All posts by h716a5.icu

The Man Utd youngster is thriving on loan at Spurs and not only was she rewarded with her senior international debut, she also marked it with a goal

For a team that saw 2023 end in such heartbreaking fashion, England have certainly started 2024 with a bang. The Lionesses flew to Spain for a warm-weather camp in February, playing friendlies after not making the UEFA Women's Nations League finals, with Sarina Wiegman hoping to try out fresh ideas, see new players and learn plenty about her squad. As the players start to return to their clubs, it certainly feels like the Dutchwoman can tick all three of those boxes.

There were bonuses, too, in the performances that England put on and the results they picked up, as they comfortably beat two strong teams in Austria, who were thrashed 7-2 on Friday, and Italy, defeated 5-1 four days later. "There are very many positives about this week," Wiegman told after the latter result.

So, who were the winners as the Lionesses kicked off 2024 in style? And who didn't fare so well? GOAL takes a look…

WINNER: Grace Clinton

The biggest compliment that can be paid to Grace Clinton after her performances for England this week is that it hardly looked like this was the camp in which she made her international debut. Awarded that first cap on Friday against Austria, she marked the occasion with a superb goal, was unlucky not to get a second, and backed it up with another terrific display in the win over Italy.

On loan at Tottenham from Manchester United this season, the 20-year-old has been in sublime form and she showed it in these friendlies, her clever footwork and ability to carve defences open making her one of the most eye-catching players across England's two games. But Clinton worked hard off the ball, too, ranking second for tackles won and third for possession among the Lionesses' squad. That she shone in two different midfield roles, box-to-box against Austria and then as a No.10 in the win over Italy, was also impressive.

"She just went out to play, played with a lot of freedom and showed her quality," Wiegman said of the youngster in a perfectly-put piece of praise. Given how well she slipped into England's starting XI, it'd be a surprise not to see more of her in the April window as qualifying for the 2025 European Championships begins.

AdvertisementGettyLOSER: Leah Williamson

As Wiegman says, there were tons of positives for England in this camp but there were also a couple of negatives. The first came before the Lionesses had even got together as Leah Williamson's long-awaited comeback was delayed further, a minor hamstring injury causing the Arsenal star to pull out of the squad.

Williamson has worked so hard to get back on the pitch after a devastating ACL injury that ruled her out of the Women's World Cup and this camp felt like the perfect opportunity for her England return, the friendly games removing some of the pressure. However, she'll be targeting a chance to pull on her country's colours again in April instead.

WINNER: Lotte Wubben-Moy

Every cloud has a silver lining and Williamson's absence opened the door for Lotte Wubben-Moy, her Arsenal team-mate who she will have no doubt been pleased to see get a rare opportunity to show what she can do for England. There have been plenty of calls for Wubben-Moy to receive more game time, especially given her sublime recent form at club level, and she saw significant minutes in both games this week.

Though starting from the bench against Austria, the 25-year-old came on at half time and got an assist thanks to a strong header. She then went one better in the game with Italy, scoring her first England goal with just 60 seconds on the clock, this on her first start since June 2022 and just her third overall. Her defensive work and general play in both matches was superb, too.

Asked if Wubben-Moy had taken a step forward in her thinking after the two performances, Wiegman told : "She's definitely taken a step forward because she's developing a lot and very well. That's what we see weekly at Arsenal and that's what she shows here, too." The coach did add that the competition at centre-back is "really high" but Wubben-Moy has certainly done nothing this week to harm her chances of getting more of a look-in when the opportunity presents itself.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

Getty ImagesLOSER: Fran Kirby

After losing Williamson before the camp had even begun, England suffered another blow in the warm-up for the clash with Austria when Fran Kirby felt some irritation in her knee. The Chelsea star was replaced in the starting line-up by Ella Toone and, in the following days, withdrew from the camp altogether. "We didn't want to take any risks so she's being assessed at the club," Wiegman explained. "We don't expect it to be a bad injury."

Though it doesn't sound overly-concerning for Kirby, it is another frustration for the 30-year-old in what has felt like a real stop-start period of her career. After coming back admirably from some health scares in recent years, it is these knee injuries that are now plaguing Kirby as she looks to rediscover the form that made her one of the most talismanic footballers on the planet.

Chelsea have long been excellent at looking after the playmaker and will no doubt take the necessary steps to deal with this issue. Meanwhile the Blues, England and essentially every football fan will hope that she is able to ride this storm and get back to that level that made her so wonderful to watch.

Round up of the Zimbabwe One-Day Competition matches on October 6

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Oct-2012Mashonaland Eagles began their limited-overs competition with a comprehensive win over Southern Rocks at the Harare Sports Club. Their bowlers turned in a collective performance which kept the Rocks to just 151 for 9 in 50 overs. The Rocks, after being asked to bat, slipped to 50 for 6 at one stage but Tendai Chisoro, who finished unbeaten on 73, took the team past three-figures and ultimately past 150. He added 57 with No.8 batsman Trevor Garwe, but it was insufficient. Four Eagles bowlers – Tatenda Manatsa, Nathan Waller, Elton Chigumbura and Ray Price – picked up two wickets each. Regis Chakabva, the wicketkeeper, collected five catches behind the stumps.The Eagles were in early trouble in their chase, losing their first three wickets for just 16. But Sikandar Raza (43) and Forster Mutizwa took their team to 97. Mutizwa stayed through to the end, guiding his team home with a half-century, helping seal victory with more than 13 overs to spare.In Bulawayo, an all-round performance by Mountaineers helped them effect a comfortable seven-wicket victory against Matabeleland Tuskers in the Zimbabwe One-Day Competition. Tino Mawoyo and Kevin Kasuza, the two openers, put on 170 runs as Mountaineers chased down 212 in the 46th over after their bowlers took wickets regularly to restrict Tuskers to 211.Mountaineers, after opting to field, struck in the third over, removing Terry Duffin for 3. Although Tuskers didn’t suffer collapses, they weren’t allowed to build big partnerships. Besides the 94-run stand between Charles Coventry and Craig Ervine, the innings was based on small stands worth between 2 and 32. Prosper Utseya was the Mountaineers’ highest wicket-taker with three wickets, including those of Ervine, who scored 62, and Coventry.Their openers, both of whom got out in the 80s, made sure the contest was virtually over after batting 38.3 overs to be separated, with 42 more runs to win. Two more wickets fell in the 42nd over, but Greg Lamb and Timycen Maruma ensured there weren’t further hiccups.

Arran Brindle struck an unbeaten 40 to help England Women win the third ODI against India Women

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jul-2012
ScorecardTammy Beaumont made 44, her highest ODI score, as England chased 174 to win•Getty ImagesArran Brindle struck an unbeaten 40 to help England Women win the third ODI against India Women and maintain their hopes of victory in the five-match series. Danielle Wyatt struck the winning runs with 16 balls remaining as England succeeded where they had failed 24 hours earlier, cutting India’s lead to 2-1 ahead of the fourth ODI in Truro on Sunday.England went into the series on a seven-match winning streak in one-day cricket but failed to defend 229 in a tight finish at Lord’s and then came up short attempting to chase down 130 on a slow Taunton pitch. After reaching 100 for 2 in the 27th over of the third ODI, England made hard work of reaching their target of 174. Tammy Beaumont top-scored with 44 but the hosts lost four wickets for 28 in a late stumble, as Brindle battled stoically to get them over the line.After another poor start that saw India slip to 47 for 4, captain Mithali Raj hit her second unbeaten ninety of the series to rescue the innings. She was the only India batsman to pass 24, combining with Reema Malhotra for a 71-run partnership, then adding adding 55 with wicketkeeper Sulakshana Naik in 8.2 overs at the end. However, despite economical and penetrative spells from Gouher Sultana, Nagarajan Niranjana and Archana Das, it wasn’t quite enough.

Martin Guptill showed some fine form to press his claims further for a Test recall while the battle for New Zealand’s third seam still looks tight

George Dobell at New Road16-May-2015
ScorecardRoss Whiteley’s hundred made New Zealand’s bowlers work hard•Getty ImagesAs England prepared for their World Cup match against Australia, it was suggested – tongue in cheek – that the presence of Jack Shantry at their net sessions was an attempt to ready them for the pace of Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc.Shantry, the Worcestershire seamer who spent the winter playing Grade cricket in Melbourne, does have a few similarities with Johnson and Starc. Like them, he bowls left arm. And, like them, he is a mammal.But there the similarities cease. For while the Australian duo bowl at a furiously fast pace, Shantry bowls at a pace that might be described, in comparison, as slow to stationary. While he has recently taken to calling himself Jack ‘the hurricane’ Shantry, it is with self-deprecating humour: he reasons that the Beaufort scale – used as the measure of wind intensity based on sea conditions – rates that anything over 74mph can be described as hurricane force. And Shantry, on a good day, running downhill, at sea, probably does just about top 74 mph.That is not to decry Shantry’s talents. Blessed with an unusually high action, he combines impressive control with an ability to nip the ball around sharply and actually has a better first-class bowling average than either of the Australians. 189 first-class wickets at under 28 apiece deserves respect. Pace isn’t everything as Terry Alderman, Vernon Philander and Chaminda Vaas proved.What is the point of this, you may well be asking? Well, the point is that Shantry is now preparing New Zealand for their Test series against England. In early season conditions, Shantry and co. are proving the measure by which the tourists must settle on their Test XI.With only five days to go until the Lord’s Test begins, it seems New Zealand have chosen nine of the 11 that will play. With the captain Brendon McCullum – in IPL action today – likely to return at No. 5, Kane Williamson at No. 3 and Tim Southee and Trent Boult certain of sharing the new ball, the only vacancies are at the top of the order – where Tom Latham, Martin Guptill and Hamish Rutherford are battling for two spots – and as third seamer, where Doug Bracewell, Matt Henry and Neil Wagner are competing for a single position.On the evidence of this game, it would appear that Guptill – dismissed by Shantry in the first innings – has earned himself a decent chance of playing at Lord’s. While he was unable to play in the previous match at Taunton due to a side strain sustained while playing for Derbyshire (he scored a double-century in his last game for the county), he looked in imperious touch here, driving with power, pulling with contempt and dealing with Shantry’s movement with confidence.By contrast, Latham fell to a catch at leg slip – Shantry will no doubt claim, with a smile, that it was “leg theory” in action – and has now failed to reach 10 in three of his four innings on tour. While the other was a half-century against Somerset, he may have slipped behind Guptill and Rutherford, who made a patient 75 in the first innings here and 37 in the first innings at Taunton.Rutherford was unable to put the issue beyond doubt in the second innings here, though. Playing back to Moeen Ali’s first delivery, he was aghast to see the ball pitch middle and leg and turn sharply to clip the top of off stump. Had Ross Taylor been taken by Rich Oliver at leg slip when he had 12, as he probably should have been, Moeen would have finished the day with two victims.The day still ended much better for him than it started. He was able to add only three to his overnight total when he flicked a fairly innocuous looking delivery from Wagner to midwicket.Perhaps it was relevant that he looked somewhat unsettled by the short ball that preceded it. Australia have made no secret of their plans to test Moeen with the short delivery and, while he has rarely looked troubled by the delivery at county level and insists it is not an issue now, his ability to deal with it may well define his summer.Wagner was probably the most impressive of the seamers contesting a Test place. While Henry, blessed with a lovely, strong action, was rated the quickest of the attack by Worcestershire’s batsmen, Wagner conceded only 17 from his 14 overs and looked a man well in command of his game. Henry, by contrast, conceded almost four-an-over.Bracewell also looked strong and took the key wicket of Daryl Mitchell – brilliantly caught by Guptill high above his head at second slip as he failed to get on top of a short ball – after grinding for 37 overs in making 22.That New Zealand did not take a first innings lead was largely due to the resistance provided by Ross Whiteley. He has long been seen as a talented player but, due as much to a lack of confidence as any technical issues, has rarely fulfilled that ability in red-ball cricket. This, his first century for Worcestershire in first-team cricket – though it is not a first-class match – was full of powerful strokes and provided a reminder of the potential that remains. If he can take confidence from it – and he really should – he can go on to enjoy a fine career.But in the longer term, it may be Ed Barnard’s career that proves more substantial. While he has yet to make his first-class debut, the 19-year-old made an impressive first-team debut here. The 81 runs he added with Whiteley demonstrated composure and plenty of time for the ball. He looked, in short, a promising young player with the ability to forge a decent career in the game.So what a shame that so few people will hear about it. Sadly – in a worrying reflection of cricket’s decline in the UK – the local newspaper no longer sends a reporter to watch the local side and there is no agency writer at this match. Watching cricket at New Road remains a rare delight, but if the game is to remain relevant, it will have to fight harder for the exposure that is its oxygen.

Bruce Martin, the New Zealand left-arm spinner, will miss the rest of the England tour as a result of a calf injury he sustained during the first Test at Lord’s

ESPNcricinfo staff20-May-2013Bruce Martin, the New Zealand left-arm spinner, will miss the rest of the England tour as a result of a calf injury he sustained during the first Test at Lord’s which means Daniel Vettori could return to the Test side for the first time in 10 months. Neither Martin or wicketkeeper BJ Watling, who New Zealand remain “hopeful” will play the second Test, took the field on the fourth day during England’s second innings, although both batted as the tourists were dismissed for 68 to lose by 170 runs.Vettori will arrive a day ahead of the rest of the ODI squad as a potential replacement for Martin for the second Test at Headingley, which begins on Friday. Vettori has been at the IPL but did not play a single game for Bangalore Royal Challengers and his fitness will be assessed. Jeetan Patel, the offspinner currently playing county cricket for Warwickshire, is another option for New Zealand.The morning after New Zealand were humbled, the coach Mike Hesson was left to assess the injury situation. “Daniel’s come over 24 hours earlier for us to have a chance to have a look at him,” he said. “We won’t be pushing Dan if he’s not ready but if he is we’d certainly love to have him.””He’s done plenty of bowling in the last couple of months in the IPL, albeit in the nets. He’s got through plenty of work. But it’s a matter of whether we think he’s going to be able to get through five days of a test match. We won’t risk Dan for the sake of a test. But in saying that it is an important Test for us.”Vettori’s previous Test appearance came on the tour of the Caribbean last July since when he has suffered a string of injuries – the most serious being an Achilles problem – with his only international outings being at last year’s World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.No wicketkeeping back-up has been requested for Watling, with Tom Latham an option within the squad. Brendon McCullum took the gloves at Lord’s, although he has not kept wicket in a full Test since 2010 and already has plenty of responsibilities as captain and batsman. Watling was not selected for the ODI leg of the tour, in which Luke Ronchi, the former Australia wicketkeeper, is expected to make his New Zealand debut but Hesson said that Ronchi was unlikely to feature at Headingley.

Tim Southee, who has moved up to No. 5 on the ICC Test bowlers’ rankings, says he has learned to apply consistent pressure on batsmen

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jun-2014Following his match-winning display on an unresponsive surface at Sabina Park, where he dismissed Chris Gayle twice on the way to match figures of 6 for 51, Tim Southee has jumped three places to fifth in the ICC Test bowling rankings.Only Dale Steyn, Ryan Harris, Vernon Philander and Mitchell Johnson sit above Southee, who has shown the consistency over the last three years to suggest he belongs in that company, having taken 78 wickets in 17 Test matches at an average of 22.78 since the start of 2012.The biggest factor in this, he has said, is his patience as a bowler. “The more cricket I’ve played the more patient I’ve become,” he told . “When you’re young, you want take wickets every time you bowl. The reality is it’s not going to happen.”Test cricket is tough. You work [through] spells to try and pick up wickets and you may not get it in the first spell but when you come back and keep applying pressure the rewards will come.”One thing I’ve learned is if the wickets aren’t coming, don’t go looking for them. Especially on wickets like this [in the West Indies]. Patience is going to be massive.”Southee credited the planning done behind the scenes for the success the New Zealand bowlers enjoyed in the Jamaica Test.”We have a raw and young bowling attack and it’s an exciting attack to be part of,” he said. “We all bounce ideas off each other, throw things around.”There’s a lot of stuff that goes on behind the scenes. [Bowling coach Shane Bond] Bondy and the bowlers set plans for each batsman and it’s pleasing to see them come off and know we are doing the right thing behind closed doors.”The first Test was also the scene of Kemar Roach’s return to cricket after more than seven months out with a shoulder injury.”Jamaica was a tough Test match,” Roach told . “It was my first Test back after injury. The wicket wasn’t really good for fast bowling so you had to work really hard on it.”It was best to keep line and length on it and pitch up to the batsman as much as possible. I think the bowlers did pretty well. We didn’t get the wickets we wanted but we created chances.”Roach seemed to be feeling his way back in during New Zealand’s first innings, but sent down encouraging spells during the second innings, in which he had figures of 2 for 12 in 12 overs.”The first morning I was a bit nervous,” he said. “I had a shoulder injury and it was my bowling shoulder so I was a bit tentative at first but then I realised it felt perfect. The first hour back in Test cricket was difficult for me but I came out on top.”The second Test is at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad, a venue with happy memories for Roach, who took ten wickets in the last Test match he played there, against Australia in 2012.”Coming to Trinidad now, the last Test I played here I performed pretty well against Australia so I’m looking to better that performance or even top it,” he said. “I’m just going to go out there put in my best and give it a good shot.”In Trinidad, the wicket has got better over the years, so it’s better for fast bowling. So you’ve just got to go out there and put the work in, bowl some strong balls in good areas, the batsmen will make mistakes and you will get the wickets.”

Graham Lloyd and Alex Wharf have been added to the ECB’s first-class umpires list for 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2013Graham Lloyd and Alex Wharf have been added to the ECB’s first-class umpires list for 2014. Lloyd and Wharf, who both played ODI cricket for England, will replace Trevor Jesty, who has retired, and Richard Illingworth, after his promotion to the ICC’s Elite Panel of umpires.Former Lancashire batsman Lloyd – the son of former England player and coach David Lloyd, who was also a first-class umpire – played six one-dayers between 1996 and 1998, as well as amassing more than 17,000 runs for his county. He took up umpiring in 2008.Wharf started umpiring after his retirement in 2009 and was added to the ECB’s reserve list three years ago. The Yorkshire-born seamer spent most of his playing career with Glamorgan and took 18 wickets in 13 ODIs for England between 2004 and 2005.”We are delighted to welcome Alex and Graham onto the full list for 2014,” the ECB’s chief executive, David Collier, said. “These promotions are richly deserved and reflect the quality of Alex and Graham’s performances in last season’s domestic competitions and their high levels of commitment and professionalism overall.”ECB full list 2014: Rob Bailey, Neil Bainton, Mark Benson, Martin Bodenham, Nick Cook, Nigel Cowley, Jeff Evans, Steve Gale, Steve Garratt, Michael Gough, Ian Gould, Peter Hartley, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Nigel Llong, Graham Lloyd, Jeremy Lloyds, Neil Mallender, David Millns, Steve O’Shaughnessy, Tim Robinson, Martin Saggers, George Sharp, Alex Wharf, Peter Willey

A menacing opening burst from Otago Volts’ fast bowlers and a well-measured mauling from Brendon McCullum delivered them an eight-wicket victory over Faisalabad Wolves, who failed to compete in any discipline

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando17-Sep-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo – Brendon McCullum took Otago Volts home with an unbeaten 83•AFPA menacing opening burst from Otago Volts’ fast bowlers and a well-measured mauling from Brendon McCullum delivered them an eight-wicket victory over Faisalabad Wolves, who failed to compete in any discipline. All four Otago’s quicks bowled out, but none conceded more than 6.5 an over and shared seven wickets between them.Misbah-ul-Haq the batsman might have his reputation embellished, after hitting a 34-ball 46 that ensured that there was a contest, but as a captain he will perhaps attract yet more scrutiny for misreading the Mohali pitch, and handing the opposition a clear advantage by batting first. McCullum’s thoughtfully-constructed 83 not out from 65 made light work of Faisalabad’s 139, and Otago reached their target with 13 balls to spare.James McMillan might not even have played this match, had Jacob Duffy been fit, but his impact on the match was immediate and far reaching. Ammar Mahmood struck the first ball of the match powerfully for four, but could not get McMillan’s first ball further than point, who knelt to take a straightforward catch.That over cost one run and had reaped one wicket, and were it not for an inside edge off the last ball, McMillan’s second over would have been no less impressive. Otago’s seam collective wasted little of that early momentum, as they rarely veered far from the stumps in the early overs, and had Faisalabad hobbling at 34 for 3 in the eighth over.With that dismally familiar scoreline beckoning Misbah to the crease, he rolled up his sleeves to launch another dutiful recovery, as he has done for Pakistan so many times in the last year. He found a like-minded partner in Khurram Shehzad, and the pair began reclaiming ground in steady shovelfuls at first, before Misbah felt he had the measure of the pace-friendly Mohali dirt.A legside six off Nathan McCullum in the 12th over foreshadowed the aggression to follow, which would yield Faisalabad their most profitable over of the innings. In the 14th, Misbah walloped two more sixes and a four in the same cow-corner region, off the same bowler, hauling his side’s run rate beyond six for the first time since the first over.Though Khurram had clung on in Misbah’s company to help forge a 61-run stand, he could not match his captain’s attacking competence, and departed for 27 off 36, just as the innings might have moved into a phase of dominance, had he stayed around. Misbah’s progress slowed, as Otago’s disciplined pace bowlers returned in full force, and he was bowled making room to hit through the offside, off the last ball of the 17th over.McCullum did not allow poor balls to go unpunished early in his innings, but atypically, he did not go looking for trouble either. Neil Broom had departed in the first over, and with a modest score to chase, a return of 16 from his first 20 balls did not seem to irk him. Three Hamish Rutherford sixes saw Otago eclipse the required rate in the Powerplay overs, and McCullum sought nothing more than to maintain that steady momentum for the majority of his innings.Eventually he grew bold, after he and Derek de Boorder had put on more than 50 for the third wicket, and Faisalabad’s efforts sagged as the game slipped from them. Having progressed to 50 at just under run-a-ball, McCullum took them home with a flurry of thumping hits, and secured a fine net-run-rate, should it be required further down the line.

Bayern are on the lookout for a new manager after confirming that the ex-Chelsea boss will be leaving in the summer

On Wednesday morning, we got the news we had all been expecting for some time: Thomas Tuchel had been given his marching orders by Bayern Munich. The announcement did come with a twist, though, with the German not set to depart his post until the end of the season.

It's an odd decision, considering that many of Bayern's top players have seemingly lost faith in Tuchel and they have a campaign-defining Champions League last-16 second-leg clash with Lazio to come next month. Perhaps finding someone to take the job mid-season seemed impossible, or maybe the club are looking to save some money by avoiding a hefty compensation package.

Regardless, the search is now firmly underway to find Tuchel's successor and there is a lot of options out there. Below, GOAL has analysed 10 of the top candidates who could end up in Bavaria this summer.

Getty ImagesXabi Alonso

Liverpool will have greeted the news of Tuchel's imminent departure with trepidation. The Reds are understood to have identified Bayer Leverkusen boss Alonso as their No.1 target to replace Jurgen Klopp at the end of the season.

However, with Bayern now on the lookout for a new head coach too, competition for his services is about to ramp up significantly. It's not hard to see why both clubs are so besotted by Alonso. In a short space of time he has overhauled Leverkusen's playing style, making them one of the most watchable teams in Europe, while also getting extremely impressive results.

For now, the Spaniard's focus will very much be on bringing the Bundesliga title to western Germany, but in the summer he has a seismic decision to make. Both the Bayern and Liverpool jobs are appealing, though he could even disappoint both by opting to stay put for the time being.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesZinedine Zidane

Zidane has been out of the game for some time now, having not returned to management since he left Real Madrid in May 2021. There's been plenty of rumours since, with interest coming from Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and the United States, but Zizou has remained on the sidelines.

Could that change this summer now the Bayern job has come up? He would seem to be a pretty good fit at least. Tactically flexible, Zidane's main strength appears to be his squad management. And with Bayern possessing a lot of egos at present, his ability to be a unifying figure who commands respect would be welcomed.

Whether he would be interested in the role is another matter. Zidane holds a burning desire to manage France one day and during a tournament year – after which Les Bleus boss Didier Deschamps could feasibly leave – he may prefer to remain a free agent.

GettyHansi Flick

Flick's reputation took a battering during his time in charge of Germany. However, it should not be forgotten what an outstanding job he did at Bayern between 2019 and 2021.

Parachuted in to save Die Roten's season following Niko Kovac's disastrous reign, Flick would go on to lead the club to only their second-ever continental treble. His only full campaign wasn't quite as successful, but he still led Bayern to the Bundesliga title – something Tuchel is currently proving is far from the guarantee it is often portrayed as.

The less said about his time as Germany boss the better, but if the club are looking for a safe pair of hands, Flick could be the ideal, short-term choice to provide a bit of stability.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

Getty ImagesJurgen Klopp

If Klopp wishes to sever all ties with his beloved Borussia Dortmund, while also severely p***ing off Liverpool fans, he could give Bayern a call. We're pretty sure he's happy enough sitting back and relaxing, though. At least for the next year anyway.

The BCCI has formed a working group to study the Lodha panel’s verdict relating to the IPL 2013 corruption scandal and instructed it to present its findings in six weeks

Amol Karhadkar19-Jul-2015’IPL will be held with a minimum of eight teams’

The IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla has said the BCCI had accepted the Lodha Committee’s suspension of the owners of the Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals franchises and there was “no question of any dilly-dallying”.
“The order is accepted, now we are in the process of implementing it,” he told PTI. “For that we have formed a working group and that group has been given six weeks’ time to submit its recommendations.”
Shukla also said the IPL would have at least eight sides.
“IPL will be held with a minimum of eight teams. There will be no change in that. How we will proceed will be recommended by the working group, which will have discussions with all the stakeholders like the sponsors, broadcasters, franchisees and state associations. The procedures that we adopt will therefore be approved by our legal experts, that is why we need some time to give the recommendations.”
Shukla said the group would explore several options to ensure IPL 2016 wasn’t severely affected by a shortfall of teams.
“There is a group which believes that a BCCI-appointed management team can run CSK and RR for a period of two years. Credible people can be selected for that job so that the question of conflict of interest does not arise. Another option is that we invite new bids for the two teams to ensure that the league is an eight-team affair. After two years when CSK and RR complete their suspension period, we will have 10 teams. We will consider all the options.”

The BCCI has formed a working group to study the Lodha panel’s verdict relating to the IPL 2013 corruption scandal and instructed it to present its findings in six weeks. The group comprises* IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla, BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, BCCI treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry and IPL governing council member Sourav Ganguly, and will be assisted by Ushanath Banerjee, the board’s legal counsel.The board’s response came after an IPL governing council meeting in Mumbai on Sunday, following the Lodha committee decision to suspend the owners of the Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals franchises earlier this week.The BCCI press release after the meeting stated the working group would “study this verdict, in consultation with all our key advisors and explore all the possible measures to be adopted, with an objective to protect the interests of all the stakeholders involved.”The release further stated: “This group will work within a time bound period of six weeks and report their recommendations to the IPL GC, which will deliberate and share their views with the working committee of the BCCI, for further action.”The general tone of the meeting was to explore the process of inviting bids for two new franchises and the possibility of a 10-team IPL after two years.It is understood that most of the governing council members who spoke during the hour-long meeting were of the opinion that the BCCI should start the procedure of inviting tenders for the new teams for a longer duration to ensure that the IPL’s eight-team format is maintained over the next two years.The committee was also briefed about a suggestion from former BCCI treasurer and joint secretary MP Pandove, over the addition of two teams and the likelihood of a ten-team IPL from 2018. Pandove confirmed to ESPNcricinfo he had “made such a suggestion to the secretary [Thakur] since I think that’s the most viable option for now”.Some members also cited the examples of the 2011 and 2012 IPL seasons – which were played with ten and nine teams respectively – and said if the two teams do return to the fold after serving the two-year suspension, the IPL could be played with ten teams.Sundar Raman, the IPL’s chief operating officer, reportedly said a ten-team IPL could be a logistical nightmare, but a former BCCI office bearer responded by saying Raman should not term the idea unworkable as he was an integral part of IPL’s earlier expansion.It is understood that the issue of the termination of the suspended teams’ franchise agreements was discussed, but no direct demand was made. The council was assured that the five-member working group will consider all options.Shukla’s suggestion of the BCCI independently running the two suspended franchises for two years was presented to the committee and was backed by a current office bearer who proposed that leading financial solutions firms could be involved in running the teams on the board’s behalf.A former cricketer on the governing council – who had urged the BCCI not to leave the players who contributed to the IPL brand in a lurch – reportedly said that individuals like Rahul Dravid [Rajasthan Royals mentor] and MS Dhoni [captain, Chennai Super Kings] are capable of running teams, if required, without an outsider’s assistance.The former office bearer then said Dhoni – whose comments about Gurunath Meiyappan to the Mudgal probe panel came under scrutiny – cannot be entrusted with such a responsibility. Thakur is then understood to have informed the house that the legal experts have advised that the board’s involvement in running two teams is not feasible.Thakur is also believed to have hinted at strict action against all the guilty entities.July 20, 3.00pm *This piece was amended to reflect the BCCI’s announcement of the Working Group’s composition