Lionesses star Georgia Stanway warns players risk ‘potential burnout’ due to hectic international schedule – despite not qualifying for 2024 Summer Olympics

Georgia Stanway has warned that the Lionesses risk being burned out this summer as they confront yet another busy period – even without the Olympics.

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Stanway hit out at England's busy summerWiegman echoed the same sentiment Players and manager unhappy with summer international windowsGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Despite failing to secure qualification for the Olympics on behalf of Team GB, the Lionesses are slated for international camps in June and July due to Euro 2025 qualifying commitments. This demanding schedule, coupled with potential Champions League qualifiers for some clubs in early September, means that many players will miss out on a much-needed break.

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Numerous members of the England squad have endured a gruelling sequence of tournaments, having participated in three consecutive competitions – the 2021 Olympics, Euro 2022, and last summer's World Cup. Additionally, some players were involved in youth tournaments prior to these major events.

WHAT STANWAY SAID

Stanway expressed her disappointment, stating, "When we didn't qualify for the Olympics we thought it was the perfect opportunity to have the summer off, maybe travel a bit further. We realise it's not quite as simple as that but the best thing we can do is work with countries and clubs to find the best solution.

"Hopefully the best solution is giving us a good enough time of rest but also the most important thing is we want to qualify for Euro 2025 – we will do anything to put ourselves in the best possible position to go to that tournament. It is a potential burnout but Football is our life. Everything we do is to be successful on the pitch."

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GettySARINA WIEGMAN AGREES WITH STANWAY

England manager Sarina Wiegman echoed Stanway's concerns, revealing that they have appealed to FIFA and UEFA to reconsider the international calendar. However, she conceded that significant changes may not be feasible until 2026.

"There's no tournament so that should be an opportunity to get some rest, but because of the window in June and the window in July how are you going to take some time off?' Wiegman said.

"Then after that, there is some time off, in England the WSL starts later, but then round one of the Champions League starts in early September, which takes away the summer from the players. That's what we need to take care of and we've asked FIFA and UEFA to look at that and change that in the future so players can have some rest. It's great that we have players that love football, but we have to take care of them too so we have to do something about the calendar.

"We can't change it so you're trying to do the best to take care of the players and at the same time perform to the highest level and take out the highest risks of getting injured, in collaboration with clubs. The clubs and we as the FA don't have any control over the calendar."

'Fun in the mud' – Chelsea and England star Millie Bright continues rehab after missing latest Lionesses squad through injury

Chelsea captain Mille Bright continued her rehabilitation from injury as she sat out the Lionesses first game of the year.

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Bright continues rehab in mud and rainChelsea skipper missing since NovemberMisses Lionesses first fixture of 2024Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The defender has missed the Lionesses winter camp in sunny southern Spain and will be absent when her colleagues take on Austria in Andalusia on Friday evening. But Bright shared some news on social media of her working hard on her recovery in soggy Surrey.

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"Silently grafting, fun in the sun and mud today," posted Bright on her Instagram account alongside a photo of herself at Chelsea's training complex.

Instagram @mbrighty04

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Bright has been on the sidelines since suffering the recurrence of a knee injury in November. The skipper is not the only high-profile casualty for the Blues as star forward Sam Kerr suffered a season-ending ACL injury in January. Mia Fishel was recently struck down with the affliction on international duty too.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MILLIE BRIGHT?

An exact return date for Bright remains unknown but the 30-year-old will be hoping to be back in action for the business end of the season as Chelsea chase silverware in four different competitions with the Emma Hayes era drawing to a conclusion at Stamford Bridge.

Alongside Lagerbielke: Celtic star with fewer touches than Hart let Rodgers down

Celtic kicked off their Champions League campaign with a disappointing defeat away to Feyenoord as they lost 2-0 on Tuesday night.

The hosts took the lead through Calvin Stengs as his free-kick from distance curled and bounced up in front of Joe Hart, which prevented the former England international from being able to keep it out.

Hart then made up for his error as he saved a penalty from Igor Paixao but he could do nothing to stop Alireza Jahanbakhsh from smashing the ball into the top corner after a clearance fell kindly for him in the box not long after Odin Thiago Holm was sent off for a late challenge. However, he wasn't the only one to head for an early bath.

Why was Gustaf Lagerbielke sent off against Feyenoord?

The Swedish summer signing was given his marching orders by the referee after he was adjudged to have fouled the Feyenoord player racing through on goal, which led to the saved penalty.

It was his second booking of the match and resulted in a red card. However, it was a contentious decision as the opposition forward appeared to go down rather easily under minimal contact from the central defender, although Lagerbielke put himself in a dangerous position by holding onto him at all.

1 tackle

0 interceptions

1 duel won

2 duels lost

The 23-year-old stopper only won one duel in his 63 minutes on the pitch and recorded a game-low Sofascore rating of 5.7 out of all starters, which illustrates just how poorly the ex-Elfsborg titan performed on the night.

That said, alongside Lagerbielke, another player who let Brendan Rodgers down badly on the night was Honduras international Luis Palma as he struggled on the wing.

How well did Luis Palma play against Feyenoord?

The summer signing from Aris FC was handed a big opportunity to put a marker down after his move to Scotland and failed to do so.

He left much to be desired in and out of possession against Feyenoord in his 58 minutes on the pitch before Rodgers decided to haul the 5 foot 10 forward off.

As per Sofascore, Palma lost eight of his 11 duels (73%) and failed to make a single tackle, block, or clearance, whilst he was also dribbled past twice. This suggests that he did not provide Greg Taylor with much protection from the opposition forwards down that side of the pitch.

Honduras international Luis Palma.

The 23-year-old did not make up for his lack of defensive work with quality wing play either. As per Sofascore, the former Aris star only completed two of his six attempted dribbles and did not create a single chance for his teammates. To make matters worse, his 38 touches were also fewer than Hart's 52.

Throughout the match, Feyenoord dominated Palma as they prevented him from being able to dribble past them or play dangerous passes to his teammates, meaning that he was ineffectual on and off the ball throughout the 58 minutes he was on the pitch.

The score was only 1-0 to Feyenoord until the 76th minute and there was plenty of time for Celtic to find an equaliser to change the game but Palma, along with the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda, failed to provide the requisite quality to make something happen in the final third.

Man United send scouts to watch "extremely unique" star for the future

Manchester United's summer transfer business was heavily focused on the present, with the likes of Andre Onana and Mason Mount arriving to bolster Erik ten Hag's options right in their primes.

Things haven't quite gone to plan for the Premier League giants so far this season, however, with three losses in their opening five games representing a disastrous start.

Those at Old Trafford could be set for a positive boost yet, though, with the Red Devils keeping a keen eye on future talent, perhaps in an attempt to avoid any significant collapses such as the one they are currently experiencing.

With that said, according to reports, Manchester United recently sent scouts to watch one particular star for the future, amid their interest in securing his signature.

What's the latest Manchester United transfer news?

Even when the transfer window is shut, a club of Manchester United's calibre does not stop seeking reinforcements, particularly when in poor form. During the summer, they spent a reported €207m (£178m) on welcoming a total of seven fresh faces, hoping to mount a potential title challenge.

Their 3-1 loss against Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford shows that they are anything but ready to join the title race, with injuries, off-field issues and poor form bundling the pressure on Ten Hag to turn things around.

The Red Devils could at least give their fans some good news in January, however, with reports suggesting that they're interested in Red Bull Salzburg youngster Oscar Gloukh.

According to The Sun, via Football365, United sent scouts to watch Gloukh's performance for Israel against Romania, in a game that saw the teenager score a crucial goal for his country aiming for Euro 2024 qualification.

Any deal for the Salzburg man may prove to be difficult, given that he only made the move from Maccabi Tel Aviv to the Austrian club in January. The Premier League giants are also not the only club interested in Goukh, with Liverpool and Arsenal also interested in the 19-year-old.

Who is Oscar Gloukh?

Oscar Gloukh in action for Israel.

A midfielder by trade, Gloukh has impressed for Red Bull Salzburg since making the January switch, with eight goal involvements in just 25 appearances. He'll only get better at the Austrian club, too, who have developed talents such as Erling Haaland and Dominik Szoboszlai in recent years. If Gloukh reaches anything near the level of those two, then United, should they pursue a move, could have themselves a game-changer.

Praising the youngster, Football Talent Scout wrote: "As for his role, Oscar is a pure playmaker that’s distinguished with qualities to operate either an “8”, a “10” or a winger.

"At 170cm tall, he has a low center of gravity, which contributes to his balance and changes of direction, is technically gifted, and is quite agile. In contrast to the rest of the Israeli talents, he has an extremely unique and complete profile, which seems to fit top-flight football."

With that said, whilst they'll face a fight for his signature, if United can secure the signature of Gloukh in January or next summer then it could go down as one of their best deals in recent years.

Man City keen on signing "unbelievable" record-breaking teen

Manchester City are now keen on signing a record-breaking striker, but they will have to do battle for his signature with some of Europe's top clubs, according to a report.

What's the latest Man City transfer news?

Man City will be in the market for a new left-back in the January transfer window, considering Sergio Gomez is their only natural option in that area of the pitch, and Football Insider has revealed they are now confident about signing Boca Juniors' Valentin Barco.

Although the Boca defender has a release clause of around £10m included in his contract, the Sky Blues may have to stump up a fee of £15m, as there is considerable interest in his signature, with Brighton & Hove Albion also being named as potential suitors.

Barco is not the only young left-back that City have been credited with an interest in, as it has been reported they are also keen on signing Chelsea's Ian Maatsen, amid the uncertainty surrounding the 21-year-old's future at Stamford Bridge.

The vast majority of the Citizens' transfer targets are under 21, having also been linked with a move for Brighton striker Evan Ferguson, and there have now been reports they could make a move for another young striker.

According to a report from CalcioMercato, Man City are now interested in signing 15-year-old AC Milan striker Francesco Camarda, who is attracting the attention of several top European clubs, as they are "convinced" he has a great future ahead of him.

The Milan starlet continues to break "record after record", recently netting a brace against Newcastle United on his debut in the UEFA Youth League, which meant he became the youngest Italian ever to score in the competition.

In light of the impression the youngster has made for AC Milan, there are a number of clubs vying for his signature, with Borussia Dortmund also being named as potential suitors, but there is an indication he may not be on the move anytime soon.

The Italian club are currently in the process of handing Camarda his first professional contract, and he "dreams" of making his debut for the Rossoneri in the Serie A.

Who is Francesco Camarda?

The Milan-born forward has started to make a name for himself at youth level, having scored one goal in three Primavera 1 games this season, while he recorded three goal contributions in his first-ever UEFA Youth League outing, bagging two goals and an assist.

The Italian has also made his breakthrough on the international scene, having found the back of the net three times in three appearances for the U17s, during which time he has also recorded one assist.

Manchester City managerPepGuardiola

It is no wonder some of Europe's top clubs are queuing up for Camarda, as he clearly has a lot of potential, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig lauding him as an "unbelievable" talent just a few days ago.

However, the Milan academy graduate does not seem to have much interest in leaving his hometown club at the moment, so Man City should keep him shortlisted for the future.

Man Utd identify “massive” Premier League “tank” as No.1 January target

Manchester United have identified a "massive" Premier League player as their "number one target" in a key position in the January transfer window, according to a new update.

Man Utd targeting January signings

The Red Devils have suffered huge injury problems in defence this season, with Lisandro Martinez a long-term absentee who has been a big loss, given his influence since arriving from Ajax. Raphael Varane has also continued to struggle with fitness issues, while the likes of Luke Shaw and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are others who have been unavailable at different times.

In fairness, Erik ten Hag's side have done well to tackle these problems, winning five of their last six Premier League games., despite having so many defenders out of contention. While Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof have largely performed well of late, including in Sunday's 3-0 victory away to Everton, it is clear that reinforcements are needed at the back, with neither representing the future at Old Trafford.

United have been linked with various centre-back options in recent times, with Sporting CP youngster Goncalo Inacio one player who has emerged as a potential addition at Old Trafford. Meanwhile, a broader report has claimed that the Red Devils are prioritising the signing of a central defender in January.

"Incredible" Man Utd player lined up for shock move amid frustration at ETH

Manchester United could offload one of their first-team stars in January….

BySean Markus Clifford Nov 27, 2023 Man Utd want Marc Guehi

According to Football Insider, Manchester United have made Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi their main January target in defence, seeing him a great option to boost Ten Hag's back-line.

malick-thiaw-marc-guehi-tottenham-opinion

"Man United are planning a January move for Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi, sources have told Football Insider. The centre-back, 23, is firmly on the radar of the Premier League giants ahead of the winter window.

"A senior source has told Football Insider that Guehi is the 'number one target' for United going into January. The club are keeping close tabs on the England international and doing background checks."

Guehi is someone who looks like a perfect centre-back choice for United in the January window, with the 23-year-old becoming such a consistent performer for Palace in recent years, arguably making Chelsea look foolish for deciding to sell him to the Eagles back in 2021.

The United transfer target is enjoying an excellent individual season once again in 2023/24, having a 89.3% pass completion rate across 12 Premier League appearances, as well as averaging 4.8 clearances, 1.4 aerial duels and 1.2 tackles per game in the competition.

Pass completion rate

89.3%

Clearances per game

4.8

Aerial duel wins per game

1.4

Tackles per game

1.2

Guehi could even feel that moving to Old Trafford increases his chances of featuring prominently for England at Euro 2024 next summer, potentially even taking Maguire's place in the Three Lions' starting lineup. He would be noticed more playing for one of the biggest teams in the country, and he could immediately come in as an upgrade on the former Red Devils captain.

The Palace ace has been hailed as both "massive" and an "absolute tank" by former Stoke City goalkeeper Josef Bursik in the past, having played together for England's Under-21s, and at 23 years of age, he should only get better as the years pass, possibly even proving to be a key man at United for the next decade.

Firpo ditched among 3 changes in Leeds’ predicted lineup vs Swansea

Leeds United return to action at Elland Road on Wednesday night as they prepare to host Welsh side Swansea City in the Championship.

The Whites are currently third in the table and are on the hunt to chase down the top two in the division – Ipswich Town and Leicester City.

They gained one point on the Tractor Boys over the weekend and now sit seven points behind them but are ten off the Foxes at the summit – despite securing a 1-0 win over Enzo Maresca's side earlier this month.

This means that it will take a colossal effort for Leeds to overtake those above them to earn an automatic promotion place but they still have 29 more matches to gain ground and secure promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Daniel Farke's side need to focus on their own results and hope that other teams slip up along the way and three points against Swansea this week could be an important step on their way to success.

They head into this game off the back of a frustrating 1-1 draw away at Rotherham United last Friday, with Crysencio Summerville scoring the only goal of the game for the Whites.

Farke could now make some alterations to the starting XI for that match in the hope of a return to winning ways against the Swans at Elland Road.

1 Illan Meslier

Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

Between the sticks, French ace Illan Meslier could retain his position in goal. He has started all 17 of the club's league games this term and there were no major errors against Rotherham to warrant him being dropped for this clash.

2 Archie Gray

Archie Gray for Leeds United.

The 17-year-old starlet – Archie Gray – could continue to impress at right-back, away from his natural position in midfield. He won seven of his 12 duels against the Millers and won two tackles for the team.

3 Joe Rodon

At the heart of the defence, Joe Rodon should start again after a dominant display last Friday night. The Tottenham Hotspur loanee has been an impressive addition to the squad and showcased his quality last week.

Leeds titan with 90% duels won was Farke's true hero over Summerville on Friday

The impressive colossus stood up to the task on Friday night against Rotherham.

ByDan Emery Nov 25, 2023

As you can read in the article above, he dominated the opposition with his defensive prowess and deserves to keep his place in the XI after that performance.

4 Pascal Struijk

Leeds defender Pascal Struijk.

The first change that the head coach could make to the XI is to bring Pascal Struijk back into the side in place of the experienced Liam Cooper.

He started on the bench against Rotherham after dealing with a hernia over the international break but was pressed into action with ten minutes to go as Cooper was forced off with a knock.

The Dutch colossus has started 15 of the club's 17 Championship matches and could come straight back into the XI after being rested for the majority of last week's clash.

5 Sam Byram

At left-back, Farke could make another change to his team with Sam Byram coming back in for Junior Firpo, who could be ditched after his first start of the campaign.

The former Barcelona defender lost eight of his 16 duels and only competed one of his three attempted dribbles throughout his 70 minutes on the pitch.

It was a sloppy display from the full-back and Byram, who was an unused substitute after recovering from a knock, could return to the line-up.

The English titan has started 13 Championship matches so far this season and contributed with 2.9 tackles and interceptions per game for the Whites.

Since joining on a free transfer from Norwich City, the veteran defender has been a strong defensive presence for the German boss and could play a key role tonight with his ability to win possession back for the team if selected on the left.

6 Glen Kamara

joe-rodon-glen-kamara-leeds-opinion

The Finland international has been a superb addition from Scottish giants Rangers and should start in midfield. He has been calmness personified in possession with a pass success rate of 92% for the Whites.

7 Ethan Ampadu

Leeds midfielder Ethan Ampadu.

Like Kamara, Ethan Amapdu has been in impressive form for Leeds since his summer switch from Premier League side Chelsea and should start in the middle of the park. The Wales international has made 3.6 tackles and interceptions per game so far in the Championship.

8 Ian Poveda

The third and final change to the XI could be Ian Poveda being unleashed on the right side of the attack in place of Wales international Daniel James.

Poveda completed 100% of his attempted passes and one dribble in 20 minutes off the bench against Rotherham after the former Manchester United forward endured a difficult night.

James only found a teammate with 59% of his attempted passes and failed with all four of his attempted dribbles. The lightweight lost all seven of his duels throughout the game and could now lose his place in the XI as a result of that disappointing display.

Farke hailed Poveda as a "creative" talent who has impressed in training and could unleash him from the start for the second time in the league this term.

9 Joel Piroe

Leeds forward Joel Piroe.

In the number ten position, Joel Piroe could keep his place after a return of one goal, three key passes, and one 'big chance' created in his last two league outings for the Yorkshire-based side. He has plundered six Championship goals in total since his move from Wednesday night's opponents.

10 Crysencio Summerville

rutter-summerville-leeds-opinion

Arguably the easiest decision that Farke has to make with this XI. Crysencio Summerville scored his seventh league goal of the season in the draw with Rotherham with a superb curled effort into the bottom corner and is able to provide a huge attacking threat on the left flank.

فيديو | في غياب محمد صلاح.. ليفربول يفوز على ساوثهامبتون ويتأهل إلى نصف نهائي كأس كاراباو

تمكن ليفربول من تحقيق الفوز على خصمه ساوثهامبتون بنتيجة 2/1، في إطار منافسات كأس رابطة الأندية الإنجليزية “كاراباو”.

وواجه ليفربول نظيره ساوثهامبتون، ضمن منافسات الدور ربع النهائي من كأس كاراباو، على ملعب “سانت ميري”.

وشهد تشكيل ليفربول بقيادة مدربه آرني سلوت، استبعاد الدولي المصري محمد صلاح، وقائد الريدز فيرجيل فان دايك للراحة.

اقرأ أيضاً.. فيديو | هاتريك جيسوس يقود آرسنال لنصف نهائي كأس كاراباو أمام كريستال بالاس

في الشوط الأول وعند الدقيقة 19، أتيجت فرصة لـ ديبلينج مهاجم ساوثهامبتون، لكن تسديدته كانت ضعيفة على مرمى الريدز.

وبحلول الدقيقة 23 أحرز داروين نونيز هدف ليفربول الأول، بعدما تلقى تمريرة حاسمة من أرنولد من وسط الملعب، وحاول مدافع الخصم تشتيت الكرة لكنها انتهت بإنفراد للمهاجم الأوروجوياني الذي سدد الكرة في الشباك معلناً تقدم ليفربول.

وبتمريرة حاسمة من كودي جاكبو، وقع هارفي إليوت على ثاني أهداف ليفربول بتسديدة يمينية في شباك أصحاب الأرض عند الدقيقة 31.

وكاد ليفربول قريباً من تعزيز تقدمه بهدف ثالث عن طريق أليكسيس ماك أليستر لولا تألق مكارثي حارس ساوثهامبتون.

في الشوط الثاني وعند الدقيقة 58، أحرز كاميرون اتشر هدف ساوثهامبتون بتسديدة قوية في مرمى كيليهر، ليقلص نتيجة المباراة.

وكاد اتشر قريباً من التوقيع على ثنائيته الخاصة والهدف الثاني لأصحاب الأرض لولا إنقاذ كيليهر.

وأهدر فيدريكو كييزا فرصة هدف مؤكدة لـ ليفربول، بعدما نجح هاروود مدافع ساوثهامبتون في إبعادها من على خط المرمى.

وبهذا الفوز تأهل ليفربول إلى منافسات دور نصف النهائي من مسابقة كأس كاراباو في انتظار القرعة.

وقدم بطولات تغطية مباشرة لأحداث مباراة ليفربول وساوثهامبتون في كأس كاراباو من خلال هذا الرابط.  اهداف مباراة ليفربول وساوثهامبتون 2 1 كأس الرابطة الانجليزية

فيديو | آرسنال يتجاوز برينتفورد بثلاثية في الدوري الإنجليزي

نجح فريق آرسنال في تحقيق الفوز على مضيفه برينتفورد بنتيجة 3/1، في إطار منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وواجه آرسنال نظيره برينتفورد، ضمن منافسات الجولة التاسعة عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، على ملعب “جي تك كوميونيتي”.

اقرأ أيضاً.. ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي بعد فوز ليفربول على وست هام وآرسنال أمام برينتفورد

في الشوط الأول وعند الدقيقة الثالثة عشر، أحرز بريان مبيومو الهدف الأول لصالح برينتفورد من تسديدة أرضية زاحفة سكنت شباك ديفيد رايا.

وتمكن جابرييل جيسوس من تعديل نتيجة المباراة بحلول الدقيقة 29 من ضربة رأسية، أثر متابعته لتسديدة توماس بارتي على حارس برينتفورد فليكين.

ومع بداية الشوط الثاني وعند الدقيقة 50، وقع ميكيل ميرينو على ثاني أهداف الجانرز مستغلاَ حدوث دربكة في دفاعات الخصم.

وبتسديدة يمينية رائعة، أحرز جابرييل مارتينيلي الهدف الثالث لصالح آرسنال بحلول الدقيقة 53.

بذلك ينجح آرسنال في تحقيق الفوز الثالث له توالياً في منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، ويقلص فارق النقاط مع ليفربول المتصدر إلى 6 نقاط مع مباراة إضافية مؤجلة للريدز.

وبهذه النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد آرسنال إلى النقطة 39 في المركز الثاني في ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، بينما تجمد رصيد برينتفورد عند النقطة 24 في المركز الثاني عشر. اهداف مباراة ارسنال وبرينتفورد (3-1) الدوري الانجليزي

Warne's playground

What the numbers say about Old Trafford

S Rajesh10-Aug-2005

Shane Warne: ready to add to his tally of 17 wickets from two Tests at Old Trafford © Getty Images
At Edgbaston, Ricky Ponting’s decision to insert England after winning the toss might have been influenced by the recent trend at that venue – teams fielding first had won nine of the 14 previous Tests – but he is unlikely to make that mistake at Old Trafford should the coin roll his way on the morning of the third Test. In 69 Tests at Manchester since 1884, only eight times has the captain won the toss and opted to field first. Seven of those matches were drawn; the only decisive result in those games was in 1993, when Graham Gooch bravely put Australia in to bat and suffered the consequences, as England went down by 179 runs. Considering that no team has won a Test here after putting the opposition in to bat, and given all the pre-match talk about another turner at Manchester, the decision at the toss should be a no-brainer. Old Trafford also has a high propensity for drawn games – 33 out of 69 (48%) have ended in a stalemate. Of the remaining 36 Tests which did produce a result, 25 went in favour of the team batting first, another reason for the captain to do just that after winning the toss. England have a 21-14 win-loss record here, and while Australia’s is only a modest 7-7 against England, they have won the last three matches, and haven’t lost a Test here since 1981. (Click here for all England-Australia Tests at Old Trafford.) You’d expect the pitch to get far more difficult for batting as the game goes on, but that isn’t necessarily so, as the table below indicates. Since 1995, the average runs per wicket is highest in the third innings, while the fourth-innings figure is a respectable 32.7. (Click here for the Test records – highest and lowest totals, best batting and bowling performances etc – at this ground.)

1st innings2nd innings3rd innings4th innings

36.032.337.732.7 The track for Thursday’s match is expected to assist the spinners, but over the last ten years, fast bowlers have done pretty well here, as the table below suggests. The last time a spinner turned a match around here was in 2001, when Saqlain Mushtaq, aided by umpire David Shepherd’s generosity in ignoring no-balls, took four wickets as England slumped to 261 all out in their second innings.

Pace – wicketsAverageSpin – wicketsAverage

18632.695140.22 The most famous bowling performance at this ground is of course Jim Laker’s 19 for 90 against Australia in 1956, but in their current squad the Australians have one spinner who has been tormenting England for a while now. He answers to the name Shane Warne, and he has especially enjoyed the conditions at Old Trafford, taking 17 wickets in two Tests at less than 15 apiece. Only one short of reaching the 600-wicket milestone, chances are he’ll go well beyond that figure by the time this Test is done. Add a batting average of 35.50, and Australia have an outstanding allrounder in their midst, at least at this ground.

Warne at each venue
in EnglandTestsBowling averageBatting average

Old Trafford214.5935.50Trent Bridge

318.1418.33Lord’s419.588.75Edgbaston

421.7624.50The Oval323.3021.50Headingley

389.330.00 Among England’s current lot of players, only Michael Vaughan, Marcus Trescothick, Matthew Hoggard and Ashley Giles have played more than one Test at Old Trafford. The first three have done pretty well (click on the player names for Vaughan, Trescothick and Hoggard stats at this ground), but Giles’s nine wickets have cost him more than 38 apiece.

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