Tottenham Hotspur have "recently" made contact to sign a "fantastic" former player who ex-boss Mauricio Pochettino was a big admirer of.
Who have Tottenham signed 2023?
Spurs and new manager Ange Postecoglou have, so far, put the glorious Pochettino days well and truly behind them with an excellent run of early-season form. Tottenham supporters have witnessed the return of an exciting, very watchable brand of attacking football, with the Lilywhites scoring 15 goals over their first six league games.
Only Brighton, Man City and Newcastle can boast a better return than that so far, and the latter side are only up there due to a quite sensational 8-0 win at Sheffield United last weekend. Following Antonio Conte's regrettable last season in charge, it appears things are well and truly on up in north London.
Tottenham Hotspur manager AngePostecoglou
This has been helped by the summer signings of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, young centre-back Ashley Phillips, assured defender Micky van de Ven, England midfield star James Maddison, winger Manor Solomon, exciting striker Alejo Veliz and Wales forward Brennan Johnson – who all signed for Spurs before summer deadline day on September 1.
Maddison and van de Ven in particular have taken to life under Postecoglou with real aplomb, with the former already scoring two goals and assisting two others; becoming a favourite of the fanbase as a result; Van de Ven, meanwhile, has been an assured partner for fellow centre-back Cristian Romero.
What's the latest Spurs transfer news?
Despite their summer business, it is believed Spurs could well be busy again in the January window. Moves for Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly and Juventus star Gleison Bremer are being mooted by sections of the press, while Tottenham are named as one of the possible destinations for Brentford striker Ivan Toney.
It will be interesting to see if they do sign much-needed defensive depth or an out-and-out replacement for Harry Kane. Another player to be linked with a move to north London is former player, Marcus Edwards.
Marcus Edwards
Now at Sporting Lisbon, where he's seriously impressing under Ruben Amorim, a report from Portugal this week says he remains a target for Postecoglou's Spurs side. According to newspaper O Jogo, as translated by Sport Witness, the club "recently" made contact to sign Edwards – who they actually have a 35 per cent sell-on clause for.
It's added that Edwards could well be considered for an England call up in the near future, as he's being monitored by the FA, and this should only heighten his chances of making a return to the Premier League.
How good is Marcus Edwards?
Speaking ahead of Tottenham's Champions League clash with Sporting Lisbon last season, pundit Owen Hargreaves called him a "fantastic" player who "leave people for dead".
Meanwhile, Pochettino was a big fan of Edwards during his time at Spurs, saying this on the player back in 2016: "He is a very good prospect and, potentially, he can be a top player but we need to be patient and tell him that he has a lot of talent, enough talent to be a top player, a great player, but now it’s how he builds his future – that’s very important."
Vincent Kompany and Burnley have struggled to get going in their return to Premier League action, winning just once, which came against fellow newly promoted side Luton Town. With that struggle, the Clarets could yet turn their attention towards the January transfer window, where they will look to ensure that they avoid relegation back to the Championship.
Having conceded 20 goals in eight league games this season, a record only better than bottom side Sheffield United, it comes as no surprise to see reports suggesting that Burnley could make their move for one particular defensive reinforcement when the winter transfer window opens.
Latest Burnley transfer news…
During the summer transfer window, Burnley welcomed a number of arrivals in an attempt to ensure that they avoided an instant return to England's second division. In total, Kompany spent a reported €112m (£97m) on 10 reinforcements, making their start to the season all the more frustrating. And the more their worrying form continues, the more Kompany will grow concerned over the future of his job at Turf Moor.
Perhaps helping to ease those concerns, Burnley could splash the cash once more in January to follow up their summer spending. And, with that said, reliable reporter Alan Nixon has provided a Burnley transfer update, stating that the club are keeping an eye on Sunderland central defender Dan Ballard ahead of potentially making their move when the transfer window opens.
The Sunderland man previously rejected signing for Burnley before he joined the Black Cats in 2022, but Kompany could now finally get his man, if the Clarets push on and secure a deal in January. He would certainly boost their options, and perhaps even help solve their leaky backline, which has heavily contributed to their difficult start in the Premier League this season.
How has Daniel Ballard performed this season?
Starting all 11 Championship games for Sunderland this season, who sit as high as fourth in the league, having won six games, drawn one, and lost four, Ballard has quickly become a vital part of Tony Mowbray's set-up at the Stadium of Light. Statistically speaking, too, the defender has enjoyed a solid campaign so far, as per FBref.
Player
Blocks Per 90
Clearances Per 90
Aerials Won Per 90
Daniel Ballard
1.53
4.92
3.35
Meanwhile, Mowbray has been full of praise for his defender, saying, via Chronicle Live:
"He's an outstanding defender, he's a brilliant footballer. I say we're lucky to have him, but it was brilliant recruitment to bring Dan Ballard to this football club. He's a diamond of a lad. I'm not sure where his ceiling is but he's a wonderful footballer and an old-school centre-half who puts his body on the line. And if he plays against a really strong player, he just gets stronger himself. He reacts to what's in front of him. He needed to be good last night against a good team. He's a warrior, amazing really."
Kompany may now be hoping to secure the 24-year-old in a January move, as he looks to keep his Burnley side afloat in the top flight this season, making this one to watch.
The England coach discusses the team’s latest Test defeat, the continued failure of the top order and another poor fielding display
George Dobell28-May-2018The results and performances suggest England are getting worseYes, it’s deeply disappointing. In this match, especially from a batting point of view. We just keep making the same mistakes. It’s not as if we can’t do it because the batsmen have scored runs and scored runs on difficult wickets before. We’ve just got to be better and more consistent.Joe Root said the team prepared well. Do you have a theory as to what went wrong?Not really. From a coaching point of view, we keep hitting those points and working on those things in the nets. Which we are. And hopefully they start sinking in. Obviously it’s taking a little longer than you’d like. As I said, at different times, the guys have all batted in that fashion at some point. We’ve just got to be smart enough, I suppose, to bat in that fashion more often.Is this defeat worse than any of the five over the winter? There’s some mitigation away, isn’t there?Well, playing at Lord’s almost like playing away. We keep losing here. We haven’t won too many here in the last few years. Losing any Test is disappointing, but obviously losing at home – where our record has been pretty good over the last few years – is disappointing, that’s for sure. The test will come in the next one. We have shown in past that, when we haven’t played very well, that come the next game, we can pull finger out and play well. I’d be expecting they’d a little embarrassed about way played and the performance in the next one will be better.Are you wary of making a change to selection?I’d be surprised if we made a change for the next one with it being such a close Test. And, who are we going to bring in? You know, we’ve put the challenge out there at county level for guys to score runs and score plenty of runs. We’ve a couple of guys at the top of the order scoring some runs, so they’re getting close, but we always want guys to be scoring even more. Put it beyond doubt. Score three or four hundreds in a row. There will be opportunities. We want pressure on the guys in the team.England’s cordon waits for a chance•Getty Images
Is that a mixed message? You ask guys to score runs in county cricket and then pick a guy from the IPL. Isn’t that confusing?Not really. Everyone knows Jos is a quality player. Yes, he’s got to prove it in red-ball cricket yet. What we want from him is performances like in his one-day cricket. And the message to the guys below is: averaging 40 is not good enough. We want guys averaging 50, 60 or 70 and not just making hundreds but big hundreds. That’s a sign that you’re going to be good enough to actually step it up at the next level. I can fully understand those thoughts about bringing in someone like Jos but I think he proved in this game that talent he has. I understand where those thoughts come from, don’t get me wrong, but we want to see some of those other guys scoring big runs and really putting pressure on. Not just averaging 40 and being the best of the rest.Are you determined to continue to coach England in all three formats to September 2019?Yes, certainly. I’ve committed to September 2019. I know what you’re getting at but, from a Test point of view, I don’t know how anything can be done different. Some of the problems that are being spoken about, that we’re not learning, are being worked on and spoken about in the nets all the time.You know how it works, though. The selector is new, the captain is new… what about the coach?I’ll look forward to a bit more gardening if that’s the case. I’ve enjoyed doing it. I think the messages that we’re giving the guys are the right ones. I obviously understand some of those questions [about my future] that are asked, that’s the lot of a coach. If someone higher up the order makes that decision, so be it. I speak for all of the coaches, all we want for the players is the very best, for them to be playing at their very best, and winning games for England. We’re not going to stop working towards that goal.Is the message getting through, though? We’ve heard a lot of this beforeWell, obviously not enough. In a way, you almost throw your hands up sometimes. But what else can you do? We continually deliver that type of message and are continually working on it in the nets. There’s a whole host of issues that I think can be discussed and looked at, and there is a committee that has been put in place to actually look at those things. Is playing on wickets where you’re not going to bat for too long, before you get one that does a heap, is that necessarily good in the long term for learning how to concentrate for long periods. All of those little things have got to be answered.Joe Root had plenty to ponder•Getty Images
Is it frustrating that you have two incredibly experienced seamers who seem to have been out-bowled in their own conditions by Mohammad Abbas? They seem reluctant to aim at the stumpsWhat I will say with those two guys is that not everyone is exactly the same. There are different ways of actually bowling. Someone like Broady, who is six foot six or seven, it is going to be a little different to the little medium-pace skidders. I think [James Anderson’s] mode of operation, for a swing bowler, is probably a little different to what everyone would think. He’s the type of swing bowler who likes to frustrate the batter; don’t give him anything up, then give him the one up. Obviously, from that point of view, you’re not going to get quite as many up there.There might have been a little bit of frustration, trying to get it up there – which is not necessarily the mode of operation for him. It looked like the rhythm was a little bit out on that first afternoon. But certainly, what we want to try to do is create so many chances you take 10 wickets. And we created 14 or 15, so there is not a terrible lot wrong with that. But yes, we do discuss – when there is a fair bit in the wicket – about maybe the ratio of those balls a little further up.The fielding wasn’t great. You’ve a new fielding coach – Carl Hopkinson. What went right and what went wrong?It’s a little bit like the batting – we probably had three of the best practice sessions we’ve had going into the match. I’m almost at a loss sometimes. It’s got to be concentration, I think, and confidence. Once the first one goes down, it’s a little bit like when we lose a wicket or too. Sometimes that confidence goes down. We’ve got to back our own ability, be confident in the work you’ve been doing, put that aside and concentrate on the next one. But certainly, it was desperately disappointing with the catching.I thought Carl Hopkinson, in the three days he spent with us, did fantastically well. But it’s not going to change overnight. Again, it’s something we have worked on over a long period of time – so it’s disappointing that every now and then we do go through that period of dropping catches.There’s been a strong denial from the ECB about the spot-fixing allegations. But does having that in the background cloud minds going into these Tests?There certainly hasn’t been any chat about it at all around the dressing-room. If individually, or personally, after the game they’ve had a bit of a chat about it I can’t answer that. But certainly there was absolutely no chat about it in the changing-room, and it would be wrong to blame that for the way we played. When we were told about it, the thought on it was rubbish – ‘they don’t know what they’re talking about’. There’s nothing we can do about it. If they want to put something out there, let’s get out there and try to concentrate on playing some good cricket.
توجه مجلس إدارة نادي المقاولون العرب، بطلب رسمي إلى لجنة المسابقات في رابطة الأندية بشأن المباراتين القادمتين أمام البنك الأهلي وفيوتشر في بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.
ويلعب المقاولون العرب، ضد البنك الأهلي، يوم الجمعة 28 يونيو الجاري، ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ 28 من عمر مباريات بطولة الدوري المصري، المحدد لها الساعة 4 عصرًا.
وطالب نادي المقاولون العرب، بتعديل موعد مباراته أمام البنك الأهلي، لتقام في الساعة 5:30 مساءً بدلاً من 4 نظرًا لارتفاع درجة الحرارة خلال الفترة الحالية.
وأيضا تعديل موعد مباراة فيوتشر المقرر لها وفق جدول الدوري يوم 6 يوليو لتقام في الخامسة والنصف بدلاً من الرابعة عصراً.
طالع | رسميًا.. المقاولون العرب يطالب بإعادة مباراة بيراميدز بسبب الحنفي
ويأتي ذلك، في ظل تحذيرات هيئة الأرصاد الجوية من موجة شديدة الحرارة يوم الجمعة المقبل تصل فيه درجات الحرارة إلى 45 درجة مع زيادة ملحوظة في نسبة الرطوبة تزيد الإحساس بالحرارة.
وشدد نادي المقاولون العرب على أن كل اللوائح وقوانين الاتحاد الدولي تحظر لعب المباريات في مثل هذه الأجواء حفاظا على سلامة اللاعبين.
ويحتل فريق المقاولون العرب المركز السابع عشر (قبل الأخير) في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري الممتاز، برصيد 19 نقطة من 25 مباراة.
Jogando no estádio Moisés Lucarelli, a Ponte Preta saiu atrás no marcador diante do Figueirense, mas conseguiu buscar a virada por 2 a 1 em resultado que recolocou o time campineiro nas proximidades do G4 em quinto lugar com 30 pontos. No caso da equipe de Florianópolis, o revés deixou o time na 18ª colocação com 19 unidades.
SE UM LADO NÃO APROVEITA…
A Ponte conseguia ter domínio territorial do confronto, girando a bola na procura de espaços para assustar a meta defendida por Sidão. Todavia, tinha sérias dificuldades no momento de dar o último passe para abrir espaços de finalizações mais agudas, deixando a partida em ritmo mais travado por boa parte da primeira etapa.
Por outro lado, na primeira batida em gol que o time de Florianópolis conseguiu chegar no ataque, a bola cruzada do lado esquerdo espirrou na marcação e Everton Santos pegou de primeira. A bola desviou na zaga da Macaca e tirou completamente o goleiro Ygor da jogada. Placar inaugurado na cidade de Campinas aos 34 minutos.
PRESSIONOU E CONSEGUIU Necessitada de buscar o marcador, a Ponte tentou se manter em ritmo de pressão ofensiva na segunda etapa ao criar volume para tentar encontrar o tão perseguido gol de empate. Porém, a conclusão seguia sendo o grande empecilho da equipe dirigida por Marcelo Oliveira, fazendo com que o Figueira conseguisse resistir as investidas do time campineiro sem que, efetivamente, o goleiro Sidão tivesse feito grandes defesas.
E foi somente aos 25 minutos, em jogada individual do ataque ponte-pretano, que Tiago Orobó deu bom passe em velocidade para Guilherme Pato que, de frente para o goleiro do Figueirense, bateu cruzado, forte, por baixo de Sidão para deixar tudo igual.
Dois minutos depois de conseguir o empate, em nova subida da Macaca que seguia sendo dominante nas tentativas de ataque, em chute onde Sidão não conseguiu encaixar, Apodi estava esperto no rebote e bateu com força para virar o marcador do Moisés Lucarelli.
RelacionadasPonte PretaBaixa sentida: goleiro Ivan precisará passar por cirurgia no punhoPonte Preta30/10/2020FigueirenseSem acordo, Lucas Henrique deixa o FigueirenseFigueirense30/10/2020FigueirenseLucas Barcellos é apresentado como novo reforço do FigueirenseFigueirense29/10/2020
A boa fase de Pedro não é de hoje e, como artilheiro do Flamengo em 2020, o centroavante já é destaque também na Europa. Após marcar mais dois gols nesta quarta, contra o Athletico pela Copa do Brasil, o camisa 21 foi notícia no “Diário AS”, da Espanha. Em reportagem que destaca os números do jogador, o tradicional veículo comparou o goleador rubro-negro com Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
-Pedro é um atacante ágil e rápido apesar da altura, muito inteligente com e sem bola e com muita técnica . As suas condições e movimentos em campo são semelhantes aos de Zlatan Ibrahimovic – diz a reportagem de Marta Marañón.
Emprestado pela Fiorentina, Pedro já tem a permanência no Flamengo tratada como prioridade pela diretoria. Marcos Braz, vice-presidente de futebol, afirmou nesta quinta que as conversas com o clube italiano já começaram.
RelacionadasFlamengoPerto de voltar a jogar, Gabigol avisa: ‘Que preparem as placas’Flamengo05/11/2020Futebol LatinoRival do Fla, Racing vive dias tensos após atitude do técnicoFutebol Latino05/11/2020FlamengoContratação de Pedro, renovação de Diego Alves e avaliação de Dome: Braz esclarece temas no FlamengoFlamengo05/11/2020
أيام قليلة تفصلنا عن انطلاق دورة الألعاب الأولمبية 2024، التي تقام في العاصمة الفرنسية باريس، وذلك بمشاركة مختلف الألعاب الرياضية.
وتتطلع جماهير كرة القدم المصرية، إلى مشاهدة ومتابعة مباريات منتخب مصر الأولمبي، في الأولمبياد خلال الفترة القادمة.
ومن المقرر أن تنطلق منافسات كرة القدم في دورة الألعاب الأولمبية بباريس، من الفترة 24 يوليو حتى 10 أغسطس 2024.
منتخب مصر الأولمبي ينتظر منه أن يقدم مباريات قوية خاصة بعدما حصل على المركز الثاني في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا تحت 23 عامًا التي أقيمت في المغرب نهاية العام الماضي.
طالع | رسميًا.. ميكالي يعلن قائمة منتخب مصر تحت 23 سنة لمعسكر أولمبياد باريس
البرازيلي روجيرو ميكالي المدير الفني لـ منتخب مصر الأولمبي، أعلن عن القائمة النهائية للفراعنة الصغار أمس الخميس، بشكل رسمي بعد أزمة في اختيارات اللاعبين التي شهدتها الفترة الماضية. مجموعة منتخب مصر في أولمبياد باريس 2024
وأسفرت قرعة أولمبياد باريس 2024، لكرة القدم، عن تواجد منتخب مصر في المجموعة الثالثة بجانب كل من إسبانيا وأزبكستان وجمهورية الدومنيكان.
ويستهل منتخب مصر الأولمبي مبارياته بمواجهة جمهورية الدومينيكان، ثم يلعب أمام أوزبكستان في الجولة الثانية، ويختتم مواجهاته أمام إسبانيا. مواعيد مباريات منتخب مصر في أولمبياد باريس 2024
مصر ضد جمهورية الدومينيكان
تقام يوم 24 يوليو 2024، في تمام الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.
مصر ضد أوزبكستان
تلعب يوم 27 يوليو 2024، في تمام الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.
مصر ضد إسبانيا
تنطلق يوم 30 يوليو 2024، في تمام الساعة 4 عصرًا بتوقيت مصر والسعودية. مجموعات أولمبياد باريس 2024 لمنافسات كرة القدم
المجموعة الأولى: فرنسا – أمريكا – غينيا – نيوزيلندا.
المجموعة الثانية: الأرجنتين – المغرب – أوكرانيا – العراق.
المجموعة الثالثة: إسبانيا – أوزبكستان – مصر – جمهورية الدومينيكان.
المجموعة الرابعة: اليابان – باراجواي – إسرائيل – مالي.
Tottenham Hotspur demonstrated their fiery intent on the transfer market over the summer, backing new manager Ange Postecoglou with some thrilling additions after the sale of Harry Kane to Bayern Munich.
And it's paying off handsomely, with the London club topping the Premier League table after eight matches, having failed to qualify for European football in its entirety last term.
The work must not stop now though, with the “revolution” of youthful signings – as said by football.london's Alasdair Gold – forming the foundation of what could be a golden age, and while the winter transfer window is well away, there might be another prodigy arriving soon.
Who are Tottenham interested in signing?
Spurs have blended youth with experience to emphatic effect this season, finely poised and confidently cohesive, and with the likes of Heung-min Son and Yves Bissouma offering leadership, there's surely room for another prospect as impressive as Arthur Vermeeren, who is causing quite the stir.
According to TEAMtalk, the teenage talent would garner a ballpark fee of £15m, though Spurs have demonstrated in recent months their willingness to spend on exciting but unknown commodities, with Argentina U20 forward Alejo Veliz joining in a £13m deal in August.
Liverpool, Manchester United, Brentford, West Ham United and Barcelona are also credited with an interest, but Postecoglou presents an enticing proposal indeed.
Who is Arthur Vermeeren?
The 18-year-old midfielder has already been touted to become the "complete" player by talent scout Jacek Kulig, who seems to think that he could be set for a career lathered in luxury.
An important member of Belgian side Royal Antwerp's squad, Vermeeren has posted a goal and five assists across 15 outings this season, including two assists against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League.
He's already eclipsed his four direct contributions from last year, when he won the Belgian Pro League, signifying a growth that will certainly not slow down if placed within a thriving Tottenham outfit – bouncing off like-minded prodigies.
Already looking a dynamic ace, Vermeeren ranks among the top 13% of midfielders across divisions similar to the Belgian Pro League for progressive passes and tackles, the top 16% for interceptions and the top 19% for clearances per 90, as per FBref.
He's in the embryonic stage of his career but plays with age-belying swagger and guile, and with the strides he is already taking Spurs have to seal a swoop.
The promising maestro could even surpass Pape Matar Sarr, who has been so impressive for Tottenham at the heart of the midfield, now starting to live up to former praise from Fabrizio Romano of his "fantastic" potential, likening him to a young Paul Pogba.
This season, the Senegalese sensation, aged 21, has started seven of Tottenham's league outings and has dazzled with his all-encompassing craft, completing 90% of his passes, and making 1.1 key passes, 1.6 tackles and 5.4 ball recoveries per game.
Vermeeren, comparatively, boasts an 88% pass success rate in his division thus far, averaging 1.6 key passes, 1.8 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 8.3 ball recoveries per match, also succeeding with 63% of his dribbles – showcasing his potential superiority to Sarr.
Truly a "remarkable” youngster, as he has been called by one scout, it's very easy to forget that the Belgium U21 international is scarcely into adulthood, and should Postecoglou secure his services, it could be the starring moment of what tantalises to be an incredible reign in London.
Calum MacLeod set the tone with the bat and then Scotland successfully constricted England with the ball to secure a dramatic six-run victory
The Report by Peter Della Penna in Edinburgh10-Jun-20180:43
‘Very proud of the players and the whole organization’ – Bradburn
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsOn the eve of Scotland’s fifth-ever ODI against England, coach Grant Bradburn talked about “hunting history”. Even though England arrived at the Grange as the top-ranked ODI side in the world, Bradburn said England had to lose to Scotland eventually, “so why not Sunday?”Bradburn’s question was answered affirmatively, emphatically and dramatically in a six-run win. Through much of the day it was hard to tell which team held the No. 1 ranking. After losing the toss and being sent in, Scotland posted 371 for 5, the highest ODI total ever by an Associate country and the fourth-highest ever conceded by England. Calum MacLeod became the first Scotsman to score an ODI ton against England, finishing unbeaten on 140 just three months after carving up the world’s top limited-overs spinner, Rashid Khan, for an unbeaten 157 at the World Cup Qualifier.It looked like England might overhaul it with ease during their Powerplay response as they rewrote a few pages in their own record books during a memorable run feast. Jonny Bairstow became the first Englishman to raise a century in three straight ODIs, dazzling the sellout crowd of 4600 with a 54-ball ton. But an inspired effort from spinner Mark Watt and medium-pacer Alasdair Evans brought Scotland back to life in the field, sparking a middle-overs collapse to see England fall from 220 for 2 in the 27th over to 365 all out.The haymakers landed by Scotland in front of a global TV audience were a reminder about the folly of shrinking next year’s World Cup to ten teams at the precise moment in time when the quality and competitiveness of Associate teams against Full Members is at an all-time high. Looking far more relaxed in a rare match in which qualification or funding wasn’t at stake – just reputation – Scotland played with freedom to dominate the majority of proceedings.Bradburn’s batsmen backed his bravado with a blistering broadside almost from ball one, blazing away to break all sorts of ODI benchmarks in the Bannockburn bilateral rivalry: best partnership versus England (broken twice in one match), best individual score versus England, best Scotland score against a Full Member, and when that wasn’t enough they went on to make the best ODI score by any Associate versus a Full Member. Indeed, Scotland were busy bees while England’s bowlers bled boundaries.Scotland’s biggest ODI stand for any wicket against England was the first record of the day to fall, previously 86 between Gavin Hamilton and Kyle Coetzer in 2010. That went down inside of 13 overs thanks to the brisk start from captain Coetzer and Matthew Cross. The pair were especially belligerent against David Willey, who gave up the first boundary of the day to Cross cutting through point in the second over and proceeded to get a beating throughout the Powerplay, eventually ending the day with 0 for 72.Adil Rashid eventually stopped the bleeding at 103, getting Coetzer to edge behind just a few balls after Coetzer had driven him for six over mid-off for the last blow in his 58, his third half-century against England in five matches. Cross fell in the next over to Liam Plunkett, also edging behind, putting England close to even for the first time since the toss at 107 for 2 in the 15th.But from there England had few answers to stop the Saltire surge. Another 93-run stand followed between MacLeod and Richie Berrington. Just as MacLeod had done to Rashid Khan in Zimbabwe, he made excellent use of the sweep to England’s tweakers, slog-sweeping Moeen Ali over deep square leg for six to bring up a 37-ball fifty.Calum MacLeod became the first Scotland player to score an ODI ton against England•Peter Della Penna
He continued to play with freedom to bring up Scotland’s first ever ton against England, doing it off 70 balls with a pinched two to mid-on a ball after his record-breaking 107-run stand with George Munsey had ended. Scotland’s best individual score versus England prior to that was 71 by Coetzer at the 2015 World Cup. By the time MacLeod finished, he had nearly doubled it, walking off unbeaten on 140 off 94 balls.The Scots made history on this ground a year ago this week with a win over Zimbabwe, their first over a Full Member. On that day, they had made 317 on a beautiful batting track. They bettered that by 54, seizing upon the shorter boundaries which had been brought in to accommodate for all the space needed to set up Sky TV’s camera scaffolding.Perhaps most remarkable of all was that Scotland achieved all these marks without ex-captain Preston Mommsen, omitted in favour of debutant Dylan Budge despite Mommsen making himself available for home internationals since coming out of his brief retirement last year. Also missing was Josh Davey, not even named in the squad after sitting out the World Cup Qualifier to preserve his place with Somerset. Scotland’s depth has never been better and it showed.But in this British boundary bonanza, the Bairstow bazooka was buzzing even faster than Scotland’s batting brigade. The England opener entered the match coming off two straight ODI hundreds against New Zealand in March, the second of which was a 58-ball bashfest in Christchurch. He bettered that by four balls at the Grange, and for a brief period appeared on course to surpass Jos Buttler’s English record 46-ball ton against Pakistan in 2015.Bairstow reached his half-century off 27 balls in the midst of a brutal beatdown of Michael Leask in the ninth over, bludgeoning his offspin for three sixes in the over. By the end of the Powerplay, England were 107 for 0, Bairstow on 75 off 35. But the wicket of Jason Roy, nudging a waist-high catch tamely back to left-arm spinner Watt in the 13th, broke England’s rhythm.Mark Watt claimed three important wickets•Getty Images
Evans followed with a maiden to new man Alex Hales in the 14th, before Bairstow reached triple-figures off 54 balls in Evans’ next over. He joined seven others with three straight tons (Kumar Sangakkara ran off four in a row during the 2015 World Cup) but fell at the end of the 18th for 105, driving Berrington’s gentle medium pace high to Munsey at long-off.Joe Root and Hales forged a 55-run stand to keep the innings chugging along before Root was run out by Watt’s relay to Leask over the stumps to end the 27th. Scotland were on a team hat-trick a few overs later, Morgan miscuing Evans to Coetzer at midwicket before Hales loosely cut Berrington to Evans at backward point next ball.At 245 for 5, the crowd began to believe that Bradburn’s prophetic question might end positively for Scotland. That grew stronger when Coetzer’s outstanding day in the field continued with a sharp low catch at midwicket off a low full toss from Watt to snare Sam Billings for 12. Evans had Willey caught behind in the next over to put England seven down.Moeen appeared poised to take England over the line, but holed out to long-on against Watt to leave 25 off 27 balls for the tail to get. It became 11 off 12 balls with Plunkett batting brilliantly, but Rashid was run out from long-on coming back for a second to keep Plunkett on strike off the first ball of the 49th.Safyaan Sharif, who starred in Scotland’s World Cup Qualifier campaign, then struck the decisive blow four balls later. Sharif trapped Mark Wood leg before on the toe with a yorker to spark a wild pitch invasion and ensure the Scotland fans among the 4600 in attendance would party long into the night.
On the face of it, it has been a positive run for Manchester United either side of the international break, with Erik ten Hag's men having now won their last three games in all competitions to lift the mood at Old Trafford.
Despite the nature of the results, however, the performances have told an altogether different story in recent weeks, with the Red Devils scraping past Brentford a few weeks ago following a thrilling Scott McTominay double at the death, before requiring a moment of magic from Diogo Dalot to see off relegation strugglers, Sheffield United.
As for the midweek meeting with Copenhagen in the Champions League, it was a largely tepid and uninspiring affair for much of the proceedings prior to Harry Maguire's winner in the closing stages, with the hosts having also been reliant on a decisive penalty save from Andre Onana in the game's final act to clinch a pivotal three points.
While such late drama has helped to keep the fanbase captivated and on side of late, Ten Hag will be aware that a far more rounded display will be needed from his side ahead of tomorrow's eagerly-anticipated Manchester Derby, with anything other than a complete performance likely to make it a tough afternoon against the champions.
Man United's injury concerns ahead of the Manchester Derby
Not that there can be many excuses for such an expensively assembled squad, yet it is fair to say that the Premier League giants have been hampered by a spate of injuries this season, with the backline, in particular, having been rather decimated.
Recent months have seen Ten Hag unable to call upon the likes of Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, Lisandro Martinez and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, with the former Ajax boss noting on Tuesday night that the lack of a settled backline has been an issue of late.
Manchester United manager EriktenHag
There will also be concerns over the fitness of Sergio Reguilon after the Spaniard – who had been out with injury himself – was forced off against the Danish side earlier this week, with the lack of a recognised left-back set to be another potential headache on Sunday.
One possible bonus could be the return of experienced midfielder, Casemiro, with the Brazil international having missed the last two games due to injury and suspension, respectively, although is expected to be in line to feature this time around.
There will also be decisions to make in the forward line with United having yet again been reliant on a goal from a defender to bail them out of trouble in midweek, with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Antony and Rasmus Hojlund having scored just one league goal between them this season.
Marcus Rashford
In the case of Rashford, another goalless evening against Copenhagen may put his starting berth under threat, although the Englishman does boast a strong record against tomorrow's opponents – as does partner-in-crime, Anthony Martial – with vengeance needed following the FA Cup final defeat back in June.
The stats that show why Rashford should start against Man City
With Alejandro Garnacho chomping at the bit to start on the left flank, that man Rashford could find himself ousted from the side sooner rather than later, with last season's haul of 30 goals in all competitions now looking like a distant memory.
Man United Starting XI – FA Cup Final 2023
Position
Player
GK
David De Gea
RB
Aaron Wan-Bissaka
CB
Raphael Varane
CB
Victor Lindelof
LB
Luke Shaw
CDM
Casemiro
CM
Fred
CM
Christian Eriksen
RW
Bruno Fernandes
ST
Marcus Rashford
LW
Jadon Sancho
That being said, however, when in the right groove the 25-year-old remains arguably Ten Hag's biggest outlet – as his form in 2022/23 indicated – with the academy graduate also boasting the benefit of having regularly torn apart Manchester City over the last eight years or so.
Ever since scoring against the Etihad outfit on his derby debut in 2016 – breezing past a helpless Martin Demichelis before slotting under compatriot Joe Hart – the fleet-footed forward has regularly relished the match-up with United's local rivals, having now scored five goals in 18 appearances against the Champions League holders.
That historical impact in this fixture may be worth tapping into, with the same also true of Martial, despite the fact that the Frenchman has lost his place to the aforementioned Hojlund this season, with just a year left to run on his existing deal.
There may be those questioning the wisdom of unleashing the former Monaco man for a game of such huge magnitude, but with his fellow striker still waiting for a first Premier League goal in United colours, Ten Hag may be willing to take a gamble on the 27-year-old.
Manchester United forward Anthony Martial.
Having previously stated last term that the Red Devils play their "best football" with Martial leading the line, the Dutchman certainly has a high opinion of the mercurial talent, hence why he could be tasked with terrorising City yet again.
Anthony Martial's goalscoring record against Man City
Even if not given the nod from the start, the £250k-per-week enigma would certainly be able to impact proceedings off the bench if called upon, particularly when considering he has scored five goals against Pep Guardiola's men – all of which have come in the league.
While his first effort in the fixture came from the penalty spot in a dismal 3-1 defeat away at the Etihad in November 2018 under Jose Mourinho, Martial truly hit stride the following season during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first full campaign in charge, scoring both home and away against City.
In the first meeting that season at the Etihad, a blistering front three of Rashford, Daniel James and Martial brutally exposed the hosts on the counter, with the latter man extending United's lead in the first half with a clinical, left-footed finish from just inside the area.
In the return encounter in March 2020 – the final home game for the Red Devils in front of a packed Old Trafford, prior to the first Covid-19 lockdown – the long-serving marksman set the home side on their way to victory after rounding off a well-worked free-kick routine, prior to McTominay's late clincher at the death.
As for more recent encounters, Marrtial did score twice off the bench in the harrowing 6-3 defeat just over a year ago to help make the scoreline appear somewhat more respectable, with another perhaps more important cameo likely to be required tomorrow.
While his contract may be running down following an injury-hit last few years at the Theatre of Dreams, the polarising striker – once dubbed a "Ferrari" by Champions League winner, Owen Hargreaves – could still have some magic up his sleeve.