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Paul Stewart has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that he would not say no to Liverpool defender Nathaniel Phillips joining Tottenham this summer.

The 24-year-old was given plenty of opportunities last season by manager Jurgen Klopp due to a defensive crisis at Anfield.

However, some reports suggest he could now be sold – and for as little as £10m – as Liverpool slowly recover from that defensive crisis.

As for Tottenham, the north London club find themselves in the market looking for reinforcements at the back, with The Athletic reporting that they could sign up to two new central defenders this transfer window.

And Stewart has made it clear that he would not be against the idea of bringing Phillips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“I wouldn’t say no to him at Spurs,” the ex-Tottenham player said in an exclusive interview with FFC. “The back four is just not good enough. At 10 million, he may just be an option.”

Phillips repaid the faith shown in him by Klopp. As per WhoScored, the Englishman won 5.6 aerial duels on average, the highest in Liverpool’s squad.

He also made the most clearances per league game, averaging 4.8. All in all, Phillips did a good job standing in, with Klopp describing the centre-half’s concentration levels as “immense”.

Hot on the heels of felling Alex Tudor with a nasty bouncer in the third Ashes Test, the Australian tearaway has knocked Jeremy Snape out of the international limited overs series with a short ball that broke the England offspinner’s right thumb.

Will Swanton07-Dec-2002Hot on the heels of felling Alex Tudor with a nasty bouncer in the third Ashes Test, the Australian tearaway has knocked Jeremy Snape out of the international limited overs series with a short ball that broke the England offspinner’s right thumb.Snape was struck by Lee from the first ball he faced in last night’s eight-wicket win by NSW at the SCG. It was also the first ball Snape faced in Australia.Right-arm Test offspinner Richard Dawson is likely to be drafted into the England squad, but he won’t arrive before tomorrow’s day-night match against England at the SCG.England’s so-far winless tour has been ravaged by injury to leading players and Snape’s sudden exit adds to coach Duncan Fletcher’s already throbbing headache.”The injuries we’ve had on tour have all ben real freak accidents,” said Fletcher.”I don’t think there’s one where we could say that could have been prevented. You just have to be philosophical about it and try to move on.”At the end of the day it’s like anything. If you sit there and get down on yourself you start spiralling down. You’ve got to try to be positive.”What alternative is there?”None.Tomorrow’s match starts at 2.15pm.

Many Southampton fans are happy to see Jannik Vestergaard leave the club after it was reported that Jose Mourinho wants to take him to AS Roma.

The Saints have a big summer ahead of them as they aim to improve on their 15th-placed Premier League finish last term. They have already made one signing, with Romain Perraud joining from Brest (southamptonfc.com), but Southampton may move Danny Ings on after he turned down a new four-year contract at St Mary’s (Sky Sports).

It seems that the Saints could also be losing another key player in Vestergaard. As per The Athletic, Mourinho is looking to make the Denmark international one of his first signings in the Italian capital.

However, it seems that many Southampton fans would not be disappointed to see him depart – some have suggested that they already have a capable backup in Mohammed Salisu, and his £16.2m Transfermarkt valuation suggests that the Saints could receive a big fee from selling him.

The news was shared on Twitter by @SaintsExtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on Roma’s interest in the 28-year-old, who turned in some performances which met with criticism from a portion of Southampton supporters last season.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the Vestergaard news

“I know Mourinho’s managerial career has been on the decline for a few years, but going from managing prime John Terry to Sergio Ramos to Jannik Vestergaard is probably a sign to give it up and stick to talkSPORT.”

Credit: @saintsfcloyal

“They will probably overpay so I guess that’s ok”

Credit: @Im_Jammyyyy

“He’s all yours Jose”

Credit: @Golacticos2

“If the money is right (£20m+) Jose can have him, no issues with replacing him, Salisu looks good and can run unlike poor old Vestergaard”

Credit: @SpencerHoughts

“more than welcome to. need the money”

Credit: @CalumashSFC

“Saints fan … believe me he’s is welcome to go asap…”

Credit: @bsg1056ma

In other news, many Southampton fans loved this official club reveal.

A Test match starts tomorrow, with the recently-arrived stand-in West Indies captain Ramnaresh Sarwan walking out for the toss at Sabina Park with Ricky Ponting, who probably understands the Jamaican dialect by now

Tony Cozier22-May-2008
The groin injury that rules out Chris Gayle is an even more serious blow to West Indies than Matthew Hayden’s is to Australia © DigicelCricket.com
These are early days in a new era for both teams in the Test series that starts at Sabina Park. By the end of the third Test at Kensington Oval in just over a month’s time, Australia should know whether their reign over international cricket that has lasted since they came to the Caribbean in 1995 to end the West Indies’ equally long supremacy is under any threat. And West Indies should be nearer to detecting whether the end is in sight to their prolonged riches to rags story.It is just over a year since two of Australia’s greatest bowlers, Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, went into retirement, as did their tenacious opener, Justin Langer. It is only a few months since their intimating wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist decided to join McGrath and Warne in the lucrative pension scheme that is the Indian Premier League.As both Australia and West Indies are aware, such sudden losses can be stunning setbacks to any team.Australia took a decade to overcome the simultaneous retirements of Greg Chappell, Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh in 1983. West Indies are still reeling from the exit of Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Jeffrey Dujon and Malcolm Marshall, all at the same time, in 1991.Australia’s strength will be further tested in this match by the Achilles-heel injury that is likely to eliminate Matthew Hayden, their destructive left-hand opener with 30 hundreds and an average of 53.5 from his 94 Tests, and the family bereavement that delayed the arrival of Michael Clarke, their classy middle-order batsman and leader of the future.With their professionalism and their pride and the financial resources that underpins a formidable structure, Australia is better placed than any other country to overcome such reversals. Yet cricketers of the quality of McGrath, Warne and Gilchrist are not easily replaced.Michael Hussey, Stuart Clark, Andrew Symonds and others relatively new to Test cricket have quickly shown how well prepared they were when chosen but a close, highly competitive series against India earlier this year – and at home at that – indicated a loosening of Australia’s grip.The comparative figures are so foreboding their present strength appears unlikely to be tested in this series. Australia have triumphed in 38 series against five defeats since their overthrow of West Indies 18 years ago. Their individual win-loss record in that time is 98-25.West Indies have not only given up the crown but slid towards the demeaning status of humble servant, eighth of ten among their peers. Yet there have been a few encouraging signs of late.They have won two of their last five Tests. The first, over South Africa at Port Elizabeth last December, was their first away from home in more than seven years over a team ranked higher in the scheme of things. The second, over Sri Lanka at the Queen’s Park Oval six weeks ago, followed defeat in the first Test that might otherwise have crushed their confidence.Only Chanderpaul and Sarwan of the eleven average 40 and over with the bat. Only the ever improving Jerome Taylor of the bowlers has taken his Test wickets at under 40 each. The challenge is there for the rest. The selectors must be prepared to turn to others if they don’t measure upIn each case, a bowling attack that appeared incapable of claiming 20 wickets a match – Australia have totaled over 400 in seven of their last eight first innings against it – twice dismissed strong opposition for under 300. Now they enter a series against Australia for the first time since 1993 without the brilliance of Brian Lara and, as it turns out, without captain Chris Gayle as well.The groin injury that rules out Gayle is an even more serious blow to West Indies than Hayden’s is to Australia. Apart from the experience of 72 Tests and his potential to destroy the fastest bowling, Gayle, by whatever mystical method, has shown himself to be a captain who gets the best out of his team. It is in that capacity that his absence will be more acutely felt.However much his record is average, Marlon Samuels’ two-year suspension for his careless association with an Indian gambler removes a middle-order batsman of genuine class and hints at an overdue maturity. Sewnarine Chattergoon’s shoulder injury that makes him miss his second Test in three, a worrying sign, means another, untried opening pair.As stand-in captain Ramnaresh Sarwan and coach John Dyson have pointed out, there are now opportunities for several players to address their previous underachievement. That covers just about everyone except Chanderpaul. It is a tall order, especially against such imposing opposition.Only Chanderpaul and Sarwan of the eleven average 40 and over with the bat. Only the ever improving Jerome Taylor of the bowlers has taken his Test wickets at under 40 each. The challenge is there for the rest. The selectors must be prepared to turn to others if they don’t measure up.

John Bracewell, New Zealand’s coach, has defended the role played by his coaching team during the 2-0 Test series defeat by England

Cricinfo staff10-Jun-2008
John Bracewell: ‘Once we moved out into the middle and the training wheels came off, so did all the wheels’ © Getty Images
John Bracewell, New Zealand’s coach, has defended the role played by his coaching team during the 2-0 Test series defeat by England.”It’s an interesting debate, and I’m sure it will be debated long and hard by whoever wants to debate it, especially between All Blacks tests. It’ll fill in some time,” he said. “It’s an imponderable. The nature of cricket is not a structured game like other games where you put the play on the whiteboard and you go and play it.”You get the situation where, this is our gameplan, but do I decide or does he [the batsman] decide whether it’s a half-volley or not? Do I decide or does he decide whether he’s going to get forward or back?”Asked about the failure of the New Zealanders to cope with the swing of James Anderson in the first innings at Trent Bridge – Anderson ended up with seven wickets – Bracewell said it wasn’t through lack of planning.”We talked about what we learned from [Kevin] Pietersen’s innings, he tried to present a full face and we felt that was the best strategy to play straight, and we had two guys [Aaron Redmond and Brendon McCullum] play across the line in the first 10 overs and have their off pole pulled out of the ground … you can put all the plans in place, but then who applies them?”Bracewell added that there was also no reason that the tail failed to offer support to Jacob Oram, who was left unbeaten on 50. “We failed to adapt and support a guy who was striking the ball pretty cleanly,” he said. “We knew what our gameplan was, we talked about it, playing a little straighter, not chasing full and wide balls, and supporting in a partnership role. Once we moved out into the middle and the training wheels came off, so did all the wheels. We chased wide half volleys and got sucked into width and failed to support a player who could have got us into a point where we were competitive.”He went on to say that some of the side were not psychologically tough enough. “Some are, some aren’t, that’s the nature of any team. Some of them are pretty tough nuts. Some of them are learning to be tough, and some of them are just our best players and they have their foibles and weaknesses.”

An update has emerged on Newcastle target Kristoffer Ajer regarding a potential move away from Celtic.

What’s the talk?

According to The Telegraph’s John Percy, Brentford are on the verge of signing the 23-year-old for a club-record £13.5m. The structure of the deal has been agreed with the Scottish giants and Ajer now seems set to join the newly-promoted Bees.

Newcastle boss Steve Bruce is said to have identified Ajer as his number one centre-back target this summer and the club held talks with Celtic over a possible deal. However, the Magpies are now set to miss out on the Norway international to one of their Premier League rivals.

Fans will be gutted

Newcastle fans will likely be gutted by this news as Brentford have been able to usurp them and seal a deal for a priority transfer target. This is not a good look for an established Premier League club, as the west Londoners are entering their first year in the division and have been able to outmuscle the Toon Army in this particular pursuit. Whilst it remains to be seen whether or not Newcastle attempted to match their offer, Ajer was a top target for Bruce, and missing out on his signature is certainly a blow.

In the Premier League last season, Paul Dummett’s WhoScored rating of 6.66 was the highest of any centre-back in Bruce’s squad, while Jamaal Lascelles, who turns 28 later this year, is the youngest player at the club in that position. This suggests that Newcastle are in dire need of a quality, young, defender to bolster their squad. Ajer, at 23, could have been exactly what they need.

Speaking in 2020, Alex McLeish labelled Ajer “inspirational” and compared him to former Hoops defender and current Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk.

The 62-year-old told Football Insider: “I go back to that St Johnstone game, you see sometimes when it’s not going for Celtic, and the game’s in its dying embers, and then all of a sudden you see Ajer striding up the pitch trying to inspire like Roy of the Rovers.

“Running from defence, augment the attack and then it leads to a goal – these are inspirational moments, and he is an inspirational, influential player for Celtic. Like Virgil van Dijk, he came to Celtic, and we all know what happened next.”

Not only does Ajer have youth on his side, but his performances for Celtic were outstanding last season. He averaged an exceptional WhoScored rating of 7.16 in 31 appearances in the Scottish Premiership, winning 3.2 aerial battles and making 3.4 clearances per game.

This shows that he has the ability to be a significant upgrade on Newcastle’s current centre-back options whilst having scope to improve further at 23 years of age, which is why Magpies fans must be disappointed that Mike Ashley has allowed Brentford to win the race for the Norwegian ahead of them.

AND in other news, Newcastle handed boost over £15m “phenomenon”, Bruce will surely be buzzing…

Plans for a Twenty20 Champions League this autumn could already be in trouble because of the insistence of Lalit Modi, the IPL’s commissioner, that no player with links to the ICL will be allowed to take part

Cricinfo staff10-Jun-2008
Giles Clarke: caught in the crossfire © Getty Images
Plans for a Twenty20 Champions League this autumn could already be in trouble because of the insistence of Lalit Modi, the IPL’s commissioner, that no player with links to the rival ICL will be allowed to take part.The chairmen of several English counties have demanded clarification over the eligibility of such individuals. Cricinfo has been told by other reliable sources of an agreement under which ICL-contracted players can take part.”The situation is blurred,” Surrey’s chief executive, Paul Sheldon, told Cricinfo. “No one can fully explain it at the moment, so we are waiting for clarification. Until we have clarification we are going to play the best side that we can to make sure we get to the finals and have that chance of going through to the Champions’ League.”The two finalists of this season’s domestic Twenty20 Cup will qualify for the Twenty20 Champions League. As things stand only three counties – Essex, Middlesex and Somerset -have no ICL players in their squads, although as many as five more may not field ICL players in their squads.Originally, the IPL, backed by the Indian board, demanded that no ICL-contracted players be allowed to take part in any cricket anywhere in the world. But while some boards fell into line, the ECB’s tough approach vis-a-vis the counties gradually fell apart, largely through legal threats, and by early May every ICL player who had signed with a county side was free to play.Counties are increasingly concerned that if they do as Modi demands and omit ICL players then they risk being sued. If they don’t, Modi will block them from taking part. “If they ban the counties, about 15 out of 18 will be ineligible,” Tom Sears, Derbyshire’s chief executive, told The Guardian. “I can’t see the ECB agreeing to a tournament on those terms.”The ECB appears to be caught in the crossfire – keen to cooperate with Modi and the IPL but under increasing pressure from the counties. On Sunday Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, insisted that the counties were aware of the board’s position that ICL players may be banned from participating in the final. They counter that the ECB has failed to offer clear guidance at any stage of the process.The chairmen also want clarification over Modi’s statement that IPL contracts take precedence over any others in the case of a player who represents more than one side involved in the tournament.Again, that contradicts what Cricinfo has been told, and it seems that it could all come down to a power struggle and Modi seeks to increase the IPL’s control..While the issue will not arise until the autumn, counties need to know that the side they pick in matches which start this week will be the one they can turn out later in the year should they qualify.The outcome will not only give the counties an idea of where they stand and what they need to do, it will clarify just how powerful Modi and the Indian board are in terms of the global game.

West Bromwich Albion are interested in a move to bring David McGoldrick to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that Valerien Ismael’s side have made an approach to Sheffield United regarding the possibility of signing the centre-forward.

The report goes on to state that Albion are in the market for a proven Championship goalscorer this summer, with the 33-year-old having emerged as a favourable option for the West Midlands side.

Football Insider also claim that the Blades are willing to listen to offers for the Republic of Ireland international, as he has just one year remaining on his current deal at Bramall Lane.

Big mistake

While it is undeniable that McGoldrick does indeed boast a significant amount of Championship experience, whether or not the veteran forward would be a good signing for the Baggies this summer is much more open for debate.

Indeed, over his 35 Premier League appearances for United last season, the £1.35m-rated man scored eight goals, provided one assist and created one big chance for his teammates, as well as taking an average of two shots and making 0.5 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £27k-per-week forward earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.88, ranking him as the Blades’ second-best performer in the top tier of English football.

However, over his 28 Premier League appearances in the season prior, McGoldrick failed to hit anywhere near these heights, scoring just two goals, registering two assists and creating four big chances for his teammates, earning an average SofaScore match rating of 6.78.

As such, when taking into account the 33-year-old’s apparent inconsistency, as well as the fact that the striker is very much entering the twilight years of his career – McGoldrick turns 34 in November – the question must be asked whether the potential rewards of his signing outweigh the risks.

We would argue they do not, with Ismael already possessing a proven Championship goalscorer in Karlan Grant, while McGoldick’s age, inconsistency and lack of resale value, in addition to the fee Albion would have to pay a likely promotion rival for the transfer, would appear to suggest that there would be much better options available for the Frenchman to pursue in the current market.

In fact, we would go as far as to suggest that, should the 45-year-old go on to land a deal for McGoldrick, it will be the biggest mistake of his – albeit limited – West Brom career to date.

In other news: Ismael could land Yokuslu 2.0 in swoop for “complete” £12k-p/w gem, West Brom must act

After scraping just three wickets in two days at Lord’s, there was always a concern England’s bowlers would be a little jaded. And so they were on the second day at Headingley, one that yielded 221 runs for South Africa and one measly wicket for England,

The Bulletin by Will Luke19-Jul-2008
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
AB de Villiers was strong off front and back foot © Getty Images
Ashwell Prince and AB de Villiers ground England’s weary bowlers down in a magnificent partnership of 179 on the second day at Headingley, as South Africa took a crucial 119-run lead. After scraping just three wickets in two days at Lord’s, there was always a concern England’s bowlers would be a little jaded. And so they were today, conceding 221 runs and stealing one measly wicket. They rarely looked like taking any more, either.Their nemesis today, as at Lord’s, was Prince who struck his second successive hundred, remaining unbeaten on 134 at stumps. For all the threat posed by South Africa’s two big guns – in every sense of the word – Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis, Prince has sneaked up on the inside and once again irritated England with his limpet-like ability. Only occasionally did he offer even half-chances, and his partnership with AB de Villiers has all but swept England out of the contest, barring a remarkable collapse tomorrow morning.Prince smacks of a batsman content to play within his own limitations. Once a lightning-quick fielder and aggressive batsman, his mode these days is a calmness at the crease, nullifying each bowler in turn through his combination of dogged defence and compact strokeplay. There is nothing extravagant about his method, though he dealt with the threat of Monty Panesar superbly in a premeditated attack on England’s premier spinner. Two perfectly reasonable balls were deposited over Panesar’s head for cleanly-struck sixes, and in doing so, Prince had scuppered Vaughan’s last remaining hope.England managed one, poor little wicket all day. James Anderson bowled with verve, as did Andrew Flintoff, but Stuart Broad looked short on pace and he never troubled either Prince or de Villiers. The fourth man in their pace attack, the controversially selected Darren Pattinson, was the surprise man to snatch England’s only wicket – albeit with a leg-side full toss to Hashim Amla. Pattinson is playing his 12th first-class game and his first Test match.Smart statsAshwell Prince has an excellent conversion rate, scoring nine centuries and seven fifties in Tests. Among batsmen with at least eight Test hundreds, only eight others have more centuries than fifties. Don Bradman has the best conversion rate, with 29 hundreds and 13 fifties.Ab de Villiers has now played 73 Test innings without being dismissed for a duck. He is only two short of Aravinda de Silva’s record of 75 innings before his first zero.The unbroken 179-run partnership between Prince and de Villiers is only 13 less than the fifth-wicket record for South Africa against England. It’s also the second-highest stand for South Africa at Headingley.Prince and de Villiers aggregate 1056 partnership runs at an average of 62.11 runs per stand, with three century partnerships. They are the most prolific fifth-wicket pair in South African Test history, with 1002 runs at 62.62.: 1st: 57 in 23 overs (22 scoring shots); 2nd: 104 in 33 (53 ss); 3rd: 60 in 20 (32 ss)As Ryan Sidebottom proved on his return to the England side last year, county cricket is an excellent training ground for Test match bowlers; an arena in which they can prepare for a sterner international examination. Pattinson is undoubtedly eligible to play for England, and his inexperience shouldn’t count against him. But when Prince and de Villiers brought up their 150 partnership, it was difficult to imagine Simon Jones, Matthew Hoggard or Saj Mahmood not offering a little more zing to counter South Africa’s Zen calm.De Villiers, meanwhile, shared the same resoluteness of Prince but was beaten three or four times by Anderson who never gave up all day. However, where South Africa excelled – where England struggled yesterday – was in their patience, particularly their judgement of their off stump. Only once or twice did Prince flash wildly outside his off stump to Flintoff, angling it across him, and although the partnership was one of grinding endurance, there were plenty of entertaining strokes.Prince cut Flintoff powerfully, standing tall, but it was bettered by de Villiers’ own airborne drive off the back foot which sped through cover. de Villiers is not a model of fluidity at the crease but, rather like Ramnaresh Sarwan, his balance at the crease marks him out as a fine player off both front and back foot. Strong with his wrists, he dealt comfortably with anything down the leg side – of which there was enough to keep him going all day – and midway through the afternoon South Africa had wiped off the deficit.Prince’s strokeplay down the ground was the standout of his innings, one such gift off Flintoff taking him to 99, and he celebrated his ninth hundred – and second in as many Tests – from 194 balls. de Villiers continued to favour the off-side with several exquisite strokes off the back foot as England’s bowlers lacked consistency in length, and he cruised through to his 14th fifty as South Africa’s lead swelled beyond 100. England were lost for inspiration.A heavy shower fell at 5.15pm, and though the players returned for a tricky three overs an hour later, Prince and de Villiers remained intact. England’s domination of the first couple of days at Lord’s seem a distant, blurry memory, and South Africa look hungry to maintain their advantage.

Manchester United are planning to make a shock contract offer to sign Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka on a free transfer next summer.

What’s the story?

The 26-year-old’s current deal expires in just 12 months’ time, and he’s reportedly become ‘irritated’ that Bayern have failed to renew talks after initial discussions took place earlier this year, according to SportBILD (via Sport Witness).

Delays in the negotiations have seen other clubs attempt to secure Goretzka’s signature, with the Red Devils putting concrete salary figures on the table, which are believed to be better than the proposal from the German giants.

SportBILD’s chief football reporter Christian Faulk confirmed the news, tweeting: “TRUE @ManUtd spoke to Leon Goretzka’s agents and offered specific salary figures. the club is interested in his transfer @SPORTBILD”.

The German outlet also claims that the dynamic midfielder’s management are expecting a contract worth up to €20m (£18m) for their client, but the Bundesliga are only offering between €10m (£8m) and €12m (£10m), thus presenting a serious stumbling block.

Solskjaer will be on cloud nine

With Paul Pogba’s future far from guaranteed, United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be delighted that the club’s hierarchy are attempting to secure Goretzka’s services.

The German international has established himself as one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the game over the last few seasons, becoming a crucial cog in an all-conquering Bayern side.

His outstanding performances have earned several plaudits in his homeland and across the continent, including his new boss at the Allianz Arena, Julian Nagelsmann.

“Leon is one of the best box-to-box players in Europe. He has incredible goal threat and knows when to bomb forward,” he explained.

Since arriving at Bayern in the summer of 2018, Goretzka has scored 25 goals and laid on a further 27 assists in 112 appearances for FC Hollywood, winning three Bundesliga titles, one Champions League crown and two DFB-Pokal’s along the way.

However, despite becoming a key player in Bavaria, the £63m-rated beast could be about to leave his homeland and sign for the 20-time English champions.

He has a history of running his contract down before moving on a free transfer having done so at Schalke in order to secure his move to Bayern, so it wouldn’t come as a shock to see Goretzka repeat the trick next summer.

Unites fans and Solskjaer will surely be urging the club’s hierarchy to match Goretzka’s demands and seal the deal, ensuring the Old Trafford outfit either have a natural heir or quality competition for Pogba next season.

AND in other news, MEN drop promising update on Man Utd’s £54m-rated “monster”, Solskjaer will be buzzing…