All posts by n8rngtd.top

Australia find themselves outgunned by visitors’ five-man pace attack on fire-and-brimstone opening day

Vithushan Ehantharajah21-Nov-20250:43

Carse: Each England fast bowler offers a different skill

As coy as England were leading into this first Ashes Test, announcing a 12-man squad featuring Shoaib Bashir, they confirmed at the toss what everyone, including Australia, knew. They were going all in on pace.This, of course, was not a decision made overnight, for a deck at the Optus Stadium pegged as the quickest they would grace over these five Tests. Nor was it made in the last week after Mark Wood was passed fit.Technically, they have been all in since the start of the 2024 summer, when Rob Key – and we’re paraphrasing here – said relying on traditional English seamers was hot trash in overseas conditions, and change needed to come quick. That change was forcing James Anderson into retirement. But even the axing of a great only confirmed the concept.Related

• 'Drawing a long bow' – Greenberg defends Khawaja's golf after back spasm causes chaos

• Bareknuckle Baz-brawl produces Ashes all-nighter for the ages

• Stats – Stokes and Starc lead the charge as wickets tumble in Perth

• Carse hails 'phenomenal' Stokes as captain inspires England fightback

• Fast-forward Brook sets tempo in thrilling Ashes curtain-raiser

Because deep down, not even the most optimistic mind within the ECB would have believed a day like this would come, and certainly not in this manner. When England, with the fastest attack on show, pushed Australia back, not just deep into their creases – the home batters were camped on the back foot for 66% of the deliveries faced so far – but behind a game they were running. On a day where 19 wickets fell, England’s batters served up arguably their most dispiriting batting performance of the Bazball era when it mattered most and still ended up 49 runs ahead at stumps.Had Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood been on the park, that buffer would have been a deficit. Mitchell Starc’s brilliant seven-for was set against little help from those around him.On the other side of the fence was a specialist foursome of Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Wood and Brydon Carse, dovetailing so well they returned to the away dressing room knackered but on cloud nine, after Stokes led them off in a hurry, sheepish after profiting from their hard work to nab the final five wickets. Remarkably, as the slowest of the five, Stokes’ top speed was still above 85mph/137mph.It was only Archer and Carse who took wickets. The former knocking debutant Jake Weatherald off his feet with a 92mph/148kph inswinger second ball of Australia’s innings, and then eliciting a satisfying “under-elbow” from Marnus Labuschagne. The latter turning Steve Smith inside out – feet in Athens, hands in America – before ripping out Usman Khawaja with a bouncer that sent the left-hander back early after a delayed entrance.Ben Stokes looked a little sheepish leading his players off•Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesAtkinson, though, was impressively sharp, tying down his own end while jagging the ball every which way. Three maidens to start a four-over opening spell maintained the pressure Archer had created, before smothering the usually rampant Travis Head, Atkinson responsible for 14 of the 24 dots Head was forced to eat. Stokes saw Head off – attempting to fashion a leg-side boundary – then bagged Cameron Green, who Atkinson should have had earlier with a return catch. That drop was followed, five balls later, by a hellacious Wood bouncer that clocked Green on the jaw.As Archer, Carse, Atkinson and Wood walked off, a thought crossed their mind – had they ever been involved in a better bowling performance? Certainly not as individuals as part of a cartel. And definitely not together.Despite collaborating on England’s famous World Cup win in 2019, this is only the second Test match Archer and Wood have played together. Even Atkinson and Carse have now featured together in five, having both debuted in 2024, though it is a quirk of their circumstances around fitness that all have been overseas. And yet, you’d be forgiven for thinking they were all thick as thieves, as familiar with each other’s games as Australia’s legendary trio.Even Stokes, who revved up his bowlers for the mini-session before tea. After 10 overs, Australia went into the interval on 15 for 1.”At the halfway mark Stokesy kept it quite simple,” Carse said. “He said we’ve got 50 minutes before tea, and I thought the way that Gus and Jofra started was phenomenal and we carried that into the [evening] session. I thought we were quite relentless as a group of seamers, and Ben rotated us well.Brydon Carse charges off after removing Steven Smith•Getty Images”I think when you have Mark Wood and Jofra Archer in your line-up they’re always nice bowlers to have. There was pace and bounce throughout the day, especially when the ball was still slightly new.”Our group of bowlers, we bounce off each other. We all have slightly different attributes, and keeping it relatively simple, I think that’s stood us in good stead today.”None of this is coincidence, of course. Stokes, Key and head coach Brendon McCullum are suckers for the sharp stuff, and the ECB depth chart of quicks has never been longer or more informed. Carse himself was the beneficiary of a new approach to opt for players on an “attributes over averages” basis. Following his 2 for 45, a Test average of 29.71 is over three points lower than his competitive first-class average for Durham (32.82).They have invested heavily, too, particularly in Archer and Wood, pouring money into their respective recoveries from a number of potentially career-ending injuries and keeping them sweet enough to not need nectars from the global T20 circuit.It is a luxury Australia also flex with Cummins, Hazlewood and Starc. Just last month, for instance, Cummins rejected a near $10 million a year offer to go all-in on franchise cricket.Among all this, it is worth remembering Test matches are not won on the first day, and definitely not Ashes series. But England should allow themselves a moment of joy.Having come to Australia and been comprehensively outgunned so often, day one showed they might finally be equipped with heavy artillery.

Mohamed Salah has been brutally reminded that he is not Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, with the Liverpool forward accused of “tricking himself” into believing that he has become “untouchable”. The Egyptian superstar has delivered an explosive rant, having been benched recently, in which he accused Premier League heavyweights of throwing him under the bus.

• Unhappy Salah: Liverpool superstar speaks out after bench duty

  Salah’s stunning comments came after being named among the substitutes by Reds boss Arne Slot for a third successive game. He failed to make the starting XI against West Ham and Sunderland, before seeing no game time again in a thrilling 3-3 draw at Leeds.

  The 33-year-old, who only signed a contract extension at Anfield over the summer, chose to air his frustration in public after being forced to watch on from the sidelines as Liverpool allowed two more points to slip on a dramatic evening at Elland Road.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  Nobody bigger than the club: Salah is not Messi or Ronaldo

  He has hinted at making a January move away from Merseyside, admitting to having no working relationship with Slot, with it suggested that he has become an unfortunate scapegoat for the Reds’ struggles this season. The comments have been met with widespread criticism, with Salah being informed that nobody is bigger than Liverpool Football Club.

  Stan Collymore, who once represented the Reds, has posted on social media after seeing Salah air his grievances very publicly: “I think I know a little about LFC, its supporters and how they view their club. Shaped of course by [Bill] Shankly then [Bob] Paisley, Kenny [Dalglish], Jurgen [Klopp] and now Slot. One thing remains constant, perhaps more than any other English club, it's always the club first and last, players and managers add their DNA to the club, but the club trumps the individual.

  “Now, Mo Salah has left plenty of winners DNA at Anfield and has taken his place in the pantheon of greats. So it's interesting to see his interview, dropping a grenade into the club because if I know Liverpool and it's supporters at all (I think there may be even a generational difference in responses, younger supporting the grenade, older shaking their heads) then their first reaction will be – Club, first and last, don't care who it is. It's a living and breathing mantra and one that even Mo Salah will find it difficult to duke it out against.

  “Now, could Arne Slot be less pally with players than Jurgen? Absolutely, he's a calm, relaxed, tad detached guy who (if you remember) was unimpressed with Trent [Alexander-Arnold] early doors and showed a nonchalant attitude in season one to ‘one of their own’ who'd won everything there is to win. I think that's impressive, but not as impressive as winning the title in your first season. So he's earned his respect too.

  “The team are playing well in spurts, comedy defending and decision making at other times. That includes everyone, and if you ask 99.9% of players if they'd accept 2 or 3 games on the bench for not hitting levels, all will say yes. Only in the madness of 2025 modern football would the cult of personalities not only question a reasonable conclusion of 'you're not playing well, here's a spell on the bench', but Mo maybe has almost tricked himself onto elevating himself to the untouchable status of Messi or Ronaldo, players who could, if they chose, literally do and say as they pleased in the last decade. Mo isn't them, and Liverpool as I said, isn't that club either.”

• Solution to problem: How Liverpool can fix Salah issue

  Collymore went on to say of how Liverpool can fix an unfortunate situation that nobody saw coming: “The solution to what is now a very open sore is simple (ish) 1. Player and manager talk privately. 2. Manager tells player what he wants from the player. 3. Player commits or tells manager he wants out. 4. If player wants out, make it happen quickly. If not, pick the player and let him be judged by his continued performances. If they're poor, manager can't lose, ‘I told you so’. If they're great, manager can't lose. So Slot playing Mo is a very good starting point, especially as 2 very big signings have yet to make Mo ‘yesterday's man’.

  “Arne Slot can help himself a little by using his natural openness to say ‘maybe I'm not Jurgen but I love my players and they couldn't have won a spectacular title last season without reacting to me and my methods a little too, but I hear Mo's comments and I can tell you all now, I love him to bits and he's ours to keep’. That heads off any ‘seniors’ with similar grenades to throw.

  “But one thing's for sure, I don't think there will ever be a Liverpool player past, present or future with valid gripes that would jeopardise the ‘club first and last’ ethos of Liverpool, and those who've had legitimate concerns I'm sure aired them at an appropriate time, not a flash interview when emotions are high. Liverpool FC have done as well for every player who's played for them as players have done for the club, so the institution has earned that private, rather than public critique. Whoever that's from.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  January transfer: Salah sees Anfield exit mooted

  Liverpool are currently in the process of deciding what to do next with Salah, with it possible that he will face punishment for speaking out against the club. Questions will also continue to be asked of his long-term future.

  He is due to represent Egypt at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, with another transfer window opening during that tournament. There has been talk of renewed interest from the Saudi Pro League, with big-spending teams there ready to offer Salah starting berths and a clean slate if professional bridges at Anfield prove to be beyond repair.

Everton have joined the race to sign a want-away England international in January, according to reports, but face competition from the likes of Manchester United.

Grealish admits "love" for Moyes & Everton

The general rule is that fans should never fall in love with a loan player, but what if a loanee falls in love with them? For Jack Grealish and Everton, the admiration is going both ways and the Manchester City man couldn’t help but heap praise on David Moyes and onwatching fans after scoring the winning goal against Bournemouth on Tuesday night.

Speaking to reporters, Grealish said: “It is a brilliant team and I love the manager to pieces. I have only known him a few months and I can’t speak highly enough of him as a person. How he makes me feel, how he makes me want to play for him – credit to him. We are doing well.

“I am so lucky that I have had such great clubs and great fanbases, this is another one of them. They have been so good to me today. They were singing my name before the goal, I feel like they wanted a bit more from me and I gave it to them!”

There was plenty of cautious optimism when Everton signed the England international on loan in the summer. He was struggling under Pep Guardiola, but a move away and much-needed minutes always seemed likely to spark his love for the game back into action.

It’s been such a successful deal that The Friedkin Group could look to strike a similar transfer in January. Reports have already linked Everton with moves for struggling stars like Joshua Zirkzee and they’ve now even set their sights on welcoming Conor Gallagher back to the Premier League.

Everton join Conor Gallagher race

According to reports in Spain, Everton are now racing to sign Gallagher alongside Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and, of course, Man United.

The England international has struggled for consistent game time as of late, starting just three La Liga games so far this season – and is now ready for a return to the Premier League in an attempt to secure his World Cup place.

Man United’s interest has been well-documented in recent weeks, but Everton could yet spoil their January plans by swooping in. Whether it’s the Red Devils or the Toffees, however, deal is unlikely to come cheap. Atletico are reportedly demanding around €60m (£53m) to sell their midfielder this winter.

Everton could sign "one of the best left-backs in the world" for just £25m

The Toffees could look to re-sign one of their former players and have several formulas ready to acquire him.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Nov 30, 2025

Despite his current struggles, Gallagher often received praise during his time in England, with Chelsea legend Petr Cech telling reporters in 2024: “He’s one of the players that’s always cared about winning and about the club.

“You find that even young players can have special abilities to be a leader. Conor is one of those players – he’s always worked hard, he’s always cared and he always tries his best.”

Having seen the success of Grealish at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, Gallagher could yet follow suit to hand Moyes an impressive addition in January.

Everton eyeing up move to sign former Liverpool star who's been "fantastic"

DETROIT — One game. One pitcher. One legacy. As if using a geodetic coordinate system, the American League division series between the Tigers and Mariners has arrived at a pinpoint of a place. Game 5 Friday in Seattle is about Tarik Skubal.

The Tigers ace has made his case over the past two and a half years that he is the best pitcher on the planet. Great. But it’s not enough.

Now, for the second time in 363 days, he will have the ball in his hands in a winner-take-all game. The last time was a bust.

Given a 1–0 lead in the fifth inning against Cleveland in Game 5 of the 2024 ALDS, Skubal coughed up the game in a horrific six-batter sequence: single, strikeout, single, single, hit by pitch, grand slam. Five runs. Lead and game gone in 18 pitches. Drive home safely.

His teammates rustled up a mulligan for him with a syzygy of a rally in ALDS Game 4 against the Mariners Wednesday. Just when the Tigers appeared dead, looking at a 3–0 deficit and staring at the last 15 outs of their season, they came together as weirdly and powerfully as an alignment of celestial bodies. Out of nowhere, they ran off nine unanswered runs to win, 9–3.

Skubal could join sudden death legends

Game 5 is a career-defining game for Skubal, given his loss last season and that his team is 0–3 this year when he faces Seattle. It’s no longer about “pitching well” or “keeping my team in the game.” It’s about going all Jack Morris on Seattle. On the night Morris’s Twins won Game 6 of the 1991 World Series, Morris, the Game 7 starter, walked into the interview room and announced, “In the immortal words of the late, great Marvin Gaye, let’s get it on!” The following night, Morris put the team on his back, throwing 10 shutout innings while refusing to come out of the game.

It was an all-time double elimination pitching performance by a future Hall of Famer. In more recent years, pitching greats who have risen to greater heights in sudden death games include Justin Verlander (2012 and '13 ALDS), Madison Bumgarner ('14 NLWC and World Series, '16 NLWC) and Gerrit Cole ('19 ALDS). This is Skubal’s moment.

On the eve of Mushfiqur Rahim’s 100th Test, take this quiz on his career milestones

Sreshth Shah and Yash Jha17-Nov-2025If the quiz does not appear below, disable your ad-blocker and click here to reload the page