All posts by h716a5.icu

Ricky Ponting has warned England they will find it “hard to come to grips” with the Gabba pitch

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-2010Ricky Ponting has warned England they will find it “hard to come to grips” with the Gabba pitch despite their extensive preparation for the Ashes. The tourists will have had three warm-up matches by the time they reach Brisbane for the first Test on November 25, but Ponting does not believe it will help them deal with the pace and bounce of the surface.”With just a normal Brisbane wicket, visiting teams find it hard to come to terms with just how different it is up there,” Ponting said in the Australian. England played in Perth over the weekend and start a match in Adelaide on Thursday, before their final warm-up in Hobart next week.The tourists’ first look at the Gabba will come on the opening day of the series. “Our record there is unbelievably good and we want to make sure we continue that on,” Ponting said.”There’s been a lot made of England’s preparation, the fact that they’re here early and they’re playing lots of games, but they don’t play a match at the Gabba before the first Test. They’ll definitely still find it hard to come to grips with what they’re confronted with in Brisbane day one.”The pitch has caused lots of problems for batsmen this season with extra bounce and seam following an unusually wet spring. Queensland were dismissed by New South Wales for 75 and 96 in a Sheffield Shield game two weeks ago and Sri Lanka were knocked over for 115 in an ODI on Sunday.Australia’s last loss at the ground came against West Indies in 1988-89. “In my mind it’s been the best cricket wicket in Australia for as long as I’ve been playing the game,” Ponting said. “There’s always something in it for everyone. The fast bowlers always get something out of it, it spins late in the game, and it’s a great place to bat once you get in.”

Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will leave the club at the end of the season, according to former England goalkeeper and Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson.

The Lowdown: Lack of minutes for Ox

There was a time when the 28-year-old was a key player for the Reds back in 2017/18 but those days seem like a distant memory now, despite being hailed as ‘outstanding’ by Jurgen Klopp more recently.

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Oxlade-Chamberlain has been limited to just nine Premier League starts this season and he has been left out of matchday squads entirely of late, including the FA Cup semi-final against Man City on Saturday.

With the former Arsenal man out of contract in the summer of 2023, it could be that Liverpool decide to sell him at the end of the season.

The Latest: Midfielder backed to leave

That’s certainly what Robinson thinks will happen, with the ex-England man turned Sky regular pundit telling Football Insider that he expects Oxlade-Chamberlain to be at a new club in 2022/23.

The former Tottenham ace also claims Klopp’s midfielder will be ‘desperate’ to leave Anfield in search of playing time.

“It is a squad game. If he hasn’t got a game since February it is telling you that he is not really needed.  At this stage of his career, with the time he has left on his contract it looks like he will be leaving.

“To be part of a team challenging on all fronts is exciting. But it is only exciting if you are getting game time. Oxlade-Chamberlain will be fed up there. He will be desperate to play.

“The team was changed so much against Benfica so for him not to get a run out says a lot. He is far down the pecking order. He could leave because he will want to be playing.”

The Verdict: Suits all parties

It looks almost a certainty that Oxlade-Chamberlain will leave Liverpool this summer, given the manner in which Klopp is using him these days.

It makes sense for all parties for that to be the case, with the Englishman in need of regular football elsewhere, especially if he has any ambitions of making England’s World Cup squad later this year.

His time at Liverpool has reached its natural conclusion and young players such as Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott are better options moving forward, as well as incoming signing Fabio Carvalho.

In other news, Liverpool are thought to be planning a new contract for one player. Find out who it is here.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in midfield gem Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

What’s the talk?

According to The Mirror, PIF are planning a bid to sign the Denmark international from Tottenham at the end of the season.

The report claims that they want to add the defensive midfielder to their team as he is high up on their transfer wishlist and are plotting a £30m swoop for his services.

Eddie Howe must get it done

The Magpies head coach must seal a deal for the former Southampton man as he would be a fantastic addition to the squad.

He is not a flashy, skilful, player who will get fans off their seats – like Allan Saint-Maximin – but he can be as important to the team, if not more so. Hojbjerg is a player who can provide a solid base for the attack-minded players to work from and has proven his quality at Premier League level.

Jose Mourinho, who knows a thing or two about winning in England, previously lauded the Dane’s style of play as he said:

“Physically he’s very, very strong and technically he’s much better than people think. Because sometimes people think the guy that is good technically is the guy that does the backheel. The guy that is good technically is the guy that does something wonderful. But these are not my words. These are words from coaches of 30, 40 years ago. Simplicity is genius.

“And the guy is so simple in everything he does with the ball. And I think he’s a phenomenal player. Congratulations, Mr. [Daniel] Levy [Spurs chairman].”

Hojbjerg, who has also been dubbed a “monster” by Morten Bisgaard, has been exceptional in the Premier League this season as he has averaged a superb SofaScore rating of 7.16 for Spurs. The 26-year-old has made an impressive 3.6 tackles and interceptions per game whilst completing 89% of his attempted passes, showing that he is reliable on the ball and excellent at winning possession back for his team.

He has racked up 178 appearances in the top-flight for Southampton and Tottenham combined and this means that he has experience as well as quality. Hojbjerg knows what it takes to perform in the division, as shown by his statistics this season, and he still has room to improve at the age of 26.

This is why he would be an excellent, sensible, addition to bolster Howe’s midfield. The midfield destroyer would be the ideal equaliser to the panache Bruno Guimaraes shows off in the middle of the park, with his simplicity, and the Magpies must now get this deal over the line.

AND in other news, Keith Downie drops exciting £50m Newcastle transfer claim that’ll delight supporters…

Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand got off to a poor start after they lost their twelve-a-side Twenty20 match to Auckland at Colin Maiden Park. Michael Bates took 4 for 11 as the Pakistanis were bowled out for 91

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Dec-2010ScorecardAbdul Razzaq couldn’t script a recovery for Pakistan as they slumped to 91 all out•Getty ImagesPakistan’s tour of New Zealand got off to a poor start after they lost their twelve-a-side Twenty20 match to Auckland at Colin Maiden Park. The hosts won with 40 balls to spare, easily chasing down the target of 92 after Pakistan were bowled out in 17.4 overs.Pakistan were put in to bat and were in immediate trouble, sinking to 7 for 3 inside the third over. Left-arm seamer Michael Bates did the early damage, getting Mohammad Hafeez out caught and bowled off the fourth ball of the match. Two balls later he got Ahmed Shehzad to nick to Lou Vincent and be dismissed for a duck. In Bates’ next over he got rid of the big fish – the captain Shahid Afridi, for 1. Afridi tried to pull Bates, but only got it as far as square leg, where Anaru Kitchen took a sharp catch.Pakistan never recovered from that rocky start. Umar Akmal provided them with a silver lining, showing some signs of form to get to 25 – Pakistan’s top score of the innings. Left-arm spinner Roneel Hira dismissed Younis Khan for 18 and then Umar in his next over, and Fawad Alam was run out for 0 in between, to leave the visitors reeling at 52 for 6. Umar was trying to power Hira through the off side off the back foot, but missed the ball and was bowled. Abdul Razzaq wasn’t able to pull off a recovery and fell to offspinner Bhupinder Singh for 16. Bates came back into the attack and dismissed Wahab Riaz to finish with figures of 4 for 11 in three overs.Auckland opener Colin de Grandhomme was in a hurry to knock off the required runs and raced to 20 off 12 before he was caught at gully by Shehzad off Shoaib Akhtar. Martin Guptill, the only member of the Auckland side who is in New Zealand’s squad for the Twenty20 series against Pakistan, played the sheet-anchor role, and batted through the innings, making 28. Shoaib managed another wicket, bowling Lou Vincent, but was expensive, going at 7.75 in his four overs.Saeed Ajmal did a good job of drying up the runs, giving away 20 in his four overs, and picked up the wickets of Anaru Kitchen and Colin Munro. Gareth Hopkins, who was dropped from New Zealand’s squad for the Twenty20 and Test series against Pakistan, made only 8 before falling to Wahab Riaz. But Auckland were always comfortable, and reached their target with plenty of overs to spare, helped by the 17 extras conceded by Pakistan’s bowlers.Pakistan will have two days to recover before the first Twenty20 match of the three-match series against New Zealand, in Auckland, on December 26.

Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani will reportedly wait until the summer to offer Kalvin Phillips a new contract, according to the Daily Star. 

The lowdown: Hot property

The 26-year-old is likely to be at the centre of heightened speculation at the end of the season, amid expected interest from West Ham, Aston Villa and Manchester United.

Phillips had been a revelation for both club and country up until an injury-hit 2021/22 campaign.

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However, now back to full fitness and hoping to save his boyhood club from Premier League relegation, the combative midfielder may have to wait to resolve his future.

The latest: Waiting game

As per the Daily Star, Whites owner Radrizzani is reportedly unwilling to present the 19-cap England star with a new contract offer until June at the earliest.

The report claims that a new deal worth £100,000 per week will ‘depend’ on the club’s top-flight status as Jesse Marsch’s men battle aaginst the drop.

It is stated that, in the event of relegation, the Elland Road club would have ‘no choice but to cash in’ on the midfielder, who was hailed as ‘amazing’ by Jose Mourinho following a standout display for England against Croatia at Euro 2020.

The verdict: Worrying times

Despite holding a contract until 2024 (Transfermarkt), there appears to be more doubt than ever regarding Phillips’ continued role at Leeds.

While the current campaign has been virtually a write-off for the 26-year-old, last season the energetic star was the best-performing player in Marcelo Bielsa’s squad with an impressive 7.21 Sofascore rating.

Should Marsch and indeed the returning midfielder manage to keep Leeds afloat, holding onto Phillips will surely be at the very top of the priority list for the summer, and Radrizzani must be prepared to act swiftly in that event.

In other news: Expert issues worrying update regarding Leeds star…

Pakistan opener Taufeeq Umar heaped praise on Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq who took Pakistan to a commanding 235 for 4 with an unbeaten 128-run stand

Andrew Fernando at Seddon Park08-Jan-2011Pakistan opener Taufeeq Umar heaped praise on Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq who took Pakistan to a commanding 235 for 4 with an unbeaten 128-run stand. Pakistan were wobbling after having bowled New Zealand out for 275 in their first innings earlier, but Misbah and Shafiq ensured the visitors were in front at stumps on day two at Seddon Park, as they played out the initial tough period before the runs started flowing towards the end.”Misbah and Asad played brilliantly, and because of that we are in the driving seat right now,” Taufeeq said. “I think as a senior player, Misbah helped Asad along in the innings, and they really showed us how to bat on this wicket.”The first target is 275, and then we can see from there. If Misbah and Asad continue to play well, we are looking at a lead of about 100.”Taufeeq believed the Pakistan bowlers should be given credit for keeping New Zealand down to 275 on a pitch he describes as “a paradise wicket for batsmen.” Pakistan immediately ended the eighth-wicket partnership between Kane Williamson and Tim Southee which had frustrated them the previous evening, getting the breakthrough in the first over of the day when Southee was dismissed for 56.”Last night Southee played well, but we came in with a plan this morning to bounce Southee out and to give [Williamson] the single, so we bowled really well.” Both Willamson and Brent Arnel also fell to short deliveries soon after, as Pakistan wrapped up the innings with a barrage of hostile bouncers.Taufeeq, who scored his first half-century since 2003 after an aggressive counterattack in the morning session said he never gave up hope on playing for Pakistan after a four year hiatus and a stint in the ICL. “I never thought my [career was over]. I had to come back, I always thought like that. I was training hard, and I stayed positive and I told myself I had to play for Pakistan again, which helped me a lot. “New Zealand fast bowler Arnel was confident his side could regain control of the match by making early breakthroughs on day three to put Pakistan under pressure. Arnel was the best of the New Zealand bowlers on a tough day for them, picking up the wickets of Taufeeq and Younis Khan in the second session. “We’re in a position now with the new ball coming up first thing in the morning,” Arnel said. “If we can get a couple of early ones like they did this morning, we can get right into their tail. If we can set up the game that they might only be 20 or 30 ahead, then it’s game on for us to bat big.”Arnel also said he enjoyed bowling in tandem with Northern Districts team-mate, Tim Southee as the pair tied Pakistan down after lunch. “If you check our history, we bowl together quite well. It was quite a good period for us and we got the reward. We were great in patches and showed signs of penetrating them quite well. If we can break the partnership as soon as possible tomorrow, one becomes two and hopefully becomes three and maybe we can knock off the tail.”Arnel defended the New Zealand attack who seemed to stray towards the pads, claiming it was part of their plan to bowl straighter, despite the ease with which the Pakistan batsmen played the ball off their legs, especially in the evening session.”There were some plans in place with the ball tailing a wee bit, and we were trying to get them to work the straight ones and perhaps get an lbw. But sometimes your plans can backfire and it looks like you’ve bowled a bad ball. There were a few that were too straight.”There was also concern for Daniel Vettori, who battled illness throughout the day to deliver 22 miserly overs for 29 runs. Vettori had undergone blood tests in the morning to check for various illnesses, but remained on the field for all but 15 minutes of the Pakistan innings. Dave Currie, the New Zealand manager, was unable to confirm the exact nature of Vettori’s malaise, stating that he had “a bit of a fever and was a little listless out in the field. Clearly he’s not a million dollars, he’s well enough, but we aren’t sure what the problem is. He’s had the blood tests and we’ll have the results in a couple of days.””He’s a very tough guy,” Arnel said. “Maybe a lot of other guys would be in their hotel room sleeping it off. He’s a courageous leader and to be out there and bowling like that, it’s magnificent.”

French commentator Gregoire Margotton has provided a key update regarding Liverpool’s interest in Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni.

The Lowdown: Liverpool want Tchouameni

The Reds will be looking to make reinforcements in the summer transfer window, as Jurgen Klopp aims to make his squad even more formidable and rival Manchester City’s own moves in the market – namely Erling Haaland.

Tchouameni is a player who has been linked with a move to Anfield endless times in recent weeks, following some eye-catching displays for Monaco.

The 22-year-old is considered one of the most exciting young midfielders in world football, averaging 2.3 aerial duel wins per game in Ligue 1 this season, as well as enjoying an 87% pass completion rate – he even scored both goals from defensive midfield in a 2-1 win against Lille last week.

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The Latest: Deal close

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Margotton, who is a well-respected TV host in France for major broadcasters like TF1 and Canal+, gave an update on the situation, suggesting he has heard the deal is very close.

“I hear the immense talent on the left could move into the legendary house on the right shortly. Joy. Congratulations. Happiness.”

The tweet included photographs of Tchouameni on the left and Anfield on the right.

The Verdict: No.1 summer target?

With each passing day, the more it looks as though Liverpool are putting all of their midfield eggs in the Tchouameni basket this summer, seeing him as their number one target.

The Reds could certainly do with injecting some more youth into their midfield, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Fabinho, Thiago, Jordan Henderson and James Milner all aged 28 or older.

Tchouameni is a player with unbelievable potential, possessing all the attributes to become one of the best in the world in his position – he has been labelled as ‘extraordinary’ by France teammate Paul Pogba – and Liverpool signing him would feel like another significant piece of business.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has dropped a key Liverpool transfer update. Read more here.

Brett Lee has said that he is looking forward to being the spearhead of the Australia attack in what will be his second, and most probably final,World Cup

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Feb-2011Brett Lee has said that he is looking forward to being the spearhead of the Australia attack in what will be his second, and most probably final, World Cup. Lee is the most experienced bowler in the Australia squad, and has taken 24 wickets in 21 games at an average of 31.54 in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, the co-hosts of the tournament.”We all have our roles to play and my role is an attacking one,” Lee told ESPNcricinfo. I want to be the enforcer of the group and be the leader of the attack. I will look to offer as much knowledge to the bowling group as possible.”The Australia attack is composed mostly of bowlers who are prone to leak a few runs in their search for wickets, such as Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait and Jason Krejza. But Lee said that an attacking approach was essential on the subcontinent despite the wickets there not being conducive to bowlers.”It’s a terrifically well balanced squad and with Krejza back in the squad it adds a lot of variation and gives us all the options. I am really confident with the bowling group. Patience and variation are crucial, but you still have got to attack even though the pitches are slow and low. There is the opportunity to reverse the ball which does not always happen here in Australia. In India, the pitches seem to scuff the ball quicker and allow the quicks to reverse the ball.”Lee used these attributes to good effect during the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 held in India in 2009, helping New South Wales to the title with eight wickets at an impressive economy rate of 3.76. “It worked well for me in the Champions League, and it’s something I am keen to get right in ODIs in the sub-continent.”Austraila’s recent ODI series against England was the first since October 2009 for Lee, who is coming back from a long-term elbow injury, but he showed no signs of rust, topping the charts with 11 wickets at 24. His focus has been to enjoy playing in Australia colours as he nears the end of his career. “It’s a privilege to play for your country, and I am focused on loving every minute knowing it could all come to an end one day.”Having also missed out on the 2007 World Cup with a damaged ankle, Lee is keen to make up for it now in a part of the world he likes. “It was hard to watch the World Cup after my ankle injury; with my leg in a boot, it was frustrating to watch the boys play knowing I could have been part of that.”I’ve played a lot of cricket in India; Tests, one-dayers, Champions League and IPL. But to play in a World Cup for Australia excites me, and it would be a huge honour to hold the Cup in the air knowing I’m in a great place like India. I have been happy with how I’ve bowled in the last few months and now leaving the Australian shores I’m feeling confident of a successful tournament.”

League One play-off finalists Sunderland face a summer battle to keep their Scottish sensation known as the “Loch Ness Drogba”.

As reported previously, Rangers are said to be “keeping tabs” on Stewart, who has had the most prosperous season of his life in what is his first full season in England’s third division.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke, revealed the latest last week when speaking to GIVEMESPORT, saying: “It looks like he’s obviously on their wanted list, Ross Stewart. It’s been talked about now for quite a few weeks that Rangers are keeping tabs on him.

“If Rangers do come calling, it’s going to be hard for somebody like Ross Stewart – a Scottish player – to turn down their advances.”

On the chalkboard

Stewart, whose goal against Sheffield Wednesday in the play-offs set off a “jumbo jet” in the words of Luke Edwards, has been an integral part in the Black Cats’ journey to the League One play-off final this season and has asserted himself as the second-highest goalscorer in the league, having notched 25 goals in 48 appearances for Alex Neil’s side.

At 25-years-old, he has finally had his breakout season and it has benefited Sunderland no-end. To the point where his presence in the squad is truly felt and if he was to leave, amidst the reported interest from Rangers, it would represent somewhat of a summer disaster for the Tyneside outfit.

The Scot, who could cost any suitor around £5m, has been so integral to Sunderland’s season that if he had not featured, they would go from League One’s third-highest goalscorers with 81 goals scored (just one goal behind both Oxford and Wigan who are tied in first place) to the sixteenth highest scorers with 56 goals scored.

With that in mind, it’s hardly surprising that his efforts have been dubbed “unbelievable” by Kris Boyd.

Stewart has proven himself as an out-and-out goal machine this season, and if Sunderland are to achieve their ambition of Championship promotion this season, then the need for the forward to stay will elevate that bit more.

Though, as O’Rourke said, if Rangers do come calling, it would be difficult for a Scottish player to turn them down. As a result, the club’s current boss will surely be scared over his star man’s future.

In other news: Neil already heading for big summer disaster on SAFC’s “major star” talent 

A round-up of action from the World Cricket League Division Three tournament in Hong Kong

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jan-2011Papua New Guinea rolled United States of America over by seven wickets, with 44 overs to spare, in one of the most one-sided games in the tournament at the Hong Kong Cricket Club. PNG won the toss and had USA on the mat immediately, with Hitolo Areni sending Lennox Cush back for a duck. Steve Massiah seemed to be at ease with the conditions, stroking four boundaries in his 18, but things were about to fall apart spectacularly. Carl Wright succumbed against opening bowler Loa Nou, before Areni sent messiah back to reduce USA to 25 for 3. Six of the remaining eight batsmen failed to open their accounts as USA crumbled from a precarious 37 for 4 in bizarre fashion, to be bowled out for 44 in the 21st over. Seamer Rarva Dikana was the main tormentor, finishing with dream figures of 4 for 1 from 4.2 overs. PNG were in a rush to end the game, lashing boundaries and losing wickets, before Christopher Kent hit two sixes to seal PNG’s third win in three games.”We didn’t expect to bowl the USA out so cheaply this morning and all credit has to go to our bowlers and the way they performed today,” captain Dikana said after the game. “I don’t think the USA batsmen played badly, I just think they didn’t know how to read our bowlers and our fielding was particularly strong.”A win is a win for us, but I would have liked it if we hadn’t lost those three wickets to make it to the target. However, by losing those three wickets it means those batsmen have something to focus on in our next game – by improving their performances for us. We can’t rest on our laurels though, we’ve another match tomorrow and we’ve got to focus on our own game and be ready for the next challenge.”Oman authored a major recovery from 63 for 6 to overhaul the target of 241 set by Italy with seven balls to spare at Kowloon Cricket Club. Italy’s effort after electing to bat was guided by captain Alessandro Bonora’s unbeaten 124, that included ten fours and four sixes. After the early loss of Andy Northcote, Bonora laid the platform in a 84-run second-wicket stand with Damian Fernando, off 22.1 overs. The middle order faltered after Fernando’s exit for 46, but Bonora kept firing from one end to lift his side to a strong score.Oman’s chase was initially crippled by Italy’s opening bowlers, Vince Pennazza and Gayashan Munasinghe, who ripped open the top order. Oman looked down and out when No. 8 Awal Khan joined Sultan Ahmed in the middle. The pair kick-started a resurgence with a 59-run stand in 11.3 overs. Sultan’s exit did not allow Italy to run through the tail, as Amir Ali batted with rare composure for a No. 9 batsman. He added 99 with Awal and took Oman to the brink before Peter Petricola ended Awal’s resistance for 81, at 221 for 8. Rajesh Kumar held his nerve to help Amir tie the scores before perishing, in what was the final twist in the riveting match. Amir, however, hit a boundary off the next ball to seal a memorable win for Oman.”We’ve lost two games now, both of which were games that we could have won if we had applied ourselves better,” a disappointed Bonora said. “We simply did not complete the basics – bowling, fielding and even batting. I may have scored 124 runs for our 240 but it was still not enough on this pitch. We need to regroup ahead of tomorrow’s game against Hong Kong. We both have one win each and tomorrow’s game is almost like a semi-final as whoever loses falls into the relegation battle.”On the other hand, Oman captain Hemal Mehta was thrilled with the result. “We were definitely the most challenged in this game – Italy didn’t let us take wickets easily and credit has to go to Bonora for his knock,” he said. “It was outstanding and if we’d got him out early then we would have seen a much lower score on the board.””Sultan Ahmed and Awal Khan had a great partnership and after Sultan departed and Amir Ali and Awal paired up, their run partnerships really made the difference for us. We can’t be complacent though, tomorrow we’ve got USA who we know will be wanting to bounce back after being bundled out for 44 so we need refocus to face them at HKCC.”Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s bowlers sparked a dramatic collapse to set up a comfortable seven-wicket victory against Denmark at the Mission Road Ground.Having worked their way to a respectable 71 for 2, Denmark lost eight wickets for 31 runs in 15.4 overs. Najeeb Amar made the key breakthrough removing Denmark captain Michael Pedersen for 34 and struck again four overs later to snare his brother Carsten for 6. Amar broke the back of the top order when he dismissed Rizwan Mahmood for 24 and by that point the floodgates were open. No other batsman reached double figures as new-ball pair Irfan Ahmed and Aizaz Ahmed shared five more wickets – each bowled – to speed through the lower order.The modest chase was never going to be too much of a bother and despite losing Roy Lamsam for 19, Hong Kong barely broke sweat. Coutney Kruger struck six boundaries in an unbeaten 40 and Mark Chapman hit a breezy 29 from 33 balls – with a six and two fours – to take the home side to the victory line. Chapman fell on the brink but with over half the innings left, it was never going to be costly.”It’s obviously great to finally get a win in the tournament and hopefully we can carry this momentum through to the next game against Italy,” Irfan said. “I just seemed to be able to get things right for us when it came about to claiming the wickets with the ball moving easily in the conditions at Mission Road. We kept things tight and it paid off for us today and we showed what we are capable of doing as a side.”