Category Uncategorized

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has come under some scrutiny at times this season because the 2025/26 campaign has not gone to plan.

Losing Alexander Isak to Liverpool for £125m did not help his preparations for the season, but the Magpies are 13th in the Premier League as it stands, after finishing fifth last term.

Despite the team’s disappointing performance in the top-flight so far this season, Howe is reportedly being looked at by another Premier League club.

Premier League giants looking at Eddie Howe

According to Football Insider, Chelsea are eyeing up the Newcastle United head coach as a potential replacement for Enzo Maresca this month.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

Expand Collapse

The report claims that Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior is currently the favourite for the role at Stamford Bridge, but Howe is being considered as a manager who has experience in the Premier League.

It adds that, as mentioned earlier, the Newcastle boss has been criticised by some supporters on social media for his performance in the dugout this season, but that has not deterred Chelsea from holding an interest in him.

Football Insider notes that it remains to be seen if Howe would be willing to leave the Magpies midway through a season, though, so it is unclear if he would be interested in joining Chelsea at this time.

PIF, though, could see this as an opportunity to finally land an upgrade on Howe by allowing him to join the Blues before swooping for another manager from the Premier League.

The Premier League manager Newcastle should replace Howe with

Football Insider reported in December that Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola could be the frontrunner for the job at St. James’ Park if Howe were to depart, whether by being poached or sacked.

Journalist James Horncastle, via John Brewin of the Libero podcast, claimed that he is the “best coach in the Premier League”, and you can see the logic behind such a bold claim.

Some supporters may see that Bournemouth have failed to win in their last 11 Premier League matches and not be too enthralled with the idea of him being the next Newcastle boss, but the context is important.

Whilst Howe did lose Isak in the summer, Iraola lost Ilya Zabarnyi to PSG, Dango Ouattara to Brentford, Milos Kerkez to Liverpool, Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid, and Kepa Arrizabalaga’s loan came to an end.

This shows that the 4-2-3-1 manager lost more or less half of his best starting XI in one summer, which was always going to make it difficult for the Cherries to kick on, yet they are still nine points clear of the relegation zone.

Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth success

Season

xPTS

xPositon

25/26

29

8th

24/25

63

6th

23/24

53

9th

Iraola replaces O’Neil

22/23

34

20th

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Iraola took over a team that had the lowest xPTS in the Premier League under Gary O’Neil in the 2022/23 campaign, and coached successive top-half finishes, based on performances.

With half of the season to go, the Spaniard still has the chance to make it three improved xPTS finishes in succession, unless Newcastle swoop in to take him away from the Vitality.

Whilst Iraola has significantly improved Bournemouth’s performance levels from where they were when he took the job, Newcastle’s underlying numbers have been regressing each season.

Subscribe for deeper Premier League manager insights Want context beyond headlines on managerial moves and what they mean for clubs? Subscribe to the newsletter for in-depth, data-driven Premier League analysis—tactical breakdowns, performance trends, and manager profiles that clarify the shifts.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The Magpies were third on xPTS in the 2022/23 campaign, fourth in the 2023/24 season, fifth in the 2024/25 term, and they are currently sixth on xPTS, per FotMob.

Whilst these are still strong numbers in isolation, it is a concerning trend that suggests that Howe is not improving the team with the resources that he has, unlike Iraola at Bournemouth.

That is why PIF should take advantage of Chelsea’s reported interest in Howe to part ways with the League Cup-winning boss before Newcastle’s performances get even worse.

Related Bad news for Miley: Newcastle ready to go big for £52m "difference maker"

Newcastle United signing this much-talked-about star in January would be bad news for Lewis Miley.

Posts ByKelan Sarson

Now could be the perfect time for the Magpies to strike by swapping out their manager, whose performance data is regressing, to appoint a Premier League boss who has improved his side significantly and has done a stellar job given the circumstances.

An all-round show from the Matabeleland Tuskers carried them to a convincing win over the Mountaineers in the first round of the matches of the Coca Cola Pro50 Championship at the Mutare Sports Club.After being sent in to bat, Tuskers got off to a wobbly start losing three wickets with 52 runs of the board. However a 61-run third-wicket partnership between Craig Ervine and Keith Dabengwa steadied the innings. Ervine was dismissed for 47, but Dabengwa, who remained unbeaten on 82, combined with No. 7 Keegan Meth (43*) to put on an unbroken 108-run stand that lifted Tuskers to a solid 240 for 5.In reply, the Mountaineers’ batsmen never got going as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Only Masakadza, batting at No. 8, managed to get into the twenties as they were bowled out for 109 in just under 34 overs. Chris Mpofu and Meth did the damage, picking up four wickets apiece as Tuskers registered a comfortable 131-run win.In a rain-affected match at the Masvingo Sports Club, Mashonaland Eagles beat Southern Rocks by six wickets (D/L method).The match was reduced to 40 overs after rain stopped play just 2.1 into the Rocks innings. Three of their batsmen got into the twenties while Mark Vermeulen top scored with 41, but none of them went on to make a big score as they were restricted to 186 for 8. Nathan Waller and Mark Mbofana picked up two wickets apiece.Eagles lost Sikandar Raza in the second over but Forster Mutizwa, unbeaten on 73, and Stuart Matsikenyeri (26) and Mbofana (24*) ensured there were no further alarms as Eagles reached the target with 13 balls to spare.

	Kirsten cuts during his innings © Getty Images

A superbly constructed 171-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Graeme Smith and Gary Kirsten completely swung the match South Africa’s way, as they levelled the series 1-1 with a convincing six-wicket win at Wellington. Needing 152 on the final day with seven wickets in hand, Smith led the way with an unbeaten 125, but Kirsten, in his last Test innings, played an equally crucial hand, battling his way to 76 before being dismissed in the last over before lunch.The story of the day was the matchwinning stand, but the most poignant moment came off the last ball of the morning session, when Kirsten left the field for the final time in Test cricket after being trapped in front by Scott Styris. Normally not given to emotion, Kirsten passionately kissed his helmet before walking off in tears, while all the New Zealand players stood aside and applauded the effort of the man who had – one last time – helped steer his team to the brink of victory.When play began on the final day, both sides had an equal chance of victory, but Smith and Kirsten shut New Zealand out with a nerveless batting display. Smith carried on from where he had left off on the fourth evening. Pilloried for everything from lack of mental toughness to lack of tactical acumen in the last month, he hit back in style. The feature of his knock was his leg-side batting, as he repeatedly took balls from around off stump and effortlessly clipped them to midwicket, a stroke which, fittingly, brought South Africa the winning run. It would normally be termed risky cricket, but so fluent was Smith that it seldom appeared so.Kirsten, on the other hand, was far more scratchy at the start – he mistimed drives, played and missed at a few, and generally struggled with footwork and timing. Hardly the sort of person to be bothered by it all, he just knuckled down, soaked up all the pressure, knocked around the singles, and gradually got back into the groove. By the end of his innings he was in excellent form, stroking drives through cover and back past the bowler, and even executing a couple of delightful late-cuts for four.With early wickets so crucial to their chances of victory, New Zealand started proceedings with Chris Martin and Jacob Oram. However, both began by straying towards leg stump, and were picked off for easy runs by Smith, who flicked fours off both bowlers to reach his half-century in style. Martin failed to get the swing that had made him such a potent force in this series, which meant that the deliveries which were supposed to pitch on leg and move late across the left-handers now became regulation runscoring opportunities.Twenty-four came off the first seven overs, but New Zealand gradually tightened their line, as Chris Cairns and Daniel Vettori were pressed into the attack. The next nine overs produced only ten runs, but both batsmen survived that period patiently, knowing that with plenty of time in hand, the onus would be on New Zealand to force the issue. Cairns, in possibly his last home Test, bowled with plenty of fire and tried every trick in his bag, bowling from round the wicket, teasing the batsmen with wide half-volleys and then with the short stuff, but today, he came off second-best.The highlight of the session was the way Smith and Kirsten neutralised the threat of Vettori. On a pitch that – despite some rough areas outside the left-handers’ off stump – was still an excellent one for batting, both used their feet regularly against him, not to tonk boundaries but to work him with the spin just wide of mid-on for ones. And when Vettori altered his length, the batsmen were waiting on the back foot to turn it away behind square for more singles. It was risk-free cricket, and it added to the frustration for Vettori and Stephen Fleming.After working their way through a critical runless phase, Smith and Kirsten slowly turned it on: Cairns was slashed through gully for four by Kirsten, ending a sequence of 19 consecutive singles by both batsmen, while Vettori was lofted for four over mid-on.The over that completely shifted the momentum was the 55th, Vettori’s tenth and last of the match. Smith creamed an on-drive and a flick for two fours, in between chopping one past slip for two, as 12 came from the over. Vettori went into the drinks break – the second of an extended morning session – completely demoralised; Smith and Kirsten went in for the breather with victory well in sight, and the target whittled down to 73.The personal landmarks for both batsmen came immediately after play resumed – Kirsten clipped one from Oram to square leg for three to bring up his 34th Test fifty, and next ball, Smith eased a four to midwicket for his seventh century. Kirsten’s wicket was a bit of a dampener, but he had done enough to ensure that his swansong would end in a memorable victory for South Africa.

Nantie Hayward, the South Africa quick bowler, has signed as one of Ireland’s overseas players for the Friends Provident Trophy. He has played 16 Tests and 21 ODIs for South Africa but hasn’t appeared on the international stage since 2004.Hayward has plenty of previous experience in English domestic cricket having had stints with Middlesex and Worcestershire. His arrival will help bolster the Irish team which has lost a number of its World Cup stars to counties since their return from the Caribbean.”It’s been no secret we’ve been actively pursuing an opening bowler following Boyd Rankin’s return to Derbyshire,” said coach Phil Simmons. “I’m delighted to have captured Nantie, who is a proven quality performer, experienced in English conditions, and who has the extra pace and bounce necessary to trouble county opposition. He will be here in time for the weekend double header.”Last season the Pakistan duo of Shahid Afridi and Saqlain Mushtaq appeared for Ireland, who lost their opening Friends Provident fixture this season against Kent by 58 runs.

Dravid: ‘We need to work on our fielding, running between wickets, and taking chances with run-outs. It’s the little things that make a difference’ © AFP

Rahul Dravid can take unflappability to dangerous levels. With a game down and two to play, he preferred to talk about the simplicity of the task: “In a way it’s made things simple for us; we need to win the next two to win the series.”At the same time, he spelt out the areas of concern, minor points that often make a major difference. He admitted that three run-outs in the previous game were the moments that had tilted the scales, adding that it was one of several areas that needed rectifying. “We need to work on our fielding, running between wickets, and taking chances with run-outs. It’s the little things that make a difference. Our judgment of the runs can be better … Also our lower order needs to contribute, considering our strategy of playing five bowlers. We are working on giving them more batting practice, asking them to rotate strike and not go for the big shots.”Dravid knows that India, unlike West Indies, can’t afford any sort of slip. “We need to play to potential. West Indies can afford another mistake, because they are 2-1 up. But we’ve come back from these positions before. It’s a good challenge, a good test for us. If we play to our potential, I think we can get the right result.”One factor that could make the big difference, Dravid reckoned, is Virender Sehwag, who clattered an awesome 97 in the previous game. “It’s nice to have Veeru back in form,” he continued. “He’s always been hitting the ball well in the nets. Got run-out in the first game, hasn’t been able to convert the starts he’s got. I just hope he’s consistent. He showed that, on a wicket that was slow, he got 96 off 83 balls and played better than any of us. With him firing, it makes a big difference. It’s important for him to back it up with consistent scores and end the series in style.”He was fully behind Ramesh Powar, when there were suggestions of Anil Kumble to be included in the one-day squad. “Powar has done a really good job for us. He’s someone who bats lower down. We know Kumble is someone who we can fall back on. One poor spell from Ramesh is not an indication. I’d rather focus on the team we have here.”The last time Dravid played in Trinidad, India won their first-ever one-day series in West Indies. Before that, he had been part of a Test-match winning side. “Obviously it’s nice to come back to Trinidad where we have pleasant memories in one-day and Test series,” he continued, “but I don’t think it’s going to have any relevance to this series. For people who’ve been here in the past, it’s some good memories.”

Mr Consistent
The one aspect of Thorpe’s career which has stood out has been his consistency. Success came early for him – in his debut Test, in fact, when he scored an unbeaten 114 in his second innings. A brief lull followed, during which period his average dipped to the early 30s, but it crept past the 40-mark in his 10th Test, and since then it’s never fallen below 38. Since 2000, Thorpe’s average for a calendar year has been at least 42 (except in 2005 so far, when he’s only played four matches) – even when his personal life was in turmoil, Thorpe still churned out the runs whenever he played for England. (Click here for Thorpe’s career summary.)Australia’s nemesis
During this 12-year period, Thorpe’s numbers look especially impressive against Australia. He missed 14 of the 30 matches played between the two teams, but when he did make it to the starting XI, he made a difference. In all Tests against Australia, Thorpe averaged 45.74, but when he played them in their own backyard, the average rose to 48.18. Since 1993, Vaughan is the only English batsman to do better against Australia, and he’s only played five games against them. England might feel confident about the strength of their current batting line-up, but they’ll still want Thorpe around when the first Ashes Test starts on July 21.

v Australia	Tests	Runs	Average
Michael Vaughan	5	633	63.30
Graham Thorpe	16	1235	45.74
Mark Ramprakash	12	933	42.41
Nasser Hussain	23	1581	38.56
Graham Gooch	9	679	37.72

Winning factor
Only Ken Barrington has a higher average in England¹s post-war Test winsthan Thorpe. This could mean Thorpe makes runs when victory isalready certain but for most of his career England victories never seemedcertain. Instead the statistic suggests two things: that Thorpe has playedan unusual number of match-changing innings and that he often played in aweak side. When he failed, England failed too.

In England wins	Innings	Runs	Average
Ken Barrington	42	2319	64.42
Graham Thorpe	62	2940	61.25
Graham Gooch	56	2950	56.73
Len Hutton	42	1957	55.91
John Edrich	35	1771	55.34

(Since World War II. Qualification: 1,000 runs)Highest of the high fives
Ostensibly Thorpe has been the ultimate No. 4: fearless counter-attacker andrugged scrapper rolled into one small bundle of defiance. But the numberstell a different story: he is the most productive No. 5 in England¹s Testhistory by some distance and his average there is much higher thananywhere else. Perhaps he should not be moved up the order to accommodateKevin Pietersen after all.

England’s top No.5s (by runs scored)	Runs	Average	100s/ 50s
Graham Thorpe	3265	54.41	10/ 17
Colin Cowdrey	2377	49.52	6/ 16
David Gower	2131	49.55	7/ 8
Allan Lamb	1803	40.06	5/ 8
Keith Fletcher	1774	46.68	5/ 9

Dashing debutant
At the end of the 20th century English batsmen took to Test cricket likeSuperman to Kryptonite with one exception. Whereas no other specialistbatsman scored more than 33 on debut during the 1990s, Thorpe bashed thatfabulous century against the Aussies at Trent Bridge. Sometimes it is safeto judge a book by its cover.

Average debut scores	Australia	England
2000s	51.00	41.87
1990s	46.04	18.21
1980s	36.04	18.75

(Averages cover both the first and second innings of a player’s debut Test.They refer only to batsmen from Nos. 1-7.)Spin master
Thorpe is pretty adept against fast bowling, but his stats against spin are quite awesome. And he’s done well in the subcontinent against the slow bowlers as well – the only bowler who has clearly got the better of him is Muttiah Muralitharan.

Since September 2001	Runs/ Dismissals	Average
v Pace	1464/ 30	48.80
v Spin	716/ 11	65.09
v Spin in subcontinent	281/ 7	40.14
v Muralitharan	110/ 5	22.00
v Kumble	68/ 2	34.00

Robin Singh was as sharp as anyone on the field © Getty Images

Robin Singh, the former Tamil Nadu and India allrounder, has announced his retirement from first-class and international cricket. His decision does not come as a surprise, as he has not played a competitive game for almost two years now. Speaking to Wisden Cricinfo from Chennai, Robin said, “I’ve been thinking about retirement for a while now. It’s not a sudden decision or anything.”Robin last played for India in April 2001, against Australia. He went for 37 runs from six overs and scored 16 as India slid to a massive defeat in pursuit of 339. But, there were many other days that Robin can look back fondly on. “There are many games that are special to me. There was the time we beat Pakistan, in Pakistan, for the first time, then beating Pakistan in Dhaka, and of course the tied match against Zimbabwe. The World Cup match against Australia was a big one too, though, we didn’t win.” But, the highest point of Robin’s career was not any of these games.After first being selected to play for India against West Indies at Port-of-Spain, 1989, Robin was left out in the cricketing wilderness for seven years. Mohammad Azharuddin, the Indian captain for much of that period, was an outspoken supporter of Robin, but the selectors did not come round till the Titan Cup in 1996-97. “Making a comeback after all those years was the high point of my career, no doubt about that,” said Robin. But, by that stage, he had lost the pace that made him a feared quick when he first arrived in Tamil Nadu from Trinidad. He was 33 years old, and yet in fine physical condition. Among the quickest between the wickets and a sharp fielder who pulled off stunning catches and saves in the cover-point region, Robin went on to play 136 one-day internationals.As a cricketer, Robin was a curious one, for the sum of the parts was much less than the whole. As a purveyor of military medium-pace, or as a cheeky, aggressive batsman, alone, he could never have made it. His fielding, and a never-say-die attitude, were the glue that bound his various facets together and made him a useful man to have in the one-day side.

He executed the hoick over midwicket with great effectiveness © Getty Images

In a recent interview, Robin suggested that it was wrong to brand cricketers as Test or one-day specialists. “I think slotting players is a foolish concept. We all learned cricket playing fourand five-day games, so if a player does well in that, obviously he has the temperament to succeed in the longer form of the game as well.” Yet, on retirement, he betrayed no bitterness about not playing more than the solitary Test against Zimbabwe. “Frankly, it’s not a regret that I didn’t play more Test cricket. It just happened that I didn’t get the opportunity to play more than one Test,” he said, matter of factly.Robin certainly enjoyed success in the longer version of the game, and although his reserved nature was sometimes misconstrued, he is a popular man in Tamil Nadu. “I always enjoyed playing for Tamil Nadu. We won the Ranji trophy once, came to the finals twice, and were often in the semi-finals. We should have done better as a team, but I still always enjoyed myself,” he said. He played 137 first-class matches, and racked up three short of 7000 runs at an average of over 46, and picked up 172 wickets at just under 36.Some cricketers find it extremely hard to adjust to life after cricket, but Robin seems to have planned things carefully. “Coaching is one of the things for the future. I’ve also started a company, called Robin Associates, that is into property development and housing for the general public. That keeps me really busy. And there’s always coaching, so my hands are full. Actually, I’m more busy now than ever,” he said, laughing. And there will be a bit of travelling too, as Robin visits the West Indies off and on to meet his parents. But, he has no plans of moving back permanently. That will be well received in Tamil Nadu, for Robin was always one of Chennai’s favourite – if adopted – cricketing sons.

HOBART, Dec 18 AAP – Queensland is looking for full points while Tasmania wants survival when last season’s Pura Cup finalists meet at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval tomorrow.”We’re always looking for six points and that would be a nice Christmas present,” Queensland captain Jimmy Maher said today.Maher was confident that even without Andy Bichel, who’s with the Australian one-day side, and Michael Kasprowicz, who’s nursing a torn hamstring, he had the bowlers to dismiss the Tigers twice.”I think we have the best attack in Australia as a group,” he said.His other big weapon is Martin Love, who plundered an unbeaten double century for Australia A against England at his last Bellerive appearance.”He very rarely misses out down here, touch wood,” Maher said.”It’s a happy hunting ground.”But Maher knows that Tasmania started its drive towards the final by flogging the Bulls in the corresponding fixture last season.”Tasmania’s had a rough start to this season, but on their day they’re capable of beating anyone,” he said.Tasmanian captain Jamie Cox said his team, which is bottom and still without a win, had to beat Queensland to stay in contention.”If we can’t win this one, we’re gone,” he said.Cox felt there were some promising signs from the last two matches — a narrow loss that should have been a win to New South Wales and first innings points against Western Australia in Perth.”This game will be a great indicator as to whether we’ve really turned the corner,” he said.The Tigers go into the match unchanged while Queensland was saved from last minute disruption when the national selectors preferred Brad Hogg to Nathan Hauritz as Shane Warne’s replacement.Maher said it would be disappointing for Hauritz.”But he’s only 21 and I’m sure there’s plenty of cricket ahead for him,” Maher said.Teams.Tasmania: Jamie Cox (c), Sean Clingeleffer, Michael Dighton, Michael Di Venuto, Xavier Doherty, Adam Griffith, Shane Jurgensen, Scott Kremerskothen, Dan Marsh, Scott Mason, Ben Oliver, Damien Wright.Queensland: Jimmy Maher (c), Brendan Nash, Martin Love, Andrew Symonds, Stuart Law, Lee Carseldine, Wade Seccombe, Ashley Noffke, Nathan Hauritz, Joe Dawes, Damien MacKenzie, Scott Brant.

In a game that included more shocking collapses than the Kobe earthquake,and more fighting comebacks than George Foreman, Canterbury came away withfirst innings points.Beginning the day on 22/3, Canterbury looked to be in for a tough fight toforce a draw. But Chris Harris batted like a millionaire throughout thefirst hour, hitting seven fours as he guided Canterbury out of the custard.The former Mr New Zealand candidate was severe on a slightly wayward NDattack, hooking and pulling the quick bowlers and lofting the spinners downthe ground.Night-watchman Carl Anderson proved a useful foil and looked competent as heheld up an end through to the lunch break. With Northern unable to breakthrough in the morning session, and Canterbury increasing its lead to 130,any prospect of an outright result had gone by lunch.Interest in the middle session centred on whether Harris could bat on andrecord the first century of the match. But he appeared disinterested,turning three’s into two’s with some ambivalent running between the wickets.It came as no surprise when he was run-out for 79 attempting a silly single.However, the fourth wicket partnership of 122 had ensured the match wouldend as a draw and likely be called off early.For the second match in succession Canterbury had to settle for firstinnings points, despite scoring over 300 in its first innings. The perennialShell Cup champion hasn’t managed a trophy victory since beating Northern inMarch 1999 – a winless streak now extended to eight matches.By contrast ND came to Rangiora in search of a record eighth consecutivewin. But while the young Canterbury side has not yet found a winningformula, it is growing in experience and is no longer an easybeat.Both Auckland and ND have come to Canterbury and toiled for four days onflat tracks without reward. An exceptional bowling effort is required todismiss sides twice on the benign pitches in this part of the country.For Canterbury, Stephen Cunis made the most of his late inclusion to capturehis maiden first-class five-wicket bag.Matthew Hart’s gritty, undefeated 72 was the standout ND performance, takingthe defending champions from the brink of disaster to within 15 runs offirst innings points.Scott Styris, Daryl Tuffey and James Marshal were at the ground today andlook set to come into the ND side for tomorrow’s round three Shell Cupone-day match.

Dr Kato Sebbaale, the new chairman of the Ugandan Cricket Association, has spoken about his plans for the future after ousting William Kibuuka Musoke at a heated AGM last weekend.”My victory wasn’t a surprise because it looks like everyone was looking for a change,” Sebbaale told the New Vision newspaper. “It’s like people were suffering deeply before and they are kind of happy that there is a change and that’s a challenge because I must really show them the change.”Musoke’s time at the helm ended in bitterness – at the AGM he unsuccessfully attempted to block votes from clubs supporting Sebbaale on minor technicalities and then is believed to have been behind an advertisement in a national newspaper immediately after his removal announcing “the death of Ugandan cricket”. He was also widely accused of squandering advances made in Ugandan cricket and there is no doubt that the sport’s image has suffered in recent months.”One of my major mandate this year is to try and clean up our image because without it you lose it all,” Sebbaale admitted. “Thankfully, I have got a strong team who are very big corporate people, are in business and know how to handle people.”I have travelled with Uganda for every tournament in the last five years and it’s clear it is highly talented but the issue is moving from one level to the next,” Sebbaale said, adding that he was not going to “rock the boat”.He also explained that a high-profile national coach was a priority, although that would take time and the existing behind-the-scenes team would remain in place for the high-profile tour by the MCC which starts this week. “If the team goes professional and money allowing I want to put a squad on a payroll but they will have to be accountable for being national players.”