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Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have gone wild over an announcement as the club appoint new head of recruitment Rob Newman.

The transfer chief, who was linked to a post at West Ham as early as mid-August, has now been officially unveiled as the Hammers’ chief of scouting and recruitment.

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Irons boss David Moyes will now be assisted by Newman who operated in a similar role at Manchester City – playing a small hand in moves for the likes of Aymeric Laporte (The Athletic).

His vast experience of tackling the transfer market won’t be his only asset, either, with Moyes making it known he also wants to sign young players with the potential for great sell-on value.

Newman will come as a very useful appointment in this regard considering his role in signing the likes of Brahim Diaz, Angelino and Pablo Maffeo for City.

His arrival at Rush Green is certainly a big boost for West Ham and it’s little wonder supporters are going wild.

Find all of their best verdicts on the announcement down below.

West Ham fans go wild for Newman announcement…

“Yessssss”

Credit: @big_huvy17

“Beautiful”

Credit: @Irons_Stuff

“Man I’m excited”

Credit: @HHickford

“This is massive for us”

Credit: @Benlambert99

“Just give us the league now”

Credit: @Hammer798

“That’s actually brilliant news. One more step towards becoming a more professional club.”

Credit: @WestHamCF

“Should be a great apppointment & love seeing that we’re addressing our issues, finally! A manager who’s got a great team & work ethic, players that love playing for us, the champions statue, that pre match build up yesterday, this recruitment Club going in the right direction”

Credit: @rickwhufc

“Absolute scenes”

Credit: @WestHamXtra

In other news: Weighing bid: Newman already wants to sign ‘forward’ for West Ham after impressive rise, find out more here.

A number of Manchester United fans have slammed the performance of Luke Shaw in their 1-1 draw to Everton in the Premier League on Saturday.

Andros Townsend managed to earn a point for the visitors after Anthony Martial had scored in the first half, and many of the Old Trafford faithful felt that the England left-back was largely at fault for the equaliser.

The former Southampton defender found himself completely out of position as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team were ripped apart on the counterattack, and Townsend’s strike ended up coming down his flank.

Shaw did not have his best game by his standards, losing out on six of his duels, and he also lost possession of the ball on 17 occasions, the joint-third most of any of his teammates (Sofascore).

Man Utd fans slam Shaw

These Red Devils supporters slammed his performance on Twitter, with one United fan even going as far as to claim that the 26-year-old was ‘pathetic’ yesterday:

“Luke Shaw is also low key horrible at actual defending. Basically left his position and left Townsend free.”

Credit: @chisomilokah

“Shaw was absolutely pathetic.”

Credit: @SAKhaaan

“Shaw very poor, clearly unfit but the stupid puppet started him. Just sack the stupid Mr Yes”

Credit: @Cherif227

“Shaw has been terrible”

Credit: @ChoteyMamu

“That was shocking from Shaw for the goal as well”

Credit: @Paulwarwick84

“Fred got bullied there but Shaw is so far out of position it’s laughable.”

Credit: @blainewitten

In other news, find out whose display against Everton was also slammed

Celtic defender Christopher Jullien could now make a return from injury before the end of October, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Sunday news

Jullien is yet to feature in 2021 after suffering an injury against Dundee United last December.

Ange Postecoglou was hoping the Frenchman would return to training following the international break, along with James Forrest.

A report from Football Insider on Sunday claimed that the 28-year-old wasn’t expected to return before the end of the month.

However, it appears the outlet’s Hoops source has made a u-turn.

The Latest: Source shares update

Football Insider shared a story on Tuesday, where Frank McAvennie gave his thoughts on the centre-back.

Within their report, they now claim that Jullien is progressing well and could return towards the end of the month.

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The Verdict: Good news

The quicker Jullien can return to full fitness and be available for Postecoglou, the better.

The Hoops manager has relied heavily on summer signings Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers in recent weeks, and you’d expect Jullien would rival them for a starting spot when he returns.

Celtic still have five games to play before the month is out, four of which are in the league, so giving Postecoglou another option at the back could be priceless in what could be a pivotal period.

In other news: Defender ‘like Rio Ferdinand’ now reveals he wished he’d joined Celtic. 

Former Zimbabwe coach Kevin Curran has defended the quality of cricket in the Logan Cup

Steven Price in Harare09-Apr-2009Former Zimbabwe coach Kevin Curran has defended the quality of cricket in the Logan Cup.The tournament has been dogged in recent years by issues of substandard cricket by often substandard cricketers. But Curran, who is coaching leaders Northerns, insisted that things were on the up.”If you would have asked me four years ago if we needed five teams in the Logan Cup I would have told you that we didn’t need that because of the standards. Not anymore,” Curran told the local Independent newspaper. “I think what we need in the Logan Cup is to have five teams. It helps to widen the selection base. That’s what you want.”If you look at the four teams that are currently playing, they each have a squad of 16 players. Some of the players in the squads are not getting game time, and if you were to combine that with Under-19s, you will come out with a fifth side, a very good side.”Despite Curran’s bullish comments, there remain concerns, not only over the standard of play but also of the facilities. The board took a controversial decision to stage all the games in Harare, explaining that this had been done for logistical and financial reasons, but this has not gone down well.”The explanations don’t add up,” a Bulawayo-based administrator told Cricinfo. “We have been assured that there will be meaningful cricket played away from Harare later this year, but what this move has done is to send a clear message that the board has abandoned the game away from the capital.”Even last year the bulk of the players who turned up for the so-called outlying provinces were bussed to games from Harare. The game continues to die away from there, and this latest stunt will only accelerate that decline.”

Middlesex have signed Australian left-hand opening batsman Phillip Hughes for the 2009 season.Hughes, 20, fresh from celebrating a call up to the Australian Test side, will join Middlesex on a short-term contract for the first six weeks of the summer as cover for overseas signing Murali Kartik, who will be absent due to his participation at the IPL tournament.”To have signed Phillip for the early part of the season is a major coup for Middlesex, as there is no secret of the fact that many respected voices in the game are billing Phillip as one of the most talented young batsmen in world cricket today,” Angus Fraser, the director of cricket, said.”Phillip arrives with us in early April and will be available for our season’s opening Championship fixture against Glamorgan at Lord’s. The addition of such a top-quality batsman to our top order will prove invaluable in the early part of the season, given the absence of both Andrew Strauss and Owais Shah.”Hughes made his first-class debut at the age of 18, finishing his first season with New South Wales with a first-class average of 62.11 and was instrumental in his side’s victory in the Sheffield Shield, with his 116 making him the youngest ever player to score a hundred in the final.He is currently the second highest run-scorer in this season’s Sheffield Shield, scoring 963 runs at an average of 68.78. He won the Bradman young player of the year award of 2009.

Former Premier League striker Dean Windass believes that Odsonne Edouard is a real coup for Crystal Palace. 

Edouard completed a deadline day move to Selhurst Park from Celtic in a deal reported to be worth £14m, which could rise to £18.5m according to Sky Sports. The report also states that the 23-year-old has put pen to paper on a four-year deal with an option of a further 12 months.

Whilst with Celtic, Edouard scored 39 goals for his teammates.

The striker had a successful spell at Paradise as he helped the Hoops to three Scottish Premiership titles, three Scottish Cups and three Scottish League Cups, while he picked up the individual accolade of Player of the Year in 2019/2020.

And Windass believes that the signing of Edouard is a real coup for Crystal Palace, telling Transfer Tavern: “I’ve watched him when Josh was at Glasgow Rangers, as you say he’s a natural finisher. Listen it’s a positive move by Patrick Vieira and I’m sure once he gets up and going and he can get his first goal because he is a good player and that’s what Patrick brought him in for.”

Edouard was Crystal Palace’s seventh signing of the summer, with Marc Guehi, Michael Olise, Jacob Montes, Joachim Anderson, Conor Gallagher and Will Hughes all penning deals at Selhurst Park.

Stats highlights of India’s six-wicket win against England in Chennai

Cricinfo staff15-Dec-2008
Sachin Tendulkar’s century was his first in a successful run-chase in Tests © Getty Images
India’s successful run-chase is now the fourth-highest in Tests, and the highest in India – the record was previously held by West Indies, who chased down 276 in Delhi in 1987. West Indies still hold the record for the highest successful run-chase overall – they scored 418 to beat Australia in Antigua in 2003.Sachin Tendulkar’s 41st Test century, his seventh against England, is only his third in the fourth innings of a Test, and the first among them to feature in an Indian win. Tendulkar’s 136, also in Chennai, in India’s agonizing 12-run defeat to Pakistan in 1999, was his previous fourth-innings century.Only Sunil Gavaskar, who made 102 in India’s highest successful run-chase of 406 against West Indies in Port of Spain in 1976, and Ricky Ponting have more centuries in the fourth-innings of a Test – four each – than Tendulkar, who became the tenth player to score three or more centuries in the fourth innings.Tendulkar has scored more runs in Chennai – 876 in nine Tests at an average of 87.60 – than any other venue. Gavaskar, who’s scored 1018 runs in 12 Tests at 59.88 at the M.A Chidambaram Stadium, is the highest run-getter at the ground, but Tendulkar has scored more centuries there- five against three.Tendulkar became the sixth player, and the third Indian, after Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman, to go past 1000 runs in 2008. It’s the fifth time he’s gone past that figure for a calendar year.The unbeaten 163-run partnership between Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh is the fifth-highest for India in the fourth innings, and the highest in a successful run-chase. This was the pair’s second century partnership – they average 54 in seven innings – and the first since Yuvraj’s debut Test in Mohali against New Zealand in 2003.Both batsmen showed few signs of getting bogged down – the maximum dot-ball streak during their partnership was just 9, between the 88th and the 90th over. They kept the scoreboard ticking constantly, scoring 54% of their runs – 88 out of 163 – in singles and twos.It’s the fourth time – and the first time in an Indian win – that four Indian batsmen have scored fifty and above in the fourth innings of a Test.It’s only the tenth occasion – and the fourth since 1980 – that England have lost despite having two centurions in a single innings of a Test.Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who’s led his team to four wins in as many Tests as captain, became the sixth player to win four or more matches at the start of his captaincy. Percy Chapman, the former England captain, holds the record for most consecutive wins since taking over as captain with nine, from August 1926 to June 1930.Monty Panesar disappointed in the fourth innings, going wicketless for 105 runs in 27 overs. His fourth-innings bowling average of 35.13 is higher than his overall average of 32.58, which is surprising given spinners are usually at their most effective in the last innings. Since 2000 spinners overall average 31.64 in the fourth innings and 35.34 in all innings.

حسم نادي باريس سان جيرمان بطل الدوري الفرنسي موقفه من التعاقد مع جناح الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي مانشستر يونايتد، كريستيانو رونالدو، في الميركاتو الصيفي الحالي.

وارتبط اسم كريستيانو رونالدو بإمكانية الانتقال إلى باريس سان جيرمان كما هو الحال مع العديد من الأندية، بايرن ميونخ لم يفكر في البرتغالي كما أكدت صحيفة “بيلد” الألمانية.

بينما أفاد متخصص سوق الانتقالات بشبكة “سكاي سبورتس”، فابرزيو رومانو، أن باريس سان جيرمان استبعد الفكرة أيضًا من خلال مديره الرياضي الحالي، لويس كامبوس.

اقرأ أيضًا.. موعد مباراة منتخب مصر لكرة اليد أمام مقدونيا في دورة ألعاب البحر المتوسط

كان وكيل رونالدو، خورخي مينديز، في اجتماع مع كامبوس في الأيام الماضية من أجل صفقتي فيتينا وريناتو سانشيز، لكن كامبوس أبلغ مينديز بعدم التفكير في رونالدو.

ما يعيق انتقال رونالدو إلى باريس سان جيرمان أو بايرن ميونخ هو راتبه السنوي الكبير مع تقدمه في العمر رغم تسجيله 24 هدفًا مع مانشستر يونايتد في 39 مباراة بالموسم الماضي.

الجدير بالذكر أن رونالدو يريد الرحيل عن مانشستر يونايتد لعدم تعاقد الأخير مع صفقات جديدة للموسم المقبل وهو ما يزعج اللاعب البرتغالي لضبابية الرؤية في قلعة “أولد ترافورد”.

Southampton are keen on a move for Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff, as reported by the Daily Mail.

The Lowdown: Saints start off 2021/22 in lacklustre fashion

Starting off the new campaign with a disappointing 3-1 collapse away to Everton, Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl will be under no illusions that further additions may be needed in order to provide adequate strength in depth to breed success in 2021/22.

Busy in the transfer market, the Austrian has brought in six bodies in the form of Armando Broja, Theo Walcott, Dynel Simeu, Valentino Livramento, Romain Perraud and Adam Armstrong [Transfermarkt].

Now, they could be set to add an anchor man to the St Mary’s ranks owing to recent developments.

The Latest: Southampton keen on Longstaff, Everton also interested

Southampton are interested in a move for 23-year-old Longstaff, with his price-tag rumoured to be set at £10 million by the Magpies [Daily Mail].

His contract at St James’ Park is due to expire next summer, whilst he turns 24 in October which signifies that his current employers wouldn’t receive any development fee should he choose to run down the deal.

Everton are also attracted to the possibility of bringing Longstaff to Goodison Park, potentially reuniting the 5 foot 11 ace with his former manager Rafael Benitez.

The Verdict: Longstaff would be an astute signing by Southampton

Relatively inexpensive in the modern-day market for a young, English talent, Longstaff would represent an astute piece of business by the Southampton hierarchy.

As speculation continues to rumble on surrounding the future of Saints captain James Ward-Prowse, looking into contingency plans should be a key priority for Hasenhuttl in the present.

In 2020/21, Longstaff scored a solitary goal in 27 appearances for the Toon in all competitions [Transfermarkt], but he is really known for his ability to recycle possession effectively, recording a passing accuracy of 81.5% across the last term in the Premier League [WhoScored].

He was once praised by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, after stellar performances by him and Isaac Hayden in a 2-1 win over the Citizens in 2019. The ex-Barcelona manager stated: “We could not deal with Newcastle’s holding midfielders” [Chronicle Live].

Moving into the final stretch of the recruitment window, the Saints should look to snap up Longstaff ahead of rival competition for his signature.

In other news, Southampton fans want a 17-year-old wonderkid at St Mary’s. Find out more here.

According to TuttoMercatoWeb, Tottenham are set to enter talks with the agent of Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic.

The Lowdown: Spurs need a striker

Spurs are quite clearly in need of a new striker. Harry Kane has shared his desire to move on from north London (Sky Sports), while he even failed to turn up for training to further illustrate his point (talkSPORT).

Even if the talisman stays put, the Lilywhites do not have adequate support in depth behind him, such has been the problem for several years now.

They have been heavily linked with a move for Lautaro Martinez (Football Insider), but it also seems they have their eyes on another forward during this transfer window.

The Latest: Spurs to enter Vlahovic talks

As per this latest report, Spurs are set to enter talks with the agent of Vlahovic, while Inter Milan are also interested.

Fiorentina are said to be looking for €70m (£59.2m) to part ways with the Serbia international.

The Verdict: Top target

Losing Kane would be a blow to Nuno Espirito Santo – he will of course be eager to hold on to the man who has 221 goals in 336 games for the club.

However, if he were to depart, bringing in Vlahovic would certainly soften the blow. The 21-year-old was in top form last season in Serie A, scoring 21 goals in 37 matches (Transfermarkt), while he also has two strikes in seven caps for his country.

Legendary Italian striker Christian Vieri is a fan, calling him “the best striker in Europe” for his age along with Borussia Dortmund man Erling Haaland (Football Italia). £59m is a lot of money to spend on just one player given the pandemic’s financial implications on clubs, but they would have that money available if Kane were to depart. To us, Vlahovic would be a worthy replacement.

In other news, Tottenham have been offered this Premier League winner.