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Football

Nottingham Forest: New boss Sean Dyche believes Premier League style does not matter

“I have seen enough fashionistas come in and out of this division,” says new Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche. “You’ve got to win the games, it’s as simple as that.”

The 54-year-old might not class himself as a football fashionista but as coaches place increasing emphasis on set-pieces and ‘going long’ he may find himself in vogue.

Ange Postecoglou lasted just 39 days at Forest after being brought in to win trophies and play more expansive, attacking football having replaced Nuno Espirito Santo on 9 September.

He lost six and drew two of his eight games in charge as the squad struggled to adapt quickly enough to the new manager’s demands.

Soon after Dyche walked down the stairs of the club’s museum in the Trent End as Forest’s third manager of the season, he outlined his philosophy and style, having been criticised at Burnley and Everton.

“I did a podcast with Tony Pulis and Mick McCarthy, Tony’s now being lauded for long throws when before he was getting hammered [as manager of Stoke],” said Dyche, who has signed a deal until the summer of 2027.

“It’s the fashion of football, it changes all the time and I’m not pontificating one way or the other but the bit I like is when you win.

“The Forest fans accepted a different way of working than in the history of this club last season which was very successful. They are more open-minded now.

“The players are aware of it. I took a lot of feedback from the players. They are very proud of what they did last season. That is no problem for me because I agree with them. Now can we mould it slightly differently but keep that winning mentality?

“Long ball, short ball? You’ve just got to play effective football. That will never go out of fashion.”

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Natalya On New Gimmick: HHH Didn’t Want To Throw Me Into Stuff That Didn’t Matter

Natalya feels extremely liberated by exploring her “Nattie†side.

The WWE Superstar spoke with Chris Van Vliet on his Insight podcast about her new gimmick, which sees her take on a more aggressive side outside of WWE as the “Lowkey Legend, Nattie.†Natalya said that the character emerged organically, noting that it came to her after she had finished writing her new book.

“I had signed this new contract with WWE. And I think with Triple H, I think he really wanted to find the right thing. I think he didnâ€t want to just throw me in stuff that didnâ€t matter. I think he really wanted to find the right thing. The thing with him is that I believe heâ€s a forward thinker. So he was like, we just canâ€t rush into it. We just have to find the right thing for you.

“And because I had expressed when I was signing my new deal, I was like, I [have] to grow. This isnâ€t just about money for me. This is about growing. I have to grow, I have to evolve. I feel like Iâ€m in the best shape of my life; I love wrestling and I need something to dive into.â€

Natalya didnâ€t know exactly what to dive into

She felt like she was in a creative rut around WrestleMania season, noting that she didnâ€t know where she fit in despite being an 18-year veteran of WWE.

“So Josh Barnett and I got to talking, and he was like, ‘Letâ€s do Bloodsport.†I was like, Iâ€d love to do Bloodsport. We got to talking about me doing Bloodsport, and I said, Iâ€m going to ask for permission. I walked up to Triple H. He was at the ringside. He was doing a rehearsal for Monday Night Raw. Walked up to him [and] I told him, ‘Listen, Iâ€ve spoken to Josh Barnett. Iâ€d love to do Bloodsport.†And Hunter was like, ‘Sure.â€

“I was so afraid that he was going to say no, because I was like, I really, really, really want to do something Mania weekend. I need to do something; my creative juices are just feeling so stifled. He said yes right away. And heâ€s like, yeah, absolutely, absolutely, no problem at all. And I know that the company really respects Josh, and theyâ€ve let talent work and do stuff at Bloodsport before. He said yes, so supportively that I was like, I remember that day. I was so excited. I ran up to TJ, and I was like, Hunter loved it. He was like, Yeah, go for it. So I took that as a this is my mission to build something that Iâ€ve never built before.â€

Natalyaâ€s book, The Last Hart Beating,will be released on October 28.

Read More: WWE Raw Results: Review, Grades, Card For Oct 20

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Cricket

Why batting positions matter in cricket

What makes a player suited to a particular position? There are numerous factors to consider, including the ball, the pitch, and a player’s mentality.

Top-order batters are among the most proficient in the XI and bat during the trickiest period, namely against the new ball and the frontline bowlers.

The new ball is hard, shiny and has a prominent seam, enabling bowlers to swing it through the air and extract significant bounce and movement off the pitch.

Over time, the ball becomes softer and rougher and the pitch deteriorates, providing grip and movement for spin bowlers. Middle-order batters, therefore, are ideally good players of spin and strong defensively.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan says “in this era” the best batter in the XI bats at number four, external – think Joe Root, Steve Smith or Virat Kohli.

These players, who are expected to act as the backbone of an innings, are comfortable against pace and spin but benefit from protection from the new ball and easier conditions if the top three do their job.

Opening batters also face the physical and mental challenge of getting little rest between bowling and batting innings, and being prepared to bat for long periods of time. All-rounders and wicketkeepers, by contrast, often bat in the middle order to ensure extra recovery time between innings.

However, arguably the most challenging position from a mental perspective – and where the likes of Don Bradman and Viv Richards scored the bulk of their runs – is number three.

Listing the attributes of a number three, external, Vaughan said they are a “pillar of calm and control” who can “soak up pressure and put it back on the bowler”.

Former Australia international Ian Chappell says “if you aren’t mentally attuned to going in early then number three is not the spot for you”.

These players may be called upon in the first over if an opener is dismissed early or have to wait all day if a partnership builds.

Alluding to the mental challenge of batting at three, Root has previously stated that one of the reasons he dropped back down to number four during his time as Test captain was the extra time it gave him to switch his focus from captaincy to batting between innings.

This article is the latest from BBC Sport’s Ask Me Anything team.

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