South African David Wiese hit boundaries of successive deliveries in the final over to ease Sussex to a four-wicket win over Kent in a low-scoring thriller in the NatWest T20 Blast at Hove
ECB Reporters Network10-Jun-2016 ScorecardTymal Mills took three wickets and bowled a maiden in his four overs•Getty ImagesSouth African David Wiese hit boundaries of successive deliveries in the final over to ease Sussex to a four-wicket win over Kent in a low-scoring thriller in the NatWest T20 Blast at Hove.Chasing 141, after Tymal Mills had again impressed with 3 for 15, Sussex needed eight off the final over but after David Griffiths conceded a single and then bowled a wide, Wiese – who has extended his stay as second overseas player at Hove for another two weeks – drove to the extra cover boundary before guiding the next delivery to the third man rope to seal victory with three balls to spare.It was Sussex’s other overseas player, Ross Taylor, who set up the win with a measured 62 off 50 balls. Sussex were struggling on 68 for 4 after 12 overs in their response when Taylor was joined by Chris Jordan in a match-winning stand of 61 from 39 balls.Taylor struck offspinner James Tredwell for 16 off three balls in the 16th over to tilt the contest Sussex’s way and although both he and Jordan fell to catches in the deep off Mitch Claydon in the penultimate over, Wiese held his nerve to secure a third win out of four in the South Group for his side.Claydon took 3 for 25, having earlier bowled Ben Brown while Matt Coles also impressed, finishing with 1 for 17 and claiming the key early scalp of Sussex skipper Luke Wright, who was caught at deep square leg for 3.Kent had been bowled out for 140 off the final ball of their innings, having been put in, after some impressive work from Sussex’s seamers on a slow pitch.England international Jordan led the way with 3 for 18. In his first spell he removed Daniel Bell-Drummond with a slower ball and returned to the attack to have Alex Blake caught at cover and Darren Stevens at midwicket.Jordan was well backed up by left-armer Mills, whose searing pace made it tough for the Kent batsmen. Mills yorked Coles and then removed Tredwell and Griffiths in his final over to finish with 3 for 15 while Wiese took 2 for 33 including Kent captain Sam Northeast, who returned to form with 53 off 33 balls which included two fours and four sixes, all struck in the area between long on and mid-wicket before he mis-timed a leg-side pull allowing Wiese to take a simple return catch.Sussex’s seamers were well supported by leg-spinner Will Beer, who had the dangerous Sam Billings lbw sweeping as Kent’s innings tailed off alarmingly, with the last five wickets falling for nine runs.
Manchester United aren’t thought to be scared of the €120m release clause in Goncalo Ramos’ Benfica contract.
What’s the latest on Man United and Ramos?
The Red Devils appear to be on the hunt for a marquee attacking addition ahead of Erik ten Hag’s second season in charge. Ten Hag has had limited centre-forward options to choose from during his first campaign at Old Trafford, with Anthony Martial sidelined with a number of injury issues and Wout Weghorst only arriving on loan in January. Left-winger Marcus Rashford has stepped up to the plate in front of goal, though, netting 27 times in 44 appearances in all competitions.
In terms of targets, there has been plenty of speculation over moves for Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen. CEO Richard Arnold has reportedly sanctioned a deal for Kane, whereas the club are also thought to be readying a move for Osimhen. However, Ramos appears to be another possible attacking target at Old Trafford, with the Red Devils considering a move, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.
Sports Witness relayed an update from Record regarding United and Ramos, claiming that the club, and by extension current owners the Glazers, are not scared of his €120m (£105m) release clause. The report adds that Ten Hag’s side could be rivalled by Chelsea and Real Madrid in the race for Ramos, with the two sides watching the forward in ‘many games’.
Should United sign Ramos?
Ramos is the youngest of United’s three attacking targets, three years younger than Osimhen and eight years younger than Kane. However, the Portugal international has also enjoyed a free-scoring campaign this season, netting 24 times in all competitions. He also caught the eye at the World Cup, scoring a hat-trick in a knockout game against Switzerland after replacing Cristiano Ronaldo, with Gary Lineker hailing him as "remarkable" for being able to handle the pressure.
The Benfica man's release fee would be a club record deal at Old Trafford, so may well be viewed as a risk compared to Kane and Osimhen, with the pair having more experience than Ramos.
Whoever the Red Devils bring in up front looks likely to involve a huge fee, so it is crucial they get this spot on over the coming months. It looks as if Ten Hag’s top target is Kane, however, it is good to see that the club have a number of possible candidates, including Ramos.
Insider Dean Jones has revealed that Tottenham Hotspur are set to "sound out" a move to appoint Julian Nagelsmann as manager which could help keep Harry Kane at the club.
What's the latest on Julian Nagelsmann and Spurs?
This week, the 35-year-old was sacked from his position at Bayern Munich and is replaced by Thomas Tuchel. At the same time, it looks as though Spurs boss Antonio Conte will be leaving north London in the near future.
With that in mind, Tottenham will soon be looking to hire a new man to take charge of the club. All the while, uncertainty remains over the future of Kane who is linked with a summer exit.
However, while talking on the Chasing Green Arrows podcast, Jones claimed it could be a great week for the striker – who also scored a record-breaking winner against Italy for England on Thursday night – as Nagelsmann's possible arrival could convince him to stay put.
Indeed, the journalist explained: "What a week this has been for Harry Kane. So he scores the winner against Italy, it's a record-breaking goal for England.
"And at the same time, Julian Nagelsmann's leaving Bayern Munich and has got a chance of becoming his manager. I mean, what a night for Harry Kane, like that is a great treble to have. Some hope for him that he doesn't have to leave Tottenham. If Nagelsmann actually lands, that'd be a big one.
"They’re due to speak to him… well, not speak to him, but sound out people over the weekend to see whether he would be interested."
Would Nagelsmann be a good fit for Kane and Spurs?
Still only 35 years of age, Nagelsmann is one of the youngest top coaches in world football and despite his young age, has already coached the likes of Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig before Munich.
What's more, he'd actually done pretty well with the German giants this season and leaves with the club just one point off the top of the Bundesliga table and unbeaten in the Champions League – beating the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Inter and Barcelona on the way to a sealing a quarter-final tie against Manchester City.
However, if Nagelsmann does arrive at Spurs, what may make him most appealing to Kane is the way he managed to get the best out of Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.
Indeed, this season the striker has 17 goals and four assists in total when he'd only ever hit double figures for league goals in two seasons before across the span of his career.
With that in mind, just imagine what Nagelsmann could do with Kane up top.
After having lost four successive ODIs in the series against Sri Lanka, England would have thought they would finally break that depressing sequence when they rattled off 321 in the last match
On the Ball with S Rajesh01-Jul-2006After having lost four successive ODIs in the series against Sri Lanka, England would have thought they would finally break that depressing sequence when they rattled off 321 in the last match at The Oval. A face-saving win, perhaps? Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga, though, had other ideas which went something like this: how about a record opening partnership and a win inside 40 overs? After ten overs, they had blasted 133, and the deceleration in the rate thereafter was only when compared to the dizzying standards they had set.When the partnership finally ended, England had been punch-drunk to the tune of 286 runs, scored in a small matter of 31.5 overs. The partnership beat the earlier record for the first wicket, between Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar. That record, though, came against the rather modest Kenyan attack; this one came against – at least on paper – a much stronger attack.
Highest first-wicket partnerships in ODIs
Pair
Partnership
Against
Venue and year
Tharanga-Jayasuriya 286 England Headingley, 2006 Ganguly-Tendulkar 258 Kenya Paarl, 2001-02 Ganguly-Tendulkar 252 Sri Lanka Colombo, 1998 Atapattu-Jayasuriya 237 Australia Sydney, 2002-03 Gibbs-Kirsten 235 India Kochi, 1999-2000 Jayasuriya’s contribution to the carnage was 152, off a mere 99 balls. The wagon-wheel below shows where the assault was concentrated: through the cover region, and the arc between backward square leg and mid-on. Those have always been Jayasuriya’s favourite areas, and this time fetched him 112 of his runs, that’s three-quarters of his total runs.Jayasuriya was severe on all bowlers, but the ones who felt it the most were Kabir Ali and Tim Bresnan: Ali disappeared for 46 from 22 balls, Bresnan for 26 from nine. Steve Harmison was only marginally better, conceding 38 from 24. In all, Harmison went for 97 in his ten overs, the most runs conceded by an England bowler in a one-day international – beating Derek Pringle’s 83 from ten in the 1987 World Cup against West Indies – and the fourth-most overall.
Most runs conceded in ODIs
Bowler
Analysis
Opponent
Venue & year
Mick Lewis 10-0-113-0 South Africa Johannesburg, 2005-06 Martin Snedden 12-1-105-2 England The Oval, 1983 Muttiah Muralitharan 10-0-99-0 Australia Sydney, 2005-06 Steve Harmison 10-0-97-0 Sri Lanka Headingley, 2006 Ashantha de Mel 10-0-97-1 West Indies Karachi, 1987-88
It has been a difficult couple of years for Everton fans, as they’ve seen their side reach the top of the league in 2020 with Carlo Ancelotti at the helm, to now battling to avoid relegation year after year.
The Toffees haven’t finished in the top half of the Premier League since the 2018/19 season under Marco Silva, and in the last three years, they’ve finished 16th, 17th and 18th.
Last season Everton came their closest to relegation as they only secured their survival on the last day, following a massive 1-0 over Bournemouth.
One of the reasons for Everton’s fall from grace is their poor recruitment under owner Farhad Moshiri – luckily, though, it appears there's a new era on the horizon with 777 Partners signing an agreement to buy the British-Iranian's full 94.1% stake in the Toffees.
Since becoming an initial 49.9% shareholder in 2016, Moshiri has spent £530m on 31 players and by 2022, £130m worth of players have been sold for free.
One of these huge flops was Oumar Niasse, who left Everton for free in July 2020 after signing in 2016.
Prior to the striker's arrival in January 2016, Everton and manager Roberto Martínez had endured a difficult start to the Premier League season, only winning six games out of 23.
Following the poor opening games Everton spent £19m in the January transfer window, with £13.5m being used on the Senegalese forward, making him Everton’s third-most expensive signing at the time, behind Romelu Lukaku and Marouane Fellaini.
After moving to the Merseyside outfit, the 33-year-old was ecstatic to sign for the Toffees.
He said:
"It's a great day for me, a big dream to play in the Premier League and a big dream to play for Everton.
"Everton is one of the best teams in the Premier League and the Premier League is one of the best leagues in the world.
"I know Everton is one of the big clubs here in England with history, the fans and the great players, so I'm very excited and happy to be here.
"I started to watch Everton more since the beginning of October because I had heard about their interest. I was interested to see how they play and how they have good young players.
Why did Everton buy Oumar Niasse?
Before signing for Everton, Niasse enjoyed an impressive spell playing for Lokomotiv Moscow in Russia, where he made 40 appearances, scoring 19 goals and providing 14 assists, meaning he averaged a goal contribution every 0.82 games.
The Senegal international also proved himself in the Europa League by scoring four goals and registering three assists in only six games, this earned him an average rating on Sofascore of 7.22, the highest in the squad.
His attacking prowess was also backed up by his stats as in Europe for the Russian side, per game he had the most shots (3.5), the most successful dribbles (1.5), the second most key passes (1.3) and the second most shots on target (1.3).
What happened to Oumar Niasse after joining Everton?
Niasse suffered a pretty torrid time throughout his four years with Everton as his most successful games in the famous blue shirt came when he played for the U23s, as during his time with them, he played 10 games and scored 12 goals.
However, while playing for the first team he was incredibly disappointing, in his 42 appearances he only managed nine goals and four assists in all competitions, meaning he scored more for the youth teams.
Furthermore, during his first season at Everton Niasse had the 26th-worst Sofascore rating in the Everton squad with 6.54.
While playing under Dutch manager Ronald Koeman, after Martinez's sacking, the striker revealed that he was exiled from the squad and his locker was removed.
While speaking to the Guardian he said:
“It’s sad, it’s really sad.
“And, to be honest, I think I don’t deserve this but what I can do is just keep my head and fight to change things. I’m not going to make a drama over this. I just deal with it.
“I know it’s just one period.
“Koeman said: ‘You have to leave.’
“I couldn’t understand how that decision could have been made after 45 minutes but I just said: ‘OK.’
“I’m in the dressing room with the under-23s but I don’t have a locker.
“The other players have where they put their stuff but I don’t.
“I come with my bag and I just have a place I know. I put my bag down, I train and after, I put everything in my car and go home.
“He took my shirt number, and he told me I wasn’t allowed to be in the dressing room for the first team; that I wasn’t going to train with them. I had to go with the second team.”
Although his career in England did get a little better during the 2017/18 season after Koeman’s exit, as under new manager Sam Allardyce the striker’s Sofascore rating improved to 6.85, the 12th-best in the squad.
This prompted the English manager to confirm in 2018 that Niasse's position had never been stronger.
He said:
“I think Oumar’s position at Everton has never really been as good as it is at the moment.
“He’s put himself in a position to shine and score goals. He’s got goals and assists to his name and he’s starting games on a regular basis.
“Oumar’s grasped that position at the moment, making assists, scoring goals, holding it up well, so it’s made it difficult for me to replace him.”
However, the eight goals he would score for Allardyce that season would be his last for the club as at the end of the 2019/20 season he would be released and since then his career has gone even further downhill.
In February 2022, after a disappointing move to Huddersfield where he didn't play, Niasse joined League One side Burton Albion where he would make just 12 appearances and score three goals before being released just five months later.
It would take the nine-cap international eight months before he found a new club, this time he would join fellow League One side Morecambe for another disappointing spell, where he made just 10 appearances and scored one goal before being released in July this year.
Oumar Niasse's career, via Transfermarkt
Club
Appearances
Goals
SK Brann
4
0
Akhisarspor
40
15
Lokomotiv Moscow
40
19
Everton
42
9
Hull
19
5
Cardiff
13
0
Huddersfield
0
0
Burton Albion
12
3
Morecambe
10
1
Since leaving the English third division side the centre forward is still yet to find a new club, proving what a waste of money he was for Everton.
Liverpool welcome Aston Villa to Anfield this afternoon as Jurgen Klopp's side look to claim their third successive Premier League win of the season, having drawn at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea in the season opener.
Last season, the Reds endured a miserable campaign and failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in seven seasons after finishing fifth.
Even that somewhat flatters the overall discourse of the campaign; Liverpool were shocking until the closing stages of the term, with a late-season purple patch salvaging European football.
Villa qualified for the Europa Conference League under Unai Emery's stewardship in a tremendous rise, and despite falling flat against Newcastle United to start their campaign, losing 5-1 at St. James' Park, the Villa Park side have rebounded with wins over Everton and Burnley.
Klopp will understand the task at hand, but will be confident that the home side will secure three points, closing the gap on league leaders and defending champions Manchester City to just two points.
What is the Liverpool team news vs Aston Villa?
Klopp will be forced to field a new centre-defensive pairing on Sunday, with Ibrahima Konate out injured and captain Virgil van Dijk suspended after receiving a red card against Newcastle last weekend.
In midfield, Curtis Jones could return after injury, while Stefan Bajcetic may receive his first outing of the term after making the bench for the past two match weeks; Thiago Alcantara has suffered a setback in his rehabilitation from a long-term issue and will remain sidelined.
Multi-functional midfielder Ryan Gravenberch will not play after completing a £34m move on deadline day from Bayern Munich, having failed to be registered in time for the final fixture before the term's first international break.
Up front, Darwin Nunez will be pushing for his first start of the season after a "razor-sharp" – as said by Sky Sports commentator Peter Drury – cameo against the Magpies, where his brace gave ten-man Liverpool an unlikely, galvanising victory.
Will Wataru Endo start vs Aston Villa?
With Gravenberch unable to participate this weekend, Klopp might be inclined to hand Wataru Endo his second successive start in the Premier League after signing from German side Stuttgart in a £16m deal in August.
The Japan captain's arrival raised more than a few eyebrows; Liverpool had been in pursuit of Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo to fill the void left by Fabinho and Jordan Henderson's departures to Saudi Arabian sides, but both ended up joining Chelsea.
Endo, relatively unknown outside the Bundesliga, could prove to be a shrewd investment for Klopp's side, with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano even saying: "he’s an extremely underrated player, ask Stuttgart fans."
A tenacious, tough-tackling midfielder, Endo is indeed likely to retain a starting berth in Liverpool's team in the absence of any other defensive midfielder.
Against Newcastle, he didn't produce the finest, slickest display in memory but did demonstrate his defensive skills, making two tackles and winning four of his seven duels, important in preventing Eddie Howe's side from capitalising after going a man and goal down in the opening half-hour.
Thiago remains an absentee, and given that teenage talent Stefan Bajcetic has yet to play a minute this term following his own return from a long-term injury, his reintegration might be better placed through a substitute appearance.
Why should Wataru Endo start vs Aston Villa?
Described as a "proper warrior and leader" by Bundesliga commentator Kevin Thatchard, Endo has been a stalwart for Stuttgart in their battles against relegation in the German top-flight.
Having made 133 appearances for die Schwaben, posting 15 goals and 12 assists, Endo has indeed been crucial to the club's flow and industriousness.
The 50-cap international was in fine fettle last season, recording an average rating of 6.99 in the Bundesliga – as per Sofascore – across his 33 displays, scoring five goals and supplying four assists, completing 80% of his passes, averaging 1.4 key passes per game and making 2.1 tackles and 1.8 clearances each match.
Wataru-Endo-Liverpool
To showcase his defensive qualities, FBref ranks Endo among the top 7% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for clearance and aerial wins per 90.
The £50k-per-week ace's inclusion against the Lions will be imperative, with Emery's outfit ravenous for a continuation of the fantastic, Europe-clinching feats of last year.
During Liverpool's opening match against Chelsea last month, the club's lack of control without an established No. 6 was clear for all to see, with the Stamford Bridge side retaining 65% of possession and completing 87% of their passes as opposed to Liverpool's 80%.
For reference, last year, despite the Merseyside outfit's struggles, only champions Manchester City completed more passes than Liverpool. Against Chelsea this season, that tactical philosophy went out the window.
Emery's Villa thrive through organisation and discipline, maintaining a compact shape and as such nullifying the advances of the opposition.
They also utilise overloaded midfielders, with the Spaniard manager not shy to field the likes of John McGinn on the wing, allowing the full-backs to overlap and supplement the attack.
Endo will be crucial in preventing this, having completed 88% of his passes in the Premier League thus far, also averaging two ball recoveries and 1.5 tackles and clearances per match.
By deploying the hard-working ace in the holding midfield role, the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai could see their creative qualities shine through, with Aston Villa's heavy defeat against Newcastle evidence that the Midlands outfit is susceptible to swift attacking transitions and incisive play.
Highlighting his strengths prior to the confirmation of Endo's move to Anfield, The Athletic's Seb Stafford-Boor said: "He is a ball-winner, but he’ll do a fine job protecting the defence. He can play too, though."
The hope will be that as he acclimatises to life on Merseyside, the veteran midfielder maintains these core qualities as he gels with Klopp's squad, and against Villa, his inclusion as the all-action defensive component could prove to be the difference-maker.
Endo is not the high-profile name the Liverpool support yearned for, but he is a solid midfielder and he will prove to be a central figure in the team this year, and maybe even instrumental in the club's renaissance.
Meticulous and clinical, the Adelaide Strikers turned a precarious position against the Sydney Thunder into a 25-run win to reach the top of the Big Bash League table
The Report by Tim Wigmore07-Jan-2018Adelaide Strikers 7 for 158 (Ingram 48, Carey 34, Fawad 3-31) beat Sydney Thunder 9 for 133 (Nesser 3-29, Siddle 2-13, Rashid 2-21) by 25 runsMeticulous and clinical, the Adelaide Strikers turned a precarious position against the Sydney Thunder into a 25-run win to reach the top of the Big Bash League table.Yet again, the Strikers’ success was underpinned by Rashid Khan, the outstanding player in the tournament so far. In five matches, he has recorded figures of 2-22, 2-22, 2-19, 2-18 and now 2-21, bowling with control and penetration that has allowed the Strikers to triumph when batting first, while their opponents favour chasing. To boot, he even heaved a couple of sixes in the final over of Adelaide’s innings.The margin of the Strikers’ victory defied their struggles for much of the night. Colin Ingram’s six-ridden 48 hauled them to 158 for 7; then, with the Thunder on 42 for no loss after five overs, Peter Siddle delivered a crucial maiden before combining with Rashid to throttle the home team. Even Ben Rohrer’s three late sixes were not enough to give the Thunder real hope of avenging their defeat at the Adelaide Oval before Christmas.Adelaide steady as she goesThe Strikers are unusual in their penchant for batting first when they win the toss – something they have done more than the other seven teams combined this BBL season. It is a reflection of how, with a strong bowling attack that includes Rashid, who is especially proficient in the second innings, they feel comfortable defending totals. Travis Head won the toss, batted first and won against the Sydney Thunder at Adelaide a fortnight ago, and aimed to do the same on Sunday evening. Perhaps the scorching heat in Sydney – it was the hottest day in the city for 80 years – played a role too, making it attractive for the Strikers to field when it was cooler later in the night. The Strikers began their innings smoothly enough, just a little slowly: after eight overs, they had only lost one wicket, yet had a run rate of under seven.Getty Images
Fawad pulls them backLegspinners have been the most successful type of bowlers in this season of the Big Bash. And for all the attention on the overseas stars – Rashid, Shadab Khan and Yasir Shah – Fawad Ahmed has been almost as effective. In the ninth over of the Strikers innings, he changed the complexion of the game by snaring both set batsmen. First, Travis Head spliced a shot to long-on. Then, after striking a couple of slog-swept boundaries – the second was caught on the long-on boundary, but Kurtis Patterson was touching the rope while initially taking the catch – Alex Carey was flummoxed by a googly and clean bowled. Fawad cleaned up Jonathan Wells with a delivery that went straight on in his final over, to end with 3 for 31 and take his BBL season haul to eight wickets at 18.50 apiece, to go with an economy rate of 6.16. In all, the Thunder delivered 12 overs of spin, with Chris Green taking 1 for 22 from his allocation.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Ingram’s late dashAt 4 for 104 with one ball of the 16th over left, the Strikers weren’t going anywhere quickly. Then, Colin Ingram did as overseas batsmen are supposed to do. With beautiful timing, he creamed three sixes – a heave over long-on from Arjun Nair, a crisp strike over long-off off Green, and a pull over square leg off Gurinder Sandhu – to haul Adelaide into a position from which they could amass a working total. As Ingram walked off, slashing a full and wide delivery from Sandhu to the keeper, the suspicion remained that the total would not be quite enough. But Rashid harrumphed two sixes in the final three balls of the Strikers innings to shore them up to 7 for 158; 54 of those runs having come off the final 25 balls.Thunder’s flying startAt 32 without loss in four overs, the Thunder appeared to be cruising towards their target. Head entrusted Rashid to bowl the fifth over, but Patterson scythed two fours through the covers to leave the home team requiring only 117 from 15 overs with ten wickets still in hand. It should have been a cruise.The squeezeThe Strikers’ comeback began with that rarest of T20 commodities: the maiden. Siddle produced six deliveries of subtle variation and immaculate precision to Jos Buttler. In the following over, Rashid’s googly had Buttler clean bowled, and suddenly the Thunder were stifled. In four overs together, Siddle and Rashid conceded only 13 runs – the prelude to a stretch of 42 balls without a boundary. In the process, as if sleepwalking, the Thunder’s position of overwhelming domination first became uncertain, and then increasingly precarious. Both Patterson and Shane Watson scored at a strike-rate of well under 100.The endgameBy the time Watson was out, heaving a catch to long-on, the Thunder needed 84 from only 41 balls, though they still had seven wickets in hand. Yet, once again, Rashid proved far too good – and even caught Green at long-on to effectively seal the Strikers’ victory. Rohrer struck some admirable blows late, but it always seemed futile.
Hollywood superstar Michael B. Jordan visited the Bournemouth training ground amid plans for the actor to design a kit for the Cherries.
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Michael B. Jordan an investor in Bournemouth
Visited the Cherries' training ground
Jordan expected to design kit
WHAT HAPPENED?
Jordan is an investor in and part-owner of Bournemouth and made the trip to south coast to watch his side run through a training session. The actor became part of the Cherries' hierarchy following Bill Foley's purchase of the club in December 2022. Foley has also confirmed that Jordan will be part of the team designing a kit for Bournemouth – set to go on sale soon.
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WHAT FOLEY SAID
Speaking about Jordan to CBS, Foley said: "[Jordan is] a very down to Earth, common individual. He hasn’t got stars in his eyes. He loves football.
“He is really helping us in terms of some our international marketing and marketing in the US. He’s designing a kit that will go on sale shortly."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Since Foley and Jordan came to the south coast of England, the Cherries have established themselves once again as Premier League staples. The shock decision to part company with Gary O'Neil in the summer, and subsequently stick with Andoni Iraola, has been rewarded and Bournemouth have caught the eye with their attacking verve in recent weeks.
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WHAT NEXT FOR JORDAN AND BOURNEMOUTH?
The Cherries face QPR in the FA Cup on Saturday and will be hoping to avoid a repeat of last season, when they were unceremoniously dumped out in this round by Burnley.
The summer is looking up for Somerset’s young captain Tom Abell as his side hint at a September revival
Jon Culley at Edgbaston08-Sep-20171:35
Highlights from the final day of the Specsavers Championship
Somerset 282 (Abell 82; Singh 5-72) and 265 for 4 dec (Trescothick 119*, Hildreth 68, Abell 51) beat Warwickshire 146 (Barker 52; Leach 5-50, Overton 4-33) and 232 (Trott 74, Groenewald 5-58) by 169 runs. In the end, after a morning of frustration followed by a good many anxious skywards glances as a convoy of dark clouds loomed one after another over the roof of the pavilion, Somerset needed 85 uninterrupted minutes to finish the job and claim the win that had looked theirs for the taking ever since they won the toss, at once keeping their own survival prospects intact and killing off Warwickshire’s, in realistic terms if not mathematically.Dom Bess, whose penultimate over on Thursday evening had claimed the wickets of Jonathan Trott and Keith Barker to push Warwickshire to the brink, wrapped up what is only a second win of the season for last year’s runners-up by bowling the rookie spinner Sunny Singh just as the ground staff were preparing to power up the hover cover. In the celebrations that followed, the relief was palpable.”In the context of the season it is a huge win for us and we’re absolutely delighted,” their young captain, Tom Abell, said. “We asked for the effort and the character to come to the fore and we certainly saw that.”From the great start we were given by Tres (Marcus Trescothick) and Eddie Byrom on the first morning we performed well in all disciplines throughout the game. As a batting unit we established those partnerships we have been striving for all season and with the ball we were very patient. There was a bit in the wicket for all concerned and when we created chances we took them.”It still might not be enough, of course, to keep Somerset out of Division Two themselves next year. They remain second bottom, 30 points clear of their beaten opponents here but with still work to do if they are to catch Yorkshire or Middlesex and only three matches remaining. In their favour, though, two of them are at home, where Bess and Jack Leach, the most successful spin combination in Division One this year, can expect every bit of assistance possible from the wicket.”Yes, we still have a lot of work to do,” Abell added. “It is a boost to our confidence to get this win and play so well but we are still down there at the foot of the table and we have a massive three games ahead of us. We will be trying to win all three and if we could get two wins, that would be great. It is a very strong division with strong teams but we think we have enough in our dressing room to do it.”It has been the collective failure of the batsmen that has been Somerset’s downfall this year, putting them in a predicament few could have foreseen when they went so close to winning the Championship 12 months ago. No one has felt the weight of responsibility more than Abell himself, who had been so out of touch with the bat recently he had no sensible option other than to give up his own place in the side – winning it back, with some irony, only after the controversial move to Warwickshire of Adam Hose created a vacancy.Is the season turning for Somerset skipper Tom Abell?•Getty ImagesAbell paid generous compliments to Trescothick, his second-innings centurion, James Hildreth, with whom the veteran opener shared the key partnership of the match to take the game out of Warwickshire’s reach, and to the 20-year-old opener Byrom, who played nicely in both innings. Yet his own contributions – a half-century in each innings on a difficult, turning track – were equally significant.”It has been difficult,” he said. “I went through a patch where I didn’t know where my next run was coming from and that spell in the Seconds trying to find some form did me the world of good.”Now I’m starting to find some enjoyment batting again and the confidence in my game that I had lost.”The key to winning here was that every passage of play saw one Somerset player or another produce a performance at a key moment, ensuring that Warwickshire were never on top, even briefly. After the combination of Leach’s left-arm spin and Craig Overton’s pace had bowled out Somerset for 146 in the first innings, it was the off-spinner Bess and the big-hearted Tim Groenewald who landed the blows second time around.Once the final exchanges began after a two-hour delay, Overton claimed his fifth victim of the match as Tim Ambrose was leg before and then Groenewald, with new ball in hand, bowled Chris Wright and saw Jeetan Patel brilliant caught by Bess at point to complete a deserved five-wicket haul, his first of the season.There seems no escape now for Warwickshire, whose relegation may well be confirmed next week, on live television, when the Sky cameras turn up in the hope of seeing Essex, the champions-elect, strut their stuff.It was a long time after the finish before anyone emerged from the home dressing room, where one can only assume that the atmosphere match the colour of the sky. The bowling coach, Alan Richardson, was ultimately designated to offer words of explanation for a performance that lacked conviction at the moment it was most needed.”It was highly disappointing,” Richardson said. “We had four massive games, starting with one against the team immediately above us, and to not really show up is hugely disappointing.”
Celtic are linked to 21-year-old Fabian Rieder, a player with "twinkle toes" and "unbelievable technical ability" who has also caught the attention of several Bundesliga clubs, claims transfer insider Dean Jones.
Is Fabian Rieder joining Celtic?
It has been a mixed start to the summer transfer window for Celtic this year, with important players and fan favourites Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda signing new contract extensions, while the equally, if not more critical, Jota left Celtic Park to join the burgeoning Saudi Pro League.
Celtic forward Jota.
The one positive from the Portuguese wingers' move away from Glasgow is that the Hoops now have an extra £25m to play with on top of the £30m that Brenden Rodgers was said to already have this summer.
With these new riches, the club have been heavily linked to exciting Swiss youngster Rieder, who has just helped Swiss Super League outfit Young Boys win their domestic title.
The 21-year-old has been attracting the attention of several Bundesliga sides, with Wolfsburg, Bayer Leverkusen, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Borussia Monchengladbach being very interested in acquiring his services, per the Daily Record.
Young Boys midfielder Fabian Rieder.
The same publication notes that Rodgers is an 'admirer' of the Koppigen-born dynamo and that, with a reported price tag of just £13m, the Glaswegian giants could undoubtedly afford to go after the player Scottish player turned pundit Stephen McGinn called a "next level signing" on the Go Radio Football Show (via football.Scotland).
What has Dean Jones said about Celtic and Fabian Rieder?
Jones was very enthusiastic about the prospect of this signing, explaining that the young Swiss midfielder would be the perfect man to replace the excitement lost with the departure of Jota.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: "They are being linked with Fabian Rieder, and this is exactly the sort of talent Celtic should be looking to get in. He's got unbelievable technical ability and twinkle toes that allow a level of creativity that would set him apart in Scotland, but also at times in the Champions League.
"He's only 21, but he already has a bit of Champions League experience, and if Celtic can get this one going, it truly could be very exciting. After losing Jota, the club needs someone to land for next season that brings a thrill and has people believing that this team won't let such a major exit impact them going forward.
"There are other teams interested here. I was told a couple of Bundesliga sides have been tracking him for a while, and one of them seems to be Dortmund, so we'll have to see what happens. But if you are a Celtic fan and watch even 30 seconds of his highlights reel, you'll want him signed up."
Is Fabian Rieder good?
There is a lot of hype and excitement surrounding Rieder at the moment, and it looks to be entirely warranted.
He had a brilliant year in his domestic league last season, making 30 appearances, scoring seven goals and creating four assists, with Sofascore giving him a season rating of 7.08.
Switzerland international Fabian Rieder.
His other statistics were also quite impressive, as according to Sofascore, he completed 0.8 dribbles, 2.2 tackles, 1.8 key passes, kept a pass accuracy of 79% and won possession 1.1 times, all per 90.
Outside of the tangible, measurable statistics, the exciting prospect was also hailed for his "exemplary determination" and "cleverness" by football scout Jacek Kulig.
If the Hoops can get this deal over the line, Celtic Park might soon forget about Jota altogether as a new era of exciting, fluid football comes to the Green side of Glasgow.