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It’s finally confirmed. Matheus Cunha has left Wolverhampton Wanderers to join Manchester United in a £62.5m deal.

The move was agreed last month, but the Brazilian has now officially departed, giving Vitor Pereira some funds to work with this summer.

Pereira will have to spend wisely to replace the former Atlético Madrid star, as he was capable of moments of genius for the club during his two-and-a-half-year stint in the Midlands.

Indeed, he perhaps single-handedly kept the club in the Premier League last season, especially after they suffered a dreadful start to the campaign.

Matheus Cunha's 2024/25 season in numbers

Last season, he finished with 23 goal contributions – 17 goals and six assists – across 36 matches for the club in all competitions.

It was his displays in the top flight, however, that earmarked him as a target for several clubs.

In the Premier League, he ranked first among the Wolves’ first-team squad for goals and assists (21), shots on target per match (1.3), big chances created (13) and key passes per game (1.8).

These statistics were mighty impressive, and it makes Pereira’s job of sourcing a replacement that much harder.

He has money to spend, that much is certain. But spending it on the right players will be the most important aspect.

Wolves search for a Matheus Cunha replacement

As reported by journalist Sebastien Denis earlier this week, writing for Foot Mercato, Wolves are reportedly targeting a swoop for FC St Gallen striker Willem Geubbels this summer.

Leeds United are also keen on securing his services following a prolific campaign in Switzerland.

A €10m (£8.5m) asking price is all that stands in Pereira’s way and given the financial rewards on offer for another season in the top flight, this fee won’t be any issue whatsoever.

Across 31 matches in the Swiss Super League for St. Gallen, Geubbels scored 14 goals and grabbed three assists.

Although typically deployed as a centre-forward, the youngster is also able to operate on either wing, and this flexibility will be a major bonus for the club.

This is evidenced by his performance across a range of metrics. Geubbels created seven big chances in the Swiss top flight, while also averaging 1.4 key passes and 2.5 total shots per game for St. Gallen.

Not quite at Cunha’s level, yet. But a move to Wolves could see him improve swiftly, especially with exposure to some of the best defenders in Europe.

Hailed as both “powerful” and “quick” by Kai Watson writing in the Rangers Journal in January 2024, Geubbels will offer plenty to the current Wolves squad.

Watson also stated that the youngster “plays the deeper role as part of a front two because of his creative ability.” And this could see him exuding the qualities that made Cunha such a hit at Molineux since joining in 2023.

Pereira must act quickly to snap up the young forward, especially as plenty of interested parties are keen.

Wolves now in transfer race with Leeds to sign "future star" for £8.5m

Wolves are among the teams keen on signing an exciting young forward.

By
Brett Worthington

Jun 12, 2025

Chelsea are now nearing an agreement to sign a “world-class” star, and the deal could be closed as soon as “tomorrow”, according to reporter Daniele Longo.

Blues set for yet another busy transfer window

BlueCo certainly haven’t been shy to splash the cash since arriving at Stamford Bridge, and it looks as though yet another summer of heavy spending could be on the cards, with targets being identified in a number of key positions.

Given that Nicolas Jackson has just one Premier League goal to his name in 2025, a new striker appears to be of particular interest to the Blues, despite having already signed Liam Delap, and an offer has now been made for FC Porto’s Samu Omorodion.

Robert Sanchez has also been less than impressive, with Filip Jorgensen replacing the Spaniard at times last season, which means Enzo Maresca has also set out to sign a new goalkeeper, and Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on their pursuit of Mike Maignan.

With an offer now on the table, the Blues are making progress towards securing Maignan’s signature, and Longo has now taken to X to report on a further development, stating the AC Milan goalkeeper has reached a full agreement on a multi-year contract.

Not only that, but the west Londoners are “close to an agreement with Milan”, and the deal could be closed by “tomorrow”, suggesting it could be finalised before the June 10th deadline, meaning the Frenchman would be available for the Club World Cup.

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Posts ByRoss Kilvington Jun 7, 2025 "World-class" Maignan could be exactly what Chelsea need

With the Blues set to return to the Champions League next season, it would make sense to bring in a goalkeeper who is proven at the top level, and the Milan shot-stopper certainly fits the bill in that regard.

The France international has 32 appearances to his name in Europe’s elite competition, while also catching the eye over a sustained period of time in the Serie A, once being lauded as “world-class” by writer Carlo Garganese after impressing in the Milan derby.

Maresca is also well-known for playing out from the back, which means it is important for his goalkeeper to be comfortable in possession of the ball, and the 29-year-old ranks in the 91st percentile for touches per 90 in the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

All the signs indicate that Maignan could be a fantastic signing for Chelsea this summer, but it remains to be seen whether they are willing to stump up Milan’s valuation of €30m (£25m), given that the Cayenne-born goalkeeper will turn 30 in July.

Glasgow Rangers had to watch on as their city rivals were crowned champions of the Scottish Premiership for the fourth time in as many seasons.

The Light Blues, who were held to a 2-2 draw by St Mirren last time out, are a whopping 17 points adrift of first place with more matches left to play, which shows that they have not even made it a close race.

Rangers made the decision to part ways with Philippe Clement earlier this year and brought Barry Ferguson in on an interim basis until the end of the season.

The former Scotland international and ex-Rangers midfielder has only won three of his seven Premiership games in charge of the club to date, which does not suggest that he is the right man to take the job on a permanent basis this summer.

The Light Blues need a manager who can bring success back to Ibrox next season. A manager who can bring a league title back to Ibrox next season.

They need to find a head coach of Brendan Rodgers’ calibre. The Northern Irishman had proven himself to be a good manager in the Premier League before his move to Celtic, where he has been incredibly dominant.

Why Brendan Rodgers has been a big success in Scotland

Prior to his first spell at Parkhead, Rodgers earned promotion from the Championship with Swansea in the 2010/11 campaign and finished 11th in his first top-flight season with the Welsh outfit.

That earned him a move to Liverpool in the summer of 2012, and he led the Reds to seventh, second, and sixth-placed finishes in the Premier League in his three full seasons in charge.

Rodgers joined Celtic for the 2016/17 campaign, winning the Premiership title in his two full seasons at the helm, before joining Leicester in early 2019.

The Northern Irishman enjoyed a largely successful time with the Foxes, winning the FA Cup in 2021, before his return to Celtic in the summer of 2023.

Since returning to Parkhead, Rodgers has claimed the Premiership title in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 campaigns, and has the chance to win the domestic treble by beating Aberdeen in the SFA Cup final this season.

This shows that he has been a huge success on the other side of Glasgow, and that may be down to, in part, because he arrived at Celtic off the back of several seasons of impressive performances as a manager in the Premier League.

Kevin Thelwell is set to join Rangers as their new sporting director this summer, after his contract with Everton expires, and he reportedly has a former Premier League manager in mind for the job.

Thelwell tells Rangers who would be a good appointment

According to Football Insider, Thelwell has told the 49ers, who are part of an ongoing takeover at Ibrox, that former Everton and Burnley head coach Sean Dyche would be a fantastic appointment for the club.

The report claims that Ferguson is not expected to be given the job on a permanent basis, after his interim spell comes to an end, and this means that the club will be in the market for a new head coach.

Football Insider reports that Thelwell is a big fan of Dyche, with whom he worked at Goodison Park, and he believes that the English boss has the mentality and character to thrive at Ibrox.

The outlet adds that the sporting director also believes that the manager’s direct, physical, style of play would go down well with the supporters in Glasgow.

Manager Focus

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However, Football Insider does not reveal whether or not Dyche, who was relieved of his duties by Everton in January, would be open to a move to Ibrox this summer.

If the 53-year-old tactician is interested in joining the Light Blues, the 49ers could land their own version of Brendan Rodgers by bringing him to the club.

Why Rangers should appoint Sean Dyche

The experienced boss would arrive with similar credentials to the ones that Rodgers first arrived at Celtic with, as he has tasted promotion from the Championship and seasons of midtable finishes in the Premier League.

Dyche has shown that he can get a team to win matches regularly to earn promotion, finishing second and first in the 2013/14 and 2015/16 Championship seasons respectively, but he can also set up a side to be resolute and tough to break down, to avoid relegation from the top-flight.

As you can see in the table above, Dyche has only been relegated from the Premier League in one of his full seasons in the top-flight, although he did leave Burnley on the edge of relegation with eight games left in the 2021/22 campaign.

The former Toffees head coach, therefore, knows how to create a good team spirit and a gritty mentality because he has led so many sides to safety throughout his time in the English top-flight.

His mixture of experience coaching title-chasing teams and sides that wanted to avoid the drop suggests that he could be a great fit for Rangers, because he can use the former experience to compete for the title in the Premiership and the latter experience to produce hard-working, gritty, displays in big European matches.

Therefore, Dyche, who was dubbed “unbelievable” by Kieran Trippier, could follow in Rodgers’ footsteps as a proven Premier League coach who could arrive in Scotland to win major trophies in Glasgow, but this time at Rangers to end Celtic’s dominance in Scottish football.

Better than Rose: Rangers considering move for "amazing" 4-3-3 manager

Rangers are reportedly considering a move for a manager who would be an even better appointment than Marco Rose.

By
Dan Emery

Apr 30, 2025

It is now down to Thelwell and the club to see if the former Burnley stalwart would be willing to take on the role, and if he is the best option available out of all of their targets.

A Rangers manager target is now ready to make his return to the dugout, with those at Ibrox keen on a move, according to a fresh update.

Rangers manager rumours ramp up

The 49ers Enterprises look set to be the ones tasked with appointing a new permanent Gers manager this summer after agreeing a deal in principle to take over in Glasgow.

Barry Ferguson is in charge until the end of the season and has done his chances of landing the job on a full-time basis no harm, especially with impressive performances in Europe and against rivals Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.

However, Ferguson isn’t the only name on Rangers’ manager shortlist. Former Newcastle and Everton boss Rafael Benitez was one of the early names mentioned, and recently, ex-Southampton manager Russell Martin and Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior have both been linked with a move to Scotland.

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He’s set to be axed ahead of the 2025/26 season.

ByCharlie Smith Apr 16, 2025

Steven Gerrard has also been mooted with a possible return to Glasgow after leaving Rangers for Aston Villa back in 2021. Things didn’t work out for the 44-year-old in the Midlands and, after an 18-month spell in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ettifaq, Gerrard is currently without a job.

Talking recently, Gerrard said he wasn’t looking to return to the dugout just yet, saying: “I don’t want to be back in work, not at the moment. I’ve just come out, so I am happy waking up, being free, doing the family stuff and being free from the stress.

“I will go back in at some point but when it is round the clock for 18 months, I just want to be free and do normal things that you can’t do when you are coaching like a game of golf or go down the boozer. I want to do normal things that you can’t really do when you’re coaching, so I am all good. I’m good and stress free. I’m out of work in terms of the coaching and management, which is obviously 24/7.”

However, it now looks as if the attacking 4-3-3 boss is willing to return to the dugout ahead of the 2025/26 season.

Steven Gerrard ready for return to management with Rangers keen

Talking to EFL Analysis, reporter Graeme Bailey provided an update on Southampton’s search for a new manager. One of the Saints’ targets is Gerrard, and Bailey added that he is also on “Rangers’ list”, with the ex-Ibrox boss now “ready to return to the UK”.

“Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard are both on Southampton’s final shortlist to be their new manager. The two England legends have been on Southampton’s radar for the last few weeks and both are in their sights.

“Lampard only took over at Coventry earlier this season, but has impressed in his short time with the club and it is believed Southampton would be an option he would consider.

“Gerrard, who is on Rangers’ list to return to Ibrox, is out of work following his stint in Saudi Arabia and is ready to return to the UK – we understand.”

Games

192

Wins

124

Draws

41

Losses

27

Players used

65

Average goals scored per game

2.12

Average goals conceded per game

0.72

The former Liverpool midfielder guided Rangers to the Scottish Premiership title back in 2021, their first since 2011, so it is easy to see why the 49ers have their eye on Gerrard, and a move looks like one to watch following this update.

Bangladesh recently beat Afghanistan in the Asia Cup, but they still have plenty of work to do with their batting

Mohammad Isam01-Oct-2025Bangladesh under new leadershipJaker Ali will captain Bangladesh in the absence of Litton Das, who has been ruled out of the series with a side strain. Jaker had also led Bangladesh in two matches in the Asia Cup, when Litton wasn’t fit, with Bangladesh losing both games. Before leading Bangladesh in the Asia Cup, Jaker had not captained at any level – domestic or Under-19. In those two matches in the Asia Cup, against India and Pakistan, Jaker managed scores of only 4 and 5, respectively.Related

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Bangladesh finally see the power of hitting sixes

There seems to be dearth of leadership options in Bangladesh’s T20I side, especially after the BCB discontinued with Mahedi Hasan as vice-captain after the UAE series in May.Senior fast bowler Taskin Ahmed might have been a leadership option, but he probably missed out because of workload management. There will be scrutiny on how Jaker juggles captaincy, wicketkeeping and batting against Afghanistan. Bangladesh have the option of reducing his load by handing the wicketkeeping duties to Nurul Hasan.Jaker Ali has had to juggle captaincy, wicketkeeping and batting•ICC via Getty ImagesBangladesh need to find the balanceBangladesh have finally understood the value of sixes in T20 cricket, but are they going too hard? They need to blend their six-hitting with strike rotation to make their batting work in the format. Against Pakistan, with a spot in the Asia Cup final at stake, they kept going for sixes and kept finding the boundary riders on the Dubai pitch that perhaps wasn’t conducive to that style of play.Bangladesh, though, had found the balance against Sri Lanka, when they chased 169, with Saif Hassan and Towhid Hridoy scoring half-centuries. Bangladesh also tend to fare better in bilateral series, and recently, they also beat Afghanistan in the Asia Cup.Afghanistan’s big selection callsAfter failing to qualify for the Super Fours in the Asia Cup, Afghanistan have rung in the changes, leaving out Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat and Fazalhaq Farooqi for both the T20Is and ODIs against Bangladesh in the UAE.Janat has managed only 68 runs in eight T20I innings this year, and hasn’t done much with the ball either. Naib, too, has slipped down the pecking order. Mystery spinner AM Ghazanfar is also not part of the main squad, but has been named as a reserve. Ghazanfar, however, has made the ODI squad.Rashid Khan will be leading Afghanistan’s spin attack against Bangladesh•Asian Cricket CouncilBut watch out for the uncapped pair of Wafiullah Tarakhil and Bashir Ahmad. Bashir is a tall left-arm seamer, who could be a like-for-like replacement for Farooqi, while Tarakhil has been rewarded for his strong domestic form. In the 2025 Shpageeza Cricket League, Tarakhil emerged as the third-highest scorer, with 298 runs in nine innings at an average of 37.25 and a strike rate of 155.20.Spin is kingDespite the changes, Afghanistan have immense spin-bowling depth in their T20I side, with Rashid Khan the leader of the attack, of course. Legspinner Rishad Hossain’s emergence has given Bangladesh’s attack a potent point of difference, but Afghanistan’s spinners have a better strike rate, economy rate and average than Bangladesh’s in T20Is since 2020. The battle between the two spin attacks could be a mouth-watering one.Afghanistan’s home venueAfghanistan have won 20 of the 30 T20Is they have played in Sharjah. They have won 14 out of 18 games batting first there, including the last six outings when they batted first. On the other hand, Bangladesh have won only one out of six T20Is in Sharjah. The severe heat in Sharjah will test the fitness of the players.

With Vrinda Dinesh injured, she opened the innings on Wednesday and smashed 57 off 31 to script UP Warriorz’s first win of the season

Ashish Pant29-Feb-2024There is something about Mumbai Indians that gets Kiran Navgire up and about. Maybe it’s the Punekar in her wanting to go one-up against a Mumbai side. Maybe it’s the extra motivation to prove herself against a top-quality bowling attack. But Navgire seems to have something extra in the tank when facing Mumbai in the WPL.She was the only bright spark for UP Warriorz in the WPL 2023 Eliminator against Mumbai, striking a powerful 27-ball 43 even as the other batters surrendered meekly. In an earlier group game that season, she had struck two fours and a six in a quick 14-ball 17. So when Warriorz faced Mumbai again, on Wednesday, Navgire cut loose.Having batted in the middle order in the first two games of WPL 2024 without much success, Navgire was given a chance to open the batting in this game. She took the opportunity head-on smashing a 31-ball 57 with six fours and four sixes to set up the platform for a chase of 162 and the first win of the season for her side.Related

• Kiran Navgire, Grace Harris script Warriorz's first win of this WPL

For all her heroics, Navgire’s promotion to the top of the order might not have happened if not for an injury to Vrinda Dinesh. Vrinda, who had opened the batting in the first two games, hurt her shoulder while attempting to save a boundary at fine leg in the 14th over of the Mumbai innings and was immediately taken off. That meant Navgire, who had batted at No. 6 in the previous two games, was asked to open.It was a position right in Navgire’s wheelhouse. It was as an opener back in the 2021-22 Senior Women’s T20 when she first shot into the limelight as a guest player for Nagaland, breaking records for fun. She regularly opens the batting for her state Maharashtra. Even for Warriorz last season, she batted at No. 3 for a chunk of the games.”When the innings ended the head coach [Jon Lewis] came up to me and said I had to open. I was happy, because I open the batting in domestic cricket, and I had the chance to do that here,” Navgire said after Wednesday’s game. “I just played the ball on merit, played my natural game. If the ball is in my arc, it should go into the stands – that is my natural thought.”Kiran Navgire and Alyssa Healy put on a quick half-century stand•BCCIAnd over the ropes the ball went. Four times. Each hit making a dent at Mumbai’s chance to go to the top of the points table. Each hit taking Warriorz closer to their first win of the season.Navgire looked switched on from the get-go. She started her boundary counter by going straight over Saika Ishaque’s head off the second ball she faced. Then came an Issy Wong over, one that truly got Navgire into the groove. The first ball, back of a length, was smacked to short midwicket on the bounce, but the fielder failed to stop it and it raced away on the M Chinnaswamy outfield. Wong then went full twice, and was lofted both times over the infield. Then came another short ball and Navgire hammered it past midwicket to make it four fours in five balls.Even as Nat Sciver-Brunt – filling in as captain for the injured Harmapreet Kaur – rung in the changes, the carnage did not stop. Alyssa Healy also joined in on the fun as Warriorz raced to 61 for 0 after six overs – the highest powerplay score of the season.It didn’t take Navgire long to reach her fifty, getting to the mark off just 25 balls with a big six over deep midwicket. By the time she fell in the tenth over, the required rate for Warriorz had dropped to 6.3 from the original asking rate of 8.1. Grace Harris then continued the charge and Warriorz romped home by seven wickets and with 21 balls to spare.Navgire’s onslaught took Mumbai by surprise as they hadn’t quite planned for her at the top of the order. “I don’t think Navgire was going to open,” Mumbai head coach Charlotte Edwards said after the game. “I think the injury [to Vrinda] gave them a licence to put her up the order. We completely weren’t planning for her opening the batting. She played brilliantly tonight and kind of took the game away from us in that period she batted. We never quite recovered.”This innings was even more crucial for Navgire considering she did not have a great WPL 2023. She had an even poor Senior Women’s T20 with 88 runs in six innings. The pressure was firmly on her after two more failures this WPL season, but Navgire stood tall.At no point did her innings feel like a slog-fest. There was assuredness in her footwork while bashing the spinners. Even while tackling the fast bowlers, she made use of the crease and found the gaps.But had Vrinda not been injured, would Navgire have still opened? “Probably not,” Healy said at the post-match presentation. “Things happen for a reason. She’s made a strong case moving forward as to why she should be doing it.”When in full flow, there are not many in Indian cricket who hit the ball as cleanly and as long as Navgire. The one thing lacking in her game is consistency. A half-century is a start, but what she would dearly hope for is to turn the rest of the season into a bumper one. Power-hitters in the women’s game are a rare breed and if she can find momentum, Warriorz could prove to be a tough team to beat.

With 15 home games this summer, Ireland’s new coach is hoping the players get plenty of experience ahead of the T20 World Cup

Interview by Himanshu Agrawal31-Mar-2022You have been with New Zealand A and the senior New Zealand side before. How is coaching Ireland different?
More than anything, what really gets me up in the morning is when I look at their potential. They have made huge strides over the last five-six years, and have also become a Full Member. It’s understandable that there is going to be a little bit of transition. We haven’t played any red-ball cricket for a period of time, which will be a challenge. But in the same breath, we need to use the work we’ve done in the white-ball space as a springboard to be consistent across formats. We can keep building on the white-ball success and lay foundations in place for some red-ball cricket. Ireland couldn’t make it to the Super 12s of the T20 World Cup last year, after which they moved on from Kevin O’Brien. But immediately after, they qualified for this year’s T20 World Cup. How do you intend to rebuild the T20 side in the lead up to the tournament?
You’ve seen over the qualifying period – people like Paul Stirling, Andy Balbirnie, Josh Little and Andy McBrine all played their part. But it was also really exciting to see how different players stepped up at different times. Even in the [qualifying] semi-final [against Oman], Stirling and Balbirnie didn’t really get going, and we had Gareth Delany and Harry Tector coming to the fore [after Ireland were 19 for 2].Related

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Different players took ownership and responsibility, and that’s the mark of the best teams – they have people performing consistently, but different people. We want to get players to dovetail – especially around the T20 circuit, where you need one or two players to be that X factor. We’ve seen that different players have done that over a period of time. That’s something we are going to build on in our preparation in this upcoming summer, and hopefully get ourselves through to the Super 12s.You’ll be up against T20 heavyweights West Indies in the first round of the World Cup.
We’ve got West Indies and Scotland [in our group], and we’ll be waiting to see what it [finally] looks like and who comes out of the second qualifying tournament [World Cup Qualifiers B, to be played in Zimbabwe in July]. It’s a huge possibility that it could be Zimbabwe. The Ireland side has shown that it can beat Full-Member nations. A year ago they beat South Africa and England [in 2020]. The expectation is always going to be there for us to win as many games as possible, but it’s also about making sure we follow the structure we want to play and the brand of cricket we want to build. Ireland have shown that they can compete – they just beat West Indies [in an ODI series].Are you hoping for more active involvement of Ireland players in T20 leagues around the world?
That’s something we’ve really wanted to give some attention to. It’s about trying to find ways for our players to get exposed to those leagues, because the quicker we can get them there, the more experience they’ll bring back. We’ve seen that with Paul Stirling and Josh Little playing in the Sri Lanka league.On working with captain Any Balbirnie: “I’ve had some really good conversations with Balbo. He’s an experienced and a passionate leader”•Karim Sahib/AFP/Getty ImagesWhat do you think of the ODI Super League? Ireland have played 18 ODIs since it started in July 2020, the joint highest so far. They have played series against major teams like England, South Africa, West Indies, and have New Zealand coming up.
It’s playing more consistent cricket, which is key. You’ve seen from a selection point of view that it’s the same names in that ODI side who have played over a couple of years now. And when players play, they gain the experience to play what’s in front of them as opposed to trying to show that they can play. And that’s a huge difference – once players go and play for the team, they play the situation, which you can only have once you play regularly.This coming summer we have 15 international games at home. Once we do get to a World Cup, it just becomes another game since we have played these nations on a regular basis.There’s been a reduction in the number of teams at the ODI World Cup, from 16 in 2007 to ten in 2019 and 2023. Does it not then become difficult to qualify? And if you don’t, you lose out on appearing on the biggest stage of the game.
As much as it is a challenge, that’s the stuff we as coaches talk about most of the time – being adaptable, versatile and agile. We don’t know how much cricket we are going to play. We have to be ready to play what’s in front of us.Learning from my time in New Zealand, that’s what happened – they were okay in different tournaments, but then became consistent. Now everyone wants to play the Black Caps because they have been successful over periods of time.But at the same time, there is going to be one ICC tournament every year until 2031. Is that a positive?
Yeah, 100%. The way it has been structured is that if you finish in a certain spot, you automatically qualify. It’s becoming more and more important because then you know how to prepare for the upcoming tournament. You don’t have to go to the qualifier, which is cut-throat. There are a few players in our squad who, over the next four years or so, will play a lot for Ireland, and hopefully these experiences over the last 18-24 months will stand us in good stead once we get down to Australia, and when we hopefully qualify for the 2023 one-day World Cup.”Trying to get better every day is as big a part of what I’m trying to be like as a coach, as is what I’m trying to challenge my players to do”•Kai Schwoerer/Getty ImagesWhat are your plans to ensure Ireland become an active Test team?
It’s well documented that Covid and the [bad] financial times have put a bit of a constraint around the focus area. There’s obviously been a real focus from a white-ball point of view. But it’s also for us as an organisation to think outside the box on how we best use our funding, get more players to consistently play three- or four-day cricket.How do we create opportunities for some of our players to play in the UK? If you look back to when Ireland was building up to having the golden years, a lot of those players were playing county cricket and were hardened first-class cricketers by the time they played for Ireland.How do we best use our training facilities? How do we best [organise] our domestic competitions, knowing we’ve got some iffy weather sometimes? Training in an indoor centre knowing that we are going to go to the subcontinent, where the ball is going to turn square?Hopefully some of my experiences over the last ten years in New Zealand, which is similar in terms of conditions over winter, can help. It is only recently that facilities have changed in New Zealand, with marquees and things like that.Do you believe the absence of the Intercontinental Cup will affect Ireland’s and aspiring Test nations’ preparations for the longest form? Are you seeking a potential second division of the World Test Championship with a promotion-and-relegation rule?
There’s a lot of white-ball cricket going on, and that’s what the ICC is trying to use to grow the game. The overarching thing is the challenge around making sure that we keep pushing for more longer day games for players to grow and be competitive. Just like we’ve seen in the white-ball space, where your so-called Associates or lesser nations have shown they can beat some bigger teams. It’s because they’ve had more exposure. If we can replicate that in the red-ball space – whatever that looks like – it’ll be a win-win.Ireland recently beat West Indies 2-1 in an ODI series away from home•CWI MediaHow do you plan to build depth with the Ireland A and Under-19 sides?
The Wolves – the Ireland A side – is becoming a real focus. We’ve highlighted the need to create a bigger pool of players. We’ve got to use our home internationals, building up to the T20 World Cup as preparation. We’ve also got to make sure that we keep challenging the way we go about building that squad. There’s still a lot of work to be done.I don’t think our player pool at this stage is big enough to have two teams; you look at India, Australia, maybe New Zealand, who can literally put up two teams if they need. That’s something for us to aim to for the future.How will you get Ireland to be more consistent?
It’s about understanding the way we want to play. Whether we are in trouble early on or whether we’ve got a really good start, players understand the way we want to operate. They can take ownership of that and keep each other accountable. It’s also through playing and getting the opportunity consistently.But it has to flow through the whole structure. It’s about making sure that our A team and U-19 coaches have an understanding of the brand we want to play and consistently evolve and educate our players towards that.Who are the players you see taking Ireland forward five years down the line?
Curtis Campher and Josh Little have already shown they can play and compete at this level. They are relatively young. Neil Rock, Ben White and Josh Delany have all started to show that they’ve got the ability to perform. Craig Young and Simi Singh, over the last 12-18 months in ODI cricket, have shown the ability to be prolific.The more we create such opportunities from an Ireland perspective, the quicker they grow into the players they are ultimately going to become.”Some guys will love the sports science, some will hate it. It’s about trying to find balance and trying to make it relevant, so that they can use the information to perform”•Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesYou are known to be interested in sports science. Can you tell us how it helps in coaching?
It’s the individual piece that is more intriguing for me. What can I help a player with that’s going to make him understand or connect to something, or want to do something differently? Sometimes that’s biomechanical, sometimes that’s stats-driven, and sometimes it’s the understanding of the physical side of things. That’s the exciting thing for me now to get into the environment of the Ireland and Wolves space – to get to know players, what makes them tick, and then start working towards challenging different people to be their best.Has sports science helped you as a coach in the past?
There’s numerous examples we can look at on how stats analysis or data analysis could come in and create opportunities. The match-ups, understanding conditions, and how does that impact the game formats or our game systems.It’s also about understanding the body. Where does recovery come into it? How does preparation aid us in performing at our best? How does workload management affect us – whether it’s recovery, sleep patterns, nutrition?I’ve always spoken about a cricket side as being a kindergarten: you’ve got a fat one, a thin one, one with sunglasses and one with red hair, and they all play together. Our challenges as coaches is to make sure that we get the best out of the group, and also understanding that they are all doing it differently. Some guys will love the sports science, some will hate it. It’s about trying to find that balance and trying to make it relevant, so that they can use the information to perform. Sometimes, less is more. You just don’t know that until you’ve actually spent time with people and get to know them.Malan named Josh Little and Simi Singh as part of a bunch of players who have the potential to carry Ireland forward in the future•Michael Steele/ICC/Getty ImagesFor me, it’s about getting to know those players who are on the cusp or have been in and out of the main side, and also starting to feel what the next generation looks like. The generation we work with have become the real Dr Google generation. You want an answer, you go to Google and you get it straightaway.The coaching piece is really challenging in that space because there’s no right way; it’s about inquisitively asking those questions and getting people to think differently. Ultimately it’s not about telling them, it’s about getting them to figure it out. But you’ve got to know them first to know which questions to ask.Former England analyst Nathan Leamon called Eoin Morgan an analyst’s dream captain.
And that’s the thing I like. You talk about targets as an example. If we’ve got to get 200 in a T20 game, some players want to know exactly how many we need to have at the end of the six-over powerplay. And there are players who are the total opposite: they just want to go out there and experience it themselves. It’s about trying to find the balance, and we play a huge role in that. It’s not about “This is the way we are going to do it.” It’s rather about “This is what’s in front of us, and you tell us how you’re going to do it.” The “what” and “how” is a huge part of my philosophy.The key point from a sports science and medical perspective for me is: how are we going to manage players’ bowling loads when they have not bowled in multi-day cricket for more than two years? How do we make sure that bowlers are actually doing what’s needed? It’s going to be a real challenge. But we’ve got some experienced people in the sports science and medical field, and hopefully I’ll bring a different view in the way I’ve managed my squads in New Zealand in the last ten years.What’s the most important lesson you have learnt in the last ten years in terms of coaching and player management?
I read that the only constant in planning is that it’s ever evolving. That’s something I’ve learnt massively over the last ten years – that you plan to change. A real strength of mine is being planned and organised. At the start of my coaching career, I almost felt like the world comes to an end when something has to change, whereas now that I’ve got the blueprint in my head or on paper, if things need to change, I’m really happy to change because I know where I’m trying to go to because I’ve got the plan.Ireland’s junior side were runners-up in the Plate final of the recent Under-19 World Cup in the West Indies•Matthew Lewis/ICC/Getty ImagesWorking specifically in a first-class and a high-performance environment is understanding that you plan to evolve and change every day. And that’s a good thing, because you’re playing what’s in front of you.Sometimes as coaches, we go the other route – “Say as I say, and do as I do”. That’s the fun piece. I’m only turning 42 this year, so I’m still very young at my craft. Trying to get better every day is as big a part of what I’m trying to be like as a coach, as is what I’m trying to challenge my players to do.Have you spoken to captain Andy Balbirnie, or coach Graham Ford, who will be passing the baton on to you?
I’ve spoken to them, plus other players and support staff. Unfortunately, I’m a pretty diligent player organiser, which, to my detriment, doesn’t allow me a lot of sleep! Then subtly, over time, once I’ve got my feet under the table, I build those relationships, start having a bit of influence and some more challenging conversations.But I’ve had some really good conversations with Balbo. He’s an experienced and a passionate leader. Graham has done a fantastic job over the last four years, and is very valuable to sit down and catch up with. He was really frank and open-minded – which I was thankful for – because it gave me an understanding of where he sees things.We’ve got some real senior players who have played for Ireland over a period of time. How do we as a collective make sure we get this wheel to grow? And not just grow, but also turn quicker.

Bumrah did Bumrah things. Australia wobbled. Catches went down. Australia rallied. And, to close things out, Bumrah overstepped. It was a day of promise and pain for India and their relentless spearhead

Alagappan Muthu29-Dec-20241:34

Are India bowling Bumrah into the ground?

Jasprit Bumrah buckled.He was the only one still pitch side. Everybody had left. He wasn’t moving.One-hundred and forty overs in the series. Nine spells in the day. Bumrah had shouldered that burden like it was nothing. He kept pushing himself and pushing himself – because his team needed him, and he often answers that call – and he ended up overstepping. Nathan Lyon, instead of becoming the final Australian wicket to fall, hit him for four to end play.Related

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• Labuschagne digs deep to handle Bumrah's heat

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• Advantage Australia as batting gets harder at the MCG?

• Allrounder Reddy wants more: 'Not happy with my bowling'

Bumrah slowed down in his follow through. He came to a full stop halfway down the pitch, just off to the left, dropped both of his hands down to his knees and just stood there, slumped over.It took a while for India to notice something was off. Nitish Kumar Reddy was the first to do so. He went up to the umpires, who had also begun to make their way off the field, to collect his team-mate’s cap and glasses. KL Rahul then came over. Rishabh Pant too. And Mohammed Siraj. All of them had reason to believe things might have turned out differently.India had Australia at 91 for 6 at the MCG.Bumrah, in his second over, made sure they couldn’t touch half the balls he bowled. In the next one, he lined ’em up. And Usman Khawaja was beaten back to back to back.One good ball just wouldn’t do.Jasprit Bumrah put in quite a shift on day four at the MCG•Quinn Rooney/Getty ImagesRohit Sharma wound his bowlers up with everything from sweet talk to telling offs. On his way back to first slip after these conversations, he would obsess over his field, pulling cover straighter, or midwicket closer. Once, he pointed at the exact spot where he wanted silly point to be.Everything had to be perfect. Marnus Labuschagne and Rahul could have shook hands if they weren’t so distracted by playing some of the best cricket seen in ages.Virat Kohli was liberal with his thoughts about various field placements. There was constant chatter between the former captain and the current one. One of those chats took place as Kohli traced a curious right-angle path from leg slip to Rohit at first slip. It brought him almost face to face with Khawaja who was walking off towards square leg in between deliveries.India didn’t want the batter getting any respite.But it did come. Australia’s last four wickets added 137 runs to push their lead up to 333. Their No. 10 and 11 enjoyed five straight overs of spin towards the end of the day on a pitch barely taking any. Their top-scorer could’ve been dismissed for 46 instead of 70. Their first (of two) fifty-run stand of the innings would never have happened if Yashasvi Jaiswal had been a little more alert at gully.

There was a level of performance that India expected of themselves on the fourth day of the Boxing Day Test. It doesn’t really have a word for it. Perfection feels a sterile description, particularly because so much of it was driven by emotion. A compulsion to fight. A desperation to win.

Rohit saw it all happen and couldn’t hide his frustration. He spun off to the side and slapped the air. Jaiswal once again had a chance to dismiss Pat Cummins for 21 but couldn’t hold on. Rohit spun off to the side once more with his eyes screwed shut and his hands on his head. He’d teased Jaiswal about not staying low enough at bad-pad positions earlier in the series. Even if he had stayed low here, it wouldn’t have been easy to take it. The ball came pretty quickly to Jaiswal, right off the middle of Cummins’ bat, but creating and converting half chances were India’s way back into this Test match and they seemed so up for it.They made an important tactical change.Akash Deep has been generating false shots more frequently than any bowler on this tour. Thirty per cent of his deliveries have put the batter in trouble, which is more than even Bumrah (29%). So India gave him the new ball. The pressure the two of them created made Australia take chances against the first-change bowler, Siraj.Khawaja tried to drive him on the up and got bowled. There was a little bit of skill involved here, a set up where the left-hander was conditioned to the wobble seam going away from him, and then all of a sudden one straightened against the angle. Steven Smith tried to smash him as well but this time a little bit of extra bounce took the ball past the middle of the bat and instead took the top edge through to the keeper. Siraj has been averaging 33.3 over the first seven innings of this series. With a little help from his friends – and the opposition – he brought that number down to 22.Usman Khawaja was given a life by Yashasvi Jaiswal early on•AFP/Getty ImagesThe crowd at the MCG was only half as strong as the previous three days – 43,867 – but a majority of them were in India blue. So this time Siraj didn’t get booed (as much). He got chants. “D-S-P! D-S-P! D-S-P” Following India’s victory at the T20 World Cup earlier this year, Siraj was offered a government post by the chief minister of Telangana. He was, officially, a Deputy Superintendent of Police.There was a level of performance that India expected of themselves on the fourth day of the Boxing Day Test. It doesn’t really have a word for it. Perfection feels a sterile description, particularly because so much of it was driven by emotion. A compulsion to fight. A desperation to win. And many perceived injustices to set right. Sam Konstas had riled the crowd up against India so Bumrah knocked him over and celebrated it by mimicking his hand-waving. Siraj asked Australia to shush when he struck for the first time. Travis Head was given zero room to work with. He was also bounced first ball.For two sessions, they were as good as can be. And then, for some reason, one of their best bowlers in the game couldn’t bowl until the last 15 minutes, and those two overs seemed like a last resort. Akash Deep rapped Scott Boland on the pads with his first ball of the final session but the ball was just missing leg stump. Their catching let them down. And right at the very end came that gut-punch. Their best bowler, their world-beater securing the mistake they needed to get that last wicket – his fifth wicket – and end the day on a high… only for it to happen off a no-ball.One of many standout things about Bumrah is that he plays with a smile on his face. Hopefully someone’s been able to put it back in place, because there’s still one more day of this Test left and it is not beyond the realm of possibility that he’ll be out there deciding the course it takes.

Manchester United staged a remarkable second half comeback on Sunday, securing what could prove to be a valuable point in a 3-3 draw at home to Tottenham, having been 3-0 down with 17 minutes of normal time to play. However, in truth, it does little to salvage the Red Devils' Women's Super League title charge. Marc Skinner's side are now nine points off table-topping Manchester City after these dropped points, but it does help in the race for Champions League football, as a win for Spurs would've taken them above United and level on points with Arsenal in third.

It looked like that was where the north London side were heading for most of the afternoon. Despite their hosts dominating the first half and hitting the woodwork no fewer than three times, it was Tottenham who went in at the break 2-0 up, thanks to two brilliant headers from Beth England and Eveliina Summanen. Spurs had never beaten United but, under the charge of former Red Devils assistant Martin Ho, they had put themselves in an excellent position to break that winless streak, one only strengthened when Martha Thomas, also formerly of this parish, scored her first WSL goal in almost two years to make it 3-0 just past the hour.

There looked to be no hope for United, even when Ella Toone gave the most optimistic fans in the stands some belief with a hooked finish that pulled one back with 74 minutes on the clock. Once Fridolina Rolfo added a second 10 minutes later, though, a comeback looked a little more plausible. United were dominating and creating plenty, while Spurs seemed to have dropped too deep too early. Still, time was on the visitors' side and they almost got over the line, only for Rolfo to pop up at the back post in the fourth of five added minutes and break their hearts, ensuring her side got something from a crazy afternoon.

No side has ever come back from a six-point deficit at the WSL's halfway stage to win the title, a task facing second-placed Chelsea in the New Year, so United's chances of doing so from nine points back is incredibly unlikely. But this point keeps them ahead of Tottenham in the race for the top three, just one point off Arsenal in that final Champions League spot.

GOAL rates Man Utd's players from Leigh Sports Village…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Phallon Tullis-Joyce (5/10):

  Little she could do about any of the goals, in truth.

  Jayde Riviere (4/10):

  Didn't cover herself in glory for either of the first two goals, with a lack of awareness on show for both.

  Maya Le Tissier (5/10):

  Unlucky not to break the deadlock in the first half when a great header hit the bar. Has to shoulder some of the responsibility for a defence that leaked three goals, even if she wasn't directly at fault.

  Dominique Janssen (5/10):

  Lost Holdt far too easily in the build-up to Spurs' third.

  Anna Sandberg (5/10):

  Moved the ball well and created plenty, but was a little off it defensively.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Midfield

  Hinata Miyazawa (5/10):

  Another who was unlucky not to score when her wicked strike hit the bar. Good in possession but struggled to be effective out of it.

  Julia Zigiotti Olme (5/10):

  Moved the ball well and created plenty but started to show her frustration before being subbed off, picking up a yellow for her troubles.

  Ella Toone (5/10):

  Should've done better with a couple of chances and didn't quite create enough for others, but did hook in the goal that sparked the comeback.

• Getty Images
  

  Attack

  Jess Park (5/10):

  Had a good chance early on but struggled to really make her mark otherwise, until transforming into a key performer in the final 15 minutes. 

  Elisabeth Terland (4/10):

  After starting the season in flying form, clinical touch hasn't been quite as reliable as of late, with several chances going begging here.

  Melvine Malard (4/10):

  Hit the bar from the edge of the box but wasn't her usual nuisance in the penalty area, lacking that golden touch and fluffing her lines regularly.

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• AFP
  

  Subs & Manager

  Fridolina Rolfo (7/10):

  Scored the two goals that completed the United comeback in an incredibly impactful appearance from the bench.

  Leah Galton (6/10):

  Another important part of the fight back, with her cross for Rolfo's late leveller brilliant.

  Marc Skinner (6/10):

  Made surprising changes in midweek to seemingly prioritise this game but those decisions didn't pay off. His substitutions worked brilliantly, though, with both Rolfo and Galton making a huge impact.

T20I captain Litton Das has expressed his unhappiness with the Bangladesh selectors’ decision of dropping Shamim Hossain from the squad for the first two T20Is against Ireland. Chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain said last Friday that they were dropping Shamim to give Mahidul Islam Ankon a chance in the middle order.Litton, however, said that the selectors didn’t inform him or coach Phil Simmons about such a decision.”I think it would have been better if [Shamim] was in the team. But this is not my call, [it is] totally the selectors’ call,” Litton said. “I don’t know why, but the selector dropped Shamim without giving us notice. I have known that a captain would know which player would be in the team, and which player would be out of the team. I don’t see any reason behind Shamim getting dropped. It would have been better if he was in the team.”Related

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Litton also said that he has received a directive that he would have little say in squad selection. Litton, however, did not say where the instructions came from or when he got them.”The selection panel and board has told me that I have to totally work with whatever team they have selected,” Litton said. “I can’t have a say about which player I want or don’t want. I have known for a long time that a captain has a planning for organising the team. Recently, I have been informed that my job is to deliver something good from the field with [the] team that I have been given.”Litton, however, said that he will continue leading the side despite such conditions given to his leadership. “I won’t say it is insulting, but I think the captain and coach must be informed. We don’t know anything about [the selection]. If the same thing happens during the World Cup, I will try to implement with the team to the best of my ability.””Why not Shamim [Hossain]? He performed extraordinarily in some of the series” – Litton Das•AFP/Getty Images

Litton also said “sorry” to Shamim, calling it a disappointment for the player.”It won’t disturb the team but [the situation] is disappointing,” Litton said. “You can’t expect the same performance in every series from every player. We have been trying to build a team for a long time. Why not Shamim? He performed extraordinarily in some of the series. Getting dropped from there, it is disappointing for Shamim.”As a captain, I can’t say anything more than sorry to Shamim. I don’t expect all 15 players in my squad to perform at the same level. We have to back a player when he doesn’t perform in two or three series. I am really sorry that I couldn’t back him.”Shamim has had only single-digit scores in his last three T20I outings for Bangladesh, which may have prompted the selectors to drop him. Shamim, however, has made some important contributions in Bangladesh’s T20I revival this year. He made 48 against Sri Lanka in Dambulla in July. That innings took Bangladesh to a massive win, which is now considered as a turning point for them.Shamim also contributed against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in the Asia Cup. His 22-ball 33 against Afghanistan in early October was the last time he reached double figures, before his run of three successive single-digit scores in T20Is.Meanwhile, chief selector Gazi made a statement after Litton’s comments on the non-selection of Shamim.”Our focus should be on the Ireland series that’s coming up, but because of what our captain Litton Das said at a press meet, I wanted to say a few things,” Gazi said. “We held a brief meeting with the captain and coach before the Bangladesh squad for the Ireland T20Is was announced. When we asked about his opinion about Shamim Hossain, Litton Das told us that he wants Shamim in the team against Ireland. He also informed us that he spoke to the coach [Simmons], who said he also wants the same batters who played against West Indies, in the next T20I squad.”After discussing with Hasibul Hossain [another selector], we decided to leave out Shamim from the squad. We thought that we will announce the squad for the first two matches so that if we win the series by then, we can do some experiment in the third T20I. We announced the team following the rules, after going through cricket operations and the board. The selectors don’t always have to agree with the captain and coach when making selection calls. We don’t have to take any permission. We are accountable to the board.”