Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta believes Gabriel Jesus has a newfound hunger ahead of the beginning of the new Premier League season.
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BCCI ethics officer “dismissed” the complaint filed against Dravid because it was “bereft of merit”
Nagraj Gollapudi14-Nov-2019Former India captain Rahul Dravid has been cleared of conflict of interest charges by the BCCI ethics officer Justice (retd.) DK Jain. Justice Jain issued the order on Thursday after conducting two hearings in response to a complaint filed by Sanjeev Gupta, a life member of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA).Gupta had alleged that Dravid, who was appointed the director of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) this July by the BCCI, was guilty of conflict of interest because he was occupying more than one post at the time, which was not permitted as per the board’s rules. The second post that Dravid was serving, Gupta said in his complaint, was as vice-president of India Cements Pvt. Ltd, which he claimed had ties with the Chennai Super Kings franchise in the IPL.However, in his order, Justice Jain said “a case of conflict” against Dravid could not be made and hence he had “dismissed” the complaint because it was “bereft of merit.”In the order, Justice Jain noted that Dravid had rejected the allegation straightaway, in a written response on August 9. Dravid told Justice Jain that on the “advice” of BCCI and to “avoid any kind of conflict of interest” he had taken “leave of absence” without salary from India Cements during his stint at the NCA. Dravid pointed out that he had been an employee of Indian Cements for two decades, but never had “any connection, relationship or obligation” towards the Super Kings.The BCCI also told Justice Jain that the Super Kings franchise was run by Chennai Super Kings Cricket Ltd., registered in 2013 under the Indian Companies Act. It had nothing to do with India Cements, which was an independent entity. Hence, the BCCI said Dravid could not be an employee of the Super Kings, as Gupta had alleged.”He (Dravid) has asserted that his employment with India Cements Limited, is not and cannot be construed as an employment with the CSK franchisee, regardless of any relationship between the two entities, viz India Cements Limited and Chennai Super Kings Cricket Ltd.,” the order said. “He has further pleaded that at no point in time, has he been a “Team Official” of CSK.”Gupta, however, did not accept that. At the hearing on September 26 in Mumbai, Gupta told Justice Jain that Chennai Super Kings Cricket Ltd. was a “wholly owned subsidiary” of India Cements with “some” of the directors sitting on boards of both firms. Gupta said “a mere change in nomenclature” could not absolve Dravid of the conflict of interest allegation.The ethics officer was clear about one thing. “The concept of ‘conflict of interest’, is not necessarily a question about something one does or intends to do but a question of what one can possibly or potentially do,” Justice Jain said in his order.Justice Jain even referred to the judgments he had served in the cases concerning two of Dravid’s former India team-mates – Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, both of whom were held guilty of conflict. The complaint against Ganguly had been filed by more than one member of the public, while Gupta had pressed the conflict charge against Laxman.Justice Jain pointed out that Ganguly and Laxman suffered from “tractable conflict” and fell foul of the one-man-one-post rule stated in the BCCI constitution.Dravid’s case allowed him to examine the rules deeper. “For examining an instance of ‘conflict of interest”, mere holding of posts by an individual associated with the BCCI may not per-se be sufficient for arriving at the conclusion of existence of ‘conflict of interest’,” Justice Jain said in the order. “But whether holding of such post(s) gives rise to ‘conflict of interest’ or not must also be tested on the anvil of reasonable apprehensions of, or actual favoritism, lack of objectivity, bias, benefits, etc., as contemplated in the definition of ‘conflict of interest’.”Accordingly, Justice Jain needed to test whether the two posts Dravid held “give rise to an apprehension of, lack of objectivity or bias” in each of those positions. “At least, I am unable to fathom any such circumstance (none has even been pointed out by the Complainant), which would come in the way of Mr. Rahul Dravid in fairly discharging his duties as a ‘Team Official’, without being influenced or influencing, in any manner, as a person who is in governance, management or employment of a franchisee or vice versa.”According to Justice Jain, to avoid any complications at the behest of the BCCI, Dravid had handed a written copy from Indian Cements giving a leave of absence until he was employed by the board.
Liverpool moved to five points clear at the top of the Premier League table with an emphatic 4-0 win away at Bournemouth at the Vitality on Sunday.
The Reds now have cup clashes with Fulham and Norwich to come over the next seven days as they get a break from the rigours of top-flight action.
They did, however, make fairly light work of their league duty on Sunday with an assured and impressive showing – particularly in the second half.
There were a number of superb performers for the Reds on the south coast, including the two scorers – Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota – but one player who went under the radar with his display was central midfielder Alexis Mac Allister.
With Mohamed Salah away on international duty, Liverpool's other forwards had to step up and that is exactly what they did as Nunez and Jota ruthlessly dispatched the Cherries during the second half.
The first goal came via a composed finish from the Uruguay international, who brilliantly ghosted away from his marker to finish coolly from his Portuguese teammate's pass.
That was then followed by two strikes from the former Wolverhampton Wanderers star. The first was a clinical near post-finish after Cody Gakpo slotted him through and the second came after a clever cutback from Connor Bradley allowed him – after an initial missed strike – to rifle the ball into the far corner.
Nunez made it four with his second goal in stoppage time as he stretched to poke Joe Gomez's deep cross into the bottom corner at the far post.
As well as Jota and Nunez, Mac Allister was sublime for Liverpool and played a key role in the victory with his showing in the middle of the park.
He was Jurgen Klopp's unsung hero as the former Brighton star quietly went about his business. No thrills or spectacular moments from the World Cup winner but plenty of little moments that all added together to form a complete performance.
Mac Allister constantly battled hard in midfield to ensure that Bournemouth did not get the better of them in transition when the ball broke loose, as he won 14 of his 19 duels throughout the game.
|
Alexis Mac Allister |
Vs Bournemouth (via Sofascore) |
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
90 |
|
Ground duels won |
12/17 |
|
Aerial duels won |
2/2 |
|
Tackles made |
Nine |
|
Interceptions |
Three |
As you can see in the table above, the Argentina international was outstanding defensively with 12 tackles and interceptions combined to break up attacks from the hosts.
This prevented Alisson from being worked as much as he may have been had the central midfielder not stepped in on numerous occasions to win possession back.
Meanwhile, his midfield partners Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott managed nine tackles and interceptions combined between them, which illustrates how impressive Mac Allister's defensive contributions were.
Along with his strength out of possession, the 25-year-old whiz created four chances for his teammates at the top end of the pitch – four more than Jones and Elliott combined (zero).
This shows that the Reds maestro was impressive with his work on and off the ball throughout the game at the base of Klopp's midfield, which is why he was the unsung hero as Jota and Nunez stole the headlines with their respective braces to win the match but he was just as good with his vital contributions in and out of possession.
A fresh update has emerged regarding the future of an "unbelievable" Newcastle United player, with a new contract not out of the question.
The Magpies are now running out of time to bring in new faces in the January transfer window, with deadline day arriving next Thursday. Nobody has come in yet this month, and supporters will no doubt be desperate to see that change in the coming days.
Newcastle have been linked with plenty of players, although Kalvin Phillips has now completed a loan switch to West Ham, having been seen as a strong contender to head to St James' Park for some time. Meanwhile, Tottenham midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has also emerged as an alternative to the Englishman in the middle of the park.
Nottingham Forest ace Morgan Gibbs-White is another name who has been thrown into the mix, being seen as a possible replacement for Miguel Almiron if he moves on.
In terms of other potential outgoings, Callum Wilson is reportedly wanted by Chelsea in January, while Bayern Munich are believed to have ended their interest in Kieran Trippier.
According to a new report from Fotospor [via Sport Witness], Newcastle centre-back Jamaal Lascelles is "trying to force" Eddie Howe to give him a new deal at the club.
He is said to be "using" Besiktas' interest in him as a bargaining tool, hoping that he can end up extending his stay at St James' instead of moving elsewhere.
There is no doubt that Lascelles is no longer seen as a guaranteed starter for Newcastle, filling in when others are injured and not being the key man he used to be. Sven Botman and Fabian Schar have become the first-choice centre-back pairing, and the latter may even be replaced for an upgrade soon, considering he is now in his 30s.
That being said, keeping hold of Lascelles as a strong squad player could still make sense given the wealth of experience he possesses, not to mention his leadership skills. Howe has lauded him in that respect, saying back in the summer:
"He's been an unbelievable captain for us. Captaincy doesn't just exist on the pitch, it has to exist off the pitch. The two things are so intrinsically linked. A lot of our success last year wasn't just down to the team, it came down to a group of players giving everything on and off the pitch. There was a group off the pitch that were absolutely magnificent, and Jamaal was one of them. He will want to play but it's how you react that is the key. We move forward together."
Reporter reveals there's "strange" transfer noises coming from Newcastle
The Magpies are yet to make their first January move.
By
Tom Cunningham
Jan 26, 2024
Lascelles is out of contract at Newcastle at the end of the season, so a big decision has to be made very soon in terms of whether they cash in on him this month, let him leave for free in the summer, or hand him a new deal. The latter arguably makes the most sense, with losing him now potentially leading to an immediate negative impact on Howe's squad depth.
Erik ten Hag has been approached regarding a shock return to one of his former clubs. The ex-Manchester United boss finds himself out of work again after seeing his spell at Bayer Leverkusen cut brutally short. The Dutch tactician is mulling over what to do next, with one invitation having already been received that would have taken him back to his homeland.
Key is to “make sure we’re understanding the issues and supporting our people”
Daniel Brettig11-Nov-2019Australian cricket’s new overseer of national teams Ben Oliver admits the game still has a lot to learn about dealing with the mental health of its players, coaches and staff in the wake of the withdrawals of Glenn Maxwell and Nic Maddinson from national duty over the past few days.As one part of a two-man high-performance team – the other being former Olympian Drew Ginn – that replaced Pat Howard earlier this year, Oliver’s commission is to work closely with the national men’s and women’s teams and their coaches Justin Langer and Matthew Mott.He quickly surmised that closer and better management of people would be critical to the role, whether those in the national set-up or others working in the state system. To that end, the bravery of Maxwell and Maddinson to pull back from playing the game in order to look after their own wellbeing, rather than suffering in silence as many past generations have done, has been welcomed, but Oliver agreed that in the tension between a highly competitive sport and the wellness of its practitioners, Cricket Australia was trying to develop better understanding.”Each individual person will have a whole range of different circumstances and that presents a challenge but it also means we can’t make a broad-brush statement about this or in fact a broad-brush approach to it,” Oliver told ESPNcricinfo. “Just because people are going through different challenges in their life doesn’t mean they’re also not able to perform at a really high level and so our aspiration is to make sure we’re giving our players and staff the best chance to thrive on and off the field.ALSO READ: ‘We want guys being honest and able to talk’ – Carey“I’m incredibly proud of both Glenn and Nic in feeling as though they could share what they were experiencing and really be open and honest about that. Equally proud in terms of our response to that. The coaching and support staff response and their care and empathy for both Glenn and Nic. And more broadly my view is it’s a really complex issue, something that all of society is grappling with and, as a sport, we’re part of society.”We’re not immune to it, and we’ve got to continue to find ways to understand the issues and we’re doing all we can and applying our support and resources around players and staff on their own health and wellbeing. There’s lots to do, I think there’s lots to understand and we’re really committed to making sure we give our players and staff the best possible support we can.”Australian players currently have the option of reporting mental health problems or spiralling feelings via the wellness apps used to track their physical and mental wellbeing, but are also able to discuss their state of mind with coaches, medical staff and team psychologists.”We’ve got some systems in place where players are tracking their experience,” Oliver said, “but equally, we’ve got a whole range of coaching and support staff who are working with players on a daily basis and get to understand them very well.”I don’t think there is any one effort that is better or worse in terms of understanding where a player is currently at, I think it’s a combination of those aspects that will ultimately allow us to better understand where a player is at and provide support at any given time. We’ve got a couple of ways in which we are trying to understand where a player is at and how to respond.”In his former role with Western Australia, Oliver dealt with numerous instances of players and staff battling mental health and wellbeing issues. Ashton Agar is one WA cricketer who has spoken publicly about learning how to “ride” the peaks and troughs of personal wellness, having taken time out of the game for that reason in the past.”I spent six or seven years in WA and we had a whole range of challenges on and off field for players and staff and that’s a reflection of the world we live in and some of the challenges people are going through,” Oliver said. “And it reinforced to me the great opportunity we have as a sport to really lead the way and show how we can care and support our people. Whether it was with WA or this role or other states and territories from a cricket perspective, we’re all increasingly aware of the challenges people are going through and we’re learning how they go through that.”Certainly not the first time this has come up, I’m sure it won’t be the last, and our obligation is to really make sure we’re understanding the issues and supporting our people. If and when they’re going through different challenges we provide them with the best care and support. I don’t think they’re necessarily mutually exclusive, there’s certainly opportunity for us to continue to perform at a high level on the field and support people off it.”It’s just a case of building really strong relationships with our players in this case around how they’re travelling, what they’re experiencing and making sure we’re supporting them in that, helping them prepare, and ultimately go out and perform.”Oliver has built up plenty of respect over time as a calm and considered presence in cricket administration, having previously held roles with Cricket Victoria, CA and also the ICC prior to moving to WA. In joining CA less than a year after the announcement of damaging findings from the cultural review that followed the Newlands scandal, he is well attuned to the attitude of listening and learning that so many of the governing body’s partners had demanded.”It’s certainly clear to me and important to me coming into this role that Australian cricket is prioritising its people, players and staff,” Oliver said. “So that becomes a really important part of what we stand for as an organisation. That’s been really clear that is a priority, an important part of what the future looks like, and I’ve been really pleased with the endeavour going in to understand how we best do that. Really proud of the players and their willingness to be open and honest about what they’re experiencing.”One of my initial observations coming into the role is the intensity of international cricket and the complexity of the schedule and those things are obviously real challenges for us to find the best possible solutions for. That’s all part of what players, coaches and staff are experiencing and mechanisms for that. Really comfortable that players are feeling confident to be open and honest and really proud of our staff for being able to care and support them when they do present that way.”One set of fresh information about the mental health of Australian cricket is set to land early next year, with the results of a study begun three years ago by the youth mental health consultancy Orygen to be handed to CA in February.
Erling Haaland turned World Cup qualifying into his personal showcase on Tuesday night, scoring five times in Norway's 11-1 demolition of Moldova in Oslo. The Manchester City striker was unplayable, ensuring Stale Solbakken's side maintained their flawless start to the campaign and stayed firmly perched at the top of Group I with 15 points from five matches.
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Winning is the priority, but T20I is the best format to give fringe players a chance, India’s stand-in captain has said
Sruthi Ravindranath06-Nov-20194:31
‘Pretty sure Rajkot pitch will be better than Delhi’ – Rohit Sharma
India are the top-ranked Test side in the world, and only behind England in ODIs, but they haven’t quite been up there in T20Is, where they are currently fifth in the ICC rankings. For India’s stand-in captain Rohit Sharma, though, it’s not something to lose sleep over. With the next T20 World Cup just under a year away, he says the focus is on strengthening India’s bench, while not compromising on results.”Of course this a format where we are trying a lot of players,” Rohit said at a press conference ahead of the second T20I against Bangladesh in Rajkot, when asked why the team wasn’t up among the best in the format. “The key players are not involved so we’re trying a lot of younger players in the lot, sitting on the fringe.”Probably that’s one of the reasons, to be honest. The other formats, we have our entire squad playing the game. You get what you want from that squad. This is a format where you can try [other players], and there’s no harm in that.”India have won just two of their five T20I series since November 2018, both wins coming against tenth-ranked West Indies. Following a series loss at New Zealand’s hands earlier this year, they lost a series against Australia at home and drew one against South Africa. A loss in the first T20I against Bangladesh in Delhi has led to questions being asked anew.India are without regular captain Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni continues to be on an indefinite break, and a number of fast bowlers including frontman Jasprit Bumrah are missing at the moment.”We want to try a lot of players and make then ready for other formats,” Rohit said. “This is the format where these individuals can come out and express themselves so they’re ready for ODI and Test cricket also. We’ve seen a lot of players who have emerged from this format and have gone on to play ODIs and Tests. We want our bench strength to be as strong as possible so this is probably the reason why you see so many new guys coming into the fray.”It doesn’t mean that we have to not win games. Winning is the priority, but again these guys will learn from it. This is how a lot of guys, including me, learnt. That’s how it happens.”India have handed four T20I debuts this year, to Navdeep Saini, Mayank Markande, Rahul Chahar and Shivam Dube. While Markande did not get another chance after his debut against Australia, the other legspinner, Chahar, who made his debut against West Indies in August, was included in the squads for the games against South Africa and Bangladesh. Dube earned his maiden call-up in the Delhi T20I against Bangladesh, while Saini has missed out because of injury.Rohit Sharma throws mid-air•BCCI
In the first T20I against Bangladesh, the relatively inexperienced bowling attack was handled competently by the seasoned Mushfiqur Rahim and Soumya Sarkar. Young Khaleel Ahmed, given the job of bowling three overs in the last six, went for 18 runs in the 19th over, which pretty much sealed the game for Bangladesh, leaving them needing just four off the last over.Rohit, however, was not ready to point fingers at anyone. “Pressure is just on the team to perform and on no particular department,” he said. “You’ve lost as a team, not lost as a bowling unit. The focus will be on the team to perform so collectively all of us need to come together.”Bowlers need to come and get crucial wickets and defend the score. That’ll be the idea. We aren’t focusing on one department. We lost as a team and not as individuals.”Another area that has come under the spotlight is India’s cautious approach while batting in the Powerplay; they only scored 35 in the first six in Delhi.”Conditions were not ideal,” Rohit, who lost his wicket in the first over of the match, said. “The pitch was a little soft. The shot-making was not easy, so we have to assess and see what sort of score we want in the first six overs, then seven to 15, and the last five overs. You have to break it down like that. When you are playing on a pitch like that, you’ve to see what the ideal score would be to defend. That was the idea. But if the pitch is good you’ll see a different team India approach tomorrow.”
Aston Villa are one of the Premier League's form sides under Unai Emery and could now look to enact an exciting January transfer, according to journalist Alex Crook.
January has come at an ideal time for Aston Villa as they look to maintain their strong domestic form, and Emery and company will be aware that the right changes this month could go a long way to deciding their eventual fate this term.
Rumours will of course be doing the rounds as to who could potentially give the Villans some additional squad depth, and one man who continues to be mentioned in connection with the club is Hellas Verona wideman Cyril Ngonge.
All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024
With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.
By
Luke Randall
Feb 1, 2024
Tuttomercatoweb claim that the Villans are keen on the 23-year-old; nevertheless, Napoli, Fiorentina, AC Milan and Nottingham Forest will try to beat them to his signature. Hellas Verona are looking to hold out for between €12-13 million for the attacker in part of an effort to raise €25 million this window.
Previous reports also intimated that Aston Villa are keen on Girona forward Artem Dovbyk, with a fee of around £39 million quoted as a figure that could tempt the La Liga high-flyers into parting ways with the Ukraine international.
More or less every top club in Europe has registered an interest in Copenhagen sensation Roony Bardghji and the Villans have joined his illustrious list of suitors. His current employers will look to recoup a figure in the region of £20 million for the Sweden international.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, talkSPORT radio journalist Crook has confirmed that Aston Villa do have a "genuine" interest in Bayer Leverkusen star Jeremie Frimpong after initial reports surrounding their attraction towards the Netherlands international surfaced amid his £35 million release clause.
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Five similar players to Jeremie Frimpong (FBRef) |
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|
Player |
Club |
|
Alex Moreno |
Aston Villa |
|
Filip Kostic |
Juventus |
|
Alex Grimaldo |
Borussia Dortmund |
|
Patrick Ciurria |
Monza |
|
Federico Dimarco |
Internazionale |
|
Jeremie Frimpong's shot-creating actions in 2023/24 |
|
|
Shot creating-actions in all comps |
53 |
|
Shot-creating actions directly leading to goal |
7 |
Crook told the outlet: "Yeah, but it's been fairly quiet so far. They were big in the summer and they're probably in a better position than they could have hoped. The owners have got deep pockets and they're ambitious.
"So yeah, I think towards the end of the window that might well ramp up. Jeremie Frimpong is the one that I think is the most genuine from what I'm told. Leverkusen aren't particularly keen to sell him in this window. But if that was to change, I think that they would certainly be part of the conversation."
Labelled "brilliant" by former boss Neil Lennon, the 22-year-old has been in fantastic form this campaign, registering seven goals and ten assists in 22 appearances across all competitions (Frimpong statistics – Transfermarkt).
Frimpong is one of the most talented full-backs in Europe and would be a massive coup for Aston Villa as Emery looks to keep the good times rolling in the West Midlands.
Ruben Amorim has been told to drop a Manchester United player after his "absolutely useless" performances this season.
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