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Nicholas Pooran, the West Indies and Northern Warriors batsman, believes the T10 League can further increase scores in both T20s and 50-over cricket, a potential knock-on effect of cricket’s shortest format.Pooran has been a revelation this season in Sharjah and following his 43* from 18 balls on Thursday night, now has the tournament’s highest score (77), the most sixes this season (24) and is the edition’s third-highest run scorer after five games. In contrast, Pooran managed scores of 20 and 1 in his two knock last season.”The T10 League is definitely taking the game to a higher level and it is obviously going to help increase the scores in the 20-over format and the One-Day Internationals,” Pooran said after Warriors’ win over Kerala Knights.Australian James Faulkner, who plays for Maratha Arabians, also believes T10 is amplifying run-scoring and this will subsequently be felt in other formats.”I think when T20 first burst on the scene, everyone didn’t know what to expect and there was so much pressure with every ball,” he said. “Now it’s gone up a level, you can’t miss whatever delivery you’re going to bowl whether it’s a slower ball, bouncer, yorker. If you miss it’s going to be a boundary.”On Thursday, Warriors chased down 102 with 16 balls left. Yet, that is nothing for T10, as highlighted by the Warriors’ 183 for 2 earlier in the tournament, when Pooran recorded the league’s highest score.Pooran’s foreshadowing didn’t need long to find further substance as the Bengal Tigers took the night’s second match to a final ball in successfully chasing Sindhi’s target of 135.With 265 sixes and 240 fours in 20 matches so far it’s easy to see the naked ambition of the batsmen. Their aim is to clear the rope as often as possible and for Pooran it’s clearly paying off, his form absolutely rampant as we head into the final stages of the tournament.As more teams clear 400 with alarming regularity in ODIs – attributed as a knock-on from the influence of T20 cricket – you can expect more and more T20 scores to eclipse 200 and 50-over totals to continue to soar as T10 becomes a more regular fixture on the cricketing calendar.Speaking to people around the tournament over the past two weeks suggest is is a matter of time before T10 infiltrates more dates on the schedule. Bowlers, take care. It’s not safe out there and it’s not getting any safer.

Liverpool's midfield rebuild during the summer transfer window was extensive to say the least. Out went Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner and Fabinho, and in came Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch. Swapping the old for the new has since paid dividends, however, with the Reds sitting just one point adrift of Premier League leaders Manchester City, who they play next in their return from the international break.

The summer transfer window failed to see the arrival of one specific type of player though, and Liverpool have once again been left exposed at times as a result. The January transfer window should give them the opportunity to solve a glaring issue and that could see the arrival of a long-term target.

Liverpool transfer news

After such a summer overhaul, it was difficult to know what to expect from Jurgen Klopp's new-look side. Some may have expected them to take a while to get going, given that the Reds had an entirely new midfield to work with. But that's been anything but the case. Instead, Liverpool have been flying. The likes of Szoboszlai and Gravenberch have settled straight in. Now, if they can solve their defensive midfield problem, Klopp's side could become serious title challengers once more.

As good as Mac Allister is, he is not a defensive midfielder, which has been exposed for all to see at times. Alas, reports do suggest that those at Anfield are attempting to find a solution in that area. According to Goal in Brazil, Liverpool have made contact with Fluminense over a potential deal for Andre Trindade.

It's no secret that the midfielder has attracted a lot of admirers, with Fulham also reportedly enquiring about the Fluminense man. If either of the Premier League sides want to sign Andre, it will reportedly cost them at least €35m (£31m) in January. Andre's value is at a higher point than ever before, with the player at the absolute peak of his power currently.

"Perfect" Andre could be the final piece to Liverpool's rebuild

When looking at the current Liverpool side, only the defensive midfield role stands out as something they can strengthen. If they find a natural defensive midfielder, not only will they complete their rebuild in the middle of the park, but they'll also finally get the best out of Mac Allister in his preferred role. Andre's stats stand out compared to the Argentine's in a full season.

Player

Progressive Passes Per 90

Tackles Won Per 90

Blocks Per 90

Andre Trindade

6.43

1.40

0.97

Alexis Mac Allister

5.42

1.21

0.81

As a result of his performances, Andre has earned deserved praise, including from Maurício Alencar, who said via Liverpool Echo: "Andre plays more as a six; he is obviously very strong and agile, really good on the ball, plays two-touch football, great first touch. He is always appearing in those pockets of space between the defence and midfield, and the midfield and attack sometimes. He is a very versatile player.

“I think he is a cut above the rest of the Fluminense squad, and when I watch Brazilian matches, he is always a standout player, so I am surprised he has yet to move to Europe.”

He then went onto say: "He is the perfect player that Liverpool need, playing from the back and being able to intercept. He is very quick to react to the loss of the ball and reading the game.”

MatériaMais Notícias

No estádio Olímpico, o Ituano surpreendeu o Vila Nova e venceu por 2 a 1. Com o placar, o time de São Paulo começa com o pé direito a Segunda Fase.

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Na próxima rodada, o Vila Nova mede forças com o Santa Cruz, no Arruda. O Ituano encara o Brusque, em Itu.

O duelo

Com o duelo movimentado desde o início, o primeiro gol não demorou a sair. Aos 8 minutos, a jogada coletiva do Vila Nova saiu e Henan, saiu na cara do goleiro. Com calma, o atacante bateu cruzado e colocou o Tigre em vantagem.

Sem se intimidar, o Ituano foi em busca do empate e conseguiu antes do intervalo. O Vila errou na saída de jogo e Bruno Mota acionou Gabriel Tallari, que não desperdiçou, 1 a 1.

A virada veio na etapa final. Na cobrança de falta, Fillipe Souto disparou um canhão de fora da área e acertou o ângulo, 2 a 1.

MatériaMais Notícias

O lateral-direito Léo pediu intensidade máxima da equipe do Vitória visando a sequência da competição. Segundo o jogador, a meta de todos precisa estar unicamente voltada para melhorar o desempenho em campo para o Leão da Barra se afastar de vez do Z4.

Há três rodadas sem perder na competição depois de bater o Sampaio Corrêa e empatar com Ponte Preta e Náutico, a análise feita pelo lateral é que o time precisa se manter pontuando:

– Vamos lutar muito para que a equipe possa melhorar seu desempenho em campo nestas próximas semanas e para manter essa sequência positiva para nos afastarmos do Z4. Esse é o objetivo principal agora para respirarmos na competição. O grupo sabe que precisa crescer de produção para alcançar seus objetivos na disputa. Vamos continuar nos dedicando ao máximo para terminarmos bem o ano.

Ainda de acordo com Léo, o duelo de sábado (28) com o CRB no Barradão tem caráter absolutamente decisivo mesmo com o adversário estando na metade de cima da tabela com 32 pontos em nono lugar. Nesse momento, o Vitória é o 16° com 26 unidades.

– A gente vai enfrentar uma equipe forte, que vem de derrota na competição e precisa se recuperar, mas estaremos em casa e precisamos impor nosso ritmo de jogo. Não podemos nem pensar em outro resultado que não seja a vitória. É um confronto decisivo – encerrou o jogador.

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USMNT striker Haji Wright was the hero as Coventry City completed an insane comeback against Wolves in stoppage time to knock them out of the FA Cup.

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Coventry 2-1 down going into stoppage timeBut remarkable turnaround seals 3-2 winWright has hand in both late goalsWHAT HAPPENED?

The English Championship side were 2-1 down heading into stoppage time against the Premier League club in Saturday's quarter-final. But a goal in both the 97th and 100th minutes of play sealed a remarkable comeback to land Coventry's spot in the FA Cup semi-finals. Wright had a hand in the first and scored the second with a fine finish, causing Coventry and USMNT fans alike to go wild on social media.

AdvertisementWATCH THE GOALWHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

MLS pundit Keith Costigan couldn't contain his excitement, writing on X: "Haji Wright!!!!!!!!!! What a moment for him and Coventry. On to their first FA Cup semi final in 37 years." Other fans echoed his sentiments, such as @tsnmknd who wrote: "Haji Wright buzzer beater".

Astute viewers appreciated Wright's role in both Coventry goals. @CalcioNJ wrote "His cross led to game-tying goal too. What a season he's having" while @jrojersey added "Unreal layoff and fantastic finish".

Naturally, such displays saw calls for USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter to take note after Wright was snubbed in his latest Nations League squad. @bretjustin96 said: "Greg needs to call him up right now after that performance" while @bangladeshilad was more brutal, adding: "Berhalter be selecting mid like Pepi over this guy".

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Getty ImagesWHAT THE PUNDITS ARE SAYING

Elsewhere, pundits hailed the 'magic of the cup', with former England striker Gary Lineker writing on X: "Incredible win for @Coventry_City . Absolutely superb. 👏🏻👏🏻"

Ex-Liverpool striker Stan Collymore added: "If you love football and missed Wolves v Coventry, give it a watch. The 99 mins. The best of English football in a nutshell. No robotic possession, just two local teams with a large away following playing fearless attacking football. It's what sets English football apart. Nothing like it, anywhere."

MatériaMais Notícias

O momento do São Paulo na temporada é de rara felicidade. Em franca ascensão no Campeonato Brasileiro e em vantagem nas quartas de final da Copa do Brasil, o técnico Fernando Diniz está em alta com a torcida. Questionado sobre o legado de seu trabalho no Tricolor, o comandante apontou a evolução dos atletas, sobretudo os da base, como o que lhe dá mais satisfação no cargo.

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– Acho que é uma das conquistas que tivemos, o Brenner, mas também o Sara, que era um jogador praticamente desconhecido, o próprio Diego [Costa], a melhora na condição de jogo do Bruno Alves, hoje é muito mais completo, o próprio Luan, todos os jogadores melhoraram. O Brenner fez a diferença mais uma vez, no jogo passado o Igor Gomes acabou decidindo. Tiago Volpi também é um goleiro mais completo. Essa melhora dos jogadores é um legado – afirmou Diniz na última quarta, após vencer o Flamengo no Maracanã.

Como o L! já mostrou em outras oportunidades, a categoria de base do São Paulo tem ganho cada vez mais respaldo com Fernando Diniz no comando. Os nomes citados pelo treinador, além de outros jovens recém-promovidos de Cotia estão ganhando mais confiança, mais minutos em campo, mais experiência e a consequência é o protagonismo de atletas como Brenner, Igor Gomes e Gabriel Sara.

No próximo sábado, às 19h, o São Paulo encara o Fortaleza, no Castelão, pela sequência do Campeonato Brasileiro. Como está focado na Copa do Brasil e tem um jogo complicado contra o Flamengo no meio da semana, a comissão técnica pode poupar alguns de seus titulares e colocar nomes não tão aproveitados formados na base do Tricolor.

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Chelsea chiefs are keeping a close eye on an upcoming talent and could make a move to bring the forward to Stamford Bridge to ease their goalscoring woes, according to reports.

What's the latest news involving Chelsea?

As per The Evening Standard, Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has revealed that he didn't have much to do with deciding on whether defender Marc Cucurella should've been kept around at Stamford Bridge in the midst of the Spaniard seeing a late move to Manchester United collapse on Deadline Day.

Pochettino stated: "I don’t know because I wasn’t involved in this situation, that was more the sporting director, the [player’s] agent and the club. After, when the transfer window closed, we were talking in my office. We were really clear about how I see and assess him and I listened to his feelings. Of course, it was a difficult time for him after he arrived from Brighton. It was tough, not only for him, but many, many players."

Chelsea make the short travel to face neighbors Fulham on Monday night in the Premier League and will sport their new front-of-shirt sponsor Infinite Athlete for the first time this campaign, after agreeing a deal with the US-based sports technology firm that will net them north of £40 million in 2023/24, as per BBC Sport.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has delivered an update on social media platform X detailing the fortunes of Chelsea youngster Andrey Santos, who is out on loan at Nottingham Forest, stating: "Zero minutes again for Andrey Santos in Nottingham Forest-Brentford — 99 mins spent on the bench. He joined the club on loan from Chelsea in August after more than 10 loan requests over the summer."

Brazil Under-23 international Santos has featured just once on loan at the Tricky Trees, playing the entire 90 minutes in Nottingham Forest's Carabao Cup second round defeat to Burnley in late August, as per Transfermarkt.

Who are Chelsea signing in 2024?

According to Football Insider, Stamford Bridge chiefs are keeping a close eye on Brighton & Hove Albion talent Simon Adingra, and they are said to have been impressed by his strong start to the new campaign.

Adingra has been identified as an 'ideal' solution to Pochettino's lack of cutting edge in attack and the Blues are eyeing a move for the Ivory Coast international to add an extra attacking option to help provide competition to Nicolas Jackson. Todd Boehly and company have made a point of targeting players under the age of 25, and the 21-year-old has been placed on their transfer shortlist.

The Ivorian forward has made seven appearances in all competitions for the Seagulls this term, registering one goal and one assist in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Arriving from FC Nordsjaelland in 2022, the Right to Dream academy graduate was given heavy praise by Brighton technical director David Weir, who stated: "We’re delighted to welcome Simon to the club. He’s an exciting young player who has had a terrific start to his career in Denmark. He’s a creative offensive player who can play on both sides and is very good in one-on-one situations. He’s a talented young player who we’ve had an eye on for a while, and we’re looking forward to helping him with his development.”

Working hard off the ball, Adingra has also excelled in comparison to his positional peers in Europe's top five leagues in the field of interceptions, averaging around 1.19 per 90 minutes across the last 365 days, putting him in the 99th percentile for this metric, according to FBRef, showing he works hard pressing from the front.

Chelsea are getting a reputation as a hub for young talent and Adingra would add plenty of distinguishable qualities to Pochettino's forward line.

The spinner was a leading candidate for the role ever since the franchise signed him for USD 1.1 million at the player auction in January

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Feb-20182:25

Can IPL 2018 revive Ashwin’s limited-overs fortunes?

Kings XI Punjab have announced that R Ashwin will captain them in the 2018 season of the IPL. The India spinner was a leading candidate for the role ever since the franchise signed him for INR 7.6 crores (USD 1.1 million) at the player auction in January. While he has never captained in the IPL before, Ashwin has frequently led his state Tamil Nadu in various domestic competitions.”The best quality in Ashwin is that he is very smart and he understands this T20 format better than anybody else,” Virender Sehwag, Kings XI team director and mentor said. “This year we decided to do something different and I think he is the perfect choice for the captaincy.”Ashwin, 31, played for Chennai Super Kings from 2009 to 2015, before spending the 2016 season with Rising Pune Supergiant following his hometown franchise’s suspension from the tournament. He sat out the entire 2017 season with sports hernia.This season is a new beginning for Ashwin in more than one way. He has expanded his bowling skillset, and has revealed he will bowl legspin as well as his regular offspin. A good IPL season could also push his claims for a recall to India’s limited-overs sides; while he is firmly India’s No. 1 spinner in Tests, he has not played an ODI or T20I since July 2017.This season will also be his first for an IPL team not led by or including MS Dhoni, and is therefore an opportunity for him to show his leadership skills. Ashwin is known to be an innovative captain in domestic cricket, frequently setting unorthodox fields and making imaginative tactical decisions.

Morne Morkel said he has not signed a contract with any other team as suggestions his retirement is a result of a Kolpak deal mount

Firdose Moonda26-Feb-2018Morne Morkel provided an assurance that he has not signed a contract with any other team, “out of respect” to Cricket South Africa, as suggestions his retirement is a result of a Kolpak deal mount.Morkel has been linked with several counties since South Africa toured England last year. His retirement from the international game comes at the end of the South African summer and would be well timed for him to play the 2018 season in England but he would not confirm if that was in his plans. Instead, Morkel only said he would look into participating in T20 leagues and maintained his decision to end his international career was more personal than professional.”It’s a family decision. I’ve put a lot thought into it,” he said. “It’s the right time for me to start a new chapter. For clarity’s sake, I’ve got a young family, I’ve got a foreign wife. I still feel great mentally and physically, and yes, I will be playing in other leagues around the world. Out of respect to CSA I have not put pen to paper on any deal. My focus is 100% on winning this series. I’ll make a decision once everything is done.”Morkel is married to an Australian, Roz Kelly, who works on the television production of the Big Bash. She and their young son, Arias, have spent the last two Big Bash tournaments in Australia while Morkel played in South Africa, having turned down offers to play in the BBL.He admitted the separation was tough, even though he was willing to go through it for the chance to play at the top level. “Cricket is what I love and I’ve done it all my life, so it was a very tough decision,” Morkel said. “Playing for the Proteas is something very special, but family comes first. My wife and my family was away for 10 weeks now for work commitments, which was very tricky for me. Sitting them down, and discussing it with family, we decided — I decided — it’s better for me to start a chapter with them and focus more on family.”What will surprise South Africans most about Morkel’s retirement is that he is hanging up his boots while at the top of his game. Morkel was South Africa’s leading wicket-taker against England, has developed an impressive ability to pitch the ball up and find swing, and was among the candidates for the World Cup. Morkel had earlier said he would decide on his future once he knew if he was in contention for the tournament. He played five of the six ODIs against India, which suggested he was very much part of the group, but is satisfied that the younger quicks have what it takes to succeed at major tournaments. And he offered to lend an ear if they ever need it”I honestly think the crop of fast bowlers we have in the squad, give them a couple of months under Ottis [Gibson] and in this environment, they’ll be more than capable of winning that trophy for us,” Morkel said. “I think they’re in a very happy place. Unfortunately things didn’t go our way in the white-ball formats against India, but give guys time, give them overs, give them the opportunity to grow. I’m very positive about and confident in the culture of the senior guys in the squad that these guys will grow. I’m always going to be a phone call away for the younger guys who want to have a chat.”Like so many who retire from cricket, Morkel said he would miss the dressing-room environment and his team-mates. “The culture we’ve created over the past couple of years is something special,” he said. “Walking out with the guys on to the field. The resilience we’ve shown as a team over the years is very close to my heart.”Asked to think of a standout memory, Morkel struggled to pinpoint one but Test victories away from home featured high on his list. “To think of one now is quite tricky. There are so many,” he said. “When I made my debut here in 2006 against India was very special. Becoming the No. 1 Test team in the world, beating Australia, England in England, there’s so many running through my mind.”The one thing neither Morkel nor anyone else in the squad has done is beat Australia at home and Morkel will have an opportunity to change that over the next five weeks. He is particularly looking forward to his battle with Australia’s opening batsman David Warner and to finishing on a high.”I’ve always enjoyed the battle against Davey. He’s a quality player. He comes hard at the ball and that brings the best out of me because I know I need to be on the money from ball one,” Morkel said. “We’re close friends and I’m very excited to end off with an exciting series here in my backyard against a quality team.”Morkel will not, however, get the opportunity to say goodbye to the SuperSport Park faithful, in front of whom his career started. There is no Test at Centurion in this series.

India’s captain has asked every member of the team to reflect on the soft dismissals and errors made by them

Sidharth Monga in Centurion17-Jan-2018The message from a dejected and hurting Virat Kohli to the rest of his team-mates is clear: it is unacceptable to lose the way India did in home-like conditions in Centurion despite given a chance to escape by South Africa throwing their wickets in the final session on day one. Kohli asked every individual to reflect on the soft dismissals and errors made by them.This was widely considered India’s best chance to win a Test in South Africa: the pitch was flat and slow for the first three-and-a-half days, South Africa failed to seize the advantage after winning the toss, India had the best batting conditions of the match to themselves in the first innings, but they let it slip with two silly run-outs, a few loose shots, and dropped catches on the field.”At the end of the day one team has to lose,” Kohli said. “As a team you always try to win. You can accept defeat but not the way we played, the way we let the advantage slip out of our hand, that is not acceptable from a team’s point of view. So many soft dismissals in one match hurt a lot. Because you work so hard, you prepare for a match, you get into good situations, shift the game towards you, and then the momentum shifts because of these mistakes. That feels very bad as a team. Individuals have to sit and reflect on these things themselves. They do it, I am not saying they don’t reflect on it, but we have repeated these mistakes in both matches.”Kohli asked the team to be ask itself tough questions. “We have not come here to play the way we have done,” Kohli said. “That is something that we need to definitely speak about. We need to be hard on ourselves. We need to ask ourselves if we are giving 120% for the team every time we bowl a ball or play a ball or field a ball. That is something individuals need to reflect on themselves, but as a team we are definitely going to lay out these things in the open.”We will ask the guys to be honest about what they were feeling at particular stages in the game. Unless you speak about it and lay it out in front of everyone, there is very little chance of improving. The mistakes that we made have been really about not putting attention to detail at important stages of the game. It is something we definitely need to take into account and sit down and discuss as a team.”However, Kohli didn’t feel the selections of the XIs in both sides had any bearing on the result. Ajinkya Rahane, India’s best all-conditions Test batsman, has been sitting out on “current form”. It was a shocking move to Indian cricket’s followers the morning Rahane was left out of the first Test, but Kohli said “no one” wanted Rahane in the XI, and the outrage has only come after the results. In this Test, India left out their best bowler from Cape Town, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and also lost out on his batting: he faced the most balls by an India batsman in Cape Town. Kohli was asked if having too many options might have confused them.”Look when something doesn’t work, obviously it’s going to be spoken against,” Kohli said, pointing to media and fan reaction. “We are pretty used to that. We as a team don’t think of what the opinion going around is, and I’ve clarified that before also. There are many people that are involved in making a decision for the playing XI. A lot was spoken about Bhuvi as well but Shami performed in this game. So now no one is talking about that.”So you know it’s all about whoever goes out on the field and performs. We obviously look at the conditions that we are playing in and we decide as a management group and the captain myself sitting together that what is the best XI that we can take on the field. And then we don’t sit back and think, ‘Oh we could have done that or we should have done that.’ You make one decision and you back it. It’s always that scenario.”While he refused to concede that there needs to be a debate on the XIs, Kohli said the team would need to assess every move it had made on tour. He didn’t agree that more preparation, or coming early to South Africa, might have helped, which somewhat went against his comments about the crowded international schedule, during the home series against Sri Lanka that preceded this tour.”See, I don’t believe in that,” Kohli said when asked if coming early would have helped them counter the conditions better, particularly in Cape Town. “We had a result in three days in Cape Town, and we had no complaints and we really enjoyed the pitch we played on because we had an equal chance of winning the game there. We were not good enough to do that, that’s a different thing, but it wasn’t like we were set a total, the team had declared, and we were outplayed. We had opportunities in both the games, that’s probably the smallest positive that we can think of at this moment.”Look, I am not going to sit here and try to comfort anyone, we need to be hard on ourselves if we need to do special things. We need to sit down and ask ourselves whether we are giving enough every time that we go out on the field. We should be reflecting on all our decision-making and all the actions that we have made in this game and the previous game and act upon them.”Kohli said a team needed a certain obsession, a “madness”, to win away from home in such conditions.”It doesn’t feel nice that you come out and you feel good as a team and then you are not able to execute what you want to,” Kohli said. “It almost has to be a madness to be able to win away from home. And you have to live that every minute, every day of being on tour. As I said it is a very individual thing but we need to discuss this as a team for sure.”I can’t speak on behalf of selectors as to what they are thinking. Obviously the selectors will come into the conversation as well when we are looking at planning for future tours also because we have a lot of cricket away from home. This was not the only tour. We have to identify all the areas that need improvement. And accordingly act on those. Obviously the selectors are going to be a big part of that conversation.”Kohli admitted South Africa were the better team irrespective of the conditions, but this defeat hurt a little more because India had conditions in their favour. “Well, we were quite disappointed in Cape Town as well, there was an opportunity to win also,” Kohli said. “Look, Test cricket, it doesn’t matter where you are playing. Teams have beaten us also at home at times but these conditions are something that we are used to playing at and we should have certainly done better than what have.”Having said that it’s about which team plays collectively better. South Africa collectively were a much better team than us regardless of the pitches we played on. Their bowlers put relentless pressure on us as a batting unit, and their batsmen as well, after losing a few wickets, they would string in a partnership. They showed more character than us.”