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Batting coach Ashwell Prince backs 'fantastically talented' Liton Das to come good

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Prince also says that the players must be ready for flexibility in the batting line-up

Mohammad Isam20-Oct-2021Bangladesh will continue to keep the faith with Liton Das, as they push for him to get back into form during the T20 World Cup. After registering 16 and 1 in the warm-up matches, Liton scored 5 against Scotland and 6 against Oman in their first games in the tournament.Liton’s low scores hurt Bangladesh’s starts in the powerplay. Soumya Sarkar failed in the first game, and with Liton getting out cheaply twice, they have had to resort to batting out the powerplay to avoid further damage.”I think at the moment he wants to get a start,” said Ashwell Prince, the team’s batting coach. “He batted really nicely in the warm-up match two weeks ago against Oman A. He hasn’t had a big score since then. I think when you are labelled as the best batsman in your generation, sometimes it can be a burden on your shoulders.”He is a fantastically talented player. I think everyone is waiting for him to burst out and be the player that we know he can be. All the coaches are trying to assist him as much as possible. We believe in him. We trust him. Hopefully, there will be a bigger stage in a week’s time to express himself.”Bangladesh’s shock loss to Scotland in the first game prompted an unprecedented batting order reshuffle. Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim were sent to No. 7 and 8 respectively, while Mahedi Hasan, Nurul Hasan and Afif Hossain were given promotions. Though such changes happen often in franchise cricket, Bangladesh have usually been fairly rigid in their batting positions.Prince said that the batters must be ready for flexibility, and they are often aided by data analysis so they have the information about a particular type of bowler. “If you want to be a big player who goes up against all the other big players in the world, you have to adapt to any situation. Every player should be prepared to be in a flexible batting line-up. We have had these discussions in team meetings.”These days there are so many stats, but the players have to make their own decisions in the middle. The coach is entitled to have a flexible line-up. The players are open about it.”One of Bangladesh’s early success stories in the tournament has been Mahedi Hasan. He has taken four wickets in two matches, and looked in good form in his short innings against Scotland. He got out to a good return catch by Fayyaz Butt against Oman, but Prince believes Mahedi can translate his bowling form into his batting.”We had two pressure matches against Scotland and Oman. If you watched his body language on the field, he is very calm and confident in his ability. It also translates into his batting.”Obviously the coach made a decision to put him at No. 3. It didn’t pay off yesterday, but not all decisions in a cricket match pay off.”

Moeen Ali to announce retirement from Test cricket

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

England allrounder uncomfortable with spending extended time away from home for winter’s Ashes

George Dobell26-Sep-2021Moeen Ali, the England allrounder, is set to announce his immediate retirement from Test cricket.Moeen, 34 and a veteran of 64 Tests, has decided he no longer has the hunger to play the longest format. In particular, ESPNcricinfo understands he is uncomfortable with the prospect of an extended time away from home in the coming months as a likely member of both the T20 World Cup and Ashes squads. He is currently in the UAE, playing for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL but is understood to have informed Chris Silverwood, the England head coach, and Joe Root, England’s Test captain, in recent days.He is keen to continue his career for England in white-ball cricket and is also expected to continue to play county and franchise cricket. It seems unlikely he will continue to play first-class cricket but no firm decision has yet been taken on that.Related

  • Dobell: Spurned Moeen begins the long kiss goodnight

  • 'Natural leader' Moeen steps up as Root's deputy for Oval Test

  • England slog raises familiar questions about Moeen spin role

People will, no doubt, be debating the merits of Moeen’s career for years to come. Some of the statistics are arresting: he reached the landmark of 2000 Test runs and 100 wickets, for example, in fewer Tests than Ian Botham, Garry Sobers and Imran Khan. Only 15 England bowlers have taken more Test wickets. At his high point, he was rated the third best allrounder in the ICC’s Test rankings.But it’s maybe fitting that he looks set to finish short of 3000 runs and short of 200 wickets. For there was something about Moeen that always left you wanting more. Something that delighted and frustrated in equal measure. Even in what turned out to be his final Test, when his skied slog-sweep saw him dismissed for 35, you could feel the groan of disappointment around The Kia Oval.The will for Moeen to succeed, to see his elegant cover drive unfurled once more, was immense. Perhaps the fragility, the sense that it could all end at any moment, made it feel all the more precious.At his best, such as when he scored four Test centuries in 2016, he looked a fine batter more than worth his place in the side as a specialist. But there were times, sometimes quite extended times, when the confidence seemed to drain away and the scores disappeared with it. A final Test batting average of 28 seems modest for one so talented. That unbeaten innings of 108 against Sri Lanka in his second Test promised so much more.Many of the same things could be said about his bowling. At his best, such as when he took 25 wickets in four Tests against South Africa in 2017, or a haul of 32 wickets in six Tests against Sri Lanka and West Indies in the winter of 2018-19, he demonstrated the drift, dip, pace and bite that would delight any offspinner. It is telling that, of England spinners, only Derek Underwood and Graeme Swann finished their careers with more wickets. Even Jim Laker couldn’t match Moeen’s strike rate of 60.70.Moeen fields in front of packed stands at The Oval•AFP/Getty Images

On other occasions, such as the Ashes tour of 2017-18, when his five wickets came at a cost of 115 apiece, he seemed a man charged with an impossible task. Nobody else in the top 25 wicket-takers in England’s Test history has an average as high as Moeen’s 36.66. But in a weak era of English spin bowling, he answered the call more capably than anyone could have predicted. Ultimately, it may be concluded that he overachieved with the ball and underachieved with the bat.The debate over whether England coaxed the best out of him will rumble on, too. Certainly he was asked to fulfil multiple roles – he batted everywhere from No. 1 to No. 9 – to accommodate the demands of more valued players. And while he produced some memorable lower-order innings, the mentality of batting with the tail changed him. He became a provider more of cameos than the substantial innings he dreamed of playing as a youngster.Equally, the faint praise from Ed Smith, then the national selector, suggesting “the role of first-choice spinner might not be best suited to him” stung and, along with not being given a full central contract at the end of 2019, represented a turning point in Moeen’s relationship with the team management. At the time he was dropped, after the first Ashes Test of the 2019 series, he had been the world’s top wicket-taker in Test cricket over the preceding 12 months.It remains to be seen whether any of Moeen’s England colleagues follow suit with news of their own in the coming days. Certainly there are serious reservations from as many as 10 players and several more support staff about the prospect of further time in quarantine and the demands this could place on family life. If the cricket boards of England and Australia insist the Ashes go ahead at any cost, they will find themselves with a much diminished contest.Such issues can wait. Now is the time to reflect on Moeen’s legacy. With a hat-trick, five centuries, five five-fors and some sharp catches, he has been involved in some of the most thrilling moments of England’s Test cricket over recent years. And, as a willing spokesperson for diversity and inclusivity, he has performed a valuable role in educating a generation that it is perfectly possible to be British, Muslim and proud of both. He reminded us, too, that cricket wasn’t just a game of the public school playing field or village green, it was a game of the urban park or backyard, too. This may well be remembered as his most significant contribution to the sport.Will he be remembered as a great of English cricket? Well, he comes from a background where his parents went without food to ensure money was found for travel to games and match fees. Now he’s a World Cup winner with more than 200 international caps, a trunk full of awards and an IPL contract which will ensure that investment made by his family will pay off for generations to come. More than that, he has enjoyed a career which made many people smile and many more – not all of them from the traditional breeding grounds of English cricket – feel they could follow in his footsteps. That sounds pretty great, doesn’t it?

Azeem Rafiq racism report: Yorkshire chairman Roger Hutton to be called before DCMS select committee

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Health secretary Sajid Javid tweets “P**i is not banter” as pressure increases on Yorkshire

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Nov-2021Yorkshire’s handling of the investigation into allegations of institutional racism by Azeem Rafiq will face further parliamentary scrutiny with the news that Roger Hutton, the club’s chairman, is to be called before the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee.Yorkshire announced last week that they would be taking no further action against any current employees, players or executives, after reviewing the report produced by an independent panel.The ECB, however, has promised to consider the “many serious allegations” contained in the report, after receiving a copy. ESPNcricinfo revealed on Monday that despite a Yorkshire player admitting to use of the word “P**i” when referring to Rafiq, it was excused by the panel on the basis that it was “banter”.In response, the health secretary, Sajid Javid, tweeted that “P**i is not banter”, adding that “heads should roll at Yorkshire”.Julian Knight, the DCMS select committee chair, said in a statement to the Press Association that Hutton would be called “to give a much fuller explanation than we have had so far”. Knight previously wrote to Yorkshire urging them to publish the report in full – something the club have so far resisted doing so on the grounds of privacy and defamation.Related

  • Gary Ballance admits to racial slur against 'closest friend' Azeem Rafiq

  • Azeem Rafiq set to give evidence before DCMS as pressure mounts on Yorkshire

  • Rafiq calls for removal of Yorkshire senior management

  • ECB promises 'fair and thorough' investigation into Rafiq allegations

  • Yorkshire racism report ruled Rafiq being called 'P**i' was 'banter'

“This is extremely concerning and it’s clear that Yorkshire County Cricket Club has questions to answer,” Knight said in response to the latest allegations. “We have monitored developments around the club’s handling of the serious allegations made by Azeem Rafiq.”We want to see much greater transparency from YCCC – it is time for them to answer their critics. We intend to call the chair of the club before the DCMS Committee to give a much fuller explanation than we have had so far.”Yorkshire admitted in September that Rafiq was “a victim of racial harassment” during his time at the club, upholding seven of 43 allegations made by the former allrounder.

But after the club released a statement saying they were “pleased” to announce their response to the report – which included the conclusion that no disciplinary action was warranted – Rafiq condemned the developments as “embarrassing”.Meanwhile, the ground sponsor at Headingley, Emerald Publishing, has added to the pressure on Yorkshire by saying “there is clearly still a great deal more to do” and that it would be seeking a response from the club.”We take all matters related to any form of racism or discriminatory behaviour seriously and expect all our partners to uphold our values,” Emerald said in a statement to PA. “As sponsors of the Headingley stadium, we are dismayed by the conclusion of an independent panel that the former player, Azeem Rafiq, suffered racial harassment and bullying during his time at the club.”Whilst the club has offered its unreserved apology for this, and has made a number of positive changes in the intervening years, there is clearly still a great deal more to do. We are pursuing the actions from the YCCC in response to their latest statement and will continue to review the findings from the tribunal and ECB investigation in due course.”

Axar fined for DC's slow over rate against MI

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

This was his first offence this season and he was fined INR 12 lakh

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Apr-2025Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Axar Patel has been fined INR 12 lakh for his team’s slow over rate during the IPL 2025 game against Mumbai Indians (MI) on Sunday night in Delhi.As per Article 2.22 of the IPL’s code of conduct, a captain is fined INR 12 lakh for the first slow over rate offence in a season. The IPL has done away with match suspensions and there are only fines and in-game field restrictions.Chasing 206, DC were the favourites at one stage, thanks to Karun Nair’s comeback knock of 89. They needed 66 from eight overs and had seven wickets in hand. But they kept losing wickets at regular intervals and suffered a hat-trick of run-outs in the penultimate over to fall short by 12 runs. This was their first defeat in five games.”We had the game. I think we had soft dismissals from the middle order, some bad shots,” Axar said after the game. “We lost by 12 runs with an over to go so we could have still won it. It can’t happen that your lower-order batters will always save you in chases. There are some odd days where you play wrong shots, so I don’t think there is any point in thinking too much about it.”Earlier in the tournament, MI’s Hardik Pandya, Rajasthan Royals’ Riyan Parag and Sanju Samson, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Rajat Patidar were also handed fines for slow over rate.

WTC final-bound South Africa players likely to leave before IPL playoffs

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The issue of WTC final-bound players missing the revised IPL 2025 playoffs is under discussion between CSA and BCCI

Firdose Moonda13-May-2025The eight South African players involved in both IPL 2025 and the World Test Championship (WTC) final are expected to leave India by May 25, as per the initial NOCs issued to them.Kagiso Rabada (GT), Lungi Ngidi (RCB), Tristan Stubbs (DC), Aiden Markram (LSG), Ryan Rickelton, Corbin Bosch (both MI), Marco Jansen (PBKS) and Wiaan Mulder (SRH) will return home to South Africa before leaving for the United Kingdom on May 30 with the rest of the squad. That will rule them out of the rescheduled IPL playoffs which is an issue currently under discussion between CSA and the BCCI.ESPNcricinfo understands that given the importance of the WTC final, CSA is hopeful the BCCI will understand their decision to not extend NOCs for those players to June 3 but concerned that it will create tension in the relationship between the two boards. National coach Shukri Conrad and director of national teams and high performance Enoch Nkwe both said they understood that the May 25 deadline was still in place.Related

  • Buttler, Bethell and Jacks set to miss IPL playoffs

  • SA hope Rabada puts ban behind him as WTC final beckons

  • IPL 2025 scenarios: GT and RCB one win away from playoffs, MI in control of their fate

  • IPL 2025 to resume on May 17, final to be played on June 3

“The initial agreement with IPL-BCCI was, with the final being on the 25th, our players would return on the 26th, so that it allows them ample time before we fly out on the 30th,” Conrad said in Johannesburg after South Africa announced their WTC final squad. “That is the ongoing conversations that are being had between people in a higher pay grade than I am – the director of cricket [Nkwe] and Pholetsi [Moselki, the CSA chief executive]. They’re dealing with that. We want our players back on the 26th and hopefully that comes to fruition.”Nkwe, at the same engagement, indicated talks were ongoing and CSA was hopeful the players would prioritise the WTC.”It is an individual decision, obviously, to return or to play or continue,” Nkwe said. “But one thing we’ve made it clear, and we are finalising that with IPL and BCCI, is sticking to our original plan when it comes to the WTC preparations, obviously with May 26 being the latest for the Test guys to come back.”South Africa will arrive in England on May 31 and then play Zimbabwe in a four-day warm-up match in Arundel from June 3, the day of the final of the IPL. The WTC final runs from June 11 to 15.GT, RCB, PBKS and MI are well-placed to finish in the top four in the IPL 2025 points table with DC also having a chance to make the playoffs. SRH are already knocked out of the race to the playoffs while LSG are on the brink of elimination.GT might miss Rabada for the playoffs while PBKS might be without Jansen, if CSA sticks to its initial agreement with the IPL.

Van Beek keeps Foxes flying as Lancashire slump to dismal innings defeat

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Keaton Jennings resists with century but no other batter makes more than 26 for rock-bottom Roses

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay25-May-2025Leicestershire’s remarkable season continued apace with victory over Lancashire by an innings and three runs to further reinforce an already formidable lead in Division Two of the Rothesay County Championship.With a 251-run advantage on first innings, brought about largely by centuries from Rehan Ahmed and Lewis Hill, they bowled Lancashire out for 248 to complete a fifth win of the season, all of which have been achieved with a day to spare.Keaton Jennings, who stepped down as captain earlier this month in the light of his side’s woeful start to the campaign, gave his side hope of salvaging something from this match with a characterful 112, but no other batter made 26 in another dismal Lancashire performance.Logan Van Beek was Leicestershire’s most successful bowler with four for 61 and there were two wickets each for Josh Hull, Tom Scriven and Rehan Ahmed.Having watched Leicestershire progress merrily through Saturday at 4.23 runs per over compared with their own 2.65 on day one, Lancashire might have imagined that runs would come more easily to them on day three, yet it took them 29 overs to trim 74 off their deficit in the first session.What’s more, they lost three wickets in doing so, including perhaps critically that of their leading scorer and principal hope of avoiding defeat here, Marcus Harris.The Australian perished in the penultimate over before lunch as captain Peter Handscomb repeated his first-day tactic of bringing back his new ball bowlers for a pre-interval burst. It brought success then and it did again as Harris flashed at a ball outside off stump to be caught behind for 20.It provided a third wicket of the morning for Van Beek, who had been two for nine from six overs after his first spell, having dismissed Luke Wells and Josh Bohannon in the space of three deliveries.Wells deployed an uppercut to lift a short delivery over the slip cordon but did not control the shot and Lewis Hill, with a gusty crosswind adding an extra element of difficulty, took a well-judged catch at wide third man. Bohannon edged to second slip for a second-ball duck.However, the collapse sparked by Van Beek’s breakthrough before lunch on day one was not repeated, thanks largely to Jennings, who showed the strength of his character in a difficult season to guide Lancashire to 209 for five at tea thanks to the 32nd first-class hundred of his career, his 16th for his current county.It was doubtless not the most fluid among them on a pitch starting to produce variable bounce and he survived a chance on 58 when a diving Ben Cox could not get his gloves around a flick down the legside off Hull, but it kept his side in the game.After finding support from Matty Hurst, who was caught behind off a fine delivery by Scriven, in adding 70 for the fourth wicket, Jennings reached the milestone as a meaty pull Van Beek brought him a 10th boundary.The fifth wicket added a further 58, although George Bell’s dismissal off a top-edged pull just before tea detracted a touch from what had otherwise been a solid session for the visitors, who were still 42 behind at the interval.Moreover, the breakthrough Leicestershire craved was not far away, Jennings falling seven overs into the evening session, his demise brought about by a ball that reared up off a length from Scriven and caught the batter’s right glove, Handscomb taking an excellent catch at slip.After that, Lancashire’s downfall came about at pace. Hull brought one back to bowl George Balderson, Rehan Ahmed’s leg spin came into the game to have Tom Bailey caught behind, the England all-rounder following up by trapping Anderson Phillip leg before.Hull then took a splendid catch on the run off his own bowling to remove Tom Hartley and spark Leicestershire’s celebrations in a season in which promotion already looks theirs to lose with the Championship season only at the halfway stage.

Litton: Bangladesh's focus is only on the result, not the opposition

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The Bangladesh captain wants them to apply their learnings from the recent defeats to UAE

Mohammad Isam27-May-2025Bangladesh captain Litton Das wants to put the series loss against UAE in Sharjah last week behind and is looking forward to the “new challenge” against Pakistan.”We were not up to the mark in the last series,” Litton said ahead of the three-match T20I series against Pakistan. “This is a new series, a new challenge. We know where we did well and where we did badly in the past. We will have to apply that [information] in the game.”This is a different ball game. We however have the belief that we can beat any team in the world. We have to play good cricket. We are not focused on the opposition. I am not only focused on the team’s result, which doesn’t always come your way. I think what’s more important is how we are playing the game. If we can play sticking to a process, we will have more chance of a good result.”Related

  • Mustafizur Rahman out of Pakistan T20Is with thumb injury

  • Despite injuries, Simmons rallies behind Bangladesh's quicks to step up in Pakistan

  • Pakistan begin yet another era as bruised Bangladesh eye revival

Litton said that he accepts the criticism that comes the way of the team, but he believes that the team is focused on playing better cricket. “It is expected that there will be discussions and criticism when we don’t play well. We always try to play good cricket. We don’t want to repeat our mistakes of the past. I think we can have a good series.”We would be among the top teams in the world if we were a consistent side. We definitely lack something as we are down in the rankings. We are working towards becoming more consistent. Every series presents a different challenge. We faced distinctive challenges in West Indies and UAE. How we accept the upcoming challenges and perform as a team is something worth looking at.”Bangladesh captain Litton Das and Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha pose with the trophy•Associated Press

While they struggled to defend totals in the second and third T20Is against UAE, Bangladesh’s batting was inconsistent throughout the series. Parvez Hossain Emon struck a hundred and Tanzid Hasan got a fifty, but the rest couldn’t quite capitalise on good starts. Litton made 65 runs in the series.”I know how important my batting role is in this team,” Litton said. “I will try my best to stay consistent. We have some good form players in the team. T20 needs a combined batting effort, so if we can do well together, we will have chance of good results.”Bangladesh are also wary of the conditions in Lahore. Litton said that he hasn’t spotted dew in the training sessions at the Gaddafi Stadium so far, but expects it to be a high-scoring series.”We fielded in the second half in all three matches in Sharjah. The dew was a factor in those games. We haven’t seen any dew in the three days we have been in Lahore. We expect the conditions to be similar to how it was in the PSL. It will be a high-scoring series. We have to play smart cricket.”The three matches are scheduled on May 28 and 30, and June 1, all in Lahore.

Maradona, Henry and the top 10 World Cup handballs

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Both in the qualifiers and the finals tournament, there have been numerous infamous handballs. Here, Goal takes a look at the top 10

  • Getty Images

    Djalma Santos (Brazil) vs Czechoslovakia – 1962

    This incident has almost been entirely forgotten about contrary to many other controversies. Brazil were 2-1 ahead in the final with just 20 minutes to go when Djalma Santos deliberately handled the ball in his own area.

    The referee did not give a penalty and the European outfit never recovered. They conceded their third goal before the end as Brazil ran out as 3-1 winners to prevent Czechoslovakia from winning their first ever World Cup.

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  • Joe Jordan (Scotland) vs Wales – 1977

    In a heated World Cup qualifier between the British rivals, Wales needed to win to all-but confirm a place at the following summer's tournament in Argentina.

    It was a tight affair and was 0-0 heading into the final 10 minutes. This was until Scotland forward Joe Jordan had the ball under pressure from Wales' David Jones before he punched the ball in the penalty area. 

    Unbelievably the referee thought that it was Jones who handled it and awarded Scotland a penalty, which was converted, before a late goal from Kenny Dalglish secured the win for Scotland as they advanced to the World Cup. 

  • Getty Images

    Mario Kempes (Argentina) vs Poland – 1978

    This was host nation Argentina's first game in Group B in the second round. Mario Kempes put his side into the lead against Poland in the first half with a header.

    But, just as Poland thought they were about to equalise from a corner, Kempes dived across the goal and punched the ball away to concede a penalty. 

    Amazingly, Poland missed the resulting penalty, and Kempes scored again to double Argentina's advantage later in the game. The striker went onto score two more in the final against Netherlands as Argentina lifted the trophy. 

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    Diego Maradona (Argentina) vs England – 1986

    Without doubt the most famous handball in football history came during the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup between England and Argentina.

    With the score at 0-0 in the second half, Maradona was chasing down a mis-hit clearance from England's Steve Hodge, and he rose above Peter Shilton and used the outside of his left hand to punch the ball into the empty net. 

    The referee failed to spot the handball and, just minutes later, Maradona would dribble past half of the England team and score the so-called 'Goal of the Century' to put his side two goals ahead. The Three Lions got a goal back, but Argentina held on to win 2-1 before going on to lift the trophy World Cup.

Could Man City's B team really win the Premier League? How the second XIs of the 'Big Six' compare

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Squad depth is key in this day and age, so Goal has taken a close look at just how well stocked the big guns really are

According to Jose Mourinho, four teams are capable of winning the Premier League this season.

"Manchester City, Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester City B team," the Portuguese told when asked who could triumph in 2019-20. 

After winning back-to-back Premier League titles, Pep Guardiola's side are strong favourites to add another this campaign, with their squad depth further strengthened over the summer by the arrivals of Rodri and Joao Cancelo.

However, would their reserves really be capable of beating the Big Six's first-choice line-ups?

Taking injuries, potential departures before the close of the European transfer window and form into account, Goal has compiled an A and B team for every top-six club to see how Manchester City's second-string side stacks up…

  • Manchester City A team

    The greatest side in Premier League history? After racking up a record-breaking 100 points in 2017-18, Pep Guardiola's men retained their crown last season by edging Liverpool in one of the greatest title races English football has ever seen.

    City are now bidding to make it three in a row with a near-flawless line-up. Vincent Kompany's leadership will be missed at the back but the defence will be held together by the brilliant Aymeric Laporte, while Ederson is one of the game's best sweeper-keepers.

    New signing Rodri should reinvigorate the midfield, Kevin De Bruyne is fit again and Raheem Sterling is just going from strength to strength, meaning the champions could actually be even stronger this season – a terrifying thought for the rest of the Premier League.

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  • Manchester City B team

    What will scare City's rivals most, though, is the fact that their bench will once again be packed with world-class players.

    Leroy Sane may be out injured until 2020 but he was by no means a guaranteed starter this season, which only serves to underline the champions' outrageous array of options.

    Indeed, the likes of Sane, Gabriel Jesus, Riyad Mahrez, Ilkay Gundogan and Fernandinho would be regulars in almost every other side in the league.

  • Liverpool A team

    That Liverpool didn't win the league last year says more about City's sustained excellence than any failing on the part of the Reds.

    Jurgen Klopp's troops racked up a whopping 97 points, which would have been sufficient to finish top in all but two top-flight seasons.

    Liverpool still ended up claiming a sixth European Cup, though, and their recent success has been founded upon a brilliant, Virgil van Dijk-led backline and the scintillating attacking trio of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.

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  • Liverpool B team

    While it is often argued that Liverpool lack City's strength in depth, it is worth noting that a number of their reserves played a key role in their Champions League triumph, chief among them, Divock Origi.

    James Milner is also capable of playing in nearly every position on the field, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Joe Gomez were both flying before suffering injuries, while Naby Keita is still expected to prove himself a world-class midfielder once he settles at Anfield.

2020 Golden Boy: Greenwood, Rodrygo & Sancho among nominees

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The first 100 nominations for the award have been announced, as some of Europe's top players under the age of 21 battle it out

  • Getty

    1Dusan Vlahovic

    Age: 20

    Position: Striker

    Club: Fiorentina

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    2Vinicius Junior

    Age: 19

    Position: Striker

    Club: Real Madrid

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    3Yari Verschaeren

    Age: 18

    Position: Forward

    Club: Anderlecht

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    4Sepp van den Berg

    Age: 18

    Position: Defender

    Club: Liverpool

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