It looked like Leeds United were well on their way to kickstarting their season after defeating Ipswich Town for their first Championship win of the season. A 0-0 draw against Sheffield Wednesday has since dashed those hopes, however, leaving those at Elland Road frustrated once more.
The draw has only added to the woes in front of goal of the Yorkshire club, who ended the summer transfer window by bidding farwell to one of their star men in the form of Luis Sinisterra, with the winger completing a loan move to Premier League side Bournemouth.
They could however replace the winger in what would be a surprising move, given that the transfer window is now closed. Alas, the free agent market is still available, and reports suggest that Leeds could find themselves a solution.
What's the latest Leeds United transfer news?
Whilst Leeds did lose the likes of Tyler Adams and Sinisterra to Bournemouth in the transfer window, the arrival of Joel Piroe at least gave the Yorkshire club a positive to keep hold of. Now, they must ensure that he has the service needed to take his goalscoring talent to Elland Road, having scored 19 goals for Swansea City in the Championship last season.
Keeping hold of Wilfried Gnonto may go a long way in giving Piroe the platform to perform, but the Yorkshire club are still in need of one more winger. And that's where Tanguy Coulibaly could come in.
According to Football League World, Leeds could potentially swoop in to sign the Paris Saint-Germain academy graduate, with the winger currently without a club following the expiration of his Stuttgart contract at the end of last season.
Coulibaly, still only 22-years-old, could realise the potential that he showed signs of when originally coming through the ranks at PSG as a youngster.
Should Leeds United sign Tanguy Coulibaly?
With no transfer involved, and in need of a winger either way, Leeds would be conducting smart business by signing Coulibaly. The 22-year-old has plenty of time to develop into a top player, and if Daniel Farke can oversee that improvement this season, then the former Norwich City boss could have himself an unexpected game-changers.
Last season was a frustrating one for Coulibaly, admittedly, with the Frenchman missing a total of ten games through injury. Meanwhile, when he was available, the winger didn't start a single Bundesliga game for Stuttgart.
In many ways, however, Coulibaly's lack of starts makes his four goals scored all the more impressive – it could be argued that this is a player who just needs a more consistent opportunity to impress, something that Leeds could provide.
In just 326 minutes in the Bundeliga – the equivalent of just over three games – the former PSG man made an impressive 14 progressive carries, 12 progressive passes, and completed 11 successful take-ons, as per FBref. With that said, you are once again left wondering just how impactful his numbers could have been if he was handed more game-time.
As the season progresses, and Coulibaly remains without a club, it will certainly be interesting to see if Leeds decide to welcome the Frenchman to Elland Road.
Vanderlei Luxemburgo concedeu entrevista coletiva imediatamente após a derrota do Palmeiras por 3 a 1 para o Coritiba na noite desta quarta-feira (14). O vídeo de suas declarações foi gravado antes de o treinador conversar com os dirigentes e comunicar que gostaria de deixar o clube, conforme apurado pelo NOSSO PALESTRA/LANCE!.
Alvo de muitas críticas da torcida, o técnico reconheceu que a insatisfação pública com seu trabalho tem fundamento:
– Cabe a nós a obrigação de respeitar o torcedor. Ele tem toda a razão das críticas. Só nós, com a minha responsabilidade, podemos mudar. Ninguém pode mudar. Temos que mudar nossa atitude dentro do jogo. Incluindo eu como maior responsável.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasWilliam se incomoda após derrota e desabafa: ‘A gente fica p…’Palmeiras14/10/2020PalmeirasATUAÇÕES: Gabriel Veron se salva em derrota do Palmeiras para o CoritibaPalmeiras14/10/2020BrasileirãoPalmeiras joga mal e perde para o Coritiba no Allianz ParqueBrasileirão14/10/2020
Luxa também afirmou que há problemas que passam por ele no atual desempenho do Verdão:
– Temos que entender que temos que melhorar. Eu tenho que melhorar como técnico. Caminhamos bem, mas precisamos de mais alguma coisa. E passa por mim. Tenho que fazer mais alguma coisa. Aos jogadores entender que a postura dos últimos três jogos não é postura de Palmeiras.
O próximo duelo do Verdão é no próximo sábado (17), contra o Fortaleza, às 17h, na Arena Castelão.
Glasgow Rangers target Harry Souttar is keen on a move before tomorrow night’s deadline, and a fresh report has revealed the chances of a deal getting completed.
What position does Harry Souttar play?
Souttar is naturally a centre-back who has been playing his football at the King Power Stadium since January having moved there from Stoke City, but with him falling out of favour following the arrival of Enzo Maresca, he’s yet to make a single appearance this season.
The Australia international’s contract isn’t set to expire until 2028, but this month, he’s been heavily linked with a move to the Scottish Premiership in a switch that would see him join forces with his brother John Souttar who is already at Ibrox.
Four Lads Had A Dream's Steven Clifford then claimed that his outlet had spoken to chiefs regarding a swoop for the 24-year-old, and revealed:
“What we have done is we’ve spoken to the club on Harry Souttar. Harry Souttar according to Rangers is 100% not coming to the club. That is not happening. It wasn’t elaborated on whether or not we are interested or we’ve tried and it’s just not happening.”
Leicester City defender Harry Souttar.
Are Rangers signing Harry Souttar?
According to Football Scotland however, Rangers are “keen to explore a loan deal” for Souttar and Leicester are “ready to move him on” as a result of being low down in their pecking order. The Light Blues and Michael Beale have a centre-back at the “top of the list” before the window closes, with the colossus being the “name on everyone’s lips”.
The Midlands defender is “keen on the switch”, and with both clubs “willing to do a deal”, this is a transfer that looks to be only a matter of time, though it’s stated that it could go “right down to the wire” on Friday.
€6.3m (£5.4m)
€5m (£4.2m)
€3.5m (£3m)
€1.4m (£1.2m)
Free Transfer
Free Transfer
Free Transfer
Free Transfer
Loan (all via Transfermarkt)
Is Harry Souttar any good?
Rangers have been given a huge boost by learning that Souttar wants to complete the move north of the border before the close of play on Friday evening, and Beale should capitalise on his target’s stance to get a deal over the line because he’d be a fantastic recruit.
Read The Latest Rangers Transfer News HERE…
The Aberdeen native ranks in the 96th percentile for aerial wins and was averaging 3.8 clearances per top-flight game last season, so he can be a real rock at the heart of a backline and poses a huge physical presence with his height, standing at a staggering 6 foot 5.
Leicester’s “monster”, as dubbed by journalist Josh Bunting, is also capable of contributing to efforts in the final third having posted 19 contributions (ten assists and nine goals) in 186 appearances since the start of his career, so it would be a massive coup if the £40k-per-week earner were to put pen to paper.
Nottingham Forest's list of stars is one that is forever growing, such is the nature of how they operate in the transfer market. They welcomed a total of 14 reinforcements during the summer, once again handing Steve Cooper plenty of financial backing in the Premier League.
So far, that investment has paid off, too, with two wins from their opening four games – three of which have been against the classic top six – representing a solid start. Now in their second season, the Midlands club will be aiming for consistency, as they hope to become a permanent fixture in England's top flight.
Keeping everyone happy will be difficult, however, given how many arrivals came through the door in the summer, and one player has already been left fuming after being left out of Cooper's Premier League squad, according to reports.
What's the latest Nottingham Forest news?
Spending over £100m in the summer, Forest proved once and for all just how good their new-look side can be when they travelled to Stamford Bridge. Defeating Chelsea 1-0 courtesy of Anthony Elanga's first goal for the club since making the move from Manchester United.
Whether they are at their best or not, though, those in the Midlands will have to compete wthout goalkepeer Ethan Horvath, who has been left out of Cooper's Premier League squad.
According to Alan Nixon, the former Luton Town loanee is fuming about the decision, having been refused an exit in the summer transfer window, even though loan offers reportedly came in for the shot-stopper.
Horvath will now have to wait until January to secure a move away, with his game-time incredibly limited between now and then. When the January window does swing open, it will be interesting to see whether Forest sanction the departure of their goalkeeper.
Should Nottingham Forest sell Ethan Horvath?
After leaving Horvath out of his Premier League squad, it seems clear that Cooper does not have the goalkeeper in his plans, making a departure a suitable outcome for all involved.
As things stand, the Forest boss has Matt Turner to call on when it comes to the starting place between the sticks, and will be hoping to see the former Arsenal man maintain top form for his new club.
It's a slight surprise that Horvath wasn't given an opportunity to compete for the number one spot at the City Ground, when looking back at last season. The goalkeeper spent the previous campaign on loan at Luton Town, where he played a key part in their eventual play-off victory to earn promotion to the Premier League.
Horvath earned plenty of praise during his loan spell at the Hatters, including from manager Rob Edwards, who had nothing but good things to say about the goalkeeper, even after his mistake, telling Luton Today: "We’ll all support him as we support every one of our lads.
"He’s mentally tough, he’s been brilliant, so for me, the goal counts, of course it does, but it was the bit before that I’ll really look at and focus on. They shouldn’t be getting that opportunity in the first place.
“The mistake is a mistake and that’s human error, no problem with that. Ethan has been outstanding for us.”
طالب أحمد سليمان، عضو مجلس إدارة الزمالك، بإجراء محاكمة شعبية من جماهير القلعة البيضاء، للمجلس السابق، بسبب الأزمات التي تركوا النادي عليها، مُشيرًا إلى مشكلة سامسون أكينيولا.
ورفض المهاجم البنيني العودة من معسكر منتخب بلاده لخوض منافسات تصفيات كأس العالم 2026، بداعي تأخر مستحقاته المالية، وخاطب النادي محامي اللاعب من أجل العودة للاتفاق على رحيله بالتراضي.
وقال أحمد سليمان في تصريحات عبر برنامج “اللعيب”، على قناة “إم بي سي مصر”: “في قواعد للأندية الأهلية مثل الزمالك والأهلي، غير أندية الشركات، فلا بد أن تُحاسب مجالس الإدارات على تصرفاتها في الجزء الفني والمالي”.
وتابع: “نحن نُعاني في الجزئين، لكن لن أقف عند الجزء الفني لأنه قد يكون هناك توفيق وعدم توفيق، لكن الجزء المالي نُعاني منه، بسبب المجلس السابق الذي نطالب بمحاكمة شعبية من جماهير الزمالك على ما فعله في عقود اللاعبين (والبلاوي) التي نراها، مثل عقود خالد بوطيب وإبراهيما نداي وسامسون”.
طالع أيضًا | جوميز: اسألوا عبد الله السعيد عن “غبائي”.. ونتيجة مباراة سيراميكا كليوباترا غير عادلة
وأضاف: “في أوقات عندما يتفوق لاعب، نخبئ عقده، لكن عندما يكون اللاعب فنيًا قليل جدًا، وعقده عالي جدًا، إذًا لا بد من محاسبة المسؤولين، (لأن ده مش مال سايب) هذا مال عام، لو في أندية تُحاسب على هذه التصرفات، ما كنا وصلنا لذلك”.
وأردف: “أنا أعجبت بخماسي سيراميكا كليوباترا المحترف، لكن في الأندية الشعبية الكبيرة نضم محترفين ليقدموا الإضافة وهذا لا يحدث، ستجد على مدار تاريخ الزمالك والأهلي 20% فقط من المحترفين نجحوا مع القطبين”.
وواصل: “أشرف بن شرقي وفرجاني ساسي جاءا بدعم من مُحب لنادي الزمالك، وليست الإدارة هي من تعاقدت معهما، وكانت عقودهما كبيرة، لكن أدائهما الفني عالي، لذلك ترضى بالمبالغ التي تُدفع لهما”.
وبسؤاله، كيف ستتصرفون مع سامسون؟ أجاب: “هناك حلول ودية نعمل عليها، لأن مبلغه كبير جدًا، أنا أطالب جماهير الزمالك بأن تُحاكم رئيس النادي السابق (مرتضى منصور) ونجله وغيرهما، بسبب (القرف الذي نراه) كل يوم كارثة، هل طبيعي أن يتم إيقاف قيد الزمالك في السنة مرتين”.
واختتم: “مجلس الإدارة السابق ذهب للأموال العامة ولم يحدث شيء، لذلك أطالب بمحاكمته شعبيًا، المبالغ وفرق العملة كبير، نحن كمجلس عندما تولينا المسؤولية كنا نُسدد مستحقات الموسم الماضي للاعبين، وبدأنا في تسديد مستحقات الموسم الحالي”
The 42-year old worked with his former national team-mate Daniel Vettori at Brisbane Heat and has also held roles with reigning IPL champions Mumbai Indians and the England Ashes side
ESPNcricinfo staff19-Mar-2018Former New Zealand quick Shane Bond has quit Brisbane Heat to take up the role of head coach with Sydney Thunder on a three-year contract. He has taken over the role from Paddy Upton, who ended his association with the team last month after four seasons.Bond, who worked with his former national team-mate Daniel Vettori at Heat, has held roles with reigning IPL champions Mumbai Indians since 2015. He was also England’s bowling consultant during the most recent Ashes series.”The chance to lead a programme at a club which is full of great people on and off the field was very appealing,” Bond said. “I want to win trophies and have a squad of players and coaches that other teams are envious of. There’s some exciting young players in the Thunder squad as well as some experienced old bulls, if we can blend that together we’ll have a successful team. I’m looking forward to getting to Western Sydney and meeting the players and everyone in the organisation.”The 42-year old represented New Zealand in 18 Tests, 82 ODIs and 20 T20Is before retiring in 2010.”It’ll be sad to say goodbye to the Brisbane Heat, they’re a great franchise who have been very good to me,” he said.”I’ve been a bowling and assistant coach for eight years, but you’re always thinking about how you’d do things yourself if you were leading a side. I love to coach, not just manage people and I enjoy making players better cricketers. The supporters are very passionate in Sydney and hopefully we can play some good cricket for them to get behind.”Thunder general manager Lee Germon said Bond was equipped to coach at the highest level.”Shane is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading bowling coaches and I have no doubt he is ready and equipped to be a head coach,” Germon said. “He has extensive T20 club and international experience and he has shown all the requirements for contemporary, world-leading, T20 coaching.”Thunder finished sixth in the recently-concluded season with four wins from ten games.
Newcastle United did not win at the San Siro this week, but the goalless draw against AC Milan marked a return to the forefront of the European game following so many years mired in mediocrity.
Indeed, the Magpies had spent two decades away from the Champions League before the PIF club takeover rewrote the narrative on Tyneside, with the subsequent appointment of manager Eddie Howe proving to be a masterstroke of equal distinction.
While a fleeting trip to continental competition did occur in 2012, built on the unforgettable 2011/22 campaign under Alan Pardew, with Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse wreaking havoc on hapless Premier League defences, this proved to be a one-time date and the subsequent campaign proved unsuccessful, finishing 16th.
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe.
The Magpies would suffer relegation before seeing the upper echelon of the English top flight again, but now, the club are poised for a lasting position among Europe's elite, boasting affluence and diligence to ensure the increments continue to be made.
It all could have been so different, however, with one Luka Modric nearly signing for the Toon way back when, before joining Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur instead.
Had the Croatian midfielder made the move, it all could have been so different, with years of malaise replaced by a sustained spot in and around European contention.
Did Newcastle nearly sign Luka Modric?
According to former Magpies manager Sam Allardyce, he was pushing to sign Modric from his homeland outfit of Dinamo Zagreb before despised owner Mike Ashley pulled the plug in 2008, citing concerns over the somewhat exorbitant price tag.
He said: “I was then on the way to getting Luka Modric from Dinamo Zagreb, but by then, Mike saw the scale of the full debut and put the clamps on, so I had to make do with Geremi from Chelsea.”
Geremi, aged 28 at the time, joined the Magpies in his stead and proved to be a colossal failure, notoriously receiving harsh rebuke from an angry St. James' Park faithful against West Ham United in 2009 before joining Besiktas for just £1.5m after failing to impress.
sam allardyce and alan pardew
Modric would likely have been a transformative signing, stopping the club from suffering relegation in 2008 and instead instilling confidence and quality throughout the squad.
Ultimately, it was Tottenham that won the race for the highly-rated prospect, beating competition from Newcastle – as well as Arsenal and Chelsea – for his signature and completing a £15m transfer in the summer of 2008.
How good was Luka Modric at Tottenham?
Today, Modric is a prominent name and one of Europe's foremost midfielders, but when Spurs took a punt on his precocious skill set, he was an unknown, if talented, commodity.
Across four campaigns, the ace would make 160 appearances for the Lilywhites, scoring 17 goals and supplying 25 assists, integral for his side and praised by Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson in 2009, who said that "he could play in any team."
The 168-cap international (staggering numbers, right?) never saw his Premier League match rating drop below an impressive 7.30 across his final three campaigns in English football, as per WhoScored, with his pass success rate always above 86%.
Chelsea attempted to sign him in 2011, with Modric even handing in a transfer request to force through a move, but Daniel Levy proved characteristically obstinate, refusing to allow him to join such a heated rival.
However, this ended his Premier League career, with the calling of pre-eminent European juggernauts Real Madrid resulting in his £30m sale, beginning an illustrious journey that has yet to drape the curtain.
Is Luka Modric one of the greatest midfielders?
Undoubtedly, Modric is not just one of the finest midfielders of his generation, but one of the greatest players across any position, captivating in his seamless, effortless ball-playing skills.
A player of superlative technicality and undeniable class, he has been heralded as a “legend of the game” by the likes of writer Usher Komugisha.
Despite now perching in his twilight years, aged 38, the phenom still ranks among the top 3% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 5% for progressive passes, the top 2% for shot-creating actions and the top 14% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref.
A maestro and bona fide prodigy, in 2018 Modric proved to be the first man not named Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to win the Ballon d'Or since Brazil icon Kaka gleaned the prestigious honour in 2007.
Champions League (x5)
Ballon d'Or (x1)
LaLiga (x3)
FIFA Best Men's Player (x1)
Copa del Rey (x2)
UEFA Best Player in Europe (x1)
FIFA Club World Cup (x5)
Croatian Player of the Year (x5)
Spanish Super Cup (x4)
UEFA Super Cup (x4)
A born leader and a "world-class" sensation – as he was dubbed by journalist Liam Canning – Modric was the centrepiece, winning the Player of the Tournament, as Croatia came second at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and was once again integral last year as the European nation came third in Qatar.
Had Newcastle succeeded in securing Modric's signature, they might have nurtured a star with a bigger legacy than Paul Gascoigne, who is revered as one of the finest players to ever don the Toon shirt.
'Gazza', as he was affectionately known, was one of the most exciting, mercurial players to have ever graced the English game, with Barcelona legend and current manager Xavi once saying he's "one of the best midfield players" he has ever witnessed.
Born of ridiculous talent but plagued by off-field troubles, Gascoigne completed 104 matches for Newcastle, his boyhood club, before departing for Tottenham in 1988, where his career really took off.
Winning only one FA Cup with Spurs and several honours in Scotland with Rangers, the one-time England international might be held in the highest regard by those on Tyneside but given Modric's tremendous career, awash with honours of all shapes and sizes, he might just have eclipsed Gascoigne had he joined the club, especially as he might have kept the club up and contributed instrumentally on the European stage.
It's a career soaked in success, having won countless club honours with Los Blancos, catalysed Croatia's exploits in the most prosperous era of the nation's history and even been the man to halt the unstoppable Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi from adding to their abundant Ballon d'Or accolades, Modric is truly a legend.
It's a shame Ashley didn't see the value in securing his services all those years ago. Just imagine what might've been…
Jonny Bairstow called England’s series-clinching performance in Christchurch “ruthless” and captain Eoin Morgan acknowledged such a display in a deciding match was significant.Having been well to wrap up the series in Dunedin – both before and after their collapse – it was another example of the belief, and depth, in England’s one-day cricket. Bairstow, who was not opening the batting a year ago, and now has four centuries and on Saturday, he added 155 with Alex Hales, who had sat out the series until now and only played because of Jason Roy’s back injury.Nothing can replicate the pressure of a knockout game in a global event, but with teams now entering the final 12-month build-up to the 2019 World Cup, any kind of practice is useful. England made the most of it, New Zealand faded badly.”We’d spoken many times about it being 2-2 and a huge game,” Bairstow said. “The way the guys came out, people had compared it to a knockout game, and the guys said this is how we’ll react. There was disappointment in the last game, huge credit to Ross for the innings he played, but that wasn’t good enough from us. We knew we needed to get better in certain areas and put in a clinical, ruthless performance and that’s what we did.”The ruthlessness was in no small part due to Bairstow as he crunched a 58-ball century, England’s third-fastest, to follow his 138 in Dunedin. “I’m happy, really happy to be honest with you,” he said. “After being in and out of the side, getting the odd game here or there, to then come in and contribute in a role I’ve not done a huge amount previously – you are still learning – is really pleasing. To score hundreds is your job.”And before the innings, Bairstow had taken a magnificent running catch around the deep midwicket boundary. “It’s been a good day. Really pleased to hold a catch like that, around the boundary at full tilt and it’s not far off your ankles. At first you aren’t sure if you are getting there, you have a second or two to judge it. It’s a split-second decision, sometimes you get it right.”Before the one-day series in Australia, Morgan had spoken about how he thought these two series would expose some of England’s weaknesses so was delighted to come out with 4-1 and 3-2 victories respectively. They had the Australia series wrapped up after three matches, but in New Zealand, they had to come back from a match down and then face a decider.”Reproducing things you do every day under pressure is something we do as professional sportsmen but doing it in a must-win game is that bit more important,” Morgan said. “We haven’t necessarily played our perfect game this winter but we’ve shown a lot of fight and character. We’ve won some games where, perhaps, we didn’t deserve to win them and that’s a really good sign for the team.”Morgan highlighted the bowling as the major area of gains over the last 10 matches and it was with the ball that England set the foundations for victory in Christchurch. Chris Woakes, who was named Man of the Series, did not go for more than 18 in any of his opening spells and again removed Colin Munro early in this match while Mark Wood claimed Kane Williamson cheaply too.”I think the bowling has come on hugely, probably our biggest improvement this winter,” Morgan said. “Defending a score without Liam Plunkett in Sydney or the Wellington match here. Never believing we are out of the game.”For New Zealand, this game had all but gone when they slumped to 93 for 6 in similar fashion to their defeat in Mount Maunganui, with the middle order struggling again in the absence of Ross Taylor.”The disappointing thing today is that there were too many soft dismissals through that middle order, we failed to adapt on a surface that was a little soft to start and the ball stood up but it was a good surface,” Williamson said. “There were definite decision-making errors on our part and that was the frustrating thing”England were good throughout this series and they never gave us an inch and today.”
Just how much did it mean for South Africa’s superstar to score his first Test century in three years?
Firdose Moonda in Port Elizabeth11-Mar-2018AB de Villiers – yes, even AB de Villiers – feared for his place in the South African side. And maybe he had a point.After almost two years out of the Test team, first with an elbow injury and then on a self-imposed sabbatical, de Villiers did not think he could just walk straight back in, even though coach Ottis Gibson all but assured him he would. When he did, he walked back in as stand-in captain, in a four-day day-night Test against Zimbabwe because Faf du Plessis was injured, and then he walked back in as the game-changer at Newlands against India and the top run-scorer in that series, but he still didn’t feel properly back. Until now.De Villiers has scored his first hundred since his comeback and he truly feels like he belongs. “I came into this series and the previous one against India feeling like I need to play again, to make sure I keep my spot in the team. I haven’t played for a while and you’re always just a couple of innings away from people starting to say, ‘Is he still good enough?’ so those kind of things were on my mind,” de Villiers said. “I was very motivated to prove to people I could still play the game , even though I’ve been away for a while.”This was de Villiers’ first Test hundred since his century against West Indies in January 2015 at Newlands. In that time, he was inactive for almost two years and only scantly communicative about his cricketing plans so it was understandable people thought he was done. Even his closest confidantes, like former captain Graeme Smith and current captain Faf du Plessis, thought he would retire with du Plessis going as far as insisting the team had moved on, but de Villiers hadn’t. Not completely. “I never lost my love for the game,” he said. “I was just tired of playing. I was just flat, physically, mentally and quite a few other factors. There was just a lot that was going on in my life and I felt like I needed to breathe a little bit.”He used the time away to introspect, to play some white-ball cricket and “to reset my thoughts and all of that, and think about where i’m going with my career and the kind of things I still want to achieve.” He decided to step down as ODI captain and decided to focus his goals on “being part of a successful Test team” among other things like the 2019 World Cup.Even though his commitment to Test cricket has been questioned, he maintains it is still the pinnacle and today he proved it. “I’ve always seen it as the ultimate form of the game,” he said. “I love playing Test cricket. It’s so rewarding after five days of toil to come out on top. And even if you don’t come out on top, to know you’ve put everything out there.”Devoting himself completely to the task is something that has become synonymous with de Villiers and was evident at St George’s Park. While the rest struggled against reverse swing, de Villiers took the attack to the Australians and then enjoyed some personal glory. For the first time, he admitted he revelled in it.”It was ten on ten. It was right up there with the best feeling ever. I was so relieved, I was very nervous in the 90s, I don’t think it showed but I was telling Vern out there that I was struggling to breathe and my legs literally went numb. It’s funny when a guy who has played for 13 or 14 years says that, but it’s true,” de Villiers said. “It really meant a lot to me to get that hundred and I was constantly reminding myself throughout the 90s that it’s not about yourself. It’s about contributing to the team as much as possible, that made me feel a little bit better because the minute you focus too much on individual performance, you sort of forget about the team. But it’s difficult to forget about the team when you haven’t scored a hundred for three years. So it meant a lot to me today.”De Villiers quickly switched back to unselfish mode and credited his lower order for allowing him time at the crease to get to his century. “They were simply amazing out there today. They took a lot of pressure off me, they’re all run-scorers. They’re not tailenders who just hang around out there,” de Villiers said of Vernon Philander and Keshav Maharaj, with whom he shared stands of 84 and 58 respectively. “I could go out and focus on my technique, focus on what I was doing yesterday and try and get myself into the game. I never felt like I needed to score to get us somewhere.”Maharaj was particularly eager to score runs and early in his innings slogged a Nathan Lyon ball to straight to Usman Khawaja in the deep, exactly in the spot de Villiers had told him not to target. Khawaja caught the ball with his back foot outside the rope, which saved Maharaj. In the next over, Maharaj hit Lyon in the same area for a second six.De Villiers admitted his heart was in his mouth as that played out. “I told Keshav there are two fielders on the boundary and it’s the cow corner and the long-on so preferably don’t hit it there in the air. If you want to, you can hit it on the ground. The very next ball he goes for it. [David] Warner and a few of the guys were actually laughing,” de Villiers said. “Luckily he got away with it and a few balls later he did the same thing. He said ‘Sorry AB, sorry. But he’s coming over the wicket and I like it when he’s over the wicket.'”Maharaj found the rope three more times, and helped de Villiers push South Africa into a lead that could be match-winning. De Villiers did not want to touch the money too soon but hoped South Africa would not have to chase more than 150 on a wearing pitch. “I’d say no more than 150 but if it does go more than that, we can still chase it down. But in an ideal world, 150 or less would be nice,” he said.And if he can help South Africa pull off a series-levelling win, de Villiers will really be back.
Everton manager Sean Dyche is under pressure at the moment, and journalist Paul Brown has been discussing his possible successor at Goodison Park.
Will Sean Dyche be sacked as Everton manager?
Dyche took charge of the Blues back in January, following the sacking of Frank Lampard, but he has found it hard to have a major impact at the club to date.
Granted, he steered them clear of relegation from the Premier League, following a nervy 1-0 win at home to Bournemouth on the final day, but Everton arguably shouldn't have even been in that position in the first place.
This season has started in similarly disappointing fashion, with three defeats and one draw coming the Merseysiders' way in the league, and back-to-back losses suffered at home. Next up is Arsenal at Goodison on Sunday afternoon, in what looks like a daunting challenge on paper.
While Dyche's position doesn't appear to be under threat at the moment, if results continue to be poor for a sustained period, those high up at Everton may start looking at potential replacements for him.
Graham Potter
Will Graham Potter be Everton's next manager?
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Brown claimed that Graham Potter coming in for Dyche would make little sense, though, due to their contrasting approaches to football:
"I think it would frankly be too big a swing from one extreme to the other to go from Dyche to Potter. One of Everton’s big problems is they've never had, since Moshiri arrived, one overarching strategy of what they are, what the team’s identity should be and how it should play or line up.
"They've lurched from one extreme to another each time they've had to get rid of a manager, and you've had to start from scratch, rebuilding a team for a completely different style of play. That can't go on."
As mentioned, Dyche appears to have some credit in the bank for the time being, but it is only natural that the club could be sounding out alternatives, should things not improve in the coming weeks and months.
In Potter, Everton could have an intriguing option to come in, with the Englishman still a top manager, despite his time at Chelsea going extremely badly. In truth, that job appears to be a tough one for any manager, so it would be harsh to assess him too negatively there, especially as Pep Guardiola called him "outstanding" earlier this year.
Brown has a point, in terms of the former Brighton boss' style of play being very different to Dyche's – the former favours a possession game, while the latter is known for being more direct – but if the Blues feel Potter is the best option to replace the current manager, they shouldn't worry about players having to adapt to a new system.
For now, though, Everton should stick with Dyche, who still needs time with new signings after the summer transfer window closed.
There isn't enough patience shown with managers in the modern game and there is no reason why he can't turn things around, having excelled so much as Burnley. The next few games in the lead-up to October's international break will tell us a lot more about him.