All posts by n8rngtd.top

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in CF Montreal’s Djordje Mihailovic.

What’s the talk?

According to 1000Cuorirossoblu, PIF are plotting a swoop for the attacking midfielder at the end of the season, alongside a number of other clubs.

The report claims that Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Leverkusen and Leeds are also keen on the gem, whose contract with the MLS side expires in December 2023.

Huge Almiron upgrade

Newcastle must secure a deal to sign Mihailovic as he would be a huge upgrade on Miguel Almiron heading into the 2022/23 campaign.

In 26 Premier League appearances, Almiron has scored one goal and provided one assist for the Toon. Whilst his strike against Crystal Palace earlier this month was a terrific finish and one for the fans to enjoy at St. James’ Park, he has not been able to produce that level of quality on a consistent basis and his lack of impact in the final third is a cause for concern.

Two goal contributions in 15 league starts is a dismal return from a winger, particularly after he managed five (four goals and one assist) in 28 starts last season (34 appearances). He has not been a reliable player for the Magpies in the final third and that is why the club should be looking to sign Mihailovic to take his place in the team.

The Montreal midfielder has had a sensational start to 2022 as he has racked up four goals and two assists in eight appearances. He has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.61 as he has created 2.5 chances per game, showing that he can consistently deliver at the top end of the pitch.

This comes after he managed four goals and 14 assists in 32 starts in 2021. In the 2020/21 campaign, he created a whopping 18 ‘big chances’ and made 2.3 key passes per game and these statistics suggest that he can be a creative force for the Magpies – with journalist Chris Smith dubbing him a “gorgeous passer”.

He can, therefore, be a big upgrade on the Paraguay international if he is able to translate his form for Montreal over to the Premier League next season.

The American dynamo, who has 40 MLS goals and assists combined in his career, is also five years younger than Almiron and has scope to develop further over the years. Howe can work with him on the training pitch to hone his skills and this means that he can be a player for the short and long-term future of the club.

AND in other news, 71% duels won: £19k-p/w NUFC titan brought his “passion off the pitch” onto it vs NCFC – opinion

A big update has emerged regarding Rangers talent Alex Lowry and his future at Ibrox…

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, a Gers source has revealed that the club are close to agreeing a new contract with the academy prospect.

The report claimed that Ross Wilson is on the verge of securing the gem’s future at the club, despite previous fears that he was going to move south of the border amid interest from England.

Newcastle and Manchester City have both registered an interest in signing the central midfielder, but they now look set to miss out on his services.

Van Bronckhorst will be buzzing

Giovanni van Bronckhorst will surely be buzzing with this news, as it suggests that Lowry will not be on his way out of Glasgow at the end of the season.

His current deal at Ibrox is due to expire in the middle of 2023 and Rangers would have been in a difficult position with him this summer if they had not agreed a new contract with the youngster. Clubs outside of Scotland would have been able to agree a pre-contract with Lowry from January 2023, so the upcoming transfer window would have been the club’s last chance to recoup a significant fee for his services.

Therefore, these fresh terms for the youngster are set to prevent Wilson from needing to sell him to Newcastle or Manchester City for financial reasons.

Van Bronckhorst will be delighted with this because Lowry is a player that the club rate highly. They reportedly believe that he has a lot of potential at first-team level, which has been proven by his involvement in the senior squad this season.

The teenager has played four matches for the Rangers first team in 2021/22, scoring one goal and grabbing one assist in that time. He has already made his Premiership debut at the age of 18, which shows that the head coach believes that the youngster has the ability to make an impact for the club.

Therefore, securing his future in Glasgow represents a massive deal for Rangers, and Van Bronckhorst must be buzzing that he will continue working with him next term. He will surely be hoping that Lowry will be able to help the youngster fulfill his potential in 2022/23 as he hopefully emerges as a regular first-team option for the Light Blues.

AND in other news, 100% duels won: £18k-p/w Rangers “train” was outstanding against Leipzig on Thursday…

Wolverhampton Wanderers under-23 manager Jamie Collins has again heaped praise on Old Gold academy star Luke Cundle.

The 20-year-old found the net twice as the club’s under-23s sealed a Premier League Cup win over Middlesbrough on Wednesday night.

Speaking to Wolves TV, Collins gave Cundle all the plaudits after his match-winning performance, saying: “I thought he was excellent tonight, he’s got his goals, but he was missing some as well, so I thought he could’ve got even more goals and I’ll be challenging him to do that.”

The under-23 boss hailed the starlet’s attitude for wanting to play for the reserves despite being called up to the first-team, revealing: “He texts me to ask if he can play and you don’t get that often with players who go up to the first-team.

“They’re not desperate to play for the under-23’s, but he just wants to play football. We could get a ball out now and have a five-a-side on the car park and he’d want a game, and when you’re a coach, you love players who are like that because they love the game.”

 Moutinho replacement

With Portuguese veteran Joao Moutinho – who hsa been slammed for some “rubbish” performances by Tim Spiers – linked with a move away from the Molineux, Bruno Lage may well be looking for an adequate replacement in the middle of the park.

Despite making most of his appearances in Premier League 2 as a defensive midfielder for Wolves, Cundle has earned comparisons to Manchester City and England star Phil Foden.

The 20-year-old’s versatility is just one of the reasons that he has earned this comparison, with the Wolves youth product capable of operating as a central midfielder and even as a false nine, having occupied the role in a reserves game against Newcastle United.

Speaking after that match in mid-April, Collins said: “We took a little risk with the change of shape and the ‘false nine’ with no centre-forward. We played Luke [Cundle] up there, ‘Phil Foden-esque’, and I thought he played really well.”

Lage knows all about the Molineux youngster, having raved about his first-team performance against Spurs in mid-February by saying: “Maybe Luke [Cundle] can be a key man because it allows us to play with four midfielders. He was there against top players playing like he is in the playground.”

Having achieved eight goal contribution for Wolves’ under-23s this season, Cundle poses more of an attacking threat than Moutinho, who has registered an underwhelming average of 0.6 shots per game, with two goals and one assist to his name this season.

Promoting the 20-year-old starlet to the first team on a more regular basis would duly enable Lage to let the veteran midfielder bring the curtain down on his time in the Black Country, particularly with his contract expiring over the summer.

In other news – Forget Semedo: Wolves can unearth new Doherty in rarely-seen 18-year-old who’s a “top player”

Transfer insider Dean Jones has provided some fresh news involving highly sought after Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves, name-checking Manchester City as a possible suitor ahead of the meeting tonight. 

The lowdown: Wanted man

Signed for a then Championship record £15.8million from FC Porto in 2017 (BBC), the Portuguese ace has been on an upwards trajectory ever since arriving at Molineux.

An integral part of the Wanderers side that earned promotion and subsequently became established in the Premier League, the 25-year-old has been the subject of increased speculation in recent weeks as Manchester United, Arsenal and Barcelona are all indexed to Neves.

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Seemingly increasingly likely to move on this summer, with reports earlier this week even saying he’s ready to quit and force through a move to Catalonia, one reputable journalist has suggested another big hitter could be keen on the playmaker’s services…

The latest: Jones cites Man City

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones has suggested that title-challengers Manchester City could feasibly join the race to land the 26-cap Portugal star.

The journalist said: “He is perfectly capable of playing at any of the top clubs in the European positions. So, it’s just really a case of who’s got an available spot in the team that opens up for him to play. To be honest, it could even be Man City, I wouldn’t rule that out.”

If Pep Guardiola has his eye on a move for the Portugal star, he will certainly be keeping an eye out when the teams meet tonight (Wednesday, May 11).

The verdict: Crucial summer ahead

Whilst Wolves boss Bruno Lage will be desperate to keep Neves at the club, it appears inevitable that the hierarchy will need to fend off major interest over the coming months.

Described as ‘amazing’ by Wanderers’ goalkeeper Jose Sa following a goalscoring display against Brentford, the creative midfield maestro has scored four times and provided two assists in 30 Premier League outings this season and will be crucial if the club are going to progress to the next level.

Under contract until 2024 (Transfermarkt), the club are in no rush to sell and can therefore hold out for maximum value should the desire from the player to compete in the Champions League prove impossible to ignore.

If there is indeed interest from Guardiola and Manchester City, Neves has the ideal stage in which to showcase his skills when the two sides meet at Molineux.

In other news, Wolves have been backed to sign a Premier League attacker this summer. Find out who it is here.

A big update has emerged on Sunderland and their plans for the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Craig Hope has revealed in an article for the Daily Mail that the club are attempting to snap up the brother of Borussia Dortmund talent Jude Bellingham.

The reporter tweeted: “Exclusive: Sunderland invited Jobe Bellingham & his family to Stadium of Light to watch recent home game as they explore ambitious move to sign Birmingham City teenager, younger brother of England star Jude.”

In the corresponding article, it is claimed that Kristian Speakman has a close relationship with the brothers’ parents and is said to have played a key role in Jude’s development as Birmingham’s academy manager before joining the Black Cats.

Sunderland will be hoping that his prior experience with the family will give them a boost in their pursuit of the 16-year-old gem.

Alex Neil will be delighted

Black Cats head coach Alex Neil will surely be delighted with this update, as it shows that the club are prepared to invest in the future.

It proves that Speakman is keen to develop the academy, and the potential for players to break through into the first-team, by improving the standards within the youth sides.

Sunderland are in the League One play-off final later this month, and a win would surely strengthen their chances of signing the youngster. They would be competing in the same division as Birmingham, which means that they could both offer him Championship football.

Bellingham has played in two Championship matches for Birmingham this season, coming off the bench against Preston and Blackburn. This illustrates the immense potential that he holds, as he has shown enough in training to prove that he is ready to compete at first-team level despite being in his GSCE year.

His 18-year-old brother Jude is valued at £67.5m by Transfermarkt and has been capped 12 times by England. If Jobe can follow in his sibling’s footsteps, then Sunderland could be about to land a masterstroke in the market…

Neil would love to have another talented prospect to work with in the years to come. Bellingham may not make an immediate impact on the senior squad, but he could be a player who develops over time and then breaks into the Scot’s XI in two or three seasons.

Therefore, the head coach will be buzzing with Speakman’s attempts to snap up the midfielder from Birmingham and will be hoping that a deal can be agreed ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, irrespective of the league in which his team will be competing.

AND in other news, Forget Roberts: Sunderland “warrior” with the “heart of a lion” was the real play-off hero…

West Ham United insider Claret & Hugh have now shared a major in-house update involving star winger Jarrod Bowen.

The Lowdown: Irons eye new deal?

The 25-year-old has been one of manager David Moyes’ players of the 2021/2022 Premier League season, prompting the club and owners GSB to plan a possible new deal.

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Football Insider recently claimed that Bowen is set be offered a ‘huge’ fresh contract in east London as West Ham look to secure their star to fresh terms, potentially to fend off his growing list of admirers.

While their club ‘source’ believes the Hammers are planning to open negotiations ‘within weeks’, club insider C&H have now shared a major update to the contrary.

The Latest: C&H share major in-house Bowen update…

The outlet, sharing information from their own ‘key’ source, say that ‘discussions will start’ over a fresh contract for Bowen but Moyes’ side have set a different date.

West Ham have apparently ‘decided’ to hold ‘new talks’ with their star man’s representatives in September as the Irons now map out a crunch time for discussions.

Their source explained:

“He’s got three years to go. In September, once this window is over, discussions will start with his agent for a new deal. Our priority is that all the short term energy goes into signing new players.”

The Verdict: Right move?

While strengthening their position over Bowen comes as important, backing Moyes in the next transfer window to maintain their meteoric rise is surely a priority also.

Averaging the highest match rating domestically out of any West Ham man, standing out as their most valuable player going forward with 22 goals and assists combined (WhoScored), the Englishman could prove deadlier still playing alongside a star striker.

The London Stadium side must finally end their long search for a centre-forward and we believe this should stand out as their first and foremost priority this summer – especially since Michail Antonio remains their only natural, senior option in the position.

In other news: Report: Moyes now very likely to make major bid for ‘world class’ star who ‘likes’ West Ham! Find out more here.

England’s likely No. 3 has proven international mettle but has only played four first-class games in two years

George Dobell24-Aug-2021Like many things in life, your perspective on Dawid Malan’s recall to the England side probably depends on whether you are a glass half-full or a glass half-empty person.The glass half-full type will look at Malan’s first-class batting average for the season – an impressive 199.00 – and conclude he is in fine fettle. The half-empty type will note that average was achieved in just one innings, against a Sussex side which finished bottom of Group Three in the County Championship, and represents Malan’s only first-class outing in the last 12 months.The seasoned England supporter, meanwhile, will eye the glass nervously in the expectation it will explode at any moment and blind all around it. Experience has taught them to be a cautious bunch.Either way, Malan returns to England’s Test side for the first time in three years having enjoyed less than perfect preparation. Quite apart from only having had one red-ball innings this year, he has played just four first-class games since September 2019. And while his record in those is encouraging – he’s scored 418 in his two most recent first-class innings – he is the first to admit that big scores against Sussex and Derbyshire do not necessarily prepare for life against arguably the best seam attack India have ever produced.Related

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Oh, and he’s being asked to bat at No. 3 which, in his words, “is not something I’ve actually done a lot in my career in red-ball cricket”.It doesn’t sound ideal, does it? But beyond those concerns, Malan is a perfectly pragmatic choice. He has made a Test century against an outstanding Australia attack – albeit in Perth, where conditions could scarcely be more different to Leeds – and has shown an increasingly tight technique over recent seasons. Since the start of 2019, he averages 56.78 in first-class cricket with six centuries and four half-centuries from 29 innings.His success in white-ball cricket is not irrelevant, either. While the white ball tends to provide very little lateral movement for bowlers compared to the red, Malan’s rise to No. 1 in the ICC’s T20I batting rankings demonstrates an ability to deal with the pressure of the international environment which bodes well for him. Where once he seemed to allow failures to eat away at him, he now appears relatively sanguine about the inevitable stumbles he will encounter. He seems a calmer, wiser man who is better equipped for the mental challenges he is about to face.”Is my lack of red-ball cricket a concern? Yes, it is,” Malan admitted on Tuesday. “I think we all know how tough English conditions can be at times. Not playing a lot of red-ball cricket probably doesn’t help with the rhythms and the flows of Test cricket, but that’s the challenge that we as players have.”A good 30 or 60 is not good enough, really. You want to score those big hundreds and to do that you have to bat for a day or a day-and-a-half. That’s where the challenge comes when you don’t play a lot of red-ball cricket.”I’d say from a mental point of view it [playing limited-overs internationals] helps slightly to be used to the pressure that comes with it [Test cricket].”You can play all the domestic cricket you want, but it’s such a totally different game. There’s totally different intensity, totally different scrutiny and totally different bowling, whether in white or red-ball cricket. Playing white-ball cricket at that level, under that pressure and scrutiny – I think that does help you to stay in and around the mix.”I definitely think I’ll cope better with the demands of Test cricket this time. I remember going to New Zealand [at the start of 2018] and having a bad first Test, and then in the second Test getting nought. And it sort of led on from there.”I wanted it so badly and I tried so hard that even in the lead-ups to Tests, I was burning myself out from a mental point of view trying so hard at training and batting for four hours endlessly doing things to try to get better. Hopefully I’ve learned from that and I’m beginning to accept that I will fail in cricket. I’ll probably fail a hell of a lot more than I’ll succeed. Even the greats have failed more often that they’ve succeeded.”Cricket is not an easy game. I just accept that and when I get another opportunity make sure what’s happened is in the past and play the way I play. If it’s good enough it’s good enough and if it isn’t it just wasn’t meant to be.”Dawid Malan pulls during net practice•Getty Images

Ed Smith, the national selector at the time, made a memorable observation when Malan was dropped in 2018, saying “…it may be that his game is better suited to overseas conditions.” To be fair to Smith, the statistics suggest he might have a point – Malan averages 20.23 in eight home Tests and 35.46 in seven Tests away – and we ask our selectors to justify their opinions: his candour was welcome at the time.He might reflect, however, that such candour can also alienate players. He made similarly critical comments about Moeen Ali and James Vince at times when they were not selected, too.Players tend to remember such things and Malan certainly does. And while he accepted he hadn’t scored enough runs in the Tests running up to his dropping – he had reached 30 only once in 10 innings averaging 15.70 in the process – he said Smith’s comments served only to “derail” his career for a while.”I think at the time when you get dropped you’re very emotional,” Malan said. “But once the dust settled you look back and go ‘you know what, I didn’t score enough runs there, especially in those last four or five Tests’.”But the comments didn’t help. You work your absolute socks off in your career to earn the right to play for England and you get that call. To then have comments that derail you slightly as a player and get pigeon-holed into things.”It’s amazing how it leads to every single Tom, Dick and Harry having an opinion on you. Whether that’s on social media or what have you, I wouldn’t say I was abused by that stuff but every time you nick off it comes back to bite you.”It probably did affect me for the next four, five or six months, especially when I went away and played some tournaments and I just couldn’t get in the right head space after all of that.”But then having a bit of a break and gathering my thoughts after all of those comments I found a new lease of life and realised what I’d done wrong the first time. Luckily enough I was still in and around the white-ball teams to put some of that into practice. So hopefully this time around the stuff I’ve learned puts me in good stead.”It sounds as if Malan is well prepared mentally for his second chance in Test cricket, but whether that can make up for the lack of red-ball cricket remains to be seen. Going up against this attack on a sluggish-looking surface which is likely to provide assistance to seam bowlers could ask plenty of him technically and temperamentally.

Captain expects pitches in Pakistan to allow seamers to have a bigger role than they did in Bangladesh

Deivarayan Muthu16-Sep-2021Stand-in captain. Wicketkeeper. Middle-order accumulator. Middle-order power-hitter. Tom Latham had to juggle with multiple responsibilities in the recently concluded T20I series in Bangladesh. With Tom Blundell suffering a quad injury during that T20I series, Latham confirmed that he would continue to keep wicket in the ODI series in Pakistan. Latham embraced the additional roles, saying the other seniors in the group have eased the pressure off him.”Each facet has had its difficulties, but that’s my role in the side,” Latham said during a virtual media interaction. “It’s important whether it’s batting it’s adapting to the situation, whereas from the captaincy point of view… we’re lucky we have a few leaders in the group and have tried to instill a bit of confidence into the guys and I trust them if they want to make changes, so yeah it has been an enjoyable time so far. Obviously, we quite didn’t get the series win that we wanted in Bangladesh, but the guys have been building really nicely over the last couple of weeks, adapting to conditions [in Bangladesh] and we’ve been doing the same here, adapting to conditions in Pakistan, so hopefully we can hit the ground running tomorrow.Related

• Gary Stead on T20 WC: Main goal is to get to the semi-finals

• What the upcoming tours to Bangladesh and Pakistan mean for New Zealand

• Latham: 'The more we play in these conditions, the more we are able to learn'

• Blundell ruled out of Pakistan ODIs; Daryl Mitchell to join squad

“I have my role in the middle order and it’s about trying to execute that role as best as possible. The role that I’m in is a slightly different one where you could be in a lot of different situations, so just trying to adapt to that as best as possible and work with the partner and work with the group – whether it’s putting a score on the board or chasing a score down. I certainly don’t see it [captaincy] as added pressure, so it’s just about trying to execute my role as best as possible.”The spinners dominated in Dhaka, getting sharp turn and bounce, even with the new ball. If New Zealand’s early training sessions in Rawalpindi, are anything to go by, the seamers might have a bigger role to play in Pakistan. So said Latham.”Yeah, obviously in Bangladesh, the surfaces dictated the sort of variations that the bowlers needed to bowl whereas potentially here, we’re a little bit unsure – we haven’t played in these conditions before. For us, it’s about trying to adapt to the conditions and try to think on our feet a little bit and obviously we have some good fast bowlers in our group and they probably enjoyed seeing the ball go through a little bit more than what it did in Bangladesh. I’m sure they will be excited to get into the game tomorrow like we all will be.”In addition to being the holders of the inaugural World Test Championship, New Zealand are also the No.1-ranked team in ODIs. Latham downplayed New Zealand’s top ranking, shifting the focus to the job at hand in Pakistan. This series, however, is not part of the World Cup Super League and will instead be played as a standalone bilateral series.”It’s obviously nice for the group to be recognised as that [No.1 ODI side], but for us it’s just a byproduct of us going out and executing our game plan and trying to do our roles as best as possible,” Latham said. “We certainly don’t look at those things as a driver and just about trying to enjoy what we do out in the middle. The group has been really enjoying their cricket till date, especially in Bangladesh, and I know the guys are really excited to get into the one-day series in Pakistan. If we can apply pressure for long enough, then hopefully that’ll give us a good chance of winning the game but also winning the series ahead.”

The allrounder picked up his form from the recent Australia tours at the start of the summer

AAP23-Sep-2021Mitchell Marsh said there’s one key factor behind his batting revival as he carried his Australia form into the new domestic season with 111 to help Western Australia trounce the Redbacks by 78 runs in the opening game of the Marsh Cup.”To be brutally honest, I have just practised hitting sixes,” Marsh said. “And that is all I really did before I went away and it seemed to work for me so I will keep doing that.”Marsh’s training tactic paid dividends on Australia’s T20 tours of the West Indies and Bangladesh in July and August.Related

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The often maligned Marsh, promoted to No. 3 in the batting order, struck four half-centuries, boasted a strike-rate of 124 in 10 innings, and was Australia’s best-performed batter on those tours.But on Thursday, Marsh will return to Perth instead of playing in the WA-SA Sheffield Shield game starting the following day in Adelaide.And he said he’ll continue hitting sixes in a training block ahead of Australia’s departure for the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates starting October 17.Marsh is keen on retaining the first-drop slot despite Australia’s star batter and usual No. 3 Steven Smith returning for the World Cup.”I’m hopeful to be up there but we have got so many good players,” he said. “Steve Smith has held that role for a fair while now and he’s a fair player that guy.”Whatever role I get, whether it’s batting at number three or floating through that middle order … I am just going to be really clear on my role and do it to the best of my ability and hopefully that helps Australia win games of cricket.”

The team mentor praised the head coach’s impact in creating an environment where “everybody’s happy, everybody’s smiling”

Hemant Brar14-Oct-20213:44

David Hussey: Break at the halfway stage really helped

Kolkata Knight Riders were languishing at seventh position, with just two wins from seven games, when a fierce outbreak of Covid-19 halted IPL 2021 in India. The UAE leg, though, saw a change of fortunes. Stitching one win after another, they not only qualified for the playoffs but are now in their first final since 2014.After Knight Riders’ win against Delhi Capitals in Qualifier 2, team mentor David Hussey was all praise for captain Eoin Morgan, opening batter Venkatesh Iyer and head coach Brendon McCullum for leading the revival.”I think the break in the halfway stage of the IPL definitely helped,” Hussey said at the post-match press conference. “But I truly believe that Morgan is captaining really well, he’s marshalling the troops, he’s tactically very clever. The bowling changes have been spot on. I think that’s contributed to our success this time around.”Venkatesh Iyer is just a class player at the top. He is tall, a Stephen Fleming clone I believe. He has got a big future in the game.”It’s unheard of what he [McCullum] has actually done here. It’s remarkable. We were seventh in the table and not playing great cricket, and he’s just turned it around. He has given everybody a fresh lease of life. He’s freshened up the place. Everybody’s happy, everybody’s smiling, and he should take a lot of credit. I know he won’t because he’s a very humble man, but he should take a lot of credit for what he has been able to accomplish in this part of the IPL.”Of the three, Iyer’s contribution has been the most quantifiable one. He is the team’s highest run-scorer in this phase, and on Wednesday, he once again dazzled with a 41-ball 55 on a difficult pitch, while Shubman Gill played second fiddle with a run-a-ball 46. But according to Hussey, it was Gill’s cover drive on the first ball of the chase that “soothed the nerves” in the dressing room.”Everyone knows he [Gill] is going to be a ten-year veteran of Test match cricket, one-day cricket and T20 cricket for India,” Hussey said. “It’s just how he gets there and how quickly he gets there. What he does is he gives the whole batting group a lot of confidence the way he goes out there. Just seeing him strike the first ball to the cover boundary soothed the nerves among the boys in the dressing room and the dugout. And everyone knows he’s just such a classy player, intelligent player and I, for one, am just looking forward to seeing him grow as a cricketer and as a person.”Kolkata Knight Riders were languishing at seventh with two wins in seven games ahead of the UAE leg•BCCI

For the final against Chennai Super Kings, Knight Riders will head to Dubai, where dew has played a big role so far with teams winning the toss opting to bat second to take advantage against a wet ball. Hussey had an interesting solution to make it a level playing field.”I’m hoping the groundsmen spray the ground beforehand so that both teams get a fair and equitable game whether you bat first or bowl first. It’s going to be a huge issue but we’re just gonna execute our skills under pressure and who knows. We are really well planned and really well measured so if we plan well and execute well, hopefully we come out on top.”Another worry for Knight Riders could be the form of their middle-order batters. In 15 innings, Morgan has had ten single-digit dismissals, the most for any batter in a single IPL season. Dinesh Karthik, meanwhile, has scored only 91 runs in seven innings, at an average of 18.20 and a strike rate of 122.97, in the UAE leg. But Knight Riders are not losing their sleep over that.”I’m not concerned because they’re all classy players,” Hussey said. “They know how to play. It’s just the difficult nature of the pitches that we’ve been playing on, it makes the middle-order players sort of stand out. They’re not getting their strike rates to 200, they have to knuckle down and maybe go at a strike rate of 110 to 120.”But we’ve got full confidence in Morgan, Dinesh Karthik and Shakib going into the next game. They’ve done it countless times for their countries and in the IPL, so [we are] not concerned. We go to Dubai full of confidence and you just never know what’s gonna happen.”In Dubai, Knight Riders could also consider replacing Shakib Al Hasan with Andre Russell, provided the latter recovers in time from his hamstring injury.”Andre Russell’s tracking nicely, I think,” Hussey said. “He was bowling before the game today. So I think he might be in the mix [for the final]. I will have to discuss it with the medical staff first, but he has been doing all the practices, training lots before games.”Fortunately, we have got an unbelievable medical team here. The physios work around the clock, so if anyone’s going to get him up, it’s going to be the medical staff. Knowing Dre, he will be desperate to play too. Hopefully, he does get up because he’s one excitement machine.