Arsenal were brought crashing back down to earth on Wednesday night when they suffered a 3-1 defeat at Leicester City in the Premier League.
The Gunners put five unanswered goals past Burnley at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon as they gave head coach Arsene Wenger the perfect home send-off.
Their absolutely rotten away form in the Premier League continued on Wednesday, however, as they lost to the Foxes at the King Power Stadium.
Arsenal had Konstantinos Mavropanos sent off in the defeat, and goals from Kelechi Iheanacho, Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez secured all the points for the home side.
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Alex Iwobi played 84 minutes of the clash before being replaced, and it would be fair to say that the Arsenal supporters were not pleased with his performance.
The Nigerian, who is believed to be on £30,000 a week at the Emirates Stadium, has only actually scored three times in 37 appearances for the Gunners this season, and his form has been criticised throughout the campaign.
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The Arsenal fans were not pleased with what they saw from the 22-year-old, and the bulk do not want to see him in the first team next season.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
A few months ago, Morgan Schneiderlin’s much-speculated move to Arsenal seemed almost inevitable.
We know the Gunners were interested in a deal last summer until Southampton publicly insisted the France international wouldn’t be sold, whilst The Secret Footballer – the reigning champ of in-the-know espionage – claimed in January that the 25-year-old had already agreed a move to the Emirates.
So with the Saints feeling rather obliged to sell after Schneiderlin put his Champions League ambitions on hold to lead a squad undergoing considerable transition with almost immaculate professionalism, many assumed he was one rubber stamp away from officially joining the Gunners this summer.
That could have well been the case, until it was revealed Southampton valued their lofty centre-mid at just shy of £30m, which would have made Schneiderlin the third-most expensive signing in Gunners history after Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.
Arsene Wenger reportedly baulked at the price-tag and thus, instead of becoming Arsenal’s latest midfield recruit, the Frenchman is now Michael Carrick’s long-term successor at Manchester United.
Of course, tabloid gossip is one thing; what actually goes on behind the closed doors of Premier League clubs is another. For all we know, Wenger may have never even considered the notion of signing Schneiderlin, let alone for his eventual transfer fee of £25m. But either way, in my opinion, the Gunners gaffer has just made a huge mistake – because Arsenal won’t find another enforcer this summer who has proved firstly, his talent in the Premier League and secondly, his compatibility with their midfield.
The Gunners’ engine room is a rather unique place. Whilst Chelsea, Manchester City and United’s are filled with 6 foot-plus monsters, capable of shoulder barging you from the centre circle to the touchline with one monolithic swing, Arsenal employ pint-sized technicians and playmakers who would be interpreted as No.10s by pretty much any other Premier League club.
Which explains why Arsene Wenger hasn’t spent any money on a bona fide defensive midfielder since Lassana Diarra way back in summer 2007 – and even he managed just seven Premier League appearances before being flogged to Portsmouth six months later. The rest have come from the Gunners’ academy, like Alex Song or Francis Coquelin, signed on free transfers, e.g. Mathieu Flamini, or found themselves shoehorned into the anchoring role, like Mikel Arteta.
Perhaps he has a point; after all, a cumbersome 6 foot 3 warrior of the William Carvalho variety could well clog up Arsenal’s midfield, disrupting their rhythm, tempo and definitive style of technically-demanding build-up play. Nobody wants that; the neutrals enjoy the Gunners’ free-flowing football almost as much as their actual fans.
Yet, Schneiderlin is a rarer breed of enforcer. He’s tall, powerful and averaged the second-most tackles per match, 3.7, of any Premier League player last year; representing precisely what Arsenal lack in midfield compared to other title contenders. But he was also Southampton’s metronome last season, averaging the most passes per match of any player in their squad, and finished up with a pass completion rate of 89%. Only twelve Premier League players, one being Arsenal’s Mathieu Flamini, proved more consistent when moving the ball.
Of course, many of these passes will be simple and sideways, for that is the nature of the nine-cap international’s role. But Schneiderlin is a somewhat silkier player than the likes of Carvalho, Grzegorz Krychowiak or even Spain international Javi Martinez, with a strong first touch, the confidence to turn markers and progressive enough to conjure up nearly one created chance per match last term. In comparison, Flamini made just three chances from 15 league starts. Whilst Schneiderlin may not be blessed with the ability to further improve Arsenal’s build-up play, he’s at the very least compatible with it.
Wenger will undoubtedly point to the rise of Francis Coquelin, a youngster who averaged the most interceptions per match, 3.7, of any player in the division last season, as a reason not to spend big on the former Southampton man. No doubt, the Frenchman’s rapid progress and ability to add discipline to Arsenal’s midfield, starting with that 2-0 win over Manchester City, has been impressive. Likewise, having risen through the club’s academy, there’s no doubting his compatibility with Arsenal’s philosophy.
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But in my opinion, investing full faith in a 24 year-old with just 43 Premier League outings under his belt based upon half a season of good form, ahead of a campaign in which the Gunners will be under huge pressure to launch their most viable title charge for the best part of a decade, is an equal, if not greater, risk to spending £25million on an enforcer who has proved his Premier League pedigree over the course of three seasons.
Perhaps most troubling of all is the fact Schneiderlin will be reminding Arsenal of what they missed out on at least twice a year for the foreseeable future, as he joins Louis van Gaal’s all-star Manchester United cast. Should the Red Devils return to the dominance of old whilst the Gunners slump back towards the purgatory of fourth place, Wenger’s election to pass on Schneiderlin might emerge as one of the defining moments.
Everton are closing in on making Roberto Martinez their next manager, according to the Daily Mail.
The Wigan manager has flown to Spain to consider his future with the Latics, after discussing his position with chairman Dave Whelan. The club were relegated from the Premier League after losing 4-1 at Arsenal just days before the final weekend of the season.
Everton have eyed Martinez as David Moyes’ replacement, who has now left the club to become the new boss at Manchester United.
Steve Clarke, Vitor Pereira, Malky Mackay and Neil Lennon have also been tipped for the Toffees job, however reports are emerging that the club are ready to formally approach Wigan about Martinez.
However, Whelan will be hoping that the club’s ambitious plans for the Championship, coupled with their FA Cup success, will be enough to convince Martinez to stay at the club.
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Manchester City are lining up a move for Fiorentina defender Matija Nastasic, who has been labelled the ‘new Nemanja Vidic’, The Sun claim.
The Premier League champions are eager to bolster their squad before the end of the transfer window, with the centre of defence one of the areas that Roberto Mancini wants reinforcements in.
After attempts to sign Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel run aground, Mancini has been forced to look abroad for new players.
With moves for Javi Martinez and Javi Garcia coming to dead ends also, the Etihad Stadium outfit are set to raid Fiorentina for Nastasic.
The 19-year-old has impressed since moving to the Stadio Artemio Franchi last summer from Partizan Belgrade, and is valued at around £12 million.
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It is believed that City are close to agreeing terms with the Viola over a switch for the Serbian centre-back, that will see misfit Stefan Savic move the other way.
Batter withdrew from India Test tour and IPL but is focussed on World Cup comeback
ESPNcricinfo staff28-Apr-2024Harry Brook says his performances this summer are dedicated to his late grandmother Pauline, who passed away in March.Pauline Brook was visible throughout her grandson’s career and became a cult hero within English cricket. She often collected awards on Harry’s behalf, of which there have already been many in the player’s short career. She was the figurehead of the Brook family and lived next to Burley-in-Wharfedale Cricket Club, where Harry learned the game.Pauline fell ill in January, while Brook was preparing for England’s Test tour of India in the UAE. The 25-year-old subsequently pulled out of the five-match series, before missing the Indian Premier League with Delhi Capitals after she passed away.Brook has since returned to action with Yorkshire and marked his first match for the county since July 2022 with an emotional 69-ball century against Leicestershire, looking to the sky upon reaching three figures. It was his first competitive appearance since England’s fifth T20I against West Indies in December. A second century – 126 not out – came on Saturday against Derbyshire at Headingley, as Yorkshire posted 450 for 5 declared in their first innings.Speaking publicly for the first time since Pauline’s death, Brook dedicated both his centuries to his grandmother and reflected on a tough time for the family. He was also grateful for the time he had with her at the start of the year before her condition deteriorated.”Both of those hundreds [for Yorkshire this season] and all of the runs I’ve scored so far this year are all dedicated to her,” Brook told the ECB Reporters Network.”When I came home from Abu Dhabi, it was a very tough time, and I’m glad I did come home. Obviously, it was a big decision to make. I hadn’t played hundreds of games for England, so to just turn down a big Test tour like that [India] was a big decision to make.”But she comes before all of that. She would have come out there a couple of years ago, so I had to come back and support her as much as I could. I managed to take her out for a coffee and whatnot in that first week I was back.”I was still training with a mindset of trying to get back out for the last couple of Tests, all being well. It all disintegrated fairly quickly, so that didn’t happen. I just tried to support her as best as I could and everyone around us.”Following the conclusion of Yorkshire’s match with Derbyshire, in which rain washed out the entirety of the scheduled third day’s play on Sunday, Brook will play his final County Championship match of this portion of the season, against Glamorgan next week. He will then join England for their T20I series against Pakistan ahead of the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean.Brook was an ever-present in England’s 2022 T20 World Cup triumph and will be integral to their title defence. Jos Buttler and Matthew Mott announce their provisional squad on Tuesday (April 30) with Brook set to be a pivotal figure in a relatively young group. He will then return to the Test side this summer for series against West Indies and Sri Lanka from July.”I’m looking forward to it, if selected,” Brook said of the World Cup. “We join up at the end of next month. I’m looking forward to being back with the lads and hopefully producing the goods for England again.”
Coach wants England to “call on good experiences” in bid to reclaim the urn from Australia
Vithushan Ehantharajah21-Dec-2022Brendon McCullum admits next summer’s Ashes series is “a big carrot” for his new and improved England men’s Test side, as thoughts turn to next year’s challenges after a remarkable end to the 2022 campaign.On Tuesday in Karachi, England closed out a convincing 3-0 win over Pakistan to give McCullum a third series victory as head coach. Since taking over at the start of the summer, he and captain Ben Stokes have overseen nine victories in 10 matches.The scale of the red-ball resurgence over the last seven months is such that the scars of a horrendous run of one win in 17 before McCullum and Stokes took over seem to have disappeared. That stretch included a demoralising 4-0 defeat in Australia last winter which led to plenty of introspection in the domestic game – not least the publication of Sir Andrew Strauss’ High Performance Review.Now, however, there is a belief among the England team they are more than a match for all comers in all conditions. Thus, the prospect of beating Australia for the first time since 2015 is a tantalising one.McCullum has been reticent to look far ahead and has not been afraid to express his frustration at England’s Ashes obsession: “You guys do this all the time, eh?” he said when asked about facing Australia on the Karachi outfield. Nevertheless, with just two Tests against New Zealand in February and then a single home Test against Ireland before the five-match series starts at Edgbaston on June 16, he admits the challenge Australia will pose has entered the management’s thoughts.Related
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McCullum believes efforts to reclaim the urn next season will rely on the experiences banked in Pakistan, which England will need to call on against a fierce adversary. “From our point of view, we will have loose plans about that stuff,” he said, when asked about the Ashes. “It is a big carrot down the line.”At the same time, I want the guys to enjoy what we have been able to achieve here. Just like the summer the message is not look too far ahead. Let’s live in the here and now of what we have achieved. Let that sink it. It will take some time to sink in.”I think it is the same with the success this team has had. We have to allow that to sink in because there will be tough challenges in time. And if you have not banked those good experiences, what have you got to call on?”Since England began making headlines with their aggressive approach while talking up how they are looking to change Test cricket, there have been a few back-and-forths with their rivals Down Under. The ‘Bazball’ moniker for the style of play they have adopted has been a source of amusement in the Australian dressing room, with the team putting up a ‘Ronball’ sign in their dressing room during their recent Test match against West Indies [their head coach Andrew MacDonald is nicknamed ‘Ron’, after Ronald McDonald].On Tuesday, Australia’s assistant coach Daniel Vettori credited his friend and former teammate McCullum for the turnaround he has instigated: “That’s Brendon’s nature,” he said. “There is positivity in everything he does.” He also anticipates an intriguing contest between a heavy-hitting batting line-up and a strong Australian bowling attack, who could provide Stokes’ charges with their toughest challenge yet.Vettori expects England to “give it a go” when he faces his friend McCullum in the Ashes•BCCI
“They are going to give it a go, it looks like,” Vettori said. “I think that is what everyone is excited about: that aggressive nature versus an exceptional bowling attack.”Many sceptics are waiting for England’s Test bubble to burst, and predictions of coming unstuck in Pakistan were categorically trumped. However, an Australia bowling line-up with all bases covered could do just that, especially given the manner in which a strong South African pace attack inflicted England’s only defeat under McCullum and Stokes at Lord’s in July.But Mark Wood, the fast bowler who was crucial to securing victory in the second Test in Multan, believes England will relish the opportunity to continue to prove their doubters wrong.”It’s more the fact people keep doubting us,” Wood said, when asked about the anticipation for England trying out their new brand of cricket against Australia. “You can’t go to Pakistan and do that. You’ll never be able to do that against India. Or against New Zealand.”So it’s about [trying to] keep breaking records, keep trying to prove people wrong, play this way and show that, hopefully, other teams will take notice and think they have to be on their ‘A’ game to take on this England team.”
Spinning allrounder recalled to balance side in wake of England’s struggles at Trent Bridge
George Dobell10-Aug-2021Moeen Ali has been recalled to the England squad and looks set to play in the second LV= Insurance Test at Lord’s.Moeen, the off-spinning all-rounder, is expected to join up with the squad at training today (Tuesday) as England attempt to balance a side missing key all-rounder Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes.England were unable to find a place for a frontline spinner in the team that drew the first Test.While Moeen has only played one first-class game in the last 23 months, he has been in fine form in the white-ball game. He hit a 23-ball half-century for Birmingham Phoenix on Monday night and has captained the side to the top of the table.He last played a Test in February, also against India in the second Test in Chennai, where he claimed eight wickets in the match, but subsequently returned home as part of England’s rest and rotation policy.The call-up means that Moeen is set to play his first Test on home soil since the 2019 Ashes, when he featured in England’s defeat in the series opener at Edgbaston, then took an indefinite break from the format, for the remainder of the series as well as the subsequent tours of New Zealand and South Africa.To date in Test cricket he has claimed 189 wickets at 36.24 in 61 matches, at a sub-60 strike rate that is better than each of the more celebrated spinners above him in England’s wicket-takers’ list – Derek Underwood, Graeme Swann and Jim Laker.Meanwhile his record on home soil against India is particularly impressive. He has taken 31 wickets at 22.22 across seven previous matches in 2014 and 2018, including a Player-of-the-Match-winning nine-wicket haul at the Ageas Bowl following his mid-series recall in 2018.Moeen has also struck five Test centuries in his career to date, and though the most recent of those came in December 2016, it was also made against India – the second of his two on that winter’s tour. His most recent Test innings was a hard-hitting knock of 43 from 18 balls, made from No.9 in the closing moments of England’s defeat in Chennai in February.Asked about the prospect of his recall on Monday, in the wake of Birmingham Phoenix’s 93-run win at Edgbaston, Moeen told the BBC: “Of course if you get the call-up, then playing for England is the highest thing you can get. If I get the call then I’ll be available.”It’s a win-win for me, things are going really well for me here and the team.”
On the mend after an ankle surgery, the West Indies quick wants to lead the attack in England
ESPNcricinfo staff25-May-2020Even as Cricket West Indies continues to figure out whether the three-Test series in England – in a bio-secure environment – can take place or not, few people are more eager for a bit of on-field action than Shannon Gabriel. The 32-year-old quick underwent a surgery on his right ankle in November last year, and has just completed a six-month rehabilitation programme, and is now hoping to get on that flight to England.”It’s a good feeling always to represent West Indies. It’s good to be back out on the park,” he told . “The plan is right now to try to make it to the tour to England – hopefully that comes off. I’m just trying my best to stay positive and I hope everything goes well.”It has been a long journey since November when I did the surgery on my ankle. Everything is going well, it has been a long process in terms of getting back to running and bowling and stuff like that.”Gabriel’s last international appearance was in September 2019, against India, in a two-Test series in which he picked up just four wickets at an average of 56.90. Then his short county stint with Gloucestershire was unimpressive too, as he picked up two wickets in three innings. This was around the time the right ankle started troubling him.Now, having eased himself back in slowly, Gabriel hopes to be fully ready by July, when the tour is slated to happen. As things stand, the West Indies players are scheduled to leave the Caribbean in the first week of June for a preparatory camp.”I am trying my best to be as fit as possible so I’m really working hard in terms of my fitness and managing my weight, trying not to get too heavy to put too much strain on my ankle,” Gabriel said of his fitness sessions. “So I know once I put in the hard work everything will be ok in the end. I just want to stay positive.”There has been no high-intensity work, I’m just taking my body back into it easy, taking it one day at a time and not trying to push too hard but it’s still long while before the first Test in England and by that time I’m sure I’ll be fit and ready.”The process of becoming match ready has also involved reworking his action and run-up to ease pressure on his ankles. “My run-up has probably just tweaked a bit, in terms of my running technique and stuff like that, but I don’t think there are many changes,” he explained. “Obviously that ankle was getting most of the pressure and obviously I don’t want that type of injury to happen again, so I’m trying my best to stay fit so I can stay on the park [longer].”With the ICC having introduced guidelines with regards to shining the ball and several other physical-distancing measures, Gabriel also expects things to be “mentally taxing” when they return to cricket in the post-Covid-19 era.”It’s going to take a lot. It’s going to be mentally taxing on the brain but you have to stay positive. Keep your mind fresh,” he said. “I know they [England] are going to be coming at us all guns [blazing] at us, but I know the guys”Plus plenty of the guys haven’t been playing any cricket, so it is going to take us a while to get back there. On the positive side, you’re still getting the opportunity to play cricket and represent your country so that in itself should be enough motivation.”
Jess Jonassen is also back in the mix after missing the series against Pakistan in Malaysia late last year but Nicole Bolton remains unavailable
ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-2019Left-arm seamer Lauren Cheatle is in line for her first international appearance in nearly two years after being recalled to Australia’s one-day squad for the Rose Bowl series against New Zealand later this month.Cheatle took 14 wickets in the WBBL for Sydney Sixers and seven wickets in five matches in the recently completed Women’s National Cricket League. Jess Jonassen is also back in the mix after missing the series against Pakistan in Malaysia late last year.Nicole Bolton remains unavailable as she continues her break from the game which started during the WBBL, while fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck is recovering from a knee injury.Brisbane Heat’s Delissa Kimmince, who was originally dropped from the squad, has been recalled to replace* the left-arm spin-bowling allrounder Sophie Molineux, who was ruled out of the series after suffering a shoulder injury while training for Victoria. Kimmince scored 44 and claimed 2 for 52 with the ball during Queensland’s defeat to New South Wales in the WNCL final.”Nicole is unavailable continuing her leave taken during the Big Bash, while the decision was made not to rush Tayla back from a knee injury that ruled her out of the back-end of the Big Bash and last round of domestic cricket,” national selector Shawn Flegler said.”Lauren Cheatle really impressed on the Australia A tour to India in October, and it’s pleasing to see her back playing regular cricket after a string of injuries and we’re confident that her ability to swing the ball will be a challenge for New Zealand.””Sophie suffered a right shoulder subluxation whilst diving during a fielding drill at training earlier in the week,” said Kate Mahony, the Australian team’s physiotherapist. “A scan has revealed significant soft-tissue injury and as a result, she is unavailable for the upcoming series against New Zealand. She will be reviewed over the coming days to determine rehabilitation and return to play time-frame.”Australia captain Meg Lanning was aware of the threat New Zealand will pose in the three matches in Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne. “There’s a lot on the line throughout this series. We’ve been watching New Zealand play quite well against India in the last few weeks as well. A good challenge for our group and really important we finish off the summer well.””We know they’ve got a very strong team, probably led by Satterthwaite, Bates and Devine. So we’re not surprised they’ve been playing well. Especially against a strong T20 unit in India. We expect them to come over here and play well and we’re looking forward to the challenge of that.”Elyse Villani is part of the squad as she continues to make good progress in her recovery from a hamstring injury sustained in the WBBL.”All progressing as planned, Elyse will tick off the final aspects of her rehabilitation over the next week and we expect that she will be fully fit for the start of the NZ series,” Australia’s physio Kate Mahony said.The selectors also named the squad for Governor-General’s match against New Zealand which will take place on February 28 at Drummoyne Oval. Heather Graham, who was named Domestic Player of the Year at the Australian Cricket Awards, has been included in a side to be captained by Alex Blackwell.Squad Meg Lanning (capt), Rachael Haynes, Nicola Carey, Lauren Cheatle, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince*, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Georgia WarehamGovernor-General squad Alex Blackwell (capt), Erin Burns, Josie Dooley, Nicole Faltum, Heather Graham, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Rachel Rae-Martin (Australian Defence Force), Annabel Sutherland, Rachel Trenaman, Belinda Vakarewa*9:20am GMT – The squad and article were updated to include news of Sophie Molineux’s injury
Matt Rawnsley, the former left-arm spinner, is also understood to be on a three-man shortlist to replace Tom Scott at New Road while club are also looking for a new director of cricket
George Dobell17-Dec-2017Two former Worcestershire players have made it on to the short-list to be the club’s new chief executive.ESPNcricinfo understands that Vikram Solanki, a former captain, and Matt Rawnsley, a former left-arm spinner, are on the three-man shortlist.There was some thought that Tom Scott, the current CEO, might stay on. While he had tendered his resignation some time ago, there was some debate at the club over whether he might be persuaded to stay on once Steve Rhodes’ departure was agreed – the pair are not close – and once the constitution of the club had been changed to ensure the primacy of the CEO in the management structure. At present the club’s CEO and director of cricket are on the same level, though the changes will be put before the club’s members at the AGM in the new year.Eventually, however, it was decided that the recruitment process had reached a point of no return and that Scott’s departure would allow the club a fresh start after one of the more tumultuous episodes in their recent history. He leaves at the end of the week.While Rawnsley had nowhere near the cricketing career of Solanki, he has substantially more business experience. He is currently managing director at Barnes Group (a manufacturer of industrial and aerospace components) and has previous experience as sales manager for Caterpillar in North Africa, Middle East and CIS while he is also president of the UK Spring Manufacturers’ Association.Solanki, who made two ODI centuries for England, is currently an assistant coach at Surrey and served as chairman of the PCA.Meanwhile the search for a new director of cricket continues. While the club have reached out to Graeme Hick, currently the Australia team batting coach, he is understood not to have reacted with much enthusiasm (he declined to comment when asked about the role by ESPNcricinfo), with Kark Krikken, Ben Smith and Nic Pothas understood to other potential options. It may well be the club decides to appoint a head coach rather than a director of cricket.The role became vacant after Rhodes was sacked following an investigation into his failure to report the arrest of a young player in a timely manner. While Rhodes is understood to have found out about the arrest of Alex Hepburn on suspicion of rape in early April, he did not inform the club’s management until the player was charged in November. In the intervening period, Hepburn had played for the first team and agreed a new contract at the club.Rhodes’ departure, after 33 years at the club, appears to have polarised views. While some are horrified at his actions, others point out they were consistent with a man who was committed to protecting and nurturing young cricketers and who achieved promotion in the county championship last season with a team containing, much of the time, 10 home-grown players. It might also be noted that he had nothing to gain personally from trying to protect Hepburn.Either way, the successors of Scott and Rhodes inherit a club in a substantially better state on and off the pitch than has been the case for several years. Playing in Division One of the Championship in 2018 with a team containing some of the brightest talents in English cricket, they are also on a much more stable financial footing.