On many a Sunday, I realize that people have looked at the stories they've seen throughout the week with different lenses. I have my own personal take on some of these trending issues and I will share them with you. Welcome to #INCASEYOUMISSEDIT the 2021 edition with Mariah
Chelsea have given their new manager Thomas Tuchel 18 months to reverse the club’s fortunes after sacking Frank Lampard. Tuchel’s first match in charge ended in a 0-0 home draw with Wolves on Wednesday, a clear sign that the task ahead is not an easy one. The big question looming is how can he avoid the same fate as Lampard?
The 42-year-old German is more experienced than his predecessor having had spells at Mainz and Borussia Dortmund as well as two and a half years at PSG in France, leading them to back-to-back French league titles.
He also led the French champions to the 2019/20 Champions League final.
Winning cup competitions and making the top-four in the EPL would help him keep his job at the end of the season but going forward that will not be enough for team owner Roman Abramovich.
Notwithstanding his proven coaching acumen, Tuchel has developed somewhat of a reputation of getting into power struggles with club hierarchies. He was fired by Dortmund after falling out with officials there, similar to his exit from PSG. He would be advised to stay in Abramovich’s good books.
He would also do well to capitalize on his relationships with Thiago Silva who he coached at PSG and Christian Pulisic from Dortmund.
The task at hand is not impossible and Tuchel seems ready to take on his latest project.
“I decided not to worry about that too much and to go to do it, to be brave enough to take this adventure. It’s my character to believe more in the chances than in the risks,” he said.
The ICC T20 World Cup set for October in India is still some time away but the excitement in the Abu Dhabi T10 has reignited the hope that West Indies just might have a chance. The first week of the Abu Dhabi T10 was filled with brilliant performances both with bat and ball from notable Windies players.
Several Windies players have found form early in the tournament. The Northern Warriors’ Lendl Simmons blasted an unbeaten 54 in his first match. Evin Lewis also started off with a bang having scored 100 runs in three matches that included a top score of 55. He was also not out twice and is the third-highest run-scorer for this 2021 edition.
Nicholas Pooran has also been brilliant with the bat. After two matches he has 73 runs with a high score of 54. The Pune Devils Kennar Lewis in his first match scored a 28-ball 57 not out to lead his team to victory.
There have also been noteworthy performances with the ball as the Northern Warriors’ Rayad Emrit is ranked fifth for most wickets in the tournament. He has bowled 4 overs for 46 runs and taken three wickets. His teammate Fabian Allen has bowled two overs for 11 runs and taken two wickets. Deccan Gladiators Sunil Narine has grabbed two wickets from his two overs.
Leighton Levy is a journalist with 28 years’ experience covering crime, entertainment, and sports. He joined the staff at SportsMax.TV as a content editor two years ago and is enjoying the experience of developing sports content and new ideas. At SportsMax.tv he is pursuing his true passion - sports.
Dewsbury-Hall: Maresca will surprise people at Chelsea
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall believes new Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca will "surprise a lot of people" when they watch the Blues this season.
The Italian led Leicester City straight back to the Premier League as Championship winners in his only season in charge and succeeds Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge.
The Foxes topped the second division table with 98 points, with Dewsbury-Hall a key figure in his squad as he netted 12 goals and provided 14 assists last season – his best tally in a single campaign.
Dewsbury-Hall was also named Leicester's Player and Players' Player of the Year.
The midfielder made the switch to West London earlier this month for £30million and is confident that Maresca will have Chelsea challenging for trophies in no time.
"The manager was a big catalyst in wanting me to come," Dewsbury-Hall told BBC Sport.
"I knew from Leicester, a club that went down and had a lot of problems, how he managed to galvanise that if everyone manages to buy into the system.
"I genuinely think in a short space of time we can be pushing for minimum top four - but more than that.
"He may be unknown for a lot of people, but he is top, top level. He will surprise a lot of people."
Chelsea's pre-season got off to a frustrating start as they were held to a 2-2 draw by League One side Wrexham in Maresca's first game in charge on Wednesday.
Dewsbury-Hall did not play in that match but is training with the squad in the United States and could feature in their next outing against Celtic on Saturday.
The 25-year-old is confident the manager's tactics will come across soon, with the players buying into his style.
"We've only been doing it for two or three weeks, but the combination plays are really quick and tidy," he added.
"That's after two weeks. I remember he said to us at Leicester after six months or a year, there might be teething problems at the start, but it will improve.
"Within the first week at Leicester, I was convinced this was top, top level. I felt a bit stupid; I thought I knew a lot about football, but he was teaching me things on a daily basis that I didn't really know before. He has an aura, he can be strict, or gentle and soft - he has both sides.
"I am getting the same feedback here with the lads. They've bought into it here from minute one which is exciting. With a system and philosophy, you need everyone to buy in because, if they do, you can really achieve something."
Faf du Plessis continues red hot form as Texas Super Kings secure nine-wicket win over MI New York in MLC Eliminator
Captain Faf du Plessis once again led from the front as the Texas Super Kings secured a nine-wicket win over defending champions MI New York in the eliminator of Major League Cricket 2024 at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on Wednesday.
The Super Kings, after winning the toss and electing to field first, restricted New York to 163-8 from their 20 overs.
Rashid Khan (55) and Monank Patel (48) were the top run scorers for MI against an important 2-18 off four overs from Marcus Stoinis. Aaron Hardie also took two wickets while Dwayne Bravo finished with 1-21 from 1.3 overs.
Texas then needed only 18.3 overs to reach 167-1 thanks to a 47-ball 72 from du Plessis, his third fifty of the season, including six fours and three sixes.
That knock now brings du Plessis’s run total to 375 from seven games, form that he will hope translates to the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) where he will captain the St. Lucia Kings beginning August 29.
Devon Conway capitalized on some missed chances from the MI New York fielders to finish 51* while Hardie followed up his two wickets with 40* off 22 balls.
The Super Kings will now face the loser of the Qualifier between the Washington Freedom and San Francisco Unicorns in the Challenger on Friday for a place in Sunday’s final.
Full Scores:
MI New York 163-8 off 20 overs (Rashid Khan 55, Monank Patel 48, Marcus Stoinis 2-18, Aaron Hardie 2-22)
Texas Super Kings 167-1 off 18.3 overs (Faf du Plessis 72, Devon Conway 51*, Aaron Hardie 40*)
Maresca defends Chelsea style as defensive errors cost Blues in Wrexham draw
Enzo Maresca accepted Chelsea are likely to concede goals through playing out from the back after they were held to a 2-2 draw by Wrexham in his first match in charge.
Chelsea took on the League One side – who are owned by Hollywood actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds – at the Levi's Stadium in San Francisco, fighting back from 2-1 down to claim a draw.
Christopher Nkunku put Chelsea ahead after 35 minutes, but two defensive errors from the Blues were punished in the second half as Luke Bolton and Jack Marriott netted for Wrexham.
Bolton turned home after Lesley Ugochukwu failed to cut out Seb Revan's cross, before Josh Acheampong's error led to Marriott giving Wrexham the lead with a low drive.
Ugochukwu levelled eight minutes from time as Chelsea avoided an upset, and Maresca refused to criticise his team for playing out from the back in a post-match interview.
"It is one of the risks that you have trying to build from behind," he said. "You are going to concede in different ways, so you need to decide in which way you need to concede a goal.
"Sometimes teams that try to build from the back concede goals, but I think you are going to score more than you concede.
"For sure, we did many things we can improve, but we started just two weeks ago. Tonight was important to start seeing the identity of the team and the identity is there."
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