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Leeds United play host to West Ham United at Elland Road in the Premier League this evening as they look to bounce back from their defeat to Burnley last weekend.

Daniel Farke’s side created four ‘big chances’ against the Clarets at Turf Moor last Saturday, but were unable to score any of them in a drab defeat.

It is safe to say that the German tactician needs more from his players at the top end of the pitch to pick up enough points to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

The Whites only made three attacking signings in the summer, Noah Okafor, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Lukas Nmecha, and they are the only attackers in the squad who have directly contributed to goals.

Noah Okafor

2

0

Lukas Nmecha

1

0

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

1

0

Brenden Aaronson

0

0

Dan James

0

0

Wilfried Gnonto

0

0

Jack Harrison

0

0

Joel Piroe

0

0

As you can see in the table above, not a single attacker in the squad has registered an assist in the league, and none of the players who were already at the club before the window have scored any goals in the top-flight.

Jack Harrison started on the left flank, in a 4-3-3 system, in the loss to Burnley last time out, and Farke should drop him from the team for this clash with the Hammers.

Why Jack Harrison should be dropped

The German head coach should drop the left-footed forward from the starting XI because his current form and his form from his two seasons with Everton suggest that he is not the answer to their problems.

Leeds, as aforementioned, are lacking goals from their attacking players. That was an issue against Burnley as the Whites missed all four of their ‘big chances’, one of which was spurned by Harrison.

Minutes

66

Shots

2

Shots on target

0

Big chances missed

1

Key passes

1

Big chances created

1

Successful crosses

0/7

Possession lost

14x

Harrison, as shown in the table above, did create a ‘big chance’, for Brenden Aaronson, in his defence, but that was one positive in an otherwise dismal showing.

The 28-year-old dud has now failed to provide a goal or an assist for the team in seven Premier League matches, per Sofascore, whilst creating just one chance in that time.

Harrison also managed just four goals in 63 Premier League outings for Everton during his time on loan at Goodison Park, per Sofascore, which included one goal in 34 appearances in the 2024/25 campaign for the Toffees.

This suggests that Farke cannot rely on the left-sided attacker to turn things around and prove himself to be a consistent threat at the top end of the pitch for his side in their battle against relegation this season.

Chalkboard

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

It is also why Farke should take Harrison out of the starting line-up for this clash with West Ham United, because it seems unlikely that he will provide the ruthlessness they need in front of goal.

The manager, as shown in the post above, suggested in his pre-match press conference that Noah Okafor may return from his adductor injury to be involved this evening.

Why Noah Okafor is a difference maker for Leeds

AllLeedsTV present Oscar Marrio described the Switzerland international as a “class difference maker” for the West Yorkshire outfit earlier this month, but why is that the case?

The simple answer is that it is down to quality. Okafor’s technical ability, on this season’s showing, is on another level compared to the other attackers in the first-team squad.

Per Sofascore, the Swiss star has completed 2.2 dribbles per game on average in the Premier League. No other player in the team has completed more than 1.3 per game and no one other than Gabriel Gudmundsson has completed more than 0.9 dribbles per game.

The statistic in the post above shows that his dribbling skills have been impressive by Premier League standards, not just Leeds United standards, which further speaks to the ability that he can provide on the ball.

Okafor is not just a flashy dribbler who can take players on and get fans off their seats, though, as he has also shown that he has end product to his performances.

Starts

4

xG

1.16

Goals

2

Conversion rate

33%

Big chances missed

0

Big chances created

1

Assists

0

As you can see in the table above, the £18m signing from AC Milan has provided genuine quality at the top end of the pitch with two goals from 1.16 xG, without missing a single ‘big chance’.

Okafor’s goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the club’s 3-1 win back in September was a great example of him combining his pace, composure, and quality all into one piece of play.

The 25-year-old dynamo is a difference maker because he has attributes that allow him to make an impact in the final third, whilst Harrison’s statistics suggest that he does not share many of those attributes.

Okafor, given his start to life at Elland Road, seems far more likely to produce a moment of magic to win Leeds points against West Ham this evening in the Premier League, which is why Farke should drop Harrison to bring him into the starting line-up.

Farke can bin Harrison by playing Leeds academy star who's a "joy to watch"

Leeds United have a teenage prospect in their academy ranks who could replace Jack Harrison.

ByDan Emery Oct 22, 2025

Prior to the news that Okafor was in contention to feature, Football FanCast, in the article above, suggested that U21 starlet Connor Douglas could be an alternative to Harrison. If the Swiss star does end up not being fit enough to start, the 20-year-old gem could still be an option.

Tottenham Hotspur sporting director Fabio Paratici is now personally driving a move for an “absolute powerhouse” with the same agent as Mohammed Kudus.

Spurs looking to sign new striker amid Tel struggles

After being left out of Tottenham’s Champions League squad, Mathys Tel has now admitted he was left fuming with the decision, saying: “To be honest, I was very, very mad for a lot of weeks. But I was like, ‘use this and show him you need to be on the squad list’.

“Bad things help me more than good things to be better. So I will face a lot of bad things, but I’m going to be OK with that. I’m not in the squad list right now, but I will do everything to be in the squad list in January.”

However, Thomas Frank’s decision to omit Tel is starting to look more justified, with the striker putting in a very poor performance in the 2-1 home defeat against Aston Villa on Sunday, before being replaced by Richarlison due to a calf issue.

The Frenchman failed to have any real impact on the match, touching the ball just 15 times, while also squandering one big chance before his withdrawal on the hour mark.

As such, it may come as no surprise to learn that Tottenham are looking to sign a new striker, according to a report from The Boot Room, with Paratici personally driving a deal for FC Porto striker Samu Omorodion, but it could be very expensive.

Omorodion has a £87m release clause included in his Porto contract, although there is a feeling he may be available for a lower fee, given the Portuguese club’s current financial situation.

Jamie O'Hara slams two Tottenham stars who were "painful" to watch v Aston Villa

The former midfielder was left extremely disappointed by the 2-1 defeat.

ByDominic Lund Oct 20, 2025

With Dominic Solanke struggling on the injury front, and Tel yet to make a real impact, it could make sense to bring in a new striker, but the Porto star is not the only option on the shortlist, with Juventus’ Dušan Vlahović still of interest.

"Powerhouse" Omorodion could take Spurs' attack to next level

Unlike Tel, the Porto star has made a fantastic start to the campaign, having already chipped in with eight goals in nine matches in all competitions, most recently bagging a hat-trick against CD Celoricense in the Taca de Portugal.

Ben Mattinson has also suggested the 21-yeasr-old is destined to play at the very highest level, with the scout being left particularly impressed by his physical attributes.

Tottenham could certainly do with bringing in a new striker, given that Tel has struggled, while Richarlison and Solanke have suffered various injury setbacks, and Omorodion, who has the same agent as Kudus, has proven he could take their attack to the next level.

Hampshire come unstuck against Pakistan stalwart as Division One leaders take grip on proceedings

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay10-May-2025Mohammad Abbas took five wickets on his Nottinghamshire debut to put the Division One leaders in a strong position against his former county after 16 wickets fell on day two of their Rothesay County Championship clash with Hampshire at Trent Bridge.The 35-year-old Pakistan seamer, who took 180 first-class wickets in four summers at the Utilita Bowl before agreeing to move to Trent Bridge for part of this season, finished with 5 for 31 as Hampshire were bowled out for 196 in their first innings in reply to Nottinghamshire’s 333.Nottinghamshire slipped to 59 for 5 in their second innings but Jack Haynes and Liam Patterson-White helped them recover to 171 for 6 at the close for a lead of 308, which already looks like a winning advantage on a pitch that has given plenty of assistance to the bowlers.Earlier, Kyle Abbott – Abbas’s former new ball partner on the south coast – hit three sixes in a feisty 67 to rescue Hampshire from 106 for 7, going on to add two wickets to his own five-wicket first-innings haul.Bowling initially from the Radcliffe Road end, Abbas dismissed Nick Gubbins via a catch to fourth slip to claim his first scalp in Nottinghamshire colours in his fifth over as Hampshire, two without loss overnight, found themselves 31 for 2 after 40 minutes, having already lost opener Mark Stoneman, caught and bowled by Brett Hutton.Fletcha Middleton was caught behind as a ball from Lyndon James climbed on him sharply enough to prompt a miscued pull but, approaching lunch, Hampshire might have felt they had the foundation for a decent response to Nottinghamshire’s first innings.But that assessment was blown apart as Abbas returned to the attack from the Stuart Broad End, taking three wickets in as many overs either side of the break, turning 96 for 3 into 99 for 6.Prest, having struck back-to-back boundaries as Abbas momentarily lost his lines, was leg before as the next ball struck him plumb in front. Ben Brown’s off stump was sent cartwheeling and Toby Albert nicked to second slip.Hutton beat James Fuller’s defensive prod at 106 for 7, after which, still 227 behind, Hampshire could quickly have found themselves batting for a second time had Abbott’s positive approach not paid off.The South African hit a half-century from 36 balls as he added 42 for the eighth wicket with Liam Dawson, plus 30 for the ninth with Brad Wheal, last man Sonny Baker keeping him company long enough for the follow-on to be avoided.Dawson fell to a superb catch by Farhan Ahmed at extra cover as Abbas completed his quintet, Wheal becoming a second victim for James in almost a duplicate of Middleton’s dismissal before lunch.Abbott, who lofted a straight six off the left-arm spin of Patterson-White and twice cleared the rope hooking Hutton, was ultimately caught at long-on. It gave Farhan a wicket with his second ball and while Hampshire trailed by 137 runs, it was much fewer than had seemed likely.Abbott then enhanced the value of the runs he had made by dismissing both Nottinghamshire openers in his first four second-innings overs with no sign of the match’s rapid evolution slowing down. He bowled Haseeb Hameed, seemingly beaten for pace, and had Ben Slater nicking to slip.A wicket in the last over before tea and two more shortly afterwards left Nottinghamshire in peril at 59 for 5, albeit 196 runs in front.Joe Clarke was caught behind trying to pull Wheal. Fuller then had first-innings centurion Freddie McCann caught behind off an outside edge and Wheal picking up a second as Kyle Verreynne was bowled by a ball he chose to leave.Nottinghamshire lost a sixth wicket for 84 as James pulled Baker’s first delivery to mid-off but, with signs that some of the venom in the pitch might be starting to dissipate, Haynes and Patterson-White put together a partnership so far worth 87 that might have put the game out of Hampshire’s reach.

GOAL ranks the top soccer players from each of the country's four regions, including USMNT players both past and present

From Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey to Brian McBride and Christian Pulisic, decades of groundwork have given rise to great American soccer players. With the 2026 World Cup less than nine months away, the United States has steadily progressed into a genuine force in the global soccer scene. 

Some regions in the U.S. have deeper player pools than others, so who is the best of the best? And who were some of the top players from those soccer-rich states that didn't make the cut in the top of three, given the stiff competition?

GOAL ranked the top three men's soccer players from each of the 50 states, and now ranks the best from each region.

STATE RANKINGS: Northeast | South | Midwest | West

• Getty Images
  

  Northeast: Christian Pulisic

  Hometown: Hershey, Pennsylvania

  Clubs played for: Dortmund, Chelsea, AC Milan

  USMNT caps: 80

  Why he's No. 1: The East is arguably America's premier soccer region when it comes to producing talent. From legendary players such as Tim Howard and Jozy Altidore to Bruce Arena, a Hall of Fame manager, the region is stacked. What sets Pulisic apart is his unprecedented club success in Europe. 

  He is the face of AC Milan, traditionally one of Europe's top six clubs, and he's the only player U.S. player to win the Champions League. While his USMNT legacy might not be as strong as some of the legends, his talent is undeniable. As analyst and former USMNT star Stu Holden once said, success seems inevitable for the 27-year-old. 

  "I think he'll go down as the best U.S. Soccer player by the time he's done, and he might be already in terms of what he's achieved on the club level," Holden told GOAL. "Talent alone, he will be the best U.S. Soccer player of all-time." 

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Midwest: Brian McBride

  Hometown: Arlington Heights, Illinois

  Clubs played for: Wolfsburg, Columbus Crew, Preston North End, Everton, Fulham, Chicago Fire 

  USMNT caps: 96

  Why he's No. 1: The race for best player in the Midwest involves three players: Brian McBride, Tim Ream, and Cobi Jones. While Jones is widely considered to be a top-five all-time USMNT player, Ream has also had long-term success, largely in England's second division, and a late career breakout.

  But ultimately, it's McBride, who is neck and neck with Altidore as the best striker in national team history. 

  McBride was a revolutionary talent for the USMNT, playing in three World Cups and becoming the first American to score in two tournaments. On the club level, it's hard to imagine Pulisic or Clint Dempsey being entrusted to be the faces of European clubs without McBride blazing the trail.

  He is the first American with back-to-back double-digit scoring seasons, accomplishing that in the 2005-06 and 2006-07 campaigns for Fulham. The striker's work rate and role in keeping Fulham in England's top flight during his five seasons for the club elevated him to iconic status – he even had a bar named after him at Craven Cottage.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  South: Clint Dempsey

  Hometown: Nacogdoches, Texas

  Clubs played for: New England Revolution, Fulham, Tottenham 

  USMNT caps: 141

  Why he's No. 1: Clint Dempsey's path to success wasn't always easy. He grew up in a small town, 140 miles from Houston. Dempsey famously mentioned if it wasn't for his parents driving hours at time to attend camps and practices, he wouldn't have been a professional player. Thankfully for U.S. fans, they did. 

  Dempsey wasn't fleet of foot, didn't have a locked-in position, and wasn't necessarily prolific at any particular skill, but as Arena famously once said "He tries sh*t." The Texan was gritty, relentless, and persistently had a chip on his shoulder that helped him to defy the odds. 

  He once famously used criticism from then-manager Roy Hodgson as motivation to help Fulham – traditionally one of European soccer's smallest clubs – stun Italian powerhouse Juventus in the Europa League with arguably the best goal scored by an American on the continent.

  The goal, a lobbed chip, had no business going in. But it did. In many ways, that moment was symbolic of Dempsey's career. He also had incredible success on the national team, winning three Gold Cups. He is on the short list of America's greatest soccer players. 

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  West: Landon Donovan

  Hometown: Ontario, California

  Clubs played for: Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, San Jose Earthquakes, LA Galaxy, Everton, Leon

  USMNT caps: 157

  Why he's No. 1: Dempsey has a case. So does Pulisic. But in the end, Donovan is the best player in American soccer history, due to his consistent success on the national team level, paired with his dominance in MLS. At the peak of his powers, Donovan was the face of U.S. Soccer, a box office draw that put fans in seats.

  He is tied with Dempsey for all-time national goals with 57 and holds the record for assists with 58 – the next closest is Michael Bradley with 22. Donovan had a way of delivering in key moments for the U.S., from the Go Go USA goal against Algeria to a being a consistent thorn in Mexico's side over nearly two decades. 

  Yes, there's an argument that he should have tested himself more on the global stage, instead choosing to stay in MLS while others continually played in Europe. And he frustrated some with his decision to retire from international soccer, and then try to play in the 2014 World Cup.

  But ultimately, he is the closest thing the U.S. had to a world-class outfield player – with Pulisic still in contention to take that title. 

Ruben Amorim has explained why he dropped Altay Bayindir from Manchester United's starting lineup against Sunderland in the Premier League. After a series of disappointing performances for the Red Devils, Amorim benched the Turkey international as he handed a debut to deadline day signing Senne Lammens. The Belgian custodian was finally handed the chance to play more than a month after moving from Royal Antwerp.

• Lammens handed United debut

  Lammens, who moved to Old Trafford from Royal Antwerp on deadline day, was finally handed his maiden start for United as Amorim picked the Belgian goalkeeper over Bayindir against Sunderland in the Premier League on Saturday.

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• Getty
  

  Amorim explains decision to bench Bayindir

  Speaking to ahead of the Premier League game at Old Trafford, Amorim said: "It's rotation. Everybody has to be ready to play. We need to win this game, every opponent is different, so we try to find the best characteristics to win every match."

• Bayindir's poor record at Manchester United

  Bayindir was picked as United's first-choice goalkeeper ahead of Andre Onana at the start of the 2025-26 campaign after the Cameroonian goalkeeper had a fallout with Amorim and was eventually sent out on loan to Turkey. With Bayindir between the sticks, United conceded a whopping 11 goals in their first six matches and won just two.

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  Cunha starts on the bench

  After featuring in Amorim's lineup against Brentford last week, Cunha was surprisingly left on the bench as Mason Mount started ahead of the Brazil international. Mount featured alongside Bryan Mbeumo just behind lone striker Benjamin Sesko in the Portuguese coach's 3-4-2-1 formation.

Mark Nicholas says club “leaning towards using MCC colours in livery” as part of joint-venture with Silicon Valley investors

Matt Roller14-Feb-2025MCC have discussed renaming London Spirit and having them play in the club’s egg-and-bacon colours with their new Silicon Valley co-owners.MCC will enter into a joint-venture with Cricket Investor Holdings Limited, a consortium of US-based entrepreneurs who have been dubbed the “Tech Titans”, to run the Lord’s-based Hundred franchise from 2026. They were the highest bidders at a three-hour auction on January 31, which eventually valued London Spirit at £295 million, by far the highest of any of the eight Hundred teams.The two parties have been speaking for several months and have extended those discussions over the past two weeks during their period of exclusivity. “We already have a very good understanding of our respective positions on most of the important matters which will govern our partnership,” Mark Nicholas, MCC’s chair, said in a letter to members on Friday.Related

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Hundred sale explainer: Who has bought what and for how much?

Gould: Hundred IPL links won't affect Pakistan player involvement

These have included discussions around the name of the franchise and their royal-blue kits. “Both parties have maintained an open mind on whether or not to continue with the London Spirit name,” Nicholas said. Any changes to team names or kits would not take place until 2026, with this year’s Hundred seen by the ECB as a transitional season.”There are advantages in using the name of the club, MCC; the name of the ground, Lord’s; and the name of our home city, London; the latter may give us the greatest traction as we look to grow the franchise and its brand,” Nicholas said.”Team colours have also been the subject of discussion and we are leaning towards using MCC colours in the livery. On both name and kit, we will take decisions alongside our new partners. It should be pointed out also that these decisions will need ECB approval.”Nikesh Arora, who is leading the consortium, has also hinted at a change of colour scheme. “All decisions will be taken in the interests of the franchise, collectively with our partners at the MCC,” Arora told the BBC. “If the right answer collectively is, ‘Hey, a little more red or a little more yellow might make it more exciting’, then fine: we’ll have a little more red and a little more yellow.”Nicholas reiterated MCC’s intention to retain their 51% stake in the franchise, and said that four of the team’s seven board members would be MCC-appointed directors, one of whom is likely to be incoming chief executive Robert Lawson.

It will be the first women’s T20 tournament to be held in Bangladesh; could kick off at the end of the ongoing BPL

Mohammad Isam17-Jan-2025The BCB will be launching a maiden Women’s Bangladesh Premier League (WBPL); it is likely to be held soon after the ongoing men’s competition ends on February 7. According to Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, the BCB director, it will be a three-team competition, with each team playing the others twice for a total of six league games followed by the final.”The board has been thinking about the various ways that we can take women’s cricket forward,” Fahim said. “Whether we can do a T20 competition for women was in our thoughts. We have decided today that we will do the Women’s BPL.”Fahim said the BCB is in talks with some of the men’s BPL franchises regarding ownership of the women’s teams, and that a couple of owners have shown interest.”We have already spoken to a few BPL franchises, who have shown interest [in owning women’s teams],” he said. “We want to see how a women’s tournament has an effect on our T20 cricket. We are hopeful that it will help our women’s game progress.”Fahim said that only allow one overseas player will be allowed in the playing XI, with the squads having a maximum of 15 players each.”We won’t take many overseas players due to the financial constraints,” he said. “Four overseas players puts financial pressure on the teams; perhaps they don’t want to take that pressure. We want to give more opportunities to our domestic cricketers. We want to add competitiveness.”It will be the first women’s T20 tournament to be held in Bangladesh. Women cricketers in the country play the one-day league in Dhaka, and the BCB recently launched a women’s three-day competition.

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Considerado um dos melhores técnicos do Brasil por seu trabalho de quase três anos noPalmeiras, Abel Ferreira também tem ganhado reconhecimento internacional. Desta vez o treinador teve seu sucesso testado em Portugal, seu próprio país. Em eleição promovida pelo siteSapo Desporto, o comandante palmeirense foi escolhido o melhor técnico português da atualidade pelos leitores.

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> Veja tabela e classificação da Libertadores-2023 clicando aqui

No “Pergunta do Dia”, que tradicionalmente é apresentado pelo site, foi questionado aos leitores sobre quem seria o melhor técnico português da atualidade. Entre os nomes estava o de Abel Ferreira, que venceu a eleição com 22,26% dos votos, seguido por Sérgio Conceição, do Porto-POR, com 20.89%, e Rúben Amorim, do Sporting-POR, com 20.82%. Foram 11.805 votos computados.

José Mourinho, atualmente treinador da Roma-ITA, ficou com 19,14% da preferência. Destaque negativo da eleição foi Jorge Jesus, ex-Flamengo, que comanda o Fenerbahçe-TUR nesta temporada. O campeão da Libertadores de 2019 ficou com apenas 1,13% dos votos no site.

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Segundo o Sapo Desporto, outros nomes importantes como Artur Jorge, do Braga-POR e Marco Silva, do Fulham-ING, também estavam entre as opções apresentadas pelo leitores.

>Palmeiras viaja para encerrar jejum de vitórias fora de casa na Liberta e no ano

Abel Ferreira chegou ao Palmeiras em novembro de 2020 e de lá para cá tem feito história com o clube, já sendo colocado como talvez o melhor de todos os tempos a ter defendido a camisa alviverde. São oito títulos até aqui: duas Libertadores (2020 e 2021), dois Paulistas (2022 e 2023), um Brasileirão (2022), uma Copa do Brasil (2020), uma Recopa (2022) e uma Supercopa (2023).

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أتم الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، اتفاقه على المباريات الودية لـ منتخب مصر المُشارك في كأس العرب، خلال فترة التوقف الدولي في شهر أكتوبر المقبل.

ويلتقي منتخب مصر الثاني مع المغرب يوم 9 أكتوبر، ثم منتخب البحرين يوم 12 من نفس الشهر، ضمن خطة إعداد الجهاز الفني للمنتخب لبطولة كأس العرب التي تستضيفها العاصمة القطرية الدوحة مطلع ديسمبر المقبل.

ويقوم أيمن حافظ المدير الاداري، بإنهاء إجراءات سفر الفريق إلى المغرب، بإشراف أحمد حسن مدير المنتخب.

طالع.. منتخب المغرب للمحليين يحسم موقفه من ضم لاعب الأهلي في كأس العرب

من جانبه، أكد حلمي طولان المدير الفني للمنتخب، على أن تجربتي المغرب والبحرين مهمة للفريق بعد نجاح المعسكر الأول والذي تخلله مباراتين أمام تونس انتهتا بفوز مصر.

وأضاف طولان، أن برنامج الإعداد يسير وفق البرنامج المُعد سلفًا بنجاح، في ظل الدعم الذي يلقاه الفريق من اتحاد الكرة برئاسة هاني أبوريدة.

وأشار إلى نجاح هاني أبوريدة رئيس الاتحاد في توفير مباراتين أمام الجزائر بمصر في أجندة نوفمبر المقبل، وهو بمثابة أفضل إعداد للبطولة.

وأكد المدير الفني على أن باب المنتخب سيظل مفتوحًا أمام جميع اللاعبين في مصر، مشيدًا بانضباط والتزام اللاعبين في المعسكر خاصة وأن عددًا كبيرًا منهم لهم خبرات دولية كبيرة.

وأضاف أنه يتم متابعة كل مباريات الدوري الممتاز للاطمئنان على العناصر التي كانت موجودة، فضلاً عن محاولة اكتشاف عناصر جديدة تحسبًا لجميع الظروف.

Promising allround display comes after promotion to No.4 for series against Australia

Matt Roller12-Sep-2024Liam Livingstone believes he can use promotion in England’s T20I team to pitch his case for a recall to their ODI set-up. England have used Livingstone as a finisher in each of the last three T20 World Cups but he top-scored with 37 from No. 4 in their defeat to Australia at the Utilita Bowl on Wednesday night, having earlier taken 3 for 22 with his legbreaks.Along with Sam Curran, Livingstone was one of two headline omissions from England’s squad for the five-match ODI series which starts next Thursday, effectively losing his spot to Jacob Bethell. Livingstone said he was told he had been dropped by Rob Key – “the old good news, bad news” – in a brief phone call, and is unclear how he can win his place back.England’s top white-ball players no longer feature in their domestic 50-over competition, which clashes with the Hundred, and Livingstone has not played in the County Championship for two years. While he could feature in November’s ODI series in the Caribbean, with Test players unlikely to be available, his chances of featuring in February’s Champions Trophy likely rest on his T20 form.”I don’t really know – that’s one of my challenges,” Livingstone said. “That’s why I’m happy that I’ve got an opportunity to bat up the order [in the T20Is]. I feel like I’ve shown over the last couple of weeks, maybe a month, that the longer I get to bat in games, the more of a chance I have to affect games.”I feel like I’ve done that in 50-over cricket as well: if you take away the World Cup, I feel like I’d done that further down the order. But it is what it is: I’m 31, I’m not going to sit here and cry about not being picked. There’s plenty of cricket to be played around the world, and if I’m not involved in the ODI stuff then there’s plenty more opportunities.Related

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Hazlewood, Zampa close out victory after Head's onslaught

Matthew Short makes his case to be Warner's successor

“I want to play as much cricket for England as I possibly can. Unfortunately, I won’t be playing in the ODIs but it’s still not something I’m giving up on. I’ve had a difficult couple of years. My body has probably let me down a little bit, and maybe I haven’t been up to scratch physically, with a couple of niggles here and there.”Livingstone’s breakthrough as an international cricketer was remarkable. Recalled to the T20I side after a four-year absence, he was the undisputed star of the 2021 English summer, hitting a 42-ball century against Pakistan and launching Haris Rauf for a 117-metre straight six at Headingley. He was also the inaugural Hundred MVP, and impressed at the 2022 IPL.But since then he has faded, and is playing for his international future this week. If England’s Test batters had been available for this series – including Ben Duckett, Harry Brook and Jamie Smith – then Livingstone’s spot in the side would have been at risk. Instead, he has been promoted to No. 4 and was their best performer on Wednesday night.Livingstone blames regular injuries for his drop-off, having rushed back from an ankle injury to be fit for the 2022 T20 World Cup and injuring his knee on Test debut weeks after the final. He is now fully fit: “I can run around at 100 percent in the field and I can bowl and bat to the best of my ability, which is something I probably haven’t been able to do for two-and-a-half years.”He has been told that he will get a run at No. 4 in this series, a role he prefers to being a finisher. “It’s up to me to make sure I try to do as well as I can and give them a bit of a headache for the next series,” he said. “I don’t think you’ll see anybody that wants to bat lower down the order.”I want that responsibility. I want to try to win games of cricket for England, and the higher up the order, the more chance you have of doing that. There’s less people that can play that role [at No. 6] and sometimes you’ve got to take it on the chin… [but] this is a chance for me to stake my claim.”At 31, Livingstone is the second-oldest player in England’s squad for this series behind Adil Rashid. “It feels weird, but I feel really old in this team,” he said. “I’ve got to give the younger boys a steer and take a bit of pressure off them. I enjoyed the responsibility.”There’s a bit of a fresh look, a fresh environment,” he added. “Things are going to change. That naturally happens when you bring in new players, but especially when you bring in new coaches as well. Things have felt different: it’s like a new beginning.”