Wrexham have been tipped for promotion from League One despite their Hollywood owners investing "very little of their own money".
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Hollywood co-owners oversee successRed Dragons eyeing the ChampionshipTravel to Peterborough on SaturdayWHAT HAPPENED?
Wrexham's rise through the ranks of English football has attracted plenty of controversy, but Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony doesn't begrudge the achievements of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney since they arrived in Wales in 2021. The Red Dragons recorded 111 points in the National League in 2022-23 before gaining automatic promotion from League Two the following year, and MacAnthony believes they are simply passing through League One.
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Reynolds and McElhenney have turned Wrexham into a global phenomenon that has become the envy of every lower level football club. The club have travelled to the United States for their past two pre-season tours, playing in front of their soaring American audience, and their 'Welcome to Wrexham' Netflix documentary reportedly rakes in £430,000 per episode. Wrexham's commercial deals have meant Reynolds and McElhenney haven't been required to invest much of their own money into the club, according to MacAnthony.
WHAT MACANTHONY SAID
"They’ll be in the Championship and we could still be in League One because they can pay £7,000-£10,000 a week to players and we can't," MacAnthony said on . "That's the dynamic of the game. Fair play to the owners. They bought in to the club with a plan in mind and they've managed to finance it by selling documentaries, advertising, and doing deals with skincare companies, drink companies etc, when they've had to put very little of their own money in. I saw their revenues last season and it was £15-£20 million a year as opposed to £5 million when they first came in. It's probably even more now. Anyone who can do that while also winning promotions deserves credit. They are not breaking any rules and we'd all do it if we could."
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?
Phil Parkinson's side will look to continue their unbeaten start to the League One campaign when they travel to fellow promotion-chasers Peterborough on Saturday afternoon.
Whilst Ange Postecoglou and his team prepare Tottenham Hotspur's players to take on Arsenal in the Premier League this weekend, work is going on behind the scenes ahead of the summer transfer window.
The focus of the coaching staff and first-team stars should be on the action on the pitch in their bid to secure Champions League qualification by finishing in the top four ahead of Aston Villa.
However, Daniel Levy and the Spurs chiefs behind the scenes are already laying the groundwork to manage the squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
They are now reportedly pushing to ensure that one player – Giovani Lo Celso – remains part of Postecoglou's playing group moving forward.
Tottenham want to keep frustrated star
Earlier this year, it was reported that Lo Celso was pushing for an exit from north London as he was frustrated, and seemingly annoyed, with his current situation at the club given the lack of minutes the manager has provided him with.
Now, in a twist to the story, Spurs want to keep hold of the Argentina international and offer him a new contract, according to Tutto Mercato Web, as relayed by Sport Witness.
The report claims that Tottenham are hoping to extend his current deal, which is due to expire in the summer of 2025, by another two seasons to preserve his future in England.
It states that they are looking to adjust his wages to ensure that Lo Celso is happy and willing to remain with the club beyond the summer window.
Spanish giants Barcelona are said to be admirers of the central midfielder, along with fellow La Liga outfit Real Betis, and Spurs are now attempting to scare away potential suitors by pinning him down to a contract extension.
Why Spurs may want to keep Giovani Lo Celso
The Lilywhites may want to keep hold of the World Cup winner as he has shown glimpses of promise in his limited time on the pitch this season.
Lo Celso has seemingly been frustrated, per the earlier report this year, that Postecoglou has barely used him in the Premier League, and his statistics in the few games he has played suggest that the midfield star has reason to feel aggrieved.
2023/24 Premier League
Giovanni Lo Celso
Appearances
17
Starts
4
Goals
2
Assists
2
Duel success rate
63%
Pass accuracy
91%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the 28-year-old whiz has provided quality in and out of possession, with four direct goal contributions in 17 appearances despite only starting four times.
His 63% duel success rate also shows that the left-footed maestro has held his own in physical battles to either retain possession or win the ball back for his side, whilst his pass accuracy suggests that the talented ace rarely gives it away.
These attributes make him an attractive player for a team that wants to dominate possession, as he has the quality to provide goals and assists as a box-crashing midfielder whilst being solid off the ball and a reliable passer.
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However, it now remains to be seen whether or not Lo Celso is willing to put pen to paper on an extension amid his frustration at the lack of minutes given to him by the boss.
Leeds United have dealt with the long-term absence of Pascal Struijk rather smoothly, with the first-team face's extended layover in the Elland Road treatment room inadvertently kickstarting a rock-solid centre-back partnership.
Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu have become an intimidating duo in the heart of defence for Daniel Farke's automatic promotion hopefuls with the 24-year-old out of action, making Struijk being sidelined since the end of December with a serious injury far easier to come to terms with.
When Struijk does eventually get back to full sharpness again, he could reappear and find he no longer has a settled spot in Farke's starting XI anymore especially if the standout Tottenham Hotspur loanee is kept around permanently after his loan switch expires.
There seem to be hints in recent reports that such a deal could take place this upcoming summer transfer window, with Leeds potentially tempted to sell on Struijk to make a profit on the former Ajax man whilst his transfer value remains high.
Ethan Ampadu
Pascal Struijk's time at Leeds
Struijk will go down as a transfer success from a Leeds perspective even if he is sold on soon, purchased when the divisive figure of Victor Orta was still present at the club.
The West Yorkshire titans played a blinder getting Struijk into the building, managing to get the Belgian centre-back in through the door on a free transfer in 2018.
The 6 foot 3 defender never looked back when he first burst onto the scene at Elland Road, going on to become a regular at the back during Leeds' recent Premier League hay-day after bedding in well initially into the U21 set-up.
Struijk has gone on to make 121 appearances for the Whites across five seasons in the men's ranks, helping himself to nine goals as a reliable converter of chances from corner-kicks including this bundled-in goal against Ipswich Town earlier this campaign.
Injury disaster would strike for the Leeds captain – with the armband now belonging to Ampadu – in the match directly after the emphatic 4-0 win over the Tractor Boys, with the Belgian very unlikely to feature again this season for Farke's men in the crunch promotion run-in.
Described as being "crucial" towards the start of this action-packed campaign by his German manager, Struijk being out for as long as he has been could've derailed the Whites.
But, the injury-stricken number 21 has almost been forgotten about now with Rodon and Ampadu heroically forming a staunch partnership to shore up the back four.
It's not out of the question, therefore, that Leeds could decide to cash in on the former Ajax man when he does return to action deeming the other options at the club as stronger than he is now.
A report from L'Equipe before the centre-back's major injury suggested that recent Champions League quarter-final winners Paris St. Germain were once interested in Struijk's services, with PSG known to have lavishly thrown about cash in the past.
pascal-struijk-leeds-united-premier-league
Whatever money comes Leeds' way potentially when Struijk is offered out, the Whites will know they will make a handsome profit on the once unproven youngster they signed for £0.
Pascal Struijk's transfer value in 2024
According to Transfermarkt, the Belgian defender's worth is now at a hefty €18m (£15.3m) – with the last valuation taking place in December – which is a far cry from the amount put next to his name in 2020.
Four years ago, when Struijk was still learning the ropes in English football, the 6 foot 3 defender's worth was only at a meagre €750k (£642k) which means his value has risen by a staggering percentage increase of 2283% in such a short time-span.
Year
Transfer value
2023
€18m (£15.3m)
2022
€20m (£17.1m)
2021
€9m (£7.7m)
2020
€750k (£642k)
The big bump-up between 2020 and 2021 was helped by Marcelo Bielsa continually starting the ex-Ajax man in his lineups even whilst Leeds were in the Premier League, giving Struijk his big Leeds break with 27 appearances amassed in the top-flight during the 2020/21 season.
Struijk didn't look out of place either in that high-flying Leeds XI, contributing to seven clean sheets that campaign from 22 starts as a brave warrior unfazed by the bright lights of the top division.
Yet, although the 24-year-old delivered consistently above-average performances that particular season, Leeds' disastrous 2022/23 campaign exposed a lot of his weaknesses at the back.
That could well be why Struijk's value took a slight dent when glancing at the table above, finishing that season with a dismal four clean sheets from 29 appearances which culminated in his side sinking down to the Championship after losing 4-1 to Tottenham on the final day in embarrassing fashion.
This could play on Farke's mind when assessing what members of the Leeds squad he wants at his disposal if they clinch promotion back to the level where Struijk was exposed frequently last time he lined up in that league, with Rodon more deserving arguably of a shot at playing in the Premier League with the Whites over the 24-year-old.
Leeds United's loan defender Joe Rodon.
Rodon as Struijk's replacement
Utilised sparingly by Spurs during his Tottenham career to date in the top-flight, with 15 Premier League appearances in total down in North London, it would be a no-brainer decision you feel for the much-loved Welsh figure at Elland Road to move permanently to West Yorkshire when the window opens up in the summer.
Arguably one of the best transfers in the Championship this season, with Rodon only missing two games of second-tier action as a trusted centre-back under Farke, the former Swansea City man has been imperious for large chunks of this season when his team have needed him to be forceful and imposing.
Rodon even won Leeds' Player of the Month accolade for March to recognise his efforts, but he won't want his journey to end with the Whites in the second tier.
With Rodon so well-liked alongside his trusted partner Ampadu at the back, there could well be a scenario this summer where Struijk is moved on to strengthen the Welshman's first-team spot even more.
It won't be an easy decision to make to part ways with the 24-year-old, considering he has shone brightly for the Whites previously in his long stay at the club.
But, Leeds will cast an eye over Struijk's high transfer value and feel the time is right to cash in especially with Rodon looking likely to stay put if the Whites are a Premier League team again next season.
Farke must soon ditch “important” Leeds star who earns 5x Gray's wages
Leeds United will look to get rid of some high earners this summer, which could even include this important star.
Somerville has appeared in five first-class games at the venue as a New South Wales player
ESPNcricinfo staff29-Dec-2019
William Somerville celebrates a wicket•AFP
Offspinner Will Somerville will return to the SCG where he played for New South Wales after being called up to the New Zealand squad for the final Test against Australia as Trent Boult’s replacement.Somerville, the 35-year-old offspinner, has played three Tests for New Zealand, all of them in Asia, and has taken 14 wickets at 25.14 after returning home to New Zealand following a five-year spell in Australian cricket. He played 12 first-class matches for New South Wales including five at the SCG where he took 23 wickets at 20.69.While it might seem unusual for a spinner to replace a fast bowler in the squad, the decision has been made with an eye on conditions. The SCG pitch has aided spinners in the Sheffield Shield this season and Australia have added uncapped legspinner Mitchell Swepson to their squad with that in mind.ALSO READ: Boult out of SCG Test after fracturing hand”There’s no secret the SCG pitch is one of the more spin-friendly in Australia,” New Zealand coach Gary Stead said. “Will offers something different to our two other spinners in the squad with his right-arm offspin and height.”Will’s played a lot at the SCG and understands the ground so well be tapping into his knowledge around the chances of that wicket turning and what role the spinners will play. The reason we brought him over is we have enough pace bowling cover for one game and certainly spin is something at the SCG that has been more of a factor than other grounds in Australia.”Former New South Wales team-mate Nathan Lyon believed that Somerville could pose a challenge for Australia if he plays in Sydney. “He’s a lovely guy, he goes up the back of the ball,” he said. “I’ve trained with him a fair bit being part of the NSW squad together for a few years there. He’ll be a big challenge for us. He gets a fair amount of bounce, has a great record at the SCG, he loves bowling there. He’ll be a different challenge for us and good one for our batters.”Incumbent spinner Mitchell Santner has struggled in the first two Tests taking 1 for 250, but bolsters the lower order with his batting, while legspinner Todd Astle is also in the squad and Stead said playing two spinners could certainly come into the equation.”It definitely suggests we could play two spinners without a doubt. It’s not only Mitch that’s had a tough fortnight, there’s other players who haven’t had the performances and results they wanted. It was three Tests ago that Mitch got a century that helped us win a Test match. Whilst we’re talking about slightly different roles that’s the thing Kane and I have to get our head around for the next match.”Santner was backed by Lyon to have an impact in conditions that are likely to suit him at the SCG.”You don’t write off good players in international cricket. Mitch probably hasn’t had the series that he’s wanted to but he’s a world-class player,” he said. “He’s a brilliant fielder, his bowling’s improving, he’s a great batter as well. You can’t just write off someone who has been under the pump for two games. The SCG will suit Mitch and the way he bowls, we’re expecting him to definitely play and play a massive role in the next week.”Boult fractured his hand while batting in the Boxing Day Test, and is set for four weeks of rehabilitation back home before he is fit to play again. He had also missed the first Test of the series with a side injury.
Flamengo president Rodolfo Landim has revealed when Neymar will return after injury, while also responding to a surprise transfer admission.
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Brazil superstar damaged knee ligaments
Closing in on return to action
Has hinted at return to his homeland
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Brazil international Neymar is currently working his way back from knee ligament damage. He is on the books of Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal, with fitness problems restricting him to just five appearances in the Middle East since completing a switch from Paris Saint-Germain.
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WHAT LANDIM SAID
The 32-year-old is close to completing a long road to recovery, with Landim telling of when Neymar will be back and whether he could grace the Maracana at club level in the not too distant future: “I walk down the street and people ask me when I'm going to sign Neymar. And I say: ‘Guys, Neymar earns more per month than two Flamengo salaries. People don't realise the magnitude of things, the amounts involved. The unofficial information is that he earns 70 million per month. I think Neymar is absolutely outstanding, a top player in the world. We have to see how he recovers, but I think he'll recover well because he's a light player. I met him in the locker room and said that he thinks he'll be back in full condition by mid-September.”
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Neymar recently left the door open for a move to Flamengo to be made, with Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer saying during a visit to the Maracana that saw him don the jersey of fellow Santos academy graduate Gabigol: “I've always said that I want to play for Flamengo, it's obvious that it's the second team in my heart, because the first is Santos.”
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WHAT NEXT?
Neymar is only contracted to Al-Hilal until the summer of 2025, with those terms including the option for a further 12-month extension. It may be that he makes the most of an opportunity to head home as a free agent after proving his worth to those in Saudi Arabia.
An "ambitious" Celtic player who only signed a new contract this season is now on the verge of leaving the club, according to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph.
Celtic transfer news
The Hoops could have another big summer ahead of them, with new signings expected as they look to revive a somewhat tumultuous time under Brendan Rodgers, but current players also potentially moving on when their deals expire.
Scott Bain is out of contract at the end of the season and is unlikely to extend his stay, while the long-term future of loan star Adam Idah is still very much up in the air and Joe Hart will retire.
Ireland striker Adam Idah.
It is believed that Celtic are actually keen on making Idah's temporary move to a permanent one this summer, with the 23-year-old scoring five goals in six appearances since arriving at the club in the January transfer window.
The Hoops have also been linked with an eye-catching move for Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher in the summer, following a superb run of form by the Irishman of late, as he fills in expertly for the injured Alisson. He could look to seal a move elswhere in the coming months, however, surely feeling that he needs to be a regular starter at this point in his career – something he won't be able to manage with arguably the world's best 'keeper ahead of him at Anfield.
Trabzonspor stopper Ugurcan Cakir has also emerged as an alternative to Kelleher, should the Liverpool man move elsewhere, and the 27-year-old has started 26 Turkish Super Lig games this season, as well as starting three times for Turkey in Euro 2024 qualifying.
Celtic star on the verge of quick exit Away from possible incomings,Sky Sportsreporters Joseph and Lyall Thomas claim thatLiel Abada is on the verge of leaving Celtic, sealing a move to MLS side Charlotte FC in the process:
Celtic winger Liel Abada.
Abada has been an impressive servant for Celtic, bagging 29 goals and 22 assists in 112 appearances, not to mention winning two Scottish Premiership titles along the way – Ange Postecoglou described him as an "ambitious player" during his time as manager.
It does feel as though now is the right time for the 22-year-old to move on, however, even though he only signed a new Hoops deal back in September, with a lack of playing time coming his way this season amid unfortunate circumstances out of his control.
Celtic star who lost possession 12x was as bad as Idah vs Hearts
The Hoops midfielder had a poor afternoon at Tynecastle as he let Brendan Rodgers down.
Nash replaces Joe Clarke and joins Alex Hales in unbroken first-wicket stand to reach Finals Day
Jon Culley05-Sep-2019A bleak season at Trent Bridge might yet have something to redeem it. Seemingly doomed to relegation in the County Championship, thrashed here at the semi-final stage in the One-Day Cup, Nottinghamshire inflicted a humbling on Middlesex that no one could have anticipated to reach a third Vitality Blast Finals Day in four years.Middlesex, after such an impressive start, may have only just scraped into the quarter-finals, but with AB de Villiers and Mujeeb Ur Rahman back in tandem and Eoin Morgan threatening to cap off his own outstanding year, this was a moment in which they gave themselves a real chance. And 160, to which Morgan contributed 53 off 31 balls, did not seem a terrible score.Yet they were utterly demolished. Alex Hales, taking another step towards redemption, smashed 83 off 47 balls, sending seven sixes soaring into the night sky. Chris Nash, given his first outing of the season after being surprisingly preferred to Joe Clarke, hit 74 from 53.Middlesex dropped key catches, putting Nash down on 31 on, Hales on 47 and 56, but after they had been 76 without loss in six overs, a target of 161 that looked likely to be a challenge to a Nottinghamshire side with no reputation for fortitude this summer suddenly seemed rather modest. At the same stage – or rather, just one over later – Middlesex had been four down for 44, with de Villiers already gone.”We had talked all year about trying to play the perfect game,” the Nottinghamshire captain, Dan Christian, said. “About trying to take early wickets, restrict them in the middle, have a good death period, get off to a good start with the bat and try to cash in and, well, it was just about perfect.”Hales smote three of his sixes in that dramatic opening passage, which began with Nash clipping Mujeeb’s opening ball for four and continued with boundary after boundary, a dozen in total. Mujeeb, normally so hard to get away at the top of an innings, went for 31 in his first two overs.The first dropped catch, which should have been so easy for Steven Finn at mid-off, allowed Nash off the hook on 31. The others, by Toby Roland-Jones at deep midwicket and Steve Eskinazi at deep backward square, should have been held as well but whether they influenced the outcome was doubtful. With plenty of batting to come and the target already within reach, Middlesex’s fate was probably irreversible.Hales and Nash were past 100 by the ninth over, with the luxury of coasting through the middle overs before launching another assault that saw Hales demonstrating the full range of destructive shots that make him such a formidable opponent in this form of cricket when the force is with him. Fittingly, his seventh six, a howitzer blow deep into the crowd at deep midwicket, ended the match.With Morgan, the man who seemingly was central to dashing Hales’s World Cup dreams in such a brutal manner earlier in the year, standing just a few yards away, it must have felt a sweet moment.”I think that was him back to his best,” Christian said. “He has played some really important innings for us this year but that was the best. We saw him hitting top-of-the-stumps balls back over the bowler’s head, which is what he can do.”Five of the six completed group matches on this ground this season were won by the team batting first, yet Nottinghamshire this time decided it suited them to chase and as Middlesex stumbled to 43 for 4 in the seventh over they appeared to have made a good decision.Spin was the effective weapon as Nottinghamshire made these early incisions. Matt Carter, the tall offspinner, took two wickets in his second over, Paul Stirling picking out deep midwicket before Dawid Malan, taking a big stride down the pitch, was bowled.Imad Wasim, left-armer, did likewise in his second, dealing the visitors a major setback when de Villiers, looking in ominously good touch when he strong-armed Harry Gurney to the boundary in the previous over, launched a muscular slog-sweep directly into the hands of Ben Duckett, a foot in front of the boundary at square leg. Eskinazi, attempting to scoop the next delivery down the leg side, made poor contact and was caught behind. John Simpson kept out the hat-trick ball.Much now rested on Morgan to reproduce some of his heroics of Taunton last week as Middlesex, their form having faltered after a blistering start in the South Group, pulled off that astonishing record run chase to qualify for the last eight.With the scoreboard showing 66 for 4 at the halfway stage, he went on the attack, going inside out to send Samit Patel six rows back into the seats at extra cover before pulling the same bowler high over midwicket in the next over. Simpson found Hales at long-on a couple of balls later but he and England’s World Cup-winning captain had added 47 in six overs.Simpson’s replacement with Roland-Jones brought no loss of momentum and for the first time Middlesex looked capable of posting a score they might defend, not least when Hales, at long-off to Gurney, could only palm the ball over the rope with Morgan ready to turn towards the pavilion.Morgan profited from the reprieve, but not heavily, completing a 30-ball half-century by taking another maximum off the next ball, but slicing the one that followed to be caught at wide third man. Only a couple of overs remained in the innings but it may have cost Middlesex 20 runs.As it was, on a ground which has seen lower scores this season than have been customary, 161 to win looked much more of a test than it proved to be, thanks to the brutality of Hales and Nash.”I think pretty much everything that could have gone wrong for us did,” Middlesex skipper Malan said. “We lost wickets at crucial times and to be 40-odd for four was not good enough. Getting 160 on the board, we thought we had a slight sniff if we bowled well enough at the top but they batted so well we were behind it from the first six.”
The former India captain feels that with Ravi Shastri having been around for as long as he has, the team should start winning world titles
ESPNcricinfo staff24-Aug-2019
Sourav Ganguly chats with Virat Kohli at an event in Kolkata in 2018•Getty Images
Virat Kohli often speaks about doing whatever it takes to win. He says that’s how he is able to bat on even when he is running on empty and the same philosophy had led to him fielding 38 different Test XIs at the start of his Test captaincy. It appears the clock has been reset again with India going into their first match of the World Championship without premier offspinner R Ashwin, triggering the attention of, among others, former India captain Sourav Ganguly.Batting coach candidate Rathour ‘a fantastic guy’
Sourav Ganguly had glowing words for Vikram Rathour, who is favourite to replace Sanjay Bangar as India’s batting coach. “I have played with him, our Test match debuts were in the same series. He just made his debut one game ahead of me, and I played with him in the junior levels as well. Fantastic guy, he’s a fantastic gentleman. “He’s worked hard at the grassroots level with Himachal Pradesh. I am the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal and I’ve dealt with him in the last four-five years in sending teams to Himachal when Himachal would come for the Ranji Trophy matches. He’s risen from absolutely the basics of Ranji Trophy and putting the hard yards with Himachal boys so hopefully he does well, hopefully all of them along with Bharat, and the fielding coach they can get this team to win bigger medals and bigger trophies because this team has got all the talent.
“I would say that this is one area where Virat needs to just be a bit more consistent,” Ganguly said at an event in Mumbai on Friday. “Pick players and give them a bit more consistent opportunities – for them to get that confidence, rhythm, I have said that before. You saw how Shreyas Iyer played in that ODI series [136 runs at 68 against West Indies] – you pick him and you give him the freedom to play those matches and I think that needs to happen with a lot of players and I am sure Virat will do that.”ALSO READ – Ashwin left out of Antigua XI in ‘astonishing’ selection callKohli’s mixing and matching of personnel coincided with several injuries to key players but there were also instances where first-choice picks like Ajinkya Rahane (Cape Town 2017) and Cheteshwar Pujara (St Lucia 2016) were placed aside for more aggressive options. And, in the ongoing Test against West Indies, the spinner that the team trusted – Ravindra Jadeja – scored a backs-to-the-wall half-century that looks set to provide India with a sizeable lead. Still he had to beat a couple of in-form players to get into the XI.”I was also surprised to see Kuldeep Yadav left out,” Ganguly said. “The last Test he played against Australia, he got five wickets, if you remember in Sydney on a good flat pitch, he picked up five wickets against Australia. But Jadeja also has been in good form, the surface yesterday at Antigua needed three fast bowlers because we saw the seam movement the fast bowlers got and it was a question of the spin.”Ashwin’s record is phenomenal to leave him out in the West Indies, so it’s a decision which Kohli has made and we will find out in the next couple of days how far Jadeja goes on to pick wickets on this surface. Because this pitch will get up and down, as the game progresses, you can see that sort of indication from the first day of the Test, we will have to wait to see but that’s the competition of Indian cricket.”Ganguly also believes that the team – and especially head coach Ravi Shastri, who has just been reappointed for a two-year term – have been together for long enough to start winning world titles.”Ravi has been around for a while – five years he’s completed so he’s got an extension for two more years – hopefully now India can now go all the way in the two upcoming tournaments that are coming up, which is the T20 World Cup and the Champions Trophy which has now become a T20 format,” Ganguly said. “So I hope they do well, they’re doing well, they get to the semi-finals. In 2015 in Australia they struggled, in 2017 in Mumbai West Indies got the better of them and even in this World Cup (2019) so hopefully they will get to the next step and create a winning combination.”
Desde sua fundação, em 2013, o Altos precisou lidar com dificuldades financeiras em meio à vontade de crescer dentro do futebol do Piauí. Apesar dos obstáculos, a equipe vem conquistando seu espaço e atingindo marcas inéditas, como a de chegar às quartas de final da Copa do Nordeste.
Até o momento, o time piauiense recebeu R$ 940 mil (R$ 640 mil na fase de grupos e R$ 300 mil por ter avançado ao mata-mata) pela disputa do torneio. O dinheiro chega num momento em que o clube precisa quitar os salários atrasados e driblar a falta de investimento de patrocinadores.
– Esse dinheiro nos ajuda demais, eu tenho sonhado com isso. Cada real, cada centavo aqui no Altos é muito importante – disse o presidente Warton Lacerda ao LANCE.
Neste ano, o Altos não contou com o valor das cotas de transmissão da Copa do Brasil, como aconteceu nos últimos dois anos. Por isso, o dinheiro da Copa do Nordeste se torna ainda mais importante para a sequência da temporada.
– O clube está com uma parte dos salários atrasados, mas estamos trabalhando para quitar a dívida. Se os clubes grandes estão com dificuldades, imaginem nosso time, que é um time pequeno do Nordeste, sem renda e com patrocínios escassos – afirmou o mandatário.
No ano passado, o Altos conquistou o sonhado acesso à Série C do Brasileiro. A diretoria manteve o time e contratou algumas peças para esta temporada. Apesar da evolução, o clube ainda enfrenta problemas na hora de fechar com patrocinadores.
– Temos lutado muito, os valores são muito pequenos. Infelizmente, as grandes empresas não acreditam no futebol piauiense. O Altos é o único time do estado na Série C, o único do estado que está na fase mata-mata da Copa do Nordeste, mas os patrocínios são muito pequenos. A falta de apoio é muito grande – desabafou Warton.
Outro fator que tumultuou o início da temporada do Altos foi o surto de COVID-19. O time perdeu 10 atletas por contaminação ao longo da competição. Além dos jogadores que precisaram ficar em isolamento social, outros se lesionaram.
– A gente vem tendo desfalques nas últimas semanas. Os atletas que se contaminaram já estão liberados e novos casos, felizmente, não apareceram. Os jogadores que estão um pouco debilitados na parte física devido ao desgaste dos jogos e sintomas gripais, acredito que até sábado estejam em condições – avaliou o técnico Fernando Tonet.
Caso passe pelo Vitória no sábado (17), às 16h, no Barradão, e conquiste uma das vagas da semifinal, o Altos receberá mais R$ 350 mil. Uma sonhada final acrescentaria mais R$ 500 mil ao vice-campeão e R$ 1 milhão ao vencedor do torneio.
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As if Friday’s fixture in Southampton was not tantalising enough, there will be an extra piquancy in England and West Indies’ World Cup match-up, given the reunion between Jofra Archer and the team for whom he might already have been a mainstay.The Barbados-born Archer, 24, has been one of the stars of the tournament to date, having qualified to play for England in April after the ECB chose late last year to reduce its residency period from seven years to three.And though he is hardly an unknown quantity on account of his exploits in T20 leagues around the world, he’s undoubtedly benefited in some of his early outings from a certain surprise factor – not least his ability to bowl in excess of 90mph from an ambling run-up that scarcely requires him to break sweat.But according to Floyd Reifer, West Indies’ head coach and fellow Bajan, there will be nothing about Archer that can take his players by surprise on Friday – and he should know, having played alongside him in club cricket while he was still a West Indies youth prospect.”To be honest, we knew Jofra for a long time,” said Reifer. “He is from Barbados, where we are from. We knew him from the U15s, U17s, U19s so he is not new to us. Yes, he’s bowling quickly, but there’s nothing that we are not accustomed to. We are looking forward to the challenge. So we will see how it goes on Friday.”Jofra Archer bowled with venom, picking up three key wickets•Getty Images
In a tournament that has already featured some tantalising match-ups, the expectations around Friday’s game have been heightened by the extraordinary feast of attacking batting and fierce quick bowling that lit up the team’s 2-2 series draw in the Caribbean earlier this year.In a see-saw series, England appeared to have struck a decisive blow in posting a hefty 418 for 6 in the fourth match in Grenada, a match in which Jos Buttler cracked a remarkable 150 from 77 balls.But their thunder was stolen in the series decider in St Kitts, where Chris Gayle set a personal seal on a brilliant campaign with 77 from 27 balls, after Oshane Thomas had bombed England out for 113 with figures of 5 for 21. And with a further trial by pace in prospect on Friday, England will doubtless be grateful to have their own spearhead to return the compliment to their opponents.”We are entertainers,” said Reifer. “We are here to entertain so the players come out and entertain us. But yes, we will have a good game. I’m sure Jofra will be chomping at the bit to come at us and we will be ready for him.”Archer’s decision to abandon his aspirations to play for West Indies came after he was overlooked for the Under-19 World Cup in 2014. Instead, he followed the advice of his friend and fellow Bajan-turned-England international, Chris Jordan, and took advantage of his British passport to forge a new career at Sussex. The rest, as they say, is history.Asked if he was disappointed that Archer would be playing against, rather than for, his team on Friday, Reifer laughed and said: “He made his choice.””Jofra is a tremendous talent, we all know that. Like I said, we are looking forward to the game on Friday.”He obviously had the pace [to play international cricket]. He had a few injuries as a young guy. But I’m guessing though he’s fully over those injuries and he is bowling very well for England.”West Indies’ own fast-bowling stocks were depleted for the South Africa game with the absence of Andre Russell, who has been managing a knee problem since the start of the tournament. But Reifer said that his non-selection had merely been a precaution, given the length of the tournament and his importance to the cause.”Yes, Andre will be fit enough for the game on Friday,” he said. “The game against England is a big game for us. We are looking forward to that game. Looking at the weather forecast, it was 90 percent rain today and they had rain over the last couple of days here as well. So it is just a precautionary measure where we are kind of wrapping him in cotton wool.”