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ECB Reporters Network03-Jul-2016
ScorecardKagiso Rabada’s bowling livened up the final session•Getty ImagesAlastair Cook fell to the last ball of the day at Chelmsford sun after an intriguing duel in the sun with the South African paceman Kagiso Rabada.The England captain had reached 49 off 93 balls when a yorker by Rabada off the fifth ball of the last over trapped him lbwIt was a disappointing end to a day in which Essex had been in full control of the top of Division Two clash from the start.It had not been plain sailing before that, either. Rabada had Cook nervously dancing around in his crease at the start in the face of some serious pace and the awkward bounce that had helped the Essex bowlers so much earlier in the day.This was Rabada’s first red-ball outing since he took 13 wickets against England at Centurion in the fourth Test. The England captain was not one of his victims then, but he had been out twice to him in the second Test.Cook and Nick Browne saw off Rabada’s fierce opening spell, even if they had only reached 20 off 11 overs. Rabada rested after six overs, which had gone for just nine runs, before returning near the close after a 10-over break.Cook freed up with Rabada out of the attack, caressing the first four of his innings through the covers off Mitch Claydon. He repeated the punishment a couple of overs later as Claydon went for three fours through the off-side, one square, another through 45 degrees and the third through the covers.Browne was the first to go, getting to the ball late and spooning Rabada to Sam Northeast at mid-on for an 84-ball 33.Essex had taken advantage of a contested toss and put Kent in on a green wicket, and one on which there was swing through most of the first two sessions and some erratic bounce.Only Alex Blake, with an unbeaten 89, his highest Championship score of the season, showed much resistance to the Essex seamers. Led by Jamie Porter’s 3 for 51, Essex had reduced Kent to 48 for 4 when Blake arrived at the wicket mid-morning.His stay of 116 balls included 13 fours and he dominated a seventh-wicket stand of 56 with Callum Jackson that helped Kent post a larger total than looked likely at one stage.Kent’s wickets fell evenly between the morning and afternoon sessions with the visitors going to lunch at 88 for 5.Fabian Cowdrey was first to go when Graham Napier sent his leg-stump cartwheeling with an inswinger. Joe Denly and Sean Dickson survived some close calls before they departed within four balls, both to catches behind by James Foster off Ravi Bopara and Porter respectively.Kent captain Northeast became Foster’s third victim soon after when he wafted outside off stump to Matt Quinn and Darren Stevens was trapped lbw by Bopara.Adam Ball went soon after lunch, but not before he had been dropped at third slip by Nick Browne and had a visit by the physio to treat a hand injury. That was clearly on his mind as he tried to fend off a lifter from Porter and the ball spiralled to Jaik Mickleburgh at gully.That brought together Blake and Jackson to steady the innings. Blake reached his half-century off 72 balls with his 10th four.Jackson, making his Championship debut in the absence of Sam Billings, who is on England duty, was happy to play the junior role. He was eventually out for 19 when he tried to push Ryan ten Doeschate through the covers, missed and was trapped lbw.The last three wickets added another 50 runs to take Kent past the 200 mark. James Tredwell lost his middle-stump to become Porter’s third wicket, Rabada was bowled by Dan Lawrence and Claydon dollied one up to Mickleburgh in the gully off Napier.

Arsenal are back in Premier League action later today, however, this game holds far less weight given their deflating loss last time out. Having drawn three games in a row beforehand, Manchester City put what seemingly is the final nail in the coffin to all but end the Gunners' title pursuit. They are by no means out of it, but Pep Guardiola very rarely loses it from these kinds of positions.

That being said, it remains a wholly positive campaign for Mikel Arteta and his young squad, who have defied all expectations to challenge for as long as they have done.

The goal will remain much the same with just five games remaining: try and win every single one.

With Chelsea next on their hit list, their Spanish boss will see this as a fine opportunity to take advantage of the Blues' poor form whilst lifting themselves out of their lull.

Since returning to the dugout as caretaker, Frank Lampard has lost every single game, scoring just once. It has been far from the romantic return their former midfielder envisioned, as for all the talent on display they just cannot seem to function as a team. Going forward, as outlined in their lack of goals, is clearly where their main issues lie.

By unleashing Kieran Tierney for tonight's clash, Arteta could not only offer a solid defensive presence but encourage the Scotsman to bomb down his flank whilst Oleksandr Zinchenko occupies a more advanced central midfield role.

This could be the game where the Gunners pile on the embarrassment, and truly put the 44-year-old to the sword.

Will Kieran Tierney play vs Chelsea?

Despite having been used sparingly throughout this campaign, the 25-year-old did start relatively recently in their draw with West Ham United.

The £110k-per-week defender has endured another tough year in north London for fitness, as it seems since that move from Celtic his body has continued to fail him.

That last season in Scotland did merit five assists in just 20 league games though, suggesting that the attacking impetus lays dormant just waiting to be reignited. Also, when compared to other full-backs across Europe, the warrior ranks in the top 9% for total shots and the top 12% for both progressive carries and passes, via FBref.

A wholly positive influence with a stellar defensive work rate, Arteta even once suggested that he works "like a beast" when injured to return to fitness.

Such positivity down that left flank could help add a new dimension of attacking flair, with a more direct play style than many within the squad. This, in turn, could bamboozle Lampard, who still seems unsure of what his best lineup is and which formation might suit.

Also, in the five games these two tacticians have squared off in, the Englishman has only mustered one win. Therefore, the return of Tierney could well administer more embarrassment against Arteta.

With the former Everton boss floundering in this fresh role and Arsenal seeking to take out the anger of recent failures on someone, it seems a perfect storm has formed.

Journalist Chris Wheatley has revealed that Arsenal believe Declan Rice is keen to join amid his friendship with Bukayo Saka.

What are the latest Declan Rice and Arsenal rumours?

While the Gunners will primarily be focused on fighting for the Premier League title in the remaining weeks of the season, moves will no doubt be being made behind the scenes ahead of what could be a busy summer market.

Indeed, with Champions League football almost certain to be played at the Emirates Stadium next term, Mikel Arteta will be looking to upgrade some aspects of his squad.

One player to have been linked strongly in the media in recent times has been West Ham United captain Rice. After all, the player has even gone on the record about wanting to play European football soon.

And while talking about the player on The Chris Wheatley Show, the host claimed that there could be another reason the Englishman wants to move to north London too.

The insider explained (18:57): “I think Rice is certainly the one who is likely to come in the summer.

"We know that he'd be very keen on making the move. He's got players and friends in the Arsenal team.

"Very close with Jack Wilshere, of course, who's the Arsenal under 18s coach. He's very close with Bukayo Saka as well in the England setup.

"So yep, to answer in short, Arsenal do like [Moises] Caicedo, they want to sign two central midfielders in the summer. But Declan Rice is the one that they really want. And there is an increasingly strong feeling that he wants to come as well.”

Who does Rice know at Arsenal?

It will no doubt excite fans to learn that the Gunners are supposedly keen on landing multiple midfielders this summer with Wheatley name-dropping Brighton ace Moises Caicedo too.

For now, though, it seems as though £60k-p/w Rice is the biggest priority. Of course, he knows Wilshere from when the two played at West Ham together.

The current Arsenal youth coach has even urged a transfer, telling PA (via Daily Mail): "He's a midfielder who can do anything. Anyone who supports any club would want Dec to join.

"If I'm talking from a selfish point of view, in north London, I think he would be very good under Mikel's watch."

What's more, he plays at international level with Saka for England, while he also knows Eddie Nketiah with the Arsenal striker even sharing his food with Rice back when they were both youngsters in the Chelsea academy.

All in all, everything seems to be pointing towards a summer move.

A report by The Telegraph and journalist Matt Law has shared an update on Antonio Conte’s future at Tottenham and the prospect of Ryan Mason as interim.

The Lowdown: Conte future debate…

The future of Conte is still very much up in the air and central to serious debate given Spurs still haven’t officially announced their managerial plans.

Speculation has been rife as to who could succeed the Italian if he is in fact sacked before the end of the season, with many candidates making their way onto Fabio Paratici’s managerial shortlist.

Mauricio Pochettino, a Lilywhites fan favourite and free agent, is seen as one of the favourites but Roberto De Zerbi, Luis Enrique, Marco Silva and Thomas Frank are also being considered according to Sky.

Chairman Daniel Levy is now unlikely to get his hands on Thomas Tuchel given reports highly suggest he’ll be joining Bayern Munich to replace Julian Nagelsmann.

Another option is appointing Mason as temporary head coach until the conclusion of this Premier League campaign, with Law sharing what he’s heard on that possibility.

The Latest: Mason update at Spurs…

According to the reliable reporter, writing in a report for The Telegraph, Levy has personally ‘given consideration’ to appointing Mason on an interim basis.

This would apparently be as the Spurs chief continues his search for a permanent manager off-the-field as a more long-term solution heading into next season.

The north Londoners are also believed to have ‘held talks’ over Conte’s future this week and Spurs could potentially sack the former Chelsea coach and agree to pay the remainder of his contract in one lump sum – which would amount to £4 million.

The Verdict: Good option…

Deciding Tottenham’s next manager comes as a very crucial decision and one which needs serious consideration.

Levy planning ahead on a permanent head coach while Mason takes charge in the mean time could be an efficient solution, especially considering the 31-year-old has previous experience in such a role.

Mason took temporary charge when Spurs dismissed ex-boss Jose Mourinho in 2021, overseeing their last seven games of the 2020/2021 season and winning four of them.

He lead Tottenham out for their 2021 Carabao Cup final against Man City, and while that ended in defeat, Mason did help to orchestrate impressive wins against the likes of Sheffield United (4-0) and Leicester City (4-2).

Praised for his ‘unbelievable’ work in the post by former Spurs star Toby Alderweireld, it would be a slight gamble in Spurs’ race for the top four, but the plan would have it’s merits.

Aston Villa have reportedly made an approach to sign Galatasaray right-back Sacha Boey this summer.

The Lowdown: Busy summer

NSWE were ready to back Unai Emery in January with a ‘huge’ transfer budget, however, it turned out to be a relatively quiet winter window at Villa Park. The club made two additions to Emery’s squad in left-back Alex Moreno and teenage forward Jhon Duran.

It could be a lot busier in the summer, though, with Christian Purslow expecting an ‘extremely busy summer’ ahead of Emery’s first full season in charge.

A number of players have already been linked with a move to the Midlands and a new striker ‘to partner Ollie Watkins is at the top of Villa’s shopping list this summer’, however, it looks as if another full-back could also be on the agenda, especially following links to Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney.

The Latest: Boey interest

Sports Witness relayed an update from Turkish outlet Takvim regarding Villa and Boey in the last 48 hours. They claimed that the right-back has been approached by Villa, with Boey also attracting interest from Crystal Palace and previously Sporting Lisbon and Lyon.

The 22-year-old has become a fan favourite at Galatasaray and is regarded as an ‘indispensable’ by manager Okan Buruk, who will have the final say on the player’s future.

The Verdict: One to watch?

Bringing in a new right-back to rival Matty Cash next season could be a wise move by Emery, especially as second-choice Ashley Young is now 37 years of age and is out of contract in the Midlands at the end of June.

Boey, like Young, can also provide cover at left-back if needed and appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high €11m Transfermarkt valuation.

Sponsored by Adidas, Boey has been hailed as a ‘talented’ player by journalist Zach Lowy and has made 41 appearances for his current employers.

As per WhoScored, Boey has also been Galatasaray’s second-best performer this season behind experienced forward Mauro Icardi, averaging a match rating of 7.25/10, a better score than any Villa player in the Premier League. He leads the way for tackles made and also ranks highly for interceptions and clearances per 90, with all three of those statistics greater than Cash in recent months.

Therefore, you could argue that a move would prove to be a shrewd one in the summer, and it looks as if it may well be one to keep an eye on.

Chelsea earned a hugely important three points on Saturday afternoon as Wesley Fofana’s header saw the Blues beat Leeds 1-0 at Stamford Bridge.

The pressure will have eased on Graham Potter somewhat but his future could still hang in the balance on Tuesday night when his side must overturn a one-goal deficit as they face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

After overseeing a rare win against Javi Gracia’s side, which was the first for Chelsea since early January, Graham Potter will have some big decisions to make ahead of Tuesday’s crucial European tie.

It seems clear that after a superb performance against the Yorkshire outfit, Raheem Sterling should be given the nod to start at Stamford Bridge, as he showed his quality in the 1-0 win.

How did Sterling play against Leeds?

As per Sofascore, the former Manchester City man would earn a 7.5/10 rating for his display, with only Kalidou Koulibaly (7.8) rated higher of every player to feature in the game from both sides.

Sterling has endured a difficult time since his summer switch, notching just four goals and two assists in the Premier League, but that is the joint-most goal contributions of any Chelsea player this season, which perhaps puts into perspective just how much the Blues have struggled from an attacking point of view.

During the game against Leeds, the 28-year-old would register an impressive three key passes, four successful dribbles and an 80% duel success rate, which suggests that he was a constant threat to the Leeds defence.

Considering he has averaged just 1.4 key passes and 1.3 dribbles per game in the Premier League so far this campaign, it is clear that he was back to his best on Saturday afternoon.

In his 68 minutes on the pitch, he would also contribute 40 touches of the ball and two shots, which suggests that he was incredibly involved and perhaps unlucky to be taken off by Potter.

Described by talkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino as “frightening” in the past, Sterling perhaps just needs a run of games to rediscover his best form at Stamford Bridge, having been a consistent source of goals for both City and Liverpool in the past, hitting the net 131 times during his spell at the Citizens.

With the likes of Hakim Ziyech, Noni Madueke and Mykhailo Mudryk all failing to fire, with just one assist between them in the top flight this season, Sterling must surely be given another chance to impress against Dortmund on Tuesday night.

Danny Higginbotham believes Marcus Rashford cut a frustrated figure during Manchester United’s disappointing draw last night.

The Lowdown: Ten Hag will be frustrated

Despite coming back from 2-0 down against a bitter rival, Erik ten Hag will likely be furious with his side, who put themselves into a difficult position against a relegation-threatened opponent.

When Man United found themselves 2-0 down against Leeds United, it was clear that something had to change – and that’s what happened when Wout Weghorst was hooked off after 59 minutes.

This then allowed the in-form Rashford to be moved more centrally as Jadon Sancho took up a spot out on the wing, and that appears to have been a smart move given how frustrated Rashford appeared to look, according to Higginbotham.

The Latest: Rashford has to be the main man

It’s bizarre given Rashford’s form of late that Ten Hag would force him into a different position to the one he’s been thriving in, and it didn’t pay off until he got moved, as Higginbotham stated on The 2 Robbies podcast.

He said: “He played three different positions in the game. The first half, Garnacho obviously was playing left wing, so that meant Rashford went to the right wing.

“I think he cuts a frustrated figure in that position. He’s been at his best on the left, driving inside, and when he doesn’t play on the left, I think it affects other players. I think it affects Luke Shaw, who wants to get into that space that would naturally be left by Rashford tucking inside, but because Garnacho was there, Luke Shaw didn’t have any space to get into.”

The Verdict: Man United must keep Rashford fit and firing

Rashford hasn’t just been one of Man United’s most in-form players, but one of the Premier League’s best players. Since the turn of the year, last night’s goal means he’s now scored five times in 2023, which is more than Liverpool and Chelsea have managed as a team, and led to analyst Statman Dave labelling him a ‘monster’.

Especially when the player who took his natural and favoured spot on the left was an 18-year-old in Garnacho – who’s got just one senior goal to his name – it’s perhaps unlikely Ten Hag will set up like this anytime soon.

Given the sheer number of important games Man United have coming up including two matches against Barcelona and a Carabao Cup final against Newcastle United, Ten Hag must ensure Rashford doesn’t get the hump by being moved out of position and keep him fit during this run of games.

Insider Graeme Bailey believes that Newcastle United will be looking at the loan market to recruit a new midfielder.

The Lowdown: PIF not looking to spend heavily

Newcastle appear to have found themselves in a rather big hole heading into the final hours of the transfer window by allowing Jonjo Shelvey to join Nottingham Forest on a permanent basis without having a replacement lined up.

Eddie Howe has insisted that there are no guarantees the Magpies will be able to bring in a replacement signing before Tuesday’s deadline, which would certainly leave Newcastle very short in midfield.

As things stand, Newcastle have four central-midfield options, which may sound sufficient, but given the fact Howe deploys three at once, they are one injury away from a crisis in that department.

The Latest: Newcastle to look at the loan market

Howe’s commented on Financial Fair Play restrictions at Newcastle in the past, which is likely why they will look to move in the loan market, as Bailey highlighted on the Loaded Mag YouTube channel.

He said: “We’ve known they are looking for another midfielder. From what I’m told, it’ll likely be a loan. They’ve done the Gordon deal, it seems highly unlikely that they’re going to pay big money [again].

“Not that they can’t, but just with FFP etc, it’s looking very, very difficult to fit that in.”

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The Verdict: Sensible business is being done

It is very admirable and sensible from Newcastle’s mega-wealthy owners to not just hand Howe whatever he wants and risk them being hit by FFP issues further down the line, which could ruin any progress they’ve already made.

Therefore, it looks as though a temporary signing is the only way Shelvey will be replaced, with the likes of Sander Berge, Conor Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek all being linked with the Magpies recently.

However, any potential move for either of the latter two could well depend on Chelsea’s ability to land Enzo Fernandez, so Newcastle may well have to sit tight until other clubs do business, which may well lead to a busy deadline day.

Leeds United continue to be linked with additions to bolster their midfield, with Victor Orta actively seeking out improvements in the engine room…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Sport Italia, who claim that a number of European clubs, including those from the Premier League, are interested in Salernitana maestro Lassana Coulibaly.

Having made early advances towards the 26-year-old, Nottingham Forest have already seen a bid dismissed in December. The Serie A club will reportedly hold out for a fee of around £8.5m, as they hope to keep hold of their player.

Repeat of Adams masterclass?

Having struggled this season domestically, Coulibaly retains a constant level of quality in one area – his defensive statistics.

Averaging a 6.75 Sofascore rating in the current Serie A campaign, this somewhat masks what benefits he can offer to a team when they play to his strengths.

Boasting the ability to break up play and set his team on the counter with a threaded pass, a deal here would bear many similarities with Leeds’ summer move to sign Tyler Adams from RB Leipzig.

The American has taken to Premier League football with ease due to his aggression, tenacity and immense quality. However, his final season in the Bundesliga was not too dissimilar from Coulibaly’s current campaign.

The then-Leipzig midfielder only averaged a 6.68 rating from Sofascore in 2021/22, and making just one tackle per match, it seemed unclear just what tempted the Yorkshire outfit to splash out £20m on the 23-year-old.

However, with an average Sofascore rating of 7.01 and a mammoth 4.2 tackles per game in the current Premier League season, the Whites’ decision is starting to bear fruit.

With Mali international Coulibaly, it could be argued that an even stronger foundation is in place to succeed at this level. He is averaging 3.1 tackles alongside 0.7 key passes per 90 this season, supplemented by an 85% pass accuracy.

The basic principles to be a successful midfielder at Elland Road are already in place, with his time at Ibrox on loan in 2018/19 having had a lasting impact on then-Rangers boss Steven Gerrard.

The 42-year-old praised Coulibaly, stating: “He (Lassana) is a machine, he’s exactly what this football club needed in terms of that enforcer in the middle of the park. He enjoys getting after people, biting into tackles and doing the ugly side of the game. He loves it and is only going to get better, there is more to come.”

If the gegenpress-loving Jesse Marsch could describe his quintessential player, many of the qualities listed by Gerrard would likely crop up. The Salernitana ace bears striking similarities with Adams, and should he be half as shrewd as the summer 2022 signing has been so far at Leeds, it would mark a fine deal by Orta and co.

Celtic are thought to be in pole position to sign Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors forward Cho Gue-sung, with an offer already on the table.

The Lowdown: Successful World Cup

Cho represented South Korea at last year’s World Cup in Qatar and impressed on the biggest stage, helping his country qualify for the last 16.

The 24-year-old netted twice in a group game against Ghana and become a breakout star, gaining millions of followers on social media, partly due to a viral clip of him mocking Cristiano Ronaldo.

He was linked with a move to Parkhead as a result, and it looks as if a transfer is a real possibility going on a recent update.

The Latest: Transfer news

The Daily Record relayed an update on Celtic and a move for Cho in the last 48 hours.

They claimed that the Hoops are in pole position for the forward and have tabled a £2.2m offer to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, who appear to want a bidding war for their star attacker.

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

Ange Postecoglou is seemingly on the search for a replacement for Giorgos Giakoumakis after contract talks broke down with the Greek striker. He’s thought to be poised for a January exit, so bringing in Cho could be a shrewd move.

The South Korean has been labelled a ‘physical player’ who can be a ‘real handful for defenders’ by journalist Pete O’Rourke and can also provide an option out wide. He has scored a total of 57 goals for club and country, so hopefully, a transfer can gather more pace in the coming days.