All posts by h716a5.icu

Everton have finally come to life it seems after a torrid start to the Premier League season, as once again their lack of a striker hampered them in the opening fixtures.

Despite carving open Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers on numerous occasions, accumulating a 2.73 and 1.34 expected goal tally in those games respectively, the absence of Dominic Calvert-Lewin unsurprisingly proved essential.

They would lose 1-0 on both occasions, spurring Sean Dyche to act fast in the market.

Acquiring Udinese forward Beto for a whopping £30m, already this is proving to be a shrewd investment, as not only does it offer that crucial focal point up top, but also it has given the England international enough slack to return from injury better than ever.

Two goals in his last two games emphasise such success, which could now help them towards a campaign hopefully devoid of the relegation stresses of the previous two.

However, if reports are to be believed, the Toffees could have actually acquired a number nine with quality that surpasses both their current strike partnership, and the youth to dominate for the next decade.

After all, there is not a team on earth that would not jump at the opportunity to have Erling Haaland on their side nowadays.

Did Everton nearly sign Erling Haaland?

Although Calvert-Lewin has enjoyed some impressive goalscoring spells during his tenure on Merseyside, having notched 16 league goals under Carlo Ancelotti during the 2020/21 campaign, it cannot really come close to the levels reached by the Norway international ever since he burst onto the scene in Austria.

Again, whilst their new Portuguese forward's tally of ten in Serie A last season was admirable, the Manchester City man stands out above all else.

So, with the suggestion that he very nearly joined the Goodison Park outfit circulating, it must mark a frustrating report for the numerous managers to have been thwarted since the departure of Romelu Lukaku.

As noted by the Daily Mail, former Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson recalled a 2018 visit to Finch Farm in which he was shown a video of an 18-year-old Haaland tearing it up for his hometown club.

However, then chief executive Robert Elstone delivered a crushing blow by suggesting that the £7m commanded would have been too expensive.

To make matters worse, some haggling with the Norwegian club Molde made them willing to then sell for a reduced £5m, which was again knocked back, deemed too much for a player who would seemingly not have made an instant first-team impact.

Although that line of thought can be appreciated, it is also worth noting that, around the reported time frame of their interest in the 23-year-old, the club was spending with ridiculous freedom. Across the 2017/18 campaign, Ronald Koeman would unload a mouth-watering €203.2m (£175.77m), yet could not spare a fraction to invest in their future.

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8

34

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43

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And what an investment it could have been, given how he would go on to thrive for RB Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund and now the Citizens.

In Austria he would notch 29 goals in 27 appearances, assisting a further seven, and upon moving to Germany, increase these figures even more despite the increase in standard. Improving his creativity, the hulking marksman would add 23 assists to his 86 goals, spread impressively across just 89 appearances.

He was ready to take his final step to the apex of world football, and given their steady rise alongside him, the Etihad seemed a natural fit.

However, few could possibly have predicted just how dominant the forward would instantly become, acquired for a supreme bargain reaching just £51m.

How many goals has Erling Haaland scored for Man City?

Whilst many might gawk at those ludicrous goalscoring figures across lesser divisions across Europe, it was expected that upon moving to statistically the toughest league on the continent, there could be a drop-off.

However, it could be argued that Haaland has never been so in-form, having broken all manner of records last season whilst spearheading Pep Guardiola's push for, and subsequent winning of an unprecedented treble.

Claiming the Premier League title, alongside the FA Cup and Champions League marked an unparalleled return for a debut season, made even sweeter as he would break the division's record for most goals scored in a single term.

Already across his short career in Manchester, he boasts 60 goals in just 62 appearances, with his 11 assists taking him over a goal contribution per game. Haaland always scores, and as such the words of pundit Rory Smith cannot be disputed: "Haaland's different. Haaland is a generational talent."

Unsurprisingly, his Spanish manager has rushed to laud him too, noting: "It is unbelievable how many goals he has scored – so many important goals to help us win games. He is a unique person, as a player but also the person is special. He deserved the guard of honour."

To truly emphasise the exponential growth the 26-cap ace has enjoyed over the last few years, it is worth noting where his value lies given Everton passed up that £5m opportunity only five years ago.

What is Erling Haaland's market value now?

CIES Football Observatory offers a fair estimation and unsurprisingly rates him among the most expensive players on the planet. Seemingly worth more than Bukayo Saka and Kylian Mbappe, and alongside the likes of Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior, an astounding €250m (£215m) figure has been placed on his head. Realistically, few could argue with it.

Given the goalscoring woes suffered on Merseyside in recent years, as their failure to find a natural heir to Lukaku has haunted them for so long, at last they seem to be in a good place, with Beto and Calvert-Lewin feeding off one another and pushing each other to reach new heights. Then, should one be struck down, a more than capable alternative is waiting to take the opportunity presented.

However, there is likely no striker that will come close to Haaland in this generation, and as such it will be a mistake that the Toffees are forever made to rue.

What's worse is that this is only the beginning. There is no limit to the heights he can reach and the records he will inevitably break. A true freak of nature, but deemed £5m too expensive by Everton.

Leeds United's fortunes turned around in the summer of 2018 as they brought in Marcelo Bielsa as their head coach and he eventually led the club back to the Premier League.

The Whites snapped him up to replace Paul Heckingbottom in the dugout at Elland Road and the ex-Argentina tactician took two seasons to earn promotion from the Championship.

Who were Bielsa's most expensive Leeds signings?

He dipped into the transfer market with varying success throughout his time in Yorkshire and helped to keep the side in the top-flight during his one full season in charge at that level.

Rodrigo

£26m

Dan James

£25.3m

Jean-Kevin Augustin

£18.2m

Diego Llorente

£17.4m

Raphinha

£16.1m

However, it is also worth looking at the players Bielsa was reportedly interested in signing but unable to get through the door at Elland Road.

One target who has gone on to enjoy a terrific career in England so far is Argentina international Emiliano Buendia, who was reportedly eyed by the Whites back in 2018 at the start of the head coach's time with the club.

How much would Buendia have cost Leeds?

TEAMtalk once reported that Leeds missed out on the chance to sign the talented playmaker in the summer of 2018 as he ended up joining Norwich City, who were also in the Championship at the time, for a fee of £1.3m.

The Yorkshire-based outfit were later interested in signing him from the Canaries in 2020 and it was reported that they had a long-standing interest in him dating back to that first summer under Bielsa.

Both teams were keen on signing Buendia after his impressive season on loan from Getafe with Cultural Leonesa in the second tier of Spanish football.

The magical creator averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.16 across 40 league appearances for the club and contributed with six goals and 13 assists from out wide, whilst he also created an eye-catching 14 'big chances' for his teammates.

His terrific displays in Spain convinced teams in England to take notice of him and they were right to do so as he has gone on to enjoy a fantastic time in this country so far.

How many goals did Buendia score for Norwich?

Bielsa and Leeds missed out big time with the exciting wizard as he went on to prove that he was as good, if not better, than Pablo Hernandez at Championship level with 24 goals in 121 games in all competitions for Norwich.

Buendia's debut campaign in the second tier of English football resulted in an average Sofascore rating of 7.25 across 38 outings as Daniel Farke's side won the title and promotion to the Premier League.

He racked up eight goals and 12 assists, along with 2.4 key passes per game, for the Canaries as he showcased his ability to make an impact at the top end of the pitch on a regular basis.

The 26-year-old gem, who also provided five assists in three EFL Cup games during the 2018/19 season, then produced one goal and seven assists in 36 games in the Premier League the following term.

Norwich's relegation back down to the Championship allowed Buendia to thrive at that level once again and he dominated the division with a consistent run of outstanding performances for the Yellows.

The Argentine whiz, who was dubbed a "revelation" by ex-Canaries striker Chris Sutton, won the division's Player of the Season award as he was recognised as the best player in the league for his phenomenal return at the top end of the pitch.

Buendia averaged a sublime Sofascore rating of 7.68 across 39 Championship starts and contributed with a staggering 15 goals and 16 assists from the wing, to go along with 18 'big chances' created and 3.1 key passes per game.

How many goals did Pablo Hernandez score for Leeds?

These statistics show that the ex-Norwich star was up alongside Pablo Hernandez, who scored 36 goals in 175 matches for Leeds, as one of the top Championship creators.

The Spanish magician averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.52 and chipped in with 12 goals and 12 assists, along with 16 'big chances' created and three key passes per outing, across 39 league outings during the 2018/19 campaign.

He followed that up with nine goals and nine assists in 36 Championship games throughout the 2019/20 promotion-winning season under Bielsa, which earned him a Sofascore rating of 7.35.

This means that Hernandez produced 21 goals and 21 assists in 75 second-tier matches throughout those two years under Bielsa, which worked out as an average of one goal contribution every 1.79 games.

Meanwhile, Buendia managed 23 goals and 28 assists in 77 Championship appearances for Norwich, which worked out as one goal involvement per 1.5 outings on average.

These statistics suggest that the current Villans ace made a bigger impact than Hernandez at the top end of the pitch with his terrific ability to provide goals and assists on a regular basis from a wide position.

The ex-Getafe prospect could have come in as the dream replacement for the Spanish maestro, who is 12 years older than the talented hotshot and left Elland Road at the end of the 2020/21 campaign.

How much is Buendia worth now?

Buendia, who signed for Aston Villa in the summer of 2021, currently has an Expected Transfer Value of £18.1m (€20.9m) – per FootballTransfers.

This means that his value is up by 1,292% from the £1.3m that Leeds had the opportunity to sign him for in the summer of 2018 if they had beaten Norwich to his signature.

However, that is not the highest that his value soared after his move to England as Villa reportedly splashed out a fee of £38m to sign him from the Canaries.

This was a staggering 2,823% increase on the fee that the Norfolk-based outfit paid Getafe for his signature three years prior to that move.

Therefore, Bielsa and Leeds had a blunder with the Argentina international as they missed out on a perfect Hernandez replacement as well as a possible payday and huge profit in the future.

Failing to secure a deal for Buendia is one that the former Whites head coach may look back on with regret as his form for Norwich suggests that he would have been a phenomenal signing for the club.

Sam Curran and Amar Virdi dismissed Joe Root on the same day as Surrey closed in on their first victory against Yorkshire at Kia Oval since 2001

ECB Reporters Network13-May-20182:11

County round-up: Red-hot Henry too much for Sussex

ScorecardJoe Root was out twice in a day at the Kia Oval, dismissed both times by 19-year-olds as Sam Curran and Amar Virdi underlined their huge potential to sweep Surrey towards victory against Yorkshire.Curran took 6 for 54 in Yorkshire’s first innings, when even a scintillating 95 by Jonny Bairstow off 94 balls could not prevent them from being bundled out for 229 in reply to Surrey’s 414.When Yorkshire followed on, Root’s bid to repair the second innings from 10 for 2 was cut short when off spinner Virdi drew him forward with a beautiful delivery that drifted away and then, from wide out, turned back through the England Test captain’s gate to bowl him for 23.Virdi, in what is fast becoming his trademark celebration, sprinted off towards deep point in a joyous arm-waving run, followed by his Surrey teammates. It was his first wicket of the game, but his 15th of the season so far, and he is not 20 until mid-July.Indeed, there were two more celebratory runs from Virdi in the day’s long final session as he added the wickets of Adam Lyth, caught at slip for 58, and Harry Brook, leg-before for 8 to another which spun sharply. He could have had an 18th wicket of the season, too, had Ben Foakes not missed a relatively easy stumping chance when Jack Leaning, on 9, was drawn forward and beaten by another beauty.Virdi’s 19-over spell of 3 for 52 left Yorkshire 142 for 5 by the end of day three, still trailing by 43 in this Specsavers County Championship Division One match, and on tomorrow’s final day Surrey will be looking to complete their first win against Yorkshire at the Oval since September 2001.Bairstow, 25 not out in Yorkshire’s second innings as he and Leaning (13 not out) put on a battling 40 in 16 overs, had strode in earlier at No 6 when Root was leg-before to Curran for 14 from the sixth ball of day three. He then hit 15 fours – many of them unforgettable strokes – as he took on the Surrey attack single-handedly.Root’s scalp was followed by those of Brook, Tim Bresnan and Josh Shaw as Curran – who had 2 for 15 overnight – shattered Yorkshire, who had resumed on 40 for 3. As he walked off the field at the lunch interval, Curran was presented with his county cap.The teenager is the fourth youngest Surrey player to be capped, after Vivian Crawford in 1898, Donald Knight in 1912 and Waqar Younis in 1990, and when he took his sixth wicket of Yorkshire’s first innings he also became the fourth youngest Surrey cricketer to take 100 first-class wickets, following Waqar, Martin Bicknell and Jack Crawford.Bairstow attacked Surrey’s quicker bowlers in breathtaking fashion. Particularly memorable were the pull for four off Jade Dernbach which took him to a 46-ball fifty, an early straight drive for four off Curran and then a rasping pull for yet another boundary which greeted Conor McKerr’s introduction for the 31st over.McKerr, the giant 20-year-old fast bowler who has made a good early impression in county cricket, went off after bowling just three overs for 16 runs with what looked like a side injury.Left-armer Curran, not 20 until next month, sent back Root when he aimed to work to square leg, also had Brook caught behind for 17 and, in his second spell of the morning session, saw Bresnan snapped up at second slip for 1.Leaning, having reached 20 in support of Bairstow in a sixth wicket stand of 67, was leg-before to Rikki Clarke, playing towards mid wicket, and England keeper-batsman Bairstow’s only mistake in a morning of magnificent batsmanship was when, on 66, he got a leading edge trying to work a short ball from Dernbach towards mid on and saw the bowler get his right hand to a difficult caught and bowled chance but fail to cling on.Clarke had Steven Patterson superbly held at gully, high to his left, by Ollie Pope for 5, and Bairstow’s counter-punching defiance ended when he tried to force the persevering Dernbach and edged to slip. Curran then ended a bright, career-best 29 from Shaw to wrap up the innings.Yorkshire, batting again 185 runs adrift, lost Alex Lees for 4 at the end of the fifth over when the left-hander pushed at Dernbach and edged to second slip, and it was 10 for 2 when Pujara drove loosely at his third ball and lost his middle stump to one from Curran that shaped back into him.

How Wednesday’s result – whoever wins – will affect the two participating teams, as well as KKR, Royals and RCB

S Rajesh16-May-2018.If Kings XI Punjab win Mumbai Indians will be knocked out, as four teams will already be on 14 or more points, while Mumbai will be on 10 with a game to go. Thus Kings XI, Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore will be in contention for the last two spots. Kings XI will move up to 14, but still won’t be assured of qualification, due to their poor net run rate. Knight Riders, and one of Rajasthan Royals or Royal Challengers could still take the last two spots ahead of them. Kings XI’s last game, against Chennai Super Kings, is also the last match of the league stage, so they will have the advantage of knowing exactly what will be required for qualification. Knight Riders will be through if they win their last game, but even if they lose, they can go through if other results go their way. Since their NRR is much better than Royals’, they will have a good chance of qualification if Royals beat Royal Challengers. Royals will need to win their last game, and hope that Kings XI lose to Super Kings, and Royal Challengers don’t win both matches. Royal Challengers will need to win their last two, and hope that at least one of Kings XI and Knight Riders don’t finish on 16.If Mumbai Indians win Mumbai keep their qualification hopes alive. If they beat Daredevils in their last game, they will have a great chance of making the playoffs, but even if they lose, they could still take fourth place on 12 points. For that to happen, Kings XI and Royals will both have to lose their last matches, and Royal Challengers will have to lose to Sunrisers. Then, four teams – Mumbai, Kings XI, Royal Challengers and Royals – will be on 12, with Mumbai likely to be leading on NRR. For Kings XI to go through, they will have to win their last game, and hope that other results go their way. That includes Mumbai losing to Daredevils, Royals losing to Royal Challengers, who in turn should have lost to Sunrisers. Then Kings XI will have 14, while Mumbai, Royals and Royal Challengers will have 12 each. Royals will have to win their last game, and then hope that neither Mumbai nor Royal Challengers go on to 14. Knight Riders will then be assured of finishing ahead of Kings XI, but they could still miss out if they lose to Sunrisers, and if Mumbai and Royal Challengers finish on 14. Royal Challengers might have an outside chance of going past Mumbai on NRR if they manage another huge win like they did against Kings XI, but otherwise their best chance will be to win their last two games, get to 14, and then hope that Mumbai lose to Daredevils, or Knight Riders lose their last game and stay on 14.

The Champions League is the pinnacle of club competition in football. Every young player dreams of one day being able to compete amongst the biggest names in the sport and getting their hands on the famous trophy.

Over the years, we have seen Europe’s elite go head-to-head and treat fans to some of the most exhilarating contests.

With that said, let’s take a look at 10 of the most unforgettable matches in the history of the Champions League since its rebrand in the 1992/93 season.

10 Bayern Munich 8-2 Barcelona (2019/20)

Starting the list strongly is Bayern Munich’s stunning 8-2 victory over Spanish giants Barcelona.

The game took place in August 2020 inside an empty stadium following the return to football after the pandemic halted all competition earlier that year, and it was perhaps for the best that Barcelona fans were not present, in hindsight.

After just seven minutes, the scene had already been set when both sides had found the back of the net – albeit only with an own goal from Bayern defender David Alaba levelling the scores after Thomas Muller’s opener.

It was Bayern who would capitalise on the energetic start, though, and they found themselves going into the half-time interval with a 4-1 lead.

Hope was briefly restored for the Catalan side when Luis Suarez grabbed a goal back shortly before the hour mark, but Bayern would quickly respond by putting the game to bed. A late brace from Philippe Coutinho only added insult to injury, as the Brazilian midfielder was on loan to the Bundesliga side from Barcelona at the time.

Barcelona manager Quique Setien would be sacked just days later, while Bayern would go on to win the competition for the sixth time later that month.

9 Manchester City 4-3 Tottenham Hotspur (2018/19)

The 2018/19 quarter-final between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur will forever be remembered for its incredible drama, particularly surrounding VAR, which was being debuted in that campaign.

An emphatic opening 20 minutes saw Tottenham trailing 3-2 on the night, though they had the advantage due to the away goals rule. Sergio Aguero gave City an aggregate lead just before the hour mark, but the drama was far from over.

A controversial goal from Spurs striker Fernando Llorente saw the north London side regain their lead, with a VAR check inspecting whether an arm was used to direct the ball into the goal going in the visitors’ favour.

Raheem Sterling then had the ball in the back of the net in the final minutes of injury time, but the goal was sensationally denied by VAR due to an offside earlier in the move, sending Spurs through to the semi-finals for the first time in the club’s history.

8 Borussia Dortmund 3-2 Malaga (2012/13)

Malaga’s unforgettable run in the 2012/13 Champions League season still to this day marks their only appearance in the competition, and they were only minutes away from reaching the semi-finals.

When Eliseu gave the Spanish side a shock 2-1 lead in the final minutes of the second leg, Dortmund needed to score at least twice, or they would be eliminated on away goals.

Marco Reus offered a glimpse of hope when he pulled one back in injury time, but it was defender Felipe Santana who stole the headlines when he won it for Dortmund in the final seconds of the game, despite Malaga’s calls for an offside.

Jurgen Klopp’s Dortmund side would be narrowly beaten in the final by league rivals Bayern Munich that year, while Malaga have since been relegated as low as the third tier of Spanish football.

7 Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona (2018/19)

When a Barcelona side featuring the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez gave Barcelona a 3-0 lead in the first leg of this 2018/19 semi-final, not even the most optimistic of Liverpool fans would have given them a chance at progressing through to the final – though the impossible was made possible.

The odds were heavily against Liverpool, and the absences of Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino only added to their pre-match woes.

However, braces from Divock Origi and Gini Wijnaldum helped Liverpool pull off a huge upset to send Jurgen Klopp’s side through to the final, where they beat Premier League rivals Tottenham to become European champions for a sixth time.

6 Barcelona 6-1 Paris Saint-Germain (2016/17)

In terms of the round of 16, there haven’t been many comebacks more incredible than Barcelona’s feat against PSG in the 2016/17 season.

After being stunned in a 4-0 loss in Paris, Luis Enrique’s side had effectively been written off by everyone in the footballing world.

Despite improbably finding themselves 3-0 up and appearing on their way to making the comeback without much trouble, the tie was seemingly concluded when Edinson Cavani scored a crucial away goal, meaning Barcelona needed another three goals in less than half an hour.

In typical Champions League fashion, Neymar scored a quick brace beyond the 88th minute, before defender Sergi Roberto completed the sensational comeback in the 95th minute of the game.

5 Chelsea 2-2 Barcelona (2011/12)

When a Chelsea side led by inexperienced interim coach Roberto Di Matteo earned a 1-0 win over reigning champions Barcelona, many still expected them to be blown away at Camp Nou.

A first-half red card to captain John Terry followed by a quick Barcelona double only made it seem more difficult to see Chelsea turning the game around, but fate was on their side that night.

Brazilian midfielder Ramires restored Chelsea’s advantage on away goals with an incredible chipped effort on the stroke of half-time, before Lionel Messi saw his penalty effort rebound off the crossbar after the break.

Despite being under severe pressure for the majority of the second half, 10-man Chelsea held their own against one of the most talented sides football has ever seen, and an injury-time breakaway saw Fernando Torres take the ball past Victor Valdes and famously send them through to the final.

4 Real Madrid 3-1 Manchester City (2021/22)

The semi-final fixture between Real Madrid and Manchester City in the 2021/22 campaign was one of the most action-packed encounters the competition has seen in recent years.

An incredible end-to-end first leg saw the English side come out on top with a 4-3 lead, and when Riyad Mahrez opened the scoring in the second leg with just over 15 minutes left to play, it seemingly put the game to bed.

Heading into injury time, Madrid needed to score twice just to bring the game to extra-time – which is when the unthinkable happened.

Rodrygo scored an unbelievable brace in less than two minutes, and from that moment onwards it was only ever going to result in victory for the Spanish side.

Karim Benzema converted a penalty in extra-time to complete one of the most dramatic semi-final comebacks the Champions League has ever seen, before going on to lift the trophy for the 14th time against Liverpool in the final.

3 Real Madrid 4-1 Atletico Madrid (2013/14)

Another extraordinary Real Madrid comeback enters in third place, this time being in the Champions League final against fierce local rivals Atletico Madrid in 2014.

Having fallen behind to a Diego Godin header in the first half, Real Madrid had thrown everything at Thibaut Courtois’ goal, but to no avail. That was, of course, until the 93rd minute of the game in what was essentially going to be the last opportunity to bring the game beyond the full-time whistle.

Sergio Ramos found himself on the end of Luka Modric’s corner and nodded the ball past Courtois to bring life back into his side. They were able to run away with the result by scoring three quick goals in the final minutes of extra-time and finally getting their hands on “La Decima”.

2 Liverpool 3-3 AC Milan (2004/05)

It’s the age-old debate amongst football fans regarding which Champions League final was better – 2004/05 or 1998/99.

In second place is Liverpool’s famous win over AC Milan. After conceding inside the first minute and then finding themselves 3-0 down at half-time to one of the most talented sides in the world, it was hard to see any other outcome than an AC Milan victory.

However, after 15 minutes of the second half, Liverpool had miraculously levelled the game, leaving it up for grabs for either side to take home the trophy.

Neither side could be separated before or after extra-time, meaning a penalty shootout would decide the winner.

Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek wrote his name in club folklore after saving the decisive penalty to hand the Anfield side the trophy for the fifth time in their history.

1 Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munich (1998/99)

While there isn’t much between the two finals in terms of thrill and excitement, what was at stake in the 1998/99 final and how it was won is what gives it the edge to be named the greatest Champions League game of all time.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side knew that a win over Bayern Munich would secure the domestic treble – a feat which had never been accomplished by an English side before then. However, an early goal from Munich’s Mario Basler looked to be the difference between the two sides, as the lead remained intact as the game was heading into stoppage time.

That was until the 91st minute of the game when Teddy Sheringham got on the end of Ryan Giggs’ effort and placed it past Oliver Kahn to level the scores and almost surely send the game to extra-time – but United weren’t finished.

Less than two minutes later, United had won another corner, and the rest is history. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer found himself free at the far post to direct the ball into the roof of the net, and in a matter of minutes, Manchester United had gone from down and out to becoming the first-ever English side to complete the treble in the most dramatic fashion.

The match, against West Indies at Lord’s on May 31, will raise funds towards restoration efforts in parts of the Caribbean hit by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September last year

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Mar-2018Eoin Morgan, England’s white-ball captain, will lead the World XI in a T20I against West Indies at Lord’s on May 31. The match will raise funds towards restoration efforts in parts of the Caribbean hit by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September last year. In particular, the proceeds will go towards restoring the cricket grounds in Dominica and Anguilla.”I am delighted to captain the ICC World XI at Lord’s in May against the West Indies,” Morgan said. “The cricket family always comes together to support worthwhile causes and this one-off T20I, featuring some of the best players in the world will be a great spectacle at the home of cricket.”I am sure the sporting public will come out in force and help raise money and awareness towards restoring parts of the Caribbean hit by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September last year, which ripped through many communities in this beautiful part of the world.”

To say that Rangers have got off to a poor start to the season would be an understatement. The Gers have lost two of their first four Scottish Premiership games, and were dumped out of Champions League qualifying after being smashed by PSV Eindhoven.

Their form has put manager Michael Beale under incredible pressure to turn things around, and save his job in the process, with those at Ibrox already looking at potential replacements, according to reports.

Having already reportedly been rejected by former Chelsea manager Graham Potter, however, the Scottish giants have now been told by journalist Alex Dicken what it would take to land a different managerial target, should they pull the plug on Beale's tenure.

What has Alex Dicken said?

Beale has been in the job just under a year and has struggled almost throughout, with Celtic now looking to make it a third consecutive Scottish Premiership title win. Already four points clear of Rangers, too, the Hoops look well on course for glory once more this season.

The Gers will be keen to prevent that four-point gap from becoming even greater, perhaps by relieving Beale of his duties, leading to the appointment of another manager very soon.

That may not come in the form of Birmingham City's John Eustace, however, after Dicken wrote on BirminghamLive: "Eustace is apparently of interest to Rangers. Rangers have started the Scottish season quite poorly – two wins and two defeats – and apparently Eustace is one of the names in the frame if they decide to get rid of Michael Beale.

"I think it would take something irresistible for Eustace to leave this project now, I know he’s very settled in the area and has been for virtually his entire career. He has a group of players now that are genuinely challenging at the right end of the Championship and he keeps talking about growing with them.

“I know he has some links with Rangers from the past. When Mark Warburton was manager he almost signed for them and spent some time coaching there when he was coming towards the end of his playing career. I personally would like to see him stay at Blues and finish the job, because with this group of players I think they can actually do quite well.”

Should Rangers appoint John Eustace?

Keeping Birmingham up last season, Eustace has since proven himself even more this season, with his side as high as fourth after five games in the Championship campaign. It is the type of improvement that represents a manager who is more than capable of making his next move up the managerial ladder.

For now, he remains the Birmingham manager, but Rangers would be doing themselves no harm by hiring Eustace if they opt to cut short Beale's time at the club in the coming weeks.

Eustace has earned plenty of praise in the Midlands, including from journalist Josh Bunting, who previously Tweeted: "John Eustace is an excellent coach, I did think Birmingham would struggle this season but two games in and look solid. Scott Hogan will get them goals If he can stay injury free and I like the style of play that Eustace plays."

Journalist Dean Jones has made a "very strange" Tanguy Ndombele claim after the midfielder completed his loan move to Galatasaray; sharing what he's been "told" in an update out of Tottenham.

Who has left Tottenham 2023?

Spurs and new manager Ange Postecoglou are absolutely loving life at the moment, having begun this new Premier League season in rip-roaring fashion.

The north London side, after impressive victories against the likes of Man United, Bournemouth and Burnley most recently, currently sit second in the top flight – just behind last season's imperious treble-winners Man City.

Postecoglou has steered the Tottenham ship superbly thus far; reshaping the squad in his own image whilst implementing an open, attack-minded and exciting brand of football.

Spurs have also managed to rid themselves of players deemed surplus, with Sergio Reguilon, Joe Rodon, Djed Spence, Harry Winks, Alfie Devine, Troy Parrott and Dane Scarlett all leaving either on loan or permanently over the summer transfer window.

While star striker Harry Kane was the only real casualty after his blockbuster move to Bayern Munich, bar the England international, all of Spurs' other departures clear deadwood and free up space in Postecoglou's squad.

Colombian defender Davinson Sanchez and midfielder Ndombele also managed to complete transfers to Galatasaray outside of the British transfer window, as Turkey's doesn't shut until September 15.

The latter player is only there on loan and technically remains a Tottenham player, at least for now, but chairman Daniel Levy will be happy to shave Ndombele's reported £200,000-per-week wages off the club's accounts.

Shedding some light on the Frenchman, reporter Jones has been "told" some interesting information on the former Lyon star; lifting the lid on what has been a "very strange" situation.

Indeed, he says Tottenham were absolutely "desperate" to get him out the door in the end, as the player was given yet another chance to impress but ultimately failed.

"The Ndombele situation has been very strange," Jones told GiveMeSport this week.

"He should be one of the Premier League's top midfielders, but he's never managed to grasp the opportunities. In the end, I am told that Tottenham were desperate to get him out the door.

"He was given another fresh opportunity this summer by Ange Postecoglou to prove his worth and show he could have a future at the club but he didn’t impress and they just didn't have room for passengers, so he had to be moved on."

How good is Tanguy Ndombele?

The ex-Napoli loanee possesses an abundance of talent on his day; showcasing a low centre of gravity, close ball control and a silky style of play when at his very best.

Unfortunately, those flashes of brilliance have come very rarely, and it is best for all parties for Ndombele to grab an opportunity elsewhere – hopefully on a permanent move elsewhere in the future.

Arsenal star Declan Rice was effusive in his praise for the 26-year-old last year, calling Ndombele one of the toughest opponents he's ever faced.

“The perception of him, it shouldn’t be what it is because I tell you now, he is one of the toughest I have played against," said Rice.

“He is top. Just a street footballer on the pitch. He takes the ball anywhere, little flicks and tricks. Like he doesn’t care. He does everything so confidently."

The bowlers also contributed greatly to fashion a 97-run win for Ireland in their first game of the World Cup Qualifier

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2018Andy Balbirnie in action at the World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe•Getty ImagesIreland opened their World Cup qualifiers campaign with a 93-run win against Netherlands in a rain-affected game in Harare. After a fifty from Andy Balbirnie – who anchored the full 50-over innings despite being struck on the helmet by Ryan ten Doeschate – Netherlands fell nearly nine overs short of batting 41 overs in their hunt for a revised target of 243. Seamers Tim Murtagh and Boyd Rankin were Ireland’s most effective bowlers.Balbirnie said he was struck fairly early in his innings – “I must have been on 30” – but continued batting and finished with 68 off 75 balls. But once he returned to the change room, things started to go wrong. “I didn’t field. I obviously got hit in the head while I was batting. Didn’t feel it that much batting. Came off. Sat down. Had a break, and then got a bit dizzy and a bit of blurred vision. So saw the doctor, did a concussion test, it was okay, but he wanted me to get a scan. Scan was clear so it’s gradually got better as the day’s gone on.”Ireland began with a series of contributions from their top order, most notably a 101-run stand for the fourth wicket between Balbirnie and Niall O’Brien. Their partnership followed stands of 59, 35 and 24 respectively for the first three wickets before Netherlands staged a comeback in the slog overs, picking up 4 for 49 in the last 7.2 overs.Netherlands, meanwhile, did not find partnerships from their top order. Inside 16 overs, they’d lost five wickets and any chance of recovery was regularly thwarted by Ireland’s bowlers. Timm van der Gugten’s 33 off 25 at No. 9 was their most significant contribution as they folded for 149.

Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan scored fifties in the same ODI for the third time in their careers, contributing to a thumping win against Sri Lanka

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur19-Jan-2018Healthy competition between himself, Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim to outdo each other is contributing to Bangladesh’s batting upturn, according to Shakib Al Hasan. All three scored fifties as the home side made 320 for 7 and crushed Sri Lanka by 163 runs in the Tri-Nation Series in Dhaka.Kayes out with hand injury

Imrul Kayes is out Bangladesh’s ODI squad for the third and fourth matches of the ongoing tri-series. He suffered a hand injury during training and hasn’t recovered sufficiently enough.
The selectors haven’t name a replacement and are happy to work with a 15-member squad with only Mohammad Mithun as the back-up batsman.

This was the third time all three had made 50-plus scores in the same ODI – Bangladesh have won each time this has happened. The previous occasions were against India in the 2007 World Cup and against Scotland in the 2015 World CupFor more than 10 years now, Tamim, Shakib and Mushfiqur have formed the fulcrum of Bangladesh’s batting, and they occupy the top three positions among Bangladesh’s top run-getters in Tests and ODIs. Tamim is the team’s leading run-scorer in both formats, closing in on 4000 Test runs and 6000 ODI runs. Shakib leads the T20I run charts with Tamim within touching distance.Shakib said he is always looking over his shoulder to see what the other two are up to, and feels that the competition only adds to their hunger and makes them better batsmen.”It is too early to say if [Shakib batting at No 3] has balanced the team but I think our batting will be more solid,” Shakib said. “There’s always a healthy competition within the team. We keep looking at each other to see who is scoring how many runs. This healthy competition is quite important.”Everyone has their own expectation but it is good for the team that three of us are competing against each other. Of course we don’t wish each other bad. But [each of us trying to score more runs than the other two] is a good practice. The more we can do this it will give us more chance to score runs.”On Wednesday, it was also Mashrafe Mortaza and Rubel Hossain who contributed with the ball, taking two wickets each at the start and end, respectively, of Sri Lanka’s innings. Mashrafe bowled eight overs at the top, removing Upul Tharanga and Kusal Mendis cheaply. Rubel cleaned up the tail with two full balls.Shakib bowled well too, taking three wickets for a second successive time in the tournament. He said that batting well has given him more confidence with the ball, and vice versa.”One performance always complements the other,” he said. “If I do well in the first innings, the confidence works in the second innings. If I contribute in both departments, it is always great for me.”But the two wins could be overshadowed by the quality of the Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka sides, which have both been underwhelming against Bangladesh so far. Shakib, however, believes that winning itself is very important for his side, especially after it suffered so badly in South Africa in September and October.”We lost most of our matches in 2005 and 2006 against Zimbabwe. We got our winning habit from that time,” he said. “So since we didn’t do well in South Africa, it was important for us to do well in this tournament.”To be honest, every team is strong at home. I certainly want us to build on it, while at the same time improve abroad.”Shakib, however, avoided talking about Chandika Hathurusingha when he was asked about Bangladesh’s ex-coach, who is now in the Sri Lankan camp. But while answering a question on a different topic, he gave a clue as to what has changed in Bangladesh’s dressing room in the last two months.”Those who do our planning, they have had a change in their mindset,” he said. “We have had a change of coach, so the new person in charge has his own thinking. I won’t say we played without freedom in the past but now we are also playing freely. At the same time, we are also taking our own decisions.”This is a big advantage for everyone to be involved. [Khaled Mahmud] Sujon and Richard [Halsall] know what we need; they have been providing and we have been utilizing it.”