The New Jersey Devils fired general manager Ray Shero on Sunday, prior to their 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald will serve as the interim GM, and he will "receive support" from Hall of Fame goaltender Martin Brodeur, who is serving as an adviser to hockey operations, according to the team.

Midseason GM firings are rare, but the Devils are having that kind of season. Here's what led to the firing and what to expect from Fitzgerald, Brodeur & Co. in the short term and long term in New Jersey.

The team made the decision to fire Shero at the midway point of the season. Why now?

Kaplan: There wasn't exactly an impetus. It appears ownership got fed up with the Devils being directionless. Ray Shero didn't have a contingency plan after most of his summer moves didn't work. He didn't have a contingency plan for when goaltending didn't hold up (for the second straight season), for when he traded Taylor Hall or for when he fired John Hynes.

The Devils were stuck in neutral after each of those moves, and it became clear this was a team that didn't quite know what it was or where it was going. Shero wouldn't admit that the Devils are entering a rebuild. However, the return from the Hall trade suggested that was the way the team was headed. I don't think ownership was particularly impressed by Shero's handling of the Hall contract talks, either; Hall is a player ownership really, really liked.

Was there anything particularly egregious that happened since the firing of John Hynes?

Wyshynski: Shero's trade of Hall happened 13 days after Hynes was fired in December and months ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Obviously, moving Hall at a time when he was healthy and the Devils' season had slipped away was paramount for Shero, and in that latter case, the timing seemed to indicate the team was fully in tank mode. Then a funny thing happened: Following a seven-game winless streak that bridged the end of Hynes with the beginning of interim coach Alain Nasreddine, the Devils went 8-4-2, including back-to-back wins over the Capitals and Lightning. Did this uptick cause a philosophical difference between Shero and ownership?

"We're very committed to winning. We weren't winning enough," said team co-owner Josh Harris on Sunday.

What we know from Harris is that there wasn't one incident that led to this decision. So we can only surmise that ownership felt Shero's swing-and-miss last summer -- and the team's one playoff appearance in five seasons -- eroded its confidence in him to lead the organization out of this abyss. And with the trade deadline and a critical draft looming over the next six months, why keep Shero around if he was a dead GM walking?

How was the return for Taylor Hall viewed around the league?

Kaplan: The return was viewed as fine. It wasn't great. But it also wasn't as bad as some cynical Devils fans might lead you to believe. The truth is, the market for rental players just isn't what it used to be. At this year's trade deadline, you're going to see a lot of GMs look for players who still have term on their contract. When Hall's camp told teams he wasn't looking to negotiate a long-term extension at the outset, a few suitors dropped out.

Shero wanted to get the deal done as soon as possible because Hall is a player with injury history, and Shero couldn't afford to lose him for nothing in free agency. Defensive prospect Kevin Bahl is the player Shero was most excited about in the deal. If Bahl turns into a player, all will be fine. If he doesn't pan out, well, history won't look upon this deal too kindly.

Tell me about interim GM Tom Fitzgerald.

Wyshynski: The 51-year-old Massachusetts native played 1,097 games in the NHL from 1988 to 2006, most notably with the Florida Panthers team that made the Stanley Cup Final in 1996. As he said on Sunday, Fitzgerald owes his managerial career to Shero, who hired him as the Pittsburgh Penguins director of player development in 2007. Fitzgerald was an assistant coach with the Penguins in 2009, when they captured the Stanley Cup. Shero promoted him to assistant general manager in 2009. Fitzgerald remained in that job when Jim Rutherford took over for Shero in 2014, but then left the Penguins to work for his mentor with the Devils.

Fitzgerald has been considered one of the rising stars among assistant GMs in the NHL, and he was a finalist for the Minnesota Wild's opening in 2018 that resulted in their ill-fated hiring of GM Paul Fenton, who was fired after one season. While Fitzgerald is an interim GM this season, it is clear he will be a candidate for the GM job. He ran the Devils' AHL team under Shero, so Fitzgerald has a good sense of the organization's depth. While promoting from within has its drawbacks -- if it hasn't worked in the past five years, why elevate someone who was partly responsible for it? -- there are examples (such as Brian MacLellan of the Washington Capitals) of the deputy taking over for the sheriff and cleaning up the town. "We're very comfortable with what Tom is going to do this season," Harris said.

What is Martin Brodeur's role now?

Wyshynski: The Hall of Fame goalie is a Devils legend, but he famously retired as a member of the St. Louis Blues -- with whom he served as assistant general manager (and occasional goalie guru) for three seasons, before returning to the Devils in 2018 to become their executive vice president of business development. He jumped off the path to what many assumed to be a general manager's job in the NHL because he felt that lifestyle was akin to that of a player, and Brodeur wanted a schedule that would allow him to spend more time with his five children. But with Shero out, the Devils asked Brodeur to use his training with the Blues, and become an advisor to the hockey operations department.

Could Brodeur eventually become yet another beloved franchise icon returning to run his former team, such as Joe Sakic and Steve Yzerman? It ultimately is up to whether Brodeur wants to make that lifestyle choice.

They're saying Fitzgerald is the interim GM. Who is in the mix for the job on a permanent basis?

Kaplan: Fitzgerald should get a really good look. He is a respected guy around the league -- and has been considered for other league openings, as Greg notes. But more importantly, he will get some good face time with ownership during this extended audition. Another good candidate is Bill Armstrong, the assistant GM in St. Louis (no relation to Blues GM Doug Armstrong). And Columbus' Bill Zito is usually mentioned anytime there is an opening.

Ownership might be looking for someone with GM experience. If that's the case, don't be surprised if it calls Ron Hextall; it might even kick the tires on Paul Fenton. No, it didn't work out for Fenton in his short stint in Minnesota, but we've seen examples of guys doing better in their second go-round. I could see a situation in which the Devils wait until the summer. There could be other firings at the end of the season, making some veteran GMs available.

With the trade deadline in 42 days, what should we expect out of Fitzgerald & Co. in the short term?

Kaplan: To be honest, I have no idea how much leeway ownership will give Fitzgerald or how bold he wants to be. There are three players on the roster he needs to worry about right now: pending unrestricted free agents Sami Vatanen, Wayne Simmonds and captain Andy Greene. There could be serious interest in any of those players at the trade deadline, and the team must figure out its plan for each of them. (Greene has a no-trade clause).

... and what about this summer?

Wyshynski: Harris made a point of mentioning the Devils' cap space on Sunday. At the moment, they have $24.3 million of it open this offseason for 14 players under contract. With younger players such as defensemen Ty Smith and Bahl potentially offering cheap reinforcements on the blue line and NHL contributors such as Jack Hughes and Jesper Boqvist still on entry-level deals, they figure to have much of that cap space even after filling out the roster.

While it hasn't ultimately been seen as a success, the spirit of Shero's trade for P.K. Subban could be a guiding light for the Devils: Weaponizing that cap space to cherry-pick in-their-prime players with large cap hits from teams up against the ceiling or seeking a new direction. The Devils should get on a conference call with Sharks GM Doug Wilson, stat. Other than that, they have their own first-round pick and the Coyotes' from the Hall trade (top three protected) in what looks like an absolutely loaded 2020 draft, with franchise player Alexis Lafreniere at the top. (Of course, the Devils are out here beating the Capitals and Lightning on consecutive nights, which doesn't really help those lottery odds.)

What was the most critical error of the Shero era in New Jersey?

Kaplan: Not addressing goaltending this past summer. If the Devils had more certainty in net, they wouldn't have struggled so mightily to begin this season; they wouldn't have had to fire Hynes; and Shero would still have his job right now.

Wyshynski: The goaltending was certainly an issue, and Shero's contractually obligated faith that Cory Schneider could find his game for the past four seasons was an anchor on the team's momentum. But not firing Hynes after the first 15 games of the season, of which this heavily hyped team won just four, was a mistake. OK, the commitment to Hynes overall was the mistake: He was there for all five seasons, and the Devils' only playoff appearance was due to Hall's Hart Trophy-winning performance for a month and goalie Keith Kinkaid having the best three weeks of his life. By allowing this season to slip away so quickly, Shero might have cost the Devils any shot at retaining Hall and, in the end, his own job.

Grade the decision (and the timing).

Emily: The decision is a B+ because it really does feel like Shero lost a direction for this team, so a change needed to be made. However, the timing is suspect, because this time it feels like ownership is the one without a contingency plan.

Wyshynski: It gets an A- from me. I feel like we're watching the tip of the iceberg bobbing atop the water, and underneath there is a lot of dysfunction and disorganization in this regime. On the ice, Shero's moves last summer were made to maximize this team's chances to win with Hall in his final season, and the first three months of it were an utter disaster. With Hughes, Subban and a ton of hype, the Devils had a lot riding on this season financially, and Harris and David Blitzer watched it flop epically.

But Shero didn't leave this team rudderless: His two no-brainer top picks (Hughes and Nico Hischier) give the Devils a one-two punch at center for the next decade. They have some notable prospects in the system. But as the NBA team's owners showed with the Philadelphia 76ers' general manager job, there is only so long they're willing to trust the process through significant regular-season losses. If only there was a Jerry Colangelo type who could become chairman of hockey operations for the Devils. Someone who has done it all and seen it all in management. Oh, wait, that's right: That guy left when they hired Shero. Fare thee well, Ray Shero. The trade to acquire Taylor Hall (it was one for one) will forever be one of the NHL's biggest steals.

Here are the complete purse and FedExCup points breakdowns for winner Cameron Smith and the rest of the players who made the cut at the Sony Open in Hawaii:

While the PGA Tour season is still getting back to full speed following a brief holiday off-season, the meat of the schedule will be here in no time - and this year, that includes the Olympics.

Sunday marked exactly 200 days until the opening round of the men's Olympic competition in Tokyo, a 72-hole, stroke-play event that will feature 60 of the top players in the world. As was the case for the Rio games in 2016, countries can be represented by a maximum of two players unless all are ranked inside the top 15 in the world, in which case the cap is raised to four.

Olympic qualification will be based on the June 22 Official World Golf Rankings, meaning that the closer we get to June the more in line the Olympic and OWGR standings will become. For now, here's a look at the 60 players who would qualify for Tokyo if the standings were locked today:

1. Brooks Koepka (USA)

2. Rory McIlroy (IRL)

3. Jon Rahm (ESP)

4. Justin Thomas (USA)

5. Dustin Johnson (USA)

6. Patrick Cantlay (USA)

7. Justin Rose (GBR)

8. Tommy Fleetwood (GBR)

9. Adam Scott (AUS)

10. Francesco Molinari (ITA)

11. Shane Lowry (IRL)

12. Louis Oosthuizen (RSA)

13. Hideki Matsuyama (JPN)

14. Bernd Wiesberger (AUT)

15. Henrik Stenson (SWE)

16. Marc Leishman (AUS)

17. Shugo Imahira (JPN)

18. Sungjae Im (KOR)

19. Abraham Ancer (MEX)

20. Sergio Garcia (ESP)

21. Jazz Janewattananond (THA)

22. Byeong-Hun An (KOR)

23. Victor Perez (FRA)

24. Adam Hadwin (CAN)

25. Erik van Rooyen (RSA)

26. Joaquin Niemann (CHI)

27. Corey Conners (CAN)

28. Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA)

29. Haotong Li (CHN)

30. C.T. Pan (TPE)

31. Andrea Pavan (ITA)

32. Alex Noren (SWE)

33. Matthias Schwab (AUT)

34. Lucas Bjerregaard (DEN)

35. Thomas Pieters (BEL)

36. Rory Sabbatini (SVK)

37. Joost Luiten (NED)

38. Danny Lee (NZL)

39. Viktor Hovland (NOR)

40. Thorbjorn Olesen (DEN)

41. Sebastian Munoz (COL)

42. Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA)

43. Emiliano Grillo (ARG)

44. Thomas Detry (BEL)

45. Martin Kaymer (GER)

46. Scott Vincent (ZIM)

47. Xinjun Zhang (CHN)

48. Mikko Korhonen (FIN)

49. Carlos Ortiz (MEX)

50. Ryan Fox (NZL)

51. Jhonattan Vegas (VEN)

52. Kristoffer Ventura (NOR)

53. Darius Van Driel (NED)

54. Kalle Samooja (FIN)

55. Sebastian Heisele (GER)

56. Adrian Meronk (POL)

57. Rashid Khan (IND)

58. Gavin Kyle Green (MAS)

59. Fabian Gomez (ARG)

60. Shubankhar Sharma (IND)

Golf Channel celebrates its 25th anniversary on Jan. 17. In honor of the occasion, Brandel Chamblee and Jaime Diaz dedicate their podcast to revealing Golf Channel's 25 most impactful moments over the last 25 years.

Was it easy to come up with just 25 moments? No.

Did Brandel and Jaime agree on the final list? Absolutely not.

Check out the podcast below for both the top-25 countdown and the lively debate and click here to listen to the Golf Central Podcast that details Day 1 at Golf Channel, with the people who lived it.

Golf Channel turns 25 years old this Friday. What was it like on Jan. 17, 1995, when Arnold Palmer flipped the ceremonial switch and Golf Channel first went on air?

Hear stories from the people who were there from the start, in this Golf Central Podcast: Day 1, the Making of Golf Channel. And click here as Brandel Chamblee and Jaime Diaz reveal Golf Channel's 25 most impactful moments of the last 25 years.

Missed any of the action around Europe this weekend? Have no fear: Gab Marcotti is here to catch you up with all the talking points in the latest Monday Musings.

Jump to: Real win Supercopa | Spurs fall flat vs. Liverpool | Juve hang on vs. Roma | Putting Aguero's goals in context | Mata stands out for Man United | Barca's awful week | Baby steps for Arteta | Inter lucky vs. Atalanta | PSG vs. Monaco thriller | Hudson-Odoi returns to action | Ibra gives Milan a boost | Are Lazio legit?

Real survive Atleti challenge to win Supercopa

The Spanish Supercopa final saw Atletico Madrid shed whatever "Diego Simeone 2.0" pretensions they may have had this season to turn in the sort of retro performance that harked back to the early days of their enigmatic coach. They sat deep, they were gritty, they were tough and they blunted a Real Madrid side already short of attacking oomph (Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard were all out), who then proceeded to add a midfielder and leave the fresh legs of Vinicius and Rodrygo on the bench.

- Toe Poke: The most cynical players in soccer
- Marsden: Valverde, Ramos decisive as Real beat rivals

To be fair to Atletico, it's not as if Simeone set out to simply destroy -- he did bring on Vitolo for Hector Herrera before the hour mark -- it's just that it's a DNA thing, especially in finals. As for Zinedine Zidane, hindsight suggests a pacy alternative in the front three might have made sense, especially with Luka Jovic up front, but, heck, it's a final and you end up deferring to the man who has now won nine of nine.

It was close, though. Real didn't create much and when they did, Jan Oblak showed just why he's so special. Atleti hit the post and, in the dying minutes of extra time, had that Alvaro Morata breakaway that ended with a most cynical of open-field take-downs by Federico Valverde. Ugly? Sure. Necessary? Yup. Dirty? Not really: he didn't set out to injure. It was what you used to call a "professional foul" and most would have done the same with a trophy on the line. To his credit, the Uruguayan midfielder took it on the chin.

In the end, Real Madrid outlasted Atletico on penalties to win their first trophy of the season. They remain an unknown quantity, with Zidane mixing-and-matching personnel and formations. But they're top of the league, they'll be a different team when the front men return and, above all, they very obviously know how to win.

Tottenham fall flat vs. Liverpool

When I saw Tottenham's lineup against Liverpool on Saturday evening, I told myself: "Hey, maybe Mourinho has something up his sleeve!"

In Christian Eriksen and Harry Winks he had two excellent passers in the middle of the park (Eric Dier was rooted to the bench), Serge Aurier was free to ramp down the flank and there were two quick strikers with a knack for finding space. I imagined possession, control, balls in behind, breaking the press. Instead, they hardly saw the ball, relying on long passes and falling victim to Liverpool's vicious press, supercharged by the fact that most of Jurgen Klopp's had not played in nine days.

- Ogden: Liverpool show Spurs how far they have to go
- Liverpool ratings: Firmino the leader as Reds keep winning
- Klopp: Points record 'doesn't feel special'

Yes, Mourinho has a ziliion mitigating factors he can cite, from injuries to contractual snafus, but it was still surprising to see a game-plan fall this flat. The fact that they created the odd opportunity at the other end -- Heung-Min Son's miss was particularly egregious -- doesn't change any of this. If he's going to build something, it won't happen for a while. He doesn't have the tools and, for now anyway, doesn't appear to have the interest either.

As for Liverpool, the 1-0 win means they've taken 61 of a possible 63 points this season and unless you've been living under a rock all season, you probably know by now that no club in Europe's Big Five leagues has ever done better. Chuck whatever superlatives you like at Klopp and his crew, for they deserve them all.

My colleague Dale Johnson published the Premier League table without VAR -- it's not just about adding and deducting goals, but about running simulations based on an algorithm to determine the outcome of games. Whether you love or hate VAR, hopefully you'll concede that a big part of what it does is right wrongs and correct refereeing errors. The fact that Liverpool would have five fewer points without VAR suggests that, if anything, they haven't been lucky with on-field decisions, which only makes the whole season more impressive.

Juve hang on to beat Roma

If, in recent outings, we had pointed out how Juventus were now looking a little more like what we imagined Maurizio Sarri wanted them to look like (high press, dominate opponents and the ball), Sunday night against Roma was a step into the past. Of course, it's a very successful past, one in which the opposition have the upper hand, Juve exploit episodes to score and they ultimately win.

Juventus took an early 2-0 lead thanks to a misjudged cross and a misjudged pass to play out from the back that led to a penalty, and then they weathered Roma's onslaught. It was messy and perhaps never really that threatening, but it was still closer for comfort than what Sarri wanted to see, especially after Roma pulled one back from the spot. Still, it's a 2-1 away win, Juve are again "winter champions" (with a two-=point lead) and the numbers say only one team have beaten them in all competitions since last season. You'll take that.

As for Roma, there's no question they've metabolized Paulo Fonseca's philosophy and continue to grow. They showed pride and confidence, and you feel they're going in the right direction. That said, Nicolo Zaniolo's injury is a body blow to him, to the club and to Italy's chances at Euro 2020.

Those who point out that Roberto Baggio came back from an anterior cruciate injury in just 81 days back in 2002 ignore several things, like the fact that no two injuries are identical, Baggio had an entirely different body type (and, at 35, a Zen-like training regimen) and by that stage of his career, Baggio wasn't about cutting and acceleration. We likely won't see Zaniolo until next year, which is tough on him, but he's only 20: it's best for him to recover fully in his own time.

Putting Aguero's remarkable goalscoring in context

Pep Guardiola can read a Premier League table like anybody else: he knows the chances of catching Liverpool are infinitesimal, and so he's using this stage of the season to try out new things.

Against Manchester United in midweek, he dropped Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero to the bench. Away to Aston Villa Sunday, he played them both together -- something we hadn't seen before from the start -- and instead left out Bernardo Silva and Raheem Sterling. City romped to a 6-1 victory, but what's most telling here is Guardiola's need to always be tweaking and tinkering and experimenting. It may not be City's best formation, but it's one more battle-tested option that may come in handy at some point.

The other headline to come from the game concerned Aguero. His hat-trick means he's now fourth among goalscorers in the Premier League era, behind Alan Shearer (260), Wayne Rooney (208) and Andy Cole (187). Shearer is out of reach (and really, his total should be higher at 283, since football didn't actually begin in 1992 and he scored 23 before the Premier League was formed), but if he keeps this up he could well pass the other two. The fact that Aguero had a whole other career for Atletico Madrid -- scoring 101 goals -- before even coming to England makes it all the more impressive.

Aguero also moved past Thierry Henry, which means he's also the most prolific overseas player in the Premier League era, and is as good an excuse as any to bring up one of English football's forgotten heroes. (Well, one of many.) Gordon Hodgson was born in South Africa and played for South Africa before being spotted by Liverpool at the age of 20 and moving to England, where he would go on to score a staggering 288 top-flight goals. He is the most prolific overseas players in the history of English football.

When I pointed this out on Twitter, some pedants got bent out of shape, saying that because Hodgson later played for England, it shouldn't count. That, of course, was the era when players switched national team allegiances rather freely: for example, the great Alfredo Di Stefano played for Argentina, Colombia and Spain. The fact of the matter is that he was born in a different continent, he was developed as a footballer in a different continent and he played for a different country: just like Aguero.

Mata stands out for Man United

The feast or famine regime continues at Manchester United. They go three games without a win, followed by a resounding 4-0 win at home to Norwich. Marcus Rashford scored two goals but I was most impressed with Juan Mata's performance. The Spaniard, who had started just one Premier League game in the past three months, dished out assists and provided creativity, which is exactly what he's supposed to do.

- Dawson: Rashford gives United hope for brighter future

If Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants to continue to include Daniel James in a fleet-footed, counterattacking frontline against bigger clubs or away from home, that's fine. But at Old Trafford, against smaller clubs that actively look to congest space, Mata makes a heck of a lot more sense than, say, a guy like Daniel James.

Barca's awful week capped by Xavi drama

It's not about the idea, it's about the execution. Barcelona exploring the option of letting Ernesto Valverde go and replacing him with Xavi wasn't absurd. The latter is a bright guy, a club legend and the last Barca midfielder from Catalunya to have played in Qatar before being handed the Camp Nou gig worked out rather well. (Hint: he's now the Manchester City manager.). The problem was the execution.

- Lowe: Why this Barca collapse feels different to past traumas
- Sources: Valverde could still leave even if Xavi says no to offer

Having chief executive Oscar Grau and sporting director Eric Abidal travel to Qatar to see Xavi only makes sense if you're a.) able to do it discreetly, without it being leaked all over the media and b.) if it does get out, you're willing to own it. Instead, they came up with this story about visiting Ousmane Dembele, who is injured and getting treatment in Doha, adding that it was "already planned."

The fact here is that it helps to treat folks as grown-ups. Valverde is a big boy. All the club needed to do was tell him: "Look, Ernie, your contract is up in the summer, Oscar and Eric are going to Doha, obviously they'll talk to Xavi while they're there because at some point he may want to return and we think he could be an asset to the club." What's Valverde going to do? Tantrum? He's no fool. He knows he's under pressure, he knows that Barca may not want him next year, he knows they're going to look at alternatives and he knows that Xavi (and, for that matter, Ronald Koeman) are folks they'll consider.

The upshot is that Xavi has ruled it out for now, they have egg in their face and Valverde is further undermined in the meantime. And because when it rains it pours, there's also the Luis Suarez injury, which will keep him out until late April at the earliest. Throw in the embarrassing capitulation against Atletico Madrid last Thursday and it was a week to forget for Barca.

Another promising, but frustrating, result for Arteta at Arsenal

Mikel Arteta's baby steps continue at Arsenal. As long as Lucas Torreira was on the pitch vs. Crystal Palace, they had a stable, passing base to their midfield. And until Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was sent off midway through the second half, they had enough thrust to worry their opponents, too. But games last 90 minutes and the reality is that Saturday's 1-1 draw leaves them 10th, 11 points off the Champions League places.

- Miller: Arteta finding old habits die hard at Arsenal

That said, even after just a few games in charge, you have a clearer sense of what Arteta is trying to do than you had under Unai Emery. Playing your pricey players in their actual positions is a start but as we've said before, given the wage packets and the age profiles of many of these guys, whether he succeeds or fails will largely depend on what the club can do for him in the transfer market next summer.

Inter were lucky vs. Atalanta

Look past the names and the history and you'll soon realize Inter's home draw with Atalanta is about a point gained rather than two points dropped.

Yes, they were at home, but they were also without arguably their best defender (Milan Skriniar) and best midfielder (Nicolo Barella). And they were facing a team who are fourth in the table, had taken points off Lazio, Roma and Manchester City this season, play some of the best football in Europe and had scored 10 goals in their last two games. So what we got was a re-run of what we've seen in other outings. Inter take an early lead and then, as the game wears on, they simply don't have the legs to defend where Antonio Conte wants them to defend: high up the pitch. Eventually, it fell apart. They drew 1-1 and could easily have lost.

Conte built this team to play a certain way and, generally, it's hugely effective. But against quality opposition they suffer tremendously if they're missing key players as the game wears on and legs get heavy. It's something he's rightly hoping to address in January, though some of the names with which Inter have been linked (Ashley Young?) are head-scratchers.

Tuchel experiments in PSG, Monaco six-goal thriller

Robert Moreno's first game in charge for Monaco was something of a baptism of fire, away to Paris St Germain, and the upshot was a 3-3, back-and-forth slug-fest. It was facilitated by Thomas Tuchel trying out a lineup that features Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Angel Di Maria and Mauro Icardi all on the pitch at the same time. It's ambitious and it's going to take time, but it's something worth trying.

So what did we learn? First and foremost it's only going to work if the front four work, and that means chasing back, leading the press and helping out behind the ball. Di Maria, of course, has a history of doing it, though he turns 32 next month and there may be only so much you get out of him. Mbappe can run all day, if asked. The issue is whether you can get Neymar and Icardi to do what doesn't come naturally to them and to do it in a way that makes sense.

That's a tall order. Then again if Tuchel pulls it off, maybe even just for big games, PSG force their way back into the Champions League conversation. After all, having as many of your most gifted players on the pitch as possible, while maintaining your shape and defensive structure, is the most straight-forward way to win games.

Hudson-Odoi's encouraging return for Chelsea

Callum Hudson-Odoi scored his first league goal as Chelsea rolled to a 3-0 win over Burnley. Given the hype that accompanied his debut last season, it's encouraging that he's on the right path. The thing to remember though is that given the nature and severity of the Achilles' injury that kept him out for five months, he's unlikely to truly be back to his full, explosive fitness until next season.

The fact that Chelsea are stacked with wide players (Willian, Christian Pulisic, Pedro, etc) means they can afford to wait for him and bring him back slowly.

Ibra's return gives Milan a boost

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's goal meant he'll be the answer to a trivia question for years to come: who has scored a league goal in four different decades? It also meant he gave Milan exactly the sort of lift they were looking for: a guy with presence to lead the line and give Rafael Leao someone to play off. Away to Cagliari, it helped give Milan a 2-0 win, their first victory in a month.

As we've said before, Ibrahimovic is obviously not a long-term solution; he's probably not even a solution past June. But it was critical for the club and their fan base to get a lift because, contrary to popular perception, there's a quality core of young players here, namely Gigio Donnarumma (20), Theo Hernandez (22), Alessio Romagnoli (25), Franck Kessie (23) and Ismael Bennacer (22). They just need to fix the final third. And that will take time.

Are Lazio for real in Serie A title race?

Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi finally did it: he admitted it's a three-horse race in Serie A. He's right, too: if they win their game in hand, they're one point behind Inter and three behind Juve. Their 1-0 win away to Napoli was their 10th in a row and the fact that it came late, and thanks to a blunder from the opposing keeper, doesn't make it worth any less.

So are Lazio legit? I still think they've gotten a huge series of breaks along the way. That run of 10 victories includes no fewer than four featuring winners scored after the 90th minute, while nearly a third of their goals has come after the 75th minute. Numbers like that tend not to last.

He might be the oldest member in West Indies' T20 squad for the Ireland series, but Dwayne Bravo feels like a "kid" after getting the national call-up that will mark his return to international cricket after a nearly four-year long hiatus.

According to Bravo, the three Ireland T20Is, which begin on January 15, were on his mind when he came out of retirement in December. So when he got a call from Roger Harper, the former West Indies allrounder and current chairman of selectors, last week, Bravo could not hide his excitement.

"It's a great feeling," Bravo told the Trinidad-based radio station I955 fm on Sunday. "I feel like a kid again when I first get a call Mr Harper that welcome back to the team and play international cricket and they were looking forward to have me back. It is something that was always on my mind since the change of leadership and stuff. So just happy I get the opportunity to represent the region again and I am looking forward to doing my best."

Bravo had a difficult 2019 after picking up a finger injury that kept him out of the Caribbean Premier League but he bounced back from that to lead the Maratha Arabians to win the Abu Dhabi T10 title last November.

"If you ask anyone in world cricket to name five death bowlers in the last decade, definitely my name will come along with Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell Starc"

Asked if he might be a bit rusty, Bravo disagreed, pointing out fitness was his primary focus during his rehab. "Yeah, (playing) a lot of cricket is important, but for me because of the experience I've gained over the years, I am more concerned about my fitness. Obviously, I had this broken finger, (which) kept getting stronger. I started practising, played a couple of games for Queen's Park (his local club in Trinidad), but over the years, despite not playing not much cricket, I am still able to go there and compete and contribute in a very good way.

"For example in the last T10 league, I hadn't played any cricket in about four months prior to that and still was able to go there and deliver and also win the title. It is just happy time for me. Since I announce my return in December, my mind and my motivation was on this series and now that I'm selected I am very happy."

Bravo added that he is a "smarter" bowler now, even if the pace has dipped. "I'm a better bowler, I'm a better all-round cricketer. Obviously I'm older, so I will not be as quick I used to be before, but I am also very smarter and have a bigger knowledge on the game."

"We lack a proper death-over specialist"

With the T20 World Cup scheduled in Australia in October, Bravo's return is clearly an indication that Harper's panel wants to not just blend experience and youth, but also plug holes. Harper had said that Bravo had been brought back with the "specific" intention of being West Indies' death-overs specialist.

Bravo is happy to take up the responsibility. "Death bowling is an art," he said. "Not many people around the world have really nailed death bowling to the T. If you ask anyone in world cricket to name five death bowlers in the last decade, definitely my name will come along with Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell Starc.

"It is not an easy time of the game, that's why it is called death. A special skill is required to bowl in those situations. Most times, if you have the ball in the death overs, and you don't win the game, everyone turn to you, and say, "okay, it is because of the last over". But you don't win or lose a game in the last over. So many times, I win a game in the last over and no one says anything. I have defended 6 runs in 6 balls. I have defended 11 runs in 6 balls. I don't have to prove anything to anyone. My stats over the years are there for everyone to see. Like I said, if you were to name three or five death-over specialists my name will be there."

According to Bravo West Indies' bowlers have struggled to close out games, especially during the World Cup and even in the recent series against India in December. Now that he is back, he wants to mentor the other bowlers and teach them the tricks that could deployed at death.

"Recently that is where West Indies did falter," he said. "If you look at the 50-overs World Cup, if you look at the series in India, both in T20s and in ODIs, we lack a really, really proper death-overs specialist.

"Again this is my motivation also to try and work with current bowlers. There's [Sheldon] Cottrell, there's Keemo Paul, there's Alzarri Joseph, there's Oshane Thomas, there's Kesrick Williams. Collectively all of us have to get better, myself included. But with the experience that I have, I can get them to understand the importance of certain deliveries and when to bowl certain deliveries and work on a better finishing game plan."

T20 World Cup - 'playing by ear'

Bravo said that he and Harper had not spoken about the T20 World Cup, where West Indies will defend their crown. The side still has 18 matches to go before that tournament and Bravo doesn't want to look too far ahead, though he did reiterate his "full commitment" to the West Indies.

"We never discuss anything like that (on T20 World Cup selection). Yes, a World Cup year, but it is only in October," he said. "There's this series and there's a Sri Lanka series right after. I guess if I do well in this series, chances are I might be selected for the next series. It is just a matter of playing it by ear, series by series. Obviously they will be trying players to see what is the best combination and the best squad they that they think and select come October. Starting off with Ireland series is just one step to something positive in the making."

"Looking forward to play with Gayle in maroon"

It was in 2013 when the cream of the Caribbean players including Bravo, Chris Gayle, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine last played together in a West Indies team. Recently Gayle commented that he would keep his options open for the T20 World Cup as he continues keeping himself fit by playing the franchise-based tournaments around the world. Bravo said he still was confident he would link up with Gayle soon.

"Well, he hasn't gone anyway so I don't think he has to make a comeback. He's been there all the time as the Universe Boss as we call him. He is our leader. He is our real, real leader after Brian Lara. Yes, there was Chanderpaul and Sarwan, but Chris Gayle is the next real batting icon of the Caribbean that all the players look upto. He's still playing.

"I'm looking forward to playing with him once again in the maroon. That will be good to see the Universe Boss and the Champion on the field again along with Russell and Narine - all these players who we all wanted to play. That's all we ever wanted to do. The Universe Boss will be there and about. Obviously he is on the other side of 40, so it is just a matter of managing him properly and picking different series to play him."

The Mashrafe Mortaza Retirement Speculation Circus™ has rolled into its 13th month. The end of his side Dhaka Platoon's BPL campaign on Monday became the latest occasion on which to pitch the uncomfortably large tent. The press conference, which at times veered into terse and tense exchanges, ended with Mashrafe clearly stating that he has "no interest" in receiving a prepared send-off from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). A response, no doubt, to board president Nazmul Hassan saying they had offered Mashrafe a massive going away party, "the likes of which has never happened and never will".

In the Circus™ terms, Monday's press conference was better than his Friday proclamation where he questioned his own selection in the ODI side based on his 2019 World Cup performance. It was certainly edgier, as he shot back at every question that either contained the word "retirement" or hinted at it.

His appearance in the BPL's eliminator match itself had piqued the Circus™. Mashrafe played with 14 stitches on his left hand. He batted and bowled without showing any discomfort, and then took a one-handed catch to dismiss Chris Gayle. His wife and kids were seen in the Shere Bangla National Stadium's grandstand too. Surely this was it?

In the face of several questions, Mashrafe was firm in his stance to keep playing as long as he is enjoying the game, and not retiring just because the BCB president has said that they would throw a big party.

"Till yesterday, I was a centrally contracted cricketer with the cricket board but not anymore," Mashrafe said. "I always believe the BCB is the cricketers' guardian. I never took pride in going against them. I thank the BCB for considering me to give me a proper send-off, but I don't have much interest in it.

"I have always said that a cricketer's entire career isn't only about playing for the national team. I think I have the freedom to play as long as I want. I think we have had bigger cricketers who couldn't retire from the field. Habibul Bashar, who always made runs in crisis situation, didn't get to retire while still playing. I think only Sujon bhai [Khaled Mahmud] did it, but otherwise it is a rare case. I even have thought of it at times, but it is not really necessary."

This Circus™ couldn't be avoided given Bangladesh have not had occasion to play any ODI cricket since July 2019. If there had been something - anything - during the home season, Mashrafe might have got some clarity. Instead, he's stuck in the Circus™

On Friday after Dhaka's defeat to Khulna Tigers, Mashrafe had said that he wouldn't expect to be picked in the ODI squad based on his World Cup performance.

"As far as I am concerned, I shouldn't be selected based on my one wicket in eight games at the World Cup. If I am selected, I will give my best. But how can I say I will play for the national team after taking one wicket in eight games? Someone else in my place would have been axed much earlier."

Mashrafe said that he got a lifeline when the selectors picked him for the ODI series against Sri Lanka last July, but since then he is unaware of their position since they have not been in contact with him.

"I was picked for the Sri Lanka series, which would have been an opportunity for me to get back in form. But there hasn't been any playing opportunities. I don't know what the selectors are thinking. I haven't spoken to them. But if they decide to give me a chance, I will certainly welcome it. The board shall decide whether I should be the captain too," he said.

In an ideal world, Mashrafe should have been left alone long ago, at least after the last match in the World Cup, where he didn't announce his retirement even though he was largely expected to. He made himself available for the Sri Lanka series that followed, but missed it due to injury. It is now January 2020, and he has gone through a full season of the BPL, just like he has done over the last seven seasons. Clearly there is fire in the belly.

The Circus™, however, rolls on. Next, perhaps, the tent will be pitched at the selection panel's meeting for the three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe in February or March. Nobody is paying attention to his repeated assertions that he wants to retire at his own discretion, never on anyone else's, big party or no big party.

There is someone in the South Africa set-up who needs the team to produce big first-innings runs and it is not who you might immediately think. It's not the trio of experienced batsmen, Dean Elgar, Faf du Plessis and Quinton de Kock, who all played reckless shots at Newlands, and it's not the younger three, Pieter Malan, Zubayr Hamza and Rassie van der Dussen, who are all trying to secure their places for the foreseeable future. It is Keshav Maharaj, who is waiting for an opportunity to make an impact on the ongoing series against England.

"Without a good first innings total, it's difficult for a spinner to really get stuck in," Paul Harris, who has been working as South Africa's spin consultant in the Mark Boucher era, said. "As a spinner, you need the batsmen to stand up so you can bowl to more attacking fields and have a more aggressive mindset."

Look no further than the first two matches of the series for proof. At SuperSport Park, South Africa had a 103-run first-innings lead and controlled large parts of the game. That allowed Maharaj to be kept on even after England tried to take him on in the second innings and it resulted in the all-important wicket of Ben Stokes.

At Newlands, however, South Africa were 46 runs behind in the first innings and playing catch-up for the rest of the match. While Maharaj had been used to hold an end and allow the quicks to rotate from the other in the first innings, in the second his role was unclear, as captain du Plessis struggled to contain England and his quicks were unable to make inroads. As a result, Maharaj was South Africa's most expensive bowler in that innings and Boucher later called him a "work in progress".

Given that Maharaj has been a mainstay in the Test team since he made his debut in November 2016, it seemed an unusual way for Boucher to describe him. He is South Africa's second-most successful spinner since readmission, and overall only Aubrey Faulkner has a better strike rate (minimum 40 wickets). Most players will say they never stop learning and those of the bashfulness of Maharaj are unlikely to ever consider themselves the finished article but Boucher's description would have been more apt for a junior member of the squad, especially at such a politically sensitive time in South African cricket.

Lest we forget, there is an undercurrent of suspicion from quarters such as the Black African Cricket Clubs and on social media that Boucher and co are whitewashing the game after the Africanisation of the previous administration. Those fears won't be helped by Boucher's paternalistic choice of words when it comes to Maharaj or Harris' involvement. Like batting consultant Jacques Kallis, Harris is a personal friend of Boucher's.

However, it is worth knowing that he has been mentoring Maharaj for a prolonged period of time, mostly over the telephone, after Maharaj approached him several summers ago. Harris and Maharaj had planned to meet up before but were unable to coordinate schedules until recently. Harris still has a full-time job and is only employed on a consultancy basis.

"We've worked on getting him closer to the stumps and bowling more wicket-to-wicket, rather than from wider. If you bowl from wider, the ball has got to turn quite a lot to catch the outside edge," Harris said. "And we've also worked on getting his front arm higher, because sometimes it drops and then he bowls a little shorter. I could definitely see the improvement in Cape Town."

Maharaj's figures may not immediately reveal that but Harris hopes the results will come in Port Elizabeth, South Africa's slowest surface and the most likely to take turn. "We're expecting it to play more in his favour than other wickets. In South Africa conditions are generally not suited to spinners, which presents its own challenges."

South African spinners are used to playing second fiddle to the seamers, and usually operate on green tops which limits their role to a containing one for the bulk of their careers. That means they have to get used to doing the donkey work, something Maharaj has never shied away from. "He is a hard worker and he can bowl long spells," Harris said. "He takes it seriously and he wants to improve and if he can get 10-20% better than what he is, why not?"

Importantly, Maharaj knows he has to keep getting better because there are several others nipping at his heels. Three of the top five first-class bowlers in South Africa are spinners and one a recent debutant: George Linde, who was capped in India, currently tops the domestic wicket-takers' chart, Jon-Jon Smuts is third and offspinner Prenelen Subrayen is fifth, all of whom Harris hopes will push Maharaj to stay a step ahead of the rest. "It's sometimes harder to keep your spot than it was to get into the side because you always have a target on your back," Harris said. "It's good to have that and I don't think it will negatively affect Keshav."

Senior Bangladesh players Mashrafe Mortaza and Mahmudullah have lauded the BCB for increasing Test match fees as well as the restructuring of player contracts, which would be split into red and white-ball contracts. Mashrafe welcomed the move, also suggesting that all-format players and those who play more Test cricket should be paid more than the rest.

Bangladesh will become the latest to adopt this system of central contracts, following England, Australia, South Africa and West Indies. BCB president Nazmul Hassan had said after Sunday's meeting that they would finalise the players' list during a follow-up meeting on Wednesday, after which there would be an official announcement.

"I think it is a really good decision but the better decision was to do the split between red and white-ball players," Mashrafe said. "Those who are playing all three formats should get more salary than the ones who play one or two formats.

"Even, the salary should be better for those who give more emphasis to Tests. It might change our scenario of Test cricket. It will certainly raise the players' spirit, giving them more incentive to play Tests."

Bangladesh's cricketers are also hopeful more of their demands from their strike in October last year would be met by the board, which has so far increased the match fees and daily allowance in first-class cricket, and then raised the international match fees for the first time in three years.

Mahmudullah, who was one of the leading voices during the strike, said that the board's decision will benefit the players greatly.

"I thank the board for this positive decision. It would raise interest in Test cricket. Not that there was any less interest, but at the end of the day, it is our bread and butter. We make our earnings from here. I think the boys will find more encouragement.

"There's definite progress on that [players' strike] front, which is beneficial for our cricket and cricketers. I welcome the board's decision," he said.