All posts by h716a5.icu

Glasgow Rangers were humiliated earlier this week as Dutch side PSV Eindhoven thrashed them 5-1 in the second leg of their Champions League play-off tie.

The Light Blues will now compete in the Europa League this season instead of Europe's premier cup competition after losing 7-3 on aggregate to the Eredivisie outfit.

Michael Beale's side do, however, have a chance to bring the feelgood factor back to Ibrox today as they face off against Celtic on home territory this afternoon.

Where are Rangers in the Scottish Premiership?

The Gers are currently fourth in the Scottish Premiership table after three matches and are one point behind their Old Firm rivals heading into this clash in Glasgow.

Rangers have the opportunity to move to the top of the league before the international break gets underway whilst beating Celtic in the process, which could help to wash away some of the disappointment from the club's failure to secure Champions League football.

In order to secure all three points, Beale could need to make some big selection decisions after the loss to PSV and one change he should make is the removal of Cyriel Dessers from the starting line-up.

How has Cyriel Dessers performed this season?

The Nigeria international, who was signed from Cremonese on a permanent deal this summer, has struggled since he made the move to Scotland and the head coach must brutally ditch him from the starting XI as Sam Lammers has emerged as a better option.

Dessers has played seven Champions League and Premiership matches for the Scottish giants to date and produced one goal and one assist for the side.

His domestic performances have been particularly concerning. The 28-year-old dud has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.83 across three appearances in the league, which places him 17th within the squad – out of 20 players – and lost a staggering 89% of his ground duels.

The £28k-per-week hitman also averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.45 over the two legs against PSV, which was the 14th-best score on the team, as he lost 83% of his battles, including 87% of his contests on the deck.

Lammers, on the other hand, has shown promise in his displays for the Light Blues. The Dutch attacker averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.05 in the two games against PSV as he registered an assist and won 67% of his duels in just 40 minutes of action.

He has also recorded a Premiership Sofascore rating of 7.03 over three appearances, with one goal and a duel success rate of 50% so far in the Scottish top-flight.

These statistics suggest that Dessers, who is yet to notch his first league goal for Rangers, does not offer as much as Lammers at the top end of the pitch on or off the ball.

The 6 foot 1 marksman's staggering lack of physicality has made him a liability in recent weeks, as defenders have been able to dominate him on the deck with ease, which means that the ball does not stick up front and the opposition are able to regain it too easily.

Whereas, the former Atalanta man has showcased his strength out of possession and shown glimpses of quality, with one strike in three league outings, in front of goal.

Therefore, Dessers appears to be a worse option than the 26-year-old dynamo and that is why Beale must brutally ditch him for the big clash at Ibrox today.

At the beginning of the transfer window, West Ham United’s task of replacing Declan Rice looked impossible.

How would any player replicate his consistency, reliability, loyalty, and relationship with the fans?

But, the Hammers' hierarchy have done a superb job of ushering in the new era of the club’s midfield.

Mohammed Kudus has been added to the offensive segment, James Ward-Prowse will adopt a box-to-box role, whilst Edson Alvarez will be tasked with the more conventional Rice duties, sitting rigidly in front of the defence.

However, the 2023 Europa Conference League winners are still looking to bolster his area…

What’s the latest West Ham transfer news?

Football Inside reported late last week that West Ham had joined Nottingham Forest in the race to sign PSV Eindhoven’s Ibrahim Sangare, who has a £32m release clause in his contract.

Forest had been the leading contender for the midfielder’s signature, but they chose to not activate the release clause and instead offered to take the player on a season-long loan with an obligation to buy set at £21.3m.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

This has offered West Ham a chance to make a late move for Sangare, with PSV having reportedly lined up a replacement for him should he leave in this window.

However, the 25-year-old’s future is also dependent upon Champions League qualification, which will be settled on 30 August following the pulsating 2-2 draw with Rangers in the first leg at Ibrox.

What are Ibrahim Sangare's strengths?

The Ivorian has been at PSV since 2020 and has made 139 appearances in all competitions, scoring 15 and assisting ten.

Sangare’s strength will be of particular interest to David Moyes due to his accomplished profile. Last term in the Eredivisie, the 6 foot 3 titan netted five times, averaged 1.3 shots per game, 2.3 tackles per game, completed 77% of his dribbles, and won 63% of his aerials duels, as per Sofascore.

To place these numbers in a wider perspective, and to underline his well-rounded style, Sangare ranks within the highest 14% outside of Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for non-penalty xG per 90, progressive passes per 90, successful take-ons per 90, clearances per 90, and aerials won per 90.

The 31-cap international seems to embody Ward-Prowse’s offensive threat and Alvarez’s defensive solidity. A possible West Ham line up could see the Englishman deployed as an advanced eight, with Sangare operating in a similar role and Alvarez sitting as a lone pivot.

Ranked among his positional peers outside of Europe’s top five leagues, the Mexican sits within the highest 8% for interceptions per 90, clearances per 90, and aerials won per 90.

In last weekend’s hard-fought victory over Brighton, Alvarez played for 84 minutes, winning four duels, and registering seven clearances and two tackles.

However, he only managed 53% pass completion indicating that if he was paired with a more technical influence that could also dig into the defensive effort, such as Sangare, then West Ham’s midfield could perform at even more impressive levels.

Described as “extraordinary” by former PSV and Ajax manager Aad de Mos, Sangare would be an excellent transfer for the Irons, as he could well take his potential new colleague to the next level.

India have never lost a Test in Johannesburg, and they have never been whitewashed in South Africa. Both those records are under threat as the hosts push for 3-0 with a green pitch and overcast conditions to aid them

The Preview by Sidharth Monga in Johannesburg23-Jan-20185:36

Cullinan: South Africa will win 3-0

Big Picture”A lot of big names have played for 20 years, they have come here many times, and they have never done it. But this team has done that. This team is used to doing things that a lot of other teams haven’t done, and that too overseas.”This is a slightly abridged version of a quote from India coach Ravi Shastri in Sri Lanka last year. He was talking about India winning the three-Test series 3-0.There is a real threat that it could be adapted for use in the current climate. Many weak Indian teams have come to South Africa since the first tour in 1992-93, and none has been whitewashed. This “strong” team, with so many options that the team management has admitted to the inevitability of highly debatable, even controversial, selections, now needs something special to avoid a whitewash. If there is any consolation, they are making this attempt at a venue that should inspire them: the Wanderers is where they won a World T20 final and also brought up their first Test win in this country. India have played four Tests at this venue, and have never lost.The series is gone, but neither side is seeing this as a dead rubber. Not only is it a matter of pride for India to avoid a whitewash, it is also about bragging rights in a world where it is the mark of a good side to lose less poorly away from home. South Africa, still smarting from the ambush in India in 2015-16, which ended their nine-year run of never losing a series away from home, are in no danger of treating this as a dead rubber either.The hosts not only want to avenge their defeat in India with an identical scoreline, but also want to close in on the No. 1 ranking, which will be only a few decimal points away from them should they win on the green Wanderers pitch. The weather has been overcast in the lead-up to the Test, and there has been more than a bit of rain forecast, so this should be a difficult Test for batting, in conditions where both sides could choose to go without a spinner.India see the green pitch as an opportunity. It brings their seam bowlers into the game, and if their batsman can do something special – which they have been waiting for since the start of the series – they feel they can come close to winning a Test.Form guideSouth Africa WWWWW (last five completed games most recent first)
India LLDWDAFPIn the spotlightOne way to look at this series is to say the batting of AB de Villiers has been the difference between the two sides. He has dragged South Africa out of crisis on two occasions, and has contributed 35 and 20 on the other two. He has also been superb in the slips and wherever he has been posted in the outfield. India will be tempted to imagine what it feels like to get him out of the way, but to do that in reality they will need to work harder.The only man certain to play for India, and hence in the spotlight, is Virat Kohli. He scored a superlative 153 in the last Test, but that wasn’t enough to prevent his first series loss as captain. Between the Tests, questions have been raised about his leadership. Kohli needs to replicate some of that batting form, and also to select properly and motivate his side out of this mire. The test of his captaincy is only just beginning.Team newsThere has been talk that South Africa might go without a spinner – as they have done in their two previous Tests at the Wanderers – and beef up their batting, but the injury to Temba Bavuma might have changed the equation a little bit. If Keshav Maharaj is indeed left out, it could open the door for batsman Theunis de Bruyn or allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo. Chris Morris is away on paternity leave. Aiden Markram, who was off the field for parts of the Centurion Test with a left quad strain, is fit and will open.South Africa (probable): 1 Dean Elgar, 2 Aiden Markram, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 AB de Villiers, 5 Faf du Plessis (capt), 6 Quinton de Kock (wk), 7 Theunis de Bruyn/Andile Phehlukwayo/Keshav Maharaj, 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Lungi NgidiIndications are that Ajinkya Rahane and Bhuvneshwar Kumar seem set to make their way back into the side, but at whose expense? The men under threat are Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, R Ashwin (because of the pitch) and one out of Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah. Don’t count against an all-seam attack. Parthiv Patel, ordinary with the big gloves in Centurion, could lose out to Dinesh Karthik, who doesn’t have too much long-format match practice behind him: he only played four first-class matches in the 2017-18 domestic season, and only kept wicket in two of them .India (probable): 1 and 2 Two out of M Vijay, 2 Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul, 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 3, 5 and 6 three out of Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya, 7 Parthiv Patel/Dinesh Karthik (wk), 8 to 11 four out of R Ashwin, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Jasprit BumrahPitch and conditions
The pitch at Wanderers is unmistakably green. The head groudsman Bethuel Buthulezi might be tempted to not shave any of the 6mm grass because there is rain expected on every day of the Test. The sun has beaten down in the lead-up to the Test to create some cracks, but it has also helped the groundstaff roll the pitch nice and hard. Faf du Plessis said his side didn’t ask for anything over the top but a track with pace and bounce. Kohli expected the pitch to do more than the one at Newlands for the first Test. There are some cracks on offer, but it is possible overhead conditions will play an equally important role in this Test.Stats and Trivia
Hashim Amla is one catch short of becoming the fourth South African to 100 catches as a fielder, joining Jacques Kallis, Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers. Amla will be the slowest to the mark. Contrary to reputation, the Wanderers has historically not been a graveyard for spinners. Among venues that have hosted at least 20 Tests, spinners have worse averages in 15 grounds than their 35.76 at the Wanderers. Those 15 grounds include Lahore, Port of Spain and Adelaide. Apart from Virat Kohli’s 153 in the first innings in Centurion, India’s specialist batsmen haven’t scored a single fifty in this series. The top six batsmen have averaged 20.45 – their third-worst in any series of two or more Tests. If Kohli’s 153 is discounted, the average of the 23 innings played by the top six drops to 14.08. Rohit Sharma’s difference of 60.09 between home and away averages is the worst for India batsmen who have scored a minimum of 500 runs each home and awayQuotes
“They’ve played some good cricket here. The last Test match we played against India here was a fantastic Test match. Their bowing is good. They’ve come this time around with a very good seam attack and if you have that you will be able to compete. We have got a fantastic seam attack as well so it will be the battle between those two. The pressure is in making sure we keep their batsmen under pressure. It’s been a pretty quiet series for most of them and if we can keep doing that, we will change that stat.”
“As a team we are looking to correct all the mistakes that have happened, Wanderers has been a special venue for us, hopefully we can play the same kind of cricket.”

Kedar Jadhav suffered a hamstring injury while training on the eve of the ODI series opener against Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-20173:08

‘IPL 2017 was life-changing for me’ – Washington Sundar

Kedar Jadhav, who suffered a hamstring injury during training on the eve of the first ODI against Sri Lanka in Dharamsala, has been replaced by 18-year-old Tamil Nadu allrounder Washington Sundar in India’s ODI squad.Washington earned his maiden international call-up earlier this week, when he was named in the T20 squad for the three-match series against Sri Lanka. After representing India in the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh last year, Washington played a pivotal role in Rising Pune Supergiant’s run to the IPL final earlier this year. He managed only eight wickets but his economy rate of 6.16 and tight lines and lengths in the Powerplay stood out. He was then picked to play for the Indian Board President’s XI in a 50-over game against the touring Australians and impressed again, claiming the wickets of Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell while giving away only 23 runs in his eight overs.Washington was also part of the Tamil Nadu side that clinched the 50-over Vijay Hazare and Deodhar Trophy titles, and the India Red team that won the first-class Duleep Trophy.Jadhav’s injury further shakes up a middle order which has seen constant changes in recent times. Since the 2015 World Cup, India have used 11 different players at No. 4 – the most by any side at the position in this period.Updated squad: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Washington Sundar

Leeds United officially completed their fifth signing of the summer transfer window on Thursday as they announced the arrival of Joel Piroe from Championship rivals Swansea.

Who have Leeds signed this summer?

Whites boss Daniel Farke had already bolstered his side with the additions of Joe Rodon on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, and Ethan Ampadu, Karl Darlow, and Sam Byram on permanent deals.

Piroe has now joined that list for a reported fee of £10m from the Swans to improve the German head coach's options at the top end of the pitch this season.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

That may not be the end of their business, however, and another player who could be on his way to Elland Road if the club opt to follow up on their interest in him is USMNT star Josh Sargent.

How good is Josh Sargent?

The 23-year-old striker has proven to be a consistent Championship performer so far this season and one that could come in and strike up an exciting partnership with Piroe at the top end of the pitch.

Sargent is adept at playing out wide on the right or as a centre-forward, and this means that Farke could utilise him in tandem with the Dutch marksman, or as competition for him throughout the year.

The Norwich City star, who was signed by the German boss in 2021, has enjoyed a terrific start to the season as he has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.27 and chipped in with two goals alongside one assist in three appearances.

This comes after the former Werder Bremen hotshot racked up 13 goals and five ‘big chances’ created in 37 Championship starts for the Canaries throughout the 2022/23 campaign.

These statistics show that the American international has the quality to provide goals and assists at an impressive rate at this level, which could provide Farke's team with a significant boost as Leeds struggled for goals in the Premier League last term.

No current Whites forward managed more than five top-flight strikes and having Piroe and Sargent up front could allow supporters to leave any worries about a lack of a goal threat behind as they are both proven Championship scorers.

The £10m-rated Dutchman plundered an outstanding 19 goals for Swansea during the 2022/23 campaign and that came after he racked up 22 league goals during the previous season.

Piroe knows how to find the back of the net on a regular basis from a centre-forward position and has the quality to be Farke's outstanding goalscoring option at the top end of the pitch, if he is able to translate his form for the Swans over to Yorkshire.

Sargent's versatility means that he could slot in alongside the 24-year-old hotshot and this could provide Leeds with a fearsome duo in the final third, as opposition defences would have two huge goal threats to worry about each match, which was far from the case for the club last term with their lack of consistent goalscorers.

Therefore, the 6 foot 1 finisher, who was recently described as a "phenomenal talent" by teammate Ashley Barnes, could be a fantastic signing for the Whites and Farke should pursue a deal for his former striker in spite of the signing of Piroe.

The semi-finals and final of the National T20 Cup have been set for November 29 and 30, with Rawalpindi playing host

Danyal Rasool in Rawalpindi27-Nov-2017The semi-finals and final of the National T20 Cup have been rescheduled for November 29 and 30 after they were postponed by the PCB due to religious unrest in the country. The venue for the three games has not changed, with Rawalpindi playing host, just like it has for the rest of the tournament. The four remaining teams – Lahore Whites, who play Faisalabad, and FATA, who face Lahore Blues – are already in Islamabad, Rawalpindi’s sister city.The tournament had been set to conclude in the weekend, but an unrest that began when police tried to disperse a sit-in by a religious gathering at an interchange in Rawalpindi forced the PCB to postpone the event. With protests turning violent and escalating throughout the country, Islamabad had been in a state of effective lockdown over the weekend, with all roads leading to Karachi and Lahore closed off. Teams had found themselves confined to their hotels, and roads leading to the Rawalpindi stadium had also been blocked. Private news channels were taken off air for most of Saturday and Sunday, while access to social media sites Facebook, Twitter and YouTube was also suspended. All educational institutions in Lahore, which hosted the recent World XI series, as well as the third T20I against Sri Lanka, were closed on Monday, and will remain shut on Tuesday.But the situation has been defused for the most part, with life returning to some semblance of normality in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. That enables the postponed games in the National T20 Cup to be held earlier than what may have been expected on Monda or Tuesday. The decision to play these matches on Wednesday and Thursday, as opposed to the weekend, may be down to a religious holiday throughout Pakistan on Friday, with the PCB keen to avoid further hindrances to their premier domestic T20 tournament.The National T20 Cup faced several hindrances this year. Earlier, it had clashed with the ICC World XI’s trip. The rescheduled dates clashed with the Bangladesh Premier League and the now-postponed T20 Global League in South Africa. Even then, smog in Faisalabad and Multan forced a relocation to Rawalpindi once and for all.The scheduling of the National T20 Cup created uncertainty on other fronts as well. In August, the board revoked the No-Objection Certificates of 13 players participating in the Caribbean Premier League and the English domestic season, asking them to return home and fulfill national and domestic commitments. However, a few days later, PCB chairman Najam Sethi said the National T20 Cup had been postponed and the players could return to their franchises and counties after undergoing fitness tests.The tournament will also mark the end of Saeed Ajmal’s career, who announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.

Journalist Conor McGilligan has slammed Leeds United after their performance against Birmingham City, insisting there is nothing positive going on at Elland Road this season.

What's the latest on Leeds United?

Having been relegated from the Premier League last season after a year of underwhelming performances, there was some optimism among Leeds supporters that they would at least see their side get back to winning ways in the Championship.

That has been far from the case so far, however, with the Whites having picked up just one point from two Championship matches.

An opening day 2-2 draw with Cardiff City that required a late equaliser was followed by a dismal 1-0 defeat against Birmingham that featured another late strike, this time one that went against Leeds.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

In between there was a far from convincing 2-1 win over League One Shrewsbury in the Carabao Cup first round which provided the only competitive victory of the Daniel Farke era so far.

Combine this with the mass exodus of the club's best players on loan due to relegation clauses in their contracts, and a failure to bring a great deal of quality through the door at Elland Road, and things look pretty bleak in Yorkshire.

Put frankly, the club find themselves in a crisis, one that McGilligan has little hope they will find their way out of any time soon.

Speaking after the Birmingham defeat, he said: "We've had a truly horrific performance aginst Birmingham City which shows no credentials for promotion whatsoever, and this isn't being dramatic, I said this yesterday, we're looking down rather than up, 100%, and the reason I say that is because the squad is so weak, so weak."

He added: "I don't know what more to say really. I'm almost just at a given up phase, I am, and the season's not even started. There is no positivity whatsoever. You'll see the happy clappers, the super fans, have all gone quiet because unfortunately these are the facts."

McGilligan believes Leeds would be "lucky to finish in 15th" if things stay as they are, even suggesting that Farke – who only arrived in early July – would be "thinking about moving on pretty quickly" if his four-year deal had been a shorter contract.

The club's hopes of making a swift return to the Premier League look in doubt already with struggles on and off the pitch jeopardising Leeds' promotion push.

By contrast, the other clubs that were relegated last season – Leicester City and Southampton – have made significantly stronger starts, pikcing up six and four points from their opening two games respectively.

While there is still time to shift the narrative in the transfer market, Farke has an enromous job on his hands to steady the ship.

Who have Leeds signed?

Leeds have managed to sign four players this summer, a concerning low number given ten have already left and more are likely to follow.

Ethan Ampadu was Leeds' first signing of the window from Chelsea and was followed up by cost-effective deals for Karl Darlow from Newcastle and Sam Byram as a free agent.

Farke has managed to add a little top-flight experience to his side in the form of Joe Rodon. The Spurs centre-back has signed on loan having spent last season at Rennes in Ligue 1.

The Whites have been linked with strikers Tom Cannon and Joel Piroe in recent weeks, while also having been touted with an interest in Liverpool centre-back Nat Phillips.

Jake Ball said he hopes he “can bounce a few Aussies out” if he wins selection for the first Test in Brisbane

George Dobell in Brisbane20-Nov-2017Most players on the verge of their first Ashes Test might be hoping to emulate their heroes, but Jake Ball is hoping for the opposite. In one respect, anyway.Ball grew-up idolising Steve Harmison. Inspired by Harmison’s pace and hostility in the 2005 Ashes, Ball would take to the garden with his brother and “try to bounce him out”.But while he will not want to replicate Harmison’s infamous first delivery at the Gabba at start of the 2006-07 Ashes – the ball that went to second slip, a harbinger of doom for a grim series from an England perspective – he is still hoping to emulate the Harmison of 2005. And that means looking to bounce out the Australian batsmen.Broad hit by golf ball

Stuart Broad escaped serious injury after he was hit by a golf ball while playing at Brisbane Golf Club on Monday. Broad was on the putting green when he was hit on the lower back by a stray ball hit by a member of the club. He did not require treatment and is not in any way an injury doubt ahead of Thursday’s first Ashes Test.

“I hope I can bounce a few of the Aussies out,” Ball said as he visited the Gabba for the first time on Monday. I have the height and bounce.”I showed in the first couple of games on the tour that I can extract extra bounce and the Gabba is renowned for being a bouncy pitch. Hopefully I can show that and nick a few of the Aussies off.”I’m in a really good position at the minute. I think we’re going to hit the ground running and I hope to surprise a few people. I think we’ve a really good chance.”Ball has emerged as a near certainty to play in the first Test over the last few days, which may surprise a few. He has a Test bowling average of 114, after all – he has only played three Tests and two of them were in India – and he has been limited to just 22 first-class deliveries on tour to date after spraining his ankle in Adelaide.But the spells he did bowl clearly made a strong impression. Trevor Bayliss rated Ball as the side’s “best bowler” in the warm-up match in Perth, while Jonny Bairstow reckoned he was the quickest of England’s seamers. At every state, the management have said they wanted him to play in Brisbane where his height and ability to hit the seam could be an asset.”I’m really confident in what I’m doing,” Ball said. “I’ve played club cricket in Australia. I’ve always had in the back of my mind that these pitches can really suit my style of bowling and bowling in Perth and Adelaide reinforced that.”He admits, however, that there was a moment when he feared for his Ashes prospects in the immediate aftermath of sustaining the injury.”There was a split-second where I felt something wasn’t quite right,” he said. “I had my eyes closed and I was thinking ‘Does it hurt?’ All sorts of thoughts go through your head.”It was a bit gutting, especially with bowling so well in the first couple of games.”But the medical staff have been amazing. The last couple of days in Townsville went really well and I got through 17 overs at full pace and a couple of sessions of fielding. I’m now 100% confident that I can get through a five-day Test. I’m in a really good position.”You dream about playing in the Ashes. To be here and have a chance of playing is amazing and if I do get the nod, I’ll go out there and give 100%.”We’re not intimidated. All the batters have dealt with 90mph pace before and they will deal with it again. They can talk it up, talk about their pace, but it’s nothing that we haven’t faced before. We’ll look to put the pressure back on them.”

With the tumultuous rumblings of the transfer window occurring all around high-fliers Newcastle United, Eddie Howe will be delighted that his Premier League outfit have been swift and incisive this summer.

Who are Newcastle going to sign?

It's a credit to Newcastle's transfer strategy and technical director Dan Ashworth's diligence that Howe has recently claimed that he would "love" one more signing.

Effectively, the 45-year-old gaffer is alluding to the fact that the club's business has been conducted efficiently and anything more this month would be a welcome bonus, with Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes and Tino Livramento all bolstering the first-team ranks.

Read the latest Newcastle transfer news HERE…

The Daily Mail's Craig Hope has claimed that Newcastle need to be 'creative' to make their final move to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations, and as such could swoop for Chelsea's Marc Cucurella, with the Telegraph's Luke Edwards revealing that the Spaniard could arrive on loan.

How good is Marc Cucurella?

Aside from the obvious fact that Cucurella would bring added depth to Newcastle's side as they target success across four competitions this season, having returned to the Champions League after two decades away, the 25-year-old could play to the strengths of Alexander Isak.

Isak signed for the St. James' Park team for a club-record £63m from Real Sociedad last summer and plundered ten goals from just 17 Premier League starts during an injury-hit maiden year on English soil, but opened his account with aplomb this season by netting twice in a 5-1 drubbing over Aston Villa, with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink saying "you can't teach" the innate striking instinct he possesses.

The £120k-per-week Swede is lightning-quick and fleet-footed, ranking among the top 13% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and the top 7% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, highlighting his progressive presence and prowess with the ball at his feet.

It is because of this skill set that Isak has often been placed out wide for the Tyneside team, playing five of the last seven top-flight matches on the left wing to accommodate Callum Wilson in the central striking role, with the 31-year-old England international's prolificness last term giving Howe a selection headache, which, albeit, is not the worst quandary in the world.

Isak failed to score across those five matches but did look dangerous and left football fans waxing lyrical in their droves after a magical solo run produced a fine goal; while he was not officially credited with an assist due to a slight deflection, the 40-cap star drew comparisons to Thierry Henry for the feat.

With Wilson scoring 18 goals from just 21 starts last season, should Isak find a home on the left flank again, his craft will be enhanced by Cucurella, who offers a very different skill set to that of Dan Burn.

Cucurella's £60m transfer to west London hasn't worked out after such stellar displays with Brighton & Hove Albion the season prior, where he earned an average Sofascore rating of 7.11 as he completed 82% of his passes, averaging 1.2 key passes per game and plundered one goal and assist apiece.

The direct contribution is hardly groundbreaking stuff, but it's a far cry better than Burn's offensive output, with the 6 foot 6 titan ranking among the top 5% of full-backs for clearances per 90 but only among the bottom 43% for passes attempted – also averaging just 0.4 key passes per game last season – keeping it conservative and simple.

Hailed as "outstanding" by one football consultant, Cucurella, comparatively, ranks among the top 8% for passes attempted, the top 30% for progressive passes and the top 2% for tackles per 90, and his ball-playing ability could work a treat for Howe's side and indeed Isak, who would no doubt benefit from a more attacking full-back.

The £175k-per-week gem, while not in good form last year, exhibited his passing prowess and could notch his metrics up a level with a move to Newcastle, providing Isak with supplementation upon his forays out wide and increasing the dynamism and multi-dimensional approach of this thriving English outfit.

The left-arm wristspinner is 46, and he’s looking forward to another Big Bash League season with Melbourne Renegades

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2017Brad Hogg is 46 years old. He is already establishing a presence as a commentator, but given the chance, he is more than happy to step out on the field again. The left-arm wristspinner has earned another one-year contract with Melbourne Renegades to play the seventh edition of the Big Bash League.Having left Perth Scorchers ahead of the previous BBL season, Hogg was without a contract. The Renegades brought him on board in 2016-17, but that was a one-season deal. He played all eight matches for them, taking eight wickets at an economy rate of 7.2.”Look out Melbourne, I’m coming back,” Hogg said. “I had such a good time during the last BBL season and the fire to compete is burning strongly.”He is currently in India, following the Australian team and working as an expert for the host broadcaster, and he spoke about his desire to play until he is 50.”I just want to play. I don’t care where and who wants me, as long as I’m delivering and enjoying it. I want to crack the 50 mark,” Hogg told the Cricket Australia website. “If the body holds up, the body holds up. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. If batsmen get on top of me and start belting me out of the team, so be it. I want to finish my career playing the Big Bash.”As eager as he was to keep playing, Hogg admitted he had to be cautious. “I’m fully fit, there’s nothing wrong with my endurance,” he said. “It’s just being able to run at 100%. I am getting old. I feel young but the left knee just said ‘hey old fella, your mind might be 21 but I’m 46. So pull your head in a bit. It doesn’t matter what the scenario is, if I can’t train and keep up with the other players, that’s a sign for me to pull out. If I’m playing, I’ve got to do the hard yards like everyone else. I don’t want that easy way out (because) I’m old.”Renegades head coach Andrew McDonald said: “Hoggy proved last year, as he has done for many years, that he can still deceive some of the best players in the world with the ball. He’s an energetic and experienced presence around the group and we’re excited to have him back.”