Liverpool are reportedly closing in on the appointment of a key off-field role, with an announcement coming as soon as next month.
Liverpool transfer news
The Reds sealed EFL Cup glory on Sunday afternoon, as Jurgen Klopp's final season at Anfield threatens to be a legendary one, with a quadruple still possible in the coming months.
It is important that there is plenty of focus on new signings in the summer, however, and it could even be that FSG have already lined up their next manager, with Xabi Alonso and Julian Nagelsmann both believed to be in the running.
A number of players have been linked with moving to Anfield at the end of the season too, with centre-back an area of the pitch that could be bolstered. Crystal Palace and England ace Marc Guehi has emerged as a target, being seen as a potential replacement for Joel Matip.
Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso.
Meanwhile, Sporting CP star Goncalo Inacio continues to be linked with Liverpool, with the Portuguese a wanted man among numerous Premier League clubs, including Manchester United.
There is also the small matter of the Reds nailing the appointment of a new sporting director after the January exit of Jorg Schmadtke, bringing in an individual who can work seamlessly alongside the next manager. West Ham's highly-rated ace Tim Steidten has been backed to take the club, as has Alonso's colleague at Bayer Leverkusen, Simon Rolfes, and now a new claim has emerged.
Liverpool set to appoint sporting director in March
According to an update from Football Insider, Liverpool will appoint a new long-term sporting director as early as March, with FSG keen on completing a deal in good time.
"Liverpool want to appoint a new sporting director in the next month, sources have told Football Insider. It is believed that the Reds are keen to announce a new chief recruiter by the end of March and will then push ahead with their search for Jurgen Klopp’s managerial replacement.
It is great to see that FSG are looking to act quickly when it comes to hiring a new sporting director, rather than allowing it to drag on and hamper the club's summer transfer business.
It remains to be seen who the standout candidate is to come in, but there would be real sense in Rolfe being the choice, should Alonso be named the new manager. They have clearly worked well together at Leverkusen, so to have people who already know each other's qualities can only be a good thing.
FSG chiefs have “strong relationship” with “unbelievable” Liverpool target
The Reds are reportedly interested in signing him.
ByHenry Jackson Feb 26, 2024
Whoever comes in, it is essential that the right decision is made, with the role so influential in the modern game, during a period in which the likes of Michael Edwards and Dan Ashworth have rightly been hailed for their influence at their respective clubs.
A top-order stutter did not hamper India A’s chase of 48, with the home side taking less than ten overs to seal the win
ESPNcricinfo staff12-Sep-2019India A routed South Africa A by seven wickets in the first unofficial Test in Thiruvananthapuram, chasing down a target of 48 in 9.4 overs after having bowled out the visitors for 186 in the second innings.Resuming day four on 179 for 9, South Africa A’s innings didn’t last long as Shardul Thakur bowled Lutho Sipamla in the fourth over of the day. Shahbaz Nadeem was the most successful bowler for India A, picking up 3 for 21, while Jalaj Saxena and Thakur bagged two wickets each.India A stuttered in their chase, but there were not enough runs for South Africa A’s bowlers to make a match out of it. Lungi Ngidi dismissed Shubman Gill and Ankit Bawne cheaply. KS Bharat didn’t last long either and was caught off Dane Piedt, leaving India A 37 for 3. Shivam Dube though hit the next two balls for two straight sixes to wrap up the game. Ricky Bhui, who was promoted to open the batting, remained unbeaten on 20.Saxena, who was a last-minute inclusion in the squad, was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 61 in the first innings and 2 for 22 with the ball.The second four-day match will begin on September 17 in Mysore.
Dani Dyer’s son continues to put club over country when attending Euro 2024, with three-year-old Santiago snubbing England in favour of West Ham.
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Hammers star in Three Lions squadFamily have been jetting out for gamesEnjoying events on & off the pitchGettyWHAT HAPPENED?
Former Love Island star Dyer is in Germany to watch partner Jarrod Bowen in European Championship action. He has figured off the bench on a couple of occasions as the Three Lions have made their way to the quarter-final stage.
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Bowen did not see any game time as England battled their way to a 2-1 extra-time win over Slovakia in the last 16, but Dyer was back in the stands. She had her children in tow, including twin girls Summer and Star, and has told of getting to matches: “The first game, I flew out on my own. This game, I wanted to bring the kids out so he can see them so that was chaotic. There were moments where I thought 'I can't do this again!' but now we're here, it has been lovely.”
THE GOSSIP
Santiago, who was born in January 2021 and fathered by Dyer’s ex Sammy Kimmence, appears to be enjoying his trip to Germany. He is proudly flying the Hammers flag abroad, rather than the England one, which will go down well with his grandfather, EastEnders actor Danny. Dyer has posted on social media: “Would be Santi walking around Germany in a West Ham kit!”
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WHAT NEXT?
Dyer will have time to head home before England are in action again, with Gareth Southgate’s side having a few days to prepare for a quarter-final showdown with Switzerland. That game will take place in Dusseldorf on Saturday.
Gary Lineker hit out at Gareth Southgate's "strange" tactics with Jude Bellingham & Phil Foden during England's unimpressive draw against Slovenia.
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The Three Lions played out a goalless stalemateBellingham and Foden were ineffectiveLineker slammed Southgate for his tacticsWHAT HAPPENED?
England's goalless draw against Slovenia in their final group-stage match of Euro 2024 has sparked widespread criticism due to their lacklustre and lethargic performance. Despite progressing to the knockout stages as Group C winners, the Three Lions' performance left much to be desired, highlighting recurring issues in their attacking play.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Lineker did not hold back in his assessment of Southgate's tactics, especially the decision to have Foden and Bellingham frequently switch positions throughout the game. This tactical manoeuvre seemed to confuse more than it clarified, as Bellingham, who had been a standout player as a No. 10 for Real Madrid, appeared out of place on the left wing.
WHAT LINEKER SAID
Lineker, on podcast, remarked: "I think he’s spoken to Bellingham and Foden and said, 'Right, OK, you keep swapping. One goes left and then one goes in the 10'. But that’s a strange thing to do, isn’t it, throughout the whole game?
"First half, and even in the second half, I saw sometimes Bellingham’s on the left-hand side. Jude, he’s had a bad night. Having had a great opening game, he’s struggled since. I think he chases lost causes a lot. Sometimes, you can see him sprinting. I understand why because he’s so determined to help the team, but I think sometimes you’ve got to reserve your energy a little bit. But that’s experience. He’s only 20."
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DID YOU KNOW?
Despite the overall disappointing performance, Lineker found some positives in England's second-half display. He praised their willingness to press higher up the pitch, which created more opportunities and applied pressure on Slovenia's defence.
"In the second half, I thought you could see that if this team continue to play a high press, chances will come," Lineker observed. "And we may have been playing that way because Slovenia knew that a draw would get them through. So, they were cautious and sat back a little bit. I understand that. But I saw enough to suggest that England are improving slightly."
Fourth consecutive title for champions, but they are forced to fight all the way as Maxfield takes seven
ESPNcricinfo staff17-Sep-2019 Berkshire 164 (Morris 89, Hemmings 4-21) and 97 for 9 (Maxfield 7-48) beat Staffordshire 150 and 110 (Nugent 5-40, Rishton 4-42) by one wicket.Berkshire held their nerve to win the Minor Counties Championship for a record-equalling fourth successive season after they scrambled a one-wicket victory over Staffordshire on the third day of the final at Banbury.Berkshire were set just 97 to win but that modest target looked like being beyond them when they slipped to 87 for 9 with Staffordshire seamer Tim Maxfield taking seven of the wickets.But Staffordshire could not dislodge Berkshire opener Jack Davies who batted throughout the innings for 42 not out.With the support of last man Mungo Russell, Davies managed to whittle down the runs, striking Rob Hemmings for an important boundary, taking a single off the same bowler to level the scores and then clinching victory in a remarkable low-scoring final by taking the winning single off Maxfield.Berkshire’s win equalled Devon’s record of four successive Championships under the captaincy of Peter Roebuck between 1994 and 1997 and gave them their seventh national title in four season to go with four Western Division crowns.Defeat was hard on Maxfield who finished with career-best figures of 7 for 48 in a brave effort from Staffordshire, the Eastern Division champions.Ball dominated bat throughout the match on a pitch that helped the seamers and only one batsman, Berkshire’s Richard Morris in the first innings, made 50. Davies was the only other batsman to top 30.There were 13 LBWs in the match, ten of them against Berkshire with five in each innings.Berkshire began the day needing 73 more runs for victory and Staffordshire requiring seven more wickets.The equation became 73 runs with six wickets in hand after Manraj Johal bowled Middlesex T20 batsman Dan Lincoln without addition to the overnight total.Maxfield then bowled Berkshire captain James Morris and Johal trapped Andy Rishton LBW to make it 40 for 6.But the experienced Chris Peploe (15) and Tom Nugent (13) supplied valuable lower-order runs in important partnerships with Davies for the seventh and eighth wickets which got Berkshire to within 16 of their target.Maxfield then had Nugent and Luke Beaven LBW but Davies, who is on Middlesex’s books, and Russell held firm for 23 balls while they scraped together the last ten runs.
Glasgow Rangers knew that a win against St Johnstone in the Premiership yesterday would mean they would overhaul Celtic and take top spot in the league table.
Philippe Clement needed no big team talk ahead of the game as every single player knew what was at stake, and they duly delivered on the pitch.
A Mohamed Diomande goal just before halftime settled the nerves that were beginning to build, and the Gers took a one-goal advantage into the interval.
Mohammed Diomande
All that mattered were the three points, but James Tavernier popped up to score two penalties in the final ten minutes to seal a solid 3-0 victory over the Saints.
The result ensured the Light Blues went to the summit, and they now lead their Old Firm rivals by two points, having played the same number of matches, while more crucially, the Ibrox side have a better goal difference.
Despite the positive performance, there were a few players who failed to take their chances during the clash and Cyriel Dessers was poor during his second-half cameo.
Cyriel Dessers was poor once again for Rangers
The 29-year-old striker scored his first brace for the club in the clash against Ross County last week, yet the player also missed four big chances and hit the woodwork as he could have easily scored five or six if he had been more clinical.
This has let him down during his spell in Glasgow and throughout the 2023/24 campaign thus far, Dessers has missed a staggering 20 big chances in the Premiership, indicating a lack of ruthlessness in the opposition penalty area.
Against the Saints, the former Feyenoord frontman came on for the final 21 minutes of the game in place of Fabio Silva, yet he received a Sofascore rating of just 4.8/10 for his cameo, which included hitting the woodwork, missing three big chances, and making only five passes.
Cyriel Dessers
It was yet another wasteful performance and if he had a more ruthless streak in him, Dessers could easily be on 25 goals for the season by now.
Thankfully, others have stepped up to the plate and contributed more effectively in front of goal, which has allowed the Gers to chip away at the goal difference and overhaul Celtic.
While the summer signing was dismal on the weekend, it was the inclusion of Scott Wright that looked like a strange call by the manager as he delivered a woeful display.
Scott Wright’s game in numbers against St Johnstone
The winger has not exactly been the most productive of players since joining the club over three years ago, scoring just ten goals and registering seven assists in over 100 appearances thus far.
These are hardly groundbreaking figures, and it is perplexing that various managers keep persisting with the player out wide.
Wright was given just his fifth Premiership start of the season against the Saints on Sunday and with the chance to go top of the table, it looked like Clement had presented him with an excellent opportunity to showcase his worth.
Rangers winger Scott Wright.
Fast-forward 45 minutes later, and it was yet another disappointing showing on the right flank by the former Aberdeen forward.
The former Aberdeen gem took just 21 touches during the first half along with completing just eight of his 13 passes, making just one key pass, and losing possession on nine occasions.
This shows that he was wasteful on the ball it returned to the opposition almost once every other touch throughout the game.
The winger also won just two of his seven contested duels before he was replaced at halftime by Dujon Sterling, who is a natural full-back.
22
2
34
0
37
7
13
1
The former Chelsea starlet performed much better than Wright despite his lack of experience in an advanced role, and it proves that the 26-year-old must be offered limited opportunities between now and the end of the season.
Overall, the Scottish winger was worse than Dessers as the Nigerian striker, at least, got himself into good positions and provided a threat in front of goal, even if it did not come off for him with the final action.
Whereas, the ex-Dons attacker did not cause many problems for the opposition's defence with his startling lack of impact in the final third, which made it relatively simple for them to defend against him, which was not the case with the former Cremonese whiz.
Scott Wright’s season in numbers
Clement’s squad only includes two natural right-wingers in Wright and Ross McCausland, hence why the Scot has played a few games of late, but it is clear he is not the answer going forward.
Across 14 Premiership matches this term, Wright has averaged just 0.2 shots on target per game, averaged 0.6 key passes per game, and created only one big chance.
Glasgow Rangers forward Scott Wright.
The player has also failed to score or provide an assist and has succeeded with just 0.4 of his attempted dribbles per game, clearly indicating that his performances have been far below the level required this term.
The players who should replace Scott Wright
McCausland is the obvious answer, but the youngster cannot be expected to perform to his talents in every single match, especially as he is still learning and developing.
The Northern Irishman has contributed a goal and three assists in the league, while creating two big chances and making 1.7 key passes, proving that he should be the first choice right-winger in the squad.
Rangers forward Ross McCausland.
Sterling could also be utilised there in case of an emergency, and he shone against the Saints on Sunday.
The defender-turned-midfielder missed a big chance, was successful with one of his two attempted dribbles, delivered an accurate cross, and also managed to win the team a penalty during the latter stages of the match, which sealed all three points.
His versatility is proving to be a very useful tool for Clement to utilise and, given that he is looking for gametime, no position appears to be off limits for the 24-year-old.
The summer transfer window cannot come soon enough for the Belgian coach, however, as there are several areas of his squad that need some more depth and quality added to them.
While Wright still has one more year on his current deal, the chances of him departing this summer appear fairly high, and it could bring in some decent funds for Clement to use on his squad.
His performance against the Perth outfit summed up his career at Ibrox, one that could have perhaps been better if he had taken the numerous opportunities presented to him by different managers.
Steven Gerrard, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Michael Beale and now Clement have all trusted him in matches, but he has failed to really demonstrate his true abilities on a consistent basis for the Gers.
Kylian Mbappe was "too tired" to finish France's Euro 2024 quarter-final win against Portugal as the striker explained why he was substituted.
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Mbappe taken off in extra-time vs PortugalFrance star admitted he was too tiredLes Bleus through to semi-finals after winWHAT HAPPENED?
Mbappe played the full 90 minutes as France and Portugal played out a goalless draw to take the game into extra-time. After continuing into the first half of the extended period, he did not emerge for the final 15 minutes as Bradley Barcola took his place.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT MBAPPE SAID
Having thereford not taken a penalty in the decisive shootout, Mbappe told reporters: "At the end of normal time, we’d already spoken to the coach. We decided to give it a go, but at half-time [of extra time], I told him I wasn’t feeling it any more, that I was too tired. I think you have to get over that. When you’re captain, you have to above all always stay involved and be there for your team-mates. I’ve always said before competitions that whatever happens, the important thing is that we win. People thought it was a joke, but here we are. I only scored one goal, but we’re in the semi-finals and I’m still very happy."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Despite Mbappe's absence, his side went on to beat Portugal in the spot-kick lottery, with all five France players – including Barcola – scoring their efforts, while Joao Felix missed his for Portugal. New Real Madrid signing Mbappe cheered his team on from the sidelines and spoke of his experience watching his team.
"It's even worse when you don't shoot," he said. "You're far from the goal, so of course I prefer to go there, but the guys shot really well. In fact, I now understand the people who are outside and who are experiencing this. It's as if we were a little bit outside, we're super far away. We don't even hear the whistle because there's shouting. It's crazy!"
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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR FRANCE?
Mbappe will be back in the starting XI when Didier Deschamps' team meet Spain in the semi-finals of the competition on July 9. La Roja booked their spot in the last four by beating Germany 2-1 after extra-time.
He made an unbeaten 70 off 45 balls, as he rode out the pressure created by Afghanistan’s spinners, even as wickets kept falling at the other end
The Report by Mohammad Isam21-Sep-2019Shakib Al Hasan’s calculated counterattack helped Bangladesh win a tense game by four wickets in Chattogram, marking their first win over Afghanistan in a T20 in five years. Shakib’s knock helped his side chase down 139 after they were struggling at 104 for 6 in the 16th over, with the captain batting on 54.Shakib finished on an unbeaten 70 off 45 balls with eight fours and a six, as he rode out the pressure created by Afghanistan’s spinners, even as wickets kept falling at the other end.Shakib strikes down RashidShakib finished on top in the battle of the captains. With Bangladesh needing 27 off 18 balls, Shakib turned the game Bangladesh’s way by hitting Rashid Khan for a four and a six in an 18-run over that left them needing just nine off the last two overs.Rashid had gone off the field in the eighth over with a hamstring niggle. He returned to bowl the 14th over and removed Mahmudullah for 6, before dismissing Afif Hossain for 2 in his next over, leaving Bangladesh six down. When Rashid returned for the 18th over, Mosaddek Hossain started with a four past short third man before Shakib muscled the ball over midwicket twice, first for a four and then a six that landed in the stands.Bangladesh’s seniors to the rescueBangladesh lost their openers within the first four overs which left them at 12 for 2. Mujeeb Ur Rahman had Liton Das caught for 4 in the third over, and in the next over Najmul Hossain Shanto became Naveen-ul-Haq’s maiden T20I wicket as he chipped a slower ball to Rashid at midwicket.Shakib provided the relief for Bangladesh by striking two fours to end the Powerplay on 28 for 2. He picked up the singles and twos on offer and brought up a calculated fifty off 35 balls in the 15th over. He added 58 runs for the third wicket with Mushfiqur Rahim, who survived in the tenth over when substitute Najeeb Tarakai, on for Rashid, dropped a catch on the leg side. Mushfiqur, however, fell in the very next over when he dragged a pull off Karim Janat to deep midwicket for 26.Yet another strong start for AfghanistanAfghanistan’s openers put up yet another strong show. Rahmanullah Gurbaz was lucky to be dropped on 1 in the second over, but that hardly stopped the Afghanistan openers from going big. Hazratullah Zazai struck Shafiul Islam for two fours in the fourth over and then blasted Mahmudullah for two fours and a six in a 16-run over to round off a good Powerplay. They took turns to hit three more sixes in the next three overs. Gurbaz then connected with a reverse sweep off Mosaddek for six, stretching the run rate further despite the end of the Powerplay.Collapse dents final flourishBut after the 75-run opening stand ended, Afghanistan lost their next six wickets for 39 runs. Hazratullah’s wicket in the tenth over, after he made a quick 47 off 35 balls, triggered the collapse. After Afif had Hazratullah top-edge to short fine leg, he removed Asghar Afghan for a second-ball duck.Gurbaz was caught and bowled by Mustafizur Rahman for 29 before Shakib had Mohammad Nabi lbw for 4. A run-out soon removed Gulbadin Naib, and Najibullah Zadran and Janat then fell in successive overs, as Afghanistan meandered to 114 for 7 in the 17th over. They managed only two fours in the 31 runs they scored in the last five overs.
Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz could hold the keys to any of Unai Emery's transfer plans this summer, it has been revealed.
UCL qualification to ease Villa's FFP woes
Though the Villans are flying in the Premier League, they are looking over their shoulder when it comes to financial fair play. The Midlands outfit posted losses of £119.6m after tax compared to a £0.3m profit last season in their latest accounts, which has sparked concerns that they may be forced to sanction departures this summer, despite reassurances from the board that 'these figures are in line with the strategic business plan'.
NSWE ready to make Aston Villa bid for "warrior" Emery has signed before
Could it be a return to the Premier League?
ByBen Browning Mar 6, 2024
Qualifying for Europe's Premium competition would certainly help, with the Champions League offering an excellent financial incentive to its participants. For comparison, the Conference League offers just £500,000 for a group stage win and £5m for winning the entire competition, which pales in comparison to £2.4m for a Champions League group stage win and £18m for winning the whole thing.
Villa are well placed to reach that competition, currently five points ahead of Tottenham in fifth and a massive 11 points clear of 6th placed Manchester United. Though Tottenham have a game in hand on the Villans, the pair meet at Villa Park on Sunday, which will give Emery's side the chance to stretch their lead even further and all but book their place in next season's Champions League.
The run in
Gameweek
Aston Villa
Tottenham
Manchester United
28
Tottenham (H)
Aston Villa (A)
Everton (H)
29
West Ham (A)
Fulham (A)
Brentford (A)
30
Wolves (H)
Luton (H)
Chelsea (A)
31
Man City (A)
West Ham (A)
Liverpool (H)
32
Brentford (H)
Nottingham Forest (H)
Bournemouth (A)
33
Arsenal (A)
Newcastle (A)
Newcastle United (H)
34
Bournemouth (H)
Man City (H)
Burnley (H)
35
Chelsea (H)
Arsenal (H)
Crystal Palace (A)
36
Brighton (A)
Liverpool (A)
Arsenal (H)
37
Liverpool (H)
Burnley (H)
Brighton (A)
38
Crystal Palace (A)
Sheffield United (A)
Sheffield United (H)- date TBC
Luiz part of NSWE's big transfer plan
With major signings planned though, even qualifying for the Champions League may not be enough to balance the books, and sales may be required. As per Football Insider, Douglas Luiz will be the man most likely to make his departure from Villa Park. Unai Emery values his midfield maestro around £100m and there is thought to be interest from Manchester City and Arsenal, with the latter having made three bids for the Brazilian back in 2022.
Should Luiz depart and Villa qualify for the Champions League, it is added that the powers that be in the Midlands would be willing to sanction a massive £200m spending spree this summer, with the ultimate aim of joining the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal in the elite bracket in the Premier League.
Whether any club would be willing to splash out £100m on Luiz is another matter, with both Arsenal and City having spent extensively on their midfield in recent years.
Tyrell Malacia appears closer to making a return to action with Manchester United after the Dutch full-back returned to training this week.
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Malacia out with long-term injuryFull-back training on his own at UnitedHas worked through the summer breakWHAT HAPPENED?
United announced on Sunday that the 24-year-old has been working throughout the close season as he looks to recover from a long-term injury. The left-back has been training individually at Carrington this week.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Malacia missed the entirety of the 2023-24 season after undergoing an operation on his knee. It was reported that the former Feyenoord star had been struggling because of his situation as his recovery has been a complicated one.
WHAT MAN UTD SAID
"There was encouraging news from Carrington on Friday after Manchester United defender Tyrell Malacia progressed his fitness programme," an update from the club read.
"Young left-back Malacia returned to base earlier this week, after working hard throughout his summer break. Tyrell has this week been pictured training individually on the grass under the guidance of medical staff."
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MALACIA?
The Netherlands international will hope to return to normal training with his Red Devils team-mates before long to boost his hopes of getting back into Erik ten Hag's team after his long absence.