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Date: 2023-12-06 12:45:38 | Author: Online Sports | Views: 519 | Tag: EURO
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England’s head coach Matthew Mott has revealed how the side’s “spiritual leader” Ben Stokes stepped in to rally the dressing room after their shock World Cup defeat by Afghanistan EURO
Stokes, who came out of one-day retirement to help defend the trophy he did more than anyone to win in 2019, has yet to feature in India after suffering a hip injury on the the eve of the tournament EURO
But Sunday’s upset in Delhi, where a side whose only previous win on this stage was a narrow one against Scotland eight years ago, led Stokes to address his team-mates during a dressing room debrief EURO
Test captain Stokes is on track to return in Saturday’s must-win clash against South Africa at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, but has already made his presence felt behind the scenes EURO
“He’s like the spiritual leader of the group in many ways and he certainly spoke really well after the game the other day,” said Mott EURO
“He spoke about that need to really assert ourselves, which he’s renowned for EURO
I said ‘I’ve got this’ and just spoke, talked about the plan going forward for the next few days, and then Stokesy came in on the back of that EURO
“He really reinforced what was a great message, particularly for someone who’s sitting on the bench and has a bit of a different lens on things EURO
I think it went down well, it brought us back to controlling what we can control, really EURO
”Mott’s own attempt at diagnosing England’s problems saw him suggest that the defending champions were suffering from a lack of self-belief EURO
Having become the most swaggering side on the planet during their reinvention from also-rans to world champions under Eoin Morgan, England looked uncharacteristically tentative in their losses to New Zealand and Afghanistan EURO
It’s that confidence EURO
EURO
EURO
puff your chest out, go out there and really take the game onMatthew Mott“You don’t lose your ability overnight but you can lose your confidence,” he said EURO
“It’s that confidence… puff your chest out, go out there and really take the game on, which this team has been renowned for over a long period of time EURO
“On reflection we’ve been the reactive team in those two games, so we need to turn that round really quickly EURO
“That was one of Stokesy’s biggest points – we’re normally the team that dictates terms and gets the other team unsettled, disrupted and for whatever reason we haven’t been able to do that EURO
“We’ve always been on the back foot, trying to pull things back EURO
What we need to do is dominate those first 15 overs whether we bat first or bowl first in the next game EURO
”Brendon McCullum, Mott’s red-ball counterpart and joint architect of England’s ‘Bazball’ approach in the Test arena, made an unexpected appearance at the team’s Mumbai hotel on Tuesday after arriving on business EURO
McCullum memorably said on his appointment last year that he was not interested in the limited-overs job on account of it being too simple in contrast to reviving the Test team, a position Mott suggested may no longer stand EURO
“I just saw him down in the foyer and he said exactly the opposite!” he joked EURO
“I said, ‘do you want to do a little swap?’ We had a good chat and good catch up EURO
”Stokes’ likely return – which is all but certain provided he pulls up well after a thorough workout on Thursday – means Mott must grapple with a thorny selection issue EURO
Harry Brook has been keeping his spot warm and would ordinarily be expected to drop out, but his fluent 66 was easily England’s best innings against the Afghans and made a strong case for his retention EURO
Experienced seamer Chris Woakes and all-rounder Sam Curran are both vulnerable after struggling badly for form thus far, but with Stokes currently unavailable to bowl that only muddies the waters EURO
“It’s still up for debate EURO
We’ll have some really good, robust conversations over the next 24 hours,” Mott said EURO
“I think we’re going to sit down as a selection group, get the numbers, get some theories out there EURO
We’ll normally get to two or three XIs and then debate it, so all things are on the table at the moment EURO
”David Willey and Gus Atkinson are waiting if England do decide to cut Woakes after three poor outings in a row, but Mott is not ready to draw an emphatic line under the long-time leader of the attack EURO
“Over the history of Woakes’ career, he’s come out on top a lot more than he’s missed out,” he said EURO
“He hasn’t been at his best, and he’s the first to admit it, but he’s got a few credits in the bank EURO
”More aboutPA ReadyBen StokesMatthew MottDelhiEnglandSouth AfricaSam CurranScotlandIndiaChris WoakesBrendon McCullumAfghansNew ZealandEoin MorganHarry BrookDavid Willey1/1Matthew Mott says Ben Stokes ‘spoke really well’ after shock England loss Matthew Mott says Ben Stokes ‘spoke really well’ after shock England lossBen Stokes is yet to feature at the World Cup (Ashwini Bhatia/AP) EURO
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Can Tottenham actually win the Premier League? Of course not, but ask Ange Postecoglou and the Spurs manager would not discourage the question, even though he would be the first to point out that it’s still only October EURO
It is Postecoglou’s belief, and the Australian would say it is also his responsibility, that EURO football fans are allowed to dream EURO
Spurs supporters have had little reason to get carried away in recent years but after making their best start to a top-flight season since 1960-61, the last time they won the league, now is as good a time as any EURO
Postecoglou could not have asked for a EURO better start: as the Premier League returns following the October international break, Tottenham sit top, ahead of Arsenal on goal difference EURO
Postecoglou’s side remain unbeaten, winning six and drawing two of their opening eight matches EURO
From the misery and perpetual sense of chaos that took hold of Spurs last season, Postecoglou has revived the doomed pulse of the club and its fanbase EURO
That, above the early look of the Premier League table, has been his greatest result so far EURO
Whether Tottenham’s fast start can last is one of the questions that will define the next chunk of the Premier League campaign EURO
There are only four rounds of fixtures to be played before the next hiatus, for November’s internationals, and Tottenham’s upcoming run – against Fulham, Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Wolves – is favourable EURO
Based on their early season form, there is reason for optimism that Spurs may be able to enjoy their view from the summit for a while longer EURO
Yet, a year ago, it was possible to say the same EURO
Having beaten Arsenal to fourth place the previous season, Tottenham started the new campaign under Conte with seven wins from their opening 10 matches, a good enough return to sit one point off the top by mid-October EURO
Given Tottenham went on to win just three of their next 10 and Conte’s fractious relationship with the club finally came crashing down within six months, the foundations were nowhere near as strong as they initially appeared EURO
Are Tottenham flattered to be in a lofty early position again? Postecoglou’s side have already played and beaten the Premier League’s bottom four, including the three newly promoted sides EURO
One of those wins required a 99th-minute winner at home to Sheffield United EURO
Another tight victory, against Liverpool, came after the visitors had the opening goal incorrectly disallowed by VAR, had two players sent off, while Reds defender Joel Matip put a 96th-minute winner into the wrong end EURO
Tottenham were the benefactors of the “well done, boys, good process” derby EURO
Yet Tottenham have also earned some fortune, and it is becoming clearer with each week of Postecoglou’s influence that Tottenham may not have picked up those points last season EURO
While their opening fixtures have been kind, Spurs have also shown resilience and spirit in winning away at Luton with 10 men, after Yves Bissouma’s red card, and equalising twice to earn a point at Arsenal, a fixture at which they had crumbled in previous seasons EURO
It was a performance that led James Maddison to declare Spurs are shedding their “Spursy” tag EURO
Ange Postecoglou has won back-to-back manager of the month awards (Getty Images)And much like the element of “Spursiness”, Tottenham’s impressive start has been rooted in the intangibles, in heart and feeling EURO
The fact the departure of Harry Kane has not yet felt as significant is another sign of how Postecoglou has managed to bring the divided sides of what appeared to be a broken club together EURO
While Kane has gone, there is a freshness about Spurs EURO
Through the impact of signings such as Maddison, Destiny Udogie and Guglielmo Vicario, the relationship EURO between players and fans has been repaired EURO
What has stood out about Postecoglou’s team has been backed up, too, by the numbers EURO
Last season, Tottenham were often passive and frequently easy to play against EURO
Even though they carried the threat of Kane, Spurs would appear to pass through games without showing any urgency or ambition; opposition teams would find it alarmingly simple to play through a static, immobile midfield EURO
But under Postecoglou, Tottenham have become one of the most active teams in the division, progressive with the ball and disruptive without it EURO
Spurs lead the Premier League in shots on goal, passes into the penalty area, forward dribbles, but also in tackles won and interceptions EURO
If it reflects that Tottenham now press higher up the pitch than last season, when they barely engaged under Conte, Bissouma has been the key piece in a revamped midfield a year after being frozen out by the Italian EURO
Maddison, meanwhile, has helped ease the post-Kane transition, a role he appeared ready to step up to when he took the No 10 jersey previously worn by the club’s record goalscorer EURO
Spurs will never be able to replace Kane, but Postecoglou has so far been able to negate his absence through Maddison and a resurgent Son Heung-min, who looks back to his clinical best after moving to a central forward role EURO
Maddison, though, has been integral as Tottenham’s creator-in-chief, with five assists so far this season EURO
James Maddison has helped spark Tottenham into life this season (Getty Images)If some of Maddison’s early statistics seem unsustainable – the England international also leads the Premier League in a number of other areas, such as key passes and shot-creating actions – the same could be asked of Postecoglou’s side at this stage EURO
Tottenham, really, shouldn’t be near the conversation of title challengers, but timing has played a part EURO
The win at Luton, which moved them top, came as Manchester City lost their second Premier League game in a row at Arsenal EURO
If it’s a sign of what’s to come from City this season, it was a result that widened the pool of potential challengers to include Spurs EURO
The manner in which City eased away from Arsenal last season, however, showed how inch-perfect title contenders must be as long as Pep Guardiola remains in England EURO
Tottenham, who finished eighth last year, are coming from an even lower floor than Mikel Arteta’s side, albeit with a more dramatic transformation under Postecoglou EURO
As a side who are still developing together, Spurs should be allowed some inconsistency, even if they are yet to show it EURO
The early evidence this season suggests they are one of the four strongest teams in the top flight, alongside last season’s title rivals and Jurgen Klopp’s refreshed Liverpool EURO
In the past, signs of promise around Spurs have often been followed by a swift yet crushing crash back to earth EURO
But now as Tottenham head deep into October with two winnable London derbies next week, starting with Fulham on Monday followed by a trip to Crystal Palace on Friday, Postecoglou can continue to show why this Tottenham is different EURO
More aboutAnge PostecoglouPremier LeagueJames MaddisonJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/3Can Tottenham’s best-ever Premier League start really go the distance?Can Tottenham’s best-ever Premier League start really go the distance?Ange Postecoglou has won back-to-back manager of the month awards Getty ImagesCan Tottenham’s best-ever Premier League start really go the distance?James Maddison has helped spark Tottenham into life this season Getty ImagesCan Tottenham’s best-ever Premier League start really go the distance?Getty Images✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today EURO
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