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Andy Flower discusses the joys and challenges of his globetrotting coaching career, and shares his insights on identifying and developing young talent

Shashank Kishore13-Jan-2025How have you seen the UAE ecosystem flourish with the ILT20 coming in?
It’s different to most cricket ecosystems around the world, because we don’t have a lot of Emiratis playing cricket. But there is a growing population of people that live and work here who see cricket as a pathway to fulfilling some of their sporting dreams. Some want to see how well they can do amongst better players, some see it as a way to earn money and some enjoy the team aspects of it. The exposure for UAE players in the ILT20, through Abu Dhabi T10 and their domestic leagues, is improving.How do you scout for players in the ILT20, given you’re busy all year round?
I use player agents, coaches, and people involved in the game here as a sounding board. I also now know a number of the UAE players. Between them, I’ve got the best view of the players and opponents. Coverage and streaming of games in the region have improved.As we speak, I’m watching the live streaming of a development game [at ICC Academy, Dubai]. I’ve come in from the UK to scout for two UAE players in addition to our two picks: Aayan Afzal Khan and Muhammad Zuhaib. In time to come, I would think that minimum requirement of two UAE players in the XI and the system will grow to support three or four.How do you judge players who are good, but don’t show the same spark at trials?
There’s a lot of data on the players these days. Like with most things in life, you’re generally trying to find a balance somewhere if you’re looking for good decisions. You are looking to see some evidence that supports the theory that this young player can produce results for you. This game is about producing results. It’s about finding solutions, creating the habit of beating your opponent, of finding ways to exploit his weaknesses and finding ways to exploit your strengths and hide your weaknesses.So you want to see evidence of that through-way to runs or wickets or whatever. But there’s this other side of it where you’re trying to predict how a person is going to develop and whether that person has that little bit of X-factor he can bring to the party at some stage in the future that is going to produce results. And I think there are some people that have a better eye than others.Flower coached Gulf Giants to victory in the initial edition of the ILT20•ILT20And I wouldn’t profess to be particularly any better than the next person. But for instance, I’ll give you an example. When Joe Root first made it into the England Academy and the England Lions squad, Graham Thorpe was on the phone with me. And he said, ‘this guy can play, he’s got a very good technique.’ And I remember I was sitting while walking through my lounge or something one day, or in a hotel room, and watching him play.I think it was his first 50-over game for Yorkshire. He didn’t get many, but straightaway I thought, ‘wow, I’m going to keep watching him.’ There was something about him. I don’t even know what it was. But there was something about him that after years of watching a lot of great players, my eyes were attracted to him. And that was in his first 50-over game. So there is something to be said for the instinct, for following instinct and following your gut feelings from players, absolutely.So there’s also a gut feel that helps make certain decisions/selections?
The bottom line is they have to perform. It can’t all be potential. And probably for every one of those stories that I’ve just told about Thorpe and myself with Joe Root, there’ll be five others that we were wrong about.Specifically with ILT20, how do you keep in touch with the local players you sign?
When we left Aayan and Zuhaib last February after the tournament finished, we left them with a few things to work on. To be honest, I certainly didn’t closely monitor them. I monitored the scorecards when Aayan was playing, absolutely. And it’s really great to see that he’s had a great year for the UAE in white-ball cricket.Flower worked with the analyst Nathan Leamon (left) during his time as England head coach•PA Photos/Getty ImagesAnd Zuhaib has played for the country as well but isn’t in the side at the moment and definitely has a few things to work on. But we haven’t been closely monitoring them or micromanaging them. We’ve let them go out there and develop. And one of the good things about the UAE, I think, is that there’s so many games available for them to play. And I much prefer them playing those games than just net practicing all the time.With schedules as demanding as yours, how do you switch from one league to another?
I really enjoy the fact that there’s a real variety to my coaching life. You experience these different cultures in the dressing room and in whatever country you go to. And that certainly enriches me as a person. I’ve loved spending time in India, in Pakistan, in the Caribbean, here in the UAE.I live in England, but being involved in those different cultures, it’s a real blessing for me. The other thing is you meet a lot of really good people and that’s invigorating. I think it keeps me feeling younger because you’re mixing with the young, hungry, motivated people, which is brilliant. And I like that energy around me. So the professional challenges are also there, which I really like.You know, the owners want results, which is quite right. That’s why they employ us. And I like the professional challenge of getting a group of people together in a sports team and seeing if we can do better than our opposition.The other thing I want to do and I like to talk about in the franchise world is, each time you come together as a team in the franchise world, you will only be that team once ever in your life. You’ll never have the same group of people together again. True. There’s a draft for an auction before the next tournament. Someone’s bound to go out, others may come in. The staff could change. You never have that group again.

I hear sometimes cricketers, captains, coaches almost fearful about talking about data. I don’t view it that way at all.Andy Flower

So if you’re together for, say, three months at the IPL or together for five weeks at the ILT20, really embrace that as a blessing. And make sure that you enjoy your time with each other. Of course, there will be some tensions and some pressures and maybe some disagreements. But the fact that you can meet such a wonderful variety of people in this job is, again, is a very positive aspect of it.At one stage, I was doing, say, five jobs, five teams in a year. Now I’m doing four, which gives me some more time and energy. When I was doing ILT20, then PSL, then IPL, that was very tiring. I found that very tiring. It was literally not a day between the tournaments. So this is without the PSL in the middle, it is definitely giving me more energy around that time of the year. And there’s quite a lot of work to do for monitoring players, strategising, and whatever you do. You’re on the phone quite a lot. You’re either organising staff or you’re monitoring some of your players, and if you’ve got multiple teams, you’re keeping an eye on quite a few players. You talk about players’ fitness, their form, their development. There’s always an auction or a draft to be looking forward to. And obviously the IPL is the biggest one of those, which takes a lot of time and energy.How has the tactical involvement in your coaching evolved over 20 years?
It’s a lot further back than that. When we first started playing cricket for Zimbabwe, we didn’t get paid as players. But myself, my brother [Grant Flower], Alastair Campbell and Dave Houghton, we all were paid as coaches. And so we were coaching in our early 20s. We were professional coaches, not professional cricketers. In the winters, we used to go across to Holland, or into the leagues in England. I played in the Birmingham League and Central Lancashire League during the weekends, and during the week, we’d coach. Also, when I played for Zimbabwe, I was not just interested in my own development, but also interested in my brother’s development and my fellow players’. So, we used to work with each other a lot. We didn’t have a group of coaches working with us. We used to work with each other,. And that’s how it was in those days. So I would say I’ve been working in coaching for many decades.’When we first started playing cricket for Zimbabwe, we didn’t get paid as players. But myself, my brother [Grant Flower], Alastair Campbell and Dave Houghton, we all were paid as coaches’•Getty ImagesBut just more to your question, your point – when I first started coaching with England, which was my first main coaching job after playing, I was very lucky to get that job. I brought in an analyst there, a guy called Nathan Leamon who still works with the ECB. He was a brilliant guy, a mathematician, but he was also a cricket coach and a rugby coach. We were trying to do something different with analytics then. And I enjoyed conversing with him about cricket. One of his clear tasks was to challenge us coaches; it wasn’t to agree with us. Especially challenge some of the cricketing norms and some of the bull**** that was spoken in dressing rooms.I really enjoyed giving him that role and I think he really enjoyed doing it. Yes, we call some of the obvious cricketing decisions that captains used to make in days gone by, we call them match-ups now. It is a more glorified term, but the emphasis on it is important because there is more statistical information available to us to suggest tactical directions. And so I hear sometimes cricketers, captains, coaches almost fearful about talking about data. I don’t view it that way at all.I just think it’s information and the important thing is how you use that information. It’s which stuff you listen to, which stuff you don’t listen to. It’s how you work with that information with your coaching team. It’s how you share that information, how and when you share that information with players, if you share it with them at all. That’s the important stuff. But we shouldn’t stop collecting data because it helps us, it should help us understand the game better. And it should help us develop the game, develop players, develop new tactics. I don’t think that’s going to stop.

“I was trying to follow the way I bat in first-class cricket. I didn’t want to think this is a big Test match”

Mohammad Isam17-Dec-20220:55

Jaffer: Zakir showed great technique and temperament

A century on Test debut against India has capped a remarkable three weeks for Zakir Hasan. He displayed impressive strokeplay and sound temperament as he staved off India’s attack in Chattogram. He manipulated the field well, driving the ball effectively off the front foot while also being steady off the back foot.With his debut hundred, he moved ahead of the other openers in the reckoning. Once Tamim Iqbal returns from injury, the team management will have to choose between Zakir and Mahmudul Hasan Joy, who was the incumbent opener since November last year. Shanto will probably move back to No. 3 in that case. Meanwhile, Shadman Islam and Saif Hassan are now out of favour.Around late November, though, Zakir wasn’t even in the picture, despite being the highest run-getter in this season’s National Cricket League, Bangladesh’s premier first-class competition. Zakir only made it to the Bangladesh A side after Towhid Hridoy’s groin injury ruled him out of the first unofficial Test against India A.Related

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Zakir made a duck in the first innings but with the home side needing to survive the last five sessions of the four-day game, he responded with a ten-hour marathon. His 173, which included 16 fours and three sixes, steered Bangladesh to safety.It was a performance that forced the selectors to take notice of him. He had stood up against Navdeep Saini, Mukesh Kumar and Saurabh Kumar whose left-arm spin was vital to India A dismissing Bangladesh A for 112 in the first innings.”That innings provided me with a lot of confidence,” Zakir said at the end of the fourth day’s play in Chattogram. “I was trying to follow the same process of that innings. It was in the back of the mind that I must stick to the process when playing the innings. A big score leading into a national call-up is certainly a turning point.”Zakir then brought his Bangladesh A form into Test cricket. After having been watchful against seamers Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Siraj on the third evening and fourth morning, he appeared more comfortable against India’s spin trio. He took Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel for three fours each and R Ashwin for five. He also showed he can build partnerships, which allowed Shanto bat fluently at the other end. However, after Shanto got out, he adopted a more conservative approach.Zakir Hasan scored a classy century on debut to drag the Chattogram Test into the fifth day•BCB”I was trying to follow the way I bat in first-class cricket,” Zakir said.” I didn’t want to think this is a big Test match. I tried to be as simple as possible. It was the same when I was in the nineties. I tried to follow the preparation and concentration when I bat in the nineties in first-class cricket. I was trying to follow it every ball.”It felt good reaching the hundred. I didn’t have much expectations. I wanted to bat long, since we are facing two days and a big total.”Zakir said that his vast domestic experience helped him deal with the pressures of Test cricket. Zakir’s first Test was his 70th first-class game – only Mohammad Mithun, Nazimuddin and Ariful Haque have played more first-class games in Bangladesh before playing Test cricket. Zakir isn’t a regular opener, but his experience of facing the new ball regularly at No.3 at Sylhet and South Zone helped him settle at the top.”I have usually batted at No 3 and 4,” Zakir said. “I haven’t opened the batting much. I usually face the new ball in first-class cricket. At times you get to bat after the first ball if you are at No 3, so you have to face the new ball. I was confident.”The Dukes ball swung for almost 80 overs in this season’s conditions. Kookaburra usually swings for less time so I think it was slightly easier for me. I think I held on to my temperament because I played so much first-class cricket. I have a number of big innings in that format. I think I knew my process about scoring runs quite well.”Zakir is only 24, but has already experienced several highs and lows. A strong start to his domestic career propelled him into the Bangladesh T20I side, but after a solitary appearance, he was sent back to the grind. Zakir rebuilt himself in the last two years, however, averaging 54.63 over six tournaments. His conversion rate is particularly impressive: he scored eight centuries and two fifties.Zakir, though, has a quiet presence in Bangladesh cricket. He hails from Sylhet, a region that is no longer known for its batting prowess. Fast bowlers Abu Jayed, Ebadot Hossain and Khaled Ahmed have recently broken into the national side from Sylhet. Zakir’s success, however, is a triumph for domestic cricket. He seized his chance and broke the door down.

The gulf between Root and his team-mates highlights his brilliance

George Dobell24-Jan-2021You could have been forgiven for thinking batting was easy.As Joe Root, for the second Test in succession, passed 150, you might have thought that he was batting without pressure, in conditions where bowlers were unable to gain any movement or purchase. So comfortable did he seem, so serene was his progress, that it would have been easy to underestimate the size of his achievements.It’s only in contrast with his team-mates that it becomes apparent how good a batsman Root is. Having scored 54 percent of England’s first-innings runs in the first Test, he has so far scored 55 percent of them in the second. He has scored 305 – yes, 305 – more runs than any other England player in the series.England have had other batsmen of recent vintage who have scored heavily in Asia, of course. With Alastair Cook, you could feel the struggle: the dogged determination to survive and limited number of scoring shots made every innings something of a battle. With Kevin Pietersen, the talent was so extravagantly obvious – remember those slog-sweeps in Mumbai and Colombo? – that you knew you were in the presence of genius.It’s not like that with Root. For much of the time, his batting is so unobtrusive it can lure you into thinking what he is doing is straightforward.Think of the way he plays back to the spinners, for example. You won’t see many of those singles or dot balls on highlights packages. But they allow him to rotate the strike, release pressure and mess with the bowlers’ lengths.More eye-catching are his sweeps. So broad is Root’s repertoire of sweep that he can hit the ball in front or behind square on both sides of the wicket. As a result, he is desperately tough to contain. Even on the second evening of this game, coming to the crease with England 5 for 2, he scored so freely that he reached stumps unbeaten on 67 off 77 balls. Individually those strokes may look routine; collectively, they amount to a masterclass.But maybe it was fitting, during the innings in which he passed Pietersen’s Test run tally, that he also produced several switch-hits to remind us that, underneath the determination to play the percentages, there lurks an extravagantly talented player. To pick the length, to switch his hands, to time the ball to perfection: Root effectively hit more boundaries left-handed than Dom Sibley, Zak Crawley and Dan Lawrence managed between them.ESPNcricinfo LtdRoot also went past the run tallies of David Gower and Sir Geoffrey Boycott – both greats of English cricket – in this innings. There is every chance that, by the end of the year, only Cook will remain ahead of him in terms of England players. For a 30-year-old, these are extraordinary heights to have scaled.Pietersen once said that of the trio of incredible Test centuries he hit in 2012 (Colombo, Mumbai and Leeds), he rated the one in Sri Lanka the best because the heat and humidity was so demanding. It’s not just hard to concentrate in such heat, it can be hard to see with sweat in your eyes, and to grip the bat with damp gloves.As Root’s innings progressed into its ninth hour, the physical demands started to show. He was past 170 before, with body starting to creak where it had earlier eased into position, he gave a chance. And perhaps, a less stiff body might have regained its ground when he hit the ball at short leg only to see the fielder, Oshada Fernando, pull off an almost miraculous stop and throw down the stumps. Root, who had been given a banana and a sugary drink every 45 minutes since lunch – that’s seven of each – was just 14 runs short of becoming the first England player to register double-centuries in consecutive Tests since Wally Hammond in 1933. Hammond did it in 1928, too.Such weariness was understandable, though. Root has, to this point, spent all but 39.1 overs of this series on the pitch. In this heat and humidity, that is a remarkable reflection of his determination as much as it is his dominance. It’s telling, too, that of his three dismissals in this series, two have come from run-outs and one came when he was left with the last man in the first innings of the first Test and perished to a boundary catch as he tried to thrash a few quick runs. A lesser player might have had an eye on the not out.Joe Root gets low to reverse-sweep•SLCSo, what is Root doing differently? Well, from a technical point of view, the obvious change is that he is currently going back and across as part of his trigger movement. In recent months, he had slipped into the habit of merely going back and, as a result, his balance wasn’t as good. He also opened his stance, extravagantly at times, to allow him to manoeuvre the turning ball square of the wicket.But how much of this splurge of runs is down to technique and how much is temperament is hard to say. He went through 2020 without a Test century – the first time in his career he has been through a full calendar year without scoring one – and dropped out of the top 10 in the rankings as a result. That will have hurt.He admitted, after the first Test, that he spent the weeks from the end of the English season until this tour, thinking about his batting as much as working on his technique. Not just which shots to play, but on the importance of being ruthless and turning more of those fifties into hundreds. At present, he seems able to compartmentalise his batting from the captaincy. This version of Root appears to have the hunger to complement his talent and to understand his side’s need for him to contribute far more heavily.Related

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There are, no doubt, tougher challenges to come in the next few weeks. It’s not that India necessarily have a better left-arm spinner than Lasith Embuldeniya, or that their pitches will necessarily turn as much. But India do have better seamers and a better offspinner. And they do have much better batsmen. There will, as a result, be fewer release deliveries, and Root and co. will find themselves in the field a good deal longer than they have here. Indeed, the last time they visited Chennai, they were in the field for 190 overs. Even then, India had to declare to end the torture. The burden on Root – with the bat and in the field – will be immense.You just had to witness the struggle at the other end from Root in this series to know that. England’s openers, for example, have now contributed 28 runs between them in six innings. While Root has gone back on his stumps, they have groped forward as if searching for their way in the fog. In this innings, only one other man in the top seven reached 30. There have been times on this tour when it seems some of his team-mates have never seen bowling like this.Of course, they haven’t, really. Crawley has never faced a spinner with the new ball in the county game; Sibley has done so just three times. It will never have been on a surface like Galle, where some balls turn and bounce and others skid on. Ultimately, until the ECB put in place a domestic structure that encourages the development of spin bowling as part of the County Championship programme, it will remain desperately tough for England to challenge in Asia. And yes, that includes not penalising counties who produce turning wickets. If you dedicate the prime weeks of summer to a white-ball competition, you are compromising your red-ball development.Root, at least, provided an example of how such conditions can be overcome. He is carrying this team, making light of the conditions, the absences and the match situation. It’s nowhere near as easy as he has made it look.

José Butto suited up in his New York Mets uniform and headed to the bullpen to await his opportunity on Wednesday but before he got the chance, news came down that he had been traded to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for Tyler Rogers. Major League Baseball's trade deadline creates these types of situations from time to time where we're privy to the traded player's real-time reaction. And Butto's was emotional.

Butto could be seen processing the information and being comforted by Mets bullpen coach Jose Rosado.

He then took his leave from the bullpen after saying his goodbyes out there.

Upon entering the dugout Butto was embraced by the other Mets as they learned of the news.

Butto had spent his entire professional career with the Mets and broke through into the big leagues in 2022. This year he has appeared in 34 games with a 3-2 record and 3.64 ERA.

Aston Villa are now circling to sign an “unbelievable” Premier League striker in the January transfer window, with his club open to a sale.

Villa "want to sign a new striker" next month

Ex-scout Mick Brown has made it clear his former club are looking to bolster their options at centre-forward this winter, saying: “Aston Villa want to sign a new striker in January,”

“Emery wants somebody to challenge Watkins and score regular goals, because they’ve lacked that so far this season, and they want to do it when the window opens.

“The problem is, there aren’t many strikers available, and the ones that are cost big money.”

While there may not be a plethora of options available, some exciting targets have been identified, with it being revealed Igor Thiago is highly likely to leave Brentford in January, amid interest from Unai Emery.

Bologna star Santiago Castro is another striker of interest to the Villans, with the Argentinian striker outscoring Ollie Watkins this season, although a deal could be on the expensive side at around £44m.

A slightly cheaper centre-forward has also emerged as a target, according to a report from TEAMtalk, which states Aston Villa are now circling to sign Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee next month, following a new update on the Dutchman’s future at Old Trafford.

Although Ruben Amorim wants to keep hold of Zirkzee, in light of his versatility, Man United are now open to sanctioning a departure, and Villa’s Premier League rivals could look to hold out for a fee of around £35m.

A whole host of clubs are in the race for the Netherlands international, however, with the likes of Sunderland, Brighton, Everton, West Ham United, Inter Milan and Juventus also being named as potential suitors.

Related Emery's a fan: Aston Villa willing to make mega-money bid for £52m "baller"

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Posts ByDominic Lund Dec 7, 2025 "Unbelievable" Zirkzee back amongst the goals

The 24-year-old hasn’t had the easiest of rides at Old Trafford, failing to make it off the bench in seven Premier League matches this season, but he has impressed at times, with Sky Sports analyst Statman Dave hailing his mentality earlier this year.

The former Bologna man also returned to form in front of goal at the end of November, scoring the equalising goal to start Man United’s comeback in their 2-1 victory against Crystal Palace.

That said, Villa should have major reservations about signing Zirkzee, considering his very poor record in front of goal, netting just eight times in 58 outings for Man United, while also receiving heavy criticism from content creator Alex Turk this season.

Dodger Stadium will officially host the baseball competition of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, 's Thuc Nhi Nguyen reported on Tuesday.

This isn't the first time Olympic baseball will be played at the iconic Dodger Stadium—the ballpark was used in 1984 when baseball was part of the demonstration games during the Los Angeles Olympics. Team USA won a silver medal that year. Baseball didn't become an official Olympic sport until 1992, and it's been played six times total in the Games.

Baseball was not played in the 2024 Paris Olympics, and it was last played during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Team USA won another silver medal that year, falling to Japan.

"America’s favorite pastime will capture the world’s attention when baseball makes its Olympic return in Dodger Stadium in Downtown Los Angeles, one of the world’s most iconic stadiums,” LA28 said in a statement. “It has hosted countless record-breaking games, including 11 World Series, the most recent being in 2024, and will continue to break records in 2028."

The 2028 Summer Olympics will begin on July 14, 2028.

Chelsea made Women's Super League history on Sunday afternoon despite being held to a 1-1 draw. The Blues have made an unbeaten start to their title defence but their stalemate with Liverpool at the Totally Wicked Stadium means they have now failed to win back-to-back league matches for the first time since the 2021-22 season as they were pegged back by the Reds.

Getty Images SportChelsea fail to make dominance count at Liverpool

Chelsea set out their intentions early on as Erin Cuthbert dragged an effort wide in the first minute following some good work by Alyssa Thompson down the left flank. And the Blues were ahead in the ninth minute as Thompson fired past Faye Kirby after cutting onto her right foot.

The west London side pushed for a second but were unable to capitalise on their dominance and were made to pay in the 33rd minute as they came undone owing to a 33rd minute Beata Olsson strike. Nathalie Bjorn failed to successfully cut out Lily Woodham pass leaving Olsson one-on-one with Livia Peng, and the Reds striker made no mistake from close range.

Chelsea controlled proceedings but were unable to carve out chances as they failed to break Liverpool down on Merseyside, as they were unable to muster a shot on target since Thompson's opener. As such, the Blues lost ground on their way to defending their crown but did make history in the process.

AdvertisementChelsea make WSL history at Liverpool

While the result wasn't ideal for Chelsea, they still set the record for the longest unbeaten run in Women's Super League history. Indeed, the Blues are now unbeaten in 34 league matches, a record that stretches back to the end of the 2023-24 season.

Incidentally, the last team to beat Chelsea was Liverpool back in May 2024, as the Reds came from behind to claim a late 4-3 win. Aggie Beever-Jones had put Chelsea ahead, but found themselves behind midway through the second half as a Sophie Haug and an Erin Cuthbert own goal turned the clash on its head.

Beever-Jones scored hers and Chelsea second but the Reds were ahead again a minute later owing to a Leanne Kiernan strike. Teagan Micah's own goal drew Chelsea level again late on and the game looked destined for a draw only for Gemma Bonner to bag an injury time winner for Liverpool.

Getty Images SportMan City going top changes nothing claims Bompastor

Chelsea went into the weekend second in the WSL as their 1-1 draw with Arsenal combined with Manchester City's win over Everton saw City moved to the top of the table. And City opened up a four-point lead at the WSL summit as they trounced Manchester United on Saturday afternoon.

The draw may have closed the gap at the top by a point, but Chelsea lost ground in their title defence. Blues boss Sonia Bompastor isn't worried by City's rise to the top and that competition is good for the league and Chelsea.

"The league is really competitive here. I understand from an outside point of view that last season, maybe the competition was not that high because we finished in a really strong position, 12 points ahead of everyone," Bompastor said ahead of Sunday's stalemate.

"But for us, it always felt that every weekend was tough and the competition was high. Nothing has changed this season. We know a lot of teams in this league can compete for the title.

"The title race has been really tough, and Man City are now at the top of the table, but it doesn't change anything for us. We are still early in the season. We know what we want to achieve, and we keep this in mind. We are focused on achieving our goals, and we are still in a good position for that.

"It's really good for the women's game to have that competition and to have many teams who are in the title race and compete at the highest level with us."

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Chelsea back in Champions League action next week

Chelsea remain unbeaten in the WSL but will rue a missed opportunity to put further pressure on City. Bompastor will hope to see her Chelsea side return to winning ways when they face Barcelona in the Champions League next week.

The Blues were imperious in their 6-0 win over St. Polten last time out, a result that means Chelsea sit fourth having collected seven points from the opening three matches of the European campaign.

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A passagem de Bruno Lage no Botafogopode estar próxima do seu final. Após sucessivas reuniões realizadas nesta terça-feira (3), a cúpula alvinegra considerou que a situação do português chegou ao seu limite. O Lance! apurou que a decisão sobre o seu futuro está nas mãos do empresário John Textor, acionista majoritário do Glorioso.

O treinador não é visto com bons olhos também pelo elenco alvinegro. Um grupo de atletas manifestou sua insatisfação a Textor (esta informação foi divulgada inicialmente pelo “ge” e confirmada pela reportagem). O episódio da barração de Tiquinho Soares na partida com o Goiás, no Nilton Santos, acentuou o mal-estar do comandante com os jogadores botafoguenses.

+ Garanta a sua vaga no curso que formou craques como Pet, Dante e Léo Moura! Cupom: LANCE1000

+ Brilha, artilheiro! Aposte R$50 e ganhe R$215 com Yuri Alberto e o Corinthians na Sula

+ Tem promoção exclusiva de boas-vindas pra você! Aposte a partir de R$10 e receba até R$200 de bônus na Lance! Betting

Uma das queixas em torno do trabalho de Lage é sua dificuldade em se adequar ao projeto da SAF alvinegra. O fato do treinador não compartilhar mais suas decisões com todos do departamento de futebol do clube trouxe controvérsias acerca do seu trabalho.

Além disso, a equipe vem de maus resultados na temporada. São cinco jogos sem vitórias, quatro deles pelo Campeonato Brasileiro. No empate em 1 a 1 diante do Goiás, Tiquinho saiu do banco e evitou a derrota alvinegra.

Leeds United’s start to the 2025/26 Premier League season has been impressive. The Whites have begun strongly in their return to the top flight, after two seasons in the Championship.

Of course, their promotion campaign last term was one of complete dominance under Daniel Farke.

They’ve already picked up eight points this season, which, according to Understat, is actually below the number of expected points. That tally sits at 9.96xPTS, which places the West Yorkshire outfit 10th in the table for that specific metric.

After a big summer transfer window, this Leeds side has a new look, with a few of their integral player from the Championship success struggling to get into the side this term.

The Leeds promotion stars who can’t get into team

It might be strange to see a couple of players from Farke’s dominant side last season, now struggling to get any sort of regular gametime this term. One of those is midfielder Ao Tanaka, who was a key cog in the middle of the park in 2024/25.

Yet, the Japanese international simply can’t get a look in, with Farke’s midfield signings of Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach preferred.

Last season, he played 43 times in the Championship, chipping in with seven goal involvements. So far this term, he’s only played 181 minutes of top-flight football.

Midfielder Tanaka is not the only player who falls into this category. Centre-forward Joel Piroe was a key player for Farke last season, scoring 19 times in 43 games, backing up his 13 goals from the season before.

He even bagged four goals in a single game against Stoke City.

After signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha, however, Piroe simply can’t get a look in. He’s played fewer minutes in the top flight than Tanaka, racking up 147 across just three appearances this season.

He hasn’t scored yet, either.

There is one Leeds player who has played even fewer minutes this season, despite an important role in the 2024/25 campaign.

Why Leeds need to sell the "best in the league"

The start to the new season has shown that Farke is not afraid to make some big calls and replace the players who were so integral last season. You could call it a lack of loyalty, although it is a decision that is proving to be correct so far.

Another player who falls into the same category is goalkeeper Illan Meslier. Once described by Farke as “the best goalkeeper in the league,” he’s now fallen down the pecking order and can’t get into the Whites’ starting lineup.

Last term, the 25-year-old was, for much of the season, Leeds’ first-choice shot-stopper. He played the first 39 games of the season, but for the last seven, he was dropped from the side, following a string of mistakes.

That included his remarkable error against Sunderland.

It was not just that moment against the Black Cats, but “numerous monumental errors,” that cost him his place, according to Jonathan Buchan, BBC Radio Leeds Sports Editor.

As a result, Meslier has not played a single minute this season.

There are stats that back up this poor form on display from the goalkeeper, who was born in Lorient. For example, last season he averaged minus 3.11 goals prevented, meaning he conceded three extra goals than he should have.

Goals conceded

0.7

27

Saves made

1.7

65

Long balls completed

98

2.5

Goals prevented

-0.08

-3.11

Perhaps it is time for Leeds to move on from the Frenchman. He is the second choice behind Karl Darlow at the moment, and when summer signing Lucas Perri returns, it is surely safe to assume he will become Farke’s third choice.

It is a sad fall from grace for a goalkeeper once so highly rated by Farke. Yet, with the number of mistakes made by Meslier over the last 12 months in particular, it is understandable why he has been dropped, especially in the pressure cooker of the Premier League.

Their answer to Saka: Leeds now have "one of England's best prospects"

Leeds United have a teen star in their academy who could emerge as their own Bukayo Saka-type player.

ByDan Emery Oct 15, 2025

Gladiators posted the highest ever PSL total of 263 for 3 and claimed the top spot

Rvel Zahid08-May-2025

Islamabad United find themselves stuck in a rut after steamrolling opponents at the start of the PSL 2025 with five consecutive wins. As per Salman Ali Agha, injuries and niggles forced them to make wholesale changes and now they have slipped to fourth loss on the bounce at the crucial juncture of the tournament.After opting to bowl, they were left stunned and out of sorts as Quetta Gladiators cartwheeled their way to a stunning drubbing of United. The victory was orchestrated with the bat. Gladiators posted the highest ever PSL total of 263 for 3 on the back of two eye-catching hundreds by Rilee Rossouw and Hasan Nawaz. In the battle for a top-two finish, they were a rampaging menace on the hapless bowling attack that lacked penetration and discipline.The pyrotechniques from centurions took the game away after the first half as they swung their bat at almost everything; Rossouw turned on the beast mode from the moment he took guard, while Hasan followed suit and didn’t drop his intensity even after losing his partner. He hit Naseem Shah for three sixes in the penultimate over and belted another six and a four in the final over bowled by Ben Dwarshuis, bringing up his century on the last ball of the innings and soaking in applause from the great Sir Vivian Richards and the rest of the crew. The acceleration after the first ten overs was staggering. Gladiators added 160 in the last ten, which took the game away from United. Eventually, United fell short by 109 runs in one of the most one-sided games of this season.Related

Stats – Quetta Gladiators record the highest total in PSL history

The confidence Nawaz gained in the last cliffhanger against the same opposition flowed into tonight’s game. There was no second-guessing and a lot more resolve, conviction, decisiveness and authority in his shots on a batting-friendly surface.A target of 264 was always going to be a daunting task, especially with veteran pacer Mohammad Amir back in the fold. When Gladiators returned to defend, Amir dismissed Kyle Mayers and Sahibzada Farhan in the first over. Mayers was pinned in front on nought and he didn’t bother for a review. Amir showed remarkable control with the new ball and got the better of Agha in the third over, thereby making an impact right away after a few absences and showing his coveted knack of picking wickets upfront yet again.The game was done and dusted in the powerplay with little to no resistance thereon as wickets continued to tumble and United were staring into the abyss with 68 for 8 at the end of the ninth over. The ripping spin of Abrar Ahmed continued to weave magic; he denied any late order resistance by outsmarting Haider Ali and soon outsmarted Jason Holder, ending his quota with 2 for 17. Azam Khan was sloppy with the glovework and couldn’t make any substantial impact with the bat, slicing a wide short delivery to Mohammad Wasim Jr., who was livewire in the field and took three superb catches. That’s when Imad Wasim and Dwarshuis decided to accept the inevitable and played to reduce the blow to their team’s net run rate and defeat margin.Gladiators have given a massive boost to their net run rate and confirmed top spot, while United slipped to third with a must-win game scenario for their upcoming last group fixture on May 10 against Karachi Kings.