تحدث مارسيل كولر المدير الفني لفريق الكرة الأول بالنادي الأهلي عن الهزيمة التي تعرض لها أمام الزمالك في مباراة الليلة.
وخسر الأهلي بهدفين مقابل هدف أمام الغريم التقليدي الزمالك، في إطار مؤجلات الجولة العاشرة من عمر الدوري المصري الممتاز “النيل”.
فيديو | الزمالك يحسم القمة 127 أمام الأهلي بثنائية الجزيري في الدوري المصري
وقال كولر في المؤتمر الصحفي عقب المباراة: “اول 25 دقيقة كنا متحكمين في المباراة لكن بعد ذلك ساهمنا في دخول المنافس للقاء بسبب أخطاء ليس لها داعي مثل غياب الضغط وتباعد خطوطنا ثم سجل الزمالك في نهاية الشوط الأول”.
وأضاف: “في الشوط الثاني كنا أفضل حتى الدقيقة 85، سيطرنا بالطول والعرض حتى سجل الزمالك الهدف الثاني مستغلين غياب تركيزنا”.
واستكمل: “أجري تغيرات مبكرة يشكو الناس، أفعلها متأخرًا يشكون أيضًا، ولم أبدأ بتشكيل خاطئ، والشوط الثاني كنا نلعب على مرمى واحد دليل على سيطرتنا”.
وعن الأخطاء الدفاعية المتكررة، واصل كولر: “الهدف الثاني جاء من رمية تماس طويلة آحدثت ارتباكًا، وسأراه مرة أخرى، وأتحدث دائمًا مع اللاعبين بشأن الحفاظ على تركيزنا طوال الوقت”.
وأتم: “نتحمل جميعًا الهزيمة اليوم، يجب أن يكون اللاعب لديه خبرات، في الأهلي لا يوجد لاعب من الناشئين في خط الدفاع الذين يتدربون معنا يتحملون الضغوط، وغياب الأساسيين مؤثر وأظن هذا فارق لا يحتاج لكلام”.
الجدير بالذكر، أن الأهلي يستعد لخوض مواجهة مرتقبة في نصف نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا أمام مازيمبي الكونغولي. تصريحات كولر
Suzie Bates will become only the eighth New Zealand woman to play 100 ODIs when she takes the field against South Africa in their second World Cup game on Wednesday
ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jun-2017Suzie Bates will become only the eighth New Zealand woman to play 100 ODIs when she takes the field against South Africa in their second World Cup game on Wednesday. She will join the likes of Debbie Hockley, Sara McGlashan and Haidee Tiffin, the former captain and current head coach. The milestone, Bates said, was the result of doing “something right” over the last decade.”As an 18-year old, I remember being pretty excited just to play the likes of Rebecca Rolls and Emily Drumm. I never thought I’d play this long. I was at university and cricket was bit of a hobby,” she said. “I really didn’t see it going professional. So to still be playing at 29, and be able to play in my 100th game on Wednesday is exciting. I can’t remember how the last 10-11 years have gone.”You look at the other names on the list; there are some greats – Debbie Hockley, Sara McGlashan, Amy Watkins. Then there’s Haidee Tiffin, who was captain when I was playing. I looked up to Rebecca when I was growing up, a hard-hitting opening batsman who also played a lot of football. That was pretty inspiring to be playing with these players, and now to be in the same list is amazing.”Bates was still a rookie when New Zealand last came close to winning the World Cup, in 2009, when they were pipped by England in the final. It’s a memory which hasn’t escaped Bates, who is now into captaining New Zealand for the sixth-year running. Bates was the highest run-scorer at the 2013 edition in India and the Player of the Series, but could only watch her team finish fourth. A different outlook, one that stems with experience, has helped her approach cricket differently, she says.”When I first started and got really serious about trying to be as serious as I can be. When I started leading the team, I probably didn’t have a lot of things outside of cricket,” she said. “When it didn’t go well, it was terrible. When it did, you were on top of the world.”Probably, I’ve become a lot more balanced on my outlook on cricket and trying to just take each game as it comes and not get too up and down along the way. Hopefully, captaining the side at this World Cup, we can maintain that sort of approach and not get too high or too low, because it’s a long-old slog if you ride the highs and lows.”Having been around since 2006, Bates, a double international who also represented New Zealand in basketball at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, has had a ringside view of how the women’s game has evolved over the last decade or so. For starters, she admits to being surprised at the exponential growth.”It’s unrecognisable from when I started,” she said. “You got 30 dollars daily allowance if you were staying at home, and I used to with mum and dad. That was still a bit of pocket money. It was hobby for everyone. Many were studying, some were at school. People got away from their day jobs for tours and live a dream. When you got together for tours, it was the best thing ever, since you got to live the dream.”Now, half a dozen of us do it 10 months of the year, full-time, and also get paid for it. When I first started, not just as a cricketer but just as a girl who loved sport, I never really thought it was going to be a career. I had study on the side and I just wanted to play sport because I loved it. I always thought I had to get a real job at some stage and I still haven’t had to.”
Manchester United are thought to be closing in on a deal to sign Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat.
Are Man United signing Sofyan Amrabat?
The Red Devils have bolstered Erik ten Hag’s squad this summer by already bringing in Mason Mount from Chelsea and goalkeeper Andre Onana from Inter Milan.
A new striker is also on the way to Old Trafford in Rasmus Hojlund. Serie A side Atalanta have been holding out for a cash-only deal, and the two clubs have struck a deal in the region of around €70m. Hojlund has agreed on a five-year deal in Manchester and is set to undergo a medical and finalise a transfer on Tuesday.
Read The Latest Man United Transfer News HERE…
Another player who has been heavily linked with a move to the Red Devils is Amrabat. The 26-year-old previously worked under Ten Hag at FC Utrecht, making 50 appearances under the Dutchman, contributing to 11 goals, and with Amrabat into the final 12 months of his Fiorentina deal, a reunion could be on the cards.
Personal terms were agreed over a move to Old Trafford early last month, and by the looks of things, a deal is close.
The Faithful MUFC relayed an update from The Mirror regarding Man United and Amrabat. The report claims that the club are closing in on a £26m agreement to sign the midfielder and is expected to arrive to bolster Ten Hag’s option in the middle of the park and take pressure off key man Casemiro. It is added that if a deal can be concluded this week, then Fred could soon be on his way out.
Fiorentina midfielderSofyan Amrabat.
Who is Sofyan Amrabat?
Amrabat is primarily a defensive midfielder who can also play in a box-to-box central role if needed. The Morocco international has been with Fiorentina since 2020 and appears to be at the peak of his powers with a career-high €30m Transfermarkt valuation, a figure which has rocketed following last year’s World Cup in Qatar.
Dubbed a “monster” in the centre of the pitch by reporter Carlo Garganese, he caught the eye after helping Morocco reach the semi-finals and was praised by former England manager Fabio Capello.
"If I have to name one name, besides the well-known Hakim Ziyech and Achraf Hakimi, it would be Amrabat. He is essential for balance and a great runner. I read that he covered more than fourteen kilometres against Spain. I see him as the Gennaro Gattuso of Morocco."
The Nike-sponsored midfielder has plied his trade in the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy during his career, making more than 250 senior club appearances.
Capped by his country on 49 occasions, Amrabat appears to be in his prime and is a player who Ten Hag already knows, even if it was earlier in his career, so a transfer could prove to be a shrewd one, especially with Champions League football back at Old Trafford next season.
A quality in-depth squad could help United build on a positive first year under Ten Hag, and it looks as if Amrabat is on his way to Manchester to provide competition and potentially play alongside Casemiro.
Following the 186-run win against New Zealand in Derby, Mithali Raj has hailed her team as a “new India”
ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jul-20171:18
How you make a comeback is important – Raj
Following the 186-run win against New Zealand in Derby, Mithali Raj has hailed her team as a “new India”. Needing a win in their final league game to qualify for the semi-finals of the Women’s World Cup, India shrugged off the effects of successive losses to South Africa and Australia and turned in their best performance of the tournament. Having posted 265 thanks to a century from Raj and fifties from Harmanpreet Kaur and Veda Krishnamurthy, India bowled New Zealand out for 79, with Rajeshwari Gayakwad grabbing a five-wicket haul in her first game of the tournament.”The girls realised it was a must-win game for us to qualify for the semis,” Raj said, after the match. “We came back to the ground where we’ve played four games, so we know how the wicket and the outfield plays.”The girls wanted to do well today, give their best and they knew it was one game that could get us into the semis. I’m extremely happy that the girls made a comeback.”I think this is a new India team. In the earlier editions, we’ve seen one bad day and then we’ve never made a comeback into the tournament. This is a very good win for the girls and it will give them a real boost and a lot of confidence.”Raj said India’s players had been “very down” on the eve of the match, and that she had spoken to her team-mates about the importance of bouncing back from setbacks.”I’m very happy and thrilled because, until yesterday, most of the girls were very down because of the performance that we displayed in the last two games, against South Africa and Australia. Of course, Indian camp was on the back foot after two games, but it’s something I have always told the girls – if you’re aiming to play the semi-finals or trying to be in the top four in the world, it’s important that we need to make comebacks after disappointments. Usually that’s what the best teams are made up of. Every time you may not win a game, but how you make a comeback is very important.”Raj was pleased with the performance of India’s new-ball pair of Jhulan Goswami and Shikha Pandey, who sent back both of New Zealand’s openers by the third over of the chase, easing the job of Gayakwad and the other spinners.”It’s always important that if the fast bowlers give you those couple of early wickets, then the spinners really don’t have the pressure of getting the first wicket,” Raj said. “It happened in the last two games, against Australia and South Africa, that the spinners had lot of pressute when they came in to get that one wicket. But today, when we had Suzie Bates in the second over, we knew they were already on the back foot because when you’re chasing 260-plus, the team always looks for the openers to give them a good start.”India have lost seven of their last eight ODIs against Australia, stretching back to July 2011, but Raj said there was no reason why they couldn’t beat them in Thursday’s semi-final if they continued to play the way they had against New Zealand.”Australians are a very good side, very rounded side,” Raj said. “They have a lot of depth in the batting and they have good bowlers. But again it is how the team responds to the situation on that day, how we step up, because it is one game now, and if we continue to play the way we played today, there is more possibility that we can beat Australia.”Raj’s 123-ball 109 against New Zealand was her sixth ODI hundred. She is also the leading run-getter in Women’s ODIs, having gone past Charlotte Edwards’ career tally during India’s match against Australia in Bristol.”Well, I think nothing beats representing India at the biggest stage,” she said, when asked what keeps driving her. “I’m at my peak, I’m playing well, I’ve worked on my game since the last year, I was preparing for the World Cup, and I’m happy that I’m still scoring runs for the country.”
نجح فريق الكرة الأول بنادي بيراميدز في تحقيق فوز صعب ومثير على البنك الأهلي بثلاثية مقابل هدفين ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.
والتقى بيراميدز مع البنك الأهلي على أرضية استاد الدفاع الجوي ضمن منافسات الجولة 19 من بطولة الدوري المصري.
وتقدم بيراميدز بالهدف الأول عن طريق إبراهيم عادل في الدقيقة الرابعة من الوقت بدل الضائع للشوط الأول بعد تلقيه تمريرة من رمضان صبحي صوبها بمهارة عالية تجاه المرمى.
طالع | محامي عدلي القيعي يعلن قرار المحكمة في قضية سب رئيس بيراميدز
ورد فريق البنك الأهلي عن طريق سعيدو سيمبوري بتسجيل الأول والتعادل في شباك بيراميدز في الدقيقة 50 مستغلًا تمريرة محمد هلال.
ثم عاد محمد هلال ليسجل الهدف الثاني للبنك الأهلي في الدقيقة 52 من عمر اللقاء بعد هجمة سريعة رائعة.
وبعد مضي 3 دقائق فقط، وتحديدًا في الدقيقة 55 عاد فريق بيراميدز لتسجيل الهدف الثاني والتعادل لصالح بيراميدز بتسديدة قوية من مصطفى فتحي.
وفي الدقيقة 74 استطاع مصطفى فتحي أن يسجل الهدف الثالث لفريق بيراميدز عن طريق ركلة جزاء نجح في تنفيذها.
وشهدت الدقيقة 58 إشهار حكم اللقاء محمد حسن يوسف البطاقة الحمراء في وجه رمضان صبحي، بعد رجوعه لتقنية الـvar بسبب تدخل قوي على أيمن أشرف مدافع البنك الأهلي.
بتلك النتيجة يرتفع رصيد بيراميدز إلى 35 نقطة، محتلًا المركز الأول في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، حصدها من 17 لقاءً فاز بـ11 مواجهة وتلقى هزيمة وحيدة وتعادل خلال 5 مباريات.
ويتواجد فريق البنك الأهللي في المركز السادس عشر في سلم ترتيب بطولة الدوري المصري برصيد 18 نقطة. أهداف مباراة بيراميدز والبنك الأهلي اليوم في الدوري المصري
Tottenham Hotspur are believed to be among a raft of Premier League clubs who are interested in signing Leeds United star, Tyler Adams, with manager Ange Postecoglou seemingly keen to strengthen his midfield ranks before the end of the window.
How much would Tyler Adams cost?
According to 90min, the Lilywhites are one of the top-flight sides who are 'keeping tabs' on the 24-year-old's current situation at Elland Road, with the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion also showing an interest in the American maestro.
As per the report, Tottenham's London rivals, Chelsea, are perhaps attempting to steal a march on those other suitors having made 'contact' regarding a potential summer deal, with Leeds having seemingly accepted that the former RB Leipzig man will depart following the club's drop into the Championship.
Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…
The piece adds that the New York native – who made the move to Yorkshire on a £15m deal last summer – is set to be available for just £25m this time around due to the presence of a release clause in his existing contract.
How good is Tyler Adams?
That apparent interest in the 5 foot 9 ace has come amid reports that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is set to be allowed to depart before the end of the window, with the Denmark international looking likely to seal a move to La Liga side Atletico Madrid over the coming weeks.
Tottenham midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
Prior reports had indicated earlier on in the summer that the north Londoners were open to offers for the 27-year-old, with Postecoglou seemingly keen to take his midfield in a different direction despite Hojbjerg having been a crucial figure under the likes of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte.
Having missed just five Premier League games over the last three seasons, the former Southampton man has evidently been a key cog in the centre of the park of late, albeit with there a chance for Daniel Levy to land a potential upgrade with the signing of Adams.
Even despite missing a fair chunk of last term through injury, the United States international still ranked fourth in the division for tackles made (89) as a sign of his defensive dominance in front of the back four, with Hojbjerg, meanwhile, placing 62nd after making just 56 tackles in total.
That difference in quality can also be seen by the fact that Adams averaged a remarkable 5.2 tackles and interceptions per game from his 24 league outings, while the current Tottenham man averaged just three tackles and interceptions per game from his 35 top-flight appearances.
Unsurprisingly lauded as "aggressive" and a "tackling machine" by pundit Kevin Campbell, the £55k-per-week asset also won 57% of his total duels as a further sign of that ball-winning prowess, with that again ahead of what Hojbjerg achieved in 2022/23 (53%).
That would suggest that if Postecoglou is looking for a figure who can protect the backline and provide an effective, defensive screen then Adams could well be the man for the job, with the American likely to allow Spurs' attacking talents the freedom to shine higher up the pitch.
Although at present it does appear that a move to Stamford Bridge looks more likely for the 36-cap ace, if Levy were to produce a late hijack it could be a particularly astute piece of business.
أعلن نادي بوروسيا دورتموند الألماني في بيان رسمي، رحيل لاعبه ماركو رويس بنهاية الموسم الجاري.
وأوضح بوروسيا دورتموند أنه توصل إلى اتفاق مع رويس على عدم تمديد عقده، على أن يغادر نهاية الموسم الجاري.
رويس لعب لدورتموند في فريق الشباب من عام 1995 إلى بداية عام 2005، وأمضى ما يقارب 21 عامًا بقيمص الفريق الألماني.
وسبق وغادر ولعب لبوروسيا مونشنجلادباخ، وفي عام 2012 عاد رويس إلى دورتموند واستمر في صفوف الفريق حتى الموسم الجاري وسينتهي عقده في صيف 2024.
ومن أبرز النجاحات التي حققها ماركو رويس بقميص دورتموند، التواجد في نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا في لندن عام 2013 وفاز بكأس ألمانيا مرتين.
وفي 424 مباراة حتى الآن، سجل رويس 168 هدفًا وساهم بصناعة 128 هدفًا آخر، وفي عام 2019، تم اختياره أفضل لاعب كرة قدم في ألمانيا.
اقرأ أيضًا | بيلد توضح حقيقة صراع بوروسيا دورتموند وبايرن ميونخ على لاعب ليفربول
وقال رويس: “أنا ممتن وفخور للغاية بهذه الفترة المميزة التي قضيتها في بوروسيا دورتموند، قضيت أكثر من نصف حياتي في هذا النادي واستمتعت بكل يوم، على الرغم من وجود لحظات صعبة بالطبع”.
وأضاف: “أعلم بالفعل أنه سيكون من الصعب علي أن أقول وداعًا في نهاية الموسم، ومع ذلك، أنا سعيد لأن الأمر أصبح واضحًا الآن ويمكننا التركيز بشكل كامل على المباريات النهائية المهمة التي لا تزال معلقة”.
وأكد: “لدينا هدف كبير في الاعتبار، ونحن جميعا نريد تحقيقه معًا، ولهذا نحن بحاجة إلى كل واحد من مشجعينا الرائعين، الذين أود أن أشكرهم صراحةً على دعمهم المذهل على مر السنين”.
ويتواجد دورتموند في نصف نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا، وحقق الفوز في مباراة الذهاب بهدف دون رد أمام باريس سان جيرمان.
Virat Kohli followed up successive hundreds in the last two ODIs with another display of ruthless efficiency in a chase, and ensured India left Sri Lanka no crumbs of comfort at the end of a long and chastening month-and-a-half of one-sided contests
The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy06-Sep-2017 2:58
Maharoof: Once Virat hit top gear, he never let it go
Three-nil in the Tests, five-nil in the ODIs, a crushing seven-wicket win in the one-off T20I. Virat Kohli followed up successive hundreds in the last two ODIs with another display of ruthless efficiency in a chase, and ensured India left Sri Lanka no crumbs of comfort at the end of a long and chastening month and a half of one-sided contests.Set 171 to win, India romped home with four balls remaining and Manish Pandey making his third important contribution in a row, following up 50* and 36 in the last two ODIs with his maiden T20I fifty.Kohli, the only batsman with 1000 T20I runs and a 50-plus average, ended his tour with 82 off 54 balls, an innings that oozed arrogance. It was present in the shots he played – an umpire-endangering blast down the ground and a bottom-handed whip through midwicket, both off Lasith Malinga, standing out among his seven fours and a six – but especially in the way he admonished himself, bat slapping pad in annoyance, for little moments of imprecision: for putting too much weight on a clip down the ground and ending up with a single rather than two, for placing a front-foot slap a few inches closer to the extra-cover fielder than he would have liked and ending up with a single rather than four. It was as if the opposition did not matter.Virat Kohli went to No. 3 on the list of top scorers in T20Is•NurPhoto/Getty Images
Until he miscued a leg-side whip and holed out with India just 10 away from their target, it was easy to miss the assured hand played by Pandey in a 119-run partnership for the third wicket. He came in with India not entirely secure; they had lost both openers by the end of the sixth over, and Kohli not yet fully settled, having just been beaten twice in a row by Malinga’s seam and Isuru Udana’s left-arm angle. But Pandey promptly calmed any nerves in the dressing room, turning the strike over with dabs and pushes either side of point, and switching gears with a straight six and a fierce, airborne cut in the 12th over, off Angelo Mathews.With Kohli also blazing five fours and a six in that period, India sped from 47 for 2 after seven overs to 118 for 2 after 13. Four of those six overs were either Mathews’ medium-pace in conditions with no swing or seam or Seekkuge Prasanna’s quickish and not particularly ripping legspin, showing the lack of genuine wicket threat from Sri Lanka in the middle overs.The story was rather different when Sri Lanka batted. Sent in after a 40-minute rain delay, their batsmen, Dilshan Munaweera in particular, seemed liberated by the switch to the shortest format as they sped to 60 for 2 in their first six overs. They finished well too, scoring 52 for 1 in the last five, with Ashan Priyanjan turning around a slow start and Udana clubbing the quicks powerfully down the ground.They faltered in between, though, losing four wickets in those nine overs while scoring at under six-and-a-half per over.For India, the middle overs illuminated the value of playing two wristspinners. Kuldeep Yadav only conceded 11 in his three overs in that period, and bowled Munaweera with a quick skidder, the batsman sending his bat flying in the direction of square leg in a sweaty-gloved attempt at a pull.Yuzvendra Chahal gave away 13 in his one Powerplay over, Munaweera greeting him with successive sixes, over extra-cover and down the ground. He continued to go for runs in the middle overs, with Munaweera launching him for two more sixes in his third over and Thisara Perera pummeling him over long-on in his fourth. But he picked up three key middle-overs wickets: Mathews stumped while reaching out to a big legbreak and overbalancing; Perera bowled trying to cut one that cramped him for room; Dasun Shanaka lbw playing outside the line of a wrong’un.And so, despite conceding 43, Chahal probably bowled the crucial spell for India to keep Sri Lanka in check. Kohli and Pandey did the rest.
South Africa’s new-look bowling attack have had a slightly gentle easing-in against Bangladesh and as their leader Kagiso Rabada is aware of both the potential they have and the challenges they will face in the future
Firdose Moonda in Bloemfontein07-Oct-2017Given the complete lack of a contest in this clash between South Africa and Bangladesh, there is very little that can be read into the result. It tells us only what we already know, that South Africa are a stronger team than Bangladesh, but maybe, it also tells us something more.This South African side has just about a full-strength batting line-up (AB de Villiers is the only notable absentee) but an almost entirely new-look attack. Kagiso Rabada, with 22 caps, is the most experienced member of the pack in the current XI and is now properly establishing himself as its leader. Wayne Parnell is making his umpteenth comeback, having never become a regular. Duanne Olivier and Andile Phehlukwayo are trying to make cases for more permanent places.Bavuma has a knack of never giving up – Rabada
Temba Bavuma was the only batsman in South Africa’s top five who did not cash in on a good surface against a toothless attack but he made up for it in a milli-second in the field. Bavuma was at gully when Mushfiqur Rahim prodded at a back-of-a-length delivery from Duanne Olivier that flew off the face and forced Bavuma into immediate action. He dived one-handed to his right and pouched the ball when it was nearly past him to dismiss the Bangladesh captain and create another moment of fielding magic, which his team-mates more than appreciated. “It wasn’t a nice situation for Temba – you get out at times. He is the only one who didn’t score a hundred. It happens to the best. But every time when he doesn’t score with the bat, he does something in the field,” Rabada said. “He’s got that knack of never giving up. He always contributes to the team. They depend on Mushfiqur so it was an important moment in the game
Without disrespecting Bangladesh, Rabada indicated that all of them have been given a gentle easing-in, and South Africa have been allowed a glimpse into what lies ahead without much to block their view. “We were sitting down and I was speaking to Quinny saying that all the guys we played with and against at school are all in the team now and are coming up. South Africa is in good hands in the future,” Rabada, who become Test cricket’s leading wicket-taker in 2017, said. “It gets much tougher than Bangladesh, of course. You can play them in their conditions and it’s a different story. It gets harder from here. This is not it.”That South African cricket is in safe hands is a bold statement to make, not least because there are many arguments against it. The most obvious is the domestic system, which has been ravaged by Kolpaks and has not thrown up any stand-out names to compete with the current crop.Aiden Markram was the most recent one and though he has made the step-up seamlessly, there are not too many candidates who look like they will be able to do the same. In seasons to come that may change, but for now, the pressure is on the incumbents to do the job, none more so than Rabada.When South Africans think of their next “it” cricketer, they think of him. Though he went through a quiet period in England, the signs from him this summer suggest he is in good rhythm. He didn’t go as far as to confirm that, but hinted he is maturing enough to have learnt to work through setbacks.”There is expectation and there will be pressure. No-one is a Rambo, we are all human beings. You have to find ways to cope with it,” Rabada said. “The best players and the guys who have been in the longest have found ways to cope with it. Sometimes it can get bigger and you have to find a new way to deal with it. You grow as a person when things are not going your way.”Having a new coach will help. Not because the previous one – Russell Domingo, who Rabada was a supporter of – did anything wrong but because his replacement, Ottis Gibson brings fresh ideas. “He is a very stern character but at the same time he is lenient. He doesn’t beat around the bush. He cracks jokes with the guys,” the also-stern Rabada said. “He brings in his own dynamic, something as South Africans we are not particularly used to, but the guys are enjoying what he brings to the table. When we do the warm-ups, we do things in a different style and the guys enjoy it.”Like the team, Gibson’s performance also cannot be properly assessed on this series but the early signs are good. Gibson has managed to impress on his men that this assignment should be taken seriously and apart from some dropped catches in Potchefstroom, South Africa have been clinical.They’ve even been hard on themselves when it hasn’t quite gone according to plan, like when Liton Das enjoyed a period of run-scoring in the afternoon. Rabada would not like to see that repeated.”Liton Das came in at a time where the ball got a bit soft and it wasn’t doing much. He is a good player and I thought he was nice and patient and aggressive. I thought we missed our mark with him at times, giving him freebies so that’s something we have to talk about and execute tomorrow so it doesn’t happen again,” he said.Ultimately, South Africa know that if “we just stuck to our plans and at the end of the day the batsmen got themselves out”. Bangladesh’s capitulation means interest in this series will sink even lower and discussions around the standard of Test cricket between top-tier and lower-tier countries may be sparked again.For Rabada, it’s not about the gap but how South Africa have filled it. “I don’t think you can compare a first-class game to an international game, but it feels like one because there isn’t a crowd. It’s very peaceful. We didn’t take them lightly. We prepared very well and we executed our plans well. They’ve got some good players so we made sure we didn’t give them any space.”
Newcastle United have already made a few high-profile signings this summer and their business is still not done yet. Attentions are turning to the heart of the defence, with Ben Jacobs shedding some light on the situation on the Loaded Mag NUFC podcast.
What has gone on so far at St James' Park?
Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes have been added to the squad further up the field whilst Tino Livramento is the big money man in defence.
The Daily Mail reported that Chelsea were tempted to bring Livramento back to Stamford Bridge, potentially even loaning him back to Southampton, but Newcastle won the race.
Livramento is a versatile option as is the current starting right-back Kieran Trippier and so it will be fascinating to see how the pair are utilised by Eddie Howe.
As European football returns to St. James Park, more depth is needed and so there is chatter of then adding another centre-back as well. Sven Botman has taken like a duck to water since joining from Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyon, and a new partner may be brought in for him this month.
What has Ben Jacobs got to say on the centre-back situation at Newcastle?
Here is what Ben Jacobs had to say on the Loaded Mag NUFC Youtube channel when asked about the centre-back situation at St. James Park.
“I think that centre-back is a tricky one to be perfectly honest with you because anyone that watched Newcastle last season will immediately see that it’s very tough to break in and get too much game time and so you start looking either younger or for a little bit of depth and Newcastle are quite lucky I think in the centre-back position, they’ve got enough there, especially when you consider that they only play a back 4.
“It's not necessarily my understanding that CB is at the top of Newcastle’s priorities to be perfectly honest with you, even though we’ve seen some reports to the contrary.
“The names mentioned (Oumar Solet and Joachim Andersen) have got a little bit of substance to them, I think with Joachim Andersen the price is too high at this stage and you can understand why, a lot of CBs have been on the move at £30/35/40 million. If you take that then you immediately know that every other selling club is going to be using that as a yardstick.
“We might see another CB, I don’t think it is impossible but I would say that Eddie Howe probably only wants 1-2 more players maximum between now and the end of the window.”
Eddie Howe
All about the future of Joachim Andersen
Joachim Andersen, who has been hailed as "sensational", is one half of a formidable partnership at the back for Crystal Palace with Chelsea academy graduate Marc Guehi.
The latter has recently been linked with a move to Manchester United to fill the void left behind by Harry Maguire, but the man of the hour right now is Andersen.
Newcastle are pursuing the Dane with the hope that Palace will lower their asking pace. Jacobs’ said that “Eddie Howe probably only wants 1-2 more players maximum” with centre-half potentially being one of those.
The former Fulham loanee is being quoted at around a fee of £40 million which is out of the reach and desire of the Magpies.