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Unai Emery is one of the leading names on Newcastle United’s shortlist of potential Steve Bruce replacements, according to The Times. 

The lowdown

The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope says there’s ‘no doubt’ that Bruce will soon be dismissed in the wake of Sunday’s 3-2 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur, which has left Newcastle 19th in the Premier League table.

Emery is currently in charge at La Liga outfit Villarreal, who are competing in this season’s Champions League after beating Manchester United on penalties to win the 2020/21 Europa League final.

It was the fourth time Emery had won the competition after an earlier hat-trick with Sevilla, and the 10th major trophy he has won in his managerial career (via Transfermarkt).

The Spaniard has taken 34 victories from 68 matches in charge of the Yellow Submarine, equating to a 50% win percentage, while he has previously managed two huge clubs in Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal.

He left the Parc des Princes after being informed that his contract would not be renewed, and he was sacked by Arsenal after a seven-game winless run nearly two years ago.

The latest

The report from The Times claimed that Newcastle will ‘step up their search’ for Bruce’s successor this week.

Emery has now emerged as one of the top contenders for the position on Tyneside, with Rangers boss Steven Gerrard and Belgium’s Roberto Martinez also named as principal candidates.

The verdict

It had previously been reported that Newcastle would only pursue out-of-work managers, but now it seems they’re willing to incur the costs of luring a big name from elsewhere.

Emery’s record is mixed and it’s hard to imagine that the appointment would win unanimous approval.

We should remember, though, that the season before things went south at the Emirates Stadium in his last taste of his English football, he had overseen a 22-game unbeaten run, while he had been hailed as an “outstanding” manager by Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis.

It’s fair to say he’s been rebuilding his reputation at Villarreal, while his trophy-winning record should appeal to Newcastle supporters, who have been starved of major silverware for more than 50 years now.

In other news, could this be a dream hire for Newcastle?

UAE international Saqib Ali has been banned for a year after he was found guilty of attempting to assault an umpire during a local Twenty20 cup tie.The Dubai-based National newspaper reported that Saqib had a heated argument with Mohammed Asif, who was standing as the square-leg umpire, after an appeal for a catch behind was turned down by Asif’s colleague. It is claimed that Saqib then grabbed a bail and threw it at the umpire – it missed, but Saqib had to be hauled away by team-mates.Emirates Cricket Board chief executive Dilawar Mani said: “If a council has banned a player or takes disciplinary action, as a matter of principle, all other regional councils will honour that decision. And we will stand by them.”Saqib has the right to appeal. He hasn’t done it so far. A lot will depend on if he wants a review of the decision. And if he appeals, another meeting can take place and review that decision.”The ban means he will miss the ACC Twenty20 Cup and World Twenty20 Qualifiers, as well as most of UAE’s Intercontinental Cup matches.Abu Dhabi Cricket Council (ADCC) general secretary Inam-ul-Haq told the National newspaper: “Saqib was apologetic and admitted his misconduct on the field. He said that he got ’emotional’ but we can’t allow him to go unpunished for such a serious offence.”Saqib has captained the UAE and is a current international. He has a responsibility. We have taken this decision after a thorough investigation, and after speaking to the umpires, some of the players, the scorers and an ADCC official, who were present during the match.”

Rahul Dravid has been named among the 30 Indian team probables for the ICC Champions Trophy in September this year

Cricinfo staff06-Jul-2009Rahul Dravid is the surprise inclusion among India’s probables for the ICC Champions Trophy in September this year. The selectors picked a longlist of 30 players for the tournament, to be held in South Africa, including Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan.Dravid played his last ODI in October 2007 against Australia in Nagpur, where he managed seven runs. He averages 39.49 from 333 games with a strike-rate of 71.22 and is the third Indian to accumulate more than 10,000 runs in ODIs.His inclusion follows the recent struggles of Indian batsmen against short-pitched bowling, brutally shown up in the ICC World Twenty20 where Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir and Yusuf Pathan were troubled by bouncers from the West Indian and England fast bowlers. The problem continued in the subsequent ODI series in the West Indies.Dravid played a key role in the success of Royal Challengers Bangalore during the IPL’s second season, scoring 271 runs at a strike-rate of 115.81 as the team finished runners-up in the tournament held in South Africa.The 16 members of the team touring the West Indies were also included, as are the regulars who missed that due to injury and fatigue concerns – Tendulkar, Sehwag, Zaheer and Suresh Raina.Among the players who failed to make the cut are medium-pacers Irfan Pathan and Sreesanth. Irfan’s last ODI was against Sri Lanka in February, while a back injury has troubled Sreesanth for more than a year since the inaugural IPL.Probables: MS Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Abhishek Nayar, Ishant Sharma, Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, Praveen Kumar, Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha, Ravindra Jadeja, Dinesh Karthik, Munaf Patel, R Ashwin, M Vijay, Amit Mishra, Ajinkya Rahane, Dhawal Kulkarni, S Badrinath, Ashish Nehra, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar Singh, Wriddhiman Saha, Pankaj Singh.

Ralf Rangnick is now reportedly interested in taking the manager’s job at Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Bruce to speak to media

It has been reported that Steve Bruce will be speaking to the media ahead of his team’s game at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, despite claims that the new owners will sack him before the match (The Daily Mail).

It means that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium are likely still on the hunt for a new manager to take them into the new post-takeover era.

The Latest: Rangnick interested

According to Christian Falk, Rangnick is now ‘interested’ in taking over from Bruce at St. James’ Park.

The Bundesliga journalist also claims that he tried to become the manager of Manchester United, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, and that to work in the English top flight is his ‘big dream’.

The Verdict: Bring him in

Rangnick is certainly a manager that is capable of bringing trophies back to the North East after so long, with eight already to his name with three different clubs (Transfermarkt).

His style of play is certainly more energetic than what the Toon Army have been used to under Bruce, as he is famous for his gegenpressing, an attack-minded tactic based on creating chances by winning the ball back high up the pitch (ESPN).

Jurgen Klopp, who of course has won both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League during his time at Liverpool, claimed that Rangnick is ‘one of the best, if not the best German coach’ (ESPN), which is very high praise indeed considering that the likes of him, Thomas Tuchel (Chelsea) and Julian Nagelsmann (Bayern Munich) are all managing at the highest level.

Nonetheless, he would certainly be a breath of fresh air should he go on to succeed Bruce on Tyneside.

In other news, find out what big Erling Haaland to NUFC update Falk has dropped here!

A round-up matches played on 21st March in the 2008-09 Royal Bank of Scotland Cup

Cricinfo staff21-Mar-2009Group BIslamabad Leopards beat Faisalabad Wolves by four wickets in a low-scoring encounter at the Diamond Club ground to go top of Group B. Each bowler in the Islamabad line-up chipped in to bowl out Faisalabad for 179, after the visitors had got a solid start. None of the Faisalabad batsmen could convert their starts, three of them crossed 25 but no one reached 40. Offspinner Kamran Hussain was the most successful Islamabad bowler, cleaning up the tail to finish with 4 for 18.The home side’s chase also began well, the openers putting on 62. There was a slight wobble when Islamabad lost three wickets for 14 to slide to 123 for 5. Offspinner Mohammad Laeeq, who had triggered that collapse, also stifled the runs to finish with figures of 10-1-17-3, but Ashar Zaidi’s brisk 32 was enough to take Islamabad to the brink of victory, before Kamran Hussain and Rauf Akbar completed the job with 9.2 overs to spare.In another contest in which offspinners had a big role to play, Lahore Lions beat Sialkot Stallions by 88 runs at the Lahore Country Club to pick up their first win of the campaign. In a match reduced to 35-overs-a-side, they got off to a poor start after being asked to bat, losing opener Ashfaq Ahmed for a duck. However, aggressive half-centuries from Kashif Siddiq (74) and Sohail Ahmed (56) put them in a strong position and cameos from Waqas Ahmed and Shahnawaz Malik took them to an imposing 241.Sialkot made a bright start to their reply, despite losing opener Kamran Younis early, with Naeemuddin and Salman Ali motoring along at strike-rates in the 130s. However both were dismissed on 55, and Sialkot lost their momentum. Ayaz Tasawwar scratched around for 27 balls to make 10, while Mohammad Ayub needed 53 deliveries for his 35. Offspinner Usman Malik secured the victory by taking four wickets – Sialkot’s final five going down for 11 runs.Group CIn a high-scoring encounter at the Marghzar Cricket Ground, Pakistan International Airlines beat Sui Southern Gas Corporation by six wickets to seal their second consecutive win. Set a challenging target of 199 in 30 overs, belligerent half-centuries Sarfraz Ahmed and Yasir Hameed laid the platform for PIA’s chase. Opener Sarfraz slammed three sixes and five fours in a 41-ball 54 while Hameed was a touch more sedate, making his 67 at a run-a-ball. They were still 35 runs away when Hameed was dismissed but Shoaib Malik chipped in with a 15-ball 17 and Kamran Sajid (21) stayed till the end to make sure there were no hiccups.Earlier, opener Asif Zakir’s 73-ball 80 had been the bedrock of SSGC’s batting effort. No one else made more than 30, but cameos from Mohtashim Ali and Ashraf Ali had taken them close to 200. Medium-pacer Fazl-e-Akbar was the most effective of the PIA bowlers, taking 3 for 36 in his six overs.In Rawalpindi, Saeed Anwar jnr’s unbeaten 154 took Khan Research Laboratories to an emphatic eight-wicket victory over Pakistan Customs. Anwar’s 126-ball effort had 23 fours and a six and he dominated his 196-run association with Azhar Ali for the second wicket. Azhar contributed 67, hitting five boundaries in a watchful 81-ball effort. Anwar really opened out towards the end; Rizwan Ahmed made only 3 in an unbeaten 43-run stand that took KRL to the target of 245 with 12.3 overs to spare.Anwar had played a part with the ball as well, taking three wickets in 2.4 overs to wrap up the Customs innings. Offspinner Saeed Ajmal was also among the wickets, taking three including that of opener Jibran Khan who top scored with a cautious 86. Captain Rameez Raja was the other major contributor, making a 62-ball 55, but their efforts were put in the shade by Anwar’s blitz.Group DAt the Iqbal Stadium, Water and Power Development Authority prevailed over National Bank of Pakistan in a batsmen-dominated cliffhanger. Chasing 304, WAPDA were well on course after openers Jahangir Mirza (96) and Shahid Yousuf (69) put on 157. Captain Mohammad Yousuf had guided the side to 205 for 1 after which they stumbled, losing five wickets for 20 runs. They had slipped further to 252 for 8 before Mustafa Iqbal and Ahmed Said made 26 each to bring WAPDA back on track. Said remained unbeaten to shepherd WAPDA to victory off the penultimate ball.The target had been set up by a pair of half-centuries from the in-form Fawad Alam (77) and Naumanullah (68). The pair’s efforts were sandwiched by opener Nasir Jamshed’s 33-ball 39, which provided the early impetus, and Mansoor Amjad’s 32-ball 40, which kept the run-rate up towards the end of the innings. While the batsmen had done their job for NBP, it was their vaunted bowling attack, which includes Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Talha, which let them down.

Crystal Palace are reportedly amongst a host of Premier League clubs lining up a move for Reading midfielder John Swift in the January window.

What’s the story?

According to Football League World,  the Eagles are one of four top-flight clubs interested in securing the highly-rated 26-year-old’s services after the Royals incurred an impending points deduction.

Swift has entered the final year of his current contract with Reading, but the Championship outfit were hoping a promotion push would be enough to convince their prized asset to put pen to paper on a new deal.

However, with them in discussions with the EFL over a points deduction, climbing out of English football’s second-tier now appears a tall order, meaning Swift could depart over the winter window.

The report states that: “Football League World can reveal a Premier League quartet of Burnley, Wolves, Crystal Palace and Norwich City are all keen on trying to get a deal sorted in the winter window before potentially getting him on a free transfer at the end of this campaign.

“It just remains to be seen, then, if Reading try to sell him in the January with that in mind to at least get some kind of fee.”

Crystal Palace can repeat Michael Olise masterclass

Swift rose through the ranks of boyhood club Chelsea before becoming frustrated with a lack of first-team opportunities after he made just one senior appearance for the senior side.

A string of loan spells at Rotherham United, Swindon Town and Brentford led to the Stamford Bridge outfit offering the academy graduate a new contract back in 2016, but he rejected it in order to get regular game time at Reading.

His brave decision earned praise from England boss Gareth Southgate – who worked closely with Swift during his time in charge of the Under-21s – saying he was right to cut ties with the capital club.

“John has done himself a favour leaving Chelsea,” said the national team manager, who was speaking to journalism students at a visit to the University of Derby five years ago (as relayed by BershireLive). “He’s got a great future ahead of him.”

Since arriving at the Madejski Stadium, Swift has become one of the Championship’s star performers, bagging 30 goals and laying on a further 30 assists in 173 appearances for Reading.

And he’s elevated his game to new heights this term. In just nine outings for Veljko Paunovic’s charges, the 5ft 9 dynamo has notched seven goals and provided a staggering five assists, highlighting his top-class potential.

If Palace are able to fend off the competition for Swift’s services, then he will be the second Reading star to move to south London in recent times after Michael Olise joined the Eagles over the summer.

The duo will add some star quality to Patrick Vieira’s squad should they be reunited at Selhurst Park, marking another masterclass in the transfer market for

And, in other news…Imagine him and Gallagher: Parish must seal Palace move for “perfect” £16.2m-rated gem 

James McAtee has started the season in superb fashion for Manchester City’s academy and the 18-year-old could even prove to be the next David Silva in the future.

The attacking midfielder is a regular for City’s under-23 side despite being just 18 and looks set to be a part of Pep Guardiola’s first team in the future if he can maintain his recent superb form.

The playmaker, who is nicknamed the ‘Salford Silva’, attracted heavy interest from Championship clubs during the recent transfer window but City were clearly keen to keep him at the Etihad, with Guardiola suggesting recently: “Liam Delap, Cole Palmer, James McAtee, Luke Mbete, Romeo Lavia. There are five or six guys who will be with us.”

So far this season, McAtee has six goals and one assist in just three appearances in Premier League 2, with new academy manager Brian Barry-Murphy hugely impressed with his performances as he sang his praises recently, saying: “I think there is loads of his game he can still develop, and he’ll know that as he’s a very intelligent player.

“But the way he’s working in sync with the rest of the team is great for me because it’s very valuable.”

“I’m in the very early stages of getting to know James but I think he’s conscious of the fact he wants to get into positions where he can score goals.”

City’s next David Silva?

If McAtee can have anywhere near the influence that Silva had during his time at Manchester City in the future, then he will surely prove to be a hugely popular player at the Etihad Stadium.

The Spanish magician contributed 77 goals and 141 assists for the Citizens in 436 appearances and recently had a statue unveiled outside the Etihad, which literally solidifies his status as a Manchester City legend.

[freshpress-quiz id=“577936”]

Therefore, City fans will be hoping that McAtee can live up to his nickname, and if his performances with the academy continue, they surely won’t have too long to wait before seeing him make his first team debut.

In other news… Txiki can redeem himself with transfer swoop for “truly extraordinary” star

Many Liverpool supporters have taken to Twitter to react to the news that the Anfield club is the most-watched football team in the world. 

As per the Liverpool Echo [via Anfield Watch], the Reds are currently the most-watched football team across the world, arising from findings by global sponsorship, media valuation and data analysts Nielson.

Liverpool’s historical past and global commercial revenues have aided Jugen Klopp’s team to garner supporters from all corners of the world, although the Merseysiders’ status in that regard could soon be under threat.

Nielson believe that the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United will see the Red Devils take over top spot in their rankings by the end of the 2021/22 season.

When he arrived at Juventus in 2018, he brought a 15% increase in cumulative TV viewership, and it is expected he will do likewise at Old Trafford. Nielson suggests that the Portuguese’s arrival could bring in a further 60 million viewers to United’s league games over the season. [Liverpool Echo]

Liverpool fans buzzing

These Liverpool fans have expressed their excitement about the revelation that their club are currently the most-watched team in the world, with one Kopite duly describing the Reds as “gargantuan”.

“We are so massive”

Credit: @FrontOfficeSeb

“I’ll never understand how we’re not the highest earners financially with merchandise and TV earnings etc. We’re the biggest club in the world”

Credit: @TLBRAY92

“We’re gargantuan”

Credit: @sandile_dube_

“Best club in the world, of course!”

Credit: @JichuuLiverpool

“No surprise, even when we finished 7th under Brendan having not won any significant in years we had 90,000 in Australia to watch us for pre season friendly, we are the best supported club in the world”

Credit: @Hammaad_55

“It was never in doubt. We’re the most televised team in the country.”

Credit: @amadu38

In other news, many Liverpool fans were delighted with Jurgen Klopp’s comments on Trent Alexander-Arnold. Find out more here.

A number of Liverpool supporters have reacted negatively to a report suggesting that the Reds are still keen on re-signing Phillipe Coutinho this summer.

The Brazilian enjoyed a superb spell at Anfield between 2013 and 2018, scoring 54 goals and registering 45 assists in 201 appearances.

However, he opted to join Barcelona in January 2018  in a move which irritated many Reds supporters in terms of the way he went about pushing through the transfer.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

Since then, the 29-year-old has had a forgettable time of things, failing to impress at Barca and even being loaned out to Bayern Munich.

According to Mundo Deportivo [via LFC Transfer Room on Twitter], Liverpool have ‘probed’ Barcelona about bringing Coutinho back to the club this summer.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/the-latest-liverpool-transfer-news-10/” title=”The latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Liverpool fans don’t want Coutinho back

It isn’t an update which has gone down too well with some Reds fans, with these Kopites taking to Twitter to deride the latest links with the Brazilian.

“I highly doubt this happened. The little snake burnt his bridges”

Credit: @DarthMoaner

“No we haven’t lol”

Credit: @playmaker

“I’m happy with Elliott and Jones than us signing Coutinho”

Credit: @Ponnusudesh

“This comes around every few weeks, it’s not happening. Klopp doesn’t want Coutinho”

Credit: @EESX1LFC

“Absolutely no chance whatsoever, that ship has sailed”

Credit: @frankfrance12

“It’s not 1st April!!!”

Credit: @osprey23

In other news, one Liverpool player is close to completing a move elsewhere this summer. Find out who it is here.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após as renovações de contrato do volante Douglas e do meia Mateus Pet, mais duas crias das categorias de base do clube tiveram os seus vínculos prorrogados. O volante Andrey e o meia Guilherme Costa também tiveram os seus vínculos estendidos até o fim de 2021, confirmando a expectativa conforme o LANCE! publicou no início da tarde desta sexta-feira. A informação foi confirmada pelo clube. O Cruz-Maltino, agora, irá dialogar com os representantes de Bruno Cosendey, Caio Monteiro e Ricardo Graça de olho nas renovações.

Vale lembrar que os então contratos de Douglas e Mateus Pet com o Vasco eram válidos até 31 de dezembro de 2019 e 4 de setembro de 2018, respectivamente. Com a visibilidade aumentando da dupla no profissional, a cúpula do Cruz-Maltino correu para prorrogar os vínculos, elevando assim os vencimentos e as multas caso hajam propostas de outros clubes para que deixem São Januário. Mesma situação de Andrey, que o então contrato era válido até 4 de setembro de 2018, e Guilherme Costa, até 31 de março de 2018.

O processo será repetido com os demais atletas que estão sendo aproveitados e são crias das categorias de base do Vasco. Gerente de futebol do clube, Anderson Barros, em entrevista na última quinta-feira, comentou sobre o trabalho de renovações com os jogadores, sendo um grupo de cada vez. O dirigente ainda destacou a importância de o clube ter uma segurança de investimento, além de valorizar os atletas que compõe o plantel:

– O contrato atual do Douglas já nos dá uma proteção, mas estamos tratando da renovação até para reconhecer isso. Já tivemos consultas sobre negociação, mas para o Vasco tomar uma decisão tem que ser extremamente positiva. A multa nos dá tranquilidade para continuar o projeto. Medo de perder não temos, já que a decisão final é do clube. Todos os atletas que estão tendo oportunidade estão em processo de renovação contratual. Mateus Pet, Douglas, Guilherme, Cosendey, Andrey… Queremos ter total segurança de investimento.

Vale destacar que no elenco principal do Vasco, cerca de 45% atualmente é cria do Cruz-Maltino. Os comandados do técnico Milton Mendes entram em campo neste sábado para o clássico com o Fluminense, válido pela terceira rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. A bola vai rolar às 16h em São Januário.

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