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Aston Villa made an approach for Manchester United star Jesse Lingard in the summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks and months had suggested that Dean Smith’s side were ready to rival fellow Premier League outfit West Ham in a move for the England international.

Now, The Times have delivered an update on Lingard’s situation, name-checking Villa as one of the teams who registered their interest in luring Lingard away from Old Trafford.

The report adds that the midfielder has in fact rejected a new contract offer from United over concerns over playing time this season, and that he is ready to run down his deal unless he is given assurances by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Would be superb at Villa

Lingard’s current contract comes to an end next summer, meaning that he would be able to leave on a free transfer, and what a bargain that would be for Johan Lange and co at Villa.

After joining West Ham back in the January transfer window on a short-term loan, Lingard racked up an incredible nine goals and four assists in just his first ten Premier League games for the club – it was no surprise then that he was lauded as being “absolutely phenomenal”.

The England international’s ability to score goals from midfield is something which could add a different dimension at Villa, and it’s a knack that Michael Carrick was quick to praise back at Old Trafford.

The United coach said: “He senses where the space is and how to use it. I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s a dribbler with skills and tricks but he’s dynamic. How he plays, he is unique in some ways. You don’t see so much of that now as everyone wants to get on the ball. Off the ball, he’s very effective.”

His performances with the Hammers showcased the kind of impact the £75k-a-week earning star can have when he’s on song and the confidence is flowing through his veins.

Giving him an opportunity to shine at Villa, where the spotlight is understandably less than somewhere like United, could offer him the kind of freedom that sees him become a really consistent performer and break back into the England side under Gareth Southgate.

He’s a player the club must surely go back in for after their initial summer approach. Given that he would be available on a free once the season ends, or for a knock-down price in January, Villa could strike gold either way.

Meanwhile, new details have emerged over Villa’s summer swoop…

The headwear gave them away. Ricky Ponting and Phillip Hughes sat together after Australia’s win in Durban and the most obvious sign of the generational gap that divides them was the state of their baggy green caps

Brydon Coverdale in Durban10-Mar-2009
Graeme Smith: “We’ve fought hard at the back ends of both Test matches, but we just haven’t done enough up front to get ourselves into the game early on.” © Getty Images
Graeme Smith’s courageous decision to bat with a broken hand in theSydney Test was indicative of the spark and the willpower that his mendisplayed throughout the tour of Australia. He was in charge of a sidethat had risen to so many challenges, come back from so many seeminglyirreparable positions that nobody was prepared to write them off.When South Africa’s lower order gradually faded away on the fifthafternoon in Durban, Smith, with a broken hand yet again, remained inhis green shirt and shorts, watching on with a depressed look. Hewasn’t padding up. There were to be no heroics and nobody could blamehim. Few players would have done what he did at the SCG.But the fact that he didn’t even appear to consider batting said muchabout South Africa’s state of mind on this return tour. It was a squadthat lacked intensity and seemed to have left all its energy inAustralia. Following the Kingsmead defeat, Smith was at a loss toexplain exactly what had changed besides a diminishment in the potencyof the attack.”We’ve been outplayed in every facet of the game and I think Australiacreated pressure and have been a lot sharper and more intense,” Smithsaid. “In particular they’ve bowled really well as a unit. They’vebeen able to create that sustained pressure on our batters and that’ssomething that we haven’t really done well.”We’ve started indifferently with the ball often, which has made itvery difficult for us to come back in the games. We’ve fought hardat the back ends of both Test matches but we just haven’t done enoughup front to get ourselves into the game early on. In the two first inningsin both Test matches I think we’ve let ourselves down, we’ve just leftourselves too much to do.”Smith’s men left Australia on the back of a loss but with their firstwin in a Test series in Australia. They were also tantalisingly closeto the world No. 1 Test ranking. Any sort of victory in the series inSouth Africa would have got them there. It meant a massive build-upbut Smith said the pressure on his side from the public was not anissue.”I don’t think expectation had anything to do with it,” Smith said.”It’s been a stellar season for this team in terms of what they’veachieved over the last period of time and with the results throughEngland and playing so well in India and defeating Australia away. Ithink we never quite achieved those heights in this series. It’s assimple as that.”South Africa’s series defeat was their first in two-and-a-half years.They entered the Johannesburg and Durban Tests with the same startingXI that played all three games in Australia. That will change for CapeTown, where Smith will not play due to his injury and Neil McKenzieand Morne Morkel have been dropped. Smith said it was a shame that thegroup had been split up after the end of their successful run of 10series without a loss.”It’s naturally disappointing, this group has been together for aperiod of time now and had enormous success,” Smith said.”Unfortunately the way of life or the way of sport that if theselectors feel you haven’t played well enough then it’s a naturalprogression that things are going to change. It’s our job now to getbehind the new guys and give them as much support and make them feelwelcome and ready to play at Newlands.”

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has confirmed a major Leeds United boost over Raphinha ahead of their Premier League clash against Liverpool later today.

What’s the story?

Marcelo Bielsa’s side appeared to be heading into the game against the Reds on Sunday afternoon without one of their talismans, with the Brazilian FA and FIFA looking to impose sanctions on those Premier League clubs who opted against sending their players out for international duty.

The likes of Raphinha, and Alisson, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino for Liverpool, were all in danger of missing today’s game, but Hay has confirmed that everything has now been cleared for the South Americans to play this weekend.

On Saturday morning, he tweeted: “Raphinha’s available for tomorrow’s game. Everyone placated and approval for him to play against Liverpool came through just before before midnight yesterday. #lufc”

Fans will be buzzing

Make no mistake about it, having Raphinha cleared to play against Jurgen Klopp’s side is a massive boost for Bielsa and Leeds’ chances of beating the Merseysiders.

Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has previously lauded the bargain that Leeds got in Raphinha, declaring: “He’s full of energy, he’s got a (good) work ethic as well where he works for the team, he just does everything right.

“I’m a big fan of his and the recruitment there to find that player, because for £17m, there will be people now scratching their head going ‘why didn’t we get him?'”

It was quite the debut campaign at Elland Road for the former Rennes man, becoming a real game-changer for Bielsa’s side in their first campaign back in the top-flight.

He ranked fourth for goals and first for his assists among his teammates in 2020/21, and his willingness to take players on and try and make things happen for his side was reflected by him averaging the most dribbles of any Leeds player with 1.9 per game.

That sort of attacking impact is exactly why Leeds fans will be absolutely buzzing at the news that Raphinha has been cleared to play against Liverpool today.

Meanwhile, Adam Pope has dropped a Leeds United transfer update…

Hardly two days after the IPL organisers were told to reconsider dates a second time, the Indian government has said that the concerned states should not expect any help from central paramilitary forces during games

Cricinfo staff15-Mar-2009Hardly two days after the IPL organisers were told to reconsider dates a second time, the Indian government has said that the concerned states should not expect any help from central paramilitary forces during games. India’s home ministry, which had initially wanted the tournament to be postponed, has also said that meetings were not held with IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, according to the . “However, matches will not be possible for four days from May 14 when the police will be busy with duties for counting of votes on May 16.”The IPL is in discussions with India’s security officials to resolve the clash in dates amid growing anxiety among the league’s foreign players over the security measures for the tournament following the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore. Amid the tension over rescheduling of games and alternate venues in the wake of the Lok Sabha elections, the Chhattisgarh State Cricket Association said it was ready to host league matches, reported .

A round-up from the latest County Championship matches

Cricinfo staff01-May-2009Division Two3rd dayKent’s captain, Martin van Jaarsveld, lifted his side clear of danger on the penultimate day at Chelmsford, cracking his second century in as many matches to secure a first-innings lead of 226 against Essex. Van Jaarsveld came to the crease with his side in some danger at 113 for 2, still trailing by 52 after being asked to follow on, but a third-wicket stand of 124 with James Tredwell (79) ensured against any further damage. Darren Stevens then set his side up for a draw by reaching the close on 74 not out in a total of 391 for 5. Danish Kaneria was the most successful of Essex’s bowlers with 2 for 109.4th dayJon Lewis and Steve Kirby shared three wickets apiece as Gloucestershire saw off a determined run-chase from Northamptonshire to win by 44 runs on the final day at Wantage Road. Set a daunting 371 for victory, Northants were handily placed overnight on 200 for 5, with Andrew Hall and David Willey unbeaten in a sixth-wicket stand of 98. That partnership was soon ended when Willey fell to Vikram Banerjee for 47, and though Hall fell nine runs short of his century when Alex Gidman pinned him lbw, Steven Crook ensured the chase went on by marshalling the tail with 55 from 82 balls. The end, however, came quickly, as Kirby and Lewis returned with the new ball, and extracted the last three wickets for four runs.England’s Under-19 batsman James Taylor guided Leicestershire to safety with the first first-class hundred of his fledgling career, as Middlesex were thwarted in their victory push at Southgate. After being asked to follow on midway through the third day, Leicestershire were handily placed on 177 for 2 when play resumed, and though Tim Murtagh gave them some early jitters with three wickets for nine runs, including Boeta Dippenaar for 93, Taylor didn’t let their position slide away in a determined 197 ball innings. He received stoic support from the tail, with Paul Nixon making a virtually strokeless 31 in almost three and a half hours, before Wayne White and Carl Crowe flung the bat with more abandon as the match petered out in the closing overs.After losing an entire day to rain, Glamorgan and Derbyshire managed just 5.3 overs on the final day at Cardiff as their match finished as a very soggy draw. In the time available, Robert Croft claimed Daniel Redfern for his third wicket of the innings, but it was all academic.Division One3rd dayNottinghamshire cemented their overnight advantage against Lancashire on a curtailed third day at Old Trafford, as they extended their first innings from 263 for 6 to 367 for 9 declared, a lead of 178. The mainstays of their day were the captain Chris Read, who was run out for 63, and Paul Franks, who made 51 from 86 balls in his first first-class outing of the season. Lancashire were left with a solitary over before an early, which was negotiated without alarm.Matt Prior responded to his omission from England’s Twenty20 squad with a bruising unbeaten century, as Sussex fought back after an early collapse against Hampshire at The Rose Bowl. After losing the second day to the weather, Hampshire declared after 5.5 overs on 350 for 8, whereupon Dominic Cork continued his penchant for early breakthroughs by claiming the wickets of Michael Yardy and Ed Joyce. Chris Nash fell to James Tomlinson for 33, and when Murray Goodwin was run out for 7, Sussex were staring down the barrel at 97 for 4. But Prior sprung to the rescue with his first century of the season, as he dominated a fifth-wicket stand of 74 with Andy Hodd, who made 25 before become Cork’s third wicket of the innings.4th dayFor a full report from the final day between Somerset and Durham at Taunton click here.For a full report from the final day between Yorkshire and Worcestershire at Headingley click here.

After falling to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool last week, Leeds United will be hoping to record their first win of the new Premier League season when they take on fellow strugglers Newcastle tonight.

The teams languish in 17th and 19th respectively before Friday night’s kick-off, and Marcelo Bielsa will no doubt be keen on finally kick-starting the Whites’ campaign at St James’ Park.

The Leeds manager will have some big calls to make over his team selection, and one decision that he simply has to make is to drop Rodrigo from the starting line-up.

The Spaniard has been nothing short of a disaster in these first few weeks of the new campaign, failing to score or assist in his three top-flight appearances, even being hooked at half-time in two of those, including last time out against the Reds.

Rodrigo endured a difficult debut campaign at Elland Road last season, completing the full 90 minutes just four times in the Premier League, while also missing a number of games either through injury or a viral infection.

After being given the chance and trust of his manager to start in the opening game of this season against Manchester United, the 30-year-old completely let Bielsa down with a truly disappointing display.

Writing in his post-match player ratings, Leeds Live’s Beren Cross gave him a four, saying: “Had next to no impact on the game with or without the ball. Really struggled with picking up the right men when the hosts had the ball. Hooked at the break.”

It was no surprise that numerous Leeds fans slammed the Spain international for his performance against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, while he was equally ineffective against Liverpool too.

He had no successful dribbles, just that one shot on goal with which he really should have done better, made only ten passes and and lost the ball on seven occasions before he was taken off at the break.

Once again Cross was critical of him in his player ratings, this time giving him a five and saying: “If he buries that chance in the fifth minute, who knows what kind of game we would have had. Such a superb chance, middle of the goal with time, but straight at Alisson.

“A lot more head-shaking when things didn’t come off for him. Never had a handle on the Liverpool midfielders going towards his own goal.”

It’s high time for the £16.2m-rated ace to be dropped from the starting line-up.

Meanwhile, Leeds are plotting a January swoop for this star…

As expected for a man whose girlfriend is a karate black-belt, Mitchell Johnson doesn’t intimidate easily. So the sight of England’s No. 3 Ravi Bopara rattling off three consecutive centuries against West Indies hasn’t worried him in the slightest

Brydon Coverdale and Alex Brown21-May-2009As expected for a man whose girlfriend is a karate black-belt, Mitchell Johnson doesn’t intimidate easily. So the sight of England’s No. 3 Ravi Bopara rattling off three consecutive centuries against West Indies hasn’t worried him in the slightest. It’s a sentiment shared by his captain Ricky Ponting, who believes England’s recent success will count for little when Australia arrive.Bopara was the standout for England in their home series against West Indies, when he scored 143 and 108, following the 104 he made during his only appearance in the Caribbean in February. He hasn’t played Australia in a Test, just as Johnson hasn’t faced England, but Australia’s new spearhead is confident his attack can get the better of Bopara.”I’ve seen Bopara in those two Tests against the West Indies where he scored those two centuries,” Johnson told Cricinfo. “He looked good, but there is a big difference between a series against the West Indies and the Ashes. There will be much more pressure out there, so it will be interesting to see how he goes.”There’s no doubt that facing Australia will be an enormous step up. For one thing, the West Indies captain Chris Gayle led by inglorious example in England, where he arrived late from the IPL and declared that he wouldn’t mind if Test cricket died out. By comparison, Ponting has plainly stated that he is desperate to win the Ashes on English soil.”They’ve obviously done everything very well in the last two Test matches against the West Indies,” Ponting said of England. “I guarantee they’ll be facing a stiffer opposition than West Indies when we arrive. It’s been made pretty clear over the past couple of weeks that their captain [Gayle] doesn’t really want to be there.”England will be a very stiff and tough opposition, we know that. They always are when we play against them. The last series out here in Australia was a 5-0 result to us but it could’ve been a whole lot different had we not done some exceptional things.”One of the men who troubled England during that series was Stuart Clark, who with 26 victims was Australia’s leading wicket-taker in a team that featured Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath. Clark believes England have improved since then and, in any case, will be tougher to beat at their home venues.Since the tour of Australia Matthew Hoggard and Sajid Mahmood have fallen by the wayside, Ashley Giles has retired, and Andrew Flintoff has battled ongoing injuries. Steve Harmison didn’t play in the home series against West Indies, although Clark expects him to win a recall for the Ashes. He said the England attack would be tough to dominate.”The bowling line-up is different but probably better [than 2006-07],” Clark said. “Steve Harmison is obviously a great bowler and Flintoff may come back into the team. But Graham Onions and Stuart Broad and James Anderson are doing a great job. I think from what we saw out here a couple of years ago they’ve probably improved and are at a higher level than what they were.”They’ve played some good cricket. I’m not sure they’re playing against the greatest competition in the world. They’ve still gone out and done a job. They beat the West Indies in three days, which is not an easy thing to do, even if the opposition isn’t great.”The Australians, on the other hand, are coming off a 2-1 victory in South Africa against the No. 2 side in the world. It all adds up to a group confident of overcoming anything England can throw at them.”You don’t face many tougher tasks than playing South Africa over there,” Ponting said. “That really excites me about what we’ve got coming up on this Ashes tour.”

An update has emerged on Rangers transfer target Jed Wallace, regarding his contract situation at Championship side Millwall.

What’s the talk?

According to Football League World, Rangers target Jed Wallace is increasingly unlikely to sign a new deal with Millwall as the Championship outfit continue to struggle to agree terms with him.

The report claims that Rangers, Celtic and West Ham are among the teams keen on the winger, who is out of contract at the end of the campaign.

Excitement

Rangers fans will surely be excited after reading this update on Wallace’s future. It appears as though the chances of him signing an extension with Millwall are slim, which means that the Gers would be able to snap him up on a pre-contract deal in January should he be interested in moving to Scotland.

Steven Gerrard could land him on a free transfer next summer and add a quality midfielder to his squad without paying a penny in transfer fees. This is why supporters will be excited, as the club could be inching closer to securing a bargain deal for a talented forward.

Millwall manager Gary Rowett once heaped praise on the ex-Portsmouth winger, saying: “It seems Jed Wallace is instrumental in everything we achieve at the moment. His recent stats are unbelievable.”

His statistics for Millwall in the Championship back up these claims from Rowett. He has three goals and three assists in eight games this term, having managed 11 goals and five assists last season.

Wallace also racked up 10 goals and 13 assists in the 2019/20 second-tier campaign, showing that he has the quality to score and assist goals on a regular basis.

Rangers fans will be buzzing to read that he looks set to leave Millwall on a free transfer, as it opens the door for the Gers to swoop in. If he does make a move up north and goes on to translate his form for the Lions up to Scotland then he could be a valuable asset in the final third for Gerrard.

AND in other news, McAllister drops fresh update on “outstanding” Rangers gem that’ll leave fans buzzing…

Mental strength is not a trait historically associated with South African teams at ICC events. A string of underwhelming performances have blighted an otherwise impressive set of achievements

Alex Brown15-Jun-2009Mental strength is not a trait historically associated with South African teams at ICC events. A string of underwhelming performances – the dispiriting semi-final tie with Australia at the 1999 World Cup, the infamous run miscalculation at home four years later and a lacklustre 2007 campaign in the Caribbean – have blighted an otherwise impressive set of achievements for a nation consistently ranked among cricket’s elite.The result has been a chokers’ tag that has proven increasingly asphyxiating with each late-series failure. Indeed, barely a tournament goes by without Graeme Smith being asked to account for the team’s past capitulations, and with the World Twenty20 entering the home straight, the South African captain is presumably prepared for more of the same.The recent Test series victory in Australia and an unprecedented seven consecutive Twenty20 international wins have convinced many – oddsmakers included – that South Africa are ready to break their duck and raise a major international trophy. Others, including many battle-scarred South African supporters, fear they have merely positioned themselves for a particularly hard fall.The truth will inevitably be revealed over the coming days, but Jeremy Snape is quietly optimistic of a favourable outcome. Since accepting the role as South Africa’s sports psychologist and performance coach, Snape has been charged with preparing players for the mental and emotional challenges of top-level cricket. Or, in other words, to rid South Africa of the chokers’ tag that has dogged them since readmission.Initial results have been impressive, to say the least. South Africa’s successful fourth innings pursuit of Australia’s 413-run target in the Perth Test indicated a degree of mental resolve all but absent in previous touring sides. That was followed with a series-clinching nine-wicket victory at the MCG, an ascension to the No. 1 ODI ranking and an undefeated World Twenty20 campaign heading into the semi-finals. All that is missing is the silverware.”I remember reading a piece written last year about South Africa shaking off the chokers’ tag, and I think everyone saw how mentally strong a side they were in Australia,” Snape told Cricinfo. “Chasing down 450 was not about one epic day, it was about winning most of the individual battles that happened that day.”Statisticians and the media are great at pointing out trends, but that doesn’t mean we’re spending a lot of time going over the same points. Whatever has happened to South African teams in the past has happened with a specific management group, specific players and in specific match conditions. This is a fresh management group, fresh players and new match conditions.”Snape is adamant that the psychological lessons from South Africa’s Test series in Australia are applicable to the World Twenty20. Countless training hours have been devoted to working on players’ powers of concentration during individual moments of matches. Process over outcome, in psychologist-ese.”I think everyone now recognises that this is the biggest area for improvement in cricket,” he said. “Twenty20 is cricket at its most volatile. The more volatile and stressful the contest, the more the need to prepare your players to be able to mentally cope with it. Ultimately, a Twenty20 match boils down to 120 contests in each innings. If you are mentally ready to control the majority of those situations, to be able to handle that stress, then you’re a long way towards winning.”What we’re seeing in the IPL and the World Twenty20 is some of the most pressurised phases of the game played. Just in the last week or so we’ve seen how pressure affects bowlers at the death, fielders struggling to execute run outs and batsmen playing wild strokes. Those are features of players under lots of pressure. Everything feels like it is being played at triple the speed. The South African guys have been really impressive with the way they’ve looked to unpick these situations.”Tuesday’s match at Trent Bridge may have been inconsequential to the configuration of the World Twenty20 semi-finals – South Africa were already in, India already out – but Smith’s men would nonetheless have been elated to seal the win and carry momentum into the pointy end of the tournament.Finals have historically proved South Africa’s Achilles heel, but Snape is hopeful the cycle will soon be broken. “It’s not that you’re telling everyone ‘don’t think about the past’, it’s more about breaking everything down to their individual events,” he said. “By focussing on each moment, you’re not overcome by the grandeur of a situation. It sounds easy and perhaps even a little clichéd, but it only becomes tangible once you’ve worked on the ability to concentrate on individual situations and can replicate that in a stressful match environment.”

Southampton have been handed a double injury boost ahead of their upcoming Premier League clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

What’s the latest?

In his latest press conference ahead of the match against the west Londoners, Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl revealed that Stuart Armstrong has returned to first team training but did not confirm whether or not the 29-year-old will be involved in the squad to face Chelsea.

Additionally, the Saints also have Theo Walcott back in training, who returned last week as he looks to get back to full fitness. The 32-year-old shared a post on his official Twitter profile earlier in the week which showed him smiling on the training pitch and accompanied by the caption: “It’s great to be back”.

Hasenhuttl will be thrilled

Given how Southampton have failed to score in any of their three previous league fixtures, Hasenhuttl will undoubtedly be thrilled to have some more attacking options at his disposal to try and switch things up as they seek to revive their goalscoring fortunes.

That is all the more pertinent considering how Armstrong and Walcott chipped in with a combined seven goals and eight assists between them in the Premier League last season.

However, with the Scot having only just returned to training and yet to make an appearance for the Saints so far this season, we feel it would probably be too early for the 29-year-old to be thrown into the mix from the start in the game against Chelsea, who have only conceded two goals in the league so far.

With Walcott, it could perhaps be the better option to restore him to the team given that he has some minutes under his belt this season and has been in training for longer than Armstrong, even though he hasn’t yet managed to score a goal or provide an assist for the Saints this term.

The 32-year-old has played more matches (25) against Chelsea than any other club throughout his career aside from Liverpool and has managed to rack up six goals and provide three assists against the Blues along the way. That could perhaps make him a viable option from the start against Thomas Tuchel’s side, if indeed he is deemed fit enough to play.

In other news, “Now close”: Ralph makes claim on 21y/o maestro that’ll leave Southampton fans buzzing…