Leeds United are reportedly hoping to appoint Marcelo Bielsa as Paul Heckingbottom’s successor after the 40-year-old was sacked on Friday, and Whites fans are already excited about the prospect of Ezgjan Alioski playing under the Argentine boss.
The Yorkshire outfit are on the search for a new manager as they look for a successful Championship campaign next time out, and they could go for the 62-year-old who is known for playing a 3-3-1-3 formation that allows for a high press.
While a number of Victor Orta’s 2017 summer signings disappointed, Alioski was one of the success stories as he ended the 2017/18 campaign with seven goals and a further six assists in 45 appearances in all competitions, and his energy and work-rate would mean he could be a perfect fit for Bielsa’s demands.
Leeds supporters, who believe a big development on Saturday night means they have almost sealed a deal for their first summer signing, have been quick to have their say about the potential link-up between the duo.
While one said “he fits the tactics of Bielsa so well”, another said “I actually think a Bielsa-coached Alioski will be one of the most threatening wingers in the league”.
Rangers supporters are divided on the prospect of bringing striker Oli McBurnie to Ibrox this summer, after 22-year-old again made it clear earlier this week he would jump at the chance of moving to Scotland.
As reported by The Daily Record, McBurnie has been speaking about his love for Rangers and his desire to see them do well under Steven Gerrard, admitting he would love to play for the club.
Scoring nine goals on loan in the English Championship in the second half of last season, McBurnie is ready for more first team football and could be an effective presence in the Scottish Premiership next term.
Supporters have taken to Twitter this week to share their thoughts on a potential move.
There are definitely plenty in favour of such a move this summer…
Others though are less convinced…
Should Rangers sign Oli McBurnie?
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As reported by The Daily Mail, Southampton are one of the sides interested in signing Belgian international Anthony Limbombe this summer.
What’s the story?
While the World Cup rumbles on in Russia, back at club level teams are preparing their first team squads ahead of the English Premier League season with teams like Southampton and Newcastle eager to add the kind of quality that will see them avoid any relegation battles next term.
One player that could end up in England is Club Brugge winger Anthony Limbombe.
That’s according to The Daily Mail, who report that both Southampton and Newcastle are interested in signing him, alongside clubs like Huddersfield Town and Leeds.
The paper say that Huddersfield have already made a £13m offer for the player.
Is he a player that Southampton to should be trying to bring to St Mary’s this summer?
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Good enough to make the step up?
Despite being just 23 years of age, Limbombe has impressive experience in the Belgian and Dutch leagues so far in his career, making his debut at the age of 16 for Racing Genk.
Since then he’s made close to 200 career appearances and even won a cap for Belgium recently against Saudi Arabia, part of their preparations for the World Cup in Russia.
However he is largely untested at the kind of level you would expect of a Premier League signing in 2018, with limited European experience. His direct goal contribution isn’t at stand-out levels either, scoring six and assisting six more in the Belgian top-flight last season.
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While that’s a decent return, it doesn’t represent the kind of break out performance you would expect of a player ready to make the move to a higher level.
At the reported £13m, Southampton should take a pass on this one and let Huddersfield or Newcastle bite on his signature. There may be a player there, but Saints are able to attract better targets.
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Craig Dawson and Ben Foster have given huge indications that they want to leave West Bromwich Albion after refusing to go on the club’s pre-season tour.
The newly-demoted Championship outfit arranged a six-day trip to Portugal to begin preparations for the new campaign.
However, Dawson and Foster opted not to be part of the travelling party, with BBC Sport reporting that the pair will be fined.
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Foster is believed to have been attracting interest from numerous Premier League clubs.
Dawson, on the other hand, is reportedly wanted by Burnley, who have also been linked to Jay Rodriguez.
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The Baggies are yet to bring in some new faces to The Hawthorns, which is concerning given that a handful of players are said to be on the way out of the club.
This news has not been warmly welcomed by the fans, with some taking to Twitter to hit out at the duo.
West Bromwich Albion should consider a move for Liverpool striker Danny Ings if Salomon Rondon leaves The Hawthorns.
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What’s the word?
Following the Baggies’ relegation to the Championship, a number of their first-team players were linked with moves away.
Jonny Evans has already departed for pastures new at Leicester City, while Jay Rodriguez and Craig Dawson have been attracting attention from elsewhere.
Rondon is also among the list, with the Birmingham Mail reporting that 10 clubs are interested in signing the attacker.
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If the 28-year-old does move on, the Baggies will need a replacement, and they should consider Liverpool forward Ings.
Does it make sense?
Ings has been plagued by injuries since his move from Burnley to Anfield in 2015.
Last season, the striker managed just 14 appearances in all competitions for the Reds, scoring once and creating a single assist.
Jurgen Klopp has so far resisted selling or even sending Ings out on loan, but the forward is in dire need of game time.
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West Brom may feel a little hesitant given the lack of minutes that the one-capped England international has racked up, but he certainly has the quality to score goals on a regular basis.
Ings would also have the hunger and something to prove if he made the move to The Hawthorns.
There is a risk from the club’s point of view as they will want a reliable goalscorer to help them win back promotion to the Premier League, but a cheap deal for a player that could thrive at optimum fitness is a risk worth taking.
According to reports in Turkey, midfielder Jack Wilshere is closing in on a move to Super Lig giants Fenerbahce. The England international will leave Arsenal at the expiration of his contract this month and as such is on the lookout for his next career move, with Rafa Benitez’s Newcastle one side reportedly keen on luring him to St James’ Park.
And these recent reports suggest that the Magpies have one last chance to convince the 26-year-old of a move to the North East.
The Breakdown
Ultimately, injuries have decimated the vast majority of Wilshere’s career, with the 26-year-old only mustering 198 senior appearances for Arsenal during his ten-year stint in the first team.
But with 38 appearances for the Gunners last term, the most he has managed in a single campaign at the Emirates Stadium since the 2010/11 season, the Englishman may well have put his injury concerns behind him, and thus might be ready to command regular football once again.
And that is why Newcastle must act fast to try and bring the £18 million-rated ace (as per Transfermarkt) to St James’ Park, as not only would he be a great addition to the squad, but he’d also be an upgrade on attacking midfielder Ayoze Perez.
Yes, the Spaniard deserves great credit for his efforts last term in finishing as the club’s top scorer in all competitions, but many of our resident Newcastle fans feel that he still doesn’t offer enough in terms of creativity and flair in the final third of the pitch.
And with the Magpies likely seeking to move to the next level this term, Benitez will surely be on the lookout for a next-level number ten to come in and run the show just behind the front man, creating chances for both he and indeed the other offensive players – Wilshere could be that man.
How far will England get in Russia? Tell us now
Clearly, when fully fit and firing, the 26-year-old is one of the most influential midfielders in the Premier League given his incredible awareness and vision, alongside his ability to dissect opposition defences with his excellent eye for a pass – the likes of Joselu and Dwight Gayle would get ample opportunities if Wilshere was just behind them.
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But with Fenerbahce reportedly closing in on the England international, the time to act is now for Newcastle, who seemingly have one last chance to convince Wilshere of a move to the North East.
A round-up of the fourth day’s play from the fifth round of matches in the Ranji Trophy Plate League
Cricinfo staff11-Dec-2009 Scorecard
Thick fog on all four days in Agartala curtailed the match to a draw, with Tripura edging ahead on the basis of a first-innings lead. Resuming on 150 for 4, Tripura progressed to 280 for 7 led by Tushar Saha’s unbeaten 53. He hit eight fours and a six in his brisk knock, which came off 59 balls and he shared a stand of 55 with Timir Chanda. Tripura will now meet Haryana at Rohtak in the semi-final. Scorecard
Assam nearly pulled off an innings victory as Vidarbha managed to hang on to a draw after being asked to follow on in Guwahati. Offspinner Arlen Konwar’s six-wicket haul restricted Vidarbha to 240 but Assam opted to push for a win after asking the opposition to bat again. Ranjit Paradkar was the topscorer for Vidarbha with 64. The Assam seamers struck early to leave the Vidarbha top order wobbling at 16 for 3. The middle order resisted before Sairaj Bahutule struck with three wickets. The visitors ended on 99 for 7 at the end of the game. Assam have set up a semi-final clash with Andhra in Guwahati. Scorecard
Vineet Saxena and Nikhil Doru completed their centuries to ensure a draw for Rajasthan in Dhanbad. Resuming on 197 for 2, Saxena and Doru went past three figures but after they were dismissed, the middle order stumbled. Rahul Shukla, the right-arm seamer, took five wickets as Rajasthan were bowled out for 375. Arjit Gupta helped himself to a half-century in the process. Set a target of 254, Jharkhand batted out 17 overs.
A round-up of the second day’s action from the sixth round of the Ranji Trophy Super League
Cricinfo staff09-Dec-2009
Group B
Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s five-for kept UP in the match against Bengal after they folded for 62•ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Scorecard Irfan Pathan’s all-round show powered Baroda to victory against Saurashtra on another day for bowlers to savour at the Moti Bagh Stadium. Cheteshwar Pujara was the only Saurashtra batsman to come to terms with the track, making 71 (next highest 15) before he was the last man out as his side was rolled over for 137. It has been a match has swung from one side to the next, and Saurashtra’s batting let them down once again after their bowlers had wrung out a first-innings lead on Tuesday. Irfan took the opening wicket before grabbing the final three in the space of six deliveries. Firdaush Bhaja also finished with four, running through the middle-order. Baroda lost three batsmen in their chase of 141 but Irfan blasted a 45-ball 65 to clinch the win which dented Saurashtra’s hopes of making the quarter-finals
Scorecard Twenty-two wickets went down on a manic day at the Green Park Stadium, after which Uttar Pradesh had a slight edge over Bengal. Fast bowler Ranadeb Bose ripped through the UP top order in the morning with a five-wicket haul that helped bowl out the home side for 62 in only 24.1 overs. That gave Bengal a handy 131-run lead, but Bhuvneshwar Kumar managed exactly what Bose did to keep UP in the match. He grabbed five of the first six wickets to limit Bengal to 104. Manoj Tiwary and Sourav Ganguly both fell for ducks and it was 56-run eighth-wicket stand between Laxmi Ratan Shukla and Sourav Sarkar that helped Bengal reach triple digits after they were struggling at 35 for 7. UP made a relatively solid start to the chase of 236, finishing at 53 for 2. Bose, though, predicted a much more closely-fought second innings, as the wicket had eased out. “I am in no mood to enjoy the five-wicket haul as the match is not over yet,” he told the . “We still have to get eight wickets. The wicket won’t help as much as it did on the first two days. Remember, lightning doesn’t strike twice. Uttar Pradesh can’t be bowled out for 62 again. But we have to win this match.”
Scorecard A solid bowling performance from Delhi pushed them towards a win that will take them five points clear of fourth-placed Baroda. Medium-pacer Parvinder Awana took five to scythe through Maharashtra’s first innings, keeping them to 163. Even that needed a brisk 39, including eight fours, from No. 10 Jitendra Patil. Forced to follow on, Maharashtra finished the day at 32 for 1, still a long way from making Delhi bat again. Among the few moments to enjoy for Maharashtra was getting rid of overnight batsman Mithun Manhas for 170, the addition of only four runs.
Group A
Scorecard It was still an even game between Hyderabad and Railways at the Uppal Stadium. Again the batsmen took their time to make the runs; M Suresh’s 329-minute 64 guiding Railways to a satisfactory 305. Alfred Absolem, the ICL returnee, was the most effective of Hyderabad’s bowlers finishing with a five-for. Hyderabad replied with a patient effort, opener Shashank Nag taking 144 deliveries for his 51 before being dismissed in the day’s final over. Anirudh Singh made a measured 41, and in partnership with Nag, took Hyderabad to 99 for 2.
Scorecard Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat were involved in an intense tussle for the first-innings lead in Surat. Gujarat lost their final five wickets for 19 runs to make a modest 234. This after the overnight pair of Bhavik Thaker and Sunny Singh added 71 runs on the day. The HP top-order collapsed, with four of the top five falling in single digits. Vinit Indulkar (49) and an unbeaten 65 from the experienced Paras Dogra kept HP’s chances of gaining three points by overhauling Gujarat’s total alive. It is Gujarat who hold the edge, though, as they need only two more wickets while HP need 60 runs.
Scorecard Basanth Mohanty’s four wickets left Orissa poised to taking the first-innings lead against Punjab in Chandigarh. Orissa’s final three wickets extended the innings to 283, thanks to Alok Sahoo’s half-century. Punjab’s top-order flopped in reply, with Ravi Inder Singh being the only one of the top six to cross 20. Basanth scalped the first four wickets to reduce Punjab to 74 for 4. It was then the turn of Debashis Mohanty to do the damage, striking three blows to push Punjab to 114 for 8.Click to read Nagraj Gollapudi’s bulletin of the second day’s play between Mumbai and Tamil Nadu.
Plays of the day from day four of the third Test between South Africa and England at Cape Town
Andrew McGlashan in Cape Town06-Jan-2010Complaint-watch
The most eagerly anticipated part of the day wasn’t the start of play, but what South Africa would do having “raised concerns” about the ball on the third evening. They had until play began to make an official complaint, but word came through that they weren’t going to take it to the next level and left it in the hands of the match referee. The ICC later confirmed they wouldn’t be taking further action and a 16-hour news story was quickly coming to end. The lingering ill-feelings are unlikely to go away as quickly.Take your time
It was not in England’s interests to get too many overs in during the morning session so that South Africa had less opportunity to pile up their lead. After aiming for wickets in the first hour it soon became an exercise in delaying the declaration and England’s bowlers certainly did their bit. One Stuart Broad over took six minutes, while James Anderson used up seven for the over that became the final one of the session. In all, the morning included just 24 overs when there are meant to be 30. England clearly had a tactic, but it left the spectators short-changed. And on this occasion the bowlers couldn’t blame the heat.Duminy breaks free
When JP Duminy walked in South Africa’s lead was already very comfortable, but the pressure was firmly on the left hander. The last three balls he’d faced in the series had brought his downfall and he was on a king pair. That was survived with a solid forward defence and slowly he began to find his timing. He managed to break free with a six over mid-on off James Anderson, but he still had problems with short balls targeted at the body. Those 36 runs will have made him feel better, but only time will if they save his spot.Cook stranded
Duminy, though, could have pulled off a key breakthrough for his team when he had the chance to run out Alastair Cook on 45. Andrew Strauss defended towards backward point and for some reason the opening pair decided there was a run available even though the ball was going almost straight to South Africa’s best fielder. Cook had no chance of making his ground, but even though Duminy took aim he couldn’t hit a single stump from side on…however, in the end it didn’t prove too costly.Pulling up short
As Cook and Strauss completed their first hundred opening stand since the first innings of the Lord’s Test against Australia and South Africa were starting to wonder where a wicket was coming from. Cook had been playing the pull with authority during his innings, but then tried to connect with a ball that wasn’t quite short enough and got a spiralling top edge that was swallowed by Mark Boucher. Cook didn’t give his captain a glance and just turned on his heels.Daryl’s latest shocker
The Umpire Decision Review System has had its critics, but by and large it has been a success in this series. And during this match it has overturned two howling errors, which is just what it was introduced for. The umpiring in the last three Tests has been very impressive, but Daryl Harper has lowered the standards in this game. Yesterday he gave Ashwell Prince out when he missed the ball by a foot and his second shocker was not spotting Kevin Pietersen’s inside edge that saved him from an lbw. Pietersen immediately asked for the review which confirmed the large chunk of wood involved, although Pietersen was soon stone-dead to Dale Steyn. At least the system works.
The trip will start with the two Tests (February 6-10 and 14-18) and will be followed by three ODIs, on February 21, 24 and 27 respectively
Cricinfo staff15-Jan-2010The Indian board has issued the schedule for South Africa’s tour during February of this year. The two Test matches, the venues of which had previously been named, will be played in Nagpur from February 6-10 and Kolkata from 14-18, with the three-match ODI series to be held in Jaipur, Kanpur and Ahmedabad on February 21, 24 and 27 respectively.Kolkata, which will host its first Test since 2007, has had trouble with its floodlights over the last two seasons, the latest incident occurring in the one-dayer between India and Sri Lanka.South Africa were scheduled to play only five ODIs during the tour but agreed to play the Tests following a request from Indian board.