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The 2023/24 Premier League season has been another one to forget for Chelsea fans, and it has only just crossed the halfway point.

The massive spending in the summer and the appointment of former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has done little to improve upon the poor performances of last year and if anything, the side look worse.

Aside from Cole Palmer and potentially Đorđe Petrović, it would be hard to describe any of the summer signings as successes, and with the January window now open and Benfica's Antonio Silva heavily touted for a move to Stamford Bridge, Axel Disasi could be about to lose his place in the starting XI – if not the entire club

Chelsea transfer news – Antonio Silva

According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola (via Sport Witness), Chelsea are incredibly interested in Benfica's promising young centre-back Silva and have even made an offer in the region of €60m, which is about £52m.

However, the Portuguese giants swiftly rejected the proposal, and as such, the Blues have reportedly 'found the door firmly closed on them'.

That said, while the report is clear that the Eagles do not want to sell their star defender midway through the season, there is said to be a €100m – £86m – release clause in his contract, which the club have 'pointed to' as Chelsea and Manchester United have persisted in their interest.

It is going to take a serious effort from Todd Boehly and Co to get this deal over the line this month without paying for the full release clause.

Still, based on Chelsea's actions in the market in past years, they might just be able to get it done – to the detriment of current starter Disasi.

Axel Disasi could lose his place in the team to Antonio Silva

The 25-year-old Frenchman only joined the Blues in the summer from Ligue 1 side AS Monaco, but he has already become one of the first names on the team sheet for Pochettino, starting 90% of Chelsea's Premier League games and 100% of cup games.

Yet, despite his seeming importance to the manager's set-up, he has not been all that impressive. In fact, he has been poor for much of the season, with talkSPORT pundit Andy Jacobs labelling him a "disaster" earlier in the season and former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand claiming that he wouldn't play him next season on his podcast, FIVE.

Now, players can often struggle in their first season in the Premier League, and so perhaps next year, when he has had time to acclimatise to the league, he'll be far more impressive and be able to justify his place in the XI, although at a team like Chelsea, in the state that they are in, he might not get that chance, especially if Silva comes in.

That said, how do the pair's underlying numbers compare? Is there a significant difference between them, or is this a classic case of the grass always being greener on the other side?

Unfortunately for Disasi, there is a difference and a marked one at that.

The Portuguese "smooth operator", as U23 scout Antonio Mango dubbed him, comes out on top in every critical metric and by quite some way in a few of them.

Stats per 90

Silva

Disasi

Progressive Passes

4.47

4.12

Progressive Carries

1.07

1.02

Passing Accuracy

92.5%

89.7%

Shot-Creating Actions

0.87

0.45

Tackles Won

1.80

0.68

Blocks

2.07

0.79

Interceptions

0.60

0.56

Clearances

3.47

3.28

Aerial Duels Wn

2.37

2.13

All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Domestic Season

He wins far more tackles, makes more blocks, interceptions and clearances, wins more aerial duels than Disasi, and he's also more of a goal threat as he produces more shot-creating actions and progressive passes per 90 than the Frenchman.

Ultimately, this would be an expensive deal to complete, and while it could be seen as harsh on the former Monaco man, if Chelsea have the chance to sign a player Mango described as being "born to play football", then they must take it.

Mauricio Pochettino will be disappointed with how his Chelsea side has been so underwhelming in his debut campaign.

The Blues are currently tenth in the Premier League after 17 matches, losing seven times already this season. Despite their 2-0 win over Sheffield United yesterday, Chelsea are still two points behind West Ham in ninth who have played one less game.

The Argentine may want to bolster his squad in January in an attempt to improve their results and potentially challenge for a European spot.

Chelsea transfers latest – Max Kilman

According to a recent report from Simon Phillips on his Substack earlier this month, Pochettino is eyeing a move for Max Kilman of Wolves to strengthen his defensive department.

The centre-back had plenty of clubs interested in him in the summer, including Napoli, who were quoted a £35m price tag by Wolves to acquire his services.

However, with the 26-year-old titan being such an integral part of the Wolves squad, it is difficult to see a move occur this January.

Max Kilman’s style of play

With Pochettino recently mentioning that he wants to add more height to his side, it is no wonder reports regarding Kilman have begun to arise. The Wolves defender stands at 6 foot 4 and would seemingly tick off the boss’ request.

The left-footed defender has played every minute for Gary O’Neil’s side this season, helping his team to 13th in the Premier League, just three points off Chelsea. However, the Englishman has only kept two clean sheets in a leaky Wolves backline.

Kilman is a tall, physical centre-back who can comfortably play in a back-three or a back-four. The 26-year-old ace is tidy with both feet and possesses on-the-ball quality in the form of passing and dribbling, which most likely stems from his days as a professional England futsal player.

According to FBref, Kilman has a very similar player profile to ex-Chelsea player Marc Guehi, who left the club in 2021 after being at the Blues since the age of seven.

The Crystal Palace star is linked with numerous clubs, including the Blues and Manchester United, and this is how he has compares statistically to Kilman this season…

Passes completed

50.81

52.72

Progressive passes

3.44

2.50

Tackles

1.25

1.25

Interceptions

1.06

0.88

Clearances

4.50

4.69

These statistics show that both players are able to progress the play with the ball at their feet to go along with their multiple defensive interventions per 90.

Another similarity between the two defenders is that they both display excellent leadership qualities that would massively help the young Chelsea side. Kilman has captained Wolves this season, and he would become Chelsea’s second-oldest defender in the squad behind Thiago Silva at just 26.

The Wolves star is also blessed with versatility, which allows Pochettino to be tactically flexible both pre-game and during the match. Another underrated attribute is Kilman’s impressive injury record – with only six games missed in his career – which makes him a reliable option. This could be vital with the Blues experiencing an injury crisis.

Although Chelsea signing Kilman does make sense and he is a “monster” – as per presenter Tom Parker – of a centre-back, if the likes of Benoit Badisahile, Levi Colwill, and Axel Disasi can remain fit, it is difficult to see him getting enough gametime or replacing any of the above, even more so when the full-backs return from injury.

However, depth is needed, particularly with injuries coming thick and fast at Chelsea at the moment, and they could land their next Guehi in a swoop for Kilman to bolster their options.

Ever since the PIF takeover in 2021, Newcastle United are finally in a place where they can build a team that challenges for trophies, not assemble a squad for a pittance with the hopes of surviving in the Premier League for another year.

The acquisition of Alexander Isak was one of the Magpies’ first signings under the new regime which made the rest of the division stand up and take notice.

Under the previous ownership, managers were forced to sign cheap strikers who could do a job but were never good enough to challenge for major honours. The likes of Salomon Rondon and Emmanuel Riviere spring to mind. However, there is another former player who still plays in England but is having a torrid time this season.

How much Newcastle United signed Dwight Gayle for

Having had a solid three seasons with fellow top-flight outfit Crystal Palace, Newcastle United announced the signing of Dwight Gayle for £10m upon relegation to the Championship in 2016 when Rafa Benitez was in charge at St. James’ Park.

The striker bagged 25 goals in 74 appearances for the Eagles, including the equaliser in a thrilling 3-3 comeback to all but end Liverpool's title chances during the 2013/14 season on that famous night at Selhurst Park.

Gayle didn't set the world alight but did have a superb debut season as a Magpie, scoring 23 goals in the Championship in 32 games as Newcastle were promoted back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. This was the joint-best individual season of Gayle's career, alongside his 23-goal feat on loan at West Bromwich Albion in the 2018/19 campaign.

Unfortunately, the frontman scored merely 11 goals in 88 matches after Newcastle's 2016/17 title-winning season in the second tier, according to Transfermarkt.

Dwight Gayle at Newcastle United
Season – All Competitions	Minutes	Goals
2016/17	2,287	23
2017/18	2,173	6
2018/19 (on loan at West Brom)	0	0
2019/20	883	4
2020/21	543	1
2021/22	106	0
Stats via Transfermarkt.

Gayle played just ten minutes of first-team football for Eddie Howe during the 2021/22 campaign, but Howe admitted that the experienced striker was Newcastle's "best player in training" and "one of the best finishers" he'd ever worked with. Nevertheless, Gayle was allowed to leave for free at the end of Howe's first season in charge.

Dwight Gayle's stats this season

Gayle moved to Stoke City in the summer of 2022 on a two-year deal when Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill was in charge. The 33-year-old's time at the Bet365 Stadium hasn't gone as well as he'd have hoped, having scored merely three goals and recorded six assists in 48 appearances.

However, eight of Gayle's nine goal contributions came last term. This time around, the veteran has failed to score a single goal in 11 games for the Potters and has just one assist to his name which came in a 2-1 win over his former side West Brom in the EFL Cup.

When compared to all other strikers from leagues similar to the Championship over the past 365 days, Gayle's stats make for painful reading.

Dwight Gayle
Per 90 Metric	Percentile Rank
Goals	13
Non-Penalty Goals	21
xG	27
Non-Penalty xG	44
Shots	18
Assists	39
Shots On Target	41
Stats via FBref.

FBref's percentile ranks weigh up how a player compares to all others in the same position in leagues of similar quality. Gayle ranks poorly in this regard and is well below the 50% mark in a number of key metrics in front of goal, especially goals and shots per 90.

Stoke City have had 14 different goalscorers this season in all competitions but not one has been Gayle. Andre Vidigal leads the club's top goalscoring charts with five goals as head coach Alex Neil is leaning heavily on the Portuguese forward to score. Newcastle United certainly parted ways with Gayle at the right time.

Soumya Sarkar and Tamim Iqbal chose the scenic route to Bangladesh’s eight-wicket win over West Indies in Sylhet to clinch the three-match ODI series 2-1. Soumya’s attacking 80 was complemented by Tamim’s unbeaten 81, which came after Mehidy Hasan dipped his offbreaks to perfection in a career-best bowling performance.It was Bangladesh’s eighth bilateral series win (out of 12) since the 2015 World Cup, with two of those now coming against West Indies this year. Shai Hope’s unbeaten century was West Indies’ only moment of happiness as the visitors lost both Tests and ODI series in Bangladesh, a first for any major side touring the country.Bangladesh first sparked a batting collapse during the middle overs as West Indies lost three wickets for three runs in 22 balls. They slipped from 96 for 2 in the 23rd over to 99 for 5 in the 26th. Hope, who made an unbeaten 108 playing the full 50 overs, had to rely on the lower order to reach his fourth ODI hundred, but it was hardly going to take the control out of Bangladesh’s grip.Tamim then did what an experienced batsman should do in a 199 chase. He batted sensibly, while Liton Das and Soumya blasted the bowlers at the other end. At times, Tamim too drove down the ground and flicked off his pads for fours but he largely focused on collecting singles.Liton’s punches through cover and mid-off fetched him four of his five fours. But his impulsive strokeplay – this time a swipe across the line that was caught at mid-on – cut short his stay at the crease, for a 33-ball 23.Soumya, who had started off with a sublime on-drive off Keemo Paul, was otherwise devastating against spin. He lifted Marlon Samuels, Fabien Allen and Devendra Bishoo for five sixes.Samuels was hit over midwicket and long-off, while the two off Allen were sent high over the midwicket boundary. In the 34th over of the innings, he launched Bishoo over cover for his fifth six, before striking him for two fours to finish off the over. Paul eventually got him for an 81-ball 80, ending the 131-run second-wicket stand.Mushfiqur Rahim struck two fours and an upper-cut six before Tamim’s two fours off Rovman Powell in the 39th over got Bangladesh to the win. But the foundation of this win was laid down when Mohammad Saifuddin sparked the collapse with Samuels driving aimlessly at an offcutter, to be bowled for 19. It ended a promising 39-run third-wicket stand between Samuels and Hope before Mehidy got into the act.Having already removed Chandrapaul Hemraj and Darren Bravo, Mehidy dismissed Shimron Hetmyer for the sixth time in seven innings on this tour, this time lbw for a duck. It ended a poor ODI series for Hetmyer who was sparkling in the Test series. Powell’s wicket was his fourth, caught behind to a delivery that he expected to turn. Powell made just 16 runs in the series, making it a dreadful subcontinent tour on which he scored 77 runs in eight innings at an average 9.62.Shakib Al Hasan then removed Roston Chase and Allen, both caught in the deep. Chase mis-hit one to long-off, while Mohammad Mithun dived forward at deep midwicket to complete Allen’s catch.Hope meanwhile stood firm at the other end, having carried the confidence from his unbeaten 146 in the second game, which led to a hard-fought four-wicket win. He struck four boundaries through the covers, one through midwicket and two down the ground.Hope moved from 94 to his hundred with a straight six off Shakib. All the Bangladesh players shook hands with him at the end of the West Indies innings, while the Sylhet crowd was generous in applaud. But all the cheers for the rest of the day went to the homeboys.

In the last three years, teams have struggled to push the scoring rate under lights thus making it more favourable for teams batting first

Mohammad Isam20-Oct-2018

Mashrafe Mortaza reacts in the field•AFP

Bangladesh are now used to the unpredictable nature of the pitch at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, said captain Mashrafe Mortaza. While Zimbabwe expect spin to play a big part, Mashrafe warned that even turn can’t always be assured in Mirpur.In the last three years, teams have struggled to push the scoring rate under lights. It has been more favourable for teams batting first as the pitch has changed nature with lots of use. As recently as February this year, the stadium was slapped with a demerit point when the second Test between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka ended on the third afternoon.Since April 2015, the side batting first has won 14 out of 23 ODIs, averaging 241 per innings, while those chasing have managed only 196. Bangladesh’s 251 for 2 against Pakistan in 2015 is the highest successful chase in this period.Mashrafe said that sides with tougher mentality – Bangladesh themselves since 2015 – have done well in Mirpur. But whenever they have been impatient, they have lost, as was the case in the tri-nation series final against Sri Lanka in January this year.”Mirpur wicket is unpredictable because it changes behaviour almost suddenly,” Mashrafe said. “It keeps low or starts turning without warning. Batsmen have to quickly change their mindset in the middle, and also in the dressing-room. Most of the senior players have played here for more than ten years, so we are now used to the unpredictability. It obviously becomes hard for the opposition.”Only when we started to believing in ourselves since 2015, did we have a good record here. In cases when we were mentally weak, like in the Asia Cup final [in 2012], we lost here.”Mashrafe expected his players to be able to deal with whatever surface is prepared for the first ODI on Sunday. “Chittagong is predictably a batting wicket unless it is prepared slow or a turning track. Mirpur is totally different. It starts behaving differently after the half-time. I hope the boys won’t use it as an excuse. It is always helpful if we think of scoring 250-260, which always puts pressure on the opposition in Mirpur,”Zimbabwe captain Hamilton Masakadza said that spin remains the major challenge for his batsmen, particularly in the subcontinent. “It is obviously one of the things you focus on when you play in the subcontinent. Spin plays a very big role. We have prepared for it. It is in the back of our minds.”The main thing is to stay positive and back ourselves. We also have to deal with the challenge of spin. We can go forward from here after the recent disappointments.”

Leeds United have recruited well this summer after a number of players departed Elland Road in the wake of relegation from the Premier League.

They waved goodbye to Tyler Adams on a permanent transfer to AFC Bournemouth whilst faces such as Brenden Aaronson, Jack Harrison, and Luis Sinisterra have all left temporarily on loan moves with their own level deemed higher than the cut and thrust of the Championship.

Out with the underperformers that caused Leeds to fall through the relegation trapdoor, and in with new fresh blood who are giving their all in a Whites shirt so far – signings such as Joel Piroe stick out, the ex-Swansea striker opting to join Leeds over reuniting with ex-manager Russell Martin at Southampton and netting seven in the process.

Ethan Ampadu and Joel Rodon have also ensured Leeds have a sense of solidity at the back, the leakiness that cost Leeds a Premier League spot – conceding 78 goals last season as the Whites crashed to relegation – is a thing of the past.

Daniel Farke's side have only shipped 13 from 12 matches played, sitting pretty in 3rd spot in the Championship as it stands.

Yet, when you delve deeper into other transfer windows in recent memory, they have not all been successful. The 2017-18 transfer window in particular saw the Whites purchase Jay-Roy Grot, a player who ultimately failed to make the grade at Elland Road.

How much did Leeds United sign Jay-Roy Grot for?

Reportedly joining Leeds for a fee of £750k in 2017 from NEC Nijmegen in the Netherlands, the then 19-year-old struggled to adjust to the demands of English football from the get-go.

He would find it tough, going from a promising striker in the Eredivisie who had scored five goals from 20 matches played in his final season with NEC, to then having to find his feet in a demanding league in the Championship for an expectant Leeds United fanbase.

It would lead to the Dutch attacker not finding the back of the net for Leeds until March 2018 after putting pen on paper to join the club in August 2017, the 6 foot 5 striker scoring in a 2-1 home defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.

This would be his only goal in Leeds colours, shipped out on loan continually after his one solitary campaign at Elland Road until he would depart permanently in 2021 – relocating back to his native Netherlands with VVV-Venlo and Vitesse on loan, before joining VfL Osnabrück in Germany on a free transfer.

How has Jay-Roy Grot performed since leaving Leeds?

The Dutch striker, who has matured since leaving Leeds behind, has managed to turn his career around after a nightmare stop-off in West Yorkshire.

He has actually managed to outscore Patrick Bamford since the start of the 2022/23 campaign, owing to a fruitful campaign out in Denmark with Viborg FF.

Jay-Roy Grot's numbers in the Superliga for Viborg during the 2022-23 season saw the Dutchman net nine goals from 19 matches played, scoring in four games on the trot to close out the season in style for his Danish employers at the time.

Contrast that with Bamford's goalscoring output in that same season – the 30-year-old dud scoring four times from 28 Premier League matches – the 25-year-old former Leeds man has had one last laugh.

It's even resulted in Jay-Roy Grot moving out to Japan to add another unconventional club to his resume, playing his football now for Kashiwa Reysol, whom he has three goals for to date. Meanwhile, the Leeds man is yet to get off the mark this season.

A forgotten man now around Elland Road, Jay-Roy Grot has managed to turn his career since departing a turbulent Whites side and has proven he can score goals across the world in eccentric new locations.

Arsenal's unbeaten start to the 2023/24 Premier League season came to an end on Saturday as they were beaten 1-0 by Newcastle United in the evening kick-off. The Gunners came out the wrong side of the result at St. James' Park as Anthony Gordon's second-half strike was enough to secure all three points for the home side.

However, the winning goal was shrouded in controversy after a lengthy VAR check on three possible infringements that eventually saw the goal awarded to Eddie Howe's team.

There was an initial check to see whether or not the ball had gone out of play before a possible foul on Gabriel, and then a possible offside against Gordon. However, none of those three situations could be fully substantiated into a claim to disallow the goal and Mikel Arteta was incensed after the match.

Arteta's comments after VAR controversy at Newcastle

The Spanish tactician described the incident as "embarrassing" and a "disgrace" before going on to say that he is wasting his time as results are in the hands of other people – referees. Arteta went as far as to say that he feels "embarrassed" and is "ashamed" to be part of how the Premier League is using VAR and the technology available to decide matches, in some instances, with their decisions.

Of course, emotions were running high after a tight match that ended in defeat for the London-based outfit, and the choice of words may have been influenced by that. However, Arsenal then released a statement in support of their manager and added that PGMOL must take action to improve the standard of refereeing, as they believe that the league deserves a higher quality of officiating than it is currently getting.

Stephen Warnock slams Arsenal and Arteta

Whilst speaking on Sky Sports' Ref Watch segment, pundit Stephen Warnock ripped into the Gunners and Arteta for their reaction to Newcastle's winning goal.

The former Liverpool defender started out by questioning why the Gunners boss did not feel "embarrassed" to be involved in the division after Luis Diaz's goal was wrongly disallowed for offside against the Reds earlier this season in their 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. This point was also raised by The Mirror as they reported his previous comments about that VAR mistake that went against Jurgen Klopp's side.

The Gunners boss said that referees and VAR need to be given support and for people to understand that mistakes happen, which was a calmer and more reasoned response than the one he gave over the weekend after Gordon's goal. Warnock then went on to say that the club's subsequent statement was "distasteful" and that it should have been handled in a different way.

Whether or not any of this will lead to an improvement in refereeing or VAR standards remains to be seen, given that the Arsenal boss thinks that he is wasting his time, and it will be interesting to see how long it takes for the next major incident of controversy to take place.

Aston Villa have made a flying start to the 2023/24 Premier League campaign as Unai Emery continues to mastermind a charge towards the Champions League spots.

Having been entrusted into the managerial hot seat just over a year ago, no one could have envisaged the Spaniard taking Villa from the threat of relegation to battling it out in the Europa Conference League.

This remarkable turnaround is a testament to the tactical ingenuity and the superb squad that Emery has crafted, bringing in the likes of Pau Torres and Moussa Diaby in the summer, while reports suggest the former Arsenal boss has unfinished business in the transfer market.

Latest Aston Villa transfer news

With the January window approaching, Villa have been linked with a whole host of stars who could bolster their options in the final third.

One of those names is Real Madrid talent Brahim Diaz. The 24-year-old ace, who is said to be valued at €20m (£17m), could depart the club in January according to Spanish outlet Sport, with Los Blancos apparently "happy" to sell him.

Another potential acquisition in the winter window is former Wolves forward Pedro Goncalves, who has enjoyed a prolific spell at Sporting Lisbon, with the 25-year-old notching up 97 goal contributions in 141 appearances for the club.

That impressive form has drawn a whole host of attention towards him and according to the Record, via Sport Witness, Villa are keen on signing the winger, who has a release clause of €80m (£69.8m) release clause in his contract.

In other news, Goncalves is not the only scintillating winger being linked with a move to Villa Park as Galatasaray left winger Kerem Akturkoglu is a name that continues to do the rounds.

It was reported by TEAMtalk that a whole host of clubs, including Villa, West Ham, and Brighton have checked on the winger in recent weeks as he played for Galatasaray and Turkey.

With a current value of €15m (£13m), as per Football Observatory, Emery may need to act fast in their pursuit of the highly-rated 25-year-old gem as an upgrade on one of their currently underperforming players.

Kerem Akturkoglu could be the perfect Nicolo Zaniolo replacement

Once lauded as a 'wizard' by the Turkish press, likening his magical displays to the fictional character Harry Potter, Akturkoglu has been in fine form for his club this season, unlike Villa's Nicolo Zaniolo.

While the Italian was expected to become the creative spark down the left flank in the long-term absence of Emiliano Buendia, he has had a slow start to life at Villa, and this is an area that the 24-cap Turkey international could thrive in.

The 5 foot 8 magician has been in sensational form for Galatasaray, especially in recent times, posting an incredible 48 goal contributions in the past three Turkish Super Lig campaigns, including three goals and four assists in his first 10 league matches this term.

That scintillating form blows Zaniolo's exploits out of the water as he is yet to register a goal or an assist for Villa in 11 appearances, and he has never eclipsed double figures for goals in a single campaign at senior level.

What's more alarming is the fact that the Italy international has not looked like providing that spark for his club in the final third, averaging 0.7 key passes per game and a frail pass completion of 73% in the Premier League this term, suggesting he is yet to find his feet in England.

Compare that to Akturkoglu, who has created a whopping eight 'big chances', averaged 3.2 key passes and 2.4 shots per game in ten Turkish Super Lig outings which demonstrates that the fleet-footed winger could provide Emery with expert creativity at the top end of the pitch.

Zaniolo has failed to successfully endear his talents to the Villa faithful and if he continues to put in subpar performances, there would be no harm in exploring the possibility of signing the Turkish magician in January.

He could provide an abundance of creativity in dangerous areas as an upgrade on the Italian, whose loan is due to expire at the end of the season, as shown by their respective statistics, if he can adapt to English football.

Disgraced Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has been told that returning to Manchester United was his biggest "mistake".

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• Pogba rejoined Man Utd for club record fee in 2016
• Failed to live up to £89m price tag
• Now facing four-year ban at Juventus

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Pogba's future in professional football was thrown into doubt when he tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone after a Serie A game against Udinese in August, with a provisional suspension imposed on September 11. He also saw the results of a 'B' sample come back positive the following month, with Juventus subsequently placing him on the lowest possible salary while waiting for a final verdict on his case. That was eventually delivered last Thursday, as Italy’s sport prosecutor saw a request to hand Pogba a four-year ban granted by the national anti-doping body.

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• Getty Images
  

  WHAT GARTH CROOKS SAID

  Former Manchester United forward Garth Crooks believes Pogba has wasted his vast potential. He has also suggested the France international should never have returned to Old Trafford from Juve for a second spell, with the Red Devils paying a club-record £89 million ($113m) fee to bring him back onto their books in 2016. Pogba spectacularly fail to live up that price tag, and United let his contract run down to its expiry date in June 2022 before Juve re-signed him on a free transfer.

  "He certainly is an enigma; a complicated and inconsistent player without doubt, but no right-minded football person could ever argue that his talent has been wasted – he won four Italian Serie A titles and a World Cup for goodness sake," Crooks wrote in his latest column for BBC Sport. "There can only be a handful of players anywhere in the world with that sort of record.

  "Pogba's mistake was returning to Manchester United for a staggering £89m, and not just failing to win the Premier League, but not even coming close. That is why the France superstar will never acquire the legendary status afforded by United fans to the likes of Bryan Robson, Roy Keane or David Beckham, none of whom had Pogba's gifts or won the World Cup."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Crooks sympathises with supporters that have kept faith in Pogba throughout his career, only to see him continually let them down. "I have been one of Pogba's biggest critics," he added. "Not because of his colourful hairstyles, however much I hated them, but that on too many occasions he robbed us of his genius. All football fans want to see is those who have the magic produce it when they pay to see it. Sadly the magic, all too often, simply wasn't there. And now we feel short-changed."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR POGBA?

  Pogba said he was "sad, shocked and heartbroken" with the final verdict on his doping case, before adding in a statement on social media: "Everything I have built in my professional career has been taken away from me."

  The World Cup winner also confirmed he will appeal, but if that is unsuccessful, he won't be clear to play competitive football again until 2027 – at which time he will be 34 – with the ban backdated to the date of his first failed test.

ScorecardWhen it comes to conversations in cars heading out of Greater Manchester, Peter Kay’s Car Share has a monopoly on all the best lines. But if Lancashire raise a Championship challenge this season perhaps Graham Onions and Keaton Jennings will look back on their own chat en route to Trent Bridge.Although a calamitous batting collapse had consigned them to defeat in their opening match against Nottinghamshire at Old Trafford, Onions and Jennings concluded that Lancashire had not done too much wrong since. A return encounter offered the chance to remedy matters – and, for two former Durham professionals, it was an ideal opportunity to establish themselves as matchwinners for the Red Rose.That task has been accomplished, and how so. Onions, whose career-best figures of 9 for 67 came on this ground for Durham in 2012, took 6 for 55 in Notts’ second innings, and 9 for 77 in the match, and as craftily as he made use of encouraging seam-bowling conditions, one of county cricket’s greybeards has the nous to recognise that some of those wickets were carelessly donated. Jake Libby’s three-hour 46 made him the exception.
The stand-out batsman in the match though, was Jennings, whose 126 in Lancashire’s first innings was composed and judicious, exemplifying the considered approach which he gives to his cricket. If an England return might be viewed as premature, it seems inevitable that an opportunity will eventually come to add to his six Test caps – the last of them won against South Africa at Old Trafford last summer.Their car-share chat, though, was about Lancashire, not England. “We travelled together a few days ago and we said how good it would be for us to succeed and it kind of worked out that way with Keaton getting a hundred and me getting nine wickets in the match,” Onions said. “Keaton’s innings was pretty special on a tricky wicket to bat on against a very good attack.”Last week on a very good wicket he batted beautifully and his tempo was great. His innings was better purely because the wicket was doing enough to keep the bowler interested. What he has shown is that he has learned a lot from his past England days. His mentality has got stronger and he backs himself. The Test matches he played were against a very good South African side and without a doubt he is knocking on the door.”Lancashire needed only 65 minutes of play on the third morning of their match against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge to claim their first Championship victory of the season, cutting Nottinghamshire’s lead to 16 points – or one victory – in the process.The margin, as Notts were dismissed for 138, was an innings and 67 runs, made a mockery of a table in which Notts lay top and Lancashire seventh and amplified the feeling that this Championship season could be as compact as a fully-squeezed concertina.Resuming five-down and with a deficit of 99, Nottinghamshire’s sixth-wicket pairing of Libby and Tom Moores were parted inside the first half an hour of the day when Moores wafted at a wide one from Onions, who backed it up by gaining an lbw verdict against a disbelieving Stuart Broad.James Anderson sent Luke Fletcher on his way for a second-ball duck and then had Libby ninth out, lbw. Onions, appropriately, delivered the winning moment to his new side by having Jake Ball caught in the deep by Steven Croft.”We’ve done a lot of good things this season but we were completely outplayed by Notts in the first week of the season, so we’ve come here wanting to show them how good we are,” he said. “Collectively, we’ve done some good things and we just have to keep that going now.”So Lancashire’s hellish start to the season is over. Hell, of course, is many different things to different people. As Kayleigh said in Car Share: “The only hell I know is standing in the middle of an aisle trying to get people to sample my Mini Cheddars.”