While acknowledging areas of improvement still needed after the India series win, coach Boucher also said the players are “growing as cricketers and human beings”

Firdose Moonda24-Jan-2022

Temba Bavuma: ‘For me, the biggest thing is trying to keep cricket the main focus amongst the guys’•ICC via Getty

South Africa were playing more than just the opposition over the last few summers with matters coming to a head this season after their coach, Mark Boucher, was charged with gross misconduct by Cricket South Africa (CSA). Boucher received his charge sheet – which confirmed CSA will seek his dismissal – on Monday, two days ahead of the ODI series against India that South Africa swept 3-nil.Boucher’s charges relate to historic and current handlings of race issues, which have always been part of South African cricket’s narrative but became even more topical since the Black Lives Matter movement’s resurgence in sport in 2020. Since then, South Africa have appointed their first black African ODI captain, Temba Bavuma, who now outlined the difficulties of being in charge of a team that continues to face issues off the field.Related

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CSA will argue in favour of dismissing Boucher at disciplinary hearing

“I don’t think it’s easy (captaining the team). There are a lot of dynamics that you need to manage. For me, the biggest thing is trying to keep cricket the main focus amongst the guys,” Bavuma said. “I hate to bring this up but it’s been a challenging period for the team, for the players, for particular members of management. There’s been a lot of scrutiny surrounding the team and surrounding the organisation, so to manage the conversations happening around the change-room and to ensure our energy is 100% geared towards performing out there, for me, has been the biggest challenge. It has been a big responsibility but has also been a privilege. But it’s not easy.”Bavuma did not name Boucher specifically and when the man himself was asked about the difficulties of coaching a team that is constantly facing off-field pressures, Boucher said: “I can’t answer that. Not now in any case.”ESPNcricinfo understands that Boucher has been advised not to discuss matters related to his disciplinary hearing as it is part of the ongoing investigation. Boucher and his legal team will meet with CSA on Wednesday to outline a timeframe for the hearing, but it is unlikely to begin before South Africa return from their two-Test tour of New Zealand, which starts on February 17. Afrikaans newspaper reported on Sunday that Boucher’s defence will be bankrolled by a group of wealthy businessmen, and though it did not name any of them, billionaire Johann Rupert, an entrepreneur, issued a tweet in support of Boucher earlier in the week.Despite what could be a rocky few months ahead for Boucher personally, he was positive about the development the team has made under his watch to beat India in both the Test and ODI series this season. “The progression has been great,” Boucher said. “We turned the corner a while ago, from a team perspective. We tried a few things in Covid times when we had to get a deeper squad and we gave a lot of opportunities to a lot of players. We are starting to reap the rewards now. It’s all falling into place, which is nice.”While acknowledging areas for improvement, such as the fielding in particular, Boucher said the ingredients in the squad could make a recipe for future success, especially because internally there’s a sense of harmony. “There are always places we can improve. I don’t think our fielding was great. But I like the look of this batting team. I like the balance. We are getting hundreds, and that’s with one or two of those guys out of form. I believe we’ve got a classy top six,” Boucher said. “And now with allrounders, we’ve got a couple that we can look at. We have an environment which is very good. The change-room is a happy change-room and the players are growing as cricketers and human beings.”South Africa will celebrate their twin successes against India, but Boucher said their feet remain “firmly on the ground”, and Bavuma, speaking from both a captaincy and batting perspective, echoed that. “It means a lot as a player. Knowing I contributed to the winning cause makes it better,” he said. “You will always be judged on your record and to convincingly beat an Indian side speaks a lot to my captaincy. But things are still early from a leadership point of view. I will take the positives but I will try very hard not to get ahead of myself.”

The tournament, which pits MLS sides against their Liga MX counterparts, is expected to continue in 2025 amid criticism, clash with other tournaments

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• Leagues Cup reportedly to be played in 2025
• MLS considering new format in which 18 clubs participate
• Month-long tournament would clash with 2025 Club World Cup, Gold Cup

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The oft-criticized Leagues Cup will be played next summer, according to a report from . The tournament, which included every MLS club and all Liga MX sides, was thrown into jeopardy due to the expected clash with the new 2025 Club World Cup and Gold Cup. Last year, the tournament ran from July 26-August 25, with MLS postponing its regular season.

  The newly-formed Club World Cup, which announced its draw Thursday afternoon, will run from June 15-July 13. Meanwhile, the Gold Cup, an international competition that typically includes players from MLS, is set for June 14-July 6.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  MLS is reportedly considering changes to Leagues Cup next year, though. The 47-team field could be shrunk to just 36, with 18 teams from each league set to feature. Seattle Sounders and Inter Miami will both be in the Club World Cup, although their matchups with top European sides would likely lead to early exits from the competition.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  There also remains concerns that Leagues Cup conflicts with U.S. Open Cup – a tournament that includes the entirety of the United States soccer pyramid. Last year, MLS clubs were given the option to send their MLS Next Pro youth sides to the tournament. As a result, only eight MLS first team sides appeared.

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR LEAGUES CUP?

  MLS and Liga MX are yet to announce the exact format for Leagues Cup, although it appears the competition will continue. Columbus Crew are the reigning holders after beating LAFC in the final.

They become only the third team to defend a total in the Super 12s stage of this World Cup

Matt Roller01-Nov-20212:49

Steve Harmison: England held their nerve at crunch times very well

England became only the third team to defend a total in the Super 12s stage of the T20 World Cup thanks to a 26-run victory against Sri Lanka in Sharjah and match-winner Jos Buttler hailed their adaptability as they effectively sealed a spot in the semi-finals.This was the third time that this strip had been used since the start of the Super 12s, following Afghanistan vs Scotland and Pakistan vs New Zealand, and England struggled with the low bounce during the first half of their innings, creeping to 47 for 3 after 10 overs.Buttler’s first T20 international hundred – and his partnership of 112 with Eoin Morgan, England’s captain – led a surge to 163 for 4 as dew began to take effect, and despite Sri Lanka losing early wickets, they stayed in touch with the required rate as England began to struggle with the wetness of the ball, which was skidding onto the bat under floodlights.Related

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Jos Buttler lays claim to England's best T20 World Cup innings

Tymal Mills, England’s leading wicket-taker across their first three games, then limped off with an injury to his right quadriceps during his second over, leaving England’s ‘fifth’ bowler – the combination of Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali’s spin – to bowl three of the final six overs, compounded by an arithmetical error which meant Chris Woakes bowled the second half of Mills’ incomplete over.”We showed a lot of character,” Buttler told Sky Sports after England closed out the win. “Obviously conditions changed quite a bit and with Tymal picking up an injury as well, guys stepped up really well. Liam Livingstone was asked to bowl two tough overs there and picked up the key wicket of [Wanindu] Hasaranga.”The dew was bad. That was one reason we bowled Adil [Rashid] out early, to give him the best chance to bowl with the ball as dry as we could. You don’t know if it [the dew] is coming or not. What’s pleasing for us today is that we didn’t have the best of conditions, which we probably have had in the three games before, and we still managed to show the character to get a win.”It made the ball skid on a bit more,” he said in his post-match press conference. “I think especially in the first 10 overs of our innings, the ball sat in the wicket a little bit – there’s obviously very different bounce here in Sharjah to Dubai – and it was hitting the toe of the bat quite a bit. Maybe when the ball got wet, some of them skidding on a little bit more. It’s definitely a swing in the game so we’re delighted with the character we showed against those conditions to come through.”Watch cricket live on ESPN+

Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from the Men’s T20 World Cup live in the US. Match highlights of England vs Sri Lanka is available here in English, and here in Hindi (US only).

Mills will be assessed by England’s medical team but the early signs were not promising. He headed straight to the dressing room after walking off the field, having immediately said the word “quad” and called for a substitute fielder. He has a chequered injury history and if the muscle is torn, he is unlikely to play a further part in the World Cup.”I’m not sure our maths quite worked out there,” Buttler said of the decision for Woakes to complete his over. “We just felt with the short side there, we felt it was going to be a big three balls in the game: those two [Hasaranga and Dasun Shanaka] would have targeted Moeen in that situation.”To be fair, we got the wickets which helped in his over. But with the long side, he was confident to bowl with a good field set. We put an immense amount of trust in the guys to ask Livi to bowl two overs there and for Moeen to bowl the 19th.”England are not mathematically through to the semi-finals but their impressive net run-rate means that it would take a series of dominating wins for certain other sides for them to miss out on the knockout stages. Morgan hailed the contribution of Buttler, their top-scorer for the second game in a row, and said that his team were “delighted” with their start to the competition.”Conditions did continue to change and obviously Tymal going down asked another question of ourselves, but I thought Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone stepped up unbelievably well to support the other guys with the ball,” Morgan said. “I can’t fault our guys tonight.Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler put on a century stand•Getty Images”I thought Jos Buttler played one of his best-ever innings in an England shirt. It was incredible to be at the other end and watch the ebb and flow, then the sheer dominance at the end. He really is one of the best in the game, a privilege to play with and great to have in our team.”Sri Lanka pushed us further than we’d been pushed so far in the tournament. I think they’ve boxed above their weight so far in the World Cup so they should be incredibly proud of what they’ve achieved, but we’re delighted with four wins.”

New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Devon Conway has been ruled out of the T20 World Cup final on Sunday against Australia, and the subsequent India tour with a broken right hand. Conway sustained the injury when he struck his bat just after being dismissed in the semi-final against England in Abu Dhabi. An X-ray on Thursday confirmed “a break to his right hand fifth Metacarpal”.”He’s absolutely gutted to be ruled out like this at this time,” head coach Gary Stead said in an NZC release. “Devon is hugely passionate about playing for the BLACKCAPS and no one is more disappointed at the moment than he is – so we’re really trying to rally around him.”It looked a pretty innocuous reactionary incident on the field, but the blow obviously caught the bat between the glove padding, and while it’s not the smartest thing he’s done, there’s certainly an element of bad luck in the injury.”Devon is a great team-man and a very popular member of the side so we’re all feeling for him. Due to the timelines we won’t be bringing in a replacement player for this World Cup or next week’s T20 series against India, but are working through our options for the Test series later this month.”Conway scored a crucial 46 off 38 balls at No. 4 in New Zealand’s tense chase of 167 before he was stumped off Liam Livingstone’s bowling. He also took up the gloves midway into the tournament, when New Zealand decided to bring fast bowler Adam Milne into the XI, as Conway, a specialist batter in the XI until then, took over keeping duties from Tim Seifert.New Zealand had picked the same squad of 15 for the World Cup and the three T20Is in India starting on November 17, just three days after the final.Conway, with an experience of three Tests who has a double-hundred to his name on debut at Lord’s, was also in the squad of 15 for the two India Tests that will be played after the T20I series. He was the second keeping option in the squad after Tom Blundell.

MatériaMais Notícias

da poker： O Camboriú conquistou no último sábado a vaga inédita para a final do Campeonato Catarinense após derrotar o Figueirense pelo placar agregado de 3 a 1.

Um dos pilares defensivos da equipe e destaque nessa fase decisiva da competição, o zagueiro Tetê comemorou a campanha da equipe e destacou o sentimento de chegar à grande decisão.

O primeiro jogo da final, contra o Brusque, acontece nesta quarta-feira, às 20h30 no estádio Robertão, casa do Camboriú.

– Conquistar essa classificação é uma mistura de muitos sentimentos, difícil de explicar. Felicidade, realização, o que nós fizemos nesta competição tem que ser exaltado. Uma equipe muito competitiva, ciente daquilo que poderíamos produzir, e no final agradecer a Deus que nos honrou com essa tão sonhada vaga na final do Campeonato Catarinense – comentou o atleta.

Com foco total na decisão, o zagueiro manteve os pés no chão e destacou a humildade como o principal fator de sucesso para a equipe. Tetê projetou as expectativas para o duelo decisivo contra o Brusque e o que sua equipe deve fazer para conquistar o sonhado troféu do estadual catarinense.

– As expectativas são as melhores possíveis. Viemos humildemente durante toda a competição, dando um passo de cada vez. E na decisão não vai ser diferente, vamos continuar com os pés no chão. Agora é descansar e nos preparar bastante para performar bem nesses dois jogos da grande final.

RelacionadasAvaíJean Cléber quer equipe voando baixo até a estreia da Série AAvaí29/03/2022Futebol NacionalBrusque tenta o bicampeonato do Catarinense depois de 30 anosFutebol Nacional29/03/2022Fora de CampoEsposa de jogador do Brusque revela ter sofrido assédio em partida do clube: ‘Comecei a chorar e gritar’Fora de Campo28/03/2022

Sunderland are believed to be interested in signing a "brilliant" Premier League player, considering him as part of an exciting double swoop this summer.

Sunderland transfer news

The Black Cats enjoyed a perfect start to life under Regis Le Bris on Saturday afternoon, winning 2-0 away to Cardiff City to get their Championship season off to a flier. It is early days, of course, but the result suggested that the transfer business they have done this summer has been positive, but new players also continue to be linked with moves to the Stadium of Light.

Dunkerque midfielder Enzo Bardeli has emerged as a rumoured target for Sunderland between now and the end of the month, with the 23-year-old winning a silver medal with France at the 2024 Olympics. Europa League winners Atalanta are among the clubs providing competition for his signature, however, so it won't be easy.

Away from incoming transfer news, Jobe Bellingham's future continues to be a big talking point, with the 18-year-old linked with a move away, having registered an assist in the win over Cardiff. While a summer switch to Lazio has been mooted, it feels more likely that he will spend another year with the Black Cats, before potentially joining a Premier League club in 2025.

Meanwhile, Pierre Ekwah has also been a point of focus in recent weeks, with the Sunderland midfielder wanted by Leicester City. He has stayed put for the time being, but there is still plenty of time for the situation to change.

Sunderland want to sign "brilliant" Premier League player

According to Sports Illustrated, Sunderland are interested in completing the signing of Tottenham youngster Dane Scarlett on loan in the current transfer window.

The Black Cats are said to "hold a significant interest" in the 20-year-old and "his signing would be to complement the arrival of a more senior centre-forward rather than instead of", suggesting a prominent double deal is on the cards.

With additional firepower needed at Sunderland this season, Scarlett stands out as an exciting with prodigious ability, having been a highly thought of player for some time now. The striker has represented England at five different youth team levels, including scoring 12 goals in just 14 appearances for the Under-19s, showing that he has been a leading young attacker in this country for years.

England Under-21s

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0

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16

6

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14

12

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2

2

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2

1

Scarlett's opportunities at Spurs are going to remain limited, however, particularly with Dominic Solanke arriving from Bournemouth on a big-money transfer – he has only made 17 appearances for the first team to date – so now could be the perfect time to enjoy a fresh challenge, likely on a temporary basis.

Championship Table: Latest standings for the 2024/25 season

Latest English Football League Championship standings 2024/25.

ByStephan Georgiou Apr 22, 2025

Portsmouth manager John Mousinho has described the Englishman as "brilliant", having enjoyed a spell on loan at Fratton Park in 2022/23, and he could be a great asset for Le Bris during his side's Championship promotion push.

Despite a terrific county season, Graham Onions wasn’t picked for the Ashes. Instead of moping, he chose to sharpen his skills with Dolphins

Firdose Moonda27-Nov-2013One is a reserved Englishman who has not spent much time outside his native Newcastle. The other was a boisterous Bajan widely acknowledged as one of the best bowlers ever born. Believe it or not, Graham Onions and Malcolm Marshall have something in common.Both made Durban their second home when they signed on as overseas professionals for teams based on South Africa’s east coast. Marshall spent four seasons with Natal from 1992-93 to 1995-96, while Onions, in his maiden run with the Durban-based franchise, has revived the concept of the full-season foreign signing in a country where international talent has not had much of a look in recently.South Africa’s domestic season clashes with those in the subcontinent, Australia, New Zealand and Zimbabwe, which leaves only West Indian or English cricketers available to play here. But the days of Ottis Gibson and Vasbert Drakes strutting their stuff here are long gone. The declining rand and a packed international calendar have meant overseas players come rarely and mostly for limited-overs tournaments.Only Ian Harvey in the 2005-06 season, and Owais Shah in 2010-11, dabbled in the longer version, until Onions settled in. And he is here for the long haul. His wife and ten-month-old son have relocated for the summer, and while they set about making new friends and enjoying the warm climate, Onions got his first set of matches out of the way.His visit began with the One Day Cup, in a format he wants to improve in. He had a moderate return of seven wickets in seven matches at an average of 29.28 as Dolphins finished in third place. Both the team and the bowler want to step it up for the first-class competition, which is Onions’ speciality.”I feel a lot more settled now and I am looking forward to this part of the summer,” he said. “I came to South Africa to challenge myself and also to learn and develop my game. I am really determined to get better and I think I can keep on improving. It was an achievement for me to be contracted to the Dolphins and I want to do well for them.”Onions was approached with the idea of him spending a summer in South Africa by Dale Benkenstein, a Durban boy who plays for Durham and is now the batting consultant for Dolphins. “Lance [Klusener, the Dolphins coach] wanted someone to lead the attack and since Kingsmead is useful to seam bowlers, I thought Graham would do well here,” Benkenstein said.But he also invited Onions for another, more personal reason. “He is a quality bowler, who has been and still is on the verge of the England team and he has never been given a decent run. He wasn’t picked for the Ashes side and the thought of sitting on the sidelines and not playing wouldn’t have been nice for him. This was a good way to keep him fresh.”After finishing the County Championship as the leading wicket-taker with 70 scalps at 18.45, Onions was gutted to be left out of the Ashes touring party, but Benkenstein convinced him not to spend his winter moping. Instead, by using it to prepare, Onions could set himself up to be an automatic replacement, should the need for one arise.”It was disappointing not to be part of the [Ashes] squad because back in England I’ve done well. I would love to be there, performing against our great rivals,” Onions said. “But it was not to be. I’d rather be playing cricket here than carrying the drinks there. Maybe I can force myself back in.”Onions thinks it will be a “miracle if we use the same bowlers in all five Tests” and so he wants to make sure he’s “not rusty” in case he is asked to fly over. But he also understands that might not happen because the England selectors seem to have sent a message that they don’t think Onions would be suited to conditions in Australia.”English conditions are perfect for him, where there are seaming wickets and the ball swings all day,” Benkenstein said. “Here in South Africa or even in Australia, the wickets can get a bit flat if we’re having a particularly hot period. But quality bowlers like him can adapt.”That may be what Onions is here to prove – that he can be successful on surfaces other than the ones at home, which he has already done, notably on England’s last tour to South Africa, in 2009-10. Onions took eight wickets in three Tests and memorably denied the hosts victory with his batting, twice. “I have good memories of that tour, but obviously my career changed a lot after that.”

“English conditions are perfect for him, where there are seaming wickets and the ball swings all day. Here in South Africa or even in Australia, the wickets can get a bit flat if we’re having a particularly hot period”Dale Benkenstein, batting consultant for Dolphins

Onions was controversially left out of the XI for the final Test and it was 29 months before he would play another. Career-threatening injuries, rather than questionable selection, kept him out, and there was a stage when, in dealing with his back pain, Onions wondered if he would ever bowl again. “It was the toughest part of my career,” he said. “I’ve now got screws in my back holding me together but they’re doing it pretty nicely for now.”While he stays in one piece, he said it’s his goal to play even just one more Test, and Benkenstein sees him achieving that and much more. “I think Graham is definitely good enough. He should have been there. If you’d asked any batsman on the county circuit who the best bowler was, they would have said Graham.”For now Benkenstein is hopeful South African batsmen will be saying the same. Onions and Dolphins had a poor start to the first-class competition, when the team was bowled out for 88. Onions had little to defend and went wicketless. Benkenstein thinks that will change soon as pressure mounts on Dolphins to end a seven-season title drought.”Graham’s job is to win matches for the Dolphins and he knows that. There’s no doubt that he is trying,” Benkenstein said. “He’ll be the first to say he hasn’t bowled as well as he could have. And he will want to change that. He has done it for Durham and he will do it here.”Benkenstein believes the main hurdle to performing well in South Africa – adjusting to the level of competition – is one Onions has just about overcome. “It’s tough here because there are only six franchises, whereas on the county circuit there are many more, so you might not always be playing against a tough side.”Onions admitted the franchise system – created as a distillation of the 11 provincial affiliates – has resulted in a “very good standard and depth” of players. He also said the structure of South Africa’s competitions aids their cricketers’ development because it allows them to focus on one format at a time rather than play a mish-mash of first-class and List A cricket at the frequency they do on the county circuit.”It’s good to concentrate on one competition at a time,” he said. “It also gives you time to work on things. If you’re having a bad game, you have days in between to work on it. Of course, if you’re in good form you want to keep playing, which is what we have in England but with this system you have time for fitness work as well.”The breathing room has given Onions the opportunity to play a mentoring role to some of Dolphins’ younger crop, like Kyle Abbott and Craig Alexander, and learn from people he respects. He has spent time chatting with Klusener and another Durban resident, Shaun Pollock.He has also allowed himself to become absorbed in living in another part of the world, which he hasn’t done before. “It’s an experience for him and his family,” Benkenstein said. “Sometimes when people are offered to come to South Africa, they worry about things like crime. There’s a fear of the unknown. But the longer you spend in Durban, the more you’ll see it’s a great place.”Onions, with the help of a strip of beach called the Golden Mile, has already realised that. “People seem to go at their own pace here. I like that because where I come from in northern England, it’s pretty quiet. I’m really enjoying it. When I go for morning runs along the beach, I realise how lucky I am.”

Manchester United questioned their players regarding the team leak a day before the club's 2-1 win in the Manchester derby.

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Man Utd questioned their playersInvestigating team leak ahead of Manchester derbyAmorim claimed the problem is 'impossible to fix'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per , at least two United stars were quizzed on the matter of the leaking of the team on social media. Samuel Luckhurst had reported that almost 17 hours before the clash at Etihad Stadium, Amorim's potential selection was revealed on social media and the final XI turned out to be the exact same.

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The unfortunate leak, though, did not affect the team in the derby as the Red Devils staged a late comeback riding on Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo's strikes to beat their rivals 2-1. The manager is aware of the incident and has described the problem as unfixable when he addressed the media.

"I know that story. I don’t know, I think it’s impossible to fix nowadays because you have a lot of people in the club, the players talk with agents," he said.

DID YOU KNOW?

United have regularly seen their line-ups leak this season ahead of matches and have so far been unable to find a solution to the underhand sharing of insider information.

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

A rejuvenated United side will now meet Tottenham in a Carabao quarter-final clash on Thursday before they face Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday.

After an opening game that didn't go to plan last Monday, Tottenham Hotspur made amends by blowing Everton away at home on Saturday to pick up their first win of the Premier League season.

Ange Postecoglou's side looked incredible going forward and reasonably solid at the back in a performance that should leave fans feeling encouraged about their prospects over the next ten months.

Alongside club captain Son Heung-min, who scored twice, last summer's £40m man, James Maddison, looked excellent in the middle of the park, picking up an assist and reminding people just how good he can be.

However, with the right players around him, he could reach another level and avoid the collapse in form he suffered last season. Interestingly, the club were linked to a player who'd help unlock the Englishman earlier this summer.

James Maddison's season of two halves

Maddison's arrival in North London last summer was greeted by a massive amount of excitement from the fans, and considering he had just produced 19 goal involvements in 32 games for a relegated Leicester City, it was entirely justified.

Moreover, it didn't take long for the former Foxes ace to show just how talented he was, as in his first ten league games for Postecoglou's new-look Spurs side, he scored three goals and provided five assists and looked as if he'd end the season as a nailed on starter for England and as one of the best attacking midfielders in the Premier League.

Unfortunately, in the club's shocking 4-1 loss at home to Chelsea in early November, the Coventry-born dynamo suffered an ankle injury that would see him sidelined until the end of January, and while there was an expectation that he'd pick up where he left off for the Lilywhites, that didn't happen.

Appearances

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17

Goals

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1

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4

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0.29

In his final 17 league games, the 27-year-old could only muster one goal and four assists, which was a far cry from the form he showed before his injury.

However, in his defence, following that defeat to Chelsea, the team seemed to morph from a lean mean winning machine to one incapable of keeping a clean sheet and one prone to throwing away points, which continued when he came back from injury, making his job far harder than it needed to be.

So, a new tenacious and hardworking midfield partner could be the perfect signing to make before the window closes to help Maddison maintain his impressive start to the season, and the club don't even have to look that hard to find the perfect candidate, as they were linked with him earlier this month: Joao Gomes.

How Joao Gomes could unlock Maddison

Yes, the midfield signing that could help Maddison play to his best ability this season is Wolverhampton Wanderers ace Gomes, who, according to a report earlier this month, was supposedly 'in the sights' of the club.

That report claimed that if Levy and Co wanted to pursue the Brazilian, they would have to stump up around £50m to secure the 23-year-old's signature, and while that's a lot of money, it would be well spent.

For example, one of Gomes' biggest strengths is that while at his best he is an "all action eight", as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, he can also play in the six role if needed, meaning that he would be more than capable of helping out with the defensive work in the middle of the park, thus freeing up the Englishman to focus on happenings at the sharp end of the pitch.

In fact, Mattinson goes on to describe the eight-capped international as a "dog of a ball winner", which makes him sound like the ideal sort of player to ensure Postecoglou's side aren't overrun in midfield, and his underlying numbers only further solidify his defensive attributes.

For example, according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the Champions League and the Europa League, the Rio de Janeiro-born ace sits in the top 1% of midfielders for tackles, the top 2% for tackles won, the top 3% for tackles plus interceptions, and the top 7% for blocks, all per 90.

Lastly, the 5 foot 9 international has been playing in the Premier League for a season and a half now and, as such, is far more experienced than some of the alternative options the club could potentially be looking at, so he should come in and hit the ground running.

Ultimately, Spurs cannot afford for Maddison to have another season in which he falls away in the second half, and one way to ensure that does not happen is to sign a tenacious, hard-working, Premier League-proven eight to play alongside him who can do all the dirty work and in turn, help the club maintain an element of control in matches, and Gomes fits the bill perfectly.

Therefore, while it would be an expensive transfer to get over the line, Levy and Co should do what they can to bring the Brazilian to N17 before the window slams shut on Friday night.

Watch out Son: Spurs have discussed signing £34m forward before Friday

The experienced international would be an incredible signing.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 27, 2024

تعادل فريق نادي الزمالك مع منافسه مودرن سبورت، سلبيًا، في المباراة التي أقيمت بينهما اليوم الأحد، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الرابطة المصرية “كأس عاصمة مصر”.

والتقى نادي الزمالك مع مودرن سبورت، ضمن مباريات الجولة الرابعة من عمر دور المجموعات لبطولة كأس الرابطة المصرية.

وبهذا التعادل، يصبح رصيد الزمالك، نقطتين، محتلًا المركز الرابع في ترتيب مجموعته ببطولة كأس الرابطة المصرية.

طالع | الزمالك يواصل التخبط في كأس الرابطة بتعادل سلبي مع مودرن سبورت ويقترب من توديع البطولة

ويتواجد الزمالك في المجموعة الأولى التي تضم معه أندية سموحة والجونة ومودرن سبورت وبتروجيت، من بطولة كأس الرابطة المصرية، حيث يحتل المركز الرابع برصيد نقطتين.

ومن المقرر أن يخوض نادي الزمالك مباراته القادمة في بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية، أمام فريق ستيلينبوش الجنوب إفريقي، في إطار مواجهة الإياب لدور ربع النهائي (دور الـ 8)، على ملعب استاد القاهرة.

وكانت مباراة الذهاب التي أقيمت بين الفريقين في جنوب إفريقيا، انتهت بالتعادل السلبي. موعد مباراة الزمالك وستيلينبوش في إياب دور الـ8 من كأس الكونفدرالية

يلتقي الزمالك مع ستيلينبوش الجنوب إفريقي، يوم الأربعاء المقبل 9 أبريل، إذ تنطلق المواجهة في تمام الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، 7 بتوقيت السعودية.