IN-FORM swing bowler Callum Thorp will celebrate the New Year with his Western Warriors debut.Thorp, 27, has been selected to make his first appearance in the ING Cup match against Queensland on Thursday, January 2.Pace bowler Matthew Nicholson has also been recalled to the Warriors limited-overs team after recovering from an injury to his right forearm.Thorp and Nicholson replace star pair Brad Williams and Brad Hogg.Williams and Hogg have been included in the Australian 13-man squad for the Fifth Orange Test against England in Sydney starting on Thursday, January 2, 2003.The Warriors ING Cup team is:Mike Hussey (Captain), Ryan Campbell (vice-captain), Jo Angel, Murray Goodwin, Kade Harvey, Stuart Karppinen, Shaun Marsh, Scott Meuleman, Matthew Nicholson, Chris Rogers, Callum Thorp and Paul Wilson.Thorp, a right-arm swing bowler, is in his first season with the Warriors senior squad after several injury-plagued years as a prolific wicket-taker in the WACA SunSmart League with Wanneroo. He heads the season 2002-03 wicket-takers list with 32 scalps at an impressive average of 12.
England coach Duncan Fletcher would be the first to admit that his charges play too much cricket.So the decision to add a new tour – to Zimbabwe in September and October for five One-Day Internationals – to his side’s already hectic schedule might have caused a few eyebrows to be raised.It extends England’s winter itinerary, which also includes Test and one-dayseries in both India and New Zealand, to almost six months for players who areincluded in both parties.But ever the realist, Fletcher knows that England urgently need to play all the limited-overs cricket they can as they prepare for the 2003 World Cup. The events at Old Trafford when Australia bundled them out for their lowest-ever one-day score of 86 only served to emphasise the work that needs to be done.Fletcher said: “There’s no doubt we play too much cricket which is why we try to look after the Test players especially.”There is too much cricket and that period (in October) was the first decent break we were going to have.”When you compare it to southern hemisphere sides like South Africa andAustralia they have a three-month break every second year, but England just donot seem to have that.”We also have to perform well in the next World Cup so we have to go outthere and play more one-day international cricket.”Fletcher added: “England have got to really look at why in the past they haven’t played enough one-day international cricket.”With the Zimbabwe tour we can look at some players and also give the batsmenin particular experience of one-day cricket.”We’re the youngest side in international cricket by a long way and we wereeven before we made the changes in this tournament – we’re far behind any otherside bar Bangladesh.”Fletcher has pointed out that England’s line-up at Old Trafford boasted only445 caps compared with Australia’s 1,214, while Pakistan fielded a side with 1,169 appearances at Lord’s last Tuesday – despite being without Saeed Anwar and Wasim Akram.Now Fletcher is searching for young, athletic cricketers who can gain experience before the next World Cup – players like Ben Hollioake and Owais Shah who, along with Marcus Trescothick, have been the success stories of the series so far for England.”The young players have an awareness and an ability, but we still have toidentify more players,” he stressed.”We’re trying to get a side together that’s a lot more athletic which is oneof the areas identified as a bit of a concern during the series in Pakistan andSri Lanka.”We have to identify a certain amount of players now that we believe in andare going to stick with. That’s the only way we’re going to get out of ourlosing run.”We can’t suddenly bring guys in, give them a couple of games and then hurlthem out because that’s going to cause real problems and knock the confidenceout of the team and each individual player if he comes in and out in a situationlike this.”England’s next One-Day International is against Pakistan in the NatWest Series at Headingley on Sunday – weather permitting.
Newcastle lost for the second match in succession as they were beaten 1-0 by 10-man Everton in the Premier League on Thursday night.
The Magpies lost 1-0 against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last time out and were unable to bounce back in a controversial clash at Goodison Park.
In a game devoid of quality, the most exciting period of the match came when a pitch invader successfully ziplocked himself to the Toffees goalpost as part of a protest. It took multiple stewards and a failed attempt to cut the tie before they eventually got him out after an eight-minute delay.
The home side found their winner, after Allan was sent off for a lunge on Allan Saint-Maximin, during the lengthy stoppage time as Alex Iwobi played a one-two with Dominic Calvert-Lewin before sliding the ball into the back of the net. Martin Dubravka left a large gap to his left and the ex-Arsenal man took full advantage to secure the three points.
First mistake
Eddie Howe has worked wonders since arriving at St. James’ Park as he recently led the team on a nine-game unbeaten run to send them clear of the relegation zone.
In this match, however, he made his first mistake as he opted to select Joelinton in midfield.
Ahead of the game, Howe said this of the Brazilian’s availability:
“He is touch and go for this game. We have a decision to make. Whether we look after him with the break we have afterwards or whether we push him back out there – we’ll have to make a late call on that one.”
This was after he missed the clashes with Southampton and Chelsea due to injury, with his comment pre-match suggesting that he was not fully fit.
Instead of heeding his own warning, Howe decided to start with Joelinton and his performance was one of a player lacking in fitness and match sharpness. He struggled throughout the game and ended up proving that picking him was a big mistake from the head coach.
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As per SofaScore, he lost possession every 3.1 touches as he flopped big time on the night. He failed with three of his four attempted dribbles and did not create a single chance throughout the game, whilst only completing 74% of his attempted passes.
Off the ball, he left a lot to be desired. Via SofaScore, he lost nine of his 13 ground duels and failed to make a single block, tackle or interception, whilst he was dribbled past three times. This shows that he was unable to deliver on or off the ball as he looked off the pace.
However, it is hard to blame Joelinton for his performance as the evidence suggests that he was not ready to play the game. Howe took a risk by selecting him and it backfired badly, with his display contributing to the defeat on Thursday night.
AND in other news, NUFC plot bid for £101m ace who Messi says “is one of the best”, it’s a huge statement…
Big-spending Paris Saint-Germain are monitoring Emmanuel Adebayor’s situation and are prepared to make a bid to sign the striker in the summer, according to The Daily Mail.
The Togolese frontman is currently on loan at Tottenham from Manchester City, with the north London club believed to be unable to match his wages and the Premier League leaders not wanting the African back at the Etihad Stadium.
Despite Spurs preparing to try and bring Adebayor to White Hart Lane on a permanent basis, it is thought that the forward would have to take a wage cut to make this happen.
PSG are backed by the Qatari Investment Authority, and as such would have no problem in matching Adebayor’s current salary, believed to be around £170,000 a week.
A fee of £12 million is thought to be suffice to ensure City let the attacker leave.
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Diego Maradona’s solo goal against England at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico was named by fans as the ‘Goal of the Century’ on FIFA.com. But will the diminutive Argentine top the list in Football FanCast’s top ten solo goals of all time? Find out the answer below …
10. Cesc Fabregas v Tottenham Hotspur, 2009
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas scored the second of two goals in 11 seconds for the Gunners against old enemies Tottenham Hotspur at The Emirates last October.
Dutch ace Robin van Persie broke up a sloppy pass from the Spurs midfield seconds after the restart and diverted the ball into the path of Fabregas. The Spanish international then accelerated at speed through the centre of the pitch before smashing the ball past the hapless Brazilian goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes and into the corner.
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9. Matias Fernandez v Club Deportivo O’Higgins, 2006
Chilean international Matias Fernandez scored 57 goals in 112 games for his first club Colo-Colo and this was by far one of his most spectacular.
Just weeks after his full debut as a professional, Fernandez received the ball in his own-half and began ducking and diving his way through challenges before delivering a finish of great finesse to round off a truly wonderful goal. Simply sensational.
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8. George Weah v Verona, 1996
AC Milan legend George Weah, formerly of Chelsea and Manchester City, led a one man counter-attack from inside his own penalty area after a Genoa attack was broken up by the Rossoneri.
The Liberian and former World Player of the Year outpaced all his colleagues to run the length of the pitch and attack The Old Fools with raw pace, power and skill. See it for yourself below.
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7. Steve McManaman v Celtic, 1997
Liverpool’s flying winger Steve McManaman levelled the scores in the UEFA Cup First Round at Parkhead with a wonderful injury-time, individual goal against the Bhoys in 1997.
After receiving the ball 20 yards inside his own half, the mop-haired midfielder glided past half the Celtic side before delivering a stunning finish to one of the great solo goals of all-time.
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6. Michael Owen v Argentina, 1998
Michael Owen’s goal against Argentina in 1998 makes it onto this list given the importance of the game and the timing of his impact.
Owen announced himself on the world’s greatest stage, showing the coolness and clinical finishing of an experienced pro to fire past stopper Carlos Roa and send the England fans packed into the Saint-Étienne stadium wild.
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5. Thierry Henry v Tottenham Hotspur, 2002
French maverick Thierry Henry scored many wonderful goals during his eight year spell at Arsenal and this is up there with the best of them.
Henry stormed from one end of the Highbury pitch to the other before weaving and bobbing his way across the penalty area until he got a sight of goal. Henry must have known how good the strike was after abandoning his usual calm exterior to slide onto the turf in ecstasy, before being mobbed by his team-mates.
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4. Zlatan Ibrahimović v NAC Breda, 2004
Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimović built a reputation as one of the hottest young talents in Europe during his three year spell at Ajax from 2001.
It is easy to see why Ibrahimović became a global superstar given his early displays at the Amsterdam Arena, where in his last season at the club he scored this breathtaking solo goal. Enjoy.
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3. Lionel Messi v Getafe, 2007
Diego Maradona himself would have been proud of this goal from the protégé aiming to replace him as Argentina’s greatest player of all time.
Lionel Messi, nicknamed ‘The Flea’, beat practically the whole Getafe side with a mesmerising display of skill and speed, leaving the opposition standing like statues.
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2. Ryan Giggs v Arsenal, 1999
With Manchester United chasing an unprecedented Treble, winger Ryan Giggs produced a moment of brilliance against Arsenal to win the tense tie. With Roy Keane sent off it looked as though United’s hopes would be dashed as The Gunners piled on the pressure with the scores level.
Welsh wing wizard Giggs had other ideas though after picking up a loose pass from French midfielder Patrick Vieira inside his own half before waltzing through the entire Arsenal defence and rifling an unstoppable shot past David Seaman.
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1. Diego Maradona v England, 1986
For me, Diego Maradona’s ‘Goal of the Century’ remains the greatest solo goal that has ever been scored. Was it ever really in doubt? While some of the goals above were scored in the UEFA Cup or against lower league sides, Maradona scored his magnificent goal in a crucial World Cup game against England.
This individual effort remains a symbol of the Argentine’s flair, creativity and genius and sums up Maradona’s two decades in football. Just incase you have been living on the moon for the last 25 years and have yet to see the video, I have posted it below:
In the Premier League this weekend it’s all about derbies. There are a couple of tasty ones for you to enjoy as Aston Villa host Birmingham at Villa Park and Sunderland travel to St James’ Park to face Newcastle. Chris Hughton would love to get a win and ease some of the pressure the Newcastle manager’s come under this week, while there would be no better way for Gerard Houllier endear himself to the Villa fans than to get a victory over their Birmingham rivals. Passions are always running high in these games, so fantasy football players should bear in mind that bookings are likely and a sending off may even be on the cards!
Get the full list of predictions here.
Steve Bates is currently second in the predictions table and is enjoying a storming October. The People journalist has thinks that Liverpool will labour to a draw against Bolton at The Reebok:
Do you agree with the Premier League predictions made this week?
Football Writers’ Association Predictions – Week 12
Overall standings
1. Des Kelly – 54 (5)
2. Steve Bates – 53 (6)
3. Martin Lipton – 51 (4)
4. Andy Dunn – 49 (6)
5. Danny Fullbrook – 49 (4)
6. Shaun Custis – 48 (5)
7. Glenn Moore – 47 (3)
8. Patrick Barclay – 41 (4)
October standings:
1. Steve Bates – 25
2. Andy Dunn – 19
3. Des Kelly – 19
4. Glenn Moore – 19
5. Shaun Custis – 18
6. Martin Lipton – 18
7. Patrick Barclay – 16
8. Danny Fullbrook – 16
–
Patrick Barclay (The Times)
Home Team
Away Team
Arsenal
V
West Ham
H
Blackburn
V
Chelsea
A
Everton
V
Stoke
H
Fulham
V
Wigan
H
Wolves
V
Man City
A
Man United
V
Tottenham
D
Aston Villa
V
Birmingham
H
Bolton
V
Liverpool
A
Newcastle
V
Sunderland
H
Blackpool
V
West Brom
A
Aston Villa v Birmingham: Houllier’s Villains to be heroes
Des Kelly (Daily Mail)
Home Team
Away Team
Arsenal
V
West Ham
H
Blackburn
V
Chelsea
A
Everton
V
Stoke
H
Fulham
V
Wigan
D
Wolves
V
Man City
A
Man United
V
Tottenham
H
Aston Villa
V
Birmingham
H
Bolton
V
Liverpool
D
Newcastle
V
Sunderland
A
Blackpool
V
West Brom
A
Arsenal v West Ham: West Ham’s defence just doesn’t look up to coping with the speed and movement of the Arsenal attack. This has to be the banker result of the weekend.
Shaun Custis (The Sun)
Home Team
Away Team
Arsenal
V
West Ham
H
Blackburn
V
Chelsea
A
Everton
V
Stoke
H
Fulham
V
Wigan
H
Wolves
V
Man City
A
Man United
V
Tottenham
H
Aston Villa
V
Birmingham
H
Bolton
V
Liverpool
A
Newcastle
V
Sunderland
D
Blackpool
V
West Brom
D
Fulham v Wigan: Both sides have been inconsistent but Fulham should have enough to win at The Cottage.
Head to the next page for more football predictions…
Andy Dunn (News of the World)
Home Team
Away Team
Arsenal
V
West Ham
H
Blackburn
V
Chelsea
A
Everton
V
Stoke
D
Fulham
V
Wigan
H
Wolves
V
Man City
D
Man United
V
Tottenham
H
Aston Villa
V
Birmingham
D
Bolton
V
Liverpool
H
Newcastle
V
Sunderland
A
Blackpool
V
West Brom
A
Man United v Tottenham: Cracking game obviously. I think Manchester United will win this game – the workload can occasionally catch up on Spurs.
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Martin Lipton (The Mirror)
Home Team
Away Team
Arsenal
V
West Ham
H
Blackburn
V
Chelsea
A
Everton
V
Stoke
H
Fulham
V
Wigan
H
Wolves
V
Man City
A
Man United
V
Tottenham
H
Aston Villa
V
Birmingham
H
Bolton
V
Liverpool
D
Newcastle
V
Sunderland
A
Blackpool
V
West Brom
D
Newcastle v Sunderland: North East passions on display but despite last week’s win at West Ham by the Toon, the Black Cats will be purring
Steve Bates (The People)
Home Team
Away Team
Arsenal
V
West Ham
H
Blackburn
V
Chelsea
A
Everton
V
Stoke
H
Fulham
V
Wigan
D
Wolves
V
Man City
A
Man United
V
Tottenham
A
Aston Villa
V
Birmingham
H
Bolton
V
Liverpool
D
Newcastle
V
Sunderland
H
Blackpool
V
West Brom
A
Bolton v Liverpool: Liverpool aren’t out of the woods yet despite their win over Blackburn and they’ll find the going tough at The Reebok where Bolton held manchester United recently. But a point won’t be a bad result for Gerrard and Co.
Danny Fulbrook (Daily Star)
Home Team
Away Team
Arsenal
V
West Ham
H
Blackburn
V
Chelsea
A
Everton
V
Stoke
H
Fulham
V
Wigan
H
Wolves
V
Man City
A
Man United
V
Tottenham
D
Aston Villa
V
Birmingham
H
Bolton
V
Liverpool
A
Newcastle
V
Sunderland
D
Blackpool
V
West Brom
A
Wolves v Man City: Wolves are on a bad run at the moment and it is not about to get any better
Glenn Moore (The Independent)
Home Team
Away Team
Arsenal
V
West Ham
H
Blackburn
V
Chelsea
A
Everton
V
Stoke
H
Fulham
V
Wigan
H
Wolves
V
Man City
D
Man United
V
Tottenham
D
Aston Villa
V
Birmingham
D
Bolton
V
Liverpool
D
Newcastle
V
Sunderland
D
Blackpool
V
West Brom
A
Blackburn v Chelsea: Rovers’ home form has not been as strong as usual, while Chelsea have been ominously focused and have a full week to prepare. Away win.
“Sometimes you wonder, do they understand the game of football? We’re 1-0 up, then there are one or two stray passes and they’re getting on players’ backs. It’s just not on. At the end of the day they need to get behind the team. Away from home our fans are fantastic, I’d call them the hardcore fans. But at home they have a few drinks and probably the prawn sandwiches, and they don’t realise what’s going on out on the pitch. I don’t think some of the people who come to Old Trafford can spell ‘football’, never mind understand it.”
This is of course the infamous rant by Roy Keane, following a Champions League tie against Dynamo Kiev in 2000, which kick-started the debate of changing atmospheres in football stadia, and whether they had an effect when it comes to on-field performances. Although he may have been a bit blunt in his criticism of the home support, it has to be said that the Irishman’s comments have some form of validity, with the atmosphere at some Premier League grounds deteriorating over the years.
It would be unfair to say that specific grounds are ‘dead’ come match-day, but there is a distinct difference in atmosphere between the stadia of today and yesteryear. Although this may have a little to do with the conversion to all-seater grounds, following the events of Hillsborough, the vast majority of top-tier venues still possess capacities of approaching 30,000. Such numbers should be able to produce cauldron-like atmospheres, intimidating the opposition and giving the home side a much needed boost.
The mood of crowds at the Emirates and Stamford Bridge have been particularly disappointing this season, with supporters openly voicing their discontent, whilst failing to produce the sort of ambiance that should be present with two of the nations leading clubs. The problems at Arsenal in particular, embody the issues surrounding support in grounds, with ticket prices rising, and subsequently forcing out those who cannot afford to attend. With football’s working class roots, the vast majority of supporters simply cannot justify the outlay on tickets to view their clubs. Prices are rapidly increasing, with seats in the red half of North London reaching around £60, forcing a majority of supporters away from the stadium. I’m not suggesting that those who do attend are not real supporters, but typically the more affluent the crowd the quieter the stadium becomes, and with prices rising only those earning higher amounts can afford the admission, either through match-day tickets or a season-long subscription.
When you consider that fathers, or mothers, will want to take their children with them to the games, then the cost really escalates. Three or four tickets, plus travel and refreshments can, for some, equate to a weeks wage, making the whole experience just too far out of reach, alienating fans and deterring the next generation. When people talk of their first footballing experience, it will often be a grainy picture in the back of the mind of walking toward the turnstiles clutching a relative’s hand, whilst wearing the scarf of your chosen team. If parents, or aunts and uncles, are deterred from taking their offspring on match day, the future generation will have greater difficulty creating a link between themselves and their chosen club.
As a result of pricing, the offers from Sky, along with various illegal internet streaming sites, become far more attractive. Although the atmosphere is never the same, viewing from the luxury of your own living room for the fraction of the cost can be more desirable, especially in the current economical climate.
All of this deters fans from attending games, and eventually erodes the vocal support at a stadium. Tickets at high prices are increasingly snapped up by tourists and fair weather fans, who may just attend a game in a fancy stadium purely to say I’ve been there. They may follow the club, but their vocal support will usually be lesser than somebody who is a life-long fan, brought up focusing on said club.
With the vast levels of income secured by Premier League clubs through Television rights, prize money, sponsorship and other financial inlets, a reduction of ticket prices by a small amount would surely not dent their financial security. A small decrease would allow some fans to justify the investment, building the atmosphere and in turn aiding the on-field performance of the team.
Although it may be forgotten in the boardroom on occasion, the fans are the most important people at the football club. Without a loyal following, teams would not be able to function, so its about time their feelings are put first.
What are your thoughts? Comment or follow @Alex_Hams on Twitter to have your say
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Argentina have their lost their second successive friendly after Poland defeated them 2-1 in Warsaw on Sunday.Just four days after a 4-1 loss at the hands of Nigeria, the South Americans were second-best again as Poland won their fourth friendly in seven matches as they continue to prepare for Euro 2012, which they will host along with Ukraine.
Adrian Mierzejewski scored a 26th minute opener for the hosts but Marco Ruben equalised just two minutes into the second half.
Spurred on by their home crowd, Poland fought hard for a winner – a goal that came with 23 minutes remaining when Trabzonspor forward Pawel Brozek hit the back of the net.
Australia’s next generation of player showcased its credentials with an uninspiring but assured 3-0 win over New Zealand in Adelaide.
Stars Lucas Neill, Tim Cahill, Harry Kewell were all absent Mark Schwarzer were all missing for the Socceroos, but the hosts were still able to notch up a victory thanks to a double from Josh Kennedy and a late penalty from James Troisi.
Kennedy grabbed the opener in the 10th minute, seizing on an error from New Zealand goalkeeper Glenn Moss to score from close range, and doubled his tally just shy of the hour mark when he rose highest to head home a Dario Vidosic corner.
Ben Sigmund brought down Robbie Kruse deep in injury time and Troisi was gifted the chance to open his international account, making no mistake with the spot kick.
Elsewhere, goals from Lucas Barrios and Edgar Benitez gave Paraguay a 2-0 win over Bolivia in Santa Cruz.
Uzbekistan’s horror run since the Asian Cup continued as they went down 1-0 against China.
A goal from Gao Lin in the 65th minute condemned Uzbekistan to their fifth straight loss since being bundled out of Asia’s premier competition in January.
Chelsea defender Alex has pulled out of the Brazil squad for the friendly internationals against Iran and Ukraine because of a thigh problem.
The 28-year-old former PSV Eindhoven star picked up the injury after scoring Chelsea's second goal in Sunday's 2-0 victory against Arsenal. It is estimated that he will be out of action for three weeks.
Meanwhile, Michael Essien believes Manchester City will be Chelsea's main title rivals this season.
Roberto Mancini's side followed up their 1-0 win against Chelsea with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Newcastle United on Sunday as they moved up to second in the Premier League table.
Ghana international Essien said:"There is still a long way to go. The season is very long and we have to keep playing like we did against Arsenal and keep getting points.
"We led for much of last season but last season is gone. We have a new season now and it will be decided at the end.
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"Manchester City are our closest challengers right now. You can see they have made good signings and they will be up for it. We will see what happens. I don't know if they will have the stamina but they have the players to go out and do the job.
"Maybe we have an advantage because we know what it takes to win the League but every season is different. We have to keep going. The rest of the teams are there and will be fighting for it. It is up to us to get as many points as we can."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Tottenham midfielder Scott Parker has stated that his side are not worried about Arsenal cutting the gap on Tottenham to one point in the race for third.
Spurs have lost their last three league games with the Gunners winning their last three, to make it a close battle for Champions League qualification.
However, the England international feels that his side must focus on their own games and not worry about their north London rivals.
“I wouldn’t say we’re worried one bit,” he told Mirror Football.
“We’re focused. We need to win football matches. That’s it.
“We’re in such a good league. Every week you’re looking. There’s Arsenal. There’s Chelsea. Ultimately all we can do is keep performing and keep picking up results.
“We’ve got some good senior players here. William Gallas has been in this position before – he’s won championships.
“We know what we need to do. We need to all pull together and see through the last remaining part of the season.
“The second-half performance against Arsenal was nowhere near our standard. Then against United we got the performance, but we all know this is a results business.
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“Hopefully we can go on a run now. We’ve got some difficult fixtures coming up,” he admitted.