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Since Southampton were promoted to the Premier League at the end of the 2011/12 season, one player that has been a consistent and regular figure for them is club captain James Ward-Prowse, who has made at least one goal contribution in all of the ten Premier League seasons he’s had at the club, racking up 35 goals and 34 assists in 257 appearances.

After appearing in all 38 of Southampton’s league games last term, the 27-year-old managed to end the campaign with more goals (8) and assists (8) than he had done previously and is currently on his way to matching those numbers with five goals and two assists in 18 games so far this time around.

Given Ward-Prowse’s clear importance to the team as well as his useful knack for scoring and creating goals, the current January transfer window could give new Southampton owner Dragan Solak the opportunity to make a real statement and show his ambition for the team by bringing in a player that could push Hasenhuttl’s side forward alongside Ward-Prowse.

With the south-coast club previously linked with a transfer move for Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard, who has been previously described as being a “dynamic” player by former Red Devils player and coach Michael Carrick, this could be a great first signing under Solak’s ownership.

Having scored nine goals and provided five assists in 16 appearances on a loan spell with West Ham United last season, the £18m-rated star has proved what a dangerous player he can be in front of goal when given the chance to play regularly, which he hasn’t been given this season at Old Trafford.

During his spell with David Moyes’ side, the Englishman managed to rack up an average of 2.6 shots per game in the Premier League, which is higher than any current Southampton player has managed to make this season, showing that he could be a very dangerous player for the Saints if he decides to leave the Manchester club again this month in search for regular playing time.

If Southampton can secure Lingard’s signature this month and get him playing alongside Ward-Prowse as they have done in the past on the international stage, the pair could form a terrifying partnership in Hasenhuttl’s side and add an extra attacking outlet in the team that could potentially push them into the top half of the table by the end of the season.

In other news: Ralph could unearth the new Yaya Toure as Saints plot move for “unique” £9m-rated ace – opinion

Joe Denly, the England and Kent batsman, has been cleared of any serious damage after undergoing exploratory operations on both knees.

Cricinfo staff14-Jan-2010

Joe Denly, the England and Kent batsman, has been cleared of any serious damage after undergoing exploratory operations on both knees. Denly originally hurt his left knee in a collision with Owais Shah during a practice-session football match before the second ODI against Australia at the Oval last summer.At the time, scans revealed a small sprain but no major damage, and Denly took part in the England Performance Programme’s tour to South Africa in December last year, cracking a double hundred against the Titans. He still had some discomfort in his knee, however, and so decided on the operations.”The England physio and Nimmo Reid at Kent both felt there was nothing major structurally wrong but I had felt a bit of pain and was a bit worried so wanted peace of mind and to feel comfortable myself,” Denly told KentOnline. “I was happy when the surgeon Andy Williams told me nothing was wrong. I was told to rest for three weeks but I hope to get back hitting balls in the nets soon.”With the squad for England’s second tour of the winter – a trip to Bangladesh in February and March for three ODIs and two Tests – yet to be announced, the good news will be especially heartening to Denly, who lost his spot in England’s one-day team to Jonathan Trott at the top of the order.

New South Wales have finally gained their first Sheffield Shield win of the season

Cricinfo staff29-Nov-2009
ScorecardMichael Hogan was laid flat by Doug Bollinger and retired hurt, but came back to bowl in the Warriors’ heavy defeat•Getty Images

With the Test stars away, New South Wales have finally gained their first Sheffield Shield win of the season after an eight-wicket victory in three days over Western Australia. When many of the internationals were around for the first two games the Blues did not pick up any points, but Stuart Clark’s opening four-day fixture in charge with the understudies quickly turned things around.Doug Bollinger, who was 12th man at the Gabba, kept his name in the Test frame with eight victims for the contest before Phil Jaques led the easy chase of 103 with an unbeaten 54. Phillip Hughes’ uncertain summer continued when he edged his first ball to slip but Usman Khawaja (41) was the only other loss as the runs came up in the 26th over.Western Australia were 7 for 231 at the beginning of the day, but Clark and Bollinger picked up a wicket each before Michael Hogan was forced to retire hurt after being hit in the head by Bollinger. That forced the close of the innings at 245 and Bollinger walked off with 5 for 68, while Hogan came back to deliver 6.5 overs. The win, which was set up when the Warriors were dismissed for 131 on the opening day, lifted the Blues to fourth spot on six points, two clear of Western Australia and Tasmania.

Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst has enjoyed a seamless transition to life in Glasgow and is thriving at Ibrox as the club’s new head coach.

He has won five of his first six matches – starting with Sparta Prague – in all competitions, including all four of his Premiership games, and has carried on where Steven Gerrard left off.

However, one issue he has faced has been the fitness of midfielder Ryan Jack. The 29-year-old recently returned after nine months out of action and has now suffered a fresh setback, which is a shame as he has the potential to be a key player for the Dutchman.

Transfer dream

The Gers signed Jack on a free transfer from Aberdeen in the summer of 2017 and he has been a fine servant for the club over the years. At the time of the move, Transfermarkt valued him at just £630k, having played 250 times for the fellow Scottish side.

Since arriving at Ibrox, Jack has made 133 appearances for the club and been directly involved in 23 goals, with 11 for himself and 12 assists. He has also been capped 10 times by Scotland since joining the Gers, making his debut in November 2017.

Back in 2019, then-Gers boss Steven Gerrard claimed that the 29-year-old ‘drives the team on’ with how he demands more from his teammates, saying: “Ryan is an example for the rest of the squad because he never drops his standards, whether it’s a training session or a game.

“He knits everything together, he drives the team on, he demands from everyone else around him.”

The £12k-per-week beast played an important part in Rangers’ title success last season. He averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.14 as he managed 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game, whilst completing 90% of his passes overall.

At the time of writing, Transfermarkt value him at £3.15m and, at the age of 29, he still has the opportunity to improve on that valuation if he is able to return to fitness and play a leading role for the club in the second half of the campaign.

Therefore, Rangers pulled off a transfer blinder by landing Jack on a free in 2017. He has surpassed 100 appearances for the club, heavily increasing his value and turning in impressive performances on a consistent basis in a title-winning season. Hopefully this will not be the end of his Gers career and he will continue to prove his worth under Van Bronckhorst when he returns from injury.

AND in other news, Forget Tavernier: “Terrific” Rangers beast with 51 duels won is already GVB’s key man…

يرى أسطورة نادي ليفربول، جرايم سونيس، أن ثنائي الفريق الأول لكرة القدم، محمد صلاح وترينت ألكسندر أرنولد، أحد أسباب تدهور مستوى الريدز في الموسم الحالي.

ويظهر ليفربول بمستوى متواضع في الدوري الإنجليزي هذا الموسم بالإضافة إلى السقوط الشديد أمام نابولي في الجولة الأولى من بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا والخسارة بنتيجة 4-1.

اقرأ أيضًا | مدافع سويسرا السابق لـ بطولات: ثنائية كولر وجامبيرلي مفيدة للأهلي.. وهناك ما يقلقني

وتحدث سونيس عن وجهة نظره في مقاله عبر صحيفة “ديلي ميل” البريطانية، وقال: “في الوقت الحالي، لا يظهر ليفربول بمستواه المعهود ولا يقترب منه حتى، فهو يقف على بعد ميل مما اعتدنا عليه مع يورجن كلوب”.

وأضاف: “كانوا دائمًا القادرين على الهجوم وتسجيل الأهداف، مثل مانشستر سيتي ولذلك فهما أفضل فريقين في إنجلترا ولا أحد يقترب من مستواهما، لكن الأمر مختلف الآن”.

وتابع: “لقد انتقلوا من فريق يمكنه تهديد أي منافس من الدقيقة الأولى إلى الأخيرة، إلى فريق دائمًا ما ينتظر الفعل ليقوم برد فعل”.

وواصل تصريحاته: “هناك الكثير من الأسباب لتدهور أداء ليفربول، وبالتأكيد، لديهم كل التحليلات والبيانات، خاصة انخفاض مستوى محمد صلاح، الذي لم يعد اللاعب الذي كان عليه من قبل، وكذلك أرنولد، لقد كان سببًا في تسجيل نابولي أكثر من هدف”.

واستمر: “لم أر محمد صلاح نفسه الذي اعتدنا عليه من قبل، لقد وقع على عقده الجديد وآمل حقًا ألا نراه يجلس على كرسي بذراعين بسبب ذلك”.

وأتم تصريحاته: “ليفربول يجب أن يعود إلى شراسته من خلال العمل الجماعي، لقد كان الأمر دائمًا على هذا النحو، يجب أن يكون هناك ضغط على المنافس، إذا تهاون شخصًا ما بشأن ذلك فالأسلوب بأكمله ينهار وتكون فريقًا يلعب فقط على الهجمة المرتدة”.

أكد عمرو الحلواني لاعب فريق سيراميكا كليوباترا، أنه سيعقد جلسة مع أحمد سامي مدرب الفريق لحسم مصيره مع الفريق، مشيرًا إلى أن هناك لاعبين كثيرون يتعرضون للظلم في الإسماعيلي.

وقال الحلواني في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر فضائية “المحور”: “سأعقد جلسة مع أحمد سامي، من أجل تحديد مصيري، وأنا أريد الاستمرار في الفريق”.

وتابع: “أنا لي حوالي 65 أسيست، وسجلت 22 هدفًا من ركلة حرة، والحمد لله أنا ضمن أكثر اللاعبين الذين سجلوا أهدافًا من ركلات ثابتة في تاريخ الدوري المصري”.

وواصل: “أنا حاليًا على قوة سيراميكا كليوباترا وتتبقى سنة في عقدي مع الفريق بعد انتهاء إعارتي إلى الإسماعيلي، وأحمد سامي مدرب كبير وفكره جيد للغاية ويحب اللاعبين الذين يهاجمون بشكل جيد”.

طالع أيضًا.. خاص | الأهلي يضم شادي حسين مقابل رحيل لاعبه إلى سيراميكا كليوباترا

وتطرق للحديث عن الأهلي: “الأحمر يحتاج مدرب له شخصية، مثل جوسفالدو فيريرا مدرب الزمالك، لأن نجاح الأبيض جاء بسببه، وحصد معه لقب الدوري المصري”.

وزاد: “سواريش جاء في وقت صعب وظلم، وهزيمته من بيراميدز وكذلك من الزمالك في نهائي كأس مصر، أحدثا الفارق معه”.

وأضاف: “لاعبو الأهلي عنددما كنت أتحدث معهم، كانوا يقولوا لي إن سواريش مدرب جيد، وكانوا يحبونه للغاية داخل غرفة الملابس”.

وأردف: “لو سواريش فاز على بيراميدز أو الزمالك كان الموضوع اختلف، ولكن لم يحالفه التوفيق”

وعن محمد حمدي لاعب بيراميدز: “الأنسب لـ الأهلي في مركز الظهير الأيسر، هو قادر على مواجهة الضغوط الجماهيرية، ولو انضم للأحمر سيتطور”.

واستكمل: “محمد حمدي لاعب يعد من أبناء الأهلي، ولو أنا مكانه سأذهب للأحمر، حتى لو هناك فرصة قليلة للمشاركة، خاصة إن علي معلول تقدم في السن، وأنا قلت له ذلك عندما تقابلت معه منذ فترة”.

وعن الأزمات التي تطارد النادي الإسماعيلي: “هناك لاعبون كثيرون يتعرضون للظلم داخل الإسماعيلي من جميع النواحي، ومثلا يظل اللاعبين 3 أو 4 أشهر دون ملابس جديدة”.

أضاف: “اللاعبون في الإسماعيلي لم يحصلوا على مستحقاتهم في أوقات كثيرة، رغم أن النادي محسوب ضمن الأندية الكبيرة، وأيضًا المعسكرات داخل النادي لم تكن على مستوى اسم النادي”.

واختتم: “المدرب الذي يستمر مع الإسماعيلي شهرين أو ثلاثة يكون بطلًا، وحمزة الجمل مدرب رائع ساهم في بقاء الفريق في الدوري، وهذا النادي كبير، لكن يجب تغيير أشياء كثيرة به”.

Crystal Palace extended their unbeaten run in the Premier League to six games after seeing off Wolves 2-0 at Selhurst Park this afternoon.

The Eagles took a deserved lead just after the hour mark when talisman Wilfried Zaha finished well following a James McArthur through ball. Although it was initially disallowed for offside against the Ivory Coast international, he was eventually awarded his third goal of the season by the video assistant referee (VAR).

Zaha’s effort sparked the game into life, producing an entertaining final half-hour which saw Odsonne Edouard test Jose Sa in the Wolves goal on several occasions before VAR overturned a penalty awarded to the visitors.

Summer signing Conor Gallagher then wrapped up the three points for Vieira’s side 12 minutes from time after his heavily-deflected strike left Sa with no chance of making a save.

The 21-year-old has been in fine form for the Eagles in the opening weeks of the season, netting four league goals already, and today he stole the show once again, catching the eye of Palace reporter Mark Wyatt.

“Had a lively first half and got the ball forward when he got the chance to drive at Wolves,” wrote Wyatt after awarding Gallagher a nine out of 10 in his player ratings for football.london.

“Was rewarded for his hard work in the second half with his goal – his fourth of the campaign. Was fortunate to take a deflection but he won’t care – another excellent display from the loanee.”

The midfielder’s underlying numbers certainly back up Wyatt’s assessment. As per SofaScore, Gallagher produced four key passes for his teammates throughout the 90 minutes, picked out a teammate with four of his five attempted crosses and successfully completed his only attempted dribble.

The England Under-21 international was equally as impressive in his defensive work. As per SofaScore, he made three tackles and two interceptions and won five duels as he dominated the midfield engine room in south London this afternoon.

With a relatively kind run of fixtures coming up for Palace, Vieira will be hoping that his hero against Wolves can reproduce this kind of performance on a regular basis in the weeks ahead and help the Eagles to maintain their splendid autumn form.

In other news… £10.1m in the bank: Parish sealed dream CPFC deal over “quality” £29k-p/w beast

نجح فريق الكرة الأول بنادي الاتحاد السكندري في تسجيل الهدف الأول بشباك نظيره الزمالك، بأقدام إبراهيم حسن.

ويستضيف استاد القاهرة الدولي مباراة فريقي الزمالك والاتحاد السكندري في الجولة 32 من عمر الدوري المصري الممتاز.

مباشر بالفيديو | مباراة الزمالك والاتحاد في الدوري 

وأحرز إبراهيم حسن هدفه العالمي من قبل منتصف الملعب، في الدقيقة 44 من عمر اللقاء، مستغلًا تقدم الحارس محمد عواد.

يذكر أن مباراة اليوم تقام بعد حسم الزمالك رسميًا بطولة الدوري الممتاز، فيما يتواجد الاتحاد السكندري في المركز الـ12 برصيد 36 نقطة. هدف الاتحاد السكندري الرائع أمام الزمالك

Match facts

Thursday, June 11
Start time 13.30 local (12.30 GMT)Kevin O’Brien celebrates Ireland’s comfortable win against Bangladesh•Getty Images

Big Picture

However far Ireland progress in this tournament, they have done enough to confirm their standing as comfortably the best Associate. The moment they qualified for the ICC World Twenty20, they had Bangladesh in their sights and duly knocked them aside on Monday with a comprehensive six-wicket win. Subdued celebrations followed, perhaps owing to their increased belief of challenging Test nations, but moreover the realisation that the next hurdle will be far trickier to leap.That they are facing an injured New Zealand can only help, however. Jesse Ryder has been ruled out with severe pain in his groin, and remains in hospital suffering from “a significant infection”, while Ross Taylor’s hamstring has forced the selectors to rest him. Daniel Vettori, the captain, continues to recover from a shoulder niggle and may not play, though James Franklin ought to return after his knee injury. This puts tremendous pressure on the support players to perform immediately; if they have even one eye off the ball, they will pay. Ireland may be an Associate, but unlike Scotland they fear no-one.Ireland, too, have injury concerns. Niall O’Brien damaged his ankle in Ireland’s last match, while Trent Johnston has a sore shoulder, forcing both players to be rested for their match against India. Ireland desperately need their best players, including this pair, to be fit and firing if they are to challenge a bruised New Zealand.

Form guide

(last five matches, most recent first)
New Zealand LWWWL
They crushed Scotland’s plucky little effort and nearly beat South Africa, losing by just one run. Injuries or not, New Zealand can never be written off in one-day cricket and thrive as the underdog.Ireland LWWNW
Three of those wins for Ireland have come against Associates. The 138 they chased against Bangladesh is comfortably their highest score in Twenty20s, a format that Associates rarely play.

Watch out for…

Brendon McCullum, who has yet to produce a scintillating knock but threatened against South Africa with an oddly-paced 57 from 54. His chastening tenure captaining Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL might, conversely, inspire him to lead from the front with the bat for his country instead. They need him to.The O’Brien brothers are a force to be reckoned with. Niall, the hot-headed wicketkeeper, is the more naturally gifted; his deft stumping to dismiss Mahmudullah was opportunistic and classy. But his younger brother, Kevin, hits the ball longer and farther than most in the Ireland team, as his devastating 39 from just 17 balls to be Bangladesh testified. Trent Johnston, 35-years-young, is loving every moment of his cricket in the last few months, too, and performing very well with the ball.

Team news

New Zealand will miss Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor (hamstring), while Daniel Vettori (shoulder) is still a doubt. The Otago batsman, Aaron Redmond, has been called up as cover, but James Franklin (knee) should return.New Zealand: (possible) 1 Brendon McCullum (capt), 2 Martin Guptil, 3 Ross Taylor, 4 Neil Broom, 5 Jacob Oram, 6 Scott Styris, 7 Peter McGlashan (wk), 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 James Franklin, 10 Ian Butler, 11 Kyle MillsNiall O’Brien (ankle) and Trent Johnston (shoulder) both missed Ireland’s match against India, and Ireland dearly need both if they are to challenge New Zealand.Ireland: (possible) 1 Jeremy Bray, 2 William Porterfield (capt), 3 Niall O’Brien (wk), 4 Gary Wilson, 5 John Mooney, 6 Kevin O’Brien, 7 Trent Johnston, 8 Alex Cusack, 9 Kyle McCallan, 10 Regan West, 11 Boyd Rankin

Pitch and conditions

Trent Bridge has offered plenty of runs – Sri Lanka smacked 192 for 5 against West Indies – and enough turn to keep the spinners interested. There ought to be some early movement for both sides’ seamers on what is expected to be another overcast day.

Stats and Trivia

• Before today’s matches, Ireland had hit more sixes (5) than Sri Lanka (4)
• Each team could have a pair of brothers playing: the O’Briens for Ireland and New Zealand’s McCullums.

Quotes

“I was happy enough just to catch it and I thought I might as well take the bails off for good measure.”
“I’m going get a couple more physios to get round us all.”
tries to find eleven fit cricketers.

Match facts

May 6, 2009
Start time 16.30 (14.30GMT)RP Singh will need to lift his game a level higher to make up for Fidel Edwards’ absence•AFP

Big Picture

Three points separate seven teams at around the half-way stage. So tight is the table that on Tuesday, Rajasthan Royals jumped from No. 7 to No. 2 with their win against Kings XI Punjab, only to be pushed back to third following Delhi Daredevils’ victory over Kolkata Knight Riders later in the night. No one team can be convinced of making the semi-finals, which makes almost every game in these middle stages crucial. Especially when Deccan Chargers are playing Mumbai Indians, two teams that started off so well they were talked of as title contenders.Deccan started their campaign with four straight wins, twice the number of matches they won last year, but three matches later they have a losing streak to overcome. Fidel Edwards has been a big loss for them, and they need to somehow get back to winning ways.Mumbai have their own problems, not the least losing Zaheer Khan to a shoulder injury. They have won just one out of their last three games, and quite incredibly stand at No. 7. Tomorrow’s game, though, is sure to change the top four in the points table. If Deccan win, they will rise to No. 2, if Mumbai win, they will enter the top four, displacing Deccan.

Form guide (completed matches, most recent first)

Deccan Chargers – LLLWW
Ryan Harris, Edwards’ replacement, went for 39 runs in his four overs against Chennai Super Kings.Mumbai Indians – LWLWL
Lasith Malinga hasn’t opened the bowling in his last two games, and has gone for 47 runs in 7.1 overs – a big contrast to the 57 he had given away in 14.2 previous overs.

Watch out for

RP v Tendulkar and Jayasuriya: In Edwards’ absence, RP Singh could well determine which way Deccan go from here on. He has achieved a personal target through this IPL, a return to the Indian squad for the World Twenty20, but now is the time for him to take his game a notch higher. His key men in the opening spell will be Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar. RP got Jayasuriya out for 1 in the previous match, but he will know a lot of it was down to the pressure Edwards created.Malinga v Gilchrist and Gibbs: The last time these two teams met, Malinga proved too hot, but the Deaccan openers found a way around him, managing 93 runs between them off 64 deliveries. Malinga bowled a double-wicket maiden, the last over of the innings, in his 4-1-19-3.

Team news

Deccan could try Chaminda Vaas ahead of Harris. And their other trouble has been the No. 3 batsman. VVS Laxman has scored 19 in five innings, Azhar Bilakhia hasn’t been too impressive either.Deccan: 1 Adam Gilchrist (capt./wk), 2 Herschelle Gibbs, 3 VVS Laxman/Azhar Bilakhia, 4 Rohit Sharma, 5 Scott Styris, 6 Venugopal Rao, 7 Ravi Teja, 8 Harmeet Singh, 9 Pragyan Ojha, 10 RP Singh, 11 Chaminda Vaas/Ryan Harris.Most of Mumbai’s team discussion will revolve around finding a replacement for Zaheer, who fell badly on his shoulder, while fielding during the game against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Dhawal Kulkarni and left-arm medium-pacer Rahil Shaikh are the frontrunners.Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane and Saurabh Tiwary have failed to set the world alight, but Mumbai will have to pick two of the three, unless they spring a complete surprise.Mumbai: 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Sachin Tendulkar (capt.), 3 JP Duminy 4 Dwayne Bravo, 5 Abhishek Nayar, 6 and 7 Shikhar Dhawan/Saurabh Tiwary/Ajinkya Rahane , 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Pinal Shah (wk), 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Dhawal Kulkarni/Rahil Shaikh.

Stats and trivia

• Gilchrist has scored 210 runs in the tournament, while his Mumbai counterpart, Tendulkar, has 209. Matthew Hayden holds the orange cap with 289.

Head-to-head

In their first game this season, Deccan won when Mumbai lost their way following the strategy time-out of their chase of 169.Last year Mumbai were ambushed by Gilchrist in their first match. Gilchrist smashed 109 off 47 balls to set up Deccan’s ten-wicket victory. However, Deccan’s top order collapsed in the second match as they slipped to a 25-run defeat in Hyderabad.