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Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has opened up on the heartache of receiving no new contract offer from the club, saying 'it wasn't nice'.

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De Bruyne leaving this summerStill wants to play at highest levelMan City decide against new dealFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Speaking to the press after City's 2-0 win at Everton on Saturday, the 33-year-old spoke out about the behind-the-scenes activities that led to him announcing his Etihad exit earlier in April. While De Bruyne's Premier League performances haven't quite been up to scratch this season, it's clear he still backs himself and is not happy about the club's decision to let him go once his current deal ends.

AdvertisementWHAT DE BRUYNE SAID

According to De Bruyne, "there was a little bit (of shock)" when he found out he wouldn't be offered a contract extension. He said: "I didn't have any offer from them through the whole year and the club made a decision. Obviously, I was a bit surprised but I have to accept it. Honestly, I still think I can perform at this level like I'm showing but I understand that clubs have to make decisions. It was half a week till I reported it out and it wasn't nice. My family weren't home. They were on holiday so it was a bit weird but it is what it is… I told (Txiki Begiristain, sporting director and Ferran Soriano, CEO) that I feel like I still have a lot to give. I know I'm not 25 anymore, but I still feel like I can do my job."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The Belgium international has struggled for consistent form over the past two seasons and has been increasingly plagued by injuries as he's grown older. But at 33, De Bruyne still has the quality and physical capacity to turn a top-level game on its head, as he showcased in a brilliant display against Crystal Palace earlier this month. When his City contract ends, there will no doubt be several clubs interested in bringing him in.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR DE BRUYNE?

The Belgian star evidently isn't ready to retire just yet, but there aren't many clubs that would be able to match his extortionate Etihad wages. In the same interview, De Bruyne told the press, "I'm open for anything because I have to look at the whole picture. I'm looking at sporting reasons, family and everything together." Before that transfer rolls around, he'll be keen to play a central role in securing City Champions League qualification.

Chelsea have been pursuing added attacking reinforcements over the last couple of weeks, but have yet to land themselves any players to help add to their Premier League ambitions.

Enzo Maresca has led the Blues to a top-four spot with over half of the campaign already played, potentially securing a Champions League spot during his first season at Stamford Bridge.

However, if he is to do so, he may be tempted to make new additions to his squad, as seen by their attempts to improve the options within the final third in recent weeks.

As seen from previous windows, funds are available to spend, but it’s pivotal that the hierarchy identifies quality over quantity to provide the difference in the coming months.

Two names have constantly been on their radar as of late, with one of the pair looking the most likely to move should the club purchase a new attacker before the closure of the window.

Chelsea’s hunt for a new winger in January

Former Blues academy star Jamie Bynoe-Gittens has made a name for himself away from West London after departing as a youngster, eventually leading him to his current home of Borussia Dortmund.

His form of 11 goals and three assists in 2024/25 to date has seen rumours linking him with a return to his boyhood club, but Liverpool have also been credited with an interest after previously monitoring him.

Another option that has been on Maresca’s radar, is Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho, after the Red Devils confirmed they would part ways with their own academy star in order to raise funds for their PSR standing.

It’s previously been touted that the Argentine could be available for around £55m this window, but could face serious competition from Serie A outfit Napoli as they look for a replacement for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who joined PSG last week.

However, whilst Garnacho may appear to be the most likely attacker to join the Blues, the hierarchy would undoubtedly be better off targeting one other Premier League star who could well depart his current side this month.

Why Cunha would be a bigger signing than Garnacho for Chelsea

As previously mentioned, the two attackers haven’t been the only players eyed by the club to improve the current situation.

Strikers have also been mooted to end their long-standing pursuit in a new number nine, but they could land an option that could feature in all of the aforementioned positions.

They could re-enter a deal for Wolverhampton Wanderers attacker Matheus Cunha after previously making contact with the relegation-threatened side over a move for the Brazilian.

Arsenal and Nottingham Forest have also been credited with an interest in the former Atlético Madrid ace, who could be available for around the £60m mark this window.

The 25-year-old has registered 10 goals and four assists in England’s top flight in his 21 appearances, currently being the only player in Vitor Pereira’s side to notch double figures in contributions.

When analysing his figures from the current campaign, he’s massively outperformed Garnacho in various key areas for an attacker, highlighting what a key addition he would be for Maresca’s men.

Cunha, who’s been labelled “one of the best” in the Premier League by one Opta Analyst, has massively outperformed Garnacho in terms of tangible rewards in front of goal, as seen with his goal and assist tallies.

Games played

21

21

Goals & assists

14

4

Progressive passes

4.5

1.6

Shot-creating actions

3.9

3

Take-ons completed

2.1

1

Take-on success rate

45%

26%

Aerials won

32%

5%

He’s also completed more take-ons and achieved a higher take-on success rate, having the ability to feature in various attacking roles along with the likes of Cole Palmer at the top end of the pitch – enhancing their top-four push as a result.

Given the £5m difference in price tags, the Blues would be much better off forking out the additional funds on a player who can provide the immediate impact the boss is currently desiring.

With Arsenal and Forest still pushing, a move for the Brazilian may be tricky, but given the financial backing by Todd Boehly in recent years, the American could yet work more magic in completing a deal for one of the most sought-after talents in the division.

Chelsea must sell £50m dud who earns more than Garnacho & Gittens combined

Chelsea certainly need to cut down their squad as well as add to it this January.

ByEthan Lamb Jan 24, 2025

PSG boss Luis Enrique has discussed what he suspects will be the gameplan Arsenal will deploy when the two sides clash in the Champions League.

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PSG have a chance to reach Champions League finalArsenal stand in the way of Ligue 1 championsLuis Enrique theorised Gunners' gameplanFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Paris Saint-Germain head coach Luis Enrique has suggested he knows Mikel Arteta's Arsenal gameplan ahead of their high-stakes Champions League semi-final clash, expressing how he thinks the Gunners will start the game and how their approach could shift if they grab an early goal.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Arsenal beat Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals to reach their first Champions League semi-final since 2008. On the other hand, PSG are marking their second consecutive appearance in the last four, having beaten Aston Villa 5-4 across two legs. The two teams will now clash in the first leg at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, April 29, with Luis Enrique explaining how he thinks Arsenal will approach the game in London.

WHAT LUIS ENRIQUE SAID

Speaking to reporters after his side's 1-1 draw against Nantes on Tuesday, Enrique said (h/t Get French Football News): "We need to know what Arsenal we will face. If they score quickly, they might be in a low-block thereafter. At the start, they should press more. We will adapt."

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR PSG?

Having set the record for the longest unbeaten away streak in Europe's top-five leagues, PSG will be aiming to preserve their unbeaten record in Ligue 1 this season when they take on Nice on Friday, April 25. Indeed, they could become the first team in Ligue 1 history to go an entire season without being defeated.

The legspinner is confident the team’s recent defeats won’t mean much when they face New Zealand

Andrew McGlashan19-Oct-20223:19

Du Plessis, Kumble, Fleming, Moody head star line-up of experts

Adam Zampa has brushed off concerns about Australia’s form leading into their defence of the T20 World Cup title, believing that the extra edge provided by tournament play will bring the best of them.Australia were beaten 2-0 by England in the three-match series, and it would likely have been 3-0 without rain in Canberra, then also lost a close warm-up game against India at the Gabba when they lost four wickets in four balls during a late collapse.However, there has been a sense within the team that they have perhaps had a little too much cricket leading into the tournament – there was also a three-match series in India last month with Aaron Finch recently saying a bit of fatigue was a factor – and that it has been about biding their time ahead of facing New Zealand at the SCG on Saturday.Related

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“I think the intensity of the cricket we’ve played recently has probably dropped slightly due to the fact we are keeping in mind how close the World Cup is,” Zampa said. “And nothing gets the juices flowing like having a trophy there for the taking. We always want to perform our best when playing for Australia but think you’ll see a few pumped boys for the World Cup.”Think the comments about being tired were probably taken in the wrong way almost…the guys have been waiting around for this game for a while now.”Despite their recent losses Australia are considered one of the favourites for the tournament with added expectation of being on home soil where they were successful at the 2015 ODI World Cup. However, Zampa said that the nature of the T20 format means a rather philosophical approach is needed.Adam Zampa is preparing to bowl with a wet ball•Cricket Australia/Getty Images”Internally we all know T20 is a pretty fickle game,” he said. “The worst that can happen is we don’t win this thing, the best that can happen is that we defend our title at home at the MCG. Don’t know if we are totally expected to win…but we do understand we should give it a red-hot crack. We have to earn the right to win it again. Last year we did that, we played some crucial cricket at crucial times [and] played our best cricket at the right time towards the end.”There has been a considerable amount of tinkering with Australia’s T20 line-up in recent matches, but much of that was due to Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Marsh being restricted in their bowling and with an eye on the main event. On Tuesday, national selector George Bailey indicated that, as expected, Steven Smith would not be in the starting XI, being replaced by Tim David in the one initial change from last year’s winning team.The weather could play a part over the coming days with a high chance of showers for the game at the SCG. As he has in the past when expecting dew to be a factor, Zampa has been training with a wet ball that he dumps in a bucket but also added that any dampness in the wickets could also provide assistance for the spinners.”Feels like every time we are at the SCG or in Sydney we are looking for rain to come,” he said. “The way that I train I always have it at the back of mind, usually have a bucket to drop the ball into to prepare for that.”We play so much cricket under lights and a lot of the places we travel around the world, as soon as you bat first and bowl second to defend a total that dew really kicks in. Saw it last year in the World Cup. [Almost] every time you bowl second you are bowling with a wet ball so it’s really important to prepare for that.”

West Ham United have now submitted a fresh deadline day bid as manager Graham Potter attempts to sign a “skilful” forward before the transfer cut-off at 11pm.

West Ham sign Evan Ferguson and chase other targets

On Sunday night, Fabrizio Romano gave his famous “here we go” to Brighton striker Evan Ferguson and his loan move to West Ham – in what was a big boost for Potter, who’s now set to be reunited with his ex-Brighton prodigy in east London.

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ByEmilio Galantini Feb 3, 2025

Potter will be hoping that Ferguson can rediscover his fine 2022/2023 form after a mixed year at Brighton, where he has fallen behind both Danny Welbeck and Joao Pedro in the pecking order.

Chelsea (away)

Today

Brentford (home)

February 15th

Arsenal (away)

February 22nd

Leicester City (home)

February 27th

Newcastle United (home)

March 10th

Unfortunately for the Hammers, there is no option/obligation to buy in this deal, so West Ham could be facing a Jesse Lingard-type scenario if the Republic of Ireland international dazzles but doesn’t end up making a permanent switch to the London Stadium.

Following Ferguson, there are reports that West Ham are not done on deadline day.

Indeed, it is reliably believed that West Ham are attempting to sign Celtic starlet Daniel Cummings, who is in the final year of his contract and currently on fire at youth level.

The teenager has scored 24 goals across 26 appearances for the Hoops’ Under-19s, and made his Champions League debut for the senior side in their 3-2 defeat away to Aston Villa last week.

West Ham had a £500,000 bid rejected for Cummings, according to Sky Sports, but they’re not giving up on signing the 18-year-old.

West Ham submit improved offer for Daniel Cummings as Celtic reply

According to Dharmesh Sheth, via X, West Ham have now had an “improved” offer for Cummings rejected by Celtic, and the Hammers will now prioritise bringing the “skilful” Scotsman in on a pre-contract.

Commenting on his future recently, Rodgers sent a message to Cummings over being patient in his wait for regular senior football, but it now appears he’ll look to gain it away from Parkhead.

“Young players come through the system, had to take a loan away from here, and then at 21 he (McGregor) plays, and now tomorrow he’s playing his 500th game,” said Rodgers on Cummings’ development.

“There’s no greater example. But if you want to be patient and trust the club, you’ll get there. If you don’t, you might listen to your agent, who’s got a different agenda, that takes you away from here, and then you’ll go somewhere else. But there’ll always be chances here for young players. One, if they have the ability. Two, if they have a bit of patience.”

Things have just not gone Arsenal’s way this season.

Mikel Arteta has had to deal with poor decisions, a mountain of injuries, and a frontline that, when fit, has underwhelmed.

While Bukayo Saka was on a tear prior to his injury, and even Kai Havertz looked on course for a 20-goal season, the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard have been disappointing.

However, with the German now out for the season, the Belgian and Brazilian – when back from his own injury – will need to seriously up their game, especially as they’re being outscored by a former academy star who was sold for just £2m.

Martinelli & Trossard's season in numbers

Following a stellar campaign in which he scored 17 goals and provided two assists in 46 appearances for Arsenal, which is an average of a goal involvement every 2.42 games, there was an expectation among fans that Trossard would be just as effective this year.

Unfortunately, that has simply not been the case, as while he’s looked a little better in recent weeks, the Waterschei-born ace hasn’t been anywhere near as dangerous as he was.

For example, in his 36 appearances thus far, totalling 2190 minutes, the 30-year-old has scored five goals and provided seven assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 3.08 games, or every 183 minutes, which really isn’t good enough for a winger in a title-chasing team.

Likewise, before his injury, Martinelli was having a rather underwhelming campaign in terms of his output.

He’s scored just seven goals and provided four assists in 35 appearances, totalling 2378 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 3.18 games, or every 216 minutes.

In short, neither winger has been playing to the standard required this season, and now that Havertz has been ruled out for the rest of the campaign, they’ll have to seriously step up their game, especially as a former youth player deemed surplus to requirements has been outscoring them.

The Hale End star outscoring Trossard and Martinelli

There are several Hale End graduates having great campaigns across England and Europe this season, from Emile Smith Rowe with Fulham to Donyell Malen, who just joined Aston Villa.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

However, in this instance, the player in question is not just a former academy player; he is the club’s second all-time top goalscorer for the U21s: Chuba Akpom.

Yes, before he went out on a myriad of loan moves that ultimately saw him move to Greek side PAOK Salonika for £2m in August 2018, the Canning Town-born poacher racked up an impressive tally of 33 goals for the U21s, which remains second only to Folarin Balogun’s 37.

Since leaving the Gunners, the Englishman has enjoyed fruitful spells with PAOK, Middlesbrough, and Dutch giants Ajax, and then on February 2nd, he joined French side LOSC Lille on a short-term loan with an option to buy.

Moreover, while the “terrific” striker, as dubbed by former manager Michael Carrick , has swapped teams halfway through the campaign, he’s enjoyed a relatively successful season in front of goal.

Appearances

35

37

35

Minutes

1698′

2190′

2378′

Goals

10

5

7

Assists

1

7

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.31

0.32

0.31

Minutes per Goal Involvement

154.36′

183′

216′

For example, in 35 appearances, totalling 1698 minutes, the 29-year-old sharpshooter has scored ten goals and provided one assist, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 3.18 games, or more crucially, every 154.36 minutes.

Ultimately, at the start of the season, the idea of Akpom possibly getting any game time at Arsenal would have been laughable.

Still, with the number of injuries the team now have, combined with the poor form of Trossard and Martinelli, we can’t help but think he’d be a useful squad player at the very least.

Arsenal rejected world-class CF for just £7m, now he's worth more than Saka

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 13, 2025

Team says the incident was brought to the umpire’s notice, but Marais Erasmus said he did not see it

Mohammad Isam02-Nov-20221:36

Moody: Litton aside, Bangladesh went about their power-hitting the wrong way

Following Bangladesh’s five-run loss to India on Wednesday, Nurul Hasan has claimed that the on-field umpires had missed an incident of “fake fielding” from Virat Kohli, which could have resulted in five potentially crucial penalty runs for Bangladesh.The incident in question took place in the seventh over of Bangladesh’s chase at Adelaide Oval, when Litton Das played the ball towards the deep off-side field off Axar Patel. As Arshdeep Singh sent in the throw, Kohli – stood at point – feigned a shy as the ball was going past him. At the time, it went unnoticed in the field as the on-field umpires, Marais Erasmus and Chris Brown, didn’t take action*.Nurul mentioned the incident while talking to reporters after the game.”We all saw that it was a wet ground,” Nurul said. “Eventually, when we talk about these things, there was also a fake throw. It could have been a five-run penalty. That also could have gone our way, but unfortunately, even that didn’t materialise.”Related

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'We didn't talk about it being fair or unfair' – Shakib

The day after the game, BCB cricket operations chairman Jalal Yunus said it had been brought to the umpires’ attention. “The fake throw was brought to the umpire’s notice but he said he didn’t see it,” Yunus said. “That’s why it wasn’t taken to review. Shakib spoke extensively to Erasmus, during and after the match.”Cricket’s Law 41.5, pertaining to unfair play, prohibits the “deliberate distraction, deception or obstruction of [the] batter”, and if an incident is deemed to be a breach, the umpire can declare that particular delivery as dead ball, and award the batting side five runs.The replay could be interpreted as an attempt at deception from Kohli, given that Arshdeep’s throw from the deep passed by his right hand at the same moment that he motioned a relay throw. ESPNcricinfo understands that the ruling, which needs to be made by the umpires in real time, is about the attempt to deceive the batters, rather than them actually being deceived.It was one of three incidents that put umpiring in the spotlight during India’s narrow victory over Bangladesh. The first flashpoint came in the 16th over of the India innings, when Kohli, believing Hasan Mahmud had bowled two bouncers in his over, signalled a no-ball towards umpire Erasmus after top-edging a pull towards square leg.Virat Kohli and Shakib Al Hasan share a light moment in a tense World Cup clash•Getty ImagesErasmus called it a no-ball and then found himself standing between Kohli and Shakib Al Hasan, who had made his way from the covers. A conversation ensued for about 90 seconds before the two players hugged each other and walked away.The second incident came when the umpires approached Shakib, near the dugout, about play resuming following a rain break at the end of the seventh over, at which point Bangladesh, on 66 for no loss, were 17 runs ahead on DLS.Shakib first knelt down by the boundary’s edge to get a sample of the wet outfield, before continuing to talk with the match officials. Rohit Sharma, his opposite number, joined in the discussion, but Shakib’s animated gestures suggested that he was not satisfied with the conditions.”Shakib told him [the umpires] repeatedly that the ground can get dry if they take a bit more time. Start when the ground is dry,” Yunus said. “But the umpire’s decision is final. There was no room for argument. You have to decide if you want to play or not.”Later, in the post-match press conference, Shakib didn’t elaborate on the matter.

Brentford boss Thomas Frank says Bryan Mbeumo can leave for "the right price" but he is going to be "expensive" amid links with Arsenal and more.

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Mbeumo can leave for "right place"Frank says he will be "expensive"Linked with Arsenal, Liverpool & moreFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 25-year-old has been one of Brentford's standout performers in recent seasons and now he is being linked with Premier League winners Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, and more. Frank says he would love to keep the versatile attacker, who is "very happy" at the Bees, but admits they are a "selling club".

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT FRANK SAID

He told Sky Sports: "I'm the head coach, I want my best players to stay forever. I know that Bryan is very happy being here at Brentford, he's thriving, doing well and playing fantastic. What happens in the future? I don't know. I've said many times: we are a selling club. But at the same time we have to reinforce that there are 10 clubs in the world who aren't selling clubs. So, of course, if the right price – and that's going to be expensive – is coming, then I'm sure the club will be open for it. But I'm very happy he's here, and I'm convinced that Bryan will still be happy playing football here."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The Cameroon international has scored 18 goals and bagged six assists in 33 Premier League games this season, and it seems just a matter of time before a big team launches a hefty bid for the attacker. Mbeumo has just over a year left on his contract, however, there is an option to extend that by 12 months. It seems likely he will be the subject of a bidding war this summer.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Mbeumo could add to his goal tally on Thursday when Brentford travel to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.

Arsenal were felled by West Ham United in the Premier League, with Mikel Arteta staring into the abyss as his tattered title charge hit another hitch that might just prove too much to overcome.

With first-place Liverpool dropping points in recent matches – ahead of meeting Manchester City this weekend – this was the perfect chance for the Gunners to springboard into the business stretch.

But Jarrod Bowen scored before the break and the anxiety was palpable. Arsenal simply don’t have the firepower right now, with their injury problems limiting them and consigning them to a first home defeat of the season in the league.

Arsenal lack bite – again

With basically the entirety of Arteta’s first-choice forward line sidelined through injury, Arteta has been forced into thinking outside the box over the past few games, with Mikel Merino deployed as a stopgap striker.

The 6 foot 2 midfielder was marshalled, with flankers Leandro Trossard and Ethan Nwaneri failing to inspire too.

In fact, left-back Riccardo Calafiori was the only host player to hit the target in the first half, underlining the issues that Arteta is currently dealing with from an attacking standpoint.

However, with the frontline so stripped of firepower, it was the perfect chance for Martin Odegaard, skipper, to step up. Unfortunately, he put in another uninspiring performance, with the nature of his current situation not all that different to that of Granit Xhaka before his resurgence.

Arsenal's new version of Granit Xhaka

Arsenal emerged after the break knowing that they needed to respond after going a goal behind. However, they failed to muster the fluency nor incisiveness to turn the tide against a resilient Irons backline.

Minutes played

90′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Shots (on target)

3 (0)

Touches

89

Accurate passes

60/70 (86%)

Key passes

4

Possession lost

20x

Dribbles

0/1

Tackles + interceptions

0

Clearances

0

Ground duels

2/6

Dribbled past

1x

It put Odegaard under a glaring spotlight once again, with football.london’s Tom Canton raising the question, as fans have before, that the Norwegian midfielder had failed to do enough given that he donned the captain’s armband.

Branding him with a 4/10 match rating, the Arsenal correspondent wrote: ‘In these moments, this is where you need your captain to step up and sadly the Norwegian simply didn’t. Passing short a free-kick, the boos rang out in frustration of the lack of direct play.’

The boos made a sombre chorus at full-time, with Odegaard’s struggle issuing a flashback to the Xhaka’s days of struggle with the armband.

The Swiss midfielder completed a stunning turnaround after almost leaving north London after being jeered off the pitch by his own supporters during a match with Crystal Palace.

The circumstances around Odegaard are less acrimonious, but he’s still come under heavy flak, with content creator Rimedi singling out the 25-year-old’s passing on the day, saying that it was “not at the level” against West Ham.

However, it does reinforce the observation that Odegaard isn’t pulling enough weight, especially with Bukayo Saka and co still out injured. This was an opportunity for him to step up and prove his worth – and on this occasion, he failed.

Xhaka, of course, resurrected his Emirates career before bowing out in 2023, with 297 appearances and two FA Cups in the cabinet.

Odegaard is still an elite-level player, but he needs to do more, and hopefully follow in the positive light that Xhaka left in.

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New head coach excited to work with young talent and is already targeting a revival

Matt Roller06-Dec-2022The seagulls perched on Hove’s deckchairs are the quintessence of county cricket but there has been nothing much to squawk about on the south coast of late. Sussex won three County Championship titles and four major white-ball trophies between 2003 and 2009, but across the last three years have endured one of the more tumultuous periods in their 183-year history.A policy of austerity prompted by the financial challenges of Covid led to an exodus of senior players and results suffered, with three first-class wins across three summers. With the squad diverging across formats, they have used more players (53) than any other county in that time and a run to the semi-finals of the Royal London Cup last year could not mask a sense of drift.By the end of the 2022 season, things had come to a head. Ian Salisbury, the coach of the Championship and 50-over sides, left his role after an off-field dispute with Jack Carson, the promising young spinner, and the club informed James Kirtley, who had spent two years in charge of the T20 side, that they would be advertising for a new head coach to lead them across formats.Related

Paul Farbrace named as Sussex head coach after departure from Warwickshire

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For some time, it seemed as though the race for the job was between Ryan Campbell, the outgoing Netherlands coach, and Grant Flower, the club’s highly regarded batting coach. Campbell was offered the job but when he turned it down, heading to Durham instead, Paul Farbrace emerged as a candidate having stepped down as Warwickshire’s director of cricket.After several conversations, he applied for the role and was appointed last week. Farbrace has been handed full responsibility for men’s cricket – Keith Greenfield, the club’s long-serving performance director, has been shifted sideways to a pathway role – meaning he is effectively doing a job that had been split between three people over the last 24 months.Farbrace has spoken to various franchise teams and counties since leaving Edgbaston in September and retains a two-year contract with Sharjah Warriors in the ILT20, but said at his unveiling at Hove on Tuesday that he was relishing the chance to help a talented crop of young players flourish, with the ultimate aim of bringing tangible success back to the club.”The idea of getting really stuck into a project appealed to me,” he said. “There’s an anticipation when you have so many talented young players. Are we going to be able to get the best out of them? There’s a nervous excitement. It’s a fantastic opportunity to be involved and drive the club towards success.”Rob Andrew, Sussex’s chief executive, has not been universally popular among supporters but defended the club’s recent decision-making and said he was “absolutely delighted” with Farbrace’s appointment. “We’ve had a challenging few years for lots of reasons,” he said, “but we’ve always felt that the decisions we took were the right ones for the club in the long term.”People sometimes forget how difficult the last three years have been. We saw an opportunity a couple of years ago to protect the club financially and… to build something really special with a group of players who have grown up together. Everyone has worked hard under difficult circumstances to get us to this point. It has been tough. I’ve acknowledged that all the way through. The excitement we can build going forward, I hope people can see that.”Ali Orr is among a crop of talented young players at Sussex•Getty ImagesAlong with Carson, Tom Haines was part of England Lions’ training group last month while four more are in the UAE with the Under-19s, but Farbrace stressed his view that the club’s ambitions should not be restricted to developing young players. “I will make no apology for talking about winning at every opportunity that I can,” he said.”I’ve come here to win: I love winning and I hate losing. It’s easy to talk about competing, development and young players and to make excuses; to hide behind ‘they’re going to need time’ and all that sort of stuff. There’s enough ability in this squad to start challenging to win games of cricket and to win trophies, and that’s what we’re here for.”Sussex have already signed Cheteshwar Pujara – who should be available for the majority of the season after opting out of the IPL auction – for Championship and 50-over cricket, while Jayden Seales is under contract for the first three months. A second overseas player for the Blast will be among Farbrace’s early priorities, as well as convincing those who are out of contract at the end of 2023 to sign extensions.Farbrace has previously pitched himself as a candidate for one of the vacant head coach positions in the Hundred, but confirmed he would spend August at Hove rather than working as an assistant coach elsewhere. “I’ll be involved with the 50-over team,” he said. “It gets a lot of stick, but I think it’s a brilliant competition.”Luke Wright, who announced his retirement to take up a new role as an England selector last month, is the latest senior player to leave but Farbrace will hope that the likes of Ollie Robinson (his step-son), Tom Alsop, George Garton and Steven Finn can act as leaders across formats, while Tymal Mills and Ravi Bopara fill similar roles in the T20 side.”We have to make sure that we get the right senior players and overseas players around them as well,” he said. “Players learn from players. Our job as coaches is to facilitate that learning. If you have really good senior players around the youngsters, you will grow their development even quicker. The potential is huge.”Around every successful team, your senior players play a key role. The danger of having lots of good young players is that they know they’re playing and that there isn’t a battle to get into the team; and they haven’t got senior players around them to support them and are really reliant on the coaches to do that.”Major redevelopments are underway at Hove, with work in progress on luxury apartments on the south-west corner of the ground. The club have recorded small profits in the last three years despite the challenges of the pandemic, and Andrew said that they were well-placed to navigate the ongoing inflation surge in the UK.”We’re in a really good, solid financial position,” he said. “In some ways, I’m even more pleased that we made the decisions we did two or three years ago, knowing what we now know and what we’re likely to face. We’re very positive about the future of this club. We want everyone in the club to be excited: there has had to be some patience over the last couple of years and sports supporters don’t necessarily have a huge amount of that. But I think we can see a way forward.”When asked for his message to Sussex’s supporters, Andrew said: “Be positive, if you’re real fans of this club.” Those who have kept faith through the gloom will hope that Farbrace’s appointment gives them reason to.