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Anil Kumble, who came on board as the head coach of Kings XI Punjab in October 2019, has said that the number of Indian coaches in the IPL is not a “true reflection” of the coaching resources in the country, and that he’d like to see more home-grown coaches in charge of IPL sides. Kumble is the only Indian head coach in the IPL. While each franchise has Indians on their coaching support staff, the head coaches in the other teams are Ricky Ponting (Delhi Capitals), Brendon McCullum (Kolkata Knight Riders), Stephen Fleming (Chennai Super Kings), Mahela Jayawardene (Mumbai Indians), Trevor Bayliss (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Simon Katich (Royal Challengers Bangalore) and Andrew McDonald (Rajasthan Royals).”I would like to see more Indian coaches in the IPL. It is not a true reflection of the Indian resources. I would want to see many Indians being part of the IPL as head coaches,” Kumble was quoted as saying by on Tuesday.”It is a bit of an irony – one Indian as head coach. I think at some point of time there will be a lot more Indian coaches.”Kumble will target getting a first IPL title for Kings XI, with the franchise’s best finish so far being losing finalists in 2014. He has plenty of options to pick from in the squad, among Indian players and overseas. One of the overseas stars in his stable is the 40-year-old Chris Gayle, and Kumble said Gayle’s role off the field would be as important as his big-hitting at the top of the order.”We still have to see the conditions at the main ground as we have been practicing (at ICC Academy),” Kumble said. “Chris has a major role even as player and even otherwise. His leadership, his experience, the youngsters look up to him. It is not just Chris the batsman we are looking at but Chris in a leadership role in terms of his contribution to developing young players. I want him to be active on the mentorship role.”Gayle will be competing for one of the four overseas spots in the XI with Sheldon Cottrell, Chris Jordan, Glenn Maxwell, James Neesham, Nicholas Pooran and Hardus Viljoen. While that will give Kumble and the support staff some selection headaches, the coach said picking the Indian players would also be a tricky task given the talent available.”Not just foreign players picking Indian players will be a challenge,” he said. “We have a few practice games that will we will tell us [the best combination]. We have a strong team. We needed an impact player in the middle and not just with batting and fielding and Maxwell is also handy with the ball. And the fast bowler [Cottrell] who bowls at the death.”It is about holding nerves. There will be moments, IPL it is not a smooth ride always. We need to focus on what we can achieve, not worry about other teams. We are confident we would be able to achieve that.”The biosecurity protocols in place have meant movement is restricted for all teams, but Kumble said the upside of that was the support staff getting to know the players well.”[After arriving in Dubai], it was my first time meeting with the whole squad,” he said. “Because of the Covid situation, we are able spend more time with the team than usual. That way we have been able to understand not just seniors but even the younger lot.”

Sheffield Wednesday's transfer business this January ended up galvanising spirits at Hillsborough when the mood was low, with Ike Ugbo entering through the door at breakneck speed on loan to bag six goals from 11 Championship appearances.

Ian Poveda has also been a welcome breath of fresh air as a skilful and daring winger acquired on loan too, but the Owls haven't always been so effective in windows of the past when bringing in new talents.

One notable blunder saw Wednesday think they'd pulled off an almighty coup to sign a former AC Milan man, the player in question lining up alongside the likes of Clarence Seedorf and Filippo Inzaghi previously in his distinguished career before relocating to South Yorkshire in a disastrous switch.

Why Sheffield Wednesday signed Urby Emanuelson

When you cast an eye over the lack of football Urby Emanuelson had played before surprisingly moving to England, it's no real surprise to see that the former Ajax star flopped at Hillsborough.

The Dutchman would only make a combined 33 appearances in total for his previous clubs in Hellas Verona, AS Roma and Atalanta before joining Wednesday in ill-fated circumstances where he would end up becoming a no-show too.

The Owls were simply blinkered by the circles the 5 foot 9 midfielder had found himself in early into his career at Ajax and in Italy, boasting 106 appearances for AC Milan on his resume before everything fell apart in South Yorkshire.

1. GK – Christian Abbiati

2. RB – Daniele Bonera

3. CB – Thiago Silva

4. CB – Mario Yepes

5. LB – Luca Antonini

6. CM – Massimo Ambrosini

7. CM – Marc Van Bommel

8. CM – Alexander Merkel (Urby Emanuelson subbed on)

9. SS – Robinho

10. SS – Antonio Cassano

11. ST – Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Sourced by Transfermarkt

It must have been a culture shock for Emanuelson adjusting to the demands of Championship football away from the luxuries of playing alongside icons such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, in a move that ultimately saw the versatile Dutchman leave Hillsborough as abruptly as he entered.

Urby Emanuelson's statistics at Sheffield Wednesday

The 5 foot 9 former Rossoneri man was also viewed as a shrewd purchase initially, considering his adaptability saw him, at the San Siro, line up in defence and midfield whenever he was needed to fill gaps.

Wednesday would never see this flexibility from Emanuelson however, who ended up making just one appearance for the Owls before being released at the conclusion of the 2016/17 season.

The ex-Ajax man wouldn't be helped by constant injury issues during his forgettable one-season stay, but considering he donned a Wednesday strip for just one meagre 16-minute run-out, the move has to go down as a colossal flop.

Earning £25k per week that same pitiful campaign according to Capology, which saw him pocket the same healthy pay packet as Fernando Forestieri and nearly double that of a rising Barry Bannan, everyone with connections to the Owls were happy to see Emanuelson and Wednesday inevitably cut ties when it happened.

Emanuelson would go on to patch his career up back in his native Netherlands with FC Utrecht, whilst the Owls were left to learn an invaluable lesson about not wasting money on players who had once graced the limelight a long time ago.

Fast forwarding to the present, Danny Rohl and Co will hope faces such as Ugbo and Poveda stick around past this season to become fully-fledged Wednesday heroes and not forgotten to time much like Emanuelson.

da blaze casino： Celtic are in action in the Scottish Premiership this afternoon as they travel away from Glasgow to the capital to take on Hearts at Tynecastle.

da supremo： Their hosts are fresh off the back of a 1-1 draw with rivals Hibernian and a 5-0 loss to Rangers in their last two matches, but they do have the dangerous Lawrence Shankland – who has 19 league goals so far – to potentially cause problems for the Hoops.

Brendan Rodgers' side, on the other hand, should be full of confidence ahead of this clash after they thumped Dundee 7-1 at Parkhead on Wednesday night.

There were seven different scorers for Celtic, who were 5-0 up before the 40th minute, in the match, as they recorded their second win in succession.

With games coming thick and fast and an international break for some of the squad to contend with later this month, Rodgers could look to make changes to keep the team fresh.

One alteration to the starting XI from the 7-1 win over Dundee that the Northern Irish tactician should make is to bring Luis Palma in for Daizen Maeda, who could be brutally ditched from the line-up.

Daizen Maeda's stats against Dundee

The Japan international, who can play on either flank or through the middle, was selected to play on the left wing as part of a front three alongside Adam Idah and Hyun-jun Yang.

He did, to his credit, get on the scoresheet with a well-taken goal in the 30th minute to make it 4-0 to Celtic, with an assist from Matt O'Riley. The winger collected the Danish wizard's pass in the box and brilliantly spun and finished into the far corner with his left foot.

However, the rest of his performance left a bit to be desired as he struggled with the physicality of the game and failed to provide creativity for his teammates.

Daizen Maeda

Vs Dundee

Minutes played

90

Key passes

Zero

Big chances created

Zero

Pass accuracy

79%

Duels contested

13

Duels won

Five

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Maeda was dominated by the Dundee players in physical battles as he lost eight of his 13 duels throughout the match.

The 26-year-old forward also lost possession 12 times from 39 touches. This suggests that the winger was sloppy on the ball, particularly when you consider that he did not create a single chance for his teammates, as he lost it every 3.25 touches on average despite having little impact on the game outside of his goal.

A lack of quality in the final third has been an issue for the Japanese wide man throughout the 2023/24 Premiership season, as he has struggled to consistently deliver goals and assists.

Daizen Maeda's Premiership stats this season

The right-footed whiz produced eight goals and five assists in 25 league starts under Ange Postecoglou last term, which was a return of one goal or assist every 1.92 starts on average.

He has not been successful in replicating that form for Rodgers since the ex-Leicester City boss replaced the Australian tactician last summer.

Maeda has started 19 matches, and made two appearances off the bench, in the Premiership so far this season, and contributed with four goals and two assists.

This means that his average starts per goal contribution has fallen to every 3.17 starts, with six in 19 starts for the Scottish giants in the top-flight.

He has registered four goals in 19 starts but could have had more had it not been for wasteful finishing. No player in the Celtic squad has underperformed their Expected Goals by more than Maeda (minus 2.74).

His teammates have provided him with 6.74 xG worth of chances in the final third but he has only scored four, which shows how poor his finishing has been this term.

The Japan international has also struggled to create for his fellow attackers. He currently ranks 22nd in the squad for key passes per game (0.5), and is below the likes of Liam Scales and Tomoki Iwata, who play in defensive positions.

These statistics illustrate Maeda's struggles at the top end of the pitch as he has been inconsistent as a finisher and rarely provided his teammates with quality as a creator.

The stats that show why Luis Palma should replace Maeda

The Japanese winger must now be brutally ditched from the starting XI on the left flank as Luis Palma has the ability to offer more in attack for the Hoops.

Signed from Greek side Aris on a permanent deal ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, the Honduras international has provided a threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals throughout the Premiership season.

The 5 foot 10 whiz, who was hailed as "tremendous" by Chris Sutton earlier this term, has been more consistent in front of goal than Maeda, with a slight underperformance of six goals from 6.9 xG.

This suggests that Palma is more likely to tuck away a chance than the former Yokohoma F. Marinos star, given that the Japan international has two fewer goals from 0.16 less xG.

The 24-year-old magician also has far more quality when it comes to creating chances in the final third for his teammates, based on their respective statistics in the Premiership this season.

23/24 Premiership

Daizen Maeda

Luis Palma

Starts

19

17

Key passes per game

0.5

2.7

Big chances created

Four

12

Assists

Two

Nine

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the ex-Aris dynamo has provided far more chances, and more high-quality chances, for his fellow attackers than Maeda.

In fact, no player in the Premiership has registered more assists, and only two players – Danny Armstrong and James Tavernier – have created more big chances than Palma this season.

This shows that the Celtic maestro has been one of the outstanding creative talents in the top-flight since his move to the club last summer.

Related Celtic struck gold with this signing who's worth more than Kuhn

The impressive forward has been an excellent addition to the Hoops squad this season.

Posts ByDan Emery Feb 18, 2024

Therefore, Rodgers should replace Maeda with Palma this afternoon at Tynecastle due to the superior quality he has in the final third, both as a finisher and a creator, which could be needed given that Hearts have the third-best defensive record in the division.

Celtic appear to be closing in on a deal to secure their first signing of the January transfer window, which opened for business at the start of last week.

Celtic transfer news – Nicolas Kuhn

FootballScotland reporter Mark Hendry claims that the Hoops "expect to land" Rapid Wien forward Nicolas Kuhn before the end of the month.

The journalist adds that Brendan Rodgers would also like to bring in another centre-forward and a left-back to bolster his squad over the next few weeks.

On top of this, The Scottish Sun have revealed that talks are already underway between the two clubs, and further discussions over a move for the exciting winger are expected.

Rodgers could now unlock Kyogo Furuhashi by securing a swoop for the Wien playmaker, who The Scottish Sun previously claimed is valued at around £2m.

Kyogo's season in numbers

The Japan international has struggled in front of goal so far this season with a return of eight goals in 22 Scottish Premiership appearances.

He has found the back of the net once every 190 minutes of top-flight action for the Hoops and has not been anywhere near as prolific as last term.

Kyogo plundered an incredible 27 goals in 31 Premiership starts throughout the 2022/23 campaign, which is an average of one strike every 86 minutes.

Kyogo's drop-off in form (via Sofascore)
Scottish Premiership	22/23	23/24
Appearances	36	22
Goals	27	Eight
Big chances missed	16	12
Shots outside of the box	Six	13

As you can see in the table above, the Celtic star has taken over twice as many shots from range already this season – in 14 fewer appearances – and this suggests that he has not had enough service within the box.

The statistics that show why Kuhn could unlock Kyogo

The Hoops now appear to be closing in on a player who could create high-quality opportunities for the forward on a regular basis as Kuhn has showcased his creativity on a regular basis this term.

During the 2023/24 campaign, the 24-year-old whiz has made 16 appearances in the Bundesliga for Rapid Wien and caught the eye with five assists, 11 'big chances' created, and 1.8 key passes per match.

Creative output of current Celtic right wingers (via Sofascore)
23/24 Scottish Premiership	Daizen Maeda	Liel Abada	Hyun-jun Yang	James Forrest
Appearances	17	Six	17	15
Assists	Two	One	One	Zero
Big chances created	Four	Two	Three	One
Key passes per game	0.5	0.7	0.8	0.6

As you can see from the table above, Rodgers' current options on the right of his front three have not been outstanding creators at the top end of the pitch to create good opportunities for Kyogo week-in-week-out.

Whereas, Luis Palma on the left flank has produced nine assists, 11 'big chances' created, and 3.1 key passes per game in 17 Premiership outings.

Meanwhile, the reported Hoops target has provided more assists, more 'big chances' created, and more key passes per match than Maeda, Abada, Yang, and Forrest in league action.

This suggests that Kuhn, who UEFA licensed coach @Inverthewing on X claimed is "dominating" at Wien, could be a major upgrade on the club's current right-sided attackers as a creative outlet.

If the German wizard can translate his current performances over to football in Scotland then he would be a fantastic signing who could unlock Kyogo by providing the striker with far more 'big chances' inside the box to get back to his prolific best.

The Japan international is currently being forced to take on too many shots from distance and it has clearly had a negative impact on his output in front of goal, which is why Rodgers needs a better creator to play on the right and that is exactly what Kuhn could be.

Tottenham Hotspur have endured a mixed campaign so far as their form has been up and down with various injury and suspension issues to deal with throughout the season so far.

Ange Postecoglou was brought in from Scottish giants Celtic last summer and enjoyed a terrific start to life in England with eight wins and two draws from his first ten Premier League matches.

However, they then lost the likes of Micky van de Ven and James Maddison to injury and failed to win any of their next five league matches – including four losses and one draw.

Since then, Spurs have won four of their last five Premier League games and appear to be back on the right track ahead of the second half of the campaign.

The January transfer window opened at the start of last week and it has provided Postecoglou with an opportunity to add further depth and quality to his squad.

Spurs transfer news – Hayden Hackney

Tottenham have already been busy in the market this month and have now been linked with interest in Middlesbrough central midfielder Hayden Hackney.

The Standard claim that Spurs are lining up a move to land the Championship midfielder, who is also being eyed by other Premier League sides, as they prepare to join the race for his services.

Liverpool, Manchester City, and Manchester United are all said to be interested in a deal to sign the impressive young dynamo following his superb form under Michael Carrick in the second tier.

The report adds that Boro are braced for offers for his services in the summer and have told teams that it will take a 'sensational' offer to convince them to part ways with him this month.

However, The Standard do not mention what sort of fee would constitute as sensational, which means that it remains to be seen whether or not a move is realistic for Spurs this month.

The outlet goes on to mention that Tottenham are particularly keen on a deal for the England U21 international as another homegrown player would help them to meet the quota for UEFA competitions, should they secure a place in the Champions League, Europa League, or Europa Conference League.

Spurs got a glimpse of his quality against Premier League opposition when he faced Chelsea in the first-leg of the League Cup semi-final on Tuesday night.

Hackney, as you can watch in the video above, scored the winning goal in a 1-0 victory for Middlesbrough, whilst he also created one chance and made two tackles throughout the 90 minutes.

His performance showed that he does have the quality to make an impact against the top-flight sides, which is why Spurs should take a gamble on him this month.

He is a progressive central midfielder who could help Postecoglou to unlock the best of Timo Werner, who recently joined on loan from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig.

Timo Werner's goal record

The Germany international is set to be at Tottenham until the end of the current campaign and they have an option to make it permanent for €17m (£14.6m).

Spurs will be hoping to get him back to his best after a difficult first half of the season in his home country, which ended with two goals and zero assists in 14 appearances in all competitions.

Last season, Werner plundered a respectable 16 goals and six assists in 40 matches for Leipzig – including nine goals and four assists in 29 Bundesliga outings.

His second spell at Leipzig came after a two-year stint in England with Chelsea. The German forward produced 23 goals and 21 assists in 89 games and helped the Blues to win the Champions League in 2021.

Werner's best goalscoring form, however, came during the 2019/20 campaign for Leipzig, which led to his transfer to England in the summer of 2020.

Werner's career goal record by position (via Transfermarkt)
Position	Appearances	Goals
Centre-forward	292	133
Left winger	74	16
Right winger	25	Seven
Second striker	22	13

The now-27-year-old marksman racked up a staggering 34 goals and 13 assists in 45 games in all competitions – including 28 goals in 34 Bundesliga matches.

It is now up to Spurs and Postecoglou to unlock Werner's top form between now and the end of the season, which the signing of Hackney could help with.

The statistics that show why Spurs should sign Hackney

The Boro star is all-round central midfielder who can make an impact in and out of possession but his qualities on the ball are why he could help the German striker.

Hackney, firstly, is a solid contributor off the ball. He has made 2.2 tackles and interceptions combined and 7.7 ball recoveries per match across 16 Championship outings this season.

Meanwhile, Pape Matar Sarr (5.1) and Yves Bissouma (4.8) have not retrieved possession as frequently each game in the Premier League as the English dynamo.

This suggests that the potential is there for the Boro ace to create more opportunities for Spurs to attack by recovering the ball more often than Postecoglou's current options, if he can translate his form to the top-flight.

His presence in the middle of the park could, therefore, provide the team with more chances to counter and make the most of Werner's impressive pace and movement in transition.

Hackney, who was described as a "sensational" young midfielder by journalist Graeme Bailey on the Talking Transfers podcast, also has the progressive passing to consistently find Werner, and other attackers, in dangerous positions.

Hackney vs midfielders (via FBref)
23/24 Championship (per 90)	Percentile rank
Shot-creating actions (3.50)	Top 18%
Progressive passes (8.19)	Top 1%
Progressive carries (2.25)	Top 19%
Passes attempted (77.37)	Top 5%

As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old starlet is an exceptional passer who constantly looks to progress play through passes or carries to push his team into advanced positions in the opposition third.

Bissouma, as a point of reference, has averaged 6.56 progressive passes and 2.31 shot-creating actions from 78.74 attempted passes in the Premier League this season.

This suggests that, if Postecoglou can help Hackney to translate his current performances over to the top-flight, the 5 foot 10 dynamo could enhance the quality of Tottenham's build-up play.

This would, in turn, lead to more opportunities for Werner to use his pace and direct play to make things happen at the top end of the pitch, which is why this potential signing could help to unlock the German whiz.

Sunderland can save millions by delving into their Academy of Light, the place that produced Champions League winner, Jordan Henderson.

The Black Cats have another promising central midfielder on their hands in 19-year-old starlet, Harrison Sohna, though it is worth noting that he has not come through all steps of the youth set-up, having switched last year from Aston Villa U23s.

Having featured in just two goals and three assists along the way – this, despite functioning as a defensive midfielder for seven games.

His performances for the Black Cats’ reserve side have paved the way for opportunities to play in the first team. Though his three appearances for the senior side have all come under former boss Lee Johnson in the EFL Trophy, so he is yet to make his professional league debut, and yet to impress Alex Neil who will surely be looking to embed the youngster into the first team come next season.

Over the last year, Sohna has registered some stats that demonstrate why he deserves a chance to play a higher level of football.

His average of 58.7 touches, 44 accurate passes and 0.7 key passes better that of Corry Evans who averages 45.5 touches, 28.3 accurate passes and 0.3 key passes per game – with the 31-year-old featuring 33 times for the Black Cats in the standard League One season, including two additional appearances in the League One play-offs.

Right now is a tricky time to hand an inexperienced youngster a league debut in what is such an important game in the season-defining play-off final on the 21st May. Though, it would not hurt to let Sohna train with the first team from now and across pre-season to see how he fairs in the level above.

His stats are certainly promising and his playstyle is what has got him noticed, with his forward-thinking approach and ability to make something happen echoed by Josh Bunting: “Harrison Sohna against his former club with the goal, really like when he gets on the ball, always thinking forward and opens up trying to make something happen.”

With that in mind, he’s certainly one to watch in the northeast.

In other news: Sunderland make “an enquiry” to sign highly-rated journeyman, Neil surely ecstatic

Leeds United are yet to welcome their first reinforcement in the January transfer window, but reports suggest that the 49ers could now finally make their winter move to land a Premier League edition. With Daniel Farke's side fighting for Championship promotion, this could quickly prove to make all the difference.

Leeds United transfer news

The transfer rumours have arrived even in the face of a quiet January window at Elland Road. The Whites have been linked with moves for the likes of Liverpool's young right-back Calvin Ramsay after his earlier loan spell at Preston North End came to an end, as well as Tottenham Hotspur's Ben Davies in what would be an impressive move given his experience at the top level.

The Yorkshire club's quiet window so far will be no shock to Farke, who admitted at the start of the month: "I expect a much more quiet and calm January to the last transfer period for example. We wish for a quiet January, but won’t fall asleep and when there are decisions to make, we will also make decisions and you never know what happens."

Leeds could land dream James partner in £50k-p/w Premier League "wizard"

The Elland Road outfit are seemingly seeking to bolster their ranks with a new attacking addition this month.

ByRobbie Walls Jan 19, 2024

As the window approaches the latter stages, however, it looks as though the 49ers could finally spring into action. According to Wayne Veysey of Football Insider, Leeds have made their first move for Ryan Giles, enquiring to Luton Town over a potential deal to sign the left-back as part of a 'late-transfer blitz' at Elland Road. The rumours have seemingly developed from initial interest to Leeds now making a first move for the defender.

Giles has struggled for minutes at Luton this season and could now be allowed to complete a loan move for the sake of earning more game-time. Meanwhile, Leeds could prioritise a left-back and a right-back this month following the termination of Djed Spence's loan deal and Luke Ayling leaving for Middlesbrough.

"Fantastic" Giles could play a part in Leeds' promotion push

Currently as many as seven points adrift of the second automatic promotion spot currently occupied by Ipswich Town and sitting fourth, Leeds are in need of a January boost in the form of reinforcements, and Giles could be among those to arrive. The left-back has enjoyed previous stints in the Championship at Middlesborough, Cardiff City and Blackburn Rovers, meaning that he could be more than capable of stepping into the level at Elland Road.

It was at Cardiff that Giles left many impressed, including former teammate Marlon Pack, who praised his debut performance, saying via Wales Online:

"He has got a fantastic delivery. He is someone who offers something that little bit different in the team that we were maybe lacking before. I think we will complement him, too. The way he gets the ball out of his feet and puts it in [the box] with so much venom and pace.

"In fairness, he was lucky today to get only the one assist, because he has put in some great balls and we were unlucky not to score a few more from his deliveries. He will be a fantastic asset to us. He's a young lad who's learning but he's got undoubted ability and it's down to us, our senior players, to make sure he delivers and to back him up during the games."

Manchester City are only a handful of games away from potentially securing their fourth Premier League title in five years.

With 34 matches played, Pep Guardiola’s side have won 26, drawn five and lost three, scoring 84 goals and conceding 21 along the way.

Despite the four very important games that the Citizens have left to play, it seems as though the hierarchy at the club behind the scenes already have some plans in place regarding the upcoming summer transfer window.

What’s the news?

In a recent tweet, journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano shared an exciting update on what sort of transfer business could take place behind the scenes at the Etihad Stadium this summer.

He said: “Manchester City will sign a new midfielder once [Erling] Haaland saga’s over. Paul Pogba has been discussed internally as @MikeKeegan_DM reported – still nothing advanced, PSG also in the race #MCFC.

“Frenkie de Jong, highly rated but expensive. Scouts have monitored Matheus Nunes too.”

Taking this into account, it could well end up being a rather busy summer transfer period for the reigning Premier League champions.

If they are then able to not only secure Haaland’s signature but bring a new midfielder in as well, this would be music to the ears of Guardiola to help him refresh his squad.

With the Citizens set to wave goodbye to veteran midfielder Fernandinho in the summer once his current contract runs out, it’s easy to see why the club would be aiming to bring in a new midfield option.

Should the Brazilian find himself not putting pen to paper on a new deal, his place in the squad would be open for a potential new recruit to fill.

In terms of the three midfield options that Romano mentioned in his tweet, the fact that all three have provided goals and assists for their clubs in their respective leagues this season could make them valid options for such an attacking team like City.

If the Sky Blues end up sealing the league title and then completing the deals that they want to get done in the summer, this would leave Guardiola ecstatic and put City in a good place to attack the 2022/23 campaign and try to continue being as successful as possible.

In other news: Man City eyeing bargain move for £290k-p/w “work of art”, supporters would be ecstatic

New Zealand pulled off a remarkable heist to defend 180 in the third T20I at Nelson, as England lost 5 for 10 in 18 balls after needing 42 off 5.2 overs with eight wickets in hand to lose by 14 runs.After setting a score that looked something like par, primarily thanks to the impetus provided by Colin de Grandhomme’s 35-ball 55 in the middle overs, New Zealand’s bowlers proved expensive on a small ground, as Dawid Malan and James Vince accelerated through the middle overs to put England in pole position.But after Eoin Morgan dragged the final ball of Mitchell Santner’s spell to deep midwicket, England only managed to hit one boundary in the final five overs of the innings to throw away a winning position and go 2-1 down in the five-match series.Colin de Grandhomme connects with a pull•Getty Images

If you were set the task of putting together a game that summed up the international careers of two of England’s fringe batsmen, this was it.Malan and Vince both stood to reap the benefits of a tour that represented a low-stakes opportunity to press their respective claims for England’s T20 World Cup squad, and both have put themselves in positions to close games off with substantial scores. In Christchurch, Vince smeared a half-tracker down long-on’s throat on 59; at the Cake Tin, Malan was set on 39 when he mistimed one straight to long-off.And the nearly-men narrative continued here. On 55, Malan whacked a shin-high full toss from Ish Sodhi straight to cow corner with England cruising, before Vince picked out mid-off in the circle on 49 needing to take control of the lower-middle order to see England home after a middle-over wobble.”Myself, Vincey and Sam Billings have been around the squad for four years waiting for these opportunities and they’re few and far between,” reflected Malan after the game at Wellington. “That’s why I’m a bit disappointed today: if I’d batted for three or four more overs I could have put us in a position to win this game.”And with two games to go in this series it feels like none of those men has really pushed their case. Malan, who could well be rotated out for the final two games of the series, was visibly frustrated after his dismissal. His T20I record is superb, with five fifties in eight innings, but given England’s backlog of options at the top of the order, he may well find himself squeezed out by the time the World Cup comes around.England had started their chase with a bang: Tom Banton was never likely to die wondering on his international debut, and so it proved. His mentor Marcus Trescothick has encouraged him to play straight early in his innings, and he creamed the third ball his faced through the covers for four off Tim Southee as if to hand in his homework.With that formality out the way, he bludgeoned Lockie Ferguson – with his pace up at 92mph – over midwicket for six over midwicket and then deftly nudged him for four through third man, but an attempted ramp off Blair Tickner proved his undoing, as he was bowled for 18.England were undeterred, and accelerated well just as the field spread. Malan was put down on 15, as Southee shelled a tough caught-and-bowled chance, but capitalised on Sodhi’s wayward start to move through the gears before crunching Jimmy Neesham for six over midwicket and following that with a supreme cover-drive.But after dinking Santner for four two balls after bringing up his fifty, he slapped Sodhi straight down the throat of Guptill at cow corner.Vince punished some loose balls from Santner and Tickner, but after Morgan fell and Billings was run out by a sharp piece of work from Colin Munro, he picked out mid-off. Ferguson accounted for Lewis Gregory and Sam Curran in the space of an over, and with an uncharacteristically long tail, England were bust despite a lusty blow over midwicket from Tom Curran as Southee closed out the final over.After Southee won his first toss of the series, Martin Guptill’s 17-ball cameo kickstarted things for New Zealand. He hit three fours off the Curran brothers in the first two overs, before punishing Saqib Mahmood’s wayward start by firing boundaries off his first three balls.But after suffering a harrowing afternoon at the Cake Tin on Sunday, Pat Brown bounced back and showed his poise under pressure to remove Guptill. After an 80mph bouncer that sat up and was swatted away over square leg for four, Brown followed that up with a knuckleball that Guptill failed to read, and skewed up to extra cover where Tom Curran held a good catch running back.Munro’s scratchy series continued as he failed to pick a slower ball, but de Grandhomme – in the No. 4 role he has made his own in the last 12 months – ensured that New Zealand avoided a middle-overs lull by carving Mahmood’s second over for 15.Matt Parkinson struck with his fifth ball on debut, bowling the reverse-slog-sweeping Tim Seifert through his legs, but was surprisingly only afforded two overs on a dry pitch. De Grandhomme picked two Brown slower balls to keep the innings moving in the 13th, while consecutive no-balls from Gregory and a six from the free hit saw New Zealand reached 133 for 3 with six to go, leaving them well set for a push towards 200.But Tom Curran’s change-up accounted for de Grandhomme, who thrashed one straight down Banton’s throat at long-on, and none of Ross Taylor, Jimmy Neesham and Santner ever really got set as England’s youngsters displayed their full range of variations to concede only 47 from the final 36 balls.Mahmood was again expensive, leaking eight boundaries as his four overs went for 49, but the Currans were both impressive – both have improved their standing in England’s long queue of seam-bowling options on this tour. While England’s fielding was much better – Morgan was critical of their sloppiness after they put down five chances in Wellington – they bowled eight wides and two no-balls, which might well have proved the difference.

Finishes with 109 wickets in 41 first-class matches and 47 wickets in 46 limited-overs games

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Nov-2020Uttar Pradesh’s Sudeep Tyagi, 33, called time on a stop-start 13-year career on Tuesday, the highlight being his elevation to the Indian team in 2009. In all, he featured in four ODIs and one T20I – all in the same year.Tyagi finishes with 109 wickets in 41 first-class matches and 47 wickets in 46 limited-overs games. He played a majority of these matches for Uttar Pradesh, the side he debuted for in 2007 with a 10-wicket haul. He followed that up with a nine-for in his second outing as Uttar Pradesh made their second straight Ranji Trophy final. Later on, he had brief stints at Saurashtra and Hyderabad.Tyagi’s India call-up came on the back of some incisive spells in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings in 2009. Although he managed just five wickets in eight games, the then selection committee, led by Kris Srikkanth, considered him a “great prospect” and handed him a debut in an ODI against Sri Lanka later that year, a match that was abandoned because of a poor pitch.”I have achieved what is every player’s dream to represent the country and wearing the Indian flag is a dream I lived,” he said in a statement. “I want to thank MS Dhoni under whom I played my first ODI. I want to thank my role models Mohammad Kaif, RP Singh and Suresh Raina. It is very difficult to do this but to move ahead we must let go.”A mixture of injuries and form meant he couldn’t be a regular in the domestic circuit anymore. His last competitive game was in 2017.