Former Sri Lanka Under-19 cricketer Akshu Fernando has died on December 30, after having been in a coma for several years.Fernando had been crossing an unprotected railway track in the southern Colombo suburb of Mount Lavinia following a training session on the beach, when he was struck by a train on December 28, 2018. Having been critically injured in the accident, he had been on life support for much of the time since.A bright right-handed batter, Fernando’s domestic career seemed to just be taking off when he was hit by the train at age 27. He had scored his maiden first-class hundred for Ragama Cricket Club in the weeks before the accident, and had also been developing his offspin at the time. All told, he had seven 50-plus scores at the senior level. In a nine-year domestic career, he had played for Colts Cricket Club, Panadura Sports Club, and Chilaw Marians Sports Club, among others.International commentator and one of Ragama Cricket Club’s most senior administrators Roshan Abeysinghe paid tribute to Fernando following the news of his death.”He was truly a wonderful young man whose promising career was cut short by a cruel accident,” Abeysinghe said. “A quality player for his school and his final club Ragama, it’s a sad day for all of us who knew him. A cheerful, friendly and thorough gentleman was he. We will miss you Akshu and remember you for the rest of our life. Rest in peace sweet prince.”
The mind games ahead of Euro 2012 have already started with former France boss Raymond Domenech claiming that England will be easily dispatched in the group stage as Roy Hodgson’s team lack any real quality to hurt them. England certainly has all the motivation they ever needed against the French and Hodgson should perhaps keep record of these comments and present them in his pre-match team talk on June 11th.
Elsewhere in the news talk of Sir Alex Ferguson stepping down has been dismissed; Beckenbauer believes that penalty shoot-outs should remain, while Jose Mourinho has hinted at a return to England in the near future.
Headlines
Roy Hodgson was delighted with England’s performance in Oslo and singled out Andy Carroll and Rob Green for special praise – Sky Sports
Franz Beckenbauer has thrown his weight behind penalty shoot-outs, in light of Sepp Blatter calls to seek an alternative – Guardian
Gareth Barry is a doubt for Euro 2012 after limping off in yesterday’s friendly with a groin injury – Guardian
Bacaray Sagna is confident that Robin van Persie will stay at Arsenal and has also called on Wenger to sign Yann M’Villa – Sky Sports
Sir Alex Ferguson will not be stepping down as manager of Manchester United any time soon, despite claims from Dave Whelan – Daily Telegraph
FSG have made an approach to Louis van Gaal to become Liverpool’s new Sporting Director – Daily Telegraph
Spurs have had a £14m bid for Internacional striker Leandro Damiao rejected, as Redknapp looks to strengthen his attack – Metro
Jose Mourinho has hinted at a return to England in the near future as he believes it provides the privacy he wants for his family – Independent
Mike Dean revealed that Carlos Tevez would have been showed a straight red card in the incident prior to Joey Barton’s sending off, had he seen it – Daily Mail
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Eddie Newton reveals that he and Roberto Di Matteo are none the wiser about their Chelsea futures – Daily Mail
Les Ferdinand believes that Tottenham have another summer fight on their hands to retain the services of their best players, having missed out on Champions League football – Sun
The returning Abdoulaye Doucoure will address significant weaknesses in Frank Lampard’s Everton team.
That’s according to BBC radio pundit Noel Whelan, who was speaking to Football Insider.
The lowdown
Doucoure has missed each of Frank Lampard’s first four games in charge with a groin injury. Everton have won two of those – beating Brentford in the FA Cup and Leeds United in the Premier League – but they have also suffered two-goal defeats to Newcastle United and Southampton.
The Frenchman, who has been virtually ever-present when fit, is now closing in on a return to action. Lampard revealed prior to last weekend’s trip to St Mary’s that the club had reintegrated the 29-year-old into training, adding that he hoped to see ‘strong progression’ at Finch Farm ahead of the clash with reigning champions Manchester City on Saturday evening, for which the midfielder could be fit.
The latest
Whelan thinks that Doucoure’s physicality, as well as abilities in and out of possession, will greatly strengthen Everton midfield ahead of the visit of Pep Guardiola’s side, saying that the Frenchman’s return is a ‘welcome’ boost for Lampard in the wake of the defeat at St Mary’s.
The 47-year-old told Football Insider: “I think you need his presence in there. He brings real energy in that midfield and I think he will tick all the boxes for Lampard.
“He can break up the play, drive with the ball, as well as bring that real height and power they desperately need. We’ve seen him given that freedom to get into the box and cause problems as well this season.
“Every option will be a welcome one for Lampard right now. Doucoure’s return will be a brilliant boost for him.”
The verdict
Everton’s injury list isn’t looking pretty at the moment. They are without two senior centre-backs in Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina, in addition to central midfield duo Tom Davies and Fabian Delph, and winger Demarai Gray.
However, at last there seems to be positive news on that front for Lampard, with Doucoure potentially slotting into midfield alongside new signing Donny van de Beek against Man City after Allan and Andre Gomes came under fire for their displays last weekend.
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Allan looked like an ‘imposter’, in the words of BBC’s Dave Downie, and tellingly, The Athletic’s Greg O’Keeffe said in light of Gomes’ performance that ‘Doucoure’s return can’t come quickly come enough’.
With the Frenchman being Everton’s third-best player this season according to WhoScored metrics, it’s hard not to feel that he has indeed been sorely missed in recent weeks.
In other news, Dean Jones names three players Lampard may want to sign for Everton
Indeed, Bentancur had started every single Premier League game since his arrival before sustaining a nasty-looking ankle injury mid-way through Tottenham’s disappointing loss to Burnley last week.
The South American subsequently missed Spurs’ 4-0 win away to Leeds and 1-0 FA Cup defeat at the hands of Middlesbrough, with Conte fairly optimistic he can make Everton on Monday.
The Latest: Dinnery hints at big Bentancur boost…
Hinting at a major boost, Dinnery backs that his return is certainly more than likely and may well re-join the group for training this weekend.
“Spurs don’t play until Monday, so that gives them plenty of time to get him up and running,” he explained to FI.
“That would tally up with what we’ve heard from Antonio Conte about Rodrigo Bentancur and that little bit of an ankle problem.
“He may rejoin the group in training over the weekend, which would put him in contention for that Monday game.”
The Verdict: Get him back in…
After midfielder Harry Winks arguably suffered an afternoon to forget against Boro in mid-week, news of Bentancur’s likely return to the fold could be music to the ears of Spurs fans.
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The 47-cap Uruguay star has already been praised for some of his performances since arriving in north London and arguably offers a real presence in Conte’s midfield.
Standing at 6 foot 1, Bentancur certainly has the physicality to succeed in Premier League football and his return will inject some strength in front of Spurs’ back four.
In other news: Conte green-lights move for new top target as Spurs hierarchy pressured to seal deal, find out more here.
Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch is already facing a huge nightmare at Elland Road as reports emerge over the futures of star duo Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha…
What’s the story?
The American was appointed quickly after Marcelo Bielsa’s exit from the club, and according to transfer insider, Dean Jones, could be set to lose two of his most important players come the summer.
He said: “Sadly for Leeds fans, the Bielsa exit is not the only one they will be sorrowing this year. From what I’m hearing, the chances of Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha staying beyond this season are slim-to-none.”
Nightmare for Marsch
Make no mistake about it, losing Phillips and/or Raphinha in the summer transfer window would leave Leeds fans worried about where the club goes.
The Whites’ Premier League status is very much in the air given results under Bielsa this season, and Marsch has an almighty task to turn things around before the end of the campaign.
Relegation would almost certainly see the duo depart for pastures new given just how much their stock has risen, while even survival may not guarantee anything.
Dubbed as “star dust” and a “match-winner” by The Athletic’s Leeds correspondent Phil Hay, Raphinha has simply been a revelation since his arrival from Rennes.
This season has seen him score an impressive nine times in 24 Premier League games as well as provide two assists too, including netting against the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea recently too.
Phillips on the other hand has simply been the heartbeat of this Leeds side for a number of years now, and it was only recently admitted by The Athletic’s Phil Hay that while a new contract could well be signed by the midfielder, it wouldn’t stop him from potentially leaving.
He said: “On one hand, a new deal will elevate his salary to the level an England international should be at. On the other, it hikes up his value to the highest possible level and there’s a lot of realism at Elland Road about Phillips’ trajectory. At this rate, it feels like a matter of time before someone bids big for him and in those circumstances, it’s not as simple as the club rejecting an offer.
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“The situation would depend on whether Phillips wants to stay, how much the bid is worth and whether actually, a sale at the right time could work for everyone if the club know how they will reinvest. Leeds don’t want to lose him but they respect him enough not to want to hold him back either. He’s rapidly becoming Champions League material. But expect a new contract to be agreed before long.”
Marsch may only be in the job a matter of days, but he is already facing a massive Leeds nightmare.
Meanwhile, Marsch must unleash this Leeds academy talent…
Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side kept their hopes of securing a domestic treble alive on Monday night, with the Bhoys besting Dundee United 3-0 in the Scottish Cup quarter-final at Tannadice.
In a dominant performance – with the Hoops enjoying 60% possession, having 14 efforts at goal and ensuring the Tangerines failed to hit the target with a single shot – a first-half Callum McGregor strike and a second-half brace from Giorgos Giakoumakis proved to be the difference between the two sides – with the victory setting up a semi-final clash against Rangers at Hampden Park on April 16.
In terms of Celtic’s individual performances, McGregor was arguably the stand-out, with the 28-year-old midfielder picking up the Man of the Match award on the night, however, the second-half cameo of Karamoko Dembele will also have pleased Postecoglou greatly, as the 19-year-old was a real live wire upon his introduction.
“Flashes”
Indeed, being brought on in the 76th minute of the tie, the £225k-rated winger immediately looked as if he would make things happen for Celtic – which he duly did with two minutes of normal time remaining, brilliantly turning Ross Graham with a subtle dummy on the right flank, before driving into the United penalty area and setting up Giakoumakis for the Hoops’ third of the night.
Subsequently, the England U18 international received praise for the impact he made on the fixture, with The Athletic’s Kieran Devlin stating he believed that there were “some nice flashes from Dembele after he came on,” while Lewis Laird claimed that the 19-year-old “looked a threat whenever he got on the ball.”
As such, considering his impressive performance in the cup tie, surely Postecoglou has now been convinced that Dembele is deserving of a new contract at Parkhead, with the teenager’s current deal set to expire at the end of the season.
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Indeed, after showing flashes of his true ability against Dundee United, it would not be surprising to see the youngster kick on over the remainder of the current campaign – something which would undoubtedly come as a huge plus to Celtic.
AND in other news: Sold for peanuts, now worth £8.1m: “Staggering” £23k-p/w dud has left Celtic red-faced
Wolves had a nightmare in their previous Premier League game after fumbling a 2-0 lead against Leeds United at Molineux to then lose 3-2.
As well as this disappointing result, the Old Gold were also struck with an injury blow after midfielder Ruben Neves was forced off the pitch in the first half with a suspected knee issue.
Now that some days have gone by, it seems as though this injury issue is severe enough to force the midfield maestro out of international duty with Portugal for their upcoming games, which, according to Tim Spiers, has led to former Wolves loanee Vitinha replacing Neves in the squad for his first senior call-up.
While this isn’t a good sign, if the 24-year-old, who is reportedly valued at £41m by the club, isn’t able to recover before Wolves’ next league game against Aston Villa next month once the international break ends, this could give one of the Old Gold’s rarely-seen figures the chance to shine.
Opportunity knocks
As a product of the club’s youth academy, 19-year-old midfielder Luke Cundle had his first real taste of Premier League football earlier this season when he played 84 minutes in Wolves’ 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur. That came after making 87 combined appearances for their U18 and U23 sides, scoring eight goals and providing 14 assists along the way.
In that game against the north London club, the youngster showed just how impressive he is on the ball by racking up a passing accuracy of 96% by completing 24 of the 25 passes he attempted. That shows how similar he is to the Portuguese star, who has been praised for his “clever 5-10 yard passes to get Wolves on the front foot” by journalist Alex Richards in the past.
Since then, the teenager, who has been described as having a “magnificent brain” by James Collins, has been an unused substitute in six of Wolves’ seven previous league games, showing that Bruno Lage sees him as a valid squad option for the team despite not playing particularly regularly.
However, if Neves is set for a significant spell on the sidelines as a result of his knee injury, the Old Gold manager should not think twice when it comes to giving Cundle the chance to once again show what he’s capable of.
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If the young prodigy is then able to have a consistent run of games in the league and learn his trade alongside the likes of Joao Moutinho and Leander Dendoncker, he could be seen as a suitable short-term replacement for Neves and perhaps a long-term partner for him in midfield in the future.
In other news: Lage may be heading for fatal Wolves error that could have dire consequences
Everton manager Frank Lampard could be looking to reshape his team for next season if they stay in the Premier League, with midfielders Allan, Jean-Philippe Gbamin and Andre Gomes failing to really justify the combined £66.24m spent on them.
The Brazilian has averaged a disappointing 6.65 match rating this season from Sofascore, while Gomes has averaged an even worse 6.36. Indeed, Gbamin is not even at the club anymore after being sent on loan to Russian side CSKA Moscow.
With none of those three being crucial figures at Goodison Park, Lampard may be looking to replace them with better quality players, and a current France international is the latest midfielder to be linked with a move to Merseyside.
What’s the news?
According to transfer specialist Ignazio Genuardi, who was speaking to French website But Football Club, Everton have made contact in recent months with Juventus ace Adrien Rabiot, who is up for sale after failing to kick on in Turin and establish himself as an important player for the Bianconeri.
With his contract expiring at the end of next season and his valuation just £16.2m according to Transfermarkt, the Frenchman could be available at a bargain price in the summer.
Massive improvement on current options
Despite seemingly not being wanted by his current club, Rabiot has made a total of 47 appearances for club and country this season, remaining a key part of Didier Deschamps’ plans for France and often showcasing his ability in Serie A.
Averaging a 6.95 Sofascore rating in the Italian top flight this season, the 26-year-old has made 25 appearances, with 21 coming from the start, and has contributed two assists amid completing 83% of his passes per game.
Dubbed a “complete” player by former Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo, the former PSG prospect ranks highly. among midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues and continental competitions. As per FBRef, He is in the top 10% for successful pressures per game (7.29), the top 6% for tackles in the defensive third per 90 (1.70) and the top 8% for carries into the penalty area per 90 (0.52).
Rabiot is the definition of a box-to-box midfielder, and although at times he has come under criticism, he has demonstrated for a number of years that he can compete at the top levels of the game – and the statistics suggest that he would immediately improve a lacklustre Everton midfield.
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His passing success rate this term is better than any Toffees midfielder except the on-loan Donny van de Beek, while his match average of 1.4 dribbles per game is second only to Demarai Gray in Lampard’s entire squad.
Those comparisons suggest that the Everton boss desperately needs a player of Rabiot’s quality at Goodison Park in order to add more thrust and ball-playing ability from midfield.
In other news: Moshiri suffered Everton howler over “clinical” 21-goal machine with “pure enthusiasm”
Barcelona are reportedly interested in signing Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah this summer, as speculation regarding his future continues.
The Lowdown: Salah’s future up in the air
Salah has been a sensational player for the Reds since joining from Roma in 2017 – he has scored 153 goals in 239 appearances and you could certainly argue he is the world’s best footballer on current form, with 38 direct goal involvements from 36 matches in all competitions this term.
Unfortunately, Liverpool and the player’s representatives are yet to agree a new deal for the 29-year-old, with his current contract expiring in the summer of 2023.
Salah’s future continues to dominate the headlines and a fresh transfer rumour has now emerged.
The Latest: Barca keen on move
According to Sport [via Sport Witness], Salah’s name is ‘on the table’ at Barca, as they look to pull off a stunning move at the end of the season.
Their interest in the Egyptian has ‘grown in recent days’ and they see him as an alternative to Erling Haaland if they fail to sign the Borussia Dortmund striker.
The report claims they are ‘monitoring’ Salah’s contract talks, which are ‘far from reaching an agreement’.
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The Verdict: Such a sticky situation
This feels like a saga that is going to run and run, which is far from ideal, considering Liverpool are battling across four competitions and could do without any distractions.
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In truth, it looks as though Salah is going to move on if a compromise can’t be met, with the Reds willing to up his wages but his agent seemingly still unhappy with the terms offered, even going so far as to drop hints on Twitter during Jurgen Klopp’s press conferences.
It would be devastating for Liverpool to lose their star player, but equally, no individual is bigger than the club and if an agreement doesn’t come to fruition, the Reds will continue to shine without him, hopefully using the funds received to good effect.
In other news, Liverpool are thought to be leading the race to sign one player. Find out who it is here.
Matt Doherty is looking like a man possessed at Tottenham Hotspur under Antonio Conte.
On Sunday afternoon, the north London outfit moved into the Premier League’s top four with an emphatic 5-1 victory over Newcastle United and the Irishman notched his second goal and fourth assist from his last six outings.
It’s been a complete turnaround for the 30-year-old, who has seemingly been on the chopping block until now. A prolonged run in the side has catapulted his name into the Italian’s starting XI on a regular basis recently – even out of position, as with this weekend, he has delivered.
Signed in a £15m deal from Wolves by Jose Mourinho in the summer of 2020, Doherty had struggled to truly make his mark at the club. By February 2021, his future at the Lilywhites was described as ‘uncertain’ by ESPN, who claim that the Portuguese was unconvinced by his progress.
Mourinho could even be heard berating Doherty throughout one encounter against Liverpool. And then under his former Old Gold boss Nuno Santo at the start of this current campaign, he still couldn’t get into the lineup, which is rather damning.
The Athletic believed he was one player that could’ve been sold by Nuno and sporting director Fabio Paratici.
It’s a very good thing they didn’t because he’s now thriving under Conte and the weekend’s impressive win displayed his true qualities, playing in a system that suits him right to a tee.
As per WhoScored, the £10.8m-rated Doherty has now made 11 tackles, six interceptions and seven key passes across his last six outings, proving to be a major influence at either end of the pitch for Spurs.
He was one of a few players to be graded a standout 9/10 by Evening Standard reporter Dan Kilpatrick in his post-match ratings column.
‘Forced out of position to left wing-back, he finished with a goal and an assist to continue his resurgence. Has shown tremendous character to rebuild his Spurs career,’ he wrote.
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Earlier in the year, Doherty was described as “utterly thrilling” by The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke, whilst analyst Statman Dave lauded him as “revitalised”.
Indeed, the £74k-per-week Mourinho flop is a completely different animal now.
AND in other news, Paratici could repeat Pogba masterclass at Spurs with “unbelievable” £36m-rated wizard…