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It was the best of times at Liverpool, for that opening month of action under Arne Slot. But the Reds faced a “reality check” against Nottingham Forest last weekend, said Virgil van Dijk, who lamented his team’s “unacceptable” Anfield defeat in the Premier League.

But there were always going to be peaks and valleys throughout the first phase of the new era, and the fanbase seems to have quickly forgotten that Liverpool stormed into a perfect start prior, thrashing Manchester United at Old Trafford before the international break.

Now, it’s Champions League time. It’s a fantastic time. The perfect time to put things right. Slot’s outfit has jetted off to the global hub of fashion and design in Italy’s vibrant city of Milan, though creativity will be reserved for the field against Paulo Fonseca’s AC Milan, who won 4-0 at the weekend in Serie A.

The weekend defeat was a blip, yes, but now we will see what Liverpool are made of. Can they bounce back? Will the Reds return to form and prove to supporters that they have what it takes to succeed in this post-Jurgen Klopp world?

Slot, it would seem, needs to rotate his line-up at the least.

Liverpool team news

Harvey Elliott fractured his foot and will miss out once again for Liverpool in Italy. It’s annoying, as the dynamic young playmaker would have featured tonight and indeed throughout the gruelling run of fixtures ahead.

17/09/24

AC Milan (A)

Champions League

21/09/24

Bournemouth (H)

Premier League

25/09/24

West Ham (H)

Carabao Cup

28/09/24

Wolves (A)

Premier League

02/10/24

Bologna (H)

Champions League

05/10/24

Crystal Palace (A)

Premier League

Liverpool have scarcely made any changes to their starting lineup across the opening four fixtures of the Premier League campaign, so it would be wise for Slot to ring the alterations here, with a Premier League bounceback against Bournemouth on Saturday imperative.

Federico Chiesa will be in the matchday squad for the first time since signing from Juventus in August, but the Dutch boss has admitted that “it would be a surprise” for the Italian to receive a starting berth.

He has, however, shed light on Alexis Mac Allister’s likely role, stating that the influential Argentine will start the affair but might not play the full 90 due to minute management.

This is crucial, and though Ryan Gravenberch will be hoping to reprise his role in a deeper-lying midfield position, Dominik Szoboszlai flattered to deceive against the Tricky Trees and should be dropped for this one.

Why Slot must drop Dominik Szoboszlai

Szoboszlai fizzled out last season after starting his Liverpool career with aplomb. There’s been a lot to like about him under Slot’s wing but The Athletic’s James Pearce has branded him as “wasteful” in crucial attacking moments and this is a sentiment that would be echoed by the lion’s share of the fanbase.

He just wasn’t at the races last time out. Slot bemoaned his side’s lack of control and Szoboszlai played into the chaos, losing possession 18 times and committing three fouls, as per Sofascore, which inhibited Liverpool in their (unsuccessful) efforts to assert their authority and dominance.

AC Milan will bring a wholly different test to the table, playing a high-pressing game that will seek to overpower Liverpool’s passing passages. Fonseca has had something of an indifferent start to life at the club after joining this summer but he plays expansively and attractively.

Liverpool have to implement Slot’s plans to the perfect level, and in order to achieve this, Szoboszlai needs to be dropped.

The player to replace Szoboszlai

hailed for his “truly special” skill set by one eagle-eyed analyst, Curtis Jones should step in, with the Scouse-born midfielder boasting the perfect skillset for tonight’s clash.

Jones has endured a frustrating 2024 so far. The 23-year-old entered the field for the final stretch against Nottingham Forest in what was his competitive debut under Slot’s guidance, having been set back by injury throughout August.

He’s perfect for the new Reds style though. Jones would offer far more control and fluency in the middle of the park against a raucous San Siro home side.

As per FBref, Jones ranks among the top 7% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 7% for progressive carries, the top 8% for successful take-ons, the top 10% for blocks and the top 15% for assists per 90.

He’s robust and technically sound, with a passing game that really highlights his skill and intelligence in shipping through the ball and retaining possession when Liverpool need to slow the tempo down. Think of him as a metronome. It’s no wonder Slot admires him so.

Not only is he an uunerring distributor, but Jones is also athletic and enjoyed bombing forward to stretch lines and shift into the attacking line, as evidenced by his progressing carrying and ability to tae on defenders with the ball.

This would be perfect for Mac Allister, who will sit deeper and dictate Liverpool’s play. The former Brighton star has been quietly spectacular so far this term, completing 88% of his passes in the Premier League and winning 2.3 tackles, 5.3 duels and averaging 5.5 ball recoveries per game.

He does the nitty gritty bits so well, and will prove to enable the prospective success of Jones under the European lights tonight.

Liverpool need to start their Champions League campaign on strong footing, and putting Jones into the starting mix could be key to doing exactly that.

Liverpool man sold by Klopp for just £4.3m is currently outperforming Salah

Liverpool fans will be surprised to hear how well this dud is now doing.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 16, 2024

West Ham are looking to return to European football next season, having recently had Europa League and Conference League runs.

The Hammers won the UEFA Conference League in 2023, beating Fiorentina 2-1 in the final, with Jarrod Bowen scoring a dramatic winner, and sealing victory for the Hammers.

Last season, West Ham failed to qualify for Europe, finishing ninth in the Premier League, which saw David Moyes’ reign in charge come to an end for a second time, with a new era beginning this season, under new manager, Julen Lopetegui.

Regardless of their start, he might well wish he had a prime Jesse Lingard at his disposal.

Jesse Lingard at West Ham

Lingard spent six months on loan with West Ham, joining in January 2021. The English midfielder was a sensation during his stint in east London, enjoying some of the best days of his career.

Indeed, he made 16 appearances for the club in which he netted nine goals and provided four assists across 1,425 minutes played.

Lingard had managed to rediscover the form that had once seen him in the England national team setup, having scored 13 goals and provided seven assists in the 2017/18 season, before heading to the World Cup with the Three Lions in 2018, scoring one goal, and providing two assists there.

There were claims at the time that West Ham had found their new Dimitri Payet, making attempts to bring the midfielder to the club on a permanent deal during the summer of 2021.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.

The Frenchman was a genius player during his own stint in the capital, scoring 15 goals – of which many included some beautiful free-kicks – and supplying 22 assists.

Sadly, the Hammers were unable to strike a deal, and Lingard ended up joining Nottingham Forest a year later.

How Lingard compared to Payet

A failure to bring Lingard back to the London Stadium saw him stay for one last season at Manchester United, making 22 appearances for the Red Devils in all competitions, scoring two goals and providing one assist.

The ex-England international was then released in the summer of 2022, which saw Nottingham Forest acquire his services on a free transfer.

Lingard’s career has slowly fizzled out since, only making 20 appearances for Forest in the 2022/23 season where he registered four goal contributions. It’s a far cry from the days of being compared to Payet. Speaking of which, how did they compare?

Goals

0.51

0.31

Assists

0.22

0.31

xG

0.28

0.27

Progressive Carries

3.73

2.91

Progressive Passes

4.75

5.23

Total Shots

2.70

1.57

Goals/Shot

0.17

0.16

Key Passes

1.14

2.55

Shot-Creating Actions

3.99

4.35

Whilst Lingard was showing signs of replacing Payet at West Ham, the 33-year-old Frenchman was still putting up good numbers for Marseille across the 2020/21 campaign. Payet still averaged 0.31 assists per 90, and made more progressive passes, key passes, and shot-creating actions per 90. That being said, besides key passes, they did rank pretty closely.

Lingard was back to his best infront of goal though, scoring 0.51 per 90, 0.20 more than Payet, and scoring at a rate of 0.17 goals/shot, again bettering the former France international.

It’s sadly now a story of what might have been for the Man United academy graduate who is now valued at just £1m and playing out his final years for FC Seoul in the K-League, having made 18 appearances for the club and scored four goals.

Offloaded by Lopetegui: West Ham have already axed their next Declan Rice

The club have seen a huge overhaul of their midfield department in the last 12 months.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 17, 2024

MatériaMais Notícias

da esport bet： Pela segunda rodada da Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro, Sampaio Corrêa e Tombense jogaram no Estádio Castelão, em São Luis, e ficaram no empate por 1 a 1, gols marcados por Mateusinho e Everton Galdino, ambos ainda no primeiro tempo.

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da bet nacional： >Confira dez jogadores brasileiros bem conhecidos que estão sem clube

DE UM LADO FOI QUASE…
​
Dentro de uma partida onde a movimentação ofensiva e troca de passes se mostrava bastante lenta pelas duas equipes, foi na bola aérea que os visitantes conseguiram sua chance mais clara de marcar na etapa inicial quando o meio-campista Joseph, de cabeça, mandou na trave esquerda do arqueiro Luiz Daniel. A pelota até sobrou para o camisa 5, mas ele, ao bater de perna esquerda, acabou isolando por sobre a meta.

…E DO OUTRO FOI LÁ DENTRO!

Todavia, se de um lado a conclusão passou perto, no time maranhense o lateral-direito Mateusinho acertou um verdadeiro petardo para inaugurar a contagem. Tendo espaço para finalizar da intermediária, o camisa 2 soltou a bomba onde o arqueiro Rafael Santos não conseguiu acompanhar a trajetória da bola. Placar inaugurado (com muito estilo) na cidade de São Luis.

NA BASE DA CONSTRUÇÃO

Se em boa parte dos lances ofensivos a equipe de Tombos mostrava dificuldade de envolver o adversário, aos 38 o esforço de Keké para evitar a saída de bola na esquerda iniciou o lance onde Manoel recebeu e cruzou na medida para Everton chegar finalizando de primeira, com a perna esquerda, em bola que bateu no arqueiro Luiz Daniel antes de entrar.

RITMO REDUZIDO E PLACAR INALTERADO

Da mesma forma que ocorreu nos primeiros minutos do confronto, na volta do intervalo tanto Sampaio como o Tombense não conseguiam imprimir velocidade suficiente na armação para conseguir bagunçar as defesas adversárias, tornando o confronto restrito aos sistemas de criação e “minguando” as chances dos dois times em buscarem o que poderia significar o tento da vitória.

Já na reta final do compromisso, Ciel (em duas oportunidades) e Eron tiveram os melhores momentos para mudar essa história, mas a imprecisão para finalizar (bem como a posição irregular de Eron no tento marcado e anulado pelo VAR) acabou sacramento o resultado de igualdade no Castelão.

FICHA TÉCNICA DA PARTIDA
SAMPAIO CORRÊA 1 x 1 TOMBENSE

Local: Estádio Castelão, em São Luis (MA)
Data e hora: 16/04/2022 – 16h30 (de Brasília)
Árbitro:Dewson Fernandes Freitas da Silva (PA)
Assistentes: Marcio Gleidson Correia Dias e Helcio Araujo Neves (ambos PA)
Árbitro de vídeo:Adriano de Assis Miranda (SP)
Cartões amarelos: Mateusinho, Joécio, Renatinho (SAM); Zé Ricardo, Everton Galdino (TOM)
Cartões vemelhos: –

GOLS: Mateusinho (16’/2°T) (1-0), Everton Galdino (38’/1°T) (1-1)

SAMPAIO CORRÊA (Técnico: Leo Condé)

Luiz Daniel; Mateusinho (Maurício, no intervalo), Joelson, Nilson Junior e Lucas Hipólito; André Luiz (Rafael Vila, aos 27’/2°T), Ferreira e Renatinho (Soares, aos 11’/2°T); Eron (Rafael Costa, aos 48’/2°T), Pimentinha e Pionteck (Gabriel Poveda, aos 27’/2°T).

TOMBENSE (Técnico: Hemerson Maria)

Rafael Santos; David, Jordan (Moisés, aos 24’/2°T), Roger Carvalho e Manoel; Zé Ricardo (Gustavo Cazonatti, no intervalo), Joseph e Igor Henrique (Jean Lucas, aos 24’/2°T); Everton Galdino (Gabriel Henrique, aos 24’/2°T), Ciel e Keké (Reginaldo, aos 34’/2°T).

يخوض منتخب مصر تحت 17 عامًا، مواجهة مصيرية مع نظيره أنجولا، اليوم السبت، ضمن الملحق النهائي المؤهل لبطولة كأس العالم للناشئين 2025، والمقرر إقامتها في قطر.

وتقام المباراة بين منتخب مصر تحت 17 عامًا مع أنجولا على ملعب بن أحمد العبدي من أجل حسم المتأهل لكأس العالم.

طالع.. منتخب مصر يكثف استعداداته لمواجهة أنجولا في الملحق المؤهل لـ كأس العالم للناشئين

ووصل منتخب مصر إلى الملحق بعد أن احتل المركز الثالث في المجموعة الثالثة من بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا للناشئين، المقامة حاليًا في المغرب، حيث تلقى المنتخب خسارتين أمام جنوب إفريقيا بنتيجة (4-3) وبوركينا فاسو (2-1)، قبل أن يحقق انتصارًا مهمًا على الكاميرون بنتيجة (2-1) في الجولة الأخيرة.

في المقابل، بلغ منتخب أنجولا نفس المرحلة بعد أن أنهى دور المجموعات في المركز الثالث بمجموعته، ليضرب موعدًا قويًا مع المنتخب المصري في مواجهة لا تقبل القسمة على اثنين، إذ يتأهل الفائز منها إلى مونديال الناشئين المقبل.

وتشارك قارة إفريقيا في النسخة المرتقبة من البطولة بعشرة مقاعد، حيث صعدت المنتخبات أصحاب المركزين الأول والثاني من كل مجموعة مباشرة، فيما تُحسم المقاعد المتبقية عبر مواجهات فاصلة في الملحق. موعد مباراة مصر وأنجولا تحت 17 عامًا في ملحق كأس العالم

وتنطلق المباراة بين مصر وأنجولا في تمام الساعة التاسعة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والعاشرة مساءً بتوقيت مكة المكرمة. القناة الناقلة لمباراة مصر وأنجولا تحت 17 عامًا في ملحق كأس العالم

ومن المنتظر أن تنقل قناة الاتحاد الافريقي لكرة القدم “كاف” على “يوتيوب” المباراة.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــــا.

MatériaMais Notícias

da jogodeouro： O Vasco segue ativo no mercado de olho em reforços para o início da Série B do Brasileirão. Com isso, o clube acertou contratação do lateral-direito Gabriel Dias, ex-Cruzeiro. O jogador, que foi revelado pelo Palmeiras, tem 27 anos e vai assinar em definitivo até o fim de 2023. A informação foi inicialmente divulgada pelo canal “Atenção, Vascaínos”.

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da apostebet： O atleta assinou com o Cruzeiro no início do ano, porém não teve muitas oportunidades e atuou em apenas três partidas. Fora dos planos da diretoria celeste, ele foi liberado para negociar com o Gigante da Colina e está bem próximo de ser anunciado.

Ainda não é assinante do Cariocão-2022? Acesse www.cariocaoplay.com.br, preencha o cadastro e ganhe 5% de desconto com o cupom especial do LANCE!: GE-JK-FF-ZSW

Revelado pelo Palmeiras, o lateral-direito defendeu as cores de Internacional, RB Bragantino, Paraná, Fortaleza e Ceará. Com a camisa paranista e do Leão do Pici, teve mais regularidade e esteve em campo em 47 jogos. No Tricolor cearense, ele fez parte do elenco que ergueu a taça do bicampeonato Estadual e da Copa do Nordeste em 2019.

Na época, participou de um lance contra o Vasco pelo Campeonato Brasileiro e sofreu uma lambreta do atacante Talles Magno, que atualmente defende as cores do New York City.

+Presença de área e determinação: conheça o atacante Zé Vitor, provável reforço do Vasco para a Série B

Dessa forma, Gabriel Dias chegará para uma posição que era uma das prioridades do Cruz-Maltino no mercado. Atualmente, Léo Matos e Weverton disputam a posição, mas ambos não conseguiram se firmar. O camisa 17 tem tido mais oportunidades, porém foi analisado que mais um nome seria essencial para a disputa da Série B.

Além dele, o clube carioca deve anunciar nos próximos dias as contratações de Erick, do Ypiranga,do Marcílio Dias e do uruguaio Carlos de Peña, que pertence ao Dínamo de Kiev, da Ucrânia. Até o fechamento da janela de transferências do primeiro semestre, no dia 12, o Vasco buscará outros nomes para posições carentes do elenco.

+ Confira e simule a tabela do Campeonato Carioca

Uma delas é a zaga, já que o equatoriano Luis Cangá não irá permanecer no clube e Ulisses sofreu uma lesão. Como os reservas imediatos de Anderson Conceição e Juan Quintero são os jovens Pimentel e Zé Vitor, outros dois nomes mais experientes podem pintar para encorpar o grupo.

MatériaMais Notícias

da apostebet： A concorrência aumentou com a chegada de Pablo, e Fabrício Bruno sabe da importância de manter um padrão elevado de atuações até a estreia do zagueiro ex-Corinthians. E Fabrício atuará contra o Vasco, a partir das 20h desta quarta-feira, respaldado a números significativos neste início de trajetória pelo Flamengo. O duelo será válido pela ida das semifinais do Carioca, no Maracanã.

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da bet sport： Ainda não é assinante do Cariocão-2022? Acesse www.cariocaoplay.com.br, preencha o cadastro e ganhe 5% de desconto com o cupom especial do LANCE!: GE-JK-FF-ZSW

Ao longo de seis jogos, cinco pelo Carioca e um pela Supercopa do Brasil, Fabrício Bruno foi titular em todos. No Estadual, por exemplo, justifica a confiança depositada por Paulo Sousa com muitos desarmes. São12 corretos, com média de2.40 por jogo e eficiência de92% – só fica atrás do volante João Gomes, que soma23 botes certos. Os dados são do site “Footstats”.

> GALERIA: Flamengo chega a 24 reforços na Era Landim; relembre a lista

Atuando pela direita na linha de três zagueiros, Fabrício não tem os ótimos índices de lançamentos de outros companheiros de zaga, como David Luiz (15) e Léo Pereira (12), porém tem demonstrado boa saída pelo chão quando a equipe está com a bola.

Contra o Bangu, na rodada passada, acertou98% dos passes e se tornou o quarto jogador do Fla no Carioca com mais acertos no fundamento – com227, só fica atrás de Arrascaeta (230),Léo Pereira (280) e Filipe Luís (305), todos com um ou dois jogos a mais no torneio.

O seu perfil no Instagram publicou um vídeo, em conjunto ao perfil tático “Outlier FC”, em que alguns lances recentes de construção do camisa 15 foram esmiuçados. Assista abaixo:

>Veja a tabela do Cariocão

Com a chegada de Pablo, o Flamengo passa a ter oito zagueiros de ofício no plantel, além de Filipe Luís, que tem atuado no setor com Paulo Sousa. Ou seja, Fabrício Bruno terá mais um teste de fogo nas decisões do Carioca para se provar, sobretudo por ter sido o maior investimento do ano até aqui (R$ 15 milhões), e marcar território visando a sequência em 2022.

Em tempo: para o jogo desta quarta, Paulo Sousa não poderá escalar Léo Pereira, suspenso, e Pablo só tende a estrear no fim de semana. A zaga deve ser composta por Fabrício Bruno, David Luiz e Filipe Luís.

أعرب جيمي كاراجر عن دعمه لجناح ليفربول، محمد صلاح، عقب الانتقادات التي تعرض لها بعد أدائه في نهائي كأس الرابطة الإنجليزية (كاراباو) أمام نيوكاسل يونايتد.

وأكد أسطورة ليفربول أن خط هجوم الفريق الحالي يتمتع بالجودة، لكنه لا يرتقي إلى مستوى التميز، مشددًا على ضرورة التعاقد مع مهاجمين مميزين لقيادة الريدز في السنوات المقبلة.

وتبددت آمال آرني سلوت في تحقيق لقبه الأول في إنجلترا بعدما تفوق نيوكاسل يونايتد على فريقه في ويمبلي، ورغم أن فيدريكو كييزا سجل هدفًا متأخرًا، إلا أنه لم يكن كافيًا لتغيير النتيجة، حيث ظهر ليفربول بمستوى متراجع، ما سمح لكتيبة المدرب إيدي هاو بكشف نقاط ضعف الريدز بوضوح.

اقرأ أيضًا.. إيزاك بعد فوز نيوكاسل على ليفربول في نهائي كأس كاراباو: هذه مجرد بداية

وتحدث كاراجر عن الخسارة في تصريحات نقلها موقع “Liverpool.com”، وقال: “من الصعب أن أكون قاسيًا في انتقادي للفريق، لكن لا بد أن أقول إنها واحدة من أسوأ المباريات النهائية التي رأيتها منذ فترة طويلة جدًا من ليفربول”.

وتابع: “الافتقار إلى السرعة في الهجوم واضح جدًا، أشعر ببعض التعاطف مع محمد صلاح، لأنه تعرض للانتقادات بعد مباراتي باريس سان جيرمان، رغم أنه كان يواجه أحد أفضل الأظهرة اليسرى في العالم، نونو مينديز، الذي يعد لاعبًا رائعًا”.

واستمر: “المهاجمون الآخرون في ليفربول لاعبون جيدون، لكنهم ليسوا من الطراز الرفيع، الفريق اعتمد بشكل كبير على محمد صلاح، لقد رأيت الكثير من الانتقادات خلال الأسبوع الماضي ضده، لكنها كشفت بوضوح حاجة الفريق إلى التعاقد مع مهاجمين جدد”.

وواصل تصريحاته: “ليفربول لا يحتاج إلى مهاجمين من أجل مقاعد البدلاء، بل لاعبين قادرين على اللعب إلى جانب محمد صلاح، ونأمل أن يكون ذلك في الموسم المقبل”.

وأتم: “يبدو أن ليفربول في طريقه للفوز ببطولة الدوري الإنجليزي، لكن هناك العديد من الأمور التي يجب تحسينها، وأعتقد أنهم سيعملون على ذلك في الصيف”.

Zimbabwe captain says he wanted to send a message to his batters that the pitch was still good

Mohammad Isam10-Jul-2021Captain Brendan Taylor hopes his swashbuckling 92 inspires the rest of his Zimbabwe teammates to salvage a draw on the fifth day against Bangladesh. Taylor struck 16 fours in his 73-ball bonanza but got out with roughly ten overs to spare on the fourth day. The home side also lost the stonewalling Takudzwanashe Kaitano shortly afterwards, leaving them on 140 for 3, and a day to keep Bangladesh at bay.The way Taylor batted put the visitors on the backfoot for much of the evening session. He drilled cover drive after cover drive, drove the spinners with ease, looking at times like he was batting in a different league than the batter at the other end.Related

Zimbabwe lose rampant Taylor as Bangladesh sight victory

Najmul Hossain Shanto admits Bangladesh in 'good position' but bowlers 'have their work cut out'

He said that the strokeful innings was intuitive, as he was trying to preempt the Bangladesh bowlers’ plans on a pitch he considered to be almost dead for the bowlers.”There was no real intent to play with that amount of aggression, but playing instinctively paid off for me,” Taylor said. “I thought that at the end of day four, the wicket will start getting tired. Instead of just sitting around, I wanted to be a little proactive, and try to send a message to the guys that the wicket is still playing okay. Hopefully I have done that.”I got out at the wrong time, and I felt that I left so many runs out there. It is hurting me at the moment, but there are guys that I have a lot of faith in, as well. It is frustrating (to miss out on the hundred) when you are going that well. You want to kick on (and score the hundred) obviously. From the team’s perspective, it was crucial that I stayed out there for a longer period.”Taylor said that the rest of the Zimbabwe batters are capable of putting up a good fight on the fifth day and that the overnight batters Dion Myers and nightwatchman Donald Tiripano must stave off the first hour as a first priority.”We want to start the first hour well. Hopefully we don’t lose a wicket. We have guys who are technically sound and solid. Unfortunately we lost Kaitano in the end there. He has been a pillar for us. But there are guys there who can really front up, which will be the chat tomorrow. There’s no better time to save a game for your country,” he said.Zimbabwe’s bowlers got punished in Bangladesh’s second innings. Shadman Islam and Najmul Hossain Shanto struck centuries as the home side could take only one wicket, giving away the 476-run lead. But Taylor said that he was happy with how the bowlers worked hard in this Test.”The attitude has always been good, particularly with the ball as well. The wicket was pretty dead, and the batsmen were going pretty hard at the ball. They were not giving many chances. All I asked my bowlers, was to keep fronting up. They are young guys with great attitude and a lot of commitment. We had to work hard.”Taylor said that Bangladesh’s experience as a Test side showed as they dominated any time they got set in the middle. “They have shown that they are an experienced side. They have dominated, and when they get in, they make it count. We have certainly learned a lot from how they have gone about their business,” he said.

Two heavy defeats in the group stages have exposed flaws that the players are keen to work on ahead of bigger tests that lie in wait

Firdose Moonda25-Oct-20253:06

Review: South Africa undone by the ‘King’ of Indore

If South Africa hoped they could move on from 69 all out against England in Guwahati, their Indore implosion against Australia has ensured that they can’t. Especially not now that they will play England in Guwahati again.The two blowouts that have bookended South Africa’s World Cup group stage essentially ask the same question: how will this team perform on a big occasion?Within that are smaller, and perhaps more significant questions: do South Africa have the technique and the patience to play different kinds of spin, is their batting line-up organised correctly and are they championship material? So far, the jury’s out on whether they are those things consistently enough.Related

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Against England, South Africa were flummoxed by Linsey Smith’s left-arm spin where they failed to pick up the deliveries that held their line and were done by drift. Against Australia, they were bamboozled by Alana King’s legspin but again, it was less about the turn and more about the bounce and line. The difference between the two is that while South Africa hung back a touch against England in what appeared a more conservative approach, they showed intent against Australia albeit that it caused their downfall.South Africa were 32 for 0 in the seventh over, and 28 of Laura Wolvaardt’s 31 runs had come in boundaries. Then they lost their way. Of course, that makes it worse. It means all ten wickets fell for 65 runs, but look at the shots South Africa played and there was something of a (perhaps misguided?) plan. Sune Luus slog swept, Marizanne Kapp tried to slice one over point, Annerie Dercksen wanted to hit down the ground, Chloe Tryon attempted a flick off her pads and Sinalo Jafta swiped across one and missed.South Africa’s aggressive intent against Australia did not pan out well•Getty ImagesEssentially South Africa seemed to have decided this was a free hit for several reasons. Their place in the semi-finals was already confirmed, and it was also certain they would not have to play Australia – the team everyone wants to avoid in a knockout. Though topping the table would have meant they also avoided England, maybe South Africa don’t mind facing Nat Sciver-Brunt’s side, who are unbeaten but have shown weaknesses in the middle order again.Perhaps it was more important to experiment various game plans in case they come up against Australia again. It didn’t work but it may still have been important for them to have tried. “Coach Mandla (Mashimbyi) has given me a task to go 100% or nothing. That actually makes me just watch the ball and hit the ball regardless of what happens,” Sinalo Jafta, who top-scored with 29, said at the post-match press conference.

“To lose like that, it does hurt. If it doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t mean anything.”Sinalo Jafta

She, and the rest of the line-up, seemed to adopt the same approach. Instead of doing what England did, which was to survive and stonewall against Australia, before reaching a total that wasn’t enough anyway, South Africa tried to attack. It’s admirable in intent but the execution needs work and Jafta conceded that. “If we just go forward, play straight, I think we should be good. A lot of times we play with a cross bat, and we’ve seen it in these conditions, it doesn’t work.”That’s what South Africa will remember going into the knockouts. Everything else, including the humiliation of being bowled out inside 20.4 against England and 24 overs against Australia, they will forget. “It’s disappointing to lose the way we did but coach Mandla always says to have the chicken brain,” Jafta said. “Obviously, we will assess where we went wrong and then by the time we get on the plane tomorrow to go to Guwahati, we will know what’s at stake. It gives us a great opportunity to search, reflect and just see where we went wrong. So it’s literally just going out there, forgetting what happened and just focusing on what works for us. I mean, we’ve proved right before. So what’s stopping us from doing it again?”That’s where the personnel question comes in and Jafta’s spot is one of those under scrutiny. Batting at No. 6 seems a place too high for her, though she has demonstrated a vastly improved technique since being pushed up the order. Dercksen’s place is the other under the scanner, with only one score in double-figures at this World Cup. The more experienced Anneke Bosch, who also only has one double-figure score at this event, could come into the mix instead. Chiefly what South Africa have lacked so far is reliability from their batters and they also carry far too long a tail. Can a title-winning team only bat to No. 8? They’ll test that this week, in the semi-final for sure and then again if they get further and apart from the obvious outcome of winning, they’ll also want to show that they’ve learnt something from their two big defeats in the group stage.”To lose like that, it does hurt. If it doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t mean anything,” Jafta said. “But these are great opportunities to actually get better. We obviously played England in the first game and it didn’t go out the way we wanted. But I think going into that match, we knew exactly what to do, we prepped and one game doesn’t makes us a bad squad. Our culture has been brilliant and we’ve got that bounce back ability.”Wednesday will tell.

“I am a small guy in stature but a big guy when it comes to standing up and being the representer”

Firdose Moonda24-Jun-2021There are two ways to lead a team, according to South Africa’s new Test captain Dean Elgar: “You can take it to your head or you can take it to your heart.”And he has decided on the latter. “I like to think I have taken it to my heart,” he said. “I am not a ‘me’ guy; I am a ‘we’ guy. For me, it’s about the team.”The two-match away-from-home Test series against West Indies was Elgar’s first series as captain and he said he already feels like he is natural fit.”It’s something I’ve always thought I have been born with. I have always been a leader, at school, club cricket through franchise cricket. I always like to think I’ve led from the front,” he said. “I am a small guy in stature but a big guy when it comes to standing up and being the representer. It’s a massive honour. I don’t shy away from that responsibility, and I don’t shy away from saying that.”Related

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Elgar’s straight-talk has been one of the standout features of his time in charge so far, perhaps because it sits in such stark contrast to what came in the series before him. Quinton de Kock’s elevation to the Test captaincy was a failed experiment, detrimental to both de Kock and the direction the South African team were going in. Even Faf du Plessis, who led with aplomb under Russell Domingo and Ottis Gibson, had a tough final series as captain, steeped in racial controversy after his “we don’t see colour” comment and questions over his own form. Elgar has faced both, but has so far found ways to deal with them.One of the first questions Elgar was asked as the team geared up to take on West Indies was whether South Africa would join their hosts in taking a knee to show solidarity with the anti-racist cause, a potentially prickly subject because South Africa had not done so as a national team before. Others who have been asked the same over the last year have been defensive and, on one occasion, even stopped from engaging from the topic, but Elgar welcomed it.He thanked the reporter who made the inquiry and had an answer prepared. After a year of soul-searching South Africa had decided to give their players a choice of taking a knee, raising a fist or standing to attention. Most of the squad took a knee, Elgar and a few others, chose the middle option, and two players stood. In a country where the schisms and scars of racial discrimination are fresh, all of them are likely to be criticised in some way and while it won’t be easy, Elgar was made to deal with that. He is known for having a thick skin, an essential for an opening batter, and he seems to be demanding the same of his team-mates.Though Elgar had a lot of good things to say about South Africa’s performance in the West Indies, he acknowledged that the batting still has work to do. At one point, South Africa teetered on 73 for 7 in the second Test and their skills against the seaming ball were in the spotlight. “We’ve struggled and it’s not fine for us that we’ve struggled. We’ve addressed that and we’ve been trying to work on it,” he said. “The biggest thing is to attack your weaknesses to try to make them strengths.”Dean Elgar and his predecessor, Quinton de Kock, lead South Africa off the field after their series win over West Indies•RANDY BROOKS/AFP/Getty ImagesHe was particularly hard on one batter, in what seems like an attempt at tough-love to bring out his best. “In my opinion, KG has let himself down when it comes to batting,” Elgar said of Kagiso Rabada, whose career-best 40 and 70-run eighth-wicket stand with Rassie van der Dussen helped South Africa set West Indies a target of over 300 in the second Test. “He is a lot more talented than what he thinks he is. It’s a conversation we had prior to leaving for the series – that he needs to work on his batting. So it was great to see him take ownership in that department.”But Elgar was full of praise for Rabada and the rest of his attack in one of the other primary disciplines – bowling. “KG, Anna (Anrich Nortje) and Lungi (Ngidi) are a formidable threesome. They put the fear of God in batters’ eyes. They are a machine,” he said. “Their roles are so different and their roles are so big. Each guy is different in their own right. They complement each other so well.”Although Rabada finished as the series’ leading wicket-taker, he didn’t hog the final headlines because left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj took his seventh five-for which included South Africa’s second Test hat-trick and emerged as the unlikely hero of a contest billed as a battle of the pace packs.”Kesh is a massive player for the Proteas. What he does goes so unnoticed. He needs to get more respect,” Elgar said. “He got a Test five-for on a wicket that wasn’t turning against West Indies, away from home. That’s huge. He is a big player. He is going to become a better player going forward. He is not going to stop there. He doesn’t sound like being second best.”Neither does Elgar, who has been a constant in South Africa’s changing Test landscape over most of the last nine years. While there are no players left from the team now that traveled to England in 2012, where South Africa became No.1, Elgar made his Test debut in the series after that, in Australia. He has since tasted the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows and has been waiting for his chance to have a say in the next stage of South African cricket’s development. While he calls this series win “massive,” he recognises that it is just a small step and that bigger strides can only be made several months from now.South Africa do not have any Tests scheduled for the rest of the year but are expecting to host India over the festive season. Between now and then, their focus will shift to the shortest format, which Elgar is not part of. So he will return home, to rest, to play in the revamped domestic set-up once the summer starts, and to reflect and reformulate plans to ensure South Africa do not slip up when they return to the Test area.”It’s a good time to analyse and reset and find ways to improve so you can become better. December is far away but it’s not too far away,” he said. “Against India, it’s going to be extremely tough. This period is going to be good for me to dissect and analyse.”