Real Madrid slumped to another defeat on Wednesday with Kylian Mbappe failing to score a penalty, but manager Carlo Ancelotti continues to back him.
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In ten days' time, the transfer window will have slammed shut, and while fans have understandably shifted their focus back to the Premier League, some clubs still have quite a bit of work to do in the market, including Arsenal.
At the moment, Riccardo Calafiori has been the only new face added to the Gunners' first team this summer, and while Mikel Merino's move is supposedly right around the corner, we've been hearing that all month.
However, there is good news, as recent reports linked the club with one of the most exciting attackers in Europe last season, someone who could be the ideal Leandro Trossard rival and someone who has won comparisons to Bukayo Saka to boot.
Arsenal transfer news
According to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal are one of several sides interested in Atalanta star Ademola Lookman this summer.
Alongside the Gunners, the report claims that Premier League hopefuls Liverpool are also keen to sign the former Everton ace before the window slams shut next week.
A potential price is not mentioned in the story, but a report from earlier this summer revealed that the Nigerian international could be available for €60m, which converts to around £51m.
It could be a complicated transfer to get done due to the interest from the Reds, but given his form last season and the fact he's been compared to Saka, it is one worth pursuing, especially as he could provide excellent competition for Trossard.
How Lookman compares to Saka and Trossard
Okay, so before we look at how Lookman stacks up to Trossard and how he could challenge him for a place on the left, let's examine this comparison to Saka and where it comes from.
It primarily stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League over the last 365 days, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for everyone, and from there, they have concluded that the Englishman is the sixth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Nigerian.
You can better understand how they came to this conclusion by looking at some of the underlying metrics in which they rank very closely, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shots, passing accuracy, goal-creating actions and interceptions, all per 90.
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.68
0.65
Shots
3.18
3.14
Passing Accuracy
75.8%
75.6%
Goal-Creating Actions
0.67
0.65
Interceptions
0.43
0.46
It's not just in the underlying numbers that the two attackers are alike, though, as in the aftermath of the Nigerian's masterclass performance in the Europa League final last season, former professional Owen Hargreaves said that "he reminds me of (Bukayo) Saka in the way he sets people, gets them off balance, and he's always got a picture in the way he wants to finish."
So then, with the right-footed dynamo's similarities to the Gunners' superstar seven clear, how does his output from last season measure up to Trossard's? Due to his ability to play on the left, he may well be fighting with the Belgian for a place in the lineup should he make the move to North London.
The good news is that it would be a close fight, as in 45 appearances last season, the “blistering” ace, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, scored 17 goals and provided ten assists, equating to a goal involvement once every 1.66 games.
In contrast, the former Brighton & Hove Albion dynamo scored 17 goals and provided two assists in 46 appearances, equating to a still impressive but notably worse average of a goal involvement every 2.42 games.
Some may argue that the Premier League is a more challenging league than Serie A, but even if that were true and the Atalanta star saw his output reduce somewhat in England, it would still be close to, or better than the Belgian's.
Ultimately, Arsenal need to bring in another attacker this summer, and following his incredible campaign last season and the flattering comparisons to Saka, Lookman may be the perfect player to sign before the window slams shut, especially as he could help push Trossard to be even better.
Fabrizio Romano says £26m player has agreed to join Arsenal with Merino
He’s eyeing a move to the Emirates.
ByEmilio Galantini Aug 21, 2024
أوضح الإيطالي كارلو أنشيلوتي مدرب ريال مدريد، أنه لا يحب مواجهة مانشستر سيتي بمنافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.
وتأهل الفريقان إلى مرحلة ملحق دور الـ 16 بمنافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا، بعد ختام مباريات مرحلة الدوري مساء الأربعاء.
وتغلب ريال مدريد على بريست بنتيجة 3-0، ومانشستر سيتي حقق الفوز أمام كلوب بروج بنتيجة 3-1.
وتسفر مباريات الملحق عن مواجهة محتملة بين ريال مدريد ومانشستر سيتي، والفائز منهما يتأهل إلى دور الـ 16.
وقد يواجه ريال مدريد إما مانشستر سيتي أو سيلتيك، في حين أن الفريق الإنجليزي سيواجه نظيره الإسباني أو بايرن ميونخ الألماني.
وقال أنشيلوتي في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية: “مباريات كثيرة جدًا، يتم لعب مباريات كثيرة جدًا؛ يجب تقليص المباريات، لا إضافة المزيد من المباريات”.
اقرأ أيضًا | جوارديولا عن مواجهة ريال مدريد أو بايرن ميونخ: صعبة والصفقات الجديدة ستساعدنا
وأضاف: “يجب الانتظار حتى القرعة، من الناحية النظرية، إذا وقعنا مع مانشستر سيتي، سيكون الأمر أصعب على الفريقين، للفوز بدوري الأبطال، يجب الفوز على أكبر الفرق”.
وطُلب من أنشيلوتي الاختيار بين مانشستر سيتي وسيلتيك كخصم في ملحق دور الـ 16 ورد: “السيتي لديه فرص أكبر للفوز بدوري الأبطال، هذه حقيقة، نحن لا نحب اللعب ضدهم”.
وأردف بشأن المباراة أمام بريست: “كانت المباراة جيدة، أظهرنا نسخة جيدة، من المؤسف أننا لم نستفيق في هذه البطولة في وقت مبكر”.
وبشأن حصوله على بطاقة صفراء، رد ضاحكًا: “لا أعلم لماذا، لأنني اعترضت على خطأ لبيلينجهام، لكن لا بأس”.
Mumbai Indians opener also says they would be “getting vaccinated next week”
ESPNcricinfo staff27-Apr-2021Mumbai Indians opener Chris Lynn has urged Cricket Australia (CA) to arrange for a chartered flight to bring Australians home at the conclusion of the ongoing IPL as the country temporarily halts arrivals from India.Lynn was speaking before the latest update from the Australian government on Tuesday when the Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a ban on direct flights – both commercial and the government’s repatriation services – from India until May 15 and the use of connecting flights (for example via Doha or Dubai) into the country.”I texted back that as Cricket Australia make 10% of every IPL contract, was there a chance we could spend that money this year on a charter flight once the tournament is over?” Lynn told .When asked specifically about the cricketers in India, Morrison said there would not be any preferential treatment if repatriation flights resumed later in May. The group stage of the IPL is due to finish on May 23 with the final on May 30.”This wasn’t part of an Australian tour,” he said. “They’re under their own resources. And they’ll be using those resources to, I’m sure, to see them return to Australia in accordance with their own arrangements.”It is understood that Cricket Australia are assessing the ramifications of today’s announcement but that the use of a charter flight is not yet the likely option. Although not directly involved in the players’ involvement at the IPL beyond issuing No Objection Certificates, CA and the Australian Cricketers’ Association have been in regular contact with them plus the Australian coaching staff, broadcasters and commentators working on the tournament.While Andrew Tye became the first player from Australia to leave this IPL on Sunday fearing that he may not be able to return home later, his national team-mates Kane Richardson and Adam Zampa also opted out due to “personal reasons”. Earlier, England’s Liam Livingstone had left the tournament citing “bubble fatigue”, before India and Delhi Capitals’ offspinner R Ashwin also chose to sit out to be with his family.Related
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Lynn hoped that once the other Australian players – including David Warner, Steven Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith – were done with the IPL, “the government will let us get home on a private charter”, especially because they would be “getting vaccinated next week”.”I know there are people worse off than us. But we are going from a really tight bubble and are getting vaccinated next week so hopefully the government will let us get home on a private charter,” he said.On Monday, the Kolkata Knight Riders pacer Pat Cummins also spoke about the worsening situation in India, having also donated US $50,000 to the country’s PM Cares fund “specifically to purchase oxygen supplies for India’s hospitals”. Announcing the move on Twitter, he also urged his fellow IPL players to come forward and contribute.”There has been quite a bit of discussion over here as to whether it is appropriate for the IPL to continue while COVID-19 infection rates remain high,” Cummins wrote. “I’m advised that the Indian Government is of the view that playing the IPL while the population is in lockdown provides a few hours of joy and respite each day at an otherwise difficult time for the country.”But David Hussey, the Knight Riders’ assistant coach, admitted that his countrymen were a “bit nervous” if they could get back home.”A couple of players, their fathers have passed away,” Hussey told the . “One person in particular, he’s one of the staff members with us and his father passed away last year from COVID, and he was really pragmatic by saying it was his time to go. From a Kolkata point of view, we’re desperate for the tournament to keep going, purely because everyone’s in lockdown, there’s not much else to do.”Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who is now the Capitals’ coach, stated that they are “probably the safest people in the country probably because of the bubbles we are in”.”This IPL, probably more than any other, has become more about what’s happening on the outside rather than what’s happening here,” Ponting said.India has recorded over a million Covid-19 cases over the last three days, with 352,991 new cases reported on Monday. The country has already been put on the Covid-19 red-list by the UK.
MatériaMais Notícias
O Corinthians ainda tem muito a fazer nesta temporada, mas alguns planos já estão traçados para 2022, sendo que um deles é de conhecimento público: a contratação de Paulinho. O desejo foi reafirmado na última quarta-feira, quando o presidente Duilio Monteiro Alves, em entrevista ao podcast “Hi!Cast”, voltou a declarar o interesse no volante e abriu as portas do CT Joaquim Grava.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansCantillo é convocado pela seleção da Colômbia e pode desfalcar o Corinthians em até três jogosCorinthians04/11/2021CorinthiansContra o San Lorenzo, Corinthians inicia a busca pelo tri da Copa Libertadores FemininaCorinthians03/11/2021FortalezaRival do Corinthians, Fortaleza não perdeu dos paulistas neste BrasileirãoFortaleza03/11/2021
TABELA
> Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão-2021 clicando aqui
> Conheça o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!
GALERIA
>Veja até quando vai o contrato de cada jogador do Corinthians
Na conversa com os apresentadores do programa que foi transmitido ao vivo no YouTube, o mandatário corintiano novamente deixou claro que a vontade do clube é contar com ídolo alvinegro no elenco para a próxima temporada. Até porque isso foi tentado no meio do ano, quando o atleta acabou optando por jogar no Al Ahli, Arábia Saudita, mas a esperança agora é de um desfecho positivo. Além disso, Duilio não poupou elogios ao meio-campista.
-O Paulinho a gente conversou muito, não é surpresa para ninguém, antes de fechar a janela de agosto, acabamos não acertando, ele seguiu a vida dele, rescindiu contrato com o time que ele estava na Arábia. Ele é um cara que é o desejo de todos os corintianos vê-lo de novo aqui, é um cara que sempre se entregou muito ao Corinthians, ganhou tudo no Corinthians, é um cara de raça, de entrega, com a nossa cara – disse o presidente antes de completar:
– Eu quero muito ter ele aqui, o treinador (Sylvinho) também, lógico, todos nós aqui. É um jogador de qualidade, de Seleção Brasileira, Copa do Mundo, ou seja, é indiscutível a qualidade. Temos muitos atletas que jogaram com ele, são amigos, Cássio, Renato Augusto, Willian na Seleção, diversos. Então pode ser, é uma possibilidade, mas é cedo, a próxima janela abre em janeiro, a gente está entrando em novembro, reta final de campeonato, mas é uma possibilidade, e eu espero que a gente consiga se entender e que ele volte para cá.
Como afirmou na resposta acima, Duilio Monteiro Alves não quer antecipar os acontecimentos e prefere deixar qualquer definição sobre a proposta e a possível contratação mais para frente, quando Brasileirão estiver terminado e o Corinthians saiba exatamente o que fará na temporada 2022. Mas enquanto isso, o presidente alvinegro abriu as portas do CT Joaquim Grava caso Paulinho queira manter seu condicionamento físico nas instalações do Timão.
-Ele pode vir para cá treinar, independentemente de acertar ou não, é uma possibilidade também. Antes de ele ir para a Arábia, ele estava treinando no Bragantino, nem por isso ele ficou lá e foi contratado. Então isso não é só com o Paulinho, com qualquer atleta que passou por aqui, a gente tem sempre as portas abertas para receber sempre nossos ex-jogadores, ex-ídolos, o Paulinho nem se fala, além de tudo é um amigo. Se ele quiser se condicionar aqui, será um prazer, independentemente de contrato.
– Ele sabe disso, as portas estão abertas para ele. Quando ele foi para o Bragantino liguei para ele e perguntei “vai treinar lá por quê?” e ele falou “Não, é que eu tenho casa aqui, estou no interior, quietinho”. Agora da mesma forma, ele sabe que as portas estão abertas, se quiser vir treinar aqui vai ser um baita prazer ter ele aqui. Contrato mesmo a gente vai ver um pouco mais para frente na hora certa – concluiu.
Segundo apurou o LANCE!, há um desejo mútuo das partes em firmar um acordo para o ano que vem, mas ao mesmo tempo não há pressa em acertar as condições, justamente por conta das definições do Brasileirão. Com problemas financeiros, o clube sabe que se uma classificação para a Libertadores não for conquistada, o orçamento será altamente afetado.
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Manchester United fans have branded Andre Onana a "f*cking clown" after his error gifted Nottingham Forest a second goal at Old Trafford.
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Onana criticised by supportersLet the ball fly over his headForest won 3-2 at Old TraffordFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
United went into half-time at Old Trafford at 1-1, but fell behind within two minutes of the restart, with a long-range Morgan Gibbs-White strike wrong-footing Andre Onana and fizzing into the bottom corner. The Red Devils' goalkeeper was subsequently slammed on social media, as he completely failed to move towards the effort. Onana was blamed again when Chris Wood managed to sneak it by him, with the shot stopper again watching it go in.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING
@MarkGoldbridge wrote: "Is Onana allergic to the ball…"
@Jay7Blanco said: "Onana what a f*cking clown."
@AnfieldRd96 said: "Don't care what anyone says, Onana is a shambles of a goalkeeper."
@SeanSheehanBA wrote: "First big decision for Amorim here. Anyone with a brain knows Onana isn't a Man United goalkeeper. He needs to be axed immediately."
@Buddytempestv2 concluded: "Onana just undone six months of building his rep back in one game tears."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Bruno Fernandes pulled a goal back but the Red Devils were unable to rescue a point, suffering a second consecutive loss under Amorim.
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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?
United play Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on Thursday before a clash with Manchester City in the Premier League next weekend.
Arsenal have a massive campaign ahead of them next season as they look to finally get over the line and bring the Premier League back to North London for the first time in over 20 years.
Mikel Arteta's side were almost perfect last year, with a best-in-class defence and a seriously impressive haul of 91 goals to boot, but given the level of competition, they'll need some more reinforcements before the transfer window slams shut.
This is clearly the feeling at the club as well, as, over the last few weeks, a number of genuinely top-class players, from Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres to Napoli's Victor Osimhen and countless others, have been linked with a move to the Emirates.
However, there was one star touted for a move to N5 earlier this summer, who, if signed, would be a real coup, although his arrival might be bad news for Gabriel Martinelli.
Arsenal transfer news
According to a report from Football Transfers back in mid-July, Arsenal were one of two sides tipped to sign Napoli's Georgian superstar Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
The links seemed to stem from the winger's former coach, Gela Davitadze, who named the Gunners and fellow Premier League side Manchester City as the two most suitable destinations for the Serie A winner.
However, if the North Londoners are to go back in for the 23-year-old phenom, they'd have to dig deep into their pockets, as the report claimed that he'd cost at least €100m, which converts to around £84m.
That said, to get the best, you have to pay a premium, and Kvaratskhelia is undeniably one of the most exciting widemen in Europe and would be a serious level-raiser at the Emirates, even if he'd potentially replace Martinelli.
How Kvaratskhelia compares to Martinelli
So, if the Gunners were to go back in for Kvaratskhelia this summer, there is little chance that he'd join without a guarantee of significant game time, although while he can play off the right, it would be incredibly surprising to see him replace Bukayo Saka.
Moreover, considering he has more experience playing off the left, he'd likely compete with Martinelli for a long-term place in the starting lineup.
So, how do the pair compare? Well, when we look at their raw output from the last couple of seasons, it's the "unstoppable" Georgian, as talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him, who comes out on top.
In 45 appearances, he scored 11 goals and provided nine assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 2.25 games.
However, as if that wasn't impressive enough, his form the season prior was something else entirely, as he scored 14 goals and provided 17 assists in just 43 appearances, equating to an incredible average of a goal involvement every 1.38 games.
In contrast, Arsenal's Brazilian dynamo can't quite match those numbers.
For example, last season, he produced 13 goal involvements in 44 appearances, averaging out to one every 3.38 games, while the campaign prior saw him produce 21 in 46 games, leading to a more impressive average of one every 2.19 games.
What about their underlying numbers, then? Does the Tiflis-born star win out when we examine what's happening under the hood?
Unsurprisingly, given their comparative output, the Napoli ace also comes out way ahead in practically every relevant underlying metric, including but not limited to non-penalty expected goals plus assists, actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, shots and shots on target, passing accuracy, key passes, shot and goal-creating actions and successful take-ons, all per 90.
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.59
0.58
Non-Penalty Goals + Assists
0.56
0.45
Progressive Passes
2.93
2.90
Progressive Carries
6.05
5.67
Shots
4.21
2.59
Shots on Target
1.48
0.89
Passing Accuracy
80.4%
77.9%
Key Passes
2.07
2.05
Shot-Creating Actions
5.10
4.10
Goal-Creating Actions
0.53
0.49
Successful Take-Ons
3.32
1.79
Ultimately, in every conceivable metric, Kvaratskhelia comes out ahead of Martinelli. Therefore, while he'd cost a king's ransom, Edu and Co should do what they can to secure his services.
He'd be a game-changing signing for Arsenal and could play a pivotal role in ending the club's extended title drought, as he did for Napoli.
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Liverpool still haven't signed anyone this summer, though it looks like the first acquisition of the Arne Slot era will arrive in the form of Valencia goalkeeper Giorgio Mamardashvili, who will sign for the club – though remaining with the Spanish side on loan for the current campaign.
That's nice and prudent and all but fans are still hopeful to see someone arrive and make an instant impact, ensuring that Slot has the tools to succeed after taking the reins from Jurgen Klopp.
An upgrade on Wataru Endo in the sitting midfield area is the no. 1 priority for Richard Huges and co, while Joe Gomez's possible sale would likely see a centre-back brought in.
Liverpool aren't limited to those positions though, with a talented full-back emerging as a target…
Liverpool could sign new left-back
Liverpool started the 2023/24 Premier League season with three points, but Andy Robertson's performance against Ipswich Town left plenty to be desired, starting shakily in possession and concerning his positioning.
The 30-year-old has endured some suffering of late, only starting 18 top-flight matches last year due to injuries. As such, Liverpool have been linked with a host of left-backs, and Adrien Truffert might just be the man to succeed the Scotland skipper.
Last week, L'Equipe reported on interest from several English outfits for the Rennes defender, aged 22, who is valued at a bargain €15m (£13m) by the Ligue 1 side.
Manchester United are also interested and desperately need a left-back, so Hughes must move fast and get the deal done.
Why Adrien Truffert could replace Robertson
Truffert has emerged from the same youth factory that has produced Eduardo Camavinga and Ousmane Dembele, and Liverpool could land a real talent here, with the properties for success at the very top of the Premier League.
As per Sofascore, he started 24 matches in the French top flight last season, scoring once and providing two assists, also completing 82% of his passes and averaging 55.6 touches per game, emphasising the kind of confidence he has in his ability, willing to get on the ball and make things happen.
He's sharp and blessed with good dribbling and technique, though Truffert is definitely not the finished product yet and could actually prove to be the perfect Robertson heir, serving as his understudy and learning the fruits of the Liverpool phenom's labour before taking his place.
Indeed, Robertson was signed from Hull City for just £10m in 2017, at the age of 23. He was hardly a household name at the time but has since cemented himself as one of the finest in the Premier League era, currently standing as the highest-assisting defender in the division's history.
1.
Andy Robertson
276
59
2.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
227
58
3.
Leighton Baines
420
53
4.
Graeme Le Saux
327
36
5.
Kyle Walker
395
35
Across 298 appearances for the Reds, Robertson has won it all and will forever be remembered as an essential part of the most illustrious spell in the club's modern history.
But his high-level output will not last forever, and with Konstantinos Tsimikas never looking like nailing a first-choice spot on the defensive left flank, Truffert could be the perfect upgrade, already hailed as the "complete full-back" by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
With Robertson now into his 30s, Truffert would be an excellent, albeit relatively left-field signing this summer. Gomez, who featured on the left at times last year, may well depart and Slot's system needs an injection of new life.
Liverpool can land "immense" £38m titan who'd be better than Branthwaite
This would be a statement signing from FSG…
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Aston Villa kicked off their 2024//25 Premier League season with a highly impressive win over West Ham United last weekend
Unai Emery’s side looked like they were going to have to settle for a share of the spoils against the Irons, that was until Jhon Duran popped up with just 11 minutes left to score the winner.
In what was a tricky opening match, Villa securing all three points will give them plenty of confidence heading into their game against Arsenal this evening.
There could be a few changes to the starting XI, however, as some of the players failed to really shine last weekend, most notably John McGinn.
John McGinn’s game in numbers vs West Ham United
The Scot started on the left of a three-man attack to support Oliie Watkins yet struggled to really make much of an impact during his time on the pitch.
Stats of Villa’s attacking midfielders against West Ham
Metric
John McGinn
Morgan Rogers
Leon Bailey
Goals
0
0
0
Assists
0
0
0
Key passes
0
2
2
Big chances created
0
0
0
Dribble attempts (successful)
0 (0)
2 (1)
2 (2)
Via Sofascore
During his 62 minutes on the field, McGinn completed just 12 passes, took 26 touches and attempted zero dribbles.
The midfielder also lost possession three times while delivering zero accurate crosses, and it was clear his spell out wide wasn’t going to carve any openings for Watkins.
Emery’s attacking players will need to be excellent from the very first whistle against the Gunners today to stand any chance of securing a positive result. Could this see McGinn potentially dropped from the starting XI for a homegrown talent?
The player who could replace McGinn vs Arsenal
Ramsey was brought on for the ineffective McGinn with just half an hour of the game to be played last weekend, making a wonderful impact.
He was the one that set up Duran to score what turned out to be the winner, while he also was successful with 100% of his passes, showcasing his excellent distribution.
The Englishman looked much brighter going forwards than McGinn, as he created a big chance, made one key pass and succeeded with 100% of his dribble attempts during his second half cameo.
This is the sort of performance that Emery will be demanding from the start as the Gunners travel to the Midlands this evening, which could see Ramsey given a starting berth.
The Athletic journalist Seb Stafford-Bloor lauded Ramsey as “sensational” back in 2021, but the academy graduate didn’t enjoy the most productive of spells last term as he missed 35 matches due to a series of niggling injury issues.
His impressive showing on the first weekend of the season will surely have bolstered his confidence, knowing that he is back fit and firing, ready to establish himself in Emery’s side.
The clash against the title-chasing Gunners will be difficult, but Villa did win 2-0 during their last meeting, a result which arguably cost the Emirates side the 2023/24 Premier League title.
If they channel this type of performance tonight, then there is no reason why they cannot replicate that stunning result from the end of last term.
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He almost joined a PL rival this summer
1 ByJoe Nuttall Aug 23, 2024
Haseeb Hameed is long past the time in his life when he accepts cricket’s assurances at face value. While the rest of us are free to view the perfectly timed push through the off side that brought him to his first hundred in over two years as marking a further confirmation of his return to form after haunted late seasons at Lancashire, the batter himself will now want more, for both himself and for Nottinghamshire. He was plainly irritated to be caught behind by Ben Cox off Joe Leach for 111 when trying to angle the ball to third man. In the manner of all professional batters his attention will have shifted to the next innings.That opportunity was not long in arriving. Hameed had been one of the last five Nottinghamshire batters dismissed in little more than ten overs and his side’s concession of a 160-run first-innings lead was followed quickly afterwards by Leach exercising his option of enforcing the follow-on. This was a surprise in itself: unless time is clearly pressing, asking a side to bat again sometimes seems to belong to the same era as pressing button B, buying a postal order or listening to the Third Programme on a wireless receiving set.Nevertheless, barely 40 minutes after he trooped off New Road, slapping his pad in annoyance, Hameed was walking out again to face an attack clearly set on keeping the pressure on Nottinghamshire’s cricketers. Like the April sunshine on this chilly afternoon at Worcester, his century was to be enjoyed but not yet unconditionally trusted. There was more work to be done. And despite the fact that he had already batted 400 minutes, Hameed will have relished this fresh responsibility just as he welcomed being appointed Nottinghamshire’s vice-captain at the start of this season. For one thing, fresh labours will replace some painful memories…In 2016 watching Hameed bat might have been prescribed for people needing to find calm in their lives; three years later, a disordered relic of that gorgeous technique had itself become enough to cause anxiety among spectators. A player who had once invested the act of leaving the ball with natural grace suddenly found he was incapable of performing the act with even functional efficiency. Hameed was lbw or bowled letting deliveries go; he nicked catches off balls he should have left. A barely launched career that had been a statistical wonder became a repository of oddities. Lovers of the game who had derived deep joy from Hameed’s batting sat in the stands like John Steinbeck’s farmers: thinking, figuring, but never quite losing hope. After all, this was ‘Has’ and they had been through a lot together.Early in 2019 there had been a quite lovely hundred against Middlesex at Lord’s but that summer brought him only 341 first-class runs and in late August the player seen two years previously as the future of English top-order batting was released by Lancashire. The news broke during an Ashes Test in which, so it had once been blithely assumed, Hameed was likely to be playing. Some thought Old Trafford’s decision premature but it was actually helpful. In order to revive the gift he valued most of all, Hameed needed to free himself from connections that had outlived their usefulness. Trent Bridge and the coaching of Peter Moores seemed the place to go. It still does.In such a broad context it is easy to imagine the quiet pleasure Hameed might have derived from helping his fellow opener, Ben Slater, bat out the remaining 35 overs of this day. Nottinghamshire reached the close on 87 without loss after the third evening’s cricket at New Road bore a remarkable resemblance to the second. But Nottinghamshire’s coaches will hope that is where the comparisons end.Related
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And, of course, one sees their point. Resuming on 99 without loss this morning, the visitors progressed carefully to 115 before Slater attempted to drive a ball from Brett D’Oliveira and was well caught by Daryl Mitchell at slip. After a similarly fine snare by Ed Barnard at point off Alzarri Joseph had ended Ben Duckett’s brief innings on 5, the rest of the session was dominated by a high-quality six-over spell by Charlie Morris that removed Joe Clarke, Lyndon James and Steven Mullaney.Morris bowled beautifully this morning: compelling the shot, nipping it around and nagging like the taxman. He fully deserved to take three wickets in 14 balls. Clarke was bowled by one that squirmed between bat and pad; James was leg before to one that came back; Mullaney was castled when he opted to not even hoist the drawbridge. (Incidentally this has so far been a lousy match for middle-order batters. Clarke’s 27 is the best any of them have managed and he was badly dropped by Leach at mid-on off D’Oliveira when he had made only 8.)Recovery of a sort was mounted by Tom Moores who scored 62 of the 89 runs in his sixth-wicket partnership with Hameed. However, after pulling two sixes and taking 24 runs off the first five balls of a D’Oliveira over, Moores tried to smack the sixth ball into New Road but only skied it to Leach at long-on. It was an extraordinarily ill-conceived shot, especially given that patting the ball down the pitch would have been equally wounding, albeit in a different way. That began the late collapse that brought Hameed back to the middle rather sooner than he or probably his colleagues had envisaged.Given that they were perhaps expecting to be asked to save the game on Sunday, the composure displayed by the Nottinghamshire openers bodes well for their side’s hopes in the final sessions of this game. The pitch is not yet helping the bowlers to an extent that will cause alarm and the odds are surely on a draw. Only a repeat of the general frailty displayed on this third day will lead to this game ending with the unexpected denouement of a home win.However, another mystery has already been solved in a most heart-warming fashion with the note from cathedral authorities informing local media that the flag of St George was not flying atop the tower on April 23 because two peregrine falcons were nesting there and no one was allowed near them. Quite right, too. Falcons are rare birds. Batters of Hameed’s ability and composure are pretty scarce as well and the strange arc of his career has not yet reached his apogee.