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Irfan Pathan reported to the team’s assistant manager that he was given gifts by a stranger during the 2006 series in Pakistan, the official has confirmed

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Sep-2010Irfan Pathan, the India medium-pacer, had reported to the team’s assistant manager that he was given gifts by a stranger during the 2006 tour of Pakistan, the official has confirmed. Wing commander M Baladitya, the team’s assistant manager on the tour, said the incident had taken place at the Pearl Continental Hotel in Karachi.Irfan was quoted by an Indian TV channel as claiming that he was sent expensive gifts by a “stranger”, suspected to be a bookie, during the series. He said he never saw the person again and reported the matter to the authorities concerned. The story was endorsed by the man handling team operations on the tour.”Irfan had told me that somebody came to his room and left expensive gifts for him”, Baladitya told PTI. “I told him to return them immediately. However, he said he did not know who had kept the gifts in his room”.Baladitya, who was part of India’s tours to Pakistan in 2004 and 2006, said he mentioned the incident in his tour report submitted to the BCCI after the series but not to the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit. “I was not dealing with the ICC but the BCCI,” he said. “So I thought it was appropriate to bring the incident to their notice. During the tour I kept telling the players not to accept any gifts or contact anybody.”The 2006 tour was the Indian team’s first away from home under a new BCCI regime led by Sharad Pawar with Niranjan Shah as its secretary. When contacted by ESPNcricinfo, Shah, who is in South Africa as a member of the Champions League Twenty20’s governing council said, “I don’t remember anything.”

Though Kumar Sangakkara tried to put on a brave face by speaking of trying to find the find the right combination, Punjab’s downward spiral will only continue unless Yuvraj Singh and Irfan Pathan get their act together

Jamie Alter in Mohali27-Mar-2010This sluggish, lopsided and almost painful to watch Twenty20 affair was summed up in two overs, the last of Kolkata Knight Riders’ innings, which transformed the game, and the sixth of Kings XI Punjab’s reply.Punjab began that fateful final over well, conceding a single and picking a wicket, but Irfan Pathan bled runs off the remaining balls. Later in the night, having just taken Ajit Agarkar – in his come-back over – for four and six in two deliveries to get the asking-rate under control, Yuvraj Singh failed to curb his enthusiasm and slogged one high into the sky. When it finally came down, it landed in the outstretched hands of an athletic Manoj Tiwary, who covered ground and never lost sight of the ball to pull off a cracker. Those two overs summed up Punjab’s plight this season and will no doubt return to haunt them if their campaign continues to remain so woefully inept. Their two most experienced Indian players just haven’t hit a rhythm with their primary tasks.A total of 162 for 4 from 19 overs was decent, but it wasn’t daunting. Then Tiwary larruped Irfan’s last four deliveries for 20 runs and lifted the run-rate by nearly one an over. With the batsmen ready to swing at whatever came their way, spin was not an option for Kumar Sangakkara, but was Irfan the right man for the job? His three overs had cost 21 runs for one wicket, and Shalabh Srivastava, who had 2 for 23 from three overs, was the alternative. As it transpired, Sangakkara’s decision proved unsuccessful, but he should have seen what was coming.Irfan came into this match with a bowling average of 47.66 and an economy rate of 8.66. He had taken three wickets in five games. A vital player for Punjab, given his all-round ability, he had been floundering in his main occupation. Given his descent as a bowler in the last few years, his lack of penetration must have come as no surprise. Irfan was once again the trundler that fans have now grown accustomed to. There was no pace and Tiwary slapped the short ball for a flat six; a full and wide delivery was drilled past cover; an even fuller ball disappeared back over Irfan’s head for a maximum; the last one was so predictable that Tiwary was already hanging on the back foot to get four more.An innings that had begun in rampant fashion with Brett Lee being flayed for 19 runs ended on a similar note. Irfan’s body language said it all as he walked off the field. He had again failed to deliver as a bowler. Like Yuvraj with the bat this season, Irfan’s failure as a bowler capable of striking with the new ball and at the death has really hurt this team. Unlike in Test cricket, where you can have a poor session, or 50-over cricket, where you can go for a few runs in the Powerplays before staging a comeback, Twenty20 is merciless. A couple of bad overs and the game slides out of reach. Irfan had four bad deliveries and that made a big difference in the ultimate result.When Agarkar began the sixth over of Punjab’s reply, he was holding a cricket ball for the first time on an IPL field this season. His first ball was on the pads but Yuvraj, who had boldly decided to open, missed out. The next two deliveries were vintage Yuvraj, and hinted that he was finally going to roar and that Agarkar, much to the delight of many a sceptic, was proving to be cannon fodder. Those two brute shots from Yuvraj had all but leveled the asking-rate. But yet again, one of Punjab’s vital players chose to disappoint. Impetuosity got the better of Yuvraj and he couldn’t resist going for another six. The steepler went up into the night and it was that man Tiwary who was in the thick of things again.The team’s top batsman had been dismissed and with that the chase fizzled out. Yuvraj’s poor form is directly linked to Punjab’s failings. Today he appeared clueless against Shane Bond, beating beaten by pace, and edging outside off a few times. He saw Agarkar come on and thought he had an escape route, but it didn’t work out. Given the dead nature of the Mohali pitch, Sangakkara would have expected his batsmen to make a fist of this chase. Instead, Bond began with a one-run first over in which he sent back Ravi Bopara, and then Yuvraj lost it once again. That wicket set in motion one of the ugliest chases in the IPL, with all the batsmen playing well below their best. This was a match that Punjab could have won, and they will look back regretfully at another damning passage of play where they simply refused to go forward. At the fall of the third wicket, Sangakkara was joined by Mahela Jayawardene and the Sri Lankan duo stitched together 34 runs in six overs, allowing the asking rate to go past 15.Punjab’s campaign is yet to take off and the wheels are already coming off rapidly. Given the way their two best Indian players failed, in the capacity they are most expected to deliver, this loss – their fifth in six games – will hurt a lot more than most. Though Sangakkara tried to put on a brave face by speaking of trying to find the best position for players to bat, and that the only way to go was up, the downward spiral will only continue unless Yuvraj and Irfan get their act together.

Rangers are among the clubs eyeing teenage prodigy Zak Lovelace, according to The Daily Record’s Scott Burns. 

The lowdown

The youngster, who will turn 16 next week, became the second-youngest player in Millwall’s history when he made an appearance from the bench against Coventry City in December.

According to The Telegraph’s John Percy, the striker had to get ‘permission from his parents and his school’ to join up with the Lions squad for the fixture. Lovelace has been called to train with the club’s first team ‘several’ times.

The latest

Rangers have ‘regularly’ scouted Lovelace this season and are hopeful of signing him, as per The Daily Record. They face competition from the Premier League, with Leicester City and Brighton mentioned as prospective suitors.

Millwall are described as ‘desperate’ to keep hold of Lovelace, for whom they have ‘massive hopes’, and they are trying to persuade him to sign a professional contract at The Den.

The verdict

Millwall manager Gary Rowett has waxed lyrical about Lovelace, saying: “Zak is a really good lad. He has come in with a humility and hunger to want to do well – that exuberance of youth. I’d love to see how that develops over the next two or three years because he could be, from what I’ve seen, a top player.”

However, the 47-year-old admitted that the London club might not have full control over the teenager’s next move, so it could come down to who can offer him the clearest or swiftest path to senior football.

Rangers have clearly been impressed on their trips to watch Lovelace if they are interested in signing him, and they may even think that he’s a superstar in the making. After all, journalist Dan Marsh urged fans to ‘remember the name’ when the 15-year-old came on against Coventry.

In other news, Rangers are in a strong position to land this defender

Shivnarine Chanderpaul believed that despite being in a seemingly hopeless situation, West Indies could pull off a shock win in the third Test match against South Africa in Barbados

Cricinfo staff29-Jun-2010Shivnarine Chanderpaul has said West Indies could pull off a shock win in the third Test against South Africa in Barbados despite being in a seemingly hopeless situation. The hosts had few backers, finishing the third day with a slender lead of 19 and only three second-innings wickets remaining, but Chanderpaul thought the state of the pitch could give them an outside chance.”If we get a lead over 100, anything is possible on that pitch,” Chanderpaul said. “Then if we bowl well and field well, we can probably win the game. We have to make sure we take whatever we can get out there. We can’t get bogged down because if you get bogged down, you get out.”West Indies did well on the third morning, dismissing South Africa’s tail cheaply to restrict their first-innings lead to 115, with Sulieman Benn picking six wickets. However, some questionable batting from the top order, followed by effective spells from the South African spinners left West Indies in disarray by stumps. Chanderpaul’s unbeaten 57 was their only bright spot and he hoped to give his bowlers something to bowl at in the fourth innings.”Make sure we keep putting runs on that board, and take as much as we can, and whatever we get, we will have to work with,” he said. “It is one of those pitches that you have to keep fighting on, especially when the spinners are bowling. When the pacers are bowling one side of the wicket, and they are not trying anything much, they are not giving you any opportunity to score, they are being patient, waiting for you to make a mistake. You just have to be patient and keep fighting.”Chanderpaul rued the way his side had wasted the opportunity to post a big total in the first innings, when they had the best of the conditions. Having won the toss, they could only muster 231 as several batsmen gave it away after getting starts. “It’s always good to have a good start, and get a big score in your first innings, but it didn’t happen for us. In any Test match it is a major setback. It would have been better if we had a huge total; maybe 400-plus, so that we could run at them later in the match,” he said.South Africa’s batsmen on the other hand, knuckled down in tough conditions and ground out a lead, with Ashwell Prince top-scoring with a patient 78 off 262 balls. “Obviously with the spinners bowling into the rough it was tough to score runs,” Prince said. “Also with the ball being soft against the fast bowlers, it was hard to get the ball away. The pitch was a bit on the slow side. Sulieman Benn bowled well on it as well. He had good control, and did not bowl many bad balls.”Prince echoed Chanderpaul’s assessment that South Africa gained the upperhand on the first day when they bowled West Indies out for a poor score. “What was in our favour was that we got them out quite early in terms of the match on day one, so even though we were not scoring runs freely, we had lots of time. As far as our game plan was concerned we were looking to bat as long as possible to build enough of a lead.”Prince’s effort, coupled with 70s from Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers, took South Africa ahead before Dale Steyn put them in control with a three-wicket burst that claimed Chris Gayle, Narsingh Deonarine and Dale Richards. Prince was delighted with the Steyn’s efforts and thought it set up his side’s dominance on the third afternoon. “He is a world-class bowler, so we are not surprised when he takes wickets. Then obviously when the spinners come on, it is tough as well.”While Steyn was at his menacing best, West Indies’ approach did not help their cause, with Richards and Deonarine perishing to poor shots. Prince put down the attacking intent to the hosts’ eagerness to square the series. “Being one down and wanting the win to draw the series level, they probably wanted to be a bit more aggressive in this match,” he said. “They are playing it hard out there, and we are playing it hard too, and that is the way Test cricket should be played.”

Hemang Badani will represent Rajasthan in the Ranji Trophy Plate League when the Indian domestic season begins later in the year

Cricinfo staff28-Aug-2009Hemang Badani, who will make a comeback to mainstream cricket after severing ties with the ICL, will represent Rajasthan in the Ranji Trophy Plate League when the Indian domestic season begins later this year. Badani was a part of his state side, Tamil Nadu, for over ten years before opting to join the unauthorised ICL. He was one of 79 Indian players to accept the BCCI’s offer of amnesty in exchange for quitting the league.”They (Rajasthan Cricket Association) have been in discussions with me,” Badani was quoted as saying in the . “I was also considering Assam and Goa before deciding to play for Rajasthan. “I’ve been very happy with how I’ve come back in the (first-division) league here, and put runs on the board. I’m really looking forward to proper cricket after two years of what was like exile.”Badani, 32, has represented India in four Tests and 40 ODIs. He’s played 96 first-class games, averaging 47.91 and scoring 13 centuries, and while in the ICL, played for Chennai Superstars. Badani was overlooked for the Buchi Babu tournament, conducted by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA), and wasn’t picked either in the TNCA XI or the TNCA Presidents XI.Badani, however, was not disappointed with his exclusion. “It makes perfect sense,” he said. “I spoke to (TNCA) officials, and they said they were looking to the future. The youngsters who have come in have done really well, making it to the semifinals (last season). It (picking me over them) would have given a negative vibe to the youngsters.”Badani has been handed a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the TNCA, which he has forwarded to the BCCI and the Rajasthan Cricket Association (DCA).Rajasthan were relegated to the Plate League of the Ranji Trophy after finishing at the bottom of their group in last year’s Super League phase of the tournament.

Daryl Dike and Yorkshire have met before. Not at Leeds United, of course, but rewind to last season and you may remember the stocky American forward in the red of Barnsley.

His experience of playing in the north of England will bring back fond memories, finding the net on nine occasions in 22 outings.

It was an eye-catching spell in English forward for Dike who has rightfully now attracted the eyes of those in the Premier League.

Leeds are one of the teams interested in his services and it’s easy to see why. The 21-year-old has 28 career goals, experience of English football, and Marcelo Bielsa’s men are in desperate need of an extra striker.

Patrick Bamford has played just once since September because of an ankle injury and those who have filled in for the England international, have hardly performed well.

Club-record signing Rodrigo has only two goals all term while Tyler Roberts has just the solitary strike in the top-flight this season from 18 appearances.

In the process, the Welshman has also left Bielsa furious.

After a dismal outing against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup, Leeds Live reporter Beren Cross noted the following: “Roberts received the ball in a promising position last night with Arsenal out of shape and rather than look to turn Maitland-Niles, as he had the time to do, he waited and looked for contact from behind to go down.

“The referee waved played on and the hosts took the ball away. Bielsa was furious and barked immediately for Gelhardt to come on.”

Indeed, his performances since have hardly improved and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Leeds boss barked for Dike to come and replace him next month.

The young forward plays in MLS at the moment so it’s hard to get a fair reflection for how he may perform in the Premier League.

That being said, he is a genuine goalscorer and a scary opponent for any defender to deal with.

Former teammate Jordan Williams once commented: “Daryl has got a rocket of a right foot. I think he’s similar to Lukaku. He hasn’t scored as many goals yet, but he can hit a ball just as hard.”

Romelu Lukaku has been a feared prospect for a number of years now and should Dike perform anything like the Chelsea forward if he joins the Whites, he’d turn out to be a magnificent capture.

It’s evident that Leeds are in a big hole at the moment and without a reliable striker in the form of Roberts, they are never going to improve. That’s exactly why they need to delve into the January market to axe him.

AND in other news, Orta masterclass: Leeds struck dream deal with £36m-rated “magician” who’s “a storm”…

Warwickshire required less than four hours to skittle Kent and land a remarkable 44-run win with only eight overs remaining on an action-packed final day at Canterbury

07-May-2010
ScorecardWarwickshire required less than four hours to skittle Kent and land a remarkable 44-run win with only eight overs remaining on an action-packed final day at Canterbury in which 16 wickets fell. Set to chase 201 in the 68 overs remaining in the contest, Kent made a dismal start when Joe Denly had his middle stump plucked out by Chris Woakes from the second ball of the pursuit.Soon after lunch Geraint Jones (12) fished outside off to be caught behind off the same bowler, then Rob Key (22) was caught on the back foot to fall lbw to Rikki Clarke – one of 17 lbw victims in the game. Kent regrouped with a fourth-wicket stand between Sam Northeast and Martin van Jaarsveld that added 63 in 18 wickets, with van Jaarsveld scoring Kent’s only half-century from 66 balls.But Northeast’s demise for 26, lbw to the pick of the visiting attack, Imran Tahir, sparked a remarkable collapse as Kent snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Van Jaarsveld’s resistance ended for 59 after almost two hours when he fell to Darren Maddy and four balls later James Hockley (1) had his off-stump feathered by a leg-cutter to make it 128 for 6.The hosts needed 70 off the final 20 overs of the match with four wickets still intact and at an asking rate of only 3.5 an over. However, the task proved beyond them as Tahir (4 for 27) and Woakes (3 for 43) ran through the tail to record a 21-point win. Matt Coles and Darren Stevens inexplicably holed out in the deep, Simon Cook became the final lbw victim of the match, while last man Makhaya Ntini completed a miserable home debut by having his middle stump plucked out by Woakes for a third-ball duck.The fourth and final day started with a flurry of Warwickshire wickets as Kent mopped up their last six for 69 runs in the space of 27 overs to be batting again five minutes before lunch. Resuming on 258 for 4 – a slender overall lead of 131 – the visitors lostJonathan Trott in the third over of the day having added only a single to his overnight 65. Playing half-forward to Matt Coles’ second ball of the day, a shooting off-cutter, Trott became the third of six lbw victims in the innings.Rikki Clarke (4) then fell to Simon Cook, before – 15 runs later – allrounder Woakes scooped an airy drive into the hands of Hockley at backward point to make it 278 for 7 and give Amjad Khan figures of 3 for 63. Some belligerent hitting from left-hander Neil Carter (37 not out) took his side past 300, but Kent hit back to claim the last three Warwickshire wickets for two runs in the space of 14 deliveries.Tim Ambrose (14) jumped back and across in defence against Cook to go lbw and Naqaash and Imran Tahir failed to trouble the scorers. Naqaash steered a delivery to slip off the bowling of occasional offspinner van Jaarsveld, then namesake Imran had his leg stump plucked out by Cook – whofinished with 3 for 75.

An update has emerged on Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo, regarding a potential move to Everton in January…

What’s the talk?

According to Italian outlet Sport Mediaset, the Serie A giants want to offload the Brazilian and a swap deal involving Lucas Digne could be on the cards.

The report claims that the Old Lady need a new left-back to replace Alex Sandro and sending their out-of-favour ex-Barcelona gem to Goodison Park could allow them to strike a deal for one.

Rafa would love him

Everton must pounce on this opportunity to sign Arthur from Juventus as he could be an excellent addition to the team. If Rafa Benitez is set on Digne leaving then it could be ideal to, at least, get a player back in return for him to bolster the squad ahead of the second half of the campaign.

Arthur has not had the best of times in Turin, with just two league starts this season, but the £31.5m-rated gem has shown in the past that he has the quality to be a top performer and Benitez would surely love him.

His former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi previously lauded his talent and adaptability upon his arrival at the club, saying:

“Arthur I didn’t know that much about but he seems similar to Xavi. He’s very safe and trustworthy. He has the La Masia style. Playing short passes, without losing the ball, and he grasped it quickly, the dynamic of the team.”

In his last season for the Spanish giants, he averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.84 in La Liga as he played 21 times and chipped in with three goals and three assists from midfield. He also averaged a score of 6.97 in the Champions League that term, proving that he can perform to a high standard at the top level.

Rafa would love him at Goodison Park as he could be a steady midfield presence who can perform consistently in the middle of the park, as per Messi’s comments on him being “trustworthy” and his statistics in his final year at Barcelona.

Of course, the beast’s lack of game time for Juventus is alarming and it remains to be seen how quickly he will be able to adapt to life in England because of his recent bench-warming. However, if the Toffees can get him back to the levels he was showing in La Liga and the Champions League for Barcelona then they could have a top player on their hands.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Digne: Rafa may ruthlessly replace £119k-p/w gem as EFC transfer news emerges…

Shaun Tait and David Warner, two of Australia’s Twenty20 specialists, continued the team’s unbeaten summer by setting up a 38-run thrashing of West Indies in Hobart

The Bulletin by Brydon Coverdale21-Feb-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDavid Warner was entertaining during his 49•Getty ImagesShaun Tait and David Warner, two of Australia’s Twenty20 specialists, continued the team’s unbeaten summer by setting up a 38-run thrashing of West Indies in Hobart. Warner provided the early thrills with a brutal batting display before the Man of the Match Tait destroyed West Indies’ top order as Australia’s plans for the ICC World Twenty20 took a step in the right direction.Warner and Shane Watson lit up Bellerive Oval, which was hosting its first night international, by taking Australia to 0 for 83 in the eighth over and some late fireworks from Brad Haddin pushed them to 8 for 179. It was a good but gettable total, until two wickets in Tait’s first over knocked the life out of the chase.Chris Gayle has failed to spark during the limited-overs portion of the summer and that trend continued when he swung wildly at Tait’s fourth delivery and saw his stumps splayed. The next ball was angled across Narsingh Deonarine, caught the edge and was sharply taken by Watson at first slip.Kieron Pollard survived the hat-trick ball and blasted a couple of boundaries before he became the third of Tait’s victims with an edge behind to a wonderful fast delivery that moved away off the seam. In between, Tait had been part of another breakthrough when Lendl Simmons slashed to him at third man off Dirk Nannes and after four overs, West Indies were 4 for 26.Tait and Nannes proved a difficult combination for Pakistan in the Twenty20 earlier this month and if they remain fit could be a lethal new-ball duo at the world tournament. Mitchell Johnson becomes a backup bowler in their presence and he chipped in with two wickets including Dwayne Smith, superbly caught on the boundary by a jumping Steven Smith.Smith repeated it with another on-the-move boundary catch to give Nannes his third wicket after Runako Morton (40) and Denesh Ramdin (44) added some respectability to West Indies’ scorecard. They were composed in a 73-run stand but never got West Indies back in the match.It was a disappointing result after they showed imagination, by opening with two spin bowlers, and fight, as they dragged the run-rate back following the quick start from Warner and Watson. The slow-bowling move paid off as Deonarine and Nikita Miller kept the first two overs to six runs before Warner began to tee off.The openers took an extraordinary 59 off four overs beginning with the fourth and Warner led the charge with several strikes over the off side. A monstrous six over midwicket off Deonarine forced a change of ball and when Kemar Roach finally came on in the sixth over Warner welcomed him with a six smacked over midwicket and a back-away cut over third man.Watson was slower to get going but equally powerful when he did and struck four sixes, stepping back deep into his crease to allow himself to lift the ball. A pair of sixes off Dwayne Smith were especially impressive but Watson was the first to depart when he skied Gayle and was taken by the wicketkeeper Ramdin for 37 off 19 balls.Warner narrowly missed his third Twenty20 international half-century when he chipped a Smith full toss back to the bowler and was out for 49 from 32 deliveries. Australia’s run-rate at the time was around 10 and it quickly receded after both openers left and the wickets began to flow.Gayle, Pollard and Miller – who was extremely good with 2 for 20 – kept things tight and Australia’s middle order might be one area they can work on before the World Twenty20. Michael Clarke continued to struggle in the format and made 12, Travis Birt compiled a nervy 13 and Cameron White was surprisingly stodgy in his 15 from 20 balls.It was only the 44 from the last three overs, as Haddin raced to 37 from 16, that pushed Australia past a middling total. Tait made 179 look like a mountain.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has shared his thoughts on Roy Hodgson following his decision to step down as Crystal Palace manager.

Hodgson parts ways with Crystal PalaceKlopp reveals admiration for 76-year-oldLiverpool boss also moving on in summerGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Klopp has shared his admiration of Hodgson in the wake of his departure from Crystal Palace. The Eagles have confirmed Hodgson has stepped down from his role as manager following a recent health scare that saw him taken to hospital. Hodgson is now back home and "doing well" but has been replaced at Selhurst Park by former Eintracht Frankfurt manager Oliver Glasner.

AdvertisementWHAT JURGEN KLOPP SAID

Klopp told a press conference: "I think I said a couple of times I don't really understand why he is still doing the job! With my situation he'll probably understand a bit better, but I don't understand what he is doing! One of the greatest I ever met, definitely, for that long time in the business [he is a] human full of experience. [He] trend-set in the beginning; he kept his idea. It's always like this when it's not going well. That's the problem in our business then people forget a little bit how good the times were before. I think Crystal Palace could be like that if there were some supporters who were shouting for him to get the sack. They definitely forgot how good a job he did in the few times when he was there.

"I hope he is doing well. I hope because that obviously was a shock last week when I heard about that he was taken ill in training. That's nothing that should happen at all. I hope he is doing well and when he is doing well then I wish him just the very best of times that he can have and stay healthy. That would be the most important but it's a bit of a shame that I couldn't say properly goodbye to him because we faced each other quite frequently and like each other a lot. But, yeah, that's not the biggest problem."

GettyDID YOU KNOW?

Hodgson's managerial career spans 48 years and has seen him take charge of 17 club sides and four international teams, including England.

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Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL AND PALACE

Glasner is set to take charge of Palace for the first time on Saturday against Burnley as he bids to guide his new team away from the relegation zone. As for Liverpool, the club are looking at potential replacements for Klopp, with the German boss having already backed former midfielder Xabi Alonso to replace him in the Anfield hotseat.