The CricInfo Championship Match between Nottinghamshire and Durham was abandoned as a draw after rain prevented any play on the final day
CricInfo28-Apr-2001The CricInfo Championship Match between Nottinghamshire and Durham was abandoned as a draw after rain prevented any play on the final day. Nottnghamshire take ten points and Durham eight.
Celtic may be on the verge of finally hiring their new manager but that hasn’t stopped external claims for other names.
Eddie Howe is reportedly close to taking over at Parkhead after a number of stalling points but the Bhoys still have time to consider other options.
What’s the word?
Despite talks being at an extremely advanced stage for Howe, there are still doubts over whether he’s the right man to take Celtic forward.
That’s the view of pundit and Dumbarton manager Jim Duffy.
He was speaking on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard this week and said: “Until you’ve got something signed, sealed and delivered, that speculation is going to continue. Other names are going to be mentioned like Jack [Ross]. I think Jack is a progressive young manager and has a lot of potential.”
Duffy added: “I’m sure he would have learned from his experience at Sunderland which is a huge club. I think he will be on the radar of clubs, not that Hibs isn’t a top club, but even bigger clubs provided Hibernian continue to progress.”
Desmond must consider him
Ross might be one of the most eye-catching managers coming through the Scottish game but you have to doubt his credentials at a top club.
He has guided Hibernian to third spot in the Premiership season but the fact of the matter is that his spell at Sunderland was pretty disastrous.
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The Scot crumbled under the pressure of a big fan base and was left with no answer as he tried to navigate them to promotion from League One in England. His team reached the EFL Trophy final but lost to Portsmouth and then they lost in the play-off final too.
That said, if Dermot Desmond is looking for a manager that’s like Brendan Rodgers, they simply have to consider him.
After all, the Northern Irishman absolutely adores him and he’s already familiar with Lennoxtown and Parkhead.
Speaking to Open Goal (via Glasgow Times) last year, Lewis Morgan commented: “Brendan Rodgers loves him and used to invite him to Lennoxtown all the time. He’d taken his Alloa team to Parkhead and done well and he’s got a similar coaching style, that’s his coaching idol. He loves him. All our team talks or analysis it would be like what Brendan was doing at Celtic.”
Regular dialogue has occurred between the two and plenty of Ross’ tactics and methods are right from the Rodgers playbook.
Lennon attempted to continue the Leicester manager’s drills during his second stint with the Hoops but it simply didn’t work.
Having someone familiar in his ways, therefore, should be highly beneficial to Celtic. Ross has failed at one big club but he should have learnt from those experiences.
He is evidently a far better manager and coach now.
AND in other news, Tierney 2.0: Celtic can forget about Laxalt by signing 18y/o with “enormous potential”…
Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly has advocated the need for appointing a media manager for the team, saying it would ease the pressure on the captain and the players considerably
26-May-2001Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly has advocated the need for appointing a media manager for the team, saying it would ease the pressure on the captain and the players considerably."Most of the teams have a media manager these days which makes the job much easier for the team. Only the teams in the sub-continent don’t have one. I think it is very necessary", Ganguly said in an interview to Doordarshan telecast on Friday.Ganguly said that the captain has to answer a lot of questions during a series and often the media misreports the statements which gives a totally different meaning."When statements are distorted, people who read the reports have a different idea of the situation. If we have a media manager, it will ease the pressure on the captain, coach and the manager", he said.The Indian captain, who appeared for the first time in a joint interview with wife Dona, spoke on a wide range of subjects covering some of the controversies during the recent series against Australia and his family life.Ganguly said the series of controversial articles and misreporting in recent times had prompted him to be more reticent and choosy while handling the media in the country. "…after some time, you come to know who is doing the right thing and who is not doing. You have to judge for yourself", he said.Ganguly, who led India to a remarkable 2-1 series win against the formidable Australians, said that the off-field strategies he had adopted against the Australians were deliberately done to create pressure on them."Everything was part of a strategy. They (Australians) did everything they wanted and often crossed the limits. I think it was not correct on their part. We just gave them back", the Indian skipper disclosed."When you are competing to win a crucial series, you tend to overdo it at times at the cost of sportsmanship. We thought that the only way to stop them was to do what they did. I could understand that it was affecting them", he said.Ganguly said that he had a lot of respect for the Australian captain Steve Waugh and his teammates but some of the complaints they made during the series were "school boy stuff".On the chucking issue which has resurfaced in international cricket, the Indian captain said the issue seemed quite complicated and he often saw no perceptible change in the action of a bowler after being cleared of throwing."It is no doubt an issue. There is no point giving a bowler undue advantage. But at times, when a suspended bowler returns after two months, I see no change in his action".Ganguly said that once a bowler was cleared of chucking by the International Cricket Council’s committee on illegal deliveries, he should never be called again. "If a bowler is repeatedly called, it puts a lot of pressure on him. He has to get cleared again and again and it is not good for him".Ganguly described an article by former Australian captain Ian Chappell during the India-Australia series as "pre-planned" and said he had to issue a rejoinder as he had made certain baseless remarks about the team."He has the right to criticise my batting and my captaincy. Every individual may have their own opinion. But he said certain things involving the team without even verifying the facts. Everything was pre-planned", he said.Going down memory lane, the Indian skipper recalled his schooldays which he thought were the most important part of life as it laid the foundation for the future.Wife Dona said that though life had changed a lot after her husband became the national captain, many of the things still remained the same. Going to the movie halls has become a big problem for Indian cricket’s star couple. "He enjoys going to the movies. We generally go for the last show. If there is a lot of crowd, Sourav joins us after the show starts when it is dark", she disclosed.Dona also recalled her early experience in cooking and how she was apprehensive of how Sourav would take it. "It is in England when I first started cooking for him. He was playing county cricket and craved for home cooked food. As time passed, my cooking also improved".Describing her husband as a "self-made man", Dona said Sourav seldom relied on his family for mental or emotional support. "He is strong. Anybody playing for the country has to be strong". She revealed how she used to carry Sourav’s favourite food items to the hotel during the Test matches in Kolkata where the captain stayed with the team in the hotel.
According to a report by reliable journalist Mike McGrath, writing for the Telegraph, Tottenham Hotspur are in ‘pole position to land’ Lyon powerhouse Joachim Andersen.
The Lowdown: Levy’s centre-back hunt continues…
It is no secret that Spurs are looking into signing top class centre-back options for the 2021/2022 season as Daniel Levy looks to shore up a problem position for the Lilywhites ahead of the appointment of a new manager.
Sky Sports have previously touted the likes of Jerome Boateng and Jannik Vestergaard as on the target list, going as far as to say that inquiries have already been made.
Andersen has been mentioned elsewhere, with reliable football.london correspondent Alasdair Gold saying he is indeed on the agenda.
The Latest: Tottenham in ‘pole position’
Now, another reliable source has detailed the situation regarding Andersen, with McGrath now claiming that Levy and Spurs are in ‘pole position’ for the 6 foot 3 powerhouse.
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Having impressed for Fulham on loan this season, he has attracted attention from both Tottenham and north London rivals Arsenal – with Mikel Arteta’s side ready to compete for his signature.
He is apparently expected to move on from Lyon in the summer for around £20 million but Spurs need to trim their squad before making the move.
The Verdict: Exciting update…
Andersen has been one of Scott Parker’s most notable assets in a disappointing season for the Cottagers as the 24-year-old averages the joint-fourth most clearances per 90 in the Premier League over 2020/2021 (WhoScored).
He has also won more aerial duels than any Fulham player this season (WhoScored), earning praise from Craven Cottage legend Tony Gale as a result – who called him ‘absolutely sensational’ earlier in the campaign (fulhamfc.com).
Still at a fairly young age and valued at an arguably affordable price in a market likely to be majorly influenced by coronavirus, he could become a tremendous coup for Tottenham depending on next developments.
In other news: Alasdair Gold drops major Spurs managerial update, find out more here.
Sparsholt rattled up 300-7 in their Wadworth 6X Village Championship clash against Hambledon at Locks Lane …
Mike Vimpany11-Jun-2001Sparsholt rattled up 300-7 in their Wadworth 6X Village Championship clash against Hambledon at Locks Lane …. and lost !They went down by 17 runs after Simon James (99) and Archie Norris (89 not out) steered Hambledon to a massive 317-5 off 40 overs.Tim Richings (109) and Andy Heyes (69) took Sparsholt’s reply to 220-1 with ten overs to go.But Sparsholt lost three wickets in the 31st over and, despite a late rally by Dave Brown (27) and Andy Lang (20), finished with 300-7.Hambledon’s opponents in the county final at Ridge Meadow on June 24 are Easton & Martyr Worthy, who defeated Appleshaw by seven wickets.Easton wobbled after Appleshaw had posted 190, but a century partnership between Ian Butcher (74 not out) and Dave Birch (69) saw their side home.
Southampton must rue not signing Ollie Watkins last summer after the striker’s impressive debut campaign in the Premier League with Aston Villa, as the England international could have been a superb addition to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad.
The 25-year-old was heavily linked with a move to St Mary’s last summer but opted to join Aston Villa, with the Midlands side shelling out a club record £28m to bring him in from Brentford.
The former Exeter City man enjoyed a superb 2019/20 campaign, contributing 26 goals and three assists in 49 Championship appearances for the Bees as they failed to win promotion at the final hurdle, losing 2-1 to Fulham in the play-off final.
A move to the Premier League was always likely to be on the cards after Thomas Frank’s side were consigned to another season in the second tier and Watkins made the switch to Villa Park, where he has been a fixture in Dean Smith’s side.
Watkins has contributed 21 goals and assists in all competitions this term, with 13 goals and five assists in the Premier League, which has helped him average an impressive 7.17 rating from WhoScored for his performances.
If we compare the Englishman’s stats with the players at Southampton, he would be the top scorer and top-rated performer this season had he posted the same figures at St Mary’s, so it seems clear that he would have been a stellar addition to the Austrian’s squad.
The Aston Villa ace also earned his first call-up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad in recent weeks and marked his debut with a goal in the 5-0 win against San Marino, which will surely have increased his value further.
Whilst he would have been an expensive signing for Southampton to make, he looks to have been a great investment for the future by Villa, as his value on Transfermarkt has increased to £28.8m. Robbie Fowler also tipped him for a move to Liverpool recently, suggesting that the Midlanders could be in line to make a profit in the near future.
Therefore, it was definitely a mistake by Southampton chief Martin Semmens to not push harder to sign the “outstanding” Watkins last summer, as he could have been a superb addition to Hasenhuttl’s squad.
In other news… Hasenhuttl handed golden chance to axe £13.5m Saints flop, Gao surely buzzing
Aston Villa are heading for a major transfer mistake as news emerges from Bodymoor Heath about Wesley’s future at the club.
What’s the story?
The Brazilian has been out of action for the majority of the season following a knee injury suffered in early 2020, and has only just returned to first team action in the Premier League, with Dean Smith understandably taking a cautious approach with him.
Football Insider have now claimed that ‘Villa have moved on since Wesley was the first choice spearhead in the team’, with a club source revealing that ‘the plan is to loan him out next season and recruit a new striker’.
Dean Smith making a big mistake
While bringing in a new striker is all well and good, and completely understandable – the burden on Ollie Watkins this season has been huge in his debut campaign at Villa Park – it seems a misguided stance to let Wesley go even on a temporary basis this summer.
The Brazilian has only just made his way back to the first team after so many months out injured, and he is someone who could surely benefit from some pre-season work with Smith before trying to make a claim for a regular starting berth next season.
Standing at 6 foot 3, and with a real aerial presence, he offers something completely different to the hard running and movement of Watkins, and gives Villa a different dimension either to come off the bench or even to start when Smith wants to rest his main striker.
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Sending Keinan Davis out on loan instead, and keeping Wesley at Villa Park to get back to full fitness alongside Watkins and another centre-forward, would surely be the best way to go about things as the club look to mount another impressive campaign next year.
Meanwhile, Villa are eyeing a move for this starlet…
Australia’s champion legspinner Shane Warne will miss the first two Standard Bank One-Day Internationals against South Africa with a hamstring strain, it was learned on Thursday night
Peter Robinson21-Mar-2002Australia’s champion legspinner Shane Warne will miss the first two Standard Bank One-Day Internationals against South Africa with a hamstring strain, it was learned on Thursday night.Warne, who bowled a marathon 70 overs in the second Test match at Newlands, is likely to be out for the first game in the seven-match series at the Wanderers as well as the second match at SuperSport Park near Pretoria on Sunday.His absence could give 20-year-old Nathan Hauritz an unexpectedly early debut in One-Day cricket as Australia’s spin option for the first at least one of the first two games against South Africa. Speaking on Thursday captain Ricky Ponting said Australia planned to field their strongest combinations for the first two or three matches of the series, but Warne’s unavailability might open the door for 20-year-old offspinner Hauritz.
Vladimir Coufal is set to receive an improved contract at West Ham, according to reports…
What’s the word?
Sky Sports claim that the Irons have opened talks with the 28-year-old’s representatives over a new deal following his impressive debut season in the Premier League.
Coufal’s current £35k-per-week deal isn’t set to expire until the summer of 2023, with the East London side holding an option for a further two years but evidently, he’s going to be rewarded for his fine form this campaign.
The Czech Republic international cost them just £5m last summer and has become one of David Moyes’ star performers.
Dream deal
West Ham have certainly hit the jackpot with Coufal – a cheap, low-risk signing that has paid more dividends than the club could have ever imagined.
He ended his first-ever season outside of his home country as the Hammers’ fifth-best player (6.95), as per WhoScored ratings, with only the likes of fellow countryman Tomas Soucek (7.36), loan sensation Jesse Lingard (7.22) and top goalscorer Michail Antonio (7.17) ahead of him.
Coufal has been an industrious presence along that right flank as he tops the charts for tackles (2.1) and isn’t too far behind for interceptions (1.2) per game either.
His aggressive nature and relentless work rate has drawn praise from teammate and captain, Mark Noble, who described the right-back as a “machine” who “loves football” to ‘That Peter Crouch Podcast.’
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He has also proven to be a major source of creativity further up the pitch, too.
Only Aaron Cresswell (eight) has delivered more assists than the Czech star (seven) and similarly, his defensive counterpart is the only one ahead of him for key passes per game (1.3). He’s even ahead of Lingard, Antonio and Pablo Fornals in that respect, via WhoScored.
It’s no wonder Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher tipped him up as one of the signings of the season, he told Monday Night Football earlier this month [4th May, 22:24pm]:
“I think he’s been one of the signings of the season. We talk about [Tomas] Soucek, but Coufal whether it’s right wing-back or right full-back at different times, he’s just one of those players that’s 7/10 minimum every time you watch him play,” claimed the ex-Liverpool defender.
“He’s the type of player you’d love to play with him. A manager’s dream, never injured, he’s there, week in week out.”
The 13-time Czech international is now valued at €15m (£13.5m) by CIES Football Observatory, only further proving how much of a steal he’s been for the Hammers this campaign.
Moyes, the fanbase, and much of the squad can be grateful that the club’s ownership took a punt on the unknown defender last summer. He has been absolutely outstanding this season.
GSB certainly struck gold in unearthing Coufal and rewarding him with another contract is merely another masterclass of a decision from them.
AND in other news, GSB must secure West Ham swoop for “hardworking” 34-goal beast who’s perfect for Moyes…
Tariq Saeed17-Apr-2002