Tag Futebol

Manchester United could be set to make a late move for Barcelona defender Sergino Dest, with Erik ten Hag keen on a reunion with the promising full-back.

What’s the word?

That’s according to journalist Fabrizio Romano, who revealed that the Red Devils could swoop for the 21-year-old should £50m flop Aaron Wan-Bissaka depart, although will face competition from La Liga side Villarreal for the United States international’s signature.

Writing on Twitter about that interest, the transfer guru stated: “Excl: Sergiño Dest’s now considering a loan proposal from Villarreal, he’s open to discuss about it. Talks on with Barça — it’s up to the player. Manchester United manager ten Hag wants Dest, it’s a possibility but it can only happen if Wan-Bissaka will leave.”

Manchester Evening News have also reported that United have held talks regarding taking the highly-rated right-back on a season-long loan deal, with the Netherlands-born gem having worked under Ten Hag at Ajax.

There had been previous suggestion that a swap deal could be on the cards involving the 17-cap gem and Wan-Bissaka, with the latter man also attracting interest from the likes of West Ham United and former club Crystal Palace.

Hakimi alternative

While Diogo Dalot has been much improved in recent weeks – notably registering an assist in the 1-0 win over Southampton at the weekend – the right side of the defence remains something of a problem area for the Old Trafford outfit, hence turning to Dest as a solution.

The “special talent” – as described by broadcaster Ives Galarcep – is yet another name with an Amsterdam connection to Ten Hag, with the Dutchman having already brought in Lisandro Martinez and Antony so far this summer.

Indeed, the Dutch boss would surely love to sign him given the £16.2m-rated ace can help the 52-year-old smoothly implement his style of play, having enjoyed a breakthrough campaign under his former manager during the 2019/20 season at the Eredivisie outfit.

That form alerted the attention of those at the Camp Nou, with the 5 foot 9 menace having gone on to rack up 72 appearances in all competitions for the Catalan giants, scoring three goals and providing five assists in that time.

A forward-thinking, attack-minded full-back, the £99k-per-week sensation could well prove to be an astute alternative to that of another reported target, Achraf Hakimi, with the latter man likely to prove far more costly having signed for current club Paris Saint-Germain for £60m just last summer.

The pair are believed to share a number of stylistic and statistical similarities, as per FBref, with Dest averaging 3.13 touches in the attacking penalty area and 3.43 progressive passes received per 90, with Hakimi almost mirroring that record as he averages 2.94 and 3.85 for the same two metrics, respectively.

Both clearly intent on impacting the game in the final third, the duo are also hugely comfortable in possession, with the latter man ranking in the top 1% for pass completion among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues, while Dest is not far behind as he ranks in the top 5%.

It bodes well for those at the Theatre of Dreams to think that they could have a Hakimi-esque figure on their hands on a bargain, loan deal, with the PSG man having proven his talents at a string of top clubs across the continent – notably recording 13 goals and assists in just 46 games at the Parcs des Princes.

While Dest is still to truly hit those heights, the statistical evidence would suggest that he does possess a similar attacking quality, with his arrival in Manchester also potentially a better fit as Hakimi is typically at his best in a wing-back role.

It will require a lot of moving parts to get the deal over the line, although Ten Hag will no doubt love it if his new club can pull off a much-needed late addition.

Newcastle United have not been shy when it comes to signing players from fellow English clubs in recent years.

One player for whom the Toon shelled out a significant amount of money to sign from a rival Premier League club is Joe Willock.

After originally joining the Magpies on loan from Arsenal in January 2021 January, the midfielder signed for the Tyneside club on a permanent basis when they secured a six-year deal for him worth in excess of £20m.

Overall, the 23-year-old has made 47 appearances in a Newcastle shirt and scored 10 goals in the process.

With the summer transfer window set to close in the next two weeks, this period gives PIF the chance to bring in someone who could be the Toon’s next version of Willock.

Earlier this month, it was reported that the Magpies are keen on securing a move for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher.

As another young English midfielder who has worked his way through the youth ranks at one of London’s biggest clubs, this mirrors the journey that Willock had with Arsenal before starting his new chapter at St James’ Park.

To further highlight the similarities between the two midfielders, both players ended up making 69 tackles throughout their 2021/22 domestic campaigns, succeeding with 44 each.

However, Gallagher had more shots at goal, shot-creating actions, crosses and successful dribbles than the current Newcastle midfielder, showing just how dangerous he can be in an attacking sense.

In fact, one of his eight league goals for Crystal Palace, where he spent last season on loan, was hailed as “outrageous” by podcaster Dan Cook on Twitter.

With a reported price tag of £50m, it would certainly take a big investment from PIF to secure a deal for the England international this summer.

Bearing in mind how the midfielder has only played six minutes of league action for the west London club so far this season, a move to Newcastle – where he’d potentially have a better chance of playing regularly – could be a tempting prospect for the 22-year-old.

With all that in mind, landing a deal for Gallagher should be at the top of PIF’s priority list for the remainder of the summer transfer window.

Sunderland are believed to be closing in on the signing of highly-rated Morecambe defender, Connor Pye, according to recent reports.

What’s the word?

As per Football Insider, the Black Cats are said to have ‘agreed a deal’ for the 18-year-old, having secured a ‘breakthrough’ in negotiations with the League One outfit for the promising left-back.

The report suggests that the teenager – who is said to have two years left on his current deal – is seemingly a player for the future at the Stadium of Light, as he is ‘unlikely’ to go straight into manager Alex Neil’s plans at senior level.

As per the report, the full-back was one of a number of players made ‘available for transfer’ by the shrimps earlier this summer due to financial restrictions, thus allowing the northeast side to pounce.

Neil should love it

Managing to secure the signing of a player who has been likened to Liverpool ace Andy Robertson would no doubt be a great source of delight for the Sunderland boss, with Neil set to love securing what would be a seventh major signing of the summer thus far.

Although Pye – who has made just a solitary senior outing for his current side – appears unlikely to make an impact for the Championship side this season, his capture could prove to be a notable coup in the longer term, having previously been linked with a move to Premier League outfit, Everton.

With Dennis Cirkin currently the only recognised left-back option in the first-team squad, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that the impressive starlet could force his way into the manager’s plans sooner rather than later, with depth undoubtedly needed in what will likely be a gruelling season.

A move for the Englishman will also help the club to move on from the disappointment of missing out on former loanee Nathan Broadhead, with the 24-year-old recently opting to join Wigan Athletic on a loan deal from the Toffees.

The forward had reportedly been targetted by Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman ahead of a potential return to the club, although has favoured a move to the Latics in search of more regular game time.

Getting another new arrival in the door in the form of Pye, however, could ensure that transfer failure is swiftly forgotten about, with Neil no doubt set to love the chance to help nurture such a well-regarded young talent.

Injury expert Ben Dinnery has delivered his verdict on the Wolverhampton Wanderers’ transfer plans after the injury suffered by Chiquinho.

The lowdown: Cruel loss

This comes after Chiquinho picked up an anterior cruciate ligament injury during a 3-0 behind-closed-doors friendly win over Burnley last Saturday at the Sir Jack Hayward Training Ground.

The 22-year-old winger scored in the match before being involved in a collision that caused the Portugal youth international to require surgery and face a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Having completed the first summer signing in the shape of Nathan Collins from Burnley, one well-informed onlooker has suggested that Chiquinho’s injury could force Bruno Lage to enter the market once again…

The latest: ‘Huge blow’

Speaking to Football Insider, Dinnery – who runs the Premier Injuries site and contributes for Sky Sports – has claimed that Wolves may need a replacement for the one-cap Portugal Under 21 starlet for the entire upcoming season.

He said: “This will really smart for them. He is a player with a big reputation and they expect big things from him in the upcoming season. Potentially, this may alter any transfer plans that they had.

“As we know with ACL injuries, we’re looking at a minimum of six or seven months, but that can extend to nine or ten months. That’s if things go really, really well in that rehab and recovery process.

“So, they are losing a player in July who may not play again for the whole of the season. That’s a huge blow for them.”

The verdict: Signing needed

Signed from Portuguese top-flight outfit Estoril in January, Chiquinho provided three assists in eight Premier League outings for the Old Gold to add to the four goals and six assists yielded prior to making the switch to Molineux.

The impact made by the dynamic wide-man was clear for all to see and his lengthy absence leaves Lage with only Pedro Neto, Daniel Podence and an out-of-favour Adama Traore to call upon in the wide areas heading into the 2022/23 campaign after Francisco Trincao returned to Barcelona before signing for Sporting CP.

Not replacing Chiquinho is therefore a non-starter as at least one addition is required for a depleted squad, and Fosun should have no issues sanctioning any moves given the lack of activity in terms of incomings so far and the potential financial windfall from the sales of Morgan Gibbs-White and Ruben Neves on the horizon.

Leeds United have been handed a huge boost in their bid to bring Cody Gakpo to Elland Road this summer.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, Voetbal International journalist Marco Timmer revealed that, despite the PSV Eindhoven winger having previously held talks with Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City regarding a summer move, the 23-year-old is now becoming increasingly open to the idea of a move to Leeds – with Victor Orta said to be in talks with the player’s representatives.

Timmer goes on to state that the Eredivisie side are demanding a figure of around €40m (£35m) in order to part with the Netherlands international – who is now said to be considering taking a similar route to that of Georginio Wijnaldum in order to secure a move to one of Europe’s elite clubs further down the line.

In his tweet, the journalist said: “The management of Cody Gakpo speaks with Leeds United as it has previously spoken with, among others, Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal. PSV want about €40m for Gakpo. He now also sees a route a la Wijnaldum via the foreign sub-top to the top.”

Massive coup

Considering the sheer level of interest in Gakpo’s services this summer, in addition to the fact that the 23-year-old very much looks to be one of the most exciting prospects in European football, should Orta manage to convince the Dutchman of a move to Elland Road in the coming weeks, it would undoubtedly represent a massive coup for the Spanish sporting director.

Indeed, over his 27 Eredivisie appearances in 2021/22, the £27m-rated forward was one of the stories of the season, scoring 12 goals, providing 13 assists and creating 11 big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 3.0 shots, making 2.6 key passes and completing 2.9 dribbles per game.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more-2″ title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer rumours and more!”]

These metrics saw the £7.4k-per-week talent average a simply sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.51, not only ranking him as Roger Schmidt’s best performer in the division but also as the fourth-best player in the league as a whole.

The winger who Pain in the Arsenal dubbed a “supreme talent” also caught the eye over his four Europa League fixtures, bagging two goals and creating two big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 3.0 shots, making 2.8 key passes and completing 4.0 dribbles per outing – with his average SofaScore match rating of 7.47 ranking him as the fourth-best player to feature in the competition.

Further still, Gakpo also played a key role in PSV’s run to the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League, scoring three goals, registering one assist and creating one big chance over his five appearances in the tournament – with his average SofaScore match rating of 7.42 ranking him as the joint 10th-best player in the competition.

As such, it is clear for all to see just how exciting a prospect the 23-year-old is, leading us to believe that, should Orta indeed manage to get a deal over the line for the flying Dutchman ahead of the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City this summer, it would certainly be one of the most impressive signings of the window.

AND in other news: “It’s done”: Fabrizio Romano drops big transfer update, Leeds supporters surely gutted

Former Premier League goalkeeper Paddy Kenny has been left wowed by Newcastle United’s signing of Matt Targett.

The Lowdown: £12m fee

After paying a £3m loan fee last season, the St. James’ Park outfit have signed Targett on a permanent deal from Aston Villa for a further £12m, costing £15m in total (Sky Sports).

The left-back did not miss a single minute under Eddie Howe, except of course when they played his parent club (97.5% of polled supporters expressed their desire for him to stay.

The Latest: Kenny wowed

Speaking to Football Insider, Kenny was wowed by the news that it only cost £12m to sign Targett permanently, claiming that it is a ‘bargain’ and a ‘no brainer’:

“It’s a no brainer.

“He had a good spell there and £12million in this day and age is not a lot of money, is it?

“It gets the ball rolling on the summer business for Newcastle which is important.

“He did well when he was there and I think it’s a bargain if I’m honest.

“£12million for someone with over 100 Premier League appearances, that doesn’t happen.”

The Verdict: Ball rolling

As Kenny claims, wrapping up the deal for Targett early gets the ball rolling for the North East club for the rest of the window.

The wealthy owners will be expected to make more signings after him and strengthen in all areas of the pitch, but securing a reliable option in a previously troublesome position immediately solves one big problem.

They have recently been linked with moves for attackers Alvaro Morata and Roger Fernandes, as well as goalkeepers Yann Sommer and Nick Pope, so it will be interesting to see just how many players walk through the door on Tyneside.

In other news, find out transfer update has this NUFC podcaster buzzing here!

An update has emerged on Sunderland and their plans for the upcoming transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to The Sunday Mirror (5/6, page 69), the Black Cats are considering a swoop to sign out-of-contract shot-stopper John Ruddy in the coming weeks.

The report claims that they are weighing up a move for the Englishman after Premier League side Wolves decided to release the veteran instead of offering him a new deal.

Alex Neil would love him

Kristjaan Speakman is plotting a move for the one-cap England international and must bring the experienced goalkeeper to the Stadium of Light as Neil would love him next season.

Ruddy is vastly experienced in the top two divisions of English football and knows exactly what it takes to win promotion out of the Championship.

He has been promoted to the Premier League as a title-winner (with Wolves) and twice with Norwich as a runner-up and then a play-off winner. This shows that he is no stranger to getting out of the second tier and he can bring invaluable experience to the younger members of the squad.

In his career to date, the 35-year-old has played 163 Championship matches and kept 58 clean sheets. He has also featured in 122 top-flight games and kept 27 shutouts, playing in both divisions for Wolves and the Canaries.

Upon the confirmation of his exit from the Molineux stadium, Wolves reporter Tim Spiers heaped praise on Ruddy as he tweeted: “A model professional, a massive character in the dressing room and an excellent goalkeeper.”

This highlights what he can offer to Sunderland off the pitch as he can be a huge influence on young Anthony Patterson next season. It would be an excellent opportunity for the Black Cats youngster to have a player of Ruddy’s professionalism, experience, and quality in the building as he can learn from him in training.

The 6 foot 3 colossus is also no stranger to Neil as they worked together at Carrow Road. Ruddy played 76 times for the Scot in Norfolk, including in a 2-0 play-off final win over Middlesbrough at Wembley in 2015, and this means that they already have a pre-existing relationship.

Sunderland’s head coach would, therefore, love to have him at the Stadium of Light next season for the reasons stated above and because he already knows what he would be getting from the shot-stopper.

AND in other news, Speakman plotting Sunderland bid for 6 ft 3 “Rolls-Royce”, he can get SoL rocking…

Everton are interested in securing the services of Bologna’s Swedish midfielder Mattias Svanberg this summer.

What’s the word?

That is according to Italian outlet 1000 Cuori Rossoblu, as per Sport Witness, who claim that the Serie A side have offered Svanberg a new contract but the Swede is not interested and is “the most likely young person to be expendable for a profitable sale in the summer.”

As noted in the report, the 23-year-old midfielder is wanted by Everton, West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur.

It’s also highlighted that Bologna refused an offer of €15m (£12.8m) last year, but state that this time around “it’s difficult for them to deprive themselves of him for a figure much less than €20m (£17m).”

Imagine him and Doucoure

Part of Everton’s downfall this season has been their ability to create chances, hence their status as the fourth worst goal scoring team in the league, having managed just 37 goals this season.

With Donny van de Beek injured and Fabian Delph filling in to form a partnership with Doucoure, the defensive stability is there, but there is almost no attacking threat.

With Van de Beek set to return back to parent club Manchester United at the end of the season, Lampard will need to find a more positive central midfielder who can look to cause more threat.

His average of 1.13 crosses per match also poses as an upgrade and would present a more composed option in the Toffees’ engine room who could look to ignite that creative spark for the forwards to benefit from.

This is where Svanberg, who has been described as “red hot” by Bologna’s official Twitter account, comes in, with his average of 2.14 shot-creating actions and average of 1.47 shots. In comparison to Delph’s numbers of 0.62 shot-creating actions per 90 and 0.15 shots per match average, they massively falter when aligned with the Swede’s metrics.

With that in mind, partnering him with the bullish Doucoure could be just the ticket that Everton need in order to make them a more menacing prospect in the middle of the pitch.

Lampard would be wise to look into the signing of Svanberg, though there are more creative assets out there so it would not hurt to look around.

In other news: “I’m told..“: Insider drops major Everton transfer claim, Lampard will be ecstatic 

Bob Willis’ passing was mourned around the cricketing world and beyond, with everyone having a story to share from their time with him

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2019Legendary England pace bowler Bob Willis’ passing at the age of 70 had the cricketing world in mourning.

Incredibly sad to hear the news about Bob Willis. He was a true great, generous in sharing his knowledge about the game and a lovely man. RIP Bob x pic.twitter.com/HYJbLlQJRZ

— James Anderson (@jimmy9) December 4, 2019

Gutted to hear the news of Bob Willis passing. A lovely person with a great humour who was so proud of England cricket. Legend.pic.twitter.com/g4AQcnRK4n

— Stuart Broad (@StuartBroad8) December 4, 2019

Willis’ magnum opus, his 8 for 43 in the 1981 Headingley Test, was recalled with great fondness.

Such sad news regarding the legend Bob Willis
An icon of the game I love,growing up as an 11 year old watching big Bob running down the hill 8/43 at the home of cricket Headingley
I’ll miss you Bob
A glass of red will be raised tonight

— Darren Gough (@DGoughie) December 4, 2019

Rivals and mates alike joined in in paying tribute.

Such a sad time for cricket fans all around the world. Rest In Peace Bob.

You shall be remembered forever for what you have done on the pitch! #BobWillis pic.twitter.com/kpv5BsCyyL

— Sir Vivian Richards (@ivivianrichards) December 4, 2019

Just saw the news on Bob Willis and very sad indeed. Had the pleasure of working with him for @SkyCricket and off air I just loved listening to his great stories on how they played the game back in the day. RIP Great man#onceabearalwaysabear

— Allan Donald (@AllanDonald33) December 4, 2019

Waking to the sad news of the passing of the great Bob Willis. Red wine and story time Smithy’s will never be forgotten Bob. Wonderful man to work with and one champion of a bowler. RIP #BobWillis Thoughts with Lauren and the family..

— Simon Doull (@Sdoull) December 4, 2019

View this post on Instagram

Such sad news. Bob was an English legend, inspired a generation of fast bowlers around the world & was a good bloke. RIP mate #bobwillis #RIPBob #englandcricket #FBC

A post shared by Glenn McGrath (@glennmcgrath11) on Dec 4, 2019 at 1:29pm PST

“A remarkable human being.” Bob, you were truly one of the greats of this beautiful game. R.I.P. #BobWillis pic.twitter.com/Or6WE1qxa8

— Brian Lara (@BrianLara) December 5, 2019

One of the great characters of the game with a wicked sense of humour. He was Mr Verdict. God bless his soul #RIPBobWillis pic.twitter.com/p1dkLK0lpR

— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) December 5, 2019

Had the absolute pleasure of spending time with Bob Willis over the years. A lovely man.
A very sad day. Deepest sympathies to all his family and friends.
RIP.

— Jason Gillespie (@dizzy259) December 4, 2019

Bloody sad day to hear of the passing of Bob Willis! My heart goes out to his family and Team mates! #headingley81 @BeefyBotham

— Dean Jones AM (@ProfDeano) December 4, 2019

And it wasn’t just cricketers, nor just sportspersons. Everyone had a Bob Willis memory to share.

Oh no, not Bob Willis… what joy he gave, and what a marvellous man. That 8 for 43. Used to lunch with him occasionally to talk cricket, Wagner and Bob Dylan, his three great passions.

— Stephen Fry (@stephenfry) December 4, 2019

RIP Bob Willis never imagined when I was growing up watching him destroy the Aussies in 1981 that many years later he’d teach me how to play bridge in a Spanish golf clubhouse after torrential rain had cancelled our round! Absolute gent and thoughts with his family

— Matt Le Tissier (@mattletiss7) December 4, 2019

June is the month for the men in charge of cricket teams to throw the towel in

Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Jun-2017The vacancy
Having this month elbowed Graham Ford out of his job, SLC are on their tenth head coach in seven years. As Nic Pothas’ position is only temporary, the board may soon begin searching for a more permanent appointment. The Briefing has taken the liberty of drawing up an advertisement, which the board is welcome to use:ESPNcricinfo LtdThe power move
One month after Ramachandra Guha resigned from the BCCI’s Committee of Administrators, lambasting the “superstar culture” within the organisation, Anil Kumble has parted ways with the national team, thanks in part to disagreements with Virat Kohli.Kumble, though a superstar himself, was not in this instance as monumental a figure as the present India captain.If the BCCI want a coach who is not just a player patsy, they might need to hire someone who has an even bigger name than the men within the team. The question is: is the cricket world ready for Coach Kardashian?The pitch problems
England had issues with their pitches in the past six weeks. Having been blown away on a Lord’s greentop by South Africa in the approach to the Champions Trophy, they were stunned on a used Cardiff surface by Pakistan, in the semi-final. On both occasions the state of the pitch came into focus. Eoin Morgan criticised the Lord’s pitch directly, and after Cardiff, said the surface was “too much of a jump” for a team that had played their most recent match at bouncier Edgbaston.England were the tournament favourites, and looked just about unbeatable until they were waylaid by the Cardiff clay. The whole situation calls for an Andy Flower-era 2013-14 Ashes cookbook-type fix, whereby the team can specify exactly how many blades of grass should remain on the surface, how much sun, in nanoseconds, the pitch should get before the game, and the optimal body-fat percentage of the groundsman who sits in the heavy roller that packs down the soil.AB de Villiers: unhappy camper•Getty ImagesThe zombie
For the last few months, one of the best players in the world, and maybe the greatest batsman of his generation, has plodded around cricket fields a little dead in the eyes. AB de Villiers hasn’t played a Test since January 2016 and, at only 33, is now talking about trimming his cricket commitments with a view to retiring in 2019.Maybe it’s South Africa’s Kolpaxodus, or perhaps he is just bored of dominating the best attacks the planet has to offer. Whatever the case, international cricket needs to have him in it, and the cricket world might do well to find out whatever it is that will cheer de Villiers up.The shock Champions Trophy triumph
The 2017 Champions Trophy gave the cricket world a surprise that brought unspeakable joy to tens of millions: the Google Doodle stick-cricket game.Now Google has a long history of producing great doodles unexpectedly, but even by those standards, this was a stirring achievement. Many were left elated by their new high scores, though in parts of the world, others have also been saddened at the number of work hours lost.The riposte
The Women’s World Cup has broken new ground with its visibility and popularity this year, and hopes are high the tournament can inspire a new generation of cricketers. It might also have brought an end to a long-time bugbear of women cricketers around the world – the query about which male cricketer is their favourite. Before the tournament began, India captain Mithali Raj dispatched the question like a long hop to the boundary, when she responded: “Do you ask the same question to a male cricketer? Do you ask them who their favourite female cricketer is?””Congratulations, chaps. You’re now going to be ignored and belittled in a whole new way!”•Peter Della PennaThe young sensation
Hasan Ali and Ben Stokes may have lit up the Champions Trophy, but the best performance of the month might have come in St Lucia, where Rashid Khan claimed 7 for 18 in what was frankly a ridiculous spell of legspin bowling. Two wickets came from his first two balls, and by the time he completed his fourth over, he already had a five-for. With Afghanistan’s schedule about to become a lot busier over the next few years, Rashid could have the honour of becoming the first player from his nation to be accused of putting IPL commitments over national duty.The new cousins
Ireland and Afghanistan have been granted Test status this month, which is an affirmation of their readiness for the rigours of cricket’s toughest format.Are Afghanistan and Ireland ready, however, for the paternalistic manner in which they are about to be covered by the global cricket media? Are they prepared for hand-wringing editorials about whether Test cricket is besmirched by their presence in it, every time they suffer a collapse? Are they ready to be treated like weird relatives by the established cricket nations, who will make excuses not to tour them, and invite them over only sparingly?Over the past four decades, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh all went through stages of being treated like cricket’s nuisance, rather than embraced and uplifted for the wider benefit of the sport.Welcome, Ireland and Afghanistan, to a whole new world of dysfunction. Get through the hard years, put in your time, and with a little luck, you will be able to be condescending towards Nepal, Scotland or Netherlands someday.