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Following the departure of Nigel Russell as Chief Executive of Sussex CCC the Club has announced that for the foreseeable future the Club will be run by the current Operations Manager, Hugh Griffiths in the role of Acting Chief Executive. There are no plans at present to actively seek a new CEO.Mr Griffiths will take control of the administrative side of the Club whilst the cricket side will come under the guidance of Peter Moores in the new role of Director of Cricket. Mr Moores will be responsible for all aspects of cricket from the professional squad to youth development. He will report to former-Sussex captain John Barclay who was co-opted on the SCCC Committee in May this year as Cricket Chairman.David Green, Chairman, said: “Peter was appointed Director of Cricket over six weeks ago but we awaited the end of the season in order to set up a properly integrated cricket and coaching department under his direct control which has the depth and flexibility of personnel in order that Peter can continue to be hands on with the First XI during the season. With this in mind Mark Robinson is confirmed as Club Coach.”

Noel Whelan has backed Celtic to solve their centre-back issues by completing the purchase of heavily linked Hadjuk Split defender Mario Vušković.

The Lowdown: Celtic gear up for the 2021/22 campaign

As the Celts get their ducks in a row ahead of 2021/22, many onlookers will be keen to see what Ange Postecoglou has up his sleeve, with the new manager seeking to build a side capable of reclaiming the Premiership title at the first attempt.

Already busy in the transfer market, the Hoops have completed deals for English duo Joey Dawson and Liam Shaw from Scunthorpe United and Sheffield Wednesday respectively [67 Hail Hail].

The Latest: Whelan issues glowing Vušković verdict

Now mooted to be close to signing Croatia under-21 international Vušković [Daily Record], BBC pundit Whelan has issued a glowing response to latest developments.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Football Insider, the former Aberdeen striker stated:

“Celtic’s scouting network has always been excellent.

“Last season they changed it up a bit and went for experienced loan signings but it didn’t work out.

“They lacked something at the back last season so hopefully Vušković can solve that problem if he comes in. It was their biggest problem.

“Whether it was formation or personnel they could never find that happy medium at the back.

“They have made big profits off young players in the past and perhaps Vušković could be the next one.

“It could be a transfer that benefits the club both on and off the pitch if he comes in and does well. They need to get that wheel turning again.”

The Verdict: Vušković would be an excellent addition for Celtic

Whelan rightly alludes to the problems that Celtic suffered within their defence last season. They shipped a whopping 19 goals in six Europa League group matches and conceded more than twice as many as Rangers in the Premiership.

Primed to hopefully resolve the issue, Vušković made 33 appearances for Hajduk Split in 2020/21, managing four goal contributions in the form of two goals and two assists [Transfermarkt].

Possessing pace in abundance and comfortable on the ball (Daily Record), the 6 foot 1 colossus looks to be well-stocked with the capability to function within the high-octane style of football that Postecoglou prefers to execute.

With their season kicking off in just three weeks’ time in the Champions League qualifiers, Celtic should look to finalise a deal for the talented central defender without delay.

In other news, Celtic are plotting an ambitious swoop for a Serie A midfielder.

Bangladesh Biman mangled Young Pegasus, the weakest among the teams in Super Six, by a massive margin of 102 runs in a low scoring one-sided match of GrameenPhone Premier League held in Fotullah Stadium today

Shahryar Khan15-May-2002Bangladesh Biman mangled Young Pegasus, the weakest among the teams in Super Six, by a massive margin of 102 runs in a low scoring one-sided match of GrameenPhone Premier League held in Fotullah Stadium today. Responding to Biman’s meager 168, Pegasus were bundled out for 66, so far their lowest total in this tournament.Biman embarked on with the loss of two openers early, but came back into the game with a partnership built by Imran Farhat and Aminul Islam. Farhat scored a blitzing 50 off 49 balls that had six fours and a couple of sixes in it, while Aminul Islam made 33.Hasanuzzaman, another notable scorer, contributed with a sturdy 34 off 55 balls, but a horrible collapse in the tail restricted Biman’s progress, as they had to content with 168 all out in 42.1 overs. Kamrul Hasan Jhoney pulled off with a haul of 4 wickets for Pegasus giving away 23 runs.Al-Amin, the medium pacer, mauled the Pegasus top order by removing three batsmen early. To add insult to injury, Anisur Rahman, Imran Farhat and skipper Khaled Mahmud battered the rest of the order within a very short time. They all claimed two wickets each while Pegasus were wrapped up with the total on 66. Faisal Hossain (13) was the leading scorer for the club and turned out to be the only man to reach the double figure.There was no question on Imran Farhat’s being the man-of-the-match for his all round performance (50 runs & 2 wickets).

The new South Africa coach, Eric Simons, was impressed by the condition of his players at the first of two training camps. The session started at Centurion on Wednesday and comes to an end on Friday.Speaking after a tough three-hour net and fielding session, Simons said: “Itis a bit early and difficult to say how the guys are doing, being at highaltitude, but all present have shown remarkable strength, which shows thatthey have been working out very hard during the off season. We will do a few cardio-vascular exercises to up the fitness levels.”He added that the net sessions yesterday and today had helped the players a lot and that Jacques Kallis looked to be in excellent form. For the rest, the afternoon session was a big improvement on the day before.Mfuneko Ngam was amongst those invited to the training camp. He looked to be making a remarkable recovery and reckons to be about 98% fit. He has been doing some weight training and strengthened his upper body. During the net session on Wednesday he bowled fast and straight, and according to the batsmen was very hard to nominate. Ngam will start the season slowly, playing a few club and provincial games to get fully fit, as well as getting some much-needed match practice. He has been working closely with Kepler Wessels, and will be ready, if selected, for the series against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.Simons is looking forward to his first challenge when the national team take on Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Morocco early next month. Coming out of an off season, unlike Sri Lanka who are going into their third series, and Pakistan who have had a trip to Australia, he is looking at the trip as a warm-up for the home international season and the World Cup.”The season will be taken game by game, and I believe that winning breeds awinning culture in the team,” Simons said. “The focus will however be on the World Cup early next year and we will be gearing ourselves towards that.”Simons feels that the shortened local domestic will give players just on theoutside of the national squad ample time to show their form. Any player whocomes into a rich vein of form will come through. The camp will end after further group discussions and net sessions on Friday afternoon.

Expect a better performance from New Zealand’s batsmen in the second National Bank Test with England after the lift they got from Nathan Astle’s display on the last day in Christchurch

Lynn McConnell19-Mar-2002Expect a better performance from New Zealand’s batsmen in the second National Bank Test with England after the lift they got from Nathan Astle’s display on the last day in Christchurch.That’s Craig McMillan’s feeling going into the Wellington match at the Basin Reserve, a ground that has been good for him in the past.”The knock that Nathan played was great.”It gave other guys a lift, some confidence after two or three pretty tough days where we had been behind the eight ball for most of the game after that first over that Cairnsy (Chris Cairns) bowled.”You could just see perhaps a little momentum that hopefully we can show on Thursday,” he said.The onus was on the more experienced players to lead the way, especially now that the firepower of Cairns had been lost.The senior batsmen in the side had failed to score enough runs in the first innings and had not achieved any of the game’s disciplines well enough, or for long enough, he said.”It’s a big game and it is going to take a big effort from everyone.”I love playing here, I’ve had some really good innings here and Hamilton are my two favourite grounds in terms of runs scored, I’ve had two of my Test hundreds here.”It’s a cricket ground, I enjoy the atmosphere, the people come in to watch us, it’s a good place to play cricket,” he said.In contrast to his home ground at Jade Stadium, he expected more people to turn out to watch the match.”The crowd was hugely disappointing in Christchurch. I was also disappointed with the one-day crowd. It is a rugby town.”But it disappoints me they don’t come out to watch especially when there are four or five Canterbury players in the side.”And after the success we’ve had all summer you wouldn’t think there would be many more reasons to come out and watch us.””In the end we didn’t play well so people may say that justified not coming to watch but in saying that they missed what from the first over to the last over was an enthralling Test match.”I’m sure those who did go along thoroughly enjoyed it.”I was disappointed as were most of the other guys.”Of the bowlers they had been up against there was respect for Matthew Hoggard who had shown he could be dangerous when the ball was swinging.”We played him better when it wasn’t swinging around and if it doesn’t continue to swing we will continue to play him well.”Take nothing away from him, he bowled well and to get seven wickets is a great achievement.”Hopefully if it does swing then the guys have made the necessary adjustments. You need to be a little more patient and a little more selective because all he really did was bowl in that channel.”He didn’t give us a lot to hit but because of the pressure they built by bowling dot balls, he didn’t go searching then we went searching and that was the difference.”When we bowled, we went searching and they didn’t have to go looking because we were serving it up to them and that is probably shown in the number of boundaries hit, especially in that partnership between (Andrew) Flintoff and (Graham) Thorpe.”We’ve got two days to turn it around.”It came back to basics and if you didn’t do them well then any side could knock you over”It starts in the nets here and that is what the guys have been trying to focus on.”If they can’t do in the nets then they are not going to do it out in the middle,” he said.

A major update has emerged on Celtic’s pursuit of Charlie Wyke, it could affect Ipswich’s transfer plans this summer.

What’s the talk?

According to the Northern Echo, Scottish Premiership side Celtic are growing increasingly confident of landing Charlie Wyke from Sunderland this summer. Wyke is out of contract at the end of the month and the Hoops believe that they will be able to prise him away from the Stadium of Light ahead of other interested parties, with an offer set to be lodged by the club in the coming days.

Last month, Football Insider claimed Ipswich are interested in a deal to sign Wyke on a free transfer. The Tractor Boys are reportedly ready to offer Wyke a lucrative contract to come to Portman Road, but now look set to miss out on his signature as Celtic close in.

Earlier this year, Sunderland’s assistant manager Jamie McAllister lauded the “brilliant” centre-forward. He told Chronicle Live:

“The big man has been brilliant.

“He gives us a lot, a platform to play off, he can run in behind, he has good touch, and he is dangerous in the box.

“His all-round game is good, but he has now added goals to it. He’s full of confidence and he’s scored 25 goals this season now.”

Cook will be livid

Ipswich manager Paul Cook will be livid with this update as it means that he now looks set to miss out on a deal for Wyke this summer.

This could be a major blow to Ipswich’s transfer plans, as Football Insider claimed they were ready to drop a hefty sum of money on a contract for the striker – suggesting that he is, or was, high up on Cook’s list of transfer targets. Therefore, the boss will not be best pleased if Wyke ends up crossing the border to sign for Celtic in the coming weeks.

Ipswich have a goalscoring problem that they need to deal with in the window. James Norwood ended the campaign as Ipswich’s top goalscorer on nine goals, with no player managing to hit double figures. Alan Judge (four) and Gwion Edwards (six) were the club’s next two highest scorers and both players have since departed Portman Road. This shows that Ipswich desperately need to bring in added firepower in the summer and Wyke could have been the forward they need.

The £6.4k-per-week goal machine, Wyke, scored 26 goals in League One for Sunderland. He also averaged a sublime WhoScored rating of 7.35, with 4.8 aerial battles won per game for the Black Cats.

The tall forward scored 17 more than any Ipswich player managed throughout the entire campaign, highlighting how he could take Cook’s side to the next level with his ability up front. This is why the manager will be devastated at this latest development.

AND in other news, Cook heading for disaster with “outstanding” £2.3k-p/w ace, Ipswich fans will be livid…

Things just haven’t gone to plan for Steven Bergwijn since his £25m move to Tottenham Hotspur in January 2020.

The Dutch international got off to a dream start in North London, stunning Manchester City with an incredible volley to open the scoring on his Premier League debut.

Just after an hour, Bergwijn chested down a pass from Lucas Moura before rifling it home low into the bottom corner past a helpless Ederson. That would’ve given everyone an encouraging sign of what was to come.

However, since that moment, the 23-year-old has done very little and has quickly become a forgotten man down the pecking order. Big figures like Heung-min Son and Gareth Bale won’t have helped his cause but his form tailed off quite drastically.

In the five succeeding matches after the City win, Bergwijn found the net twice, in some massive games too, including a strike against Manchester United.

That was nearly a year ago.

Since then, he has added just the one goal in the Premier League, playing a total of 1,211 minutes.

The 5 foot 7 dynamo is one of several players who are facing uncertainty at the club right now, even more so without a manager – will the new man like him enough to start him more? or will he have other plans with his wing options?

Dele Alli is another who had faltered under Jose Mourinho.

One name linked to the Spurs vacancy is Ajax head coach Erik ten Hag and if he is successful in getting the job, then you’d imagine this would benefit Bergwijn more than most.

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According to The Athletic, the 51-year-old sits among a four-man shortlist for the role and is certainly not out of Daniel Levy’s reach despite recently signing a contract extension at the Eredivisie champions.

He fits the profile of the attack-minded coach that the Spurs chairman is dreaming of and is one that ticks another box, having developed many a young player into a first-team star.

A lot of his players have gone onto bigger and better things after being nurtured by the Dutchman, these include Matthijs de Ligt (Juventus) and Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), whilst names like David Neres and Ryan Gravenberch are ones to keep an eye on.

Ten Hag’s potential arrival in North London should certainly have a player like Bergwijn excited about what could happen, especially given his success with his fellow countryman and in his home nation, where he has won 73.7% of matches.

Ajax have even been linked with a move for Bergwijn in recent weeks, which suggests that the Spurs managerial target likes what he sees with the winger.

In the past, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has dubbed the Ajax supremo “one of the most exciting coaching talents in world football,” whilst former Celtic and Forest striker Pierre van Hooijdonk said his ability to progress players was “remarkable.”

On the above evidence, ten Hag could be exactly what the £45m-rated Bergwijn needs to get his Spurs career back on track.

At 23, he still has so much to give and the Dutch manager could be the one to get the best out of him.

AND in other news, Fresh twist emerges on Harry Kane’s future at Spurs, it’ll leave Daniel Levy seething…

Nottingham Forest have been dealt a blow in their bid to seal Lyle Taylor’s departure from The City Ground this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Stoke on Trent Live, who claim that Michael O’Neill’s Stoke City side are not believed to be considering a move for the 31-year-old Forest centre-forward in the current transfer window.

It was reported earlier this month that Chris Hughton is more than happy for Taylor to leave the club this summer, with the 62-year-old looking to bring in a striker of his own in a bid to provide Lewis Grabban with competition for his starting spot ahead of next season.

Hughton will be fuming

Things have not exactly gone swimmingly for Taylor since arriving at The City Ground on a free transfer last summer, with the manager who signed him, Sabri Lamouchi, being sacked after just four games of the season, and his successor, Chris Hughton, clearly not holding a great deal of faith in the striker’s ability.

Indeed, despite playing a total of 39 Championship games for Forest last term, only 15 of these appearances came as starts, with the £900k-rated forward going on to score just four goals, register no assists and create one big chance for his teammates, in addition to hitting the target an average of 0.4 times and making of 0.4 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £5k-per-week man earn a disappointing seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.64, ranking him as the Garibaldi’s joint ninth-worst performer in the second tier last season.

As such, it is unsurprising that Hughton is willing to allow the man whom Neal Ardley dubbed an “outstanding” player to move onto pastures new this summer, and also why O’Neill clearly believes that there could be better options to improve his attacking arsenal at Stoke City ahead of next season.

However, the fact that the Potters do not appear likely to make a move for Taylor at present will undoubtedly leave the Forest boss fuming, as he will now have to find another potential suitor who is willing to take the forward on this summer.

In other news: Forest handed boost over “fantastic” £2.52m-rated gem who won’t cost Hughton a penny

Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing Slavia Prague sensation Abdallah Sima, in what could be an exciting piece of business.

The Lowdown: Sima shines for Slavia Prague

The 19-year-old is seen as a hugely talented young attacking player, catching the eye for the Czech giants this season.

Sima has scored 11 goals in just 15 starts in the Czech First League this season, outlining his potential and showing why he has been compared to Premier League legend Thierry Henry.

The Latest: Leeds keen on signing Sima

According to Football Insider, the Elland Road outfit are in the mix to sign the teenager this summer, following his ‘remarkable rise’ during 2020/21.

It is stated that a number of Premier League clubs are showing an interest in Sima, however, suggesting it won’t be easy to acquire his signature.

Everton, Arsenal, Manchester United and West Ham are the top-flight teams mentioned in the report.

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The Verdict: Worth a punt?

It is vital that Leeds make reinforcements in the summer, ensuring they don’t sit still and fail to kick on from an impressive campaign.

At 19, Sima may still be raw, but in Marcelo Bielsa, he would have a hugely experienced, respected manager who knows how to nurture young talent – just look at how Patrick Bamford has taken to top flight football this term.

The list of clubs he is being linked with speaks volumes about his potential, so Leeds should consider taking a punt on the Czech starlet, especially considering how prolific he already looks in front of goal.

He could play second fiddle to the likes of Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo to begin with, potentially usurping them over time.

In other news, Leeds have been linked with another winger, as Bielsa looks to make a summer addition in that area. Find out who it is here.

Plenty of Aston Villa fans have been giving their thoughts on right-back Frederic Guilbert on social media regarding his future at Villa Park.

The 26-year-old spent the second half of the 2020/21 season on loan at Ligue 1 side Strasbourg. Guilbert made 14 appearances for the French side, scoring once and registering four assists.

He’s now set to return to Villa, where he has just over two years remaining on his current contract, worth £40,000-a-week.

The right-back took to Instagram to thank the Strasbourg supporters, with Birmingham Live relaying his post in a story.

They suggested that Guilbert is expected to return to Bodymoor Heath and challenge Matty Cash for the 2021/22 campaign, with Ahmed Elmohamady set to leave on a free transfer.

Villa fans react

@AVFC_News shared Guilbert’s social media activity in a story on Tuesday evening, asking fans if they feel the full-back has a future in the Midlands.

The responses seemed to be split, with a selection of replies available to view below.

“No. Smith doesn’t like him”Credit: @Harry34740948″He really should have a future at VP did nothing wrong was let down by the management way better than Elmo. Should come back and fight it out with Cash next season.”Credit: @DavidWinter81″No, it’s time to sell Guilbert”Credit: @Trev_villaboy”Definitely. We need someone to compete with Cash and Fred was coming along nicely until we sidelined him. And we know that Cash is a bit injury prone and not a stranger to a yellow card, so we need a good alternative.”Credit: @stevesanderstax”Defensively he’s shocking.”Credit: @will_avfc”Yes 100%. I think he was let down truthfully, Elmo needs to go and he needs to come.”Credit: @escapeinpixels

In other news: Many AVFC fans buzz at Emiliano Buendia latest, find out more here.