West Ham United have not enjoyed an auspicious start to 2024 having crashed out of the FA Cup against Championship side Bristol City and drawn against Brighton & Hove Albion and Sheffield United in the Premier League.

That said, there is plenty for David Moyes' side to be optimistic about heading into the business end of the 2023/24 campaign, with the club having advanced to the knockout stage of the Europa League and currently perching in sixth place in the Premier League, above the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea.

Moreover, Kalvin Phillips has recently been welcomed to the fold from Manchester City, joining on a six-month loan deal, to add some depth and mettle to the centre of the park.

That said though, offensive phenoms Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta are both currently nursing injuries and Moyes appears eager to secure an exciting finish to the transfer window.

West Ham eyeing late January swoop

With Phillips now in the bag, it's clear that the Irons' interest lies in landing a new attacking outlet, with Argentine playmaker Pablo Fornals a late target for Spanish side Real Betis.

As such, West Ham could use the funds from Fornal's sale to complete a swoop for teenage winger Ibrahim Osman, with the Guardian reporting that West Ham are considering returning for the Nordsjælland starlet before the end of the month. A bid has already been rejected but the Hammers may well return to the table with another ofer.

The Danish outfit are understood to be holding out for a €20m (£17m) package and the London club will now need to ensure they recuperate funds from player sales before sealing the deal.

Why West Ham want Ibrahim Osman

Osman, aged 19, has posted four goals and five assists across 29 appearances in all competitions this season and has caught the eye with his blistering pace and influence in attacking sequences.

Indeed, as per Sofascore, Osman has scored one goal and provided four assists from 16 games (14 starts) in the Danish Superliga this term and has averaged 1.2 key passes, 3.1 ball recoveries, 5.6 successful duels and 2.6 successful dribbles per game.

Osman does lack a certain incisiveness in his finishing ability but is of a lean, athletic build with pace and an innate weaving quality that could be shaped and harnessed in east London.

The likes of Arsenal and Brighton have reportedly been monitoring Osman and there's possibly a sense of urgency in wrapping up a deal from Moyes, with manager Johannes Thorup candid in admitting that the rising star will be hard to keep a hold of after such promising early endeavours on the major stage.

He said of the 5 foot 9 whiz: “He is a fast winger and striker, and I have huge expectations for him to be skilled. He has the pace which is important for us to have on at least one of our strikers. I don’t want to say that he has to take over for someone, but people can probably figure out that there is a player who is really good for us in the Super League, who might be really hard to keep.”

Given that West Ham star Mohammed Kudus bloomed from the same academy, it might be wise for Moyes to secure the next version of the Ghanaian machine, with the summer signing very much riding the crest of a wave since arriving at the London Stadium.

Ibrahim Osman could be Mohammed Kudus 2.0

The Hammers welcomed Kudus to the club from Ajax in a £38m deal in August to bolster the offensive fold after winning the Europa Conference League last season.

As per FBref, Kudus ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 13% for successful take-ons, the top 3% for tackles and the top 14% for blocks per 90.

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The 23-year-old was featured sporadically across the opening weeks of his Claret and Blue career but has excelled in plundering nine goals from 24 appearances in all competitions, starting just 17 times.

He's even been described as a "generational talent" by African journalist Gary Al-Smith and brings dynamism and deadliness in abundance, and if West Ham can secure the services of a similar player it would only improve the offensive efforts.

Given that Kudus (right wing) and Osman (who prefers the left) operate on alternate flanks, this could be a signing that would birth a fear-inducing partnership for opponents, with Osman absorbing the fruits of his fellow Nordsjælland academy graduate's labours.

While Osman is far less clinical than Kudus – though it would seen he has more of a natural creative flair – the Hammers star does share some exciting similarities, averaging 5.8 ball recoveries, 7.1 successful duels and 2.6 successful dribbles per fixture in the Premier League.

This blistering, breakneck pace is something that West Ham could certainly make good use of down the left flank, especially with Fornals ostensibly departing and Said Benrahma also touted with a move away after starting just five matches in the English top-flight this year, with French clubs lurking.

West Ham might have started the year off slow but there is much to look forward to over the coming months and the addition of a precocious talent in Osman would be the perfect finish to the window.

Manchester United want to add two young centre-backs to their squad this summer, with Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans potentially set to leave at the end of their contracts and Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof both up for sale too.

One target for the Red Devils is Matthijs de Ligt, who played under Erik ten Hag at Ajax and is now at Bayern Munich. United have apparently made contact with the Dutchman's camp and are leading the race to sign him ahead of Premier League rivals Arsenal.

It's also been reported that the Old Trafford outfit have been keeping an eye on Giorgio Scalvini at Atalanta, alongside two other European giants in Bayern and PSG. The Serie A club are apparently coming under increasing pressure to sell the 20-year-old, with United "ahead" of the pack for his signature.

United lodge Scalvini enquiry

Now, in fresh Scalvini transfer news, it's emerged that United have made contact with Atalanta over a possible deal. The report from Italian outlet Calciomercato also notes that Borussia Dortmund have been in touch too.

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Atalanta have apparently demanded €40m, which is about £34m, to sell Scalvini, and they have no intention of budging. They know that this could go down as pure profit in their books given that the player came through the club's academy.

"Accomplished" Scalvini fits the bill for United

In encouraging news for United elsewhere, journalist Dean Jones says Scalvini is prepared to move on from La Dea this summer and is "very interested" in a switch to the English top-flight. Described as "accomplished" by Yash Shah in a piece for WhoScored, he has to be considered one of the most exciting young centre-halves in European football right now.

Having been nominated for the 2023 Golden Boy award, he was ultimately the best under-21 Italian player at the ceremony. He's already been capped seven times by his country and made his debut aged just 18 years and six months in June 2022, becoming the youngest centre-back ever to play for his country and the eighth-youngest player overall.

Rank

Player

Debut

Age (Y/M/D)

Position

1

Rodolfo Gavinelli

April 1911

16/3/8

Striker

2

Renzo De Vecchi

May 1910

16/3/23

Left-back

3

Simone Pafundi

November 2022

16/8/2

Attacking midfield

4

Gianluigi Donnarumma

September 2016

17/6/7

Goalkeeper

5

Luigi Barbesino

July 1912

18/2/0

Midfielder

6

Giuseppe Bergomi

April 1982

18/3/23

Right-back

7

Davide Santon

June 2009

18/5/4

Left-back

8

Giorgio Scalvini

June 2022

18/6/3

Centre-back

If United want to rebuild their backline with players who can perform at an elite level in the short-term and become superstars long-term, then they should look no further than Scalvini.

استأنف الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك تدريباته اليوم السبت، على ملعب النادي بعد انتهاء الراحة السلبية التي قررها جوزيه جوميز، المدير الفني.

ويستعد الزمالك للمشاركة في بطولة كأس السوبر المصري المقرر إقامتها في الإمارات خلال الفترة من 20 وحتى 24 أكتوبر الجاري بمشاركة أندية الأهلي وبيراميدز وسيراميكا كليوباترا.

شهد المران انتظام الغيني جيفرسون كوستا مدافع فريق الأبيض المنضم حديثًا خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية والسنغالي سيدي ندياي.

طالع.. إيقاف حكم مباراة الزمالك والمصري لأجل غير مسمى

وحرص الجهاز الفني على رفع الحمل البدني للاعبين بعد العودة من فترة الراحة السلبية التي حصل عليها الفريق، وغاب الفلسطيني عمر فرج عن التدريبات بسبب انضمامه لمنتخب فلسطين استعداداً لخوض مباراتي العراق والكويت في التصفيات المؤهلة لبطولة كأس العالم.

وخاض محمد صبحي حارس الفريق، تدريبات خاصة تحت قيادة لويس فيسنتي مدرب حراس المرمى، وأدى محمد عواد تدريبات بدنية مع باقي اللاعبين.

وقاد الكاميروني أندري بيكي المدرب العام وأحمد مجدي المدرب المساعد المران في ظل حصول البرتغالي جوزيه جوميز على راحة على أن يعود لقيادة التدريبات غدًا الأحد.

وحرص عبد الواحد السيد مدير الكرة على عقد جلسة مع أحمد فتوح الظهير الأيسر للفريق، على هامش المران اطمأن فيها على جاهزيته للفترة المقبلة، وطالبه بالتركيز في التدريبات تمهيداً للعودة للمباريات.

ويلتقي الزمالك مع بيراميدز، في نصف نهائي كأس السوبر المصري يوم 20 أكتوبر المقبل في الإمارات.

The most depressing aspect of England’s defeat is that so little of it came as a shock

George Dobell05-Aug-2019You’re not surprised, are you?You’re not surprised that an attack that couldn’t dismiss Steve Smith in the last Ashes can’t dismiss him now. And you’re not surprised that a side that has now failed to make 250 seven times in 11 innings cannot bat through an entire day. You’re not surprised that a man chosen to open in Test cricket on the basis of his aggressive batting in one-day cricket was dismissed trying to hit his way out of trouble. And you’re not surprised that a man who averages 64.65 with the ball against this opposition could not bowl them out.The most depressing aspect of this performance, from an England perspective, is that so little of it was surprising. From their batsmen struggling against spin to their bowlers struggling against Smith, the fact is an Australia side with a flawed top-order defeated them at their ‘fortress’ by a crushing margin. Apart from the noise of Australian supporters crowing at Edgbaston at the end of the match – and why wouldn’t they; they’d been goaded for several days – the other noise, figuratively at least, was the sound of chickens coming home to roost.For England were punished here for their prioritisation of limited-overs cricket, their over-emphasis on aggression as the preferred method with the bat and a long-standing weakness in both bowling and playing spin. And if you don’t produce such bowling at domestic level, you hardly give your developing batsmen a chance to learn to play it. But you know this already. Everyone knows it.England were, to some extent, unfortunate at Edgbaston. Losing James Anderson within the first half-hour of the game was a significant blow. Had he been available it would, at least, have been more difficult for Australia to recover from 122 for 8 on the first day.But Anderson’s injury doesn’t excuse their batsmen. And the fact is England now have a long and grim record of struggling with the bat. This is a team that, this year, has been bowled out for 77 by West Indies, for 85 by Ireland and for 132, 187 and now 146 at other times. There should be nothing surprising in another failure with the bat.ALSO READ: Dobell: Four problems England must fixJason Roy charges Nathan Lyon and is bowled•Getty ImagesIt is a long time since a batsman – a specialist batsman, anyway – has come into the England Test side and shone. Gary Ballance promised to do so for a while but then fell away. Meaning that Joe Root, who made his debut in 2012, is the last to do so. While such a judgement may seem harsh on Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes, the reality is they average 34.56, 35.70 and 33.76 respectively. By the high standards of Test cricket, that is modest. And it doesn’t reflect at all well on the coaching systems or pathways.The mentality and vocabulary of English cricket has been lacking for several years. So while Smith has shown the value of grafting and determination, England continue to talk of “putting the pressure” back on the bowler by hitting them off their lengths or out of the attack. So Jason Roy deserves little criticism for his dismissal, as ugly as it looked, as he was batting in the style for which he was selected. Asking him to fulfil such a specialist position as opening batsman is recklessly optimistic.Consider Joe Denly’s innings here. He was beaten by his first two balls from Nathan Lyon; the first resulting in an appeal for a caught behind down the leg-side and the second seeing the ball squeeze between bat and pad and just miss the stumps.And how did Denly respond? He swept the next two balls for four. They were fine shots, too, and Edgbaston applauded them. But Australia knew they had their man. They knew he was sweeping because he couldn’t defend and, within a few minutes, he was gone. For the grim truth is that England have produced a generation of batsmen that don’t appear to trust their defensive techniques. Think of Ben Duckett struggling against spin or Keaton Jennings reverse-sweeping because he reasoned it was safer than defending. None of this is new; none of it is a surprise.But it’s not just technical. Smith is probably not – at least in terms of hand-eye coordination – any more talented than Buttler or Root. But he seems to value his wicket more dearly. He seems to understand that pressure can be put on the opposition simply by keeping them in the field for session after session. And he seems to find a little more determination as a result. It looked here, as it did in Brisbane, as if Smith wanted it more than anyone else on either side. That, combined with his talent, is a strong combination.England had hoped that the usage of a specific Dukes ball – the 2018 version utilised with such success in last summer’s Test series against India – would act as a leveller. In particular, they hoped it would assist their fast-medium bowlers on easy-paced pitches.The evidence to date suggests it will not do so. While there was seam movement for both attacks, there was little swing. And if England cannot get the ball to swing, their attack – at least the attack that played here – is out-gunned by their Australian counterparts. For the uncomfortable reality of the situation is that on quick, on flat, or on turning surfaces, Australia appear to have the stronger game. Hoping to utilise a specific ball tailored to their strengths was a reasonable ploy from England, but it was only ever going to mask the inherent weaknesses within their game.Joe Denly is caught by Cameron Bancroft off the bowling of Nathan Lyon•Getty ImagesIf they really want to improve, they have to mend the domestic structure that has hindered the development of fast and spin bowlers and, as a consequence, hindered the development of batsmen. It is telling that the two leading wicket-takers in Division One of the County Championship are overseas (or Kolpak) spinners. In all, six of the top 10 leading wicket-takers in that division are overseas (or Kolpak) players; it does not reflect well on a domestic system that has been allowed to suffer for short-term commercial interests.Two changes seem likely ahead of Lord’s. Jofra Archer will, fitness permitting, come into the side for the injured James Anderson and Jack Leach will, almost certainly, come into the side in place of Moeen Ali. If Archer is unfit, Olly Stone may be the replacement instead.But it would be a surprise if England made more than two changes. Not because they shouldn’t, but because they will be concerned it would hint at panic. And panic won’t help anything.But some sense of urgency might. And the selectors need to reflect on Denly’s performance here and ask whether he is really likely to score the weight of runs required to shape a series at No. 4. Equally, they may reflect on Roy’s performance as an opener and ask themselves whether that is the best place for him to bat. And they may ask themselves how they can find a place for Sam Curran in this side.There may also be some concern about Bairstow, who has now scored 30 runs in his last six Test innings, and Buttler, who has one century from 32 Tests. But Bairstow has earned some leeway with previous performances and Buttler scored two half-centuries in the previous Test. Nobody will admit it, either – there is no mileage in looking for excuses – but a few of this team are still coming to terms with the emotional hangover from their World Cup exertions. It may well pay to be patient with them.And there is hope. Archer will add an edge to England’s attack and, in Buttler and Stokes and Root et al., there is enough talent to damage most attacks. But cracks are appearing up and down this England side and it feels, for perhaps the first time, as if instead of building toward something, they are starting to crumble and fall apart. Nothing that happened at Edgbaston was a surprise. And that should worry England.

Tottenham Hotspur have improved since Ange Postecoglou's appointment last summer. However, there is still work to be done to bring the club to the desired standard, competing at the forefront against Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.

Moreover, last term's troubles severed hopes of playing in Europe this term, and club record scorer Harry Kane opted to leave the Premier League for Bayern Munich, illuminating the need for sweeping change.

While the season has been characterised by an ebb and flow in performance, Tottenham are building and have welcomed a score of fresh faces.

There is still flotsam to be shifted through, with centre-midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg the highest-profile squad member who could leave sooner rather than later.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's Spurs future

Hojbjerg arrived from Southampton and Tottenham knew they'd secured a bargain. Joining for just £15m after handing in a transfer request, the Dane's industriousness and command in the engine room was perfect for then-manager Jose Mourinho's ideology.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: Key Characteristics

Strengths

Weaknesses

Passing

Tackling

Blocking

Interceptions

Concentration

Source: WhoScored

But the wind has changed down N17 and Spurs, led by enterprising Postecoglou, no longer hold Hojbjerg at the centre of their plans, the player having started just six Premier League matches this season, usually due to a lack of usual options.

He is certainly not a bad player, ranking among the top 20% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues and European competitions over the past year for pass completion and the top 11% for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref, but he is not mobile or creative enough in possession to suit the play Spurs now play.

As such, rumours of his sale have been rife over the past eight months or so, with Manchester United curious last summer and, more recently, heavily linked with a move away in January, though no move materialised, with the 28-year-old actually rejecting concrete bids from Lyon.

Combative and composed, Hojbjerg appears destined for departure but he's certainly not the worst midfielder in Tottenham's recent history to have played for a number of years, with Moussa Sissoko not likely to be remembered all that fondly despite making 202 appearances for the Lilywhites.

Spurs' signing of Moussa Sissoko

Tottenham signed the 6 foot 1 Sissoko from Newcastle United on a five-year deal for £30m back in 2016, with the versatile Frenchman having impressed at St. James' Park despite the club's relegation, prompting him to push for a transfer.

The player admitted that his first year at Spurs was "the worst season of my career" and he managed just eight starts in the Premier League, failing to score and supplying just three assists.

Pundit Chris Sutton even slammed Sissoko for being a "bad buy" sooner after his acquisition, lamenting the "disappointment" and questioning whether funding could have been better placed towards a different profile of player.

His strength and athleticism were always a staple of his performance, however, and he did manage to rectify his time at the club and become an important player under Mauricio Pochettino and then Mourinho.

While he did not suffer the unrelenting misery of, say, Tanguy Ndombele, he cost a pretty penny indeed and earned a healthy salary of £80k-per-week across his five campaigns in north London, meaning that he totalled an outlay of £50.8m including the initial transfer.

Moussa Sissoko: Key Characteristics

Strengths

Weaknesses

(Player has no significant strengths)

Passing

Dribbling

Finishing

Source: WhoScored

This hardly represented the best value for money as chairman Daniel Levy sought to cement Tottenham at the forefront of European football, as he never emerged as one of the better players in the Premier League in his position throughout his time at the club.

Given that he was sold to Watford for just £2.5m in 2021 – taking the money spent on him to £48.3m net – after falling out of favour under Nuno Espirito Santo, Spurs slumping to sixth and seventh across his final two years at the club, he can hardly go down as one of the finest purchases under Levy's command.

Hojbjerg, by comparison, has maintained a decent level of performance throughout, whereas Sissoko failed to hit an average over 1.0 across any defensive metric during his final season in Tottenham colours.

Moreover, he was ineffectual in attack, posting just three goals and two assists across his final two terms at the outfit.

Of course, Hojbjerg is not defined by his goals and assists and neither, really, is Sissoko, but Hojbjerg's nearing exit falls more down to the fact that he is unsuited to the system, whereas Sissoko was unable to string together any real consistency, falling by the wayside after building himself from that poor start to life in London.

The Denmark international has completed 89% of his passes in the Premier League this season while averaging 3.5 ball recoveries and 1.0 tackles per match, but a game average of 0.2 key passes really doesn't speak of energy and invention that Postecoglou would be endeared by.

Perhaps this all falls into the same ballpark: neither player has managed to sustain stellar showings with the regularity needed to secure success at Tottenham.

Sissoko's work rate would have made him, at his peak, an attractive option for Postecoglou, but ultimately he was part of a disappointing decline after the halcyon days of Pochettino's reign, and supporters will now hope for a sustained change of track that could finally bring some silverware to a club desperate for such success.

Some might put forth the argument that he enjoyed some success at Tottenham, salvaging a prominent position after the early issues, but it's not enough to justify the big price tag and wages that drained the outfit.

Given that Chelsea signed N'Golo Kante for £32m and Liverpool purchased Sadio Mane for £36m that same window, it's fair to say that investment could have been placed elsewhere for far greater results.

Now, Tottenham will hope to have learned from their chequered past in the market, but only time will tell if Postecoglou's blossoming project will wither or finally achieve silver-laden results.

English referees Anthony Taylor and Stuart Atwell faced online wrath for "taking forever" to deny Xavi Simons' goal for Netherlands against France.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Simons thought he had put the Dutch aheadVAR denied him the goal Deemed an offside Dumfries to be interfering with the playWHAT HAPPENED?

In a highly anticipated Euro 2024 group stage match between the Netherlands and France, which ended in a 0-0 stalemate, Taylor and Attwell found themselves at the centre of a storm following their decision to disallow a goal by Dutch youngster Simons – which sparked significant controversy and online backlash.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

Many users expressed their frustration over the legitimacy and the time taken to reach the decision. The hashtag #VARcontroversy began trending, highlighting the widespread dissatisfaction with how the situation was handled.

An X user, @ToonPolls, wrote: "English VAR drop the first clanger of the tournament. Shock. Couldn’t make it up man. #Euro2024."

Meanwhile, @AnfieldSector, took a dig at Atwell and his team: "Fully English VAR team, by the way. Took 5 minutes out of the game for a simple VAR check. 😂😂😂."

Whereas, @TikiTokaMate, added: "Longest VAR check being with the English officials, imagine my shock."

Furthermore, @SwissRamble, wrote: "'Stuart Attwell on VAR'" must be among the worst words a football fan can hear."

And @PaddyArsenal seconded him: "Every single decision at the Euros was made accurately and quickly then they got Stuart Attwell on VAR."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The critical moment occurred in the 69th minute of the match when Simons scored what appeared to be a breakthrough goal for the Netherlands. His low, driven shot found the back of the net, seemingly putting his team ahead against one of the tournament favourites, France. The Dutch fans and players erupted in celebration, believing they had secured a crucial lead. However, the celebrations were short-lived. Taylor, after consulting with VAR officials, decided to review the goal for a potential offside infringement. The review process was painstakingly long as the point of contention was the position of Denzel Dumfries, who was judged to be in an offside position and potentially obstructing the view of France's goalkeeper, Mike Maignan.

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

The fallout from the Netherlands-France match highlights the need for continued refinement of the VAR system. Recommendations include clearer guidelines for offside rulings, faster decision-making processes, and better communication with the on-field referee. After being spared the blushes by VAR, France will return to action against Poland on June 25, whereas, the Netherlands will take the pitch at the same time against Austria.

A new CAC comprising Kapil Dev, Anshuman Gaekwad and Shanta Rangaswamy is expected to announce the next coach by mid-August

Nagraj Gollapudi29-Jul-20190:41

Everyone in the team shares mutual respect with Ravi ‘bhai’ – Kohli

A day before the window for the applications for India’s coaching staff closes, captain Virat Kohli has endorsed Ravi Shastri for continuing as the head coach. Shastri and the rest of the coaching staff’s tenure was originally until the World Cup, but the BCCI extended that till the end of India’s tour of the West Indies, which is scheduled to finish on September 3.”With Ravi , all of us have a great camaraderie, everyone in the team shares mutual respect [with him]. And we have done really well together as a group,” Kohli said at the pre-departure press conference for the tour of USA and West Indies. “Yeah, we will definitely be very happy if he is continuing as a coach, but as I said it is upon the CAC to seek my advice or opinion if they want. Right now, I haven’t been contacted at all. And I don’t know what is going to happen with the process.”Earlier this month, the BCCI put out an advertisement inviting applications for the entire coaching staff with July 30 as the deadline. It is understood that the next coach is likely to be announced by mid-August.While posting the advertisement the BCCI said Shastri and the rest of the existing coaching staff comprising Sanjay Bangar (assistant coach), Bharat Arun (bowling coach) and R Sridhar (fielding coach) would get automatic entries during the recruitment process but will be interviewed if shortlisted.The interviews would be carried out by a three-person Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) comprising former India captain Kapil Dev, former India batsman and coach Anshuman Gaekwad and former India women’s captain Shanta Rangaswamy. This CAC replaced the previous panel comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, which had picked the previous two India coaches: Anil Kumble in 2016 and Shastri a year later after the former decided to resign.According to Kohli, the new CAC had not yet contacted him, but he was open to give his opinion if sought. “The CAC hasn’t contacted me yet,” Kohli said. “If they tell me we want your opinion, yes, I’ll definitely go and speak to them.”Incidentally, before Kumble stepped down controversially, Kohli had been contacted by the previous CAC, which had tried to sort the differences between the pair. It is understood Kohli did not want to budge, which eventually resulted in Kumble opting to walk away.Shastri replaced him albeit after the CAC took some time to finalise its choice. Having conducted the interviews with Shastri and four other candidates, the CAC had then spoken to Kohli before the BCCI announced Shastri as the new coach.This time the CAC will have about two weeks to shortlist the candidates and conduct interviews. Although the CAC has not been given a deadline, it is understood the panel is likely to make its choice around August 14.Gaekwad, who was India’s head coach between 1997 and 1999, said that the CAC would look for a couple of specific criteria in the shortlisted candidates. “You need to have good man-management skills,” Gaekwad told ESPNcricinfo. “There is not much technically you can do [at this level], but surely you need to keep an eye on the players who can develop some kind of snag over a period of time which ought to be corrected immediately. So man-management and planning are the key elements.”

The January transfer window has seen very little activity from Manchester United, but that could change during the final week before the deadline.

Erik ten Hag is keen to reinforce his squad, which has been far from consistent this season. However, Sir Jim Ratcliffe may want to start his Man United adventure with a statement next summer.

Man United's search for a new attacker

According to a report this week from Spanish news outlet Sport, Real Madrid are willing to sacrifice Vinicius Junior in order to fund a move for PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe.

This has led to reports via Football365 suggesting that United could look to offer a whopping £172m for the Brazilian in the summer.

Although the move occurring is more than unlikely, Ineos could look for a world-class player to rebuild their Red Devils project around.

January transfer window: All the deadline day deals from England and Scotland

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Charlie Smith

Feb 1, 2024

The stats that show Vinicus would boost Hojlund

Rasmus Hojlund has struggled to adapt to the Premier League and the pressures of leading the line for Man United since joining from Atalanta for £72m in the summer, with the 20-year-old scoring two goals and providing one assist in 16 Premier League appearances.

However, the Dane has shown plenty of promise, with his finishing letting him down at times, as shown by his nine big chances missed this season.

On the other hand, the striker has been excellent in the Champions League, scoring five goals, and he has now bagged in his last two Premier League games against Aston Villa and Spurs.

The potential signing of Vinicius Jr would boost Hojlund's output massively, and the table below shows a handful of the Real Madrid star's stats from the past year that serve as evidence of that.

Vinicius' vs att. mids and wingers in Top Five Men's Leagues and European competitions
Stats (per 90)	Vinicius	Percentile rank
Goals	0.42	Top 10%
Assists	0.42	Top 2%
Shot-creating actions	5.21	Top 10%
Touches (Att pen)	9.52	Top 1%
Successful take-ons	4.28	Top 1%
Carries into penalty area	4.97	Top 1%
Stats via FBref

Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig has previously described Vinicius as "unstoppable" and based on the stats above, it is extremely difficult to disagree with that statement.

The number seven is a dribbling demon whose creativity is infinite, as he is untouchable when weaving through the opponent with his direct approach and insane agility, as highlighted by his carrying and dribbling statistics.

The sheer amount of creation coming from Vinicius would provide Hojlund with more opportunities in front of goal, as he is currently living off scraps, underlined via his xG ranking in the bottom 13% for Premier League strikers.

Furthermore, opponents would have to change their game plan to deal with Vinicius, doubling up on him at times, and his ability to drag players out of position would give the Dane much more space to work with in the box.

Vinicus is also among the best goalscorers in the world, as per his rank in the top 10% for goals scored. Although indirectly, the 23-year-old would become the main focal point of Ten Hag's side, ultimately taking the pressure off Hojlund to score all the goals in a similar way to how Mohamed Salah took the responsibility off Roberto Firmino at Liverpool.

Overall, United wouldn't only be signing a star who would improve them instantly, but they would also be acquiring a future "legend in the making," as per the aforementioned Kulig, which could make the £172m a superb investment.

The war of words between the interim committee running Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) and the ousted board has continued apace, and the divisions in the country’s cricket community are widening.On Monday, the interim committee running Zimbabwe Cricket issued a statement instructing all employees, apart from the board originallysuspended by the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) last month, to report for work on Thursday or face “legal” and “disciplinary consequences”. Their statement appeared to be directed mainly at the administrative and logistical staff.On Tuesday, ZC struck back with a statement of their own, calling the interim committee’s release “condescending, reckless and inappropriate” and denying the legitimacy of the committee.While Zimbabwe’s contracted cricketers are also ZC employees and included in the committee’s initial directive, the national men’s squad is not actually in training at the moment and it is the domestic off-season. The women’s side, meanwhile, are currently in training, clinging to their hopes of making it to the Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers in Scotland at the end of August. Their team manager has said they have not heard from the interim committee.This is not the first time that the SRC and the interim committee have tried to get ZC employees back to work. They had initially hoped for employees unaffected by the SRC’s sanctioning of Tavengwa Mukuhlani’s board to return to work by the end of June, but when this did not happen, SRC chairman Gerald Mlotshwa accused Mukuhlani of “sabotage” and of orchestrating the stay-away. Since then, ZC’s offices have remained empty, although a few press releases reflecting the standpoint of the ousted board have been issued through the usual channels.The interim committee’s statement marked their first official public communication. It called the releases that have been issued through ZC’s channels “fraudulent”, unless they bore the signature of interim managing director Vince Hogg, or that of Dave Ellman-Brown, the interim committee’s chairman.”Employees and the public are advised to ignore fraudulent press releases purporting to emanate from Zimbabwe Cricket,” the committee’s statement read. “No such press release has any legal authority unless it bears the undersigned’s signature or the Signature of Chairman of the Interim Committee.”ZC’s response held little back. “We would like to make it very clear to Mr Hogg and the interim committee that appointed him that no amount of threats will cow us into submitting to an administration without legitimacy,” read ZC’s statement.”Our position is clearly informed by the fact that the International Cricket Council (ICC), the supreme custodian of the game of cricket, does not recognise the interim committee,” ZC’s statement continued, going on to emphasize the ICC’s directive to reinstate Mukuhlani’s board if Zimbabwe want the suspension to be lifted.”In the meantime, as players and staff we refuse to be used as pawns in the interim committee’s power grab scheme,” concluded the ZC statement which had ostensibly been drawn up during a “consultative meeting” between players and ZC staff in Harare on Tuesday.Yet it seems that the playing body at large is not fully united behind the board in their battle against the interim committee and the SRC. Most players are seeking not to get drawn into either side’s corner and simply want to be allowed to play cricket again.ESPNcricinfo spoke to several Zimbabwean cricketers on Tuesday evening, most of whom did not attend any meeting – or even invited – and weren’t consulted before ZC’s statement was released. Many did not back ZC’s statement attacking the interim committee, but some did. One invited player who said they couldn’t attend, but did agree with the sentiments of ZC’s statement. Some simply did not respond to requests for comment, even on condition of anonymity.There are clearly strong differences of opinion forming and while battle lines continue to be drawn and the stalemate between ZC and the interim committee continues, the collateral damage is mounting up.Four members of the women’s side have been stopped from taking part in the Global Development Squad fixtures, and Zimbabwe’s participation in either of the T20 World Cup Qualifiers hangs by the thinnest of threads – indeed, under suspension they simply cannot take part.Furthermore, Langton Rusere, who last year made history when he became the first Zimbabwean umpire to stand in the final of a major global cricket tournament at the Women’s World T20 final has now been barred from officiating during the upcoming West Indies v India series, having originally been part of the umpiring panel.

Not many Newcastle United fans will want to remember the 4-4 draw at St James' Park against Luton Town last weekend.

Although Eddie Howe's side were able to salvage a point after trailing by two goals, it was another poor defensive display from the Magpies.

Last season was one of the club's best in recent times, with the Magpies securing their place in the Champions League for the first time in 20 years. Howe's side only conceded 33 Premier League goals last campaign – the joint best in the division alongside champions Manchester City.

However, Newcastle's defensive record this season has been far from impressive, having already conceded 37 goals – four more than last campaign with 15 games remaining.

Defensive players such as Kieran Trippier and Sven Botman have failed to reach the performance levels they achieved last season – with Howe's side conceding 11 goals in their last three games on their home turf.

Dan Burn's game vs Luton Town in numbers

Dan Burn had an afternoon to forget against Luton last weekend. The 31-year-old gave away the penalty for the Hatters' third goal and was ineffective throughout the game at both ends.

His performance was so poor, that the Newcastle Chronicle's chief football writer Lee Ryder gave Burn a 4/10 rating and admitted that Burn's man, Chiedozie Ogbene, 'ran the show for long spells'.

When reflecting upon the stats from last weekend's encounter, it's hard to argue with Ryder's rating. As per Sofascore, Newcastle's left-back gave possession away 16 times within his 64 minutes on the pitch, whilst being dribbled past four times – mainly by the rapid Ogbene.

Burn also lost eight duels during the encounter, giving away two fouls – one of which led to the visitor's spot-kick. His afternoon was over after being replaced by Tino Livramento with just under half an hour to play as Howe tried to combat the danger Luton posed on the counter-attack.

Although Burn was an important player in the Magpies' brilliant Premier League finish last season, the game against Luton was yet more proof that the 6 foot 6 defender might not have the pace required to play on the left-hand side of Howe's defence.

The man to replace Dan Burn vs Forest

After replacing Burn off the bench last weekend, Magpies boss Howe should consider starting 21-year-old Tino Livramento in his place for the trip to face Nottingham Forest on Saturday evening.

Nuno Espírito Santo's side defeated Newcastle on Boxing Day at St James' Park, with the Reds' counter-attacking style giving them success and allowing former Magpie Chris Wood to bag a hat-trick.

Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi started on either flank for Forest that day, with the pair causing Trippier and Burn no end of problems. Burn may only have been dribbled past once by Elanga, but the Swede's pace forced Newcastle boss Howe to replace the 31-year-old 55 minutes in for Livramento to try and combat the pace of the Forest winger.

Although they still fell to a defeat against Nuno's side, Livramento's performance throughout the final 30 minutes of the encounter restricted Elanga to limited opportunities after his two assists earlier in the game.

Hopefully, Howe can recognise Burn's lack of pace against wingers such as Elanga and Hudson-Odoi. The Newcastle boss must start the former Southampton full-back at the City Ground on Saturday to avoid a repeat of the result that occurred just six weeks ago.