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Nottingham Forest have had a phenomenal season since the arrival of manager Steve Cooper and after securing a place in the Championship play-offs they have a golden opportunity at promotion back to the Premier League for the first time in 23 years.

Despite these amazing achievements, with success in football comes a spotlight on the players who have become integral in making a difference in the team’s challenge and Brennan Johnson in particular has been attracting a lot of attention from Premier League clubs following an outstanding season for Forest.

Leeds United, Everton and Newcastle United have all been linked with making a move for the young forward’s signature this summer, with the club reportedly valuing the gem at £20m.

The 20-year-old who was hailed an “outstanding” talent by Martin Keown, became the highest-scoring and assisting player under the age of 21, with 16 goals and ten assists in 46 appearances in the 2021/22 Championship season, which is an impressive achievement alongside his other statistics that go hand in hand with his goal contribution.

Johnson has created 15 big chances, making 1.3 key passes and 1.9 shots on average per game, proving that he is a consistent attacking threat and an asset to his team that Cooper cannot afford to lose.

In the January transfer window, the Forest manager made it explicitly clear that the young talent was not for sale, and since then has further given an insight from his perspective on the future of Johnson who was dubbed “easy on the eye” by Michael Appleton.

Cooper said (via The 72):

“It’s a good thing he’s getting interest. It shows he’s doing something right. We’re enjoying working with him.

“He wants to do extra and review how he can improve his game. He’s a local boy and is very proud to play for the football club.”

With that being said, the Welsh manager must do everything he can to keep Johnson at the club, and if they can secure Premier League promotion this season it will surely be a massive boost in securing the winger’s future, and it could potentially open the door for an extension on his current contract that will expire in June 2023.

Losing him, however, would be nothing short of a disaster for Cooper who will also see James Garner return to Manchester United this summer.

Nottingham Forest will take on their promotion challenge this weekend in the Championship semi-final in their first leg against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, and the transfer interest surrounding Johnson will need to take a back seat until the side’s fate is sealed in their push for a return to top-flight football.

AND in other news: John Percy: Forest will “make an offer” to sign “superb” 27 y/o, he can replace Garner

Pakistan’s domestic players who are currently representing city cricket associations in the QEA Trophy have asked the PCB to resume the regional central contracts system

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Dec-2010Pakistan’s domestic players who are currently representing city cricket associations in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy have asked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to resume the regional central contracts system, in order to ensure their livelihood through the off season.This year’s QEA Trophy features 22 teams – 9 departmental and 13 regional – divided into two leagues. During former PCB chairman Nasim Ahsraf’s reign, players in the regional sides were given central contracts, a practice that has been done away with in recent years, along with a reduction in the match fees.”The top players from the associations leave their regional sides in order to play for departments so how can you expect the regions to maintain their level of performances every year?” asked a president of one of the leading associations. “The standard of associations can only be gauged if there are different leagues for associations and departments. You cannot expect a region to defeat departmental sides in every match. There is a big difference of quality.”The earlier contracts system had three categories, with the top level getting Rs 20,000 ($ 233) per month, and the next grades earning Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively. The monetary motivation, according to Karachi Blues player Tabish Nawab, encouraged players to pursue cricket in Pakistan instead of looking for more lucrative options abroad.”There has been a trend in Pakistan that most of our cricketers aim to play just five matches anyhow, in order to be eligible to play in Britain,” Nawab told the News. “Subconsciously, they neglect the main priority of performing well to represent the country. The feeling of nationalism dies once money becomes the first priority.”While the players are abroad they have to do job five days a week, and the remaining two days they have to play for their respective clubs. Thus their fitness level does not remain the same and players get injured. Cricket has become a profession and the board needs to understand that there is a dire need to invest in the game for domestic players as well. In today’s world money has become a necessity. In such lowly pay structure, you cannot expect that a player can have top quality cricket gear, a healthy diet to maintain his fitness at the same time. We need to end the financial uncertainty surrounding our players so that they only think about cricket which will eventually help Pakistan.”

Wasim Bari, former wicketkeeper and former chief operating officer of the board, has been appointed Director of Education and Training

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Dec-2010Wasim Bari, former wicketkeeper and former chief operating officer of the board, has been appointed Director of Education and Training, a post created within the PCB as part of their revised anti-corruption measures in the aftermath of the spot-fixing controversy.The ICC, last month, had praised the PCB for adopting the ICC’s recommendations to curb corruption. In response to an ultimatum issued by the ICC to conduct a thorough far-reaching review of “player-integrity issues” within a 30-day deadline, the PCB has revised its code of conduct for players, made it mandatory for players to have their agents approved, implemented education programmes for cricketers to create awareness about match-fixing and set up an Integrity Committee to look into matters of corruption and doping.Bari’s appointment represents a continuation of the PCB’s response. “Cricket is facing new challenges but as custodian of the game we are committed to fight for its integrity and survival,” Bari said. “Players need to be trained and educated on what problems they may face while playing at international level. Pakistan is among the first boards to start implementing these codes at the domestic level. I am hopeful that with the right kind of awareness we will be able to overcome this global issue of corruption in cricket.”Bari served as the PCB’s chief operating officer for more than a year, stepping down last month. He’s been replaced by Subhan Ahmed, an administrator who’s been part of the board since 1994.

James Hunter has shared some Sunderland injury news from Alex Neil on Alex Pritchard, who hobbled off in the 0-0 draw away to Charlton Athletic on Saturday.

The Lowdown: Star man

Giving him an 8/10 rating in his player ratings piece for The Chronicle, Hunter thought that Pritchard was the Wearsiders’ star man against the Addicks, claiming that he ‘pulled the strings’ and ‘set up so many chances’.

Indeed, the attacking midfielder won three of his duels and recorded one shot on target and one tackle, along with a team-high six key passes and three accurate crosses (SofaScore).

The Latest: Pritchard injury update

Taking to Twitter, Hunter has now shared a concerning injury update from Neil on Pritchard.

He outlined: “Alex Pritchard’s injury doesn’t look good. He’s rolled his ankle and will need a scan. It’s a big concern.”

The Verdict: Big blow

From this update, it sounds like Pritchard may now be facing a lengthy spell on the treatment table, which is no doubt a big blow for Sunderland and their promotion hopes.

The 28-year-old currently ranks as their fifth-best player in League One so far this season, having scored four goals and supplied a further seven assists for his team (WhoScored).

He also ranks highly among his team-mates in terms of average shots, key passes, crosses and through balls per game (WhoScored), so losing him for the next matches would clearly be a massive miss for Neil and the Black Cats.

In other news, these were Sunderland’s three worst performers against Charlton

Pakistan’s coach, Waqar Younis, admitted that their series-salvaging victory in the third ODI against England was the result that his team needed

Andrew Miller at The Oval17-Sep-2010

Pakistan’s coach, Waqar Younis, admitted that their series-salvaging victory in the third ODI against England was the result that his team needed as they enter the final week of a long, fraught and controversial tour. Having been faced with the prospect of a 3-0 scoreline and two dead-rubber matches at Lord’s and the Rose Bowl, an uplifted squad has been imbued with renewed optimism.”After the two losses, we really needed something like this,” said Waqar. “The series is still alive, and this gives us the incentive that we can come back and maybe win the series now. It’s been a really tough tour on the field and off it, so we’re pretty pleased to be back in this one-day series, but there’s still plenty of work to be done.”Pakistan’s victory came on the day that Scotland Yard’s investigators passed a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service, as the spot-fixing controversy prepared to move forward to its next phase after several destabilising weeks in which the team has been deprived of the services, through suspension, of three of its key players, including both new-ball bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif.Waqar denied any knowledge of this latest turn of events, and insisted that the squad had been fully focussed on its cricket, and that seemed self-evident from the performance of Umar Gul, the most influential seamer still within the Pakistan camp. He produced a performance of irresistible full-length reverse-swing to rout England’s lower-order and deliver victory with his career-best figures of 6 for 42.”The way Umar bowled was outstanding,” said Waqar. “[After making 241], there was no way for us to bowl 50 overs and win this game. Our only chance was to bowl the English team out – and we’ve done that. Shoaib Akhtar was important too, because we really needed early wickets, but this wasn’t a fluke. The boys really played well in a team effort, and the entire thing was what we needed.”Gul’s performance was his finest in England since the World Twenty20 in 2009, when he once again starred on this ground with the remarkable figures of 5 for 6 against New Zealand. On that occasion, Daniel Vettori cast aspersions on the legitimacy of his performance, a suggestion that had caused Waqar to react with fury. There was no need for such a strident defence of his efforts on this occasion, as England knew they had been beaten fair and square.”One big reason for his reverse swing is that he’s got an action that really helps,” said Waqar. “He also does a lot of practice, which really makes him a good reverse-swing bowler, especially at the death with his yorkers because you have to know how to manage them.”One concern for Pakistan as they look ahead to Lord’s on Monday was the fitness of their wicketkeeper, Kamran Akmal, who took a blow on the ring finger while spilling a low edge off Michael Yardy, and had to be replaced by his brother Umar for the latter stages of the innings. Waqar could not confirm whether he’d suffered a fracture as yet, but remained optimistic at this stage. “He’ll go for an x-ray tonight, and we hope he’ll be all right,” he said.

Crystal Palace defender Nathan Ferguson has picked up a fresh injury ahead of tonight’s meeting with Norwich City, Matt Woosnam reports.

The Lowdown: Ferguson’s troubles

Ferguson finally made his Premier League debut for the Eagles on Boxing Day against Tottenham after joining the club back in July 2020.

The 21-year-old had missed 49 games for Palace before his first appearance due to hamstring and Achilles issues.

He has since featured on the bench against Norwich, Brighton and Liverpool but was absent from the matchday squad against Hartlepool in the FA Cup over the weekend.

The Latest: Woosnam’s post

The Athletic’s Woosnam took to Twitter on Tuesday evening to relay comments from Patrick Vieira regarding Ferguson, who Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson called a ‘very good’ player.

He confirmed that the right-back has an injury and will need to wait a few days to see the severity of the fresh issue.

The Verdict: Not good

Vieira will also be without Cheikhou Kouyate at Carrow Road this evening and the Palace boss has missed James McArthur and James Tomkins due to injury, with the former out since November and the latter missing three games. [football.london]

So, with Palace having a number of injury issues to deal with alongside Ferguson’s long-term absence, everyone at the club will be hoping that Ferguson’s latest injury isn’t a serious one and that he can make a swift return to action.

Time is on Ferguson’s side at the age of 21, and hopefully, the versatile defender isn’t sidelined for long and can enjoy an injury-free rest of the season ahead of a possible breakthrough campaign in 2022/23.

In other news: Palace have made a move for ‘outstanding’ ace who’s clashed with Edouard in the past. 

To coin a classic phrase, Manchester United have made their top-four challenge a mountain out of a molehill.

The Red Devils are a far cry from the side that dominated so fiercely under the tutelage of a certain Sir Alex Ferguson but one particular signing could help steer them along the right path again.

What’s the word?

Man United have long been in the market for a holding midfield player and it would appear that won’t change heading into the summer.

That’s the word of transfer guru Fabriano Romano who commented on their transfer plans this summer.

Speaking to Hammers Chat, the Italian reporter said:

“He is top of the list for Man United since a long time. Man Utd dream of Declan Rice, they consider him the perfect player for their approach for the new season. Man United will sign a defensive midfield and Declan Rice is the player they want.”

Rice heading to United?

Acquiring the West Ham titan this summer would be a monumental sign of intent from the Red Devils.

First of all, it’s evidently clear that Ralf Rangnick’s midfield is not the greatest when it comes to complete overall quality. Secondly, with Paul Pogba seemingly destined to leave, bringing in Rice makes total sense.

The Irons gem could be freed from the shackles of the bubbles that surround the London Stadium in 2022 to offer whoever the new manager is at Old Trafford talents that very few reign more supreme in throughout the continent.

For instance, as per FB Ref, the England international ranks in the top 30% for every single passing metric barring key passes, expected assists and progressive passes.

However, what Rice makes up for in a lack of forwardness with his passing, he certainly makes up for when driving with the ball instead.

The West Ham bulldozer ranks in the top 6% in Europe’s top leagues for progressive carries per 90 (7.01) and in the top 2% for both total carrying distance and progressive carry distance per 90 (178.76).

Also ranking in the top 5% in Europe for interceptions per 90 (2.76) and the best 5% again for a percentage of aerial duels won (65.3%) per 90 minutes, it’s clear to see that Rice would offer a great deal to United particularly when it comes to dribbling and doing the dirty work.

If a deal is there to be done, they simply have to swoop. It’s a deal, considering his qualities, that would leave supporters absolutely elated.

AND in other news, “Bad news..” – Fabrizio Romano update is worrying for Manchester United…

أعلن الاتحاد السعودي لكرة القدم عن موعد سحب قرعة بطولة كأس خادم الحرمين الشريفين للموسم الرياضي الحالي 2022-2023.

وينتظر أن تقام مراسم سحب قرعة كأس خادم الحرمين الشريفين، يوم الثلاثاء الأول من شهر نوفمبر المقبل في قرية الدرعية الرياضية ضمن موسم الدرعية 2022.

ووفقا للحساب الرسمي للاتحاد السعودي على موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “تويتر” فإن قرعة كأس خادم الحرمين الشريفين ستقام بمشاركة أندية دوري روشن للمحترفين اعتبارًا من دور الـ16.

اقرأ أيضا..مواعيد مباريات الهلال الودية في فترة كأس العالم 2022

وكان نادي الفيحاء تمكن من الظفر بلقب كأس الملك في النسخة الماضية 2021-2022 على حساب نادي الهلال بركلات الترجيح بعد انتهاء المباراة النهائية بينهما بالتعادل الإيجابي بهدف لكل منهما.

الجدير بالذكر أن النادي الأهلي الملقب بقلعة الكؤوس هو الفريق الأكثر تحقيقا للقب كأس خادم الحرمين الشريفين برصيد 13 لقبا متفوقا على الاتحاد والهلال ولدى كل منهما 9 ألقاب.

West Ham United appear to have suffered a blow in their bid to bring James Tarkowski to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a recent claim made by Claret & Hugh, with the West Ham insider revealing that, despite the Burnley centre-back being one of David Moyes’ priority transfer targets in the winter market, the 29-year-old defender could end up being too expensive for the Hammers next month.

The report goes on to state that, despite the fact the England international’s current contract is set to expire at the end of the season, Sean Dyche’s side are demanding £20m in order to part with Tarkowski in January – a fee the West Ham board may be reluctant to cough up.

Moyes will be fuming

With Moyes’ first-choice centre-back pairing Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna both being sidelined for a considerable amount of time due to serious injuries, the heart of his defence is undoubtedly an area of the pitch in which the 58-year-old West Ham manager must strengthen this January if he is to have any hope of securing a top-four finish in the league this season.

And, considering just how impressive Tarkowski has been in a struggling Burnley side this season, it is easy to see why Moyes is so keen on a deal to bring the 29-year-old centre-back to the London Stadium next month.

Indeed, over his 14 Premier League appearances this term, the £19.8m-rated defender has helped his side keep two clean sheets, scored one goal and has provided his teammates with two assists, as well as making an average of 1.6 interceptions, 1.6 tackles, 5.1 clearances and winning a whopping 7.4 duels per game.

These returns have seen the £50k-per-week man average a rather extraordinary SofaScore match rating of 7.23, ranking him not only as Burnley’s second-best performer in the top flight, but also as the joint 23rd-best player in the entirety of the division.

As such, it is clear for all to see that Tarkowski would be well worth the £20m Dyche’s side are demanding for the centre-back this winter, and why Moyes will undoubtedly be fuming that his club look as if they will not cough up for the defender next month.

In other news: GSB could land Moyes the next Ibrahimovic with WHU swoop for “incredible” £82k-p/w gem

Corrie van Zyl, victorious in his first Test as South Africa’s coach, has said that his team will not be intimidated by a probable turning track at Eden Gardens because the visitors are now mentally much stronger than they were on their last visit in 2008.Two years ago Dale Steyn had broken the back of India’s batting with a powerful burst of fast bowling in Ahmedabad to put South Africa one up going into the final Test in Kanpur a week later. India opted for a turning pitch at Green Park, which Steyn called a “bunsen burner”, won the Test and levelled the series.This time, though, Graeme Smith is leading a unit that is not just consumed by the possibility of beating India in India but is confident of doing so. That, van Zyl points out, is the difference between this squad and the previous ones. “Mentally, the South African team is better prepared,” van Zyl, who was appointed the interim coach after Mickey Arthur resigned, said.”It is still going to be a challenge to deal with turning wickets or whatever the wicket is,” he said. The South African think-tank has already assumed the Indians will opt for a pitch that play to their strengths. “India have more control over the conditions,” Smith had said yesterday after the innings win in Nagpur.van Zyl echoed his captain’s sentiments today. “I won’t say it would be a minefield, but I do expect something that will help the Indian team.”But the South African coach said they would not be in a hurry to change their gameplans, especially after they worked so well in Nagpur. Speaking about the aggressive bowling lines adopted by Steyn, Morne Morkel and Wayne Parnell, van Zyl said it was a conscious decision. “It would be part of our gameplan going forward. We need to make sure as a bowling unit we start operating together and we don’t work as individuals. That makes you a lot more effective.”Still there was an individual effort that stood out and that came from Paul Harris. The left-arm spinner had been targeted going into the series but produced a concerted effort of bowling to strict lines and lengths that clamped the movement of the specialist Indian batsmen, especially in the crucial second innings.”Just the fact that he bowled so many overs, and his economy rate, shows he was really effective,” van Zyl pointed out. Importantly Harris knows exactly what his role is within the bowling unit. He said that the decision to enforce the follow-on became viable only because Harris kept an end tight and delivered marathon spells on the fourth afternoon.Asked whether the leg-stump line against Sachin Tendulkar was deliberate, considering the batsman’s past vulnerability to such a ploy, van Zyl indirectly confirmed it. “The line of the attack is determined by the amount of the turn on offer and the line where it turns from. And we had to assess where it was more difficult to score against.”van Zyl has been part of the South African coaching set-up for the better half of the last decade and worked closely with various coaches, including Arthur. His previous assignment, before moving into the present job, was to deal with the emerging talent at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria. A fast bowler during his playing days, van Zyl said the most striking aspect about Smith’s squad was its “professionalism”.”I was telling the team and the team management that I was pleasantly surprised by the level of professionalism,” van Zyl said. According to van Zyl the main reason for the superior mental strength the players possess now could be the structure Arthur worked hard to create. “Credit must be given to Mickey and what he put in the place. That does make my introduction a lot easier.”Both Smith and van Zyl have no illusions about that the second Test, which begins on February 14, being just another hurdle that can be easily crossed. “If the first Test was a challenge then the second Test is a bigger challenge,” van Zyl said.Smith said an extra day’s break would be welcome given the amount of preparation that went into the Nagpur Test. “The guys need a few days’ rest to regain the mental energy more than anything else. This [first Test win] has taken a lot out of the guys,” he said. But he is not losing any sleep yet. “There is enough in the group now and we have beaten India enough number of times. I don’t think anything will surprise us going into Kolkata.”