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Loads of Everton fans have been running the rule over their 2-2 draw at Bournemouth, and plenty are calling for Lucas Digne to replace Leighton Baines.

Everton may finally get themselves the first spot on Match Of The Day tonight, as the Toffees played out a thrilling draw against Bournemouth.

The major talking point of the match was of course the red card for Richarlison, who was given his marching orders after leaning his head in towards Adam Smith.

Smith was later sent off himself, and the Cherries then fought back from two goals down in a ten against ten encounter.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”280645″ player=”12034″ title=”Rafa’s Pub Facts Dodgy De Gea & Arsenal’s MiniRevolution”]

The first Bournemouth goal came from a penalty, which was given when Baines clumsily nudged Callum Wilson over in the box.

While it was a very soft decision, fans aren’t impressed with Baines’ performance, and it looks like the veteran left back could be on his last legs.

Baines is a fan favourite at Goodison and for good reason, but with summer signing Digne waiting in the wings, fans are calling for Marco Silva to make a brave call and drop the 33 year-old.

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You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

Jurgen Klopp’s first game in charge of Liverpool was a scoreless draw with Tottenham Hotspur in October 2015, back when the German gaffer was revered as the best young manager in Europe and the Argentine was struggling to convince at a top Premier League club.

Two years on, following an enlightening 4-1 at Wembley last weekend, their roles have completely reversed. Pochettino is now the man in demand, as question marks linger over Klopp’s ability to provide substance with style.

During the intermittent period, Pochettino has evolved exponentially as a manager and particularly a tactician, while Klopp has stood perfectly still; sticking with a predictable game-plan that pre-dates his appointment at Anfield and refusing to address the same intrinsic flaws that have plagued his side for the last two years.

Sunday’s 4-1 was evidence enough of how much one manager and one club have grown in comparison to the other. The result didn’t take place in a vacuum and for Pochettino, it comes at the end of a four-game stretch in which the Lilywhites have started 15 different players, used three different formations and two different game-plans to come away with positive results against four very different types of opponent, ranging from reigning European champions Real Madrid to Premier League relegation battlers Bournemouth.

Tactically though, Klopp and Pochettino were at exactly the same point in October 2015. They used one formation exclusively, they only fielded back fours, they looked to press the opposition high up the pitch and they structured their sides to dominate possession. In many ways, a scoreless draw was the inevitable result between two managers ferociously loyalty to similar principles and ferociously reluctant to experiment.

But Pochettino has gradually accepted the need for pragmatism if Tottenham are to compete with top six rivals that vastly outspend them every season, whereas Klopp continues to cling onto the same tactical ideals; no matter how detrimental they’ve become and how ill-fitting they are in a rapidly changing Premier League that has seen significant tactical shifts in recent years.

The watershed moment came last season when Pochettino introduced 3-4-3. During his first two campaigns at White Hart Lane, Pochettino had used a back three on just one occasion. But the change put Tottenham’s best players in their most accommodating positions and it went on to inspire a win over the Blues that flung his side back into the title race – the west London outfit’s first non-victory for 13 games.

More importantly, it gave Pochettino a much-needed Plan B that made Spurs less predictable and more versatile as rivals began to work out the weaknesses of their usual 4-2-3-1. Throughout 2016/17, we saw Tottenham not only switch between systems week-by-week depending on the opposition, but also during matches themselves depending on the scoreline and the consequential scenarios.

There was one obvious disadvantage, in that it didn’t give Tottenham a way of winning games without controlling the ball. That was a big part of the reason Spurs picked up just two points away from home against top six opposition last season.

During the first few games of the current campaign too, it had already become clear lesser teams were setting up to contain Tottenham by letting them keep possession in unthreatening areas – particularly at Wembley where they lost to Chelsea and drew with Burnley and Swansea despite averaging 70% possession.

But Pochettino has addressed that problem by once again adding to his tactical armoury. The 5-3-2 system used against Real Madrid and on Sunday has created a foundation for Tottenham to lure teams onto them before exploiting the space on the counter, the most common cause of the Lilywhites’ four goals against the Reds and their strike against Los Blancos.

The dramatic shift in emphasis should not be overlooked; in vast contrast to their first three top flight outings at Wembley, Tottenham took just 36% of possession against the Reds, following on from just 34% at the Bernabeu.

At the start of the season, Tottenham were thought of exclusively as a possession-based team. But now they have different ways of winning games, different formations and different personnel for different methods.

Against Real Madrid, Pochettino used Fernando Llorente’s height and power to counter-attack with direct lofted balls that bypassed the midfield; against Liverpool, he used the craft and quality of Alli and Christian Eriksen to thread through the speedy Heung-min Son. The Reds’ chaotic defence simply couldn’t keep up with the South Korean.

That’s how far Pochettino has come since his first meeting with Klopp; in two years and five transfer windows, he’s made Tottenham a multi-dimensional side capable of winning different kinds of matches.

Klopp, given the same time and opportunities to bring players in, still centres his game-plan around 4-3-3, still tries to win every game by dominating the ball and still emphasises offensive flair over defensive solidity.

The German’s signings are tellling enough; despite the many obvious defensive frailties that he inherited from Brendan Rodgers, Klopp’s spent £140million on midfielders and forwards, all of whom naturally fit into 4-3-3 roles, compared to just over £18million on defenders and goalkeepers. Inevitably cheaper positions to recruit for, but Klopp’s spent eight times as much on his middle and final third.

At this point, you have to wonder how much that stubbornness will hold Liverpool back. After all, Klopp’s stuck with 4-3-3 since starting out as Dortmund manager – roughly nine years of the same formation, the same emphasis on attacking through wingers who like to cut inside and playmaking No.10s, and the same emphasis on winning the ball back with counter-pressing.

It’s all become too predictable and too easy for top teams to counteract, but Klopp remains defiant that he’ll eventually make the perfect 4-3-3 side at Liverpool, capable of destroying anything in its path because his side play in the ‘correct’ way.

At Dortmund, during a period in which Bayern Munich were particularly underwhelming, Klopp eventually saw the realisation of his philosophy. But amid an era in which the top end of the Premier League is filled with the best managers in the business, pragmatism and the ability to tweak for specific games inevitably reigns supreme.

Tellingly, the two members of last season’s top six to use only one formation in the Premier League this season, Arsenal and Liverpool, are currently the worst-off in the league table and have won the fewest points on the road.

While Pochettino has slowly and steadily accepted that, transforming a side capable of playing in only one way two years ago into one of the Premier League’s most varied this season, Klopp’s blind faith in principles that haven’t won him a trophy in five years falls somewhere between stubborn and naïve. Perhaps more importantly, they’ve stunted his development as a manager, while one of his most important rivals has infinitely grown.

Because of his belief in a philosophy but the ability to be pragmatic within it, Pochettino is moving up to a higher class, leaving Klopp in his shadow.

Leeds United know that realistically they have to win when they host Norwich City at Elland Road on Saturday if they are to keep alive their hopes of finishing in the Championship play-off positions this term.

Garry Monk’s side had looked on course to secure a spot in the end of season lottery after spending the majority of the campaign in the top six, but four defeats in their last six league matches has left them on the brink of missing out.

The Yorkshire outfit currently sit three points behind sixth-placed Fulham with two fixtures remaining, and they will know that they need to take all three points against the Canaries – who lie one place behind them in the table – to keep the pressure up on the Cottagers and Sheffield Wednesday in fifth.

Here are three reasons Leeds will beat Norwich on Saturday to take the race for the play-offs to the final day…

They know it’s do or die

Leeds manager Garry Monk and his players will know that this is the most important match of their Championship season, and they won’t want to let all of their hard work earlier in the campaign go to waste.

Sitting three points behind Fulham with an inferior goal difference, anything but a win will not be good enough for the Yorkshire oufit.

Despite losing four of their last six, the game against Norwich can almost be treated as a separate ‘cup final’ and the players must be on the front foot from the very first whistle in order to get the fans behind them and the result that they need.

Their home record

While they have slipped up in recent times, the Whites still have the seventh best home record in the Championship this season having won 14 of their 22 league matches at Elland Road.

Garry Monk will want his side to make their Yorkshire home a fortress again for the visit of Norwich on Saturday, and the fact that they have conceded just 12 goals on their own patch this term will further boost the confidence of the players and the passionate supporters.

The final day fixtures

With Fulham having a three-point advantage, a superior goal difference of 13 goals and a home tie against Brentford on Saturday, the Cottagers will be confident of sealing their place in the play-offs at the end of the season.

However, we all know football doesn’t work like that and Leeds will know that if they do their job against Norwich City on Saturday and Slavisa Jokanovic’s side slip up against their west London rivals, the clash between Sheffield Wednesday and Fulham at Hillsborough on the final day will be absolutely huge.

With the Whites due to face a Wigan side who could be relegated this weekend at the same time, Garry Monk will know that things could yet work out in his team’s favour.

Do you agree, Leeds fans? Let us know below.

Safe to say, this afternoon’s instalment was one of the best Manchester derbies of the Premier League era.

It may not have been an absolute goal-fest but both sides created their fair share of chances and the intensity never dropped as momentum swung between Manchester United and Manchester City.

Admittedly, City could have ran away with it if Zlatan Ibrahimovic hadn’t latched onto an error inside the box to halve a 2-0 deficit just before the interval.

Nonetheless, both sets of fans, players and managers put more than 100% effort into today’s game and it was edge-of-the-seat stuff for all of those watching at home.

Whether matches are as entertaining as this one or a scoreless draw in the ninth tier of the English football pyramid, we at Football FanCast believe there’s something to be learned from every game.

With that in mind, here’s the FOUR lessons we took from today’s Manchester Derby – one of the most captivating contests ever between City and United.

MOURINHO DOESN’T TRUST RASHFORD AND MARTIAL

There were two notable omissions from United’s starting line-up today – Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford.

The former is rated as one of the most promising youngsters in world football – although he’s admittedly struggled to deliver this season – whilst the latter was in sensational form ahead of today’s game, netting a winner against Hull City before bagging a hat-trick on his England U21s debut.

Yet, Jose Mourinho chose alternatives for the City clash and that speaks volumes about how his squads will be selected going forward, especially in regards to potential six-pointers.

However, this isn’t just a case of Mourinho-hates-young-players-copypasta, because an alternative United youngster did get the nod…

LINGARD IS MOURINHO’S BIG-GAME PLAYER

Jesse Lingard got the opportunity to impress on the left wing and although it wasn’t a fantastic performance from the 23-year-old, you can see why Jose Mourinho selected him for such an important game.

Indeed, the academy product is United through-and-through and phenomenally industrious, both in terms of tracking back and attacking space going forward. That mixture of work-rate and home-grown passion fits the Mourinho philosophy (and United’s) perfectly.

Likewise, Lingard has previous when it comes to the big occasion; he bagged sensational strikes in the FA Cup final and Community Shield; so we at FFC expect him to be called upon once again the next time United face a heavyweight opponent.

CLAUDO BRAVO NEEDS TIME TO ADAPT

There was an incredible irony to Man United’s only goal of the afternoon; whilst Joe Hart was shipped off to Torino because of his floundering footwork, his replacement Claudio Bravo isn’t exactly outstanding in the air – in fact, he’s pretty terrible.

The Chile international came out to collect a relatively routine cross but found himself imposed upon by surrounding bodies and subsequently parried the ball down to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who volleyed it straight into the back of the net.

But don’t panic just yet, City fans. It wasn’t long ago Manchester United’s David De Gea was deemed too lightweight for the Premier League as he struggled to claim high balls. Just look at how he turned out!

KDB IS STILL KING

Amid a somewhat unspectacular start to the season, there have been murmurings about Kevin De Bruyne being unconvinced by the brand of football Pep Guardiola has brought to the Etihad Stadium.

But the Belgium international was fully committed this afternoon and made a strong claim for Man of the Match after scoring the opener, inadvertently setting up Kelechi Iheanacho and hitting the woodwork once more.

All rumbles of KDB struggling to hit top form under Guardiola were completely eradicated throughout the course of the Manchester Derby. City have an incredibly special player at their disposal and I’m sure he’ll be at the forefront of Guardiola’s plans going forward.

Lionel Messi almost got his 2024 MLS season off to the perfect start with a brilliant free-kick attempt in Inter Miami's first game.

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• Inter Miami beat RSL in home-opener
• Messi nearly scores amazing free-kick
• Cleared off line by opposition defender

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Messi stepped up to take an ambitious free-kick from all of 30 yards early on in Inter Miami's opening game of the MLS season. The former Barcelona and PSG man whipped a brilliant effort towards the top corner with his left foot, only to see Real Salt Lake's Justen Glad positioned perfectly on the goal-line. The defender helped out his frozen goalkeeper, heading the ball off the line to keep the score level at 0-0. Glad's clearance denied Messi his first goal of the season, but Miami would still go on to pick up all three points.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Argentine has been known for trademark direct free-kicks his entire career. In fact, on his Herons debut in July, 2023, the maestro drilled home a brilliant shot from a dead ball to win it in stoppage time for Inter Miami.

  Despite Messi being denied this time, Tata Martino's side would go on to win their MLS opener 2-0 thanks to goals either side of half-time from Robert Taylor and Diego Gomez.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR LIONEL MESSI AND INTER MIAMI?

  Messi and the Herons will look to make it two wins from two when they take on the Los Angeles Galaxy Sunday evening in their second game of the MLS season. The Argentine will be hoping to grab his first goal of the campaign in California, having played a key role in both of Miami's strikes against Real Salt Lake.

Sarina Wiegman has already called up some new faces since reaching the World Cup final, and there are plenty more where they came from

It’s been a pretty good couple of years for the England women’s national team. Between winning the European Championships in 2022 and reaching the 2023 Women’s World Cup final, the Lionesses have firmly asserted themselves as a power on the world stage under head coach Sarina Wiegman.

There’s been a lot of growth domestically, too, with the Women’s Super League blossoming into one of the very best places on the planet to play football. The league continues to be an extremely attractive proposition around the world, with some 36 nations represented by its 12 clubs.

But the WSL is also still a place for the best young English talent to thrive. Twenty of the 23 names called up by Wiegman in October ply their trade in their home country, and the stars of the future are getting their opportunities to shine, too, even if the talent pool is expanding massively.

Many of those in the Lionesses’ youth teams have been grabbing the attention in this season’s WSL already, then, despite it still being in its very early stages, and Wiegman has shown that she’s ready to reward that form, calling-up youngsters Khiara Keating and Grace Clinton for the first time in October as a result.

But those two are not the only exciting prospects giving England fans a reason to look forward to the future, either. Here are nine that have caught GOAL’s eye so far in this WSL season…

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  Brooke Aspin (Bristol City, on loan from Chelsea)

  Set to join up with Chelsea next summer after signing a four-year contract this past summer, Brooke Aspin has been shining for Bristol City ever since she broke into the first team as a 16-year-old, so it’s no surprise that she’s already been snapped up by a top club despite not venturing out of those teenage years just yet.

  On loan with the Robins this season after helping them win promotion to the top-flight last term, the young centre-back has already come up with a huge moment as the club bids to battle the odds and avoid relegation. Away at West Ham in early November, she rose highest to meet Megan Connolly’s free-kick and head home a goal that would give Bristol their first win and first points of the campaign.

  Aspin tops the charts within the City squad for blocks and interceptions, and she is fantastic with the ball at her feet, too. Underpinning the 18-year-old’s performances this season, though, have been leadership qualities that belie her years. Captain of England’s Under-19s, her character and maturity really stands out, and she has the story of a fighter, too.

  Last year, Aspin battled a bone infection, a blood clot and sepsis – and still managed to get back onto the pitch before the end of the season to help Bristol win promotion. “I see life as something that you just have to enjoy, you have to live every moment now,” she told . “As soon as I walk out on that pitch, then I’m loving every moment because I’m playing what I love and I may not have got that opportunity before.”

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  Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea)

  Another young talent on Chelsea’s books, Aggie Beever-Jones has represented the Blues since she was a young girl and this season, after loan spells with Bristol City and Everton, she’s starting to get her first-team opportunities, scoring three goals in just four substitute appearances in the WSL so far. She’s averaging a goal every 21 minutes.

  “She stretches teams, she gets in behind,” Chelsea boss Emma Hayes said in October after the 20-year-old had netted the first of those three. "She has some work to do to know when to press, where to press, when not to double down, all of that detail. But she’s always in our offices asking for analysis.”

  Beever-Jones is quick, she’s deceptively strong and she’s versatile, too, capable of playing on either wing or as a central striker. Throw in her desire to make things happen and her unpredictability, and she’s becoming a fantastic impact substitute for the reigning WSL champions to turn to.

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  Laura Blindkilde Brown (Aston Villa)

  When GOAL spoke to Aston Villa boss Carla Ward earlier this year, she didn’t hold back in her praise for Laura Blindkilde Brown, the young midfielder who has been a regular starter for the Midlands club since she was just 18 years old.

  “Laura is one of the biggest talents I've ever worked with. She really is,” she said. “If she can start believing it… Because she has no idea just how good she can be and how good she is already. You have to keep reminding her every single day because she's just one of a kind. I've literally never worked with a youngster like her.”

  Those words say it all, really. It’s no surprise, then, that the Danish Football Association have tried to talk her into representing her mother’s side of the family, whom she wears the name ‘Blindkilde’ on the back of her shirt for. But the 20-year-old told GOAL last year that her dream is to play for England, the team she has long represented at youth level.

  An attack-minded midfielder who can also play out wide, Blindkilde Brown has bundles of energy, meaning she presses well, she is excellent at picking up spaces where she can hurt opponents and is generally just a bit of a nuisance for defenders. Her footwork and her love of the game, no doubt strengthened by a heart condition that almost forced her to stop playing a few years ago, make her a joy to watch.

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  Grace Clinton (Tottenham, on loan from Man Utd)

  A name that many have been keeping an eye on for a while, Grace Clinton threatened time and time again to break through at Everton, but the young midfielder sat largely on the fringes of the squad before joining Manchester United last year.

  Compared to Ella Toone by Red Devils boss Marc Skinner due to her ability to “make a magic moment”, first-team opportunities were going to be even harder to come by at a club that was battling for Champions League football (an injury didn’t help either), but Clinton has been able to thrive in her two loan spells since changing clubs in the north west.

  After scoring six goals in 12 games to help Bristol win promotion from the second tier last term, the 20-year-old has been so good for Tottenham at the start of this new season that she was called up by Wiegman to be part of the squad for England’s games against Belgium in October.

  Operating both as a left winger and a No.10 for Spurs, head coach Robert Vilahamn believes that a wide role is good for Clinton at this stage in her career as it is allowing her to find pockets of space gradually. He has no doubt what lies ahead for her, though. “In the future, she’s going to start as a No.10 in the national team,” he said last month. “I’m quite sure of that.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Nesta quarta-feira, Nacional-PAR e Bahia fazem o confronto da volta pela primeira fase da Copa Sul-Americana. O Tricolor da boa terra abriu uma importante vantagem no jogo de ida, pois venceu pelo placar de 3 a 0.

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Entretanto, o tom no discurso do Bahia não é de administrar o resultado. Pelo contrário, o meia Clayson disse que o time não pode entrar em campo achando que já está tudo resolvido. E fala em ir em busca de uma nova vitória: “Nós sabemos que o resultado foi importante no primeiro jogo. Mas não pode relaxar. A gente sabe que aqui, jogando dentro de casa, eles são uma equipe muito mais forte. Mas a gente está bem concentrado. Trabalhamos bastante para esse jogo. A gente vem para cá com o intuito de vencer novamente, conquistar um triunfo fora de casa, para nos dar confiança no restante da temporada.”

Aliás, caso o Bahia vença a partida, será o primeiro triunfo do Tricolor de Aço atuando em terras estrangeiras pela Copa Sul-Americana. Nas outras edições em que disputou a competição, o Bahia enfrentou times do Uruguai, Peru, Colômbia e Bolívia, e sempre no confronto fora de casa saiu derrotado.

Outro fato curioso dessa partida, é que esse jogo será o primeiro da história do Bahia em terras Paraguaias.

Nacional-PAR e Bahia jogam amanhã, no estádio Luis Alfonso Giagni, às 19h15, pelo jogo de volta da primeira fase da Copa Sul-Americana.

O Bahia deve entrar em campo com: Douglas; Nino Paraíba, L. Fonseca, Ernando, Juninho Capixaba; Flávio, Gregore, Élber, Arthur Caíke, Gilberto.

O provável time do Nacional-PAR deve ser: Espinola; Franco, Garay, L. Cabral, Díaz; Costa, González, Zaracho, Santacruz, Villagra, Beltrán.

Ben Stokes has spoken about the “complete devastation” he felt after the last over of the World T20 final

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Apr-2016Allrounder Ben Stokes has spoken about the “complete devastation” he felt after the last over of the World T20 final when Carlos Brathwaite had taken him for four consecutive sixes to snatch the title away from England.In the immediate aftermath of the conclusion to the final, Stokes admitted trying to block out the emotions and he said it is only since returning home that he has really reflected on what took place.The final over began with West Indies needing 19 to win and England favourites despite having struggled to 155 for 9 with the bat. But then Brathwaite swung Stokes’ first delivery over deep square leg, then connected sweetly against two full deliveries to suddenly level the scores and leave a distraught Stokes with his head in his hands.”I thought, ‘I’ve just lost the World Cup’. I couldn’t believe it,” he told the . “I didn’t know what to do. It took me so long to get back on my feet. I didn’t want to get back up. It was like the whole world had come down on me. There weren’t any good things going through my mind. It was just complete devastation.””It is probably only now really that all the emotions have started to come out about it. I couldn’t reflect on it at the time. There was just shock.”Stokes had developed his reputation as a death bowler during the tournament with important spells against Sri Lanka and New Zealand. He said he did not panic after the first ball of the last over had cleared the boundary and was still backing himself to defend 7 off 4 before being crushed by the third six.”It was not until they needed one off three that I knew the game was gone. When they needed seven I was still backing myself to get us over the line but I just couldn’t. It was amazing hitting. I just did not execute what I wanted to do.”A host of current and former players – not just from England – have come out in support of Stokes, praising his desire to be the man under pressure at the end, and he said he would not have a second thought about putting himself back in that position.”A hundred per cent. Definitely. It is something I work at a lot. Some days they go well. Some days they don’t. That was a bad day but I won’t be shying away from it. You almost want it to happen because if you nail it everyone forgets.”Stokes was at the centre of another spat with Marlon Samuels during the final – Samuels was fined 30% of his match fee for foul language – and Samuels was far from glowing about Stokes during his post-match press conference. Stokes has no issue with how events transpired and acknowledged Samuels played “a brilliant” innings.He also revealed that Brathwaite, who was fulsome in his praise of Stokes, had asked for a signed shirt.”We did not have a beer with them afterwards but Brathwaite came up to me and asked for a shirt. He is a brilliant lad. I wanted to make sure I spoke to them and say well done because I did not want people to think I was bitter. I wished them all the best. It is about respect to the opposition.”Stokes will return to action for Durham on April 24 in their County Championship match against Middlesex.

Ben Stokes’ Man of the Match contribution at Lord’s means he will likely be the centre of attention once again when the second Test begins

ESPNcricinfo staff27-May-2015With the two-Test series between England and New Zealand taking place over back-to-back weekends, the momentum from Lord’s could prove decisive. One player in particular was the catalyst for England’s dramatic come-from-behind victory and his name was again the focus as the teams moved to Headingley and began preparations for Friday.Ben Stokes scored 92 and 101, in the process recording the fastest Test hundred at Lord’s, before taking three wickets on Monday afternoon to help seal a 124-run win. His Man-of-the-Match contribution was the most eye-catching among several impressive individual performances on either side and he will likely be the centre of attention once again when the second Test begins.England had been reduced to 30 for 4 on the first morning at Lord’s, before a 161-run stand between Stokes and Joe Root helped them to a competitive first-innings total. Root, only a few months older than Stokes but already Alastair Cook’s vice-captain, said Stokes’ full-blooded commitment set the tone for the fightback that put England 1-0 up in the series and ignited their start to the international summer.”When he is bowling, he will run in until he can barely move any more – if he is given that choice,” Root said. “When he is batting, he is a free spirit, he goes and plays his shots and puts sides under pressure. In the field, he is dynamic, he can field anywhere.”He is one of those blokes you want in the side because he rubs off on you and gives everything.”Over the course of his two innings, Stokes cracked 30 fours and four sixes, clearly showing the benefits of moving up the batting order to No. 6. A year ago, Stokes made a pair at Lord’s against India, to make it three Test ducks in a row, and he then missed out on a place at the World Cup after a disappointing tour of Sri Lanka. His confidence seems to have returned, particularly with the bat; now the challenge is to deliver consistent match-turning performances.Ben Stokes’ performance at Lord’s helped give Alastair Cook and England a victory to savour•Getty Images”It is great. If he is going, you know the board is always going to be ticking over – you don’t have to worry about that,” Root said of Stokes’ aggressive approach. “You know the bowlers will be under pressure, because he is always looking to score. That is the art of batting – to try and make sure you are on top.'”Even in times of struggle, when we are 30 for 4, he came out and put them on the back foot. It will not work every time and could have looked slightly reckless if it didn’t come off.”But it is the way he plays and what he brings to the side, and why he was picked to bat at No. 6, to put them under pressure. He did that perfectly. The key for him and the rest of us now is to make sure it is not a one-off and go on and do it again this week.”He makes mistakes now and again – but that is why he is the player he is. He is aggressive; he is always in your face… that’s his personality. For him, it is about making sure he can control it in a way which makes him more consistent.”Root also shone at Lord’s, with scores of 98 and 84 as well as a crucial wicket on the final day, while Mark Wood, one of two debutants, bowled above 90mph and picked up four wickets, and Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali made important contributions. Root said it was further proof that England have a depth of talent for new coach, Trevor Bayliss, to work with.”We have a lot of young and exciting players trying to establish themselves in the side,” he said. “The more they do that, the more those little errors will creep out of our game.”That confidence doesn’t just give them a boost, it gives everyone a boost, it rubs off. Fingers crossed, Lord’s was not just a one-off – and it is the start of us moving forward as a side.”Martin Guptill, who made 70 in his first Test innings since Headingley 2013, conceded that New Zealand would need to come up with a plan to try and deal with Stokes. They may have to make changes to their personnel, too, with Corey Anderson and BJ Watling unable to train on Wednesday due to injuries. Watling’s absence could mean a Test debut at 34 for Luke Ronchi, while Anderson missing out would deprive the crowds of a big-hitting battle with Stokes.”He’s turned himself into one of England’s better allrounders, that they’ve had for a while,” Guptill said. “He’s a very aggressive player, likes to come out and play his shots and hits it cleanly. We’ll come up with some plans to be able to counter that this week.”We’re pretty confident we can come out and square the series, and come away pretty happy. On the last day at Lord’s, we just didn’t quite get the batting right. We’re going to come out this week firing, and hope to rectify that. It was very disappointing. Obviously, we came over here wanting to win the series. But you’ve got to be able to bounce back pretty quickly.”

تعرف على تشكيل الأهلي اليوم أمام شباب بلوزداد في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

أعلن الجهاز الفني للنادي الأهلي بقيادة السويسري مارسيل كولر، تشكيل فريقه لمواجهة شباب بلوزداد، في المباراة التي تجمعهما مساء اليوم الجمعة.

وتقام مباراة الأهلي أمام شباب بلوزداد، على أرضية استاد برج العرب في الإسكندرية ضمن مواجهات الجولة الثالثة من عمر مباريات المجموعة الرابعة لبطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

ويتواجد الأهلي في المجموعة الرابعة من مجموعات دوري أبطال إفريقيا، التي تضم إلى جواره، شباب بلوزداد وميدياما الغاني ويانج أفريكانز التنزاني.

طالع | القنوات الناقلة لمباريات كأس العالم للأندية 2023.. بمشاركة الأهلي

ويتصدر الأهلي ترتيب المجموعة برصيد 4 نقاط، بعد الفوز على ميدياما في الجولة الأولى بثلاثية نظيفة، وتعادل خارج الديار أمام يانج أفريكانز بنتيجة 1-1.

أما شباب بلوزداد فيأتي وصيفًا للمجموعة برصيد 3 نقاط حصدها من فوز على يانج أفريكانز في الجولة الأولى، بينما خسر أمام ميدياما بالجولة الثانية.

وشهد تشكيل الأهلي مشاركة محمد مجدي أفشة أساسيًا، والدفع بـ كهربا في الهجوم. تشكيل الأهلي اليوم أمام شباب بلوزداد في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

حراسة المرمى: محمد الشناوي.

خط الدفاع: محمد هاني ورامي ربيعة وياسر إبراهيم وعلي معلول.

خط الوسط: أليو ديانج ومروان عطية ومحمد مجدي أفشة وبيرسي تاو وحسين الشحات.

خط الهجوم: محمود كهربا.