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The Three Lions boss is making a rod for his own back with a contradictory selection policy that is shafting on-form players

England have already qualified for Euro 2024. All the Three Lions need to do in facile fixtures against Malta and North Macedonia is ensure that they will be one of the top seeds in next month's finals draw in Germany.

Fair to say, then, that this could have been a relatively boring international break for England fans – had Gareth Southgate not once again inexplicably overlooked Raheem Sterling, with Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Jarrod Bowen the chosen widemen.

The absence of the Chelsea winger from a fifth consecutive squad hasn't just caused controversy; it's provoked all sorts of speculation surrounding Sterling and Southgate.

Getty'Something has definitely happened'

Both Alan Shearer and Michah Richards are convinced that "something has definitely happened" behind the scenes that we don't yet know about, while Rio Ferdinand has even issued a public plea to "free Raheem Sterling!"

"I don't know what he's done, whose nose he's put out of joint," the former Manchester United defender said on the podcast. "Was it him coming back from the tournament or something like that?"

Ferdinand was obviously alluding to the fact that Sterling briefly returned to England during last year's World Cup because of a burglary at his family home – and that kind of conjecture does a great disservice to Southgate, who was very supporting of the attacker at the time. However, while such talk is unhelpful, and potentially harmful, it's also inevitable in the circumstances, given Southgate's Sterling snub makes zero sense.

AdvertisementGettyOut of favour

There's absolutely no denying that Sterling made a somewhat subdued start to his Chelsea career, after his high-profile move from Manchester City in the summer of 2022, but he still travelled to Qatar as a trusted member of Southgate's line-up, only to lose his starting spot by the time England were eliminated in the quarter-finals.

Injury ruled him out of the start of the start of the qualification campaign for the Euros, in March, but it was nonetheless a surprise to see him overlooked for the June clashes with Malta and North Macedonia.

Sterling may have endured a difficult debut season at Stamford Bridge, but Southgate has become renowned for picking players performing poorly at club level simply because they have served him well in the past.

GettyOne rule for one…

Harry Maguire continued to be called up even while spending most of his time on the bench at Old Trafford, Jordan Henderson is still in the squad even though he's now struggling in Saudi Arabia, while it's a complete farce that Kalvin Phillips has held onto his place given he's barely got a run-out for Manchester City in the past two years.

Phillips undeniably played a key role in England's run to the final of Euro 2020 – but why hasn't Sterling benefited from the same level of loyalty given he was arguably his country's best player at the tournament?

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GettyDon't change a winning team?

Southgate has argued that the "landscape" has changed; that the competition for places, particularly in attack, is now fiercer than ever before. However, when asked to explain why Sterling had been omitted from the England squad for the October internationals, he pointed out that the likes of Ollie Watkins and Jarrod Bowen were "both in a hot streak of form". "That's the thinking," the manager explained.

But this time around, he effectively admitted that he was reluctant to change a winning team. "I can only repeat what I've said in the last few squad selection meetings," he said. "The team is playing really well. It's as simple as that, really.

"[Raheem] wasn't available in March or June and the team started on a good run. We won in Italy for the first time in 60 years, while the two performances in June were excellent, so we stuck with that group."

Pep Guardiola has provided an update on Kevin De Bruyne's return date as the Belgian star continues his recovery from hamstring surgery.

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Guardiola provides update on De Bruyne's returnSuffered a hamstring injury against Burnley'Happy new year' for Man City fansWHAT HAPPENED?

De Bruyne has remained out of action since mid-August after he was forced off in the 23rd minute of the club's Premier League season opener against Burnley. Now City boss Guardiola has provided an optimistic update on the Belgian's return date as he hinted that City fans should enjoy the festive period.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT PEP GUARDIOLA SAID

Speaking to reporters ahead of the club's Champions League fixture against RB Leipzig, Guardiola said: "I’d love to have him (De Bruyne) all season but he has had surgery and has to recover well. The end of December or [in the] new year will be a Happy New Year for everyone!"

The manager also provided updates on some of the other injury City stars including John Stones as he added: "We have training now but we’ll see this afternoon… I'm not optimistic about good news for some people to come back… John Stones is getting better… Not to play but maybe a few minutes for the next one."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The reigning Premier League champions have had several injury concerns in recent times. During their clash against Liverpool on Saturday, the 52-old-manager suggested that he could barely name a starting line-up as a number of players from his squad were suffering from a vomiting bug.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

Having already qualified for the Champions League knockout stages after collecting 12 points from four matches, Guardiola is expected to introduce some fresh faces as the Sky Blues face RB Leipzig on Tuesday.

GOAL rounds up all of the completed Bundesliga transfers for the 2023-24 season

Football transfer windows are exciting periods during the sporting calendar every year, with fans drooling at the prospect of a new signing arriving at their club and making an impact. The summer transfer window is an opportunity for clubs to restart and build something new or add to their winning juggernaut.

The Bundesliga is a hotbed of talent and each season witnesses plenty of transfers, with high-potential youngsters arriving and seasoned pros heading off the new pastures.

Reigning champions Bayern Munich are expected to strengthen their side with quality additions while the likes of Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig have players with star quality attract interest from everywhere.

GOAL rounds up all of the completed Bundesliga transfers this season so far.

Last updated:

Transfer INs and OUTs for all Bundesliga clubs

Club

2022-23 position

Bayern Munich

1st

Borussia Dortmund

2nd

RB Leipzig

3rd

Freiburg

4th

Union Berlin

5th

Wolfsburg

6th

Bayer Leverkusen

7th

Mainz 05

8th

Eintracht Frankfurt

9th

Borussia Monchengladbach

10th

Koln

11th

Werder Bremen

12th

Hoffenheim

13th

VFL Bochum

14th

Augsburg

15th

Stuttgart

16th

Darmstadt 98

2. Bundesliga winner

Heidenheim

2. Bundesliga runner-up

AdvertisementGhana Sports OnlineAugsburg transfersNew signings

Player

Nationality

Previous club

Fee

Mergim BerishaGermanyFenerbahce€4.00mTim BreithauptGermanyKarlsruhr€2.50mPhillip TietzGermanyDarmstadt 98€2.20mMasaya OkugawaJapanArm. BielefeldFree transferSven MichelGermanyUnion Berlin€950k

Finn Dahmen

Germany

Mainz 05

Free

Patrick Pfeiffer

Germany

SV Darmstadt 98

Free

Frederik Winther DenmarkBrondbyEnd of loanTim CivejaAlbania/GermanyIngolstandtEnd of loanRaphael FrambergerGermanySandhausenEnd of loanMaurice MaloneGermany/USAWolfsbergerEnd of loanHenri KoudossouGermanyLustenauEnd of loanRicardo PepiUSA/MexicoGroningenEnd of loanFelix GotzeGermanyEssenEnd of loanLasse GuntherGermanyRegensburgEnd of loanJozo StanicCroatia/GermanyVarazdinEnd of loanDepartures

Player

Nationality

New club

Fee

Daniel Caliguiri

Germany

Without club

End of contract

Ricardo PepiMexico/USAPSV Eindhoven€11.00m

Rafal Giekewicz

Poland

Without club

End of contract

Tobias Strobl

Germany

Retired

–

Felix GotzeGermanyRW Essen €100kKelvin YeboahItaly/GhanaGenoaEnd of loanBenjamin LeneisGermanyFSV ZwickauFree transferTim CivejaAlbania/ Germany SaarbruckenUndisclosedLasse GuntherGermanyWehen WiesbadenLoan transferHenri KoudossouGermanyADO Den HaagLoan transferDaniel KleinGermanySV SandhuesenLoan transferAndre HahnGermanyWithout Club-Julian BaumgartlingerAustriaWithout club RetiredMergim BerishaGermanyFenerbahceEnd of loanGetty ImagesBayer Leverkusen transfersNew signings

Player

Nationality

Previous club

Fee

Granit Xhaka

Switzerland

Arsenal

€25.00m

Arthur

Brazil

America Mineiro

€7.00m

Alex Grimaldo

Spain

Benfica

Free

Gustavo Puerta

Colombia

Nuremberg

End of loan

Sadik FofanaGermany/TogoNurembergEnd of loanVictor BonifaceNigeriaUnion SG€20.00mJonas HofmannGermanyBorussia Monchengladbach€10.00mPaulinhoBrazilAtletico MGEnd of loanLennart GrillGermanyUnion BerlinEnd of loanDepartures

Player

Nationality

New club

Fee

Moussa Diaby France/ MaliAston Villa€55.00mMitchel BakkerNetherlandsAtalanta BC€10.00m

Daley Sinkgraven

Netherlands

Without club

End of contract

Sadik FofanaGermany/ TogoNurembergLoan transfer

Karim Bellarabi

Germany

Without club

End of contract

Ayman Azhil

Germany

Without club

End of contract

Andrey Lunev

Russia

Without club

End of contract

Paulinho

Brazil

Atletico Mineiro

Free

Lennart Grill

Germany

Union Berlin

Undisclosed

Callum Hudson-Odoi

England

Chelsea

End of loan

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Bayern Munich transfersNew signings

Player

Nationality

Previous club

Fee

Min-jae Kim

South Korea

Napoli

€50.00m

Konrad Laimer

Austria

RB Leipzig

Free

Alexander Nubel

Germany

Monaco

End of loan

Malik Tilman

USA

Rangers

End of loan

Gabriel Vidovic

Croatia

Vitesse

End of loan

Marcel Sabitzer

Austria

Manchester United

End of loan

Raphael Guerreiro

Portugal

Borussia Dortmund

Free

Bright Arrey-Mbi

Germany/ England

Hannover 96

End of loan

Departures

Player

Nationality

New club

Fee

Lucas Hernandez

France/ Spain

PSG

€45m

Marcel Sabitzer

Austria

Borussia Dortmund

€19m

Alex Nubel

Germany

Stuttgart

Loan (€1m)

Joao Cancelo

Portugal

Manchester City

End of loan

Bright Arrey-Mbi

Germany

Hannover 96

Free

Daley Blind

Netherlands

Without Club

–

How to watch AC Milan against Napoli in the Champions League in the US as well as kick-off time and team news.

Italian heavyweights AC Milan and Napoli are set to clash in the Champions League quarter-finals, with the seven-time champions hosting the first leg at San Siro on Wednesday.

💻 Watch AC Milan vs Napoli live on Paramount+ today!

The Calcio giants have never met in the competition before and the Rossoneri will be eyeing their second win over last year's Champions League quarter-finalists this month after the 4-0 league victory in Naples.

However, Stefano Pioli's men were since held to a goalless draw by Empoli on the domestic circuit, while Napoli come into the tie on the back of a 2-1 Serie A win at Lecce.

GOAL brings you details on how to watch the game on TV in the U.S. as well as how to stream live online.

(C)Getty ImagesKick-off timeGame:AC Milan vs NapoliDate:April 12, 2023Kick-off:3pm EDTVenue:San Siro

The game is scheduled for April 12, 2023, at the majestic San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy.

It will kick off at 3pm EDT in the US.

AdvertisementGettyHow to watch AC Milan vs Napoli online – TV channels & live streamsTV channels & streaming options

Country TV channel Live stream

U.S.N/AParamount+, Vix+

In the United States (US), the game can be watched live on Paramount+ and Vix+.

Getty ImagesTeam news & squadsAC Milan team news

Pioli had an eye on this game while naming his XI against Empoli as Rafael Leao and Olivier Giroud should be back from the first whistle against Napoli.

It's the same case with Simon Kjaer, Rade Krunic and Brahim Diaz, although Kjaer may face competition from youngster Malick Thiaw to continue alongside Fikayo Tomori at centre-back.

Pierre Kalulu is ruled out with a calf problem.

AC Milan possible XI: Maignan; Calabria, Tomori, Kjaer, Hernandez; Tonali, Krunic, Bennacer; Diaz, Leao; Giroud

Position Players

GoalkeepersMaignan, Tatarusanu, Vasquez, MiranteDefendersTomori, Gabbia, Thiaw, Kjaer, Hernandez, Ballo-Toure, Calabria, Dest, FlorenziMidfieldersTonali, Bennacer, Bakayoko, Pobega, Vranckx, Krunic, De Ketelaere, Diaz, AdliForwardsGiroud, Ibrahimovic, Rebic, Leao, Origi, Messias, Saelemaekers, RobackNapoli team news

Napoli isalreadywithout star forward Victor Osimhen due to injury, and the Nigerian's second-in-command Giovanni Simeone emerged as a doubt after suffering a knock in the Lecce win.

In the event the Argentine is not passed fit for the tie, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia serves as an apt option alongsideGiacomo Raspadori in the attack.

Napoli possible XI: Meret; Di Lorenzo, Kim, Rrahmani, Rui; Anguissa, Lobotka, Zielinski; Lozano, Raspadori, Kvaratskhelia

Position Players

GoalkeepersMeret, Gollini, Idasiak, MarfellaDefendersKim, Rrahmani, Ostigard, Jesus, Olivera, Rui, Di Lorenzo, BereszynskiMidfieldersLobotka, Demme, Zielinski, Anguissa, Ndombele, Elmas, Zedadka, Gaetano, Kvaratskhelia, Zerbin, Lozano, PolitanoForwardsRaspadori, SimeoneHead-to-head record

Date Result Competition

April 3, 2023Napoli 0-4 AC MilanSerie ASeptember 19, 2022AC Milan 1-2 NapoliSerie AMarch 7, 2022Napoli 0-1 AC MilanSerie ADecember 20, 2021AC Milan 0-1 NapoliSerie AMarch 15, 2021AC Milan 0-1 NapoliSerie AENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Getty ImagesUseful links

AC Milan team page

Live soccer on TV in the U.S.

Man City: European Champions?

Spring finally sprung for the punters in South London, as a crowd of some 2000 watched Surrey make hay at the Kia Oval

Andrew Miller at Kia Oval01-May-2016
ScorecardArun Harinath fell for 96 after a diligent innings•Getty ImagesSpring finally sprung for the punters in South London, as a crowd of some 2000 weekend sun-seekers dotted themselves around the stands at the Kia Oval, lapping up the most determined rays of the year so far, and convincing themselves that the distinct chill in the air on those occasions when the shadows encroached on their seats was nothing more than a faint breeze on a mid-summer’s afternoon.Sure enough, for long periods of the day, most notably during an enterprising post-lunch stand of 135 between Arun Harinath and Steven Davies and again after tea as Jason Roy and Zafar Ansari traded strokes in their own fifth-wicket partnership of 112, Surrey took to the Durham attack – Chris Rushworth, Graham Onions and Ben Stokes included – as if the pitch had been prepared for the August Bank Holiday, not the May Day version.And yet, by the close, a combination of Durham’s refusal to yield and Surrey’s own wastefulness in shot selection had redressed the balance of power a touch. Though it still remains a good toss to have won – and a toss was what we did indeed have, after Durham declined the automatic chance to bowl first – Surrey’s total looks set to fall someway short of formidable.Arun Harinath epitomised the combination of hard yards and soft focus that marred his team’s performance. His 96 from 188 balls was a dogged, diligent anchor role that should, by rights, have resulted in his second century in three Championship matches, following his match-salvaging effort at Trent Bridge earlier this month.Instead, having played a willing second fiddle to a free-flowing Davies, whose 55-ball half-century was the most fluent innings of the day, Harinath contrived to give away his innings only moments after Davies himself had departed for 87 to a fine stretching catch from Keaton Jennings in the gully.Seeking a statement shot where previously he had been content to grind his runs, Harinath climbed into a pull and top-edged to mid-on to give Rushworth his second wicket in as many overs. “It was just a poor shot, a misjudgement of length,” he admitted at the close. “I thought it was shorter than it was, but Durham have a disciplined attack and that can happen, unfortunately.”Nevertheless, Harinath had played his part in setting the scene for Surrey, not least in seeing off a typically testing new-ball spell from Rushworth and Onions, and a fiery burst from Stokes that resulted in the first breakthrough of the day when Rory Burns was bowled for 15 by a beauty from round the wicket that pitched on the left-hander’s off stump and plucked it out too – shades of Flintoff to Gilchrist, as if any more comparisons were needed.He hung around, too, after the biggest shock of the day’s play – the insubstantial departure of Kumar Sangakkara, who got off the mark with a typically dreamy cover-drive only to be bowled off the inside edge for 26 by Brydon Carse, a South African-born 20-year-old with designs on an England future, and whose fourth first-class wicket was unquestionably his finest yet.”The first aim tomorrow is 400 for maximum batting points, and another partnership to see how far ahead we can get in the game,” said Harinath at the close. “If some of us, including myself, hadn’t got ourselves out we could have put a few more nails in the coffin, but we’ll have to turn up tomorrow and keep fighting as we have done for the last 12 months or so.”The punters didn’t seem to mind – some of the slightly lax departures seemed a price worth paying for the entertainment on offer, particularly during the alliance of recent England internationals, Ansari and Roy. One Twitter pundit described their century stand as “deeply erotic”, although it ended in a flaccid finish for both – Roy chipping a leading edge to mid-on for 64 as Onions appeared to stop one in the pitch, before Ansari flapped a back-cut off Stokes to the keeper Michael Richardson for 41 – another confident display in his successful return to the fray following his horrible hand injury last season.Richardson was in action again as Tom Curran came and went for a duck, nibbling outside off to give Carse his second scalp of the day, but with Ben Foakes and Gareth Batty still in situ at the close, Surrey retain the upper hand in a contest that seemed to bloom very rapidly in the sun.

Sharjeel Khan scored the first hundred of the Pakistan Super League to charge Islamabad United to the final of the tournament, with a 50-run win against Peshawar Zalmi

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Feb-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details0:30

‘Very special innings from Sharjeel’ – Mohammad Akram

Sharjeel Khan scored the first hundred of the Pakistan Super League as Islamabad United galloped into the final with a comprehensive 50-run win against Peshawar Zalmi. Sharjeel’s 50-ball hundred powered Islamabad to 176 for 3 before left-arm spinner Imran Khalid’s four-for made sure Peshawar were bowled out for 126 with two overs to spare.Put in to bat, Islamabad put together a 108-run opening stand in 13.1 overs, a majority of the runs coming off Sharjeel’s blade. Dwayne Smith, the other opener, struggled to get bat on ball during his stay of 37 balls to score 19 runs without a single boundary.In the ninth over, Sharjeel unleashed two sixes and a four against left-arm spinner Mohammad Asghar. He followed that up with an attack on Shahid Afridi too in the next over to bring up his fifty. The most eventful over, though, was the 14th in which Shaun Tait dismissed Smith and Brad Haddin off consecutive deliveries, but Kamran Akmal dropped Khalid Latif to deprive Tait of a hat-trick. Sharjeel then struck the next two balls of the over for a four and six.He brought up his hundred, studded with 12 fours and eight sixes, in style with a straight six in the 16th over and helped Islamabad score 46 in the last five overs. He was run-out for 117 in the last over of the innings.Peshawar started slow in the Powerplay and were dented when Samuel Badree dismissed Dawid Malan in the fourth over. Kamran kept the score ticking till the 11th over before Khalid struck. Peshawar’s main source of resistance was opener Kamran Akmal, who made 45 from 32 balls. But with the next four batsmen scored only in single digits, the writing was on the wall.Khalid removed Mohammad Hafeez and Kamran in consecutive overs, and Brad Hodge and Darren Sammy in the same over – the 13th – to reduce Peshawar to 80 for 5. By then, the required run rate had shot up over 13 per over.Afridi provided his team with a few late strikes, but it was not enough. Khalid finished with 4 for 20 from his three overs and Andre Russell took three lower-order wickets, including Afridi’s, to end with 3 for 37.

Have United finally found the right manager to catch Pep & Klopp?

It is the latest Manchester United reboot – and forgive us if you think you’ve heard this one before. It can feel like Groundhog Day at Old Trafford as an ever-fading force desperately tries to restore its former glories.

Now it is the turn of Erik ten Hag to revive United’s fortunes – and the Dutchman faces familiar challenges.

He inherited an unwieldy and imbalanced squad.

His star player wants out.

And he’s struggling to bring in the targets he sees as vital to turning this ship around.

So what will be different this time? The truth is, no-one knows.

In 18 months to two-years’ time, it could be another man in the United hot-seat, charged with the responsibility of guiding them back to the summit of English football.

But in Ten Hag they have gone with a man they believe can challenge Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp. A manager who plays football the right way and is a proven winner with Ajax.

He will give them a defined way of playing to lift the crowds and bring the club into the modern era. Ultimately, they hope he is the man to bring the trophies back to Old Trafford.

It is a risk. He does not know English football. He is up against four titans of the game in Guardiola, Klopp, Antonio Conte and Thomas Tuchel.

Meanwhile, Arsenal continue to back Mikel Arteta with the money to restore their own fortunes.

United could have gone with the Premier League-proven Mauricio Pochettino – but were convinced Ten Hag was the man to end nine years of misery.

Only time will tell.

Getty ImagesSquad Goals

It is the eve of the start of United's season and they are still a long way from getting their summer business done.

That is a remarkable situation – but one that Ten Hag’s predecessors will know all too well.

United’s transfer strategy remains an issue, despite numerous reforms and a genuine confidence from the club’s hierarchy that they were months ahead of schedule back in June.

Regardless of what happens between now and the close of the window, they have jeopardised the start of a crucial campaign and left their manager short-handed.

Ten Hag wants Frenkie de Jong above all targets. He specifically wants the Netherlands international but the position of holding midfield is even more important, with the new manager believing a top-class addition in that area is fundamental to the football he wants to play.

If United miss out on De Jong now, it would be a major embarrassment – and also mean they have wasted crucial time trying to get the deal done.

If he does arrive – which they are still banking on – they can at least say they waited for the right man. Even still – it has taken too long.

Ten Hag also wants to strengthen in attack. Ajax are trying to price Antony out of a move but injury to Anthony Martial underlines just how light United are up front.

Cristiano Ronaldo also wants out, so the cutting edge is a pressing issue.

At least Christian Eriksen, Tyrell Malacia and Lisandro Martinez have been added.

Elsewhere, Ten Hag’s plans to offload more than 10 players this summer is going slowly.

Even after the departures of Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic, Jesse Lingard, Edinson Cavani, Dean Henderson, Alex Telles and Andreas Pereira, there are still a host of names who are surplus to requirements.

AdvertisementGettyHopes

On the one hand, Ten Hag is in the luxurious position of knowing things surely can’t be worse than last season. On the other, the competition for top four is arguably fiercer than ever, with United far from certain of a return to the Champions League.

That has to be the minimum requirement – but for a club that hasn’t won a trophy in five years, some silverware would be very welcome.

Crucially, United fans want to see the team heading in the right direction.

That doesn’t just mean the odd trophy or two, but without the football to match – as in the cases of Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho. And it doesn’t mean a dose of nostalgia and a few memorable nights – as in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

United need to see real, tangible progress on the pitch – and they need to see the type of football that suggests they can genuinely challenge Manchester City and Liverpool in the future.

That is what Ten Hag was brought in to do.

If he can lead them back into the top four with a brand of modern, attacking football, he will meet expectations in his first season.

If he can add a trophy as well, he will have United fans believing again.

Getty ImagesFears

The primary fear, put simply, is that this will be yet another false dawn.

Ten Hag says the right things. He has a record for attractive, exciting football that wins trophies.

There have been clear signs of what he is trying to do in just a few weeks at the club. But much bigger names than him have been swallowed up by Old Trafford.

United have tried just about everything.

David Moyes was Premier League-proven – but proved a spectacular failure.

Van Gaal had won the lot and managed the very biggest clubs in Barcelona and Bayern Munich – but his brand of football was a major turn-off.

Mourinho was the guaranteed winner. He won – but still didn’t last.

And Solskjaer was a return to United’s roots. He lifted spirits – but won nothing.

There are no guarantees Ten Hag will fare any better.

It is another step into the unknown for a club that is running out of ideas.

It is impossible not to fear the worst – but there is every reason to be optimistic.

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GettyThe Hero

It is a cliché – but Jadon Sancho looks like a new signing.

It was a bit of a false start for the winger in his first season, which saw him have to cope with the disruption of Solskjaer’s sacking and then the failed interim reign of Ralf Rangnick.

So it is little wonder he failed to produce the sort of show-stealing displays that were commonplace at Borussia Dortmund.

But he is the type of player to light up Old Trafford with his mazy runs, goals and assists.

Sancho was one of the most wanted talents in Europe when United landed him last year – and there have already been signs of him benefiting from a new manager in Ten Hag.

United fans are looking for a new hero – and he could be primed to take on that mantle.

If he does, he might just earn himself an England recall in time for the World Cup.

It was a big night on the field for Malik Tillman but it was his hair that was the main subject of debate in the CBS studios after the game.

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Tillman quizzed on 'Bobby V' hairstyleHaircut price confusion sparks studio laughterUSMNT star wins penalty to earn PSV drawGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Tillman won the penalty that earned PSV a valuable draw in their last 16 tie against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night. But pundits Micah Richards, Jamie Carragher and Thierry Henry were keen to discuss the USMNT star's choice of hairstyle in their post-game interview, leading to a bizarre misunderstanding.

Richard's got the ball rolling, asking Tillman about the style he compared to R&B star Bobby Valentino. Quizzed about how much it costs to get a haircut in Eindhoven, the forward replied "Three euros fifty," which the panel took to mean €350.

Henry then weighed in to ask if the barber also cooked for him with a rate that high, only for Tillman to clarify that he meant €3.50, triggering a cacophony of laughter in the studio.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Hair chat aside it was a big night for the 21-year-old who played the entire 90 minutes and was at the centre of the night's most controversial incident. Tillman was judged to have been fouled in the area by Mats Hummels for a penalty that allowed Luuk de Jong to level the game.

Hummels was irate, claiming to have made incidental contact with his opponent after winning the ball cleanly. VAR chose not to intervene leaving the German international fuming and immediately looking for his phone after the game to vent his frustration on social media.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MALIK TILLMAN?

The young American has plenty of time to treat himself to another bargain haircut before PSV travel to PEC Zwolle on Saturday looking to extend their already formidable lead at the top of the Eredivisie standings.

Marvan Atapattu has been named Sri Lanka’s head coach following the resignation of Paul Farbrace earlier this week

Andrew Fidel Fernando25-Apr-2014Marvan Atapattu has been named Sri Lanka’s interim head coach, following the resignation of Paul Farbrace earlier this week. Ruwan Kalpage, Sri Lanka’s fielding coach and former offspinner, has been appointed his assistant. The appointments were for Sri Lanka’s upcoming tour of the Ireland and England as well as the home series against South Africa to follow, SLC confirmed on Friday.Atapattu had applied for the head coach position when Graham Ford had announced he would vacate the job, and had progressed to the final round of interviews in November, before Farbrace was appointed. Atapattu has been Sri Lanka’s batting coach since for three years, and had been assistant coach since March 2013.He has earned a reputation for his technical acumen – as a coach, as he had been as a player – but he was deemed unready for head coach role late last year. Both Farbrace and Ford, however, have publicly lauded his work ethic.The appointments had been made on the recommendations of a three-man coach selection committee, which consists of chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya, head of coaching Jerome Jayaratne, and cricket committee chairman Ranjit Fernando. In the days following Farbrace’s departure Jayasuriya had issued strong signals Atapattu would be named interim coach, as the fast-approaching tour did not allow SLC enough time to make a more permanent appointment.”We should look to give responsibility to Marvan, because he’s been around for a few years,” Jayasuriya had said. “The bowling and fielding coaches will also have to take a lot of responsibility.”Among the most difficult aspects of Atapattu’s job will be devising an effective strategy against an opponent who now possesses intimate knowledge of Sri Lanka’s strengths, weaknesses and team dynamics, thanks to Farbrace’s appointment as England assistant coach. Sri Lanka have not won a Test in England since 2006, but this tour represents a good opportunity to improve that record, while England themselves seek to rebuild after a disastrous winter.”Farbrace knows inside out about Sri Lanka’s cricketers, and that’s the biggest challenge for us,” Jayasuriya said. “He knows our batsmen and bowlers from top to bottom, and what we have been discussing in the last four or five months. I hope Marvan, Ruwan, the bowling coach can do a lot of work with the senior cricketers and come out of this situation.”The ODIs in the tour are also a vital step en route to the 2015 World Cup, as Sri Lanka do not play outside Asia for six months, following that series. The team leaves the country on May 2, to play two ODIs in Dublin, before moving on to three practice matches in England.Sri Lanka play four Tests, ten ODIs and a T20 international in their two upcoming series. The trip to England is the most important away tour in the year, before their most high-profile home-assignment, against the top-ranked Test team, begins in July.

Ahead of the decider against South Africa, Angelo Mathews says Sri Lanka need “nothing out of the ordinary” to seal the series

Andrew Fidel Fernando11-Jul-2014Formula and fight have been the cornerstones of Sri Lanka’s limited-overs cricket for some time. Sri Lanka have stuck with the same plan for so long now, fans could draw up a checklist of their tactical manoeuvres for a game of cricket bingo.There is often a fast start and an early wicket, when they bat. Then Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara join hands for a sometimes promising, often plentiful, stand. When Sri Lanka win, one of those two has usually crossed fifty. There is often then a middle-order failure, before someone – often Angelo Mathews – finishes the innings with several big blows. With the ball, Sachithra Senanayake bowls in the Powerplay, Lasith Malinga bowls length at the start and yorkers at the death, and Nuwan Kulasekara swings it in until the third seamer takes over.The extended success of this game plan has fostered an air of calm around the Sri Lanka side, win or lose. Before the second ODI, Mathews said he would not seriously reshuffle his batting order. Now ahead of the decider, he says Sri Lanka need “nothing out of the ordinary” to seal the series, even against the South Africa pace attack.”I think we don’t have to do anything special,” he said. “The way we handled their fast bowlers in the last two games was good. Their strength is pace but they have a couple of good spinners as well. In the last match, we played a good style of cricket, so we’ll hope to do that again and win this match.”Sri Lanka have also come back from difficult situations on many occasions this year, doing so most dramatically in a must-win World T20 match against New Zealand and in the recent Test at Headingley. Having to win games on the trot to earn a series victory is nothing new, Mathews said.”We’ve been in this situation more often than not – to lose the first game and be under pressure to perform in the second and third games. We’ve been there so many times and we’ve overcome those situations as well.”We normally do perform well under pressure. It’s just a matter of absorbing it. We’ve done pretty well in the past six months and I hope the team will continue to do so. Our batting clicked in the last match, even though no one got a hundred, I thought everyone contributed in their own way.”The wind at the Hambantota stadium often puts an uncommon spin on the cricket, with teams strategising not only on how to mitigate its effect, but also on how to use it to their advantage. Sri Lanka have often bowled inswing from one end and outswing fron another, with a similar plan for the spinners, depending on which way they turn the ball. With another windy day on the cards for Saturday, teams may tweak their game plans in light of the conditions.”The wind is quite strong, so you never really know how the wicket plays,” Mathews said. “It’s the first time we’re playing a day match here as well, and we have to adapt to that as cricketers. The pitch looks like it might play slow. No matter what the conditions are, we still have to play well.”