All posts by n8rngtd.top

After enjoying an unbeaten run to start Philippe Clement's tenure in fine fashion, Rangers saw all of their progress come to a crashing halt in the Old Firm derby, as Celtic secured all three points to regain the advantage in the Scottish Premiership title race. The Gers must now use the January transfer window to close the gap on their rivals, given that they sit eight points behind with two games in hand.

With that said, reports suggest that Rangers have returned to the Premier League in an attempt to land another addition for Clement. This would follow the arrival of Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Fabio Silva at the start of the month.

Rangers transfer news

It remains to be seen whether Silva will discover his goalscoring touch at Ibrox, but if he does then Rangers will have themselves one of the smartest deals of the January window. The forward may not be their only reinforcement arriving from England's top flight, either, with the Scottish giants reportedly dipping back into the Premier League to potentially sign Liverpool's Owen Beck.

Clement could finally replace Kent in Rangers swoop for £2.5m wizard

The Gers are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the talented winger this month.

By
Dan Emery

Jan 3, 2024

According to Simon Jones of The Daily Mail, via Ibrox News, Rangers have made an approach to sign Liverpool youngster Beck this month. Liverpool have reportedly already turned down any attempt to land the left-back from Ibrox chiefs, however, as they aim to use Beck as cover for the injured Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas.

The full-back has just been recalled from Scottish Premiership side Dundee but looks unlikely to make a return to the league through a move to Ibrox this month. With Borna Barisic out of contract in the summer and Ridvan Yilmaz struggling to make the left-back spot his own, Rangers must now seek a reinforcement from elsewhere, having reportedly been turned down by Liverpool.

"Popular" Beck would be perfect for Clement

After making 17 appearances in the Scottish Premiership for Dundee this season, Beck would have had no trouble slotting straight into the current Rangers side, making Liverpool's reported rejection all the more frustrating. At 21-years-old, the full-back is only likely to improve too, which would have given Clement a permanent solution to his left-back woes. Now, however, the former AS Monaco boss must continue his search before the end of the transfer window.

It's no real surprise that Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool have decided to keep hold of Beck, given the praise he earned whilst out on loan at Dundee. Among those with plenty of positives to say has been Tony Docherty, who said back in October via The Courier: “Owen is doing exceptionally well and with international recognition as well, it wouldn’t be a surprise if people are talking about him. But he’s such a grounded boy and is very popular here.

"I think he enjoys playing here – the football side of it and the camaraderie in the dressing-room as well. We’ll just keep his feet on the ground and he’ll, hopefully, keep performing the way he’s performing. That level of consistency will attract attention.”

David Moyes may not have been everyone’s cup of tea at West Ham United, but no one can deny how much he transformed them during his spell, notably steering the club to European glory in 2023.

With Julen Lopetegui under some pressure, was moving Moyes on perhaps a tad hasty? Of course, feelings are mixed regarding the former manager, especially with some of his final few signings in charge.

David Moyes' wayward 2023 summer window

James Ward-Prowse cost the club £30m last summer from Southampton but failed to live up to this fee at the London Stadium and was loaned to Nottingham Forest ahead of the current campaign.

Kalvin Phillips joined in January 2024 on a loan deal from Manchester City, with the Irons paying a loan fee and covering his wages during this temporary spell. The Englishman made just ten appearances for the club in what was a disastrous signing by Moyes.

One of his worst pieces of transfer business, especially in terms of value for money, was spending £15m to sign Danny Ings from Aston Villa.

Danny Ings’ West Ham statistics

Ings was fairly critical of his time at Villa Park, dubbing his maiden season in the Midlands as “underwhelming” after scoring just seven goals in 30 appearances for the club.

Although Moyes needed some more attacking reinforcements when he signed Ings nearly two years ago, the English striker was hardly going to be prolific under him.

Indeed, during his first six months, the former Liverpool centre-forward managed to score just two Premier League goals across 17 matches.

The 2023/24 campaign – his first full season at West Ham – was somehow even worse. Ings started only three times in the top flight, scoring a solitary goal against Burnley, a team who would be relegated.

It is clear that his time in London has been dismal. Ings was arguably one of Moyes’ worst-ever signings for the Irons, especially over his final 18 months in charge.

The Englishman’s market value has, unsurprisingly, dropped drastically since he moved to the club in January 2023.

Danny Ings market value at West Ham

Paying £15m for a striker who was clearly past their best was a terrible error of judgement by Moyes and the club are now paying for this move.

Indeed, according to Football Transfers, Ings is currently worth just €1.8m (£1.5m), which represents a major dip from the fee the club shelled out for him a little over 18 months ago.

His contract expires at the end of the season, but will West Ham be able to sell him in January? Especially considering how low his value is at this moment in time.

If not, he will likely be released next summer, with the club wasting money on paying his wages even though he is failing to contribute.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

The 33-year-old has scored just once this term from six appearances, starting only one of those games as Lopetegui prefers the likes of Michail Antonio to be unleashed in the starting XI.

There is no doubt Ings has been one of the worst signings the club has made recently, costing them a fortune in the process.

West Ham eyeing Lopetegui upgrade with "one of the best styles" in Europe

West Ham could make a managerial change should they lose in the Premier League this weekend.

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 8, 2024

Jhye Richardson faces a fitness race but Sydney Sixers will have Steven Smith available

Tristan Lavalette23-Jan-2023Spinner Ashton Agar will not be available for the BBL finals series as he prepares for Australia’s upcoming Test tour of India, while injured quick Jhye Richardson remains in doubt for the blockbuster qualifying final between arch-rivals Perth Scorchers and Sydney Sixers.Defending champions Scorchers locked up top spot on the BBL ladder with a dramatic 10-run victory over Melbourne Renegades at Optus Stadium.The result secured Scorchers a home qualifying final against Sixers on Saturday with a bumper crowd of around 45,000 expected. The winner will host the grand final on February 4.Sixers will have Steven Smith available for the qualifier with CA releasing 11 of the tour squad for the first week of the finals.Frontline spinner Agar was a curious omission from Scorchers’ line-up against Renegades in such a high stakes contest, but his unavailability for the finals series swayed the team’s hierarchy to select 19-year-old spinning allrounder Cooper Connolly. Agar is required to attend a pre-tour camp in Sydney before the squad flies to India.Related

• Smith's T20 opening success gives Australia selectors something to ponder

• Smith's career-best T20 knock puts Sixers in hunt for top spot

• Bancroft's career-best earns Scorchers home final despite blazing Finch

Connolly, a former Australia Under-19 captain, did not bowl against a surging Renegades, who almost mowed down a huge target of 213, with captain Ashton Turner shouldering the bulk of the spin bowling load. Peter Hatzoglou was later a concussion replacement for Matthew Kelly.”Once we got confirmation that Ash wasn’t going to be available for our final here on Saturday, we felt now was the opportunity for him to start his prep for the Test tour,” Scorchers coach Adam Voges said.”We’ve talked a lot with Ash through the back half of this campaign about how we can help keep preparing him for what’s coming up as well as what’s in front of him at the moment.We wouldn’t have done that without his blessing. I fully understand how important this upcoming tour of India is for him and him wanting to get the best possible preparation. It wasn’t really an issue at all.”

Test squad availability for BBL finals

David Warner: Eliminator and Knockout
Usman Khawaja: Eliminator and Knockout
Marnus Labuschagne: Eliminator and Knockout
Steven Smith: Qualifier
Travis Head: Eliminator and Knockout
Matt Renshaw: Eliminator and Knockout
Peter Handscomb: Eliminator (Knockout only if hosted by Thunder)
Alex Carey: Eliminator and Knockout
Ashton Agar: Unavailable
Nathan Lyon: Qualifier
Todd Murphy: Unavailable
Mitchell Swepson: Eliminator (Knockout only if hosted by Thunder)
Lance Morris: Qualifier

Richardson had been earmarked to return from a hamstring injury in time for the finals series, but will need to prove his fitness.Prior to his latest setback suffered against Sydney Thunder on January 4, Richardson had been in hot form with 15 wickets in seven games marked by rapid bowling nudging 150kph.A nagging heel injury consigned him to the sidelines for an extended period ahead of the BBL season.”He hasn’t got the final tick off yet,” Voges said. “We’re all really hopeful he’ll be available for Saturday. Once he is declared fit then I”ve got no issues with bringing him back in. But he’s still got a bit to do.”Speedster Lance Morris could also bolster Scorchers’ attack after missing the Renegades clash due to illness. Unlike Agar, Morris is available for selection against Sixers before he departs for Australia’s tour of India.A spot in Scorchers’ attack might open up after Kelly suffered a nasty blow to his face in a bizarre fielding mishap and he had to be substituted out of the match under concussion rules.”I’m sure he’ll go through those [concussion] protocols,” Voges said. “Hopefully he’ll be available for Saturday, but we’ll just wait and see.”Scorchers will give Jhye Richardson every chance to prove his fitness•Getty Images

It’s been a season of resilience for a ravaged Scorchers, who finished on top of the ladder with 11 wins despite instability.English recruits Tymal Mills, Phil Salt and Laurie Evans did not play a single match for various reasons, and so too star allrounders Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green due to injuries.Having memorably clinched last season’s title after playing just one home match due to strict Covid-19 border controls in Western Australia, Scorchers are eyeing another triumph under adversity.”Proud is a really good word,” said Voges, who described how he felt about his team. “You lose your three international players that you pick up in the draft, you lose Mitch Marsh on the eve of the tournament. To be honest, going in, I wasn’t entirely sure how we were going to go.”He paid tribute to the team’s remarkable depth and identified the emergence of top-order batters Aaron Hardie and Cameron Bancroft, who were fringe players in previous seasons, as key to Scorchers maintaining their status as a competition powerhouse alongside Sixers.”We’ve had guys step up, we’ve had guys contribute in different games,” Voges said. “We’ve always prided ourselves on our depth within our squad and we’ve certainly had to utilise it within this tournament. It’s great to get over the line and earn a home final.”

Footage from Barcelona’s Camp Nou construction site shows that stadium renovation plans remain way behind schedule.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Had hoped to be ready for 125th anniversary
• Capacity behind raised to 105,000
• Still hoping to be in before end of the year

• Twitter @FCBarcelona
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Catalan giants have invested £1.25 billion ($1.6bn) on giving their famous home a serious facelift. The initial plan was to have the upgraded venue ready for Barcelona’s 125th anniversary celebrations in November 2024.

Advertisement

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  That deadline passed with no word on when Camp Nou will be in a fit enough state to welcome supporters through its doors once more. The ambitious project is seeing the capacity at Catalunya’s most iconic sporting theatre raised from 99,354 to 105,000.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Footage from YouTuber, BarcaStory, shows that no fans will be entering Camp Nou any time soon. There is still a lot of work to be done, with thousands of seats yet to be fitted. A recent report from Relevo claims that the stadium’s roof will not be installed until the summer of 2026.

• TELL ME MORE

  Barcelona could move back in before then, with a speculative return date of October 2025 being put in place, with La Liga title hopefuls currently playing their home games at the 54,000-capacity Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.

The Men’s IPL, meanwhile, is likely to begin on April 1

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Dec-2022IPL 2023 is likely to begin on April 1, while the inaugural season of the Women’s IPL is likely to be played from March 3 to 26 with both tournaments to be played in India. While the BCCI is yet to formalise the dates, it has earmarked a window for the WIPL with the tournament set to start a week after the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup final, which is scheduled to be played on February 26 in Cape Town.As for the IPL, ESPNcricinfo has learned that the BCCI is working out the availability of overseas players before it finalises the end date for the 10-team tournament, which will return to the home-and-away format that was shelved due to constraints imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. It is likely that the BCCI would want to wrap up the IPL by the end of May since England are scheduled to play Ireland in a one-off Test at Lord’s from June 1 to 4. A few days later, The Oval will host the second ICC World Test Championship final – which India have a chance of contesting – while the Ashes begin from June 16.Related

• Women's IPL – All you need to know about the bidding process and auction

• Healy – 'Women's IPL is going to change women's cricket for the better'

• Nida Dar: We need more international matches and leagues to be competitive

• Women's IPL franchises to be unveiled on January 25

• BCCI set to launch five-team women's IPL in March 2023

On Friday the BCCI announced the media-rights tender for the first five seasons of the WIPL, 2023 to 2027. While the last date for picking up the tender is December 31, 2022, it is learned that the bids will be opened around January 8. The BCCI has decided to adopt the closed-bid process instead of an e-auction. While further details will emerge once the bidders pick up the tender document it is learned the BCCI has not set any base price for each of the three categories for which rights will be sold: television, digital, and a combination of the two.In October this year the BCCI shared with its members – the state associations – a plan for the WIPL, which was ratified at the board’s Annual General Meeting.According to the plan, the league will be contested by five franchise teams playing a total of 22 matches. Each squad can have up to 18 players, with a maximum of six overseas players, and each playing XI can include five overseas players (four from Full Member countries and one from an Associate nation).In the league phase of the WIPL, each team will play the other twice (a total of 20 matches), and the table topper will progress straight to the final. The teams that finish second and third in the league will play an Eliminator to determine the second finalist.According to the BCCI’s timelines, the next step would be inviting bids for the five franchises. Unlike the men’s IPL, where franchises bid for teams in a particular city, the BCCI had drafted two initial plans for the WIPL. The first one was to sell teams across six zones spanning the country. A set of cities in each zone has been shortlisted and comprises: Dharamsala/Jammu (North zone), Pune/Rajkot (West), Indore/Nagpur/Raipur (Central), Ranchi/Cuttack (East), Kochi/Visakhapatnam (South) and Guwahati (North-East).The second plan involves teams being sold but without a solid home base, with matches to be played at six shortlisted IPL venues: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai.The final leg of the process involves the assembling of squads and the BCCI is yet to finalise whether this will be done via an auction or a draft. Player availability will remain a concern considering the WIPL could clash with the inaugural season of the Women’s Pakistan Super League (WPSL). While the PCB is yet to release a final plan for the tournament, March 18 has been earmarked as the date of the WPSL final.

Everton had to sell a few players during the summer transfer window in order to comply with the Premier League’s financial fair play regulations.

This saw the likes of Amadou Onana, Lewis Dobbin and Ben Godfrey all leave Goodison Park, allowing Sean Dyche to balance the books.

Onana in particular has been a big miss, particularly with the Belgian beginning to showcase his talents for Aston Villa over the first few months of the season.

Amadou Onana's stats after leaving Everton

The Belgian has played 14 games for his new club, scoring three goals already, becoming a key member of Unai Emery’s starting XI.

Onana has notably been a shining light in the Champions League, starring on the biggest continental stage of all. As well as scoring once, he has averaged a pass success rate of 95%, winning 65% of his total duels per game and completing 100% of his dribble attempts.

His transition from the Premier League to Europe has been seamless and, despite securing a fee of around £50m, Dyche will regret letting him leave.

That said, he isn’t the only former Toffee at Villa Park who the Merseyside outfit should regret seeing leave through the exit door.

The Premier League defender Everton must regret selling

The club must also rue selling a defender under Rafa Benitez who is now undergoing a resurgence in recent months – Lucas Digne.

The Frenchman joined the Toffees in 2018, arriving from Barcelona, and over the next three and half seasons, he would go on to make 127 appearances for the club in the process.

In January 2022, however, Benitez was looking to raise some funds for future signings, which meant a player or two had to be sold.

Just days before the manager was sacked, Villa duly spent £25m to sign the French defender nearly three years ago, rescuing him from Benitez. Now, this season, the former Barcelona star has undergone somewhat of a resurgence.

In the Premier League this term for the Midlands side, Digne has not only scored twice but has also created eight big chances, averaging 1.3 key passes per game and averaged 0.5 shots per game, proving his worth going forward.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

Having a left-back Emery can trust has made a huge difference to the Frenchman’s confidence, which has seen his performances improve from those of last term.

He was even called up to the France squad for the latest Nations League matches, playing a starring role against Italy.

The former Everton defender played the entire 90 minutes as he registered two assists, made four tackles, made two key passes and even hit the woodwork during the 3-1 victory over the Italians.

This led to praise from Villa journalist John Townley, who said: “When Unai Emery joined Aston Villa two years ago, he wanted “more in everything” from Digne. Now he’s probably in the form of his life.”

While £25m at the time was a reasonable fee for Digne, Everton must now rue selling the defender who has been excellent for club and country this season.

10 duels lost: Everton's 20-touch star had a shocker for his country

Everton players have performed well during international duty, aside from one…

By
Ross Kilvington

Nov 16, 2024

The U.S. beach squad, a mixture of ex-pros and futsal stars led by an Irish coach, now on the brink of a fourth straight World Cup

You can see them in a strip of beach in Miami, every Saturday, rain or shine – kicking a soccer ball around on the golden sand. It’s thick and deep. You can’t really run. Sometimes it’s just 10 players. Other times, the numbers reach 20. The rules are simple: five a side, goalkeepers get involved in the play, no offsides.

The goals fly in as the sun rises. There is always music blasting, maybe a swim at the end, and then it’s back to normal life. Remove the sand, swimming and sunrise, and it’s the kind of pick up soccer that happens anywhere and everywhere, on pitches, courts and grassy fields around the globe.

But for Nico Perea, defender for the U.S. Men’s Beach Soccer National Team – and two-time national player of the year – it’s the perfect way to stay sharp. He is one of a select few athletes in the U.S. who compete in beach soccer at an elite level. He has 34 caps for the national team, in fact, and has played in the World Cup – yes, there’s a World Cup for beach soccer – and is a mainstay at the back for the reigning CONCACAF Champions.

Still, this is a wild bunch, a mixture of ex-pros, indoor stars, and soccer-lovers – some with no apparent background in beach football whatsoever – piecing together a squad capable of competing for the United States.

“I didn’t even know this was a ‘thing’ at first,” Perea told GOAL. “But you’re telling me I can represent my country at it? It’s a dream come true.”

• United States Soccer
  

  Where they come from

  Beach soccer is not a full-time profession in the United States. Some of the players also compete in professional indoor soccer. Others have normal day jobs and then train by themselves. Perea works a corporate job in Miami, then spends his nights working on his passion.

  Alessandro “Sancho” Canale, the second-all-time leading beach goalscorer for the U.S., has his own clothing brand, advises other brands, plays for an indoor team in Washington, and also finds time to kick a ball around on the beach.

  The national team players are paid a daily rate – a relatively recent development, at that – but rely on income from elsewhere to pay the bills.

  “Probably half the time that I've been on the team, we weren't getting paid, and maybe the first four years, or five years,” Canale said.

  But make no mistake, there is a real professionalism here. Beaches are rented for a minimum of four camps per year. And the new United States Soccer training center in Atlanta will feature separate facilities for the sport on sand.

Advertisement

• US Soccer
  

  How it all works

  Beach soccer differs from the beautiful game in its traditional format. There are five players on each team, including the goalie. And that’s more or less where whatever similarities end.

  There is no half time – games are played in three 12-minute periods. There is no offside, and throw-ins can be kicked off the ground. Everyone is barefoot. Bicycle kick goals are so common that a rule had to be implemented preventing defenders from touching opposing forwards when they are off the ground (it makes the highlights immaculate viewing.) The ball is in the air a lot of the time – passing on uneven sand is largely unpredictable.

  In most cases, the pitch has to be cleared of pebbles and shells before kickoff to prevent injury. Goals are smaller than usual, just six yards across. The pitch is tight, too, roughly 40 yards long and 30 wide. Substitutions are done on a rolling basis, making this thing look far more like shifts in ice hockey than soccer. No one can run on sand for a full game. In a matchday squad of 12, most – except the backup goalie – can expect to play.

  A baseline of skills are applicable from 11v11 soccer, but the best players tend to be experienced in futsal or small-sided soccer. Still, this is its own thing.

  “It is unlike any other sport – and unlike outdoor soccer, it's unlike indoor soccer,” Canale said.

  And the sport is global. Beach Soccer Worldwide was founded 1994, and sponsored, officially, by FIFA in 2005 – 142 different countries have registered national teams. A World Cup has been held every other year since FIFA’s endorsement. The best teams are who you might expect: Brazil, Portugal, Spain. But Russia, Japan and Italy are all strong in their own right.

• US Soccer
  

  'I was just looking for a team'

  The U.S. team, meanwhile, are ever-improving. The last FIFA rankings had them at No. 15. Part of their challenge is that there is no professional infrastructure for the game in the United States. Perea’s pickup may be a scenic, idealized version of the game, but for a long time, it’s how many learned to play.

  But the lack of an official organizing body – outside of the U.S. national setup – has given rise to some wonderful stories, and unique talents. The U.S. national team consists of a group of former USL players, ex-college talents, and futsal stars.

  Perea, for one, stumbled across the game when his career had reached a dead end. He was a part of USL Championship side Indy Eleven in 2019, and still looking for a club when the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered sport around the world. With nowhere to play, he moved back to his native Miami. And there, an opportunity arose.

  “I was just looking for a team, talking to my agent, trying to feel out the situation. And then the pandemic hit. Everything shut down. As you know, there was not much to do. The league was in a pause, and I was back home in Florida,” Perea said.

  He reverted back to all of the things he had done as a kid – running on the beach, training on the sand. He used to go out to the ocean with his father in his youth, practicing headers into the water and working on his touch as the waves broke. A friend introduced him to beach soccer in full. Perea was told there would be a training session on the beach. Perea agreed to attend – without the crucial clarifying detail as to what exact sport he might be playing.

  As it turned out, the session was run by the then-beach national coach Francis Farberoff. He was using the games as a quasi-scouting session. There were players from all over the world, Perea said, including Europe, Latin America and the U.S. But the man on the sidelines paid special attention to the Americans. Perea, a commanding center back with an excellent first touch, was swiftly invited to play for the team.

  “Once they told me about the opportunities, like, ‘Hey, we travel, we play important competitions, you get to be home,’ I was just like, ‘Let's just try this beach thing out,’” Perea said.

  For Canale, things were more complicated. The forward was at a crossroads in his career, soon to transfer from Santa Monica City College to UC San Diego to pursue 11v11 soccer. Upon the recommendation of a friend, he was introduced to Eddie Soto – then the U.S. beach head coach.

  Soto told Canale that he needed extra players for a scrimmage in Seal Beach – two hours away from his native Venice. Canale, ever desperate to kick a ball, made the drive on the promise of a couple of hours of fun. This was not, Soto insisted, an official invitation to the camp.

  Still, Canale impressed in the first scrimmage, and stayed the night before playing in the second. By his third day with the team, he was wearing a U.S. national team training shirt and in Soto’s plans for the squad.

  There were issues, though. College soccer season was approaching. Canale was still enrolled at UCSD and had a winter of 11 a side ball to play. He managed to negotiate around it, and represented the U.S. at the beach World Cup that winter.

  “I wasn't really sure if it'd be the best move for me to go,” Canale admitted. “But at the end of the day, like it didn't make sense to not. It was an opportunity that I couldn't pass up.”

  Back to front, the whole thing took three months before Canale was kicking a ball in Tahiti.

• Getty Images
  

  'I was delighted to have the opportunity'

  Beach soccer really wasn’t a thing where Ian Carry was raised. He grew up in Ireland, and played at a professional level in Scotland before going into coaching. Stints in indoor football followed, with a few caps for the Irish National Team as a goalkeeper.

  In 2007, Carry returned to Ireland with a promise that, this time, he would stay.

  “I moved from Scotland back to Ireland in 2007 and was never, never, ever going to move again. This is it. Final stop,” Carry said.

  So much for that. A friend in the game invited him to coach college kids in America over the summer. Given his coaching career in the Celtic, Carlisle United and Dundee United senior setups, as well as a variety of academy age groups for the Irish national team, it made sense – if only for a summer holiday.

  Then, a job opportunity arose: head coach of Central Michigan University women’s team. Carry broke his own promise, moved to America, and hasn’t looked back since. Jobs at the University of Kentucky and Charlotte Soccer Academy – where he is currently in a full-time role – followed.

  Beach soccer happened by chance. In November 2022, Stuart Sharp, an old friend who works for U.S. soccer, told Carry that the Beach team needed a goalkeeping coach. Carry’s response? Why not? There was, admittedly, one problem: Carry had never played beach soccer in his life.

  “I was like, awesome. I was delighted to have the opportunity,” Carry said.

  He worked his way through the ranks from there, served briefly as interim head coach, and after changes at the federation, was invited to apply for the role full time in early 2024. His club coaching career needed to be negotiated. But he figured everything out with his other job, and after impressing in his interviews, was named head coach in July of that year.

  “Not everybody gets the opportunity to say that coach of a national team, let alone, the U.S. national team,” Carry said.

  For Carry, there was an issue with the competitiveness around the team. He wanted to foster a sense of intensity among the group – which he believes has the talent to compete at the World Cup. His immediate solution was to gameify everything. Soccer trivia is a staple of his camps. Players are required to rank each other player from most to least competitive.

  For Canale, Perea and co., it’s a driving force.

  “I love the fact that he brought that in,” Perea said. “It brings the competitiveness out of everybody to know that in every single situation, every single play, every single moment, you should be going 100 percent.”

  When they go home from camp, and are sent training regimens, they are required to match – or, ideally, beat the statistic set from previous meetups collected by the team’s performance scientist.

  “With a staff that ticks every single box there's no stone unturned,” Carry said. “We just need to put these guys into the best possible physical shape and mental state. And then technically and tactically, from the coaching standpoint, we go to give them the best opportunity to be successful.”

Fast bowler had previously indicated he would be unlikely to play another away Test after modest record

Matt Roller21-Aug-2024Chris Woakes believes he could lead England’s bowling attack in Pakistan and New Zealand this winter, despite his modest Test record overseas.Woakes has a bowling average of 51.88 in his 20 away Tests, compared to 21.57 in 32 at home, but said that he will not “shy away” from touring either this winter and beyond, despite having last featured in an overseas Test at Grenada in March 2022.Woakes took 3 for 32 at Emirates Old Trafford on Wednesday as England bowled Sri Lanka out for 236 on the opening day of the first of three Tests, and has now taken 14 wickets at 19.07 this summer. At 35, he has led England’s attack since James Anderson followed Stuart Broad into retirement earlier this summer, and is not ruling himself out of fulfilling the same role overseas.”Naturally as you get older, the more Test cricket you play, you pick up new skills, you have more experience to fall back on and are a little bit wiser,” Woakes said. “I haven’t played an away Test for a little while, so it’s hard to look back at that – but that might be a good thing as well, that I haven’t in a little while. It gives you a little fresh look on things.”Woakes was not involved for England’s only Test tour of the 2023-24 winter, instead playing for Sharjah Warriors at the ILT20 after appearing to concede that he was unlikely to play another overseas Test, saying: “My away record speaks for itself.” However, after bad light brought an early close in Manchester, he insisted that he remains available for selection.”I certainly wouldn’t shy away from it,” Woakes said. “I’ll play for England where I’m picked to play for England. I certainly wouldn’t rule myself out, and obviously that will be a discussion for probably further down the line, but I’m certainly not ruling myself out. The selectors will have their plans, but I’m certainly not going to turn down a tour if selected, so we shall see.”England will play six overseas Tests this winter, three each against Pakistan in October and New Zealand in December. Brendon McCullum, their coach, said after their whitewash against West Indies that it would be “hard to rub him out right now” from selection overseas, not least as perhaps England’s only seamer capable of contributing regularly with the bat from No. 8.Related

• Lawrence accepts his top billing even as middle-order wait goes on

• What does Bazball without Ben Stokes look like? We're about to find out

• Jayasuriya: 'Karunaratne is a strong-minded player. He can do something major on this tour'

• Pope vows to lean on Stokes as he begins stand-in captaincy reign

• Dhananjaya: Sri Lanka wanted extra warm-up but were denied

He will bat one spot higher than that in this series, promoted to No. 7 in Ben Stokes’ absence. “I’ve worked hard on my batting in my whole career,” he said. “It’s not something which I’ve always found easy. I’ve put in some hard yards to make sure that I’m capable of doing that, and it’s an extra string in the bow which allows you to potentially be selected ahead of someone else, who maybe can’t quite fulfil that role.”I feel like batting at No. 8 in the Test side, it’s probably a role which sometimes goes under the radar. You do have to be able to contribute with the bat and it’s not necessarily just the runs you score; it’s the time you spend out there to bat with the genuine batters that you come and join in the middle, who can then add more runs for the side.”Having spent most of his Test career as a change bowler behind Anderson and Broad, Woakes has thrived with the new ball this summer. “It’s not like Ben and Baz have come up and said, ‘you are the leader, you have to lead this attack’. It’s just a role which I’m taking on this summer as the opening bowler and the oldest to try and give options and communicate with the other bowlers as much as I can.”He struck twice in his fourth over on Wednesday, having Nishan Madushka caught at first slip when he went chasing after a wide outswinger, and setting Angelo Mathews up to pin him lbw playing no shot. “It was a big wicket for myself, and it’s always nice when you’ve moved a few away and then you get one to come back like that,” Woakes said.In the afternoon session, Woakes had Kamindu Mendis caught behind to leave Sri Lanka 92 for 6, with poor light denying him an opportunity to dismiss debutant Milan Rathnayake, who made 72 from No. 9. “We’re really happy,” he said. “To bowl a team out on day one of a Test match and to be none down at the close is a superb day.”The Sri Lankans will probably still feel with how the surface played for the first half of today that you can get on a roll and you can pick up wickets on that pitch, but we will see… it felt like today it was more of a new-ball pitch or a hard-ball pitch, where it moved around with that harder ball. Once it got soft, it actually looked really nice and easier to bat.”

The 2023/24 season has not been an easy time for Manchester United. Erik ten Hag’s side currently reside in sixth in the Premier League table, although are now mathematically out of the running for a Champions League qualification spot.

In this season's edition of the famous competition, the Red Devils crashed out at the group stages, managing a total of just four points, winning once, drawing once and losing four out of the six games, including home and away to Bayern Munich.

Domestically, United’s defence of their Carabao Cup title did not go to plan. They were eliminated from the competition in the fourth round against Newcastle United. However, they are in the FA Cup final, following two dramatic wins against Liverpool in extra time and Coventry on penalties, to set up an all-Manchester final for the second year running.

This season has been a tough campaign for many of United’s players too. The Red Devils’ squad has been hit with over 60 cases of injury or illness, and key men like Casemiro and Marcus Rashford have struggled for form.

But that is not all. There was a scandal at the beginning of the season, in which Jadon Sancho fell out with manager Ten Hag, meaning he was banished from the squad. The 24-year-old has since gone out on loan to former club Borussia Dortmund, where he has shone.

Jadon Sancho's stats vs PSG

Since returning to Dortmund in January, Sancho has scored three goals and assisted two in 17 games. He has put in some vintage performances and has looked much more like his former self. One performance, in particular, in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final has got the footballing world buzzing about the talented winger once more.

It was a simply dazzling performance from Sancho on Wednesday evening. According to Squawka, the 24-year-old completed the most dribbles ever in a Champions League game by an Englishman, with 12, which is also the most completed in a single Champions League game this season.

He has the most completed take-ons in the knockout stages of this year’s competition, with 21 as per Sqauwka, and the last time a player completed more dribbles in a Champions League semi-final was Lionel Messi 16 years ago, against Sancho’s parent club, United.

According to Sofascore, Sancho had 100 touches, which included his 12 successful dribbles, and completed 51/58 passes at a success rate of 88%. He also created three chances and one big chance. He was desperately unlucky to not leave with at least one assist. Off the ball, he was magnificent, winning 14/20 of his ground duels, and his only tackle.

He gave PSG left-back Nuno Mendes nightmares all game; the Portugal international was dribbled past six times in total. It was a vintage performance from the winger, who looked so confident, gliding with the ball at his feet and slaloming past opponents with such ease, and combining with the full-back and midfielder on Dortmund’s right-hand side.

He created two excellent second-half chances, the first a superb piece of play, where he beat Mendes and carried the ball to the byline, before driving into the penalty box and cutting the ball back for Niclas Fullkrug, who fired over from close range. The second was a wonderful pass between the defender's legs, which fell perfectly to Julian Brandt, but his shot was blocked well.

It was a mesmerising performance by the winger, who looked like his old self, and showed exactly why United spent so much money on him in the first place. Performances like this, plus question marks over Ten Hag’s future, could well open the door for a return to the fold at United next season.

However, if this does not materialise, there is an up-and-coming winger in United’s academy who could break into the first team soon and bring the same flair as Sancho to the Old Trafford pitch.

Man Utd’s next best prospect

The player in question here is 17-year-old Shea Lacey, who recently celebrated his birthday by signing a first professional contract. He is very highly rated by Manchester United supporters and was described by BBC Sport’s Alex Turk as a “very, very special player”.

Lacey is a left-footed winger, who tends to play on the right wing. Whilst he brings lots of Sancho’s flair to the pitch, he is stylistically most similar to Phil Foden, almost a carbon copy of the Manchester City number 47, in fact.

The way he moves with the ball at his feet is very reminiscent of Foden. Like the England international, he has a low centre of gravity and can ride tackles with surprising ease. His close control is superb, he rarely loses control of the ball, and he is a very good creative outlet in the final third of the pitch.

The above goal is a perfect example of what Lacey can do. He is swamped by several opposition defenders, but the quick change of direction, the way he shifts the ball between both feet and the Cruyff turn, all aided by his low centre of gravity, means he can dance between the defenders, find space to accelerate into and finish emphatically. Foden-esque, indeed.

Sadly, Lacey's season has been ruined by an injury, which also led to him missing the U17 World Cup in Indonesia last year. He already has three goals for England’s U17s, in just five caps so far.

Despite his injuries, Lacey has played well when he has not been sidelined. The 17-year-old has played just seven U18 Premier League games this season, yet has still contributed to five goals, scoring three and assisting two. He also grabbed an assist in the UEFA Youth League.

There is little doubt that Manchester United have an elite talent on their hands in Lacey. He has already trained with the first team on several occasions. His progress this season has stalled slightly because of his injury issues, yet Lacey’s talent, and similarity to Foden, are indisputable.

Sadly, he will miss the remainder of the season due to injury, so a potential first-team debut will have to wait until next season. With that being said, it does not seem long until United can unleash such an exciting prospect, and give him the first of many first-team opportunities.

What the Man Utd team could look like once Shea Lacey becomes a regular

A look at how the Red Devils could line up once teen sensation Shea Lacey breaks into the side…

By
Robbie Walls

Apr 16, 2024

Courtney Walsh is giving back to cricket by mentoring West Indies’ Under-19 players. He tells them to keep things simple and to enjoy life on tour

Peter Della Penna30-Jul-2011It’s a hot Saturday afternoon in south Florida and West Indies Under-19 have just thrashed USA Under-19 in the first of four matches. While the players cool down, the team management warms up for a series of races around the boundary. One man towers over the rest of the group, but on this tour he wants to blend in and help the teenagers get the most out of their experience.”It’s something I’m very keen to do because of the love I have for the game,” says Courtney Walsh, the former fast bowler who is the West Indies U-19 team manager for this tour. “I’ve had that love since I’ve been at school. So anything to do with cricket just gives me a buzz and it’s something that I want to do.”When Walsh retired from international cricket at the age of 38, he thought he would spend his days relaxing on the beach. But he couldn’t stay away from the game for long. So after dabbling in TV commentary, he’s now trying to be a helpful presence for the next generation of West Indies players, and to aid the U-19 head coach Roddy Estwick in any way he can.”I think it’s a way of putting something back into the cricket, or pass down your experience to the younger players, and that’s why I specifically wanted to try to do some work with the younger players,” Walsh says.”It’s an area where, if you can organise them from now – the workload should be lesser when they get to the higher level – to try to maintain standards, focus on the discipline and just help them to think about the game and learn more about it because the more you learn now, the better it’s going to be for you at a later stage.”Seeing the kids full of energy and excitement on this tour, Walsh can’t help but think back to his early playing days. “The fun you can have from touring, obviously when you look at these kids it brings back memories, and you remember your days as a youngster and what you used to do,” Walsh says. “You miss it obviously when you retire. You miss playing a little bit, but once you don’t focus on that, it becomes a little bit easier.”You remember the people you met, the friendships that grew when you worked, and the bonding from touring. I’ve met many a people in different parts of the world that today are still my friends. That to me is very important. That’s some of the stuff you want to rub off on these kids – that don’t just see it as a cricket tour you go on and finish. You’re going to meet people who might have an effect on your life down the road, meet people who can become your friends, who live in another part of the world.”For kids in the United States it’s hard to fathom being able to hone your cricket skills right down the street from a proper cricket ground, but Walsh was able to do just that at the prestigious Melbourne Cricket Club in Kingston, Jamaica.”The first time I saw the [West Indies team] on TV, I just said, ‘Wow, that’s something I want to be a part of.’ Fortunately for me, I grew up right next to the Melbourne. So I was at the cricket ground every day I can think of. Whether I was playing football, cricket or just watching or just hanging out, I was always at the cricket ground. So cricket was embedded in me from a very early age. I played cricket for the club before I played cricket for my school.”

“I was at the cricket ground every day I can think of. Whether I was playing football, cricket or just watching or just hanging out, I was always at the cricket ground. I played cricket for the club before I played cricket for my school”Walsh on the early presence of cricket in his life

Not only was he always at the ground but he also got to receive guidance from a legend who was part of the same club, Michael Holding. Eventually Walsh made his Test debut in the same squad as Holding and many of the other greats. At the time he was just grateful to be on the same field as them but little did he know that when he retired he would be just as famous.”I remember we toured England in 1984 and I didn’t play any international games on that tour. My Test debut was in Australia. I remember when my name was called in the XII – you kind of have an idea as a player based on the make-up of the team – I called home and said, ‘I’m in the XII and have a very good chance of playing but I won’t know until the morning’, because you didn’t want to take anything for granted.”I wouldn’t say it was a sleepless night. It was a very exciting night. I would lie if I say I wasn’t nervous. I would lie if I say I went to bed as if everything was normal. You had butterflies thinking about it and you start thinking about what you want to do, how you want to perform. It’s a chance to try and make a name for yourself, to get into this team led by Clive Lloyd, and all the greats – Michael Holding, Viv Richards, Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner, just to name a few. We had Gordon Greenidge. When you look at the names of the people among whom I had a chance at making my debut, it was just exciting stuff.”Walsh didn’t expect or think about lasting another 17 years at the international level, saying he only wanted to have “a good career” when he first broke through. “It’s something I’m very thankful for but at no point in time did I plan or dream that it was going be as successful as it was.”Walsh thinks that it’s possible for the members in this touring party, including the West Indies U-19 captain Kraigg Brathwaite, who has already made his Test debut, to have long and fruitful careers as long as they don’t try to master everything in one go.”I just try to keep it simple for them at this stage, in terms of giving them as much information as you can but advising them that they don’t have to do everything all at once,” Walsh says. “If they ask questions about swinging the ball and cutting, you pass on those tips because it’s information to pass on, but at the same time you don’t want them to be doing everything all at once. Explain to them that there’s practice time, when you practise things, and match time, when you do your basics.”The main advice I’ve always passed on to them is that the basics will not change. Perfect the basics first. Once you do that you have a base to work from, and you can improvise from there.”It is to be hoped that cricketing youngsters in the USA might one day have a homegrown role model to look up to. Such local role models were influential in Walsh’s life, and now he’s doing his best to be one for the next generation of players in Jamaica and across the West Indies.