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Journalist Dean Jones has been left confused with Bruno Lage’s decision to drop star striker Raul Jimenez, speaking in the build-up to Thursday’s clash against Watford.

The Lowdown: Jimenez’s omission

The Mexico international has been the talisman since arriving at the Molineux Stadium on loan in 2018, before joining the club in a permanent deal worth £30 million a year later.

The 30-year-old has netted an impressive 53 goals in 137 appearances, 39 of which have come in the Premier League.

However, Jimenez seemingly appears out of favour under Bruno Lage, who dropped the striker to the bench for their recent fixture against West Ham, bringing him on for the final nine minutes of action.

More surprisingly, he was dropped once again in Wolves following league clash against Crystal Palace. Again, he was brought on as a substitute, featuring for 27 minutes.

The Latest: Jones’ claim…

Jones has weighed in on the situation, having been left confused with Lage’s decision to drop his star man, who has scored five Premier League goals this season.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, he claimed:

“Even if Jimenez isn’t scoring goals, you have him in the team as an outlet if nothing else. You can’t play Podence through the middle.

“As a defender or even midfielder sometimes you want an out ball and a guy you can stick the ball up to hold the ball up, bring others into player and the next phase begins from there.

“Jimenez is one of the best at that, so it’s very strange [he has been dropped].”

The Verdict: Likely to start again soon?

Whilst Jimenez’s tally this season has not compared to either of his previous two double-figured seasons in the Premier League, the Mexican offers far more to the team than just goals.

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The striker has added defensive attributes to his game to add to Wolves’ style of play. According to FB Ref, over the course of the past year, Jimenez ranked in the 81st percentile for tackles, the 89th percentile for interceptions and the 85th percentile for blocks made for players in Europe’s top five leagues.

With Wolves failing to score in the previous two games that the 30-year-old didn’t start, it may be likely to see Jimenez lining up for his side’s upcoming fixture against Watford, as the Wanderers continue their push for European football.

In other news: Wolves: Journalist concerned about star duo’s contract situation

Stephen Alleyne, the former president of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA), died of a heart attack on the morning of October 15. Alleyne, 47, headed the Barbados Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the 2007 World Cup and was also a former director of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).He was the driving force behind Barbados getting to host Super Eight matches and final of the World Cup. He was also in charge of the redevelopment of the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown. The ground did not host any international games in 2006, due to the renovation work ahead of the World Cup.Alleyne was a member of the BCA’s Board of Management from 1992 to 1993. He then served as the Third Vice-President from 1994 to 1997, and later the First Vice-President in 1999. He took over as president after the death of Conrad Hunte, the former West Indies batsman, in December 1999. He was then elected President in 2000.Ali Bacher, the former president of the South African cricket board, said that Alleyne’s contributions to the game in the West Indies would be missed. The two first met when Bacher arrived in Barbados for Hunte’s funeral and he stated that he was impressed with his abilities as an administrator.”I always told him he had the attributes to be president of the West Indies Cricket Board,” Bacher told the , a Barbados-based daily. “There were two main reasons. The first was he had a great respect for the legends who helped build the game in the West Indies. He had a desire to keep the legends as part of the game. The second was that, as an actuary, he understood the commercial world very well and looked at the commercial side of West Indies cricket and how it could work.”When I heard of his death I was absolutely shattered. He was in the prime of his life. It’s a national tragedy, he was such a gifted person and wonderful man.”Joel Garner, the former West Indies fast bowler and current president of the BCA, acknowledged Alleyne’s contribution to cricket in the West Indies. “Stephen possessed a brilliant mind, a quiet confidence and he was always willing to give advice freely. He was thoughtful, meticulous and would be thoroughly analytical before he offered his counsel.”

The Punjab Cricket Association could lose its foothold on the Mohali Stadium © Getty Images

A long-standing dispute between the Punjab Sports Council (PSC) and PunjabCricket Association (PCA) has returned to the spotlight after a localcourt issued a notice on behalf of the PSC, asking the PCA to return theland on which their stadium is built.The PCA Stadium in Mohali was built in 1992 on land leased from the PSC.Inderjit Singh Bindra, the president of the PCA, was then also the sports secretary inthe state government and he is supposed to have taken the lease on anominal annual rent (which some sources say was as meager as Rs 100). Nowthe PSC has demanded Rs 150 crore (US$ 33,366,000 approx), which theybelieve the PCA has earned since 1992, along with an additional Rs 50crore for damages.Pargat Singh, former Indian hockey captain and currently director ofsports at Punjab, filed a petition yesterday at Kharar SDM’s court. Heconfirmed that the PSC had asked the PCA to hand over the land to theSports Council, which, he believed, was the legal owner. Pargat also addedthat the PSC had been forced into this move because the PCA had requestedfor more time in response to the legal notice sent in the second week ofJuly. “Three months is a long time and since there was not furthermovement, we decided to approach the courts.”As the situation stands, the PCA has been asked to file a reply byNovember 15. Bindra insisted he hadn’t seen the notice yet. A few closeobservers point to the political dimension to the whole matter, with theruling party trying to get a foothold into cricketing matters in the stateahead of the assembly elections scheduled for February next year.

Stuart Law says county cricket has ‘certainly become more and more professional.’ © Cricinfo Ltd

Stuart Law, who played one Test for Australia and who earlier this year became a British citizen, has praised the standard of county cricket in England, and believes the county system has been the fundamental reason for England’s success.County cricket has long been lamented; indeed, in the 1990s, it was said to be the primary cause of England’s poorly-performing Test side, contrasting starkly with Australia’s fiercely competitive domestic system. A decade later and things are changing, according to Law.Speaking to , he said: “The gap is definitely closing. It has certainly become more and more professional. I think a big move was sacking those guys who just wanted to pay off their mortgages and replacing them with players who want to improve themselves and, one day, play for England.”Law is in the unique position of having played in significant seasons in both Australia’s and England’s domestic game. He captained Queensland to their first Pura Cup title, spent time with Essex and, most recently, has continued his prolific run-scoring for Lancashire.”The standard of cricket in England has improved dramatically since I first came here. It’s that competitiveness that comes from the overseas influences and the hard grind of it all. You have to know how to fight, and that is being bred into the English system these days. It all adds up to hard-nosed cricket.””In England these days there’s so much cricket that it really plays on the body and the mind but there’s no chance to let up,” he added. “You might have just finished a game, driven across the country and woken up to be facing Shoaib Akhtar or Shane Warne the next day. You have to be on your game every day of the week. If you’re not, some of these guys will make fools of you.”As much as England’s domestic system has improved, Law concluded with a note of caution: “I wouldn’t say that England are on the verge of controlling world cricket for the next 10 years just yet. But there are some very promising guys in the county ranks that, in a couple of years from now, could be very good.”

Twelve countries have assembled in England to contest the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy. Wisden Cricinfo takes a look at the teams, their prospects, and some of the names to look out for:

Australia

Andrew Symonds and Ricky Ponting: just two reasons why Australia are the favourites© Getty Images

There’s nothing like a challenge to bring out the best in an Aussie. The Champions Trophy is the one major tournament that has so far eluded their grasp, and that fact alone will make them all the more determined this fortnight. They may not be quite the formidable unit that steamrolled all comers at the 2003 World Cup, but how could a side containing Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and a resurgent Glenn McGrath be anything other than overwhelming favourites?One to watch
It’s the dawn of a new era of allrounders, and right up there with the best is Andrew Symonds. Like that other Andrew – Flintoff – Symonds has always had ability, but only lately has he developed the intense focus to deal with his immense power. He announced his arrival with a century against Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup, but when he repeated the feat at Lord’s last week, from an equally dicey situation, you couldn’t help noticing that he has morphed into a more violent version of Michael Bevan. His offspin’s pretty handy too, and he rockets returns in from the deep as if he’s got something against the keeper.New kid on the block
While we’re on the subject of allrounders, here’s another useful addition to the Aussie squad. Shane Watson isn’t new new – he first played as a 20-year-old in March 2002, but after being kept out of the World Cup with a stress fracture of the back, he’s back to form and fitness, with a remodelled bowling action and a lust for leather-whacking. Andrew Miller

New Zealand

New Zealand disappointed in the Tests in England earlier this summer, but there wasn’t much wrong with their one-day form, as they spoiled England’s party then blitzed West Indies in the final of the NatWest Series in what was, remarkably, their first one-dayer at Lord’s. And the good news is that most of the injury problems that beset them on that tour have been resolved. Daniel Vettori is back in action, and so is Daryl Tuffey. Brendon McCullum is back after paternity leave. Sadly, Shane Bond is still unable to strut his stuff, but Ian Butler, puzzlingly overlooked for the Tests in England, isn’t far behind him for pace. Their match against Australia could well be the clash of the first round.One to watch
Chris Cairns, no longer a Test player, but still a one-day legend. It was his responsible century that clinched the Champions Trophy for New Zealand – their first victory in a multi-nation tournament – in Kenya in 2000. Since then he’s blitzed his way to the top of the Test six-hitters’ list, and remains a ferocious competitor.New kid on the block
Michael Papps, 25, didn’t feature in the one-day series in England after breaking a finger during his only Test of the tour. But his five ODI appearances so far, all against South Africa last winter, includedmatchwinning innings of 67 at Wellington and 92 not out at Napier. He’sshort, but drives well, and acts as a handy foil to the big hitters down the order. Steven Lynch

United States of America

Their first appearance in the big time, and they couldn’t have landed amore brutal group if they tried. Australians have long had a penchant for annihilating teams with “America” in their title – in 2001, the “Socceroos” football team beat American Samoa 31-0 in a World Cup qualifier, while South Australia’s favourite Canadian, John Davison, recently grabbed 17 wickets in the ICC Intercontinental Cup fixture aganst the USA in Florida. So quite what vengeance the world champions en masse intend to wreak is anyone’s guess. Mind you, America can’t expect the Kiwis to go easy on them either – because if rain happens to wash out the third and decisive match between the big guns, it’ll all come down to net run rate …One to watch
Clayton Lambert may be a venerable 42-year-old, but in his days as a West Indian batsman, he played five Tests and 11 one-day internationals, with a century in each format. A left-hand batsman with a forthright, if crabby, style, he was never one to bother with the orthodox – as an exasperated Angus Fraser would readily testify – so if he can last long enough to get his eye in, we could yet see a reprise of his former glory days.New kid on the block
The entire team … this is a whole new ball game for Team America. They may have taken part in the original cricket international, against Canada in 1844, but it has been a struggle to get the game re-established since. A boardroom dispute has undermined the fledgling professional 20-overs league, and the side has been treading water ever since qualifying for this Champions Trophy at the Six Nations Tournament at Sharjah. Still, there’s nothing like exposure on the big stage for getting a country kick-started. Andrew Miller

Other Pool previews

Pool B – Down on their luck
Pool C – Pakistan in the ascendancy
Pool D – Clash of the resurgents

Glamorgan`s next National League game will take place on Sunday, 8th June againstWorcestershire at the St. Helen`s ground in Swansea. On that day, Swansea will also behosting the Great Wales Triathlon.There will therefore be a small impact as far as access to the Swansea ground is concerned,and in order to minimise the impact, the start time of this match has been put back half anhour to 1.30pm.Whilst the main routes to the cricket ground will be closed from 6 a.m. to 1.00 p.m., alternativeroutes will be available which will enable traffic to reach parking facilities near St. Helen’s.These detours will be signposted off the M4 at Junction 47 and will then lead spectators tothe Recreation Ground Car Park via Brynmill Lane and Bryn Road.There should be no problems after the match with Worcestershire is over because the main roadswill re-open again from approximately 1.00pm.

There was brilliant sunshine when India took on South Africa at theNew Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg on an October Friday afternoon.South Africa is a tough side to beat and to topple them at home isnever an easy task. The last time these two teams met in an ODI was inthe semi final of the ICC KnockOut Tournament at Nairobi; A masterly141 by Sourav Ganguly ensuring that the South Africans were thrashedby 95 runs.South Africans must have been smarting from the loss in Nairobi andIndia had a problem to deal with, finding a fit eleven. The Indianskipper is a key player and he made the right decision to playhimself, despite having injured himself in a warm up game. ShaunPollock’s decision to put Indians to bat first was a surprisingdecision. This was the first match of the tri-series and the SouthAfrican skipper must have decided to give his fast bowlers a chance tohave a go at the Indian batsmen first up.

Unfortunately, the Indian team has a habit of losing their way afteran excellent start. It was an appalling sight to see the Indiansunable to cash in on the good work done by the openers. I am surprisedby the so-called experienced Indian batting, which looks very brittlein the middle.

The first over was a pertinent indicator that Ganguly and SachinTendulkar meant business. The very first ball of the match wasdispatched for a four through cover point by Ganguly, the sheer timingand the lightning fast outfield suggesting that there were a lot ofruns to be scored by the end of the match. Ganguly’s all-round strokeplay and Tendulkar’s mastery must have put the doubts back in to themind of Pollock about his decision to bowl first on a wicket, whichwas a beauty made for batting. The two master batsmen dominated withtheir aggressive strokeplay and went on to show that the highly ratedSouth African fielding can also wilt under pressure.Tendulkar and Ganguly made most of the dropped catches and went on toreach their well deserved hundreds. Even though he has been out ofinternational cricket for the last three months due to an injured toe,Tendulkar once again proved that he is a genius and in a class of hisown.Ganguly’s aggressive batting and the supreme form he displayed shouldsilence his critics. I only hope that Ganguly continues in this richvein, as it will do a great deal of good for Indian cricket. In myopinion he is the best man to partner Tendulkar at the top of theIndian innings.Unfortunately, the Indian team has a habit of losing their way afteran excellent start. It was an appalling sight to see the Indiansunable to cash in on the good work done by the openers. I am surprisedby the so-called experienced Indian batting, which looks very brittlein the middle. The cricket lovers in India must be wondering whetherwe are only tigers against lesser opponents who turn tail when upagainst better teams.South Africans, for their part, played like thoroughbred professionalswith a clear game plan. They showed a lot of character anddetermination in chasing a big total. The remarkable thing is thatthere was only one player who got a hundred, Gary Kirsten. The SouthAfricans though were never in trouble and they exposed the limitationsof the Indian attack.Having said that, I have to comment on Anil Kumble who was making acomeback after a long lay off. Kumble was not in his elements, failingto find the right line and length. He must get his act together to bea strike bowler. After seeing him bowl at the Wanderers, I wonderwhether his long absence from the game has taken a toll on him. Onlygood performances in the following matches will set things right forKumble.The first ODI should be a good lesson for the Indian management, toreview their game plan and even deliberate on the team composition, ifthey have to give the South Africans a good fight during the rest ofthe tour.

Newcastle’s loss away to Fulham on Monday night was a far cry from the performances we were used to seeing last year. And it’s not that Newcastle were particularly bad, it’s just that something wasn’t the same.

Maybe there is a mood at the club from the very top that last year’s achievement of finishing in the Europa League places was good enough. Maybe that feeling of happy-with-what-you’ve-got is now washing over the players. Or maybe it’s just that dreaded but almost inevitable second season syndrome.

That eight-year contract for Alan Pardew might not be looking like such a great idea now, but only really from Mike Ashley’s point of view. England needs to buck the trend of switching managers when the going gets tough—and Newcastle’s situation isn’t exactly horrific.

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Newcastle are a big club and need stability in the form of the manager to help them continue building and to establish themselves as a Europe League team. Then only can they take the next step up the ladder towards Champions League football.

But this season is giving a good indication that perhaps not everyone at the club is on the same page. Alan Pardew clearly wanted greater funds in the summer to strengthen an already good side. This club have done the hard part, first coming up from the Championship and then knocking everyone off their seats with a whole league campaign’s worth of good and consistent results. Last summer was the time to dig in.

And it’s strange, because Newcastle haven’t lost any of their key players since finishing fifth last season. Even when talk became heated about players like Demba Ba, Cheick Tiote and Yohan Cabaye leaving, each of them—with maybe an exception to Ba—remained committed to the club.

Ashley, the businessman first and foremost, needs to look at the current situation and think when he has ever had life at Newcastle so good. If money if the driving point then allow the manager who you’ve entrusted with a relatively incongruous contract to strengthen this side.

Highlights of last season like the impressive win at Chelsea shouldn’t have to be from one fantastic yet soon to be forgotten season. Impressive buys like Cabaye and Papiss Cisse—ignoring his recent form—don’t have to be resigned to a one-off purple patch for the club under Pardew.

Everyone talks about second season syndrome, and Newcastle are one of the many examples of that throughout Europe. But it isn’t inevitable and it can be avoided. It can be avoided by not making Vurnon Anita your only major signing of the summer. It can be avoided by using Europa League qualification as a starting point rather than the height of your ambitions.

And I’m not suggesting that Mike Ashley doesn’t want his team to be in Europe’s elite competition in the future, but the lack of strengthening where needed suggests otherwise.

If Newcastle do finish well outside of a European place come May, you’ve got to hope that there won’t be a severe backlash on the manager. The exciting showing of last season has bought Pardew plenty of time to continue taking the club forward, but he needs absolute financial backing from the owner to continue to do so.

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If Demba Ba leaves within the next six months, move on and acquire a striker of equal or better quality—and there are certainly enough good strikers on the continent who can replicate Ba’s production in front of goal.

But a change of tack is needed. The result could be of greater financial loss to Ashley if he doesn’t opt to move with a more forceful and positive attitude in the transfer market.

Talk of relegation wouldn’t be fitting of this team: there are far worse teams in the Premier League with greater problems. But this season may have to be seen as nothing more than an important learning curve for a club that desire and who are good enough for much more.

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According to TEAMtalk, Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick has now personally green-lit a ‘high profile’ exit from Old Trafford as news emerges on defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

The Lowdown: Red Devils overhaul?

Rangnick, despite all the noise surrounding his future with managers tipped to replace him at the end of 2021/2022, has still had a say when it comes to incomings and outgoings.

Indeed, after shipping out Anthony Martial to Sevilla in January, reports suggested that the German also wanted to offload two other Red Devils stars in Paul Pogba and Edinson Cavani for spoiling the mood inside Old Trafford.

Now, sharing an exit update, TEAMtalk have shared news on another player Rangnick wants to cut loose.

The Latest: Rangnick green-lights Wan-Bissaka exit…

According to their sources, United’s right-back is now ‘to be axed’ by the former RB Leipzig boss with Wan-Bissaka now set to be one of the ‘high-profile casualties’ of the summer.

TEAMtalk go on to state that while Rangnick isn’t expected to remain as coach beyond this season, he will take up his ‘advisory role’ with the United hierarchy.

The Verdict: Right call?

Wan-Bissaka has come under scrutiny for his performances at times this season, even despite averaging the joint-fourth most tackles per 90 and second-most interceptions out of United’s squad in the league (WhoScored).

Clearly there is a player with ability though going by the 24-year-old’s plaudits, with Crystal Palace defender Patrick Van Aanholt having waxed lyrical over his former Selhurst Park teammate.

Indeed, the Dutchman called Wan-Bissaka an ‘unbelievable’ player and ‘better than Trent [Alexander-Arnold]’ at one stage – potentially indicating that he could still have something to offer in a better run of form.

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Alas, with Rangnick’s decision apparently made, it will be interesting to see where Wan-Bissaka could depart to in a few months time.

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Champions League contenders Chelsea and Tottenham have both been warned that a summer move for unsettled Milos Krasic will cost as much as 15.5 million euros.

The Juventus man is clearly out of favour in Turin but the Serb is likely to seek pastures new when the transfer window re-opens at the end of the season.

Krasic who has opted to stick the current Serie A season out despite reported winter window interest from Spurs, will retain his value regardless of a lack of playing time according to the players representative Vlado Borozon.

‘Juventus intend to at least recover the money (15.5 million euros) they spent on signing Milos Krasic’ (TalkSport)

The winger who possesses a canny resemblance to former Old Lady hero Pavel Nedved made his name in Russia with CSKA Moscow with his elusive and technical dribbling skills from the flank.

However, he has struggled to rediscover this form in Italy and most recently appeared for Antonio Conte’s side in a January home draw with Cagliari.

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It remains whether Chelsea will plump for the wide man in what is likely to be a summer of rebuilding at Stamford Bridge. What’s sure is that Krasic will be seeking a permanent transfer following Lazio’s failed bid to take the player on loan in the past.

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