Junaid Khan’s 3 for 32 helped Balochistan restrict Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to 155
ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2021Imam-ul-Haq’s half-century and Junaid Khan’s three wickets lifted Balochistan to an emphatic six-wicket win over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The victory lifted them off the bottom position and also provided some hope to finish in the top four.Balochistan, who had four players ruled out due to to Covid-19, opted to field first. Debutant Aamer Azmat was dismissed by Junaid in the opening open before Israrullah (19) and Mohammad Rizwan (17) helped Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to recover. Balochistan’s bowlers were largely economical, with a few exceptions including Haris Sohail, who conceded 21 in 2 overs.There were cameos from Fakhar Zaman (12 off 13) and Mohammad Wasim (12 off 14) as the scoring rate was kept in check. It was Sahibzada Farhan who provided impetus to the innings with 78 off 49 balls, with nine fours and one six, to help his side post a steady 155.While chasing, Balochistan started slowly with openers Abdul Bangalzai (14) Abdullah Shafique (28) sharing a 33-run stand in 5.1 overs. Imam anchored the innings smartly with an unbeaten 64. Wickets fell around him, including Harris (14 off 16) and Umaid Asif (20 off 12), but Imam and Amad Butt (12* off 5) carried Balochistan home with two balls to spare.
A 48-year-old coach is interested in taking over from Erik ten Hag at Manchester United, according to a new report.
Ten Hag’s position as United boss is under considerable threat, so much so that a meeting was set to be held in London on Tuesday between the club’s hierarchy, with the future of the Dutchman one topic being discussed.
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1 ByJoe Nuttall Oct 8, 2024 Man Utd eye Ten Hag replacements
Failure to beat Tottenham Hotspur, Porto, and Aston Villa in the last week has put enormous pressure on Ten Hag, so much so that the club are potentially eyeing replacements. Over the weekend, it emerged that the club could be prepared to wait until the summer to try and entice Xabi Alonso to become the next Man Utd manager.
Meanwhile, it was reported on Monday that Man United are lining up a move for Thomas Tuchel as another potential replacement for Ten Hag. Tuchel has been out of work since leaving Bayern Munich at the end of last season, and he was heavily linked with the role during the summer, holding talks with the club’s hierarchy.
Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel
Brentford’s Thomas Frank also emerged as an option for United, as the Dane is reportedly on a three-man shortlist to replace Ten Hag should that decision come. Frank has been impressing with the Bees after establishing the London side as a midtable Premier League team. But there is also another option United might consider, as a 48-year-old coach is now interested in replacing Ten Hag.
Van Nistelrooy interested in taking over from Ten Hag at Man Utd
According to Football Insider, Manchester United’s assistant manager Ruud van Nistelrooy would be interested in replacing Ten Hag as the club’s new manager. The former United striker returned to Old Trafford in a coaching role during the summer, and he now appears to be in the race to replace Ten Hag should the club’s hierarchy believe a change is needed.
Van Nistelrooy’s links to Man United and the fact that he knows the current squad due to his coaching role mean he is in the mix to become the new United manager. The 48-year-old is considered a “safe pair of hands” by the club’s chiefs if they decide to go down an interim route before appointing a permanent manager.
The report states that Van Nistelrooy wanting the job would be a deciding factor if the club decides to give him the role. It goes on to add that, should an offer arrive at Van Nistelrooy’s feet, then he would be interested in taking it.
Games
50
Won
34
Drawn
8
Lost
8
Points
110
Points per game
2.20
The Dutchman has experience already in management as he took charge of PSV from Roger Schmidt, and in the 50 games that he oversaw, he had a win percentage of 64.7, which helped him claim cup success in his homeland. The Red Devils may want to keep Van Nistelrooy on at the club whether he becomes their manager or not, as his links to the club and the fanbase make him a very popular character in that United coaching team.
Thomas Tuchel is just the third foreign manager of the England men’s national team, looking to lead the Three Lions to World Cup glory in 2026.
The German, who won the Champions League with Chelsea, took over the permanent role vacated by Gareth Southgate. Sven-Göran Eriksson and Fabio Capello were the two previous foreign bosses to have managed England, with Capello the last prior to Tuchel’s arrival.
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ByCharlie Smith Oct 16, 2024
The Italian led England at the 2010 World Cup and was set to be in charge at Euro 2012. However, he resigned just months before the tournament was set to start, with his last game coming in a friendly against Sweden at Wembley in November 2011.
Wins
28
Draws
8
Losses
6
Goals scored
89
Goals conceded
35
But what did the team look like in Capello’s last game as England manager, and where are they now? Here’s who was involved in the Italian’s final match…
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Starting in goal was Joe Hart, who was a regular for Manchester City and the Three Lions at the time.
He represented England on 75 occasions and Capello was the man who gave Hart his international debut. The goalkeeper retired from football in 2024 after three years with Celtic. Hart has since gone into TV punditry, making appearances on Match of the Day.
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The only starter from that evening who is still playing now is right-back Kyle Walker. The Manchester City star had made his international debut earlier in 2011 under Capello and is now approaching 100 caps for the Three Lions.
Walker has been a regular in recent years at numerous major tournaments and may be hoping to star under Tuchel.
3 John Terry (Chelsea) 78 caps
Centre-back John Terry was the captain under Capello. Terry wouldn’t wear the armband again after being accused of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand just weeks before this match, and was later stripped of the captaincy by the FA. That led to Capello resigning from his role as manager just before Euro 2012.
In total, Terry won 78 caps for his country and has gone into coaching in recent years. He was Dean Smith’s assistant at Aston Villa and part of his staff at Leicester City, while he has also worked at Chelsea’s academy.
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ByLuke Randall Mar 19, 2024 4 Gary Cahill (Bolton) 61 caps
Gary Cahill partnered Terry at the back for Chelsea, however, he didn’t move to Stamford Bridge until 2012.
He won the first of his 61 Three Lions caps in 2009 and would go on to play for Crystal Palace and Bournemouth before retiring in 2022.
5 Leighton Baines (Everton) 30 caps
Everton legend Leighton Baines was given the nod by Capello at left-back for his final game, and he’s another who was given his international debut by the Italian.
Baines has been managing Everton’s U18 side since 2022 after retiring from playing in 2020.
6 Theo Walcott (Arsenal) 47 caps
Still the youngest player to make his senior England debut at the age of 17 years and 75 days, Theo Walcott was used on the right-hand side of midfield against Sweden.
The former Southampton, Arsenal and Everton winger retired in 2023 after making more than 550 appearances at club level. He is another player who has become a pundit, appearing on the BBC and Sky Sports.
7 Gareth Barry (Man City) 53 caps
The unlikely match-winner (of sorts) in Capello’s last game was holding midfielder Gareth Barry, whose header was deflected in by Sweden defender Daniel Majstorovic.
Still the all-time Premier League record appearance maker, Barry retired from professional football in 2020 but joined village club Hurstpierpoint in Sussex in 2024.
8 Phil Jones (Man Utd) 27 caps
Primarily a defender, Phil Jones played in midfield in Capello’s final England game. In fact, the former Manchester United man only made his international debut a month earlier.
He spent 12 years at Old Trafford and retired in 2023, when he began a coaching role with the Red Devils academy.
9 Jack Rodwell (Everton) 3 caps
A name many may not have expected to see starting Capello’s final game is midfielder Jack Rodwell. This was his first start for the Three Lions and he only managed one more cap after this appearance.
Rodwell moved to Australia in 2021 and has since turned out for Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC.
10 Stewart Downing (Liverpool) 35 caps
On the left-hand side of midfield was Stewart Downing, best known for his two spells with Middlesbrough.
His 35 caps for England spanned 10 years, and 2011 was his most successful year in a Three Lions shirt under Capello, featuring nine times. With his playing days over, Downing has since taken up a coaching role at Leeds United’s academy.
Eliminado da Copa São Paulo Futebol Júnior deste ano, após perder por 2 a 1 para o Resende, do Rio de Janeiro, nesta sexta-feira (14), o atacante Giovane, do Corinthians, lamentou o revés do clube do Parque São Jorge.
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– Doloroso a gente que é atleta e está começando agora ser eliminado assim, é doloroso – disse Giovane
O camisa 11 iniciou a competição como o nome a ser observado, mostrou o seu valor em alguns momentos, mas foi ofuscado por alguns nomes como Keven e Guilherme Biro, e justamente valorizou o conjunto corintiano, saindo em defesa dos companheiros e dizendo que nunca faltou raça em relação aos jogadores.
– Nunca faltou raça para a gente. Tenho orgulho desse time, de todos que jogaram. Quero parabenizar o Resende, agora é trabalhar para ganhar títulos ainda esse ano – comentou o atacante.
Agora, os jogadores que disputaram a Copinha pelo Corinthians voltarão às suas respectivas categorias aguardando uma chance de serem lembrados pelo elenco profissional.
Alguns atletas que estiveram nesta edição do torneio de base já estiveram no time principal no ano passado, é o caso de nomes como Reginaldo, Mandaca, Matheus Araújo, Guilherme Biro, Rodrigo Varanda e Felipe Augusto.
Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement has seen several of his new signings settle in well over the previous week or so after two wins in the space of four days.
While the games showed the Ibrox side are at both ends of the spectrum. Against Malmö, the Gers looked impressive, despite the fact they couldn’t finish their chances off. Against Hibs on Sunday, however, the club were far more one-dimensional, struggling to secure all three points at Ibrox.
Nedim Bajrami looks like a really impressive signing by Clement, registering a goal and an assist in just four matches to begin his Gers career.
Neraysho Kasanwirjo also looks promising, being thrown in the deep end against the Swedish side in the Europa League and delivering a solid and measured display.
While these two signings could be inspired, Clement missed out on several players during the summer, most notably Albion Rrahmani and defender Jose Córdoba, who both could have improved the starting XI this term.
Nevertheless, the Belgian isn’t the only coach who has missed out on a transfer target during his spell managing the Light Blues.
Michael Beale brought in a few decent players last summer, with one looking like he could have stayed at the club after a successful loan spell…
Abdallah Sima’s Rangers stats
With Beale losing Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent upon the expiration of their contracts at the end of the 2022/23 season, the Englishman had plenty of shoes to fill.
In came the likes of Cyriel Dessers, Sam Lammers and Danilo to try and fill the void, but in reality, the trio offered little indication that they would be the answer, especially during the first half of the season.
Rangers winger Abdallah Sima.
Beale did sign Abdallah Sima, with the winger joining on a loan deal from Brighton and Hove Albion. He looked like a player who would add some depth to the first-team squad, yet the Senegal gem went on to become one of the most impressive players for the club last season.
In terms of goal contributions, Sima registered 18 in 40 matches, which featured 16 goals and two assists across all competitions. This only ranked him behind Dessers and James Tavernier in the goalscoring charts for the Ibrox side last term.
In the Premiership alone, Sima also created two big chances, averaged 0.8 key passes and succeeded with 1.2 dribbles per game, clearly demonstrating his attacking talents, which often led to him being in the right place at the right time.
Once the season finished, Sima returned to his parent club, but it appeared as though Clement was keen on reuniting with him during the summer.
It was reported that the fee Brighton were demanding for the winger could drop due to him being out of contract next year, which opened the door for the Gers.
Abdallah Sima’s Rangers stats
Metric
SPFL
Europa League
Goals
11
3
Assists
2
0
Big chances created
2
0
Successful dribbles per game
1.2
1.8
Total shots per game
2.9
2.5
Via Sofascore
In the end, he joined French side Brest on a temporary deal, as the club missed out on him.
It could have been so different for Beale had he signed one of his other attacking targets in the summer of 2023, however, as Jack Clarke was linked with a move north of the border.
When Rangers missed out on Jack Clarke
That summer, Beale saw Clarke as an ideal signing to improve his attacking department. According to Football League World, the Light Blues were showing plenty of interest in the winger, alongside clubs such as Burnley, Brentford and Crystal Palace.
During the 2022/23 campaign for Sunderland, Clarke demonstrated exactly why so many clubs were keen on securing his services. Across 50 games in all competitions, the 23-year-old scored 11 times while registering 14 assists.
One that got away
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Additionally, the winger created seven big chances and averaged 1.7 key passes while succeeding with two dribbles per game, further underlining his attacking qualities in the second tier.
It really is no wonder that his former manager in Tony Mowbray heaped so much praise on the youngster in 2022, saying: “What nobody can deny is the talent he has when the ball is at his feet, how fast his feet are and how wonderful a talent he is. And he’s a joy to work with because he’s a wonderfully happy-go-lucky kid. There’s times I’d like him to be a bit more serious but that’s because he really is a diamond of a lad, we all love him.”
In the end, he chose to remain with the Black Cats, although they once again failed to win promotion to the Premier League last term.
This meant that Clarke would surely be sold, as a talent like his needed to make the step up to a bigger league in order to test himself among the best players.
Rangers were clearly ruled out of the running, which makes Beale’s mistake all the more baffling.
How much Jack Clarke is worth now
After yet another productive season with Sunderland, newly promoted Ipswich Town made an offer for the winger which the club simply couldn’t refuse.
Sunderland winger Jack Clarke
Indeed, Clarke moved to the Tractor Boys for an initial £15m transfer fee, with another £5m in add-ons if certain conditions are met this term.
Since his move to Ipswich, Clarke has played four matches, but he has yet to open his account for his new side.
Clarke has already grabbed an assist, though, while averaging 1.3 successful dribbles and one key pass per game, indicating that he has carried on the momentum he garnered last term.
If he performs to the level he showed at Sunderland, then Clarke could be vital in Ipswich remaining in the top flight. This will see his valuation soar, and the club may be able to make a substantial profit on the youngster.
Sima proved to be a wonderful addition to the Gers squad last summer, but the supporters were only able to see his talents for a single season.
If Beale invested his funds more wisely in 2023, then the club could have had a player such as Clarke in their first-team squad.
Rangers once had the next "Stevie G", he's now worth just £125k after exit
The Light Blues once had the heir apparent to Gerrard on their books…
If Philippe Clement was able to call upon the services of a prime Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent for Glasgow Rangers this term, perhaps the club wouldn’t be trailing in the Premiership title race.
Thursday’s 4-0 win over FCSB eased the pressure slightly on the Belgian, but this cannot be a flash-in-the-pan display.
The Ibrox side travel to Paisley this afternoon to face St Mirren and another strong performance will go a long way to silencing the critics.
Players such as Cyriel Dessers and Ross McCausland have been poor in recent weeks. Imagine how better it would be if Morelos and Kent were available.
Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent's record for Rangers
The duo were often the first-choice left-winger and striker under Steven Gerrard, as Morelos used his brute strength and physical characteristics to create plenty of space for himself, while Kent’s marauding runs into the opponent’s penalty area often set up chance after chance for the Gers.
Rangers winger Ryan Kent.
The Englishman played 218 games for the club, contributing 89 goal involvements. Morelos was certainly more effective in front of goal, scoring 124 times in just 269 games, which works out as a ratio of a goal every 2.1 matches.
At their best, there was perhaps no finer winger and striker in Scotland. Unfortunately, the pair left for nothing when their contracts expired in 2023 as the Ibrox side lost out on millions in potential transfer fees.
The club haven’t had two players like that since. Might Clement, however, have found a future duo who could perhaps form a similar sort of partnership? As Hamza Igamane and Zak Lovelace both have excellent futures in the game.
Clement could unleash Lovelace and Igamane against St Mirren
Hailed by former Dundee United goalkeeper Trevor Carson on the Open Goal Podcast, Igamane has “a wee bit of Morelos about him”, according to the shot-stopper.
He demonstrated this perfectly against FCSB. Subbed on for Dessers in the second half, the Moroccan youngster scored his first Rangers goal. Igamane took advantage of slack defending to advance with the ball into the opposition penalty area before unleashing a sweet right-footed effort into the bottom corner.
His physicality and ability to link up well with others proves he could be a new Morelos for the club.
Lovelace also came off the bench for his first senior appearance this term, looking lively with his limited minutes. Although nowhere near the finished article, he exudes Kent-like qualities, such as being able to take on opposition defenders while having an impressive turn of pace.
Rangers’ next five fixtures
Date
Competition
Opponent
26/10/2024
Premiership
St Mirren
30/10/2024
Premiership
Aberdeen
03/11/2024
League Cup semi-final
Motherwell
07/11/2024
Europa League
Olympiacos
10/11/2024
Premiership
Hearts
Via Transfermarkt
A win against the Buddies is required. Could Igamane and Lovelace link up in the starting XI for Clement?
Chalkboard
Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
It would be a gamble indeed, but given some of the dismal performances domestically by certain members of the squad, he has nothing to lose at this point.
If the duo play together and sparkle, it could be a new partnership in the making.
Clement has struck gold on Rangers star who's worth 2x more than Kent
Rangers have already hit the jackpot on star who just joined this summer…
Steven Gerrard missed out on the Carlisle job following his Al-Ettifaq exit, with the League Two club appointing Mark Hughes as their new head coach.
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Gerrard remains a free agentWas being considered by Carlisle as an optionInstead, they chose to settle with HughesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Reports suggested that Carlisle United viewed Gerrard as a potential candidate to fill their managerial vacancy after Mike Williamson was relieved of his duties on Monday. However, despite his experience managing Rangers and Aston Villa, the club decided to appoint Hughes, a seasoned coach with extensive experience in English football.
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Hughes, who last managed Bradford City, will be joined at Carlisle by Glyn Hodges, who takes on the role of assistant manager. The 61-year-old has been out of work since being dismissed by Bradford in October 2023, following a mixed tenure that saw him lead the club to the League Two play-offs in his only full season before being eliminated by Carlisle United themselves. Hughes brings a wealth of managerial experience, having been in charge of six Premier League clubs over his coaching career, having previously managed the likes of Fulham, Manchester City and Stoke City. Before his time in club management, Hughes was also at the helm of the Wales national team for five years, during which he guided them to the Euro 2004 play-offs.
DID YOU KNOW?
Carlisle United’s decision to bring in Hughes comes amid a season of turmoil. The club is bottom of League Two, having struggled for form throughout the campaign. They have already parted ways with two managers, with Paul Simpson leaving in August before Williamson was dismissed this week. Carlisle’s home form has been particularly concerning, with the team securing just two victories at Brunton Park this season. Williamson's reign came to an abrupt end following a 5-1 home defeat to Swindon Town, a result that proved to be the final straw for the club's board.
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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR HUGHES?
With 18 games remaining, Hughes has a tough job ahead as he attempts to rescue Carlisle’s season and avoid relegation to the National League. His first test will come this Saturday, as his new side travels to face Grimsby Town.
Fortuin finds a new home, and some form Clyde Fortuin was part of the 2014 South Africa Under-19 side that won the World Cup, but unlike Kagiso Rabada and Aiden Markram, he has not found his way into the senior side just yet. In fact, Fortuin had not even found a domestic team to call his own and bounced around between Western Province and Northern Cape before settling in the Boland for the coming summer.Related
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In his first match for the Rocks, Fortuin reeled out what will end up being one of the innings of the tournament, the second century after Zubayr Hamza’s, and a knock that ensured Boland posted a match-winning total against the Warriors. After losing the Malan brothers with the score on 40 in the fifth over, Fortuin built a 118-run stand with Christiaan Jonker to take Boland to 183 for 5. He recorded a duck in his second match but finished with 151 from three hits to lie third on the batting charts.Warriors lose, and then hit up 243! After a 17-run defeat in their tournament opener, the Warriors line-up was merciless against second division side Limpopo and piled on the competition’s highest-score to date: 243. Wihan Lubbe and Matthew Breetzke scored half-centuries each, and for Breetzke, it was his second successive half-century of the tournament, and he shared in a 129-run opening stand before JJ Smuts’ 26-ball 52 and Diego Rosier’s 15-ball 31 propelled them over 200. Limpopo used eight bowlers and only Malcolm Nofal conceded at less than ten runs an over.No win for Limpopo If that 120-run reversal wasn’t bad enough, Limpopo ended with a winless season as they went down to Boland by 32 runs in their next game.After two losses from two games, they were up against high-fliers Boland. Pieter Malan won the toss, scored just 13 – the Malans, together, totalled 14 – but with Fortuin hitting a quick 47, they had 141 for 8 on the board. It was a bowling effort to be fairly proud of for Limpopo. Don Radebe, the 24-year-old medium-pacer, and the pacy Sithembile Langa picked up five wickets between them and, really, 142 was as good a target as they could have hoped for.But it’s a team that hasn’t managed to put up big runs often enough – the 96-run stand between Morne Venter and Juandre Scheepers in their first outing was a bit of an outlier – and it was more of the same as a platform of 54 (in eight-and-a-half overs) for the opening wicket was frittered away by the rest of the batters and Limpopo limped to 109 for 8. Shaun von Berg, the veteran legspinner, ended with 3 for 17 and a Player-of-the-Match award.Hit-and-miss Border They won their first fixture, against Limpopo, and then went down to Boland – the table-toppers despite a fair fight in their second game, but then put up quite a show, even though it was in a losing cause, against Warriors in the last game of the round.Warriors have the batting, and they opted to bat first, and Breetzke hit an imperious 46-ball 80, and Tristan Stubbs chipped in with 46 off 22 balls from No. 5 to give them an imposing 228 for 5.That’s usually enough to win big, and when Border went from 73 for 2 at the halfway mark of the chase to 82 for 5 just another over-and-a-half in, the chase looked dead in the water. But Border have been impressive in patches, and the last eight-and-a-half overs of their innings was one of those patches, this one courtesy captain Jerry Nqolo and Clayton Bosch, who hit 58* and 64* respectively in double-quick time to, well, not quite give Border a chance, but enough to take them past 200. Not bad, all considered.That was true of Thomas Kaber in the first half too when, in the face of quite an onslaught, the left-arm spinner returned 2 for 30. In a match worth 435 runs, his effort was deemed the best of the lot.
Stephen Baard described Namibia’s final game against India on Monday as “the big one”
Matt Roller05-Nov-2021Namibia will relish the chance to “play with freedom” in the final game of their maiden men’s T20 World Cup campaign against India on Monday according to opening batter Stephan Baard, in the knowledge that their progress to the Super 12s has ensured them a berth in next year’s tournament in Australia.Victories over Netherlands and Ireland in the initial group phase sealed a spot in both the Super 12s and the 2022 T20 World Cup for Namibia, and while they have been heavily beaten in their three second-round fixtures against full-member nations following a tight victory over Scotland, Baard said that they had made the most of the chance to play against the world’s best players.Watch cricket live on ESPN+
Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from the Men’s T20 World Cup live in the USA. Match highlights of Namibia vs New Zealand is available in English, and in Hindi (USA only).
“It gives us the opportunity to express ourselves a little bit more,” Baard, the opening batter, said of playing against Afghanistan, Pakistan, New Zealand and India. “We’re used to playing in qualifiers where every game is almost a do or die type game. Here, the intensity is so much different to what we’re used to and the discipline is so much better than what we’re used to but it’s a great learning experience.”It is tough, I’ll be honest about that. It is tough to learn in a short space of time in between games when you only have two or three days in between. To execute your plans and talk about different approaches to different players at this level, it can be quite tough, but it’s a great experience and it’s great to be part of it. Going forward, I know we’re going to the World Cup next year as well, so it’s something that we need to work on for the next 12 months.”Baard described Namibia’s fixture against India on Monday – in a game that could see their opponents needing a huge win in order to take their net run-rate above Afghanistan’s to ensure semi-final qualification – as “the big one”, and said that it would be the final stage in a “surreal” month for the squad.”It gives us the chance to play with freedom,” he said. “That’s the big one. It’s a big group and every game is a big game, but to finish off with the India team? It’s something to look forward to. It’s something that a couple of months ago, you didn’t even think about, so yeah – we’re looking forward to that one.”It’s been absolutely massive. We’ve enjoyed every single minute of it. We want to compete, we’re here to compete, but in the same sense, we want to learn as much as possible. We want to see what these guys do on and off the field and up until this point, it’s been surreal.”Baard said that New Zealand’s late charge when batting first – which saw Jimmy Neesham and Glenn Phillips add 67 runs in the final four overs to take the game away from Namibia – provided them with opportunities to learn how to improve at the death with both bat and ball.”On the bowling front, it will definitely be about executing certain plans, especially on a field where the one side is a lot bigger than the other,” he said. “The big part from the batting side will just be to see how they execute at the back end. That’s one of the things I spoke about along with their batters next to the field – how they change it up in the last four or five overs and where their options would be.”
One-time Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is relishing the chance to get current boss Erik ten Hag sacked after it emerged that he could have a massive role to play, according to a report.
Ten Hag secures much-needed Man Utd win vs Brentford
It appeared that Manchester United were ready to sack Ten Hag before the international break as a 3-0 defeat to Tottenham the week before compounded what had been a torrid start to the Premier League season.
However, draws against Porto in the Europa League and against Aston Villa at Villa Park saw the Dutchman keep hold of his job, while highly-touted replacement Thomas Tuchel found work elsewhere as he was appointed the new manager of the England national team, handing Ten Hag a lifeline.
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He strengthened his grip on his job with another three points immediately after the international break as goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund helped the Red Devils come from behind to beat Brentford, moving them up to 11th in the process, six points outside the top four.
However, Ten Hag was wary of calling it a turning point, instead suggesting that it was the start of a process of building confidence in the squad.
“This team has the capacity to score very good goals. Today the two goals we scored were high quality and when you score and win you add confidence.
“At the start of the season we had some good performances but didn’t score enough, then everyone is negative. This result can help us, but it is only one win and we must build on it.”
Now, a new report has revealed that Mourinho could well have something to say about the man now occupying the technical area he once stood in.
Ten Hag still possibly on the brink at Man Utd
That is according to Football Insider reporter Pete O’Rourke, who claims that Mourinho could have a major impact on Ten Hag’s Man Utd future. That comes as Manchester United face Fenerbahce in their next outing, now managed by Mourinho and home to former Manchester United midfielder Fred and Sofyan Amrabat.
And though he picked up three points against Brentford, it is claimed that defeat in Turkey on Thursday could spell the “‘end of the road” for Ten Hag and that the game is “understood to be pivotal” for the United boss’ future.
In true Mourinho fashion, it is added that the ex-Man Utd boss is “relishing the opportunity to compound the misery” on his fellow manager, who is still yet to beat Mourinho’s best points tally with the Red Devils.
In fact, Ten Hag trails the Portuguese manager on win percentage and goals scored, while he has also seen his side concede more goals per game than his predecessor.
Jose Mourinho vs Erik ten Hag’s PL records at Man Utd
Erik ten Hag
Jose Mourinho
Games managed
84
93
Wins
44
50
Points per game
1.74
1.89
Win %
52.4%
54%
Goals scored per game
1.45
1.63
Goals conceded per game
1.31
0.92
Could the 61-year-old be the man to put the final nail in Ten Hag’s coffin at Old Trafford?