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Attempting to make up for lost time following a disastrous summer transfer window, Newcastle United have reportedly already made contact to sign one 2025 target.

Newcastle transfer news

In Newcastle's ideal world, Eddie Howe would currently have Marc Guehi and an upgrade on Miguel Almiron at his disposal. Not only did the Magpies fail in their summer-long pursuit of the Crystal Palace defender, however, but they also saw their late bid to sign Anthony Elanga rejected by Nottingham Forest – summing their window up in two swift rejections.

New sporting director Paul Mitchell recently spoke about the club's failure on the transfer front and particularly their pursuit of Guehi, telling the Telegraph's Luke Edwards, as relayed by The Athletic: “Eddie was very clear and it’s not up to me after seven weeks to say, ‘We’ll do this and that’, because I’m in a supporting role. Were there options? Of course there were, as that’s the responsibility of the department and Newcastle.

“That’s why we ended up where we did. It was that player or he felt he was comfortable with the quality we have. You can be on multiple deals at any one time, the focus doesn’t have to be that narrow. We probably were too narrow but, coming in mid-July, it’s not my strategy to control, it’s my strategy to support. But there was no player that he (Howe) wasn’t part of deciding and saying, ‘That’s the guy I want’.”

Newcastle failed with £21m bid for "great" Guehi alternative from UCL club

The Magpies ended the window without signing a central defender…

ByTom Cunningham Sep 5, 2024

Mitchell, of course, will now want to put this summer behind him alongside the rest of those at St James' Park and could instantly get the fans back onside with a strong start in 2025.

According to reports in Argentina via Sport Witness, Newcastle have already made contact about a deal to sign Kevin Zenon from Boca Juniors, who reportedly value their winger at $20m (£15m) in 2025.

The Magpies are yet to push on following that approach, but now know the conditions of the deal should they want to land Zenon's signature in either the January transfer window or next summer.

"Magical" Zenon would unleash Isak's best form

Although he can be forgiven for a slow start after such an impressive campaign last time out, Alexander Isak will be well aware of just how much Newcastle will need him to rediscover his form after the international break, having scored once in the opening three Premier League games due largely to a lack of service.

In need of a creator, Zenon would offer the Swede exactly that, albeit only as soon as the January window, with the likes of Ben Mattinson full of praise for the 23-year-old, who can play anywhere down the left flank. The analyst went as far as describing his left-foot as "magical" back in July.

An exciting winger, Zenon may well be one to watch when the winter window swings open as Newcastle look to make up for their previous failure.

Warwickshire CEO condemns ‘disgraceful’ scenes after student promotion backfires

George Dobell24-Jun-2021A large-scale pitch invasion marred the end of the T20 Blast game between Birmingham Bears and Derbyshire at Edgbaston.Several hundred spectators – mainly students attending as part of a promotion – ran on to the pitch at the end of the match. While there was no sign of any malicious behaviour, the scale of the incursion may cause repercussions for a sport currently making a case for greater crowd numbers at games.Ironically the student event was named ‘Invades’. The promotion promised ‘free flowing pints’ and ‘exclusive drinks deals’.No players were hurt – or even approached – though several stewards and some of the groundstaff did become involved in altercations as they tried to prevent spectators, many of whom were wearing fancy-dress, running on to the outfield. In the time of Covid, such behaviour is likely to make authorities uneasy. It may be worth noting that Selly Oak, just a mile or two down the road and where the University of Birmingham is situated, has seen a rise in Covid cases of almost 800 percent (actually 791.7) over the last week.Edgbaston is one of the grounds that has just been included as part of a pilot event for the limited-overs series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. At least 50 percent capacity had been expected at those games, though those numbers are due to confirmed in the coming days. There appears to be a genuine concern at Warwickshire, at least, that this incident could have compromised those plans.”The behaviour of a small number of students after the match finished was disgraceful,” Stuart Cain, Warwickshire’s chief executive, told ESPNcricinfo in a statement.”The organiser behind their attendance was well aware of social distancing requirements and these were communicated to everybody who bought a ticket. They were then enforced as best as possible on the evening by stewards who worked incredibly hard to manage their behaviour. Messages were repeatedly broadcast over the PA system and screens, and pitch invaders ejected. They will receive a life ban if identified.”With society having spent the last 15 months managing the pandemic, to see a small number of people behaving in this way is heart-breaking. We apologise to the majority of spectators who respected social distancing measures. I will not let this company or crowd come to Edgbaston again.”Related

Edgbaston to host 80 percent capacity for Pakistan ODI

Boost for venues as government extends crowds pilot scheme for Sri Lanka, Pakistan series

Fancy dress and football chants as the Birmingham buzz returns

Matt Critchley: 'Legspin is a niche market in itself but I bat in the top six, too'

Derbyshire drop captain Billy Godleman after dire T20 run

There had been a succession of streakers throughout the game. While the venue had already shut its bars to the students and attempted to disperse groups who were not observing social distancing, it soon became apparent they were hopelessly outnumbered. In the dying moments of the game, the trickle of students became a stream until, after the last ball was bowled, the dam burst entirely. With venues required to demonstrate they can handle the return of crowds with the requisite Covid protocols, pictures of hundreds of spectators on the pitch may not inspire confidence.Some will say the stewarding was insufficient. But with crowd numbers limited to 25 percent of capacity at present, clubs are struggling to make these games financially viable for spectators. There were around 6,000 in the ground in total, about 2,000 of which belonged to the student party. After the game, reports emerged of at least one spectator having been hurt by a thrown object.”The atmosphere was horrible,” one spectator told ESPNcricinfo. “I have never, in 50 years at the club, been at anything like it. I the club wishes to continue to advertise Edgbaston as a “fortress” and encourage excessive drinking and partying at the expense of appreciation of cricket, I’m out of there.”It was a disaster waiting to happen and a gross error of judgement on the part of the senior management team. Heads should roll.”It probably could have been worse. Not for a moment did any of these pitch invaders look as if they had any malicious motives, and all of them were dispersed within about five minutes. But it will raise questions about both the stewarding of such events and the wisdom of marketing them in connection with alcohol promotions.The other shame of the incident was that it detracted from an impressive victory from Derbyshire and a match-winning innings from Tom Wood, in particular.Wood is a cricketer who has taken the scenic route into the professional game. He is aged 27 and having his second stab as life as a county player after being released by the club at the end of 2017. This was just his fifth game in the format.But he ensured his side held their nerve just as it appeared they may let Birmingham Bears back into a game which Derbyshire had dominated throughout. Having added 90 with Leus du Plooy – Derbyshire’s highest partnership in this format against Birmingham – he saw his side add just 25 runs in a five-over spell in which they also lost three wickets.It was also a significant result for Matt Critchley, in his first game as Derbyshire captain. Coming into this game, Derbyshire had won just one of their six most recent T20 games and lost the last three. Partially as a result, they decided to rest their regular captain, Billy Godleman, for the rest of the T20 campaign to allow him to “recharge his batteries”.While Critchley has never previously captained at professional level, he was the natural choice as a player of increasing stature in the Derbyshire dressing room and here he marshalled his resources nicely as his side pulled off a win against the side that was top of the table little more than a week ago.Matt Critchley has taken the helm at Derbyshire following the resting of Billy Godleman•Getty ImagesTo put the achievement into perspective, it was only the second time Derbyshire have ever defeated Birmingham (or Warwickshire, as they were once known) at Edgbaston in the 18-year history of the format. The previous occasion was in 2011.While Birmingham’s total may look respectable, on this surface – a hybrid track offering the sort of pace and bounce that’s ideal for these games – they were well short of par. While there were moments when Ed Pollock, whose ability to slog-sweep sixes off seamers is remarkable, looked as if he could carry them to somewhere around 200, they never really recovered from losing three wickets in the first 19 balls of the match.Most pertinently, they never recovered from the rare failure of Sam Hain. Hain came into this match averaging over 70 in the campaign this season but here, coming down the pitch to his second delivery, he was cramped for room as Fynn Hudson-Prentice angled the ball into his body. Hain looked aghast at the decision, but the umpire felt the ball had brushed the glove on its way to the keeper.Perhaps the surface helped Derbyshire. Whatever their results, their attack does not lack for pace and here they seemed to enjoy the bounce and carry in the surface. Conor McKerr, on loan from Surrey, claimed two wickets in his first over, while George Scrimshaw’s figures were the best of his short career in this format.The Bears were not at full strength. Dan Mousley was absent having broken his finger in training, while Rob Yates is unwell and Jake Lintott is in isolation having tested positive for Covid-19. They also left out their overseas player, Pieter Malan, who scored 63 against Northants only a couple of innings ago.It’s a result that does nothing for Birmingham’s hopes of qualifying for the knock-out stages. After four victories in succession, they have now failed their last three – albeit one of them fell victim to the weather – though you suspect it is the crowd invasion that will most concern the Warwickshire management in the coming days.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is not short of options when it comes to the wide areas, that’s despite the summer sales of Jadon Sancho to Chelsea on a loan-to-buy deal, and Facundo Pellistri to Greek side Panathinaikos.

The Red Devils’ Dutch manager has tended to favour Marcus Rashford and Amad Diallo on the left-wing and right-wing respectively this season, and his trust has been repaid.

Rashford has three goals and one assist in six games, while Amad has one goal and assist apiece in the same number of outings. Alejandro Garnacho has even more, with four goals and three assists in six games.

However, there is one United winger who has not really got much of an opportunity this season and has really found his best form at United. That player is Antony.

Antony’s record for Man United

The Brazilian winger joined the English giants from Ajax towards the end of the summer transfer window in 2022, signing for a whopping £81.3m. Sadly, he has not been able to live up to such a price tag and has failed to show the form he did at Ajax.

The winger, who won an Olympic Gold medal at Tokyo 2020 with Brazil, had a great record during his time in Amsterdam. The 24-year-old played 82 times for the Dutch giants, scoring 24 goals and grabbing 22 assists. Not only that, the Sao Paulo youth product was famed for bringing Brazilian flair to the Eredivisie, and was known to have bags of tricks, including his famed spin.

However, his form in England has been a far cry from what he showed in Amsterdam, both in terms of his goals and assists and the skilful side of his game. He has scored just 12 times and has five assists in 84 games, with three goals and two assists coming in 38 games last term.

Despite this poor form, he has scored some crucial goals for the Red Devils. That includes a winner against Barcelona in the 2022/23 Europa League and a strike against Liverpool in last season’s legendary FA Cup quarter-final.

With that being said, it has not really worked out for the winger at Old Trafford. In fact, just two years before signing him, the Red Devils released an academy graduate who has been producing better numbers than the Brazilian.

Man United's mini Vinicius

The player in question here is Leeds United and Belgian winger Largie Ramazani. He made the move to Elland Road and United’s big rivals Leeds this summer, who bought him from Spanish outfit UD Almeria.

Since departing Old Trafford in 2020, the attacker has been superb, seeing success in the second tier of Spanish football before performing well in La Liga. Last term, he actually outscored Antony, scoring four goals and five assists in 31 appearances in all competitions.

2020/21

La Liga 2

23

4

1

2021/22

La Liga 2

30

8

1

2022/23

La Liga

33

3

2

2023/24

La Liga

29

3

5

Having sensationally been described as a “mini-Vinicius” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, he is a direct winger who loves to drive at defenders and beat them in one-vs-one situations, similar to Real Madrid’s Vini in that sense. Last term, the Carrington graduate completed an average of 1.1 dribbles per game in La Liga, as per Sofascore.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

United may well regret allowing the Belgian to leave the club on a free transfer back in 2020. Had he agreed a new deal, they could have given him one or two loan deals before integrating him into the first team, thus meaning they saved money on Antony.

United fans and the board at Old Trafford alike may well look back on this deal regretfully. They might well wish they had kept someone who could have added great depth out wide and been the next great Carrington graduate.

Man Utd thought they had the next CR7, now he's worth even less than Antony

The talented international just could not make it work at United, and now he’s playing outside of Europe entirely.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 18, 2024

Update comes six months after he had accused Baroda captain Krunal Pandya of “bad behaviour”

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Jul-2021Deepak Hooda has joined Rajasthan as a professional for the 2021-22 Indian domestic season after severing ties with Baroda, his home team. Hooda, who had been banned for the 2020-21 season in January by the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) for “indiscipline”, wrote to the BCA on July 12 asking to be “relieved” with immediate effect so he can “explore” professional opportunities with another team.In his letter to the BCA, Hooda said his time with Baroda gave him some of his most “memorable years”, but that he wanted to move on with an aim to “furthering my growth in my career and also I feel that my professional services can be utilised in a better manner”.Related

Irfan Pathan wants resolution to Hooda-Pandya dispute

Deepak Hooda accuses Krunal Pandya of 'bullying'

Baroda suspend Hooda for rest of season for 'indiscipline'

Former Mumbai captain Shishir Hattangadi, the BCA’s chief executive officer, told ESPNcricinfo that Hooda had been asked in early June to join the conditioning camp comprising 45 probables for the men’s senior team. In an e-mail to the BCA apex council, Hattangadi said that Hooda had been picked for the conditioning camp by the state selection committee on June 25, and while the player was duly informed, on June 30 the selectors informed Hattangadi that Hooda had not joined the camp. On the same day, Hooda sent an email to the BCA president and Hattangadi saying that he would join the camp on July 10.”We received a mail on the 13th of July from Deepak Hooda requesting for an NOC to allow him to play elsewhere (team not mentioned),” Hattangadi said in the email to the apex council. “We have granted him an NOC signed by the Secretary, and have informed the Selection Committee and the coach of the development.”The development came six months after Hooda moved out of the team hotel on the eve of the Baroda’s first match in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this January, alleging that Baroda captain Krunal Pandya’s “bad behaviour” including using abusive language and “bullying” had made him “depressed, demoralised and under pressure” and forced him to walk out.

How many cricket association will loose out on a player who is in the Indian team probables list? Deepak Hooda leaving baroda cricket is a huge loss. He could have easily given his services for another ten years as he is still young. As a Barodian It’s utterly disappointing!

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) July 15, 2021

Recently speaking on , the podcast hosted by the , Pandya said that he had always believed in putting the team the first and the reason he had been silent on the issue was to maintain his “dignity”.”There have been a lot of allegations,” Pandya said on the podcast, aired in June. “I’ve gone through a lot of hate messages on social media. It doesn’t bother me that much. I’ve never spoken on that from my side and have maintained that dignity because I’ve (got) very, very high respect for the institution that I play [for]. Obviously there have been campaigns running against me, to portray me in a particular way.”Till now I’ve not said anything, which is not because I’m wrong but because I have respect for the association, I have that respect for the sport and I have the respect for my team-mates. I’ve never come out and said my side of the so far, it’s only one side of the story [that has come out]. And I’ll maintain my dignity.”What the other person did in this incident was going out in public and saying his own side of the story and gaining sympathy. From my side I’ll say that I and Hardik have always, always played this sport as a team sport and we have never ever kept ourselves first. As a leader it was my responsibility that it’s a team sport and if one individual can be so indisciplined and can be so careless that he’s troubling or not maintaining the decorum of the team. I always stand for things that are right, without agenda and Hardik is also the same in this case. I will stand always for the team and for the players. Our intention has always been to help more young players, our focus has lately been to bring more talent from Baroda and to help the youngsters.”Hooda, 26, is originally from Haryana but started his first-class, List A and T20 careers with Baroda, turning out first in a T20 game in March 2013 before the other formats. Overall, Hooda played 42 first-class matches for Baroda, making 2718 runs with a highest score of 293* at an average of 43.14, including eight centuries and 15 fifties. In List A cricket, Hooda made 1428 runs from 40 matches at 42, with two centuries and 10 fifties. In T20 cricket, where Hooda is known as a power-hitter, he played 51 matches for Baroda, scoring 993 runs at a strike rate of 138.1 with a century and six fifties.

Ted Lasso is set to "self-reboot" in Season 4, claims one of the show’s creators, with Jason Sudeikis ready to start telling a "different story".

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Original story told over three seriesPopular show being brought backSudeikis readying a new adventureFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

A story that was only ever intended to last three series came to a natural conclusion in May 2023 when affable American coach Lasso brought an eventful spell as a coaching rookie in England to a close and returned to his homeland.

AdvertisementGettyDID YOU KNOW?

Fans have been clinging to the hope that popular characters will be returned to to the small screen, with news of green lights from production teams, writers and cast members towards the end of 2024 being welcomed around the world.

THE GOSSIP

Sudeikis, who plays Lasso and drives the show on a creative basis, is said to be excited at bringing AFC Richmond back. He is, however, being tipped to move an emotional adventure in a new direction, with there more exciting tales to be told.

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GettyWHAT SHOW CREATOR SAID

Bill Lawrence, who worked alongside Sudeikis on seasons one and two, has told the : "The one thing that he was always very clear about, without divulging anything, is that the story that we came up with for the first three seasons was Ted Lasso had a beginning, middle and end; without a doubt it had an end, you saw him jumping around and go home.

"It helped cement my thoughts and I don’t want to speak for him, but it’d be interesting to see that there’s always another story to tell with characters that people like, but it’s a different story. It’s almost a self-reboot. I think that he [Sudeikis] always had in his head another story he wanted to tell."

Former England international Carlton Palmer has reacted to a “brilliant” manager being linked with replacing Daniel Farke at Leeds United, calling the situation “disrespectful”.

Corberan linked with replacing Farke at Leeds

The Whites’ start to the season has seen the pressure build on Farke, with the 3-3 draw at home to newly-promoted Portsmouth on the opening weekend immediately leaving some supporters restless.

In fairness to the German, Leeds are still sixth in the Championship, however, and considering how early in the campaign it still is, there is no reason why they can’t climb further up the table as the months pass, having reached the playoff final last time around.

That being said, West Brom manager Carlos Corberan has emerged as a rumoured target for the Whites, with the 41-year-old continuing to shine at the Hawthorns. His Baggies side are top of the league currently and are looking like one of the front-runners to seal automatic promotion to the Premier League, only dropping two points.

Pundit reacts to Corberan to Leeds rumour

Speaking to Football League World, Palmer gave his take on the situation, saying he finds it strange that Leeds would want to replace Farke with Corberan:

“I think it’s disrespectful. Daniel Farke took them to the play-off final and, obviously, people are disappointed that they weren’t promoted last season, but he had a lot of work to do and got 90 points. If he delivers 90 points again this season, they will be promoted.

“Why are they saying that he’s not safe, and who is saying that? Is this coming out of Leeds or is this coming out just from the media? I mean, they’ve played six games, won three games, drawn two. They’ve only lost one game so far. They’re on 11 points and only five points off West Bromwich Albion after six games. So, I find it incredible that we’re even having this conversation.”

This is a tricky situation where it is easy to see both sides of the argument, with Palmer certainly making some fair points about the job Farke is doing at Leeds. Granted, it hasn’t been a perfect start to the season, but sixth place and only one defeat in the league suggests he is doing plenty right.

On the flip side, it could be argued that another manager could be getting even more out of an extremely talented squad, with Corberan’s performance as West Brom manager suggesting he could be a potential upgrade on Farke.

Late last year, Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman heaped praise on the Spaniard, saying: “He’s doing a brilliant job as far as I’m concerned. West Brom are doing better than I expected – I had them somewhere between 8th and 12th, which may still be the case as they’re up against other decent teams. I think Carlos is doing a brilliant job.”

49ers plotting new contract talks for "magnificent" £2.6m-a-year Leeds star

This would be brilliant news for the Whites.

1 ByHenry Jackson Sep 23, 2024

For now, Farke deserves more time to keep proving himself, showing that the only way is up for Leeds this season, but if poor results occur in the coming weeks and months, Corberan could be a superb option to replace him, should he eye a West Brom exit.

Mikel Arteta wants his Arsenal players to be as persistent as a "hammer" to hunt down Premier League leaders Liverpool.

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Arteta hoping to achieve PL gloryLiverpool are eight points clear at the topSpaniard wants Arsenal players to chase until the endFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Liverpool hold a commanding eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League table as the new year begins. The Merseyside club also has a game in hand over Nottingham Forest, who sit second, while Arsenal trail Forest by one point. However, with both Arsenal and Liverpool having played an equal number of matches, Arteta remains optimistic about his team's chances.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT ARTETA SAID

Liverpool's impressive campaign under new head coach Arne Slot has seen them lose just one of their 18 league fixtures so far. And using the metaphor of a 'hammer', Arteta encouraged his players to remain steadfast, emphasising that consistency and effort could still keep them in the title race.

"We have to continue to be like a hammer, be there every day, every day and if someone wins all the matches then congratulate them and then go to the next season," he told reporters.

"But if they don’t [win all their games] – which in history it hasn’t happened – then we will be there."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Arsenal’s January fixtures are set to challenge the depth and resilience of their squad. The Gunners will play nine matches in just 29 days, starting with a crucial trip to Brentford on New Year’s Day. Arteta expressed confidence in his team's ability to navigate the intense schedule and come out unscathed.

"We are going to have to prove it," he said. "We’re proven that already this season, I’m sure of that. If this had happened last season, the number off games we’ve played with ten men, the injuries in the squad, for sure it would be difficult to be in the stages of the competition we are in now. So, for sure, the team has made another step, the team is evolving and adapting to new circumstances and now we have another one with more games with less players. So, let’s face it."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

As Arsenal prepare to face Brentford, Arteta acknowledged the formidable home record of Thomas Frank's side, with the Bees winning seven and drawing once in nine league games – a record bettered only by Liverpool owing to their superior goal difference. Arteta is fully aware of the difficulty Brentford presents and stressed the importance of a strong start to the year.

"Very tough, a really good team," said Arteta, when asked about Brentford. "If you see their record at home until last week, it’s remarkable and they evolved and adapted as well with the qualities in the team with the players they have in the team. Very impressed."

General public banned from bringing in bottles and cans, and restrictions at bars in ground

Matt Roller31-Jul-2021Members of the public will not be allowed to bring alcohol into Lord’s for the rest of the Hundred in an attempt to create a family-friendly atmosphere following feedback from the first two matchdays at the ground.According to MCC’s ground regulations, fans are allowed to bring in “small quantities of alcohol” – either a bottle of wine or champagne, two cans or bottles of beer or cider, or two cans of premixed aperitifs – to games at Lord’s.But that right has been waived for the rest of the tournament, starting with Sunday’s fixtures between London Spirit and Southern Brave – though MCC members will still be allowed to bring alcohol into the ground. A cap of two alcoholic drinks per transaction has also been introduced, and all public bars will close at the start of the run chase in the men’s match.Ticket-holders for Thursday night’s fixtures against Trent Rockets were told via email that “following feedback from last night’s match, we have agreed to change some of the policies around alcohol at Lord’s”.”The Hundred is a tournament designed for families and children and we hope these measures will allow everyone who comes to the Home of Cricket to feel welcome, safe and have a great day out,” the email said. “Cricket is a game for all and we want the next generation of cricket fans to love and be inspired by the sport.”MCC has already stripped back its stringent dress code within the pavilion during Hundred matchdays, removing the stipulation for members and their guests to wear collared shirts, jackets or blazers, tailored trousers and formal shoes.

Rohit Sharma remains India’s highest-ranked Test batter at fifth after his 127 at The Oval

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Sep-2021India pacer Jasprit Bumrah has consolidated his position in the top ten for Test bowlers in the latest ICC rankings update. He moved from tenth to ninth after playing a key role in the second innings of The Oval Test that helped India take a 2-1 series lead over England.Among Test batters, opener Rohit Sharma’s 127 in India’s second innings keeps him at fifth. He is the highest ranked India batter, a position above sixth-placed Virat Kohli, who made 44 and 50 in The Oval Test.India seamer Shardul Thakur also made big gains. His three wickets lifted him seven places to 49th among bowlers, while his twin fifties helped him jump 59 places to 79th among batters. England’s Ollie Pope, who made 82, also moved into the top fifty among batters.Other England players to move upwards were Chris Woakes and Ollie Robinson in the Test bowling rankings. Woakes’ seven-wicket match haul helped him move up three places to 23rd, while Robinson jumped from 36th to 33rd.Full rankings tables

Click here for the full team rankings across formats

Click here for the full player rankings

Meanwhile, South Africa opener Janneman Malan continued with his rise in the ODI batting rankings following a 162-run haul in three games in Sri Lanka. He is currently ranked 34th. Sri Lanka’s left-hand middle-order batter Charith Asalanka, too, climbed the rankings table following his Player-of-the-Series performance of 196 runs that nearly had him hit a hat-trick of half-centuries. Only eight ODIs old, he jumped from 178th to 66th.With two T20I series running in Ireland and Bangladesh, Paul Stirling and Shakib Al Hasan rose in the T20I batting and bowling rankings respectively. Stirling’s 234 runs in five T20Is against Zimbabwe, that also included an unbeaten 115 in the third game, brings him closer to the top ten, moving nine positions up to 14th. Shakib’s four wickets in three games against New Zealand, taking him into the top ten, up from 12th to ninth.

Sands made his debut for St. Pauli as a late second-half substitute in Saturday's 1-0 Bundesliga loss to Eintracht Frankfurt

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Sands makes St. Pauli debutOn loan from NYCFCPreviously played at RangersFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPWHAT HAPPENED?

U.S. international James Sands has made his debut at St. Pauli, coming on as a late substitute in the club's 1-0 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt.

Sands recently joined St. Pauli on a six-month loan from New York City FC, with the move being made official on New Year's Day. With his side chasing the game, the 24-year-old American was thrown right into the fire for a debut on Saturday, subbing on at the 78th minute.

Sands didn't get to do much, but he did complete four of his five passes in the brief moments he did get on the ball. St. Pauli, though, couldn't secure a result, with a goal from goalscoring sensation Omar Marmoush winning it for Frankfurt.

AdvertisementUSA Today Sports THE BIGGER PICTURE

The move to St. Pauli is Sands' second stint in Europe, having previously played for Scottish giants Rangers from 2022-2023. His 18-month loan ended with a return to NYCFC, where Sands has been a key figure throughout the 2023 and 2024 MLS campaigns, making a combined 67 appearances in all competitions for his hometown club.

Able to play as either a defensive midfielder or a centerback, Sands has found himself on the fringes of the U.S. men's national team in recent years. He made seven appearances in 2021, when he helped the USMNT claim the Gold Cup. He was recalled for the 2023 tournament, too, with the other six of his 13 international caps coming that year.

GettyWHAT WAS SAID

"James Sands offers an exciting mix of athleticism and footballing ability," St. Pauli Director of Sport Andreas Bornemann said of Sands upon his arrival. "Another positive aspect is that he can be deployed both in central holding midfield and central defense. As he has already played at a higher level in Europe, we believe he can quickly acclimatise to the club and the Bundesliga."

Added Head coach Alexander Blessin: "In James, we're getting an intelligent player who has a very good understanding of the game and finds constructive solutions under pressure thanks to his sound technique. His defensive anticipation helps him to make lots of interceptions and quickly exert pressure on opponents. He has demonstrated these qualities both in the U.S. and during his spell in Scotland."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR SANDS AND ST. PAULI?

With Saturday's defeat, St. Pauli find themselves 14th in the Bundesliga and facing a fight to stay in the league. Up next is a massive match as they face last-place VfL Bochum on Wednesday.