In 2024/25, Newcastle United would view a poor campaign as one that concludes without a concerted shot at silverware and without qualifying for next year’s European competition.

How things have changed. Eddie Howe has been the architect of something special since his appointment shortly after the lucrative PIF takeover.

But we need only cast our mind back across the past 15 seasons and view two Toon relegations from the Premier League – with plenty of near misses and disappointing finishes throughout.

Oh sure, Newcastle have deeper pockets than once before, but the errant strategy has also been swatted away. High-profile signings of players such as Sven Botman, Bruno Guimaraes, Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon have hit the mark.

It wasn’t always the case, with money spent hastily and efforts to land top targets falling short. The transfer of Gabriel Obertan is one such case – just wait until you hear who could have been signed instead.

Why Newcastle signed Gabriel Obertan

It was the summer of 2011, and Newcastle were about to be treated to a season of Papiss Cisse and Demba Ba-fuelled wonder, so it wasn’t all doom and gloom.

But not everything worked out all dandy. That same summer, Obertan moved to Newcastle from Manchester United in a deal worth £3m. The 22-year-old had featured 21 times for Sir Alex Ferguson’s Red Devils after emerging from the youth ranks, but he scored just one goal and patently needed a fresh lease of life.

Newcastle struggled to give him the conditions he needed – and vice versa, in a way. But it didn’t work out in any case, with Obertan suffering injury misfortune and failing to grow into the player that Ferguson thought he might become, having once hailed him as an “exciting prospect”.

And it was luckless fitness dips that proved to form the crux of Obertan’s woes at St. James’ Park, for he was scarcely found in the starting lineup in the Premier League and failed to hit the consistency that would have earned him the right kind of form.

Indeed, Obertan scored three goals and added ten assists across 77 matches for Newcastle, meaning that he technically cost the club £1m per goal.

15/16

6 (4)

0

1

14/15

16 (11)

1

2

13/14

5 (0)

0

0

12/13

24 (14)

1

3

11/12

26 (19)

2

4

Grim reading, especially when considering the track that Newcastle took to secure the Frenchman’s signature. Mike Ashley’s Magpies were unable to cash in on their wayward venture due to his issues, and thus he trundled through his contract and departed on a free in 2016, having not returned to the Premier League since.

It could have been so different, for Newcastle could have signed Mohamed Salah instead…

When Newcastle missed out on Mohamed Salah

It’s a well-known name on the English scene. Salah has been the veritable lifeforce of Liverpool’s frontline throughout an illustrious point in their history, notably winning the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup under Jurgen Klopp’s wing.

One of the Premier League’s finest forwards, Salah, aged 32, has scored 160 goals and supplied 72 assists across 267 matches in England’s top flight, principally for Liverpool but also, briefly, for Chelsea.

The Egypt international is widely regarded as a “world-class” player, as Klopp states below, but he really could have enjoyed his rise and rise as a Magpie – just think of the difference it could have made over the past decade.

It dates back to the winger’s humble beginnings in his homeland, with Al Mokawloon, one of Egypt’s most prestigious outfits. Newcastle had noted his potential and wanted to bring him across the seas and allow him to cut his teeth in the Premier League.

There’s no word of mouth here, the news came from the man himself, who said back in 2011: “Newcastle will soon make an official offer to sign me for one season. I don’t think contractors will refuse to let me play in the English Premier League. It’s a dream for any player to play in one of the strongest league competitions in the world.”

It, obviously, didn’t work out. Salah would move to FC Basel and hone his craft in Switzerland before catching Chelsea’s attention and transferring to the Premier League for an £11m fee in 2014.

But just think of what could have been. Salah has become one of Europe’s most devastating players at Anfield and actually emerged as the Saudi Pro League’s top transfer target in 2023, with Al Ittihad willing to pay £150m for his services – this was rejected by Liverpool who clearly valued him even higher.

Newcastle have had to live with the fact that they opted against signing Salah way back when. Let’s face it, the young talent was awestruck by the prospect of donning the black and white stripes and would have boarded the first plane had Ashley’s outfit followed up their interest with a bid.

He signed for Basel in 2012 for an undisclosed figure that can’t have been much more than was paid for Obertan at Newcastle one year earlier, so it would take a brave football fanatic to stake a convincing argument as to why, in hindsight, the Magpies decided not to swoop.

Anyway, it’s all water under a bridge. Newcastle are on the up and are targetting new levels of success once again this season – deals like this one matter little now, but it’s a stark reminder not to deviate from the thriving strategy of modern times.

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Even if the Blaugrana manage to belatedly register their summer signings, it's clear that a change of leadership is required

Will Barcelona president Joan Laporta manage to register Dani Olmo and Pau Victor for the rest of the season? We should find out in the coming days. Another temporary solution seems likely. But is that good enough? And does it even really matter at this stage? The damage is done, too many promises have already been broken.

Olmo and Victor still want to play for Barca but are said to be "tremendously angry" with Laporta, while Raphinha has admitted that the whole sorry affair would make future transfer targets think twice about joining the club. "It can have an impact, I can’t say the opposite," the Brazilian admitted. "If I was in another club seeing the situation we are going through, I would probably wonder if coming here is the best option."

Barca like to see themselves as more than a club, a footballing force for good, a champion of Catalan culture. But the Blaugrana have made a mockery of their own motto over the past decade. Laporta was meant to repair a reputation tarnished by his incompetent predecessor Josep Maria Bartomeu, but he's only continued to sully the name of a once-proud social institution.

• (C)Getty Images
  

  Senseless signing

  When he went on the campaign trail back in 2021, Laporta vowed to go back to basics after years of reckless excess. He told GOAL that the key principles of his second spell as president would be the same as the first: "Johan Cruyff, La Masia, Catalunya, UNICEF and a professional organisation." And yet the Laporta administration has been made to look, at best, embarrassingly amateurish, and, at worst, downright deceitful.

  The net result is that five years after being left on the verge of bankruptcy by Bartomeu, Barca remain synonymous with disastrous decision-making and utterly unnecessary signings.

  Olmo is, of course, a fine forward, and a very versatile one at that, but Barca definitely didn't need him. There were other holes to fill in Hansi Flick's squad and the priority was obviously a left winger, namely Nico Williams. Signing Olmo, then, looked like an expensive act of pure desperation, an attempt to appease the club's frustrated fans by bringing back one of their own.

  Cost clearly didn't come into the equation. The only thing they wanted to do was get a major deal over the line; they could – and indeed would – worry about spending restrictions and financial regulations later.

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• AFP
  

  'We are Barca'

  In fairness, there was a widely held presumption that Barcelona would somehow balance the books. Even La Liga president Javier Tebas pointed out, "In the end, they always manage to register players."

  Laporta, like life, finds a way – whether it's by pulling economic levers or exploiting Liga loopholes. However, Barca were so preoccupied with whether or not they could sign Olmo, they didn't stop to think if they should. They just went out and did it without considering the consequences. In that sense, it was an act of astounding arrogance, one that rather sums up Barca's staggering sense of entitlement.

  Laporta has certainly always pushed the idea that the club is too big to fail. He vowed to "reverse" the dire financial situation at Camp Nou and was supremely confident of doing so simply because "we are Barca". But Barca is no longer what it once was – or, at least, what it was meant to be. FC Barcelona is only more than a club in the sense that it is now also a brand, an expression of capitalism rather than Catalunya.

  At Camp Nou these days, everything is for sale, from corporate boxes to core values. And all for knockdown prices.

• Getty
  

  Gamble backfires

  Laporta has justifiably argued that he was dealt a terrible hand by Bartomeu, but that doesn't excuse his decision to continue raising the stakes by essentially betting future profits on present-day success. Barca spent their way into trouble, so why are they still trying to spend their way out of it?

  The Catalans had a €100 million (£83m/$104m) hole in their accounts last summer and they nonetheless decided to fork out an additional €55m (£46m/$57m) for Olmo – it made no sense. Did nobody at the club argue that maybe the simplest solution to their financial problem might also be the most effective: stop signing players they can't afford and work with the products of the most prestigious academy in world football?

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  'Damage caused is irreparable'

  The many Barca-focused social media accounts out there might lead one to believe otherwise, but not all Blaugrana fans are fools, mindlessly lapping up the misinformation the club has been feeding them on a daily basis. The majority are painfully aware that Barcelona's status as one of the game's great institutions has been completely undermined by the gross mismanagement that has resulted in a "vicious cycle" of instability and jeopardised the very existence of the club. Consequently, they rightly want Laporta out.

  "The situation created is inadmissible, and the damage caused to the reputation of the entity is irreparable," fan group Som un Clam said in a statement. "The bad image is aggravated by the continuous lies and the deception of members with false promises that are never fulfilled and that end up harming the club.

  "In just four years, FC Barcelona's assets have been decapitalised with various 'levers', wrongly selling strategic assets for the future to cover holes derived from chaotic and improvised management. Despite promises of recovery, the club still lacks a solid financial plan or a coherent strategy to ensure stability in the medium and long term…

  "We demand an end to the unfulfilled promises, constant improvisation and irresponsible sale of assets that are mortgaging the model of collective ownership that makes us unique. A change of course is urgent. It is necessary to recover the transparency, planning and values that have made Barca 'more than a club'."

Newcastle United may have suffered their first defeat of the 2024/25 season over the weekend, but is there any doubt that Eddie Howe is the right man to lead them back to the Champions League?

While the summer transfer window failed to attract many high-quality additions to the squad, the opening few weeks of the campaign saw the Magpies grind out several important wins.

Confidence has been rocked by the Premier League loss to Fulham though and with a clash against Manchester City coming up on Saturday, Howe will hope to get his men firing once again.

He has yet to end Newcastle’s 50-plus-year wait for a major trophy, but he did lead them to the League Cup final in 2023. Progress has certainly been made, no question about that.

He can lay claim to being the finest manager of the club since Sir Bobby Robson, who was the last man to lead them into the Champions League back in 2002/03.

The former England manager enjoyed a five-year reign on Tyneside between 1999 and 2004. Howe would surely love a few of the players who starred for the Englishman during his spell in charge.

Bobby Robson’s statistics at Newcastle

Robson returned to managing in England following the resignation of Ruud Gullit in August 1999 as the Toon occupied second bottom of the Premier League table. Considering they had finished runners-up during the 1995/96 and 1996/97 seasons, it was clear something new was required at St James’ Park.

Robson’s last managerial role in his homeland had been with Ipswich Town, who he led to stunning triumphs in the FA Cup and UEFA Cup during a 13-year spell in East Anglia.

Under the former Barcelona coach, the Magpies finished in the top five in three of his five campaigns at the helm, qualifying for Europe’s elite competition twice.

He built a side that really should have won a trophy or two, being able to call on players such as Alan Shearer, yet he wasn’t able to claim silverware.

GK

Steve Harper

DF

Aaron Hughes

DF

Didier Domi

DF

Alain Goma

DF

Wayne Barton

MF

Robert Lee

MF

Temuri Ketsbaia

MF

Gary Speed

MF

Norberto Solano

MF

Kieron Dyer

ST

Alan Shearer

Several of his latter signings proved to be major disappointments, including Patrick Kluivert, who joined in the summer of 2004.

Patrick Kluivert at Newcastle

The Dutchman scored the winner for Ajax against AC Milan in the 1995 Champions League final at the tender age of 18, thus setting himself up for a wonderful career.

Despite this early promise, he didn’t quite become the world-beater that everyone expected, despite shining for Barcelona between 1998 and 2004.

Indeed, during his spell with the Catalan side, Kluivert scored an impressive tally of 122 goals across 257 games, although he could only lead the side to a single La Liga title.

Once his contract expired, Robson was quick to bring him to St James’, spending a single season in the north-east.

13 goals from 37 appearances wasn’t exactly a bad return, but given his stature in the European game, much more was expected of the striker, that’s for sure.

Robson was sacked after just a few games of the 2004/05 season, but he could have signed a player who would go on to become much better than the Dutchman that very same summer – Wayne Rooney.

When Newcastle missed out on Wayne Rooney

Speaking after launching a charity auction in honour of the ex-Newcastle boss in 2015, Rooney revealed that Robson wanted to bring him to the club after Euro 2004.

“Sir Bobby Robson was a football man to the core and someone who once tried to sign me for Newcastle,” said the current Plymouth Argyle manager. “I only played against his teams on a few occasions.

“But as the England captain and a keen historian of the England team, I am aware of his impact as manager and as the most successful national team manager since Sir Alf Ramsey.”

What might have been had Rooney jumped at the chance to move to the Magpies 20 years ago, rather than linking up with Sir Alex Ferguson? English football would have looked very different, that’s for sure.

One that got away

The transfers that nearly happened but never did. This article is part of Football FanCast's One That Got Away series.

Wayne Rooney’s statistics at Man Utd

It was clear that Old Trafford was always going to be the preferred destination for Rooney that summer, especially given his chances of winning major titles.

While the first couple of years yielded just a solitary League Cup trophy, Ferguson was in the process of building his third great team at United, one that would see them dominate English football yet again.

Rooney played a key role during the three-peat between 2007 and 2009, while the Red Devils also tasted success in the Champions League, their third victory in the competition.

The former Everton man enjoyed his greatest season in front of goal during 2009/10, scoring 33 goals in all competitions for the club.

He would remain in Manchester until 2017, adding another few league titles, along with an FA Cup and Europa League triumph, not to mention the fact he overtook Sir Bobby Charlton as United’s top scorer in the process.

Rooney’s spell at the club perhaps exceeded everyone’s expectations when he signed, despite his prodigious talents, playing at the very top for 13 years, scoring 313 club goals in the process and winning five league crowns.

Imagine if he had joined Newcastle instead. Would the club have gotten a similar sort of performance out of him compared to Fergie? Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Instead, Robson signed Kluivert that summer, who, at the time, was still only 29 years of age. It didn’t quite work out for the Dutchman, spending only a single year at the Toon, before seeing out the rest of his career representing a number of clubs.

Rooney? Well, becoming Man United’s top scorer while netting over 50 goals for England suggests he didn’t do too badly after leaving Everton.

Newcastle must rue not making a more concrete offer to land him after Euro 2004, that’s for sure.

Newcastle wanted to sign future Ballon d'Or winner, they got Geremi instead

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1 ByRoss Kilvington Sep 22, 2024

It will start three days after IPL final, but ICC to ensure pitches get enough rest between the two tournaments

Nagraj Gollapudi29-Jun-2021

A day after the BCCI announced it would be hosting the 2021 men’s T20 World Cup not in India but in the UAE and Oman, the ICC on Tuesday confirmed the venue shift. The ICC said that the tournament was being shifted “given the consequences of the second wave of Covid-19” in India. As reported last week by ESPNcricinfo, the 16-team World Cup will now be held between October 17 and November 14, and it will be co-hosted at the three venues in the UAE – Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah – along with the Oman Cricket Academy in Muscat.This will be the first T20 World Cup since 2016, when West Indies beat England in the final at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.In April, the BCCI had shortlisted nine venues in India for the 16-team tournament with the world’s largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad slotted to host the final on November 14. However, strong doubts on India hosting the marquee event emerged as soon as the BCCI was forced to suspend the IPL midway through, after the tournament bubble was breached and several players and support staff from four franchises were tested positive. The ICC had already nominated the UAE as the back-up venue for the T20 World Cup as early as last year, when it had allotted the tournament to India.Related

Ranji Trophy returns as BCCI announces full 2021-22 domestic season

T20 World Cup set to begin on October 17 in UAE; final on November 14

BCCI confirms 2021 T20 World Cup switch to UAE

That the World Cup was certain to be moved to the UAE became clear when the BCCI top brass landed in Dubai in May to hold meetings with the Emirates Cricket Board as well as local government officials. Subsequently, the BCCI announced the second half of the IPL would also be held in the UAE. ESPNcricinfo has learned that the IPL will begin on September 19, with the final likely on October 14.Although the World Cup will start three days later, the ICC has ensured that the pitches at the main grounds in the UAE, which will host the Super 12 stage, will get enough resting time between the two tournaments.On Tuesday the ICC confirmed that Round 1 comprising eight teams, which will play 12 matches, will be split across two groups of four each. The two groups will be split between one of the venues in the UAE and Oman. Four team from this lot of eight – Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Netherlands, Scotland, Namibia, Oman, Papua New Guinea – will then progress to the Super 12s, joining the top eight ranked T20I teams. The Super 12s phase, comprising 30 matches, is scheduled in the UAE and set to start from October 24. The Super 12s, where teams will be split across two groups of six each, will be played at three venues in the UAE – Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. This will be followed by three playoff games – the two semi-finals and the final.Geoff Allardice, ICC’s acting CEO, said that the global body was “incredibly disappointed” that the World Cup would not be staged in India. “Our priority is to deliver the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 safely, in full and in its current window,” Allardice said in a media release. “The decision gives us the certainty we need to stage the event in a country that is a proven international host of multi-team events in a bio-secure environment.”BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said that, as the hosting board, it was looking to create a “spectacle”. “We would have been happier hosting it in India but considering the uncertainty due to the Covid 19 situation and the importance of a world championship, the BCCI will now continue to host this tournament in UAE and Oman. The BCCI is looking forward to creating a spectacle.”

The rest of the Pakistan contingent will leave for Lahore on August 25

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Aug-2021

Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan head coach, has tested positive for Covid-19 in Kingston, where Pakistan completed their series of four T20Is and two Tests against West Indies. Misbah will now stay on and complete his 10-day quarantine before travelling home, even as the rest of the Pakistan contingent leaves for Lahore late on Wednesday.In a statement, the PCB said that Misbah, who is asymptomatic, “was the only Pakistan squad member who failed two pre-departure PCR tests”. “The PCB is constantly in touch with Cricket West Indies who have confirmed that Misbah will be shifted to another hotel for the 10-day quarantine with a medical specialist assigned to look after his health and well-being,” the statement said.Related

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It was a rain-marred but largely successful tour for Pakistan. Their four-match T20I series had three games that ended in no-results because of the weather, but they won the only completed game, the second, by seven runs to take the series.Then came the Test series, where West Indies clinched a thriller by one wicket to go 1-0 up, but Shaheen Afridi and Fawad Alam headlined Pakistan’s bounceback in the second Test to give them a 109-run series-squaring win on Tuesday.Pakistan are now scheduled to host New Zealand for three ODIs (in Rawalpindi) and five T20Is (in Lahore) from September 17, with the visitors going across to Pakistan – after their tour of Bangladesh – for the first time in nearly 18 years.As part of the home season, Pakistan are also expected to host England for two T20Is (before the Men’s T20 World Cup, in October), and Australia early next year.

A big Leeds United earner could require surgery after a new Thorp Arch injury update was shared by Adam Pope.

Leeds results and fixtures

It has been an interesting start to the season for the Whites and Daniel Farke. Leeds currently sit inside the Championship playoff places after picking up 11 points from a possible 18.

Wins were recorded against Sheffield Wednesday, Hull City and most recently Cardiff City, draws against Portsmouth and West Brom, with their only defeat coming to Burnley. The games come thick and fast for Farke and his side, with Coventry City next up at Elland Road.

Leeds United’s next five Championship games

Date

Leeds United vs Coventry City

September 28

Norwich City vs Leeds United

October 1

Sunderland vs Leeds United

October 4

Leeds United vs Sheffield United

October 18

Leeds United vs Watford

October 22

Leeds, who recently announced a plan to expand Elland Road, will be without a number of players for the game, and a concerning injury update has emerged on one specific player.

Leeds injury update – Max Wober

Taking to X, Pope, who was at Thorp Arch for Farke’s pre-match press conference on Thursday, stated that Wober is still out and that he may now even need surgery on his knee, with a decision to be made over the coming days.

Farke said how the defender had a setback last week before Cardiff and explained the next steps for the player: “Max will also miss this game, he had a set-back in training on Friday before Cardiff, that was why he wasn’t in the matchday squad.

“Some ongoing problems with his knee. Our medical department tries everything to find a conservative solution and we’ll find out in the next days. We tried to push him back into team training but we need to make a decision in the next days if this doesn’t work and he can’t return. Probably our choice would then be surgery and then he’d miss out a few weeks. But we’re hopeful we can bring him back into training in the early stage of next week.”

Wober, who returned from a loan spell with Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer, is yet to make an impact in Leeds’ 24/25 campaign, with his only appearance coming against Middlesbrough in a 3-0 Carabao Cup defeat.

The Austria international, on £35,000-a-week, has been third choice behind Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon but could have been in line to feature if he was fit, with Struijk also a doubt this weekend.

However, that won’t be the case, with Wober still sidelined. Former RB Salzburg sporting director Christoph Freund has heaped praise on the 26-year-old in the past, saying: “Max is not only a really good defender just in the way we want of him. He is also a real leader in the team who is happy to take on responsibility, which is an important factor for our young team.”

All set up for big finale

7pmHectic finish. Look at Cheteshwar Pujara’s strike-rate. He is 12 off 13. Just what he needed perhaps. England getting desperate for a wicket instead of bowling line and length, and he managed to get some runs there. And runs are at a premium. India end the day at 52 for 1 needing another 157 to win this Test. They will fancy themselves. And after the bluff by the weather forecast today, I am not even looking at what is in store tomorrow. Instead I will leave you with a teaser from the end-of-the-day report

Joe Root and Jasprit Bumrah combined on the fourth day to set up a grandstand finish for the Trent Bridge Test, the series opener. Having fallen behind by 95 in the first innings, England roared back on the back of a colossal 21st century from Root, but just when they were slipping out of India’s grasp, Bumrah put in an immense five-for to rise above a tiring bowling unit to keep the target down to 209. India knocked 52 of those off in the awkward 65 minutes they got at the end of the day for the loss of just one wicket.England began the day 70 behind with all their wickets in hand, but it was believed they needed rain or Root to rescue their fledgling batting unit. The promised rain never arrived, but in the best batting conditions of the Test, Root batted with assured positivity to make sure England never went into a shell and put the pressure of runs on India. However, Dom Sibley, Dan Lawrence and Jos Buttler gifted their wickets away to keep India in the contest by the time the new ball arrived. Bumrah blew them away with it.

Broad too good

6.43pmIt is Stuart Broad’s first wicket of the match, but it has come just when it was all looking too flat for them and India had put on 34 for the first wicket. And it is a beauty too. There is not much KL Rahul can do with this. On a length, on off, extra bounce, holds its line. Just too good. What an amazing Test for Rahul though: coming in at the last moment, he scored 84 in the first innings, and made them bowl the best they could to get him out in the second innings.What a stat from Sampath Bandarupalli: “Before KL Rahul’s dismissal, Stuart Broad had not taken a wicket vs India in 60.2 overs since Virat Kohli at The Oval in 2018.”India 34 for 1, Rahul gone for 26 off 38, Rohit unbeaten on 7 off 27. India need 175 more to win.

India need 209 to win

5.43pmGetty Images

A couple of balls after being hit in the helmet grille, Robinson swings hard at a length ball, and India have the fly slip in place. The new ball has brought India 31 or 4. Twice in a row India have run through the England lower order. And just look at what the new ball has done. England through careless batting have lost the chance of using the second new ball. Whatever they have to do they have to do with the old one.The man of the moment, though, is the immense immense Jasprit Bumrah, who finally got the wicket of Joe Root, and then Sam Curran and Stuart Broad in two balls.We have got 65 minutes of play today. Heavy roller will come out to settle the pitch down again. India failed to chase two sub-200 scores on the 2018 trip, but will fancy themselves now because the pitch has looked flat in the third innings and because there are Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja in the lower middle order to go with a similar top order.

Toes for Broad again

5.33pmBumrah. What a bowler. He has knocked back Stuart Broad’s wicket with a straight ball following Broad as he backs away, and it ricochets onto his wicket. First ball that too. Robinson in danger of not even getting a chance to farm the strike. One more ball left this over. Bumrah on a hat-trick.He attempts the yorker on the hat-trick, but it falls just short of it, and Anderson keeps it out. Oh it is a no-ball. Torture for Anderson. The newt ball is a 140kmph offbreak, and somehow misses the edge.What a huge spell from Bumrah. 3-0-9-3 when it looked like England could just nose ahead. That’s a five-for for him. A 10-for in sight.Now the field will spread for Robinson.5.28pm

Bumrah keeps India’s noses ahead

5.28pmSam Curran and Ollie Robinson have decided they won’t just stand there and provide Bumrah target practice. They have actually gone ahead and targeted Shami at the other end. The partnership is 20 off 21, but Bumrah has bowled another beauty to get rid of the dangerous Curran. This one comes from round the wicket, pitches and jags back in to cramp Curran up, who is on the lookout for the runs. Mid-on takes the catch. England 295 for 8 in 84.4 overs, Curran gone for 32 off 45, Robinson unbeaten on 13 off 7. England effectively 200 for 8. They would have dearly loved for Curran to have been there with Broad and Anderson, but Bumrah has bowled an excellent spell with the new ball here to keep India ahead.

Bumrah stands up

5.09pmIn the first over of the new ball, Jasprit Bumrah produces the ball to finally get the edge from Joe Root. A colossal innings, but a big moment in the Test. Bumrah has stood up with the Test in the balance. England still can’t feel comfortable. They are 274 for 7 in 81 overs, effectively 179 for 7. Root is gone for 109 off 172, Curran unbeaten on 24 off 30.It is just that angle from Bumrah that makes you play at balls you don’t want to play, and then at the last moment this length ball holds its line to take the edge. Huge reception for Root as he walks off.

New ball

5.05pmThe ball is taken as soon as it becomes available, and India turn to Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami now. Thirty-seven runs in those 10 overs for the bonus wicket of Buttler. England 272 for 6 in 80 overs, Root 108 off 168, Curran 23 off 28. England effectively 177 for 6.Big spell coming up for Bumrah and Shami. If England don’t lose a wicket in these 10 overs, they could feel they are in control. India can still break this Test open right here, right now.

RoooooooooooooooooooT

PA Images via Getty Images

4.42pmJoe Root is carrying the Test side on his back, and this time he has done long enough to bring up his 21st Test century, his first in England in three years. Under fire from every corner, England began the day needing Rain or Root to come to their aid. The rain didn’t show up, but Root did. A fluent, aggressive, precise knock in the best batting conditions of the Test so far. He has been let down by three of his partners, at least one of whom should have been here with him to put India under pressure, but Sam Curran it is who gets the congratulatory hug.After missing out on two boundary balls earlier in the 75th over, he drives one straight down the ground, and raises his arms as the ball goes past the bowler for four. Whole of Trent Bridge stands with him. England 253 for 6 in 75 overs, Root 102 off 156, Curran 10 off 10. England effectively 158 for 6. New ball available in five overs.

India have not been at their best

ESPNcricinfo Ltd

4.30pmThe thing about the Buttler wicket is that we were just discussing how India have presented boundary balls today a little more easily than on their good days. That should irk England more than they have not made India pay for it. Here is some findings from Shiva Jayaraman:

India bowlers have been guilty of bowling boundary balls to England batters fresh at the crease in this innings. Jos Buttler, who didn’t get off the mark in his first dig in this match, hit three fours in the first-ten he faced in this innings. England batters collectively hit as many as 11 boundaries (from shots that they were in full control of) in the first 20 balls faced by them in their second innings. In comparison, the England top order had hit only four boundaries in the first innings.

England gift another wicket

4.17pmJust back from tea, and it is Jos Buttler’s turn to giftwrap his wicket with a tiny bow on the top. Before tea also he survived a close lbw shout when padding up to a reversing ball. He leaves one again, and this time the gently paced Thakur gets full access to the top of off. England’s collapse in the first innings featured a few soft wickets, but you might have been okay with it given the conditions. But in flat conditions, against tiring bowlers, England have thrown away three wickets, and that is a bigger problem. This is the sixth time in Test cricket that Buttler has got out leaving the ball, four of them bowled. England 237 for 6, effectively 142 for 6.

Tea on day four

3.56pmA slightly longer middle session comes to an end. In flatter conditions, with Joe Root batting beautifully, India will be glad with the two gifts they have been given by Sibley and Lawrence. England will be disappointed because they really had a chance to bat India out of this Test in this session. Old ball, tired bowlers, Root looking immovable, freebies finally arriving, but Sibley played a poor shot and Lawrence was dozy to reverse swing. England scored 116 for 3 in that session in 30 overs. Nearly four an over tells you the pitch has eased out. And that the pitch has eased out tells you that England won’t be happy with the 180-190 targets they won with in 2018.New ball available in 10 overs. So that is another turning point to watch out for in the next session. England 235 for 5 in 70 overs, Root 96 off 138, Buttler 15 off 20. England effectively 140 for 5. See you soon.

Dozy Lawrence

3.32pmThakur was looking ordinary in this over giving leg-side offerings, not bowling high pace, but to the fifth legal ball of the over, Lawrence played for the straight ball when the ball is clearly reversing. This is just the window India needed, just the moment of dozy cricket that could cost England the Test just when it looked like England had access to tired bowlers. You just don’t plant your front foot across to the reversing ball. Lawrence is out plumb lbw for 25 off 32. England 211 for 5 in 64.5 overs, effectively 116 for 5. Root unbeaten on 90 off 125. In comes Jos Buittler, on a pair.And India sense something and have gone back to Jasprit Bumrah. Big 20 minutes to tea coming up.

Reverse swing

3.25pmIn the 64th over of the third innings, for the first time we saw signs of reverse swing in this Test. Dan Lawrence saw the shiny side outside, set himself up to play to leg, and the ball moved away to beat his edge. The next ball, with the shiny side out, took his outside edge, but it fell short. And then Mohammed Shami flipped the shine to try the inswinger, and it went, but went down the leg side, and Lawrence got a tickle for four to fine leg.England 202 for 4 in 64 overs, Root 90 off 124, Lawrence 17 off 26. England effectively 107 for 4.Good news for India; Shardul Thakur is bowling, but he has started with a no-ball. Only his eighth over in this innings. Jadeja has bowled more.

Is Shardul Thakur fine?

3.10pmIn the 60th over of the England innings, Shardul Thakur gave chase at deep third man, and he looked slow. Nagraj Gollapudi tells me he was pointing to the inside of his knee sometime ago. He also spent some time off in this session. He was also seen talking to the physio. And he hasn’t bowled at all in this session. In case he is injured, it is an illustration why you play five bowlers.England 188 for 4 in 60 overs, Root 87 off 120, Lawrence 6 off 7, effectively 93 for 4.

Bairstow finds the sweeper

3pmThis is a pull shot nailed off the absolute meat of the bat, but Bairstow has not bothered to keep it down, and Siraj has had a man back just in front of square for him all the while. And they have chosen the right man too, Ravindra Jadeja. Bairstow just can’t believe he has found the man. This looks like a wicket that has an element of fortune to it, and it is because this short ball is not even an effort ball, but India have also been looking to bowl short to Bairstow with a field for it, and the best fielder in place. Siraj is shushing Bairstow with a finger on the lip. England 177 for 4 in 57.3 overs, Bairstow gone for 30 off 50, Root unbeaten on 83 off 112. Effectively 82 for 4.

Afternoon drinks

2.47pmJonny Bairstow has come in and counterattacked even under overcast skies. The partnership between him and Root is 36 in 9.1 overs, but Bairstow has scored 26 of those. It has helped that Shami and Siraj started their current spells with looseners on which he pounced, hitting two of his four bundaries. It has allowed Root to go a little easy here. England 171 for 3 in 55 overs, effectively 76 for 3, Root 81 off 107, Bairstow 24 off 40.In case you are wondering about the weather, it is drizzling somewhere in Nottingham, but it seems it is going to miss the Trent Bridge ground. It is dark and overcast at the ground so it should help India.

Sibley loses his patience

2.05pmAnd with that his wicket. A really poor shot given how he has batted. After 132 balls of watchful batting for just 28 runs he has wafted at a wide length ball. It might even have been just short of a length. And it is overcast with floodlights on. The ball nips back in after pitching, takes the inside edge and Pant takes the catch diving to his left. This is inexplicable from Sibley. even if this ball doesn’t seam, Sibley is not going to make a good connection with this one because it is so far away from him. The partnership ends at 89, and India have a new batter in with the ball just beginning to move around.England 135 for 3, effectively 40 for 3, Sibley gone for 28 off 133, Root unbeaten on 71 off 92.

Root looks to score

The difference in Root’s intent as captured by our scorers. Second innings updated till lunch•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The above image is self-explanatory. In the second innings, Joe Root has cut out the leave and looked to score off those deliveries. He has still respected the good balls as he has defended the same amount in a much shorter period, but he has attacked more and looked for the ones and twos more.1.47pmJadeja has been taken off after just one over, and Mohammed Siraj is now joining Bumrah in the attack.

We are back

1.40pmAnd India have surprisingly chosen to start with Ravindra Jadeja. Wonder if they have decided they need to block one end up and have their fresh quicks at the other end? I can tell you that clouds have rolled in so if the ball does something for Jasprit Bumrah at the other end, we will have two quicks on.

Root, Sibley hold India off

1pmAFP/Getty Images

England were 49 behind when these two came together, but going into lunch they lead by 24 runs. Contrasting styles there. Root looking to score of every opportunity he gets, Sibley looking to survive. Root 56 off 74, Sibley 27 off 116.The interesting thing is that England’s control percentage has gone down during this partnership. That’s cricket, though: Root feels the conditions are slightly easier and he can get away with mistakes. And he has. India will come back hard at the start of the next session. At this moment, you’d still want to be in the Indian camp, but they wouldn’t want this partnership to keep growing. Back after the break

Fifty for Root

12.55pmIt was rain or Root for England at the start of the innings. The rain hasn’t arrived, but Joe Root is keeping them alive with an unbeaten 51 off 68 balls. This has been a slightly streaky hand as he has looked intent on playing for the runs and not just time. He has been in control only of three balls in four. He has taken his chances, and has been excellent on the cover-drive and the late-cut. That is why England are in the lead. India can’t just attack here. They have to think about the runs too. England effectively 19 for 2.

India will bat again

12.35pmJoe Root and Dom Sibley have gone through a nervous period and have added 49 for the third wicket to level the scores. England have already lost two wickets in the process. Now England will hope to convert this into some pressure for England. There’s five-and-a-half sessions left in the Test now. England effectively 0 for 2 in the third innings.

India have a third man for Root

12.30pmGetty Images

The image there is the reason why. four of Root’s 11 boundaries in the first innings came through third man. And now, with England getting close to making India bat again, runs are at a premium. So India don’t want to give away any cheap boundaries to third man. England 91 for 2 in 31 overs, still trail by 4 runs.

India’s hour

NoonTime for the first drinks break of the day, and India have made vital inroads. Wickets of Rory Burns and Zak Crawley for the addition of 46 runs in conditions that have probably been the best for batting all Test. Joe Root has already edged twice, once wide of slips and once short of them. Another inside edge has travelled safely. England still trail by 24 runs.India have induced 28 mistakes in 25 overs of bowling this innings: a mistake ever six balls or so. In the first two innings, it was happening once every four balls.

India on their way

11.30amJasprit Bumrah makes it a double breakthrough by teasing Zak Crawley in the channel, bowling one he has to play at. It holds its line and takes the edge. The only way he surrives this is if Crawley strides forward. England down at 46 for 2. They still trail by 49.When this innings began, there was a remark made: only Root and rain stand in India’s way. The rain has disappeared. And Root is here. India will be very intense in this spell of play.

First break for India

11.20amGetty Images

Mohammed Siraj’s coaches will tell you his biggest threat is how often he can make left-hand batters play at the away-going delivery. He can just keep pitching it in the blind spot again and again, and make them push at it. There is also the threat of the odd ball that holds its line. This time, in conditions that look more settled than in the first innings, he makes Rory Burns play at one leaving him. The edge is taken, and India are on the board.And the first ball that Zak Crawley gets tells you possibly why people keep playing at him. This one holds its line against the angle to the right-hand batter Zak Crawley, and the edge flies of the slips.Also Shiva Jayaraman comes up with the numbers for Siraj to left-hand batters: “Early days in his career, but Mohammed Siraj seems to have done better against left-handed batters in comparison with right handers. At the fall of Rory Burns’ wicket, Siraj averaged 18.28 against them (7 wickets, strike rate of 38) as opposed to 34.18 against right handers (11 wickets, strike rate of 74).’England 37 for 1 in 15.1 overs, Burns gone for 18 off 49, SIbley unbeaten on 13 off 47. England still trail by 58.

Here we go

10.45amWelcome to the Live Report of Day 4. Great news for India: it is nice and sunny as we speak, and we are starting on time. We have a maximum of 196 overs left in this Test. England have all their 10 second-wickets in hand, but they are still trailing by 70 runs. If there is no further rain, you’d assume England will need to bat close to four sessions to save this Test. India will back themselves here should there not be any more rain.In the 11.1 overs bowled in the second innings on the third day, the ball moved less than it did in the first two innings. It showed in how India deployed only two slips and a gully. Is that a sign of things to come? Or will the conditions change again?India’s wish: Clouds but no rain.England’s wish: Either rain or a sunny day.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Figueirense terá de pagar uma quantia superior a casa dos R$ 500 mil segundo decisões judiciais favoráveis a um ex-jogador e a um ex-treinador da equipes, casos do atacante Diego Gonçalves (hoje no Botafogo) e de Vinícius Eutrópio, atual comandante do Londrina.

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>Receba as principais notícias do esporte com o novo canal do LANCE!

No caso do atleta de 27 anos de idade, os pedidos judiciais foram relacionados averbas rescisórias, bônus contratual, salários atrasados, FGTS, auxílio moradia, multas e honorários. Todos eles foram julgados como procedentes e totalizaram uma condenação de R$ 450 mil.

Já no que diz respeito ao técnico, os pedidos foram de verbas rescisórias e FGTS além de multas e honorários. Todos foram deferidos e totalizaram uma nova condenação ao Figueira, essa na casa do R$ 100 mil.

Ao todo, Diego disputou 48 partidas com a camisa do Alvinegro de Florianópolis em 2020, marcando 11 gols e dando três assistências, antes de se transferir para o Mirassol. Já Eutrópio ficou por apenas nove partidas no comando técnico em sua última passagem, no ano de 2019.

Plymouth manager Miron Muslic left players and supporters astounded as his first remarks as Wayne Rooney's replacement went viral.

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Article continues below

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• Muslic takes over as Plymouth boss
• Plymouth beat Brentford in FA Cup clash
• Gives inspiring speech after match

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Muslic was named as Plymouth boss earlier this month, signing a three-and-a-half-year deal to succeed Manchester United legend Rooney, who was sacked after leaving the Pilgrims at the bottom of the Championship standings.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Muslic will start his tenure with Plymouth Argyle following a major bang as the Pilgrims defeated Premier League side Brentford 1-0 in the third round of the FA Cup under caretaker manager Kevin Nancekivell. Following the major victory, Plymouth posted the Austrian manager's awe-inspiring speech after taking on his first match as the Pilgrims' head coach.

• WHAT MUSLIC SAID

  Speaking to the squad in the dressing room after the clash against Brentford, Muslic said: "Good to be here, very good to be here. Normally, I would always address my words firstly to the team. But, this morning, I will address my first words to Nance [Kevin Nancekivell].

  "Your courage, your commitment, your selflessness is an inspiration. There are moments in life and moments on the football pitch where the heat is on, the pressure is on and people just disappear, run away and hide, other people like Nance step up. That's courage, balls.

  "When I saw the celebrations after the game, it was pure, it was from the heart. Not fake, pure and from the heart. Goosebumps all over my body!

  "I know it has been difficult for you over the last weeks, suffering, struggling. It's part of our job. You are professional football players, it's not easy being a professional football player.

  "We have to perform day in, day out, every single weekend, and we are an object. We don't have a private life, they (outsiders) can do what they want with us. They can destroy us every single day and every single game, that's why it's difficult to be a professional football player. That's why we are here, because it's hard.

  "Nothing in the next weeks will be easy for us, no problem! Let's face this challenge in front of us with commitment, with heart, with togetherness, because you impressed me against Brentford.

  "Going there, and delivering a performance the way you did. F*cking hell, well done. Showing this passion, this conviction, this togetherness, this will be the ingredients we need to face the challenge in front of us, no doubt. And it's going to be hard, no problem."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MUSLIC?

  Plymouth do indeed have a very tough challenge on their hands after the start of the Championship season they suffered under Rooney. Nonetheless, Muslic has remained positive that the squad are ready to battle back from the bottom of the standings. They are only three points from safety, though, and face Oxford United next.

Diamonds beat Sunrisers in third win from four games to move top of Group Two

ECB Reporters Network25-Aug-2021England A seamer Beth Langston’s brilliant all-round display pushed Northern Diamonds towards Finals Day in the Charlotte Edwards Cup as they beat Sunrisers by 19 runs at South Northumberland.The Diamonds won for the third time in four games to move top of Group Two by three points with two rounds remaining. But they had to do it having slipped to 32 for 5.Langston’s unbeaten 46 off 38 balls led a recovery to 120 for 6, also including Linsey Smith’s 30 – a career best T20 score – on a slow pitch.In reply, Langston took the first two wickets as Sunrisers fell to 10 for 2 and could not recover, stuttering to 101 for7.Langston, who finished with 2 for 19 from two overs, played for England A in Monday’s 50-over friendly with New Zealand, with her chances of adding to six previous senior caps seemingly far from over.After an early Jo Gardner drop, the Sunrisers were superb as they claimed five cheap wickets.Opening bowler Kate Coppack, on her first regional T20 appearance, returned 2 for 10 from four overs bowled on the reel. Fellow seamer Naomi Dattani also claimed two of the first five wickets, including Diamonds captain Hollie Armitage miscuing to mid-on. Coppack had Bess Heath caught at cover and Jenny Gunn, so often the Diamonds saviour this summer, caught behind.The recovery was left to Langston and Smith, the sixth-wicket pair sharing 78 in 9.1 overs. Langston was more aggressive and was strong to the third region, hitting six boundaries. Smith was happy to support with two fours in 25 balls before being run out as the score fell to 110 for 6 in the 19th over.Dattani hit a couple of leg-side boundaries off Langston at the start of the second over, but revenge came quickly as she miscued the fifth ball of the over to cover before fellow opener Cordelia Griffith was trapped lbw next ball.Gardner, who top-scored for Sunrisers with 31, and Grace Scrivens started a recovery of their own, taking the score to 38 for 2 after six overs. However, leg-spinner Katie Levick bowled left-handed Scrivens through the gate in the ninth as the Sunrisers slipped to 44 for 3.Gardner hoisted Armitage’s leg-spin over midwicket for six, only to be caught behind off Alex MacDonald’s medium pace shortly afterwards as the score fell to 63 for 4 in the 12th over.That was the first of four wickets to fall for 16 runs as Armitage and MacDonald, again, struck to all but end visiting hopes at 79 for 7 in the 17th.