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New West Brom manager Valerien Ismael getting a four-year contract at The Hawthorns is a surprise, says journalist Luke Hatfield.

Ismael was appointed as Sam Allardyce’s successor at the end of last month after leaving Barnsley, with the Midlands club confirming that the 45-year-old has signed a four-year deal.

He was not West Brom’s first choice, however, with it being well-documented that the Baggies eyed up the likes of Chris Wilder and David Wagner prior, only for things to break down at the very end.

For Hatfield, it makes the decision to hand Ismael a four-year contract a surprise, though he sees it as a positive development, as it shows a long-term plan.

“It was a little bit of a surprise,” the Express & Star journalist told FFC. “It’s certainly a bold move by Albion in terms of they’re really showing a sign for the future here.

“I think Albion fans were getting a bit frustrated in that, you know, the likes of Big Sam came in and it did seem very short-termist. This seems the exact opposite, a four-year deal for Valerien Ismael.”

Certainly, it did look like Allardyce was just brought in to put out the fire at West Brom given his record when it comes to keeping teams in the Premier League, something he was unable to do this time round.

With Ismael, having been given that four-year deal, the Frenchman will surely be expected to get West Brom promoted and build something at The Hawthorns.

Has there ever been a more brittle and fragile cricket side

David Wiseman01-Dec-2002Has there ever been a more brittle and fragile cricket side?England are incredibly delicate. Frail of mind, frail of spirit and frail ofbody.For the second time in three Tests, Nasser Hussain has been left a bowlershort. Chris Silverwood could only manage four overs before joining the longlist of injured English players.You would have thought that the English brains-trust would have planned longand hard for this Ashes series. That they would have earmarked a squad whofor a very long time would have winning the Ashes as their lone thought.Instead, this tour has turned out to be a shemozzle and sadly an indictmenton English cricket.Losing isn’t an issue.Losing without dignity or respect is.England could only field one bowler in this third Test who played atBrisbane. That one, Craig White wasn’t even part of the original touringparty!From the five bowlers at the WACA, only Richard Dawson and Steve Harmisonwere picked in the initial squad. All this and the tour is not even at thehalfway point.On paper, England were always going to be out-matched. They were always goingto do it tough. That was a given. What they had to do was assemble hardenedcricketers who would be mentally resilient against the Australians.Cricketers who would put us some semblance of a fight.For the nanoseconds in the series where England seems to be gaining somelevel footing or edge, immediately a poor stroke brings about an Englishbatsman’s demise or some wayward English bowling and fielding lets theAustralians off the hook.The bowling especially has been a problem for the English. They have beenbowling so poorly on this tour to date, you would think some members of theBarmy Army could do a better job.Casting an eye down the top wicket-takers of the last county season, thereare many names and not any of them are playing for England. Martin Saggers,Kevin Dean, Kabir Ali, Andrew Harris, Alamgir Sheriyar. Could these men doany worse than the walking wounded?Ian Ward with 1759 runs made the most runs in county cricket. Where is he?If county cricket isn’t the breeding ground for future English Testcricketers, what is? If they don’t value it as a system for producing Testcricketers, shouldn’t the system be changed?When they can’t manage to score 400 and can’t once bowl out the oppositionfor less, something is wrong.You have to go back as far as 1950/51 for the last time a side won the firstthree Tests of a long Ashes series. (Australia swept the shortened 1979/80series 3-0)Given what has transpired on tour to date, Hussain will have to do somethingspectacular to prevent England losing 5-0.

A round-up from the latest County Championship matches

Cricinfo staff02-Jun-2008First Division
Justin Langer cracked 46 from 30 balls to drive Somerset to victory against Surrey © PA Photos
Somerset romped to an emphatic eight-wicket win over Surrey at Whitgift School, completing the victory just after lunch and thereby lifting them to the top of Division One. Surrey’s tail didn’t last long: Saqlain Mushtaq top-edged an attempted sweep, before Charl Willoughby bowled Jade Dernbach and removed Pedro Collins for 5. Somerset were set an easy 108 to win and, though they lost Neil Edwards for 5, leg before offering no stroke, Marcus Trescothick and Justin Langer set off in exhilarating style. Langer carved a huge six out of the ground as the left-handers took a particular fancy to Usman Afzaal, who conceded 12 in one over. Afzaal removed Langer for a 30-ball 46, but Trescothick’s 42 saw Somerset home with ease.Kent’s match against Hampshire at The Rose Bowl dribbled to a draw, as rain once again played a major part with the day’s play abandoned shortly after Hampshire were made to follow-on. With 185 lost to the weather, a result was never likely. Hampshire started the day on a precarious 130 for 5, but were given hope of surviving with Dimitri Mascarenhas, in typically bullish mood, making 45. Once he fell to Azhar Mahmood, however, the rest folded quickly and Hampshire were bowled out for 215. Mahmood finished with 3 for 21 while Amjad Khan, playing in his first Championship match for nearly two years, picked up 2 for 28. Michael Carberry and Michael Brown endured some tricky moments when they batted again before the rain returned midway through the afternoon.Click here for the full report from Headingley where Yorkshire’s match against Lancashire ended in a predictable draw.

Team Mat Won Lost Tied Draw Aban Pts

Somerset 5 2 0 0 3 067 Nottinghamshire 5 2 20 1 0 61 Sussex 6 1 1 0 4 059 Surrey 6 0 10 5 0 55 Durham 4 2 1 0 1 053 Yorkshire 5 1 10 3 0 53 Kent 5 1 2 0 2 046 Lancashire 5 1 10 3 0 46 Hampshire 5 0 1 0 4 039Second DivisionThe rate of scoring remained numbingly slow atGloucester as Gloucestershire and second-placed Warwickshirecompleted a tame draw. Gloucestershire wrapped up the visitors’ innings at410, leaving Tony Frost unbeaten on 144 but stumbled in their second innings as Naqqash Tahir and Neil Carter combined to leave them at 53 for 4. Chris Taylor, fresh from his first-innings century, added 76 with Steve Snell (33) and Warwickshire lost two more wickets late in the day – Taylor was last out for a 103-ball 77 – before rounding off the match on 228 for 8 declared.Middlesex were lifted off the bottom of Division Two with their first win of the season, beating Derbyshire by six wickets at an overcast Lord’s. Jonathan Clare notched his fifty for the visitors but was last man out for 57 as Middlesex were set 256. Charl Langeveldt nipped out Billy Godleman for 8 to give the visitors hope of Middlesex’s top-order failing, but Ed Smith (74) and Owais Shah (86) settled Middlesex’s nerves with a second-wicket stand of 96. Smith was particularly aggressive, cracking ten fours in his 81-ball knock, but Jake Needham bowled him off an inside edge. Ed Joyce kept Middlesex in the hunt with a 33-ball 34, but at 166 for 2, London’s miserable conditions interrupted play for the first time. It upset Joyce’s concentration who, on 34, miscued Graham Wagg with Middlesex still needing a further 71, and Shah soon followed when he was yorked by Langeveldt. Eoin Morgan, though, kept his nerve and beat the dying light as Middlesex wrapped up their first win of the season.

Team Mat Won Lost Tied Draw Aban Pts

Leicestershire 6 2 0 0 4 076 Warwickshire 6 1 00 5 0 70 Essex 5 2 2 0 1 055 Worcestershire 5 1 00 4 0 52 Middlesex 5 1 2 0 2 049 Northamptonshire 5 1 20 2 0 47 Glamorgan 5 1 2 0 2 045 Derbyshire 5 1 10 3 0 43 Gloucestershire 4 0 1 0 3 036

Southampton have been linked with both Adam Armstrong and Matthew Hoppe in recent weeks, but who would be the better addition to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side?

Adam Armstrong

Southampton have been regularly linked with a move for the Blackburn Rovers striker and are expected to return with another bid for the 24-year-old in the near future after seeing their first offer for him rejected by the Championship side.

The former Newcastle United man hit 28 goals in the Championship last season, so despite him entering the final year of his contract at Ewood Park, Blackburn are still demanding a hefty fee for the forward this summer.

Hasenhuttl relied upon Danny Ings and Che Adams as the main goalscorers in his side last season, and if the influential Ings were to depart this summer after rejecting a new contract at St Mary’s, Armstrong could prove to be the clinical striker Southampton need despite his comparative lack of top-flight experience.

Matthew Hoppe

According to 90min, Southampton are one of several Premier League clubs taking an interest in the Schalke 04 striker this summer after he finished as the top scorer for the team last season in what was his first campaign as a professional.

The 20-year-old hit six goals for Die Konigsblauen as they were ultimately relegated from the Bundesliga, so it is no surprise to see clubs showing an interest in him, as Schalke’s worrying financial issues mean that he would likely be available at a cut-price fee.

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The £4.05m-rated forward was heavily praised by Jurgen Klinsmann after he hit an impressive hattrick in a 4-0 win against Hoffenheim last season, with the former Germany coach saying: “Schalke has one of the best academy systems in Germany. It’s not a coincidence that a lot of top talents in Germany come off the Schalke production line.

“And seeing him there today, scoring three goals in probably one of the most difficult moments in Schalke’s history, is just incredible.”

Who would be better for Southampton?

Whilst Armstrong boasts a better goalscoring record and more experience, he has never proven himself in the Premier League, whereas Hoppe showed his class in the German top flight last season despite playing for a relegated team.

Hoppe also has age on his side and will be a lot cheaper than Armstrong, with Blackburn reportedly wanting as much as £25m for their man this summer.

Therefore, if the Englishman proves to be too expensive, then Saints CEO Martin Semmens should instead look to bring the 20-year-old Hoppe to St Mary’s this summer.

In other news… Hasenhuttl can kill two birds with one stone in deal for dynamic 29-goal beast

The ICC has acted swiftly – although still too late to help New Zealand – to amend the rule regarding the length of the interval in response to the farcical finish

Cricinfo staff19-Jun-2008
Brendon McCullum looks aghast as the umpires inform him the chase is off © Getty Images
The ICC has acted swiftly – although still too late to help New Zealand – to amend the rule regarding the length of the interval in ODIs in response to the farcical finish to the second one-dayer against England at Edgbaston on Wednesday.For the final three matches of the series officials will be allowed to reduce the length of the interval if the first innings is interrupted, as was the case at Edgbaston where England batted for 24 overs before the break. New Zealand were denied the chance to level the series when rain ended the game with one over to go for the result to have counted, having had to sit out the innings break of 30 minutes in fine weather.The helpless umpires Steve Davis and Ian Gould came under fire for not acting differently, although they had no choice but to enforce the half-hour interval under the existing rules. The ICC chief executives’ committee will examine the matter when it meets in Dubai at the end of June to consider a permanent change to the rule. In the meantime the final part of regulation 15.1 has been amended to read: “Where the innings of the side batting first is delayed or interrupted, the umpires will reduce the length of the interval.”In the event of time being lost (playing time lost less any extra time provided) up to and including 60 minutes in aggregate, the length of the interval shall be reduced from 45 to 30 minutes. In the event of more than 60 minutes being lost in aggregate, the duration of the interval shall be agreed mutually by the umpires and both captains subject to no interval being of more than 30 minutes’ duration or less than 10 minutes’ duration. In the event of disagreement, the length of the interval shall be determined by the ICC match referee.”In the aftermath of Wednesday’s fiasco, New Zealand’s captain Daniel Vettori called for common sense to prevail. It has, and quickly, but New Zealand still have grounds to feel hard done by with the original rules. The third match in the series takes place at Bristol on Saturday where England will now head 1-0 up.

Arsenal are the latest club to be linked with a move for Tammy Abraham this summer…

What’s the word?

According to The Telegraph’s Matt Law, the Gunners are interested in the 23-year-old striker, who Chelsea have already offered out to a number of clubs in recent weeks.

Abraham has been made available to Arsenal’s arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur, along with Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund, whilst other reports suggest that he’s the primary target for West Ham manager David Moyes in this transfer window.

Several Blues players have swapped Stamford Bridge for the Emirates Stadium in recent years, including David Luiz and Willian, so the England international could be the next man to do so.

With Alexandre Lacazette’s contract expiring in a year, he could well be sold to fund a potential £40m move for Abraham, who is widely expected to be departing Chelsea this summer.

Shades of Henry

Interestingly, Abraham was a boyhood Arsenal fan who idolised the legendary Thierry Henry. Speaking during a loan spell at Bristol City in 2016/17, he claimed: “To be honest I was an Arsenal fan. It didn’t make any difference at Chelsea.

“When you’re young and you choose who to support, if it’s a family thing, it’s a family thing. Luckily for me, it was a family thing, so it wasn’t really a problem at Chelsea.

“Someone I looked up to was Thierry Henry. His variations of finishing, his movement, the way he dribbles… someone like that has a key impact on me. I would love to be as big as him and maybe even better.”

Could Mikel Arteta be about to find the Gunners’ next Henry?

Abraham has fallen heavily out of favour since the arrival of Thomas Tuchel in the dugout at Stamford Bridge, although the England international still finished the season just one goal behind Jorginho, the club’s top goalscorer in the Premier League with seven.

His overall record for Chelsea is 30 goals in 82 appearances, which is a pretty respectable return at this level.

The 23-year-old is certainly a different presence to what Arteta currently has at his disposal in Arsenal’s attack. At 6 foot 3, he offers the same sort of rangy presence as Henry during his heyday, and the fact that he has effectively modelled his game on the Frenchman only bodes well.

Furthermore, former academy teammate Kasey Palmer once dubbed him a “goal machine.”

Lacazette is more stocky, whilst Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has seemingly cemented his place down on the left flank, thus opening up a spot in the current squad.

A move to the Emirates should appeal greatly too, with Abraham targeting a return to Gareth Southgate’s England squad in time for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Also described as a “phenomenal player” by former Premier League manager Alex McLeish, the £36m-rated forward would surely be an interesting acquisition for Arsenal this summer.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops exciting Arsenal transfer update…

Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing Metz midfielder Farid Boulaya as Marcelo Bielsa eyes up summer reinforcements.

The Lowdown: Midfield depth required

The Whites finished ninth in the Premier League last season, and while that was an undoubted success, it is important that they kick on in 2021/22.

For that to happen, new signings could be needed so that the squad doesn’t become stagnant or threadbare should injuries arise.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: Leeds linked with Boulaya

According to Mohamed Toubache-Ter on Twitter [via Get French Football News],  Leeds are keen on signing Boulaya for around €4.5m (£3.85m) following an impressive 2020/21 campaign for Metz.

The 28-year-old scored six goals and registered eight assists in the French top flight last term and Marcelo Bielsa sees him as a strong option to bring in at Elland Road.

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The Verdict: Strong option for Whites

Boulaya could be a shrewd addition by Leeds, possessing undeniable quality going forward and also having experience at the top level, making 61 appearances in Ligue 1.

It was from the French top flight that the Whites signed Raphinha last year and the Brazilian had a strong first campaign in Yorkshire, leading the way for key passes with 2.1 per game. Boulaya’s average for this metric was even higher last season as he recorded 2.3 per match, indicating a strong ability to unpick opposition defences.

The four-cap Algeria international’s current £8,300-per-week deal expires next summer, so Metz may feel that now is the time to cash in and receive a healthy fee for him, which could play into Leeds’ hands perfectly.

In other news, Leeds are believed to have pulled out of a deal to sign one player this summer. Find out who it is here.

A round-up of the latest contributions from Australian players in the counties

Cricinfo staff08-Jul-2008
Stuart Law shone in whites this week © Getty Images
It was back to County Championship cricket this week after the thrills and spills of Twenty20, while Lancashire also announced that Brad Hodge would not be returning to the county. Hodge will be looking after his ill wife, Meg, in Australia, leaving Lou Vincent as the county’s overseas player.It was another Australian, Stuart Law, who shone for Lancashire this week, though. His unbeaten 158 was the cornerstone around which Lancashire constructed what could be a crucial eight-wicket victory against Sussex at Hove. With the table so bunched up, every point counts and Law made sure to do his bit, thrusting Lancashire to second.Law’s innings was compiled over six hours and 39 minutes, from 281 balls, and contained 18 fours. His masterful knock helped his side to a valuable lead of 129, and completed a hat-trick of centuries at Hove. He was a class above anything else on display, more salt for Sussex who dropped him on 18 – a tough chance to Chris Adams at slip – and on 101, when Jason Lewry spilled a much simpler opportunity at mid-on.It showed the class of Law that he was able to so easily switch between Twenty20 and four-day cricket. He was happy to bide his time against pace and spin, finally bringing up his first Championship ton this term from 173 balls. It was an innings full of silky cover drives, deft cuts and neat placement.With the counties jostling for position, Adam Voges’ first-innings 49 went some way to helping Nottinghamshire to the top in their six-wicket win against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl. Though he stumbled for 4 second time round, his team-mates saw them home. Darren Pattinson took two wickets in each innings before his surprise call-up to England’s Champions Trophy long-list of 30 players. Pattinson was born in Grimsby and is not a citizen of Australia.Michael Di Venuto’s Durham drew level on points with Yorkshire after beating them at Chester-le-Street. They are now equal third in the table with 77 points each, though Durham have a game in hand on them and the top two. Matthew Hoggard bagged him for a duck in the first innings but his unbeaten 65 in the second secured the victory.Matt Nicholson was unable to turn out for Surrey’s sorry beating by Kent – having been in full control at the Oval – as he is not eligible while Abdul Razzaq is playing. Nicholson can return for their next game, against Voges’ Nottinghamshire on Friday, when Surrey will still be seeking their first win.In Division Two, Marcus North managed 10 and a not-out 8 in Gloucestershire’s stalemate against the leaders Warwickshire at Edgbaston.Steve Magoffin played more of a support role than anything else in Worcestershire’s ten-wicket drubbing of Leicestershire. He took a wicket in each innings, Leicestershire immediately on the backfoot after folding for 120.

Central Districts, New Zealand’s domestic Twenty20 champions, are on standby to possibly replace Middlesex for the inaugural Champions League in India between September 29 and October 8

Cricinfo staff30-Jul-2008
Central Districts’ participation isn’t confirmed yet, with teams from West Indies or Sri Lanka also in the fray © Getty Images
The participation of Central Districts, New Zealand’s domestic Twenty20 champions, in the inaugural Champions League in India between September 29 and October 8 will, if it comes through, be a big boost to the domestic game in the country, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has said. The BCCI, the tournament hosts, confirmed that teams from Sri Lanka and West Indies will compete with Central Districts for one slot in the league, with England’s participation highly unlikely.”First up, it may well be off to India to participate in this competition, which is extraordinary,” Justin Vaughan, the chief executive of New Zealand Cricket, told the . “It’s still to be decided what money there’ll be. I think there’s a truckload of prize money, and traditionally that’s gone to players.”We need to accept the fact that our teams can compete on the global stage and it might seem extraordinary but that’s what it’s all about. And if this can become something that we regularly participate in, it obviously adds a significant edge to our domestic Twenty20 competition.”Central Districts have two high-profile New Zealand players, Ross Taylor and Jacob Oram, in their ranks, both of whom played in the IPL. Since Taylor’s IPL franchise, the Bangalore Royal Challengers, failed to qualify for the Champions League, he would be expected to turn out for his state side. Since Chennai Super Kings have qualified, Oram would have to decide which team to represent, and Vaughan said the decision rests entirely with the player.The details of the Champions League will be finalised in Mumbai later tonight at a meeting to be attended by officials from the BCCI, Cricket South Africa and Cricket Australia. A team from Pakistan has also been confirmed.

West Brom are still working on re-signing midfielder Okay Yokuslu this summer, following an impressive spell at the Hawthorns last season.

The Lowdown: Yokuslu shines for West Brom

The Baggies were relegated from the Premier League last season, but Yokuslu was one of the few positives to come out of the campaign.

The 27-year-old joined West Brom on loan in the January transfer window and went on to make 16 league appearances, ranking as the club’s best player during that period (Whoscored).

Yokuslu has returned to permanent club Celta Vigo for the time being, but another move may be on the cards.

The Latest: Baggies working on deal

According to AS, West Brom are trying to make progress in their attempts to bring back the 37-time capped Turkey international.

Watford are also thought to be interested in a move, however, with their Premier League status potentially working in their favour.

The Verdict: Exciting news for supporters

Yokuslu became a popular figure at West Brom last season, so this update is sure to excite some supporters, as Valerien Ismael looks to bolster his squad.

The fact that the Turk shone in the top-flight despite his side’s struggles suggests he could be a real force in the Championship, dominating midfield battles with his tenacity and ability.

Yokuslu enjoyed an average of 2.6 aerial duels, 2.4 tackles and 2.2 interceptions per game in the Premier League last season, showing what a strong defensive presence he is, not to mention averaging 1.2 dribbles per match.

That combination of physicality and quality on the ball could make a huge impact in the heart of the Baggies’ midfield.

In other news, one West Brom player is thought to be a ‘prime target’ for one club. Find out who it is here.