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Nottinghamshire have set their sights on securing wins from three of their remaining seven matches in the hope that the points accrued will be enough to save their place in Division One. The chances of this contest providing one of them did not look good at the end of the opening day and things have not improved 24 hours later.Essex, fancying they can pull off a second Championship title in three years after a run of four victories in their last five and hugely encouraged by last week’s downing of leaders Somerset at Chelmsford, are well in control. They have built handsomely on Nick Browne’s unbeaten 163 with half-centuries from Dan Lawrence and Ravi Bopara and Nottinghamshire supporters, mindful of their side’s fragility, are already gloomily predicting another notch in the losses column.Nottinghamshire are not down yet, of course. They travel next week to Taunton, where they have not won in 11 visits since 2004, yet they have straws to clutch at in that three of their last five fixtures are at home, against the other sides in the bottom half of the table. Maybe those are the three on which they are pinning their hopes.Who can be blamed for this sorry state? Four of the five most obvious candidates – the chairman, the chief executive, the director of cricket and the head coach – put themselves up to be shot at in a members’ forum during the lunch interval. Nottinghamshire do not habitually shy away from criticism but it says something, perhaps, about the level of displeasure they expected to face that the invitation often extended to the local paper to attend these private gatherings was not made.Another who might have been asked some difficult questions had he been available to attend was the captain, Steven Mullaney, but he can hardly be blamed for the form of his players. A raft of new signings promised much but since the opening fixture of the season against Yorkshire at Trent Bridge, when Joe Clarke was close to a hundred in both innings and there were half-centuries for two of the other newcomers, Ben Duckett and Ben Slater, no batsman has delivered other than fleetingly.Among those, Clarke has been the biggest worry. Head coach Peter Moores admitted last week that the focus of the former Worcestershire batsman has been skewed for the last two months since his friend and ex-team-mate Alex Hepburn was jailed for five years after being found guilty of rape. Clarke had to give evidence in Hepburn’s trial and subsequent re-trial and himself faces an ECB charge of bringing cricket into disrepute over the sordid WhatsApp messaging group to which he, Hepburn and others were contributors.Dropping good players does not come easily to the loyal Moores and Nottinghamshire make a priority of safeguarding the welfare of those in their charge but there is equally an argument for taking Clarke out of the spotlight if his form does not recover. At this time, they can ill-afford to carry a batsman who has scored 122 in his last 10 innings, particularly given that none of his fellow batters is exactly covering for him..One of them may have to produce something exceptional if Nottinghamshire are to deny Essex here after a day in which 273 runs were scored and only two wickets fell.Browne, whose resilience at the top of the order was a key factor in Essex winning the title in 2017, was less effective last season, yet this innings brought a reaffirmation of his value to this team. The pitch in use here has played benignly for the most part but he had Stuart Broad and R Ashwin to contend with, a combination to test any batsman.His marathon effort, spanning almost seven and a half hours so far, has brought him to 163 not out, his best Championship score – his first in three figures, for that matter – since his 221 against Middlesex at Chelmsford in the June of that title-winning year.With the support in the early part of the day of Tom Westley and latterly Dan Lawrence and Ravi Bopara, Browne’s solid application to the all-too-rarely seen virtue of occupying the crease has put Essex 132 ahead and in a position to dictate the course of this match, assured by the knowledge that if any attack can exploit an opponent’s frailties, it is theirs.They did not rush things, preferring to build steadily rather than be drawn into the usual rush for batting points and that suited Browne in particular, who allowed himself to negotiate 28 balls without scoring at one stage. Watchfulness was always advisable anyway, against Ashwin, who had the stamina to bowl 40 overs on the day on his Nottinghamshire debut, but for all his variety could produce only one wicket-taking delivery as Westley nicked to slip in the first hour.Not until the second new ball did Nottinghamshire claim a second wicket, Lawrence playing down the wrong line to one from Luke Fletcher, who deserved some success from a fine spell.Browne was not flawless. He was allowed a life on 81 when the unfortunate Clarke put down a fairly routine chance at square leg off Jake Ball. Otherwise he was mightily impressive.

Glasgow Rangers are back in Scottish Premiership action this afternoon as they travel away from Ibrox to take on Motherwell on Christmas Eve.

Philippe Clement's side will head into Christmas just two points off the top of the table if they can secure all three points with a victory this afternoon.

They will be looking to build on the 2-0 win against St. Johnstone in midweek, with goals from Cyriel Dessers and James Tavernier sealing the result.

The Belgian head coach could look to make some changes to the starting XI from that match, though, as the Gers look to navigate the festive period.

With this in mind, Clement must now unleash Todd Cantwell from the start ahead of Sam Lammers, who has struggled since his move from Atalanta.

Sam Lammers' season in numbers

The Dutch forward, who started in the number ten position last time out, has produced two goals and one assist in 16 Premiership outings this season.

Lammers has missed six 'big chances' and only created one for his teammates in ten league starts so far throughout the 2023/24 campaign.

He has also managed just 0.3 key passes per match and his lack of threat at the top end of the pitch was evident against the Saints during the week.

The 26-year-old attacker played 68 minutes at Ibrox and failed to create a single chance. He also had a 0% (0/2) dribble success rate and did not score from any of his three shots.

These statistics suggest that the Dutchman did not have much of an influence on the result as the Gers lightweight did not directly contribute to either goal.

Clement must ditch Lammers from the starting line-up to bring Cantwell back into the XI as the English whiz could provide more quality in the final third.

The statistics that show why Cantwell should start

The former Norwich City magician has been a terrific addition to the Gers squad since his move from England at the start of the calendar year.

He caught the eye during the second half of last season under Michael Beale with six goals, four assists, and five 'big chances' created in 15 league starts.

Journalist Josh Bunting once claimed that Cantwell "makes things happen" and that has been the case throughout 2023 for the Rangers star.

Statistic	Cantwell at Norwich (via Transfermarkt)
Appearances	129
Goals	14
Assists	12
Trophies won	Two

This season, the talented wizard has only started eight games but has produced three assists and made 1.5 key passes per game in that time.

Cantwell has, therefore, racked up six goals and seven assists in 23 Premiership starts for the Scottish giants throughout the year so far.

The 5 foot 10 dynamo has showcased his ability to make an impact in the final third with impressive regularity at this level in a Rangers shirt.

Whereas, Lammers has left a lot to be desired throughout the campaign and has not done enough to suggest that he deserves to be a regular starter.

Therefore, Clement must bring Cantwell back into the starting line-up as the number ten in his 4-2-3-1 system ahead of the former Atalanta flop this afternoon against Motherwell.

When it comes to recruitment, not many did better than Liverpool in the Premier League over the summer. The Reds initially looked set to face a midfield crisis following the exits of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to add to the departures of Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner. However, the arrivals of Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch quickly put an end to any of their concerns. And since then, Jurgen Klopp's side have been back to their best.

Now, with January approaching, the Reds could move to complete their midfield rebuild in the form of a defensive midfielder. However, Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth believes that they may face a stumbling block for one particular player.

Liverpool transfer news

Sitting provisionally top of the Premier League, before Arsenal potentially regain their place by winning their game in hand, Liverpool have bounced back from the disappointment of missing out on the top four last season in style, but they are still after another midfielder.

Kalvin Phillips

19th December

Khephren Thuram

15th December

Joao Palhinha

10th December

Piotr Zielinski

2nd December

Joao Neves

29th November

At the halfway mark, Klopp's men have a serious claim that this could be their year once again, especially with Manchester City uncharacteristically faltering at times. Given their place in the title race, the January transfer window could make all the difference.

Klopp could land Endo upgrade in Liverpool swoop for £51k-p/w "colossus"

The Reds were touted with a possible move for the midfielder over the summer.

ByDan Emery Dec 28, 2023

Sheth addressed the "noises" surrounding the Reds and Kalvin Phillips. He told GiveMeSport that Manchester City may not facilitate a move to Liverpool for Phillips.

"Maybe it's best for everyone, especially Kalvin Phillips if a move can happen. But he would probably want to go to one of the big six clubs, and I just wonder whether Manchester City would want to do business with what is perceived to be a rival.

"We saw in the summer before last that they were more than happy to allow Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to go to Arsenal, but they ended up being the main rivals to Manchester City for the title. We've been hearing noises about teams like Liverpool and other clubs being interested in Kalvin Phillips. I wonder whether they would really facilitate a move to a rival. I think, at this moment in time, Kalvin Phillips will probably just want to play football."

"Excellent" Phillips in desperate need of City exit

Liverpool have proved in the form of Endo this season how they can turn a player into a vital cog in Klopp's machine. And Phillips could have a similar impact if City sanctioned the move. Unlikely to allow the England international to choose Anfield, however, the former Leeds United man may need to look elsewhere for minutes next month.

At his best, Phillips is a player who has earned plenty of praise, including from Gareth Southgate. The England boss said:

“He’s been excellent. The way he has taken to international football, it hasn’t surprised us because what we’d seen with Leeds, even in the Championship, we felt could convert into our team. We felt he could play an important role with us. To play in the enormity of the matches he did in the summer and play as well as he did is massive credit to him. He’s a very, very good player and he’s been a really important part of this – we’re 16 games unbeaten [in regulation time] now and he’s been a huge part of that.”

Unbeaten Chennai Super Kings are sitting on the top of the IPL points table. Both victories were achieved with Super Kings in control of the match. For the defending champions to begin confidently this season is not remarkable. However, the make-up of their playing XI has been out of the ordinary. In both games, they have fielded only three overseas players, even though they’ve had the option to go for four.Both games have been played on pitches that aided the slower bowlers to varying degrees. Despite having Mitchell Santner in the squad, Super Kings have not felt the need to add his all-round talent to their playing roster as yet, with their complement of Indian bowlers and Imran Tahir doing the job. They didn’t even name a replacement when Lungi Ngidi was ruled out before the season started, only roping in Scott Kuggeleijn after David Willey also became unavailable.The playing XI looks set to continue for a third straight game when they take on Rajasthan Royals on home ground on Sunday, barring any late injury or illness. It is almost unheard of to not pick the full complement of overseas stars for three matches in a row, but Super Kings aren’t looking at this as a ‘strategy’. It is, quite simply, a simple matter of picking the best available XI. If only three overseas players fit in it, so be it.”Looking at the squad and skills is not based on overseas versus Indian (players),” coach Stephen Fleming said on Saturday. “Harbhajan Singh was a great option for the left-handed combinations that we faced in the first two games. And that can change if you face a lot of right-handers, you’ve got Mitchell Santner there. But you don’t to play four overseas.”Whilst in the past you’ve picked overseas players that fit into your side, we’re really happy with the quality of Indian players that we have and that’s why we tend to talk about the abilities in the squad rather than if you’re an overseas player or an Indian player. We rate the players that we pick and those two sides were based on the best balance we thought would win the game.”Based on the make-up of the squad and the pitch at the home ground of Chepauk, Fleming also gave out 160 to 170 as the total that should be par on an “ideal” T20 pitch.”We bought a side based on Chennai’s history, which is a slower track,” he said, adding that the pitch for the first game where Royal Challengers Bangalore were bowled out for 70 was an anomaly. “What we saw the other night was an aberration, that’s not normally how it is. A sort of a 160-170 score here has been what we’ve looked for in the past.”The pitch at Delhi was fractionally slow but certainly dry. It think a variation of surface is what you’re after, you don’t want 200 every time. People think that’s the best wicket but if you ask the bowlers that’s probably not a great season for them. So something that’s got a little bit of challenge for the batters, which you can also get a rough par score of about 160, maybe 170 – in between there – and depending on how you get it and what’s on offer, that would probably be the score or conditions you’re looking for if you want it to be ideal.”Whether faced with a pitch on which 100 is par, or 150 or 200 – Fleming and the Super Kings think-tank know they have the personnel to fit the conditions, Indian or overseas.

Derby County are planning for life without Eiran Cashin, the Rams are resigned to losing their star defender this January to a potential Premier League suitor.

TEAMTalk are reporting that the highly rated Derby defender is wanted by West Ham United, Burnley and Sheffield United from the top flight, whilst Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough in the Championship also remain keen to land the 22-year-old.

The League One Rams will just hope that losing Cashin won't derail their efforts to win promotion from the division, the Northern Ireland U21 international has been key at the back in recent victories for Paul Warne's men.

His performance in Derby's narrow 1-0 win last time out against Port Vale in the league saw football writer Leigh Curtis shower the young defender with praise, stating that the 22-year-old was "formidable" at the back alongside his equally resolute centre-back partner, Curtis Nelson.

Cashin did help Warne's side come away with the three points and a clean sheet, Derby's number six clearing the ball away eight times from danger during the 90 minutes – as per Sofascore – to completely nullify the Valiants in attack.

Derby's manager will want the money the club get from Cashin's sale to be immediately recouped, splashing the cash on a sufficient replacement for the outgoing defender.

Here are three players Derby could target this January to fill the gap left by Cashin potentially leaving Pride Park…

1 Nelson Abbey

Derby could look to replace Cashin with another promising defensive talent in Nelson Abbey, the 20-year-old standing out at the back for Reading even in their current dire situation.

The Royals have been carved open at times this season – Ruben Selles' side consists of young and hungry footballers trying their best amidst difficult circumstances – but Abbey can still hold his head up high in a leaky defence.

Starting all but one of Reading's games this season, the 20-year-old is beginning to mature already. On average this campaign, Abbey has recovered 6.5 balls per game as a tireless centre-back for the Royals whilst winning 50% of the duels that have also come his way.

Even when Reading were humbled 4-0 by Charlton Athletic in October, football journalist James Earnshaw singled out the youngster for being a constant "shining light" during tough times.

The Rams could well fancy testing the waters in the upcoming transfer window to see if the Royals would offload their academy graduate for a cut-price, Reading's number 32 tipped to have a bright future in the game.

2 Connor Taylor

Derby could attempt to pouch Connor Taylor from Bristol Rovers to soften the blow of Cashin leaving, the 22-year-old is a well-liked centre-back figure at the Memorial Stadium.

Taylor initially starred with the Gas on loan during their 2021-22 promotion campaign up to League One, the young centre-back scoring three times from the back that season to help his team go up automatically.

The defender then returned back to parent club Stoke City with a bit between his teeth and a renewed eagerness to break into the first team with the Potters, Taylor playing 14 times in the Championship on his return before being offloaded back to Rovers on a permanent deal this summer.

The 22-year-old might not want to relocate again so quickly after recently packing his bags to move back to Bristol, but if Taylor aspires to return back to the second tier as a footballer, he could see Derby as a way to get back there if the Rams win promotion come the end of the 46-game season.

3 Marvin Ekpiteta

Derby could, however, go down the route of adding an experienced defender to their already seasoned squad – the Rams boasting the likes of former Aston Villa man Conor Hourihane in their ranks, alongside ex-Luton Town striker James Collins.

Signing Marvin Ekpiteta would also weaken a League One promotion rival in Blackpool if the defender did swap Bloomfield Road for Pride Park, a move that would anger fans of the seaside club.

In the Championship for Blackpool, the lofty centre-back was a consistent performer even when his side suffered relegation down to the third tier – picking up a Player of the Season accolade for the club during the 2021-22 season when the club staved off the drop, only to then fall through the relegation trapdoor the following campaign.

This season for the Tangerines, Ekpiteta has been solid at the back when needed especially in the last few games which has seen Neil Critchley's men pick up form and seal some impressive wins.

The standout result and performance was Blackpool's impressive 4-0 win over Portsmouth at Fratton Park in their last away match, with the 28-year-old near faultless against an ineffective Pompey team.

Ekpiteta would win 80% of his duels in the one-sided contest, misplacing only five of his passes in the game too in what was a composed and confident display from the centre-back.

Derby might well try their luck this January to see if Blackpool would be willing to sell their 6 foot 4 man, slotting in at the back where Cashin once played.

Ryan Reynolds turns the air blue in a ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ teaser than sees him say to Rob McElhenney: “We’re in the English f*cking Football League!”

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Dragons claimed National League title in 2023Back in the EFL after a 15-year absenceHollywood co-owners enjoying emotional rideGetty/GOALWHAT HAPPENED?

Hollywood co-owners at SToK Racecourse experienced a rollercoaster of emotions in 2022-23 as the Red Dragons swept to National League title glory in record-breaking style. Those exploits were caught on camera, with a popular FX-produced documentary now an Emmy Award-winning show.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Series three was supposed to drop on April 18, but has been pushed back to May 2. That should help to include another promotion party for Wrexham, as they have secured a top-three finish in League Two. The 2023-24 campaign will be covered from all angles, on and off the pitch, with a clip delivered to the show by McElhenney taking things back to the opening day of the season.

WHAT REYNOLDS SAID

Wrexham’s famous chairmen were in attendance for a meeting with MK Dons, as the club ended its 15-year absence from the EFL, with Reynolds saying during a pre-match discussion: “Here we are again, the beginning of another season, you and me. Hopefully a hundred more times, what a special thing. Let’s not let that pass without marking the moment of like ‘holy sh*t, we’re standing in the English Football League now. We’re in the English f*cking Football League now!” McElhenney chipped in with: “We’re back.”

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WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

Reynolds and McElhenney have helped to make the funds available that have allowed Wrexham to wrap up back-to-back promotions – through personal wealth and smart commercial deals – and more money will be required if Phil Parkinson’s side are to compete in League One and continue on their journey towards the ultimate end goal of one day reaching the Premier League.

MatériaMais Notícias

Autor do gol que deu a vitória do Palmeiras sobre o Sport por 1 a 0, na Ilha do Retiro neste sábado (9), Willian valorizou os pontos conquistados longe de casa. Para o atacante, o Verdão está vivo na briga pelo título.

PALMEIRAS SEGUE NO G6! CONFIRA A CLASSIFICAÇÃO DO BRASILEIRÃO

– Mesmo em três competições, o professor tem nos orientado para manter esse espírito e não deixar a peteca cair – reforçou o jogador.

Willian marcou o 18ª gol e este é o recorde dele em uma mesma temporada com a camisa palmeirense.

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– Antes de vir uma valorização individual, alegria de, coletivamente falando, fizemos um bom jogo, competitivo. Feliz por estar em um grupo tão qualificado e temos que manter esse espírito – completou o Bigode.

Na próxima terça-feira (12), o Palmeiras encara o River Plate pelo jogo de volta da semifinal da Libertadores contra o River Plate. No primeiro duelo, o time brasileiro venceu os argentinos por 3 a 0.

The January transfer window is around six weeks away from opening and Celtic reportedly have their eyes on a target to bolster their playing squad.

Celtic transfer news – Kanji Okunuki

Sky Sports Germany reporter Ben Heckner has revealed that the Scottish giants are eyeing up Nurnberg winger Kanji Okunuki ahead of the turn of the year.

The journalist has claimed that the Hoops have been "intensively" monitoring the attacker's performances, with scouts being sent to watch him in action.

The Bhoys are said to be interested in the 24-year-old gem but Heckner has stated that there is no concrete offer on the table for his services, at this moment in time.

Brendan Rodgers could now land an heir to current Celtic winger Daizen Maeda by securing a deal for Okunuki ahead of the second half of the campaign.

Maeda's season in numbers

The 26-year-old forward has had a solid, albeit unspectacular, start to the 2023/24 season with two goals and two assists in 12 Scottish Premiership appearances.

He contributed with eight goals and five assists in 25 league starts for former manager Ange Postecoglou in the top-flight throughout the 2022/23 campaign as the Hoops won the title.

Maeda has not provided a constant stream of goal contributions from out wide this term but has chipped in at times and has provided value as an excellent workhorse who is able to press teams into ceding possession back to Celtic.

The Japan international has made 3.4 ball recoveries per match and this highlights his impressive defensive qualities, despite being an attacking player.

Tottenham Hotspur, who are now managed by Postecoglou, have been touted with an interest in the Hoops ace and this suggests that Rodgers could need an heir to his position, which is what Okunuki could be.

The statistics that show why Okunuki could be Maeda's heir

The 24-year-old magician joined Nurnberg from Polish side Gornik during the summer transfer window and has had a solid start to life in Germany.

Okunuki has contributed with three goals and one assist in 13 2. Bundesliga appearances so far this season, which means that he has been directly involved in as many goals as Maeda in one more match. He has also produced one goal and six key passes in two DFB Pokal clashes.

The 5 foot 7 talent arrived off the back of a return of four goals and two 'big chances' created for his teammates in 18 league starts for Gornik in Poland last term.

Appearances

Two

Sofascore rating

7.9

Goals

One

Key passes

Six

Big chances created

One

Dribbles completed

Three

His defensive work, however, could make him an ideal heir to Maeda at Parkhead as he has showcased a desire to get back and defend for his team.

Okunuki made 2.5 tackles and interceptions per match in the Polish top-flight last season and has managed 43 ball recoveries in 15 matches across the 2. Bundesliga and DFB Pokal this term, which works out at around 2.9 per outing.

These statistics show that the Japanese winger is able to win possession back for his side on a regular basis to go along with his semi-regular contributions in the final third.

Therefore, the Nurnberg ace could be an excellent signing as an aggressive pressing forward to take Maeda's place if the Japan international joins Spurs, or another club.

A CA investigation has found no evidence for further pursuit of the claim that an Australian player used a racial taunt against the England allrounder during the 2015 Ashes series

Daniel Brettig24-Sep-2018A Cricket Australia (CA) investigation of Moeen Ali’s allegation of a racial slur from an Australian player during the 2015 Ashes series has found no evidence for further pursuit of the claim.In an extract from his new book, Moeen stated that an Australian player had called him “Osama” during the first Test of the series, in Cardiff, and that he had told the England coach Trevor Bayliss, who then raised the matter with Australia’s then coach Darren Lehmann. However, the unnamed player involved denied the allegation, claiming he had called Moeen a “part-timer”.When Moeen’s account of events came to light, CA indicated that the governing body was in touch with the ECB, and that a further investigation would take place. The CA integrity unit, until recently headed by Iain Roy but now helmed by Sean Carroll, subsequently interviewed numerous Australian players from the 2015 Cardiff Test and team management, while also communicating with the ECB’s own integrity unit.The investigation concluded on the weekend, and it is understood that no other player said they heard the alleged remark. “We have followed up with the ECB and our team management and confirmed that the incident was investigated at the time, with a response provided to Moeen,” A CA spokesman said.”Moeen elected not to progress the matter any further and we have not been able to ascertain any new additional evidence through our enquiries. As such, the matter is considered closed. We take a zero-tolerance approach to remarks of this nature; they have no place in our sport, or in society and any allegations raised with us are treated seriously and respectfully.”Representatives of our country are expected to uphold a high standard of behaviours and values, and they are fully aware of the consequences should they fail to do this.”Bayliss has said that Moeen did not want the matter to be taken further, a process that would have involved the ICC and the racial vilification clauses of its code of conduct. “He didn’t want it to go any further. He was happy for it [to be dealt with between the two teams],” Bayliss told News Corporation. “He’s a very softly-spoken sort of a bloke. He doesn’t want to create too many problems for anyone.”I’m not going to make too much of it, it was bloody three years ago, let’s move on. [Cricket Australia] can do what they like I suppose, everyone has sort of forgotten about it and moved on since then. I don’t see it as any real big deal. It was a hard-fought series. But no, I thought [relations after that point] were OK. You’re not party to what goes on out on the field and certainly nothing else was reported or anything through that series so we just left it at that.”Under the CA code of conduct, the governing body would have had the option of re-opening the matter and laying a charge if new evidence had been found by the integrity unit.Meanwhile, CA’s own cultural reviews are believed to be in their closing stages, with the report on the organisation’s wider operations submitted by Simon Longstaff, the director of the Ethics Centre and has been viewed by the directors of the governing body’s Board. This review of the organisation is expected to be made public. According to the reviews’ terms of reference:”The first, overarching independent review will investigate whether any wider cultural, organisational and/or governance issues within CA, and more broadly within Australian cricket, should be addressed to ensure these events never occur again, either on tour or whilst playing in Australia. This review will investigate links between player behaviour (particularly on this tour of South Africa) and the organisational, governance and culture within CA and Australian cricket.”The separate player review will, in consultation with a small panel of current and past players, consider a behavioural Charter for the Australian men’s cricket teams that balances the performance demands of elite cricket with expectations of all Australians in regard to on- and off-field role modelling.”It is expected that at various stages the findings from this Wider Cultural, Organisational &/or Governance review will cross-check with the work of the panel that is exploring a Charter for the Australian men’s team – and, where appropriate, incorporate any findings or relevant information into its work.”The review of the Australian men’s team, conducted by the former Test opener Rick McCosker, is set to be submitted shortly, with a concurrent drafting of a charter for player behaviour also near to completion, as indicated by the national team captain Tim Paine before his departure for the tour of the UAE to play Pakistan last week.”Cricket Australia has committed to sharing the findings from the concurrent reviews before the season begins,” a CA spokesman said. “There are still a number of steps to be taken before the process is complete. At such time, we will engage key stakeholders, among them the media. It would be inappropriate to comment on speculation or provide a running commentary while the process is ongoing.”

West Bromwich Albion supporters will head to Leeds United this coming weekend hopeful that their side can disrupt the flow of the table-topping Whites.

It will be easier said than done, however, with Daniel Farke’s men now ridiculously unbeaten in Championship action across a mammoth 16-game stretch, whilst Tony Mowbray’s Baggies continue to blow hot and cold with only two victories picked up themselves from their last five league outings.

To further add to the West Brom unease, the experienced figure of Jed Wallace is now sidelined through injury, but the playoff-chasers did manage fine without him in their last 2-0 win over Oxford United.

West Brom dealing with Wallace's injury

Indeed, although Wallace had found his minutes limited under the previous regime, he had picked up a goal and an assist under Mowbray in league action before this injury setback occurred.

Still, his absence wasn’t really felt in the 2-0 victory over the U’s, as other experienced heads such as Alex Mowatt took control by bagging the opener, before the equally seasoned John Swift made sure of the three points at the death.

Moreover, Tammer Bany exploded into life in a Baggies strip from off the bench, with the former Randers FC man a revelation late on down the left channel when teeing up Swift for his game-clinching strike.

But, it’s down the right – where Wallace primarily plays – where the promotion hopefuls didn’t look quite as devastating when Grady Diangana was given a late run-out, with the ex-West Ham United attacker managing just five lacklustre touches.

Therefore, with Wallace missing for several weeks, it could be an apt moment for Mowbray to gamble with this Tom Fellows understudy, who could well become the club’s next on-fire homegrown winger if given time.

West Brom's next Fellows

West Brom, of course, struck gold when gifting Fellows more regular senior opportunities just last season, with the constantly improving 21-year-old midfielder up to a breathtaking 11 assists this campaign in the second tier.

Therefore, the Baggies could hope history repeats itself with 19-year-old Akeel Higgins potentially being bumped up to the first team fold soon, having excited those at the Hawthorns already with his sublime U21 showings.

This season so far, Higgins has picked up one singular goal in Premier League 2 action – which was this stunning solo strike earlier in February – but he also has three assists next to his name to show off his unselfish approach when bursting forward, with an ambition to rival Fellows’ creativity if he is gifted a senior shot by Mowbray.

After all, it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for the 61-year-old to throw the starlet into games moving forward, considering he worked alongside some top young assets in the form of Chris Rigg and Jobe Bellingham when still at the reins of Sunderland.

Higgins’ youth numbers for West Brom vs Fellows
Player	Games played	Goals scored	Assists
Higgins	72	11	7
Fellows	61	14	14
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Looking at the table above, it does feel as if Higgins is overdue his moment in the first-team spotlight, with Fellows only needing 61 games for both the U18s and U21s before being unleashed into the senior picture.

Lauded as a “bright” prospect for the future by youth coach Richard Beale back in 2022, time will only tell if he can pass any forthcoming first team assessments with flying colours, having been gifted his senior debut already by Corberan last season.

West Brom academy graduates – highest market value
Player	Current club	Market value
Morgan Rogers	Aston Villa	£33m
Dara O’Shea	Ipswich Town	£12m
Tim Iroegbunam	Everton	£8m
Finn Azaz	Middlesbrough	£7m
Chris Wood	Nottingham Forest	£6m
Sam Field	QPR	£2.5m
Tom Fellows	West Brom	£2.3m
Marcus Forss	Middlesbrough	£2m
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Now, it could be coming together for Higgins to become the club’s next Fellows, with Mowbray perhaps catching more teams off-guard near the top of the division with the fresh and raw attacker in his ranks.

West Brom struck gold on £0 signing who's up there with the EFL's best

West Bromwich Albion won this star for absolutely nothing.

By
Kelan Sarson

Feb 24, 2025