The first round of the 2018 NCL had an unprecedented 13 centuries, but the Khulna batsman’s twin centuries against Rajshahi stood out

Mohammad Isam04-Oct-2018Best batsmenTushar Imran stood out among the 12 centurions in the opening round of the 2018 National Cricket League, with his twin centuries against Rajshahi Division in difficult circumstances, while Rony Talukdar and Ariful Haque racked up double-hundreds.Tushar nearly accounted for half of Khulna Division’s 210 all out with his first-innings 104. It wasn’t until the arrival of the No. 9 Nahidul Islam, with whom he added 88, that he found support. Tushar followed it up with 159, with the help of 21 fours and a six, as Khulna fought hard to earn a draw. He added 250 runs for the third wicket with Anamul Haque, who also started the season with a century.In Fatullah, Rony’s third double-hundred came in Dhaka Division’s second innings, in which he and Abdul Mazid shared a Bangladesh first-class record opening stand of 350 runs. They beat the previous best of 341 runs between Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Mizanur Rahman from the 2017-18 NCL. Rony made 228 off 252 balls with 18 fours and seven sixes.Ariful’s 231 was his maiden double-century, which arrived with the help of 21 fours and four sixes in a near-eight-hour stay at the crease in Bogra. In the same match, Barisal’s No. 3 Fazle Mahmud missed out on a double ton, perishing on 195, having spent more than eight hours, and 424 balls while hitting 18 fours and three sixes.Best bowlersThe best news to come out of the bowlers’ camp was legspinner Jubair Hossain’s five-wicket haul against Dhaka Division, his first five-for in four years. Jubair had been a neglected figure in Bangladesh cricket ever since he burst on to the scene in 2014.He played only a single first-class game last season, and largely spent the Dhaka Premier League List-A competition on the bench. In a bid to revive his career, Jubair has been working with a legspin bowling coach in the last six months.Among the fast bowlers, Shahadat Hossain took his best match figures in ten years, finishing with 8 for 106 against Chittagong, and Shafiul Islam took a five-wicket haul in the first innings against a strong Khulna batting side.Meanwhile, Afif Hossain doubled his first-class wickets tally with a seven-wicket haul against Rajshahi. Having dismissed Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Junaid Siddique in the top-order, he removed the last five wickets, although Rajshahi had a healthy 352-run lead.Best matchRajshahi Division knocked down Khulna Division, the defending champions, for 210 in their first innings in Rajshahi, a body blow for the side that has won the last three NCL tournaments.Rajshahi’s reply with the bat was even better, as they took a 342-run lead having posted 552 in the first innings. Mizanur Rahman and Jahurul Islam struck centuries, and with several substantial partnerships throughout the innings, Khulna had little respite.But their powerful batting line-up responded to the deficit superbly, with Anamul Haque and Tushar Imran putting together 250 runs for the third wicket and taking the fight into the fourth day with eight wickets intact. Even after they fell in the space of four overs, Soumya Sarkar struck a quickfire century, only his second in first-class cricket and one that came after more than two years.Khulna fought back hard and finished the game with 2.5 points. Rajshahi took 4.8 points, but they would treat this game as an opportunity lost.Points to noteTwelve batsmen scored 13 centuries in the NCL’s first round, an unprecedented start to a cricket season in Bangladesh. Almost the entire front-row of the country’s first-class batsmen made good starts.The bowling, however, wasn’t as impressive, with only two fast bowlers, Shahadat and Shafiul, standing out with wickets. The usual cast of left-arm spinners took five-wicket hauls, although Jubair’s first five-for in four years was a point of interest.Players to watchAmong the Bangladesh players who were part of the Asia Cup squad, Soumya Sarkar and Nazmul Islam stood out with a century and five-wicket haul respectively.The national selectors would also look at Anamul Haque (who was dropped from the Asia Cup squad), Mizanur Rahman, Abdul Mazid and Shadman Islam for Bangladesh’s opening slot, as all four struck centuries.Naeem Islam and Jahurul Islam also reminded the selectors about their form with centuries, while Sohag Gazi started the season with a century and four wickets in the match.

Tottenham Hotspur have got off to a flyer in the Premier League this term and sit just two points adrift of Manchester City at the summit of the table.

Much of their success is due to Ange Postecoglou, who arrived from Celtic in the summer. The Australian has completely reshaped the culture and implemented a new and exciting brand of football.

Gone are the days of the pragmatism under Antonio Conte. A new era has begun and fans are loving it. Many are tentatively tipping the Lilywhites as outsiders for the title and as it stands, they're still in the race.

Postecoglou has a number of first-teamers sidelined which could dent those hopes but with the winter transfer window fast approaching, preparation will already be underway to bolster his squad.

Read more: Latest Tottenham Hotspur injury new

And, he'll also have to deal with the contract situation of five players, who all become free agents next summer. They are therefore free to negotiate pre-contract agreements in the January transfer window.

Football FanCast takes a look at the five Tottenham Hotspur players who are leaving on a free next summer.

5 Brandon Austin

Goalkeeper, 24

Brandon Austin is a graduate of Tottenham Hotspur's academy but has never actually made a competitive senior appearance for the north Londoners.

Austin, who has been capped at youth level for USA, has been on loan twice, firstly with top-flight Danish side Viborg FF in 2020 and then with MLS's Orlando City the following year.

He penned fresh terms with the club in March 2022 but has now entered the final year of his contract and will become a free agent next summer.

It appears unlikely that a new deal will be offered to the 24-year-old, with Fraser Forster the preferred understudy to No. 1 Guglielmo Vicario, who has been a colossus since arriving from Empoli.

4 Fraser Forster

Goalkeeper, 35

Fraser Forster is one of three goalkeepers at the club, along with Austin, due to become a free agent next year upon the expiry of his contract at Hotspur Way.

The former Southampton shot-stopper has been with the Lilywhites since July 2022 and has made 21 appearances, with 14 of those coming in the Premier League.

Forster is in the twilight of his career at 35-years-old and will perhaps be allowed to move on in the summer, with 25-year-old Alfie Whiteman potentially stepping up as the No. 2.

3 Hugo Lloris

Goalkeeper, 36

Postecoglou may have a slight goalkeeper dilemma next year, as Hugo Lloris is also set to leave at the end of the season after over 11 years at the club.

The former Spurs skipper has made a colossal 444 appearances and has established himself as one of the best keepers in the world during his time in North London.

The Frenchman was told by Daniel Levy that he could leave on a free transfer in the summer and missed the pre-season tour in Australia, Thailand and Singapore to find a new club, but nothing materialised, despite offers from Saudi Arabia, Lazio and his home town club Nice on deadline day.

“The supporters (of Nice) and the team deserve better than a split-second decision based on a phone call without expectations or a clear sporting project with one hour until the closure of the window at a time where I wasn’t expecting it,” Lloris explained.

The 36-year-old has had no involvement in Postecoglou's matchday squads this year and looks set to end his glittering Spurs career in January.

Lloris's career in numbers

Team

Appearances

Clean sheets

France

145

63

Tottenham Hotspur

444

151

Olympique Lyon

202

11

OGC Nice

78

30

2 Ivan Perišić

Left midfield, 34

The former Inter winger has probably already played his final game for Spurs as he continues to recover from surgery on his ACL, which is expected to keep him out of action until June 2024.

The 24-year-old sustained the serious injury in non-contact training, the club confirmed in a statement, which read: "We can confirm that Ivan Perisic has suffered a complex Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury in his right knee.

"The experienced Croatia international sustained the injury in non-contact training and will undergo surgery.

"Ivan will then commence his rehabilitation with our medical staff and is expected to be sidelined for the remainder of the season."

Perišić was signed during Conte's reign in June 2022 and has made a half-century of appearances for the Lilywhites, scoring one goal whilst laying on 14 assists.

According to sportske novosti, the 129-cap Croatia international will be permitted to leave on a free transfer in January with a return to his former youth club HNK Hajduk Split being mooted.

Perišić's career path

Date

Left

Joined

Fee

July 1st, 2006

HNK Hajduk Split U17

FC Sochaux B

£314k

January 1st, 2009

FC Sochaux

KSV Roeselare

Loan

June 30th, 2009

KSV Roeselare

FC Sochaux

End of loan

August 26th, 2009

FC Sochaux

Club Brugge

£174k

July 1st, 2011

Club Brugge

Borussia Dortmund

£3.4m

January 6th, 2013

Borussia Dortmund

VfL Wolfsburg

£6.9m

August 30th, 2015

VfL Wolfsburg

Inter

£16.5m

August 13th, 2019

Inter

Bayern Munich

Loan fee: £4.3m

August 31st 2020

Bayern Munich

Inter

End of loan

July 1st, 2022

Inter

Tottenham Hotspur

Free

1 Eric Dier

Centre-back, 29

Eric Dier arrived in North London in 2014 after completing a £4m move from Sporting and has appeared 362 times for the Lilywhites.

During his nine-year stay, Dier established himself as an England international, collecting 49 caps whilst featuring at three major tournaments.

The defender's impressive performances over the years have piqued the interest of Manchester United, who reportedly made a bid in 2017, though, that deal never came to fruition.

Now, aged 29, Dier's career has somewhat stagnated as he has been reduced to a bit part role under Postecoglou's stewardship.

Sporting are said to be planning a January move for a cut-price deal whilst Crystal Palace and Celtic were thought to be monitoring his situation in the summer and could revisit a deal this winter.

Read more: Latest Spurs transfer news

Sri Lanka’s monsoon season was the only winner in Dambulla as the first ODI was abandoned after just 15 overs of play

The Report by Alan Gardner10-Oct-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSri Lanka’s monsoon season was the only winner in Dambulla as the first ODI was abandoned after just 15 overs of play. England had reached 92 for 2 after being asked to bat, but a heavy storm swept in and despite the entire playing surface being covered, the umpires eventually deemed a wet outfield unsuitable for a shortened game.The groundstaff worked hard to mop up, with persistent rainfall having left several inches of standing water on the covers. However, after a delay of more than four-and-a-half hours, the captain shook hands on the decision to call things off.”It was frustrating, especially as the umpires did call for the covers before the rain arrived, because when it rains here it rains for hours,” England captain, Eoin Morgan said. “They did their best in that regard. Unfortunately when they were taking the covers off there was some overflow, and so there were three or four areas of concern that were very muddy. I think when it gets to that stage, player safety is paramount.”The abandonment meant Olly Stone’s England debut amounted to little more than going through the warm-up and watching his team-mates bat. Stone was picked in the squad as cover for Liam Plunkett, whose wedding clashed with the first part of the tour, and he went straight into the side – but will now have to wait to make an impact.Of Stone’s inclusion, Morgan said: “The thinking behind that was Olly offers something different. He bowls with a bit more pace than the guys we have currently. He’s a like-for-like replacement in the squad for Liam Plunkett. If Liam was here today he would have played the very same role. To change a game, if it’s not mystery spin in the middle overs, it’s with extra pace.”After Sri Lanka had won the toss and chosen to bowl in the first ODI of five, newly instated captain Dinesh Chandimal said he was hoping for a “little bit of moisture in the wicket” to help his bowlers – but rather a lot of moisture was the eventual problem. Both teams will hope for better weather in Dambulla for the second game on Saturday.Joe Root heads off as the covers come on•AFP

Before the rain arrived, at around 3.40pm local time, England had made a steady start to their innings. The opening stand reached 49 at just over a run a ball when Jonny Bairstow got a thin edge behind off Nuwan Pradeep, and Jason Roy fell in the following over, skewing an ugly heave at Akila Dananjaya high towards mid-off.The third-wicket pairing of Joe Root and Morgan did not take too much time over consolidating, pushing the score on to 92 for 2 at the drinks break, but with dark clouds beginning to hove into view, the groundstaff made their move.England had been short of match practice in the lead-up to the series, with their first warm-up match affected by rain and bad light and the second washed out entirely. After a second consecutive abandonment, only the top four of Roy, Bairstow, Morgan and Root have had any competitive time in the middle.”I remember coming here in 2014 a little bit later [during November-December], but I do remember the forecast being the same every day, and we managed to miss the rain last time,” Morgan said.”It was quite competitive in the first 15 overs. The game was just starting to unfold. They took two wickets, and me and Root had just started to get something going, but I don’t think I could predict what would have happened from there.”

Coventry City have failed to get going this season after falling at the final promotion hurdle last campaign, Luton Town clinching an unbelievable promotion at the expense of the Sky Blues at Wembley in the second-tier playoff final – Mark Robins' men cruelly losing out on the lottery of penalties.

Losing key individuals in the form of Victor Gyokeres and Gustavo Hamer was always going to impact Robins' side, Coventry only winning three wins of their first 16 second-tier matches this campaign since the ex-star duo departed the west Midlands outfit.

Robins could well look to the January transfer window as an opportunity to significantly strengthen his faltering side, with this predicted Sky Blues lineup not out of the realms of possibility if everything goes to plan…

1 GK – Ben Wilson

Wilson has had a tricky last few matches in goal for the underperforming Sky Blues, dropped from Robins' first-team plans altogether last time out in a goalless draw versus Stoke City.

The experienced shot-stopper will hope he's picked by his manager again for Championship contests to come, responding to recent poor performances to become a reliable figure again in between the sticks.

2 RB – Joel Latibeaudiere

Plying his trade more commonly as a centre-back throughout his career, the 23-year-old since relocating to the CBS Arena has been switched to a right-back position frequently for his new employers.

Making an appearance in all 16 Coventry games so far this season in the second tier, Latibeaudiere will stick in this right-back spot for his side for the immediate future especially if Robins decides to add more bodies in central defence.

3 CB – Cameron Humphreys

Previously in the running for the current Rotherham United defender before he relocated to the Millers last year, Coventry could reignite interest in the 25-year-old defender to take advantage of the South Yorkshire's side current predicament.

The Sky Blues do ideally need fresh legs in defence – shipping 21 goals in 16 second-tier games to date – so a deal for Humphreys could be back on the table.

Rotherham could, however, seek some comfort in the fact that their former Manchester City man is currently sidelined with a hamstring knock, meaning Robins might not risk pursuing the 25-year-old again this January.

4 CB – Bobby Thomas

Purchased this summer alongside regular centre-back partner Liam Kitching who drops out of his predicted eleven, Thomas has performed adequately for the Sky Blues to date since leaving Burnley behind.

Last time out versus Stoke, Thomas was resolute and brave from the back to shore up his side to pick up a rare clean sheet – winning four of his five aerial duels on the day per Sofascore.

5 LB – Jake Bidwell

Going into his third straight season at Coventry, Bidwell should be retained in the starting eleven in January even with the allure of the transfer window tempting Robins to bolster his full-back personnel.

Bidwell hasn't started very many games for the Sky Blues this season, but he could see his minutes increase after an impactful display versus the Potters last time out – accurate with five of his 12 crosses in the match per Sofascore, the expansive full-back attempting to help his side break the deadlock in the 0-0 stalemate.

6 CDM – Josh Eccles

Eccles' importance for the Sky Blues has significantly increased ever since the exit of Hamer, the west Midlanders needing a new hero centrally after Hamer departed for the Blades.

Coventry's number 28 has been remarkably consistent for Robins' men this season in a campaign where the Sky Blues haven't hit the heights expected of them collectively.

Eccles has managed an average 7.28 Sofascore rating from all Championship encounters so far, a standout display coming against Rotherham United recently with Eccles winning four tackles at the New York Stadium.

7 CDM – Ben Sheaf

Similar to holding midfield partner Eccles in his overall game on the pitch, Sheaf will also retain his spot even if Robins is on the hunt for a new midfield face in January.

Amassing a staggering 100 touches at Deepdale versus Preston as per Sofascore, Sheaf was also excellent in forays forward for his team with five of his seven dribble attempts paying off.

8 RM – Ellis Simms

Deployed as an unorthodox winger option versus Alex Neil's men in Championship action last time out, Simms could be a regular option down the channels in the weeks to come for his pace and forward-thinking attitude on the ball.

The ex-Everton man has only netted twice since making the move to the CBS Arena official in the summer, but the 22-year-old will stay and has aspirations that he can morph into a reliable goalscorer for the Sky Blues soon even from down the wing.

9 CAM – Callum Styles

Callum Styles is a man the Sky Blues should consider signing to potentially replace the aforementioned Hamer. Indeed, he could well be the man for Coventry in central attacking midfield if Robins utilises the 4-2-3-1 formation consistently, the Hungary international itching for second-tier football after finding himself stuck in Barnsley quarters.

Styles' ceiling is arguably above League One, and with Jamie Allen failing to impress this campaign for Robins' performers, the current Tykes number 20 could be a like-for-like swap if a potential move is back on the cards.

10 LM – Haji Wright

Wright has needed time to bed himself into the Coventry squad, the American attacker showing signs of promise in recent matches with two goals scored up against Preston in a 3-2 defeat when played up top.

However, Wright was also equally effective down the left-hand side up against Stoke – unlucky not to break the deadlock, skewing two opportunities wide as per Sofascore.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Conselho do São Paulo negou o pedido do candidato à presidência do clube, Roberto Natel, de recontagem dos votos da eleição realizada no último sábado, que elegeu 100 novos conselheiros do Tricolor.

VEJA A SITUAÇÃO DO SÃO PAULO NA TABELA DO BRASILEIRÃO

A decisão foi divulgada na tarde desta sexta-feira, e assinada pelo presidente Carlos Augusto de Barros e Silva, o Leco, o presidente do Conselho Deliberativo, Marcelo Abranches e o presidente da Assembleia Geral, Marcos Tadeu Novais. O documento aponta que não houve provas de irregularidades na votação, inclusive usando prints de redes sociais onde apoiadores de Natel ressaltam que a demora para a contagem dos votos ocorreu por falha do sistema, não por algum erro na apuração.

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A assessoria do candidato à presidência do São Paulo, disse queNatel ‘se sente extremamente decepcionado com a situação, acha que essa atitude falta com a transparência e respeito, principalmente com os conselheiros que se sentem lesados com os problemas registrados na apuração. Porém, pessoalmente ele não quer e não pensa em recorrer , nem mesmo internamente. Mesmo assim conversará com suas lideranças para ouvir opiniões, e respeita a decisão tomadas’.

Natel havia protocolado o pedido devido a preocupação de que alguns conselheiros possam ter ficado de fora da votação, “por votos que se perderam em várias paralisações e problemas do sistema de apuração”.

O pedido foi protocolado na última segunda-feira (30) e foi endereçado ao atual presidente Carlos Augusto de Barros e Silva, e ao presidente do Conselho, Marcelo Pupo. No documento, Natel afirma que, caso não haja a recontagem no período de 48 horas, ele precisará tomar medidas judiciais cabíveis.

Na eleição do final de semana, a chapa de Roberto Natel elegeu a minoria dos novos conselheiros (26), contra a maioria (74) da chapa de Julio Casares, outro candidato à presidência do Tricolor.

A importância dessa votação é porque os 100 novos conselheiros, somados aos 151 conselheiros vitalícios (totalizando 251), elegerão o novo presidente por voto indireto, na primeira quinzena de dezembro. Diante dessa situação, portanto, Casares seria o favorito para assumir o cargo.

Nathan Lyon in his delivery stride•AFP

Australia’s chances against Pakistan in the upcoming series will rest on their ability to play the turning ball. But as they showed in a riveting series against India last year, their own spin-bowling resources aren’t to be trifled, and Nathan Lyon continued that narrative with a five-for on the first day of the team’s warm-up match in Dubai. The offspinner finished with figures of 36-5-87-5, walking the talk from last week when he said he will bowl ugly if need be to put his team on top.Pakistan A had some solid performers as well, with opener Sami Aslam making a smooth half-century and No. 3 Abid Ali batted for more than 80 overs to finish unbeaten on 83 off 254 deliveries. Despite those two promising performances, the score at the end of the day was a middling 247 for 6.Mitchell Starc also provided good news for Australia, getting through 17 overs of work in his first competitive outing since March 2018. The 28-year old fast bowler sustained a tibial stress fracture on the tour to South Africa and has since been on the bench, recovering, Selected for this tour, Starc will be leading an Australian pace attack that will not have Pat Cummins or Josh Hazlewood and it is in light of that fact that Lyon’s form becomes doubly important. He had three of his five victims caught behind and bowled one other. All of them were top-order batsmen, including Aslam who fell for 51. Left-arm spinner Jon Holland played the supporting act and secured an important wicket as well – that of Asad Shafiq, who struck a gallant century in the 2016 day-night at Brisbane to almost chase down a target of 490.

Manchester United are reported to have offered Southampton compensation for Jason Wilcox in attempts to recruit him as their new technical director.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Man Utd make approach for Wilcox
• Southampton offered a year's salary
• Red Devils eyeing him as technical director

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  On Monday evening, multiple reports emerged that United had begun their 'official approach' for Wilcox, who has been Southampton's director football since last summer after previously serving as Manchester City's academy director. The Red Devils are believed to have offered a year's salary in compensation, with the Saints expected to reject this opening proposal and hold out for more.

  reported that Southampton are "annoyed at the manner and timing" of the approach given the potential for it to unsettle Wilcox at a time when the club is targeting promotion, although United believe they have been respectful.

  If no compensation figure can be agreed, Wilcox could resign to force the issue, but his notice period spent on gardening leave would be as much as 12 months. Fabrizio Romano has claimed his resignation has already been given, but that remains unsubstantiated by other sources at this time and perhaps overlooks the greater complexity of the issue.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The impact of Sir Jim Ratcliffe is already being keenly felt behind the scenes at Old Trafford after the new co-owner took over the running of the club's football operations. United secured the appointment of Omar Berrada as chief executive from the rival City Football Group back in January before the partial takeover was even formally ratified. INEOS director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford has been tasked with conducting a thorough audit of the sporting department and Dan Ashworth has been suitably convinced by the prospect of becoming sporting director that he asked to leave Newcastle, before being placed on gardening leave.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Wilcox was part of the Blackburn Rovers team that beat Manchester United to the Premier League title in 1994-95. After the rest of his playing career, where he took in spells at Leeds, Leicester and Blackpool, he began working at Manchester City as an academy coach in 2012, promoted to academy director in 2017. The likes of Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Rico Lewis all passed through to the first-team under his watch.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

  While it is clear that big changes are coming off the pitch ahad of next season, United need to make sure that the new era starts with the best possible platform by performing right now.

  A top four Premier League finish to qualify for the Champions League is still not out of the question with a string of good results in the run-in. Fourth place Aston Villa are 11 points ahead of Erik ten Hag's team but have played a game more. However, United's remaining fixture list is mixed, with favourable games against Bournemouth, Sheffield United, Burnley and Crystal Palace among tougher clashes with Liverpool, Arsenal, Brighton and Newcastle. Next up is Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Thursday night.

The Portuguese is just 38 years of age but is presently closing in on a second Primeira Liga title in four seasons

Spare a thought for Sporting CP fans right now. As soon as Jurgen Klopp announced his decision to step down as Liverpool manager at the end of the season, they knew what was coming: incessant speculation over the future of their own coach, Ruben Amorim.

That's just how it works. Every time a top job in England becomes available, Amorim's name gets mentioned. He has previously been linked with – and in some cases courted by – Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea. It was absolutely inevitable that he would be touted as a potential Klopp successor.

And the annoying thing for Sporting supporters is that the speculation has only intensified since Xabi Alonso expressed his intention to stay at Bayern Leverkusen for another year. The Spaniard was considered Liverpool's top target, but he's now been removed from the shortlist.

Amorim is still on it, though, and although he is likely to face stiff competition for the vacancy from Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, the interest in the Portuguese's services might actually materialise into a move this time around. Consequently, Sporting supporters are now seriously worried about losing the coach that they initially didn't want…

Getty Sporting's Nagelsmann

Amorim first came to the attention of Europe's elite after ending Sporting's 19-year Primeira Liga title drought in 2021. It was an amazing achievement, given Benfica and Porto's dominance of the Portuguese top flight, and made all the more remarkable by the fact that the championship-winning coach was just 36 years of age at the time.

Sporting, it seemed, had found their very own Julian Nagelsmann, and club president Frederico Varandas couldn't have been more chuffed with himself, because many pundits and fans had questioned – and in many cases criticised – the decision to hire Amorim.

Firstly, there was the fact that he had spent the majority of his playing career, during which he was capped 14 times by Portugal, at Sporting's hated Lisbon rivals Benfica. Secondly, he was, as his age would suggest, incredibly inexperienced. He had only previously worked at third-tier Casa Pier, where he stood down after being suspended over lacking the required coaching credentials, and Braga, first with the club's reserves and then the senior squad.

Thirdly, and most significantly of all, Sporting had to hand over €10 million ($12m) to secure his services – which made him the third-most expensive coach in the world, after Andre Villas-Boas and Brendan Rodgers (Nagelsmann and Graham Potter have since moved to the top of that particular list, pushing Amorim down to fifth).

AdvertisementGetty Sporting's smartest signing

The fee incensed supporters, believing it to be the latest demonstration of Sporting's perceived wastefulness. Amorim, after all, had only been in charge of Braga's first team for 13 matches, following the December 2019 sacking of Ricardo Sa Pinto. He did win 10 of them, though, including a shocking League Cup final win over Porto, and Braga's first away win over Benfica in 65 years.

By that stage, Sporting had seen enough to convince them that Amorim was the man to put them back on top of Portuguese football – and they were right, with the midfielder-turned-coach proving money very well spent.

He didn't get off to a particularly promising start, with Sporting failing to win any of their final three games of the coronavirus-affected 2019-20 season to lose third place in the Primeira Liga table to Braga – of all teams. However, when Sporting beat Amorim's former club in January 2021, they were already romping towards the title.

It was all so surprising. Porto and Benfica had both spent big during the summer of 2020; by contrast, Sporting, because of their financial difficulties, had been forced to put their faith in youth academy products such as Nuno Mendes and Goncalo Inacio, as well as a smattering of shrewd signings including Pedro Goncalves (€6.5m/$8m) as well as Joao Mario and Pedro Porro, both of whom arrived on loan, from Inter and Manchester City, respectively.

An early and embarrassing 4-1 loss to Austrian outfit LASK in the play-off round of the Europa League did not bode well, but the work done by Amorim during his first pre-season at the Estadio Jose Alvalade began to bear fruit.

Getty Almost-invincible

Sporting effectively counter-attacked their way to the title, relying on an outstanding defensive unit led by captain Sebastian Coates (formerly of Liverpool) and protected by the brilliant ball-winning midfielder Joao Palhinha to frustrate the life out of opponents, before hitting them on the break with quick vertical transitions that were often finished off by versatile attacker Goncalves, who hit 23 goals in 37 appearances in all competitions.

Wing-backs Mendes and Porro, who hit the winner in the League Cup final win over Braga, provided the width in Amorim's 3-4-3 formation, but also played pivotal roles in the backline that conceded just 20 goals.

Sporting's system worked so well, in fact, that they came desperately close to going the whole season undefeated, only losing for the first time in their penultimate game, against Benfica, four days after the title had been clinched.

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The following season, Sporting pipped Borussia Dortmund to second spot in their Champions League group, and although they suffered a 5-1 aggregate loss to Manchester City in the last 16, Pep Guardiola was full of praise for Amorim ("one of the best coaches around at the moment") and his players (Matheus Nunes, in particular).

He further enhanced his reputation in England by taking four points off Tottenham in the group stages of the 2022-23 Champions League, before knocking out Arsenal out of the Europa League. All of those impressive European results were achieved while Sporting continually sold their most promising players, from Mendes to Nunes. In spite of the talent drain, though, Amorim's team has evolved. While they no longer concede fewer goals than Benfica and Porto, they score far more.

Coates and Inacio, who are both integral to the way in which Sporting build from the back, are serious threats in the opposition box, Goncalves is still a constant threat while Paulinho has proven a reliable source of goals since being prised away from Braga in 2021.

The key, though, was last summer's acquisition of Viktor Gyokeres, the former Coventry City striker who is now attracting attention from all across Europe with his record of 36 goals in 39 competitions. The Swede is obviously the focal point of the attack, but he regularly drifts wide and switches positions with wingers Marcus Edwards and Francisco Trincao in what is a very fluid forward line.

Newcastle United are back in action this evening, as the Magpies welcome Borussia Dortmund to St James’ Park in what is set to be a blockbuster clash in the Champions League.

Eddie Howe’s side will be full of confidence in the competition, after dismantling Group F favourites Paris Saint-Germain 4-1 last time out, however another challenge awaits in the ‘group of death’.

While Dortmund are currently sat at the bottom of the group on just a single point, the German outfit will be desperate for a result this evening, and if their form in the Bundesliga is anything to go by, they could pose a huge threat.

What is the latest Newcastle team news against Dortmund?

In his pre-match press conference, Howe branded the match-up as a “pivotal” fixture, urging his side to “forget” about the magical night against PSG and focus on the further challenges ahead.

Edin Terzic’s side are yet to win in the Champions League this season, however his squad remain unbeaten in their opening eight Bundesliga games this term, something that cannot be said for Newcastle in the Premier League.

Added to their fine form, Die Borussen will be inspired to capture a result this evening, as the Geordies prepare for another high-quality European battle at St James’.

In terms of team news, Howe confirmed that Joe Willock and Sven Botman will be absent due to injury, joining long-term absentee Harvey Barnes as out of contention.

Sandro Tonali is available for selection, although the Italian started on the bench against Crystal Palace last time out in the league, as his fate is yet to be heard regarding his punishment for betting offences.

Luckily for Howe, there is room for him to rotate his midfield if necessary, with the boost of Joelinton’s return after recovering from a hamstring injury that has tarnished his start to the season – forcing him to miss both prior games in Europe.

Should Joelinton start against Dortmund?

The £85k-per-week Brazilian has come to life under Howe, after experiencing a slow start to life on Tyneside following his signing in 2019.

Joelinton was signed originally as a striker, however when deployed in central midfield, his talents go far beyond putting the ball in the back of the net, which could come of use to Newcastle this evening.

The 27-year-old, who was once lauded as a “monster” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has a huge claim to start his first Champions League game for the Magpies tonight, with Tonali’s place in jeopardy.

Aside from the Italian’s personal battles, his performances for Newcastle have been questionable, particularly in Europe where over his two appearances he’s averaged just 23 touches and a pass completion rate of 62% per game, via Sofascore.

The 23-year-old arrived from AC Milan with a huge reputation, which is yet to be fulfilled on the pitch, paving the way for Joelinton to slot into Howe’s Champions League XI with ease.

Joelinton vs Tonali per 90 in the past 365 days
	Joelinton	Sandro Tonali
Non-penalty goals	0.25	0.06
Progressive carries	2.05	1.94
Successful take-ons	1.59	0.44
Tackles	2.22	1.99
Interceptions	1.63	0.58
Aerials won	2.10	0.41
Via FBref

As highlighted in the table above, the former Hoffenheim forward has performed better than Tonali over the past year, highlighting exactly what he can administer to the team against Dortmund in his place.

With pace, power and expert ball-carrying ability, Terzic’s side will be opposed to having to battle a presence as dominating as Joelinton in midfield, which could hand the hosts additional ammunition going forward and in the engine room.

A win is crucial for both sides this evening, with the importance of the outcome only adding to the spectacle feel of the occasion.

Tottenham Hotspur are weighing a winter move for one "really fast" Premier League defender amid injury concerns surrounding Micky van de Ven.

Van de Ven's hamstring woes

Spurs' 4-1 defeat to Chelsea on Monday was the source of bitter disappointment, but not because of the result.

While manager Ange Postecoglou's early-season unbeaten streak came to an unceremonious end, star centre-back van de Ven handed the Australian his biggest worry by far after being forced off with a hamstring injury.

The Dutchman barely managed to limp off the field, needing assistance by Spurs medical staff in a real concern. Tottenham's summer signing has been imperious so far this season, forming a fantastic partnership with Cristian Romero at the heart of Postecoglou's defence.

Reports in the last two days have now suggested that van de Ven won't need surgery on the issue, which will come as a much-needed boost for Spurs, but it is still unclear exactly how long he'll be out for.

We'll know more tomorrow when Postecoglou addresses the media before Tottenham's Premier League encounter against Wolves this weekend, but in the mean time, new sporting director Johan Lange has reportedly been considering solutions in the transfer market.

Tottenham considering Godfrey move

The Lilywhites are now looking at alternative options for January, with Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly and Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah among the names linked recently.

According to 90min, sharing a transfer update this week, Spurs could now move for Everton ace Ben Godfrey, who has found game time difficult to come by at Goodison Park.

The Englishman was once becoming a regular under Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate, even being included in England's provisional squad for Euro 2021.

However, he has since fallen down the pecking order, and it is believed he wishes to reignite his faltering career. Everton, for their part, are open to doing business with interested sides as the January window looms.

Alongside Spurs, Newcastle and other Premier League sides are showing an interest in the 25-year-old, who has been revered for his speed by former teammates.

Godfrey's "rapid" speed can replace van de Ven

Jonjoe Kenny, who now plies his trade for Hertha Berlin in Germany, once called Godfrey a "really fast" and "rapid" player.

“Ben Godfrey catches pigeons, simple as," said the former Everton defender in 2021.

“But when Ben gets going he’s rapid so I don’t know if they have a race or would have a race but yeah, it’s close between them two. Dominic is really quick too but I’d say Ben.”

Alongside Kenny, Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has previously heralded Godfrey as a player, having called him "really good" in 2020 during the defender's Norwich City days.

“I said in the past that we are looking for a centre-back because we are short there," said Ancelotti on Godfrey to talkSPORT.

"He is a really good centre-back, but he is at this moment playing for Norwich, so I can’t say more."

Given Godfrey's pace, which is crucial for a centre-back in Postecoglou's high line, he could actually be an excellent candidate to come as a van de Ven alternative.