Tag Futebol

Mikel Arteta’s influence at Arsenal since joining has been immense, completely reviving the club.

Last season, the Gunners narrowly missed out on the Premier League title after they fell at the final hurdle, and this season, it seems that they’ve gone to a whole new level of quality.

The Spaniard has gotten the squad to a point where, regardless of injuries, the standard of performance rarely decreases, which just proves how far they’ve come in recent years.

Nonetheless, the boss is still keen to improve his team and the quality of his depth, hence his interest in signing a new midfielder in the summer.

Arsenal want to sign a midfielder this summer

According to a report from Italian outlet CalcioMercato.it, the scouting department at Arsenal likes the prospect of re-signing Ismael Bennacer.

The midfielder – who previously spent two years at the Emirates – is currently playing for Serie A giants AC Milan, where he has become a key player in recent years.

Despite being in a contract until June 2027, it is believed that Milan would be willing to let the Algerian leave this summer if a fee of €50m (£43m) arrived.

However, if the Gunners do decide to make a move for Bennacer, they will face competition from Saudi Arabia.

Arsenal targeting £47m signing who's "good enough to displace Saka"

Arsenal’s new 21-year-old wonderkid winger target could take Saka’s spot in the team.

ByJoe Nuttall Mar 29, 2024 Why Bennacer would be a perfect Thomas Partey replacement

Despite starting 28 matches for Arsenal in the Premier League last season, Thomas Partey’s future at the Emirates Stadium now looks uncertain.

The signing of Declan Rice was certainly a statement of intent by Arteta, and the former West Ham United ace has truly taken Arsenal to a new level.

This campaign, the 30-year-old has dealt with two major injury blows, missing 26 matches via a hamstring and groin issue. Therefore, Partey has only played six league games.

With the lack of reliability, it looks set that the Ghana international will be on his way out in the summer, with Bennacer serving as the perfect replacement.

The Milan star was actually formerly on the books of Arsenal before leaving in 2017 to join Empoli, with Arsene Wenger describing him as a “fighter" and a "real box-to-box player".

Passes completed

54.66

Top 12%

Key passes

1.93

Top 8%

Passes into final third

5.52

Top 11%

Shot-creating actions

3.90

Top 10%

Tackles

2.65

Top 13%

Dribblers tackled

1.35

Top 10%

Ball recoveries

8.34

Top 5%

As you can see by the table above showcasing Bennacer’s statistics from last season, the 26-year-old has an extremely well-rounded skillset that would see him slot into the side in multiple roles.

His technical class and chance creation were clearly among the best in Italy in 2022/23, and it would enable the Algerian to be the perfect replacement for Rice in the left-sided number eight role, with Wenger previously noting that he can "defend very well" but is also "very efficient going forward".

On the other hand, his defensive ability would allow him to also play as the lone six over Jorginho, which could prove to be a vital component with Arsenal's intense schedule meaning that rotation is simply a must.

This versatility and vast attributes already give him an advantage over Partey, who’s typically been a defensive midfielder, and although Bennacer wouldn’t exactly be a cheap buy, he would certainly have a huge impact on the Gunners team.

Unfortunately, the number four has only started eight games for Milan in the league this season due to injury, but that could very well work in the favour of Arsenal and their hopes of securing a reunion.

Arsenal targeting £47m signing who's "good enough to displace Saka"

Arsenal’s new 21-year-old wonderkid winger target could take Saka’s spot in the team.

ByJoe Nuttall Mar 29, 2024

أسدل الستار على مباريات الجولة الرابعة من مرحلة المجموعات في تصفيات قارة آسيا المؤهلة لنهائيات كأس العالم 2026.

وأقيمت المباراة بين السعودية والبحرين على أرضية استاد مدينة الملك عبدالله الرياضية (الجوهرة المشعة)، ضمن منافسات الجولة الرابعة من تصفيات المونديال.

وواصل منتخب السعودية نتائجه الضعيفة بالتصفيات بعد التعادل خلال مواجهة اليوم، والهزيمة أمام اليابان بالمواجهة الماضية بنتيجة 3-0، وتحقيق فوز وحيد حتى الآن.

طالع | السعودية تسقط في فخ التعادل مع البحرين بـ تصفيات كأس العالم

ويتواجد منتخبا السعودية والبحرين في المجموعة الثالثة التي تضم إلى جوارهما منتخبات أستراليا واليابان وإندونيسيا والصين.

وتلعب منافسات الدور الثالث من تصفيات قارة آسيا بمشاركة 18 فريقًا، تم تقسيمها إلى ثلاث مجموعات، بواقع 6 فرق في كل مجموعة.

ويتأهل صاحبا الصدارة والوصافة من كل مجموعة إلى نهائيات كأس العالم مباشرة، فيما يصعد أصحاب المركزين الثالث والرابع للمرحلة الرابعة من المنافسات.

ويتم تقسيم الفرق المتأهلة للمرحلة الرابعة إلى مجموعتين، يصعد منهما المتصدر فقط إلى مونديال 2026، فيما تقام مباراة أخيرة بين وصيف مجموعتي الدور الرابع، يتأهل الفائز منها إلى الملحق العالمي، ليكتمل نصاب قارة آسيا في المونديال.

وعقب مباراة اليوم وصل منتخب السعودية إلى النقطة 5 في رصيده من فوز أمام الصين والهزيمة على يد اليابان والتعادل مع إندونيسيا والبحرين، محتلا المركز الثالث في مجموعته بـ تصفيات آسيا لكأس العالم

فيما يحافظ منتخب اليابان على احتلاله الصدارة بـ10 نقاط بعد تعادل أمام أستراليا إيجابياً بهدف لكل فريق. ترتيب مجموعة السعودية في تصفيات كأس العالم 2026

1- اليابان، برصيد 10 نقاط.

2- أستراليا، برصيد 5 نقاط.

3- السعودية، برصيد 5 نقاط.

4- البحرين، برصيد 5 نقاط.

5- إندونيسيا، برصيد 3 نقاط.

6- الصين، 3 نقاط.

At the time of writing, Jurgen Klopp has managed Liverpool for 470 matches, winning silverware across every angle and restoring a club in disrepair upon his arrival way back when.

True, he's never won a trophy more than once (though that might change in a matter of days), nor has he been the dominant Premier League outfit of his tenure – that title lies with Pep Guardiola and Manchester City.

But he has an ineffable quality of brilliance, he entered a city yearning for change and will leave it awash with memories, a lifetime of memories, and a legacy that will endure beyond his years. Perpetual icon status.

But all things come to an end and Klopp shocked a doting fanbase last month when he revealed that he would be stepping down from his manager's position at the end of the campaign, draping the curtain on a truly special journey.

While gleaning silverware is not everything, it certainly matters for a club of Liverpool's standing and given that the club is firing on all cylinders right now, first-placed in the Premier League and in with a good shout across the Carabao Cup (the final forthcoming), the FA Cup (hosting Southampton in the fifth round), and the Europa League (bookmakers' favourites), there's every chance that the German will get a deserving illustrious sendoff.

Liverpool set to take key step towards landing Xabi Alonso ahead of Bayern

This could be crucial for the Reds.

ByTom Cunningham Feb 22, 2024

Crucially, though, Klopp is leaving Anfield in a great position to continue the journey and reach further heights over the coming years, the squad stocked with talent, as with the academy.

Liverpool's youth fold has not always been the most productive, and while Klopp started his Merseyside journey with Trent Alexander-Arnold on the cusp of a breakthrough, it's remarkable to see the gains that the development squads have undertaken across recent years.

So many starlets are pushing for a place in the first-team, and while Alexander-Arnold is understandably set as the gold standard, there's no denying that Harvey Elliott is one of the most talented up-and-coming players in the business.

The fee Liverpool paid for Harvey Elliott

Liverpool signed Elliott from Fulham as a 16-year-old back in 2019 with a compensation fee of £4m agreed for his services.

Recognised as an agile and creative midfielder from his formative years, Elliott used to be more of a winger but Klopp has shaped him into a centre-midfielder over the years, with his influence and range of passing best suited for a string-pulling role in the engine room.

And this has proved to be an auspicious move thus far into his career, now valued rather highly to illuminate the fantastic venture in bringing him to Anfield in the first place.

Harvey Elliott's current market value

According to CIES Football Observatory's valuation model, Elliott currently has a market value of £51m, which marks a staggering 1175% increase since he joined Liverpool.

The £40k-per-week midfielder – who has been heralded as an "elite talent" by well-informed scout Jacek Kulig – has proved through such an increase that he has all the trappings of a first-rate phenom down the line, with this valuation only set to burgeon further as he nurtures his skill set.

Scoring a late swooping strike on his 100th Liverpool appearance as Klopp's side dispatched Luton Town last time out in the Premier League, he is now starting to show his worth not only as a highly-rated prospect, but an influential member of a title-chasing team.

Harvey Elliott's season in numbers

Last year, with Liverpool's midfield flagging and foundering, Elliott found himself at the centre of the side and completed 46 matches across every competition.

This year, with the Reds having made sweeping changes to revive the squad, he's been more peripheral but has still made his mark, posting two goals and three assists in all competitions and popping up with some big moments in the Premier League despite starting just four matches.

He has been noted to have “made the difference” on multiple occasions by those such as Liverpool correspondent Neil Jones, and offers spark and ingenuity that few across English shores can emulate – let alone those of the same age.

As per FBref, Elliott ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 6% for progressive passes, the top 3% for progressive carries and the top 3% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90.

An elite playmaker in the works, Elliott does need to work on the defensive side of his game but there is no denying that he is one of English football's brightest beacons.

#

Player

Club

1.

Dominik Szoboszlai

Liverpool

2.

Bernardo Silva

Manchester City

3.

Martin Odegaard

Arsenal

4.

Ryan Gravenberch

Liverpool

5.

Alexis Mac Allister

Liverpool

Given the profile of player that he is compared to by FBref, it's clear to see that he is indeed one of the Premier League's biggest talents.

Elliott does feel to have been around for quite some time but it's important to remember that the 5 foot 7 whiz is still only 20, and there is so much scope for growth and development yet to come.

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?

Klopp will go down in the history books for the work he has done at Liverpool but with stars such as Elliott still only really in the fledgling phase of their career, his impact will define and sculpt what tantalises to be an exciting and silver-laden new chapter at Anfield.

Rob McElhenney has explained why he asked Ryan Reynolds to become a co-owner at Wrexham, with a 2:30am phone call confirming their partnership.

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Decision taken to acquire British clubActors joined forces in North WalesHave enjoyed quite the ride with DragonsWHAT HAPPENED?

Two Hollywood stars arrived at the Racecourse Ground in 2021 with few knowing what to expect from their surprising sporting venture. With limited knowledge of football between them, questions were asked of whether they had what it takes to be successful in the most demanding of businesses.

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Any fears were quickly laid to rest, with Wrexham – who continue to star in their own award-winning documentary series – enjoying back-to-back promotions and a rapid rise up the EFL ladder. Reynolds and McElhenney have helped to make that possible, with there no doubting their commitment to the cause.

WHAT MCELHENNEY SAID

McElhenney has told of why he dragged Deadpool actor Reynolds along for the ride once the decision was taken to acquire a British club: “I thought of Ryan because we were friends. We had never met in person, but we were friends via text. And not only did I enjoy his work, I thought that we would vibe. I think we have a very similar world view. He has got a great reputation. I just think that he is an incredibly ethical person. I know that he is kind. And every interaction that we had via text was always super positive. And, of course, he's incredibly entrepreneurial, so I knew he would understand right away.”

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GettyDID YOU KNOW?

McElhenney added on getting Reynolds on board: “I wrote Ryan an email at night. He lives on the East Coast and I was on the West Coast, and I wrote him an email that was very brief, but it was heart forward, not business forward. And I got a call from him, which he had never called me before, at 2:30 in the morning. And I missed it because I was, of course, asleep. But that means it was 5:30 his time. So once I saw that I had a missed call from him at 2:30 in the morning, I knew that he was in.”

Barcelona have made an opening bid for Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong at the behest of new coach Hansi Flick, despite ongoing limitations.

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Barcelona target attacking wing-backInitial lowball offer already madeClub finances still a problemWHAT HAPPENED?

According to , Barcelona have proposed an initial "lower offer" for Frimpong compared to a €50 million (£42m/$54m) market valuation calculated by . But it is claimed Leverkusen could be willing to consider players in exchange, having already made an approach for Ansu Fati – however, the forward is tipped to rebuff any moves before pre-season.

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Frimpong is seemingly a target because of Flick's recommendation. The 59-year-old obviously knows German football incredibly well, but adds that Barcelona targeting anyone right now is all just hypothetical because the club cannot make signings as things stand owing to the ongoing financial situation, which likely explains the apparent lowball offer. Until circumstances change, specifically getting back onto 1:1 spending rules, movement is limited.

DID YOU KNOW?

Although born in Amsterdam, Frimpong joined Manchester City aged just nine and spent almost a decade in the club's youth ranks. After a senior breakthrough at Celtic, he has thrived as an attacking wing-back in Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen team, finishing 2023-24 with 14 goals and 12 assists to his name.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

Barcelona simply have to navigate their way off 1:4 spending rules and back to 1:1 if they want to have any chance of strengthening the squad and competing with Real Madrid in 2024-25. That lies with president Joan Laporta and the club hierarchy to figure out as quickly as possible. La Liga president Javier Tebas recently suggested they werent far away, but it doesn't exactly appear to be imminent either.

Jofra Archer and Mark Wood both topped 150kph on the speed gun as Bangladesh went down by 106 runs

The Report by Liam Brickhill08-Jun-2019England’s batting engine room purred into life in Cardiff, setting up a total that their fast bowlers ensured was well out of Bangladesh’s reach. Jason Roy top-scored with 153 and England reached a record seventh consecutive total of 300 or more, hitting twice as many sixes as they had in any World Cup match previously. Unchallenged, they soared to 386 for 6, their highest total in World Cups.Jofra Archer then bowled the fastest ball of the tournament, a 153kph stinger, only for Mark Wood to inch past him with a delivery clocked at 154kph soon afterwards as pace and a bullying length stalled Bangladesh’s flow with the bat. England simply scored too many, and bowled too hot, and despite Shakib Al Hasan’s century, there was not a single session of play that England did not control. Archer and Ben Stokes both picked up three apiece, while every bowler contributed bar Chris Woakes, who endured a rare off day.Jason Roy celebrates his century•IDI via Getty Images

Roy kicked things off authoritatively, playing the sort of innings that he has been threatening to in the midst of a red-hot run of form into the World Cup. He and Jonny Bairstow further cemented their position as one-day cricket’s most potent pairing, putting together their eighth century stand in just 29 innings: twice as many as any other opening pair has made since they started opening for England in this format.The only way Bangladesh were ever going to rein a fearsome England batting line-up in was early wickets, and that’s what Mashrafe Mortaza was hoping for when he decided to bowl first on a pitch that looked like it would help the seamers. The track looked as green and tufty as a martian’s chest-hair, but Bangladesh’s bowlers – seam or spin – found no sign of life upon it.Watch on Hotstar (India only): Full highlights of the gameShakib, opening the bowling, was seen off with minimal fuss, and England were chugging along happily at a run a ball by the time the Powerplay was up. Mashrafe overcame the frailties of his creaking body and a flat performance in the field to inspire a breakthrough, nipping Bairstow out shortly after he had raised a maiden World Cup fifty, but an assured response from England’s middle order meant Bangladesh were unable to find any further advantage.Roy cruised to a 92-ball hundred in the 27th over – his ninth ton in his 77th ODI innings – and when he sent the first three balls of Mehidy Hasan’s sixth over careening over the boundary to bring up his 150, it appeared a World Cup double-hundred was within reach.He fell attempting a fourth hit, having raised England’s tempo, and Jos Buttler was promoted up to No. 4 to force the issue. He swatted and slogged his way to 64 from 44, while Liam Plunkett later capped the effort by slamming four fours and a six in the nine balls he faced. Buttler, however, tweaked a hip hitting one of his four sixes, with news filtering in midway through the game that he would not take the field for England to keep wicket, Bairstow filling in in his absence.Not that the mid-innings switch seemed to affect England’s bowling plans one iota. Archer cruised through what may well have been the fastest-ever opening burst by an England bowler in ODIs, topping more than 150kph three times in an over during which he also clean bowled Soumya Sarkar, the ball thudding off the stumps and carrying all the way over the 54 metre boundary behind the wicketkeeper, such was its velocity.An uncomfortable Tamim Iqbal was put out of his misery by Wood in the 12th over, but Shakib then shared in yet another significant stand with Mushfiqur Rahim, the pair adding 106 for the third wicket, as Bangladesh briefly steadied themselves. But he was made to huff and puff along the way and by the time his tired arms failed to get his bat down fast enough on a Stokes toe-crusher to be bowled for 121, Bangladesh’s chase was already long over.Unable to get on top of a clinical English bowling outfit, the required rate ballooned steadily to double figures, and well beyond. There was nary a whimper from the lower order as Bangladesh folded, Archer returning to mop up the tail.Buttler’s hip was really their only worry throughout, and England appeared in a different league as they rebounded from defeat to Pakistan earlier in the week. What’s more they made it look easy. On a record-breaking day – their total was also the highest in List A cricket at Cardiff – the abiding sense was of a team who are only getting started.

واصل فريق برشلونة تسجيل الأهداف في مرمى فريق جيرونا، في مباراتهما الجارية حاليًا في بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

ويلتقي الفريقان في خضم منافسات الجولة الرابعة من الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم، موسم 2024/25 (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

ونجح برشلونة في تسجيل الهدف الرابع في مرمى جيرونا، وذلك في الدقيقة 64 من عمر المباراة.

جاء الهدف الرابع عن طريق اللاعب بيدري، بعدما تسلم الكرة من مارك كاسادو في ظهر دفاع جيرونا وراوغ الحارس جازانيجا ووضع الكرة بالقدم اليسرى في مرمى الحارس الإيطالي. هدف بيدري الرائع أمام جيرونا

كان لامين يامال قد سجل هدفي برشلونة الأول والثاني، قبل أن يحرز داني أولمو الثالث، في مواصلة للتألق من جانب كتيبة هانز فليك.

Everton manager Sean Dyche is reportedly keen on completing the permanent signing of a "phenomenal" player, according to a fresh transfer update.

Everton signings impressing

The Blues could only have dreamed of being in their current form a few months ago, with Dyche completely turning around their fortunes of late, improving in his role all the time. Incredibly, Everton have won their last four Premier League games in a row without conceding a single goal, including a 2-0 win away to Burnley on Saturday evening.

There are so many players who are performing at a much higher level than they were previously, whether that be individuals who have been at Goodison Park for some time or those who have only joined the club recently.

There are a number of new additions who are currently doing well, with Jack Harrison steadily improving since arriving on loan from Leeds United in the summer transfer window, overcoming a slow start to register three assists in the league so far this season.

Fellow loanee Arnaut Danjuma has admittedly made less of an impact to date, but Beto has added more firepower to the attack, netting twice in all competitions. Meanwhile, Jarrad Branthwaite has caught the eye since returning from his loan spell at PSV Eindhoven.

Dyche wants permanent Harrison signing

According to a new update from Leeds Live, Dyche personally wants to make Harrison's Everton loan move a permanent one in the near future, although there is no option to buy in the current loan deal.

"LeedsLive understands there is no option-to-buy clause in Harrison’s loan agreement but Sean Dyche would be keen on making the deal permanent."

In the same report, former Leeds and England goalkeeper Paul Robinson admits that Harrison will be mulling over whether to move to Everton for good, or return to Elland Road at the end of the season:

"Everton are a hard-working team and Jack’s a big part of that. I can understand why he’s non-committal on his future because he probably doesn’t know. There’s a lot of ifs and buts for him in the next six to 12 months, depending on what Leeds do.

"If Leeds stay in the Championship, I don’t think there’s a conversation about, ‘Is it Everton or is it somewhere else?’ There will be a lot of Premier League suitors for him. It’s only an option or a discussion to have if Leeds come into the Premier League. Then it’s between the player and the club."

It is clearly a tough call for Harrison to make, but so much points towards Everton being on the rise at the moment, with Dyche looking like an impressive appointment.

The Blues should avoid relegation Premier League based on current form, and the move to their Bramley Moore Dock stadium is happening in 2025. Harrison could like the idea of being a part of such an exciting venture, as there is also the takeover of the club that could happen sooner rather than later.

Everton eyeing star who “plays as if he’s dancing” after failed summer interest

He’s a top talent who “does things you can’t coach”.

ByHenry Jackson Dec 18, 2023

The 27-year-old has been hailed as "phenomenal" by YouTube Conor McGilligan, and given his age, he could be a mainstay of the team for another four or five years, so it makes complete sense for Everton to retain his services, making this one to watch.

South Africa sealed their series against Sri Lanka with a 30-run win in the second game in Potchefstroom. Captain Chamari Atapattu powered Sri Lanka’s chase with a boundary-laden 94, but no other Sri Lanka batsman reached fifty and the visitors were bowled out for 231 in pursuit of a revised target of 262 in 47 overs. The visitors lost eight wickets for 63 runs, after a 110-run second-wicket stand.The hosts were without their captain, Dane van Niekerk, who was ruled out for three months due to a stress fracture, but in her absence, fifties for Laura Wolvaardt, Lara Goodall and Marizanne Kapp – who slammed four sixes in her 34-ball 69 – set up an imposing total of 268 for 7.Wolvaardt had been out for a golden duck in the first match, but this time around she struck seven boundaries inside the Powerplay and raised a 49-ball fifty in the 15th over. She added 71 with Andrie Steyn, who was a little more circumspect in compiling her 24. After Wolvaardt fell to an edge through to wicketkeeper Prasadani Weerakkody, Lara Goodall kept the scoreboard ticking despite Sri Lanka’s repeated strikes to dent the middle order.Goodall reached 52 – her maiden ODI fifty – before she became Kavisha Dilhari’s second victim with the score at 183 for 6 in the 42nd over. Her dismissal brought Kapp and Faye Tunnicliffe together, and they added a rapid 85 for the seventh wicket that put South Africa well on top.While Tunnicliffe focused on turning the strike over, Kapp’s first six brought up South Africa’s 200 in the 46th over. In the last five overs of the innings, the hosts added a whopping 69 runs, with Kapp and Tunnicliffe combining to take 20 off a single over from Inoka Ranaweera.Sri Lanka needed a strong start to keep their chase on track, and although Atapattu was immediately into her groove, Weerakkody fell almost immediately, slicing a catch to Mignon du Preez at backward point off Kapp in the fourth over. Rain washed over the ground soon after, forcing an adjustment to Sri Lanka’s target and the overs they would have to reach it.Atapattu’s response was to go on the offensive, and two fours and a six in Masabata Klaas’ first over took her racing into the 40s. Another boundary off Tumi Sekhukhune took her to a 53-ball fifty in the 16th over, the Sri Lankan captain smashing 18 runs off the medium pacer’s next over to raise her team’s 100.Atapattu took her stand with Anushka Sanjeewani beyond 100 with her third six, off Nadine de Klerk, and was in sight of what would have been her fifth ODI hundred when she fell against the run of play, edging a swipe at stand-in captain Sune Luus’ legspin.Her dismissal knocked some of the fight out of Sri Lanka, and when Sanjeewani and Shashikala Siriwardene fell in successive deliveries soon afterwards, the visitors really lost their way. A required rate that had been kept in check soon ballooned to more than a run a ball, and Sri Lanka were left needing 69 from the last ten overs of their innings with five wickets still standing.Wolvaardt followed her innings with the bat up with an excellent performance in the field, effecting two run-outs to tighten South Africa’s grip and also holding a catch at deep midwicket to get rid of Nilakshi de Silva. With the run rate rapidly inflating, two further run-outs deepened Sri Lanka’s woes, and Shabnim Ismail removed a Dilscooping Dilhari in the final over of the innings to bring the match to an end, and seal the series win.

Ponting’s advice followed time-honoured lines of Perth – leaving the ball on length, being selective on balls to drive and cashing in on the cut and the pull

Daniel Brettig in Perth13-Dec-2018

Tim Paine chats with Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer•Getty Images

Australian cricket’s fundamentals will be on trial at the new Perth Stadium over the next five days, as an undermanned team led by Tim Paine will seek to level the series with an Indian side traditionally all at sea in fast and bouncy conditions but now increasingly sure of themselves on days when the red ball flies.Searing first day temperatures, in excess of 35C, will complicate the decision for either captain at the toss, but Paine was clear that whichever way it fell, his team would need to start as strongly as they did in Adelaide before sustaining their efforts more coherently thereafter. To that end, former captain Ricky Ponting joined the team for their final training session, offering advice to the batsmen that followed the time-honoured lines of Perth – leaving the ball on length, being selective on balls to drive and cashing in on the cut and the pull.”I know he’s always in and around our group, I know he has been for the last six to eight months to be fair, and he’s working with Channel Seven so he’s around the venues. And one of the things we’re trying to do is get our ex-players back, so he’s just another one when he’s around we try to tap into,” Paine said of Ponting. “Him in particular i think, he makes our batting group walk a bit taller and fills them with confidence, so I’m sure they were all speaking to him today at certain periods.”You want to be judging the length of balls well but we know in Perth traditionally, and even at this venue, in the short amount of time it’s quite quick and bouncy, so it’s one of the things we’ve spoken about, something you speak to all the time when you come to Perth, it’s just about adjusting to different conditions. All our guys have had experience doing it at first-class level so this week will be no different.”In declaring that Australia’s batting lineup would be unchanged in addition to the playing XI itself, Paine delivered a strong vote of confidence in both Aaron Finch and Mitchell Starc, the opening batsman and pace bowler who both had indifferent matches in Adelaide, the former against the moving ball and the latter struggling to control the sort of swing he had been trying to regain for some time. As an aggressive batsman and a piercing fast bowler, Finch and Starc are the sort of players who could quickly swing a match on a pacy pitch.Aaron Finch was left with one stump standing•Getty Images

“Finchy’s been successful at international cricket, I think he played really well in the UAE, he’s like any other player, he just needs that one score to get that little bit more self-belief at Test level that we know he’s got at international T20 and one-day cricket,” Paine said. “Finchy’s no different to any other player. You’re not going to succeed at international cricket unless you stick to your strengths, and Finchy knows the best way he goes about his batting. We’ve just got to keep him on track and make sure he keeps trying to do that. If he does, he’ll come good for us.”I think [Starc] will swing it out there, the conditions are going to suit him down to the ground and one thing I know about Starcy is when he cops a bit of criticism normally he takes it pretty personally and that sometimes gets the best out of him. So pretty pumped to see him go tomorrow or the next day and see what he can produce. We know his best is the best, so really excited to have him in our team and we realise how lucky we are to have him.”We’ve got a really settled and experienced bowling attack, so I don’t think we’ll have to say too much. They know what works at Test cricket, they’ve done it before and played on all types of surfaces and adapted really quickly. So this wicket might play really well, we don’t know, it’ll just be about having a look in that first half an hour and whatever team can settle and adjust to the conditions better are going to get well ahead of the game.”Paine conceded he had been in a state of some emotional anguish at the end of the Adelaide Test when he questioned the accuracy of ball-tracking, leading to the Virtual Eye operator Ian Taylor to reiterate his open invitation to the players to see how the technology worked, based on picking up the ball at numerous fixed positions on its way down the pitch. But he was also hopeful for better policing of no-balls in Perth, after Ishant Sharma’s transgressions for one wicket and another lbw appeal were shown to be only two of many by the broadcasters.”No I haven’t [taken up the offer] but I have thought about it,” Paine said. “It was at the end of a pretty close Test match and I was probably a little bit emotional or upset that a couple of things didn’t go our way, but I certainly understand how it works and understand the technology. It was more a bit of frustration coming out that we got a few wrong and we thought a couple might’ve been hitting the stumps that weren’t. Can it get better? Yep. Do I have the answer? No.”I spoke to them [the umpires] on one of the days really quickly [about no-balls], because I was watching the telecast in the change room, so just to get an idea of whether they were communicating to the umpires in the middle which they said they were. What I do know is, it’s not an easy job, they’re standing two or three metres away and the guys are running in fast and it all happens pretty quickly. As long as we’re aware of it and looking at solutions that can help that process then I’m all for it. But I hope this Test match it is done a little better.”ALSO READ: Under-scanner Ishant works hard to rectify no-ball problemAs for his battered finger, Paine again insisted he was “fine”, but reflected on what may unfold in terms of the vice-captain Josh Hazlewood taking over in the event of a further injury. In addition to Hazlewood, the likes of Finch, Travis Head and Usman Khawaja all have extensive captaincy experience, either in domestic or limited overs international matches. “I’m sure he’d sneak himself up to mid off or mid on there somewhere, but no I don’t think it would change a great deal,” Paine said. “Josh is certainly a very level and experienced cricketer and highly respected in our group. We’ve got a number of guys who’ve captained a lot of teams in Australian domestic, BBL, that sort of stuff, so I’m sure we’d be fine if something did happen.”We’ve got an inexperienced group in terms of Test matches played, but quite an experienced group in terms of age and first-class games and captains. There’s a number of guys you can go to and our bowling attack is really experienced. There’s certain periods where I’m bouncing things off a lot of the guys to be fair. One of the things we’re trying to do is develop a lot of leaders. It doesn’t happen overnight, but the more responsibility and the more you can involve other people, the more they’re going to develop and the quicker they’re going to develop.”