MatériaMais Notícias

da doce： Formiga é uma lenda do futebol brasileiro. Aos 43 anos, a volante do São Paulo falou com exclusividade ao LANCE!. A despedida da Seleção brasileira e a final do Campeonato Feminino contra o Corinthians foram assuntos.

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da betway： Assim que foi anunciada pelo São Paulo, as expectativas dos torcedores pelo retorno de Formiga foram grandiosas. Afinal, a volante voltaria ao Brasil e vestiria as cores do Tricolor, seu clube do coração, mais uma vez. Fazendo jus ao que os torcedores esperavam, Formiga ultrapassou as expectativas da torcida e participou da campanha que levou o time à final do Paulistão Feminino. O São Paulo venceu o Santos na semifinal , por 4 a 0, e consolidou sua classificação, já que havia vencido a partida de ida por 1 a 0.

– É uma emoção muito grande poder chegar e alegrar a todos. Fui muito mais que bem recebida, então cumprir meu papel em campo é meu dever. Vamos a essa final com foco total. Como eu disse quando cheguei, poder jogar pelo clube do meu coração e sentir o carinho da torcida do São Paulo é indescritível e já de cara encarar a final de um dos principais campeonatos para um clube é um presente – declarou.

VEJA A TABELA E SIMULE AS RODADAS FINAIS DO BRASILEIRÃO

Antes de chegar ao São Paulo, Formiga atuou pelo PSG por 4 temporadas. De 8 jogos disputados desde que chegou, a atleta já marcou um gol. A partida de ida da final do Campeonato Paulista Feminino será no dia 4 de dezembro, no Morumbi O adversário é o grande rival, Corinthians. Formiga projeta um grande duelo.

– Tem tudo para ser um jogo histórico. Sabemos do potencial delas, mas também sabemos do nosso. Temos um time unido, fortalecido e que luta muito diariamente para chegar nas melhores condições em todos os jogos. Dessa vez, não será diferente – afirmou.

Na última semana, durante o Torneio Internacional de Futebol Feminino, Formiga fez sua última participação pela Seleção brasileira, na vitória por 6 a 1 sobre a Índia. Ela falou sobre a despedida e agradeceu o apoio de todos, desde as jogadoras até os torcedores.

– Quero agradecer o carinho de todos. Tantas mensagens que recebi… de coração, fico muito feliz com tudo que aconteceu. Agradeço por toda essa visibilidade que estão dando ao futebol feminino. Agradeço a CBF, minha esposa, minha mãe e a todos que estavam comigo ali naquele momento. O meu último ato ficará para sempre no meu coração – disse.

Tottenham Hotspur have added Mathys Tel to their Champions League squad as they were forced to remove the injured Dominic Solanke from their European roster. The star striker has been restricted to just three competitive club appearances this term owing to an ankle problem sustained in pre-season. Tel was initially not included in the squad for the league phase of the Champions League.

• Tel included in Spurs squad ahead of Slavia Prague clash

  Head coach Thomas Frank had initially kept Tel out of their squad for the league stages of the Champions League after his move from Bayern Munich was made permanent in the summer. However, with Solanke out of action on a long-term basis, the Spurs boss has now named the 20-year-old French forward in their European roster ahead of their home fixture against Slavia Prague on Tuesday night.

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• AFP
  

  Frank hinted at Tel recall

  Frank had suggested Tel would be added to the European squad during his pre-match press conference on Monday, as the manager told reporters: "Of course, if I knew back then what I know now, it maybe would have changed the decision, no doubt about that. Of course, it’s something we can have in consideration. We need players that are fit and available, so we have enough players to shoot with from the bench."

• Solanke frustrated with injury problems

  Solanke, who has undergone surgery, recently spoke to and discussed his injury struggles as he said: "It’s been very difficult. At first, I didn’t think I would be out for too long but we didn’t really understand the extent of the injury. I was trying to get back as quickly as I could but it didn’t happen, so I had to have surgery. Since then, I have been working to get back. 

  "I’m not putting a timeline on it because I’ve been telling everyone ‘I’m going to be back soon’ for the last few months. I’m taking it day by day but hopefully I won’t be much longer."

  The 28-year-old isn't the only Spurs attacker sidelined at present, with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski also long-term absentees owing to respective knee injuries.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Club legend's homecoming on European night

  Tuesday night's Champions League fixture against Slavia Prague will be extra special for the home fans as Spurs legend Son Heung-min is back in north London for the first time since leaving for LAFC in the summer.

  The club's official statement read: "Sonny will take to the pitch before the team walk-outs ahead of the 20:00 kick-off against the Czech champions. He will then have the opportunity to personally address the supporters that took him into their hearts following his arrival from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015 and treasured him for the next 10 years – it is sure to be an emotional occasion in N17."

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been given a boost in their pursuit of a new goalkeeper, amid claims of an offer being made by Fosun.

Wolves’ search for new goalkeeper after Sa and Johnstone struggles

No club has conceded more Premier League goals than the Old Gold this season, with both Sam Johnstone and Jose Sa being used by former manager Vitor Pereira.

In the 11 top flight fixtures to date, Johnstone has made seven appearances, conceding 14 goals, whereas Sa has turned out four times, letting in 11 goals.

New manager Rob Edwards will have a decision to make ahead of his first game in charge against Crystal Palace on Saturday, but looking further down the line, it looks as if he is after a new first choice shot-stopper.

Two names have been mentioned since Edwards arrived from Middlesbrough, one of which is Manchester City’s James Trafford.

Down the pecking order just months after returning to the Etihad from Burnley, Wolves are one of numerous clubs keen on signing the £30m Englishman.

City are open to a loan with an obligation to buy or a permanent exit in the New Year, with one Wolves insider telling TEAMtalk: “We need a keeper who can grow with the team. Trafford fits the profile perfectly.”

An enquiry has even been made by the Old Gold, although Trafford has his eyes on a move to Newcastle in 2026.

Meanwhile, Lazio’s Christos Mandas is another option for Wolves and Fosun as they look for a new ‘keeper, with Wolves ‘offering an initial loan deal with an option to buy’ for the Greece international which could be worth up to £8m.

Now, a new update has emerged regarding Mandas’ future, which looks likely to be away from Lazio if he gets his wish.

Wolves given boost in pursuit of Christos Mandas

According to a report from La Lazio Siamo Noi, Mandas is becoming a man in demand and has actually asked to leave Lazio in 2026.

La Liga side Getafe are in the race for the shot-stopper, alongside Wolves and their Premier League rivals West Ham and Bournemouth.

Mandas is expected to leave in search of more game time as he is yet to make an appearance in 2025/26 after featuring 18 times last season, nine of which came in the Europa League.

His agent Diego Tavano heaped praise on Mandas last year, calling him a “strong” and “great player”.

“Mandas is a strong player who had several suitors in Italy. Lazio were the fastest to act and he believed it was the right choice. Initially, the club considered sending him back to OFI Crete on loan, but then Sarri decided to keep him. He is a great player who has now established himself and I’m happy because it was not easy to fit in – he has been great this season.”

Wolves could be the club to offer him regular first-team football given Johnstone and Sa’s struggles and the fact Trafford doesn’t fancy a move to the Midlands.

Wolves now in advanced talks to sign maestro who could be Edwards' first signing

Shakib Al Hasan and Shadman Islam are out with injuries, while West Indies have no injury concerns

Mohammad Isam10-Feb-2021Big pictureOh, how the tables have turned! How beautifully the momentum has shifted West Indies’ way, and the pressure towards Bangladesh.West Indies hold the lead in the series, and therefore the edge, after their debutants Kyle Mayers and Nkrumah Bonner put together a comeback for the ages on the fifth day in Chattogram. Mayers’ unbeaten 210 was only the second time a batsman struck a match-winning fourth-innings double-century. That it came from a debutant, who had very little familiarity with the pitch he was batting on, made it all the more remarkable. Bonner’s 86 was a coming-of-age innings for a cricketer who has waited long. While Shannon Gabriel’s show of deadly pace on such a slow pitch on the third evening was inspirational.Related

Kraigg Brathwaite hopes West Indies don't get 'carried away' in Dhaka after Chattogram success

'One of the most significant achievements in the history of WI cricket'

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History-making Mayers looking for more and more glory

Mayers' knock brings father Shirley Clarke to tears

A delighted Phil Simmons, the West Indies coach, continued to be cautious, stressing on finishing the job, something they have failed to do on several previous occasions. But, while the Chattogram win didn’t come easy – Test wins don’t – it is also true that such a result can do wonders to the overall confidence within a squad.Quite the opposite is the case in the Bangladesh camp. Bad as the result was, the news that Shakib Al Hasan wouldn’t be fit for the second Test made things worse. And opening batsman Shadman Islam joined Shakib on the sidelines when he failed to recover sufficiently from the hip injury he sustained while fielding in the first Test. Soumya Sarkar – who underwent the PCR test on February 7 and has been kept in isolation since – has been named Shakib’s replacement, while no replacement has been named for Shadman.Who slots in for Shakib is just one of many questions staring at the Bangladesh team management. Whether the spinners can find their rhythm in the Dhaka Test is going to have a bearing on their fortunes, because, while Mehidy Hasan picked up eight wickets in Chattogram, more would be expected from Taijul Islam and Nayeem Hasan. Bangladesh have a spin-centric bowling strategy, that has now failed more often than it has worked for them, and with the Dhaka pitch likely to be assisting spinners, the make-up of Bangladesh’s team will need careful thought.Form guide
Bangladesh LWLLL
West Indies WLLLL
In the spotlightAfter his match-winning knock in Chattogram, Kyle Mayers will have the eyes of the world on him. He has called himself “a student of the game”, and it will be interesting to see how the newcomer goes, now that he will have a fair bit of hype to live up to.
A maiden Test century to go with eight wickets in the Chattogram Test has given Mehidy Hasan back his Test spot. But he will have to put in another big performace, especially in Shakib’s absence.
Team newsWhenever Shakib isn’t around, Bangladesh struggle with team balance. They have Sarkar, Mohammad Mithun, Yasir Ali and Saif Hassan among frontline batsmen and Taskin Ahmed, Abu Jayed, Ebadot Hossain and Hasan Mahmud among bowlers in the squad. Among them, Sarkar is the closest they have to an allrounder.
Bangladesh (possible): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Mominul Haque (capt), 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Liton Das (wk), 7 Mehidy Hasan, 8 Nayeem Hasan, 9 Taijul Islam, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Abu Jayed
It is unlikely that West Indies will make changes to the XI from the side that won in Chattogram. They have fast bowler Alzarri Joseph and left-arm spinners Veerasammy Permaul and Kavem Hodge and allrounder Raymon Reifer waiting in the wings, but they might have to continue to wait, barring an injury.
West Indies (likely): 1 Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), 2 John Campbell, 3 Shayne Moseley, 4 Nkrumah Bonner, 5 Kyle Mayers, 6 Jermaine Blackwood, 7 Joshua Da Silva (wk), 8 Rahkeem Cornwall, 9 Jomel Warrican, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Shannon Gabriel
West Indies are unlikely to make any changes unless they are forced to•AFP via Getty ImagesPitch and conditionsThe pitch should help spinners more than the one in Chattogram did. Sides batting first in the last five years have averaged around 332, with five out of six teams winning the match after batting first.
Stats and trivia The 216-run partnership between Mayers and Bonner in Chattogram was the highest between two Test debutants in 57 years.
Mehidy is two wickets short of 100 in Tests, while Liton Das is 34 runs short of reaching 1000 Test runs.
Quotes”We start from zero again. We have to go back to the process, we have to practice and prepare well. It is going to be a different wicket, ground and everything. It is important for us to assess again. Going over the processes and ensure we do well.”

“It would have been great to have Shakib in the side in Mirpur but in his absence, myself, Taijul and Nayeem have to take more responsibility. We will try to bowl more in the right areas, so that they can’t play us easily.”

Liverpool have now reportedly held concrete talks to sign Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth, as they look to the January transfer window in an attempt to solve their problems.

The Reds are in a crisis, that can no longer be denied. Defeat against Nottingham Forest at Anfield on Saturday slammed home just how much trouble Arne Slot’s side find themselves in. Their crown has evaporated, their dominance has subsided and they sit in the bottom half after 12 games in the Premier League.

Liverpool legend and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher had his say on the Reds’ problems on Monday Night Football, saying that he would like to see Mohamed Salah come out and speak for the side.

“A year ago this weekend, Mo Salah wasn’t shy in coming out and speaking about his own situation, about the club not offering him a contract.

“I only ever hear Salah speak when he gets man of the match or he needs a new contract. I would like to see Salah come out as one of the leaders, one the legends of Liverpool, come out and speak for the team. It shouldn’t always be the captain.”

The Egyptian, however, may decide to let his football do the talking as Liverpool desperately look to get back on track against PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday night.

The Champions League has often handed the Premier League champions some much-needed reprieve this season, with victory over Real Madrid the best win of their season last time out.

Now, the visit of PSV presents Slot’s side with a similar opportunity to turn results around, before squaring off against West Ham United this weekend.

"I'm told" – Romano shares what Slot thinks about his own Liverpool future

Arne Slot is under pressure at Liverpool and Fabrizio Romano has delivered a telling update on his future.

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By
Sean Markus Clifford

Nov 24, 2025

Meanwhile, in the middle of their dismal period of form, Liverpool have reportedly been getting to work off the pitch on much-needed reinforcements.

Liverpool now "seriously working" on Semenyo deal

As reported by Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, Liverpool are now “seriously working” on a deal to sign Semenyo from Bournemouth in the January transfer window.

Despite suggestions he has chosen to join Manchester United, those at Anfield have reportedly held “concrete talks” in pursuit of the winger, who has a release clause worth around €70m (£62m).

There is plenty of competition, but Liverpool should go all out to land Semenyo in January. They’ve missed the direct ability that Luis Diaz provided them – the ability that draws fouls, breaks low blocks down and evades an opposition press. Semenyo, however, can offer them exactly that.

The Bournemouth star has enjoyed 10 more successful take-ons than Salah so far this season and has earned high praise from ex-Liverpool man Jamie Redknapp as a result. The Sky Sports pundit described Semenyo as “unique” earlier in the campaign.

Who is to blame for Isak's form at Liverpool?

India captain says WTC final is part of India’s “quest for excellence”

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jun-20213:13

‘WTC a step in the right direction for Test cricket’ – Virat Kohli

The ICC is promoting the inaugural World Test Championship final as the ‘Ultimate Test’, but India captain Virat Kohli has said that the result of the one-off match against New Zealand cannot decide which is the “best” team in the format. Kohli said that his team would instead treat the final as part of India’s “quest for excellence”.”If you are talking about Test cricket and deciding who is the best Test team in the world on one game over a period of five days, that’s not the reality of the truth,” Kohli said on Thursday during the pre-match media briefing. “It is not going to reflect anything for people who really understand the game and know exactly what has gone on in the last four to five years and how the teams have fared. You can very well look back at history and focus on things that didn’t go your way. At the end of the day you realise you play sport and you are going to be beaten and you are going to win on a particular day.”Watch cricket on ESPN+

The WTC final is available in the US on ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ and tune in to the match.

The last ICC tournament India won was the 2013 Champions Trophy, when MS Dhoni was the captain. In the 2016 T20 World Cup, India lost in the semi-final. A year later they would lose to Pakistan in the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy. In the 2019 World Cup, Kane Williamson’s New Zealand pipped Kohli’s India in the semi-final. However, Kohli remained unfazed about being on the cusp of possibly lifting his first ICC Trophy.”If you win this game, cricket does not stop for us. If you lose this game, cricket does not stop for us. Our processes, our mindset is what matters to us the most and we are striving for excellence every day. And we step on to the field every Test match or every game that we play wanting to win. That’s the most you can ask of your players – to stand up in tough situations and keep proving that you belong here and you take a lot of pride in playing for India.”We have not come here to just play one-off Test. We have come here to play six Tests in the English summer. Our players understand well their strengths and they understand how to utilise those strengths and they will do that during these six Tests.”India’s ‘quest for excellence’
While India head coach Ravi Shastri had said the WTC final would be the “biggest” match for India, Kohli downplayed the superlatives. Asked whether winning the WTC final would be on par with winning the 2011 World Cup, Kohli said he wanted India to treat it like another Test match without getting carried away. “For me this is another Test match that has to be played. These things are very exciting from the outside where there is so much importance and so much other extra stuff that’s attached to one game and it sort of becomes do-and-die.Related

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“For us as a team we have been on a quest for excellence for a while now,” Kohli said. “And we are going to continue to be on that path regardless of what happens in this game. We have no doubts whatsoever in our abilities and what we can do as a side.”As an individual player, look, we won the 2011 World Cup which was a great moment for all of us. But cricket goes on. Just the way life goes on. And you have to treat failure and success the same way, and you have to treat the so-called outstandingly big moments pretty similar to the other moments as well.”So, yes, it is an occasion that has to be enjoyed from our point of view, but it is not different for us or no more important for us than the first Test match that we played together as a young group of players back in the day when we were trying to come up the ranks. So, yes, the mindset remains the same.”

MatériaMais Notícias

da blaze casino： O ano de 2021 termina com esperança para o torcedor do Botafogo. Com um pré-contrato assinado pela compra da SAF, o Alvinegro chega em 2022 com a expectativa de um aporte financeiro e uma nova organização com John Textor, empresário americano que está interessado em investir no clube.

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da 888casino： + André Chame afirma que John Textor se impressionou com a torcida do Botafogo e quer ‘retribuir o carinho’

André Chame, porta-voz oficial das negociações entre Botafogo e Textor, explicou, em entrevista ao site oficial do clube nesta sexta-feira, como o acordo com o americano, que também possui ações no Crystal Palace, foi feito.

– Após um ano de gestão do Presidente Durcesio e nove meses após a chegada do CEO Jorge Braga, recebemos uma oferta, ainda não vinculante, do Sr. John Textor, interessado em adquirir 90% das ações da Botafogo SAF, ficando os restantes 10% sob titularidade da associação. Uma oferta não vinculante é aquela que, em um primeiro momento, não obriga nenhuma das partes a concluir a negociação. Mas fiquem tranquilos, é normal que em operações desta natureza, a primeira oferta seja não vinculante – explicou, antes de seguir.

– É importante destacar que, para chegarmos a esta proposta, o Botafogo passou por todas as etapas, com o melhor padrão de excelência mundial, visando estabelecer as premissas da negociação. Foram mapeados e quantificados todos os passivos do clube, foram realizadas as projeções financeiras, o chamado bussiness plan, o que demandou dezenas de horas de trabalho de vários especialistas nas suas respectivas áreas – comentou.

O advogado explicou ainda o papel da XP na negociação.

– Todo o processo foi conduzido com absoluto zelo e responsabilidade, sob liderança do Presidente Durcesio e do CEO Jorge Braga. A etapa seguinte foi a contratação da XP como consultora exclusiva para a busca de investidores para o projeto. Uma vez recebida a oferta não vinculante, o Botafogo devolveu a mesma, inserindo demandas em prol do melhor interesse do futebol do clube e sua torcida – afirmou.

+ Botafogo está perto de contratar dupla ex-Goiás: saiba as contratações, saídas e sondagens do clube

O advogado prevê que esse período de transição para com o pré-contrato vire um vínculo fixo em até dois meses. Chame já afirmou que John Textor ficou animado com a torcida do Botafogo.

– Estimamos que todo o processo seja concluído ao final do prazo de sessenta dias, o que é um tempo considerado curto para operações deste porte e complexidade. Desta forma, sei que todos temos uma grande ansiedade relacionada ao tema, mas peço ao torcedor que tenha paciência caso sejam necessárias dilações destes prazos.

O Conselho Deliberativo do Botafogo também terá parte no que diz respeito à aprovação da SAF. Por estatuto, essa mudança deve passar pelos conselheiros, como André explica.

– Após o recebimento da oferta vinculante, os principais tópicos da mesma serão levados ao Conselho Fiscal, para fins de parecer e, após, ao Conselho Deliberativo do Botafogo e à Assembleia Geral, para que seus conselheiros e sócios possam decidir pela aprovação ou não da operação de venda das ações da SAF. Esta etapa deve ocorrer ao fim da primeira quinzena de janeiro – disse.

In a career that has seemed to be in a constant state of flux, he will be desperate to get this move right

Vithushan Ehantharajah28-Aug-2024The circumstances around Ollie Pope’s temporary Test captaincy are peculiar enough with Ben Stokes sitting stage-side like a proud mum at the school play encouraging you to smile more. But as England’s stand-in primes himself for the honour of leading the team out at Lord’s on Thursday, he does so with the focus squarely on him as a player rather than a defacto leader.Victory in the first Test at Manchester was, by and large, routine. Sri Lanka’s resistance amounted to quelling England rather than countering them. Pope captained well, particularly when shorn of Mark Wood for the business end of Sri Lanka’s second innings, albeit with assistance from a ball-change 41 overs in. But his sole takeaway was a need to strike a balance between skippering and batting.Scores of 6 in both innings were far from ideal. And the nature of the dismissals – bowled stuck on the crease; scuffing a reverse sweep to first slip – would have been fertile ground for riffing on a No.3 preoccupied with digesting his on-field captaincy had Pope not sowed the seeds of that take and then harvested them himself.Related

• Ollie Pope is a potential weak link for England at No. 3

• Ben Stokes: Criticism of Ollie Pope reflects 'English culture towards sport'

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• Ben Stokes on track for Pakistan tour comeback after hamstring tear

“Probably one of the things I can improve on this week and the next is making sure you don’t do that,” Pope said. “You walk off the pitch and, when you’re batting three, you get your pads straight on and you know you could be in whenever. That’s probably the main thing – not thinking about all the decisions you just make on the pitch. Just thinking ‘right, now it’s time to bat’.”Batters are creatures of habit, but Pope’s habits at first-drop have only been grooved over the last couple of years. He has always tried to maintain a chilled disposition while waiting his turn, keeping one eye on the television to spot the amount of seam and swing on offer, occasionally venturing onto the balcony for a sit-down. He has always enjoyed a wander around the dressing room, nattering to team-mates without imposing himself on other people’s routines, which is a rare skill itself.Harry Brook practises his golf swing as Ollie Pope looks on•Getty ImagesSince June 2022 – when he first appeared at No.3 for England – those conversations have been a little shorter and with pads on. “It’s probably what I’ve learned over the last two years – save as much energy for when you’re out in the middle rather than just watching every single ball too closely.”That Joe Root is in the dressing room is of some help to Pope’s pursuit of a new equilibrium. What advice there has been thus far has centred on the need for a routine to shed how much “more taxing” fielding becomes when you’re the one setting the fields.If Root can offer anything, it is empathy, because balance was something he never truly found. He skipped between No.3 and No.4 with all the certainty of a man holding his phone out the window looking for better reception.He averaged 46.44 across 64 Tests as captain, lower than an overall career average of 50.33 and drastically below the 53.82 across the 80 Tests he has played without the armband. It’s worth noting his best run as captain came from the start of 2021, averaging 54.36 in his final 20 Tests. England lost 11 and won just four of those. It speaks volumes of Root’s candour he has not turned to Pope and shouted, “Ditch it and run!””I’ve got two more weeks of the series, it’s not like I’m saying I’m fatigued about it,” Pope said, assuring all this was very much a “him” problem rather than one for the rest of English cricket to concern themselves with. “It’s just finding a way to compartmentalise.”Not for the first time, Pope has brought honesty to the table. He was one of the first to talk of the challenges of bio-secure living during the Covid-19 summer of 2020, speaking openly about the emotional tax of being stuck in a hotel that overlooks the ground you had just toiled on earlier that day. Whether talking about the early shift to Test cricket when he debuted at Lord’s in 2018, restricted bubble life or getting to grips with a new batting position, he has always been forthcoming.Regardless of how Pope’s batting goes over the last two Tests of the summer, Stokes and Brendon McCullum will give him leeway. He has been their pet project, not just as a No.3, where he is still averaging 42.60, but as a vice-captain, a move taken to coax leadership out of him. And they are more than satisfied with how he has acquitted himself over the last two years.But Pope is desperate to get this right. It is as much about the captaincy as a career that feels in a constant state of flux. Even this year alone, a blockbuster 196 against India and a calming 121 against West Indies surround 11 scores of 23 or lower across 16 innings.Set against a rock-solid set of openers, a thriving middle order in which Harry Brook is emerging as the tallest pillar, Pope is under the most scrutiny. Should Dan Lawrence cash in his “free hit” as a makeshift opener in the absence of Zak Crawley, or Jordan Cox get the opportunity to press his claims further, there is a future where a tough decision might need to be made.This summer, Ben Foakes, Jonny Bairstow and Jack Leach were discarded from the Test side. Moeen Ali, recently Jos Buttler’s vice-captain, has been left out of the white ball sides to face Australia. Dawid Malan, once regarded as the best international T20 batter in the world, announced his retirement on Wednesday having been deemed surplus to requirements. This is a management group not afraid of grasping the nettle.All of which brings us back to that earlier quandary of balance. Pope may be one game into a three-game stint leading this team, but it probably would not hurt him to broach it more selfishly and tip the scales one way.Captaincy may be an honour. But batting needs to be his primary focus for a reliable future.

Lee Carsley is reportedly set to trial a new role for Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham, and England fans are not happy with the 'garbage' experiment.

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Carsley experimenting Bellingham in new roleCould see Real Madrid ace as a false nineKane set to miss Greece clash due to injuryFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

According to the Daily Mail, England boss Carsley is set to try Bellingham out as a false nine in the UEFA Nations League clash against Greece in order to accommodate the 21-year-old along with Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon. However, several fans are not too pleased about the change-up, with one claiming Bellingham is starting purely because he plays for Real Madrid. It would mean natural forwards Ollie Watkins and Dominic Solanke will start on the bench.

AdvertisementWHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

@j_macgeever: "This is just garbage."

@kingseychy21: "He needs to play a proper forward. No need for experiment."

@catlike1: "Makes no sense. What is he thinking?"

@irrelevantBCFC: "Can’t we just play players in their actual positions. He doesn’t have to start every game because he plays for Real Madrid."

@astonvilla___: "False 9 with Foden, Palmer and Saka is unbelievably stupid."

@FHG10VTID: "Deep lying striker. Absolute nonsense."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The potential change for Bellingham as a central forward also comes after Harry Kane's injury during Bayern Munich's 3-3 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt. While the England captain was cleared for Three Lions duty, the striker has missed training ahead of the Greece clash. Carsley still has Solanke and Watkins to slot in centrally if the Bellingham experiment flops.

WHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

The Three Lions will take on Greece on Thursday, October 10 at Wembley Stadium as they look to keep up their perfect start to the 2024-25 Nations League group stage.

Chris Sutton took aim at one Leeds United star after spotting an “odd” moment in the Whites’ dramatic 3-2 defeat at the hands of Manchester City.

Leeds lose late on at Man City

It was very nearly an unforgettable afternoon for Leeds, who came from behind to level things up at 2-2 in the second-half, courtesy of Lukas Nmecha’s reactions to rebound from his own penalty.

As so many have experienced at the Etihad over the years, however, it simply wasn’t to be for Daniel Farke’s men. The Citizens’ simply had too much quality and, for a split second, Phil Foden had too much time. The England international fired home his second goal of the day in the 91st minute to break Leeds’ hearts.

Upon reflection, Farke will be wishing that he started with Dominic Calvert-Lewin rather than setting up to frustrate Man City. It took just 59 seconds for Foden to give the hosts the lead, before Josko Gvardiol’s goal looked to be the beginning of a thrashing.

Farke soon changed things at the break, though, and Calvert-Lewin’s effort from the bench set the tone for Nmecha to then go and convert the rebound of his own spotkick.

The Yorkshire side certainly deserved at least a point, but simply felt the harsh reality of the Premier League in its full extent instead. From here, they must pick themselves up and go again against Chelsea at Elland Road.

Things won’t be getting any easier for a Leeds side who could be three points adrift of safety if other results go against them this weekend.

Chris Sutton, covering the game for BBC Sport, was particularly critical of Pascal Struijk in the first-half after spotting an “odd” moment from the Leeds defender.

Sutton slams "odd" Pascal Struijk moment

Taking aim, Sutton slammed Struijk for how he was “content” with entering the break at 2-0 down, wasting time at the end of the first-half. The defender’s aim was damage control and, to his credit, it worked in his favour as Leeds soon came from behind.

The moment, which sparked Sutton’s frustration, may well have helped Leeds stay in the game. It was an absolute onslaught from Man City in the first period and Farke desperately needed to get his side back into the game without letting the hosts out of sight. And the £50,000-a-week defender was well aware of that.

The visitors can take a lot of positives, despite their defeat. It’s very rare that sides come to the Etihad, find themselves 2-0 down and don’t find themselves on the end of a battering. Leeds, however, showed plenty of fight.

Leeds eyeing move for 4-3-3 Farke successor who has admirers at Elland Road