Somerset closed off a remarkable victory on the third morning of their Specsavers’ County Championship game with Durham at Taunton
ECB Reporters Network06-Aug-2016 ScorecardJack Leach helped seal victory for Somerset•Getty ImagesSomerset closed off a remarkable victory on the third morning of their Specsavers’ County Championship game with Durham at Taunton.Defending a target of 176 and with Durham 130 for 5 overnight, they took the visitors’ last five wickets for just six runs in 22 balls, to win by 39 runs.It was a truly intriguing 17 minutes of play during which Somerset used the spinning Taunton wicket to devastating effect. Jack Leach, who took five first innings wickets and Roelof van der Merwe were the instigators taking three and two wickets respectively.Nightwatchman Graham Onions fell to Leach for 0, off the fifth ball of the day and off the left arm spinners’ very next delivery, Paul Coughlin was caught by Jim Allenby at slip.Stuart Poynter, who struck the only boundary of the morning, was eighth man out, lbw to Leach for 12, before van der Merwe dismissed Mark Wood and Chris Rushworth in successive balls to finish the job. Leach finished with figures of 4 for 46 and van der Merwe 4 for 45.”I probably didn’t see that happening overnight,” Chris Rogers, the Somerset captain, said. “I thought we were in with an outside chance because the ball is turning and they had their tail end in. But it all went to plan.”We beat the bat a lot yesterday evening, but today it all went our way and when that happens, it’s quite fortunate.”To finish it that way is fantastic. All credit to the guys too, we were down and out on a couple of occasions in this game.”But they fought and what was really nice was that a couple of people who probably havent contributed as much as they would have liked to so far this season, were the ones who stood up and that is such a good sign for the club.”Durham coach Jon Lewis said: “It unfolded pretty quickly towards the end didn’t it? But then again, it was like that for much of the game. I mean we are finished 20 minutes into day three.”I don’t think this morning was the relevant part of the game. We got some good balls this morning and that can happen on a turning pitch.”I think there are areas of the game that we could have been better in, over the first two days. But the players will lick their wounds and get back to it.”
رد بيب جوارديولا، المدير الفني لفريق مانشستر سيتي الإنجليزي، على تعليقات رئيس الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم، ألكسندر شيفيرين.
ويواجه مانشستر سيتي 115 انتهاكًا مزعومًا للعب المالي النظيف، وفي خضم النقاش، أطلق شيفيرين تصريحات مهاجمة للنادي.
وجاءت تصريحاته في إشارة إلى الحديث عن قرار الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم بمنع النادي من المنافسة الأوروبية، والتي قال فيها “كنا نعلم أننا كنا على حق”.
كلمات شيفيرين لم تلق استحسان مدرب مانشستر سيتي، بيب جوارديولا، وقد رد المدير الفني في مؤتمره الصحفي قبل مباراة الفريق ضد توتنهام.
اقرأ أيضًا | جوارديولا يوضح موقف هالاند وثلاثي مانشستر سيتي المصاب قبل مواجهة توتنهام
وقال جوارديولا: “يجب عليه الانتظار وكمحامي عليه أن ينتظر، وبعد ذلك يستطيع أن يفعل ما يريد”.
واختتم: وأيًا كان ما سيصدره الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم، عليه أن يحترمه، لديه الكثير ليفعله في يويفا، إنه يعلم أن لدينا الحق في الدفاع عن أنفسنا، هذا هو الشيء الوحيد الذي يمكنني قوله”.
Manchester United have internally "discussed" a summer deal for Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, according to CBS reporter and journalist Ben Jacobs.
What's the latest on Mac Allister to United?
The Argentine has undoubtedly made a name for himself at The Amex during his 102 appearances since joining back in January 2019, but it was his performances for his nation at the World Cup that seriously caught the attention of Erik Ten Hag and two other potential suitors.
The Seagulls star featured in six out of a possible seven games at the tournament in Qatar late last year whilst netting one goal, as per Transfermarkt, not to mention that he ranked as Lionel Scaloni's overall third best-performing player with a match rating of 7.11, just behind Angel Di Maria in second and Lionel Messi, who obviously topped the list.
Fabrizio Romano recently revealed that the Red Devils, alongside Premier League rivals Liverpool and Chelsea, have all "approached" the 24-year-old's representatives to discover what it would take to complete a deal during the upcoming window, and it sounds like the hierarchy are already laying the groundwork behind-the-scenes.
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs revealed that Manchester United have held in-house conversations regarding a potential move for Mac Allister, but reiterated that Brighton won't want to lose him as a result of several of their other players also being targeted. He said:
"I would keep an eye on Liverpool and also potentially Manchester United, they've discussed him internally as well. With Brighton, both European football and different player movements will impact the likelihood of other transfers.
"As I've said, we hear a lot about Moises Caicedo, we hear a lot about Mac Allister, we might hear a fair bit about Kaoru Mitoma, we hear a lot about Evan Ferguson, we hear a lot about Robert Sanchez. Quite clearly, Brighton aren't going to want to throw out a core of star players in the summer window in which they've reached European football."
Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister.
Should United splash the cash on Mac Allister?
Brighton have reportedly placed a £70m price tag on Mac Allister, and whilst Manchester United will obviously want to try and negotiate the lowest fee possible, they should definitely empty their pockets to secure his services considering the positive impact he would make.
The Santa Rosa native has 12 goal contributions (ten goals and two assists) to his name in 30 appearances across all competitions so far this season and has recorded a total of 63 shots over the current term, which is the second-highest throughout the whole of Roberto De Zerbi's squad, just four behind winger Solly March.
The World Cup winner, who has the wonderful versatility to operate in seven various positions across the pitch, has been dubbed "unplayable" by Argentina reporter Roy Nemer, and he would surely excel even further under the guidance of Ten Hag at Old Trafford.
West Ham United face Gent in the Europa Conference League tonight, with David Moyes' side hoping to put one foot in the semi-finals with a positive result against the Belgian side.
The east London side are considered one of the favourites to bring home the trophy, having won every game in the competition so far this season, and they will want to continue that trend against a side that currently sits fourth in the Belgian Pro League.
The Hammers bounced back from a heavy defeat against Newcastle United with a vital 1-0 win over Fulham last weekend but with Arsenal to come on Sunday, Moyes will surely be tempted to rest some of his squad for the game at the Ghelamco Arena today.
How should West Ham line up against Gent?
Here is how Football FanCast expects Moyes to line his side up for the first leg, with seven changes from the side that started in the 1-0 triumph at Craven Cottage.
Lukasz Fabianski may have returned from his recent fractured eye socket injury but Alphonse Areola has been the starter for West Ham throughout the Europa Conference League campaign and the Frenchman should start in between the sticks tonight.
Although the Hammers kept an impressive clean sheet against Fulham, Moyes may choose to rest Angelo Ogbonna and restore Nayef Aguerd to the starting line up in the hope that he can regain some confidence after his nightmare against Newcastle where he was caught on the ball for Callum Wilson's second of the clash.
Similarly, Emerson comes back in for Aaron Cresswell at left-back, as it wouldn't be a surprise to see the experienced Englishman get the nod against Arsenal, while Vladimir Coufal and Kurt Zouma complete the back four.
Tomas Soucek will surely finally be dropped by Moyes having produced some woeful recent displays, earning Sofscore ratings of 5.9 and 6.3 against Southampton and Newcastle respectively.
As a result, summer signing Flynn Downes partners Declan Rice in the middle of the park, with Lucas Paqueta returning to the side in a more advanced midfield role.
It's all change on the wing as Jarrod Bowen and Pablo Fornals are rested, with Maxwel Cornet handed a rare start on the right, while Said Benrahma, who has proven himself "unplayable" in Europe before in the opinion of Joe Cole, replaces Pablo Fornals on the left.
Michail Antonio is rested up top, with Danny Ings keeping his starting role as the lone striker, in the hope that he too can regain some confidence having scored in just one match since his January switch from Aston Villa.
Manchester City’s goalkeeper Ederson was spared his blushes on Tuesday night in Manchester City’s emphatic victory over RB Leipzig in the Champions League.
Pep Guardiola’s men secured themselves a spot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League in front of the Etihad crowd with an incredible 7-0 victory on the night.
However, they may have been fortunate to do so with all 11 men on the pitch after their Brazilian goalkeeper was caught in the middle of a controversial incident inside the first half.
After Konrad Laimer was played through, Ederson came charging out to win the ball first but instead got none of the ball and all of the Leipzig midfielder.
However, the referee decided against taking any action against the Brazilian goalkeeper and instead booked Timo Werner for his protests.
The incident was relayed on Twitter and fans from far and wide vented their thoughts with many feeling City had gotten off the hook massively with this one.
Chelsea have Mauricio Pochettino on the ‘list’ of managers to take over from Graham Potter, according to journalist Simon Phillips.
The Lowdown: Public backing for Potter
Chelsea have won just one out of their last 11 games in all competitions, leaving Potter’s future in doubt, although the manager has insisted that he will not quit despite his side’s terrible run of form.
CBS reporter Ben Jacobs has indicated that Todd Boehly and the rest of the board still publicly retain faith in the Englishman, but that seemingly hasn’t stopped them from compiling a list of potential replacements…
The Latest: Pochettino on the list
In an interview with GiveMeSport, Phillips claimed that the Blues approached Pochettino prior to Potter’s arrival, and they could still make a move for him if they part ways with their current manager.
The journalist said: “Chelsea approached Mauricio Pochettino at the same time as they approached Graham Potter. They obviously chose the latter at that point, but I know that Pochettino would continue to be on that list.
“Chelsea are doing their due diligence and they will have a list, like every club does, so I know that Pochettino remains on there.
The Verdict: Right man for the job?
The 50-year-old did a fantastic job at Tottenham Hotspur, leading them all the way to the 2019 Champions League final, before eventually coming unstuck in the final against Premier League rivals Liverpool.
While he did not win any silverware with Spurs, the Argentine has since won three trophies with Paris Saint-Germain, although that success was not deemed good enough by the board, who decided to sack him last summer despite earning 2.15 points per game.
Hailed as an ‘excellent’ manager by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, the Argentine, who favours a 4-3-3 formation, has previous experience managing in England, averaging 1.84 points-per match during his time with Tottenham.
That is a sizeable increase on the 1.31 points-per match Potter has averaged since arriving at Chelsea, indicating Pochettino would be a real upgrade on the Blues’ current manager.
Newcastle is a city full of history and famous faces, including within its biggest football club, Newcastle United, but who is the most famous player to turn out for the club? To this day, the Magpies are considered one of the biggest clubs in England. They may not be competing for titles or other pieces of silverware – yet – but their history is so extensive that a player’s fame and popularity can significantly increase as soon as they don the famous black and white.
In the early days of the Premier League, particularly, Newcastle were responsible for some of the most entertaining moments. Who could forget Kevin Keegan’s famous ‘I’d love it if we beat them’ rant?
With that said, we at Football FanCast have decided to rank the 10 most famous players in Newcastle United history.
Not many around Newcastle will ever forget Papiss Cisse’s spell playing for the club. The striker was as underrated as they come, and performed better than anyone ever expected, scored goals no one could have predicted, and departed having left some mark at St James’ Park when taking to the pitch.
In total, he scored 44 times in 131 appearances, a genuinely solid record.
It could be argued that his first six months were his best in a black and white shirt, with his technique leading to some genuinely unbelievable goals.
Remember that strike against Chelsea? Who could forget.
9 David Ginola
Playing for Newcastle, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, and Everton whilst in England, it’s fair to say that David Ginola became a household name in the Premier League.
Since his retirement, people have continued their admiration for the Frenchman, too, which was evident in his appearance on ITV show ‘I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here.
During his time with the Magpies, he made 76 appearances and had a total of 23 goal involvements before eventually moving on to play for Spurs.
He may not have a heaving trophy cabinet, but he remains one of the most elegant players ever seen in the north east.
8 Les Ferdinand
With 149 Premier League goals to his name, Les Ferdinand has his place in history as the 11th highest goalscorer in the league’s history.
And, with that, remains one of Newcastle United’s most famous players, and one of the best strikers to ever feature for The Magpies.
While he didn't actually win anything at St James' Park, few players did around the 1990s, with the entertainers struggling to get over the line.
Still, that does nothing to take away from the fact that Ferdinand is one of the best goalscorers in Premier League history.
7 Jermaine Jenas
Jermaine Jenas is a great example of a player that became more famous after retirement.
The midfielder enjoyed his playing days, featuring for Newcastle, Tottenham Hotspur, Nottingham Forest, Queens Park Rangers, and Aston Villa. But, since hanging up his boots, Jenas has been a regular pundit on shows such as Match of the Day, and on Sky Sports.
As a result, it's perhaps forgotten just how good Jenas was during his playing days.
Breaking through at Newcastle, he was an immense box-to-box option, making over 100 appearances before making the switch to Spurs.
6 Andy Cole
Like Ferdinand, Andy Cole is one of the greatest goalscorers that the Premier League has ever seen. In fact, only three players have scored more league goals than Cole, and that’s Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane and a man that we’ll soon get to.
Of course, Cole’s greatest success came at Manchester United, but he remains part of Newcastle history. Indeed, during his time with the club, Cole scored 68 goals in 84 games, and also laid on 23 assists. That's 91 goal involvements in 84 games.
Those kind of numbers are now only put up by players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
5 Kevin Keegan
Of course, Kevin Keegan’s most famous moment for many is that rant we mentioned earlier, but, as a player, he had an endless amount of big moments, too, featuring for Liverpool, Newcastle, Southampton, and even having a stint in Germany with Hamburger.
During his time on the pitch, Keegan won an incredibly impressive two Ballon d’Ors.
He was with Newcastle for just two years, playing for the club between 1982 and 1984, but he scored 48 goals in 78 games as he approached the twilight of his career.
He's now perhaps best known as a manager, but what a player he was.
4 Michael Owen
Although Michael Owen didn’t enjoy the best of times at Newcastle as he looked to revive his career, no one can deny his fame. This was a player fresh off becoming a Galactico; a former Ballon D’or winner. Even post-retirement, Owen has kept his relevancy as a pundit, mainly appearing on BT Sport.
He's better known for his breakthrough with Liverpool and his later spells with Real Madrid and Manchester United.
Still, Owen is one of the best Premier League goalscorers in history.
He scored 150 goals in the top-flight and is currently the 10th highest goalscorer in the league's history, even if few of those goals actually came at St James' Park; his body had started to give up on him by the time he became a Magpie.
3 Peter Beardsley
One of the greatest players to ever play for Newcastle, Peter Beardsley has his place on this list.
During his playing career, Beardsley managed 118 goals for Newcastle, whilst also playing for Liverpool, Everton, Fulham, and Bolton Wanderers in what was an incredible successful career. While he didn't win a trophy at Newcastle, he was twice voted their Player of the Year in the 1980s and was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2007.
A winger who was never afraid to get chalk on his boots, Beardsley was a truly sensational footballer.
2 Paul Gascoigne
Whether it’s good or bad headlines, Paul Gascoigne is one of the most famous footballers to ever play in England. And, subsequently, one of the most talented. He could have been the very best, but his struggles outside of football soon began to show in what is one of the most heartbreaking downfalls that English football has ever seen. At his best, ‘Gazza’ was simply unstoppable. Newcastle had him before the darkness had begun to creep in, too, coming through their academy and making his breakthrough with his debut in 1985.
He would move to Spurs in 1988, at a time when Manchester United also wanted him; how would his life have turned out had he moved to Old Trafford?
We'll never know, but we do know that he was a sensational footballer.
1 Alan Shearer
wayne-rooney-alan-shearer-newcastle-opinion
It wouldn’t be a list about famous Newcastle without Alan Shearer, would it? The league’s all-time top goalscorer, and the messiah of the city, himself, is the best to ever play for the Magpies, and is undoubtedly the most famous. When you think of Newcastle United, you think of Shearer, it’s that simple. He may have won the Premier League title with a different club, lifting the trophy with Blackburn Rovers, but he's still synonymous with the black and white stripes.
It remains to be seen if he can hold on to his record, though, with Harry Kane now creeping up on him, having passed the 200 barrier against Manchester City.
So, there you have it, our list of Newcastle United’s most famous players in their illustrious history. Those at St James’ Park have had the pleasure of watching some true icons, and will now be hoping to see new legends emerge after the big-money takeover. In what could be the ultimate era of success for the Magpies, Newcastle boss Eddie Howe will be desperate to see a number of his players replicate the legacies left behind by the players listed above. If they can do that, then they’ll go down as all-time greats.
Manchester United took another step closer to ending their six-year trophy drought after seeing off Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening, with the Red Devils running out 5-0 winners on aggregate following a rather comfortable, second-leg outing at Old Trafford.
Despite suffering some early scares late in the first half – as both Brennan Johnson and Emmanuel Dennis went close to getting on the scoresheet – the hosts never truly appeared in danger of letting their first-leg lead slip, with a raft of changes midway through the second period having subsequently taken the tie away from Steve Cooper’s men.
That triple switch saw Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial all enter the fray to help kill the game off once and for all, with the latter man swiftly making his mark after netting his sixth goal of the season in just 14 games in all competitions.
That lead was then extended just minutes later as midfield machine, Fred, bundled the ball home from close range following clever build-up play from both Bruno Fernandes and Rashford, with Erik ten Hag’s side surging their way to a 12th successive victory on home soil in the process.
Amid what was a rather serene outing for his in-form side, the former Ajax boss will likely have been particularly impressed by the performance of resurgent right-back, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, with the Englishman again proving his worth to his manager.
Aside from his notable blip in the defeat to Arsenal – having been culpable for Eddie Nketiah’s opener – the 25-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable return to form following the World Cup break, having more than capitalised on the injury absence of teammate, Diogo Dalot.
The former Crystal Palace man – who has started the last six top-flight games – again proved particularly effective down the right flank against Forest, while also showcasing his adaptability after frequently dropping into an almost central midfield berth when the home side had possession.
Although he remains somewhat erratic on the ball, having squandered possession on 19 occasions, the £50m man does appear far more comfortable going forward as a result of working under Ten Hag, having completed two of his three dribbles on the night, while also making 45 passes and earning four fouls for his side.
Having shown his ‘sense of adventure’ by getting forward repeatedly, as per Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst, Wan-Bissaka also illustrated his much-lauded ball-winning prowess, having won a staggering ten duels in total, including winning nine of his 13 ground duels.
Once praised as the “best one-on-one defender for a full-back in the world”, it does appear that the Croydon-born machine is getting back to his best as a result of his regular run of games, with Dalot set to find it difficult to regain his place in the side.
Another notable element of Wan-Bissaka’s evening was that the number nine was ripped from the back of his shirt at one stage, leaving behind the typical right-back number – two – with that perhaps foreshadowing that he is in line to make that full-back berth his own…
Tottenham failed to seal an 11th hour permanent exit for young defender Malachi Fagan-Walcott after document delays.
The Lowdown: Spurs exodus…
Spurs sealed a fair few exits on transfer deadline day last month with the club completing loan moves away for the likes of Djed Spence and Bryan Gil.
The Premier League top-four chasers also, in a dramatic late twist, announced that defender Matt Doherty would be leaving the club permanently after mutually agreeing to terminate his contract.
Doherty joined Atletico Madrid on a six-month deal after Spurs used up their allocated eight player loan quota.
The Latest: Spurs fail to seal Fagan-Walcott exit…
According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, writing for Football Insider, the Lilywhites failed to seal another transfer away at the 11th hour.
Young full-back Fagan-Walcott could’ve joined Swindon Town permanently after both Spurs and the League Two side agreed a deal.
However, it is believed that both Spurs and Swindon ‘failed to get the paperwork done in time’ – resulting in the 20-year-old’s move collapsing.
There were apparently ‘delays’ over the registration documents with Fagan-Walcott now left in Spurs limbo.
The Verdict: Shame…
The centre-back has been starring for Spurs’ Under-21s in Premier League 2 this season, playing 13 games and even scoring two goals.
Fagan-Walcott, it would seem, is ready for the senior leagues and to test himself regularly in a competitive division.
The versatile ace can play both at full-back and in front of the back four but manager Antonio Conte hasn’t handed him a senior appearance since taking over last year.
Fagan-Walcott has been desperately unlucky when it comes to senior football – having gone out to Dundee on loan in 2021 only to return after two games through injury.
The former England Under-18 international looks set to leave Spurs this summer when his deal expires but the north Londoners would have ideally liked to have gain a fee for their academy graduate – however small.
Manchester United could make a move for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, amid a major revelation at his current club.
What’s the word?
The Serbian Vlahovic has emerged as one of the most prolific strikers on the scene after bursting into prominence in the Italian Serie A with Fiorentina, before signing for the Old Lady in a £66.6m deal in January 2022.
The Red Devils have previously registered an interest, with The Telegraph reporting that the Premier League giants view the 22-year-old as a long-term successor to the talismanic throne at Old Trafford.
But now, according to 90min, the attacking focal point has been offered to United, alongside other teams, after Juventus’ failure to qualify for the Champions League knockout phase and the shocking news of a 15-point deduction following an investigation into misdealing on the transfer front, a blow that knocks the club down to tenth.
Ronaldo repeat
United manager Erik ten Hag deserves all the plaudits for his diligent work in entering the Theatre of Dreams and providing a new layer of paint to bring back vibrancy and style in abundance, with the prestigious outfit in fourth place in the league – six points above fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur and with a game in hand ahead of the forthcoming clash against table-toppers Arsenal.
Also in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup and still in contention in the FA Cup and the Europa League, Ten Hag will be delighted with the gains made in such a short space of time following an abysmal campaign last time out.
All this comes amid the fog that is Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure in November, terminating his contract by mutual consent after becoming disillusioned with life under his unwavering new Dutch manager.
And now, Juventus’ Vlahovic could be the catalyst for success in Manchester with the light of the recent reports; 30-year-old Wout Weghorst has been signed on a loan deal until the end of the season, but it is Vlahovic who could indeed take the vacant gilt-coated crown that the legendary Portuguese phenom has left in his wake.
The “monster” – as hailed by journalist Carlo Garganese – has racked up an impressive 57 goals and nine assists from just 123 Serie A appearances, and has netted seven times from 15 outings this season, in a term hampered by consistent injury setbacks.
And with FBref also ranking him among the top 15% in his position across Europe for progressive passes received and total shots, there is a clear illustration of his desire to shower a consistent goal threat against his opposition with his relentless pursuit in and around the penalty area.
The statistical site compares the player to the man himself Ronaldo, a man who coincidentally also left Juve for Old Trafford. It’s clear the pair’s skill sets match up nicely, which is a further reason to pounce on a burgeoning talent still at the early stage of a prosperous professional career.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo has scored 701 goals from 949 appearances at club level, and a further 118 from 196 with the Portuguese national team, and will go down as one of football’s greatest forwards.
As per Whoscored, Ronaldo indeed bears a semblance to his Serbian counterpart, with Vlahovic’s career average of 2.6 shots per game and 1.7 aerials won displaying promising signs of a developing aura as an imposing figure, compared to Ronaldo’s remarkable 6.1 shots per outing and 1.3 aerials.
With these factors in mind, Vlahovic could be the star-studded acquisition desired by the Old Trafford hierarchy, a clinical force capable of replicating the recently-departed Ronaldo and providing a blistering goal-scoring return with such regularity that defenders stand befuddled by the prowess at the tip of the United sword.