Having sealed a £300k move to Celtic last summer, Liam Shaw’s career at Parkhead got off to something of a slow start.

Indeed, the 20-year-old went on to make just two appearances for Ange Postecoglou’s side in the first half of the season, playing nine minutes of the 0-0 draw with St. Mirren towards the end of December, and making his Europa League debut in the 3-2 win over Real Betis earlier the same month.

In this European tie, the £315k-rated midfielder highly impressed, enjoying 46 touches of the ball, completing 20 passes and three dribbles, as well as making two tackles, two clearances, blocking two shots and winning eight of his 11 duels – with these returns seeing the youngster earn a very respectable SofaScore match rating of 7.1.

However, despite an extremely promising display in his first start for the Bhoys, Postecoglou made the decision to loan the former Sheffield Wednesday starlet out to Motherwell in the January transfer window – where the £4k-per-week dynamo already appears to be making a good impression.

Indeed, prior to making an appearance for the Steelmen, the club’s assistant manager, Keith Lasley, suggested that Shaw was impressing in training, stating: “Liam’s in training with us and he has been for a few days now. He looks a good athlete and he looks technically good.

“You can see why he’s been highly thought of down at Sheffield Wednesday and you can see why Celtic have brought him up. Hopefully he makes an impact in the second half of the season. He looks a good player and I am looking forward to seeing him in action.”

And, after three fixtures with Well, the 20-year-old looks to be living up to this early promise, having already made an average of a whopping 4.3 tackles, 0.3 interceptions and 0.6 key passes per game, as well as winning 15 of his 25 duels – a success rate of 60% – with these returns seeing the midfielder average a SofaScore match rating of 6.9.

As such, while it is true that Postecoglou has brought in the likes of Reo Hatate, Matt O’Riley and Yosuke Ideguchi in the middle of the park this season, should Shaw continue his current level of form away from Celtic Park, come the end of the season, the 20-year-old could well find himself ahead of players such as James McCarthy, Ismaila Soro and even Nir Bitton in the defensive midfield pecking order at Parkhead.

Indeed, considering the fact that the £12.5k-per-week midfielder – who Ori Guttman once dubbed an “explosive” player – has been heavily linked with a move away from Celtic in recent months, Postecoglou could already have a readymade replacement for the Ivorian in the shape of Shaw.

In other news: Forget Jota: The “best player in Scotland” who had 58 touches ran the show for Celtic

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their transfer pursuit of Borussia Monchengladbach’s Alassane Plea.

What’s the talk?

According to French outlet L’Equipe, the Magpies are keen on a deal to sign the attacker to bolster their squad this month.

The report claims that Newcastle have asked Allan Saint-Maximin, who was a teammate of Plea’s at Nice in Ligue 1, for information on the attacker.

Buzzing

Fans will surely be buzzing with this news as it suggests that Eddie Howe is seriously interested in a deal to sign a player who could be a terrific addition to the team.

Although he has not had the best of seasons this term, with three goals in 11 Bundesliga starts, Plea has previously shown how deadly he can be in front of goal at the top level.

He managed 11 goals and four assists domestically and in Europe combined for Gladbach last season, having produced ten strikes and 11 assists in the 2019/20 campaign. The forward also provided 12 goals and four assists in his debut year with the German side, coming off the back of 27 Ligue 1 strikes in his final two seasons for Nice.

Swiss manager Lucien Favre once claimed the gem has “enormous potential” and Plea’s teammate Christoph Kramer said that he “scores out of nothing”.

Dieter Hecking previously praised his ability to find the back of the net, saying: “It’s great that we have a forward who can score goals.

“It’s a bit surprising that he’s already scored two headers. You couldn’t see that from training. Of course it’s quality when he sees situations. I’m very happy with the way he’s progressing.”

His goalscoring prowess is highlighted by his impressive record for Nice and Gladbach over the years and shows why fans will be delighted with this news. He is a goalscorer and has proven that in France and Germany, suggesting that he could come in at St. James’ Park and be able to find the back of the net in the Premier League.

This could, therefore, increase the club’s chances of staving off relegation as his goals could win crucial points for Howe’s side and allow them to crawl out of the bottom three. Therefore, PIF must ensure that they are able to get a deal over the line for Plea to bolster the ex-Bournemouth coach’s squad.

AND in other news, NUFC could finally replace Lascelles with “flawless” £24k-p/w gem, “nothing fazes him”…

MatériaMais Notícias

Leeds United are interested in signing Blackburn Rovers centre-back Darragh Lenihan, according to a fresh transfer rumour which emerged on Thursday.

The Lowdown: Lenihan shines for Blackburn

Tony Mowbray’s side are enjoying an excellent season currently, sitting second in the Championship and looking strong to seal promotion to the Premier League.

Lenihan has been an undisputed key man for Blackburn, starting 26 of 28 league games at the heart of the defence and being hailed as ‘special’ by his manager.

The captain’s performances appear to have alerted a host of clubs, however, with a potential move to the top flight now on the cards.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Leeds in the mix

According to a report from TEAMtalk (27/01/22), Leeds are one of numerous Premier League teams eyeing up a move for Lenihan, with Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Wolves and Everton also mentioned.

The 27-year-old’s current Blackburn deal expires at the end of the season, meaning the Whites could snap him up on a free transfer if he doesn’t extend his stay at Ewood Park.

Promotion could be a determining factor in convincing the Republic of Ireland international to stay put.

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The Verdict: Good squad acquisition

While the step up to the Premier League from the Championship is admittedly great, Lenihan’s performances this season suggest he could be a shrewd signing by Leeds.

The Irishman has won an impressive average of 5.1 aerial duels per match in the league this season, not to mention 4.9 clearances each game too.

To put that into context, Liam Cooper leads the way for the Whites in aerial duels with 3.6, highlighting the Blackburn skipper’s prowess in both boxes, while no Leeds player with more than one appearance boasts more clearances than Lenihan.

The fact that he would be available on a free takes out the financial risk element, too, so there is a little about the move that feels negative.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly considering another bid for one player. Find out who it is here.

حقق الفريق الأول للكرة الطائرة بنادي الزمالك الفوز على الإعلاميين بثلاثة أشواط للا شيء في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما اليوم ببطولة الدوري.

وتقابل الفريقان مساء اليوم على صالة الزمالك في مستهل مشوارهما بالموسم الجديد لبطولة الدوري.

طالع أيضًا.. كرة طائرة | الأهلي يهزم بنها في افتتاح مشواره بالدوري

ونجح الزمالك في تحقيق الفوز على الإعلاميين:

الشوط الأول: 25-17

الشوط الثاني: 25-13

الشوط الثالث: 25-19

وبدأت منافسات الموسم الحالي من الدوري اليوم السبت بمشاركة 24 فريقًا مقسمة على أربع مجموعات.

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Calvin Bassey to the London Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that David Moyes is keeping a very close eye on the situation of the Glasgow Rangers centre-back ahead of a potential move for the 22-year-old at the end of the season.

The report goes on to state that the 58-year-old is keen to secure the signing of a new left-footed central defender following the season-ending ACL injury sustained by Angelo Ogbonna, with Bassey’s ability to play on the left of a two-man pairing in the heart of defence, as well as at left-back, believed to have made him a prime candidate for the Scot.

Bye-bye Diop

Considering just how poor Issa Diop has been while filling in for the stricken Ogbonna this season, in addition to the sheer amount of potential Bassey quite clearly possesses, it is easy to see why West Ham would be interested in a move for the 22-year-old Rangers defender this summer.

Indeed, over Diop’s eight Premier League appearances in the current campaign, the £10.8m-rated 25-year-old – who was heavily linked with a move to Newcastle United in the January transfer window – has been in dreadful form for the Irons, helping his side keep a mere two clean sheets, as well as making an average of 0.5 interceptions, 1.1 tackles, 3.3 clearances and winning 2.9 duels per game.

These returns have seen the former France U21 international average an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.59, ranking him as the Hammers’ fifth-worst performer in the top flight.

In comparison, over Bassey’s 19 Premiership outings this season, the £900k-rated defender has helped Gers keep ten clean sheets and registered one assist, in addition to making an average of 0.5 interceptions, 1.3 tackles, 1.3 clearances and winning 4.9 duels per match – with these returns seeing the £6.4k-per-week Nigeria international average an impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.95.

As such, it is clear for all to see that, considering his age, potential and likely cost, Bassey would very much appear to be an excellent replacement for the £61k-per-week Diop – leading us to believe that Moyes simply must cash in on the Frenchman, before reinvesting the funds received from his sale into a move for the player Alan Hutton dubbed “powerful” this summer, as Bassey could well solve what is one of the Irons’ biggest problems at present.

In other news: Moyes can form a frightening West Ham duo with bargain swoop for £32.5k-p/w “diamond”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Boa Esporte não conseguiu sair com a vitória nesta quinta-feira. O jogo com o Atlético-MG terminou empatado, em 0 a 0, no Melão. O destaque da estreia do time de Varginha, no Campeonato Mineiro, foi o goleiro Fabrício.

O arqueiro impediu o gol do Galo diversas vezes ao longo da partida. Feliz por ter ajudado o time, Fabrício ressaltou a qualidade do adversário.

– Ninguém está atoa no Atlético-MG. Nós sabíamos da qualidade do time do Atlético. Sabíamos que teríamos muita dificuldade, até porque nosso time está sendo remontado agora. O time deles apesar de ter com pouco tempo de treinamento, está há mais tempo junto. Fico feliz pelo resultado, de ter ajudado a equipe no gol – disse o atleta.

O próximo compromisso do Boa Esporte é contra o Villa Nova, pela segunda rodada do estadual. A equipe de Varginha jogará no Estádio Castor Cifuentes, domingo, às 16h.

According to Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur have now made a ‘formal move’ to sign Peterborough United defender Benjamin Mensah, with an offer already tabled.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye rising stars…

Reports over this past week have claimed that the Lilywhites and transfer chief Fabio Paratici haven’t just got their sights set on marquee first team additions, but also potential stars for the future.

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Indeed, as well as Mensah, who has a confirmed admirer in Spurs according to Peterborough club chief Barry Fry, the club are also targeting exciting Middlesbrough wing-back Djed Spence amid his brilliant loan spell at Nottingham Forest.

As Tottenham step up their chase for Mensah in particular, Football Insider have shared news on an offer from the club.

The Latest: Tottenham bid tabled…

According to their sources, Spurs have tabled a £200,000 bid to sign the 19-year-old, but it has swiftly been rejected by Posh.

Tottenham have apparently made a ‘formal move’ for the player this month but, as it stands, Peterborough are holding firm over their promising talent.

As the Championship club hold out for a higher fee, Spurs are weighing up whether to return with an improved bid as they ‘set their sights’ on signing Mensah.

The Verdict: Get it done…

The right-back comes as a potential alternative to Spence, who is attracting interest from a few big Premier League clubs, and he has certainly shown signs of promise after signing his first professional deal in December 2020.

Able to pay as a more conventional right-back or even at right wing-back, he could be of use to Spurs manager Antonio Conte in future seasons.

Peterborough manager Darren Ferguson has said that the 19-year-old has all the qualities in a modern day full-back, whilst calling him ‘aggressive’ and ‘excellent’ in one-vs-one situations (GhanaWeb).

If Tottenham decide to come back in with a bigger offer for Mensah, they could yet secure a real one-to-watch for years to come.

In other news: Spurs ‘edging closer’ to signing ‘massive’ £15m defender, find out more here.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Hawk-eye
Kemar Roach’s appeal against AB de Villiers was turned down, and West Indies opted against the review•Associated Press

AB de Villiers and Ashwell Prince dug in to scupper a West Indian fightback by Sulieman Benn and put South Africa in a position of control in the deciding Test. Benn’s probing left-arm spin had given the hosts a massive boost with the wickets of Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis, who had forged a threatening stand, but an approach combining patience and determination from de Villiers and Prince, backed up by a bit of luck, helped South Africa lay the stage for a potentially decisive lead on a track expected to deteriorate.The West Indies spinners were able to extract both turn and bounce in good measure, keeping the close-in fielders interested throughout. Smith and Kallis, however, ensured a steady flow of singles and found the boundary by employing the sweep. The pair had settled in well after seeing off the early pressure created by the loss of nightwatchman Paul Harris and a phase where Dwayne Bravo frustrated South Africa with four consecutive maidens. But Benn kept on creating chances, and a wicket remained in sight.He altered his lengths to Kallis, who was rapped on the pads while attempting the sweep and given out by Simon Taufel. A review resulted in the decision being overturned for height. His persistence was rewarded when Smith, surprised by the sharp turn and extra bounce from the footmarks, offered a catch to short leg. Benn’s victory against Kallis would have been more satisfying. Given the ball in the first over after lunch, Benn beat the outside edge with one that spat away and followed it up with a delivery that just angled in, didn’t turn and crashed into the off stump with Kallis shouldering arms. South Africa were 145 for 5, and the game had evened out.While reflecting on their performance today, West Indies will perhaps look back at three opportunities they squandered, enabling South Africa to recover. Twice could they have had AB de Villiers dismissed, but erred in judgement and opted against the review. When on 8, de Villiers bottom-edged Kemar Roach to the wicketkeeper as he tried to leave the ball, and the appeal was turned down by umpire Steve Davies. A long discussion followed, and the decision went uncontested. There was a chance again after tea, when de Villiers, now on 42, appeared to be trapped in front by debutant Brandon Bess, but the umpire’s call again stood. And, once more, when the two had been well set, Prince’s call for an ill-judged single could have resulted in his run-out, but Brendan Nash at point missed by a mile.It was slow going initially by de Villiers and Smith, cautious against Benn who kept attacking with five fielders around the bat. Prince was beaten more than once with the extra bounce, while de Villiers’ uncertainty was evident in his initial attempt to constantly step out of the crease irrespective of the lengths. But time spent in the middle brought with it more confidence. When there was width available, they pierced the field through point and cover and turned the face to work the ball through square and midwicket when the line was straighter. de Villiers broke a 135-ball boundary drought, driving Shane Shillingford past mid-off, and Prince brought up the half-century partnership with a push to point in a post-lunch session that yielded just 58.The challenge from the hosts appeared to be tapering off after tea, with the spinners doling out long hops, promptly dispatched for boundaries, and Bess adding to the frustration with his indiscipline with the second new-ball. He bowled seven no-balls, provided width, strayed on the pads and dropped short to be dealt with by the batsmen who gradually had begun to loosen up. de Villiers’ drive to point, which resulted in a missed run-out and overthrows, raised his half-century and took South Africa into the lead; Prince reached his own with a sweep off Benn.However, just as West Indies seemed to be drifting out of contention, Benn struck again to remove de Villiers shortly before stumps, nicking one straight to Denesh Ramdin. West Indies may have pulled things back slightly, but they still need to confront the depth of South Africa’s lower order to limit the damage already caused.

Alfonso Thomas took three wickets for the sixth successive Friends Provident t20 match as Somerset beat Glamorgan by six wickets at Taunton

29-Jun-2010
ScorecardAlfonso Thomas took three wickets for the sixth successive Friends Provident t20 match as Somerset beat Glamorgan by six wickets at Taunton. The most successful bowler in the competition claimed 3 for 11 from four overs as the visitors were bowled out for 138, Mark Cosgrove (75) playing virtually a lone hand with the bat as Murali Kartik took 3 for 18.Somerset reached their target with eight balls to spare, James Hildreth making 45 and Nick Compton 40. Robert Croft was the pick of the Dragons bowlers with 1 for 17 from his four overs. The pivotal over of the game was the 15th of the Somerset innings bowled by Chris Ashling, who had Compton stumped and then Zander de Bruyn badly dropped by wicketkeeper Mark Wallace off a skyer.A single was taken while the ball was in the air and Kieron Pollard then hit Ashling for three mighty sixes off successive deliveries. Although Pollard fell in the next over for 19 off eight balls, his assault had helped reduce the required rate to a run a ball and the pressure which had been growing on Somerset was released.Earlier, Cosgrove had struggled to time the ball throughout his innings but still hit nine fours and two sixes in remaining at the crease until the final over. He had absolutely no support, wickets tumbling regularly at the other end from the fourth ball of the match which saw Jim Allenby miscue a pull shot off Thomas to Mark Turner at mid-on.Tom Maynard flattered to deceive with three fours in his 14, while skipper Jamie Dalrymple was the only other Dragons player to reach double figures in good batting conditions. Kartik destroyed the middle order, sending back David Brown, Gareth Rees and Mark Wallace, who between them scored seven runs. The Indian left-arm spinner employed good variation and got the odd ball to turn.Cosgrove was unusually content to dab and push a lot of his runs, taking 41 balls over his half-century and finally cutting loose in the 18th over with four and six off successive deliveries from Pollard. He eventually holed out at long-on off the West Indian all-rounder. Thomas’ wickets took his tally in the competition to 22 at an average of 10.09.