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ScorecardDurham spent a tense third day at the wicket as they fought to extract themselves from a tough position Yorkshire. They had the better of the first session, with Michael Di Venuto in particular prospering against mediocre Yorkshire bowling, while the honours for the remainder of the day were pretty even.The sustained tension of the first two sessions, though, really exploded into excitement in the final two hours, when Yorkshire’s bowlers turned in a superb performance as they attempted to break through the stubborn resistance. However, Durham hung on with three wickets in hand to go into the final day with a fighting chance.Play began under gloomy skies, which improved a little as the day progressed. Durham in their second innings were 26 for 1, having begun their second innings 135 runs behind Yorkshire. The first delivery of the day was a short loosener from Matthew Hoggard, and Di Venuto was all too grateful to slash it to the cover boundary. He soon lost Mark Davies, the night-watchman, though, as the latter dabbed at a ball from Hoggard moving away and edged a catch to the keeper.It was to be Yorkshire’s last wicket during the morning session, though, which definitely went in the visitors’ favour. Di Venuto soon asserted himself with positive attacking strokes, while Kyle Coetzer slowly grew in confidence at the other end. Yorkshire for their part have a history of failing to bowl the opposition out cheaply a second time after taking a big lead on the first innings, and their bowlers did not always look as if they were going to do any better on this occasion, as they were rather erratic. Adil Rashid often impressed, while Rana Naved bowled some tight spells without looking really threatening. Di Venuto, slow through the 40s, reached his 50 off 87 balls, a stroke which also brought up the 100.Soon after lunch Durham wiped off the deficit without further loss, although Coetzer was missed off a hard chance to second slip off Ajmal Shahzad. But then Yorkshire made a crucial double strike. First Hoggard produced a full-length delivery to bowl Coetzer for 38, and in the next over Di Venuto, on 84, chopped a ball from Bresnan on to his stumps. Durham were suddenly 158 for 4. Gordon Muchall also fell not long afterwards, for 15, trapped lbw by Hoggard. In face of these setbacks, the normally aggressive pair of Dale Benkenstein and Ian Blackwell had to dig in, a job they did commendably.After tea, Shahzad bowled a hostile spell, making the ball fly at times, but the batsmen survived. He and Bresnan had both batsmen struggling, playing and missing frequently, until finally Blackwell (32) got close enough to get an edge and the wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow took a fine low catch. Durham did very well not to lose any further wickets during this the most exciting period of the day’s play. But the pressure was not all off, by any means, as Hoggard and Rashid both bowled very well in tandem and the umpires rejected numerous passionate appeals.It was riveting stuff, and it seemed as if Benkenstein and his new partner Phil Mustard had survived the worst and were beginning to turn the tables on the bowlers. But at this point Benkenstein, pushing forward to Rashid, was trapped lbw for a determined 36, scored off 128 balls. Minutes later Naved bowled Plunkett – but with a no-ball. Both batsmen survived till the close, but they certainly had to fight for it. It seemed incredible that Durham, who had to fight desperately for survival for over after over, lost only two wickets in the final session; Yorkshire will certainly consider it a travesty of justice, but all credit to the batsmen for hanging on.Yorkshire still hold the advantage in this match, but Durham’s fighting spirit show that they are by no means out of it. The final day promises the conclusion of an intriguing struggle, should the weather stay dry.

Southampton have a number of players in their senior squad at the moment who have come through the club’s youth system such as James Ward-Prowse, Theo Walcott and Nathan Tella among others.

One other example is defender Jack Stephens who has made 139 senior appearances for the Saints after working his way through their youth system, scoring six goals and providing five assists in the process.

Stephens had played every minute of Premier League action for Southampton so far this season before he, unfortunately, suffered a fairly serious knee injury during their 0-0 draw against Manchester City back in September that has ruled him out for 12 weeks.

Looking ahead to the future and which current young players in Southampton’s youth ranks could potentially go on to become the next first-team star at St. Mary’s, we feel that 17-year-old defender Lewis Payne could be somebody who replicates Stephens’ success.

As a product of the club’s youth academy, Payne has gone on to make 23 appearances for Southampton’s U18 side in which he has netted one goal and provided two assists as well as making 14 appearances for the club’s B team, the latest of which came on Sunday afternoon when he found the net twice.

So far this season, Payne has played 90 minutes in all but one of the Southampton B team’s first eight league games of the season, not only showing how important is to their side but also how much of a versatile player he is considering he’s played at left-back, right-back, defensive-midfield, right-midfield and centre-back in this campaign.

Only winger Kazeem Olaigbe and fellow centre-back Dynel Simeu have played more minutes for Southampton’s B team so far this season according to Transfermarkt.

If Payne continues playing regularly for Saints’ B team and proving himself as a useful and versatile figure for them, we feel he has what it takes to eventually make his senior debut for the south coast side and possibly become a regular figure for them as a potential long-term replacement for Stephens given he’s Southampton’s oldest current defender.

In other news: Ralph must wield the axe on £10.8m-rated Saints ace with 55% pass accuracy v Watford – opinion

The ICC has rejected the legal claims initiated last week by the PCB over the shifting out from Pakistan of the 2011 World Cup matches scheduled to be held in that country. A statement issued by its chief executive Haroon Lorgat, which sought to clarify “factual inaccuracies and misunderstandings” in the PCB’s claim, pointed out that the ICC had not decided, at its meeting on April 17, to remove the PCB as a co-host of the event but only that the matches assigned to the PCB should be played outside Pakistan.The Pakistan board has adopted a two-pronged legal strategy in response to the ICC’s actions. Last week, it served a legal notice to the ICC; on Tuesday , the PCB asked Michael Beloff, president of the ICC Disputes Resolution Committee, to refer the matter to the Court of Arbitration in Sport in Switzerland. And the next day it filed a case in a Lahore court against the ICC’s decision to move the headquarters of the 2011 World Cup from Lahore to Mumbai.However, Lorgat indicated today the PCB may not have a solid case. “We used our response to clarify inaccuracies and misunderstandings in the PCB’s claim, including confirmation of the fact that the agenda and the board papers for the recent ICC board meetings did very specifically raise the question of whether the 2011 World Cup matches assigned to the PCB as joint hosts should be relocated outside of Pakistan,” he said.”We also pointed out that the ICC board agreed only that the World Cup matches should be moved away from Pakistan, not that the PCB should be removed from its position as a joint host of the event itself. The suggestion the ICC board was not empowered to decide that matches should be moved away from Pakistan and that such a decision was ‘legally flawed’ is also incorrect and without foundation.”Among the PCB’s contentions is the ICC board’s authority to take the decisions – its constitution accords these powers to its commercial arm, the IDI. However, Lorgat said the ICC board had broad powers under its constitution and was not only is it entitled to make a decision on this matter but had a responsibility to do so on behalf of its members.”The World Cup is our flagship event. Given that, we need to deliver a tournament that is safe, secure and, above all, successful and it was on that basis that the decision was taken that matches could not be played in Pakistan.”Lorgat said he was disappointed by the PCB’s exercising its legal options instead of communicating with the ICC and hoped it would withdraw its claims. “We hope it realises that by attempting to pursue the matter through legal channels, it will result in the diversion of funds and resources better served to ensure a safe, secure and successful tournament in 2011, something that will benefit all our members, including Pakistan.”

علق محمد أبو تريكة لاعب منتخب مصر الأسبق على قرارات مجلس إدارة النادي الأهلي التي صدرت اليوم الخميس، تعقيبًا على أحداث مباراة الفريق الأول لكرة القدم أمام فاركو التي أقيمت بالأمس.

وطلب النادي الأهلي – بعد اجتماع مجلس إداراة النادي اليوم من اتحاد الكرة – إقالة لجنة الحكام التي يترأسها عصام عبد الفتاح، والتحقيق مع محمود عاشور حكم الفيديو في مباراة الفريق الأحمر أمام فاركو.

طالع أيضًا | عقوبات قاسية وغرامات ضخمة تنتظر الأهلي حال انسحابه من كأس مصر والسوبر

وأعلن مجلس إدارة النادي الأهلي برئاسة محمود الخطيب أنه سيقاطع بطولتي كأس مصر والسوبر المصري لحين تنفيذ الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم لمطالبه.

وكتب أبو تريكة على حسابه الرسمي بموقع “تويتر”: “نحن متواضعون بدون ضعف، وأقوياء بلا غرور، إحنا الأهلي معاك يا أهلي”.

وعقد الأهلي اجتماع اليوم لمناقشة عواقب الأخطاء التحكيمية التي حدثت في المباراة التي انتهت بالتعادل السلبي وحرمت الفريق الأحمر من هدف صحيح.

نحن متواضعون بدون ضعف و أقوياء بلا غرور. احنا الأهلي معاك يا أهلي https://t.co/EB6S1ysuKv

— محمد أبوتريكة (@trikaofficial) August 4, 2022

Much to the relief of everyone at Southampton, the Saints managed to secure their first Premier League win of the season with a 1-0 win over Leeds United at St. Mary’s thanks to a goal from on-loan striker Armando Broja after drawing four and losing three of their opening seven league games of their 2021/22 campaign.

Even though the striker managed to score the winning goal and deliver Southampton’s first league win of the campaign, one player that stood out to us in the match was Nathan Redmond, who assisted Broja’s strike.

During the victory against Marcelo Bielsa’s side, Redmond managed to have one shot on target which came after some brilliant interlinking play on the edge of the area.

On top of that, he successfully completed all four dribble attempts, made a whopping six key passes and produced five accurate crosses during a supreme creative display. Furthermore, the winger won five out of the seven ground duels he was involved in, ultimately earning himself an impressive overall match rating of 8.5/10, making him the highest-rated Southampton player on the day according to SofaScore.

Taking into account how Redmond, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £60k-per-week according to Spotrac, had failed to score a goal or provide an assist for the Saints in the league prior to the Leeds win, despite playing in all but one of their matches, shows how important this assist was, not just for the team as a whole but for him individually.

Since joining the club back in the 2016 summer transfer window from fellow Premier League club for an undisclosed fee believed to be worth £10m, the 27-year-old, who is currently valued at £16.2m according to Transfermarkt, has made a total of 208 appearances for the Saints across all competitions in which he has managed to score 28 goals and provide 23 assists along the way.

Additionally, only James Ward-Prowse (119) and Jan Bednarek (111) have made more appearances for Southampton under Ralph Hasenhuttl than Redmond (104), proving how vital he has been for the Saints in recent years under the Austrian’s guidance.

Looking ahead to the rest of the campaign, if Redmond and the Saints can build on this win against Leeds and keep picking up positive results on a consistent basis, then they could put their poor start to the season behind them and cast away any doubts over being involved in a potential relegation battle.

In other news: Ralph could seal perfect Ings replacement at Southampton with move for £4.5m-rated ace – opinion

Cricinfo previews Australia’s prospects for the women’s World Cup 2009

Jenny Roesler07-Mar-2009
Karen Rolton will want to make it a sixth world title for Australia in what could be her last World Cup © Getty Images
Undoubtedly one of the tournament favourites, Australia hold both the trophy and home advantage. Two-time winner Karen Rolton leads them in her fourth World Cup, her first in charge, and likely to be her last as a player.There may only be four players left from the victorious team of 2005, and the side may have lost doughty campaigners such as Belinda Clark and Cathryn Fitzpatrick since their 2005 victory, but fresh and exciting talent has since come through, in the form of players such as Lauren Ebsary, Emma Sampson and Ellyse Perry. Meanwhile, key performers such as Lisa Sthalekar, Alex Blackwell and Shelley Nitschke have been steadily improving their averages and will be expected to make crucial contributions. All of their players have an all-round game par excellence, including some spot-on fielding.Also look out for new girls Jessica Cameron and Erin Osborne – Australia have acted as Australia do – and picked the form players. To this end, the two 19-year-olds, offspinner Osborne and batsman Cameron were pulled into the side for Australia’s pre-World Cup duties in New Zealand. Osborne performed well in particular; having been the domestic leading wicket-taker, she took three wickets in one match.Australia represent a seemingly unstoppable juggernaut in ODIs: they have not lost a series or tournament since being pipped at the post by New Zealand in 2000. But seemingly is the key word – they were run close by England last year and their neighbouring sisters New Zealand have given them plenty of cause for concern in recent times in their annual Rose Bowl face-off. This year New Zealand came the closest yet – taking a 2-0 lead before Australia dragged themselves back to 2-2, with the tantalising final match becoming an agonising wash-out.And though Australia’s track record would on paper suggest they should be shoo-ins for the cup, this tournament is deceptively wide open. New Zealand and England, in particular, will push them all the way. Nevertheless, Australia will expect to pick up easy carry-over pointsagainst South Africa and West Indies, and will be aiming to do their best in what will be Rolton’s last World Cup.Know your competitionNew Zealand: Without doubt the toughest competition for Australia in this group. But regardless of what happens in their encounter, both sides should be comfortably into the Super Sixes.South Africa: Have never beaten Australia and are unlikely to in their backyard.West Indies: Too raw a talent; Australia should easily beat them.Stars of 2009Lisa Sthalekar – it’s hard to ignore the world’s No. 1 allrounder.Playing in her home state and in her second World Cup, Sthalekar is doubtless a key player. Her off spin can take key wickets, while her batting ability is excellent.Shelley Nitschke – has also jostled to be the world’s premier allrounder. Superb in all three disciplines: her batting is technically correct, her bowling naggingly accurate, and her fielding is useful.Ellyse Perry is Australia’s not-so-secret weapon. Much-hyped, the definite poster girl of the tournament, but the pin-up is worthy of the attention. Broad shouldered, slender, with a slick of sunblock, this shining star bowls good pace, fields well and bats brightly.Squad: Karen Rolton (capt), Lisa Sthalekar, Alex Blackwell, Shelley Nitschke, Emma Sampson, Sarah Andrews, Leah Poulton, Lauren Ebsary, Jessica Cameron, Ellyse Perry, Erin Osborne, Leonie Coleman, Jodie Fields (wk), Rene Farrell, Delissa Kimmince.Group fixturesMarch 8 – Australia v New Zealand, North Sydney Oval
March 10 – Australia v South Africa, Newcastle
March 12 – Australia v West Indies, Drummoyne Oval

When Leeds United signed Rodrigo from Valencia for a club-record £26m fee last year, Marcelo Bielsa would no doubt have been hoping, indeed expecting, that the forward would make his mark in the Premier League.

The Spain international arrived at Elland Road off the back of some impressive campaigns in La Liga, where he rebuilt his career after an earlier spell in England with Bolton.

In fact, in the 220 games that he played for Los Che, he scored an impressive 59 times and provided another 41 assists, featuring consistently in competitions such as the Champions League and Europa League.

Rodrigo endured a difficult debut campaign at Elland Road, however, completing the full 90 minutes just four times in the Premier League, while also missing a number of games either through injury or a viral infection.

After being given the chance and trust of his manager to start in the opening game of this season against Manchester United, Rodrigo completely let his manager down with a woeful display, prompting Bielsa to hook him at half-time.

Writing in his post-match player ratings, Leeds Live’s Beren Cross gave him a four, saying: “Had next to no impact on the game with or without the ball. Really struggled with picking up the right men when the hosts had the ball. Hooked at the break.”

It was no surprise that numerous Leeds fans on Twitter tore into the Spain international for his performance against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

Given the fee for which he joined, it’s quite telling that CIES now have his market value down at a measly £6m – a reflection perhaps of his total lack of form, injury troubles and the fact that he will turn 31 in a few months’ time.

Victor Orta hasn’t got much wrong at Leeds since becoming the club’s transfer chief and has presided over some superb pieces of work in the market, signing the likes of Raphinha and Illan Meslier to name but a few.

However, Rodrigo is quickly becoming Orta’s biggest transfer blunder at Elland Road.

Meanwhile, Leeds must give this star a chance…

A round-up of the third day’s play in the third round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

Cricinfo staff11-Jan-2009Group A
Shoaib Malik hit an unbeaten 100 from 100 balls and declared PIA’s innings at 355 for 5, leaving HBL with 385 to win © AFP
Khan Research Laboratories clinched a two-wicket victory over Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited in Rawalpindi, holding their nerve to chase 127 in what was another day for the bowlers. SNGPL, 94 for 8 at stumps on day two, didn’t go much further as Yasir Arafat claimed his seventh wicket – and 11th of the match – but it almost proved enough. Asad Ali backed his five wickets in the first innings with 4 for 49, and Samiullah Khan took three in a brave attempt to clinch a win. KRL’s chase of 127 stuttered from the start, slipping to 22 for 4, but their captain, the former international Mohammad Wasim, batted till the end with 35 from 92 deliveries. Along the way he found support from Rizwan Ahmed (35) and Shoaib Akhtar (21), even though KRL lost two wickets just before the finish line. It was their first win of the season, and KRL now stand at four in the Group A points table.Centuries by Khurram Manzoor and Shoaib Malik, one restrained the other urgent, spectacularly restored the balance between bat and ball before a late wicket gave Pakistan International Airlines the day’s honours at the United Bank Limited sports complex. For two days the bowlers had done the damage, keeping two innings to small totals, but on the third Manzoor, Malik and Faisal Iqbal combined to turn a 106-run lead into a daunting target for Habib Bank Limited.. Manzoor and Iqbal (50) took the score from 77 for 3 to 201 for 4, after which Malik hit a run-a-ball, unbeaten 100 with 12 fours and four sixes in contrast to Manzoor’s 270-ball 151. A declaration at 355 for 5 meant HBL needed 385 to win, and they lost Rafatullah Mohmand for a duck to close the day 35 for 1.In Karachi, Sui Southern Gas Corporation snapped a threatening partnership early in the day and by stumps had extended their lead over National Bank of Pakistan to 330. Umar Amin and Fawad Alam had cracked run-a-ball half-centuries after NBP were in early trouble, but the two slowed down on day three and failed to build on their innings. Sohail Khan, SSGC’s opening bowler, took five to help keep NBP to just 204. Mohammad Talha and Mohammad Aamer, NBP’s new-ball pairing, shared five wickets in reply but an unbeaten 61 from the SSGC captain, Saeed Bin Nasir, proved a thorn in their side. With five wickets in hand, SSGC took stumps at 144 for 5. NBP are in danger of losing their No. 1 position.Watchful centuries from Abid Ali and Raza Ali Dar made up most of the day’s progress for Lahore Shalimar against Water and Power Development Authority at the Gaddafi Stadium. Abid moved from 101 overnight to 141, while Dar racked up a composed career-best 183 from 334 balls. Zulqarnain Haider, the wicketkeeper, contributed an unbeaten 48 as Lahore finished the day on 461 for 6, a lead of 130.By the close of play on day three at the Quaid-e-Azam park, Pakistan Customs had reduced the deficit to 67 runs. Tanvir Ahmed’s unbeaten 56 from the No. 8 spot had helped Karachi Whites take a 182-run lead as they finished on 368 – Fawad Khan taking 6 for 109 – and Customs finished the day on 115 for 3. A draw looms.Group BFaisalabad had few hassles in beating Quetta by an innings and 167 runs at the Iqbal Stadium, thereby going No. 1 in the Group B points table. Already hurt at 80 for 3 in reply to Faisalabad’s 447 for 8, Quetta were bowled out for 173 and 107 on the same day. The wickets were shared right through Faisalabad’s line-up, more spectacularly in the second innings, when Quetta were reduced to 53 for 7 at the hands of some tidy medium pace.The fifth-placed helped Islamabad knock Abbottabad off the top of the table with an eight-wicket win at the Diamond Club Ground. Abbottabad’s openers had whittled the deficit down to 49 by stumps on day two, only for the entire side to fold for 189 in 67.1 overs. Rauf Akbar removed Ghulam Mohammad and Usman Khan early before Saad Altaf (5 for 52) had some fun. Raheel Majeed’s 21-ball 30 gave a small chase momentum, and Umair Khan’s unbeaten 51 from 43 balls held firm for Islamabad, who pulled down 110 in just 15.2 overs – equating to a run rate of 7.17.Rawalpindi wrapped up a win over Multan at the Marghzar Cricket Ground. The medium-pacer Rizwan Akbar made it 12 for the match with second-innings figures of 7 for 39 as Multan – 50 for 6 on the resumption of play – were bowled out for 93. Chasing 160, each of the first four batsmen got into the thirties and Rawalpindi knocked off the runs in 34.5 overs.Sialkot stand on the verge of inflicting a crushing innings defeat on Hyderabad at the Jinnah Stadium. A first-innings lead was established early in the morning and the opener Naeemuddin made 173 from 323 balls, along with fifties to Nadeem Javed (61) and Mohammad Ayub (53). The tail wagged and Ayub declared at 540 for 9, a lead of 288. What followed was pure joy for Sialkot – the medium-pacers Sarmar Anwar (3 for 17) and Nadeem Javed (5 for 23) reduced Hyderabad to 59 for 8 in 25 overs before stumps.The game remains poised at the National Stadium, where a few quick wickets for Karachi Blues could boost their chances of victory. Their tail wagged to extend an overnight lead of 151 to 222, and the late wicket of Lahore Ravi’s Kashif Siddiq for 91 left Karachi holding on to a 44-run advantage by stumps. Lahore’s openers had failed again, but Siddiq had steadily launched a fightback. After his dismissal, Lahore finished the day on 184 for 4.

This season had been one of positivity so far at Celtic, even if the Hoops did taste a defeat in Ange Postecoglou’s first Old Firm.

Proceedings at board level looked rosier than last season and the Bhoys were happily going about their business during a new era for the club.

What’s the club?

However, little did we know that the environment upstairs has actually been rather toxic and confusing this season.

Dominic McKay became the club’s new CEO at the beginning of the summer when he took over from Peter Lawwell who retired.

However, it hasn’t been plain sailing for him as he was forced to step down from his role last Friday.

The reasons are complicated but in an article for The Athletic, Kieran Devlin helped to clear up the factors at play.

He wrote: “Sources have spoken of receiving mixed, contradictory messages from different club figures. One described Celtic as being “painfully slow” in some discussions and several mentioned not receiving replies to messages for days or sometimes weeks. When replies did come, they would sometimes be from a different club figure.

“One source described it as “messy, everyone stepping on each other’s toes”. More than one target is said to have been missed out on during this process.”

Fans fuming

In this instance, it appears to be a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth.

Postecoglou wasn’t in charge of transfers but it’s quickly become apparent that McKay wasn’t the only one going out and negotiating deals either.

In fact, the former CEO also had to contend with Dermot Desmond and his son Ross, Peter Lawwell, Jay Lefevre – their head of scouting – and finally, the club’s now acting CEO, Michael Nicholson.

Now, communicating with the board makes sense but when you have six different people negotiating the one same transfer, proceedings are obviously going to get messy.

This doesn’t bode well for supporters; particularly after hearing they missed out on some primary targets.

Celtic did still acquire 12 first-team players in the market but if they lose out on the Premiership title again, questions will be asked of what happened this summer.

That’s especially after McKay seemingly had the Hoops’ best interests at heart.

Devlin added in his column: “That long-term vision, aspiring to be something more than just trying to win the Scottish Premiership every season, had been absent from Celtic for some time — at least in the public realm — and many fans bought into it.”

With Desmond reportedly not keen on a modernisation of the football club, it’s claimed by other outlets that McKay actually jumped before he was pushed.

All Celtic needed was some stability and in modernising the club, it could have taken them to greater success in Europe too. It will also have improved the profile of players they could sign in forthcoming windows.

That, however, now looks unlikely. Fans should be extremely displeased by the events that have played out.

AND in other news, Ange could discover Celtic’s new Christie by signing £6.3m-rated “top player” in Jan…

2018 was an exciting year for Celtic and everyone associated with the Hoops and Parkhead.

The Bhoys wrapped up the treble as Brendan Rodgers led his side to a Premiership crown and cup double.

Celtic even reached the group stages of the Champions League, an achievement that’s felt incredibly far-fetched over the last few seasons.

Yet, that year was also one for Peter Lawwell to forget in the transfer window. That’s because the Glaswegian side missed out on a player who’s now one of the first names on the team sheet for the national side.

Coincidentally, he’s also now a regular in the Premier League.

The man in question is a certain John McGinn. The central midfielder was at Hibernian when Celtic tried no fewer than three times to sign from the Edinburgh club.

However, he eventually left for Aston Villa in a deal worth a measly £2m. Speaking after that, McGinn revealed the reasons:

“It was important to weigh up everything and not just go with my heart because I had basically made up my mind I wanted to join Celtic.”

The midfielder added: “But I also had to weigh up in my mind how strong Celtic’s midfield had been for a long time.

“I remember speaking to Brendan Rodgers and he said the important thing I would take from it was I would play games. But Steve Bruce said I would play every game.”

Sadly, it looks as though the club’s new CEO, Dominic McKay, has just repeated that mistake.

Of course, the chief executive officer has to be given praise for his work in the market. Celtic brought in 12 new first-team players over the summer, some of which have already taken to the Premiership like a duck to water; Kyogo Furuhashi and Liel Abada are the primary suspects.

Yet, in this instance, he has made a mistake. Celtic had been scouting a certain Ali McCann long before McKay arrived in Glasgow but on transfer deadline day, they ignored a swoop which allowed him to move to England instead.

It wasn’t a Premier League side that came calling as they did for McGinn, but perhaps more frustratingly it was a club in the second tier.

Preston North End ended up landing the Northern Irishman in the final hours for just £1m.

Similarly to McGinn, he is an all-action midfielder, one that surely would have become an instant name on the team sheet at Paradise.

Last term, the former St Johnstone man was a force going forward and from a defensive point of view. He won 1.7 aerial duels per game and was also victorious in 2.7 tackles a match.

Furthermore, McCann made 1.5 interceptions and also registered 0.8 key passes. For the price tag touted, it’s strange that Celtic decided to ignore him.

This was a golden opportunity on deadline day.

AND in other news, Worse than Edouard: £4.5m-rated Celtic gem who lost 80% duels let Ange down massively…