Gritty New Zealand frustrate India

New Zealand and Kane Williamson witnessed Australia lift the trophy of the Twenty20 World Cup in Dubai – without even letting a competition take place. It was another defeat in the finals of an ICC event. But in one format, New Zealand have shown why they are the current champions and which is Test cricket. They might be done and dusted, but they keep on breathing and fight – Kanpur witnessed one of the breathtaking Test matches of this year, where the Kiwis frustrated India and snatched a draw from the jaws of defeat.

India surfaced a test Xi without some of the major players and that included Virat Kohli. Ajinkya Rahane was leading the side and he had no hesitation in electing to bat on a deck that would turn as the day progresses.

Team India played with five specialist batters despite missing Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Kohli and Rishabh Pant – kept the faith in the batting abilities of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin and emphasized on the spinners, who would enjoy a fantastic Test match, until the sturdiness of the Kiwis showed up.    

The debutante Shreyas Iyer scored a cultured half-century and put on an unbroken 113 for the fifth wicket with Jadeja to lift India out of a tricky situation midway through day one and put them in control.

At stumps on Day 1, India were 258 for 4 with Iyer batting on 75, his last scoring shot of the day a six over midwicket off Will Somerville, which convinced New Zealand to go off for bad light rather than bowl more spin to complete the 90-over requirement for the day.

 Jadeja, meanwhile, had just reached his 17th half-century in Test cricket.

On day 2, Tim Southee delivered one of the great Test-match spells by a visiting fast bowler in India to drag New Zealand back into the Kanpur Test, before Will Young and Tom Latham put on a resolute and unbroken 129 to ensure all four results were still in play after two engrossing days.

Southee picked up four wickets in an unbroken spell of 11 overs on the second morning to complete his 13th five-wicket haul in Test cricket and his second in India.

After being bowled out for 345, India tried their best to breach the New Zealand batting order, but their five bowlers failed.

While the ball occasionally gripped and turned square, and more often kept low, the slowness of the surface allowed the batters to adjust and survive.

Starting the day at 258 for 4 with two half-centurions at the crease, India were bowled out for the addition of only 87 runs. The bulk of those runs came from Shreyas Iyer, who became the 16th India batter to score a century on debut, and Ashwin, who made a counterattacking 38 at number eight.

“When I came to Kanpur, I didn't know I was going to play,” Iyer said to the reporters.

“Rahul sir [Dravid, the coach] and skipper [Ajinkya Rahane] came to me and said I was going to play [after KL Rahul was ruled out]. Suddenly I had to get into the mindset of red-ball cricket.”

“The last match I played was almost three years back, which was Irani Trophy. I took this as an opportunity and a challenge as well. Once you play white-ball cricket for so long, getting back to red-ball cricket is a different ball game. The mindset and routine has to be on point. That's what I focused on rather than thinking about how I am going to play and thinking about who I am going to face on the ground.”

“All these thoughts I completely negated. I focused more on my processes. I knew I had the skill. Rahul sir and Ajinkya motivated me a lot. They told me you don't have to change anything because you have played this game before. You have played Ranji Trophy so well, scored so many runs with a really good average. That was my mindset coming to the ground.”

“Sunil Gavaskar sir, when he gave me the cap, told me one important point,” Iyer said.

'You don't have to think about your past, you don't have to think about your future. All you have got is present, and you have got to focus on the next ball.' That's what I have been doing throughout. So my aim is to think about today, not think about the next game. If I think about that, I wouldn't be able to perform on the given day. Whatever happens - happens for the best, and I will take it in my stride and move forward.”

On Day 3, the Indian spinners reaped a rich harvest.

Axar Patel picked up a fifth five-wicket haul in his fourth Test to help India bowl New Zealand out for 296 and take a first-innings lead of 49.

On a Kanpur pitch where the ball was keeping low from time to time, Axar reaped the benefit of targeting the stumps and finished with figures of 5 for 62.

The Indian openers needed to survive five overs before the close of play.

Kyle Jamieson, though, disturbed the timber of Shubman Gill with the first ball of the second over and reached 50 wickets in only his ninth Test.

In doing so, he bettered Shane Bond's New Zealand record by three matches. The overall record belongs to Charlie Turner of Australia, who took his 50th wicket in his sixth Test.

Mayank Agarwal and Cheteshwar Pujara took India to stumps, extending their lead to 63.\

On Day 4, Shreyas Iyer followed up his 105 in the first innings with 65 to help India set New Zealand a target of 284 in the first Test in Kanpur. He was well-supported by Wriddhiman Saha, who struck an unbeaten 61 after being off the field with a stiff neck on day three.

In the morning session, Southee, Jamieson and Ajaz Patel had reduced India to 51 for 5, but Iyer and Ashwin exhibited composure with a 52-run stand for the sixth wicket.

Then, Iyer and Saha added 64 for the seventh wicket to take India's lead past 200.

Iyer was caught down the leg side off Southee in the last over before tea but Saha and Axar Patel dashed any hopes New Zealand might have had of keeping the target under 250.

Both of them added 67 runs in 20.4 overs in an unbroken eighth-wicket stand.

India finally declared on 234 for 7, and in the four overs possible before bad light forced stumps, Ashwin dismissed Will Young lbw with the one that kept low.

The final day at Kanpur is a part of Test cricket folklore.

William Somerville and Tom Latham were very impressive with the way they batted. 

New Zealand did not lose a single wicket in the first session of Day 5 and there would have been plenty of nerves in the Indian camp. But after Lunch, things turned around. Somerville fell and Latham too had to walk back to the hut.

Before tea, the dismissal of Ross Taylor was telling blow while Williamson was the lone man standing.

Indian spinners ruled the roost post Tea.

Patel started things off by taking the wicket of Henry Nicholls and that triggered a collapse.

Jadeja was the main bowler in the last session though as his 3 wickets in that session put India just 1 wicket away from a memorable victory.

 Two of the finest spinners from India tried and tested all their experience and skillsets to dismantle the last pair of New Zealand – debutante Rachin Ravindra and Aijaz Patel.

The ball was keeping low; the turn was sharp and threatening like a spitting Cobra, the fielders were close and were waiting for a catch as if vultures were waiting for their prey – but nothing could deter the last pair of New Zealand.

Bad light prompted an early finish – New Zealand survived the scare and scripted one of the greatest escapes in their cricketing history.

Patel was not on 6 facing 5 balls while Rachin faced 91 balls for his valuable 18 runs.

“It has been touch and go around this time throughout this Test. The Indian side is a formidable one, they were on top for the large part but we hung around. All three results were in play but we fought hard and showed the fight on the last day. Rachin is a top-order batter, but is not experienced in these conditions. The two fast players we played were outstanding, kept bowling long overs and kept us in the game. We know this Indian side is a very strong one in all departments, so we have to be at our best all the time. As a bowling attack, getting overs under the belt was good. We will play in Mumbai on a different surface, so we need to prepare differently,” said Williamson at the presentation ceremony.

Meanwhile, Rahane said, “[on the timing of the declaration] Not really, we tried our best. They played really well. I think the way we came back in the second session was good. The fast bowlers too bowled really well. We wanted to get that partnership going, put some runs on board. Saha and Axar batted really well. Before that Shreyas and Ashwin's partnership was crucial. We wanted to bowl four overs yesterday and 90-95 in all. [on chat with the umpires towards the end] It was about the light. I think the umpires made the right call regarding light. [On having three spinners] Sometimes it feels, am I giving Ashwin too few overs? Am I bowling Axar too much? I am really happy for Shreyas, the way he has worked on his game. Virat will come back for the Mumbai Test. I will not make any comments, the management will take the call.”

The draw at Kanpur breaks a sequence of 12 successive result Tests in India, the second-longest such streak. Between 1988 and 1994, there were 13 successive results in Tests in India.

India were 12-1 in those Tests, with the only defeat coming against NZ in Mumbai, which was the last time they won a Test in India.

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 29/11/2021 Gritty New Zealand frustrate India

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had to go

At Watford missed two penalties and then they shot four times past David de Gea to rub salt on the wounds of Manchester United, whose campaign in this season is turning out to be yet another nightmare, while for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – time seemed to run fast as far as his role as a coach was concerned. The Manchester United hierarchy kept the faith in him despite the failures – but still, he had to go and that was the only way the Red Devils could find one solution for many problems.

 Manchester United have confirmed the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and said they are looking to appoint an interim manager to the end of the season.

Solskjær’s fate was sealed at an emergency board meeting on Saturday night after the team’s 4-1 defeat at Watford. He gave an emotional interview to the club on Sunday in which he said, “I’m going to leave by the front door because I think everyone knows I’ve given everything for this club.”

Eyes welling with tears as he discussed Michael Carrick taking temporary charge while an interim manager is sought, he said, “I’m becoming emotional now because he’s top, they’ll be fine. I’ll watch them and support them.”

United’s statement announcing his exit said, “Ole will always be a legend at Manchester United and it is with regret that we have reached this difficult decision. While the past few weeks have been disappointing, they should not obscure all the work he has done over the past three years to rebuild the foundations for long-term success.

“Ole leaves with our sincerest thanks for his tireless efforts as manager and our very best wishes for the future. His place in the club’s history will always be secure, not just for his story as a player, but as a great man and a manager who gave us many great moments. He will forever be welcome back at Old Trafford as part of the Manchester United family.

“Michael Carrick will now take charge of the team for forthcoming games, while the club looks to appoint an interim manager to the end of the season.”

When Ole was appointed as the coach of Manchester United, the Red Devils’ relationship with Jose Mourinho fell apart and he came to repair the “damage” done by Mourinho – well, the start was satisfactory, but gradually the wheels started to came off and this season the patience certainly took its toll with Ole.

It all started unravelling for Solskjaer after the 4-2 defeat at the hands of Leicester City on October 16 and after the disgraceful 5-0 hammering at home to Liverpool increased those concerns.

Reports suggest, “The players were left unimpressed with Solskjaer's half-time message with United already 4-0 down, as his team talk spoke of merely ‘keeping a clean sheet in the second half.’

Senior members of the squad began to question Solskjaer's tactics while there was confusion as to why club captain Harry Maguire - who was at fault for at least one Leicester goal - had been picked to start, despite not being fully fit having been rushed back from injury.

It is not the first time Solskjaer's decisions have left players bemused – it happened before!

It was tough to decipher, not only for the players but for the experts and fans as well of which tactics Ole was exploiting on the field.

Players like Donny van de Beek and eagerly awaited prodigy Jadon Sancho were almost history in Ole’s plan while the switching of formations without an impact on the pitch – left each and everyone furious.

Reports suggested, “that players were not given explanations as to why they were being left out of the team, and Solskjaer found it difficult to make hard calls on big decisions.”

“The final call on one player receiving treatment for an injury problem, for example, was left to director of football negotiations, Matt Judge, while there was a lack of communication between Solskjaer and the board over his plans for the summer and who would be free to leave the club on loan.”

“He had not even made a decision on who was going to be his number one goalkeeper when the team reported back for pre-season, with Dean Henderson's struggles in recovering from Covid-19 eventually deciding it for him.”

“Then there was the issue with the coaching standards and concern from some players over a lack of 'edge' in sessions.”

Sources say that Cristiano Ronaldo was so furious that he was in his car less than 10 minutes after the final whistle of the match against Manchester City.

#OleOut kept on trending on social media, but Manchester United think tank did not bother to search for a new coach whereas Antonio Conte was available.

After the dismal showing at Vicarage Road on Saturday confirmed that there was no way back. An emergency meeting on Saturday night between Joel Glazer and Woodward brought the end of Ole’s regime – it should have happened long ago and now it seems that it’s too late.

Rumours suggest, either Mauricio Pochettino or Zinedine Zidane might too over, but no confirmations yet.

No matter which coach Manchester United appoint, he would have to repair a lot of damages done by Ole in the last couple of years. At the moment, Manchester United would require a courageous and dynamic coach, which is hard to find right at this moment. 

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 22/11/2021 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had to go

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Will the return of Dani Alves work for Barcelona?

A few days ago Barcelona and Dani Alves reached an agreement in principle for the player to join the football first team for the remainder of the current season.

Dani Alves was presented as a Barcelona signing for the second time in front of 10,378 supporters at the Camp Nou on Wednesday, and the 38-year-old has made clear that he still has a lot to offer on the pitch.

The Brazilian right-back was in good spirits as usual and, having made several calls to Barcelona president Joan Laporta to inform him of his desire to return to the club where he played between 2008 and 2016, Xavi Hernandez finally gave the green light for his former teammate to be signed.

Dani Alves came to Barça in the summer of 2008 after five brilliant seasons in Sevilla. In the Catalan capital, he made the right-back slot his own across eight seasons, making 391 official appearances and scoring 23 goals.

Although his main role has always been in defence, in the true Brazilian wing-back tradition, Alves also likes to join the attack, where he has a fine shot from outside the area, earning him the reputation as one of the finest players of all time in his position. He was an automatic choice under all of Pep Guardiola, Tito Vilanova, Tata Martino and Luis Enrique, and the fans loved his dedication and extroverted character. In the summer of 2016, he left for Juventus, and since then has been at Paris Saint-Germain and lastly, at São Paulo back in his home country.

Alves has also played for Brazil, winning six major titles, most recently the Tokyo Olympic Games, where he lined up in the final against Spain where the likes of Oscar Mingueza, Eric Garcia and Pedri featured who would now be his teammates.

Alves won 23 titles at FC Barcelona: 6 Ligas, 4 Copas del Rey, 3 Champions League, 3 Club World Cups, 3 Spanish Super Cups and 4 European Super Cups.

He also won titles at Juventus (2), Paris Saint-Germain (6) and Sao Paulo (1) before returning to Catalonia.

Adding the various honours he won with EC Bahia (3), Sevilla (5) and Brazil (6), his total haul of 46 titles is regarded as the most ever won by a senior footballer.

Now that is a fantastic record for a player, who deserved to lift the World Cup in yellow shirts, but, perhaps, Brazil as a team was never able to live up to the expectations throughout the last decade despite boasting with talents.

Right now, a new journey would start for Alves – let just say it would be the restart to the Barca journey – but the question would always remain whether he would be able to rekindle his glory days at Camp Nou or not – Or, Alves would play the role as a mentor and assistant to Xavi at Barca, could be guessed.

“I wasn't born to be second, I was always first. I'm here to fight, I'm not here to pass time or to live in Barcelona,” Dani Alves said during his presentation.

 

“I've come here to play and fight for a place [in the team]. It's not because I made history or because of my good relationship with Xavi.”

“With my work I'm going to fight and try to contribute. Age is just a number. I just proved it at the Olympics. People will expect the best from me and I will respond as always.”

Alves' desire to return to Barcelona had been much discussed; with it seeming like the club would go in another direction before a U-turn resulted in him arriving in Catalonia.

“I was very tough with the president and insisted that I wanted to come back. This club has given me everything I have,” he explained.

“I didn't see myself under any kind of obligation, but I was happy to help... maybe that's why I passed the decision on to Xavi. He called me and told me he wants me to join.”

“When you want something, you achieve it and it doesn't matter how much you earn, your salary...”

“I need to support my family, the people I look after, but it wasn't the time to think about that, only about helping Barcelona. Everything else is secondary when you get a call from Barcelona.”

“We are willing to do anything to see Barcelona at the top of the table, winning trophies...”

Lionel Messi was one of the players Alves had a great relationship with during his first spell at Barcelona, and he admits that it is a shame they will not be playing alongside each other now.

“If you give me a couple of hours, I'll go and get him,” Alves joked when asked about Messi.

“History has been written and he will always be remembered. He’s the greatest thing I've ever seen and had as a teammate.”

“You always miss the greats, it's normal, especially if you have a good relationship with them. It would have been incredible to see him here, but it wasn't to be. I've been to many places, but there's no place like Barcelona.”

Alves has signed a contract at Barcelona that runs until June 30, at which point he would be 39 years old, and he understands that he needs to perform well if he is to prolong his stay at the Camp Nou.

“I have until June [to impress] and then everything can be talked about, it will depend on the results,” he commented.

“If my grade is 4.5 [out of 10] I'm out... you have to have a high grade to stay.”

Barcelona have been poor so far this season, sitting ninth in La Liga and on the brink of elimination in the Champions League, but Alves thinks they can go back to basics under Xavi.

“I think the team is doing well, with young players, but things can be done better,” Alves stated.

“That's Barcelona's style, doing things differently but all in tune with each other. We set the standards for [playing with] the ball and we have to show the youngsters that there is no margin for error. I'm sure we'll enjoy ourselves again.”

As usual, Dani Alves sounded confident and injected that feel-good mantra during the presentation. It seems that Xavi wants a reunion at camp Nou rather than trying and testing with the options he has. For some coaches the plan is always different when the matter is about building a team – maybe, for Xavi, it is about starting with a reunion of old mates because Laporta stated, the returns of Andreas Iniesta and Messi could not be ruled out.  

So, it could be guessed, Xavi wishes to bring back the flavour of 2008-2015 when Barca were right on top – with those players who have already passed their best. Only time can tell how well this strategy would work, but to be honest, this is a dangerous ploy that can backfire.

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 18/11/2021 Will the return of Dani Alves work for Barcelona?

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Xavi returns home, but can he revamp Barcelona?

A memorable farewell

June 6, 2015: In the seventy-eighth minute, one of the finest midfielders of his generation, Xavi Hernandez came on as a substitute for another legend – Andreas Iniesta to make his final appearance for Barcelona, where he started his journey at a young age. It was a memorable farewell to the man with an illustrious journey – Barca lifted their fifth European title by beating Juventus at Berlin.

 Xavi, as club captain, lifted the trophy. This made Barcelona the first club in history to win the treble of domestic league, domestic cup and European Cup twice. Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Gerard Pique, Pedro, Sergio Busquets and Dani Alves were part of both treble-winning teams.

On May 21, 2015, Xavi announced that he would join Qatari club Al Sadd at the end of the 2014–15 season on a three-year contract. According to his agent, the deal would involve him becoming an ambassador for the World Cup in Qatar, and also commencing his coaching qualifications.

On May 2 2019, Xavi announced that he would be retiring from professional football at the end of the season.

Three weeks later, it was announced that Xavi would take over as manager of Al Sadd on a two-year contract. As a manager in Qatar, Xavi’s performance has been praiseworthy - In all, Xavi has taken charge of 93 games with the Qatari side, winning 63, drawing 14 and losing 16.

Most importantly, his style of playing the game attracted many because it was the reminiscence of the fluid football of Barcelona that charmed the world once upon a time.

In Qatar, Xavi utilized a possession-oriented 3-2-4-1 shape that focuses more on winning the ball high up the pitch and then quickly creating space for the “4” in his 3-2-4-1 between the opponent’s midfield and attack. But the players actually shape up in a 3-4-3 formation and then switch accordingly to the demand of the situation – Xavi injected the Cruyff philosophy in Qatar which not only charmed everyone but paid rich dividends.

While Xavi was reaping a rich harvest in Qatar, back in Camp Nou, things were falling apart – the once-mighty Barcelona were gradually reducing to a mid-table team and despite various chopping and changing of coaches, officials and players – the situation remained poor.

Xavi returns home

A few weeks ago, Ronald Koeman had been sacked and the demand to appoint Xavi as the new head coach garnered enough momentum.

The pundits and fans of Barcelona demanded Xavi, who would be like their Zinedine Zidane of Real Madrid and finally, their wish came true.

After hours of drama in Qatar, Barcelona finally announced Xavi Hernandez as their new manager late Friday night.

Barcelona made the announcement at night, when the entire country was sleeping and when nobody expected an announcement.

But there was a twist in the tale late at night.

The former midfielder is set to sign a contract until the summer of 2024. President Joan Laporta was reportedly informed of the decision to make the announcement as soon as he landed on Vigo for the squad's La Liga match against Celta. He's been in constant communication with Rafa Yuste.

Xavi was spotted shedding tears for the successful period he lived during his spell with Al-Sadd.

 Xavi and Barcelona's lawyers have been penning the manager's new contract without taking a break. They decided to not make any announcements until they were finished.

Xavi is set to depart Doha on a plane that leaves Qatar.

He is expected to attend Camp Nou on Monday with fans in the stands for his expected presentation as the new manager. Expectation has been running wild amongst Barca supporters who believe Xavi can be the Zidane for them.

Due to a confidentiality agreement, Barcelona would not disclose further details about the deal they struck with Al-Sadd until Monday.

However, the club from Qatar is expected to charge the exit fee for the manager. Both the coach and the Catalan club are expected to split the €5 million fees.

Barcelona welcomed Xavi through social media with open arms.  

So, everyone is expecting the beginning of a new era in Camp Now.

But can Xavi fulfil the expectations or not remains a moot question!

In Barcelona, Xavi would face a stiff challenge – the challenge of reorganizing a unit that is mentally fragile and are in tatters.

 “We need a coach with more experience,” said Laporta in February of Xavi, suggesting he should take over at Barcelona B first. However, after finally sacking Koeman, Laporta is turning to the choice of the people.

Laporta might have gone with the choice of the majority, but from the statement back in February, it can be assumed, Xavi is not one of Laporta’s favourite men as the coach, still, Laporta, who is a highly professional person, would always try to smooth things up for the new manager because, for him, the club comes first rather than personal liking and disliking.  

According to Onza, Xavi feels an overhaul of the club's medical services is vital. In this respect, Ricard Pruna, with 25 years of experience at the club, has been chosen to return.

On the bench, Xavi wants the backroom staff he's had in Qatar: his brother Oscar and Sergio Alegre, fitness coach Ivan Torres, physio Carlos Nogueira and scouts David Prats, Toni Lobo and Sergio Garcia.

The third demand relates to signings.

It is expected, Laporta would coordinate accordingly with the new manager.  

Can Xavi revamp Barcelona?

Xavi follows the philosophy of Johan Cruyff and Pep Guardiola. Obviously, he would try to organize Barca in that way.

To bring the best out of the 3-4-3 formation, Xavi needs to have players who are well-drilled and bears enough courage to move with such an attacking format.

He would have his Adoni Zubizaretta in between the sticks in the shape of Marc-Andre ter Stegen who is still good despite some sloppiness.

For the left and right centre-backs and play-making centre-back – I don’t think Barca have the best options and meanwhile, whenever they tried to exploit the three-men backline since Luis Enrique left, Barca had been exposed.

From the play-making centre-back the moves toward the centre-midfielder, who acts both as a ball-advancing player and pivot in front of the defence. In the midfield, at present, coaches use the attacking wing-backs upfront to balance between attack and defence.

Sadly, Xavi might not have had the luxury at the start.

 Jerard Pique has been badly exposed at centre-back, most recently by Luis Rioja in the 1-1 draw with Deportivo Alaves, while Sergio Busquets can be overrun in midfield. Roberto is regularly the target of whistles from a frustrated Camp Nou, while Jordi Alba’s defensive weaknesses can be exploited. Meanwhile, Sergino Dest can also be caught easily during the transition.

Frankie de Jong seems to have lost the confidence after being used at various positions by the coaches whereas; he could easily have flourished if played consistently at the central midfield. De Jong should suit well in the 3-4-3 formation, but his lack of confidence is a matter of concern.

Riqui Puig might discover himself as avery important player in the Xavi era if De Jong fails to strike the right chord.

Another player, who is the shadow of the past is Philippe Coutinho –injuries and misuse have dented his development in Camp Nou and after the appointment of Xavi, he might discover himself in a tricky situation because, the Brazilian might not suit Xavi’s plans, who loves wider players, that are quicker on the ball at the attacking zone.

Ousmane Dembele is one player who would suit his plans if he is fit enough to play and then there would be Ansu Fati.

And in between the wings, he would prefer a Luis Suarez, which at the moment, is not available in Barca.

Luuk de Jong and Memphis Depay would experience a tough time in Barca with the arrival of Xavi.

The former, on loan from Sevilla, may already have played his last minutes for the club, depending on Sergio Aguero's condition after he went off against Alaves.

Memphis, meanwhile, is an important part of Barcelona’s attacking line, but his risk-taking style does not gel well with Xavi’s tactics of keeping the ball.

The Dutch forward has been guilty of numerous turnovers in each game and always wants to produce a moment of magic that cannot happen every time.

Xavi needs to decide whether he wishes to invest time in rejuvenating the current players or sign new ones during the winter transfer who would suit his philosophy soon because this is not Al Sadd but Barcelona, where everyone demands a result quickly rather than waiting too long. It would not be an easy task for Xavi in a club that is a mess right now and also, it would be funny for the fans to put Xavi and Zidane on the same boat as a manager – each manager has their own style and then there comes a unique legend like Zidane. 

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer on 06/11/2021 Xavi returns home, but can he revamp Barcelona?

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

It's Conte time at Spurs

“For the Spurs, at this period of time, none could be the ideal coach than Conte – who can bring them back on track”

The departure of Nuno Espirito Santo was just a matter of time. The think tank of Tottenham Hotspur showed enough patience with Nuno and many regarded him as a gamble, which, ultimately backfired.

 The 3-0 loss at home to Manchester United proved to be the last straw for the Spurs board -Nuno Espirito Santo had been sacked by Tottenham after only four months in charge.

Nuno was appointed permanent successor to Jose Mourinho in June, with Spurs handing him an initial two-year contract.

That agreement has been terminated early in the wake of the 3-0 home defeat to Manchester United, which leaves the North London outfit 10 points adrift of Premier League leaders Chelsea after 10 games.

An announcement on Spurs' website confirmed Nuno, along with coaching staff Ian Cathro, Rui Barbosa and Antonio Dias, have all been relieved of their duties.

Spurs managing director Fabio Paratici, who like Nuno only arrived at the club in the summer, said: "I know how much Nuno and his coaching staff wanted to succeed and I regret that we have had to take this decision.

“Nuno is a true gentleman and will always be welcome here. We should like to thank him and his coaching staff and wish them well for the future.”

Nuno took charge of just 17 games across all competitions as Tottenham head coach, recording nine wins, one draw and seven losses.

Five of those defeats came in the Premier League, with Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Arsenal and West Ham getting the better of his side in addition to United.

Spurs had the second-worst totals in both shots and chances created in the Premier League under Nuno, who also has the unwanted record of the most defeats by three goals or more in the division so far this season.

No sooner had the tenure of Nuno ended - The Spurs wasted no time in appointing the former Italian coach – Antonio Conte, who last season, helped Inter win the Scudetto after 10 years.

Antonio Conte has been appointed Tottenham manager to replace the sacked Nuno Espirito Santo, with the Italian signing an initial 18-month contract that includes an extension option.

Conte, who met his new squad for the first time on Tuesday morning, returns to the Premier League three years on from a stint at Chelsea that delivered top-flight title glory and an FA Cup triumph.

Conte expressed his delight after being named Spurs manager, telling the club's website:

“I am extremely happy to return to coaching, and to do so at a Premier League club that has the ambition to be a protagonist again.”

“Tottenham Hotspur has state-of-the-art facilities and one of the best stadiums in the world. I can't wait to start working to convey to the team and the fans the passion, mentality and determination that have always distinguished me, as a player and as a coach.”

“Last summer our union did not happen because the end of my relationship with Inter was still too recent and emotionally too involved with the end of the season, so I felt that it wasn’t yet the right time to return to coaching.”

“But the contagious enthusiasm and determination of Daniel Levy in wanting to entrust me with this task had already hit the mark. Now that the opportunity has returned, I have chosen to take it with great conviction.”

Tottenham managing director Fabio Paratici, who previously worked with Conte at Juventus, added:

“We are delighted to welcome Antonio to the club. His track record speaks for itself, with vast experience and trophies in both Italy and England.

“I know first-hand the qualities Antonio can bring to us, having worked with him at Juventus, and look forward to seeing his work with our talented group of players.”

Conte has a job on his hands - the team is currently ninth in the Premier League table, with 15 points from 10 games; they trail leaders Chelsea by 10 points and are five points off the top four. So Conte will really have to turn things around if Spurs are to qualify for next year's Champions League. His team face tough competition -  Manchester United, Arsenal and West Ham are all better placed for the last berth at the moment.

Unfortunately, Tottenham aren't doing much better in Europe.

They have been struggling on the road in the first edition of the Conference League but have been getting results at home. Conte will take some comfort in that as his first game in charge is against Vitesse, in London, on Thursday. 

Spurs are third in their qualifying group on four points - two behind Vitesse and three behind leaders Rennes.

Success, whether in the Premier League, FA Cup or Europe is paramount to whether Harry Kane stays at the club or tries his luck elsewhere. The England captain is under contract until June 2024 but contemplating a move to a club where he might enjoy the kind of success he is not getting at Spurs. City, who have been without an out-and-out striker since Kun Aguero's departure, would offer that and they have been strongly linked to Kane.  

Apart from getting the team's confidence back, results coming in and hopefully, convincing Kane to stick out the next two years of his contract, Conte's other task at Tottenham will be to start rebuilding the squad and clearing out all of the deadwood.

Giovani Lo Celso has been disappointing since his 32-M euro move from Betis - injury blighted his first season and he has only made a handful of starts across three competitions with a return of one goal in 12 appearances.

He, along with Steven Bergwijn and Dele Alli could be on the way out of the club.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the sword could also fall on Lucas Moura in Conte's plans to revitalize the Spurs attack.

Some outlets claim that Daniel Levy has approved 175 million euros towards new signings but luring the players that Conte has in mind won't be easy.

Among the players who could soon be available are AC Milan's Franck Kessie and Fiorentina's Dusan Vlahovic, both could be snapped up on free transfers next summer although Spurs are not the only clubs interested in the pair.

Atletico Madrid are believed to have Vlahovic lined up for next season while Kessie, who is valued at 55 million euros, has drawn interest from Juventus, Liverpool, PSG, Barcelona and Real Madrid.

According to today’s print edition of Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, who report that Nicolo Barella, Lautaro Martinez, and Milan Skriniar are also among the new Tottenham coach’s top targets.

Conte will look to Serie A to bring in players who suit his ideas and fill positions in his new-look Spurs side, and the first destination for them will likely be the Nerazzurri where the Italian coach had worked successfully for two seasons.

Barella is a player who developed significantly under Conte and who Tottenham could try and convince to come to the Premier League, while Martinez is also a player that the club tried to sign in the summer transfer window.

Martinez has signed an extension with the Nerazzurri, but this may not stop the London-based side from pursuing his signature at some point in the near future at the behest of Conte.

Skriniar is another player who Spurs had targeted in past transfer windows, and Tottenham Sporting Director Fabio Paratici is an admirer of the Slovak defender who he could seek to reunite with Conte in London.

Meanwhile, Marcelo Brozovic is yet another player who struck up a good relationship with Conte at the Nerazzurri, and with the Croat’s current deal expiring next summer he could also be a target for Tottenham.

In the end, these are all speculative and part of a plan that remains to be executed.

But it can be assumed; Conte would spend during the winter and next summer transfer to build his force and put them in the right places in his 3-5-2 or 3-4-3 formation.  No matter which players Conte buys, he would have to build the whole unit centring the dynamic duo – Kane and Heung-Min Son.

There is no doubt, Conte is tactically one of the most efficient coaches in world football and he has brought a lot of dynamism among teams that struggled before his arrival. Inter is the latest example that shone brightly last season in the Italian Serie A.

For the Spurs, at this period of time, none could be the ideal coach than Conte – who can bring them back on track.

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 02/11/2021 It's Conte time at Spurs

Thank You

Faisal Caesar