With Wayne Rooney seemingly heading out of the door at Goodison Park, it looks like another former Manchester United player will be hot on his heels.
The Times reports that the future of Morgan Schneiderlin at Everton is uncertain, although it fails to mention any potential clubs or concrete bids for the French midfielder.
Schneiderlin has not enjoyed the best of times in Merseyside, having made 24 starts in the league this season but failing to make a serious impact for the Toffees.
The Frenchman is valued at £18million on Transfermarkt and Everton will do well to recoup that sort of money for a player they shelled out £20million on back in January 2017.
Schneiderlin has failed to make good the promise he showed at Southampton and Everton fans do not seem too upset with the news that one of their stars could be sold this summer.
Marco Silva needs to overhaul an unbalanced squad and he needs to raise funds to do this by selling players, and it appears Schneiderlin could be one of the casualties.
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No two transfer stories better encapsulate Jose Mourinho’s mindset than confirmation Anthony Martial wants to leave Old Trafford this summer and reports alleging Manchester United will launch a £60million bid for Chelsea’s 29-year-old winger Willian.
As one young forward struggles to make his mark under the restrictive Portuguese, he looks to bring in an older alternative whose Premier League career has been founded as much on work-rate and energy as technical quality and output.
This isn’t a condemnation of Willian, who is no doubt a top-level talent, and a move for the Blues winger makes sense for a few key reasons. Firstly, he can solve the most problematic position in Manchester United’s forward line; while there are too many options on the left since the January arrival of Alexis Sanchez, something Martial’s presence directly contributes to, there aren’t really any convincing ones on the right – so swapping the Frenchman for Willian instantly improves the balance of United’s squad.
Secondly and probably more significantly, the South American has already shown he can thrive not only within the framework of Mourinho’s philosophy, but also under the leadership of a gaffer whose man-management style is proving increasingly divisive.
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In many ways though, that only highlights the crux of the issue. All but two of Mourinho’s eight United signings were aged 23 or older when they arrived at the club, all but three were aged 24 or older and three of those were aged 28 or older – the oldest, Zlatan Ibrahimovic was 35.
Willian belongs in the latter category, and more than footballing ability or proven track-records it appears to come down to a question of generational mindsets, something Mourinho’s own comments from March 2017 insinuate. “Today I call them ‘boys’ not ‘men’. Because I think they are brats…” the Old Trafford boss told journalists last year, comparing Frank Lampard’s level of maturity at the age of 23 to those of his current players.
It’s unquestionably true that football has changed since then. It seems to produce less leaders; less players who respond so vehemently to the hairdryer treatment, less players prepared to play through injuries, less players who don’t need adoration of fans and social media followers to inflate their egos, less players who are prepared to win at all costs. Pure individualism has taken over, and almost every high-earning player seems to have their own agendas and personas to protect – many of which don’t easily align with the objectives of their current clubs or managers.
The problem, however, is how time stands still for no man. The world constantly evolves and for Mourinho to continually battle against the consequence of ageing is as fruitless a task as searching for the Fountain of Youth. The generation Mourinho yearns for – Lampard, John Terry and Didier Drogba – are already petering into extinction, and even the one that was incorporated into his second and far less successful Chelsea spell, the likes of Willian, Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic, are reaching the end of their peaks.
So what next for Mourinho when these players encroach upon retirement? Who will he turn to when he wants someone to show the brattish kids how its done?
The other key issue relates to playing style, a delicate subject already in the red half of Manchester. On the blue side, Pep Guardiola has created something special with young players in crucial attacking positions like Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling. At Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp has done something similar with Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino – all aged 26 or under.
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Young players bring fearlessness and energy to team, something United desperately seem to lack under Mourinho, but are developed around fresh tactical and technical advancements.
From the fan’s perspective, they’re always more likely to show us something that we’ve never quite witnessed before; the capabilities of players like Willian and Matic have been well-documented, praised and scrutinised for years. They can’t create that aura of prodigious invincibility in quite the same way.
From a managerial perspective too though, Mourinho’s approach seems counter-intuitive. The greatest advantage of working with young players, as the likes of Guardiola and even Louis van Gaal will attest, is how they haven’t already developed bad habits and how they don’t have prior experience to make comparisons that would question a manager’s wisdom. They tend to follow instructions blindly, even if inexperience can get the better of them at times.
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That’s generally how betters ways of tactical thinking and playing are developed, by using young and adaptable players – Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham side are a fantastic example. But Mourinho seems so strangely resistant to that approach; he only wants players who will work around his tried and trusted formula, professionals who will get the job done.
But just like before in regards to generational mindsets, eventually those kinds of players will run out and those tactical ideas will lack modern relevance, and that’s why it feels as if Mourinho’s time at the top of the game is coming close to its inevitable end. Football moves on, and the members of the old guard who can’t evolve with it get left behind.
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There are already signs success is drying up for Mourinho. When he first emerged on the managerial scene he was an irresistible, dynamic force that won 14 trophies, including two Champions League titles, in the space of eight years. In contrast, the last eight years have produced just six, the most prestigious being a single Premier League and single La Liga title.
As much as Mourinho continues to doubt the credentials and mindsets of emerging young talents, it’s not the kids who aren’t alright – it’s him.
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Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Nuno Espirito Santo will be keen to further strengthen his squad this summer before their 2018/19 Premier League campaign, and one of his priorities may be to find an upgrade on Matt Doherty in the right wing-back position.
The Portuguese boss, who should also move to sign an impressive Sweden international, has already brought Rui Patricio and Raul Jimenez to Molineux as they look to hit the ground running in August on their return to the top flight, but he may well have been impressed with the performances of Peru right-back Luis Advincula at the 2018 World Cup.
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The 28-year-old shone in his country’s opening 1-0 defeat against Denmark last weekend, and if any potential suitors had thought it was a one-off performance they were proven wrong on Thursday against one of the favourites to win the tournament in Russia, France.
The Tigres defender, who has been recorded as the quickest player at the World Cup according to Squawka, shone from both an attacking and defensive point of view against Les Bleus, as he kept Blaise Matuidi quiet and gave Lucas Hernandez plenty of problems at the other end of the pitch.
According to WhoScored.com, the pacy full-back showed his qualities at the back with five tackles and three clearances, while he showed his ability going forward with a passing accuracy of 88%, as well as completing two dribbles and made one key pass.
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If Santo is searching for a right wing-back who is fast, good at both ends of the field and available for a decent price to replace Doherty, then he should tie up a move for Advincula before another club inevitably does.
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West Bromwich Albion’s key transfer targets in this window are Bristol City’s Bobby Reid and Brentford’s Romaine Sawyers, according to The Telegraph.
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The Baggies failed to impress in the Premier League last season as they were relegated while rooted to the bottom of the standings.
In an attacking sense, the team were dire, and it seems that manager Darren Moore is looking to address that this summer.
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The Telegraph reports that Reid and Sawyers are key targets for the newly-demoted Championship outfit.
The Baggies have been linked to numerous players, but they are yet to recruit a new face since the transfer window opened.
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How good are they?
Last season, Reid was the star of the campaign for Bristol City as he scored 19 goals in 46 appearances.
The 25-year-old is versatile in that he can play at the focal point of the attack, deeper in midfield or as a number 10, where he thrived last season.
Sawyers has the skill to feed in attacking stars and set up moves that can damage opponents’ defences.
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Both are well-versed in Championship football, which is crucial for the Baggies as they try to get to grips to the demand of the second tier.
Where will Shane Watson reside in the Australian Test team in the long-term? The next few Tests will be telling
Alex Brown at the Gabba26-Nov-2009Shane Watson only ever appeared to hold a short-term lease on the Test opening position, and the landlord may soon be searching for a new tenant. Another lbw decision – his fifth in six innings as Test opener – served as further evidence of uncertain shot selection and cumbersome footwork to fast, new ball bowling, and a drop down the order could prove in the best interests of both player and team.Watson’s natural game is one of aggressive stroke-making; an instinct curbed by the discipline required at the top of the order. His three successive half-centuries in England proved beyond doubt he was of legitimate international stock, but the impression remains that he is a batsman yet to find his home in the Australian line-up.Australia have ten Tests to finalise their batting order for the next Ashes series, and it is difficult to envisage Watson maintaining his place alongside Simon Katich over that time. Phillip Hughes, Phil Jaques and Chris Rogers all possess superior first-class opening credentials to the Test incumbent and many more lbws to Watson this series will presumably intensify their claims for a change at the top.Thursday’s dismissal to Jerome Taylor was the sixth time in seven innings across all positions Watson has been trapped leg-before in Tests. On this occasion, Taylor deceived the batsman with several away-slanting deliveries before coaxing him into shouldering arms to a ball that veered in. It was a clever piece of bowling, although one Katich managed to counter.Australia’s selectors moved swiftly to remove Hughes when his susceptibility to straight, short-pitched bowling was exposed in England earlier this year, and their approach to Watson’s run of lbws will make for interesting viewing. During the Ashes, Watson appeared heavy-footed when resuming his innings after breaks in play, but on this occasion the right-hander was outmanoeuvred by Taylor’s canny change of trajectory.”I think his technique is outstanding and can definitely cope with opening the batting,” Michael Husey said in defence of Watson. “He’s shown it in one-day cricket and there’s no reason why he can’t do it in Test cricket as well. Everyone misses out, but I’m sure he will get runs in the second innings or the next Test. He can definitely handle that position.”Ricky Ponting this week hinted at his desire to see Watson eventually assume a more conventional allrounder’s role, batting in the middle order and contributing with the ball. By doing so, Ponting argued, Watson would be free to bowl without having to conserve energy to open the second innings, thereby unlocking his full potential.There remain two obvious hurdles to Ponting realising his plan for Watson: the will of the selectors and the complex issue of managing the reshuffle. Andrew Hilditch has on several occasions extolled Watson’s virtues as a resident opener while, in the same breath, touting Phillip Hughes as a long-term prospect at the top of the order. Perplexing, certainly, but perhaps less so than the task of identifying an opening replacement and, if necessary, a middle order fall-guy.Hussey seemed the man most likely for the axe but a century in his final Ashes innings and 66 at the Gabba on Thursday have presumably secured his place in the top-order for the time being. Marcus North has done little to warrant demotion in his eight Tests and, like Watson, provides Ponting with an extra bowling option when required.Where will Watson reside in the long-term? The next few Tests will be telling.
James Anderson, who took a career-best 5 for 23 at Port Elizabeth to give England a 2-1 lead in the one-day series, was on the verge of being withdrawn from the five-match contest against South Africa
Cricinfo staff01-Dec-2009James Anderson, who took a career-best 5 for 23 at Port Elizabeth to give England a 2-1 lead in the one-day series, was on the verge of being withdrawn from the five-match contest against South Africa after concerns grew over his troublesome knee.Anderson had been battling the injury since the start of the tour and it reached a stage where the team management were considering resting their key strike bowler to preserve him for the Test series. However, coach Andy Flower said they took a gamble to play him at Centurion Park and since then the knee has responded well.”We were worried at one stage; we thought of pulling him from the one-day series completely,” Flower said. “We took a little bit of a gamble to play him in the first match at Centurion. Some of the [medical] advice was not to play him. But we thought we’d better play him to see how his knee reacts to a 10-over spell and 50 overs in the field.”He was very surprised by how well he came through it, and so were the medical people – and now it’s getting better every day.”Anderson’s main problem now is actually a damaged toe which he hurt when stubbing his foot on a chair before the fourth ODI. He needed a local anaesthetic to get through the match but, even though it could be broken, he is not in doubt for the final match at Durban.”He’ll be fine,” Flower said. “The doctor’s had a look at it and he’s not even going to x-ray it – because he says, ‘Look, if it’s got a crack in it there’s nothing much we can do anyway’.”Flower is also confident that his latest recruit to England’s backroom staff, Graham Gooch, will slot in well with the touring party when he joins up for a short period around the first Test to act as a batting coach. It is a role Flower used to undertake before taking over the head coach’s position and he has a close relationship with Gooch following their time together at Essex.”I’ve got the utmost respect for him. He will bring a lot of experience, a lot of expertise, competitive spirit and patriotism,” he said. “He’ll be a great guy to have around. But he’s quite a busy guy with other commitments, and I don’t think we could get him full time.”
After a protracted period of speculation and discussion, Sussex have confirmed the release of Rory Hamilton-Brown to join Surrey next season, where he will become captain
Cricinfo staff24-Dec-2009After a protracted period of speculation and discussion, Rory Hamilton-Brown will join Surrey next season, where he will become captain, after signing a three-year contract with the London club.Hamilton-Brown, 22, will become the youngest captain on the country circuit, returning to the club he left only two seasons ago. Shawn of opportunities at the Oval, Hamilton-Brown moved to Sussex in 2008 and made eight first-class appearances and was an important member in the club’s recent one-day success.Leaving Sussex was a difficult decision for Hamilton-Brown but he returns to Surrey to fulfil a life-long ambition. “It has taken a considerable amount of soul-searching to reach this decision and I’d like to place on record my sincere thanks to Sussex for the fantastic support they have given me and their understanding of my final decision,” said Hamilton-Brown.”I leave the club with great memories and the club, the players and the coaches have played a major part in my development as a player. It’s no exaggeration to say that returning to Surrey as captain is the dream of a lifetime for me personally as well as a massive honour and a huge responsibility. I will make sure I fulfil the confidence that Surrey and specifically Chris Adams have shown in me and I am determined to help bring the club success in the future.”Chris Adams, who is now the director of cricket at Surrey, captained Hamilton-Brown at Sussex in 2008 and has said he wanted a captain to unite the players following former-skipper Mark Butcher’s retirement last season. He believes Hamilton-Brown, despite his inexperience, is the man for the job.”To me, captains have to have certain attributes such as charisma, a galvanising spirit, intelligent and tactical brains and the ability to inspire people to follow them – Rory Hamilton-Brown has these in abundance,” said Adams.”I’m sure that the addition of Rory to our squad will give us stability, unity and strong leadership for many years to come and enable us – for the first time in two years – to provide consistent leadership on the field of the play. I am confident that the return of Rory Hamilton-Brown to Surrey at the start of a new decade will come to be seen as a defining moment in the turnaround of this club.”Hamilton-Brown has been with England Performance Programme in South Africa recently, on the back of the promise he displayed last season, and Sussex were reluctant to lose such a bright prospect. However coach Mark Robinson said that once the player decided he wanted to leave, it would have been detrimental to the team to force him to stay.”Our aim since we signed Rory was to work on his undoubted potential to create an England cricketer and we believe that we have made good progress along that path. Our view remains that he would have been best served remaining with Sussex as a key part of our first-team squad, in all forms of the game for 2010, to achieve that ambition,” said Robinson.”However, Rory is adamant he would like to take this opportunity to captain Surrey and given the importance of our strong united team spirit in the dressing room, myself and the captain believe it is best for Sussex to allow him to move. Rory has been a pleasure to work with during his two seasons at Sussex and the whole coaching staff wish him all the best in his new role.”Jim May, the Sussex chairman, echoed the feelings of disappointment but confirmed that Sussex have been compensated for the lost. “We are disappointed that Rory has made this choice. It was only the exceptional circumstances – Rory’s opportunity to become captain – that led us to reluctantly grant consent to his departure. We are able to confirm a significant compensation payment has been made by Surrey to secure Rory’s release.”
Tamim Iqbal, the Bangladesh opener, has said the home team respects India but are not in awe of them any more
Sriram Veera in Mirpur23-Jan-2010Tamim Iqbal, the Bangladesh opener, has said the home team respects India but are not in awe of them any more. He also said that Bangladesh were slowly learning how to play Test cricket and their improvement would be evident the more quality opposition they played.”Previously, you used to feel you are playing Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag and were in awe. Now, we just play each other as other players,” he said on the eve of the second Test. “That is one of the positives and an improvement. The main factor for this turnaround in attitude is the coach Jamie Siddons. We truly believe in him. He was the main guy in changing the attitude. And obviously the more the matches we play, [the] better our cricket gets.”Certain sections of the media have been playing up the sledging issue – Mushfiqur Rahim had said he was called a “school boy” by the Indians in Chittagong – but Tamim sought to clarify his stand on the issue. “Let me make it clear that it’s just part of the game,” he said. “Both teams have a great relationship with each other and we get along very well off the field.”Tamim said he was learning and enjoying the challenge of playing Test cricket. “In ODIs, you can survive but in Tests need you to be on top of the game. It’s a great challenge. I am a batsman who likes to bat less balls for more runs. And I am trying to change that for Tests. I am concentrating on batting long and I know if I stay there, runs will come.”Tamim got starts in both the innings of the first Test, but was done in by an incutter from Zaheer Khan in the first innings and edged an expansive drive in the second off Sehwag. “It was interesting. I always used to keep talking to myself just before I bat. It’s a routine,” he said on his learning curve. “The one ball I didn’t do that, I got out. It’s a matter of focus and concentration. I played 122 ball … one ball I didn’t say anything I got out. I like to attack the loose deliveries and its a matter of getting the balance right. I am learning and soon I will get it right. I really want to do well in Test cricket.”Tamim was also asked about the Bangladesh Cricket Board president’s views that the players lacked commitment, but he chose to remain silent on the issue. “No comments. I really wouldn’t want to say anything on that. Let’s talk about something else.”He also rallied behind Shariar Nafees and Mohammad Ashraful who have been struggling for runs. “Nafees is just coming back after a long time. Its always difficult to come back. He needs some time. Ashraful too is a very good player. He has hit five hundreds and he will score very soon.”Tamim felt that if Bangladesh did not commit the mistakes they did in the first Test, they can expect a positive result in the second. “We are an inexperienced Test side and we are learning,” he said. “Some days our batting clicks, some days our bowling clicks. We have to get more consistent.”
The former Pakistan batsman, has said Mohammad Yousuf and Shoaib Malik deserved to be “kicked out of the team” in the wake of their comments to the media
Cricinfo staff15-Feb-2010Mudassar Nazar, the former Pakistan batsman, has said Mohammad Yousuf and Shoaib Malik deserved to be “kicked out of the team” in the wake of their comments to the media following their forgettable tour of Australia. Nazar said the two senior players – who already have a fractious history – should never have gone public about the turbulent dressing-room atmosphere and suggest that that their own relationship had turned sour again.Yousuf, who took over as captain for the tours of New Zealand and Australia, told a television channel that one player was responsible for disrupting
the team unity on tour but stopped short of naming the player, preferring to reveal it to the PCB chairman Ijaz Butt. Malik, the former captain, widely regarded as the target of Yousuf’s remarks, hit back
by questioning Yousuf’s leadership abilities. This occurred after the team was whitewashed in all matches against Australia.”The Yousuf and Malik feud has been simmering for a while” Nazar told in Dubai. “Yousuf was very active in the press and he has had a go at Malik and other players too quite a few times in the past. The slanging match that has now taken place before us all has, in my opinion, been started by Yousuf and now Malik has responded too.”Both of the players are under central contracts and should not have been allowed to behave in such a way in front of the whole world. Yousuf should not have been allowed to go on television and give such an interview and Malik should not have gone to the press like this in response to Yousuf’s comments”.Nazar said their behaviour will be a bad influence on the younger players and wanted them to be punished. “What sort of an example are Yousuf and Malik giving to the younger players with this sort of behaviour? We have already seen the likes of Umar Akmal misbehaving and if others see Malik and Yousuf carrying on like this, then they themselves will think it is fine to behave like this. Both Malik and Yousuf should be taken to task by the board, they should be made an example of and kicked out of the team”.The PCB, which has set up a six-member committee to look into the reasons behind the team’s failure in the two tours, had questioned both Yousuf and Malik on Saturday, besides coach Intikhab Alam, assistant coach Aaqib Javed and opener Salman Butt. It had began work on Friday by interviewing Shahid Afridi and the team manager Abdur Raqueeb.However, Nazar disapproved of the idea of setting up such committees. “The committee will achieve absolutely nothing. We have seen these committees set up before and there is a lot of talk, but nothing materialises from these”.Nazar also took a shot at Ijaz Butt, saying the PCB also didn’t handle the situation well. “What is really mystifying is that Ijaz Butt has given Shoaib Malik the nod of approval to respond in the press to Yousuf’s comments. Butt should not have done this and this has made the situation even worse”.Nazar, who played 76 Tests and 122 ODIs, has coached in Pakistan’s National Cricket Academy and is now with the ICC’s Global Cricket Academy in Dubai. He said he wasn’t interested in coaching Pakistan, if offered the chance.”The job is not for me, thank you very much. I would never do the job in future. I believe they are looking for a foreign coach and good luck to the person who takes on the role. In my opinion only a desperate man would take on the role”.
Northern Districts secured their place against Auckland in the finals of the one-day competition with an 83-run win over Central Districts
Cricinfo staff17-Feb-2010Powered by fifties to Kane Williamson and Daniel Flynn, defending champions Northern Districts secured their place against Auckland in the finals of the one-day competition with an 83-run win over Central Districts in Whangarei. Having suffered defeat to Auckland in a one-sided contest last week, ND got their act together and will hope to repeat this success over Auckland when they take on the hosts in the final on February 21.Jamie How’s decision to field did not go to plan. Flynn, out of favour with New Zealand’s selectors, got ND’s innings off to a 72-run start alongside Michael Parlane (27), and when joined by Williamson set about forging a match-winning partnership. The pair put on 112 with Williamson the dominant partner. Flynn’s dismissal for 81 from 101 balls at 172 for 2 was followed by a period where CD’s bowlers took three wickets for 56 runs, including dismissing Williamson for a 98-ball 84, but James Marshall and Peter McGlashan finished the innings strongly. The last two overs cost 25 as ND finished on 284 for 6.How came out blazing and helped CD reply with a 72-run stand of their own, with George Worker’s 53-ball 21 holding up one end. But the pair was separated within five runs of each other, How following Worker for 51 from 41 balls. Bradley Scott and Anton Devcich kept the pressure on the middle and lower orders – CD slipped from 103 for 3 in the 24th over to 136 for 6 by the 34th – and there was only further resistance from Mathew Sinclair; one he was bowled by Scott for 54 at 180 for 7 the rest of the innings folded for 201.