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تحدث عاصم صلاح المدرب العام لنادي البنك الأهلي، عن التعادل السلبي أمام الأهلي، بالمباراة التي أقيمت بينهما أمس الأحد ببطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

والتقى البنك الأهلي مع الأهلي، على استاد السلام، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الرابعة من عمر منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز، وانتهى اللقاء بالتعادل السلبي.

وقال عاصم صلاح في تصريحات عبر قناة “صدى البلد”: “الحمد لله على النقطة أمام فريق كبير بحجم الأهلي، لكن سير المباراة كان يفترض أن نخرج بفوز، حتى أمام بيراميدز أهدرنا عدة فرص وفي النهاية خسرنا اللقاء.الجهاز الفني كله بقيادة طارق مصطفى حفظ اللاعبين النادي الأهلي ونجحنا في ذلك، واللاعبون كانوا رجالًا ونفذوا المطلوب منهم”.

طالع أيضاً.. سمير عثمان: هدف الأهلي الملغي ضد البنك الأهلي “صحيح”.. وأوجه التحية لحكم الڤار

هل استفدتم من الأخطاء التحكيمية اليوم في عدم احتساب ركلة جزاء وإلغاء هدف للأهلي؟ أجاب: “أنا أتحدث بحيادية، البنك الأهلي من أكثر الأندية في الدوري المصري تضرراً من التحكيم، ظُلمنا في أكثر من مباراة بالموسم الماضي، وأمام الزمالك تعرضنا لظلم تحكيمي، لكننا عندما نُظلم نقول الأخطاء جزء من اللعبة”.

وأكمل: “نحن نشجع الحكام المصريين لكن نريد أن نأخذ حقنا، نحترم قرارت التحكيم لكن في نفس الوقت يجب أن يكون هناك مساواة بين كل الأندية”.

عن حديث بعض من جماهير الأهلي مع طارق مصطفى عقب المباراة عندما طالبوه بأن يلعب بنفس المستوى أمام الزمالك وليس الأهلي فقط؟ أفاد: “أنا رأيت المشهد، لكن الكابتن طارق يلعب بنفس المستوى أمام كل الفرق، أمام الزمالك أحرجناهم وخسرنا في الدقيقة 95 وكذلك أمام بيراميدز، وهذا دليل على أن البنك الأهلي يلعب بنفس المستوى مع كل الأندية، وطبيعي إننا نشارك ويكون هدفنا الفوز، ليس من الطبيعي أن نلعب ونريد أن نخسر”.

Liverpool have been linked with a sensational move for a Premier League manager according to reports on Thursday morning.

Liverpool see opening offer for Slot rejected

News broke on Wednesday that Feyenoord boss Arne Slot had become the front-runner to replace Jürgen Klopp in the Anfield technical area, after the German revealed that he would be stepping down at the end of the Premier League season.

It could yet be a season that fizzles out, with Wednesday's defeat in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park leaving the Reds three points behind Arsenal and potentially five points behind Manchester City, who they currently lead by a point but have played two games more than.

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Though they lifted the Carabao Cup at Chelsea's expense, it has been far from the ideal swansong season for Klopp, with three defeats in two weeks seeing them crash out of Europe in shock fashion to Atalanta and throw away their advantage atop the Premier League.

Worse still, they have been rebuffed in their initial approach for Klopp's replacement. After both Ruben Amorim and Xabi Alonso ruled themselves out of contention for the role, they appear to have landed on Slot as the next man in on Merseyside.

But, as per The Athletic, the Reds have seen their opening offer for the Feyenoord boss turned down. Liverpool were willing to stump up 9m euros for his services, but the Eredivisie side are thought to be holding out for 15m euros to let their manager leave.

New Liverpool target emerges

Now, in a shock twist it appears that Liverpool may not have all of their eggs in the Slot basket. That is according to Danish media outlet Tipsbladet, who claim that the Reds have held recent talks with Danish Brentford boss Thomas Frank over the imminent vacancy at Anfield.

Frank has long been linked with a move away from Brentford, and the report claims that he is also on Manchester United's shortlist should Erik ten Hag not be in the Old Trafford hotseat next season.

He was also tipped by ex-Watford striker Troy Deeney to join Tottenham back in 2023, with the forward urging the Lilywhites to make a move before they ultimately landed Ange Postecoglou.

"Frank is an outstanding, ambitious and hungry manager", he said. "I know some will say that his Brentford side play a lot of route one football but when they were promoted from the Championship under the Dane they were an excellent footballing side."

Of course, a move for Frank appears unlikely unless a deal for Slot falls through, which is also unlikely to happen over the sake of a few million in compensation. However, as Tottenham showed in their hunt for a manager back in 2021, nothing can be ruled out until the new boss is taking charge of his first training session.

Leeds United are showing strong interest in completing the signing of an international midfielder who caught the eye during the Africa Cup of Nations, according to a new transfer update.

Leeds promotion battle & transfer news

The Whites are right in the thick of a Championship promotion scrap, with two enormous games coming up to finish their season, away to Queens Park Rangers on Friday night and at home to Southampton a week on Sunday.

Daniel Farke's side are currently in second place in the table, but third-place Ipswich Town have a game in hand, meaning destiny is in their hands when it comes to automatic promotion.

Should Leeds go up to the Premier League, it will immediately allow them a far better chance of signing top-quality players this summer, but on the flip side, failure could see some key figures leave, such as Crysencio Summerville.

The Whites have been linked with plenty of potential signings of late, however, with West Ham defender Ben Johnson emerging as a target. The Englishman is expected to leave the London Stadium on a free transfer at the end of the season, rather than sign an extension. He is seen as a possible replacement for Stuart Dallas in the summer window, with his versatility allowing him to shine in several roles on both flanks.

Elsewhere, Leeds are thought to have held talks with the agent of Belgium international and former Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi, in what could be an audacious piece of business.

Leeds want to sign Serie B midfielder

According to an update from Football Scotland, Leeds are showing strong interest in signing Cremonese midfielder Charles Pickel in the summer, but they are far from alone in the race .

"There is serious interest in the player's services from clubs in the English Championship, including Leeds and Preston. Celtic would be Pickel's preferred destination but it remains to be seen if they will firm up any interest for a summer swoop."

Pickel may not be a huge name who is going to be a game-changer for Leeds, but he has pedigree in his own right, with journalist Salim Masoud Said admitting that he "really enjoyed watching" him at AFCON, where he made six appearances in total, enjoying an 86.9% pass completion rate and averaging 1.3 tackles per game.

The 26-year-old has now won 12 caps for DR Congo, having switched his allegiances from Switzerland as a youngster, as well as racking up 33 appearances in Serie A throughout his career. Pickel has helped Cremonese to fourth place in Serie B as things stand, having suffered relegation from the top flight in 2022/23, but he may now have eyes on a move elsewhere.

Leeds hit jackpot selling academy star who'd be worth £23m in 2024 money

The Whites struck gold with the talented midfielder who has enjoyed a fantastic career.

ByDan Emery Apr 25, 2024

Regardless of whether Leeds are in the Premier League or Championship next term, they should look to strike a deal for the defensive midfielder, who could provide strong competition in the middle of the park.

Celtic have a chance to book a place in the final of the SFA Cup on Saturday as they face Aberdeen at Hampden Park in the semi-finals of the competition.

The Hoops turn their attention away from the Scottish Premiership, in which they currently sit top of the tree, for this clash with the Dons in Glasgow this weekend.

They won 3-0 against St Mirren in their last game, which came in the league, thanks to goals from Reo Hatate, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Adam Idah.

However, Brendan Rodgers could rotate his team and offer opportunities to other players to ensure that he makes the most of his squad ahead of the run-in to the end of the season.

Therefore, the Northern Irish head coach could make some changes to the starting XI that was selected against St Mirren last time out, and here is FFC's predicted Celtic lineup to take to the field on Saturday.

1 Joe Hart

Starting off between the sticks, Joe Hart has been the manager's first-choice throughout the season and should start once again in goal as he looks to cap off his playing career with another cup trophy.

2 Alistair Johnston

At right-back, Alistair Johnston should start and look to provide an attacking threat down the flank, as he has done in recent weeks with his superb crossing ability.

He has provided four assists in his last seven league appearances for Celtic and will be looking to supply the forwards with quality service into the box.

3 Cameron Carter-Vickers

Celtic's man mountain at the back, Cameron Carter-Vickers, should start and command the backline with his towering presence to the left of Johnston.

The USA international has won 69% of his duels across 21 appearances in the Premiership this season, which speaks to how dominant he is against opposition players in physical battles.

4 Maik Nawrocki

Former Legia Warsaw star Maik Nawrocki could be handed another opportunity to impress at the heart of the defence next to Carter-Vickers, after his start against St Mirren.

The Polish defender, who started in place of the injured Liam Scales, won five of his seven duels and completed 93% of his attempted passes in 64 minutes last time out.

5 Greg Taylor

Alexandro Bernabei's departure in March has left Greg Taylor as the only natural, senior, left-back option for Rodgers, which is why he should start once again against Aberdeen.

6 Callum McGregor

The first change to the starting XI could come at the base of the midfield, with captain Callum McGregor returning to the lineup to replace Tomoki Iwata.

Recently returning from an Achilles injury, the Scotland international could be selected for his leadership in the middle of the park for this big semi-final clash at Hampden.

Iwata also did his chances of retaining his place in the XI few favours against St Mirren as he lost three of his five duels, failed to create any chances, and made just one tackle with zero interceptions.

7 Paulo Bernardo

Another alteration to the lineup could come in midfield next to McGregor. Hatate, who scored last time out with a sumptuous outside the foot finish, is recently back from injury and could be rotated out for Paulo Bernardo.

The Portuguese midfielder, who is on loan from Benfica, has two goals and one assist in his last four appearances for club and country in all competitions.

He could, therefore, provide an attacking spark from midfield, to replace the Japan international, and that would allow Rodgers to give Hatate a rest, rather than overworking him after his calf injuries.

8 Matt O'Riley

Matt O'Riley should keep his place in the middle of the park as he has been a terrific performer for Celtic throughout the campaign and could be the match-winner.

The Denmark international has produced a stunning 13 goals and 11 assists in 32 Premiership appearances this season, which shows that the left-footed magician has the quality to cause huge problems for opposition defences with his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

9 Nicolas Kuhn

On the right side of the attack, Nicolas Kuhn should keep his place in the starting XI as the January signing from Austrian side Rapid Wien has been in superb form of late.

The German winger has scored one goal, provided two assists, made 11 key passes, and created four 'big chances' in his last five appearances for the club in all competitions, and could look to be a creator for his team on Saturday.

10 Adam Idah

The third alteration to the lineup could come in the number nine position as Norwich City loanee Adam Idah could be selected ahead of Kyogo Furuhashi.

Idah, whose ability has been described as "incredible" by Rodgers, has produced two goals and one assist in his last three appearances off the bench for the Hoops, with goals against Rangers and St Mirren in the last two outings.

Whereas, Kyogo had one goal, zero assists, and three 'big chances' missed as a starter in those three matches, which suggests that the Bhoys could improve their team by dropping the Japanese forward to unleash the Ireland international in his place.

The 6 foot 3 centre-forward has scored seven goals and provided two assists in ten league outings for the Scottish giants so far, and could be handed the chance to fire Celtic to a cup final as a starter against Aberdeen on Saturday.

Lazio have cooled down their interest in James Rodriguez as they have deemed the ex-Real Madrid star to be too old.

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Rodriguez is a free agentLooking to return to EuropeLazio rule out signing himWHAT HAPPENED?

Rodriguez has recently demonstrated that he still possesses significant talent and drive. During the Copa America, he played a pivotal role in leading the Colombian national team to a commendable second-place finish and his performances throughout the tournament were a testament to his enduring skill and passion for the game. He also earned the Copa America 2024 best player award for his six assists during the tournament – which is a competition record.

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Rodriguez has reportedly terminated his contract with Sao Paulo and is reportedly geared up to return to European football. Given his recent form, it is expected that several clubs across Europe will be interested in securing his services. However, Lazio will not be among them, as the Serie A club's sporting director, Angelo Fabiani, believes that Rodriguez, at 33 years old, may not have the physical capacity to perform consistently at the highest level in Italy's top league.

WHAT ANGELO FABIANI SAID

In a chat with the club's official radio, Fabiani said: "Excellent player, but he's over 33 and in recent seasons, in his club teams, he's played a maximum of 10-12 games."

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Meanwhile, Rayo Vallecano are looking to make a significant splash in the transfer market by targeting Rodriguez, according to . The club, led by chairman Martín Presa, are celebrating their centenary this year and aim to commemorate the milestone with a marquee signing.

Securing Rodriguez's signature will not be an easy task for Rayo. The club acknowledges the financial complexities involved in the deal, especially with several other Spanish teams including Celta, also interested in the Colombian playmaker.

Erik ten Hag has ripped into his players following Manchester United's defeat to Rosenborg in pre-season.

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Man Utd stunned by RosenborgMix of youth and experience on pitchTen Hag unhappy with performanceWHAT HAPPENED?

Premier League giants Manchester United kicked off their pre-season campaign against Danish side Rosenborg. They fielded some experienced players such as Casemiro, Jonny Evans, Mason Mount and Marcus Rashford while a few fresh faces including Radek Vitek and Ethan Williams were also involved. The Red Devils lost 1-0 with what was virtually the last kick of the game, sparking a frosty assessment from Ten Hag post-match.

AdvertisementGetty WHAT TEN HAG SAID

Speaking to MUTV, Ten Hag said: "The result is not secondary. Our performance as a team is by far not good enough. This is not the standard for top football. We can’t be match fit at this moment. They have a much higher fitness level but we are Manchester United we must perform better."

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Many fans will say the result is irrelevant in pre-season, but as Ten Hag pointed out, a team like Man Utd should always be pushing to beat the opposition. The performance will not paint a picture of how the Red Devils will set up when the season starts, but the Dutchman was clear that there are still a significant number of improvements to be made.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

Man Utd will continue their tour ahead of the 2024-25 campaign on 20 July with a trip to Murrayfield to face Rangers. After that, Ten Hag and Co will head to the US to play Arsenal, Real Betis and arch-rivals Liverpool.

Ahead of his second summer transfer window in charge of the club, Ange Postecoglou will look to make his mark once more on Tottenham Hotspur, which could see a midfield reinforcement arrive.

Tottenham transfer news

The Lilywhites have already been linked with a number of players ahead of the summer, with Pedro Neto and Jarrard Branthwaite at the forefront of that. Those in north London will hope to take advantage of Everton's financial situation to win the race for Branthwaite's signature. Daniel Levy has, of course, proven his willingness to back Postecoglou since last summer and could do so again in the coming months.

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As things stand, Spurs are yet to fully cement their place in the Premier League's top four under the former Celtic boss, with surprise package Aston Villa keeping them and others out. If the north London club end the season without Champions League qualification once more, then the pressure will undoubtedly be on Postecoglou to get the summer transfer window right.

That could include matters on the departure front, too, with the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg potentially getting a move away having already been linked with departing in the past. If the midfielder is on his way out, then Spurs will need a replacement – and that's where Morten Hjulmand could come in.

According to Portuguese outlet Record (via Sport Witness), Spurs are building towards a move for Hjulmand after scouting the Sporting CP midfielder in the last few weeks. Club officials were reportedly in attendance for Sporting's last game – a Taca de Portugal semi-final clash against Benfica – as Hjulmand played a part in his side's 2-1 victory to take a first-leg lead.

Sporting will reportedly prove to be tough negotiators, however, given that they're currently not interested in selling the 24-year-old amid the prospect of already losing star striker Viktor Gyokeres this summer.

"Leader" Hjulmand can replace Hojbjerg

As one Dane potentially departs, another could arrive at Spurs this summer as the Lilywhites look to replace Hojbjerg. The former Southampton man was linked with a move away in January before failing to seal a departure. Giving Spurs time to find a replacement, they now look likely to turn to Hjulmand, who has proven this season that he is perfectly capable of stepping into his compatriot's boots.

Stats (Via FBref)

Morten Hjulmand

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg

Tackles won

24

13

Interceptions

15

11

Blocks

21

18

Aerial duels won

12

6

What's more, Hjulmand is still just 24 years old and should be on the verge of entering his best years as a midfielder, meaning that there's no better time for Spurs to strike than this summer. It is a rise that Zach Lowy certainly saw coming, having praised the midfielder last year as a fine "leader", posting on X:

That said, as the summer transfer window approaches, Hjulmand will be one to watch with Spurs seemingly building towards their move for the midfielder.

Sunderland will go into tomorrow night's fixture with Leicester City desperate to pick up a victory against the Foxes, with the Black Cats in a dire situation currently in the Championship.

Ditching Michael Beale as Sunderland boss hasn't really fixed any of the issues on Wearside to the dismay of the Stadium of Light masses, as Mike Dodds finds himself winless from his opening two games back as interim boss in the hot seat.

Sunderland have since sunk to tenth in the second-tier rankings under Dodds as a result, with any forthcoming win, no matter the scoreline, sufficing as long as more points are back on the board for the faltering Black Cats.

Table-topping Leicester won't be a walk in the park obviously, but with three defeats from their last four, Sunderland could look to capitalise on Enzo Maresca's men wobbling.

With that in mind, here is what Dodds' predicted lineup could look like as a result, with two possible changes from the 1-0 Norwich City defeat last match…

1 GK – Anthony Patterson

Anthony Patterson is more than secure with his starting spot in between the sticks at Sunderland, having played every minute of action in the Championship this season.

Picking up eight clean sheets along the way, Patterson will want to shut out Leicester on the way to a big win tomorrow night.

2 RB – Trai Hume

Trai Hume is also one of the first names on the teamsheet at the moment, regularly picked in defence by Mowbray and Beale before Dodds was thrust into the spotlight once more as a short-term boss.

Dodds has stuck by Hume as his starting right-back for good reason, with the Northern Irish star winning two duels as a lively presence against the Canaries last match even as his team fell to another defeat.

3 CB – Daniel Ballard

The first change to the eleven that lost narrowly to Norwich 1-0 last game could see Daniel Ballard return to the XI, the former Arsenal youngster out of Sunderland's last two games owing to a two-match suspension for accumulating ten yellow cards.

Jenson Seelt has competently filled in as a result of Ballard's absence – the Dutchman making four tackles in total at Carrow Road – but the 24-year-old centre-back should come back into the side regardless to add more steel to a leaky defence.

Described as "stunning" by football journalist Josh Bunting towards the start of the season, Ballard will be raring to go if selected tonight.

4 CB – Luke O'Nien

Luke O'Nien will partner Ballard at the heart of defence in this potential XI, the former Wycombe Wanderers man strong for large portions of this campaign so far battling bravely from centre-back.

The Sunderland captain won all but one of his duels in the 1-0 defeat to Norwich, alongside coming away from the loss with a respectable 89% passing accuracy playing out from the back.

With Ballard back by his side, O'Nien could well keep Maresca's men at bay to help his side pick up their first win since overcoming Plymouth Argyle 3-1 in mid-February.

5 LB – Leo Hjelde

January recruit Leo Hjelde has allowed Sunderland to rest easy about who should be picked at left-back, with Niall Huggins and Dennis Cirkin still stricken by injury.

Hjelde shone in the 1-0 loss to the Canaries to further justify being the starting left-back, winning 100% of his aerial duels when asserting himself into the tight contest alongside notching up one key pass for his troubles when venturing forward at Carrow Road.

6 CDM – Dan Neil

Dodds could well look to switch up the formation for his side's home tussle with Leicester tomorrow, reverting back to a 4-1-4-1 look potentially with Dan Neil well suited to take up the holding midfield role subsequently.

Neil was poor last time out at the Stadium of Light – with zero successful dribbles from the centre of the park against Swansea City – and so will look to put in a far more polished display when the Foxes come to town.

7 RM – Callum Styles

Callum Styles' versatility should see him start again versus Leicester, another of Sunderland's January buys given the nod to play again alongside former Leeds man Hjelde.

Able to play centrally and at full-back if required alongside filling in down the wing, Styles will stick it out down the right-hand side in this potential XI.

Successful with 100% of his dribble attempts against Norwich, the adaptable Hungary international also proved to be useful when tracking back with two clearances and a blocked shot next to his name from a positive 74 minutes in Norfolk.

8 CM – Jobe Bellingham

Starting as a striker at Carrow Road, Jobe Bellingham will feel far more at home playing in midfield again versus Leicester if the formation is tweaked tomorrow night.

Bellingham failed to muster up a single shot on Angus Gunn's goal last match when played up top, with Dodds now hoping that his teenage hotshot excels in a more familiar role against the Foxes.

9 CM – Pierre Ekwah

Pierre Ekwah will remain in a midfield spot to partner Bellingham against Leicester, with the former West Ham United youth player doing enough against Norwich to stay in Dodd's starting eleven plans.

Only misplacing four of his 59 passes at Carrow Road, Ekwah will just hope he remembers to pack his shooting boots against the Foxes after firing three off-target efforts at Gunn's goal last match.

10 LM – Romaine Mundle

Romaine Mundle has shown flashes of his quality since joining from Standard Liege in the January transfer window, with Dodds wanting the new Sunderland 14 to somehow fill the hole left behind by Jack Clarke being injured to unlock Leicester.

Winning five ground duels against David Wagner's hosts last game, on top of testing Gunn with two shots, the ex-Tottenham Hotspur youth product will hope to play a key role in his new employers picking up a much-needed win tomorrow.

Barcelona have confirmed the signing of Ewa Pajor from Wolfsburg despite Manchester United having been heavily linked with a move.

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Barcelona confirm signing of Ewa PajorWolfsburg looked to make the sale this summerMan Utd also wanted to sign the strikerWHAT HAPPENED?

Barcelona confirmed the signing of the Polish striker from the Bundesliga Frauen side and have signed the 27-year-old to a three-year deal until the summer of 2027. The Catalan side opened talks with the Wolfsburg striker last month as they looked to replace the departing striker Asisat Oshoala.

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Marc Skinner's Manchester United had been heavily linked with the striker after Wolfsburg were looking to work some departures following a poor season in Germany. However, the Poland striker prefered a move to the back-to-back Champions League winners as she looks to make a charge for her first European title.

DID YOU KNOW?

Barcelona reportedly had to trigger Pajor's €500,000 (£426,000/$532,000) to sign her from Wolfsburg as they weren't ready to negotiate the Polish striker's sale. The reported figure will make her the most expensive sale in Frauen-Bundesliga history.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR PAJOR?

The Polish striker will now join Barcelona's pre-season once they decide on who their coach will be following the departure of Jonatan Giraldez to NWSL side Washington Spirit.

Watch Jackson Bird bowl in Australia and most swiftly reach a similar conclusion: perfect for England. Tall, accurate and generating bounce and movement both ways, he has long been among the most consistent performers down under, as demonstrated by his recurring presence around the fringes of the Test team in a decidedly strong era for pacemen.Take Bird some 20 hours’ flying time to the other side of the world, however, and his seemingly well-grooved skills have tended to desert him. He struggled for impact in his one Test here, at Durham in 2013, and two county stints in 2015 and 2016 at Hampshire and Nottinghamshire tallied 34 wickets in 11 games at an average near enough to 40, while also giving up more than 3.5 runs per over.Nevertheless, Bird has continued to front up, earning a berth on the Australia A tour and thus a chance at Ashes selection by hoarding 50 wickets at 22.22 for Tasmania in 2018-19, after 37 at 21.81 the previous summer. Ahead of the internal trial match between two Australian sides that will provide the selectors with the final information they need to cut 25 players down to 16, Bird knows he is duelling for, at best, one remaining bowling spot with the likes of Peter Siddle, Chris Tremain and Michael Neser. When he takes the Dukes ball in Southampton, he will do so with the words of no less a Dukes exponent than Stuart Broad in his mind – they are worth recounting for all of Australia’s Ashes aspirants. “I’m probably not trying to swing the ball as much as I used to,” Bird said. “I’ve fallen into the trap over here a couple of times when I’ve come and played county cricket as well, to just focusing on swinging the ball rather than bowling the right length and I think that’s what’s cost me really.”I’ve spoken to a lot of guys that have played cricket over here, in either Ashes or guys I’ve played with, guys like Stuart Broad and stuff like that, and they just say you’ve got to bowl the right length that’s going to hit the top of the stumps or hit the knee roll [on the pad] and if the conditions suit it will swing anyway.”That’s all I’m trying to focus on doing and I think in the spells where I’ve bowled a bit full or been too expensive it is probably for that reason, so the spells that I’ve bowled well in I’ve been hitting the wicket and hitting the top of the stumps – it’s a good blueprint going forward.”The memories Bird has accumulated from numerous England trips should give him a decent chance of squeezing into the Ashes squad, although he was realistic about the fact that while many of the group assembling in Southampton on Thursday were already nailed on, he was very much in the group on the edge of things.”I assume there’s probably only one spot available, if that, for the fast bowlers, so I’m enjoying my time over here,” Bird said. “We’ve got a good bunch of guys that have had a good couple of weeks in this Aussie A stuff and we’re all looking forward to getting down to Hampshire.”I felt pretty good, I think I’ve improved from Arundel last week, so made a couple of good strides over the last week. I probably went for a couple of runs in my first spell but I thought I brought that back nicely and bowled a good spell in the middle of the day and, yeah, was pretty happy with the hit-out.”Anytime you come up against a Lions team, it’s a good hit-out, and this game was no different. There were a couple of guys in their Test squad against Ireland that were playing, so it’s good to bowl to a few of their batters who are on the fringe as well, in case they do get picked in the Test squad and you do play against them, at least you’ve got a bit of experience against them. You can never take that too lightly.”Frustration at Cricket Australia over the quality of county opposition rolled out for warm-up games on previous Ashes tours has manifested itself in the pitting of the two Australian sides against one another in Southampton next week. While the selection of the teams is a mystery, Bird revealed that the groups will be training separately, a likely necessity due to the sheer size of the group otherwise.”We don’t really know what the teams are going to be and how they’re going to pick the teams so that’ll be interesting to see what happens there in the next couple of days,” Bird said. “I think we’ve got a bit of an idea of what’s going to happen, I think were training separately and stuff like that, so we’ll at least try and make this game as competitive as possible.”It’s the only red ball hit-out for a couple of the guys that have been playing in the World Cup. I think those games can drag on a bit if they’re not taken too seriously so hopefully it’s 100% the whole time.”And with all players and staff crammed into the one hotel, that could make for some intriguing dynamics at the breakfast bar, among other places. “It might be a team rule, can’t fraternise with the opposition!” Bird joked. “It’ll be pretty funny I reckon, especially after a couple of weeks on tour, there’s going to be a few blokes who’ll cop it from other blokes I reckon, airing a bit of their grievances over the tour. It’ll be good fun.”