It's like 2005 again… spats, niggles and flare-ups but mutual respect
As Joe Root and Zak Crawley went to commiserate with the disconsolate Siraj, it was impossible not to think back to the 2005 Ashes and the moment, seconds after the end of the Edgbaston match of that series, when Brett Lee went to his haunches in similar fashion, to be consoled by Andrew Flintoff. It became the defining image of the summer, much as, one suspects, the final moments of the Lord's Test will become for this one.
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South Wales Guardian
27 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Zoe Aldcroft: World Cup success for England can herald change in women's rugby
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South Wales Guardian
30 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Friday's briefing: Alexander Isak's Newcastle future in the balance
Sarina Wiegman was backed by the Football Association to see out her contract and take England to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. Alexander Isak has told Newcastle he wants to explore a move away from the club, according to reports. Hours after Newcastle confirmed Isak was not part of the Newcastle squad travelling to Asia for pre-season friendlies due to a minor thigh injury it was reported the Sweden striker is keen to leave Tyneside. Isak scored 23 goals last season as Newcastle qualified for the Champions League, and the 25-year-old has been linked with Liverpool in recent weeks. The forward still has three years left on his contract at Newcastle, who he joined in the summer of 2022 from Spanish side Real Sociedad. Welcome to The Arsenal, Cristhian Mosquera 💫 — Arsenal (@Arsenal) July 24, 2025 Arsenal have made Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera their fifth signing of the summer, taking the club's spending to close to £140million. Spaniard Mosquera joins for an initial fee of £13m – with performance-related add-ons – and is understood to have agreed a five-year deal with an option of a further year. The 21-year-old is set to provide cover for William Saliba and Gabriel at the heart of the Gunners' defence, but can also operate anywhere along the backline. 'It means a lot to me,' Mosquera told the club website. 'It's an opportunity that came up and I couldn't let it pass me by. I'm joining a historic, massive club. When you arrive here with your family, you really feel the greatness of this place.' Sarina Wiegman will remain as England boss until the conclusion of her contract, Football Association chief Mark Bullingham has said. Wiegman has led England to their third consecutive major final with Spain – who beat the Lionesses in the World Cup final two years ago – their opponents in the Euro 2025 final on Sunday. England are aiming to defend their Euro 2022 title and Wiegman is signed on until the conclusion of the 2027 World Cup. Bullingham said: '(It won't be) hard at all (to keep her). We are committed to her until 2027, she is committed to us, and we've obviously got a new team to support her. 'We haven't quite started working on 2027, although some of the logistical things we're looking at, but I know that her focus, hopefully after a success on Sunday, will shift quite quickly to 2027.' We are pleased to confirm that Woody Johnson's purchase of Eagle Football's shareholding in the club has now been completed.#CPFC — Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) July 24, 2025 New York Jets co-owner Woody Johnson has completed his purchase of a stake in Crystal Palace. Johnson, a former United States ambassador to the United Kingdom, joins chairman Steve Parish, Josh Harris and David Blitzer as a partner and director of the Eagles, and has also signed the Premier League's Owners' Charter. 'Eagles fans have demonstrated extraordinary loyalty, passion, and unwavering dedication and I am excited to meet and get to know them,' Johnson told the Eagles website. Johnson's arrival at Palace comes with the club in dispute with UEFA over which European competition they will play in next season after winning the FA Cup in May. The Eagles were demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League after falling foul of UEFA's rules governing multi-club ownership, but have submitted an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. We've got a new 🔟 in the building 🇨🇴 Welcome to the pack, @jhonariasa 🐺 — Wolves (@Wolves) July 24, 2025 Wolves have snapped up Fluminense forward Jhon Arias. The 27-year-old moves to Molineux on a four-year deal, with the option of a further 12 months, after helping his former Brazilian side into the last four of the Club World Cup this summer. Colombia international Arias, who was named in the team of the tournament in the United States, becomes Wolves' second signing of the summer after Fer Lopez.
South Wales Argus
40 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
England 'lucky' to have Sarina Wiegman, says FA CEO Bullingham
Since her appointment in 2021, Wiegman has taken the Lionesses to three consecutive finals, having reached the previous two with the Netherlands. It has left Bullingham full of praise for the Dutch manager who has transformed England's fortunes and won the Lionesses' first-ever piece of major tournament silverware in 2022. 'Her record individually is phenomenal. I feel we are lucky to have her - she's been incredible,' he said. 'Her record of managing five tournaments and reaching five finals is phenomenal. I don't believe anyone has been anywhere near that in the past, and it will be really hard to do in the future, so she's a really special coach. 'I also see the work she does with the players, the relationships she builds, the connections she builds are phenomenal. 'She normally, at least looks like, the coolest person in the stadium, and I have no doubt that helps at critical moments.' It comes during a golden era for English football as a whole, with the men's and women's side now making five finals in the past five years. That marks a stark contrast to the preceding 50 years of Three Lions and Lionesses fortunes where both sides struggled to provide such consistency or achievement on the international stage. But England Women will compete for a second consecutive European Championship title when they face Spain in Basel on Sunday as they continue to prove their quality amongst the world's best. 'We're incredibly proud of [our recent record] and of course we still want to drive further,' said Bullingham. 'I have trouble explaining to my kids sometimes that this isn't normal, and I grew up hoping that we'd qualify for tournaments. So, it's a really exciting time to be an England fan.' 'Our hope is that success in this tournament will help inspire more positive momentum for the bid for the 2035 World Cup. 'There are a couple of the younger players here that can still be competing in 2035 and hopefully younger girls across the country will be looking at 2035 and thinking, 'What a fantastic opportunity for me.'' On the women's side much of that success can, of course, be linked to Wiegman's efforts as the Euro 2022 title came just a year after she was first appointed. With the 2027 World Cup in Brazil on the horizon, after the small matter of a final encounter with Spain in Switzerland, Bullingham is certain that the Dutch coach will remain in post. And even beyond that, the FA have no intention of letting their prized asset leave to manage a rival nation. 'She's not for sale at any price at all. We are committed to her until 2027, and she is committed to us. We've got a new team coming in to support her,' he said. 'We haven't quite started working on the plan for 2027, although we have started looking at some of the logistical aspects. 'But I know her focus, hopefully after a win on Sunday, will shift quite quickly to 2027.' Despite Wiegman being in the minority of female coaches at the game, she will take charge opposite Spain's Montserrat Tome in the final. It guarantees that a female coach will win the Euros for an eighth consecutive championship running. But despite their evident quality, there remains a lack of female coaches in the game. Domestically, England also grapple with that disparity in their top league and down and it is an issue the FA are seeking to address, particularly in assisting English coaches into the game. 'One of the unintended consequences of money coming into the Women's Super League is that a lot more male coaches viewed it as a career they wanted to follow,' explained Bullingham. 'We need to make sure the opportunities are out there for female coaches because there is some super talent that just needs that opportunity. 'From an English point of view, obviously we've got Emma [Hayes], Gemma [Grainger], Casey [Stoney] competing at the international level. Of course, we want more of our top talent competing in the club game as well. 'We've rejigged our coaching structures a bit, led by Dan Ashworth, so we have got specific roles that work with the top talent in the men's and women's game because we have the same issue of making sure English talent gets opportunities in the men's game.' But for now, all focus remains on Sunday's final and a rematch of the 2023 World Cup final that saw Spain beat England 1-0. Bullingham will watch on for the culmination of a tournament that has been a true rollercoaster for the Lionesses. 'This team is special. There are definitely moments throughout the tournament where I've thought a few thoughts and uttered a few things,' he said. 'It's been an incredible journey. We want to go to that final stage, but you've got to give tribute to the coaches and players for how they've hauled themselves through in tough moments.'
