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An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s search for a director of football to work with Eddie Howe at St James’ Park.

What’s the talk?

The Athletic reporter George Caulkin has revealed that the Magpies have hired Nick Hammond as a recruitment consultant to help them get through the January transfer window. The journalist also claimed that the board have hired a company to come in and find a director of football to sculpt the club moving forward.

He tweeted: “As reported elsewhere, #NUFC have taken on a third-party recruitment company to handle Sporting Director / DoF search (the board did manager hunt). It’s the model they’re committed to, though. ‘We need someone to build the club,’ a senior source says.”

Fans will be delighted

Newcastle fans will surely be delighted with this news as it shows that the board have taken it upon themselves to go out and find experts to conduct the search, rather than doing it without any prior experience or knowledge of finding a sporting director. This could duly increase the chances of the appointment being a success as they are expanding their search beyond their own personal means.

Supporters could also be buzzing with the first part of this update as the appointment of Hammond means that they will not be left in the lurch for the January transfer window. Whilst a permanent director of football/sporting director will not be in place, they have at least brought in Hammond to assist Howe in order to ensure that they do not fail in the market.

The Magpies are in dire need of a few new signings to bolster their squad, as their start to the season has been abysmal. After 17 Premier League matches, Newcastle are 19th in the table and have only won one game, whilst conceding the most goals of any team in the division, and they are on their way to being relegated unless their form turns around.

This also illustrates why Caulkin’s claim that they want someone to ‘build the club’ could leave fans delighted. Their current situation shows that they are in a desperate position in terms of their problems on the pitch and a new director of football will need to make drastic changes in order to turn things around, which appears to be the route Newcastle are heading towards with this update.

AND in other news, Forget Shelvey: NUFC giant with 100% duels won was Howe’s shining light on Thursday…

Warwickshire overcame a defiant innings by Leicestershire prospect James Taylor to register their second win in the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition at Edgbaston

02-May-2010
ScorecardWarwickshire overcame a defiant innings by Leicestershire prospect James Taylor to register their second win in the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition at Edgbaston.After piling up 321 for 7, the Bears had restricted the Foxes to 235 for 7 when the umpires took the players off in the 35th over because of bad light. The conditions failed to improve and, with Taylor stranded on 92 after facing 77 balls, Warwickshire secured a 41-run victory under the Duckworth/Lewis method.Earlier, they topped and tailed their highest 40-over total – comfortably beating 301 for 6 against Essex at Colchester in 1982 – with high-octane batting performances by their new-ball bowlers.Pinch-hitter Neil Carter launched the innings with 68 from 38 balls in a partnership of 96 in 14 overs with Jonathan Trott (33) and Chris Woakes closed the innings with an unbeaten 49 from only 16 deliveries.After the early mauling by Carter, who pulled sixes off Nathan Buck and Andrew McDonald, Leicestershire continued to suffer as Ian Bell, less explosive but more stylish, made 72 from 58 balls. This included six fours and a sweep for six off Claude Henderson.It seemed the worst was over for a beleaguered bowling side when Warwickshire lost five wickets for 62 in reaching 234 for 7 by the 35th over, but Woakes and Tim Ambrose (31 not out) added 77 from the last 35 balls.Woakes targeted the shortest boundary with great success. Two of his four sixes went into the building site, where the new pavilion is under construction, and another landed out of the ground on Edgbaston Road. The young all-rounder also hit four fours in a remarkable innings largely compiled to the discomfort of three bowlers. Buck and Australian all-rounder McDonald conceded 135 runs between them and Wayne White’s eight overs cost 86.White’s afternoon went downhill after he knocked out Carter’s middle sump with his second ball and Buck later paid a price for his two wickets. Trott was well held by Taylor at deep square leg and Rikki Clarke was bowled, middle and leg, for 23.Only the older hands came out of the battering with reasonable figures. Matthew Hoggard tempted Darren Maddy into chasing a ball outside off stump and Bell and Jim Troughton were both dismissed reverse sweeping Henderson’s left-arm spin.Carter and Woakes were soon back on centre stage, dismissing Leicestershire’s openers, Will Jefferson and Jacques Du Toit, in the first 10 overs. Paul Nixon took up he challenge with 40 from 33 balls. The left-hander shovelled three sixes over the leg-side boundary before top edging to Bell at mid-wicket in Imran Tahir’s second over. The talented Taylor helped Nixon put on 73 in 10 overs and went on to hit three sixes and six fours, but Tahir kept Warwickshire on course with 3 for 47.

Crystal Palace midfielder Conor Gallagher appears set to be absent for the second game running ahead of the Eagles’ clash against West Ham United on New Year’s Day, having missed Tuesday’s 3-0 triumph over Norwich City.

What’s the story?

The 21-year-old Chelsea loanee was absent against Norwich, the first Premier League match he had missed since the opening day when he was ineligible to play against his parent club.

Assistant manager Osian Roberts was unable to confirm the reason for Gallagher missing out against the Canaries, with the assumption that it was down to illness.

Ahead of their London derby against West Ham this evening, Roberts providing the latest on the youngster, stating: “It’s still one we’re unsure of and we’re taking on a day to day basis.”

Palace fans will be sweating

Gallagher has arguably been Palace’s best player so far this season, netting six goals and registering three assists in 17 Premier League appearances thus far, a fruitful first half of his loan spell in south London.

The 21-year-old has already tripled his goal tally from last season, when he managed two goals on loan at West Bromwich Albion as the Baggies suffered an instant return to the Championship.

Palace fans will be desperate to have the midfielder back as soon as possible given his prolific form, and the longer it goes that a definitive answer on the reason for his absence cannot be provided, the more the Selhurst Park faithful will worry.

Gallagher scored his first two goals for Palace in the reverse fixture earlier this season at the London Stadium in a 2-2 draw, and a similar result at Selhurst Park against David Moyes’ European-chasing charges wouldn’t be frowned upon by Palace fans with the Eagles a point away from the top half, with 10th place occupied by their bitter rivals Brighton.

In other news: “Unbelievable” £30k-p/w beast is already solving Vieira’s big CPFC conundrum

Leeds United have been boosted in their attempts to sign Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie, with journalist Pete O’Rourke claiming a January move could happen.

The Lowdown: Leeds keen on signing McKennie

The Whites are searching for a new midfielder in the January transfer window, with Kalvin Phillips out injured for the foreseeable future and reports suggesting Victor Orta is seeking two additions – a number six and a number eight.

One player who Leeds have been linked with signing is McKennie, with the American not always a regular for Juventus this season, starting 11 out of 20 Serie A matches.

It appears as though Marcelo Bielsa could be pushing for the £22.5million-rated midfielder’s signature, with a fresh update emerging on the situation.

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The Latest: Journalist provides update

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke claimed a January move for McKennie isn’t out of the question:

“I think McKennie could be a target, whether you could get them away from Juventus to join a relegation battle will be another issue, but Juventus are open to letting McKennie go, so that maybe gives Leeds a bit of hope in that one.”

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The Verdict: Much-needed addition

The 23-year-old is exactly the kind of player Leeds could do with signing this month, with his profile ideal for what Bielsa is looking for.

His age makes him a long-term acquisition but he already possesses plenty of experience, scoring eight goals in 28 caps for the USA and making 65 appearances for Juve after racking up 91 games for Schalke.

According to the official Bundesliga site, the youngster is capable of playing pretty much anywhere in midfield and even in defence, making him the ideal signing in Orta’s search to add depth to the squad – he has played eight different positions in his career.

His former manager in Germany, David Wagner, hailed him as a ‘leader’, which is surely the type of personality Bielsa would want in a relegation dogfight.

McKennie was won an average of 1.6 aerial duels per game in the league this season, not to mention 1.1 tackles and dribbles apiece, highlighting his all-round expertise in the middle of the park.

In other news, Leeds have also been linked with another signing. Find out who it is here.

Lachlan Stevens has beaten a strong field to become Mickey Arthur’s new assistant coach at Western Australia

Cricinfo staff27-May-2010Lachlan Stevens has beaten a strong field to become Mickey Arthur’s new assistant coach at Western Australia. Stevens, who spent several years as a fringe batsman with South Australia and Queensland, was favoured over big names believed to include Jason Gillespie, Allan Donald and Carl Hooper.Despite his relative youth at 31, Stevens has plenty of coaching experience, having taken on the role of high performance coordinator at the Centre of Excellence in 2004. For the past two seasons, he has been assistant to the Queensland coach Trevor Barsby, and his past roles also included a stint as career and education manager with Queensland Rugby Union.”I am excited by the challenge to work with the players of the Retravision Warriors and look forward to helping them to fulfil their potential in the coming seasons,” Stevens said. “I also saw this as a fantastic opportunity to work with Mickey Arthur and learn from one of the leading coaches in world cricket.”Western Australia identified Stevens as a “hands-on” coach who would complement Arthur as he tries to lift the Warriors, who haven’t won any silverware since the 2003-04 one-day trophy. Arthur was confident Stevens would be a good fit with Western Australia.”Lachlan is a very hard worker,” Arthur said. “When you are preparing players to be the very best they can be, it is vital that the coaches set the standard in terms of the level of application required to succeed at interstate level.”

Andrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott produced the highest partnership in England’s one-day history as England crushed Bangladesh by 144 runs

The Bulletin by Andrew Miller at Edgbaston12-Jul-2010England 347 for 6 (Strauss 154, Trott 110) beat Bangladesh 203 (Mahmudullah 42, Bopara 4-38) by 147 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAndrew Strauss was inventive and expansive as he set the tone for England’s crushing win•Getty ImagesAndrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott produced the highest partnership in England’s one-day history, surpassing the 226 that Strauss and Andrew Flintoff recorded against West Indies at Lord’s in 2004, as England crushed Bangladesh by 144 runs to atone for their historic defeat in Saturday’s second ODI at Bristol, and secure a record-equalling fourth consecutive series win.Strauss and Trott’s second-wicket stand of 250 was complemented by a late onslaught from Ravi Bopara, who slammed 45 not out from 16 balls, and Bangladesh never came close to challenging a formidable target of 348. Their key man, Tamim Iqbal, skied an Ajmal Shahzad slower ball to mid-on in the third over, and Shahzad followed up by blasting Imrul Kayes from the crease with a fearsome gloved lifter. A pair of miscues and a comical run-out left Bangladesh floundering on 86 for 5 in the 19th over, whereupon Bopara put the seal on a spirited return to the side with 4 for 39 in 10 skiddy overs.It was not an entirely flawless performance from England: the loss of six wickets for 46 between overs 41 and 47 once again raised concerns about the solidity of the middle order, with Luke Wright’s directionless summer continuing as he flailed his way to a first-ball duck after being pushed up the order for a late slog. And the closing stages of the match meandered mercilessly, with Mahmudullah and Abdur Razzak adding 56 in 15.3 overs to haul the total up towards 200. But seeing as Strauss and Trott had already put the contest beyond doubt with the 11th highest one-day stand of all time, there was not a whole lot to quibble about.England’s second-wicket pairing left nothing to chance as they batted in tandem for exactly 40 overs of the innings. Strauss was the star performer with 154 from 140 balls, his fourth and highest ODI hundred but his first since the tour of the Caribbean in March 2009, while Trott put to one side the bitter memory of his last-over dismissal to Shafiul Islam at Bristol to improve on his career-best for the second match in succession. He made 110 from 121 balls before wellying the disciplined Mashrafe Mortaza to midwicket. Mortaza’s final figures of 10-2-31-3 were outstanding, but he was the only Bangladeshi to keep a lid on England’s aggression.For that, the credit belonged to Strauss, who once again belied his self-appointed reputation as a “stodgy” opener, to blister along at a tempo rarely witnessed in England’s one-day history. In all he struck 16 fours and five sixes, each of them deposited up and over the leg-side boundary, as he took personal responsibility for Saturday’s setback to put England’s one-day revival back on track.It was a commanding performance against a Bangladesh team that was unable to raise its game for a second match in succession, but England still had to earn their right to the ascendancy. They lost the toss after a 45-minute rain delay, and were sent into bat in overcast conditions, and when Craig Kieswetter was bowled through the gate in Mortaza’s first over for a second-ball duck, the prospect of further embarrassment could not be ruled out.Strauss and Trott, however, responded to the setback with an initial volley of boundaries – including a brace of fours as Shafiul Islam strayed onto Trott’s pads, and an agenda-setting six from Strauss as Mashrafe dropped short – before settling back into a holding pattern to ease the score along to 45 for 1 at the end of the 10-over Powerplay. Shafiul, whose crucial final wicket had sealed the Bristol victory, this time conceded a record 97 runs in nine overs. Strauss dismantled his line and length early on, before Bopara crushed him in a final over that cost 28.Mashrafe did his best to keep England on a tight leash in an unchanged eight-over spell that yielded just 17 runs, but at the halfway mark of the innings, England were sitting pretty on 117 for 1, and perfectly placed to increase the tempo. Strauss nudged Shakib for a single to reach his hundred from 106 deliveries, before cutting loose with a bold array of improvisatory strokes, including a variation on Eoin Morgan’s ambidextrous “paddywhack”, and a bona fide right-hander’s nurdle to third man (or rather, fine leg). He needed just 29 more deliveries to rush to his second score of 150 in ODIs – the other also came against Bangladesh, at Trent Bridge in 2005.Trott maintained a more measured approach, as is his wont, picking off his runs with clips, drives and pulls as he capitalised on the absence of Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell, and built on his double-hundred in the Lord’s Test back in May with another unflappable performance. In his five home appearances since August 2009, Trott has now amassed an Ashes-winning century, a Test double-century, a maiden ODI hundred and a 94 to boot. It’s food for thought for those who continue to question his bottle.

Celtic have been dealt a huge blow in their bid to bring Riley McGree to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Anthony Joseph, with the Sky Sports journalist revealing in a post on Twitter that, despite earlier reports suggesting that the 23-year-old’s switch from Charlotte FC to Celtic was all but a done deal, talks between the midfielder and Ange Postecoglou’s side have now broken down over personal terms.

Joseph went on to state that the Bhoys and the MLS side had agreed a £2.5m deal for the transfer of the Australia international, however, with the player being yet to put pen to paper on a contract at Parkhead, Championship side Middlesbrough now believe they are still in with a chance of landing McGree this month.

In his post, the journalist said: “Talks between Celtic and Charlotte FC’s Riley McGree have stalled at this stage. The clubs agreed an initial fee of £2.5m. Discussions have broken down over personal terms & the player has not signed any deal yet. Middlesbrough believe they are still in the race.”

Postecoglou will be fuming

Considering just how impressive McGree has been while on loan at Birmingham City this season, in addition to the fact that Postecoglou appears extremely keen to secure a deal for the midfielder this month – with the 56-year-old personally involving himself in negotiations with the player – the news that talks have broken down with the 23-year-old is sure to have left the Bhoys boss fuming.

Indeed, over his 13 Championship appearances this term, the £540k-rated man bagged two goals, registered two assists and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.8 shots and making 1.4 key passes per game.

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The £5.7k-per-week player also impressed in metrics more typical of his central midfield position, making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 1.2 tackles, 22 passes and winning 4.8 duels per league fixture, with these returns seeing McGree average a SofaScore match rating of 7.02 – ranking him as Birmingham’s sixth-best player in the second tier.

As such, it is clear to see that McGree would make a fantastic addition to Postecoglou’s current options in the middle of the park.

However, following Joseph’s latest update, it would seem as if a deal for the 23-year-old is far from done just yet – something that will undoubtedly come as a huge blow to the Greek-Australian manager.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Maeda: Celtic must swoop for 54-goal dynamo who can “sprint like Mbappe”…

Usman Khawaja found some form ahead of his maiden Test tour as Australia A earned a six-run lead over Sri Lanka A on the first day in Townsville

Cricinfo staff25-Jun-2010Australia A 1 for 84 (Khawaja 47*) lead Sri Lanka A 78 (Nawela 27, George 4-13) by 6 runs
ScorecardPeter George caused more problems for Sri Lanka A while taking 4 for 13•Getty ImagesUsman Khawaja found some form ahead of his maiden Test tour as Australia A earned a six-run lead over Sri Lanka A on the first day in Townsville. Khawaja, who was picked in the national squad on Tuesday, finished unbeaten on 47 in an impressive display after the visitors were knocked over before tea for 78.Peter George, the South Australia fast man, was again the main problem for Sri Lanka A, who were unable to get going in the second four-day match of the tour. George collected five wickets to help wrap up the first game in Brisbane and backed up with 4 for 13 off 9.3 overs.Sri Lanka were 3 for 28 after George’s opening breakthroughs and Ben Hilfenhaus, who is going to England with Khawaja on Friday, then chipped in with the wicket of the captain Kaushal Silva for 6. Andrew McDonald (3 for 17) and James Pattinson (2 for 17) then stepped in to cause more damage before George returned to finish off the innings.The hosts suffered an early setback when Michael Klinger was undone by Nuwan Pradeep in the third over, but Khawaja and Ed Cowan guided them safely to stumps. Cowan was not out on 34 as they reached the comfort of 1 for 84.

Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing exciting Fulham youngster Fabio Carvalho, but they are not alone in being linked with a move for the starlet.

The Lowdown: Carvalho shining for Fulham

The 19-year-old has been a key player for a Cottagers side currently leading the way in the Championship this season, scoring eight goals and registering two assists in 14 league starts. He has also represented England at various youth levels, including six caps for the country’s under-18 side.

The attacking midfielder’s performances have caught the eye of a number of clubs, and according to a fresh report, Leeds are among the suitors.

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The Latest: Leeds linked with Carvalho move

According to The Daily Mail, the Whites see Carvalho as an exciting option to bring in during the January transfer window, with a move to the Premier League this month potentially ‘too tempting to turn down’. Indeed, the 19-year-old rejected the offer of a new contract at Craven Cottage in November.

Liverpool and West Ham are also credited with taking an interest in the Fulham starlet, so it may not be easy for Whites to get a deal over the line if they are battling with two of the top flight’s current top five.

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The Verdict: Hugely exciting prospect

It is crucial that Marcelo Bielsa plans for both the present and the future, ensuring Leeds that continue to grow after he has left the club, and Carvalho could be a great prospective signing in that respect.

He possesses huge long-term potential, already a standout performer for a team who have scored a ridiculous 73 goals in just 27 league matches this season, and he has been hailed as ‘fantastic’ by his current manager Marco Silva.

The lure of Liverpool in particular could act as a stumbling block for Leeds, but a greater prospect of first-team action at Elland Road – where young talents like Charlie Cresswell, Cody Drameh and Joe Gelhardt have all earned Premier League starts this season – could possibly give the Whites an edge.

In other news, Leeds have been linked with a move for another talented attacking player. Find out who it is here.

A round-up of the third round of games from the European Under-19 Championship

Cricinfo staff26-Jul-2010
ScorecardThe Netherlands seamers reduced Scotland to 23 for 5•ICC/Cricket EuropeRecords broke at Downpatrick as Ireland steamrolled Denmark by 323 runs, setting a European record for the highest margin of victory. Jason van der Merwe and Adam Berry smashed centuries in a record stand of 263 for the second wicket to set Ireland to a massive 429. van der Merwe scored a brutal 164 from 115 balls with 13 fours and seven sixes, while Berry smashed an equally destructive 133 from just 90 balls with seven fours and six sixes. Basit Raja, the right-arm seamer, took five wickets amidst the carnage. A demoralized Denmark could barely mount a challenge as they folded for 106 within 40 overs. Raja Javed scored 40 from 55 balls. All the Irish bowlers were impressive, with Graeme McCarter (3-11), George Dockrell (3-14) and Barry McCarthy (3-38) the main wicket takers.
ScorecardIt was another mismatch, at Holywood, as Jersey maintained their 100% record in the tournament by totally outplaying Guernsey.Jersey chose to bat and their openers Daniel McAviney and William Falle put on 60 runs before the latter was bowled for 31. McAviney was joined by Ben Stevens in a brisk partnership of 56. When Stevens was bowled by Ben Fitchet for 25, with the score on 144, McAviney then took control of the remainder of the Jersey innings, and reached his century, which included just six boundaries. Joshua Kirk was the most effective among the bowlers with three late wickets for 28 runs.James Faudemer and Aiden McGuire cut through the Guernsey batting line-up, claiming four wickets each. The last five wickets fell for just ten runs as the Guernsey innings folded up in the 31st over.
ScorecardThe seam bowlers from both sides dominated a low-scorer at Lisburne as Scotland managed to beat Netherlands despite being bowled out for 144 under grey skies. Scotland were at one stage reeling at 23 for 5, with Sebastian Braat bowling beautifully to pick up three wickets. The lower order came to the rescue, with the last five wickets putting on 121. Scott McElnea top-scored with 27 from 34 balls while Sam Page and Peter Legget also made valuable contributions. When Scotland came on to bowl they were just as potent as their counterparts, reducing the top order to 12 for 4. They collapsed further, losing four wickets for one run, subsiding from 45 for 4 to 46 for 8. That ninth-wicket pair more than doubled the Dutch tally from 46 to 96. Paddy Sadler was the leading wicket-taker with 3 for 16.