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كشف فرناندو سانتوس، المدير الفني السابق لمنتخب البرتغال، عن متابعته للكرة المصرية منذ فترة طويلة، مشيرًا إلى أن مانويل جوزيه يعد أفضل مدرب برتغالي عمل في مصر.

وقال سانتوس في تصريحات عبر برنامج رقم 10 المذاع على الفضائية الأولى: “كنت أتابع مانويل جوزيه وكارلوس كيروش لأنني كنت أتوقع أنني سأكون في مصر يومًا ما لتدريب فريق”.

بشكتاش يعلن إقالة فرناندو سانتوس من تدريب الفريق

وأضاف: “جوزيه كان عنيدًا ومخضرمًا، وحقق نجاحات كبيرة، وكان الأفضل في مصر من وجهة نظري”.

وعن بطولة كأس العالم للأندية، تابع سانتوس: “البطولة مهمة جدًا، ومشاركة 32 فريقًا قرار مناسب ويزيد الحماس”.

وأشار: “الأهلي في مجموعة قوية تضم أربعة فرق كبيرة، وأي مواجهة ستكون صعبة، ولا يمكن توقع الفائز لأن الأمر يعتمد على الحظوظ”.

وتابع: “بالميراس هو أصعب فريق يواجه الأهلي، لكنه فريق قوي وصعب التغلب عليه إفريقيًا، ونحن في أوروبا نسمع دائمًا عن الأهلي ونشاهد فريقًا بشخصية قوية في مبارياته”.

واختتم سانتوس تصريحاته قائلاً: “تلقيت عروضًا للتدريب في مصر بعد رحيلي عن تدريب منتخب البرتغال، وسأدرس الخيارات المتاحة”.

Leeds United have now been provided with an injury update on a key player, who manager Daniel Farke has previously described as “unbelievable”.

Leeds already struggling on the injury front

With three games played of the new Premier League season, Leeds are likely to be happy with the start they’ve made, having collected four points and kept clean sheets in both of their games at Elland Road.

That is despite the fact two first-team players have already suffered injury setbacks, namely Ao Tanaka and Ethan Ampadu, who are set to spend a little while longer on the treatment table due to MCL issues.

Losing Tanaka will be particularly frustrating for the manager, as the midfielder made a fantastic start to the campaign, being voted Player of the Match for his performance in the 1-0 victory against Everton.

With the international break now upon us, the most important thing for Farke will be all his players returning to Elland Road unscathed, but there has already been a cause for concern.

As reported by the BBC’s Adam Pope, Joe Rodon has withdrawn from the Wales squad ahead of their matches against Kazakhstan and Canada, but thankfully it is not thought to be a major issue.

Pope added: “I’m told it’s not serious & he should be ok to face Fulham.”

It has since been widely reported that concussion protocols meant Rodon couldn’t be called up for his national side, which will no doubt be frustrating for the 54-time international, but it is a boost for Leeds that he should be fit for the trip to Fulham on September 13th.

"Unbelievable" Rodon has made impressive start to the campaign

Getting a positive result at the Emirates Stadium was always going to be a tall order, and the Whites struggled as expected, but otherwise they have made a promising start to the new campaign, and the Welsh defender has looked impressive.

The 27-year-old has started all three games, most recently putting in a solid display to keep Newcastle United at bay, with a point against a Champions League side certainly not to be sniffed at.

Farke has also made it clear just how highly he rates the defender, who is widely reported to pocket £40k-a-week, saying: “He has unbelievable pace and it is good when we have to defend that high in the field, it helps.

“He brings also aerial threat into our game, we have many smaller, not the tallest players, (it’s) also important for us in terms of set-pieces he is strong in duals and build up passes in his technique.”

As such, the Leeds boss will be grateful Rodon’s injury is likely nothing to be worried about, ahead of their trip to Craven Cottage in just over one week.

A hat-trick for the South African pace bowler Kyle Abbott as evening sunshine flooded across Worcester all but settled the battle of the bottom two

David Hopps at New Road05-Sep-20181:45

Drama at Taunton as Somerset and Lancashire tie

ScorecardA hat-trick for the South African pace bowler Kyle Abbott as evening sunshine flooded across Worcester all but settled the battle of the bottom two in Hampshire’s favour and gave them renewed hopes of salvaging their Division One status, as well as perhaps consigning Worcestershire to yet another relegation in their perpetual up-and-down existence.Abbott admitted last week that he had been struggling for inspiration in his second season at Hampshire after abandoning international cricket to play out his days in county cricket. A tweak to his contract, a few wickets last week at Chelmsford in a match where Hampshire were trounced by an innings, and the uplifting sight of an uneven, seaming Worcester pitch on which 24 wickets tumbled on the second day was all he needed to put the struggles behind him.Abbott returned the first hat-trick for Hampshire since Billy Taylor in 2006: Joe Clarke, the only batsman in the top six to make double figures, fell for 33 as he edged one that kept low; Josh Tongue, advanced in the order in a desperate attempt to keep Ed Barnard until the morning, was yorked; and Barnard then fell lbw to one that cut back markedly, completing a pair in the day. Abbott finished with 5 for 35 with the chance of the last two wickets on the morrow; Worcestershire need a further 128.Years fell from Hampshire’s experienced international attack as the ball seamed past the outside edge, as it has for two days. They scented a victim with every ball. Abbott, a domineering and robust figure again, felt his cares depart, his fellow South African Dale Steyn could imagine a Test career with stories still to tell, and Fidel Edwards made 36 seem no age at all.”I was pretty stoked up” – Abbott

Kyle Abbott (on his hat-trick): “It is the first of my professional career so I was pretty stoked up by it. It was quite surreal really, three different dismissals, which kind of sums up the pitch. Every ball I felt I was going to get a nick through to the keeper or slips, or bowl someone, or have an lbw.
Alan Richardson (Worcestershire bowling coach): “They’ve got a very good attack, three international quick bowlers on a wicket that has probably assisted them the whole way through so it has made it really challenging for our guys. They have been around a long time, highly skilled bowlers, potentially you would say that has been the difference, just that experience.”

It took one ball for Worcestershire’s second-innings task to appear forlorn, Daryl Mitchell, the one batsman to offer concerted resistance first time around, jabbing Abbott to first slip. A hush fell upon New Road; a vital component removed. Steyn picked off Tom Fell and Alex Milton with ease. Brett D’Oliveira was gated by Abbott, Ben Cox edged Edwards’ outswinger to the wicketkeeper and, although he waited for the decision, the umpires were right to send him packing. Hampshire took the extra half-hour only to be thwarted by desperate ninth-wicket resistance and, ultimately, bad light shortly after seven o’clock.Barring third-morning miracles, it suddenly looks dismal for Worcestershire. Elsewhere, Lancashire have salvaged a tie at Taunton and Yorkshire are putting up stubborn resistance at Trent Bridge. Surrey, champions elect, are next in line. Worcestershire’s young side has many admirable qualities, but top-order resilience is not one of them and the retention of Clarke, their prize batting asset, will be much harder if they go down.Worcestershire were slightly off the pace at the start of the day – 68 for 4 in reply to 191 – and to be dismissed for 120 in a further 16.2 overs served to deepen their predicament. Steyn breaking the innings with two wickets in four balls, D’Oliveira and Barnard both edging balls that snaked away.Hampshire’s lead was 71 and, on such a surface, they only needed to stretch it to 200 to feel in charge. To fall to 25 for 4 was not ideal, a reminder of the promise of Worcestershire’s young attack. But the make-up of struggling sides can be curious in late season, the residue of decisions taken to challenge players not at their best, which explains the decisive presence of Tom Alsop at No. 6 and Liam Dawson eye-catchingly low at No. 8, as they compiled 77 in 19 overs. Wayne Parnell’s intervention as he removed both just before tea helped him to 4 for 23 on his home Championship debut but it came too late.Kyle Abbott bowls for Hampshire•Getty ImagesDawson, of course, has pedigree at eight. He made 66 against India in Chennai there in his first Test innings in 2016, the highest debut score ever made by a batsman in that position. But only three Tests followed, plus a sprinkling of limited-over matches. At 28, further England opportunities might follow, but if they don’t, his challenge to achieve personal fulfilment is not dissimilar to that of Abbott.About the time Alsop and Dawson turned this match Hampshire’s way, a ripple of applause for Alsop’s fifty could be heard in the Ladies Pavilion where tea and cake was being dispensed with military efficiency.”Is that a wicket?” a Worcestershire member asked hopefully.”No, it’s a cheese scone, dear,” came the reply.Alan Bennett would have a field day here. But the confused response was understandable considering the surreal conversation that had just taken place. The previous customer had looked at a line of almond slices with slightly different pastry edges and said: “We used to call them strikers, centre backs and midfielders when I was at school.”The realisation that almond slices in at least one Worcester school were named after football, not cricket, perhaps goes some way to explaining Worcestershire’s never-ending challenge in maintaining life in Division One. Time evidently for Worcestershire’s cake bakers to descend upon the public schools and put a stop to it.

Cristiano Ronaldo's late efforts were not enough to save Al-Nassr, who were eliminated from the AFC Champions League by Al-Ain on penalties.

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• Teams play out insane seven-goal thriller
• Ronaldo takes match to shootout with 118th minute penalty
• But Al-Ain progress with victory on spot-kicks

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  TELL ME MORE

  At 1-0 down on aggregate and with home advantage on their side, the onus was on Al-Nassr to make a strong start in front of an expectant crowd. But the hosts were haunted by a familiar face in the first-half, with Soufiane Rahimi adding to his decisive goal in the first leg by scoring a scintillating first-half brace. Three goals down on aggregate mere minutes from the break, the writing appeared to be on the wall – until Abdulrahman Ghareeb's effort in first-half stoppage time gave Al-Nassr life. The 26-year-old winger turned home from close range after Sadio Mane had capitalised on some bizarre decision-making from Al-Ain 'keeper Khalid Eisa.

  Hope turned into optimism in the second half when Otavio helped make it 2-2. Eisa was again at fault as he somehow managed to turn the ball into his own net from a tight angle from the Portugese's shot. Al-Nassr pushed late in regulation time and should have gone ahead earlier than they did. Another mistake from Eisa saw him spill the ball directly into Cristiano Ronaldo's path mere yards from goal, but the Portuguese somehow fired wide. His blushes were spared moments later when Alex Telles' cross-cum-shot from a free-kick bamboozled Eisa, who again didn't cover himself in glory as Al-Nassr made it 3-2 to take it to extra time.

  The home side's efforts to push for a winner turned on its head when substitute Ayman Ahmed was sent off for a rash challenge following a VAR review. Mere minutes later Al-Ain scored again through Al Shamsi, but this time it was Al-Nassr 'keeper Raghed Najjar who was at fault. He clawed at a tame cross and fumbled it onto his own bar, leaving an easy tap-in for the substitute. The topsy-turvy tie wasn't done there, though. Ronaldo finally had his say, scoring a penalty in the 118th minute to make it 4-3 on the night and send the game to a shoot-out. However, those efforts weren't enough as Otavio missed the vital spot-kick, as Al-Ain progressed 3-1 on penalties.

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  Monday's defeat means Al-Nassr are knocked out of the AFC Champions League at the quarter-final stage for the first time since 2018-19.

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  THE MVP

  While Otavio missed the crucial kick, this was Rahimi's match – and tie. The Moroccan forward scored the vital goal in the first leg and his brace in the second should have put Al-Ain in cruise control headed to the semi-finals. But Eisa's errors proved costly and the away side had to do it the hard way, as Rahimi's fine individual efforts were cancelled out as Al-Nassr nearly completed a memorable comeback. With eight goals to his name in the competition – one behind Ronaldo after his late effort on Monday night – Rahimi has emerged as one of the AFC Champions League's standout performers this term.

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• THE BIG LOSER

  What a horrible night for the goalkeepers. Ronaldo's miss was a dreadful one but it was handed to him on a plate by Eisa, who had a game to forget for Al-Ain. He rushed out of his goal for no apparent reason for Al-Nassr's first, leaving himself horribly out of position, before turning home a completely misdirected shot by Otavio for a dreadful own-goal. Eisa also should have reacted quicker for Telles' strike for Al-Nassr's third, even if it was well hit through a crowd of players.

  That said, Eisa was ultimately let off the hook – unlike Najjar. The Al-Nassr goalkeeper made some good saves in the match but choked at the crucial moment. He snatched at a seemingly harmless cross in extra time and was unfortunate for it to bounce kindly off the bar into Al Shamsi's path. Not one he'll want to see back, and he couldn't make amends in the penalty shoot-out.

Surrey still have a chance of qualification, but Royal London Cup hopes have been extinguished north of the Thames

ECB Reporters Network03-Jun-2018
ScorecardTom Curran celebrated his latest England call-up by keeping alive Surrey’s Royal London One-Day Cup hopes at the expense of Middlesex at Lord’s.While his younger sibling Sam enjoyed being part of an England Test win at Headingley, Curran was named in the national squad for the upcoming ODI series against Australia.And the 23-year-old underlined his potential in the white-ball format with a match-winning 4-33 as the men from south of the river restricted the hosts to 234 all out – a target they made with some comfort thanks to Ben Foakes’ 86.Alec Stewart’s men will still need to beat Glamorgan in the last round of games and rely on favours from elsewhere if they are to make the knockout stages.For Middlesex those hopes are already over, a third successive defeat meaning their promising start to the competition ultimately came to nothing.Middlesex skipper Steven Finn opted to bat under cloudless skies at Lord’s, only to see Nick Gubbins bowled off the inside edge by Morne Morkel with only eight runs on the board.Stevie Eskinazi played more freely than in previous games, hoisting a big six over mid-wicket, but departed in Rikki Clarke’s first over courtesy of a thin edge through to Foakes.Curran then took centre stage, striking twice in an over when first Eoin Morgan and then Hilton Cartwright gave Foakes two more victims behind the timbers, leaving Middlesex 78-4.Paul Stirling raised his 50 amid the slump and found an ally in the shape of wicketkeeper John Simpson in a stand of 45, but the mini-revival was snuffed out when the latter drove Gareth Batty (1-33) into the hands of Clarke at backward point.And hopes of a sizeable target all but vanished when Stirling (67) chipped Will Jacks to mid-off.The fact the hosts saw out their overs was down to cameos from Nathan Sowter and Tom Helm, the latter bowled by Curran off the final ball of the innings.With a total short of par Middlesex needed early wickets and Finn obliged, trapping England man Jason Roy lbw in the first over.England discard Mark Stoneman and Jacks progressed with few alarms until an almighty mix-up saw the former comfortably run out.And the incident seemed to be playing on Jacks’ mind when he sent an ugly swipe off Finn into the hands of James Franklin at mid-off seven balls later.At 44-3 the game was in the balance, but Rory Burns and Foakes, who’d shared an unbeaten century partnership to beat Middlesex 12 months ago, pieced together a stand of 89 with increasing confidence.Such was their control it was a surprise when Burns was bowled by Ravi Patel attempting an ill-advised scoop, but with no scoreboard pressure Foakes and Ollie Pope (57 not out) produced a 98 stand.And although Foakes perished with four needed, the visitors eased home with 11 balls to spare.

England coach Trevor Bayliss hopes that Alex Hales is brave enough to reverse his decision to pursue a white-ball-only career if it does not work out for him

Andrew McGlashan in Christchurch09-Mar-2018

England coach Trevor Bayliss hopes that Alex Hales is brave enough to reverse his decision to pursue a white-ball-only career if it does not work out for him.Hales and Adil Rashid halted their first-class careers last month in favour of limited-overs contracts with their counties, in the belief it would allow them to improve in those formats both for the benefit of their international careers and also to make them more attractive to T20 leagues around the world.Rashid remains a first-pick for both England’s white-ball sides, but Hales has been sidelined throughout the one-day series in New Zealand following Ben Stokes’ return, with Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy given the opening roles.Bayliss said that he did not have any involvement in the decisions made by Hales and Rashid, saying it was an individual choice, but he believed there could still be an overall benefit to maintaining a red-call career in order to further a players’ limited-overs game.”I said to him [Hales] when it came out, that not playing red-ball cricket, hopefully that doesn’t affect him,” Bayliss said. “If he plays red-ball cricket you get a quantity of balls, and that helps with any form of the game. He had to weigh that up with going away and having the extra time to work on his white-ball skills. Only time will tell. If it doesn’t work, hopefully he is able to make a decision to come back into red-ball cricket.”Bayliss was aware of the possibility of Rashid making his career move from last year, but he was not at the heart of the players’ discussions.”Rash mightn’t have said anything but he might have mentioned it in passing,” Bayliss said. “We didn’t have a long discussion about it if he did. I certainly can’t remember it. But both those guys have their people they speak to at their counties and other coaches here. With Rash we knew it was a possibility from late last season. It’s totally up to them.”Adil Rashid gets a pat on the back from his captain•Getty Images

Although both players indicated they may reassess their decisions after the 2019 World Cup, any realistic chance of resuming a Test career has likely gone. The door had previously not been closed despite Rashid being overlooked for Mason Crane in the Ashes and Hales not featuring since the end of the Pakistan series in 2016. In the last English season, Hales tried to reinvent himself in first-class cricket by moving into Nottinghamshire’s middle and was briefly talked about as a potential option for the Ashes squad.”From that point of view it is a big decision,” Bayliss said. “Basically taking themselves out of the running for Test cricket. That might give us an idea of how they were personally thinking. We can’t do any more – that’s the decision they have to make and we have to move on.”Hales and Rashid will complete their current stint with England with the deciding ODI against New Zealand in Christchurch before the tour switches to Test mode. An important decision needs to made over the vice-captaincy following Stokes’ return. Stokes officially remains the Test vice-captain, having had the role prior to the incident in Bristol last September; when he was forced to miss the Ashes it was handed to James Anderson.Earlier in the tour, Test captain Joe Root said it was a matter that had still to be discussed and those conversations remain on the to-do list once the one-day series is concluded and tour moves to Hamilton for the warm-ups.”To be honest, that hasn’t been discussed as yet. I’m sure it’ll be something Joe and I will speak about very shortly,” Bayliss said. “[Stokes] was vice-captain because of his knowledge of the game and what he means to the team. But I thought Jimmy Anderson did a pretty good job during that Ashes series.”The next stage of Stokes’ legal case takes place on Monday following his plea of not guilty to a charge of affray – with the first hearing at Crown Court which he was given permission to miss because of the ongoing tour.Stokes has made a solid return to the international stage. He took the Player-of-the-Match award in Mount Maunganui, then battled against his natural instincts to score an important 39 off 73 balls on a tough pitch in Wellington, where he also took a super catch to spark New Zealand’s collapse.”We said before, there are always guys around the world who are able to put those things aside and get stuck back into it,” Bayliss said, “and I think we have seen over these games that he has put it aside and got on with it.”In terms of the reception he has received, New Zealand has offered Stokes a soft landing back into the England fold – a boisterous crowd in Dunedin as lively as it has got – but while it has made managing the situation easier, Bayliss believed he would have been able to cope in Australia.”It’s probably been a bit easier for him to sneak back in. With Ben, I don’t think it would have made any difference, it might have encouraged him even more to do well.”

da bwin： After losing 1-0 to Aston Villa last weekend, Arsenal bounced back this afternoon with a vital yet slightly nervy 2-0 win over Brighton at the Emirates.

da stake casino： Mikel Arteta’s side opened the scoring ten minutes after the break through a Gabriel Jesus header from a corner. Poor finishing let Arsenal down, but a Kai Havertz strike in the 87th minute secured the victory.

This win puts Arsenal at the top of the Premier League with 39 points after 17 matches.

Arsenal’s stats vs Brighton

The first 45 minutes saw Arsenal dominate the game, registering 15 shots, tallying up 0.93 xG and preventing the Seagulls from having a single strike. The Gunners found the most joy in wide areas and happily recycled the ball, which led to 58% possession.

The best opportunity of the half fell at the feet of Gabriel Martinelli after he drifted inside to get on the end of a Bukayo Saka cutback, but the Brazilian blazed it over the bar.

After the opener from Jesus in the second half, the hosts endured spells without the ball as Brighton began to get more of a foothold in the game and registered 59% possession. The Seagulls had six attempts at goal, with Pascal Grob squandering their best opportunity just before Arsenal’s German finished the tie.

In truth, Roberto De Zerbi’s side didn’t test Arsenal, and the hosts looked far more dangerous on the break, taking 11 shots and missing a couple of big chances.

Declan Rice’s game in numbers

Despite Jesus and Havertz getting on the scoresheet, Declan Rice was by far the most impressive player on the field.

The number 41 oozed class from the first whistle to the last, and it isn’t often that a player looks just as energetic in the first five minutes as they do a minute from time.

The England midfielder set the tempo, switched the play, and retained the ball brilliantly, as Brighton rarely had a sniff. This is shown by his 91% pass accuracy in the game, completing 53/58 passes while having 69 touches and completing 3/3 long balls.

The table below showcases a handful of Rice’s stats from the game.

Rice stats vs Brighton

Stats

Rice

Shots

2

Recoveries

4

Interceptions

3

Passes into final third

10

Dribbles (successful)

2 (1)

Stats via FotMob

In the second half, Arteta instructed his side to be more aggressive and on the front foot when the visitors were playing out from the back. This was a successful switch in approach from the boss, with Arsenal stealing the ball high up on multiple occasions, with Rice being particularly dominant and the driving force behind the squeeze.

However, his performance can be summed up with one move in the 84th minute. The 24-year-old received the ball inside his own half, spun past Gro,ss and drove at the defender before breezing past him and having a left-footed strike saved by the keeper. A one-of-a-kind midfielder who can do almost anything with ease.

The most impressive part is that he plays to this standard every week, earning the nickname of “Mr 9/10” from soccer correspondent James Benge.

Rice displayed once again that he’s a true professional and a pure athlete with his sublime display, which is why he was Arteta's true hero on the day ahead of the two scorers.

Burnley are reportedly plotting an approach to sign a "dangerous" £20m player, however, they aren’t the only Premier League side keen.

Burnley transfer news…

The Clarets and Vincent Kompany didn’t mess around in the previous transfer market ahead of their top-flight return, bringing in a whopping 15 players. However, things haven’t exactly gone to plan for the club on the pitch, winning just one of their eight games, sitting in the relegation zone ahead of the trip to Brentford. Goals have also been a problem for Kompany’s side despite the number of additions in the summer, scoring just seven goals in the league.

One player who hasn’t struggled for goals this season, though, is Sunderland’s Jack Clarke. The winger has already netted seven goals himself in the Championship, with Burnley seeing a £10m offer turned down in the summer. Reports have recently claimed that the Clarets are still keen on the 22-year-old, a new Burnley transfer update has now emerged showing that the club look to be ready to step up their interest once more.

According to TEAMtalk, Burnley are plotting a January approach for Clarke, with Sunderland valuing the player at £20m. However, Brighton and Crystal Palace are ready to follow suit, whereas Bournemouth, Brentford and Wolves are keeping an eye on the attacker.

How good is Jack Clarke?

Clarke, who burst onto the scene with Leeds United as a teenager, appears to be getting his career back on track following a forgetful spell at Tottenham. He made just four senior appearances for Spurs before sealing a permanent move to The Stadium of Light, where he has made 82 appearances in all competitions, scoring 19 goals and providing 18 assists. (Jack Clarke stats – Transfermarkt)

Hailed as a “dangerous” player by journalist Josh Bunting, Clarke has also received praise from his manager Tony Mowbray, who recently said:

“He was amazing tonight. Scored two great goals, earned the penalty, he stuck it away, which shows the confidence level he’s got to stand up and take the penalty, and the composure for his second goal.

“He’s a super talent, he’s a great kid and I don’t apologise for shouting at him and telling him he has to work hard because all the best players work harder than anybody else and their talent shines through.”

Kompany and Burnley appear to be long-term admirers of the player, so a deal could once again be one to watch heading into the New Year.

Jayasuriya’s return, after a terrific Indian Premier League and his Asia Cup final century, makes a massive difference to Sri Lanka, as he is the only real power player they have

Jamie Alter in Dambulla17-Aug-2008

In the months after the World Cup, Sri Lankan cricket went through a transition of sorts, as experienced cricketers like Marvan Atapattu and Russell Arnold retired and younger talent was brought in. All throughout Mahela Jayawardene called for the need to give the newer players more time and for the seniors to take up more responsibility.Now as the World Cup finalists they currently sit at No. 7 in the ICC ratings for one-day international sides, having won two out of six series. Immediately after the World Cup, Sri Lanka lost to Pakistan 2-1 in Abu Dhabi. A 3-0 whitewash of Bangladesh was followed by a rare home loss, and that to England, hardly the best ODI side in the game. After a poor CB Series in Australia Sri Lanka were beaten 2-0 by West Indies, ranked eighth in the world. It really couldn’t get much worse than that.The most consistent problem was a deficiency in the batting department, which failed to function as a cohesive unit. Sanath Jayasuriya blew hot and cold, Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara sparkled intermittently, and a lack of fire power in the middle and lower order hurt Sri Lanka. The middle order revolved around a mix of bits-and-pieces cricketers and one-day specialists, and no one stood out. One or two batsmen performed in each game, but that is rarely enough.In the last year Tillakaratne Dilshan averaged 29.76; Chamara Silva 24.42; Chamara Kapugedera 33.07; Maharoof, restricted to seven games due to injury, averaged 11.25. Chaminda Vaas failed to chip in with runs and the most successful lower-order batsman was Nuwan Kulasekara, who averaged 26.75. In one-day cricket you need runs on the board. Sri Lanka failed to always put those up.Like all sides searching for a settled team, they also experimented. Upul Tharanga and Mahela Udawatte opened the batting at times, with mixed success. In Pakistan Sri Lanka bumped Sangakkara up to open the innings because it was felt they needed another bowler. Kapugedera was shuffled around and injury to Maharoof only compounded their woes.Sri Lanka failed to bat well consistently against England at home and in Australia, where they only won two games. The 3-1 scoreline against England should have been the wake-up call to spur them into a period of intense development and progress as a team, but the CB Series was equally disappointing. Their highest total was 238 and the batsmen averaged just 22.44 runs per wicket – that doesn’t win you games. Sri Lanka failed to get big knocks from Sanath Jayasuriya and Sangakkara, like they played in last two games of the Asia Cup, and that has a huge effect on their performance.In the few games of the CB Series that two of the top three got starts, the rest were unable to work a way out when the opposition tightened its line. In a sense the senior Sri Lankan batsmen ignored the very lesson they had been stressing to their younger team-mates, of staying out in the middle as long as possible.Jayawardene admitted a few personnel changes also attributed to this dip in form, but he gave no excuses. “We did not consistently lift our standards since the World Cup,” he said. “We certainly are not there but we’re maintaining it. We turned it around a bit in the Asia Cup, where we were consistent with the bat, ball and on the field. That’s the toughest thing for international sides.”In a sense the Asia Cup marked a revival. Sri Lanka batted consistently well, but there was one massive factor – Ajantha Mendis. His success, come in such a short period, gives them the option – momentarily – of scrutinising their batting combination.Jayasuriya’s return, after a terrific Indian Premier League and his Asia Cup final century, makes a massive difference to Sri Lanka, as he is the only real power player they have. A well-rested Jayasuriya can offer dimension to Sri Lanka’s unit, but the fact is that plenty of responsibility falls on Jayawardene and Sangakkara. The middle order needs to come good.Sri Lanka have been able to fall back on a bowling unit which picked up a lot of wickets recently, but Jayawardene wants to move on from what happened in Australia. He recognised Mendis as a trump card, an attacking option, but called on others to contribute. Sri Lanka need to re-learn a lesson taught to them before the World Cup – when you cruise, you often cruise downwards.

Liverpool are believed to be keen on securing a double swoop for two talents from the same team, but they are far from alone in showing an interest.

Liverpool eyeing January moves

The Reds are flying high after making significant additions to their squad during the summer transfer window, allowing Jurgen Klopp's side to become Premier League title challengers again. January signings could further boost Liverpool's chances of going all the way this season, with a number of players linked with moves to Anfield in recent months, with various areas of the pitch potentially being looked at.

One individual who has been backed to become a Reds player is highly-rated Sporting CP defender Goncalo Inacio, with the Portuguese a player who is capable of thriving as both a centre-back and left-back. Another midfielder also isn't out of the question, with Fluminenese midfielder Andre possibly on the move after helping his side to Copa Libertadores glory last month. A "verbal agreement" with the Brazil international has even been mooted. Inter Milan free-kick maestro Hakan Calhanoglu is reportedly seen as an option, too, although at 29, there could be question marks over whether he would be the right choice.

Liverpool keen on signing Yoro and Santos

According to a fresh transfer update from TEAMtalk, Liverpool are interested in signing Lille pair Leny Yori and Tiago Santos, but other Premier League clubs are also in the mix for the defenders, who have caught the eye of Reds scouts.

"A pair of Lille defenders are courting heavyweight interest from Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham and West Ham, TEAMtalk can exclusively reveal.

"Yoro is understood to be viewed slightly more favourably than Santos despite being the younger of the pair, though both players have received glowing reports from the scouts of the interested English sides."

Both Yoro and Santos could be players who come in as the future of Liverpool, rather than signings who could immediately increase their Premier League title chances.

The former is an exciting 18-year-old central defender with so much potential, although the Reds transfer target has still started 12 Ligue 1 games this season. Meanwhile, the latter is a 21-year-old right-back who also has plenty of playing time to his name in 2023/24, enjoying 11 league outings, nine of which have come from the start.

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At some point, Liverpool are going to need to bring in young defensive reinforcements, and both Yoro and Santos could represent eye-catching exciting options, proving to be eventual mainstays of the team. Both Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip are both now 32 years of age, so they won't necessarily be around forever, while Andy Robertson also turns 30 next year.

Planning for the future is so important, ensuring that the Reds remain a force long after Klopp has left as manager, and acquiring the signature of two such big talents could be ideal ahead of their rivals, with Santos possibly seen as a right-back who could allow Trent Alexander-Arnold to become an out-and-out midfielder.