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Before the end of the 2024/25 campaign, Liverpool had gone three transfer windows having spent nominally.

Indeed, last August’s £12.5m purchase of Federico Chiesa was the only Anfield addition since Jurgen Klopp’s ambitious midfield rebuild in 2023.

So while rivals may be frustrated at the Merseysiders’ spenging spree, they may want to check themselves after letting Arne Slot waltz into the Premier League and get his hands on the title with scarcely any investment, not 12 months after Klopp vacated his throne.

To think that these remarkable Reds have already reached a higher level than their domestic peers is frightening, for Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong have strengthened the defensive flanks, Florian Wirtz has arrived for a British-record £116m fee.

And let’s not forget Giorgi Mamardashvili, who replaces Caoimhin Kelleher between the sticks after a £29m fee was agreed last summer.

However, for all this productive restructuring, there may be plenty more yet to come.

Liverpool's new-look frontline

Mohamed Salah certainly pulled his weight for Liverpool last season, practically dragging Slot’s side to the Premier League title that he promised after a disappointing end to 2023/24.

But he’s now 33, and will need greater support. With Darwin Nunez, Chiesa and Diogo Jota all rumoured to be leaving Anfield this summer, a few more incomings could go down a treat, especially as Luis Diaz is also being chased by Barcelona and Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.

Already, Wirtz’s arrival opens up a whole new world of possibilities as far as the attacking line-up is confirmed, and that’s without even considering the addition of an out-and-out striker.

Liverpool, to be sure, have spent a lot already this summer, but sales and careful planning has led the outfit to an enviable position that may yet see them break the bank once again.

And we all know who we’d like up top.

Liverpool pushing for elite striker

According to transfer insider Graeme Bailey, Liverpool are still pushing for Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, who is supposedly unavailable after the Magpies qualified for the Champions League, thus pricing him at £200m.

But in spite of such claims, Liverpool’s interest persists. There have even been claims in the previous week suggesting the Sweden international wants to leave St. James’ Park as the Merseysiders ramp up the gas, although it feels unlikely that he would hand in an official transfer request.

Speaking to Rousing the Kop, Bailey said: “Liverpool are not being deterred, we’re not sure quite why that is, but they seem to think there’s a chink of light there.”

Why Liverpool should sign Alexander Isak

Given the technicalities of a prospective bid for Isak, and indeed the finances involved, Newcastle’s stance, yada yada, FSG would be forgiven for focusing their attention elsewhere.

Liverpool, after all, have stocked up with some incredible signings already this summer.

But Isak is a special player, hailed by analyst Raj Chohan last season as being “the best striker in the world” and an “unstoppable talent” in the words of writer Adam Keys. Some would refute that initial claim, but then who can deny that the 25-year-old’s completeness in the final third makes him one of the most dangerous players out there?

Liverpool certainly know how it feels to come unstuck against the shifty forward, whose intelligence and movements saw him score in the Carabao Cup final in March, winning the Magpies some silver at Slot’s expense.

Across 42 matches in 2024/25, he scored 27 goals and laid on six assists. Newcastle are a fantastic team, but you get the sense that haul could swell under Slot’s management at Liverpool. With the likes of Wirtz and Salah creating for him, surely anything’s possible?

Salah, while renowned for being one of the deadliest strikers of his generation, is also an incredible playmaker, having assisted 88 goals across 301 Premier League fixtures. He racked up 18 assists from last season alone.

And then Wirtz will bring a more focused brand of creativity to the Liverpool fold. The German, still only 22, was hailed as a “genius” by his former Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso for his intelligence and eagle vision.

As per FBref, he ranked among the top 9% of attacking midfielders and wingers last year for assists, the top 7% for shot-creating actions and progressive passes, and the top 2% for passes attempted per 90, underscoring that point.

Adding him to a team already blessed with supreme creative production must be a daunting thought for opponents, especially when throwing Isak into the equation.

Premier League 24/25 – Most Big Chances Created

#

Team

BCC

1.

Liverpool

112

2.

Chelsea

93

3.

Arsenal

91

3=

Man City

91

5.

Aston Villa

90

Data via Premier League

Injuries aside, it’s hard to imagine the Newcastle sensation flopping. His roundedness and ability to drop deep, influence and then carve through defences with blistering speed, measured strides, makes him a unique adversary, and one who has yet to taste Slot’s tactical guidance.

While Liverpool would have to break a bank still shattered after Wirtz’s arrival, there are few – if any – forwards who would be more fitting than Isak, who is proven in the Premier League and endowed with the phyiscal and tactical properties that are perfect for a place at the front of the Anfield ship.

He only missed 18 big chances in the Premier League last term, as per Sofascore, scoring 23 times, and with such deadly finishing and a balanced style, it’s time for Liverpool to move the requisite pieces and shake the division by testing Newcastle’s resolve.

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Posts 1 ByMatt Dawson Jun 29, 2025

Gloucestershire fight back through Singh Dale before tumble of wickets

ECB Reporters Network24-Jun-2024

Gloucestershire 168 for 7 (Price 47, Charlesworth 45, Revis 3-26) trail Yorkshire 456 (Bean 164, Lyth 129, Singh Dale 3-70) by 288 runsGloucestershire fought back impressively with the ball at the start of day two – but Yorkshire maintained the advantage in the ongoing Vitality County Championship clash at Scarborough by striking five times late in the day.Yorkshire, who started the day on 348 for three in their first innings, were bowled out for 456 when looking well set for many more. New-ball seamer Ajeet Singh Dale claimed two of the seven wickets to fall, finishing with three for 70 from 24 overs.Despite their impressive morning’s work – the hosts were bowled out on the cusp of lunch – Gloucestershire were still faced with a daunting total to reply to.And while their response started encouragingly thanks to opener Ben Charlesworth’s 45 and 47 for Ollie Price, they slipped from 128 for two to 158 for six and later ended the day on 168 for seven from 71 overs.It was, without doubt, a morale-boosting close to a day which started poorly for a Yorkshire side who did not make the most of an opening partnership of 307 between centurions Adam Lyth and Fin Bean on day one.This Championship campaign has been one of significant frustration for Yorkshire, who were billed as pre-season title favourites but came into this fixture second-bottom in the Division Two table and without a win in seven.They have been affected by fast-bowling injuries and have struggled to bowl sides out as a result. In the games they managed to do that, they lost against Middlesex at Lord’s and against leaders Sussex at Hove.In some matches, weather has played its part in thwarting them.Should they not get over the line here during the next two days, the weather will almost certainly not be a factor.But their chances were increased thanks to a superb last hour, including two wickets in two balls for all-rounder Matthew Revis, who had earlier also removed Charlesworth en-route to three for 26 from nine overs.Left-handed Charlesworth started the season batting at seven, contributing unbeaten scores of 52 and 43 to the draw against Yorkshire at Bristol in early April.But he then replaced Chris Dent at the top of the order in early May and has a 126 to his name.He fell caught behind off Revis’s seam with the final ball of the afternoon, five short of a fifty – 97 for two. Jordan Thompson had earlier removed Cameron Bancroft.England Lions man Price continued his good work and twice hit the off-spin of Dom Bess over midwicket and long-on for six. Though he was part of the late collapse.Bess started it when he bowled an advancing Miles Hammond off an inside-edge shortly after tea before Sri Lankan overseas quick Vishwa Fernando bowled James Bracey – 146 for four in the 60th.Revis then had Price brilliantly caught behind down leg by Jonny Tattersall off a gloved pull at the end of the 61st over. And when he bowled Australian Beau Webster, via inside-edge, for a golden duck at the start of his next, Gloucestershire were 158 for six in the 63rd.Thompson returned to get Graeme van Buuren caught at first slip in the day’s penultimate over – 166 for seven in the 70th.Yorkshire were helped by the fact glorious sunshine had been replaced by cloud cover, and there was no doubt this was a bowler’s day.Gloucestershire were excellent with the ball before lunch, much improved from day one when they struggled to build sustained pressure.They claimed seven wickets for 87, Yorkshire falling from 369 for three as new ball seamers Singh Dale and Dom Goodman struck twice apiece.Glos pinched a second bowling bonus point just in the nick of time as Webster bowled Revis with a beauty five balls into the 110th over – 390 for six – while all-rounders George Hill and Thompson fell just short of fifties, posting 45 and 44 in contrasting fashion.Hill was measured, whereas Thompson was meaty. The latter hit four sixes in 28 balls, the best of them coming over cover off Australian Webster’s seamers.

Manchester City are now the clear frontrunners in the race for an “incredible” £100m star, who could be brought in as an alternative to Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz this summer, according to a report.

Man City back out of Wirtz race

BBC Sport reporter Sami Mokbel has now confirmed that Man City have pulled out of the race for Wirtz, given that the total cost to bring the German to the Etihad Stadium would be way too expensive.

As such, the path could now be clear for either Liverpool or Bayern Munich to sign the 22-year-old, and City have moved on to alternative targets, with a fresh report revealing they are well-positioned to win the race for a Premier League star.

Man City now ready to submit formal £29m proposal to sign "pacy" defender

He’s a rising star.

ByTom Cunningham May 16, 2025

According to GiveMeSport, Man City are now the clear frontrunners in the race for Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White, but much like the deal for Wirtz, it will be expensive to bring the attacking midfielder to the Etihad Stadium, given a reported asking price of £100m.

The Englishman is being eyed as a replacement for the outgoing Kevin De Bruyne, who has recently hinted that he could remain in the Premier League beyond the end of the campaign, with the Belgian seemingly open to the idea of signing for another English club.

Gibbs-White is now the top target to replace De Bruyne, but it remains to be seen whether Pep Guardiola’s side are willing to shell out the huge asking price.

Gibbs-White could be "incredible" De Bruyne heir

Replacing De Bruyne will be a daunting task for whichever attacking midfielder City choose to sign this summer, but there are plenty of signs that Wirtz could’ve been a suitable option, given the level of his performances for Leverkusen in the 2024-25 campaign.

Competition

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Bundesliga

31

10

13

Champions League

9

6

1

DFB-Pokal

4

0

1

That’s not to say the Forest midfielder isn’t a solid alternative option, however, having already proven himself in the Premier League, picking up seven goals and ten assists for the Tricky Trees during their push for the Champions League this season.

Not only are the England international’s attacking numbers impressive, but he has also received high praise for his work-rate from ESPN pundit Janusz Michallik.

As such, there are signs Gibbs-White could be a fantastic heir to De Bruyne, despite arguably not being as flashy a signing as Wirtz, and Man City should look to wrap up a deal before interest in the 25-year-old increases.

Not only are Manchester City pushing for a Champions League spot at the end of the season and looking to win the FA Cup, but they are in the final throes of Kevin De Bruyne’s City career.

What an incredible decade it has been for the Belgian in Sky Blue. They have had an incredible amount of success, with De Bruyne at the heart of it all. He has made 414 appearances for the club so far, scoring 106 goals and grabbing an outrageous 176 assists. The peak of the project was in 2022/23, when they won the treble.

Now, City have the unenviable job of replacing the 33-year-old and have already been linked to Morgan Gibbs-White as an option.

The latest on Man City's pursuit of Gibbs-White

It certainly seems as though the Citizens could go all in for Nottingham Forest’s talismanic midfielder, Gibbs-White.

The 25-year-old has been sensational in Garibaldi Red this term, which could earn him a move to the current Premier League champions.

According to the highly reputable David Ornstein, the East Mancunian outfit is one of the players ‘among multiple options’ on City’s list, with players they ‘will consider to replace’ De Bruyne this summer. Another name mentioned was Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz.

It has been an excellent campaign for Gibbs-White in 2024/25, with him and his Forest teammates looking set to qualify for the Champions League.

In total, he has five goals and nine assists in 27 games. City were on the end of one of those assists, a superb cross-field pass to Callum Hudson-Odoi which the winger was able to score from.

At this stage, a price for the England international is unclear. However, he is valued at a price as high as £59m by Football Transfers, and the Citizens could have to pay as much as that if they want to sign him this summer.

Incredibly, Pep Guardiola’s side have a player in a similar position worth even more than Gibbs-White.

Man City's "freak" talent could save them millions on Gibbs-White

In and around the England set-up, the signing of Gibbs-White could certainly be a wise one for City who need to replace De Bruyne and hand the likes of Phil Foden and Jack Grealish more competition.

However, they may already have someone who can fill in behind the striker.

Indeed, it was a busy January transfer window for the Citizens, with Omar Marmoush being one of the headline signings for £59m from Eintracht Frankfurt. The Egyptian, described as a “freak” by football scout Antonio Mango, has hit the ground running at the Etihad Stadium and could be someone who helps to replace the output of the departing De Bruyne.

In just 13 appearances for the East Mancunian outfit so far, Marmoush already has six goals and an assist. That included an unstoppable hat-trick against Newcastle United, with all three goals coming in a span of 15 minutes.

One of the impressive things about the former Eintracht Frankfurt star is his ability to play across the frontline. He has already featured as a left-winger and a number 10, the same position as Gibbs-White plays. In Erling Haaland’s absence due to injury, Marmoush has also slotted in at centre-forward.

It has been a fantastic campaign for the 26-year-old so far with the new City recruit on fire for Eintracht before his move to the Premier League, scoring 20 goals and assisting 14 in just 26 games.

With that being said, it might be no surprise that his underlying numbers on FBref compared to other forwards this season are exceptional.

For example, per 90 minutes, he averages 1.06 goals and assists and 0.86 goal-creating actions, which rank him in the top 3% and 1% of attackers, respectively.

Marmoush key stats 2024/25

Stat (per 90)

Number

Percentile

Goals and assists

1.06

97th

Key passes

1.92

97th

Shot-creating actions

4.89

99th

Goal-creating actions

0.86

97th

Take-ons completed

1.97

98th

Stats from FBref

Marmoush’s talent is undeniable, and he has the numbers to back it up. Thus his value has shot up even from the time he joined City. As per Football Transfers, the attacker is now valued at £75.m.

That is almost £20m more than what City paid for him just weeks ago, and almost £20m more than what Gibbs-Whote is valued at. It is safe to say that the signing of the Egypt star has been a good piece of business from the Citizens, who certainly struck gold on this deal.

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Posts ByEthan Lamb Apr 8, 2025

South Africa must find better support for lead spinner Keshav Maharaj, whose absence was felt in Pakistan

Firdose Moonda08-Nov-2025South Africa will leave Pakistan with only a share of a Test series after losing both white-ball contests, including their first ODI series under coach Shukri Conrad. Given that they have also won just five out of 13 T20Is since July, and there is a World Cup looming in three months’ time, it could be cause for concern. But there’s a caveat.Despite Conrad’s assertion that South Africa would have their first-choice players available more often than not, the opposite has happened. A packed schedule, the need to prioritise some series over others and the inevitability of injuries has meant that South Africa have not always been at full strength. That was the case for both the T20I and ODI series in Pakistan and so the post-tour analysis is likely to focus more on individuals than the overall result.This is what South Africa may have learnt:

De Kock is back for real

A four-ball one in Windhoek last month was not quite the way Quinton de Kock would have wanted to come back to the international game but he quickly found his old self, albeit in the longer white-ball game. De Kock was named player of the ODI series as he topped the run-charts with a century sandwiched between two fifties that served as a reminder of how vital he is at the top of the order.ESPNcricinfo LtdNo longer just a basher, de Kock was happy to let his young opening partner Lhuan-dre Pretorius take the lead while he dropped anchor and it worked a charm. The pair shared in three profitable opening stands and have given South Africa a good selection headache. Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram are the incumbents but it is difficult to see a situation where South Africa don’t find a space for de Kock, who continues to work on his game.”It’s my first time playing white-ball cricket in Pakistan and I learnt a couple of things about my own game,” he said on Saturday. “The wickets stayed low, reverse swing and there was a bit of a turn, so it was about how we adjusted to that.”De Kock will have a break before South Africa’s white-ball series in India, which could prove decisive in whether he makes the T20 World Cup squad.

Breetzke’s diminishing returns

Pakistan seemed to be Matthew Breetzke’s favourite place to play cricket earlier this year when he scored 150 on debut at the start of a run of five successive fifty-plus scores. Breetzke was the world’s leading run-getter after five ODI innings and the second-leading after eight but has since fallen to fifth after nine innings in what was a tough return, with additional responsibility.Matthew Breetzke enjoyed an excellent tour of Pakistan earlier this year, but in this one he made 42, 17 and 16•Getty ImagesHe was named South Africa’s stand-in captain and while he did a decent job in the field, his batting returns of 42, 17 not out and 16 were less than satisfactory. Breetzke was out to Abrar Ahmed on the two occasions he was dismissed – once trying a big shot and once on the forward defence – and like so many South Africans before him will want to work on his game play against legspin. In the third ODI, he wanted “to try and play as straight as possible with the variable bounce” but it proved trickier than he expected. Of course, Breetzke did not become a bad batter over the course of three matches but with a queue of top-order players knocking down the door, including Tony de Zorzi, his returns in this series may push him down the pecking order for now.

Nandre Burger’s bowling

With the first-choice fast bowlers – Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen – rested, left-armer Nandre Burger stepped up and finished second to Abrar on the wicket-takers’ charts. Four of his five wickets came in the second ODI, and three of those four in the powerplay, where he used the bouncer to excellent effect. Breetzke singled out Burger’s “aggression,” as a positive South Africa will take from this tour. Burger also found seam movement in the third match and sprinkled in slower-ball variations and has given South Africa an additional option to vary their attack.Nqabayomzi Peter, the 23-year-old legspinner, is likely to be part of SA’s future plans•Getty Images

Where are the next batch of spinners coming from?

Keshav Maharaj was rested for this series and his absence only seems to highlight his importance, but South Africa must find another tier of spinners to come after him. Donovan Ferreira had a forgettable tour with ball, bat and as a temporary T20I captain and George Linde was expensive which leaves left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin and legspinner Nqabayomzi Peter to assess. Fortuin was South Africa’s most economical bowler of the ODIs, and conceded at 4.50 runs to the over, but was not particularly threatening while Peter, 23, demonstrated good control and is most likely to be part of South Africa’s longer-term plans.Playing in Pakistan is tough – for reasons other than the conditions While almost all the South African players interviewed described the pitches as the most difficult thing to get used to in Pakistan, there were also other challenges that come with touring a country so unlike their own. South Africa cited last year’s Bangladesh Test series as a tour that unified them like never before because they were confined to their hotel and this year’s Pakistan visit may have had the same effect.”You kind of get into a routine because you can’t leave the hotel,” de Zorzi said at a pre-match press conference. “So it’s a bit of a grind on and off. It’s almost just staying in that work mindset and only really focusing on cricket. There’s nothing else to focus on. There’s nothing else to do. Everything is a bit of a grind, but you kind of make peace with that. And anyone would be happy to do that grind. So you just have to remind yourself that you’re lucky to be here and it’s your job.”

After combining to topple a target of 223, Salt and Brook showed they can drive England’s next white-ball era

Cameron Ponsonby17-Dec-2023As Harry Brook launched his first ball back over the bowler’s head, West Indies captain Rovman Powell at long-on started to walk-in.The ball had gone high, with the angle blurring whether it had gone far, or just gone up. Powell continued to walk-in, but just as you expected him to look up and settle himself for a catch, his stare remained gun-barrel straight. The ball had gone. And he had the next over to prepare for.”Yeah, I knew I’d got it,” Brook smiles. “It came straight out of the screws…I was waiting for the slower ball and I was looking straight the whole time. Thankfully he missed and I took the opportunity.”Brook had walked in to bat with 37 runs required off 13 deliveries. A total that was hauled in with a ball to spare as he contributed with a scarcely believable 31 not out off 7 balls.The 21 runs he struck off the final over to win the match was a figure that had only ever been achieved once before in the history of T20I cricket.”I was trying to stay as cool as possible and relaxed. As soon as I get tensed up that’s when i lose my shape and I don’t quite hit the ball as cleanly. So I was just trying to stay as cool as possible and free-flowing.”Brook’s summary of the wave of emotions he felt when the winning runs came off his bat was typically understated, taking a moment to reflect, before sighing that, “yeah, it’s a pretty good feeling.” Whilst Phil Salt, who himself had contributed with the small matter of 109 not out off 56 balls, was more superlative, “There is no more special feeling than walking off the ground in an England shirt, winning the game.”Related

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Salt 109*, Brook late cameo fire England to dramatic chase of 223

Brook’s talent is such that in an era where every other white-ball batter to be has had to wait their turn, he’s been given a VIP wristband and allowed to jump the queue. Since the summer of 2022, Brook forced his way into the T20 side in time to play every single match of the victorious World Cup campaign before scoring four Test centuries in his first six matches, which in turn paved the way for his entry into the ODI set-up and eventually the World Cup squad.By contrast, Salt is three years his senior and made his England debut a year earlier, but has lived a bridesmaid’s international career. There to help out whenever required, but never afforded his own special day. Until yesterday.”We spoke about that actually the other day,” Brook said of England wanting to build a team of characters who can win when their backs are against the wall. “Trying to play with personality and go out there and show what you can do. Salty’s done that beautifully today, it’s his first hundred for England in T20 cricket and I’m sure if he keeps on batting like that he’ll get many more.”In Brook and Salt’s embrace at the end, you had a picture of two players with different routes but the same destination as integral members of England’s next white-ball generation.A point of particular pride for both players was that England, having scored 13 fewer sixes than the West Indies across the first two matches of the series, had turned the table in the third and out-Windied the Windies. Salt himself struck nine, Brook four, England 18 and the West Indies 16.Salt and Brook – the frontmen of England’s new white-ball wave?•Associated Press”It’s an incredible effort,” Salt said. “The power that those guys have. I’ve played with a lot of them, played with Dre in the Hundred, played with Rovman in the IPL. Even in the nets over there, I was a bit shocked at times with the raw power they have and then when you’re playing against them, seeing the ball fly over your head, it’s not just going ten metres over, it’s a good 30, 40, 50 metres over the fence. Sometimes you are genuinely in awe of it.”To out-six them today, it shows we’ve got what it takes. Mo (Moeen Ali) talked in the huddle before the game about fighting fire with fire, so that’s a nice little stat, that.”Brook has long been considered a lock, but Salt’s innings could for the first time have officially shifted the dial of England’s white-ball pecking order. It was only a matter of months ago that Salt had lost his place at the top of the order to Will Jacks, but such is his propensity for attacking the powerplay that this series saw Salt get the nod at the top of the tree, with Jacks relegated to No.3. And now, with Jonny Bairstow’s return on the horizon, it is difficult to imagine a world where England refutes the opportunity to keep Salt where he is, with Bairstow replacing Jacks at first drop.It has taken eight years for the next generation to be afforded the chance to come through, but in Salt and Brook, England have the backbone of a batting line-up that will serve them well for years to come.

Viv Richards, lion in winter, talks T20 and whether he wishes he was playing in the modern era

Osman Samiuddin16-Mar-20220:59

‘If T20 was around when we were, why not go and have some professional fun’

Last week, as we mourned the tragic loss of one of the game’s greats, so passed a significant life moment for another. Sir Viv Richards, who played his last Test five months before Shane Warne played his first, is now 70 years old.Or, as he is quick to point out, “70 years young”.It’s a bit of a dad-quip but are you not going to laugh when Viv Richards laughs, satisfied with the funny he’s made? We’re talking, as we do now, via Zoom, and Richards, proudly of Antigua, is sitting in a hotel room in Lahore, as a “mentor” for Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League, talking into a smartphone. This is a very 21st-century scene, although Richards, and those shoulders, bring a magisterial touch to the framing.Related

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Nowadays this commitment is his most active involvement in the game. And while a T20 franchise mentor is totally the same energy as a company’s Chief Happiness Officer, somehow Richards’ role at Quetta has not only appeared organic, it has also been substantive.His presence in the dugout at PSL games has often been the game to watch. Even now, there’s little doubt he is – was – an athlete, the vibe he always brought, that there is nothing more serious in his life than that to which he is presently deployed. He chest-bumps, he fist-pumps, he high-fives, he grooves. In the first PSL, when Quetta reached the final, he charged on to the field to celebrate, with the same conviction with which he once celebrated a Rob Bailey dismissal. That was five years go, but he’s still so clearly into each moment of a game, you can’t help but wonder: 30 years from his last game, how much is he missing it?”Not really,” he says. “What I’m seeing is a lot of individuals who have done the game in itself proud. The magnificent players that you’ve seen, certainly the game has improved somewhat. The bats, the power-hitting, you know, most certainly the T20 stuff wasn’t around when we were playing.”With old chum Ian Botham at the unveiling of the trophy named after the two of them earlier this month in North Sound, Antigua•Gareth Copley/AFP/Getty ImagesSurely, though, there have been times where you’ve sized up some poor bowler, clocked the boundary sizes, felt the heft of that bat and thought: pad me up now?”Well, yes, I would say this, that sometimes there is a little urge… why the hell didn’t T20 come a little earlier, you know?” There’s a little shimmying of those shoulders as he says this, just one of the physical manifestations of that gold-dust swagger.”One of the things I am pleased and very happy for is that the pioneers that graced the field over the years, they would’ve set the foundation for what’s happening today. I’m just hoping that the individuals who are playing today and earning whatever, appreciate the fact that there were pioneers before who obviously led the way for what’s happening today.”A wider theme can be parsed from these lines, in which, broadly speaking, the supremacy of red-ball cricket is paramount. T20s cannot be the judge of a cricketer, Richards says. Red-ball remains “the real baptism where cricket is concerned”. Boundaries are too small. If helmets weren’t around, neither would modern batting’s derring-do be. “Suits of armour” makes an appearance, and he frets players are too readily forsaking national teams for franchises. In referring to T20s as “professional fun”, moreover, he fairly harrumphs “professional”, as might a man from a time when being a professional cricketer was not inevitable.This is a generational cleft, although it doesn’t come across as bitter as much as it does cautionary. It is to say that a world existed before yesterday, that people strived hard in it; in it people failed and excelled, in it people innovated, in it there were greats who were shaped by the circumstances of their time. It is to say that as we move ahead, we can only do so by remaining mindful of where we are coming from. Which is no bad plea.And he kind of have a point about bowlers in T20s.Richards obliges with selfies and autographs at the West Indies-Pakistan game in the 2019 World Cup•Gareth Copley/ICC/Getty Images”What I would say is that there are times when I think bowlers are taken advantage of.” He pauses, then laughs at the words that are about to come: “And I say that mildly.”You know, when you look at some of these T20 tournaments, you see the small boundaries, these huge hitters, the improvement in the bats, you know, as a batsman I shouldn’t be saying this, but I believe that the bowlers sometimes have been taken for granted. Especially when you have batters making mistakes, top-edging stuff for sixes. I believe the boundary sometimes could be a little bit bigger. Just making the playing field on the whole much more enjoyable for everyone to participate and compete.”When asked what his one wish for the game would be, he asks for bigger boundaries. It is hardly a radical manifesto, but this note of sympathy from a batter who displayed little of it to bowlers when playing adds a little gravitas.That had everything to do with the bowlers he came across, the Lillees and Thommos, the Imrans and Hadlees, as well as his own team-mates. The one thing he couldn’t dare give them was sympathy.We are currently passing through an era that might, in time, be remembered even more favourably for fast bowling. Richards watched the Ashes – it is not clear why – and, unsurprisingly, liked what he saw from the hosts.”When I looked at Australia, I felt that was the perfect example. You have four guys coming at you all day and you’ve got to survive that, your technique on the line. Testing times. The leaving of deliveries outside off stump. The concentration factor.I and I: Richards holds up a portrait of him by artist Brandon Kelly•Randy Brooks/AFP/Getty Images”Yes, you look at even Shaheen [Shah Afridi], he has come on in leaps and bounds. Ever since I’ve been coming here to Pakistan, this is one of the things I have noted – the finds in terms of fast bowlers. Guys are clicking at 145-150kph on a regular basis, which means that it is healthy in that category.”As I said, some of the things that have not changed, in my opinion, is proper fast bowling. I could call on a few from yesterday, you know, who were fine exponents. I could give you four who I played with. And the count could go on and on. But in a big way, I believe that never changes.”The fastest bowler he says he faced was Jeff Thomson, which is not surprising. The fastest ball he ever faced is, but also isn’t: a bouncer from Wasim Akram in an ODI in Hobart in late 1988. It could be recency bias of one kind – on the morning of this interview, Richards had inducted Akram into the PCB’s hall of fame. But everyone knows that though Akram operated as a sculptor, he could be a wrecking ball when the mood gripped him.”One of the quickest deliveries I have ever, ever encountered, and I believe there was someone upstairs looking after me,” he recalls. “I had some hair left then, somewhat of a mini-Afro and this one went by so quickly, I could hear it hitting the wicketkeeper’s gloves and I said, ‘Wow, wow.’ Wasim was a young man, coming on to the scene, and I was heading towards the exit door so I was glad that while he was coming then, I was going.”I can remember also that I did say to the individuals, the batsmen in the West Indies team at the time, I said, ‘Hey man, good luck to you guys, having to encounter that guy on a regular basis man.’ Wasim, he was very, very special. Up to this day, I still see that particular delivery. I have nightmares about it every now and again.”It is from a great contemporary of Richards’ that we have heard on racism over the last couple of years, since the murder of George Floyd and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. Michael Holding has become a prominent and powerful voice on racism. For those who followed the great West Indies sides of that era, it might seem an unexpected development; even Holding himself admitted in 2020 that Richards was more politically active than he was during their playing days.Second life: Richards is probably found more often on golf courses than at cricket grounds these days•Hannah Peters/Getty ImagesThere would appear to be no specific reason why we have not heard Richards as much. It could be visibility – the pandemic has meant that the first time he travelled outside the Caribbean in recent years was for the T20 World Cup last year. It’s definitely not because he has suddenly not been subject to racist behaviour anymore. In fact, he was, as recently as when returning from the T20 World Cup, on a flight in the Caribbean. It should be getting better, he says, but it isn’t.And he is exactly as you imagine he might be on the issue.”Well, what I know for sure is, the way it should be is that all lives should matter. You know, that’s the way I look at it. All lives should matter. But in some cases, take, for instance, America, the racism we have seen on a regular basis, innocent folks being gunned down by the police, it doesn’t seem like that is the case.”So this is why I will always be an advocate in a big way. Why is it that it just keeps happening to this particular colour?” He points to his forearm. “Because I myself have gone through that sort of stuff, the racism, at some point. I’m a pretty conscious guy. I’ve always believed in my colour, my race. And anyone, in my opinion, who wants to shoot you down, to stamp on you because of your colour, he doesn’t have a divine right to do that.”This is why I would always believe in the Malcolm X factor: by any means necessary, if you need to survive some of the thinking of individuals around the world, like the National Front, the Klan. I’m for anyone of this colour, whoever is being persecuted, whoever is facing race issues, anyone on this earth who is going to say to me as a human being that I haven’t got any right to survive because of my colour – wow, I will do what it takes, what is necessary, in order to survive.”The only sour note, really, is that we’ve lost Richards to golf. That’s how he now spends his days, hanging on courses with Richie Richardson and Eldine Baptiste. Playing a fair bit too, as a handicap of seven indicates. Not bad, he says, for a 70-year-old.

MatériaMais Notícias

Douglas Luiz concedeu entrevista coletiva nesta quinta-feira (21), antes do amistoso da Seleção Brasileira contra a Inglaterra. Jogador do Aston Villa, da Premier League, o meio-campista falou sobre a oportunidade de jogar em Wembley e comparou os momentos das duas seleções, antecipando dificuldades.

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– Então, eu jogando aqui, falando minha opinião como jogador da Premier League. É uma liga muito forte, eles com certeza não vão querer perder. Acho que vai ser um grande espetaculo em Wembley, um estádio que não é qualquer jogador que pode jogar. Eu graças a Deus tive uma oportunidade de jogar lá em cinco anos, numa final de copa contra o Manchester City – comentou Douglas Luiz.

– A gente sabe a dificuldade do jogo, estamos tentando entender o trabalho do Dorival o mais rápido possível. São momento diferentes, a gente em reconstrução e a seleção da Inglaterra já com o grupo mais formado, mas a gente vai dar nosso melhor para vencer essa partida – completou o volante.

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Sobre posicionamento, Douglas Luiz afirmou acreditar que Dorival irá manter um volante para cumprir a função de Casemiro, que foi cortado desta convocação por conta de lesão. O jogador analisou taticamente o trabalho do novo treinador.

– Tive uma conversa com ele, e acho que ele vai manter esse número 5, porque o Dorival é um cara que gosta muito desse jogo posicionado. Ele gosta muito de defender os 11 e atacar marcando. Então, acredito que ele vá deixar esse 5 ali mais posicionado, e aí não sei se vai jogar com dois volantes ou um “triângulo”, com um 5 e dois 8. Isso vou ter um pouco mais de noção hoje – explicou.

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Douglas também falou sobre ter sido ausência em convocações no ano passado, mesmo fazendo ótima temporada pelo Aston Villa. O meio-campista retornou à Seleção na última lista de 2023, e foi mantido por Dorival Júnior para esta Data Fifa.

– Cara, eu procuro sempre fazer meu melhor dentro de campo e isso refletir numa convocação. Mas eu fico tranquilo, como eu disse, a Seleção é recheada de meio-campistas muito bons, sempre está com uma qualidade muito alta. Procurei manter minha cabeça no lugar, falei comigo mesmo que meu momento ia chegar e me preparei o máximo. Agora chegou, se não iniciar uma partida, entrar em campo no segundo tempo e poder resolver, mudar a história de um jogo – afirmou Douglas.

O volante foi questionado sobre a convivência com companheiros cariocas, assim como ele, e relembrou momentos do futebol junto dos companheiros. Além disso, o meio-campista comentou sua trajetória até chegar à Premier League.

– Primeiramente, e sinto muito confortável de estar com o Paquetá, João, Bruno, André… são pessoas que eu consegui jogar contra e favor, na Seleção Sub-20 o Paquetá, principalmente. Então, a gente tem uma liberdade e acho que isso ajuda bastante na montagem do grupo ali. Sobre a dificuldade, é bem difícil sair da comunidade de onde eu saí. Hoje estar jogando a Premier League é algo inexplicável. Só eu e minha família passamos por isso. Estou muito feliz com o clube e agora o foco é aqui na Seleção.

Cria da base do Vasco da Gama, Douglas Luiz falou sobre a resenha com companheiros vascaínos, como Bruno Guimarães e Richarlison. O volante revelou, ainda, uma conversa que teve com Léo Jardim, goleiro do Cruz-Maltino que também está no grupo da Seleção.

– Cara, essa relação é muito boa. com o Richarlison e o Bruno. Consegui descobrir do Richarlison nas Olimpíadas, eu nem sabia. Sobre o Jardim, a primeira coisa quando ele chegou aqui (na Seleção) eu perguntei: o que vai acontecer esse ano? Vamos sofrer de novo? Ele falou que precisava de algumas contratações, mas que o Ramón Díaz é um excelente treinador, então creio que não vamos sofrer. Mas essa é a resenha, fico feliz de ter atletas do Vasco aqui.

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Confira outras respostas de Douglas Luiz na entrevista coletiva desta quinta-feira (21), pela Seleção Brasileira:

– Fico muito feliz com essa concorrência que eu tenho, até porque cada vez mais exige a querer melhorar. O time exato ainda não sei, a gente vem aqui fazer nosso melhor e de tudo para ganhar minutos. Então, fico feliz com essa concorrência toda, mas é um dia após o outro. Continuar trabalhando para que tudo possa dar certo.

– Até o momento (Dorival) não (definiu o time titular). Está sendo um treinamento bastante mesclado. Acho que ele está querendo conhecer todos os jogadores. É a primeira convocação do Dorival, ele tá querendo ver quem ele pode confiar e querendo descobrir os 11. Então, não teve essa separação de titulares e reservas.

Tudo sobre

Douglas LuizInglaterraSeleção Brasileira

When defending a Premier League title, it is important to ensure you make signings of outstanding quality.

Liverpool did that, didn’t they? A record-breaking summer spending spree consolidated FSG’s new era, with Arne Slot at the helm. The league title was in the bank, and players like Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike arrived with a weight of expectation, regarded as elite talents.

Isak, in particular, was a banker, having been hailed by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher as “the best striker in the Premier League right now” as Newcastle United rode the crest of a wave through last season’s winter period.

But, having forced his way out of St. James’ Park this summer, missing out on pre-season, the Sweden striker has found himself on a sticky wicket, lacking sharpness and coherence. Across 752 minutes of action this season, Isak has scored just two goals.

Better days will surely come for this world-class player. And it’s not like he’s alone in flattering to deceive, with Ibrahima Konate and Cody Gakpo among those to have put their jobs at risk with such poor performances.

The Liverpool players whose jobs are at risk

First, let’s address the elephant in the room: Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian’s incendiary interview after the recent Premier League draw at Elland Road has cast his Reds future into jeopardy, the 33-year-old having been left out of three successive starting line-ups before being dropped ahead of the win over Inter.

Salah has been poor this season, ineffective in front of goal and lacking work-rate in regard to pressing and defending. The intensity hasn’t been there, but Salah’s struggles have been a part of a wider malaise.

When he aired his frustrations, the Egypt superstar might have been referencing someone like Gakpo, who has reprised his starting berth regularly this term despite struggling for fluency and dynamism down the left flank. Liverpool need a more protean threat, for sure.

Konate may have been the worst of the bunch. Certainly, the France centre-back has been riddled with mistakes, lacking any semblance of the powerhouse of last season. He is out of contract at the end of the season, but FSG plan to renew his deal.

These are players who have not done their reputations justice this season, and many of a Liverpool persuasion would press for upgrades after such a wretched campaign.

However, there’s another man who has been in finer fettle than the lot, and yet he may need to be sold too, given Slot’s reluctance to hand him minutes.

FSG could sell Liverpool's "Origi regen"

Last season, Federico Chiesa flattered to deceive at Liverpool. The Italy international arrived in August 2024 as the sole summer signing of Slot’s first transfer window, a cut-price buy of just £12.5m as he entered the final year of his contract with Juventus.

Chiesa had to wait until the title was wrapped up before he earned a starting berth in the Premier League, and while Slot has yet to hand the 27-year-old an appearance from the outset in the Premier League and Champions League this season, Chiesa has redeemed himself with some impressive performances.

An intense and direct forward, the Italian scored the late winner against Bournemouth in August, sealing three points on the first game of the Premier League season. He bagged again against Crystal Palace in September, a consolation in defeat, while assisting twice against Southampton in the Carabao Cup.

This kind of potency has even seen the versatile forward hailed as a “Divock Origi regen” by reporter Lewis Oldham for his clutch quality in the final third, popping up when teammates around him were foundering.

The problem: Slot clearly doesn’t favour Chiesa as a prominent member of the squad. And we have to believe that Liverpool will turn a corner sooner rather than later, challenging again for silverware, rather than scraping the gutter for points.

Hugo Ekitike

22

8 + 1

Mohamed Salah

19

5 + 3

Cody Gakpo

21

5 + 4

Federico Chiesa

15

2 + 3

Alexander Isak

14

2 + 1

Florian Wirtz

20

0 + 4

Rio Ngumoha

7

1 + 0

Would Chiesa fit into grand plans of greater ambition? Could the plain truth be that we saw how that transpired last year?

Given that he earns £150k per week, more than most of his teammates, FSG may feel that they are not getting bang for their buck, and that they need to invest in a wide forward better aligned with Slot’s vision.

For this reason, it might be worth cashing in while Liverpool can still recoup something of their shrewd, low-risk investment.

As pointless as Chiesa: Liverpool flop belongs in the Rodgers era

Liverpool’s transfer dealings have a Brendan Rodgers feel about them right now…

1 ByRobbie Walls 5 days ago

It’s been another frustrating campaign for Chelsea so far this season.

One week, Enzo Maresca’s side are able to keep Premier League leaders Arsenal at bay with ten men and tear Barcelona apart 3-0 in the Champions League.

Yet, the next week they’ll lose 3-1 to Leeds United and be held to a draw away to Bournemouth.

One of the big problems this season has been a lack of goals from their strikers, and the worrying thing for Liam Delap in particular is that Chelsea may already have a forward who could end his stay at Stamford Bridge early.

Chelsea's striker situation

Chelsea did not score enough goals last season; they ended the campaign having scored 22 fewer than Liverpool, eight fewer than Manchester City, five fewer than Arsenal and even four fewer than Newcastle United.

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

So, on top of their other business, the Blues opted to send Nicolas Jackson out on loan and bring in Delap and Joao Pedro to compete for that nine position, with Marc Guiu then returning from loan after the Englishman suffered a hamstring injury in the third game of the season.

Now, while this looked like a reasonable plan from the outset, it would be fair to say that, so far, it has not really worked out.

The West Londoners have still scored fewer goals than the Gunners and City, and their forward options are a significant reason why.

Pedro, for example, may have been on fire in the Club World Cup and pre-season, but after the first few games of the campaign proper, he has underwhelmed.

For example, in 18 appearances, totalling 1377 minutes, the former Brighton & Hove Albion star has scored four goals and provided three assists, which is an average of a goal involvement every 2.57 games, or every 196.71 minutes.

Moving on to Guiu, the Spaniard has barely been given a chance to play this season, but has scored and assisted a goal in 280 minutes of football across eight appearances.

That comes out to a reasonable enough average of a goal involvement every 140 minutes, or every four games.

Finally, arguably the most orthodox centre forward of the lot, and potentially the most disappointing so far, is Delap.

Games

18

8

11

Minutes

1377′

280′

453′

Goals

4

1

1

Assists

3

1

0

When not injured or suspended, the former Ipswich Town star has made 11 appearances for the West Londoners, totalling 453 minutes, in which he has scored just a solitary goal.

Unfortunately for the 22-year-old, he is now set to miss another eight weeks of action with a shoulder injury he picked up against the Cherries.

Now, there is every chance Delap could eventually come good this season, but if he does not, his stay at Stamford Bridge could be cut short by another exciting striker making his way there in the summer.

The Striker that could end Delap's Chelsea career

Following the news that Delap would be out for up to eight weeks, there was talk that Chelsea could potentially bring Emmanuel Emegha’s move forward to the winter window.

That now seems to be unlikely, but even so, the Strasbourg forward, who agreed to join the Blues in September, is the player who could be bad news for the Englishman next season.

Why is this the case, you may ask. Well, the first and by far most significant reason is the simple fact that he appears to be a reliable source of goals and assists.

For example, in 29 appearances last season, totalling 2408 minutes, the Dutchman scored 14 goals and provided three assists, which is an average of a goal involvement every 1.70 games, or every 141.64 minutes. There’s a reason he’s been described as a “devastating” talent by scout Antonio Mango.

As if that wasn’t impressive enough for a young forward, the “simply phenomenal” goalscorer, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has gotten even better this season.

In 11 appearances, totalling 664 minutes, he has already scored seven goals and provided two assists, which comes out to a staggering average of a goal involvement every 1.22 games, or every 73.77 minutes.

Season

24/25

25/26

Appearances

29

11

Minutes

2408′

664′

Goals

14

7

Assists

3

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.58

0.81

Minutes per Goal Involvement

141.64′

73.77′

On top of this incredible output, the Den Haag-born poacher is also the captain of Strasbourg, so he should not feel intimidated by stepping up a level in the Premier League.

Finally, he is also 6 foot 5 and no pushover, so on top of potentially being a better goalscorer than Delap, he should be able to hold up the ball at least as well, if not better.

Ultimately, there is still time for the former Ipswich ace to come good at Chelsea, but if he doesn’t improve this season, Emegha could be the one to end his Stamford Bridge stay as soon as next year.

Estevao 2.0: Chelsea looking to sign "one of South America's biggest jewels"

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