Manchester City cannot be expelled by the Premier League, but they could be voted out of the division if found guilty of multiple FFP breaches.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Verdict yet to be delivered in long-running casePotential punishments being speculated onCity not expected to be kicked out of the top tierFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The reigning champions of England remain locked in a Financial Fair Play battle that sees as many as 130 charges hanging over the Etihad Stadium. City have maintained their innocence throughout, but are still waiting on a verdict at the end of an independent hearing.
AdvertisementGetty Images THE BIGGER PICTURE
Various punishments have been speculated on, ranging from hefty points deductions to transfer embargoes. Premier League rules dictate that no club can be cast out of the top tier, but an expulsion poll could be conducted if that recommendation were to be put forward to a special meeting of shareholders.
DID YOU KNOW?
If that were to be the case, then 75 per cent of those given a vote would need to back the decision to drop City into the EFL ranks in order for the proposal to be pushed through. Such events remain purely speculative for now.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
GettyWHAT FOOTBALL GOVERNANCE SPECIALIST SAID
Aaryaman Banjeri, head of football governance at Lane Clark & Peacock, has told : "The issue of whether Manchester City might be expelled from the Premier League is a complex one. Rule B6 of the Premier League’s Handbook stipulates that, in order to trigger the expulsion of one of its members, clubs would have to vote as part of a Special Resolution.
"This would require 15 clubs to vote in favour of expulsion. It will be instructive to see whether the Independent Commission is held to this requirement, or whether this might be worked around, so that the Commission can itself impose such a sanction."
Bangladesh’s head coach also wants the batters to put together substantial partnerships
Mohammad Isam05-Mar-2022Bangladesh’s trend of dropping catches continued as they missed three straightforward chances in the second T20I against Afghanistan. Both Hazaratullah Zazai and Usman Ghani were reprieved on their way to a 99-run second-wicket partnership in Afghanistan’s chase of 116. Nasum Ahmed dropped Zazai off his own bowling in the first over when the opener was on 0. Mohammad Naim and Afif Hossain then dropped Usman Ghani at the leg-side boundary when he was on 39 and 41.Bangladesh’s head coach Russell Domingo noted that Bangladesh have been dropping catches for the last 12 months.”Dropping nine catches in five games is unheard of,” Domingo said. “It is unbelievable when you think about it. If we knew what [the problem] was, we probably wouldn’t be doing it. Whether it is concentration, confidence or dealing with pressure, I am not 100% sure. We just have to make sure we try to improve. We make too many mistakes in the field that have cost us. It cost us in the World Cup, here, Test matches. Just too many dropped catches. You can do all the drills in practice but the players have to catch the balls in the games. That is the bottom line.”Domingo bemoaned another tricky pitch at the Shere Bangla National Stadium where he said openers from both sides struggled to hit the spinners in the early exchanges.”I don’t think the pitches were easy to bat on today,” he said. “It wasn’t a 115 pitch, but it wasn’t also a 160 pitch. If we got 135 we were in the game. At 99 for 4 with four overs to go, we were looking at 135. There’s obviously some areas of concern in batting, but it wasn’t an easy wicket to bat on today. Both their openers could have been out in the first two overs. The ball spins, grips, one bounces and one stays low. We know that it is tough to bat in Mirpur.”Bangladesh also struggled to put partnerships together, which Domingo said was another area where they needed improvement.”Even in the first game, every time we get a partnership going, we just lose a wicket,” Domingo said. Partnerships of 20-30 won’t win you games. You need 70-run partnerships. The boys made some poor decisions at crucial times in the games. Riyad (Mahmudullah) gets out after getting a good partnership with Mushfiq (Mushfiqur Rahim). Those are mistakes you can’t make against big teams.Domingo defended their selection of Mohammad Naim, after they dropped Yasir Ali, who had made his debut in the previous game, to make way for Mushfiqur Rahim who was returning from a finger injury. Naim managed only 13 off 19 balls on Saturday, but Domingo said that they still rate him highly.Five games ago everyone was saying Litton should be dropped,” he said. “Now everyone is saying Litton is the best player in the world. Sometimes players go through slumps in form. Coaches and selectors have to support those players. It is an important part of coaching and building a team. Naim was the right guy to play today. He is our highest-rated T20I batsman, if the media don’t know that. He deserves his spot.”
Manchester United travel to Arsenal on Wednesday night looking to make it two Premier League wins in a row after last weekend’s 4-0 triumph over Everton at Old Trafford.
Ruben Amorim is yet to lose a game in charge of the Red Devils, winning two and drawing one of his first three games at the helm, with tonight undoubtedly his hardest challenge yet.
The Gunners currently sit six points ahead of United, with a win for the visitors denying Mikel Arteta’s title aspirations whilst strengthening their own top-four ambitions.
The meeting at the Emirates this evening will be a good test for Amorim, giving the 39-year-old a perfect opportunity to see how far his side have developed since his appointment just a couple of weeks ago.
He will have numerous decisions to make about his selection tonight, with the former Sporting CP boss needing to make some key calls in various positions ahead of the clash.
Man Utd injury news ahead of Arsenal clash
Ahead of the meeting in North London, it was confirmed that left-back Luke Shaw would miss the match after picking up yet another injury setback this week.
The England international has only featured three times for the Red Devils this season, all of which coming as a substitute since Amorim’s appointment a couple of weeks ago.
Luke Shaw
Kobbie Mainoo and Lisandro MartĂnez will both also miss the game at the Emirates, after both picking up their fifth bookings of the season in the recent win over Everton, subsequently earning themselves a one-match ban.
Centre-backs Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof have both picked up knocks in recent weeks, with the pair both unlikely to make any impact on the clash against Arteta’s side this evening.
Such issues at the back could allow one player to have some part to play in the meeting, ending his own torrid luck with fitness issues over the last couple of months.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
The Man Utd ace who could stop Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka is one of the most in-form players in the Premier League, presenting a real threat against Amorim’s men in the clash at the Emirates.
The 23-year-old has started 12 of the Gunners’ 13 league outings, contributing with five goals and ten assists, with Mohamed Salah the only player to register more contributions this campaign.
Undoubtedly, such a record will inject fear into the United fanbase, but if Amorim is to prevent the English star from causing any chaos against his side tonight, he must hand Leny Yoro his first competitive start for the club amid several problems at the back.
The 19-year-old, who was linked with a move to Arsenal before completing a deal at Old Trafford, is yet to feature after picking up an injury in pre-season – but tonight could be his first opportunity for his new side.
Yoro has yet to have the opportunity to showcase his talents and demonstrate why the hierarchy was so eager to fork out ÂŁ52m for his signature despite his tender age.
The teenager was described as an “11/10 talent” by scout Jacek Kulig and produced some incredible numbers in Ligue 1 for Lille last season, with his defensive figures potentially playing a huge role in preventing Saka from increasing his already impressive attacking tally.
Games played
32
Goals
2
Pass accuracy
92%
Tackles won
70%
Duels won
3.5
Aerial duels won
65%
Recoveries
4.2
United’s injury issues at the back have been plaguing them for months on end, but Yoro’s return, coupled with the other problems, could allow the youngster to nail down his starting position.
Leny Yoro for Man Utd.
It would be a huge ask to chuck him in at the deep end against one of the division’s biggest talents, but it is a great opportunity for Yoro to prove his worth and help lead the Red Devils to another victory under the new management team.
Amorim must unleash "unbelievable" Man Utd star who's their very own Saka
Manchester United are looking to maintian their unbeaten run under new boss Ruben Amorim.
A century before lunch from Matt Renshaw led the way for Somerset as they took a strong grip on the game after 20 wickets fell in the second day
ECB Reporters Network28-Apr-2018 ScorecardA century before lunch from Matt Renshaw led the way for Somerset as they took a strong grip on their County Championship game against Yorkshire, despite a five-wicket haul for Jack Brooks as 20 wickets fell in the day at Taunton.In reply to Somerset’s 216, Yorkshire were bowled out for 96 and batting for a second time the hosts led by 126 with all second innings wickets in hand.Renshaw’s innings was at odds with his usually cautious approach, as the Australia Test opener recorded his second hundred in as many matches for Somerset.His has been quite a story. When Cameron Bancroft was suspended for his part in Australia’s ball-tampering affair, Renshaw became not just a replacement for Australia but also for Somerset. A visit to his grandmother in the UK turned into something more long lasting. To add further piquancy to the story, he was born in Middlesbrough, which historically at least is part of the North Riding of Yorkshire.”It was a pretty different innings to what my normal game is like, but I think that having assessed the wicket this morning it was one where I didn’t feel comfortable just fending at it, I was better if I was playing full cricket shots,” he said. “A few of them were a bit rogue and farmer like, but it was a really good innings. I wasn’t expecting it, but it was nice to play a few shots.”They were bowling really well and I felt that if I fended one and nicked off that way then it would really annoy me, whereas if I tried to take the game on and put pressure on their bowlers that I would try to come out on top and I guess it was just my lucky day.”Somerset started the day by losing Marcus Trescothick, caught at gully by Harry Brook off Brooks for 4, before Renshaw was joined by George Bartlett. Renshaw was in sparkling form and lifted Ben Coad over midwicket early on, to signal his intentions. He then took two boundaries to square cover off Brooks in the tenth over before bringing up his 50 off 39 balls, all in boundaries with 10 fours and two sixes.Renshaw saw the Somerset 100 up with a single off Matthew Waite from the first ball of the 19th over, while at the opposite end Bartlett played a sensible supporting role, looking to score runs whenever the opportunity arose. The second-wicket pair added 140 before Bartlett was out for 39, lbw to Coad.Matt Renshaw drives powerfully•Getty ImagesRenshaw continued to plunder and went to his century with a hooked six off Brooks, his runs coming off 86 deliveries, which included 14 fours and four sixes. Somerset lost James Hildreth and Tom Abell before lunch by which time the hosts had moved onto 166 for 4.If the morning belonged to Somerset, the afternoon session went to the visitors, starting in the second over after the break when Renshaw was out caught by wicketkeeper Andy Hodd off Brooks for 112. Brooks was in great form from the Somerset Pavilion End as he accounted for both Lewis Gregory and Dom Bess to finish with 5 for 57.When they replied, Yorkshire lost a wicket without a run on the board as the quick-thinking Bartlett ran out Adam Lyth at non-striker’s end. Gregory claimed Cheteshwar Pujara lbw as Yorkshire reached 31 for 2 by tea.After the break, wickets continued to tumble and both Gregory and Tim Groenewald claimed two in as many balls. At 64 for 8 the visitors were in danger of following on before Tim Bresnan hit Gregory to the boundary. Young opener Brook top-scored with 32 as Yorkshire were eventually all out for 96, Groenewald ending with 3 for 12 and Gregory 3 for 30.
When Glasgow Rangers won their first Premiership title in a decade during the 2020/21 campaign, it was viewed as a landslide moment in the recent history of the club.
Celtic had gone on to achieve unparalleled domination of Scottish football due to the fact Rangers had been forced to start at the bottom of the professional ladder and although it took a while for the Ibrox side to reach the top, it looked as though it could be the start of something special.
Under Steven Gerrard, the Gers had built a solid squad which ended that league campaign unbeaten, while his team conceded just 13 goals across 38 matches, a British record.
That summer should have seen the Light Blues kick on and vastly improve their first-team squad while condemning Celtic to another season of chaos and in-house fighting which would have allowed Rangers to assert their dominance.
Instead, the club failed to strengthen. Combined with defeat in the Champions League qualifiers, it ensured that they failed to take advantage of their wonderful title-winning season and the truth is, the Gers are still paying for it now.
They could have added some quality players to their ranks during that summer transfer window, and one name sticks out above everyone else’s – Joey Veerman.
Were Rangers close to signing Joey Veerman?
The midfielder had been linked with a move to Glasgow as far back as April 2021 with former Ibrox striker Michael Mols praising his fellow compatriot amid the reports, saying: “I saw the stories linking Joey Veerman with Rangers.
Soccer Football – Europa League – Group A – Arsenal v PSV Eindhoven – Emirates Stadium, London, Britain – October 20, 2022 Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka and Gabriel Jesus in action with PSV Eindhoven’s Joey Veerman REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
“He’s a really good technical player and a good passer, really good with the ball but I don’t know if Scottish football will suit him.
“Scottish football is more aggressive, like the English Premier League which is physical, so I have a little bit of doubt in my mind.
“I could be completely wrong and maybe I’m not a good judge but that is my opinion. He’s really good with the ball and I would compare him a little bit to Wim Jonk from my time.
“He is perfect with the ball and in possession he’s a really great player. His passing and movement with the ball is really relaxed in a good way.”
Why didn’t Rangers sign Joey Veerman?
The Gers missed out on him during the summer of 2021 and as the campaign progressed, it was clear that the midfield area had gotten rather stagnant over the course of a few months, with the club leaking goals left, right and centre.
A dynamic midfielder such as Veerman would’ve been ideal for the team. Gerrard departed to join Aston Villa in November 2021 and his replacement was Giovanni van Bronckhorst, someone with a vast knowledge of Dutch football. It looked as though this could be key in luring the Heerenveen starlet to Scotland.
59
9
15
5
4
3
3
1
2
0
It wasn’t to be for Rangers as Veerman ended up joining his boyhood club PSV Eindhoven for a fee of around £5m, which was more than affordable for the club at the time, and considering his success over the previous 18 months at the Dutch side, Van Bronckhorst had a nightmare by failing to secure his signature.
What is Joey Veerman doing now?
It didn’t take long for the Dutchman to show the Ibrox side just what they had missed out on as during his first six months at PSV, he ended up registering 13 goal contributions – six goals and seven assists – across just 24 matches as the club won the Dutch Cup.
This sort of attacking dynamism certainly would’ve given Van Bronckhorst a major boost in the heart of the midfield, and it wasn’t a surprise to see the Light Blues suffer, domestically anyway, failing to beat teams such as Ross County and Motherwell, despite holding leads during their matches.
Veerman kicked his performances up a notch last term, scoring nine times and grabbing 14 assists in all competitions, although PSV were knocked out by the Gers in the playoff round of the Champions League.
The former Herenveen starlet was in wonderful form in the Eredivisie during the 2022/23 season, ranking second across the squad for overall Sofascore rating (7.65), first for big chances created (17) and second again for key passes per game (3.1).
Compare these statistics to the Rangers squad in the Premiership last season and Veerman would’ve ranked first for Sofascore rating, big chances created and key passes per game, clearly suggesting that the club should have splashed out the £5m and brought him to Ibrox.
The 24-year-old is now not only shining domestically but has taken his game to new levels on the continent, and he proved it against the Light Blues last month in what was a repeat of their playoff tie from the season before.
Across the two legs, Veerman scored once, averaged five key passes per game, grabbed two assists and succeeded with 100% of his attempted dribbles in what can only be described as dominating performances in the midfield.
What is Joey Veerman valued at now?
It is perhaps no surprise to see his value rise sharply since his move to the Dutch giants. According to the CIES Football Observatory, the Dutchman is now valued at €30m (£26m) and this marks a stunning rise since the start of 2022, when he joined the club.
The Gers have had a fair few shockers in the transfer market over the previous few years, but missing out on Veerman has to be up there as one of the worst.
Not only would the player have vastly improved the current team, but he wouldn’t have broken the bank either and PSV are now reaping the rewards of taking a gamble and signing him.
His value has soared, and it certainly looks inevitable that he will leave the Eredivisie side in the near future. When he does, Veerman will secure the club a major profit on their initial outlay.
It is a case of what might’ve been for Rangers having missed out on the Dutch talent and Michael Beale will be hoping to avoid scenarios like this in the future, that’s for sure.
The November 1 ODI has been moved to Thiruvananthapuram after leading voices in football including Tendulkar, the co-owner of the Kerala Blasters franchise, raised concerns over potential damage to the turf in the Kochi stadium
Nagraj Gollapudi22-Mar-2018The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) has decided to shift the November 1 ODI between India and West Indies from Kochi to Thiruvananthapuram with the issue gaining a political dimension. The decision was taken after the southern Indian state’s sports minister intervened in the matter and asked the KCA to shift the venue.Last week the BCCI’s tours, programmes and fixtures committee finalised the itinerary for West Indies’ tour of India, which comprises two Tests, five ODIs and three T20Is. One of the ODIs, scheduled for November 1, was to be hosted at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Kochi.The Kochi ground has predominantly become a venue for football in recent years. It was one of the six venues for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in October 2017 and is also home base for the Kerala Blasters in the Indian Super League (ISL). The last cricket match played at the venue, in 2014, was also against West Indies, a big win for the visitors.Since then, only one other international match has been played in Kerala, a T20I against New Zealand last November at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, which India won. Critics of the KCA asked why the association was so keen to host the ODI in Kochi when another ICC-certified cricket ground was available in Thiruvananthapuram.As soon as the BCCI announced Kochi as the venue for the West Indies ODI, a number of leading voices in football including Sachin Tendulkar – a co-owner of the Kerala Blasters franchise – raised the red flag. On Tuesday, Tendulkar posted a message on his Twitter feed, saying he had “urged” Vinod Rai, chairman of the Supreme-Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) that is supervising the BCCI, to look into the matter.”Worried about the potential damage to the FIFA approved World class Football turf in Kochi. Urge the KCA to take the right decision where cricket (Thiruvananthapuram) and Football (Kochi) can happily coexist,” Tendulkar tweeted.
Worried about the potential damage to the FIFA approved World class Football turf in Kochi. Urge the KCA to take the right decision where cricket (Thiruvananthapuram) and Football (Kochi) can happily coexist. pic.twitter.com/rs5eZmhFDP
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) March 20, 2018
Rai had already been made aware of the issue by another prominent voice, Shashi Tharoor, the Minister of Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram, who called the KCA move to play the match in Kochi a “suspect” and “bizarre” decision. Tharoor told Rai to review the decision only because the Kochi turf would need to be dug up to get the venue ready for the ODI, which would would prove detrimental to its footballing use.Since both the grounds in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram are owned by the state government, the Kerala sports minister AC Moideen held a meeting with the KCA top brass on Thursday to chalk out a solution.According to Jayesh George, the KCA secretary, the state cricket body has signed a MoU with the government to get both the grounds on lease. Accordingly the KCA has invested money in uplifting the infrastructure at both venues and felt it has the right to choose the ground for cricket matches.However the MoU also states that both grounds, being multi-purpose venues, can host football too. “Till today we planned to host the ODI in Kochi,” George told ESPNcricinfo. “Since 2011 we had maintained the stadium in Kochi. But the government took possession of the ground last year for the Under-17 World Cup.”George said Moideen assured the KCA that the government would grant land to develop a cricket-only stadium to avoid such issues in future. “Since the government has intervened and advised us to conduct the match in Thiruvananthapuram, we are doing that.”
Arsenal are one of England's biggest and most illustrious clubs and therefore have played host to some of the best players to ever grace the Premier League.
A strong recruitment strategy paired with a revolutionary manager helped them largely dominate alongside Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United for years, and since Arsene Wenger's retirement, Mikel Arteta now seems poised to lead them into a bright future once again.
However, across the last few decades of relative success, there have unsurprisingly been plenty of missteps too that managers and the hierarchy will regret. Whether it be a failed transfer, a tactical decision or just a poor refereeing performance, the Gunners have been prone to some bouts of misfortune that certainly have been exacerbated since the Frenchman's departure.
Unai Emery was a big sufferer of this, and whilst their current 41-year-old boss struggled at the start, a show of faith has since started to reward the club handsomely. A summer of big spending helped solidify their progress, although the window was largely dominated by a transfer saga involving their north London rivals.
Had things been different and they had trusted the process with the star striker in question, perhaps it could have been them touting his services for big money or keeping him around to spearhead a title push. Before lambasting the failures of the past though, it is first worth showcasing the alternative success enjoyed with which to compare their touted blunder. After all, the acquisition of Robin van Persie was certainly one that worked out well for Wenger.
How good was Robin van Persie?
Having just been crowned Premier League champions in 2004, the club's stock had never been higher. As such, it was easy to pry the young forward from Feyenoord despite huge interest across Europe, with the now 73-year-old former manager noting: "Robin is a great young talent and a fantastic signing for the club
"He has shown great potential at both club and U21 international level and will help strengthen our squad considerably. He has a great left foot and is a great passer of the ball with excellent vision. He is a versatile player and is comfortable playing as a striker or on the wing."
It would not take long for the flying Dutchman to adapt to English football, with his tall, slender frame giving him the requisite physicality to battle well with the hulking centre-backs he faced.
Notching five league goals in his debut campaign, such a term merely marked the calm before the storm, as the man who would go on to captain the club soon began hitting huge numbers.
1
Thierry Henry
228
2
Ian Wright
168
3
Robin van Persie
132
4
Dennis Bergkamp
119
5
Theo Walcott
108
The striker would hit double figures for goal contributions in all but his first two years at Highbury (and later the Emirates), with his peak arguably coming in the years before his eventual sale.
His 18 goals and seven assists during the 2010/11 season marked incredible figures, but would somehow surpass them in the final campaign before joining Manchester United for a pitiful £24m. The ex-Netherlands international scored 30 times and assisted a further 13 in the league, deservedly taking home the PFA Player of the Year award before spearheading a title success at Old Trafford the following term.
Van Persie would make 278 appearances in an Arsenal shirt before that unceremonious exit to challenge for elite honours, but not before Wenger would issue the following praise: "He is a mixture. He is less of a runner than Thierry Henry and he is not completely Dennis Bergkamp because he plays higher up the pitch.
"He is the kind of player, with the type of game we play, who is vital because when you play the ball to his feet his first touch is always perfect and that allows others to join in. It makes everybody dangerous."
RobinVanPersieandTheoWalcott at Arsenal
To compare the 102-cap marksman to two legends like this just emphasises how highly thought of he remained, and yet they could have arguably had someone even better for nothing. After all, it is now seemingly common knowledge that, before he became a legend with their rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Harry Kane was a Gooner.
Why did Arsenal let Harry Kane leave?
"I remember the first time we played against Arsenal [for Tottenham's academy] and even back then, I had a chip on my shoulder," the 30-year-old told The Players' Tribune back in 2018, who was released from the Gunners' academy as a child for nothing.
It was the first of many setbacks for the man who would go on to become England's all-time record scorer, but ones that clearly helped define him into the lethal finisher he remains today.
Wenger has Roy Massey to thank for that gaffe, who was the youth coach at the time and would spend 15 years at the club. Speaking to football.london, they were quick to quiz him on that infamous decision: "I thought you'd mention Harry Kane, thanks very much for that," he joked.
"That was Tottenham's gain and Arsenal's loss that one. Oh, what a wonderful player today. But we haven't got a crystal ball and there's a number in that situation at Arsenal who've left and who've gone on and done very well for themselves. Harry was obviously a brilliant example.
"Harry was a technician, a very talented player but did lack some mobility and pace. We did think, perhaps he wouldn't be quite up to playing at Arsenal Football Club. So I had to sit down with his mum and dad, and the lad, and say that he wasn't quite up to the standard of Arsenal."
Whilst it quickly became clear that Massey among others did not rate Kane's chances of turning professional, Liam Brady, who was Arsenal's academy director at the time, was a lot more cutthroat about the reasons behind sanctioning his exit: "He was a bit chubby, he wasn't very athletic but we made a mistake."
It's fair to say he regrets that decision, as he would then claim: "After (Lionel) Messi, (Cristiano) Ronaldo and (Robert) Lewandowski there is him. The numbers say it."
How many goals has Harry Kane scored?
A stellar career he did enjoy with Spurs, the England international actually became the club's all-time record scorer back in February and sits second in the all-time Premier League scoring charts. For comparison, Van Persie is way behind in 13th.
It should hardly come as a surprise to see Statman Dave brand the £100m Bayern Munich forward a "legend of the game", with his continued rise to prominence only exacerbating Arsenal's failures.
The former Leicester City loanee would play 430 times for their north London rivals, scoring a mouth-watering 278 times. To make matters worse, the 86-cap Englishman's proficiency in the big matches actually led him to become the top scorer in north London derbies too.
Although they enjoyed huge success with Van Persie, had they instead taken a punt on Kane and oversaw his development, perhaps they could have enjoyed an even greater period of success whilst allowing the Lilywhites legend to break records for them.
The ICC’s security consultant was in the city to inspect a security rehearsal for the Pakistan Super League final, scheduled to be held at the National Stadium in March
Danyal Rasool11-Feb-2018In developments that have given Karachi’s chances of hosting the 2018 Pakistan Super League final a major fillip, ICC security consultant Reg Dickason has praised the “remarkably thorough” security arrangements for the final, saying what he had seen was “as good as he had seen in all my years”. He did, however, caution that these remarks did not equate to an official approval, with the final report due to be submitted in seven days.Dickason was in Karachi to inspect a security rehearsal for the Pakistan Super League final, scheduled to be held at the National Stadium in March. While some international cricket has returned to Pakistan over the past year, it has been exclusively confined to Lahore, with Karachi unable to win over the approval of independent security consultants. Last year’s PSL final was also held at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, although several international players, including Kevin Pietersen, pulled out.”We would like to thank the PCB for providing us with such a comprehensive, thorough and professional presentation,” Dickason said. “It is very encouraging, and that will be reflected in the upcoming report. We have some things we need to discuss, however, it’s all extremely positive. From what we’ve seen today, and what’s been demonstrated, and the documentation and the level of commitment by all concerned parties has left me very, very satisfied.”Dickason stressed that the final decision did not rest with him, but said playing the final in Karachi “would be a very positive step. What we’ve seen today and in other parts of Pakistan is as good as I’ve seen in all my years.”It was reported that over 8000 security personnel from various law enforcement agencies partook in Sunday’s rehearsal, which looked to replicate the arrangements for the teams that arrive in the city on the day of the final. With the match expected to be a fly-in, fly-out arrangement, the rehearsal was in two parts, covering the route from the airport to the hotel, and then on from the hotel to the stadium.Karachi remains the venue of the last full match in Pakistan before the 2009 terror attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore. That game, the first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, is the last completed Test match played in the country. Karachi is generally viewed as a more challenging city to provide a complete security plan for, with the nearest hotel at least 12 km away from the National Stadium, and blocking all traffic while the teams are en route to the stadium harder than it is in Lahore.The PCB hope to play three PSL games in Pakistan this year, with two qualifiers scheduled to be held in Lahore before the final.
Last season was all about hope for Arsenal. They came so close to winning the Premier League, only to be pipped to the post by Manchester City.
There may well have been a feeling of regret, but the overwhelming sense within the Emirates Stadium was still one of positivity.
Unfortunately, negativity is starting to seep in this season, although the Gunners have won seven points from nine.
Their toughest test awaits on Sunday, with a clash against old rivals Manchester United facing Mikel Arteta and his men.
Ahead of the match, the Londoners have been dealt with a painful injury blow to Thomas Partey.
Is Thomas Partey injured?
Rumours surrounding the Ghanaian have been rife over the last 24 hours.
Partey had been training ahead of the game but the Ghana FA have suggested that the midfielder could miss the next three months of action with a hamstring problem.
Arsenal have refused to comment on the situation, with the severity of the problem unconfirmed by the club.
The injury comes at a bad time for the Gunners, who have already lost new summer signing Jurrien Timber to a lengthy knee issue.
Who could replace Thomas Partey?
The former Atletico Madrid man has been playing as a makeshift right-back this season as Arteta plots something different with his team.
The role has seen the 30-year-old playing in an inverted position, as Oleksandr Zinchenko performed so well last season from the opposite side, but it hasn't worked too well.
Indeed, Arsenal haven't looked convincing at any moment this season, keeping just one clean sheet and failing to win by a margin of more than two goals.
This injury, however, could well be the blessing in disguise that welcomes Gabriel Magalhaes back into the team.
Ben White has been playing at centre-back this term but will likely slide across onto the right-hand side against United, leaving a vacant space in the middle.
This is where Gabriel comes back into the fray. Strangely, the Brazilian is yet to start in the league this season but that must surely change now.
The £32m-rated defender was one of the best players in the division throughout 2022/23, ranking in the top 15% of centre-backs for pass completion rate and the top 12% for carries into the final third.
A robust defender, it is the Brazil international's pedigree as a progressive outlet that makes him so valuable to Arsenal, not to mention the fact that his left-footedness helps considerably in terms of their build-up play from the back.
Heralded as a "beast" by ex-FOX reporter Robert Lusetich for his performances in the 2021/22 campaign, Gabriel has only been going from strength to strength since joining Arsenal.
His solidity and indeed reliability last term should have made him a shoo-in to start most games this season. The fact he hasn't yet in 2023/24 is worrying.
That, however, is likely to change against United, barring another mysterious tactical tweak by Arteta and his coaching staff that catches everyone completely off guard.
The IPL has signalled that it might move away from the auction system after criticism of the system as “undignified and cruel” and “humiliating” to players
ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-20186:20
Manjrekar: ‘A lot of cricketing sense at the auction’
The IPL has signalled that it might move away from the auction system, which was this week criticised as “undignified and cruel” and “humiliating” to players.New Zealand has become the first country where administrators have dared to voice disapproval of the auction. Heath Mills, chief executive of the New Zealand Cricket Players Association, told the : “I think the whole system is archaic and deeply humiliating for the players, who are paraded like cattle for all the world to see.”Mills was endorsing a tweet from Peter Clinton, a former chief executive of Wellington Cricket, who said: “The IPL Auction is such an undignified, cruel and unnecessary employment practice. Ridiculous that it exists today, belongs in the medieval ages.”The IPL is firmly established as the most lucrative career option for Twenty20 cricketers of note – the place where virtually every player wants to be – but Mills suggested that the acquiescence of the players should not be interpreted as contentment about the system.”There’s a lot of good things about the Indian Premier League and it’s been great for cricket but I’d like to see it mirror the rest of professional sport in the way they engage athletes,” Mills said.”Some players do exceptionally well out of if but the vast majority would like to see the system changed. They would like to negotiate with coaches and owners behind closed doors.”Mills’ criticism centred upon the players’ lack of control over their own destiny. Under the auction system, they are commodities, available to the highest bidder, and have no input as to where they play.”The players enter the auction not knowing where they are going, who their team-mates are going be, who’s managing them, who the owners are — no other sports league in the world engages players on that basis,” he said.”We’ve seen some players play for five or six teams over the 10 years the league has been going. Coaches cannot build an affinity with players, they can’t build a long-term culture. Players’ associations around the world would like to see it change.”Supporters seeking to identify with a club have also traditionally valued a mix of continuity and new signings, although the IPL’s heavy turnover does not seem to have hampered its popularity as it has become an irresistible part of the world cricketing calendar.The 2018 IPL auction kicked off in Bengaluru on Saturday•BCCINevertheless, the IPL is aware of the scepticism form the rest of the cricketing world towards its “mega auctions”. Hemang Amin, the IPL’s chief operating officer, said that auctions might give way to a draft system, which is well established across a wide range of sports.”Going forward, the thinking is that we will reduce, maybe not have mega auctions, but consider having a draft system for new players to come in, which acts as feeder system to teams,” Amin said at the end of the two-day IPL auction last weekend. “Hence, IPL Governing Council is thinking on the lines of how to cut down on the big auction and have the continuity with teams.”This year the IPL made it mandatory that teams had to spend a minimum 75% of their purse before and during the auction. That would include both retentions and buying new players. The total purse available for all eight franchises was US $100 million, out of which Amin said $96.875 million was spent by the end of the auction.Amin said the IPL had decided to reduce the number of players that remained unsold compared to the previous big auction, in 2014, so reducing the number of players actively rejected during the auction process.”If you look at the 2014 auction, we had presented around 320 players then before going into the accelerated bidding process. This time, we have taken learnings from previous years. We presented 170 players of which around 120 were sold. So if you compare to 2014 when 200 players went unsold, this time it was 50 or 60 who went unsold. Also on day one, 70 out of 110 were sold. So we’re trying to reduce the number of unsold players.”In all, however, 581 players were named in the final auction list. New Zealand managed to find seven sales from 24 names; England a similar outcome.Mills was not confident about change. He told the , “It’s almost got to the point where there’s more interest in the auction than the games and I think they’ll keep doing it even though the general player view it is that there’s better ways to do it.”