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The incumbent Test opener has just 62 runs in nine innings this season

Andrew McGlashan12-Dec-2020Another failure for Joe Burns has left Australia’s opening-batting plans in tatters just days before the opening Test in Adelaide after he fell for just 1 on the final day of the pink-ball warm-up at the SCG.Burns never looked comfortable in his stay at the crease against Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami before being trapped lbw by the latter when he walked across his crease to a full delivery.Moments after Burns trudged off the television cameras panned to Trevor Hohns, the national selector, on his phone in the stand.Marcus Harris, who was drafted into the Test squad yesterday as a replacement for the concussed Will Pucovski, also failed when he was caught at leg slip.Related

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Concussion rules Will Pucovski out of Adelaide Test; Marcus Harris named replacement

Heading into the final day of the game the situation was particularly acute for Burns who now has just 62 runs in nine innings. As it stands he remains in the Test squad for Adelaide, but another failure in Sydney will leave the selectors with a big decision to make.”There is some pressure on him, no doubt,” Chris Rogers, part of the Australia A coaching staff, said after the second day’s play. “He’s not stupid. So he has to make the most of this opportunity, that’s pretty important, and then it’s up to the selectors.”Rogers encouraged Burns, who has been backed by the selectors, captain, coach and team-mates during a lean start to the season, to cut out the noise surrounding his position. He is the senior opener in the absence of David Warner, who may also struggle to be fit for the second Test in Melbourne, while Harris has recalled after Pucovski was ruled out with concussion.”From my point of view, you can get to this point where you’re just putting so much pressure on yourself,” Rogers said. “You think you’re doing everything you can and it just doesn’t seem to be going your way.”You make one little mistake and all of a sudden you’re back sitting in the pavilion. A lot of the time it’s just about letting go, what will be will be and just go out and do your processes, do your routines and just try and stay in the moment and watch the ball as I know our Australian coach says.Joe Burns fell for a duck in the pink-ball warm-up game•Getty Images”So it’s a pretty simple message. There’s probably a lot of noise in their heads at the moment but the best thing they can do is just go out and worry about the next ball.”The Indians were far enough in front that they could have declared on the second evening and put Australia’s potential Test opening pair back in against the pink ball under lights. Rogers was a little surprised they did not take the chance to ramp up the pressure, but also understood what they were aiming to get out of the match.”They’re probably pretty relieved they didn’t get stuck under lights there,” he said. “That would have been a challenging little period.”They [India] are looking to get different things out of the game and batting under lights was probably gold for them as well, the experience they get.”Maybe on another day they might have thought ‘we’ll declare and have a crack at two potential opening batsmen for Australia in challenging conditions. But that was their decision.”But I know as an opening batsman I definitely would not have liked to be out there batting tonight.”

A despondent Brendan Taylor admitted he felt “lucky” to have received the Player-of-the-match award for his valiant century against Pakistan that took Zimbabwe close to a 1-0 lead. He pointed instead at the man who had ended his vigil at the crease, saying he believed Shaheen Afridi was a worthier recipient of the honour.”I feel very lucky to get this Man-of-the-match award as I feel Shaheen [Afridi] should have got it,” Taylor said at the post-match presentation. “You’re up against a very skillful attack at the death and they were too good at the end. It was that skill level at the death that took it away from us.”With little to split the two sides across the best part of 90 overs, it was the two bowling units’ contrasting performances in the final five overs at each innings that took Pakistan home. While Zimbabwe had been disciplined – if unspectacular – with the ball for the first 40 overs of the Pakistan innings, sloppiness crept in under pressure, and a few extras and full-tosses allowed Pakistan’s lower order to plunder 90 in the final ten overs. A more accomplished bowling attack may have smelled blood after reducing Pakistan to 205 for six, but Zimbabwe aren’t quite there yet.ALSO READ: Afridi tops Taylor to make it 1-0 for PakistanPakistan, meanwhile, very much are. Most notably Afridi, whose importance to this Pakistan side seems to grow larger with each passing game. When Zimbabwe required 88 off the final ten overs with six wickets in hand, they were ahead in the game at that stage, but Afridi turned things around.Benefitting from the added pressure after the dismissal of Wesley Madhevere by Wahab Riaz – another key point of differential between the sides – Afridi flummoxed Taylor with a perfectly disguised slower ball that was scooped scooped high up to mid-off, where Riaz dealt the killer blow. It was his third wicket of the night, and he’d come back for two more in his final over for his second five-wicket haul in ODI cricket. His captain Babar Azam was effusive in his praise, saying Afridi’s quality gave him comfort even when Taylor and Madhevere were flying high.”Shaheen Shah gave us an outstanding start, and at the finish, he was brilliant alongside Wahab Riaz at the death,” Azam said at the post-match press conference. “I had great belief in him because I know his qualities. Wahab Riaz is very experienced, but Shaheen is building up experience as well, now. That reassured me even when Zimbabwe were in a really strong position. That faith was vindicated in the way he finished the game off.”Azam also praised Taylor’s innings, terming it outstanding and saying it appeared as if he was a “one-man show” at times, but lamented Pakistan’s performance with the bat, promising improvement in the upcoming games. “When we started the innings the wicket was a bit two-paced,” he said. “Some balls came on to the bat really nicely but others didn’t. That puts you in doubt and a bit more hesitant to play your shots. I tried to remain positive but it was quite a tricky wicket to get set on, and that makes it challenging for the new batsmen.”The way we started was unfortunately not up to our expectations. But we were playing ODI cricket after a year and we were all a little rusty, and there are better performances to follow from us.”

Reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared some news on Tottenham and their possible transfer plans for the summer window, as Spurs seemingly eye an interesting alternative to heavily linked Aston Villa starlet Jacob Ramsey.

Tottenham have player-plus-cash bid for Ramsey rejected

As reported by an array of media sources in the last week, Ange Postecoglou's side had a player-plus-cash bid for Ramsey rejected recently.

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Villa have insisted on players being included in a fair few of their summer deals so far, with star midfielder Douglas Luiz swapping the Midlands for Turin in a £24 million deal, as Enzo Barrenechea and Samuel Iling-Junior also head the other way from Juventus.

Villa also wanted players included in recent Chelsea talks over a deal for Jhon Duran, which ultimately came to no avail. In light of this, Tottenham looked to take advantage of this trend with their own bid for one of Unai Emery's stars.

Indeed, Spurs tabled a £20 million player-plus-cash offer for Ramsey, which included out-of-favour midfielder Giovani Lo Celso, which makes sense considering Emery knows the Argentine well from their time at Villarreal together.

Jacob Ramsey's stats in all competitions for Aston Villa last season

Stat

Total (via Transfermarkt)

Appearances

21

Goals

1

Assists

2

Yellow cards

2

Minutes played

1,068

However, the proposal was rejected out of hand, with Villa deeming the offer far below their valuation of the 23-year-old. Johan Lange is driving Tottenham's interest in Ramsey, though, and it is believed Postecoglou has personally green-lit any approach for him (Alasdair Gold).

A deal for the Englishman could be very difficult to pull off, so it is perhaps wise for the Lilywhites to have alternatives for Ramsey of a similar ilk.

Tottenham have been eyeing Leeds sensation Archie Gray

Leeds United sensation Archie Gray, who starred under Daniel Farke with 52 appearances in all competitions last season, could be an interesting option. The 18-year-old midfielder featured predominantly at right-back last season, but was utilised in his natural position on many occasions as well.

The versatile teenager not only acts as an alternative to Ramsey, but could also come in as a replacement for the exit-bound Emerson Royal, who is attracting serious interest from AC Milan (Fabrizio Romano).

Romano says Tottenham have been closely eyeing Gray, alongside the likes of Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund, so he could be one to watch. However, other reports suggest he could cost around £50 million.

"I can tell you that Chelsea have been scouting the player this season; for sure, he is a player they appreciate.

"At the moment, no bid, just interest and we will see what clubs like Manchester United and others do in this situation because many other clubs are scouting the player," said Romano on his YouTube channel this week.

"But at the moment, the two clubs with concrete interest are Chelsea and Dortmund but for example, Tottenham have also been following the player closely, so let’s see who is going to move in terms of the bid, but still nothing official to Leeds United."

Another threat to their chances of snapping up the youngster was the news that has since emerged, stating Brentford had agreed a deal with Gray, with the Bees "on course" to secure his transfer, with a medical pending.

However, journalist Ben Jacobs has said there is "caution until the ink is dry", suggesting that his sheer volume of suitors, including Spurs, means other teams could still come in and hijack the deal.

Aston Villa are at a critical juncture in their journey under Unai Emery. Now that the dust has settled following the euphoria of qualifying for the Champions League with a fourth-place Premier League finish, the hard graft must begin.

Of course, competitive club football will not be contested until mid-August, but the interim must see some shrewd and purposeful work conducted in the transfer market.

Ross Barkley is closing on a shrewd return to Villa Park after spending a season on loan under Dean Smith in 2020/21, but Monchi is moving swiftly and has entered the race for an exciting attacking talent.

Aston Villa transfer news

As per Spanish sources, Aston Villa are in the mix to sign Barcelona winger Raphinha. The La Liga giants would be reluctant to part ways due to concerns about finding a replacement, though he is valued at €60m (£52m) and such a bid could be too tempting to ignore.

Emery's team are up against Premier League heavyweights Chelsea and Manchester United, though both superpowers fail to offer something that Villa have in their clutches: Champions League football.

How Raphinha could fit in at Aston Villa

Signed from Leeds United in a deal worth up to £55m in 2022, Raphinha has scored 20 goals and added 25 assists from 87 matches for Barcelona, winning the 2022/23 La Liga title.

He has, however, only started 43 league matches across the two campaigns, and at 27 years old he will be eager to play a prominent role that reflects his patent quality, described as a "magician" by former Whites teammate Dan James.

Raphinha might not have had the easiest time in Catalonia but he has maintained an impressive level of potency throughout, ranking among the top 13% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 1% for assists and the top 12% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.

If the Brazilian can translate such qualities back to the Premier League, Villa would land a real asset to aid them as they take a seat among Europe's elite.

The 5 foot 9 winger's stylistically similar Premier League players would certainly speak of a tailor-made ability for Emery's squad, with Raphinha scoring 11 goals and adding three assists from 34 Premier League starts for Leeds during his last campaign in England.

Principally, Raphinha would sit on the right and look to maximise his playmaking skills by hitting winding balls above hapless heads and threading surgical passes through to the forward-surging Ollie Watkins, Jhon Duran.

But to achieve this, he would find a brilliant partner from deep in the aforementioned Barkley, who was remarked to be "not far off Player of the Season" by Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson after his excellent campaign with Luton Town.

As per Sofascore, Barkley posted five goals and four assists from 32 top-flight appearances in 2023/24, completing 85% of his balls and averaging 1.5 key passes, tackles and clearances, 2.1 dribbles, 6.3 ball recoveries and 6.1 successful duels per game.

The 6 foot 2 Englishman ranks among the top 15% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions and the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90, effectively using his pace and power to plough forward and rent open midfield structures, freeing up space for Raphinha.

A dynamic and creative new partnership could be formed with these signings, allowing Emery's system to shift through the phases and fire on all cylinders next season, both domestically and overseas.

Aston Villa eyeing "special" signing who'd be more exciting than Barkley

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MatériaMais Notícias

Antes do início do jogo, apenas a vitória interessava para Brusque e Confiança, pela 15ª rodada do Brasileirão Série B, no estádio Augusto Bauer. Porém, já com a bola rolando, quem se deu melhor foram os catarinenses. A equipe da casa, por sua vez, não tomou conhecimento do adversário e, ainda no primeiro tempo, fechou a conta em 3 a 0, resultado esse que fez o Quadricolor subir na classificação.

Sendo assim, o time comandado por Jerson Testoni chegou aos 23 pontos, chegando ao 6º lugar na tabela. Já a equipe comandada por Zé Carlos Leal, poir conta de mais um revés, manteve-se na lanterna com seus 10 pontos somados.

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INÍCIO DE JOGO COM POUCAS CHANCES

Mesmo jogando longe de seus domínios, a equipe do Confiança, logo nos primeiros movimentos, tratou de ir pra cima do adversário. Em seu campo de ataque, aos 2 minutos, Daniela Paulista, pegando rebote na jogada, acabou chutando para fora passando ao lado do gol defendido por Zé Carlos.

No entanto, o Brusque não ficou para trás e resolveu devolver na mesma moeda. Minutos depois, aos 7, Thiago Alagoano até tentou surpreender Rafael Santos, porém o camisa 1 acabou levando a melhor no lance evitando o tento dos mandantes.

BRUSQUE MELHORA E ABRE O PLACAR

Tentando ditar o ritmo em campo, a equipe comandada por Jerson Testoni passou a diminuir os espaços para o Dragão. Sendo assim, após chute de Zé Carlos, de seu campo de defesa, a bola acabou chegando para Garcez que, por sua vez, dividiu com Rafael Santos dentro da área, com a arbitragem marcando um pênalti no lance.

Na cobrança, Thiago Alagoano, deslocando o arqueiro na batida, abriu a contagem no Augusto Bauer, aos 23 minutos, com direito a muita comemoração do atacante.

DONOS DA CASA APROVEITAM O MOMENTO E AMPLIAM

Com o relógio caminhando para o fim da etapa inicial, o Brusque, mais tranquilo na partida, conseguiu ampliar aos 37, novamente com ele, Thiago Alagoano. Aproveitando erro do zagueiro Isaque, que acabou recuando mal para Rafael, Alex Ruan conseguiu roubar a bola, tirar o arqueiro da jogada, e cruzar para o camisa 10, sem marcação, apenas ter o trabalho de empurrar para o fundo das redes.

E não parou por aí. Minutos depois, aos 41, foi a vez de Garcez deixar o dele. Colocando na frente, o meia conseguiu levar vantagem no lance com Isaque, que havia errado anteriormente, ficando cara a cara com Rafael só tendo o trabalho de mandar para o fundo das redes. Bruscão 3 a 0.

CONFIANÇA VAI PARA O TUDO OU NADA NA SEGUNDA ETAPA

Com uma ampla desvantagem no marcador, o técnico Zé Carlos Leal, na esperança de conseguir reverter a situação, promoveu três trocas no intervalo, colocando Jhemerson, Vinícius Santana e Robinho, nos lugares de Tiago Reis, Isaque e Rafael Vila, respectivamente. Entretanto, mesmo com as mudanças, até meados dos 25 minutos, o Confiança pouco conseguiu criar jogadas para lamentação do comandante.

Já na reta final, as duas equipes praticamente já conformadas em campo, praticamente deixaram o relógio correr. Com isso, foi a deixa para a arbitragem colocar um ponto final no confronto com uma vitória tranquila dos catarinenses.

FICHA TÉCNICA
BRUSQUE x CONFIANÇA

Data e horário: 31/07/2021, às 21h (de Brasília)
​Local: Estádio Augusto Bauer, em Brusque (SC)
Árbitro:Dewson Fernando Freitas da Silva (CBF-PA)
Assistentes:Marcio Gleidson Correia Dias (CBF-PA) e Luis Diego Nascimento Lopes (CBF-PA)

Cartões Amarelos:Rafael Santos, 21’/1ºT; Gustavo Ramos, 5’/2ºT; Garcez, 32’/2ºT

Gols:Thiago Alagoano, 23’/1ºT (1-0); Thiago Alagoano, 37’/1ºT (2-0); Garcez, 41’/1ºT (3-0)

BRUSQUE: Zé Carlos; Toty (João Carlos, aos 7’/2ºT – Vivico, 12’/2ºT), Ianson, Everton Alemão e Airton; Zé Mateus (Fillipe Soutto, aos 13’/2ºT), Rodolfo (Pepê, aos 29’/2ºT), Alex Ruan (Bruno Alves, aos 12’/2ºT) e Garcez; Thiago Alagoano e Diego Mathias.
(Técnico: Jerson Testoni)

CONFIANÇA: Rafael; Marcelinho, Nirley, Isaque (Vinícius Santana, no intervalo)e João Paulo; Madison, Serginho (Bruno Sena, aos 37’/2ºT) e Rafael Vila (Robinho, no intervalo); Daniel Penha, Gustavo Ramos (Ítalo, aos 19’/2ºT) e Tiago Reis (Jhemerson, no intervalo).
(Técnico: Zé Carlos Leal)

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo enfrenta o Racing-ARG, nesta terça-feira, às 21h30, em Avellaneda, buscando a classificação para as quartas de final da Taça Libertadores. Além da vaga para a próxima fase, o Tricolor quer evitar um feito inédito na história da competição continental.

RelacionadasSão PauloPremiação e fôlego: os objetivos do São Paulo contra o RacingSão Paulo19/07/2021São PauloRacing x São Paulo: prováveis escalações, desfalques e onde assistirSão Paulo19/07/2021São PauloPeça importante do São Paulo, Benítez volta a Avellaneda, onde viveu grandes momentos na carreiraSão Paulo19/07/2021

O clube do Morumbi nunca foi eliminado por uma equipe estrangeira nas oitavas de final da Libertadores. O São Paulo já foi eliminado três vezes nesta fase, mas sempre derrotado por equipes brasileiras.

TABELA
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GALERIA
São Paulo joga a vida na Libertadores contra o Racing: veja os jogos da equipe na Argentina neste século

Em 2007, o São Paulo enfrentou o Grêmio e venceu por 1 a 0 no Morumbi, mas foi derrotado por 2 a 0 em Porto Alegre, dando adeus para a competição. Depois, vieram dois algozes mineiros.

Primeiro, o Atlético-MG em 2013. O Tricolor perdeu por 2 a 1 em casa e por 4 a 1 em Belo Horizonte, com grande atuação do meia Ronaldinho Gaúcho. Naquela ocasião, o Galo venceu a Libertadores.

Já em 2015, em duelo contra o Cruzeiro, uma vitória por 1 a 0 para cada lado e derrota nos pênaltis. Esse duelo, inclusive, foi a última partida do ex-goleiro Rogerio Ceni na Libertadores. Ceni converteu sua cobrança de pênalti e ainda defendeu outras duas. No entanto, a atuação do goleiro não foi suficiente para evitar a derrota por 4 a 3.

Com muitos desfalques, o São Paulo empatou em 1 a 1 com o Racing no Morumbi e agora o Tricolor entra em campo precisando vencer ou empatar com mais de dois gols para avançar. Caso haja empate por 1 a 1, a definição irá aos pênaltis. Em caso de um novo 0 a 0, a os argentinos ficarão com a vaga.

ELIMINAÇÕES DO SÃO PAULO NAS OITAVAS DE FINAL DA LIBERTADORES

Libertadores 2007
São Paulo 1 x 0 Grêmio (02/05/2007) – Morumbi
Grêmio 2 x 0 São Paulo (09/05/2007) – Estádio Olímpico

Libertadores 2013
São Paulo 1 x 2 Atlético-MG (02/05/2013) – Morumbi
Atlético-MG 4 x 1 São Paulo (08/05/2013) – Arena Independência

Libertadores 2015
São Paulo 1 x 0 Cruzeiro (06/05/2015) – Morumbi
Cruzeiro 1 (4) x (3) 0 São Paulo (13/05/2015) – Mineirão

A £31 million-plus forward "could soon join" Tottenham over the likes of Inter Milan and Juventus, with a Spurs player potentially going in the other direction as well.

Spurs aim to seal new attacker deal with many exits possible

As previously reported by the likes of Fabrizio Romano, Spurs are keen to add more goals and assists to Ange Postecoglou's ranks when the transfer window reopens for business.

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Related

Fabrizio Romano teases Tottenham move for £56m defender after 2023 talks

The Lilywhites could be in the running.

They already boast real firepower, with the likes of Son Heung-min and Richarlison scoring 26 goals between them, but the lack of a world-class centre-forward akin to club record goalscorer Harry Kane has motivated Spurs to look for a solution.
While Richarlison has been in fine form under Postecoglou, there are still some doubts over his suitability to lead the line for future seasons, as Tottenham look to grow even more after a fine debut campaign for their manager.

Tottenham are apparently laying the groundwork to sign a striker, but also remain keen to inject more creativity in the wide areas. The likes of Pedro Neto and Eberechi Eze are thought to be on Spurs' radar ahead of the summer, though cheaper options abroad may hold a greater appeal to chairman Daniel Levy.
Serie A has been a fruitful pool of talent for Tottenham in recent years, and it is believed Genoa star Albert Gudmundsson features prominently in their thinking. The Iceland international has bagged 13 goals in 31 Serie A starts with a further three assists to boot, which has turned heads in north London.

Gudmundsson "could soon land at Tottenham" over Inter and Juventus

According to Calciomercato this week, sharing an update on the 26-year-old's future, Spurs are a very likely destination for him as they try to beat both Inter Milan and Juventus in the race for his signing.
It is believed the player could cost over £31 million in cash to prise away from Liguria, though, and clubs may look to include players as part of the deal to bring down his price tag.

Spurs have seemingly already got a head start on this, as Genoa currently have Djed Spence there on loan, with a summit set to take place at the end of this season over his future. Gudmundsson "could soon land at Tottenham", according to Calcio, and we believe he'd be an astute purchase going off his form.
“If he keeps improving, he won’t stay at Genoa for long,” said Kevin Strootman told Il Secolo XIX newspaper.
“He reminds me of Salah when he was at Roma, in that every now and then he disappears. Much like Salah then, he would have four or five chances per match and only score at most one.
“They used to say that if Salah was more clinical, he would be playing for Liverpool, and that is exactly what happened. All joking aside, Gudmundsson is a devastating player and also an exemplary professional.”

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has provided a big transfer update regarding the future of Newcastle United ace Bruno Guimaraes, following rumours of a summer exit.

Bruno Guimaraes' Newcastle future up in the air

The Magpies may need to bring in new signings during the summer transfer window, but at the same time, it is also essential that they retain the services of key players.

One of the first names on Eddie Howe's team sheet is undoubtedly Bruno, who has been a fantastic signing since arriving in January 2022, providing quality and fight in the midfield, helping his side finish fourth in the Premier League season.

Unfortunately, Bruno has been continually linked with a move away from St James' Park this summer, with the Brazilian wanted by a number of top clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Manchester City. In fact, Pep Guardiola's side are believed to have made an approach for him, looking to potentially the £100m release clause in his contract.

On the plus side, one report has claimed that the 26-year-old has bought a new house for his family in Northumberland, which suggests he could still stay put beyond the summer transfer window.

Romano drops new Bruno Guimaraes update

According to Romano on X, Bruno Guimaraes' £100m release clause at Newcastle will only be valid in June, before the Magpies have "total control" after that:

This has to be considered good news for Newcastle, even though there is still the threat of them losing Bruno in the summer, not least when the clause can be met in June. The fact that he has reportedly purchased a new home has to be seen as a plus point, though, and he does generally appear to be happy at the club.

Keeping the Brazil international should be looked at as just as important as any new signings that come in, with Guardiola not hiding his admiration for him in the past:

"He is an exceptional holding midfielder. He is aggressive, with the ball or without the ball. At set pieces, he’s aggressive and is a real, complete holding midfielder since being at Lyon and now at a club who want to grow up and up. I’m sure he’s part of the project for the next years. Definitely."

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Ultimately, the decision may rest with Bruno once this season comes to an end, and if he decides that he wants a fresh challenge, it may be something that Newcastle have to accept in June. The hope is that he still sees his future at St James', though, looking at the long-term picture rather than this one below-par season.

Erik ten Hag has been given another opportunity to show he is the right man to lead United back to the top and has no excuses this time

At the back end of last season, Manchester United were very much in crisis as a large number of key figures seemed to be living out their final days at the club. Erik ten Hag was repeatedly told by the media that he was about to be sacked, while Casemiro had been urged by Jamie Carragher to quit the Premier League for his own good.

Marcus Rashford had lost the faith of many fans and it was deemed by no shortage of match-going supporters that the best thing would be for him to leave the club where he has spent his entire life. Jadon Sancho had already left on loan and, after revitalising his career with Borussia Dortmund, he was expected to make a permanent move away from the Red Devils. However, as the new season dawns upon Old Trafford, all these previously maligned figures remain.

Nonetheless, they must perform better now. United desperately need to make a strong start and banish the memories of the last campaign so they can begin their journey back towards Champions League football.

The Red Devils have missed out on Europe's top competition on plenty of occasions before, but have never been absent for two years in a row, and a swift return is vital to prevent them slipping into obscurity as a credible sporting entity.

Getty Images SportMood around Old Trafford

There is a new kit, a new sponsor and a host of new executive figures, but many things about United feel rather similar to one year ago, when they were about to begin their worst-ever season in the Premier League.

Worst of all, the injury crisis which engulfed them last time around has returned even before the season has begun, with big-money signing Leny Yoro and Rasmus Hojlund set to miss a chunk of the new campaign while Luke Shaw is yet again unavailable.

Still, there are plenty of new faces, and hope is centred around the team's bright young stars. Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo look primed to build on their impressive feats from last season while Amad Diallo has been tipped to finally have his breakthrough campaign more than three years after first joining the club.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTransfer business

Unlike in previous summers, United got their business done early by signing Netherlands striker Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna for £37 million ($47m), which was followed swiftly by the arrival of teenage centre-back Leny Yoro in a bold £52m ($66m) move from Lille which was slightly spoiled by him breaking his metatarsal in his second friendly appearance.

United have since further strengthened their defence by bringing in Bayern Munich pair Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, a further demonstration of Ten Hag leaning on the Ajax old boys' network. They would still like to add a defensive midfielder to the squad, although they have apparently cooled their interest in Paris Saint-Germain's Manuel Ugarte. They are now considering cheaper options, such as Burnley's Sander Berge and Monaco's Youssouf Fofana.

It has been a busy summer in terms of exits, too. Willy Kambwala has joined Villarreal for fee of up to £10m ($13m) while Aaron Wan-Bissaka has moved to West Ham for £15m ($18m). Mason Greenwood has finally departed the club and joined Marseille for £27m ($34m).

Donny van de Beek has joined Girona for just £423k ($542k,) although the fee could rise to £7.6m ($9.9m). Omari Forson and Raphael Varane left as free agents for Serie A sides Monza and Como, respectively, while Anthony Martial and Brandon Williams also departed after their contracts expired, although they are yet to find new clubs.

Scott McTominay could yet leave amid interest from Fulham while Jadon Sancho may also depart if the right offer arrives, although Casemiro is set to stay.

Getty Pre-season performances

United had a thoroughly disappointing pre-season in terms of results and injuries. It began with a worrying 1-0 defeat at Rosenborg in Norway which led to a furious rant from Ten Hag, even though the majority of the players on the pitch were from the academy. Things picked up with a 2-0 win against Rangers, with Amad starring.

The subsequent tour of the United States got off to a bad start, though, as a 2-1 loss to Arsenal was made 10 times worse by the injuries to Yoro and Hojlund. A 3-2 win over Real Betis lifted the mood somewhat, but the tour ended with more misery after a crushing 3-0 defeat by Liverpool.

With many first-teamers back after the European Championship and Copa America, United produced an encouraging performance in the Community Shield against Manchester City, but let their lead slip late on to draw 1-1 before losing on penalties.

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Everyone seemed to think that Ten Hag was about to be sacked last May, apart from the man himself. United's hierarchy certainly had their doubts about the manager and conducted a thorough review, which included speaking to Thomas Tuchel about replacing him.

But they ultimately concluded that the Dutchman was the right man to take them forward and Ten Hag now looks emboldened, having been handed a new contract and been authorised to sign the players he wants.

Ten Hag's tactical masterpiece in the FA Cup final proved key to him keeping his job, and the 4-2-2-2 formation he used to great effect against Man City looks to be the blueprint in the biggest matches. It worked well again in the Community Shield against Pep Guardiola's side, with Casemiro looking less isolated and there being much more cohesion between midfield and attack.

United cannot afford a repeat of last season's wild tactics of having a low-block and a high-press, which led to them conceding around 20 shots per game. The early indications are that they will be more solid this season.

They will also need to get better at killing games off and scoring more goals. Ten Hag outlined the need to beat more of the "lower-class" teams in the Premier League and avoid the dreadful defeats they suffered against the likes of Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Brighton.

To do that, the midfield and wide forwards must develop a better understanding with Hojlund. Bruno Fernandes will also look to be more productive in the final third, having only rediscovered his goal-scoring touch in the final stretch of last season.

The Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium pitch in Chattogram helped out the BPL’s dull start by producing excellent pitches

Mohammad Isam25-Dec-2019

The pitches in Chattogram came as a blessing to the 2019-20 BPL as high-scoring games brought a welcome change to the tournament. Only three teams won after batting first in Chattogram, with few of the successful chasing sides not even needing to reach the last over to win games. Here are the highlights from the second week.Rajshahi, Dhaka closing in on ChattogramThe Chattogram Challengers still lead with five wins from seven games but the Rajshahi Royals and Dhaka Platoon are just two points below them having played fewer matches.Rajshahi won both their games in Dhaka and started their Chattogram leg poorly when they lost to the Khulna Tigers, but they bounced back in the next two games. Captain Andre Russell’s four-wicket haul helped them to a seven-wicket win over Khulna in the return encounter, which were strangely back-to-back games. Liton Das and Afif Hossain struck a fifty each in these two wins, before Ravi Bopara and Russell muscled seven fours and two sixes between them in their successful chase of 171 against the Comilla Warriors.Dhaka, meanwhile, are just below Rajshahi in net run rate, but are picking up pace. Tamim Iqbal has been their lynchpin with important runs and Mominul Haque and Mahedi Hasan have already played match-winning hands. Mahedi’s batting at No. 3 has been a revelation, hitting fifties with 200-plus strike rates and smashing 10 sixes in those two innings.ZACS comes to BPL’s rescueLike in previous seasons, the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram helped out the BPL’s dull start by producing excellent pitches. Three 200-plus totals and an average of 178 per innings for sides batting first at the ground raised the playing quality of the tournament quite impressively.The Chattogram ground provided one of the bare necessities of a T20 tournament – pitches that offered pace and bounce for both batsmen and bowlers – as well as some close contests. It ensured bigger crowds than Dhaka, and rammed home the point that the BCB must think a little wider when planning the BPL.Batsman of the weekDawid Malan ended the Chattogram phase with a superb century against Rajshahi, but ended up becoming only the third batsman in BPL history to score a hundred in a losing cause. He has so far scored 300 runs in six matches, striking at 156.25, which should be noticed by the England selectors as part of Malan’s progress in T20s, particularly in the subcontinent. But for all that he has done, Malan alone hasn’t been able to force the issue as Comilla have picked up only two wins out of six games and are placed third from bottom.Bowler of the weekMehedi Hasan Rana continues to be the best bowler of the competition, having picked up a second four-for to not only help Chattogram stay atop the points table, but also keep himself ahead of everyone in the wicket-takers’ list. Rana’s impressive showing has also cast a bit of light among the younger lot of Bangladeshi pace bowlers as the likes of Hasan Mahmud (Dhaka), Shahidul Islam (Khulna) and Sumon Khan (Comilla) have been picked by their sides.Usually, Bangladeshi domestic sides have been more interested in employing left-arm spinners than pace bowlers but it has opened up a whole new side to Bangladesh’s pace bowling stocks. The likes of Ebadot Hossain and Taskin Ahmed, therefore, must improve themselves quickly if they are to stay in the reckoning for a longer period.