New Zealand A completed a remarkable turnaround in Brisbane to steamroller Australia A by 225 runs in the first four-day match. Scott Kuggeleijn and Sean Solia completed fine all-round outings as the home side were bundled out for 127 shortly after lunch on the final day.Kuggeleijn finished with a career-best 9 for 113 in the match and an unbeaten century while Solia took five wickets – including 3 for 15 on the last day – to go alongside 91.Cameron Bancroft top-scored in Australia A’s second innings with 47 before being lbw to Kuggeleijn when he missed a full delivery. Joel Paris did not bat having picked up a hamstring injury on the third day.Related
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Solia and Bruce cement New Zealand A's fightback
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“We had a really good first day and got outplayed from that moment onwards,” Bancroft said. “We’ll have to improve in all areas, our batting wasn’t quite good enough. They were able to control us and we probably didn’t hang in there quite long enough and our bowling was a bit off, weren’t able to build pressure and they hurt us.”Australia A had resumed on 31 for 1 facing a target of 353 and New Zealand A soon made inroads. Caleb Jewell was the first to fall when he top-edged a wild hook shot to deep square leg.Solia’s medium pace then ran through the middle order with Nathan McSweeney lbw, Campbell Kellaway flashing to backward point and Jimmy Peirson given leg before to what appeared a borderline decision.Mitch Perry was cleaned up with the final ball of the morning session when Kuggeleijn got one through him from round the wicket and things did not last long after the break.The short ball did for the lower order as Mark Steketee fending to short leg and Mitchell Swepson swatted into the leg side.The second match of the two-game first-class series is a day-night encounter which begins in Mackay on Monday. Australia A will likely rotate through some of their quick bowlers. Paris’ injury adds to the series withdrawals of Matt Kelly (quad) and Wes Agar (back).Jordan Buckingham will now travel to Mackay having originally just been around for the first game, although could still be rested, while Ben Dwarshuis and Nathan McAndrew can expect to feature.New Zealand A will have Adi Ashok and Dean Foxcroft available after they completed their time with the T20I squad in England.
Sergio Aguero has explained why Lionel Messi and Inter Miami had to be at the Club World Cup, having received a special invitation from FIFA.
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Herons form part of event in the United States
Messi of obvious appeal to American audience
FIFA considered to have made the right choice
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WHAT HAPPENED?
An expanded tournament, which sees a global crown come up for grabs, is heading to the United States. For the first time, 32 teams from across the planet will be competing for the grandest of prizes.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
The majority of sides secured qualification courtesy of major trophy triumphs. Inter Miami have, however, been added to the ranks courtesy of Messi's mass appeal. The eight-time Ballon d'Or has previously won the Club World Cup with Barcelona.
Watch every game of the FIFA Club World Cup live on DAZNStream now
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DID YOU KNOW?
Some have questioned the decision to absorb Inter Miami into a competition that features the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Boca Juniors and Al-Hilal, but Aguero believes the right decision has been made by organisers.
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WHAT SERGIO AGUERO SAID
The former Argentina international has told FIFA of Messi being involved in an event that will help to build more interest in soccer across America ahead of the 2026 World Cup: "Well, I think this is something that is quite important for Inter Miami, and especially knowing that Leo is there, and I think that for the world as a whole and for the fans, I think it was quite important that Inter Miami be included, too, because by now, we know that Messi is… Although it may be painful for some, he is one of the players that everyone wants to see.
"So, I think that it will be great to see Inter Miami compete against the other teams, and especially see the Inter Miami version of Messi, who is accomplishing everything now in MLS, and they won a title that for a number of years, or I don't know if they have ever won anything, and I think that for Inter Miami, and Leo most of all, this new challenge, knowing him, he will try to do his very best because he will not want, same as with anything else, to lose at all.
"And, I think that this calls for caution because you know that when you have Leo in the rival team, even if he has a bad 88 minutes, you know that in those last two minutes, he can smash in a goal, he can score from a free-kick, he can make a play you are not expecting because, ultimately, he is the best player in the world and he is the player that can, at any time, hurt you because he is the best."
Everton’s impressive start to life under David Moyes continued as they extended their unbeaten run in the Premier League to seven matches with a 1-1 draw against Brentford on Wednesday night.
The Toffees found themselves 1-0 down at the break after Yoanne Wissa found the back of the net in the fourth minute of stoppage time at the end of the first half.
A second-half header from Jake O’Brien, who brilliantly met Vitalii Mykolenko’s cross to the back post, secured a point for the Blues on the night, though.
Despite the positive performance and result, it was not a perfect evening for Moyes and his men as in-form forward Beto did not put on his shooting boots.
Beto's performance against Brentford
The Portuguese number nine has been in phenomenal form since the Scottish manager took charge of Everton, with a return of five goals in his previous four Premier League matches before the trip to Brentford.
Beto
Unfortunately, Beto squandered both of his ‘big chances’ to find the back of the net, as his two shots on target from one-on-one situations were saved by Mark Flekken.
However, both of those chances were created by his tireless running and desire to chase down every loose ball in anticipation of a mistake, and it did take two good saves from the Bees number one to keep him out.
Beto also provided an excellent presence at the top end of the pitch for the Toffees, as the former Udinese marksman won nine of 16 duels on the night.
Chalkboard
Whilst he may be criticised for missing the chances, which he created for himself, there was an Everton player who was even worse than him – Jesper Lindstrom.
Why Jesper Lindstrom should be dropped
The Danish forward was selected to start on the right flank for the Toffees on Wednesday night and failed to make the most of his opportunity to impress.
He only had 37 touches of the ball, fewer than his goalkeeper Jordan Pickford (44), and this illustrates his lack of impact on the pitch, as the winger failed to get involved in the match to make a difference at the top end of the pitch.
Minutes
75
Key passes
0
Big chances created
0
Shots
0
Dribbles completed
0/2
Duels won
4/10
As you can see in the table above, Lindstrom came off the pitch without a single shot or chance created to show for his efforts across 75 minutes, whilst he also let his side down out of possession by losing the majority of his duels.
Beto, at least, won the majority of his physical battles and caused problems in the final third by testing Flekken on multiple occasions, whilst the Danish lightweight offered very little.
Jesper Lindstrom for Everton
The Liverpool Echo handed him a mediocre player rating of 6/10, which seems fair given his average statistics, and Moyes must instantly drop him from the starting XI as a result of this showing.
Abdoulaye Doucoure missed the game for the birth of his baby and should be brought back in to replace Lindstrom, should he be available for the clash with Wolves next week.
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That could allow Charly Alcaraz to move out wide to the right to accommodate the former Watford man coming in to fill the number ten position behind Beto.
West Ham United have reportedly made contact with a ÂŁ34m striker as Graham Potter looks ahead to his first full season in charge at the London Stadium.
West Ham transfer rumours
The Irons are currently 16 points clear of the Premier League relegation zone, sitting in 15th position. However, they are closer to the top four than they are the bottom three, with the club’s campaign on course to fizzle out.
There will be more optimism under Potter next season, though, and after a big summer spending spree last year, transfer rumours are already circulating ahead of the 2025/26 season.
Recent speculation has linked West Ham with a move to sign Club Brugge full-back Maxim de Cupyer ahead of Arsenal, whereas Southampton centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis is also on West Ham’s radar.
West Ham could also move for "magnificent" 11-goal striker alongside David
Graham Potter is keen to sign a striker this summer.
ByDominic Lund Mar 5, 2025
A new striker is once again set to be on the agenda for the Hammers, even though West Ham managed to sign Evan Ferguson on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion in January.
The Irishman is unlikely to make his move to the London Stadium permanent, though, resulting in rumours linking West Ham with a move to sign Jonathan David and Tammy Abraham.
David, currently at Lille, is out of contract at the end of the campaign and appears to be Potter’s top target. Reports have even claimed West Ham have tabled a £16.5m contract offer to sign the Canada international ahead of Barcelona.
Roma paid ÂŁ34m to sign Abraham from Chelsea, and he is now on loan at AC Milan. The Irons were exploring the possibility of a move earlier this month, and a new update on the Englishman has now emerged.
West Ham in contact to sign Abraham from Roma
According to TEAMtalk, AC Milan have no intention of making a move for Abraham permanent at the end of the season, opening the door for a return to the Premier League.
AC Milan'sTammyAbraham
The 138-career goal forward is open to the idea of returning to England, and West Ham have made contact by asking for preliminary information on Abraham.
West Ham aren’t alone though, with Everton doing the same in their own attempts to sign the 27-year-old, who actually shares the same agent as Irons star Mohammed Kudus.
AS Roma
120
37
11
Chelsea
82
30
9
Bristol City
48
26
4
Aston Villa
40
26
3
Swansea City
39
8
4
AC Milan
34
8
4
England
11
3
1
Abraham has come in for praise during his time in Italy from former England boss Gareth Southgate, who previously said the forward has “improved” after leaving England: “Tammy is having very good matches with the Roma shirt. Sometimes, a player is considered new by the staff, the team, but also by the fans. However, he has only improved and we are happy with what he has given on the field.
“He plays in a team that is fighting to be at the top, so every game is important. In Italy you have to work hard to find spaces. The fact that he plays in Serie A is a very good opportunity for him.”
It truly feels like the end of an era for Manchester City after they moved to 20 points behind Liverpool in the Premier League table after their 2-0 defeat to Arne Slot’s side on Sunday.
The Cityzens, albeit not mathematically, are out of the title race and have little to play for in the second half of the season, as they have been knocked out of the League Cup and the Champions League.
Pep Guardiola’s team face Plymouth in the last 16 of the FA Cup this weekend, after they beat Leyton Orient in the last round, and that competition is their last chance to end the season with some silverware.
There is a big summer ahead for Manchester City and Guardiola as they may need to restructure the squad and reinvent the team to ensure that they bounce back as genuine title contenders next season.
City started the job in the January transfer window with the signings of Omar Marmoush, Vitor Reis, Nico Gonzalez, and Abdukodir Khusanov, whilst Kyle Walker went out on loan to AC Milan.
There could be more emotional departures to come in the summer as the Cityzens have a number of big decisions to make on their out-of-contract stars.
Players who could move on from Man City this summer
City have several senior players who are out of contract either this summer or at the end of next season and Guardiola has to decide which of them, if any, he would like to keep at The Etihad beyond 2026.
Man City’s out-of-contract players
Contract ending 2025
Contract ending 2026
Kevin de Bruyne
Bernardo Silva
Ilkay Gundogan
John Stones
Scott Carson
James McAtee
Ederson
Stefan Ortega
Via Transfermarkt
As you can see in the table above, a number of long-serving stars could be on their way out of the club in the next 18 months, with James McAtee being the only player under the age of 30 out of the eight on the two lists.
Manchester City and Guardiola could decide to move on from their veteran talents in order to create space in the squad for younger players to be brought to the club, in order to build for the future as well as to improve the team’s form in the present.
Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva.
One player who should be allowed to move on from The Etihad this year is attacking midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, who is one of the three stars out of contract at the end of the current season.
Why Man City must finally move on from Kevin de Bruyne
The Belgium international’s performance against Liverpool in the 2-0 loss to the league leaders on Sunday highlighted why it could be the right time to finally move on from the City legend this year.
Chalkboard
De Bruyne played 66 minutes and failed to create a ‘big chance’ or register a shot on target in his 66 minutes on the pitch, before being substituted by Guardiola, which shows that he did not have much of an impact, if at all, at the top end of the pitch.
The 33-year-old midfielder has provided two goals and six assists in 18 appearances in the Premier League so far this season, which is a fairly unimpressive return in comparison to his reported wage among attackers in the top-flight.
Highest-earning attackers in the Premier League
Player
Weekly wage
PL goals + assists (24/25)
Erling Haaland
ÂŁ525k
22
Kevin de Bruyne
ÂŁ400k
8
Mohamed Salah
ÂŁ350k
41
Bruno Fernandes
ÂŁ300k
12
Jack Grealish
ÂŁ300k
1
Wages via Capology & stats via WhoScored
As you can see in the table above, he is the second-highest earner in the league, out of all attacking midfielders and forwards, and has not contributed much on the pitch to make that worthwhile for City – this season, at least.
His powers are waning, as shown by his disappointing showing against Liverpool last time out, and Guardiola must ditch him from the starting XI between now and the end of the season, before allowing him to leave on a free transfer in the summer.
After 105 goals and 173 assists for the club, it will take a lot for the club to find an apt replacement for de Bruyne and they may have to dip into the transfer market in the summer to find one.
However, Guardiola could finally move on from the Belgian as a starter this season by unleashing academy graduate McAtee as a regular starter for the remainder of this season.
Why James McAtee should be unleashed
The former U21s star only turned 22 in October and still has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve as a player in the years to come.
James McAtee for Manchester City.
As aforementioned, he is one of the players who is out of contract in the summer of 2026, and giving him regular game time in the coming months will give Guardiola all of the evidence he needs to make a firm decision on the playmaker’s future in the upcoming summer window.
McAtee could play his way into a new contract and into being a long-term option for the Spanish boss, or he could fail to make the step up and be sold in the summer, with only one year left on his deal.
The left-footed whiz, who was compared to City legend David Silva by Sheffield United in the highlights package above, has been around the first-team this season but has not broken into the starting line-up.
McAtee has made nine appearances as a substitute in the Premier League, scoring two goals, and five substitute outings in the Champions League, scoring once.
James McAtee (Sheffield United)
22/23 (Championship)
23/24 (Premier League)
Starts
21
20
Goals
9
3
Big chances created
6
4
Key passes per game
0.9
0.9
Assists
3
3
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, McAtee spent the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns on loan at Sheffield United and caught the eye with his goal contributions from a midfield position both in the Championship and the Premier League.
Former Sheffield United forward Carl Asaba compared him to Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, a diminutive left-footed playmaker, during his time with the Blades, saying:
“He’s like Odegaard. You play him in midfield so he’s defending for you, he’s another body for them to try and navigate away from but he likes the ball 30 yards out because he can go past you like you’re not there.”
Martin Odegaard looks dejected for Arsenal
The left-footed City academy graduate is yet to explode at first-team level but he did produce 27 goals and 19 assists in 52 matches for the club at U21 level and Guardiola, who once described him as “special”, could use the second half of this season to help McAtee to fulfill his potential as an attacking force.
City’s season, bar their FA Cup run, is all but over and de Bruyne could be on his way out in the summer, which makes it the perfect time for McAtee to be unleashed as a regular starter to assess where his level is at ahead of next season.
100% duels lost: Pep must drop Man City flop who was shown up by Khusanov
Manchester City were beaten by Liverpool at the Etihad on Sunday.
Wayne Rooney slammed Arsenal's fans for a 'subdued' atmosphere at Emirates Stadium as the Gunners went down 1-0 against Paris Saint-Germain.
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Rooney slammed Arsenal players
Disappointed with the Gunners supporters
PSG beat Arsenal 1-0
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Ousmane Dembele's brilliant left-footed strike from inside the box early in the first half handed Luis Enrique's side an important 1-0 win in the away leg of their Champions League semi-final against the Gunners. In fact, PSG could have increased their tally towards the end of the match when Bradley Barcola failed to find the back of the net from close range, while Goncalo Ramos' powerful shot came off the crossbar.
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WHAT WAYNE ROONEY SAID
Manchester United legend and pundit Wayne Rooney expressed his disappointment with the Arsenal players' efforts on the pitch. He also slammed the fans for being unable to create an intimidating atmosphere for the visitors at the Emirates. Speaking on , Rooney said: "For Arsenal, I was a bit disappointed with how they played, [I was] disappointed with the fans as well, I think the fans against Real Madrid were excellent. I thought tonight they were a bit subdued… almost like an anti-climax because Arsenal beat Real Madrid, that they are going to walk into the final [and] win the competition. The fans had to be there for them tonight. The players had to show up for them, of course, but on both sides, it wasn’t good enough tonight for Arsenal."
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
The former England striker also heaped praise on PSG as he added: "I think they [PSG] were by far the better team. I think tactically they were excellent, organised, patient. [I was impressed] with how they pressed on Arsenal’s goal kicks."
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WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?
Mikel Arteta's side will be back in action this Saturday as they take on Bournemouth in the Premier League before jetting off to Paris with the hope of turning things around in the second leg on May 7.
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.
Queen’s Park
Missed
Ross County
Scored
Dundee
Scored
Kilmarnock
Missed
Ross County
Scored
Celtic
Scored
Hibernian
Missed
Hibernian
Missed
Motherwell
Scored
St Johnstone
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.
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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.
KL Rahul is working on his strike rate, but also feels his detractors are perhaps not the best informed.”Look, [it’s] obviously something that every player works towards,” Rahul said on the eve of the first T20I against Australia, the penultimate series for India before they go to the T20 World Cup. “No one is perfect. No one in that dressing room is perfect. Everyone is working towards something. Everyone has a certain role to do. Obviously, strike rates are taken at an overall basis. You never see when that batsman has played at a certain strike rate, whether it was important for him to play at 200 strike rate or if the team could have still won playing at 100-120 strike rate. So these are the things that not everybody analyses. Or if you look at it, it looks slow.Related
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“Yes, it is something that I am working at. Obviously, the roles that have been defined to each player in the last 10-12 months have been very clear. And the player understands what is expected of him, and the player is working towards it. Obviously, I am just working towards how I can better myself as an opening batter, and see how I can have the most impact for my team whenever I go out to play in the middle.”Strike rate has been the dartboard on Rahul’s back ever since he said strike rates, when taken out of context, were over-rated. It is natural to expect him to be a little defensive about it. When he was asked the question about the criticism he has faced, he asked the reporter to be specific, which would suggest that he felt the criticism was unfair. However, within the team, the leadership group has thrown its weight firmly behind Rahul, saying he would play in the World Cup, and he would open.”When he [the other reporter] asked about criticism, that is why I asked what particularly,” Rahul said about constant criticism from outside and unequivocal support from within the team. “Because we keep getting criticised for a lot of things. But the most important thing for the player in the dressing room is what his captain, what his coach, and what his players think of him.”And only we know what role is expected of each person. Everyone is trying to give their best, and not every time will a player succeed. And that is the kind of environment we have created, that players are not afraid to play, or players are not afraid to make mistakes. This is what we do. We work the hardest for this, right? Everybody can criticise, but we criticise ourselves more than any of you do. For us, this is what we have dreamt of doing. We are representing our country. We want to win games, we want to win the World Cup, all of that is on our mind. And when we don’t do well, it hurts us the most.”For us, it is what goes on in our team that is most important. We have had a leader, we have had a coach, we have had a support staff that are encouraging players, appreciating players not just when they do well but also when they are going through a tough time. Which is what a player wants to see. Which is what any individual in any field would want to see. That little bit of support, that little bit of care when someone is down, when someone has not had a great game. That is what I have got, that is what everyone in the team gets. That is exactly where we want to be as a team. And that is exactly where we are. That is something we try to build on. Individuals will make mistakes and learn from it when the environment is such that you do get the support and freedom to go out there and be yourselves and express yourselves.”The strike-rate debate doesn’t often come up when chasing, but when batting first, when teams can leave runs out in the middle. Especially in conditions where batting second becomes easier. Rahul was asked how he approached batting first.”It’s T20 cricket, and the more you play and the more the game has evolved, batting first or batting second, any stage of the game, you have to be aggressive. You have to be in the mindset where you are looking to hit boundaries,” Rahul said. “It is the same thing with me when I go to open the batting. When you are batting first, you want to give yourself three or four balls to understand how the pitch is behaving. And then try and see how you can put bowlers under pressure, how you can utilise the powerplay, get your teams off to a good start.”These are things that run in your mind, you speak to your partner, you help each other out. You have discussion about the pitch, what are the shots you can play, what are the areas you can target, these are some things that you speak to each other, and you come up with a plan.”
Shifting their focus back towards potential arrivals after officially appointing Graham Potter as manager, West Ham United are reportedly attempting to hijack Napoli’s move to sign a towering midfielder this month.
West Ham transfer news
With Potter secured, one of the many questions remaining is who will be the first arrival of a new era at the London Stadium. Even names such as Marcus Rashford have already been mentioned, but it remains to be seen whether the Hammers are in a position to convince the Manchester United outcast into a January switch over the likes of Milan.
Manchester United's MarcusRashfordwarms up as a substitute during the match
The new manager will be keen to get off to a good start both on and off the pitch and commence the revival of his reputation as a result following his failures at Chelsea. Potter addressed the West Ham fans for the first time after putting pen to paper, telling the club’s official website: “West Ham United is a huge Club, at the heart of London, with a tremendous fanbase and great support all around the world.
“I saw the scenes that followed their Europa Conference League victory in 2023 and it was clear that this is a Club with everything in place to become consistently successful, both on and off the pitch.
“The Club have made a lot of good progress in recent years and ensured there are some very strong foundations in place to build on. You don’t win a European trophy by fluke – there has to be a good bedrock at a football club for that to happen, and the challenge now is to take that on and build the next steps, to develop a team and a Club that the supporters can be proud of.”
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Meanwhile, after turning towards a familiar face in the technical area, those at the London Stadium could look to do the same at the heart of their midfield.
According to Danish outlet Ekstra Bladet, West Ham are now attempting to hijack Napoli’s deal to sign Philip Billing from Bournemouth before the end of the January transfer window in a deal that would significantly bolster the mobility of Potter’s midfield.
That said, the Hammers are facing a race against time if they want to secure the Dane’s signature given that Napoli are reportedly closing in on a loan deal with an option to buy at the end of the campaign.
"Valuable" Billing would partner Soucek
Standing at a staggering 6 foot 6, Billing would finally replace Declan Rice’s mobility at the heart of West Ham’s midfield next to Edson Alvarez in what could be a crucial addition at the start of Potter’s tenure.
Meanwhile, if there were any concerns that the Dane isn’t as talented in possession as he is out of it, Andoni Iraola’s previous praise should ease those worries.
The Bournemouth boss described the midfielder as “valuable” at the end of last season and claimed that he scored some “important goals” in a solid campaign for the Cherries.
Now, however, Bournemouth’s loss could be West Ham’s gain as they look to hijack Napoli’s move and finally replace Rice in doing so.
The two Midlands counties have punched above their weight in the Vitality Blast this season and will be keen to carry the form into warm-ups
Matt Roller30-Jun-2022
Under Hardik Pandya, India won both T20Is against Ireland recently•Getty Images
While one Indian men’s team is playing England at Edgbaston in the rescheduled fifth Test, another will be involved in two warm-up matches ahead of July’s T20I series against the same opponents, on the back of their 2-0 series win against Ireland in Malahide.For the England series, Rohit Sharma is back as India captain, with the first match starting at the Ageas Bowl on July 7.Related
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Deepak Hooda shows his range in India top-order audition
Derbyshire bring in Hilton Cartwright as Shan Masood cover
Fourteen of the 17-man squad that travelled to Ireland made an appearance in one of the two T20Is, with Rahul Tripathi, Venkatesh Iyer and Arshdeep Singh the three men to miss out. Hardik Pandya captained the side, with Deepak Hooda and Sanju Samson putting in stand-out performances in the second T20I.Their opponents this week will be Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, two Midlands counties who have punched above their weight in the Vitality Blast this season. Heading into the final rounds of games, they sit third and fifth respectively in the nine-team North Group, with the top four qualifying for the quarter-finals.Derbyshire’s historic T20 record is poor: they have reached the knockout stages three times in 19 previous seasons and have only once reached Finals Day, back in 2019 when they lost to eventual champions Essex in the semi-finals. But they have been transformed this season since Mickey Arthur’s arrival as a coach, and a win against Durham on Sunday would guarantee a quarter-final place.They have used a core of 13 players in the Blast this season, with Shan Masood, one of their overseas players, leading from the front with 516 runs as captain, averaging 46.90 with a strike rate of 142.14. Wayne Madsen and Leus du Plooy, both local players despite their South African heritage, have contributed heavily in the middle order.With the ball, Scotland’s Mark Watt and the legspinner Mattie McKiernan have been the keys in the middle overs, while Hayden Kerr – the Australian allrounder who was a net bowler for Lucknow Super Giants at IPL 2022 – and the tall seamer George Scrimshaw have been prolific, if occasionally expensive.Derbyshire have named three overseas players in their 16-man squad for Friday night’s fixture, with Hilton Cartwright, the Australian batter, arriving as cover for Masood, but they are only expected to field three in their playing XI. Ticket sales have been strong, with fewer than 1000 remaining on Thursday evening.”They’re the benchmark of international cricket in pretty much all formats,” Cartwright told Derbyshire’s YouTube channel. “If you can perform well against them, your game is in a good place. It’s a real challenge to see how far you can test them.”For Northants, the atmosphere around Sunday’s game will depend heavily on their result against Leicestershire on Friday night. A defeat will see them eliminated but if they win, they will be relying on results elsewhere on Sunday to help them into the quarter-finals. They have a proud T20 history, lifting the trophy in 2013 and 2016, but have struggled in the last five seasons.Chris Lynn and James Neesham, their overseas players, have been their main stars this year but are not expected to take part in Sunday’s fixture, which has been sold out for the last week. Josh Cobb, their captain, has had an excellent Blast season with bat and ball while young players Saif Zaib, Ben Curran – the middle brother, between Tom and Sam – and left-arm wristspinner Freddie Heldreich have all shown glimpses of their talent.Fixtures: July 1 – Derbyshire vs India, The Incora County Ground (7pm), July 3 – Northamptonshire vs India, Wantage Road (2.30pm)