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Michael Ball has offered his thoughts on Everton potentially signing Denis Zakaria from Borussia Monchengladbach.

What’s the talk?

Former Everton defender Michael Ball has urged the Toffees to get a deal over the line for Borussia Monchengladbach defensive midfielder Denis Zakaria this month, with the club reportedly eyeing up a potential swoop for the Switzerland international.

He told Football FanCast:

“He’s 24 and got good experience in the Bundesliga, which is a good league to learn and develop your abilities.“If that’s a deal Everton can get over the line, I’m all for it.” Doucoure upgrade

Marcel Brands and Rafa Benitez must work hard to secure an agreement to sign Zakaria this month as he could be a sublime addition to the squad. He could prove to be a major upgrade on existing midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure, who joined from Watford last summer.

The Swiss international suffered an MCL injury towards the end of the 2019/20 campaign, ending his season short and disrupting the start of the following one. If we compare Doucoure and Zakaria based on the former’s statistics for Everton last term and Zakaria’s pre-injury in 2019/20, there is a clear winner.

As per Squawka, Zakaria made more forward passes at a higher success rate whilst losing the ball fewer times per 90 than the Blues man. He also won more tackles, more ground and aerial duels combined, whilst also making more interceptions, clearances and blocks.

Switching it up and looking at the Gladbach man’s form last season, the result is only slightly better for Doucoure. The Toffees enforcer equaled him on tackles made and interceptions but still fell short in all of the aforementioned categories. This shows that he could prove to be an upgrade on Doucoure defensively and in transition, with his defending and passing stats standing out in this comparison.

Former Gladbach manager Marco Rose hailed him as a complete footballer and said he has more development to come. He told Sky Germany, via Planet Football:

“He is a very complete footballer who still has a lot of development potential.

“He has incredible dynamics, understanding of the game and is not yet at the end of his development.”

The £55k-per-week powerhouse, therefore, has room to grow further and develop his game to the next level. Given that he is four years younger than Doucoure, he could be a major upgrade on the Frenchman as he has already shown that he can perform to a higher level than him in a top European league whilst having four more years of time to improve as a player.

AND in other news, Coleman 2.0: Everton must seal dream swoop for 28 y/o beast, Rafa would love him…

Venkatapathy Raju, the former Indian spinner, has resigned as Orissa coach citing personal reasons

Cricinfo staff12-Dec-2008
Basanth Mohanty and Debasis Mohanty have been Orissa’s stand-out performers this season © Cricinfo Ltd
Venkatapathy Raju, the former Indian spinner, has resigned as Orissa coach citing personal reasons. He had taken the job at the beginning of the season and his decision leaves Orissa without a coach for their final two games of the Ranji Trophy.”There were a few problems at home and it was difficult for me to manage things sitting in Orissa,” he said. “Besides, I am the acting vice-president of the Hyderabad Cricket Association, so to attend the state of affairs I had to leave coaching.” Raju is also a part of the Hyderabad selection committee besides working with 18-year-old left-arm spinner Lalith Mohan.Orissa are currently in sixth place in Group A of the Super League, with only one win in five matches, and their batsmen have only managed one century so far. “They have their main strength in bowling as Debu (Debasis Mohanty) is still very lethal and to back the veteran are the young crop of bowlers like Basanth Mohanty and left-arm fast bowler Preetamjit Das,” he said. “I am sure Orissa will do well with more exposure. They just have to improve on their batting.”Asked whether there was a chance he would return, Raju said he would consider the Orissa Cricket Association’s request to coach its academies next year.

Inter Milan are believed to be ahead of Tottenham United and Leeds United in the chase for Cagliari midfielder Nahitan Nandez [Calciomercato].

The Lowdown: Life under Nuno Espirito Santo

Starting off 2021/22 in strong fashion following consecutive Premier League wins, Spurs boss Nuno Espirito Santo will be exploring all avenues necessary in order challenge for trophies on domestic and European fronts this campaign.

Bolstering the ranks, he has managed to make three additions in the form of Cristian Romero, Pierluigi Gollini and Bryan Gil.

However, one man he could now be set to miss out on is 25-year-old Nandez, according to reports in the Italian media.

The Latest: Inter Milan steal a march on Paratici and co.

It is said that Nandez could join Inter Milan this summer despite the interest from Fabio Paratici and Spurs, providing that the Serie A giants offload one of their own midfielders before the end of the window [Calciomercato].

The Nerazzurri are working to sell Chilean anchor man Arturo Vidal, even after his goal in their 4-0 rout of divisional counterparts Genoa last week [BBC].

Atalanta, Leeds United and Tottenham are all interested in Uruguay international Nandez, but are now expected to lose the race.

The Verdict: Losing out on Nandez would be a bitter blow

In need of some fresh ideas in midfield, this news will come as a bitter blow to the Tottenham Hotspur hierarchy.

Capable of playing centrally or operating in the wide areas, Nandez is an accomplished and versatile footballer who would bring composure and creativity to the Spurs ranks.

In 2020/21, he excelled for his current employers, registering five goal contributions in 34 appearances; two goals and three assists [Transfermarkt].

Encouragingly, the Uruguayan looks to be someone who can rely on his individual quality even when the chips are down, accumulating five man of the match awards across this time period [WhoScored].

Once labelled as ‘a great player’ by football agent Pablo Bentacur, Tottenham should look to jump back ahead of Inter or risk losing out on a very promising talent.

In other news, Tottenham Hotspur have received another transfer blow. Find out why here.

Shaun Tait has looked to his fellow fast bowler Mitchell Johnson for inspiration as he continues his return to international cricket while trying to minimise the stress on his body

Cricinfo staff21-Jan-2009
Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson will be reunited for the remainder of the ODI series © Getty Images
Shaun Tait has looked to his fellow fast bowler Mitchell Johnson for inspiration as he continues his return to international cricket while trying to minimise the stress on his body. Tait walked away from the game last January and this month made his ODI and Twenty20 return for Australia.However, he has battled serious shoulder, elbow and hamstring injuries over the years and his physically demanding action and the effort to maintain his speed is a concern for his longevity. He was rested for Australia’s most recent one-day game, against South Africa in Hobart on Sunday and it continued his off-and-on season.South Australia have this summer taken the unusual step of allowing Tait to nominate which matches he feels capable of playing. Since he suffered hamstring tendonitis in a one-day game seven weeks ago, Tait has been careful not to overload himself.”If I had my way I would like to play every game, but my body is just not able to do that,” Tait told the . “This management I have gone through with the torn hamstring has paid off in the end.”You have to be a bit careful, though. If you have a good relationship with your support staff then you can talk to them, tell them how you feel and you can manage the situation.”Tait will be joined in the remainder of the ODI series by Johnson, who was rested for the opening games. He said Johnson was a good man to look up to, given how he had handled the rigours of international cricket, both physically and mentally.”You sort of got the feeling people were not sure about his ability or if he was up to it,” Tait said. “I think he has answered all those questions with his batting and fielding as well. He is the perfect package. Mitchell has done brilliantly, bowled a lot of overs. He is pretty important to Australia at the moment.”Mitchell is 27 and learning the ropes of international cricket now. I am 25, feel like I have played a lot of cricket and been through a lot, but obviously have a number of years left as well. They say that from 27 to 29 you are at your peak.”

Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge has confirmed Leicester City-bound Ademola Lookman was on Crystal Palace’s list of targets throughout the transfer window.

Lookman looks poised to join Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes on deadline day after the FA Cup holders entered negotiations over a loan move, which would include the option to buy, with RB Leipzig.

Leicester have taken an interest in the 23-year-old after registering four goals and four assists during a season-long loan with Fulham last term.

Although Lookman was unable to help the Cottagers stave off relegation to the Championship, he impressed in spells and it is understood the winger was on Palace’s list of transfer targets.

Patrick Vieira, who was appointed as the Eagles’ new boss in June, has been looking to freshen up his squad with youthful talent and has brought in the likes of Marc Guehi, Michael Olise and Conor Gallagher.

But Bridge has revealed Vieira was keen to welcome Lookman to Selhurst Park.

He told The Transfer Tavern: “Lookman was on their list, like Eddie Nketiah at Arsenal, but I’ve heard he could be off to Leicester now, which is a great move for him.

“He was definitely on their list but there were no bids.”

Australia have retained the Rose Bowl after the fifth and deciding one-day international in Wellington was abandoned due to rain without a ball being bowled

Cricinfo staff12-Feb-2009Match abandoned
ScorecardAustralia have retained the Rose Bowl after the fifth and deciding one-day international in Wellington was abandoned due to rain without a ball being bowled. The teams entered the final game with the series tied at 2-2 but the bad weather meant the trophy was kept by the reigning holders Australia, who last year beat New Zealand 3-2.It was a series with parallels to the ongoing Chappell-Hadlee contest in Australia. The New Zealanders won the first two games before Australia fought back with victories in the third and fourth matches. The men will hope the similarities end there; they play their decider in Brisbane on Friday.Australia have now held the Rose Bowl for nine consecutive series following New Zealand’s most recent win in 1999. The teams now head to Sydney to play a Twenty20 international in a double-header with the men’s sides from the same countries.

Javeria Khan, the offspinner, took a career-best 3 for 20 to help Pakistan Women skittle out Bangladesh women for 109, and win the tri-series opener comprehensively by seven wickets

Cricinfo staff07-Feb-2009
ScorecardPakistan offspinner Javeria Khan took a career-best 3 for 20 to help her team skittle Bangladesh for 109 and win the tri-series opener comprehensively by seven wickets. Opener Nain Abidi scored 65 with 11 fours in the run-chase as Pakistan reached their target with 16 overs to spare.Asked to bat, Bangladesh struggled from the outset as fast bowler Qanita Jalil made early breakthroughs, dismissing opener Ayesha Akhter and Shukhtara in quick succession. The hosts were reduced to 62 for 5, before Lata Mondal – who top-scored with 26 – and Shohely Akhtar took their team past 100 with a 38-run stand. However, Javeria triggered a lower-order collapse, during which Bangladesh lost their last five wickets for nine runs. The home team’s capitulation does not augur well for their campaign for one-day status, and they are likely to face another stiff challenge against Sri Lanka, the third team in the tournament.Pakistan, as a result of the resounding win, have a high net run-rate and five points to their name. The result provides them an ideal start for their preparation for the upcoming World Cup. They take on Sri Lanka Women – who beat West Indies women 3-2 at home recently – at the same venue on Saturday.

Taking to Twitter, journalist Toby Cudworth of 90min has made a West Ham United transfer claim involving Sparta Prague striker Adam Hlozek.

The Lowdown: West Ham in summer striker hunt…

It is no secret that failing to sign a striker comes as possibly the only down side to what ended up being quite a productive transfer window.

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For the majority of the summer, West Ham had just Alphonse Areola on loan from Paris-Saint Germain to show for their efforts, but in the last hurdle, everything changed.

Indeed, manager David Moyes managed to bring in the likes of Kurt Zouma, Alex Kral and Nikola Vlasic very late on – but unfortunately for the Scotsman, his side are still without an alternative to Michail Antonio up front.

The Latest: Cudworth drops Hlozek transfer claim…

Writing on his social media, 90min’s Cudworth explains that West Ham still have their eyes on forward options even after the window’s closure.

One of the options linked with a summer move, exciting young Sparta striker Hlozek, is apparently still very much on GSB’s transfer radar as West Ham continue to scour the Czech Republic.

“WHUFC still very interested in teenage sensation Adam Hlozek, despite not making a move this summer,” explained the reporter.

“I have no doubt agents Soucek, Coufal and now Kral know their mission for current and future Czech international duties.”

The Verdict: Good option?

The teenage sensation, while coming as a very promising talent, can also hold on his own at senior level judging by his goalscoring record last year.

He bagged a quite incredible 15 goals and eight assists in just 19 Fortuna Liga appearances over 2020/2021 and has started this campaign equally well – netting three and assisting another two already (Transfermarkt).

Lauded as ‘extraordinary’ by agent Pavel Paska (Aktualne.cz), Hlozek comes as a very exciting target for West Ham and it will be interesting to see how January pans out.

In other news: ‘Unbelievable’, ‘This is the one’…BBC pundit in awe of what has happened at West Ham, find out more here.

Stuart Clark could be the beneficiary of southern English hospitality in his bid to return to full fitness for the Ashes series

Alex Brown27-Feb-2009
Stuart Clark has few options for match play if he is not picked in Australia’s limited-overs teams before the Ashes © Getty Images
Stuart Clark could be the beneficiary of southern English hospitality in his bid to return to full fitness for the Ashes series. Clark, who is recovering from an elbow injury, is understood to be considering a county stint, with Kent or Hampshire looming as the most likely destination.Clark made a premature comeback in a desperate 11th-hour bid to earn selection for Australia’s tour to South Africa, but now finds himself with few competitive options ahead of the Ashes. He was overlooked in the Indian Premier League draft, and is no certainty to make the one-day and Twenty20 squads for the away series against Pakistan and the Twenty20 World Cup in England. Clark has also been ruled out of New South Wales’ final Sheffield Shield match on the orders of Cricket Australia’s medical staff.Paul Millman, the Kent chief executive, confirmed he had held discussions with Clark, and said he would have no qualms signing an Australian player in an Ashes year. “I went through all that with Steve Waugh [in 2002], and I can honestly say that getting him over was one of the best things that has happened to Kent cricket,” Millman said.”He brought so much to our team, and our players learned a lot from him. I don’t think that, in the grand scheme of things, having an Australian over for a month or two is going to have a huge impact on the result of the Ashes.”A spell at Kent would provide Clark with the intriguing prospect of playing under the coach Graham Ford. Ford is considered among the front-runners to assume the England coaching post ahead of the Ashes.Any move to Hampshire would be contingent on the county parting ways with the Australian Marcus North, who made his Test debut on Thursday. North signed with Hampshire in January, but could become a regular fixture in Ricky Ponting’s side.

Despite a strong end to the month of August with a 2-0 win over Crewe Alexandra, it was a dreadful opening few weeks of the season for Charlton.

The Addicks sit in the bottom half of the table after managing just four points from their first five League One games of the 2021/22 campaign.

Nigel Adkins’ side were held to a 0-0 draw by Sheffield Wednesday on the opening day but failed to build on that point and clean sheet as they then lost their next three matches to Oxford, MK Dons and Wigan.

Whilst many players underperformed, one in particular endured a disastrous August – Adam Matthews.

The former Sunderland defender averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.72, which places him 12th overall in the Charlton squad, despite him playing every single minute of League One action in August. This means that he did not break into Charlton’s best 11 players last month even though he played all five games, suggesting that he was one of the most consistently disappointing performers.

As per SofaScore, Matthews gave away possession a whopping 52 times in five games (10.4 times per match) for the Addicks. This shows that he was not a reliable outlet for Adkins’ side down the right as he constantly gifted the ball back to the opposition with his sloppy play.

He did not make up for his poor play on the ball with his defensive work, either. As per SofaScore, Matthews only won 13 duels in five games, winning 58% of his ground duels and 40% of his aerial battles. Whilst winning the majority of his contests on the ground is a positive for Matthews, the fact that he only won 2.2 per game suggests that he was not getting involved enough defensively.

The experienced defender only made a combined one tackle and interception per game in League One, failing to win possession back for his team in any match. This could suggest that he was often caught out positionally, as he was not in the right place at the right time to make crucial challenges to prevent goals.

Matthews endured a terrible month in August as he struggled on the ball and defensively while Charlton also faltered as a team. Hopefully the defender, and indeed the rest of the squad, will see more positive results come their way in the upcoming weeks and months of the season.

AND in other news, 17 tackles won: Charlton beast with 175 touches was an unsung hero for Adkins in August…