محمد يوسف يكشف كواليس جلسته مع إمام عاشور.. ويحسم الجدل بشأن زيزو

كشف محمد يوسف، المدير الرياضي للنادي الأهلي، عن كواليس توليه منصبه ورؤيته لإدارة الفريق، موضحًا موقفه من تجديد عقود اللاعبين وآلية التعامل مع العقود واللاعبين داخل القلعة الحمراء.

وقال محمد يوسف في تصريحات عبر برنامج “اللعيب” على قناة “mbc masr”: “عندما توليت المسؤولية بعد مباراة صن داونز كمدير رياضي، كان المطلوب مني القيام بالدور الفني، لكن كانت لدي وجهة نظر مختلفة، بدلًا من أن أكون مديرًا فنيًا مؤقتًا في آخر 6 مباريات من الدوري في الموسم الماضي، ثم الانتقال بعد ذلك إلى منصب المدير الرياضي، فضلت تولي منصب المدير الرياضي مباشرة”.

وتابع: “فضلت منصب المدير الرياضي لأنه يعتمد على وضع الخطط والفكر، ويضم مهاماً أشمل وخبرات مهمة لا بد من توفرها، وأيضًا المدير الرياضي يجب أن يمتلك خبرات فنية، لأنه يتدخل في تقييم اللاعبين والمدربين والرؤية الفنية”.

وأضاف: “سبق لي أن عملت كمدير للكرة عام 2018 مع حرس الحدود، واكتسبت خبرات إدارية وكنت مسؤولًا عن التعاقدات والاتفاقيات، ولكن من خلال تجاربي منذ 2004 وحتى الآن، عملت كمدير كرة ومدير فني وحصلت على خبرات كثيرة”.

وواصل: “تجديد عقود اللاعبين في الأهلي ليس صعبًا، النادي يمتلك نظامًا، وأي فريق يسعى للبطولات يكون جزء كبير من الحديث حوله عن حصد الألقاب، في الأهلي، إذا سرنا طريقًا طويلًا وفي النهاية لم نحصد اللقب، يُنسى ذلك، نحن نحسب فقط عدد البطولات”.

وأشار يوسف: “لا توجد مساواة مطلقة في فريق كرة القدم، هناك مهاجم هداف، صانع لعب، لاعب أساسي، وكل لاعب له إمكانيات وقدرات مختلفة، وبالتالي لا يجب أن تكون الأرقام متساوية، نحن كإدارة كرة نصنف هذه الأمور، وكل لاعب له فترة تعاقدية، وبناءً على ما قدمه للنادي يتم تقديره عند التجديد”.

طالع أيضًا | تطورات جديدة في ملف تجديد أليو ديانج مع الأهلي

وبسؤاله عن تأثير الأموال التي حصل عليها زيزو على إمكانية تجديد عقود اللاعبين، قال يوسف: “لا، لا توجد أزمة، معظم الأرقام المتداولة عبر مواقع التواصل غير صحيحة، وهناك مستويات مختلفة وطريقة التعاقد تختلف، زيزو انتقل في صفقة انتقال حر، والأهلي يتمتع بانضباط وهدفنا هو الفوز بالبطولات”.

وعن عقد اللاعب مروان عطية الذي وقعه مع المدير الرياضي السابق محمد رمضان، أكد يوسف: “نعم، العقد موجود، وهناك أرشيف لكل لاعب يحتوي على كافة التفاصيل، وما يُثار أحيانًا غير صحيح”.

وتطرق يوسف للحديث عن إمام عاشور، مؤكدًا: “إمام من اللاعبين الملتزمين فنيًا وإضافة كبيرة للفريق، بعد كأس العالم ناقشت معه وجهة نظري ونقلت الأمر لمجلس الإدارة، وأوضحت له أن عقده مستمر ولم يتغير، وأن أي تعديل في الراتب أو المساواة بأي لاعب مرتبط بمجلس الإدارة، وتم غلق الملف بالكامل، وعاد اللاعب بشكل قوي وسجل هدفًا في آخر مباراة”.

وأضاف: “ليس لدي معلومات عن أي أزمة بين إمام عاشور ووكيله، ولكن النادي الأهلي يحترم من يحترم النادي، ولا يُقبل أي شيء آخر، النادي أوقف التعامل مع هذا الوكيل بعد تصريحاته غير الصحيحة عن عدم احترافية النادي، لأنه لا يجوز ما قاله بأن النادي الأهلي لا يحترم تعاقداته وأنه لا يمتلك فكرا احترافيا، هذه التصريحات لم تكن في محلها، خاصة عندما يكون الحديث عن نادي بعظمة وجماهيرية الأهلي واحترافية مسؤوليه”.

وتحدث يوسف عن صفقة وسام أبو علي، مهاجم الأهلي السابق، قائلاً: “قمنا بما نراه في مصلحة النادي وقررنا بيع اللاعب بشروطنا، ونتمنى له التوفيق، وسام استفاد من الأهلي، المستفيد الأكبر كان اللاعب نفسه، وزادت شعبيته وشارك مع منتخب فلسطين وارتفعت قيمته”.

واختتم: “أما عن عودة وسام أبو علي للأهلي، في كرة القدم كل شيء وارد، اللاعب أصدر بيانًا قبل رحيله واعتذر للجماهير والنادي، ولم نناقش أي عودة له حتى الآن”.

Litton Das ruled out of India match because of side strain

Bangladesh made three other changes to the side that played Sri Lanka while India went in unchanged

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2025

Litton Das missed out of the India game because of a side strain•Getty Images

Toss Jaker Ali, Bangladesh’s 12th T20I captain, won his first toss and chose to bowl in the Asia Cup Super Fours match against India in Dubai. Jaker stepped into the role – and also took over the wicketkeeping gloves – with Litton Das ruled out with a side strain.With Litton out, Parvez Hossain Emon came back into the side and is expected to open alongside Tanzid Hasan, with Saif Hasan moving down to No. 3. Bangladesh made three other changes from the XI that beat Sri Lanka on Saturday, all to their bowling attack. Out went the offspinner Mahedi Hasan and seamers Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam, and in came legspinner Rishad Hossain, fast bowler Tanzim Hasan Sakib, and the seam-bowling allrounder Mohammad Saifuddin, who plays his first match of the tournament.India were unchanged as expected.India: 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Sanju Samson (wk), 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Jasprit BumrahBangladesh: 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Parvez Hossain Emon, 3 Saif Hasan, 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Jaker Ali (capt & wk), 6 Shamim Hossain, 7 Mohammad Saifuddin, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Nasum Ahmed, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Tanzim Hasan Sakib

Auxiliar do Vasco comemora invencibilidade em clássicos: 'Vida ou morte'

MatériaMais Notícias

Auxiliar técnico do Vasco, Emiliano Díaz celebrou a mudança de postura da equipe em partidas decisivas nesta temporada. O Cruz-Maltino derrotou o Botafogo de virada por 4 a 2, no Nilton Santos, e terminará a Taça Guanabara sem perder nenhum dos três clássicos que disputou.

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– Sempre falamos o mesmo tanto com Ramón quanto o grupo: clássico é vida ou morte. Pode não jogar tão bem, mas sabe que tem que lutar. Viemos de uma escola de River x Boca, onde perde e morre – afirmou Emiliano.

➡️ Tudo sobre o Gigante agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Vasco

Desde que a comissão encabeçada por Ramón Díaz assumiu o comando técnico do Vasco, a equipe perdeu apenas um clássico. Ao todo, são três vitórias, dois empates e apenas uma derrota.

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Questionado a respeito do retrospecto positivo, o auxiliar revelou estar acostumado a disputar este tipo de confronto e revelou que são partidas que se “desfruta ou sofre”.

– Clássicos são clássicos em todos os lados. Jogamos também Al-Hilal x Al-Nassr, os clássicos se vivem diferentes, são semanas que um não desfruta, e quando o resultado vem você desfruta ou sofre. Clássico é clássico – finalizou.

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£45k-per-week Leeds flop looks like their biggest disaster since Koch

How long will Daniel Farke be given to turn around the ongoing Leeds United mess?

After so much joy at Elland Road, Marcelo Bielsa was put out of his misery 26 games into the 2021/22 season in the Premier League, mustering up just a measly five victories.

By way of comparison, the German is only two victories away from matching that amount right now, with 15 fewer league games under his belt.

Of course, Bielsa was handed more time in the hot seat due to his iconic status in West Yorkshire, but Jesse Marsch was also given 20 league games the following campaign when the Leeds ship looked to be sinking.

A trigger-happy dismissal might not be forthcoming, then, but Farke will know he needs to turn fortunes around quickly, as a whole raft of players continue to underperform.

Bielsa and Marsch were no strangers, either, to players joining the Leeds ranks and ultimately flopping, with Robin Koch one costly error that must still generate grimaces at the Premier League newcomers.

The numbers behind Koch's move to Leeds

It’s fair to say there were an awful lot of misses in the transfer department when the South American and his Wisconsin-born counterpart occupied their dug-outs.

Faces such as Luis Sinisterra, Tyler Adams, and Rasmus Kristensen all joined for big bucks, and then disappeared when relegation was served up at the end of the gloomy 2022/23 season, with Sinisterra and Adams alone costing a whopping £41m to pick up at the time.

Thankfully, the bruised Whites managed to recoup £40m when selling the disappointing duo to AFC Bournemouth. On the contrary, the aforementioned Koch would return to his native Germany for zilch after a largely woeful three seasons in England.

In the end, Leeds were probably just happy to get their former £12m purchase off their roster, even if it was on a free transfer to Eintracht Frankfurt, with the German only managing to collect a dire ten clean sheets from 73 Premier League appearances.

Once branded as being simply “not good enough” by The Athletic’s Beren Cross and looking like a “fish out of water” by pundit Danny Mills, it really was a transfer saga that hurt Leeds, and it still does, arguably, considering Koch has since returned to his more well-known comforts of the Bundesliga and has excelled. This season, he has two goals from ten league appearances, winning a mighty 5.4 duels won on average, too, for Frankfurt.

For context, the no-nonsense Joe Rodon has averaged 5.3 duels won back in the Premier League, but he’s far from a transfer misfire.

Rather, it’s another expensive defensive recruit who could be deemed Leeds’ biggest disaster signing since Koch

Leeds' biggest disaster since Koch

The most frustrating aspect of Koch’s Leeds career, looking back, is that he had a promising debut campaign in West Yorkshire, even if it was ravaged by injury.

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Only 13 starts came his way, but four clean sheets were collected, with a final day showing to close out the 21/22 campaign, even seeing him win seven duels against Tottenham Hotspur.

Unfortunately, Jaka Bijol can’t even cling to any early promise at the moment, having cost £3m more than Koch when leaving Udinese behind.

It should have been a giveaway that the Slovenian might struggle, considering Farke was hesitant to chuck the ex-Serie A titan into his starting XI at the start of the season, with the German eventually chucking Bijol into the Premier League deep-end against West Ham United in late October.

Bijol’s PL numbers for Leeds

Stat

Bijol

Games played

3

Goals conceded

6

Losses

2

Clean sheets

0

Tackles won

3

Duels won

12/19

Stats by Sofascore

He did win six duels against the Hammers as Farke’s men got the better of their relegation rivals 2-1, but his showings against Brighton and Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest since must be leaving a similarly bad taste in the mouth that the German defender once left.

He found himself in no man’s land when Morgan Gibbs-White had all the time in the world to head home this decisive goal at the City Ground, with the out-of-sorts number 16 only managing to win one lacklustre tackle across both heavy away defeats.

The £45k-per-week defender will surely be fearful for his starting spot moving forward; therefore, as Pascal Struijk waits in the wings, with Bijol also yet to show off his prowess in the air, which saw him bag four goals for Udinese in Serie A action.

If Farke is to persist with Bijol, he could go on to be viewed as a Koch-type weak link for oppositions to hone in on, with a potential relegation on his CV also no doubt making him hard to shift for anywhere near his £15m valuation, like the forgettable 29-year-old.

He does still have time to turn around his Elland Road playing days, but the early signs are not good, as Leeds have been here before with a hyped up European import that never lives up to his high price tag.

Leeds stance on recalling Joe Gelhardt in January as Hull eye Harry Gray

He’s been on fire in the Championship.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 19, 2025

موعد والقنوات الناقلة لمباراة تونس وسوريا اليوم في كأس العرب 

يستعد منتخب تونس لمواجهة نظيره سوريا، في دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس العرب قطر 2025. 

وتنطلق بطولة كأس العرب اليوم الإثنين وتستمر حتى 18 من شهر ديسمبر الجاري في الأراضي القطرية الدوحة.

ويقع تونس في المجموعة الأولى في مجموعات كأس العرب رفقة منتخبات قطر وسوريا وفلسطين. 

طالع.. أحمد حسن عن أزمة أحمد عاطف: اللاعب أساء لنفسه.. وتصريحاته غير مبرّرة

يذكر، أن هذه النسخة هي الثالثة في تاريخ البطولة، حيث سبق وأقيمت بطولة كأس العرب في موسمي 1998، و2021. 

ومن المقرر ان يلتقي منتخب تونس نظيره تونس، في الجولة الأولى من المجموعة الأولى من بطولة كأس العرب.  موعد مباراة تونس وسوريا اليوم في كأس العرب 

وسيواجه منتخب تونس نظيره منتخب سوريا، في تمام الساعة الثالثة عصر اليوم الإثنين بتوقيت القاهرة، والرابعة بتوقيت السعودية والثانية ظهرًا بتوقيت تونس والرابعة بتوقيت سوريا على ملعب أحمد بن علي. القنوات الناقلة لمباراة تونس وسوريا 

وسوف تذاع مباراة منتخب تونس أمام نظيره سوريا، على قناة beinsportshd، وbein xtra 1، وقناة الكأس 2، وقناة أبو ظبي الرياضية وقناة دبي الرياضية. معلق مباراة تونس وسوريا في كأس العرب 

وأعلنت قناة الكأس القطرية عن إسناد مباراة تونس وسوريا إلى الثنائي خالد الغول وسعود الحريري للتعليق على المباراة. 

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــا

Man City now ready to hijack Man Utd move to sign "elite" £100m star

Manchester City are now reportedly ready to hijack Manchester United’s move to sign a Premier League star worth as much as £100m in 2026.

Man City make Semenyo a top target

It’s not just their local rivals that Man City are looking to frustrate. The Citizens are also reportedly interested in signing Antoine Semenyo and have made the Bournemouth star a top target. In what would deal Liverpool an untimely blow, City could land one of the most in-form wingers that the Premier League has to offer.

It’s clear that Semenyo likes the idea of linking up with Erling Haaland, too, after saying: “Haaland is number one. You see it on TV, scoring all these goals and thinking, surely he’s not like this in person… That man is tall, my goodness. Tall, strong, fast, can finish.

“He’s got everything you need as a striker. I remember Man City just bopping, and I’m thinking, okay this is normal that they bop it. Ruben Dias wraps the ball to him, the ball’s like this high, I’m thinking ‘how’s he going to deal with this?’ just takes it on his chest like this – I am thinking: Haaland, the man.”

It’s also easy to see why City have set their sights on another direct winger. Aside from the improved Jeremy Doku, Pep Guardiola’s wide men have struggled to leave their mark, with Savinho receiving his fair share of criticism from those at the Etihad in recent weeks.

The Brazilian was part of a much-changed Man City side against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, but to say that he failed to make his opportunity count would be an understatement.

Alas, it’s not just wide men that Guardiola wants. The Spaniard and Man City have now reportedly turned their focus towards midfield star Elliot Anderson, who is represented by the same agency as Omar Marmoush.

Man City ready to hijack Man Utd's Anderson move

As reported by the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, Man City are now ready to hijack Man Utd’s move for Anderson. The Citizens have made the Nottingham Forest star a top target and could splash out as much as £100m to secure his signature in 2026.

Man City now considering move for £65m forward who Pep called "extraordinary"

City have identified a forward as a priority target ahead of the January transfer window.

ByDominic Lund Nov 27, 2025

The England star is quickly becoming one of the most wanted players in the Premier League and that should come as no surprise.

England boss Thomas Tuchel has quickly made the Forest star one of his main men and has showered him with praise a number of times, telling reporters: “He is an elite player with the right attitude and a lot of talent. He is fulfilling his role in the best way possible so we are very happy with him.”

Man City now frontrunners to sign "world-class" £80m star, Pep's a big fan

Torcedores do Vasco criticam estado do gramado do Castelão: 'Pasto'

MatériaMais Notícias

Os vascaínos criticaram o estado do gramado do palco da partida entre Fortaleza e Vasco, pela terceira fase da Copa do Brasil. Os torcedores classificaram como um “pasto”. Confira as reações abaixo.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasOnde AssistirFortaleza x Vasco: onde assistir ao vivo, escalações e horário do jogo pela Copa do BrasilOnde Assistir01/05/2024VascoComo o Vasco pode encarar o Fortaleza sem Payet pela Copa do Brasil?Vasco01/05/2024VascoVasco perde Payet para confronto contra o Fortaleza pela Copa do BrasilVasco30/04/2024

➡️Zebra? Com R$100 no Lance! Betting, você fatura R$451 se o Vasco vencer o Fortaleza no Castelão após 20 anos

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Shreyas Iyer begins new chapter with old stance in Australia

On an Adelaide pitch with extra bounce, he scored 61 off 77 balls using a more upright stance at the crease

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-20252:31

Iyer: ‘Definitely hurts losing in this manner’

Shreyas Iyer believes that going back to a more upright stance has helped him counter extra bounce. He has used this “new” stance – adapted from one he used in the past – in domestic cricket, against Australia A, and now, in the ODI series in Australia. While India scratched around on a seaming pitch in the second ODI in Adelaide, Iyer negotiated the tough spells, scoring 61 off 77.Iyer’s game against short-pitched bowling at high pace has always been a talking point. Not part of India’s Test or T20I sides, Iyer spent the time off working on his game to counter extra bounce. “Since last year, I wanted to have an upright stance [for conditions] where the bounce is a little bit more than expected,” he said.”And based on that, I worked with my coach and we developed this new technique, and it was kind of suiting me pretty well. And the way I grew up playing, it was very much that I predominantly had an upright stance, and I just was like, ‘Let’s go back to my old technique and see how it, you know, [holds] up.'”So, yeah, I backed myself and then, from there on, I started [trying the technique] in the domestic [games]… Till now, I’ve been continuing with the same stance.”Related

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Calm and composed Connolly showcases his worth

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Short, Connolly, Zampa guide Australia to series victory in Adelaide

Iyer grew up batting with this upright stance, but perhaps the back injuries he has battled made him make changes. “Even in Mumbai, when we play on red-soil wickets – where the bounce is a little bit extra than expected – I think it helps with the upright stance,” Iyer said.”And yeah, you’ve got to keep chopping and changing every now and then, because you don’t play on the same wickets [all the time]. Whatever the wicket demands, you’ve got to change your stance accordingly, and I think I’ve changed so many stances [that] I’m able to adapt anywhere at the moment.”Iyer last played for India during their undefeated Champions Trophy campaign in the UAE in March. Since then, he has played the IPL, two first-class matches, and then captained India A in the three one-day matches against Australia A. At some point during this break, he reached the conclusion that his body, at the moment, is not supporting his first-class cricket, prompting him to request the BCCI for a six-month break from red-ball cricket.”When I played red-ball cricket after the IPL, I realised that if I field for long spells on the ground, my intensity starts to go down. And the intensity that you need to maintain in international cricket, I wasn’t able to match up to it. In ODIs, you know you will get rest after one day and be able to recover. Not in Tests. That is why I made that call, and conveyed that message.”

Cunha & Mbeumo hybrid: Man Utd keen to trigger release clause for PL star

Two of Manchester United’s biggest summer signings, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, are starting to get into full flow for the Red Devils.

Mbeumo, in particular, has started life at Old Trafford quickly, with eight goals and assists in 16 games across all competitions.

As for his Brazilian teammate, things haven’t been quite as smooth sailing. He’s struggled with a few minor injuries and hasn’t been at his best.

The United number ten only has one goal and one assist in 12 Premier League games, but has shown flashes of his best form.

United are not done there when it comes to strengthening in attack, and could dip back into the market this winter.

United’s latest attacking target

It is not just in attack that the Red Devils might be looking to strengthen their side, with midfield a focus area too.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

They are reportedly plotting to sign Elliot Anderson and are even linked with a sensational, if expensive, move for Jude Bellingham.

Looking further up the pitch, the Mancunian giants are linked with a move to sign Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, United are able to meet the Ghanaian’s release clause and could make a move for him.

This, of course, will not be a cheap deal. Semenyo’s release clause is worth a reported £65m, a fee Ruben Amorim’s side ‘would be able to match’ this winter.

However, they would face tough competition for his signature, with Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City all interested in signing him, too.

Why Semenyo would be a good signing

There is no doubt about 25-year-old Semenyo’s quality. The versatile forward, who can operate on either flank, has been described this season as a “world-class” operator by Cherries teammate Justin Kluivert.

Indeed, the numbers he has put up are reflective of someone deemed an elite winger. This season in the Premier League, Bournemouth’s number 24 has played 14 games, scoring six goals and assisting a further three.

There have been some real standout moments for the 25-year-old, too. He’s scored twice and assisted the other in a 3-1 win at home to Fulham, and scored a sublime solo goal against Liverpool at Anfield on the opening day of the season.

United would love for the winger to have the same sort of impact as Mbeumo if he were to join. The Cameroonian attacker has been one of their most consistent players this season, even winning November’s Premier League player of the month award.

His most recent goal came on Monday against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Mbeumo and his new teammate Cunha can have a “big impact” on the club if they are able to “find a way to click,” according to United great Gary Neville.

If the Red Devils were to acquire Semenyo in the winter window, they would love for him to add to that threat with their two summer recruits.

You could certainly make a case that the Ghanaian is a hybrid of both players. At least, according to FBref, he has similar underlying numbers to Mbeumo over the last year and to Cunha in the top flight this term – noted as statistically similar both men in those respective fields.

Well, to factor in both, let’s look at numbers from the last two Premier League seasons. A standout number is their combined goals and assists per 90 minutes, with Semenyo averaging 0.5, Cunha 0.6 and Mbeumo 0.65.

Semenyo, Cunha & Mbeumo (per 90 mins)

Semenyo

Cunha

Mbeumo

0.5 goals & assists

0.6 goals & assists

0.65 goals & assists

1.29 key passes

1.78 key passes

1.79 key passes

1.85 take-ons complete

2.09 take-ons complete

1.22 take-ons complete

3.85 progressive carries

3.63 progressive carries

3.26 progressive carries

4.6 ball recoveries

4.36 ball recoveries

3.98 ball recoveries

Stats from FBref

It is easy to see how the three players are similar, based on those numbers.

If Semenyo – who, like the United pair, is Premier League proven – can offer the goal and assist numbers of Mbeumo, and the threat carrying the ball which Cunha brings, he would be a dangerous addition to Amorim’s side.

£65m is not the most unreasonable fee for a player of his class, and United fans will be hoping he can have a quick impact at Old Trafford.

The new Ji-Sung Park: Man Utd star is fast becoming as important as Bruno

Manchester United have another star who is becoming as important as Bruno Fernandes.

ByEthan Lamb 6 days ago

McCullum backs England's team ethic to bounce back from chastening loss

Head coach says Ashes is ‘marathon, not sprint’ after crushing collapse inside two days at Perth

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Nov-2025

Ollie Pope looks on in vain as Australia pile on the runs•Getty Images

Brendon McCullum, England’s head coach, said that his beaten players would double down on their team unity after a chastening loss in the first Test at Perth, and vowed to block out the outside noise after what he acknowledged was “a very bad day”.Speaking to TNT Sports after Travis Head’s 69-ball century had condemned England to a crushing eight-wicket defeat inside two days, McCullum revealed he had been confident of his team’s chances of defending a slender total of 205, on a pitch that had offered pace and movement throughout, and on which Australia had been rolled aside for 132 in their first innings.Instead, Head came out swinging as a stand-in opener for the injured Usman Khawaja, and succeeded in knocking England off the aggressive lengths that had worked so well for their five-pronged pace attack on the opening day.”I thought 200 was actually a pretty good score for us to try and defend in the last innings,” McCullum said. “But the way Travis Head played was absolutely outstanding. It’s one of the best knocks I’ve seen in a pressure situation on a tough wicket.”I spoke to Gilly [former Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist] about five minutes before their last innings, and he said, ‘I think you guys have got 30 too many’. I said, ‘I hope so’, but we might have needed another 230 the way that Travis played.”Fair play. We’ve always said that if someone’s able to stand up to what we throw at them, and be able to put us under pressure and deliver a performance such as that, then you have to tip your cap.”Head had been trapped on the back foot throughout a tentative first innings, scoring 21 from 35 balls from No. 5, before falling to a loose pull to mid-on off Ben Stokes. This time, however, he took the offensive option with 16 fours and four sixes, and grew in aggression throughout a first-wicket stand of 75 with the debutant Jake Weatherald, before adding 117 more with Marnus Labuschagne.With doubts about Khawaja’s fitness after a back spasm, and with Australia’s top-order in a state of flux coming into the series, Head may have made the role his own for the rest of the series – just as he did in powering Australia to ODI World Cup glory two years ago.”We will look at how we can control things better if that confronts us again,” McCullum said. “But at the same time, you’ve got to just acknowledge how special that knock was, particularly out of batting position as well. I thought was a brave call from the Australian coaches and from Travis Head as well, to put himself up the order.”Ironically, despite the extent of England’s own batting failings at Perth, with all 20 of their wickets falling in just 67.3 overs across the two days, Head’s success has encouraged McCullum to double down on their own policy of going hard at Australia’s bowlers.”Clearly, they wanted to try and make that ball as soft as what they could, as quickly as they could,” he said. “You do that through two ways. Right? You either do it through absorbing pressure and letting them all go through to the keeper, or you try and do what Travis he did, and batter it to all parts and make teams go away from their lengths. And he was superb.”As everyone knows, that’s the style of play that we try and replicate as well, to try and put opposition teams under pressure and take them away from bowling the most dangerous length. It doesn’t always work. And there were times today, with bat in hand, where we tried to do that, and it didn’t work. But the way that Travis Head played, he took the game away from us.”Case in point was the performance of Scott Boland, who bounced back from his rough first-innings figures of 10-0-62-0 to deliver the decisive spell of the day, immediately after lunch, as England lost 4 for 11 in 19 balls. Both of their set batters, Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope fell in consecutive overs after getting bogged down by Boland’s accuracy, and when Harry Brook and Joe Root tried to take the aggressive option before they had the measure of the conditions, they too both fell cheaply.Related

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“Boland bowled exceptionally well,” McCullum said. “He hit the deck hard, his paces were up as well, particularly after I felt we were on top of him a little bit in the first innings. The way he came back was a really pivotal moment. We were 100 in front, one-down, there was a time for us to be able to try and manoeuvre the game more into our favour and start to build the lead.”But in the end, we got out. We nicked out a couple of wider balls, and some of our high-quality players, who are free-wheeling types of cricketers, weren’t quite able to put pressure back on the opposition. We found ourselves in a bit of a collapse, and that’s something we’ll have to look at.”But I never want us to go away from our style. That is our best opportunity to try and put opposition teams under pressure. Yes, there’s times where we have to throttle down, and times where we can power up, but the basic principle of how we try and operate as a team is to try and exert some pressure back on the opposition.”The magnitude and manner of the defeat means that the reaction in the local media, and from the fans – both English and Australian – is likely to be off the scale in the coming days, especially given some of the headlines that contributed to the pre-series phoney war.McCullum, however, backed the culture of the dressing-room to withstand the worst of the criticism, much as has been the case throughout the ups and downs of his three-and-a-half-year tenure.”We’ve been trying to insulate against reacting to things too much for a little while,” he said. “We know that this one’s going to hurt, and it’s going to hurt not just us, but all the English people that follow this cricket team as well.”There’ll be a lot of a lot of chatter. For us, it’s a matter of making sure that we don’t allow our confidence and our camaraderie to dip too low. We know that at our best, we’re a very good cricket team. We have now got an extended amount of time off over the next 10 to 12 days to make sure that when we get to Brisbane, we bounce back.”One of my big beliefs is you got to build that unity, that cohesion, the connectivity and that camaraderie within a team for when you are under the biggest pressure, and the brightest lights, and things haven’t worked out accordingly. To me, there is no other way other than to stay together, and keep backing one another, and keep heading towards the target.”This is a marathon, not a sprint. We’ve had a very bad day today, but we’ve done it before. That’s our blueprint. We’re married to that, and we won’t back down from that over the next four Tests.”

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