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Liverpool have yet to kick into gear in the transfer market this time around – although that's not for the want of trying.

In different circumstances, Arne Slot could already have his first new face in the door, with The Athletic having revealed that discussions had been held earlier this summer regarding a £75m move for Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon, with Joe Gomez in line to move in the other direction for £45m.

That pre-PSR deadline proposal ultimately didn't come to fruition, however, although that may not be the end of the saga, with rumours rife that another offer for the Englishman could emerge before the end of the window.

As evidenced by that £75m fee, the 23-year-old is likely to cost an arm and a leg as far as the Merseysiders are concerned, with there no harm in considering worthy alternatives who could arrive on the cheap.

Liverpool's potential Gordon alternatives

One name that has been doing the rounds of late is Juventus outcast, Federico Chiesa, with the Euro 2020 winner seeking a new home having been informed that he is not in the plans of new boss Thiago Motta in Turin.

As per CaughtOffside, Liverpool are believed to be among the suitors for the Italy international – alongside the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea – although no concrete offer has been made as yet.

The report outlines that the 26-year-old salary demands may prove a sticking point for any interested party, although to counterbalance that, the suggestion is that Juve would accept a bid of between £10m-£13m in the final two weeks of the window.

How Chiesa compares to Anthony Gordon

There's no denying that 2023/24 was a standout season for Gordon at St James' Park, with the boyhood Red having reached double figures for both goals and assists in the Premier League, while subsequently earning a place in Gareth Southgate's European Championship squad.

The youngster's talent is unquestionable, yet it would be wrong to say he is the finished article, having scored just eight top-flight goals across the previous two campaigns combined.

Still a rather raw, rising star, Gordon cannot compete with the experience of Chiesa, with the Italian represent something of an upgrade in that sense, having regularly proven himself at the elite level.

The star of the show during the Azzurri's triumph three years ago, the wing wizard scored twice en route to the final, with compatriot Gigi Buffon even describing him as "impossible to stop" during the showpiece win over England.

While it has been a tale of injury woes since then, the £150k-per-week sensation still boasts 55 goal involvements in just 131 games for his current side, after previously chalking up 60 goals and assists in 153 outings for Fiorentina.

There are three years between the pair, but Gordon, meanwhile, racked up just 15 goals and assists in 78 games for the Toffees, while also failing to contribute at all during a loan stint at Preston North End – albeit while chipping in with 24 goal contributions in just 64 games for the Magpies.

Stat (per 90)

Chiesa

Gordon

Non-penalty goals

0.33

0.27

Assists

0.08

0.27

Shot-creating actions

4.79

4.17

Pass completion

69.9%

76.3%

Progressive passes

2.87

3.08

Progressive carries

4.55

4.03

Successful take-ons

1.43

1.57

Touches in the opposition box

5.33

4.38

Progressive passes received

8.85

7.17

As represented in the table above, it is rather tight with regard to the duo's respective records, with it perhaps coming down to Chiesa's elite level experience as to why he could represent a potential upgrade – having also registered eight goals and assists in just 13 career games in the Champions League.

Of course, landing a homegrown, local talent like Gordon would go down well at Anfield, yet the chance to land an attacking sensation like Chiesa on the cheap could be too good to turn down. Even said to be "like a young Luis Suarez character" by Joe Cole, this move is a no-brainer, surely?

Imagine him & Trent: Liverpool join the race to sign big-money PL star

Could this be the first major signing of the Arne Slot era?

ByAngus Sinclair Aug 5, 2024

Chelsea have been making more waves during the summer transfer window, signing nine players, and it looks as though more will be arriving.

Enzo Maresca will be tasked with securing Champions League football this term. With the squad at his disposal, it would be a failure should he not achieve this.

Despite the plethora of talent joining the Stamford Bridge side, one area of the team which has yet to be bolstered is the centre-forward slot.

There are, of course, plenty of targets being lined up for a potential move to west London. One name which doesn’t seem to be going away is that of Victor Osimhen.

Chelsea continue to chase Victor Osimhen

According to Football Insider, Chelsea are continuing to monitor the Napoli striker between now and the end of the transfer window.

The striker has a release clause which currently stands at £93.5m, which could be problematic for the club, especially with regard to PSR and FFP regulations.

The Nigeria international is also attracting interest from elsewhere, as he is keen on leaving the Serie A side this summer for pastures new.

Maresca could fund this signing by moving on Romelu Lukaku before the end of the month, who appears keen on reuniting with Antonio Conte, who is now in charge of Napoli.

However, could the manager perhaps make a move for another striker instead of Osimhen, as there is a player currently shining for Sporting CP who is attracting plenty of interest of late…?

Chelsea could make a move for Viktor Gyokeres

Swedish hitman Viktor Gyokeres has been linked with a move to England over the previous few months, with Chelsea and Arsenal showing plenty of interest in the player.

Any potential move would cost the Blues €100m (£86m), which is his release clause at the Portuguese club, meaning he wouldn’t be that much cheaper than Osimhen.

Could he be a better option than the Nigerian? Considering how effective he was in front of goal for Sporting last season after moving there from Coventry City, that would appear to be the case.

Viktor Gyokeres season in numbers

The 26-year-old swapped Coventry for Lisbon in the summer of 2023 following a campaign which saw him find the back of the net 22 times as the club came close to sealing a return to the Premier League after two decades away.

Although Sporting was perhaps a surprising choice, the move has allowed the player to showcase his talents in front of goal, as he scored an impressive 43 goals in 50 matches for the club as they claimed a second league title under Ruben Amorim.

Stat

Liga Portugal

Europa League

Goals

29

5

Assists

10

2

Shots on target per game

1.8

1.1

Goal frequency (minutes)

101

124

Goal conversion percentage

25%

29%

Via Sofascore

Unsurprisingly, the Swede ranked first among his teammates when it came to goals and assists (39) in the top flight last term, while also ranking first for shots on target per game (1.8), second for scoring frequency (a goal every 101 minutes) and first for average Sofascore rating (7.92).

These statistics have clearly attracted interest from the Premier League, with Chelsea believing that he could be the player to return them to the top four in the league.

If the Blues get their way, Gyokeres could shine alongside another summer arrival, as they are closing in on a move to sign João Félix from Atlético Madrid.

Chelsea close to signing João Félix

Fabrizio Romano took to X to provide a fresh update concerning Maresca’s interest in the Portuguese gem, saying: "Understand Chelsea and Atlético are getting closer to final agreement for João Félix and Conor Gallagher!

"Positive round of talks today, João says yes to contract terms. Rumours on €60m fixed fee for Félix are not true.

"All parties working to get it done this weekend."

If all goes to plan, it looks as though the tenth summer signing could be arriving in the next couple of days. If Maresca gets his way, Gyokeres could yet be his eleventh.

Viktor Gyokeres could shine alongside João Félix

Felix enjoyed a moderately successful spell on loan at Barcelona last term, registering 16 goal contributions – ten goals and six assists – across 44 games in all competitions, but it wasn’t enough to lead the club to a major trophy.

When compared to his positional peers in La Liga last season, Felix ranked in the top 4% for touches in the opposition penalty area (6.08) and in the top 13% for carries into the final third per 90 (3.1).

He regularly bursts into dangerous areas, which could see him link up well with whoever is in front of him for Chelsea this season.

Felix also created six big chances for the Catalan side in the Spanish top flight last term, along with averaging 0.6 key passes per game. If he was deployed in his favoured No 10 role, perhaps these numbers would have been slightly higher.

Nevertheless, his talents could allow Gyokeres the chance to shine, especially with the sheer volume of opportunities Felix is capable of presenting to him.

When compared to his own peers playing at a similar level, Gyokeres ranked in the top 1% for successful take-ons, touches in the opposition box and progressive carries per 90, while even ranking in the top 3% for shot-creating actions and in the top 2% for assists per 90.

This suggests that the Swedish striker loves creating opportunities for others to score, which could prove vital should he join the club, allowing him to thrive in front of the Portuguese talent.

Much will depend on how many players Maresca can get off the books between now and the end of the month in order to fund moves for both Felix and Gyokeres, but the pair would surely be excellent in the Premier League.

If the duo can connect, Chelsea could be a team to watch throughout the 2024/25 campaign.

David Moyes' deadpan response to an accidental Conference League jibe from Mark Chapman left the MoTD2 presenter & Alan Shearer in stitches.

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Chapman was discussing Chelsea's UECL campaignTended to belittle Europe's third-tier competitionMoyes hit back promptly at the presenterFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Moyes led West Ham to their historic UEFA Europa Conference League victory in the 2022-23 season which was their first major achievement since the 1980 FA Cup triumph. However, many have often downplayed the significance of the Conference League, and an offhand comment by Chapman on Sunday night reignited the debate.

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While discussing Chelsea’s current form and their Premier League title aspirations, Chapman casually dismissed the importance of the Conference League. Referring to Chelsea’s participation, he suggested that the club might consider the competition as secondary, allowing them to field a reserve team. Chapman’s implication that the Conference League might be beneath a club like Chelsea immediately prompted a reaction from Moyes, whose team proudly lifted the same trophy less than two seasons ago.

WHAT MOYES SAID

Moyes, visibly irked by the comment, didn’t let it slide. He looked directly at Chapman and fired back with a pointed question: “What’s up with the Conference League?” His tone, laced with irritation, immediately turned the moment into a viral highlight.

Chapman, caught off guard, nervously laughed and tried to defuse the situation by responding, “Nothing, nothing,” while extending a hand of apology. Moyes, however, left him hanging, offering only a sarcastic chuckle and a disapproving glance. His reaction drew laughs from Alan Shearer, who added to the humour by prompting Chapman: “Go on, what were you going to say? That was a bit awkward.”

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR WEST HAM?

West Ham have struggled for consistency in the current Premier League campaign, with their latest setback being a heavy 5-2 defeat to Arsenal. The Hammers currently sit 14th in the standings, far from the European heights they achieved under Moyes’ guidance. The Hammers will aim to bounce back when they face Leicester City on Tuesday evening.

England fast bowler bowls 11 overs without luck, as he tests his elbow after injury issues

Andrew Miller05-May-2021Jofra Archer produced a cautious but increasingly rhythmic day’s work on his return to bowling after his recent injury issues, as Surrey’s reserves resisted his advances on a rain-affected second day of their 2nd XI County Championship clash with Sussex at Hove.By the close, Surrey had eased along to 215 for 3 in reply to Sussex’s 487, with Ryan Patel’s unbeaten 94 providing the backbone of their innings. Patel added 115 for the third wicket with Laurie Evans, who made 46, and a further unbeaten stand of 53 with Nico Reifer (32), and has a chance to press on to his hundred on day three after being dropped at slip in the penultimate over.As for Archer, he returned figures of 0 for 32 in 11 overs, spread across two spells of six and five overs respectively, as he shelved any quest for pyrotechnics and set about road-testing his troublesome right elbow, with the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s now just under a month away.His introduction came in a 25-minute burst with the new ball before lunch, after Surrey’s spinner Dan Moriarty had picked off Sussex’s last three wickets for the hard-earned figures of 4 for 122 in 38.3 overs.The home side’s mainstay was the 19-year-old Oliver Carter, who was last man out for a fine 160 – the first score of note of his professional career, and one which showcased an unflappable temperament and an excellent straight-lined technique, as he added a further 50 runs to his overnight 110.When his turn finally came, Archer might have picked up a wicket straightaway, as Surrey’s 19-year-old opener Ben Geddes – perhaps a little daunted by the reputation steaming in towards him – flinched his first ball airily off the pads and into a gap on the leg side. But he was more confidently forward for the remainder of an exploratory over, before picking off a brace of boundaries as Archer twice overpitched to ease along to 9 not out at the break.Jofra Archer continued his comeback from injury•Getty ImagesIt was left to Will Sheffield, Sussex’s young left-arm seamer, to upstage his senior partner in the wickets column, although he won’t be encouraging too many of his friends and family to seek out his efforts on the ECB live stream. His first ball after lunch was a pie to end all pies – a hip-high full toss, swinging invitingly down the leg side, but Geddes – with his guard down – could only look on in horror as he clipped the offering straight into the pocket of square leg.Sheffield’s second was an improvement but hardly a jaffa – an inviting outswinging half-volley that Will Jacks cuffed on the up to short cover. At which point Archer, commandeering a plumb position at first slip in his “Sharks” woolly hat, must have assumed it was not to be his day.Sure enough, Archer’s fortunes in his eighth over – the second of his new spell, after a 90-minute rain delay – rather summed things up. His first delivery, short and sitting up outside off, was clattered through mid-on by Patel to bring up the fifty stand. Two balls later, with Patel on 42, third slip couldn’t cling on to his right as Archer jammed the splice with one of his sharpest deliveries of the day.And before the over was out, he’d given away five penalty runs too, as the keeper allowed himself to be nutmegged by a length ball outside off, which then rolled into short leg’s helmet, perched behind him.And that was broadly the end of that as far as Archer’s day was concerned. Joe Pocklington entered the attack with his left-arm spin, as did Luke Benkenstein – son of Durham’s Championship-winning captain Dale – whom Reifer launched over deep midwicket shortly before Patel’s late let-off. There will be stiffer tests ahead for Archer, but at least he’s back on the park.

Blackburn Rovers are in "advanced talks" to complete the signing of a "fantastic" Premier League player on loan, and a deal is expected to be completed after a breakthrough this week.

Blackburn impress in Championship early on

John Eustace's side have made a flying start to their 2024/25 Championship season, picking up seven points from their opening three matches. Rovers opened their account with a 4-2 win at home to Derby County, generating plenty of early-season excitement among the fans, before drawing 2-2 at Norwich City and winning 2-1 at home to Oxford United last Saturday.

They also thumped Stockport County 6-1 away in the EFL Cup first round, so things appear to be going smoothly with Eustace at the helm.

Losing star striker Sammie Szmodics to Ipswich Town was an undoubted blow for the Championship outfit, however, and further business is required to replace him in the coming days, prior to the summer window closing.

It looks as though Blackburn's attention could be on the addition of a new defender currently, however, following a fresh transfer update that has emerged.

Blackburn set to sign "fantastic" youngster on loan

According to journalist Elliott Jackson on X, Blackburn are in advanced talks to sign Liverpool left-back Owen Beck on loan this summer. James Pearce, a Liverpool reporter for The Athletic, has followed that up with more good news for Rovers fans, with a breakthrough now made as Beck is now "set to complete" a one-year move to Ewood Park.

Beck is an exciting young talent who could represent a brilliant addition to Eustace's squad in the current campaign, boosting their hopes of sealing a long-awaited return to the Premier League in the process.

The 22-year-old is a highly-rated figure at Liverpool, with coach Barry Lewtas lauding his ability back in 2022, saying: "I thought Owen was fantastic. The progress he has made over his time at the Academy, but certainly the last couple of years, is a credit to him with the work he puts in [and] how coachable he is because he listens and takes on board the information we give him."

Such is Beck's ability, it is possible that he could even be viewed as a long-term successor to Andy Robertson at left-back at Liverpool, especially if Arne Slot promotes youth in the same way Jurgen Klopp, with the German allowing the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott to become key first-team players.

A year on loan at Blackburn has the potential to be ideal for all parties in the same way it was for Elliott, giving the Welshman an opportunity to pick up regular minutes in arguably one of the most competitive and challenging leagues in the world, prior to him returning to Anfield as a more mature player, having made three senior appearances for the Merseysiders to date.

Championship Table: Latest standings for the 2024/25 season

Latest English Football League Championship standings 2024/25.

ByStephan Georgiou Apr 22, 2025

Rovers may even hope that there is a possibility of signing him permanently next summer, however, should the Reds make him surplus to requirements, and if he shines at Ewood Park.

Ruben Amorim equalled Sir Alex Ferguson and Matt Busby's record with Manchester United's win over Viktoria Plzen in Europa League.

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Amorim entered Man Utd record booksEqually Ferguson and Busby's recordMan Utd beat Viktoria Plzen 2-1Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

United came back quickly after Andre Onana gifted Viktoria Plzen the opener as Rasmus Hojlund's brace helped them pick all three points in the Europa League on Thursday. This was the club's second consecutive win in the Europa League since Amorim took charge at Old Trafford and it put the Portuguese coach in the same bracket as legendary Red Devils bosses Ferguson and Busby, who both won their first two European games in charge.

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It was a much-needed win for the English giants who headed into the game on the back of consecutive losses against Arsenal and Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. In the Amorim era, United have now won and lost two matches each and drawn once.

DID YOU KNOW?

The win over the Czech club has also helped the English giants to club up to the seventh position in the Europa League table. They are now well-poised to qualify for the round of 16 stage of the competition.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

Amorim's side will be next seen in action against a struggling Manchester City side in the Premier League on Sunday before they meet Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup round of 16 tie on December 19.

Tax exemptions from government and Covid-19 pandemic are key factors

Nagraj Gollapudi29-May-2021The BCCI will ask the ICC to defer the decision on where the 2021 men’s T20 World Cup will be played this October-November. Board president Sourav Ganguly informed the members at a virtual special general meeting (SGM) on Saturday that the BCCI will ask the ICC for another month and utilise this time to gauge various factors that could determine if India will be fit to hold the marquee event.Ganguly is expected to place this request formally at the ICC Board meeting on June 1. In a media release after the SGM, the BCCI said the members – state associations – had “authorised” the board’s office bearers to write to the ICC to seek an “extension” to take an “appropriate call” on hosting the T20 World Cup.Why does the BCCI want more time?
There are two reasons. The Covid-19 pandemic has added another layer of complexity to an already knotted issue of tax exemption that the ICC wants the BCCI to sort with the Indian government. The ICC wants a complete tax waiver for it to maximise on the profits derived from running a global tournament.At the SGM, the members were informed that the BCCI would end up paying the Indian government close to 46% of the estimated total revenue for hosting the T20 World Cup. That amount, an official who attended the meeting, said was close to INR 900 crore (US $125 million approximately).The tax exemption has been ICC’s longstanding request to the BCCI, who were named hosts for two world tournaments in the current commercial cycle: the men’s T20 World Cup (October-November 2021) and the men’s ODI World Cup slated for October 2023.There is a precedent for ICC’s concern: having failed to procure the tax exemption from the government in the 2016 T20 World Cup, the global body withheld close to US$20-30 million from the BCCI’s share of the central revenue pool. Last year, the ICC even threatened to withdraw the BCCI’s hosting rights for the T20 World Cup if the Indian government didn’t offer a tax waiver.Last December, during another meeting, the BCCI told the state associations that the board was looking at finding a middle ground and could end up paying anywhere around INR 200-900 crore as tax to the Indian government for hosting the World Cup. The members had then said that despite a hefty amount involved, the BCCI should pay, if necessary, but host the tournament.Members have been informed the board’s talks with the Indian government have been encouraging, with a solution likely to be found.The BCCI plans to conduct the remainder of IPL in UAE. Will the T20 World Cup follow?•Sharjah CricketThe second significant challenge for the BCCI is to see whether all 16 participating teams of the T20 World Cup would want to travel to India during the pandemic. The second wave of the pandemic has brought the country to a near standstill, with several states in the midst of consecutive lockdowns. The governments of several countries have red-listed travellers from India, in some cases even their own citizens, like Australia did.In April, just before the IPL started, the BCCI had proposed nine venues to the ICC: Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai, Lucknow, Dharamsala, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad, which was also marked to host the final on November 14.However, the ICC had to cancel a routine inspection in April after India was put on the red list by the UAE, where the global cricket body’s headquarters are based.Internally, the BCCI has acknowledged the concerns players and their respective countries will have about travelling to India. These include: a probable third wave coupled with the challenge of creating a tournament bubble across multiple venues, which would entail a lot of travel.As a fall-back option, the BCCI has decided the UAE would be the cover. On Saturday, the BCCI top brass told the members that the board would still retain the hosting rights even if the tournament was hosted in the UAE.How long can the ICC wait?
After the ICC Board’s June 1 meeting, the global body’s annual conference is scheduled from July 18. Usually the ICC sets up a local organising committee comprising its own officials as well as those from the host board at least a year before the event.One significant concern for the ICC will be procuring the clearances from the governments including the host country for the 16 teams to arrive in time for the tournament. That would also include the necessary quarantine period as well as putting together biosecure bubbles. That travel is one key area where teams can get exposed was identified as an area of concern by the BCCI once the IPL had been postponed at the mid-way stage.

One club are ready to pay their £150 million star marquee wages to stop him potentially joining Arsenal, with the player said to be high on sporting director Edu Gaspar's agenda for 2025.

Arsenal miss out on striker signing despite summer reports

The Gunners were repeatedly linked with signing a new striker over the summer transfer window, but Mikel Arteta and co ultimately decided not to bring one through the door, instead favouring Kai Havertz in his makeshift forward role.

How many games Odegaard could now miss for Arsenal after ankle injury news

The Norwegian may be absent for a long while.

ByEmilio Galantini Sep 11, 2024

Arsenal did briefly consider signing Ivan Toney from Brentford, before the Englishman sealed a lucrative £330,000-per-week move to Saudi Arabia with Al-Ahli, but Arteta didn't go through with the move due to concerns surrounding his potential chemistry with the squad.

Tottenham (away)

September 15

Man City (away)

September 22

Leicester City (home)

September 28

Southampton (home)

October 5

Bournemouth (away)

October 19

RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko also received an offer to join Arsenal early in the summer window, with Man United and Chelsea also making proposals for the 21-year-old, who ultimately decided to sign a new contract and remain with his current club.

There are suggestions that Arsenal could go back in for Sesko next summer, but for now the Slovenia international will remain in the Bundesliga. There were also links to Newcastle United star Alexander Isak, which would've been quite a coup from Edu's perspective.

The Sweden international, who scored 25 goals in all competitions under Eddie Howe last term, has plenty of admirers at the Emirates Stadium. Isak is even said by some to be Arteta's dream signing, but he won't be an easy capture by any means.

Arsenal insider teamnewsandtix expects the club to make a push for Isak next year regardless, despite some claims he could cost as much as £150 million.

Newcastle ready to pay Isak marquee salary to stop him joining Arsenal

With Arsenal still eyeing a move for Isak next year, The Boot Room and journalist Graeme Bailey write that the Magpies are working hard to tie him down.

According to their information, Newcastle are ready to make Isak the club's joint-highest earner to ward off suitors like Arsenal, which would equal Bruno Guimaraes' salary of around £160,000-per-week.

Howe's side are apparently anxious to agree terms, and it's pretty easy to see why.

"His runs are superb. If you just watch how clever he is when he doesn't get the first pass played in, he then goes behind a defender to come back in and bend his run to make sure that he is onside, then he can make a really clever finish," said Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer last season.

"He can also come deep and drop deep, so he is asking different questions of the defenders by saying: 'Are you going to come with me or are you going to drop off?' If you drop off, he has got the ability to hurt you there.

"He is just a constant threat all the time. His finishing is excellent and his penalty taking is as good as they come. He is confident and cool and believes in everything he is doing.

"We know that once he gets away over the top, he is going to cause you an absolute nightmare. His ability to link up and his understanding [is brilliant]."

Gloucestershire in total control at Cheltenham after England call for unlikely pair

Paul Edwards06-Jul-2021
With the charming eccentricity that is entirely characteristic of county cricket, the College Ground boasts a number of signposts, none of which are much use. Instead of telling spectators the distances to splendid nearby villages like North Cerney or Elkstone, they inform them how far it is to the six traditional Test grounds. Mileages are also indicated for more distant destinations: Motera (India), 4329, for example, and even Cheltonians might consider the latter a little ambitious for a half-holiday jaunt. But in the school attended by Edward Wilson, one of Scott’s men, the simple mention of such locations is probably thought an inspiration. The omission of Cardiff from the list, however, appeared an unfortunate oversight on the second morning of this game, when both John Simpson and David Payne received utterly unexpected calls to the England squad that will play Pakistan at Sophia Gardens on Thursday.Meanwhile the two teams contesting the match followed the advice of Winston Churchill and kept buggering on. Such slightly coarse language may seem inappropriate in these classical surroundings – Churchill himself used “plodding” when ladies were present – but it is nevertheless fair enough when applied to a game thrown into slight disarray by the isolation of the national team. Dominic Goodman replaced Payne in Gloucestershire’s side and James Bracey assumed the captaincy. Middlesex’s Robbie White took over the gloves from Simpson, whose overdue call-up was greeted with particular pleasure from those who suspected this very fine cricketer’s chance had gone.In truth Simpson’s colleagues missed his batting rather more than his keeping. For if we may civilise Churchillian phraseology, Gloucestershire’s cricketers went about their business with far greater resolution than their opponents, gaining a first-innings lead of 147 and then extending that to 345 by the close. It is a quintessentially match-winning position and one that has been achieved without the skipper, Chris Dent, who has a broken finger, and Ryan Higgins, whose wife gave birth at 4.48am – how can they be so precise? – on Monday morning.This day’s play – quite possibly the whole game – hinged on the 10.3 overs that bridged the luncheon interval. At the beginning of that period Middlesex were 76 for 2 having lost the debutant Josh de Caires, who was leg before to Matt Taylor in the fourth over of the day, and Stevie Eskinazi, whose authentic leg glance off Goodman was athletically caught by a diving Bracey. The only other noteworthy incident early in the day saw Gloucestershire penalised five runs after Dan Worrall had hurled the ball back at Eskinazi and appeared to hit the batter on the back.An hour later even more painful injuries followed for Middlesex who lost their last eight wickets for 25 runs with the final seven batsmen falling either leg before wicket or caught in the keeper-and-slip cordon. Gloucestershire’s bowling was excellent. Having failed to remove Eskinazi by a method that would have earned him an appointment with his Housemaster in this school’s distant past, Worrall returned at the College Lawn End and employed more conventional methods to dismiss both Robson, who was bowled between bat and pad, and Daryl Mitchell, whose maiden first-class innings for Middlesex lasted one ball. The New Zealander clearly thought he was too far down the wicket to be give leg before but replays indicated otherwise and Graham Lloyd’s finger, which had earlier been wagged in Worrall’s direction, now brought the bowler joy illimited. White, who a few hours earlier may have been looking forward to a gentle day of squeezing sanitiser bottles, prevented the hat-trick.Related

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Harry Brook hundred, Dom Bess bite see Yorkshire clear in race for Division One

Surrey rolled for 72 then falter in follow-on as Keith Barker claims key scalps

Yet that was as far as Middlesex’s resistance extended. On the resumption the visitors folded up their tents and disappeared like the bedouin in the night. Faced with confident seam bowling on a typical Cheltenham pitch that rewards excellence but offers no exculpation for carelessness, six Middlesex batsmen were sent packing in less than half an hour. Peter Handscomb received a fine ball from Taylor and nicked it to Bracey; Martin Andersson attempted the careless drive typical of a man desperate to find form. The non-specialist batsmen were swept away by Taylor and Tom Price, the latter taking his second, third and fourth first-class wickets in 17 balls. Middlesex have now been bowled out for less than 175 in eight of their 15 completed first-class innings this summer.Gloucestershire’s cricketers, by contrast, for all that they lost their last two Championship matches by an innings, are enjoying themselves hugely this season and cricket is so revelatory of character that their pleasure is evident in almost all they do. Miles Hammond’s 46 included a lovely pick up over square leg off Ethan Bamber and an equally fine cover drive in the next over. George Scott, Tom Lace and Glenn Phillips were all dismissed for single figures but those reverses were more than countered by the batting of Bracey, whose 88 included four fours in one Mitchell over, and Jack Taylor who clearly had licence to pillage and made 40 off 29 balls before he edged Mitchell to White. The New Zealander celebrated that wicket with the enthusiasm of a man putting his bins out but rather more joy attended the dismissal of Bracey, who was caught at point by Eskinazi eight balls before poor light ended the day’s play.Neither of those last two wickets affected the price of fish very much. The two sessions that comprised Gloucestershire’s second innings were watched with quiet satisfaction by paying spectators and members, most of whom were sitting at the Chapel End. For their part the Middlesex players might enquire whether Henry Prothero’s most famous piece of architecture is open to the public. One fears their chances in this match have entered the Land of Lazarus.

Ruben Amorim says Harry Maguire is an "example" to follow and hinted he could take the Manchester United captaincy in Bruno Fernandes' absence.

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Bruno suspended after Wolves dismissalAmorim defenders Man Utd's MaguireHints he could take over captaincyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Bruno has been United's captain for the past year or so but he will not be available against Newcastle United next week after being sent off at Wolves last time out. Despite many criticising the performances of defender Maguire, head coach Amorim has defended the 31-year-old and may have suggested the England man could skipper the team in their upcoming fixture.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT RUBEN AMORIM SAID

He told reporters: "You will have to wait and see about the captain. He's working really well. He's focused on the job, not what people say. He has no excuses – even if he's had some tough moments. In that respect, he's an example. He's there to play to help the team and he's trying to do that."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Amorim has heaped praise on Maguire since he took over at United in November and even described him as "perfect" in a back three. But he will need the ex-Leicester City man to be at his very best as the Red Devils, who are 14th in the Premier League, try to arrest a run of form that includes just one win in five games.

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AFPWHAT NEXT?

United round off their 2024, which has been eventful to say the least, at home to in-form Newcastle at Old Trafford on Monday night.