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Despite a century from Chesney Hughes, the tenth of his career and his third against Glamorgan the home side remain on course to win their first Championship win of the season at Colwyn Bay

ECB Reporters Network19-Jul-2016
ScorecardChesney Hughes fought hard for Derbyshire but defeat still loomed•Getty Images

Despite a century from Chesney Hughes, the tenth of his career and his third against Glamorgan, and 90 from Wayne Madsen as third-wicket pair added 180, Glamorgan remain on course to win their first Championship win of the season at Colwyn Bay.At the close of the third day’s play, Derbyshire were 413 for 6, a lead of 72 on a pitch which is giving little assistance to the bowlers.With Hughes and Madsen both out, much will depend on the Derbyshire middle and late order batsmen if they are to set Glamorgan a challenging target. Their captain Billy Godleman was 66 not out.After Hamish Rutherford had edged Graham Wagg to the wicketkeeper after scoring 45, Glamorgan had to wait another 46 overs for further success, as the third-wicket pair consolidated throughout a sweltering afternoon.Hughes played and missed many times – especially against the accurate Michael Hogan – but in between played some handsome strokes on both sides of the wicket.He reached his century by sweeping Owen Morgan’s left-arm spin for six, before he was out, edging Wagg to Wallace.Madsen survived a difficult chance down the leg side to Wallace on 70, and a more straightforward chance six runs later to Aneurin Donald at slip, and he appeared destined for three figures before he became Wallace’s fourth victim, when he edged Andrew Salter’s arm ball to the wicketkeeper.Hogan was eventually rewarded when he pinned Neil Broom in front and at that stage Derbyshire were nineteen runs behind. Godleman, batting at No. 5 after being taken ill the previous day, and Shiv Thakor then cleared the arrears and settled into an useful partnership with Godleman reaching fifty from 90 balls .They put on 63 before Thakor shuffled in front of his stumps and was leg before to David Lloyd for 29.Both teams applied themselves well on sweltering day; Derbyshire for their application and determination to improve on their dismal first innings performance, and Glamorgan’s bowlers who stuck to their task and by the end of the day had put their side in sight of a first win.

Newcastle United could look to sell winger Allan Saint-Maximin this summer to raise funds for the summer transfer window, according to journalist Alex Crook.

What's the latest news involving Allan Saint-Maximin?

Football Insider have claimed that Saint-Maximin could look to depart St James' Park in the summer due to fears over being a rotational option at the club.

The report states that the 26-year-old is said to be receiving interest from clubs around Europe and they could be 'ready to pounce' if Saint-Maximin appears on the market.

Calciomercato have claimed that AC Milan had contact with Saint-Maximin's agents in the January transfer window and the Italian giants may make another attempt to secure his services in the upcoming off-season.

TEAMtalk revealed that Newcastle United will 'listen to offers' for the Frenchman and have decided that he doesn't warrant a new contract at the club or hold a place as part of the furniture for the long-term in the North East.

Saint-Maximin is reportedly earning around £70,000 per week at the Magpies on a deal that runs until 2026, as per Capology.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Crook thinks the scenario of Saint-Maximin departing St James' Park may have a decent chance of happening.

Crook said: "I think the budget is quite small, sort of £20 million to £25 million, plus whatever they can raise from selling players. Obviously, they’re not going to want to sell people like Bruno Guimaraes, who they'd be able to get a lot of money for.

"So, Allan Saint-Maximin, he's got a contract I think for the next three years, but he's going to have suitors. I think if they can cash in on him and give Eddie Howe a few more quid to spend, I think they would be willing to do that.”

What have Allan Saint Maximin's stats been like this season?

In 2022/23, Saint-Maximin has made 26 appearances in all competitions for Newcastle United, notching one goal and five assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Despite being in and out of Eddie Howe's team this campaign, WhoScored notes that the once-hailed "magician" has completed an average of 2.2 dribbles per match this term, showing his ability to advance beyond his marker regularly and drive into dangerous areas.

FBRef shows that Saint-Maximin has successfully recorded 54 shot-creating actions in the Premier League, demonstrating his capacity to be a handy provider of chances when called into the side.

The 26-year-old is a talented player that has become a fan favourite at St James' Park due to his trickery and inventiveness; nevertheless, it could be the case that both parties shake hands and move on this summer for an agreeable price.

كشفت تقارير صحفية سعودية النقاب عن تلقي نادي النصر عرضين للتعاقد مع لاعب الفريق العالمي، خالد الغنام.

وأوضحت التقارير المنشورة عبر صحيفة “الرياضية” السعودية، أن ناديي الاتفاق والفتح السعوديين يرغبان في التعاقد مع اللاعب الدولي خالد الغنام.

وأكدت الصحيفة وفق مصادرها الخاصة، أن إدارة نادي النصر تدرس العرضين، إذ لا تمانع إعارة الغنام خلال الوقت الراهن.

اقرأ أيضًا.. كريستيانو رونالدو يتوج بجائزة مارادونا لأفضل هداف

ويأتي ذلك في ظل رغبة نادي النصر في الاحتفاظ بخدمات لاعبه لفترة أطول عن طريق تمديد تعاقده الذي تبقى على انتهائه عام واحد.

وأشارت الصحيفة إلى أن إدارة النصر ستوافق على بيع الغنام حال عدم التوصل إلى اتفاق معه لتمديد عقده، وإبداء رغبته في الانتقال كليا.

Everton have struggled majorly this season, although recent signs under Sean Dyche prove that there is life in the club yet as they look to maintain their top-flight status.

In the Premier League this season, the Toffees have conceded 40 goals, the joint-seventh worst record in the division, while in terms of goals scored, they have managed just 22 all campaign, and this total ranks them as the joint-lowest scorers in the league.

Dyche’s aim will be to get his side to score much more often over the coming weeks, however with Dominic Calvert-Lewin struggling with injury and scoring just once all season, what the manager would give for a player who could offer a significant attacking threat and score plenty in order for the club to secure survival.

Former Finch Farm alumni Wayne Rooney would be the ideal candidate for the role and there is no doubt he could thrive under Dyche.

Could Wayne Rooney save Everton?

Judging by his wonderful career and ability to find the net on numerous occasions despite not being a conventional striker, if Rooney was the forefront of the Everton attack this term, they wouldn’t be languishing near the drop zone.

Having started his career on Merseyside, Rooney would go on to net 28 goals in 117 appearances for the Toffees, emerging onto the scene with a stunning goal against Arsenal in 2002 and Sir Alex Ferguson lured him to Manchester United in the summer of 2004.

Rooney turned into one of the finest forwards of his generation, scoring 253 goals for United while winning five Premier League titles and a Champions League winners medal along with countless other domestic trophies to establish himself as a club legend.

Ferguson even dubbed him “truly world-class” and truth be told, Everton are in desperate need for a player like Rooney.

His ability to score goals of all varieties, from two-yard tap-ins to 35-yard volleys, Rooney had it all. Add in his combative nature, dogged determination and the work rate which could rival a thoroughbred, it’s no wonder he became one of the best English players of all time.

Journalist Tom Williams lauded him for being “lethal” during the 2009/2010 campaign, where he ended up scoring 34 goals in all competitions and if Dyche had a prime Rooney at his behest, he could certainly forget all about Calvert-Lewin and the club would surely be challenging for the European places instead of being in a relegation dogfight.

Antonio Conte's explosive press conference in the aftermath of Tottenham Hotspur's 3-3 draw with Southampton on Saturday afternoon all but confirmed that the Italian's time in north London is coming to an end.

The 53-year-old threw anyone he could under the bus, taking aim at the players, chairman Daniel Levy and the club's ambition and history in a 10-minute, uninterrupted rant.

It was a rare case of the manager giving up on the dressing room, having brandished his squad as "selfish" for not taking responsibility for their failings on the pitch.

Although, Conte has hardly helped himself with key decisions over personnel, team selection and tactics.

For instance, bringing on Davinson Sanchez instead of an attacker when chasing an FA Cup tie against Sheffield United was baffling, to say the least. Whilst his insistence to play a boring, defensive brand of football hasn't won much of the fanbase over.

It didn't have to be like that, though, as Harry Redknapp displayed during his four-year tenure, where Rafael van der Vaart starred as the creative outlet in a pretty dogmatic, well-oiled long ball system.

How good was Rafael van der Vaart at Tottenham?

The Dutch playmaker played off the towering presence of 6 foot 7 target man Peter Crouch and did so to great effect, managing a return of 28 goals and 18 assists across 77 appearances for Spurs.

It was by no means pretty, but it saw the north London outfit make a second successive League Cup final in 2009, having won it a year earlier (their last taste of silverware).

You'd imagine that many supporters around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium would take that over what they're witnessing from a Premier League-winning boss right now.

Having been pushed out at Real Madrid following the additions of Mesut Ozil and Ángel Di María, and battled with fitness problems following his £8m move to Spurs, van der Vaart was still often reliable when called upon. He was almost the perfect 'Redknapp player' – clearly technically gifted but not exactly the chiselled athlete we see today.

The Heemskerk-born maestro, once tipped to be the next Johan Cruyff, was always good for a goal and helped Tottenham navigate the Champions League for the first time, whilst also finishing in the top-five in back-to-back seasons.

His brace against arch-rivals Arsenal and that 25-yard strike at Anfield will long live in the memory and his folklore at the club. Oh, how Conte could do with a player of his quality right now, helping lessen the burden on both Harry Kane and Heung-min Son in the final third.

For the past few seasons, the Lilywhites' chances of winning a game have depended on that electric duo finding each other and subsequently, finding the net and yet again, they led the charts for shots per game and are among the mix for being the most creative players in the squad, via WhoScored.

Without a true no.10 of van der Vaart's ilk, having averaged a whopping 3.2 shots and 2.3 key passes per outing during the 2011/12 campaign, Spurs will struggle when their star duo aren't on their game, which in a defensive-heavy system is difficult enough.

And while they are absolutely imperative members of the squad, an attacking midfield presence is really what could get Spurs back on track.

Redknapp recently suggested that his old team, in which the Dutchman – who was hailed as a "magician" by former footballer Marvin Sordell – starred alongside the likes of Gareth Bale and Luka Modric, could beat Conte's current outfit. A worrying verdict indeed.

Now more known for his ruthless takes in the punditry game, it's hard to argue against van der Vaart changing the fortunes of the Italian and his team. It not only would save Tottenham's season but also Conte's job as it seems as if he wants a divorce during the international break, rather than when his contract expires in June.

Perhaps a player like £8m maestro would have prevented this toxic end to what should've been a more successful and glowing tenure.

Newcastle United have reportedly sent scouts to watch Mainz midfielder Anton Stach ahead of a potential summer move.

The Lowdown: Stach profiled

Stach has been one of the standout players at Mainz so far this season, ranking highly among his team-mates for average aerial duels won, shots, key passes, dribbles, crosses and through balls per game in the Bundesliga (WhoScored).

He has been instrumental in Mainz knocking on the door for European qualification for next term, and is sure to attract plenty of interest in the summer.

The Latest: Newcastle scout Stach

Co-writing for 90min, transfer expert Graeme Bailey has shared that Newcastle are among a number of clubs to have scouted Stach in 2023 ahead of a possible move this summer.

Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United have all watched him in action too, so the Magpies would have to act fast to secure his signature.

Bailey notes that they have not won a game without Bruno Guimaraes this campaign, so are in need of cover for the Brazilian, and Stach can also play as an eight or ten as well as in defensive midfield.

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The Verdict: Get it done

Stach would provide quality cover for Bruno when he is not available, and could even force himself into the starting line-up at St. James’ Park.

The six-foot-four colossus has been one of the most consistent midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, ranking in the 97th percentile for assists and in the top 10% for a number of other key metrics.

At 24 years of age, Stach still has a high ceiling, and could be a mainstay in the Toon midfield for years to come.

An update has emerged regarding Aston Villa’s attempts to sign Ibrahima Bamba from Vitoria Guimaraes in the summer transfer window…

What’s the latest on Ibrahima Bamba to Aston Villa?

According to Portuguese outlet Record (via Sport Witness), NSWE have already opened talks over a deal to bring the versatile talent to Villa Park at the end of the season.

The report claims that they are attempting to sign the defender amid the news this week that the club have reached a pre-agreement to buy a 46% share in the Portuguese outfit, with Record stating that a move for the gem could cost around €12m (£11m) including the shares.

Journalist Duncan Castles has since added to the story by tweeting that Villa “aim to use [the] multi-club model to sign young Italian centre back Ibrahima Bamba” and are now looking to add an MLS club to their portfolio.

Could Bamba be Ezri Konsa’s heir at Villa?

NSWE could land Unai Emery the eventual heir to Ezri Konsa’s position in the team by securing a deal to sign the 20-year-old enforcer as part of this deal to buy shares in Vitoria.

The former Brentford defender has been a regular for Villa in the Premier League this season, starting 21 matches to date and averaging a Sofascore rating of 6.83.

The 25-year-old has completed 87% of his attempted passes and made 2.1 tackles and interceptions per game whilst winning an eye-catching 74% of his individual duels.

Bamba, who was once hailed by writer Zach Lowy as one of his team’s “intriguing” pieces, has forced himself into the first-team at Vitoria this season and has been in superb form for the Portuguese side.

In Liga Portugal, the 20-year-old has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.98 across 18 starts and made 3.4 tackles and interceptions per match whilst winning 63% of his individual battles and completing 84% of his attempted passes.

For context, only Douglas Luiz (7.02) has averaged a higher rating in the Premier League for Villa this season, which indicates that Bamba has the potential to be a terrific addition to Emery’s squad if he can translate that form over to English football.

The defender has delivered consistently impressive displays for Vitoria despite his young age, and he is showing maturity beyond his years against senior professionals on a weekly basis as a dominant, composed defender.

With this in mind, Bamba – a right-footed centre-back – could be the long-term heir to Konsa’s position at Villa Park if Emery can unearth the gem’s potential and help him to thrive in England as he has done in Portugal.

Tottenham Hotspur are believed to be edging closer to securing a potential sponsorship deal with the South African government.

What’s the latest?

There have been reports suggesting conditional approval has been granted over the possibility of South Africa Tourism striking an agreement with the north London club over a sponsorship deal.

The proposed deal is believed to see the tourism board have their logo printed on one of Tottenham’s shirt sleeves and is said to bring in £42.5m over the course of a three-year partnership.

However, there will likely be some controversy surrounding the potential partnership with the South African government coming under scrutiny for various issues happening in their country.

And speaking on the latest edition of The Tottenham Way podcast, journalist Tom Allnutt has suggested this could be a deal which brings some serious questions in the direction of the Spurs board:

(3:40) “But from the South African end, I think it was a pretty controversial deal given I think the country is in a sort of state of disaster at the moment with record power cuts and the economy is all over the place.

“So I think, you know, there was a lot of question marks about the sort of wisdom of giving a sponsorship deal to Spurs.”

Investment but at what expense?

We have already seen in recent times investment in Premier League clubs has brought with it some serious controversy with the likes of Newcastle United.

The Magpies have come under scrutiny for their approval of a bid from Saudi Arabia to take over their club despite the heavy reports surrounding the country’s human rights record.

And although this deal will not see South Africa stake a claim in Spurs’ shares, it is still a form of investment from the South African government which are coming under fire for its unwillingness to condemn the war in Ukraine.

On top of that, as Allnutt alluded to, there is also an ongoing energy crisis in South Africa which will see many locals struggle through power cuts as the government look set to send £42.5m to Tottenham.

And reports suggest many within the country feel as if this is money which could have been better spent within their own sporting interests.

It is now apparent any deal struck with a foreign source is going to be scrutinised for any potential stick to beat the club over, however, there are clear issues surrounding this deal involving the South African government.

And given Spurs have reportedly held talks with the likes of Google over stadium naming rights, we do wonder whether Todd Kline could have sought out a more palatable source of income.

BBC man Harry de Cosemo has dismissed talk of Newcastle United selling Allan Saint-Maximin this month.

The Lowdown: Exit looking unlikely

Saint-Maximin will likely be very frustrated with his newfound situation at Newcastle which has seen him become more of an impact player from the bench following his injury earlier in the season.

The Frenchman has been linked with moves to both AC Milan and Nottingham Forest this month, however, the local media within Newcastle has seemingly poured cold water on any potential exit.

This is likely because once Saint-Maximin can get a run of starts under his belt there’d be no denying the talent he possesses having started the season very impressively with one goal and two assists in his first four league matches.

The Latest: Saint-Maximin not going to be leaving

De Cosemo has been speaking on the True Faith podcast about Saint-Maximin’s future and how there is no truth to reports linking him with a midseason move.

He said: (12:00) “There’s nothing in the Saint-Maximin thing from his side, I’m sure clubs are interested and I’m sure they’re playing on the idea as a lot of these reports are that he’s not playing so they’re probably looking at it thinking we may as well have a look and see if it will happen.

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“Honestly, I can’t imagine him leaving in January and I can’t imagine him leaving in the summer either because I think eventually what will happen is he’ll go back into the team and starts having a more talismanic sort of role within the team in a different to what he did under Bruce.”

The Verdict: Howe would be crazy to lose Saint-Maximin

Given how important Saint-Maximin has been for Newcastle during some of their darkest years under Steve Bruce ranking near the top in both goal and shot-creating actions in both the 2021/22 and 2020/21 campaigns, it would be insane to let him leave now.

This is because as Newcastle are striving to become one of England’s top clubs, they want to be improving their squad and keeping their best players and not lose someone who once had a £50 million price tag on his head.

Also, reports suggesting that Saint-Maximin could be bought for around £26 million are likely to be very wide of the mark given he still has a contract to run until the summer of 2026 after signing a long-term deal in 2020.

Sky Sports’ Nubaid Haroon has backed Wilfried Zaha to make a shock U-turn and stay at Crystal Palace live on air.

The Lowdown: Future looks to be away from Selhurst Park

It has been widely reported that Zaha has no interest in signing a new deal at Selhurst Park as the winger looks to make one more big move during his career before it enters its twilight years.

Of course, Zaha has already made a big move but that came a decade ago when he joined Manchester United, where he was only ever afforded two Premier League appearances under David Moyes.

However, he hasn’t let that hold him back, having gone on to become Palace’s all-time top scorer in the Premier League, while he is now also a threat through the middle under Patrick Vieira, netting 21 goals since the Frenchman took over.

The Latest: Zaha into his final six months

Despite being into the final six months of his contract, David Ornstein has reported Zaha won’t leave this month – and that’s prompted Haroon to suggest the winger could now stay with the Eagles.

He said: “If you follow Zaha on his Instagram, on his social media, he very much loves being in South London – that’s his community, that’s where he’s from and that is him.

“So I do wonder if, say, Dortmund come calling, whether he goes, ‘I might get a couple of years at Dortmund, but then I kind of want to stay here as well’.

“If Palace have the money to keep him, I think in the end, he’ll probably end up staying.”

The Verdict: Palace would struggle to replace Zaha

Zaha will certainly go down as a Palace legend for the role he played in getting them to the Premier League with his memorable goals against bitter rivals Brighton in the Championship play-offs and what he has managed to achieve in the division by keeping the club in the top flight since then.

The Ivory Coast international has been Palace’s top scorer for the last two seasons and looks on course to repeat that feat with six goals to his name already, so it’s no surprise that he still wishes to challenge himself at a higher level.

From Palace’s point of view, it will be difficult to find one player that can do what Zaha has done for them over the years, so they could look to sign a few players instead and try to spread the workload across the squad should he depart.