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Chelsea are expected to hold fresh talks with their main managerial target, Julian Nagelsmann, having recently introduced Frank Lampard as interim boss.

Who will be Chelsea's next manager?

Life under Lampard did not get off to the start in which Todd Boehly would have been hoping for on the weekend after they tasted defeat on the road.

Chelsea travelled to a struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers and they were sent back to west London without any points after Matheus Nunes' goal sealed the win for the hosts.

There have been reports to suggest that Chelsea could potentially consider Lampard as an option for the permanent role if he was to impress until the end of the season.

However, on the back of the display at Molineux, it does feel as if he has an uphill task in the upcoming games in both the Premier League and Champions League.

A number of names have been linked as potential candidates for the vacancy at Stamford Bridge with the former Bayern Munich manager, Nagelsmann, being one of the big names.

And speaking on his Here We Go podcast, Fabrizio Romano has claimed the Blues are expected to hold a fresh round of talks with the 35-year-old over potentially becoming their new boss:

(5:00) "And what I can say is that, from what I understand, also in the last few days, the last few hours Julian Nagelsmann remains 100% open to speaking to Chelsea.

"There will be a new round of talks. So Nagelsmann remains the favourite candidate, from what I understand, to get the Chelsea job."

Should Chelsea hire Nagelsmann?

Nagelsmann's time at Bayern ended in disappointment with the board sacking him in favour of Thomas Tuchel despite being second in the Bundesliga table.

With this in mind, it will be interesting to see if the German would actually be open to working under Boehly given he is an owner who has proven a lot in his short time at the club.

Since arriving last year, Boehly has already made two managerial sackings in Tuchel and Graham Potter which could potentially prove a big red flag for the German boss.

Nagelsmann is a manager who has a lot of admirers across Europe with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid believed to be potential suitors ahead of the summer.

The 35-year-old – hailed a "master tactician" by Sky Sports' Adam Smith – is believed to be open to hearing the Chelsea proposal and their long-term project at Stamford Bridge.

But it will be intriguing to see whether the young manager can be convinced to work under the Chelsea owner on the back of the early issues under his tenure.

Boehly has undoubtedly backed his managers during the transfer windows, however, Nagelsmann may not view those players as what he needs to succeed at Chelsea.

Potter had his issues with trying to manage the huge squad in west London and it could potentially prove an unwanted headache for some managers.

ScorecardAdil Rashid fought back after a disastrous start for Yorkshire•Getty Images

Emboldened a trifle by their side’s position at the top of the Division One table, Lancashire’s travelling supporters had reasons for disquieting optimism as they made their way across the Pennines for the 256th Roses match. “Oh are we bound for glory, borne on a little fortune’s wave?” they might have trilled with the peerless Nancy Kerr, before adding that note of protective pessimism: “Or are we bound for some dark town and some grave northern story?”For well over an hour on the first day of this game it seemed that those loyalists from the Rossendale valley were destined for glory without trammel. Fine new-ball bowling by Kyle Jarvis and sharp slip catching by Karl Brown and Tom Smith had left Yorkshire miserably placed on 29 for 4 in the 14th over and the very limited recovery achieved by Andrew Gale and Adil Rashid was snuffed out half an hour before lunch when a shuffling Gale was lbw to a full length ball from Neil Wagner.This, though, is Yorkshire and they are not champions for nowt. And Headingley is, in the proudest possible way, a ground where they do not like you to forget it, particularly during a Roses match. More significantly, of course, Gale’s team is one which managed to win the 2015 Division One title by 68 points without ever batting at their best. Instead, they perforce relied on a series of spectacular recoveries, and the fact that many of them involved Jonny Bairstow has not blunted Yorkshire’s capacity to fight back. Bairstow may be with England but Yorkshire’s resilience burns wonderfully brightly without him.So it was barely a surprise that Rashid and Tim Bresnan took their side’s total from 74 to 210 before the sixth wicket fell when Rashid drove Simon Kerrigan to Luke Procter at short cover and trooped off 12 short of what would have been his third century against Lancashire. What was even more encouraging was that Rashid and Bresnan’s bristling partnership was followed in the last hour of the day by a fine stand of 75 for the ninth wicket between Steve Patterson, who is 41 not out, and Andrew Hodd, who received his Yorkshire cap early in the day and fell in its last over, when he turned Wagner to Liam Livingstone at backward short leg and departed for 40.Despite that late reverse, the Headingley spectators could return to their homes in Pudsey and Bingley, in Morley and Cleckheaton, knowing that they had seen their team finish the day on even terms. That was a distant summit late in the morning session.Yet this was a splendid day on which Lancashire supporters could also be proud, particularly, perhaps, of Jarvis who finished the day with figures of 4 for 74 and is now the leading wicket-taker in Division One with 28 scalps. Following Tom Bailey’s dismissal of Adam Lyth with the fourth ball of the match, Jarvis took three for 24 in a nine-over spell and there was really not very much either Gary Ballance or Jack Leaning could do about the balls which defeated their defensive shots and took the outside edge. Like Ballance, Alex Lees made nought and he may look back on his loose shot outside the off stump with rather less phlegm.The afternoon session was the property of Rashid and Bresnan, who added 107 in 34 overs during which they drew the sting of Lancashire’s attack, a particularly fine achievement on a pitch offering uneven bounce. Wagner tried to compensate for his lack of impact with an overuse of the bouncer and he looks so much less formidable a customer when his bumpers become outlets for frustration rather than targeted weapons. The Yorkshire crowd enjoyed it all hugely, of course, and offered frank assessments, not all of them complimentary, of the South African’s capabilities.Rashid, compact and skilful, drove and cut effectively; Bresnan launched his bat like a mighty scramasax at anything overpitched. Yorkshire fought their way out of trouble and the conversations among spectators reflected contentment. “Do we still spell it Maurice Leyland even though it’s Morris on his birth certificate?” asked someone. This is a county where they are putting up blue plaques to commemorate the birthplaces of their great cricketers. They will remember Rashid and Bresnan’s stand, too, especially, maybe, because it provoked such impotent wrath in Wagner. Every religion, especially a secular one, perhaps, needs its little devils.Lancashire fought back though, and Wagner will not be too unhappy with his final figures of 3 for 70. He dismissed Bresnan for 69 when another mighty drive could only inside-edge a catch behind and he then got rid of Hodd and celebrated joyously in the evening sunshine. One imagines he has enjoyed his first taste of a Roses match. As for Lancashire’s skipper, Steven Croft, he will be tired but not too despondent when he reviews the day. Pressed into service as a wicketkeeper after Alex Davies was ruled out with a knee injury, Croft pouched the catches which removed both Lyth and Bresnan and kept his men at their work. This game is beautifully poised. One wonders which side is bound for glory.

While in the short-term Everton boss Sean Dyche will be looking to steer the club to safety following what has been another turbulent campaign, the Englishman will also likely need to look beyond this season and consider how he can build a brighter future for the struggling outfit moving forward.

If the former Burnley boss is looking to carry out something of a squad overhaul this summer, however, in order to spark that change, the club's financial woes may prove a notable stumbling block, with funds likely to be limited to spend on new recruits.

Instead of scouring the transfer market for new additions, the 51-year-old could instead look to the Toffees' academy ranks in order to find potential stars of the future who can be gradually eased into the first-team, with 19-year-old midfielder, Isaac Price, seemingly one such prospect who should be given a chance to shine.

Who is Everton's Isaac Price?

It does appear that the centre of the park is an area that is in need of a reshuffle at Goodison Park, with the likes of Tom Davies and Abdoulaye Doucoure set to be out of contract this summer and next summer, respectively, while at 33, Idrissa Gueye is also no long-term option.

While owner Farhad Moshiri did invest £15m to bring promising asset James Garner to Merseyside from Manchester United during the summer, the 22-year-old has thus far been unable to make his mark at the club, having been hampered by injury.

The England youth international has been restricted to just six Premier League appearances so far this term – all of which have come from the bench – with Everton yet to have seen the benefit in snapping up the youngster from Old Trafford.

Although the 6 foot 1 ace may still come good in his current surroundings, Garner may be fearful that he could see his chance of game time inhibited even further due to the presence of the aforementioned Price, with the teenager already making waves for both club and country.

Previously hailed as "terrific" by U23's boss David Unsworth and lauded as "talented" by journalist Joe Thomas, the midfield maestro has already made three appearances for the club at senior level, notably featuring off the bench against Arsenal at the end of last season.

The exciting talent was previously described as "outstanding" by teammate Asmir Begovic after starring in the mid-season friendly clash against Celtic back in November, with The Athletic's Patrick Boyland stating that the teen had made "made an impression on coaches + teammates during Everton's tour."

The Northern Irishman was also the recipient of praise from former boss Frank Lampard due to that impact during the World Cup break, with the one-time Chelsea man having stated: "His energy is amazing, wins a lot of second balls & is calm when he gets there. Finds passes & pockets which is natural knack. He puts himself in the frame now."

Clearly a highly-rated individual, Price was handed his senior international debut by Michael O'Neill against San Marino last week, before again featuring off the bench in the defeat to Finland just a few days later.

That follows the academy sensation's impressive form at youth level for the Toffees, as he has netted three goals and provided two assists in 18 Premier League 2 games this season, proving himself adept at making an impact in the final third.

With Dyche's men currently the joint-lowest scorers in the division, a figure such as Price could be just what Everton are in need of, with it looking as if he could be a star of the future.

Moshiri and co will first need to get the precocious talent tied down to a new deal sooner rather than later – with just a matter of months to run on his existing contract – although thankfully, discussions over an extension are "ongoing", according to Boyland.

Arsenal have the perfect chance to secure their first Premier League title since 2003/2004 this season, with the Gunners sitting pretty at the top of the table, five points clear of Manchester City.

Mikel Arteta has managed to develop his side over the last couple of seasons and his persistence has paid off, while his signings in the transfer market have also been excellent, with Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Martin Odegaard certainly adding something extra.

The Spaniard appears to be looking towards the future too, with the ultimate aim of building a dynasty that could dominate English football. With this in mind, the north Londoners have recently been linked with a move for Lille midfielder, Carlos Baleba.

The 19-year-old has burst onto the scene this season and the Ligue 1 side will be looking at a fee of around £30m for any team hoping to secure his signature and this could well turn out to be a bargain.

If Arteta does manage to sign Baleba, the 40-year-old could uncover his answer to a hugely influential figure in the club's history – Patrick Vieira.

Who is Carlos Baleba?

Vieira arrived at Arsenal as a young fresh-faced midfielder from the continent having impressed in his first few first-team appearances for AC Milan and Wenger saw enough talent to land the promising youngster for just £3.5m in 1996, subsequently turning him into one of the finest players in Europe.

Baleba has limitless potential and his Lille teammate Remy Cabella recently lauded the teen sensation, saying: "He's a monster, his big strength is power. On the ball, he has incredible strength (…). I think it's very, very hard to stop him."

He already appears to be embodying the qualities that Vieira had in abundance, a powerful runner who could create plenty of chances for his teammates, along with a stubborn defensive ability.

Indeed, this season, the Cameroonian has won ten tackles and 72.7% of his challenges while generating 2.62 shot-creating actions per match and completing 83.9% of his attempted passes this season in only 12 appearances.

Arsenal have been missing a player in Vieira’s mould for the previous 15 years and although there is no guarantee Baleba could hit the same heights, his potential combined with the chance to develop further under Arteta, there could be plenty of scope for the 19-year-old to turn into one of the finest talents in the country.

Into the last four of the Carabao Cup after a 5-1 thumping of West Ham United at Anfield and second in the Premier League with the chance to go top with victory over Arsenal up next, it's fair to say that Liverpool have so far bounced back from last season's disaster in style. The Reds look far closer to their ruthless best under Jurgen Klopp and are vying for silverware once more at Anfield.

What has helped contribute towards their return to the Premier League title race is their recruitment. Those in Merseyside did well in the summer to rebuild Klopp's midfield and have reaped the rewards ever since. Now, Liverpool could repeat that transfer trick to add the cherry on top of what has been an excellent rebuild.

Liverpool transfer news

Swapping the likes of Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita and Fabinho for Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo was a stroke of genius by Liverpool's recruitment team, who wasted no time before making some drastic changes in the summer.

This followed the first time that Liverpool failed to qualify for the Champions League in a full season under Klopp, highlighting just how desperately needed some changes were. And more could be on their way, with one particular Serie A star reportedly eyed.

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool are eyeing a move to sign Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella, who is in the middle of contract negotiations with the Italian giants.

So far, the contract talks are yielding minimal progress, and with the door still ajar, the Reds and Newcastle United are circling. Barella's current contract comes to an end in 2026, and while that hasn't stopped Inter from beginning early attempts to secure his future at the San Siro, they may be forced to cash in at some point if he does not pen an extension.

"Creative" Barella can complete Liverpool

As much as Liverpool did well in the summer to rebuild their midfield, adding Barella would finally complete the job once and for all. The Italian has the ability to play as a central, attacking and defensive midfielder, and could act as the perfect foil for Mac Allister in the middle of the park. Indeed, Barella's stats show that he's more than capable of outperforming both Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch.

Player

Progressive Carries

Progressive Passes

Tackles Won

Blocks

Nicolo Barella

31

136

12

9

Curtis Jones

5

25

5

7

Ryan Gravenberch

21

38

4

7

When linked with a move to Liverpool, praise from Steven Gerrard doesn't get much better. The Reds legend had nothing but good things to say about Barella, saying back in May: "He's creative, he can nick important goals. I watched him against England in Naples and he was involved in all parts of the game. He did really well against the England midfield – Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice. He's at a good age as well, coming into his prime."

That said, given the rumours, it will be interesting to see whether Liverpool decide to act when the January transfer swings open or Barella decides to stay put in Serie A.

Nottinghamshire are closing in on the signing of Derbyshire’s Ben Slater.Slater, the 26-year-old opening batsman, is in the middle of a productive season for Derbyshire – he is averaging 43 in the Championship – and was understood to have attracted the interest of several counties. Only three men in Division Two of the County Championship have scored more runs this season.Nottinghamshire have lost several top-order batsmen – the likes of Greg Smith, Michael Lumb, James Taylor and, from red-ball cricket, at least, Alex Hales – over the last year or two. While Slater is solid in the red-ball game, he also has a fine record in List A cricket where he averages in excess of 50 and recently made a century against a strong Yorkshire attack.Meanwhile, Kent are understood to have shown strong interest in Nottinghamshire’s Matt Milnes and Leicestershire’s Neil Dexter.

A section of Zimbabwe players have threatened to boycott the series unless their match fees dating back to their tour of Sri Lanka last year are settled

Firdose Moonda14-Jun-2018Uncertainty continues to cloud next month’s T20 tri-series in Zimbabwe, also involving Australia and Pakistan, which remains at risk of a Zimbabwe player boycott.Less than a day after sources told ESPNcricinfo Zimbabwe’s players “understood,” they would not be paid until at least July but acknowledged the importance of playing in the tri-series, the same sources confirmed the players demand for outstanding salaries to be paid by June 25 remains in place.Zimbabwe’s players are owed two months of salary and match fees dating back to their tour of Sri Lanka last year and a section of players remain adamant they will make themselves unavailable for international duty unless the bills are settled.However, some players have relaxed their view on taking part in the on-going warm-up matches against Kenya and have chosen to use the fixtures as practice in the event the tri-series goes ahead.As reported on Wednesday, Chamu Chibhabha, Elton Chigumbura, John Nyumbu, Richmond Mutumbami, Tendai Chatara, Natsai M’shangwe, Donald Tiripano and Chris Mpofu played in games against Kenya but Hamilton Maskadza, Peter Moor, Brendan Taylor, Kyle Jarvis, Ryan Burl and Sean Williams had not. Former captain Graeme Cremer, allrounder Sikandar Raza, batsman Craig Ervine and fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani were not named in the practice squads.Raza and Muzarabani are currently playing overseas. There were no fixtures scheduled for Thursday but Friday’s matches may reveal more about which players intend to avail themselves for the national side.Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has acknowledged that they are in a financially precarious position and have not been able to meet their commitments. Ten days ago, in a comment to ESPNcricinfo, ZC said it was “top priority,” to settle its bills and would begin processing payments. Since then, the players have received one month’s worth of salary but are still owed another two, as well as the long-overdue match fees.ZC have also since appointed Vince van der Bijl as a consultant to assist in plotting the way forward, while the players are operating through a representative Gerald Mlotchwa. The players are working on reforming an assoication, which became defunct in 2015, in order to negotiate with ZC.The tri-series is due to start on July 1 and then Zimbabwe are set to play five ODIs at home against Pakistan.

A section of Zimbabwe players have threatened to boycott the series unless their match fees dating back to their tour of Sri Lanka last year are settled

Firdose Moonda14-Jun-2018

Uncertainty continues to cloud next month’s T20 tri-series in Zimbabwe, also involving Australia and Pakistan, which remains at risk of a Zimbabwe player boycott.Less than a day after sources told ESPNcricinfo Zimbabwe’s players “understood,” they would not be paid until at least July but acknowledged the importance of playing in the tri-series, the same sources confirmed the players demand for outstanding salaries to be paid by June 25 remains in place.Zimbabwe’s players are owed two months of salary and match fees dating back to their tour of Sri Lanka last year and a section of players remain adamant they will make themselves unavailable for international duty unless the bills are settled.However, some players have relaxed their view on taking part in the on-going warm-up matches against Kenya and have chosen to use the fixtures as practice in the event the tri-series goes ahead.As reported on Wednesday, Chamu Chibhabha, Elton Chigumbura, John Nyumbu, Richmond Mutumbami, Tendai Chatara, Natsai M’shangwe, Donald Tiripano and Chris Mpofu played in games against Kenya but Hamilton Maskadza, Peter Moor, Brendan Taylor, Kyle Jarvis, Ryan Burl and Sean Williams had not. Former captain Graeme Cremer, allrounder Sikandar Raza, batsman Craig Ervine and fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani were not named in the practice squads.Raza and Muzarabani are currently playing overseas. There were no fixtures scheduled for Thursday but Friday’s matches may reveal more about which players intend to avail themselves for the national side.Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has acknowledged that they are in a financially precarious position and have not been able to meet their commitments. Ten days ago, in a comment to ESPNcricinfo, ZC said it was “top priority,” to settle its bills and would begin processing payments. Since then, the players have received one month’s worth of salary but are still owed another two, as well as the long-overdue match fees.ZC have also since appointed Vince van der Bijl as a consultant to assist in plotting the way forward, while the players are operating through a representative Gerald Mlotchwa. The players are working on reforming an assoication, which became defunct in 2015, in order to negotiate with ZC.The tri-series is due to start on July 1 and then Zimbabwe are set to play five ODIs at home against Pakistan.

Captain Shoaib Malik plays the finishers’ role to perfection as defending champions Peshawar left to rue lack of runs in tournament opener

The Report by Danyal Rasool22-Feb-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
In a nutshell
The absence of enough power hitters may have been a concern for Multan Sultans, but they kicked off their campaign with a chase ideally suited to their line-up.The 152-run target was clinically chased down courtesy a typically composed half-century by Kumar Sangakkara and an unbeaten 42 from the captain Shoaib Malik. Defending champions Peshawar Zalmi didn’t bowl badly, but they simply didn’t have enough runs on a greener, faster strip than is not commonly associated with the UAE.Darren Sammy’s men began shakily, thanks to a brilliant opening spell by Sohail Tanvir, who swung the ball in sharply. He was expertly backed up by Mohammad Irfan.Irfan’s extra bounce proved particularly troubling for last year’s leading run-scorer Kamran Akmal, who fell for a duck attempting to pull cross the line. A half-century from Mohammad Hafeez kept the innings together, while supporting roles from Dwayne Smith and Haris Sohail helped Zalmi regroup even though their run rate was always a concern. Sammy’s 29 off 11 balls helped them get past 150, but in the end, it was the early sluggishness that they were left to bemoan.Where the match was won
With Sultans needing 38 off four overs, the game was in the balance. Wahab Riaz had one over left while specialist death bowler Chris Jordan had two. This meant at least one over would be bowled by someone who Sammy ideally didn’t want at the end. The scenario placed even more pressure on Wahab and Jordan to nail their three overs to give the other bowler enough runs to play with. But Jordan’s over went 12, thanks to some sloppy fielding and a fortuitous outside edge off Pollard’s bat. Wahab too ended up conceding 11 in his subsequent over, thanks again to some poor fielding at the boundary. By the time it came to final over, Hammad Azam had just six runs to defend. Malik put paid to any thoughts he might have harboured of being an unlikely hero by smashing the first ball for six to seal the deal.The men that won it
The headlines may go to the batsmen but Sultans’ task had been made significantly easier by their savvy quick bowlers in the first half. Every one of Tanvir, Irfan, Junaid Khan and Hardus Viljoen were in complete control. Barring one big Tanvir over at the death, the batsmen struggled to spot a weak link in this quartet, reduced instead to slogging away at Imran Tahir, never an ideal prospect. They complemented each other’s strengths like a proper bowling unit, Tanvir’s and Junaid’s swing, Irfan’s bounce and Viljoen’s accuracy combining to suffocate the opposition. It was the bowling, not the surface, that was responsible for Zalmi managing only 151, which, as Sultans were later able to demonstrate, was somewhat below par. Sammy suggested at the presentation that they were “about ten runs short”.Acing the reviews
We all saw Sammy take a selfie without a smartphone last year, and it appears his side’s invisible digital skills extend to mastering HawkEye, too. The DRS, new to the PSL this year, was thrust into the spotlight as early as the second over when Tamim Iqbal was given out caught behind. The Bangladesh opener reviewed instantly, with the replays showing the ball had missed the bat by some margin. A few overs later, Dwayne Smith was given lbw off an Imran Tahir wrong ‘un, and though it looked out at full speed, the batsman called for a second eye again. The ball was found to be sailing well over the stumps. The DRS had been given an early workout, and first blood had gone to the players.Where they stand
Sultans are table toppers, understandably, but will need to show the same intensity less than 24 hours later as they come back to play the second game on Friday evening. Zalmi have a day to recover.

How much did playing the IPL have to do with the Indians bombing at the World Twenty20? Everyone has an opinion

Cricinfo staff14-May-2010″As the Kolkata Knight Riders’ bowling consultant, I have been a part of the cash-rich IPL. More than the playing, it is the travelling that causes fatigue. Criss-crossing India kills you, but you have no option, as one has to deal with it being a professional cricketer.”

“You have to confess that you played badly and you lost. The IPL is great for everybody, but nothing can be greater than playing international cricket”

“There were no parties here, were there? So how can you say that the team performed badly in the Caribbean because of parties in India?”

“Now, it is all about ‘let us blame late-night matches and parties.’ Where was this thought when the players took the cheque for the IPL – they always knew there were late night matches.”
“The IPL is a case where the baby has to go out with the bathwater because the form of cricket and the way it has been organised are causing serious harm to the game of cricket in India and to the players. The BCCI would be well advised to build up Ranji Trophy… as a brand.”

“The competition was never intense in the league [IPL] but when you go and play for your national team in a World Cup, the pressure and intensity of competition is different and I don’t think Indian players were prepared to handle that pressure.”

“The governing council and the board knew about the after-match parties. Why didn’t they stop the players from attending the parties?”

“There were a few players who played the IPL with injuries, but when it came to playing for the country, they suddenly declared they were unfit. This isn’t a good sign.”
“The players go to such parties because they are organised. The players should not have gone there. I am totally against it. Sehwag stays away from women and is happy with his family.”