All posts by h716a5.icu

England rue missed chances after unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 149

Valkerie Baynes10-Jun-2022Stumps As far attempts to negate a swinging ball go, Daryl Mitchell’s display of long-range beer pong was inventive to say the least.Assisted by the ale or otherwise, he and Tom Blundell managed to see out the latter stages of a tricky middle session for New Zealand then navigate their side to the close of an intriguing first day at Trent Bridge at 318 for 4.The duo, who shared 195-run stand in the second innings of New Zealand’s five-wicket defeat at Lord’s last week had put on 149 by stumps in this second Test, Mitchell unbeaten on 81 and Blundell 67 not out.During a morning session when the ball presented little movement through the air or off the seam but bounced appreciably from a good length, New Zealand openers Will Young and Tom Latham started brightly with an 84-run partnership before Ben Stokes and James Anderson struck with consecutive deliveries to remove both.Those same two bowlers managed to get the ball talking after the lunch break, however, combining again to remove a fluid-looking Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls as all of New Zealand’s top-four made starts but none breached fifty.Related

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Leach returns to Test team after concussion substitution

England, whose fielding in the first Test had been noticeably sharp, were left to rue missed chances which would have made the equation considerably worse for their visitors. Zak Crawley dived from second slip across Joe Root at first and managed only to parry Nicholls’ thick outside edge off Stuart Broad away from both of them. Nicholls was on 17 at the time.Root then shelled a regulation slips chance off Mitchell, on 3, which wobbled ever so slightly as it came off the bat, and a tougher one off Blundell when he was on 2, Root thrusting his right hand out but failing to hold on.Mitchell and Blundell resumed after tea on 20 and 7 respectively and, with Jack Leach continuing after bowling the penultimate over before the break, Mitchell plundered the England spinner down the ground for six, the ball landing in a spectators’ full pint cup.Matthew Potts, clearly more disappointed than amused, indicated that the ball had been completely submerged as the umpire ran over with a towel and set about trying to dry it off. Sure enough, the ball didn’t do much for the bowlers after that until Potts managed to get it moving a little again on the evening breeze.Blundell, on 39, survived England’s attempt to overturn a not-out lbw decision on umpire’s call off Leach and Mitchell top-edged another six off Broad over the keeper’s head.England took the second new ball with about half an hour left in the day’s play and Broad was left cursing yet another missed opportunity when Blundell moved to 67 by edging him through the cordon where Crawley and Jonny Bairstow remained virtually motionless at second and third slip as the ball shot between them to the boundary rope.Earlier, Stokes allayed concerns over his ability to bowl, raised when he showed some discomfort in his side while training on Wednesday, bringing himself on in the 19th over. He opened with a loose delivery outside off stump which Young punished to the boundary through point and which turned out to be the first of two front-foot no-balls for the over.Leach followed Stokes into the attack, having recovered from the concussion he suffered while fielding on the opening day of the first Test at Lord’s, but it was Stokes who made the breakthrough in his second over.Having conceded two more boundaries to Young on the drive, the second misfielded by Leach in the covers, Stokes bowled a tight off-stump line and got the ball to kick into the splice of Young’s bat with Crawley collecting a good catch low at second slip.James Anderson laughs after his long-hop has Tom Latham caught at midwicket•AFP/Getty ImagesPotts took a strong catch at midwicket to get rid of Latham, who slapped a short ball straight to him at pace as soon as Anderson returned to the attack and New Zealand had lost two wickets in as many balls, although cause for concern to England was the fact that they conceded 20 boundaries in the first session.After lunch, Stokes accounted for Nicholls with a ball that nipped away off the seam, drawing a prod to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes and ending a 77-run stand with Conway.Conway had produced some eye-catching drives and pulls en route to his score which included seven fours before he was undone by an excellent Anderson delivery that looked like shaping away before jagging back off the seam and finding a big inside edge through to Foakes.Anderson thought he had Conway out for 41 when the batter picked out Potts at midwicket but a soft signal of not-out was upheld when third umpire Rod Tucker ruled that the ball had gone to ground.After losing the toss, Latham – standing in as captain for Kane Williamson who tested positive for Covid-19 on the eve of the match – said he would have liked to bowl first on a green-tinged pitch which he said looked dry underneath, although he would no doubt have taken New Zealand’s score at the end of the day.Willamson’s absence, and that of Colin de Grandhomme who injured his foot while bowling in the first Test and was ruled out of the series, forced two team changes for New Zealand, who also left out left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel. They brought in Nicholls, back from a calf injury followed by a bout of Covid, and added Matt Henry in a four-pronged seam attack, with Michael Bracewell, the left-handed batter who also provides an offspin option, making his Test debut.

How things can change. It was only a matter of months ago that Manchester United starlet Kobbie Mainoo was the cream of the crop, with the teenage sensation capping off a fine debut campaign in senior football by playing his part in England’s surge to the Euro 2024 final.

Belatedly brought into the United team by Erik ten Hag for his first Premier League start against Everton in November 2023, following an injury in pre-season, the local lad’s Man of the Match display at Goodison Park set the tone for a dazzling end to 2023/24 on an individual basis.

A notable high point for the academy graduate came away to Wolverhampton Wanderers in February, with Mainoo sealing all three points in dramatic circumstances, jinking his way through the home defence before curling into the corner in exquisite fashion. A star was born.

And yet, the midfielder’s return to Molineux on Boxing Day epitomised that the journey for any young player is not linear, nor smooth, with the 19-year-old’s shoddy showing coming amid what has been a disappointing 2024/25 campaign thus far.

Mainoo's performance vs Wolves

On what was just his 50th first-team appearance for United, Mainoo – who has endured a stop-start season due to injury – ‘looked a shadow of the player’ who sparkled last term, as per Samuel Luckhurst, having struggled in the centre of the park.

Now deployed in a midfield two alongside summer signing Manuel Ugarte, the Stockport native appeared somewhat off the pace, having won just two of his eight duels, while failing to complete a single dribble and losing the ball on 11 occasions.

There were some signs of life – including a teasing cross that Rasmus Hojlund came agonisingly close to getting on the end of – yet, in truth, it was no real surprise when Mainoo’s number went up to be withdrawn on the hour mark.

The sight of the rising star clipping the ball into touch on a handful of occasions really was an indication of his dwindling confidence, with Ruben Amorim needing to find a way to revive what is undoubtedly a “generational talent” – as hailed by the aforementioned Hojlund.

Perhaps, the addition of a new midfielder in 2025 could be what is needed to get Mainoo firing once again…

Man Utd's search for a midfielder

According to The Athletic’s Mark Critchley – alongside David Ornstein – the Red Devils are believed to be monitoring Atalanta star, Ederson, at present, amid the Brazilian’s ‘impressive displays in Serie A’.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

This follows previous claims from Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, who suggested that the 25-year-old is among the targets that United are “seriously considering”, having “scouted him multiple times”.

While The Athletic does not reveal any potential price tag for the midfield destroyer, Plettenberg claimed last week that the Serie A side could demand a fee of up to €60m (£50m).

Why Ederson's arrival could be perfect for Mainoo

The Atalanta man may not be the most high-profile of names, yet he has been earning rave reviews for his form in Italy in recent seasons, with former England boss Fabio Capello among those leading the plaudits:

Part of the side that claimed Europa League glory last season following a 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen, the in-demand talent – who put in a “monsterclass” in that showpiece win, in the words of Statman Dave – could be the perfect partner for Mainoo in the centre of the park.

The 6 foot machine has chipped in with two goals and one assist in 17 Serie A in 2024/25, although his key strength lies in winning back possession, shown by the fact that he averages 2.3 tackles and interceptions per game, having recovered 5.5 balls per game also.

That supports claims from his club colleague Marten de Roon, who said that it is his “speed and recovery ability that no one else has”. He’s simply a true workhorse.

What also sets him apart from the aforementioned Ugarte, for instance, is his ability to break the lines and influence proceedings in an attacking sense, showcased by the fact that he averages 6.43 progressive passes per 90 across the last 365 days. The Uruguayan, by contrast, averages just 3.42 in that regard.

17 games (16 starts)

2 goals

1 assist

3 big chances created

0.9 key passes*

87% pass accuracy*

1.2 interceptions*

1.1 tackles*

5.5 balls recovered*

54% total duels won*

63% aerial duels won*

That ensures that he could be the man to pick out a marauding Mainoo in advanced areas, with Ederson also providing the benefit of having operated in a 3-4-3 system in Bergamo under Gian Piero Gasperini.

The same could be said of Ugarte, yet that pairing with Mainoo simply isn’t working at present, hence the need to acquire a fresh face – preferably in the New Year.

Equally, there’s also a world in which Ederson could partner Ugarte, thus freeing up Mainoo to take on one of the two number ten berths behind the striker, with the presence of two such athletic midfielders behind him allowing the undoubtedly gifted diamond to shine once again.

Man Utd need to upgrade on 4/10 star who was Ten Hag's fifth-choice target

Manchester United’s grim December continued away at Molineux

1 ByRobbie Walls Dec 27, 2024

Leeds United have been mentioned in connection with an in-demand figure in recent weeks and reporter Ben Jacobs has given the latest on developments at Elland Road.

Leeds United under Farke

On Friday evening, Daniel Farke enjoyed perhaps his finest hour yet since taking over at the club in the summer, as a solitary goal from Georginio Rutter gave the Whites a priceless 1-0 victory away to Leicester City in the Championship. Farke praised match-winner Rutter’s development over the last few months, stating in his post-match press conference:

“I am delighted for him because he is working so hard for us. He’s great in his linking of the play and creating moments for teammates, with assists and the only thing we spoke about that he can improve is his goal tally. He scores today and this right now is also like a typical striker's goal to be there for the rebound; I am pretty delighted for him.

“It’s crucial to be there with a decisive goal, sometimes it is easy to score the 6-1 or 7-1, but to be there with the 1-0 is decisive goal and a sign of quality. Yes, I am delighted for him and he’s definitely on the right path.”

Leeds United now occupy third position in the league standings, having taken 28 points from their opening 15 fixtures. Nevertheless, they trail Ipswich Town by a sizeable margin of seven points, with the Tractor Boys also enjoying the advantage of having a game in hand over their promotion rivals. With things going from strength to strength on the field, though, journalist Jacobs has now given a fresh update on a potential development away from on-pitch matters at Elland Road.

Leeds United's Championship form

Opponent

Venue

Leicester City 0-1 Leeds United

King Power Stadium

Leeds United 4-1 Huddersfield Town

Elland Road

Stoke City 1-0 Leeds United

bet365 Stadium

Norwich City 2-3 Leeds United

Carrow Road

Leeds United 2-1 Bristol City

Elland Road

Stuart Webber to Leeds United update

Norwich City sporting director Stuart Webber is in the process of running down his time at Carrow Road and has been reported as a target for Leeds United and Scottish outfit Rangers in recent weeks as they both eye further recruitment expertise. Nevertheless, reporter Jacobs has now indicated that the soon-to-be-available Webber could take some time out of football once he serves his notice period at Norwich City before being replaced by Ben Knapper on November 27th.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs explained: “There's nothing imminent at the moment with Stuart Webber. He's going to be in demand and he is a free agent, or very soon anyway, in the next fortnight. I believe he handed in his notice in June.

“He had the option to stay on for the year, but has chosen to go now. And from what I understand, Webber wants to take some personal time. He is looking, believe it or not, to climb a bunch of different mountains. I know the Norwich fans were not happy when he announced earlier that and it got aborted in the end this plan, but he wanted to go and climb Everest, for example.

“So, Webber is looking for some time off in the same way that Michael Edwards wanted some time off. Which is why I don't think that there's necessarily anything imminent. As you say, he's worked with Daniel Farke before, so the links are inevitable. But there's nothing sort of firmed up between Leeds and Webber.”

Leeds United, under new owners the 49ers Enterprises, are seemingly still looking for off-field additions at Elland Road, so it will be intriguing to see if Webber eventually ends up in the frame.

Kylian Mbappe fired Paris Saint-Germain into the lead with a sensational goal against Montpellier on Sunday.

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Mbappe the star for PSG against MontpellierScored three and set up anotherStar's second goal was the best of the bunchWHAT HAPPENED?

After setting up the opening goal and then doubling his team's lead from a tight angle, Montpellier managed to pull level before the end of the first half. Mbappe, though, proved just how pivotal he is to PSG when he restored their lead early into the second period, smashing in off the bar from outside the box.

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After Lee Kang-in added another mesmerising goal to make it 4-2 to PSG, Mbappe completed his hat-trick with another fine goal, killing off any hope for Montpellier with almost 30 minutes left to play. The French striker is in the final months of his time in the French capital, having already informed them he will leave this summer, with Real Madrid expected to snap him up imminently.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?

The French forward will hope to continue his excellent form for Luis Enrique's side as they look set to claim the Ligue 1 title and hope to challenge for the Champions League crown before he departs in the summer.

Nottingham Forest entered the Premier League season hoping to avoid a dreaded case of second season syndrome, and so far, they've done exactly that. Steve Cooper's side have suffered defeat just three times in eight league games, winning twice, and drawing three times in the process. Their most impressive moment came against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, as Anthony Elanga's goal was enough to seal a historic three points for the Midlands club.

On a solid run of form despite some brutal away fixtures, the international break came at the wrong time for Forest, in truth, who look to have suffered an injury blow during the break, making it all the more frustrating.

What's the latest Nottingham Forest injury news?

It looked as though Forest were becoming fairly fortunate when it comes to injuries, but a knock to star striker Taiwo Awoniyi soon threw that idea out the window. Now, Cooper's squad must find goals from elsewhere, with the likes of Chris Wood coming into the side, hoping to make the necessary impact. Awoniyi isn't where the disappointment ends, either, with the latest injury news revealing another blow.

According to Nottingham Forest News, after Gonzalo Montiel was forced off through injury against Peru whilst on international duty with Argentina, Forest must now assess their full-back. Given that the injury was bad enough to force Montiel off after just 30 minutes, it's not looking good for Forest when it comes to the immediate availability of the Argentine.

Forest's next Premier League game comes this weekend against Luton Town, in what will be seen as a vital relegation six-pointer. If Cooper's side are to avoid the drop or a battle all together, then defeating sides such as Luton will be the ultimate key to survival. As things stand, however, they may well be forced to cope without Montiel.

How has Gonzalo Montiel performed this season?

Since arriving from Sevilla in the summer transfer window, Montiel has struggled to make an impact at Forest, starting just once in the Premier League, which came in a frustrating 1-1 draw against Burnley. Given his lack of game-time, the right-back's injury comes at a bad time, especially if it turns out to be for an extended period.

If Cooper can get the best out of the Sevilla loanee, then he'll have himself a solid option to turn to, as proven by the previous praise of former Sevilla boss Julen Lopetegui, who said: "I don't usually individualize, but today, for example, Gonzalo Montiel competed like an animal after playing the 120 minutes in Cordoba."

With that said, whilst he has got off to a slow start in the Midlands, there is still a capable player in Montiel, who may just need to be handed some time before finding his best form. Cooper will be hoping that the injury to his summer signing doesn't leave him without full-back depth for an extended period, particularly with the Premier League fixtures coming thick and fast. As of right now, however, both Forest and Montiel face a nervous wait to find out the extent of the Argentine's injury.

Handscomb is now working with NCC batting coach Chris Rogers, in consultation with national coach Justin Langer, to “tinker a few things”

Daniel Brettig27-Jul-20182:34

I’ve looked back at my technique – Handscomb

In the wake of his dropping from the Australian team midway through last summer’s Ashes, middle-order batsman Peter Handscomb looked down the barrel of the camera and insisted there was nothing wrong with his unorthodox technique. “It’s funny that,” he said. “I was doing exactly the same thing last year but I was making runs, so my technique was okay then.”Seven months later, though, and it is a different world. Australian cricket’s former combination of bluff and intimidation was stripped away by the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal, and the resultant bans on Steven Smith and David Warner have pushed a handful of lesser talents to the forefront of the national team. In his subsequent appearance at the Wanderers, the crease-bound Handscomb looked an obligingly stationary target for Vernon Philander and was bowled by the South African craftsman in both innings.’Amazing how much they edited the footage’

Alongside Steven Smith, David Warner, Cameron Bancroft and Darren Lehmann, Peter Handscomb was a character in the Newlands ball-tampering scandal. According to the narrative put together by SuperSport’s broadcast, Handscomb spoke on a walkie-talkie to Lehmann and then spoke in the middle to Bancroft, who proceeded to hide what was revealed to be sandpaper down his trousers.
However, Handscomb begged to differ on this account of events, for he noted that about half an hour passed between his conversation with Lehmann and his brief time on the field as a substitute where he stood next to Bancroft. “I love that footage because it’s actually amazing how much the media edited it. So, it shows me on the walkie-talkie then running out and talking to Cam,” he said. “What happened, I am on the walkie-talkie. Twenty minutes, 25 minutes later, a player comes off because they need to go to the bathroom. I am next to it so that’s why I come on.
“I get put into a catching position next to Cam because we are both short catches … we are front of the wicket catchers or in slips together. That’s why I was there, literally just trying to have a joke with him. There was nothing else. All this build-up about me trying to do something there, it wasn’t there.”
Nevertheless, Handscomb did confirm that Lehmann had asked him what was going on in the middle before the former coach asked the same question in somewhat stronger terms at the tea break. “Pretty much. It’s been quite well-documented. Basically, I am just trying to move forward,” Handscomb said. “I haven’t been dragged into it [the scandal] that much. If I was, I am basically off a lot of social media now anyway. I didn’t read it and I didn’t hear it.”

So with the benefit of time at home and at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane, Handscomb has found fresh perspective and also a fresh set of eyes to help him take his game to a higher level than that at which he was operating while cobbling 86 scratchy runs from five Test innings in Brisbane, Adelaide and Johannesburg. With the help of the NCC batting coach Chris Rogers, Handscomb is rediscovering a front-foot game against pace, in both attack and defence, to counter quality bowlers who he now admits did “work me out” after his promising 2016-17 introduction.”I have definitely gone back and looked at my technique and tinkered with a few things,” Handscomb said. “That’s sort of how the game goes a little bit – when you come into it on such a big scale, no one really knew how I batted, and then bowlers start to work me out, so now they have plans for me. Now it’s my job to go back and try and beat those plans.”Then no doubt there’ll be that time where it goes back and forth, the fights I guess between the bat and ball, they’ll push hard and then I’ll push back, and hopefully I can come out on top. I’ve been working hard with Chris Rogers up at the Academy, sending videos to him when I’ve been down in Melbourne and also been able to fly up a couple of times, so hopefully, something comes of that and I can make some runs this summer.”I feel like there’s an improvement definitely, I feel like I’ve got my drive back and hopefully can access the ball off the front foot a little bit better than what I have in previous years. I still want to stay just as strong off the back foot, you don’t want to lose those strengths, but just trying to make it a complete game.”A further step in that process will be spending more time with the new national team coach Justin Langer, who has been blunt in his assessments of numerous players either side of the limited-overs tour to England and Zimbabwe that underlined the yawning gap left in the team’s batting stocks by the absence of the former captain and deputy.”We have had a few chats, either through email, text messages or a phone call. It’s been awesome, he’s been so accessible and very open and honest conversations,” Handscomb said. “I’ve shared some footage with him as well of my current batting and seeing what he thinks and then we can have a discussion about that and move forward. It’s been a really nice start and look forward to doing some work with him in person.”Handscomb is in a curious position in that his methods when facing spin are widely regarded as among the best in an admittedly slim Australian field of batsmen who have excelled against quality slow bowling. But at the same time, he is in the process of addressing the aforementioned flaws when combating pace. Significantly and perhaps fortuitously for Handscomb, the chances he has to buttress a place in the Australian Test top six now include an Australia A tour of India and a Test series beyond against Pakistan in the UAE.”There’s going to be guys really trying to take their opportunity and step up and push their case for Test selection. I’ll be doing the same to try to retain my spot, show I’m a good player of spin and hopefully set myself up for the Australian summer,” he said. “It [national selection] seems to be a bit open slather – you are going into this [tour], if you make runs you are a massive chance and, if you don’t, you haven’t taken that opportunity they are trying to give you.”Personally I feel like I am a really good player of spin and I hope I will go over there and make runs. I have done that before on the subcontinent, so I hope I can do that again. It [playing spin] is just about getting my feet moving as fast as possible, whether that’s coming down the track or playing off the back foot. It depends on the conditions so you’ve got to be able to read them as quick as you can – if it’s spinning big maybe stay back a little bit, if it’s not then I might be able to use my feet. I just assess the conditions and go from there.”It can be tough in the subcontinent where there always seemed to be that ball with your name on it. You can kind of feel set but something can happen and that’s it. Mentally I’m definitely preparing to try to bat longer times. I’ve had a lot of conversations about converting starts into bigger scores and that’s what we need at the highest level.”Following the Cape Town and Johannesburg fiasco, Handscomb and his partner went on safari, and they have subsequently become engaged. He reflects now that after regaining a spot in the Test XI through the suspensions, he is now eager to ensure he can retain it purely on merit – aided by the technical work with Rogers.”It was a bit of a shame to come back into the Test side under those circumstances,” he said. “I’d really wanted to get back in through sheer work and putting numbers on the board and making sure I was doing all the right things, but sometimes a bit of right place, right time and trying to take that opportunity. So hopefully I can continue with that.”

The Pakistan captain is wary of the challenges posed by Australia and the Zimbabwean conditions, but is confident of the team doing well in the tri-series

Umar Farooq27-Jun-2018Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed wants to continue batting at No. 4 in limited-overs cricket.Sarfraz kicked off his T20I career in 2010 batting at No. 8, and had floated around the middle order without much success; his first 400-odd runs came at an average of about 25. It didn’t take much for head coach Mickey Arthur to convince him to bat higher up earlier this year in T20s, a move that worked immediately. The emergence of allrounders Shadab Khan and Faheem Ashraf to provide cover down the order has also helped Pakistan and Sarfraz make this move. Steady performances at that position could encourage the team management to push him up the order in ODIs as well, ahead of the 2019 World Cup.”I have been continuously batting at No. 4 [of late] and I would like to continue there,” Sarfraz said, as Pakistan prepared for the T20 tri-series in Zimbabwe. “We are basically trying to build ahead of the World Cup. If you look at the ODI side, we haven’t made many changes. Fakhar Zaman, Shadab, Haris [Sohail] who is back in the side, Babar Azam at the top, [Mohammad] Hafeez and [Shoaib] Malik are around. So we are settling and it is good that the team is performing and we are going in the right direction with the right combination.”Pakistan, according to Sarfraz, were wary of Australia – the third team in the tri-series – and the conditions in Zimbabwe, but remain confident of performing well. “Our preparation is good. We got a couple of days here (in Lahore) and three days there (in Zimbabwe) to train before the series,” he said. “We will definitely go with our best preparation, as in T20s no team is easy to beat.”We know Australia is a strong team and, although they have got many new players, they know exactly how to adapt themselves.”I have toured Zimbabwe twice, and on both occasions, the conditions were different. In 2013 it was grassy with some bounce and in 2015 it was slow with moisture. This time around, I’ve got to know that it will be colder and I feel the toss will be vital. So we need to assess the pitch to make our decisions. Overall, we are in a good position and hopeful of good results. But this tri-series is going to be tough and you can expect some competitive cricket.”Pakistan are currently ranked No. 1 in T20Is; Sarfraz said that did not add any additional pressure on them. “We actually don’t really think about being No. 1 or ratings. When we were not No. 1, we never thought about the rankings so all we have to do is to play naturally without getting into such details. I only urge the players to give their best and leave all other things aside.”The boys are backing each other and this is something that’s quite evident in the field. Even if someone fields well in the covers or at the boundaries, or has taken a good catch, they all respond to it and back each other up.”Following the T20I tri-series, Pakistan will play a five-match ODI series in Zimbabwe. Sarfraz admitted to being under pressure as an all-format captain, but said he tries to quell that with his on-field performances.”Obviously as a captain you are under pressure because you have to look around at a lot of things, but I always look to grab an opportunity to lead from the front. Whenever I get a chance, I try to win the game with my contribution. I am aware of my individual form and I’ve been working hard to contribute with both the bat and behind the wicket.”

West Brom's Cedric Kipre miraculously escaped punishment for a blatant handball on the goal line against QPR in the Championship.

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QPR fought back to hold West Brom 2-2Kipre used his hand to prevent a goalEscaped unscathed as match officials failed to spot Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Hosts QPR found themselves 2-1 down in the game and launched an offensive onslaught. Their persistence should have paid off when Sam Field surged forward to meet a cross. His header seemed destined to breach the West Brom defence and level the scores, but for Kipre, who made a dramatic intervention.

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Replays revealed a startling truth – Kipre had used his left hand to divert the ball's trajectory, executing a remarkable save reminiscent of a goalkeeper's reflexes. Despite the clear infraction, referee Geoff Altringham failed to detect the handball, allowing play to continue uninterrupted. Astonishingly, neither the QPR players nor the match officials registered any protest or appeal for the clear rule breach, resulting in Kipre escaping what would typically warrant a red card for preventing a goal through illegal means. The game ended 2-2, with field eventually getting on the scoresheet against his former club.

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WHAT QPR MANAGER MARTI CIFUENTES SAID

When QPR boss Marti Cifuentes was asked after the match if he had spotted the handball, he said: "I saw that they were playing with two keepers, so yeah! We had enough chances to win the game. In some games, some decisions have not been on our side, but we cannot control that. To expect that we should have achieved the target with two penalties – it will be the wrong approach. We need to make sure that today if we were to play against two keepers we need to make sure, we are better. So I will not complain about refereeing because it is a very difficult job. And hopefully, we will have another mistake on our side to balance the bit. "

Newcastle United have walked away from a deal to sign an exciting new defender, with a fresh report detailing the reason why he’s no longer wanted in the Premier League.

Where are Newcastle in the table?

In the top-flight this season, Eddie Howe’s side have won four, lost three and drawn one of their opening eight fixtures, meaning that they find themselves eighth in the table, and here is how all of those matches have played out so far:

Aston Villa (5-1)

West Ham (2-2)

Manchester City (1-0)

Brentford (1-0)

Liverpool (2-1)

Sheffield United (8-0)

Brighton (3-1)

Burnley (2-0)

The Magpies also haven’t had it easy considering that several players are currently missing through injury, including the likes of Joelinton, Joe Willock and Sven Botman, and with the latter’s absence highlighting the lack of options at centre-back, that’s an area that the hierarchy are looking to address in January.

Sporting CP’s Goncalo Inacio has been a long-term target for the club, with Liverpool and Manchester United also credited with an interest, as per the same outlet, but should any of his three potential suitors decide to pursue a deal, it won't come cheap.

The Portugal international still has another four years remaining on his deal which has a £52m release clause included (Sporting CP contracts), so Ruben Amorim’s side are in a very strong negotiating position, and that’s apparently one of the reasons why the 22-year-old has been removed from the radar in the northeast.

Goncalo Inacio transfer update

According to Portuguese outlet Radio Renascenca, sharing a transfer update on Goncalo Inacio (via Sport Witness), Newcastle have “edged away” from a move for the colossus in January.

Magpies chiefs believe that their former target has “no evolution”, and therefore, they “refuse to go crazy” over a player that they are not impressed by.

In addition, St. James’ Park chiefs think Sporting’s prized asset is too expensive with the above figure it would take to reach an agreement, so it would appear that this is a deal that is definitely off the cards.

How good is Goncalo Inacio?

Standing at 6 foot 1, Inacio is currently averaging 2.4 clearances and 1.6 aerial wins per game in Liga Portugal (WhoScored – Inacio statistics). He provides a real physical presence at the heart of Sporting’s backline, and it may have been a mistake for Newcastle to end their pursuit.

The Almada native, who is naturally left-footed, is also capable of contributing to efforts at the opposite end of the pitch having posted 19 involvements, 11 goals and eight assists, in 132 senior appearances in his homeland (Transfermarkt – Inacio statistics).

Furthermore, Inacio, who has been dubbed a “leader” by BBC writer Premier League Panel, knows what it takes to compete and be successful at the highest level having secured four trophies during his time at the Jose Alvalade Stadium, so he would be able to match the winning mentality of the squad who are already in NE1.

The development adds to a state of instability in Australian cricket the midst of concurrent reviews into CA: one into the culture of the organisation and another tackling the behaviour of the men’s national team

Daniel Brettig31-May-2018Iain Roy, Cricket Australia’s head of integrity and the conductor of the rapid investigation into the Newlands ball-tampering scandal, has been summarily removed by the governing body even as reviews into its culture and conduct continue.In December 2013, Roy had been promoted to head a unit specifically created to deal with integrity issues around the game that were raised by a report into CA’s codes, policies and practices in this area by the former AFL executive Adrian Anderson. Roy’s removal took place a matter of days after the release of an Al Jazeera documentary raising questions about the involvement of Australian players in corrupt activity.However, the greater question surrounds yet another major change to the organisation amid two concurrent reviews into CA: a wider cultural review being undertaken by The Ethics Centre (which has a CA director, Michelle Tredenick, on its board), and a more focused review chaired by the former Test batsman Rick McCosker tackling the behaviour of the men’s national team. Its facilitator, Peter Collins, is a longtime paid consultant of CA.Roy’s exit, which took place on Tuesday, was a surprise to many at CA, only a week after the former Board director Kevin Roberts was promoted to the post of chief operating officer beneath the chief executive James Sutherland. The position is one that Sutherland had previously baulked at creating, but which now strongly suggests that the chairman David Peever is intent upon installing the ambitious Roberts as Sutherland’s eventual replacement.When the Newlands scandal took place, Sutherland’s first action was to send Roy and the team performance manager Pat Howard to Cape Town to conduct a code-of-conduct investigation into the events of the match. The result was Roy’s recommendation that the captain Steven Smith and his deputy David Warner be banned for 12 months for conduct contrary to the spirit of the game, and Cameron Bancroft for nine months. Smith and Bancroft were banned from taking any leadership positions in Australian cricket for 12 months, and Warner for life.Within CA, there had been a level of satisfaction about the fact that the episode had progressed from Bancroft’s appearance on the Newlands replay screen to the players’ acceptance of heavy sanctions inside two weeks. However there was the administrative wrinkle of the Western Australian Cricket Association having to approve Bancroft for club cricket participation due to its rules being different to those of New South Wales, the state of Smith and Warner.Even so, Roy’s sudden exit adds to a state of instability at CA, as priorities compete between the reviews, a goal to find an extra AUD 20 million in grassroots funding by cutting corners from the administration following last year’s failed attempt to remove a fixed-revenue percentage from the MoU with the Australian Cricketers’ Association, and the political machinations around the Board, Sutherland and senior management.Since the reviews were instituted, a swathe of staff have been removed from the recast game development portfolio, the head of marketing has left, while the Board director Bob Every quit well before his term was due to expire after a series of disagreements with Peever. In the meantime, the coach Darren Lehmann was replaced by Justin Langer on a four-year contract. Roy’s removal has only added to the appearance of an uncertain picture for the organisation, and lent weight to queries over whether the reviews are of any genuine significance.All this despite the signing of an AUD 1.18 billion broadcast rights deal with the Fox Sports and Seven networks in April, trumpeted by CA as a landmark deal in its balance between preserving a significant free-to-air presence for the game while also offering up the sort of blanket coverage of the game to be provided by Fox creating a dedicated cricket channel. How its many talking heads will address the sort of upheaval seen at CA in recent weeks remains to be seen.