Geoff Boycott on the key to the opener’s success, India’s spin combination, and what makes Alastair Cook tick

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Nov-2012Siddhartha Talya: Hello and welcome to a special edition of Bowl at Boycs, and I say it’s special because Geoffrey Boycott is in Mumbai, and we’re speaking face to face. Geoffrey, you’ve been to Mumbai on several occasions after your retirement but you played your first Test here, didn’t you, back in 1980?Geoffrey Boycott: A memorable Test match. It was the Jubilee Test to celebrate 50 years of Indian cricket. I met the president of the cricket board, Mr Wankhede himself, I liked him. Surprise, surprise, you were so kind to us – which normally you’re not – you gave us a lovely pitch that seamed and swung. We were a bit better than you at that. We proved when you came to England and we beat you 4-0, and you’re much better when it turns.Ian Botham, you were up against one of the great allrounders, and he got 13 wickets and a hundred. We won by ten wickets, and all the time I’ve been coming here as a commentator, I’ve never seen one like it since. So it was a rare pitch, lovely moment and we played that on our way back from a series in Australia, three Tests and plenty of one-dayers.ST: And then you came back again a few years later…GB: I did, and you won the series then 1-0. So, you’re very tough to beat in India, very, very tough indeed. It was a one-off Test [in 1980] and anything could happen, but you gave us a pitch that was quite extraordinary.ST: We’ll come to the questions now. The first one comes from Anshul in India. He says this is probably the first time you’ve had a good look at India’s spin combination of R Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha. What’s been your first impression, given they’ve had wickets come easy in the first innings, but had to work hard for them in the next?GB: First of all, Ojha is an old-fashioned slow bowler. By that I mean, he tosses the ball up, he gives it air, with spin, but he’s the old-fashioned type of flight and guile. He’s not turned to the modern way – despite Twenty20 cricket – of firing it in because people are going to slog him out of the park. The ball is up in the air so long, he actually gives the impression that it should be easy to hit, but he isn’t. He’s got a simple, orthodox, textbook action. He’s a nice bowler and I have no reason to think he won’t get wickets, not at all. Everything looks nice and smooth in his action, he does spin it and he looks a good bowler.Ashwin is a bit different. His action is all arms, a bit all over the place. Quite frankly, after seeing him get 50 wickets, quicker than any other Indian bowler, I was disappointed. I really was. Why? Because his line and length was all over the place. For example, for too long he attacked Alastair Cook, bowling over the wicket aiming at Cook’s leg stump. There were a lot of the bowlers’ footmarks, rough, outside the left-hander’s off stump, which would have afforded him unpredictable spin, maybe some unusual bounce, the odd ball stopping and lifting and maybe the odd ball keeping low. If he’d bowled around the wicket and aimed there, consistently, often with patience, I think it would have been a much better plan to get Cook out. If you remember, he got Cook out driving off the front foot exactly that way [in the first innings]. If you got the guy out in the first innings like that, why the hell do you want to go over the wicket and bowl at his leg stump. Cook is much better at leg stump. The pitch [there] is not going to turn as much, it is much more pristine. And he hardly bowled there [outside the left-hander’s off stump] in the second innings.Even to the England right-handers, his line and length was all over the place. I don’t think his strategy and planning was good enough. He didn’t have enough patience. Every spinner should have a stock ball he can bowl pretty much at will on a good length and a good line, and he can do it time after time. An offspinner should be able to bowl an offspin ball to right-handed batsmen just outside off stump, pitching it up, on a pretty good length. He didn’t seem to have any consistency or patience. If you saw a map of his bowling, the ball was all over the place, different lengths, different lines. I thought, on a pitch which had such slow turn, that wasn’t the best way to go, so it was a disappointment. Let’s see how he bowls in Mumbai. But what I saw there, I wasn’t impressed.In fact, I think Harbhajan Singh at his best was, for me, a better bowler. But he lost form a little bit, bowling so flat in one-day cricket, which, I’m saying, could happen. It mentally makes the spinners bowl flatter, because if you toss it up, they’re going to hit you out for a six and you can’t afford that too often. Apparently Harbhajan’s coming back a bit. I don’t know. Ashwin’s got wickets so he must be a decent bowler. But, if you ask me, I give you the truth. What I saw was disappointing. That doesn’t mean he’s a bad bowler. There’s another three Tests so we’ll see what happens. Ask me then at the end.ST: Is this where someone like MS Dhoni comes into the picture as well. He’s the captain, he’s standing right behind the stumps. Given that Cook was playing Ashwin so well for such a long period of time, is this where Dhoni could have stepped in and told Ashwin to change his strategy a bit?GB: Yes, he could have. I don’t know what went on and I don’t want to guess what was said. Dhoni’s a good captain. He handles the players and the team and the situations pretty good, so I don’t know. But the bowler in Test match cricket ought to know. He’s been around the park a bit. He’s played IPL for a few years. He’s won two trophies and lost to Kolkata last year, so it’s not like he doesn’t know what he’s doing. Some young kid, playing his first Test, two or three, then maybe a player, ex-player or captain could say, “Hey, maybe you should do this.” But, he’s not exactly a young kid of 20, is he? How old is he?ST: He’s 26, he’ll be turning 26 this year.GB: Yeah, and he’s had a few years playing, so he ought to have been able to sort that out himself. And tell me, you bowl somebody out one way in the first innings, don’t you do that again? The batsman’s already thinking, “I don’t want it there, I’ve got out there.”ST: The Mumbai Test will be of special significance for another Indian player and that’s Virender Sehwag. He is playing his 100th Test overall. Related to that is a question from Srikkanth in the United States. He says: I don’t mean to compare Sehwag to Viv Richards, who was…GB:: No, don’t, There’s no comparison…ST: … and he elaborates, saying, Richards was destructive against superior bowling attacks at a time when helmets were not around. But what has been the key to Sehwag sustaining such a remarkable strike-rate of 82, especially with a consistency that’s given him an average of over 50 in Test cricket, and for such a long period of time?GB: Let’s take the average first. I don’t think we should get too carried away with averages or statistics. They don’t tell you everything about a player. They don’t tell you the type of pitches or the quality of opposition, you’ve already mentioned that. No helmets, fast bowlers, etc.All modern-day players have higher averages than they did 20 years ago. I don’t know what the total answer to that is but there are heavier bats, shorter boundaries, pitches are flatter and prepared better, certainly in England. They’re miles better, as are all over the world. They are a yardstick to measure the quality of a cricketer against other players of era. In the era he’s played, he has been superb.Virender has been a superb player. From my point of view, watching him, oh, he’s fun. He’s an entertainer, a guy who keeps people on the edge of their seats, because in a blink of an eye you could miss him, or miss some fantastic shots. For me, it’s a lack of fear in his batting. He plays by instinct, with superb timing. He is inventive with his strokeplay. And in his best period, he was blessed with great eyesight. That’s important because it means you pick up the line and the length slightly quicker than most people. To play all those shots he plays, he’s got to pick up the length very quickly. He’s always had an uncomplicated, free-flowing bat speed. He picks it up and he hits at the ball and it’s always a free flow. It’s a gift, which, together with his instinct to take on bowlers, particularly on subcontinent pitches, it’s worked brilliantly. He’s mesmerised bowlers in the subcontinent.It’s not so easy for him to play that way on some pitches abroad. That’s why his record is better in the subcontinent. He’s still done well, at times, abroad, but he’s also been shown up at times, like in England. And in his favourite environment where he grew up, which is India, he’s used to the pitches and they tend to have a low bounce that gets lower. And there is hardly any movement with the new ball. So he can hit through the line of the ball. It’s not going to move on him, and he does take the ball on the up, which is chancy. If anything, the pace of the ball is much slower in India and gets slower and slower as the matches go on.In England, that’s totally different. The normal pace is quicker than India and, many times, it will seam, it will swing. If you were playing on the up and extravagant shots and your technique isn’t pretty good – he’s never been a technical player, he’s been an expressive player – then that’s fraught with danger. In South Africa and Australia, some pitches aren’t quick, like Port Elizabeth, but there are others like Cape Town, you’ve got a Johannesburg, you’ve got a Pretoria, and much high above, sometimes in Durban you’re never quite sure what you’re going to get. Australia has bouncier pitches, they are faster and bouncier. All these conditions help the bowlers a little bit more, which give problems to the batsmen. Then it’s not so easy to play these risky shots on the up, over the top, with limited footwork. That’s the key, early on with limited footwork. We’re all playing much better when we’ve got runs, 30, 40, 50, then the footwork is brilliant. It’s early on, they get you out before you go in.It’s difficult for bowlers to bounce him in India. When they bang it in, it takes the sting out of the ball so it sits up nicely to hit. When he goes abroad they can bang it in with more pace and he does get into trouble a lot more. It gets high on the chest and it’s more difficult to handle. So I’ve tried to put the plusses and the minuses and to explain to you, not be detrimental or be highly critical. I love his batting, he’s been wonderful for the game, but when there’s been awkward bounce, and awkward movement, it makes his job or the way he plays much more difficult.He’s always had this quick eye to make up for his technique which isn’t special. And technique is much more vital when there’s pace and bounce and movement.

“There’ll be people with a wider range of shots, there’s Bell, Clarke, Kallis and Amla. But I don’t think they’ll be more effective than Cook. He’s just as effective as them and he’ll keep going on and on and on”

As he gets older, which he is beginning to, he’ll still be able to play, but maybe his eyesight and reactions might just slow down a little bit. It happens to all of us, not just him, and so he should find it a little more difficult to play that way when the ball moves around, bounces and so forth. But, when he’s on song, particularly going well on these slower pitches, going after bowlers in the subcontinent or the odd pitch abroad where it doesn’t move too much, he is exciting and absolutely impossible to bowl at.ST: He’s had a few big scores overseas but, as you said, there are certain technical aspects of his game that may not necessarily help him get more big scores outside of India. But have you noticed any technical adjustments he’s made to his game when he’s gone overseas? Or is the technique so firmly entrenched in his game that, subconsciously, even when you’re playing abroad, knowing that the pitches are much more difficult, it’s still difficult to change your game?GB: I don’t think he really wants to change. He’s got such a phlegmatic temperament. Nothing seems to bother him much. He’ll sing tunes and everything in the dressing room, he takes everything in his stride. That’s a wonderful asset. That’s not a criticism. If you’ve been so successful in a particular way, I think he just thinks, “Well, I’ve done pretty good, why should I change,” and I think he’s going to play that way till the end of his career. I don’t think he’s going to change very much.As you get older, you may lose a little bit of reaction time, a little bit of eyesight, it’s not quite the same, but you should have learnt and gained maturity from playing a lot of cricket around the world. You should have gained experience, you should have gained knowledge, shouldn’t you? So where you lose a little bit on one side, you should have gained something to a kid when you start. If you’re clever, you use one to offset the other, you may play slightly a different way. For instance, Sachin Tendulkar may have to do that, one of the all-time greats. I don’t see Viru doing that. He’s an uncomplicated individual. He’s comfortable in his own skin, comfortable with his own way of playing and, I think, he’ll go out the same way as he came in. And he’ll be remembered and loved.ST: Geoffrey’s favourite question for this show is related to technique as well. It comes from Prajot in India. He says: Alastair Cook has a better average in Australia, Sri Lanka and India than he does in England, showing he has an ability to adapt to conditions quicker than most. What is it about his technique that has brought him so much success? And have you noticed any adjustments he makes when he plays outside of England?GB: I don’t think he changes his technique, wherever he is. He has a very good technique but England is probably the most difficult place to be an opener, because the English climate of rain, cooler weather with small amounts of sunshine, leaves even well-prepared pitches open to more seam and swing. The new-ball bowlers exploit that and opening the batting is always going to be a bit harder in England, just the nature of the country.Cook’s technique is very simple. It’s to get as far forward as he can, whether he is playing spin or seam, so that the ball, after pitching, has the smallest distance to travel after hitting the pitch to him meeting it with his bat. And when it’s short of a length, he uses the crease and gets deep into it, and get as high as he can, to give himself more time to watch the ball spin or seam. That way, he can play pretty late, close to his body, and he is, sort of, over the top of the ball. He has a strong mind, always has had. Every cricket he’s played , every time he’s gone up a notch, he’s played well. He’s got a strong mind, patience, concentration, a good temperament that is unflappable, he is not really fazed by anything. He’s a tough, determined kid under that really nice mild manner. He’s always had a nice, mild manner.And he doesn’t sweat, which has been talked about recently, which helps him when he’s playing in the heat abroad. While playing long innings, you need to change your gloves which get wet. You’re sweating such a lot, you need to get towelled down a bit, it gets you a bit flustered. It doesn’t bother him that way, so that is a help.Apart from this excellent defence and determined strong mind, he does have certain areas or shots that he feels comfortable in. He uses them. Others, that are not his favourite areas, he doesn’t try early on. Some batsmen will have a much wider range of strokes than him. For instance, Bell and Pietersen, in the England side. But he’s clever. He sticks to what he knows he can play or he’s comfortable with. And he only plays the other shots when he’s in, when he’s getting runs, confidence, feet are moving well, and it’s very difficult to get him out of his comfort zone. So that makes a tough cookie to bowl at.Once he’s in, he will expand his range of shots a bit more. But there are certain shots… you don’t see him hooking, he’ll pull. He’s not really an on-driver through the on side, he’ll hit it off his hip on the back foot. I could go through his batting. He’s a very smart cookie. I’m not dissecting him out for criticism, I’m giving you a constructive appraisal where I think he’s a very, very fine player. Let me tell you.”He’s a tough, determined kid under that really nice mild manner”•Associated PressIf he does have a problem, sometimes early on, he doesn’t get right forward. He gets half a stride, so he’s quite a long way from the ball. And if he’s ever out of form, his footwork’s not great, he will get out putting his front foot on the wrong side of the ball. In other words, if you’re playing as a left-hander, your right foot, the front foot, should be on the leg side of the ball so the bat can come down straight and hit the ball. He will sometimes get his foot on the off side of the ball, then he can’t get at the ball with a straight bat, he has to go round his pad going towards midwicket. And as he’s going around, he tends to fall over with his balance. His head falls over because his foot’s in the wrong place. He had that trouble before we went to the last Ashes in Australia. There was talk about him: Would he get a run? Would they drop him? He played at The Oval, got a hundred then went to Australia and played unbelievably well, didn’t he? So, once he gets in good form, he doesn’t give it way, he tends to do pretty well.He’s fairly unflappable, he doesn’t get upset one way or the other. He’s pretty determined. And as batsmen go, there’ll be people more pleasing on the eye, like Sehwag, Pietersen when he’s going. There’ll be people with a wider range of shots, there’s Bell, Clarke, Kallis and Amla. But I don’t think they’ll be more effective than Cook. He’s just as effective as them and he’ll keep going on and on and on. So you better get him out early.ST: Did you see anything similar with Cheteshwar Pujara when he got that double-century? These are players who are in the age of Twenty20 but just seem to be made for Test cricket.GB: He’s not dissimilar. He has a good technique, strong mind, temperament, concentration, just the same and he didn’t change his game. He kept on going. And that’s the secret of making big scores. Just keep going. Why change? There’s an old saying: If it’s not broken, why fix it? So if you’ve got a good technique to get a hundred, why would you change and do something different? Go and get another one. It’s quite simple really. In the end, people talk to me about this shot and that shot, I say: Look it’s simple. It’s cricket. If you’re a batsman, I judge you on how many runs you make. If you’re a bowler, I judge you on how many wickets you take. I don’t judge you on what you talk about, or what you say you might do. I’m not interested in how unlucky you are because that swings on roundabouts. Just tell me how many runs are you going to make for the team, and how many wickets you’re going to get as a bowler. To me, that’s a very, very fine player. And he is.ST: And finally, before we go into the Bombay Test match which starts tomorrow, Stuart Broad missed a training session today, India are without Umesh Yadav, there’s no Steven Finn for the second Test. Not asking you to make a prediction or anything, but how do you see both teams in terms of their balance?GB: If you were to tell me one of the spinners has broken his finger or broken his foot, then that’s a big factor. But if I were a betting man and I was batting tomorrow, I won’t be bothered which seamer was bowling at me.ST: Let’s see how it goes. Thanks for that Geoffrey, we’ve come to the end of this show. We’ll speak to Geoffrey once again in a couple of weeks from now but do remember to send us your questions using our feedback form, and Geoffrey will be joining in from Kolkata.GB: Could be 1-1 then.ST: That will spice up the series but there’ll be a lot who would think otherwise.GB: [Laughs], I’m teasing you.ST: Thanks for that, Geoffrey.

Aaron Judge continues to etch his name alongside previous Yankee greats as he adds to an already impressive career in pinstripes. The slugger launched his 45th and 46th home runs of the season on Thursday night in a 9–3 victory over the Tigers, bringing his total with the franchise to 361.

That's enough to tie Joe DiMaggio for fourth-most in a Yankees uniform. Earlier in the series against Detroit, Judge passed Yogi Berra with his 359th homer.

Aaron Boone, Judge's longtime manager, spoke after the blasts about what it's like to ride shotgun on such a ride.

"Joe DiMaggio—that feels like that’s been there forever, right?” Boone said. "Joe DiMaggio, in a lot of ways, transcended baseball. To be next to him on the list, he’s going to be waving as he goes by. It’s been a privilege having a front-row seat to that."

Judge's greatness is no secret and at this point he has been doing it awhile. This is his 10th year and everyone that hasn't been cut short due to injury has been filled with incredible power. Still, it is sort of strange to realize in realtime that he will go down in Yankees lore in the same way the names he's chasing and catching have.

“Eventually the pressure kept on building in the second innings and we couldn’t capitalise,” says India’s stand-in captain Rishabh Pant

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Nov-20253:22

Philander: Bavuma ‘a wonderful inspiration’

“I am not a stats man, I am a win man,” Simon Harmer said when asked by Murali Kartik in the post-match presentation about his returns: his 8 for 51 is the best by a South Africa spinner in a Test in India and second only to Dale Steyn’s 10 for 108 back in 2010.The other South Africans at Eden Gardens could say the same. They started the third day staring at a crisis. They fought their way out of it with the bat, led by Temba Bavuma and Corbin Bosch, and then had Marco Jansen first and then Harmer running through the opposition.All India had in front of them was a target of 124. They only got 93.Related

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“A game like this, you can’t dwell into it too much, because… we should have been able to chase this score, but eventually the pressure kept on building in the second innings and we couldn’t capitalise,” Rishabh Pant, standing in as captain in Shubman Gill’s absence, said. “Definitely there was help in the wicket, a [target] of 120 can be tricky on these kinds of surfaces, but at the same time, as a team we should be able to soak in the pressure.”He pointed to the morning session when South Africa, resuming on 93 for 7, added 60 more runs. “That was the turning point,” Pant said. “Temba and Bosch had a brilliant partnership in the morning and that got them back in the game and that hurt us too much at the end of the game.”Bavuma isn’t the sort to talk big, so he kept it simple.”It was about awareness. Second innings, I didn’t change too much. Fortunately I have played in India before, so I kind of understand the little bit of adjustment that you need to make, and luck also plays a part,” he said of his innings of 55 not out, the only half-century in a game where no innings touched 200.”The captaincy, you are only as good as the players. That I give it to them. Batting, I am just comfortable with myself. And technique: not to worry about trigger and all those types of things. I stand as still as I can, watch the ball. I have a decent understanding of my game. I have come here to India wanting to do well. Not the greatest of records when it comes to these conditions. There’s a bit of that exuberance from my side to see myself doing well in these conditions and implement all the little things that I’m trying here, and keep contributing for the team.”The partnership with Bosch, I think with Marco as well at the end of the day [yesterday], just gave a little bit of impetus. The wicket played a bit better this morning, wasn’t as extreme. We tried to stay in the game as much as we could. It is not all the time that you score 120-125 and that’s a winning score. I think it was a case of staying in the game and keep believing.”Contribute he did, and then turned to his bowlers.3:40

Did India let South Africa off the hook in the morning?

“Very exciting. We want to be a part of these games and be on the right side of the result. We tried to hold on to our nerves as much as we could,” Bavuma said. “It was tough for us and we needed the bowlers to exploit what was there and the guys did that beautifully. We were able to change our bowlers frequently and that worked for us.”If Harmer is to be believed, the conditions got a bit tougher for him on the third day.”Today, I felt it probably got a little bit flatter as the ball got softer. It wasn’t exploding as much. I was asking myself some really hard questions,” he said. “Nice to contribute. I have been here before and it was a dark place, losing [three out of four Tests in 2015]. So to get here, to be behind the eight-ball again, and for the team to fight the way they did, shows where this group is and what they are capable of and the belief that they have.”I knew I needed to bowl well. I think it was the same when we were batting – it felt like we were one partnership away from getting ourselves into the game. It was the same with ball in hand. We knew we were one partnership away from getting really close. I just needed to try and put as many balls in the right areas and trust that the wicket would do its bit.”

Liverpool meet Manchester United on Sunday afternoon. It’s a fixture typically freighted with emotion, one of the biggest and fiercest rivalries the Premier League has ever hosted.

But for the Anfield side, they know they need a big performance regardless, having fallen to three successive defeats before the October international break. These are uncharted waters for Arne Slot, both during his Liverpool tenure and previously in his Dutch homeland with Feyenoord and AZ Alkmaar.

Despite slipping in the final stages of successive matches against Crystal Palace and Chelsea, Liverpool have fallen just one point behind league leaders Arsenal, and now they are back at Anfield.

The Red Devils have come away from Anfield with the spoils shared across both of the past two top-flight terms, but their own struggle for form under Ruben Amorim’s wing this season suggests that this is a fantastic chance for the defending champions to remind the Premier League what they are made of.

Who Slot should start up front vs Man Utd

Alexander Isak might have been called “the best striker in the Premier League” by pundit Jamie Carragher last season, but the debacle that was his summer transfer saga has disrupted his start to the season.

And Hugo Ekitike has only been too happy to take advantage and kickstart his own career in Liverpool. Having joined from Eintracht Frankfurt for an initial £69m fee in July, the Frenchman has scored five goals and assisted one more across ten matches so far this season, starting eight of those games.

Newly blooded in Didier Deschamps’ Les Bleus set-up, Ekitike boasts a rare attacking profile, deadly in the final third but also mobile and intelligent and electric on the ball.

The Frenchman’s red card for taking his shirt off in celebration, already on a yellow, having scored the winner in Liverpool’s Carabao Cup tie against Southampton, likely knocked him down a peg in Slot’s estimation, and he only made a cameo during the defeat at Stamford Bridge, having previously been suspended for the loss at Crystal Palace.

Will Isak reprise the starting berth he held against Chelsea? It was a tough evening for the visitors, but the Sweden international showed off his quality to claim the assist for Cody Gakpo’s second-half equaliser.

With the cogs not exactly whirring across Liverpool’s frontline right now, it feels like the chance to rise in stature is there for the taking.

Indeed, Slot does have the option to go down a different track, should he choose. Without a doubt, Isak and Ekitike are Liverpool’s most talented and effective centre-forwards, but there’s another who should play a part against Chelsea and even overshadow Ekitike.

Liverpool play Man United this weekend, and this particular Redman could call upon the spirit of former star Xherdan Shaqiri at Anfield.

Liverpool's new version of Shaqiri

Whether Slot decides to deploy him from the opening whistle or as part of a second-half wave that, on the basis of evidence, may be needed, there’s no question that Federico Chiesa will be primed to play his part against Liverpool’s most notorious rivals.

The 27-year-old has been one of the sharper forwards in the Anfield squad so far this season, bouncing back from a testing maiden year in England, struck by injuries and overlooked by Slot after arriving from Juventus for a cut-price £12.5m fee.

But he’s so far been among the most clinical players at Slot’s disposal this season, bagging the winner on the opener against Bournemouth, netting again at Selhurst Park and setting up both Isak and Ekitike’s strikes during the win over Saints.

Hugo Ekitike

10

5 (1)

Mohamed Salah

10

3 (3)

Federico Chiesa

6

2 (2)

Cody Gakpo

10

2 (2)

Alexander Isak

6

1 (1)

Rio Ngumoha

5

1 (0)

Hailed as a “wizard” of a footballer by broadcaster Roger Bennett for his efforts with Juventus, Chiesa has that special ability to make things happen when his team needs him most.

And in this way, he could be the next version of Shaqiri on this important weekend. The Swiss international, now 33 years old, only played 63 matches across three campaigns for the Merseysiders, but he certainly left his mark, instrumental in beating Barcelona on that most historic of nights in the Champions League and popping up with some big moments in the Premier League too.

It was super-sub Shaqiri who came off the bench to score twice and help Liverpool along to a 3-1 win over Manchester United in December 2018, as Jurgen Klopp went neck-and-neck with Pep Guardiola at the height of his City dynasty.

Liverpool ultimately fell short that year, but triumph on the continent certainly helped cushion the blow. And anyway, Liverpool would triumph in the Premier League one year later, with Shaqiri in amongst the celebrations.

Like Shaqiri, Chiesa is an injury-prone forward, but he has immense quality and is now showing an ability to retain his quality in the English game.

Might he steal Ekitike’s thunder against the Red Devils? The Italy international will surely be hoping to grace the field after Slot kept him on the bench against Chelsea. After all, he has, on a number of occasions already this term, looked to be Liverpool’s focal threat.

Last season, opportunities were few and far between for Chiesa at Liverpool. However, he has proved himself as a testament to tenacity and unwavering self-belief. Now, the Italian is a secret weapon for Slot’s side.

In the past, Shaqiri came up trumps for Klopp when facing Man United. Now, Chiesa could repeat that trick.

Better than Semenyo: Liverpool plot bid for "one of the best RWs in the world"

Liverpool need to begin plans to replace Mohamed Salah on the right wing.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 15, 2025

كشفت تقارير صحفية، يوم الإثنين، أن الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم أخبر الأندية التي تمتلك لاعبين مشاركين في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا، بإمكانية الاحتفاظ بهم حتى موعد محدد.

وتستضيف المغرب نهائيات بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا، وذلك في الفترة بين 21 ديسمبر 2025 و18 يناير 2026.

ويستعد منتخب مصر للمشاركة في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا حيث يتواجد في المجموعة الثانية، والتي تضم كل من زيمبابوي، أنجولا وجنوب إفريقيا.

ويبدأ منتخب مصر، بقيادة المدير الفني حسام حسن، مشواره في كأس أمم إفريقيا بمباراته ضد زيمبابوي يوم 22 ديسمبر، ثم جنوب إفريقيا 26 وأنجولا 29.

ويخوض منتخب مصر مباراة ودية ضد نيجيريا يوم 14 ديسمبر الجاري، في حين أن المعسكر التدريبي الأولي سينطلق يوم الأربعاء المقبل، على أن يتجه الفراعنة إلى المغرب يوم 17 من الشهر نفسه.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ليفربول يأمل شيئًا ما بعد استدعاء محمد صلاح لقائمة منتخب مصر

وتواصل الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، قبل أيام، مع ليفربول ومانشستر سيتي من أجل السماح بإطلاق سراح الثنائي محمد صلاح وعمر مرموش مبكرًا، حتى يتسنى لهما المشاركة في مباراة نيجيريا الودية.

وذكرت تقارير صحفية سابقة أن ليفربول ومانشستر سيتي يخشيان إجبارهما على التخلي عن محمد صلاح ومرموش في وقت مبكر، ومن ثم غيابهما عن مباريات أكثر مع فرقهما، حسب قواعد فيفا.

وكانت هناك تقارير قد ذكرت أن الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم قد يجبر الأندية على إطلاق سراح لاعبيها، المشاركين في كأس أمم إفريقيا، قبل نحو أسبوعين من البطولة.

ولكن الصحفي كيث داوني، بشبكة “سكاي سبورتس” العالمية، ذكر أن فيفا أبلغ الأندية بإمكانية الاحتفاظ باللاعبين المشاركين في كأس أمم إفريقيا حتى يوم 15 ديسمبر.

هذا الأمر، حال الإعلان عنه بشكل رسمي، يعني بقاء محمد صلاح مع ليفربول حتى مباراة برايتون يوم 13 ديسمبر، كما سيظل مرموش مع مانشستر سيتي حتى مباراة كريستال بالاس في اليوم التالي.

Manchester United have been told that a sensational January swoop for Brazilian superstar Neymar could offer them a “boost”. Questions are, however, being asked of whether the Santos playmaker is cut out for life in the Premier League at Old Trafford after reaching 33 years of age and suffering a number of injury issues over the last couple of seasons.

Neymar landing spots: England or MLS?

Neymar, who is his country’s all-time leading goalscorer at international level, is currently playing through pain and ignoring the advice of doctors at Santos. He is doing his best to steer his boyhood club away from relegation danger.

He headed home in January after seeing his contract at Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal terminated – with a long road to recovery taken in on the back of knee ligament damage. Neymar has spent more time on the treatment table this term.

Another change of scenery may be sought early in 2026, as Neymar sees his contract run down towards free agency, and various landing spots are being speculated on – from England to MLS. United have been credited with interest in the not too distant past.

AdvertisementGettyMan Utd move: Should Red Devils approach Neymar?

Quizzed on whether a deal would appeal at this stage, former Red Devils striker Louis Saha told : “If you asked me six months ago, I’d have loved Neymar at Manchester United. But right now, he seems fragile, or injured. Maybe he’s lost his spark.

“It’s sad, because I love Neymar. I thought a couple of years ago it’d have been a perfect move because he can still be an amazing player. He could really boost United with his inventiveness and talent.

“I think perhaps the way he has had his career guided needed to be challenged in the past. I don’t know how he can set about putting things right and rebuilding anymore. United need players who will sacrifice themselves for the team, who are in love with the club. I’m not sure Neymar is the man to offer that to United at this point in his career.”

Alternative options: MSN to reform in MLS?

It has been suggested that Neymar could reunite with former Barcelona team-mates Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at Inter Miami, allowing the fabled ‘MSN’ attacking unit to be reformed.

Ex-USMNT and MLS star Brad Friedel has told GOAL of whether that switch makes sense: “If Neymar is fit, then I think it works, I really do because he’s still a huge name in certain parts of the US. The trouble is if he’s not fit and he’s injured a lot, then it becomes a negative media-driven reality. I can understand arguments on both sides for sure.

“I would assume, and these are smart guys, it would be a tiered contract based on performances and being fit. Having spent some time in Miami, before Messi came you wouldn’t have really known that Miami had a team. From the time that he came, there are pink and black shirts everywhere. If Neymar came, it would add to that.”

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GettyBest business: Top Premier League deals in 2025

While Saha doubts that Neymar is the right option for United, he believes that the Red Devils completed one of the Premier League’s best deals during the summer of 2025 – with a proven performer being lured away from domestic rivals Brentford.

He added when picking out the shrewdest business done in the last window: “For me, the best signing is between Hugo Ekitike and Bryan Mbeumo. I think [Nick] Woltemade has been brilliant too, I love him.

“I think those three have been the standout players so far, but I think that Mbeumo has probably been the very best of the three. He’s playing for a side that is in transition. Ekitike is playing for the league champions, and Woltemade arrived at a team that is in the Champions League. They both have their problems, of course, but I think United were in the toughest place at the start of the season. I’ve seen United struggle, and how hard it was for Mbeumo, and he’s done brilliantly to raise standards at the club and keep his own standards up.”

United will be piecing together plans for January, with it possible that further reinforcements will be drafted in alongside Mbeumo. Ruben Amorim’s side, who are still scratching around for consistency in 2025-26, sit seventh in the Premier League table through 13 rounds of fixtures and will be back in action on Thursday at home to West Ham.

Trent Rockets women have appointed Chris Read as their new head coach.The former Nottinghamshire wicketkeeper and captain has been promoted from his assistant role held under previous incumbent Jon Lewis, who left the Women’s Hundred side at the end of the 2025 campaign after three years in charge.Read is a cult hero at Trent Bridge, having made over 700 appearances in all formats for Nottinghamshire across 19 years, serving as club captain for 10 seasons. He earned 15 Test caps for England, alongside 36 ODI appearances.Rockets will enter the 2026 season under new management following the acquisition of a 49% stake by Cain International – whose co-founders Todd Boehly and Jonathan Goldstein are part of the consortium that owns Chelsea FC – and private equity firm Ares Management. They will run the organisation, with Nottinghamshire retaining a 51% stake.Read’s move into coaching has recently included success as with Lancashire Women, marshalling them to two trophies this year. Last week, he signed a two-year deal to remain as their head coach through to the end of 2027.Read’s coaching staff at Rockets will include another former Nottinghamshire team-mate, Luke Fletcher, as assistant coach.”It’s a deeply proud moment to take on a head coaching role based at the ground that I have a huge number of unbelievably special memories at,” said Read in a statement. “I’ve really enjoyed developing my coaching skillset with the Rockets over the last three summers, and the opportunity to continue that journey is really exciting.”I felt the impact of a sold-out Trent Bridge crowd first-hand over many years, and I know how much their support can change the course of games.”With all the fresh energy and investment into the Hundred, I’m really looking forward to starting the preparation for 2026 and beyond as we bid to deliver success.”Rockets general manager Mick Newell, who coached Read at Nottinghamshire, added: “It’s a real full-circle moment for Chris to return to Trent Bridge to lead Trent Rockets, and we’re delighted to welcome him back.”Having established himself as a true club legend here with years of outstanding service as a player, he has now shown himself to be blossoming into an excellent coach and leader too.”His fantastic start to a coaching career at Lancashire, and his experience from previous years with the Rockets, will stand him in great stead, and we can’t wait to see him in his new role.”Despite boasting a strong group, which includes current England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, Rockets have yet to reach the final of the Women’s Hundred. Their best finish came in 2022, losing the Eliminator to Southern Brave.

Manchester United star Diogo Dalot has revealed his thoughts on ‘The United Strand’, who has vowed not to cut his hair until Ruben Amorim’s side win five games in a row.

Man Utd make it two wins on the bounce with victory at Anfield

After nearly one year in charge, Amorim has finally managed to win two Premier League games on the bounce, with his side pulling off a shock 2-1 victory against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, courtesy of a late Harry Maguire header.

Having been critical of the United boss at times this season, Jamie Carragher was full of praise for the 40-year-old after the match, claiming he got his tactics “absolutely spot on”.

There is still a long way to go, but supporter Frank Ilett, who has become known as ‘The United Strand’ will have renewed confidence the Red Devils can make it five wins on the spin, having pledged not to have a haircut until Amorim’s side do so.

The story has made waves to such an extent that Dalot was even asked for his thoughts after the victory against Liverpool, and the full-back made it clear he believes five wins on the spin could be possible, sending a short message of hope to the fan.

He continued: But we have to go game by game. Obviously, we know this is a very difficult league, we have tough games.

“And, of course, we have to go after that consistency that we have lacked because we have already shown in the past that we can compete against any team in the world.

“We get to the big games, we get to have good performances. Now it’s trying to make it happen every game.”

£62m Man Utd star looks like their best player "since Fergie retired"

Manchester United might just have turned a corner under Ruben Amorim’s wing.

2 ByAngus Sinclair Oct 20, 2025 Victory at Anfield could kickstart the Amorim era

Although Liverpool have not been in the best of form, winning at Anfield is no mean feat, with United failing to do so in nine years, and INEOS will be hoping that the result can kickstart the Amorim era.

Five wins on the bounce may be a tall order, but it is definitely possible when you look at the fixture list, given that United have won every home game so far this season, while Nottingham Forest are in the relegation zone, and Aston Villa won at Tottenham Hotspur last time out.

Man United’s upcoming fixtures

Date

Brighton & Hove Albion (h)

October 25th

Nottingham Forest (a)

November 1st

Tottenham Hotspur (a)

November 8th

Either way, things are finally starting to look up for Man United, with Amorim’s side now just two points off the top four.

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da gbg bet： Com uma lesão no tornozelo após o empate com o Goiás, Chay compartilhou insatisfação com os jogadores do Esmeraldino em relação às entradas sofridas na partida da última terça-feira pela Série B do Brasileirão. O jogador do Botafogo se pronunciou em uma rede social sobre o caso.

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O camisa 14 mostrou uma foto do tornozelo inchado e reclamou que Caio Vinícius, autor da falta que o tirou da partida, não foi expulso. Vale lembrar que o meia do Botafogo foi substituído chorando e deixou o gramado da Serrinha carregado por Rafael Navarro.

– Não ia nem me pronunciar sobre isso! Mas é falta de respeito com qualquer atleta que sofre uma falta daquele jeito não ver o atleta que agrediu ser punido no mínimo com um cartão vermelho! – escreveu o atleta do Botafogo.

A delegação do Botafogo chegou ao Rio de Janeiro no fim da manhã desta quarta-feira. Chay será reavaliado com maior cautela pelo Departamento Médico do Alvinegro no Estádio Nilton Santos.

A “world-class” forward is now a top attacking target for Tottenham Hotspur, alongside AFC Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo.

Spurs vying to sign Son Heung-min replacement

Son Heung-min has proven he still has plenty left to give since making the move to LAFC in the summer, with the South Korean picking up eight goals and three assists in his opening nine MLS games, so Tottenham may be ruing the decision to sanction a sale.

Initially, Xavi Simons featured at left-wing in Son’s place, but the Dutchman has since moved into a more central role, with Wilson Odobert being given the nod against Leeds United, but the young Frenchman is still yet to register a Premier League goal contribution this term.

On the opposite flank, Mohammed Kudus has made a more impressive start, scoring the winning goal in the 2-1 victory against Leeds, but Thomas Frank may feel he is a little light on top-quality options on the left.

As such, it is no doubt exciting news that Spurs are preparing a January move for AFC Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo, with Frank of the belief the 25-year-old would be the “perfect fit” in his squad.

With nine goal contributions to his name in the Premier League already this season, a move to a Champions League club could provide the platform for Semenyo to become one of the best wingers in the world.

Tottenham now in contact to sign "complete" fast winger ahead of Rangers

He would be one for the future for Spurs.

ByHenry Jackson Oct 12, 2025

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Semenyo is one of Tottenham’s top targets to replace Son, but so is Atalanta star Ademola Lookman, with the north Londoners expected to spend a significant amount of money on a new left-winger.

Spurs came close to signing Lookman in the summer, at which point he was valued at £43m, but the deal fell through, as the Italian club were unwilling to sanction a loan move and wanted a permanent sale.

Since then, however, the forward has worked his way back into first-team contention, starting against FC Como last time out, and the Nigerian’s previous exploits suggest he could be a fantastic addition to Frank’s squad…

"World-class" Semenyo could flourish at N17

BBC reporter John Bennett hailed the Atalanta forward in light of his remarkable performances across 2024, perhaps most notably scoring a hat-trick in the final of the Europa League to lead his side to victory against Bayer Leverkusen.

Since leaving England for Italy, the London-born attacker has also maintained a very impressive goal and assist record in the Serie A.

Season

Serie A appearances

Goal contributions

2022-23

31

21

2023-24

31

19

2024-25

31

20

There may be some concerns over the fact Lookman hasn’t set the world alight in England in the past, scoring just four goals in 48 games for Everton, but he has clearly developed since then, and at 27-years-old, the ex-Fulham man may now be in his prime.