An angry Hansi Flick slammed the entire Barcelona team after they squandered a two-goal lead to drop points against Celta Vigo.
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Celta mount late comeback in 2-2 drawFlick raged at Barcelona playersBlew two-goal lead to drop pointsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
In-form winger Raphinha opened the scoring in the 15th minute before Robert Lewandowski doubled the lead just after the hour mark. Just when it seemed that Barcelona were on their way to securing all three points, Celta Vigo staged a brilliant comeback after Marc Casado picked up a late red card. Alfon Gonzalez scored his team's opening in the 84th minute and two minutes later Hugo Alvarez netted the equaliser to seal a crucial point for the hosts.
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Barcelona boss Flick was understandably frustrated as his team gave up on a two-goal and dropped two important points. After the draw, the German coach publicly slammed his players for lacking confidence with the ball and their overall dismal showing during the match.
WHAT FLICK SAID
In his post-match press conference, the Barca boss said, "It wasn't just the last 10 minutes. It was the whole match. We played a really bad game. We have to be honest. We made a lot of mistakes, also in the first half, and we weren't confident with the ball. We didn't play the football we're used to. We were lucky with some situations and in the end we got a point and we have to react because it can't be repeated."
He added, "These are things that can happen but we have to look forward. The least bad thing is that it's only one match and we got a point but we're not happy and neither are the players. Everyone can play better than today."
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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?
The Catalan club saw their lead reduced to five points at the top of the table after the result against Celta. They will be next seen in action on Tuesday night in the Champions League against Brest.
England look set to retain the same batting line-up for the third Ashes Test in Adelaide after head coach Brendon McCullum gave their top seven his strong backing, warning against “knee-jerk reactions” after going 2-0 down to Australia.England have been bowled out for 172, 164, 334 and 241 across the first two Tests, and only one of their batters – Joe Root – is averaging more than 30. Ollie Pope and Jamie Smith have both found their positions under scrutiny after failing to contribute in Brisbane, with Jacob Bethell waiting in the wings as the spare batter.Related
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But McCullum said that England will stick with the players who have formed their first-choice top seven for the last 18 months, and argued that conditions at Adelaide Oval will suit England more than the pace and bounce they encountered in Perth and Brisbane. He also insisted that he is not bothered by speculation about his future as England’s head coach.”I wouldn’t have thought so,” McCullum said before England’s training session in Adelaide on Sunday, when asked if they would consider making changes to the top seven.”From our point of view, we’ve had a top seven now for a period of time and we’ve been reasonably successful with it. These conditions should suit the style of batters that we’ve got as well. We know we haven’t got enough runs so far in this series. We’ve been in positions where we could have and made some mistakes, and that can happen at times.”But for us to go on and win this series, it’s not about throwing out what has been successful for us over the last few years. It’s about having more conviction. It’s about making sure we have our plans and our disciplines around it just screwed down a touch more; making sure when we walk out there, we have utter belief in what we are capable of achieving.”Knee-jerk reactions, and chopping and changing settled batting line-ups, is not really our way.”Ollie Pope’s returns have been under scrutiny at the start of the series•Gareth Copley/Getty Images
England will consider making changes to their seam attack, with Josh Tongue under consideration to feature for the first time in the series, and have a decision to make over the identity of their spinner. Ben Stokes described Shoaib Bashir as England’s “best, number one spinner” last week, but Will Jacks’ all-round performance in Brisbane could see him retained.McCullum – who said he had fronted up to pre-match media duties to “protect my players” – conceded that England need to “recalibrate” aspects of their gameplan but warned that without conviction in their attacking approach, the current 2-0 scoreline could quickly spiral into a series whitewash.”We came with high hopes, and at the moment we are not living up to it,” he said. “It’s not [about] throwing out what’s been successful in the past, it’s making sure we drill down on a couple of areas where we can be successful, which will give us the best chance.”If we win this game after what’s been a long nine days, with lots of different narratives being talked about, if we find a way to be at our best and win this game, then I think things shift about a bit. That’s what’s in front of us in the coming days: hold the fort and keep moving towards the target.”We know we haven’t been at our best. You have to admit that. You can’t walk away and start pointing fingers elsewhere. [You have to ask] how do you remain tight as a group, and what do you need to do to be successful in the conditions and situation you are coming up against, then get out there and have another go.Josh Tongue could come into England’s attack•Getty Images
“You do that, and you give yourself a chance. If you don’t, 2-0 can become 5-0 real quick, and that hasn’t worked for anyone.”McCullum signed a new contract with the ECB last year which runs until the end of 2027 but a series whitewash would heighten scrutiny over his future in the role. “It doesn’t really bother me, to be honest,” he said. “I certainly don’t coach to protect the job; I coach to get the best out of people, and that’s the same with the skipper [Stokes].”We’ll remain committed to what we’re doing in the same way that we do, and we’ll keep trying to build the confidence levels within the group to give ourselves the best chance. I firmly believe that if we play our best cricket, we are a massive chance in this Test match. If we do that, then the narrative changes and the series momentum changes.”England arrived in Adelaide on Saturday after a mid-series break in Noosa, the Queensland holiday resort, but their travel was overshadowed by a minor altercation between a member of their security detail and a Channel 7 cameraman at Brisbane Airport. The incident reflected the intense scrutiny that England’s movements have been under over the past month.England need a big week to keep the Ashes alive•Getty Images
“We have a security team that is trying to protect the players,” McCullum told the BBC. He added: “I feel we’ve managed ourselves pretty well throughout this tour. I thought the boys were outstanding over the last week. They’ve been engaging with a lot of locals and everyone was in good spirits. There was some good banter flying both ways.”McCullum’s claim that England had “over-prepared” for the second Test has been examined in great detail over the last week, but he argued that the trip to Noosa has left his players fresh ahead of three training days in Adelaide. “That’s the idea,” he said.”Noosa was excellent. It was planned a year ago, and for us, it was quite an important period where we could, not step away from the game, but just give ourselves a chance to allow some of the lessons we’ve learned over the last couple of weeks to settle and to recalibrate a little bit; spend some time away from the heat of battle, and just try and spend a bit of time together.”I think now the freshness which we’re coming into this Test with will hopefully pay off. There’s no guarantees, but that’s the plan. The boys are excited to get back to training, and look forward to the next few days of prep leading into this Test.”
Julen Lopetegui and his new West Ham United side are preparing for the 2024/25 Premier League season, looking to bolster their squad in the attempt to reclaim a European qualification spot, after finishing ninth last season.
New signings already include Wolves defender Max Kilman, who has worked previously under Lopetegui, and highly-rated Brazilian star, Luis Guilherme.
But the transfer activity doesn't look set to stop there, with rumours circulating around multiple more incomings for the Hammers, with a striker, right-back and another centre-back all on the supposed wishlist.
West Ham transfer news
According to a report from Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb, West Ham are interested in KAA Gent central defender, Jordan Torunarigha. Crystal Palace are also after him according to the report, while Leeds United have also been mentioned.
The reports suggest Gent are looking to collect around €5m for Torunarigha, which is around £4m. Leeds have already tabled a bid of nearly half the asking price, which was turned down in May, and now Gent are said to be waiting for their asking price to be met.
Torunarigha made 44 appearances in all competitions for Gent last season, scoring one goal, providing two assists, and contributing to 11 clean sheets in his 3,295 minutes of football.
A potential Torunarigha and Kilman partnership
Kilman made 44 appearances for Wolves in all competitions last season, scoring two goals, providing one assist, and contributing to eight clean sheets. He was also Wolves captain for his first entire season, having taken the armband multiple times towards the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
Max Kilman West Ham graphic
The 27-year-old brings that leadership with him to West Ham, which could work well alongside Torunarigha. The main concern would be the fact that the pair are both left-footed, and along with Nayef Aguerd, you would have three left-footers challenging for spots.
But Gift Orban, Torunarigha's former Gent teammate, has dubbed him "one of the best in the game" at the moment, so there would be confidence in making the two left-footed defenders work alongside each other.
Stats (per 90 mins)
Torunarigha
Kilman
Aguerd
Passes Attempted
62.70
60.76
59.89
Progressive Passes
5.00
3.08
3.34
Progressive Carries
1.51
0.58
0.44
Tackles
2.46
1.24
1.19
Interceptions
1.77
1.03
0.71
Blocks
1.34
1.68
1.59
Aerials Won
2.07
2.26
2.62
As you can see, Torunarigha adds that ability on the ball that Lopetegui is looking for, comfortable looking to play out from the back, as seen from his passes attempted numbers. He is also willing to make those line-breaking passes, averaging five progressive passes per 90.
The 26-year-old also shows the aggression needed to make defensive actions, doubling both Kilman and Aguerd for tackles made per 90, and also making more interceptions than both. Whilst he slightly loses out on blocks and aerials per 90, those metrics still remain close, showing his all-round competence to complete a variety of defensive actions.
Aguerd only betters Torunarigha and Kilman in Aerial duels won per 90, and therefore a partnership of the two could provide West Ham with the most balance and ball playing qualities that Lopetegui desires.
West Ham targeting £21m titan who's an Aguerd & Kilman hybrid
West Ham looking to make another defensive reinforcement
Kaur had suffered a hip-flexor injury in the fifth ODI against South Africa
Annesha Ghosh19-Mar-20213:57
Smriti Mandhana backs India spinners to bounce back
India Women’s T20I captain Harmanpreet Kaur has been ruled out of the T20I series opener against South Africa on Saturday in Lucknow owing to an injury. In her absence, Smriti Mandhana will lead the side in what will be their first appearance in the format since the T20 World Cup final on March 8 last year.Kaur had suffered a hip-flexor injury in the fifth and final ODI against South Africa on Wednesday, having settled in to put together a half-century stand with Mithali Raj before retiring out in the 31st over just as India looked to launch. She didn’t take the field for the rest of the game.”She [Kaur] has been ruled out of tomorrow’s match and rest of the updates on her injury will be given by the medical team and the team management,” Mandhana said on the eve of the first T20I. “It will be better for them to speak about it rather than me.”Mandhana, 24, has led India in four T20Is, her maiden bow as captain having come in March 2019, where she filled in for an injured Kaur in the three-match T20I series against a visiting England side in Guwahati. India suffered a whitewash in that assignment, but in her next stint as captain, in November that year, she led the T20I side to a 61-run win against hosts West Indies.Mandhana also confirmed that India would be going in with the same opening combination they had in the T20 World Cup, with 17-year-old Shafali Verma, who couldn’t find a place in the ODI squad though she had topped the run-chart for India in the world tournament, partnering Mandhana.”As of now we both, together, have had good partnerships since last two years, so we are looking at the same combination,” Mandhana said.India’s 4-1 loss in the ODI series, which head coach WV Raman coach attributed in most part to a lack of “game time”, threw into sharp relief South Africa’s meticulous planning to flatten the hosts’ vaunted spin attack. The Indian spinners averaged 53.15 in the five matches combined, their worst in a women’s ODI series/tournament where they bowled 100 or more overs. Their bowling strike rate of 70.7 was also their worst in a series/tournament in the 50-over format.”[The] spinners have been our biggest strength for the longest time,” Mandhana said. “India have done well in the last couple of years all thanks to the spinners. I wouldn’t say they were bad; I felt they were a bit inconsistent in their bowling. They were very good in patches and there’s was the one odd ball which didn’t go our way, or didn’t go their way, so that’s the talk of being more consistent in pitching the ball in good areas because if you keep pitching the six balls in the same areas, it gets tough as a batter. In T20Is, with just four overs – 24 balls – I think it will be easier for the spinners to focus on the 24 balls rather than the 60 balls. I look at it that way.”Mandhana also said that the BCCI is in talks with its English counterpart about the participation of the Indian players in the Hundred, which begins on July 21, but stressed that a final decision would be contingent upon the schedule of the national team. ESPNcricinfo reported last month that four India players are on the radar of the Hundred teams and their involvement in the tournament could come about after India’s tour of England, likely starting June, which is set to include a one-off Test.”The ECB is in talks with the BCCI but we don’t have an update yet about it,” Mandhana said. “Let’s see, it will be highly depending on the schedule what the Indian team will be having because our first priority will definitely be the India matches, so I am sure the BCCI and ECB are working towards it and let’s hope to hear something around [the] 100-ball [tournament] from them soon.”India Women T20I squad: Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Harleen Deol, Sushma Verma (wicketkeeper), Nuzhat Parveen (wicketkeeper), Ayushi Soni, Arundhati Reddy, Radha Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Mansi Joshi, Monica Patel, C. Prathyusha, Simran Bahadur
In another change to the playing conditions, the discretionary batting powerplay has been scrapped
ESPNcricinfo staff01-Apr-2021Less than a year out of the 2022 Women’s ODI World Cup in New Zealand, the ICC has announced that all tied 50-over international matches will be decided by a Super Over. In another change to the playing conditions, the five-over powerplay that was previously taken at the discretion of either batters in the middle has been scrapped.Meanwhile, the inaugural Under-19 women’s World Cup that was due to be staged in Bangladesh later this year has been postponed to January 2023.”Covid-19 has had a significant impact on the establishment and subsequent development of the U19 programmes in many countries and teams would not be able prepare appropriately for a global event later this year,” the ICC stated in a release. Likewise, the global qualifier for the 2022 Women’s World Cup, will also be postponed and will now be held in December 2021.Related
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Mel Jones, who had joined the Cricket Australia board in 2019 in what was the first instance of a woman being appointed via one of the state associations, and New Zealand Cricket’s Catherine Campbell were named as the Full Member representatives on the ICC Women’s Committee.The ICC board also decided that Test and ODI status will be given to all Full Member women’s teams.
FIFA have announced the shortlists for The Best Men's and Women's Coach awards with names like Pep Guardiola and Emma Hayes headlining.
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Shortlist for The Best FIFA Men's Coach released
The Best FIFA Women's Coach nominees also confirmed
Voting open with ceremony scheduled for January
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WHAT HAPPENED?
FIFA announced the nominees for a whole host of The Best awards. The shortlist for The Best Men's Coach includes Manchester City's Guardiola, Real Madrid's Ancelotti, Bayer Leverkusen boss Alonso, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni and Spain boss Luis de La Fuente. Scaloni and Guardiola are the only two coaches from the list to have previously won the award.
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FIFA also announced eight nominees for The Best Women's Coach award with USWNT and former Chelsea coach Hayes headlining the list. Other nominees include former Lyon boss and current Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor, former Barcelona and Washington Spirit coach Jonatan Giraldez, Brazil boss Arthur Elias, Japan coach Futoshi Ikeda, Gareth Taylor of Manchester City, Celtic’s Elena Sadiku and Paris FC's Sandrine Soubeyrand.
Getty Images Sport
DID YOU KNOW?
This is the first time since 2016 that England boss Sarina Wiegman has not been nominated for The Best FIFA Women's Coach award. The Dutch coach has made it to the top three of the award seven times in a row and has won the award record four times.
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WHAT NEXT?
Voting is now open on FIFA's website for the Men's Coach and Women's Coach award, along with several other awards. The ceremony is set to take place in January, but an exact date is yet to be confirmed.
No primeiro duelo entre Atlético-CE e Campinense nada de vencedor. O jogo por 1 a 1 deixou a vaga na final aberta e repleto de tensão para o segundo confronto.
+ Veja no aplicativo do LANCE! o resultado dos jogos da rodada
Gols
A bola só chegou a rede na etapa final. O primeiro gol veio através do Atlético-CE. Alisson invadiu a grande área e achou Dudu Itapajé, que empurrou para o fundo da rede.
A igualdade da Campinense só veio através de Vitinho, que aproveitou a sua chance e soltou o pé e balançou o barbante.
Pênalti perdido
Com a igualdade, o Atlético-CE teve a chance de vencer o jogo. Porém, a cobrança de pênalti de Dudu Itajapé que parou nas mãos de Mauro Iguatu.
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Liverpool kick off their Premier League campaign with a clash against Ipswich Town this time next week, opening the season with a game at Portman Road.
There will be a new man in the dugout for the first time since 2015 as Arne Slot prepares for his competitive debut as the club's manager, having replaced Jurgen Klopp at the end of last season.
The Dutchman has been brought in from Feyenoord and is yet to be backed with a new signing in the summer transfer window, which has been open for almost two months.
However, that is not through a lack of trying as the Reds are reportedly confident that they will get a deal over the line for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, who has a £51m release clause in his contract with the Spanish side.
This means that Slot could be set to bolster his options in the middle of the park, the number six position in particular, but that is not the only area of the pitch that could see some change before the end of the summer transfer window.
Possible defensive changes for Liverpool
Football Insider recently reported that there are some doubts over central defender Ibrahima Konate's future at Anfield, after his short time with the new manager.
The outlet claimed that the Liverpool boss has been left unconvinced by the France international's fitness issues and performances, both in training and in matches.
This could open the door to a possible exit from the club before the end of the window but Football Insider did not reveal whether or not there is any active interest in his services.
Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate looks dejected
Meanwhile, GIVEMESPORT claims that Slot is keen on a move for Benfica centre-back Antonio Silva to bolster his defensive set-up this summer.
The report states that the Dutch boss is currently assessing his central defensive options and has identified the Portuguese starlet as a possible target.
It adds that the Benfica enforcer has a release clause of £85m in his current contract but it remains to be seen whether or not the Reds could negotiate a cheaper fee for his signature.
GIVEMESPORT reveals that Willian Pacho, who is set to sign for PSG, and Leny Yoro, who signed for Manchester United, were also targets for the club earlier in the window.
The Reds must now press ahead with a move for Silva if they decide to cash in on Konate, as he could be the dream replacement for the Frenchman.
Ibrahima Konate's form last season
In the 2023/24 campaign, the former RB Leipzig central defender only started 17 matches in the Premier League as he struggled to remain fit.
He missed five games through injury or suspension and was then an unused substitute in 11 outings in the top-flight, which suggests that Klopp either was not happy with his performances or with his fitness levels when available.
In those 17 games in the Premier League, it was a mixed bag from Konate as he showcased his physical attributes with dominant defending, but was also prone to the occasional error.
Starts
17
Dribbled past
7x
Error led to goal
1
Red cards
1
Ground duel success rate
60%
Aerial duel success rate
71%
As you can see in the table above, he did win the majority of his battles on the ground and in the air but also let the side down with a red card and an error that led directly to a goal.
Those lapses in judgement and concentration might be what Slot has been left unconvinced by when analysing his performances, which is why his future is now in doubt.
Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate
There is also the concern over his fitness issues. Konate has missed 85 games through injury for club and country since the start of the 2019/20 campaign, for RB Leipzig, Liverpool, and France combined.
This means that it is difficult for Slot to rely upon him heading into the 2024/25 campaign as he has a track record of picking up injury issues that keep him out of action for a significant period of time.
Therefore, Liverpool should swoop to sign Silva from Benfica before the end of the summer transfer window as a dream replacement for him.
Why Antonio Silva would be a dream signing
Firstly, the 20-year-old is yet to suffer a single significant or noteworthy injury in his professional career to date, with zero games missed through injury – per Transfermarkt.
Despite his young age, Silva has already racked up 94 appearances for Benfica in all competitions, having made his breakthrough as a regular fixture in the side during the 2022/23 campaign.
Antonio Silva for Benfica.
This shows that the Portugal international is a reliable and durable performer who can be called upon week-in-week-out without any concerns about his fitness or availability, unlike Konate.
Therefore, Slot could bring him into the squad and know that he would be able to rely on him as a regular starter next to Virgil van Dijk, in competition with Jarell Quansah, due to his excellent injury record.
At the age of 20, Silva would also arrive at Anfield as a player with huge potential as he has many, many, years left ahead of him to develop and improve under the Reds boss, which could make him a fantastic signing for now and for the future.
Appearances
30
22
Pass accuracy
93%
88%
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.9
2.5
Duel success rate
67%
66%
Ground duel success rate
72%
60%
As you can see in the table above, the Benfica enforcer could also come in and be an upgrade on Konate if he can translate his form over to the Premier League, as he won a higher percentage of his duels and completed a higher percentage of his passes last term.
Silva also went through the season without picking up a red card or making a single error that led to a goal, which suggests that he is more reliable at the back than the Liverpool dud.
The £85m-rated star, who was described as "aggressive" by analyst Ben Mattinson, appears to be the perfect replacement for Konate on paper, due to his availability, ability, and potential to improve.
Imagine him & Zubimendi: Liverpool targeting £20m sensation who Klopp loved
It’s not the first time the Reds have made a move for his services.
He’s the country’s third Test captain in as many seasons, and his main task is to rebuild the team
Firdose Moonda05-Mar-2021
‘I’m still going to have pretty straightforward, open and honest conversations with my team-mates, with the management, with the media’ – Dean Elgar•PCB
Dean Elgar will be South Africa’s third Test captain in as many seasons but his task is the same as the pair that have gone before him: to rebuild the South African team.Faf du Plessis had to do it in 2016, when AB de Villiers went on sabbatical, and injuries kept Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel out of significant parts of the season. Quinton de Kock had to do it in 2020-21, amid administrative turmoil, a pandemic and a team for whom losing had become a habit. They both had some impact – du Plessis won home and away series against Australia and de Kock oversaw South Africa’s first series win in two years – but they also both had enough of leading.du Plessis gave up the role after a dip in form during a period of racial tension last season while de Kock has been relieved of the job after a tough Test series, personally and collectively, in Pakistan. In both cases, it was obvious that captaining had become a had-to-do, not a want-to-do, often prefaced by the word reluctant. Elgar, new to the job which is doubtless informing his early perspective, is the opposite. “It’s going to be tough, and something that you have to be willing to do. Otherwise I don’t think you should be put in this position,” he said. “I am fortunate to be put in this position and that the hard work I have put in behind the scenes has been noticed.”The desire to lead seems to be at least part of the secret of what makes a good captain. For du Plessis, initially, it made him a better batsman but when results went south, retirements mounted up, and rhetoric in the country was polarised, he stood down. For de Kock, the extra responsibility coupled with the restrictions of living in biosecure environments, always appeared too much. His form suffered, his on-field decisions were iffy, and he appeared out of his depth in interactions with the media.Related
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Even for Elgar, his first dalliance, as a stand-in for du Plessis at Lord’s in 2017, did not go well and he was only too happy to hand an imaginary armband back when du Plessis returned from paternity leave. But things have changed. “I’ve played a few more games since then and learnt a lot more about what Test cricket and how a team operates behind the scenes,” Elgar said. “I have been part of the leadership group for a couple of seasons now. Then, I was a young guy just sitting there. Deer in the headlights. I’d like to think I have established experience since then.”Not just any experience. Elgar’s 67 Tests make him the most experienced player in the current group, now that du Plessis has retired and taken with him the last link to the class of 2012, that won the Test mace. Though du Plessis was not a playing member of the team that won in England, he travelled with the squad and made his debut in the next series in Australia, where Elgar was also given his first opportunity. They were both rookies in a team that was top of the rankings, where they stayed for another three years, it’s Elgar’s task to get them back there.”It’s going to be a serious challenge, but it’s a challenge I’m really looking forward to. I feel if we get a few things in place we can definitely take the Proteas brand back to where we were a few years ago. That will be my biggest goal,” he said. “We owe it to the game to carry on moving it forward. We’ve got a long line of young, exciting players who’ve been breaking down doors in domestic cricket to try and get a foot in this squad. It’s good to have fresh blood around. We aren’t at the level of experience we were a couple of years ago, but we do have a couple of experienced players in the squad. I’m going to rely on them to help me through this journey.”Temba Bavuma, Elgar’s vice-captain and new white-ball captain, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj and de Kock are all part of the new senior core and that there are only five names in that mix says a lot about the amount of work South Africa’s Test team needs to do. There are places up for grabs and roles to be secured and Elgar hopes the installation of a permanent Test captain can begin the process of settling on a squad. “The players and potential players deserve someone to come in and give them more clarity and more reassurance and stability. That’s going to be on my agenda box-ticking as a leader, to try and get a bit of stability to the squad and try and establish an easier process coming in,” he said.Although he wouldn’t be drawn into which areas he thinks needs solidifying because South Africa have no confirmed Test fixtures in the foreseeable future. “I don’t want to rush into anything now and give a headline saying, ‘Elgar thinks the batting is poor.’ I think there are areas for us to work on but I am not going to clarify anything now because we have time,” he said.And as that time passes, the South African Test team can be guaranteed of one thing, that in Elgar they will always have a leader who speaks his mind, even when he tells them things they don’t want to hear. “I’m still going to be the same guy. I’m still going to have pretty straightforward, open and honest conversations with my team-mates, with the management, with the media,” he said.