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England head coach says there’s more nuance to new style than meets the eye

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jul-2022Brendon McCullum, England’s Test coach, has said that he has no idea what ‘Bazball’ means and suggested that the phrase has missed the nuances of his side’s new approach.’Bazball’ was termed by Andrew Miller, ESPNcricinfo’s UK editor, on an episode of the Switch Hit podcast recorded before the start of England’s series against New Zealand last month to describe the positive style of play that McCullum’s old side had adopted under his captaincy.England have since adopted an ultra-attacking method with the bat and won all four of their Tests under McCullum’s leadership, sweeping New Zealand 3-0 and winning the rescheduled fifth Test against India to level the series at 2-2, chasing 270-plus in the fourth innings of all four Tests.”I don’t have any idea what ‘Bazball’ is,” McCullum told SEN radio’s WA Breakfast show. “It’s not just all crash and burn, if you look at the approach, and that’s why I don’t really like that silly term that people are throwing out there.”Because there’s actually quite a bit of thought that goes into how the guys manufacture their performances and when they put pressure on bowlers and which bowlers they put pressure on. There’s also times where they’ve absorbed pressure beautifully as well.”McCullum was asked by host Adam Gilchrist whether he felt as though England’s ultra-attacking style had “changed the landscape” of Test cricket, a suggestion which he denied. “I certainly wouldn’t say that,” he said.”All we try and do is play a brand of cricket which gives the guys the greatest amount of satisfaction and gives them the best opportunity. We’ve also got an obligation to entertain.”It’s been a challenging period for those who love the game of Test cricket because society has changed and people don’t necessarily have five days to sit down and watch cricket anymore, so we need to make sure that the product that we’ve got and the product that we’re taking to the people is worthy of their time and is able to captivate some of those imaginations.”So that’s one of the fundamental reasons why the guys are wanting to play this style of cricket and it seems to really resonate with them as well. From my point of view as a coach, it certainly resonates with me because it’s how I like to see the game played, and the same as the skipper [Ben Stokes].”McCullum added that one of the key tenets of England’s success had been their ability to “block out” the “external noise” generated by the British media.”The media over here, it is a huge beast and sometimes the negative and the positive can seep into an environment,” he said. “One thing we’ve tried to do is just be totally honest with one another and try and block some of that external stuff out and quieten down some of that noise. I think that’s helped.”

Philippe Clement looks set to lose one of his young attackers this month, as Rangers have agreed to sell a “blistering” forward for £2 million, according to a new report.

Rangers transfer news

The Gers are back in Scottish Premiership action on Wednesday, as they welcome Aberdeen to Ibrox, knowing a win will close the gap to leaders Celtic, albeit to 13 points. 2025 has been very up-and-down for Rangers so far, and that has piled the pressure on Clement, who will know a defeat or draw to Aberdeen could spell the end of his time at the club.

Rangers must finally sell £23k-p/w man who earns more than Igamane & Hagi

Glasgow Rangers must sell the attacker who has underperformed compared to Igamane and Hagi.

1 ByDan Emery Jan 15, 2025

As the Scottish side look to potentially add to their squad this month, there could be a few exits on the cards in what remains of this transfer window. Football Insider have reported that Rangers could look to sell striker Cyriel Dessers this month. The forward, who is a big earner at the club, has been in and out of the side in recent weeks, and given there is interest from Italian side Cagliari, the Gers could “sacrifice” Dessers.

Vaclav Cerny is another Rangers player who is attracting interest, as West Ham United lead the race to secure his signature once his loan ends in Scotland and he returns to Wolfsburg. The Hammers are not the only team interested in signing the Czech international, as Villarreal are also keen on the player, which means Rangers’ chances of securing an agreement after this loan become harder.

Rangers accept £2m transfer offer for "blistering" forward

Dessers is not the only player who could leave this month, as Football Insider reports Rangers have agreed to loan Rabbi Matondo to an unnamed European club, including a £2 million buy option.

Matondo, who Kris Boyd said has “blistering” pace, has been at Ibrox since July 2022, when he joined from German side FC Schalke 04. The 24-year-old came through the academy at Cardiff City but was snapped up by Man City at an early age, but it was a move that didn’t quite work out, and from there he joined the German outfit.

Matondo has struggled to make an impact at Rangers, dipping in and out of the side during his three seasons at the club, and now the Gers are ready to move him on. Football Insider reports that Rangers have agreed to a loan exit with an unnamed European club, but he is also subject to advances from Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday.

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Rangers have made the winger available for a transfer, and he is now expected to leave on loan, with the club having a £2 million option to make the deal permanent. Matondo has played just eight games in all competitions this season, as he’s fallen down the pecking order under Clement, as shown with him starting just three, and his last appearance in the league was in the 1-1 draw against Dundee.

Joshua Zirkzee came to the defence of Andre Onana after the goalkeeper's costly errors in the 2-2 draw with Lyon on Thursday.

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Onana blamed for draw vs LyonGoalkeeper errors cost Man UtdZirkzee backing them to winFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

A last-minute equaliser from the French side ensured the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final tie finished all square, with Onana blamed for both of the goals his team conceded.

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The Cameroon international has come under immense scrutiny for his regular blunders since his arrival at Old Trafford, though coach Ruben Amorim came to his defence after the latest upset. Team-mate Zirkzee has also dismissed criticism aimed at the 29-year-old as he backed his team to get the job done in the second leg.

WHAT ZIRKZEE SAID

"One hundred per cent. We're one team, so we're not going to take someone out for making mistakes. That's ridiculous," he said. "To draw in this way is always a little bit, I don't want to say frustrating, but it hurts for it to go this way. But we just have to focus on the next game and that's Newcastle away. And then we all know what we have to do when we face Lyon again at home next week. We have to win it, we all know that. There's no way around that. It's the only thing we have to do… It's not going to be easy but we all want to win, we have to win, so we'll see."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR UNITED?

United take on Carabao Cup winners Newcastle at St James' Park on Sunday before hosting Lyon to conclude the tie.

He will test again in two days’ time; Paras Mhambrey to step in till then

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Aug-2022Rahul Dravid, India’s head coach, has tested positive for Covid-19 and is not travelling with the rest of the team that will assemble in Dubai today for the Asia Cup. It is believed Dravid had mild symptoms, which have receded. He will test again in two days’ time. Paras Mhambrey, the bowling coach, will step in till then.A call on whether VVS Laxman – who coached India in Zimbabwe as Dravid took a short break – will join the team in Dubai too will likely be taken only after Dravid takes the test in two days. India’s first match in the Asia Cup will be on August 28 against Pakistan.”Team India Head Coach Rahul Dravid has tested positive for COVID-19 in a routine test conducted ahead of the team’s departure to the UAE for Asia Cup 2022,” a BCCI release said. “Mr. Dravid is under the supervision of the BCCI Medical team and has mild symptoms. He will join the team once he returns with a negative COVID-19 report. The rest of the team will assemble in UAE on 23rd August, 2022.”The Asia Cup is likely to be India’s last tournament before they announce the team for the T20 World Cup in Australia in October-November. In that light, the Asia Cup is an important tournament for the decision-makers to be around. It is believed that 11 or 12 slots in the squad are more or less booked, but the Asia Cup could have a bearing on the last three-four places. India will also be waiting on the fitness of Harshal Patel and Jasprit Bumrah who are at NCA in Bangalore for rehab.

After weeks of miserable football and worse results, Tottenham Hotspur picked up a much-needed victory on Thursday night.

Ange Postecoglou’s side travelled to Hoffenheim knowing that a win was imperative to keep their hopes of automatically qualifying for the next round of the Europa League alive, and while it wasn’t straightforward, that’s just what they did.

While there were several good performances on the night, club co-vice captain James Maddison really stood out, scoring and assisting a goal.

The Englishman hasn’t been at his mercurial best in recent months, but Thursday night reminded everyone just how good he can be, and fortunately for him, the manager and the fans for that matter, recent reports have linked Spurs with a player who’d be the perfect teammate for him.

Tottenham chase midfield maestro

According to a recent report from GIVEMESPORT, Tottenham have maintained their strong interest in LOSC Lille star Angel Gomes.

In positive developments for the North Londoners, the report has revealed that the England international now favours a move to them over other suitors, including West Ham United and Manchester United.

However, while the team could do with some reinforcements this month, it would appear as if the Lilywhites are working on a pre-contract agreement for the 24-year-old, as with his £11k-per-week contract expiring in the summer, he’ll be available for free.

It might not be what the team needs at this moment, but signing a player of Gomes’ ability for nothing is an excellent bit of business, especially as he could help Maddison play at his best more often.

Why Gomes would be a dream teammate for Maddison

So, it would probably be fair to say that the Maddison we saw against Hoffenheim on Thursday night was the one that fans want to see more of.

The tenacious midfielder who can kickstart attacks from nothing, play a killer ball in behind for his teammates, or break the lines himself to put the ball in the back of the net.

However, for fans to see more of that, the former Leicester City star needs an extremely dependable midfielder to play alongside him, someone who can help out offensively but is also talented and disciplined enough to help out in build-up and defensive situations, which is where Gomes comes in to play.

The former Manchester United prospect has spent much of his career playing in either attacking or central midfield, and as such, has the skill set to influence all phases of play and could, therefore, platform his compatriot to focus on happenings at the sharp end of the pitch.

For example, FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, places him in the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers for shots blocked.

Pass Completion

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4.86

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0.23

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6.69

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Moreover, an article from the Coaches Voice last September praised him for his pressing and counter-pressing ability, which in a Postecoglou system could be game-changing.

However, while he can help break up play and help defend central spaces, the “special” 24-year-old, as dubbed by former manager Jocelyn Gourvennec, can also help the Lilywhites and Maddison in attacking situations, as exemplified by FBref placing him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers for pass completion and successful take-on percentage, the top 3% for carries, the top 4% for passes into the final third, the top 6% for progressive passes, switches and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, signing Gomes in the summer would be an excellent idea for Spurs and Maddison, as the Lille star would platform the Coventry-born star through his defensive efforts and assist him with his brilliant passing range.

Amazing Kulusevski repeat: Spurs in contact to sign lethal £55m "monster"

The incredible goalscorer is just what Spurs need this season.

5 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 23, 2025

The Knight Riders bowling, led by Anisa Mohammed, came to the fore again as Royals were stopped ten runs short in a low-scoring game

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Sep-2022The Women’s CPL final wasn’t a run fest, and the 190 runs that were scored came off 38.4 overs – at under five an over – but it still became an interesting contest, not least because of some special shows.Deandra Dottin, the Trinbago Knight Riders captain, came first, with a 62-ball 59. Hayley Matthews, Dottin’s opposite number, put in a sterling performance, with 3 for 22 and then a 49-ball 46, though it ended up being in a losing cause. And then four Knight Riders bowlers picked up at least two wickets each, giving them a ten-run win over Barbados Royals, and the title, at the inaugural edition of the tournament.Matthews won the toss, and asked Dottin to bat, and had reason to be pleased at the halfway mark after restricting the total to 100 for 7. In a low-scoring tournament, this was Knight Riders’ lowest total – they batted first in each of their three games – after they had put up 114 for 7 and 105 for 6 in their previous outings.Their innings was all about Dottin, who hit four fours and two sixes from the top of the order. Only one other batter, Sune Luus, got into double-digits, scoring 12. Her partnership with Dottin for the second wicket was worth 29. The only stand better than that was late in the script, when Dottin and Kyshona Knight (8) added 32 for the fifth wicket.For Royals, Matthews was the best bowler, with three wickets, though no one conceded runs at above six an over; Qiana Joseph (3.50) and Afy Fletcher (4.25) were the most economical among them.Matthews was then Barbados’ best batter too, as she opened the batting and top-scored with 46, before becoming the ninth batter out.Around her, it was a sorry sight. The next best individual score was 7, scored by three batters: Aaliyah Alleyne, Chloe Tryon and Chinelle Henry, but at no stage did a proper partnership take shape; Royals needed someone to bat with Matthews to have a chance.For Knight Riders, Anisa Mohammed was the most successful bowler with 3 for 16, Matthews among her victims, while Luus, Hayley Jensen and Sheneta Grimmond all picked up two wickets each.

Chelsea have triggered a permanent transfer option in Jadon Sancho’s loan, but they can still get out of the deal with Manchester United.

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Joined Blues on season-loan agreementObligation to buy for £25m triggeredCould still send winger back to Old TraffordFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Blues signed the England international winger on a season-long agreement during the summer window of 2024. Sancho has registered just three goals in all competitions, while half of his 10 assists have come in the Conference League.

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The 25-year-old forward has struggled to convince those at Stamford Bridge that he is worth keeping around. A 2-1 derby victory over Fulham does, however, mean that a £25 million ($33m) purchase clause has kicked in.

WHAT TRANSFER EXPERT SAID

That is because the Blues are now guaranteed to finish higher than 15th in the Premier League table. Transfer expert reports that: "Chelsea's win over Fulham means an obligation to buy Jadon Sancho of up to £25m [€29m] has now kicked in. It is triggered providing Chelsea finish above 15th, which is now mathematically guaranteed to be the case."

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Chelsea do have a way out of the big-money transfer that is being lined up. Jacobs adds that: "Chelsea can override the obligation by paying Man Utd a fee of £5m [€6m]. Decision whether to keep Sancho will be taken at the end of the season."

Both experts on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time Out also felt that Pakistan’s bowlers erred in judgement in the last two overs

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Oct-20222:25

Kumble: ‘Nawaz bowling two wides in the final over inexcusable’

According to Anil Kumble and Stephen Fleming, the unbeaten 82 from Virat Kohli that sunk Pakistan in Melbourne had two standout characteristics. One, the ability to find boundaries at will in the second half and, two, the display of high fitness levels that are crucial to maximising run-scoring at a ground of MCG’s size.At one stage, Kohli was 15 off 23 balls. He would smack 67 runs off his next 30 deliveries, 36 runs off his last 11. He finished on an unbeaten 82 of 53, which included six fours and four sixes, to help India put behind them the ghosts of 2021 when Pakistan defeated them at the T20 World Cup by ten wickets.”What Virat has changed in the last two years, to what we are seeing him do now, is that change in his mind in terms of when to get those boundaries towards the second half of his game and that’s exactly what he did,” Kumble said on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time Out post-match analysis show. “He did that to Shadab [Khan], he did that to [Mohammad] Nawaz, he hit a six after Hardik [Pandya] had hit a six.”He realised that that over [12th over from Nawaz that went for 20 runs] had to be a big over and that’s where the momentum shifted [for him].”While Kohli called his own innings his “best in T20Is” after the match, Kumble called it a “perfect innings”. He also said that the presence of Hardik Pandya at the other end in their 113-run partnership, complemented Kohli’s playing style. Hardik finished with 40 off 37 balls, falling at the start of the 20th over.”I thought it [the innings] was to perfection because Hardik was at the other end and Hardik took all the pressure in those middle overs, hitting key boundaries, especially to the spinners,” Kumble said. “That had been sort of his bane a couple of years ago. Especially in the middle overs, hitting boundaries, hitting sixes to spinners.”Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya stitched together a match-winning 113-run partnership•ICC via Getty ImagesFrom the time Kohli and Hardik got together in the seventh over with the score reading 31 for 4, to the time R Ashwin hit the winning runs off the game’s final delivery, Kohli participated in running 39 singles, eight twos (including two runs run off a wide delivery) and one three (the free-hit that hit his stumps in the 20th over). Since the start of the 11th over, Kohli would play only four dots.”The fitness in their running between the wickets was superb,” Fleming, the former New Zealand captain and current head coach at Chennai Super Kings, said. “He’s getting a little bit older, but to be able to maintain that intensity, he’s always had an intensity around him, but the running between the wickets was vital.”Those are the little things you don’t see and they upped the ante with that and they snuck quite a few runs putting the Pakistan players under pressure. That intensity is what I like about Virat Kohli. It’s not just the the magical shots like the six that he had [against Rauf], it’s the stuff in between, and that’s gamesmanship, it’s experience and it’s greatness.”Both experts also felt that Pakistan made errors with the ball at the back end when they were looking to close out the game. Kumble felt that Nawaz moved away from bowling his classical left-arm orthodox spin in the 20th over while Fleming felt that Haris Rauf – who conceded 12 off his last two deliveries in the penultimate over – missed a trick by not going for the time-tested death-overs plan of bowling the wide yorker.”When you bowl those kind of overs, you sort of take the spin away from [the batter],” Kumble said. “Nawaz never looked to bowl the classical left-arm spin. He sort of bowled an arm ball – and then you know Hardik looked to hit through midwicket – but never ever looked to hit the deck with spin, which he did really well in the first three overs that he bowled. I guess that’s the beauty of the game. That’s the nerves telling on you and also some baggage of what had happened in the previous game against India when he bowled that last over in the Asia Cup.””I talk about the wide yorker because when you’re needing a boundary or sixes it’s very hard to hit the wide yorker if you can deliver it [right]. And I’ve seen him do it on big wide boundaries which can be protected,” Fleming said of Rauf. “It was a tactic that wasn’t used by either side which surprised me. Especially when you get in front of the game and Pakistan were in front of the game. They were bossing that game.”India needed to hit sixes to get back into the game and win it. So you bowl the best ball and the method of being right [in these conditions] was back of a length, but still use the wide yorker… at no stage did they go wide. Haris Rauf, I thought he could have been a little bit more proactive with that and we might have seen a better result [for him]. But look, this is all in hindsight, he had brought a wonderful spell.”

Glasgow Rangers were left embarrassed as Philippe Clement’s men exited the SFA Cup at the fifth round stage with a 1-0 defeat to Championship side Queen’s Park on Sunday.

The Light Blues were booted out of the competition by the second-tier side, thanks to a brilliant second-half goal from Sebastian Drozd, who dribbled inside the box before slotting past Liam Kelly.

Clement’s side will now have to either overcome a 13-point gap to Celtic to win the Scottish Premiership or win the Europa League to avoid ending the season without any silverware.

The Light Blues did have the chance to give themselves a lifeline in the dying embers of added time, though, after Cyriel Dessers was pushed to the floor in the box, which presented captain James Tavernier with a chance from the spot.

James Tavernier's miss against Queen's Park

He has netted 69 penalties in his career and had only missed 18 prior to his kick of the ball on Sunday, although five of those misses came in the 2023/24 campaign.

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Scored

VAR confirmed the penalty and Tavernier put the ball down, ready to take his kick, only for the referee to pause the process again for VAR to do another check of the attacking phase of play, which disrupted the right-back’s run-up.

The English full-back finally stepped up to take his penalty and produced a tame effort at a good height for Will Ferie, down to his left, to make the save.

Tavernier’s weak effort, ultimately, spoiled any chance for Rangers to get back into the match to go on and progress through to the next round.

Performance in Numbers

However, the former Newcastle United defender was far from the only poor performer for the Light Blues, as Brazilian left-back Jefte was just as bad as his captain.

Jefte cost Rangers a potential trophy

The summer signing may just have cost Clement a chance at winning any silverware this season, due to the difficulty of winning the Europa League or closing a 13-point gap on Celtic, due to his error for the Queen’s Park winner.

Jefte stood up Drozd when the ball dropped to the winger at the back post and he was stuck on his heels as the forward dribbled past him with ease in the box, which then allowed him a free shot to bury an effort past Kelly.

Glasgow World awarded the left-footed flop a player rating of 2/10 and lamented his poor defending for the goal, as well as his lack of quality at the top end of the pitch when pushing forward to put crosses into the box.

Jefte has created 22 chances and registered two assists in 22 appearances in the Scottish Premiership this season, which shows that he does have the ability to provide good deliveries into the box, but the Brazilian did not create anything of note in the defeat to Queen’s Park.

Overall, the 21-year-old defender was just as bad as Tavernier, due to his poor defending for the match-winning goal, and his mistake may well have just massively contributed to Rangers potentially ending this season without any silverware.

Rangers must regret selling a star who's now outscoring Hagi & Danilo

The Glasgow Rangers sold the attacking midfielder for £2.5m last year.

ByDan Emery Feb 6, 2025

At the age of 21, hopefully, Jefte will learn from moments like that and eventually develop into the kind of defender Rangers can rely on in moments like that, rather than being a defensively liability, as he was on Sunday.

The U.S. international has swapped South Beach for Minnesota in the Western Conference

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MNUFC acquire Julian Gressel off waiversInter Miami waived midfielder to clear cap space30-year-old has six USMNT capsGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED?

Minnesota United have acquired versatile MLS veteran and U.S. international Julian Gressel off of waivers. Inter Miami waived Gressel – an integral member of their 2024 Supporters' Shield-lifting squad – earlier this week to create cap space in the roster. Gressel's 2025 guaranteed compensation is $1.09 million, and the Loons are taking on the rest of that after adding him to their ranks.

“I’m really excited to be here at Minnesota United and to get integrated into the group,” said Gressel. “I can’t wait to get started with the guys and continue the momentum that has been established within the team.”

Gressel will be under contract through 2026, with a club option for 2027.

“We welcome Julian and his family to Minnesota and are excited for him to join our team,” said MNUFC Chief Soccer Officer Khaled El-Ahmad. “Julian brings an impressive depth of MLS experience and championship pedigree to Minnesota. He is a proven winner and competitor and our hope is that he will contribute those qualities to our team and continue to push our club forward throughout the rest of this season and beyond.”

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Gressel has six international caps with the U.S. men's national team, where he recorded two assists. His last international call up was in March, 2024 and he was a member of the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup roster.

Previous stops if his in MLS included stints with the Vancouver Whitecaps, Atlanta United and the Columbus Crew. With the he won 2018 MLS Cup, the 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and the 2019 Campeones Cup. At Columbus, he helped them to the 2023 MLS Cup title and in Vancouver, won the Canadian Championship in both 2022 and 2023.

Most recently, he helped Miami to the 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield.

Across his illustrious MLS career, including both playoff and regular season games, Gressel has made 258 appearances (232 starts), where he has provided 67 assists and has scored 28 goals.

DID YOU KNOW?

ESPN reports that with the addition of Gressel, are contemplating putting midfielder Hassani Dotson on the season-ending injury list. The midfielder underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in late March.

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WHAT NEXT FOR GRESSEL?

The Loons take on Austin FC on Matchday 11 next weekend, where Gressel will be aiming to make his MNUFC debut.