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Captain may believe his role in the side has changed, but Yasir will want to emphasise his importance hasn’t

Danyal Rasool07-Aug-2020Yasir Shah doesn’t do half-measures; anyone who watched him play in England in 2016 will know that.A match-winning ten-wicket haul at Lord’s was followed by arguably his worst career performance in Manchester, his match figures reading 66-6-263-1. If his numbers in the UAE, where he’s snared 113 wickets in a scarcely believable 17 Test matches, showcase the best of the legspinner, the other side of the coin is equally extreme. In the Southern Hemisphere, Yasir’s nine wickets have come at almost 96 apiece at an economy rate of 4.40.England is the one place where the jury was out on him, and he did himself few favours on Thursday. Brought on to replace Mohammad Abbas and Shaheen Afridi with all the pressure on the England batsmen, the legspinner couldn’t have asked for better circumstances to be asked to bowl. Far from being a stellar support act to the quicks, however, he was perhaps singularly responsible for frittering some of the momentum away, bowling much too short, far too quick, and proving way too expensive.It is one of those intoxicatingly captivating vagaries of cricket that Yasir walked off at the end of the second day having taking the prized wicket of Joe Root, while Mohammad Abbas and Afridi were empty handed after a sensational hour of bowling on the third morning. Even so, there were signs he wasn’t over the loss of form and confidence that had meant he was no longer viewed as an automatic selection. In seven overs, he conceded 38 runs, bowling at least eight long hops along the way.On Friday, however, his entry into the attack elevated the quality of the bowling, and as the wickets began to come, his confidence, so integral to his performances throughout his career, began to grow. He went through Jos Buttler’s defences with one that might be deemed natural variation, but Yasir felt he had outwitted him, and to a confidence cricketer, that made all the difference. The long hops were gone, the delivery stride was measured and deliberate, and the stock delivery nicely flighted.All the variations came out; the classical legspinner which reared up claimed Dom Bess, while Chris Woakes was undone by the slider. These were tricks Yasir wouldn’t have dared try the previous day, and when he holds back, he is a shadow of the cricketer Pakistan have shut their eyes and hung their hopes on for so many years.No one, as the cliché goes, becomes a poor bowler overnight, least of all a man who became the quickest to 200 Test wickets in history. The knowledge he suddenly had to prove his worth to the side may well have played a part in the added pressure on his shoulders; Pakistan’s spin bowling coach spoke about it in the press conference afterwards.”The most important thing is spinners need to have a strong temperament and understand your action,” Mushtaq Ahmed said. “Legspinners need to be mentally strong, and in the right head space.”You need to have repeatable actions to bowl good overs rather than good balls. We’re working with him on how to bowl in different circumstances using various strategies, and to ingrain these into his muscle memory. If you have variations, as Yasir does, and can also bowl good overs, I think you can challenge any batsman.”It’s hard to overstate how worried Yasir might have been for his future overnight. When Pakistan commemorated the first Test to be played in the country for a decade last year, he found there was no place for him in the eleven. He might have served them well in the UAE; indeed, might have been the most significant reason Pakistan went nine years without losing a Test series in the Emirates, but this was Pakistan. And in Pakistan, pace was primary, spin peripheral.He got his chance in the second Test two months later, but if anything, served to only vindicate the decision to leave him out the first time around, conceding 127 runs at four per over, with Haris Sohail outbowling him. After the Test against Bangladesh in February – his skipper, Azhar Ali, spoke pointedly about his “changing role in the side”.”When non-Asian opposition comes to Pakistan, we’ll see if we go a different direction with the surfaces but for now I think the fast bowlers have been given the task of leading,” Azhar said then. “Yasir, who has undoubtedly been a champion bowler for us and has proved how good he is, will begin to get those big wickets whenever the conditions are more favourable for him. This is a change for him, too.”It sounded more like a swansong than an endorsement. There was little Yasir could have done about Pakistan moving back home, but his performances of late outside the country hadn’t quite helped his case, either. In the last six Tests before the ongoing one, Yasir took six wickets at over 70 runs per dismissal; half of those were three Bangladeshi tailenders in a foregone conclusion in the fourth innings of the Test in February. In one three-Test series prior, he had managed 29 wickets. That, of course, was a UAE series.On Friday, Shadab Khan spilling a regulation catch was all that separated him from a first five-for since that productive series in the UAE against New Zealand in 2018. But for a man who no longer has the dustbowls of the UAE to fall back on, it’s unlikely to be any more than a minor irritation. His captain may believe his role in the side has changed, but Yasir will be keen to emphasise his importance to it has not.

Despite the 'friendly' designation for the USMNT-Canada match, there is much at stake for both sides

Not all friendlies are created equal. Most are experimental in nature, allowing coaches and players to try new things or make new statements. The purpose of a friendly match in international soccer is to look inward, learn things about your team, rather than beat down the opponent in front of you.

In some ways, Saturday's friendly against Canada falls into that category for the U.S. men's national team. It's a chance for players to prove themselves, for new systems to take hold.

Of course, in this case, it's also more than that. Much more.

Saturday's 4 p.m. match in Kansas City is one of the most storyline-driven friendlies in recent memory, for a variety of reasons. Chief among them? The looming arrival of Mauricio Pochettino, who has reportedly agreed to become the next USMNT, though there has not been an official announcement. Players are on high alert as the new regime begins to take over. Things are changing, and everyone is desperate to be on the right side of the change.

It's not just that, though; it's who is on the other side. The USMNT crashed out of the Copa America, failing to make it past the group stage on home soil. Canada, meanwhile, went all the way to the third-place game under American-born coach Jesse Marsch, who has made no secret about his frustrations with U.S. Soccer. A loss to a surging Canada would be a bad look, even for a USMNT group awaiting the finalization of the Pocehttino situation.

"It's always nice to see the guys,” USMNT leader Christian Pulisic said. “Obviously, some newer faces as well, which is always good. We're hungry, man. We want to get some good results here and fix that bad taste that we have from the Copa. We want to rebound well."

It isn't a must-win game. Few friendlies are, but it is a unique moment for the USMNT, who have plenty to prove on Saturday – and over the next 20+ months leading up to the World Cup.

"Canada had a pretty good run during the Copa America, and we had a pretty disappointing run, and that's pretty much where it's left for me," said USMNT interim coach Mikey Varas. "We know that we're showing up here with the objective of showing who we are. We're showing ourselves who we are, but we want to show everyone else who we are. That's all we've really been focused on."

Getty ImagesTreading water

The hope was that the USMNT would have a permanent coach in place in time for these two matches. It didn't happen that way. Legal wranglings at Chelsea have reportedly kept Pochettino away for the time being. For now, this is Varas' job.

And he has a tough one, too. Being an interim coach is never easy. It's especially difficult when facing an opponent such as Canada, who has played the USMNT well for years. Now, Canada has Marsch, who will also be desperate to prove a point.

Varas is without several key players. Weston McKennie and Antonee Robinson were left out of the squad. Tyler Adams and Tim Weah are injured. Gio Reyna was a late removal from the squad due to an injury of his own.

That leaves several newer faces fighting for spots. Kristoffer Lund and Caleb Wiley will look to prove themselves as Robinson's understudy. Johnny Cardoso is aiming to break up the "MMA" midfield. Rising star Cade Cowell has been given a new opportunity to prove himself out wide after being called in late to replace Reyna. This is a chance for the players to prove themselves.

And for the interim coach? It's a tough spot for Varas to be in, but one he obviously relishes.

"This is the honor of a lifetime for me," Varas said. "Any time you can represent your country, anyone who has gotten to represent the crest, it's not only the biggest honor of my life but it's a responsibility that I cherish."

His job in this camp is to generally keep things moving, laying the groundwork for Gregg Berhalter's successor. He'll be compared to the likes of Anthony Hudson and B.J. Callaghan, who did just that while also getting massive results in 2023.

Varas has laid out short and long-term goals. Long-term, he says the team needs to move forward, saying "We can't stand still."

Mid-term, he need to lay the groundwork for the next coach. He must do so tactically, as he says the USMNT will play a more high-pressing style this window. And he must do so individually, as well. Upon his arrival, Varas made sure to meet with each player to both introduce himself and set the standard for what was to come.

In the short term, though? It's to win the game and build back some of the goodwill lost this summer.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesPost-Copa hangover

There's a reason Varas is here to begin with. It's because the USMNT failed this summer. Miserably.

Berhalter paid for the Copa America disaster with his job, leading to a months-long search that should, hopefully, end soon. The fault didn't lie with Berhalter alone, though. The players are still here, and they still feel the sting of what happened.

"I think after the Copa ended, there was a mutual feeling within the dressing room of disappointment, but we knew that we had to put it to rest," star striker Folarin Balogun said. "We had to go away, reflect, and we've come back for this camp and we had the time to, as I said, reflect and speak together.

"We have two friendly games coming up, but as always, when we have the opportunity to wear this jersey, it's about putting a show on for our fans and giving it 100%, so we're not treating as friendlies. We want to make a statement and remind people."

It's an important reminder to send. The USMNT's stock is down after this summer, which saw them fail that they could go toe-to-toe with the elite. Making matters worse, it was one of their usual CONCACAF punching bags, Panama, that really sent the USMNT packing.

Saturday's game is against a much better team than Panama, but it's against another CONCACAF foe desperate to prove how good they are by winning games just like this.

GettyCanada on the rise

While the USMNT was flailing this summer, Canada thrived. Argentina were the only team to really beat them at the Copa, and Canada didn't go lightly. It was a big statement for their national team, who will now look to build into a World Cup they, too, are hosting.

Canada finished the Copa America in fourth place, with Uruguay winning a penalty kick shootout win in the third-place game. Getting that far, though, was a victory for Canada, who had spent the prior years of this cycle trying to recapture what made the 2022 World Cup qualifying run so special.

They famously finished atop the World Cup qualifying group, making it to their first World Cup in a generation. Not much went right thereafter but, in the wake of this summer's Copa America run, there's real reason for optimism around the Canada team.

"I've taken all those experiences [from Europe] and and created a new set of standards and demands for what I think this team can become," Marsch told GOAL. "I think that's the reason why we performed well in Copa America, right? They adapted. They learned. They could see that the information I'm giving them was helpful, and they were intelligent enough to and good enough and talented enough to apply it in all the right ways.

"So it gives me big hope for the future of what we're doing here."

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GettyMarsch looking for revenge?

While Pochettino's shadow looms over this match, so too does Marsch's. He was, at one point, a candidate for the U.S. job. It could be argued he was the right one. On Saturday, though, he'll be on the Canada sideline, not the USMNT's.

Marsch has spoken openly about that fact. He criticized U.S. Soccer's handling of the hiring process last summer, saying that he wasn't treated very well by the federation. This week, Marsch spoke to GOAL about the protracted hiring process, which he is stunned is still ongoing.

"It's been strange, right?" Marsch said to GOAL. "I don't think I've ever seen an appointment in world football, club or national team, where the speculation has been so deep, but the information about what's actually happened has been such a mystery.

"I've checked almost every day over the past month, like 'OK is he going to be the head coach [or not]?' Because I'm trying to prepare a team [to face the U.S.] and not knowing what to expect. So, it's been strange."

On Saturday, you can expect Marsch, more than anyone, to take things personally. He'll be ready for the game and a chance to not just prove his team's strength, but his own.

"I'll be juiced on match day," Marsch said. "I know a lot of players on the team [the U.S.]…I'll be excited and I know our team will be too. This is big, for us as a country. We respect the U.S. a lot but we're excited to test ourselves now."

With great sincerity thank you, Mikel, deeply, truly, this has been one hell of a ride. It may not have ended with Premier League title number four for Arsenal but this has been a campaign to be proud of.

The Gunners fought valiantly, aggressively right to the final whistle in a bid to secure the crown but Manchester City were too good for the north Londoners as the season reached its climax.

Truth be told, there is little more that Arsenal could have done to secure the title. Yes, they could have beaten Aston Villa a matter of weeks ago but then you could argue that, having lost the title by two points, drawing 0-0 at the Etihad also wasn't a great result.

But let us not nitpick, let us not look at the negative moments from a season which was so close to euphoric.

Arteta's men finished with 28 wins, their most in a single Premier League campaign and ended up with 89 points. That's a mammoth haul of points and gives them an immense platform to build upon heading into next season.

Barring some sort of collapse, the Gunners will be up there again, ready and waiting to test City's resolve. Will they prevail? Only time will tell. Either way, you can bet your bottom dollar that the club's head coach will be working his socks off to topple City.

So, on a day of sadness for the club, who did themselves justice and who didn't?

Arsenal's best player vs Everton

Arsenal just needed to win today and they duly did that, although it wasn't without some hard graft.

There is a reason Everton had one of the sternest defences in the league and they showed that at the Emirates on Sunday. Initially taking the lead via a deflected goal from Idrissa Gueye, it took until the stroke of half-time for Arsenal to equalise, firing home thanks to Takehiro Tomiyasu.

The hosts didn't score again until the dying embers, Kai Havertz tapping home from close range with minutes on the clock to seal a 2-1 victory.

The celebrations were muted, understandably so for a team that despite winning had lost out on the title.

Havertz was again right in the thick of things but it was captain fantastic, Martin Odegaard, who deserved all of the plaudits. Recently named in FFC's Team of the Season, the Norwegian was sublime against the Toffees and ended the campaign with two assists, taking his tally up to nine in all competitions this term.

He pulled the ball back delightfully for Tomiyasu's equaliser and then it was the midfield maestro who inadvertently rolled the ball into Havertz for his late winner.

Supplying seven key passes on Sunday, it was a vintage performance from the skipper, although not everyone in red and white was at the races.

Arsenal's biggest underperformer vs Everton

This wasn't a classic Arsenal performance, far from it in fact, but it did tell the story of the season in parts.

The Gunners carved out regular opportunities but struggled to find the back of the net, Odegaard at one point notably firing straight at Jordan Pickford from close range. Declan Rice had a glorious first-half opportunity too but it was their clutch man, the player for the big occasion who was rather anonymous; Leandro Trossard.

With Bukayo Saka missing out through injury, this was a chance for the Belgian to show why he could be the main man. Scorer of 17 goals in 2023/24, the second-best record at the club, means he certainly knows where the back of the net is. Sadly, his radar was off against Everton.

The 29-year-old was withdrawn on 78 minutes having done very little to trouble Sean Dyche's defence, awarded with a 5/10 match rating courtesy of GOAL's Matt O'Connor Simpson who wrote: 'Not his best afternoon. Barely involved early on and could not get the better of Coleman.'

Minutes played

78

Expected goals (xG)

0.02

Expected assists (xA)

0.13

Shots on target

0

Shots in total

1

Touches

45

Pass success

26/30 (87%)

Key passes

1

Crosses

0

Dribbles

0/1

Duels won

1/8

Possession lost

11x

That was reflected in the numbers. Trossard amassed just 45 touches, the second-fewest of any Arsenal starter and had only one shot, which was blocked.

Further registering one key pass, but no dribbles or accurate crosses, it compounded a poor day at the office for a player who throughout the run-in has been so consistent.

There is nothing to worry about long-term with the former Brighton man, Arsenal did still win after all, but he will no doubt be disappointed he couldn't do more to roar his side onto a title win.

Arsenal must axe "phenomenal" fan favourite who earns more than Trossard

Despite his hefty wages, the talented ace doesn’t have a future at the Emirates.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 14, 2024

Everton travel to face Arsenal at the Emirates this afternoon, looking to end the season on a high whilst potentially having a huge impact on the Premier League’s title race.

Sean Dyche and co are looking to make it five wins from their last six against Mikel Arteta’s side who are still in with a slim chance of claiming their first league title since 2003/04.

The Toffees will also hoping to make it two wins in a row, following on from last weekend’s 1-0 win against already relegated Sheffield United, with Abdoulaye Doucoure’s first goal in 2024 securing the win for the hosts.

If Everton are to pull off a shock and claim another three points in north London, Dyche will have to brutally drop one player from the starting eleven – with tomorrow potentially his last game for the club.

Why Seamus Coleman should be dropped against Arsenal

Experienced right-back Seamus Coleman has been an excellent servant during his time at Goodison Park, making 421 appearances since 2009, but unfortunately, injuries have caught up with the Irishman in recent years.

He’s only featured 11 times in the league this campaign, with his latest display coming against Chris Wilder’s side last Saturday.

His outing against the Blades was just his sixth Premier League start of the 23/24 season, but he failed to take advantage of the rare opportunity.

The 35-year-old featured for the whole 90 minutes, losing possession 19 times and winning just 37% of the duels that he contested during the victory.

Minutes played

90

Possession lost

19x

Duels won

3/8 (37%)

Fouls committed

2

Successful dribbles

0/3 (0%)

Crosses completed

1/2 (50%)

Coleman also committed two fouls and completed zero of his three attempted dribbles down Everton’s right-hand side, with the ageing full-back – who recently signed a new contract – looking past his best.

With his poor display, coupled with the much-improved quality of the opposition, Dyche must brutally drop the Irishman and replace him with one Toffees player who has excelled out of position so far this season.

The man to replace Coleman against Everton

Ben Godfrey has enjoyed a return to the side in recent months, after only making one appearance up until the middle of December.

However, all but two of his 15 Premier League appearances this season have come in an unnatural right-back position, with the 26-year-old unable to dislodge either James Tarkowski or Jarrad Branthwaite from the heart of Everton’s defence.

He’s taken to his new role exceptionally well, with his best display undeniably coming against Liverpool during the 2-0 win in the Merseyside derby.

Godfrey, who’s been dubbed as “immense” by boxer and Everton fan Tony Bellew, made six clearances and five interceptions, whilst winning two tackles – preserving the Toffees’ clean sheet in a pivotal match for the club.

His pace is key when coming up against quick wingers and with Arsenal possessing rapid players such as Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, the 26-year-old’s acceleration and tackling ability are potentially able to nullify the Gunners’ attacking threat down the left-hand side.

It may seem a brutal call to bench Coleman, but Dyche must hand the Englishman another opportunity to prove himself ahead of next season.

Dyche could send Coleman packing by unleashing Everton's teen sensation

The 35-year-old is out of contract at the end of the campaign.

ByEthan Lamb May 17, 2024

23-year-old allrounder falls short of maiden ton after Bairstow manages only five

Paul Edwards at Trent Bridge08-Aug-2020
Jonny Bairstow’s is sometimes so well-concealed that only someone whose eyesight has been sharpened in Barnard Castle can detect it. Nonetheless, even Yorkshire’s sometimes stony-faced wicketkeeper might allow himself a wry smile at the ironies of this game. For one thing, the day on which he had been expected to prove his case for an England recall was instead dominated by one of his country’s finer Test wins, a victory in which Jos Buttler, his rival for the gloves, made 75.And what was even more piquant, any attention paid to Bairstow’s 22-ball five against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge was quickly overshadowed by Jordan Thompson, a 23-year-old from Leeds, who fell two runs short of his maiden first-class century, yet was still responsible for Yorkshire making what seems a competitive 264 on the opening day of their Bob Willis Trophy match. Moreover, any satisfaction Steve Patterson felt near the end of the day’s play was increased when the skipper induced Chris Nash to play on in the final over of the evening session.Instead of the scarred battlefield it normally resembles by early August, Trent Bridge’s square is still largely untrampled lawn but Nottinghamshire still chose to play this game on the pitch they used when losing to Derbyshire by three wickets in a classic four-day match on Tuesday. This was not, as some thought, an attempt to imitate tight Yorkshiremen – “we’re not made of bloody pitches tha’ knows” – but rather, one imagines, an attempt to provide the most suitable surface for Samit Patel and Matt Carter, the two specialist spinners they had selected. Such a strategy would have been further justified by Steven Mullaney winning the toss, something he failed to do. So that, we reckoned, in the manner of Dr Bickleigh in “put paid to their little game”.Nottinghamshire’s side, though, is packed with ambitious cricketers who are hurting after that defeat to Derbyshire on Tuesday and their response to bowling first was to take four wickets in the first session. Not just any wickets either, to use a categorisation the Headingley coaches probably despise, but those of three Test batsmen and an England Lion. The most notable dismissal was that of Bairstow, who returned to four-day cricket with the intention of proving why he should be in the England side but instead showed why he isn’t.Bairstow strode to the wicket in the third over after Adam Lyth’s attempted nudge to leg off Jake Ball had resulted only in his lbw. And then, with more than a few lenses focused upon him… nothing much happened. Bairstow let most of his first 17 balls from Ball and Zak Chappell go by, sometimes investing even that behaviour with a trace of contempt, before cover-driving his 18th for four. Next over, though, Chappell had his man when Bairstow cut a steeply bouncing delivery head-high to Patel. It was a stroke he didn’t need to play and, more culpably, one he couldn’t control.The dismissal prompted much rejoicing among Mullaney’s men and not only because they had removed Bairstow at a cost of five runs. Poor Chappell played six games in three formats for Nottinghamshire’s first team last season without taking a single wicket. Six balls later he had two in 2020 when Dawid Malan flirted with one outside the off stump and edged a catch to Tom Moores. And the home side’s joyous morning was completed half an hour before lunch when Tom Kohler-Cadmore tried to sweep Carter’s offspin but only lobbed a catch off the glove to Mullaney at slip.Yet while international batsmen of various descriptions had been coming and going, Harry Brook was playing with quiet assurance, reinforcing the fine impression made by his innings of 41 and 66 not out at the Riverside in Yorkshire’s previous match. Unbeaten on just five at lunch, Brook hit Chappell for five fours in two overs after lunch, twice pulling him to leg with pleasing violence and straight driving him to the pavilion, a shot for the aesthetes. Mullaney’s response to this assault was to put his trust in spin and 36 of the 63 overs bowled by tea had been delivered by the twirlers.It worked for the Nottinghamshire skipper, too, although not in the way he had envisaged. Jonny Tattersall’s dismissal, lbw to Patel for 31 when sweeping, was conventional enough but Nash’s delight was surely mixed with incredulity when he gated Brook with the first ball of one of those faintly jocular pre-tea overs that can be trusted to either to spinners or occasional bowlers. Nash, of course, is both – this was his fourth wicket in five seasons – and he was even given five more overs after tea until Mullaney decided, rather in the manner of Mr Bennet, that he had entertained everybody long enough.In that time the off-spinner had dismissed Patterson for 11 but also seen Thompson reach his fifty with successive slashed fours through the slips off Chappell. Though we didn’t know it, the fun was still to come.Both Duanne Olivier and Jack Shutt were leg before to the frontline Nottinghamshire twirlers very cheaply and Yorkshire were 232 for 9 when Dominic Leech walked out to play his maiden first-class innings. Realising this was no time for nudged singles the left-handed Thompson twice launched Patel high in the direction of West Bridgford and levied a couple of other boundaries in the same over.Ball replaced Patel and Thompson clipped the England bowler off his hip for a third six, which was followed a few balls later by the mightiest clump of the lot. Now there was some point in a bit of push and run – Leech was defending competently – but the young man tried to reach the landmark in the grand manner… and edged Nash to Mullaney at slip. No doubt Bairstow enjoyed the chutzpah behind the stroke. No doubt he congratulated his young colleague. As ever, tomorrow awaits. There will be more opportunities.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has vented his fury at more fixture congestion as his side prepare to play two games in two days.

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Coach angry about Carabao Cup schedulingCity play Watford two days after Arsenal'When you're fresh it's much better'WHAT HAPPENED?

City have been obliged to play their Carabao Cup tie with Watford on Tuesday September 24, just two days after their crucial Premier League game against Arsenal on September 22.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Guardiola has been critical of the scheduling of matches within three days of each other and said the concerns over player welfare were being ignored. Last season he complained to Gary Lineker live on television about the fact that City's FA Cup semi-final tie with Chelsea was played on a Saturday, just three days after their Champions League quarter-final second leg with Real Madrid. Manchester United's semi-final with Coventry was played on the Sunday despite the Red Devils not being in European action the previous week.

WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

Guardiola said: "We played the Wednesday against Real Madrid in the quarter final with extra time, so why did we play Saturday not Sunday? The broadcasters said no because it was more audience, there was more ratings, no it was completely the opposite. United with the Championship team that did amazing, Coventry, had more audience so if the game is good people will watch it. Why could we not play Sunday? This is difficult for me to understand. They said, the broadcasters, ah we have to defend our product. I said this is not a product. This is my club. These are my players. That is why we were unhappy."

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'ABSOLUTELY DESTROYED'

The coach added: "We were absolutely destroyed [vs Chelsea]. I said before the game: 'You are sad and you are tired', and they said: 'Yeah'. We're not going to change that feeling. We were not able to go through against Real Madrid. So we were disappointed. You need need time to process that defeat. But then we played against Chelsea. Why not give me one more day? Why not? That is why I said next season it will happen the same. When they decide they will not think about it. But it is what it is."

Aston Villa's top-four finish in the Premier League has opened up a new world of possibilities for Unai Emery and his squad, who will now seek to consolidate their exciting new position among Europe's elite.

Entering this brave new world has its caveats and it has its setbacks, with the Villans likely needing to trim some superfluous parts to stay in line with the ever-imposing PSR rules.

Diego Carlos and Jacob Ramsey have recently been linked with moves away, the former due to his £100k-per-week salary and 2023/24 struggles and Villa's boyhood star due to growing interest in his signature – Liverpool are among the contenders – and his homegrown status, which would bring a pure-profit recoup for V Sports.

But hang on, you cry. Villa have just qualified for the Champions League, transcending the hopes and dreams of the staunch support after club talisman Jack Grealish was sold to Manchester City in a £100m transfer in 2021, his sale preceding managerial dismissals of Dean Smith and Steven Gerrard.

This is the tortuous road that football now travels down. Aston Villa might need to juggle a few pieces, but they can certainly move for new players, with one currently lined up.

Villa lining up exciting winger

According to Spanish publications AS and Grada1 – via Sport Witness – Villa have registered an interest in Girona's Viktor Tsygankov, who has been valued at €28m (£24m) by the La Liga high-fliers after growing interest in his services.

Emery's side faces competition, however, with Premier League rivals West Ham United and Wolverhampton also eyeing up the 26-year-old, with the outfits ready to launch official proposals for his signature.

Tsygankov will compete for Ukraine at the 2024 European Championship and will likely settle his future after his nation's campaign, and Villa will be ready.

Viktor Tsygankov's season in numbers

Tsygankov signed for Girona in January 2023, joining from Dynamo Kyiv in his homeland for a bargain fee of €5m (£4m), having scored 94 goals and added 64 assists across 234 matches for the Ukrainian outfit after graduating from their youth academy.

He enjoyed a fruitful start to life in Spain after posting three goals and six assists from 19 matches in the Spanish top flight across the second half of last term, influential in helping the Whites and Reds toward a tenth-place finish in their first year back from a three-year struggle in the Segunda Division.

After joining the City Football Group in 2017, Girona have soared beyond the wildest dreams of supporters, revelling in the glow of financial investment but booming through Michel and Quique Carcel's tidy manager-sporting director relationship that has overseen sharp recruitment translated to on-pitch performance.

Tsygankov is not the most prolific of players, clinching six goals and six assists apiece across 29 La Liga matches this season, though he has also created 11 big chances, completed 83% of his passes and averaged 1.1 key passes, one tackle and 3.5 ball recoveries per game, as per Sofascore, showcasing his athletic prowess and commitment levels.

It's this calibre of performance that has led journalist Ben Mattinson to hail him as a “seriously talented” player just waiting for the big move to propel him to the top of the game – though, in fairness, he's already starring in a team that has defied the odds to clinch Champions League football.

But why are Emery and Villa's President of Football Operations Monchi seeking to strengthen with this particular signing?

Why Villa are interested in Viktor Tsygankov

Given that Leon Bailey has shouldered a heavy burden down the right flank at Villa Park this season and the versatile Nicolo Zaniolo is set to depart following the conclusion of his loan spell, moving for Tsygankov could be a very shrewd move to strengthen the squad.

Monchi has already demonstrated that he is not going to fall foul to the temptations of splurging on big names purely for the sake of rubber-stamping the newfound position of prominence. This has already been proven through the pursuit of Ross Barkley, with the former loanee closing on a return to the Midlands after an excellent year with Luton Town.

Tsygankov would mark another piece of business that could initially go under the radar while growing to win over the Villan faithful, with his creativity and agility offering an extra dimension to a multi-faceted team.

One of the principal strengths that would be found in signing Tsygankov would be the inevitable partnership with Ollie Watkins, who has enjoyed a first-class campaign as the Villa spearhead, winning the side's Player of the Season and bagging 27 goals in all competitions, also adding 13 assists.

1.

Cole Palmer

34

22

11

33

2.

Ollie Watkins

37

19

13

32

2.

Erling Haaland

31

27

5

32

4.

Mohamed Salah

32

18

10

28

6.

Heung-min Son

35

17

10

27

6.

Phil Foden

35

19

8

27

It's incredible that Watkins finished joint-second in the Premier League's most goals and assists this season, especially given the level of competition he was up against and the fact that the season before, the England international yielded 21 contributions from 37 games, finishing tenth in that ranking.

His dynamism and ability to switch up his direct threat and creative flair has led The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell to hail him as "virtually unplayable", and by providing him with a new partner in Tsygankov, there's no telling how productive he might be next term.

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This would be a move to consolidate Villa Park’s position in the Champions League.

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Bailey created 12 big chances in the Premier League while averaging 1.5 key passes per game, so Tsygankov definitely produces adequate numbers to succeed, slotting right into Emery's system.

Now, efforts simply have to be made to bypass the competition and bring the Ukraine star to Villa Park.

Bayern Munich players are reportedly "surprised" by new boss Vincent Kompany's methods despite a bright start to the season.

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Kompany accused of a lack of communicationSquad selection seems perplexing to many seniorsPlayers want more clarity from the managerWHAT HAPPENED?

The Bavarians have made a perfect start to their campaign and their latest thumping 9-2 victory over Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League indicates that the team is heading in the right direction. Despite the positive start, it seems that trouble is brewing inside the Allianz Arena dressing room.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

According to several Bayern players have raised concerns about the lack of clarity in Kompany’s decisions on the lineup, with some feeling that the 38-year-old coach's communication style leaves much to be desired. It is reported that Kompany informed the matchday lineup via WhatsApp, just one day before their Bundesliga fixture against Holstein Kiel, which ended in a 6-1 victory for Bayern. While the result was positive, how players were informed about their playing status reportedly left some feeling unsettled.

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Several key figures like Aleksandar Pavlovic, Mathys Tel, and Michael Olise, who had all played key roles in the previous 2-0 victory against SC Freiburg, found themselves starting on the bench with Sacha Boey, Joao Palhinha, and Kingsley Coman brought into the lineup. What made Kompany’s choices even more surprising was his decision to leave out seasoned stars like Thomas Muller, Leroy Sane, and Alphonso Davies from the starting XI. Whereas, Leon Goretzka was not even included in the matchday squad for the game.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN MUNICH?

It is common for managers to rotate squads in the early part of the season to keep players fresh, but the abruptness and uncertainty surrounding the selections have caused unrest. Bayern do have a deep squad and intense competition for places, but even seasoned professionals are used to a more transparent approach when it comes to lineup decisions. Their next test comes in the Bundesliga on Saturday when they face Werder Bremen.

Four-wicket win all but secures top spot for quarter-finals as Glamorgan face early exit

ECB Reporters Network03-Sep-2020Northamptonshire 161 for 6 (Wakely 36*) beat Glamorgan 160 for 7 (Buck 4-29) by four wicketsNathan Buck’s productive season continued as his 4 for 29 led Northamptonshire to a fourth-straight Vitality Blast victory with a four-wicket win over Glamorgan at Edgbaston.His spell helped hold Glamorgan to 160 for 7, a total that never seemed enough, but Northamptonshire couldn’t find a significant innings to kill the chase and only won with four balls to spare thanks to Alex Wakely’s unbeaten 36 from 29 balls.Having been cruising, Northamptonshire needed 19 from the final two overs before Graeme White struck Graham Wagg over point and then cover for four – but both White and Wakely survived missed chances. Wakely then powered Marchant de Lange down the ground for four first ball of the final over.It kept Northamptonshire in pole position for a quarter-final with the best record in the competition while Glamorgan were already staring at another disappointing campaign.Given the carnage that had ensued in the previous two matches on Edgbaston’s hybrid pitch with a hideously short boundary towards the Priory and Raglan stands – the first innings of both previous matches had yielded 386 runs in 34 overs – Buck’s figures from his four overs were miraculous.But he has made noticeable improvements in this shortened summer and, after a double-wicket maiden helped his side to victory on Monday, again was effective with a number of deceptive change-ups and an excellent yorker.Glamorgan were actually well placed in the at 95 for 1 in the 12th over before Buck returned for his second over. He had Nick Selman caught at deep square before taking out the visitors chief threat, Andrew Balbirnie, with a pinpoint quick yorker.Balbirnie made 58 in 38 balls – passing the ninth T20 half-century of his career in 33 deliveries – but his wicket left Glamorgan short of firepower in the closing overs.Buck also had Owen Morgan caught at short-third man and Graham Wagg taken by the third, and most spectacular, of Saif Zaib’s catches.Zaib took Wagg with one hand on the edge of the long-on boundary, threw the ball up as he tumbled over the rope and calmly stepped back into play to complete the catch.His second catch – to remove Callum Taylor off Graeme White for 2 – was also impressive as he ran and dived to his left from deep midwicket.Glamorgan failed to take advantage of the short boundary and struck only five sixes. Selman’s 35 off 32 balls was pedestrian given the circumstances. Dan Douthwaite, who slugged two fours and two sixes in making 23 from 13 deliveries, was the only other batsman to put Northamptonshire under pressure.By contrast, Northamptonshire struck four sixes within 21 balls of the reply. But neither Richard Levi – who pulled de Lange to deep midwicket for 28 – nor Paul Stirling – caught at deep square two balls later for 22 – could kill the chase. And when Josh Cobb fell lbw pulling at Prem Sisodiya for only 14, none of Northamptonshire’s power hitters had done too much damage.Wakely and Ricardo Vasconcelos, with 25 in 23 balls, steered the chase calmly and 37 were needed from 30 balls. But Callum Taylor struck first ball of his spell to remove Vasconcelos and then took Zaib caught and bowled to build the pressure only for White and Wakely to finish the job.Victory for Northamptonshire was a fitting tribute to David Capel, their former allrounder and head coach who died on Wednesday aged 57. The players wore black armbands in his memory.

Will be done without input from CSA’s Members Council, after a meeting between the two did not go ahead

Firdose Moonda11-Sep-2020The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) hopes to appoint a task team to investigate Cricket South Africa’s administrative and financial affairs in the next two days but is preparing to do so without input from CSA’s Members Council.The SASCOC had hoped to meet with the Members Council – the body, comprising the 14 provincial presidents, is the highest decision-making authority in CSA – at 10am on Friday morning. But CSA’s overnight statement disagreeing with the SASCOC’s instruction for the board and the executive to step aside meant the meeting did not happen, leaving the SASCOC “very, very, disappointed” in CSA’s stance.”It is unfortunate they didn’t meet with us,” Ravi Govender, the SASCOC’s acting CEO, told ESPNcricinfo. “It was disappointing that they issued a statement without us having the opportunity to address to them. The SASCOC board takes a dim view that CSA has taken a position without engaging us.”

Goodness me! What’s happening to cricket in SA is catastrophic.

I feel so sorry for the many amazing people that work in that organisation and to all the players that are suffering at the hands of this disaster!

Sport unites SA! This horror show is finishing cricket!

— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) September 11, 2020

The SASCOC is a legislatively created umbrella body under which all South Africa’s sporting federations operate and regards its main business to be to “promote and develop high-performance sport”, as it states in its constitution. Currently, it is operating with an acting CEO and acting president as a result of delayed elections.ALSO READ: ICC likely to approach CSA for clarification on crisisThe SASCOC and CSA have had one meeting prior to the SASCOC’s letter to CSA’s Members Council last night and had a second meeting planned, which failed to take place because CSA did not make the forensic report that was used to dismiss former CEO Thabang Moroe available to the SASCOC. The report has not been made public, neither is it freely available to be seen by the Members Council, who have had to sign non-disclosure agreements to view the documents. The SASCOC has since been asked to do the same, which Govender called “ludicrous”. The SASCOC believes the nature and scope of the report mean it must be made available in order for it to fully understand the governance issues at CSA.Asked if the SASCOC was concerned that its intervention could be viewed as interference that breaches the ICC’s Code of Conduct and thereby puts CSA at risk of sanction, Govender was confident that it does not. “We have not put CSA under administration,” he said. “We are going to keep the ICC informed and we are going to share information with them. We are not calling for the suspension of CSA. We are looking into the governance issues relating to the problems.”That means as of Friday morning, CSA is continuing to run “business as usual” according to a spokesperson but that may change over the weekend. However, CSA has had the opportunity to influence who controls cricket over the course of the SASCOC inquiry but now faces the risk of being run by people outside of the game. “That is why we wrote to the Members Council – because we believed it was proper and appropriate to engage with them,” Govender said.