All posts by h716a5.icu

The spinner says he has a lot of self-doubt despite having been a match-winner for Essex in county cricket

Firdose Moonda01-Apr-2022Simon Harmer didn’t believe he could win matches.When he left South African cricket in 2017 – he was no longer part of the national set-up or the A team – his franchise future was hanging in the balance and he was unsure of himself and his abilities. Luckily, Essex came calling.”I had a lot of self-doubt,” Harmer said, on his Test comeback for South Africa, five years after he believed his future in the country was over. “Essex gave me the opportunity and the platform to rediscover what made me successful. I learnt to be a match-winner for them and got comfortable with that role. The more I did it, the more I started to believe. That’s added a lot to my game, that self-belief, knowing that I can win games of cricket as an orthodox offspinner. If I could single out one thing, it would probably be that.”With Essex, Harmer won the County Championship twice and the T20 Blast once. He came back to South Africa and won the inaugural Mzansi Super League with the Jozi Stars. Had Brexit not put paid to the Kolpak arrangement, it’s unlikely he would have returned to play for the Titans. However, this summer, Harmer has been their key bowler and leading wicket-taker in the first-class competition, which they won. Harmer took a nine-for in the deciding match but still, there was a lingering thought at the back of his mind about whether he can now consider himself good enough. Not just good enough to win matches, but good enough to do it at the highest level.Related

'It's about opportunity and security for Kolpaks – nothing to do with money' – Harmer

Harmer's all-round effort makes it South Africa's day

“There’s still questions. Like am I good enough to play international cricket?” he asked. “I’ve done it for Essex, I’ve done it at county level, I’ve come back and done it for the Titans but am I still good enough [for International cricket]?”He started to answer those questions on the second afternoon in Kingsmead when he knocked over Shadman Islam’s middle stump with a delivery that kept low. But it was later in the day, when Harmer delivered a glorious ball that pitched on middle stump and turned away to beat Najmul Hossain’s outside edge and hit the top of off stump, that the doubts about whether he is good enough seemed to have dissipated. That was a delivery that would make any spinner proud. A stunning catch from Keegan Petersen at silly-point off the next ball put Harmer on a hat-trick and though he didn’t get it, he claimed a fourth when Mushfiqur Rahim gloved him to Kyle Verreynne, whose enthusiastic appeal convinced Dean Elgar to review. Harmer finished the day with 4 for 42, in sight of a five-for on comeback, so surely he must now believe he is good enough? Or not.”Four wickets doesn’t mean yes I am,” he said. “But coming back and putting in a performance for my own self-belief and my own mind is good.”He said there was “definitely a feeling of vindication,” and that he “couldn’t have scripted the day better,” but didn’t go anywhere near the kind of self-praise that saw him once call himself “the best offspinner in the world.”Instead, Harmer focused on talking up the improvements he was able to make because of opportunities he was given in England that were absent in South Africa.”I had my reasons for signing Kolpak. For me it was about opportunity. I was only playing one format for the Warriors when I left here and I went over there, I played all three formats. That’s what it was about,” he said. “At the end of the day, currency is wickets and performances and winning games of cricket and trophies and I put my blinkers on and tried to achieve that.”He succeeded. So much so that Harmer made it impossible for the South African selectors to ignore him once he returned and they took him to New Zealand as cover. He has since edged ahead of allrounder George Linde – who was unavailable for that series because he was getting married – in the pecking order, and is also proving himself to be competent with the bat.Harmer notched up his highest Test score and shared in two partnerships over 30 in the South African tail to push their total over 350, and indicated there’s more to come. “I’ve been working really hard on my batting,” he said. “Myself and (South African batting consultant) Justin Sammons and (performance analyst) Matthew Reuben at the Titans have been putting in some long hours. It’s good to see some rewards.”And there’s every chance of many more as the match goes on. Kingsmead is known to get slower and lower as play progresses and this pitch has already taken some turn. “It’s been a while since I’ve played red-ball cricket at Kingsmead,” Harmer said. “It’s got a reputation of turning. As the game goes on, it will turn more and more.”Which means that by the end, Harmer may well have a definitive answer to his question about whether he belongs at this level, and a real reason to believe that he can win matches.

After a poignant weekend, West Ham United responded positively to defeat Wolverhampton Wanderers and perhaps save Julen Lopetegui’s job with a hard-fought Premier League victory.

It was not a flawless display, but the Hammers deserve credit for fighting and prevailing in a match that both managers desperately needed to win.

Jarrod Bowen, as he so often does, popped up with two massive contributions to propel his Irons into 14th place, just five points behind Fulham in the top half.

He may have saved Lopetegui’s skin.

Jarrod Bowen keeps Lopetegui seated

It’s pretty clear that Lopetegui would have been given the sack had West Ham suffered another home defeat. Wolves are scrambling for form but languish near the pit of the Premier League and couldn’t be allowed to leave the London Stadium with points in the bag.

He set up Tomas Soucek’s opening goal before driving a fine goal strike mere moments after Matt Doherty equalised for the Old Gold.

Bowen is West Ham’s life-blood, with just one more performance for east London when it truly needed a hero. As stated, it wasn’t a perfect effort from the Irons, and there are some points to pick at.

West Ham need to ensure they put together a flowing run of good form, and in order to achieve this, Konstantinos Mavropanos must be dropped – even though he enjoyed one of his better games under Lopetegui’s wing.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Mavropanos nearly cost Lopetegui

Lopetegui doesn’t seem to be all that keen on Jean-Clair Todibo, who signed for the club on a season-long loan in the summer, with an obligation to buy for £34m in 2025. Juventus were defeated in the transfer battle.

It’s a curious situation, not least because Mavropanos continually leaves plenty to be desired on the pitch. In fairness, he made significant improvements from the disastrous display against Leicester City in midweek, notably in his duel winning percentage, but it’s rather hard to claim that he’s deserving of a nailed-down starting berth.

Minutes played

90′

90′

Touches

88

66

Shots (on target)

3 (1)

2 (1)

Accurate passes

64/71 (90%)

45/50 (90%)

Key passes

1

0

Dribbles (completed)

6 (4)

0 (0)

Tackles

1

2

Interceptions

1

3

Clearances

1

3

Total duels (won)

13 (7)

8 (6)

Mavropanos’ statistics oft appear impressive – in isolation. The Greece international is rash and prone to misguided decisions that can evade the glare of the data compilation.

Retired defender Andy Hinchcliffe rebuked the centre-half in the opening half after he “should have done better” with a glorious chance to open his team’s account, and he found himself at the centre of further concern in the closing stages, lucky to have avoided the concession of a penalty after he stamped on Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s foot in the box.

Hinchliffe made his opinion known once again, criticised for the “completely unnecessary” challenge that he was “so lucky to get away with.”

With Todibo waiting in the wings, you’ve got to think that Mavropanos should be dropped for the forthcoming Premier League fixture – away at Bournemouth in one week.

The Evening Standard decided to give the 25-year-old a 7/10 match score. Not bad. But had the officiating been conducted only marginally different – it could have been a very different outcome.

It’s important to take a deep breath and recognise the value in claiming three points, the value in moving within a point of Manchester United, two points of Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur.

The relegation zone, moreover, has now stretched nine lovely points into the distance. Of course, vented frustrations move beyond just a ranking in the Premier League table. The football has been strained and colourless at times; the defensive high line raises questions; Lopetegui’s team selections raise more questions still.

But for now, three points, and another chance to make headway. The Spanish tactician needs to realise that there are some players – like Todibo and Lucas Paqueta – who must be in the starting line-up.

Mavropanos nearly cost him his job – will he make the same blunder again?

West Ham hold talks with "fantastic" Lopetegui replacement ahead of Wolves

It comes with the current Hammers boss under massive pressure.

ByBen Browning Dec 9, 2024

Julian Alvarez had a penalty incredibly disallowed during Atletico Madrid's shootout defeat against Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Champions League tie went to penaltiesAlvarez scored his spot-kickVAR disallowed it for double contactFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Alvarez stepped up to take his team's second spot-kick in the shootout after the last-16 tie ended in a 2-2 aggregate draw. The Argentine forward scored but slipped as he hit it and a VAR review revealed that he had inadvertently touched the ball twice, resulting in the goal being disallowed.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Seeing Alvarez's effort ruled out put Madrid 2-1 up in the shootout before Federico Valverde stepped up to increase their advantage. Angel Correa scored to give Atleti a chance and then goalkeeper Jan Oblak saved Lucas Vazquez's penalty to provide a further boost, but Marcos Llorente could only smack the woodwork, allowing Antonio Rudiger to score and send the visitors through.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportDID YOU KNOW?

Carlo Ancelotti's side will now go on to the quarter-finals, where they will face Premier League side Arsenal following their 9-3 aggregate victory against PSV.

After the incredible highs of smashing Manchester City 4-0 at the Etihad, last week was a real downer for Tottenham Hotspur.

First, the North Londoners drew at home to Serie A side AS Roma, and while that’s not necessarily the end of the world, it was the manner in which it happened that hurt the most, a last-minute equaliser after having ample chances to put the game to bed earlier.

Then, despite taking the lead once again and being a man up for the last 15 minutes or so, they drew with Fulham in the Premier League, which was the fourth game in all competitions that the club have dropped points at home this season.

Premier League

Fulham (H)

1-1 (D)

Europa League

AS Roma (H)

2-2 (D)

Premier League

Man City (A)

4-0 (W)

Premier League

Ipswich (H)

2-1 (L)

Europa League

Galatasaray (A)

3-2 (L)

So, with a game away to the high-flying Bournemouth to come tonight, Ange Postecoglou has plenty of decisions to make, and one of those is dropping arguably the team’s best performer from Sunday afternoon.

Spurs' best performer against Fulham

So, the truth is that the list of best performers on Sunday afternoon for Spurs is tiny, with perhaps only a few names on it.

However, one of those names is certainly Timo Werner, who actually looked reasonably effective at times, providing the assist for Brennan Johnson in the second half, creating two big chances and earning himself a 6/10 match rating from journalist Alasdair Gold, who claimed he was the ‘most threatening of the front three.’

Yet, if Postecoglou wants to give his team the best chance of picking up all three points against the Cherries this evening, he must boldly drop the German international, for as good as he was, he still wasn’t good enough to help his team win the game.

Moreover, while his form has certainly improved in recent weeks, the former Chelsea ace still has the capacity to seriously underwhelm when it matters most, and his tally of one goal and three assists in 16 appearances this season is hardly good enough to demand his continued selection, especially not when there were far more dangerous players on the bench against the Cottagers.

The player Ange must start vs Bournmouth

So, with Johnson being his most effective off the right and Son Heung-min being even more disappointing than Werner against Fulham, the ideal candidate to start off the left against Bournemouth is Dejan Kulusevski.

Now, it’s certainly true that he’s more experienced off the right, but with his Welsh teammate now a nailed-on starter in his old position and there being few, if any, genuine options off the left, it almost feels like the manager must start the Swede there.

Moreover, the former Juventus star is undoubtedly one of the club’s most technically gifted and naturally talented players and has some experience playing off the left from his time in Italy.

Furthermore, as talent scout Jacek Kulig points out, the 24-year-old is an absolutely “world-class” player, and as this season has shown us, he’s more than capable of transitioning to a new position within the team.

For example, of his nine goal involvements this season, the Stockholm-born maestro has produced seven of them from midfield, showing that he is incredibly adaptable.

Appearances

20

Starts

13

Minutes

1300′

Goals

2

Assists

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.45

Minutes per Goal Involvement

144.44′

Ultimately, if Postecoglou wants to give himself and his team the best chance of winning tonight, he needs to ensure he’s starting his best and most inform players, which means Kulusevski simply has to start, even if its off the left.

Spurs wasted £38.6m on Mourinho dud who's earning more than Van de Ven

The talented defender’s move to Spurs has been a disaster.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 3, 2024

Pakistan racked up an astounding 728 for 4 for the entire match as the Test ended 21 overs early

Tristan Lavalette08-Mar-2022Pakistan openers Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq hit centuries on a tedious fifth day to again grind Australia’s attack into the ground on a benign Rawalpindi pitch, as the first Test petered out to a stale draw.Dominating a mostly dull final day, as the historic series-opener inched towards an inevitable stalemate, Pakistan finished at an almost effortless 252 for 0 with Shafique 136 not out and Imam unbeaten on 111. The Test ended 21 overs early after both teams agreed to mercifully put this match out of its misery.Pakistan racked up an astounding 728 for 4 for the entire match, as Australia unsuccessfully resorted to using nine bowlers, including rarely tried Usman Khawaja with the last over of the match.In-form Imam and Shafique were intent on gaining a psychological edge heading into the second Test starting on March 12 on a wicket labelled as “dead” by Steven Smith and is set to be further put under the microscope post-match.Australia toiled for just four wickets – one was a run-out – across 239 overs with skipper Pat Cummins their only quick to have success in the match.Having nervously sat through tea on 99 not out, after being unable to notch his milestone off part-time spinner Travis Head’s last three balls before the break, Shafique scored off the first ball he faced on resumption to bring up his maiden Test century in his third match.Imam survived on 94 when replays showed he inside-edged a Nathan Lyon delivery to short leg only for Australia to resist reviewing the not out decision – the second time in the match the batter had been reprieved by Cummins’ reluctance to call for the DRS.The left-hander shortly after became the 10th Pakistan batter to score centuries in each innings of a Test to cap a remarkable performance, where he started as a borderline selection having endured a modest 11-Test run previously after debuting four years ago.Imam-ul-Haq cuts off the back foot•Getty ImagesAustralia mostly went through the motions during numerous sleepy passages of play, as David Warner attempted to summon much-needed excitement with rather dubious dance moves between overs. It failed to spark his teammates, however, as Australia continued to be thwarted by Pakistan’s batters much like when they spent 162 overs in the field during the opening two days.Sticking with their preferred pace-heavy attack, Australia jarringly failed to create opportunities even when taking in consideration the graveyard of a pitch for bowlers. Their brains trust will undoubtedly ponder whether to bring in a second specialist spinner in Karachi – either uncapped legspinner Mitchell Swepson or left-arm orthodox Ashton Agar, who played the last of his four Tests in late 2017.With question marks over their attack, quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood – who returned in place of Ashes hero Scott Boland – may have been auditioning to retain their spot.A patchy Starc conjured occasional reverse swing in the first innings, while Hazlewood had been typically miserly throughout the match but rarely threatened. They only bowled 12 overs combined in the second innings as Australia sought to provide a modest workload for their quicks given the congested three-Test series is played over just three weeks.The heavy lifting was left to Lyon, who finished with 1 for 236 off 78 overs, having started the Test optimistically with rampant turn on the opening morning proving fool’s gold as the pitch moulded into a road.Even though their conservative batting in the first innings set in stone this slow-moving clash, an undermanned Pakistan were the moral victors with an almost flawless batting display while their attack outbowled Australia’s star-studded bowlers.Left-arm spinner Nauman Ali wrapped up Australia’s innings early on day five with the wickets of Cummins and Lyon to finish with a career-best 6 for 107 marked by eking out Smith and Cameron Green with defensive bowling late on day four.Indefatigable Shaheen Shah Afridi, who was the standout quick in the match, was rewarded with the wicket of Starc to finish with 2 for 88 from an energetic 30 overs.Australia will be encouraged by their fight back with the bat to almost reach Pakistan’s mammoth first innings of 476 for 4 although none of their batters scored a century. They also lost 6 for 52 after appearing favoured to take a first innings lead after such a strong start, where Australia’s top four notched half-centuries in an overseas Test for the first time since 2008 in Delhi.With the series deadlocked, Australia will at least feel considerably match hardened after no warm-up matches, as they dust off the cobwebs in their first overseas Test tour since the Ashes in 2019.After so much anticipation for the series, the first between the teams in Pakistan since 1998, the pitch rendered the historic occasion to an anti-climax with everyone involved hoping conditions in Karachi will be much more conducive for a result.

Lamine Yamal gave a measured reply when speaking about the racist abuse he received during October's Clasico against rivals Real Madrid.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Yamal was racially abused by Real fansBarcelona star tried to ignore chantsWonderkid wants to focus on enjoying lifeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

In a recent interview, Barcelona sensation Yamal delivered an impressive and composed response when asked about the racist abuse he faced during October's Clasico against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, showing not only his mental resilience but also a level of wisdom beyond his years.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Videos surfaced on social media showing 17-year-old Yamal, along with Raphinha and Ansu Fati, allegedly being subjected to racial abuse by some Madrid fans during Barcelona's 4-0 win. In response to the incident, Real Madrid launched an investigation, with Vinicius Jr. publicly condemning the abuse and expressing his solidarity with the affected players.

WHAT LAMINE YAMAL SAID

In a recent interview with DAZN, Yamal was asked about the incident and how it had affected him. In reply, the youngster came up with a wonderful answer.

"I think if we had lost, maybe I would have thought, 'Why are they saying this or that to me?' But in the end, it's about enjoying life," he said (h/t Mundo Deportivo).

"When someone insults you, maybe they were raised that way or didn't receive the right values. Therefore, I think you should ignore it and move on."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR LAMINE YAMAL?

Yamal was on song on Tuesday, in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Benfica, setting up the opener for Raphinha before scoring a stunning curler to help Barcelona progress to the quarter-finals with a 4-1 aggregate win. Hansi Flick will be expecting more of the same from the teenager when the Catalans travel to the Metropolitano Stadium to take on title rivals Atletico Madrid in a top-of-the-table La Liga clash this Sunday.

A Sky Sports presenter has revealed she is recovering from a brain infection after fighting cancer.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Sky Sports presenter battles cancerThen gets brain infection as wellSends message on social mediaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Emma Saunders posted on social media that she was treated for thyroid cancer at the start of the 2024/25 season. Now, she has said "life took a bit of an unexpected turn" as she recovers from a brain infection called encephalitis.

AdvertisementWHAT EMMA SAUNDERS SAID

She wrote on Instagram from her hospital bed: "Hi folks unfortunately life took a bit of an unexpected turn a couple of weeks ago and I’m now off work while I recover from Encephalitis – an infection of the brain. I hope it wont be long until I’m back to see out the end of 2024/25 – especially after missing part of the start of the season before this when I was treated for Thyroid cancer.

"So, as I spend time now recovering and rebuilding again – I just wanted to thank my family & friends for their rock solid support, my colleagues at Sky for their patience allowing me the time to heal, and our wonderful NHS for their extraordinary kindness and care. And of course you @wrstill just for being you & being there for me."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Saunders also thanked boyfriend and Lens manager Will Still for his support during this difficult time. She and Still are sure to hope the presenter is back fit and healthy as soon as possible.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Saunders, who is a lifelong Watford fan, will likely be keeping a keen eye on how the Hornets get on against Millwall in the Championship on Saturday.

Manchester City are currently on an unthinkable run of poor form. Pep Guardiola’s side have not won in their last six games, and their best result in that time was a 3-3 home draw against Feyenoord in the Champions League. They threw away a 3-0 lead in that game, conceding all three goals in the final 20 minutes.

The Cityzens did not win a single game in November, and face an incredibly tough trip to Anfield in the first game of December. It certainly seems like their current run could extend into the final month of the year.

There have been some incredibly disappointing individual performers in this winless run.

City’s worst performers in November

One of the players who has struggled the most over the past month is Josko Gvardiol. The defender has looked far from his best, making some clumsy mistakes which have not helped the Cityzens on this lean run they are on.

One of the Croatian’s worst games on this run came against Sporting in the 4-1 loss in the Champions League. As per Sofascore, he gave away a penalty and won just three from 11 duels as City were taken apart by a side coached by Ruben Amorim, who has since made the move to Manchester United.

Eling Haaland has also been a player who has struggled to perform at his best. Although the deadly Norwegian striker has incredibly high standards, he has scored just three goals in this run of six games without a win and was an unused substitute for one of those games. Two of those strikes came against Feyenoord, and the blame certainly cannot be put onto Haaland for the draw against the Dutch side.

Opposition

Result

Competition

Minutes

Goals

Tottenham

2-1 defeat

Carabao Cup

N/A

N/A

Bournemouth

2-1 defeat

Premier League

90

0

Sporting

4-1 defeat

Champions League

90

0

Brighton

2-1 defeat

Premier League

90

1

Tottenham

4-1 defeat

Premier League

90

0

Feyenoord

3-3 draw

Champions League

90

2

Another of Guardiola’s most trusted players, Phil Foden, is also in poor form. It has been a disappointing campaign for the England international as it is, but he has just one goal involvement in the last six games.

He is someone who needs to get back to his very best in order to help City get back to winning ways.

Arguably City’s worst player in this run of form has been goalkeeper Ederson, however, who has seen his career at the Etihad Stadium spiral.

Why Pep's "best signing" must now be sold

The Brazil international was once considered Guardiola’s “best signing” as City manager. At least, that is what Dominic Farrell told the Manchester Evening News in October 2021. A little over three years on, however, and things are not so easy for the City number 31.

He has played 16 times this season, conceding 25 goals and keeping just three clean sheets. Shockingly, Ederson is just 15 goals away from equalling his worst season in terms of goals conceded for City, which is currently 40 in 2021/22, across all competitions.

This run of poor form for the Cityzens has seen the Brazilian let in 15 goals in five games, an average of three per game. Like Haaland, he was an unused substitute in one of the games on this winless streak.

The past week has been particularly poor for the former Benfica goalkeeper. He let in four goals against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, before conceding three against Feyenoord; there could certainly be a case to be made that he was at fault for all of the goals against the Dutch side.

Ederson must surely be feeling the pressure right now, and his place in the starting lineup is far from a guarantee. The £100k-per-week star could well be replaced by Stefan Ortega.

Last season, Guardiola described Ortega as “one of the best goalkeepers I’ve seen in my life”, following a superb one-on-one save against Spurs that essentially won City the Premier League.

After strong links to Saudi Arabia last summer, the Cityzens’ number 31 might well be a target again in January or the 2025 summer window. If this lean run of form continues, it does not seem out of the question that City sell him, given they have Ortega as a more than capable option.

A huge amount is resting on City’s trip to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday. The legendary Spanish manager may decide to drop the Brazilian in favour of Ortega or could keep the faith in the man who has served him so well over the years.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.

Whatever the case, Ederson certainly needs to regain the form he showed over his first seven years at the Etihad Stadium, or could be sold in ruthless fashion.

As bad as Ederson: Pep must ditch 5/10 Man City star who lost the ball 13x

The Man City ace struggled to make an impact vs Feyenoord

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 27, 2024

Test greats become legends in their own lifetimes, even as news of Shane Warne’s death casts launch in strange light

Cameron Ponsonby07-Mar-2022Ian Botham is sitting next to old friend Viv Richards as they unveil the new Richards-Botham Trophy that England and West Indies will now compete for in Test cricket. And with a press conference, a photo-op, and a handshake, they have officially done it. They have been immortalised, not for the first time, in their own lifetimes.After the press conference, Richards is asked if part of his friendship with Botham was down to the fact that took their games to a level that only the other could relate to and understand.No, comes the answer. He was attracted to the person before the cricketer. That there was a magnetism about Botham. And that he, Botham, was like Richards.Yeah, geniuses attract other geniuses.In all, it’s a strange, if nice, event that celebrates the friendship between two men, and honours them as cricketers. It’s easy to roll your eyes at gestures that are meaningless in the greater scheme of things but, on an individual level, there’s no doubt it means a lot to the two men being honoured. An act that rekindles the fires behind two names that are greats of the game, not just among the best.

“We made our first-class [County Championship] debuts together in 1974 against Lancashire at Taunton. And that was really the start of what was, well, it was there already, but to take it to the levels that it did.”Ian Botham

And people love that stuff. In 2016, we named our club’s third XI trophy after a former player. It’s still his WhatsApp profile picture. It’s nice to do nice things.What’s more, Viv and Beefy’s relationship is worth celebrating as two people who found home comforts in someone from the other side of the world. They are each other’s Irish pub on the beachfront in Benidorm.”We made our first-class [County Championship] debuts together in 1974 against Lancashire at Taunton,” Botham says. “And that was really the start of what was, well, it was there already, but to take it to the levels that it did. He is the godfather to my son and you know it’s a special relationship and these things don’t come along very often.”The event celebrated a friendship, but it also mourned the loss of another, with the uncomfortable balance of two men being immortalised while addressing the death of a friend running throughout.Related

Our retro T20 XI? Sobers, Richards, Bradman… oh, wait

1981: Botham, Willis, Brearley, magic

Why Headingley 1981 is a work of art

It was the press conference of one man (Botham) who had just lost a close friend and has unsurprisingly spent 48 hours thinking about what those around him really mean to him. And another (Richards) who was sitting next to a friend in mourning and wasn’t quite sure how to pitch it. Who really knows how to react in such circumstances.At one point Richards – who, as fate would have it, turns 70 today – made a joke about how the news about Shane Warne had him “checking my shoulder, you know – what’s coming next”.One person laughs. In fact, they find it hilarious. The rest of the room is trying to work out if they think it’s appropriate, let alone funny, but this guy is deep into a hero-worship laugh. The type your boss gets for saying, “oh, half-day is it?”, when a colleague walks in two minutes late.At one point, Botham is asked about the omission from the Test squad of Stuart Broad and James Anderson. And within an answer that eventually concludes that he thinks they will be back, he says, “Look, you move on. Time moves things on. You’ve got to look forward to the future and we can’t go on forever.”It’s a fine and sensible message. It’s just a bit of a peculiar one to emerge at a ceremony that is commemorating the past with a newly unveiled trophy, while at the same time celebrating a lifelong friendship and the memories of a recently deceased friend.And yet, there is a difference between living in the past and celebrating it. And through doing the latter, things do live on and legends and legacies remain. Otherwise, none of us would be here at the unveiling of the Richards-Botham Trophy. And that guy definitely wouldn’t have been laughing at Richards’ awkward joke.

Manchester United’s transfer strategy has been questioned, with the Red Devils told they should have signed “guarantee” of goals Harry Kane.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Red Devils were heavily linked with strikerInvested in alternative attacking optionsStill lacking a spark in final third of the fieldFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

England captain Kane saw a big-money move to Old Trafford speculated on across several windows during his time at Tottenham. No deal was ever done, with Spurs reluctant to do business again with a Premier League rival.

AdvertisementGetty THE BIGGER PICTURE

United, as a result, were forced to explore other avenues. They invested £72 million ($92m) in Rasmus Hojlund when luring him away from Atalanta in 2023, but have seen the 22-year-old Dane register just 23 goals through 78 appearances – with only 12 of those efforts coming in the English top-flight.

DID YOU KNOW?

Joshua Zirkzee is another forward that has failed to deliver on expectations, with five goals recorded on the back of a £36.5m ($47m) transfer, and United continue to count the cost of not pushing harder for Kane – who has maintained a stunning strike rate since linking up with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWHAT GARY PALLISTER SAID

Former Red Devils defender Gary Pallister, speaking in association with , told GOAL when asked what the recruitment priority for United needs to be in the summer of 2025: “A centre-forward! [Ruben] Amorim has said that himself.

“We need a centre-forward. I don’t think Zirkzee is a centre-forward, he likes to play in the 10 and a bit deeper. I don’t think he can lead the line. Rasmus, you can’t fault him for his effort – he puts a shift in, runs into channels. He’s finding it hard. He needs a bit more guile to his game.

“We can’t afford to wait to see if Rasmus is going to be the real deal. It’s a struggle for him at the moment and we need somebody that can come in and is a proven goalscorer. Who that is, I’m not quite sure. There has been talk of the guy at Sporting [Viktor Gyokeres], the guy at Napoli [Victor Osimhen].

“I think they definitely missed a trick not signing Harry Kane a season-and-a-half ago. We knew he was a proven goalscorer in the Premier League and with what they have been wasting of late, he would have been an absolute guarantee of scoring goals.”