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PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino says Lionel Messi was substituted “as a precaution” after the striker was withdrawn at half-time of Friday’s match with Lille.

Eyebrows were raised when Pochettino opted to replace the Argentine superstar with Mauro Icardi at the break with PSG trailing 1-0, meaning Messi has yet to hit the target in Ligue 1 for his new club.

PSG managed to turn the game around in the second half but only just, with Marquinhos levelling on 77 minutes before Angel di Maria hit the winner with two minutes left.

What was said?

Speaking about his decision to take off Messi, Pochettino told Amazon Prime:  “We have to wait. We spoke with the doctor. It’s a precaution. He couldn't go on, but it's not a big issue. He will be available for the next game."

Asked whether playing with a number nine like Icardi suited the team batter, Pochettino added: “I don't think that was the problem in the first half. It's just that Lille knows us well. We weren't good enough to feed our offensive players and have control of the game. But I don't think it's a single player or a position that changes everything.

"Overall I think we deserved to win. It's an option to play (a three-man defence next time), to find different ways to play. We can adapt to this system. But it's good to be flexible. Sometimes the starting plan doesn't work and I'm happy to have that option for players with different characteristics. But we have to keep working on it.”

The bigger picture

There were understandably sky-high expectations when Messi made the dramatic move to Paris following his release by Barcelona over the summer.

But Friday’s blank against Lille has made it five league appearances without a goal for the 34-year-old, even if injury curtailed his evening on this occasion.

The only goals so far have come in the Champions League – a double in the 3-2 win over RB Leipzig and the critical second goal in last month’s win against Manchester City.

Pochettino does not seem to concerned with Messi’s form and it has certainly has not hampered their ability to pick up results. Despite not being at their fluent best at times so far, PSG have won 10 out of their 12 league matches to open up a 10-point lead at the top the table.

Further reading  

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says he has sympathy for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and says Manchester United managers come under twice as much pressure.

The under-fire Norwegian is facing increased speculation over his future after the 5-0 defeat to Liverpool and with United struggling in seventh in the Premier League.

Guardiola, who took a year out after leaving Barcelona, knows about the intensity surrounding coaching top clubs.

What's been said?

"At United, everything that happens is doubled," he told a news conference ahead of City's game with Crystal Palace on Saturday. "The influence of them, like Liverpool, they are the greatest teams in England for many years. When it happens, their victories are double, defeats are double, of course, it’s not a surprise.

"If I don’t have good results, I’ll be treated the same. Every manager. Nobody can survive bad results, no one. So expectations are so high at United, you have to win.

"For a long time the team didn't win the Premier League, they do and they work to get results in terms of titles because their history demands it. When I took over Barcelona, I knew it, I had to win otherwise another manager will be in this position.

"I’m saying the most obvious things that everyone knows. And in that moment that it happened I’m pretty sure Ole is surrounded by people, family, the staff to be close to them and try to win the next game. There are no more secrets than that."

The bigger picture

United's board has been consistently strong in their backing of Solskjaer and club sources maintain that while the situation hasn’t changed for now there is an acceptance that there is ‘a lot to do’ to turn the season around.

Guardiola's side travel to Old Trafford just before the international break and a win for City would increase the pressure on Solskjaer even further.

However, he has one of the best records of any manager against Guardiola, having won four and drawn one of their eight encounters.

Ahead of that though, United have difficult trips to Tottenham in the Premier League and Atalanta with their Champions League group stage qualification far from certain.

A win for City at home to Club Brugge would leave them on the verge of reaching the last-16 for a ninth successive season.

Further reading

Reading defender Baba Rahman has urged the club to fight for three points when they face Bournemouth in the EFL Championship on Saturday.

The two clubs are set for a showdown at Car Leasing Stadium on matchday 15 of the English second tier.

The Royals seek a return to winning ways, having suffered a 2-0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers in their last game.

“It’s an important game coming up. We know it’s going to be tough – we’ve had a week of training, and now we’re looking forward to the game,” Baba said ahead of Saturday’s fixture as reported by his club’s official website .

“We need to get back to winning ways. That would boost our confidence a lot. We have to take it game by game and give our all on Saturday.

“I was expecting ups and downs in the Championship, even before I arrived. Seasons ago, I would see the Championship table – and a team that is at the top can lose a game and suddenly they are in the middle.

“You can win one game and be in the play-offs or lose one game and drop down. So we just have to get consistency. This game on Saturday should be a good game for us and we will fight for the three points!”

Baba has so far featured in nine matches for Reading since signing on loan in June.

The 27-year-old has started in each of the matches he has played as he continues to build a connection with the Royals family.

“I think it’s important for fans to know how you feel, and to express yourself to the fans!” Baba added.

“I am just trying my best to keep in touch with fans, and to show them that the love they show to us on the pitch is not going in vain.

“When I play a game, sometimes it is difficult for me to go to sleep… so I just try to engage some of the fans how they are doing and how they felt.

“It’s really nice. I’m liking how positive they are and how they motivate me!”

Baba joined Reading from parent club Chelsea.

Ghana and Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu has described his rise to the Premier League as a dream come true.

Only four years ago, the defender found himself playing football back home in Ghana.

A few years on, his fortunes have seen a significant change as he graces arguably the best football league in the world.

“This is a dream come true – playing in the sand without boots and ending up here in the Premier League, I am very proud of what I have achieved in my life,” Salisu told Southampton TV.

“I always dreamed of becoming a footballer since I was a child.

“I used to play on the sand pitches with no boots. I always want to play football even when my parents wanted me to go to school. My mum took my shoes and spoilt them because I didn’t go to school.

“Especially my mum, she is very proud. I remember she sometimes cry because of me when I don’t go to school because she always pays the money but I don’t go to school. But now she is a happy woman and she is very proud.”

Salisu joined Southampton at the start of last season and so far this campaign, he has made nine appearances in the elite division for the Saints, starting in all but one of the games.

In the League Cup, the 22-year-old has a goal to his name, having netted in a 2-2 draw with Sheffield United earlier this month.

In 2017, Salisu left Ghanaian fold African Talent Academy for Spain, signing for La Liga club Real Valladolid. He initially joined the White and Violets’ youth side before making his senior breakthrough in the 2019-20 season.

Having impressed in just his first season of professional football, the centre-back attracted the attention of French fold Stade Rennes and reportedly Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United but ultimately opted for Southampton.

His first season in England was blighted by injuries, restricting him to only 12 league appearances.

The Accra-born defender is yet to be capped by Ghana at international level, having rejected all call-ups so far.

Ted Lasso has taken the world by storm, sweeping the 2021 Emmys and garnering worldwide critical acclaim and praise.

The show has quickly become a classic and beloved feel-good comedy, telling the tale of an NFL coach – Ted Lasso – as he tries to take the reins of Premier League side AFC Richmond despite having no experience coaching an English soccer team.

So, is Ted Lasso based on real-life events? Goal takes a look.

Is Ted Lasso based on a true story?

Ted Lasso is not based on a true story, but the show does draw from real-life inspirations.

The show was initially conceived by stars Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt – who play Lasso and Coach Beard, respectively – over 20 years ago, when the pair were performing as improv comedy troupe Boom Chicago. After a visit to Amsterdam where Beard became enamoured by the sport of football, Sudeikis bought a PlayStation for the duo to play FIFA on.

As per the LA Times: "At the time no American had managed a major team in Europe outside of a video game, leading Sudeikis and Hunt to wonder what the transition might look like if an NFL coach gave it a try."

Sudeikis and Hunt's creation became realised several years later, when NBC Sports used the idea and story of Ted Lasso as part of an advertising campaign after they acquired the rights to broadcast Premier League games in 2012.

The broadcaster was unsure of how receptive their American audience would be to the Premier League, and so they used the character of Ted Lasso as their television spot to introduce their viewers to the English sport. The premise of the original advertisement is the same as the show: Lasso, an American NFL coach, gets hired to coach a Premier League side – Tottenham Hotspur, in this case – based on no prior experience or knowledge of the game. Naturally, Lasso is fired after just a few days, but this does not deter his enthusiasm, charisma and positive attitude.

The advert, done in a mockumentary style similar to The Office, was a huge hit in America and garnered over 250 million views on YouTube.

"The whole story of that first commercial was that he gets hired to coach a professional soccer team, and he gets fired three days later, and we just thought it would be funny if he wasn’t cynical or angry about that, that he just loved the experience and he loved London and he loved soccer, and that he brought that home with him," Sudeikis told Entertainment Weekly.

Lasso's inability to understand the simplified rules of English football as an American – offsides, no play-offs, the concept of draws – was a tool to familiarise U.S. audiences with the sport.

A few years later, Sudeikis' then-partner Olivia Wilde suggested the idea of turning the NBC advertisement into a television show.

“After doing the second video (in 2014), it really unlocked elements of the character that we found very, very fun to write and portray and view the world through," Sudeikis told Sports Illustrated. "So, one day in 2015, my partner Olivia came up to me and said, ‘You know, you should do Ted Lasso as a show,’ and I said, ‘I don’t know,’ but then after marinating on it, I thought maybe this could happen.”

Lasso met with Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence to pitch the idea of Ted Lasso as a television show, and the rest is history – with Lawrence now an executive producer on the series.

Inspirations behind Ted Lasso

Ted Lasso draws from several real-world aspects, with Sudeikis admitting that he was inspired by a few real-life Premier League managers - including the likes of Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola.

"Man. When I heard about [Klopp] taking his squad to go do karaoke, I was like, 'Hellooooo, story idea,'" Sudeikis told the Sports Illustrated.

Sudeikis was also inspired by his high school basketball coach, his own father, and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.

"That’s where the mustache comes from and him being real loquacious," Sudeikis told The Today Show. 

"And then, my high school basketball coach, Donny Campbell — a fellow from a small town in Kansas who spoke in those little aphorisms, like 'Sudeikis, you look more nervous than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.'"

The character of Roy Kent has reportedly been inspired by Man Utd icon Roy Keane. The club that Lasso manages, AFC Richmond, is not a real team, but is claimed to have drawn its inspiration from Crystal Palace. Both clubs are situated in London, with both donning the colours of red and blue.

More Ted Lasso news

The feeling for Taiwo Awoniyi after Florian Badstubner’s final whistle at Stuttgart must have been bittersweet. 

Even though he netted his seventh league goal of the campaign, Union Berlin were denied their first-ever victory at the Mercedes-Benz Arena due to Wahid Faghir’s deflected stoppage-time equaliser. 

In addition to that disappointment for the Nigeria international, the late leveller denied Union a fourth Bundesliga win on the trot—which would have set a new club record for a side still finding their feet in Germany’s top flight. 

Nine games in, and Urs Fischer’s men sit in fifth spot — one point and a place outside the Champions League spots — with their so-far decisive summer arrival at the forefront of an unanticipated start, despite last season’s seventh-place finish. 

Awoniyi’s form since switching to Union permanently was unforeseen. Granted, he desired to put down roots somewhere and Berlin was a sensible destination after leaving Liverpool in the summer.

However, no one foresaw this amazing run that has seen him flourish and hit the ground running.

Seven goals in the opening nine games is already higher than his tally from the entirety of last season. 

His early-season Bundesliga haul strikingly betters his return from the last two seasons combined. Whether this is a purple patch or otherwise is up for debate, but anyone contributing to more than half of his team’s goals is worthy of acclaim.

Awoniyi has netted seven of Union’s 13 Bundesliga goals, with another two of the Berlin outfit’s five coming in their maiden European campaign in the Europa Conference League. 

This has seen him rewarded with a Nigeria call-up, despite Gernot Rohr’s previous reluctance.

“We can only bring three centre forwards, we have already [Victor] Osimhen, we have Paul Onuachu, we have [Terem] Moffi who is doing well in Lorient and we even have Kelechi [Iheanacho],” the Super Eagles boss stated in early September. 

“So, which one do you want me to bring out to put in Awoniyi?” 

While the frontman’s eventual debut didn’t go according to plan — he missed Nigeria’s best opportunity in their defeat by the Central African Republic — his stock has continued to rise since October’s international break.

The 24-year-old has netted in successive games in the league since returning from Super Eagles duty (four games on the trot in all competitions), scoring the winner against Wolfsburg & technically securing his team a point last time out at Stuttgart, even if he’d have desired helping them claim the available three. 

Throw in both strikes in the Iron Ones’ turnaround at Mainz before the recent hiatus & the forward’s inclination to come up trumps is further highlighted. 

Incredibly, all of Awoniyi’s seven league strikes have either seen him win maximum points for Union or secure a draw. The upshot of this means he’s had a hand in nine of the Berlin club’s 16 points; awesome, to say the least. 

He passes the eye test and the underlying numbers add another layer to the ongoing brilliance.   

The 24-year-old's seven goals have come from expected goals of 4.0, an over-performance that outranks everyone in the German top flight—including Erling Haaland & Robert Lewandowski, who he squares up to on Saturday. 

The Bayern Munich superstar may lead the way for goals in Germany’s top division, but the former Liverpool player's superior shot conversion makes him the campaign’s deadliest finisher heading into gameweek 10. 

Union will have to be wary of their wounded opponents, aggrieved after suffering an unexpected 5-0 thrashing by Borussia Monchengladbach in Wednesday’s cup elimination. 

Die Eisernen ’s 21-game unbeaten run at Stadion An der Alten Forsterei is the current longest in the Bundesliga, and it faces its greatest challenge on Saturday.

However, last season demonstrated they have what it takes to stop FC Hollywood, playing out draws in both games and, in turn, being the only side Hansi Flick failed to defeat in his final season in charge of the giants. 

If Awoniyi comes up trumps against a side with the might of Bayern, even more observers will notice the frontman who could become Union’s top scorer in Bundesliga history with his next strike. 

While one Super Eagle is thriving in Germany, Moffi, one of last season’s revelations in Ligue 1, hasn’t had the rub of the green in his second year at Lorient. 

Last week’s blank was the forward’s fifth on the trot without finding the back of the net since netting a late winner against last year’s champions Lille in September. 

Despite the ongoing run without a goal, this isn’t the forward’s longest run without finding the back of the net, as last season showed a streaky disposition. There was a nine-game run without finding the back of the net after a debut strike while a seven-match drought ensued in the second half of the season. 

Notwithstanding, Moffi scored 14 times in his Ligue 1 debut campaign and there was a belief he’d push on in 2021/22. Of course, his feast or famine nature means a bucketload of goals may be around the corner, yet his underlying numbers are somewhat worrying.

Statistics show the Lorient man is taking fewer shots per 90 this term and there’s been a significant drop in how often his reduced attempts are on target. 

43.6 percent of the 22-year-old’s efforts were within the width of the posts last term but this season shows a drop off to 17.6 percent. A decline in his conversion rate — 25 percent in 20/21 to 11 percent this term — magnifies his struggles in front of goal, despite averaging similar touches in the attacking third and opposition’s penalty area. 

Rohr had failed to consider Awoniyi due to the form of Onuachu — currently on a dry spell with Genk — and Moffi — whose shooting boots have seemingly deserted him as well. 

Indeed, the settled Union marksman now seems higher in the pecking order with the Africa Cup of Nations imminent but even he knows he’s got to work hard to stay there to avoid being on the outside looking in. 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has defended Paul Pogba amid media reports following Manchester United's loss to Liverpool, asking for no further "lies".

The France international took to social media in the wake of the Red Devils' heavy Premier League defeat to their rivals, blasting headlines that suggested he had "snubbed" his manager.

Speaking ahead of his side's clash with Tottenham this weekend, the under-fire Norweigan has offered his support for the midfielder, adding his squad are "better than that".

What has been said?

"I think it affects everyone around," Solskjaer said when asked about his side's week following their loss to the Reds. "I spoke about it last week. Hands up, the performance wasn't good enough, so you expect to hear [about it], but we don't expect and can't accept when lies are being made up. Paul came up to me angry.

"We’re better than that as a group, the culture, the environment. When it’s blatant lies, they’ve got to stand up and say so. All opinions and reports are fine but don’t make lies about players or me."

What happened?

Pogba - who started the Liverpool game off the bench, emerged at half-time and was handed a straight red card a quarter-hour later - struck out at reports on Twitter following Sunday's game.

The playmaker in particular took offence at an article that claimed he had ignored Solskjaer and shelved contract talks over his future at the club. "Big lies to make headlines," the Frenchman wrote in a post on Wednesday.

The bigger picture

Pogba will be the major absentee from United's matchday party when they face Tottenham, as he serves the ban for his dismissal against Liverpool.

He will likely next return to action for his side's Champions League trip to Atalanta next week, as the Red Devils look to avoid another early exit from Europe's premier club competition.

Further reading

Ulinzi Stars went to the top of the Football Kenya Federation Premier League table after a 2-0 win over AFC Leopards at Thika Stadium on Friday.

Brian Birgen and Hillary Simiyu scored in the first and second half respectively to help the Nakuru-based side to grab their 10th point of the season and displace Nairobi City Stars at the Premier League's summit.

AFC Leopards created the first chance of the encounter in Thika, but Marvin Nabwire was not clinical with it as he sent his shot wide in the fourth minute.

Another chance for the home side came in the 13th minute when Brian Wanyama set Saad Musa through on goal, only for the South Sudan international to send the ball slightly over the bar from close range.

Despite persistent attacks from Ingwe, Ulinzi managed to settle, ventured forward and could have opened the score in the 23rd minute when they won four consecutive corners only for AFC Leopards' goalkeeper Maxwell Mulili to superbly collect the ball and end the Soldiers' siege on Ingwe.

After long persistence, Ulinzi Stars saw their efforts rewarded with a goal in the 42nd minute when Birgen's long-range shot beat goalkeeper Mulili for the opener. Initially, the ball hit the post but it slid into the net after a rebound. 

The 2010 Premier League champions made a 46th-minute change as John Kago replaced Ibrahim Shambi while Ingwe's Zachariah Njiite - a debutant - replaced Robert Mudenyu in the 52nd minute.

Birgen would have earned a brace in the 54th minute when he made a run down his flank at great speed, beat the offside flag and released a fierce shot, but Mulili was alert to deal with the threat this time around.

After Birgen was stopped by Ingwe's goalkeeper, they regrouped fast, kept possession and in the 57th minute, scored the second goal as new signing Simiyu found the back of the net.

Just after going down, Patrick Aussems made two changes with Boniface Mukhekhe and Eugene Mukangula coming on for Peter Thiong'o and Dan Musamali respectively in the 62nd minute.

Ulinzi Stars' Oscar Wamalwa replaced Masita Masuta in the 63rd minute before Ingwe's Dan Sunguti was thrown into action in place of Maxwell Otieno in the 66th minute.

To consolidate their midfield, Ulinzi made a further change that saw Biko Tindi thrown into action as Omar Boraafya left the pitch.

AFC Leopards will face Sofapaka on November 7, while Ulinzi Stars will host high-flying Talanta on the same day in their next duties.

Nigeria striker Odion Ighalo is contemplating making a return to the national team ahead of the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon in 2022 and next month's World Cup qualifiers.

The former Manchester United forward announced his exit from international football after the 2019 Afcon in Egypt, where he won the Golden Boot.

He has been plying his trade at Al-Shabab and in the 2020/21 season, he managed to score nine goals and provide three assists in the 13 league matches.

In the ongoing campaign, he has already managed to claim nine goals in the 10 games he has played, with the latest strike coming on Thursday against Al Tai in a 3-0 win.

The 32-year-old has revealed the Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr and NFF President Amaju Pinnick have contacted him regarding a possible return but he has not made up his mind.

"They have been in contact with me about the possibility of coming back, Amaju and coach," Ighalo told ESPN.

"I don't know. I have not said yes or no. I haven't made any decision concerning the national team."

In his recent interview, Rohr explained why he was keen on having the experienced player back.

"We miss his leadership, we miss his experience and we miss his goals," the tactician told Completesports.

"He was the top scorer at the 2019 Afcon qualifiers and also the Afcon itself. That’s why I included him on our provisional squad.

"[Victor] Osimhen is our No 1 striker, but there is none like Ighalo, he’s different, he’s a special player, he smells football. We have many young players who could learn a lot playing alongside such a great player.

"He also has the ambition to help his country. He could also help us much more."

Ighalo made 35 appearances for the West Africa nation from 2015 to 2019, scoring 16 goals in the process.

In the 2021 Afcon, Nigeria are in Group D with Egypt, Sudan and Guinea Bissau, while they are atop their World Cup qualifying group with two matches left.

Darren Bent has urged Liverpool star Mohamed Salah not to consider leaving the team for Spanish giants Real Madrid or Barcelona.

The Egyptian has been excellent this season and has already scored 15 goals in all competitions. With his contract ending in 2023, the Reds have been desperate to keep the forward and are negotiating for an extension.

The 29-year-old will be free to negotiate pre-contract agreements with other teams in 14 months' time, but the former England international believes the Pharaohs captain should remain with Merseyside charges.

"Do you know what he has on his side as well? There aren’t too many places he can go," Bent told TalkSport.

"You look at Barcelona or Real Madrid; neither of them are in any sort of financial state. I know they bid something crazy for Kylian Mbappe, but that looks like who they are set on getting. They are in a rebuild."

The 37-year-old went on to state he would not leave the Reds at the moment if he was in Salah's shoes.

"Not now they’re not [big], Liverpool are massive," Bent opined on Real Madrid and Barcelona's current status.

"Where would you rather go right now? When you talk about the biggest clubs in the world right now, in terms of who could go on and win the Champions League, I think of Liverpool, Chelsea, City, PSG, Bayern.

"If Barca or Real came in for me right now and I’m at Liverpool, I would stay where I am."

Recently, Salah became the all-time African top scorer in the Premier League after taking his goal tally to 107, three ahead of former record holder and Chelsea legend Didier Drogba.

This weekend, he will once again hope to continue in his rich form in front of the goal when the Reds host Brighton & Hove Albion.

Liverpool are currently placed second on the table with 21 points while the Seagulls are fifth with 15.

Leaders Chelsea, Manchester City and West Ham United complete the top five teams on the table.

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire says the team are eager to bounce back from last week's 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool by producing a strong performance against Tottenham this week.

The Red Devils found themselves trailing by five goals within 50 minutes of the encounter at Old Trafford, while midfielder Paul Pogba was sent off just 15 minutes after he came on as a substitute.

The defeat prompted calls for the club to sack coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as it saw their winless streak in the Premier League stretch to four games.

What has been said?

But Maguire says the United players have been taking a close look at the latest loss and is confident they can learn from it as they look to get back to winning ways when they travel to Tottenham on Saturday

“It’s been a tough week obviously, you can’t just brush these things aside, especially when you lose to your rivals. To lose in the manner that we did was so disappointing," he told the club's website.

“We’ve obviously had big discussions, we’ve analysed the game and the goals and looked at how we can do better and improve. 

“That’s the most important thing now, we need to come together as a group and a club. We know our fans will be with us and come Saturday at Tottenham, like I said, they will be there in their numbers and I’m sure they’ll be singing and chanting and be right with us and getting behind us.”

He added: "We know as a group of players we need to make sure we’re together and we’re positive.

"It’s a tough one to move on from but we need to move on. 

"There are lots of games to play in the Premier League, we’re in a strong position in the group in the Champions League and we’re still early on in the season. And it’s a season in which we know we can still achieve things."

What next for Man Utd?

Solskjaer's team are currently seventh in the Premier League and eight points behind leaders Chelsea.

They can move up the table this week if they beat Spurs, who sit a place and a point above them.

After that match, United will turn their attention back to Champions League duty, with an away game at Atalanta coming on November 2.

Four days later, reigning Premier League champions Manchester City will visit Old Trafford.

Further reading

Kaizer Chiefs winger Keagan Dolly has described his call-up to the South Africa squad as a "bit tricky" with the team having made a great start in their 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifying campaign. 

The 28-year-old has been in good form for the Soweto giants and his consistent displays have earned him a recall to the national team, with Bafana Bafana set to face Zimbabwe and Ghana in their last two matches in their qualifying group (Group G) next month. 

Dolly admitted that he was pleased to be back in the Bafana fold for the first time since 2020, but he insisted that was not his main priority after reviving his career at the Glamour Boys, having struggled with injuries at French side Montpellier HSC. 

“Look, my focus wasn’t on the national team. My focus was on doing well for Kaizer Chiefs. You know it was a rough start of the season," Dolly told Thomas Mlambo on the Ultimate Sport Show.

"But that was my main focus, helping the team and just getting back to my normal performance. Obviously, I’m excited about the call-up, it’s an exciting team, the boys have been doing well. So it’s always good to represent your country.”

Dolly is part of the 36-man provisional squad that was named by South Africa head coach Hugo Bros and he will be hoping to be one of the 23 players who will make the cut ahead of the two crucial matches, with Broos set to announce his final squad on November 1.

“Who doesn’t want to represent their country? I’ve always said that, I always want to be there, be part of the team and qualify for major tournaments,” he explained.

“And if I’d make it to the final 23, I’d be happy to go there and do my best, which I’ve been doing for the past few games and obviously with the confidence I have, I’m going their in high spirits and help were I can."

Bafana have been impressive under Broos as they are sitting at the top of Group G's standings and they need four points from their last two games in order to advance to the next round of qualifying.

“Obviously it’s a bit tricky, being called up for the last two games whereby the team has been doing well for the past games they played," he added 

“And for me going in there, I wouldn’t want to interfere with anyone or change anything. I just go there and help where I can, just try and improve and help the boys.”

Even after churning out a 2-1 win over Oman in their inaugural match of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers, India had their feet firmly rooted to the ground. Coach Igor Stimac rightly mentioned before the match that UAE were technically superior to Oman and his troops will give utmost respect to the opposition. 

The Whites were the dominant force throughout the 90 minutes and they deservedly walked away with the three points. However, there were plenty of positives to take away from the match for India as well. They remained disciplined, dogged, and determined not to concede and were on the brink of accomplishing the mission until that ill-fated moment where they gave away the late penalty. 

Let us look at the three things that stood out in the loss against UAE. 

A near-perfect outing for Dheeraj Singh!

The Indian goalkeeper once again proved his pedigree as he made a couple of saves that restricted the scoreline to just 1-0. His first significant contribution came after the half-hour mark when he not only timed his advance to perfection but also made himself wide enough to narrow down Rashed Salem's angle in a one-on-one situation. Throughout the match, he was seen communicating with his backline to plug any space. In the 74th minute, he made another save with his outstretched palm to further frustrate UAE. He made five saves, an equal number of clearances, and six collections in the match which highlights the rich vein of form he was in. 

The turning point: Taking off Vikram Pratap Singh

Although many might consider Suresh's foul inside the box which gave UAE the penalty as the pivotal moment of the match, it was Vikram Pratap's substitution around the hour-mark that tilted the game in UAE's favour. There was a distinct change in approach and the fearless mentality, which was praiseworthy, suddenly took a backseat. 

The winger was in the thick of things in attack for India and once he was replaced by Sumit Rathi to further reinforce the defence, UAE started to grow even more in the match. They got the opportunity to tighten the noose and they did that to perfection. The Indian defence kept absorbing pressure until they were pushed to the limit where they committed a mistake. With a few minutes to go Stimac brought on Aniket Jadhav and Rohit Danu to salvage at least a point but the move was too little too late. 

Lots of positives to take away 

Although the Indian team was restricted to their own half right from the first whistle, they did not take refuge in a defensive cocoon which has been commonplace whenever they have locked horns against a technically superior side. This was reflected against Oman in the first match and it continued in the same vein against UAE, at least for the first 60 minutes of the match. With Suresh Singh in an advanced position, the blue colts were pressing high and took every opportunity to hit on the break utilizing the pace of Rahul KP and Vikram Pratap Singh on either flank. In fact, Rahul nudged one home just before halftime but the goal was ruled out as Rahim Ali who had a prior touch was deemed to be in an offside position. At the same time, they never threw caution into the wind and quickly regrouped while chasing the ball. 

The Indian team will be taking the field once again on Saturday to participate in the decider against Kyrgyzstan and it would not be surprising if they take the game to their opponents. They showed against Oman that they can be lethal while counter attacking and against UAE they refused to throw in the towel. History is lurking and now it remains to be seen whether Stimac's troops can grab the opportunity by the scruff of the neck. 

The future of Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been the 'talk of the town' ever since the Red Devils suffered an embarrassing 5-0 win at Old Trafford against arch-rivals Liverpool.

This was the fourth consecutive league match that Manchester United failed to register a win. In fact, Solskjaer's side has managed to bag just one point in their last four league games which was a 1-1 draw against Everton. They currently stand seventh on the league table with 14 points from nine matches.

The 2021/22 season has not been a happy ride for the Norwegian manager. After a busy transfer window in the summer where the Red Devils managed to bring players like Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United were expected to be among the top teams in the league.

But after nine matches, they find themselves struggling. As Solskjaer's criticism mounts, we take a look at how he has fared as a Manchester United in comparison to the other coaches who have had sat at the helm after Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho are the three coaches who have been in charge of the team.

Out of the last four managers of the club. Jose Mourinho has the best win percentage (58.33 per cent). The Portuguese is followed by his successor Solskjaer who so far has recorded a win percentage of 54.88.