All posts by h716a5.icu

Brian Close had the magical ability to defray pain as if it wasn’t there

Geoffrey Boycott15-Sep-20155:04

Boycott: Close intimidated batsmen without saying anything

I believe Brian Close will always be sort of an iconic Yorkshire cricketer. He played for a long time for the club, he was captain of four championship winning teams, two Gillette Cups and I think that’s what he’ll be remembered for. People will say he’s the youngest player ever to play for England at the age of 18, he went to Australia. It was not his batting or his bowling for which he’ll be remembered. They built up over many years for Yorkshire, they weren’t particularly special for England, but what was special were his captaincy and his legendary courage. His courage against Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith at Lord’s and the courage against Michael Holding and the West Indies attack at Manchester when he was 45 years of age.I saw at Yorkshire he would field very close to the bat. Remember, no helmets then, no protection so if he got hit it could be serious. And he did get hit from time to time, he caught many catches, he intimidated many batsmen without saying anything, just by his presence and he was good enough to catch many batsmen but he did get hit on the head, the legs. I’ve seen him go down twice, hit on the head and blood coming out of his head, everybody rushing to him and all he could say is, “Did you catch it?” In other words, “Did you catch it off me head?” and then one of them said no and he gave him a few swear words. One time the other guy did catch it off his head.He was a rare individual that put pain to one side. He had this very strong mind over matter, and that’s all it was. While he was playing, batting or fielding, if he was hurt by the ball, he would tell himself he wasn’t hurt. And it was only when he’d come off the field and if you pushed the area where he got a bruise or something, he’d jump up and down and it would be painful just like the rest of us. But while he was playing he had this magical ability to just defray pain as if it wasn’t there.Then his captaincy was very good, he was very positive. I can’t remember him ever being negative, it was all about winning, how do we get a win, take a risk and I learnt a lot by watching him and asking him questions. When I was in the dressing room as a young kid, I would ask him at lunch or tea or end of play, “Why did you only bowl Fred Trueman two overs?” And he’d give you a reason, maybe the pitch or something else and why did he switch so-and-so ends. And by asking questions and watching, and the answers I got, I learnt a lot about cricket. He’ll be remembered for his captaincy and his courage.I wasn’t keen on [opening against] the Duke ball, I had been batting in 1963 most of the season down at No. 5 or 6 and sometimes behind Ray Illingworth, who was the offspinner but a very good batsman. And I was doing quite well, I gave up my job in the civil service and I had no contract, I just had match fees so I had to play well.And it was at Scarborough actually and he just called me to one side after breakfast, I think it was early August, and said, “I want you to open.” I said, “Ooh, no, no, no! I’m not interested. I’m all right where I am, at 5 and 6, I’m doing all right.” But he said, “Well, I think you’ll make a good opener,” and I told him I was not keen. He said: “Well, you’ve got two choices, you can either open or do 12th man.” I said, “You can’t do that.” He said, “I can, I’m captain.” So I had no choice. I made 68, I think, and 28 and we won the match against Warwickshire. Then the very next match I went to the big Roses game at Old Trafford, which was huge for Yorkshire then – full houses, 25,000-30,000, people stood. And I got a hundred, so next year I opened for Yorkshire for about five weeks and then I was playing for England. So I think he got it right.I didn’t know him particularly as a human being, I knew him as a person in the dressing room as a human being. In the dressing room, that’s what I want to remember him by, because he was a very fine cricketer.

Bangladesh’s limited-overs captain Mashrafe Mortaza has been suspended for one ODI for maintaining a slow over-rate during the third one-dayer against Sri Lanka in Colombo

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-2017Bangladesh’s limited-overs captain Mashrafe Mortaza has been suspended for one ODI, and fined 40% of his match fee, for maintaining a slow over-rate during the third one-dayer against Sri Lanka in Colombo.It was Mashrafe’s second over-rate penalty in 12 months after he was also sanctioned following the first ODI against New Zealand in Christchurch on December 26. It means he will miss Bangladesh’s first ODI against Ireland on May 12 which is part of a tri-series also involving New Zealand ahead of the Champions Trophy.The remaining Bangladesh players were also fined 20% of their match fees for the same offence after the match referee Andy Pycroft found the team two overs short.Bangladesh lost the third ODI by 70 runs as the three-match series was shared.

The proposal could end a revenue sharing model between the board and the players that has stood for 19 years

Daniel Brettig21-Mar-2017Australia’s cricketers are considering the formal payment MOU offer announced by Cricket Australia (CA) on Tuesday, as the board pushes on with its attempt to break up the fixed percentage of revenue share agreement that has existed since 1998.While CA have agreed with the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) to include women in a single MOU for the first time, the remainder of the offer stays broadly in line with the initial pay submission presented to the players late last year. Talks have so far been the most fractious since the ACA was formed 20 years ago. The offer was formally submitted to the ACA this afternoon.The proposed changes

Total pay increases to A$419 million for 2017-22, from the current A$311 million

Average women’s pay increases by more than 125%, to A$179,000 a year from A$79,000 for international cricketers; it is A$52,000 from A$22,000 for domestic cricketers

Average international men’s central contract to rise to A$816,000 by 2021-22, with match fees up to an average of A$1.45 million from A$1.16 million in 2016-17

Average domestic men’s payments to rise to A$235,000 by 2021-22, up from A$199,000 in 2016-17

Minimum and average hourly pay will be the same for men and women domestic cricketers

Identical match fees for Women’s National Cricket League and Matador Cup

James Sutherland, the CA chief executive, heralded measures such as equal hourly rates of pay for male and female domestic players, an increase for women of 125% next to their current deals. He also outlined the overall increase in player remuneration from A$311 million over the current MOU period (2012-17) to A$419 million over the next MOU (2017-2022).”We are pleased that the Australian Cricketers Association agrees with us that women, for the first time, should be part of the MOU, and we have proposed a financial model that has gender equity at its heart,” Sutherland said.”Under the proposal, women will receive an immediate average pay increase of more than 125%. As a result, our international women cricketers will see their average pay increase from A$79,000 to A$179,000, as of July 1 this year. By 2021, we expect to see our international women cricketers earning an average of A$210,000.”And our state female cricketers, playing both WNCL [Women’s National Cricket League] and WBBL [Women’s Big Bash League], will see their average remuneration more than double from A$22,000 to A$52,000 this year. Under this offer, we will achieve gender equity by ensuring that the minimum and average hourly pay will be the same for state men and women in 2017/18. In addition, match fees for the WNCL and the Matador Cup will be exactly the same: a one-day game for a state cricketer is worth the same to both men and women.”We are also introducing, for the first time, prize money for the WNCL of A$258,000 and the WBBL of A$309,000 this coming summer.”The Australia’s women cricketers’ fees – those who play international cricket – have increased by 125% to A$ 179,000•Getty ImagesOne of the most hotly-contested aspects of the initial CA submission was that only the top male players deserved a fixed share of the game’s revenue because they helped provide most of windfall from international matches. Sutherland indicated that CA wanted to offer guaranteed minimums to the players while keeping any blue sky amounts over and above projections for funding other aspects of the game.CA’s figures come with the asterisk that the next round of television rights deals, both for Australian and overseas markets, are resolved over the next 15 months. Sutherland indicated that even if the revenue raised by these deals turned out to be comfortably above current projections, only international players would be entitled to a share in the upside.”We have placed the emphasis on increasing the guaranteed amount that the men will receive, rather than rely on any projected increase in revenue,” Sutherland said. “We understand that the ACA prefers the status quo, but CA believes that the model devised in the 1990s, which is based on a fixed percentage of revenue, has served its intended purpose – to make Australia’s cricketers some of the best paid sportspeople in the country.”It was a means to an end, not something that has to hold us back from providing players with financial certainty, a fair deal for all players including women, and the flexibility to invest in the grassroots of the game.”This is a landmark agreement. We are now looking forward to sitting down with the ACA to work through the details and we are confident we will be able to announce a completed agreement before June 30.”Another pillar of past MOU agreements was CA’s provision of an annual grant to fund the ACA, something the board openly questioned in their initial submission. Sutherland declined to indicate whether this was being maintained in the new offer.”That’s something that is in the detail of the proposal, I don’t want to go into that right now,” he said. “It’s something we can talk about later on. In the first instance we see that as a matter for the members and the ACA to consider and we can talk through that detail in the future.”Both Sutherland and the ACA chief executive Alistair Nicholson have spent time with the Test team in India in recent days. The players have so far been united in their rejection of any attempts to break up the revenue sharing model, and have also rebuffed CA’s efforts to negotiate directly with the players rather than the ACA.The national captains Steven Smith and Meg Lanning co-signed a letter to Sutherland to this effect in December after talks broke down. While they have resumed in the new year, the two parties remain a long way apart. Nicholson said that the ACA was positive about some elements of the pay offer, but also stated that much of its detail still needed to be digested before the players respond.”There is a lot of fine print to examine and a lot more forecast information still needed by the players,” he said. “Like all such proposals the devil is always in the details. For the moment, what can be said is that this proposal shows a number of promising signs that indicate that CA has been taking the ACA’s lead on various key points from our MOU submission.”However, with a lack of detail in the terms and conditions that underpin this proposal, the ACA will continue to seek clarification from CA and advise the players on this accordingly. The ACA will respond more fully in the coming weeks.”Australia’s looming series decider with India in Dharamsala should ensure that there will be little further jousting until the Test match concludes.

The transition period between managers was always going to be a tricky one for Manchester United, especially when considering the drastic change in formation.

However, Ruben Amorim has quickly seen the issues that lie within his Red Devils squad, losing 3-2 to Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on Saturday night.

Two unforced errors from goalkeeper Andre Onana sent the club to a second consecutive Premier League defeat after losing to Arsenal just a couple of days prior.

The two defeats have seen five goals conceded, with question marks still being presented about the backline and whether it’s able to succeed under the 39-year-old’s guidance.

However, despite that, the new boss is targeting more reinforcements in attacking areas to try and bolster their threat within the final third of the pitch, with one player of interest in recent days.

Man Utd targeting move for 17-goal striker

According to reports from Caught Offside, United are in the race to sign Lille striker Jonathan David after his impressive start to the 2024/25 campaign. It’s stated that talks with the player’s entourage have been held as INEOS aim to add more firepower to the squad.

However, they aren’t alone, with Arsenal also credited with an interest in signing the 24-year-old Canada international in the next couple of months.

David has registered 17 goals in all competitions so far this season, drawing huge attention, with his contract set to expire in June, which could allow for a pre-contract agreement with any of the aforementioned clubs.

It’s unclear how much a deal for the striker would cost given his contract situation, but it’s evident that from his current goalscoring figures, he would be able to provide that added quality Amorim is desiring.

It could see them delay any attempts to land a striker who’s been on the lips of many United supporters given his connection with the new manager.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

How David compares to Viktor Gyokeres in 2024/25

Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres has been one of the most clinical strikers in world football over the last couple of years, producing some phenomenal stats in the process.

The Swede played under Amorim for two years in Portugal, amassing over 60 goals in the process, including a hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League a couple of months ago.

However, any deal for the 26-year-old would be at least £60m, a fee that may be out of range for United given their recent cost-cutting efforts since Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s arrival in the North West.

As a result, David could be viewed as a cheaper alternative to Gyokeres, but one that would be just as effective, especially when delving into his figures this season, matching or bettering the former Coventry City star in various key areas.

The Canadian, who’s previously been dubbed as “one of the best strikers in the world” by journalist Tony Marinaro, may have registered slightly fewer goal contributions compared to the Swede, but he has matched him for goals per shot on target this campaign.

Games played

14

13

Goals & assists

12

18

Progressive passes

2.1

1.8

Pass accuracy

81%

73%

Shot-on-target accuracy

48%

38%

Goals per shot on target

0.5

0.5

Take-on success

69%

50%

He’s also completed more take-ons, with a higher pass accuracy, providing a more all-round option, allowing him to feature at the top end of the pitch, but also in a slightly deeper role behind the striker.

Given his current contract option, he would be a cheap alternative to Gyokeres, but that’s not to say that he wouldn’t have the same impact as the Swede for the Red Devils.

As seen from the table, he’s clearly able to produce some bonkers numbers, in a higher quality division, potentially allowing him to seamlessly transition into life in England’s top flight.

The competition for his signature is likely to be fierce, but given Amorim’s ambitions at Old Trafford, it may be an exciting proposition for the attacker – one which he could become a key part of in the coming years should they secure his services.

£60m Man Utd flop who left in 2015 is now outscoring Bruno Fernandes

Ex-Man Utd midfielder Angel Di Maria is now outperforming Bruno Fernandes this season.

ByGeorge Light Dec 10, 2024

Orozco acknowledged his frustration at missing the Nations League squad, but insists his focus on his club performance

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The Cruz Azul defender is struggling to get minutes

Orozco was left out of the squad for the Final Four of the Nations League

Assured that Cruz Azul is capable of winning everything after eliminating the Sounders from the Champions Cup

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After Cruz Azul’s 4-1 win over the Sounders, which secured their place in the Champions Cup quarterfinals, Jesús Orozco admitted feeling hurt after being left out of Mexico’s squad for the Nations League Final Four on March 20.

"Yes, it hit me a little. It hurt… I won’t lie — you always want to represent your country. It’s a great honor,” Chiquete said after the game.

"I have to keep working. There’s still time before the World Cup, and I know without a doubt, I’ll be there."

Following the victory, Orozco also made it clear that Cruz Azul are ready to face any opponent in the next round, whether it’s América or Chivas. "We’re ready to beat anyone," he said.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Orozco was a key starter at Chivas, but at Cruz Azul, he has not fully earned a starting spot under Vicente Sánchez. In his first season with , the 23-year-old defender has recorded 835 minutes in 12 matches. Against Seattle, he came on as a substitute in the 86th minute.

DID YOU KNOW?

Orozco, 23, has four caps with Mexico. Two of them were in friendly matches, and the other two were in the Concacaf Nations League (280 minutes played).

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WHAT NEXT FOR CRUZ AZUL?

will host Atlético de San Luis next Saturday for Matchday 12 of the Clausura 2025. Sánchez's side is in fifth place with 19 points.

Surrey director of cricket says gulf in standards is due to unavailability of international players

Andrew Miller30-Mar-2022Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket, insists that county cricket remains the primary “breeding ground” for England’s Test cricketers, but acknowledges that the gulf between the domestic and international game has widened in recent years, due in a large part to the reduced availability of the world’s best players.For that reason, Stewart – who confirmed he is not in the running to become the new managing director of the England men’s team – has warned the selectors not to over-react to the failings of the team in Australia and West Indies this winter, after they capped a run of eight Tests without victory with a humiliating ten-wicket loss in Grenada this week.Two of Surrey’s most prominent players were casualties of England’s 4-0 Ashes loss. Rory Burns, the club captain and England’s senior opener at the start of the winter, was omitted from the West Indies tour after making 77 runs at 12.83 in three Tests, including a first-ball duck from the opening delivery of the Ashes. And Ollie Pope, whose first-class average at the Kia Oval is currently a Bradman-esque 99.94, was relegated to 12th man duties in the Caribbean after a top score of 35 in six Ashes innings.At the age of 24, Pope’s struggles to convert his prolific county form into the England team is perhaps the most revealing evidence of the step-up in class that is now required to make the Test grade, and Stewart insisted that that need to learn on the job with England was all the more reason why it was incumbent on the selectors to keep the faith.”We’ve still got good players,” Stewart said at the Kia Oval, during Surrey’s pre-season media day. “Ollie Pope is a high-class player, but when they go up a level, it is a massive jump. The scrutiny you’re under now is even greater than it was, and that’s where you need selection to be strong. Because if you believe a player is good enough, then you need to give them a real good run.”Stewart himself is no stranger to the vagaries of England selection, having lived through the team’s struggles in the 1990s. But he believes that the heavy workloads faced by the game’s best players during his own playing days were a factor in keeping the standards constant across the first-class game.Related

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“If you go back in time – and I’m not saying it was right – you used to finish your Test match and then play a county game the next day,” he said. “So the players coming through would be bowling at Graham Gooch and Mike Gatting, or they’d be facing high quality overseas bowlers.”In the 80s and 90s, there wasn’t franchise cricket around, there was no international cricket played outside of England in our summer. So you had all those great bowlers coming over to our breeding ground. Whereas now, the quality of the overseas-player availability has diminished and the best England Test players, because of the amount of Test cricket they play, are either playing [for England] or resting.”So you have to learn when you go up. You always have to improve and learn, but even more so now at the highest level, because of the hand the game has been dealt. And that’s globally, not just here.”The ECB is currently preparing to undertake a game-wide review, instigated by Andrew Strauss, the interim managing director, with the aim of redefining the game’s structure in time for the 2023 season. According to the Telegraph, proposals include a mooted 12-team Premier League, to replace the current 10-8 split across the first and second divisions, but Stewart believes that much of the criticism is the inevitable consequence of another high-profile Ashes loss.”How long has the County Championship been in place? 100 years or more?” Stewart said. “Whenever we’ve lost in Australia, which has been on numerous occasions for a long, long time, there’s always an inquest and we’re just seeing exactly the same thing, yet another inquest. When Australia lose here, they have an inquest about their Sheffield Shield.”County cricket is a breeding ground for Test cricket. Over the years it produces good players and it will continue to produce good players.””You’ve always got to earn the right to play,” he added. “But if you don’t feel a part of a set-up, you’re not going to play as a relaxed cricketer, as you would when you play for your county or your state side, because it is as much about the top two inches [the brain], as it is technically.””If you’ve been picked to be good enough for one game, then you’re good enough for a number of games, because if you’re not, then it’s not the lad’s fault. It’s the selectors’ fault.”

Highlights of tournament for WI captain were the wins over New Zealand and England in the league stage

Valkerie Baynes30-Mar-2022″You’ll be seeing us around,” Stafanie Taylor, the West Indies captain, said after an emphatic 157-run defeat at the hands of title favourites Australia knocked her side out of a World Cup tournament regarded as a resounding success for her team.Two batters down chasing a mammoth 306 from 45 overs after Anisa Mohammad injured her hamstring while fielding and Chinelle Henry took ill during the match, West Indies had been comprehensively out-played long before that.Australian centurion Alyssa Healy and Rachael Haynes put on 216 runs for the first wicket and a steady stream of wickets knocked West Indies’ pursuit on the head shortly after it got going via Deandra Dottin and then Hayley Matthews, with Taylor only able to hold the innings together for so long, by which point the run rate required had blown out.But Taylor said reaching the semi-finals showed the progress her side had made since reaching the tournament based on world rankings when the qualifiers were cancelled amid the Covid-19 pandemic, then losing their four-match ODI series against South Africa in the lead-up 2-1.West Indies set the World Cup alight by defeating New Zealand and England in their first two matches but fell away after that, winning just one more game – against Bangladesh – before a washout against South Africa left them relying on South Africa’s narrow defeat of India to scrape into the final four.”We beat two of the top teams and I reckon no one expected that,” Taylor said. “And to be in the semi-finals, no one expected that. The way we played throughout the tournament has been really good.”We had some downs and that happens. It’s about learning and I believe that we are still learning. I’m very proud of the way we played. We still have more to go, so yeah, you’ll see us around.”Matthews was West Indies’ leading run-scorer with 260 at 37.14 and a strike rate of 80.00 as well as their leading wicket-taker with eight at an average of 26.80. She echoed her captain’s belief that the tournament was a success and hoped it would provide a solid platform for future growth.”Beating a team like New Zealand and then being able to beat a team like England right after, these are things that we couldn’t imagine doing a year ago,” Matthews said. “It’s just really, really good to be a part of the growth that this team has had over the last year and I genuinely do think that if we continue moving in this direction, there’s only bigger things for us.”When you speak about the advantages some of the other teams would have over us, like Australia or England, with their domestic structure and the amount of talent that they have to pull from within their pools, and then you look at us competing against teams like that, it just shows the fight and the heart that we really do have as a team.”When you look at the characteristics of this team, you think of people who play with their hearts on their sleeves. We come into every game with so much emotion and so much passion, trying to represent the West Indies and the Caribbean and we plan to continuously do that, all the time, try to play with us as much fight as we possibly can.”We are by no means the absolutely best cricketers in the world compared to some of the others but at the same time we play with so much fight and so much spirit that we can compete with the best in the world, which is brilliant to be a part of.”And Matthews believed that West Indies were on the right path towards developing more local talent via domestic competition such as the recently announced three-team Women’s CPL starting later this year.”The more cricket we can play at a lower level to the domestic stuff, the better,” she said. “Hopefully we can get some more young girls coming through the system.”In this batch of players, this may be a lot of their last World Cups… it would be really good if we could start to nurture some younger players throughout the domestic cricket season and get some more people filtering into West Indies stuff.”

Newcastle skipper Bruno Guimaraes revealed that he received a text message from Alan Shearer before Carabao Cup final against Liverpool.

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Guimaraes thrilled to win Carabao Cup Received a text message from legendary ShearerMagpies beat Liverpool to end 70-year trophy droughtFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Magpies created history on Sunday as they edged out Liverpool 2-1 in the final of the Carabao Cup at Wembley to end their 70-year trophy drought. Dan Burn scored the opening goal at the stroke of half-time while star forward Alexander Isak netted the winning goal in the 52nd minute. Federico Chiesa then pulled one back for the Reds in the dying minutes of the match.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Star midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, who was appointed as the captain of the club at the start of the 2024/25 campaign, was thrilled to see his name enter the history books at St. James' Park as he revealed that he got a text message from Magpies icon Shearer before the final at the home of football.

WHAT BRUNO GUIMARAES SAID

Speaking to reporters after the historic triumph, the Magpies skipper said: "It's all for these fans. They deserve everything. When I first came here I said I wanted to put my name in history. We can now say we are the champions again. I don't have any words. It's the best day of my life. For them [the fans] it's like the World Cup. People have grown up and not seen us as champions. My first year as captain of this club and it's one of the best days. This is unbelievable."

He added: "This is my second home. We are making history. Some day when I leave this club I want the fans to sing my name the way they do to [former Newcastle captain Alan] Shearer. He texted me before the game. I'm so emotional today."

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR NEWCASTLE UNITED?

The history-makers will be back in action after the international in the Premier League on April 2 as they take on Brentford at home.

Tottenham Hotspur are a club in a real tough patch of form as of late, leading to huge pressure on the shoulders of boss Ange Postecoglou.

It was only a couple of weeks ago that his Spurs side went to the Etihad, beating Manchester City 4-0 and looking like a real threat, needing to build on such a performance to maintain their top-four hopes.

However, since that victory on the 23rd of November, the Lilywhites are without a victory in all competitions, dropping to 11th in the Premier League table as a result.

Draws against Roma, Fulham, and Rangers and losses to Bournemouth and Chelsea have seen questions asked about the long-term future of the Aussie, potentially seeing a change occurring over the next few months.

Should Daniel Levy decide to pull the trigger, there’s one name who’s already said to be on the club’s list to replace the 59-year-old in North London.

Tottenham targeting Premier League boss to replace Postecoglou

According to TEAMtalk, West Ham United could face competition from Spurs over a deal to land Brentford boss Thomas Frank should Postecoglou be unable to turn the recent slump of form around.

The 51-year-old has been at the helm of the Bees since October 2018, leading them to the Premier League, before transforming them into an established top-flight outfit.

TEAMtalk’s report claims that the club’s hierarchy are huge admirers of the Dane, given his ability to play good football and work on a strict budget, but still manage to get the best out of his players – as seen with the Bees, given their current standing of ninth.

However, it has previously been reported by The Telegraph that he has a £9m release clause in his contract, and it remains to be seen if Levy would trigger a deal at such a hefty price tag.

Should they decide to move for the current Bees boss, it would allow one first-team member to thrive in North London, whilst also providing an upgrade on the former Celtic manager.

The player who would benefit from Frank’s potential arrival

Sweden international Dejan Kulusevski has been a player who has taken his game to the next level throughout 2024/25, arguably becoming the club’s most important talent over Heung-min Son.

The 24-year-old has operated in various positions such as attacking midfield or in his regular right-side role, having a huge impact on Spurs’ side, unthinkable where they would be without him.

He’s registered six combined goals and assists in the Premier League to date, with Frank taking his career to the next level should he move to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium – potentially having a similar impact as he has done with Bryan Mbeumo.

The Cameroonian has scored nine times and registered two assists for the Bees, playing a huge part in taking the club to ninth and boasting the second-best goalscoring record in the division.

Frank would be an upgrade on Ange, bringing a team spirit and unity that the dressing room has desperately lacked on the field in recent months under the Aussie.

The Dane, who’s previously been dubbed “remarkable” by journalist Henry Winter, has achieved more points than the current Spurs boss in England’s top flight during 2024/25 – also losing fewer matches in the process.

Games managed

15

15

Games won

7

6

Games lost

6

7

Goals scored

31

31

Points per game

1.53

1.33

Win percentage

47%

40%

League position

9th

11th

Such a record has seen him claim more points per game than the 59-year-old, with the £9m fee touted for his services well worth it for the quality of manager they would be getting in the process.

Supporters are undoubtedly growing tired of their inconsistent results and performances, with a change potentially coming in the near future.

Postecoglou is a manager under huge pressure, desperately needing to claim a result against Southampton on Sunday evening on the south coast.

Spurs may have the next Dele in teen "cheat-code" who's outscoring Solanke

The incredible youngster could be a future star for Spurs.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 14, 2024

Says that Pant’s “learning experiences” from the last year and a half will make him a “better leader and person”.

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Mar-20221:05

Ponting discusses Pant’s leadership trajectory

Ricky Ponting had not even realised it. Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant may not have thought of it as well. And it may not have struck people in Indian cricket either. That Ponting, the former Australia captain who had several intense duels with India captains during his playing days, has already groomed two future India captains in the IPL.Well before taking over as the head coach of Delhi Capitals (then Daredevils) in 2018, Ponting had coached Mumbai Indians and had chaperoned Rohit’s captaincy from 2013 to 2016, to help the franchise to two IPL titles, in 2013 and 2015. Rohit has since become one of the top all-format players for India and has taken over the India captaincy in at least two formats.Related

What a ten-team, four-venue IPL might look like

Nortje cleared of 'serious injury', to continue rehab with Delhi Capitals

Pant is now in a very similar situation. A vital all-format player for India, in his early 20s, a new IPL captain, and a possible future India captain, also being groomed by Ponting.”I hadn’t thought about that actually but they are actually quite similar,” Ponting said of the Rohit-Pant comparison a day before the two teams he has coached face each other in IPL 2022. “When Rohit took over at Mumbai, he was quite a young man as well, and had started out in his international cricket. He was probably very similar [in age], I’m not sure how old he was but he would have been 23-24, similar to what Rishabh is here at the Delhi Capitals.”To tell you honestly, they’re quite similar people. I know they are great mates and they talk all the time and they’re probably exchanging things about leadership and captaincy along the way as well. Rohit probably doesn’t want to give too many secrets away because we’re going to play against him in a couple of days’ time (laughs). I think there’s every opportunity for Rishabh’s journey to be similar to Rohit Sharma’s. He’s a young captain of a successful franchise and growing on a daily basis and hopefully Rishabh can have the same sort of success Rohit’s had at the Mumbai Indians. And then with some experience in a role like this in a high-pressure tournament like the IPL, I’ve got no doubt in the years to come there’s every chance that Rishabh could be an international captain. No doubt about it.”The manner in which both Rohit and Pant were handed their IPL captaincies was also similar; Rohit took over from Ponting mid-season in 2013 and Pant was handed over the baton last IPL after Shreyas Iyer picked up a shoulder injury.Ponting is now in his fifth season with Capitals, and he has overseen Pant’s evolution not just as captain but as a player and individual too, after Pant was bought by Daredevils in the 2016 auction. Since then, Pant has played 84 games for them to amass 2498 runs while averaging 35.18 and striking at 147.46, and has quickly gone up the ladder to take over as a long-term captain.Ponting said the “learning experiences” Pant has had in the last 12-18 months with India and in the IPL will make him a “better leader and person”.”His evolution – not just the last one year, this is my fifth season now at the Delhi Capitals – and his evolution as a player and as a person has been quite dramatic,” Ponting said. “Last couple of years with some more responsibility in and around the Indian team, and captaining the Delhi Capitals last season, there’s a lot of learning experiences for him through the last 12-18 months for him which will keep helping him become a better leader and person on a daily basis. I know Rishabh really well, and that’s what he talks about all the time, trying to find ways to improve.”There’s no doubt that his maturity in the last 12-18 months with his play and also with his leadership and captaincy has been outstanding. It’s a big part of my job as well to try and help and guide him and push Rishabh in the right direction where I can. But saying that, he’s got a very good grasp on what leadership is all about because he’s been in successful teams and he’s been under strong leaders in the past. It’s up to me, if there’s anything I can help him with, I’ll do it along the way.”Ponting will now hope he can help Pant lift the IPL trophy two months from now and cheekily ask the BCCI for a ‘captaincy-grooming bonus’ they never knew they owed him.