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It's fair to say that while there is a sense of dismay regarding Liverpool's failure to keep pace with title chasers Arsenal and Manchester City into the final phase of the season, the real chagrin at the hearts of the supporters stems from their team's lack of fight, drive and determination.

For Liverpool to have fought so hard, with such awe-inspiring unity and belief during a season of resurgence, surpassing expectations and belying the catalogue of injury problems that should have but didn't stop the Reds from beating Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final in February, only to fall at the final hurdle with most senior stars fit once more is bleak.

Jurgen Klopp has cut a forlorn figure throughout this wretched recent period but the 56-year-old has worked true wonders on Merseyside and he must depart with his head held high, having lifted Anfield from the ashes and back to a position of power as one of the most feared units in Europe, conquerers of the Premier Leauge, conquerers of the Champions League.

While the Premier League title is out of reach, barring a miracle, Klopp will demand a response this afternoon, with Liverpool gearing up to host Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

Spurs have lost three on the bounce and look shot for confidence right now, but Liverpool are not exactly free-flowing and a slow start could be detrimental against Ange Postecoglou's side.

Liverpool team news

Conor Bradley is fit once again after missing the past several weeks with an ankle injury, though captain Virgil van Dijk has missed most of the week's training and is a doubt for this afternoon's fixture.

Sadly, Diogo Jota will not be able to replicate his last-gasp winner in an incredible and frantic 4-3 victory at Anfield last season, with Liverpool 3-0 up after 15 minutes only to succumb to Spurs attacking pressure.

Joel Matip, Thiago Alcantara and Ben Doak remain long-term absentees but Liverpool boast a healthy pick of options for this final month of the season.

Klopp will likely ring the changes after drawing to West Ham United last weekend, with Mohamed Salah in line to return to the starting line-up following his acrimonious clash with his manager at the London Stadium.

Salah's season in numbers

It typified the mood surrounding Liverpool's punishing slump. Salah, benched after a poor run of form, locked horns with his long-time gaffer as he was called to action in the closing stage of Liverpool's game at West Ham, moments after Michail Antonio's equaliser.

The uber-competitive goal machine was acceptably incensed that he had been kept on the fringe for so long but his shouting match against Klopp illuminated an acute issue that has stemmed from the German's pre-ordained departure this summer.

He's been introduced during the second half in two of Liverpool's past four Premier League matches, having bagged just the one goal from his last six appearances. Still, the 31-year-old has scored 24 goals and added 13 assists from 41 fixtures in all competitions this season.

He ranks among the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals and the top 1% for assists and touches in the attacking penalty area per 90, as per FBref.

Furthermore, no Premier League player has created more big chances than he during the 2023/24 campaign either, veritably ratifying his status as the Premier League's most devastating multi-weaponed forward.

1.

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool

21

2.

Bruno Fernandes

Manchester United

20

3.

Dwight McNeil

Everton

17

3.

Son Heung-min

Tottenham Hotspur

17

5.

Kevin De Bruyne

Manchester City

16

5.

Martin Odegaard

Arsenal

16

Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes are working tirelessly for the betterment of post-Klopp Liverpool but Salah must be still in the mix next term, serving as the centrepiece of Arne Slot's frontline.

He must start against Spurs, but he might not be the main man this time, with Luis Diaz boasting the form and the finesse to damage Ange Postecoglou's squad.

Why Luis Diaz could be the main man

Last weekend's drab display against West Ham did not bring the response that was expected and needed after falling by the wayside in such an inexplicable manner, but Diaz still shone as his team's beacon of hope, working tirelessly and putting some of his listless peers to shame.

The Colombian might not be the sharpest shooter in the Liverpool squad but he can certainly impact a game with his electric pace and shark-like movements down the channel, often swerving menacingly into the danger area to send his adversaries into a scramble.

It's true that Diaz's performances were blotched with inconsistencies throughout the first half of the current campaign but he has been vital on the left channel in 2024, notching up his output and producing dangerous displays to better reflect his speed and athleticism.

2023

23

5

1

2024

25

8

4

Not just most potent in front of goal, the £55k-per-week winger ranks among the top 8% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 6% for touches in the attacking penalty area, the top 13% for shots taken and the top 12% for shot-creating actions per 90.

Not only do such metrics showcase Diaz's drive and determination, but they highlight his constant threat both as a direct attacking force and a creative member.

Of course, that's without even mentioning his dogged workrate, always running and always pushing to help his team – something that certain other Reds forwards could take note of across these wretched recent weeks.

Take, for example, the 27-year-old's recent performance against the Hammers, where the Liverpool Echo's Ian Doyle handed him a deserved 8/10 match rating after his tenacious effort, writing: 'Lots of running and endeavour first half and struck post after one wriggly run. Constant threat after the break, creating equaliser and several times thwarted by Areola.'

It's not quite a dead rubber match against Tottenham, but Liverpool's fading hopes of winning silverware this month must not negate the effort required to ensure that Klopp's brilliant reign does not end with a whimper.

Slot could sign "elite" £70m Van Dijk replacement for Liverpool

Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes would pull off a blinder by signing this “elite” talent.

ByAngus Sinclair May 2, 2024

Barcelona have enquired about Tottenham Hotspur left-back Sergio Reguilon, which would be a shock transfer given his recent struggles and rival past.

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Barcelona enquire over ReguilonLeft-back cover requiredSpaniard out of favour at SpursWHAT HAPPENED?

According to , Barcelona have been in contact with Tottenham to understand the conditions that might be expected were they to launch an approach for Reguilon.

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Reguilon isn't thought to have a place at Tottenham under Ange Postecoglou and Spurs are open to selling. He started last season on loan at Manchester United and, when that deal was cut short in January, finished it on a similar temporary deal at Brentford. Meanwhile, Barcelona were short on left-backs even before Alejandro Balde suffered a long-term hamstring injury midway through last season and have lost the cover they did have in loan signing Joao Cancelo, who has returned to Manchester City.

DID YOU KNOW?

Reguilon hails from Madrid and first joined the youth ranks of fierce Barcelona rivals Real Madrid at the age of nine. He spent a total of 15 years at the club, before his permanent transfer to Tottenham was completed in 2020.

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If Reguilon is to return to Spain, Barcelona will have to reach a decision on whether the response Tottenham have given make a more formal approach worthwhile. Balde has played sparingly in pre-season and himself is only 20 years of age, so lack real experience.

Women’s team coach says timing of coronavirus pandemic has minimised Cricket Australia’s financial impact

Daniel Brettig24-Mar-2020A postponement in moving Cricket Australia’s headquarters and a drastic cut down in travel may be among the measures the governing body will make to save cash in the time of coronavirus, while any decisions to reduce staff or salaries will be delayed as CA attempts to “absorb” the global pandemic within the business.CA has been compelled to look into a raft of saving measures to keep what cash the organisation can. This is over and above cash reserves that were around A$26 million entering the summer, augmented by the recent payment of rights fee instalments from Fox and Seven. CA had been planning to move its headquarters into rented office space while renovating its longtime headquarters in Jolimont, Melbourne, one of two large office properties the governing body can name as assets, alongside the A$29 million National Cricket Centre in Brisbane.Matthew Mott, coach of the T20 World Cup winning women’s side, said that while the message to all staff had been that CA would do its best to absorb the global suspension of sport to limit spreading of coronavirus, ways and means of becoming more efficient needed to be found in all departments of the organisation.”I can only go on the messaging we’ve had from our senior management, and this is an awful thing to happen to the whole of society, but in terms of timing we’ve been incredibly lucky,” Mott said. “We can shut down over Easter, we can shut down a few off-season programs. There will be huge financial implications, but timing wise if we were going to suffer something like this, the timing is not too bad.”We’ve been assured we’ve just got to make sure we come up with some really constructive feedback on how we can save some money going forward, but the expectation at the moment is that CA as a business can absorb this.”Obviously the longer it goes on, it’s going to put more pressure on everyone. I haven’t got a crystal ball, I don’t know how long this is going to last, nor does anyone, but in the short to medium term we’ve been assured that we’ve got enough equity and agility within the business to be able to absorb it, and we just need to be smart and pretty clinical about how we prepare and get our players ready.”In addition to having all staff work from home as of last week, CA will be able to find savings from a dramatic reduction in domestic and international travel, while the taking of paid annual leave among staff will be another option available to take cost off the governing body’s books. Mott was certain, however, that the women’s game would not be subject to cost-saving that might serve to stem the momentum that flowed from the World Cup and its technicolour finale, when Australia beat India in front of an 86,000-plus crowd at the MCG.”What we saw at the MCG just showed if you put the work in behind the scenes and you promote the game then the audience is there,” Mott said. “I think if anything the whole business is just going to have to be more efficient, and there’s going to be things that are cut out, it’s just the nature of where we’re at. I’m sure there’ll be input in both male and female programs about how we can get the best bang for our buck, and how we can be a lot more efficient. Everyone needs to work out what’s going to be the best for their programs, and how they’re going to make them run most efficiently.”It is a common lament among retired athletes that they never get the chance to stop, reflect and make balanced life decisions in the hurtling momentum of careers that last far less than half as long as those working regular jobs. Now, all of the world’s athletes will be taking stock, no matter where they sit on the road from rookie to veteran.”We’ve certainly put out messaging to our players, we’re going to have a break during this period here now, but often in those breaks you still think ‘I’ve got to do this, I’ve got to do that’. Not just cricket but sport and the community, it’s a great opportunity to reflect on what’s important,” Mott said. “I think it’ll wear thin after a while, but I’ve absolutely loved being able to hang out with my family on the weekend, cook meals together and spend time together and just hang out.”There’s no pressure to be catching up with other people or stuff like that. I do think it is a great opportunity for everyone just to take stock, work out what’s really important in their lives, and just plan out what are the next steps. All these things have a funny way of happening for a reason. I think if you take a positive mindset towards them, you can really make them work for you.”I know there’s going to be people out there that are really struggling making ends meet, and it’s going to put a huge amount of financial pressure on a lot of people in our community and that’s incredibly sad, but there’s a lot of people also who can use this as a real positive driver to just work out what’s really important in your lives and make sure that when we get out of this situation, which we will, that we can really crystallise what’s important for us as a community and how we want to take ourselves forward.”Two players who were already looking at time for reflection were Ellyse Perry (torn hamstring) and Tayla Vlaeminck (foot stress fracture) who did not make it to the end of the World Cup campaign. Mott said that both were tracking to be fit to play within the normal timeframes for their respective injuries. Whether there will be any cricket to play yet by the time they are ready is another matter entirely. “It probably eases both their minds a little bit,” Mott said, “that they’re not missing out on as much as they would if we were over in South Africa.”

Hafeez had questioned Sharjeel Khan’s return to cricket despite his being implicated in the PSL 2017 corruption scandal

Umar Farooq21-Mar-2020

In a strongly worded reprimand to Mohammad Hafeez, the PCB chief executive officer Wasim Khan said the batsman should be “focusing on his own cricket” instead of giving opinions on “right and wrong” after Hafeez questioned the return of Sharjeel Khan to competitive cricket.Sharjeel had received a five-year ban from the PCB for the role he played in the PSL corruption scandal from 2017. The board suspended his sentence following an “unconditional apology” in August 2019, paving way for a sooner-than-expected comeback. Even so, it seemed unlikely that he would play in this year’s PSL until the Karachi Kings bought him at the auction and deployed him as their opening batsman.Sharjeel could only make 199 runs from 10 matches, which raised questions about whether he was physically fit enough to play at the top level. Hafeez was replying to one such question on Twitter when he said, “Shouldn’t we set Standards of Dignity & Pride Higher than any other “Extra Talent” to represent Pakistan.”The PCB CEO didn’t take kindly to that. “Current players should not be going up on social media to criticise other players or talk about what policies the cricket board should or shouldn’t have,” Wasim said through a video link from Lahore. “They can have their opinions about various things about world cricket and cricket in general but not about the rights and wrongs of players and the boards and they should leave that to cricket board to answer.”I will be personally speaking to Mohammad Hafeez about that and I don’t think it’s his place to be doing it. No other player in the world does that so why should our Pakistani players do that? I don’t think they have any space to do that and I don’t think they should be doing that. That’s my personal view. Coming from an English environment, I never saw an English player tweet about policies, procedures, talking about other players’ right or wrong. My view is, he should focus on his own game, focus on the cricketing opinion he can give but don’t give personal opinion about other players.”PCB agreed to waive Sharjeel’s suspended sentence following his ‘unconditional apology’•Umar Farooq/ESPNcricinfo

This is not the first time Hafeez has questioned a player on his return from a ban. In December 2015, he and current Test captain Azhar Ali stayed away from a training camp ahead of a tour of New Zealand because Mohammad Amir, who was returning from a spot-fixing ban, was picked to be a part of it. Both of them eventually joined training after the PCB intervened and have since played several matches alongside Amir.Sharjeel was a promising talent for Pakistan before his ban. He played 25 ODIs, 15 T20Is and one Test and in that time cultivated a reputation for being a hard-hitting batsman. PSL 2020 was his first taste of action in over two years. The 30-year-old had to miss the whole of the Pakistan domestic season since he was still undergoing the rehabilitation part of his sentence.”He has done his time, whatever was set,” Wasim said. “He has carried out that ban. He is back and was picked up by a franchise and he is available to play again. In terms of him getting selected [for Pakistan] going forward, that is up to the selectors. There is a long way for Sharjeel Khan to go before he is considered to play for Pakistan again.”First of all, there is an importance around fitness. [Head coach] Misbah[-ul-Haq] had said that verbally and he is emphasising the policy on fitness with us as well and [bowling coach] Waqar [Younis] has also spoken about it as well, that we are moving in a different direction.”One of the things Sharjeel Khan could have done in his time when he wasn’t playing and inactive is that he could have got himself fit. In your life, you have controllables and non-controllables. Fitness is controllable, what goes in you mouth, what you do, how you keep yourself fit, that is all under your control. If you are serious about playing for Pakistan, get yourself fit. There is no excuse.”I am sorry but I am a stern believer that he turned up playing PSL unfit. He will not get selected for Pakistan as long as he stays the way he is. He now has a few months – get yourself fit, show that you have an ambition to play for Pakistan, show you have commitment and desire to get yourself fit and then you will be considered. I am sure Misbah and the selectors are looking it at that way – they have a policy and it’s important that people abide by that.”

Ever since the heroics of Brice Samba during Nottingham Forest’s promotion-winning journey, the Tricky Trees have failed to recruit a permanent replacement at the City Ground.

The goalkeeper will always be remembered as a hero for saving three penalties in the 2022 play-off semi-final, and keeping a clean sheet in the subsequent showpiece as Forest defeated Huddersfield Town.

Matt Turner, Odysseas Vlachodimos, and recent signing Matz Sels have all attempted to live up to the standards of the French shot-stopper in Nottingham, yet they haven’t reached his level.

However, the Reds have had a keeper since Samba’s exit that had the potential to become their number one for years to come, but he is no longer at the club.

Matz Sels' start at Forest

Sels only moved to Forest last month for a fee of £5m, in what was a busy month for the club, both on and off the field.

The Belgian star in between the sticks has had a tough start to life in Nottingham, with Nuno Espírito Santo’s side drawing 1-1 on his debut against Bournemouth and losing 3-2 to former club Newcastle United at the weekend.

Against the Cherries, Sels didn’t have a save to make, and his saving ability wasn’t tested at all, however, he was proactive and made two clearances. That said, the downside to his game was his passing, with the former Strasbourg ace having 59% pass accuracy.

On his City Ground debut, the keeper did make two saves in the game, but what will concern the Forest faithful is the fact that his goals prevented was -1.98, meaning that he should have dealt with the attempts for the goals much better.

How Dean Henderson compares to Samba

In the summer of the 2022/23 season, Dean Henderson joined Forest on a season-long loan from Manchester United, in the hopes that the shot-stopper would give them a better chance of survival.

Over the campaign, the 26-year-old played 18 matches for Steve Cooper’s side, however, he missed the second half of the season through a torn thigh injury, which he picked up at the start of January.

It’s normal for a keeper to have matches where they can’t do much to prevent goals, especially when playing in a side that faces plenty of shots, that said, he only conceded 1.7 goals per game during his spell at the club, with a saves per game of 3.1.

Henderson is a keeper who can keep his side in a game just via his saving ability, with his performance against Brighton & Hove Albion last season being one of his most memorable in a Forest shirt.

This is exactly what the club has been missing this season, with even former Spurs boss Antonio Conte labelling the former United man “incredible.”

It’s the match-defining moments, like saving two penalties last season, that he can pull off without breaking a sweat and what will make the Forest fans wish they had him back, but they failed to make the move permanent in the summer, with Henderson switching to Crystal Palace instead.

That move for the Englishman – who has now started eight successive league games – has certainly paid off, having arguably outperformed Sels in certain metrics across the last 365 days.

In comparison to his peers in Europe's top five leagues, Henderson notably ranks in the top 11% for average distance from goal for his defensive actions, meaning his regularly willing to act as a sweeper keeper, while Samba, by contrast, is far more rooted to his line as he ranks in just the bottom 33% for that same metric.

Nottingham Forest star who left in 2022 has been on fire this season

He’s scored 8 goals in 16 games so far this season.

By
Ethan Lamb

Feb 14, 2024

Equally, unlike Samba – who has never played in the Premier League – Henderson is a proven talent in England's top-flight, with former Blades teammate Sander Berge describing him as "insane" as he is "like having two goalkeepers in goal".

Such praise is indicative of the talent that Forest let slip from their grasp, with the jury out on whether Sels will be able to make his mark during what is a pivotal next few months for the club.

MatériaMais Notícias

da cassino： O abismo fiscal programado para as contas públicas brasileiras neste ano, com uma dívida pública que chegou a 90% do Produto Interno Bruto (PIB) e um cenário de crise econômica agravado pela pandemia de covid-19, tem motivado no Congresso Nacional um debate mais amplo sobre a legalização das Apostas Esportivas. A regularização dos jogos é discutida há quase três décadas em Brasília, considerando o Projeto de Lei 442/1991, que tramita no Congresso, mas nunca foi alvo de discussão entre os parlamentares. Apesar de muitos brasileiros serem adeptos da prática, a legislação nacional segue ineficaz para absorver essa demanda da sociedade.

O principal argumento dos parlamentares favoráveis é a receita a ser gerada com o pagamento dos impostos do jogo legal, que reforçaria os cofres públicos num momento de escassez de recursos e poderia ser direcionado para o Bolsa Família, ou para efetivação da proposta do Renda Cidadã. Atualmente, parte da renda obtida com as loterias, por exemplo, é revertida para ações sociais, como o FIES, um fundo de financiamento estudantil mantido pelo Ministério da Educação.

O senador Ângelo Coronel (PSD-BA) é um dos defensores da legalização. Ele argumenta que a medida, se aprovada, seria fundamental para ofertar empregos, aumentar a arrecadação federal e legalizar uma prática que já acontece no país, mas de maneira ilegal.

Existem quatro propostas no Senado Federal sobre a legalização das apostas esportivas no Brasil. A mais adiantada, pronta para a pauta do plenário, onde os senadores dão seus votos para cada matéria, é o Projeto de Lei do Senado (PLS) 186/2014, do senador Ciro Nogueira (PP-PI), que autoriza a exploração de “jogos de fortuna”, on-line ou presenciais, em todo o território nacional, incluindo cassinos em complexos de lazer.

Há ainda o PL 2.648/2019, do senador Roberto Rocha (PSDB-MA), que autoriza a abertura e exploração de cassinos em resorts ou complexos integrados de lazer. Pelo texto, os cassinos poderão funcionar em hotéis de alto padrão, que ofertem serviços como spas, áreas para prática de esporte ou lazer, casas noturnas, museus, galerias de arte, parques temáticos ou aquáticos, locais para a realização de reuniões e eventos sociais, culturais ou artísticos de grande porte, restaurantes, bares e centros de compras.

Parlamentares contrários a liberação das apostas esportivas advertem que a prática pode agravar os problemas na saúde, com o alto custo de tratamento dos apostadores contumazes, além de aumentar a exploração sexual e a prostituição e piorar a segurança pública. Também acreditam que a atividade prejudicaria as ações de combate à corrupção, já que, na avaliação deles, os jogos podem se tornar ferramentas para lavagem de dinheiro, sonegação fiscal e evasão de receitas.

Angelo Coronel não acredita nesse cenário. Para ele, a ideia de que não haverá nenhuma regulação nesse mercado é equivocada. Ele ainda diz que o aprimoramento da legislação vai evitar a circulação de dinheiro advindo de áreas criminosas, como tráfico de drogas e crime organizado, algo já investigado atualmente, já que a prática não é legalizada.

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Speaking to Football FanCast, in partnership with NetBet Online Casino, Arsenal legend Ray Parlour has shared his thoughts on a possible signing the north Londoners could make.

Edu and Arteta reportedly targeting midfielder

According to recent reports, both sporting director Edu and manager Mikel Arteta have set their sights on a new central midfielder and potential replacement for Thomas Partey.

All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.

By
Luke Randall

Feb 1, 2024

The Ghanaian's injury problems, coupled with some claims that he is open to leaving the club, have been an issue for Arteta this season as he seeks to guide Arsenal to a first Premier League title in 20 years.

Mohamed Elneny and Jorginho are also out of contract at the end of this season, which would leave Arsenal pretty short of midfield options later this year if they don't elect to bring one in.

As the north Londoners face a triple midfield exit in 2024, Arsenal have been linked with the likes of Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz, who is a long-term target for Edu and co.

Another player attracting interest from the title contenders is Everton star Amadou Onana, with Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri sharing news of Arsenal's advances for him earlier this month.

The Independent and journalist Miguel Delaney also claimed late last month that a centre-midfielder is one of Arteta's personal transfer wishes alongside two new full-backs and a goalscoring striker. Onana, however, could cost in the region of £60m.

Parlour backs 2024 Arsenal swoop for Onana

While FFP restrictions and a limited January budget make a move for the likes of Onana hard to pull off this month, Parlour has told FFC that a 2024 move is still very much possible.

The ex-midfielder believes Arsenal could swoop for Onana later this year to solve Arteta's midfield conundrum.

"If Partey leaves, then Onana has been the one Arsenal seem to have identified to come in and be the boss in that holding area of the pitch," said Parlour.

"But in January, Everton will want too much money and are in a relegation battle, so won’t sell him. In the summer, Onana could be the one Arsenal will go for as he is impressing. On Havertz, he is working well in the side, but Arsenal need to convert the chances they are creating."

The colossal 6 foot 4 midfielder, who also featured at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, has made 17 league appearances as a star mainstay under Sean Dyche this season.

Given two-year contract to work on the team’s fielding

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Dec-2019

Trevor Penney has been named the assistant coach for the West Indies white-ball teams for two years. He will focus on the team’s fielding in this period, starting January 2, 2020, when preparations for the home series against Ireland begin.Penney, 51, comes with the experience of having worked with several international teams, including India, Sri Lanka, Netherlands and USA. He has also worked with Queensland in Australian domestic cricket and Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders and Deccan Chargers at the IPL. He has experience of working in the Caribbean too, with CPL teams St Lucia Zouks, St Kitts & Nevis Patriots and, most recently, Barbados Tridents. He was part of the Tridents’ staff in their campaign-winning run in September-October this year.”I’m thrilled and excited to be given this opportunity to work with this brilliant bunch of cricketers and staff led by Kieron Pollard and Phil Simmons,” Penney was quoted as saying in a Cricket West Indies media release. “I’ve been lucky enough over the last few years to work with several members of the squad and the Caribbean is like ‘home away from home’ for me being involved in the CPL.”We have two big T20 World Cups coming up [in Australia 2020 and India 2021] and it’s my aim to try and improve everybody and be as good as we can and hopefully win those two major ICC events.”Simmons, West Indies’ head coach, said, “Trevor is an excellent coach and has demonstrated this everywhere he has worked. He has huge experience with Sri Lanka and India at the highest international level, and in most T20 leagues around the world including the CPL. He brings enormous energy and is very well respected by all the players.”With Penney’s appointment, West Indies’ support staff line-up is as follows: Phil Simmons (head coach), Roddy Estwick (assistant coach), Trevor Penney (assistant coach), Monty Desai (batting coach), Ronald Rogers (strength and conditioning coach), Denis Byam (physiotherapist), Rawl Lewis (team manager), AR Srikkanth (team analyst), Zephyrinus Nicholas (massage therapist) and Philip Spooner (media manager).West Indies’ next assignment is the three ODIs and three T20Is against Ireland, starting on January 7 in Bridgetown.

The Premier League winter break could not have come at a better time for Arsenal this season, as despite spending Christmas Day in first place, losses to West Ham United and Fulham have seen them drop down to fourth.

Worse yet, their defeat to Liverpool last week also saw them ejected from the FA Cup in the third round, and while the attack's inability to finish their chances has taken most of the blame, there is another area of the team that hasn't reached the same highs of last year – right-back.

Ben White was spectacular for the Gunners last season, but so far this term, he has been underwhelming, and with the latest piece of transfer news, his place in the team could now be under threat, as the north Londoners have been linked with Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong.

Arsenal transfer news – Jeremie Frimpong

According to a report last week from the German publication BILD, Arsenal are interested in and currently 'chasing' Leverkusen's exciting young full-back, Frimpong.

The report also reveals that he will be allowed to leave the Bundesliga outfit in 2024 for a 'fixed' fee of €40m, which is about £34m.

While the fee is very much attainable for Arsenal, the much more significant barrier to them completing this deal is the reported interest of Manchester United. However, it does seem that the Gunners are leading this particular race at the moment.

While the relatively modest fee will come as music to the ears of Arsenal's higher-ups, it might just make White sweat if his performances don't improve.

Jeremie Frimpong could be the perfect upgrade for Ben White

As mentioned earlier, White was an instrumental part of Arsenal's impressive title charge last season, so while he has been well below par this season, there is still clearly a talented player in there.

That said, compared to Frimpong, whom talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed "one of the best wing-backs in Europe", things don't look great for the Englishman's position at the club.

Arsenal can sign perfect Saliba partner in "rock-soild" ace who idolised Henry

The 26-year-old could help Arsenal end their title drought.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jan 9, 2024

The first thing to note is that at the halfway point of the season, the former Brighton & Hove Albion man has just a single goal and one assist to his name in the league.

In contrast, the young Dutchman has scored five goals and notched up six assists in just 16 league starts – and he was just as deadly last season.

The case for the former Celtic prospect grows even more substantial when comparing their underlying numbers.

In almost all attacking metrics aside from progressive passing, the Leverkusen star has his potential new teammate beaten. He creates a significantly higher non-penalty expected goals and assists figure, hits the target more often and produces over twice as many goal-creating actions per 90.

The young dynamo even completes more ball recoveries than White, and while he wins fewer tackles per 90, it is not by very much, and if U23 scout Antonio Mango's assessment that Frimpong "has no ceiling", then he could even surpass the Englishman in the defensive side of the game.

Ultimately, for a fee of £34m, Edu and Co should be going all out to get this deal over the line, and who knows, it could be the catalyst to get White back to his very best as well.

Keith Downie has now revealed some exciting Newcastle United transfer news regarding Renan Lodi.

The Lowdown: Left-back conundrum

The St James’ Park club have a conundrum over the left-back position in the summer as to whether they should sign Matt Targett on a permanent deal from Aston Villa or look for other targets.

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The 26-year-old has impressed during in his loan spell on Tyneside, so much that 97.5% of Toon supporters have expressed their desire for him to stay, but it will now be up to the board over whether they try and keep him on or perhaps aim higher up in the market.

The Latest: Lodi transfer latest

Taking to Twitter, Sky Sports journalist and northeast reporter Downie has shared the news that Newcastle have now ‘looked at’ Lodi as a potential signing this summer, noting that they already completed business with Atletico Madrid when they signed Kieran Trippier in January.

The reporter tweeted: “Understand Renan Lodi is a player Newcastle have looked at & could potentially form part of their summer plans. 15-times capped Brazilian international left-back. Newcastle have already done business of late with Atletico for fellow full-back Kieran Trippier.”

The Verdict: Exciting

It certainly is exciting for the Toon Army to be linked with a defender in Lodi who has title last season ahead of the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona.

As Downie points out, the Brazilian has also been capped 15 times for his country, and at 24 years of age, he has not hit his prime yet.

Nonetheless, the Magpies’ board will now have to weigh up whether to sign Targett permanently or go for a player like Lodi in the summer.

In other news, find out who else NUFC are now ‘chasing’ this summer