Seamers Jhulan Goswami and Sukanya Parida have been ruled out of the Women’s World Cup Qualifiers to be played in Colombo from February 7 to 21
ESPNcricinfo staff02-Feb-2017
Jhulan Goswami’s absence is a blow to an India squad that has already lost Smriti Mandhana to injury•Getty Images
Seamers Jhulan Goswami and Sukanya Parida have been ruled out of the Women’s World Cup Qualifiers to be played in Colombo from February 7 to 21. Soni Yadav and Mansi Joshi will replace the injured pair in India’s squad.The loss of Goswami (10 Tests, 151 ODIs and 60 T20Is) in particular will leave India needing to make up a vast experience gap in the bowling department. Both Joshi and Yadav are yet to make their ODI debuts. Joshi has played one T20I, returning figures of 1 for 8 against Bangladesh during the Women’s Asia Cup T20 in November, while Yadav is uncapped in all formats.India have already had to make one change to their squad, with the allrounder Mona Meshram replacing the injured Smriti Mandhana.Updated India squad: Mithali Raj (capt), Ekta Bisht, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Thirush Kamini, Harmanpreet Kaur, Veda Krishnamurthy, Mona Meshram, Shikha Pandey, Poonam Yadav, Deepti Sharma, Devika Vaidya, Sushma Verma (wk), Soni Yadav, Mansi Joshi.
South Africa advanced determinedly towards a 3-0 whitewash of Sri Lanka by taking just 17 overs to dismiss the opposition on the third morning
The Report by Alan Gardner14-Jan-2017 Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDuanne Olivier claimed five wickets in the match on debut•Gallo ImagesSixteen wickets, 228 runs, 59.3 overs. South Africa’s pace attack delivered a swift and brutal dismemberment to seal victory at the Wanderers inside three days and confirm a 3-0 sweep in the series. Sri Lanka only managed one half-century in the match – although that was an improvement on the second Test – and could not even last long enough for the possibility of a Johannesburg thunderstorm to provide a stay of execution.Faf du Plessis had hesitated to enforce the follow-on in Cape Town but showed no search mercy as the Bullring bayed for blood. Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander started the job, Wayne Parnell and the debutant Duanne Olivier took sadistic pleasure in twisting the knife. Parnell finished with six wickets in the match and Olivier five, heartening performances for South African cricket after a week spent in the shadow of Kolpak.Having capitulated in the morning session to concede a 295-run deficit, Sri Lanka lost a wicket in the second over of their second attempt and needed Dimuth Karunaratne’s 50, as well as some lost-cause humpty for the eighth wicket, to prevent total humiliation. Karunaratne, having avoided a pair, survived being dropped on 16 to record his highest score of the series but there was little resistance forthcoming from elsewhere.South Africa’s bowlers gave an exhibition in how to hunt tentative prey on a fast pitch but some of the catching was just as spectacular. They saved their best efforts in the field for Sri Lanka’s captain, Angelo Mathews, who was dismissed twice in the day. Quinton de Kock had produced a pearler in the first innings but du Plessis surpassed him with another one-handed effort (without the aid of gloves) at second slip, from a fierce, top-edged hack by Mathews, leaping to take the ball high above his head before landing on his knees and roaring like a gladiator over a vanquished opponent.When Rabada burst through to rattle Karunaratne’s stumps shortly before tea – which was put back to make up for time lost on day two – the end was in sight. Suranga Lakmal proceeded to thrash 31 off 26 during a 43-run frolic with Upul Tharanga to take Sri Lanka past their first-innings 131 but another brilliant running catch from JP Duminy ended the fun as Parnell and Olivier shared the last three wickets without conceding a run to seal a hefty innings win.Rabada had been held back until second change in the first innings but this time du Plessis gave the crowd what they wanted. His opening salvo was a beast of a delivery: Kaushal Silva reacted as if bitten by a cobra but could not remove his glove in time as the ball reared at him from a length.Kusal Mendis almost suffered the same fate to his first ball and also edged short of first slip but Sri Lanka made it to lunch one down. Rabada beat Mendis with the regularity of a sheet-metal worker as the close catchers prowled and supporters on the grass banks hooted encouragement; Mendis responded by shifting his stance on to leg stump and trying to come down the pitch to Philander. It was a high-wire act and, after striking five boundaries, Mendis chopped an inswinging delivery from Parnell into the top of off stump.Parnell ought to have had the wicket of Karunaratne earlier in the over but Dean Elgar could not hold a low edge going two-handed to his right from third slip. The second-wicket stand did yield 37 runs but Sri Lanka were trying to construct a cardboard fort in a howling Highveld gale, as Dhananjaya de Silva and Dinesh Chandimal both fell providing catching practice to the slips.During the morning session, South Africa claimed the six wickets they required to make Sri Lanka bat again in just 17 overs. With a lively Wanderers surface at their disposal, Du Plessis judged correctly that his attack had enough left in the tank, having lost some 25 overs on the second evening and with the possibility of rain returning at some point.It had threatened to be a carve up from the moment South Africa had the ball in hand and, without the bad weather to delay them, the bowlers were quickly back into their work. In his second over of the morning, Philander moved the ball seductively away from Chandimal to graze the outside edge and provide a catch for de Kock.Mathews fell to the same manner of dismissal – at least as far as the scorecard was concerned. He had already successfully reviewed Bruce Oxenford’s lbw decision off Philander, saved by a thin inside edge with height also in question, when he fended at a rapid delivery from Rabada that held its line outside off. The edge may have been travelling straight to Hashim Amla at first slip but de Kock got there first, intercepting one-handed at full stretch, a magnificent catch even if it didn’t quite stick cleanly in the glove at the first attempt.Sri Lanka had raised three figures by that point but would not get much further. Olivier claimed his first Test wicket with a venomous bouncer that Rangana Herath could only dolly to square leg via an awkward contortion and a brief flurry of blows from Tharanga could not delay the inevitable.Lakmal chipped Parnell lackadaisically to extra cover and Olivier then achieved some extra bounce from a length to take the shoulder of the bat and extract Tharanga. Nuwan Pradeep was the last to fall, popping a catch back to the bowler; Parnell adjudged to have taken the ball just above the turf after several replays for the third umpire. A few hours later he was celebrating finishing off the Sri Lanka innings for a second time.
Pakistan, however, repeated the surface was not out of the realm of challenges a professional cricketer can expect to face
Andrew Fidel Fernando in Christchurch20-Nov-2016
Azhar Ali and Pakistan were tested by ferocious bouncers•AFP
The pitch was a vivid green and had spent a damp day under covers before the toss even took place, so it was little surprise that it was the most seam-friendly strip he had played international cricket on, Azhar Ali said.Pakistan have refused to blame conditions for the loss at Hagley Oval. They have repeated the Hagley surface was not out of the realm of challenges a professional cricketer can expect to face.Yet it is clear that even by New Zealand’s standards, the surface was especially kind to quicks.Never before, for example, have all 30 wickets in the first three innings gone to seamers, in a Test in New Zealand. And neither Yasir Shah – the No.5 Test bowler in the world – nor Todd Astle, who took a five-wicket haul on this ground three weeks ago, could pose a threat. They collectively bowled 17.3 overs and emerged wicketless. Azhar’s part-time legbreaks did claim one scalp, but this was after the scores had been tied, and the result was a foregone conclusion.”Maybe this is the most seam-friendly pitch I’ve played on in my international career,” Azhar said after the match. “It reminds of one or two pitches in Sri Lanka where the ball moves for a couple of hours on the first day or two but it starts to settle down. Here the movement is there for longer. It’s New Zealand’s home conditions so we, as a professional team, just have to play on whatever we get, and that’s it.”That their three-day practice match at Nelson had been washed out, exacerbated difficulties for Pakistan, though they did play a long Test series in England earlier this year. That tour had been played in England’s late summer, however, while this loss has come in New Zealand’s spring. Pakistan were also more effective on the drier tracks in London.”You usually don’t see in Australia, New Zealand or England a pitch that supports the seamers so much,” Azhar said. “There was no pitch was like this in England. It swings around there, but not as much grass as that. But this is the pitch we got, and New Zealand played better than us.”In what may be a worrying sign with a tour of Australia on the horizon, the short ball proved particularly effective against Pakistan in the second innings. Younis Khan, Babar Azam and Misbah-ul-Haq all fell to short-pitched bowling – though in dissimilar ways. The bouncer barrage on day three had been perhaps the definitive period of play in this Test.”If you come to this part of the world, you do expect that,” Azhar said. “You expect sub-continent teams will be tested with that short stuff and we all knew that. But as time goes on, we’ll get better, and we’re hopeful to turn things around quickly.”Though he only made 31 runs, Azhar had played the longest innings of the Test, surviving for over four hours, to face 173 deliveries. Having had an outstanding series in West Indies, he said he felt his own form was holding up.”As a batsman, I was applying myself and trying to battle out the conditions when it was tough,” he said. “The New Zealand bowlers held their plans really well, and held their lines long enough to create chances. We couldn’t get the flow of runs going at any stage, so that’s why sometimes it’s hard as a batsman. You’re trying to play well and do everything right, but the opposition sometimes doesn’t allow you to score runs.”But I’m confident that everything in my game is going alright. It’s just a matter of time until you start playing fluently and the runs start coming.”
Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Eintracht Frankfurt sensation, Randal Kolo Muani, with manager Erik ten Hag still seeking to find a suitable centre-forward option ahead of next season.
What's the latest on Kolo Muani to Man United?
According to journalist Miguel Delaney, writing on Twitter, the Red Devils are said to be "pursuing" a move for the France international, with doubts remaining as to whether leading target Harry Kane will be attainable for the Old Trafford outfit.
In his attached piece for the Independent, the respected insider revealed that United are already in contact with the representatives of the 24-year-old marksman, with signing a new striker said to be the 'primary concern' for Ten Hag and co.
The piece does add, however, that any move for the former Nantes man could require a rather hefty fee of around £100m, while the Carabao Cup winners are also set to face stern competition from German giants, Bayern Munich in the battle to land the 6 foot 2 dynamo.
Would Kolo Muani be a good signing for Man United?
Hailed as a "complete" player by compatriot Kylian Mbappe after starring at the World Cup in Qatar – having scored in the semi-final triumph over Morocco – Kolo Muani has certainly warranted the admiring glances from those at United, following what was a standout campaign in the Bundesliga for the Frenchman.
Having only arrived in Frankfurt last summer, the £25k-per-week menace ended the 2022/23 season with a stellar tally of 40 goals and assists from just 46 appearances across all fronts, notably bagging 15 goals and 14 assists in 32 league outings.
It has therefore been a real breakthrough campaign for the one-time Boulogne man, although there may be concern as to whether he is the centre-forward solution that United are in need of, having previously scored just 23 goals in 87 games during his time in France.
Liverpool's Darwin Nunez
Equally, the fact that Kolo Muani is also said to share a number of stylistic and statistical similarities with Liverpool's Darwin Nunez, as per FBref, may also have alarm bells ringing, with the Uruguayan having endured a difficult debut season at Anfield.
The 23-year-old was snapped up on a rather sizeable £85m deal after scoring 34 goals in a breakout 2021/22 season for Benfica, although has since gone on to struggle in English football to date, after scoring just nine league goals and missing 20 big chances in 2022/23 – the third most in the division.
To acquire their own version of the 6 foot 2 enigma with the signing of Kolo Muani may then be something of a mistake for United, with the two men – who can both operate on the flanks or through the middle – particularly errant in possession, with the Frankfurt man ranking in just the bottom 28% among his European peers for pass completion, while Nunez ranks in just the bottom 24% in that regard.
That being said, there are obvious qualities to their game with the pair both able to drive forward with the ball at their feet with ease, with Liverpool man ranking in the top 6% for progressive carries, while Kolo Muani ranks in the top 7% for that same metric.
Even so, Ten Hag may well be wary of snapping up the next Nunez with the signing of the seven-cap speedster, with the Red Devils seemingly craving an addition who has delivered the goods on a consistent basis, rather than in just a solitary, standout season.
Half-centuries from Hilton Cartwright, Nic Maddinson and Beau Webster took Australia A to a dominant position on the second day of their four-day game against India A
ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-2016 Scorecard1:44
WATCH – Cartwright 99* extends Australia A lead to 150
Half-centuries from Hilton Cartwright, Nic Maddinson and Beau Webster took Australia A to a dominant position on the second day of their four-day game against India A. Australia A needed just four balls to dismiss overnight batsman Hardik Pandya for 79 and wrap up India A’s innings for 169, with Kane Richardson adding one to his overnight tally to finish with 4 for 37.In reply, Australia A had marched on to 5 for 319 for a lead of 150, with Cartwright unbeaten on 99 when stumps were drawn at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane.Australia A got off to a wobbly start, losing both openers inside the first five overs to Shardul Thakur. Travis Dean was dismissed off the fourth ball of the innings, caught behind for a duck. Joe Burns, the captain, fell four overs later, caught at second slip by Pandya to leave Australia A 11 for 2.Maddinson and Kurtis Patterson then got together for the repair job and negotiated a demanding period, adding 92 for the third wicket in just under 21 overs. India A could have ended the stand earlier but for a reprieve to Maddinson when the batsman was on 34. Varun Aaron sent down three no-balls in an over, including one that took the outside edge and flew to Naman Ojha.Maddinson was well-supported by Patterson who collected a calm 25 off 61 balls before being caught behind off Hardik Pandya. Maddinson fell 15 overs later when he was caught by Pandey off Jayant Yadav’s offspin. His 81 came off 114 balls and included 12 fours and two sixes.Webster and Cartwright then took centrestage, combining for a fifth-wicket stand of 152 and kept the India A bowlers at bay for 43.2 overs. Webster’s 79 off 186 balls included nine fours. He fell towards the end of the day, caught behind off Thakur to give the right-arm medium pacer his third wicket. Wicketkeeper Sam Whiteman then kept Cartwright company for around 10 overs. Cartwright had struck 14 fours and a six in his 153-ball knock.India A used five bowlers. Thakur took three wickets, but was expensive, going at over four an over. Pandya and Yadav took a wicket each, while Dhawal Kulkarni and Aaron went wicketless.
قرر مسؤولو الزمالك تأجيل المؤتمر الصحفي الخاص بالإعلان عن الصفقات الجديدة المنضمة للقلعة البيضاء.
ويبذل مجلس إدارة الزمالك جهدًا كبيرًا في الفترة الحالية من أجل التعاقد مع عدد من اللاعبين خلال الانتقالات الشتوية الجارية، بعدما انتهت أزمة القيد والتي حرمت الفريق من ضم أي لاعبين منذ الموسم الماضي.
طالع.. خاص | عبد الحميد بسيوني يرفض رحيل لاعب طلائع الجيش إلى الزمالك
وكان من المقرر أن يقام المؤتمر الصحفي في السابعة مساء غد الخميس ليعلن خلاله مسؤولو الزمالك الصفقات التي تم إبرامها.
واستقر مسؤولو الزمالك على تأجيل المؤتمر الصحفي ليوم الإثنين المقبل الموافق 5 من شهر فبراير.
يذكر، أن الزمالك قد فاز بلقب بطولة كأس دبي للتحدي على حساب الأهلي السعودي، بنتيجة 3-0.
West Ham must accelerate their efforts to sign Valencia midfielder Yunus Musah.
What’s the latest on Yunus Musah?
According to recent reports in Spain, the Hammers are keenly tracking the 20-year-old, who could be an extraordinary coup and an excellent replacement for Declan Rice, who looks set to leave the London Stadium.
The club captain's contract expires in 2024, rejecting all efforts to sign a new deal, and it has been suggested that it could take offers of over £100m to force the Englishman’s departure, with David Moyes recently hinting that an exit is edging closer.
Moyes said: “We would love him to be a West Ham player but we are aware that might not be the case. That is one of the scenarios.
“Our plans are to have Dec here but we are also fully aware there is a good chance that we won't have him."
With the club all but resigned to his long-awaited and expected exit, the arrival of Musah, who has a release clause of €100m (£88m), could ease the pain and fill this void.
Why should Yunus Musah sign for West Ham?
The New York-born titan moved to London at the age of nine in 2012 and joined Arsenal’s academy.
The Gunners U16 coach Trevor Bumstead eulogised over the 24-cap international and said: “He’s got fantastic physical attributes and the drive and determination to go with that. He would play anywhere to get in the team, but his favourite was as a central attacking midfield player."
The American eventually departed north London and joined Valencia in 2019. He made his first-team debut in September 2020 and two months later, he netted in a 2-2 draw against Getafe to become the youngest non-Spanish player to score for the Mestalla outfit, aged 17 years and 338 days.
The £25k-per-week man has made 104 appearances for Los Che and has been praised by US coach Gregg Berhalter as someone who makes everything "look easy".
Yunus-Musah-USA
When ESPN published their top 39 starlets aged under 21, they lavished praise on Musah and said: “Often a victim of his own versatility, Musah has been assigned a more suitable No. 8 role in the centre of midfield for Valencia. His speed of dribbling with the ball and eagerness to press opponents are other attributes that keep Premier League clubs alert to his availability."
His chameleonic ability to seamlessly slot into a variety of positions, which has included shifts across the midfield and at right-back, means he is one of the most coveted prodigies in the world.
He ranks in the top 6% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers over the past 365 days for progressive carries per 90, as well as the highest 19% for successful take-ons, as per FBref.
To sign a talent of this versatility and skill would be a huge statement and an adequate way to reinvest the Rice money.
Newcastle United have seven fixtures remaining of the 2022/23 Premier League season as they look to secure a top four finish and more importantly a place in the Champions League ahead of the new term.
The Magpies have experienced nothing short of a remarkable campaign at St. James’ Park, with Eddie Howe most recently guiding his team to an emphatic 6-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, which stands them in good stead heading into the run-in.
The northeast outfit are more than entitled to be optimistic about the future as they look to finish their final few matches strongly, so with that being said, here’s how we think their remaining games will pan out.
Newcastle fixtures
• 27 April: Everton (A)
• 30 April: Southampton (H)
• 7 May: Arsenal (H)
• 13 May: Leeds (A)
• 18 May: Brighton (H)
• 22 May: Leicester (H)
• 28 May: Chelsea (A)
Everton v Newcastle
Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak.
After the remarkable 6-1 victory over Spurs on Sunday, the Magpies will be pumped up and ready to go again when they travel to Goodison Park to take on Sean Dyche’s side on Thursday evening, with another three points for the visitors potentially huge in the race for the top four.
Howe has to make sure that his side head to Merseyside with the same kind of ruthless attitude and prolific form they produced at the weekend, and if they can replicate or improve on their 1-0 win from the reverse fixture, that Champions League music will start to sound a lot closer.
Prediction: Everton 1 – 3 Newcastle
Newcastle v Southampton
Southampton manager Ruben Selles.
The Premier League fixtures are coming thick and fast for Newcastle, whose next home fixture is versus Southampton. The Saints are in a vulnerable position and in serious danger of relegation but will be raring to secure safety after their much-improved performance and point against Arsenal.
From a St. James’ Park perspective, this can be considered yet another very winnable match up against a struggling side, with another victory allowing them to continue their momentum and gain ground on their top four rivals.
Prediction: Newcastle 2 – 1 Southampton
Newcastle v Arsenal
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.
Newcastle facing Everton and Southampton in back-to-back games both, on paper, should result in two comfortable wins, but the tests don’t come much harder than hosting the current league leaders, who will be desperate to create distance from Manchester City.
The Magpies crowd are sure to once again be in great voice and prepared to get behind their team, but this will be a huge test of character and mentality and is likely to be the most difficult remaining fixture of the run-in.
Prediction: Newcastle 2 – 3 Arsenal
Leeds v Newcastle
Leeds United manager Javi Gracia.
Following what is sure to be a great watch for the neutrals against Arsenal, Newcastle hit the road once again, this time travelling to Elland Road to face another team who are currently in a battle to maintain their top-flight status.
Back in the reverse fixture in December, the two clubs played out a 0-0 stalemate, so Howe will be hoping that his side can go to Yorkshire and gain revenge by picking up all three points.
Prediction: Leeds 0 – 2 Newcastle
Newcastle v Brighton
Newcastle United winger Jacob Murphy in Premier League action against Tottenham Hotspur.
As the 2022/23 season begins to draw to a close, Brighton could prove to be a potential banana skin for Newcastle, with Roberto De Zerbi’s side just four points away from a place in the Europa League with two, and in some cases three, games in hand on their opponents around them.
The Seagulls will be hoping to secure a qualification spot in the hunt for silverware after crashing out of the FA Cup semi-finals to Manchester United, and this hunger combined with De Zerbi's extremely impressive system could pose a slight problem to the northeast outfit.
Prediction: Newcastle 1 – 1 Brighton
Newcastle v Leicester
Leicester City manager Dean Smith.
A May fixture at home, and indeed the final game of the season at home, to a team like Leicester who are fighting for their lives, is one of the best scenarios you could ask for as a Toon fan. And whilst Dean Smith’s visitors will be giving it their all to secure a much-needed win, Newcastle’s confidence, we believe, is bound to come out on top.
Anything other than a victory in this game would be unexpected, which isn’t to say that the Foxes can’t be a threat on their day, but the Magpies will surely hold enough self-belief that they can see off their opponents.
Prediction: Newcastle 3 – 1 Leicester
Chelsea v Newcastle
Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes.
The Premier League season ends with a trip to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea on May 28, which has the potential to be a huge game with plenty at stake for both sides. The Blues could still be fighting to qualify for European football should they start to pick up some positive results, whilst Newcastle could have the opportunity to confirm their place in the Champions League.
The Magpies will be hoping that the Blues end up in a position where they have nothing to play for on the final day of the campaign, which could make it slightly less competitive on their behalf, but nevertheless, this result is likely to prove definitive for Eddie Howe.
Aston Villa have joined the race to sign Arsenal forward Reiss Nelson this summer, according to reports.
What's the latest on Nelson's future?
The Premier League starlet will be out of contract at the end of the season and has been out of favour overall under Mikel Arteta – having made zero starts and just four substitute appearances in the top-flight since the start of the 2022/23 term, as per WhoScored.
Despite this, Fabrizio Romano recently confirmed that the Gunners boss is keen to retain the services of the 23-year-old and has therefore opened talks regarding a new deal in a bid to fend off interest from potential suitors. Taking to Twitter, he wrote:
“Understand negotiations are currently underway between Arsenal and Reiss Nelson representatives for a contract extension. Current deal expires in June. Arteta would be happy to keep Reiss, while more European clubs are showing interest in potential free transfer.”
According to Spanish reports (via CaughtOffside), Aston Villa and Everton are both “keen on signing” Nelson ahead of the new campaign. Unai Emery’s side could reportedly use “more depth” in the wide areas and the winger might be the answer to solve the manager’s problems. The Midlands boss could help to “develop” the academy graduate and “fulfil his potential” by handing him regular game time, but whether he’d be willing to permanently leave the capital to give himself a big break elsewhere remains to be seen.
Arsenal forward Reiss Nelson.
Do Villa have any chance of signing Nelson?
Nelson definitely won’t be short of potential suitors should he decide to leave Arsenal but Aston Villa do hold a strong chance at securing his services considering that Emery already knows him and handed him six appearances during his time in the dugout at the Emirates Stadium.
The Adidas-sponsored starlet might have only been involved in four top-flight outings this season but in those appearances he managed to score three goals and provide two assists, via Transfermarkt, whilst recording a 91.5% pass success rate, displaying his ability to create opportunities and his strong link-up play with his fellow teammates.
The “explosive” forward, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, would also bring plenty of versatility to the squad having operated in eight various positions since the start of his career, including on both the left and right sides of a midfield, on the wing and even as an out-and-out striker.
Tottenham Hotspur's search for a manager continues to rumble on, showing little signs of coming to a conclusion anytime soon. As such, it allows the rumour mill to spin into overdrive.
The Lilywhites have seen themselves linked with a host of top coaches, all of whom would certainly improve their struggling outfit; yet it seems like fans may have to wait until the summer before a new face is welcomed.
Especially if the plan is to snatch an in-form boss from another club, given the expected reluctance from those who are flying high to jump ship.
Brighton and Hove Albion are one such club whom they have monitored, but another exceptional side that could be of interest to Daniel Levy is Fulham; namely Marco Silva.
The Portuguese boss has shrugged off his failed spell at Everton to return to England emphatically, leading his west London outfit on a charge for European spots.
He could now compound his return to prominence by clinching the Spurs job, having reportedly been one of the frontrunners to replace Antonio Conte in recent weeks.
Would Marco Silva be a good fit at Spurs?
Whilst questions might be raised about the supposed overperformance of his current team, the way in which he has them playing is worth praise alone.
With a quality far below Spurs' squad, the Cottagers play exciting, fast-paced football that is sure to thrill all who watch it. Whilst it can occasionally backfire spectacularly, as shown in their poor showing against Arsenal, thus far it has them sat just three points from sixth-place Liverpool and averaging 1.75 points per game.
The former Watford head coach also nearly led his side to Wembley recently too, if not for a spectacular late collapse from him and his players at Old Trafford.
It seems that his sabbatical from the Premier League has seen him return with a far better grasp on his own tactics, which were admittedly flawed during his time in the Goodison Park dugout. Despite that, he maintained a desire to play a brand of football that his fans could be proud of; the complete antithesis to the turgid football of Conte.
His director of football with the Toffees, Marcel Brands, spoke highly of the 45-year-old: "One of the most important things is that he’s a guy who wants to play attractive, attacking football."
This is a philosophy that has only been bolstered since then.
It may take some time to shift the culture within the club, but having already done so at Craven Cottage there is a belief he could repeat this with a higher calibre of players now. Finally, beautiful football could return in order to revive the white half of north London.