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Sunderland’s fall down the League One table continued on Tuesday as a 3-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday left them fifth.

The Black Cats have lost their last three league matches, having lost 1-0 to Charlton and 5-1 to Rotherham in their two games prior to the trip to Hillsborough.

Tom Flanagan and Callum Doyle failed to deal with the danger through the middle and Theo Corbeanu found himself in acres of space to pick his spot and find the bottom corner. The second came with calls for handball as Florian Kamberi controlled the ball in the six-yard box and prodded past Ron-Thorben Hoffmann.

Wednesday sealed the three points in the second half as a scuffed shot fell perfectly for Lee Gregory to convert from close range to make it 3-0.

Despite the frustrating result, one player did come away from the match with an ounce of credit and was a shining light for Johnson – Corry Evans. The experienced beast was a standout in a disappointing performance from the Black Cats and the manager will surely have been left delighted with his display, in spite of the result.

Defensively, he was solid. Per SofaScore, he won 75% (6/8) of his individual duels on the pitch, including winning 100% (3/3) of his aerial duels. He also made a whopping seven interceptions, three tackles and one clearance, whilst only being dribbled past once in the 90 minutes.

Luke O’Nien and Dan Neil, meanwhile, managed three tackles and two interceptions combined between them in the other two central midfield positions. This suggests that Evans carried Sunderland in the middle of the park from a defensive standpoint and was let down by his teammates as Wednesday romped to a comfortable win.

Although, it is worth pointing out that he could have done more in possession. Per SofaScore, he only completed 72% of his attempted passes, whilst his midfield partners both completed 76% of theirs. This suggests that all three of them could have been better with the ball at their feet as they failed to achieve a high success rate with their passing, which is an area for improvement ahead of the next set of matches.

Despite the lapse passing, Evans’ performance was a shining light for Sunderland due to his tenacity in midfield and that could earn him a regular place in the starting XI in the coming weeks. He has only started five League One matches, but this display could aid his chances of adding to that number.

Former New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman poised to become only the fourth Wellington player to reach 100 first-class games

Cricinfo staff09-Nov-2009Chris Nevin, the former New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman, is poised to become only the fourth Wellington player to reach 100 first-class games. The landmark will come in Wellington’s Plunket Shield season opener against Canterbury at home tomorrow.The three Wellington players to have played more than 100 first-class games are Evan Gray (120), Robert Vance (119) and Ervin McSweenery (102). “They are all big names in Wellington cricket, so to be up there having played a similar number of games to three of the legends is a great feeling,” Nevin said.”I’ve got my family coming up from Christchurch to watch the game and I’m really looking forward to it.”Nevin has scored 4579 runs at 36.05 for Wellington, with four centuries, and has taken 271 dismissals. Having made his state debut in a 50-over match at the Basin Reserve on New Year’s Day in 1996, Nevin began his first-class career a few weeks later against Northern Districts. “We played very good cricket for three days and we set them about 440 to win on a wearing Basin wicket and they chased it down on the last day,” he recalled. “So it was an incredible game of cricket and certainly a very exciting start to my career.”He also remembered a memorable match against Canterbury during the victorious 2000-01 season. “We got a good first innings total and then took a long time to bowl them out. In the second innings we batted for about 25 overs, declared and then won with about three or four overs to spare,” he said.”That was an amazing game of cricket and one that sort of summed up that whole [Championship winning] season.”We were just so determined to win that it didn’t matter whether it was the last ball of the game or the first we were in the contest the whole time.”Nevin, 34, suffered a spate of injuries during his international years which to an extent limited his appearances to 37 one-day internationals. He made his international debut against Australia in March 2000 opening the innings and after scoring 74 at Eden Park he seemed the ideal opening partner for Nathan Astle. However, an injury at the end of the season denied him a chance to tour with New Zealand A in England and shortly before a national tour to Zimbabwe he suffered a lower abdominal hernia. Injuries and indifferent form hampered his prospects further. He played his last ODI in 2003.

It is no secret that Manchester United have been struggling with consistency this season, and their midfield setup seems to be the talking point time and time again.

United have a hefty number of midfield players in their squad including Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can’t seem to get the balance right with his mix of midfielders to secure some good form and consistency.

Lots of Manchester United fans have been in uproar over plenty of the manager’s calls over the last few months of the new season, but one decision has stuck out more than any other – the constant snubbing of Donny Van de Beek.

The Dutchman joined the Red Devils in 2020, and although he has shown glimmers of greatness in individual performances, Solskjaer fails to include him as a regular in his starting XI. The 24-year-old has not started a single Premier League game this season, getting a paltry 16 top-flight minutes after more than a quarter of the campaign.

When asked by the media why he leaves the £100k-p/w gem on the bench most weeks, the manager defended his decision by saying: “Donny is still working hard, of course, and at the moment it’s hard. I know he’s not happy, but he works hard and he’s a top professional. He knows that that’s the way that sometimes it works in football, at the moment he’s not playing but he doesn’t let himself down.”

There has been a lot of praise for Van de Beek whenever he has been given minutes for the Mancunian giants from club legends like Rio Ferdinand, who told BT Sport: “I think he is the one player in this squad who is happy playing one-touch, two-touch, keeping it simple… sacrificing parts of his game to help other people flourish.

“In any great team you need players like that and he’s one player who will make other players tick, and make them play better.”

More recently, former club captain Paul Ince scolded Solskjaer for not including the 24-year-old in his starting midfield, as he fumed: “This is a player who Ole said, ‘come to Old Trafford, you’re going to start in my team, you’ll cost £40 million, you’re going to be the centre hub of the midfield’. Two years down the line he’s on the bench.

“He gives him four minutes against Atalanta and then goes, ‘oh by the way, here’s your chance, go and have 10 minutes against Manchester City where we’ve not touched the ball for 85 minutes and show me what you can do’.”

According to The Mirror, Newcastle United are very interested in signing the Dutch midfielder and are reportedly keen to target both Dean Henderson and Jesse Lingard as well. Solskjaer will need to find a way to ensure that fringe players such as these don’t go looking for first team football elsewhere.

If Van de Beek and the other two depart, it could have the Old Trafford faithful venting even more fury at the already under-pressure manager. Who knows, it might even prove to be the final nail in Solskjaer’s coffin if the likes of Van de Beek continue to be overlooked and results don’t improve.

In other news: Sky Sports journalist drops Solskjaer claim which will leave Man Utd fans fuming

Chris Gayle will not be quitting as West Indies captain but acknowledges the three-day defeat in Brisbane was “downright embarrassing”

Cricinfo staff29-Nov-2009Chris Gayle will not quit as West Indies captain but acknowledges the three-day defeat in Brisbane was “downright embarrassing”. Gayle, writing a column in the , said he knows some critics think he is not right for the job.”I’ve got a message for those people – I’m not going anywhere,” he said. “I have been chosen as captain and it’s a job I will continue to do to the best of my ability. My heart is in it and I feel really strongly that I am the right man to lead the West Indies through this challenging period.”West Indies were beaten by an innings and 65 runs at the Gabba after being dismissed for 228 and 187 in the opening game of the three-match series. The second Test starts in Adelaide on Friday and the tourists will be without the fast bowler Jerome Taylor, who is due to be sent home with a back injury sustained on the opening day.”Jerome Taylor is not available for the rest of the series,” the manager Joel Garner told the Age. We have spoken about it, and the selectors will make a determination [about a replacement].”The problem adds to the issues for West Indies that include coming together after a long players’ strike, which led to a Test series loss to Bangladesh, and an apparent preference in some of the big names for lucrative limited-overs tournaments instead of Tests. Gayle said this year he wouldn’t be so sad if the five-day format died.However, Gayle insists he has the support of his struggling squad. “A lot has been happening over the past eight months but I am not into negativity,” Gayle said. “Negative energy is the last thing we need right now because we are just starting to try to regroup as a team. With my captaincy coming under fire, the really heartening thing for me is to see how I have respect from each and every one of the players in our squad. It makes my job easier to know that each individual supports me and it helps me get the best out of the players.”Gayle said the side had to be honest about its failures at the Gabba. “To lose 15 wickets in a day on a beautiful batting track is simply not good enough and there are no excuses for that,” he said. “We all know where we went wrong and after thinking about it for a while and coming up with some answers we have to try to get it out of our system as quickly as possible. We can’t afford to be too hard on ourselves, the Test series is still up for grabs and we have to be strong and positive if we are a chance of beating Australia.”

Celtic-linked goalkeeper David Marshall has dropped a massive transfer claim ahead of the winter market.

What’s the talk?

In recent comments made while speaking to the Go Radio Football Show (via 67hailhail), the 36-year-old shot-stopper, who was heavily linked with a move to Celtic last summer, suggested that he is desperate to secure a move away from Derby County in January.

Indeed, the Scotland international has once again been tipped as a potential target for Ange Postecoglou’s side, with Barry Ferguson stating his belief that Marshall would make an excellent addition to the Bhoys squad this winter.

Speaking about a potential move away from Derby, the ‘keeper said: “I’m desperate to get out in January. Obviously [it’s] difficult with Derby’s situation, with the club going into administration. So it’s a difficult time and sometimes these things are taken out of your hands as a footballer.

“I was disappointed how [a failed move] happened in the summer, [it] never really gave me enough time to get somewhere. Obviously, the knock-on of that is you lose your spot in the Scotland squad.

“So I’m looking at the minute to try and get something sorted for January, but nothing yet. I’m sure the closer it gets there will be a few options there. I’m training with the first team every day. There’s not been an issue that way. I’ve not had any fitness issues, so hopefully early January something will come.”

Celtic must act

With recent reports suggesting that both Vasilis Barkas and Scott Bain are expected to leave Celtic in the January transfer window, it would seem absolutely essential for the club to bring a new player in the position to Parkhead this winter.

And, while it is true that Marshall has not had much of a look in at Derby so far this season, the 36-year-old nevertheless proved last term that he would be a brilliant, as well as cost-effective, signing for Michael Nicholson to get over the line when January comes around.

Indeed, over his 33 Championship appearances last time out, the £225k-rated ‘keeper kept nine clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 2.3 saves per game.

These returns saw the man who Ole Gunnar Soskjaer dubbed an “outstanding” goalkeeper average a SofaScore match rating of 6.79, ranking him Wayne Rooney’s 11th-best performer in the league last season.

As such, should the £8.4k-per-week shot-stopper be able to refind this form after a potential switch to Celtic in January, he would more than be capable of filling the spot as Joe Hart’s number two, and perhaps even push the former England international for his starting spot between the Bhoys sticks.

In other news: Nicholson must seal Ange’s dream Celtic signing with move for “top class” £60k-p/w ace

Newcastle United are reportedly now ‘ready’ to offer Lorenzo Insigne huge money in order to sign for them.

The Lowdown: Winger wanted?

With the likes of Luis Diaz and Philippe Coutinho being linked with a move to St. James’ Park in recent days, it suggests that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium are now looking for a winger in order to bolster their forward line following their takeover in the northeast.

However, there may be a doubt over what kind of calibre of player they would be able to attract in the January transfer window, giving that they are currently lurking near the bottom of the Premier League table, with no wins and a mere five points from their first 11 games so far this season (Premier League).

The Latest: Insigne eyed by Newcastle

As per Rai Radio (via Sport Witness), Newcastle will now attempt to throw a huge amount of money – or as the outlet put it, ‘ready to shower him with gold’ – in order to try and sign Insigne as a free agent next summer.

He is out of contract at Napoli at the end of the season, but given that he has played at the highest level throughout his career, including in the Champions League and Serie A, he may want to move to a club other than the Magpies.

However, if the Tynesiders manage to avoid relegation, the Italian could be tempted by a move to the Premier League, with an ambitious project to get the Toon up to the very top.

The Verdict: Huge scalp

It would certainly be a huge scalp to lure the Napoli captain away from his club to go and join the Magpies, so it may take a big bumper contract in order to persuade him.

Regardless of what he is paid, there is no doubt that Insigne is a quality player, having played more than 400 times for the Serie A club, including 79 matches under former Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez, in which he scored 11 goals and supplied 17 assists (Transfermarkt).

The current Everton coach sang the praises of the Italy international back in 2015 when he was the forward’s boss at Napoli, and Insigne’s consistent presence in Italy’s Euro 2020-winning team shows that he can still perform on the big stage.

A Napoli great, he is inspired by club legend Diego Maradona, of whose face he has a big tattoo on his leg; and if he can channel his inner Diego, he would no doubt be a force to be reckoned with at NUFC.

In other news, find out which potential signing Magpies fans would be ‘excited’ by

Australia’s fast-bowling great has questioned whether the current batch of fast men are more interested in looking good than looking after themselves properly

Brydon Coverdale at the WACA17-Dec-2009Australia’s fast-bowling great Dennis Lillee has questioned whether the current batch of fast men are more interested in looking good than looking after themselves properly, as Australia’s injury list keeps growing. Peter Siddle was the latest member of the pace attack to be sidelined by injury when a hamstring problem ruled him out of the Perth Test.Siddle has joined Ben Hilfenhaus (knee tendonitis), Brett Lee (elbow), Stuart Clark (back) and Nathan Bracken (knee) on the casualty list, which has left Doug Bollinger and Mitchell Johnson as the only Cricket Australia fast bowlers fit and available for Test cricket. Lillee, who was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame at the WACA on Thursday, said his observations led him to wonder if the bowlers were training appropriately.”I think there’s more soft-tissue injuries now,” Lillee said. “You’re getting groins and elbows and I think a lot of it is the amount of cricket that’s played, and I’m not sure that fast bowlers in particular do enough training distance-running and real heavy sprinting work. I’m not sure they do enough of that.”That’s only a gut feel – I’m not that involved in the game and I’m not a scientist and I’m not a doctor. My gut feel is that maybe a lot of the training is more about maybe looking good rather than looking after the core, which is more essential than having a nice beach look.”For the older members of the attack like Lee and Clark, the injuries have raised the serious possibility that they may not play Test cricket again. There have been questions over whether Lee could still be an effective weapon if he cut back his speed in an effort to prolong his career and Lillee, who did that himself in his later years, gave Lee hope that it might be an option.”As you get a bit older you can’t actually bowl it as quick,” Lillee said. “If you’re going to cut your speed you’ve got to have other tricks, and the other tricks are learning about the trade of fast bowling. It is an art-form.”Anyone can do that, as long as they’re prepared to work on the trade itself. You can have an extended career and not just be an outright fast bowler by moving into the next phase.”

Manchester United have reportedly taken a significant step towards appointing Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s successor.

What’s the story?

According to well-known journalist and transfer expert Duncan Castles, the Red Devils have ‘opened discussions’ to bring the 49-year-old tactician to Old Trafford.

He tweeted: “Manchester United open discussions to extract Mauricio Pochettino from Paris Saint-Germain mid-season.”

Castles goes into more detail in the ongoings behind the scenes at United, stating in his report that Pochettino is their ‘preferred candidate’ to replace Solskjaer after Zinedine Zidane passed up on the opportunity to do so.

“Record Sport understands that the Old Trafford hierarchy has drawn encouragement by the speed with which Pochettino has signalled his intent to leave Paris Saint-Germain less than four months into his first full season as the Qatar-owned club’s coach and have begun conversations on buying out the 49-year-old’s contract,” he wrote.

Man Utd fans will be delighted

News that the club’s hierarchy are believed to be making progress in sealing the Argentine tactician’s services will leave fans feeling delighted.

Throughout his five-and-a-half-year stay at Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Pochettino established the north London outfit as a fearsome force, both domestically and in Europe.

Although he was unable to win a major trophy with Spurs, he achieved a points per game record of 1.84, achieved four consecutive top-four finishes and reached the 2019 Champions League final, all while not spending a vast sum of money.

And Pochettino’s proposed move back to English football is one that makes sense for several reasons.

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The South American is believed to be unhappy in Paris despite winning the French Cup last season and establishing an 11-point gap at the top of Ligue 1 after just 14 fixtures.

His lack of control of team affairs, unbalanced squad and the multiple dominating egos in his first-team setup are thought to be the reasons why Pochettino is so open to taking over the United hot seat after less than a year in charge of PSG.

Whether the Red Devils’ chiefs are able and wanting to make a move for Pochettino remains to be seen, but he would surely be a popular choice amongst the fanbase due to his attacking style, track record with blooding youngsters and reaching the Champions League spots with great regularity.

And, in other news…Carrick could become an instant hit at Man Utd by ruthlessly axing £120k-p/w “problem”

Australian cricketers could be barred from participating in this year’s IPL, after the right-wing political party, Shiv Sena, warned that they would not be welcome in parts of the country in retaliation for a series of attacks on Indian students in Melbou

Cricinfo staff14-Jan-2010Australian cricketers could be barred from participating in this year’s IPL, after the right-wing political party, Shiv Sena, warned that they would not be welcome in parts of the country in retaliation for a series of attacks on Indian students in Melbourne.The Australian Cricketers’ Association, a body which is not recognised by the IPL, requested access to the tournament’s security plans but was denied, and has consequently refused to recommend this year’s event to its members. This has led to the prospect of 25 players, including Ricky Ponting, Brett Lee and Shane Warne, sitting out of the tournament in March and April, and missing out on an estimated total of A$9.2m.”The players rely on us to ensure that security is properly assessed and a recommendation is provided to them,” Paul Marsh, the ACA’s chief executive, told the Age. “If the IPL won’t allow us to review arrangements for this year’s event, how can we recommend to our players that they play in the event?”Shiv Sena’s leader, Bal Thackeray, recently declared that “kangaroo cricketers” would not be welcome in the state of Maharashtra, but a spokesman, Diwakar Raote, subsequently qualified those remarks. ”We are not against Australians, we are not against Australian tourists, but this agitation is because of how we feel about what is happening,” he said.”We will respect any guest who comes but we will not allow Australians to play until the attitude is changed in Australia. What we are hearing is that they are killing our people, they are burning our people, they are stabbing our people. For what? The students are going there. Do you think we are going to do the same thing? No. But we will not allow you to play.”Ponting, who is currently involved in the third Test against Pakistan in Hobart, felt there was still sufficient time to sort the issue before the IPL gets underway in March.”I’m sure CA and all the players and the players’ association will do everything they have done for every tour we have been on for the last 10 years to check out some of these threats and most importantly keep the players up to date with everything they are finding out,” he said. “That happens on every tour we go on and we will be expecting and demanding that happens again.”