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The list of 57 candidates for the post of India coach has been cut to 21, the BCCI announced on Wednesday

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jun-2016

The list of 57 candidates for the post of India coach has been cut to 21, the BCCI announced on Wednesday. The next step in the process of selecting the coach will be a review of the remaining candidates by the BCCI’s cricket advisory committee, comprising former players Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman. Sanjay Jagdale, who had served as BCCI secretary in the past, will act as chief co-ordinator of the committee for the duration of this process.The trimming down from 57 applicants to 21 was carried out by BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke’s office. However, if the cricket advisory committee wishes, it will be furnished with the entire list of 57 as well, the BCCI said. The committee is expected to submit its choice to Shirke by June 22.Shirke did not divulge any of the 21 names, pointing out that that would affect the committee’s work. The BCCI has not revealed any of the 57 names, but some candidates confirmed that they had applied. The prominent ones are Ravi Shastri (former India team director), Anil Kumble (former India captain), Sandeep Patil (current chairman of selectors) and Stuart Law (ex-Bangladesh coach).Among the key qualifications asked of the applicants by the BCCI was that they should have coached at the international or first-class level. It was also mentioned that “it is preferred that the candidate should be qualified through a certification/assessment program conducted by any of the Full Member countries, and currently possess such a valid certification.”*Kumble, despite his vast experience as a player and administrator, does not meet both criteria. Shirke did not want to comment on this, but said it was for the advisory committee to work out the eligibility of the shortlisted candidates. “They [panel] have the liberty to decide,” Shirke said.It is understood that a final shortlist of candidates will be asked to appear for interviews before the BCCI finalises the coach.*15.30GMT, June 15: The wording of the required qualification quoted here has been changed to reflect the BCCI’s list of criteria.

Tottenham Hotspur are back in Premier League action today, in what promises to be a hotly-contested clash with Newcastle United.

With the hosts boasting the more favourable position, as they sit three points ahead with a game in hand, a win on the road for Cristian Stellini's side would certainly make for an enthralling end to the season as both sides battle for that elusive fourth-place spot.

Despite enjoying some fine form, Aston Villa showed the rest of the league exactly how to negate the Magpies, as they dismantled them 3-0 in their last game. However, Spurs too have been left reeling after their heartbreak at home to AFC Bournemouth.

Having led early, two goals on either side of halftime transformed the game for the travelling Cherries. A late Arnaut Danjuma scorcher made it almost certain that the points would be shared before Dango Ouattara struck even later to claim the win.

It marked just one of numerous miserable results for Spurs this season, who squandered a fine opportunity to gain vital points on Eddie Howe's men.

They will not get a better chance to do so than today when they face head-on at St James' Park.

Having struggled all season, it is a wonder how they find themselves in contention for such a position. However, to give themselves the best possible chance today, they must call on Danjuma from the start.

Will Arnaut Danjuma play vs Newcastle?

Having been poached from Everton at the eleventh hour, the Dutchman moved to north London as a top asset sure to test the likes of Dejan Kulusevski and Heung-min Son.

However, he has instead been reserved for short cameo appearances and starts in cup competitions, which they have since been knocked out of. The £53k-per-week speedster is yet to even make a Premier League start for the club.

After his goal last weekend, that could be about to change.

This would come after the pleas of journalist Rob Guest, who took to Twitter to write: "Arnaut Danjuma demonstrated on Saturday against Bournemouth that he can more than make an impact on the pitch for Tottenham. Baffling that Antonio Conte only turned to him four times despite the team's attacking woes."

These woes could now be solved by a man who scored 16 goals in all competitions as his side reached the Champions League semi-final.

Such pedigree cannot go unnoticed, and former Premier League marksman Kevin Phillips would exacerbate his need for a start by branding him a "nightmare for defenders" last year.

With Son only recently finding form, scoring three in his last five, Kulusevski has instead recorded just one goal contribution in his last 11.

Something has to change, especially for a game of this magnitude, and Danjuma's introduction could provide just that.

Everton took another step towards survival after securing a well-earned point at home to Tottenham Hotspur on Monday evening, with unlikely hero Michael Keane netting a thumping late equaliser to cap a thrilling end to proceedings at Goodison Park.

After a rather drab opening, the game sprung to life following the dismissal of Abdoulaye Doucoure after the Frenchman appeared to lash out at England captain, Harry Kane, with the latter man later converting from the penalty spot following a foul by Keane on Cristian Romero.

A further red card for Lucas Moura subsequently evened things up, however, with the Toffees taking full advantage by drawing level at the death, ensuring that Sean Dyche's men are now enjoying a run of four Premier League games without defeat.

That positive outcome had appeared unlikely, however, amid the loss of Doucoure early in the second half, with the experienced midfielder having almost cost his side with what was a needless, albeit soft, moment of madness.

Having ultimately come through unscathed against the Lilywhites, Dyche's major concern will now be how to cope without a player who has been "reborn" since his arrival in the dugout, as per writer Peter Guy, over the coming games.

After previously falling out of favour under former boss Frank Lampard, Doucoure has relished the chance to get back into the action in recent games, having provided four goal contributions in his last four league appearances.

Finding someone to fill the void of the 30-year-old will not be easy, although if the former Burnley boss is looking for a direct midfield replacement, he should seemingly look no further than summer signing, James Garner.

Who will replace Abdoulaye Doucoure?

There is no denying that it has been a rather wretched debut campaign on Merseyside for young Garner to date, with the former Manchester United man having been largely restricted to a watching brief after being pegged back by injury.

Signed for £15m after rising up through the youth ranks at Old Trafford, the England U21 international had come to wider attention as a result of his 18-month spell on loan at Nottingham Forest, prior to making the move to Goodison.

Last season, in particular, proved a real breakthrough for the Birkenhead-born menace as he scored four goals and provided eight assists in 41 Championship games, helping to power Steve Cooper's men to promotion.

The 22-year-old has so far been limited to just nine appearances across all fronts in his new surroundings – without providing a goal or an assist – although the 6 foot 1 ace could likely benefit from a consistent run of games in the centre of the park.

Undoubtedly a "special" talent – according to Statman Dave – Garner showed flashes of his quality during his late cameo against Spurs, having completed all seven of his passes and won both of his ground duels, having also earned two fouls for his side.

The one-time Watford loanee also offered a glimpse into the creative threat that was so obvious during his spell at the City Ground last term, having delivered a teasing, dinked free-kick late on that agonisingly evaded those in blue.

If the exciting talent was able to recapture the form that he previously showcased in the second tier it would surely be a real boost to Everton's survival hopes, with the loss of Doucoure potentially offering an ideal opportunity for Garner to earn an extended run in the side.

One win in eight Premier League matches and defeat in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester United; merely one week ago, Newcastle United's resounding exploits under Eddie Howe's tutelage looked to have been hampered, but the engine is now churning once again.

Victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at St. James's Park last weekend preceded yesterday's enthralling encounter at City Ground, where an emphatic Alexander Isak brace sank Nottingham Forest and took the Magpies six points clear of Liverpool, who are sixth in the top-flight.

In both affairs, United entered the closing stages of the match with parity intact, exhibiting their guile and tenacity by seeking out late winners, with £63m record signing Isak's penalty in the 93rd minute against Steve Cooper's Forest integral in the pursuit of Champions League football.

And while successive victories have now been struck, dynamic wide man Allan Saint-Maximin failed to impress in Nottingham, withdrawn from action by Howe at the midpoint.

How did Saint-Maximin perform against Forest?

Last season, Saint-Maximin showcased his fleet-footed brilliance with regularity for his outfit, having signed from Nice for £16.5m in 2019, arguably enjoying his most fruitful year and plundering five goals and five assists from 31 league starts, once hailed as a "marvellous magician" by journalist Luke Edwards.

Howe did reveal in the wake of the encounter that the 26-year-old was struggling with a fitness issue, saying; “Allan wasn’t quite right today, physically, I didn’t think. He’s been carrying a tight hamstring.

"I don’t think it’s a pull, it’s just a little bit of tightness. For me, it was obvious during that first half that he probably wouldn’t be able to carry on."

As per Sofascore, the £70k-per-week phenom recorded a match rating of 6.6, shadowed by the excellence of Isak and Jacob Murphy on the alternating flank, with the duo picking up ratings of 8.2 and 7.4 respectively.

Saint-Maximin managed just one dribble on the night, completing 67% of his passes and failing with both of his attempted crosses and playing a largely peripheral role, branded "ineffective" by reporter Miles Starforth.

Perhaps an encapsulation of his miserable fortunes lies in his success with the ball at his feet; making a total of 20 touches, the ace lost the ball on ten occasions, failing to register a shot or make a single key pass, utterly nullified by the home back-line.

Centre-back Sven Botman arguably suffered the worst performance on the occasion, recording a lowly 5.9 match rating after making a detrimental error from which Forest talisman Emmanuel Dennis capitalised on to take the early lead, but with the £35m summer signing largely imperious this term, vital in asserting the Magpies' authority as the best defensive unit in the division, conceding just 19 goals.

Such a "poor" performance from the wily winger – as remarked by Chris Waugh – is a bitter reflection of the pro's travails this term, having scored just once and started on only nine occasions in the Premier League.

Saint-Maximin remains one of the most exciting and enterprising forwards in the division, but his potency in front of goal, both directly and from a supporting standpoint, must improve if he is to cement a role in burgeoning Newcastle's squad over the coming, potentially illustrious, years.

Tottenham Hotspur are believed to be eyeing Emiliano Martinez ahead of a potential summer swoop to replace Hugo Lloris.

Will Hugo Lloris leave Spurs this summer?

The Frenchman signed a new two-year deal last summer, which will leave one year remaining on his contract come the end of the campaign.

However, there is a belief the north London club will be looking to find his successor this summer on the back of what has been a fairly poor term for the Spurs captain.

Lloris is currently sidelined through injury, but a number of replacements have been touted over recent months, and it seems they could be looking to bring in a former Arsenal player.

Indeed, speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast, insider Graeme Bailey has suggested the Aston Villa goalkeeper would be keen on a return to north London this summer – this time to the white half.

He said: “Emi Martinez, from our understanding, he really likes the sound of Tottenham. Obviously, he’s got his mate [Cristian] Romero there. Tottenham need a ‘keeper, they are moving on from Hugo Lloris.

“Tottenham are moving on. I think Emi Martinez is pushing for this and I’d keep an eye on this one. This could happen.”

Would Martinez be an upgrade on Lloris?

There has been no other goalkeeper in the Premier League to have been at fault for more than two goals this season apart from Lloris.

The former French captain – despite sitting out through injury recently – has racked up four errors to his name this season which have led to goals.

In comparison, Martinez has only one to his name this season which would certainly suggest there is an improvement to be had in the summer.

However, it is interesting to see Lloris has earned a higher shots-saved percentage (70%) compared to the 2022 World Cup winner (67%) (via FBref).

And despite playing fewer games, Lloris has still been able to keep more clean sheets than the Argentine has thus far.

Lloris’ distribution is something which has been ridiculed over the years, but looking at their distribution stats, it does not appear that Martinez is able to boast a much better return.

In passes attempted over 40 yards, Martinez has only recorded a slightly higher (38.8%) completion rate in comparison to the current Spurs number one (38%).

Martinez is now 30 years old and will quickly turn 31 early in the new season which could well leave Spurs with the same dilemma just a few years down the line.

So it will be interesting to see where Spurs go in the summer to replace Lloris but a younger option could well prove a more appealing prospect.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed Wolves midfielder Matheus Nunes will be a target for Liverpool in the upcoming transfer window even if another player in that position is signed.

What’s the latest on Nunes and Wolves?

Reds manager Jurgen Klopp seems keen to add depth to that part of the field in the summer and even though Jude Bellingham is understood to be a priority target, it seems as though they could be after another transfer too.

Indeed, Julen Lopetegui may be concerned to learn that key Wolves midfielder Nunes is potentially wanted by Liverpool on top of the club’s aim to land the Borussia Dortmund star.That is at least according to Romano who explained on his latest YouTube video that the Molineux ace is “appreciated” by the Reds as they look to upgrade their options in the middle of the park.

He said (4:04): “Matheus Nunes from Wolverhampton remains really appreciated [by Liverpool].”

Could Nunes leave Wolves already?

While Nunes only arrived in the Premier League at the start of this season having completed a club record £38m move from Sporting, an exit could soon be on the cards already.

Indeed, in January, Liverpool were tipped to make a £44m swoop for the Portuguese player having nearly signed him in the first place before he ended up at Molineux.

In his debut season, Nunes has already established himself as a regular in the Wolves team. But with an average 6.55 WhoScored rating per game – the ninth-best in the squad – he’s not necessarily been a superstar.

With that in mind, if a decent offer comes in and Lopetegui’s side can make a profit on that £38m, perhaps it could be good business to sell and replace him with someone who might be a better fit.

Arsenal confirmed the signing of Jorginho from Chelsea on deadline day and his arrival could see Edu heal Mikel Arteta’s heartbreak from 2020.

The Italian midfielder made the switch across London on a deal until the summer of 2024, with an option for a further year, which sees the Gunners bolster their options in the middle of the park ahead of a crucial second half of the campaign.

Although he has made a combined 18 appearances in the Premier League this season under Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter, his contract was set to expire in the summer of 2023, so Arsenal’s £12m offer was clearly deemed too good to turn down.

While Arteta is unlikely to break up the trio of Martin Odegaard, Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey, adding someone of Jorginho’s experience could be vital for squad depth, especially if one of the starting three picks up an injury.

The Spanish manager has long been in the market for a deep-lying playmaker of Jorginho’s mould, with the Gunners seeing a move for Thiago Alcantara fail in 2020, as he joined Liverpool instead.

He has gone on to make 92 appearances for the Reds, contributing three goals and six assists, establishing himself as a key part of Jurgen Klopp’s side at Anfield.

According to FBref, the former Bayern Munich man is the fourth-most similar player to Jorginho when compared to other midfielders across Europe’s top leagues.

This season has seen the two maestros record extremely similar stats with regard to expected goals and assists per 90 (0.14 vs 0.12), final third passes (87 vs 86) and passes that led to a shot (29 vs 27).

WhoScored also suggests that both Jorginho and Thiago excel at passing, while they both also like to tackle, so they are clearly similar types of midfielders.

Although Jorginho is 31, so may be considered a short-term signing, it could prove to be a bargain for Arteta if he can live up to his “world-class” credentials, in the words of former Liverpool man Jose Enrique.

Therefore, with Arsenal having arguably lacked a pass-master in defensive midfield under Arteta’s reign, the Spaniard will no doubt be delighted that after missing out on Thiago three years ago the Gunners have put to bed that heartbreak by signing a similar player in Jorginho.

Sheffield Wednesday target Sinclair Armstrong is now ‘not available’ to complete a move to League One, according to journalist Joe Crann.

The Lowdown: Attacking reinforcement wanted

Darren Moore is reportedly looking to add a new striker to his ranks before tonight’s deadline and had identified the Queens Park Rangers star as an ideal candidate to take on loan.

Football Insider claimed that the 19-year-old was on the Owls manager’s wish list, but with QPR forward Lyndon Dykes having been admitted to hospital over the weekend, a move for the Irishman appears to be off the cards.

The Latest: Armstrong set for QPR stay

Taking to Twitter, Crann revealed that QPR have taken the decision to keep hold of Armstrong as a result of their lack of options in that centre-forward position in Dykes’ absence.

He wrote: “Sinclair Armstrong…

“My understanding is that #SWFC were in for him, but the hospitalisation of Lyndon Dykes has led to QPR deciding that he’s not available on loan for now.

“Things could change, but Owls probably looking elsewhere now. Pity, really.”

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The Verdict: Blessing in disguise

Armstrong is an exciting player with a seemingly huge future ahead of him, but this move collapsing could actually be a blessing in disguise for Wednesday.

The QPR attacker has only started two of his 14 Championship appearances this season and is yet to record any goal contributions at that level throughout his fledgling career (WhoScored).

The Owls need to recruit a proven goalscorer and someone who already has sufficient experience to help with their push for promotion, but Armstrong doesn’t yet fit that mould.

Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol, when talking about the summer’s potential biggest transfers, has made a claim involving Man United and Declan Rice.

The Lowdown: Rice in demand…

The Red Devils, according to various reports, are not the only side eyeing a potential move for the West Ham star.

Reports suggest that Chelsea and Arsenal are also in the running to sign him in 2023 and there have been some suggestions they’re joined by Premier League champions Man City.

The England international has been in fine form for the struggling Hammers again this season, leading to increased speculation that he could be on the way out of east London.

The Latest: Man United in the mix…

Erik ten Hag’s side, according to Sky journalist Solhekol, are in the mix to sign him this year alongside Arsenal and Chelsea.

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Man United are apparently interested in signing him this year and it would take a ‘big, big transfer fee’ to get him out as West Ham demand a marquee fee.

He said on The Transfer Show, when asked about the summer’s biggest deals (via Sky transfer blog):

“One of the biggest looks like being West Ham’s Declan Rice. He looks like he’ll be leaving in the summer, even though he’ll have two years left on his contract.

“If he doesn’t sign a new deal then next summer will be the optimum time for them to sell him, and at the moment Arsenal are leading the race for his signature. Man Utd and Chelsea are also interested, but the possibility of him moving to Arsenal would be a great signing for him.

“As far as West Ham are concerned, he’s not for sale and if he was to leave, it would take a big, big transfer fee to get him out of the club before his contract expires.”

The Verdict: Push…

While Mikel Arteta’s side are thought to be in pole position as things stand, we believe the appeal of an historic club like United, combined with the right contract terms, could swap Rice into an Old Trafford move.

Currently inside the top four, United’s recent form suggests ten Hag could be steadily building a winning side.

If that is enough to persuade Rice later this year, there is no question he would add real quality in front of United’s defence – even with Casemiro’s presence.

WhoScored outline the 24-year-old as being West Ham’s best-performing player by average match rating, not to mention he has averaged a higher pass accuracy (89.4%) than anyone in United’s squad bar Victor Lindelof.

Rice, averaging more interceptions than any player in Moyes’ team, has also added attacking contribution to his game with one goal and two assists respectively.

Called a ‘beast’ by members of the media in recent seasons, his numbers more than outline a possible midfield upgrade for United.

Celtic right-back Josip Juranovic has received interest from Italy but reports of a move to Chelsea are wide of the mark, according to an update from reliable journalist Mark Hendry.

The Lowdown: Juranovic linked with move away

The 27-year-old enjoyed a highly impressive 2022 World Cup with Croatia, finishing third in the tournament and standing out as one of the best players in his position.

Juranovic has since been linked with a move to Chelsea a number of times, with the Blues seemingly seeing him as a strong option to bolster their squad depth after Reece James suffered another knee injury.

Now, a new update has emerged – one that goes against the recent rumours.

The Latest: Fresh update emerges

Writing on Twitter, Hendry claimed that Chelsea have actually not yet shown interest in Juranovic, with a move to Serie A potentially on the cards instead:

“Celtic have not had any approach from Chelsea for Josip Juranovic. Reports of a £13m bid is wide of the mark. There has been interest from Italy but nothing from Stamford Bridge, at least not yet.”

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The Verdict: Matter of time?

At this point, it would be a surprise if Juranovic was still a Celtic player next month, with a move elsewhere feeling far more likely after his performances in Qatar.

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It could even be argued that his focus has dipped for the Hoops, having been criticised by Ally McCoist for some poor defending in the 2-2 draw against Rangers on Monday.

Should Juranovic move on, it is vital that Celtic receive as much money as possible for his services, using the money wisely to make Ange Postecoglou’s squad even more formidable.