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Shaheen Shah Afridi took four wickets in four balls as his six-wicket haul made sure Hampshire ended their horror Vitality Blast campaign with victory over Middlesex.The Pakistan fast bowler demolished John Simpson, Steven Finn, Thilan Walallawita and Tim Murtagh’s stumps in consecutive deliveries to blow away the visitors.Having returned a disappointing 1 for 191 across his first six outings, Afridi celebrated an incredible 6 for 19 – Hampshire best ever T20 bowling figures, and the county’s second format hat-trick in their history. He became only the seventh player to take four wickets in four balls in a T20.It meant Hampshire ended a six-game losing spell to win by 22 runs, although couldn’t prevent them from finishing bottom of the group stage for the first time since 2007.Hampshire needed quick wickets in their defence of 141 for 9, and Felix Organ continued the trend of spin it to win it as he opened the bowling with his offbreaks and had 20-year-old Jack Davies lbw.Organ had Joe Cracknell caught at point by Joe Weatherley in his second over – the 21-year-old bowling three overs in the Powerplay and returning 2-13.Afridi claimed his maiden Ageas Bowl wicket for the county when he yorked Stevie Eskinazi, who ended the group stage as the tournament’s second-leading scorer with 413 runs.Ryan Stevenson bowled Nathan Sowter with a slower ball before Mason Crane continued the spin domination when Tom Alsop stumped Martin Andersson.Simpson threatened a comeback for the visitors as the run-rate climbed, he added 25 with Luke Hollman before Afridi turned the latter’s off stump into a javelin.Wicketkeeper Simpson helped take 17 off Stevenson in the 16th over, thanks to two huge sixes, as Middlesex required 37 from the last four overs.But left-armer Afridi, who flies home tomorrow, took four wickets in four balls to provide an explosive end to a below-par season. It was the second hat-trick taken by Hampshire this year, after James Fuller had taken a treble against Surrey in the Bob Willis Trophy.Having chosen to bat, Hampshire ground through their innings, as partnerships struggled to flourish against an impressive spin performance on a slow pitch.Middlesex’s spin triplets of Walallawita, Hollman and Nathan Sowter took 8 for 74 in their 12 combined overs to restrict Hampshire.James Vince chopped veteran Tim Murtagh onto his own off stump, before Alsop and Sam Northeast laid a solid foundation with a 32-run stand.But that was as good as the batting got for the hosts as Walallawita, Sowter and Hollman constricted them. Alsop was bowled while attempting a slog-sweep off legspinner Hollman and top-scorer Northeast nicked Walallawita behind to Simpson.Joe Weatherley split the leg side boundary riders with a perfect sweep, before he was plumb lbw when he switched into a reverse.From 55 for 1 after eight overs, Hampshire found their recognised batsmen all dismissed by the end of the 17th over on 114 for 7.The spinners forced the batters to play to the long square boundaries as an impatient Fuller and Organ holed out to long-on, while Ian Holland – following a six down the ground – was leg-before attempting a huge slog sweep.The latter two scalps fell to Walallawita on his T20 debut, having impressed with his left-arm spin during the Bob Willis Trophy earlier this summer.Stevenson found a hat-trick of boundaries off Tom Helm but leggie Sowter returned to bowl him and Chris Wood – as Hampshire bobbed to 141 for 9 in their 20 overs.

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Sinônimo de superação, Michael é um dos grandes exemplos no futebol brasileiro. Hoje no Flamengo, o jogador já sofreu com vícios em drogas e o contato próximo com o crime organizado. Contudo, a má fase do jogador em 2020 fez com que o atleta convivesse com críticas e cobranças diárias de torcedores rubro-negros.Em entrevista ao “Canal Barbaridade”, Michael revelou ter tido depressão e pensamentos suicidasainda na época em que Jorge Jesus comandava o Flamengo em 2020.
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O atacante relata que contou com o apoio de líderes do elenco para superar o momento difícil.

– Eu tive depressão no ano passado, sofri muito com isso. Na época, eu estava no hotel e quis me suicidar. Me veio pensamentos ruins e eu queria saber como era me jogar do prédio. Então, eu gritei por socorro, pela minha mulher, pelo doutor Tanure, Diego Ribas, Diego Alves, Filipe Luís, o Rafinha, o Marcos Braz também. Eles me fizeram ser querido, ser abraçado. Eles tiveram um cuidado comigo, que ninguém antes tinha feito – contou Michael.

Desde a chegada de Renato Gaúcho, Michael é um dos principais nomes do Flamengo com dois gols em cinco jogos.

-Por isso, eu comecei a fazer psicólogo, psiquiatra. Hoje, eu continuo fazendo, mas apenas uma vez na semana. Sou muito grato pelo que fizeram por mim. Não tenho vergonha de falar isso porque depressão quase todo mundo tem, mas ninguém quer assumir. Orgulho não serve para nada, só serve para nos matar. A gratidão que eu tenho pelo Flamengo, pelos profissionais principalmente, será para o resto da vida. Quando eu mais precisei de um amigo, o Flamengo estendeu a mão para mim – disse.

Emocionado, Michael também expôs bastidores de sua vida particular. Segundo relatou na entrevista, sua esposa o encontrou algumas vezes atordoado durante madrugadas em que varava noites sem dormir. Seguro com o apoio do staff rubro-negro, o atacante desabafou com Jorge Jesus.

-No momento em que eu mais precisei de um amigo, os funcionários do Flamengo estenderam a mão para mim. Deus usa pessoas para te ajudar. Hoje, posso falar que depressão tem cura, pelo menos para mim teve. Eu consigo exercer minha profissão melhor. Teve um dia que não estava conseguindo concentrar e aí cheguei no quarto do Jesus e disse “me manda embora, rescinde meu contrato, sei lá faz o que bem entender”. Eu chorava, não conseguia me expressar direito. Não conseguia dormir sozinho. Ele disse que não me mandaria embora. Me perguntou se eu dormiria bem em casa e disse para eu ir – relatou.

A pedido de JJ, Michael passou a dormir com Ramon ou Matheuzinho. Com a pandemia, o isolamento trouxe medo ao atacante. Entretanto, o período trouxe maior consciência do jogador.

-Fiquei sozinho 12, 15 dias e nunca mais tive Síndrome do Pânico – concluiu.

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O Corinthians teve um tempo maior de preparação na última semana antes de enfrentar o Atlético-MG e algumas mudanças eram cogitadas na equipe titular durante os treinamentos. No entanto apenas uma foi feita pelo técnico Sylvinho, que trocou Vitinho por Roni no meio-campo em uma opção tática.

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A torcida não curtiu a alteração, já que se tira um homem teoricamente mais avançado por um com características mais defensivas e foi exatamente o que o comandante buscou com a mexida. Isso porque Roni daria mais sustentação no meio-campo para enfrentar um adversário de qualidade como o Galo. No primeiro tempo deu certo, e o time foi para o intervalo vencendo por 1 a 0.

Além da questão tática, Sylvinho explicou que Vitinho vinha apresentando uma sobrecarga, que induz o treinador a buscar encaixes com outras peças, mas basicamente as mesmas, já que ainda não se pôde observar as demais.

-Entendemos que o Vitor vem de uma sobrecarga, independentemente de ser uma semana aberta. A volta do Roni para dar essa consistência que temos no meio. Temos alternado esses atletas e buscado alternativas na função. Estamos trabalhando, não temos uma grande amostra para colocar outros. Estamos chegando e buscando um encaixe. A volta do Roni foi para sustentar o meio.

Sylvinho fez questão de lembrar que alguns testes já foram feitos no setor buscando esse encaixe e também falou da juventude de jogadores como Roni e Vitinho com os quais a comissão técnica tem conversando constantemente.

-Tivemos uma construção de três meias pelo meio, porque o Cantillo sai jogando muito bem e dita o ritmo técnico do nosso time. Com dois meias na frente dele, bem protegidos, como era Roni e começamos com o Gabriel depois de quatro ou cinco jogos. Tivemos uma opção com o Vitinho, que também respondeu. São atletas jovens que estão maturando. Conversamos diariamente com esses atletas – concluiu o corintiano.

Neste domingo, o elenco do Corinthians tem um dia de descanso antes de iniciar uma semana inteira de treinos em preparação para enfrentar o Cuiabá, no dia 26 de julho, às 20h, fora de casa, pela 13ª rodada do Brasileirão-2021.

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Liverpool will play Aston Villa. And then they will host Wolverhampton Wanderers on the final day of the Premier League season. Then? Jurgen Klopp will unleash one last salvo of fist bumps into the Anfield stands.

He will wave goodbye to Merseyside. There will be song and sadness. Liverpool will remember of the historic journey that has seen success across nearly every possible front. The Premier League and the Champions League? Both conquered.

Klopp's squad swerved away from their finest form in recent months and have now crashed out of the Europa League and FA Cup while slumping in the English top flight, pulled away from a gripping title race.

But FSG did not rest on their laurels and, after bringing Michael Edwards back as their new CEO of Football, have moved to appoint Feyenoord boss Arne Slot. It's not yet finalised but the Dutch manager's move to Liverpool has been cut and dried.

Slot mirrors Klopp in implementing a high-energy, heavy-metal brand of football and he will demand his players to be extremely active in both attacking and defensive moments.

His tactics could be perfect for Mohamed Salah, who has received his share of criticism in recent weeks but remains one of Europe's finest forwards.

Mohamed Salah's season in numbers

Salah has scored 25 goals and added 14 assists for Liverpool this season but has been culpable of some below-standard displays in recent weeks to coincide with Liverpool's toothless run of poor results.

However, he returned to form with a bang as Liverpool thrashed Tottenham Hotspur 4-2 last time out and while he's out of contract at the end of next season, The Athletic's ever-reliable David Ornstein has recently suggested that the 31-year-old will remain at Anfield next season.

As per FBref, the Egyptian winger ranks among the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals and the top 1% for touches in the attacking penalty area and assists made per 90.

He might be struggling at the moment, having failed to score in four successive Premier League matches before Spurs, producing a limp attacking effort as Liverpool crashed out of the Europa League against Atalanta – who have now reached the final – and even coming to blows with Klopp on the touchline during April's 2-2 draw against West Ham United.

Under Slot, the esteemed Egypt international could be revived, especially given that the tactician operates with a 4-2-3-1 formation, which could spark a transformation within Liverpool's central midfield.

Currently, Klopp employs an industrious and multi-approaching engine room to charge his high-octane brand, and while Slot has stylistic similarities to his German counterpart, he uses a No. 10 to spark creativity and maintain fluency in build-up play.

It's a move that could see Dominik Szoboszlai reach new heights next season, consequently lifting Salah back to the top of his game.

How Salah & Szoboszlai could thrive under Slot

Liverpool signed Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig last summer after activating his £60m release clause, and while he started ferociously, the Hungary international has waned as the campaign has entered its later stages.

The 23-year-old has been affected by injuries but there's no excusing some of the wayward performances that have derailed the fight for trophies, with reporter Lewis Steele even speaking of the "stinker" displays he has produced recently.

Matches played

31

31

Matches started

28

25

Goals

0.22

0.13

Assists

0.29

0.09

Pass completion

80%

82.5%

Shots taken

2.13

2.47

Shots on target

1.03

0.56

Shot-creating actions

5.51

4.76

Progressive passes

5.55

6.41

Progressive carries

2.76

3.16

Successful take-ons

1.95

1.04

Ball recoveries

5.55

7.27

The comparison table highlights Szoboszlai's decreased prolificness since moving to Liverpool, noting his rise in progressive passing and carrying, a product of his deeper-lying, more creative central midfield role.

But he's beating a defender – successfully taking them on – at almost half the rate that led him to be described as a "generational talent" by journalist Marcel Moeller while plying his trade in Germany.

Most importantly, perhaps, Szoboszlai is unable to provide the goalscoring support that earned him such acclaim in his pre-Liverpool days. Despite this downswing, he is actually taking more shots than he did last year, though on its own this metric is misleading given that the Hungarian hit the target almost twice as often in the Bundesliga last season.

By playing further forward, in a central or wide attacking midfield role, Szoboszlai could grow considerably as a Premier League star, with the tactical tweak under Slot's guidance possibly even forging a new partnership between the players.

Salah, for example, might be one of the finest finishers that the Premier League has seen but he has also moulded his game into a more dynamic spread that adds emphasis on creativity.

1.

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool

22

2.

Bruno Fernandes

Manchester United

20

3.

Dwight McNeil

Everton

17

3.

Heung-min Son

Tottenham Hotspur

17

5.

Kevin De Bruyne

Manchester City

16

5.

Martin Odegaard

Arsenal

16

Szoboszlai has showcased his fleet dribbling skills and deft playmaking qualities both during his first year at Liverpool, but there's no doubt that he has been shoehorned into a deeper, more tightly configured role than he might have preferred within Klopp's Reds system.

It's a new era at Liverpool and while Slot will assess, assemble and reassemble his Liverpool squad as he chews over the optimum starting 11, Szoboszlai has all of the talented needed to forge a successful, trophy-laden career for himself under the Dutch coach's guidance.

Darwin Nunez axed, £180m trio sign: Arne Slot's dream XI at Liverpool

Things could be looking rather different at Anfield come August.

ByAngus Sinclair May 9, 2024

In his favoured position, he might just be the creative linchpin of a fearsome frontline.

Al-Amin Hossain and Mustafizur Rahman share four wickets to restrict Zimbabwe despite Brendan Taylor’s unbeaten 59

The Report by Liam Brickhill11-Mar-2020

Liton Das cuts one•BCB

Bangladesh sprinted to a 2-0 series victory in the second T20I at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka. Once again, Liton Das shone with the bat, registering an unbeaten 60 off 45 balls to guide his team to a nine-wicket over Zimbabwe. While Brendan Taylor had also scored 59 not out off 48 balls, there was little else of substance from the visiting batsmen and they had no answer to Bangladesh’s sustained pressure in the field, crawling to a sub-par 119 for 7.With Tamim Iqbal rested today, Das had a new opening partner in Mohammad Naim, but the result was much the same. Bangladesh cruised to 77 before they lost a wicket, and by then the result was a formality. With one foot on the plane, Zimbabwe went through the motions and whatever intensity there was earlier in the match fizzled out long before Soumya Sarkar pulled Chris Mpofu over midwicket for the second six of his innings to level the scores and then dabbed him down to short third man to end their misery.Mahmud’s first outingHasan Mahmud turned heads with his pace in the last edition of the Bangladesh Premier League, picking up ten wickets for Dhaka Platoon with a best of 4 for 32. Having been touted for big things by various scouts and coaches, Mahmud was included in the T20I squad for this series and made the playing XI ahead of Shafiul Islam today as Bangladesh looked to blood some youngsters. As Mahmudullah rang the changes in his attack from the outset, Mahmud was into the fray in the fourth over of the innings and soon showed why there have been whispers of big things to come from him.His very first ball hooped across the left-hander Craig Ervine to beat his outside edge, his fourth seamed waspishly off a length to repeat the dose, and his fifth was clocked at over 140kph. With his sixth he should have had Taylor caught at short fine leg. Looking to upset the youngster’s rhythm, Taylor shuffled across his stumps and aimed a scoop shot over short fine leg but got more height than distance. Al-Amin Hossain hustled backwards but couldn’t quite get into position to cling on to the chance. Nevertheless, an impression had been made by Mahmud, and the entire bowling attack followed suit. The wickets were shared around, as were 50 dot balls in the innings, with Al-Amin getting through his quota of four overs at under a run a ball and the offspinners Afif Hossain and Mahedi Hasan taking a combined 2 for 16 from four overs. Bangladesh conceded just one extra throughout the innings, a leg-bye, and never made things easy for Zimbabwe.Taylor scores an unbeaten half-centuryTo say that Taylor hasn’t had the best tour would be a bit of an understatement: he managed just 27 runs across two innings in the one-off Test as his attempts to take the attack to Bangladesh backfired. In the ODIs, meanwhile, he got starts and alright but repeatedly found ways to get out. And while he was out for 1 in the first T20I, he was the glue that held a somewhat flimsy effort from Zimbabwe’s batsmen together tonight.Opening the innings, Taylor laid a platform with a 57-run second-wicket stand with Craig Ervine but Bangladesh’s doggedness with the ball meant it was a lot of hard graft. Unfortunately, Taylor had little support from the other end. Ervine provided some stickability, if not rapid scoring, but the rest of Zimbabwe’s top order made virtually no impact. Taylor reached a sixth T20I fifty from 42 balls in the 19th over, and hit the only six of the innings but Zimbabwe’s total never looked like challenging Bangladesh.Zimbabwe pay the price for indisciplineWhile tight lines and canny change-ups were the hallmarks of Bangladesh’s effort in the field, the same was not true of Zimbabwe’s attack. They feed Das on his pads, and Naim outside off, as the openers cruised to 44 in the powerplay. Had Naim not holed out, somewhat against the run of play, Bangladesh could have broken yet another partnership record tonight. While there was the odd good delivery bowled, consistency was lacking and so was control: Zimbabwe bowled four wides in the innings, as well as giving away a bye and two leg-byes.Das does it againEverything Das has touched on this tour has turned to gold. So, there was a sense of inevitability to proceedings this evening, with Zimbabwe’s bowlers seemingly having learned nothing in their battles with him over the past few weeks.Not that they had much say in the matter. Das displayed a remarkable serenity, even as he ticked along at well over a run a ball. Good deliveries were kept out, or nudged for singles, and bad ones unerringly slotted to the boundary. He registered a 35-ball fifty without a hint of violence in his strokeplay, killing Zimbabwe softly, and was named both Player of the Match and of the Series for his efforts.

Borussia Dortmund's Nico Schlotterbeck has responded to transfer links with Real Madrid as he commits to a future with the German side.

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Schlotterbeck linked with Real MadridResponds to the rumoured switchSet to sign new contract with DortmundWHAT HAPPENED?

Schlotterbeck was one of Borussia Dortmund's top performers last season under Edin Terzic as they stormed into the Champions League final. As such, the defender was linked with a potential move to their Champions League final opponents, Real Madrid, as Los Blancos look to continue improving their defence. Schlotterbeck has responded to those links and kept a potential move away from Signal Iduna Park on the cards.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT SCHOLTTERBECK SAID

Speaking to , Schlotterbeck responded to the Real Madrid links, saying: "At some point, I would probably be tempted to go abroad, but I have been here for two years now and have identified so much with BVB that I really want to play here for the third season, and probably the fourth and fifth, too, so I am really happy to be at BVB and also see it as a certain honour.

"I am aware of [the Madrid rumours]. At some point, we can perhaps talk about it, but so far only Borussia Dortmund plays a role in my mind and I think for the next few years too."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Shlotterbeck has all but committed his near future to Dortmund as they look to begin proceedings under Nuri Sahin but has also kept a potential move in the future on the cards. The Black and Yellow have reportedly offered the 24-year-old a contract extension that would make him one of the top earners at the club. Schlotterbeck also talked about the potential extension and said: "For me, everything is possible here. I am very happy at BVB. We will have to see in the coming weeks."

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR SCHLOTTERBECK?

Owing to his appearances in Julian Nagelsmann's Germany squad through Euro 2024, Schlotterbeck has been given an extended period off and will likely return to training next week as he hopes to be a part of Sahin's first official match at Dortmund.

West Bromwich Albion go into this coming Good Friday's Championship clash brimming with confidence, having seen off Bristol City and Huddersfield Town with relative ease 2-0 and 4-1 before the international break kicked in.

Carlos Corberan's men look secure in their playoff spot in the division subsequently, sitting pretty in fifth spot with a sizeable eight-point gap opening up between the Baggies and their nearest playoff rival in Hull City in seventh, as a result of West Brom's recent positive form.

Alex Palmer has been a key cog in the Baggies machine this season in between the sticks to help his team dream big about promotion aspirations, keeping 16 clean sheets with the last of those coming in the rather routine Robins victory.

Yet, there's a hero from West Brom yesteryear who's idolised even more than Palmer when recollecting about dependable goalkeepers, having cost the West Midlands outfit just £4.5m back in 2012.

Ben Foster's transfer to West Brom

Ben Foster would leave Manchester United behind for pastures new initially at Birmingham City, never looking back after walking out of Sir Alex Ferguson's Theatre of Dreams.

It's not as if the revered manager didn't utilise Foster during his Red Devils days, amassing 23 appearances for the Man United first team over two seasons before moving on for more regular minutes first with the Blues and then further down the line with the Baggies.

After one season at St. Andrew's, Foster would pack his bags for nearby West Brom with the ex-Man United shot-stopper going down as an icon over time in his new surroundings.

That £4.5m fee forked out by the current Championship club – after his short stint at the Blues – would end up looking like an absolute bargain, with Foster becoming a celebrated servant for the Baggies who was a reliable goalkeeper over many years when the club were a solid Premier League side.

What Ben Foster would be worth in 2024 money

The 6 foot 4 goalkeeper would go on to make 223 appearances for West Brom over seven impactful seasons, becoming very much a part of the furniture at the West Midlands club by the time of his exit.

West Brom lineup for Ben Foster's Premier League debut

West Brom 0-2 Man United, August 2011

1. GK – Ben Foster

2. RB – Steven Reid

3. CB – Gabriel Tamas

4. CB – Jonas Olsson

5. LB – Nicky Shorey

6. RM – Chris Brunt

7. CM – Youssouf Mulumbu

8. CM – Paul Scharner

9. LM – James Morrison

10. ST – Somen Tchoyi

11. ST – Shane Long

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Foster would end up keeping 57 clean sheets for the Baggies over these games, with his best personal season coming during the 2014-15 campaign where he would register 12 shut-outs from just 28 contests played.

That season would coincide with West Brom finishing 13th in the division with the likes of one-time hotshot Saido Berahino firing in 20 goals, Foster's team never really anxious about their top-flight status and sinking down to where Corberan now manages his Baggies troops in the second tier.

Foster would eventually endear himself to a new set of supporters in Watford, where he managed to break into the 200 game threshold also in Hertfordshire before a notable move to moneybags Wrexham AFC came to fruition, but West Brom fans will still view the eight-time England international as a Baggies icon first and foremost.

When looking at TotallyFootball's Transfer Index, which takes into account modern-day inflation involving past transfer deals, the £4.5m move is made to look even more of a masterstroke from those at the Hawthorns with his value – if that move took place today – coming in at £12m.

How Ben Foster's value compares to the West Brom squad

Using the Transfer Index, Foster would now be worth three times more than the Baggies most valuable asset currently in Jed Wallace when first joining the club – the ex-Millwall man coming in as being worth €4.1M (£3.5m) according to Football Transfers.

That's even with Wallace being as key as Palmer has been in patches for the promotion chasers this campaign so far, with the ageing midfielder helping himself to nine goals and assists across 35 appearances in all competitions.

West Brom's most valuable players – 2023/24

1. Jed Wallace

€4.1m (£3.5m)

2. Okay Yokuslu

€3.5m (£2.99m)

3. Brandon Thomas-Asante

€3.4m (£2.91m)

4. Conor Townsend

€3.4m (£2.91m)

5. Darnell Furlong

€3.4m (£2.91m)

Sourced by Football Transfers

Scanning the table above, Foster would be way out in front as the most valuable player compared to the likes of Okay Yokuslu and Brandon Thomas-Asante who are all aiming as a collective to return back to the level the goalkeeper succeeded at with West Brom.

After Watford, Foster's career would end with a whimper rather than a notable rebirth with the ex-Baggies man hanging up his boots at the Red Dragons after leaking 13 goals in just four games playing in the lower depths of League Two.

Palmer will strive to be remembered in the same vain as Foster with the Baggies gunning for promotion up to the top-flight, the current West Brom number one of the first names on his manager's teamsheet by being an everpresent in every XI fielded in the league to date.

Ben Foster of Wrexham

Now at 40 years of age, Foster is becoming known more as an internet personality than an excellent shot-stopper. But, to those with connections to the West Midlands club, the 6 foot 4 goalkeeper is very much still known for being a West Brom legend.

The Gabba result provided a lot for Australia to be pleased about and they would like to play India there next season

Daniel Brettig in Brisbane24-Nov-2019An innings victory that delivered Australia the makings of a settled top six, underlined the quality of the bowling attack that retained the Ashes, and hoisted the hosts into second place on the ICC’s World Test Championship table was more or less all that Tim Paine’s men might have asked for at the start of their week at the Gabba.That Joe Burns, David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne all provided plenty of reassurance with the bat was perhaps the highlight of all this, married with the fact that for the first time in an awful long while, Steven Smith was permitted to play a relatively minor role in an Australian Test match victory.ALSO READ: Pakistan pay price for playing catch-upAfter a year of trials and reintegrations, these were heartening signs for Paine, the coach Justin Langer and company, even if Pakistan recovered from their ruinous first-day collapse by improving with each day of the match, so much so that they came within five runs of making Australia bat again. They will seek greater improvement in Adelaide, perhaps aided by a recall for Mohammad Abbas, as Paine’s team ponders how much it has improved the things it can control, while also thinking a little about what it cannot.”I think we’ve known Burnsy is a quality opening batter for a long time,” Paine said. “It’s great to have him back in the side, I think he’s got a great combination happening with Davey [Warner]. And I think Marnus was given some opportunities 18 months ago when some people probably thought he shouldn’t have [got them]. But obviously selectors saw the talent he had and he’s taken the experience he learnt to England, got even better, came home to Australia and looks like he’s got better again. We’re really happy with the top three in this game.”One innings doesn’t make a summer but we’re really happy with the positive signs we saw. Every time you pick [a side] you want to be able to stick. It’s been hard to have stability because we haven’t been performing as well as we would have liked. England is a tough place to bat so there is always going to be a little bit of up and down with your results over there as a batting group. But I think we’ve nutted out a pretty good group at the moment, a group that can still get a lot better.””I thought our bowlers in this game were terrific. We’ll get to Adelaide, have a look at the conditions, we’ve got the pink ball as well, so that’ll come into consideration, but I thought the four that played in this game bowled really, really well.”Paine was in little doubt that the hosts had been given one major advantage even before the match began, when Pakistan chose not to choose Abbas. Regardless of how well he may have been bowling in the present moment, Abbas would have walked onto the field with a major psychological hold on several of Australia’s batsmen.”I was pretty happy he didn’t play if I’m totally honest,” Paine said. “I thought in the UAE on wickets that offered him absolutely nothing he somehow made it move. I think he probably would have been a handful out there. Having said that I think they said he might have been under an injury cloud or he hasn’t been bowling at his absolute best. We’ll wait and see, I’m sure he’ll be looked at pretty quickly for the next Test match.”Australia Dominate at the Gabba•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

So while Pakistan had made life easier for Australia, there are other external factors that are not quite so rosy. The concept of the World Test Championship and its various vagaries was underlined by how Australia gained 60 points for a single victory in Brisbane as opposed to 56 combined for the two wins scrapped and scraped for to retain the Ashes in England.Although Australia are now second on the table, they are dealing in a system of swings and roundabouts that also features non-championship matches, whether England’s in New Zealand right now or a one-off Test against Afghanistan at the start of next summer.”The main thing is that now every Test match counts, unless it’s England and New Zealand,” Paine quipped. “There’s a few things, it’s not perfect but I think the players are rapt there’s a Test World Cup that’s up for grabs. I think over the years the points system will improve. We’re certainly tracking it, because one of our goals is to be there, [the final] is certainly a date on the calendar we’ve put down as a group.”That goal may face another obstacle in terms of the myriad of factors going into next summer’s home Test schedule. Paine reiterated his personal preference to stage a similar smash-and-grab performance against India this time next year, although he wryly suggested that might also depend on Virat Kohli’s preferences. There will also be the issues of Afghanistan’s match, and jostling between Cricket Australia, state governments, broadcasters and venues for the best spread of facilities.Brisbane’s relative indifference to Test cricket and the Gabba’s various drawbacks in terms of amenities will also play a part. This match was watched by 45,891 people over four days, a long way short of the 66,325 who watched the first three days of a day-night match between Australia and Pakistan here in 2016. Yet it was also a marginally better crowd than that who assembled to see Adam Gilchrist debut and Australia win by 10 wickets 20 years ago.”We’ll certainly try [to start at the Gabba] but we’ll have to run that by Virat. I’m sure we’ll get an answer from him at some stage I’m sure,” Paine said. “That’s where we like to start our summer and has been for a long, long time except for last summer. As I said we’ll ask Virat, see if we can get his permission to play here. Maybe even get a pink ball Test, if he’s in a good mood.”We like playing here. Australian teams have bowled and batted well here for a long time. We’d like to start here against anyone. Having said that it doesn’t win us games of cricket. The reason we win games of cricket at the Gabba is because we outplay our opposition.”So as well as Australia might have played in Brisbane, with all the fresh sustenance offered by the likes of Burns and Labuschagne to complement a renewed Warner alongside the dependable Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon, this was not a week without storm clouds looming on the horizon. Whether they rain on a burgeoning Australian parade will be a matter as much of good fortune as good management.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is thought to be ready to give the green light for Manchester United to sign a highly-rated "complete" player this summer, according to a new transfer rumour.

Man Utd transfer news

The upcoming summer transfer window promises to be an exciting one at Old Trafford, with Ratcliffe now overseeing football matters after acquiring a 25% stake in the club. The boyhood fan may well be eyeing plenty of business, in order to help the Red Devils to return to the top of the English game, and plenty of players have been linked with moves.

In one audacious transfer rumour that has emerged, United have even been backed to sign Bayern Munich and England superstar Harry Kane at some point in the future, should he seal a return to England. That's according to West Ham coach Kevin Nolan, who said:

"I can certainly see him back in the Premier League. I don’t think Tottenham would have ever have sold him to Manchester United, but for him to go to Bayern Munich, then it’s easier for him to come back from Germany and I think Man United will be his destination."

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has also been linked with a switch to United, with the Nigerian once again enjoying an impressive season for the reigning Italian champions, scoring 11 goals in 15 starts in Serie A.

Away from possible incoming signings, Ratcliffe will look to bring in a new sporting director, with Dan Ashworth a primary target after being placed on gardening leave by Newcastle United, and it isn't out of the question that Erik ten Hag could be sacked as manager in the summer.

Bologna boss Thiago Motta has emerged as an option to replace the Dutchman once the season is over, guiding his team to fourth place in Serie A, and Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi is also among the targets.

Ratcliffe ready to approve Man Utd move for midfielder

According to The Sunday Mirror [via Sky Sports], Ratcliffe 'is set to approve a record-breaking offer of just over £100m' to secure the signing of Benfica midfielder Joao Neves this summer.

A record-breaking deal of over £100m is mooted, with the 19-year-old considered one of the most exciting young midfielders in European football, being hailed by former coach Luis Castro:

"My friends ask me if Kokcu cost 25 million euros, how much will Joao Neves cost. He will be worth much more than €25 million. He can play in any championship in the world. (He’s) a complete and very intelligent player. The Premier League is the best league in the world, and not only would he be able to adapt, but he would also play and shine."

Man Utd's 10 most expensive signings

Total

1. Paul Pogba

£89.3m

2. Antony

£80.8m

3. Harry Maguire

£74m

4. Jadon Sancho

£72.3m

5. Romelu Lukaku

£72m

6. Rasmus Hojlund

£62.8m

7. Casemiro

£60.1m

8. Bruno Fernandes

£55.3m

9. Mason Mount

£54.6m

10. Anthony Martial

£51m

Midfield is an area of the pitch that may well need improving soon, with both Casemiro and Christian Eriksen both in their 30s, so Neves could be viewed as Kobbie Mainoo's long-term partner in the middle of the park, completing 89.7% of his passes in the Primeira Liga this season and averaging two tackles per game.

Heather Knight paid credit to her Western Storm side’s batting depth after Deepti Sharma’s crucial unbeaten 39 from 22 balls from No. 6 lifted them over the line in a nail-biting run chase against Southern Vipers at Hove.Sharma came in with Storm needing 70 off 7.3 overs after prolific openers Smriti Mandhana and Rachel Priest had fallen early, but struck seven boundaries in her cameo in the middle to support Knight – who made 78 not out – as they chased down their target with an over to spare.”We’ve had people throughout the order play brilliantly throughout the competition,” Knight said. “Fran Wilson and Sophie Luff have been outstanding for us this year, and Deepti has had some really good cameos, even though she hasn’t had to bat too much.”I’m really delighted with how we’ve gone. The two at the top [Mandhana and Priest] obviously have a job to try and score quickly and sometimes that doesn’t pay off so we’ve got the middle order to patch that up if that does happen.”Also read: Knight leads Storm to title with unbeaten 78 against VipersVipers captain Tammy Beaumont suggested that while her side’s middle order had chipped in throughout the tournament, the difference in batting depth was ultimately the difference between the sides.”Yeah definitely, you look at them – they’ve got seven international players, and we’re kind of lacking that a little bit in our team,” she said.”Full credit to the girls, they’ve all stepped up at different times. Amanda Wellington has played some gems of innings for us at five or six, and so have Fi Morris and Paige Scholfield, so that’s just the way it is. But yeah, of course – having someone of the class of Deepti is maybe a little bit of a difference there.”The contrast with the Vipers – who were 134 for 1 after 14 overs, but lost six wickets for 38 runs in the final six overs – was clear, and Knight paid credit to her side’s decision to sign a full quota of overseas players that would be available for Finals Day, which contrasted with the other two sides.”Trevor Griffin has been amazing, putting the squad together,” she said. “No-one works harder as a coach than him in the early summer going to see players play in county cricket, and stuff like that, and assembling the best squad we could.”We made the decision to go with an overseas [player] that was going to be available for the final, because obviously we lost Smriti last year. It was sad to let Stafanie [Taylor] go but obviously she wasn’t available for today, and Deepti’s been outstanding for us, and obviously we had that little bit of extra depth which was nice.”With Danni Wyatt, who was confirmed as player of the tournament after the final, striking the ball cleanly, the Vipers had been set for a total far in advance of the 172 they ended up with, and Knight credited her seamers with dragging things back in their favour.”I thought they were on for 200-plus at one point, the way Tammy and Danni were going there in the middle,” Knight said. “It was a really good track, really hard to defend or stop the flow of runs when players were going like that.”We bowled outstandingly – Freya [Davies] and Anya [Shrubsole] in particular pulled it back nicely, managed to pick up a few wickets and I thought 170 was going to be really tough to chase, but we knew it was probably within our grasp.”We’ve chased some really good totals over the past couple of years, and we’ve somehow found a way to win a lot this season in tricky situations, so to do that, with the belief we’ve had, we knew that if one batter was there at the end we were in with a good chance. [I’m] delighted it was me, and happy to pick up the trophy.”