كشف الإعلامي أحمد شوبير عن تطورات ملف المدير الفني الأجنبي الجديد للنادي الأهلي، مؤكدًا أن عماد النحاس يقترب من الاستمرار في الفترة المقبلة لوقت أطول.
وقال شوبير في تصريحات إذاعية عبر “أون سبورت إف إم”: “منذ البداية، الحقيقة، أخبرتكم أن وليد صلاح قال لي علانية وعلى الهواء إن عماد النحاس سيكمل الخمس مباريات، وبقيت له مباراة واحدة”.
وأوضح: “كلما فاز عماد النحاس بمباراة، كلما أصبحت الأمور أفضل، ويقترب من تثبيت قدميه قليلاً، واستعادة ثقة الجماهير، وهو يتمتع بقبول كبير لدى جمهور النادي الأهلي، فالأمور مستقرة معه ومع الجمهور، فترتفع النغمة بأنه يجب أن يكمل عماد ويستمر”.
وواصل: “أما ملف المدرب الأجنبي فقد وصل ثلاث مرات، ويقترب الأهلي من انهاء الأمر مع مدرب دون أن يكمله، آخرها الرجل الدنماركي (يقصد توماس توماسبيرج)، وعلى فكرة، الذين اجتهدوا لم يخطئوا، لأنه كان على وشك التوقيع مع النادي الأهلي، إذ بقيت له ساعات قليلة فقط، لكن جاءه العرض البولندي فذهب إليه”.
واستطرد: “الأهلي قرر أن يتريث خطوة أو خطوات في موضوع المدير الفني؛ سيهدأون قليلاً الآن، غير مستعجلين، وقالوا لأسامة هلال انتظر، ولا تتعجل وإذا مدربًا يليق بالنادي الأهلي، مليون مرحبًا به، وإذا لم تجد اصبر قليلا وليس هو الوحيد الذي يعمل على هذا الملف”.
وأضاف: “ليس سرًا أن النادي الأهلي نظر قليلاً إلى المدرب التركي فاتح تيريم، رغم أن عمر 73 عامًا، لكن مساعده حمزة أوغلو، درب جالطة سراي من قبل وفاز معهم بالبطولات، ولكنه يعود لمساعدته حتى بعد أن أصبح مديرًا فنيًا”.
طالع | بينهم سيد عبد الحفيظ.. تفاصيل مهام أعضاء قائمة الخطيب في انتخابات الأهلي
وزاد: “الأهلي نظر قليلاً إلى فاتح تيريم وعلى حمزة أوغلو، ونظر قليلاً إلى برونو لاج البرتغالي وقال لهم عن طلباته، وقد أخبرتكم أن النادي الأهلي ينتظر؛ ولكن الرجل الآن ينتظر موافقة الأهلي”.
وأردف: “برونو لاج وضع شروطا وطلبات لا يحتاجها الأهلي مثل أن الشرط الجزائي كاملاً مدة العقد كاملاً، وهو ما رفضه النادي خوفا من تكرار سيناريو كولر”.
وتابع: ” الأهلي قرر تأجيل ملف المدرب الأجنبي لإشعار آخر حتى يروا ما سيحدث، وكيف ستكون القصة، خاصة أن هناك توقفا دوليا خلال أكتوبر الجاري، وبعد ذلك سيعودون ليلعبوا مباراتين، ثم يعود توقف آخر، وهو توقف طويل بسبب كأس العرب، وأمم إفريقيا”.
وأتم: “من الممكن أنه حتى التوقف خلال نوفمبر أيضًا لا يكون هناك مدرب للنادي الأهلي؛ هنا أقول لكم كيف يفكر الأهلي، لكن كل شيء قد يتغير إذا ظهر مدرب مثالي تمامًا، وقال (أريد تدريب الأهلي)، فسيقولون له (أهلاً وسهلاً)”.
da pinup bet： Before the Ange Postecoglou era, the permanent manager of Tottenham Hotspur was none other than Antonio Conte.
da leao： Now, it would be fair to say that for all of his success with other teams, the Italian icon didn’t fare too well in North London, as while he secured Champions League football for the club in his first season, he didn’t even make it to the end of his second one in charge.
The former Chelsea boss was infamous for playing a pragmatic, boarding-on-tedious style of football that couldn’t be any more different to the one Spurs try to play today.
However, while it didn’t quite work out for Conte, he did leave the club with a points per game average of 1.78 and now looks on track to win Serie A with Napoli, so recent news linking the Lilywhites with another manager who could easily be compared to the 55-year-old should excite fans.
Tottenham's manager search
Before getting to the manager in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other managers linked with the Tottenham job in recent weeks, like Brentford’s Thomas Frank and Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola.
Manager Focus
Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.
The former has done an exemplary job in West London, taking the Bees from a Championship side and turning them into one of the most entertaining sides in the Premier League, who still score goals for fun, even in the absence of former star striker Ivan Toney.
In a similar vein, Iraola took charge of the Cherries when they looked destined to return to the second tier last season and has transformed them into a team now fighting for a place in Europe next year.
However, a club like Spurs requires someone who can do more than improve the fortunes of smaller teams, which helps to explain their interest in Simone Inzaghi.
According to reports from Italy, the idea of the Italian coach moving to North London in the summer is ‘gaining traction’ and could soon develop ‘into something concrete.’
The report claims that a combination of a Premier League salary and his project at Inter coming to an end could convince the talented manager to move to N17 at the end of the season.
While it could be a challenging deal to get over the line, Spurs must do all they can to secure Inzaghi’s services. Not only would he be a monumental upgrade on Postecoglou, but he could be a more successful Conte 2.0.
How Inzaghi compares to Postecoglou
Okay, so before we compare Inzaghi to Postecoglou, why could his arrival be described as Conte 2.0?
Inter Milan coachSimoneInzaghi
Well, simply put, he’d be joining Tottenham from Inter Milan, a fellow Italian and, crucially, while he’s not quite as defensively minded as the former Spurs boss, he can be just as pragmatic.
Moreover, and this is one of the big advantages he has over Ange, the 49-year-old is a proven winner in a top-five league, having led Lazio to the Coppa Italia in 18/19 and then winning another two with Inter Milan, as well as leading them to the Scudetto last season.
In contrast, all the Australian’s successes have come in smaller leagues, be that in Scotland, Japan or Australia, and while that is not meant to demean his achievements, it is undeniable that the pressure to succeed in those leagues is far less intense than it is here or in Italy, for example.
Moreover, when we compare the two managers’ records at their current sides, it’s abundantly clear who is doing the better job.
Inzaghi vs Postecoglou current clubs
Manager
Inzaghi
Postecoglou
Games
212
96
Wins
138
45
Draws
40
14
Losses
34
37
Points per Game
2.14
1.55
All Stats via Sofascore
For example, since taking the job at the San Siro, the “phenomenal” Italian, as dubbed by Felipe Salvador Caicedo, has overseen 138 wins, 40 draws and 34 losses, which comes out to an average of 2.14 points per game.
In contrast, the former Celtic boss has overseen 45 wins, 14 draws and 37 losses since taking charge of the North Londoners, which comes out to a rather paltry 1.55 points per game.
Ultimately, Inzaghi has shown himself to be tactically flexible, has won major trophies and has far more experience in a top-five league than Postecoglou, so if Spurs can hire him this summer, they should.
Amazing upgrade on Solanke: Spurs ready to pay £30m for "remarkable" CF
The experienced marksman could be just what Spurs need.
He eases the ball over the rope with minimum fuss and a lack of warning about what is coming
Sambit Bal08-Jul-2019So you think the ball has come out all right, the way you visualised it in your run-up – not full enough to be driven, not short enough to cut or pull, not on the legs to be clipped way, not wide enough for the batsman to free his arms. At best he can bunt or dab it for a single, but the percentages favour it being a dot ball, and that’s what it looks like when you’re in your follow-through. The batsman hasn’t moved much, no intent at all, the bat is coming down straight – a pat down the wicket mostly, and you are thinking about your next ball.And Rohit Sharma has hit you for a six. Maybe over your head. Maybe over long-off. Maybe over extra cover. Wherever the mood has taken him. Ask Mustafizur Rahman. Ask Pat Cummins. Ask Dhananjaya de Silva. Left-arm wobbler, right-arm fast, offspinner – when Rohit chooses the moment, the ball travels. Minimum fuss, maximum impact. He doesn’t savage you, he chaperones you over the ropes in the manner of an aristocrat.At worst, it’s a masterful con job – he has deceived you into believing all is well, before extracting maximum value. At best, it’s a work of art, a wonder of wonders, and if you were as generous a soul and as besotted with the game as Bishan Bedi, you would follow the arc of the ball till it finished its descent, and turn back to applaud. You know you have played your part in something quite divine. It’s no humiliation, it’s a moment of grace.
There are more prolific and devastating six-hitters than Rohit in contemporary cricket. Chris Gayle monsters them from as stationary a post. Andre Russell muscles them more regularly in T20. Jonny Bairstow can swing them hard. Jos Buttler can hit them all around the ground. But no one can be as explosive as non-violently as Rohit Sharma. What is a bludgeon for most is a caress for him.There have been touch players who could clear the ropes with ease. Brian Lara did it with twinkling feet and a magic wand; Mark Waugh with rubber wrists; Sourav Ganguly with the gift of timing and by giving himself space. But even with those players, the effort was visible. They created momentum either with footwork or by cocking the wrists, or often with both, and there was always a forewarning. It’s impossible to remember a batsman hitting a six with as much stillness and as languidly as Rohit.ALSO READ: Rohit Sharma and the magic in his touchThe best driving is often an extension of a defensive shot, and it has been the hallmark of several great batsmen from India. Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar stroked past the bowler with little more than a push, and Virat Kohli often cover-drives without a hint of a follow-through, but Rohit extends this to casual six-hitting. The simple downswing of the bat and timing give the ball both elevation and distance. “Killing Me Softly with His Song” was perhaps composed in anticipation of his sixes.Effortlessness, however, hasn’t been the only theme of his record-breaking World Cup campaign. Five hundreds in eight innings don’t come with six-hitting alone. Restraint, in fact, has been the distinguishing feature of his campaign. Like in the past, he has built his innings steadily, but unlike in the past, he has chosen to grind through the middle overs and has been unruffled by tough phases or dropped catches. He was unable to take India over the line against England on a pitch that got progressively more sluggish, but he fought his way through excellent spells from the English quick bowlers.Rohit’s sixes win Nobel Peace prizes for gentleness•Getty ImagesThough it seems ages ago, his first hundred came against the toughest bowling India have encountered in this World Cup. On a pitch where the second-highest score was 42, he marshalled India’s tricky chase against South Africa as wickets fell steadily, with a determination and measured brilliance that set the tone of his campaign. Kagiso Rabada versus Virat Kohli was the anticipated battle, but Kohli ended up facing only five balls from Rabada before being dismissed by Andile Phehlukwayo, and it was Rohit who absorbed the full impact, facing 35 of Rabada’s 60 deliveries.The pitches were fresh and the weather heavy in that part of the tournament. Rabada harried Rohit with pace and skiddy bounce early on, and a miscued pull barely eluded a fielder. He was pinned on the pad, beaten past the outside edge, and even Chris Morris got a ball past him and had him fending over point. But Rohit battled through, and it was a six that turned the tide.ALSO READ: What I think about when I watch Kohli and RohitHe had just been beaten on a drive the previous ball, and Rabada followed it with a ball at the ribs. In his normal position, Rohit would have been cramped for space, and been able to, at best, fend it off for a single. But behind every genius stroke there is anticipation and instinct: in this instance, he moved a shade inside, just a shade, mind you, not by way of premeditation but with a touch of intuition, and it was not so much the feet that moved but the upper body – just enough for the arms to free up and for the bat to meet the ball on the upswing. He pivoted on the back foot to complete a pull that took the ball flat over square leg.In that moment you sensed the mood of the game change. Two fours came off the next four balls, one a defensive prod with an angled bat, and then a ferocious cut off the back foot behind point. Rabada would bowl one more over in that spell, but all through it he was perhaps replaying that one ball: just where did that stroke come from?Now, that is perhaps our imagination. Rabada has probably put it out of this mind. But in the mind of the viewer, the mellow warmth of a Rohit Sharma six always lingers.
Sunrisers Eastern Cape 204 for 3 (Stubbs 56*, Abell 55, Markram 42, Hermann 42) beat Durban’s Super Giants 112 (Mulder 38, Jansen 5-30) by 89 runsMarco Jansen led the line with an outstanding five-wicket haul, as Sunrisers Eastern Cape crushed Durban’s Super Giants by 89 runs to claim back-to-back SA20 titles in a formidable team performance at Newlands.After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, Sunrisers put a hefty total of 204 for 3 on the board, thanks to a forceful batting display built around two distinct partnerships – 90 from 52 balls between Jordan Hermann and Tom Abell, and then an unbroken 98 from 55 balls between Aiden Markram and Tristan Stubbs, who top-scored with 56 not out from 30 balls.By contrast, Durban’s innings never got any traction. After travelling down from Johannesburg in the morning following Friday’s Qualifier victory over Joburg Super Kings, their batters were caught cold in a feisty powerplay performance, led by Dan Worrall’s attacking seam and swing, and capped by Jansen’s towering left-arm angles.Their innings was rocked by the early loss of Quinton de Kock, who drove flat-footedly at Worrall and inside-edged onto his stumps for 3. He might have had two in two had Jansen not spilled JJ Smuts at slip first-ball, but Jansen made immediate amends, inducing Smuts into a chipped drive to mid-off from his second delivery, before Bhanuka Rajapaksa flapped a loose clip to the same fielder, Patrick Kruger, for a third-ball duck.At 7 for 3, the contest was already as good as over, and though Wiaan Mulder did his best to reboot Durban’s innings in a 56-run stand with a near-strokeless Matthew Breetzke, Jansen would once again be the man to strike for Sunrisers, this time in the field. Few other players could have reached Mulder’s swing for the ropes off Simon Harmer at the end of the tenth over, but he stretched over the boundary with his arms at full extension, to send Mulder on his way for 38.One ball later, Breetkze’s static knock of 18 from 27 balls ended as he lost his off stump to Ottniel Baartman, and in the same over, Baartman ended any faint hopes of Durban miracle. Heinrich Klaasen has been the outstanding ball-striker of the tournament, in rushing along to 447 runs at an extraordinary strike-rate of 207.90, but this time he lasted a solitary delivery, as Baartman landed his inswinger and extracted the on-field lbw from Stephen Harris, with the ball shown to be clipping leg.The end came in a rush. Jansen returned for his third over and plucked off Keshav Maharaj’s off stump, then ended any remaining resistance with two wickets from his final three balls. Junior Dala flicked him off his pads for a token six before picking out Harmer at long-on one ball later, before another off-stump heat-seeker dealt with Reece Topley to cue the celebrations.Durban’s display arguably went awry from the very first over of the match. They deviated from the plans that had proven so effective against Joburg Super Kings in the Qualifier, handing an opening over to the left-arm spinner Smuts that was milked for nine chanceless runs – two more than Sunrisers would concede in claiming their first three wickets. It set the tone for a passive display with the ball, even after Topley had struck with his fourth delivery in the second over, a plumb lbw against Dawid Malan (6).That brought Abell to the middle, and though he would finish with the Player-of-the-Match award, he led a charmed life for the first 14 balls of his innings. He was dropped on 6 in Topley’s second over then survived a potentially innings-turning moment from his very next ball, as Maharaj scooped up a low chance at mid-off, but signalled to the umpires that he was unsure if it had carried. That doubt potentially informed the subsequent TV referral, despite the replays suggesting that his fingers had been under the ball.Abell’s innings kicked up a gear as he turned to his favoured scoop shot, with a four and a six from consecutive Mulder deliveries, and with gaps suddenly appearing in the field, he rushed through to a 30-ball fifty with seven fours and two sixes inside the 10th over, with Sunrisers’ 100 coming up in the same over.Durban hit back in style, however, with Maharaj bagging both set batters in the space of four balls. Hermann holed out to Klaasen at long-on for 42 from 27 balls, before Abell was beaten in flight on the slog-sweep to be bowled for 55 from 34. That brought Stubbs and Markram together in the 11th over, with a bit of a rebuild required at 106 for 3.Each man picked off an early boundary but it was Stubbs who was the first to step up the tempo with back-to-back fours to end Dwayne Pretorius’ second over. After that it was over to Stubbs’ long levers, with three sixes in eight balls powering the total past 200. In the end, it would prove to be more than enough.
RCB’s overseas batters haven’t fired and they are up against a bowling attack with a superb powerplay and death-over record this season
Karthik Krishnaswamy05-Apr-20242:36
McClenaghan: Royals arguably have best bowling combination this IPL
Match detailsRajasthan Royals (RR) vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Jaipur, 7.30pm IST (2pm GMT)Big picture – RCB stars looking for spark New season, newish team name, same old problems. Four games into IPL 2024, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have just one win. The top quarter of their line-up is full of superstars, but most of them are yet to fire, which has put immense pressure on the not-quite-superstars who make up the rest of their batting. The bowling has been, well, RCB.Rajasthan Royals have a pair of not-quite-firing superstars too, right at the top of their line-up, but that hasn’t impacted their results so far, with their opening three games bringing them three wins. How good could the Royals be, then, if Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler begin scoring runs?Equally, though, it may take just one of Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Green to find form for RCB’s campaign to spark to life. It’s still early days in IPL 2024, and you only have to go back to last season to know that a good start is only a start. Royals began with four wins in their first five games, and RCB with two wins in five, but by the end of the league stage both teams had the same points and similar net run rates.There’s a long way to go, then, but RCB will know that a turnaround, if there is to be one, will need to begin soon.Form guideRoyals WWW (most recent match first) RCB LLWL1:59
Moody on Maxwell: ‘You need to allow the free spirit to be free’
Team news and Impact Player strategyRajasthan Royals Sandeep Sharma missed Royals’ last match, away in Mumbai, with a niggle. If he’s fit again, expect him to slot back, with Nandre Burger slipping back into the Impact Player rotation alongside the likes of Rovman Powell and Shubham Dube. Royals like to use their substitute depending on match situation rather than in a wholly toss-dependent way, and ideally like to have six full-time bowling options whenever possible.Likely XII 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Jos Buttler, 3 Sanju Samson (capt & wk), 4 Riyan Parag, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Dhruv Jurel, 7 R Ashwin, 8 Trent Boult, 9 Avesh Khan, 10 Sandeep Sharma, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal, 12 Royal Challengers Bangalore Since making an impressive 25-ball 48 in the season opener in Chennai, Anuj Rawat has scored 25 off 48 balls across his next three innings. There is a chance RCB might leave him out on Saturday and hand the keeping gloves back to Dinesh Karthik. It could allow them to start Mahipal Lomror instead of using him as an Impact Player, and give the middle-order batter Suyash Prabhudessai or the allrounder Manoj Bhandage a look-in. There could be a temptation to try and bring Will Jacks into the mix too, but RCB may find it hard to fit him in unless they leave out their big-money trade signing Cameron Green.Likely XII 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Faf du Plessis (capt), 3 Rajat Patidar, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Cameron Green, 6 , 7 Mahipal Lomror, 8 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 9 Mayank Dagar, 10 Reece Topley, 11 Mohammed Siraj, 12 Yash Dayal.In the spotlight: Shimron Hetmyer and Dinesh KarthikHe has one of the most specialised batting roles in the IPL, to the extent that R Ashwin routinely bats ahead of him if Royals feel the ideal entry point for their death-overs hitter hasn’t yet arrived. Consequently, IPL 2024 has seen very little of Shimron Hetmyer so far. He’s batted only twice in their first three games, and one of his innings was an unbeaten 14 off seven balls. And when Royals bring in a bowler as Impact sub, it’s usually Hetmyer who makes way. If he makes an appearance in his designated role on Saturday, he’ll be up against an RCB attack that has an economy rate of 11.30 in the death overs this season, while picking up just four wickets in that phase in four games.2:39
Jaffer: Green has to bat at No.3 and Rawat at 4
For RCB, Dinesh Karthik plays a similar role to Hetmyer, his entry point is often delayed so he can bat at the death. Royals are aware of this, and also of Karthik’s preference for batting against pace. Karthik is particularly averse to batting against legspin, and doesn’t have a great record against Yuzvendra Chahal. In all their IPL meetings, Chahal has bowled 51 balls to Karthik and conceded only 47 runs while dismissing him three times. Chahal is happy to bowl at the death, and Royals are happy to keep two of his overs for that phase whenever they’re up against RCB and Karthik. Chahal bowled the 17th and 19th overs in both meetings between these sides last season, picking up 2 for 11 in that mini-spell in Bengaluru, where he got to bowl to Karthik, and 0 for 22 in Jaipur, where he didn’t.Stats that matter RCB did the double over Royals in IPL 2023, beating them by seven runs in Bengaluru and walloping them by 112 runs in Jaipur, where Royals were bowled out for 59. Jaipur is the scene of one of Virat Kohli’s most jaw-dropping international innings, an unbeaten 52-ball 100 against Australia in a landmark ODI chase in 2013, but it hasn’t been a happy venue for him in the IPL. In eight innings here, he’s yet to score a half-century, and he averages 21.28 while striking at less than a run a ball. Of all venues where he’s batted at least eight times in the IPL, he has the worst average in Jaipur. Du Plessis, Maxwell and Green have scored 159 runs between them so far this season at an average of 13.25 and a strike rate of 119.5. Royals have by far the best death-overs economy rate (7.41) of any team in IPL 2024 so far, with Lucknow Super Giants a distant second best at 9.60. Royals also have the second-best powerplay economy rate (8.44) of all teams behind Chennai Super Kings (8.16), while taking more wickets (9) in that phase than any other team. Any Royals-RCB game is an opportunity to bring up Kohli vs Sandeep Sharma. In 15 IPL meetings, Kohli has scored 87 off 67 balls from Sandeep while being dismissed seven times. No bowler has dismissed Kohli as often, with Ashish Nehra in second place with six dismissals.Pitch and conditionsRoyals have won both their home games so far, batting first both times and defending totals of 193 and 185. The chasing team was in with a good chance in both games, so the Sawai Mansingh Stadium isn’t necessarily a bat-first ground, though the large outfield and relative lack of dew do tend to even things up for the team bowling second.
Matthew Mott has called for patience with England’s new-era white-ball team as a work in progress, stressing that they’ve only had three opportunities to play together.England succumbed to a four-wicket defeat in Barbados to lose their first series following a difficult World Cup campaign 2-1.A group which featured just four players to have played more than 10 ODIs, found themselves in strong positions in all three matches against a West Indies side going through a similar reboot having failed to qualify for the World Cup.However, a late-innings onslaught from Shai Hope and Romario Shepherd in the opening match saw England slip to a four-wicket defeat in Antigua, before losing by the same margin at the Kensington Oval after a top-order collapse gave England a total of just 188 to defend in a rain-reduced game.Related
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Matthew Forde, Keacy Carty shine as West Indies seal 2-1 series win
New-look England still working out the kinks
“We haven’t put a complete game together and that’s the frustration,” Mott, England’s head coach, said immediately after the defeat. “We put ourselves in a chance to win all three games and come away with a series loss, so that’s not ideal.”But there are definitely some really good signs there that there’s a group of players who love playing with each other. They’re some really good mates in there and I think it’ll really take the game forward.”In line for particular praise were Rehan Ahmed and Sam Curran. Rehan, described by Mott as a “revelation”, has been tasked with filling the almighty shoes of Adil Rashid and took five wickets across the series at an average of 23.40 and an economy of 4.33. On the other hand, Curran had a mixed series. In the opening ODI, he showed his class with the bat to save England’s innings from the perilous position of 239 for 7, before conceding the worst ever figures of an England player in ODIs as he was taken for 0 for 98.”Sam’s definitely a player that we really want to invest in,” Mott said, with Curran proving his qualities with the ball in the second match where his triple-strike in the powerplay put England ahead of the game. “He’s got a lot of qualities that we like and he’s got the game to really play well.”A point of pride for Mott was the fight England showed to almost steal an unlikely victory from the final ODI. Suffering from the natural disadvantage of bowling second in a rain-affected match, England were faced with greasy conditions that made it harder for their spinners to grip the ball and easier for the West Indies batters to play seam. But thanks to a Will Jacks-inspired performance with the ball, England reduced West Indies to 135 for 6, with 53 runs still required for victory.”I thought today we showed a lot of character and spirit to fight all day,” Mott said. “You don’t want to make excuses, but to hang in there as a team and show the fight that they did, throwing themselves around and nearly snatching one was something that we’re looking for.”After three months of almost exclusive ODI focus, England’s attention now turns to T20s, with the five-match series against West Indies starting on Tuesday in Barbados.”We’ve played really good T20 cricket over a period of time. It’s always good when you lose a series to change the format,” Mott said, also confirming that Jos Buttler will return to opening the batting after spending the New Zealand series in September lower down the order. “You move on pretty quickly. It’s only a couple of days, it won’t be that different. Obviously you’ve got a few new players coming in with experience. But it’s much of a muchness really.”There are five changes to England’s personnel in the Caribbean, with Chris Woakes, Rashid, Moeen Ali, Reece Topley and Tymal Mills joining the squad for the T20 leg. Ollie Pope, Zak Crawley, Matthew Potts, Tom Hartley and Brydon Carse will head home.”It’s probably easier transitioning back,” Mott said. “T20 is, particularly for the batting group, pretty clear, you go out and take the game on, there’s not a lot of dead balls. And from the bowling group, you’re trying to hit your variations as much as you can and deny them hitting opportunities. So I think we’ll be fine. We’ve got a couple of days to work on it and looking forward to it.”Also joining the England set-up is Andrew Flintoff, who will continue the first team mentoring role he took up in the summer as part of his first steps back into the public eye following his serious car crash whilst filming Top Gear.Flintoff, whose role is now paid, was part of the backroom staff for both the New Zealand white-ball series and the home ODIs against Ireland before he flew to Abu Dhabi along with Graeme Swann as part of the England Lions’ red-ball training camp. It has been a high-profile return to coaching for Flintoff, who has also been hired as Northern Superchargers head coach for the 2024 edition of The Hundred.
يدخل نانت الفرنسي مباراة على ملعبه في مواجهة أوكسير، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية من الدوري الفرنسي لكرة القدم.
ويستقبل ملعب “لابوجوار” ملعب نانت، مباراة الفريقين اليوم، ويطمح فريق المهاجم المصري مصطفى محمد لتحقيق أول انتصاراته في الدوري الفرنسي.
وكانت الفترة التحضيرية قبل انطلاق منافسات الدوري الفرنسي قد شهدت تألق المصري مصطفى محمد الذي يستهدف تسجيل أول أهدافه في الدوري الفرنسي مساء اليوم.
اقرأ أيضاً.. سوفا سوكر تكافئ مصطفى محمد رغم خسارة نانت ضد ستراسبورج
وقد أثار مصطفى محمد الكثير من التكهنات الصحفية حول مستقبله خلال الفترة الماضية، ولكن لويس كاسترو مدرب نانت يعطي له الثقة ويعتمد عليه بشكل أساسي مباراة تلو الأخرى.
﹅ Le XI de départ face à Auxerre. #OnEstNantes pic.twitter.com/dR6rZsEOIL — FC Nantes (@FCNantes) August 30, 2025
تشكيل نانت أمام أوكسير في الدوري الفرنسي
حراسة المرمى: لوبيز
خط الدفاع: أميان – أوازيم – تاتي – كوزا
خط الدفاع: كوكلين – ليبينانت – ليروكس
خط الهجوم: مصطفى محمد – جيراسي – بنحطاب
وكان نانت قد بدأ الموسم الحالي بتعرضه لهزيمتين متتاليتين، حيث خسر ضد باريس سان جيرمان في الجولة الأولى بهدف نظيف وفي الجولة الثانية ضد ستراسبورج بنفس النتيجة.
نجح فريق إنبي في تحقيق الفوز على الاتحاد السكندري بثلاثية دون مقابل، خلال المباراة التي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.
واستضاف الاتحاد السكندري فريق إنبي، على أرضية استاد الإسكندرية، في الجولة الخامسة من عمر المسابقة المحلية.
وسجل أحمد زكي هدف إنبي الأول في الدقيقة 33 من عمر الشوط الأول، بعد تمريرة من أحمد صبيحة قابلها بتسديدة داخل الشباك.
طالع أيضًا.. الزمالك: “المعزول” مرتضى منصور سبب أزمة أرض أكتوبر.. وستظل ملك النادي
وأضاف محمد شريف حتحوت الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 73، بعد تمريرة من أحمد إسماعيل داخل منطقة الجزاء إلى شريف الذي أسكن الكرة في الشباك.
وفي الدقيقة 84 أحرز محمد ناصر الهدف الثالث بعد تمريرة من رفيق كابو، ليسددها بقوة من داخل منطقة الجزاء.
بهذا الفوز، يحتل إنبي المركز الثالث في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري برصيد 8 نقاط، بينما يتواجد الاتحاد السكندري بالمركز الثامن عشر، ولديه 4 نقاط. أهداف مباراة إنبي والاتحاد السكندري اليوم في الدوري المصري
Sri Lanka 110 for 2 (Athapaththu 55) beat England 104 (Dean 34, Fernando 2-16, Dilhari 2-17) by eight wicketsChamari Athapaththu led from the front in a stunning allround display – first with the ball and then with a rampant 26-ball fifty – as Sri Lanka secured their maiden T20I victory over England in extraordinarily emphatic style: by eight wickets, and with a crushing 40 balls remaining, as Heather Knight’s new-look team were served a dramatic reality check, only two days after cruising to victory in the series opener at Hove.After winning her second toss of the series and choosing to bowl first, Athapaththu showed her team how it needed to be done by bowling the dangerous Danni Wyatt for 1 in her first over, and never let up in her leadership thereafter, as England were hustled out for 104 in 18 overs – a far cry from the 186 for 4 that they had posted in just 17 overs in Thursday’s opening fixture.Then, sensing a chance to crush England from the outset of the chase, Athapaththu climbed onto the offensive with the bat, cracking eight fours and two sixes with similarly positive support from Harshitha Samarawickrama, who sealed the contest with a massive swipe over midwicket to finish unbeaten on 30 from 35 balls.Chamari sets the powerplay toneSpeaking at the toss, Athapaththu insisted – with some justification as things turned out – there had been some “positives” to take from a one-sided series opener at Hove, but recognised that their bowling had to improve after England had romped along at close to two a ball on that occasion.And so the skipper herself added that burden to her already broadly laden shoulders, to set the tone for an astonishingly unrelentingly display. Despite one loose ball that Maia Bouchier carved for four, Athapaththu’s remit in the contest’s first over was to keep the stumps in play as much as possible, on a hybrid wicket that offered a touch of grip for her spinners, and in sunny afternoon conditions a world away from the dank misery of Hove.The gambit paid agenda-setting dividends with the sixth ball of Athapaththu’s over. A beautifully flighted offbreak lured Danni Wyatt on the drive, but a hint of dip and spin bowled her clean through the gate for 1. Suddenly a partnership that had realised 77 from 45 balls at Hove had been broken before it had begun, and that carefree youth that had so flourished in game one had a different scenario to counter.Inoshi in on the actionAlice Capsey had made a belligerent 51 from 27 on that occasion; here she was restricted to an anxious 3 from 9 as Inoshi Fernando followed her skipper’s lead in her first outing of the series. First, her tall offbreaks pinned Capsey to the crease for five consecutive dot-balls and a single, then she snapped the trap shut in the field one over later. Itching to break the shackles, Capsey lashed through the line at Sugandika Kumari and Fernando was almost blown off her feet at mid-off as she clung on well to a flat chance.Bouchier by this stage had connected well on another cuff through the covers, but Fernando’s impact was not done yet. The first ball of her second over was flapped in ungainly fashion straight to Kavisha Dilhari at extra cover, and Bouchier attempted to bend her bat around her helmet as she traipsed off for 12 from 10. Not only were England truly in the m(aia)ire at 21 for 3, but she’d missed a golden opportunity to rebuild a faltering innings, and seize the opportunity for seniority that she’s been handed in the absence of the likes of Tammy Beaumont and Nat Sciver-Brunt.Old guard falter tooInstead, England’s hopes were reinvested in a familiar pair of middle-order stalwarts. Heather Knight and Amy Jones saw out a powerplay that, at 32 for 3, realised less than half the 66 for 0 that Sri Lanka had been subjected to at Hove, but neither batter really exuded an air of permanence in an uncompromising match situation – least of all Jones, who so nearly holed out to backward point as an attempted reverse-sweep off Fernando fell inches short.On 10, Knight successfully over-turned an lbw decision after her attempted reverse-sweep was shown to have flicked her glove before crashing into the pad, but one over later, Jones’ scratchy stay was ended in the opposite fashion – Ranaweera trapped her on the back pad, and after Atapaththu’s last-ditch decision to review, the ball was shown to be thumping the top of leg stump.Jones was gone for a run-a-ball 12, and if 41 for 4 in the eighth over was a dicey scenario, England’s issues were only just beginning. Freya Kemp picked off two singles off two legal deliveries, only to be stumped off a wide in Dilhari’s next over, as she galloped out of her crease for Sanjeewani to gather well down the leg-side and beat her despairing dive, and all hopes of a competitive total ended when Knight spooned a back-foot punch back to Ranaweera. At 48 for 6, England were fully braced for ignominy.Maia Bouchier grimaces after falling in the second T20I at Chelmsford•ECB via Getty Images
Dean digs for double-figuresOnly Charlie Dean, last out for a feisty 34 from 26, found anything like the requisite blend of endurance and aggression, including three fours in a row off Ranaweera – two firm sweeps and a well-dispatched full toss.At the other end, however, the progression continued. Danielle Gibson opted for aggression without endurance, as she survived a slash through deep third that flew inches wide of the fielder, before scuffing a reverse-sweep straight into the lap of backward square.Sarah Glenn, sporting a new cap to mark her 50th T20I appearance, then snicked off fourth-ball to give Dilhari her second wicket. Though Issy Wong hung around long enough to endure England wouldn’t be setting their new record low total in a women’s T20I, when she lashed through a drive at Prabhodhani to be bowled for 13, the end was not long in coming.Cross, Wong bear powerplay bruntIf England thought their day had hit its nadir, Athapaththu had further indignities to deliver. She signalled her intention to keep the hammer down with a second-ball drive for four off Kate Cross, and even though Sanjeewani fell in Gibson’s subsequent over (after two no-balls had hinted at England’s anxieties), Sri Lanka’s captain was only just getting warmed up.Cross’s second over was utterly taken to the cleaners – 21 runs in total, compromising three blazed fours in a row and a simply vast flog over square leg, off the roof off the Felsted School Stand and into the garden of a bemused lady looking on from her balcony. After some similarly rough treatment at the back-end of the first T20I, Cross’s figures for the series now read 4.2-0-55-0 – a reminder perhaps why her impeccable lines have been overlooked in this format since 2019.Nothing, however, was quite as gruesome as the public pillorying that Wong would endure in her first international over of the summer. Her absence from the firing line has been a bit of an ongoing mystery in recent months, given the excitement that surrounded her all-round game last summer, but here was public evidence of a player at war with her own technique.Her first over of the match lasted for ten deliveries, the first four of which amounted to a tragicomedy in themselves – a huge front-foot no-ball that Harshitha Samarawickrama flicked off her pads for four, followed by a flick to deep square leg off that most of the crowd failed to realise was a free hit . Another leg-side no-ball followed, then another catch off the free hit – an astounding one as it happens, as Cross at mid-off snaffled the ball in her outstretched right hand.By the end of it all, Wong could only grin in self-effacement as Glenn jogged down to give her a consoling pat on the shoulder, and as Sri Lanka blazed towards their victory target with barely a shot out of place, it was something of a surprise to see her reintroduced with 13 runs still needed and little left to be gained. Three more drilled boundaries duly drew the scores level, leaving Harshitha to heave Cross into the pavilion for the winning six.Wong’s inclusion for this match had come at the expense of England’s new young thing, Mahika Gaur, and her struggles rather underlined the importance of Knight’s pre-series warning about the youth in this team. Expecting too much too soon is a dangerous thing.
Chelsea only played Brighton six days ago, losing 2-1 at the Amex Stadium in the FA Cup, leaving the Blues out of both domestic cup competitions now.
Despite having 57% possession, Enzo Maresca’s side only took seven shots in the game, creating zero “big chances”.
On the other hand, Brighton managed to create two “big chances” with only 43% possession, only taking six shots at goal throughout.
But, Chelsea now have a good chance to put things right, facing Brighton at the Amex Stadium again on Friday, this time in the Premier League, with the chance to secure their top-four spot for another week.
The latest Chelsea team news
Maresca confirmed in his press conference that Chelsea will be without Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu, with the former now “out until the international break”. The muscular injury was confirmed to be worse than was first feared, with a scan showing he would be out for six to eight weeks.
Guiu is also going to be out “for a little while”, in the words of the manager, with a hamstring issue. This leaves Christopher Nkunku as one of Chelsea’s main striker options in the absence of the pair, but the Italian also stated they will find “other solutions”.
Chelsea'sNicolasJacksonreacts after sustaining an injury
On a more positive note, Maresca confirmed Chelsea captain, Reece James, is fit and available to face Brighton after being rested against them in the cup six days ago, as was the plan according to the Italian.
Roméo Lavia, Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana all remain out, but it was revealed Fofana has started to work with the group again and could be available as soon as the next few weeks, but Maresca will be careful not to rush anything.
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Chelsea's Jackson, Guiu & Nkunku dilemma
Jackson and Guiu are the only two natural number nines Maresca has had at his disposal in the first-team, with the Senegal international scoring nine goals in 24 appearances this season, and the 18-year-old Spaniard netting six times in 13 appearances.
Marc Guiu
Their least natural fit in that position has proven to be Nkunku leading the line, which we saw against Brighton in the FA Cup to minimal effect.
Despite having a good goal-scoring record this season, scoring 13 goals in 31 appearances, Maresca has admitted himself the Frenchman isn’t a “proper” nine and is more of an attacking midfielder, who has different behaviours.
Goals
0.47
1.18
0.77
Assists
0.26
0.00
0.26
xG
0.59
N/A
0.78
Progressive Carries
2.12
N/A
1.57
Progressive Passes
1.40
N/A
2.35
Shots Total
3.26
3.92
2.97
Goals/Shot
0.14
0.30
0.22
Key Passes
1.30
1.25
1.76
Shot-Creating Actions
3.21
1.25
3.92
Aerial Duels Won
0.67
0.00
1.96
When comparing the underlying numbers of each forward this season, you can see how each one brings something slightly different to the table. Jackson provides an all-around profile, being able to progress play in the build-up, make runs in behind and also create for others.
Guiu, being a slightly more natural number nine build, is looking to do more of his work in the box, winning aerial duels (which doesn’t show up in the stats) and wanting to provide that finishing touch. With Nkunku being more of an attacking midfielder, wants to receive the ball deeper, get plenty of touches and be a big part of the game.
The Frenchman playing as the nine is still likely to be a solution for Maresca to use in these coming weeks, but it clearly isn’t the only one on his mind, and perhaps a slight tweak in positions between Nkunku and a certain other star could prove to be more fruitful.
Maresca's possible solution
Everyone already knows how good Cole Palmer is, Chelsea’s top scorer this season with 14 goals in 27 appearances. Earlier in the season, after scoring four goals against Brighton at Stamford Bridge, Theo Walcott praised the 22-year-old as a “gifted” talent, stating “he is going to be a Premier League legend”.
But, one option for Maresca could be to switch the positions of Palmer and Nkunku, with the Englishman playing as more of a “false nine” and the Frenchman being able to play off of him in tandem. This would the Englishman the freedom as a nine to drift around, picking up the ball and dragging central defenders with him everywhere he goes. This would open up spaces for others around him, one being Nkunku, but another being Noni Madueke, who would be a key ingredient to this recipe.
By setting the former Manchester City ace on the last line, his ability to drop into the half spaces, receive the ball slightly deeper and drag defenders with him, would allow Madueke to make runs inside from wide areas, attacking the space vacated between the central defenders which would allow Maresca to get more goal threat from his most direct winger this season.
vs Fulham (H)
12
8
vs Ipswich (A)
20
5
vs Crystal Palace (A)
15
1
vs Morecambe (H)
28
8
vs Bournemouth (H)
26
10
vs Wolves (H)
19
7
vs Man City (A)
10
4
vs West Ham (H)
22
3
vs Brighton (A)
7
1
When analysing Chelsea’s shot tallies over the past ten games, you can see the highest Premier League shot tallies (26 against Bournemouth and 22 against West Ham) both started with Madueke on the right, whereas two of the three lowest tallies (12 against Fulham and 7 against Brighton) both came with a wing pairing of Pedro Neto and Jadon Sancho.
Bringing that extra shot volume into the team in the absence of Jackson and the ability to run in behind will be key, which is why the trio of Palmer, Nkunku and Madueke could be the key for Maresca in this tough stint of the season coming up.
Chelsea must regret letting go of one of the "world's best" players for £0
This player has become one of the best in Europe after leaving Chelsea behind.