Category Uncategorized

Seventeen wickets tumble in the day at the Ageas Bowl, with Ollie Pope the only batsman to pass 35

ECB Reporters Network10-Sep-2019
Ollie Pope pushed his case to be a part of England’s winter Test plans with a sublime half-century on a day when fast bowlers excelled at the Ageas Bowl. Batsman Pope, who played two Tests last summer, backed up his 221 not out in his last Specsavers County Championship appearance with a stand-out 68 for Surrey, to take his season average to 120.On a green-tinged wicket which provided plenty of swing, Pope stood a class above, alongside veteran allrounder Rikki Clarke – who remained unbeaten on 35 at the end of the day, having produced his seventh career five-wicket haul. It was a day of milestones for Clarke, who also claimed his 500th first-class scalp and 11,000th run.Clarke has enjoyed facing Hampshire in the past two seasons having taken 5 for 29 at the Ageas Bowl last season and 7 for 74 earlier this year at the Kia Oval.Hampshire, who had won the toss and elected to bat, survived a testing first hour, albeit Ian Holland was dropped without scoring at third slip and Morne Morkel rattled through five successive maidens. But the introduction of first-change pair Clarke and Jordan Clark decimated the hosts’ top order – with their morning spell seeing five wickets fall for 31 runs.Clark needed only six balls to tumble Holland’s off stump before Clarke had Felix Organ caught flashing to third slip and Tom Alsop castled in successive overs – as the Hotel End went 9.3 overs before seeing a run.Veteran Clarke then claimed his 500th first-class wicket, which coincided with his 450th Championship scalp, when Sam Northeast pushed to second slip, leaving Hampshire 26 for 4. James Vince attempted to fight the swing by smashing a six over square leg before producing back-to-back boundaries – but Clark had the last laugh as Jamie Smith hung on at point.Conor McKerr had Liam Dawson caught behind soon after lunch, before Clarke completed his five-for when the enterprising Aneurin Donald’s leading-edge landed at mid-off and Keith Barker was caught at gully.Kyle Abbott and Lewis McManus provided some rearguard action for the hosts as they put on 45 for the ninth wicket – before the former was bowled by Clark, who bagged 3 for 50, and the latter was lbw to Morkel to conclude the innings.Surrey’s batsmen didn’t find the conditions any easier to battle through as they collapsed to 37 for 3 and 61 for 5. Fidel Edwards made the breakthrough in the sixth over when, unlike the pattern of wickets of the day, he bounced Mark Stoneman out, with Vince pouching a simple catch.An over later Dean Elgar edged Abbott behind, before Scott Borthwick and Smith both poked Barker to Dawson at second slip.England hopeful Ben Foakes was the next to depart to give Barker his third. But Pope, along with Clarke, hurried the scoring along with a 72 stand for the sixth wicket, with several eye-catching shots nestled among some clever running.Pope departed in the twilight when Holland had him lbw, before McKerr was leg-before to Abbott to the last ball of the day – Surrey still behind but by just six runs.

England midfielder Georgia Stanway has been praised for her work with mental health organisation FCC USA.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Stanway flew Stateside to appear at event
• Taught lessons on resilience and teamwork
• Praised on social media as role model

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Stanway made an appearance in Miami for FCC USA, a non-profit organisation that works to integrate mental health and wellness through football. The England star got involved with some games alongside many of the children who had turned up and the organisation's official Instagram page made sure to praise her for the lessons she taught those present.

Advertisement

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Stanway often goes out of her way to help others and makes sure she is giving back to the communities as a role model in women's football. The midfielder, like so many of her England team-mates, appears down to Earth and relatable when interacting with fans and she has clearly made an impact for the next generation of football stars.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Stanway matched her previous best tally of six goals in the Frauen-Bundesliga this season, scoring six times as Bayern Munich won the title. She has been instrumental in their success, netting the odd screamer, too.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR STANWAY?

  England's finest is currently enjoying a bit of downtime having just finished a stint with the national team, but she will join back up with Sarina Wiegman's side in July as they prepare for two more Euro 2025 qualifiers. Firstly they will take on the Republic of Ireland before facing Sweden.

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has favoured Pascal Struijk and Spurs loanee Joe Rodon as his centre-back partnership at Elland Road this season, with the duo racking more than 4,000 minutes between them. Club captain Liam Cooper has also played his part, with 637 minutes under his belt, but Charlie Cresswell has effectively been ousted from the first-team picture.

Cresswell hasn't featured at all for Leeds – in any competition – since a late substitute appearance in a 1-0 win over QPR at the start of October, and his last Championship start came in a 1-0 defeat to Birmingham City in August. Speaking earlier this month, Farke said that the Englishman had shown a lack of focus and complained about his position in the defensive hierarchy.

The manager has decided not to pick him unless that stance changes, and there's a possibility that the 21-year-old could move on. Farke is "adamant" that Leeds should have four senior centre-backs in their squad, so that could open the door for a new face, and Ben Godfrey has emerged as a possible candidate.

Leeds rival European giants for Godfrey

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, Leeds are interested in Godfrey at Everton, as are Yorkshire rivals Sheffield United. Both teams are said to be "on the trail" of the former Norwich man and could swoop in to steal him from Serie A outfit Atalanta.

They face more competition on the continent too from AC Milan, sitting third-place in Serie A and long-term admirers of Godfrey. Milan ideally want to sign Clement Lenglet, currently on loan at Aston Villa from Barcelona, but his salary could be an insurmountable obstacle.

Intermediaries have now offered them the chance to sign Godfrey, who had been "very close" to joining fellow Italian side Atalanta. That transfer was "agreed in detail" but it's now been "ruined" by "soaring costs". Leeds, Sheffield United and Milan all fancy hijacking the deal.

"Tremendous" Godfrey can rediscover top form at Leeds

After coming through at York City, Godfrey joined Norwich in 2016 and spent four years at Carrow Road before Everton signed him in a £25m deal. He's since played 80 games for the Toffees, but he's hardly had a look-in this year with just one Premier League start (in a 2-0 win over Burnley in mid-December).

Frustratingly, he's been fit and healthy too, making the squad for every single top-flight game but simply failing to earn the faith of manager Sean Dyche. From that standpoint, a loan or indeed a permanent exit would make sense.

EFL Championship done deals: Every January 2024 transfer

As the January transfer window closes, FFC has you covered for every in and out involving your club in the EFL Championship.

ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

If he does move to Elland Road, Leeds would hope he could rediscover the form he was showing in his final stretch at Norwich, which earned him a £25m move, and his first year at Everton. BBC Sport's Phil McNulty said he'd been a "revelation" after his arrival at Goodison Park, while fellow journalist Jonathan Northcroft hailed him as a "tremendous athlete" and pundit Rio Ferdinand applauded his "great" 1 v 1 abilities.

Indeed, Godfrey was successful 65.9% of the time when he went to tackle a dribbler, the eighth-best record in the league that year. His performances earned him the club's young player of the season award, and perhaps he can get back to that level with a needed move.

Fulham manager Marco Silva must have felt a frisson of fear as Liverpool ramped up the gas in the second half of their Carabao semi-final tie at Anfield last night, with his side leading but well-versed in the hosts' predatory instinct in the late stages.

Indeed, just as Liverpool did last month in the Premier League, they came from behind to prevail against the Cottagers after Jurgen Klopp's substitutions made the difference.

While a return trip to Craven Cottage presents a tough task, the Reds are one step closer to the final, with Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo firing the home side into the advantage after an excellent creative cameo from Darwin Nunez.

How Nunez & Jones performed vs Fulham

Jones restored parity after 68 minutes as his effort took a big deflection to wrongfoot Bernd Leno between the sticks, but there was nothing fortunate about Gakpo's rifled strike moments later to send the Kop into rapture.

Both efforts were provided by Nunez, who has received constant criticism throughout his Liverpool career for wayward finishing but has proved to be increasingly influential this term, now boasting eight goals and ten assists from 30 appearances across all competitions.

The Uruguayan also succeeded with three of his four dribbles and won four of his five ground duels to really emphasise the robustness and tenacity that has left him in such stellar standing with the Liverpool support, who forgive his profligacy due to an unwavering eagerness to fight for the badge.

Jones, too, proved himself yet again as a key component, ever important in the midfield and orchestrating the play, with another goal to the collection nice but not the core of his craft – he completed 47/48 passes and proved to be the fuel for the engine room.

While both efforts were impressive, it was the performance of one Conor Bradley that stood out above all others, with the young full-back filling in and pronouncing his quality on a statement night,

Conor Bradley's game vs Fulham in numbers

With Trent Alexander-Arnold sidelined for a few weeks with a hamstring injury, Bradley was handed the opportunity to impress down the right lane, having been praised for his "eye-catching cameo" against Arsenal on Sunday by The Athletic's James Pearce.

As per Sofascore, the 20-year-old played the full 90 and played a key part in the victory, taking 87 touches, completing 88% of his passes as he marauded the wing, making six tackles, two key passes and winning one interception.

He was dribbled past three times as he struggled to contain the electric-paced Antonee Robinson on occasion, but having won a whopping nine ground duels, it's safe to say he held his own and impressed against a cohesive and spirited Premier League outfit.

Writing in his post-match player ratings, This Is Anfield's Mark Delgado echoed these sentiments and handed the up-and-comer a stunning 9/10 match score.

He wrote: 'Lost his footing in the lead-up to the goal and a few times was skinned by left-back Antonee Robinson, who has lightning pace, but generally dealt well with Willian in one-v-ones and got forward fearlessly which was important as we sought a route back into the game.

'Never afraid to take on his man and won a few dangerous free-kicks. But it was his defensive tenacity which we needed tonight and he kept that up throughout, notably tackling back four or five times in one attempted Fulham attack down his flank in the final 15 minutes.'

It wasn't a perfect performance but Bradley showcased his skills and proved that he can be the one to fill in for Alexander-Arnold over the coming weeks – with the versatile Joe Gomez's talents required at right back.

To be honest, that's probably the best praise to be handed to the lively full-back, whose emergence may well end Liverpool's supposed pursuit of a new right-back.

Everton's priority will undoubtedly be to avoid Premier League relegation this season, but away from the pitch, they would be wise to begin plans to move away from season after season scrapping away with the bottom three. If the Toffees can build Sean Dyche a squad that balances both experience and players capable of becoming future stars, then the former Burnley boss could finally take them back into the Premier League's top half and even challenge for Europe.

With that said, reports suggest that those at Goodison Park are eyeing a move to sign an exciting Championship gem for Dyche in the summer transfer window.

Everton transfer news

On paper, the table reflects that Everton have so far endured yet another season to forget, but there's more to it than that. The Toffees were hit with a 10-point deduction earlier in the campaign for breaching Financial Fair Play rules and would be sitting as high as 12th, had they avoided such punishment.

Forced to face their current reality nonetheless, Everton must now ensure that the final standings reflect their performances rather than allowing the deduction to form the narrative of a disastrous season. If they do survive, meanwhile, the Merseyside club could turn their attention to summer additions.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Everton are eyeing a move for Tom Fellows, who is out of contract at West Bromwich Albion in the summer. Romano posted the news on X, saying:

Planning ahead, Everton could yet secure a right midfielder ready to play his part in both Dyche's current squad and whatever the future holds at Goodison Park.

"Excellent" Fellows can become better than Harrison

Whilst Jack Harrison has slotted straight into Dyche's side since arriving at Everton in the summer, a player of Fellows' potential can eventually prove to be an upgrade the winger. The West Brom youngster is already impressing in the Championship and has more than earned the chance to step up to the Premier League.

The fact that his current deal expires this summer too could hand Everton a free, bargain deal, and Fellows' stats show that he's certainly one to watch.

Player

Progressive Carries Per 90

Progressive Passes Per 90

Successful Take-ons Per 90

Key Passes Per 90

Tom Fellows

7.25

3

2.75

1.75

Jack Harrison

2.42

2.74

1.13

1.29

At just 20-years-old, Fellows is only likely to get better, and the fact that he has such impressive ball-carrying ability could be a standout skill for those on Merseyside. Often looking to hit the big spenders of the league on the counter attack, Fellows' ability on the ball would prove to be a valuable asset at Everton. As his West Brom contract continues to tick by, the right midfielder could leave the Championship to make a Premier League impact.

Test captain prefers to stay available for England as he seeks to re-establish himself in shortest form of the game

George Dobell26-Feb-2019It’s emerged that Joe Root had declined the opportunity to rest during the T20I series against West Indies as he “loves playing cricket for England”.England fined for over-rate offence

The ICC announced on Tuesday that England had been fined for a slow over-rate in the second ODI in Barbados.
The team as a whole were fined 10% of their match fee, with Eoin Morgan, the captain, fined 20%. While that may seem a minor issue now – indeed, it is defined by the ICC as ‘a minor over-rate offence’; England were deemed to be only one over short – it could lead to a suspension for Morgan if repeated in ODIs in the next 12 months.
That does not apply to the World Cup, however, where ICC regulations state that “all Team Captains will be treated, for the purposes of the ICC Event only, as having not committed any Minimum Over Rate Offences within the previous twelve month period.”

With a relentlessly busy year of high-profile cricket looming for England, the team management has been keen to ensure their key players – and Root certainly fits into that category – were kept as fresh as possible. As a result, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes were rested for the three-match T20I series, with Moeen Ali belatedly given the chance to join them. However, Root, who has struggled with a back problem at times, preferred to stay with the squad.While Root does not have quite the same demands on his time as Buttler and Stokes, who are both expected to feature prominently in the IPL, he has given himself very little time off in recent months. He spent the Christmas period in between the tours of Sri Lanka and the Caribbean in Australia playing in the BBL, and has now forgone the extra ten days he may have had at the end of this tour.The cynical explanation for such a move is that Root is keen to make his name in T20 cricket so he can pick up more lucrative franchise offers. He has, at present, had little interest from that market and was not picked up in the IPL auction.The more realistic interpretation is that Root’s enthusiasm for cricket – and his desire to continue to develop and improve as a batsman – drives him on to take every opportunity he has to play; particularly with a World Cup this year and a T20 World Cup in 2020. He has not always won selection for England’s T20I side and is keen to cement his place in the team.”Why did I not want to miss the T20 games? Because I love playing cricket for England, simple as that,” Root said. “And I’ve not had much opportunity to play T20 cricket in the last couple of years.”I don’t want to miss out on opportunities to play when I’m fit and I feel I’m in a good place to help the side to win and be part of a squad that has a very exciting couple of years ahead of it. After that three-match series we have a good chunk of time at home. I’m sure I’ll spend some time with Yorkshire, which will be nice as well. I’m very aware of when those gaps will be in the next year or so. I feel this is a good opportunity to play.”Joe Root clips one off the legs•Getty ImagesWhile Root did not enjoy an especially successful time at the BBL – he failed to pass 26 in seven innings for Sydney Thunder – he insists the experience was beneficial and did not take too much out of him. He married right before leaving for the competition and was able to take his family with him to Sydney.”It was a new adventure,” he said. “I’ve not played any franchise cricket before, so it was very eye-opening and I learned a lot about my own game. And when you have your family with you, it does make life a lot easier.”It’s easy to come away from a tournament not having scored many runs and not saying I got something out of it. But genuinely I feel like there was a big development in that side of my game. More than anything, we’re looking at breaking the score down and how best to approach it. And how best to approach it with who you bat with at any given time. If that can transfer over into 50-over cricket as well, that will be fantastic. And it feels like it has in a way. With those T20s coming up, it will be great to see some of that going into those games.”While Root does not have the outrageous power of Chris Gayle, for example, his range of stroke is so great that he actually reached his century in the first ODI quicker than Gayle (96 balls compared to 100) and in scoring just 36 in boundaries (nine fours) compared to Gayle’s 66 (three fours and nine sixes). Their career strike rates are also almost identical (Root’s is 86.77 and Gayle’s 86.00), though Gayle’s career started in a different era of ODI cricket and they bat in different positions in the order.”Just because I don’t hit as many sixes as others might do, I still feel I can score as quickly,” Root said. “I can’t hit it over the stands like Chris can consistently unless there is a gale-force wind and I’ve got a top edge off a 95mph bowler. You have to play to your strengths and advantages. You’ve always got to look for ways to get better but ultimately getting the best out of yourself is the main thing.”I am quite settled in the way that I play. Having that understanding of your own game is important. I don’t hit four or five sixes every time I go out, but I like to feel I can strike at a similar sort of rate if I needed to. It’s an area I’m always trying to get better at. If I can add that to what I’ve got already, I’d like to think you’ll see even more improvement.”

Robert Lewandowski has been generating transfer talk at Barcelona, but the Polish frontman reportedly has no intention of leaving Catalunya.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Prolific Pole linked with move elsewhere
• Interest reported in America & Middle East
• Still has two years left on his contract

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The prolific 35-year-old joined the Blaugrana in 2022 as a free agent after reaching the end of his contract at Bayern Munich. He hit 33 goals in his debut campaign with the Liga giants, helping them to domestic title glory.

Advertisement

• (C)GettyImages
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Lewandowski has reached the 20-goal mark again this term – for the 13th successive season in his remarkable career – but questions have been asked of his value to the collective cause. He is not getting any younger and Barca are beginning to plan for the long-term future.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  There has been speculation regarding supposed interest in Lewandowski from the Saudi Pro League and MLS, which would allow him to follow in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. , though, claims that the veteran striker intends to spend at least one more year in Spain.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• @Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR LEWANDOWSKI?

  Lewandowski is tied to a contract through to 2026 and would prefer to honour that agreement before taking on another challenge. He believes that he can continue to act as a mentor for exciting talents such as Lamine Yamal and Gavi, while there is also a desire on his part to win another trophy with Barca as they prepare to end the 2023-24 campaign empty-handed.

After their bowlers limited Thunder to 135, Stars’ top-order polished the chase off in 17.2 overs

The Report by Akshay Gopalakrishnan05-Jan-2019Melbourne Stars’ bowlers settled into the ideal pace on a slow Carrara Oval surface to stifle Sydney Thunder and rise to second on the BBL table.Having struck twice inside the Powerplay, the Stars continued to chip away at the Thunder order. Only during a 25-ball 42 from their No. 6 Daniel Sams did the Thunder innings gain a measure of steam. It was enough to lift them to 135 after they had ambled along at around a run a ball for much of the innings.Getty Images

It wasn’t enough to challenge the Stars top order, however. They hardly broke a sweat, knocking down the requisite runs in 17.2 overs to win by eight wickets. Marcus Stoinis blazed away to launch the chase with a 22-ball 34. The foundation was so strong that even the usually belligerent Glenn Maxwell played a muted knock, striking just a four and two sixes in his unbeaten 41, and putting on an unbroken 80 for the third wicket with Nick Larkin to see the Stars home.The defeat has displaced Thunder from the top half of the table. They are now fourth, with six points from as many matches.Choking ’em outAs he did in their previous game, Shane Watson, the Thunder captain, opted against chasing, with the possibility of the surface slowing down as the game wore on. As he did in the previous game, Watson fell early, well inside the Powerplay. But unlike in the previous game, nobody from Thunder’s top order rode the early storm.Jos Buttler, the season’s highest run-getter, was the first to fall, his start cut short when Boland found his leading edge, which was held at point. Calum Ferguson followed next ball, when he threw his hands at an expansive punch and sliced a catch to backward point.The common element in the two balls was that both had been delivered slower. That became the primary ingredient for success on this surface. Joe Root fended softly at the hat-trick ball, which cut away off the seam and found the edge of his bat, but didn’t carry to the keeper. With Thunder 28 for 2, the pressure was on.The pushbackWhile the slower ball was effective, it came with an obvious rider. As a bowler, there was always the risk of overdoing it. Having picked up 2 for 8 in his first two overs, Boland was welcomed into his third with a cut past third man, who misfielded, for four from Root. Very quickly, it prompted Boland to drag the pace back. But Root had already sussed out a template.After negotiating a slower ball and a regular length ball, Root was waiting right back in his crease when Boland dropped his pace, and length, off the fifth ball of the over. He pulled it over midwicket. When Boland repeated the drill next ball, Root played even later, pulling him behind square to give Thunder 12 runs to close out the Powerplay.On a pitch where balls routinely stopped on the batsmen and finding the right timing was difficult, Root had managed a control percentage of 85 when he jabbed a length ball from Stoinis off the inside of his bat to midwicket. However, the best of the fightback was yet to come.Liam Plunkett hadn’t played a T20 since October last year. In fact, barring two T10 matches in the UAE in late November, he hadn’t played any cricket at all. Considering that, he had done well to give away just eight runs from his first two overs. Sams, however, would go on to ruin his figures.Sams pulled a slower short ball from Plunkett for six over backward square off the second ball of the 15th over, and sliced the next for as many over backward point. He then picked a slower ball from Stoinis and sent a towering hit soaring over deep square leg. In between all the big hits, he turned the strike over regularly. It meant that between overs 15 and 17, Thunder collected 35 runs.It was the only spell of substantial acceleration, as after another six off Stoinis, the bowler had the last laugh by having Sams caught at deep point, and Thunder slipped back into their shell. In the end, that made a telling difference.No slow, no goUnlike the Stars bowlers, Thunder’s didn’t bring out their variations and slow it up. Instead, they opted to fire it in at pace. On this surface, with its lack of bite and carry, they were setting themselves up for failure.A rush of boundaries – four of them in the first 14 balls of the innings – warned Thunder that a change in strategy might be called for. And then Ben Dunk drove a full ball from Sams into the hands of Root diving forward at short cover.Thunder’s bowlers continued to go full tilt. Even Jonathan Cook, the legspinner, hit speeds upwards of 90kph. He was taken apart for a hat-trick of fours in the sixth over, which went for 15 runs, and the Stars had raced to 53 for 1 at nearly nine an over.Stars didn’t look back. When Stoinis was taken out by Fawad Ahmed, slicing a catch to backward point, Stars needed 79 from 78 balls. Maxwell and Larkin collected 67.5 percent of those runs in ones and twos. In all, their partnership contained just two fours and three sixes, the last of which, from Maxwell, gave Stars the winning runs.

West Ham chief Tim Steidten is "likely" to move for a young and upcoming boss as manager David Moyes' replacement, if the Scotsman does leave.

Moyes seems set for 2024 exit

The Hammers fan base have been gifted long-lasting memories during Moyes' tenure, most notably their dramatic Europa Conference League triumph in May. West Ham clinched their first major piece of silverware since 1980 after winger Jarrod Bowen's last-gasp winner handed them a 2-1 win over Fiorentina in Prague.

However, while the club's form in cup competitions has been a real highlight of Moyes' past 12 months in charge, the same cannot be said for their form in the Premier League. West Ham finished a lowly 14th last campaign, and they've been sliding down the table this season as well.

Three consecutive league losses and a first European defeat in 18 matches away to Olympiacos has piled the pressure on West Ham's manager, with Moyes "unlikely" to stay beyond his contract expiry next summer.

The east Londoners face Olympiacos again at home this evening, and Moyes says he is looking for much better this time round.

"I’m looking for much better tomorrow night," said Moyes on Olympiacos in a Wednesday press conference (via whufc.com). "We want to make sure we’re still in Europe after Christmas and I think, if we can win tomorrow night, we go a long way towards that for a third year in a row. I think the whole team, in general, over the last couple of years have done a lot of good things. I’ve said before that we’re trying to make progress and play better, and as you go along, you try things and they don’t always work out. We have some players in really good form and we hope that continues."

Steidten "likely" to target rising manager for West Ham

Amid the noise surrounding Moyes' future, journalist Paul Brown was asked which manager West Ham chief Steidten could go for if the 60-year-old departs next summer or even sooner.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Brown claimed Steidten is "likely" to appoint an upcoming manager to replace Moyes at West Ham, as past targets like Rafael Benitez and Marcelo Bielsa won't be high on the Irons employee's wishlist.

"It's really hard to know because the owners there had their favourites," said Brown. "Before Moyes, they were big admirers of people like Marcelo Bielsa and Rafa Benitez, but I suspect that with Tim Steidten coming in, those kind of managers would not be high on his wish list if the club was to make a change. So you'd be more likely to see West Ham trying to go for more of a younger, up-and-coming manager I think if a change is coming.

"But I don't think one is imminent just yet. I think things will become clearer nearer to Christmas when the club starts making transfer plans and talking to the current manager about his contract. So I think we'll know a little more in the coming weeks."

Tottenham are now believed to be the main contenders to sign a "very quick" player who's absolutely adored by his club's fanbase.

Lange making Spurs transfer plans

New sporting director Johan Lange and his arrival at N17 will be very intriguing to follow, as the new transfer chief is tasked with upgrading Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou's squad in 2024. Working under Chief Football Officer Scott Munn, the former Aston Villa employee comes in as a direct replacement for Fabio Paratici after his 30-month worldwide ban from football.

While the Italian still apparently advises Tottenham on a consultancy basis, Lange is now set to play a big role in giving Postecoglou exactly what he wants in terms of transfers.

The Lilywhites are said to be prioritising the addition of a new left-sided centre-back after Micky van de Ven's injury, with the Dutchman's absence seriously exposing Spurs' lack of depth in that position. Elsewhere, Postecoglou is believed to want a left-wing alternative to Dejan Kulusevski, leading to links with Al-Ittihad winger and former Celtic star Jota.

Tottenham now favourites to sign Iling-Junior

Sticking to the left wing, another transfer target has emerged for Spurs with reports out of Italy sharing details about their interest in Juventus starlet Samuel Iling-Junior. The former Chelsea academy man has made four appearances off the bench for Massimiliano Allegri's side, playing 12 Serie A matches in total last term as well.

His cameos for the Old Lady have apparently done enough to impress Spurs, who have him on their transfer target list for Postecoglou.

A report by Italian newspaper Il Bianconero has some positive news in this regard, as it is now claimed the north Londoners are "first and foremost" in the race to sign Iling-Junior.

Indeed, Spurs have entered pole position for Iling-Junior and are the main contenders for his signature, with Juve said to value him at a pretty affordable £13 million. In a further boost for Postecoglou and Lange, Juve could even be open to negotiating a loan deal. Both Spurs and Allegri's side already seem to have a strong working relationship, having successfully negotiated the transfers of Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur in the summer of 2022.

Iling-Junior likened to Rafael Leao

The 20-year-old, according to Eurosport journalist Michele Neri, is similar to AC Milan star Rafael Leao in terms of playing style. Juve's fans also went "crazy" for Iling-Junior after a performance last season, with the club's supporters remaining big admirers.

“Iling Junior is a very quick player, who loves to take on opposing full-backs and attack the vertical spaces, in a very direct way,” Neri explained to TNT Sports.

“He is a left winger who can also play as a right winger if needed. He has a great sense for dribbling and a speed from a standing start that other Juventus players do not have.

“In these qualities you can absolutely see shades of Rafael Leao when the AC Milan superstar was a bit younger. The fans went crazy for him after the Benfica game where he played 20 minutes and really shone, providing an assist to Milik.

“But then, due to injuries, he was not used more consistently by Allegri. However the fans appreciated him anyway."