Todd Boehly and his team may already have an eye on the upcoming summer transfer window as they prepare to dip into the market to bolster the Chelsea squad.

The American has already splashed the cash by bringing in the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Mykhailo Mudryk, Cole Palmer, and Raheem Sterling, among many others, in recent windows.

However, that does not look likely to stop the Blues from investing in their team once again when the next window opens for business later this year.

The depth of their recruitment could be affected by the remaining three games of the Premier League season, though, as the club does not know what competitions they will be competing in.

Chelsea still have the chance to qualify for either the Europa Conference League or the Europa League, and playing in Europe would require more squad depth to deal with the sheer volume of matches that they could play.

One area the Blues are reportedly looking to strengthen in is the goalkeeper position, which looks set to be bad news for current number one Dorde Petrovic.

Chelsea's interest in Premier League goalkeepers

Boehly and Mauricio Pochettino are eyeing up two current Premier League goalkeepers to potentially arrive at Stamford Bridge as the new first-choice this summer.

According to Football Insider, Chelsea are lining up a swoop for Everton and England shot-stopper Jordan Pickford to bolster their options between the sticks.

The report claims that they are also looking at Arsenal number two Aaron Ramsdale, who has lost his starting place to David Raya under Mikel Arteta this season.

It states that they have made signing a new number one a priority for the upcoming summer transfer window and that Pickford and Ramsdale have both been identified as targets.

Football Insider claims that the Gunners back-up is poised to move on from The Emirates after losing his spot in the lineup to the Spanish star, which could open the door to a move to Stamford Bridge.

Whereas, the report reveals that Everton are hoping to price their number one out of an exit from Goodison Park after they avoided relegation down to the Championship.

It remains to be seen exactly how much they are set to demand, though, and their interest in Pickford, as well as Ramsdale, spells bad news for Petrovic and his long-term place as the number one for Pochettino.

Dorde Petrovic's Premier League struggles

The Serbia international fought to win his position in the starting XI in the Premier League this season, after starting the term as the back-up to Roberto Sanchez.

He has started 19 of the club's 35 top-flight matches and kept clean sheets in each of his last two outings in the division – against Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.

The 24-year-old also made a whopping ten saves and recorded a Sofascore rating of 8.9 in the 1-0 League Cup final defeat to Liverpool earlier this season, but his form in the league has left a bit to be desired.

23/24 Premier League

Robert Sanchez

Appearances

16

Goals conceded per game

1.6

Save success rate

68%

Goals prevented

-0.22

Error led to shot

2

Error led to goal

1

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Sanchez made three errors leading to shots or goals for the opposition in just 16 games at the start of the campaign, before being replaced by Petrovic.

The Serbian, however, has let in a staggering 7.44 more goals than expected based on the xG on his goal, compared to just 0.22 more for Sanchez, and this suggests that he has been in poor form as a shot-stopper.

Petrovic has also made two errors that have directly led to a goal for the opposition – one more than the current number two – and this means that he has been a liability with the ball at his feet at times, as well as struggling to make saves.

The interest in Pickford should come as bad news for the young gem as it suggests that Pochettino and Boehly are not prepared to give him time to gain experience and grow into his role as the number one, as they want to bring in an established star to assume that position next season.

Why Chelsea should sign Jordan Pickford

The Blues should sign the England international to bolster the squad as he is a proven Premier League performer who could come in as an immediate upgrade on Petrovic and Sanchez.

At the age of 30, Pickford is an experienced player who has racked up 284 top-flight appearances in his career to date – playing for the Toffees and Sunderland.

This means that he knows the ins and outs of the division and would have a great chance of hitting the ground running, as the talented stopper would not be coming over from a foreign league with no experience in England or the Premier League.

23/24 Premier League

Roberto Sanchez

Dorde Petrovic

Jordan Pickford

Appearances

16

20

36

Save success rate

68%

66%

70%

Successful run-outs per game

0.8

0.6

0.6

Goals prevented

-0.22

-7.44

2.08

Error led to shot or goal

3

2

1

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Pickford has also outperformed Chelsea's two first-team goalkeepers in the league this season, outperforming his xG against tally by 2.08.

This means that the Toffees star, who content creator Josh Wright hailed as having a "monster" campaign last term, has kept out more goals than expected with his high-quality shot-stopping skills.

These statistics suggest that Chelsea would improve their defensive numbers by bringing Pickford in as he has the ability to consistently keep out high xG chances, whilst Petrovic has conceded over seven more than expected in just 20 appearances.

The Everton star also ranks within the top 21% of his positional peers or higher in the Men's Big 5 Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days for defensive actions outside of his penalty area per 90 (1.38) and the average distance of his defensive actions (16.4 yards) respectively.

Related Boehly could avenge Chelsea's Lukaku mistake by signing £51m "machine"

The Blues have been linked with a move for the Serie A sensation this summer.

Posts ByDan Emery May 7, 2024

This shows, along with his shot-stopping, the £125k-per-week titan is an excellent sweeper who comes off his line on a regular basis to clear up behind his defence.

Overall, Chelsea's interest in Pickford should concern Petrovic as the Blues would be bringing in a superior, more experienced, goalkeeper to take his place, leaving him on the bench or in search of a move away from Stamford Bridge.

Fifties from the middle-order pair helped Pakistan overhaul a 263-run target against co-hosts New Zealand

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy01-May-2020

Getty Images

#RetroLive They lost three of their first five matches, and should probably have lost a fourth too, when England bowled them out for 74. Rain saved them there, and gave them an underserved point, a point that was eventually critical to their progress into the last four of this World Cup.But don’t take anything away from Pakistan for what they’ve done since that early run. They beat Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand on the bounce to reach the semi-finals. And now they’re in their first World Cup final, having pulled off a sensational chase to dump out New Zealand, the co-hosts and league-table toppers, on their own turf.They’ve pulled off the fourth-biggest successful chase in any World Cup match. Of the three above it, two came in 60-over matches, and the third against an Associate side, Zimbabwe. And none of the top three chases came in a knockout match.It was challenge enough for Pakistan to chase 263. When Imran Khan and Saleem Malik fell in the space of five balls, their task had grown immeasurably more difficult: 123 needed off 95 balls, with six wickets in hand.It was here that Inzamam-ul-Haq, all of 22, with only 15 ODIs behind him, joined Javed Miandad at the crease. Inzamam wasn’t unknown or unproven at this level; he’d scored back-to-back ODI hundreds against Sri Lanka earlier this year. But this had been a quiet World Cup for him up to this point, and this was a semi-final.For a player of quality, though, a semi-final is a cricket match like any other. And Inzamam is most definitely a player of quality. How else do you score a half-century in 31 balls while exuding the air of someone taking a leisurely stroll around the neighbourhood, pausing occasionally to chomp on an apple?It wasn’t an in-your-face explosion of sixes and fours. There were moments of sublime timing, such as when Inzamam stepped out to Gavin Larsen and sent the ball racing to the midwicket boundary with the gentlest of nudges, and shots that hinted at supreme judgment of length, such as a pulled four off a Chris Harris delivery that was only marginally short. But more than all that, it was an innings of awareness, of where the gaps were and how to find them; to that end, his best shot was probably a dancing flick over midwicket off Willie Watson, which landed in a wide, unguarded area to the left of deep square leg and allowed him to run three.There was some poor bowling too; Harris kept floating the ball wide of off stump when the batsmen advanced at him, with no sweeper protecting the off-side boundary. Inzamam and Miandad threaded fours through the off-side infield once each in successive overs. Dipak Patel, the offspinner, kept bowling into Inzamam’s sweeping and pulling arc despite leaving a massive gap between deep backward-square leg and deep midwicket.Inzamam, in truth, was showing up a limited New Zealand attack for what it was. Their dibbly-dobblers – Harris, Larsen and Watson – have been unhittable at times during this World Cup, especially on the slower pitches in New Zealand, but there’s a sameness to this attack, and a lack of genuinely attacking bowlers apart from Danny Morrison.Once Inzamam and Miandad brought the required rate back under control with an 87-run partnership off 63 balls, New Zealand needed a couple of quick wickets to bring themselves back in the match, and lacked the bowling firepower with which to do it.Their fielding could have brought them a couple of wickets, though. Two direct hits from Harris had Miandad – batting on 1 at that stage – and Moin Khan – on 5, with Pakistan needing 16 off 16 with four wickets in hand – scrambling for safety. Replays showed both of them marginally, but clearly, short of their crease. There was no way the square-leg umpire could have given either of them out, but with technology playing an increasingly influential role at this level, expect video umpires to make an appearance soon.Who knows what might have happened had Miandad been run out so early, with Pakistan needing 177 off 161 balls. The fallout of Moin’s non-dismissal was clearer; he’s still new to this level, but he showed Miandadesque calmness and smarts in helping the senior man finish off the match, and clubbed a pair of unorthodox, Miandadesque boundaries to seal the deal.That Pakistan had needed to hustle to such a degree at the finish was down to their turgid scoring through the first two-thirds of their innings, which was largely down to Imran Khan’s struggle, after promoting himself to No. 3 once again, to pierce the field, and, on occasion, to put bat to ball. It lasted 93 balls, and brought him only 40 runs, 12 of them coming in two hits.A similar struggle took root at a similar stage of New Zealand’s innings, after they had chosen to bat first with a grim forecast in mind. Mark Greatbatch, as he has done through this tournament, clubbed a couple of early sixes, before failing to pick up a back-of-the-hand slower ball from Aaqib Javed that spun like a googly. John Wright and the No. 3 Andrew Jones struggled to time the ball, though, and Ken Rutherford, batting at No. 5, took an age to get going, remaining scoreless for 20 balls, and taking 43 balls to reach double figures.If it wasn’t for the in-form Martin Crowe, who moved his feet with precision and timed the ball like a dream from the moment he stepped in, New Zealand’s innings could have come to a complete standstill. Mushtaq Ahmed, who had returned figures of 2 for 18 in 10 overs in the league-stage meeting between these sides, dismissed Jones with a brilliant quicker one, and gave Rutherford a torrid time as well, and with Pakistan’s second legspinner, Iqbal Sikander, starting tidily as well, New Zealand crawled to 119 for 3 in 34 overs. Getting to 220 looked unlikely.But as if a switch had been clicked on, Rutherford suddenly found his rhythm, and his feet began to twinkle against the spinners, bringing him a series of boundaries including a straight six off Sikander. Crowe, like Inzamam would do later in the match, began punishing the smallest errors in line and length, sweeping and pulling the spinners at every opportunity, and whipping Wasim Akram for a stupendous six off his hip, over backward square leg. Crowe raced to his fifty in 51 balls. Rutherford flew from 17 off 47 balls to 50 off 67, before a miscued pull off Akram ended their partnership at 107.New Zealand’s innings had legs now, but their captain’s legs gave way in the 44th over, Crowe injuring his left hamstring while taking a single off Sikander. On 79 then, he would add 12 more to his score, before a mix-up involving his runner, Greatbatch, sent him back in the 47th over, right after another brutal pull off a barely-short delivery had moved him into the 90s.Crowe’s injury didn’t have any immediate effect on New Zealand’s morale, with Ian Smith leading their plundering of 40 runs off the last 22 balls of their innings. But their tactics during Pakistan’s innings lacked the Crowe stamp. Rather than swap his bowlers around constantly as Crowe has done through this tournament, the stand-in captain Wright kept his bowlers on for long spells, refusing to use Jones’ offspin as a sixth option. With Inzamam new to the crease, he delayed the reintroduction of Morrison, who had four overs left, and kept plugging away with his slow-medium trio.It’s hard to say, though, that this same New Zealand attack, shuffled into a different configuration, could have dealt with Inzamam in the mood he was in. Today was simply his day, and this tournament may simply be Pakistan’s, though England or South Africa may have something to say about that. RetroLive

Liverpool reportedly want to complete the signing of a new midfielder, with an "early-window signing highly likely", as Michael Edwards looks to make his presence felt.

Liverpool transfer news

Edwards has returned to Anfield in a new role as CEO of Football, having initially been such a highly-rated sporting director, working superbly alongside Jurgen Klopp and bringing in the likes of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk.

The Englishman will now be working hard on identifying new signings to bring to Liverpool this summer – those who the new manager will want to work with – and the Reds have been linked with plenty of players of late.

Perhaps the most high-profile individual who is seen as a possible target for the Merseysiders is Jamal Musiala, who continues to mature into an incredible footballer at Bayern Munich. Manchester City are also among the clubs who are interested, however, and only an eye-catching bid would likely give them any chance of prising him away.

One player who has been linked with a switch to Liverpool last summer was Levi Colwill, and while he ended up remaining at Chelsea for another season, a recent report has claimed that the Reds could again be back in for him in the next transfer window.

It remains to be seen if Salah will definitely stay at Anfield beyond this season, with his current deal expiring in 2025, but West Ham ace Mohammed Kudus is believed to be a potential replacement for the Egyptian superstar. He has enjoyed a good first season in the Premier League, scoring seven goals and bagging four assists in the competition.

Liverpool eyeing new midfield signing

According to a new report from Football Insider, Liverpool want to sign a new midfielder this summer, with an "early-window signing highly likely". While a specific player isn't mentioned, Edwards and incoming sporting director Richard Hughes are thought to have names in mind.

This is a really encouraging update from a Reds perspective, suggesting Edwards isn't messing around when it comes to summer transfers, ensuring that some key business is done early, rather than leaving it too late.

Admittedly, Liverpool focused solely on rebuilding their midfield last summer, bringing in Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch, but there is still an argument to say that further additions in that area wouldn't go amiss.

At 31, Endo doesn't represent the long-term future, while the jury is still out on Gravenberch, who has struggled to make the same impact as his fellow new arrivals. With Thiago on course to leave when his contract runs out at the end of the season, a place in the squad will also open up, so bringing in a younger option full of quality makes total sense.

“Special” Liverpool ace wanted by Galatasaray this summer

Could a potential shock exit be on the cards?

ByHenry Jackson Apr 20, 2024

Benfica's highly-rated young midfielder Joao Neves is seen as a possible option, and has a huge future ahead of him, but Manchester United are also among the clubs keen. Someone of that ilk could be ideal, though, and it will be fascinating to see who Edwards is eyeing up.

Lionel Messi’s son, Thiago, netted a long-range goal for Inter Miami as their U13 side secured a thumping 10-1 season-opening win.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Youngster part of Herons' youth ranksFills the same No.10 shirt as famous fatherContributed to huge win as Antonela watched onWHAT HAPPENED?

Antonela Roccuzzo filled the role of “soccer mom” for the Messi family in that contest, as she was joined on the sidelines by an unexpected lizard guest. The action on the field gave her plenty to cheer, with the Herons’ academy side easing their way to an impressive victory.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Thiago played his part in that, with the youngster filling the same No.10 shirt that his famous father wears for Inter Miami’s senior team and the Argentina national side. He did that jersey justice when drilling in a well-struck strike from distance.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyDID YOU KNOW?

Thiago Messi has already won trophies with Inter Miami’s youth team and is treading his own path towards the professional ranks – although there is a long way to go before he can be considered ready to follow in the most illustrious of footsteps.

The players from Tottenham Hotspur’s iconic side of 2018/19, in which they reached the Champions League final under Mauricio Pochettino, are all slowly beginning to leave the club.

Talisman striker Harry Kane was one of the most recent players from that famous side to leave the club. The England captain joined Bayern Munich last summer, for a fee of £86.4m, where he has scored 43 goals in 43 games so far.

The likes of Christian Eriksen, now at Manchester United via Inter and Brentford, Dele Alli who is now an Everton player, and Kieran Trippier, who is now at Newcastle, have all left in recent years. Meanwhile, legendary centre-back duo Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghan now play at Royal Antwerp and Anderlecht respectively.

Just a couple of the members of that Spurs squad remain at the club today, including Son Heung-min. The legendary attacker has scored 161 goals and has 83 assists in 403 games for the Lilywhites.

However, the other player from that squad who still remains in the first team today, has struggled for minutes under Ange Postecoglou this season, and a tough performance against Arsenal in last weekend’s North London derby has led to people calling for him to be dropped.

Ben Davies' stats vs Arsenal

The player in question here is Welshman Ben Davies, who had a tough afternoon at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last weekend against his side’s biggest rivals. There is no doubt Davies is a modern-day Spurs stalwart, having played 330 games for the club, scoring nine and assisting 23.

However, his opportunities this season have been few and far between. Davies has featured in just 19 games in all competitions for Postecoglou’s side, with 17 of those coming in the Premier League.

Davies is one of the highest earners at Spurs, who have a fairly low wage expenditure compared to the other ‘big 6’ sides. He is the tenth-highest earner at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, on £80k-per-week, according to Capology.

Against Arsenal, Davies was directly up against Bukayo Saka, and he had a tough afternoon, ultimately handed a poor 4/10 rating courtesy of FFC's player ratings.

As per Sofascore, the 31-year-old won just six out of his 11 ground duels, and one out of three aerial duels. Not only that, he lost possession ten times and was dribbled past on two occasions.

It was certainly not an easy game for Davies who let Saka cut in all too easily for Arsenal's second goal of the game. The Wales international slotted into the side to replace the injured Destiny Udogie, who will miss the rest of the season and the Euros.

Spurs 2-3 Arsenal: Player ratings & match recap

Arsenal took on Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

By
Matt Dawson

Apr 28, 2024

Who might replace Davies in the starting XI

Former Spurs player Jamie O’Hara believes that his former side need to “get rid” of Davies because “he’s not good enough”. Indeed, this is a harsh statement, given he has played 330 games for the club.

With that being said, wanting him dropped for the game against Chelsea on Thursday is justifiable, given he will be coming up against Cole Palmer, one of the best players in the Premier League this season. Palmer has 20 goals and nine assists in 29 games in the league. If he struggled with Saka then another left-footer of the Chelsea star's calibre won't end well.

Should Postecoglou decide to drop Davies from the starting lineup, there is one leading candidate to replace him; Emerson Royal. The Brazilian is normally a right-back, but five of his 21 appearances in all competitions this season have come from left-back, instead.

The 25-year-old has scored once this season and is yet to register an assist. He is a good defender, averaging 4.59 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes as per Fbref. That places him in the top 6%. Not only that, Emerson averages 6.56 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, ranking him in the top 5%.

An alternative option to Emerson could be to bring January signing Radu Dragusin into the side and push Mickey van de Ven out to left-back. The 23-year-old is naturally a centre-back but has played on that side 15 times in his career, although not since joining Spurs last summer.

Postecoglou certainly has some decisions to make this week regarding the starting left-back against Chelsea.

He may well decide to stick with Davies and show faith in the player, go with Emerson or even the less experienced choice of bringing Dragusin into the team and pushing Van de Ven out to left-back. Either way, the man tasked with the job will have a tough night ahead, against Palmer, one of the deadliest players in the top flight.

Spurs can ease Udogie blow by unleashing their “best academy defender”

This would be a shrewd move from Ange Postecoglou.

By
Angus Sinclair

Apr 23, 2024

A young Manchester United fan was hailed by the Red Devils faithful for "motivating" Marcus Rashford to end his goal drought against Southampton.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Man Utd cruised to a 3-0 victory
• Rashford scored the second of the afternoon
• Kept his promise to a fan after finding the net

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 26-year-old forward had struggled to find the back of the net in the new campaign but a message from a young fan named Grayson seemed to be just the encouragement he needed. Rashford’s subsequent performance in United’s 3-0 victory over Southampton on Saturday saw him deliver a much-needed goal, with the player dedicating the strike to the 10-year-old fan.

Advertisement

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  On Thursday, September 12, Rashford shared a moving Instagram post in which he revealed the special video message he received from Grayson, a lifelong Manchester United fan. In the video, Grayson excitedly showed Rashford his bedroom, which was decked out in United memorabilia, including a photo taken with Rashford during a visit to Old Trafford.

  “Hi Marcus, my name is Grayson and I’m a huge fan of yours,” the young supporter began in the clip. "This is my bed cover, my number is 10 just like yours. This is my blanket with the United badge, this is the bear that I've had since I was born – it has a Manchester shirt on and Manchester United shorts."

  In response to Grayson’s touching message, Rashford posted an Instagram story promising to dedicate his next goal to the young fan. He wrote, "Thank you, Grayson! The next goal that I score is dedicated to you [red heart emoji]." It didn’t take long for Rashford to fulfil that promise, as he found the net during Manchester United’s clash with Southampton just a couple of days later.

• WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  The United faithful was overjoyed to see Rashford once again among the goals and they thanked Grayson for his message.

  A United fan, @EssKayDevil, wrote: "Shout out Grayson Rashford said that one was for you."

  Whereas, @jessiedza, wrote: "Grayson when I catch you. Rashford is back because of you. #SOUMUN #ManU."

  Meanwhile, @Chaoshead_, wrote: "Grayson impact on Rashford…"

  @UtdRish said: "Take that Grayson! You lovely kid, thanks for motivating Rashford!!! Get In!!! Things we love to see."

  @TheTechTalkie found the coincidence funny enough and wrote: "Rashford score. Young Grayson is the lucky charm."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Rashford’s dedication to improving his performance has been evident. After being ignored for the England squad by interim manager Lee Carsley, following Gareth Southgate’s resignation after Euro 2024, Rashford used the time to continue working on his fitness and sharpness. Rather than taking time off, the United forward was spotted training at two non-league football grounds, Ashton United and West Didsbury & Chorlton. Footage of Rashford’s intense training sessions circulated on social media, showcasing the forward’s determination to return to top form.

Yorkshire reach 96-run first-innings lead before Durham edge ahead with more spirited second knock

Paul Edwards at Chester-le-Street02-Aug-2020
To walk around a near-deserted Riverside at the moment is to be reminded of a different summer. Signs and notices still advertise last year’s World Cup and one realises with a jolt that this match began on the first anniversary of the start of the Ashes series. We have gone from Steve Smith to squirts of sanitiser in twelve months. Professional cricketers, of course, have little time for such reflections. Some moved counties in the winter and were hoping to make an impact in April; many others are out of contract this year and have nine weeks in which to prove they deserve a new deal. They are playing for more than a one-off trophy in a truncated season.For the moment, though, harvesting a decent haul of points in the Bob Willis Trophy is all they can do, so Yorkshire’s coaches will have been slightly disappointed just after lunch when Ben Coad’s limp waft edged a catch to Ned Eckersley, thus ending his side’s first innings on 199, one run shy of a batting bonus point. But any irritation at Coad’s final shot will have been balanced by pleasure at the five boundaries he had clumped during a valuable last-wicket stand of 35 with Jack Shutt. Two of those fours were cheery thwacks down the ground off Ben Raine and they rather summed up Yorkshire’s approach to batting during the first half of a day in which they established a 96-run first-innings lead.However, after managing only 103 all out in their first attempt, Durham’s batsmen offered far tougher resistance on Sunday afternoon and were 106 for 2 at the close. The home’s obduracy would have done credit to Democratic Unionists. It was epitomised by the openers, Alex Lees, who was batting against his old county, and Sean Dickson, who was trying to impress his new one after his recent move from Kent. The pair had added 47 in 26 overs when Dickson was caught off the inside edge by Jonny Tattersall for 14, and though their approach was as staid as a maiden aunts’ sherry party, it was at least safe.More to the point, neither Steve Patterson nor any of his bowlers could build on their success, partly because this Riverside pitch has lost a little of its spice but mainly because Lees ground out an unbeaten 58 in 150 balls. Yet the opener’s pleasure may have been moderated by his part in the run out which saw Cameron Steel dismissed for 11. That mix-up occurred when the batsmen attempted a third run only to see Ben Coad’s throw from third man be collected by Tattersall, who threw the stumps down at the bowler’s end with a galloping Steel short of his ground. Nevertheless a game which once threatened not to last beyond its second day may now stretch into a fourth.Durham’s resilience may have pleased their absent supporters watching the live stream on their laptops, but their run rate is so pedestrian – 106 runs in 51 overs – that they may have to bat most of the third day in order to set any sort of target on a pitch which has eased a little since the first morning when a heavy atmosphere made batting even more of a trial. Yorkshire’s batsmen, by contrast, were never chary of playing their shots and that approach worked for them in the morning session. The visitors scored 80 runs in 28 overs, thus establishing a 61-run lead at a cost of four wickets, two of which fell when neither Jordan Thompson nor Tattersall played shots to straight balls. Harry Brook, too, rather gave it away when he pulled Matthew Potts straight to Jack Burnham at deep midwicket, the fielder having been carefully placed 20 yards in from the rope. By then, though, the 21-year-old Brook had made 41 and had hit seven boundaries, the majority of them intentional and precise.From the opening exchanges there was a busyness about Yorkshire’s batting which their opponents have so far lacked. Twenty of the 58.4 overs in Durham’s innings had been maidens; the home bowlers managed just six in their first 24, some of them delivered in the first day’s last knockings when Dawid Malan and Brook were playing for the close. The departure of Malan, superbly caught by Ned Eckersley off the inside edge for 30, gave Chris Rushworth the second of his three wickets but the Durham spearhead was otherwise roughly treated by Yorkshire’s batsmen and it is probably some time since he has gone for four an over in a first-class innings.But while home supporters were prohibited from watching experienced cricketers like the 34-year-old Rushworth, yesterday they were at least able to watch the county’s academy cricketers take on Chester-le-Street, whose Ropery Lane home lies about 500 yards from the Riverside. That game was attended, on a much smaller ground, by over 100 spectators and catering facilities were available. Yet no one apart from players, officials and media is being allowed into the Riverside, whose capacity is currently around 15,000.Such inconsistency is perhaps to be expected during an emergency almost without precedent in modern British history. But it would still need nothing more than a gentle relaxation to remove it and it is hard to see what the hazard might be in allowing a thousand or so folk watch cricket in the open air.

MatériaMais Notícias

O técnico Enderson Moreira valorizou a vitória do Botafogo sobre o Confiança por 1 a 0, neste sábado, no Batistão, em jogo válido pela 14ª rodada da Série B. Em entrevista coletiva, o treinador elogiou a capacidade do Alvinegro de “sofrer” dentro de campo e, também destacou que o mais importante era garantir os três pontos.

> ATUAÇÕES: Diego Loureiro e Romildo garantem a vitória do Botafogo

RelacionadasBotafogoTécnico do Botafogo chama quarto árbitro de ‘despreparado’ e dispara: ‘Vai trabalhar com vôlei’Botafogo24/07/2021BotafogoExpulso, Warley fica suspenso para próxima partida do Botafogo na Série BBotafogo24/07/2021BotafogoApós vitória do Botafogo e expulsões, Daniel Borges fica na bronca: ‘Tem que ter critério para os dois lados’Botafogo24/07/2021

– É claro que a gente passou muitas informações, mas tenho que ter tranquilidade para saber que nem tudo vai sair como a gente quer. Tivemos uma carência de tempo, mas é bom perceber que eles estão buscando. Eles têm muita consciência, o percurso é longo – disse Enderson, que ainda completou.

– O mais importante era garantir a vitória por todas as dificuldades que o Botafogo está passando no momento. Precisar quando essa equipe vai estar executando aquilo que eu penso sobre futebol é difícil de prever, mas algumas coisas hoje já funcionaram. Tivemos uma capacidade boa de sofrer, no sentido de não tomar gol.

> Veja a tabela da Série B

Dentro de campo, a atuação do Botafogo não foi de “encher os olhos”, mas foi o suficiente para garantir a primeira vitória fora de casa na Série B. Na coletiva, Enderson disse que sua cobrança é para o resultado positivo e para a boa atuação. No entanto, de acordo com o treinador, quando não se pode ter os dois, o importante é conquistar os três pontos.

– É importante acima de tudo que a gente possa vencer jogos, o mais importante agora é vencer. A Série B é muito competitiva, tem que ter muita determinação, o importante era conquistar os três pontos. De pouco adiantaria jogar bem e sair sem a vitória hoje. Claro que a minha cobrança não é só o resultado, mas também de boas atuações, mas quando não se pode ter as duas coisas ao mesmo tempo que a gente tenha o resultado. Isso traz um pouco mais de confiança.

> Conheça o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!

Enderson também analisou o confronto e disse que, na sua visão, o Botafogo teve bons momentos na partida. De acordo com ele, o time conseguiu executar algumas jogadas, mas sem tanta “constância”. Ele voltou a valorizar os três pontos e ressaltou a importância de ter a consciência do caminho que o Alvinegro percorrerá nesta Série B.

– Particularmente, acho que a gente teve momentos até bons, o próprio gol foi uma jogada que trabalhamos um pouquinho. Eu acho que conseguimos executar algumas coisas, mas não com tanta constância, perdemos oportunidades de contra-ataque e talvez isso tirasse um pouco dessa pressão no final do jogo. É valorizar os três pontos e ao mesmo tempo ter a consciência do caminho árduo que estamos.

An "excellent" Rangers player is now considering sealing a move to England in the summer transfer window, according to a new update over his future.

Rangers transfer news

The Gers have suffered the disappointment of missing out on the Scottish Premiership title, with Celtic eventually pulling away in the final few matches, including beating Philippe Clement's side 2-1 last weekend.

New signings will be required this summer as Rangers look to improve further and become even stronger title challengers next term, and they have been linked with a plethora of players including teenage Stoke City midfielder Souleymane Sidibe. The 17-year-old has already made eight appearances for the Potters and is seen as a bright prospect for the future.

Meanwhile, Levski Sofia centre-back Jose Cordoba has also been backed to complete a move to Ibrox, with the 22-year-old hailed as the "best defender in his league". Aberdeen midfielder Connor Barron is also believed to be a target for both the Gers and Celtic.

Abdallah Sima has enjoyed an impressive season at Rangers on loan from Brighton, too, and the Scottish giants could look to seal a permanent signing.

There will also be certain players who could leave Ibrox before the start of next season, however, and a key update has emerged regarding one such individual.

"Excellent" Rangers ace eyeing England move

According to a fresh update from Football Insider, John Lundstram is now eyeing a move from Rangers to England this summer, with his future still up in the air.

It is claimed that the 30-year-old is "exploring his options over whether to move back to England" once his contract expires at the end of the season, at which point he will be able to leave on a free transfer.

At this point, it does certainly feel more likely that Lundstram will depart Rangers in the coming weeks, perhaps feeling that he has come as far as he can at the club, following 152 appearances in total.

They will hold out some hope that he could have a late change of heart, and while the midfielder may now be 30 years of age, he remains an important player, being lauded by former colleague Oli McBurnie, who has said of him:

"He’s a top player. John can play anywhere in midfield. He’s a midfield engine, excellent with both feet and has a great range of passing with an eye for a goal as well. He’s a natural-born winner. As a lad from Liverpool, I think we all know what they are like, passion-wise. Demanding of his teammates both in training and in games, but one of the best blokes you will meet."

Clement can replace Cantwell with gem who's "unlike anyone else at Rangers"

Clement could unleash a few young talents against Hearts

ByRoss Kilvington May 18, 2024

Should Lundstram bring an end to his time at Rangers, he should be remembered as a strong servant, with his nightmare own goal and red card at Celtic last weekend a rare bad day at the office for him.

There is still hope Rangers can persuade him to stay with a new deal, but the longer he remains available to talk to other clubs, the more likely his Ibrox exit this summer appears to be.

With the transfer window edging ever closer, Newcastle United have reportedly made their first proposal to sign a future star for Eddie Howe to get the Magpies' summer started with a bang.

Newcastle transfer news

PIF certainly aren't messing around ahead of the summer window, having paid such a price for their insufficient squad depth in the current campaign, and look destined to get some of their business done early. According to reports, that business will start with Lloyd Kelly, who is set to leave Bournemouth as a free agent at the end of the season.

Newcastle join the race to sign "one of the best defenders in the world"

What a signing he could be for the Magpies.

ByHenry Jackson May 7, 2024

The left-back, who can also play as a central defender, has reportedly reached an agreement with Newcastle and will complete his switch to St James' Park in the coming months. Following ACL injuries to both Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles, Kelly's arrival couldn't be better timed to finally ease Newcastle's defensive woes come the start of the next campaign.

The trend of bargain buys will only continue from there too, with Newcastle looking to reinforce their squad and stay clear of any Financial Fair Play punishment at the same time by potentially landing a future star.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Newcastle have made their first offer to sign Amario Cozier-Duberry on a free deal upon the expiry of his Arsenal deal this summer. The deal is not yet sealed and Arsenal are still in talks over fresh terms themselves, but the proposal is certainly a positive sign of what could be on the horizon.

Still just 18 years old, Cozier-Duberry's potential move to Newcastle could quickly turn into a bargain deal if he reaches his potential in years to come.

"Exciting" Cozier-Duberry can replace Almiron

Whilst Cozier-Duberry's first aim should be to gain some first-team minutes in some way, shape or form if he completes a move to Newcastle, the end goal should be for the winger to replace Miguel Almiron. The teenager can provide the spark down the right-hand side that Almiron has otherwise lacked compared to the last campaign, perhaps indicating that now is the time for a change.

Those at Arsenal, still looking to keep hold of Cozier-Duberry, haven't been shy in their praise, with Jack Wilshere telling The Athletic: "Amario is very exciting and Mikel likes him. He reminds me of Bukayo Saka, plays in the same position as him, needs to get better with his decision-making like Bukayo did, but he's definitely exciting. In some moments he's unplayable.

"You give him the ball and he can make things happen. You can set up a team and have a game plan, but when you've got individuals like that you've got a chance."

Now, it is Newcastle who could be left benefitting from a future star who could be ready to replace Almiron as soon as possible at St James' Park.