Na noite da última terça-feira, o CRB recebeu o Náutico pela 8ª rodada da Série B e conseguiu um empate heroico ao conseguir o gol da igualdade aos 45 minutos da etapa final.
Apesar do empate não ter colocado o Galo dentro do G-4, o time alagoano manteve a invencibilidade dentro da sua casa.
Nos quatro jogos como mandante, o CRB obteve dois empates e duas vitórias. Antes do Náutico, o Galo havia empatado com o Remo e vencido o Confiança e Brasil de Pelotas.
Sequência em casa
Nas próximas duas rodadas, o time alagoano joga dentro do seu estádio no clássico diante do CSA e depois o Botafogo.
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Captain describes Buttler as among England’s “greatest-ever white-ball players” and as talented as AB de Villiers
Matt Roller16-Feb-2020
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Eoin Morgan has insisted that he would have continued to view Jos Buttler as a top-order batsman in T20 cricket even if he had failed for a third time in the series in the final T20I at Durban, describing him as one of England’s “greatest-ever white-ball cricketers” and comparing him to AB de Villiers.Buttler’s batting position has been a constant point for discussion throughout the series. Since Rajasthan Royals promoted him to the top of the order in May 2018, he has opened in 31 out of 32 T20 innings, including each of his last eight games for England.While few doubt the fact he is a destructive player opening the batting – he has averaged 44.58 with a strike rate of 154.66 in the role since being moved up in the IPL – there is a school of thought that suggests England’s wealth of top-order options but dearth of finishers means that he would be best used as a floating middle-order batsman.ALSO READ: Buttler’s opening gambit leaves England’s T20 top order unclearBut Morgan has insisted throughout this series that Buttler is used best as a top-order player, saying that he did not view his 29-ball 57 at Durban as vindication. “If he’d failed today, he still would have been considered in the top three,” he said.”He’s a very fine player. He’s got unbelievable ability to take any bowling line-up apart, and to have somebody in your side like that is great. I don’t think he played well today, but he got a score on the board, and set a really good platform for us to try and chase a score down along with Jonny [Bairstow].”[Jos is] one of our greatest-ever white-ball cricketers,” Morgan told Sky Sports. “I realise why people talk about him so much, but not in a negative way. I think he has as much talent as someone like AB de Villiers.”It took AB de Villiers a long time and a lot of games to actually get going in a South African shirt. We need to back guys that have that sort of talent, and Jos Buttler’s been around a long time now, and we know when he delivers, we win games of cricket.”Morgan admitted that the plan to use Buttler at the top of the order could change between now and the T20 World Cup, which starts in October, but maintained that the top three’s ability to break the back of a run chase and to lay a platform on which the middle order can build was crucial.”I think the priority at the moment is to get the top three [Buttler, Jason Roy and Bairstow] as many balls under their belt as they can,” he said. “They’re the most destructive players that we have. If that changes between now and the World Cup, and we feel the need to fill a gap somewhere, then we might change it, but for the moment it’s an extremely destructive batting line-up to play against.”The advantage that we have now is we have guys going away, playing Pakistan [Super] League, IPL, they’ll come back and play in the Blast, then play in the Hundred. So there’s a lot of T20 fixtures, [of a] high-quality standard, that we do look at – guys in pressure moments, how they deliver.”We encourage our guys, particularly our senior guys, or guys who are trying to get into our squad or final XI, when they go to tournament like that – they need to go and try and be MVP, leading run-scorer, take the most wickets, stand out, be the man. So when they come into international cricket, it’s not a surprise.”Eoin Morgan embraces Ben Stokes after sealing victory in the match and a 2-1 series triumph•Getty Images
Morgan accepted that England had “not played our best cricket” throughout the series, and suggested that they were “rusty” in the first T20I at East London, but said that he was always confident that his side could chase down an imposing target of 223 in the final game.”[It was] an absolutely belting wicket with really short boundaries – a real bowler’s graveyard, so to speak,” he said. “Our bowlers kept it within something chaseable, and at the halfway stage we talked about 2016, when we chased down 230 against South Africa in the second game of the World Cup. At times you can be the victims of your own mentality, so we said we’re not going to leave anything in the tank at the halfway stage, and we didn’t.”Despite a troublesome back leading to suggestions he might step down as England’s white-ball captain after the 50-over World Cup win last summer, Morgan has been in imperious form since that triumph. In his last eight T20I innings, he has hit 328 runs off 179 balls, averaging 54.66 with a strike rate of 183.24, and matched his own record for the fastest half-century by an England batsman at Centurion with a 21-ball effort.”Not bad,” was Morgan’s own assessment of his form. “I’ve not been working on a great deal of stuff,” he said, “mainly just keeping my head clear, and being precise about what I’m trying to do, trying to work with the guy at the other end the whole time [and trying to] marshal the troops a little bit.”As a captain, Morgan has continued to work closely with England’s white-ball analyst, Nathan Leamon – “trying to make little fine adjustments” – and explained that his regular use of Moeen Ali in the Powerplay was an attempt to target Quinton de Kock’s relative weakness against offspin.”There’s a gambling element as well, a bit of risk/reward. We’ve seen that throughout the series, trying to get Quinton and Temba [Bavuma] out. It’s not easy at all, but continuing to bowl Moeen while Temba’s taking it easy at one end and Quinny’s taking him on, the odds are in our favour whether he gets hit or not. My gambling does come into it a little bit.”
The Gunners took down the NWSL high-flyers in Washington D.C. as a number of young players also impressed
Everything that a club wants to get out of pre-season was evident when Jonas Eidevall's Arsenal side took the field for the first time on their United States tour on Sunday, beating the Washington Spirit 2-1 in a hard-fought encounter. Getting minutes into players' legs, giving them a test in tough conditions, allowing different names an opportunity, bedding in new signings, forging new partnerships and building the confidence of the group – it was all on show as the Gunners triumphed thanks to two goals from Alessia Russo.
The England star's first strike was sublime, a gorgeous flick beyond the goalkeeper coming just 10 minutes into a game that saw Arsenal dominate the ball and the Spirit – third in the NWSL, the top league in the U.S. – cause real problems on the counter-attack. Most of that threat came from Ouleymata Sarr, the France forward who forced a good early save out of Manuela Zinsberger, fired just wide a few minutes later after turning Leah Williamson inside-out and eventually equalised for her team before half time, thanks to poor defending and a goalkeeping error.
As is so often the case in these pre-season friendlies, substitutions made the second half look incredibly different. Arsenal made four changes at the break and the rhythm of the game was disrupted for a while, though was briefly revived when Rosa Kafaji, the Sweden youngster signed just this week, slipped Russo through for her second of the day with just 15 minutes to play.
After that, the Spirit's match fitness showed. Though the NWSL paused during the Olympics, teams have been playing in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, meaning the Washington side were much sharper and able to pile the pressure on the visitors in the latter stages, with only desperate defending preventing them from finding another equaliser.
Yet, the commitment Eidevall saw from his players in those moments of chaos will have been pleasing. The Gunners didn't hold back, they fought for every ball and put their bodies on the line to ensure this first pre-season outing ended in success, even if the results are not important at this stage.
Ahead of another outing at the same venue next Sunday, against London rivals Chelsea, GOAL breaks down Arsenal's winners & losers from Audi Field…
WINNER: Alessia Russo
Last summer, Russo didn't get a pre-season. After playing for England in the Women's World Cup final on August 20 – in Sydney, Australia, no less – she had a brief break and then made her debut for Arsenal on September 9, some 20 days later, in a Women's Champions League qualifier. For her to even be on the pitch on Sunday was a positive, then, as she begins preparations that she missed out on 12 months ago. To score two goals was a huge bonus.
The first was brilliantly taken, Russo showing real goal-poaching instincts to sneak under the noses of the defenders and connect with a high ball as it came down, her improvised flick catching out Aubrey Kingsbury.
Her second was encouraging in another way as her and Kafaji, Arsenal's latest summer signing, showed fans a glimpse of what could develop into a fruitful partnership, Russo making a clever run to anticipate the young Swede playing a superb pass through that the England striker didn't hesitate to turn into her second goal of the day.
Russo scored 12 goals in 22 league games last season, but head coach Eidevall thinks she has the potential to surpass 20 each campaign. With a good pre-season under her belt, she will have a stronger chance, and this was a sign that she can certainly go into this year with that box ticked.
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WINNER: Rosa Kafaji
It's only five days since Kafaji signed for Arsenal and she's already done things in the colours of her new club that have got fans very excited. The assist for Russo was the highlight on Sunday's outing for her, some quick-thinking and creative instincts on show as she turned a loose ball into a brilliant pass. But there was a lot more, too. Kafaji showcased her dribbling abilities, her knack for wriggling away from markers and her sense of taking up spaces where she can hurt the opponent.
The 21-year-old only played 45 minutes this time out, on as a substitute at half-time, but will already be a player that the Arsenal faithful are itching to see more of when they face Chelsea next weekend.
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LOSER: Leah Williamson
Sunday wasn't Williamson's day. She struggled consistently to deal with Sarr – whether the Frenchwoman was running at her with the ball or with the aim of getting it off her – she made a hatful of sloppy passes playing out from the back and just showed lapses in concentration at times, be it not tracking a run or not properly putting her foot through a clearance. Just before the half-hour mark, in fact, the England captain bent over with her hands on her knees, a sign of it the humidity, the heat and the fact it was the first game of pre-season.
However, while Williamson, subbed off at half-time, might've been easy to single out for some mistakes on Sunday, this is exactly what she needed – this test against a flying Sarr, this high intensity day out in the Washington sun and, like Russo, this pre-season. The centre-back returned from her ACL injury in January and so was thrust back into the thick of the action mid-season, rather than getting the run-up that pre-season offers. Throw in the fact that many players say it takes several months to feel like yourself again after an ACL rupture, and it was little surprise that Williamson was inconsistent on her return.
These next few weeks, then, will help to iron out all of that and almost help her hit the reset button. Tests like Sunday's will be tough, but they will help the Lionesses' skipper have the best chance of going into the new campaign as close to her best as possible again.
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WINNER: Katie Reid
Alongside Williamson in the centre of defence was young Katie Reid, a 17-year-old academy product who spent last season on loan at Watford, in the Championship. Yet, despite the contrasting pedigree of the two players, it was Reid who shone and held things down at the back for Arsenal. In fact, many would argue that she was the Gunners' top performer in this outing.
There were so many highlights for the teenager – two great blocks to deny Sarr in the latter stages of the first half, a timely intervention in the second as a dangerous cross threatened the Arsenal box, and another huge block when the Gunners were really under the cosh towards the end of the game. Reid's quality in possession was impressive too, a particularly important trait for a centre-back in this team.
"That doesn't come from overnight and her being up one week training with the first team," Eidevall said after the game. "She's been involved on and off for the last two years and I think the levels of her performance, it comes from that cooperation. It was really nice to see."
Every summer, every club has these exciting young players who come to the fore in the early weeks but who fall out of the picture in the final preparations for the new season, as the established stars come back in and show their quality. Reid, though, could well be in for more minutes this year. Amanda Ilestedt's pregnancy means Arsenal are a little light in her position, with Williamson, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Laia Codina the only natural, senior options. Based on this performance, she may well deserve to be in the mix, too.
Micah Richards was left fuming at what one Celtic player did in his side's 3-3 draw with Rangers on Sunday afternoon, finding himself saying "what are you doing?".
Rangers and Celtic play out 3-3 thriller
The two rivals played out a Scottish Premiership classic at Ibrox, in a game that constantly proved to be unpredictable, ending with some late chaos that will be remembered for a long time to come.
The Hoops led 2-1 going into the final exchanges, only for Cyriel Dessers to equalise, but the scoring was far from over at that point. Adam Idah though he had snatched a dramatic winner for Brendan Rodgers' side, only for Rabbi Matondo to fire home a screamer in stoppage time, sending the home fans wild after cutting inside and unleashing a stunning strike.
That goal means that Rangers are still in pole position to seal Scottish Premiership title glory this season, sitting one point behind Celtic with a game in hand, but it was arguably a result that both sides weren't too unhappy about in the end.
Micah Richards fumes at Celtic player vs. Rangers
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast with Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer [via HITC], Richards bemoaned Yang Hyun-Jun's defending for Matondo's goal:
"You know, when Matondo got the ball, I am screaming, I am screaming at the defender to show him wide. I am coming back from London, watching it on SkyGo, and I am thinking, ‘The game is done here’. I was thinking, ‘What are you doing? You are showing him the wrong way’.
"When he hit it, I just knew it was going in. It was an incredible finish, it really was. I don’t know if you managed to see the goal, Al, it was similar to Kevin De Bruyne’s. It was just a wonderful strike, bent it, curled, right into the top corner. Last minute of the game."
In truth, it is hard to be too harsh on Yang, considering what a superb strike it was from Matondo, but it could still be argued that he was guilty of making it too easy to get a shot away. The Rangers man has the potential to be a danger from those areas, and a more competent defender may not have allowed him to get the strike away, instead making him have to hit the byline instead.
Just how important Matondo's screamer will be remains to be seen in the coming weeks, but if Philippe Clement's men do end up going all the way in the title battle, it will have to be seen as a massive moment in the season, considering it ensured that fate was still in their hands at that point.
£25,000-a-week player admits he wants to sign for Rangers
It's getting closer, the red ribbon of the finish line is on the horizon, at the mountain's crest. Liverpool and its fanbase will be heading to this weekend's final Premier League match with a sharp sense of tenderness as Jurgen Klopp prepares to say goodbye.
As A-lister Tom Hanks observed from the Directors' Box at Villa Park, Liverpool and Aston Villa put on a fitting contest of box-office standard, with the thrilling 3-3 draw in the Premier League ensuring the hosts' quest for the Champions League enters the final day in a commanding position.
But for the Reds, who had already confirmed a third-place finish, this was the penultimate opportunity to show off the style and skill of Klopp's historic brand of football, and indeed the bouncing, barrelling nature of the German's tactics were on show.
However, so too were the defensive vulnerabilities that derailed Liverpool's bid for silverware across all four fronts – in many ways, the draw at Villa Park was emblematic of the Anfield side's struggles and ultimate failure this season.
Liverpool always seemed to be punching above their weight as they kept pace with Arsenal and Manchester City for so long in this gruelling title challenge, but a team in its early phase, as a unit, understandably faltered late on.
One man has been an elite, inspiring character throughout but now appears to have run out of gas. That man is Alexis Mac Allister, who might need to be dropped on Sunday after his performance against Unai Emery's team.
Alexis Mac Allister's performance vs Villa
Mac Allister is in with a good shout for Liverpool's Player of the Season after transferring from Brighton & Hove Albion for a £35m fee last summer, but he's playing a bit like a man who has been worn to the ground – he needs a break.
Against Villa, much of the 25-year-old's ball-playing ability and command in the centre of the park was on display but he toiled when anchorman Wataru Endo was substituted and he was required to hold it all together from deep.
Alexis Mac Allister: Stats vs Aston Villa
Stat
#
Minutes played
90'
Touches
82
Accurate passes
60/68 (88%)
Blocked shots
2
Key passes
1
Possession lost
12x
Dribble attempts
0/0
Duels won
3/10
Tackles
2
Dribbled past
4
Error leading to goal
1
Stats via Sofascore
His statistics from the evening do not make for good reading, with the £150k-per-week midfielder failing to create, attack on goal, progress the play and come out on top in the duel.
Moreover, to compound his woes, he was dribbled past four times and it was his wandering ball that kickstarted John Duran's equalising strike.
GOAL journalist Mark Doyle certainly wasn't impressed by the Argentina international's display, branding him with a lowly 3/10 match rating to emphasise his failed attempt in Klopp's engine room.
The reporter said: 'Came as a huge surprise to see him stay on the field, given the loose pass which led to Villa's equaliser was a sign of his obvious tiredness. The mistake that led to the hosts' second goal, thus, felt inevitable.'
Perhaps Mac Allister shouldn't have started with other players available. He's put in quite the shift this season.
Alexis Mac Allister's season in numbers
Mac Allister has completed 45 matches for Liverpool in all competitions this season – starting 39 times – scoring six goals, supplying seven assists and being hailed as a "superstar" by pundit Joe Cole, discussing his quality and versatility, often required to operate in an unnatural No. 6 position for the Reds.
In the Premier League this season, as per Sofascore, he has contributed toward nine goals from 30 starting appearances, completing 88% of his passes and averaging 1.4 key passes, three tackles, six ball recoveries and 5.8 successful duels per game.
As per FBref, the Argentine ranks among the top 9% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists and tackles, the top 13% for shot-creating actions and passes attempted, the top 15% for progressive passes and the top 1% for interceptions per 90.
He's an all-encompassing midfielder with astounding technical control, but the real locus of his power in the engine room is derived from an inborn match intelligence that has seen him cement a place at the centre, figuratively and literally, of Liverpool's first team.
Let's not forget, were it not for Mac Allister's almighty run of form from February through to early April – when he unleashed a scorcher to secure victory against Sheffield United – Liverpool would have dipped much earlier.
He's carried the heavy weight of a prestigious football club on his shoulders for much of his maiden year on Merseyside. Perhaps he needs a break.
Why Alexis Mac Allister should be dropped
Mac Allister is Liverpool's finest central midfielder: no peer within the Anfield ranks can operate with the poise and power and tactical understanding as he.
But he's been used relentlessly this season and it's understandable that his energy levels would have dropped following such a ferocious effort at winning Liverpool the Premier League, the Europa League, the FA Cup, only to fall at late-stage hurdles in each competition.
Alexis Mac Allister for Liverpool
He's tired, beset by the enervating weight of a protracted campaign with the added burden of performing for Klopp before he steps down from his legendary position as Liverpool manager.
Wolverhampton Wanderers are Liverpool's final opponents in the Premier League, the final adversaries of the Klopp point in Liverpool's long and proud history.
The fight is finished; Liverpool must play with freedom and pride and creativity, an encore to treat the fans and the Premier League to one final display of Klopp-infused brilliance on Merseyside. But Mac Allister should start from the bench, surely, after proving himself withered from a campaign of high-stake substance, where he has played a leading role.
Most Dribbled Past PL Players 23/24
#
Player
Club
Dribbled past
/90
1.
Mathias Jensen
Brentford
69
2.88
2.
Alexis Mac Allister
Liverpool
66
2.34
3.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Liverpool
58
2.5
4.
Bruno Fernandes
Manchester United
57
1.73
5.
Antonee Robinson
Fulham
56
1.58
Stats via Odd Alerts
The fact that he has been dribbled past so often this term is in some part down to his requirement to fill in as Klopp's defensive midfielder. Endo is a fine player but FSG's CEO of Football, Michael Edwards, may well be seeking a more high-calibre star to play this part over the coming years.
Last year, with Brighton, Mac Allister was only dribbled past once per match in the Premier League – given that he's ostensibly improved as a player since his transfer, it's safe to say that his flaw boils down to a positional deficit, more than a matter of commitment or athleticism.
Alexis Mac Allister vs Aston Villa
Furthermore, it's exactly as if Liverpool do not have an abundance of talented midfielders who could play in his stead, with Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones and Stefan Bajcetic all waiting in the wings on Monday night.
Liverpool are nailed-on for a third-place finish and if they avoid defeat against Wolves at Klopp's final hour they will secure an 80-point Premier League finish. Not bad, that.
Last term, lest we forget, the Merseysiders fell off a proverbial cliff, scraping themselves back from the death to record a fifth-place finish and salvage Europa League football, though just 67 points was a dreary tally for a squad of such glittering success.
Liverpool star who lost possession 16x had a howler vs Villa
Klopp’s penultimate game was blemished by his side’s latest defensive blunders.
ByAngus Sinclair May 14, 2024
Regroup, recalibrate, go again. Klopp won't be there come August, taken his deserved leave to kick up his feet and soak up the balmy sunshine of (permanent?) retirement.
But he leaves a wonderful squad, bursting with quality, and Mac Allister will continue to serve as the centrepiece. But he's done all he can this term. He needs a rest.
West Ham United may not be in the greatest moment but George Earthy's Premier League debut – while horribly ruined by a head injury that sent him to hospital – spoke of David Moyes' trust in the club's most exciting academy options.
Declan Rice is the title of the big success story from West Ham's teenage production line in modern times, and after completing a £105m transfer to Arsenal last summer, the world-class England star looks to have paved a trail for a successor.
David Moyes
An attacking midfielder, Earthy has posted 12 goals and ten assists for the U21s this season and has been hailed for his "brilliant" displays by club insider EXWHUemployee, making his first-team debut against Freiburg in March.
He's not a deep-lying player but Earthy might not have been afforded the chance to make an impression against Fulham had Kalvin Phillips not been injured.
Then again, perhaps his recent promotion to the senior squad highlights the track the club is taking, pushing their wayward loanee to the sidelines.
Kalvin Phillips' season in numbers
Phillips signed for West Ham on loan from Manchester City in January after making just two Premier League starts for Pep Guardiola's team after joining from Leeds United for £45m back in 2022.
While a certain amount of rustiness was to be expected after a protracted period of inactivity, Phillips has only served to soil the Hammers' performances and has been rebuked for his ineffective efforts and series of mistakes.
He's an industrious midfielder and an established England international but it's highly unlikely that West Ham will even entertain the notion of his permanent transfer, having played just 21 minutes in the top-flight over United's past five games.
Kalvin Phillips for West Ham
Now that Earthy has paved the way, Phillips could be kept on the sidelines for the remainder of the campaign by providing Kaelan Casey, a more like-for-like player, with the chance to impress.
Why West Ham must unleash Kaelan Casey
Casey, aged 19, actually made his first-team debut for West Ham last season, featuring in the closing stage of the outfit's Europa Conference League victory over FCSB in the group phase, taking ten touches, completing six of eight attempted passes and winning two of his three contested aerial duels, as per Sofascore.
To date, he hasn't doubled his senior appearance tally, despite sitting on the bench on eight occasions in all competitions this season.
Principally deployed as a centre-back, Casey has also impressed in midfield and having captained a successful U21s team to title contention in the Premier League 2 this season, featuring 18 times, he is nearing readiness for a jump to the top level.
Kaelan Casey: EFL Trophy Stats 23/24
Stat
#
Matches played
5
Pass completion
83%
Touches per game
70.2
Tackles per game
1.4
Ball recoveries per game
5.4
Interceptions per game
1.0
Clearances per game
4.6
Duels won per game
4.6 (77%)
Stats via Sofascore
In the EFL Trophy, against senior opposition, Casey excelled this term and demonstrated his robust defensive skill set with immense powers of recovery and precision in the duel.
With the likes of Edson Alvarez, Tomas Soucek and James Ward-Prowse all enjoying important roles in the centre of the park for Moyes side, Casey could be the perfect player to now unleash throughout the final stretch of the campaign, ensuring Phillips is not fielded again.
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
The Brazilian had another shocker, but he was far from alone as United's arch-enemies ran riot once more
Manchester United went the whole of last season against Liverpool unbeaten, but normal service was resumed on Sunday as they were shredded by their arch rivals in a 3-0 loss which actually felt kind given the balance of play.
Liverpool were denied an early goal by VAR in the sixth minute from Trent Alexander-Arnold as Mohamed Salah got a touch while offside. United fans gloated when the decision was announced, but their joy was soon sucked away by a sharp finish from Luis Diaz after a hospital pass from Casemiro was hoovered up by Ryan Gravenberch.
A Casemiro slip-up played a role in Liverpool's second goal, too; literally in this case as he was bundled over by Diaz, who then collected the ball from Salah before scoring his second.
Casemiro was hauled off at half-time, but it made little difference and Kobbie Mainoo became the latest victim of Liverpool's high press, leading to Mohamed Salah scoring his customary goal against United.
GOAL rates United's players from Old Trafford…
Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence
Andre Onana (4/10):
Didn't get close to any of the goals, although they were all brilliant finishes.
Noussair Mazraoui (3/10):
Got destroyed by Diaz in the first half. Had United's only notable effort on goal in the first half when he tested Alisson.
Matthijs de Ligt (3/10):
Made a strong start but his confidence went downhill after the first goal.
Lisandro Martinez (4/10):
Showed some spirit but it was not always helpful, such as when he got booked in the first half. Tried an overhead kick which missed the target.
Diogo Dalot (4/10):
Struggling again on the left and it seems unfair he's being played there to accommodate Mazraoui.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield
Kobbie Mainoo (4/10):
A rare poor game. Did very little of use with the ball and was easily dispossessed for the third goal.
Casemiro (2/10):
One of his worst games, only one mark above the Crystal Palace nightmare. Responsible for first two Liverpool goals and his passing was sloppy throughout. Mercifully hooked by Ten Hag at half-time.
Bruno Fernandes (4/10):
Looked helpless out there trying to plug the gaps in midfield and create something. His frustration told with a wild shot over the bar late on.
Getty ImagesAttack
Alejandro Garnacho (4/10):
Frequently nullified by the excellent Robertson.
Joshua Zirkzee (5/10):
Kept the faith and had his side's best effort of the game when he was thwarted by a fine save from Alisson.
Marcus Rashford (3/10):
His runs were ineffective and his passes were either under or over-hit.
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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager
Toby Collyer (5/10):
A pretty tough environment to make his Premier League debut but at least looked more comfortable than Casemiro.
Harry Maguire (5/10):
Made the team ever so slightly more solid and no more goals were leaked when he came on. Had a go in attack.
Amad Diallo (5/10):
Showed some promise but had no support.
Christian Eriksen (N/A):
Introduced in the 86th minute.
Erik ten Hag (4/10):
No real issue with his selections or substitutes, but the result and performance say it all. He has three points after his first three games in all of his three seasons with United.
The 2024/25 season will likely serve as a more accurate measure of Ange Postecoglou and his long-term prospects as the manager of Tottenham Hotspur.
The current campaign has been a winding road with several surprises, and the balmy days of Postecoglou's early-season exploits now seem a long, long way in the distance.
Saying that, Tottenham are fifth in the Premier League heading into the final games of the term, just three points behind Aston Villa in the top four (with a game in hand), and have matched last year's 60-point finish with six matches to spare, almost certain to qualify for European football in some form.
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou.
Clearly, there are some glaring structural issues within the Tottenham system right now, but Postecoglou's tactical identity has displayed signs of success this season.
There is something… missing. A certain cog would whir the machine into life, creating a domino effect that would see myriad stars reclaim and discover the lofty ceilings of their individual skill sets.
It's the defensive midfield. Yves Bissouma's monstrous performances at the start of the season have fizzled out and there is now real concern over the Mali international's future as Spurs' No. 6.
Yves Bissouma's performances this season
Signed from Brighton & Hove Albion in a deal rising to £35m in 2022, Bissouma joined Tottenham with a weight of expectation after some stellar showings on the south coast, but he endured a miserable maiden season in London and started just ten times in the Premier League.
Under Postecoglou, at the start of the current campaign, the 27-year-old was a man reborn and produced some scintillating displays, threading the team together and allowing his teammates to find space, presenting a steely foundation.
Yves Bissouma.
Indeed, as per FBref, Bissouma ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 12% for progressive passes, the top 14% for successful take-ons, the top 5% for tackles and the top 7% for interceptions per 90.
These are metrics of the elite level, denoting the technical quality of the highest class. Bissouma, at his best, is a brilliant player to have within the starting line-up, but impressive efforts have been few and far between after that excellent start and Postecoglou's project is suffering as a result.
Newcastle United (A)
4-0 loss
3/10
Nottingham Forest (H)
3-1 win
6/10
West Ham United (A)
1-1 draw
7/10
Luton Town (H)
2-1 win
5/10
Fulham (A)
3-0 loss
3/10
Look at his recent match ratings in the Premier League, marked by correspondent Alasdair Gold, who knows his stuff and spends much time examining and dissecting player performance down N17.
Bissouma is simply anonymous, at the epicentre of the struggle when the going gets tough – as evidenced through his efforts in chastening defeats against Newcastle United and Fulham.
Moreover, his disciplinary record is simply inexcusable, sent off against Luton Town in October for picking up two yellow cards, out of action once again several games later, against Aston Villa, after amassing five yellow cards, and stupidly lunging recklessly and seeing red against Nottingham Forest in December.
It's no wonder that Spurs writer, Mitch Fretton lambasted his recent attempts, saying: "Bissouma cannot start another game for us this season, he does absolutely nothing."
While this Spurs side is a work in progress, not yet one year into a new era, Bissouma's regression has been alarming, with his current market value a reflection of his overall quality and consistency.
According to Football Transfers' player valuation model, the £55k-per-week midfielder is only worth £11m right now, actually placing him below Oliver Skipp.
On that note, Skipp is another deep-lying midfielder in the Tottenham team, but he is not the answer to Postecoglou's problems and must be sold this summer.
Why Spurs should cash in on Oliver Skipp
Currently, Skipp, aged 23, is valued at £16m by Football Transfers, and with many years and miles left in the tank, this is probably an accurate reflection of the Englishman's current place in the many-layered footballing pyramid.
Oliver Skipp in action for Tottenham
Skipp's market value is sizeable given his bit-part role in Postecoglou's team, and there is every chance that this will diminish over the coming months and years, should he fail to cement a regular starting spot in the side.
And, in all probability, this won't happen, despite the 5 foot 9 ace ranking among the top 12% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion.
This season, Skipp has featured 20 times for Tottenham in all competitions but has earned just three starts in the Premier League.
As per Sofascore, he's averaging just 0.4 key passes, 2.0 ball recoveries and 1.6 successful duels per game, hardly speaking of robustness and high-level energy that slots into Postecoglou's style of play.
The "future captain," as he was once dubbed by sports broadcaster Abbi Grace Summers, is a crisp passer and a staunch supporter of the Tottenham cause, but he's simply failing to stamp his authority at the club and chairman Daniel Levy would be wise to cash in while he can still fetch a pretty penny.
With Spurs hoping to make continual improvements, it's hardly surprising that Football Insider recently reported that a host of players are facing a summer departure from north London, but Skipp does not appear to be on that list.
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One of the most likely to leave, however, is winger Bryan Gill, also aged 23, who has been deemed surplus to requirements and will be actively pushed toward a summer sale after featuring only 11 times this season.
Cashing in on players such as Gil and Skipp would signal a statement of intent from Postecoglou and ensure that Tottenham make ruthless improvements as they head toward a place at the forefront of the Premier League.
Squad to arrive in Manchester on Tuesday ahead of bio-secure Test series
Nagraj Gollapudi08-Jun-2020
West Indies won the Wisden Trophy in 2019•Getty Images
The West Indies squad lead by Jason Holder is all set to embark on a historic Test tour of England, after all the players and support staff cleared the mandatory testing for Covid-19.The squad will leave Antigua on Monday evening local time on a charter flight and touch down in Manchester on Tuesday morning. The players will then enter a bio-secure environment at Emirates Old Trafford and train for the next three weeks, before heading to Southampton on July 3 for the first Test which begins on July 8.Last week West Indies announced a 25-man squad, including 11 reserves, for the three-Test series which will the first time cricket has been played in a bio-secure environment.The tour had been awaiting final approval from the UK government, as well as the national governments in the Caribbean, all of which was granted over the weekend.A further condition had stipulated that any player/support staff member testing positive for Covid-19 would not be permitted to take the flight.”All the players’ and staff test results are confirmed as negative,” Johnny Grave, the Cricket West Indies chief executive, told ESPNcricinfo.Once the CWI had secured confirmation from the selected players about their willingness to tour, the tests were carried out and processed at a laboratory in Miami.The 25 players will be accompanied by an 11-strong contingent of support staff including assistant coach Roddy Estwick, plus Rayon Griffiths and Floyd Reifer, who is filling in as assistant coach (batting). The medical team comprises Dr. Praimanand Singh (team doctor), Donald LaGuerre (mental coach), along with two physios and two massage therapists.Phil Simmons, the head coach who is based in London, will join the squad in Manchester on Tuesday.As per the travel directive of the UK government, West Indies’ squad will need to self-isolate for two weeks, but they will be allowed to train during this period as they are staying at the on-site hotel at Old Trafford.ALSO READ: ‘More determined, more focused’ – Blackwood ready for England tourAccording to Grave, West Indies will start training from Wednesday and will play one three-day and one four-day matches, each of which will be an intra-squad event.The logistics of West Indies’ departure involve two charter flights, fetching players from different countries within the Caribbean and bringing them to Antigua. As per the protocol finalised between the CWI and ECB, the squad along with Simmons will be tested again at Old Trafford.”As soon as they get to Old Trafford they will go to a holding room in the stadium where they will be able to have breakfast and at the same time go in batches to get tested again. And then we should get those test results by Thursday,” Grave said.Grave, who has been at the forefront of the negotiations with the ECB, said the tour would only be considered to be underway once the squad’s test results in England come back as negative.”We will be training from Thursday once we get the UK test results back,” he said. “We’ve got to prepare as we’ve got to defend the Wisden Trophy. We are not going there to fulfil the ECB’s broadcast requirements, we are going there to win.”
Assistant coach says West Indies’ fast-bowling stocks are at their highest since the 1980s
Alan Gardner15-Jun-2020England have felt the heat from West Indies’ resurgent battery of quicks on more than one occasion in recent years, most notably during heavy defeats in Barbados and Antigua 18 months ago. The fires stoked by Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel and Jason Holder have drawn comparison with West Indies attacks of old, and the team’s assistant coach, Roddy Estwick agreed that Caribbean fast-bowling stocks were at their highest since the 1980s.Roach, notably, dismantled England with match figures of 8 for 82 at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in 2019, having claimed 5 for 17 as the tourists were shot out for 77 the week before in Bridgetown, and has already indicated he is keen to “get stuck into them” again on this tour. While his regular new-ball partner Gabriel is currently working his way back from an ankle injury, young talents Alzarri Joseph and Chemar Holder – described by coach Phil Simmons as a potential “great of West Indies cricket” – are also in the squad to face England.Gabriel could still come into contention if he can prove his fitness, while alongside him in West Indies’ 11-man back-up group are the likes of Oshane Thomas, Anderson Phillip and Keon Harding. Even without Jofra Archer, who played for West Indies U19s but will line-up for England, such strength in depth suggests the Caribbean is once again “blessed” with pace options.ALSO READ: Simmons: WI will be ready and looking to defend our trophy”The fast bowling is very key to us,” Estwick said. “Shannon, Jason, Alzarri, Kemar. The four big fast bowlers, they’re here but what we’ve [also] got on this tour is a group of youngsters coming through: Chemar Holder, Oshane Thomas, Anderson Phillip. We’re beginning to get blessed with fast bowlers again in the West Indies, so that’s an exciting time for us. So we’re looking forward to this series and looking forward to seeing how the fast bowlers go.”Roach’s importance becomes clear when you look at the performances of West Indies’ quicks since he returned to the Test set-up in 2017, on their last tour of England. In that period, only a handful of fast bowlers have taken their wickets at a better strike rate than Roach’s 45.6. Not far behind are Holder (45.9) and Gabriel (47.6), while England’s most penetrative seamer over the same timeframe is 37-year-old James Anderson, who strikes every 53.4 balls.Estwick has worked regularly with Roach, Gabriel and Holder since he was first appointed bowling coach in 2016, and said that they now had the necessary combination of fitness and experience to challenge batting line-ups around the world.”So there’s six or seven around the age of 20, 22-23, so that’s really exciting. Once we can put programmes in place and get them up to a certain standard and get them fit, we should have that pyramid we’re looking for, and once Shannon and Roachy move on, we’ve got people to fill their boots.”West Indies have been training at Old Trafford since landing in England last week and Estwick suggested the bowlers were currently operating at around 80%, with players on both sides striving to get match fit after a long break due to Covid-19 lockdowns. Gabriel has not played at all since September but Estwick said he had regained some of his confidence after ankle surgery and would be trusted to tell the management if he felt he could make it through a Test match.After memorable encounters in 2017 and 2018-19, this series will mark the third time teams led by Holder and Joe Root have contested the Wisden Trophy. West Indies’ Headingley win three years ago was their first in Tests in England since 2000, and Estwick held out the hope they could go one further over the coming weeks.”We got beaten badly at Edgbaston and regrouped and had a famous win at Headingley. What that tells us is that we can compete,” he said. “If you look over the two series, for me you would say the series is three-all right now. England won two Test matches over here in 2017, and we won one; we won two in the Caribbean, and they won one. So the series for us is all square, so we need now to win this series just to get ahead. We won on home soil, they won on home soil, so it’s all up for grabs. We’ve got to make sure we find the extra motivation, and if we can we can spring a surprise.”