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Journalist James Pearce has waxed lyrical over Thiago’s superb performance in Liverpool’s 3-2 win over Manchester City on Saturday.

The Lowdown: Thiago immense in Liverpool win

The Reds beat their title rivals at Wembley in a pulsating clash, with Jurgen Klopp’s men holding on late in the day to reach their first FA Cup final under the German.

On a day full of outstanding individual performances, Thiago was undoubtedly one of the star men, producing a sensational display in the middle of the park.

The Spaniard enjoyed a 90% pass completion rate, according to Sofascore, and also played six out of seven accurate long balls and won eight out of nine ground duels.

The Latest: Pearce lauds Spaniard

Someone who was clearly impressed with what he saw was The Athletic’s Pearce, who took to Twitter to laud the midfielder:

“Thiago was so good yesterday. You could see what it meant to him after the heartbreak of missing out on Wembley in the Carabao Cup final. Such a special player.”

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The Verdict: Truly special player

Thiago’s performance was a joy to watch all afternoon, with the 31-year-old showing exactly why he is arguably one of the best midfielders of his generation.

The level of control he brought was huge in Liverpool outplaying City and he produced some moments of magic, not least one outrageous pass to Mohamed Salah.

Thiago staying fit is vital to the Reds’ hopes of winning the quadruple this season, with the three-man midfield of himself, Fabinho and Naby Keita beginning to purr together.

In other news, one Liverpool player is reportedly on the verge of joining another club. Find out who it is here.

The 2010 Friends Provident t20 finalists, winners Hampshire and runners-up Somerset, have accepted invitations to play in the Caribbean T20 which will be staged during January

Andrew McGlashan16-Nov-2010The 2010 Friends Provident t20 finalists, winners Hampshire and runners-up Somerset, have accepted invitations to play in the Caribbean T20 which will be staged during January.It will provide an element of compensation for missing out on the Champions League Twenty20 due to the tournament, which was held in South Africa in September, clashing with the end of the county season. Both counties will earn a participation fee and the WICB will cover their costs although the possible earnings won’t match the CLT20 which Somerset were part of in 2009.”It is beneficial to us, not on the scale of the Champions League unfortunately but it’s a meaningful competition,” Richard Gould, the Somerset chief executive, told ESPNcricinfo. “We’ll be rolling out as many of our big guns as possible. That means flying Peter Trego back from Australia where he’s playing club cricket and Nick Compton from Zimbabwe. I think we’ll have all our England players unless they are actually playing for the senior team.”If Craig Kieswetter misses out on England’s one-day squad for the series in Australia, which appears likely after he was dropped in favour of Steven Davies for the Pakistan contests, then he could be available while it can be another stage for Jos Buttler and James Hildreth. But, in order to avoid the debate that surrounds any Somerset overseas trip, Gould confirmed Marcus Trescothick won’t be travelling. “He’s not going, that’s decided,” he said.”It will be the second international tournament we have played in two years after the Champions League and we’ll be going out to do extremely well,” Gould added. “We knew something was in the air about seven or eight weeks ago and are delighted to be invited. We will take the competition very seriously.”We think it comes at a really good time for us. It is midway through the winter, our players are already back in pre-season training and this will give them something really meaningful to get their teeth into.”Rod Bransgrove, the Hampshire chairman, added: “The Caribbean T20 tournament is a great opportunity for the Hampshire squad to reconvene and play some high-quality cricket over the winter months. I’m sure it will be a very enjoyable fortnight for everyone involved.”The Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua, where English cricket’s most recent association was with the abandoned Test match in 2009, will host the qualifying round while the competition will then conclude in Barbados. The tournament runs from January 10 to 23.”The WICB is delighted to have again partnered with the ECB on this progressive initiative,” Ernest Hilare, the WICB chief executive, said. “The participation of the two top Friends Provident t20 teams in CT20 will certainly enhance the tournament and heighten the excitement. We look forward to keen contests between our Caribbean teams and Hampshire and Somerset and look forward to welcoming English fans to the fun and excitement of Caribbean style T20 cricket.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the fifth ODI between India and New Zealand in Chennai

The Preview by Sriram Veera09-Dec-2010Match FactsFriday, December 10
Start time 14.30 (0900 GMT)
James Franklin provided a perfect end to the positive approach showed by New Zealand in the fourth ODI. Can they carry on in the same vein?•AFPThe Big PictureThe fourth ODI hinted at a New Zealand revival. Their approach was certainly different and refreshing. It was visible in their batting and bowling, and they were just about pinned down only because of Yusuf Pathan’s brutality. Their fans will hope that New Zealand continue with this positive approach in the final ODI. Despite being put into bat under overcast conditions in Bangalore, they weren’t circumspect. They didn’t focus on survival, as they had tried to do but failed earlier in the series, but chose to attack. It didn’t feel like a desperate attempt either – they never swung wildly – but a positive strategy to turn their fortunes around. Their bowlers too, nearly did the job, but were shoved out of the contest by a violent knock. They haven’t won an ODI in nearly four months and something had to give. This new approach might well be the right path to lead them out of the hole.For their part, India are likely to view the top-order collapse in Bangalore as an aberration and revel in the fact that the situation produced the best out of Yusuf, and raised hope of removing a weak-link in the lower order. They might also see their death-over bowling woes in the last game – 63 runs in the last five overs – as an aberration as it was Ashish Nehra, normally their best bowler in such situations, who gave away 38 in his last two overs. And even then, just like New Zealand didn’t account for Yusuf, India were blindsided by James Franklin.Pitch and conditionsThe good news is that Chennai, which had heavy rains earlier in the week, hasn’t seen a downpour since Wednesday. The bad news, though, is that the forecast suggests that it might rain on Friday.Form guide(completed matches, most recent first)
India:WWWWW
New Zealand: LLLLL
Watch out for…Is Martin Guptill on the cusp of breaking free from his old failing of throwing away his starts? Or is he still stuck in the same rut? He played a skillful knock in the previous ODI, using conventional shots as attacking options, but fell when set.Ashish Nehra is no Wasim Akram or Waqar Younis, of course, but he is a capable bowler in the end overs of an innings. He is the man MS Dhoni turns to during both bowling and batting Powerplays, and in the final overs. If he had got complacent – there is no evidence to suspect that – the fourth ODI would have been a wake-up call.TeamsNew Zealand could focus on one change: Jamie How hasn’t grabbed his chances and might be replaced by Kane Williamson, whose offbreaks provide another option. The case against Williamson, articulated publicly by former New Zealand batsman Craig McMillan, is that he is not a perfect fit for No. 3. The view is that Williamson slows down the run-rate as he is the type of batsman who needs time at the crease to get going. Is it just a perception? Can Williamson, given enough experience in that slot, change his game? Or is this not a good time to extend him that opportunity as the World Cup is around the corner? He could be pushed lower down the order, but would that role fit him?New Zealand (probable): 1 Brendon McCullum (wk), 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Jamie How/Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Scott Styris, 6 James Franklin, 7 Daniel Vettori (capt), 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Kyle Mills, 11 Andy McKayIndia, too, will probably make one change: they will most likely give Zaheer Khan a rest and bring back Munaf Patel.India (probable): 1 Parthiv Patel (wk), 2 Gautam Gambhir (capt), 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Rohit Sharma, 6 Yusuf Pathan, 7 Saurabh Tiwary, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Munaf Patel, 11 Ashish Nehra.Stats and triviaNehra conceded 70 runs in nine overs in the last game. It was the ninth time he had leaked more than 70 in an ODI and he holds the dubious record of doing it the most times.Three other bowlers – Waqar, James Anderson, and Naved-ul-Hasan – have given more than 70 runs seven times. Yuvraj Singh took his 75th catch to dismiss Guptill in the fourth game of the series. Only six other Indians – Mohammad Azharuddin, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Anil Kumble, and Virender Sehwag – have caught more. Quotes”We will look at it as we do every game – to win it. I know that’s hard to say after losing so many games in a row but we still think we can do it. The batsmen showed how good they can be. If we get that performance again we hope our bowlers can do better.”

Sunderland could be about to land a huge injury lift over full-back Dennis Cirkin…

What’s the latest?

Black Cats boss Alex Neil has provided an update on the young defender and has not ruled him out of facing Morecambe in the final match of the regular League One season at the weekend.

He told The Chronicle: “Dennis, we’re hopeful won’t be out for too long and we’ll find out in the next couple of days whether he has a chance or not.”

Supporters will be buzzing

The supporters will surely be buzzing with this news as having Cirkin back and available would be a big boost to Alex Neil’s team.

Sunderland’s clash with Morecambe is a monumental match at both ends of the League One table and having as many key players fit as possible will help the Black Cats in their bid to land a play-off place. A win for Neil’s side will confirm their spot in the top six but it will not be an easy afternoon for the club as they come up against a team fighting to avoid relegation – with their opponents currently sitting two points above the drop.

This illustrates how big of a game this is for both sides and why fans will be delighted to see Cirkin back in action on Saturday. He has been a crucial member of the squad throughout the campaign in his first season of senior football and has shown that he can be a reliable League One defender.

The full-back has started 31 matches for the club in the division this term and averaged a solid SofaScore rating of 6.77. Cirkin has made 2.9 tackles and interceptions per match and won 59% of his duels, which shows that he has been a fine defender for the Black Cats by regularly winning the ball back and coming out on top in the majority of his individual battles.

He could improve his output in the final third, though, as he has only created 0.7 chances per game in League One and has registered two assists in total. However, his all-round performances and work on the defensive side of the game make up for his lack of attacking quality and this is why fans will be keen for him to make his injury return against Morecambe on Saturday, with a view to playing in the play-offs.

AND in other news, Speakman howler: SAFC may now be on the verge of repeating brutal Hugill disasterclass…

Manchester City are growing increasingly confident that manager Pep Guardiola will sign a new contract extension at the club, according to a report by The Mirror.

The Lowdown: Plenty of silverware

The 51-year-old first joined the Sky Blues back in 2016 when he took over the reins from Manuel Pellegrini, and has since gone on to enjoy plenty of success in the top flight, winning Premier Leagues, FA Cups, and Carabao Cups galore.

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The Spaniard’s current contract with the Citizens is set to expire next summer, and there will no doubt be plenty of City fans that think Guardiola will walk away if he lifts the Champions League trophy for the first time this season.

Following a fresh update though, it seems the boss won’t be going anywhere any time soon.

The Latest: Talks are underway

In an article in the last 48 hours from The Mirror, it’s claimed that talks have ‘already taken place’ with his agent/brother Pere about extending his stay, with any possible deal on the table set to keep him at the Etihad until at least 2025.

The source goes on to state that the Catalan has ‘unfinished business’ in Manchester and is highly likely to continue the journey in English football, regardless of whether City become European champions or not.

The Verdict: Guardiola’s pulling power

It’s recently been rumoured that the current league leaders are close to reaching an agreement for Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland, and a part of those negotiations surely involved the promise of working under Guardiola.

City have been on the lookout for a new forward ever since the departure of Sergio Aguero, but haven’t yet been able to find a suitable replacement, and there’s a strong possibility that Gabriel Jesus will also be exiting the club at the end of the campaign.

It’s clear that the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager, who was once described as an “incredible” coach by Philipp Lahm, has a massive influence when it comes to players deciding to join the club, and so if it’s officially confirmed that he will be remaining in charge for the next few years, City could attract some of the biggest names in football alongside Haaland and go on to enjoy plenty of long term success in seasons to come.

In other news… Man City reportedly have their sights set on an ‘incredible’ new transfer target.

Rain allowed only 30 overs on the fourth day, and Karachi Whites managed a draw, but they had already lost their chance of making the finals

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Dec-2010Khan Research Laboratories pocketed first-innings points as Karachi Whites finished on 262 for 5 in their second innings in the 30 overs possible today in Karachi. Though Asif Zakir fell early to Yasir Arafat, Rameez Aziz carried on to make a half-century before he fell caught behind to seamer Shakeel-ur-Rehman for 61. Ali Asad and Javed Mansoor ensured no further damage for Karachi. However, after KRL had taken a massive first-innings lead, Karachi’s chances of making the final were dashed. They finished three points behind second-placed State Bank of Pakistan, who now take on leaders KRL in the final at Rawalpindi from December 31.

Liverpool are working hard on completing a summer move for Aberdeen right-back Calvin Ramsay, according to reliable journalist Neil Jones.

The Lowdown: Ramsay shines for Aberdeen

The 18-year-old has emerged as one of the most exciting players in Scotland, catching the eye with his influential performances in the Premiership.

Ramsay has made 22 league appearances in total this season, performing beyond his years and chipping in with four assists from his right-back role.

Liverpool have been strongly linked with a move for the youngster in recent times, and a new update suggests that it is getting close to being completed.

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The Latest: Jones drops exciting Ramsay transfer claim

According to Jones, who was reporting for Goal, the Reds are ‘hoping to sign’ Ramsay in a £4m deal as quickly as possible this summer, with the 18-year-old seen as an ‘ideal understudy’ to Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Leeds United are also keen on signing the Scottish starlet, so Liverpool may need to work hard to get their man.

The Verdict: One of the future

For Julian Ward and his Liverpool recruitment team to have seemingly identified Ramsay as a target says a lot about his potential, with right-back an area which requires more depth at Anfield.

Neco Williams could leave at the end of the season and Joe Gomez isn’t a natural in the role, but the Aberdeen youngster looks tailor-made to thrive there under Jurgen Klopp, given his energy and attacking quality. Indeed, according to his former coach Brian Rice, the Scot has ‘no fear’ as a player.

The one stumbling block could be if Ramsay is unhappy to play second fiddle to another player, but at 18, he has so many years to improve and potentially push Alexander-Arnold for more a regular starting berth further down the line.

A loan move straight away could make sense, assuming that Gomez stays as a right-back option, allowing Ramsay regular minutes again for another 12 months.

In other news, James Pearce has dropped a Liverpool team news claim ahead of the clash against Aston Villa. Read more here.

Paul Collingwood has admitted that his Test future is on the line, and recognises the need to make a big contribution in the final Test of the Ashes series at Sydney

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jan-2011Paul Collingwood has admitted that his Test future is on the line, and recognises the need to make a big contribution in the final Test of the Ashes series at Sydney, after a troubling run of form in which he has made 11 or less in eight of his last ten Test innings.Collingwood’s last Test innings of note was his 82 in the first innings against Pakistan at Trent Bridge in July, in which he formed a matchwinning partnership with the centurion, Eoin Morgan, who is now his chief rival for a permanent berth in the middle order. In the current Ashes campaign he has made 70 runs at 14.00, with a top score of 42 at Adelaide.”My form during this series and most recently my latest failure in the fourth Test in Melbourne means the subject of my Test future was bound to be raised sooner or later,’ Collingwood was quoted as saying by the Mail on Sunday.”I am obviously disappointed with the series I have had with the bat so far. I can’t get away from the fact that scoring runs is my job in the side, so I won’t hide away. I have still got a lot of fight left in me. I honestly feel as fit as I have ever been. I am enjoying Test cricket and playing for England more than I ever have done and our success, and if you are enjoying it why would you give it up?”But on a personal level, this is a big week for me in Sydney,” he added. “I am at the crossroads and what happens in the final Test may well determine what direction I go in. I am sure by the end of this Test, I will know more myself and be better able to judge what the general feeling is in terms of where I am as a Test player and the contribution I can still make to the England team in future and what is the best way forward.”Collingwood has barely missed a Test in four years since he secured a permanent spot in the middle order on the tour of India in March 2006, and he is an integral member of the limited-overs squad as well, particularly the Twenty20 team which he captained to victory in the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean in May. However, at the age of 34, and with the World Cup in the subcontinent looming as his next big challenge, the time may be nigh to step down from the longest form of the game.”The desire within me to go out and score a hundred against Australia in Sydney, help the team to a 3-1 win and crack on is still strong,” he said. “Yet, at the same time, I understand the arguments 100 per cent and I understand there are other batsmen after my spot. And the bottom line is that, at my age, if you are not scoring runs yourself you do not deserve a place in the side.”

Newcastle United’s plans for the summer transfer window are well underway as they are being linked with players right, left and centre as the 2021/22 campaign comes to a close.

One player for whom the club are reportedly eyeing up a swoop ahead of next season is Bayer Leverkusen’s Dutch left-back Mitchel Bakker.

According to SportBILD, via Sport Witness, the Magpies are in contact with the full-back’s representatives and PIF want to make a bid for him. The report claims that the defender is set to leave the Bundesliga club at the end of the season and that it was previously claimed that he was ‘likely’ to move to the Premier League.

This comes after the Toon failed to strike a deal for him in January. They attempted to sign him for €20m (£17m) in the winter, only for the move to fall through at the last minute.

Eddie Howe would love him

Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe would surely love the Dutchman, as he would be a superb signing for the club. Bakker is a promising young talent with potential and experience at the top level, which makes him an exciting prospect for the Magpies.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig previously dubbed the defender ‘tenacious’ and ‘extremely dominant in the air’ in his online report on the defender. This suggests that the 21-year-old is a strong defender who will be able to hold his own in physical battles, which means that Howe would not have to worry about him being too soft for the Premier League and being a liability at the back. 

His statistics for PSG in Ligue 1 last season illustrated this as he won 64% of his aerial battles. He was able to get the better of his opponent in the majority of his duels, which means that he would be an asset to Newcastle in both defending and attacking set-pieces.

Bundesliga commentator Dan O’Hagan offered his thoughts on the full-back during the January window. He told Newcastle World: “Bakker had been at Ajax for nine years, so he was well-schooled and was given a terrific foundation in the game.“Bakker is a typical, modern full-back, but they haven’t really seen the best of him yet because of the injury he suffered earlier in the season. He’s back now and I think he would be an excellent acquisition for Newcastle.”These comments from O’Hagan paint a great picture of Bakker and one that Howe will surely enjoy. The Leverkusen youngster is a forward-thinking and technically adept gem – as these quotes suggest – and this makes him an exciting prospective signing for Newcastle when you couple it with his defensive qualities.At the age of 21, he also has the potential to improve further, and Howe can work with him to help the Dutchman hone his skills. Therefore, the ex-Bournemouth boss would surely love to have the left-back at Newcastle and will be hoping that PIF can get this over the line.AND in other news, Imagine him & ASM: Howe can leave supporters buzzing if NUFC sign “rapid” £40m “freak”…

Shoaib Akhtar has called the upcoming World Cup his last, claiming it to be the “defining moment” of Pakistan cricket and perhaps of his own career

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur13-Feb-2011Shoaib Akhtar has called the upcoming World Cup his last, claiming it to be the “defining moment” of Pakistan cricket and perhaps of his own career. In a characteristically free-wheeling chat, Shoaib reaffirmed that he wanted to stay fit throughout, and end the tournament with the trophy in hand.”Is this the twilight of my career? Yes. It is very special, playing in the sub-continent’s World Cup,” Shoaib said in Dhaka. “I am not sure about how long I’m going to be playing, but I will try to make sure it is full of memories”.”My personal target is to play every match and to leave 45-50 days after winning the World Cup,” Shoaib said. “Obviously there’s a huge difference between being 26 and 36. I have experience now but at the same time, I’m still bowling very quick, touching 145-150 kph easily.”Shoaib used several adjectives to describe the Pakistan team ranging from “dangerous”, “the most balanced” and the one having the cause it needs, but what stood out was him using the word “hurt” to describe the side.”Obviously we are a very hurt side, whatever has happened in the last year or so. Pakistan needs a situation to gather themselves, and playing in India and Sri Lanka in the quarterfinals, that is going to really motivate us. I think the crowds, the situation, what happened to us, whatever the team has been through for the last six-seven months, that will inspire us. We are a very dangerous side but a very hurt side.””We need to win at any cost, the team needs a situation, and what better situation than the World Cup. I think this is a defining moment for Pakistani cricket.Shoaib’s personal motivation for this tournament comes from proving people wrong, not just about himself, but the team too. “I wish Mohammad Amir was playing right now, I would have retired easily but it is not happening. That’s what motivates me to come and play my last World Cup. I want people to realize that still, very honourable people play for our country.”On the field, Shoaib said that Pakistan’s ability to swing the new and old ball both ways is their strong point. “The main advantage for us is reverse swing, that’s where I think Pakistan team’s strength lies. We have the best combination of reverse swing and new-ball fast bowlers. I think we can manage to put it out right,” Shoaib said, adding that the slow nature of the wickets might yet hamper the fast bowlers but will assist the batsmen.Of his possible duel with his old nemesis Sachin Tendulkar, Shoaib confirmed that he hasn’t lost sight of the rivalry or of taking the important wickets.The 2009 World Twenty20 triumph was perfect for the situation at the time in Pakistan, but Shoaib firmly believed that if they can do the job again this time, it could provide the people back home with more than just heroes or a trophy. “Pakistan needs to win this World Cup to bring back cricket to Pakistan, the charm back to the country. People of Pakistan are missing cricket, they are dying to watch players from all over the world playing against Pakistan.”