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BBC News
14-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Work for top-six finish next season starts now'
Norwich City midfielder Anis Ben Slimane says work towards their aim of finishing in a top-six spot in the Championship next season "starts now".A run of just two wins in the past 12 games (D5 L5) has seen the Canaries' hopes of reaching the play-offs in this campaign drift away.A 2-1 defeat at Burnley on Friday left Johannes Hoff Thorup's side nine points off sixth with only 12 to play for, meaning it is now almost mathematically impossible."We met a team that was better than us and hopefully we can learn from them for the next four games and take that with us to finish off the season really well to be ready for next season because our ambition is definitely to be in the top six," Slimane told BBC Radio Norfolk."Every player has pride. It's not about 'oh, we didn't make it to the top six, now we have nothing to play for really'."No, we've got fans travelling and they come to support us and we have to show them that even though we can't give them top six, we will still work really hard to get three points and make them happy."As a football player, you always have to be ready for the next task and right now it's maybe hard and looks a bit dark."But we need to take the positive things from this season and finish off the season really well with the last four games."We have an ambition to be a top team in this league and that starts from now."Norwich host relegation-threatened Portsmouth on Good Friday, 18 April, before a trip to face play-off chasing Millwall on Easter Monday, 21 April. Listen to Anis Ben Slimane's full interview on BBC Sounds.
BBC News
10-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Sargent 'coming for Sainz' in top goalscorer race
Norwich City forward Josh Sargent has joked that strike partner Borja Sainz is "getting a bit nervous" about being caught in the race to be the club's top goalscorer this scored in the 1-1 draw with Derby on Saturday to take his goal tally to eight for the season - seven behind Sainz, who leads the Championship's overall golden boot race with 24-year-old USA international has netted four goals in five games since returning to the side after missing 14 games following groin surgery."I think he's getting a bit nervous now... " Sargent told BBC Radio Norfolk."No, it's a good competition. I keep telling him every time I score, 'I'm coming for you' - but it's all good fun."If he's scoring or I'm scoring, it doesn't matter as long as we're winning games."Sainz has served a six-game suspension after admitting to spitting at Sunderland's Chris Mepham in December and is eligible to return to the squad for the clash with Preston on Tuesday night."He's been training with us and it's always nice playing with him," Sargent added. "We have a good relationship so it will be good to have him back for sure."
BBC News
27-01-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Stone in 'good situation' to press for Test recall
England fast bowler Olly Stone believes he is in the right physical shape to press his case for a Test recall this 31-year-old was involved in the winter tours to Pakistan and New Zealand after being awarded a central contract, external in October, but did not he is facing competition from the likes of Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson and fit-again duo Mark Wood and Jofra Archer for a place in head coach Brendon McCullum's plans with an Ashes series in Australia just 10 months away."I think everyone knows it's not possible to play every single game of every single series," Stone told BBC Radio Norfolk."With the physical demands of international cricket, there are some people that are freak enough to be able to play all those games, but we know as a unit that we're going to have to rotate."And the fresher people can be, the more chance there is for England to win games - they've always said that if there's a crop of us fast bowlers fit and firing and ready to go to the Ashes down under, especially, it will give us the best chance of hopefully bringing the Ashes home."Stone has taken 17 wickets in five Test appearances but has only come up against Australia in 50-over cricket, with best figures of 4-85 in Melbourne in November is currently playing for Dubai Capitals in the International League T20 tournament in Sharjah, as a way of preparing for his return to red-ball cricket with Nottinghamshire in April."I want to play as much cricket as I can. Thankfully at the moment I'm in a good situation and can make the most of this [opportunity], which leads nicely into pre-season in March," said Stone."You're very fortunate now - if you want to, and you're lucky enough to be picked in the competitions, you can literally play all year round. There's three comps going on at the moment - the IL out here, South Africa and the BBL (Big Bash League)."If you don't get picked up in one, hopefully there's another one or two comps you can fall back on and go and get some experience elsewhere. You have to be savvy with which ones you go to and whether they're going to benefit you as a cricketer, and then wait and see if you get picked up."Back in 2021, Stone contemplated abandoning his hopes of playing Test cricket because of persistent back problems. But the Norwich-born former Northamptonshire and Warwickshire pace bowler is relieved to be free of injuries, which have plagued him for much of his career."I'm in a great place. I've got a good amount of cricket under my belt this winter. Obviously I'd have loved to play a bit more on the Test tours I was on, but just to be a part of that is brilliant for me," he added."Hopefully, come October I get another year or two [on a central contract] and can be a part of it for a little bit longer."It's a weird one - even if you don't get your central contract, it doesn't necessarily mean you're not going to be involved. All it takes is a couple of injuries and before you know it your name's back in the mix."It would be nice to get another one, but I wouldn't treat it as the end of the world if it wasn't to happen."
