'The situation is far from ideal'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Chronicle
5 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Stokes' fitness, Pope's form and pace options – the questions facing England
There are just over three months until England arrive in Perth and the planning can now begin in earnest. Here, the PA news agency looks at five key questions England need to answer. Will Ben Stokes be fully fit? England are a completely different team when their inspirational captain is firing on all cylinders. He was in brilliant form this summer, rolling back the years with ball in hand, but missed the Kia Oval decider with a shoulder problem. A six-to-10-week lay-off will follow but any further setbacks would raise serious alarms. Having been struck down by knee, hip, hamstring and shoulder injuries in the past two years, is it too optimistic to expect him to be in peak condition throughout a gruelling tour? What is the pace bowling pecking order? England have talked up the importance of building deep reserves of fast bowlers but when the first Test kicks off in Perth they must be clear on their best combination. Jofra Archer looks certain to be in it after his long-awaited comeback, Mark Wood hopes to be back after missing the entire Test season, while Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Jamie Overton, Chris Woakes and Sam Cook all played this summer. Woakes looks like missing out with a dislocated shoulder, but how do the others stack up? How do they get the best out of Ollie Pope? A big hundred against Zimbabwe and another century in his first knock against India removed some of the questions that had been circling about Pope's spot at number three. But he finished the series averaging 34 and was 10th on the run-scoring charts. Jacob Bethell's disappointing effort in the fifth Test against India has weakened his case as a replacement but England need more from a senior player in a key position. Could taking the vice-captaincy off him and promoting white-ball skipper Harry Brook be part of the answer? Is the spin situation settled? A lot of faith has been placed in Shoaib Bashir, with England backing their hunch that he can do well in Australia. It has been a mixed bag so far, with 68 wickets in 19 Tests but a stubbornly high average of 39. His broken finger opened the door for them to have an overdue second look at Liam Dawson, but the county scene's standard-bearer was dropped after taking one for 140 at Old Trafford. Will he travel as competition for Bashir, could there be a return to Jack Leach or might England look at using all-pace attacks for some Ashes contests? How will they prepare for the war of words? Australian players, fans and media cheerleaders have been paying close attention to the India series and it is has not been hard to realise the long-range sledging has already started. From David Warner's recent jibe at Joe Root to the social media barrage about the merits, or otherwise, of 'Bazball', the heat is already rising. Expect that to continue all the way until Glenn McGrath shockingly predicts a 5-0 win for Australia. England have refused to entertain much Ashes talk in recent months but the temptation will rise as the weeks tick by. Will they fire some broadsides of their own or keep things on the field?
Metro
5 minutes ago
- Metro
Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker updates after missing Liverpool friendlies
Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker were among a quartet of Liverpool players who missed the final friendlies of pre-season, although Arne Slot expects the pair to be available for the Community Shield. The Reds played Athletic Club in back-to-back games at Anfield on Monday night, winning the first 4-1 and the second 3-2. There were goals for 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha, Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott in the first match, plus an Alex Padilla own goal, while Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo (2) scored in the second contest. It was a positive way for the champions to complete their summer action, before taking on Crystal Palace in the Community Shield on Saturday. However, there were some concerns as Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley were also not involved in the matches with the Spanish side. In The Mixer: Exclusive analysis, FPL tips and transfer talk sent straight to your inbox every week – click here and sign up before Friday to make sure you don't miss the first edition. Speaking ahead of the game, Slot explained of his squad: 'Almost all of them are fit or stayed fit. 'Unfortunately, Virgil is sick today. We miss out on Alisson. Joe Gomez is not there, Conor Bradley is not there. 'But until now we have stayed fit as we wanted to be and new signings came in so they got adjusted to what we want. Looking forward first of all to today and then to the next weeks.' Alisson returned to Brazil from Liverpool's summer trip to Asia due to a personal matter, while Bradley and Gomez are dealing with minor injury problems. Asked if any of the four players will miss the clash with the Eagles at Wembley, Slot was unsure on whether the injured pair would return in time. 'Virgil normally not,' the Dutchman said. 'Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley, it's going to be tight. Alisson will be back in time as well.' The second team of the evening appeared to be closest to Slot's first choice starting line-up. Giorgi Mamardashvili started in goal, with a back four of Jeremie Frimpong, Ibrahima Konate, Wataru Endo and Milos Kerkez. Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch were in midfield behind Mo Salah, Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo, with Hugo Eikitike up front. 3-1 Preston 5-0 Stoke 2-4 AC Milan 3-1 Yokohama FM 4-1 Athletic Club 3-2 Athletic Club Endo's selection at centre-back may be the biggest worry as it demonstrates that the Reds are a touch short in the middle of defence. The Reds – and Newcastle – remain linked with Crystal Palace and England defender Marc Guehi who is in the final year of his contract at the club. More Trending Speaking after the matches on Monday, slot praised his forwards but had a mixed review of his defence. 'I think in both games we created a lot of chances, scored seven goals, so that's very pleasing to see,' he said. 'The other games in pre-season we conceded a few chances too much, today we hardly conceded anything at all so that pleased me as well. 'But then in the second game to concede two set-piece goals, that's not what you want, especially not if you play Crystal Palace next week, who are a team who are very strong on set-pieces. That's another thing to work on.' MORE: Newcastle make improved Benjamin Sesko bid amid transfer race with Man Utd MORE: Rio Ferdinand fires warning to Eberechi Eze over Arsenal transfer this summer MORE: Liverpool pay tribute to Diogo Jota in first match at Anfield since his death
The Guardian
6 minutes ago
- The Guardian
‘Self-pity came into it as I was a proud man': footballer Noel Blake on recovering from a stroke
Noel Blake walked through Trentham Gardens on the outskirts of Stoke-on-Trent staring up at the trees and making a mental note of those with the sturdiest branches. What he was trying to get clear in his head in those fleeting moments only he could really know. There comes a time in most stroke healing – or the lack of hope for it – when the victim reflects on the dark side. For professional athletes to be robbed of that they cherished most – their athleticism – must be the hardest cut of all. Blake had enjoyed a professional playing career of just over 20 years, most productively for Birmingham, Portsmouth, Leeds and Stoke, ending with almost 150 appearances for Exeter, before he was appointed the club's manager in 2000. He embarked on a varied coaching career, which embraced five years with the Football Association as coach to the England under-19s. The stressful nature of his departure from that post was, in his estimation – as there could be no definitive proof – the root cause of his stroke in 2015 at the age of 53. 'There was inevitable trauma every time a new regime came into any football club or association and made changes,' he said. 'Many people in the game could relate to that. I didn't regard it as a problem initially but the way I was spoken to [by those inside the FA] resonated then and still does to this day. 'It was an emotional trigger. Because of legalities, I can't go into it any more deeply. One day I may be able to tell the world how I really felt about it. Dan Ashworth had come in [to the FA] as the technical director and he had every right to make changes. I went and Kenny Swain [the former Chelsea and Aston Villa defender] left as well. It all really affected me, more than I realised at the time.' Having tried to deal with the debilitating FA experience, Blake joined Blackpool but almost immediately became centre-stage in another upheaval. 'José Riga was the manager, I discovered through a third party that he needed a coach, and we spoke,' he said. 'There were a lot of financial difficulties at that time, but we got on well and I had no issues with him. 'The club wasn't in a healthy position, there was disquiet between him and the owner, José left [after four months] and Lee Clark was appointed after he had left Birmingham. I asked what he wanted from me and how long he wanted me to stay as I'd had an offer from the Professional Footballers' Association. Lee said he wanted me, so I put the other thing aside and within two weeks he brought his best friend, a lad called Paul Stephenson, on to the coaching staff, which wasn't a problem even though it blindsided me a bit. 'I had a feeling it wouldn't work, and I left soon afterwards. I'd lost my job at the FA, then Blackpool, the PFA position had gone and all of that took a toll. I was looking out for work and there was nothing available, people wouldn't return your calls, it was the brick wall.' Within six weeks of departing Bloomfield Road, Blake's life altered irrevocably. 'A couple of friends had come over to see me, we were chatting, and suddenly they said they couldn't understand what I was saying. My speech was slurring. 'I had gone for a walk that morning and felt wobbly, just very lethargic. I was sapped of any energy and a couple of times I felt as though I might stumble but I didn't.' Then came the mumbling episode. 'I rang my wife at hospital where she worked as a personal assistant and described what had happened. She gave my symptoms to one of the consultants who told her to collect me straight away and take me to triage. Within minutes of being assessed, they said I'd probably had a stroke and I was admitted there and then. 'After a couple of hours, which seemed more like an eternity, I was on a ward and when they confirmed a stroke I kind of broke down. A nurse said: 'You see that gentleman over there, he's had a severe stroke, he can't walk, he can't speak and though yours is bad it's not nearly as bad as that.' 'That gave me a small sense of relief, but it was when I telephoned my mum to tell her, that's when I lost it emotionally. I was 53 years old and in decent physical shape if obviously not quite like the old days. 'My knees were pretty shattered from all the years of football, but I'd never been a big drinker, maybe a beer with my meal and that was it. I never smoked, never took a drug, my diet had always been that of an athlete. I wasn't doing anything that would suggest the potential for a stroke. The only thing I could point to was related to stress.' As his doctors completed rounds of intensive medical tests, they discovered that on top of the debilitating effect of the stroke, Blake had a hole in his heart. Surgeons repaired the hole, inserting mesh to plug the gap, and it was another warning to take life a little bit easier. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion 'I'm glad I didn't realise I had the condition when I was playing but I remembered how I used to struggle when it came to the long distances in training and had to take quite a bit of time to recover,' he said. 'When I reflected on players who had collapsed and, in some cases, died on the field of play it did make me wonder that if I had found out about it earlier, would I have been able to enjoy a full career?' But he did complete it and now required similar fortitude in another more punishing challenge. The healing process after a stroke is forever ongoing. 'I had mine 10 years ago and only three years back there were times when I wouldn't have been able to face a room full of people, I'd just turn away,' Blake said. 'I tried to deal with what was in front of me, not something somebody else might have expected from me. 'I'm not fully there yet but I'm getting better over time … It was damn awful. There were times when I literally wanted it all to end.' The walk in Trentham Gardens was the darkest of those moments. 'Self-pity came into it as I was a proud man, and I became reliant on others to help me especially if I was having one of my mood swings.' In his time on the touchline, Blake was full on, committed, urgent. He said watching Jürgen Klopp managing Liverpool brought his own career back to him. 'He reminded me of how I was, a passionate coach who drove himself and his players. It struck me that when foreign coaches behaved like that it was accepted but if it was a British coach, we were accused of being too animated. As a coach I just worked how I was, no point changing who you were.' This is an edited extract from Brushes with a Stroke by Neil Harman, published by Pitch (£14.99). To order a copy go to Delivery charges may apply. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@ or jo@ In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at
