The progress that Aston Villa has made since the arrival of Unai Emery has been nothing short of remarkable.

Even with their recent mini-injury crisis, the results have shown no signs of taking a turn for the worse, with Villa winning all of their last three.

From now until the end of the season, the squad will face the challenge of balancing European action with their Premier League duties, with a top-four finish arguably being the priority.

However, Villa have a player in the pipeline who’s already played in the Champions League this season and could end up replacing Matty Cash in the near future.

Matty Cash’s 23/24 season

Polish right-back Cash has featured heavily this season for Villa, operating in his usual right-back role as well as a further forward right midfielder at times.

The 26-year-old has played in 24 Premier League matches this campaign, playing 36 times across all competitions. In fairness to Cash, he’s already shown a significant attacking improvement in the last year, picking up six goal contributions already while only registering one all last season.

However, FBref’s 23/24 Premier League scouting report suggests that Cash is actually performing at an extremely average level when compared to his positional peers in the league.

Passes into final third

2.65

Bottom 60%

Key passes

0.56

Bottom 63%

Shot-creating actions

1.74

Bottom 56%

Tackles won

1.23

Bottom 60%

Interceptions

0.87

Bottom 60%

With that in mind, Emery has shown a desire to improve and strengthen the position, even dipping into the transfer market in January to sign a potential long-term replacement.

Aston Villa were rinsed of £17m by Di Matteo's "lazy" player

Aston Villa made a poor decision in 2016 to splash out on a player who rinsed them dry

ByRoss Kilvington Mar 5, 2024 Kosta Nedeljkovic's 23/24 stats

Kosta Nedeljkovic is an 18-year-old right-back whom Villa purchased this winter for an undisclosed fee from Serbian side FK Crvena Zvezda.

The Serbian full-back only made his debut for his side in August, but by the time he had been signed by Villa, Nedeljkovic had already made four appearances in the Champions League.

The “brilliant” prospect, as described by analyst StatmanDave, returned to Crvena Zvezda on loan until the end of the season, where he will continue to gain valuable experience.

Nonetheless, the table below showing his average statistics in the Serbian top flight highlights what sort of profile Nedeljkovic has.

Starts

10

Assists

1

Key passes (P90)

1

Pass accuracy

86%

Tackles (P90)

1.5

Duels won (P90)

3.7

As you can see, it’s no surprise that Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig described the youngster as a “complete” full-back, adding that some of his strengths include: “Pace, physicality, tackling and, crossing.”

That description, along with his statistics, indicates that he’s an extremely well-rounded prospect who has the potential to thrive in the Premier League given his attributes.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

In truth, it’s a very small sample size, and of course, like any developing player, they’re far from the finished product, but he can certainly become Cash’s replacement in the not-so-distant future if he continues to improve and impress.

After conceding 89 runs in the first, wicketless session in Rawalpindi, Pakistan remarkably got back in the game in the second. They had bowled 48 balls on a full length in 26 overs in that opening session, conceding 47 runs off these deliveries and straying on leg stump as well. Wayward in line, ineffective in length, captain Azhar Ali’s statements the previous day on the important of discipline in Test format seemed lost on this attack. Speaking after the day’s play, 16-year-old Naseem Shah admitted that new plans had to be drawn up for the second session, and those centred around containing the Sri Lanka batsmen.It was the first time in 24 years that Pakistan were playing at home with an all-pace attack. The last time this happened was in 1995, against Sri Lanka in Sialkot. The hint of grass on the Rawalpindi pitch in combination with the earlier overcast conditions seemed to suggest it was the way to go but, at the toss, Sri Lanka opted to bat, baffling many. A lack of swing duly followed, and Pakistan conceded 3.4 runs to the over in that first session. In all, 120 balls were pitched on a length or fuller to concede 74 runs.When asked if his side misread the pitch, Shah said: “It’s cricket and it happens… yes there was moisture in the pitch but we couldn’t get wickets early. They also batted well and we didn’t bowl according to the plan in the first session.”So we had to re-plan and went out to contain in the second session. Overall the pitch was good, all you have to hit the good areas for success. We could have taken another wicket [in the day] but we will come back fresh tomorrow to get them as quickly as we can to restrict them under 250 to have a full control [of the game].”Shah finished the day with two wickets, as Sri Lanka slipped from 96 for 0 to 189 for 5. At stumps they were 202 for 5, and Shah, playing his second Test after a testing debut in Australia, was facing a crowed press conference for the first time. He came across as confident in answering whatever question was thrown at him. When asked about being rested in the second Test in Australia despite holding his own in the first, he kept it brief: “There wasn’t any issue. Our management understands better how they want to take care of me, so nothing to worry about.”Of course, the Rawalpindi Test is a homecoming for Test cricket in Pakistan, and Shah was happy to soak up the atmosphere. “In Australia I saw how the crowd there was behind their bowlers all the time and their support really gave them a push,” he said. “And today, playing at a home venue in front of my own crowd gave me the exact sense I got in Australia. The crowd was outstanding and they were cheering on every good ball I bowled, so playing at home wasn’t about me being under pressure but instead I was enjoying the atmosphere.”

Manchester United lost 2-1 to Arsenal in their preseason friendly, however, boss Erik ten Hag voiced that he was 'very pleased' despite the defeat.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Man Utd lose 2-1 to Arsenal in friendly
• Ten Hag pleased despite the defeat
• Set to take on Real Betis on July 31

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Manchester United dominated the start of the proceedings at the SoFi Stadium as Rasmus Hojlund's brilliant finish gave the Red Devils the lead in their first United States friendly of the season. However, Gabriel Jesus restored parity before the half-hour mark and Gabriel Martinelli gave Mikel Arteta's side the win on the night. Despite the result, the two teams then engaged in a penalty shootout which the Red Devils managed to win.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  WHAT TEN HAG SAID

  Speaking to club media, Ten Hag said: "I think [the game] was a very good level for the third week of pre-season, from both sides, but in the first half I thought we were the better team. We scored a very good goal, a very good ball in behind from [Marcus] Rashford and then [Rasmus] Hojlund with a very good move and a finish, I was very pleased. We also created some more good chances and we then conceded the goal which was offside."

  On the penalty shootout: "It is important, as we know with all the cup competitions we are in. Penalties can be important, I think Andre [Onana] made two good saves, so it is therefore important to always have a goalkeeper who is good in penalty shootouts. He proved it once again and I think the penalties, except one, they were all good."

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ten Hag did have a few areas of concern during the friendly as Manchester United's injury issues from last season seem to not have left them yet with Hojlund and new signing Leny Yoro having to leave the field with suspected injuries.

  Ten Hag said: "Of course, it is too short [to know about their injuries] and we have to wait over 24 hours, then we will hopefully know more. We were careful especially with Leny [Yoro] as he only did 50 per cent of the [training] sessions. He has to come up but let's be positive and see what comes out."

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• WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

  The Red Devils will have a short turnaround following the Arsenal defeat as they are set to take on Real Betis in San Diego on Wednesday, July 31.

Lamichhane and Zampa do the damage before Stoinis and Maxwell see Stars home in the Melbourne derby

Varun Shetty04-Jan-2020

Getty Images

Melbourne Stars won the season’s first Melbourne derby in comprehensive fashion after their legspinning duo of Sandeep Lamichhane and Adam Zampa prompted a collapse that read 5 for 8 by the time it finished.Coming at 2 for 117, just when Melbourne Renegades had set up for a strong finish and had the well-set Shaun Marsh at the crease, it helped restrict Renegades to 142. Marcus Stoinis made an unbeaten 68 and Glenn Maxwell an unbeaten 40 to see the Stars through with eight wickets in hand and open up a two-point lead at the top of the table with their fifth win in six matches.In second place, Sydney Sixers have eight points in six matches. The loss – their sixth this season – means that defending champions Renegades continue to be the only team without a point on the board.Finch and Marsh see off early troubleSam Harper was certainly adventurous after Stars put Renegades in, but his innings only lasted eight balls as he ended up mistiming a rising delivery from Nathan Coulter-Nile to mid-on in the second over. This brought Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh together and the pair went about the Powerplay without taking too many risks.Dale Steyn and Daniel Worrall tied their respective ends up even as Coulter-Nile had a bad outing, but neither Finch nor Marsh looked particularly perturbed by the relatively sedate scoring rate. Going at just about seven an over in the eighth over, Finch lined up Adam Zampa in his first over and slog-swept him for six to get Renegades past 50. But minutes later, he got too far away from a googly pitched outside off, and Zampa was past his slog sweep to get off stump. The 42-run stand had still brought some stability on a slowish surface though.The spinnersMarsh and Beau Webster managed to move things forward without being particularly belligerent. The odd boundaries were on offer even though the spinners were tight through the middle overs. Lamichhane didn’t have the brightest start to his spell, while at the other end Zampa was stringing the dot balls together efficiently.The pair put on 62 in the seven overs they batted together until a stunning bit of work by Ben Dunk at long-on completely turned the game in the 15th over. Running to his left in chase of a Marsh pull shot against Lamichhane, Dunk jumped to hold on with two hands, managed to take two steps to keep himself on his feet, and managed to hurl a backhand to Coulter-Nile who was converging from deep midwicket just before his third step over the boundary line.Two balls later, Lamichhane got a floaty legbreak to dip and spin past Dan Christian outside off and get his foot marginally off the ground. The touch-and-go stumping call went Stars’ way and suddenly Renegades had lost their two of their most experienced batsmen in three balls.Zampa lured Webster into a cut with a tantalisingly slow ball outside off and beat him next over, only to follow up with a slider that also looked good for the cut. Only it snuck through rapidly and took his middle stump instead. Lamichhane helped himself to another one and Steyn closed things out at 142, which appeared at least 20 below par.A burst and then a trickleStars’ openers made it look at least 40 under par with the way they began the chase. Tom Cooper was handed the first over and Stoinis hit him for three boundaries to start things off. Nic Maddinson started his innings with an elegant square drive against Kane Richardson next over, then followed up with not-so-elegant boundaries off the next two balls. Christian dropped Stoinis at midwicket off Richard Gleeson in the third over, and the seamer’s average season looked to stretch even further as he conceded 13 off his opening over. Stars had raced to 41 in their first three overs.Finch persisted with Renegades’ best bowler this season, Richardson, and in his third over he managed to get Maddinson to slice one up for backward point. The legspin of Boyce then helped slow things down, and a promoted Dunk looked largely uncomfortable and hit no boundaries before finding mid-off with a leading edge off Gleeson.But the drought wouldn’t last. In the 12th over, Glenn Maxwell slapped Gleeson in front of square for the first boundary since the fifth over. He repeated it two balls later, and the momentum was back. By the time he reverse-whipped left-arm spinner Tom Andrews for six at the backward point boundary, the required rate was nearly down at run-a-ball. The last 18 runs were scored without any boundaries, but Stars still won with seven balls to spare.

Unfortunately for any opposition fans sick of seeing Pep Guardiola's men sweep up a constant stream of Premier League titles, it now appears that Manchester City are already preparing for the future at the Etihad.

Man City prepare the next generation of stars

It is often forgotten how young Man City's team is simply by virtue of how good they are. Phil Foden, 23, feels as if he has been around forever and has already cemented himself as a legend in the blue half of Manchester.

Man City make approach to sign “unbelievable” £100m star for Pep

It’s shaping up to be a big summer at the Etihad.

By
Tom Coates

Mar 17, 2024

Aged just 23 and 24 respectively, Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez could easily make up the strike partnership at the Etihad for the long run. With the duo already leading their side to numerous trophies, it is a scary prospect that the pair could still improve.

Summer arrivals Jeremy Doku and Josko Gvardiol are also both in their early twenties as well, leaving plenty of room for them to grow into the English game and improve over time.

Academy products Rico Lewis and Oscar Bobb have also seen their first glimpses of first-team success this season. 19-year-old Lewis has made 10 league appearances this season, scoring once and earning his first call-up to the England senior team in the process. His Norwegian teammate Bobb is just a year older and has already got a Champions League goal to his name.

In addition to promoting young talent, City are also signing some of the best youngsters from other clubs. Reports from last week suggested that the champions are plotting a move for 15-year-old Cardiff sensation Timeo Whisker with a reported fee of £250,000 needed to sign the teenager.

Man City agree deal for "wonderkid"

As first reported by Fabrizio Romano on X the treble winners have agreed a deal to sign American teenager, Cavan Sullivan.

Born in 2009, Sullivan has attracted attention from across Europe with Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich all expressing an interest in signing the player. Currently in the youth system at MLS side Philadelphia Union, it is likely that Sullivan could remain in the States for a couple more years before moving the England.

Sullivan's coach at Philadelphia Union II, Marlon LeBlanc said of the rising star:

"Cavan is a fantastic young talent, I like to tease him that I've never seen a kid get built up as much as I've seen Cavan. He's so down to earth, all of this extra hype that goes on about him, it doesn't get to his head and I think that's what is fantastic about him. It's what also allows him to come into our environment and still be great and still be bold".

Whilst fans will have to wait a while to see the American at the Etihad, it is important for his development that he stays in his home country for now. Regardless of where he plays currently, Sullivan is destined to have a big future in the game.

Chelsea could be forced into green-lighting the sale of a "sensational" player this summer at 50 per cent less than their desired asking price.

PSR concerns motivate Chelsea sales before June 30

According to a report by reliable journalist Matt Law in The Telegraph last month, rival clubs believe the west Londoners need to raise around £100 million from player sales before June 30 – or risk being in breach of Profit and Sustainability rules.

Meeting in next few days as Chelsea set for talks to sign £210,000-p/w star

He’s firmly on their agenda this summer.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 9, 2024

Chelsea recently posted losses of around £90 million in the 12-month period leading up to June 30, 2023 – which follows on from the £121.4 million loss for their previous financial year.

This comes amid heavy spending from Mauricio Pochettino's side on transfers, with Chelsea spending over £400 million on new signings last summer. Reports suggest chairman Todd Boehly could splash the cash further on a marquee new striker like Victor Osimhen, but it would appear they're sailing pretty close to the wind.

Moises Caicedo

£115 million

Enzo Fernandez

£107 million

Mykhalo Mudryk

£88 million

Wesley Fofana

£72 million

Marc Cucurella

£58 million

As per PSR regulations, clubs are allowed to make a £105 million loss over a three-year period, though Chelsea's financial statements indicate that they're actually above the limit from these past two years alone.

As a result, a fire-sale of players is expected at Stamford Bridge in an effort to balance the books. Chelsea could even sell star men like Conor Gallagher, with the Englishman's future uncertain as he slowly enters the final year of his contract.

Another regular who's up for an exit nomination is Raheem Sterling. According to recent reports, Chelsea will look to sell Sterling and potentially sign a replacement in RB Leipzig star Dani Olmo.

There are a plethora of other players facing uncertain futures as well, a lot of whom are currently out on loan elsewhere. Kepa Arrizabalaga, Ian Maatsen, Lewis Hall, Romelu Lukaku, Hakim Ziyech, David Datro Fofana and Armando Broja are all away from west London serving temporary stints, and it is very likely they will all be put up for sale this summer.

Chelsea forced into Broja discount as they look to sell striker

Broja is a curious case, as it is believed Chelsea were demanding as much as £50 million for his services at one point.

As relayed by journalist Dean Jones, writing for Sportslens, Chelsea could now be forced to sell Broja for £25 million instead – given that his loan spell at Fulham hasn't exactly gone to plan.

The Albanian has found himself playing second fiddle to Rodrigo Muniz at Craven Cottage, which is surely a waste of his potential to come good. Broja enjoyed a terrific season on loan at Southampton not too long ago, which prompted Saints legend Francis Benali to brand him a "sensational" player.

TalkSPORT pundit Andy Townsend has expressed his shock at one of Johan Lange's transfer decisions at Tottenham, branding it "astonishing".

Lange's enjoys terrific January window at Spurs

The new technical director, who officially stepped into Fabio Paratici's shoes in November last year, enjoyed what was a successful debut transfer window overseeing the club's signing strategy.

Ange makes Tottenham promise to 18-year-old as he sets out debut condition

The Australian has pledged to give him a chance.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 9, 2024

While Paratici is still believed to play a role in assisting Tottenham's recruitment drive, the spotlight was on Lange and Chief Football Officer Scott Munn in January. The Lilywhites officials oversee footballing operations at Spurs, now chairman Daniel Levy is taking more of a back seat.

Arriving from Aston Villa with a solid reputation, Lange did it no harm at all with a very productive winter window at N17. Tottenham sealed the signing of Timo Werner on loan with an option to buy at around £15 million, and the German has gone on to become a success.

Radu Dragusin

Arrival

Timo Werner

Arrival

Lucas Bergvall

Arrival (summer)

Djed Spence

Exit (loan)

Sergio Reguilon

Exit (loan)

Japhet Tanganga

Exit (loan)

Ashley Phillips

Exit (loan)

Alejo Veliz

Exit (loan)

Eric Dier

Exit

Ivan Perisic

Exit

His two goals and three assists so far tell just half the story of his attacking impetus, and reports suggest Spurs are likely to make Werner's deal permanent this summer.

Lange also drove the astute purchase of Radu Dragusin in a £25 million deal from Genoa, who came in to provide manager Ange Postecoglou with a much-needed back up option to star defender Micky van de Ven.

To put the cherry on top, Spurs then sensationally beat La Liga heavyweights Barcelona in the race to sign Swedish sensation Lucas Bergvall, who will link up with the club this summer after his loan back at Djurgardens IF.

Lange also rid the club of some deadwood and secured solid loan deals for a plethora of Postecoglou's squad who weren't going to see much action for the rest of this campaign. The club chief deserves credit for his work at Hotspur Way, but talkSPORT's Townsend has expressed his astonishment at one decision he made in January.

Townsend astonished by Timo Werner signing by Lange

Speaking to the broadcaster (via HITC), Townsend said he was shocked by Lange's decision to sign Werner, and went on to make a claim on the 28-year-old's future.

“I mean, listen, I don’t think he is anywhere near their best team, him. He is a sub, isn’t he? He is 10 minutes – Timo Werner," said Townsend.

“I thought he was an astonishing signing when he arrived, if I am being honest. And I can understand there are certain players you think, ‘Well, he has played Premier League football before, he knows what it is all about, he knows the demands of it’.

“But I would never see Timo Werner going in as a regular starter for Spurs if they want to go where Ange wants to take them.”

Given Werner's positive impact, this verdict comes as a surprising one, but it will be interesting to see if Townsend is proven correct.

An esteemed member of Mikel Arteta's squad has been playing on with an injury all season, and it is believed he's still the hardest trainer at Arsenal.

Arsenal chasing first Premier League title in 20 years

The Gunners are in hot pursuit of their first league title in 20 years and have picked up scintillating form at just the right time with 33 goals scored in their last eight Premier League games alone.

Arteta could sign 36-goal striker for Arsenal at sizeable transfer discount

He’s been in sublime form this season.

ByEmilio Galantini Mar 21, 2024

Arsenal currently sit top of the table, level on points with fellow contenders Liverpool whilst boasting the superior goal difference. Jurgen Klopp's side and Man City come as their biggest obstacles, with the two teams having dominated English football for over half a decade.

If Arteta can upset the applecart and usurp the pair, it would go down as a historic season and one which would cement the manager's status in Arsenal folklore.

Bukayo Saka

7.69

Declan Rice

7.40

Martin Odegaard

7.33

Gabriel Martinelli

7.10

Gabriel Magalhaes

7.04

Key players like Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, William Saliba and others will have a major part to play in the race, but so will versatile defensive ace Ben White. The Englishman, who recently caused a stir by refusing a call-up to Gareth Southgate's England squad, has been pivotal over his 27 league appearances this season.

According to Arsenal journalist Charles Watts, speaking to Caught Offside, the 26-year-old shows his dedication week in, and week out at Hale End.

Ben White playing through injury as hardest trainer in Arsenal squad

Watts claims that White has been playing with an injury throughout the entirety of Arsenal's season, and nobody can question his work ethic as he stands out as the hardest trainer in Arteta'a squad.

“Ben White is as focused about football as any other elite player. You talk to anyone at Arsenal and they will say the same thing. No-one trains harder or works harder than Ben White," said the reporter.

“Just because he doesn’t go home and watch match after match on the TV doesn’t mean he isn’t fully committed to the game and his club. Mikel Arteta demands absolute professionalism from his players. If they don’t show that, they are swiftly shown the door. But White has been rewarded with a new contract that Arteta and Edu were desperate for him to sign and that tells you all you need to know about his character and how he is behind the scenes.

“White has been carrying an injury throughout the season, but he consistently plays through the pain barrier. He is absolutely committed to everything he does.

“So instead of people pointing the finger at White following his decision to opt out of playing for England, they should probably be asking why a player at the peak of his powers does not feel comfortable working with the current England coaching set-up.”

Given White's sheer importance, supporters will perhaps be breathing a huge sigh of relief that the £150,000-per-week defender won't be risking further injury in meaningless England friendlies.

In a nation where sport doesn’t do subtle, retiring Philander is much less bully and brute than you might think

Firdose Moonda in Johannesburg23-Jan-2020South Africa is home to the world’s oldest and largest paved ultra marathon, the Comrades Race, the person who can do the most consecutive one-handed back handsprings, 34, and the most surfers to ride the same wave simultaneously, 110. It also holds the joint-biggest winning margin in a rugby world cup final, 32-12 in 2019, and the fastest century-maker in ODI cricket, AB de Villiers, whose hundred against West Indies in 2015 came off just 31 balls.In this country, sport is not subtle. We like our batsmen to be bullies and our bowlers to be brutes.So when Vernon Philander seamed his way to the top of the 2009-10 first-class wicket-takers’ list with 45 from nine matches at an eye-watering average of 14.73, we thought it was nice, but nothing more. We vaguely remembered Philander as an allrounder from a random tri-series in 2007 where the most notable thing he did was drop a few catches and we were preocccupied with the fire and brimstone in the form of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, who were emerging as the successors to Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini. As for the third prong… well, we were trying a few things.ALSO READ: England’s quicks primed to hijack Philander’s farewellThe same summer that Philander tore up the domestic charts, three other bowlers – Friedel de Wet (fast but injury hampered), Ryan McLaren (consistent but pedestrian) and Wayne Parnell (left-arm, wild) – and then in the winter that followed, Lonwabo Tsotsobe (also left-arm, less wild) were capped. Philander did not even enter the conversation. Looking back, it seems amiss that his name was not front and centre of selection debates and media coverage and that it took a new coaching regime to bring him to the fore.Gary Kirsten, who played alongside Philander at Western Province in the last two seasons of his career, was appointed coach at the start of the 2010-11 summer and immediately brought Philander in. Graeme Smith called him the “last cog in the wheel,” and in his first three series, Philander was the whole damn vehicle.His 14 wickets in two Tests against Australia was followed by 16 wickets against Sri Lanka in the same number of matches and 21 against New Zealand. In seven Tests, he collected 50 wickets, the fastest bowler to reach the milestone in more than 100 years, and he did all that without doing anything too emphatic. Philander’s strength was his ability to land the ball in the same area over and over and over again and then make it move ever so slightly one way or the other. People talk about bowlers who have the ball on a string; Philander had it on a golden thread.The expectation that he would continue to weave magic at the same rate was grossly unfair and ultimately impacted his reputation. Of course, Philander would not continue to average more than seven wickets a Test (and he now sits with around half that number) which led to accusations that he was a one-trick pony who could only perform on the green grass of home.Philander defied that at Lord’s in 2012, where his seven wickets and maiden half-century won South Africa the Test mace, but in Australia, three months later, David Warner hinted that Philander sat out the Adelaide Test because the pitch was expected to be flat. Officially, Philander had a back injury. Warner said he saw him in the nets in the same match and believed he was hiding from a surface that wouldn’t suit him. Another player, a Steyn or a Kagiso Rabada, would use that as ammunition for an on-field joust. Not Philander.When 2 becomes 1: Vernon Philander’s five-for sealed a 2-0 win for South Africa to displace England at the top of the Test rankings•PA PhotosDespite his reputation for “always being up for a fight,” as Quinton de Kock put it, and the words we have often seen him mumbling on the field, Philander’s spats have been relatively old-school and clean. Except for that time when he gouged his thumb into the ball in Sri Lanka in Galle mid-2014 and was found guilty of ball-tampering. Philander was unlikely candidate for such an obvious offence and he accepted the charge without contesting it.The Sri Lanka series was in the midst of Philander’s mid-career slump, which lumped on and off-field issues on top of severe injury. In 2014 and 2015, Philander took only 21 Test wickets at an average of over 40 in both years. He was experimented with in ODI cricket again and was part of the 2015 World Cup squad, where he played three group stage matches and then picked up a hamstring injury. Despite that, Philander was included in the XI to play in the semi-final (under political pressure over transformation) ahead of Kyle Abbott, who was South Africa’s best bowler at the tournament. Abbott expressed his unhappiness at that decision two years later, when he signed a Kolpak deal despite nailing down a regular Test spot. No-one ever asked Philander what he felt in the aftermath. Used? Betrayed? Whatever it was, he didn’t say.Instead, he went on two more tours of the subcontinent, committed to improving his record. It was not to be. The Bangladesh series was washed out and Philander had to abort his India trip after turning his ankle during the football warm-up ahead of the Bangalore Test. He was out of action for nine months. That period marked Philander’s most vulnerable. He spoke about the struggle of learning to trust his ankle again and the way he spoke, it seemed likely he may not return.Philander is a complex character who is much softer than his rough edges suggest. He does not play into stereotypes people want to associate with him, as someone from the rougher part of the Cape. He is socially conscious and community driven, having started his own Cricket Academy which aims to take the game to places it might not otherwise reach. The most common theme on Philander’s Twitter account is respect, which is ironic considering how much he deserves. It was among the first things Faf du Plessis mentioned when asked how the team would like to send Philander off.

Let the most important part of SA start right here. Treat and RESPECT each other as south africans… no matter your culture, religion or race. Lets teach and help those less fortunate. Good luck to the winning party and may you serve SA well. I RESPECT YOU SA. God bless

— Vernon Philander (@VDP_24) May 8, 2019

Even though the latter stages of Philander’s career were marred by fitness concerns (he missed a crucial Test in England in July 2017 after recovering from dehydration and then picking up back spasms) and he had diminishing returns in his third and fourth spells, he remains South Africa’s most devastating new-ball operator. Naturally, that had its limitations and meant that Philander could be seen as a liability in some cases (you only have to think back to the St George’s Park Test for an example) but those occasions were rare.Most of the time, Philander was dictating the opening exchanges of an innings. If he wasn’t raking wickets, he was holding his end as tightly as the embrace of a parent, seeing their child off to school for the first time, and letting the younger, faster, more explosive bowlers do their things at the other end. Philander’s presence added gravitas and control to the attack and his contributions in the lower middle-order showed his willingness to stay in the fight. Philander didn’t show his emotions as expressively as some of his team-mates but he showed them with his staying power.The problem is that persistent players are not as memorable as headline-grabbers and so Philander is often eclipsed by others, especially in a country so drawn to drama. It’s also a South African deficiency that great sportsmen only get recognition once they are gone and Philander is likely to be one of those good things we never really appreciated while we still had him. As it turns out, we’ve been doing subtle since 2011; we just didn’t know it.

MatériaMais Notícias

Neste sábado (5), o São Paulo enfrentou o Atlético Goianiense, fora de casa, no Estádio Antônio Accioly, pela segunda rodada do Brasileirão. Ao fim do jogo, o time paulista saiu derrotado por 2 a 0, sofrendo um dos gols em uma jogada de bola parada. Após a partida , o assistente Juan Branda, que substituiu Crespo no jogo, falou sobre os gols de bola parada sofridos pela equipe.

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CONFIRA A TABELA ATUALIZADA E SIMULE OS JOGOS DO BRASILEIRÃO DE 2021!

No último jogo do Tricolor, contra o 4 de Julho, do Piauí, pela Copa do Brasil, o time sofreu três gols em jogadas pelo alto, em lances de bola parada. O primeiro gol nasceu de um escanteio, enquanto os outros dois vieram de faltas nas quais a bola foi lançada na área.

Contra o Atlético Goianiense, no primeiro tempo, o zagueiro Éder fez de cabeça após cobrança de falta de Natanael, que cruzou a bola no segundo pau.

Sobre os gols sofridos desta maneira, Juan Branda disse que o time deve seguir trabalhando este tipo de jogada, mas afirmou que qualquer gol sofrido recebe atenção da comissão.

– Sempre que tomamos um gol é algo que nos preocupa e que nos ocupa os treinamentos. Com 4 de Julho foram dois em impedimento, mas não importa, temos que seguir trabalhando a bola parada.

O Tricolor volta a campo na próxima terça-feira (8), para enfrentar justamente o 4 de Julho, pela partida de volta da terceira fase da Copa do Brasil.

Após perder a primeira partida fora de casa, no Albertão, por 3 a 2, o São Paulo precisa vencer o jogo por 1 a 0, 2 a 1 ou então por dois gols de diferença para garantir sua classificação no Morumbi.