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Despite not officially being at St James’ Park due to illness, Eddie Howe picked up his first point as manager of Newcastle United on Saturday.

Jamaal Lascelles, Joelinton and Allan Saint-Maximin managed to get themselves on the scoresheet, but others were not quite as impressive as the Magpies still shipped three goals to Brentford in a 3-3 draw. The Transfer Tavern have used statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who the three worst players were for the home side on the day…

Callum Wilson (6.5)

Admittedly with the same SofaScore rating (6.5) as second place, Wilson ranks in third (of players to have played at least 45 minutes) here because he cannot do much about conceding three goals as a striker.

However, given that he is the focal point of the Magpies’ attack, and that they managed to score three times, not getting a goal or an assist would have disappointed him.

The former Bournemouth star was unsuccessful with six of his shots at goal and failed to record a successful dribble, while only managing 27 touches of the ball in total, the lowest out of any Newcastle player to have started the game.

He was also guilty of losing possession of the ball on 10 separate occasions, meaning that he lost it every 2.7 touches on average.

Ciaran Clark (6.5)

Clark was given the same SofaScore rating as Wilson at 6.5.

Aside from conceding three goals, the Republic of Ireland international also failed to record a clearance, interception or tackle, and managed only 38 touches.

He also gave the ball away six times in what was a poor afternoon for all of the Newcastle defence.

Karl Darlow (5.2)

After conceding three goals, and letting the first one from Ivan Toney slip through his fingers, Darlow was unsurprisingly rated as the worst Toon player by SofaScore with a 5.2 overall rating.

The goalkeeper managed 28 touches of the ball and gave it away with 10 of those, while he only recorded one save in the entire match.

He was rated as the worst player on the pitch by far, with the next worst being Brentford’s Mads Roerslev Rasmussen with a 6.3 rating.

In other news, NUFC are in pole position to sign this ‘world class’ maestro

[ad_pod ]Crystal Palace failed to hold onto their half-time lead on Wednesday night as Southampton came back via James Ward-Prowse – despite the Eagles’ numerous opportunities in front of goal, their finishing was once again lacklustre and they paid the price.Wilfried Zaha was a menace throughout and fired his side in front in the first half, but lost his head late on and was sent off for sarcastically applauding the referee after being booked – a gesture for which he will be reprimanded by the FA.Despite the big striker having scored against Spurs in the FA Cup last weekend, Roy Hodgson elected not to start Connor Wickham and instead gave the nod to Jordan Ayew – the Ghanaian worked hard but never looked too threatening, as has been the theme throughout the season.The Saints equalised with 13 minutes of regulation time remaining, at which point Hodgson may have felt it necessary to bring on a fresh pair of legs up front – instead, the former England boss stuck with Ayew until the final whistle and one can’t help but feel that, had Wickham or Christian Benteke been on the field, the Croydon outfit could have secured all three points.Negative substitutions and tactics have been a point of controversy for Palace this season and this surely isn’t the first time the Selhurst Park faithful felt that Hodgson’s game management was poor.The 71-year-old’s post-match comments did nothing but make it worse – here’s how the Palace fans reacted on Twitter…

Paul Harris, the South Africa left-arm spinner has been left out of the Nashua Titans line-up for the 2010-11 South African professional domestic season

Cricinfo staff07-Apr-2010Paul Harris, the South Africa left-arm spinner has been left out of the Titans line-up for the 2010-11 South African professional domestic season.”Paul has expressed a desire to participate in all formats of franchise cricket, including the MTN 40 and Standard Bank Pro20 competitions,” said Andy O’Connor, vice-chairman and head of the playing affairs portfolio of the Titans. “We understand Paul’s views, but given the personnel available to the Nashua Titans in the spin-bowling department, we are unfortunately unable to guarantee him a spot in our team in all versions of the game.”Harris has played 100 first-class matches for 333 wickets at an average of 30.81. He also has 47 List A wickets at 26.61 and 21 in the Twenty20 format at 21.19. In recent times, he has been South Africa’s first-choice Test spinner, with 87 wickets in 29 matches.”Although we are very sad to see Paul leave, we wish him both a fond farewell and all the very best for the future”, O’Connor said. “When Paul joined us a few seasons ago, he was participating in the Western Province B team and we are immensely proud to have played a part in his rise to selection at the Test level, where he has performed most admirably.”Harris thanked the Titans for their role in his career. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Titans, but feel that I should be competing in all available formats of the game. I wish the Nashua Titans every success in the future”, he said.

The 50-over format must come as a relief for West Indies, allowing Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul greater time to build their innings, while giving a misfiring top order an opportunity to rediscover lost touch

The Preview by Siddhartha Talya22-May-2010Match FactsSaturday, May 22
Start time 09.30 (13.30 GMT)JP Duminy will be keen to find his lost form in the ODIs•AFPThe Big PictureThe two teams began the tour with an aim to resume on a successful note after their exit during the Super Eights stage of the World Twenty20. While South Africa have recovered, West Indies have found ways to ensure victory remained elusive. Twice have they floundered chasing gettable scores – and this is virtually the same squad as the one picked for the global tournament that preceded this tour – despite possessing players of experience and those with a style and power valued hugely in the shortest format.The 50-over version, however, must come as a relief, allowing Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul greater time to build their innings, while giving a misfiring top order, including captain Chris Gayle, an opportunity to rediscover lost touch. On the other hand, West Indies are up against their tormentors on the ODI circuit, having lost their previous six 50-over contests against South Africa in the last three years.For South Africa, the performances of David Miller and Ryan McLaren were the highlights, and they will watch keenly their transition and development in the longer format, with the 2011 World Cup less than a year away.Form guide (most recent first)West Indies: WWWWW (Against Zimbabwe, Canada and Ireland)
South Africa: WLLLW
Watch out for…After a slew of Twenty20 games which gave little time for batsmen to get their eye in, JP Duminy will welcome the extended playing hours, looking to indulge in picking off runs more through placement than power, and starting afresh in a new format following a disappointing run since the start of the year.”Kieron Pollard, in my opinion, is not a cricketer,” said Michael Holding, whose distaste for the Twenty20 format is well known. But those words from a West Indies great must sting an allrounder, who has never quite lived up to his reputation while playing for his national side. A bumper signing during the IPL and the subsequent success in the league left a lot expected from Pollard during the World Twenty20, but he failed to perform. When Gayle called on “individuals” to take more responsibility, Pollard should have been listening.Team newsAndre Fletcher has had little to show with the bat and West Indies, with their already limited options, could be tempted to look to Denesh Ramdin.West Indies (possible): 1 Chris Gayle (capt), 2 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 3 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4 Narsingh Deonarine, 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 Kieron Pollard, 7 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8 Darren Sammy, 9 Sulieman Benn, 10 Jerome Taylor, 11 Kemar Roach.Jacques Kallis and Charl Langeveldt are on South Africa’s injured list. If Kallis isn’t fit for tomorrow’s game, Hashim Amla could get a look in.South Africa (possible): 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Loots Bosman/Jacques Kallis/ Hashim Amla, 3 Jacques Kallis/ Hashim Amla, 4 AB de Villiers (wk), 5 David Miller, 6 JP Duminy, 7 Johan Botha, 8 Ryan McLaren, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Roelof van der Merwe, 11 Lonwabo Tsotsobe.Quotes”It’s up to the individual. They have to look into themselves and try and redeem themselves as quickly as possible. I can’t do it for them.”
“It was great for us to see a guy come into the side, and play so well under pressure. It was a breath of fresh air to see him walk to the crease, and hit his sixth ball for six, and play his natural game.”

Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney was thrilled to see the club's new Kop stand at the Racecourse after securing a partnership with his whiskey brand.

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Wrexham open new temporary Kop standNamed the 'Fourth Wall' at the RacecourseMcElhenney shows stand with new sponsorGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

After the Always Sunny in Philadelphia star announced the temporary Kop stand at STōK Cae Ras would be named the 'Fourth Wall' this week, McElhenney has posted another update. He showed a fresh image of the stand with the new name and his sponsor emblazoned at the top of it.

AdvertisementWHAT MCELHENNEY POSTED

The Hollywood actor posted a photo of the new-look stand and tweeted: "Looking good, Wrexham," followed by a smiling face with heart eyes emoji.

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The temporary stand opened last December and has allowed the club to rake in the extra revenue an additional 2,289 fans provide. This is another example of how owners McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds havecompletely transformed the Welsh club – taking them out of the National League and into a League One promotion push.

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WHAT NEXT?

The Red Dragons, who sit third in League Two, are working to open a new, fully fledged Kop stand at the start of the 2024/25 season – which will hold approximately 5,500 fans. This will take the Racecourse's capacity to around 16,000.

Adnan Akmal, Pakistan’s Test wicketkeeper, has said he is recovering well from the surgery to his left ring finger and will take his time before resuming training ahead of the South Africa tour early next year

Umar Farooq15-Aug-2012Adnan Akmal, Pakistan’s Test wicketkeeper, has said he is recovering well from the surgery to his left ring finger and will take his time before resuming training ahead of the South Africa tour early next year.Adnan suffered a hairline fracture during the opening day of the Pallekele Test against Sri Lanka last month when trying to fend off a delivery from Dilhara Fernando. He retired hurt on 10 but returned to take his score to 24. He batted bravely in the second innings, defying Sri Lanka with a stubborn partnership with Asad Shafiq to stretch Pakistan’s lead. It helped Pakistan save the Test.Adnan, who is not part of Pakistan’s limited-overs plans, underwent surgery last month and he said there’s sufficient time for him to recover before Pakistan’s next Test series, in February.”The surgery went well and the doctors are satisfied,” Adnan told ESPNcricinfo. “The single layer rods around it (the finger) will be removed next week. I will start my rehabilitation later this month and have plenty of time ahead of the tour of South Africa.”Adnan said there was no point in rushing his recovery. “This is the first time I have been idle for such a long time with injury but it’s a part of life for a cricketer,” he said. “Finger injuries are routine for a wicketkeeper, and sometimes you have a bad day. I am fine and will make a full recovery in a few weeks. Once I’m fit, I will ensure I won’t get complacent.”His elder brother Kamran Akmal, who last played for Pakistan in the 2011 World Cup, was recently recalled to Pakistan’s limited-overs squads for the tour of UAE and the World Twenty20 after being cleared by the PCB integrity committee. In Kamran’s absence, the selectors had tried out separate wicketkeepers for each format with Shakeel Ansar and Sarfraz Ahmed for T20s and ODIs respectively, but both were overlooked in favour of Kamran. Adnan said he wasn’t insecure about his place in the Test squad following Kamran’s selection in the other formats.”I am not worried at all,” Adnan said. “We play for our country and the best out of the lot get picked, so there is no point in being insecure. I can’t say much about him as we are selected based on our individual performances. I so far have played ample number of Test matches (16) and hope to serve the country for long.”Iqbal Qasim, the chairman of selectors, said that Kamran has always been the favourite for limited-overs matches due to his batting. “We have tried lots of wicketkeeper-batsmen after Kamran, but nothing was panning out,” Qasim said. “We need a solid wicketkeeper who can score quick runs and currently Kamran is the only option for us. He has maintained his fitness and more importantly, he has been cleared by the PCB.”

The Bangladesh captain was pleased with his team’s performances over the tour, particularly the mettle they displayed in the final one-dayer in Christchurch, and in the one-off Test

Andrew Fernando in Hamilton19-Feb-2010Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan was pleased with his team’s performances over the tour, particularly the mettle they displayed in the final one-dayer in Christchurch, and in the one-off Test.”We improved ourselves over the tour. Every time we did something better,” Shakib said. “We fought hard in this match and we don’t often take the match into the fifth day. Mahmudullah and the fast bowlers did their job well and I’m happy with the way the team is progressing.”The Bangladesh captain was also relieved to finally have a maiden Test century in the bag after being dismissed for 87 in the first innings, but said there was nothing particularly motivating his brutal assault against Daniel Vettori’s bowling this morning. He tore into his counterpart, smashing 18 off his first over before taking ten runs off the first three balls of his next over to bring up his fifty. “The ball was there to be hit and I backed myself to play those shots and it came off,” Shakib said.Looking forward to their upcoming home series against England, Shakib was optimistic, claiming, “We now have the belief that we can beat any team in our home conditions, so we are looking forward to it.”Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons took a similar line towards the team’s performance on this tour and for the future. “If you look at the individual achievements, we had three centuries and a five-for and we scored our highest Test total against New Zealand,” Siddons said. “We’ve had a lot of achievements but not a lot of results. We’ve smashed several Bangladesh batting records recently and our [batsmen] are getting better individually. It’s just a case of putting it all together and becoming more consistent in the future.”Mahmudullah, who scored 115 in the second innings, has maintained his consistency during this tour but is likely to remain lower down the order.”We are just letting him develop at the moment. He is just in his sixth Test, and he’s doing well but we are wary of pushing him up to a four or five,” Siddons said. “It may be too high for him at the moment. He is handy with his offspin as well, as he showed in the second innings, so we are just letting him develop.”New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori was also satisfied with the way his team performed, reserving special mention for Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum, whose partnership of 339 took the game away from Bangladesh on the second day. “We’re happy with the way we played,” Vettori said. “The way Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum batted was outstanding and I’m really happy with Martin (Guptill) at No.5.”The New Zealand bowlers also earned praise from their captain. “I’m very happy with the way Tim Southee bowled after lunch today as well, he came back with the old ball on a relatively flat wicket and bowled well.”Jeetan Patel bowled in some tough situations in the match, but he improved throughout and with a number of left-handers in the Australian line-up, he could have a role to play in that series.”Vettori was also impressed with Shakib’s batting, “We all knew Shakib would come out playing like he did in the first innings. We expected to bowl better at him but it wasn’t to be. The way he performed in this Test match, it’s no wonder that he is so highly regarded.”

Chelsea are reportedly eyeing £35m-rated Santiago Gimenez as an alternative to Victor Osimhen, in case the Napoli striker proves too expensive.

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Osimhen is Chelsea's top target.Gimenez considered if Osimhen's pursuit stallsChelsea also evaluate winger Assane DiaoWHAT HAPPENED?

According to the Blues remain firm in their pursuit of the Napoli hitman, with the Nigerian also hinting that he remains open to exploring other options. However, they are well aware that Napoli views him as strictly indispensable and will not sell him cheaply as he is contractually bound to the reigning Serie A champions until 2025. This has forced them to look for other alternatives with Gimenez topping their wishlist.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Feyenoord striker has been in incredible form and has scored 15 goals in an equal number of matches across all competitions. Chelsea's recruitment staff admires his potential contribution but he also has a contract with the Dutch outfit until 2027 which means that the Blues might need to cough up over £35m plus add-ons for the goalscorer. There is strong interest from other European elites which include bothReal Madrid and Barcelona along with a host of Serie A clubs including Juventus, AC Milan and Inter.

DID YOU KNOW?

Chelsea are also keeping an eye on Assane Diao, a versatile winger from Real Betis, who has been a revelation under Manuel Pellegrini. The Blues view him as someone who could add depth to their right wing which is currently occupied by Noni Madueke. However, Betis, who are currently placed in the seventh spot, are not keen to let him leave in January as they are fighting for a European berth for the 2024-25 campaign.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

Chelsea are navigating the transfer market with a laser-sharp focus on their pursuit of promising talents, which aligns with the club's new-found philosophy under the ownership of Todd Boehly. The interest in Gimenez and Diao is another step in that direction.

PSG have become famous for their Champions League collapses, and everything seems to be pointing the wrong way entering this year's last 16.

A similar scene unfolds every year.

A retooled PSG side gears up for a Champions League run. Players are added. A manager is hired. New formations are established, adapted and perfected against the mediocrity of Ligue 1. And then, PSG are eliminated, usually in heartbreaking fashion.

This Champions League plight is more than a curse at this point. By now, it's a routine, a familiar cycle that always comes to the same inevitable end.

And it all seems geared to go wrong once again.

This is probably the best, most complete PSG squad in years. They have a more pragmatic manager who has, at times, drawn the best out of a star-filled squad.

But as PSG prepare to face Bayern Munich in the first leg of their last-16 knockout tie on Tuesday, the warning signs are adding up. From injuries and fatigue to arguments and poor fortune, here's why it could all go wrong again…

(C)Getty ImagesMbappe's Injury

Even though Mbappe made a surprise return to training on Monday morning, his fitness should still be a massive concern for PSG. The star winger injured his hamstring on February 1, with an expected recovery time of three weeks. That he is back within 11 days is good news for manager Christophe Galtier, but also brings concern that he's been rushed.

And what kind of role will Mbappe play? It certainly seems hasty to let him start, but Galtier insisted that Mbappe isn't in the squad just to fill out numbers. A second-half introduction seems likely, but will it be worth risking their star player with a second leg coming up? And with Ligue 1 far from locked up, Galtier has a choice on his hands. An aggravation of his star player's current injury would be an absolute nightmare.

AdvertisementGettyCampos' Rant

There is allegedly trouble in the PSG camp. Sporting director Luis Campos watched the squad he assembled suffer an embarrassing loss against Monaco on Saturday, and reportedly tried to intervene. According to , Neymar, Marquinhos and Campos got into a spat following the defeat, with Campos criticising the team for a lack of effort.

Campos typically doesn't have much influence over such matters, and the fact that the sporting director is trying to meddle in day-to-day affairs with players is an alarm bell for greater dysfunction.

Getty ImagesNeymar's Antics

What to do about Neymar? At his best, the Brazilian is unplayable, and one of the best footballers on the planet. On bad days, he's a liability. This is not to say that PSG should bench Neymar, nor that he is no longer one of the world's best. And he always seems to perform in the big games.

But personal issues seem to be impacting the team's performance at the moment. He and Mbappe have dealt with well-documented tension between them, while Neymar also reportedly had a go at Vitinha and Hugo Ekitike during the loss to Monaco on the weekend.

"It happened, a little discussion, we didn't agree," the Brazilian said in a press conference about the Monaco incident. "It happens to us every day, but I love them all, it's like with my girlfriend. Football is not just love, not just friendship. There is respect but it happens to have discussions. We are not used to losing, when there are defeats, of course it disturbs us. It is part of the process to improve."

Added head coach Galtier: "When there is frustration, it has to come out. I have been leading this way for years. You have to listen to them but they also have to listen to me. There is frustration that breeds anger. We talked, I listened to them, I hope they listened to me too."

There are two sides to every story, and Neymar has tried to paint himself as a player simply raising the level of those around him with a competitive streak. But this isn't his first internal clash. He might need to pick his battles better.

At an unstable moment for the club, stars are supposed to be leaders and maintain calm. Another drama is the opposite of what PSG wanted entering the Bayern Munich showdown.

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(C)Getty imagesZiyech's transfer failure

Hakim Ziyech was never going to be the saviour of PSG's season. The winger is a fine player with a sumptuous left foot, and a hero of the Moroccan national team. But he is not the answer to all of PSG's problems.

Still, he seemed primed to be an important piece. The drop off from PSG's usual front three to Carlos Soler and Hugo Ekitike is massive. Ziyech, at the very least, should have softened the fall. But a transfer from Chelsea fell through at the last minute, with the London club failing to sort the correct paperwork before the deadline.

It left PSG without a clear option off the bench, someone who could have perhaps given Messi or Neymar a rest in the weeks leading up to the Bayern tie – or even start the contest until Mbappe is ready to enter the game.

Goal takes a look at 10 Arsenal stars who never hit the same heights after leaving the Gunners.

When Kieran Gibbs left Arsenal for West Brom after spending over 11 seasons at the club, he remarked that he would learn how to improve defensively at his new team. Arsene Wenger was asked about those comments shortly after and made an apt statement which has rung true of several players after they departed north London for pastures new.

“Once someone takes the decision to leave I wish them well and focus on my squad, but just look at the performances of the players who left us and then come back to me about it,” he said in 2017.

Goal takes a look at 10 Arsenal stars who never hit the same heights after leaving the Gunners.

Getty ImagesEmmanuel Petit

Petit joined Arsenal from Monaco in 1997 after working with Wenger when the Frenchman was manager of the Ligue 1 side. The magnificent partnership between Petit and Patrick Vieira saw him make 85 appearances in three years before deciding to join Barcelona in the summer of 2000.

However, an injury-plagued spell coupled with poor performances saw him eventually return to the Premier League with Chelsea. Three seasons later, Petit retired from professional football.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesAlex Song

Arsenal's search for a defensive midfielder was eventually narrowed down to Cameroonian star Song. He initially struggled at the heart of the Gunners midfield before being sent on loan to Charlton where he honed his defensive qualities.

In the 2011/12 season he formed an exquisite partnership with Robin van Persie when he recorded 13 assists. 

At the end of the season he joined Barcelona but struggled to get past Sergio Busquets in the team. 

Following two disappointing campaigns with Barcelona he had mixed spells at West Ham and Russian side Rubin Kazan. He now plays for FC Sion in the Swiss Super League.

Getty ImagesPatrick Vieira

Vieira won three Premier League trophies and four FA Cup titles during his nine-year stay at Arsenal, captaining the club through the 49-game unbeaten season and making over 400 appearances for the Gunners.

He left for Juventus in July 2005 after Wenger accepted that he would need to let the Frenchman go in order for Cesc Fabregas to become the new mainstay of Arsenal's midfield.

Interestingly, Vieira returned to Highbury a year later when Juventus faced Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and was culpable for one of Arsenal's goals after Robert Pires tackled him and helped set up Fabregas to score.

Spells at Inter and Manchester City followed but Vieira's quality began to diminish towards the latter stages of his career.

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Getty ImagesAlexander Hleb

An exciting pass master with the ability to create something out of nothing, Hleb was part of an impressive Arsenal team which almost won the Premier League in the 2007/08 season.

When Barcelona came calling the Belarusian couldn't say no – but it was a decision that he came to regret as he failed to impress at Camp Nou.

“At some point, I realised, ‘Oh God! I’m leaving Arsenal!’ When Arsene said that it was a matter of hours, I felt devastated. It was really hard for me to accept. He even texted me as I was fishing. ‘Alex, I won’t let you go, we need you here’. I cried when I read it.”

Hleb has since admitted that he regrets ever leaving Arsenal. Three loan spells with Stuttgart, Birmingham and Wolfsburg later, he is now back in his homeland playing for BATE Borisov.