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da jogodeouro： There’s no way to sugarcoat it; the last few weeks have been abysmal for Tottenham Hotspur.

da betway： Ange Postecoglou’s side recovered from their shock loss to Ipswich Town by hammering Manchester City 4-0 at the Etihad, but instead of going on a run after such an incredible result, the North Londoners have seemingly fallen off a cliff.

They’ve drawn at home to AS Roma and Fulham, lost to Bournemouth and Chelsea and then last night, they drew away to Rangers in a game they really should have lost.

Bar Dejan Kulusevski and Fraser Forster, the whole team were dire, but one player in particular stood out for all the wrong reasons and could be Postecoglou’s own Roberto Soldado.

Soldado's Spurs career

When it comes to transfer flops at Spurs in the last 20 years or so, one name that will always pop up, rightly or wrongly, is striker Roberto Soldado.

The Spaniard joined the North Londoners in the summer of 2013 for a then-club-record fee of £26m, and while that was a lot of money, it seemed reasonable at the time as he’d just scored 57 goals and provided 11 assists in 97 appearances across the prior two campaigns for Valencia.

However, while there were certainly glimpses of brilliance during his time in N17, like a couple of hat-tricks, the Valencia-born poacher just couldn’t get to grips with life in the Premier League and went from one of the most dangerous forwards in Europe to below-average at best.

Soldado before and after joining Spurs

Season

11/12

12/13

13/14

14/15

Appearances

51

46

36

40

Goals

27

30

11

5

Assists

6

5

5

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.64

0.76

0.44

0.27

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Moreover, due to the disconnect between expectation and reality, the Spaniard became something of a scapegoat for the team’s troubles, with journalist Sam Tighe describing him as the “flop of the season.”

This simply put more pressure on him to perform, and as every mistake was magnified it became something of a spiral until he lost his place in the team and was eventually sold to Villarreal two years after joining the club.

It would be hard to describe his time at the club and transfer as anything other than a failure, and now it looks like Postecoglou could have his own Soldado in the current squad.

Postecoglou's own Soldado

So, to get straight to the point, the player in question is Timo Werner.

The first thing to say is that due to him being on loan and not a club-record signing, the pressure on the German to perform for the Lilywhites isn’t exactly the same as the pressure on Sodaldo.

However, unlike the Spaniard, the winger has shown very little quality at all during his time at the club, and is earning a whopping £165k-per-week, so he has received just as much criticism from fans and pundits alike.

Werner’s Spurs record

Appearances

33

Minutes

1616′

Goals

3

Assists

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.27

Minutes per Goal Involvement

179.55′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

This criticism, based primarily around his simply abysmal finishing, is the crux of the reason why he’s become the club’s new scapegoat and, therefore, arguably Postecoglou’s version of the former Valencia ace.

However, the manager is the man who made or agreed to the “astonishing” decision, per talkSPORT pundit Andy Townsend, to re-sign him in the summer, so the criticism of the 28-year-old is partly on him as well.

However, the former Chelsea ace was so dismal against Rangers that even the Australian couldn’t ignore it.

He ruthlessly took him off at half-time and doubled down in his post-match press conference, telling the media that the German’s performance “wasn’t acceptable,” which could be the most scathing he’s been about a particular player since taking the job last year.

Ultimately, while Werner doesn’t have a hefty price tag hanging over his head, he is on mega money and has been even more woeful in front of goal, which has seen him become the team’s current scapegoat, akin to what eventually happened to the Spaniard at Spurs.

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Match referee Andy Pycroft ruled that the surface provided “almost no assistance to any type of bowler”

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Dec-2022

England scored 506 for 4 on day one of the Rawalpindi Test•Getty Images

The Rawalpindi pitch has earned a “below average” rating for the second time in 2022. The latest rating follows the first Test between Pakistan and England earlier this month, in which England racked up a record 506 runs on day one to set up an eventual 74-run win.Though the match ended in a decisive result, there was little joy for the bowlers particularly in the first two innings, which produced seven centuries and totals of 657 and 579. England scored at well above a run a ball in both their innings.On day two of the Test match, PCB chairman Ramiz Raja had termed the pitch “embarrassing”, and suggested that the contest it produced was “not a good advert for Test cricket”.Related

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ICC match referee Andy Pycroft seemed to agree with him while handing out a “below average” rating and a demerit point on Tuesday.”It was a very flat pitch which gave almost no assistance to any type of bowler,” Pycroft said. “That was the main reason why batters scored very fast and both sides posted huge totals.”The pitch hardly deteriorated during the course of the match. Since there was very little in it for the bowlers, I found the pitch to be ‘below average’ as per the ICC guidelines.”In March, when Rawalpindi hosted the first Test of Australia’s tour of Pakistan, bat dominated ball to the extent that 1187 runs were scored for the loss of only 14 wickets over five days. That pitch had earned a “below average” rating too, with match referee Ranjan Madugalle noting that the Test match did not “represent an even contest between bat and ball”.Rawalpindi has now received demerit points in successive Test matches. Demerit points remain active for a five-year rolling period, and a venue stands to be suspended from hosting international cricket for a period of five years if it accumulates five demerit points. A “below average” rating earns a venue one demerit point, while “poor” and “unfit” ratings earn three and five demerit points, respectively.

As it was last year, this season has already been something of a roller coaster for Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lilywhites looked somewhat off the pace in their opening games, but in the last month or so, Ange Postecoglou’s men have looked like a seriously threatening side, even if there are still some issues to be resolved, as the loss to Brighton & Hove Albion made clear.

In fact, the North Londoners’ haul of 18 league goals is currently the second-best return in the competition and only one behind Manchester City, who have the frankly inhuman Erling Haaland leading the line.

Yet, it would appear that Daniel Levy and Co are looking to strengthen their already magnificent attack in the upcoming January transfer window, as according to recent reports, the club are keen on a Premier League striker who has won comparisons to Haaland and is currently outscoring Dominic Solanke.

Spurs transfer news

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Tottenham are leading the race for Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap ahead of the January transfer window.

The report claims that while the Lilywhites are ahead at the moment, the Englishman’s fine form has seen the likes of Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Arsenal and his former club, Manchester City, all take notice ahead of what could be an intense battle for his services.

While this level of interest is far from ideal for the North Londoners, the good news is that 21-year-old shouldn’t cost a fortune. The report has revealed that an offer in the region of €40m, £33m, should tempt the Tractor Boys into selling.

Now, this is still a sizeable fee, but given his fine form this season, the comparison to Haaland, and the fact that he’s outscoring Solanke, it could prove to be a long-term bargain.

Delap's comparisons to Haaland and Solanke

Okay, so let’s start with the comparison to Haaland, and while some may deem it ever so slightly outrageous, it was first made by AP correspondent James Robson in September 2020, who said of the then 17-year-old forward that he had “a look of Haaland about him.”

Now, Robson based this opinion on the physical stature and goalscoring ability of the teenager at the time and considering he racked up an imposing tally of 46 goals and 16 assists in 55 appearances for City’s various youth sides, it’s not hard to see where he was coming from.

Moreover, while the Winchester-born poacher only made six first-team appearances for the club, this season has shown that he can be an effective Premier League goalscorer when given the opportunity to consistently start games.

Delap vs Solanke in 24/25
Player	Delap	Solanke
Appearances	9	9
Minutes	634′	685′
Goals	4	3
Goals per Game	0.44	0.33
Minutes per Goal	158′	228′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, in his nine appearances so far this year, eight of which have come in the league, the England U21 star has scored four goals, which is one more than Soalnke has managed in as many games and in a far more dangerous team.

With that said, even if Levy and Co were able to get their hands on Ipswich’s “exceptional” talent in January, as dubbed by former professional Glenn Murray, he would likely come in as a backup for the £65m man at least for now, and given his age, that could be the best option for all involved.

It would allow Postecoglou to keep playing the former Bournemouth star while having a young, hungry, talented and reliable striker to come off the bench when needed and start in cup games, thus keeping the spotlight off of him and improving the overall quality of the squad.

Ultimately, while fans shouldn’t expect Delap to immediately come into the starting lineup and displace the talented Solanke, bringing him to N17 seems like a no-brainer if Levy and Co want to ensure Postecoglou has the best tools at his disposal – and the comparisons to Haaland are certainly a nice bonus.

Brennan Johnson is now being outperformed by a player Spurs let go for £0

Spurs may have made a mistake in allowing the talent to leave the club.

1

By
Ethan Lamb

Oct 23, 2024

Joey Evison, Nottinghamshire’s former England Under-19 allrounder, has signed a three-year contract with Kent. He will also join the club on loan for this year’s Royal London Cup.Evison, 20, debuted for Notts in 2019 and has since made 10 first-class appearances, alongside five in List A and one T20. He recorded his maiden first-class hundred earlier this season but has seen opportunities limited by the development of fellow seam-bowling allrounder Lyndon James.Evison currently averages 27.13 with the bat in first class cricket, and 30.19 with the ball, having taken a maiden five-wicket haul against Durham last summer.”I couldn’t be more excited about joining Kent Cricket,” Evison said. “I recognise that I’m still young but I’m hungry for first team cricket and very much hope I’ll be able to achieve this at Canterbury, as well as helping the team to success in the coming years.”The signing could be the start of a rebuilding process at Kent, who saw seamer Matt Milnes agree terms with Yorkshire on Friday and have to start preparing for life after Darren Stevens, with the 46-year-old allrounder having only made seven first-team appearances this year.Kent’s director of cricket, Paul Downton, said: “I’m delighted that Joey has chosen to join Kent. He’s an exciting talent with the potential to bat in the top order and also be a threat with the ball. He’s a really hard worker and we’re convinced that he will be a quick learner too, as opportunities come his way.”We’re also really pleased to have Joey available for us in this season’s Royal London Cup, and he strengthens our 50-over squad ahead of the tournament.”This is a signing with both the present and the future in mind. We can’t wait to see Joey blossom and make a positive impact both on and off the field for Kent.”

The 10-man Herons snuck out a point thanks to a stoppage-time equalizer after two individual errors haunted their performance during regulation

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Inter Miami draw NYCFC 2-2Tomas Aviles sees red after scoring opening goalLionel Messi records two assistsGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowGetty Images SportTELL ME MORE

Inter Miami narrowly escaped defeat to New York City FC, as Lionel Messi powered them to a 2-2 draw with two assists.

The South Beach club earned a crucial point to kick off the defense of their Supporters' Shield, but it almost wasn't meant to be.

The began things on a high note, taking a remarkably early lead just five minutes into the match. Messi recorded his first goal-contribution of the season, sending a delicious ball across the six-yard box to find a sliding Tomas Aviles, who found the back of the net for his first goal of the season.

Two minutes later, though, things began to go downhill for the hosts.

Winger Fafa Picault pulled up with a non-contact injury, going to the ground holding the back of his leg, forcing Javier Mascherano into his first change just seven minutes into the match.

Then, in the 23rd minute, things went from bad to worse as Aviles saw red for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity offense. The young Argentine committed a reckless sliding tackle on the edge of his own box, taking out the legs of striker Alonso Martinez. Reduced to 10 men, Mascherano's men conceded an equalizer off the ensuing free kick, as the executed a brilliantly designed set-piece with Mitja Ilenic leveling.

Ten minutes into the second half, NYCFC took the lead in the contest, with Martinez capitalizing off a catastrophic error from Jordi Alba. The Spaniard lost the ball right outside his own box, and the Costa Rica international pounced, smashing home to give his club a 2-1 lead.

The had a handful of chances throughout the latter stages of the match to draw level, but a goal never arrived through regulation. However, 11 minutes of stoppage time were added, which proved to be their saving grace.

In the 100th minute of the match, defender Ian Fray drove forward in heroic fashion, finding Messi in NYCFC's end of the pitch, and from there, the Argentine did what he does best. He found the run of substitute Telascvo Segovia, whose looping shot dipped over a forthcoming Matt Freese, but the NYCFC goalkeeper could do nothing about it.

With the late equalizer, Miami earned a point, snatching what was looking to be a brilliant road victory out from under the nose of the on opening day.

AdvertisementDID YOU KNOW?

Miami and NYCFC last met in Fall 2024, with the two sides ending in a stalemate as U.S. international James Sands equalized in the dying minutes of the match.

THE MVP

Lionel Messi:

Down to 10 men, they needed some late magic, and boy did he bring it. Their best attacker throughout the second half, Messi finally helped them draw level in the 10th minute of stoppage-time via his brilliant assist to Telasco Segovia.

The Argentine's brilliance helped them overcome two major individual errors, and that is exactly why he was named the club's captain prior to the start of the campaign.

Getty Images SportTHE BIG LOSER

Tomas Aviles:

From hero to villain, the young Argentine let his team down on Saturday.

All throughout 2024, he was a loose cannon. He would go from having rock-solid performances to outings plagued by immaturity and poor decision-making. Saturday's match saw a mix of both.

Ultimately, his sending-off cost Miami three points, and he will have to accept that.

It’s been quite the start to life at the helm for Arne Slot, who has inherited Jurgen Klopp’s squad at Liverpool and recorded 11 victories in 12 matches across all competitions thus far – a club record.

The Premier League’s table toppers, who have also won each of their three opening Champions League contests, boast one of the most formidable frontlines across Europe, with Slot’s system also reviving Virgil van Dijk’s defence to redoubtable status.

But there’s an elephant in the room, and it’s starting to become a noisy one. Skipper Van Dijk, homegrown vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold and all-powerful talisman Mohamed Salah are just over two months away from being free to negotiate with suitors overseas for a pre-contract agreement.

The superstars’ Liverpool deals are firmly into their final year, and though it’s unthinkable, contingency plans must be taken. The £350k-per-week Salah is the highest-paid player on the books, and, understandably, FSG are looking at long-term successors.

Liverpool weighing up move for Salah heir

According to Caught Offside, Liverpool and Arsenal have sent scouts to watch Arda Güler in action and will pounce if anything changes in the prodigious talent’s situation at Real Madrid.

The Turkey international, 19, signed for Los Blancos in July 2023 for a reported €20m (£17m) fee, but he’s struggling to find space in Carlo Ancelotti’s superteam and may move for pastures new if the situation does not improve.

Newcastle United were interested earlier in 2024 and Spanish sources claimed that a bid of €80m (£67m) would convince Real to sell, though this exorbitant valuation might deter suitors such as thrifty Liverpool.

Arda Güler's talent in numbers

Replacing Salah with a teenager might feel like a foolish move, but Güler is a remarkable player and has already showcased his ability to step up in big moments, as he did for his nation at Euro 2024 this summer.

And he’s hardly flattered to deceive when blessed with football on the prestigious Santiago Bernabeu pitch, having scored six goals from just 23 appearances, of which only eight have come from the outset.

Güler, let’s be clear, is jockeying for the agency of success against the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior – de facto Ballon d’Or winner – and Rodrygo, with Endrick and Brahim Diaz also pushing for minutes of their own.

His lack of action is by no means a negation of the stunning skillset that impelled Florentino Perez and his transfer team to fork out funds for his signature, right at the fledgling phase.

As per FBref, despite his lack of minutes, Güler ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 6% for pass completion and the top 10% for tackles won per 90.

Examine Güler’s statistics from another angle. As per Sofascore, the winger has only started three La Liga games this term but has created three big chances, completed 88% of his passes, averaged 1.3 key passes per outing and won 61% of his ground duels.

Van Dijk, by comparison, has only won 50% of his ground duels in the Premier League under Slot’s management – though there’s no need to worry about that one.

Güler’s metrics point toward worth, such worth, that will have convinced Liverpool bosses, Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes, that this is a player worth investing in.

Of course, the only way that the £83k-per-week talent would be signed by Liverpool is if Salah does indeed leave at the end of the term, but if he does, this might just be the perfect young buck to keep Slot’s attack purring.

Why Arda Güler could succeed Salah

Salah might turn 33 next summer but there’s little notion that this supreme athlete is set to suffer a nosedive in performance any time soon.

He’s scored seven goals and added seven more assists across just 12 matches so far in 2024/25, starting 11 times. Pundit Gary Neville recently hailed the prolific winger as a “superstar” and the praise couldn’t be more apt.

With each passing season, never falling off, Salah is proving that he’s indeed one of the finest to ply their art on English soil, and his efforts under Slot’s leadership might just hold sway in the pursuit of the biggest silver prizes.

Mohamed Salah

12 (11)

7

7

Luis Diaz

11 (7)

5

1

Diogo Jota

10 (9)

4

2

Cody Gakpo

12 (5)

2

2

Darwin Nunez

9 (4)

2

1

Federico Chiesa

3 (1)

0

1

Salah’s ball-striking ability has foiled incalculable defences, but in Güler, FSG might just find the second coming, especially since he’s been hailed as a “magician with a wand of a left foot” by one scout.

Though the Egyptian’s absurd consistency in front of goal is something that simply cannot be replicated, Real’s teenage talent has showcased a clinical edge and carries the full package besides.

160 goals for Liverpool in the Premier League (plus two for Chelsea) leave him joint-ninth in the all-time scoring charts, with just 16 goals required to leapfrog Chelsea legend Frank Lampard into sixth place.

Replacing him is a daunting task indeed, and even if Salah does pen fresh terms, extending his time at the club by a couple more years, prudently bringing in an heir would be a good call.

Who better than Güler? Though Real Madrid will view the Turk in their long-term plans, he might not find regular minutes coming his way for several seasons yet, and Liverpool can be sure to put together a compelling case to move to Anfield.

A magician of a young player, this would be a statement of intent to send waves of excitement rippling across Merseyside.

Liverpool must axe star who earns 2x more than Jones & Bradley combined

Liverpool arguably wasted £21.4m on one statement signing

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Dean returns from England duty to strangle Sunrisers after Scholfield, Hill half-centuries

ECB Reporters Network23-Jul-2022Charlie Dean returned from England duty to claim three wickets as two-time winners Southern Vipers professionally remained unbeaten in this year’s Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.Offspinner Dean was the leading wicket-taker in the recent ODI series against South Africa and brought that form to the Ageas Bowl with a tight 3 for 31 in 10 overs.Georgia Elwiss also picked up 2 for 50 as Vipers turned pythons to strangle winless Sunrisers to a 11-run defeat, despite Cordelia Griffith maintaining her form with 65.Earlier, Kate Coppack claimed 4 for 48, after a seven-over opening spell of 4 for 37, to leave Vipers 38 for 5 inside nine overs, but Paige Scholfield and Chloe Hill’s maiden half-centuries at this level resuscitated the hosts to a defendable 233.Related

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Vipers have got themselves into a pickle a few times this season. They were 35 for 3 and 74 for 4, against South East Stars before clocking up 306, and against Thunder, they lost three wickets for two runs, albeit after a 153-run opening stand.So, when Coppack had quaffed the top order with a relentlessly accurate 4 for 37 to leave Vipers 38 for 5, having chosen to bat first, there wouldn’t have been the cataclysmic worries that other teams would have faced.Mady Villiers was the first to strike when she had Georgia Adams lbw when trying to work the ball into the legside. Then Coppack, raised in Cheshire and with international wickets for Peru to her name, flung into action.The fast bowler only had four wickets in her first eight Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy appearances but had Dean leg-before in her third over before bowling former international Georgia Elwiss through the gate.Scholfield may have scythed the hat-trick ball to point but Ella McCaughan chipped to midwicket and Emily Windsor flashed a drive to slip to give Coppack her third and fourth.Kate Coppack in her delivery stride•Getty Images

The inevitable recovery came in the form of a 105-run stand between Scholfield and Hill. The former took a punchy attacking route out of the collapse by pummelling the short boundary with flicks and cuts.There were moments of style, most notably a glorious cover drive early on and a slog-sweep off Grace Scrivens. A swept six off a full toss was also included on her way to a 42-ball fifty.Hill, on loan from Central Sparks, was less stylish, but her stickability complemented Scholfield. Her own half-century came in a sedate 103 deliveries, with five either straight or pulled boundaries coming in her 55.After Scholfield holed out to deep midwicket for 74, Tara Norris joined Hill for a 51-run stand. The USA international was run out trying to get Hill to her milestone, with Hill and Lauren Bell dismissed before the 50-overs were up.Sunrisers steadfastly refused to take risks in the chase and therefore the modest rate got away from them – as proved with only 28 runs coming in the first 10 overs.Griffith, on the back of 74 against Western Storm, was unflappable in the 74 balls needed to reach back-to-back fifties. Naomi Dattani’s 34 only included a pair of boundaries but plentiful nudges, with 74 added with Griffith. Dean had earlier bowled Scrivens with her second delivery and would now have both Dattani and Villiers bowled.Having struck five boundaries in her first 56 balls, Griffith failed to hit another in her further 53 deliveries to highlight the problems Sunrisers were having timing the softer balls on a slow wicket. She was leg-before to Adams, before Elwiss bowled Mia Rogers.Jo Gardner bashed 43 off 45 in a 56 stand with Jess Olorenshaw to give Sunrisers a glimpse of stealing back the win. But Bell bowled Olorenshaw in the penultimate over and Adams comfortably defended 17 off the last over.

As well as looking to give Ola Aina a new contract, Nottingham Forest are also keen on tying down another key player, with Nuno Espirito Santo pushing for it to happen, according to a new report.

It has been an excellent start to the Premier League season for the Reds, as they have lost just one of their seven games and already have a comfortable cushion above the relegation places.

Nottingham Forest plot Ola Aina contract talks amid £10m Roma transfer plan

Nottingham Forest face a battle to retain one of Nuno’s key players.

ByBrett Worthington Oct 9, 2024 Nottingham Forest news

Forest secured a 1-1 draw with Chelsea over the weekend, but it was bitter sweat as their talisman Morgan Gibbs-White suffered an injury. There was concern he may be missing for a few weeks, but Forest are hoping to have Gibbs-White back available for their game against Crystal Palace after the international break.

As stated before, one player that Forest are already looking to tie down to a new contract is Aina, as he’s entered the final year of his deal at the City Ground. The Reds are set to open contract talks with the defender soon, as they now face a battle to retain his services.

Italian side AS Roma are keen on signing Aina, and they believe they can sign him for around £10-12 million, given the fact he is in the final year of his deal. Aina has played in Italy before, and Roma believe this works to their advantage, as he will fit well into their team and knows their manager, Ivan Juric, as he played under him at Torino.

While Forest and Evangelos Marinakis aim to tie Aina down to a new contract, they are also keen to give a new contract to another player who has become important under Nuno.

Nuno wants Nottingham Forest to open contract talks with Chris Wood

According to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook, Nottingham Forest are keen to tie Chris Wood down to a new contract. The New Zealand international is now in the final year of his contract at the City Ground, and the club are keen to extend his stay beyond this campaign.

Wood joined Forest first on loan from Newcastle United in January 2023, and then that deal was made into a permanent switch that summer after he helped play a role in the club staying in the top flight.

The 32-year-old, who earns £4.1 million a year at the City Ground, has become a key player under manager Nuno, and it is him who is pushing the club to give the striker a new contract. The forward has made an impressive start to this season, and he has already come in for high praise, as Match of the Day 2 pundit Stephen Warnock labelled Wood as an “outstanding” player who offers so much to the team as well as his goals.

Apps

49

Goals

20

Assists

1

Warnock said on Wood: “They’ve got Morgan Gibbs-White, Anthony Elanga, and Callum Hudson-Odoi; it’s pace in attack.

“But I’ve got to say Chris Wood is outstanding. Not only his goals, but as a focal point, he takes the pressure off the rest of the team.”

Debutant Bishnoi’s 2 for 17 as well as Suryakumar and Venkatesh Iyer’s unbroken stand help construct India’s win

Deivarayan Muthu16-Feb-20221:59

Jaffer: A very positive approach by India to play two wristspinners

Ravi Bishnoi overcame a nervy start on debut and then let rip his wrong’uns to give India a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series. He bowled four overs full of wrong’uns, according to ESPNcricinfo’s logs, to help India restrict West Indies to 157 for 7, despite Nicholas Pooran’s half-century.What could’ve been a challenging chase was initially made to look like small fry by Rohit Sharma who hit 40 of the 63 runs India had scored in the powerplay. However, the target looked a whole lot bigger once Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant all fell in quick succession. India were 114 for 4 in the 15th over at that point; they were also sweating over the fitness of Deepak Chahar, who had suffered a blow on his bowling hand while fielding. He didn’t return to bowl his final over.As it turned out, India didn’t need his batting either in the slog overs, with Suryakumar Yadav and Venkatesh Iyer absorbing the pressure and sealing victory.Spotlight on Bishnoi
Bhuvneshwar Kumar found swing in the early exchanges and had Brandon King spooning a catch to backward point for 4. Kyle Mayers, the other opener, however, regularly jumped out of his crease or across his stumps to give West Indies some early impetus. He backed away and laced Bhuvneshwar through the covers before swatting Harshal Patel over backward square leg.Yuzvendra Chahal cut short Mayers’ innings at 31 when he trapped him lbw in the seventh over. Chahal could have struck first ball had Bishnoi not misjudged a skier at the long-off boundary. Bishnoi stepped back on the skirting and ended up conceding a six.Bishnoi was introduced into the attack in the very next over and missed his lines, darting three wides. He hit his rhythm soon after, dismissing both Roston Chase and Rovman Powell in the next over.Chase missed a fizzing wrong’un and was pinned lbw while Powell holed out to long-on. Bishnoi, too, troubled Pooran, keeping him to eight off nine balls against his legbreaks googlies.Ravi Bishnoi earned the Player-of-the-match award on international debut•BCCIPooran revives West Indies
Like Bishnoi, Pooran, too, had a scrappy start and was on 17 off 19 balls at one stage. He finally broke free when he clattered a pull over the square-leg boundary off Chahal. Pooran was particularly severe on the legspinner, taking him for 26 off a mere 12 balls, including three sixes. He reached his fifty off 38 balls when he carved Chahal through backward point for four.Kieron Pollard, who had recovered sufficiently from the knee niggle that had forced him out of the last two ODIs, also did his bit, scoring an unbeaten 24 off 19 balls. He had slid down the order to deny India’s wristspinners a favourable match-up. Instead, Akeal Hosein was bumped up to No.6, but he could manage just 10 off 12 balls. Nevertheless, Pooran and Pollard hauled West Indies closer to 160.The storm and the calm
Rohit went on a boundary-hitting spree in the powerplay, using the hardness of the new ball and quickness of the outfield to his advantage. After whipping Romario Shepherd for six and pulling Sheldon Cottrell for four, he cranked up the tempo against Odean Smith, going 4,6,4,6.It was Chase’s offspin that delivered West Indies the breakthrough and slowed down India. He first had Rohit caught at the midwicket boundary before getting Kishan too. Kishan had been the tortoise to Rohit’s hare, labouring to 35 off 42 balls.Kishan’s wicket triggered a mini-collapse as India lost 3 for 21. Chase bowled into the pitch and despite the onset of dew later in the evening, he extracted some turn and bounce to unsettle India. However, the left-arm spinners Hosein and Fabian Allen released all the pressure at the other end.Suryakumar and Venkatesh cashed in, putting on an unbroken 48 off 26 balls and leaving West Indies still searching for their first win on this tour.

West Bromwich Albion supporters would have been worrying going into this new Championship season that there wasn’t enough firepower in the striker positions at the club, with Brandon Thomas-Asante jumping ship to Coventry City weakening the Baggies up top.

Now, however, those concerns have very much dissipated with the emergence of Josh Maja as the main leading man in attack for Carlos Corberan’s table toppers, after he managed to bounce back from an injury-ravaged first campaign at the Hawthorns.

Corberan will just hope those injury demons don’t come back to haunt the former Sunderland man moving forward, who was on the scoresheet yet again for the West Midlands side last weekend versus Wayne Rooney’s Plymouth Argyle.

Maja's start to the season

Amazingly, the goal-shy 25-year-old who only picked up one Championship goal from 12 games last campaign now has six to his name this season from as many league clashes, as second-tier defences begin to be scared stiff by the clinical nature of the Baggies number nine.

He only needed 26 touches of the ball against the visitors from Devon to tap home the winner, after new summer recruit Uros Racic put it on a plate for the 5 foot 11 forward to win the tight clash deep into the second 45 minutes.

West Brom will just be delighted that their patient approach with Maja’s injury issues has now paid off, with the promotion hopefuls needing to exercise a similar calmness with striker Daryl Dike soon, who is now back training himself after a long time out in the Hawthorns treatment room.

Whilst Corberan’s men have undoubtedly won with Maja in the here and now, there’s a botched deal from four years ago that will still bother those at the Baggies, with the striker in question – that was once very much on West Brom’s radar – now worth an unbelievable £40m.

When West Brom missed out on Ivan Toney

In conversation on talkSPORT earlier this year, Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony and Luke Dowling revealed how West Brom turned down the chance to sign then EFL sharp shooter Ivan Toney in 2020 for just £10m, with Brighton and Hove Albion and Celtic also interested at the time.

Dowling said: “We did have a conversation with them about the great Ivan Toney which in hindsight you look back. You’d look back now and say you’d pay it all day long [£10m fee].

“What we thought at the time, we’d just got promoted to the Premier League and we weren’t brave enough to take a player from League One. Is he going to score us the goals to keep us in the league? It wasn’t the right time.”

He more than showed that he could handle the pressures of the top-flight when moving onto Brentford though, after a goal laden few campaigns in Cambridgeshire, with a mightily impressive 72 strikes notched up in total for the Bees across 141 games.

Whilst Toney managed to improve more and more under Thomas Frank’s guidance – with the Brentford manager even labelling the senior England international as “remarkable” last year when discussing his rise with the club – West Brom struggled in the Premier League to be a threat in attack after missing out on the deadly finisher and were relegated straight back to the second tier at the end of the 2020/21 campaign.

1. Matheus Pereira

10

2. Callum Robinson

5

3. Kyle Bartley

3

4. Mbaye Diange

3

5. Semi Ajayi

2

West Brom would only manage to have one player on their roster hit double digits during that term in the form of Baggies favourite Matheus Pereira, as Toney fired home a ridiculous 33 goals in the division below to further add insult to injury.

One that got away

The transfers that nearly happened but never did. This article is part of Football FanCast's One That Got Away series.

The former Peterborough man would then go on to be a wanted figure by the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea among other Premier League suitors, with his predicted price tag once coming in at an eye-watering £70m according to reports.

He would leave eventually depart West London for a lesser £40m, as Saudi Arabia came calling in the form of Al-Ahli this summer, where Toney continues to show off his clinical prowess in-front of goal with a brace on his debut in the Middle East.

West Brom would have loved to have been one club Toney played for on the way to his path to stardom, but they just weren’t prepared to gamble.

Of course, not every punt does pay off like this, as Corberan’s side now just focus on winning promotion back to the Premier League, to then perhaps be more risky in the transfer market.

West Brom could axe star who earns more than Maja & Johnston combined

Carlos Corberan could look to move on this forgotten West Bromwich Albion man soon.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 23, 2024