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Warwickshire have appointed Jim Troughton in a newly-created role of first team coach – but they are still waiting on the future of Ashley Giles

George Dobell15-Dec-2016Warwickshire have appointed Jim Troughton in a newly-created role of first team coach – but they are still waiting on the future of Ashley Giles.Troughton, who led Warwickshire to the County Championship title as captain in 2012, was previously assistant coach and has been associated with the club since he was 11. He will oversee all first team issues and work with the club’s existing coaches Alan Richardson (bowling) and Tony Frost (batting and second team). He is well thought of by the players.While Warwickshire still hope to appoint Giles as their new director of cricket – he is very much their first choice – Lancashire remain reluctant to release him from the final year of his contract. Giles is currently contracted to Lancashire until the end of 2017, with the club insisting they had a verbal agreement for a longer deal. Conversations between the clubs continue.It was originally hoped by Warwickshire that Giles would be party to the appointment of the new first team coach but, with players now back in training, the club felt it was necessary to provide some stability.Injury forced Troughton to retire from playing prematurely in 2014, and he has since worked as assistant coach and recently completed his ECB Level 4 coaching qualification.”Jim is widely recognised as one of the finest leaders in the club’s history and the team made outstanding progress during his time as captain,” Neil Snowball, the Warwickshire CEO, said. “He has been a Bear since the age of 11 and so understands the unique culture of the club and has worked closely with our captain Ian Bell for many years as a player and coach. We are very confident that they will form a strong partnership to take the team forward.”Jim has continued to demonstrate his leadership qualities since moving into coaching and, in accepting this new role, he will take control of all matters relating to the senior men’s squad including preparations for the new season and our pre-season tour to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. This is a key appointment for the club that has been made both with a focus on the 2017 season but also with an eye to the future and we look forward to Jim working closely with our new director of cricket once he has been appointed.”

Warwickshire hope to have completed the recruitment of Ashley Giles as director of cricket by the end of the week.As ESPNcricinfo revealed at the time, Giles was the club’s first choice when they made the decision to sack Dougie Brown at the end of the season.Giles is currently director of cricket at Lancashire, however, and is contracted to the club until the end of the 2017 season.Negotiations between the two clubs are understood to be on-going with Warwickshire expected to pay compensation to Lancashire in return for Giles’ release.It would be a surprise if his release is not granted, though. While the news is a substantial inconvenience to Lancashire, there is respect for Giles’ personal circumstances – there have been some health issues within his family and he currently spends much of his time living out of a hotel room in Manchester – and an acceptance that, if he wants to be elsewhere, he is no longer the man for the club. Glen Chapple would appear to be particularly well placed to replace Giles.If the move is not completed soon – perhaps even by the end of the week – Warwickshire are expected to abandon the attempt and appoint another candidate. ESPNcricinfo understands that Richard Pybus, who is currently director of cricket with West Indies but has been linked with a string of county jobs in recent times, and Dav Whatmore, who oversaw Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup victory, have already been informally interviewed. If Giles is deemed unobtainable, one of them will be offered the role.The new director of cricket will be expected to lead the process of finding a new head coach for the side. If Giles is appointed that is very likely to be Jim Troughton. Troughton was club captain and Giles the coach when Warwickshire won the County Championship in 2012.

Yorkshire, pressing for a hat-trick of Championship titles, completed a thumping 228-run defeat of Durham

David Hopps at Headingley09-Sep-2016
ScorecardRyan Sidebottom finished with 4 for 34•Getty ImagesAs Yorkshire, pressing for a hat-trick of Championship titles, completed a thumping 228-run defeat of Durham, Headingley briefly basked in the feeling that the normal order of things had been restored. They remained top of the table for all but 10 minutes, which was hardly long enough to exhale a satisfied smile, before Middlesex’s win at Trent Bridge reclaimed a one-point lead. But they had tasted the lead again and it felt good.Somerset, lying third and suspected by Yorkshire, among others, of chicanery when it comes to preparation of pitches, visit Headingley next week while Middlesex head for the other side of the Pennines to face a Lancashire side that still needs points to stay up. “Somerset are full of confidence and playing good cricket, but it won’t be a bunsen burner,” Gale said. Everything seems to be heading towards a grand climax between Middlesex and Yorkshire at Lord’s with the Championship at stake.This was an emphatic Yorkshire win. Like the Mountain Ash trees in the gardens of the red-brick houses around the ground, they are at their most resplendent as September takes hold. Their batsmen are in commanding form, the pace bowlers as fit and fresh as they have been all season. They walked off the field on a blustery Headingley day in the way that the best Yorkshire sides should, applauding each other and the crowd with stern and satisfied expressions.Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett and David Willey are about to be released from England duties. Only Rashid can be confident of a game next week. Steve Patterson must contend with personal issues. He had left the match for much of the third day – his captain, Gale, confirmed – because his father is seriously ill.The final day belonged more than anybody to Ryan Sidebottom. He spent two months in pot in the first half of the season after suffering a hairline fracture of his ankle during a football keepy-uppy game. As far as cricket is concerned, his ambitions stretch more to winny-winny than keepy-uppy, and four cheap wickets, including a burst of 3 for 9 in 18 balls, swept aside Durham’s resistance.Durham were vulnerable when they resumed on 39 for 3, a target of 421 beyond the horizon. Less than nine overs into the day, they were 63 for 6 and Sidebottom had taken all of them, claiming the nightwatchman Graham Onions at cover, silencing Scott Borthwick with a stone-dead lbw and winning a second leg-before decision when Paul Collingwood fatally played no shot.Sidebottom’s impact has been limited this season to only seven Championship matches, but at 38 his threat remains as apparent as ever. It is more than six years since he called time on his England career, and returned to Yorkshire from Nottinghamshire. When he did he could not have imagined that in 2016 he might be as inspirational as ever, relishing the possibility of a third consecutive title, a possible benefit and another one-year contract for 2017.Durham lack the resilience of early season. The side that played with such character to overcome Lancashire at Southport and Warwickshire at Edgbaston has been weakened by the prospect that several top players might respond to a financial crisis by departing at the end of the season. Ben Stokes has signed up again, but he will be absent with England. It is the Borthwicks and the Burnhams whose futures remains uncertain.Graham Clark set Durham’s equal-highest T20 score at Headingley last season, but he had become the seventh wicket to fall by lunch when Bresnan had him caught at the wicket. Over lunch, in the gentleman’s barbers on St Michael’s Lane, £4.50 a cut, men of a certain age checked their watches in case they would be late for the resumption.When it came, the end soon followed: Michael Richardson’s defiance ended with a wild drive at Sidebottom, Adam Lyth’s neat slip catch accounted for Barry McCarthy and victory came in spectacular fashion when Jack Brooks left only one of Chris Rushworth’s stumps standing, leaving Ryan Pringle with an unbeaten, attacking half-century to his name. Five wins logged this season, all of them at home.Sidebottom remained forever grounded, and expressed the hope that Jason Gillespie, the coach who has been instrumental in Yorkshire’s rebirth could return to Australia in triumph. “In the last two or three years I don’t think we have always played great cricket as a team but when it has mattered we have stood up and been counted,” he said. “Over the last few games we have grown in confidence as a team and with Dizzy going at the end of the season it would be great to send him off on a winning note.”Three miles from where Sidebottom was born, in the village of Almondbury on the northern fringes of the Peak District, is the first hotbed of Yorkshire cricket. The village weavers who made up the bulk of Lascelles Hall CC in the 19th century fed not just Yorkshire but England, their hand-eye co-ordination enhanced by their work, their physical fitness improved by the long uphill walk to the ground, their love of the game unquestioned.Sidebottom, who took 89 wickets at 18 in Yorkshire’s last two Championship triumphs, is a product of the same soil. His season’s-best 4 for 34, his strops and curses, the sweat-stained brushes of his tangled hair, and his technical excellence are once again central to Yorkshire’s challenge and, even as his career enters the evening shadows, the county is all the stronger for that.

West Ham are believed to be interested in signing AC Milan forward Divock Origi in the summer transfer window, according to a new transfer report from Italy.

Could Origi leave Milan this summer?

The Belgian left Liverpool to join Milan last year, having become something of a cult hero at Anfield, scoring some iconic Champions League goals against the likes of Barcelona and Tottenham, not to mention big Premier League strikes along the way, too.

Origi hasn't quite managed to have the same impact in Italy, however, struggling to become a regular for Milan throughout the campaign and having been nothing more than a squad player. The £60,000-a-week attacker has only started 10 Serie A games in total, coming off the substitutes' bench 16 times, with only two goals coming his way in the competition.

While the 28-year-old is contracted to Milan until the summer of 2026, it could be that they decide to cut their losses at the end of this season and allow to him to move elsewhere, which is where West Ham come into play.

Could Origi join West Ham this summer?

According to MilanNews.it [via Sport Witness], the east Londoners and Aston Villa are "ready to believe" in Origi in the summer window, with both Premier League clubs eyeing a move for him. The report states that the ex-Liverpool man "could already leave" once the current campaign reaches its conclusion, and both teams have "asked for information" regarding his services.

While the 32-cap Belgium international has failed to repeat his past performances in a Milan shirt, he could still be a shrewd signing by the Hammers this summer, as they look to make key attacking reinforcements.

His big-game mentality stood out so often during his time at Anfield, with such nervelessness shown in key moments in massive games, and his pace and physicality could make him an effective part of West Ham's attack, not to mention his ability to play both out wide and centrally.

Jurgen Klopp once hailed Origi as "world-class", showing just how much he thought of him, and at 28, he would be coming in at a good point in his career, still remaining at a high level for the foreseeable future. A tally of 59 goal contributions (41 goals and 18 assists) for Liverpool shows the pedigree that he has, and he is a Champions League, Premier League, Club World Cup, FA Cup and EFL Cup winner.

Hampshire and England batsman Michael Carberry is to undergo tests this week amid concerns over the condition that six years ago caused potentially life-threatening blood clots to form in one of his lungs.Carberry had felt unwell last week and has been left out of Hampshire’s current County Championship match against Warwickshire so that he can see a specialist as promptly as possible, with his county unwilling to take any chances with his health.”He has had a problem that has not cleared up in the way we had hoped so his going to have some tests done,” the Hampshire first-team coach Dale Benkenstein said.”We are hoping to have him back for the T20 matches later in the week but in view of what has happened to him in the past we do not want to take any risks with him.”It is a little bit worrying but hopefully the tests will show that everything is fine.”Carberry has to take medication to control the condition, which emerged after he had suffered attacks of breathlessness while fielding and batting. He was diagnosed with two blood clots on a lung in November 2010 and did not play again until July of the following year.

Manchester City were victorious against Arsenal last night in what turned out to be a footballing lesson for Mikel Arteta’s side. The current champions schooled the Gunners at the Etihad in a 4-1 win, City had 52% of possession over the 90 minutes in what was an abysmal night for the league leaders.

There was so much hype leading up to the game, particularly following the north Londoners dip in form that saw them take just three points from a possible nine before the trip to Manchester. The stage was set for a night of champions, yet only one side showed up to battle.

Arsenal deserve a lot of praise for what they’ve done this season, but when going toe-to-toe with City, there’s no room for error in a title charge. It was a difference in class on both of the occasions that the sides met in the league, with the Sky Blues racking up an aggregate score of 7-2 over the Gunners, which tells the story of what Arteta’s side have to do to compete with the best again next season.

A lot of talk has been shed regarding the transfers of Gabriel Jesus (£45m) and Oleksandr Zinchenko (£32m) from Manchester to north London. When Arsenal were on top it was questionable as to why City let them go to a rival, however, Guardiola has always been stern in his answers saying “we [City] are happy, they are happy,” when quizzed on the decision to let them go.

How have City improved from the transfers?

The sale of Jesus was inevitable, with the Brazilian knowing his time was up in Manchester when the Blues announced the signing of Erling Haaland before the transfer window officially opened last summer.

Jesus is a player that offers so much but simply poses no strong threat in comparison to Haaland in Guardiola’s squad. During his final season for City, the 26-year-old found the net eight times in 28 appearances in the Premier League, Haaland provided an instant upgrade, most notably through the 33 goals he’s scored so far in 29 appearances.

The departure of Jesus also allowed the signing of Julian Alvarez to flourish, the 23-year-old striker has been deployed as a backup to Haaland and has done an impressive job. The Argentinian has scored seven times this season, and has a conversion rate higher than Jesus (31%), epitomising the success of the sale for City.

The same can be said with Zinchenko, the versatile full-back has had an impressive season for Arsenal but at times has been at fault for conceded goals and lack of composure.

Jesus, the sale of the Ukrainian was the necessary trade for better things, as the club captured the signature of Manuel Akanji, who has had a formidable first season – described as a “gift” by Guardiola, the Swiss international has shown his versatility in defence since his arrival.

Zinchenko wasn’t regarded as a starter in his final season at City, where he featured just 15 times in the league and by the end of the campaign was a profitable trade for the Sky Blues to cash in on. While the current champions gave Arsenal a good player, they won the deal by bringing in Akanji, who has fared better than the Ukrainian in terms of clearances, blocks and clean sheets so far, despite playing fewer games.

City have made the changes that have seemingly taken them to the next level of their dominance, the treble is still a possibility and with a Champions League semi-final coming up, the script could be written for European success to finally grace the Etihad.

Chelsea somewhat surprisingly sold Jorginho to Arsenal in the January transfer window as they looked to recoup some of the millions that they had splurged on Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk, yet they haven’t properly replaced him.

The Italian had been a regular fixture for the Blues since joining from Napoli in 2018, playing over 200 times for the club, yet it looked as though Graham Potter didn’t fancy him. Chelsea’s loss is Mikel Arteta's gain.

They will have to wait until the summer to replace him, however, and with the Stamford Bridge side eyeing a move for Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella, he could well be the next Jorginho.

Italian news outlet Calciomerctoweb claim that both Liverpool and Chelsea are interested in making a summer move for Barella, who could cost around €50m (£44m) and considering their recent spending, that figure shouldn’t represent too much of an issue.

Could Nicolo Barella replace Jorginho at Chelsea?

Both Jorginho and Barella can count passing and through balls as their main strengths, as per WhoScored, meaning the 26-year-old could slot into the void left by the current Arsenal midfielder with ease and take up the mantle of being Chelsea’s chief passing maestro.

Indeed, this season, the duo have completed over 80% of their passes (84.6% to 81%) and made over 100 progressive passes each (169 to 133) via FBref, suggesting that their ability to circulate the ball, not only with accuracy, but also to forward areas, proves that the Inter star could be a solid heir to Jorginho.

Across 28 Serie A matches this term, Barella has scored five times, grabbed six assists and has averaged 1.6 key passes per game, demonstrating his attacking ability. Jorginho didn't exactly thrive in that area of the pitch, scoring just twice this term for the Blues, so the former could actually represent an upgrade.

Scoring goals from midfield is something that Todd Boehly's side desperately need, as they have found the net only 29 times in 30 league matches.

Fortunately, Barella isn't one to shirk his defensive duties either, with the player having averaged 1.3 tackles and 0.4 clearances per game while winning an impressive 57% of his total duels, clearly showing how strong he is in the tackle.

It’s no wonder he was lauded as being a “sensational talent” by journalist Maxi Angelo as far back as 2019, and it looks as though he now needs to move away from Italy in order to continue his development.

The Blues certainly have the funds to prise him away from Milan, and with players such as Fernandez playing alongside him, he could have wonderful success in London over the next few seasons if he made the move.

Liverpool have made contact to ask for updates on the situation of Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Gravenberch ahead of the summer, according to reports.

What's the latest on Gravenberch to Anfield?

The Merseyside outfit have James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all out of contract at the end of the season, and with Arthur Melo also set to be returning to Juventus following his unsuccessful loan spell, reinforcements will be needed in that area.

The Reds have been long-term admirers of Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham but they have reportedly pulled out of the race to sign him, as decided by Jurgen Klopp and FSG. Chelsea’s Mason Mount reportedly remains a priority heading into the upcoming window but 20-year-old Gravenberch is a new left-field name to have now been linked.

The Dutchman still has another four years remaining on his deal at the Allianz Arena, but having made just one start this season in the Bundesliga, he has fallen significantly out of favour and could therefore be on the move.

Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg has revealed that Thomas Tuchel’s star is on the shortlist of options at Anfield, alongside the likes of Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo – and it would appear that they have already taken the first official step towards a potential deal.

According to 90min, Liverpool, alongside Premier League rivals Arsenal and Manchester United, have “asked to be kept informed” of Gravenberch’s availability in the weeks and months ahead. Bayern’s ace is currently “unclear” as to where he stands or whether he is even part of Tuchel’s plans moving forward, so he is therefore “set to analyse his chances” of gaining regular game time as the season draws to a close.

It is also claimed that Klopp’s side are looking to add up to three fresh faces to the centre before the start of the new term, and the £156k-per-week gem has been identified as a cheaper quality alternative to some of the other high-profile and in-demand targets mentioned above.

Would Gravenberch be a good signing for Liverpool?

Gravenberch has only made two goal contributions since joining Bayern but that isn’t an accurate representation of what he’s capable of given his limited opportunities, and having been dubbed “indispensable” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, he could yet be a fantastic acquisition for Liverpool.

The 6 foot 3 midfielder has posted 25 goal contributions (12 goals and 13 assists) in 103 senior appearances for Ajax as a teenager. Meanwhile, over the past year, he ranks in the 93rd percentile for shots and averages 3.47 shot-creating actions every 90 minutes among other players in his position (FBref).

Finally, Gravenberch knows what it takes to be successful, having already secured several senior trophies since bursting onto the scene at both Ajax and Bayern, so will hopefully be able to match the winning mentality of the current squad already on Merseyside.

Southampton should keep Ruben Selles as manager even if they get relegated to the Championship, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Saints struggling

The Saints continue to be involved in the Premier League relegation battle, currently sitting bottom of the table, two points from safety, having also played one game more than 17th-placed Leicester City.

Selles was given the manager’s job on an interim basis after the departure of Nathan Jones at the end of February, and while there has not been a major turnaround in results, there have been some promising signs, recently drawing 3-3 against Tottenham Hotspur.

As such, there have now been calls for the manager to be offered the job on a permanent basis, regardless of what division Southampton find themselves in next season.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

In an interview with GiveMeSport, O’Rourke claimed that Sport Republic should look at offering the interim boss the full-time role as manager. The journalist said:

“I think Rubén Sellés would be a good shout to get it. I think of the continuity, he knows the club and obviously knows the players as well. I’m sure Southampton fans would see him as somebody who could get them straight back up to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

“He’s very good at working with younger players, which he’s got a previous track record of and that would only be good for Southampton.

“I think he’d be a tailor-made fit to stay at Southampton, if they do go down and to try and lead a rebuild of the club and get them back to the Premier League.”

The Verdict: Right call?

There has certainly been an improvement in Southampton since the 39-year-old took the reigns, digging out a vital 1-0 win against relegation-threatened Leicester City, and picking up a hard-fought point in a 0-0 draw at Manchester United.

Journalist Jacob Tanswell has previously claimed the young manager is ‘ambitious’ and ‘wants to coach at the top’, while also adding that the players have been ‘impressed’ ever since he arrived at the club.

However, whether the Spaniard is worthy of being offered the full-time job depends on his performance for the remainder of the season, as it is still early days in his managerial career.

If Selles manages to orchestrate a great escape in the final 10 games of the Premier League season, then there is no question he should be offered the job on a permanent basis, potentially making this one to watch.

Aston Villa reporter Ashley Preece has shared an update on rumours regarding a move for Barcelona sporting director Mateu Alemany.

The Lowdown: Alemany offer

There has been plenty of speculation coming from Spain in regards to Villa adding to their boardroom. Reports suggested that club held discussions with former Real Betis director Antonio Cordon, with a recent update also claiming Alemany was of interest.

It was thought that Alemany rejected an offer to move to the Midlands from Barcelona, and Preece has shared what he knows.

The Latest: Preece’s comments

Preece shared a Q&A for Birmingham Live on Thursday morning, where he was asked about Alemany following the rumours of a move.

He said that ‘Villa have stressed’ there is nothing in the reports, although Preece said that the ‘noises’ coming from Spain makes him think Unai Emery wants another director in alongside Johan Lange.

“Re Barca sporting director Mateu Alemany, Villa have stressed to me that there’s nothing in those reports, likewise Cordon who left Betis last week. I am quite sceptical, though, given the noises surrounding the sporting directors. I do feel Emery wants another man to come in and perhaps support Lange.

“We’ll see what plays out in the summer… Let’s just say that. Emery wants another man he can trust by his side when it comes to the big decisions involving his playing squad.”

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The Verdict: Interesting

Villa allegedly ‘rate’ the work that Lange has done, however, even though the club have seemingly rubbished rumours about Alemany, an off-field addition could still be one to watch. Lange could be working long hours this summer, with Christian Purslow expecting an extremely busy transfer window at Villa Park.

Therefore, bringing in another sporting director to work alongside the 43 year-old may prove be a wise move, bringing a fresh approach to the club ahead of Emery’s first full season.

Emery has reportedly been given a level of control none of his predecessors have been allowed, so he may want to work closely with Lange and another director of his choice, so it could be an interesting few months both on and off the pitch.