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Chelsea were knocked out of the League Cup on Wednesday night after they travelled from Stamford Bridge to St. James’ Park to lose 2-0 to Newcastle United.

The Blues had beaten Eddie Howe’s men 2-1 in the Premier League on Sunday on their own turf, but could not complete a double over the Magpies.

A composed finish from Alexander Isak, after an error in midfield gifted the ball back to Newcastle, and an own goal from Axel Disasi sealed the victory for the away side.

Enzo Maresca selected Disasi in the right-full-back position, with Tosin Adarabioyo and Benoit Badiashile in the middle, and the Frenchman endured a difficult evening.

Axel Disasi's performance in numbers

The biggest talking point about his performance is, of course, the own goal that made it 2-0 to Newcastle before the end of the first-half, which turned out to be the last goal of the evening.

It was somewhat unfortunate in the sense that the first ball is not dealt with by his teammates and the ball dropped into a dangerous position between him and Filip Jorgensen, but he simply did not sort his feet out to make the clearances and sliced it into his own net.

Aside from that error, Disasi also lost four of his six duels and was dribbled past once, which shows that he struggled with his physical battles against Joelinton – who played on the left flank for the Magpies.

He did, however, create two chances for his teammates and the former Monaco man was far from the only underperformer on the pitch for the Blues, as captain Enzo Fernandez was just as bad as him.

Enzo Fernandez's performance in numbers

Handed the armband for the game, the World Cup winner produced a disappointing display in the middle of the park with his lack of creativity and quality in possession.

Whilst it was an error from Renato Veiga to produce a sloppy pass under pressure for the opening goal, Sandro Tonali was on the front foot ahead of Fernandez, who put his arms up in the air to call for a foul rather than challenging for the ball.

The Evening Standard handed him a rating of 3/10 for his performance, referencing that incident as part of their reasoning, and criticised his lack of leadership in the first-half when Newcastle scored their two goals.

Touches

138

Key passes

1

Big chances created

0

Crosses completed

1/8

Possession lost

23x

As you can see in the table above, Fernandez had plenty of opportunities to make things happen on the ball, with a whopping 138 touches, but lost the ball 23 times and only created one chance.

His failure to create a single ‘big chance’ from 138 touches and eight attempted crosses illustrates his lack of quality in the final third, and he set the tone for himself early on with a wayward long switch on his weak foot that went straight out of play for a throw-in.

Therefore, Fernandez was just as bad as Disasi, as he was a liability in the midfield with his loose play, and Maresca will be hoping for far better from both players moving forward.

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The Senegalese has been in electric form this season.

ByEmilio Galantini Oct 30, 2024

توج فريق كرة اليد بالنادي الأهلي، “سيدات”، ببطولة كأس السوبر المصري، بالفوز على سموحة، في المباراة النهائية التي أقيمت اليوم الأحد.

والتقى فريقا الأهلي وسموحة، في مباراة الدور النهائي لبطولة كأس السوبر المصري للموسم الحالي 2025.

وحقق فريق الأهلي الفوز على سموحة بنتيجة 31-22، في المباراة التي أقيمت على صالة حسن مصطفى.

طالع | الأهلي يفوز على الزمالك ويتوج بلقب كأس السوبر المصري للكرة الطائرة

يذكر، أن سيدات يد الأهلي قد حصدن لقبي الدوري والكأس عن الموسم الماضي، بينما سموحة جاء وصيفًا الدوري.

In a video on Facebook, she said a leg injury made her take this decision

Andrew Fidel Fernando28-Oct-2021Allrounder Eshani Lokusuriyage, who was instrumental in perhaps Sri Lanka’s greatest ODI win ever, has retired from international cricket, aged 37. In a video on Facebook, she said a leg injury had prompted her to make that decision.”I’ve decided to retire from international cricket,” Lokusuriyage said. “However, I will continue to play for my club side – Navy. I want to take this opportunity to thank the fans who’ve been with me since 2013. Please continue to support me, because I’ll still be a club cricketer.”A right-handed batter, and right-arm seamer, who made her international debut in 2005, Lokusuriyage played 89 ODIs and 68 T20 internationals. It is for her heroics during the 2013 World ODI Cup, however, for which she will be most fondly remembered. Having taken 2 wickets for 49 against England after opening the bowling, Lokusuriyage thumped 56 off 41 to revive a flagging Sri Lanka chase (their target was 239), and delivered the team to the cusp of a thrilling one-wicket victory.Having won the player of the match in one of the World Cup’s biggest upsets, Lokusuriyage also starred in a victory against India days later, when she struck 56 not out off 31 and took a wicket.”It was in 2013 that people around the world got to know who Eshani Lokusiriya is,” she said. “I was able to achieve those things because I had a good coach, a good captain, and good team-mates. I’m really thankful to all of them. I’m so grateful for all the fans, and I ask them to continue supporting women’s cricket.”All up, she struck five fifties in ODIs, with a highest score of 65, and took 49 wickets in the format. She also has 36 wickets in T20 internationals. She last played for Sri Lanka in 2018. There have been no internationals for Sri Lanka’s women’s side since early 2020 for Lokusuriyage to be eligible for.

MatériaMais Notícias

Aos poucos, o Flamengo vai moldando o seu elenco para a temporada de 2022. Por ora, são oito negociações envolvendo saídas de jogadores do clube, as quais abrem espaço na folha salarial e no grupo principal, que ainda “aguarda” o primeiro reforço para a temporada. Contratações ainda não foram feitas, mas a diretoria “está no mercado” e chegadas são esperadas, como o próprio técnico Paulo Sousa e o VP de futebol Marcos Braz afirmaram na segunda-feira.

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Entre os atletas que estavam à disposição do time principal do Flamengo ao fim de 2021, cinco já têm o futuro definido para 2022 longe do Ninho do Urubu: Bruno Viana, Piris da Motta, Vitor Gabriel, Hugo Moura e Kenedy. Outros três atletas, que estavam emprestados, foram negociados em definitivo: João Lucas, Max e Bill. Confira a situação e o destino de cada um dos atletas mais abaixo!

A saída desses atletas, por mais que não estivessem entre os maiores salários do elenco, abrem espaço na folha do clube e mostram que o Flamengo irá, de fato, atrás de reforços. Hoje, 27 nomes compõem o grupo principal – sendo quatro goleiros, entre eles César, que tem contrato se encerrando em abril.

A única saída que não estava nos planos era a de Kenedy, que teve o retorno imediato pedido pelo Chelsea. O empréstimo do jogador era até junho, a diretoria tentou negociar a permanência do atacante, mas não teve sucesso.

As negociações também garantiram os primeiros milhões aos cofres do clube, que prevê uma receita de R$ 186 milhões com vendas em 2022. Somadas, as transferências de Piris da Motta, Max e Bill ultrapassam os R$ 13 milhões – o valor da transação envolvendo João Lucas, ao Cuiabá, ainda não foi revelada.

Nesse período, além de ter priorizada a contratação do técnico e comissão técnica completa, a diretoria do Flamengo ainda garantiu a permanência de Thiago Maia, que estava emprestado pelo Lille até junho. Contratado em definitivo por R$ 25,5 milhões, o meia assinará contrato de quatro temporadas.

OS JOGADORES QUE JÁ DEIXARAM O FLAMENGO EM 2022

Kenedy
Atacante tinha contrato de empréstimo até junho, mas o Chelsea solicitou o retorno imediato do atleta. O Flamengo tentou negociar, mas não teve sucesso.

Piris da Motta
O volante foi negociado com o Cerro Porteño (PAR) por 1 milhão de dólares, (R$ 5,6 milhões). O Flamengo manterá 20% dos direitos econômicos do jogador.

Vitor Gabriel
Aos 21 anos, o centroavante foi emprestado ao Juventude até o final desta temporada. Seu contrato com o Flamengo é válido até dezembro de 2023.

Hugo Moura
O volante será emprestado ao Athletico até o final da atual temporada. Formado no Ninho, Hugo Moura tem vínculo com o clube até o fim de 2023.

Bruno Viana
O empréstimo junto ao Braga, de Portugal, chegou ao fim em dezembro e o Flamengo não teve o interesse em renová-lo ou contratá-lo em definitivo.

Bill
Formado no Ninho, o atacante estava emprestado ao Dnipro-1 e foi comprado pelo clube da Ucrânia. O Flamengo receberá R$ 2,5 milhões pela transferência.

João Lucas
O lateral-direito estava emprestado ao Cuiabá na última temporada. Acabou vendido ao clube. Os valores da transferência ainda não foram revelados.

*Matéria atualizada às 17h com a saída de Kenedy

The former St. Louis head coach will be tasked with turning things around at a Union side which missed the playoffs in 2024

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• Union hire Carnell
• South African coach has a 22-15-25 record in MLS regular season
• Replaces Curtin, who was let go following 2024

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After a months-long search, the Philadelphia Union have found their new head coach in former St. Louis CITY SC boss Bradley Carnell.

  The South African replaces 2022 Coach of Year Jim Curtin, who the club decided to part ways following a disappointing 2024 season. Carnell comes to Philadelphia following an inconsistent first turn in MLS in St. Louis.

  In his first season with the club, CITY were first in the Western Conference and he was a coach of the Year candidate. Following a playoff collapse to Sporting KC, the club's fortunes turned and St. Louis fired the manager in July after a 3-7-10 start in. Carnell has a 22-15-25 in MLS regular season as a coach.

  The Union finished 9-15-10 last year, ending a six-year streak in the postseason. The club reached the MLS Cup in 2022.

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• Philadelphia Union
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Philadelphia hasn’t historically been one of MLS’s biggest spenders, but it boasts the league’s strongest academy, with several players ready to take the next step.

  All eyes will likely be on the Sullivan brothers, Quinn and Cavan, and they can be the next pillars for a club that's rebuilding. Cavan Sullivan is still a work in progress, but Quinn could vie for an MLS All-Star spot this season after a breakout 2024 where he had five goals and eight assists.

  How Carnell combines the youth movement with an unfinished roster with MLS vets and undervalued players from abroad will determine if he is a success in Philly.

• Imagn
  

  WHAT THE UNION SAID

  "Bradley has the attributes we were looking for in a manager and the experience needed as we commit to getting back to our identity as a team," Philadelphia Union sporting sirector Ernst Tanner said in a statement. "With knowledge of both MLS and international markets, he is tactically astute and aligned with our sporting strategy. His approach emphasizes a high-press style of play while organizing a structured defense. Additionally, he shares the club's vision for developing players. We are confident he will bring a clear sporting philosophy that elevates the team and delivers a competitive season. We look forward to welcoming him to Philadelphia."

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• WHAT CARNELL SAID

  “I’m honored to be named head coach of the Philadelphia Union, and I would like to thank the Union ownership group and Ernst Tanner for their trust in me,” Carnell said in a statement. “Philadelphia is an amazing city, built on communities of hardworking and passionate people who truly love their soccer. I am excited for this opportunity to build upon an already solid foundation and aim to help raise the Union organization to the next level that our fans and city can be proud of.”

Qalandars’ playoff hopes now hinge on result of Quetta Gladiators v Karachi Kings

Danyal Rasool18-Jun-2021There’s been plenty of talk about when the world will get back to normal, but Lahore Qalandars look like they’re there anyway. A vintage capitulation from a side for whom qualification to the semis once looked a mere formality means their chances for progression hang in the balance. Multan Sultans swatted them aside by 80 runs, with Sohail Akhtar’s side bowled out inside 15.1 overs for 89, which – aside from the points going to the Sultans – has produced a devastating blow to the Qalandars net run rate that they could ill afford to absorb. Shahnawaz Dhani was the architect of the huge win, taking four wickets once again in the face of listless opposition from Qalandars.Having lost three on the bounce when failing to chase down targets, Qalandars’ decision to put Sultans in first was curious, but the bowlers kept them on a leash for much of the innings. Aside from a menacing 63-run partnership between Rilee Rossouw and Sohaib Maqsood – whose 40-ball 60 was redolent of his best days as a T20 power hitter – Sultans were never truly able to pull away. And once that partnership was broken, Shaheen Afridi and James Faulkner helped Qalandars run riot, ripping through the lower-middle order to leave Quetta hovering around 140. Only a destructive – in every sense of the word – final over from Haris Rauf, from which Sohail Tanvir plundered 24, helped Sultans set Qalandars 170 to win.Given their chasing struggles in this leg of the tournament, that was always going to be an uphill task. Ben Dunk was promoted, signalling a shift in approach. But the experiment failed before Dhani, sensational once again, got some extra bounce to prise out a struggling Fakhar Zaman. Blessing Muzarabani got in on the act as Mohammad Hafeez fell thanks to a loose shot. Imran Tahir joined the party too, and aside from one big over courtesy Faulkner, the chase was never really on. When he was dismissed, the fight left the Qalandars. At this rate, the Qalandars might be leaving Abu Dhabi soon enough.Dhani delight Shahnawaz Dhani’s special relationship with the PSL shows no signs of cooling, his dizzying figures of 3.1-1-5-4 the zenith of an already glittering tournament. The signs of a remarkable day presented themselves the very first time he bowled, nailing Fakhar Zaman with a bouncer off his first ball and putting Qalandars on the back foot straightaway. When he returned in the middle overs, he got rid of the last dregs of Qalandars’ hope, extra bounce putting paid to Faulkner’s enterprising little stay. All that remained was the snuffing of the tail, and in this sort of mood, he accomplished that with disdainful ease.Harif Rauf’s 20th overIt’s easy to forget what a seemingly impregnable position Lahore found themselves in 19 overs into the match. Sultans had hobbled along to 145, and Tanvir kept the strike off the final ball of the previous over, hoping to get a few big hits in. It began with a couple of streaky fours, before a hammer blow over square leg for six saw the momentum shift ominously away from the struggling Qalandars. Assisted by supremely ordinary bowling, Tanvir – who has struggled for runs this PSL – managed another ten off the last two, wrenching the momentum back to his side. While Lahore had conceded just 26 off the five overs prior, Sultans plundered 24 more in just one. Lahore would never quite recover.Where they standLahore Qalandars are joined by Multan Sultans on ten points and both teams have one match to play. Sultans have the best net run rate in the tournament and barring a historically catastrophic loss to Islamabad United, Sultans are assured of a playoff spot. Meanwhile, Qalandars’ fate rests in the hands of Quetta Gladiators. If the last place Gladiators can beat Karachi Kings, then Qalandars will take the final playoff berth. However, a win for the Kings and they’ll move to ten points but will be in the playoffs ahead of Qalandars due to a superior net run rate.

Imposing Hampshire target overhauled with two balls to spare in outground thriller

David Hopps15-Jun-2021Middlesex 217 for 7 (Cracknell 77, Simpson 62) beat Hampshire 215 for 6 (Short 48, McManus 47, Weatherley 41) by three wickets with two balls to spareMiddlesex pulled off their second highest T20 chase – by three wickets with two balls to spare – in a memorable match at Radlett which saw the next generation take charge of a county going through a difficult transition, and leave another ailing T20 side, Hampshire, fearing that they don’t seem to be in much of a transition at all.Radlett is about as far away from the ECB’s vision of T20 cricket as it is possible to be. The dream is maximum revenue from large stadia, a football-style atmosphere and a sense of theatre that delights a TV audience. Start an overly loud, alcohol-fuelled chant at Radlett and you may be blackballed from the golf club or become the subject of gossip in the Ladies Circle.It would be interesting to know what Middlesex and England’s limited-overs captain, Eoin Morgan, who makes no pretence that he shares the ECB’s modernising vision, privately thinks of it when he decamps from Lord’s. Last night, as a setting sun cast a gentle amber light over a fine victory, he might even have been getting to like it.What a game Radlett staged. Professional cricket in England obviously can’t financially survive on small club grounds, but is also about highly entertaining nights like this, fought out before people who care deeply, and even more wonderfully so when two players at the start of their careers come to the fore in such a fashion. Blake Cullen is not about to get a headline for his intelligent and aggressive 1 for 29 in four overs; Joe Cracknell can be assured of plaudits for a brilliant 77 from 42 balls which saw Middlesex home. Both give Middlesex faith that their player development is reaping dividends.Hampshire’s first 200-plus total for three years was eminently chaseable in perfect batting conditions. But patently not by Middlesex, most of their supporters would have suggested. At 30 for 3, with Morgan trudging off, having reached at a very wide one to hole out at deep backward point, a philosophical kind of pessimism had taken hold.But Cracknell, whose threat was illustrated by a 22-ball 50 against Kent, and John Simpson rallied with a stand of 122 from 59 balls. Cracknell possesses a natural belligerence and his youthful optimism began the surge – his innings full of commanding pulls and slog sweeps; Simpson then took over with successive sixes against Liam Dawson’s left-arm spin, never as stylish, but possessing the experience to know what he can get away with.Simpson was stumped at the second attempt, off the leg spin of Mason Crane for 62 from 30 balls. Cracknell, seeking an off-side boundary, where he had rarely ventured, also fell to Crane for 77 from 42. He had been selected ahead of Max Holden which, with due respect to Holden, was a bit of a no-brainer in this format.Crane had carried some threat, as illustrated by his 3 for 35 in three overs. Dawson’s full allocation had gone for 54 and his return to the England T20 squad looked even more like a selection of habit. But Hampshire’s skipper, James Vince, opted logically enough to give the final over to the seam of Brad Wheal with ten needed and Chris Green hammered a successive four and six over deep midwicket to give Middlesex the game.Radlett is an idyllic county ground: a good batting surface, a ground lined by trees and hedges, and a convivial crowd adopting a Country Show attitude to any minor privations in the marquees and the portable toilets. They were allowed not far short of 1,000 spectators which is roughly the same as some of the smaller county grounds, which have stands and things. All to do with pinch points apparently.Hampshire’s 215 for 6 was their first 200-plus score for three years, but it was far from impregnable. Their record since then is as bad as any county in the country and conditions – excellent pitch, fast outfield, short boundaries – was considerably bowler-friendly. They were also without Chris Wood which meant that Kyle Abbott played his first T20 match since turning out in the Lanka Premier League in December.They were on the verge of a colossal Powerplay with 68 garnered from the first five overs and Vince and D’Arcy Short in a blissful world where they could do much as they pleased. With Middlesex lacking five pace bowlers because of injury or (in the case of Tom Helm) recovery from Covid-19, a colossal score looked on the cards.Then came Cullen. Three off the first over; Vince’s head-high hook falling to deep backward square in his next. In his final over, he twice troubled Hampshire’s ex-Middlesex man, James Fuller, twice for pace, the first of them gloved to third man.Cullen, a former England U19, has played for Middlesex since the U10s, and both player and club are beginning to reap the reward of years of endeavour. Pacey, with a strong action, he can reputedly swing the ball in four-day cricket, but here, he adapted intelligently and hit the pitch. The assessment of Middlesex’s director of cricket, Angus Fraser, that he “bowls like a grown man” could not have been more apparent.Green’s night did not begin well. He averages below seven runs an over in a career spanning more than 70 matches, making him beloved of T20 aficionados, and he was also on the back of a five-for against Kent, with four wickets taken in the final over. He was Middlesex’s most expensive bowler, leaking 55 from four overs as his method of pushing it fast and wide across the right-hander brought no dividends.If Middlesex prospered by slog sweeps, Hampshire perished by them, courtesy of the leg spin of Nathan Sowter. Short and Joe Weatherley, the latter after 41 from 22, both fell in such a fashion.Middlesex missed chances in the field, and a succession of shots escaped clawing fingers. The most damaging, in more than one sense, was Sowter’s drop of Dawson, running in from deep backward square, his right ankle sprained in the process. But not damaged enough for him to play a part in Middlesex’s uplifting victory.

أعرب كارلوس ميندي، المدرب المساعد للإسباني ميشيل غونزاليس المدير الفني لنادي القادسية، عن سعادته الغامرة بالانتصار الثمين الذي حققه فريقه على حساب الهلال.

وتمكن القادسية من تحقيق مفاجأة بالفوز على الهلال بهدفين مُقابل هدف، في إطار منافسات الجولة السابعة عشر من الدوري السعودي للمحترفين “دوري روشن”، في مباراة مثيرة أقيمت على ملعب الأمير محمد بن فهد.

وقال كارلوس ميندي في تصريحاته بعد المباراة نقلتها صحيفة “اليوم” السعودية:” فوز مهم على فريق كبير ولديه جودة عالية، لدينا لاعبين قدموا مجهودًا كبيرًا، وأعطوا كل ما لديهم على أرضية الملعب”.

طالع أيضًا | جيسوس بعد هزيمة الهلال أمام القادسية: “موجعة وغير عادلة”.. ويستنكر موقف الإعلام من لاعب الفريق

وأضاف: “اللاعبون عملوا بانتظام خلال الأسبوع في التدريبات، وظهروا بصورة ملائمة، نبارك لهم وللجميع على هذا الفوز”.

وأشار: “اللاعبون البدلاء أحدثوا الفارق في الانتصارات الماضية، وهذا يُشعرنا بالقوة والجاهزية كفريق متكامل”.

واختتم: “نملك فريقا جاهزا للمنافسة على اللقب، لدينا إيمان تام في إمكانية الفوز على أي خصم، حضرنا جيدًا للمباراة، وكنا مؤمنين بالفوز”.

وتجمد رصيد الهلال عند 43 نقطة في المركز الأول بالتساوي مع الاتحاد صاحب المركز الثاني، بينما رفع القادسية رصيده عن 37 نقطة في المركز الثالث.

With their opening day clash against Preston North End taking place on Friday, Sheffield United have reportedly reached an agreement with a Premier League gem ahead of their season curtain raiser.

Sheffield United transfer news

It's been a summer full of arrivals for the Blades, who are looking to make an instant return to the Premier League this season. Those at Bramall Lane have welcomed as many as seven fresh faces with the standouts being Kieffer Moore and Callum O'Hare. Meanwhile, the arrival of Alfie Gilchrist is also impressive business, given how he was showing glimpses of his quality at Chelsea last season.

Speaking to the club website after putting pen to paper, Gilchrist said: "I am really looking forward to it. It is a great opportunity which the club and the manager have given to me. I am just looking forward to getting started. It has always been the plan to showcase what I can do in the Premier League with the chances I've had, so now I want to try and do that week in, week out, here.

"This is a new challenge. I am taking myself out of my comfort zone. I've been there (at Chelsea) a while now, so I am ready to kick on. I came here last season for an away day, and seeing the fans and how they get behind the team, how much they love it, I was impressed."

It seems as though he won't be the last Premier League loanee, either. According to Football Insider, Sheffield United have reached an agreement with Jesurun Rak-Sakyi over a season-long loan deal and are now negotiating with Crystal Palace. On that front, as per Dom Smith of The Standard, the Blades will pay more than £1m in loan fees and Rak-Sakyi's wages in full to complete their deal ahead of Leeds United.

"Remarkable" Rak-Sakyi is Championship-ready

Just 21 years old, Rak-Sakyi has shown glimpses of his quality in the Premier League, but has seen his game time limited at Crystal Palace. Meanwhile, during the 2022/23 campaign, the winger enjoyed an excellent loan spell at Charlton Athletic, scoring 15 goals and recording a further eight assists in League One. So, that said, the natural middle ground at this stage of his development should be the Championship and Sheffield United.

The youngster has earned plenty of praise during his time at Palace, including from former manager Roy Hodgson, who told the club's official website when Rak-Sakyi broke into his squad: "He's dealt with it [stepping up] very well. For such a young man he's shown a remarkable maturity and a remarkable sangfroid.

“Coming into a group of senior players that he’s probably only watched from the terraces before, you wouldn’t notice that with his performances in the training sessions where he’s really taken the responsibility that he’s capable of taking.

"Everyone’s taken to him and been appreciative of him and what he can do so it’s nice we’ve been able to have him with us in a situation where a vacancy has occurred because we’ve had enough senior players out of our squad to not be able to fill our 20-man quota."

Smith said there had been conversations with the coach in the weeks since the end of the India series

Daniel Brettig06-Feb-2021

Steven Smith finished the India series strongly after a slow start•Getty Images

Steven Smith has paralleled his evolving tale as a Test batsman, in which he emerged from a brief run of low scores against India to make the runs in Sydney and Brisbane that clinched his third Allan Border Medal, with the need for Australia’s coach Justin Langer to keep continually improving as a mentor and man manager.As the world’s pre-eminent Test batsman for most of the past six years, it’s unsurprising that Smith revealed Langer gave him very little coaching whatsoever, aside from an occasional reminder to stay energetic on his feet at the crease. But he credited Langer for maintaining an attitude of learning and seeking feedback, though acknowledging that unvarnished opinions would not always be easy to find.”I think even if you speak to Justin, you want to be improving all the time as a coach or as a player, so of course there’s things you can always get better at,” Smith said. “One thing that hasn’t been spoken a lot about is how tough a job it is to coach an international team, particularly in the circumstances we’ve been in when we’ve been in bubbles for long periods of time.”But Justin’s always working hard, trying to improve and get better and we’ve had conversations over the last two weeks since we’ve finished and he’s always trying to get better and better and that’s all you can ask from a coach.”Langer and Smith’s earliest interactions took place in 2010, when Smith was playing his first Tests for Australia and the coach was a batting assistant seeking to smooth the rough edges of players including him, David Warner and the late Phillip Hughes. Since Smith’s return to Test cricket for the 2019 Ashes, their relationship has been largely a case of the coach keeping out of the way of a batsman in command of himself and his game.Related

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Team rumblings are a 'wake-up call' which Langer won't ignore

CA chief calls for Langer issues to be addressed in-house

“Justin’s actually said about me before he doesn’t try and coach me too much,” Smith said. “Only every now and again he’ll say something particularly about the energy in my legs and tell me to have a bit more energy and that helps me move my feet a bit better and get going. He just lets me go about my business and do what I need to do. But he’s great around the group, he’s always improving and wants to get better and wants the feedback from the players, and I think that’s really important as a coach.”Sometimes it can be difficult to get that feedback, you always want to get better, you always want to learn on the job and I think he does that as well as anyone.”While it would be well beyond the realm of possibility for a player to give his frankest thoughts on the national team’s senior coach and selector during an open media call, Smith responded in the affirmative when asked directly whether Langer had his full support to keep coaching the team in all formats.”Absolutely, I think he’s done a terrific job over the last couple of years, I wasn’t there the first year, but since I’ve been back I think he’s done a great job,” Smith said. “He always wants to get better and that’s all you can ask of anyone in the setup, whether it be a player or a coach, as long as you’re striving to improve every day, then that’s all you can ask.”That kind of thing [split coaching] has been floated for a while for different formats and different teams and things like that around the world, not just Australia, so I think it’d be interesting. But Justin’s got my full support at the moment, I think he’s doing a terrific job and he has done for a few years, and I can’t see it changing anytime soon.”Steven Smith said he had enjoyed the battle of overcoming new tactics against him•Getty Images and Cricket Australia

As for Smith’s own evolution, he said the past two summers had been refreshing in their challenges, as New Zealand and then India provided new angles of attack and filed placings that restricted him from some of his usual areas to rotate strike. After two slim Test matches in Adelaide and Melbourne, Smith resorted to a more aggressive mindset in Sydney and Brisbane, running up his first century since 2019 in England in the process.”Teams are starting to attack me a little bit differently or bowl to me a little bit differently, so I’ve had to make small adjustments,” he said. “At times I’ve had to be perhaps a little more aggressive than I have been in the past. I think I did that pretty well in the last two Test matches here and just coming up with some different plans and different scoring options but continuing to also play the game in front of me.”There’s times in Test cricket where you’ve got to absorb pressure, time when you’ve got to put the pressure back on the bowlers and try and get on top of them, and I did that well in the last two games, perhaps not as well in the first two of the summer. I felt I learned a bit out of the first two games that I could improve on at the back end. Teams have different plans to me and I’ve got to keep working on my game and I love doing that, I love working hard and finding new ways to do things and getting better.”It was a great challenge and that’s what Test cricket’s all about, people come with different plans to you and you’ve got to try to counter-act them. It’s been a great learning curve. I’ve loved the last two years of developing and learning and absorbing pressure putting pressure on when I need to, and just continuing to grow as a player.”