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Stalwart and debutant, friends since school, take hosts from precarious position to 44-run lead

Valkerie Baynes28-Jun-2022Centuries for Test debutant Alice Davidson-Richards and stalwart Nat Sciver turned England’s innings around and put the hosts back in control of their contest with South Africa in Taunton.Friends since their school days at Epsom College, where they played cricket, hockey and netball together, the two rescued their side from a precarious position at 121 for 5 with a record sixth-wicket partnership for England Women in Test cricket. Worth 207 runs, it was also their joint second-highest stand for any wicket and it took the side to 328 for 6, a lead of 44 runs.At the age of 28 and making her first England appearance since she played six white-ball games in 2018, Davidson-Richards became the second England player after WG Grace to score a century and take a wicket on Test debut after she had Nadine de Klerk caught behind on the first day.She was resolute in supporting Sciver to her fifty, brought up with a lovely drive for four through mid-off. Davidson-Richards had nine runs from 45 balls before driving Nonkululeko Mlaba through the covers for her first four.By tea she had struck four more boundaries and of the 17 she had scored by the close, the best was arguably her delicious cover drive off de Klerk to move to 75, holding her pose and shaking her bat in in approval as the ball sped to the rope. That was before her gloriously timed punch in front of point to bring up her century before she was met with the warmest of hugs from Sciver.When Sciver had raised her century a little earlier with a scampered single off Marizanne Kapp, Davidson-Richards celebrated just as enthusiastically as her team-mate, pumping her fist and jumping into the air as Sciver removed her helmet, raised her bat and acknowledged the applause from the stands.It was Sciver’s maiden Test hundred in her eighth match and continued a rich run of form that played a key role in her side finishing runners-up at the World Cup in April, where she scored unbeaten centuries against Australia in England’s opening match and again in the final.It also came in the midst of a tense match situation. After England had reduced South Africa to 45 for 4 on the opening morning, Kapp’s brilliant 150 carried them to a respectable total of 284 by the close. In reply, England began brightly, their new opening pairing of Tammy Beaumont and Emma Lamb, another of England’s four Test debutants, putting on a 65-run stand as the South African bowlers struggled to hit the right lengths.But then Anneke Bosch trapped Beaumont lbw playing round one that swung away late and struck her on the toe in line with middle and leg stump and followed up with the wicket of Lamb for an accomplished 38 with a gem of a delivery that nipped back in off the seam and through the gate to uproot off-stump.Kapp should have had Heather Knight’s wicket shortly before lunch, but wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta dived across first slip and Sune Luus, poised for a catch that looked sure to be hers, spilled the ball in the confusion.As it happened, Knight fell without adding to her score of 8 on the first ball after the break, caught short of her ground despite a desperate full-length dive after Sciver had turned a de Klerk delivery towards square leg and called for a single. The slightest of hesitations mid-run from both of them proved crucial as Tumi Sekhukhune fired the ball to Jafta, who removed the bails at the striker’s end.Bosch then claimed her third wicket when she invited Sophia Dunkley to drive with a fuller ball just outside off stump, finding the edge which sailed to Andrie Steyn at slip.In the next over, Mlaba bowled Amy Jones for duck with an excellent ball tossed up on middle stump and straightening as Jones chopped onto her stumps and England looked to be in serious trouble still 163 runs behind.But from there Sciver and Davidson-Richards set about their task with great class, Sciver unbeaten on 119 when, off the last ball of the day, Davidson-Richards sent a straightforward catch to Lizelle Lee at backward point off Sekhukhune.

Celtic continued their march towards a fourth straight league title with an emphatic 4-0 victory over St Johnstone at Parkhead in their last outing of 2024 on Sunday.

The Hoops end the calendar year with a bang and are now a whopping 14 points clear of Rangers in second place ahead of their Old Firm clash with their city rivals on Thursday.

Brendan Rodgers will surely have been delighted with the dominant nature of his side’s performance on Sunday, taking 30 shots and creating six ‘big chances’ – scoring four.

The defence, which was much-changed with Alistair Johnston and Alex Valle coming in, also kept the away side at bay, restricting them to one shot and zero ‘big chances’ created, which meant that Kasper Schmeichel had yet another quiet afternoon in Glasgow.

It was a thoroughly deserved three points and the confidence should be high heading into the game against Rangers at Ibrox in the first match of 2025.

One player who should be full of confidence for that all-Glasgow clash should be central midfielder Paulo Bernardo, who put in an excellent display against St Johnstone.

Paulo Bernardo's performance against St Johnstone

The Portuguese maestro was given another chance to impress by Rodgers despite his struggles against Motherwell in the previous Scottish Premiership outing.

Bernardo had lost seven of his eight duels and failed to take a shot on goal or create a ‘big chance’ for the team in his time on the pitch in that 4-0 win for the Hoops.

The summer signing from Benfica was given an opportunity to make up for that performance by bouncing straight back with a strong display against St Johnstone, which is exactly what he did.

Bernardo won three of his six duels and made two tackles and two interceptions, without being dribbled past once, which illustrates how much his defensive work improved from the Motherwell game to Sunday’s clash.

There was also an improvement from the midfield whiz, who was on loan at Parkhead in the 2023/24 campaign, with his work in possession for the Scottish giants.

Minutes

90

Key passes

2

Big chances created

1

Pass accuracy

87%

Shots

3

As you can see in the table above, Bernardo created two chances for his teammates and troubled the opposition’s goal with three efforts of his own.

One of his shots led to Kyogo Furuhashi’s first goal, as the midfielder’s close-range effort was parried to the striker, and one of his key passes assisted Daizen Maeda’s goal, with a sublime through ball between the lines to send the Japan international through.

There was one Celtic player, however, who may be looking over his shoulder in the January transfer window, as his performances have been lacklustre – Hyun-jun Yang.

Why Hyun-jun Yang should be moved on

The South Korean winger was given another chance to shine after winning a penalty in the 4-0 win over Motherwell, but struggled to stamp his mark on the match.

Yang was the only member of the starting set of midfielders and forwards to end the match without a goal or an assist, as Bernardo, Reo Hatate, and Arne Engels all registered assists, and Kyogo and Nicolas Kuhn both scored.

The young forward did not register any shots on goal and failed with five of his eight attempted dribbles, losing possession 19 times in total, which shows that he struggled to make a real impact in the final third.

A lack of end product has been an issue throughout his time in Glasgow so far. Despite reportedly earning more (£6k-per-week) than Bernardo (£5.8k-per-week) – per Salary Sport – he has produced far less in front of goal.

Appearances

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39

Goals

1

5

Big chances missed

6

7

Big chances created

7

9

Assists

3

6

As you can see in the table above, the Portuguese star, who is the same age as Yang (22), has offered far more to the team at the top end of the pitch, despite playing in a midfield position, rather than out wide.

The South Korean winger has, quite simply, not produced much in the way of quality in the final third in the Premiership, with four direct goal contributions in 33 matches.

At the age of 22, there is no need for Celtic to write him off and cash in. However, a loan move to another club where he can go and play regularly and hone his skills before returning to Parkhead to compete for a spot in the team for the 2025/26 campaign.

Yang could benefit from going, perhaps to another team in the Premiership or to another side in Europe, out on loan to find some consistency in his performances, rather than dipping in and out of the Hoops team throughout the season.

Sending the South Korean talent out on loan would also free up a space in the squad for the Scottish giants to bring in a new player to bolster the squad.

What Celtic could do out wide in January

It was recently reported that Rodgers would like to bring in a left winger to improve his options ahead of the second half of the 2024/25 campaign.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The job for the recruitment team is to, then, find suitable options to come in and provide an upgrade on Yang, who could then be brutally binned from the squad to go out on loan in January.

Celtic are reportedly interested in Sarpsborg forward Sondre Orjasaeter and the Norway U21 international could come in to provide more quality at the top end of the pitch.

Appearances

28

Goals

5

Big chances missed

5

Assists

5

Big chances created

12

Dribbles completed per game

2.4

As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old ace could offer more as both a scorer and a creator of goals than Yang, if his form translates to Scottish football.

Whether it is Orjasaeter or another signing, bringing in a new forward in January would mean that Celtic could bin the South Korean youngster, who could benefit from going out on loan.

Rodgers could land big Maeda upgrade in Celtic swoop for £5m talent

Celtic could improve the quality of their attack by making this signing in January.

ByDan Emery Dec 27, 2024

Harry Kane has named Jamal Musiala "one of the best" he has ever played alongside as the midfielder continues to star for Bayern Munich and Germany.

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Kane names Musiala as 'one of the best'Believes 22-year-old can reach the topBayern's second top scorer behind England starFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Musiala, 22, is regarded as one of the best young players in the world having already won four Bundesliga titles, while he is also emerging as one of Germany's core starters.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Kane, 31, recently beat the Germany international in a shooting drill but that has not changed his view that Musiala will develop into a "complete game changer" as his rise continues.

WHAT KANE SAID

He told : "He [Musiala] is a good guy first and foremost. He's still young, willing to learn and work hard. He's one of the best I've played with. He has some of the best individual attributes I've seen – the way he moves, the way he dribbles, especially for someone of his size. It's a pleasure to play with him, he could be a complete game changer in some situations. We expect a lot from him because of how good he is, that comes with pressure and having to deal with it. He dealt with it well so far. There's still stuff he can get better at and I think he understands that. As long as he keeps his head in the right place and keeps trying to learn, the sky is the limit for him."

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR KANE & MUSIALA?

Kane is the only Bayern player to have scored more goals than Musiala in the Bundesliga this season. The striker has double the 11 that Musiala has netted this term. Both stars will be aiming to add more to their tally when they face Augsburg on Friday.

Ruben Amorim hit back at Gary Neville after Manchester United legend hit out at the lack of passion on show against Manchester City.

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Neville disappointed in Manchester derbyAmorim hit back at Man Utd legendOld Trafford clash ends in goalless draw Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

After United's drab goalless draw in the Manchester derby on Sunday at Old Trafford, club legend Neville slammed both teams for their lack of passion and also took aim at Amorim's tactics of playing a low block as he accused the Portuguese coach of copying predecessors Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Erik ten Hag.

AdvertisementWHAT GARY NEVILLE SAID

Speaking on , the pundit said: "From a United perspective, I get why he's gone deep, I get why he's gone back into a low block, but that's what we've seen from Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Erik ten Hag, they've all come in with the intention of playing high-press, high-energy football, but all end up going back to a low block in big games. I do understand why Ruben Amorim's done that today, with the players he's got, because he hasn't got the players to adapt.

"They need five new players, Manchester United, straight away before you even think about the rest of it. The three up front are not good enough, the two behind and the one, and the two wing-backs, they're not good enough. They need five players, they need to serve him with five players who are good enough in this system to be able to play his system the way he wants."

GettyAMORIM RESPONDS TO NEVILLE

Amorim, too, did not hold back as he slammed the club legend for being overly critical after every game. At his pre-match press conference, the 40-year-old manager said: "I understand everything. I understand that Gary Neville is critical about everything, so I understand that part. I understand that we are in the moment that we are doing the worst season in history. Manchester City won everything in the past, this season, is struggling.

"We are not in the best moments to give the best spectacle to every fan. When we are not fighting for the big things, of course, it's different. But you have to look at the context of the game, and I understand the critical aspect of the players that played in this game in a different way because they were fighting every time for the titles, so it's a different context."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

Amorim's side will be next seen in action on April 10 as they take on Lyon in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final fixture away from home.

Sunderland have now reached an agreement to sign a new midfielder for Regis Le Bris as they look to bolster their hopes of promotion back to the Premier League in the second half of the campaign.

Sunderland flying high in the Championship

With 18 games left of the Championship campaign, Sunderland sit just three points off the summit of England’s second tier despite currently being fourth.

The Black Cats have scored the third most goals in the competition to date, but face a tough second half of the campaign as they head away to fellow promotion hopefuls Burnley and Leeds United.

Burnley (Away)

Derby County (Away)

Plymouth Argyle (Home)

Middlesbrough (Away)

Watford (Home)

The likes of Chris Rigg, Anthony Patterson and Jude Bellingham have all grabbed attention so far for their prodigious talent amid links with clubs across Europe, but the club are keen to add more strength to their ranks as they underline their ambition to secure a return to the Premier League for the first time since the 206/2017 season.

To that end, they are expected to be busy in the January window despite Regis Le Bris outlining how difficult it was to recruit in the winter transfer window.

“It’s not easy to find the right pieces of the jigsaw,” he told the media. “It’s very important to find the right players rather than just focus on recruiting now. We have to be very accurate”

Now, it seems that Sunderland have managed to do just that, in a move that has developed incredibly quickly.

Sunderland reach agreement over astonishing loan move

That comes as multiple outlets now report that Sunderland have reached an agreement to reunite Roma midfielder Enzo Le Fee with Le Bris for the remainder of the campaign.

The Frenchman starred in Ligue 1 before earning a £20m move to Roma over the most recent summer transfer window. However, things have not worked out for him in the Eternal City and he has seen just 319 minutes of Serie A action, starting just twice under a succession of managers at the Stadio Olimpico.

He had been strongly linked with a move away, and Sunderland appear to have won that race after intense speculation, with the player on his way to Wearside for a Thursday medical.

Now, he is set to rejoin Le Bris in a shock move, with Fabrizio Romano confirming that the Black Cats have agreed an initial loan move for the midfielder, who still has almost five years left to run on his £69,000 a week deal in Rome.

Better yet for the Black Cats, it is added that his wages will be fully covered by Roma, who are clearly just keen to see the back of him already, saving around £1.7m for the Wearside outfit over the next six months.

2025 winter transfer window: Every done deal from the Championship

Every winter transfer from the second tier can be found here.

ByStephan Georgiou Feb 3, 2025

There is an option to buy the 24-year-old set at between €23m and €24m (£20m), and should he help Sunderland get promoted back to the top flight come the end of the campaign that option will become an obligation to buy the France U23 international.

For their part, Sunderland are believed to have pulled off a coup here with his arrival, with Football Expert Zach Lowry claiming that Le Bris has secured an “absolute gem” for the northeast outfit, especially if they are able to return him to his pre-Roma form. Can he be the man to help secure promotion for the Black Cats?

“We’re trying to get closer as a unit, trying to develop something here that could be special eventually”

Deivarayan Muthu23-Jul-2022West Indies came to within touching distance of hunting down what could’ve been the highest successful ODI chase at the Queen’s Park Oval, but with the hosts needing five off the last ball, Mohammed Siraj nailed his yorker and kept them to just a bye. However, West Indies’ fighting effort roused the Port of Spain crowd and captain Nicholas Pooran so much that he felt that the result was “like a win” for his side, especially after their crushing 3-0 defeat at the hands of Bangladesh at the Providence earlier this month.”It definitely feels like a win for us,” Pooran told the host broadcaster at the post-match presentation. “Bitter-sweet [one], but yes we keep speaking about batting 50 overs and today we batted 50 overs and made 300-plus. It is difficult to lose but we will take this one.Related

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Gill's re-emergence another reminder of India's bench strength

Dhawan, Siraj, Thakur star in thrilling win as India go 1-0 up

“Obviously, as a group we are rebuilding and trying to figure out ODI cricket and coming up against the top teams in the world. Today, we did justice to our talent and yeah and just looking forward to the other games. Hopefully, we can go from strength to strength.”After Pooran sent India in, Shubman Gill and stand-in captain Shikhar Dhawan ran away to a rapid start, but West Indies’ bowlers varied their pace and lengths on a pitch that slowed down, limiting the visitors to 308 for 7. All up, India managed only 83 for 5 in their last 15 overs as Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales regularly took pace off and bowled into the pitch.The two left-arm fingerspinners Akeal Hosein and Gudakesh Motie did their bit in the middle overs, returning combined figures of 20-0-105-3. They could’ve added another wicket to the tally had Motie not dropped Deepak Hooda in the outfield off Hosein in the 39th over.West Indies’ electric fielding, headlined by Pooran’s direct hit from midwicket to run out Gill for 64 off 35 balls, was also vital to them reining India in.”Yeah, definitely I must give credit to the bowlers,” Pooran said. “Obviously, we didn’t get to the best start in these conditions. We understand it was [a] really good batting track, but we did speak at the second water break and said we want to restrict them to 315 and actually to get them to less was commendable.”[Gudakesh] Motie, Akeal [Hosein] and Alzarri [Joseph] – everyone came and executed their skills today. Really proud of the effort today after coming from the Bangladesh series. We spoke about [ticking] different boxes. We ticked three boxes actually: fielding, batting 50 overs and executing at the death.”A target of 309 looked beyond West Indies’ reach at various points, but fifties from a fit-again Kyle Mayers (75) and Brandon King (54) and cameos from Pooran (25), Hosein (32*) and Romario Shepherd (39*) enabled them to drag the chase down to the last ball. Although West Indies just fell short in the end, Pooran insisted that West Indies always had the belief that they could overhaul the target.”Yes definitely [had the belief], we need to believe in each other and not only in ourselves,” Pooran said. “We’re trying to get closer as a unit, trying to develop something here that could be special eventually. And I keep telling everyone that this is our story and this is our journey and it’s going to have a lot of challenges. But I’m just happy that we’re going forward in the right direction.”When legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal got rid of King and Rovman Powell with wide, loopy legbreaks, India might have felt like they had all but wrapped up the game. However, Hosein, who was primarily a middle-order batter than a bowler during his Under-19 days, and Shepherd, who was only drafted into the squad after Jason Holder tested positive for Covid-19, sprung a surprise on India, with an unbroken 53-run stand for the seventh wicket off 33 balls.”Yes, there were some nerves,” Dhawan said at the post-match presentation. “Yes, we were in quite a good position and nobody expected that the game will turn that way and the [West Indies] batsmen played really well. We kept our cool and we knew what to do and [made] one little change when we put a fine leg back after two-three boundaries went [through that region. We were happy about that.”

Taniya Bhatia, who hasn’t played a T20I since the World Cup final in March 2020, is back in the squad

S Sudarshanan11-Jul-2022Offspinning allrounder Sneh Rana has made a comeback to the national side, finding a place in India’s 15-member squad for the Commonwealth Games starting July 29 in Birmingham. Rana, who returned to the side in 2021 after a five-year gap, had been rested for the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka that concluded last week.In another surprise move, the selectors included Taniya Bhatia as one of the two wicketkeepers alongside Yastika Bhatia, with Richa Ghosh left out of the main squad and named as one of the three standby players. Taniya’s last T20I appearance was the World Cup final against Australia in Melbourne in March 2020.Poonam Yadav, who didn’t get a game during the Sri Lanka tour, and Simran Dil Bahadur were the other two players in the standby list.Harleen Deol, who was included only for the ODI leg of the Sri Lanka tour, has also found a place in the squad.ESPNcricinfo LtdAhead of the tour to Sri Lanka, head coach Ramesh Powar had said that Rana had been rested with a view to managing her workload. “Sneh has been rested for this series and she is in the NCA working on her fitness,” he said. “Moving forward, the FTP that we have, there are about 20-25 T20 games and we want our players fresh for all the series. We want to manage the workload of the bowling unit as well as the batting unit. We are trying to balance it out. As of now, she is being rested and is working on her fitness.”Yastika’s elevation as the primary wicketkeeper, meanwhile, has been a recent development, with India having earlier preferred Ghosh’s skills with the big gloves in addition to her hitting down the order. Ghosh was India’s preferred keeper during the ODI World Cup this year, having been one of the stand-out players in the ODI series against New Zealand that preceded the tournament, scoring 146 runs at a strike-rate of 114.06 and an average of 48.66. But she managed only 81 runs in seven innings at the World Cup, getting into double figures only twice.Ghosh’s poor form continued through the Women’s T20 Challenge, and then into the tour of Sri Lanka, where Yastika took over keeping duties after the first T20I.Taniya has not played a competitive game since the Women’s T20 Challenge, but played a vital knock during that tournament, scoring 36 off 33 balls and putting on 82 with Harmanpreet Kaur to rescue Supernovas from 18 for 3 against Velocity. Taniya’s international record with the bat is modest, however, with her 22 T20I innings so far bringing her an average of 9.22 and a strike rate of 94.31.Jemimah Rodrigues, who made a successful return to the side in Sri Lanka after missing out on selection for the Women’s World Cup earlier this year, kept her place in the Commonwealth Games squad. She scored 72 runs in the three-match T20I series, including a player-of-the-match performance in the first match, where her unbeaten 36 bailed India out of trouble. S Meghana, who batted at No. 3 in each of those matches, also made the squad, though it is as yet unclear if she has been included as a back-up opener or as a No. 3.Meghna Singh, Renuka Singh and Pooja Vastrakar will form the seam attack, while Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Radha Yadav and Deepti Sharma are the main spin options, with support from Deol’s legspin and Rana’s offspin.This year’s Commonwealth Games will include women’s cricket for the first time, with the eight-team tournament to be played under the T20I format. India are grouped alongside Australia, Pakistan and Barbados in Group A. India begin their campaign with the tournament-opener against Australia on July 29, before taking on Pakistan on July 31.All matches will be played at Edgbaston in Birmingham.Squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (ice-capt), Shafali Verma, S. Meghana, Taniya Sapna Bhatia (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Deepti Sharma, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Renuka Thakur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Radha Yadav, Harleen Deol, Sneh RanaStandby: Richa Ghosh, Poonam Yadav, Simran Dil Bahadur

Sheffield United will pray that Leeds United falter at the final hurdle once more in the Championship, with the Blades already breathing down their neck in the unpredictable division.

Indeed, Chris Wilder’s Blades are only one point off the summit in the second tier, which could mean an enthralling promotion battle will take place to see who soars up to the Premier League.

To give his side the edge in this ongoing race, Wilder will want to be backed in the transfer market with some top-quality additions, which might well result in a former loanee calling Bramall Lane his home again.

Sheffield United chasing EFL sharp shooter

As per talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook via his X account, the promotion-chasing outfit are close to completing the loan acquisition of Ben Brereton-Diaz once more, having lined up for the South Yorkshire side during their depressing 2023/24 season.

It is being reported that a move has been verbally agreed with Southampton, with the switch an initial loan one that can be turned into a permanent move come the summer.

This statement move has been driven by Wilder, who clearly loved what he saw from the Chilean last campaign even as his side battled against the drop.

Despite drawing regular blanks at St. Mary’s to date, an avid EFL follower will see this as a signing of intent from the Blades, knowing full well what his capabilities in front of goal are in the second tier across his varied career so far.

What Brereton-Diaz could offer Sheffield United

Away from his well-known heroics donning Blackburn Rovers colours, Brereton-Diaz will be in the good books of United supporters to this day based on his fight last season when the team were dead and buried at the foot of the Premier League.

After all, he registered an impressive six goals from just 16 appearances for the beleaguered team, with Southampton clearly expecting him to be a hit in a similar set of circumstances on the South Coast.

It hasn’t panned out that way, unfortunately, with zero goals picked up from 13 outings in his new location, leading to the Saints shifting him off to Wilder’s men.

Their loss could be United’s huge gain, however, with Brereton-Diaz a lethal marksman in the past playing in the demanding Championship, seen in a couple of goal-laden seasons at Ewood Park.

2016/17 (Forest)

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5

2018/19 (Blackburn)

15

1

2019/20 (Blackburn)

15

1

2020/21 (Blackburn)

40

7

2021/22 (Blackburn)

37

22

2022/23 (Blackburn)

43

14

Across his final two campaigns at the Riversiders, the 6 foot 1 striker helped himself to a healthy 36 strikes in the league from 80 total clashes, with this form more than living up to the praise dished out to him by former boss Tony Mowbray that he was a “beast” when advancing up the ranks at Blackburn.

With Wilder already getting the best out of similarly experienced EFL faces in Tyrese Campbell and Kieffer Moore, who have 11 goals between them in second-tier action in 2024/25, Brereton-Diaz feels likely to be another success story of a seasoned head fitting in well.

The passionate Blades boss will hope he can be as influential as Billy Sharp used to be in his camp, with the fox-in-the-box United legend finding the back of the net a total of 129 times for his hometown club.

23 of those strikes aided United’s promotion efforts during the 2018/19 season, with Brereton-Diaz more than capable of reaching those heights based on his blistering goal record in Lancashire.

Whilst his stint at Southampton hasn’t gone to plan, there’s no doubting what the 25-year-old is capable of down a division, as Wilder and Co try and gain any advantages they can in the heated battle for promotion.

2025 winter transfer window: Every done deal from the Championship

Every winter transfer from the second tier can be found here.

ByStephan Georgiou Feb 3, 2025

Brentford are considering how to further boost their profile in the U.S. but remain hesitant about following in Wrexham's footsteps.

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Brentford looking to expand global reachClub favour boosting content creationThe Bees do not want to follow WrexhamFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Bees have been playing in the Premier League since 2021 and have impressed with their data-led approach to recruitment and coaching. Owing to unique operations, they have attracted a following in the U.S. interested in their methods. However, the club are dwarfed in size by their west London rivals Chelsea and are looking into various ways to grow the club. Speaking to the , the team's chief executive Jon Varney admitted they are looking at new ways to promote the club.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT VARNEY SAID

Varney said: “When you’re not one of the top six or seven it’s very difficult to create a positioning."

“We have a big opportunity in the US. There are live conversations.”

He added that there could be "a big investment around content creation”, but stopped short of suggesting they would create a style documentary.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Brentford's stature as a club has sky-rocketed in recent years. In under two decades they have risen from League Two to regular mid-table finishes in the Premier League, even despite major, regular departures throughout; including those of David Raya, Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney. The Bees remain just outside the hunt for European qualification but, should they continue to make consistent improvements, it won't be long before they are in and around the conversation.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR BRENTFORD?

Brentford take on Chelsea on Sunday afternoon hoping to gain a little ground on the teams above them. Should they take all three points, they will move within eight points of their local rivals and open up the chase for European qualification. Although, for the moment, it is unlikely they will be documenting that progress in a style.

West Indies’ batting crumbled with Santner and Bracewell sharing six wickets

Associated Press12-Aug-2022Glenn Phillips struck a half century from 31 balls to propel New Zealand to a 90-run win over the West Indies in the second T20I in Jamaica, clinching the three-match series with a 2-0 lead.After reaching his fifth T20I half century, Phillips went on to 76 from 40 balls and led New Zealand to 215 for 5, exceeding the 185 for 5 that was a winning total in the first match of the series. His innings included six sixes and four fours.West Indies managed only 125 for 9 in reply, lacking the partnerships that underpinned a New Zealand total which was the highest by a visiting team against the West Indies in a T20I in the Caribbean.Phillips put on 71 for the third wicket with Devon Conway who made 42 from 34 balls and 83 with Daryl Mitchell who made 48 from 20, the latter partnership coming off just 34 balls. In all, New Zealand scored 130 off their second 10 overs.West Indies’ best were stands of 35 for the seventh wicket between Romario Shepherd and Rovman Powell which began when the home team was 40 for 6 and the match already lost. Hayden Walsh and Obed McCoy put on 38 in an unbroken stand for the last wicket.Phillips put to good use his knowledge of conditions at Sabina Park, which is his home ground in the Caribbean Premier League.”Coming back to Sabina Park is amazing. I’ve got great memories here,” Phillips said in a television interview. “Being able to get a 50 for my country over here in front of a crowd which I really love is definitely very special for me.”Credit to the West Indies for the way they bowled up front with the new ball which was really, really good in terms of taking the pace off the ball when it was new and harder. As it got older the pitch became a bit nicer to bat on.”Seven West Indies wickets fell to spin bowlers, including the first four of the innings.Mitchell Santner, who was Player of the Match for his 3 for 19 in the first game, took a wicket with his first ball and two wickets in his opening over to set back West Indies’ run chase.Offspinner Michael Bracewell, who replaced fast bowler Lockie Ferguson in the New Zealand line-up, also took a wicket with his first delivery, dismissing captain Nicholas Pooran as West Indies slumped to 12 for 3 at the start of the fourth over.Santner and Bracewell both finished with 3 for 15. Tim Southee took the only wicket which fell to a fast bowler, removing Odean Smith at the tail.Shimron Hetmeyer was the first batter not to fall to a spin bowler, run out by a direct hit at the bowler’s end by New Zealand captain Kane Williamson. West Indies were 28 for 5 at that point and couldn’t recover.”We just didn’t show up today,” Pooran said. “They batted us out of it and we couldn’t see our way with the bat. We had to stay in the game. It just didn’t start well for us. We are struggling but the more cricket we play our performance will grow.”The final T20I will be played on Sunday at the same venue, followed by three ODIs