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“We’ve already seen a lot of injuries within our squad so we have got to be careful with what we do with individuals and how we rotate them”

Sidharth Monga23-Feb-20225:26

Rohit: ‘Bumrah, KL and Pant are looked upon as leaders in the team’

When Virat Kohli announced his resignation as India’s Test captain, the most straightforward choice was to hand over all three formats to Rohit Sharma. Rohit’s place is guaranteed in all three formats, he is experienced, and he has led his IPL side with distinction. However, it took the selectors a while to arrive at that conclusion because they wanted to be sure of Rohit’s fitness given the hectic schedules.Rohit said he is aware of the need to manage his workload, but also assured he was in prime conditioning having recovered from the hamstring injury that kept him out of the South Africa tour.”As far as I am concerned, at the moment there are no issues,” Rohit said. “I am looking forward to playing all the games. The workload always depends on what happens thereafter. You take it day by day, and understand what you need to do. If there is an opportunity for you to take a break, you will take the break and let someone get in and see how what kind of potential the other guy filling in has. Those are the things. But at the moment it seems to be okay.”Related

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Eventually, though, there will be a point when his workload will have to be managed. “I am very clear in my mind as to how I want to take this forward,” Rohit said. “Obviously managing the workload, not just me but everyone, will be the key going forward. We have already seen a lot of injuries within our squad so we have just got to be very careful with what we do with individuals and how we rotate them and how we give them that break time that they need away from the game. So we are trying to manage that, we are trying to put a roadmap in place as to how we want to move forward.”There is no time frame on Rohit’s captaincy stint, but Chetan Sharma, the chairman of selectors, said they were going to use however long the 34-year-old’s reign lasts to groom younger leaders. Through the choices made for vice-captains during different series, India seem to have zeroed in on Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah as the leaders in the longer run.Rohit was asked what his role would be in grooming a new captain for India.”I won’t have that much role to tell them everything,” Rohit said. “Obviously they are all mature cricketers, but it’s just that someone needs to be there around to help them, guide them, in difficult situations. And I will be more than happy to do that. That’s how we have grown into the role. We were groomed by someone else. So it’s a natural process. Everyone goes through this. We are no different here.”If you talk of Bumrah, KL, Pant, all these guys have a big role to play in India’s success. At the same time they are looked upon as leaders as well. They do understand what they need to do as individuals. At the same time they realise there is a responsibility on their shoulders. You don’t want to put any pressure on these guys. They are critical to us. At the moment you want them to enjoy their game, come out freely, and execute their skills.”

Burnley now want to sign a new defender in January who is available at a bargain fee, according to a fresh report, as they look to land reinforcements under Scott Parker.

Burnley's Championship success

It was a tough summer transfer window for Burnley following their relegation from the Premier League back to the Championship. 13 players departed, headed by midfielder Sander Berge and forward Wilson Odobert, forcing Scott Parker’s side into the transfer market, where they recruited 11 new faces plus four further loanees for the 24/25 campaign.

Despite the massive squad turnover, the Clarets have begun the season strongly, and a run of four straight wins has propelled them back into an automatic promotion spot as things stand, a point clear of third-placed Leeds United.

It has been built on solid foundations; Parker’s side have the meanest defence in the league, having conceded just 6 times in 18 games, three fewer than leaders Sheffield United.

Team

Games Played

Goals conceded

Burnley

18

6

Sheffield United

18

9

West Bromwich Albion

18

12

Leeds United

18

13

Sunderland

18

13

Promoted with two different teams, Parker is currently on course to fulfil his self-proclaimed aim for a third time with the Lancashire outfit.

“For sure, the aim this year is for us to be competing at the right end of the table and trying to take this club into the Premier League”, he explained after taking the job over the summer.

And to try and maximise their chances of success, the Clarets have been tipped to dip into the transfer market in January to bolster their ranks.

Burnley eye bargain fullback

That comes as Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg claims that Burnley are one of several clubs plotting a move to sign German full back Kai Wagner in January.

Championship Table: Latest standings for the 2024/25 season

Latest English Football League Championship standings 2024/25.

ByStephan Georgiou Apr 22, 2025

The defender, who currently plays for MLS side Philadelphia Union, has turned in a series of impressive performances in the US, with Philadelphia writer Jimmy King dubbing his “one of the best in MLS” for his efforts so far this campaign.

The defender is under contract until 2026, but as per Florian Plettenberg “there is a release clause for this winter amounting to €2 million” (£1.6m) and that has seen Burnley, Coventry, Atalanta and Parma among those expressing an interest in signing the 27-year-old in January.

Both the Clarets and Frank Lampard’s side are “pushing” to get a deal done, perhaps before any further interest materialises.

Lucas Pires is the only recognised left-back available to Parker as things stand, and he has been forced to use Bashir Humphreys there when Pires has been unavailable.

A new left-back is therefore a priority target for January, with Humphreys a centre-back by trade and the club clearly on the hunt for more cover and competition for Pires in the fullback role.

With top flight clubs interested in Wagner, a move to Turf Moor could prove tricky should it drag on, but Burnley will be hoping that the deal can be sewn up well in advance of the January transfer window as they look for an instant return to the top flight.

The Portuguese playmaker continues to lead by example at Old Trafford, and deserves far more respect for his influence

"I see fans at matches and they're singing for Bruno [Fernandes]. I see these boys, I think you're f*cking imposters!" Roy Keane angrily declared in an explosive debate with Ian Wright about the current Manchester United captain last month on the podcast, brought to you by . "Talent is not enough! You keep going back to talent – Bruno's a talented player, but it's not enough! Leadership to me is about action."

As Keane got more and more animated, Wright refused to back down, and pointed out an undeniable fact: "If Bruno's not there, United are in the relegation battle." Fernandes is certainly a divisive character, and a frustrating player to watch at the best of times, but Keane was completely wrong to question his application levels.

Fernandes is driven by the same unrelenting passion that made Keane an icon during his 12-year stay at Old Trafford; he gives everything for the badge and demands the highest standards from himself and all those around him. That's why the fans sing for Fernandes.

The last five years have been utterly miserable for United, and they are destined to hit a new low this season, but the situation would have been even more bleak were it not for the constant presence of Fernandes. He has carried the club on his back through the darkest period in its entire history, displaying unconditional loyalty and remarkable courage in the face of adversity.

The Red Devils owe a debt of gratitude to Fernandes, and Keane owes him an apology. It makes absolutely no sense to target Fernandes when all the evidence points to him being the only United player worthy of legendary status in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

Getty Images Sport'Captain Fantastic'

Fernandes' latest inspirational performance came against Arsenal, as United battled to a 1-1 draw on an emotionally charged afternoon at Old Trafford. Thousands of fans took part in an organised protest against the Glazer ownership regime before the game, with minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe also feeling the wrath of the United faithful after his controversial cost-cutting measures, and it seemed to inject the players with an extra dose of motivation.

United had to hold on in a one-sided first half as Arsenal dominated possession, but in the second minute of stoppage time, Alejandro Garnacho won a free-kick 25 yards from goal, and Fernandes stepped up. Referee Anthony Taylor sent Arsenal's wall back 11.2 yards instead of the customary 10 as David Raya bizarrely left the whole left side of his net gaping, and Fernandes capitalised ruthlessly with a brilliant whipped effort that was goal-bound the moment it left his boot.

Even Mikel Arteta praised Fernandes for the "street smart" move after the game, and the Arsenal boss must have been relieved he didn't do more damage in the second half. Despite playing in a deep-lying role alongside Casemiro in the absence of Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo, Fernandes drove United forward at every opportunity and came agonisingly close to stealing all three points right at the death, only for Raya to redeem himself with an outstanding save.

Coincidentally, Keane was back in the studio on Sunday, but he refused to perform a full U-turn on his criticism of Fernandes, jokingly calling him "Captain Fantastic" before stating: "I’ve never doubted Fernandes’ quality, but thought he could do more for the team." Keane is starting to sound like an out-of-touch cartoon villain; no player is doing more for United than Fernandes, which has been the case for some time now.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesAmorim's most trusted

Thankfully, Ruben Amorim does recognise just how important Fernandes is. “What I can say is we need more Brunos, that is clear,” the United head coach said. “Not just the quality and the character, but in this league the availability is so important. He makes some mistakes but he is so decisive with and without the ball. He steps up all the time.

"Sometimes he can show some frustration in some moments that can hurt him more than anyone, but he is always available, he can always play in different positions and when we need a goal and an assist, he is always there. He is a very good example for the other players.”

Fernandes gets a bad rap because he's not afraid to call out his team-mates for mistakes or throw his arms up in the air in frustration when a promising attack breaks down. The Portugal international is a bit of hypocrite in that regard because a lot of the time he is the one who gives the ball away cheaply by picking the riskier passes over the simple ones.

But everything good about United stems from Fernandes. He's the only one in the squad who is not afraid to take games by the scruff of the neck, and he boasts the technical quality to match his exceptional work rate.

Amorim is right to single out Fernandes as the model of what a United player should be. How many times has he come to their rescue, even just this season alone? Fernandes sparked comebacks against Everton and Manchester City, scored a vital winner against Rangers in the Europa League, and masterminded Arsenal's downfall in the third round of the FA Cup. He may not be a perfect captain, but Fernandes is pretty much the only reason that United are still keeping their heads above water.

GettyNumbers don't lie

Even if you think Fernandes fails the eye test too often, there is no arguing with his numbers. The £47 million ($61m) fee United paid Sporting CP for Fernandes in January 2020 can't be viewed as anything other than a bargain given his haul of 91 goals and 79 assists in 275 appearances for United.

Fernandes became only the third Premier League player to reach 25 goal involvements across all competitions in each of the last three seasons alongside Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland after his stunning free-kick against Arsenal, which is a remarkable feat considering how poor United have been in comparison to Liverpool and Manchester City. Indeed, United would be 10 points worse off in the Premier League without Fernandes, and hovering just above the drop zone.

The 30-year-old is the Red Devils' top scorer this term with 12 goals, three more than injured winger Amad Diallo and seven ahead of third-placed Marcus Rashford, who joined Aston Villa in January. With Rasmus Hojlund enduring a 20-game scoring drought and summer signing Joshua Zirkzee struggling for consistency, Amorim has had to rely way too much on Fernandes, but the all-action midfielder has not shirked from the extra responsibility.

United may have drawn their last three games, but there have been signs of improvement, and the season is not unsalvageable yet. The Europa League is still up for grabs, which comes with the extra reward of Champions League qualification, and United may just be able to scrape their way to the trophy if Fernandes continues to perform at such a high level.

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Getty/GOAL'Handing out bibs' in Fergie's day?

Fernandes has only tasted FA Cup and League Cup success with United so far, which must be a tough pill to swallow. He was also strongly linked with City before he left Sporting, and would now have a lot more silverware in his personal cabinet had he ended up at the Etihad Stadium instead of Old Trafford.

United's malaise as a collective has skewed the public perception of Fernandes. He unfairly gets tarred with the same brush as the misfits and underperformers, with even ex-Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp jumping on the bandwagon last week.

"You’d look at the United of Fergie’s day and see superstars everywhere," Redknapp wrote in his column for . "Amorim would love just one. Bruno Fernandes is the closest and even then no more than a place in the squad. He wouldn’t have a prayer of making the team. Who would you drop? [Ryan] Giggs, [Paul] Scholes, [David] Beckham, Roy Keane, Paul Ince, even Nicky Butt or Darren Fletcher? Not a chance. If Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer struggled to get a game, Fernandes wouldn’t get beyond putting the cones down and handing out bibs."

It would have been difficult for Fernandes to be a nailed-on starter under Ferguson, that's true enough, but he possesses three key traits that the Scottish taskmaster always valued highly: flair, aggression, and a relentless will to win. With a slight formation tweak, Fernandes could easily have slotted into the midfield just ahead of Keane and Scholes, or formed part of the frontline as he has done frequently since Amorim's appointment.

Fernandes would have been a superstar in United team. The only reason he's not one right now is because he doesn't have the luxury of working with other world-class players.

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has stepped in to make a decision about manager Ange Postecoglou and his immediate future at N17, with pressure mounting on the Australian amid a dismal run of results.

Tottenham slump to 4-3 Chelsea defeat after two-goal advantage

For the second time this season, Spurs squandered a two-goal advantage in the Premier League to lose, with Chelsea becoming the next team after Brighton to do so when the Lilywhites and west Londoners met on Sunday.

Tottenham line up Ange replacement who Chelsea wanted to succeed Pochettino

Spurs have contingency plans in place for if they part company with the Australian.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Dec 7, 2024

Postecoglou’s men were in dreamland after taking a quick 2-0 lead early in the first-half, taking advantage of two slips from Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella, with both Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski getting on the scoresheet with just 11 minutes on the clock.

However, the fightback also started early doors, as Chelsea summer signing Jadon Sancho grabbed one back just six minutes later before Cole Palmer’s first penalty and Enzo Fernandez’s excellent half-volley completed their comeback and handed them a deserved second-half lead.

Southampton vs Tottenham

December 15

Tottenham vs Liverpool

December 22

Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham

December 26

Tottenham vs Wolves

December 29

Tottenham vs Newcastle

January 4

Palmer, who has become even more of a superstar at Stamford Bridge this season, then rounded off their win with a cheeky panenka six minutes from full-time. Son Heung-min bagged a very late consolation for Spurs, who have now won just once in their last seven games across all competitions, with the under-fire Postecoglou facing a barrage of criticism lately.

“Obviously it’s a painful one because we started the game really well,” said Postecoglou on Tottenham’s 4-3 defeat to Chelsea.

“Not just the goals we scored but the way we were playing. We were really in control of the game and had some really good opportunities apart from the two goals. Then you lose Cristian after the second goal which is just the way our season has gone.

“Nothing has run smoothly and they capitalised before we had settled back down to score. I still felt that in the first half we had the better moments to get a third goal, a couple of key ones.

“In the second half they came out and put us under pressure. I felt we were handling it not too badly and then when they scored we had a big moment at 2-2 to go 3-2 up and in these kind of games, those moments are important. We don’t take it and then both penalties were poor on our behalf. They’re self-inflicted and unnecessary challenges.”

There have been reports that Tottenham are shortlisting potential replacements for Postecoglou if they decide to part company with the ex-Celtic boss, and Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna is believed to feature highly among them after he snubbed a move to Chelsea in the summer (Football Transfers).

Levy makes decision about sacking Ange at Tottenham

Fulham boss Marco Silva is also rumoured to have admirers at Spurs, but broadcast giant talkSPORT has shared an encouraging update for Postecoglou in regard to keeping his job.

The outlet writes that Postecoglou is in no immediate danger of the Tottenham sack, with Levy willing to give him more time to turn the club’s fortunes around.

The Spurs chairman apparently acknowledges that they’ve been hit by a number of injuries to key players, so he’s aware of damning factors like this and wants to hand Postecoglou more breathing room to get his house in order. Meanwhile, Tottenham’s head coach desires more funds so he can strengthen the squad in January.

Labuschagne century, Lakmal five-for has match even but rain forecast leaves draw looking likely

ECB Reporters Network30-Apr-2022Derbyshire’s Shan Masood fell agonisingly short of a world record on the third day of the LV=Insurance County Championship match against Glamorgan at Derby.The Pakistan opener was out for 42, failing by three to beat the most first-class runs in April set by Nick Compton, who scored 715 for Somerset in 2012.Marnus Labuschagne had earlier scored 130 from 199 balls out of Glamorgan’s 387 with Sri Lankan fast bowler Suranga Lakmal taking 5 for 82.Derbyshire wiped out the slender deficit of 19 and, with Wayne Madsen cruising to an unbeaten 58, they closed on 170 for 2, a lead of 151.For a while, it looked doubtful if Masood would even get the chance to break the record as Labuschagne and nightwatchman Timm van der Gugten batted through the first 20 overs of the day.Related

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Derbyshire almost broke through early but Madsen at second slip failed to take a tough low catch when van der Gugten, on nine, edged Lakmal.Labuschagne was beaten a couple of times by Ryan Sidebottom but the Australian played some sublime drives as he moved to his sixth hundred for Glamorgan from 137 ballsThe stand was worth 82 from 22 overs when van der Gugten tried to hit leg-spinner Mattie McKiernan over the top but failed to clear long on.Glamorgan’s prospects of a substantial lead disappeared with the second new ball which Lakmal and Sam Conners used skillfully to slow the scoring rate and build pressure.Chris Cooke was lbw playing back to Conners and although Tom Cullen was dropped second ball at first slip, he played on to Lakmal in the second over after lunch.Michael Neser got a leading edge, Lakmal trapped Labuschagne lbw and after some firm blows from the last-wicket pair, all eyes were on Masood.He timed the ball effortlessly from the start, threading drives and clips off his legs through gaps to close in on Compton’s landmark.The last over before tea began with Masood needing three runs to enter the record books but the first ball seamed away and lifted to take his outside edge and Cooke made no mistake.Even so, Masood’s aggregate of 713 in five Championship innings is a remarkable statistic and he now has two more matches to get to the coveted milestone of 1,000 runs before the end of May.With Masood back in the pavilion, it was now a question of how far ahead Derbyshire could get before stumps and Madsen came out intent on taking the attack to the bowlers.James Harris replaced van der Gugten, who pulled up and left the field, and had Billy Godleman caught behind but was then savaged by Madsen who hit four boundaries in the over which cost 20.Glamorgan restored a measure of control but Madsen reached his fifth consecutive score of 50 or more when he cut Neser for his seventh four.With Brooke Guest, he has so far added 97 for the third wicket but with rain forecast on the final day, it will take something dramatic for either side to force victory.

GOAL selected the 25 best talents in women’s football born on or after January 1, 2005 – but where are they now?

Every year, GOAL releases its NXGN lists, highlighting the best young talents in world football. After starting with the men’s game in 2016, the first women’s list was published in 2020, with many of its alumni having already gone on to achieve incredible things.

And so after theNXGN 2025 list was revealed, here’s a look at where the wonderkids of 2024 are today:

Every NXGN list

Dembele, Tielemans & 2016's best wonderkids

Mbappe, Donnarumma & 2017's best wonderkids

De Ligt, Kluivert & 2018's best wonderkids

Haaland, Sancho & 2019's best wonderkids

Saka, Rodrygo & 2020's best wonderkids

James, Oberdorf & 2020's best women's wonderkids

Pedri, Ansu Fati & 2021's best wonderkids

Le Tissier, Bennison & 2021's best women's wonderkids

Bellingham, Musiala & 2022's best wonderkids

Dumornay, Fowler & 2022's best women's wonderkids

Gavi, Garnacho & 2023's best wonderkids

Shaw, Thompson & 2023's best women's wonderkids

Yamal, Mainoo & 2024's best wonderkids

Getty25Brooke Aspin (Chelsea)

2024: After signing for Chelsea in the summer of 2023, Aspin spent the 2023-24 season back on loan with former club Bristol City, but her time with the Robins would end on a sour note as they suffered relegation from the Women's Super League. For the 2024-25 season, Aspin again went out on loan, this time to newly-promoted WSL side Crystal Palace. However, a devastating ACL injury in November cut that spell short.

2025: Aspin's focus for the forthcoming year is on her recovery from that knee injury, with her unlikely to feature again in the 2024-25 season as a result of it.

Advertisement(C)Getty Images24Toko Koga (Feyenoord)

2024: Koga made the leap overseas, joined Dutch side Feyenoord and started all of the club's final 11 league games of the season after breaking into the line-up in late January. The defender's year would yet get bigger, too, as she was included in Japan's squad for the Olympic women's football tournament in France. There, Koga started three of Nadeshiko's four games, including the heartbreaking 1-0 defeat in extra time to the United States in the quarter-finals.

2025: Koga has continued to assert herself at Feyenoord in the 2024-25 season, starting every league game to date and even netting a trio of goals, including a brace in the 5-3 win over Excelsior. For Japan, she scored the winner against the United States in February as her country won the SheBelieves Cup.

Getty Images23Liana Joseph (Lyon)

2024: Joseph enjoyed her first involvements with the U20s, included in the squad that travelled to Colombia for that year's World Cup. She only made one start, in the group stage against Fiji, but marked it with four goals. Joseph would also add to her lone appearance for Lyon's world-class first team, getting two more chances to impress in the latter stages of the 2023-24 season.

2025: After remaining at Lyon for the first half of the 2024-25 campaign, making just one league appearance, Joseph moved to Strasbourg on loan in the New Year. Regularly involved with France's U19s now, it's anticipated that she will travel with the team to their European Championships this summer, should they qualify.

Imagn Images22Amanda Allen (Orlando Pride)

2024: After making 11 appearances for the Orlando Pride in the NWSL and the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, albeit just one start, Allen was loaned to USL Super League side Lexington in September. There, she made nine starts, but did not end her goal drought. That has unfortunately continued with the Canada youth teams, too. Allen was part of the U20 side that reached the quarter-finals of their World Cup, starting all four games, but couldn't find the back of the net.

2025: Allen, now back at Orlando ahead of the new NWSL season, will hope for a more prolific 2025.

After compiling Manchester City’s misery with a 2-1 victory last time out, Aston Villa have now reportedly been offered the chance to sign a £64m forward in a deal that could see Jhon Duran head in the opposite direction.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans are a difficult side to judge this season. Whilst they haven’t hit the heights of the last campaign just yet, as shown in a 2-1 defeat against Nottingham Forest last weekend, they bounced back in style by pushing Manchester City to one side in a game that could have easily been a thrashing rather than a narrow victory at Villa Park.

If they want to make it back-to-back top-four finishes, however, then those in the Midlands may well need to turn their attention back towards the transfer market in 2025, with names such as Manfred Ugalde and Sunderland’s Daniel Ballard already mentioned in recent weeks.

Ugalde would be a particularly interesting addition, given that the Villans are already well-stocked when it comes to goalscorers. But as 2025 approaches, it’s Paris Saint-Germain who could quickly change that.

Aston Villa battling to sign "brilliant" defender compared to Harry Maguire

He’s earned quite the praise.

ByTom Cunningham Dec 22, 2024

According to reports in Spain, PSG may have initiated contact to offer Aston Villa Randal Kolo Muani in a swap deal to sign Duran in 2025. The French giants are set to show their forward the door almost two years since his arrival for an initial £64m from Eintracht Frankfurt and now seemingly want Villa’s in-form star to act as an instant upgrade.

It’s a deal that would certainly steal the headlines, but whether Villa would be getting the better end of it is another question entirely. Given how disappointing Kolo Muani’s PSG spell has been and Duran’s contrasting fortunes on top of that, it’s not a deal that Villa should take.

Aston Villa should reject PSG swap deal

If Aston Villa get the chance to sign Kolo Muani at a cut price and without the inclusion of Duran, then it’s a deal worth pursuing. After all, this is still a 26-year-old forward who stole the show for Frankfurt not so long ago. But as things stand, it is a deal that those in the Midlands should reject. Duran is playing a growing part in Unai Emery’s side and unless an undeniable fee comes Villa’s way, keeping hold of both him and Ollie Watkins should remain imperative.

Minutes

358

492

Goals

2

6

Assists

1

0

Expected Goals

4.7

3.8

Simply put, Duran is clinical where Muani is wasteful in front of goal with both handed fairly minimal opportunity to start from the off. In just under 500 minutes – around 5.5 games – Duran has managed six goals and has managed to outperform his expected rate of just under four goals in that time. Kolo Muani, meanwhile, has underperformed by almost three goals.

A player once described as “quick” and “strong” by Oliver Glasner, Kolo Muani has quickly become a shadow of his best self at PSG.

Manchester United could be set to receive a huge sum of money from any transfer Mason Greenwood makes away from Marseille.

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United have sell-on clauseGreenwood in prolific form for MarseilleNumber of clubs interested in forwardFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

When United sold the forward to the French club, report that they negotiated a future sell-on clause worth up to 50 per cent into the deal. This could see the club net as much as £15 million (€17m/$19km)as he is currently valued at around £30m (€35m/$38m). United suspended the player after he was charged with attempted rape, engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, by the police and he did not play for the club again. The charges were dropped and he moved on loan to Getafe and then permanently to Marseille where he has scored 15 goals in 26 Ligue 1 appearances.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Despite his goalscoring form at Marseille, it appears the forward has fallen out of favour with head coach Roberto De Zerbi. His exile from the team could lower the transfer valuation Marseille hold for the player and, amid interest from Barcelona and Bayern Munich, United's cash windfall could be lessened. Greenwood has not been selected by the Italian for their past two fixtures and appears to have serious work to do to win De Zerbi back around.

WHAT DE ZERBI SAID

The Italian boss said: "I expect more from him. He has to do more, because what he is currently showing is not enough. If he wants to achieve his ambition of becoming a champion, he has to be more consistent, sacrifice more and be more determined. Otherwise, we as a team always fall back into the same pattern: a very good match, then a defeat at Auxerre, then a victory against Nantes… It’s too irregular, it’s like waves. And that’s something I don’t like.”

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR GREENWOOD?

The former United forward is attempting to send a message to his head coach by turning up early to training, but he will have to show more than just a willingness to recover what seems a broken relationship. Whether Greenwood will return to the team when Marseille travel to Reims next weekend remains to be seen.

Veteran seamer says new coach McCullum has made an impact already

Alan Gardner15-Jun-2022Brendon McCullum urged England to “attack the danger” during their run chase in Nottingham, with the result being what Stuart Broad called “the most outrageous hour I’ve seen in Test cricket”.Broad was padded up and watching on from the dressing room at Trent Bridge as Jonny Bairstow blew the doors off England’s chase of 299, hitting 93 off 44 balls after tea on the final day. Comparing the game to Headingley 2019, when Ben Stokes guided England to victory after a 76-run partnership for the final wicket, Broad said the win over New Zealand had been just as astounding.”Baz’s team talk was very much ‘let’s attack the danger, let’s run towards the danger’ and every part of your mind is going for this win,” he said. “Whoever is to come, the changing room has full belief that you can do your job to get the win. So it was never really a case of, if we lose one we might shut up shop. It was always we’re going to win. And if it doesn’t work, don’t worry about it, but we’re going to go for the win.”But I didn’t quite expect to see what I saw from Jonny. It was the most outrageous hour I’ve seen in Test cricket from a partnership. Obviously Headingley had incredible nerves. I felt sick watching that tight thing with Leach and Stokesy. But that was just exhilarating, astonishing. Trent Bridge giving out free tickets, I’m sure there were people in this ground who have never watched Test cricket before. How inspiring is that?”At Headingley, you could cut the atmosphere with a knife and it felt very nerve-wracking, you were sick with seeing what’s coming. Whereas that was just about shouting every time a boundary happened. I saw a stat that showed in nine overs they scored 102 after tea. It wasn’t as if Baz said ‘go and whack it, go and slog it’. It was just play with the mindset that we’re going to chase these runs down. And Jonny just got hold of a few pull shots that got him going. That striking was… only a handful of players in the world can do that. Johnny is obviously in that group.”Related

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Broad said that “there’s no doubt Baz has had an impact already”, with various members of the team having spoken already about the mantra of relentless positivity that has accompanied McCullum’s arrival as Test coach.”He was absolutely buzzing that we got 380 on day three,” Broad said. “It didn’t matter how many wickets, it was the run rate. How good is that? 380 in a day, well batted lads. It’s not just praising guys who get a hundred, it’s tiny little things, bits of fielding, momentum changes in the game. He will bring attention to that.”He looks like a guy who has a cricket brain that is working all the time. He is thinking how we can change the game. That doesn’t mean he’s saying ‘what about this or that’ every minute. I feel like he’s got an energy of not letting the game sit, where can we manoeuvre it to.”At tea today, the way he spoke two-three minutes before the bell, he didn’t say I’d prefer to lose than draw, but it was that mindset – it was going for a win at all costs. I want to win, find your way to do that. You have my full backing, Stokes’ full backing to go get the win.”The effect has been clear on both batting and bowling. England scored at a rate of 4.7 runs per over during the Trent Bridge Test, and continued to set attacking fields as New Zealand made 553 in their first innings. Broad struggled somewhat, with figures of 2 for 107, but saw chances go down off Henry Nicholls and Tom Blundell.”I didn’t bowl that well in the first innings, but it felt like any mistake I made on length and line it went for four,” he said. “I felt like it got even quicker as the game went on. Could we have bowled dry? Potentially, but that is a different day if we snaffle a couple of catches. [Daryl] Mitchell went down, Blundell, Nicholls. The mindset is, how do we get more fielders in wicket-taking positions rather than protection, which gives us a better chance of bowling them out?”In the second innings, Broad helped bring about crucial breakthroughs. On the fourth evening, Blundell was held by Stokes in a catching position at backward square leg to end another potentially pivotal fifth-wicket stand; then on day five, with New Zealand edging further in front, Broad’s short ball again did the trick as a change to the field tempted Matt Henry into hooking and opened up the game.”How it’s affected me is that rather than having the bloke 20 yards further back to stop the four, it’s if he strikes it well and he’s 20 yards in, he could catch it,” Broad said. “It’s a tiny little mindset change, but it’s about getting wickets, not stopping boundaries.”My role as a bowler [on day four] was how could we take 10 wickets here and get us over the line. Although it wasn’t the classical seven – it’s not like we guided them out with skill and pressure, we got seven wickets through the momentum of the game really. And once we got a sniff… I came this morning feeling very relaxed. I felt like we were going to win the game.”

Bayer Leverkusen chief Simon Rolfes has revealed what manager Xabi Alonso has told him about his plans for the future.

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Alonso wanted by Real MadridLeverkusen also keen to keep hold of coachClub chiefs reveals what he's been toldFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Alonso has enjoyed an impressive stint as Leverkusen boss. His side beat Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title last season and currently sit in second spot in the table. Alonso's achievements with Leverkusen have seen him linked with a move to Real Madrid to succeed Carlo Ancelotti as first-team coach.

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A move to Madrid would see Alonso return to the club where he won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League as a player. However, Leverkusen are eager to keep hold of their manager, and sporting director Rolfes has now issued an update on the current situation as well as the speculation surrounding Alonso's future.

WHAT LEVERKUSEN SAID

Sporting director Simon Rolfes said: "No, he's staying, that's it. He told me that there was nothing. He has a contract with us."

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Alonso has a contract at Leverkusen that runs until 2026 and he looks set to stay, as things stand. Meanwhile, Ancelotti's future at Real Madrid remains the spotlight, with the Italian once again being linked with the Brazil job following Dorival Jr's sacking.