Matt Doherty endured another disastrous Tottenham Hotspur outing as the north Londoners crashed out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening.
Antonio Conte was beaten by his former side 3-1 across two legs in the semi-final, leaving him with only the Premier League – where a place in the top four is the target – and the FA Cup left to play for.
And he will surely be reeling by another abject outing from his wing-back.
In the absence of Sergio Reguilon, the £10.8m-rated Irishman was trusted to start once again, even over the more natural left wing-back Ryan Sessegnon.
That plan lasted only 65 minutes after he was hooked by the Spurs head coach.
It was 20 minutes longer than he lasted in the first leg but it’s evident that Doherty is just not delivering whenever given an opportunity.
Back-up goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini was at fault for the Blues’ only goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but it’s not as if the rest of the squad looked like ever testing the Champions of Europe, so he can’t front the blame.
Players like Doherty badly failed Conte, not for the first time in this case, either.
Wing-backs are crucial to the Italian’s system, so to actually manage fewer touches of the ball (21) than the goalkeeper (24) is appalling. And with what time he did have in possession, he was either lacklustre or weak.
As per SofaScore, the 29-year-old made only 13 passes, failed to deliver a single cross and won none of his ground duels. He also did not register a single tackle or interception.
This train of thought was echoed by The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, who slammed the defender in his post-match ratings column.
‘Offered no threat down the left flank, frequently cutting inside on his right foot and slowing down attacks. Having struggled at Stamford Bridge, his selection again was strange,’ he wrote.
He was a disaster in the first leg, he was a disaster in the second leg. It’s time for Conte to stop trusting the struggling £74k-per-week calamity.
AND in other news, Contact made: Spurs have “sounded” out “phenomenal” 35-goal star, fans will be fuming…
A round-up of the action from the fifth day of matches in the 2009-10 Vijay Hazare Trophy
Cricinfo staff14-Feb-2010
With Rajasthan Royals opting to do without Ravindra Jadeja’s services for the third season of the IPL, the allrounder decided to bring out his best for Saurashtra•Getty Images
West ZoneWith Rajasthan Royals opting to do without Ravindra Jadeja’s services for the third season of the IPL, the allrounder decided to bring out his best for Saurashtra as they thrashed Baroda by seven wickets at the Sardar Patel Stadium B Ground. Baroda were gritty in their approach, after being put in, and managed to reach 105 for 4 in the 30th over. But Jadeja, along with Jayesh Odedra, had other plans as they ran through the rest of the batting line-up. While Jadeja picked up four wickets with his left-arm spin, Odedra partnered well with 3 for 18, as Baroda were shot out in 40.2 overs. Captain Jaydev Shah’s dismissal during the reply gave Baroda some hope, only for Chirag Pathak (47) and Cheteshwar Pujara’s second-wicket stand of 53 to snuff it out soon. Pujara brought up his fifty, including seven fours and two sixes, and remained unbeaten with Jadeja to complete formalities by the 32nd over. Saurashtra are the only unbeaten team in the West Zone and will no doubt look to extend their supremacy when they play Gujarat on Tuesday.A classy century from captain Wasim Jaffer laid the foundation for Ranji champions Mumbai’s crushing win against Maharashtra at the Sardar Patel Stadium C Ground. Maharashtra wilted in the 40th over in reply to Mumbai’s imposing 308, with Ramesh Powar and Avishkar Salvi sharing the majority of the spoils. Choosing to bat, Mumbai were given a strong start by opener Sushant Marathe (53), before Jaffer and Rohit Sharma (96) took centrestage. The 172 run-stand for the third wicket had them in pole position early on. Sharma hit five fours and six sixes during his 78-ball stay, while Jaffer smashed eight boundaries during his 128-ball 109. Twin fifties from Sangram Atitkar and Kedar Jadhav were not enough as Maharashtra failed to cope with Powar (4 for 44) and Salvi (3 for 21) during the reply. The negative point they earned added more sorrow to another disappointing campaign.East ZoneA fascinating high-scorer at the Ravenshaw College Ground went Bengal’s way as they beat Assam by seven wickets in a match that witnessed over 600 runs being scored. Bengal’s choice to field first looked to have backfired as Assam openers Dheeraj Jadhav and Parvez Aziz took the score to 176 in the 32nd over. Though Aziz departed for 83, Jadhav continued the charge, finishing unbeaten on 148 off 150 balls, comprising 15 fours. Ashok Dinda’s 3 for 57 in the late overs kept Assam to just below 300. It was once again Shreevats Goswami who was the star for Bengal as they maintained a terrific pace during the chase. Goswami hit a breezy 133 off 114 balls, smashing 18 fours and three sixes, and figured in two key partnerships with Sourav Ganguly (64), who returned for this fixture, and Abhishek Jhunjhunwala (83 not out). The fast rate of scoring worked well in Bengal’s favour as Jhunjhunwala and Wriddhiman Saha completed the victory with more than seven overs to go.Middle-order masterclasses were on display as Orissa edged out Jharkhand by 11 runs at the Barabati Stadium. Put in by Jharkhand, the hosts were struggling at 68 for 5, thanks to Varun Aaron’s early strikes, before wicketkeeper-captain Haladhar Das and Rashmi Das combined for a 173-run stand. While Haladhar exercised control during his 98-ball 88, Rashmi was merciless during his hurricane 104, which included 15 fours and two sixes. The target of 279 looked all the more imposing when Jharkhand stuttered to 37 for 3, but Ishank Jaggi led a spirited revival which had Orissa sweating. His fluent 109 from 111 balls though, failed to inspire any of the remaining batsmen. Debasis Mohanty was Orissa’s most successful bowler with 4 for 56, as Jharkhand could manage only 267.Central ZoneRashmi Parida and Rajasthan must have fancied their chances getting to 303 after being put in, but Naman Ojha’s sparkling century ensured unbeaten Madhya Pradesh took the honours at the Emerald High School Ground. Rashmi’s run-a-ball 122, comprising 11 fours and a six, along with Robin Bist’s 57 proved to the highlights of Rajasthan’s innings, with the two adding 93 for the third wicket. During the reply, it was the stand of 146 between Ojha and Monish Mishra (83) which lent the initial momentum. Having lost fellow-opener Jalaj Saxena early, it was Ojha who rose to the occasion and tore into the opposition bowling with 12 fours and four sixes, before falling with the score on 216 for 4. But Shadab Khan’s quick unbeaten 40, coming in at No.7, took them home with four balls to spare.Uttar Pradesh made amends for the loss in their opening match with a thumping nine-wicket win against Vidarbha at the Maharani Usharaje Trust Cricket Ground. Choosing to field, Uttar Pradesh were lifted by Sudeep Tyagi, who was recently axed from India’s Test squad to take on South Africa. The right-arm fast bowler finished with a five-for and repeatedly dented the Vidarbha batting line-up to ensure their downfall for 141 in the 38th over. The below-par target was never going to trouble Uttar Pradesh and twin fifties from wicketkeeper Eklavya Dwivedi and Ali Murtaza helped them wrap up the win in 24.4 overs.North ZoneHimachal Pradesh picked up their first win of the campaign, an impressive seven-wicket defeat of Delhi at Shah Satnam Ji Stadium in Sirsa. After being put in, Delhi were floundering at 58 for 4, with Virat Kohli and Mithun Manhas dismissed. Rajat Bhatia and Puneet Mehra started a recovery with a 65-run stand, before half-centuries from Puneet Bisht and Joginder Singh pushed Delhi to 234. Himachal were never in trouble during the chase, with opener Sangram Singh making a century and adding 127 runs for the third wicket with captain Paras Dogra. The target was reached with 21 deliveries to spare, Dogra remaining unbeaten on 70.At the Tata Energy Research Institute Oval in Gurgaon, Punjab brushed aside Jammu & Kashmir’s challenge, cruising to a eight-wicket victory with 97 deliveries remaining. Punjab’s new-ball bowlers Jaskaran Singh and Manpreet Gony reduced J&K to 13 for 3, and except for a 53-run stand between Parveez Rassol and Obaid Ahmed for the fifth wicket, it was a steady procession. Rassol held the innings together with an unbeaten 81 but no one else passed 25, and J&K could manage only 170. Punjab captain and opener Karan Goel’s unbeaten century and a 57 from wicketkeeper Uday Kaul made short work of the target, reaching it in the 34th over.A meltdown from the Services’ lower-order handed Haryana a five-run victory in a 49-over-a-side match at Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium in Rohtak. After choosing to bat, Haryana slid to 11 for 2 before a stabilising 118-run partnership between opener Rahul Dewan (76) and Sachin Rana (45). The pair used up more than 33 overs to add those runs, and Haryana needed captain Joginder Sharma’s 29-ball 44 to get them to 209. Services’ chase got off to a similarly dreadful start, but Jasvir Singh’s 78 kept them afloat. With Soomik Chatarjee on a 31-ball 33, and Services on 196 for 6 with 11 balls to go, Haryana’s chances were fading. Chatarjee was then run-out and Services lost two more wickets over the next eight deliveries to end up five short.South ZoneDefending champions Tamil Nadu pulled off a thrilling two-run win over Karnataka in a high-scoring top-of-the-table clash at the Indian Institute of Technology Chemplast ground in Chennai. The Tamil Nadu top order delivered yet again, this time Abhinav Mukund being the standout performer with a near run-a-ball 89. Saturday’s centurion S Anirudha blitzed a 43 before being run out and No. 4 K Vasudevadas chipped in with 65 to help Tamil Nadu to 316. Karnataka’s chase got off to a poor start when R Jonathan was dismissed for a duck in the first over. Their other opener, Robin Uthappa, though made his first century of the season to drive the reply. He and Manish Pandey (57) put on 120 for the third wicket and at 208 for 2 in the 32nd over, it was Karnataka who were on course for a victory. However, both were dismissed in the space of eight runs and the run-out of a rampaging Vinay Kumar in the 45th over turned the match Tamil Nadu’s way. Karnataka needed 13 off the final over, but Raju Bhatkal could only manage ten in the company of last man KP Appanna. Both teams have already qualified for the next round.In another batsmen-dominated game, at the India Cement Limited Guru Nanak College ground, it was the chasing team that won, Goa picking up their second victory of the weekend. Powered by opener Akshath Reddy’s 121, and half-centuries from Ambati Rayudu and Neeraj Bist, Hyderabad piled on 310 for 7. The cornerstone of Goa’s reply was opener Amit Yadav’s maiden century, assisted by S Sriram’s 32-ball 48. Still, Goa were at 285 for 8 in the 47th over and only made it past the finish line thanks to No. 8 Shadab Jakati’s 19-ball 25.Andhra slumped to their four straight defeat, going down by six wickets to Kerala at the MRF Pachyappas Ground. Their batsmen turned in a decent effort: Y Venugopal Rao made 113 and was supported by Y Gnaneswara Rao’s 67, the pair bailing Andhra out from 22 for 3 and taking the side to a competitive 269. A solid effort from the Kerala top-order, though, dampened Andhra’s chances of a first victory. Opener VA Jagadeesh went on to make a century, and No. 3 Robert Fernandez scored 62 to take Kerala to 193 for 1. It could still have been a close finish had it not been for a hurricane 18-ball 41 from P Prasanth, who ensured the game ended with 14 deliveries remaining.
Leeds United’s latest Premier League outing saw them secure a 2-2 draw at home to Brentford thanks to a late equalising goal from striker Patrick Bamford.
One player that did not feature in the match against Thomas Frank’s side after picking up an injury in their 1-0 win over Crystal Palace last week was defender Pascal Struijk.
However, it seems as though there has been a fresh update on the matter that should have a lot of Leeds fans thrilled.
What’s the news?
Leeds journalist Phil Hay shared a post on his official Twitter page sharing news after the Brentford draw that Struijk has a hip problem and is finishing his recovery.
The fact that Struijk is finishing his recovery should leave plenty of Leeds fans buzzing ahead of their next league match against Chelsea at the weekend. After all, if fellow defender Liam Cooper is unable to play after being forced off the pitch with an injury against Brentford, it will be a seismic boost to get the 22-year-old back.
In the 12 Premier League games he’s appeared in so far this season, Struijk has shown just what an important defensive unit he is for Leeds by racking up an average of 2.3 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 1.4 clearances per game as well. For context, that tally of tackles is the highest by an out and out defender in Bielsa’s squad this term.
Labelled as a player that has “got it all” by former Leeds star Dominic Matteo, Struijk has certainly proved himself as an important player for the Whites after making his Premier League debut in their opening game of last season against Liverpool at Anfield.
If the Dutchman can be fit enough to play in the game against Chelsea, this would surely give the Yorkshire club a better chance of securing a positive result against Thomas Tuchel’s side, especially after they conceded three goals in their latest league game against West Ham United.
With Leeds having games against the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool in the league before the end of the current calendar year, everyone at the Yorkshire club will undoubtedly be hoping that Struijk will be able to stay fit and available for those tough games to give his side the best chance of getting some more points on the board.
He has been vitally important to their cause this term so fans will undoubtedly be elated to see that he’s well on the recovery trail.
In other news: Huge setback: Leeds struck with double injury blow that’ll surely have Bielsa fuming – opinion
O comentarista esportivo Neto voltou a polemizar em seu programa. Nesta segunda-feira, o ex-jogador deu sua opinião sobre a confusão entre Felipe Melo e Clayson, no intervalo do derby e criticou o volante palmeirense. No Twitter, outro conhecido da torcida do Palmeiras e também desafeto de Neto se meteu na confusão. O Mago Valdívia apareceu e comentou a fala de Neto.
— Tudo mentira, vc não briga Neto vc processa. aliás vc já disse q m processo(sic)? Fortão só de boca velho. Quando recebe sai chorando na justiça rss — tuitou Valdívia — Melhor não responder , se não vai na justiça processar o homem de ferro, fortão, briguento. Kkkk na huela só se for com advogados — finalizou o Mago
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Tudo mentira,vc não briga neto vc processa. aliás vc já disse q m processo? Fortão só d boca velho.quando recebe sai chorando na justiça rss https://t.co/PGVRuYRTy5
— Jorge Valdivia (@el_mago_oficial) 7 de novembro de 2017
Melhor não responder , se não vai na justiça processar o homem de ferro , fortão, briguento . Kkkk na huela só se for com advogados
— Jorge Valdivia (@el_mago_oficial) 7 de novembro de 2017
Felipe Melo arremessou uma munhequeira no atacante corintiano alegando que o mesmo havia cuspido na direção dele antes. Primeiro, Neto saiu em defesa de Clayson, afirmando que o atacante não havia cuspido e relembrando o caso em que ele mesmo cuspiu no árbitro José Aparecido, no campeonato paulista de de 1993 e depois mudou de ideia quanto a cusparada de Clayson.
— Eu [sou] o único sujo que tem no futebol, que cuspi. O menino, não. Ele, não. Não venha com palhaçada que você não vai entrar nessa. Briga comigo, meu irmão. Você que é trouxa. Se quiser vir ao programa, vem aqui discutir, porque você é bonzão fora, com um monte de gente. Aqui, não — falou o comentarista.
Veja na íntegra a fala de Neto:
Tem muita gente que acha que é espertinho, né? Quer transferir a responsabilidade dos erros. A única pessoa que cuspia aqui no futebol brasileiro era eu, que cuspi no José Aparecido. Foi imperdoável o que eu fiz. E ele já me perdoou e pedi perdão para Deus. O único vagabundo, sem vergonha, o único cara que fez esse negócio nojento fui eu, mais ninguém. Isso é um recado para você, Felipe Melo. Parar de dormir na garagem, de transferir os seus erros para os outros. Eu [sou] o único sujo que tem no futebol, que cuspi. O menino, não. Ele, não. Não venha com palhaçada que você não vai entrar nessa. Briga comigo, meu irmão. Você que é trouxa. Se quiser vir ao programa, vem aqui discutir, porque você é bonzão fora, com um monte de gente. Aqui, não. E aqui não vai ter matéria em cima do menino, não. Vamos mostrar outras coisas de você. Você é ídolo para os palmeirenses sem jogar nada. Por sinal, não joga nada. Perdemos uma Copa do Mundo por sua causa (…) Na verdade, o Clayson cospe mesmo. É verdade, e eu não minto na televisão, não uso a televisão. Um erro não justifica o outro. O que fez o Felipe Melo eu não sei, mas não dá direito do Clayson cuspir nele. O Felipe Melo tem que ser mandado embora do Palmeiras por tudo o que fez, mas quem começou foi o Clayson, que tem que ser punido (…) Esse cara só fez coisa errada no Palmeiras. Aí vem falar em ser bíblico, evangélico, não sei o quê. Ô meu irmão, os caras que estão em todos os presídios em todos os lugares do mundo viraram evangélicos, tem a Bíblia lá (…) E vocês acham que ele é ídolo do Palmeiras. Ídolo do Palmeiras é o Velloso, é o Marcos, Ademir da Guia, Evair, Djalminha, o Luizão. Ele, não. Ele só conseguiu fazer com que o Palmeiras não ganhasse nada, é o maior culpado
Steven Gerrard will be looking forward to and feeling confident ahead of Aston Villa’s fixture against Crystal Palace this weekend, thanks to a fantastic win in his debut game as the new manager against Brighton.
The side stole the show in the final ten minutes of the game with both Ollie Watkins and Tyrone Mings finding the back of the net in the last moments of the game to secure a 2-0 victory and the Villans first three points in five games.
Crystal Palace away will be no easy challenge for Gerrard’s side as he’s set to come up against former playing rival, Patrick Vieira.
The pair were competing in the league they now manage in, almost two decades ago as players for their respective clubs, Liverpool and Arsenal, so it will be an interesting battle of two Premier League legends turned football managers, which we imagine will be a competitive spectacle in the Selhurst Park dugout.
Gerrard will be buzzing with a fantastic injury boost as Douglas Luiz is back in training and available for the clash with the Eagles this weekend.
The popular Brazilian took to Twitter on Tuesday to confirm that he was back to full fitness.
He posted a picture of himself training and wrote; “It’s so good to be back.”
The midfielder was sidelined with a hamstring injury, which meant he missed the last three games for Villa, and unable to make his mark upon Gerrard’s arrival a fortnight ago.
That said, it represents a wonderful early boost for the Liverpudlian as Luiz had started every game this season bar one before the injury blow, demonstrating his importance to the team. As a result, he will be expected to make an appearance in the starting lineup on Saturday, should the manager feel that he is ready to play.
So far this term, he ranks as Villa’s highest-graded player in the whole team according to WhoScored, so his return will be huge.
Another player that has made his return from injury this week is Egyptian winger, Trezeguet, who was also spotted in training sessions in the run-up to the 3pm kick-off on Saturday.
Aston Villa will be hoping to take all three points from the game against Crystal Palace to move even further away from the relegation battle that they could easily get caught up in if they don’t pick up a good number of points before the new year.
In other news: Luke Hatfield drops Aston Villa January transfer claim
Eddie Howe was in the dugout for the first time as Newcastle United manager at Saturday lunchtime, but he saw his team lose 2-0 at Arsenal.
Second half goals from Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli were more than enough in the end for the hosts, as the Magpies failed to put up much of a fight.
Using statistical experts SofaScore, The Transfer Tavern have analysed the three worst players (to have played at least 45 minutes) on the day for the visitors…
Allan Saint-Maximin (6.2)
Admittedly tied with second place in terms of rating given by SofaScore (6.2), Saint-Maximin comes in third here as he at least looked quite lively, especially towards the end of the game.
However, the winger lost out on nine of his duels and managed only one shot on goal, while his 37 touches were among the fewest recorded out of his teammates.
Callum Wilson (6.2)
Wilson was given a 6.2 overall rating by SofaScore and might have felt that he should have had a penalty in the second half after a nudge from Nuno Tavares.
However, the striker’s opportunities were rare in truth, as he also lost nine duels and failed to record a single shot on goal or key pass in the entire match.
He also managed just 13 touches of the ball, the lowest out of any Magpies player to have started the clash, and completed a paltry four passes despite playing the full 90 minutes.
Matt Ritchie (5.8)
Ritchie was given the worst Newcastle rating by SofaScore, a measly 5.8.
The left wing-back endured a torrid time at the Emirates Stadium, finding himself booked at the end of the first half, while he lost out on all five of his duels and failed to make a clearance, tackle or block.
Offensively, he managed no shots, dribbles, or key passes, having just 19 touches of the ball on a day to forget.
In other news, NUFC are setting their sights on a move for this teenage starlet
Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson believes the problems that derailed the first half of his Ashes summer have made him a better player
Cricinfo staff10-Oct-2009Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson believes the problems that derailed the first half of his Ashes summer have made him a better player. Johnson suffered serious lows in England – losing his accuracy, having his place under threat and a family dispute which became public – but after the ICC Cricketer of the Year award and a starring role in Australia’s Champions Trophy triumph he was confident of where he was.”I built it up really high. Obviously it’s a big deal being the Ashes, but I probably built it up too much and got too excited about it all early,” Johnson said. “I didn’t take in the fact that their home crowd was right behind them all the way and I wasn’t used to that feeling, and obviously taking on the role as leader of the attack all got to me a little bit.”Happy to be back in Perth after a long time away from home, Johnson said the lows experienced in England made him stronger. “I’m glad I recovered from it. It has definitely helped and is something you need to go through. It was a learning experience for me.”Johnson, 27, reflected on the Champions Trophy win as a happy occasion for a side that struggled in the one-day game. “Sitting at the end of the game we felt pretty good about ourselves. Obviously we did lose the Ashes, but it was very fulfilling for us to win that tournament. Everyone was pretty happy,” he said. “I probably would [trade it for the Ashes] though. The big event for us was the Ashes, but you have to take each tournament as you go. We can’t dwell on the Ashes, we’ve won the Champions Trophy and are very happy.”Johnson fought off stiff competition to take the Player of the Year award from fellow short-list nominees Gautam Gambhir and MS Dhoni, as well as England captain Andrew Strauss. During the voting period, Johnson played 17 Test matches, taking 80 wickets, which was easily the highest number by any Test bowler in the voting period. He also scored a total of 632 runs for Australia, including a century and three half-centuries, to register an average of 30.09. In 16 ODIs in that time he took 28 wickets at an average of 24.25 and an economy rate of 5.06.”It was very exciting for me and was something that I didn’t expect,” he said. “It’s always good to get those personal achievements, but in the end it was great to win the Champions Trophy and take that away as well.”Johnson now has 12 days off before joining up with Australia for their seven-ODI tour of India. He has ruled out playing for the Warriors in the Ford Ranger Cup and Sheffield Shield matches against Queensland, his former team, over the next week, instead opting to “chill out as much as possible”.”It feels very strange. It has been close to five months, so it’s been a long time. I’m just looking forward to having a bit of a rest and being home with friends and family,” he said. “I feel good at the moment because I’m home and have just landed, the adrenaline is kicking in and I’m just excited to be back. Physically I feel fine and it’s just more of a mental drain than anything. The 12 days off will be good.”
Tottenham Hotspur will be sweating on the fitness of one of their key players heading into this weekend…
What’s the latest?
The north London outfit host Leeds United on Sunday following the final international break of the year but they may well be without Cristian Romero after he picked up a suspected hamstring problem for Argentina in their draw with Brazil on Tuesday evening.
He will be assessed at Hotspur Way upon his return but the Evening Standard believe him to be a ‘major doubt’ to make the match.
The 23-year-old centre-back was replaced early in the second half as Lionel Scaloni’s side qualified for the 2022 World Cup.
A bad hamstring strain could rule the Argentina international out for at least three weeks, so it seems unlikely he will be fit to play this weekend.
Major blow
Romero, who joined on an initial loan deal from Atalanta this summer, has certainly been a crucial man for the Lilywhites so far this season.
He has started seven of their 11 league games, as well as both of Conte’s first two matches in charge – a win at Vitesse in the Europa Conference League, where he was sent off, and the 0-0 draw with Everton right before the break.
[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-news-updates-transfers-antonio-conte-thfc” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]
The Athletic’s Charlie Eccelshare suggested that his absence would be a “major blow” to Spurs and it’s hard to disagree with such claims.
Romero was judged favourably in football.london reporter Alasdair Gold’s player ratings for the season so far, earning a 7.5/10, which was bettered by only one player (Oliver Skipp, 8/10).
The combination of his immense ball-playing ability and sheer aggression makes him a frightening prospect to come up against but now Conte will have to turn to the error-prone Davinson Sanchez, academy gem Japhet Tanganga or the rarely-seen Joe Rodon.
None of whom have started under the Italian.
Spurs have endured defensive frailties for quite some time and losing their best centre-back will certainly impact their chances of success this weekend.
Conte could quite rightly be furious with these developments should Romero miss out on the tough test of Leeds on Sunday.
AND in other news, £45m-rated “monster” open to Spurs move in January, he’d be Conte’s dream 1st signing…
Irfan Pathan has vowed to come back strongly in the international circuit after not being considered for the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa
Cricinfo staff17-Aug-2009Irfan Pathan, once a mainstay of the Indian bowling attack, has vowed to come back strongly in the international circuit after not being considered for the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa.”It has been happening with me for the last five-six years,” he said. “Even if I have done slightly bad, I am getting dropped. At the same time, I am not looking for excuse. As selectors have dropped me, I think I have gone one step down in terms of performance.”Pathan last represented India in a losing cause against West Indies in the ICC World Twenty20. His last one-day appearances for India were in the series in Sri Lanka, where he took four wickets but leaked 7.06 runs an over in two matches. What has also hurt his chances of making the national side is that his batting has fallen away in ODIs – he has not scored a half-century in nearly three years.During India’s dismal World Twenty20 campaign, he picked up only one wicket and did not contribute much with the bat either. He’s not been a part of the Test side since the home series against South Africa in April 2008.However, Irfan was confident of launching a successful return and had faith in his ability. “I have never run away from challenges,” he said. “It’s important to take challenge and move ahead in your life. I want to reach a level where no one can touch me or drop me. It’s not being optimistic, it’s my belief and I have full confidence in that.”Irfan came into the limelight on India’s tour of Australia in 2003-04, where, in the absence of Zaheer Khan, he led the Indian attack. Since then, he has played 107 ODIs, taking 152 wickets at 29.91 and proved his skill with the bat. However, a slump in form cost him his place. Since the start of 2008, he’s managed 25 wickets in 22 games with an average of 40.60, and just 17.76 with the bat.”I am just 24-25 and I don’t think many people have achieved what I have. I can go on telling about World Cup finals and so many other achievements,” he said, “But at the moment, my performance is down so I am out. I am never a person with excuses. I can say a number of excuses but I don’t think that’s my foray. If I am dropped, that means something is wrong, I have to sort that out.When asked if an increased focus on batting had an impact on his bowling, Irfan insisted that was not the case. “I don’t think it has affected my bowling,” he said. “At junior level for Baroda, I have batted at Nos 3 and 4, so I don’t think it is an issue. I have always said that I am a bowler who wants to contribute with the bat as well. With the time, I am going to be an allrounder well. But I have to play continuous cricket as well.”
أكد جهاد جريشة الحكم الدولي السابق، أن قرار حكم مباراة الأهلي والإسماعيلي، بإلغاء هدف للأحمر، صحيح 100٪.
الأهلي تعادل سلبيًا مع الإسماعيلي في المباراة التي أقيمت على استاد الجيش ببرج العرب، والمؤجلة من الجولة الثامنة عشر من الدوري المصري.
وقال جريشة في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر القناة الأولى: “كانت هناك مطالبة بركلة جزاء للإسماعيلي في الدقيقة 8، ولكن لا يوجد خطأ يستوجب ركلة جزاء وقرار الحكم كان صحيحًا”.
طالع أيضًا.. أحمد الشناوي يوضح مدى أحقية الإسماعيلي في ركلة جزاء أمام الأهلي
وعن إلغاء هدف للأهلي، قال: “قرار الحكم كان صحيحًا بإلغاء الهدف لأنه تسلل، ولاعب الأهلي حسام حسن لم يستحق ركلة جزاء وقرار الحكم كان صحيحًا”.
جدير بالذكر أن الأهلي يحتل المركز الثاث في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري برصيد 68 نقطة، فيما يتواجد الإسماعيلي المرتبة التاسعة بـ 37 نقطة.