UEFA have requested that only captains speak to referees at Euro 2024, meaning that Harry Kane will be charged with keeping England team-mates quiet.
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Millwall rejected the chance to sign a player who Tottenham Hotspur are now in talks to sign, but he has attracted praise from Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard.
Spurs enjoying busy January transfer window
Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou will be enjoying the club's no-nonsense approach to this January window, especially after the Australian publicly urged chairman Daniel Levy to make quick-fire moves.
Sky Sports lift lid on Tottenham approach to sign "excellent" World Cup ace
Postecoglou has liked him for a long time.
ByEmilio Galantini Jan 18, 2024
Postecoglou expressed his desire for the Lilywhites to get signings in early, suggesting it will give both Spurs and the new arrivals a better chance at success in the short-term.
"The January window, like for every club, is an important one," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's transfer plans last month.
"My view on the January one is that if you can get your business done early in the window it certainly is more helpful because you leave it until the end of January and sometimes what you train to gain you've missed that opportunity by waiting a whole month."
Spurs sealed deals for both midfielder Timo Werner and defender Radu Dragusin during the first half of January, which is out of character for the club in comparison to previous years.
Postecoglou's influence appears to be growing behind-the-scenes, and especially after Tottenham's wonderful start to the 2023/2024 season.
Timo Werner
Arrival (loan)
Radu Dragusin
Arrival (permanent)
Eric Dier
Exit (loan)
Djed Spence
Exit (loan)
Japhet Tanganga
Exit (loan)
Sergio Reguilon
Exit (loan)
Ashley Phillips
Exit (loan)
Ivan Perisic
Exit (loan)
The former Celtic boss has endeared himself to the Spurs faithful with his brand of intense, high-pressing football – and it appears Levy is ready to back his head coach.
Tottenham may not be done after the signings of Werner and Dragusin, either, as reports suggest Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher is a player of real interest to Postecoglou.
Elsewhere, it has been reported that Spurs have opened talks over a buy-to-loan-back deal for Club Brugge winger Antonio Nusa.
The 18-year-old is widely regarded as a rising star, but Tottenham News have shared an interesting bit of background on the club's pursuit of Nusa.
Millwall rejected chance to sign Nusa before Spurs talks
As per the outlet, London rivals Millwall rebuffed the chance to sign Nusa before Spurs opened talks this month – with the rejection coming back in 2021.
Their London rivals could've got him for around £420,000, so it's safe to say Millwall will be regretting their decision as Nusa impresses for Brugge and Norway.
He's now valued at around £25 million as technical director Johan Lange personally pursues a deal for him, with Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard also calling the teen an "incredibly exciting" player.
“Fantastic! He is an incredibly exciting player," Odegaard told TV2 (via Sport Witness).
"You see it, everything he gets the ball, it’s exciting. He is still young and will get even better. It was cool to see him. He deserved to get the chance that he takes it to such an extent. Incredibly cool!"
Captain Gulbadin Naib also played a crucial hand, taking 6 for 43 – the third-best figures for Afghanistan in ODI cricket
The Report Deivarayan Muthu21-May-2019
Afghanistan shook off Sunday’s drubbing against Ireland and tuned up for the World Cup by levelling the two-match series in Belfast. Mohammad Shahzad led the way with a blistering century, showing off his range, before Najibullah Zadran’s unbeaten 60 off 33 balls vaulted Afghanistan to 305 for 7 – the highest total at the Civil Service Cricket Club. Ireland opener Paul Stirling peeled off his fourth successive score of fifty or more, but the rapidly rising asking rate was just too much to overcome for the hosts in their steep chase.The outfield was rather sluggish because of the wet weather over the past couple of days, but Shahzad’s batting was anything but. Shahzad set the scene for the day when he dashed down the track to the first ball and launched it over mid-on. Noor Ali Zadran, who was picked in place of Hazratullah Zazai, chipped seamer Mark Adair to mid-on in the fourth over, but the early dismissal of his opening partner did not hold Shahzad back.He unfurled a variety of shots – ranging from the helicopter shot to the good ol’ slog – and bent Ireland’s attack out of shape. Rahmat Shah’s solidity proved the ideal foil for Shahzad’s ferocity as the pair put on 150 for the second wicket at a run rate of 5.35.Shahzad was particularly severe on Adair and Barry McCarthy, hitting 48 runs off 32 balls from them. He reached his sixth ODI hundred off 85 balls when he eased Boyd Rankin to fine leg in the 31st over. Shahzad celebrated the landmark by placing his helmet on the bat and holding them aloft, Chris Gayle-style.Rahmat had needed 13 balls to get off the mark, but soon found his groove when Rankin offered up back-to-back leg-stump half-volleys in the 17th over. Both balls were put away for boundaries. He was also pretty fluent driving on the up through extra cover, but the partnership ended when Andy McBrine had him holing out for 62 in the 32nd over. In the same over, Shahzad, too, holed out, and then by the 41st over Afghanistan were 212 for 5.Rankin and Tim Murtagh then unleashed a short-ball barrage on Najibullah, but the batsman took them on and swatted them away like flies. He smoked three sixes, including one that sailed out of the ground and onto the road. Hashmatullah Shahidi pitched in with 47, helping Afghanistan ransack 93 in the last nine overs to breach 300.Ireland had picked an extra seamer in McCarthy at the expense of left-arm spinner George Dockrell, but three balls into his fourth over he sustained a knee injury and hobbled off the field. McCarthy did not return to bowl. Rankin gave Ireland another injury scare when Shahidi stuck him on his right knee with a drilled drive, but the quick recovered sufficiently to bowl his full quota of ten overs.In pursuit of 306, Ireland lost James McCollum early, but Stirling’s rich form and his 48-run stand with Andy Balbirnie gave the side some hope. However, captain Gulbadin Naib hit hard lengths and removed both batsmen to dent the chase. Naib then turned it into a full-blown collapse by scything through the middle order. By the end, Stirling, Balbirnie and wicketkeeper Gary Wilson were the only Ireland batsmen to get to 20 or more, and the hosts were dismissed for 179 in 41.2 overs.Fittingly, Naib sewed up the victory with 6 for 43 – the best figures by an Afghanistan seamer in ODI cricket. The new captain couldn’t have asked for a better lead up to the World Cup.
Her feat was all the more remarkable given that conditions at Senwes Park were actually not helpful for seamers
Liam Brickhill10-May-2019South Africa seamer Masabata Klaas revelled in her hat-trick, which helped her team pull level in their three-match Women’s Championship ODI series against Pakistan, crediting “hard work” for both her and the team’s success.”It’s all because of my team-mates and the hard work we’ve put in,” Klaas said. “It’s nice. It’s a mixture of emotions. It’s the first hat-trick of my career, so it feels nice.”Having been bowled out for 63 in the first ODI, South Africa bounced back with an eight-wicket win that was set up by a remarkable burst of seam bowling led by Klaas. On a track that hadn’t offered much to the quicks, Klaas’ earlier spells gave no indication of the carnage that was to come, but her introduction in the 39th over brought an implosion in Pakistan’s lower middle-order.After Aliya Riaz sliced a slog to mid-on, Klaas found lift and shape outside the off stump to dismiss Umaima Sohail and Sidra Nawaz off the next two deliveries, both caught behind. When wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta tumbled forward to cling on to a low, dipping chance that secured the hat-trick, Klaas charged down the wicket in celebration before she was mobbed by her team-mates. She became just the second South African – after Dane van Niekerk – to take a hat-trick in a women’s ODI, and Pakistan quickly collapsed from 146 for 5 to 147 all out.Klaas picked up the game as an 11-year-old in her home town of Botshabelo, 50km east of Bloemfontein, playing against boys until she reached provincial age-group cricket. A debut against Sri Lanka in 2010 followed, but Klaas stepped away from international cricket in 2013 to look after her daughter, who was born that year. For two years, she continued to play provincial cricket for Free State, finally forcing her way back into national colours against Pakistan in Sharjah in March 2015. She then earned a national contract and became a regular starter in the playing XI.
“She was actually feeling a bit under the weather this morning. But all of a sudden, after that hat-trick, she wasn’t sick anymore.”Laura Wolvaardt on Klaas
“I’ve been training hard,” Klaas said. “I’ve been doing a lot of fitness and target bowling. I must say, at the end of the day hard work does pay off. It’s a nice feeling.”Before I came on this tour, I sat down and did my work. I said to myself, even if I get one Woman-of-the-Match trophy, that would be my goal. So, I achieved that, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. To be honest, everyone went back to the drawing board [after the first game] and checked what we were lacking, and then everyone worked on where they needed to be. We played good cricket today. I can’t wait for the next game. Everyone’s in a good space.”Laura Wolvaardt, whose unbeaten 74 sealed South Africa’s chase in the afternoon, revealed that Klaas had walked into the game feeling a bit unwell.”That was so cool,” Wolvaardt said. “She was actually feeling a bit under the weather this morning. But all of a sudden, after that hat-trick she wasn’t sick anymore. She was sprinting around the field. So we laughed at her a bit for that.”It’s amazing to see her [take a hat-trick]. It’s very well deserved. She’s been bowling well for a long time and hasn’t always got the rewards. I’m really proud of her. I’m really happy she got it.”Klaas’ feat was all the more remarkable given that conditions at Senwes Park were actually not helpful for the seamers, with the ball coming on to the bat and a fast outfield providing value for shots.”Seam was easier to face on this wicket, I felt, and our bowling attack was full of seamers, so they had to really hit their lengths,” Wolvaardt said. “Because as soon as they missed their lengths, it was quite easy on this wicket, with a fast outfield as well. Kudos to our seamers, they must have hit their lengths very well to restrict them like that and bowl them out.”The result marked a successful comeback for South Africa, with the series now on the line and two more championship points up for grabs in the third and final ODI on Sunday.
History should have little bearing on T20 encounters but Afghanistan have managed to debunk that truism when they meet Ireland, this time edging them by five wickets and four balls to spare, to extend their unbeaten run against them dating back to 2013.Even so, it nearly wasn’t, as Afghanistan batted like staunch believers in Sigmund Freud’s theory about society’s deeply repressed death wish. Asghar Afghan, having promoted himself to open, chased a wide one to cover before his partner Hazratullah Zazai hammered a pull flat and hard down deep square leg’s throat only a ball after Stuart Thompson was moved there. The slide had just begun as Karim Janat miscued a pull high up to a ball that wasn’t short enough and Samiullah Shinwari holed out to long-on to hand Ireland the Powerplay on a platter. When Sharafuddin Ashraf became the fifth wicket to fall with the score on 50, the remaining 83 seemed a distant climb.Fortunes switched mysteriously as Thompson walked off the field clutching his hamstring in the 11th over, and then in the 15th, Mohammad Nabi, batting on 18, survived a loud lbw appeal as Ireland couldn’t do much in the absence of DRS. As luck would have it, the next over produced 15, courtesy two fours and a six. By now, Afghanistan had also found an ally in dew, which meant the Ireland bowlers were left struggling with a wet ball.To their credit, Nabi and Najibullah Zadran began with rotating the strike intelligently to keep Afghanistan in the hunt, and when boundaries started flowing, there was no stopping them, as they romped home with Nabi unbeaten on 49 and Najibullah unbeaten on 40.Earlier, Ireland had Stuart Poynter and George Dockrell to thank for a dramatic recovery of their own. The pair added an unbeaten 67 off 50 balls to lift the visitors to 132, which gave them a semblance of hope. But before that the three Afghanistan spinners, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Nabi and Rashid Khan wreaked havoc, combining to claim five wickets for just 57 in the 12 overs. Nabi was the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 16, ensuring that Mujeeb’s good work in the Powerplay that had asphyxiated the scoring and accounted for Kevin O’Brien wasn’t in vain.Rashid was introduced in the 12th over but he didn’t have to wait long to strike, taking two in the space of three balls in his very first over. Though he got no further reward, he was miserly as ever, and in the end, despite Poynter and Dockrell’s valiant fight, 132 didn’t prove enough.
Jurgen Klopp believes that Liverpool can still make a comeback to win the Premier League title despite their Merseyside derby defeat.
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Jesse Lingard has sent a “love your f*cking life” message as he enjoys rehabilitation downtime in Seoul by riding bikes and taking in boat trips.
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– Independent reviews of Cricket Australia and the Australian men’s team, conducted by Simon Longstaff and Rick McCosker, found that in chasing higher performance on and off the field, the governing body and its showpiece team lost sight of the spirit of cricket.- The pursuit of higher performance on the field and more efficient governance off it was linked to the Argus review of team performance and the Crawford/Carter review of governance, both delivered in 2011.- These reviews helped enhance a CA system that resulted in record financial returns and reasonable amounts of success from weaker national teams than those of the preceding era, but also a developing culture of arrogance and control, both at the national and team performance level and also the governance and stakeholder management level, with state associations, the players’ association and corporate partners and broadcasters.- The spirit of cricket, deemed intrinsic to previous editions of CA’s strategy, was omitted from the 2017 edition, replaced by a ‘How We Play’ statement that talked of “smashing the boundaries” among other things. At the same time a set of guiding principles for the men’s national team ‘The Australian Way’, made no mention of respect for opponents or umpires.- Survey respondents pointed out that CA has become “arrogant” and “controlling”, and that the national team had countenanced forms of cheating as “playing hard to win”, while the wider organisation had allowed for instances of bullying under the cloak of “tough negotiations”.Cameron Bancroft and Steven Smith leave the press conference where they admitted to ball tampering•Gallo Images/Getty Images
– The review stated, “One of the most significant findings of this review is that the perceived causes of the ball-tampering incident at Newlands significantly overlap with the perceived current state of cricket in Australia. That is, the evidence suggests that Newlands was not an aberration – a cultural ‘outlier’.”- It went on, “Rather, it is an extreme example of a latent tendency growing out of the prevailing culture of men’s cricket in Australia – especially (but not exclusively) at the elite level. As it happens, this fits with the opinions of keen observers of Australian cricket who report, with considerable regret (and perhaps the benefit of hindsight), that the events in Newland were ‘disappointing but not surprising’.”- The review goes on to outline a set of “shadow values and principles” that more accurately define CA, as opposed to the ideals expressed in the Australian Cricket Strategy and its ‘How We Play’ section. These include things like: “COMMAND AND CONTROL, “ONLY RESULTS MATTER”, “AUSTRALIA NEEDS US TO WIN, “POPULARITY MATTERS”, “INDIVIDUAL FIRST”, “COMBATIVENESS AND AGGRESSION IS GOOD”, “UNLEASH THE BEAST”, “KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN”, and “WE’RE GREAT ON DIVERSITY”- A series of 42 recommendations made by the review include the forming of a permanent Ethics Commission for Australian cricket with three members on the panel, the twice annual meeting of an Australian Cricket Council comprising CA, states, the players and the umpires, and rapid action to improve relations between CA and the ACA. CA has accepted these recommendations.- Among the recommendations CA has not accepted are the removal of Test and ODI players from consideration for the T20 team to allow them to play more state cricket, and the suggestion that the Minutes of CA board meetings be made public. CA’s chairman David Peever has insisted he will retain his position until the state associations tell him otherwise and that the bans of David Warner, Steven Smith and Cameron Bancroft will not be overturned.
Sunderland, after finding themselves marooned in League One football after a dramatic fall from grace, are finally back on track with a return to the Premier League the aim this season under Tony Mowbray.
The Black Cats currently occupy sixth spot in the Championship standings – the final coveted playoff spot – with Mowbray's men entertaining the once disillusioned Sunderland masses with big wins this season against the likes of Southampton and Norwich at the Stadium of Light.
Jack Clarke is the standout performer for the rejuvenated Black Cats currently, the ex Tottenham winger amassing nine goals from 16 starts in the second tier with rumours even indicating he could be on for a move to the top-flight if he keeps this form up as reported by TEAMTalk.
Patrick Roberts on the opposite flank hasn't quite been as electric this campaign, the ex Manchester City man only registering a sole assist in terms of goal contributions with Clarke far superior down the left wing.
Roberts' slow start to the season will have Sunderland fans wondering what could have been if they had kept hold of former man Fabio Borini for longer at the Stadium of the Light, the ex Black Cats attacker outperforming Roberts in his native Italy.
Borini signing for Sunderland
Borini would sign on the dotted line permanently at Sunderland in 2014 after a successful initial loan spell, Liverpool letting their Italian attacker go for £14m.
Netting seven times whilst playing as loanee in the Premier League for the Durham-based outfit before joining permanently, Borini was meant to be a statement signing for the Black Cats at the time and a player the club hoped would excel for many years to come.
However, the now 32-year-old would depart three years after signing for AC Milan in 2018 with the 5 foot 11 winger a forgotten figure now to the Black Cats contingent.
Borini's numbers for Sunderland
In total, the ex-Liverpool man would accumulate 17 goals and six assists from 93 games playing for Sunderland – his most prolific season coming when he was still just a loanee, unable to capture those similar heights as a permanent member of the group.
In his final Premier League season playing at the Stadium of Light, Borini would only net a meagre two goals before AC Milan came calling for his services to end his underwhelming stay with Sunderland, quitting in a £4.8m move.
It's been in his native Italy this season for Sampdoria where Borini has managed to come into his own, despite nearing the end of his playing days at 32 years of age.
How Borini is playing in 2023
This season – swapping between playing as a centre-forward and down the flanks – Borini has seven goal contributions for his new Serie B employers from just 12 games played.
It means the ageing attacker is outperforming Roberts at Sunderland, the Englishman only contributing to one solitary goal with an assist.
Sampdoria's new star up front has five goals of his own with two assists, netting twice in a recent 2-0 home success over Cosenza – Borini only denied a hat-trick by the woodwork on the day, attempting a staggering eight shots in total per Sofascore at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris Stadium.
In contrast, Roberts has been lacklustre in his recent attacking play for the Black Cats. The wide man didn't register a single shot on goal versus Birmingham City per Sofascore, yet played a role creatively with four key passes in the contest to show flashes of quality.
Sunderland will hope Roberts can help his team going forward as the season goes on, the 26-year-old has been previously potent in his career notably with Celtic – scoring nine times during the 2015-16 season for the Hoops.
Borini, on the other hand, will just continue enjoying his football with Sampdoria with the ex-Sunderland man finding a new lease of life so late into his career.
A West Ham figurehead is looking set to leave next year as things stand with his stay beyond that point being described as "unlikely".
Brentford 3-2 West Ham
David Moyes suffered yet another Premier League setback last Saturday. The east Londoners lost 3-2 away to Brentford, their fifth domestic defeat of the campaign and third in a row. Goals from Neal Maupay, Konstantinos Mavropanos (OG) and a first ever Bees goal for Nathan Collins cancelled out strikes from both Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen.
In similar fashion to 2022/2023, West Ham appear to be performing in cup competitions but continue to suffer in the league. They currently sit top of their Europa League group, and just before their latest league loss, they sensationally knocked title contenders Arsenal out of the EFL Cup.
Kudus' exceptional bicycle kick and Bowen's record-breaking sixth away goal of the season in a row wiill feel bittersweet with their side ending up on the wrong end of a scoreline yet again.
Speaking to media after the match, Moyes lambasted West Ham's defending and said he would have been "disgusted" with it as a player.
"We weren't talking about anything weird and wonderful," said Moyes on West Ham's defeat to Brentford (BBC). "We've found that we've not dealt with things which as a player I would have been disgusted with myself for not being able to deal with them much better. I don't think my teams do that. That is why I am annoyed that I've come here and not been able to defend when put under pressure."
The Scotsman is under pressure following what has been an extremely mixed start to 23/24. Moyes' contract expires next year, with an update coming to light on the West Ham manager's future this week.
Moyes "unlikely" to stay at West Ham
According to talkSPORT journalists Alex Crook and Sean O'Brien, writing for the broadcaster, Moyes is "unlikely" to stay at West Ham beyond his current terms which runs out in 2024. The former Everton manager, as things stand, isn't in imminent danger of being sacked but also won't be offered a new deal.
West Ham take on Olympiacos in the Europa League on Thursday, with a home clash against Nottingham Forest awaiting them the following Sunday.
Moyes has been described as "integral" to the club in recent seasons, having guided them to consecutive European qualification campaigns and a first major trophy since 1980 earlier this year.
West Ham league finishes under Moyes
Season
16th
19/20
6th
20/21
7th
21/22
14th
22/23
"You look at the three or four seasons that he’s been back he took them out of a nose dive, then he puts them six, then he puts them seventh, then he wins a European competition after being in a European Cup semi-final the previous year," said pundit Simon Jordan on Moyes last month.
“I think all things lead to the stability and solidity and achievements of West Ham, not on his own but David has been integral to that."