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Speaking to Football Insider, Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson has been left in awe of news he’s seen at Tottenham Hotspur surrounding their deal to sign young midfielder Pape Matar Sarr during the summer window. 

The Lowdown: Spurs snap up Sarr…

During the last fortnight, Spurs managing director Fabio Paratici showed he was not done on the transfer front in north London as he snapped up both Sarr and defender Emerson Royal.

The former, who was also courted by the likes of Man City, Chelsea and Man United, eventually decided to try his hand at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with the Lilywhites paying a £15 million fee and sending him back out on loan to FC Metz.

Touted as a very promising player, Robinson has certainly been left impressed by this piece of Spurs business.

The Latest: Robinson reacts to Sarr deal…

Speaking to FI, the former England international has had his say on Sarr after doing some research.

Judging by his verdict, it’s safe to say supporters can start getting excited by the prospect of him battling his way into Tottenham’s future first team plans.

“I’ve done a bit of research on him,” Robinson explained to Football Insider.

“He’s been described as the future of Senegal. Idrissa Gueye is meant to have said he’s the best player to come out of Senegal for years.

“Wow, that’s really impressive because Gueye has had a lot of nice things said about him during his career.

“Tottenham weren’t the only club interested so they have done really well to get him at the price they have.“

The Verdict: Exciting times…

Amid the plethora of young stars coming through Tottenham’s academy, with the likes of Oliver Skipp, Nile John and Dane Scarlett all turning heads, it can’t hurt to add another into that mix.

Despite being just a teenager, Sarr started an impressive 18 matches for Metz last season whilst averaging two tackles per 90 in that time – more than a majority of senior Spurs players over 20/21 (WhoScored).

Taking this into account, it’s little wonder his signing has excited some figures in the media.

In other news: Report lifts lid on Tottenham player’s deadline day exit U-turn, find out more here.

Kris Srikkanth, India’s chairman of selectors, has said the IPL performances would be the “benchmark” for picking the squad for the World Twenty20, to be played in England in June

Cricinfo staff19-Mar-2009Kris Srikkanth, India’s chairman of selectors, has said the IPL performances would be the “benchmark” for picking the squad for the World Twenty20, to be played in England in June.Dhawal Kulkarni and Ravindra Jadeja made the step up to the national squad after being noticed in last year’s IPL. Yusuf Pathan, who scored 435 runs at a strike-rate of 179.01 for eventual champions Rajasthan Royals, was part of India’s team that won the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup.Srikkanth, who attended the limited-overs Deodhar Trophy matches, said domestic tournaments helped the selectors pick a pool of talent for the future. “We are watching the domestic matches closely,” Srikkanth said. “This [Deodhar Trophy] being the season-ender, it’s a very important tournament. We have a very good bench strength in batting. There’s good balance in bowling. The main idea is to watch more domestic matches and create a pool of youngsters.”The World Twenty20 will be played between June 5 and June 21. India’s opening game is against Bangladesh on June 6.

Speaking to Milan Posts, journalist Daniele Longo has shared news on reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Franck Kessie in a fresh blow to their aspirations of signing him.

The Lowdown: Spurs in Kessie chase…

The AC Milan star’s current deal expires in 2022, with the San Siro club frantically trying to agree terms on a new contract.

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It is believed that the midfield gem’s representative is holding out for a €7m (£6m) per year salary for his client if an agreement is to be reached, prompting both Spurs and Paris-Saint Germain to join the battle for his signature (TUTTOmercatoWEB).

Interested clubs could sign the Ivory Coast international on a free transfer next summer as it stands and are free to open negotiations in January.

The Latest: Journalist shares Kessie blow for Spurs…

Speaking to Milan Posts, Italian reporter Longo has shared news on Kessie in what is a fresh blow for Tottenham. According to the journalist, AC Milan’s star midfielder has ‘refused’ to join Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.

“I don’t know if Kessie will stay, after refusing Milan’s last offer (5M for the first 2 years, 5.5M for the third year, 6.5M for the fourth and the fifth). I think that the player would like to remain, but at his entourage’s conditions,” he explained.

Longo then added: “It’s a different situation from that of Donnarumma and Calhanoglu. What is certain is that Kessie refused #Tottenham, and that he’s listening to #PSG (I do not exclude that he could join Paris in January)”.

The Verdict: Disappointing development…

Lauded as ‘devastating’ by former Italy international Antonio Cassano (Bobo TV via Milan Live), this certainly comes as a disappointing development for Tottenham if true.

Signing Kessie on a free deal for next summer would be a masterstroke by any club, and one which would have certainly stood out as perhaps Fabio Paratici’s most head-turning move yet in north London.

Alas, judging by this update, Spurs may now have to start looking at other midfield targets to sign in 2022.

In other news: ‘Meetings with Tottenham’…Source close to ‘unstoppable’ player drops transfer reveal, find out more here.

Newcastle United have been handed a welcome injury boost ahead of their Premier League clash against Leeds United on Friday night.

What’s the story?

The Magpies have endured a hugely disappointing start to the new campaign, remaining winless in their opening few games and languishing inside the bottom three.

Steve Bruce has had to contend with injuries to some key players already, not least Callum Wilson, but he offered a huge boost on another former Bournemouth player.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Leeds, the manager said: “It’s too quick for Callum, too quick for Jonjo and too quick for Paul Dummett. Ryan Fraser has trained all week.”

Fraser could lift the mood

Since joining from the Cherries on a free transfer back in the summer of 2020, it’s fair to say Fraser hasn’t exactly set the world alight at St James’ Park.

The £9m-rated Scotland international has struggled for both form and fitness on Tyneside, making just 26 appearances to date and scoring only one goal for his current club.

What Fraser desperately needs now more than ever is to stay fit and get a run of games under his belt, starting tonight against Leeds. The Whites could actually be the perfect opposition for him to come into his own, with Marcelo Bielsa’s side usually involved in end-to-end games which rely on fast, direct players on either team to make the difference – the very reason why Fraser was brought to Tyneside.

In his real standout campaign with Bournemouth back in the 2018/19 season, Fraser racked up seven goals and a whopping 14 assists, proving that he can perform at this level when he’s fit and firing.

Tonight’s game at St James’ Park could be a great chance for him to show Newcastle fans what they thought they were getting when the Magpies signed him last year, and with Wilson already out injured, the return of one of the club’s other marquee additions from summer 2020 is a major boost.

His former Bournemouth teammate Eunan O’Kane said: “Ryan has got the world at his feet. He has taken him time to settle, but he has learnt a lot in the six months he has been here. For me he is a dream. I just give him the ball and stand behind him and let him do what he does. He is an outlet and can run with the ball and gives us a different option.”

Newcastle fans should be delighted at hearing a bit of positive news on the injury front, and Fraser could well lift the mood and be a game-changer tonight for the hitherto winless Magpies.

Meanwhile, Newcastle must drop this star against Leeds tonight…

Scotland’s new head of selectors, Ian Kennedy, has admitted that the future of captain Ryan Watson is likely to be determined this week, even if the allrounder remains in temporary charge for the initial part of the summer

Mark Woods27-Apr-2009Scotland’s new head of selectors, Ian Kennedy, has admitted that the future of captain Ryan Watson is likely to be determined this week, even if the allrounder remains in temporary charge for the initial part of the summer.Pete Steindl, the coach, is due to present his report on this month’s World Cup qualifiers to Cricket Scotland’s board, followed by a further intense review involving the selection panel, with both parties set to determine the lessons to be learnt from Scotland’s poor performance in South Africa, in which they failed to qualify for the 2011 World Cup, finishing in sixth place.It is likely that there will be swift moves to put long-term plans in place with an emphasis on qualifying for 2015, as well as optimising Scotland’s performance at the annual World Twenty20 competitions which, by default, have now become a central focus of the side’s calendar.Although Watson remained at the helm for Sunday’s opening Friends Provident Trophy encounter, against Middlesex at Lord’s, his position remains uncertain due to the form that saw him average just seven in South Africa. While there remains a commitment to allow the 32-year-old to play his way back into form – possibly via the Second XI Lions team – the topic of whether his captaincy should be prolonged will be high on this week’s agendas.”Ryan remains the captain and he was deemed to be one of our best players going to South Africa,” said Kennedy. “But his position is clearly under examination. There is a discussion to be had with him and Peter and then we’ll take it from there next Wednesday. Possibly, they will have to make the decision on whether he continues, if he stays up until the World Twenty 20 in June, or if he remains in the long term.”However one thing I’m keen to discuss is how we get future captains in place. There seems to be this trend that someone is captain for four or five years, then they go, and there’s no-one ready to take their place. We need to look at the Lions team, or some other mechanism, to see who has the potential to come in.”That he made just a single against Middlesex did not help Watson’s cause but even with injuries and county call-ups limiting Scotland’s pool, there is, Kennedy acknowledges, a case for experimentation in the initial three Friends Provident Trophy fixtures before the Twenty20 squad is finalised ahead of the May 5 deadline. “This season is quite pivotal to all the players. There’s a lot of cricket so those who under-performed over there will get a chance to redeem themselves. And those who didn’t get to go will have opportunities to claim a place. And it’s up to them to take it.”

A number of West Brom supporters have been praising Adam Reach’s performance in the 2-1 win over QPR, claiming he has proved them wrong.

The Baggies were in Championship action on Friday night, looking to put an end to three successive draws in the competition.

A disastrous start saw QPR take the lead through Andre Gray with just 43 seconds on the clock, but Valerien Ismael’s side produced a spirited comeback.

Karlan Grant equalised with the help of some poor goalkeeping by Seny Dieng in the second half, before the striker clinched all three points with a late strike.

Someone who played well for West Brom was Reach, who beforehand had failed to get going in a Baggies shirt and received some criticism from fans, having joined from Sheffield Wednesday in the summer.

West Brom fans react to Reach display

These West Brom fans took to Twitter to heap praise on the 28-year-old, following his improved showing.

“Reach was class today”

Credit: @Hayden_K_R

“Yeah 100%. Reach ain’t as bad as I first thought”

Credit: @WBADyl

“Reach is a handy player to have, good business by us. I don’t think he’s brilliant or even above average. But he does what’s required”

Credit: @LiamCooper_20

“I rate Adam Reach. Liked him at Sheffield Wednesday he can put a good ball in the box”

Credit: @JamesDu42894776

“I think Reach has done well overall. Poor at Preston but he wasn’t alone in that, but decent against Derby and again yesterday. Yes, Townsend probably regains the spot when the centre-backs are fit but Reach has done a handy job”

Credit: @SteveMadeley78

“Really smart play from Reach here. Pulls his marker inside, frees Townsend and gives him time to receive. Also giving Grant and Townsend a 2v1. Drifts into pocket of space between the lines. Good layoff first time. Acts as a blocker to give Grant more time to shoot”

Credit: @AnalyticsWba

In other news, one pundit has highlighted a key ‘problem’ that West Brom face currently. Read more here.

This summer’s Ashes series will be one of the last in which the umpire’s decision is final, after the ICC confirmed that its controversial Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) is set to be introduced permanently into the game

Cricinfo staff12-May-2009This summer’s Ashes series will be one of the last in which the umpire’s decision is final, after the ICC confirmed that its controversial Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) is set to be introduced permanently into the game on the basis of a “phased roll-out” from October 2009.The ICC chief executive, Haroon Lorgat, confirmed the plans at a press conference at Lord’s, following a two-day meeting in which the results of nine months’ worth of trials were assessed by the ICC’s cricket committee.A final decision on whether the new system will become a permanent feature of Test cricket will be taken by the ICC’s chief executives committee and their main board, whose next meetings are due to take place during their annual conference at Lord’s from June 22-26.”I’m excited that the committee concluded the umpire decision review system had a positive effect on the game,” said Lorgat. “It reduced the number of incorrect decisions and also cut down on instances of player dissent.”We will seek [provided the ICC chief executives and board agree] to roll out the system from October 2009. The time ahead of that date will allow us to firm up the playing conditions, technical specifications and protocols, ensure additional training for match officials and further brief the players so that the process can be successfully implemented.”Though designed to reduce controversy, the new system – which gives players the opportunity to request a review by the third umpire of a decision made by the on-field umpire they believed was wrong – has so far muddied the waters in several instances, not least during the Jamaica Test between England and West Indies in February.”The protocols were clear, maybe the application was not so good,” said Lorgat. “It’s the really bad errors we want to eliminate. We had a fair amount of feedback from players and most of it was positive. They accept the fundamental thing that we want to get decisions right.”The cricket committee, chaired by the former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd, said it believed the new system, for all its faults, would reduce instances of bad decisions.The committee also looked into the possibility of playing day/night Test cricket, and staging a trial five-day game under lights in 2010. But first they said more research was needed on finding a suitable ball, with the standard red one unsuitable for floodlit cricket, while Lloyd pointed out the effect of early evening dew would also have to be considered. Trials with light green and pink balls are currently taking place.The committee also said there was no need to alter the present format of 50-overs international cricket, amid concerns the format was becoming jaded in the Twenty20 era, and that there was not a need to impose weight restrictions on batsIt also said it had no problems with double-sided bats and confirmed that the switch-hit, as pioneered by Kevin Pietersen, should remain legal.The committee also called for stricter enforcement of rules on over-rates, and the doubling of fines for slow play, so as to cut down time-wasting by both batting and bowling sides. Lorgat said it was vital Test match over-rates were maintained or improved so the five-day game could continue to “engage” with spectators.

This has been a sluggish start to life at Celtic for the Hoops’ new manager Ange Postecoglou.

The Australian knew things weren’t going to be easy at Parkhead. After all, the size of the rebuild required in Glasgow is colossal.

On the chalkboard

Despite the pure amount of work that needs to be done in order for Celtic to regain their status quo of being Scottish champions, this has been a very poor start to the campaign.

In fact, it’s the worst start to a season that the Bhoys have had in the last 23 years.

Performances are only getting worse and the swashbuckling, exciting attacking football that Postecoglou engrained in the early weeks of the campaign has disappeared.

He is struggling with an injury to Kyogo Furuhashi and Callum McGregor’s absence in the middle of the park has also been huge.

One of the biggest reasons for the club’s downfall in recent weeks has been the balance of the midfield.

David Turnbull’s performances have been questionable with just one goal in his last nine outings since a hat-trick against St Mirren.

Ismaila Soro and James McCarthy have also been poor this term but Tom Rogic isn’t delivering either.

The Australian looked like a player reborn after Postecoglou’s arrival on the scene, being described as “majestic” by the cast of ACSOM. Sadly, his displays have been abject in the last few weeks.

He’s contributed just a solitary goal in his last 11 matches and is struggling next to Turnbull in the middle of the park.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-celtic-news-duffy-mccarthy-brady-knockaert” title= “Read the latest Celtic news!”]

Their pairing simply hasn’t worked but after the Hoops sold Ryan Christie and got rid of Olivier Ntcham this summer, they are lacking options in a central area.

Rogic seems to be getting worse and that was typified by a laboured showing against Dundee United last weekend.

Celtic drew 1-1 and the Aussie midfielder failed to provide them with much penetration or impetus.

He did produce four key passes for his teammates but ultimately, it was a troubled day at the office where he was too slow in possession and surrendered the ball on a regular basis.

During the course of the stalemate, the £16k-per-week earner lost the ball on 21 occasions. That happened to be the second-worst tally of any Celtic player on the pitch.

When the Hoops take on Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League on Thursday, Postecoglou will need a far more reliable midfield pairing.

He cannot afford to play Turnbull and Rogic in the same team against the Bundesliga side; it sounds like a recipe for disaster.

The former is still capable of producing magical moments so it’s the latter that should be axed instead.

AND in other news, Forget Rogic: Postecoglou must unleash Celtic’s “first-class” rarely-seen 19 y/o…

A round-up of the semi-finals of the RBS Twenty20 Cup

Cricinfo staff28-May-2009
Scorecard
After a low-scoring game swung from one side to the other, it was Kamran Akmal’s cool cameo and Lahore Lions’ depth in batting that steered them to the final. Needing 24 off the final two overs with three wickets in hand, Lahore had Akmal and Sohail Ahmed (List A average of 37.52) at the crease. The match was virtually decided in the penultimate over, bowled by Afaq Raheem, as Akmal slammed two consecutive sixes over midwicket, and Sohail chipped in with a boundary in the same region to take 19 runs off it.It had been a superb spell from Raheem till that over, having taken the big wickets of Abdul Razzaq and Salman Butt and giving away only six runs in his two previous overs. It had led Islamabad Leopards’ fightback after Imran Farhat and Butt (25) overcame a top-order collapse to take Lahore to a strong 80 for 3 in 13 overs.Islamabad had suffered a top-order wobble of their own earlier – slumping to 33 for 4 in the seventh over – and needed some big hits from the lower-middle order to set a competitive target. The cornerstone of their total was the 55-run seventh-wicket association between wicketkeeper Naeem Anjum and Imad Wasim (24*) which lifted them from 62 for 6.Akmal’s efforts, though, made sure Lahore didn’t suffer a repeat of last year’s fate, when they bowed out to Sialkot Stallions in the semi-finals.
Scorecard
Sialkot Stallions continued to show the form of champions, marching into the finals after overpowering Lahore Eagles at the Gadaffi Stadium. Imran Nazir had Lahore regretting their decision to field by lashing 16 runs off the first over, bowled by Usman Malik. Another six and four followed in the next over before he holed out to long-on for a 10-ball 26. There was no respite for Lahore though as Tahir Mughal carted Mohammad Khalil for three leg-side sixes in a row before rounding off the third over with a boundary to third man. Sialkot were 51 for 1 after three.The dismissal of Mughal for a 11-ball 30 in the fifth over slowed the Sialkot run-rate, and they coasted along to 133 for 4 in 15. Captain Shoaib Malik then cut loose, smashing 23 off his next nine deliveries before falling for a 27-ball 45. Sialkot lost a slew of wickets towards the end to be bowled out for 181, short of the 200 that looked in sight at one stage but still a formidable target for Lahore.The chase never got on track. In contrast to Sialkot’s rocket-fuelled start, Lahore were out of the game by the end of the Powerplays, losing six wickets. A couple of run-outs and two wickets each for the new-ball bowlers, Kashif Daud and Naved Arif, left Lahore in ruins. No. 9 Fahal Mahmood top scored with 36, but all it did was bring some respectability to the margin of defeat.

West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone is attracting a significant amount of interest ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that sources have revealed that Tottenham Hotspur sent scouts to watch the 28-year-old in action for West Brom against Preston North End earlier this month.

The report continues to state that Spurs are compiling a dossier on the England international ahead of a potential move for the shot-stopper, as the Premier League side are beginning to up their search to replace Hugo Lloris, who is out of contract at the end of the season.

Ismael will be gutted

Considering just how important a part of Valerien Ismael’s side Johnstone is, in addition to the fact that Albion are currently attempting to convince the goalkeeper to extend his stay at The Hawthorns beyond the end of his current deal – which expires next summer – the news of Tottenham’s interest is sure to have left the Frenchman gutted.

Indeed, while the £7.2m-rated man has not exactly been in the best form of his career over his nine Championship appearances so far this season, the ‘keeper has nevertheless been a steady hand between the Baggies sticks, keeping four clean sheets, as well as conceding just 0.7 goals and making 1.3 saves per game.

These returns have seen the ‘keeper who Ismael claimed is “committed” to the West Brom cause earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.80, ranking him as the club’s joint 12th-best performer in the second tier this term.

As such, losing the £28k-per-week goalkeeper, either in January or next summer, would undoubtedly come as a major blow to Valerien Ismael and his side, as Johnstone clearly has the ability to play a huge role in Albion’s promotion push this season, as well as helping them retain their place in the Premier League next season – should the club indeed go on to secure a return to the top flight in the current campaign.

In other news: Ismael may be set for disaster over “powerful” West Brom beast, fans would be fuming