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The seamer took 4 for 46 after Apoorv Wankhade’s unbeaten 157 swelled Vidarbha’s total to 800 for 7, the highest total in the Irani Cup history

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Mar-2018
PTI After Vidarbha declared at 800 for 7 – the highest total in the Irani Cup – seamer Rajneesh Gurbani sliced through Rest of India’s batting line-up to help his side take a step closer to another title. At stumps on the fourth day, RoI were 236 for 6 and 564 runs in arrears.Apoorv Wankhade, unbeaten on 99 overnight, completed his second first-class hundred to swell Vidarbha’s total. Mayank Agarwal had the other overnight batsman Aditya Sarwate stumped for 18 and Hanuma Vihari took a return catch to remove Akshay Wakhare for a duck, but Wankhade and Gurbani forged an unbroken 56-run partnership in seven overs to propel their team to 800.There was not much respite for RoI even after the declaration. Gurbani, who had become only the second bowler to register a hat-trick in a Ranji Trophy final, continued his excellent form. He struck with his second ball to have R Samarth caught at midwicket for a duck and Umesh Yadav had the in-form Agarwal caught at first slip with an inviting outswinger for 11 in the seventh over. RoI recovered briefly with Prithvi Shaw’s crisp back-foot strokes and a six over wide long-on in his 51 off 64 but Aditya Thakare, Shaw’s Under-19 team-mate from the World Cup in New Zealand, had him caught at gully.Once Gurbani returned, he induced an outside edge off Karun Nair’s bat and struck the top of the off stump with a sharp inswinger when Srikar Bharat shouldered arms, for a two-ball duck. In Gurbani’s next over, R Ashwin tentatively pushed at a delivery outside off and handed a catch to first slip for 8 and RoI were in tatters at 98 for 6 with a massive deficit of 702 runs.But Vihari and Jayant put on an unbroken 138-run stand for the seventh wicket to give their team some breathing space. Vihari hit 10 fours in his unbeaten 81 while Jayant struck nine fours in his unbeaten 62.Even if Vidarbha fail to bowl RoI out twice, they have a strong chance of securing the Irani Cup by virtue of a first-innings lead.

It appears referee David Coote may have made another huge mistake on top of harshly sending Takehiro Tomiyasu off in the most recent Arsenal game.

What's the latest on David Coote and Arsenal?

On Monday night, the Gunners travelled to Selhurst Park as they took on Crystal Palace in their first away match of the new Premier League season.

It was a closely contested fixture and this is reflected by the scoreline as a single penalty – won by Eddie Nketiah and scored by Martin Odegaard – was enough to see the Gunners win 1-0.

It could have perhaps been a more comfortable win for Mikel Arteta and co, however, had the refereeing been a little more favourable from an Arsenal point of view.

After all, left-back on the day Tomiyasu picked up two yellow cards in the second half which both seemed to be for pretty minimum offences as his dismissal looked to be quite unjust.

He was first booked for time-wasting. Although, statistician Scott Willis pointed out that before conceding, Crystal Palace had throw-ins that took 27, 25, 22, and 22 seconds. And yet it was the Japan international who was punished for being partially involved when Arsenal's throw-in took 24 seconds to be taken – according to Sky via afcstuff), Tomiyasu held onto the ball for just eight of those seconds before being booked.

As for his second yellow, it appeared as though next to no contact was made with Jordan Ayew and yet referee Coote deemed it sufficient enough to warrant the consequential red card.

This is questionable enough. But to make things worse, footage shared on the game on Twitter shows that the Palace winger – who was also already on a yellow card – made an even worse foul on Bukayo Saka and yet he wasn't sent off for a second bookable offence.

What was said about Jordan Ayew and Takehiro Tomiyasu?

This sort of inconsistency was noted by a number of journalists and football writers online. For instance, Charles Watts wrote: "That's so harsh [on Tomiyasu] for a second yellow. There is no shirt tug. Especially as Ayew just got away with a similar foul having already been booked."

He later added: "The more you watch the clips of Ayew's foul which didn't get a yellow and Tomiyasu's which did, the crazier the decision to send Tomi off becomes. The inconsistency is incredible."

Writer for football.london Aaron Catterson-Reid added: "My issue with that is Ayew had a yellow then held Saka’s shirt for the foul. But no second yellow was given. Consistency just doesn’t exist."

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

After the game was finished, manager Arteta was understandably annoyed but managed to bite his tongue, telling the press: "I prefer not to make comments because for me it’s so obvious."

All in all, it's not hard to see why many have been left baffled by the level of officiating in this game and after Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana avoided punishment for his wild challenge against Wolves on the opening weekend, it hasn't exactly been the best start to the seasons from the PGMOL.

As for Arsenal, they managed to cling on for the three points away at Palace, and so they've made a perfect start to the season – even in the face of this adversity – with two wins from two.

Sunderland are still looking to sign new players in the summer transfer window and it looks as though they are eyeing the addition of a Premier League player.

Do Sunderland need a striker?

The Black Cats have made a disappointing start to their Championship season, having done so well last time around and almost made their way into the playoffs.

Sunderland have started with back-to-back 2-1 defeats in the division, firstly away to at home to Ipswich Town and then to Preston North End on Saturday, suggesting that they could potentially have a tough campaign ahead of them. There was also the small matter of being knocked out of the EFL Cup on penalties against League Two side Crewe Alexandra last weekend, further showing what a tough start it has been.

For things to change for the better, it could be that more signings are required to bolster their squad, giving Tony Mowbray more options and allowing him to shuffle his pack effectively.

In attack, the Black Cats have looked lacking in 2023/24 to date, with star striker Ross Stewart still recovering from a serious Achilles injury picked up earlier in the year. For that reason, another attacking option is required between now and the end of the month, and it looks as though a key target has emerged.

Will Sunderland sign Tom Cannon?

According to reliable journalist Alan Nixon on Patreon [via MOT Leeds News], Sunderland are one of three Championship clubs in the battle to snap up Everton striker Tom Cannon in the current transfer window.

Stoke City are one of the teams in question, looking to boost their own attacking choices, while Leeds United "have also been keeping an eye on developments" regarding the 20-year-old.

Cannon could be just what Sunderland are looking for this summer, in terms of giving Mowbray extra depth and possibly even coming in as a regular without Stewart around.

Admittedly, Everton seem happy to let him go for £8m, which suggests they don't value him greatly, but the drop down from the Premier League to the Championship is big, and the youngster could excel there.

He certainly did a good job on loan at Preston in 2022/23, scoring eight goals in total, and he also has two top-flight appearances to his name which only adds to his experience, not to mention has been described as "incredible" by former West Ham and Norwich City striker Dean Ashton.

Sunderland clearly face stiff competition for Cannon's signature, but the Black Cats are a big club in their own right, and it looks as if a move will be one to watch. If Mowbray sees him as the best option to come in and battle with the club's current options for minutes, he should be trusted, especially with time ticking until the deadline.

Getting a deal over the line as quickly as possible has to be the aim, not only to beat off others in the race to sign Cannon, but also to ensure that a new face is brought in in time for Sunderland's next game, which comes at home to Rotherham United next Saturday.

Aston Villa are reportedly still in the race for Juventus winger Federico Chiesa, as Unai Emery and Monchi continue the hunt for star talent this summer.

The Spanish duo have already obtained the services of Moussa Diaby in the forward department, however it’s believed that the club want to add another winger to the mix.

What’s the latest on Federico Chiesa to Aston Villa?

The Villans have been linked to the Italian earlier this summer, and now a fresh outlook on the Midlands side’s chances of securing the attacker have emerged.

Read the latest Aston Villa transfer news HERE…

As reported in Italy, the 25-year-old has ‘received signs of appreciation’ from both Villa and Newcastle United from the Premier League.

The report claims that the two sides are ‘ready’ to tempt Juventus with an offer in the region of their €50m (£43m) asking price, with the former Fiorentina gem expected to depart Turin.

How good is Federico Chiesa?

Having been previously lauded as a “genuine talent” by World Cup winner Bruno Conti, the 25-year-old has impressed in Italy since his rise to fame at Fiorentina.

With extended and frequent stays on the sidelines, the winger has fallen down the pecking order in Turin, making just over 800 minutes in each of his previous two Serie A campaigns for the ​​bianconeri.

Placing his injury woes aside, the 25-year-old remains one of his country’s brightest stars, with 42 caps for Italy so far.

Also praised for being a “next-level talent” for his time at Fiorentina by journalist Maxi Angelo, the forward could be a strong acquisition to add to the ranks at Villa Park, as Emery continues to build his upgraded squad ahead of the 2023/24 season.

Villa have been eyeing a number of wide players, with the most recent link being to former player and free-agent Adama Traore, who departed local rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this summer.

A player that has netted just 10 goals in five Premier League campaigns at Molineux, the speculations surrounding interest in Chiesa come at the right time, in a player that could pose as a far better signing for the Villans than the Spaniard.

With both players deployed on the wing, it would seem that Monchi and Emery would opt for one or the other in the transfer climate, making the Italian’s claim to interest far more attractive than the figure well-known in the Midlands.

Separating the mismatch between the two reported target’s contributions to goals in their career, the Juve man proves to be a more threatening player for Villa to chase, based on his numbers in comparison to Traore’s in their respective 2022/23 seasons.

As per FBref, the Spaniard averaged an impressive 2.95 successful take-ons per 90 for Wolves, a number expected for a player described as a “dribbling machine”, however, the former Barcelona dud was closely followed by Chiesa who averaged 2.54 per 90 in Serie A.

Having strengths in the 27-year-old’s forte suggests the dynamic nature of the Juve winger, who also showed he excelled the former Molineux man in the final third.

Averaging 2.11 key passes and 0.21 non-penalty goals per 90 in Serie A last term, the 25-year-old showcased that he can deliver where the free agent has notoriously struggled throughout his career, supported by his averages of 1.44 key passes and 0.12 non-penalty goals per 90 during the 2022/23 Premier League season.

Emery and Monchi could pull off a smart piece of business in swerving Traore for Chiesa, who would be a far more ambitious coup for the rising Villans.

Bob Holland, who had been diagnosed with brain cancer earlier this year, died after suffering a brain bleed while in a Newcastle hospital, where he was being treated for broken ribs

Brydon Coverdale17-Sep-2017Bob Holland, the legspinner who in 1984 became Australia’s third-oldest Test debutant of all time, has died at the age of 70. Holland had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer in March this year.He died on Sunday after suffering a brain bleed while in a Newcastle hospital, where he was being treated for broken ribs suffered in a fall last week. On Friday night, Holland had attended a function in his honour, hosted by former Test captain Mark Taylor.”He had the best time of his life on Friday where he spent time with a lot of his mates at his dinner,” Holland’s son Craig told the on Sunday evening. “He showed no pain on the night and stayed till the end of the show. My family was amazed as we thought he might stay an hour or two.”A latecomer to first-class cricket, Holland made his debut for New South Wales at the age of 32, but still managed to accumulate 316 first-class wickets at 31.19. His Test debut came at the age of 38, against West Indies at the Gabba in 1984; the only Australians to make their Test debuts older than Holland were 46-year-olds Don Blackie and Bert Ironmonger in 1928.He made his Test debut alongside David Boon in what was to become the memorable final Test as captain for Kim Hughes, who resigned in tears as West Indies dominated. Holland played 11 Tests and two ODIs during the mid-1980s, and twice bowled Australia to victories in SCG Tests with ten-wicket hauls.Against West Indies in his debut series, Holland collected 10 for 144 to set up an innings win against an all-conquering team boasting Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd, Desmond Haynes, Gordon Greenidge, Richie Richardson, Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding and Joel Garner. On an SCG surface offering plenty of turn, Holland was Player of the Match in what was West Indies’ first loss in 28 Tests.”New South Wales had played the West Indies a few weeks before that Test and beaten them,” Holland told the in 2014. “So it wasn’t altogether a surprise result, even though they hadn’t lost for 20-odd Tests. It was fantastic for us to knock over such a great cricket team.”The following summer, Holland took 10 for 174 against New Zealand, again at the SCG. He also picked up an Ashes five-for at Lord’s in 1985, when he claimed 5 for 86 in England’s second innings, in what turned out to be Australia’s only win of the series.In all, Holland took 34 Test wickets at 39.76. He was also part of the New South Wales group that secured three Sheffield Shield titles during the 1980s. With the bat, Holland averaged 3.18 in Test cricket but did once manage to score a half-century in first-class cricket.

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is now on the verge of sealing his Reds exit this summer, according to a key update regarding his future.

Is Jordan Henderson leaving Liverpool?

The 33-year-old has enjoyed 12 unforgettable years at Anfield, overcoming a tough early spell at the club to become one of the best skippers in the club's history, having taken over from Steven Gerrard upon his departure back in 2015.

Henderson has won countless trophies during his time as a Liverpool player, most memorable lifting the Champions League in 2010 and the Premier League the following year – Micah Richards has hailed him as "world-class" – and his reputation as a Reds legend is now undeniable, having been such a strong servant for so many years.

Sadly, though, it looks as though the Englishman's time as a Liverpool player is coming to an end, with strong recent reports suggesting he is on the verge of joining Saudi Arabian side At Ettifaq, who are currently managed by Reds icon Gerrard.

While Henderson is currently in Germany with the rest of the squad on pre-season duty, a new claim suggests that he will be waving goodbye to his teammates very soon.

What's the latest on Jordan Henderson's Liverpool future?

According to Football Insider early on Monday morning, Henderson has been in further negotiations with Al Ettifaq over a move to the club in recent hours, with a medical now edging closer:

"Liverpool expect to follow the sale of Fabinho this week with that of skipper Jordan Henderson after negotiations progressed in the last 24 hours, sources have told Football Insider. The Anfield skipper, 33, has agreed a two-year contract with Al Ettifaq worth a staggering £700,000-a-week, while Fabinho has been given the green light by the club to finalise the terms of a £40million move to Al-Ittihad.

"The Saudi club are confident a medical and the formalities of the move will now be completed soon, putting an end to the England international’s glittering 12-year Anfield career."

This is such a say way for Henderson's Liverpool career to end, with the captain still seemingly considered a key squad player heading into the 2023/24 season. He still has plenty to offer, even if his best days are behind him, and his leadership on and off the pitch will be greatly missed, especially as former vice-captain James Milner also departed for Brighton earlier in the summer.

With Fabinho also expected to move on, too, this really is a summer of enormous change in Liverpool's midfield, with Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain exiting earlier in the window, and both Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszali coming in from Brighton and RB Leipzig respectively.

In truth, it needed to happen to some degree, considering how ageing and disjointed the Reds looked in the middle of the park last season, but Jurgen Klopp has a massive job on his hands ensuring that new faces fit in quickly, and that further signings come in to fill the imminent void left by Henderson and Fabinho, avoiding a season of transition in the process.

Jamie Overton took three wickets before the close after half-centuries from Mark Stoneman, Keaton Jennings and Nick Gubbins had set the Lions up for a declaration

ECB Reporters Network23-Jun-2017
Scorecard Mark Stoneman top scored with 86•Getty Images

Three of the contenders for a possible Test call-up – Keaton Jennings, Mark Stoneman and Nick Gubbins – all made half-centuries as England Lions pressed for victory against South Africa A in the tour match at Canterbury.Skipper Jennings and former Durham team-mate Stoneman passed 50 for the second time in the match before Middlesex’s Gubbins sped the Lions toward a declaration with 63 off 65 balls.England pulled out on 308 for 5 after scoring at nearly five an over on a slow pitch, leaving South Africa A with a target of 412 but they lost four wickets before the close, three of them to Somerset’s Jamie Overton in successive overs.Openers Adrian Markram and Heino Kuhn had put on 164 in the first innings but were parted with 8 on the board this time around when Essex’s Jamie Porter defeated Markram’s tentative defensive push. Overton then had Kuhn and Khaya Zondo caught behind and Theunis de Bruyn smartly held at fourth slip as South Africa A limped to 29 for 4 at stumps.A fortnight after he made his career-best 197 for Surrey in the Specsavers County Championship, Stoneman continued his impressive form with 86. He was dropped on 20 and 33 but the left-hander played confidently on both sides of the wicket with 15 fours and a six off offspinner Dane Piedt.Stoneman and Jennings came together after Haseeb Hameed had been dismissed cheaply for the second time in the match when he was squared up by Beuran Hendricks. The second-wicket pair put on 145 in 35 overs and Stoneman appeared to be cruising towards his fourth hundred of the season when he played on to Duanne Olivier after facing 129 balls in 163 minutes.Having hit nine fours in 122 balls, Jennings, one of only three players in this week’s squad who are in the party for the Lions game against South Africa next week, fell for 71 to a smart slip catch cutting against the spin of Piedt before left-hander Gubbins began England’s acceleration after tea.After Dan Lawrence had been caught behind off Hendricks, Gubbins and Ben Foakes, who made an unbeaten 127 in the first innings, added 69 in 7.4 overs with Foakes employing the slog-sweep against Piedt to good effect, twice clearing the midwicket boundary in the same over.Gubbins wasn’t afraid to employ the long handle either, depositing Hendricks over long-on for six. Foakes drove to cover after making 34 from 27 balls and England declared when Gubbins, who struck eight fours and a six, was out in similar fashion.Earlier, South Africa A had been bowled out for 283 – a deficit of 103 – in their first innings after their last three wickets added 46.

Last August Yorkshire took the immensely far-sighted step of opening a dedicated multi-faith room at Headingley. After Adam Lyth’s hundred put Yorkshire on top in the Roses match, it might have to be made available to devout believers in Lancashire

Paul Edwards at Headingley03-Jun-2017
ScorecardLast August Yorkshire took the immensely far-sighted step of opening a dedicated multi-faith room at Headingley. Let us hope on the second evening of this match that it will be made available to devout believers in Lancashire.If so, the visiting communicants will not be short of supplications and chief amongst them will be that their side can find someone to copy the self-denial of Adam Lyth and lead their side away from the despond of defeat on the third day of this game.The bookmakers’ odds – if we may shift our gaze from God to mammon for a moment – are weighed heavily against such an escape. After conceding a first-innings lead of 150 runs, Lancashire have already lost four wickets in reducing the deficit to nine.Two of the wickets were taken by Jack Brooks but the crucial scalp of Haseeb Hameed was claimed for the second time in little more than 24 hours by Ben Coad, when the opener played across a ball slanting in at the stumps. And Steven Croft departed to a Lyth slip catch when Ryan Sidebottom moved one across him.Visiting hopes probably rest on Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who will go into Sunday morning on 43 not out, and on Dane Vilas, who has already made good runs for the county in his first season. But the shrieks and yells from the Yorkshire fielders that followed each delivery in the evening session were not merely an attempt to kid the batsman that something was happening. A 150-run lead should prove decisive on this pitch and it may not matter that the weather forecast for Monday is very gloomyThat Yorkshire possessed such a handsome first-innings advantage can largely be explained by Lyth’s remarkable feat of concentration and self-discipline. The opener came into this match with 90 runs against his name in Championship cricket this season at a grimy average of 12.85.To a degree, Lyth’s struggles continued in this innings yet he fought his way through them with seven partners, reaching a half-century in 155 minutes off 125 balls and his 22nd first-class hundred in 314 minutes, having hit 13 boundaries.To judge the merit of the innings one has to realise that Lyth is frequently one of the finest attacking strokeplayers in the game. The ball sings off his blade and he can make even his England team-mates in the Yorkshire side appear pedestrian accumulators. Yet here he was, scuttling the nudged singles and tolerating the less than perfect drives for twos.Adam Lyth’s season came to life with a century that might win a Roses match•Getty Images

Lyth was in the 90s for 17 overs and faced 41 balls before pushing Tom Bailey to midwicket to reach three figures. The deep-throated roar from the ranks massed at the Kirkstall Lane End at once saluted its worth. Lyth is Yorkshire in thew and sinew; perhaps he recalled the winter drives from his Whitby home to the Headingley nets when he was moving through the county’s junior ranks. Maybe any sacrifice seems worth it when you may have set up a win in the Roses match.Mind you, Lancashire’s bowlers did all they could to hobble their opponents’ progress during the first two sessions of Saturday’s cricket. Indeed, they may regard the capture of eight wickets for 180 runs in conditions nothing like as testing as Friday’s to be something of a victory.Predictably, perhaps, Ryan McLaren made the first breakthrough when he came round the wicket and squared up Gary Ballance, Vilas at slip taking the first of his three catches from the resultant edge.That wicket took the sheen off what had been a good first half-hour for Yorkshire, the comical highlight of which had been the four byes resulting from a ball bowled by McLaren which swung past the far side of Vilas with the wicketkeeper Davies sprawling in front of him There are few things a Yorkshireman enjoys more than the sight of Lancashire’s cricketers doing a passable imitation of Fred Karno’s Army; so the glee in the Kirkstall Lane Stand when this tiny piece of chaos unfolded needs little imagining.Yet the morning and afternoon’s cricket revealed a team who were determined to keep Yorkshire’s lead in check. Never was this more clearly in evidence than in the close fielding. Eight catches were taken in the cordon during Yorkshire’s innings with the pick of them being McLaren’s right-handed effort to remove Jack Leaning ten minutes before lunch. That wicket was taken by Saqib Mahmood who also removed Tim Bresnan next ball and enjoyed his best day in a Lancashire shirt.Like Mahmood, Jordan Clark took three wickets and they included that of Lyth who played by far the poorest shot of his innings to the ball after he reached his century, a wild drive nicking the ball to Davies; the wicketkeeper also did the needful to get rid of Coad two balls later. Yorkshire’s innings ended when Brooks swung Bailey to Hameed at deep backward square leg and Lancashire’s second attempt began under bright skies.The day’s cricket concluded, though, with the lights on and with the slips’ falsetto cries forming a curious and slightly histrionic accompaniment to every play and miss and every unevenly bouncing ball.Yet the truth is that if Lancashire get out of this game with even five points for a draw it will seem like a win to them and it will feel like a defeat to Yorkshire. For that to happen, though, Chanderpaul, Vilas and probably a couple of others will need to take root. The effect on the visiting players’ morale would be very great and it may also steer supporters away from apostasy in these dark times.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Suresh Lokeshwar’s unbeaten 92 helped India hold on to a draw on the final day after collapsing to 61 for 6 in their chase of 238

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2017
Scorecard
File photo – Max Holden’s 170 led England to a big total in the first innings•Getty Images

An unbeaten 92 from wicketkeeper-batsman Suresh Lokeshwar helped India hang on to a draw against England in the first Youth Test of the two-match series.India were set 238 to win on the final day, and found themselves four down at the start of the sixth over. Subsequently, they were reduced to 61 for 6. Seamers Henry Brookes (3-56) and Aaron Beard (2-24) took the first five of those, before Arthur Godsal removed first-innings centurion Daryl Ferrario for 37. This left Lokeshwar about 34 overs to survive in the lower order’s company. He did so with a partnership of 39 for the seventh wicket with Sijomon Joseph that took 13.1 overs, followed by more attacking stands of 61 at 4.11 with Kanishk Seth and an unbroken 28 at 4.54 with Vineet Panwar. Lokeshwar hit 14 fours during his knock and struck at 73.60, but India’s early breakthroughs meant 189 for 8 was as far as they could get in the chase.The chase itself was set up with a six-wicket haul by offspinner Joseph, who inflicted a collapse on England that saw them fall from 151 for 4 to 167 all out on the final day. Right-handed batsman George Bartlett didn’t get to bat with Max Holden in the second innings, with whom he had put on a record 321 runs in the first innings, but was involved in England’s biggest partnership in the second innings too, putting on 73 for the fifth wicket with Ollie Pope (26) after the visitors were reduced to 78 for 4. He fell to Joseph for 68 and Pope followed shortly after, falling to Ferrario (2-17) and opening up an England collapse that spanned 11 overs.The second innings for both teams were in stark contrast to the first, where runs were more easily had. England skipper Holden had won the toss, chosen to bat, and gone on to score 170 after his record partnership for the second wicket ended with Bartlett’s stumping off Joseph for 179. Allrounder Delray Rawlins then scored an unbeaten 70 off 94 balls to lift England to 501 for 5. In response, India declared on 431 for 8, with sixties from Abhishek Goswami (66), Saurabh Singh (62) and Joseph (62*) complementing Ferrario’s 117.

Leicester City are looking for a new permanent manager following their relegation from the Premier League this season, and a former Liverpool legend is among the names of the shortlist.

The Foxes could begin their summer rebuild by appointing former Aston Villa and Rangers boss Steven Gerrard, as per journalist Tom Collomosse.

Will Steven Gerrard become Leicester manager?

Gerrard has been without a club since he was sacked by Villa back in October after less than a year in charge.

The Liverpool native was dismissed after a poor run of form to start the season and was replaced by former Arsenal manager Unai Emery who later helped guide Villa to a place in next season’s Europa Conference League.

The former Reds captain had a successful stint in Scotland and helped guide Rangers to their Scottish title in ten years back in 2021 before his move to Villa Park.

Gerrard is one of a number of names on the shortlist to take over at the King Power Stadium, which includes current interim boss Dean Smith, former Fulham and AFC Bournemouth head coach Scott Parker and current Manchester City assistant coach Enzo Maresca.

Leicester could face competition from fellow-relegated side Leeds, who The Mail claim are also interested in offering Gerrard a role as head coach. Leeds are looking for a new manager following Sam Allardyce’s departure.

Would Steven Gerrard be a good Leicester City manager?

Although the former England midfielder had some success in his time in Glasgow, Leicester fans may be concerned at a lack of experience on the part of the manager could hinder their chances of promotion back to the Premier League.

Gerrard has only held two senior managerial posts.

The Liverpool legend managed the U18 and U19 teams at the club for which he made over 500 league appearances before landing the job at Ibrox.

But the 43-year-old's spell at Villa will be what concerns Leicester fans the most.

Jordan Campbell of The Athletic has described Gerrard’s managerial style as “repetitive' and that 'it leaves fans cold'. Campbell argues that even before his tenure at Rangers ended, there was a 'distinct feeling that things had gone stale.'

Former Premier League manager Neil Warnock told talkSPORT in October:

“I think it’s hard for him to relate to fans at times”.

“I just think sometimes you’ve got to get on board with the fans a little bit more and become almost one of them.”

Comments like these will worry Leicester fans ahead of a managerial appointment of huge significance as the club look to rebound immediately to England’s top division.