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Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly set to approach Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou and offer him the north London vacancy, with the job “his if he wants it”.

What’s the latest Tottenham manager news?

Spurs and chairman Daniel Levy still have it all to do in terms of appointing Antonio Conte's long-term successor, with the process dragging on following the Italia’s departure back in March.

A number of managers have knocked Tottenham back in recent weeks and months, with the latest being Feyenoord manager Arne Slot. That has led to Postecoglou emerging as a strong candidate to come in, with Sky Sports suggesting in the week that the Celtic boss was the front-runner.

A further update has now come to light, and it looks as if Postecoglou, who shares the same agent as Heung-min Son and Pedro Porro, will be offered the position.

Football Insider shared an update on Postecoglou and Tottenham on Thursday, claiming he is indeed the front-runner to take charge. The report states that Spurs, and by extension Levy, will approach Postecoglou and the job is “his if he wants it”.

The Australian is thought to be in a very strong position to take over in north London, and negotiations could begin following Celtic’s Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park on Saturday evening. Fabrizio Romano has since added that a new round of talks have been scheduled with Postecoglou for next week.

Who is Ange Postecoglou?

Postecoglou is 57 years of age and has plenty of managerial experience under his belt, both at domestic and international level. Hailed as "mental" by compatriot Jackson Irvine, the Hoops boss is on course to lead Celtic to a domestic treble and has previous experience of managing clubs in Australia and Japan, as well as leading the Australia national team.

He likes to play an attacking 4-3-3 formation and has been revered for his "beautiful football" north of the border after coming in to replace Neil Lennon in 2021, with Celtic averaging over 2.5 goals per game under his leadership. Postecoglou took over a side that had struggled the season before, with Rangers winning the Scottish Premiership title, however, he immediately got Celtic back on track and has won back-to-back league titles.

Therefore, you could argue he could be a shrewd target by those at Tottenham, looking to be the man to turn things around in north London following a disappointing 2022/23 season, and by the looks of it, he will be offered the position.

Afghanistan sounded a stern warning to Bangladesh in their warm-up match in Fatullah by beating BCB XI by 66 runs in a low-scoring match, helped by Mohammad Nabi’s 4 for 24 and Hashmatullah Shahidi’s 69

The Report by Mohammad Isam23-Sep-2016
Scorecard File photo – Mohammad Nabi dismantled BCB XI’s chase with figures of 4 for 24•Chris WhiteoakAfghanistan sounded a stern warning to Bangladesh in their warm-up match in Fatullah by beating BCB XI by 66 runs in a low-scoring match. Hashmatullah Shahidi’s 69 was supported by Mohammad Nabi, who took four wickets to help Afghanistan defend 233.BCB XI put out a strong line-up with eight international players but they were upended by Afghanistan’s bowlers. Mosaddek Hossain top-scored with a 97-ball 76.The BCB XI slipped to 39 for 4 as fast bowler Karim Janat had Imrul Kayes caught at mid-on in the fourth over before Anamul Haque skied left-arm pace bowler Fareed Ahmed in the next over. Sabbir Rahman then flicked Fareed to square leg and Mohammad Nabi had Liton Das stumped for 6.Mosaddek and Mehedi Hasan Miraz stabilised BCB XI with a 56-run, fifth-wicket stand. Miraz, though, was run out for 15 after backing up too far in the non-striker’s end in the 25th over.Mosaddek then kept a check on the asking rate during his sixth-wicket stand with Shuvagata Hom, the pair adding 59 in the next nine overs. Just when Mosaddek was looked to attack, he was beautifully bowled by Mohammad Nabi in the 34th over, the contest’s defining moment.Legspinner Rashid Khan’s googly then removed Alauddin Babu for a duck, as the chase slowly withered. Nabi picked up his third and fourth wickets in the 38th over when Al-Amin was brilliantly caught at deep square leg by Amir Hamza and Shuvagata Hom fell for 34, Janat taking the catch at mid-off. Fareed and Rashid took two wickets each.Put into bat, the visitors were bowled out with four balls to spare. Their score wouldn’t have crossed the 200-run mark had it not been for Hashmatullah Shahidi’s 69 after Afghanistan had slipped to 47 for 3 in the 15th over.Afghanistan were sluggish for most of the innings until Shahidi’s 63-run fourth-wicket stand with captain Asghar Stanikzai, who chipped in with 31. Rashid made 30 off 24 balls at no. 6 with four boundaries, but Shahidi fell in the 46th over when Afghanistan’s platform had been laid. Mirwais Ashraf’s 19-ball 32, the innings that featured three fours and two sixes, ensured a competitive total.Seaming allrounder Babu and offspinner Miraz claimed three wickets. Left-arm quick Abu Hider and right-arm pacer Subashis Roy took two wickets each.

Liverpool are preparing to make an offer to bring Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie to the Premier League, according to reports.

Who is Franck Kessie?

The Ivory Coast international first arrived at Camp Nou from AC Milan last summer and has made a total of 43 appearances during his debut season, but despite his contract not expiring for another three years, he could already be set to depart.

The La Liga star only made seven league starts under Xavi during the previous term and was limited to largely substitute appearances having been brought off the bench on 21 occasions, as per WhoScored, so he’s significantly out of favour in the senior first-team.

The Blaugrana currently have ongoing issues with Financial Fair Play that need resolving so they are expected to cash in on some of their valuable assets during the upcoming window, and the 26-year-old appears to be one of the first on the chopping block.

Are Liverpool signing Kessie?

According to Spanish outlet Sport (via The Daily Mail), Liverpool are “set to make a bid” of £30m in an attempt to secure the services of Kessie this summer. Barcelona view the midfielder as “one of the possible options” that they could get rid of to help aid their money problems and the Reds are “willing” to table the specified amount above to bring him to Anfield to join Jurgen Klopp.

Liverpool will know that Kessie hasn’t been given a fair chance to prove what he’s capable of this season, but having previously been dubbed a “warrior” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Barcelona’s central midfielder could be a player worth taking a risk on.

The Champions League participant posted six goal contributions (three goals and the same number of assists) across all competitions last term and ranked in the 88th percentile for number of touches in the opposition’s penalty area by central midfielders, showing how he gets forward and impacts the game in the last third.

The Ouragahio native, however, is also strong in the defensive aspect of his game having won 60 per cent of his attempted tackles over the course of the previous campaign so isn’t afraid to get stuck in, commit to challenges and win back possession for his team.

Finally, Kessie would add wonderful versatility to Klopp’s squad having operated in five different positions since the start of his professional career, including four roles in the centre and even at centre-back, so he would be a great option for the manager to have at his disposal on Merseyside.

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Oct-2016
ScorecardJackson Bird picked up six wickets for the match•Getty ImagesJackson Bird finished his Test audition with six wickets for the match, but Victoria were in a strong position to push for victory at stumps on the third day at the MCG. Chasing 365, Tasmania wobbled to 3 for 19 at the close of play, with Peter Siddle, Chris Tremain and Scott Boland each having picked up a wicket. Caleb Jewell was on 10 and nightwatchman Andrew Fekete was yet to score.Siddle had been on light duties earlier in the day when Tasmania resumed their first innings in the morning, bowling only three overs as his workload was managed in his return to first-class cricket after eight months out injured. However, he trapped Beau Webster lbw late in the day and has a good chance of being named in Australia’s Test squad alongside Bird on Friday.The day began with Tasmania on 4 for 93, and through George Bailey (64) and some late hitting from Cameron Boyce, who struck an unbeaten 56 off 53 balls, the Tigers moved along to 255 before they were dismissed. Daniel Christian picked up 4 for 35.Victoria chose not to enforce the follow on, instead increasing their lead briskly as opener Marcus Harris added 77 from 88 deliveries to his first-innings century. Bird picked up 3 for 59 from his 13 overs and ended with match figures of 6 for 134, while part-timer Webster also claimed three wickets as the Victorians sought quick runs.They declared at 9 for 204, which meant Tasmania had to negotiate a difficult period before stumps, and their top order found the going hard. Ben Dunk was caught off Boland for 6, Siddle claimed Webster, and Boland picked up the wicket of Alex Doolan for 2.

An update has emerged on Celtic and their search for a new head coach ahead of the 2023/24 campaign…

What's the latest on Andoni Iraola to Celtic?

According to the Daily Mail, former Rayo Vallecano manager Andoni Iraola is preparing to throw his hat in the ring in the hope of being in contention for the job.

The club are in the market for a new boss after Ange Postecoglou left Parkhead to put pen to paper on a deal with Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

Iraola is currently a free agent after opting against a contract extension with Vallecano having kept them in LaLiga for a second straight season.

Would Andoni Iraola be a success at Celtic?

The Hoops could strike gold with the young tactician as he is an up-and-coming coach who has shown great promise in his short career so far.

Former Leeds United head coach Jesse Marsch is another name to have been linked with the job but Iraola would be a far better option than the American boss, whose poor form at Elland Road raised red flags to those at Parkhead.

The 49-year-old barely avoided relegation from the Premier League in the 2021/22 campaign as he lost five of his 12 matches with the Whites and finished 17th in the table.

He then lost ten and won four of the 20 matches he managed in the division the following campaign, and that led to him being relieved of his duties by the English side with a points per game rate of just 0.9.

That spell in England came after the American lost six of his 14 Bundesliga games with RB Leipzig in Germany, which included five wins that left them underperforming in 11th in the table. They went on to finish fourth in the table, with 17 wins to ten losses, suggesting that he was holding them back.

Iraola, however, won 22 of his 46 matches in LaLiga 2, including the play-offs, to win promotion to the top flight in the 2020/21 campaign and was then able to establish Vallecano in the Spanish top division.

The 40-year-old tactician, who typically plays a 4-2-3-1 formation, finished 12th in both 2021/22 and 2022/23 and this shows that the Spaniard was able to successfully lead a club through a transitional period.

They finished outside of the play-offs in the second tier in the season before he joined, 2019/20, and was able to turn them into an established top-flight club within three years before his departure this summer.

Therefore, Iraola, whose work with Vallecano was hailed as "insane" by scout Jacek Kulig, is a manager on the up who has proven himself capable of uplifting a team above their means.

On the flip side, Marsch has failed in his last two jobs and has been a disappointment in England and Germany, which suggests that the Spaniard would be a far better option for Celtic at this moment in time.

The ICC is keen on having an edge-detection tool to go with the existing ball-tracking tool as minimum requirements for DRS

Alagappan Muthu03-Nov-2016The ICC is keen on having an edge-detection tool – Realtime Snicko, UltraEdge or HotSpot – to go with the existing ball-tracking tool as minimum requirements for DRS. However, that depends on the ICC cricket committee headed by Anil Kumble, and a planned meeting with the member boards in February 2017 to “prepare a road map for the use of technology moving forward”. For the ICC, the ideal outcome of the meeting will be some sort of agreement to have DRS for every Test no matter where it takes place, with the decided minimum requirements in place.As it stands now, DRS is employed even in those Tests where no edge-detection technology is available whereas India have been playing without DRS even with the required technology available. That India have agreed to use it on a trial basis against England is a step forward, but ICC’s general manager of cricket operations Geoff Allardice knows there is some way to go.”I look at matches in different parts of the world, and I see the different levels of technology and you see umpires are left without conclusive evidence in one series where in another series they might have conclusive evidence with all tools available,” Allardice said. “There are some logistical challenges as well about having every type of technology in every match but I think overall we should be striving for a more consistent delivery of technology at all international matches.”Ball-tracking is standard in DRS at the moment, and we won’t see that changing. I think you certainly need an edge-detection tool as a standard. If you go back to times gone by with the umpires listening to the stump microphone audio and trying to judge whether that was the sound of bat on ball or bat on pad or whatever, it was very difficult to make a decision [for the umpire] and also for the people watching at home to know what the umpire was thinking. And sound-based edge detection systems like Realtime Snicko and UltraEdge have simplified those kinds of decisions.”HotSpot is another tool that helps in edge detection, and while Allardice said it “has a lot to add to a DRS system”, its inclusion posed “logistical challenges”. India’s home Tests against England, for example, could have had HotSpot but the BCCI was told it would take too long for the equipment to arrive in the country. The cameras used by HotSpot are high-end military cameras, whose shipping needs special permissions from governments.The BCCI’s opposition to DRS arose from a perception that it wasn’t 100% fool proof. Some other boards do not employ it because of the high cost of equipment. As such there has been pressure on the ICC to assume control of the system itself. Allardice was open to the possibility.”If we get the support of members for the ICC to take a greater role in providing consistent technology at every game, we think that’s the right way to go forward. If we can map that out to the countries, and they like that, then the plan will be to start putting it in place.” he said. “Generally in DRS series, we deliver 98 to 99% correct decisions, and what that does is provide a consistency of correct decisions, whether the conditions are difficult for umpiring, or whether the umpire is having a good day or a bad day.”There has also been protest against DRS because of the possibility of human error. When asked if the ICC might be interested in training people to operate the various technologies to assuage that concern, Allardice said it was the technology provider who was best placed to understand the nuances of the system and implement it correctly. He did, however, admit there was a need for the ICC to oversee operations.”At this stage, I wouldn’t see us wanting to be technology providers ourselves, because the expertise and product development work that’s taken place over a long period of time, has been conducted by the technology providers. But I think there is a greater role for the ICC in the coordination of technology that goes to each match, and the oversight of the performance at matches.”DRS’s impact on the umpires is also a point of debate. In the Chittagong Test between England and Bangladesh, eight out of 18 decisions made by Kumar Dharmasena were overturned. Allardice said the number of incorrect calls an umpire makes factors into his assessment by the ICC, but he is judged over a longer term than just one match.”It’s quite a test for an umpire in those conditions, because you can often be making good umpiring decisions that are later proven to be incorrect,” Allardice said. “Like getting a glove on a sweep shot that then leads to an lbw being overturned.”One of the skills of an umpire at all levels, whether there is DRS or not, is his resilience to mistakes. In the old days, you used to find out when you came off the field whether you had made a mistake or not, and now that feedback is a little bit more immediate. And being able to process feedback about your decisions, and then try to either use it to improve your decision‑making, or to not let it affect your decision making, is the thing that determines an elite umpire from the next level down.”

Manchester United have identified Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou as their "main target" to replace David De Gea between the sticks, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.

What's the latest Man United transfer news?

Recent reports indicating that Man United are unwilling to pay Diogo Costa's €75m (£64m) release clause, but FC Porto are unwilling to lower the price, so Erik ten Hag may be forced to move on to other goalkeeper targets.

According to talkSPORT, Everton's Jordan Pickford is at the top of the Red Devils' list, and the England goalkeeper would jump at the chance of moving to Old Trafford, as a result of his desire to play in the Champions League.

United could make a move for Pickford even if De Gea remains at the club, while they have also been linked with a move for Brentford's David Raya, who has now rejected multiple contract offers from the Bees.

While Pickford is emerging as a key target for Ten Hag, Galetti has now told GiveMeSport that bringing in the Sevilla goalkeeper will be the manager's main priority this summer.

The journalist said:“ At the moment, Manchester United remain interested in Bounou. De Gea’s situation does not leave them calm, with so many doubts about the Spanish goalkeeper who also had offers from Saudi Arabia and you’re seeing Bounou who could replace him and for this reason, he remains the main target for Man United.”

Who is Yassine Bounou?

The Morocco international, who was hailed as GOAL as an "immovable force", made a name for himself at the World Cup, with members of the media lauding him as a "hero" due to his solid performances, ranked by Sofascore as his side's fourth-best performing player in their remarkable run to the semi-final.

Hailed as "brilliant" by sports writer John McAuley, the 32-year-old has also impressed at club level, with journalist Abhishek Dey claiming he was the "best" goalkeeper in La Liga during the 2021-22 campaign.

That said, there are some indications the £15k-per-week shot-stopper, who impressed against Man United in 2020, is starting to show his age, keeping just five clean sheets in La Liga last season.

Having conceded an average of 1.71 goals per 90 over the past year, the Sevilla goalkeeper ranks in just the 16th percentile, when compared to his positional peers.

As such, Man United would be better off prioritising a move for Pickford, as the Everton goalkeeper is only 29-years-old, and he is already proven in the Premier League, having made 248 appearances in the competition.

Pakistan named an unchanged squad for the three-match Test series against Australia next month

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2016Pakistan have named an unchanged squad for the three-match Test series against Australia next month. Sharjeel Khan and Mohammad Rizwan, who were Pakistan’s only inclusions for the Test series against New Zealand, retained their place.With Misbah-ul-Haq unavailable, Rizwan was handed his debut in the ongoing second Test, but was dismissed for a first-ball duck in the first innings. Sharjeel did not play a game on the tour.Kamran Akmal, the leading run-scorer in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, and Mohammad Hafeez were considered but the selection panel led by Inzamam-ul-Haq opted to stick with a young squad.Pakistan played both Tests in New Zealand with three fast bowlers and one spinner in Yasir Shah. With pitches in Australia not conducive to spin bowling, Pakistan were satisfied with allrounder Mohammad Rizwan as the back-up spin option.The series against Australia begins with a day-night Test in Brisbane on December 15.Pakistan squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Azhar Ali, Sami Aslam, Sharjeel Khan, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Mohammad Rizwan, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Rahat Ali, Sohail Khan, Imran Khan

Hearts will be expected to improve on their mediocre season last term, failing to reach the semi-finals of either of the two domestic cups while finishing in fourth place after a poor end to the campaign, winning just two of their final seven matches.

Steven Naismith was in charge for these games, initially on an interim basis, however, he is now in permanent charge of the Tynecastle side as the 2023/24 season fast approaches.

The priority for him now will be to retain players of quality such as Lawrence Shankland and Josh Ginnelly, who contributed a staggering 52 goal contributions between them last term, while also getting defender Craig Halkett back fighting fit following a serious injury.

Adding a few faces will also be expected, and with loan star James Hill impressing during his stay in the capital last term, could he be open to a permanent stay?

The AFC Bournemouth defender may have potentially given the supporters a glimmer of hope after his recent comments, saying: “It would definitely be in consideration because everyone at Hearts has been amazing.

“They’ve made me feel at home. I’m not out of place here. I feel like a massive part of this squad. When you have that belief, the sky is the limit.

“The group at Hearts is incredible and the standard of this league is a surprise when other players step in because there is such quality.”

Could Hearts sign James Hill this summer?

With these comments, nothing can be ruled out, although with the defender having a contract at the Cherries until 2026, Naismith will have to splash the cash to lure the £14k-per-week man to Edinburgh this summer.

It’s safe to say that he was impressive upon joining the club in January, and as such, he could well be a dream signing for the new boss as he looks to reinvigorate the player squad.

Indeed, the centre-back featured 17 times across all competitions and averaged a respectable Sofascore rating of 6.8, enough to rank him in ninth position out of the whole squad.

He also ranked third for tackles per game (1.8) and first for interceptions per game (1.5), in the squad, showcasing his undisputed quality as he took no time at all to settle in at the club. It's players such as Hill that could be vital as the Jambos look to improve under Naismith, and considering he already knows the club well, it shouldn't take him long to accommodate to things once more.

The 21-year-old has only made four appearances for Bournemouth since joining them in January 2022 from Fleetwood Town, however, journalist Gregg Evans praised the club and claimed Hill was “another success story” as he made the leap up from League One to the Championship.

With an England U21 cap in his possession, the future is clearly bright for the 6-foot youngster, however, will it lie at Hearts? It should well do.

A lacklustre performance in the 2015 BPL made Dhaka Dynamites hungry for the title this year, and the players did not disappoint

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur10-Dec-2016Several minutes after the Dhaka Dynamites players had taken a partial victory lap at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, they gathered around the DJ’s stage on which Dwayne Bravo was hoisted to sing a few lines of his song . The players danced to the tune for a few minutes before gathering near the post-match presentation area.There was joy on their faces, as well as relief. Though Chittagong Vikings had built a strong squad, and Comilla Victorians were defending champions, Dhaka were overwhelming favourites to win the BPL. After failing to make the final in 2015, the franchise owners put together a team that had everything. The excess of talent and experience left on the Dhaka bench – Mahela Jayawardene for example – said enough about their preparation and ambition to winning the title.The pressure on the players was immense at times, and certainly so in the final. Shakib Al Hasan, the Dhaka captain, said support from the coach Khaled Mahmud and senior players like Kumar Sangakkara and Jayawardene had helped ease nerves when the team got a bit shaky in the tournament.”There is always a bit of pressure,” Shakib said. “We had a good team and everyone expected us to be champions. Sujon [Mahmud] made it easier for us, and the senior players helped us. We didn’t have to be tense. We had the experience and so whenever we wavered, we knew how to come back.”Shakib said a number of players had served the team well through the tournament but he had to make sure the local players’ hunger was at the same level as their more experienced team-mates.”I said at the start of the tournament that the target was to win the cup. This is a very big deal. The biggest thing was the way the entire team played. You may have many famous players but it is important how the team performs.”Throughout the tournament, majority of the players performed at different moments. We wanted the others to get the desire from the more famous players. We managed to create a good environment.”Sangakkara, who was adjudged Man of the Match in the final for his 33-ball 36, said that a domestic T20 final still got him going. “It doesn’t matter what stage, when you play a final you want to win it. Everyone plays to try and win trophies. BPL this time was an outstanding achievement.”The credit goes to everyone, even to Abul and Akhtar who helped us with our bags and pads. When all these things are in place our job becomes very easy.”