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Manchester United could be set to secure their ideal heir to interim manager Ralf Rangnick after being linked with a move for former RB Leipzig boss Jesse Marsch.

What’s the story?

According to The Times, Marsch is being lined up to join Rangnick’s backroom staff after his recent dismissal at the Red Bull Arena, opening up the possibility of him replacing his former mentor in the Old Trafford hot seat at the end of the season.

Chris Armas and Sascha Lense have already joined the ongoing revolution in the red half of Manchester, and the 63-year-old tactician is expected to bring in at least one more additional backroom staff member over the coming days.

Perfect Ralf Rangnick heir?

Marsch started his managerial career as Bob Bradley’s assistant for the American national team between 2010 and 2011 before being appointed as the New York Red Bulls boss in 2015 via spells at Montreal Impact and Princeton Tigers.

It was Rangnick who first employed the American at New York, while the now United manager also took him to Leipzig as his assistant for the 2018/19 season.

Rangnick’s influence over the 48-year-old’s career has been obvious then, and Marsch opened up on just how much inspiration he takes from his mentor to The Coaches’ Voice earlier this year.

“Ralf and I had very similar views about counter-pressing and transitions,” he said (as relayed by Metro) “Getting to know him then introduced me to a lot more detail in the game, and a deeper way of thinking about football.

“He has gone on to be a huge influence on me and my philosophy. It’s no surprise to me that so many successful coaches – such as Thomas Tuchel, Ralph Hasenhuttl, Jurgen Klopp and Julian Nagelsmann – have learned from Ralf.”

Marsch successfully stepped out of Rangnick’s shadow at Salzburg, losing just 17 out of his 94 games in charge, claiming two domestic doubles along the way.

His impressive exploits with Salzburg saw Celtic legend Packie Bonner laud him over the summer, claiming he is “in a Brendan Rodgers-mould,” but Marsch was unable to replicate his success in Leipzig.

After just eight wins from his 21 fixtures at the helm, the North American was dismissed, opening up the possibility of joining United.

Although large sections of the Red Devils supporters’ may have reservations over Marsch eventually replacing Rangnick in the dugout, the prospect of him working under his mentor’s watchful eye could be one that stimulates success.

With Rangnick expected to take up his two-year consultancy role in the summer, it may well be a combination that brings the streamlined setup United have lacked for many years.

And, in other news…Rangnick eyes move for “special” £47m maestro, he could be “extraordinary” for Man Utd

With six goals scored and none conceded in their two previous games against Arsenal in the Premier League and FC Porto in the Champions League, Liverpool are in a good position to take on Southampton at Anfield in their next league match at the weekend.

On the chalkboard

In terms of which players Jurgen Klopp could select in his starting XI to take on the Saints, one player that should definitely be in the team on this occasion that didn’t start in midweek is Jordan Henderson.

Despite not starting the match against Porto on Wednesday night, Henderson still managed to impress in the 27 minutes of action he got in the second half after he replaced goalscorer Thiago Alcantara.

During his cameo, Henderson managed to highlight what a useful midfield option he is for the Reds in an attacking and defensive regard.

As well as providing the assist for Mohamed Salah’s goal, Henderson managed to complete 17 passes with one cross and long ball and even have one shot at goal.

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Henderson also managed to help his side keep a clean sheet on the day by winning five of the six duels he was involved in and complete two tackles, ultimately earning himself an overall match rating of 7.3/10 from SofaScore, which is higher than the likes of Tyler Morton and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who started the match managed to get.

It’s been the same story for Henderson in the Premier League this season as well with an average of 1.4 key passes per game and 1.4 tackles per game under his belt.

With this in mind and the fact that he managed to have a rest by not playing the whole game, Henderson, who has been labelled an “athletic” player by former Reds captain Steven Gerrard, should definitely be in the starting XI to face Southampton, who he could absolutely terrify with his attacking prowess, defensive capabilities and ability to control the tempo of a game.

Looking beyond the Southampton clash, if Liverpool can keep the £18m-rated midfielder fit and playing regularly throughout the rest of the season, he will undoubtedly play a big part in their push for the Premier League title.

In other news: Fewer touches than Alisson: Liverpool dud who won just 35% duels wasted his big chance – opinion

Some Wolves supporters have been sharing their joy over the progress Raul Jimenez has made one year after suffering a life-threatening head injury.

On 29 November 2020, the Mexican was stretchered off against Arsenal in the Premier League, having suffered a hugely serious injury.

Not only were there doubts over Jimenez playing football again after fracturing his skull, but the severity of the issue was also life-threatening.

Thankfully, the 30-year-old has made a wonderful comeback over the past 12 months, taking to the field once more and remaining a vital player for Wolves. This season, Jimenez has scored three times and registered two assists in the league, helping Bruno Lage’s side to sixth place in the table currently.

On Monday, Wolves’ official Twitter channel posted a touching tribute to the striker showing the remarkable progress he has made over the past year.

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Wolves fans love Jimenez post

These Wanderers fans showed their love for Jimenez on Twitter in response to the club’s tweet.

“My striker”

Credit: @wwfcbilly

“What a guy”

Credit: @MarkoC88

“Who’s cutting the onions?”

Credit: @sabrinajg11

“Brilliant”

Credit: @Gabrielle2030

“Amazing!”

Credit: @Salsa_M

“What an amazing man we have #ournumber9”

Credit: @shellwwfcsankey

In other news, Luke Hatfield has tipped Wolves to sign one player. Find out who it is here.

Plays of the day from the third day of the Perth Test between Australia and West Indies

Brydon Coverdale in Perth18-Dec-2009Captain courageous
Barely an hour after Cricket Australia released a statement confirming that Ricky Ponting would not bat again in this match unless desperately required, he was, ah, desperately required. Ponting suffered a tendon injury just above his left elbow when struck by Kemar Roach in the first innings and had planned to rest it for the remainder of the game, but when Australia slipped to 7 for 125 in their second innings, Ponting made his way to the crease. It wasn’t quite a spine-tingling Graeme Smith moment but it was an impressive show of character from a captain hoping to finish the series on a high.Slippage spillage
Michael Clarke doesn’t field at first slip to Australia’s fast bowlers but he does move to that position as a specialist catcher for the spinners. Nathan Hauritz was starting to wonder why, after Clarke put down two gettable chances off his bowling. On the second day, Clarke put down Chris Gayle on 81 and on the third day he spilled what should have been taken when Brendan Nash was on 34. But Clarke eventually showed why he is installed in the cordon to slow bowlers when Nash edged again on 44 and Clarke took what was by far the hardest of his three chances, low and one-handed, diving to his left.Benny boo
It was always going to be an interesting moment when Sulieman Benn came to the crease after the second-day fracas with Mitchell Johnson and Brad Haddin that led to Benn being suspended for two ODIs. The WACA crowd was certainly up to date with the previous day’s proceedings, booing Benn as he came to the crease. Haddin thought he had the last laugh when he caught Benn for 3 but the spinner didn’t back down when Australia batted, regularly chatting to the Australian batsmen in between overs as he walked from end to end. In the end it was Benn who went out smiling, when he had Haddin caught.That’s what gloves are for
Denesh Ramdin wears gloves all day in the field and when he’s batting, so it’s understandable that he might want to take them off when he’s not on strike. He might reconsider that habit after he carried his gloves while running two for his partner Benn. Doug Bollinger’s throw from the outfield came to the non-striker’s end and struck Ramdin on the unprotected fingers as he made his ground, sending his gloves flying out of his hands.Billy idle
The umpire Billy Bowden suffered some criticism on the second day for not stepping in earlier to prevent the physical confrontation between Sulieman Benn and Mitchell Johnson. That was a split-second judgment call, but Bowden should at least be able to count the correct number of balls in an over. On the third day he seemingly forgot he’d called a no-ball and let an over go by with five legal deliveries – the second time in the match he had called a five-ball over.A comedy of errors
Barely anyone looked good when there was a horrible mix-up between Clarke and Shane Watson. Clarke nudged a ball into the covers and took off for a single, but Watson stayed firmly planted at the non-striker’s end. However, Dwayne Bravo’s fielding effort was even worse as he fumbled, fell and finally threw the ball well wide of the stumps at the striker’s end. It allowed Watson to get through for a single but there was more to come: a lazy piece of backing up allowed the batsmen back for an overthrow as well.

Everton could be on the verge of repeating their disastrous deal for Alex Iwobi after being linked with a transfer move for Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe.

What’s the story?

According to French outlet Jeunes Footeux (as relayed by SportWitness), the Toffees are one of several Premier League clubs interested in securing the 26-year-old’s signature, with Newcastle United and Crystal Palace also listed as potential suitors.

The report claims that the trio are hoping to conclude a short-term loan move including an option to buy Pepe at the end of the season rather than a direct transfer given his recent struggles and that the Gunners may not have any other choice than to accept those terms.

Marcel Brands must avoid

After arriving at Arsenal for a club-record £72m fee in the summer of 2019, Pepe has failed to live up to the expectations that his astronomical price tag understandably brought.

He made 31 Premier League appearances in his maiden campaign, featuring from the off on only 22 occasions and scoring just five goals along the way.

The Ivory Coast international did show shines of improvement last term, though. A healthy return of 16 goals and five assists in all competitions provided hope that Pepe could finally fulfil his potential, yet consistently impressive performances still eluded him.

One particularly frustrating display against Chelsea towards the end of 2020/21 earned criticism from BT Sport pundit Joe Cole, who lamented his work rate compared to teammate Bukayo Saka.

“He plays in fits and starts Pepe,” Cole said. “We’ve got a great angle up here and we were watching him, and he was so lacklustre. Compare him to Saka on the other side who was full of energy and was vibrant.

“Pepe was wandering, after 30 minutes we were questioning what he was on the pitch for, but he has got the quality and that’s why you pay £70m for him because he can do things like that. You just need to see it more often.”

And it appears Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was equally incensed with the versatile forward’s inconsistent showings.

In recent weeks, Pepe has found himself on the substitutes bench on a regular basis as the north London outfit have hit some good form, receiving just five minutes of top-flight action in their last three fixtures.

Therefore, it appears as though his days at the Emirates Stadium are numbered, but Everton’s hierarchy would be wise to stay away from the infuriating if talented £140,000-per-week Ivorian.

Marcel Brands has already been embarrassed by Arsenal in two previous transfer dealings with the capital club, first when he paid £20m for an ageing Theo Walcott, and then when he splashed big money to bring Iwobi to Goodison Park.

The two wingers both failed to have the desired impact following their switch to Merseyside, and Brands must avoid making the same mistake for a third time in just three years.

And, in other news…Signed for £7.1m, sold for £30m: Brands pulled off EFC masterclass with 32 y/o monster

Jude Bellingham believes that his future belongs at Liverpool after leaving Borussia Dortmund, according to BBC radio pundit and former Premier League midfielder Craig Hignett.

The Lowdown: Bellingham stars for Dortmund

The 18-year-old is arguably one of Europe’s most exciting young players at the moment, performing at an incredible level for Dortmund. He has scored three goals and registered five assists in all competitions so far this season, but his all-round performances have caught the eye in the middle of the park.

Liverpool have been linked with a stunning move for the England international and an interesting line has now emerged regarding his future.

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The Latest: Hignett makes exciting claim

Speaking on BBC Radio Merseyside [via Inside Futbol], Hignett claimed that he has inside information on Bellingham and said that a move to Anfield is a near-certainty for the teenager.

He stated: “I think I’ve heard it on good authority and I can’t say where I’ve heard it from, but apparently he has been saying that he is Liverpool bound.

“Whether that is January or whether that is the end of the season isn’t sure yet, but I think, I have it on good authority that it is almost a cert.”

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The Verdict: Generational talent

This is a hugely exciting update if it is accurate, with Bellingham potentially becoming a superstar for many years to come.

Liverpool’s midfield is need of reinforcements next summer, with Jordan Henderson, Thiago and James Milner all now in their 30s. On top of that, Naby Keita is still proving to be notoriously injury-prone, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could be sold and the likes of Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott are still maturing as players.

Bellingham may only be 18 but he is already excelling at a high level, averaging 1.5 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game in the Bundesliga this season, on top of his aforementioned quality in the final third.

If Liverpool can beat other prospective suitors to his signature, it could feel like a significant piece of business. Hignett’s comments offer strong hope that it could materialise.

In other news, some Liverpool fans were unhappy with one player’s performance against Brighton. Read more here.

A round-up of the third day’s play of the second-round matches of the Ranji Trophy Super League 2009-10

Cricinfo staff12-Nov-2009Group A

Scorecard
Having ended shakily at 59 for 3 the previous day, Punjab were lifted by Vishwas Bhalla’s century – the fourth instance when a Punjab debutant reached three figures – against Hyderabad in Mohali. Bhalla was reprived on 12 when he popped a return catch to Abdul Khader, who failed to take it, and made Hyderabad pay dearly. He was in good touch, smashing twelve boundaries during his 240-ball stay, as the home team’s lead swelled past 300. Overnight batsman Pankaj Dharmani gave him good support, making 50.There was some cheer for Hyderabad with left-arm seamer Mohammed Khader taking a five-for. It will be interesting to see when Punjab declare on the fourth morning, in search of full points.
Scorecard
Crucial fifties from S Badrinath and Dinesh Karthik helped Tamil Nadu pick up first-innings points against Gujarat in Ahmedabad. Continuing from the previous day’s score of 198 for 2, M Vijay departed soon, five short of his hundred. That set the stage for Badrinath and Karthik, who put on 76 for the fourth wicket to give Tamil Nadu full control. Gujarat fought back with two wickets for one run, reducing Tamil Nadu to 325 for 6, but it was not enough as Karthik shepherded Tamil Nadu through to the end of the day, looking strong for a hundred.
Scorecard
After the first two days were washed out, only 61 overs could be managed on the third at the Brabourne Stadium. Mumbai captain Wasim Jaffer led the way with an unbeaten hundred against Orissa. Put in, the hosts were in early trouble losing openers Sahil Kukreja and Sushant Marathe with the score on 7. However, Jaffer ensured there were no more hiccups as he hit 13 fours during his 173-ball innings. Prashant Naik played the perfect foil with a watchful 67, as the two put on 175 for the third wicket, before Naik was dismissed just before stumps.
Scorecard
Railways’ hopes of first-innings points received a setback after bad light truncated proceedings against Himachal Pradesh at the Karnail Singh Stadium. Only 45 overs could be squeezed in between a delayed start and the call for stumps as Himachal, resuming on 34 for no loss, finished on 125 for 2. Paras Dogra (35) and Vinit Indulkar (16) were the not-out batsmen, thwarting Railways after they had got Sangram Singh out for an even fifty. Even as Bhavin Thakkar fell early, the other overnight batsman Sangram and Dogra went about the job calmly. They negated the Railways spinners, adding 60 runs, before Indulkar joined Dogra to see them through the day’s play.Group B

Scorecard
Even though Shikhar Dhawan scored a second hundred in two matches, Delhi were left struggling to get enough runs on the board to try and reverse the first-innings result against Karnataka at the Roshanara Club Ground. At 255 for 9, with a second-innings lead of just 149, Delhi needed a stirring job from their bowlers. Resuming on 93 for 2, Delhi were powered by the 135-run partnership for the third wicket between Dhawan and Rajat Bhatia (64). Dhawan struck 13 fours en route to his century, but once he was run out there Sreenath Aravind and first-innings hero R Vinay Kumar gave Karnataka the upper hand with four and three wickets respectively.Sourav Ganguly’s stroke-filled 76 wasn’t enough for Bengal•AFP
Scorecard
A sparkling 76 from Sourav Ganguly – who completed a personal milestone of 15,000 first-class runs – was not enough as Bengal conceded first-innings points to Baroda at the Eden Gardens. Murtuja Vahora and Irfan Pathan shared seven wickets between them to wipe out the little advantage Bengal held overnight at 102 for 3, still 205 adrift.Ganguly was in fine nick, raising his half-century off 54 deliveries with ten fours. When he reached 40 his partner, Arindam Das, had yet to add to his overnight score of 52. Das’ dismissal for 61, adjudged lbw to Vahora even though he pointed to his bat for an inside edge, brought the captain Laxmi Ratan Shukla to the crease. He and Ganguly added 76 for the fifth wicket, leaving Bengal well placed to take the lead. Right-arm seamer Vahora, though, ended their hopes, picking up the last three wickets for 14 runs; Bengal slumped to 293 all out from 257 for 5. Baroda lost captain Connor Williams for 5 during their second innings as they looked to build on their lead of 14.
Scorecard
Four wickets apiece for RP Singh and Shalabh Srivastava helped Uttar Pradesh take a 128-run lead against Saurashtra in Rajkot. Resuming on 125 for 3, Shitanshu Kotak (75) and Pratik Mehta (69) set about strengthening Saurashtra, before RP and Shalabh sparked a collapse. Once the 131-run stand for the fourth-wicket ended, both UP bowlers struck at regular intervals to bowl out Saurashtra for 267. The last seven wickets fell for 77 runs, and the last five for 35. In their second piece, UP lost three wickets before first-innings centurions Shivakant Shukla and Parvinder Singh saw them through to stumps.

New Zealand, dogged by injury throughout the Champions Trophy, received the biggest blow on the eve of the final when Daniel Vettori was forced out of the game with a hamstring injury

Osman Samiuddin in Centurion05-Oct-2009New Zealand, dogged by injury throughout the Champions Trophy, received the biggest blow on the eve of the final when Daniel Vettori, their captain and leading performer through the tournament, was forced out of the game with a hamstring injury.New Zealand, severely depleted already, will miss Vettori’s left-arm spin on a pitch that is expected to take turn, as well as his assured presence in the lower middle order. The value of Vettori’s allround performance – 3 for 43 and a vital 41 off 42 balls in a nervy run-chase – was fully seen in their semi-final win against Pakistan.Vettori is New Zealand’s leading wicket-taker in the tournament with seven and leads their batting averages. Such were the expected conditions in Centurion, Vettori had hinted on the eve of the final that New Zealand might consider playing two spinners; as a result of the injury, Jeetan Patel was named in the starting line-up as the only spinner.New Zealand’s run to the final has been made all the more credible, given the injury list they have built up. Before Vettori, at various stages in the tournament, they have lost key players in Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder and Daryl Tuffey. Ian Butler missed the first game with an intestinal infection and Grant Elliott has played the last two games with a thumb injury.In his absence, Brendon McCullum took over to lead the side for only the second time in ODIs. His first match as captain also came earlier this year, against India in March.

A round-up of all the games on the opening day of the 2009-10 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

Cricinfo staff10-Oct-2009Group ADanish Kaneria began the first-class season with 5 for 72•AFPFourteen wickets fell on day one at the United Bank Limited Sports Complex, with Sui Southern Gas Corporation fast bowler Sohail Khan wrecking Pakistan Customs with 6 for 34. Customs decision to bat came a cropper and they were all out for 85 in 37.3 overs against a revved-up attack. Sohail sliced through the top and middle orders and was well assisted by Dilawar Khan, who grabbed 4 for 13 in 8.3 overs. However, SSGC had problems of their own against Mansoor Ahmed, who took three. In 43 overs, SSGC reached 83 for 4.The ball dominated bat on the opening day at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex. Danish Kaneria and Abdur Rehman, at one stage spinning partners for Pakistan, shared eight wickets to keep Karachi Whites to 190, after which Habib Bank finished the day 52 for 2. Apart from the opener Mohammad Ali’s 66 and an unbeaten 49 from Mohammad Hasan there were no meaningful contributions. Kaneria took 5 for 72 and Rehman 3 for 50. Imran Farhat, who recently quit the unofficial ICL, was on 35 at the close.Polar opposite scenes at the National Stadium, where Khan Research Laboratories scored 262 for 3 on day one. Azhar Ali scored 108 from 246 balls and the captain Mohammad Wasim was eying a century of his own by the time stumps were taken, batting on 84. For Pakistan International Airlines there were two successful wicket-takers, Anwar Ali and Tahir Khan.Put in to bat, Lahore Shalimar finished the first day’s play at the Gaddafi Stadium on 232 for 8. It was slow going, with the National Bank of Pakistan bowlers keeping tabs on the batsmen. The opener Ahmed Dar (63) and No. 4 Sohail Idrees (62) were the only pair to go past 50; Mohammad Asif, back at the domestic level and given first use of the new ball, took 3 for 30 from 14 overs.Sui Northern Gas Corporation bowled out Water and Power Development Authority for 215 at the Iqbal Stadium. WAPDA lost early wickets against Asad Ali and Saad Altaf, and neither Imran Ali nor Yasir Shah allowed much room to fight back. Bilal Khilji top-scored with 48 and the captain Naved-ul-Hasan weighed in with 36. Before stumps, Kashif Raza bowled Naeemuddin.Group BThe medium-pacer Arun Lal led helped give Quetta a good first day’s play against hosts Abbottabad at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. Lal, bowling first-change, took the first four wickets to fall, including a hat-trick with Abbottabad’s score at 48 for 1. The opener Ghulam Mohammad stuck on to score 85 from 158 balls but that was the biggest score by some distance as Abbottabad were dismissed for 251. In three overs before stumps Quetta’s openers added eight.A series of half-centuries spread across their innings lifted Islamabad to 425 for 8 against Hyderabad at the Diamond Cricket Club.The visiting team opted to field and had a long day in the field, with three of the top four batsmen crossing 50. Raheel Majeed (48) was the first to go after adding 111 with Umair Khan (67), after which Fayyaz Ahmed (78) and Zohaib Ahmed (63) got stuck in. Hanif-ur-Rahman and Aqeel Anjum took three wickets each but there was further frustration for Hyderabad as the captain Rauf Akbar scored an unbeaten 63 from No. 9 and added 61 with Shehzad Azam, not out on 21.Zulfiqar Babar’s five wickets vindicated Multan’s decision to field at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. In 28.1 overs of slow left-arm spin, Babar took 5 for 84 to bowl Lahore Ravi out for 207. There were no half-centuries in the scorecard. Multan’s opening pair batted together for seven overs before the close.Sialkot enjoyed a good opening day at the Jinnah Stadium, spurred on by Bilawal Bhatti’s career-best 5 for 48. Bhatti grabbed five in a row to help dismiss Faisalabad for 136, after which the hosts lost two wickets en route to 98 by stumps. Majid Jahangir, the opener, was batting on 48 from 70 balls.

Powered by a fine 100 by opener Chetan Sharma, Delhi helped themselvesto a eight wicket win over Himachal Pradesh in the North Zone RanjiTrophy One-Day tournament match at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Tuesday

Natarajan Sriram22-Jul-2009Powered by a fine 100 by opener Chetan Sharma, Delhi helped themselvesto a eight wicket win over Himachal Pradesh in the North Zone RanjiTrophy One-Day tournament match at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Tuesday.Set to score 222 for a win, Delhi openers Chetan Sharma (100) and AshuDani (86) dominated the HP bowers for 83.4 overs during which theymade 168 runs. Such was their supremacy that the HP skipper RajivNayyar was prompted to utilise nine of his players in the bowlingdepartment. Chetan Sharma was the first to be dismissed caught by RThakur off Amit Sharma. During a 174 minute stay at the crease Sharmafaced 131 balls and found the boundary ropes eleven times.Then Gautam Gambhir (21 not out) joined Dani to take the score on to214. By the time Dani fell for a catch to Amit off V Sharma the gamewas well and truly in favour of Delhi. Mithun Mihnas and Ghambhir thentook the hosts home.Earlier, opting to bat first, HP’s innings was steadied by a fine 72by Nayyar. He shared a 88 run fifth wicket stand with Varindar Sharma(37). Nayyar then fell with the score at 191, stumped by Chawla offRahul Sanghvi. Sanghvi was the most successfull bowler for Delhi withfigures of 4 for 34.