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Shiv Thakor and Tom Taylor achieved personal milestones to put Derbyshire in a strong position on a rain-shortened second day of the Division Two match with Kent at Derby

ECB Reporters Network23-May-2016
ScorecardShiv Thakor’s century lifted Derbyshire (file photo)•Getty ImagesShiv Thakor and Tom Taylor achieved personal milestones to put Derbyshire in a strong position on a rain-shortened second day of the Division Two match with Kent at Derby.Thakor’s 130 was his first century for Derbyshire and his highest score in the Championship while Taylor made a career-best 80 as the pair added 150 in 31 overs to set a new club record for the seventh wicket against Kent.Matt Coles was the pick of the Kent bowlers, finishing with 5 for 116 from 34.5 overs and, in reply to Derbyshire’s 492, the visitors were 79 for 1 when a downpour wiped out most of the final session.Kent’s hopes of quickly polishing off the Derbyshire innings soon faded as Thakor and Taylor continued to play with freedom on a pitch which offered little encouragement for the bowlers.Thakor survived a confident appeal for a catch behind down the leg-side off Calum Haggett on 92 but there were few alarms as the pair batted through the first 20 overs of the morning. Taylor again looked the part with the bat, cutting Haggett for four to reach his maiden first-class 50 and take Derbyshire to maximum bonus batting points for the first time this season.But all the attention was on Thakor, who this season has started to show the quality that marked him out as such an exciting prospect at Leicestershire, and his celebrations when he square cut Haggett for the four to go to three figures showed just how much it meant to him.It was his second Championship century against Kent and he was only four short of his highest first-class score when he gave James Tredwell the charge and was stumped by Adam Rouse.”It was nice to get that hundred but more importantly a very good first innings total,” Thakor said. “We’ve got 19 wickets to take now and that’s the most important thing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lovely feeling but it will mean a lot more if we get those wickets over the next two days and get a win.”Taylor had gone five overs earlier, chipping Adam Ball to cover, but their partnership had swung the game in Derbyshire’s favour and left Kent with a lot of batting ahead of them to stay in the game.Although the pitch had flattened out, the new ball was always going to be a test for the Kent openers and Derbyshire were rewarded for sustained accuracy when Ben Cotton removed Daniel Bell-Drummond in the 10th over. He was squared up by a ball that bounced and left him but it still needed brilliant reactions and agility from Tom Poynton who changed direction to take the catch diving across in front of first slip.Another wicket then would have left Kent on the ropes but Sean Dickson and Joe Denly showed sound judgement and application to bat through the rest of the afternoon. Dickson pulled a loose ball from legspinner Matt Critchley for six but Derbyshire’s bowling was disciplined and the second wicket pair scored only 61 in 24 overs and when the rain arrived shortly after tea, Kent were still 412 runs adrift.Tredwell said: “They played really well, perhaps we didn’t bowl as well as we would have liked, and they started pretty well and made it hard for us to score so the morning session becomes crucial tomorrow. If we can get through that first hour and then start to build a good score then we’ll see how the game pans out after that.”

Sam Allardyce has not been at Leeds United long but has already brought in two members of staff to aid him in the Yorkshire outfit's fight against relegation.

Former MK Dons and Oxford United boss Karl Robinson joined the club as his assistant, but it is the intriguing appointment of Robbie Keane as a first-team coach which could end up having the most impact.

What impact will Keane have at Leeds?

The addition of Keane is certainly an interesting one when you consider he has worked in just three coaching roles as a player-coach at Indian side ATK, as well as assistant manager gigs with Ireland and Middlesbrough.

His last job came in 2020, but Allardyce seems confident that the former striker can have a big impact with the Yorkshire club ahead of four crucially important games.

He said: "I've known Robbie for quite a while, and we've talked on many occasions about him getting into coaching, and I've worked with him at Soccer Aid a few times and all that, so I really, really liked his personality.

"In my mind [he is here] to come in and give everybody a lift, not just by his coaching methods for the front men particularly and the strikers, because obviously goals are very important, but also the fact that he is Leeds through and through – he loves the place."

Keane certainly knows his way around Elland Road, having scored 18 goals in 56 appearances for the club between 2001/02, so shouldn't have any trouble adjusting to life back at the club.

His impressive goalscoring record across his career, which saw him hit over 300 career goals across spells with Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and LA Galaxy among others, suggests that he could be the man to revitalise Patrick Bamford, who has struggled for consistency across the last two campaigns.

Could Keane revitalise Patrick Bamford?

After hitting a phenomenal 17 goals and seven assists in his debut Premier League campaign with Leeds in 2020/21, which saw him earn an England call-up, fans will have been hoping to see Bamford kick on and become a consistent goalscorer at the top level.

Unfortunately, injuries and poor form have plagued the former Chelsea youngster across the last two campaigns, with just six goals to his name in a combined 34 Premier League appearances.

This season has seen him average a shocking 6.40 rating from WhoScored for his performances, while Understat suggests that he has underperformed on his expected goals by a worrying 4.73, which is comfortably the worst return of his career.

Allardyce's main focus may be on fixing Leeds' leaky defence but if Keane can pass on some of his goalscoring nous to Bamford and get him firing again, then his goals could be the difference between survival and relegation.

Tottenham Hotspur are 'dealing' with Julian Nagelsmann and have asked him for a summer commitment, according to Sky Sports Germany.

What's the latest on Nagelsmann?

The 35-year-old is a hot property and major target for Spurs, with reports suggesting that he is their number one priority to replace Antonio Conte.

Chairman Daniel Levy is still on the lookout for Conte's successor well over a month after both the club and Italian parted company, but it is believed the likes of Vincent Kompany and Arne Slot are also in their thinking.

After being surprisingly sacked by Bayern, Nagelsmann is a free agent and readily-available for hire, and Spurs could even have a free run at trying to hire him after his talks to join Chelsea fell through.

The Premier League top four outside hopefuls must get their next appointment right or potentially risk more backlash from the fanbase, who have already protested the ownership of ENIC and Levy.

Spurs have seen two interim managers take the reins since Conte's departure, with Cristian Stellini being relieved of his duties after a 6-1 humiliation against Newcastle United.

Ryan Mason is overseeing the squad until the end of this season as Levy works on a permanent managerial appointment in the background – and Sky Germany have shared an update on their pursuit of Nagelsmann.

The reliable broadcaster claims Spurs are 'dealing' with the ex-RB Leipzig coach behind-the-scenes have 'asked' him for a summer commitment as they make an approach. There have not yet been concrete negotiations, though, and Nagelsmann apparently wants clarity over his role and in terms of control over transfers.

It's reiterated that he will not go to Chelsea, but the unanswered questions at Spurs means Nagelsmann is 'waiting' to fully commit.

What could Nagelsmann bring to Spurs?

As well as being one of the most exciting managers in Europe, having already clinched a league title at his young age, he's also been called 'crazy' by members of the media like BBC Sport Writer Raj Chohan for some of his in-game tacticial decisions.

Just before Bayern relieved Nagelsmann of his duties, Joshua Kimmich raved over the manager, claiming he is among the best coaches he's ever had, explaining to the media:

"I can only say that Julian Nagelsmann is an outstanding coach. Really, I’ve had a lot of coaches and a lot of top coaches and despite that, I’d say he’s easily in the top three of my best coaches."

He would also bring an intense, attacking style to Tottenham which would surely excite supporters.

Liverpool have struggled to maintain their high standards this season with months of inconsistent performances and injuries to key players plaguing their ability to challenge both domestically and in Europe.

The Reds were quickly knocked out of every opportunity to add another trophy to their illustrious collection and are now struggling in the Premier League too, with the side currently nine points adrift of a Champions League qualifying spot inside the top four with just seven games remaining.

Indeed, Jurgen Klopp has had to contend with a number of injuries this season, as the likes of Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, Thiago Alcantara and Naby Keita have all sustained long-term injuries at various stages of the campaign, and now the German coach has been dealt another blow ahead of the final few weeks.

The Liverpool manager took to his pre-match press conference ahead of the Nottingham Forest clash at Anfield to reveal that Roberto Firmino has suffered a muscle injury and will miss at least three fixtures:

“Unfortunately, Bobby picked up a muscle issue a little bit,”

“We will see how long that takes. It’s not too serious but he is definitely out for tomorrow and next week we have two more games, I would say they are impossible as well and then we will see. We have to take it day by day.”

Whilst the Brazilian's contributions will be sorely missed over the upcoming week of congested fixtures for the Reds, it is a massive opportunity for Cody Gakpo to settle into Firmino's famous false nine role over the remainder of the season.

Is Cody Gakpo the rightful Firmino heir?

The versatile Dutchman has had a slow start since his arrival on Merseyside in January, considering he was one of the most prolific forwards in Europe with 13 goals and 17 assists tallied up for PSV Eindhoven in all competitions in the first half of the season.

However, it would be unfair to criticise Gakpo's impact as he has had to settle into a team that was already struggling for consistency in their performances, and Klopp's strong desire for the player to take on a slightly different role than he was used to in the Netherlands has perhaps hindered his ability to hit the ground running.

Despite earning most of his experience on the left flank over his career so far, the £120k-per-week ace – hailed "impressive" by journalist Declan Carr – has been mostly deployed in the centre-forward role for Liverpool and started to make the role his own in the monumental 7-0 victory over Manchester United last month.

His pressing skills in the three-man press against the Red Devils' defence helped him to become massively disruptive out of possession and seek out pockets of space in progressive areas of the pitch, which led to him finding the back of the net twice with his opener in the seven-goal thriller unravelling his opponents.

This snippet of Gakpo's style of play at Anfield mirrors that of Firmino, who has become famously renowned for his selfless yet impactful style of play in the false nine, which has been a key component to the outstanding success that Liverpool have achieved in the last half a decade.

Now with Firmino unavailable for selection and out of contract this summer, it is the perfect chance for Gakpo to make the role his own and mould his skillset to become a real force of nature in the position ahead of next season.

Not only that, but Gakpo's Netherlands team-mate Virgil van Dijk revealed that Firmino has been working with the newly-signed player to help him to understand the important role:

"It’s a very difficult position to play, but he learns from one of the best each and every day with Bobby Firmino,"

"The winter isn’t an easy time to come to a club but Cody is settling in very well. He has to keep going, keep the confidence, keep the belief. I think he will be fine for this club. He’s a fantastic player."

With that being said, it will be interesting to see whether Gakpo will completely clone Firmino's difficult-to-grasp position or instead put his personal touch on the attacking threat with a less selfless approach in front of goal than his predecessor.

Either way, it is a bittersweet time for Liverpool supporters as they bid farewell to a club legend after nine years of impeccable service and welcome the next generation of talent who will hopefully bring more success to the red side of Merseyside.

Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney has won even more fans after he took BT Sport to task with a funny online post ahead of the club’s recent match.

What’s the latest Wrexham news?

The Red Dragons managed to secure promotion back into the Football League tonight when they managed to Boreham Wood 3-1.

Opposition player Lee Ndlovu scored inside the first minute but Elliot Lee managed to equalise for Wrexham before Paul Mullin scored twice to secure the 3-1 win.

Ahead of the game, however, BT Sport shared a tweet which showed McElhenney and fellow co-owner and Hollywood A-lister Ryan Reynolds in prominent positions.

Evidently not wanting to take any of the credit away from his players, McElhenney playfully scolded BT for not putting all the focus on the likes of Luke Young, Ollie Palmer, Ben Foster and Mullin.

Indeed, he replied with an edited image to include the four Wrexham stars as he wrote: “Fixed it for you.”

​​​​It seems the club has never been far from the drama in recent times and this was well summed up in their draw away at Barnet last week.

Indeed, defender Callum McFadzean and manager Phil Parkinson were both sent off – which drew plenty of reaction from fans online.

That 0-0 draw left them one point closer to promotion and they completed their task with three points against Boreham Wood tonight.

Regardless of what happened, though, it seems as if their owners are doing things the right way and this was brilliantly summed up by McElhenney’s recent post.

Supporters on Twitter certainly seemed to agree. Here are some of the best reactions…

The praise didn’t stop there…

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy remains a big admirer of Brendan Rodgers and he is a name who is unlikely to fade away over the coming weeks/months.

Could Spurs hire Brendan Rodgers?

The north London club have spent the last few weeks without a permanent manager at the helm with Cristian Stellini overseeing the Lilywhites until the end of the season.

This is a decision which has not paid off in the slightest with Spurs' Champions League pursuit in danger of coming off the rails over the coming week.

Dismal results against Everton and Bournemouth have set Tottenham back in the top-four race and games against Newcastle United, Manchester United and Liverpool could all but seal their fate.

Amid their struggles on the pitch, Spurs are also believed to be competing alongside Chelsea for a number of their reported managerial targets.

However, one name which is believed to still be on the radar of Levy is the former Leicester City boss, Rodgers, who also found himself without a job just a matter of weeks ago.

And speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast, insider Graeme Bailey has claimed the 50-year-old's name is one which Levy holds in high regard:

(18:15) "There are others in this process as well. Arne Slot at Feyenoord doing a wonderful job over there. He's going to be in contention, turned down Leeds in January when Jesse Marsch left, he turned them down.

"Vincent Kompany doing a fine job at Burnley he's in contention and Brendan Rodgers, his name won't go away. Keep an eye on him, guys. He is much loved by Daniel Levy."

Could Rodgers be a good match for Spurs?

There have been a number of managerial changes over the last month or so with Chelsea and Leicester also bringing in interim managers until the end of the campaign.

It would have been fascinating to see Spurs potentially source an interim manager from outside the club to bring in some fresh ideas.

Under Stellini, Spurs have failed to impress and a lot of that ma be credited to the Italian sticking to the methods he has learned under Antonio Conte by fielding unchanged starting line-ups.

Leicester brought in Dean Smith to oversee their remaining games, which begs the question of whether Spurs could have potentially done the same with Rodgers.

On the back of a dismal campaign with the Foxes, the Northern Irishman now has a lot to prove if he is to get a big job in the future.

By hiring him until the end of the campaign, Tottenham could have provided Rodgers with an opportunity to bring a new perspective to this Spurs side as they look to secure a spot in the top four.

And had Rodgers impressed during the remaining games of the season, then perhaps he may have found himself in a more favourable position to land the job on a permanent basis.

However, Spurs chose to stick to what they know and it has certainly not paid off after failing to beat either relegation-battling side Everton or Bournemouth.

Tottenham Hotspur may have been gifted a boost in their managerial search with target Oliver Glasner reportedly set to leave Eintracht Frankfurt.

What's the latest on Glasner to Spurs?

The Austrian is attracting real interest from Spurs and chairman Daniel Levy with reports suggesting there have already been certain moves made behind the scenes. Indeed, it has been claimed by reliable German sources like Bild that the north Londoners have contacted Glasner's agents ahead of a possible move.

Eintracht's boss joins a plethora of other managers on Spurs' list to replace Antonio Conte with Mauricio Pochettino, Luis Enrique, Julian Nagelsmann and Zinedine Zidane all linked with a move to Hotspur Way. Meanwhile, the likes of Feyenoord's Arne Slot and even Christophe Galtier of Paris-Saint Germain are on Tottenham's radar.

The search for Conte's replacement is set to be an intriguing one, not least because of Chelsea's presence, who could provide stiff competition to Spurs amid their quest to find an heir for Graham Potter. The west Londoners have appointed Frank Lampard on an interim basis until the end of the season but will continue interviewing permanent managerial candidates in the background.

Back to Tottenham, a report by Sky Sports Germany correspondent Florian Plettenberg may have just given the Lilywhites a boost in their pursuit of Glasner.

It is now believed that the 48-year-old is set to depart his current club at the end of the season, with Plettenberg of the belief that Glasner 'will say goodbye' to Frankfurt following the conclusion of the 2022/2023 campaign.

Could Glasner succeed at Spurs?

The Austrian has done a solid job with Frankfurt, perhaps most notably winning the Europa League last season at the expense of Scottish giants Rangers.

Glasner's trophy-winning pedigree begins and ends there, but we believe he could still be a real dark horse contender for the Spurs job.

Often deploying a 3-4-2-1 formation, Spurs players accustomed to Conte's three-at-the-back system could seemingly find the transition to Glasner's methodology slightly less demanding as a result.

Bundesliga bosses like Marco Rose have also praised Glasner's intense and aggressive brand of football, stating:

"Oliver Glasner's intense and aggressive football has brought big success to Frankfurt. They have solutions in and out of possession. Their centre forward is incredible and they have a lot of good players."

If Tottenham cannot seal moves for big-name targets like Pochettino or Nagelsmann, we wouldn't discount Glasner whatsoever.

Injury expert Ben Dinnery has claimed that it's "good news" Chelsea forward Kai Havertz is only out with illness as opposed to picking up a bad injury.

What's the latest on Kai Havertz and Chelsea?

The German had started his national team's friendly against Peru during the international break but wasn't able to feature in the following game against Belgium.

Indeed, he was sent home after picking up an illness and travelled home while his compatriots lost 3-2 in their second friendly of the break.

Seeing as the likes of Raheem Sterling, Edouard Mendy, Reece James, Mason Mount and many others have all been fitness doubts of late, Dinnery has claimed that it's "good news" the player likely won't be out long, if at all.

While speaking on FPL Injuries, the expert explained his line of thinking.

He said: "Kai Havertz is one of the latest additions to that Chelsea treatment table. Thankfully, this isn't injury-related, this is more of an illness that released him from the German camp.

"And while we can never give any kind of definitive recovery times just to the very nature of the player responses and the typical virus, it certainly is good news within the fact that it isn't a muscle problem or an injury that he's picked up."

What has Havertz been saying about Chelsea?

Interestingly enough, the £150,000-per-week star has recently been speaking in the press about arriving at Chelsea for such big money.

Indeed, he told The Guardian: "For me, the price was a big thing. I was Chelsea’s most expensive player. I don’t understand how so much money is paid but it is normal in football: look at our recent transfers. That brings pressure because people think you are Messi. I was still 20, 21.

"People don’t see that; they see the price so you have to be great from day one. You can feel it, the tension. You read it, hear it."

The player has at least been able to find some good form of late, scoring three goals in the last three games – across the Premier League and the Champions League – before coming into the break.

As it isn't a bad injury, hopefully, he can recover from this flu and get back on the pitch before too long to help maintain this purple patch. The Blues will certainly need him if they want to end the season on a high.

Manchester City have joined the race to sign Bayer Leverkusen sensation Florian Wirtz this summer, according to journalist Graeme Bailey.

The Lowdown: City make plans…

Despite the threat of Premier League sanctions looming over Pep Guardiola’s side, a verdict will not be reached for quite some time, so it’s business as usual for the champions.

City are reportedly making transfer plans behind-the-scenes amid their challenges for a third-consecutive domestic crown, potential Champions League title and FA Cup.

Jude Bellingham, who is also being heavily courted by the likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid, is one player well and truly on Guardiola’s radar.

As well as the Borussia Dortmund superstar, City have been linked with moves for the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Declan Rice as possible midfield alternatives.

In terms of forwards, Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is reportedly attracting attention from Eastlands as he continues to make waves in Serie A.

The Latest: City join Wirtz transfer race…

According to reporter Bailey, writing for 90min, another transfer target can be added to Guardiola’s list as City join the race to sign Wirtz from Leverkusen.

The 19-year-old has reignited City’s interest after he was on their radar a while ago with the attacking midfield ace also having plenty of other admirers.

Arsenal, Tottenham, Newcastle, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Dortmund are named as interested parties.

While Bailey stats Leverkusen do not envisage him leaving this summer, he also suggests that a ‘sizeable’ offer could sway them if they fail to climb the Bundesliga table.

The Verdict: Major talent…

The £62 million-rated teenager is drawing many suitors for good reason – he is a sensational talent who could be destined for a move to England.

Wirtz is seen by many as one of Europe’s most exciting young players and is now back in the Germany national team fold after nine months recovering from a knee ligament injury.

Wirtz has been unable to showcase his ability for the last year but is now starting to rediscover his potential – registering four assists in nine league matches since returning.

Only Jeremie Frimpong has averaged a higher match rating per 90 domestically than Wirtz who also ranks in Leverkusen’s top two for key passes made and successful take-ons (WhoScored).

Called ‘phenomenal’ for his calmness by defender Jonathan Tah, Wirtz’s quality is perhaps summed up by comparisons with Lionel Messi – with former Liverpool midfielder and Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso claiming he boasts similar qualities.

Arsenal enjoyed a near decade of success under Arsene Wenger between 1996 and 2006, with the Frenchman changing the landscape of English football while leading the Gunners to three Premier League titles and four FA Cups, coming close to European glory on two occasions also.

His success in the transfer market was key to all of this, managing to sign players such as Thierry Henry, Marc Overmars and Sol Campbell and turn them into the finest on the continent within their respective positions which made Arsenal a club to be feared.

His final decade wasn’t as enjoyable, with the manager seemingly losing his touch when it came to transfers. Lucas Perez, Calum Chambers and Gervinho all arrived for fees which probably didn’t reflect their actual ability, and they struggled to live up to expectations.

One of his worst signings however was that of Sébastien Squillaci, who rinsed the club during his stint in London.

How much did Sébastien Squillaci cost Arsenal?

The Frenchman arrived at the Gunners in the summer of 2010 for a fee of £4m from La Liga side Sevilla, and it looked as though it could be another Wenger masterclass in the transfer market.

Here was a defender who had won two Ligue 1 titles with Lyon while also claiming a Spanish Cup with Sevilla and had represented France on 21 occasions, including at the 2010 World Cup and arrived with considerable pedigree.

His spell with the Gunners would be an unequivocal disaster. His first season saw the player make 32 appearances and score twice, yet over the next two campaigns he would make just seven appearances across all competitions all while collecting wages reported to be around £50k-per-week in the process.

He twice clashed heads with fellow defender Laurent Koscielny and was sent off against Huddersfield in the FA Cup during his spell at the club and Wenger finally lost patience with the defender, as his performances left much to be desired.

The former Lyon centre-back left the North Londoners in the summer of 2013, returning to France to join SC Bastia and across his 148-week spell under Wenger, Squillaci rinsed the club for £11.8m (his £4m transfer fee plus £7.8m in wages earned during that spell) and it’s clear this money could have been spent on other areas.

His signing proved to be a colossal waste of money and Wenger’s final years were littered with such transfers. Thankfully, Mikel Arteta looks to be signing players who will only add quality to the Arsenal side.