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Gary Neville singled out Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min for their body language following Tottenham’s 3-1 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday at the Emirates Stadium, even comparing the pair to sulking children.

The Lowdown: Spurs poor in derby

Following 3-0 defeats to Crystal Palace and Chelsea, Nuno Espirito Santo would have been hoping for a response from his Spurs side during the north London derby.

What he got was rather the opposite. The Lilywhites were blown away in the first half by the Gunners, eventually losing 3-1.

The Latest: Neville discusses Son and Kane

Speaking on Sky Sports following the match, Neville discussed the performances of Kane and Son. He said (via Eurosport):

“He (Kane) doesn’t look happy.

“He looks like he’s still carrying over the situation from the summer. He could’ve still had two or three goals today and a penalty. There’s still a contribution, but he’s just not himself.

“Neither is Son (looking happy), I’m not just singling out Kane. Son and Kane look like they’ve had their balloons burst at a party as a kid. That’s what it looks like.

“They’re two big players for Spurs. They have to make the difference when things are going bad.”

The Verdict: Turnaround needed

It would not be outrageous to say that this Tottenham squad relies almost totally on Kane and Son in an attacking sense. While neither player has been at their best so far this season, they have still scored six of Spurs’ 11 goals in all competitions between them (Transfermarkt).

This is far from a squad devoid of talent, but the duo are clearly Nuno’s brightest stars, and the boss’ job is a whole lot harder without them firing.

Kane’s attempts to move from north London during the summer transfer window were well-documented (The Mirror), but he, along with Son, must lead by example if Spurs are to recover from this current slump.

In other news, Espirito Santo reveals this injury blow.

So far this season, Sheffield Wednesday have endured a rather mixed start to their League One campaign, winning four, drawing three and losing three of their opening ten league games with 15 points under their belt.

Their previous league game saw Darren Moore’s side fall to a 2-1 defeat at home to Oxford Uniter after a late injury-time winner snatched all three points for the visitors right at the death.

After that, the Owls were in action again in midweek with a 2-1 victory over League Two side Mansfield Town.

Looking ahead to their next league match against Bolton Wanderers, there’s one Owls player that played in midweek that we feel should be dropped with the weekend showdown – Saido Berahino.

On the chalkboard

Wednesday signed Berahino, who Moore described as having “a wonderful knowledge and understanding of the game,” on a permanent deal from Belgian club Zulte Waregem back in the previous summer transfer window.

Since then, the 28-year-old, who is currently valued at £1.35m according to Transfermarkt, has made just four appearances for the Owls in League One, scoring one goal which came in their 1-1 draw against Shrewsbury Town.

Looking at his performance in midweek against Mansfield, Berahino failed to have a shot at goal either on or off target, made just 11 passes, eight of which were accurate and lost possession on seven occasions before being substituted at halftime, ultimately earning him a rather uninspiring overall match rating of 6.5, making him the Owls’ second-lowest rated player, according to SofaScore.

Taking this into account, it would be in Wednesday’s and Moore’s best interest if Berahino was not included in the starting XI to face Bolton at the weekend.

In terms of who could come in for the former West Brom forward at the weekend, Callum Paterson is one name that could return to the side considering he has two goals and one assist to his name in the league and an overall season rating of 6.77, making him one of Wednesday’s highest-rated players according to WhoScored, which shows just how important he has been for the team.

Either way, Moore will have to make sure whoever he starts up front against Bolton at the weekend will be able to help the side secure all three points to get the closer to the top of the table and in the running for a promotion place.

In other news: Moore must ruthlessly axe 25 y/o Sheff Weds ace for Bolton clash, he struggled vs MTFC – opinion

Sam Northeast, the Kent batsman, marked his Under-19 Test debut with 107 on the opening day of the second Test against Bangladesh at Derby.

Cricinfo staff12-Jul-2009
ScorecardSam Northeast, the Kent batsman, marked his Under-19 Test debut with 107 on the opening day of the second Test against Bangladesh at Derby. David Willey and Ben Stokes also contributed useful runs as England closed on 338 for 7.Northeast’s opener partner Jack Manuel fell early for a duck and England were 57 for 2 when James Vince went for 21. The main partnership was provided by Northeast and Willey as they added 149 for the third wicket. Willey hit two sixes on his 93-ball 65 before falling to Nur Hossain.Northeast went to his hundred from 158 balls but couldn’t build on his work as Bangladesh staged a mini fightback. England, though, were steadied by Stokes, who plays his cricket for Durham, as he batted positively for his 72.Bangladesh stuck to their task in the field and the late wicket of Azeem Rafiq, leg before to Saikat Ali, will give them hope going into the second day as they aim to level the series following their 10-wicket defeat in the opening Test.

Marcus North wants his vital 96 on the final day at Edgbaston to be the innings that kick-starts a run of consistency and eliminates all doubt over his position at No. 6

Peter English04-Aug-2009Marcus North wants his vital 96 on the final day at Edgbaston to be the innings that kick-starts a run of consistency and eliminates all doubt over his position at No. 6. Despite North scoring two centuries in his opening four Tests, there were whispers last week that he could make way for Shane Watson to help the team’s balance, but he was rightly retained and played a key part in the draw that kept Australia in the series.The tourists, who must win the final two games to hold their No. 1 Test rating, travel to Leeds on Tuesday and are desperate to level the contest at 1-1, although they will face more familiar obstacles. Rain is forecast throughout the Test and there are concerns the fourth match could follow the same pattern as the third, which lost almost two days to the weather. The overcast conditions will also encourage the seamers and the Australians have already shown their fragility against the moving ball.They sailed from the safety of 126 for 1 on the opening day in Birmingham to being all-out for 263 after James Anderson and Graham Onions ran through them. “It’s not the first time we’ve faced the swinging ball, it’s just one of those innings,” North said. “We’ll work this week [on it for] the Test at Headingley [on Friday]. It does swing around a bit when it gets overcast there. It’s about us being a bit more disciplined in the way we are batting.”At Edgbaston North was incredibly focussed in the second innings when he and Michael Clarke, who was unbeaten on 103, saved the game during a 183-run stand. England started the day with thoughts of winning but North and Clarke only looked in danger when the result had been determined. North started expanding his game towards the end of the day and was caught athletically by James Anderson in the gully when trying to slice through gully to bring up his century.”I’m very disappointed not to get those four runs, but very satisfied with that partnership with Clarkey,” he said. “To see the day off and walk away with a pretty positive result.”North’s performance continued a pattern in his Test career where he either scores heavily or lightly. After starting with 117 on debut in Johannesburg he followed up with 5, 38 and 0 in his other innings against South Africa before producing 125 not out in Cardiff, 0 and 6 at Lord’s and 12 and 96 at Edgbaston. During his domestic career he has also experienced similar variations and when Tom Moody returned from Sri Lanka to coach Western Australia he had a long discussion with North over his sometimes casual attitude.”Give me a chance, it’s only my fifth Test,” North said. “Hopefully I can change that around in the next couple of Tests and get a bit more consistent. It’s something I’m always trying to work on, making sure there’s always some middle ground there. It’s consistency, but I’m pretty pleased with the way I’ve started Test cricket.”North was also happy with the character shown by the team in securing the draw and wants to take the momentum gained from a strong finish into the match into Leeds. “I have no doubt England went out there believing they could win that game,” he said. “We were four down with a lead of 200 and building, we played some very good cricket in this Test. Yesterday, hopefully, was a pretty important day of test cricket for the Australian team.”Despite their position, North said the side was very confident of taking the series. “If we play our best cricket we walk away winning Tests against any opponent,” he said. “We take away with us a lot of momentum and character and fight out of this Test, and hopefully that can set us up for the remaining two Tests.”

Leon Balogun should be available for Rangers’ clash with Hearts this weekend, according to The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell on Twitter.

The lowdown

The 33-year-old was forced off with an injury in the second half of Nigeria’s World Cup qualifier against the Central African Republic on Sunday.

Many Gers supporters were left bemoaning the news, fearing that Steven Gerrard would be down to just two fit centre-backs with Filip Helander also sidelined.

What’s more, according to WhoScored, Balogun has been the sixth-strongest performer in the Rangers ranks so far this season, so he would be a big miss if he were unavailable.

The latest

Campbell wrote in a tweet that Balogun is ‘expected to be fit for Hearts after his injury scare on Sunday’.

It’s a top-of-the-table clash in the Premiership this weekend, with Rangers only a point clear of the Edinburgh outfit after eight games.

The verdict

This is not only a boost for the Hearts clash, but also ahead of what is a must-win Europa League fixture against Brondby given that Rangers lost their first two group games in the tournament.

It’s pretty much inevitable that, when each international break rolls around, there will be an injury-induced panic among many supporters.

Still, it will be interesting to see, with Helander out until December, if Rangers are forced to use Calvin Bassey in the centre of defence more frequently.

In other news, these Rangers fans react to another international development. 

So far this season, Southampton have only managed to win one of their opening eight Premier League games, scoring just six goals in the process.

Given their fairly underwhelming goals record so far, it seems as though the club are looking at potentially signing a player in the upcoming January transfer window that could help get their forward line firing again for the rest of the campaign.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by Football Insider that Southampton are interested in signing Angers midfielder Angelo Fulgini in January, who apparently could be available to buy for as little as £12.6m.

The report also claims that fellow Premier League clubs Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion are also interested in signing the Frenchman, which could potentially make it difficult for the Saints to sign him.

Attacking spark

Since joining Angers back in the 2017 summer transfer window, the 25-year-old, who is currently valued at £10.8m according to Transfermarkt, has made a total of 134 appearances for the club in which he has managed to score 20 goals and provide 14 assists along the way.

So far this season, despite predominantly being a midfielder, Fulgini has played in all of Angers’ Ligue 1 games in a range of positions across the midfield and attack, scoring one goal and providing one assist in the process, which could make him a great purchase for Southampton as a versatile and attack-minded midfielder.

His goal came during Angers’ previous league outing in their 2-1 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain.

In addition to this, Fulgini, who has been praised in the past by Angers manager Gerald Baticle for the “quality” he has in him, has also managed to rack up an average of 1.9 shots at goal per game in Ligue 1, showing himself to be a real attacking threat. For context, that tally would place him third in the south-coast side’s ranks with only Adam Armstrong and Moi Elyounoussi producing a higher volume.

Regarding a potential move to Southampton in January, we feel that the Saints should definitely explore the possibility of signing Fulgini to see if he can spark some life into their attack throughout the remainder of the season. If he is able to do that and help keep them out of a potential relegation battle then supporters would understandably be buzzing with his acquisition.

Their start to the campaign has been uninspiring so they certainly need an extra dose of potency in the final third.

In other news: Saints handed huge injury boost ahead of Burnley, Ralph now has a big decision to make – opinion

After hiring the inventor of the doosra coach them, New Zealand have drafted in a teenage bowler, Maurice Holmes, to help them prepare for the Tests against Sri Lanka

Jamie Alter14-Aug-2009After hiring the inventor of the doosra coach them, New Zealand have drafted in a teenage bowler, Maurice Holmes, to help them prepare for the Tests against Sri Lanka.Holmes isn’t a familiar name in international cricket – even the staff at Kent, where he plies his trade, had to double check whether he was on their roster for the current season. He’s played just five games for Kent’s second XI this summer, taking ten wickets at 43.00 with a best of 2 for 47. But he was flown out to Sri Lanka to bowl at Ross Taylor, Jesse Ryder and Daniel Vettori on the strength of his nets bowling during the ICC World Twenty20 in England. Such was his impact that the team management requested his assistance in Sri Lanka. In the words of head coach Andy Moles, Holmes “rocked up and the boys said ‘Bloody hell, this is like Murali'”.That positive feedback from the players convinced Geoff Allott, New Zealand Cricket’s general manager, to have him flown out to Colombo. “He came to us as a nets bowler in England and immediately impressed some of our players, especially Vettori,” Allott told Cricinfo. “He was able to bowl like Muttiah Muralitharan and that stood out immediately. The management expressed interesting in Holmes and after following up we made it possible for him to fly out to Sri Lanka.”Holmes spent a couple of days in Colombo bowling at the nets and working with Saqlain Mushtaq, the former Pakistan offspinner – widely credited as the inventor of the doosra, with 496 victims in both Test and ODI versions – hired as spin consultant for the tour.”It wasn’t the first time I had bowled to players of international standard so I knew what to expect in that regard, although I hadn’t experienced the conditions before and it was a good challenge adapting to bowl in the subcontinent,” Holmes said.Holmes, on a gap year between secondary school and college, said he never modeled himself on Murali – that’s just the way he bowls. “I think wherever I have bowled people have been quick to observe the resemblances between myself and Murali, but I have never felt pressure from the comparisons. In Colombo I just tried to ensure the players were benefiting from me bowling at them.”We had plans in the nets but it was always flexible enough for each individual to work on their own particular areas or perceived weaknesses.”Allott said he was pleased with the “excellent” feedback from the New Zealand camp. “What we [NZC] had expected of this experiment has worked out rather to plan,” he said. “Maurice is a talented bowler able to simulate the same action as Murali and that’s primarily why we assigned him to work with Saqlain and the team in the nets. What he offers is something unique; especially to the players we’ve got who have not played in Sri Lanka. His role was purely to operate in the nets but Maurice was very instrumental in his sessions, putting in long hours, trying to simulate scenarios which our players are likely to face when the series begins.”Holmes worked in tandem with Saqlain, whose international expertise helped the youngster as well. The two of them talked a lot and Saqlain’s input was obviously highly instrumental in their sessions. Holmes bowled a lot to Dan [Vettori] and the feedback has been promising. This decision was part of a long-term goal we [NZC] have and we’re hopeful it will pay off.”The experience has, expectedly, been unforgettable for the teenager. “The players have been quick to offer an encouraging word, and kind enough to point out ways in which I might look to move forward in the development of my career,” says Holmes. “The trip has certainly been of benefit to me, and has given me new things to take home and work on – more ways to improve.”And what of his future at Kent? “He’s a young lad who is part of our academy in Tunbridge and it’s very encouraging to hear these positive views coming out for him,” says Kent’s chief executive Paul Millman. “He’s still very raw and his future is understandably uncertain but Kent will do whatever it takes to ensure his full development as a cricketer. He’s a very good talent and we hope he comes through. I’m sure this will have been an outstanding opportunity for Maurice.”Earlier this decade Kent signed up Murali; by the end of the decade Holmes may have that opportunity.

After securing their first Premier League win of the season over the weekend with a 1-0 victory against Leeds United, Southampton have another big game on the horizon with Burnley making the trip to St. Mary’s to try and get their first win of the campaign.

Southampton are set to be without James Ward-Prowse as a result of the three-game ban he picked up during the Saints’ 3-1 defeat against Chelsea before the recent international break, as well as defender Jack Stephens after he picked up a serious knee injury during the club’s 0-0 draw against Manchester City.

Thus, Ralph Hasenhuttl will have to make do with the players he currently has at his disposal as they try and grab their second win of the season.

However, it seems as though there could be one positive thrown their way ahead of the match at the weekend that could be a big boost for the team.

What’s the latest?

Saints midfielder Will Smallbone recently played the full 90 minutes of Southampton’s U23 match against Wolves, the first time he has done so since he damaged his ACL back in January.

As a product of Southampton’s youth academy, Smallbone made his senior debut for the Saints back in January 2020 during a 2-0 win over Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup after working his way through their youth teams.

Specifically, the 21-year-old, who is currently valued at £1.8m according to Transfermarkt, has made 52 appearances for the U18 side, scoring six goals and providing seven assists, 41 appearances for Southampton’s B side, scoring seven goals and providing five assists along the way.

Smallbone also has 13 senior appearances under his belt, scoring once and adding two assists to his career tally, showing he is a very useful midfielder in terms of creating and scoring goals.

This also highlights just how devastating the injury he suffered was given how promising he’d become for the club beforehand.

Taking all of this into account, we feel that it would be massive, not just for Smallbone, but for the Southampton fans who would be thrilled to see him potentially get back on the pitch, especially considering how long he was out of action for.

Looking ahead to the Burnley match, if Smallbone is fully fit enough to play a part in the game against Sean Dyche’s side, we feel that it would be good for him to get some time on the pitch, but not too much considering the severity of his injury so it would therefore probably be best for Hasenhuttl to gently ease him back into it rather than throw him in from the start.

In other news: Signed for £5m, now worth £22.5m, Saints hit the jackpot with “important” club beast – opinion

Sri Lanka, polished by an unbroken 68-run stand between Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, bolstered their grip on the second Test with a lead of 339 and eight wickets in hand – and two days to go

The Bulletin by Jamie Alter at the SSC28-Aug-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Sri Lanka pressed home the advantage with another all-round display and left New Zealand the prospect of chasing another massive target•Associated PressSri Lanka, polished by an unbroken 68-run stand between Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, bolstered their grip on the second Test with a lead of 339 and eight wickets in hand – and two days to go. A torrential downpour at 4.10pm curtailed play on another day of local domination, the tone for which was set in the first session when New Zealand lost their last five wickets for 51 runs to spin.Thanks to Tillakaratne Dilshan’s generosity and another error by umpire Daryl Harper, New Zealand managed two wickets in the afternoon but it had minimal effect on the game which by tea had drifted almost out of their reach. Out-of-form opener Tharanga Paranavitana was watchful, mindful of the fact that this was his last innings of the series, while Dilshan made 34 before chipping Jeetan Patel to long-on. Paranavitana, progressing slowly and discreetly, looked set for his first substantial contribution but was incorrectly ruled out caught behind by Harper when he clearly missed a sweep down the leg side.That proved to be New Zealand’s last success on a slow day. Sangakkara and Jayawardene relied mainly on singles, aided by New Zealand’s weary fielding effort. They built the lead sensibly, the captain handling Daniel Vettori and Patel quite masterfully. Sangakkara used his feet and stretched fully forward to negate the turn from the rough and used the width of the crease to rock back and cut when Patel pitched it short. The good mates were at ease against the harmless line of the quick bowlers and Patel, who didn’t get much turn from the track. Jayawardene flicked him to leg and drove him straight for the shot of the day; Sangakkara danced out and took fours past mid-on and mid-off and an effortless six over long-on. Sangakkara brought up his second half-century of the series off 80 balls and, two calculated sweeps later, had to run off when sudden rain forced an early close.Rain or sun, New Zealand struggled. A deficit of 257 was a huge disadvantage to start the day with, and it got worse for New Zealand when Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor fell in the first 40 minutes. Having briefly held up Sri Lanka and taken New Zealand past the follow-on mark, Vettori and Jacob Oram departed within 14 deliveries leaving the home side in complete control. Sangakkara started the day with his best spinners bowling in tandem. Muttiah Muralitharan began with an immaculate line and restricted the batsmen largely to singles. The tone was set in Rangana Herath’s first over, the second of the day, when he beat Taylor and McCullum with good turn away from the bat. With three men around the bat, and the ball spinning, there were several appeals and gasps as Murali and Herath spun a web.Herath should have had McCullum on 13 twice in one over but Paranavitana grassed a catch at silly point, his second drop of the game, and Thilan Samaraweera missed a low chance to his left at second slip. In the next over Harper turned down a convincing appeal for lbw when Taylor missed a sweep. It was McCullum who was the first to go when he edged a Murali doosra to give Jayawardene his 150th catch in Tests.Taylor stuck to a bat-and-pad policy against Herath, who got significant turn and bounce, and tried to unsettle Murali by sweeping. Having added 11 to his overnight score in 37 deliveries, Taylor fell for 81 when Herath lured him into a prod and drew an edge. Vettori played positively for 23 in a stand of 43 with Oram before he was dislodged by Dilshan’s part-time offspin, Chamara Kapugedera holding on to a good tumbling catch at short leg. Fourteen deliveries later Herath sent back Oram, whose ridiculous attempt at a reverse-sweep was taken at short leg. The end came swiftly, leaving New Zealand to rue another inept display.

Kalvin Phillips should join Liverpool over Manchester United if he leaves Leeds United, according to Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson.

The Lowdown: Phillips on the move?

The 25-year-old has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the past 12 months or so, maturing into one of the Premier League’s best midfielders and becoming a hero for England.

Phillips’ performances for club and country have been hugely influential – he was crowned the Three Lions’ player of the year – but the only downside of that is that it has led to interest from some of the country’s biggest clubs.

The £36million-rated Englishman’s current Leeds deal expires in the summer of 2024.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375277″]

The Latest: Pundit makes Liverpool claim

Writing for the Daily Star, former Arsenal hero Merson told Phillips to choose Liverpool over United if he leaves, given the hatred between Leeds and the latter:

“Kalvin Phillips should join Liverpool, not Manchester United. But I don’t think he takes either of those teams to another level. He’s a good player who would play every week whichever one he signs for. But not a gamechanger.

“If he goes to Anfield he will still be remembered as a Leeds United hero. But if he goes to Old Trafford that all goes out the window.

“And a Leeds United player going to Manchester United? Wow. Better start well. That’s pressure. At Leeds he will get burnt out. I think he’s virtually left on his own too much in midfield at Leeds and he has to do everything.”

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The Verdict: Tough to keep hold of

Unfortunately, the Whites are going to find it hard to keep hold of Phillips, considering there is a strong chance he would like to test himself in the Champions League.

Given the force Liverpool are under Jurgen Klopp – they have already scored a remarkable 42 goals this season – it would be hard to begrudge him a move to Anfield, especially as theiur energetic style of play could suit him down to the ground just like Marcelo Bielsa’s does.

A switch to United would be received far less well, however, and it is something Phillips surely wouldn’t do.

In other news, Leeds could have to break their transfer record to sign one player. Read more here.