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With Slavisa Jokanovic seeing his Sheffield United side get off to something of a slow start to their 2021/22 Championship campaign, having picked up just one point in their opening two league fixtures, the 53-year-old will be desperately hoping his Blades side can secure their first three points of the season on Wednesday evening.

However, fixtures will not come much more difficult this season than an away trip to West Bromwich Albion, with Valerien Ismael’s side looking to be scoring Championship goals for fun at present, having bagged five in their opening two fixtures.

As such, while United have not exactly been leaking goals, Jokanovic’s defence must nevertheless be at the very top of their game at The Hawthorns to ensure that their side have any hope of leaving West Bromwich with a positive result.

And, having recently secured the loan signing of Liverpool centre-back Ben Davies, a player whom the Serbian manager has already revealed will be part of his squad that makes the trip to West Midlands, it would very much seem as if Jokanovic could be in possession of a player who has the ability to be something of a game-changer the United backline.

Davies must start

While it is well known that, following his move from Preston North End to Anfield earlier this year, Davies failed to make a single appearance for Jurgen Klopp’s side, the defender nevertheless proved during his time with the Lilywhites that he is an extremely capable player in the second tier of English football.

Indeed, over his 19 Championship appearances last season, the £2.7m-rated man helped his side keep six clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.4 interceptions, 1.2 tackles, 4.3 clearances and winning 4.9 duels per game.

These returns saw the player Klopp dubbed a “leader” earn a highly impressive average SofaScore match rating of 6.99, ranking him as Preston’s second-best player in the league.

And, despite being only the third fixture of the Championship season, a positive result against one of Sheffield United’s main promotion rivals on Wednesday is extremely important for Jokanovic to achieve, as a win would send a real message to the rest of the competition that the Blades are indeed one of the contenders in the second tier.

As such, it would appear highly advisable for the 53-year-old to unleash Davies against West Brom, as the 26-year-old undoubtedly has the ability to help shore up the Blades defence against what is likely to be one of the most impressive attacking lineups in the Championship this season.

In other news: Bye Ramsdale: Jokanovic must sanction Sheff Utd swoop for “incredible” £14k-p/w beast

Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lankan captain, has said the upcoming Test and ODI series in Bangladesh will be taken “very seriously” given the lack of international cricket for his team

Cricinfo staff07-Dec-2008
Sanath Jayasuriya’s return will be boost a struggling batting order, says Mahela Jayawardene © AFP
Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lankan captain, has said the upcoming Test and ODI series in Bangladesh will be taken “very seriously” given the lack of international cricket for his team.”We are approaching this series very seriously. Bangladesh has come a long way especially in the last six months,” he told the . “In addition we do not have any international cricket for about four to five months after this series, thus it takes on even more significance and obviously we will be going all out to win both the Test and tri-nation series.”Sri Lanka will play two Tests and an ODI tri series, also involving Zimbabwe, in Bangladesh. The tour begins with a three-day warm-up game on December 21, followed by the Tests.”We are going in with an open mind to Bangladesh,” said Jayawardene, “and obviously the challenge for us collectively is to adjust to the different conditions and play to the best of our ability. If we can execute that plan I do not see any reason why we cannot emerge victorious.”Sri Lanka’s batting struggled in Zimbabwe. Mahela Udawatte and Upul Tharanga, the preferred openers, both averaged below 20, and Jayawardene scored 19 runs in four innings, including two ducks. Chamara Kapugedera, long regarded as a player with immense potential, again disappointed.”You cannot judge the batting based on one series. I agree the batting was a bit disappointing. The wickets we played on in Zimbabwe were under-prepared,” said Jayawardene. “People need to understand that every time we go out, we cannot post a 300-plus score. Having said that I do believe that we fell about 30 to 40 runs short in each game.”Sanath Jayasuriya’s return, in place of Udawatte, will be a handy boost for Sri Lanka, who surprisingly struggled in Zimbabwe. “This is a big plus point for us as he has a lot of experience,” said Jayawardene. “Only he [Sanath] will know and time will tell whether he will be available for the World Cup. As you know we tried Mahela Udawatte on the Zimbabwe tour and the opening slot is not much of a problem as Kumar Sangakkara has also opened and we have about three to four other guys who can come in. One slot is taken care of with Upul Tharanga coming back into form.”Chaminda Vaas’s exclusion from Sri Lanka’s one-day squad was a surprise, but Jayawardene said the door had not been closed on him. “The selectors have spoken to him and he has said he will fight for his place which is very good news because no one can deny the fact that he is a major asset. Overall what I believe is that we have a very good team and can defeat any side if we play to our potential.”

Everton fans on social media have been left pleased with their third round draw in the Carabao Cup.

As shared by the official website of the Goodison Park faithful, they have been drawn away from home to Queens Park Rangers for a place in the fourth round of the competition.

Considering that teams from the Premier League who are involved in Europe came into this next round, along with the many other sides from the top flight they could have drawn, the Merseyside club have done well to draw a club outside of the top flight.

They should be favourites to get through against QPR, and thus hopefully progress into the next round and really go for the trophy in order to try and give new manager Rafa Benitez some silverware in his debut season.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-updates-5/” title=”Everton updates! (5)” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Everton fans on cup draw

These Toffees supporters were left pleased as the Carabao Cup draw was announced on Twitter, with one Blue claiming that they were ‘happy’ with it:

“Winnable. Can’t ask for anything more. Hopefully a few new faces in for it”

Credit: @ItsOnlyJk

“Sounds good to me. Keep it going!!”

Credit: @DarthVGaming

“COYB”

Credit: @AlexClerc_EFC

“What a draw that is”

Credit: @jamietierney_78

“I’m happy with that draw”

Credit: @Adamefc95

“Got lucky with this one”

Credit: @IAToffees

In other news, find out which confirmed exit has Evertonians fuming here!

Nottinghamshire have cleared Samit Patel, the England ODI allrounder, to play in the IPL this year

Cricinfo staff09-Jan-2009
Samit Patel: “The IPL is a great tournament and I’m looking forward to the possibility of playing alongside and against the best players in the world” © Getty Images
Samit Patel believes a stint in the IPL would be a benefit both to him and to England’s prospects in the ICC World Twenty20, after Nottinghamshire cleared the England ODI allrounder to play in this year’s tournament. The county said Patel would be available, subject to clearance from the ECB, to participate in the Twenty20 tournament till England’s home ODI series against West Indies.”I think it will happen,” Patel told Sky Sports News. “We’ve had talks and it’s all about opportunities. It’s going to be good not only for English cricket but worldwide. The more English players go and play in the IPL the more they will learn about the shorter format of the game and I think it’s a great opportunity to go and play against the best players in the world.”Nottinghamshire, in a release, said Patel’s participation would be subject to a contractual agreement between them, the ECB and relevant parties in India. “If bought in the auction, Patel would miss the start of Nottinghamshire’s domestic season and return to England in time for the ODI against West Indies on May 21,” the release said. The IPL’s second edition runs from April 10 to May 24.However, while the county claimed Delhi Daredevils, the IPL franchise, have expressed an interest in Patel, a Delhi official denied any approach had been made.According to IPL officials, Patel’s availability for the player auction on February 6 would become official only after a team informs the tournament authorities about their interest in the player. The IPL will then move to sign Patel on a basic contract before putting him up for the auction, an IPL official said. “None of this has happened yet,” he said.”We haven’t expressed any interest nor have we contacted Patel,” Amrit Mathur, chief operating officer (COO) of GMR Sports, which runs the Delhi team, told Cricinfo. “We already have Daniel Vettori, who is a world-class spinner and is available for the entire season.”Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket, said he supports his player’s desire to participate in the tournament. “It’s an opportunity for Samit that we have to embrace because it gives him a chance to enhance and hone his one-day skills,” he said. “We’ve got plans in place to make sure that we have adequate cover in all areas of the squad and he’ll go to India with our blessing.”Patel, who made his England debut against Scotland in August 2008, has played 11 ODIs so far, scoring 116 runs at 23.20 and taking 11 wickets at 29. Patel, though, failed to impress during the recent ODI series in India, conceding 7.82 runs per over and averaging 60 for his three wickets. He fared a bit better with the bat, scoring 85 runs in four innings at a strike-rate over 90.He remains, however, a central figure in England’s build-up towards the ICC World Twenty20 in June, and the IPL could prove to be the perfect warm-up opportunity. “It’s such a big event with the T20 World Cup in England so it will be good for England to learn about Indian conditions and playing against other players,” he said. “Hopefully that will filter back to England and give us a lot more information for playing against Test-playing nations in the World Cup, but we just have to do what the ECB says.”

Finally, things fell in place for Sri Lanka, who managed to stave off a series whitewash threat by beating India in the final match

Sriram Veera in Colombo08-Feb-2009
Finally, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Sri Lanka’s top order came good, and the result was a win and a treat for the home fans © AFP
Finally, Sri Lanka won. It’s been a tough ten days for the hosts. It has been an even tougher last couple of months where they have been put through a grueling schedule. “I would be lying if I said we are not tired,” Mahela Jayawardene said at the start of the series. Today, the Sri Lankan captain reiterated it again while putting a positive spin about how it had been a nice challenge to face India.Finally, Sri Lanka won a toss. Not that the toss decided the result of the series but it was a good opportunity to allow the batsmen to play first without pressure. Pleasingly, they came good.Finally, the top three came good as a unit. Kumar Sangakkara was allowed to ease into his rhythm due to the rapid start given by Sanath Jayasuriya and Tillakaratne Dilshan. And importantly, Dilshan dropped anchor and the pair formed a big partnership. However, Sri Lankastarted the series depending heavily on the top three and this win has further highlighted the dependence. Jayawardene has shown glimpses of regaining his ODI form, Thilina Kandamby showed that he has the potential but he needs to be more consistent and the selectors must berunning out of patience on Chamara Kapugedera.Finally, M&M could bowl with the batsmen having to hit them with a pressure of a target. The two spinners picked up four wickets for 85 and proved difficult to get away. But for Sri Lanka to win consistently, Ajantha Mendis has to turn it on when the pressure is on him. “We were veryhappy with the way we played him,” said Mahendra Singh Dhoni. “We didn’t want to give wickets to him and it has worked.”Finally, India leveled the playing field with their team combination. They didn’t slacken, nor were they complacent, but rightly the management decided to test the bench strength in full force. Rohit Sharma didn’t seize his chance, Suresh Raina, promoted to No. 3, also flopped, L Balaji, playing an ODI after more than three years, didn’t embarrass himself and the debutant Ravindra Jadeja turned in a “very decent effort”, according to Dhoni. Zaheer Khan and Praveen Kumar weren’t there and though he again went for over six-runs-an-over, Ishant Sharma had another good lesson on bowling on flat tracks.”Overall, Bala [Balaji] was good,” said Dhoni. “He didn’t get a chance to bowl later in the game and he was bowling first-change.” However, Dhoni kept the bench players on their foot with a note of advice. “Everybody has to improve.” The contest for those playing XI spots is heating up.”Overall, we need to put in more effort and that is what important as it is not about the guys played today or earlier matches, it is a continuous process,” said Dhoni. “You need to mature with every game and you have to learn from each of your performance whether you win or lose. That is very important. “India’s run of nine wins on the trot was snapped, but they have an eye on the future. “Today, giving chances to the players were not a forced choice,” said Dhoni, “but there might be a case tomorrow, where some bowlers might get injured and we might be forced to play the other bowlers. If the bowlers get in without match practice then, it will be difficult to put pressure on opposition. We are happy with a series win here.”Finally, the crowd had some reason to smile. The numbers dwindled as the series went on but a small faithful turned up every game in hope that their team would give them a reason to smile. And they did today.

Standard Liege are in talks with Everton over a loan deal for Niels Nkounkou, a source close to the player has told Sport Witness. 

The lowdown

The 20-year-old joined Everton from Marseille in July 2020 for a fee of just under £250,000. The left-back went on to make six senior appearances in his debut season, two of which came in the Premier League.

He was given his first minutes of the 2021/22 campaign in the Carabao Cup tie against Huddersfield Town last week.

The latest

As per Sport Witness journalist Sean Lunt on Twitter, ‘Everton are working on’ temporarily offloading Nkounkou to the Belgian Pro League outfit.

It will be a loan move without an option to buy, suggesting that the Toffees still view Nkounkou as part of their long-term plans.

The verdict

This is a slightly strange move from Everton in that Nkounkou appears to be the most natural left-back alternative to Lucas Digne in the squad.

However, they clearly believe that his development will benefit more from a season of regular top-flight football as opposed to under-23 outings and occasional cup runouts.

Rafael Benitez will need to shift a centre-back out to the left-hand side if he wants to give Digne a rest, or indeed if the Frenchman sustains an injury at some point during the season. This apparent decision to loan out Nkounkou may come under scrutiny further down the line.

In other news, Everton maintain an interest in this midfielder.

Yan Valery remains at Southampton despite being extremely close to a deadline day loan move to Olympiacos.

The Lowdown: Valery linked with Saints move

Valery was heavily linked with a loan move to the Greek giants in the build-up to transfer deadline day (Football Insider).

With him so far having made just one appearance this season, and just four last campaign (Transfermarkt), it appears he doesn’t have too much of an immediate future at St. Mary’s Stadium.

The Latest: Move falls through

However, in the end, Valery did not make the temporary switch to the Greek side.

Instead, he remains under Ralph Hasenhuttl’s tutelage in what is seemingly a blow for both player and club.

The Verdict: Disappointing

This is bad news, in particular for Valery. During the summer, Southampton signed Valentino Livramento from Chelsea and of course also boast Kyle Walker-Peters in their squad.

That means the club have two young and exciting options at right-back – unless there is an injury crisis, Valery is unlikely to feature much as third-choice.

With 41 appearances to his name for Southampton, he has impressed occasionally in the past, and a loan away would have given him the chance to show his ability once more. Now, though, he has to wait until at least January to find somewhere he can feature on a regular basis.

In other news, Southampton fans were unhappy with this man’s new contract.

Phillip Hughes and Bryce McGain are looming as the pivotal members of the Australian touring squad for South Africa

Alex Brown16-Feb-2009
New stage for an old stager: Bryce McGain is closing on a Test debut © Getty Images
Phillip Hughes is barely 20; Bryce McGain approaching 37. Hughes is a farmer’s son for whom cricketing greatness seemed assured; McGain a city-dweller who almost abandoned the game for a career in IT. Hughes, the bachelor, might have stepped from the pages of GQ; McGain, the single father, would not look out of place at a meeting of the G8.The superficial differences between the uncapped duo may be immense, but Hughes and McGain are looming as the pivotal members of the Australian touring squad for South Africa. Barring unforeseen circumstances, both players should find themselves in the starting XI for the first Test on February 26, and stand to be the major difference between the side soundly beaten by South Africa in Perth and Melbourne, and that which aspires to retain its No. 1 ranking in hostile territory.Untold column inches have been devoted to Hughes’ batting exploits since his first-class debut for New South Wales last season. A redoubtable, unorthodox strokemaker with an insatiable appetite for runs, Hughes was deemed to be of baggy green calibre before he received a baggy blue. His 1,570 runs from 17 first-class games attracted much excited chatter among Australian cricketing circles, particularly as Matthew Hayden’s position in the Test side became increasingly untenable, and no less a judge than Justin Langer believes him ready to shoulder the responsibility of opening the Australian innings.Ricky Ponting was hopeful Hughes would establish a solid partnership with his state skipper, Simon Katich, over the coming weeks. “Obviously he’s a very driven and motivated young bloke who wants to be very successful for Australia,” Ponting said. “He’s certainly done that for New South Wales. We hope he can be what we’re looking for at the top of the order. He’ll be jumping out of his skin, there’s no doubt about that. He’ll be pretty nervous and pretty excited. Most of us older guys will probably have a good sleep on the flight, but I’d be surprised if he had a sleep.Young quicks told to remember McGrathRicky Ponting has called upon his rookie fast bowlers to emulate the deeds of Glenn McGrath on the 1995 tour of the West Indies and stake a claim for a permanent place. McGrath burst from the periphery of Test selection to a legitimate international force by claiming 17 wickets at 21.70 in the Caribbean after Australia’s pace spearhead, Craig McDermott, was struck down with injury. With Brett Lee (ankle) and Stuart Clark (elbow) sidelined from the tour of South Africa, Ponting was hopeful one of his emerging quicks would fill the void. “They showed in Sydney that they’ve got what it takes to be very good international bowlers and good enough to take 20 wickets for us to win in any conditions around the world,” Ponting said. “If you look back to maybe a tour like the West Indies in 1995, that’s where Glenn McGrath really stood up and made a name for himself. We’ve got a great opportunity for a Siddle, or a Hilfenhaus, or a Bollinger, or those guys to really make a name for themselves and forge their own identity at international level.” “I actually had a good catch up with him at the Border Medal. Justin Langer and I had a chance to have a drink with him that night and have a bit of a chat about his cricket and his batting. It was good to learn a little bit about him and see what he’s all about. There is a lot of knowledge for me to pass on to guys like him. That will be my job over the next week leading into the first Test, to spend as much time with these young guys as I can and pass on whatever I can.”McGain will presumably require less nurturing, even though his international resume is identical to Hughes’. At 36, McGain, the Victoria legspinner, is the oldest member of the touring party, and brings with him decades of experience from the parks of Melbourne and, more recently, the stadiums of Australia.McGain’s importance to Australian cricket cannot be overstated. Not since Stuart MacGill’s retirement during last year’s tour to the West Indies has the team had at its disposal an attacking legspinner, and with major series against South Africa and England looming – neither of whom are known for their prowess against wrist-spin – McGain will be called upon to provide variation and relief to an attack that lacked both in 2008. And just as crucial, McGain can buy the selectors time as they attempt to unearth Australia’s next long-term slow bowler.”It’s always nice to have a very good and highly skilled legspinner in your side,” Ponting said. “There’s every chance that he could just be that factor that we need over there. We know that over the years Shane Warne had a great record against the South Africans, and at different times had them under a spell. Hopefully Bryce, if he gets a chance to play in the Test matches over there, can do a great job for us and be a wicket-taking option.”

Tottenham Hotspur Managing Director of Football Fabio Paratici has praised the make-up of the squad and says the spirit has changed in the Spurs camp.

The Lowdown: Paratici happy with start

Spurs sit top of the Premier League table after three wins from three, including an opening day victory over Manchester City.

Following the arrival of Nuno Espirito Santo in June, the north London side brought in five players over the course of the summer whilst also keeping hold of Harry Kane.

Pierluigi Gollini and Cristian Romero both joined on season-long loans from Atalanta, whilst Bryan Gil, Pape Sarr and Emerson Royal all arrived at the club as the shape of the squad has changed.

The Latest: Training spirit has helped

Speaking in a special Q&A on the official Tottenham Hotspur website, Paratici discussed improvements he has seen on the training ground:

“It’s not just one player, I think the style and the spirit that this squad showed every game, every team, the spirit is to fight together, to speak to each other, to help together to be a unit to arrive to the target.

“This is my feeling when I look at the games and look at training. It’s changed, the spirit.”

The Verdict: Positive moves by Spurs

After a couple of disappointing seasons under Jose Mourinho and caretaker Ryan Mason, the future does look bright at the club as they look to end their 13-year wait for a trophy.

Nuno looks to have stamped his authority onto the playing staff at N17 with his style of play, and could win his second trophy as manager if he can continue this impressive form.

The key figure in the squad will of course always be Kane for as long as he stays fit and firing – he contributed to 37 goals last season. Perhaps then, this refreshed mood on the training ground can help the talisman bed back in immediately after a rocky summer transfer window.

The ECB has announced a further clampdown against touts ahead of this summer’s Ashes

Cricinfo staff23-Feb-2009
Ashes tickets on offer on eBay …the ECB has vowed to clamp down on such sales © eBay
The ECB has announced a further clampdown against touts ahead of this summer’s Ashes.In the light of massive interest in the series, the ECB is upping the measures it takes to find the source of tickets appearing on the black market. It has warned that on match days, spectators may be subject to spot checks to ensure that the person entering the ground is the one who purchased the ticket.”We are committing considerable resource to the fight and have already succeeded in cancelling hundreds of touted tickets for the major events of this summer,” said ECB chief executive David Collier. “We have also introduced an electronic exchange system for the ICC World Twenty20 which provides supporters with the opportunity to dispose of tickets which, for genuine reasons, they can no longer utilise through an official channel.”Collier also called on the government to introduce tighter legislation if what he referred to as the “second market” did not police itself. This is believed to be a direct reference to the leading online auction site, eBay, where many tickets appear for sale, often only hours after they are released to the public and at inflated prices.The ECB has a team of people who scour websites searching for tickets being resold. All such tickets are traceable.”The ECB have previously proposed to the secondary market that they work with us to prevent touting abuses at the very top matches,” Collier said. “Unfortunately they have not agreed. We hope the clear statement of intent from the [government] makes them reconsider their actions.”