All posts by n8rngtd.top

Liverpool might reportedly miss out on Marc Guehi again as five clubs are looking to take advantage of the Crystal Palace captain's contract situation. The Reds' frantic deadline day took a dramatic twist when their £35million pursuit of Marc Guehi sensationally collapsed at the final hurdle. The Crystal Palace skipper had been all set to complete his switch to Anfield, even undergoing medical checks, before the deal was ripped away at the eleventh hour.

• Palace pulled the plug on Liverpool swoop
• Five European giants circle Crystal Palace captain
• Reds still hopeful of free transfer deal

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Palace chairman Steve Parish pulled the plug, unwilling to sanction the move without securing sufficient reinforcements for manager Oliver Glasner. The U-turn left Liverpool stunned, turning what could have been a perfect transfer window into one with a lingering sting.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Guehi’s contract at Selhurst Park runs out next summer, and with no appetite to pen fresh terms, the collapse has opened the floodgates for Europe’s elite. Foreign suitors can begin talks from January 1, placing Premier League rivals at a disadvantage in the race to secure his services. As a free transfer, Guehi would not only command a bigger salary package but also a sizeable signing bonus, making him an irresistible prospect for the continent’s top sides.

• TELL ME MORE

  According to German champions Bayern Munich are the latest powerhouse to throw their hat into the ring, keen to strengthen their defensive ranks with Guehi’s commanding presence. Meanwhile, both Real Madrid and Barcelona are monitoring closely, each eager to snap up the England international on a free next summer. Italian heavyweights Inter Milan and Juventus are also hovering, ready to exploit the situation and tempt Guehi with a Serie A adventure. With five of Europe’s biggest names in the hunt, Liverpool’s hopes of an uncontested return for the defender appear slim.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Guehi himself had reportedly made his position crystal clear: he was open to joining Liverpool immediately, but if the move did not happen, he would see out his contract and leave for free. That stance has all but ruled out fresh negotiations over a new Palace deal, leaving the south London club facing the prospect of losing their captain without a fee. For Guehi, the collapsed move is simply a delay in his career trajectory rather than a derailment. He is aware of the financial rewards and broader options available as a free agent, but Liverpool remain firmly in his thinking.

The left-arm spinner shone in a low-scoring encounter as India defended 106 in a rain-interrupted encounter in Colombo

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Sep-2019Left-arm spinner Atharva Ankolekar broke Bangladesh’s spirited late resistance to help India defend 106, taking them to a seventh Under-19 Asia Cup title with a five-run win in a rain-interrupted, nerve-wracking encounter in Colombo. Needing 29 runs to win after being reduced to 78 for 8 in 21.1 overs, Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Rakibul Hasan put up a patient 23-run stand, taking Bangladesh close to their maiden title, before Ankolekar struck twice in the 33rd over to finish with figures of 5 for 28 in eight overs.India started poorly after they elected to bat, reduced to 8 for 3 by seamers Sakib and Mrittunjoy Chowdhury within the first six overs. A 45-run stand between Dhruv Jurel and Shashwat Rawat helped rebuild the innings, before offspinner Shamim Hossain broke through, picking Rawat and next batsman Varun Lavande in the same over.Karan Lal at No. 8 then shored up India after having walked in at 61 for 6 in the 20th over, hitting the day’s highest score of 37, which played a major part in getting India to a three-digit score. He was the last batsman to be dismissed, bringing the Indian innings to a close in 32.4 overs. Chowdhury and Shahin Alam cleaned up the tail to finish with three wickets each.Atharva Ankolekar in his delivery stride•Asian Cricket Council

In reply, Bangladesh too were dealt early blows with fast bowlers Akash Singh and Vidhyadhar Patel striking in succession to reduce them to 16 for 4 in 4.1 overs. India seized control when Bangladesh captain Akbar Ali and Chowdhury – who were the only ones to cross 20 in the innings – fell within a space of three balls. However, that led to the fight back by Sakib and Rakibul for the ninth wicket, with the duo batting for 11.2 overs.Ankolekar ended the stand by trapping Sakib in front, leaving Bangladesh needing just six runs with one wicket remaining, and the match still poised on knife’s edge. It ended two balls later, when Ankolekar bowled No. 11 Shahin Alam to wrap up a win for India. Ankolekar also finished as the tournament’s highest wicket-taker, with 12 wickets in three matches.

‘Tough call’ to omit Starc, admits Justin Langer, but right-arm seamer’s miserly spells give him the edge

Daniel Brettig at Lord's14-Aug-2019Those who witnessed Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc in tandem at Worcester got confirmation – if no actual match play evidence – that the former fast man is better suited to Australia’s Ashes plan than the latter as the right armer was included in the team for the Lord’s Test in place of the rested James Pattinson.Starc’s expensive first spell in the tour game, bowling four overs at a cost of 27 albeit with one wicket, provided a reminder of the regular boundary release balls he is always in danger of bowling in England, while Hazlewood’s far more economical effort (4-2-2-2) in the same passage of play late on day one offered all the evidence the tour selectors required to choose him once it became clear that Pattinson still had some residual stiffness from his Edgbaston efforts.”He’s got an outstanding record. He’s built up over the past few months,” Langer said of Hazlewood. “He missed out on the World Cup because we felt he hadn’t played much cricket. We know he’s an outstanding bowler, we know that the style of play against England that his best he should execute those plans really well. He has bowled well the last couple of weeks and we hope he does a good job this Test match.”Just the style of play we want to play here against England, he hits a great length, he’s usually pretty miserly with his economy rate, that’s what gave him the edge in this game. Don’t get me wrong, it was a hard decision. If it comes off we know what we are doing, if it doesn’t we don’t, that’s just the business we are in. It was a tough call.”Less demanding was the discussion with Pattinson that led to his resting, after prior history indicating that asking the 29-year-old to play two Tests in a row can often have highly damaging consequences.Tellingly, Langer indicated that Pattinson needed some assuaging of his own doubts about how he had been managed in the past.”We collaborated on that one,” Langer said. “And I think it’s been important for him in his return to cricket, I think in the past he’s felt a bit that he had to play and had to play and had to push and had to push and in those instances he usually broke at some point. It was really good collaboration between the two of us, that was our deal in Hampshire when we talked about what his progress would be at Notts and we have had really good communication with Notts as well so yeah he’s fine.”We talked about it. He was a little bit stiff after bowling on Monday morning. We knew he would only bowl one of the two back to back games, and whilst he’s had eight or nine days, we knew he couldn’t play back to back Test matches. We just felt that having pulled up a little stiff after bowling and we thought it would be common sense to keep getting himself hungry and prepared for the third Test.”ALSO READ: Langer lauds fast-bowling depth but warns against complacencyThe Pattinson example may be part of a wider evolution of fast bowler management in Australia, coinciding as it does with the appointment of two new Cricket Australia team performance chiefs in Ben Oliver (national teams) and Drew Ginn (high performance). Their predecessor Pat Howard helped advance the conversation on how to manage fast bowlers in the face of plenty of criticism, and a deep Ashes squad of six pacemen capable of being rotated according to fitness and match conditions is part of his legacy.”It’s the first time in however long I’ve been coaching that we’ve actually had the luxury of having six high class fast bowlers fit up and running,” Langer said. “We’re lucky to have the situation to be able to do that but it doesn’t happen very often. That’s the truth, and maybe that’s why a number of bowlers break down over time, because you’ve got to keep pushing and pushing and pushing, particularly in series, particularly with the schedules as they are now.”We’ve got five Test matches in six weeks, plus a couple of county games in between, so if you have got guys fit you’re not constantly pushing them, which ultimately leads to breaking them and with the unnatural action of a bowler, if you keep doing the same thing over and over, history will tell you that’s what happens. So if we’re lucky enough to have guys we can keep bringing in and out and firing, that’s a real luxury to have.”Tim Paine prepares for the toss-that-wasn’t•Getty Images

As for the first day one of an Ashes Test to be abandoned without a ball bowled since the 1998 Boxing Day Test at the MCG, and the first at Lord’s since 1997, Langer said the awkwardness of a possible toss of the coin at 3pm had raised some intriguing conversation.”We had a joke there for a moment, if the captain tosses the coin and he wins the toss can he ask the opposition to make the choice,” Langer said. “I think we decided you can’t do that. A couple of the umpires weren’t sure, but they checked for us, but you have to make a decisions. It is going to be a tough call. Today would have been tough, we knew there was a bit of rain around, some overhead conditions, the grass is wet and knowing the Dukes ball gets a bit soft when it gets a bit wet. Lucky Tim didn’t have to make the decision. We’ll see how it pulls up but it looks like a pretty good cricket wicket. Quite dry through underneath.”At this stage we’ll only lose two hours in the Test match so it won’t affect too much. Depending on weather, which we can’t control, we’ll still, there’s plenty of time. Two hours in the Test match isn’t much in the overall, in the bigger picture of it. There’ll be longer sessions we’re going to have to deal with but our guys have said all along we have to keep adapting and be ready with whatever the conditions or the situation of the game throws up at us.”

Celtic are interested in signing young Argentine left-back Francisco Ortega in the summer transfer window, according to a new transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Summer business expected

Ange Postecoglou may still be basking in the glory of winning the Scottish Premiership title but attention will soon turn to incoming signings if it hasn’t already.

The Australian will know that he has to make Celtic’s squad even more formidable, ahead of what is hopefully a successful title defence and a return to the Champions League in 2022/23.

Left-back could be an area that the Hoops look to strengthen – there have been plenty of links to Iraq international Mohanad Jeahze – and a new update has emerged in that respect.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/key-latest-celtic-updates-7/” title=”Key latest Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Celtic eye up Ortega move

According to The Daily Mail‘s Stephen McGowan, sharing his article on Twitter, Celtic are keen on signing Velez Sarsfield defender Orteta this summer:

“Celtic looking at Argentinian U23 left-back Francisco Ortega.”

Expanding in the report, McGowan says the Hoops have compiled impressive scouting reports on the talented young South American, and are also closing in on a permanent deal for Jota.

The Verdict: Great for squad depth

Ortega could be a shrewd signing by Celtic ahead of next season, acting as a strong backup option to Greg Taylor, ahead of Boli Bolingoli’s expected exit.

The 22-year-old is a player who ‘dominates defensively’, according to South American fan site Football FV, as well as being described as a ‘very all-round left-back’, suggesting he would be a strong acquisition.

The fact that Argentinian giants River Plate have reportedly shown an interest in signing Ortega is a sign that he is a big prospect in his homeland, and this could yet prove to be another shrewd snip from Ange in the transfer market.

In other news, Kieran Devlin has dropped a Celtic transfer claim. Read more here.

The Danish frontman has been handed an iconic jersey ahead of the new season, and there will be no hiding place if he doesn't deliver

"He is a real frontman. Very direct to the goal, very good presser, a physical presence. That is all in his mind: he wants to score goals," Erik ten Hag said after Rasmus Hojlund completed a £75 million ($96m) move to Manchester United from Atalanta last summer. "I think he has huge potential. The team was waiting for a type like him. They will integrate him in the dressing room and in the pitch; they will help him. Finally, the player has to prove it."

Hojlund finished his first season at Old Trafford as United's joint-top scorer with 16 goals in all competitions, a respectable total considering he missed a total of 11 games due to injury. He also became the youngest player in Premier League history to score in six consecutive games, and got his hands on the first major trophy of his fledging career in the form of the FA Cup.

United have rewarded the Denmark international by upgrading his shirt number from 11 to 9, after allowing the previous occupant of the jersey, Anthony Martial, to depart as a free agent, with the caption "ready to lead the line" included on the club's social post announcing the news. But has Hojlund really proven that he is ready for this responsibility?

Although there have been some encouraging signs, the 21-year-old looks a long way off being the finished article, and certainly hasn't done enough to justify his eye-watering price tag. United's vote of confidence will only increase the pressure on his shoulders, too, especially with expectations rising once again under the new INEOS ownership regime.

The Red Devils have to start the 2024-25 campaign with a bang, and so does Hojlund. If not, there is a very real danger he could follow the same path as Martial, who also made a promising start to life in Manchester before gradually fading into obscurity.

• Getty Images
  

  'Needs time'

  Hojlund arrived at Old Trafford carrying a back problem, which saw his debut pushed back to September 23. He came off the bench in a 3-1 away defeat to Arsenal, and was the biggest positive for United as he held the ball up well and injected some real urgency into their attack. But it would turn out to be a false dawn.

  The former Atalanta man failed to score in any of his next 14 Premier League appearances, which led to reports that some United players were reluctant to pass to him. Hojlund rubbished those claims, but there was no denying the fact the Red Devils lacked a cutting edge in the first half of the season, and that had a lot to do with his poor finishing.

  The Champions League would become a sanctuary for Hojlund during that frustrating period, as he scored five goals in the group stage – albeit while ultimately being unable to prevent United suffering a humiliating early exit – but four of them came against Copenhagen and Galatasaray. Hojlund looked like a fish out of water against top Premier League opposition, and heading into the festive period there must have been a lot of worried faces in the United boardroom given their huge investment in his talent.

  To Hojlund's credit, though, he never let his head drop. And publicly, Ten Hag always stood by him. “We bought a player for this season but also for the future," said the Dutch head coach. "He has to develop. He has to progress. He needs time.”

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  Misleading resurgence

  Hojlund also became a figure of ridicule on social media, after his 'lookalike' Sean Mills – an Australian singer – sent a series of motivational videos to the United forward, incorporating his popular song 'Waiting on a Miracle'. That single, which rival fans shared after every game that saw Hojlund extend his barren run, went to No.1 in the UK viral chart on December 23.

  But just three days later, Hojlund had the last laugh. The 'miracle' finally arrived, as the Dane volleyed home a superb late goal against Aston Villa to seal a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory for United.

  The floodgates opened thereafter, with Hojlund finding the net six times in his next five Premier League outings, including a poacher's brace against Luton Town at Kenilworth Road. "Let me say thanks to my team-mates and the coach because they have shown me great confidence and kept believing in me," he said after the game. "I knew as well that I could score goals but of course, it was annoying I didn't score in the Premier League. Now, I want to keep going."

  Unfortunately, a muscle injury then stopped Hojlund in his tracks. He sat out United's next three games, and when he returned in a 1-1 draw against Brentford on March 30, that ruthless streak disappeared again.

  Hojlund scored just once in his next eight appearances, prompting Ten Hag to drop him to the bench. United finished their Premier League campaign with wins over Newcastle and Brighton, and Hojlund was among the scorers in both games after coming on as a second-half substitute, but tellingly, Ten Hag decided to play without a centre-forward again in the FA Cup final.

  The Red Devils produced their best performance of the entire season in the Wembley showpiece to upset arch rivals Manchester City, but Hojlund had to make do with a late cameo. Actions speak louder than words, and if Ten Hag had complete trust in the youngster, there is no way he'd have left him out of his line up for such an important fixture.

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  Weight of history

  Hojlund will have to make the most of every minute he gets in the coming season, because the spotlight will be shining more brightly on him than ever before. The United No.9 comes with the weight of history, because it was once worn by the legendary Sir Bobby Charlton, treble-winner Andy Cole and the brilliant Bulgarian Dimitar Berbatov.

  In the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, only one man has proven to be worthy of the shirt: a certain Swede named Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who fired 27 goals in his first season despite being 34 years of age. Radamel Falcao and Romelu Lukaku were major flops, and although Martial spent nine years at Old Trafford, he never really came close to fulfilling his potential.

  Martial's body couldn't hold up to the physical demands of the Premier League, especially towards the end of his time with the Red Devils, and he never felt like a natural fit in a central striker role. The same could be said of Hojlund right now.

  The Danish ace should look at Martial's United career as a cautionary tale. The Frenchman didn't put in the work necessary to succeed at one of the world's biggest clubs. With each passing year it became clearer he wasn't up to the task, and it showed in his general demeanour.

  There is still plenty of hope for Hojlund, and he seems to be far more dedicated than Martial when it comes to trying to improve his game, but 10 Premier League goals won't be enough in 2024-25. United need him to record at least double that amount, if they are to have any realistic hope of getting back into the Champions League. He's had his settling in period; now it's time to deliver.

• Manchester United
  

  Ruud's new student

  Hojlund's chances of defying his doubters have been boosted by Ruud van Nistelrooy's return to Old Trafford. The former Dutch marksman, who scored 95 goals in 150 appearances for United between 2001 and 2006, has signed on as Ten Hag's new assistant, with Rene Heke and Andreas Georgson also joining the coaching staff.

  If anyone can transform Hojlund into a ruthless goal machine, it's Van Nistelrooy. The Oranje legend was the ultimate fox in the box, as evidenced by the fact only one of his goals for United came from outside the penalty area, and he will be surely be able to pass on plenty of wisdom.

  "I love a certain way of playing. At Manchester United, Sir Alex was always pushing us forward," Van Nistelrooy recently told . "Look forward, play forward, get crosses in, shoot on target. As a player, I loved the way that made me feel. I wanted to play like that, and I want to transmit that same feeling to my teams, to my players."

  In fairness to Hojlund, he was starved of quality service last season, as the likes of Marcus Rashford, Antony and Casemiro all wasted possession far too frequently and failed to pick out the Dane's intelligent runs in behind. With Van Nistelrooy hammering home his preferred style of play, that should change.

A proud occasion for the visitors will inevitably be overshadowed by what has gone before, and what is still to come

The Preview by Andrew Miller23-Jul-2019

Big picture

Well, how do you follow that? The Greatest Game at the Greatest Venue. The Greatest Day for English cricket in, at the very least, a generation. And if Liam Plunkett’s telling comments in the aftermath are anything to go by, the Greatest Comedown imaginable for a band of England cricketers who, last Sunday afternoon, reached the highest high of them all – an unforgettable World Cup triumph at Lord’s.Well, in keeping with the sport’s ever-grinding treadmill, the only fit and proper follow-up is to march onwards, ever onwards, to a very different slice of cricketing history. Three strips north of the patch of grass laid out for that epic encounter with New Zealand, England and Ireland will do battle for the very first time in Test history, in a contest that offers a very abrupt change of pace from everything that we’ve so far witnessed this summer.First things first, let’s pay tribute to the visitors, for – with respect to their first overseas Test against Afghanistan in Dehradun in March – this is unquestionably the biggest occasion for Irish cricket since their inaugural Test against Pakistan last May. And in so many ways it is bigger still than that emotional home unveiling in Malahide.Will Porterfield takes a drink during training•Getty Images

Just try to imagine the huge pride that Ireland’s players will feel as they walk through the Long Room for that very first time tomorrow, to compete in a Test match at Lord’s, no less. There is no more fitting ceremony to mark the completion of their journey from Associate obscurity to Full Member acceptance, and coming so soon after a World Cup from which they were forced to look on enviously from the sidelines (and watch a former team-mate raise the trophy on England’s behalf), the occasion is sure to be all the sweeter.But let’s be frank, the timing is not exactly ideal. In fact, it utterly sucks. Schedules are no-one’s friend, and the ECB are entitled to say, if not now, then when could they possibly have issued that maiden invitation? But there are only two contests on English cricket’s minds this summer – the World Cup that has already been, and the Ashes that are looming large in barely a week’s time. Everything that occurs in the next four days (and that in itself is a telling detail) will be viewed through a light blue filter, a green-and-gold filter, or both.Of course, that in itself will throw up some intriguing subplots. England have confirmed two debutants in their ranks for Wednesday morning – the familiar face of Jason Roy at the top of the order, and the lesser-exposed Olly Stone in the pace attack – and while both men will be justifiably proud when they receive their maiden caps before the toss, they will also know that this is just the pre-amble, an audition for a far more prestigious role in August and September.And Roy aside, what of the other World Cup survivors – the captain Joe Root, the keeper Jonny Bairstow, and the seamer Chris Woakes, whose chronic knee problems have been managed so efficiently that he is now back to being a front-line Test option after not featuring in the side for almost a year? How do they manage the emotions of returning to the scene of that triumph? Should they hold anything in reserve, pacing themselves for stiffer tests to come, or should they throw themselves wholeheartedly into the fray, and honour the occasion as an equal, even when pragmatism says that it is not?Of course they’ll give it their all. Root is the Test captain, and rightly proud of the honour; Bairstow doesn’t get out of bed with anything less than 100 percent commitment. Woakes was a centurion in his last Test at Lord’s and has missed enough matches in his six-year career to know never to take anything for granted. But it doesn’t make it right to expect them to be able to dredge up another performance so soon after playing their hearts out on the biggest stage of all. As shown in the new film, The Edge, which charts the rise and fall of England’s 2009-14 team, the dangers of burn-out are all too real and all too easily ignored.But, the show must and will go on, and it’s fair to say that Ireland won’t care too greatly if their opponents’ minds are caught in no-man’s land. Even eight years on, there are enough survivors in Ireland’s ranks from that mighty victory in the 2011 World Cup to know how sweet it can be to fell a giant when they are least expecting it. They’ve spent enough of their careers punching upwards to give it one last heave for glory.That said, there is a certain poignancy about Ireland’s international fortunes at present. They are not so much a team in transition as a team basking in the last sunbeams of a golden generation. Kevin O’Brien, Tim Murtagh and Boyd Rankin are closer to their 40th birthdays than their 30th; Ed Joyce and Niall O’Brien have already retired since that inaugural Test. Will Porterfield has been captain for a remarkable 11 years and counting.That said, England are missing a raft of key performers – not least the ever-green James Anderson – and if their new-look top-order suffers a familiar wobble on another grass-tinged deck, the circumstances are ripe for an almighty World Cup comedown. But for that to happen, Ireland may require a new generation of heroes to make their presence known. That faithful old guard can’t be expected to do the job every time.

Form guide

England WLLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Ireland LL—

In the spotlight

Jason Roy is the anointed one. The manner in which he tore into Australia’s bowlers in that crushing World Cup semi-final was all the evidence required. Like David Warner before him, he is all set to complete the transition from white-ball to red-ball opening, and given the purity of the technique that lurks behind his extraordinary power, he is surely as well placed to make a success of the promotion as any player who has gone before him. That said, he didn’t have much fun against the swinging ball in the World Cup final (though he was hardly alone in that). If he can get set, however…If Ireland are to compete on an equal footing, then local know-how is sure to be a factor. Enter Tim Murtagh, 38 next week and still making the ball talk on the Lord’s slope for Middlesex week in, week out. He’s picked up 291 wickets at 23.98 in his Lord’s career to date, including two of his four ten-wicket hauls. The degree to which he can set the agenda could define his team’s prospects.

Team news

Despite some optimistic noises about James Anderson’s calf injury, England’s senior seamer was never going to be risked with the Ashes just around the corner. Which means that Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes are the likely new-ball pairing, with the young gun Olly Stone lurking at first change to unleash his 90mph offerings, in only his third first-class outing since suffering a stress fracture of the back. Lewis Gregory will have to wait his turn after England opted for a twin-spin attack, with Jack Leach’s left-armers set to partner Moeen Ali, who will form part of a familiarly interchangeable raft of allrounders in the middle order, albeit with Jonny Bairstow pushed up to 5. Roy and Rory Burns will form an all-Surrey opening partnership.England 1 Jason Roy, 2 Rory Burns, 3 Joe Denly, 4 Joe Root (capt), 5 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Chris Woakes, 8 Sam Curran, 9 Jack Leach, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 Olly StoneThere’s the realistic prospect of as many as three Test debutants in Ireland’s ranks, with the young allrounder Mark Adair and the more seasoned seamer Craig Young in the frame, alongside the spinner Simi Singh, who could yet feature if Ireland ape England’s strategy and opt for two slow bowlers. Will Porterfield was giving little away on the eve of the game, saying only that all 14 squad members were fit, although it emerged later on Tuesday that James McCollum had suffered a back spasm.Ireland (possible): 1 Will Porterfield (capt), 2 Paul Stirling, 3 Andy Balbirnie, 4 James McCollum, 5 Kevin O’Brien, 6 Gary Wilson (wk), 7 Mark Adair, 8 Andy McBrine, 9 Craig Young / Simi Singh, 10 Boyd Rankin, 11 Tim Murtagh

Pitch and conditions

Another lush green offering has been served up at Lord’s, which may give Root a restless night given how strokeless he was rendered on a similar deck in the World Cup final – that one was two-paced and sticky, and favoured the slower seamers. The weather is set fair for at least the first three days, with a threat of rain at this stage for Saturday.

Stats that matter

• This will be the first home England Test match since the 2005 Ashes – 89 Tests ago – in which Alastair Cook has not featured, and the first since August 2006 in which he has not opened the batting.
• This will also be the first Test match to feature numbers on the back of England’s shirts – the captain, Joe Root, will be wearing 66.
• Joe Denly will be making his first appearance in a home Test match, almost a decade after he made his ODI debut in Stormont against an Ireland that still features three of the same names.

Quotes

“It’s right up there – if not the pinnacle for everything that’s been achieved for the last while for Irish cricket. We have got quite a few World Cups under our belt, little things like that. They have been pretty big occasions, but getting to Test cricket and then having the
opportunity to play here at the home of cricket is a pretty special thing.”
Will Porterfield on a special occasion for Irish cricket“They are a side that have always performed well, probably over-performed at times, I hope that doesn’t sound that I am underestimating them or not giving them a fair shout – they have upset sides like England in previous World Cups and they ran us close in the one-day format at the start of the year … it is great for the game that sides like Ireland are getting a chance in this format and I think they have earned the right to get this
fixture. “

Celtic were officially announced as SPFL champions last night as they picked up a point away at Dundee United with a 1-1 draw.

With no goals for either side at halftime, Hoops striker Giorgos Giakoumakis opened the scoring with a header after 53 minutes.

Just under 20 minutes later, United midfielder Dylan Levitt scored an equaliser for his side, ultimately ending the match with the points shared.

Despite not winning on this occasion, the Bhoys were still crowned league champions, bringing their Old Firm rivals Rangers’ reign as top dogs to an end.

Even though the night was a successful one for Ange Postecoglou’s side, not every player that featured in the game put in a worthy performance.

One player, in particular, that put in a disappointing display was Hoops winger James Forrest.

Having started his first game in the league since March, the 30-year-old failed to repay the faith that his manager put in him on this occasion.

During his time on the pitch, the attacker racked up just 34 touches of the ball, which is fewer than the 41 touches that Hoops goalkeeper Joe Hart had throughout the game.

With those 34 touches, Forrest failed to have much of an impact on the game in an attacking sense.

The veteran failed to register even one clear shot at goal and also misplaced all of the three crosses he attempted.

In addition to this, out of the two dribbles he attempted, only one of them ended up being successful.

Even from a defensive point of view, the Scotsman was under par, with no tackles, blocks, clearances or interceptions made for his side.

He also got dribbled past on one occasion as well and could only win one of the three duels he was involved in, making him somewhat of a liability before being replaced by Jota just after the hour mark.

This display ultimately earned the winger a rather underwhelming overall match rating of 6.7/10, making him the joint second-lowest rated Hoops player on the night that started the game according to SofaScore.

Despite being praised for his “scary” form in the past by former Celtic star Kieran Tierney, this is the opposite of what he was last night.

In other news: Pirlo 2.0: Celtic “ballet dancer” with 130 touches proved he’s Ange’s greatest success

Liverpool's asking price for Virgil van Dijk has been revealed amid reported interest from the Saudi Pro League.

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• PIF wants Van Dijk in Saudi Pro League
• Liverpool set €55m (£46.3m) asking price
• Could wait till next summer to sign as a free agent

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Van Dijk has been a top target for Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund as they look to improve the quality of the Saudi Pro League even further. With the Dutchman having cast doubt on his Liverpool future, TEAMtalk have now revealed that Liverpool are asking for a sum of €55 million (£46.3m/$59.8m) for a move this summer.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Furthermore, the report states that the PIF believes Liverpool's demands are too high for an ageing defender whose contract is set to run out in less than a year. With the Reds defender's current contract valid till the summer of 2025, the PIF is ready to delay the deal as he can be tied to a pre-contract agreement in January for a move next summer as a free agent.

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  WHAT VAN DIJK SAID

  Speaking to Reuters last week, Van Dijk spilt doubts about his Liverpool future, saying: "I haven’t the slightest idea right now (about my future). I will think carefully this summer about what I want at the club level and as an international player. Then we’ll go for it again, but first recover from this. After a season like this, where all kinds of things have happened, it gets emotional at the end because you know it’s over."

• WHAT NEXT FOR VAN DIJK?

  Van Dijk will likely be available for Arne Slot's first season in charge at Anfield, however, his future beyond his current Liverpool contract remains shrouded in mystery.

The pair hit aggressive half-centuries to lift India from 31 for 3; England suffer their first T20I defeat at the venue

Alan Gardner01-Jul-2025India 181 for 4 (Rodrigues 63, Amanjot 63*) beat England 157 for 7 (Beaumont 54, Ecclestone 35, Charani 2-28, Amanjot 1-28) by 24 runs
India inflicted a wounding defeat on England for the second match in succession to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Jemimah Rodrigues and Amanjot Kaur dug India out of trouble with vibrant half-centuries, and the bowlers all did their bit to keep England’s chase at bay despite a belligerent fifty from Tammy Beaumont.Coming off the back of a record loss in the series opener at Trent Bridge, England kept faith with the same XI – and the same tactics as Nat Sciver-Brunt put India in. England’s seamers backed that call by reducing India to 31 for 3 in the powerplay, only for a fourth-wicket stand of 93 in 55 balls to emphatically wrest the game from their grasp.Rodrigues recovered from a slow start to reel off a flurry of boundaries, eventually falling for 63 off 41. Amanjot was similarly brimming with energy as she brought up a maiden T20I fifty, adding an unbeaten partnership of 57 with Richa Ghosh as India recorded the second-highest total in women’s T20 internationals at Bristol. In all, the last 10 overs leaked 117 runs – India’s third-highest aggregate for the second half of a women’s T20I innings (where ball-by-ball data is available).Amanjot then claimed the key wicket of Sciver-Brunt as England suffered their own powerplay slump at 17 for 3. Beaumont made her first T20I half-century in almost four years, adding 70 off 49 in partnership with Amy Jones, but she was run out by Sneh Rana’s pinpoint throw as the required rate began to climb.Sophie Ecclestone produced some late hitting, and a reminder of her all-round ability, in making 35 off 23 but it was not enough, leaving Sciver-Brunt – who spent much of India’s innings off the field with a “tight hip” – and England coach, Charlotte Edwards, with much to ponder ahead of Friday’s crucial encounter at the Kia Oval.

England’s stumbling start

Since beginning the summer with an opening partnership of 51 against West Indies at Canterbury, Sophia Dunkley and Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s stands have since read 0, 0, 9 and 2. That has largely that has been down to Wyatt-Hodge’s struggles – she has made 18 runs in five innings – but here it was Dunkley who was first to go, slapping the ball straight to Deepti Sharma at extra cover and then being sent back after attempting a non-existent single.Wyatt-Hodge managed to end a run of three successive ducks, but her success was relative as she attempted to hit her second ball over the top only to pick out mid-off. Having been dismissed three times in a row by Zaida James’ left-arm spin during the West Indies series, she has now gone two from two against Deepti’s offies.Tammy Beaumont struck her first T20I fifty since 2021•ECB/Getty Images

Beaumont makes her case

Heather Knight’s injury in the third T20I against West Indies opened the door for Beaumont to make a return in this format – albeit in an unaccustomed spot batting at No. 4. And the carnage suffered by England’s top order meant she was in the middle by the eighth ball of the innings anyway. She would soon set about reaffirming her credentials ahead of next year’s home T20 World Cup.From 11 off 10, she struck Radha Yadav for back-to-back boundaries in a 15-run seventh over. She was dropped on 24, a tough caught-and-bowled chance off Amanjot, before crunching Rana for three consecutive fours as England reached the 10-over mark on 76 for 3, marginally ahead of India’s score at same stage.A cut off N Shree Charani’s left-arm spin followed by a single into the leg side brought up Beaumont’s first T20I fifty since she made 97 against New Zealand in September 2021. However, she only faced two more balls. After cutting Radha firmly to backward point, she paid the price for hesitating as Jones called her through, a brilliant throw from Rana catching Beaumont inches short at the non-striker’s end to leave England needing 95 from 51.When Alice Capsey and Jones fell in the same over from Charani, the equation had become 72 off 30 and there would be no great escape, as England lost a women’s T20 international at Bristol for the first time.

India’s stumbling start

England started poorly with Capsey conceding 11 off the first over, with Smriti Mandhana, fresh off a T20I hundred at Trent Bridge, immediately back into her groove. But Lauren Filer quickly made the breakthrough from the other end, cramping Shafali Verma with one back of a length that flicked the gloves through to Jones.Lauren Bell’s first over cost just two runs, and although Rodrigues picked off a couple more boundaries, there were signs of England’s greater intensity in the field: Ecclestone pulling off a diving stop at mid-off; Dunkley pouncing on a Rodrigues drive to then shy at the non-striker’s end.That was topped by Bell’s flying catch at mid-on to dismiss Mandhana for 13, as Em Arlott claimed the big wicket with her fourth ball. While the shot would have cleared several members of the England team, Bell was able to leap and contort herself in the air to hold on brilliantly.With Filer stooping for a low take in the following over to dismiss India’s returning captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, India were seemingly in trouble on 35 for 3 at the end of the powerplay.Jemimah Rodrigues scored her first fifty against England in white-ball cricket•Andy Kearns/Getty Images

Rodrigues chimes in

Coming in at No. 3, Rodrigues took some time to get her eye in. She was initially troubled by Filer’s pace when she went short, and was going at just above a run a ball for the first half of her innings, happy to rebuild in partnership with Amanjot.At 64 for 3 after 10 overs, India then needed to kick on, and Rodrigues provided the impetus. She responded to a blow on the helmet from Arlott by creaming the seamer over long-on to start a sequence of 6, 4, 4. She greeted the returning Filer with two impudent scoops over the keeper – the second of which almost went for six – and a slash through third, at which point she had scored 10 of India’s 13 boundaries. In between she brought up a 33-ball half-century, her first against England in 21 limited-overs internationals.Amanjot then picked up the cudgels to take three more boundaries off Ecclestone, cutting and sweeping with elan, as India produced consecutive overs worth 16, 18 and 15. Although Rodrigues was out shortly after, slapping Bell to cover to end a scintillating stand, only one side had the momentum.

Amanjot ices the cake

Batting as high as No. 5 for the first time, allrounder Amanjot showed considerable poise throughout her innings. She had one early boundary – chipping Linsey Smith over mid-off to bring cheers from the India supporters in the crowd – and was 18 off 18 balls before tucking into Ecclestone, England’s premier spinner.She then accelerated brilliantly through the back of the innings in partnership with Ghosh, bringing up her maiden international half-century from 35 balls as England’s frailties from the first T20I reemerged. Ghosh thundered six boundaries in a 20-ball cameo, though she had a life on 12 when Beaumont inexplicably made a hash of a top-edged sweep at square leg.While Bell finished with fine figures of 2 for 17 and Ecclestone looked sharper in her second match back, India’s swashbucklers were brutal on the rest.

Nottingham Forest have been handed a boost in their bid to sign Aberdeen defender Luke Turner.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from Nottingham Forest News that the Scottish Premiership side will not be offering the Irish defender a new contract, meaning that he will become a free agent.

Speaking to the Press and Journal, Aberdeen manager Jim Goodwin said: “Luke has had a really good loan period over in the Northern Ireland and has done particularly well. We just believe it’s a little bit short for what we’re looking for in that area.

“We’ve got another one of two good young centre-backs coming through the system and you’re always wary of blocking that pathway.”

The next Scott McKenna

With Turner set to go on trial at Forest, if the 19-year-old is to earn himself a deal with the club, then Cooper will be hoping that he can replicate the progression shown by Scott McKenna, who is also an Aberdeen youth product.

The 25-year-old has been immense for Forest and has played a key part in helping the club achieve their ambition of reaching the Championship play-offs.

If Turner – who has been dubbed “outstanding” – is to win a contract at the City Ground, then the starlet will certainly have a role model on whom to base his game and aid his development.

However, it is also important to not get too far ahead, with the teenager’s experience of first team football limited to the Northern Ireland top flight and Republic of Ireland second tier.

Having been told that his contract at Aberdeen will not be renewed, the 19-year-old is set to leave without making a senior appearance for the Dons, yet more evidence towards the notion that the club do not rate him.

A particular comment made by Goodwin came across as harsh when he said: “We’ve got another one of two good young centre-backs coming through the system and you’re always wary of blocking that pathway.”

Cooper will be hoping that Turner can prove his doubters wrong and earn himself a career at Forest. After all, with the Reds’ history with youth products, it bodes well that they are interested in signing him.

In other news – Imagine him & Johnson: Cooper must seal Forest swoop for “magic” 20-goal livewire