'Needs to be a rule!' – Furious Ruben Dias urges Premier League to clarify laws after being confused by VAR in Man City's defeat at Newcastle but Pep Guardiola insists 'everything is fine'

Ruben Dias vented his anger at Premier League officials after Manchester City's 2-1 defeat at Newcastle United. Pep Guardiola's side had two penalty appeals turned down during the game but Dias was left most confused as to why Harvey Barnes' winning goal was allowed to stand after pushing in the penalty area on City's goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Dias unhappy with decisions in defeat at St James' Park

City fell to their fourth defeat of the season in an enthralling game at St James' Park. The visitors appealed for a penalty when Phil Foden was tripped by Fabian Schar and later had a second spot-kick shout for handball by Malick Thiaw. They were left furious when Barnes restored Newcastle's lead with his second goal of the game after Dias had levelled the scores. The winning goal followed a scramble in the box from a corner, with City complaining that Newcastle had put too much pressure on Gianluigi Donnarumma. 

While Dias insisted Newcastle had deserved to win the match, he said the league need to be clearer on what constituted a foul in the area.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportDias claims Donnarumma fouled

Dias told : "Of all the decisions, only the second goal we need to make it make sense. Where's the sense in their player pushing our keeper out of the goal? What are we allowing and for how long? It's more like sometimes you allow it and sometimes you don't so what can you do? In the second goal Gigi is being pushed outside his area and there is no consequence. 

"I had the chance to see the review and I think it Barnes is pushing him away from the goal. We are so picky with certain contacts but then ones like this with the keeper, then they allow it. If this is the rule then fine. But then let us do the same. Back in the day it was a foul and now apparently it is allowed. It is one of them that when you lose people say you are trying to find excuses but today Newcastle were better. They deserved the win because of that. They were able to finish more chances than us. There needs to be a rule."

Guardiola: Referees 'know perfectly'

Guardiola could be seen speaking animatedly to referee Sam Barrott at full-time, after also having a heated discussion with Bruno Guimaraes. The coach insisted "everything is fine" between him and the official although the incident instantly reminded him of how Bournemouth's goal against City in their 3-1 win earlier this month was allowed to stand after Donnarumma complained of being pushed as he contested a corner, leading to Tyler Adams levelling for the Cherries.

"It happened in the Bournemouth game and it happened today again," said the City boss. "It is what it is after VAR decided. They know perfectly."

Even though Adams' goal had little impact on the overall result against Bournemouth, it sparked a sarcastic response from Guardiola 

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AFPCity risk falling further behind Arsenal in title race

The defeat at Newcastle saw City fall to third in the Premier League table below Chelsea. And Guardiola's side will slip seven points behind leaders Arsenal if the Gunners beat Tottenham in the north London derby on Sunday. Guardiola preferred not to comment on how much of a setback the loss was to City's hopes in the title race, merely responding: "The season is so long."

Guardiola also praised the performance of Eddie Howe's men. He added: "Newcastle is a top side, top players, top manager so unfortunately tonight we could not build on the momentum that we had. It was an entertaining game, we both had chances and then there was a momentum shift and ultimately we couldn't win.

"I'm pretty sure all of the teams prefer to play at home than away, we are not the exception for that. Always Newcastle have been difficult, even where they are low in the table and after two defeats in a row. After they clean the head and the mind and have ten days off, we can hit the good moments. We fought, the players were there, but we could not find the result."

Southampton manager timeline confirmed as Gary O'Neil emerges as "strong contender"

Gary O’Neil is a “strong contender” for the current managerial vacancy at Southampton with a recent update sharing the latest timeline on getting a new boss through the door.

After becoming the first team in Premier League history to be relegated with as many as seven games remaining last season, Southampton hoped for a swift return to the top flight. In the summer, Will Still, who carved out a reputation for himself with Reims and Lens in Ligue 1, moved to St Mary’s.

Despite an influx of summer signings, Still struggled to make things click with the Saints, winning just two out of 13 Championship games. Following three successive defeats, Still was dismissed from his position, with under-21s coach Tonda Eckert taking interim charge of the club.

Eckert, who guided Southampton to a 2-1 win away at Queens Park Rangers, will remain in charge of the team until Southampton make a permanent appointment. Now, it would appear that the Saints could be closing in on Still’s replacement.

O'Neil to take over at Southampton?

According to Telegraph reporter Mike McGrath, O’Neil is very much in contention for the Southampton job, with “admirers at St Mary’s after his work at Bournemouth and Wolves”.

O’Neil received his first experience of senior management with Bournemouth, succeeding Scott Parker and keeping the Cherries in the top flight before being replaced by Andoni Iraola.

O’Neil’s next job was with Wolves, after the 42-year-old replaced Julen Lopetegui as the 2023/24 season began. Though he guided the club to a comfortable mid-table finish, the Englishman struggled for form in the opening chunk of the following campaign, which led to his sacking.

Wolves, who themselves are seeking a new manager following Vitor Pereira’s dismissal, were linked with bringing O’Neil back to the club, only for the manager to pull himself out of the running.

O’Neil, who shares the same agent as Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, tends to favour a 3-4-2-1 formation, which he found success with during his early days at Wolves. Such a set-up, in theory, would work well with Southampton and their current crop of players.

McGrath also reported that it is “still early in the process for Southampton” and their search for a new manager. Given his status as a free agent, O’Neil would be available immediately, which may further bolster his chances of getting the job.

Whoever takes over at Southampton will be expected to take the club towards the play-offs. Whether that person ends up being O’Neil, ultimately, remains to be seen.

Southampton keen on veteran manager to replace Still

Thomas Frank facing 'big blow' at Tottenham after news on £50m winger

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank is reportedly facing a significant blow to his January transfer plans after news about a top winger target.

While the January transfer window is set to become a major topic of discussion soon, all attention is currently centered around this weekend’s North London derby clash against Premier League leaders Arsenal.

The statistics paint a pretty bleak picture for Frank’s side, with as many as 11 players either set to miss the clash through injury or are doubts at the very least.

Dejan Kulusevski

Knee

29/11/2025

James Maddison

ACL

01/06/2026

Radu Dragusin

Knee

22/11/2025

Ben Davies

Thigh

23/11/2025

Kota Takai

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Mohammed Kudus

Knock

23/11/2025

Randal Kolo Muani

Jaw

23/11/2025

Yves Bissouma

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Lucas Bergvall

Concussion

23/11/2025

Dominic Solanke

Ankle

23/11/2025

Archie Gray

Calf/Shin/Heel

23/11/2025

via Premier Injuries

Arsenal prolonged their unbeaten run against Tottenham to six matches in January this year, having also done the double over Spurs in 2023. The Lilywhites have also failed to chalk up a single victory against their fiercest rivals in three years, with their last win coming at the end of the 2021/2022 season under Antonio Conte.

Harry Kane’s brace and a goal from Son Heung-min handed Spurs a statement 3-0 victory on their run to qualify for the Champions League that year, but that remains their only triumph over Arsenal in their last nine meetings.

While the Emirates Stadium is a notoriously challenging hunting ground for Tottenham, having failed to win there in the top flight since 2011, Frank could actually be relieved this clash will be played out on enemy turf.

Frank’s side have lost three Premier League matches on home soil already this season, and their record at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium over the last 12 months has been abysmal with just four victories to show from 20 home league games.

They haven’t won at home at all in the league since their 3-1 win over newly-promoted Burnley on the opening weekend, leaving them second bottom of the home form table but sitting pretty atop of the away form standings (Footy Stats).

Tottenham will be handed some encouragement by Sunderland’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal just prior to the international break, but it is safe to say they’re up against it on Sunday, with there still being plenty of work to do on Frank’s squad as the Lewis family look to usher in a post-Daniel Levy era.

According to reports, Spurs are in the market for another winger this winter after missing out on Savinho in the summer, with Ademola Lookman believed to be on their radar as one potential signing.

Frank facing 'big blow' at Tottenham after news on Ademola Lookman

The Atalanta winger appeared to be exit bound last summer and even submitted a transfer request, but an exit failed to materialise. Tottenham were repeatedly linked with the Nigerian at the end of the last window, and those links have remained ahead of January.

Lookman bagged 20 goals in all competitions last season and took home 2024’s African Player of the Year award following his stunning performance in the Europa League final that year, which both won Atalanta the tournament and ended Bayer Leverkusen’s historic unbeaten run.

The 28-year-old, who is also out of contract in under two years, would undoubtedly be a superb signing for Spurs and one who can play in many different attacking positions, including as a striker.

However, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke for Football Insider, Frank faces a ‘big blow’ in his pursuit of Lookman, as it is now believed that new Atalanta boss Raffaele Palladino could now convince the player to remain in Italy.

Also, if Spurs were to lodge a bid for Lookman in January, Atalanta would demand a minimum of £50 million to consider selling, despite the player’s contract length.

All of this makes the prospect of a winter transfer to N17 looking more and more difficult for the ‘world-class’ forward, but there are alternatives.

Real Sociedad winger Takefusa Kubo is apparently tempted by the prospect of a move to Tottenham amid Real Sociedad’s dismal start to 25/26, and he has a release clause in his contract, which means Spurs could bypass club talks and go directly to the player.

Move over Moore: Rangers star proved why he's their "best player" vs Dundee

For the first time since February, Rangers have won three successive Scottish Premiership games.

On Sunday, the Gers demolished Dundee 3-0 at Dens, sporting their eye-catching luminous all orange fourth kit; that’s too many kits!

Nicolas Raskin broke the deadlock, heading home James Tavernier’s corner, Mikey Moore slotted home a second soon after before, after an uneventful hour or so, Djeidi Gassama rubber-stamped the points in stoppage time, curling into the top corner.

Danny Röhl’s side go into the international break in fourth, level on points with Hibs, five points below fierce rivals Celtic and 12 adrift of leaders Hearts, who dropped points elsewhere on Sunday.

When Rangers return to action against Livingston in a fortnight, which star can Röhl rely on following his outstanding display in the city of discover?

Mikey Moore's massive moment

Dens Park will always hold a special place in Moore’s heart, given that it is the venue at which he scored his first goal for Rangers.

When Moore joined on a season-long loan from Tottenham, he did so with sky-high expectations, with then-manager Russell Martin labelling him an “outstanding young player” upon his arrival.

However, he really struggled to make an impact under Martin, but in fairness, so did everyone, although he has become more of a regular under Röhl.

Well, he rewarded the new manager with a sparkling display against Dundee, attempting six dribbles, mustering two shots, registering two key passes and putting in a generally impressive display, as per Sofascore.

Speaking during Sky Sports’ Coverage, James McFadden believes that Moore is enjoying a lot more freedom under Röhl, expecting that he’ll get even better in the coming weeks, while Chris Sutton added that he has “flourished” more than any other player since the change of manager.

Thus, the teenager appears set to remain a key figure for Rangers, but which other key member of their squad shone during Sunday’s win?

Rangers star was as impressive as Moore

Martin made many mistakes during his ill-fated and historically short Rangers reign, but falling out with Raskin was arguably his most egregious misstep.

Raskin’s exclusion for home games against Celtic and Hearts, failing to win or score in either, was when supporters began to turn against Martin, a baffling decision considering he was the club’s player of the year last time round, as voted for both by fellow players and fans alike.

Röhl on the other hand has made him a central figure, and Raskin underlined why with a dominant display at Dens, not just scoring but proving dogged, winning 100% of his tackles and winning plenty of duels.

Goals

1

1st

Shots

2

3rd

Big chances missed

1

1st

Accurate passes

53

2nd

Key passes

2

1st

Defensive actions

6

6th

Interceptions

2

2nd

Duels contested

16

1st

Duels won

7

2nd

Touches

73

4th

SofaScore rating

8.4

2nd

As the table documents, Raskin put in a dominant display on Sunday.

He ranked in the top two for a whole host of statistics, including accurate passes, key passes, interceptions and duels contested, heading home his second goal of the season and he very easily could have scored another, denied by Jon McCracken who made seven saves all told.

During Sky Sports’ coverage, Kris Boyd asserted that Raskin is at his best when allowed to be “on the front foot”, believing he can rediscover his “outstanding” form from last season, with Sutton agreeing that he remains “Rangers’ best player”.

John Walker meantime labelled his performances “utterly sensational” earlier this year, expecting that when he does depart, is could well be for a club-record fee.

So, if Rangers harbour any hopes of salvaging this season, both domestically and in the Europa League, Raskin will certainly be a key figure.

Thelwell said he'd "flourish": Rangers flop is on borrowed time under Rohl

Following Rangers’ 2-0 Europa League home defeat to Roma, a summer signing backed to “flourish” by Kevin Thelwell is on borrowed time under Danny Röhl

Nov 8, 2025

White Sox Prospect Gets Base Hit You Need to See to Believe

George Wolkow is a 19-year old outfielder in the White Sox organization, playing for the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers. On Tuesday night he had one of the most unique hits in professional baseball history.

During the bottom of the 1st inning Wolkow came to the plate with no outs and two runners on base. Pitcher Ethan Bagwell did something that made the announcers and some others in the ballpark think a balk should be called, and that might have been why Wolkow started to step back from the plate.

When no call was made, Bagwell threw a pitch down the middle and Wolkow, with his bat only in his left hand, took a swing that you've probably only seen in a game of Wiffle Ball. Whatever motivated Wolkow to swing, he hit the ball and poked it down the right field line past the first baseman.

Wolkow ended up on first with a one-handed RBI single. The way Chicago's season has been going, this is probably the organization's highlight of the year.

Wolkow, a seventh-round draft pick by Chicago in 2023, has 11 home runs on the season. They were all hit using both hands.

Torcedores se decepcionam com ausência de Romário no jogo do América-RJ: 'Fui tapeado'

MatériaMais Notícias

Na estreia do América-RJ na Taça Santos Dumont, os holofotes estavam voltados para a possível reestreia de Romário. No entanto, o camisa 11 não entrou em campo na equipe comandada por Marcus Alexandre.

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➡ A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

Por outro lado, André, que soma passagens por Santos, Vasco e Sport, foi titular e marcou um dos gols da vitória dos Encarnados. E no fim, Romarinho, filho do presidente do clube, entrou em campo para a decepção de muitos torcedores.

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Romário

Yankees Find New Ways to Make Season More Depressing With Blooper-Filled Sequence

The Yankees have been in a tailspin for months and can't pull themselves out of it.

New York is under .500 since mid-June, and a series of deadline acquisitions have not only failed to light a spark in the clubhouse, they have backfired to a nearly comical degree as the players the pinstripes traded for actively contributed to losing games right off the bat. The vibes are so bad even former Yankees are suffering awful strokes of luck; Mariano Rivera tore his Achilles playing in an alumni game this weekend.

And on Sunday, the team found a new way to make the season even more depressing with a brutal blooper-filled fielding sequence.

New York was losing to the visiting Astros, 5-1, in the top of the ninth in a game that already went sideways thanks to Aaron Boone getting ejected in the third while arguing over balls and strikes. With men on second and third with one out, Ramón Urías hit a blooper into shallow left field, which should have resulted in a catch for an out with no runners advancing. It wouldn't have been an easy play, but a very makeable one.

But that isn't how 2025 is going for the Yankees.

What happened instead was three Yankees defenders letting the ball drop between them all. But the lowlights were not done coming. Cody Bellinger, realizing the runner at third had held up while the ball dropped because there was only one out, quickly scrambled to recover and tried to save a run by gunning the ball home. Unfortunately he was unable to do even that, and the ball somehow slipped out of his hands, ending up going a few feet to his right instead of forward in any direction.

In a word: disaster.

It always feels like an over-exaggeration to point to one clip and say it sums up a team's entire season. The MLB schedule is far too long for that to be accurate. And yet… this does seem to sum up the Yankees' season. Or at least the last two months of it.

The Yankees would go on to lose, 7-1, and have dropped seven of the last 10 games. Safe to say there have been happier times in the Bronx.

فيديو | بهجمة نموذجية.. كايو يسجل هدف الإمارات الأول أمام مصر

تقدم منتخب الإمارات على نظيره منتخب مصر، بالهدف الأول في المباراة الجارية الآن بينهما، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس العرب 2025.

ويلتقي منتخب مصر مع الإمارات، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الثانية من مباريات دور المجموعات لبطولة كأس العرب المقامة في قطر.

طالع.. تشكيل منتخب مصر أمام الإمارات في كأس العرب 2025.. ثلاثي هجومي

وجاء الهدف الأول لصالح الإمارات في الدقيقة 60 بعد هجمة مرتدة رائعة، حيث وصلت الكرة إلى لوكاس كايو أمام المرمى ليضعها في الشباك.

ويلعب منتخب مصر المباراة، وهدفه تحقيق الفوز من أجل الاقتراب من التأهل إلى الدور القادم لمنافسات كأس العرب، بعدما كان قد تعادل في لقاء الجولة الأولى أمام الكويت.

ويتواجد منتخب مصر، حاليًا في المركز الثاني من المجموعة الثالثة برصيد نقطة، بينما يتصدر الترتيب منتخب الأردن برصيد 6 نقاط حاسمًا التأهل من المجموعة قبل لقاء الجولة الختامية. هدف الإمارات الأول أمام مصر في كأس العرب

Rangers dud is rivalling Chermiti for being one of Thelwell's worst signings

Glasgow Rangers made two huge decisions on Monday as they announced that both CEO Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell had been removed from their posts at Ibrox.

Chairman Andrew Cavenagh revealed to Sky Sports, in the post below, that the Gers need different people in those two leadership positions moving forward in order for the club to be successful.

The Rangers chief was careful not to throw mud at Stewart and Thelwell for their work at Ibrox, but suggested that it was down to their performance in their respective roles, as he stated that they still aligned with the overarching project.

Given that Russell Martin’s tenure lasted 17 matches and several summer signings do not look up to scratch, it is hard to disagree with the club’s decision to part ways with both of them, particularly Thelwell.

Looking at the list of summer signings in the graphic above, it is easier to pick out the players who have flopped or struggled than it is to pick out the successes from the summer transfer window.

The summer signing that Thelwell may go on to be infamous at Ibrox for is Youssef Chermiti, as he arrived from his former club Everton in a big-money deal.

Why Rangers should not have signed Youssef Chermiti

To preface this, supporters and those at the club will, of course, be hoping that the Portugal U21 international goes on to prove everyone wrong and becomes a consistent goalscorer for the Light Blues.

However, at this moment in time, it looks like a deal that the Scottish giants should not have done, particularly for the reported money that was involved in the move.

Thelwell signed Chermiti for Everton from Sporting in a deal worth up to £15m in the summer of 2023, but he did not score a single competitive goal for the Toffees in two years during his time in England.

Then, after moving to Rangers in April, the sporting director signed the centre-forward for a second time, splashing £8m to bring him to Ibrox, in the most expensive Gers deal since Tore Andre Flo joined for £12m in 2000.

It is fair for supporters to expect a player to make an immediate impact in Glasgow when signed for that kind of money, as Chermiti is the club’s most expensive player in 25 years, but that has not been the case.

The former Everton marksman has scored one goal in 13 appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues, per Sofascore, which shows that the forward has failed to deliver much in the way of quality in the final third.

Starts

4

xG

1.29

Goals

0

Big chances missed

4

Big chances created

0

Assists

0

Pass accuracy

59%

Duel success rate

35%

As you can see in the table above, Chermiti has been incredibly underwhelming in the Europa League so far this season, failing to score from 1.29 xG after starting all four of his appearances in the competition.

The 21-year-old striker’s dismal form for the club so far suggests that Thelwell made a mistake when he signed the forward for £8m, because he has not made the kind of impact that Rangers should expect from such an expensive signing.

Chermiti, though, is not the only one of the summer signings you could argue that Thelwell should not have signed because of their performances in the 2025/26 campaign.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The former Rangers sporting director swooped to bring in Jayden Meghoma on loan from Brentford to bolster Russell Martin’s full-back options, as the ex-Gers boss had worked with the youngster during their time together at Southampton.

Why Rangers should not have signed Jayden Meghoma

During the summer window, Thelwell decided to cash in on the two senior left-back options at Ibrox, selling Jefte to Palmeiras and Ridvan Yilmaz to Besiktas.

Whilst those respective sales were not horrendous decisions in isolation, this issue is that Meghoma was the only signing brought in to replace those two senior players.

4 Lads Had A Dream covered Ally McCoist’s claim that Rangers have “downgraded” across the pitch since last season, and referenced Meghoma in comparison to Jefte as one of the areas in which the team have failed to improve.

It is not the 19-year-old defender’s fault that he has been brought in to be a first-choice option for a team that is expected to win consistently and compete on the European stage, when his experience last season was playing 12 matches on loan at Preston in the English Championship.

Meghoma, unfortunately, does not look ready to be a first-choice left-back at this level at the moment, as evidenced by his statistics in comparison to Jefte’s at Scottish Premiership level.

Appearances

33

9

Key passes per game

1.0

0.7

Assists

4

1

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.3

3.3

Clearances per game

2.9

1.3

Duels won per game

5.5

4.0

Aerial duel success rate

57%

25%

Error led to shot or goal

1

2

As you can see in the table above, the Brazilian defender’s performances in the league last season were far more impressive than what the English teenager has produced in the division this term, offensively and defensively.

These statistics back up the claim that Rangers have “downgraded” by selling Jefte to sign Meghoma on loan, which adds more fuel to the fire surrounding the criticism of Thelwell’s summer recruitment.

Like Chermiti, it seems like Meghoma has been signed to fill a role that he is not ready to fill at this point in his development. They are both young players who have time to develop and improve, but neither of them look ready to be key players for Danny Rohl in the present.

Therefore, the signing of Meghoma was one of Thelwell’s worst clangers of the summer, alongside Chermiti, because he has failed to adequately replace Jefte at left-back, and it remains to be seen if either of them will end up being good enough this season.

Thelwell signing is a bigger waste of time than Chermiti & Miovski at Rangers

This Glasgow Rangers flop is a bigger waste of time this season than both Bojan Miovski and Youssef Chermiti.

ByDan Emery Nov 24, 2025

NZ coach Walter: Kane Williamson 'deserves' time to communicate availability

The New Zealand coach is content to work out flexible agreements with casual contract players

Andrew McGlashan06-Oct-2025Kane Williamson’s availability for New Zealand’s home summer will take a little longer to lock in. However, head coach Rob Walter is content to give a player of his standing the extra time.Williamson, who is one of the group of players to hold a casual contract with NZC, made himself unavailable for the three-match T20I series against Australia, having previously missed the tour of Zimbabwe to play county cricket and the Hundred.The next part of New Zealand’s home season sees them play England in T20Is and ODIs before an all-format visit by West Indies in November.”Kane, we’re still in conversations as to what the summer is going to look like,” Walter told reporters after the Australia series. “He will play, no doubt about that. Just what and where is still in discussion.Related

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“I think the reality is we’re dealing with all the guys on casual contracts, actually in different positions from a playing point of view. Kane is one of those and he deserves the opportunity to sit and talk about what the rest of his year will look like. But I keep coming back to the most important thing, [which] is that he wants to play for his country, and so nutting out exactly what that looks like can take an extra week or two, but surely, he deserves that.”Walter confirmed that New Zealand would continue to be without Finn Allen (foot) and Adam Milne (ankle) for the visit of England while Lockie Ferguson (hamstring) and Glenn Phillips (groin) were unlikely to be fit.However, he was hopeful that white-ball captain Mitchell Santner and Rachin Ravindra, who was a late withdrawal from the Australia series after suffering a facial injury colliding with the boundary boards at training, will have recovered in time for the series which starts on October 18 in Christchurch.Walter was unperturbed about not being able to get his full-strength T20I side together in the build-up to next year’s World Cup.Mitchell Santner is likely to be available again•ICC via Getty Images

“I think we don’t live in an ideal world and so that’s part and parcel of it,” he said. “I’ve been part of a World Cup campaign [with South Africa] where the team assembled at its full strength three days before our first game and that team managed to make a final.”For me, it’s just the way it works. I think what’s more important is the environment and the team culture that sort of assimilates together when it needs to. We do know that by the back end of the India series [in January] prior to the World Cup, that’s when our full World Cup squad will be together.”For me, as long as the guys are playing competitive cricket, that’s important, and almost everyone has been part of the environment at some point so I would assume that they can fit seamlessly back into it.”Should all players be fit and available for the World Cup, there will be some selection squeezes, especially around the pace bowling and top-order batting. Tim Robinson took his chance after Ravindra’s injury to make an impressive hundred in the first match against Australia, while Jimmy Neesham claimed a four-wicket haul in the third game.Australia won the T20I series against New Zealand•Getty Images

“Ultimately when things are operating the way they should, everyone’s not fighting for their position, but understands that competition for places is there,” Walter said. “Ultimately you want your best crop of players in the park and in the squad.”They’re all quality players. At the end of the day, there’s going to be a quality player that’s left out, whoever that may be. As you’ve heard me say many times before, the stronger the player that’s left out, the better the system.”Reflecting on the Australia series, Walter was encouraged by the way his side fought back from 6 for 3 in the opening match and forced a collapse with the ball in the second but conceded they had areas that needed improving before facing England.”There’s little bits [of positives] here and there but, to be fair, we were a little bit off our best game and when you do that against [Australia], who’s won 25 of their last 30 T20 internationals, you’re going to find yourself on the wrong end of the result,” he said.”Some of the areas that we weren’t competitive in are actually quite easy fixes, [they] just require a little bit of extra time on our part…like any loss there’ll be some positives most of the time and then some stuff that you walk away with and understanding that you have to do better as we move forward.”With England arriving, you’ve got a team that’s going to play very similar to how Australia played in the series. So again, we get to check out if we actually have improved in the areas that we’ve identified and spoken about.”

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