All posts by h79snht.top

The Australia fast bowler has not been able to curve the ball as he once did since returning from a foot injury in September

Daniel Brettig29-Jan-2017

Never has Mitchell Starc been more destructive with the ball than on his only previous visit to Eden Park. In a World Cup pool match, his scorching, swinging yorkers fetched him a career-best 6 for 28 and very nearly allowed Australia to defend a puny total score New Zealand in front of a raucous crowd.Two years on, Starc has returned to Auckland in strong physical shape, but still trying to rediscover the curl through the air he showcased that afternoon. It has been a source of puzzlement to many that he has not swung the ball anywhere near as much since his return from ankle and foot surgery, and Starc conceded he and the assistant coach David Saker were none the wiser as to why – despite plenty of tries at working it out.There was hope, however, that the favourable atmosphere of Eden Park will help Starc to get the movement he is seeking once again. Such a turn of events would be encouraging for Australia as well, with the Test series in India weeks away.”It’s interesting. I along with David Saker, the bowling coach, we’ve looked at a lot of footage and my action hasn’t changed at all,” Starc said. “So it’s probably an indication of the cricket balls we’re using this summer, but at the same time it’s a completely different ball we’re going over to India with, the SG.”I think reverse swing is going to play a much bigger part than natural swing over there, as we’ve seen in the last few series that we’ve gone to India. So it’s key to try and get that ball swinging as much as we can naturally up front, it doesn’t generally swing for too many overs, then trying to get that ball to go reverse while it’s still relatively hard. They’re things we’re starting to talk about now as a group.”Starc was happy to admit that while he has harvested wickets consistently while keeping himself fit through a taxing summer schedule, he has not yet been able to return to the aforementioned peaks of 2015. That meant he has plenty more to aim for over the three ODIs in New Zealand and later in India.”It’s been up and down over the last six months,” he said. “Probably still haven’t been where I hope to be in terms of consistency in my bowling as opposed to where it was 12 months ago before I broke down, but looking back to Sri Lanka [where he took 24 wickets in three Tests], that’s a blueprint I’d like to take into India, the way I approached my bowling there and the sorts of plans we talked about in those conditions.”So it’s something I can call upon over the next couple of months when we look forward to that challenge. But there’s still a lot I can improve on over the last six months. I think the way I’ve been able to manage my body through the training accident a few months ago, it’s been pleasing to get through six Test matches this summer, it’s nice to do that for the first time.”The other thing Starc hoped for was a few more runs to defend in Auckland than the last time around. Tallies of 148 and 151 in Australia’s past two visits mean the batsmen have plenty of improving to do, and Starc said there had been team discussions about not surrendering to the siren song of the Eden Park’s short boundaries.”We’ve spoken about giving ourselves a bit more time,” Starc said. “You have those smaller boundaries in the back of your mind but you’ve always got a lot more time than you think, especially in 50-over cricket where you don’t have to score 300 in the first 40 overs – you can probably make it up at the back end.”So somewhere like here where it’s probably going to swing and maybe nip a little bit, just give yourself a chance to get in, see some balls as batsmen, and give yourselves a chance at the back end. We’ve been pretty good against Pakistan at scoring runs late in the innings and the way to do that is to have wickets in the shed. So it’s probably not been our best two outings with the bat here on the last two occasions, but it’s a chance to rectify that and put a good total on the board to start off the series.”

Celtic were rocked by the departure of manager Ange Postecoglou earlier this month as the 57-year-old coach joined Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

However, they reacted quickly and appointed Brendan Rodgers as his successor, with the Northern Irish tactician returning to Parkhead for a second spell in Scotland.

The 50-year-old boss won seven trophies in less than three years during his first stint in the dugout at Paradise and enjoyed a largely excellent time with Leicester City in England after moving on from the Hoops.

He won the Community Shield and the FA Cup with the Foxes and worked with some terrific players at the King Power; including the likes of Jamie Vardy, James Maddison, Harvey Barnes.

Rodgers could now uncover his next version of the latter at Celtic after the Daily Record recently reported that the club are scouting Gwangju winger Ji-sung Eom.

What is Ji-sung Eom's style of play?

The 21-year-old dynamo has the quality to be a regular goal threat from out wide, without being much of an exceptional creator for others.

During the 2022 campaign, Eom averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.13 – higher than Kyogo Furuhashi and Liel Abada managed for Celtic in 2022/23 – across 28 K League 2 outings and contributed with nine goals and one assists as a left winger – a strike every 3.1 matches on average.

Barnes, meanwhile, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.67 across 34 Premier League games for Leicester and chipped in with 13 goals and one assist for Rodgers, followed by Dean Smith, which works out as a goal every 2.6 clashes on average.

Both players struggled to be regular contributors for their teammates as Barnes (0.6) and Eom (0.7) failed to create at least one chance per match, which would not place either of them in the top ten creators for the Hoops last term.

Meanwhile, Jota was the only Celtic winger with a better strike rate than the South Korean U22 international's return in 2022 as the Portuguese wizard scored once every three Scottish Premiership appearances on average (11 in 33).

Eom, who was once described as "underrated" by scout Ali Can Kutlu, could come in as one of the most dangerous attackers, in terms of the goal threat that the young ace could provide, in the squad next term.

The exciting hotshot, who would arrive with room to grow and develop at the age of 21, could be Rodgers' own version of Barnes by lining up on the left flank as a goalscoring winger to complement the likes of Jota and Kyogo Furuhashi in the final third.

كشف سيد مصطفى وكيل أعمال المهاجم الدولي المصري محمد شريف المحترف في صفوف الخليج السعودي، حقيقة رحيله عن الدوري السعودي وما يتردد عن إمكانية انتقاله إلى الزمالك وبيراميدز.

محمد شريف المتواجد حاليًا مع منتخب مصر في المعسكر الحالي لخوض البطولة الودية الدولية “كأس عاصمة مصر”، كان قد رحل عن صفوف الأهلي وانتقل إلى الخليج السعودي في بداية الموسم الحالي.

طالع.. بالصور | منتخب مصر يؤدي مرانه بمشاركة حمدي فتحي ومحمد شريف استعدادًا للبطولة الودية الدولية

وقال مصطفى خلال تصريحات لبرنامج “الماتش” المذاع على قناة “صدي البلد”: “أنا أتفاجأ بما يتردد عن أنباء رحيل محمد شريف عن فريق الخليج، عقده لمدة سنتين وهو سعيد ويجد أفضل معاملة مع ناديه وهو في وسط لاعبين مميزين، ومندهش من هذه الأخبار، البعض لاحظ في الفترة الأخيرة أن شريف كان احتياطيًا لمدة مباراتين ولكن هذه قرارات المدير الفني ونحترمها”.

وأضاف: “الخليج فريق يعتمد بشكل أكبر على الدفاع ويتطلب منه الجوانب الدفاعية أكثر من التسجيل، من وجهة نظرنا ووجهة نظر المدير الفني أنه يقدم موسم طيب، فخطة المدرب هي سبب تراجع معدله التهديفي”.

وعن إمكانية انتقاله لـ الزمالك أو بيراميدز، أوضح: “قبل رحيله بشهرين من الأهلي للخليج، تم استطلاع الرأي عن طريق بعض الوكلاء المقربين للزمالك، ولكن الأمر كان مرفوضًا تمامًا، وهو خرج للاحتراف لكي يخوض تجربة جديدة، ويحصل على فرصة اللعب أكثر مع منتخب مصر، مع كامل الأحترام والتقدير للزمالك الأمر كان مرفوضًا”.

وأكمل: “شرف كبير جدًا أن يكون محمد شريف من ضمن اختيارات حسام حسن أسطورة مصر، وهو سعيد جدًا بانضمامه للمنتخب”.

Manchester United are expected to make a bid for Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana, but it could be postponed until next week, according to reports from Italy.

Has David de Gea left Man United?

De Gea's contract with Man United expired on 30th June, and Football Insider reports that the 32-year-old is set to walk away from the club as he has little desire to play second fiddle to a new arrival, with Erik ten Hag identifying multiple targets.

Big names such as Diogo Costa and Thibaut Courtois have been linked in the past, while the lesser-known Feyenoord goalkeeper Justin Bijlow has also emerged as an option, with reports indicating he could be brought in alongside Onana.

Fabrizio Romano reports the Red Devils have already held a meeting with the Inter goalkeeper's agent ahead of a potential summer move, though there may be a short delay before an official bid is lodged if the latest update is to be believed.

According to reports from Italy (via Sport Witness), Inter are waiting for Man United to make their official bid for the Cameroon international, but there is a belief that it could be some time before it arrives.

The Serie A club have made it very clear they must receive €60m (£52m) if they are to sell their goalkeeper, but that figure is difficult for United to reach straight away.

Ten Hag has been "promised" that the 27-year-old will be brought in this summer, and there is a willingness to get the deal done.

Are Man United signing Andre Onana?

Man United have recently received a boost in their pursuit of the Cameroonian, as Fabrizio Romano has reported he is "open" to a move to Old Trafford this summer, and he could be a real upgrade on De Gea.

Ten Hag's current goalkeeper has often struggled with the ball at his feet, ranking in just the 30th percentile for average touches per 90 in the past year, while Onana places in the 89th percentile.

In stark contrast to De Gea, the former Ajax man is "remarkable with the ball", and is "equally comfortable using the ball with his right foot or his left foot" according to Eurosport's Alessandro Brunetti.

Hailed as a "superstar" by members of the media, Onana is exactly the sort of modern-day goalkeeper that could help take Man United to the next level, and they should come to the table with an opening offer next week.

International cricket will remain Kagiso Rabada’s first priority even after a lucrative IPL deal, his father Mpho Rabada told ESPNcricinfo

Firdose Moonda20-Feb-20173:33

Rabada, Cummins fill a vacuum in the bowling department – Daredevils CEO

International cricket will remain Kagiso Rabada’s number one priority even after he secured a massive IPL deal, which has made him an overnight millionaire. The 21-year-old fast bowler was picked up for INR 5 crore (USD 750,000 approx) by Delhi Daredevils, an amount of almost ten million Rand, which may change his life financially but will not impact his focus for South Africa, at least not if his father has anything to do with it.”I am happy for him and supportive of him reaching his goals. His future can’t be summed up by bagging an IPL contract but more by longevity in the game at the highest possible level,” Dr Mpho Rabada, Kagiso’s father, told ESPNcricinfo. “His successful inclusion is one of the key significant milestones in his career. I think it will encourage him to raise his game and more importantly apply the skills in the national team. The national team is the pride and dream of KG [Rabada], thus remaining very important.”Rabada has already proved he is willing to put the national team first, after he opted not to enter the IPL auction last year and chose a county stint with Kent instead. “He came and spoke to me and Gordon Parsons (Lions’ bowling coach) and we decided that the main thing he needed to focus on was improving his skills,” Geoffrey Toyana, Rabada’s coach at the Lions franchise said about the bowler’s county stint last year. “And he knew it would be good preparation for the England tour that’s coming up.”South Africa play four Tests against England in July, after the Champions Trophy, and Rabada saw last year as the ideal time to get experience in those conditions. He knew that aiming to play county cricket in England this year, immediately before the series, would probably not be possible because of a narrow time-frame. Despite interest from the IPL, Rabada decided he needed to put personal development first, certain the chance for an IPL deal would come in the near future. “He felt that he was not ready last year and we were supportive of the decision after deliberations but now it has finally happened,” Rabada’s father said.Rabada’s first IPL will follow immediately after South Africa’s current tour to New Zealand, which concludes with three Tests in March, and will be cut short by preparations for the Champions Trophy. CSA is understood to be calling its players back on May 7. That means Rabada will have gone straight from a tour of Australia to a home series against Sri Lanka, to a visit to New Zealand, to the IPL and to England with precious little time off before beginning another summer. Rabada is only 21 and there will be fears of burnout, but Toyana believes he is strong.”KG is an athlete. He has a good, clean bowling action and so far, touch wood, he has not had any injuries,” Toyana said. “It will always be important for him to watch where he plays and how much he plays but I am not too worried about him. He knows himself and his body and he will know if it’s becoming too much.”As for the money, no one is quite sure what Rabada will do with it yet. His love of fashion, music and a newly acquired driver’s license may lead to speculation that the bowler could use at least some of it to spoil himself but Toyana has his doubts. “He is smart kid, so I’ll say he will probably look at making some investments,” he said. “I don’t think he will spend it on anything silly and he has his dad as a mentor.”

South Africa cruised to an eight-wicket win within three days after Keshav Maharaj produced figures of 6 for 40 to bowl New Zealand out for 171 in Wellington

The Report by Andrew McGlashan18-Mar-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:44

Moonda: Maharaj the ingredient SA looking for

South Africa were spun to a three-day victory by Keshav Maharaj’s career-best 6 for 40, the second-best figures for a spinner at the Basin Reserve, a ground not famed for the role of the slower bowlers, as New Zealand collapsed after tea for 171. That left South Africa with a simple target of 81, which was knocked off in the extra half hour. New Zealand’s top order again struggled, slipping to 90 for 5, then the last five wickets were whisked away for 16 runs in 36 deliveries.Once South Africa built a first-innings advantage of 91, it was always going to be difficult for New Zealand to take anything from the match – they had only twice overhauled bigger deficits – but the manner of their demise was out of character for a side that prides itself on resilience. While losing the top three to Morne Morkel’s pace and bounce was understandable, to let the opposition left-arm spinner take six – with many handed to him on a plate – marks this down as one of New Zealand’s poorest batting performances in recent times, even with the qualifier of Ross Taylor’s absence.Morkel claimed two in his opening spell, including Kane Williamson for his second failure of the match, before Maharaj started to make his mark. During a 14-over stint in the afternoon, he removed Henry Nicholls and James Neesham in the space of five deliveries with New Zealand still a run behind.Jeet Raval, who made a gusty career-best 80, stopped the bleeding alongside Wellington recovery specialist BJ Watling until tea but there was to be no miracle this time. Raval had been given three lives when he was finally stumped by Quinton de Kock – who a short while earlier missed a similar chance – which sparked the cave-in of the lower order. While some of New Zealand’s batting was soft, Maharaj’s bowling was beautifully controlled – as his economy rate under two would attest – and he was able to feed off the pressure created by the quicks.Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada, even though they claimed just one wicket between them, provided a clinical examination of the batsmen’s techniques: Philander with seam movement and Rabada with pace – he particularly roughed up Raval, pounding him on the gloves, in a passage of play the opener gained much kudos for surviving.Jeet Raval battled through the majority of the day with a career-best 80•Getty Images

After the brief skirmishes at the start of the day, when Morkel equalled his highest Test score, the contest went up a level as South Africa’s quicks armed themselves with the new ball. Morkel immediately caused discomfort and Tom Latham’s torment did not last long, when he sparred at a length ball and offered a simple catch to gully.It meant Williamson was again exposed with the ball still very new and his stay was brief when Morkel made one straighten from off stump to graze the outside edge. Kumar Dharmasena did not detect the very thin nick, but this time du Plessis’ call for DRS – which was almost instant – was spot on and they had kept Williamson to a return of just three runs in the Test.Broom did not have to stew too long on the prospect of a debut pair when he tapped the ball into point for a single. He was then given a thorough working over by an exemplary spell from Philander who probed and beat his outside edge with waspish movement. A couple of deliveries were like 130kph legbreaks and survival was the only option. That he achieved, but he couldn’t carry on far beyond the interval. In Morkel’s first over after the break, he edged behind where, in a replay of the first innings, de Kock took a flying catch in front of first slip. This time, though, the catch would have reached Hashim Amla, and it took a few moments for team-mates to realise de Kock had grasped it.Then followed a crazy over of batting against Maharaj – it would not be the first – who had already been donated a few wickets in this series. Firstly Nicholls, who needed treatment for a blow on the hand, under-edged a sweep against a wide delivery into his stumps and then five balls later, Neesham came down the pitch, flicked in the air and the ball was plucked out at midwicket by du Plessis’ latest blinding catch.For close to two hours, Raval and Watling warmed the hearts of the Wellington crowd on a cold day, but there was always the knowledge South Africa had wicket-taking options at hand. Just that Maharaj would not have been top of the list at the start of the series. He tossed a delivery wide to Raval, drew him out of the crease, and this time de Kock – who yesterday spoke about the battering his hands had taken on the tour – completed a swift piece of work.In his next over, Maharaj produced a delivery he’ll want to frame for the rest of his career, the ball pitching on middle and spinning past Colin de Grandhomme’s outside edge to hit off stump. The rest was inevitable: Tim Southee slogged to long-off, Jeetan Patel fell to a Kagiso Rabada short ball and the helpless Watling heaved into the deep.South Africa’s chase was without much difficulty although Stephen Cook completed two lean Tests when he edged to the slips. Dean Elgar top-edged a swipe against Neil Wagner moments before the extra half hour was taken, leaving Amla and JP Duminy to complete the formalities. This outcome will leave New Zealand in a quandary. They did not want green seamers for this series, for fear of aiding South Africa’s quicks, but the prospect of a turner in Hamilton could play into the hands of a man having the time of his life.

ذكرت تقارير صحفية أن نادي ميلان الإيطالي توصل إلى اتفاق مع ريال مدريد، للتعاقد مع أحد لاعبيه.

وتشير شبكة “سكاي سبورت إيطاليا”، إلى أن ميلان حسم اتفاقه مع ريال مدريد لإبرام التعاقد مقابل أقل من 5 ملايين يورو.

وفقًا للتقرير، أليكس خيمينيز الظهير الأيسر الذي سيبلغ من العمر 19 عامًا في مايو، سينتقل من ريال مدريد إلى ميلان.

أليكس خيمينيز يلعب بالفعل في فريق الشباب مع ميلان، كما شارك في خمس مباريات مع الفريق الأول بين الدوري الإيطالي وكأس إيطاليا.

وانضم اللاعب الشاب إلى ميلان على سبيل الإعارة من ريال مدريد، مع خيار الشراء مقابل 5 ملايين يورو، لكن يوضح التقرير أن النادي الإيطالي قرر عدم الانتظار حتى نهاية الموسم.

وتمكن ميلان من التفاوض على صفقة شراء من ريال مدريد مقابل رسوم تقل قليلاً عن 5 ملايين يورو.

أكد التقرير أيضًا أن ريال مدريد سيحتفظ بشرط إعادة الشراء، لكنه سيحدد قيمة أعلى مما تم الاتفاق عليه مسبقًا، وتمتد صلاحية البند حتى يونيو 2026 ويمكن أن يتم التفاوض على تمديده.

Sunderland's hopes of bringing back Ellis Simms from Everton are fast fading as Championship rivals Coventry City close in on a deal for the striker.

How many goals has Ellis Simms scored?

Simms starred on loan with Sunderland in the first half of the 2022-23 Championship campaign with seven goals and two assists in 17 appearances.

That form earned the 22-year-old a recall to parent club Everton at the start of January, but he was restricted to just two Premier League starts – albeit one of those coming in February's Merseyside derby at Anfield, which the Toffees lost 2-0.

The high point for Simms undoubtedly came in March when scoring a late equaliser for Everton in a 2-2 draw away at Chelsea, with that likely to be his one and only goal for the club.

Sunderland understandably held an interest in signing Simms on a permanent basis once it became clear Everton were willing to sell, while Ipswich Town also placed a £4m bid, but The Athletic reports that Coventry are close to completing a deal worth between £6-8m.

Who are Sunderland signing?

The Black Cats have already brought in a new striker ahead of the new season, with Luis 'Hemir' Semedo arriving from Benfica. However, the 19-year-old has no senior experience, let alone experience of English football, so Tony Mowbray could do with signing at least one more forward.

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds United's Sonny Perkins is being eyed up by Sunderland, as well as Blackburn Rovers, with the Whites greenlighting his loan exit for the 2023/24 campaign.

Perkins featured three times for Leeds in cup competitions last season, each coming under former boss Jesse Marsch, and scored his first senior goal in an FA Cup third-round tie against Cardiff City – rescuing his side from a shock exit with a late goal in a 2-2 draw in South Wales.

The 19-year-old earned his first-team chance after scoring 11 goals across 18 Premier League 2 appearances, while also making an impact in the EFL Trophy with one goal in three games.

Perkins previously featured in a Premier League game for West Ham United, too, meaning the future is clearly bright for the 19-year-old, who was described as "dangerous" by U21 manager Michael Skubala last season.

To put Perkins' PL2 figures into some perspective, he averaged 0.85 goals and assists combined per 90 minutes last season, which compares to 0.67 for Simms in his most recent full season at that level in 2020-21, as per FBref.

Simms was directly involved in 0.72 goals per 90 minutes last season, a figure bettered only by Ross Stewart (1.12) among Sunderland players. The Black Cats undoubtedly need to find someone who can make just as big an impact, then, and Perkins – on £1.6k per week at Leeds, according to Salary Sport – may just be that man.

Much in the same way that not a great deal was expected from Simms when he rocked up on Wearside 12 months ago, Sunderland will be hoping for a similar masterstroke if the Perkins rumours are indeed true.

Ben Sanderson led Northamptonshire to a mighty win over Glamorgan inside two days at Wantage Road with four second-innings wickets in an innings-and-22-run victory

ECB Reporters Network08-Apr-2017
ScorecardBen Sanderson led Northamptonshire to a mighty win over Glamorgan inside two days at Wantage Road with four second-innings wickets in an innings-and-22-run victory that began their 2017 season in the perfect fashion.Northants took a 209-run first-innings lead in the morning session and wrapped up victory after tea, dismissing Glamorgan for 187 in their second innings. Northants took until August to win a County Championship match last season but got off the mark at the first attempt here and won the opening game of the season for the first time since 1995.”We talked about starting well and you can’t ask for more than that and to win in two days is a great feeling,” Alex Wakely, Northants captain, said.”It was a good toss to lose – we just assumed we would be batting – but the first hour did the damage for us. The bowling all the way through was the most pleasing thing because we bowled in partnerships, there was pressure from both ends all the time. Even when we weren’t taking wickets in the second innings, we managed to contain the scoring rate and when we did pick up wickets the scoreboard had gone nowhere.”Sanderson did the principle damage with two wickets in his opening spell but it was his probing effort after lunch when conditions eased but he gave nothing away that was most impressive. Rory Kleinveldt again played his part with three wickets to finish with six in the match and Nathan Buck rounded off a winning debut with the final wicket 11 overs from the close.Glamorgan slid against the new ball in 45 minutes before lunch. Jacques Rudolph, after a confident start getting to 21, attempted to pull Sanderson and edged to wicketkeeper Adam Rossington. Nick Selman defended Kleinveldt from the crease and played into his stumps and Sanderson had David Lloyd held low at first slip by Ben Duckett to complete a pair.Reeling at 32 for 3, Glamorgan lost a fourth wicket six overs into the afternoon as Sanderson brought a delivery back into the right-handed Anuerin Donald, trapping him lbw for 15.A partnership was desperately required to try and avoid humiliation and Colin Ingram and Chris Cooke settled to share fifty for the fifth wicket. But Cooke’s patience against the probing Sanderson ended as he looked to pull a rare short ball but only found Steven Crook at midwicket. It was reward for Sanderson’s persistence, his 19 overs yielding only 31 runs.Ingram was patient and drove well when the opportunity arose but in the final over before tea he was deceived by a flighted delivery from left-arm spinner Graeme White that turned from the footholds and was bowled for 47. Craig Meschede handed White a second wicket when he swung wildly and lost his middle stump.Kleinveldt returned to have Harry Podmore caught behind and Kieran Carlson caught hooking at long leg before Marchant de Lange slapped Buck to mid-on to end the match.”Obviously we’re disappointed,” Rudolph said. “The effort we put in before this game is not a fair reflection on our performance. There were two or three moments that could have changed the game – we had them 27 for 3 and then missed two chances and then when Rory came into bat we missed an early chance too.”But I think we have to be honest today and say it wasn’t a 190 all-out wicket, it was a decent batting wicket today.”Northants’ set up their day by extending their first-innings lead to 209 in 16.1 overs in the morning. Kleinveldt failed to fire again after his 23-ball fifty on the first evening, adding 15 more to his overnight score before mistiming a drive to extra-cover. He walked off for 86 and the wait for a maiden first-class century for Northants continues.Crook fell seventh ball of the morning, lbw to Lukas Carey and White was held at second slip by Selman to hand de Lange a second wicket of the innings. The same bowler was driven for four by Sanderson to bring up a third batting bonus point and ensure it was a 22-point haul to begin the season for Northamptonshire.

Tottenham's players have "really enjoyed" their first week of training under new boss Ange Postecoglou, according to Sky Sports' Michael Bridge.

When did Tottenham players return?

It's all change at Hotspur Way training ground this summer, the most drastic of which being a new manager to help guide the players through this year's pre-season.

That manager is Postecoglou who made the move to north London following a successful trophy-laden period at Celtic in Scotland, and now the Australian has the difficult task of transforming a Spurs team who floundered last season.

He will have to get to work on the training ground as quickly as possible if he is going to shape this Tottenham team into a competitive one next season and he has already had a first glance at some of those he'll be working with.

July 1 was the players' first official day back at Hotspur Way, or at least those who were not extended a longer break due to international commitments.

Those who were on international duty will return between July 9 and July 12, and they will be evidently hearing positive words from their teammates about Postecoglou.

According to journalist Bridge, the Spurs players in training over the last week or so have "really enjoyed" their time under the new coach, creating a more harmonious atmosphere around the club than there has been previously.

Bridge told Sky Sports (via Football Daily): "So, Spurs returned to training not last Saturday but the Saturday before and the majority of players were players not on international duty, and a lot of the players returning from loan spells like Sergio Reguilon, Tanguy Ndombele, Djed Spence and a number of players maybe on the fringes of the first-team squad.

He added: "What I'm hearing out of the squad is they really enjoyed their first week under Postecoglou and the new refreshed coaching staff as well. So, it's been a good week for the players but of course it's still very, very early days.

"Postecoglou will be keeping a close eye on the players, but it is a big squad, Alex, and with no European football this season, he will have to trim that squad. A number of players will be moved on, but it's sort of starting again, a bit of a trial here as well.

"People keep telling me about Tanguy Ndombele, what about his future? Well, he's just won Serie A with Napoli. You know, is he a player that can be rejuvenated under Postecoglou?

"But what's key as well is that next week Spurs will fly out to Australia to face West Ham United. I think we'll get a better indication there who has got a future and who hasn't because I don't expect the whole squad to travel out, and I expect maybe a few to stay at Hotspur Way and in north London for the players there to maybe negotiate deals with other clubs."

Postecoglou has started well in earning the players' trust during pre-season and the manager will be able to evaluate his squad more completely when the rest of his players return.

After assessing his options, the former Celtic coach will have to make some quick decisions on the futures of some of his players, with a number of them expected to be moved on this summer.

Who are Tottenham signing?

While there is going to be a large proportion of outgoings this window, Spurs will still be eager to add to their squad in the remaining weeks of the summer too.

Having already signed James Maddison and Guglielmo Vicario from Leicester and Empoli respectively, as well as permanently bringing Dejan Kulusevski and Pedro Porro on board, Spurs have made a brilliant start to the window and are setting themselves up well to right the wrongs of last season.

Manor Solomon is expected to be announced as a Tottenham player imminently off the back of a free transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk and is another clever and cost-effective piece of business from the Lilywhites.

However, their next priority simply must be a centre-back, an area of the pitch which needs significant strengthening. Edmond Tapsoba and Micky van de Ven have been linked, with the former supposedly the club's number one target.