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This summer marks a major overhaul of both players and the coaching staff at Premier League club Crystal Palace. Turning 74 before the new season starts, Roy Hodgson perhaps understandably didn’t feel up for building another new team 45 years into his managerial career, but such thorough change counts as a gamble.

The job that his successor has at Selhurst Park is far from easy. Croydon-born Hodgson’s life in football seemingly has some symmetry to it, courtesy of spells with the Eagles at the beginning and what may be the end of it after playing for their academy side in the mid-1960s and coaching the first team for almost four seasons from September 2017.

Palace are going in a different direction now, however, and their released list contains 22 senior, reserve, and academy players all now looking for new clubs. Only two first-team regulars whose deals were up, Jeff Schlupp and Christian Benteke, have signed new contracts in South London.

What the majority of those leaving Selhurst Park this summer have in common is they are usually 30 and above and playing in the defensive third of the pitch. Both Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey and former Republic of Ireland youth international stopper Stephen Henderson depart.

In defence, Joel Ward, Patrick van Aanholt, Mamadou Sakho, Scott Dann, Nathaniel Clyne and Gary Cahill are all on their way. Such upheaval in the Eagles rearguard leaves the new manager needing to recruit an entirely new back four effectively.

That probably won’t be Patrick Vieira, to many Palace supporters’ disappointment. Nor is Hodgson’s successor likely to be former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo, with reports circulating that talks between the parties broke down. The Eagles are perhaps suffering as a result of coaching vacancies at bigger clubs that can offer more resources like Everton and Tottenham Hotspur across London.

Fans may rightly ask the question why those running things behind the scenes at Palace allowed the team to grow old together. Releases en masse do represent the opportunity for a new start, but fresh faces in the dugout and on the field come with no guarantees of the stability that a worldly elder statesman of the game like Hodgson provided.

Bookmakers haven’t missed how potentially vulnerable this makes the Eagles either in how they price up the prospect of this team losing its Premier League perch. Betting on relegation is one of the popular outright markets attached to mainstream team sports like football. Palace’s odds, based on implied probability of the unthinkable happening, mean they are prominent with all of the best betting sites for the drop. These should also offer you the chance to cash out any wagers placed on relegation if it looks like they may stay up.

Whatever and however many signings the Eagles make between now and when the summer transfer window closes, if the new names don’t gel quickly, it is very easy to see the upcoming season being a struggle. Their cause isn’t helped by a serious injury to emerging talent Eberechi Eze, who now faces six months on the sidelines with surgery and rehab.

He may not play again in 2021. Whoever the new Palace boss is must be careful not to throw Eze back into action at the end of the calendar year when the festive fixture list is always congested. Then there is Wilfried Zaha, who has been linked with leaving Selhurst Park again.

An undoubted talent, the latest speculation about the Ivory Coast international forward’s future adds further worry for fans. The Eagles may have missed their best opportunity to sell Zaha for the most money, but he did knuckle down and get 11 goals this past season.

Add that to the 10 struck by Belgium frontman Benteke, and such firepower could prove the difference between Palace staying up and going down. Their relegation rivals look likely to include Norwich City and Watford, clubs that bounced back from the drop in 2020 and have made an immediate return to the Premier League via finishing first and second in the EFL Championship.

Play-off winners Brentford, another London team, and Burnley could also be in the mix at the wrong end of the table. The Eagles have to get key decisions – namely appointing a new manager and then backing that individual in the market with smart recruitment – right or a nine-year stay at the top table of English football could come to an end.

If Harry Kane still wants to leave Tottenham, his options are limited, says former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer.

In recent months, on several occasions, reports had claimed that Kane had asked to leave Tottenham.

Manchester City looked the most likely destination for the 28-year-old, with Pep Guardiola even coming out to confirm his side’s interest.

Much to the delight of Nuno Espirito Santo and supporters, though, Spurs have managed to keep hold of their talisman for the time being.

If the club have another disappointing season, you would expect Kane to once again push for a move. Palmer, however, expects a departure next summer to also be complicated, feeling that the England captain has few options when it comes to choosing a new outfit to join.

“Whoever’s going to come in for him, they’re going to have to pay in excess of £130-140m, so that doesn’t put a lot of teams in that bracket,” the ex-Leeds United player exclusively told FFC.

“You’re only looking at your PSGs, your Man Uniteds, your Man Citys or your Real Madrids. They’re the only clubs really who can pay that type of money.”

This summer, City were the only team who really registered serious interest in Kane. It will be interesting to see if that is the case again next year.

Sky Sports pundit Kevin Phillips is adamant that Celtic have suffered a “massive blow” following the injury sustained by Kyogo Furuhashi on international duty with Japan.

The Lowdown: Furuhashi has made a stellar start to his Parkhead career

Making a superb start to life at Parkhead, the 26-year-old has swiftly become a key player for the Hoops, registering eight goal contributions in nine appearances with seven goals and one assist [Transfermarkt].

However, he now looks set to be sidelined for up to a month with a knee injury following an international clash against China, as confirmed by Hoops manager Ange Postecoglou [BBC].

The Latest: Phillips bemoans ‘awful’ injury sustained by Furuhashi

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Football Insider, Phillips bemoaned the Japanese international’s injury, stating: “It’s not ideal for anyone”.

He then added: “That’s the risk when you have international players. It’s a massive blow but you plan for things like this.

“It’s an opportunity for someone to come in and perform and they do have a new striker there.

“I hate to say it but it’s always an opportunity, it’s awful for him, the injured player, but it’s true.

“He’s been excellent for them and I’m sure he’ll be back in the side once he’s fit”.

The Verdict: Postecoglou will hope Furuhashi returns soon

After losing one of their most influential players in an important block of fixtures as the Europa League group stage gets underway, Phillips rightly believes that the news will come as a massive source of frustration to Furuhashi and everyone at Celtic.

However, the former England striker also correctly states that there will be opportunities for those on the fringes to step into the void, something that Swiss striker Albian Ajeti has tapped into following his brace against Ross County last weekend [BBC].

Nevertheless, Furuhashi has been an hugely potent threat in his time at Parkhead so far, scoring once every 79 minutes [Footy Stats].

He has also wowed supporters with his pressing ability, anticipation and his pinpoint utilisation of the ball. Looking ahead, Ange Postecoglou will hope that his summer signing will be back to firing on all cylinders as soon as possible.

In other news, Kieran Devlin has given an update on the fitness of another Celtic summer signing.

Manchester City were reportedly offered the chance to sign Saul Niguez from Atletico Madrid in the transfer window and he could’ve been a great addition to Pep Guardiola’s side.

According to the Daily Star, Atletico Madrid were keen to sign Bernardo Silva from the Citizens and offered Saul, as well as cash, to City in the hopes of signing him, but the deal was rejected by Guardiola.

The Spain international would instead complete a loan move to Chelsea, with the west London side holding an option to buy the midfielder for £30m should he impress during his time at Stamford Bridge.

Given that Bernardo Silva has struggled at times in the past two seasons and reportedly wanted to leave the Etihad this summer, it is perhaps a surprise that Guardiola rejected this deal, as Saul certainly would’ve been an impressive replacement for the former Monaco man.

[freshpress-quiz id=“577936”]

Despite being just 26, Saul has already made 340 appearances for Atletico Madrid’s first team, in which he has contributed 43 goals and 20 assists, predominantly from a central midfield position.

Although his performances dropped somewhat last season, the midfielder has been extremely consistent in La Liga in recent seasons, averaging above a 7/10 rating from WhoScored the between 2015/16 and 2019/20 seasons.

Despite his stylishness on the ball and obvious passing ability, WhoScored lists some of his main strengths as tackling, concentration and aerial duels, so he could’ve offered something similar to the likes of Rodri and Fernandinho in Guardiola’s side, which surely would’ve been appreciated by the Spanish manager.

Gary Neville was full of praise for Saul after he joined Chelsea, saying:

“Saul is just another excellent player. He’s got massive experience at the top of La Liga, massive experience in the Champions League and at international level.”

Therefore, it seems strange that City rejected this deal as it would’ve made a lot of sense, and they may well end up regretting it if Saul becomes a success with Thomas Tuchel’s side.

And, in other news… Sam Lee drops exciting update on Man City wonderkid

Former Tottenham Hotspur star Graham Roberts believes that Kyle Walker-Peters has found his level at Southampton.

The right-back departed Spurs for St Mary’s in 2020 and has gone on to impress under the management of Ralph Hasenhuttl.

Walker-Peters went on to make 30 appearances in his first full season at the club, laying on three assists along the way, and has played twice in the Premier League this term.

Reports claimed that Spurs were interested in bringing the defender back to the club in the summer, before deciding to sign Emerson Royal from Barcelona instead.

Roberts, though, believes that the former England U21 international is at the ideal club, where he will continue to play, and make an impact.

Asked about his performances on the south coast, the former Tottenham ace told Football FanCast: “I think that’s his level. We’ve got a player who’s played at Barcelona so he’s a top-notch player, but I thought Kyle Walker-Peters did very well at Southampton.

“But don’t forget, we scored five goals down there against them. He’s had a decent season but, for me, I think that’s his level, I think Southampton is as high as he will go.”

Walker-Peters made a total of 24 senior appearances for Spurs but was never really trusted to complete a season in his position, unlike he has been at Southampton.

The Celtic Way journalist Tony Haggerty believes that Joe Hart is relishing the challenge of playing in front of 60,000 people.

The England international completed a move to Celtic from Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month, penning a three-year deal with the Hoops. On the same day that Celtic announced Hart had signed, they also announced that James McCarthy had arrived on a four-year deal after leaving Crystal Palace at the end of last season.

Hart has appeared in six games in all competitions for the Hoops so far this season, keeping four clean sheets. His fine form for Celtic hasn’t gone unnoticed by the Celtic fans, with Tony Haggerty telling Football FanCast: “I think he’s relishing the challenge of playing in front of 60,000 people and that becomes addictive for footballers, especially when you’ve had achievements that Joe Hart has, it’s really hard to step away from that kind of limelight, isn’t it? He’s got it back a bit. 

“I think Celtic have been good for Hart as much as Hart has been good for Celtic and he’s maybe got his goalkeeping mojo back and that’s important for footballers I think and I think Joe Hart’s reciprocated that, you know the Celtic supporters just love him.”

Hart’s career achievements have seen him collect two Premier League winners’ medals, two English League Cup winners’ medals and an FA Cup winners medal, along with representing England’s senior team 75 times.

A Pakistan newspaper has reported that Javed Miandad resigned from his position as director-general of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) because of an insufficient salary

Cricinfo staff31-Jan-2009A Pakistan newspaper has reported that Javed Miandad resigned from his position as director-general of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) because of an insufficient salary. The , a Karachi-based daily, has carried a handwritten letter from Wasim Bari, the director of HR and administration, to Saleem Altaf, the PCB’s chief operating officer, after discussing the contract with Miandad.The report said Miandad was offered Rs 500,000 (US$6,300) per month in the contract which the former Test captain and coach refused last Wednesday, resigning from the position he had held since November.”He [Miandad] earns 75,000 rupees/50,000 rupees for a one hour program on TV,” Bari’s letter read. “As he is a renowned international cricketer therefore he should be paid accordingly as [former India coach] Greg Chappell and [former Pakistan coach] Geoff Lawson.”The letter also said that Miandad wanted to take full charge of all cricketing affairs so that he could bring the desired results.Miandad, 51, had stepped down after differences emerged over the exact scope of his role. There was always a lack of clarity over the exact nature of his work. He spoke openly of it as being a troubleshooting role of sorts, delving into whatever areas needed fixing.

The MCG will host every international match scheduled in Melbourne until 2019 under the terms of a new agreement between Cricket Victoria and the Melbourne Cricket Club

Cricinfo staff25-Nov-2008
The MCG has retained its status as Melbourne’s primary cricket venue © Getty Images
The MCG will host every international match scheduled in Melbourne until 2019 under the terms of a new agreement between Cricket Victoria and the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC). The current arrangement was to expire in March 2009 and lengthy talks were required to come to a similar deal for the next decade.Melbourne’s second-largest venue, the Docklands Stadium, was keen to bid for one-day internationals and even thought it had a chance of poaching the Boxing Day Test. Docklands has a retractable roof and held 12 ODIs from 2000 to 2006. But the new agreement has scuppered the plans of the smaller ground, which is primarily an AFL venue.”The MCG is one of world cricket’s premier stadiums,” the Cricket Victoria chairman Geoff Tamblyn said. “Cricket Victoria is delighted to continue its long-standing partnership with MCC and in doing so, provide the best opportunity to invest in the growth of our sport in this state over the next ten years.”The majority of Victoria’s home matches will also continue to be held at the MCG. David Meiklejohn, the MCC president, said the result was a positive outcome for cricket in Victoria.”The MCG has been the spiritual home of Australian cricket since the first Test in 1877 and we are delighted that our association with this great game will continue,” Meiklejohn said. “We have invested heavily in cricket facilities within the new northern stand and we believe the MCG is now one of the finest cricket stadiums in the world, both for players and patrons.”

Leeds United could make a late loan move for Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, according to David Norris.

Marcelo Bielsa has strengthened his squad ahead of the transfer window closing, with Junior Firpo making the £13million switch from Spanish giants Barcelona, Jack Harrison joining on a permanent basis from Manchester City and goalkeeper Kristoffer Klaesson linking up with the Whites.

But Bielsa, who penned a new one-year deal last week, has been keen to add a central midfielder all summer but has missed out on a host of targets such as Conor Gallagher after he opted to join Crystal Palace on loan instead.

Norris believes Oxlade-Chamberlain could be a target if Leeds have still failed to bring in a midfielder with the deadline looming.

Oxlade-Chamberlain was restricted to just 17 appearances due to a knee injury last season but was named in Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp’s starting line-up when the Reds opened the new campaign with a comfortable win over Norwich City.

Former Leeds midfielder Norris has hinted a loan move for the 28-year-old may not be out of the question.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, Norris said: “He’s a really good player who has been unlucky with injuries.

“I can’t see Leeds being able to do a permanent deal because I think he’d still have a heavy price tag and wages but, as a loan move, that could happen.”

Says that Pant’s “learning experiences” from the last year and a half will make him a “better leader and person”.

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Mar-20221:05

Ponting discusses Pant’s leadership trajectory

Ricky Ponting had not even realised it. Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant may not have thought of it as well. And it may not have struck people in Indian cricket either. That Ponting, the former Australia captain who had several intense duels with India captains during his playing days, has already groomed two future India captains in the IPL.Well before taking over as the head coach of Delhi Capitals (then Daredevils) in 2018, Ponting had coached Mumbai Indians and had chaperoned Rohit’s captaincy from 2013 to 2016, to help the franchise to two IPL titles, in 2013 and 2015. Rohit has since become one of the top all-format players for India and has taken over the India captaincy in at least two formats.Related

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Pant is now in a very similar situation. A vital all-format player for India, in his early 20s, a new IPL captain, and a possible future India captain, also being groomed by Ponting.”I hadn’t thought about that actually but they are actually quite similar,” Ponting said of the Rohit-Pant comparison a day before the two teams he has coached face each other in IPL 2022. “When Rohit took over at Mumbai, he was quite a young man as well, and had started out in his international cricket. He was probably very similar [in age], I’m not sure how old he was but he would have been 23-24, similar to what Rishabh is here at the Delhi Capitals.”To tell you honestly, they’re quite similar people. I know they are great mates and they talk all the time and they’re probably exchanging things about leadership and captaincy along the way as well. Rohit probably doesn’t want to give too many secrets away because we’re going to play against him in a couple of days’ time (laughs). I think there’s every opportunity for Rishabh’s journey to be similar to Rohit Sharma’s. He’s a young captain of a successful franchise and growing on a daily basis and hopefully Rishabh can have the same sort of success Rohit’s had at the Mumbai Indians. And then with some experience in a role like this in a high-pressure tournament like the IPL, I’ve got no doubt in the years to come there’s every chance that Rishabh could be an international captain. No doubt about it.”The manner in which both Rohit and Pant were handed their IPL captaincies was also similar; Rohit took over from Ponting mid-season in 2013 and Pant was handed over the baton last IPL after Shreyas Iyer picked up a shoulder injury.Ponting is now in his fifth season with Capitals, and he has overseen Pant’s evolution not just as captain but as a player and individual too, after Pant was bought by Daredevils in the 2016 auction. Since then, Pant has played 84 games for them to amass 2498 runs while averaging 35.18 and striking at 147.46, and has quickly gone up the ladder to take over as a long-term captain.Ponting said the “learning experiences” Pant has had in the last 12-18 months with India and in the IPL will make him a “better leader and person”.”His evolution – not just the last one year, this is my fifth season now at the Delhi Capitals – and his evolution as a player and as a person has been quite dramatic,” Ponting said. “Last couple of years with some more responsibility in and around the Indian team, and captaining the Delhi Capitals last season, there’s a lot of learning experiences for him through the last 12-18 months for him which will keep helping him become a better leader and person on a daily basis. I know Rishabh really well, and that’s what he talks about all the time, trying to find ways to improve.”There’s no doubt that his maturity in the last 12-18 months with his play and also with his leadership and captaincy has been outstanding. It’s a big part of my job as well to try and help and guide him and push Rishabh in the right direction where I can. But saying that, he’s got a very good grasp on what leadership is all about because he’s been in successful teams and he’s been under strong leaders in the past. It’s up to me, if there’s anything I can help him with, I’ll do it along the way.”Ponting will now hope he can help Pant lift the IPL trophy two months from now and cheekily ask the BCCI for a ‘captaincy-grooming bonus’ they never knew they owed him.