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Glamorgan have been plunged into further turmoil with news that former captain Jamie Dalrymple is leaving and club president Peter Walker has resigned

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2010Glamorgan have been plunged into further turmoil with the news that former captain Jamie Dalrymple is leaving and club president Peter Walker has resigned.The move follows the recent sacking of Dalrymple as captain and resignation of Matthew Maynard, after he learned he was to be demoted from his cricket manager role.The new arrangement will see Colin Metson taking on a manager director position with the cricketing decisions being taken jointly by chairman Paul Russell and chief executive Alan Hamer as well as new overseas player Alviro Petersen taking over as captain.Walker, a lifelong Glamorgan man who played 469 first-class games and three Tests over a 17-year career, is unhappy with the developments and admits he has concerns with their potential impacts.”Much has already been reported on the proposed changes in the running and structure of the team,” said Walker. “I have serious concerns about their likely impact. My standing down now will give the Chairman and officers of the club sufficient time to recommend a suitable replacement to the membership.”Throughout my period in office the loyal fans of Glamorgan overwhelmingly gave me their support. They deserve, and will expect the new president to continue to speak and act on their behalf.”In the 17 years I played for the county, Glamorgan were a club to whom I was totally committed, on and off the field. That state of mind remains and I’m proud of my Honorary Life membership for services to the club – and the game of cricket.”Dalrymple had joined Glamorgan from Middlesex at the end of the 2007 season and was made captain in 2009. “I have today [Thursday] resigned from Glamorgan County Cricket Club with immediate effect,” he said in a statement. “I have done so because Glamorgan have effectively dismissed me by removing the captaincy from me, recruiting a new post above Matthew Maynard and me, recruiting a new overseas player and captain in Alviro Peterson.”All of this without consultation or prior notification with me. This has rendered my position at the club untenable. The first I knew of any of these fundamental management and cricket decisions was on Monday afternoon when the chairman Paul Russell phoned to inform me of a ,” he added. “I understand the club’s right to remove the captaincy at their discretion and I recognise that the results in one-day cricket are not yet at a level we were happy with.”

West Ham United defender Issa Diop has been at the centre of criticism through members of the media following his latest display in the FA Cup fourth round against Kidderminster Harriers this afternoon.

The Lowdown: West Ham fail to find new centre-back…

As widely reported, strengthening at centre-back was one of West Ham’s main transfer goals for last month alongside the addition of a new striker.

However, despite lodging record-breaking bids in the final week of January, the Irons and recruitment chief Rob Newman could not bring in a major winter window signing.

Talks were held for Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car and there were links to the likes of Manchester City’s Nathan Ake and Burnley’s James Tarkowski.

With Angelo Ogbonna still sidelined and after the Hammers’ inability to sign a player in that area, Moyes has to make do with Craig Dawson, Kurt Zouma and Diop as his only options.

Following the latter man’s FA Cup display this afternoon, members of the media weren’t impressed with what he offered against Kidderminster.

The Latest: Media criticise Diop…

Taking to social media, esteemed journalists singled out the Frenchman’s display for criticism.

“To be generous, Diop has made a shocking start. Gave away the free-kick, collided with Areola for the goal and now gives another free-kick away on the edge of the box.” – Jack Rosser, The Evening Standard (Twitter).

“Really is quite frightening for WHUFC how bad Issa Diop can be. A new centre-back, maybe even two, absolutely essential business this summer.” – Toby Cudworth, Head of Content at 90min (Twitter).

“Diop looks like he’s been possessed by Gary Breen.” – Jacob Steinberg, The Guardian (Twitter).

The Verdict: Justified?

The towering central defender, it’s safe to say, endured a torrid afternoon at Aggborough Stadium.

According to SofaScore, before being hauled off by Moyes at half time, Diop was one of the lowest-rated players out of West Ham’s side with a 6.4/10.

He also conceded possession on seven separate occasions over the first 45 minutes whilst losing 100% of his ground duels up against the National League North minnows (SofaScore).

Called a ‘big name’ and a ‘big player’ last year by pundit Noel Whelan, if he continues this form, those tags certainly won’t stick for long.

In other news: West Ham weighing yet another marquee bid as Moyes sets sights on ‘extraordinary’ player, find out more here.

West Ham have joined the race to sign Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey, according to a report by The Times.

The Lowdown: Irons searching for a midfielder

The Hammers have been linked with numerous midfielders throughout the January transfer window. Jesse Lingard has been the most prevalent of which, following his sensational loan with the Irons last season, where he scored nine goals and produced five assists in 16 appearances for David Moyes’ side.

More recent reports claim West Ham made a club-record £50million bid to sign Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips, suggesting that the London club are still in the market for a midfielder.

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The Latest: Hammers want Ramsey

According to a report by The Times, West Ham have joined the race to sign Juventus midfielder Ramsey.

The Turin giants reportedly want to offload the Wales international, who earns around £250,000 a week.

Another report by David Ornstein revealed that there is one Premier League team, one European outfit and also Rangers all eyeing the player, who is reportedly sat waiting at a private airport ‘about to decide’ his next move.

The Verdict: A fantastic signing

Ramsey would be a fantastic signing for Moyes’ side as he would bring a high-level of experience to the squad. Having featured in 262 Premier League matches, the Welshman would be able to guide the youngsters breaking into the first-team, and further provide a calm presence in the Hammers’ midfield.

Following EURO 2020, Wales teammate Joe Allen described Ramsey’s tournament as ‘incredible’, claiming that he demonstrated why he is a ‘world-class’ player.

Therefore, if Moyes is able to revive his career and help him replicate the fine form he had at Arsenal – where he bagged 65 goals and 65 assists – then Ramsey could prove to be one of the best signings of the January window.

In other news: Hammers interested in Layvin Kurzawa

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

West Ham United are facing the prospect of being without Tomas Soucek once again for their trip to Manchester United on Saturday afternoon.

What’s the story?

The Czech Republic international was missing from action for the Hammers’ 3-2 defeat against Leeds United last time out in the Premier League, and it appears that while he is back in training, there are big doubts over whether he will be able to take his place against Ralf Rangnick’s side later today.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against United, David Moyes said: “We’ve had the virus like all teams and we have injuries as well.

“Tomáš Souček came back from the virus, we’re not quite sure yet if he’s ready so we need to try and assess that. Hopefully we’re not too bad and we’ll go there and try to do the best we can.”

Big blow for West Ham

Make no mistake about it, being without Soucek against Man United would be a huge blow to West Ham’s chances of picking up points against a team who are directly battling them for a Champions League place.

The Hammers’ defeat to Leeds last week put a dent in their hopes of clinching that top-four spot, but they know that a famous victory at Old Trafford would not only boost their confidence heading into these final few months of the season, but also deliver a crushing blow to their direct rivals too.

Soucek and Declan Rice have been the mainstays of this West Ham midfield since the former’s arrival at the club a couple of years ago, and breaking up that partnership has had a knock-on effect of not only robbing the Hammers of a first-choice midfielder, but also the impact it has on Rice’s game too – the Englishman’s performance levels have slightly dipped of late.

The Czech midfielder has had a huge influence on the Irons this season, winning more headers per game (3.5) than any of his team-mates while also ranking in the top three for tackles (1.7) and interceptions (1.5) per match, as per WhoScored. Those figures make it clear just how much his presence is being missed in the middle of the park.

Being without Soucek once again would be a huge blow to West Ham today as they travel to Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, West Ham are pushing hard for this star…

Celtic are interested in a deal to bring Mehdi Ghayedi to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Hatam Shiralizadeh (via The Scotsman), with the journalist revealing in a post on Twitter that Celtic have made an official offer to Shabab Al Ahli for the 23-year-old, although the UAE side are believed to have rejected this bid as they do not want to part with the versatile winger this month.

However, Shiralizadeh goes on to state that Ange Postecoglou is desperate to seal a deal for the Iran international before the end of the current transfer window, with Celtic thought to be preparing a second offer for the forward.

In his post, the journalist said: “Shabab Al Ahli have turned down an official bid from Celtic for Mehdi Ghayedi. UAE side don’t want to sell the Iranian striker in January, however, Celtic are determined to sign the young talent, so they are planning to offer a new bid for the 23-year-old.”

“Jota-type trickster”

Despite his tender age and diminutive stature – standing at just 5 foot 5 tall – it is easy to see why Postecoglou is so eager to get a deal over the line for Ghayedi this January.

Indeed, the left-winger – who can also be deployed on the right flank and at centre-forward – already boasts a quite incredible record of goals scored and assists provided in his short professional career, having bagged 41 goals and registered 27 assists over 154 outings for Esteghlal FC, Iranjavan FC and Shabab Al Ahli – directly contributing to a goal every 159 minutes of football played.

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However, it is not only the number of goals that is impressive about the £1.08m-rated forward, but also the quality of his strikes.

Indeed, Ghayedi appears to have something of a knack for popping up in the dying stages of a match when his side are most in need of a moment of magic, such as his 94th-minute winner against Sharjah FC back in September.

The 23-year-old picked up the ball in the middle of the park before sitting a defender down and curling a shot into the far corner – with the finish being dubbed an “extraordinary killer goal” by ADSportsTV.

As such, it is not difficult to understand why Bhoys Analytics recently dubbed the youngster a “Jota-type trickster,” nor why Navid Molaaghaei described Ghayedi a “magician,” as the Iranian starlet very much seems to be a player in the same mould as the Portugal U21 international, as well as undoubtedly being a talent who has a much higher ceiling than someone like Mikey Johnston, or even James Forrest.

In other news: Postecoglou may be heading for huge Celtic mistake as offer prepared for £1.6m dynamo

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.”

Newcastle ended a run of three straight defeats with a 1-1 draw at home to Manchester United at St James’ Park on Monday night.

Allan Saint-Maximin got them off to the dream start with a wonderful finish to hand them the lead. He was falling off balance after dribbling past Harry Maguire and managed to find the top corner with an excellent strike at the same time, with David de Gea rooted to the spot.

Edinson Cavani equalised in the second half as he prodded home a rebound from his own shot after Jamaal Lascelles’ initial block fell kindly to him in the box.

Both teams had chances to steal all three points at the death, more so the home side, but the points were shared in the end.

Forget Saint-Maximin

Whilst the French phenomenon on the wing scored Newcastle’s goal, it was Joelinton who stole the show as he produced a sensational display in central midfield for the Magpies.

He has taken to his new midfield role like a duck to water and this performance looked like one of a player who has been operating in that position for decades. The Brazilian made a big impact at both ends of the field and deserved to be on a winning side, but Eddie Howe will surely be delighted with his contribution towards getting a valuable point on the board.

Defensively, the 25-year-old worked tirelessly. As per SofaScore, he won eight duels throughout the 90 minutes. He made a whopping four tackles, three interceptions and two blocks, showing that he was constantly winning the ball back for the Magpies, in the process halting Manchester United attacks and creating counter opportunities for Newcastle on the breakaway.

Offensively, he was a creator. As per SofaScore, he completed three of his four long pass attempts and one of his two dribbles. He also created four chances for his teammates and was perhaps a tad unfortunate not to end the night with an assist to his name.

His performance was so good that Newcastle content creator Adam Widdrington went as far as to describe him as “unplayable” on the night.

This shows that he is capable of putting in midfield displays full of quality from both a defensive and offensive point of view, which could bode well for the rest of the campaign. If he continues to impress in that role, it could be where his long-future lies at St James’ Park.

AND in other news, NUFC must sign new Steven Taylor in £64k-p/w gem who Shearer dubbed “outstanding”…

Former Wolves favourite Matt Doherty could re-sign for the club this month after a failed spell at Tottenham, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Doherty struggles at Spurs

The right-back traded Wanderers for Spurs back in 2020, seemingly seeing it as a step forward in his career, not to mention a fresh challenge.

Things haven’t panned out the way Doherty would have hoped in north London, however, and he has been limited to just 99 minutes of Premier League action this season.

The 29-year-old has been strongly linked with a return to Wolves in the January transfer window and a potential move has now been endorsed further.

The Latest: Journalist backs Wolves return

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke said he could see the move coming to fruition:

“I’m sure if Wolves were interested in him, it’s something he would seriously consider, to go back to the club because that’s where he made his name and enjoyed such a great time to win that move to Spurs in the first place.”

The Verdict: No-brainer for Wanderers

Doherty was a wonderful servant for Wolves over a long period of time, providing endless quality from full-back, and scoring 28 goals and registering 41 assists for the club. He was once described as ‘sensational’ by Jermaine Jenas.

For that reason, bringing him back to Molineux makes sense for all parties, allowing the 27-cap Republic of Ireland international more playing time, even though he will have to battle with the ever-improving Nelson Semedo for minutes.

Spurs will seemingly be happy to get rid of Doherty, given his squad status, so it is a move that appears to be a match made in heaven for all parties.

In other news, Tim Spiers has made an important Wolves transfer claim. Read more here.

Cricinfo previews the return match between Deccan Chargers and Rajasthan Royals at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium

The Preview by Nitin Sundar04-Apr-2010Match factsMonday, April 5
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)
Will Andrew Symonds try to get under Yusuf Pathan’s skin once again?•Indian Premier LeagueBig pictureDeccan Chargers are on a four-match losing run that threatens to end their IPL campaign early. Going into their return match against Rajasthan in Nagpur, Deccan will be anxious to snap the streak and reignite their title-defence.Rajasthan Royals, coming off two successive losses, have worries of their own to deal with. In both defeats, their bowlers, who were at the forefront of their earlier resurgence, have wilted under pressure from attacking batsmen. Dinesh Karthik and M Vijay made them sweat on the field, while Gautam Gambhir talked them down off it. Shane Warne’s men have already silenced their critics once this season, by stringing four consecutive wins after an abject start to the campaign. Monday offers a chance to reprise their favourite script.They will find comfort in the fact that their opponents are not only going through a bigger crisis of confidence, but also suffer from the same weakness as they do – a bowling attack that leaks runs in the end overs. Deccan have conceded 11.81 runs in the last six overs, often undoing their good work at the start of the innings. Rajasthan have not fared much better, and the team that bleeds lesser from this Achilles heel is likely to gain two crucial points in Nagpur.At this stage, only Mumbai and Delhi seem assured of semifinal spots, while five other teams are closely matched in the fight for the remaining two. Deccan and Rajasthan currently languish just above bottom-ranked Punjab, and victory on Monday will make the difference between moving into the midfield and stagnating on the scrapheap.Form guide (most recent first)Deccan Chargers: LLLLW
Rajasthan Royals: LLWWWTeam talkSumit Narwal picked 3 for 36 in the defeat against Delhi, but on either side of that performance conceded a whopping 90 runs in five overs against Chennai. Siddharth Trivedi, who missed the last game, should take his spot. Shane Watson’s inclusion has strengthened the batting, which means Paras Dogra is likely to miss out again.Deccan are nowhere near solving their fast-bowling problems. Kemar Roach, who conceded 10 runs an over in his two games, was replaced by Ryan Harris, who went at exactly the same rate against Mumbai. Chaminda Vaas, who lost his spot to these two on reputation, deserves to reclaim the new ball. In five matches, he has eight wickets at 6.66 runs per over and could help Deccan’s attack rediscover discipline. Two of the three Singhs – RP, Jaskaran and Harmeet – should make up the rest of the pace attack, but Adam Gilchrist will be counting on his in-form spinners, Pragyan Ojha and Rahul Sharma, to deliver.Previously…Deccan 1, Rajasthan 4Rajasthan have the upper hand in contests between the two teams so far, and the Ahmedabad hammering earlier in the tournament emphasised their dominance. Shaun Tait struck at crucial junctures to restrict Deccan to 148, before Yusuf, who was egged on by a verbal exchange with Symonds, smashed eight sixes to finish the chase in 15.4 overs.In the spotlightShane Warne’s dismissal of Herschelle Gibbs in Ahmedabad was reminiscent of his pomp, when the elements of turn, loop, drift and bounce all came together. While he has only managed six wickets in nine games, Warne has kept things reasonably quiet in the middle overs. The Rajasthan captain has the knack of lifting his game when it matters the most; expect a stirring performance from the greatest legspinner of all-time in this crucial game.Herschelle Gibbs and Andrew Symonds have scored the most runs for Deccan this season – 237 and 232 respectively – but neither has been able to convert their uncharacteristically watchful starts into big contributions. Both of them have scored at strike-rates close to 120, and Deccan will hope that they can step it up on Monday.Prime numbersAdam Gilchrist’s form has mirrored his side’s – in the first four games he scored 149 runs, but in the next four, he could manage only 29. Deccan have lost each of those games.With 12 wickets to his name, Pragyan Ojha is joint-second highest wicket-taker in the tournament, but with an economy rate of 7.80 per over, he is the most expensive of the top six bowlers in the listYusuf Pathan is fifth in the race for the orange cap with 278 runs. Of batsmen with at least 200 runs, he has been the second-fastest run-scorer, striking at 179.35, second only to Robin UthappaThe chatter”We have to win five out of the next six games. We have to get our act together or else we are out of the tournament.”