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Tottenham Hotspur legend Graham Roberts insists that the club should have pursued a deal to sign Danny Ings from Southampton in the summer transfer window.

Ings made the move to Aston Villa in the summer, with Dean Smith’s side paying £25m to bring him in from the Saints.

Since his arrival, the striker has scored twice and laid on two assists in the league, having scored 46 times in 100 games for Southampton.

Spurs did not manage to sign a new striker in the summer transfer window and instead strengthened in other areas.

Harry Kane, of course, was at the centre of a transfer saga in the summer, as Manchester City pursued a deal; they did not reach an agreement, with Spurs holding out for £150m.

Roberts claims that Ings should have been brought in, potentially as a back-up to Kane or as a strike partner.

And he feels that there was only likely to be a deal struck if Kane did depart for the Etihad Stadium.

He said: “I think if Man City would have offered £150m for Harry Kane, I think we’d have got one. I don’t know who, but we’d have got one. I do not know why we didn’t go for the Southampton lad, Ings. He went for £25m, an absolute snip.

“There’s other players out there that we could have gone for but we seem to be going for Italian players or French and I’m not sure that’s the right route.”

Speaking to Football Insider, Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell has made a claim on some ‘great news’ to come out of West Ham United recently.

The Lowdown: Big boost for Moyes…

As per reliable reporter Roshane Thomas of The Athletic, manager David Moyes has just been handed a major West Ham boost.

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Indeed, according to his information, defender and fan favourite Vladimir Coufal has put pen to paper on a new three-year deal at the London Stadium.

The 29-year-old, who had been in new deal talks for a good portion of the year according to Sky Sports, has apparently committed his future to West Ham as GSB tie down one of last season’s star players.

Speaking to FI, Campbell has now made a claim on this news out of Rush Green.

The Latest: Campbell makes claim…

The Sky pundit, commenting on this major development, believes there was ‘talk’ of Coufal leaving West Ham if the club couldn’t agree terms on a new deal – meaning this update comes as a ‘great news’.

“Coufal has been a revelation,” he explained.

“There was talk about him maybe leaving so it’s great news for the club to get him tied down. Any team worth their salt gets their best players on long-term contracts.

“I am pleased that West Ham have got him tied up.

“He is a very good right-back and a solid defender. There are not many better than him in the Premier League.”

The Verdict: Big…

Coufal finished 2020/2021 as West Ham’s joint-highest tackler per 90 in the Premier League and, arguably, one of the division’s supreme full-backs.

Both him and compatriot Tomas Soucek have flourished since signing for West Ham in the summer of 2020 and Irons supporters will certainly be overjoyed that the defender has now put pen to paper.

In other news: Newman gifted big boost in race to sign ‘outstanding’ star who is ‘very keen’ to join West Ham, find out more here.

Durham spent a tense third day at the wicket as they fought to extract themselves from a tough position Yorkshire

John Ward at Headingley12-Jul-2009
ScorecardDurham spent a tense third day at the wicket as they fought to extract themselves from a tough position Yorkshire. They had the better of the first session, with Michael Di Venuto in particular prospering against mediocre Yorkshire bowling, while the honours for the remainder of the day were pretty even.The sustained tension of the first two sessions, though, really exploded into excitement in the final two hours, when Yorkshire’s bowlers turned in a superb performance as they attempted to break through the stubborn resistance. However, Durham hung on with three wickets in hand to go into the final day with a fighting chance.Play began under gloomy skies, which improved a little as the day progressed. Durham in their second innings were 26 for 1, having begun their second innings 135 runs behind Yorkshire. The first delivery of the day was a short loosener from Matthew Hoggard, and Di Venuto was all too grateful to slash it to the cover boundary. He soon lost Mark Davies, the night-watchman, though, as the latter dabbed at a ball from Hoggard moving away and edged a catch to the keeper.It was to be Yorkshire’s last wicket during the morning session, though, which definitely went in the visitors’ favour. Di Venuto soon asserted himself with positive attacking strokes, while Kyle Coetzer slowly grew in confidence at the other end. Yorkshire for their part have a history of failing to bowl the opposition out cheaply a second time after taking a big lead on the first innings, and their bowlers did not always look as if they were going to do any better on this occasion, as they were rather erratic. Adil Rashid often impressed, while Rana Naved bowled some tight spells without looking really threatening. Di Venuto, slow through the 40s, reached his 50 off 87 balls, a stroke which also brought up the 100.Soon after lunch Durham wiped off the deficit without further loss, although Coetzer was missed off a hard chance to second slip off Ajmal Shahzad. But then Yorkshire made a crucial double strike. First Hoggard produced a full-length delivery to bowl Coetzer for 38, and in the next over Di Venuto, on 84, chopped a ball from Bresnan on to his stumps. Durham were suddenly 158 for 4. Gordon Muchall also fell not long afterwards, for 15, trapped lbw by Hoggard. In face of these setbacks, the normally aggressive pair of Dale Benkenstein and Ian Blackwell had to dig in, a job they did commendably.After tea, Shahzad bowled a hostile spell, making the ball fly at times, but the batsmen survived. He and Bresnan had both batsmen struggling, playing and missing frequently, until finally Blackwell (32) got close enough to get an edge and the wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow took a fine low catch. Durham did very well not to lose any further wickets during this the most exciting period of the day’s play. But the pressure was not all off, by any means, as Hoggard and Rashid both bowled very well in tandem and the umpires rejected numerous passionate appeals.It was riveting stuff, and it seemed as if Benkenstein and his new partner Phil Mustard had survived the worst and were beginning to turn the tables on the bowlers. But at this point Benkenstein, pushing forward to Rashid, was trapped lbw for a determined 36, scored off 128 balls. Minutes later Naved bowled Plunkett – but with a no-ball. Both batsmen survived till the close, but they certainly had to fight for it. It seemed incredible that Durham, who had to fight desperately for survival for over after over, lost only two wickets in the final session; Yorkshire will certainly consider it a travesty of justice, but all credit to the batsmen for hanging on.Yorkshire still hold the advantage in this match, but Durham’s fighting spirit show that they are by no means out of it. The final day promises the conclusion of an intriguing struggle, should the weather stay dry.

A round-up of the action from the fourth day of County Championship matches

Cricinfo staff03-Aug-2009Division OneDurham consolidated their position at the top of the Championship table and moved closer to retaining their title with a thumping nine-wicket victory against Sussex at Chester-le-Street. Luke Wright’s second century of the season only delayed the inevitable and Durham were left needing 77 to win. The home side broke Sussex’s main resistance when Mark Davies shifted Andrew Hodd with a slower ball to end a stand of 112 with Wright and 30 runs later Yasir Arafat edged Ian Blackwell to slip. Steve Harmison, still battling with a badly blistered toe, picked up the tail although a 46-run stand between Wright and Corey Collymore extended the match beyond lunch. Michael Di Venuto, who hit a career-best 254 in the first innings, remained unbeaten throughout the game as he finished on 39.With no chance of a result at Taunton, Somerset’s batsmen used the final day against Nottinghamshire to put in another powerful performance. The hosts were on 29 for 0 overnight and Marcus Trescothick and Arul Suppiah added another 200 today before Trescothick was caught by Darren Pattinson off Samit Patel for 99. Suppiah, however, did not miss out on his century and reached 151 before getting bowled by Adam Voges. There was little respite for Nottinghamshire’s bowlers though as Wes Durston also scored a half-century. Somerset eventually declared on 344 for 2 and the match was called off soon after.Warwickshire crushed Worcestershire by nine wickets at at New Road, achieving their first victory in Division One since May 2007, and left the hosts struggling at the bottom of the table and in danger of relegation. Fast bowlers Naqaash Tahir, who took 5 for 67, and Boyd Rankin picked up the last four Worcestershire wickets in about an hour on the final day, ensuring their batsmen needed to chase only 47 for victory. Moeen Ali offered some resistance on a grassy pitch but was the last man out – edging Tahir to the wicketkeeper – with the score on 244. Warwickshire lost Neil Carter in the second over of the chase and the job was finished by Ian Westwood and Jonathan Trott who reached the target in less than nine overs.Click here for John Ward’s report from the fourth day between Lancashire and Yorkshire at Old Trafford

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied Draw Aban Pts

Durham 10 6 00 4 0 158 Somerset 10 3 1 0 6 0126 Nottinghamshire 9 3 10 5 0 116 Lancashire 10 3 2 0 5 0109 Warwickshire 9 1 10 7 0 100 Hampshire 9 2 2 0 5 092 Yorkshire 10 0 20 8 0 85 Sussex 9 1 3 0 5 084 Worcestershire 10 0 70 3 0 52 Division TwoRobert Key and Geraint Jones scored centuries to help Kent overhaul a challenging target and secure a three-wicket victory on the final day against Derbyshire at Canterbury. Chasing a target of 318, Key scored 110 off 144 balls and Jones contributed 100 as Kent raced along at over four runs an over. The pair added 175 for the second wicket after Joe Denly fell early and set up a superb platform for the rest of the batsmen to build on. Martin van Jaarsveld maintained the pace with a brisk 51 off 47 balls while Darren Stevens contributed 29 off 28. Kent lost wickets towards the end but the lower-order batsmen ensured that the hard work of their top-order team-mates wasn’t wasted. That Kent had an opportunity to push for the win was down to their bowlers, who performed impressively to dismiss Derbyshire for only 303 after the visitors resumed on 236 for 4 in the morning. Justin Kemp bowled Wavell Hinds soon after play began and he and James Tredwell worked their way through the Derbyshire lower order. Kemp finished with 3 for 12 while Tredwell to 4 for 93.A top-order collapse during the run-chase resulted in Middlesex crashing to a 35-run defeat against Northamptonshire at Lord’s, leaving the hosts still searching for their first victory of the season after nine matches. Middlesex were chasing a target of 222 but their chances reduced drastically after David Lucas and Monty Panesar reduced them to 66 for 5. Shaun Udal offered resistance during his 55 off 94 balls but Johann van der Wath breached his defences and knocked out middle stump, taking three lower-order wickets to skittle Middlesex for 186. Earlier, van der Wath had scored 85 to help Northamptonshire extend their overnight score of 225 for 7 to 293.The bowlers will be grateful this one is over. Only nine wickets fell in four days as the match between Surrey and Leicestershire at The Oval ended in the most unappealing of cricketing contests – the high-scoring draw. Surrey began the final day on 311 for 2 and Mark Ramprakash converted his century into a massive double, reaching 274 before he was bowled by Nathan Buck. Ramprakash had added a mind-boggling 404 runs for the third wicket with Stewart, who scored 188, before he was caught off Claude Henderson. The runs didn’t stop with their dismissals for Usman Afzaal took the opportunity to score an unbeaten 70 before Surrey mercifully declared on 608 for 4. Leicestershire’s openers, Greg Smith and Matthew Boyce, added 23 before the match ended. The bowlers bowled 333.2 overs in four days and took nine wickets while the batsmen plundered 1224 runs.Only 149 runs were scored and two wickets taken on the final day in Bristol as the match between Glamorgan and Gloucestershire meandered towards a draw. Gloucestershire began the day on 19 for 0, with an overall lead of 69, and finished on 168 for 2. Kadeer Ali top scored with an unbeaten 67 while James Harris and David Harrison picked up a wicket each for Glamorgan.

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied Draw Aban Pts

Kent 9 5 10 3 0 131 Derbyshire 10 2 1 0 7 0113 Gloucestershire 10 3 40 3 0 104 Northamptonshire 9 3 2 0 4 0104 Surrey 10 1 10 8 0 102 Essex 9 2 2 0 5 090 Glamorgan 9 0 20 7 0 84 Leicestershire 9 1 1 0 7 078 Middlesex 9 0 30 6 0 74

Speaking to Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur insider John Wenham has lifted the lid on a collapsed stadium deal which saw chairman Daniel Levy squander ‘millions’.

The Lowdown: Spurs eyeing financial boosters…

Following the easing of coronavirus restrictions and life slowly getting back to normality, Tottenham have seen numerous prestigious events being hosted at their brand new state of the art ground.

The NFL, for example, as well as the recent heavyweight boxing bout between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk, will have grossed the club millions of pounds worth of off-field revenue.

However, in a revelation, insider Wenham has claimed that Spurs could have been earning more over lockdown as he lifts the lid on collapsed stadium sponsorship discussions just before COVID.

The Latest: Wenham makes stadium deal claim…

As per the club insider and Spurs source, speaking to FI, the Lilywhites and Levy were actually in talks with HSBC over the stadium’s naming rights but a deal ‘fell through’.

“I know Tottenham were previously in discussions with HSBC, that fell through for whatever reason,” he explained.

“That was right before the pandemic. In hindsight, would Tottenham have taken that deal? Who wouldn’t?

“We could have been earning millions for two years even while the stadium was shut.”

The Verdict: Big blow…

Given Tottenham and Levy announced a £63.9 million loss during the pandemic last year, it’s safe to say a naming rights deal would have assisted the club in a major way financially.

Spurs ended up having to borrow £175 million through the bank of England in what was a turbulent time off-field for the club.

After the HSBC blunder, Tottenham will be hoping to secure the right naming rights deal as soon as possible.

In other news: Spurs already have offered pencilled in to sign ‘world class’ player who Hoddle called outstanding, find out more here.

A tight contest is developing at Aberdeen after Scotland secured first-innings points courtesy of an unbeaten century from Qasim Sheikh while Regan West took a career-best 7 for 88

Cricinfo staff18-Aug-2009
ScorecardA tight contest is developing at Aberdeen after Scotland secured first-innings points courtesy of an unbeaten century from Qasim Sheikh, who contributed almost half of the home side’s total, while Regan West took a career-best 7 for 88. Scotland earned a narrow six-run lead and by the close Ireland were 102 for 3 having once again been troubled by the offspin of Majid Haq.Spin is having a key influence on this game as West chipped away at the visitors and the slow bowlers shared nine wickets in the innings. West broke an important partnership between Sheikh and Ryan Watson (29) which had added 75 for the third wicket to put Scotland in control. The game changed when Watson was beaten by a quicker ball and West began working through the innings.Neil McCallan carelessly lofted to mid-off and Richie Berrington was also bowled to leave Scotland 170 for 5. Kyle McCallan also chipped in as Scotland slumped to 199 for 9 when Gordon Goudie was caught at silly point and putting the lead points at risk.However, No. 11 Ally Evans managed to stay with Sheikh to push Scotland ahead. Sheikh then reached a superb hundred as he pulled West for four then picked up a single behind point.Ireland were soon back in the lead as William Porterfield and Jeremy Bray made a positive start, but Haq gave Scotland some important late impetus. He had Bray caught at second slip and bowled Paul Stirling with a beauty that took off stump. Andre Botha then gave his wicket away with a wild mow at Watson and suddenly Ireland were shaking.Porterfield, though, held firm until the end and passed his half century with Kevin O’Brien for company. Both have crucial roles to play in building a lead because it won’t be easy chasing in the fourth innings with the pitch offering plenty of help for the spinners.

A number of Liverpool supporters are delighted after new footage showed Harvey Elliott making good progress in his injury recovery.

The Reds have made an excellent start to the season, still remaining unbeaten in all competitions and sitting second in the Premier League table.

Tuesday’s 3-2 win away to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League was another statement of intent and victory at Manchester United on Sunday would also feel huge.

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One player who won’t be involved is Elliott, with the 18-year-old absent since a serious injury sustained at Leeds United back in September.

On Thursday, Watch LFC on Twitter posted a video of the midfielder working hard on his recovery, after he shared the footage on Instagram.

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Liverpool fans react to Elliott video

Needless to say, these Liverpool fans were excited to see the clip emerge, with Elliott hopefully returning sooner rather than later.

“Come back soon Starboy”

Credit: @tarapapa__

“If this boy gets the work rate of Salah and has an injury-free career, he’ll be boss. I like his mentality already.”

Credit: @Yawadumensah

“I cannot wait for him to come back man. Our midfield was so good with him, Fab and Thiago against Leeds”

Credit: @ALI__2318

“Words can’t describe how much I cant wait for him to return”

Credit: @zeeyardtrix

“This young man is an amazing example”

Credit: @mcos72068

“Ah man, this is a blessing. So happy for the lad”

Credit: @agaffar09

In other news, some Liverpool fans are fuming at a piece of news that has emerged. Read more here.

After securing a 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid in their latest Champions League outing, Liverpool now face a trip to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United later this afternoon.

Ahead of the match against the Red Devils, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp revealed that midfielder Curtis Jones returned to first-team training after picking up an injury whilst away on international duty, whereas Thiago Alcantara will miss the match altogether.

Taking this into account, here’s how we feel Liverpool will line up at Old Trafford.

In goal, despite conceding two in midweek, we feel that Klopp will stick with Alisson Becker between the sticks to see if he can stop the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood from getting on the scoresheet.

Ahead of the Brazilian, we think Klopp will stick with the same back four that started against Atletico with Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold occupying the full-back positions with Joel Matip and Virgil van Dijk in the middle.

In midfield, even though he scored Liverpool’s opening goal against Diego Simeone’s side, we can see Klopp taking Naby Keita out of the starting XI as a result of his rather disappointing overall performance in midweek.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain gets the nod after he managed to put in a good shift after coming on in the second half against Atletico, rather than throwing Jones back into the side straight away.

For their attacking front three up top, it would be difficult to see Klopp taking either Sadio Mane or Mohamed Salah out of the team considering the duo have scored 12 league goals between them so far this season.

However, given how Roberto Firmino failed to register even one shot on target in 90 minutes in midweek, we feel that Klopp could be persuaded to swap him for £90k-per-week Diogo Jota who has three Premier League goals under his belt in 2021/22.

Whether Klopp goes with this exact starting XI we have suggested or not, we feel that this is a big game for the Reds, not just because of the heavy rivalry between the two sides but also because Liverpool will need a win to keep up with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table.

In other news: FSG must land Liverpool swoop for £29.7m-rated beast who’s a “better version of Pogba” – opinion

Virender Sehwag has denied reported allegations from Delhi and Districts Cricket Association officials that he tried to influence selection to get his cousin picked in the Ranji team

Cricinfo staff18-Aug-2009Virender Sehwag has denied allegations by Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) officials that he tried to get his cousin picked in the Ranji team.”This [charge] is totally false,” Sehwag told the . “I have never asked anyone to pick any of my brothers or cousins in any team. Just ask Chetan Chauhan – because he was the chairman of the selection committee – if Viru has ever asked for any of his cousins to be selected.”Sehwag is reported to be seeking a move from Delhi, the state he has represented since 1998, to Haryana from the 2009-10 season onwards, citing interference in selection matters.Other senior Delhi players backed Sehwag’s claims about the DDCA’s selection procedures. Gautam Gambhir, Sehwag’s opening partner for Delhi and India, said there was a need to bring transparency into selection and he threatened to leave Delhi this year unless the situation improved. “The solution is to dissolve the sports committee, which doesn’t have a single cricketer in it,” Gambhir told the . “Sehwag and I have been at the receiving end of pressure tactics by the DDCA to push in their candidates. If we can be pushed into a corner, imagine the plight of a stand-in skipper.”Ashish Nehra, the Delhi left-arm fast bowler, said that this was the DDCA’s last chance to clean up their act. “The manner in which the DDCA functions, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to leave Delhi,” Nehra said. “For two years, when I was injured, I didn’t hear one word from anyone, and the moment I made my comeback, they are all looking to cash in on me.” Ishant Sharma also said things could be better.Chauhan backed Sehwag’s claim and said it was a “wake-up call for Delhi cricket”. “I am glad Sehwag has made a bold move by speaking out against corruption.” However Chauhan was confident a solution could be reached without losing Sehwag. “We’ll try to make the selection process transparent. I get calls all the time where politicians and bureaucrats try to push their players up for selection. I’m sure we can work out a solution. We can’t let go of him [Sehwag].”Sehwag said often four selectors got together to vote for their player, leaving him and the chairman of selectors powerless in the matter.If Sehwag does leave, it won’t be the first time a player from Delhi has done so. Indian legspinner Amit Mishra moved to Haryana after he was left out of Delhi’s Under-17 squad in 2000. More recently, India Under-19 player Manan Sharma made a similar move, saying he hadn’t got the chances he deserved. “There were many who didn’t do enough or lacked merit but got their chances, so I thought it was better to leave,” Sharma told the . “I didn’t like the atmosphere, there was just too much going on around.”

A major update has emerged regarding the current injury situations of Rangers duo Ryan Kent and Ryan Jack.

What’s the latest?

Manager Steven Gerrard has revealed that they are both set to return to action before the international break in two weeks’ time, although they will be watching on from the stands for the clash with Motherwell on Sunday.

The former Liverpool captain has also confirmed that Borna Barisic will be absent as he nurses a minor knock and will be back in contention against Brondby on Thursday.

Gerrard told the Daily Record: “Motherwell is too close for both Ryan Jack and Kent but will both likely be with us before the international break. Borna is also missing with a small injury but will return for the European match next week.

“Missing a player of Ryan Kent’s quality is always going to have an impact because of his high quality. He is not too far away and has worked extremely hard to return.”

Fans will be delighted

Rangers fans will surely be left feeling delighted by this update from Gerrard as it indicates that both Kent and Jack will make an appearance in one of the two games after Sunday’s clash with Motherwell, with matches against Brondby and Ross County to come prior to the next round of internationals.

Kent has been out of action since 16 September and Jack has not made a single appearance since February. This means that Gers fans have not been able to enjoy their talents for a fair chunk of time, particularly in the latter’s case, and they could be buzzing to see them back out on the pitch.

Both players have shown their class for the Gers in previous seasons and the Ibrox faithful will surely be delighted by the prospect of having them both back on the pitch.

Former Liverpool winger Kent has proven his quality at Premiership level. Last season, he produced an impressive 10 goals and nine assists in the division as Rangers won the title, averaging an eye-catching SofaScore rating of 7.23 across 37 appearances.

Meanwhile, Jack averaged a score of 7.14 in 19 league games prior to his injury last term. He completed 90% of his passes from central midfield and made 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game whilst winning 56% of his individual duels over the course of the campaign.

At at time when the Gers’ form has been unconvincing, having the duo back soon will come as a huge fillip to Gerrard.

AND in other news – Wilson masterclass: Rangers beast has seen his value soar 233% in one year…