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Writing on Twitter, reliable Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has dropped a behind the scenes claim on the manager hunt in north London – saying that ‘a number’ of Spurs players ‘would be happy’ if the club pursued Brighton boss Graham Potter.

The Lowdown: Potter linked to Spurs job

The 45-year-old has been heavily linked to the Tottenham Hotspur job ever since former manager Jose Mourinho was sacked last month, with reports claiming that he is a target.

This includes technical performance director Steve Hitchen, who apparently has Potter on his shortlist of recommendations for chairman Daniel Levy (The Daily Mail).

The Seagulls gaffer is said to have other admirers within the club, but Hitchen’s list is the one that ‘goes upstairs’ for consideration by Levy as Spurs search for the next manager (The Daily Mail).

The Latest: Gold drops claim involving Potter

Now, writing on Twitter, Lilywhites inside source Gold has dropped a rather interesting claim involving the Premier League boss and ‘a number’ of players.

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Indeed, he says that there are certain members of the squad who would be happy if Tottenham pursued Potter as an heir to Mourinho after being taken aback by his footballing philosophy.

“Told a number of the Spurs players had a lasting impression left on them by the style of Brighton’s play and would be happy if Graham Potter was pursued to become the club’s next manager.” said Gold on social media.

The Verdict: Potter too risky…

It’s clear he fits the profile of an attack-minded boss reportedly wanted at Tottenham after the arguably regrettable Mourinho era (The Guardian).

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is also a huge admirer of Potter, recently calling him the ‘best English manager’ (Brighton and Hove Independent).

However, while he has also been lauded as a ‘genius’ by an unnamed former Swansea City player (The Athletic), Potter could come as a risky appointment given his lack of experience managing big players.

He would have many to watch over at Spurs, including the likes of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, and it’s debatable whether he has the experience for such a big job at Tottenham.

In other news: Spurs now keen to sell this 66-cap ace, find out more here.

Hampshire opening Norwich Union National League match away to Lancashire on Sunday (29 April) has fallen foul to the weather

Vic Isaacs28-Apr-2001Hampshire opening Norwich Union National League match away to Lancashire on Sunday (29 April) has fallen foul to the weather.Heavy rain over Old Trafford that has curtailed their CricInfo Championship match against Surrey, has continued, with heavy thunderstorms plaguing the area.The umpires met with officials and Lancashire captain John Crawley, and decided that it would be futile Hampshire travelling.Hampshire will attempt to get some outside practice at their Rose Bowl ground over the weekend, before travelling to Canterbury for their opening Benson & Hedges Cup match on Tuesday (1 May).

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan has said that it would be a ‘disaster’ if the club sold Raphinha this summer following an excellent first season at Elland Road.

The Lowdown: Raphinha shine for Leeds

The Brazilian joined the Whites from Rennes back in October and has been a key man, scoring six goals and registering seven assists in the Premier League.

Raphinha’s performances have caught the eye of the some of the country’s leading clubs, however, with Liverpool and Manchester City both linked with signing him.

The Latest: Whelan fearful of Raphinha exit

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan admits that he is worried about Raphinha exiting Elland Road at a point when Leeds are trying to narrow the gap with those at the top of the league. He said:

“In my opinion, there’s no deal to be done. We’re trying to catch up to Man City and build a team that’s going to compete. We’ve shown that we can do that against them this season with Raphinha in the side.

“If we’re really going to be considering selling one of our best assets, where does it leave us as a club? After one season having Raphinha on the books, I’m hoping that’s not what we are right now. We’re certainly trying to build something special at the club.

“We’re playing the right way and we’re going to add more quality in the summertime. So, if we’re going to sell players like that, I’m not sure where it’s going to leave the fans. They’re going to want to pay money to see players like that at Elland Road and they’ll be angry if not.

“Next season, fingers crossed, we’re having fans in there. He’s one of our star assets so we’ve got to be strong enough to fend off the big guns in Europe and in England. If we sell him, it’s a disaster for the club.”

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The Verdict: Must be kept on

Under no circumstances should Raphinha be allowed to leave Leeds this summer, considering his importance to the team. Marcelo Bielsa needs to make his squad even stronger in the next transfer window, bringing in new faces in but also keeping hold of those who are invaluable to him.

Raphinha is certainly one of those, providing a huge threat from the right-hand side, whether he’s dribbling past opponents – his average of 1.9 dribbles per game is the highest of any Leeds player in the league this season – producing defence splitting-passes or finding the net himself.

Making better teams stronger, especially those with which you’re competing, and weakening your own side makes no sense whatsoever, even if a huge bid comes in for the winger. Whelan is right – Leeds cannot afford to cash in on the 24-year-old.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly battling some heavyweight clubs for the signing of a winger this summer. Find out who it is here.

Stephen Fleming completed a career-first for Middlesex in their CricInfo championship match with Durham at the Riverside ground today

Lynn McConnell18-May-2001Stephen Fleming completed a career-first for Middlesex in their CricInfo championship match with Durham at the Riverside ground today.He scored 114 to complete back-to-back centuries during a fine 248-run third wicket partnership with Middlesex team-mate Owais Shah. Middlesex were all out for 386 and Durham in reply were 24/1 when bad light stopped play.Fleming, who has admitted problems at breaking through the century barrier, has already taken huge steps towards rectifying the problem in his English campaign.The closest he had come to achieving the feat earlier in his 14-century career was back in the summer of 1993/94 when he scored two centuries in three innings.He scored 105 for Canterbury against Northern Districts then played in a New Zealand XI against the touring Pakistan side and scored 11 in the first innings and 109 not out in the second innings.Before his century earlier in the week against Gloucestershire, Fleming had gone 39 innings without reaching triple figures, although he was dismissed for 99 on New Zealand’s tour of South Africa during the summer.Fleming has made an impact at Middlesex and a story in The Times this week highlighted that.Middlesex coach John Emburey commented: “Stephen’s very calm and calculating in his approach, especially in run chases. He plans every session-and to be there at the end of it. He’ll readjust his sights depending on where he thinks the team should be. He offers a lot in the dressing-room and has certainly helped younger players like Ben Hutton when they’re together at the crease.”One of the younger players in the side, Andrew Strauss, was quoted in the story on Fleming.”He’s a very good influence in the dressing-room. He doesn’t necessarily say all that much but when he does, the words are carefully chosen and you listen.”And skipper Angus Fraser hasn’t minded Fleming’s leadership experience being available.”I’m new as far as captaincy’s concerned but he’s been just what I would have wanted as an overseas player, giving me ideas but letting me get on with things. It feels as if he’s been around for ages now. Whereas things were quite intense with Justin Langer, they are more relaxed with Stephen. The youngsters are expressing themselves better and are not having to worry about being come down on like a ton of bricks.”Fleming said he admired the professionalism of the county players and he said the Middlesex development stage reminded him of where New Zealand was four years ago.

West Brom have battled hard to beat the drop in recent weeks but it was too little, too late as relegation back to the Championship was confirmed last week following a defeat to Arsenal.

The Baggies only have their pride to play for ahead of Wednesday night’s encounter with West Ham United, though manager Sam Allardyce will undoubtedly want to see a result against his former club.

Last time out, Albion were well-beaten by last season’s champions, Liverpool, at the Hawthorns and return to the same scene as the Irons are looking to bolster their European claims.

Big Sam’s current squad is awash with temporary loan players, including Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Conor Gallagher, and MBaye Diagne and there can be an argument that they shouldn’t feature if the 66-year-old has one eye on next season.

However, there are other players in the side that have continually let the Midlands club down and it is these that the West Brom boss must avoid playing in these final two matches, starting tonight.

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In a strange move to drop Diagne from the starting XI at the weekend, Big Sam opted for the rarely-seen talents of Hal Robson-Kanu and he even found the net but he was merely capitalising on a woeful defensive mistake.

The 31-year-old Welshman is out of contract in the summer, when his reported £30k-per-week contract comes to an end after five seasons at the club.

His start at the weekend was actually his first in the Premier League all season, with his only other appearances coming in the Carabao Cup, in which Albion were knocked out early with him captaining the side.

That speaks volumes and is perhaps why he’s still set to depart the club next month.

Once lauded as an “absolute machine” by former Reading teammate Jem Karacan, he has evidently seen some regression to his game in the past year and considering he’s not going to be involved in the Championship next season, it would be pretty pointless to start him in this match.

If he’s not wanting to deploy Diagne anymore, then Allardyce should look to Karlan Grant – the Baggies’ £12m summer signing, who signed a whopping six-year deal.

He has played just 32 minutes since early February yet is the most likely option to lead the line next term. He needs game time, not Robson-Kanu.

Starting the veteran is only going to hold them back in the long term, so he must be axed from the starting XI this evening as West Brom look to plan for life in the Championship.

AND in other news, Fresh twist emerges over West Brom job amid Allardyce claim, it’s bad news for fans…

Somerset coach Kevin Shine confirmed that it was likely that he would take a squad of 12 to The Oval on Wednesday for the four day CricInfo Championship match against Surrey

Richard Walsh05-Jun-2001Somerset coach Kevin Shine confirmed that it was likely that he would take a squad of 12 to The Oval on Wednesday for the four day CricInfo Championship match against Surrey.The final selection would be down to Jamie Cox the captain, and would depend upon the fitness tests that Richard Johnson is undergoing over the next two days.It was likely to be a “different” selection from the Leicestershire game and the final team on the day could depend upon whether a new or used pitch was used for the match.Despite missing Saqlain Mushtaq and their England players Surrey are still able to field a strong side and will provide a stern test for the Cidermen.

Article: Mudassar Nazar’s column on Pak v Aus match, NWS ODI2

Mudassar Nazar09-Jun-2001
Mudassar Nazar
Photo © CricInfo
Given the history of Rashid Latif’s chronic back trouble I did have reservations about his selection at this time. He’d been out of international cricket for a number of years and his relations with his teammates could hardly be described as harmonious. Under such circumstances one needs superhuman mental toughness in order to perform. Well, here we have it, he has given everyone ample proof on this tour, he’s the toughest kid on the block!
Shahid Afridi on his way to a quick fire 11 runs
Photo © CricInfo
Waqar Younis won the toss again and predictably, elected to bat because Cardiff’s pitch looked a good one-day track. There was even bounce for batsmen to get excited about but then Pakistani batsmen were pitted against two of the best bowlers of modern day cricket. There were early signs, Brett Lee was not at his best but he was good enough to get rid of Shahid Afridi who looked ill at ease throughout his brief stay. Quite noticeably, not a single ball was pitched up to him and this unsettled him. You can bet on your life, these Aussies will give him the same dose every time, unless he changes his game.Razzaq was decidedly uncomfortable against Lee when he strolled in at number three. Saeed Anwar was equally so against Glen McGrath, who had him all at sea in his first spell. Using full advantage of his height, he extracted pronounced bounce out of this good batting pitch and once hit Saeed a painful blow on his left shoulder. Pakistan weathered this storm competently then lost it in a hazardous fashion.Razzaq and Inzamam threw their wickets away in a moment of madness. Both were stumped in the same over, trying to manhandle Shane Warne. I am afraid Warne is far too experienced a bowler to let these guys take liberties. Inzamam’s intended slog was atrocious, especially so early on. I know he’s been getting a lot of runs recently but he should cast his mind back on the last Australian tour when he looked so out of touch for most of the tour. He’s in great form and should make the most of it. It was a dreadful mistake and put Pakistan on the back foot immediately.Younis Khan must by now hate the English umpires. Peter Willey (an old friend) has always been rather trigger-happy. Out of his six international innings on this tour, Younis has unfortunately been victim of poor decisions on at least three occasions. He must be outraged as well as devastated. Remember, he is in good nick and could make all the difference to this ailing batting line up.
Youhana with a delicate leg glance in his innings of 91 not out
Photo © CricInfo
Pakistan from 85 for 6 managed to pile up 257 runs and Rashid and Youhana were quite magnificent. If only we could get a decent start in every game. Time and again Inzamam and Youhana have bailed Pakistan out in the last eighteen months. Imagine how belligerent these two batsmen would be if they came into bat at 150 for two.Rashid has been a revelation on this tour. Every week, we deliver a lecture on mental toughness in our National Cricket Academy and I can assure you, Rashid Latif will be requested to give more than one lecture on this subject.Pakistan missed him behind the stumps when he could not keep wicket because of an injury. He and Youhana made sure Pakistan remained competitive in the game by scoring very attractive fifties and one can say they did not deserve to be on the losing side.
Ricky Ponting on his way to a score of 70
Photo © CricInfo
When you are defending a total like this, it’s important not to concede free runs in the early overs. Pakistan let Australia off the hook and their batsmen romped off to an electric start. For some reason, Ricky Ponting saves his best for Pakistan and is so cocky against all our bowlers. Not many batsmen in the world can take as much liberty against Shoaib Akhtar as he does. He is super quick on his feet and relishes fast bowling. After hitting fast bowlers all over the field he just struts around like a king. I can tell you, many a fast bowler in my era would have hated his guts and done something to curb his style. Anyway, with Mark Waugh as his partner he took the score to 133 before Mark bid him goodbye.
Bowler Razzaq hugs emergency keeper Khan who has just caught out Mark Waugh
Photo © CricInfo
It was a typical one-day dismissal. In trying to run Razzaq down to third man with an angled bat, Mark Waugh was comfortably caught behind. Mark had looked in supreme control of the game and it’s hard to imagine that a player of his ability has been made to fight for his place in the team during the last Australian Cricket season. Ricky Ponting, as is his wont, soon got carried away and trying to slog Saqlain over mid-wicket picked the wrong ball and was comfortably caught at long on by Razzaq.I was excited for a little while because Pakistan was given an opportunity to push at the Australians. Pakistan knew they’d have to bowl Australia out, to win this game as the Aussies had ample overs to canter home after this brisk partnership.I think Waqar should have introduced Saqlain a lot earlier than he did. Bevan is a master at work in the one-day game, especially when he does not need to score at a furious pace. His timing is immaculate and picking up gaps in the field is his hobby. He makes batting in one-dayers look so easy. He truly is a great batsman for this particular form of cricket.Steve Waugh made sure Pakistan stayed on the back foot. What a tremendous cricketer he is. At the start of his career there was a strong rumour this chap was a pushover if you bowl short at him. He’s proved everybody wrong.In the end it turned out to be a no contest. The Australians like in the World Cup final were all over our team. Maybe they have some kind of mental hold over the Pakistanis? Come on boys, it is time to push the Australians back.

Ed:Mudassar Nazar is a veteran of 76 tests and 122 ODIs. He is currently the chief coach of Pakistan’s National and Regional Cricket Academies. In view of the overwhelming interest of users in CricInfo’s articles, we have invited him to write for us.

This has been a torrid season for Wolves but, with Raul Jimenez set to return during pre-season, the Old Gold can be positive about their prospects in 2021/22.

It was wonderful news to hear the Mexican had now made a full recovery from the horrendous fractured skull he sustained back in November.

He has been a monumental loss to departing manager Nuno Espirito Santo this term, with the Molineux outfit struggling for goals. That’s hardly a surprise, though, especially when you consider that Jimenez returned 27 strikes in 2019/20.

Since his time on the sidelines, Fabio Silva has only found the net four times and Willian Jose has scored once. Therefore, to have their main man back will come as music to the ears of Wolves supporters.

It will also be welcomed by Pedro Neto, a player suffering from his own lengthy injury.

He was named the club’s Player of the Season this week and it was easy to see why. He is their joint-top scorer and has more assists than any other player in the squad. However, those numbers would be far better if their Mexican number nine was available throughout the campaign.

Providing Wolves can get him and Jimenez back fit, they could have a brilliant chance of breaking into the European places next season. Add Xherdan Shaqiri into the mix and their hopes become even brighter.

The Liverpool forward was tipped to be a good addition for Wolves by Football Insider pundit Noel Whelan earlier this year.

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He commented: “Where would he end up going [from Liverpool]? You’re probably talking middle of the table. Maybe Wolves, that might suit a player like him. But I doubt the top six would take a chance on him. He’s got a great left foot but he hasn’t been playing regularly. He’s been a bit-part player.”

As a player blessed with plenty of creativity, a front three of him, Neto and Jimenez is a mouth-watering one. Shaqiri possesses what has been described as “breathtaking technique” and you can see that in the way he carves out chances for others.

Despite his limited game-time at Liverpool this term, he has still managed 1.4 key passes per match. That tally is only bettered by Adama Traore and Neto at Molineux.

The comparisons with Nuno’s front three are rife, possessing flair and trickery to beat defenders on a regular basis.

During an interview with Football FanCast’s sister site This is Futbol, Old Gold legend Steve Bull said: “Shaqiri is similar to Neto, Podence and Traore so he could actually fit in and I wouldn’t rule that out at all. He’s that type of player who is busy, small, light on his feet and a dead ball specialist.”

If a player is good enough for Bull, he should be good enough for Wolves’ new manager next term, and indeed Fosun.

Shaqiri’s salary of £80,000 per week is steep but he would add plenty to a Wolves squad who are in desperate need of more quality and options in the final third.

AND in other news, Wolves intend to buy “unpredictable” 23-goal Mendes client, he’s an upgrade on Podence…

Leeds United have suffered an injury blow ahead of the final day of the season, with Diego Llorente ruled out of the home clash with West Brom.

The Lowdown: Leeds aim to finish in style

The Whites will be looking for a positive end to an excellent season on Sunday afternoon, as they welcome the relegated Baggies to Elland Road.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side could still finish as high as eighth in the Premier League if results go their way, following a superb campaign back in the top-flight.

The Latest: Llorente ruled out of clash

Leeds will have to get past West Brom without Llorente, however, with the centre-back ruled out by Bielsa in his press conference on Friday.

The 27-year-old, who has been described as ‘magnificent’ by Michael Brown earlier this season, came off at half-time in discomfort against Southampton in midweek and won’t feature again this season.

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The Verdict: Big loss for Whites

Llorente has enjoyed an increasingly excellent campaign for Leeds, following an injury-plagued start, so his absence will be felt on Sunday. Since recovering from multiple muscle problems, he has started 13 straight matches.

That being said, Pascal Struijk is a strong deputy to bring in, as was the case at Southampton, as Bielsa’s men ran out 2-0 winners at St Mary’s.

Llorente will continue to be a key man for Leeds, however, following a season that has seen him average 2.3 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game in the league, showing the type of quality and experience that led Victor Orta and co to splash out last summer.

In other news, a Leeds player is reportedly in talks with a club over a summer move. Find out who it is here.

Mike Powell and Alun Evans both scored centuries as Glamorgan’s batsmen dominated on the first day of their friendly against Cardiff Universities Cricket Centre of Excellence at Sophia Gardens

Richard Thomas of the South Wales Evening Post20-Jun-2001Mike Powell and Alun Evans both scored centuries as Glamorgan’s batsmen dominated on the first day of their friendly against Cardiff Universities Cricket Centre of Excellence at Sophia Gardens.Powell, captaining a depleted county side, played himself back into form with a century off 140 balls with one six and 15 fours after Glamorgan were put into bat.Following CricInfo Championship scores of 0, 0, 1, 1, 7 and 16 in his last three games Powell was in desperate need of some runs.And against a rather tame student attack he didn’t disappoint as he and Evans added 218 in 46 overs. Powell started slowly but his second half-century arrived off just 59 deliveries.Between lunch and tea Glamorgan went to 115-2 to 311-4, but just before the interval Evans and Powell perished in consecutive overs.Glamorgan picked just three of the side who played in the first team that drew with Kent at Maidstone last week – skipper Powell, Mark Wallace and Simon Jones.Wallace was just one of three other batsmen to make notable contributions before Powell declared the Glamorgan innings on 373-7. Opener Ian Thomas made 38, Dan Cherry an unbeaten 34 and Mark Wallace supplied an impressive 19.The students were held up twice in their first innings by injuries. First wicketkeeper Adrian Shaw hurt a finger taking a leg side delivery from Simon Jones, who in turn hurt his foot forcing Alun Evans to bowl the last three deliveries.The Students finished the first day on 27-0, 346 behind Glamorgan, with the openers Alex French and James Cook having to survive some good new ball bowling from Owen Parkin and trialist Syed Bukhari.