The dramatic exit of Tottenham Hotspurs manager Antonio Conte has created a flurry of activity. From the club's perspective, they still want to secure a qualification spot, a job that has been thrust upon assistant coach Cristian Stellini. They will also want to make sure players are physically and psychologically ready for the battle that lies ahead. And amid all that, they must select, vet, and hire a new manager. The fans are worried if Stellini will be able to take Spurs to the Champions League final, the media is speculating on who will replace Conte and those in the running are polishing their Cvs. Stellini will be fighting for a good place come the end of the season as this could put him in the running as well.

Possible Candidates

There have been several names thrown about for Conte’s replacement, some names like Pochettino make sense and others do not so much. Believe it or not, there are odds, yes betting odds, just like sports betting on who is likely to be the next. Tottenham assistant stands a better chance than Frankfurt manager Oliver Glasner.

Marco Silva

The current Fulham manager has had an incredible season his team is currently ninth in the league with 39 points, he was the manager behind Fulham's promotion to the Champions League last year. He blazed a trail through last season, beating Chelsea 1 -0 and then playing to a draw. He has a lot going for him at the Cottagers and might be reluctant to leave or he may want to leave while still on a high. We cannot dispute he would be a great fit at Spurs.

Ryan Mason

Ryan Mason stepped up after Jose Mourinho’s departure and led the team to a final seventh-place finish, Conte promoted him to first-team coach alongside Cristiani Stellini. They had some great games among them three consecutive wins, he has a positive attitude and gets on well with the players, especially as a former player himself. He could have an impactful contribution to the team if Spurs management were to give him a chance

Mauricio Pochettino

Pochettino seems to be the favourite candidate amongst fans, he’s also the ‘tried and tested’ option which makes it easier for the players, support staff, and everyone at Spurs. During his previous tenure, he led the Spurs to a Champions League final in 2019, and before that, they made it to qualifications. He had such a good record at Paris Saint-Germain as well as winning the French Cup and Ligue 1 title, we think the French were too hasty in giving him the boot. There have been rumours that he is eyeing the Real Madrid job, so Spurs shouldn’t put all its hopes in the Mauricio basket.

Lastly

There are other contenders such as Luis Enrique and Thomas Tuchel that the media has speculated about. So far it's been mum from Tottenham Spurs, we are assuming they want to finish off the season well before making any life-altering announcements. The sacking of Conte has rocked the boat enough as it is.

Image Source: Pixabay

Chelsea are believed to be eyeing up Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim as their potential next manager this summer, according to a new update.

What is Chelsea's current manager situation?

It has been a dramatic season at Stamford Bridge, with two managers arriving and being sacked between the beginning of the campaign and now. Thomas Tuchel was replaced by Graham Potter early on, but a lack of good performances and positive results ultimately led to his demise.

Frank Lampard is now back in charge for a second stint as Chelsea manager, although the Blues playing legend is only expected to stay on until the end of the season. At that point, a more high-profile appointment is expected to be made, with the likes of Julian Nagelsmann, Mauricio Pochettino and Jose Mourinho all linked with the job recently.

It is a key decision for the club to make, with next season having to be one that sees the team kick on, and now a new candidate has entered to the race to take charge in west London.

Could Blues appoint Amorim as next boss?

According to The Daily Mail, Chelsea have "spoken to" Sporting's "highly-rated" manager Amorim about becoming the next Blues boss in the summer. The 38-year-old is believed to be "among the names Chelsea's chiefs were keen to discuss the vacancy with", in what is described as an "'exhaustive' hunt for a new manager."

Nagelsmann and Enrique are mentioned as "leading candidates" to become manager, although it certainly appears as though Amorim is in the mix with "talks" being held. He has been in charge of Sporting since 2020, having arrived from Braga, and in that time he has won the Primeira Liga once, not to mention tasting Portuguese Cup glory three times – twice at his current club and one with his previous team.

The Portuguese may not be as big a name as some of those mentioned, but he could potentially be a really shrewd acquisition by Chelsea. At 38, he is a young manager with fresh ideas and tactical nous, and he has already picked up a winning mentality at Sporting, given his aforementioned trophy haul. He also has a chance of winning the Europa League this season, although his side trail 1-0 going into their quarter-final second leg clash at home to Juventus.

Amorim has been described as "one of the best" coaches in the game currently by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, which is high praise, so it is a move Chelsea should consider.

Rain restricted play to only 13.2 overs on the third day of Yorkshire’s Specsavers County Championship match against Surrey at Headingley yesterday

ECB Reporters Network10-May-2016
ScorecardJoe Root reached his double century•Getty Images

Rain restricted play to only 13.2 overs on the third day of Yorkshire’s Specsavers County Championship match against Surrey at Headingley yesterday, so lessening the time available for the title-holders to complete their first win of the season.Given fair weather tomorrow, however, they are still in a good position to force a victory for they lead by 227 on the first innings with four wickets still in hand if they decide to bat on a little longer.And Yorkshire coach, Jason Gillespie, said after the call-off that he was confident Yorkshire could go on and win the match.”We are already over 220 in front and will probably have to bowl pretty soon but it will be up to the captain whether to declare straight away or bat for a bit longer but there is a fair chance to get a few runs as soon as we can.”Gillespie added that he was very pleased with Yorkshire’s form in general and was encouraged with what he had seen so far this season. Although they had yet to win a match they had worked very hard against quality team and he was pleased with the progress. “We have to make sure we keep standards up and stay focussed,” he said.Gillespie also revealed that young fast bowler, Matthew Fisher, had suffered a second hamstring injury following the one he sustained in Dubai and that he would miss the start of the T20 campaign.Surrey wicketkeeper, Ben Foakes, said he thought his side had bowled quite well and had picked up three early wickets but Root and Bairstow were a couple of England players and one just had to accept that they both played a very good innings.”It became a bit easier once the effects of the new ball had worn off but they still made batting look pretty easy.”Foakes felt there was still every chance of Surrey managing to draw the game. “The rain has helped us so far and if we can get over the new ball we have a good chance of getting a draw,” he said.Play began on time in the morning and in just under an hour before the rain came they added 71 to their overnight score of 486 for 5 to leave them on 557 for 6 off 111.2 overs.Joe Root started out on 190 and immediately 500 had been posted he completed his double-century off 232 balls with 20 fours and a six and he moved on comfortably to 213 before the industrious Ravi Rampaul had him aiming to leg only to get a leading edge which sailed straight to Gareth Batty at mid-off.Root finished up with 22 fours and a six off the 242 deliveries he received and he departed to a generous ovation, well satisfied with his dress rehearsal ahead of the Headingley Test match next week.Yet it was Adil Rashid who played most of the stunning shots in the brief passage of play, three consecutive boundaries of vintage quality at Tom Curran’s expense hurrying him on to 55, two of the shots whistling through mid-off and the other being turned backward of square leg.Root’s dismissal made it 547 for 6 in the 108th over to bring the visitors a second bowling bonus point which they hardly merited although both Rampaul and Curran had carried the attack with discipline and control for most of the time.When Matthew Dunn replaced Curran, Rashid drove back his first ball but Dunn was unable to hold on and the rain quickly followed, leaving Rashid unbeaten on 60 from 85 balls with 11 boundaries.

Rain restricted play to only 13.2 overs on the third day of Yorkshire’s Specsavers County Championship match against Surrey at Headingley yesterday

ECB Reporters Network10-May-2016
ScorecardJoe Root reached his double century•Getty ImagesRain restricted play to only 13.2 overs on the third day of Yorkshire’s Specsavers County Championship match against Surrey at Headingley yesterday, so lessening the time available for the title-holders to complete their first win of the season.Given fair weather tomorrow, however, they are still in a good position to force a victory for they lead by 227 on the first innings with four wickets still in hand if they decide to bat on a little longer.And Yorkshire coach, Jason Gillespie, said after the call-off that he was confident Yorkshire could go on and win the match.”We are already over 220 in front and will probably have to bowl pretty soon but it will be up to the captain whether to declare straight away or bat for a bit longer but there is a fair chance to get a few runs as soon as we can.”Gillespie added that he was very pleased with Yorkshire’s form in general and was encouraged with what he had seen so far this season. Although they had yet to win a match they had worked very hard against quality team and he was pleased with the progress. “We have to make sure we keep standards up and stay focussed,” he said.Gillespie also revealed that young fast bowler, Matthew Fisher, had suffered a second hamstring injury following the one he sustained in Dubai and that he would miss the start of the T20 campaign.Surrey wicketkeeper, Ben Foakes, said he thought his side had bowled quite well and had picked up three early wickets but Root and Bairstow were a couple of England players and one just had to accept that they both played a very good innings.”It became a bit easier once the effects of the new ball had worn off but they still made batting look pretty easy.”Foakes felt there was still every chance of Surrey managing to draw the game. “The rain has helped us so far and if we can get over the new ball we have a good chance of getting a draw,” he said.Play began on time in the morning and in just under an hour before the rain came they added 71 to their overnight score of 486 for 5 to leave them on 557 for 6 off 111.2 overs.Joe Root started out on 190 and immediately 500 had been posted he completed his double-century off 232 balls with 20 fours and a six and he moved on comfortably to 213 before the industrious Ravi Rampaul had him aiming to leg only to get a leading edge which sailed straight to Gareth Batty at mid-off.Root finished up with 22 fours and a six off the 242 deliveries he received and he departed to a generous ovation, well satisfied with his dress rehearsal ahead of the Headingley Test match next week.Yet it was Adil Rashid who played most of the stunning shots in the brief passage of play, three consecutive boundaries of vintage quality at Tom Curran’s expense hurrying him on to 55, two of the shots whistling through mid-off and the other being turned backward of square leg.Root’s dismissal made it 547 for 6 in the 108th over to bring the visitors a second bowling bonus point which they hardly merited although both Rampaul and Curran had carried the attack with discipline and control for most of the time.When Matthew Dunn replaced Curran, Rashid drove back his first ball but Dunn was unable to hold on and the rain quickly followed, leaving Rashid unbeaten on 60 from 85 balls with 11 boundaries.

Aston Villa are interested in making a big-money move for Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips this summer, according to a new transfer update.

How has Phillips fared at Man City?

The 27-year-old joined the reigning Premier League champions last summer in what looked like an effective signing. He had starred for Leeds United in the years prior, helping them return to the top flight in 2020 and also became a key man for England alongside Declan Rice in the middle of the park.

Phillips' first season at the Etihad has been something of a disaster, however, with injuries curtailing his progress hugely, limiting him to just 65 minutes of league action spread across six appearances. He may also be finding it tough to adapt to Pep Guardiola's tactical demands, with the manager even calling him out earlier in the campaign, so it is difficult to see him featuring too much between now and the end of the season.

It could even be that the £150k-per-week Englishman is allowed to leave City after just one year at the club – which is where Villa come into play.

Could Villa sign Kalvin Phillips this summer?

According to Football Insider, the Villans are keen on bringing in Phillips over the summer as they look to make a significant midfield addition. It is claimed that Unai Emery "wants to add a top-class signing capable of running the midfield" and believes that the former Leeds star is exactly what he is looking for.

City would demand £45m for Phillips' services, which would surpass the £42m they paid for him last summer.

Granted, this has been a tough year for Phillips, who would have hoped to go up another gear in a City shirt, but he could still be an outstanding signing for Villa this summer. When fit and firing, we believe he possesses the quality to make Emery's side more formidable moving forward, enjoying a 93.3% pass completion rate in the league this season – albeit with a limited amount of playing time.

Meanwhile, as a regular at Leeds last season, he averaged 2.7 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per Premier League game – both values which would top the rankings among City's current squad (as per WhoScored).

At 27, he is also at a good age to come in and be a key figure at Villa for a number of years, while he has been hailed as "superb" by midfield legend Xavi, which is extremely high praise. Therefore, if City are willing to let him go, we think Villa should jump at the chance to sign him in what could be an inspired piece of transfer business.

Newcastle United were linked with a move for Hugo Ekitike last summer and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source on the club's continued pursuit of the player.

What's the latest on Newcastle's interest in Huge Ekitike?

The Northern Echo's Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson has claimed that Newcastle could look to rekindle their interest in the Paris Saint-Germain loanee this summer.

As per the report, the Magpies have been long-term admirers of the young centre-forward but, after a struggle to secure a deal, turned their attention to Alexander Isak last summer.

However, Newcastle could be set to reignite their interest in the player after it was revealed the player is unhappy with the Ligue One Champions due to a lack of game-time, although PSG do have an option to buy Ekitike for £25.5m from his parent club Stade de Reims this summer.

Will Newcastle sign Hugo Ekitike?

There is no doubt that after a taste of the success that could be achieved at the North East club this season, their Saudi billionaire owners will be willing to invest further to strengthen the squad to ensure they can continue their pursuit of trophies and dominance.

Eddie Howe and sporting director Dan Ashworth are likely to be backed heavily in the summer transfer window if the Magpies can secure Champions League football over their remaining eight games, allowing the manager to add depth in the most influential positions on the pitch.

Indeed, Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson have been thriving equally in front of goal over this season, however, the departure of Chris Wood in January has prompted an opportunity to further bolster the attacking threat, especially with Wilson a year into his 30s at this point too, so he won't be able to keep up this form forever.

As a result, the signing of Ekitike could be the perfect move for Howe to continue his development and rebuild of an already highly-competitive squad, to give them the very best chance of continuously competing within the top six and Europe too.

Despite only earning eight starts under the management of Christophe Galtier with PSG this season, the 20-year-old has scored three goals, registered three assists and created two big chances, as well as averaging 1.1 shots on goal per game, proving that he is taking full advantage of the few opportunities he gets in the team.

When Newcastle were in contention to sign Ekitike last summer, Ligue One journalist Lee Davey gave an insight on the striker's development over his breakthrough season in 2021/22:

"I really do feel that it could be one of the signings of the summer. I just hope that it works out for him because he’s a good lad, he’s a good kid, he’s got bags of talent, and I really think he’s going to bring a lot to the Newcastle team."

Over his first season in the Reims senior side, the goal-hungry forward found the net 11 times and delivered five assists in 27 appearances – with a goal contribution tallied up every 91 minutes played on average, proving that the potential is there for him to become a prolific goal-scorer and valuable asset if developed well.

With that being said, a move for Ekitike this summer could be a great opportunity for Howe to bring in another raw talent that can polish up his skills and develop into a player who can become Wilson's successor in years to come.

Aaron Phangiso’s opportunity for a regular run in the South African ODI side may finally come during their triangular series in the Caribbean

Firdose Moonda25-May-2016

Aaron Phangiso’s opportunity for a regular run in the South Africa ODI side may finally come during their triangular series in the Caribbean but he will face competition from uncapped Tabraiz Shamsi, who is on an audition of sorts for a long-term place. The pair make up two of the trio of spinners in the squad with veteran legspinner Imran Tahir certain to be one of the leaders of the attack.”The fact that Russell [Domingo] and the selectors chose to go with three spinners means there’s a chance of two spinners always playing,” Phangiso said at the team’s departure in Johannesburg. “Hopefully if conditions allow in West Indies, I can maybe get a bit of a run.”South Africa are expecting slow, turning pitches, and have picked their squad accordingly, but they are also using the series to explore options for the future.”The wickets are not quick, they don’t offer much lateral movement and the spinners, particularly in Guyana, play a big role,” Domingo said. “We want to have a look at Shamsi. This is an opportunity to play him, particularly with Imran getting to the twilight stages of his career, it will be good to have another wrist-spinner.”Shamsi sprung to prominence at last year’s Caribbean Premier League, where he was the joint fifth-highest wicket-taker. He went on to have a successful home season, finishing as the leading spinner in the first-class competition and the Titans’ fourth-most successful bowler in T20s, and earned an IPL contract at Royal Challengers Bangalore. In a dream conclusion, he was added to South Africa’s ODI squad. With his range of variations he is considered the natural successor to Tahir, even though Phangiso has been waiting in the wings.In short, that is the story of Phangiso’s career: a test of patience. He spent several seasons as a workhorse at the North West provincial team and then the Lions before catching the eye at the Champions League T20 in 2012. Four years later, he has still not been able to nail down a permanent place in the national side but appears sporadically in limited-overs’ matches, when Tahir does not play. He also had a difficult 2015-16 summer, headlined by alcohol abuse, imitating drug use on live television, and having his bowling action declared illegal. He has since been disciplined by CSA, remodelled his action and made a successful return, and is hoping for a fresh start.”It was a bit tough. It was four months of newspapers – Phangi this, Phangi that – but I’ve got a strong family, very Christian people. That helped a lot,” Phangiso said. “There’s a lot of lessons you learn from those type of things, and a lot of the time the public get a story that’s not 100% accurate. But the fact that the story is out there and people think some other stuff about you, obviously you are going to learn something.”After Phangiso’s life lessons, he also got something of an education in how to secure a spot in the national team: be more aggressive. Phangiso was part of a group of South African cricketers who travelled to a spin camp in India earlier this month and the biggest takeaway for him was the difference in approach to slower bowling.”What I got out of it was to shift my mentality from defensive to more attacking,” Phangiso said. “I’ve been a defensive spinner all my career. I’ve always kept it tight, tight, tight – and then get the wickets with pressure. But now maybe I’ll look to attack a bit, put fielders in attacking positions.”West Indies should be an ideal place to do that, if he is given the opportunity. South Africa have given themselves plenty of choice with ten bowling options in the touring party. Five of them – Kyle Abbott, Morne Morkel, Kagiso Rabada, Chris Morris and Wayne Parnell – are quicks with Tahir, Phangiso, Shamsi, JP Duminy and Farhaan Behardien the slower bowlers.With all that competition, all Phangiso can hope is that he gets enough of an opportunity to show what he us capable of. “For me to get a chance on other tours was hard because Imran performed very well. We almost went with the mentality of one spinner and backing the seamers. But this tour will maybe be different,” he said. “I’m hoping to put in some good performances and to get some consistency.”

John Blain, the former Scotland seamer, has taken on a part-time role to groom the country’s young fast bowlers. Blain had previously worked with Yorkshire in English county cricket and is currently the head coach of Eastern Knights in Scottish domestic cricket.”I’m delighted to accept this role and be a part of the newly formed performance coaching team,” Blain said. “To be given the responsibility of developing the next generations of pace bowlers in Scotland excites me. I see this as an opportunity to put into practice my experiences at both playing level and my formative years at Yorkshire as club bowling coach and through my Level IV. “The 37-year-old will combine the role of lead pace bowling coach with overseeing the Eastern Knights and coaching at Grange CC and Loretto School, near Edinburgh.Andy Tennant, the Cricket Scotland performance director, welcomed Blain’s appointment. “We are delighted to have John on board in a coaching capacity,” he said. “He is an outstanding young coach and we are looking forward to putting his skills to work in identifying and developing our best young pace bowlers, while supporting the development of the Eastern Regional Performance Programme as head coach.”Blain made his Scotland debut as a 20-year old in the 1999 World Cup against Australia. He took 41 wickets at an average of 28.60 in 33 ODIs and 143 wickets in 102 List A matches, as well as more than 80 first-class wickets in England during spells with Yorkshire and Northamptonshire.His international career spanned a decade but came to an abrupt end when he walked out on Scotland on the eve of the 2009 World T20 following a serious fallout with then captain Gavin Hamilton.

The tale of an utterly one-sided contest was summed up neatly by the reactions of the two dressing rooms when Middlesex finally finished Hampshire off

Will Macpherson at Merchant Taylors' School01-Jun-2016
ScorecardJames Fuller impressed on his Championship debut for Middlesex (file photo)•PA Photos

The tale of an utterly one-sided contest was summed up neatly by the reactions of the two dressing rooms when Middlesex finally finished Hampshire off.Middlesex, who took maximum points having waited six painstaking, flat-decked, rain-wrecked draws for a win, sang their long-awaited team song raucously and enjoyed a couple of cleansing, hard-earned beers. Hampshire, seven days after a brilliant win over Nottinghamshire, sat down for a 20-minute, sombre-sounding debrief. They had been trounced – out-batted, out-bowled and out-fought, and only the rain had prevented an innings defeat from arriving sooner. They claimed just one bonus point but subsequently lost it, and another point too, for a shoddy over-rate. They left with one point fewer than they arrived and joined Surrey at the foot of Division One.It was the pace and carry of James Fuller, who took a five-wicket haul on his Championship debut for Middlesex, that finally did for Hampshire. Fuller was signed from Gloucestershire primarily to help Middlesex remedy their white-ball woes but, having impressed all and sundry with a simple, friendly attitude and the ability to bowl 90mph, he was handed a debut here with Steven Finn – who popped by for that post-match beer – on England duty and James Harris rested.Having had a bye in week one, this was Middlesex’s seventh consecutive game. Tim Murtagh and Toby Roland-Jones bowled brilliantly, picking up six and five wickets respectively, but Fuller’s fresher legs, and the extra bounce they helped generate, were invaluable.It was Roland-Jones, as so often, who picked up the first of the six wickets his team required, as Joe Weatherley – who looked a cricketer at ease on Championship debut – lost his off-bail. More like his director of cricket, Angus Fraser, by the day – in gait and bowling style – Roland-Jones is simply the kind of cricketer who makes his team-mates look better.In the field, it is hard to recall an error. With the bat, coming in at No. 10 when many sage judges believe he could be as high as seven, he so often adds useful runs. With the ball, he bowls long spells off an even longer run-up and can play the pacy enforcer – as he did for much of the match here – or nag on line and length.Roland-Jones was left frustrated for the rest of the day, just missing the outside edge or, when he found it, the nick not quite finding a hand. After Weatherley fell, Jimmy Adams dug in, as he had late on Monday and during the 17 overs on Tuesday, to make 78, pulling when Roland-Jones dropped short and clipping neatly off his legs, too.Adam Wheater drove nicely and the pair shared 53 before falling in consecutive overs. James Franklin made the vital breakthrough, having Adams lbw, then Wheater failed to move his feet and was caught at the wicket to become the first of Fuller’s three on the day. A brief shower brought an early lunch shortly after.Fuller’s first four balls upon resumption were as short and sharp as any in the match. With the trap set, Tino Best tried – and failed – to hook all three. The fourth was fuller and Best simply found mid-on, just as he had in the first innings. It is hard to recall notably animated celebrators Middlesex, irked at the beamer Best bowled Adam Voges on day two and angry at the way he had been speaking to their close fielders in the short period before lunch, toasting a dismissal more raucously. After his second pair in consecutive matches, Best was told exactly where to go, and it would have been noted that he did not return for a handshake at day’s end.Before then, Mason Crane had some fun, edging for the rafters, but soon slapped Fuller to point and, after Ryan McLaren – who lacked luck throughout the game – played some fine strokes to delay the inevitable, James Tomlinson edged Ollie Rayner to slip.There was much to discuss at Hampshire’s debrief. Best, in many ways, appears to be becoming an apt embodiment of the team as a whole; brilliant on the good days – such as the spectacular win over Nottinghamshire last week when he was so electric – but miserable on the worst ones (these were very much four of the worst ones), and with an injury never far away. For all those injuries, as their captain Will Smith pointed out afterwards, of this XI only Weatherley and Crane have played fewer than 100 first-class matches, yet performances remain brittle and bipolar.”It seems to be a pattern for us in this format,” Smith said. “When we have our backs to the wall, we do something, like we did last week, but it’s about having that mentality from ball one and not getting yourselves into these situations.”A couple more weeks like this, you sense, and last year’s great escape will be required all over again.

Chelsea take on Liverpool in the Premier League on Tuesday evening, just two days after Graham Potter was sacked at Stamford Bridge.

The former Brighton boss struggled throughout his tenure with the Blues and his fate was sealed by the 2-0 defeat against Aston Villa last weekend, with interim manager Bruno Saltor in charge for the visit of Liverpool tonight.

If the Spaniard wants to avoid following in the footsteps of his predecessor, then he must consider dropping Mykhailo Mudryk after the January signing produced another shocking performance against Unai Emery's side last time out.

Should Chelsea drop Mudryk vs Liverpool?

Mudryk was perhaps always going to be a risky signing for the Blues given he was untested in England and had made just 44 senior appearances for Shakhtar Donetsk, contributing 12 goals and 17 assists.

However, Todd Boehly still invested £88.5m to bring the 22-year-old to the Premier League and for that sort of money, you would expect the winger to have an instant impact and help fire Chelsea up the table.

The £97k-per-week winger made just eight appearances under Potter before his sacking late last week, in which he contributed no goals and just one assist, averaging a woeful 6.21 rating from WhoScored for his performances in the top flight, which ranks him as the 30th-best performer in Chelsea's squad.

Despite his poor start to life at Stamford Bridge, Potter opted to start the young winger against Villa but the Ukraine international arguably played a big part in his sacking, as he first failed to square the ball to Kai Havertz for a tap-in, before hitting a tame effort straight at Emiliano Martinez when through on goal.

Former Premier League striker Tony Cascarino was less than impressed with Mudryk's performance against Villa and criticised him on talkSPORT.

He said: "Ok he had a couple of chances and didn't take them. That happens. But since he's come, he's looked like he hasn't got a clue what is happening around him."

In the Champions League with Shakhtar earlier in the season, Mudryk was averaging 1.5 shots, 0.8 key passes and 1.7 dribbles per game but in the Premier League thus far he has mustered just 0.9 shots, 0.3 key passes and 0.3 dribbles per game, which emphasises that he hasn't lived up to his potential.

While a number of Boehly's signings have also flopped, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang completely ostracised under Potter, at least the Gabon striker had Premier League pedigree and didn't arrive for an eye-watering amount of money.

Aubameyang has at least found the net too, albeit on just three occasions, while averaging a fractionally better WhoScored match rating of 6.39. That is still woeful, but not quite as bad as Mudryk.

The early signs from the flanker are that Chelsea could be stuck with a player that isn't cut out for the Premier League until his contract expires in 2031, so if Bruno wants to get off to a good start at Stamford Bridge, he must drop the Ukrainian against Liverpool tonight.