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After a remarkable campaign saw them achieve promotion to the Premier League last season, Ipswich Town now look ready to make a big money offer for a new striker for Kieran McKenna's squad.

The Tractor Boys target a new striker this summer

Whilst few faults can be found in the Ipswich side that finished second in the Championship last season, one area of the squad that needed improving this summer was arguably in the striker department.

Ipswich could get over Philogene rejection by signing "elite" star

Ipswich Town could now seek out improvements away from pursuing Jaden Philogene-Bidace.

By
Kelan Sarson

Jul 22, 2024

Throughout the course of the previous campaign, much of the scoring burden fell on the shoulders of wingers like Nathan Broadhead or individuals like Conor Chaplin who is arguably better suited to playing just behind a traditional number nine. The campaign saw numerous players take up the mantle of being the Tractor Boys' striker often to varying levels of success.

Ipswich Town stats 2023/24	Games played	Goals scored	Assists
Kiefer Moore	18	7	1
George Hurst	26	7	6
Ali Al Hamadi	14	4	0
Kayden Jackson	29	3	3
Freddie Ladapo	17	2	0

With the transfer window now in full swing, Ipswich have already got a new striker through the door at Portman Road in the form of Liam Delap. The 21-year-old has joined the Tractor Boys in a £20million switch from the Premier League champions Manchester City.

Not content with Delap as their only new striker, Ipswich are also said to be interested in agreeing a deal for free agent Kelechi Iheanacho. The Nigerian forward would not cost the Tractor Boys a penny after he left Leicester City upon the expiration of his contract last month.

With McKenna's sights still set on a new centre forward, Ipswich are now said to be weighing up a move for a highly-rated attacking option.

Ipswich have Croatian striker on their radar

As first reported by TEAMtalk, Ipswich are among a number of Premier League clubs weighing up moves for MLS star Petar Musa. The outlet claims that the Croatian forward, 26, is on the Tractor Boys' target list off the back of a series of impressive performances for FC Dallas and that they are readying a big-money bid.

Over the course of his first 23 appearances in the MLS, Musa has found the back of the net on 13 occasions, contributing two assists as well for good measure. Speaking when he first arrived in the United States, Dallas technical director Andre Zanotta spoke very highly of Musa:

"We've secured a world-class attacker in the prime of his career in Petar. His versatility and proven skills against top-level opponents makes him a formidable addition to our team. Petar's signing marks a historic moment for us."

The forward joined Dallas in a club record £11million move from Portuguese outfit Benfica. The report by TEAMtalk attests that Dallas do not want to lose the player this summer but Ipswich are said to be readying a big-money offer that could force their hand.

With a striker still a priority for Ipswich this summer, Musa could be an interesting option for the Tractor Boys to pursue before the window slams shut on August 30th.

While they have been great on the pitch and look as sharp as they did in May, it's been a somewhat disappointing summer for Arsenal so far this year.

Mikel Arteta's side will enter this season with the sole objective of ending their two-decade title drought, but as things stand, the club haven't done enough in the transfer market.

The only addition to the first team thus far has been Riccardo Calafiori, and while it looks like there has been some progress in the pursuit of Mikel Merino, his potential arrival doesn't feel remotely imminent.

However, recent reports have now touted another central midfielder for a move to the Emirates, and he could prove to be an ideal alternative to the Spaniard or possibly even a signing to go along with him.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Arsenal are one of several top sides who have been offered the chance to sign Marco Verratti this summer.

Alongside the Gunners, the report claims that Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City have all been offered the former Paris Saint-Germain superstar just a year after he left the Parisians to join Qatari club Al-Arabi for £39m.

The report does not mention how much the Italian ace might cost potential suitors, but with just a year remaining on his deal, it's unlikely to be much more than his Transfermarkt valuation of €18m, which converts to around £15m.

It's certainly a left-field rumour, but given his incredible career and the fact that he's still just 31 years old, bringing Verratti to the Emirates this summer may be a cost-effective way to add some serious talent and experience to the midfield. He could even be a better alternative to Merino.

How Verratti compares to Merino

So, if Verratti really is a potential alternative to Merino at the moment, how do the pair stack up to one another? Well, when we take a look at their raw output, as even in central midfield, they'd be expected to contribute in attack, it's not an entirely straightforward comparison.

For example, the Sociedad ace ended last season with eight goals and five assists to his name, while the Italian star ended his season with just eight assists in total, suggesting that the former is more of an attacking threat, right? Not exactly.

The Spaniard racked up his goal involvements in 45 appearances, meaning he averaged one every 3.46 games. At the same time, his competitor produced his assists in just 21 matches, equating to a more impressive average of one every 2.62 games.

However, you also have to consider the leagues in which they play, as while the Qatari top flight is probably more competitive than it used to be, the level of competition isn't going to be of the same standard as La Liga.

So, with it hard to pick an outright winner from their output, a better way to compare them would be to look at the former PSG ace's underlying numbers from his final campaign in France and see how they stack up to Merino's from last year.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.14

0.19

Progressive Carries

1.64

0.94

Progressive Passes

10.7

5.91

Shots

0.33

1.09

Passing Accuracy

92.6%

76.2%

Key Passes

1.35

0.72

Passes into the Penalty Area

2.25

0.98

Crosses into the Final Third

9.10

4.42

Shot-Creating Actions

3.41

2.36

Goal-Creating Actions

0.37

0.29

Tackles Won

2.01

1.56

Blocks

1.72

1.30

Interceptions

1.11

0.58

Clearances

0.45

1.99

Successful Take-ons

1.19

0.87

Ball Recoveries

7.17

7.14

Aerial Duels Won

0.45

5.94

Interestingly, when we do this, we can see that the Italian, whom Xavi once dubbed "one of the best midfielders in the world", comes out on top in practically every single metric, including progressive passes and carries, passing accuracy, passes into the final third and penalty area, key passes, shot and goal-creating actions, and successful take-ons, all per 90.

It's not just in the attacking metrics that he excels either, as he comes out on top for tackles won, blocks, interceptions and ball recoveries per 90, showing that he is a central midfielder who really can do a bit of everything.

In his defence, the Sociedad star does better in a few areas, such as shots and shots on target, non-penalty expected goals plus assists, clearances, and aerial duels won per 90, but the overall difference in their underlying numbers is stark.

Ultimately, while Merino does look like he'll be a good addition to Arsenal's squad this summer, Edu and Co really should look to take up the offer in Verratti. Even if he has slightly regressed in the Middle East, he was a tour de force in Paris, and at 31, there are plenty of years left in him.

Imagine him & Merino: Arsenal holds talks over signing £86m goal machine

The “outstanding” marksman would take the Gunners to the next level.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 15, 2024

A lot is going on at Liverpool, though it might not really feel like it. International escapades have dominated football discourse over recent weeks, while the Anfield side have been inactive on the transfer market as Arne Slot works on his squad and identifies where to make improvements.

Sporting director Richard Hughes has been engaged in daily conversation with the Dutchman, formerly of Feyenoord, and fresh faces will arrive this summer. It's a matter of when, not if.

Still, a lot is going on, with midfielder Thiago Alcantara recently returning to the headlines after announcing his retirement from the professional game; his final term at Liverpool was wrecked by injuries, limiting him to just five minutes of action, and the 33-year-old is not going to pen a deal elsewhere.

Given that his on-pitch role was negligible last year, replacing the illustrious Spaniard is not a pressing concern for Slot and Co – last summer's sweeping midfield changes sorted that out. But, his Reds contract has still expired, taking his £200k-per-week salary with him. A shrewd replacement has been identified.

Liverpool lining up astute deal

As per Calcio Mercato, Adrien Rabiot's future is going to be wrapped up swiftly now that France have been knocked out of Euro 2024.

The midfielder's contract with Juventus expired last month, and while the Old Lady are hopeful to tie him down to fresh terms, a host of top European outfits are also sniffing around.

Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are among the contenders, but Liverpool are also named as the sole Premier League club and could now make their move.

Why Liverpool should sign Adrien Rabiot

Rabiot, 29, has enjoyed a trophy-laden career across two outfits in Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus, but after 212 appearances in Turin, could try his hand in the Premier League.

A multi-functional midfielder, a perfunctory glance might see the conclusion reached that Liverpool do not need to sign such a player, but if FSG opt against signing a new No. 6 this summer, Wataru Endo will continue to play an important role for the Anfield side and Alexis Mac Allister will be required to perform from a deep-lying placement with regularity.

Rabiot, moreover, would offer an invaluable sense of depth and dynamism for a side that has stepped back into the Champions League after spending last year languishing in the Europa League. Slot will need experience and Rabiot would bring such in hordes.

Adrien Rabiot: Euro 2024 Stats
Statistics	#
Matches played	5
Matches started	5
Goals	0
Assists	0
Pass completion	92%
Key passes per game	2.0
Tackles per game	1.8
Ball recoveries per game	4.0
Dribbles per game	1.0
Duels won per game	4.2
Stats via Sofascore

France weren't exactly great at the Euros this summer, playing with a pragmatic sheen that left observers puzzled. Such riches, such talent. Still, they narrowly lost to imperious Spain and Rabiot performed admirably throughout, showcasing the kind of all-encompassing skillset that Liverpool would benefit from.

His ability to maintain a sharp pass success rate while ushering play forwards, creating, influencing, bears testament to Rabiot's overarching technical acumen. He's been hailed in the past as a "monster" by football writer Robin Bairner, but for all his imposing physicality, his athletic robustness, Rabiot is actually a pretty wonderful technician.

That's the perfect Thiago replacement, right there.

Why Rabiot could step into Thiago's boots

Thiago joined Liverpool from Bayern Munich in the scorching summer of 2020, completing a £20m transfer and bringing one of the most distinguished passing games in Europe to Jurgen Klopp's door.

When fit, Thiago has blessed Liverpool with some of the finest football seen in its rich history, but sustained spells have been few and far between – the two times Champions League winner failed to start more than 20 Premier League games in a single season across his four campaigns as a Red.

What a player though. Pundit Michael Owen once marvelled over the retired midfielder's "staggering" quality and indeed he made such an impact on the fluency and fizz of Klopp's Liverpool team.

As per FBref, Thiago ranked among the top 2% of Premier League midfielders during the 2022/23 season for passes attempted and progressive passes, the top 11% for successful take-ons and the top 10% for tackles per 90.

Rabiot might not be cut from the same silky cloth but he does boast an immense passing game that holds control, creativity culture in equal regard. Former Juventus star, David Trezuguet, even went as far as to label him an "extraordinary player" for such prowess.

His metrics in Germany over the past month underscore the point of comparison, ranking among the top 10% of midfielders at Euro 2024 for shot-creating actions and the top 11% for successful take-ons per 90.

Juventus' stop-start season under Massimiliano Allegri last year precluded Rabiot from finding his finest football, no doubt, but he still maintained a steady level of performance, notably proving his high levels of energy by averaging 4.8 ball recoveries and 5.7 successful duels per game.

Liverpool, let's not forget, have one of the most talented squads in Europe, and Slot will fight feverishly to get his system up and running smoothly, with the finest poise and the greatest efficiency.

Rabiot could be the experienced head perfectly suited to strengthen the side and ensure that silverware can be fought for across multiple fronts.

Liverpool line up move for £60m ace who'd be their best DM since Fabinho

It’s time for action in the transfer market.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jul 9, 2024

An exhaustive stat-studded analysis of Bangladesh’s failings

Andy Zaltzman25-Feb-2013Basil Butcher: cleverly ensured there aren’t any pictures of him bowling© The Cricketer International
Over the last few days, the roads of England have been inundated with joyous cars sporting flags of St George, the red cross fluttering proudly in the English air in honour of its sporting heroes, as the nation, coming together as one, celebrates its cricketers’ 2-0 series victory over Bangladesh.The football-obsessed media would have us believe these flags symbolise support for the impending World Cup. They would, of course, be wrong. Football World Cups come around every four years – but there will not be another home Test series against Bangladesh for a decade. The public, understandably, wishes to mark this once-in-a-relatively-short-lived-dog’s-lifetime event. And there is no more potent display of patriotism available to the 21st-century consumer than attaching a small flag to your car window.In the three previous Tests against England, Bangladesh had, in accordance with their team moniker, fought like Tigers, albeit inexperienced tigers, and when bowling, tigers who had yet to grow teeth. But tigers nonetheless. They had lasted at least 90 overs in each of their six innings, averaged a wicket lost every 11 overs, and when 126 for 0 at Old Trafford, with Tamim Iqbal again tearing into England’s bowlers like a lovestruck teenager into a promising-looking Valentine’s Day envelope, they were well on course to extend their team record of nine consecutive innings of 280 or more.Bearing in mind (a) that their previous best sequence of 280-plus innings scores was a less-than-world-beating one in a row, and (b) that as recently as 18 months ago they completed a run of 18 successive sub-280 efforts, progress was undoubtedly being made.It was, therefore, a serious disappointment for all fans of vaguely competitive Test cricket that they then seemingly transported themselves five years back in time and hurled away all 20 wickets in 64 overs (including at one point 11 in 123 balls), fighting like cornered tigerskin rugs as they subsided to a first-innings defeat in a year and a half.There is an old saying in showbiz, “Always leave them wanting more.” Bangladesh certainly did that, in a frenetic cascade of understandable technical shortcomings and avoidable lapses of attention that was eerily reminiscent of too many of their earlier Tests. It was also spookily similar to England’s rancid capitulations in Leeds, Johannesburg and Kingston within the past 18 months. One of the supposed purposes of Bangladesh’s Test status is for them to learn from better, more established teams. At Old Trafford they demonstrated that they had perhaps been watching videos of the wrong England matches.Looking ahead to the rest of England’s Test year, they will need more consistent penetration from their bowling attack. They again prospered in favourable conditions, continuing a trend of intermittent threat dating back some years. Since the demise of the 2005 Ashes-winning four-prong-pace-plus-one-prong-containing-left-arm-spin attack, England have struggled to dismiss opponents twice when unaided by conditions or limited opponents (whether they have picked four or five bowlers).Excluding Tests against Bangladesh and the early-season series in England, they have done so just 10 times in 43 attempts, including just five in 27 overseas Tests (two of which were in New Zealand). This suggests that if they are going to retain the Ashes, they will have to win 1-0, or draw 1-1, and cling on for three or four draws. Bearing in mind that in the past six Australian seasons there have been only three drawn Tests out of 34, this may require Jonathan Trott to extend his pre-delivery routine to heroic levels of time-frittering complexity. Perhaps he could indulge in a full glove-twiddling interpretation of before settling down to face each Nathan Hauritz bombshell, reducing each day to four or five overs. (I am sure that during his Lord’s double-hundred I saw Trott make the bowler wait whilst he checked his emails on his laptop and phoned his gas supplier to see if someone could take a look at his faulty boiler.)With the Ashes looming, Pakistan’s two forthcoming series against Australia, then England, will be fascinating. All Pakistan series are fascinating. Even if all 30 scheduled days of play were to be washed out, I am sure that some intriguing behind-the-scenes subplots would emerge from nowhere to keep us entertained. And Shahid Afridi is captain. It is not often that one watches cricket primarily to see what the captain does. But this will be one of those rare occasions.The bans on some key players have already been lifted, and the concern for Pakistan supporters must be that, with the first Test against Australia still almost five weeks away, there is ample time for a new set of bans to be randomly imposed before the Test matches begin (plus at least two changes of captaincy, three major feuds, five retirements and six retirement reversals).Time for one question and answer from your submissions (more to follow in a few days’ time).Question (submitted by Themistocles): Inspired by your last piece about Mudassar Nazar, what do you consider to be the most underwhelming feat of greatness?Zaltzmanswer: Interesting question, Themistocles (and how good to discover that you are alive, well and on the internet, despite having died in 459 BC).Figures of 6 for 32 suggest a devastating pace blitz or a wily spell of mystery spin on a crumbling fifth-day pitch, not some slow-medium wobblers wreaking havoc amidst the cream of English batsmanship. That Mudassar should have carved those numbers into cricketing history, rather than Imran Khan or Abdul Qadir, who between them took 4 for 178 in 79.5 overs in that innings, is one of those strange quirks that illuminate the annals of the sport.Mudassar followed up his Lord’s triumph with 4 for 55 a fortnight later at Leeds, his second-best Test analysis – he did not take more than five wickets in any other series in his 13-year Test career. I prefer to think of such unexpected and isolated outbreaks of quality in otherwise mundane careers as flabbergastative rather than underwhelming.Perhaps the finest example is Basil Butcher’s 5 for 34 against England in Port-of-Spain in 1968. Butcher had been a stalwart of the West Indies batting line-up for most of the previous decade when Garry Sobers tossed him the ball with England coasting along serenely at 370-odd for 5. In that time Butcher had bowled once, nine years previously, a tidy six-over spell of 0 for 17 in Delhi. He was not so much an occasional legspinner as an entirely hypothetical one.As he stood at the end of his run-up, Butcher must have thought to himself: “I’ve got a round red thing in my hand. What on earth do I do with it now?”The answer he gave himself was, evidently: “I suppose I’d better take four wickets in three overs.” After dismissing Colin Cowdrey for 148, he skittled the English tail, before bowling Jeff Jones to take his fifth wicket.One can only imagine the stunned silence in the West Indies dressing room after Butcher completed his spell, as his 10 team-mates stared at him, as if to say: “You should have mentioned you could bowl at some point in the previous 10 years, Basil. You really should have mentioned it.”Butcher preferred to retain his cloak of bowling anonymity, however. He never took another Test wicket. As individual, unexpected peaks of performance go, this was the cricketing equivalent of Inzamam-ul-Haq hauling himself out of his special chair, slightly stretching what is left of his hamstrings, lolloping towards a sandpit, and breaking the world triple-jump record. Or of George W Bush standing up in front of the UN, clearing his throat, and giving a faultless rendition of the Queen of the Night’s aria from Mozart’s .The fact that Butcher waited so long before revealing his hand makes his feat particularly special. Michael Clarke famously took six Indian wickets for nine runs in 38 balls in his fourth Test, in Mumbai in 2004-05. This, however, merely raised expectations that have never been met (other than when he took out three more Indians in 11 balls in Sydney three years later – excluding these combined schoolboy analyses of 9 for 14 in 8.1 overs, Clarke has tweaked out just 11 batsmen at 70 runs per wicket in 58 Tests).Butcher, by contrast, skilfully created his extravagant element of surprise by not bowling at all for the previous nine years. And retrospectively heightened it by barely bowling ever again. A work of pure genius.

Chelsea have been contacted over signing a £50 million star from Barcelona, as the player now sets his sights on a move to the Premier League this summer.

Chelsea in the market to sign new forward before deadline day

Summer deadline day looms at the end of next month on August 30, and reports suggest Todd Boehly could still back new head coach Enzo Maresca with fresh faces before that point.

£25 million forward likened to Luis Suarez holds talks to join Chelsea

He’s been highly praised by Joe Cole.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 18, 2024

Official deals for defender Tosin Adarabioyo (free), striker Marc Guiu, homegrown starlet Omari Kellyman, midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Portuguese ace Renato Veiga, alongside Brazilian starlet Estevao Willian, who'll join in 2025, set Chelsea back around £93 million.

The west Londoners, in total, have spent near-£120 million so far, including Chelsea's signings of Aaron Anselmino and Caleb Wiley from Boca Juniors and Atlanta United respectively, with the duo costing around £25.5 million (The Athletic).

Cole Palmer

7.48

Conor Gallagher

7.13

Nicolas Jackson

7.07

Moises Caicedo

6.85

Noni Madueke

6.84

Despite their serious investment in both senior players and talents for the future, co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley remain in the market for a new forward and centre-back.

Chelsea are believed to be prioritising a new winger as one of their top transfer wishes, with Maresca apparently keen on providing competition for the likes of Raheem Sterling, Noni Madueke and Mykhailo Mudryk.

They hold no shortage of options, as reports heavily link Chelsea with the likes of Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams and Borussia Dortmund forward Karim Adeyemi lately.

Chelsea contacted over signing Raphinha from Barcelona

According to HITC, Chelsea may now have a chance to do a deal for Raphinha, who is said to be keen on making a move back to England from Barcelona.

The former Leeds United star, who is valued at around £50 million, scored six goals and registered a further nine assists in La Liga last season. HITC claim Chelsea have been spoken to about signing Raphinha this summer, but it is unclear whether they were approached by the Brazilian's agents or Barca themselves.

The 27-year-old's proven top-flight experience could be a draw for Maresca's side, with Raphinha attracting plenty of praise during his time in the Premier League.

“Each week we are seeing more and more of his repertoire. He has so much to offer Leeds United," said former Whites striker Noel Whelan on Raphinha during his time at Elland Road (Football Insider).

“That skill in the corner against Gary Cahill was a typical bit of Brazilian magic. He really embarrassed Cahill with a clever megs. He is a player now who continuously has an effect on a game, in a positive way. Even if he is not on the scoresheet, he will have played a hand in the goal. He is relentless.

“He gets on the ball, has great balance, is very dynamic and he takes the game to the opposition. What impresses me is that he is not afraid to do the horrible side. I get more and more impressed by his worth ethic.”

South Africa dominated Ireland in the first T20I meeting between the two teams despite a performance that would need some polishing with both bat and ball.Their top scorer Aiden Markram made 39 and there were two partnerships in the 30s, but they were reduced to 115 for 5 at one stage and appeared in danger of missing out on a score around 160. Offspinner Simi Singh and left-armer Josh Little were particularly successful in keeping South Africa relatively quiet, but the rest of the attack conceded at least nine runs an over each. However, a strong finish by South Africa’s lower order took them to a competitive total. And even if the visitors were not entirely happy with their score, they had reason to be because Ireland did not look like an outfit that could come close in the chase, despite South Africa’s inability to eventually bowl them out.The hosts were 38 for 4 after the powerplay, before Tabraiz Shamsi, the top-ranked bowler in the format, had even been introduced. Shamsi took four wickets for the second time in his career – also the second time in 2021 – to become the year’s leading wicket-taker in the format so far. He tossed the ball up to bowl Singh, broke through Shane Getkate’s defences with a wrong ‘un, had Mark Adair caught on the long-off boundary and had Harry Tector stumped, as he came down the track to a googly.George Linde provided good support at the start and in the middle of the innings, but South Africa drifted towards the end with Ireland’s last pair putting on 44, their highest of the innings.Openers out? No problem, we have some more
Ireland would have been relieved to see the back of Quinton de Kock after he had faced only nine balls. He did some damage when he hit Barry McCarthy over long-on for the first six of the South African innings and Mark Adair for back-to-back boundaries, before mistiming a drive to mid-off to depart in the third over. But South Africa had another opener in reserve. de Kock’s ODI partner Janneman Malan was in at No.3 and did not get going at all before he hit Adair to Singh at mid-on.Enter a fourth opening batter in Markram, who outlasted Temba Bavuma after the captain under-edged a reverse-sweep, and also starred in the two highest partnerships of the innings. Markam and Rassie van der Dussen put on 35 for the fourth wicket before Markram and David Miller shared 36 for the fifth, and South Africa had a solid foundation to build on. They seem to have identified Markram as someone who can move around the order, and though it leaves no room for Kyle Verreynne or Heinrich Klaasen, it allows them to play all their openers in the same XI.Kagiso Rabada hit 17 off the final over, including four boundaries•Sportsfile via Getty Images

Rabada, the batter
South Africa’s coach Mark Boucher has repeatedly said he believes Kagiso Rabada is selling himself short when it comes to his batting, and Rabada seems to have taken the thought seriously. He showed his potential and his finishing skills by giving South Africa the most profitable over of the innings, which also happened to be the last one. Rabada had faced just three balls and scored two singles before Adair delivered the final six balls, but had seen enough to know what he needed to do.He dispatched a low full-toss through the covers for four, then cleared the front leg to send a full ball through midwicket, after which he drove Adair down the ground and finally pulled a slow ball to deep square leg for a quartet of fours. Doubtless Rabada had a full house of boundaries on his mind, but he was beaten by lack of pace as he tried to heave the fifth one away and finished with a single. He scored 17 off the last over, and was unbeaten on 19 off nine balls to stake a claim for a spot higher in the order.No score for O’Brien
Things are not getting any easier for Ireland’s headline batter. Kevin O’Brien has played six international matches this year and has managed just 27 runs, and followed up his no score against Netherlands last month – in what turned out to be his final ODI – with a duck again today. He was rooted to the crease when he chipped the first legal delivery he faced back to Rabada for a simple catch. O’Brien’s dismissal was South Africa’s second wicket in seven balls after Paul Stirling was bowled by Linde the ball after hitting the first delivery of the innings for six. At that stage, Ireland were 7 for 2 with both openers gone.Drop, drop, catch
South Africa’s fielding standards have not been at their highest on this trip. They dropped four catches in the second ODI to lose to Ireland for the first time, and two again in the powerplay today, though they were of little consequence. First de Kock made significant ground to try and pouch the top edge off Tector’s attempted scoop off the penultimate ball of Lizaad Williams’ first over, but the chance popped out of his hands as his elbows hit the floor.The batters had crossed and Williams had a chance to dismiss Andy Balbirnie with his next ball when the Irish captain smacked the ball to Malan at backward point. Malan dived full stretch to his right but could not hold on. Balbirnie didn’t last much longer, though. After Lungi Ngidi removed George Dockrell with the first ball of his first over, he had Balbirnie caught behind with the first ball of his second. Thus, Williams was the only bowler to go wicketless.

Aston Villa’s 2023/24 season was hugely successful for manager Unai Emery and his squad. The Villans returned to the pinnacle of European football thanks to their final league position, which has shown incredible growth since he took charge. Under former boss Steven Gerrard, Villa were relegation candidates, but have since been transformed.

The Spaniard took his side to a fourth-place finish, securing them Champions League football in the 2024/25 season. They ended the campaign on 68 points, just two ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, their nearest challengers in fifth place. The crucial game was Spurs’ penultimate outing against Manchester City, which they lost 2-0. Had that result been a Lilywhites’ win, Villa would have finished fifth.

The Villans also overachieved when it comes to expected points. According to Understat, their 55xPTS would have seen them finish seventh if that had been a reality. However, it shows the superb job Emery did for his side, and it has given him something to build from next season.

Villa will no doubt need to dip into the transfer market this summer, to strengthen their squad ahead of a huge campaign in 2024/25. They have already been linked with one player who could add excellent depth to their squad.

Villa target Championship defender

The player in question here is Sunderland’s versatile defender Trai Hume. After another frustrating season without promotion for the Black Cats, many of their stars could be on the way out of the club this summer, with Hume one of the first to depart.

At least, that is according to a story from Football Insider. It is explained that Villa are “keeping close tabs” on the player’s situation this summer after he impressed the club’s scouts last season.

However, Emery’s side will not be the only Premier League side plotting a move for Hume’s signature this summer. South Coast side Bournemouth are also thought to be interested in the player and will rival Villa for the signing over the summer transfer window, as they look to bolster their squad in defence

The report suggests a fee in the region of £8m would be enough to tempt Sunderland into a sale. This would represent excellent profit for the North Eastern outfit, after they paid just £150k to sign the Northern Irishman from Linfield, a club in his home country, in January 2022.

Villa could repeat EFL masterclass

Should Hume join the club over the summer, Villa would be adding one of the most versatile defenders in the Championship to their squad.

Last season, he started 46 times in the Championship and FA Cup, playing across four different positions; right-back, left-back, centre-back and right midfield.

Right-back

30

Left-back

11

Right midfield

3

Centre-back

2

Having that kind of versatility in their squad could be key for Villa, as they get set to navigate the difficult waters of eight Champions League group games next season. Knowing Hume can fill in anywhere in the back four could be ideal for Emery.

Should they get a deal for Hume over the line, it would see Villa once again replicate their EFL transfer masterclass. Over the past few seasons, they have had great success in signing players from the Football League, with some going on to play international football after their move.

Perhaps the most notable of those players is England striker Ollie Watkins. He joined the club from Brentford in 2020 for £28m, which was a deal that could get as expensive as £33m. It is fair to say Watkins has been a successful addition so far.

He has scored 70 goals and registered 26 assists in 169 games for the Villans so far, including a phenomenal campaign last season. In the Premier League, Watkins bagged 19 goals in 37 games, as well as winning the playmaker award by notching up 13 assists.

The striker is not the only EFL-based signing Villa have made in recent years who has proven to be a success. Matty Cash joined from Nottingham Forest just weeks before the 28-year-old moved to Villa Park, and young Morgan Rogers switched to Villa from Middlesbrough last January.

Villa’s desire to sign another smart signing from the second-tier could work in their favour once again. Hume’s versatility has already been noted, but former Sunderland interim manager Mike Dodds explained last season that he has a “big future” in the game.

Further hailed as an "outstanding" full-back by journalist Josh Bunting, It could certainly be yet another masterstroke of a signing from the EFL for Villa this summer if they manage to get a deal for Hume across the line.

He'd make Watkins better: Aston Villa in the race to sign £30m star

Villa have joined the race to sign a former Premier League winger

ByRoss Kilvington Jun 17, 2024

KKR’s quicks produced the big wickets and their spinners stifled the Sunrisers Hyderabad batsmen

Sidharth Monga11-Apr-20213:25

Steyn: Morgan’s captaincy the biggest reason for KKR’s win

The Kolkata Knight Riders managed the first successful defence in the 2021 IPL despite a blip towards the end of their innings. They managed just 42 in their last five overs, but the 145 for 1 in the first 15 proved to be good enough on a dry pitch, which their bowlers exploited.Eighty-or-nothing Nitish Rana had that eighty night on a track that didn’t support his weakness: short and fast bowling. The selfless Rahul Tripathi scored an attacking fifty despite not batting at the position suited to him, opening the batting.Defending about 20 fewer than what they looked good for, the Knight Riders’ fast bowlers produced the big wickets and their spinners stifled the Sunrisers Hyderabad batsmen to seal the game. After Prasidh Krishna got David Warner early, Jonny Bairstow revived the Sunrisers chase with a 40-ball 55, but Pat Cummins got him out in the 13th over to leave Manish Pandey with a tall ask of getting 86 off the last seven. Pandey couldn’t despite an Abdul Samad cameo at the end.Sunrisers err, Rana cashes in
Dry pitches are what Sunrisers have built their successful model on. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Sandeep Sharma remain accurate before Rashid Khan drives home the advantage, but on this occasion both Kumar and Sharma got off to an error-filled start. While Shubhman Gill’s struggle to bat at T20 pace continued from 2020, Rana made full use of the width provided by both the new-ball bowlers. By the time Gill was out despite seemingly having picked a Khan wrong’un, the Knight Riders still had 53 on the board in seven overs.Rahul Tripathi congratulates Nitish Rana after the latter reached his fifty•BCCI/IPLTripathi, Rana punish Sunrisers
As often, Tripathi came out oozing intent. The second ball he faced, he went against the turn to hit Mohammad Nabi for a six over long-off. While Khan kept things quiet at his end, Rana and Tripathi kept attacking the others. They batted together for eight overs; only one of them didn’t feature a boundary, and two of them went for more than one. At 145 for 1 in 15 overs, with Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik and Eoin Morgan still in the shed, the Knight Riders looked set to bat the Sunrisers out of the game.Sunrisers fight back
In the 16th over, Tripathi fell trying to hit his third six of the night, but it seemed like the perfect time for Russell to walk in. He announced himself with a four first ball, but Khan got him out in his customary one over at the death. The slowness of the pitch proved difficult for the batsmen coming in, with both Rana and Morgan falling to the offspin of Nabi in the 18th over. Karthik, though, arrested the slide with a nine-ball 22 to give the Knight Riders 28 more than what Mumbai Indians came close to defending in the first match in Chennai.Prasidh dents the chase
Harbhajan Singh, playing his first IPL match since the 2019 final, almost had Warner the first ball he bowled to him but Cummins dropped him at point. However, in the next over, Krishna produced a beauty angling across Warner, getting the edge through to Karthik. With the left-hand batsman gone, the Knight Riders switched immediately to the left-arm spin of Shakib Al Hasan with immediate results, getting rid of Wriddhiman Saha first ball of the third over. The Sunrisers were 10 for 2 in the third over.Bairstow keeps Sunrisers alive
With Pandey playing more of an anchor role in the chase, it was down to Bairstow to prevent being choked out by the Knight Riders’ spinners; Singh, Shakib and Varun Chakravarthy. He brought up his 50 in 32 balls, taking the Sunrisers to 100 for 2 at the end of the 12th over. Pandey was 34 off 27 at the other end.Cummins starts the final slide
Morgan went to his strike bowler in the 13th, and while the ball to get Bairstow wasn’t flash, sometimes the short and wide ball does it just fine in T20s. Three metres either side of the man at backward point, and Bairstow would have got four more, but he found the man to perfection. The squeeze was on after that, and in Cummins, Chakravarthy, Shakib and Krishna, the Knight Riders had too much quality at the end for a suspect Sunrisers middle order.

Unnamed player was under 16 at the time of offensive social media posts

George Dobell07-Jun-2021More historic tweets of a discriminatory nature from a player involved with the England men’s squad have emerged.A day after the ECB announced the suspension of Ollie Robinson pending a disciplinary investigation, Wisden.com published tweets from another player within the current England squad which will come as an embarrassment to the ECB as they seek to rid the sport of discrimination.One tweet uses derogatory slang and graphics to describe people of Chinese origin. Another uses derogatory terminology to describe homosexuality.The player was aged less than 16 at the time. As a result, Wisden.com and ESPNcricinfo have chosen not to name him.Given that Tom Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive, has promised a “zero tolerance” attitude towards such behaviour, it seems further action is inevitable.It is likely the case will be added to the Robinson investigation and the player removed from the England squad. Their age at the time might offer some mitigation, however.Related

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“It has been brought to our attention that an England player has posted historic offensive material on their social media account,” an ECB spokesperson said. “We are looking into it and will make a further comment in due course.”While the incident is likely to increase pressure on the ECB to examine the social media output of players in the England set-up, current arrangements leave such a role in the hands of the PCA (the players’ union). A spokesperson confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that all current England players’ Twitter feeds and Instagram accounts are monitored. The practice is paid for by TEPP; the Team England Player Partnership.The PCA also retains a lawyer, Matt Himsworth (through his company, B5 Consultancy), who is seen as an expert in digital media. He has spoken at Rookie Camps – the training sessions provided to new professional cricketers – and is said to offer regular advice. He recently conducted sessions with the eight women’s regional centres.

The Victoria captain has hit a fine run of form in recent weeks as he merges his old and new techniques together

Andrew McGlashan08-Mar-2021Peter Handscomb’s state coach at Victoria, Chris Rogers, has never seen the batsman play better than in the last couple of weeks of Sheffield Shield cricket.Handscomb has made 124 not out, 73 and 54 not out in the last three innings. The century against New South Wales is where Rogers saw everything come together and the two half-centuries came on an MCG surface where the ball dominated – he was denied a potentially match-winning hand when rain curtailed the final day against Tasmania.Handscomb previously played for Australia as a late call-up to the 2019 World Cup and the last of his 16 Tests came earlier that year against India at the SCG. He lost his central contract last year and has since said he has put thoughts of international cricket out of his mind.He has worked on some technical adjustments to his game, and it was a mixture of old and new which Rogers felt has helped bring the recent success.Related

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“In the second innings in Bankstown against New South Wales, Pat Cummins was coming hard at him and he almost started to merge his old style and his new style. He went back to standing more on his back foot, but still using the shape that he’s been trying to learn when he’s on the front.”He looks really balanced now. He’s figured a couple of things out and I’ve never seen him play better, some of those on-drives, pull shots and the calmness. Really hoping we see another coming of Pete Handscomb.”After his century against New South Wales, Handscomb said a mid-game chat with Rogers had helped following a first-innings lbw dismissal for 1 against Cummins.”I let him talk, he came up with all the answers,” Rogers said. “He was probably just searching for something then it played out the way it did. He probably knew he was pretty close, and we all felt he was pretty close, he’d played some good innings, but something just clicked and he’s playing really well.”It remains doubtful whether he will be joined in the Victoria side by Glenn Maxwell this season. Maxwell returned from New Zealand on Sunday night but won’t feature in this week’s Marsh Cup game and border restrictions could rule him out of the Shield match in Brisbane which starts March 15.While New South Wales and Victoria are part of a one-way travel bubble with New Zealand (excluding Auckland which is a designated hot spot), Queensland has recently fully closed its borders to the country so Maxwell’s time there may stop any talk of being included.Maxwell will head to the IPL in late March or early April – the tournament confirmed to start on April 9 – but has spoken recently about his desire to play Test cricket again. However, with a T20 World Cup during the early part of the next Australian season it could be a year before there is a window for first-class cricket.Then there is Victoria’s desire to start building for the future by giving their younger batsmen a chance to gain experience.”[Conversations] are ongoing,” Rogers said. “We are trying to balance up what we want to do as a team and how we can help Glenn as well.”A little while ago I spoke to Glenn. I know he still harbours ambitions to play Test cricket so we’ve got to think how we can support that.”Rogers said the situation with Aaron Finch, who does not have an IPL deal so in theory will be available throughout the backend of the season, is a different given he is no longer in the Test frame. “He’s probably a little realistic about where he sits and about what we are trying to do as a side and develop our players.”