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The former Zimbabwe captain and England men’s team coach joins Shaun Tait and Lance Klusener on the coaching staff

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2021Andy Flower, the former Zimbabwe captain, has been named Afghanistan consultant for the T20 World Cup starting later this month.An Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) release said Flower, who oversaw England’s title-winning 2010 T20 World Cup campaign during his time as head coach between 2009 and 2014, has entered the Afghanistan team bubble. He joins a coaching staff that also includes former Australia fast bowler Shaun Tait, who was appointed the bowling coach in August for a five-month tenure, and head coach Lance Klusener.Related

• Andy Flower named Lucknow IPL franchise head coach

• Lance Klusener: 'The fairy tale of Afghanistan cricket is what they've achieved with few resources'

• Afghanistan revise T20 World Cup squad, Mohammad Nabi to lead

• Men's T20 World Cup 2021 – what the squads look like

• Rashid Khan steps down as captain protesting against Afghanistan's T20 World Cup squad selection

“We are delighted that Andy has joined ACB. Andy has worked with a number of our players in various franchise completions and his vast experience will be very beneficial and useful to help the team in the World Cup,” ACB chairman Azizullah Fazli said in a statement.Flower, 53, represented Zimbabwe in 63 Tests and 213 ODIs between 1992 and 2003, and has been a sought-after coach on the franchise cricket circuit since his England stint. He has held coaching and consultancy positions in IPL, CPL, PSL, T10 and the Hundred.Afghanistan departed Kabul for Doha, Qatar, on October 6 to take part in a preparatory training camp ahead of the T20 World Cup which will be played in the UAE and Oman from October 17. Pooled in Group 2 alongside Pakistan, India, and New Zealand, Afghanistan are scheduled to play all their group matches of the tournament in the UAE. They kick off their campaign on October 25 in Sharjah.

Wright the pragmatist wanted more control over selection than Buchanan the analyst but NZC decided the former was more expendable

Andrew Alderson01-May-2012You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. John Wright’s face appeared equal parts incredulity and apprehension last March, when told New Zealand Cricket was seeking a new director of cricket. Wright had been casually informed by New Zealand’s three-person 2011 World Cup media contingent in the palatial lobby of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel on Mumbai’s waterfront.The fact two-time World Cup winning coach John Buchanan was appointed several weeks later is less relevant than the wider scope of the role: Wright would have a new direct boss and the autonomy he so desperately sought as head coach would inevitably be compromised. Perhaps Buchanan’s appointment was the beginning of the end. Wright’s decision to step down as coach of the New Zealand team after the upcoming West Indies tour – a stint of just over 19 months – has been a tale of two coaches, two contracts and two cricket philosophies. Wright might have beaten Buchanan 2-1 as the respective coaches of India and Australia in 2001 during one of the greatest Test series in history but Buchanan has wrestled one back.Wright wanted the NZC board and chief executive David White to reduce Buchanan’s powers. He didn’t get it. As someone who has achieved plenty as a player and coach before taking on the New Zealand role, Wright consequently decided there was more to life, especially given the expectation he would sign until the end of the 2015 World Cup. If the 57-year-old had stayed in the role he faced numerous intense tours over the next three years.
It’s understood Wright did not demand a salary increase and was happy to concede more administrative responsibility to manager Mike Sandle but, in return, wanted absolute power over the coaching and selection of the team.The “positive tension” oxymoron White previously spoke about between Wright and Buchanan was at the core of the problem. Wright is a pragmatist, Buchanan is an analyst. Both have been successful international coaches before joining NZC. Yet less Buchanan influence around the selection table became a non-negotiable for Wright.It placed NZC in a difficult position. It could accept Wright’s position and avoid the awkwardness of a public hero stepping aside prematurely. The downside (in the board’s eyes) would be reducing Buchanan’s control, or, given the pair might struggle to work together, paying Buchanan off. In tough economic times Wright was more expendable, given his contract finished after the West Indies tour. Likewise, if Wright wanted to adjust his staffing situation, which included three Australians – Kim Littlejohn (selection manager), Trent Woodhill (assistant coach) and Damien Wright (bowling coach) – it would potentially require more ‘money-for-nothing’ pay-outs. NZC’s hand was forced.An endorsement of Wright’s tenure was not helped at board level by perceived inadequacies in his communication skills. The board was initially believed to have given White carte blanche to secure Wright’s signature. However, its outlook became less generous over time. Concerns were raised that, regardless of inspirational dressing room talks, Wright could not afford to cut corners in the modern cricketing environment and needed to communicate more clearly with players and management outside the shed.
One example had Wright adamant players should not have to fill out a substantial 2011-12 season review document. Wright preferred an old-school “sit down with a beer at the bar” approach to counselling players.Wright was also disappointed NZC failed to appoint former Otago coach Mike Hesson – now in charge of Kenya – to either the selection manager or team manager roles eventually secured by former Bowls Australia high performance manager Littlejohn and ex-Blues rugby manager Sandle respectively.Sadly Wright’s decision means New Zealand cricket fans got only a fleeting glimpse of what might have been possible. Unless something spectacular occurs in the West Indies his tenure will forever be marked with a tentative “showed promise”. Under Wright, New Zealand secured the country’s first semi-finals spot in a World Cup on the subcontinent (after 11 straight ODI losses in that part of the world at the start of the tournament). They followed that with their first Test win in 18 years against Australia and added further Test wins, home and away, against Zimbabwe. No silverware was earned against South Africa but – the second Test aside – there were signs the team could at least compete for sustained periods. Wright also proved a masterful selector at times, based on form (Mark Gillespie, Dean Brownlie and Kruger van Wyk) and intuition (Doug Bracewell and BJ Watling).

“The ‘positive tension’ oxymoron between Wright and Buchanan was at the core of the problem”

After four years with NZC in various capacities, Wright can presumably return to short-term contracts, perhaps with English and Indian teams, while spending further time on his Canterbury farm.The non-renewal of Wright’s contract means the coaching position remains a poisoned chalice. Since John Bracewell resigned in 2008 the reins have been held in various capacities by Andy Moles, Mark Greatbatch, Roger Mortimer and Wright. The team won’t slide back to square one but Wright’s exit means they have lost valuable kudos in the public perception stakes. The former skipper is forever etched in the nation’s memory through cricketing achievements, including his famed prolonged and painful exits from the batting crease. When Wright was dismissed the cricketing nation grieved with him, as they do now.Few obvious replacements spring to mind. Chennai Super Kings coach and former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming, Kenya’s Hesson, Northern Districts coach Grant Bradburn, Wellington and former Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons and even Lancashire and former England coach Peter Moores have been touted as possible successors, provided they can get out of their current contracts.As New Zealand’s most successful Test leader and with an IPL title as a coach, Fleming would be the preferred choice. Convincing him to step into the full-time role and away from his young family, multitude of business interests and Chennai coaching cameo would require serious levels of persuasion, patriotism and cash.Hesson seems suitable but, given he was overlooked for the team manager and selection manager roles, he might not be top of the recruitment list. He also needs to be bought out of his Kenya contract.Bradburn ideally needs to serve a couple more seasons in charge of Northern Districts, despite securing his second Plunket Shield title in three years this season. Bradburn is a consummate professional with Test experience and a proven capability for bringing through fledgling talent.Siddons has international coaching experience but the creation of a fully Australian management panel (Sandle excepted) seems a risky public relations exercise in the current fragile environment. Moores would be a wildcard, although his name has been bandied in local cricket circles after his stint with England ended prematurely courtesy of a disagreement with then-captain Kevin Pietersen.

James Anderson and Stuart Broad set to return in Adelaide while Jhye Richardson comes in for the injured Josh Hazlewood

Alex Malcolm15-Dec-2021

Big Picture

England have not won an Ashes series in Australia after losing the first Test since 1954-55 and they enter Adelaide with hopes of matching that feat. But the first step in rectifying that record will be winning a Test match full stop, something they haven’t done in their last 11 Tests down under.History and form are against England and much has been pinned on the pink-ball Tests of Adelaide and Hobart to help the visitors even the ledger. The only problem is Australia have won eight out of eight pink-ball Tests, including five in Adelaide, while England have won just one and lost three having been hammered by 10 wickets in their most recent day-night fixture in India earlier this year. India themselves capitulated to Australia in last year’s day-night Test in Adelaide, folding for 36 in their second innings in blazing sunshine.Related

• Anderson replaces Wood for Adelaide Test; Leach retained in squad

• Jhye Richardson to replace Hazlewood for second Test; Warner to play despite damaged rib

• Stronger, bulkier Richardson awaits stage to level up

• Root faces 'tricky decisions' around bowling combination

• Ten losses, one draw – Running the rule over England's decade of Ashes desperation

England need a bowling performance of equal measure to fight their way back into this series and look set to welcome James Anderson and Stuart Broad back after both were strangely left out of the Gabba Test. But their bowling is just one half of the equation as their batting is of major concern despite Joe Root being within reach of breaking the all-time record for the most Test runs scored in a calendar year. The skipper will need some help if England are to get back into the series.Australia will want to keep the momentum rolling after a dominant win in Brisbane. They have lost Josh Hazlewood to a side strain, with Jhye Richardson to replace him while there are fitness concerns over David Warner due to his bruised ribs. Neither Pat Cummins nor Mitchell Starc were forced to bowl more than 35 overs in Brisbane while three of Australia’s top six are coming off significant scores. But Australia did fail to score 200 in last year’s pink-ball Test against India despite winning by eight wickets, and England rolled them for just 138 in the second innings in Adelaide four years ago.

Form guide

(last five Tests, most recent first)
Australia WLDLWEngland LLWLD

In the spotlight

Marcus Harris entered the series with the full backing of Australia’s selectors, but the spotlight will now be on him after Travis Head erased any concerns over his place following his 152 in Brisbane. Harris deserves an extended run at the top of the order but if he can’t get a score in Adelaide then questions will start to mount heading to Melbourne. Harris faced 17 balls in the first innings in Brisbane, none of which would have hit the stumps, and his decision-making was less than convincing as he edged to slip for just 3. With Warner set to be impeded by his bruised ribs, Harris will be needed to make a significant contribution to set the game up for Australia’s middle order.Marcus Harris fell early in the first innings in Brisbane•AFP/Getty Images

England need more from Jos Buttler with the bat. In 2021 he has played 12 Test innings, averaging 29, for just one half-century but has passed 20 nine times including twice in Brisbane. His rearguard in England’s first-innings proved he can do some damage to Australia if he gets going but 20s and 30s don’t win Test matches. Root needs support and with Ben Stokes underdone, Buttler is the next most experienced player in the top seven and the man most capable of taking a game away from Australia in the manner Head did to England.

Team news

Australia have made just one change with Richardson replacing the injured Hazlewood. Richardson has been in outstanding form for Western Australia in Sheffield Shield cricket this season and made his Test debut in a pink-ball Test in 2019. There were concerns over Warner’s fitness as his bruised ribs continue to cause him discomfort but Australia skipper Pat Cummins confirmed he would play through the pain.Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Marcus Harris, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Jhye Richardson, 11 Nathan LyonEngland have named their 12 with Anderson and Broad included and Mark Wood rested. But England have a problem trying to balance their attack. They will be tempted to drop Jack Leach and play four seamers but Adelaide Oval curator Damien Hough cautioned against that despite very few spinners having success in pink-ball Tests in Adelaide. Over-rates are also a concern after England were docked 100% of their match fees for a glacial rate in Brisbane.England 1 Rory Burns, 2 Haseeb Hameed, 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Joe Root (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Ollie Pope, 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Ollie Robinson, 10 Stuart Broad/Jack Leach, 11 James Anderson

Pitch and conditions

Adelaide Oval curator Hough is hoping to roll out another good surface. Pat Cummins said, “you could set your clock to this wicket every year” since the surface has become a drop-in with plenty of grass coverage offering pace, bounce, sideways movement and some spin. There has been warm weather in the lead-up to the Test and the first couple of days set to be over 30 degrees before cooling down over the weekend.

Stats and trivia

• Nathan Lyon has taken 19 wickets at 25.78 in pink-ball Tests in Adelaide while Ravichandran Ashwin took 4 for 55 in Australia’s first innings last year. But no other spinner has taken more than two wickets in an Adelaide pink-ball Test. Moeen Ali bowled 29 wicketless overs, with just three maidens in 2017 while Yasir Shah leaked 197 runs from 32 overs in 2019 when David Warner made 335 not out.
• Root needs just 56 runs to become just the fourth man in history to score 1600 runs in a calendar year. Mohammad Yousuf’s all-time record of 1788 runs in 2006 is within reach given Root may have four more innings before year’s end.
• Mitchell Starc’s pink-ball record is superb. He has taken 46 wickets at 18.86 in 8 Tests with three five-wicket hauls including 5 for 88 against England four years ago. He took 4 for 53 in the first innings against India last summer including bowling India opener Prithvi Shaw with the second ball of the match.
• Anderson averages 35.43 in Australia and strikes at 72, but he has performed reasonably well in Adelaide taking 16 wickets at 29.50 in four Tests there. He took 4 for 51 in a red-ball Test in 2010 and then 5 for 43 in the second innings of the pink-ball Test four years ago to help bowl Australia out for 138.

Quotes

“It’s not going to get any harder than that first day in Brisbane. Especially for guys who have not experienced what an Ashes series is like in Australia. We know it’s not going to get more difficult than that, so in that respect, there’s no excuses.””It went perfectly for us [in Brisbane], no doubt that’s not going to happen every game and certainly won’t happen this series I’m sure. We couldn’t be happier with the start but know it’s one match in a five match series.”

Netherlands had gone through 16 matches without winning in four-day cricket. That changed when they beat Scotland by 44 runs to go to the top of the Intercontinental Cup table

Peter Della Penna in The Hague11-Sep-2015Netherlands have had a peculiarly difficult time mastering multi-day cricket. Odd, considering they are among the most successful Associate countries of the past decade: three straight World Cups from 2003 through 2011 not to mention a pair of World T20s in 2009 and 2014.Canada, Kenya, even Namibia have all been to the final of the Intercontinental Cup but not Netherlands. They have found winning a single game of first-class cricket difficult let alone stringing a series of them. Prior to this week’s I-cup victory over Scotland, Netherlands have come out trumps only four out of 27 times since the competition was founded in 2004. There are 15 losses among that number as well and their record at home was especially poor – one win and eight defeats.Netherlands’ best finish in the competition came in 2007-08 when they came in fifth out of eight teams. Beating UAE that April in Sharjah had been their last success in four-day cricket. It has taken seven years, and 16 matches, but finally Netherlands are back on the board again.There had been two great opportunities to break the streak sooner. Both at home in Amstelveen and both against countries who had yet to win a first-class match. They wasted a 74-run first-innings lead in 2009 as Afghanistan chased down 207 with one wicket to spare. Had Netherlands won then, they would have cut short their losing streak to three matches.A bigger upset was to follow this summer, when they could not stop Papua New Guinea from running down a target of 305. There had been a Sisyphusian feel to that match as Assad Vala and Mahuru Dai denied the Dutch with a 200-run fifth wicket partnership. A similar feeling may have crept in on Friday when, after taking two wickets in the first three overs of the day to peg Scotland back at 52 for 5 in pursuit of 201, Rob Taylor joined Richie Berrington for an ominous stand.”Obviously Berrington and Taylor batted really well and this was the kind of wicket that when you get in, you could stay in. It was never easy for people to start though,” captain Peter Borren said after the win. “They batted beautifully and [both were] really good, disciplined innings. But I was really happy with the way we bowled during that period anyway. We bowled with a lot of discipline with our three young quicks – Kingma, van Meekeren and Gunning – they all ran in hard for both innings and put the ball in the right areas.”We knew that we were probably one breakthrough away and that wicket that Michael Rippon got, Richie Berrington lbw just before lunch, that opened an end for us. They’ve still got good players but for guys just coming to the wicket, it’s not easy and you’re always in with a chance as a bowler.”Before lunch that was a big wicket for us. I’m glad we took advantage of it but I guess the reason why we ended up winning this game was a lot of work from those three seamers.”The frontline seamers may have done the bulk of the work, but Borren’s career-best 4 for 1 was no less significant. In light of his shoulder troubles – he had surgery last year – Borren’s recent bowling workload has been far less than it was when he began playing for Netherlands. He might not be back to full pace yet, but after cleaning up Matthew Cross and Con de Lange on back-to-back deliveries and with victory within sight, adrenaline started kicking in. There was more vigor, more purpose with each charge up to the crease.”For me it was nice to get some wickets,” Borren said. “I suppose the ball was pretty scuffed up on one side. The wicket was a little bit abrasive and it was just nipping back in, getting a little bit of reverse and the pitch also wasn’t bouncing much towards the end of this match. I guess if I ran in and bowled wicket-to-wicket, I was going to be pretty well suited to these conditions.”Netherlands secured victory 14 balls into Borren’s post-lunch spell and the seven-year itch had been scratched off. From this XI, only he and Pieter Seelaar have known the joy of winning an Intercontinental Cup match, and Borren was pleased that the younger players can now understand that feeling, one he described as more satisfying than winning 50-over or T20 games.”We haven’t won one of these matches for a long time,” Borren said. “It’s a great feeling. I’ve been trying to say to all the boys to win one of these games, you have to work hard and it’s an amazing feeling when it happens, but a lot of our guys haven’t won a four-day game before so I’m just really proud of the effort the guys put in. It’s just an awesome feeling and I’m really stoked.”

The Gujarat Titans captain also praised his team-mates for their match-winning performance against Lucknow Super Giants after only a day’s rest

ESPNcricinfo staff07-May-2023Hardik Pandya has hailed Rashid Khan’s athletic outfield catch to dismiss Kyle Mayers that broke Lucknow Super Giants’ strong opening stand as a “match-changing” effort, after Gujarat Titans prevailed by 56 runs in Ahmedabad.Chasing 228, Mayers had powered to 48 off 31 balls in a partnership of 88 with Quinton de Kock in just 8.1 overs. Then, he top-edged a pull over square leg off a Mohit Sharma slower ball. Rashid came sprinting in, running diagonally from fine leg, then slid and dived to take the catch to his right after making a last-minute adjustment.Super Giants lost momentum after losing Mayers and scored only 33 runs between overs 9 and 14, leaving them with too much to do in the last six.Related

• Saha and Gill's aggression sets up huge Titans win

• At 18, Noor Ahmad is living his cricket dream

• Rashid, out of form? Try telling Royals that

Hardik said that Rashid’s catch was the game-changer at a time when his team was under pressure. “The way the game changed after that… at one point of time at the eighth or ninth over we were even-stevens but that catch just changed the momentum and we were able to squeeze in a couple of tight overs,” he said after the match. “And after that I think they were chasing the game more than us.”We started controlling the game. Before that they were taking [us] on and we had to chase the game and make sure that we don’t concede as many runs and let them get into the game. So I think that catch was match-changing.””I think we both were driving at 100 kilometers per hour as a team but I think that bump in their innings cost them the game and got us back in the game.”Hardik also praised his team-mates for producing a match-winning performance after only one day’s rest. Titans’ last game was on Friday night and their match against Super Giants was the afternoon game on Sunday.”I don’t think I can ask anything better from the boys, Hardik said. “Especially, playing after one day’s gap and playing an afternoon game, the boys showed up and how.”Mohit, who gave Titans that vital first wicket, finished with 4 for 29, his best figures in the IPL since 2014. He has 12 wickets in eight matches in IPL 2023 with an economy rate of 6.96 despite bowling many of his overs at the death.”We keep discussing how to go about it, especially once the ball gets a little old how we can mix it up,” Mohit told broadcasters after the game. “And if I get the chance with a new ball, then what can I do with it. Today it was a day game so I knew that the wicket could get a little drier and be on the slower side so how we can mix it up in those conditions, that’s the kind of stuff I discuss with Shami.”I have practiced the knuckle ball, but I have a slight injury on my fingers so it’s not holding, so I am not able to bowl the knuckle ball. But I am using back-of-the-hand deliveries. When it’s the second innings and there’s a bit of dew, I can’t pitch it up too much, I have to bowl it away from the batter. So I am trying to stay as far from the batter’s range as possible.”I keep talking with Ashu Pa [Nehra] off the field. We talk a lot about bowling, what kind of balls I can bowl to different batters. Especially how we can mix up the length ball,” Mohit said. “He keeps saying that it shouldn’t be too short. It should be around top of off.”The win against Super Giants was Titans’ eighth victory in 11 games, giving them a three-point lead over Chennai Super Kings at the top of the table.

Social media has reacted after Andy Robertson endured a nightmare run of mistakes for Fulham's second goal against Liverpool at Craven Cottage.

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• Robertson suffered Fulham nightmare
• Mistakes lead to Cottagers goal
• Liverpool could sign left-back this summer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Robertson's shanked cross-field pass straight to Alex Iwobi put his team in huge trouble with the teams level, before a misjudged defensive header presented the ball back to the Nigerian international, whose shot then took a nick off the Scot's body on its way into the net to make it 2-1 Fulham.

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  WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  @rodrigolyra__ wrote on X: "Time for 26 to retire what the f*ck".

  A different post from @Steve_Labile read: "Robo needs to learn Arabic fast".

  Disgruntled Reds fan @ThiagoKop posted: "Robertson take your medal at the end of the season and pack your bags please".

  @LALFCPANTERA wrote: "We need a LB, that's the truth. Thank you to Robbo & Kostas but it's time to go it's never been more OVER".

  Another critical post from @swift119680 said: "Think its time to sell Robertson, has been a great player but this season he has shown he cant hack it anymore."

  @Aidan_1874 posted: "Robertson is finished".

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Liverpool have been linked with left-backs from other Premier League clubs all season, with rumours suggesting they may aim to replace Robertson this summer. Milos Kerkez of Bournemouth and Fulham's Antonee Robinson are said to be two key targets.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

  Liverpool are in action against West Ham next Sunday before they travel to Leicester the week after as they close in on a second Premier League title.

Chelsea went into the current matchweek in the Premier League in second place in the table and they are firmly a part of the current title race under Enzo Maresca.

The Blues have won nine and only lost two of their opening 15 matches in the division, and are set to face off against Brentford at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

They come into that game off the back of a 3-1 win over Astana in the Conference League on Thursday night, thanks to two goals from Marc Guiu and one from Renato Veiga.

Despite Chelsea’s fantastic form this season, Maresca is reportedly making plans to make further additions to his playing squad in the upcoming transfer windows.

Chelsea eyeing up Bundesliga duo

According to Sky Sports Germany, Chelsea are lining up moves for Borussia Dortmund duo Karim Adeyemi and Gregor Kobel, although they may wait until the summer, rather than swooping for them in January.

The report claims that the German striker has been a long-term target for the Blues, but that other Premier League teams are also keen on securing his services.

It adds that Kobel is also ‘on the list’ for the West London outfit and states that he is an option for them at the end of the season, as they are prepared to wait until next summer to attempt to sign him.

Sky Sports Germany

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

reveals that there have been talks between the club and the player’s representatives, but there have been no advanced discussions over a move to Stamford Bridge.

Maresca must, now, push for the board to bring the £144k-per-week shot-stopper to the club because he could come in as a big upgrade on Robert Sanchez.

Why Gregor Kobel would be an upgrade on Robert Sanchez

The Switzerland international’s form in the Bundesliga and the Champions League since the start of last season suggests that he would come in and improve Chelsea’s team.

Kobel, who was hailed as “really good” by Dortmund goalkeeping coach Matthias Kleinsteiber, has prevented 5.87 xG in 17 matches in the Champions League and prevented 2.4 xG across 38 appearances in the German top-flight in that time.

As you can see in the table above, Sanchez has only prevented 0.15 xG for Chelsea in the Premier League since the start of last season, whilst he is yet to make his European debut for the Blues.

The Spanish dud has also made a whopping seven errors that have led to shots or goals, whilst Kobel has only made two in 55 Bundesliga and Champions League outings for Dortmund.

These statistics suggest that the 27-year-old Swiss titan is a significantly better shot-stopper who is also far less prone to making huge errors that put his defenders and team in trouble.

Chelsea may have found a new £75m star in the making vs Astana

A number of youngsters captured the eye during Chelsea’s 3-1 win over Astana.

By
Connor Holden

Dec 13, 2024

Therefore, Chelsea could improve their team by having a more reliable presence between the sticks if they sign Kobel to come in and replace Sanchez as the number one, whether it happens in January or next summer.

The club was the 2020 Champions Cup winner, which they say makes them a possible replacement for Leon

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• Nahuel Guzmán, André-Pierre Gignac gave opinion

• Mexican Football Federation president pushes for Liga MX team

• Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) must issue ruling

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The exclusion of Club León from the upcoming Club World Cup due to violating the multi-ownership regulation has led several teams to put themselves forward for the vacant spot. The most recent name to emerge is Tigres, who won the Champions Cup in 2020.

  Their argument? They hope that FIFA could go back one year among the CONCACAF Champions Cup winners and count the 2020 title.

  Tigres' Sporting President, Mauricio Culebro, remained reserved, emphasizing that his focus is on the club and that the decision is not for him to make.

  "I understand FIFA's decision and León's situation. If it’s our turn, we’ll handle it well," he said to Diario Récord. He also left the door open for Tigres to be considered, saying "Who wouldn’t want to go to a Club World Cup? There is still history to be written."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  América, Tigres, and Alajuelense are three teams interested in taking the spot left by Club León in the Club World Cup to be held in June. América argues that they are the highest-ranked team in CONCACAF, while Tigres wants the 2020 Champions Cup title to be considered valid.

  The Costa Rican team has filed a claim with the TAS, stating that they are the best team in Central America. It is still pending for León to take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

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  WHAT GUZMÁN AND GIGNAC SAID

  "They (León) earned it, and we'll see what happens. I would have loved to qualify that way, but we'll see what happens. We went to a Club World Cup, and I think we represented Mexico very well, but we would have loved to go to this new edition," André-Pierre Gignac, the French forward, said in an interview with Diario Récord.

  Goalkeeper Nahuel Guzmán shared the following: "If everyone is putting in their chip, I'll put in my chip for Tigres too. It wouldn't be bad if they were chosen for this Club World Cup."

  That said, he also showed his support for León, saying "It's a team that earned it on the field, and that has a lot of value."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR TIGRES?

  The team coached by Guido Pizarro will visit América this Saturday in Matchday 13 of the Clausura 2025. Tigres currently holds third place with 25 points, and with a victory over Las Águilas, combined with León not winning against Pumas, they could take the lead in the tournament.

Combative innings at Headingley raises hopes of Ashes readiness after lengthy lay-off

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Apr-2023Jonny Bairstow confirmed he is ready to push for a place in this summer’s Ashes, after producing a hard-hitting innings of 97 from 88 balls for Yorkshire 2nd XI, in his first competitive innings since breaking his leg last summer.Bairstow, 33, had been in the form of his life for England’s Test team in the 2022 home season, scoring 681 runs at 75.66 at close to a run a ball, including four centuries and a 71 not out in five consecutive innings against New Zealand and India, to kickstart the so-called “Bazball” revolution.However, in September, he suffered multiple fractures to his left leg during a freak golfing accident, which ruled him out of the final Test of the summer against South Africa, as well as England’s T20 World Cup victory in Australia, and their subsequent Test campaigns in Pakistan and New Zealand.He was also due to play for Punjab Kings in the ongoing IPL, but pulled out of that deal to concentrate on his return to red-ball cricket, which he is expected to step up with a comeback for Yorkshire’s 1st XI in the County Championship against Glamorgan next month.And while he had already insisted he was fit and ready for his comeback, Bairstow has now assuaged doubts as to whether his form would suffer for the lengthy lay-off, as he struck 13 fours and two sixes against Nottinghamshire 2nd XI at Headingley.Stiffer tests will lie ahead, although Bairstow did come up against one prospective England team-mate in Nottinghamshire’s Olly Stone, who played his first first-class game in two years against Hampshire earlier this month, and is building up his red-ball workload ahead of a prospective Ashes role.Working up a sharp pace, Stone could have had Bairstow caught at second slip early in his innings, only for the ball to fly away to the boundary. However, he got his revenge in his subsequent spell, as Bairstow chopped a short ball to point while searching for his comeback hundred.Bairstow is set to both field and keep wicket in the course of the match, to test his fitness in both roles. While he last week dismissed the notion of him taking the gloves for Yorkshire as a “non-story”, his return to the England set-up could yet be as wicketkeeper in place of Ben Foakes, given that his own replacement in the middle order, Harry Brook, emerged as the winter’s breakout star with 797 runs at 88.55 in his five Tests against Pakistan and New Zealand.

Celtic head coach Brendan Rodgers will surely be delighted with the way his team have started the 2024/25 campaign, as they have been fantastic in all competitions.

They have a League Cup final to look forward to against their Glasgow rivals at Hampden Park later this month, and they have excelled in Europe, with only one defeat in the Champions League so far.

They have beaten Slovan and RB Leipzig, whilst picking up draws against Atalanta and Club Brugge, on the European stage, although they were beaten 7-1 by Borussia Dortmund in Germany.

Domestically, the Hoops have been almost perfect in the Scottish Premiership with a staggering return of 12 wins and one draw in 13 matches, with that one draw coming against second-placed Aberdeen.

Rodgers’ men are the top scorers in the division, with 40 strikes, and have conceded a league-low four goals, as summer signing Kasper Schmeichel has enjoyed a relatively untroubled start to life in Glasgow.

The goalkeeper has had the comfort of watching some tremendous football in front of him, notably from Nicolas Kuhn.

Nicolas Kuhn's form this season

The German wizard has enjoyed a sensational start to the season on the right wing for the Scottish giants, with his contributions as both a scorer and a creator of goals in all competitions.

Domestically and in Europe, Kuhn has made a huge impact at the top end of the pitch and is currently on a tally of 11 goals and 11 assists in 19 appearances across the Premiership, the Champions League, and the League Cup.

The left-footed magician’s creativity has not always been rewarded, however, as his four ‘big chances’ created in Europe have only resulted in one goal scored.

As you can see in the table above, Kuhn has provided consistent quality in the Premiership and is a menace to opposition defenders, as he can go down the outside to create chances or inside to take shots and score goals.

Across the Premiership and the Champions League, the former Bayern Munich youngster has created ten ‘big chances’ and been rewarded with seven assists, which suggests that he could benefit from having another teammate in the squad with impressive finishing skills.

That player could well be lurking in Denmark…

Celtic interested in Danish marksman

According to Football Insider, Rodgers is lining up a Celtic swoop to sign Brondby sensation Mathias Kvistgaarden ahead of the second half of the season.

The report claims that the Scottish giants have ‘set their sights’ on bringing the 22-year-old marksman to Parkhead to bolster the manager’s options at the top end of the pitch.

After Hyeon-gyu Oh was sold to Genk in the summer transfer window, Celtic currently only have two senior centre-forward options at their disposal – in Kyogo Furuhashi and Adam Idah – and the arrival of a third would provide added competition in the number nine position.

Football Insider reports that the Premiership champions have been sending scouts to keep tabs on the Brondby striker in the Danish Superliga this season, as they have been monitoring his performances.

It states that the club are long-term admirers of the young attacker and that they are prepared to be patient in their pursuit of Kvistgaarden, by waiting until the next summer transfer window if they are unable to convince Brondby to part ways with their star forward midway through the campaign.

The outlet adds that Rodgers wants to bolster his squad to ensure that they remain competitive and adds that Motherwell star Lennon Miller is another player on the club’s radar, with both him and Kvistgaarden seemingly on the agenda ahead of the next window.

Transfer Focus

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Celtic were also reported to be interested in the Brondby number nine in the summer and a price of €10m (£8.3m) was mentioned at the time, but it remains to be seen how much the Hoops are prepared to pay to land their target.

If they can secure a deal to land the Denmark U21 international when the January transfer window opens for business, Rodgers could sign a dream partner for Nicolas Kuhn.

Why Celtic should sign Mathias Kvistgaarden

One of the reasons why the Hoops should secure a deal to sign Kvistgaarden next month is that his current form suggests that he could thrive on the creativity that Kuhn provides from the right flank.

The 22-year-old ace came through the ranks at Brondby and emerged as a huge talent with a return of 31 goals and 11 assists in 45 appearances for their U19 team, before coming into the first-team set-up.

Kvistgaarden did not hit the ground running at senior level, with just six goals and one assist in his first 40 Superliga games, but has managed 24 goals and 15 assists in the 44 league outings since.

His form across all competitions this season has been particularly impressive. The Danish sensation has scored 13 goals and provided five assists in 20 outings for Brondby.

Kvistgaarden, who was hailed as “phenomenal” and “super consistent” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, could come in as an upgrade on Kyogo, based on their respective league form.

As you can see in the table above, the Brondby star has scored twice as many goals whilst missing fewer than half as many ‘big chances’ as the Japan international at league level, along with providing a greater creative threat.

These statistics suggest that Kvistgaarden would be more likely to make the most of the chances that Kuhn creates from the wing, whilst also creating more opportunities for the German maestro to find the back of the net.

Celtic should also sign the £8.3m-rated gem because, at 22, he has plenty of years left to develop and improve and could be a fantastic asset for Rodgers and the club moving forward.

Better than Bernardo: Celtic ace who had 164 touches has silenced doubters

The Celtic defender put on a masterclass against Ross County on Saturday.

By
Dan Emery

Dec 1, 2024