All posts by h716a5.icu

Newcastle United's quest for Champions League football could conclude emphatically tonight, with the Tyneside club requiring just one point against Leicester City in the Premier League to secure top four.

With 69 points and two games to play, the third-placed Magpies have waltzed into prominence this term after a seasonal resurgence last year to follow the buoying news of the affluent Saudi-led takeover after years of instability and strife.

Manager Eddie Howe will be delighted with the progress made, but against the imperilled Foxes, who would be all-but-relegated with defeat at St. James' Park, focus must be fine-tuned and intensity must be at full throttle.

For all of Leicester's issues, they are at the last chance saloon and will attempt desperately to cause a major upset and rewrite more than one narrative as the top-flight campaign enters its culminating week.

To ensure this doesn't happen, starring right-back Kieran Trippier must look to harness his success on previous occasions against City this season and once again provide dynamic brilliance to cement a place in Europe's premium continental competition.

How could Kieran Trippier perform against Leicester?

Having signed for Newcastle for £12m from Atletico Madrid in January 2022, the hope was that Trippier would provide composure and dynamism from the right-back position to aid the fight against relegation.

He has achieved this emphatically, having now forged 51 appearances for the Toon, scoring three goals and providing ten assists, hailed as a "revelation" by talkSPORT's Simon Jordan.

As per Sofascore, the 32-year-old has recorded an incredible average Premier League rating of 7.62 this term and has been instrumental to the meteoric rise to the forefront of the league pack, averaging three key passes per match, making 23 big chances, and forging 1.9 tackles and two interceptions per outing.

He will be especially important in ensuring Leicester don't get a foothold in the game by inhibiting Harvey Barnes on the offensive left flank – the wily winger is one of his side's only admirable performers this season and boasts 12 goals from 32 matches, though suffered one of his meekest showings to date in a deflating effort against Trippier in the reverse fixture.

Losing 3-0, the 25-year-old flanker mustered a match rating of only 6.0, winning just two of his eight duels and unable to make the slightest dent in Newcastle's armour, with Trippier pitted against him securing a match-best Sofascore rating of 8.3, picking up an assist, making four key passes, winning nine of his 13 duels, making four interceptions and three tackles; stifled would be an understatement.

Leicester's misery against Howe's team does not abate there. In the Carabao Cup, the sides waged battle once again and Newcastle confidently secured a 2-0 victory, with the "defensive animal" Trippier – as lauded by England manager Gareth Southgate – once again excelling and leaving with an 8.0 Sofascore match rating after creating five key passes, making three tackles and four clearances, an inexorable force which City had not the answer for across both matches.

Dean Smith will hope that he can stem the tide tonight, but the evidence is damning; Leicester have crumbled and Newcastle are boundless.

Only last week, the King Power Stadium was subjected to a 3-0 home defeat to Liverpool, with resurgent right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold scoring a goal and illuminating the defensive frailties down the left flank, with Luke Thomas now suffering a woeful run of form – his outfit's second-lowest performer in the entire squad, according to Sofascore – to coincide with Leicester's spluttering seasonal fortunes.

Howe, Newcastle and Trippier will exploit this, merciless and ravenous for success, securing a result that will send St. James' Park into cacophonous cheer to open up a new illustrious chapter on Tyneside.

Hilton Cartwright starred with bat and ball to deliver National Performance Squad (NPS) a 12-run win (D/L method) over Australia A in a rain-affected match at the Tony Ireland Stadium in Townsville

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Aug-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Western Australia allrounder Hilton Cartwright delivered with bat and ball for NPS•BCCIHilton Cartwright starred with bat and ball to deliver National Performance Squad (NPS) a 12-run win (Duckworth-Lewis method) over Australia A in a rain-affected match at the Tony Ireland Stadium in Townsville.Rain had reduced the match to 49 overs a side before Cartwright scored 81 off 92 to lay the platform in the NPS total of 231. He then took 3 for 26 to ensure that Australia A fell 13 runs short of the D/L-adjusted target of 190 from 28 overs.Put in to bat, NPS lost opener Caleb Jewell after a laborious opening partnership of 19 off 52 balls. Cartwright then shared half-century stands with Sam Heazlett and Sam Harper to carry NPS to 2 for 143 in 35 overs. Fast bowler Chris Tremain dismissed Cartwright and Harper in the 36th over, to precipitate a passage of play in which NPS lost 4 for 15 in 26 balls.However, handy lower-order cameos from Sean Abbott (44 off 28) and Michael Neser (31 off 32) helped NPS make good use of their last few overs to register 9 for 231. Tremain ended up with 5 for 47, having dismissed four of the five batsmen to have reached double figures. This was his second successive five-for, following on from returns of 5 for 25 against India A in the previous match.Australia A’s run chase was complicated by the early loss of Kurtis Patterson – trapped lbw by Abbott for a third-ball duck – and the rain interruptions, which ultimately left them with a target of 190 from 28 overs. Captain Chris Lynn, batting at No. 3, did his best to set up the chase with 42 off 21, and was ably complemented by opener Marcus Stoinis, who also scored 42, albeit at a more stately pace.But Abbott and Cartwright continued to strike for NPS, reducing Australia A to 7 for 138, at which point the batting side needed 52 off 28. Cameron Bancroft (37* off 32) and Tremain (26* off 16) did their best to make a match of it, but could not provide enough firepower to get Australia A past the line.

Any thoughts this game might end with a victory for either side were extinguished by the strength of both sides’ batting and the understandable conservatism of skippers who were content to take five points for the draw

Paul Edwards at Old Trafford15-Sep-2016
ScorecardSimon Kerrigan derailed Middlesex with six wickets•Getty ImagesAnd so it will not be settled – or anything like settled – for another week. A season in which Middlesex have led, Yorkshire have loomed and Somerset have scarcely been mentioned will end with the three counties covered by ten points. The world’s most famous cricket ground and one of the best in the land will together stage the final dramas of this late, late summer. What have we done to deserve this? Clearly, something good.Any thoughts this game might end with a victory for either side were extinguished by the strength of both sides’ batting and the understandable conservatism of skippers who were content to take five points for the draw. Such a return leaves Middlesex nine points ahead of Yorkshire and ten clear of Somerset.All the points permutations can wait for the back of an envelope and a double espresso. It is enough for the moment to say that if the leaders avoid losing to Yorkshire at Lord’s and Somerset fail to beat Nottinghamshire at Taunton, Middlesex will be champions and worthy ones. Their evisceration of Yorkshire on the last day at Scarborough proclaimed their quality. But the destination of the pennant far from settled.The cricket on this final day of the season at Old Trafford was only briefly exciting but always absorbing. Some shots, some moments will be remembered fondly by spectators watching their final first-class overs of the year. Dawid Malan and John Simpson batted with great certainty throughout the morning and had extended their partnership to 151 when Malan played a half-hearted cut at Simon Kerrigan and was caught by Jos Buttler for 87.That wicket was the prelude to three more in five overs as Middlesex established a lead of 308 before declaring. Simpson was the last of these but he had made a fine 74 before he swayed like a drunk avoiding a bicycle and lost his leg stump to Luke Procter. Kerrigan finished the innings with 6 for 86 – and ten in the match – which is something to encourage him before Lancashire’s final game at Edgbaston next week.Indeed, this was the first morning of autumnal haze at Old Trafford. It was burned off quite quickly, of course, but there was still a September note of gentle closure. And very briefly, we wondered if the finale to the season was to be accompanied with drums and yells as Lancashire responded to the stern challenge of scoring 309 in 44 overs by opening with Buttler.Three fours and a scooped six heightened the frisson of excitement but a leading edge off Steven Finn looped a dolly to Nick Compton at cover and Buttler was gone for 26. Hameed replaced him and Lancashire’s dash for victory was run. Spectators settled into their last cricket of the summer and some of them will have stored images away as one might with sustenance for the winter.The game ended with Hameed tucking Rayner to long leg and scampering two runs. It was only right that he should score the last first-class runs on the ground this season. The match ended with handshakes at half past four in the poignant elegies of departure. There is a week to go but Lancashire are 14 points clear of Hampshire near the bottom of Division One. Should they secure a draw against Warwickshire next week, they have as great a chance of staying up as the new hotel does. Given their recent record and the youth of their side, they will class survival as something of an achievement.For we are at the stage of the season when accomplishment comes in many guises. Middlesex, Yorkshire and Somerset will be happy with only the title; Lancashire Warwickshire and Hampshire must hope to retain their status although Ian Bell’s team will want to preface that subdued success by lifting the Royal London Cup. We have eight days left in the season and some fine hurrahs before the drawing down of blinds.

Chelsea talks with Sporting Lisbon midfielder Manuel Ugarte have 'accelerated' at a swift speed ahead of the forthcoming transfer window, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Manuel Ugarte?

As per Football Insider, Chelsea have scouted Ugarte on several occasions and are said to be in the 'driving seat' to bring the Sporting Lisbon enforcer to Stamford Bridge this summer.

The report states that the Blues will meet his £52 million release clause, though they may try to formulate some sort of installment package to acquire Ugarte if it is a viable route to go down.

90min also detail Chelsea's interest in Ugarte and have claimed that Paris Saint-Germain also child a strong attraction towards the Uruguay international.

It is believed that bringing in a new midfielder has been a main priority for the Blues even before the arrival of new boss Mauricio Pochettino.

Portuguese publication Record have indicated that Chelsea may be willing to include the services of young striker David Datro Fofana on loan to do a deal for Ugarte.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones has been taken aback by how quickly Chelsea's pursuit of Ugarte has progressed over the last few days.

Jones said: "It's certainly accelerated faster than I anticipated, to be honest. We'll now have to see how quickly it can continue to move forward and what the momentum is.

"We know Chelsea are interested, but the rate at which this has been moving forward makes me think that they're keen to get it done very quickly."

Would Manuel Ugarte be a good signing for Chelsea?

Ugarte has been in excellent form for Sporting Lisbon this term and would help to shore up Chelsea's midfield as they enter into a new era at Stamford Bridge with Pochettino at the helm.

In 2022/23, the £16k-a-week ace has featured 47 times in all competitions for his current employers, registering a solitary assist in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored demonstrate that Ugarte is also an extremely safe presence in possession and has achieved a pass success rate of 91.6% this campaign in the Primeira Liga, something which could help Chelsea to dominate the ball for long spells in 2023/24.

FBRef also determine that the former Famalicao star fares well compared to his positional peers in Europe's eight divisions below the top five leagues on the continent in the art of number of players tackled, with Ugarte managing to successfully come out on top in 4.63 challenges per 90 minutes over the last 365 days, putting him in the first percentile for this metric.

With Chelsea needing a serious rebuild this summer, bringing in Ugarte could be a masterstroke of a signing in west London that could add some bite to Pochettino's engine room moving forward.

Bayern Munich are thinking about reigniting their interest in Barcelona star Raphinha, per Mundo Deportivo.

The dangerous winger was one of the Premier League's best players during his two years in the division, with ex-manager Marcelo Bielsa hailing him as a 'complete player.'

However, after a summer of transfer links to some of the biggest European clubs last year, Raphinhia finally signed on the dotted line for FC Barcelona.

Despite initially struggling for form and game time, the Brazilian has quickly established himself as a firm favourite amongst the Camp Nou faithful.

It was after a particularly impressive display against Sevilla earlier this year that Barcelona Manager Xavi labelled him "extraordinary."

His strong end to the season in Catalonia helped the Blaugrana win a first LaLiga title since 2019.

What's the latest on Raphinha?

With the Brazilian still performing at an elite level, it should come as no surprise that he has once again attracted the attention of clubs from across the continent, most notably Bayern Munich.

According to a report from Javier Gascon of Mundo Deportivo, the Bavarian club have reignited their interest in the player due to the admiration of Thomas Tuchel.

The Spanish publication reports (via Sky) that the German coach is a 'big fan of the Brazilian winger.'

Gascon reports that, alongside Tuchel's admiration for the player, the Bayern board want to bring in a player of his quality to 'not experience another Bundesliga like the one that recently ended.'

However, should the board want to bring the 5 foot 9 winger to FC Hollywood, they'll have to loosen their purse strings.

Barcelona paid Leeds £55m for his signature just last year, and so any new deal will likely exceed that valuation.

Would Raphinha improve Bayern Munich?

Primarily playing on the right-hand side, Raphinhia would be in direct competition with Leroy Sané and Serge Gnabry.

Looking at their season ratings from WhoScored, it is the Brazilian who comes last at 7.04, whereas both Gnabry and Sane sit at 7.10. However, with rankings that close, it is hardly decisive.

Goal involvements, whilst impressive at 14 for the ex-Leeds man, are again lower compared to Sane's 15 and Gnabry's 19.

It doesn't get much better when you look at the underlying numbers, either. According to data from FBref, the Porto Alegre-born winger notches up 0.55 expected non-penalty goals and assists per90, whereas Sane manages 0.62, and Gnabry, a staggering 0.78.

Things balance out more when looking at their passing stats. Whilst Raphinha has the lowest pass completion of all three players at just 66.8%, he does average 2.20 key passes per 90, 0.19 more than Sane and 0.26 more than Gnabry.

Overall, whilst the numbers in isolation are certainly impressive, compared to his competition, they leave a little to be desired.

There is no doubt that Raphinha is a great player, and who knows, a move to Bayern might just bump those numbers up even higher.

Short-bowling tactics and allegations of sledging were placed under the microscope on day one of the New South Wales Coroner’s inquest into the death of Phillip Hughes

Daniel Brettig10-Oct-2016Short-bowling tactics and allegations of sledging were placed under the microscope on day one of the New South Wales Coroner’s inquest into the death of Phillip Hughes.Witnesses including Brad Haddin, the NSW captain on the day, and pace bowler Doug Bollinger were examined on issues surrounding the events of November 25, 2014, when Hughes, playing for South Australia, was struck on the side of the neck by a short ball delivered by Sean Abbott in a Sheffield Shield match at the SCG.The blow caused a severe arterial injury that rendered him unconscious within seconds and ultimately ended his life in St Vincent’s Hospital two days later.Members of the Hughes family, who were present for the inquest at Sydney’s Downing Centre court complex, had raised concerns about the bowling Hughes was subjected to on the day, and also about some of the comments allegedly directed to him prior to the blow.It was alleged, in the examination of detective senior constable Jay Tonkin of NSW Police by the Hughes’ family’s legal representative Greg Melick SC, that Bollinger had uttered the words “I’m going to kill you”, something the bowler strongly denied with the words, “I know in my heart I didn’t say that.” Hughes’ parents, Greg and Virginia, were seen to shake their heads when Bollinger offered his denial.Haddin was queried on tactical discussions about how to dismiss Hughes, given that he had established himself at the crease by lunch. Haddin stated he had discussions with the then NSW coach Trevor Bayliss about how to change the flow of the game, but denied any specific plans to bowl short.The field placings used by Haddin after lunch – interpreted by some as to cater for short bowling – were, he said, devised to reduce the scoring rate. Haddin also stated that if he had wished to deliver a short-pitched attack on Hughes, he would have used other bowlers, pointing out that the spinner Nathan Lyon was operating opposite Abbott at the time.However David Warner, in an earlier statement offered to the inquest, stated that the NSW team had previously formulated a plan for Hughes. “The team had developed a plan of how to get Phil out,” he said. “Basically it was to bowl at or over leg stump and get Phil moving backwards instead of forwards.”Asked initially to recall events, Haddin spoke vividly of the moment Hughes was struck. “It was like something I’ve never witnessed before in my life,” he said. “It was the noise. The groan. The way he fell straight down, motionless without trying to break the fall.” As part of the first day’s proceedings, the inquest viewed footage of the over in which Hughes was hit. Members of the Hughes family left the room at this time.Proceedings had opened with addresses from the NSW Coroner, Michael Barnes QC, and the Counsel assisting the Coroner, Kristina Stern, SC. Barnes spoke about the toll the week’s events were likely to take on the Hughes family in particular. “It is important to note that Phillip Hughes was, before anything else, a son and a brother,” he said.”To his family, who have been devastated, he was much more than a fabulous cricketer. I offer them my sincere condolences. I can appreciate these proceedings may be harrowing for them. It may exacerbate their raw pain. I deeply regret that, and only hope the improved safety that may result justifies that pain.”Cricket is not generally seen as dangerous or violent. But that does not mean cricket can’t be made safer.”Stern’s address laid out numerous avenues of inquiry, and also outlined the timeline of events from the moment Hughes was struck to the time he made it into surgery at St Vincent’s Hospital about an hour later. However she made clear that the type of injury sustained by Hughes meant, “None of the chronologies set out above had any impact on the death of Phillip Hughes, which appears to have been inevitable from the point of impact.”That left much focus to be placed on events leading up to the ball that struck Hughes. “Concerns have been raised in relation to the number of short balls that were delivered by the pace bowlers to Phillip Hughes,” Sterns said. “And as to tactics during the afternoon session that day.”In particular, concern has been expressed that the NSW team may have been bowling short at Phillip Hughes for a good majority of the time after lunch, in order to restrict the run rate and get him out. And as to whether the umpires should have taken steps to prevent this.”There has also been some concern expressed as to any sledging that may have taken place that day. [Phillip’s brother] Jason Hughes has, with the benefit of the video footage available, prepared a ball by ball analysis of the short-pitched deliveries that will assist your honour in understanding these issues.”Before the inquest began, Hughes’ manager James Henderson delivered a statement on behalf of the family. “This is going to be a very, very, very difficult week for Greg, Virginia, Jason and Megan,” Henderson told reporters outside the court. “They haven’t been looking forward to this week, and they’re hoping that perhaps there will be a positive that comes out of Phillip’s death as we go through the next five days in the Coroner’s court.”James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, also spoke before the inquest began. Sutherland had delayed his departure for the next round of ICC meetings in Cape Town, South Africa, in order to be present for the start of the inquest.”We never want to see a tragedy like this happen on the cricket field, and to that end we have the utmost respect for the coronial inquest process that we will need to go through this week,” he said. “We won’t be providing a running commentary dealing with specific issues through the week, but we do hope something good comes from this process.”The inquest continues on Tuesday with further witness examinations.

Leeds United will be on the hunt for players who can help them quickly bounce back from a drop into the Championship next season and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target.

What's the latest on Leeds' interest in Gustavo Hamer?

According to Football League World, Leeds are interested in signing Coventry City midfielder Gustavo Hamer this summer.

As per the report, the 49ers have ambitious plans for the club upon their full buyout of Andrea Radrizzani and want to make Hamer their marquee signing for their Championship campaign.

Who is Gustavo Hamer?

The talented midfielder has been one of the standout perfomers in the Championship this season and played a key role in assisting Coventry to their play-off final at Wembley last month.

As imagined, there is wide speculation that several members of the Leeds squad are looking for opportunities to depart Elland Road this summer after joining the club based on their Premier League status, with Marc Roca one of the latest names to be dropped into the departures debate.

It was also reported by Football League World late last week that the midfielder could be set to return to his native Spain to join Real Betis on a loan deal for the season ahead.

As a result, the signing of Hamer – who has an estimated valuation of £10m – would be a great opportunity to not only bring in a player with sound Championship experience but the quality to help Leeds achieve a rapid return to the top flight by replacing Roca in the centre of the pitch.

Over 41 league appearances, the 25-year-old talent – hailed "unbelievable" by former Coventry City goalkeeper Marko Marosi – scored nine goals, registered ten assists and created a whopping 16 big chances.

More than just an attacking outlet, the Sky Blues star registered 1.8 key passes, 2.6 tackles, 1.1 successful dribbles and won 4.8 duels per game, proving that he is a huge presence and a perfect all-rounder in his deeper midfield role.

Hamer will be in the last year of his contract with Coventry this season which could prove to be a sticking point that leads to a cut-price deal being accepted by the club to ensure they don't lose one of their most prolific assets on a free next summer.

With that being said, Leeds should be all over any opportunity to sign Hamer this summer and if he can emulate his consistency and incredible output at Elland Road he could play a huge role in an automatic return to the top flight for the Whites.

BCB president Nazmul Hassan has asked the national selectors to consider including some of the top performers from this season’s BPL in Bangladesh’s preparatory squad for the New Zealand tour next month

Mohammad Isam18-Nov-2016BCB president Nazmul Hassan has asked the national selectors to consider including some of the top performers from this season’s BPL in Bangladesh’s preparatory squad for the New Zealand tour next month. The 22-man squad had been announced on November 4, four days before the BPL re-started.Hassan made special mention of Shahriar Nafees, who last played for Bangladesh in 2013, and the uncapped Mehedi Maruf.His statement is incongruous with his earlier stance of letting the revamped selection committee to work independently, before submitting the team to him.Nafees, who was named among the reserves for the squad’s camp in Australia in mid-December, has made three fifties so far for Barisal Bulls. Maruf, also an opening batsman, went past Nafees as the top-scorer in this season’s BPL with a 20-ball 33 for Dhaka Dynamites against Chittagong Vikings on Thursday. He now has 203 runs in five matches at an average and strike rate of 50.75 and 156.15 respectively.”The biggest achievement for us is that the local players are playing well,” Nazmul said in Chittagong on Thursday. “Mushfiqur [Rahim] is scoring runs again, Tamim [Iqbal] is doing well too. Among the older players, Shahriar Nafees and Mehedi Maruf are playing well. Having seen this I have already conveyed my message to our coach and the selectors, and I have also spoken to Akram Khan from cricket operations.”I have told them that we will send additional players if required. I have spoken to them and asked them to think about how the good performers from the BPL can be included in the squad. There may be changes in the squad, or some additional players may go. Nothing has been confirmed as yet. My understanding is that one or two players may be included. They [team management] haven’t confirmed anything with me yet.”The new selection process includes a separate committee, which includes the Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, team manager and BCB director Khaled Mahmud and cricket operations chairman Akram Khan, on top of the three-member selection panel that has Minhajul Abedin as chief selector and Habibul Bashar and Sajjad Ahmed as the other senior selectors.This isn’t the first time Hassan has spoken about selection matters: he had earlier talked about selection choices during the Afghanistan and England series. This means that the president has spoken about his choices three times during or ahead of Bangladesh’s international fixtures.In June this year, Faruque Ahmed had resigned as chief selector, hours after the BCB ratified significant changes to the way Bangladesh squads would be chosen.Bangladesh’s preparatory squad for New Zealand tour: Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Mominul Haque, Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Sabbir Rahman, Soumya Sarkar, Mosaddek Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Mehedi Hasan, Shuvagata Hom, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Taijul Islam, Mashrafe Mortaza, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shafiul Islam, Subashis Roy, Mohammad Shahid, Ebadot Hossain, Tanveer Haider.

Chelsea's extortionate spending has created an unbalanced and demoralised squad that has seen the club at its lowest point since the turn of the century.

The amount of players is unmanageable and some have been brought in for ridiculous figures and have dramatically failed to repay their fees.

The Blues need to adopt a more meticulous and calculated transfer policy, spending lower sums on more quality players.

In recent times, the West London outfit has been linked with Benjamin Pavard, and securing his signature would be a notable step in the right direction for incoming boss Mauricio Pochettino.

What’s the latest on Benjamin Pavard to Chelsea?

Last month, it was first reported by BILD’s Christian Falk that the 2021 Champions League winners were interested in the Bayern Munich man.

This was followed up by a tweet by Fabrizio Romano, which confirmed that the Frenchman will not sign a new deal at his current club and wants to start a new chapter in his career.

Florian Plettenberg of Sky Germany has since gone on to reveal that a fee of €40m (£34m) may be required to convince the Bavarian Giants to sanction his departure.

Pavard’s contract expires in 2024, so Bayern may be forced into his sale this summer to avoid losing him on a free next year.

How would Benjamin Pavard fit in at Chelsea?

The former Stuttgart star has made 30 Bundesliga appearances and averaged 2.3 tackles, 2.5 clearances, and 1.5 interceptions as he secured his fourth-straight league title.

Described as “outstanding” by Uli Hoenes, the 27-year-old also excels outside of Germany, as he ranks in the top 7% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for tackles per 90, as well as the best 17% for interceptions per 90, according to FBref.

Coupled with his obvious defensive acumen, the 2018 World Cup winner is also a force going forward, sitting within the best 3% for progressive passes, total shots, shot-creating actions, and non-penalty goals per 90.

His solidity, offensive threat, and his ability to appear across the backline means he has drawn comparisons to Chelsea legend Branislav Ivanovic.

The aforementioned duo both regularly appeared at centre-back or full-back, and their functionality means they are two of the most underrated players in each of their generations.

This trait goes under the radar as functional players make the game look so easy and this versatility is invaluable for any manager.

Nine years, 337 appearances, 34 goals, and ten trophies later – Ivanovic is a Premier League legend, lauded for his consistency, productivity, mentality, and reliability.

Pavard mirrors this set of imperious qualities and being available for such a modest fee, it makes complete sense for Chelsea to make a move.

The incident in question happened on the opening day of the second Test when a racially offensive message was written on a fence inside the Bellerive Oval

Daniel Brettig in Hobart13-Nov-2016A spectator has been slapped with a three-year ban from attending any matches in Australia, and will also face court in Hobart after allegedly writing a racially offensive message on a fence inside the Bellerive Oval on day one of the Test.The message was reportedly directed at South Africa batsman Hashim Amla, and police have confirmed a 24-year old man from Longford in Tasmania’s north has been charged on summons.”Cricket Australia and Cricket Tasmania can confirm a crowd behaviour issue that occurred on day one of the Commonwealth Bank Test match against South Africa in Hobart,” a Cricket Australia spokesperson said.”Tasmania Police identified the person of interest through CCTV and witnesses in the area. Cricket Australia has issued the person with a three-year ban from any Cricket Australia match, nationally.”Cricket Australia takes a zero-tolerance approach to anti-social behaviour at any of our matches, which includes racial vilification.”Our message to any fan attending a match is that if you display anti-social behavior, you will be removed and risk being banned from any cricket match across Australia, as well as police action being taken.”Cricket South Africa also issued a statement on the matter: “We have been informed that the man has been formally charged and has been handed a three-year ban from the stadium.”From our point of view, it is disappointing and disconcerting because this is not the first act of racial vilification we have received while touring Australia over the years. It is unacceptable. There is absolutely no place for racial stereotyping and such offensive acts in society, let alone in sport.”We thank Cricket Australia and the authorities for dealing with the matter in a swift, professional and stern way and for carrying out the full might of the law.”