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Shan Masood makes 96, Shutt takes four wickets but hosts ease to comfortable win

ECB Reporters Network22-Aug-2023Joe Cracknell’s highest white-ball score allowed Middlesex to finish their Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign with a comfortable five-wicket win over Yorkshire at Radlett.The former Durham University student thrashed 87 from 65 balls with the help of 17 fours as the hosts chased down a target of 254 with 93 balls to spare despite a career-best 4 for 49 for Yorkshire spinner Jack Shutt. Cracknell shared a stand of 120 in 86 balls with Sam Robson who made 62Earlier, Tykes skipper Shan Masood batted more than three hours for 96, sharing stands of 85 and 83 with Matthew Revis and Dominic Bess, who both made 51. However, they mustered only 26 from the final five overs, with Middlesex all-rounder Ryan Higgins taking four wickets in the final six balls to finish with 4 for 39.The visitors were soon questioning their decision to bat first as Ethan Bamber and Blake Cullen found early movement on a slightly two-paced pitch. James Wharton miscued one from Cullen which stopped on him a fraction to Josh De Caires at mid-wicket without a run on the board, before Bamber had William Luxton smartly caught by wicketkeeper John Simpson.Finlay Bean soon followed spooning another from Cullen to skipper Mark Stoneman at cover and it would have been 31-4 had Cracknell clung on to a tough chance at slip when Masood had made 18. The miss proved costly as the Pakistani international dropped anchor to play a long innings of few fireworks while others added much needed acceleration.Revis was first to sparkle, plundering three boundaries in one wayward Martin Andersson over. He reached 50 in the grand manner with a six over mid-wicket off Luke Hollman, but the leg-spinner extracted almost immediate revenge, running out Revis with a direct hit from square leg.Bess picked up where Revis left off, driving powerfully both sides of the wicket. He too would be dropped on the square leg fence by Cracknell, the ball escaping over the rope for six as he reached 50 in 42 balls.When he lofted De Caires to Andersson in the deep Harry Duke took up the baton with some lusty blows, but he fell to Bamber and the innings stalled, Masood becoming one of Higgins’s four victims in that dramatic final over.Chasing 254, Cracknell unfurled a series of drives square of the wicket while Stoneman twice hit Benjamin Cliff back over his head as 50 was raised inside five overs. Stoneman feathered one through to Duke, but Robson joined Cracknell to continue the onslaught, the former England opener lofting a six over deep square provoking a spectacular crowd catch.Such was the ferocity of the batting, successive fours from Cracknell, including a glorious strike over bowler Shutt’s head raised the 100 partnership in only 73 balls.A sixth four took Robson to 50 from 40 balls and Middlesex were in cruise control before Cracknell missed a full toss from Shutt to end his hopes of a first white-ball century.There seemed little danger at 171 for 2 but the wicket sparked an inspired spell from the 26-year-old off-spinner who had Higgins caught in the deep, before snaffling Robson and Jack Davies from the first two balls after the drinks break, both caught by Luxton at cover.Andersson might have been stumped of Bess as nerves jangled briefly, but he and beneficiary Simpson saw the hosts home in the 35th over.

“Is this press conference being held about tomorrow’s match? If not, then Litton Das doesn’t need to be here. Call the board president or the coach. They can tell you. I came here to speak about tomorrow’s game.”This was Litton himself speaking in third person. It was around the halfway mark of a long press conference where he had been unveiled as Bangladesh’s interim ODI captain but all anyone wanted to talk about was Tamim Iqbal’s sudden retirement from international cricket. Litton had been fending them all off for the most part, but eventually his patience ran out.Bangladesh players have long held the belief that “retirement” is a touchy subject. The BCB president Nazmul Hassan made it abundantly clear he expects the players to do what they do only after taking his consent. For example, when Mahmudullah retired from Tests in Harare two years ago, Hassan was furious with him and did not accept his decision. It was only much later that Hasan and the board acknowledged the retirement.Tamim’s absence during Friday’s training was a bit jarring. There wasn’t any outward show of solidarity or tribute to him from the rest of the squad. After all, they’re in the middle of an important series, and they’re 0-1 down. But Tamim had a deep and meaningful impact on this Bangladesh team. If his now former team-mates, coaches and support staff find it emotional, they can’t be faulted.Related

• 'It is not a wise decision' – BCB boss expects Tamim to withdraw decision to retire

• Stats: Tamim, an all-format giant of Bangladesh cricket

• Did BCB boss' comments precipitate Tamim's retirement?

• 'Quality of our spinners shone through' – Jonathan Trott

“I learned about it at 1:00pm yesterday,” Litton said. We didn’t expect such a decision. We have been playing together for a long time. It is totally elder bother’s decision. He has given a lot to Bangladesh cricket in his long career. The whole team respects his decision.”I don’t think I should answer these questions, especially with a match coming up tomorrow. We are 1-0 down. We are all focused on winning tomorrow. Even elder brother said that the team comes first. There’s no point talking about it (whether it was professional to criticise Tamim). BCB has given me the responsibility which I want to perform to the best of my ability.”It is hard to say (if we miss Tamim). I am here today. If I am not here tomorrow, maybe due to an injury, Bangladesh team won’t miss me. This is normal. New cricketers will come, and there will be a time when we will also be gone. It will keep happening. If he was around, it may have been good or bad. I don’t think we need to talk about it now that he is not around.”Retirement is a touchy subject in Bangladesh cricket, so much so that the new captain is reluctant to talk about his feelings towards a senior player with whom he had spent eight years of his professional career. This is life under the BCB.The board announced Litton as the ODI captain only a few minutes before he walked into the press conference room on Friday morning. He must have known beforehand, since the decision was made the night before. Some of the BCB directors had a meeting with Hassan in Dhaka, after which it was decided that Litton would lead in the interim.Litton, who has led Bangladesh in the past but only in a stand-in capacity, was the vice-captain for the ongoing ODI series against Afghanistan. It is understood that he is once again a temporary measure, for just the rest of this series, and Shakib Al Hasan is the frontrunner to become captain of the ODI side to go with his leadership roles in Tests and T20Is.The Tamim question put to the Afghanistan captain produced a more straightforward response. “He was definitely a top player for Bangladesh,” Hashmatullah Shahidi. “He was an experienced captain. He was around for a long time. It will be a good advantage for us. His absence. We are looking forward for tomorrow’s game.”I don’t know what’s happening with them. I focus on us. You can say it is surprising for everyone that he left in between. He is a nice and kind guy. I respect him too much.”At around 6pm Dhaka time on Friday, the final turn of this incredible drama was revealed as Tamim withdrew his retirement after a meeting with the Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann is wary of the "dangerous and extraordinary" Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of their Nations League showdown with Portugal.

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Ronaldo to lead Portugal in Nations League semisNagelsmann wary of his goalscoring threatHopes the striker will not "have a lot of influence"Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Despite being 40 years old, Ronaldo remains a pivotal figure for the Portuguese national team and will once again wear the captain's armband when the Seleccao walk out onto the Allianz Arena pitch on Wednesday evening. The striker finished the Saudi domestic campaign with Al-Nassr as the highest goalscorer in the Pro League and will look to add to his ever-increasing international goal tally of 136 strikes against Nagelsmann's Germany.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The semi-final match-up between Germany and Portugal is a fixture worthy of a final, pitting two former European champions against each other. Both nations advanced to the last four after thrilling quarter-final ties. Germany edged past Italy with a 5-4 aggregate victory, while Portugal got the better of Denmark in a 5-3 triumph, with Ronaldo among the scorers.

WHAT NAGELSMANN SAID

Speaking to the press ahead of the much-anticipated clash, Nagelsmann was full of admiration for Ronaldo’s achievements but admitted he hopes that the veteran forward has a quiet night on the field.

"He's had an outstanding career over so many years," he said. "Performing at this level for so long is extraordinary. He's scored so many goals and had a lot of influence on the teams he played for. I hope he won't have a lot of influence on tomorrow's game. Despite his age, he's still very dangerous, a goal threat and strong in the air in the penalty box. We have to be wary of that tomorrow."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

Ronaldo is currently the fourth-highest scorer in the ongoing Nations League campaign, having netted six times on Portugal’s road to the semi-finals. He will once again be central to Portuguese hopes with Roberto Martinez's team just one step away from a potential showdown with either reigning European champions Spain or France, who contest the other semi-final.

INEOS sent scouts to watch a Europa League tie on Thursday, as Manchester United eye a 19-year-old defender who struggled and was substituted at half time.

Man Utd plan attacking transformation in summer transfer window

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Rasmus Hojlund continues to lead the line for United, but the Denmark international has struggled all season to find his scoring touch, as the games without a goal continue to stretch. Therefore, it is no surprise to see the Premier League side looking to sign a new striker, and according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Man United have expressed an interest in signing Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig.

With a release clause worth £66 million and competition from the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, United may need to sell a few players before this deal can happen or focus on alternative targets.

In addition to looking at Sesko, United are also looking to improve their wide options and are planning to make a £25 million bid to sign Geovany Quenda from Sporting. United are said to have already agreed personal terms with the 17-year-old, so they are now planning to make a formal offer, as Ruben Amorim looks to reunite with one of his former players.

Man Utd send scouts to watch Fenerbahce defender Akcicek

The Red Devils also want to improve their defence, and according to Turkish journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, relayed by Sport Witness, Man United had scouts watching Fenerbahce defender Yusuf Akçiçek in action on Thursday evening.

The report states that the Red Devils are keeping an eye on Akcicek, who has been a regular for Fenerbahçe this season. The Turkish giants were defeated 3-1 at home by Rangers on Thursday, as Akcicek was hooked at half time while 2-1 down having registered zero tackles, interceptions, blocks or clearances on the left of a back three.

The Turkey under-19 international made his senior debut for Fenerbahçe last season, but this 2024/25 campaign he has become an important figure in José Mourinho’s team. Akcicek has now played 14 times in all competitions, six of which have come in the Europa League, and he did complete 40 out of 42 pass attempts on Thursday, highlighting some impressive ball-playing traits.

Akcicek is under contract until 2028, but an offer from United could tempt Fenerbahçe into a sale, and with Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans both expected to leave Old Trafford come the end of the season, younger replacements will come in.

Signing Akcicek fits into United’s desire to sign the top young players in football, and his arrival alongside Leny Yoro could be exciting for the Premier League team.

Arsenal are scouting a former Real Madrid youngster who has been lavished with praise by former Gunners midfielder Cesc Fabregas, according to a new report.

Arsenal look to summer transfer window as title charge stalls

In a matter of just a couple of months, Arsenal’s season has been almost completely derailed. Since the turn of the year, the Gunners have been ejected out of both the FA Cup and EFL Cup by Manchester United and Newcastle respectively, while their chase for the Premier League title has also all but come to an end.

An unlikely defeat to West Ham United and a draw with Nottingham Forest in their two most recent games has left them trailing league leaders Liverpool by 13 points with just 11 games to go.

Speaking after his side’s 0-0 draw with high-flying Forest, head coach Mikel Arteta highlighted where it’s gone wrong this year.

“For many years, that (our defensive record) has not been a problem, but in order to win, you have to score goals,” he explained. “We need to find ways to convert more chances and get goals from different areas of the pitch. That’s something we certainly need to improve.”

Arteta’s side do remain with one shot at silverware this season, however, in the form of the Champions League, where they take on PSV Eindhoven in the round of 16 on Tuesday night.

“It’s a competition we’ve performed tremendously well in this season,” said the Spaniard. “We fought hard to get into this position, and now, as we enter the knockout stages, the building starts now.”

Arsenal eyeing Como sensation Nico Paz

To find more goals, Arsenal will now, of course, have to wait until the summer transfer window, where fans will be hoping Arteta can finally add a world-class striker to his squad after years of unanswered pleas. According to Caught Offside, however, Arteta is also keen to revitalise his midfield in the summer, and has his eyes firmly on Como star Nico Paz.

Paz joined Como from Real Madrid’s youth set-up in August and has since been enjoying a fine debut season for Cesc Fabregas’ side, scoring six goals and producing five assists in 25 Serie A games.

Caught Offside report that Arteta wants the 20-yer-old to provide competition for Martin Odegaard in attacking midfield, but will face competition for his signature from both Manchester City and Inter Milan. Madrid also have a rather bizarre clause to buy back Paz for either £6.6 million in the summer of 2025, £7.4 million in 2026 or £8.2 million in 2027, with Como perhaps not realising his potential to fetch a much bigger fee when they signed that deal.

Paz, who earned his first Argentina cap back in October, has been described by Fabregas as a “a special player” who “must be free to express himself”. Fabregas also made it clear recently that he wants to keep Paz at Como for the forseeable future.

“Nico is a Como player. Real Madrid can buy him back, but at a certain price,” he explained. “Nico is a young player, and our relationship with his family is very stable.”

“They [Paz’s family] are very happy, they thank us for all this, and it is a great pleasure for us to have him here. Nico is our brand, and we want him to continue with us for many years to come.”

England 281 (Duckett 63, Pope 60, Abrar 7-114) and 275 (Brook 108, Duckett 79, Abrar 4-120) beat Pakistan 202 (Babar 75, Shakeel 63, Leach 4-98) and 328 (Shakeel 94, Imam 60, Wood 4-65) by 26 runsRaw pace in a raw match situation. It’s the weapon for which England have been crying out throughout their generations of failure on unforgiving subcontinent wickets – that point of difference to unlock well-set batters and deliver the moments that make victory possible. On a nerve-shredding fourth and final day in Multan, Mark Wood was that man, as Pakistan’s gutsy pursuit of 355 was thwarted with just 26 runs left to defend.The honour of taking the final wicket went to Ollie Robinson – Player of the Match in Rawalpindi – as Pakistan’s last man Mohammad Ali snicked a thin edge through to Ollie Pope to seal England’s first series win in the country for 22 years, and their eighth Test victory in nine since the start of the Ben Stokes captaincy era. But Wood’s final figures of 4 for 65 were the gamebreaker – specifically, his two priceless wickets in the final minutes before lunch, to crack a formidable sixth-wicket stand between Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Nawaz that, for much of the morning session, had seemed on course to deliver a stunning series-leveller.In a fire-and-ice partnership of 80 in 21.5 overs, Shakeel had been the sheet-anchor while Nawaz carried the attack back to England’s bowlers, to whittle down the requirement deep into double figures. But in the space of six Wood deliveries, both men were blasted out via short balls down the leg-side – “strangles”, as you might deem them in ordinary situations. But on this surface, and in this scenario, Wood was bowling to a clear plan, attempting to get his bouncers as straight into body as possible, and bring his leg-side catchers into the game. Perhaps there was no real need to oblige him, but the dynamics of true pace can unsettle even the most well-set.Pope – forever in the action in his supposedly stand-in role as wicketkeeper – was the man to scoop up both offerings, although debate will rage about the second, and most crucial, of Wood’s incisions. With a brilliantly gutsy century looming, Shakeel swung into his pull and under-edged his stroke, for Pope to make good ground and scoop the ball millimetres from the turf. Subsequent replays suggested, however, the ball may have made contact with the ground as his gloves closed around the chance, but guided by Aleem Dar’s on-field soft signal of out, third umpire Joel Wilson deemed there was not enough evidence to overturn.The upshot was that Pakistan went to the break on 291 for 7, needing 64 more runs for victory, but despite the irrepressible efforts of the tail – not least Abrar Ahmed – the target would prove tantalisingly out of reach.As if his 11-wicket haul wasn’t enough of an impact on debut, Abrar emerged for the final session in the mood to mash his team over the line – carving James Anderson through midwicket for four before using Wood’s pace against him with three more in four balls, including a dinky ramp through backward point. But with 17 from 11 balls, Abrar made room to flay Anderson through the off-side, and picked out Duckett at short cover to tilt the scales once more.Agha Salman – Pakistan’s last recognised batter – decided his best bet, with 45 now needed, was to chance his arm when the field was up, even if it risked leaving his tail-end partners exposed. Twice he cracked consecutive boundaries off the fifth and sixth balls of an over, first off Anderson and then off a tiring Wood. Twice, however, England hit back with the very first ball of their next over. First, Wood flattened Zahid Mahmood’s off stump to leave Pakistan nine-down and 36 adrift. Then Robinson, back for the first ball of a new spell, hit that immaculate line-and-length that has been his trademark all tour, and though Ali reviewed, thinking the ball had flicked his pad, the replay showed a big snick off his edge as well.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

It was a breathless finish to another pulsating fourth innings, and one that had been keenly in the balance from the very start of the day. With victory or bust beckoning for both teams, Pakistan had resumed on their overnight 198 for 4 – still a taxing but obtainable 157 away – but it was England who made the day’s first move. With a pair of left-handers at the crease, Joe Root was tossed up the ball to turn it away from the edge, and on 10, Faheem Ashraf pushed forward at his habitual round-the-wicket line for Zak Crawley to pouch a sharp chance at slip as the ball straightened and kissed the shoulder of the bat.It was Root’s 50th Test wicket – making him only the third player in history to do the 10,000 runs / 50 wickets double – and at 210 for 5, England were inching into the ascendancy.Shakeel, however, was unruffled as he steeled himself purely for endurance, safe in the knowledge that so long as he was there, Pakistan were very much on track. Nawaz, however – pushed up to No. 7 ahead of Salman – took a more proactive approach to his innings of 45 from 62. By taking on England’s spinners, he persuaded Stokes to turn to the second new ball the moment it became available, and though Robinson caused him some problems with his lifting line outside off stump, Nawaz responded with a crashing drive through the covers to leave Stokes scratching his head as he sized up his options.Root had been Stokes’ initial choice for a share of the new ball, hoping that his round-arm offbreaks might skid on a touch faster, but Nawaz took the attack to him with a brace of proactive boundaries, prompting Anderson to re-enter the fray. He soon induced Shakeel into a low edge for four through the cordon, and that moment perhaps persuaded the batter that taking down the spinners was now Pakistan’s best ploy, with the threat at the other end mounting.Shakeel drilled Jack Leach through the covers for his most forceful stroke of the morning, then top-edged a sweep in the same over that looped away to safety to take him into the 90s. At which point Stokes responded by turning back to Wood, whose round-the-wicket angle leaked another precious boundary as Nawaz flicked a short ball off his hips.That, however, would be the last moment of true progress in the session for Pakistan. Two balls later, Nawaz flicked to Pope, and England’s route to victory had reopened. Wood’s irrepressible will to win meant there would be no denying his side a truly historic victory – only their fourth in more than 60 years of Tests in Pakistan, and their first series win since Nasser Hussain’s triumph in the dark 22 years ago in Karachi, the venue for next week’s finale.

أكد أحمد بلال مهاجم الأهلي الأسبق، أن فوز القلعة الحمراء بلقب الدوري المصري، قدم خدمة كبيرة الزمالك، على حساب بيراميدز.

واستطاع الأهلي الفوز بسداسية نظيفة على فاركو، ساعدته في التتويج بلقب الدوري المصري للمرة الـ45 في تاريخه والثالثة على التوالي.

وقال أحمد بلال عبر حسابه الشخصي على موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “فيس بوك”: “دون إسفاف أو (تحفيل)، الأهلي بفوزه بالدوري، قدّم خدمة كبيرة جدًا لنادي الزمالك”.

وتابع: “لو كان بيراميدز قد توج باللقب، سيكون قد عرف طريق بطولات الدوري، ووقتها كان من الصعب جدًا إبعاده أو إعادته للمركز الثالث بسهولة”.

طالع | بالأرقام.. لماذا استحق الأهلي التتويج بالدوري المصري؟

وأردف: “أما الآن فهناك فرصة كبيرة أمام نادي الزمالك ليصحح أوضاعه ويعود كمنافس حقيقي، بما يمتلكه من تاريخ كبير وجماهيرية واسعة”.

واختتم: “كرة القدم في مصر هي أهلي وزمالك في المقام الأول، والكرة لا تكون (حلوة) إلا عندما يكون الأهلي والزمالك هما طرفا الصراع على البطولات”.

It is very clear that, in 2025, Manchester City’s objective is to overhaul their squad by bringing in an array of young players.

Already in January, the Citizens have spent over £125m to recruit Abdukodir Khusanov (20), Omar Marmoush (25), Vitor Reis (19) and Juma Bah (18), as Pep Guardiola seeks to refresh his team.

However, could it be a youngster that Man City actually signed last January who proves to be the best value business of all?

Manchester City's highly-rated Argentine youngster

A year ago, Manchester City confirmed the signing of Claudio Echeverri for a reported fee of £12.5m plus add-ons.

As noted by Sam Lee of the Athletic, the teenager signed a contract until 2028, but would spend the remainder of 2024 back on loan at River Plate.

Well, that 12-month loan is now over, but Echeverri is currently in Venezuela competing at the South American U-20 Championship, scoring during a 6-0 demolition of Brazil and then against Colombia, as Argentina seek to win the competition for the sixth time.

La Albiceleste have reached the competition’s final stage, which does not conclude until 16 February, but it will be interesting to see if Echeverri is included in Man City’s Premier League and Champions League squads, thereby allowing him to feature upon his return.

So, who is Echeverri?

Well, data analyst Ben Mattinson describes the 19-year-old as a “future superstar”, praising his “ball-carrying and dribbling prowess”, adding that Man City have got themselves an “absolute bargain”.

Meantime, António Mango believes he is a “dribbling menace” while, according to Pro Future Stars, Echeverri is the third-best “infiltrating midfielder” under the age of 21 in world football, as per CIES powered by Wyscout.

Thus, in short, Man City supporters should be excited.

How Echeverri compares to past Man City stars

Of course, Man City have recent history when it comes to buying River Plate stars.

Julián Álvarez was signed for £14m in January 2022, with the Argentine scoring 36 goals in 103 outings for the Sky Blues, winning six major honours, before being sold to Atlético Madrid for a humongous £81m last summer, representing a huge profit.

So, let’s compare how Álvarez and Echeverri performed at the Argentine giants, before making the move to Manchester.

Claudio Echeverri vs Julián Álvarez at River Plate comparison

Statistics

Claudio Echeverri

Julián Álvarez

Appearances

48

122

Starts

29

81

Minutes

2,499

7,953

Age of departure

19-years-old

22-years-old

Goals

4

54

Assists

8

31

Shots on target %

36.3%

47.4%

Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and FBref.com

As outlined in the table above, Echeverri and Álvarez were at very different stages in their development by the time they arrived at Man City.

Álvarez, at 22 years old, won five major honours, including the Copa Libertadores, also already accumulating six senior competitive international caps before making the move.

In contrast, Echeverri has made less than 50 senior appearances for River Plate and is still only a youth international, thereby unlikely to make an immediate impact as Álvarez did, scoring on his debut in the FA Community Shield against Liverpool.

Writing in the Guardian’s Next Generation series for 2023, Juan Carlos Pasman labels the teenager “a classic number 10”, praising his “excellent close control, dribbling skills and… exceptional first touch”.

Echeverri is nicknamed “El Diablito”, which translates to the little devil, a homage to former Bolivian striker Marco Etcheverry, which gives you some idea of his playing style.

At the weekend, Guardiola deployed Marmoush in a quasi-number ten role, in-behind Erling Haaland, with Graham Ruthven of Total Soccer Show noting that the Norwegian looked much better with a secondary forward closer to him.

Thus, this very much could be a role that Echeverri would thrive in whenever he arrives in Manchester, with the Argentine set to be the next young superstar at Man City. Marmoush, then, isn’t the only reason for City supporters to be excited…

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Posts ByBen Gray Jan 29, 2025

Tony Mowbray was handed a rude awakening back in the hot seat of football management away at Middlesbrough on Tuesday night as his new West Bromwich Albion side fell to a dire 2-0 defeat.

It was a flat display from the Baggies at the Riverside Stadium who could only muster up one big chance being created all evening, with the quality of Ben Doak towards the close of the contest eventually securing Michael Carrick’s men all three points.

Mowbray could well want to add more quality to the attacking ranks after seeing his new team draw blanks on the road, with this striker reportedly on their agenda.

West Brom interested in signing new forward

This has been a promising transfer window for a number of promotion chasers so far, notably Sheffield United who have welcomed Ben Brereton Diaz & Tom Cannon through the door.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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So, what is West Brom’s response? Well, as per Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas, the promotion candidates are considering a loan move for St. Gallen star Willem Geubbels this January in order to give them another standout option up top.

The Baggies are not alone in this pursuit, however, with the 23-year-old attacker also being eyed up by fellow Championship outfits Leeds United and Norwich City.

This will be an area that West Brom will be desperate to improve in, especially when you consider usual first-team ace Josh Maja – who has 12 second-tier goals next to his name – is now sidelined for the foreseeable owing to a leg injury that requires surgery.

What Geubbels can offer West Brom

It would be a wise decision to try and snap up Geubbels before the close of the hectic transfer window, with the ex-Olympique Lyonnais youngster perhaps an upgrade on what Mowbray already has at his disposal – away from any lingering injury issues – in the form of Karlan Grant.

After all, Grant hasn’t always found his time at the Hawthorns to be a walk in the park.

Indeed, before becoming a first-team regular this season, the former Huddersfield Town man had found himself chucked out on loan to Cardiff City, with a lacklustre three goal return managed during the 2022/23 campaign in the Championship signalling his switch to the Bluebirds.

Geubbels’ league numbers (24/25) vs Grant’s (24/25)

Stat

Geubbels

Grant

Games played

13

27

Goals scored

6

6

Assists

2

2

Shots per game

2.2

2.1

Scoring frequency

145 mins

328 mins

Big chances missed

2

4

Big chances created

4

6

Stats by Sofascore

He has managed to breathe life back into his playing days in the West Midlands when looking at the table above, but his spot could soon be taken up by Geubbels’ arrival onto the scene, with the 23-year-old managing to match and surpass a few of Grant’s numbers this season playing out in Switzerland.

With a further three strikes coming his way away from league action, the Frenchman ends up bettering Grant’s output overall in all competitions, with two of his goals even coming in the UEFA Conference League.

Capable of playing down either wing too, much like Grant, the “powerful” attacker – as he has been described by The Rangers Journal – does feel like an improvement on the West Brom number 18 as competition for spaces in Mowbray’s starting lineup heats up.

The 61-year-old will hope his new potential recruit can lead the line effectively until Maja’s return, as the Baggies are clearly missing their injury-stricken star man dearly with only one strike across their last three Championship outings.

That’s where Geubbels will hope he can be of use as a short-term purchase, as Mowbray goes about leaving his lasting mark back at the helm.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Jan 21, 2025

Richard Thompson has been named the chair of the ECB for the next five years. Thompson, currently chair at Surrey CCC, will start in his new post on September 1, filling a vacancy which had lasted for nearly a year.Thompson was the unanimous choice of the nominations committee, headed by independent director Brenda Trenowden. He will succeed Martin Darlow, who has been the interim chair since April and will continue as deputy chair of the board.The position has been vacant since Ian Watmore stepped down in October 2021, paying the price for the ECB’s decision to pull out of a scheduled tour to Pakistan at short notice.”I am immensely proud to become Chair of the ECB at what is a hugely important time for cricket,” Thompson said in a statement. “Cricket has given me the chance to meet an incredibly diverse range of amazing people. Their passion, endeavour and love for the game is what I want to harness, to take our game forward, to new heights across England & Wales.”Cricket should be the most inclusive sport in the country, welcoming people from all backgrounds, helping bring communities together. For those communities where we have fallen short, I will work tirelessly to restore their trust in the game.”With the Men’s and Women’s Ashes on the horizon, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in October and the recent successes in our red ball game, along with hosting the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2026 there is much ahead of us.”I am looking forward to using my experience and love for the game in taking this opportunity to give cricket a fresh start. Alongside the Board and senior leaders at the ECB, we will work with the counties and the recreational game. Collaboration and partnership will be the key to our sport’s future.”Related

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Trenowden said: “We are delighted to announce Richard’s arrival to the ECB as chair. His blend of exceptional commercial and cricket administration experience supports our aims to grow and diversify the game whilst guiding the game as we face challenging financial headwinds.”I’d also like to say many thanks, on behalf of the ECB, to Martin Darlow, for his excellent stewardship in recent months. Cricket has faced many challenges in 2022 and Martin has helped steer the ship until Richard’s arrival, and I’m pleased that he’ll continue to provide his invaluable wisdom and insight through his role as Deputy Chair of the Board.”Steve Elworthy, Surrey’s chief executive, said: “Everyone at Surrey County Cricket Club would like to congratulate Richard on his new role. The sport couldn’t be in better hands.”Throughout his time at our club, his passion for cricket has been clear for all to see. Richard has a strong vision for the future of cricket, one which will gather support from across the game and beyond. Richard has led a period of extraordinary transformation at Surrey and his contribution as Chair of our club has been outstanding.”Our Treasurer Martin Eadon will step into the role of Chair from September 1 while we conduct the process of appointing Richard’s successor, but for now the Club would like to record our appreciation to Richard for the incredible impact he has had at Surrey.”