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Former fast bowler on West Indies’ failure to qualify for the 2023 World Cup, and its potential impact on players, fans, and the sport in the Caribbean

Raunak Kapoor02-Jul-20233:10

Ian Bishop: ‘The warning signs have been there since 2018’

As someone who grew up watching an era of West Indies cricket that you did, then going on to play for them with pride, and having since followed them in recent years, what are your emotions on the team not making it to a World Cup?
It is a difficult day, and difficult to sum up. To not have West Indies as part of the World Cup is, to me, unimaginable. I can echo the sentiments of many fans and West Indian supporters, of whom there are still many.Coming at the back of the 2021 T20 World Cup disappointment, and then not making it into the main round of the 2022 T20 World Cup, it is a stifling reality of where the [West Indies] cricket is at the moment. Not just being with the Associate nations, but that some of those nations are beating you quite convincingly. So there’s a lot of work to be done almost immediately, because the talent level, which I know there is, deserves better representation, or certainly a bigger need to express itself.Related

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The results from the recent ICC events you speak of, do they give you the feeling that something like this was on the cards? That this was always a possibility? And does that make you feel like this slide could have been arrested sooner?
Yes, it has been a gradual decline. I’ve always said this pre-dates this group of players. We haven’t played consistently good ODI cricket against the top nations for perhaps a decade now. The T20 team, after having been two-time champions, they have slid. So like big corporations who were at one time at the peak of their powers, and then through, I suppose, a lack of vision or whatever you want to call it, they disappeared off the business scene, [and that is what has happened] for West Indies cricket, two-time world champions, who popularised the field for ODI cricket.I know there has been some introspection that has been taking place in the Caribbean. But what this does is, it says that we are at a few seconds to 12, and we need all hands on board to get the representation back to where it needs to be.Dejected West Indies players leave the field after their loss against Scotland•ICC via Getty ImagesWill all hands be able to come together to face the big challenge that faces West Indies cricket at the moment? The Shimron Hetmyer situation is one that no one seems to have benefitted from. And it’s not as much about Hetmyer alone as it is about the feeling among fans. Are the West Indian players motivated enough to play for West Indies?
I think some guys are. Obviously you are going to have a few guys [who are not]. And the cricketing landscape is very difficult right now with all the franchise tournaments coming into play. So there’s always going to be that draw and pull of your resources. And so that is a challenge that is set forth, it is not an easy one. I don’t have all the answers. You need to be more specific, as I have said before, with talent identification, procurement and development. Because that is a challenge of the landscape.I still see young talents coming through, like Jayden Seales, Alick Athanaze is another, a kid named [Kevin] Wickham just to name a few. But how you expedite their development and keep hold of them is the challenge. And again I will say there have been efforts to make better pitches, better infrastructure, but it just really tells us that these things need to be hastened.When you talk to young West Indies players and cricket fans, do you sense that there is a deep understanding or appreciation of what the West Indies and their cricketing history is, which I’m sure was so deeply motivating for you? The emotions that brought this multi-national cricket team to play together, do you believe those are still there with the next set of players and young fans?
I think it is a different time. What motivated Sir Vivian Richards and Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes and Clive Lloyd, globalisation has sort of dissipated that. So the motivations are now different, and I accept that. If it is more financial and economic, then we have to ride with that time and provide experiences and platforms where the players gravitate towards that.I wouldn’t say that the pull that was evident for the players of the ’60s and ’70s should be the same in the 2000s. So we have to identify what the myriad desires are and they will be different for each player and just work with those desires, because there is still, as I speak to players, a desire to play for West Indies, but there are not as many of that calibre as there may have been in times past.

“I still see young talents coming through, like Jayden Seales, Alick Athanaze is another, a kid named [Kevin] Wickham just to name a few. But how you expedite their development and keep hold of them is the challenge”Ian Bishop

It’s not an easy job, administration in West Indies cricket. Are there any specific suggestions you would want to give to the people managing the game in the Caribbean to now try and build a path forward?
There are many things and again I am not going to pretend to sit here and say that I have all the answers. It is always going to be a challenge with so many disparate nations and constituents trying to evolve their own base. But what we have witnessed and have been witnessing over the last decade, or two decades, is that the fractionising of these goals is not working. Other teams have got better. The Associates have got so much better, and they don’t fear, certainly, teams like West Indies anymore.So how do we come together and create better coaching, coaching tutors? How do we create an even more professional franchise system in the Caribbean, whether T20 or red-ball cricket, and have everyone pulling in the same direction? That is something I cannot answer. But we need to, because I do not see going it alone, as some people say in the Caribbean for Trinidad or Jamaica to go alone, [will work]. To me, that is not a relevant idea.We have changed captains and coaches. We now have to give support and time to the incumbents and make sure we give them the support staff. Zimbabwe, in this tournament for example, have done it with minimal playing resources, so why can’t West Indies if they concentrate on their pool?So in Shai Hope and Daren Sammy, both relatively new in their roles, do you believe backing them is the right thing to do, because there would be reactions to this result?
Well, you have to because it is systemic. It’s not just about the incumbents right now. We have changed it from Phil Simmons, Ottis Gibson, coach X, captain X, and while the results have not been this desperate, we saw a gradual decline. So once you have identified those guys and put them in place, give them as much support but you are holding them accountable. And just to be fair again, this slide has not just begun. This has taken decades and a couple of generations to get to this point. So all of us, who have had past associations with West Indies cricket, have to introspect and ask ourselves, “What could we have done better and what can we do now?”Can Daren Sammy revive West Indies cricket?•Getty ImagesIs there a feeling that perhaps it had to get worse before it got better, and maybe this is a rude wake-up call for players, or everyone else in West Indies cricket, to miss out on a World Cup? Could that trigger the right reactions?
Being away from the tournament now, you would hope that is the case, but I do not believe it had to get to this point for it to rectify. West Indies barely qualified out of the 2018 qualifiers. So that was a warning sign then, and there were four years in between to try to rectify that and it hasn’t happened. So more synergy in the infrastructure and the structure is required.I think once you have identified who the right people are, you have to give them at least a medium term, a length of time to allow them to make an impact. Short-term changes don’t help in any shape or form, but there is still hope there for me. I still keep hoping. I see some of the talent on the ground. I know their desire to do well. It is all now about how we procure that. I don’t think it is rocket science.Is there anything you would like to say to the past players of West Indies, the greats who I am sure will all have plenty to say at this point? Do they have a role in helping this team that is hurting right now?
We all have a role to help in whatever sphere or activity, including myself. In whatever impact we can have talking to current players, developing young players. I won’t pretend to be able to articulate how past players who have helped to build this house feel right now. I know fans are angry, they are coming at me as if I run the show. But I accept their feelings.And I just hope that we can build from here. They say it’s only cricket. But cricket has a significant impact on Caribbean identity around the world. So it is as serious as that. It is not education, it is not healthcare, but it has a role, and we really need to have an impact to get it right.Finally the fans, is there something you would like to say to put into perspective the emotions of the fans, given at this point they would be hurting from this result and at the same time, the concern that the absence from a World Cup might affect the popularity of the ODI format, if not T20I and Test cricket, in the West Indies?
The Test team in the Caribbean has sort of been holding its own, particularly at home, so that should give hope. But I understand from a fans’ point of view, whether they are West Indian fans in the Caribbean or beyond the borders in India, Pakistan, England, Australia. I understand the sentiments. They are hurt. All I can do is promise that in my little sphere of impact I will do my best and I am sure there are some good people working on the inside who are trying to find the right way to rectify this, so if I may be able to speak on behalf of them, we try to give the players all they need to succeed.Not everyone will get to the promised land, but those who want to get there, hopefully they can resurrect and continue bringing West Indies cricket back to a place of excellence and relevance.You remain optimistic that that day could come in the near future?
Yes. We’ll never dominate like we did in the ’80s and the first half of the ’90s. I think other teams around the world are too good. We have serious economic challenges in the Caribbean, which the authorities around the world have to look at. But I still think when I look at, for example, where Zimbabwe were, and the troubles they have gone through, and how well they have played in this tournament, I think we have enough there to do even better next time around, if there is synergy.

A number of players in the first-class game honed their techniques while at school in Cumbria

Paul Edwards03-Aug-2021It is fair to suppose that most of those in the crowd at Headingley on Saturday night were not greatly bothered where Harry Brook was educated. Their knowledge probably extended little further than that he is one of seven Yorkshire players in the Leeds-based Northern Superchargers squad. Such a confection of local links is quite enough to command the allegiance of home supporters, many of whom would also have packed the Western Terrace for the Vitality Blast Roses match had not Covid-19 restrictions been in place.Yet Brook will be one of the first to tell you that his education, in its broadest sense, mattered. He will tell you proper coaching matters. He might even disclose that having just a couple of trusted coaches from whom he will take feedback has been vital to his development. And before long you will be back at a school in the Howgill Fells and the man who, one suspects, will always know Harry Brook’s game better than anyone else.Related

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It is a world far removed from the sweaty ferment of a late July evening at Headingley yet it has been integral to the development of a cricketer whose thunderous drives have put him among the leading scorers in the ECB’s darling new competition.Martin Speight played for Sussex and Durham during a 16-year career in the first-class game and he is now in charge of cricket at Sedbergh School. He reckons he works an 80-hour week, although he tells you that in passing; if Speight possesses a trumpet it is a long time since he blew it. His day begins at 6.20am when the first cricket coaching takes place in one of the school’s two sports halls. The timing of such sessions is not dictated by Sedbergh’s staff; it is a response to the demands of the pupils, many of whom are intent on making the very most of their cricket and some of whom are on sports scholarships.And Harry Brook is not an outlier in all this; rather he is only the most well-known Old Sedberghian playing first-class cricket. The group of which he is a member includes Jordan Clark (Surrey), Jamie Harrison (Durham), George Hill and Matthew Revis (both Yorkshire). The allrounder Tom Aspinwall has just finished his lower-sixth year at Sedbergh but has already played for Lancashire’s second team, and was named in the County Select squad to face India last month. You will hear more of him.”On the first day of the autumn term, immediately after the first assembly, most of them will be asking for sessions,” said Speight. “I use the older of the two halls and we have four nets in there. We do two hours before school, six days a week. The fifth and sixth form come in early. They can come in as often as they want, it’s purely down to their motivation, but the culture is already present in the school. The elite players can also have one-to-one sessions with me and so Tom Aspinwall’s sessions get put down as part of his personal timetable. Most of the boys’ boarding houses have gyms and the school also has two gyms, so they will also book out sessions with the strength and conditioning coach.”It is important to see that this degree of commitment on the part of coach and players is not symptomatic of obsession. Even though some pupils at Sedbergh will be playing county age-group cricket and plainly have an eye on professional careers, they will also be expected to do their work, contribute to the life of their house and may well play other sports as well in the autumn and winter terms. The cultivation of such a balance should serve them well, particularly, perhaps, if they land contracts like those of Brook and Hill at Yorkshire.

I spent the whole of one lockdown with Harry rebooting his technique. It’s a check that everything is in place. They know me better than anyone else because of the hours we’ve spent togetherMartin Speight

The coaching of elite male cricketers is only a part of Speight’s remit. He talks warmly of the ability of girls such as Harriet Robson, who is in the Northern Diamonds Academy and for whom a training session at the Riverside involves a long round trip from her home beyond Alnwick. Speight is also in charge of arranging a fixture list for the school’s seven teams and for making sure weekday matches do not clash with public examinations or overload young people who already have plenty in their lives.In a recent 50-over match against Manchester Grammar School, Aspinwall played as a specialist batter. The game was lost by 20 or so runs, partly because two or three of the top order got to fifty without going on to play the match-winning innings. But losing such games is part of any young cricketer’s education. The coach hopes the team learned something and, in any case, when it comes to national competitions, Sedbergh is rarely far from the trophies.But the best coaches can only show their charges how to make the best of their ability and even the most gifted cricketer will struggle and acquire bad habits if asked to play on poor pitches. It is in this respect that Speight reckons Sedbergh’s pupils are especially lucky. “Our groundsman, Martin South, has been here a long time and he knows what’s needed,” he said. “The pitches the first-class cricketers get to play on when we host county matches are the same as we get to play on in school. The pupils are immensely fortunate because they grow up playing on surfaces where they don’t have to generate pace on the ball, they just have to time it. They have the facilities that allow them to flourish.”Sedbergh is also concerned to ensure that such extraordinary advantages are not available only to rich kids. The school takes its charitable status seriously by offering scholarships and means-tested bursaries to as many children as possible, something which makes Speight’s job in helping to select the recipients of such awards particularly vital. And the school’s record in producing first-class cricketers makes it all the more important to know what he requires from, say, batters who come for an exploratory net.”I’m looking for technical skill, coachability and an openness to the sort of development we offer,” he said. “I’m less concerned with physical strength. Harry [Brook] was quite a short, stocky lad. Once they’re here and playing sport every day they will get stronger. If they’re serious about their cricket they will get dragged along by the people who are already here. If you’re little you have to be able to play the short ball well and that’s the same if you’re going to be a professional cricketer. At 12 and 13, young cricketers can all play on the off side but if they can play off their pads on the front foot or hips on the on side that will be a big thing for me. I’ll tell them it’s a coaching session in which we have to get to know each other because over the next five years we’re going to be spending thousands of hours together. They have to buy into the way I think about the game and I’ve got to get a feeling as to whether they would benefit from coming here.”Sedbergh School has been a cradle for a succession of first-class cricketers•Getty ImagesAnd when those sessions begin Sedbergh’s cricketers will find that Speight is old-school in the best sense. As long as players are not practising bad habits he believes that improved performance frequently reflects the amount of practice a player has put in. Such an approach is consonant with one theme of Matthew Syed’s influential book .”The more balls you face the more balls you hit, the quicker you’ll pick up cues as to line and length,” he said. “The best players pick up length quicker than anyone else. My aim is to take them through a programme so that when they leave here at 18 they are technically very sound and they can then develop their power hitting. If something goes wrong – and it almost always does – they can always fall back on their technique. They will get worked out and they’ll have to learn to deal with failure but at least they’ll have their technique as a base upon which they rebuild their batting. And both George and Harry have come back to me in those difficult times. People who don’t have the technical foundation will struggle.”Those last comments are maybe the most revealing about Sedbergh’s cricket. Many old boys recall their school coaches with affection but have moved on into the tougher environment of the professional game where county coaches dominate their professional lives. Both Hill and Brook talk warmly about Speight’s influence on their lives – he spent time with them in their early weeks at Sedbergh when both were homesick – but they then point out that they still send him videos of their batting and return to him when something needs fixing. Paul Grayson, Yorkshire’s batting coach, is kept fully informed and welcomes the help.”County coaches don’t have the time that I might have had to work with them and technically the players slip, which is why they come back to me,” said Speight. “I spent the whole of one lockdown with Harry rebooting his technique. It’s a check that everything is in place. They know me better than anyone else because of the hours we’ve spent together.”When George and Harry went into the first-class game, they never at any stage stopped contacting me and I have to say that’s nice. I’m good friends with both of them now. All I want is for them to enjoy their cricket as much as I enjoyed my cricket… and they earn a lot more than we used to.”

MatériaMais Notícias

A Argentina enfrenta a Costa Rica nesta terça-feira (26), em um amistoso internacional no Estádio Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, em Los Angeles, nos Estados Unidos. A partida está marcada para começar às 23h50 (horário de Brasília) e terá transmissão do Sportv.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasNotíciasColoque R$100 e ganhe mais de R$500 se você acredita no triunfo da Argentina sobre a Costa RicaNotícias26/03/2024Futebol NacionalSem Messi, Argentina vence El Salvador com tranquilidade em amistosoFutebol Nacional22/03/2024Futebol InternacionalDesconvocado da seleção argentina, Messi está fora da partida do Inter Miami; entendaFutebol Internacional22/03/2024

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Durante a Data Fifa, a Argentina venceu El Salvador por 3 a 0, enquanto a Costa Rica venceu Honduras por 3 a 1.

➡️Brasileiro Feminino: coloque R$50 no Lance! Betting e leve mais de R$350 se o Fla vencer as Brabas!

Confira abaixo todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto da Argentina com a Costa Rica (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
Argentina x Costa Rica – Amistoso

🗓️ Data e horário: terça-feira, 26 de março de 2024, às 23h50 (hora de Brasília)
📍 Local: Estádio Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, em Los Angeles, nos Estados Unidos
📺 Onde assistir: Sportv

continua após a publicidade

➡️ Veja tabela com datas e horários da Sul-Americana

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES

ARGENTINA (Técnico: Lionel Scaloni)
Emiliano Martínez; Nehuén Perez, Cristian Romero, Tagliafico e Nico González; Leandro Paredes, Mac Allister, Enzo Fernández e De Paul; Julián Álvarez e Lautaro Martínez

COSTA RICA (Técnico: Gustavo Alfaro.)
Keylor Navas; Taylor, Arboine, Cascante, Calvo e Mora; Galo, Campbell, Zamora e Brenes; Ugalde

Tudo sobre

ArgentinaSeleção Argentina

While he has made some mistakes, Mikel Arteta has got an awful lot right during his time in the Arsenal dugout.

The Spaniard has overseen a complete overhaul of the squad, instilled a new philosophy, and turned them from a fallen giant into serial challengers for both the Premier League and the Champions League.

However, there were plenty of moments early on in his managerial career when it felt like he was hanging onto the job by his fingertips, including a period in which Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe practically saved him.

Since then, the former has established himself as the club’s talisman, while the latter has fallen away and been sold to Fulham. Interestingly, there is a player in Arteta’s current squad who once felt like the next Saka but could now be closer to becoming the next Smith Rowe.

How Smith Rowe and Saka save Arteta

Even though the club were coming off their 14th FA Cup triumph, the start of the 20/21 season was nothing short of disastrous for Arsenal.

The North Londoners actually won their two opening games, against Fulham and West Ham United and even picked up a third win of the campaign in their fourth match.

However, the losses started coming thick and fast, and from the 8th of November to Boxing Day, the team didn’t win a single league game.

So, when Chelsea rocked up at the Emirates on Boxing Day, Arteta decided to roll the dice and start Smith Rowe in the ten, a decision that instantly paid off as the Gunners came out 3-1 winners and the youngster provided the assist for Saka’s goal.

From that point, results started to improve, and the two Hale Enders were crucial to that, with the midfielder racking up a tally of four goals and seven assists and the winger doing even better with seven goals and seven assists.

The duo continued to impress the following season, with Smith Rowe producing 13 goal involvements and the mercurial number seven producing 19.

However, a combination of injuries and the squad being strengthened around him saw the Croydon-born gem slowly lose his place in the side over the next two seasons.

Finally, after making just 14 appearances in the 22/23 season and then 19 the year after that, the Hale Ender was sold to Fulham for around £34m, while Saka went on to become arguably the team’s best player.

Interestingly, or perhaps unfortunately, there is currently a potential star in the making in Arteta’s squad today who at one point looked destined to follow in Saka’s footsteps, but might now be more likely to become the next Smith Rowe.

The Arsenal gem who could become the next Smith Rowe

It would be fair to say that, as seasons go, last year wasn’t a particularly enjoyable one for Arsenal fans.

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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

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The club looked miles off in the title race and were beset with injuries to key players, only this time they didn’t have the squad depth they do today.

However, there were at least a few bright spots from the campaign, notably the emergence of Ethan Nwaneri.

The youngster had long been a prospect fans were excited about; he became the youngest player in the Premier League, after all.

Yet, it was the injuries to Martin Odegaard and specifically Saka that meant he ended up getting far more first-team minutes than supporters were expecting, and to say he made the most of the opportunity would be an understatement.

Nwaneri in 24/25

Appearances

37

Minutes

1378′

Goals

9

Assists

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.29

Minutes per Goal Involvement

125.27′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, the often “unplayable” dynamo, as dubbed by Jack Wilshere, scored nine goals and provided two assists in 37 appearances, totalling 1378 minutes.

In other words, the Hale End phenom averaged a goal involvement every 3.36 games, or more crucially, one every 125.27 minutes, which helps to justify Joe Cole’s claim that “he’s the most exciting footballer in England and maybe Europe.”

It was these numbers, plus the moments of brilliance on the ball and his time out wide, that led many to see him as someone who could and probably would follow in the steps of Saka and become a key part of the squad in the coming years.

However, fast-forward to today, and it would be fair to describe his situation as more akin to Smith Rowe’s in his final seasons at the club.

For example, as things stand, the teenager has made just ten appearances for the first team, totalling 427 minutes.

Moreover, he’s started just three games all season, two of which came in the League Cup and another in the club’s Champions League clash with Slavia Prague.

Worryingly, the Enfield-born gem has also only scored one goal and, like the Croydon-born star before him, has seen fresh competition arrive in the shape of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke.

Nwaneri in 25/26

Appearances

10

Minutes

427′

Goals

1

Assists

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.1

Minutes per Goal Involvement

427′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

However, it is still early in the season, and while it’s clear that the manager isn’t as keen to pick the Hale Ender as he was last year, there is still plenty of time for things to change.

Therefore, so long as Nwaneri does get more game time across the rest of the campaign, he could still follow in Saka’s footsteps, but if he doesn’t, he could be another Smith Rowe.

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Posts 2 ByJack Salveson Holmes 6 days ago

Are the glory days heading back to Stamford Bridge?

Having enjoyed so much success during the two decades of Roman Abramovich’s ownership, Chelsea supporters cannot help but hark back to the past and hope that current players can replicate those from then.

While they may never see a player as good in their position as Petr Čech, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard or Dider Drogba ever again, did an up-and-coming Chelsea youngster put in a display reminiscent of a Chelsea superstar from more recent times against Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday?

N'Golo Kanté's Premier League legacy

Given how widespread football and football coverage is in the modern era, it is very rare that any player can be truly described as completely unique.

However, N’Golo Kanté certainly falls into this category, considering we’ve not seen the like before or since.

He was a key figure in Leicester City’s title triumph against all odds a decade ago, before winning another Premier League title, the FA Cup and Champions League with Chelsea, as well as the World Cup with France.

At just 5 ft 6 in (168 cms) tall, he possessed seemingly endless amounts of energy, covering every blade of grass match after match, racking up more tackles, blocks, interceptions and distance covered than anyone else to ever grace the Premier League.

Now 34 years old and playing for Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, his unique skillset is underlined by the fact that Didier Deschamps recalled him to his French national team squad last week after a year away, starting against Ukraine at Parc des Princes, still unable to find someone better at being Kanté than Kanté.

Now though, which current Chelsea player put in a Kanté-esque display at Turf Moor?

Chelsea's new N'Golo Kanté

The major talking point ahead of kick off between Burnley and Chelsea on Saturday lunchtime was the fact that Moisés Caicedo was left on the bench.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

With games against Barcelona and Arsenal up next, Enzo Maresca decided to rest his star midfielder, after he had completed 90 minutes in both of Ecuador’s matches during the international break, these friendlies against Canada in Toronto and then New Zealand in Harrison, New Jersey.

This presented Andrey Santos with an opportunity to stake a claim, and he certainly did just that.

The table below documents the Brazilian’s impressive display in Lancashire.

Santos’ stats vs Burnley
Stats	Santos	Match rank
Accurate passes	34	11th
Key passes	1	6th
Defensive actions	12	1st
Clearances	4	3rd
Interceptions	4	1st
Tackles won	3	3rd
Duels contested	10	2nd
Duels won	7	2nd
Ball recoveries	4	1st
Touches	63	6th
SofaScore rating	7.3	3rd
Stats via SofaScore

The table emphasises Santos’ excellent display against Burnley, leading the match when it comes to defensive actions, interceptions and ball recoveries, as well as winning seven of his ten duels and putting in three tackles, all Kanté-esque traits.

Matthew Judge of Goal noted that deputising for Caicedo is always an ‘unenviable’ task, but the Brazilian put in an ‘excellent’ display, given that he provided ‘a solid shield’ in front of the Chelsea backline, a key reason why Burnley rarely threatened, awarding him an 8/10 rating.

Meantime, Nizaar Kinsella of BBC Sport asserted that it was Santos’ “best performance to date” for the club.

The 20-year-old joined Chelsea from Vasco da Gama back in January 2023, but did not make his debut for the club until the Club World Cup in June against Espérance Sportive de Tunis.

He spent last season on loan at BlueCo’s other club Strasbourg, impressing all Ligue 1 observers, including Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout, who asserted that he is an “incredible midfielder in the making”.

Well, with massive games against Barcelona and Arsenal up next, was this the game Santos came to the fore and asserted himself as a key figure in this Chelsea team, as Kanté was during an ultra-successful period?

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 22, 2025

Rodney Peete is best known as a former star quarterback at USC, and a longtime NFL signal caller who started 87 games and played for six franchises across a 15-year career. Today, he's a local sports personality in Los Angeles, and a diehard Dodgers fan, whose son RJ Peete works as a clubhouse attendant for the franchise.

The elder Peete and his wife Holly Robinson-Peete made the trip to Tokyo to watch the Los Angeles open its season against the Chicago Cubs, and he made a highlight of his own. In the bottom of the sixth inning with the Dodgers up 6–3, Pete—wearing a glove—appeared to rob L.A. third baseman Max Muncy of a catchable foul ball off the bat of Ian Happ.

Muncy was clearly irked by the play, but Peete took to X to argue that the infielder didn't have a legitimate chance to make the play.

Based on the replay, it certainly looks like Muncy had a chance at it, though the ball did seem to miss Muncy's glove, which looked to be positioned above Peete's, so maybe the Trojans great has a point here.

In any case, Happ would strike out in the at-bat and the Dodgers finished off the 6–3 win, so no harm, no foul.

We'll see whether Peete takes the time to call in and defend himself, live from Tokyo. Local radio host Tim Cates is already on the case.

Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti has told Chelsea that they are 'lucky' to have a player like Estevao Willian after the teenager dazzled with a goal in the Selecao's 2-0 win over Senegal in an international friendly on Saturday. The Blues wonderkid and Manchester United midfielder Casemiro were on target as the five-time world champions secured the victory.

• Estevao stars in Brazil victory

  Brazil handed Senegal their first defeat in over two years as they beat the African giants 2-0 at Emirates Stadium on Saturday, courtesy of goals from Estevao and Casemiro. United's star forward Matheus Cunha hit the woodwork twice before Estevao broke the deadlock around the half-hour mark.

  Casemiro then doubled his team's lead minutes later as he finished off a free-kick from Rodrygo. It was a stellar performance from the five-time world champions, who have now won four out of the six games they played under Ancelotti. The match also witnessed some heated moments as Arsenal's Gabriel and Tottenham's Pape Matar Sarr were forced off with injuries ahead of next week's north London derby. 

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• Getty
  

  Ancelotti sends message to Chelsea fans

  After the game, Selecao boss Ancelotti lavished praise on Estevao for yet another impressive outing with the national team as he told reporters: "Estevao has incredible amount of talent. It’s a surprise this level at his age. He’s good at finishing, has a lot of magic… and he works very hard. I can say this: with Estevao, Brazil have a guaranteed future."

  The Italian coach added: "He’s a very talented player. He is able to show every game, in Chelsea too, and he doesn’t need a lot of minutes to show his quality. He can play five minutes and he can show his quality. I think the Brazil national team is really lucky to have him, and also Chelsea."

• Ancelotti apologises to Arsenal

  Following Gabriel's injury, which came as a major blow for Arsenal, Ancelotti apologised to the club's fans as he said of the issue: "Bad? I don't know, he had a problem on his adductor, the medical staff have to check tomorrow. We are really sorry for this, really disappointed. When players have an injury, I hope they can recover well and soon." 

  The Brazilian centre-back has displayed stellar form for the Gunners in the 2025-26 campaign, scoring two goals in all competitions. Such is the former Lille defender’s importance to the Gunners that he has featured in all 17 of their games this season, helping Mikel Arteta’s side rise to the Premier League summit in addition to being joint-leaders in the Champions League standings.

  Arteta would hope that Gabriel's injury is not too serious and he recovers in the remaining few days of the international break and returns to action by November 23 when the Gunners face Spurs in the north London derby. 

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  How is it going for Estevao?

  Estevao has appeared in 16 matches across all competitions for the Blues, although his game time has been limited as Enzo Maresca remains sceptical of giving the teenager too much exposure. The Chelsea coach, however, has always been full of praise for the youngster, as he said earlier this season: "It’s exciting to see him. The good thing about Estevao, sometimes with young players we are worried, because they have one good game and they think they are already [at the] top. Estavao, he’s playing well but he’s polite, he’s humble, he wants to learn. I think his family are also doing a big job there, so we are very happy not only with the way he’s performing. But he’s a nice boy, a good boy.

  "In the Premier League he needs a little bit more time. I think he’s more [of a] winger, but he’s going to finish playing inside the pitch, in the pockets. For me, it’s very, very similar to Cole [Palmer]. I had Cole at the same age as Estevao at [Manchester] City Under-23 and they are very similar. Cole started playing wide because he needed a bit [more] physicality; now he’s playing inside. And Estevao, they are quite similar, now he’s playing wide but in the future I think he’s more of an inside player."

The famous child actor decided to return to his cult movie roots, and 30 years after starring in The Big Green, reignited his passion for soccer

Patrick Renna was a crucial part of countless childhoods in America. First, it was the "Sandlot," the baseball classic in which he played Ham Porter, the misfit catcher who "calls his shot" before bashing a ball.

Then, it was "The Big Green," the soccer cult classic in which Renna, albeit briefly, was the best-worst goalkeeper you've ever seen, being flung into the back of the net by the sheer power of a shot one minute before saving a crucial penalty kick the next.

Kids of the '90s and before will tell you that Renna was always was a guy to which they could relate. His two most famous characters were dorky oddballs, the kind that loved sports but were never really all that good. It's a feeling that the vast majority of the population who aren't professional athletes know all too well.

The childhood actor into grown adult arc has been difficult to manage for many. Renna has handled it well, staying around the baseball community, tapping into the world that embraced him as a teenager. But that soccer part? Well, that's still there, too. And now, it's time for the soccer kid to become the football nerd. Renna is embracing soccer in full.

"I've always actually been interested in soccer. But the big three sports kind of take all your time in America. So soccer, not being one of those big three, not football, baseball, basketball. But what I find the most fun about soccer is the fandom," he told GOAL. "I think that the fans are the best."

GettyFinding a new passion

Renna is keenly aware – albeit with a bit of a sardonic nudge – that he didn't want to become another actor who starts a podcast. 

"I've gathered a bit of a social following, and with a social following, you're supposed to do a podcast. But then it's like, you can't do a podcast unless it's something that you're passionate about," he said. 

Renna pondered a bit of everything. Politics was a possibility, but that was quickly scrapped. 

"The only thing I'm passionate about with regard to politics is that I have no passion, and I don't know what I'm talking about enough," Renna said. 

Sports, then, was the natural choice. Basketball and baseball were always options. He has been around the game his whole life, riffing off the movie experience. The fact alone that he appeared for parody baseball team the Savannah Bananas tells you pretty much all you need to know.

Still, there was little juice there. And Renna, if he was going to do something, wanted to broaden his horizons. 

Advertisement'The good thing is, our team sucked'

And for that reason, soccer made sense. Renna is a sports fan down to his very core. He has appeared in a cult soccer movie. But his soccer knowledge, in a traditional sense? A little lacking. And with the World Cup coming to North America in 2026, he wanted to understand the game that is soon to arrive on American shores. 

His answer? Make a YouTube show with GOAL US, have it poke fun of the fact that he's the American who's trying to get into the beautiful game and call it "Soccer Guy."

"I was like, 'Wait a minute, I would love to learn about a new sport. I would love to learn about the biggest sport in the world.' And that would be fun for me, to make this an exploration and learn something out of this," Renna said, "and get just a new look on life, and take me to places I've never been."

There is, it must be pointed out, some baseline knowledge. Renna, for a start, knows the rules of the game. He understands offsides. He played youth soccer during his upbringing in Massachusetts.

And yes, that acting background did come in handy. He learned enough on the set of The Big Green – with plenty of soccer players-turned-actors – to have, at the very least, a cursory understanding of how the sport works.

"There were several players on that team that were really, really good. There was a handful of us who were actors, and then the rest were probably soccer players first," he said. 

It helped, though, that the whole point of the movie was that the team wasn't very good.

"The good thing is, our team sucked. We were like the bad news bears of soccer, so they leaned into that, and the fact that we didn't play well was good for me," Renna joked.

Roarke BoesSold on LAFC experience

But what he lacks, Renna admitted, was a starting point. Soccer is about the culture, the fandom, the experience. Renna is a guy who lives in Los Angeles, loves the Dodgers, but doesn't have a soccer team. So, to get things started, he went to an LAFC game.

He picked a good one, too. LAFC, reborn under Steve Cherundolo and with Son Heung-Min dominating up front, faced off against Real Salt Lake. They trailed early, but bagged two before half time. BMO Stadium, and the 3252 fan group, came to life. LAFC won 4-1. Denis Bouanga bagged three. Son scored one of his own.

Renna was sold.

"The beginning of the game started slow, and then it just ramped up, and LAFC scored like four goals, and it was crazy," he explained.

And the experience as a whole was entirely intoxicating (verging on literally). It started with a tailgate: sizzling tortillas, grilled meat, a michelada in the parking lot (review: "this is good dude!")

Renna interacted with the fans, learned the chants, and chatted with the locals. He walked past murals of Carlos Vela, and had some of the basics of the sport outlined to him.

"It's like basketball, but on a big-ass field," one fan eagerly outlined.

He stood in the 3252, was showered with beer, and sang at full time. He fell in love with the stadium, and was entirely captivated by just how close everything felt. 

"Every seat is good. The nosebleed doesn't exist in soccer," Renna said.

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Roarke BoesWhere he could turn up next

Renna has nearly 1 million followers on Instagram, and most of them want him to say "You're killing me smalls!" when he runs into them in public. He gets stopped for selfies, and will perhaps forever be the catcher who calls his shot. But this is not an attempt to redefine himself, or discover a new hobby. Renna is past the point of character building. 

Rather, Soccer Guy is an excuse to explore an avenue that had always interested him. So, yes, for all of the fun that the LAFC game brought, he was still recognized and stopped for pictures. He is still the dude from the Sandlot.

But that might not be the case in Brazil or Argentina, he admitted. Even in England, he might be able to sneak by unnoticed.

"I don't know about even the Premier League," he said. "It would be a much different experience."

Perhaps that's the point here. His horizons are broadened. He watched LAFC and Austin in the playoffs. He is now a proud LAFC supporter. 

And who knows where this Soccer Guy might turn up next?

Leeds United have been hit with an injury blow ahead of their clash with Tottenham Hotspur at Elland Road in the Premier League on Saturday.

Wales international Daniel James has suffered an ankle injury that is currently being assessed by the club, although they are hopeful that it will not be a long-term issue.

Journalist Graham Smyth claims that the forward is set for “weeks” on the sidelines, debunking some speculation on social media that he was due to be out for months with an ACL injury.

If James misses several weeks and games through injury with this ankle issue, Daniel Farke should avoid relying on Jack Harrison as an alternative to Brenden Aaronson on the right flank.

Why Jack Harrison should not replace Dan James

The left-footed attacker returned to Elland Road this summer after spending the previous two seasons on loan with Everton in the Premier League, and he has yet to fully win the fans back over.

Harrison has produced no goals, no key passes, no ‘big chances’ created, and no assists in five appearances in the top-flight for Leeds so far this term, per Sofascore, which shows that he has offered virtually nothing at the top end of the pitch.

That should not come as a surprise to many, though, because the former Manchester City academy prospect struggled badly in the final third for Everton in the 2024/25 campaign.

Appearances

34

Starts

24

Minutes

2088

xG

3.52

Goals

1

Key passes

34

Assists

0

As you can see in the table above, Harrison managed one direct goal contribution in 2,088 minutes of football in the Premier League for the Toffees before his return to West Yorkshire.

This is why Farke should turn to U21 talent Connor Douglas to replace James in the squad whilst the Wales international is missing through injury.

Why Leeds should unleash Connor Douglas

The 19-year-old attacker is a versatile star who can play through the middle as a number ten or out on the right flank, which suggests that he could be a suitable alternative to Aaronson in the short-term, given that the American is a similarly versatile wide option.

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Douglas’ form for Leeds at academy level suggests that he is an exciting young player who has the potential to make an impact at the top end of the pitch, after he scored in a 1-0 win over Norwich City’s U21s on Monday night.

The English winger has scored six goals and provided six assists in 36 appearances for the club at U21 level, as well as six goals and three assists in 27 matches for the U18 side, per Transfermarkt.

These statistics show that he can contribute with goals and assists from a wide position, something that Harrison has struggled to do, and that is why he should be given a chance to see what he can do at first-team level whilst James is out with an ankle injury.

Douglas was described as an “electric” forward who is a “joy to watch” by PureFootball writer Trent Gaffney, which also suggests that he could get supporters off their feet with his front-footed and direct play.

Fans may prefer to see a talented young forward given an opportunity to shine and showcase his exciting potential in James’ absence, instead of Harrison being given yet another chance after failing to impress in the last 13 months or so.

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That is why Farke must unleash Douglas as the replacement for James in the Premier League, for however many matches he misses, instead of just using Harrison.

Everton have come on leaps and bounds since David Moyes returned to the helm in January after so many years away.

However, there are plenty of wrinkles that still need ironing out, with Tuesday evening’s Carabao Cup defeat at Molineux illustrating that fact. The Toffees have gone 30 years without silverware, and Wolverhampton Wanderers handed them their fourth third-round defeat in the competition in five years.

One point from six available in recent Premier League outings, a point against Aston Villa at the Hill Dickinson Stadium and then defeat at Anfield, emphasise the task on Moyes’ hands if he wishes to restore the Merseysiders to their one-time standing and consistency during his first term at the club, but he has the tools to achieve this.

After all, Everton signed Jack Grealish from Manchester City on loan for the duration of the 2025/26 season, didn’t they?

The Jack Grealish effect

Grealish was at a crossroads this summer, having fallen by the wayside at Man City, sinking further and further into the fringes across the second half of his time at the illustrious outfit.

Everton and Moyes offered him a lifeline, and he has taken it with both hands, already registering four assists in the Premier League and being crowned the division’s Player of the Month for August.

Everton lacked fluency and drive in attack last season, and they needed a more passionate approach this year.

But Grealish wears his passion on his sleeves, and he’s built upon a skillset of flair and guile and sparkle. Pep Guardiola once hailed the Three Lions star for his “aggressive” nature on the pitch, but this wasn’t always on show at City.

Now, though, the 30-year-old has restored his bite down the left flank, not just creating but getting stuck in too, with Sofascore recording that he has averaged 7.2 duels per game so far.

Grealish is a sensation, but whether he is the finest forward in Everton’s ranks is a debatable thing when Iliman Ndiaye also plies his craft under Moyes’ wing.

Moyes has hit the jackpot on Iliman Ndiaye

Ndiaye has been a revelation at Everton, signed for just £15m in July 2024. Only spending one term in France with Marseille, the Senegalese winger struggled to get going after previously starring in the Championship with Sheffield United, where his performances earned many plaudits.

And he picked up where he left off in England, hailed for his “dynamite” quality when on the ball by Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp.

Across all competitions last term, Ndiaye scored 11 goals for the Toffees, more than any of his teammates.

He hasn’t quite settled into his finest form this season, but Ndiaye has still been fantastic under Moyes’ wing, scoring twice and assisting once.

When collating his match data with Grealish’s over these opening weeks of the campaign, it becomes all the more clear that Grealish has some fierce internal competition as he plays his way toward contention for the Player of the Year and indeed steers Everton to heights unscaled in many recent years.

Matches (starts)

5 (4)

5 (5)

Goals

0

2

Assists

4

1

Touches*

49.4

44.0

Shots (on target)*

1.4 (0.4)

0.8 (0.6)

Accurate passes*

23.6 (86%)

18.0 (80%)

Key passes*

3.0

1.4

Dribbles*

1.6

3.4

Ball recoveries*

4.2

6.8

Tackles*

1.8

2.4

Duels won*

7.2

8.2

As you can see, most of the effusive noise might be directed toward Grealish so far this term, but Ndiaye is on a level with the England international, and he’s five years younger besides.

Both are electric and pacy players, and there’s a neat balance in Grealish’s playmaking emphasis and Ndiaye’s more direct approach.

It’s also worth noting that the former Marseille man is earning just £45k per week at Everton, and while a bumper pay rise is sure to be on technical director Angus Kinnear’s radar, it’s an illustration of the shrewd business completed in reeling him over. Farhad Moshiri’s dysfunctional reign was characterised by many bungled deals, but credit must be paid for the addition of Ndiaye.

Grealish, meanwhile, is one of the best-paid players in the Premier League, and though he’s playing like it across the opening weeks of his Everton career, Ndiaye is quite the wide forward himself – and he’s permanently on the Toffees books besides.

In any case, both superstars are more than happy to be playing their football on Merseyside, beaming grins clear for all to see.

While Everton have hit the jackpot with the addition of Grealish, it’s important to remember that he is only a loanee. A permanent stay down the line isn’t out of the question, but it will present a new financial obstacle for Kinnear and co.

Ndiaye is already on the books, of course, and he just keeps on going from strength to strength, potent in the final third but also a willing defender, a crisp passer and a breakneck runner.

Data-driven platform FBref underscore all this. Across the past year, the African talent ranks among the top 17% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe for pass completion, the top 7% for progressive carries and the top 9% for tackles per 90.

Watch him continue to improve. Here is a talisman. Here is a player who can match Moyes’ ambitions over the coming years.

Everton must only resist any inevitable efforts from interested parties, and while a price tag is unknown, it’s clear that the Toffees would demand a stratospheric sum for their star.

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