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Michael Jones sets tone for hosts in comfortable 48-run victory at Riverside

ECB Reporters Network01-Jun-2022Durham 186 for 7 (Jones 44) beat Worcestershire 138 for 9 (Raine 3-23, Tye 3-27) by 48 runsDurham bounced back from successive defeats to get back to winning ways in the Vitality Blast with a comfortable 48-run victory over Worcestershire Rapids at Seat Unique Riverside.Michael Jones set the tone for the home side with a brisk 44 from 25 balls, notching five boundaries and three sixes. Ollie Robinson and Graham Clark provided useful knocks to allow Durham to post a competitive total of 186 for seven from their 20 overs.The Rapids were behind the rate from the off after losing Ed Pollock and Jack Haynes in the first nine balls of the innings. The visitors struggled to find the fence amid tight bowling from the Durham attack led by three wickets apiece from Ben Raine and debutant Andrew Tye, resulting in a dominant victory for the hosts.Worcestershire captain Ben Cox won the toss and elected to field in the bright sunshine at the Riverside. Clark and Jones continued their bright start to the Blast campaign by racing to fifty inside five overs. Jones was particularly destructive for the home side, smashing 15 off Pat Brown’s first over before taking a further 18 off spinner Josh Baker, including two sixes straight down the ground.Jones was pegged back going for one heave too many as Charlie Morris bowled the opener, while the visitors worked their way back into the game as Clark fell victim to a good delivery from Brett D’Oliveira.Robinson used the dimensions of the Riverside to great effect in his innings of 35 from 23 balls, but D’Oliveira turned one through the gate to send the wicket-keeper on his way. D’Oliveira’s fine evening with the ball continued when Paul Coughlin was stumped off a wide, earning revenge after being struck for a maximum from the previous ball. The Rapids skipper finished as pick of the bowlers with impressive figures of three for 24 from his four overs.David Bedingham, Brydon Carse and Ned Eckersley played vital cameos for the hosts in the latter stages of the innings, propelling them towards a competitive total of 186.Pollock scored six runs from the first two balls of Worcestershire’s reply, but Coughlin removed him with the third as Bedingham produced a brilliant diving catch at cover. Carse continued Durham’s strong start with the ball by bowling Jack Haynes for one, reducing the visitors to nine for two in the second over.D’Oliveira and Munro played within themselves after the early wickets, which resulted in the run rate ascending over 10 per over. As a result, the pressure was on the duo to accelerate, but D’Oliveira was pinned lbw by Raine before Munro was caught on the fence from a Scott Borthwick loosener.Tye marked his Durham debut with three late wickets amid a Worcestershire lower-order collapse, removing Ed Barnard, Cox and Matthew Waite, allowing the hosts to ease over the line.

Aston Villa now want to sign a new midfielder in January and have identified a potential bargain option available for as little as £8m to bolster Unai Emery’s ranks for the second half of the campaign, according to a fresh report.

Aston Villa working on tight budget

Though Aston Villa avoided financial fair play penalties over the summer thanks to the sale of Douglas Luiz, there are still constraints around their spending for the seasons to come.

The club posted losses of £120m last year and spent close to £130m over the summer, with Amadou Onana and Ian Maatsen headlining their arrivals list. In fact, only five Premier League clubs spent more than Unai Emery’s side.

Club

Expenditure

Chelsea

£219.6m

Manchester United

£205.9m

Brighton and Hove Albion

£192m

Tottenham Hotspur

£133.5m

West Ham United

£132.5m

Aston Villa

£129.5m

Though NSWE are no strangers to splashing the cash in recent seasons, Villa are also keen to hunt for bargains, as they showed through the signing of Ross Barkley from Luton Town over the summer, and with the Villans keen to catch the clubs at the top of the Premier League, they will have to continue that savvy spending in the transfer windows ahead amid links to a loan move for Arda Guler.

To that end, they have reportedly identified a bargain midfield target in January.

Aston Villa chase £8m midfielder

That is according to German outlet Bild [Via Sport Witness], who report that the Villans are chasing a move to sign Mainz’s Nadiem Amiri in what could prove a cheap move.

Amiri hit the headlines in 2021 for scoring a Puskas contender while at Bayer Leverkusen, but has blossomed into a reliable player for Mainz in the time since.

Now 28 years of age, Amiri has grabbed three goals and two assists in 10 Bundesliga outings, and his form has caught the eye of the Midlands side.

As per the report, Villa “sent a scout to follow the 28-year-old live in action in his side’s 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund earlier this month”, and are ready to make a move for him in 2025.

Aston Villa could now pounce on "fantastic" Premier League star in January

He could be an opportunity too good to turn down for Unai Emery.

2 ByBen Browning Nov 26, 2024

Though he is under contract in Germany until 2028. it is added that “the Bundesliga side would consider selling him for €10m” [£8.3m] in January, a small fee that seems somewhat low given his importance to Mainz and their position fighting for a spot in Europe next season.

At 28, Amiri’s arrival would very much be one for the present, with the German already in his prime years. However, he could provide strong competition and cover for Morgan Rodgers, who has proved something of a revelation in the early stages of the season, culminating in a first England senior team call up.

Once more, it could be a case of Aston Villa grabbing a bargain to strengthen their squad should they opt to pursue the Mainz star, and it could be just what they need ahead of trying to compete on multiple fronts for the remainder of the campaign.

An “amazing” Leicester City January transfer target is keen on joining the club so he can play under Ruud van Nistelrooy, according to a new report. The Dutchman gets his Leicester reign underway on Tuesday evening, as the Foxes welcome West Ham United to the King Power Stadium.

Leicester City now want to sign £25m+ Olympic winner for Van Nistelrooy

He could be the perfect man to kickstart their great escape.

ByBen Browning Nov 30, 2024 Leicester transfer news

This is Van Nistelrooy’s first permanent role in England as a manager, and he will be hoping it goes as well as his interim spell in charge at Manchester United did. The first task for Nistelrooy is to turn this current form around, as the club have failed to win in their last six games in all competitions.

The good news for the new Leicester manager is that January is not far away, and he may already have his eye on a few players he would like to bring to the club. It has been reported that the Foxes are interested in signing Valencia forward Diego Lopez, as the young forward is seen as a “fundamental pillar of their sporting project”.

Leicester have also been linked with a move for Hertha Berlin’s Ibrahim Maza in the past, and he could be one they look to bring to the King Power Stadium in the New Year. There are several Premier League clubs keeping an eye on his situation, and he could be available for around £17 million. Van Nistelrooy’s arrival could help Leicester a lot when it comes to transfers, and that appears to be the case already, as one target is keen to join the club and play under the Dutchman.

Ferguson keen to sign for Leicester so he can play for Van Nistelrooy

According to Football Insider, Brighton’s Evan Ferguson is keen to make the move to Leicester City as he wants to work under van Nistelrooy. The 20-year-old has been with the Seagulls since January 2021, but it wasn’t until the last two campaigns that he really started to impress in the first team.

In the 2022/23 season, Ferguson, who has been described as “amazing” by former teammate Alexis Mac Allister, scored six goals in 19 league games. He followed that up by scoring six goals again last season in 27 Premier League matches, but he has struggled for regular minutes in this campaign, starting just one of eight league games he has featured in.

Therefore, a loan move in January looks to be on the cards, and Leicester are interested in securing his services. This report now states that working under van Nistelrooy would be a “great opportunity” to develop his game, and while there is still work to be done on completing a deal, Ferguson is keen to make the move with the promise of increased playing time.

Apps

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Goals

13

Assists

2

Leicester see the Republic of Ireland international as “pivotal” in their fight to stay in the league, but Brighton have yet to decide whether they will accept loan offers in January. Ferguson is keen to remain in the Premier League should he move and would welcome the chance of becoming a key player for the Foxes. Furthermore, he would love the chance to learn from van Nistelrooy, who knows what it takes to be a top striker in England.

Captain warns that CPL doesn’t offer pathways for young players to develop

Andrew Miller21-Jan-2022

Kieron Pollard is focused on West Indies’ rebuild after the T20 World Cup•Getty Images

Kieron Pollard, West Indies’ captain, has pleaded for patience as the region begins to rebuild its T20 fortunes in the wake of a disappointing World Cup campaign, and warned that the franchise nature of the Caribbean Premier League means that there is no longer a ready route for the next generation to arrive at international level with all the tools required for success.Speaking on the eve of the first T20I against England in Barbados, Pollard acknowledged that the team was at “Ground Zero” after their rock-bottom displays in the UAE, where a golden generation – epitomised by its two most long-serving stars, Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo – played together for the last time.West Indies come into this campaign off the back of a 2-1 defeat in last week’s ODI series against Ireland, while a new-look team – led by stand-in captain Nicholas Pooran – was beaten 3-0 by Pakistan in Karachi before Christmas. But Pollard called for the Caribbean public to accept that the rebuild could take some time, especially against an England team that routed them for 55 in their most recent encounter at the World Cup.”We need to improve the way we play, because our batting has definitely been a problem for us,” Pollard said. “The good thing is that we have some new faces in the group, guys looking to make a name for themselves in our international scene. It’s like we are starting from scratch, so we need to do the basics right. Play the situation of the game and analyse, assess, and make the right decisions, depending on what the team requires at that point in time.”Pollard’s own breakthrough in professional cricket came as a 19-year-old in the original Stanford 20/20 – the inter-island competition set up by the now-disgraced financier Allen Stanford, which Pollard’s Trinidad and Tobago team won in each of its two editions in 2006 and 2008.Now, however, that competition has been subsumed into the Caribbean Premier League, with a draft system for recruiting players and an expectation of success from the owners of the region’s various franchises. And while the money is welcome for the tournament’s established stars, Pollard warns that this causes problems for the Caribbean’s younger talents trying to make their way in the game.”We don’t have a T20 feeder system, where guys can get different match practice at different times,” Pollard said. “The CPL is results-oriented, with private owners who come in and want to win. Some guys might get to play, some guys might not, but we have to keep a bunch of guys together and give them experience. Chopping and changing, and dropping and bringing in, is not going to change our results, because these guys are actually learning on the job.Related

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“When you look at Indian cricket, when you look at the English system [the T20 Blast in addition to the Hundred], you look at the Big Bash, these have alternative T20 systems that some of the guys can come through. How many guys do we have that were made through the CPL only? When it was the Caribbean T20, there were a lot of guys coming through the system. I don’t know how we’re going to do it [in the future], but we need to find a way.”At the age of 34, Pollard is himself under pressure as a member of West Indies’ old guard, especially after making just 90 runs in five matches at the World Cup. But he is adamant his overall form still stands up to scrutiny, as he primes himself to begin the team’s post-World Cup rebuild.”Before the World Cup, there was no noise about the captaincy, but because of the campaign that transpired, it is necessary,” he said. “In each and every tournament that you have, whether it’s the World Cup or the Ashes, you expect casualties.”If I’m not the right person to lead, then so it, but cricket in the West Indies is not about Kieron Pollard. It’s about the holistic approach of getting better, and grooming the youngsters, to put them in positions where they can feel comfortable in international cricket.”I’ve never played cricket based on myself. I’ve always been based on the team and what is required at that point in time. I’m not just going to promote myself because I want to get a fifty, and I want to please the public, but if it is required, you can bet your bottom dollar, I’m going to put on that boxing glove and I am going to go there and fight for the team.”We have a rich bunch of talented young individuals. Nicholas [Pooran] has been promoted to No. 3 so that he can take more responsibility as well. We have a couple of new guys into the set-up. Each and every one of us has to play our role, and that’s the only way that the vehicle can move forward.”The stadium, the pitch, that’s our stage, we have to perform there,” Pollard added. “And the crowd is like the jury, and they want to judge. The public can go ahead. As it stands right now, going into the series, I’m going to give it my best. And let’s see what happens after that.”

It’s November, and Liverpool are entering the final international break of 2024 atop both the Premier League and Champions League tables. Arne Slot, it’s fair to say, is enjoying life on Merseyside.

Rivals no doubt anticipated the Dutch tactician being jettisoned from the Anfield dugout in short time, with the weight of succeeding Jurgen Klopp supposed to be too much to bear.

That hasn’t been the case, with all cylinders firing – though none more potently than Mohamed Salah, who is cementing himself in greatness.

Mohamed Salah's Liverpool future

Salah is approaching the end of his contract, in case you didn’t know. The Egypt superstar is rightly entering some pretty exciting conversations as he reaches this late critical juncture in his career, and he – and his outfit – have a big decision to make. And they need to make it soon.

In just over seven weeks, Salah is free to chat away with suitors overseas, and there are sure to be plenty willing to pay a king’s ransom to get this remarkable talent, who has posted ten goals and ten assists across 17 matches in all competitions for the Reds this season.

This won’t do. How aligned Liverpool and the 32-year-old are in regard to pay and the various bits and bobs that come into play when deciding upon a new deal is something that will not escape into the public discourse.

Salah is already the highest-paid player in the club’s existence, and FSG are notoriously circumspect when dishing out lucrative deals to those on the wrong side of 30. This once-in-a-lifetime forward, however, is something of an anomaly.

1.

Mohamed Salah

£350k-per-week

2.

Virgil van Dijk

£220k-per-week

3.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

£180k-per-week

4.

Andy Robertson

£160k-per-week

5.

Alexis Mac Allister

£150k-per-week

5=

Alisson Becker

£150k-per-week

5=

Ryan Gravenberch

£150k-per-week

5=

Federico Chiesa

£150k-per-week

Liverpool will of course hope to extend the contract of one of their greatest forwards ever. Ah, but there are variables at play. Who knows how it will pan out? FSG, to be sure, are drawing up a success plan.

Liverpool looking at Salah replacement

As per Football Insider, Liverpool are in the running to sign Eintracht Frankfurt’s Omar Marmoush, though Manchester City also have a vested interest in the forward.

Marmoush, 25, has been one of the most in-form players in Europe this season, and his German club are happy to field bids totalling £60m, which is of course no small sum.

It’s understood that the Egypt international would only leave if he was guaranteed a nailed-down starting berth, thus putting City, who enforce regular rotation, at a disadvantage.

Liverpool must make their move if Salah leaves. Marmoush is potent enough to succeed his countryman and, moreover, plays a bit like Darwin Nunez.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

How Omar Marmoush compares to Darwin Nunez

Marmoush is just like Nunez, though there’s one glaring polarity when comparing the two skill sets: The Frankfurt star is one of the most clinical forwards in Europe right now.

1.

Harry Kane

10

11

7

18

1=

Omar Marmoush

10

11

7

18

3.

Robert Lewandowski

13

14

2

16

4.

Raphinha

13

7

8

15

5.

Mateo Retegui

12

11

3

14

5=

Vinicius Junior

12

8

6

14

5=

Mohamed Salah

11

8

6

14

Level with Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane as the most prolific player across Europe’s top five leagues this season (league statistics only), there’s just cause for Liverpool’s interest.

Indeed, hailed for his “ridiculous” performances by sports media professional Cristian Nyari, Marmoush is proving to be Egypt’s greatest new talent, equipped with the skills and the confidence to effectively replace Salah – perhaps he can do it at Liverpool too.

After all, the 25-year-old operates within the same parameters as Nunez. According to FBref’s player-comparing database, Liverpool’s centre-forward is one of Marmoush’s most comparable players, and given that Nunez has made gains under Slot this season, it might be that the Frankfurt star could hit the ground running, should he indeed sign.

Marmoush loves a goal, but he’s also among the most creative and dynamic in the game right now, ranking among the top 1% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 3% for shot-creating actions, the top 5% for progressive carries and the top 6% for successful take-ons per90, as per FBref.

This does run nicely against Nunez’s style of play. The Uruguayan, while only chalking up three goals and two assists across his 14 Reds appearances this term, started only seven of those.

But he’s made headway under Slot’s wing, and this is down to his underlying parts. The 25-year-old ranks among the top 17% of positional peers for shot-creating actions, the top 16% for progressive carries and the top 8% for tackles per 90.

His tenacity is pretty much overpowering the absence of a clinical-edged attacking sense, but in Marmoush, Liverpool could land a player of similar proportions but one that is borne with a potency that may indeed see him successfully replace Salah.

For £60m, it wouldn’t be a cheap deal to pull off. But even so, should Salah leave, this would be the perfect player to bring into the fold.

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The Portuguese wanted to begin work in the summer, and the Red Devils missed an open goal by not keeping the legendary striker in charge until then

Back in November, Ruben Amorim had the opportunity to work alongside Ruud van Nistelrooy at Manchester United, but instead chose to stick with his trusted backroom staff and parted with the legendary striker, who had done a fine job holding the fort as interim manager between Erik ten Hag being fired and Amorim starting work.

Fast-forward two-and-a-half months, and the two coaches will meet for the first time as opponents as United host Leicester City in Friday's FA Cup fourth-round tie, which has turned out to be a meeting of two of the worst teams in the top flight – and thus two of its most embattled managers.

Van Nistelrooy has lost eight of his 11 league games in charge of the Foxes while winning just twice, meaning they occupy the final relegation spot, sat two points from safety. United, meanwhile, are only doing marginally better, losing seven of their 11 games in the same period under Amorim and sitting in 13th.

Neither coach seems suited at all to the circumstances of their current clubs, and given what has happened at United in the last two months, it is difficult to not venture that the Red Devils made a big mistake by not keeping Van Nistelrooy in charge until the end of season before getting Amorim on board in the summer.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Happy interim spell

  Van Nistelrooy only spent four games in charge of United, but it was an exciting and happy period. The team won three out of four games, as they easily beat Leicester in both the Carabao Cup and league, overcame PAOK in the Europa League and drew with Chelsea.

  The former striker did have the advantage of playing all his games at Old Trafford and facing a relatively comfortable fixture list, with the exception of Chelsea. However, what has happened since has put his tenure in an even more favourable light; Amorim has lost five of his nine home games in all competitions, with the 'Theatre of Dreams' having been deathly silent and downbeat for most of his tenure. By contrast, the stadium was extremely fired up while Van Nistelrooy was in charge.

  The Dutchman opted for a simple tactical approach, going with the same 4-2-3-1 formation Ten Hag had used, but made his midfield more robust by deploying Casemiro next to Manuel Ugarte. It might not have been innovative, but the two South American bruisers gave United a solid platform and a level of consistency.

  Van Nistelrooy's United played a similar style to Ten Hag, geared towards counter-attacking and with heavy reliance on their wingers, but there was a renewed energy among the players, who seemed to respond better to a club icon than they had his predecessor.

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  Mid-season fears realised

  Amorim started work at United the day after the thumping 3-0 Premier League win over Leicester, and there was a sense that Van Nistelrooy was leaving United in much better hands for the new coach than if he'd immediately stepped into Ten Hag's shoes. But rather than taking advantage of that upswing in form, United have gone backwards under the Portuguese.

  Gary Neville said on his podcast: "I thought it would get better when Ruben Amorim came in, the enthusiasm of him and the new system, the players would buy into and we'd see a bounce. But we've seen the absolute opposite and it's got a lot worse – and that's surprising."

  There was always a danger that this would happen given the radical style the coach was going to impose on the team, and Amorim was painfully aware of that. Indeed, just after accepting the job in early November, he admitted: "The only request I made was that it (his arrival) was at the end of the season. I spent three days asking for it. They told me it wasn't possible, that it was now or never, or Manchester United would go for another option. So, I had three days to make my mind up, to make a decision that radically changes my life."

  Amorim was not wrong about that, and for now the move has radically changed his life for the worse. He went from a Sporting CP team that had won every single league game to a United side that has forgotten how to win, especially at Old Trafford.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  No fun at all

  Amorim's attempts to impose his style on United have been made harder by the relentless schedule, and he was also aware that he would have very few opportunities to get his ideas across. He said in his first press conference: "It's so much harder to come to the team in the middle of the season because you have to get to know the players during the games, you are talking about no national-team periods to work with the players, it's just games. It depends: if you are winning it's a lot of fun, having a lot of games, trying to make changes tactically and winning games. But if you are losing, you don't have time in training to work out everything you want to work on."

  United are definitely not having a lot of fun. There have been some big highs, such as beating Manchester City, knocking Arsenal out of the FA Cup and holding Premier League leaders Liverpool to a draw at Anfield. When Van Nistelrooy left, United were in 13th, but the gap between them and the top four was just four points. Now while in the same league position, that gap is 14 points, with only 14 games remaining.

  The team's goal difference has also fallen even further, from zero at the start of Amorim's reign to minus six; only five teams have a worse goal difference than the Red Devils. United also keep on breaking new unwanted records, as they have already lost as many home games as in their worst-ever Premier League campaign of 2013-14, and have their worst home record at this stage of a season since 1893-94.

  Amorim has been painfully honest about how bad his team are, calling them "maybe the worst in the history of Manchester United" and admitting that there is an atmosphere of anxiety around the stadium. The Portuguese had a wonderful rapport with his players at Sporting, but there has been little sign of a bond with his squad at United. The fact he has insulted the players' ability both directly – with his public comments – and indirectly, such as by starting Kobbie Mainoo up front against Crystal Palace ahead of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, is not helping.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Paying a heavy price

  United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and CEO Omar Berrada were both enamoured with Amorim's work at Sporting and dismissed then-sporting director Dan Ashworth's opinions in their search for a new boss, leading to Ashworth ultimately being fired. It is easy to see why they were attracted to the charismatic and young coach who had awakened a sleeping giant in Sporting, but they knew they were taking a huge risk by hiring him in the middle of the season, and they are now paying a heavy price for it as they endure one of the club’s worst campaigns in modern times.

  Of course, there were potential downsides to keeping Van Nistelrooy on for the rest of the campaign. United saw the negatives of an interim boss when they appointed Ralf Rangnick three years ago after sacking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer while they waited for Ten Hag to become available. The players knew Rangnick would be off in the summer and there was little long-term motivation to work hard under him. But there was another factor underlying that pitiful campaign – the fact that players did not respect the German.

  Indeed, as Cristiano Ronaldo articulated in his infamous interview with Piers Morgan, many of them did not know who Rangnick was. That would not be the case with Van Nistelrooy, one of the finest strikers of his generation who many of the current squad would have watched growing up. Van Nistelrooy would have also been able to rally the Old Trafford crowd in a similar fashion to how Solskjaer did in his sensational first few months in charge.

  That does, however, lead into another potential pitfall that might have come with keeping Van Nistelrooy in charge. Had he had great success, United may have been tempted to give him the job permanently, like they did with Solskjaer in a move they quickly came to regret. Yet there was an easy way around that: tie up a deal with Amorim so that the Dutchman's time had an expiry date.

Tottenham slumped to a shock comeback defeat at the hands of Brighton on Sunday, throwing away a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 at The Amex.

The visitors had led at half-time thanks to goals from Brennan Johnson and James Maddison, but then conceded three within just 21 second-half minutes directly after the break, with Danny Welbeck scoring what proved to be the winning goal. Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou described the defeat as “unacceptable”.

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He’d be a treat at the heart of this Lilywhites squad…

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“Disappointing, frustrated and absolutely gutted with that. Worst defeat since I’ve been here,” the 59 year-old, who took over as Tottenham manager in June 2023, said after the match. “Nowhere near where we should be.”

A number of Tottenham’s players have come under scrutiny for their role in the loss, including both Destiny Udogie and Rodrigo Bentacur, the latter of whom was spotted “jogging back” for Brighton’s equalizer. Striker Dominic Solanke was also criticised, despite providing the assist for Johnson’s opener.

Solanke blasted after England call-up

Last week, Solanke was named in Lee Carsley’s England squad for the Three Lions’ upcoming Nations League fixtures against Greece and Finland on October 10 and 13. The last time the Spurs striker played for England was back in November 2017 while he was at Liverpool. Reacting to Solanke’s international recall, former Tottenham scout Bryan King said he was surprised.

“To be honest, I couldn’t really work it out,” King told Tottenham News. “He cost a lot of money and scored some goals. However, they weren’t exactly spectacular goals, and his work has been nothing spectacular either.

“Obviously, Carsley has seen something which I haven’t seen,” he said. “We have to assume that he knows him from Bournemouth. Playing Greece and Finland, they aren’t exactly the biggest nations in the world either.”

Carsley, who is currently standing in as England’s interim boss, told the press that he recalled Solanke because he is “extremely talented”.

“Dom’s a player I’m fully aware of having worked with him in the past. He was really close to being in the last squad but got injured just before selection,” he said. “He did so well at Bournemouth and now he’s taken that form into Spurs. He’s got a lot of really good attributes that I really like, as well as being a really nice person.”

A stellar start for Solanke

Solanke joined Tottenham from Bournemouth this summer in a deal worth £55 million, signing a £90k-a-week contract. Having scored 19 Premier League goals for the Cherries last term, fans were hoping he would be able to fill the void left by club record scorer Harry Kane, who had joined Bayern Munich the previous year.

After an injury-hampered start to his career in North London, however, the Englishman has found his feet in recent weeks, scoring three and assisting one in his last four games. His most recent goal came in Tottenham’s resounding 3-0 victory over Manchester United on September 29.

Speaking late last month about Solanke’s start to life at Spurs, Postecoglou said: “He’s settled in really well. There’s plenty more to come from him.”

Taylor has been identified as a primary contact of a Covid-19 case in Jamaica

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Aug-2021West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor has been ruled out of the three-match T20I series against South Africa after being identified as a primary contact of a Covid-19 case in Jamaica, which requires her to serve a period of isolation. Offspinner Anisa Mohammed has been named interim captain in Taylor’s absence for the series which is scheduled to begin on Tuesday in Antigua.Left-arm seamer Qiana Joseph, who has represented West Indies in two ODIs in 2017, has earned a T20I call-up to the 13-member squad named for the first T20I. The 20-year-old was handed a central contract for the 2021-22 season and recently played for the West Indies A side against Pakistan A.Seamer Shabika Gajnabi, who was part of the ODI squad against Pakistan, has returned to the T20I side. The 21-year-old has represented West Indies in seven T20Is and last played against England in 2020.Meanwhile, offspinner Karishma Ramharack, who was part of the recent T20I squads against Pakistan and England, has been left out. Ramharack was not among the 17 contracted players and last played a T20I in September last year, against England.”It is unfortunate that Stafanie will not be available for this series but there are a number of experienced players who we would be looking to, to fill any void,” Ann Browne-John, lead selector, said. “The young player Qiana Joseph brings another left-hand batter option as well as left-arm orthodox bowling which has been lacking in the team. This will be a good test coming out of the recent Pakistan series, since South Africa is one of the higher-ranked teams.”West Indies won both the ODI and T20I series against Pakistan, which was also their first home internationals in 19 months. According to a press release, the side has been preparing in a high-performance camp in Antigua prior to the upcoming series.The three T20Is, scheduled to be played on August 31, September 2 and September 4, will take place at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground (SVRCG), following which both sides will play a five-match ODI series from September 7 to 19, with the first three matches being played at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) and the last two at the SVRCG.West Indies squad (for first T20I against South Africa): Anisa Mohammed (capt), Deandra Dottin (vice-capt), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Britney Cooper, Shabika Gajnabi, Chinelle Henry, Qiana Joseph, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Hayley Matthews, Chedean Nation, Shakera Selman

Arsenal has been the home to many top-level talents over the years, many of whom have come through their academy before making a huge impact on the club’s first team.

Winger Bukayo Saka is the best example currently in Mikel Arteta’s side, with the 23-year-old scoring 59 times in his 229 appearances for the Gunners since his debut back in 2020.

In years gone by, Ashley Cole, Martin Keown and Tony Adams have all come through the Hale End academy setup, having a huge effect on the club’s first team – with the latter spending his entire career with the Gunners.

The unbelievable work done by the staff in the youth ranks has saved the club endless amounts of money in the transfer market – but they’ve also allowed numerous talents to slip through the net in the process.

England record scorer Harry Kane was once a part of the Arsenal setup, before joining bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur – with his tally of 342 goals at club level undoubtedly improving Arteta’s current attacking unit.

However, one other talent was once a part of the club and was sold prematurely with his market value rapidly increasing after departing the Emirates.

Ismael Bennacer’s time at Arsenal

Midfielder Ismael Bennacer was one talent who thought he had what it took to become the latest player to come through Arsenal’s academy before making an impact on the first team.

The Algerian featured at different youth levels for the Gunners, including the U18 and U23 sides between 2015 and 2017.

He also managed to make a single appearance in the first team under Arsène Wenger back in October 2015, replacing Theo Walcott in the 3-0 defeat against Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup.

However, he would fail to appear under the Frenchman again, being sent on a loan spell to French side Tours for the second half of the 2016/17 season – before securing a permanent move away from North London that summer.

Bennacer swapped England for Italy, moving to then Serie B side Empoli – with the talent going on to thrive in Europe over recent years.

Bennacer’s market value in 2024

After his minuscule £850k move to Empoli, Bennacer rapidly impressed with his increased game time making 77 appearances for the Italian side over a two-year period.

He helped the club secure a return to the Italian top-flight, before leaving at the end of the 2018/19 season, joining European giants AC Milan in a £13.5m deal – netting Empoli a hefty profit just two years after joining the club.

Bennacer has since taken his career to the next level, becoming an integral part of the Milan squad, helping them reach the Champions League semi-final back in the 2022/23 campaign – before falling to defeat to bitter rivals Inter.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

Since his move to Milan five years ago, the 26-year-old has made 172 appearances for the Serie A side, with his market value skyrocketing as a result of his increased performance levels.

Bennacer's stats after leaving Arsenal
Season	Games	Goals	Assists
2017/18	39	2	4
2018/19	38	0	2
2019/20	35	1	1
2020/21	30	0	5
2021/22	40	2	1
2022/23	40	3	2
2023/24	25	2	2
Total:	247	10	17
Stats via Transfermarkt

The “fantastic” talent, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, now has a €50m (£42m) release clause in his current deal – seeing a whopping 4841% increase on the fee that the Gunners sold him for seven years ago.

His talents would make him perfect for Arteta’s side, providing cover and depth for the likes of Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, who look set to miss the North London derby this weekend.

However, their loss is Milan’s gain, with the Algerian developing into a top-level talent who is capable of being a success at the very top level of European football.

Arteta let Arsenal star walk away on a free, now he's outscoring Saka

The goalscoring sensation was incredible last season.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Sep 12, 2024

Adam Hose and Ed Pollock seal chase with 69 balls to spare as Blast records tumble

George Dobell30-Jun-2021

Carlos Brathwaite has been a potent force with the ball in the Blast•PA Images via Getty Images

Birmingham Bears inflicted a crushing defeat on Yorkshire to move back into the top four of the North Group of the Vitality Blast.After bowling out Yorkshire for the lowest score in their T20 history – 81 – Birmingham galloped to a 10-wicket victory with 69 deliveries to spare. It was the first time they had inflicted a 10-wicket defeat on a side in this format. You could be forgiven for wondering if we really needed a shorter format.This was a game littered with records; each as unwelcome for Yorkshire as they were delightful for Birmingham. While the hosts were not quite able to achieve the largest victory – in terms of balls remaining – in the history of the competition (twice sides have completed victory quicker, with the record – 82 balls – set by Nottinghamshire last week), having bowled Yorkshire out with 25 balls of their innings remaining, this is believed to be the shortest completed T20 match (in terms of overall deliveries bowled) in the competition’s history. In all, 94 balls were not required.There have only been nine lower scores in this competition’s history and Birmingham (or Warwickshire, as they were previously known) had never previously kept a side to less than 96. Yorkshire’s previous lowest total was 90 for 9 against Durham in 2009. This was the lowest score made in England in a T20 since 2016.There was no sign of the carnage to come when Adam Lyth took 15 from the first over of the match. The manner in which he took Tim Bresnan for a six (a gorgeous drive over extra cover) and two fours suggested a total of 180 might be on the cards.But once Lyth was out, to the ninth ball of the match, Yorkshire only hit only three more fours and a six in the rest of their innings. Only other man in the side managed to make double-figures and, after the fourth over, there were only two more fours.Related

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There may be a temptation, in such circumstances, to question the surface. But while this pitch had been used for three previous T20 games (one women’s match and two men’s) it was blameless. Yes, there was a fraction of turn for Birmingham’s spinners, but the bounce appeared to be true and the pace pretty consistent. These hybrid pitches really are a godsend to groundstaff.Birmingham bowled well, too. Carlos Brathwaite, who claimed three for seven, gained reward for thumping out an excellent line and length, while Danny Briggs delighted in the turn he was able to extract. Craig Miles’ three for 19, again achieved largely by hitting a length hard, were his career-best figures.Those bowlers were well supported in the field, too. Matt Lamb’s catch, running every bit of 30 metres from short fine leg towards the boundary to cling on to a top-edge offered by Gary Ballance, was outstanding, while Michael Burgess, who has just signed a two-year contract extension, justified his growing reputation with the gloves by pulling off two stumpings. The first of them, as Jonathan Tattersall attempted a reverse-sweep but dragged his back foot a little, was especially impressive.All that being said, this was an horrendous batting performance from Yorkshire. Unable to adjust to the pace of the wicket or work out what a par score might have been, they succumbed to a series of cross-batted slogs – four of them: Ballance, Mark Stoneman, Dom Bess and Matt Fisher all fell to mistimed pulls – when they might have been wiser to accept it was a pitch on which a total of 140 to 150 might have sufficed.They do have some mitigation. They have been decimated by injuries and international call-ups, with five men absent on England duty and two more batters absent through injury. In this game, they utilised their third keeper and third captain of the campaign.Adam Hose gets into his groove•Getty Images

“We didn’t adapt to the wicket quickly enough,” Lyth admitted with admirable candour afterwards. “The scoreboard won’t reflect it, but I thought it was a pretty good wicket with a bit of extra pace and bounce. But if you get bowled out for 81, you leave your bowlers with no chance. It’s not good enough.”The experience of Birmingham’s openers, Adam Hose and Ed Pollock, would appear to support that view. Hose, in particular, looked in super touch as he took three successive boundaries off Matthew Waite – a drive, a clip and a pull – and then drove Lockie Ferguson over extra cover for six. Two more sixes, one lofted over long-on off Bess and one hooked into the upper tier of the West Stand off Ferguson, clinched the game.Birmingham needed this result. They hadn’t won in four matches – albeit one of those was abandoned due to rain – including a home defeat at the hands of Derbyshire and had dropped out of the top four. This was their first home win and pushes them up to third with a much-improved net run-rate. The hit Yorkshire took to theirs sees them drop to second.