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Moves away from a role she reshaped over the past two and a half years

Daniel Brettig29-Sep-2020

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Australian cricket has lost arguably its most capable executive after the former national captain Belinda Clark announced her intention to resign from employment with Cricket Australia.In a major blow to the community cricket department that she has extensively reshaped over the past two and a half years, Clark has chosen to finish up as a CA executive after first making it clear she had no intention of following Kevin Roberts into the role of chief executive. Nick Hockley is currently serving as interim, with a wider search still expected to be undertaken.As one of CA’s most accomplished performers over a long time, Clark held roles managing the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane, as head of junior cricket and then community cricket as a whole. Vitally, she worked as interim head of team performance following the exit of Pat Howard in late 2018, up until Ben Oliver and Drew Ginn were handed joint roles nine months later.This meant that Clark was in charge of the department responsible for the men’s and women’s national teams at the time that included the reintegration of Steven Smith and David Warner after their Newlands scandal bans. It also involved extensive planning for the difficult “double tour” of England for the 2019 World Cup and Ashes series. Australia’s cup campaign made it as far as the semi-finals before the Ashes were retained in a drawn series.”I have loved my time working for the sport and while this chapter is coming to a close after 20 years with CA, a further six years with Cricket New South Wales and a long-standing member of ICC Women’s Committee, I am committed to finding new ways to give back to the game that has given me so much,” Clark said. “The journey has been exciting and rewarding because of the many amazing people I have worked with across the community, State and Territory Associations, and CA.”I am grateful for their support and am so proud of what we have achieved together. “My dream is to help young girls develop the confidence, skills and courage to step forward when leadership opportunities arise. This shift in my focus is timely as we navigate through significant global challenges – many of which need strong local and diverse voices to overcome. Cricket has been a major part of my life since I was a little girl growing up in Newcastle and it will continue to be for many years to come.”Clark, 50, has started her own business, The Leadership Playground, which has been devised to educate and mentor young girls int he fostering of leadership skills between the ages of 10 and 15. CA on Tuesday denied the Clark was exiting the executive role so she could move immediately onto the Board as an independent director later this year.The nominations committee for board appointments is required to find an independent director to replace the outgoing Jacquie Hey, a director since 2012, with the strong preference understood to be for a highly capable female in the role.Cricket New South Wales had earlier made it clear that it intends to nominate the former state premier Mike Baird as a board director, while wanting to see its current director, Richard Freudenstein, retained as an independent on the nine-person board, comprised of six state-nominated directors and three independents including the chairman, Earl Eddings. Clark is currently a director on the organising committee for the Twenty20 World Cup.

A star of Southern Vipers’ victory in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy final, who is Charlotte Taylor?

Valkerie Baynes30-Sep-2020Sometime after Southern Vipers lifted the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, Charlotte Taylor, their mystery spinner whose six wickets were key to victory over Northern Diamonds in Sunday’s final, wrote a message to her head coach.”Playing for the Vipers has meant everything to me, thank you for believing in me,” it said.Coach Charlotte Edwards, the former England captain, has a message for the player she has begun calling “superstar”: don’t go changing.”It’s been so lovely to watch someone who, probably a year ago, would have said she would have never made this level of cricket,” Edwards tells ESPNcricinfo. “I always thought she had the ability, it’s just whether she did.”Sunday was just a brilliant moment. I had a tear in my eye when she walked off because I know what she’s been through and she’s done it the tough way at times.”She’s a great inspiration to a lot of female cricketers out there who think that maybe at 25, 26 it is over for them because it’s seen as very much a younger girls’ sport at the moment. It’s been so lovely to see her really shine at this level and I’m really pleased for her.”Taylor’s 6 for 34 helped bowl the Diamonds out for 193 in pursuit of the Vipers’ 231, built largely on captain Georgia Adams’ 80 to end an excellent tournament in which Adams scored 500 runs in seven matches.The 26-year-old Taylor finished with a competition-high 15 wickets, having only been drafted into the Vipers’ playing squad ahead of their third match after they were hit by injuries.She bowled seven overs and claimed 2 for 13 in a thumping 111-run win over South East Stars at Hove and played every match thereafter during Vipers’ unbeaten season, including a match-winning 4 for 41 against Western Storm.

“She’s just bamboozled quite a few people, hopefully she won’t change what she does”Charlotte Edwards

Those performances, followed by her display in the final of the inaugural competition – which was hurriedly arranged after The Hundred and the ECB’s planned new women’s regional 50-over competition were postponed – didn’t necessarily surprise those close to Taylor.While commentators and opposition players were flummoxed by her style, Edwards knew what Taylor was capable of, given her powers of deception and her accuracy.”She just bowls arm-balls basically but she bowls with an off-spin action so everyone’s expecting it to turn into them but they actually just slide away from the right-hander, but she does actually get the odd one to turn back and that’s why she’s quite difficult to play,” Edwards says.”She bowls a very tight line and a really lovely action and she’s just bamboozled quite a few people. Hopefully she won’t change what she does.”While Taylor was probably the most surprised by her performance in the final, she credits the faith and backing she has received from Edwards in recent years playing for Hampshire Women with giving her self-belief on the biggest stage she has experienced.”I grabbed the opportunity with both hands and luckily it’s come off,” Taylor says. “What happened [in the final], I can’t really believe it’s happened to be perfectly honest. For a lot of people it was a bit of a surprise – for me as well – so it’s nice to get that exposure.”Some of the people I was getting out, you know that they’re really good players, you play against them for years so you back yourself a bit more because you’re actually getting really good players out.”Taylor dismissed Diamonds opener Hollie Armitage, Alex MacDonald, Jenny Gunn and Bess Heath. She also had Beth Langston out lbw before Netherlands international Sterre Kalis became her sixth wicket, caught at mid-on after a fighting 55 which gave the Diamonds some hope.Southern Vipers head coach Charlotte Edwards led her team through an unbeaten season•Getty ImagesTaylor, who works in customer service for an aerospace company supplying parts such as flight recorders for helicopters, took a familiar path into cricket, following her father, grandfather and uncle into the sport.She played boys’ and men’s cricket where she lived in Hampshire’s New Forest before moving to Winchester to join Hursley Ladies as a teenager, then started playing for Hampshire Women, and she was initially known for her batting.It wasn’t until she snapped her cruciate ligament while turning for a second run playing a men’s match, that she fell, literally, into bowling proper. Going ahead with plans to play club cricket in Hobart just weeks after suffering the injury, she “bowled off a couple of steps” there. Upon returning to England, she underwent surgery and a long rehab, during which time she felt her best way back into the Hampshire frame was with the ball.”I was out of the game for about two years and I needed to find a way back into the side,” says Taylor, who moved to Southampton to be nearer the Ageas Bowl training facilities. “I knew we had good strength in our batting so I focused on my bowling as another aspect that I could improve on.ALSO READ: Taylor, Adams seal Rachael Heyhoe Flint final for Vipers”One training session, Lottie [Edwards] just caught an eye of a couple of balls as I was bowling and I think she thought, ‘this is a bit interesting,’ and it all just went from there. Getting back into that Hampshire side was a massive thing for me after that injury because I had no confidence.”So how does she explain her action?”I used to bowl seam-up deliveries when I was younger and obviously I’m not the tallest, so I wasn’t getting very much pace or bounce or things that fast bowlers strive for,” Taylor says. “So I just tried my hand at trying to spin the ball.”I think that’s what helps me is that I’m very different from lots of spinners. I get this natural drift away from the batter, but can put it on a spot that’s very difficult for them to play with that movement.”I don’t necessarily have to work on it as such, I just have to keep it consistent. Not giving all my secrets away, I don’t necessarily try and do an awful lot, I try and keep it very simple and I think that can be very effective in the women’s game.”Edwards says “there was something about her that I really liked” and she believes the RHF Trophy has given players like Taylor a valuable opportunity.”She’s very talented and I feel like this is where the system has let down someone like Charlotte,” Edwards says. “If Charlotte Taylor was 15 now, and had all the education the young girls have now, who knows where Charlotte Taylor could have been?”I feel like the system has let those 25, 26 year-olds down if I’m honest. That’s why I feel so happy for someone like her – and Adams as well – they’re that age where they haven’t had all the resources that a lot of these players get now. But they’ve got wonderful character and I think that’s a big thing for me as a coach. I love players with character, who stand up and who want to be there and train incredibly hard.”With Charlotte, I saw someone who’s desperate to play at the next level, wanted to always get better. When she came to training she was always asking questions of me, always wanted to do extra sessions, she always turned up. She has a huge passion for the game.”Taylor hopes she has “done enough to play in the competition again” in whatever form it takes in the future.”An unbelievable tournament to be involved in,” Taylor says. “I’ve never been involved in professional cricket before. It does give you a real flavour of the support that you get. It’s really fantastic.”It was a very good final, it kept going up and down throughout the whole day so to get that sort of exposure was fantastic. I just hope that I can get another opportunity next year to have another go in the trophy and, you know, who knows what can happen.”

239-run partnership puts hosts in control at New Road

ECB Reporters Network08-Aug-2020

Jake Libby raises his bat on reaching a century•Getty Images

Jake Libby scored a hundred on his home debut for Worcestershire as he and fellow centurion Brett D’Oliveira dominated proceedings after an initial three-wicket burst by Glamorgan paceman Michael Hogan in the Bob Willis Trophy encounter at Blackfinch New Road.The pair came together at 70 for 3 shortly before lunch and Libby, signed during the close season from Nottinghamshire on a three-year contract, completed the sixth first-class ton of his career from 205 balls with 11 boundaries. He ended unbeaten on 142 from 261 deliveries with one six and 14 fours.D’Oliveira went to his century from 183 balls with 14 fours and the stand was worth an unbroken 239 in 64 overs – a new record for Worcestershire’s fourth wicket in matches against Glamorgan. He finished on 123 from 206 balls with one six and 15 boundaries as Worcestershire closed on 309 for 3 from 91 overs.Libby followed on from his 77 in his first appearance for his new county in the eight-wicket success against Gloucestershire at Bristol. He had indicated a willingness to open when he signed for Worcestershire and fill the berth alongside Daryl Mitchell which has often been problematic in recent years.Libby was Nottinghamshire’s leading run-scorer in the County Championship in 2018 but a flux of signings restricted his red ball opportunities last summer at Trent Bridge and he ended his six-year association with the club. Worcestershire are hoping the best years of the 27-year-old lie ahead in the same way as they have recruited Gareth Roderick for next season from Gloucestershire.Libby had one slice of good fortune when dropped on 43 at second slip by Charlie Hemphrey off Timm van der Gugten but otherwise batted with great authority and received a standing ovation from his team-mates when he reached three figures.D’Oliveira also played a sparkling knock which maintained his fine start to the truncated campaign after his unbeaten 91 versus Gloucestershire. He had struck 14 fours before he reached his hundred with a square drive for two off Hogan which then resulted in four overthrows. The 28-year-old was also grateful to Hemphrey for a spilled chance at slip when on 67 as he went to cut spinner Kieran Bull.Hogan had been the star performer during the morning session when two spells produced combined figures of 9-3-15-3. But he was unable to add to his tally during the afternoon or evening session to leave him still one short of 600 first-class wickets in his career.The 39-year-old had dismissed Daryl Mitchell and Tom Fell in his opening spell and returned to account for Jack Haynes shortly before lunch.Worcestershire brought back Dillon Pennington for rested paceman Josh Tongue while Glamorgan recalled Tom Cullen and van der Gugten at the expense of Marchant de Lange and the injured Ruaidhri Smith (hamstring injury).Hogan dismissed Mitchell for a duck with the fourth delivery of the day after he flicked at a delivery down the leg side and keeper Chris Cooke held onto a fine catch away to his left.New batsman Fell had a left off when Cooke failed to hold onto a difficult chance from another testing Hogan delivery – but it did not prove to be a costly miss. On eight, he nicked another ball from Hogan and this time Cooke made no mistake with a sharp low catch.Libby and Jack Haynes attempted to rebuild the innings and experienced few alarms in adding 48 in 16 overs. But then Hogan’s return accounted for Haynes (21) when the England Under-19 batsman went for an ambitious hook and holed out to Dan Douthwaite on the backward square leg boundary.D’Oliveira and Libby batted with plenty of fluency after joining forces. A straight drive for four off van Gugten completed a half century for Libby from 94 balls with seven boundaries. D’Oliveira cut Douthwaite for four to bring up his half century from 78 balls and also the 100 partnership in the 34th over.The fourth-wicket pair both hit two boundaries apiece in successive overs from spinner Bull and accelerated in the final session as the milestones of a personal and team nature were clocked up.

Seamer had signed a two-year contract at the county

ESPNcricinfo staff11-May-2020

Vernon Philander played five games as an overseas player for Somerset in 2012•Getty Images

Somerset have announced that Vernon Philander’s contract with the club has been cancelled by mutual consent.Philander, who played his final Test match for South Africa against England in January after announcing his retirement from international cricket, had signed a two-year deal with the county on a Kolpak registration.All existing Kolpak registrations will be cancelled on December 31 this year, but the PCA has lobbied the ECB to increase the number of overseas players permitted in the County Championship and One-Day Cup from one to two, meaning Philander would have been able to stay on as an overseas player.All professional cricket in England and Wales has been suspended until July 1 at the earliest due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Like the majority of counties, Somerset have furloughed their players and the majority of their non-playing staff.ALSO READ: England’s Test hopes boosted by latest government strategySomerset did not commit to re-signing Philander for 2021 in a press release, but Andy Hurry, the club’s director of cricket, left the possibility open.”These are clearly very uncertain and challenging times for all counties with no cricket until at least July 1 and the likelihood of a condensed and truncated season,” Hurry said. “It was such an exciting prospect to visualise Vernon returning to the Cooper Associates County Ground, but given the current uncertainty the cancellation of his contract was a prudent and sensible decision. I would like to thank Vernon and his management team for their understanding of the current situation and we hope one day to see Vernon back wearing Somerset colours”.Philander is the first non-overseas player to have his deal cancelled, following a number of announcements from counties confirming that their international signings would not be joining them as planned. Several other non-overseas players are not currently in the UK, including Mark Cosgrove, David Wiese and Stiaan van Zyl, while three coaches – Dave Houghton (Derbyshire), Michael di Venuto (Surrey) and Jason Gillespie (Sussex) – are at home with their families in other countries.

Kylian Mbappe has struggled so far since his move to Real Madrid, however, Didier Deschamps has backed the France captain to handle the pressure.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Mbappe suffers slow start with Real Madrid
• Deschamps backs him to cope with pressure
• Says forward will find his feet in La Liga

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Mbappe scored on his Real Madrid debut against Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup, however, the Frenchman struggled to find his feet in La Liga and failed to get a single goal contribution through Los Blancos' first three league matches. However, Mbappe followed it up with a brace last weekend against Real Betis in a 2-0 win, and Deschamps has backed the 25-year-old to cope with the pressure on his shoulders.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT DESCHAMPS SAID

  Speaking to the media, the France boss said Mbappe breaking his La Liga duck does not make a difference: "I have no reason to feel relieved, obviously I am happy for him, even if he had already scored in the first game of the European Super Cup. Kylian is used to this in his daily life, he sets very high standards for himself. His coach Carlo Ancelotti was not worried and neither was I. Kylian has always scored goals and he will score them."

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Mbappe hasn't just struggled at Real Madrid as the 2022 World Cup Golden Boot winner failed to show his usual level in the France shirt at Euro 2024. The French captain only scored a solitary goal in Germany – a group-stage penalty against Poland. However, Deschamps is not worried about the drop in form heading into the Nations League.

  Deschamps said: "The French national team is better when Kylian is there. From experience, being in the French national team is a break that is good for many of them. He was not effective – at first – but I spoke to him and he feels good. Obviously he is not at his best yet, but he is not a robot or a superman. Expectations are high. He has a great capacity to absorb everything that happens on and off the pitch. But we can understand that human fatigue can be significant."

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• WHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?

  The 25-year-old will be in action next up in a France shirt when Les Bleus take on Italy and Belgium in their opening Nations League group-stage clashes.

MatériaMais Notícias

O clima no Palmeiras passa longe de estar sereno. Após o revés para o Bragantino na última quarta-feira, Abel Ferreira declarou sua insatisfação com a diretoria alviverde e viu o presidente Maurício Galiotte rebater o descontentamento. Ainda no tema, o ex-jogador e comentarista da ESPN Zé Elias atacou o português.
+ Confira a classificação do Brasileirão 2021!

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Depois da derrota do Palmeiras, Abel Ferreira voltou a cobrar a diretoria do clube por reforços em entrevista coletiva. O treinador enfatizou o descontentamento com a falta de peças no elenco, especialmente em função da recorrência de pedidos não atendidos, e se mostrou, mais uma vez, bastante inconformado com a situação.

Zé Elias questionou o treinador pela sequência de reclamações.

-Abel, pede para sair se está insatisfeito. Tenho certeza que muitos treinadores gostariam de treinar o Palmeiras com esse elenco – pontuou no programa “Futebol na Veia”.

Em seguida, aponta falhas em escolhas de Abel Ferreira.

– Pega o segundo gol do Bragantino. Olha a equipe como do Palmeiras está organizada. É só culpa dos jogadores? É só por conta da falta de jogador? Desculpe, são opções erradas e que ele tem que assumir. Está ficando chato esse assunto. Toda vez que perde começa a falar mal da diretoria – concluiu Zé Elias.

Sunderland would certainly have been the happier of the two sides come full-time at Elland Road on Tuesday night, as Mike Dodds' Black Cats frustrated a lacklustre Leeds United side to draw 0-0.

Dodds' men did have luck on their side in the contest, with a handball decision on Luke O'Nien going their way when Leeds cried for a penalty, but it was a valiant and determined showing from a Sunderland side who had leaked five goals to Blackburn Rovers just two Championship games prior.

Now, with back-to-back clean sheets since then in two consecutive 0-0 draws, the Stadium of Light outfit will be looking for a win at West Bromwich Albion this coming weekend.

Dan Neil will be assured that he will be in Dodds' XI for the trip to the Hawthorns, having shone for the Black Cats in the stalemate in West Yorkshire.

Dan Neil's performance vs Leeds in numbers

There will always be a beaming smile on the face of every Sunderland fan when Neil performs excellently, having come through the Black Cats' academy system as a homegrown product to then star in the first team for a number of years now.

The well-liked number 24 wasn't quite at his most exciting as a forward player in the drab 0-0 affair, but the 22-year-old's grit was much-needed in the centre of the park with nine ground duels won from 15 attempted.

In stark contrast, Glen Kamara occupying a holding role for the hosts only won one all night.

On top of that, Neil would muster up one key pass in the contest to try and cut open a strong Whites defence, with Sunderland bettering Leeds' amount of efforts on goal with three when venturing forward.

But, it was the 22-year-old's steely nature that shone through even more with seven tackles won alongside his expertise in launching into duel after duel.

The Sunderland defence that lined up to face the likes of Georginio Rutter and Crysencio Summerville were also rock solid accompanying Neil, especially Callum Styles, who will feel he's finally up and running in a Black Cats strip after his individual showing at Elland Road.

Callum Styles' performance vs Leeds in numbers

The Hungary international received pelters after a horror-show display in the 5-1 defeat to Blackburn Rovers to open April, but those who critiqued his showing in that humbling defeat will hopefully praise Styles in equal measure now.

Styles would end up winning five of his nine ground duels when tasked with trying to stop the raw pace of Daniel James bombing down the channels, alongside completing two tackles to contribute to his side's deserved clean sheet.

Minutes played

90

Touches

40

Accurate passes

20/27

Key passes

1

Duels won

5/10

Tackles

2

Managing to replicate Neil in the 0-0 game with a key pass of his own too, Styles finally looked comfortable in his new Sunderland colours after an awkward start to life on Wearside.

He would squander possession 11 times, but Styles never caved under the pressure of playing Daniel Farke's intimidating hosts to the point where they then bagged a winner.

Styles' display would be praised by Sunderland Echo journalist Phil Smith at the final whistle, with Smith handing out a 7/10 rating to the much-improved 24-year-old who was singled out for 'some nice touches on the ball' alongside putting in a shift defensively.

Sunderland could well look to sign Styles permanently if he can build on this impressive display when the Black Cats travel to West Brom next, the Barnsley loanee in need of consistent minutes now to prove he can perform in the Championship week in and week out.

The more pressing matter for Dodds, however, will be tallying up another second-tier win soon, aiming to unsettle another promotion hopeful in the Baggies with three points this time secured.

Sunderland must now ditch this struggling dud who earns more than Ekwah

This Sunderland man could find himself out of Mike Dodds’ starting XIs going forward.

ByKelan Sarson Mar 31, 2024

تحدث محمود فتح الله لاعب الزمالك الأسبق، عن مواجهة الأهلي والعين الإماراتي، التي جمعت بين الفريقين ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الإنتركونتيننتال.

وتمكن الأهلي من تحقيق الفوز على العين، بثلاثة أهداف دون رد، ليحصل على لقب كأس القارات الثلاث، ويتأهل إلى نصف نهائي كأس إنتركونتيننتال.

وقال محمود فتح الله في تصريحات عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر” عن مباراة الأهلي والعين: “مع إني زملكاوي لكني كنت فخورًا بفوز الأهلي، وكنت فخورًا باليوم كله من الاستاد والأجواء والجماهير، وأن الفريق الذي يمثل مصر يكسب هذا شيء جعلني فخورًا”.

طالع أيضاً.. الزمالك يوضح طبيعة إصابات زيزو وناصر ماهر وحمدي أمام البنك الأهلي

وأتم: “مباراة الأهلي والعين كانت الأفضل للفريق من 4 مباريات، قدم مباراة كبيرة جدًا، وعلى مستوى الأداء الفردي كان الأهلي جيدًا جدًا، وعلى المستوى الجماعي كان رائعًا”.

It's been a real topsy-turvey sort of season for Manchester United this year, with some massive wins, such as the one against Liverpool over the weekend, and some shocking defeats as well.

However, one of the bright spots in an otherwise forgetful campaign has been newboy Rasmus Højlund, who has looked electric at points and like a striker who could fire the club to glory in a few years.

That said, while the Dane is the club's top goalscorer, a former flop who left almost a decade ago is presently outscoring him and looks as impressive as ever.

Rasmus Højlund's performances this season

The young Dane arrived at the club off the back of a high profile £72m move from Serie A side Atalanta despite only joining the Bergamo-based outfit the summer before for €17m, which is about £15m.

To put it diplomatically, the first half of the season was interesting for the then-20-year-old. In the Champions League, he was lethal and, at one point, the competition's top scorer, but in the Premier League, he hadn't scored a single goal.

Appearances

20

6

3

2

Goals

7

5

1

0

Assists

2

0

0

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.45

0.83

0.33

0.00

However, on Boxing Day, he finally broke his duct and scored an 89th-minute winner against Aston Villa before scoring another six goals in his next five league games.

In all, the Copenhagen-born dynamo has scored 13 goals and provided two assists in 31 games for United this season and is starting to look at home in the Premier League, which should worry opposing sides.

However, for as brilliant as the young Dane has been, he is still being outscored by a former United flop.

Ángel Di María's season with Manchester United

Yes, the man in question is World Cup and Champions League winner Ángel Di María.

The Red Devils signed the Argentine great for a British record £60m in the summer of 2014 in the aftermath of his European triumph with Real Madrid, and to say the expectations were high would be an understatement.

Everything started perfectly for the former Real man, as in his first six league games, he scored three goals and provided seven assists, but following his goal against Everton on the 5th October, he'd only score once more in 27 appearances.

In fairness to the Rosario-born superstar, he was tasked with playing six different positions in that season, suffered from three injuries that saw him miss a number of games and had his house attacked, which must have made it hard for him to settle at the club.

Transfer Fee

£60m

Fee Sold For

£44m

Total Wages

£12.2m

Total Cost (Including Sale)

£28.2m

Appearances

32

Cost per Appearance

£882k

Goals

4

Cost per Goal

£7m

Assists

12

Cost per Assist

£2.3m

Goal Involvements

16

Cost per Goal Involvements

£1.7m

In all, the 5 foot 10 magician scored just four goals and provided 12 assists in his 32 appearances for the club and earned £250k-per-week for the 49 weeks he was a United player.

This means that with his £60m transfer fee and the £44m fee they received for selling him in 2015 taken into consideration, the World Cup winner cost the Red Devils £28.2m for one season of dismal performances.

That comes to about £7m-per-goal, £2.3m-per-assist, £1.7m-per-goal-involvement, or £882k-per-appearance.

Wage Burners

Football FanCast's Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.

Ángel Di María's performances this season

There is no getting away from the fact that the "outstanding talent," as talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, was terrible for United in the year he spent at the club.

Still, after leaving, he rebuilt his reputation at Paris Saint Germain and Juventus, going on to produce 212 goal involvements in 295 games for the former and 15 goal involvements in 40 games for the latter.

Last summer, at 35 years old, the United flop elected to rejoin his old team, Benfica, on a one-year contract. While some might have expected him to slowly wind down, given his age, he's done the complete opposite.

So far, the tricky winger has scored 15 goals and provided 11 assists in 39 appearances for As Águias, outscoring Hojlund by two goals while providing nine more assists to boot.

Appearances

295

40

39

Goals

93

8

15

Assists

119

7

11

Goal Involvements per Match

0.71

0.37

0.66

Ultimately, United probably did the right thing in selling Di Maria when they did, but there will always be slight doubt whether he would have been able to acclimatise to the Premier League with one more season, and if he had, maybe United would be in a better place than they are today.

Belief and positivity are just about the only weapons left to Somerset; they may as well use them

George Dobell in Taunton25-Sep-2019

Lewis Gregory looks on as the mopping-up continues•Getty Images

Andy Hurry has insisted Somerset can still win their first County Championship title despite a wash-out on the third day of their match against Essex.Somerset need to defeat Essex if they are to leapfrog them to the title on the final day of the season. But with rain allowing just 72.4 overs over the first three days of the match and the forecast for Thursday not especially encouraging, their task is now close to impossible.The pitch is likely to remain very helpful for spin bowlers and there will be a maximum of 96 overs available, but it is hard to see Somerset being able to take not only 20 wickets, but squeeze in a second innings of their own. Essex, as a consequence, are on the brink of claiming their second Championship title in three years.Somerset supporters may bemoan their bad luck with the weather and even a seeming unwillingness to play on behalf of the umpires. In truth, however, they are a side that has lost three games – Essex have lost just one – have no batsman averaging even as much as 32 and who allowed Hampshire to recover twice (once from 88 for 7 and once from 103 for 8) to lose their previous match just as the title appeared to be in their grasp. Few can dispute that Essex will be deserving champions.So while the frustration of a decent-sized crowd was understandable as they waited until 4.40pm for the announcement of an abandonment and a new bank of rain swept in every time it seemed a resumption was imminent, there was little the groundstaff or officials could do. After several hours of mopping and verti-draining, there was a danger that any further use of machinery on the relevant areas would result in something resembling a ploughed field. And the umpires felt that areas close to the wicket were unstable and therefore unsafe. It really has rained a great deal and, long after players and spectators had left, the groundstaff were still working on the outfield.But while you could be forgiven for concluding that Hurry, Somerset’s director of cricket, was attempting an impression of Monty Python’s Black Knight – “Tis but a scratch” et al – in honour of John Cleese’s presence at this game, it is worth remembering that he is a former Royal Marine. And they’re probably not a breed terribly comfortable with accepting defeat.”We’ve put too much on the line for too long a period to wave the white flag,” Hurry said. “It’s definitely not the end. There’s belief in the dressing room and it’s really important we bring that tomorrow.”The challenge now becomes stiffer. But I think it’s important we don’t lose the courage, conviction and belief we’ve demonstrated throughout the whole season overnight. It’s a funny old game. We’ve got to keep believing.”While Hurry’s method for the final day – “get runs on the board and bowl them out” – sounded admirably straightforward, it ignored the pesky fact that Essex have only just started their first innings. But Somerset, runners-up in the Championship five times this century already, are now in a position where pretty much only a miracle can help them. Belief and positivity are just about the only weapons left to Somerset; they may as well use them.