowe, however, did not field in the semi-final against Pakistan, and New Zealand failed to defend their total. “With what unfolded, I had made a massive mistake in not taking the field despite a hamstring injury, because I was trying to be fit for the final as opposed to getting the team through to the final,” Crowe said in 2015.His international career ended in India, in November 1995. Crowe’s final innings was 63 off 62 balls in Nagpur, where New Zealand won by 99 runs to draw the ODI series 2-2. Crowe finished with 5444 runs at an average of 45 in 77 Tests, and 4704 runs in 143 ODIs at an average of 38.55.In 1996, Crowe launched his invention, Cricket Max – a shortened form of the game with a funky format and rules. “I invented and designed Cricket Max because I felt it was time to provide to our spectators and TV viewers a game of cricket that was short in duration, very colourful, kept some old traditions and highlighted the best skills in the game,” Crowe said at the time. The format was not played after 2003.Crowe began his broadcast career in 1997, when he joined Sky Television. “Marty embodies the quality that businesses often dislike but desperately need – the desire to change something before it gets stale,” Nate Smith, former Sky TV CEO, said on martincrowe.com. “I saw that way back when he saw the world of cricket needed a shorter formatted game. Did all the ideas tested last? No, but it did move the code forward in its thinking. Marty may not always say what people want to hear, but that is why he would be the perfect choice.”Martin Crowe was inducted into the ICC’s hall of fame during the 2015 World Cup•Getty ImagesCrowe was inducted into the New Zealand sports hall of fame and awarded an MBE for services to cricket in 2001. He had plenty more to give the game. Crowe was a mentor, most notably to New Zealand batsmen Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor. “Martin has been a mentor to me for almost my entire first-class career. In both the good times and the more trying times Martin has always been there for me,” Taylor said in a testimonial on martincrowe.com. “His advice, technical understanding and nous, coupled with his unwavering belief and loyalty in me have made my job as a professional cricketer that much easier. I shall always be grateful to him.”At the age of 48, in May 2011, Crowe said he was returning to club cricket at Cornwall with a view to making a comeback for Auckland, 15 years after he had retired. “Every now and then you find yourself drifting along. I needed to do something to stay at the top of things,” Crowe told ESPNcricinfo.” It’s a little bit of fun but it’s based on the need to get off my butt. When you get to my age, you need to do something. Physically, I am a person who needs more than going to gym. I need to fire myself up. I don’t like swimming, cycling, or lifting weights. I can’t climb, I can’t run; why not bat? It’s a serious goal to get fit but it’s a fun and light-hearted attempt to see if a 48-year old can play and at what level. Unless you try you will never know.” A thigh injury ended his comeback in his first innings.Crowe was diagnosed with lymphoma in October 2012. “In the past, on travels during my cricket career, suffering salmonella and glandular fever has compromised me,” he said at the time. “The result of a weakened immune system over the last two decades is basically why I have become exposed to this sort of disease.” After going into remission for a while, Crowe revealed the cancer had returned in September 2014. “After a brilliant year of self discovery and recovery, I have more work to do. My friend and tough taskmaster Lymphoma is back to teach me,” Crowe said on Twitter. “To say you can’t beat lymphoma is not quite true, many have. Yet follicular lymphoma is incurable, and can be treated and tamed for many long years.”On February 28, 2015, Crowe was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, during the World Cup. His presence at the final at the MCG was his last public appearance.Martin Crowe died on March 3, 2016, at the age of 53. People around the world paid tribute to him.

Five players who remained key members of their teams after losing the captaincy

Karthik Krishnaswamy04-Jan-2017Shaun Pollock
Thrust into captaincy in April 2000 following Hansie Cronje’s match-fixing life ban, Pollock spent three years in the job before South Africa’s early, tragicomic exit from their home World Cup in 2003 prompted the selectors to hand the captaincy to a 22-year-old opening batsman named Graeme Smith. Pollock remained a world-class new-ball operator until his retirement in 2008, taking 143 Test wickets at 27.79 and 125 ODI wickets at 28.08 after losing the full-time captaincy.Nasser Hussain ended his Test career with a match-winning fourth-innings hundred at Lord’s•Getty ImagesNasser Hussain
The man who replaced Pollock as South Africa captain went on to enjoy a long career studded with tours of England that ended the tenures of his opposite numbers. He would do the same, later, to Michael Vaughan and Andrew Strauss, but his first victim was Nasser Hussain, who resigned after the first Test of the 2003 series against Graeme Smith’s Proteas. Hussain only played a further 12 Tests until he retired, but went out with a bang, scoring his runs at a better average than he did overall, and signing off with a triumphant, unbeaten fourth-innings Lord’s hundred against New Zealand.Sourav Ganguly took back the captaincy for a short while, ceremonially, in his last Test match•AFPSourav Ganguly
After five years at the helm, Sourav Ganguly lost the captaincy following a spat with India’s then coach Greg Chappell during their tour of Zimbabwe in September 2005. By February 2006, he was out of the team as well, and, at 33, his career seemed finished. But he was back by December, and starting from his comeback series in South Africa in 2006-07, he scored 1991 runs at 46.30 – significantly better than his career average of 42.17 – with four hundreds and 10 fifties, before retiring with scores of 102 and 85 in his final series, at home against Australia.Seven years after the worst crisis of his career, Younis Khan remains key to Pakistan’s batting fortunes•Getty ImagesYounis Khan
Three months after leading Pakistan to the 2009 World T20 title, Younis Khan captained them for the last time, in an ODI against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi in November 2009. In March 2010, following Pakistan’s horror tour of Australia, the PCB banned him for an indefinite period. He was 32 then, and his international future looked bleak. But he was nowhere close to being done: since his return to the team, he has been a pillar of Pakistan’s Test team, scoring 4593 runs at 56.01, and has gone on to become their highest run-getter.Pictures of Ross Taylor’s tongue-out celebration remain in frequent circulation long after he gave up New Zealand’s captaincy•AFPRoss Taylor
When he resigned from New Zealand’s captaincy instead of accepting a proposal that would split it between him and Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor took a sabbatical from cricket, missing the tour of South Africa in 2012-13. He had been in superb form before losing his captaincy, scoring 142 and 74 in his last game in charge, a rare New Zealand win on Sri Lankan soil, but no one knew how he would be affected by the management mess he had gone through. It turned out his batting wasn’t too badly affected: he has averaged over 50 in both Tests and ODIs since losing the captaincy.

Big Picture

As redemption stories go, India Women overturning the disappointment of 2020 to secure another chance at T20 World Cup glory would do nicely. The only problem is, they have to make it past Australia – again.After winning their opening match in Sydney during the last T20 World Cup, being outplayed when it counted most in an 85-run thrashing at a packed MCG for the final stung India. They can cling to key successes against the title favourites – the 2017 ODI World Cup semi-final, clinching one of the five T20Is in a Super Over during their recent home bi-lateral series, or their only other win over Australia at this event, in the group stages of the 2018 edition – or they can take the fight to their opponents now. With Australia having won 22 of their 30 T20I meetings overall and India only six, not to mention the Australians winning 54 of the 63 T20Is they’ve played against all opposition since the start of 2018, looking ahead may well be the way to go for an Indian side seeking an upset.Related

• Harris is 'loving herself sick' playing for Australia again

• Wareham overcomes the 'dark days' of rehab on triumphant return

• Harmanpreet: India need to address high dot-ball count

• McGrath answers the call when it matters to drive Australia to knock-outs

Both teams are probably yet to strike the perfect performance in this tournament. While each have gone largely unchallenged they have made some of their matches look slightly harder than they were or needed to be, but both boast enough depth to have gotten the job done. Richa Ghosh has performed well with three unbeaten knocks in the middle order, although Australia bat deeper, and India need more than one of their top four to fire on this occasion. Renuka Singh has been potent with her lethal inswingers while Australia have balanced their strong seam and spin options nicely. India know they need everything to click if they are to topple the title favourites.

2023 Tournament form guide

India WLWW (most recent first)
Australia WWWW

In the spotlight

Shafali Verma heads into the match with scores of 33, 28, 8 and 24 so far at this event and with India needing a flawless batting performance from their top order. India could do with their Under-19 World Cup-winning captain, who scored a half-century against Australia in a losing cause during their third T20I in December, reprising or improving on that performance. Harmanpreet Kaur pushed herself up the order against Ireland seeking some touch after a similarly lacklustre tournament with the bat so far, putting even greater importance on India getting a good start through their young opener. Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues have both put in match-winning performances during this competition. Imagine what India can do with an on-song Shafali and Harmanpreet too.Alana King hasn’t had her chance to shine in the tournament•Getty Images

Legspinner Alana King is a proven match-turner but has gone wicketless at this World Cup. Used sparingly in the last group match against South Africa and the opening clash with New Zealand, where offspinner Ashleigh Gardner bagged five, it is a testament to Australia’s spin-bowling depth – they’ve also had the world-class left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen sitting on the bench since after their first game – that she hasn’t yet had her chance to shine. With India’s batters performing far better against pace than they have against spin compared to all other opposition at this event, King has the potential to cause them some problems if she takes her chance.

Team news

India may be tempted to swap out Devika Vaidya for an additional bowler or allrounder as they look to contain Australia. Radha Yadav is a gun fielder and a safe choice with India likely to opt for another spin option over seam. She made way for Vaidya against Ireland since she was unwell but could force her way back in if fit.India (possible): Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Shikha Pandey, Radha Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh.Alyssa Healy is fit and available for selection after missing Australia’s final group game against South Africa when she felt some discomfort in her left quad and all precautions were taken given that she has only recently returned from a calf injury to the same leg. Australia coped ably without her, moving Ellyse Perry to the top of the order and bringing in allrounder Annabel Sutherland, but everyone knows what an asset a fit Healy is to her side.Australia (possible): Alyssa Healy (wk), Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning (capt), Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris, Georgia Wareham, Alana King, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown

Pitch and conditions

Newlands has been playing slow this summer but there was considerably more pace on the surface during the last of the group games on Tuesday. Cape Town had some rain in the lead-up to those matches which would have helped with that given that the square has been baking for a good couple of months now. Thursday’s semi-final is likely to be played on a fresh pitch with the fine, sunny but not-too-hot conditions of match eve forecast to continue into game day.

Stats and trivia

• India are the best team in terms of scoring rate against pace bowling in this tournament, with Australia ranked second, but against spin, India’s strike rate drops by 31 runs and they are ranked sixth among the ten teams.
• Over the past five years, Australia have conceded 160-plus totals only eight times and five of those were to India.
• Australia have beaten India in 22 of their 30 T20I meetings and won three of their five T20 World Cup clashes.

Quotes

“As a group, we are very calm and we know that teams are going to come pretty hard at us and they have done over the last few years, and just to be able to absorb some pressure, I think is really important. You’re not going to have it all your own way… big games, there’re key moments that come up and tomorrow will be no different. I feel like we’re in a really good spot to be able to stay nice and calm and composed in those moments and hopefully get the job done.”
“They attack a lot so, whatever happens to them, even if the batter is out, they don’t stop attacking because they have batters from top to bottom. We also have batters from top to bottom so we will play an attacking game.”

Glasgow Rangers returned to winning ways at Ibrox on Saturday afternoon with a hard fought 1-0 win over Dundee in the Premiership.

Philippe Clement saw his side lose the League Cup final last weekend, despite the team performing as well as they have against Celtic in recent years.

A slow first 45 minutes saw Rangers dominate proceedings, yet they couldn’t find a breakthrough. Vaclav Cerny ensured the Light Blue started the second half in a positive mood.

The Czech winger was played in behind the Dundee defence before rounding Trevor Carson in goal and slotting in what turned out to be the winner.

Ianish Hagi had a goal disallowed for offside, while the home side also struck the woodwork four times in total during the match.

Cerny delivered yet another match-winning display, and it is a shame Clement can only count on him for this season, unless the club can agree a permanent deal for the forward.

Vaclav Cerny’s game in numbers vs Dundee

Prior to the clash against the Dens Park side, Cerny had scored nine goals while chipping in with six assists, providing a key threat on the right flank for Clement.

The way he is playing, the winger could surpass Abdallah Sima’s tally of 16 goals from last term in the next few months, and he was the game-changer against Dundee.

During his 75 minutes on the pitch, the 27-year-old registered four shots, made one key pass, and succeeded with 50% of his dribble attempts.

More than that, though, was his ability to consistently find himself in positions that terrorised the Dundee backline, and this is arguably his biggest strength.

Metric

Highest Ranked

Accurate passes

Robin Propper (102)

Key passes

James Tavernier and Danilo (3)

Ground duels won

Josh Mulligan (7)

Tackles

Nicolas Raskin (6)

Shots on target

Vaclav Cerny (2)

Clement will be hoping for more over the coming weeks, especially with another Old Firm clash to come against Celtic at the start of 2025.

Another player who is coming into form at precisely the right time is Hagi. Will he play a key role over the festive season?

Ianis Hagi can be Clement’s star man

Cerny may have scored the matchwinner, but it was Hagi who was close to adding number two, although his effort was ruled out.

Throughout the game, the Romanian made one key pass, attempted seven crosses, succeeded with 100% of his dribbles, and even hit the woodwork in what was an impressive showing by the midfielder.

His 73 touches ranked him sixth in the Rangers side, proving how much he wanted to get on the ball in order to make something happen.

By winning six out of seven ground duels, Hagi also demonstrated his strength in one-on-one battles, something which would have pleased Clement.

After not featuring for the first team until October due to a contract dispute, Hagi has enjoyed a redemption of sorts. Against Dundee, he was certainly Clement’s true hero, and it appears as though the Belgian has found a position in which Hagi can dictate the play from deep, utilising his creative talents.

Keep up this form, and he could soon be undroppable, that’s for sure, as he has a big influence in the middle of the park with his willingness to get on the ball and take responsibility for making things happen at the top end of the pitch.

Rangers now eyeing January bid to sign £2m gem with Nils Koppen impressed

Nils Koppen likes what he sees.

ByHenry Jackson Dec 20, 2024

Fiorentina defender Robin Gosens opened up on the terrifying experience of watching fellow team-mate Edoardo Bove collapse after a cardiac arrest.

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Bove collapsed during Serie A clash in December Suffered a cardiac arrest but returned to training two weeks laterTeam-mate Gosens shed light on the incident Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Fiorentina midfielder Edoardo Bove, on loan from Roma, collapsed on the pitch just 15 minutes into his team's Serie A clash against Inter Milan in December. Players were visibly shaken by the incident in early December, leading to the match being postponed. Bove was quickly rushed to the hospital by ambulance and placed under sedation in the intensive care unit. The Fiorentina player has since undergone heart surgery to have a defibrillator implanted and was discharged after spending two weeks in the hospital.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Bove returned to the training ground to see his team-mates just a couple of weeks following his heart surgery. Indeed, the 22-year-old was given a hero's welcome.

The Italian also took to Instagram to express his thoughts on the incident, stating that he was "truly grateful to belong to this world", thanking everyone "from the bottom of my heart for the affection and closeness" they showed during his treatment.

Now, Bove's Fiorentina team-mate Robin Gosens has opened up on the incident, describing how he felt the moment he saw Bove collapse on the field.

WHAT ROBIN GOSENS SAID

"I felt like I was actually looking into the eyes of a dead person. There was little life in them," said Gosens on his own podcast '(h/t BILD). "It was probably the worst thing I’ve ever seen."

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR EDOARDO BOVE?

Although Bove played 17 minutes off the bench in Fiorentina's 3-0 win at home over Inter in February, he hasn't featured since, as rules in Italy forbid a player fitted with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) from playing.

Captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid will be part of the meeting, ahead of the white-ball series against Sri Lanka

PTI31-Dec-2022

Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid will be part of the BCCI meeting on January 1•PTI

The BCCI’s top brass will review India’s underwhelming performance in the 2022 T20 World Cup with captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid on January 1.NCA chief VVS Laxman, who has also been with the Indian team in Dravid’s absence, is expected to be part of the meeting as well.The meeting in Mumbai is scheduled ahead of the limited-overs against Sri Lanka, which begins on January 3.England had hammered India by ten wickets in the T20 World Cup semi-finals, extending their barren run in ICC events since 2013, when they won the Champions Trophy under MS Dhoni’s leadership. India’s last World Cup title came in 2011 at home.The selection panel, led by Chetan Sharma, was shown the door post the World Cup, but a new panel is yet to be formed.The committee was sacked in November but it continues to track the ongoing Ranji Trophy and also picked the team for the three T20s and ODIs against Sri Lanka.The Cricket Advisory Committee, which was formed earlier this month, met in Mumbai on Friday to shortlist the list of candidates for the selectors’ posts.The panel comprises Ashok Malhotra, Jatin Paranjpe and Sulakshana Naik.Chetan Sharma and Harvinder Singh have reapplied for the job while the others who have applied include former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad and former India wicketkeeper Nayan Mongia.