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New coach Andy Moles hopes New Zealand can leave behind the past as he takes over the side ranked No. 8 in the ICC Test rankings

Cricinfo staff02-Dec-2008
Will Andy Moles’ appointment help revive the falling fortunes of the New Zealand side? © AFP
The John Bracewell-era has ended on a rather sour note, but new coach Andy Moles hopes New Zealand can leave behind the past as he takes over the side ranked No. 8 in the ICC Test rankings.”We’ve got to move forward,” Moles was quoted by the . “The players and I can’t do anything with what’s gone behind, we can only control what happens in the future, and that’s really relevant right now.”Martin Crowe, the former New Zealand captain, has called for a complete overhaul of the manner in which the team is managed following the loss in the second Test against Australia in Adelaide – he described it as the country’s “worst moment in Test cricket”.Moles, who will meet captain Daniel Vettori on Wednesday and the rest of the team on Sunday, said his first priority was to fix the side’s back-room staff. “I want to get it all sorted out so the players know ASAP what the makeup of the team off the field is,” Moles said.Crowe had pulled no punches in his interview on Radio Sport. “We’ve put a coaching regime in place and they have got in the way of the development of these talented cricketers,” he said “The last five years have been probably the most destructive to our game in the history of our game.”Nevertheless, he was hopeful Moles would change the culture of the group. “You’ve got to allow cricketers to be themselves, you’ve got to allow them to be individual and you’ve got to ask them to be self-sufficient,” he said. “I just want it all cleared out. Give the kids a chance to just be what they can be and I’m sure they’ll respond in time.”Let’s hope that Andy Moles and Dan Vettori can just put a smile on people’s faces and let them have a beer at the end of the day. Let them relax, let them be human beings.”Moles’ first assignment is against West Indies, who are one place above New Zealand in the rankings. The squad for the first Test in Dunedin, starting on December 11, will be named on Saturday. “With a change of personnel [Moles] there is always likely to be a different approach,” Glenn Turner, the former batsman and current selection panel manager, said. “Players have got to get more out of themselves. That’s the key.”It’s all very well to say we don’t have the players. What we’ve got to say is surely we can get more out of what we’ve got.”

Speaking live on Sky Sports (via Football Daily), reporter Dharmesh Sheth has made a West Ham United transfer claim involving long-time target Jesse Lingard.

The Lowdown: Lingard on the radar…

Ever since his phenomenal second-half season loan spell in east London, where he bagged nine goals and four assists in 16 Premier League starts (WhoScored), Lingard has been linked with a permanent West Ham stay.

He had been tipped as one of manager David Moyes’ priority targets for the summer, as Claret & Hugh stated, but a move seemingly looked off when Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted he was in his plans for 2021/2022.

Sky Sports also revealed West Ham’s belief that they only had a ’10 per cent’ chance of signing him this summer, but ExWHUemployee’s recent update provided a bit of hope.

The club insider claimed that Lingard is now far more open to a return given his United game time situation and an Irons offer is likely (Patreon).

The Latest: Sky journalist makes on air Lingard claim…

Speaking live on Sky, Sheth has now backed Ex’s previous report that a bid is indeed expected for the 28-year-old.

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“With Lingard, we are still expecting West Ham United to come in with an offer to take him from Manchester United,” explained the journalist.

“Their coach, Stuart Pearce, has already said ‘the ball is in Manchester United’s court, but of course, we would love him back given when he did last season’.”

The Verdict: Get it done…

There is just under a fortnight of this transfer window remaining and West Ham cannot afford to dilly-dally much longer.

Moyes is in bad need of attacking reinforcements, more so for a star striker to partner Michail Antonio, but signing Lingard could also provide that extra dimension going forward.

Lauded as ‘sensational’ for his spell at West Ham on loan by ex-Arsenal man Nigel Winterburn (The Sun), snapping up the Red Devils ace would indeed be quite a coup.

In other news: ExWHUemployee drops behind-scenes update involving 86-goal forward, find out more here.

Celtic have tapped into a rich vein of form in all competitions and are swatting their opponents aside with relative ease of late.

The Hoops have won their last five competitive matches, scoring an impressive 18 goals in the process, against Jablonec (two legs), Hearts, Dundee and AZ Alkmaar.

They now face St Mirren in the Premiership as they look to make it six wins on the bounce and two wins from three in the league. Celtic Park will surely be rocking after recent results and that should create a sublime atmosphere to inspire the players during the match.

Who will be able to enjoy it from the start? Here is our predicted XI for this afternoon…

We are predicting that Ange Postecoglou will make two changes to his XI from the 2-0 win over AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League earlier this week.

The first player we believe will come back in is Odsonne Edouard. The former PSG attacker started and scored in Celtic’s 3-2 win over Hearts in the League Cup last weekend and was rested for the clash with AZ Alkmaar, with Liel Abada coming in on the wing and Kyogo Furuhashi moving centrally.

However, Abada failed to take his chance as he produced a disappointing performance. He was given a FotMob rating of 6.5, the lowest in the side, as he created zero chances and only had 30 touches during his time on the pitch before being substituted. This is why we think that Edouard will be brought back into the team for the clash with St Mirren today.

The other change we are predicting is James McCarthy for Tom Rogic. Celtic signed the Irishman from Crystal Palace on a free transfer this summer but he has been restricted to two 15-minute substitute appearances thus far.

Postecoglou labeled McCarthy as “top-class” upon the midfielder’s arrival at Parkhead. The 55-year-old said: “I’m delighted that we have signed two top-class players in Joe and James. Both of them have a wealth of experience at both club and international level, and that is something which can only benefit the squad, and I’m looking forward to working with both of them.”

This change is not because of Rogic’s form, but rather to give McCarthy a chance to show off his quality in front of the home fans for his full debut. It also gives the Australian midfielder a rest to make sure he is fully fit for the second leg against AZ Alkmaar next week.

With the Hoops on a winning run, we are backing Postecoglou to stick with the other nine members of the XI from the win over the Eredivisie club so as not to disrupt momentum too much.

AND in other news, Celtic must seal deal for 6 foot 3 colossus who can “cause havoc”, Ange would love him…

So much has been said and written about the security arrangements for this. Less has been said about the effect it’s having on the home players.

Dileep Premachandran in Chennai09-Dec-2008
A sniper takes up position on the roof of the MA Chidambaram Stadium © Getty Images
While being body-searched with a thoroughness that bordered on thediscomfiting, one could see beyond the door and into the lobby of the TajCoromandel. The Indian team had returned an hour earlier after a practicesession under leaden skies at Chepauk, and one of the players was standingthere talking to a police officer. By the time this writer was finally allowed in -even the stick of sunscreen scrutinised as a potentially lethal object – the chat had become an argument. The player was gesticulating angrily before turning on his heel and walking away. “You could at least have asked me,” he said as a parting shot to the officer.So much has been said and written about the security arrangements for thisgame and how England were convinced to return and continue the tour. Lesshas been said about the effect it’s having on the home players. Many ofthem have spent vast tracts of time in Chennai, either for league cricketor as trainees at the MRF Pace Foundation. In less troubled times, it wascommon for friends to drop by or for the players themselves to go out oncetraining was done for the day. Now, with the security blanket weighingdown heavily, the often wrongly diagnosed Cabin Fever may manifest itself.In days gone by, it was common to see people loiter around the teamhotel in search of an autograph or a handshake from the stars. If you havesuch intentions this time, don’t even bother. It takes a couple of minutesjust to have the car inspected, and getting past the metal-detector andthe frisking expert is another ordeal. Even inside, there’s no room tobreathe. As soon as I paused, a steward was next to me, asking politelywhere I needed to go. “It’s been like this since the teams arrived,” saidthe book-store owner.The security is everywhere. The city’s police chief says the teams will be protected by 5000 security personnel – including a thousand policemen ringing the Coromandel – in a complex, multi-layered operation from the hotel to the stadium. There are commandos -300 have been deployed – all over, starting at the gate. Hands on the butt of their automatic weapons and eyes watching the road and neighbouring buildings, they stand there as poker-faced as theGrenadier Guards at Buckingham Palace, even as a light drizzle falls.The scene at the ground was even more unreal. Pre-match days at the MAChidambaram Stadium always attracted a decent crowd eager to catch aglimpse of their heroes. Not this time. When the Indians turned up shortlyafter noon to have a nets session, the silence was punctuated only by thesound of bat on ball and the odd raised voice. No yells or shrieks ofencouragement from the stands, and certainly no extempore analysis fromthe hacks, who had all been banished to a faraway stand.Those nearest to the players, the nets bowlers and ball boys apart, wereseveral dozen Rapid Action Force commandos standing just beyond theboundary. In their dull-blue camouflage fatigues, the circle of soldiersmade for a surreal sight. All of them were facing away from the action,their eyes trained instead on concrete stands and huge piles of plasticchairs that had yet to be arranged properly.India had a decent workout in intensely humid conditions and, when Englandarrived soon after two, there was an impromptu press conference in thedining hall of the TNCA clubhouse. Alastair Cook spoke of “getting back towhat we know” but everyone present at this famous old venue felt those simpler times may never return. Cricket writers are often guilty of using words like arsenal, fusillade and artillery, butthe sooner we can watch a game without a hundred assault riflesscrutinising us, the better it will be for everyone. Impassive commandosincluded.

Jamie Siddons, the Bangladesh coach, has singled out his team’s batting as the main worry ahead of the three-ODI series against Zimbabwe beginning in Mirpur on January 19

Cricinfo staff18-Jan-2009
Mohammad Ashraful will replace Mushfiqur Rahim at No.3 © AFP
Jamie Siddons, the Bangladesh coach, has singled out his team’s batting as the main worry ahead of the three-ODI series against Zimbabwe, beginning in Mirpur on January 19. Bangladesh were bowled out for 152 in the tri-series final against Sri Lanka, and fell short chasing 205 in the first game against Zimbabwe. Their top-three batsmen managed only 46 runs between them in three games.”We are not playing reckless shots any more and we are not losing wickets to bad shots. It is just that the boys are unable to find a way to score when the pressure is on them”, Siddons said on the eve of the first ODI. “In the first game [against Zimbabwe] their spinners bowled in the right spots and our batsmen should have been smart enough to know how to score four runs an over under pressure. So that was a big learning curve. I am worried about our batting.”The opening partnership between Tamim Iqbal and Junaid Siddique failed to reach double figures in all three ODIs and Mushfiqur Rahim’s promotion to No.3, after a good performance in the Tests, was a failure. Siddons said Ashraful might replace Mushfiqur at that position.”The two guys at the top Tamim and Imroze [Junaid Siddique] haven’t made runs for a while now and haven’t put up a big score,” Siddons said. “I can see how well they are practising and they are the two best guys for the job. No one has really put a hand up to take their spot. They are two talented youngsters who are going to do well in the future. We just got to persevere with them and if Ash [Mohammad Ashraful] starts to step up then the top four would look a lot better.”Zimbabwe’s 38-run win upset Siddons but he felt his team was still adapting to the ODI format after a two-Test series against Sri Lanka. “We were really confident against Zimbabwe but the first game was a slip up. We were not ready for the tempo and momentum of one-day cricket. It is a faster pace and we needed to score quicker but our guys were in the mood of letting balls go.”We picked ourselves up pretty fast and I didn’t think we’d get the bonus point but we got that and in the final it was amazing. Everyone thought we had it and we did not do too much wrong but Murali took it from us.”Mohammad Ashraful, the Bangladesh captain, expected the top-order to come good and said he was looking forward to batting at No.3. “Here I would like to see a hundred in each match from one of the top-order batsmen and hopefully I will make runs too if I get going.The reason I had opted to bat at No 4 was because I thought it was better for me if the ball was a bit older. But for the team combination I will bat at No 3 and I hope to make use of that opportunity.”

Aston Villa manager Dean Smith could solve a major problem in his squad by signing Borussia Dortmund powerhouse Thomas Delaney in this summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to French publication Homme du Match, Villa are plotting a late swoop for the Denmark midfielder as they seek to put the finishing touches to what has been a very busy transfer window.

Dean Smith needs him

While Smith has a few options in midfield from which to choose, only Marvelous Nakamba could be described as someone who’s primarily a ball-winner.

In Delaney, not only would they be getting someone who snaps into the challenges and can protect the back four, but also have the ability to play accurate passes into more advanced areas and switch the play.

As per WhoScored, he averaged two tackles per game in the Bundesliga last season (higher than any Villa midfielder), while also averaging 40.3 passes per match (only Douglas Luiz made more among Villa’s midfield).

That ability to win the ball back and kick-start things is exactly what his Dortmund teammate Marco Reus has previously heralded.

The Germany midfielder said: “Thomas is an exceptional kind of player. He’s the kind of player we’ve been missing in the past. You need a player like (Delaney) in the niggly games. He sweeps up and gets the game going again in the other direction. Thomas can be a really important player.”

Former Dortmund interim boss Edin Terzic was also full of praise for Delaney last season, saying: “Thomas Delaney always performs well, not just in the last two games. He is definitely a very important player who stabilises our defence and is always capable of destabilising our opponents. That is very important in this position. We are lucky to have a player like him in the squad.”

The £80k-a-week earning ace is exactly what Smith needs to shore up his midfield. Given his impressive knack of patrolling the back four and keeping cool, calm and collected in possession like Reus and Terzic have said, Delaney seems like a superb signing for Villa to make.

Meanwhile, Villa are plotting a late swoop for this star…

Newcastle United’s summer business could be done with a source suggesting Hamza Choudhury now won’t arrive from Leicester City, The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards has revealed.

The lowdown: Deal close

Edwards had tweeted earlier on Tuesday that Newcastle were ‘close’ to signing Choudhury on loan.

Choudhury was limited to just four Premier League starts for Leicester last season, making a further six substitute appearances.

The 23-year-old would have taken up one of two available slots for loan signings from within the Premier League.

Newcastle also pursued this deal back in January and apparently came within ‘a hair’s breath’ of getting it over the line.

The latest: Bombshell

‘Someone now appears to be briefing’ that the Choudhury deal is off, and that Newcastle’s ‘business is done’, stated Edwards in a late and worrying bombshell.

He then added that by ‘someone’ he means the Magpies themselves, saying ‘I predict trouble ahead’.

Steve Bruce apparently thought the loan was doable, while both Leicester and the player himself ‘thought this was happening’.

The verdict: Disaster

Choudhury would have been a reasonable but uninspiring signing. Even if he had come in, Newcastle would have been left short, with an upgrade at centre-half also needed.

But the fallout from the deal’s apparent collapse may far outweigh the limited impact Choudhury’s arrival would have had. Indeed, Edwards himself has already dubbed it ‘scandalous’, and it really does feel like Bruce is now fighting a losing battle.

The Toon are stuck in 17th place with just one point, and it’s hard to see their form improving if they don’t make any late additions.

In other news, Steve Howey has suggested Newcastle could get creative for this CB.

Simon Katich insists his spat with Michael Clarke is over, and his impending opening partnership with Phillip Hughes ready to withstand the Proteas’ pace attack ahead of his departure for South Africa next week

Alex Brown12-Feb-2009
Simon Katich is surprised his argument with Michael Clarke took so long to come out © AFP
Simon Katich insists his spat with Michael Clarke is over, and his impending opening partnership with Phillip Hughes ready to withstand the Proteas’ pace attack ahead of his departure for South Africa next week. Katich has spent much of his international career out of the spotlight but controversy and circumstance have placed the veteran opener under intense scrutiny entering the three-Test series against South Africa.The highly-publicised altercation with Clarke after the Sydney Test has attracted most headlines to date, although that could be confined to the dark recesses of memory if Katich manages to forge a successful union with Hughes and help defend Australia’s No. 1 ranking. Despite the tumult surrounding him at present, Katich spoke with remarkable calm and poise this week when discussing the incident with Clarke.”I was actually surprised it took so long to come out,” he said. “Not long after it happened I remember speaking to [Cricket Australia media manager Philip] Pope and asking how we should deal with it. There has been a bit made of it, but really, it’s all in the past as far as I’m concerned. It happens in teams from time to time.”The controversy behind him, Katich is now preparing to take on the unfamiliar role of senior batsman for the tour of South Africa. The retirement of Matthew Hayden after the Sydney Test has bestowed upon Katich the mantle of veteran opener and the task of guiding Hughes, his 20-year-old state team-mate, through his debut series.The elevation in seniority does not appear to rattle Katich. The left-hander has averaged 56.45 in the 12 Tests since his recall and, at the age of 33, finally feels at home in Australia’s Test line-up.”Australia will always miss Matthew Hayden, and we will be taking a young team away, but I don’t necessarily see my role changing all that much, because there is always responsibility when you open the innings,” he said. “Your role at the top of the order is to go out and score runs, and that doesn’t change regardless of who you are batting with at the other end.”When I first came back into the team, it was important for me to live by the old cliche of one series at a time. There were no guarantees for me, and I had lost my place a few times before. Now that I have been able to string a few Test together, I feel like I can build something from Test to Test. By the end of the summer, I was really relaxed and comfortable in my ability to do the job at the top of the order.”‘It’s nice to know England are battling’The Australians may be preparing for a difficult tour of South Africa but they will be keeping an eye on Antigua this week. Simon Katich said England’s second innings capitulation at Sabina Park had come as a welcome surprise in an Ashes year.”I was absolutely stunned,” Katich said. “I thought the West Indies would be batting last and, on that wicket, it looked like it was going to be hard work for them. It was a great win for the Windies.”We were in a bit of trouble there too last year, and it’s the type of wicket where you can do a lot of damage with the new ball. It’s nice to know that with the Ashes coming up, England are battling. But playing away and playing at home are very different things.”And on the prospect of opening with Hughes?”There is no better feeling than being picked when you’re in form, and this selection is good timing for him,” he said. “There are certainly comparisons there with us. Neither of us are textbook players, but we find our own ways to score runs. Phil is a guy who knows his game well, but it is his temperament that is the biggest reason for him getting so far. He has a great hunger, and that’s something you can’t teach. So he might not be classical, but what is technically correct?”The road ahead appears a treacherous one for the Australians. Four members of the touring party to South Africa are uncapped, and four others have a combined ten Tests’ experience. All will be faced with a Proteas side at the peak of its powers, and confident of wresting the No. 1 ranking from the Australians on their home soil. Assignments do not come more daunting.Katich, though, believes a corner was turned towards the end of the three-Test series in Australia with the 103-run victory over South Africa in Sydney. The match may have been a dead rubber, but Katich is confident the result will help restore team confidence after a torrid 2008 campaign.”After we went down 2-0 and the series was over, we were keen to draw a line in the sand,” he said. “The New Year was the catalyst for that. The series was done and dusted, and in the meetings we had, we were keen to put it behind us. I think that was one of the big reasons why we were able to turn around and win in Sydney.”

A round-up of the State Championship matches between March 6 and 9

Cricinfo staff09-Mar-2009Greg Hay and Brendon Diamanti scored valuable second-innings hundreds for Central Districts to ensure a draw against Canterbury at Rangiora.Central Districts were struggling to stay in the game after conceding a first-innings lead of 280 and were heading towards defeat after being reduced to 119 for 4 and 263 for 6 following-on. However, Diamanti and Hay combined to add 205 runs for the seventh wicket and remained unbeaten on 135 and 131 respectively. Central Districts finally declared on 468 for 6, setting Canterbury a target of 189. Canterbury’s top-order failed in the final innings and the match ended with them on 19 for 3 on the final day.However, it was the top order that had given Canterbury a strong grip on the match. Three out of the top four batsmen scored centuries as they piled up 543 in the first innings. Michael Papps and Johann Myburgh scored 127 and 107 respectively while Canterbury’s Indian import Rahul Dravid contributed 102, gaining valuable practice ahead of the Tests against New Zealand. There was nearly a fourth century in the innings but Kruger van Wyk fell on 92. He was the first of Indian legspinner Amit Mishra’s three wickets. Diamanti was impressive with the ball for Central Districts, dismissing five top-order batsmen for 74 runs.Five of the top six Central Districts batsmen got steady starts in the first innings but none of them went on to score hundreds. Andrew Ellis, who finished with 4 for 39, chipped away at the top order to dismiss Central Districts for 263. Facing a deficit of 280, they were in danger of defeat before Diamanti and Hay performed an impressive rescue act.Auckland’s bowlers struck at regular intervals to clinch a 22-run victory in a close contest against Northern Districts at Whangarei. Chasing 269 for victory, Northern Districts began the final day on 113 for 3 but were dismissed for 246. They began the day poorly, with Hamish Marshall falling almost immediately. Wickets continued to fall frequently thereafter. Colin de Grandhomme took 3 for 40, accounting for the lower-order. Joseph Yovich (41) and Te Ahu Davis (30 off 26 balls) gave Northern Districts hope but were unable to finish the job.There was little to separate the teams on the first three days. Auckland were in trouble in their first innings, losing their first three wickets for 16 after choosing to bat. However the middle order rallied – Scott Styris scored 95 and Grandhomme 63 – to lead Auckland to 277.Northern Districts also struggled in their first innings. They were 65 for 3 at one stage and were also rescued by two half-centurions. Opener Brad Wilson scored 62 and Michael Parlane made 75 in the middle order to limit the damage caused by Daryl Tuffey (3 for 45) and legspinner Tarun Nethula, who took 4 for 72. Thanks to their efforts Northern Districts trailed by only nine runs on first innings.Auckland were in tatters in their second innings at 134 for 8, leading by only 125. Debutant offspinner Jonothon Boult was the wrecker-in-chief with 4 for 78. But Northern Districts were thwarted by Gareth Hopkins, who scored 100 off 149 balls. He was supported by Tuffey who contributed 53 to a 106-run partnership for the ninth wicket. They took Auckland to 259, helping set a target that was 22 runs too many for Northern Districts.Wellington were 39 runs short of their target and had four wickets in hand when their match against Otago ended in a draw in Dunedin.Both teams put in much-improved performances in the second innings after collapsing in their first. Having been asked to bat, Otago were dismissed for 174 with Warren McSkimming’s 39 being the highest score. Michael Burns (4 for 41) and Dewayne Bowden (3 for 40) were Wellington’s best bowlers.Wellington fared worse in their reply. McSkimming picked up 4 for 40 and Wellington were skittled for 139, conceding a first-innings lead of 35 to Otago. Greg Todd led a more solid performance from Otago in the second innings. He scored 73 and Indian batsman VVS Laxman made 44 as Otago steadily built an advantage. However Luke Woodcock picked up three vital top-order wickets and the rest of the batsmen failed to convert their starts. Otago were eventually dismissed for 286, setting Wellington a target of 322, the highest total of the match.Wellington lost two early wickets an were 42 for 2 in the chase before the middle-order batsmen weighed in with solid contributions. Neal Parlane made 59, BJ Crook scored an unbeaten 101, and Woodcock contributed 69 as Wellington pushed towards the target. However, they were running short of time and their challenge suffered when Woodcock cut through the batting order to reduce Wellington from 237 for 3 to 259 for 6.

Manchester United may have pulled off their best transfer window in recent memory, but the future of one of their star players remains up in the air.

What’s the story?

The arrivals of Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo will hopefully propel the Red Devils’ first-team squad to new heights this summer, yet World Cup-winning midfielder Paul Pogba is still to commit his future to the club.

After entering the final year of his current contract, the 28-year-old was heavily linked with a move to Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain, although Lionel Messi’s shock arrival at the Parc des Princes priced him out of that particular deal.

However, according to well-known journalist Samuel Luckhurst, the Red Devils are reportedly hopeful that the arrival of five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo will be enough to convince Pogba to sign a new contract at the club.

“The feeling at hierarchical level at United is the return of Ronaldo is such a compelling statement of intent that it may persuade Pogba to stay,” his report read.

Fans could be buzzing

After re-joining his boyhood club in a then world-record £89 million deal back in 2016, Pogba has only won the League Cup and Europa League and has failed to add to those accolades over the last four seasons.

As a result, Pogba is not believed to have shown any concrete interest in putting pen to paper on fresh terms at United due to fears he could waste the remaining prime years of his career with the Old Trafford outfit.

Nevertheless, the recent improvements made under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer both on and off the pitch have brought renewed hope that the 20-time English champions could return to their former glory in the imminent future.

When asked about Ronaldo’s return to United, Pogba said: “Everybody knows [what he brings]. He’s already a legend at this club and he is coming back.

“Obviously, it’s good for us, he’s going to bring his experience and quality. When he comes, the level goes up. We’re really pleased he’s coming and the most important thing today was the win so that when he comes we keep this winning mentality and keep going.”

Only time will tell if Ronaldo’s presence is enough to convince Pogba to sign a new deal, but the United supporters could be left buzzing with excitement at this new wave of hope.

And, in other news…Man Utd make contact over £27m-rated “complete midfielder”, Ole would love him