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When West Bromwich Albion resigned Romaine Sawyers for around £2.88m back in 2019, hopes at The Hawthorns were extremely high for the Baggies academy product.

Indeed, the 29-year-old had just enjoyed an impressive season with Brentford, providing six assists, creating two big chances and averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.89 over his 42 Championship appearances for the Bees.

This initially appeared to be form that Sawyers would continue for Albion, with the midfielder turning in a number of solid performances during his first season back in the West Midlands, scoring one goal, registering one assist and averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.80 over his 42 Championship fixtures in 2019/20.

The Saint Kitts and Nevis international’s partner in the middle of the pitch, Jake Livermore, also seemed to be extremely impressed with the ability of Sawyers, with the West Brom captain stating back in 2019: “He is fantastic. I love the boy as a kid and I love him as a player. I love playing alongside him. He is a nice calming influence. I think we bounce off each other quite well.

“He was at West Brom as a kid and credit to them because he has been fantastic since he has come back. I back him to be a real, real top player and I have played with a few. But I back him to be as good as anyone I have played with, to be honest. And I mean that.”

However, upon the Baggies’ promotion to the top flight, things started to take a turn for the worst for the £1.8m-rated midfielder.

Indeed, over his 19 Premier League appearances the following season, Sawyers failed to have any real impact for Albion, scoring no goals, registering no assists and earning an extremely disappointing seasonal SofaScore match rating of just 6.47 – ranking him as the club’s joint-worst performer in the league.

This is a trend that has continued for the £10k-per-week man in the current campaign, as, after being bombed out of the Albion side by Valerien Ismael this summer, the 29-year-old has failed to impress over his eight Championship appearances while on loan at Stoke City, scoring no goals, registering just one assist and averaging an extremely shoddy SofaScore match rating of 6.58.

As such, despite signs of early promise upon his return to West Bromwich a little over two years ago, Sawyers’ poor displays at the bet365 Stadium, coupled with the fact that his contract at The Hawthorns expires next summer, could well indicate that the academy product has played his final game for the club.

In other news: Forget Bartley: WBA’s £36k-p/w “leader” who made just 4 passes failed Ismael once more

سخر لاعب فريق أستون فيلا السابق جابي أجبونلاهور، من المدير الفني لفريق ليفربول، يورجن كلوب، بعد تصريحات الأخير ضده في مؤتمر صحفي يوم الجمعة.

وظهر كلوب في مؤتمر صحفي يوم الجمعة استعدادًا لملاقاة مانشستر يونايتد يوم الإثنين القادم، في قمة منافسات الجولة الثالثة من الدوري الإنجليزي على ملعب “الأولد ترافورد”.

وانتقد كلوب التصريحات التي أدلى بها أجبونلاهور بعد خسارة مانشستر يونايتد برباعية نظيفة أمام برينتفورد، في الجولة الماضية من الدوري الإنجليزي.

ورأى كلوب أن أجبونلاهور، الذي كان ينتقد غياب عقلية الفوز عن لاعبي مانشستر يونايتد، قد نسى أنه لم يكن هو نفسه يتمتع بالعقلية الشرسة على الملعب عندما خسر فريقه بستة أهداف دون رد أمام الريدز.

ويبدو أن الأمر لن يتوقف بين الثنائي، حيث نشر أجبونلاهور عبر حسابه الشخصي بموقع إنستجرام صورة له بعدما سجل هدف الفوز لفريق أستون فيلا أمام ليفربول في ملعب الأنفيلد.

وكتب أجبونلاهور في منشوره: “استرجاع لما حدث يوم جمعة، عقلية تسجيل هدف الفوز على ملعب الأنفيلد”.

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A post shared by Gabriel Agbonlahor (@ga11official)

وفاز أستون فيلا في تلك المباراة بفضل هدف أجبونلاهور، وذلك موسم 2013/14 من منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam believes Pakistan have put behind them, the loss to India two years ago

Nagraj Gollapudi03-Jun-2009
Pakistan’s agonising defeat to India in the final of the World Twenty20 in 2007, Alam believes, is well behind them © Getty Images
Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam believes his team is now mentally equipped to handle any sort of situation and has grown stronger from the disappointment suffered two years ago in the inaugural World Twenty20 final, which they lost to arch-rivals India by just five runs.”I was commentating when we lost and it was very disappointing,” Alam said after the team’s training session on Tuesday evening, ahead of the warm-up game against India at The Oval, which will be their final practice fixture before the tournament proper begins on Friday.Alam hopes the players involved in that pulsating final two years ago, played in front of a sellout crowd at the Wanderers, have learnt from that episode and moved on. Back then Pakistan needed 54 from 24 balls with only three wickets in hand but Misbah-ul-Haq almost turned the game on its head with some sumptuous strokeplay. 13 were needed off the final over and Misbah punished the inexperienced Joginder Sharma with a huge six to an easy full toss. But on the third ball, trying to scoop it over fine leg, he miscued and was caught by Sreesanth.”I’m sure the boys and Misbah have got over what happened in the final two years ago. And after two years we are now more mentally prepared to handle such a situation,” Alam said.Alam is also not worried by the fact that none of the Pakistan players featured in the second IPL, as they were barred by the PCB from playing the tournament in the wake of the tensions between India and Pakistan post 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. When the tournament was moved out of India – over security reasons – the Pakistan players were hopeful of returning but IPL officials said it wouldn’t be possible as the squads had already been finalised earlier. “Our players not figuring in the IPL has no bearing in this tournament,” Alam said.Pakistan haven’t played much cricket of late apart from the ODI series against Australia in the UAE. The rustiness of their players was pretty evident in Monday’s practice game against South Africa, which Pakistan lost by 59 runs. Except for offspinner Saeed Ajmal, who bowled economically and opener Ahmed Shehzad, who made 31, none of the Pakistan players showed any sort of form. Alam admitted the players were still coming to terms with foreign conditions and there is no way out except to understand each player’s responsibility. “We are still settling down. I wasn’t really proud of our performance yesterday. It takes at least a week’s preparation for a team to get attuned to the conditions but there is nothing to be worried about.”According to Alam, for Pakistan to become consistent the key is their senior players, starting with their captain Younis Khan, need to perform. “I’m expecting a great deal from Younis Khan. Then we have people like Salman Butt, Misbah, Shahid Afridi, who can hit the ball and are tailor-made for this kind of cricket.”Afridi, never shy of speaking his mind, said he would want to make the same impact like in the previous World Twenty20, where he was one of the top bowlers. “I was one of the best bowlers in the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup. I will do my best once again and I’ve been doing well with the ball in the last few years for Pakistan. As for the batting, I know people expect a lot from me and luckily I’ve had a few decent knocks against Australia recently.”

Cricinfo previews the Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings in the run-up to the second edition of the IPL, which begins in South Africa from April 18

Sriram Veera17-Apr-2009Tyron Henderson of Rajasthan has good control over the slower ones and is a hard hitter•Getty Images

RajasthanThey were last season’s Cinderella team: Written off at the start, but drawing fans as they embarked on a fairy-tale run that improbably went all the way. They will face the pressure of being the defending champions this time around – but then they have a leader who thrives on pressure. It won’t be all smooth sailing, though. Shane Watson is available only as a batsman, and that too for just two weeks, and Sohail Tanvir will be sorely missed. Tyron Henderson, the hardhitting allrounder, will do his best to fill that hole; Dimitri Mascarenhas and Graeme Smith should be available for the entire season.The buzzIt’s all about Warne (with apologies to Shilpa Shetty). He has spoken about the past, the present, and the future of this format. He has thrown darts at his old friend John Buchannan, talked about his friendship with Graeme Smith and has embraced South Africa while expressing sorrow over the loss of India as the venue. Meanwhile, he has quietly picked new faces, discarded the likes of Mohammad Kaif, taken his team to see Australia-South Africa ODI games and generally continued being the team’s undisputed marketing and cricketing guru.New faces Tyron Henderson, bought for $650,000, is an impact player in this format and Shaun Tait, while not quite possessing the consistency of Tanvir, can do damage in a four-over spell. Indeed, one of the success stories of this season could be the Warne’s handling of the fragile Tait. Morne Morkel and Justin Langer are also available. Rob Quiney, the hard-hitting Victoria top-order batsman, has been picked as an uncapped signing; other signings include Victoria’s fast bowler Shane Harwood and Queensland allrounder Lee Carseldine.Watch out forHenderson. He can be the Watson of this edition. He hits the length, has a good control over the slower ones and is a hard hitter. And he will be playing at home.Missing in actionSohail Tanvir. The highest wicket-taker last year and a superb death-over specialist, he will also be missed for his useful lower-order batting.X Factor Kamran Khan, a left-arm slinger kept under wraps by Warne. It will be interesting to see how Warne uses him. Will he play him only in select games?StrengthA very well-balanced team with the emphasis on batting. They have quality in Graeme Smith, players like Ravindra Jadeja, Yusuf Pathan and Henderson who can hit out against the spinners and medium pacers, and a steady bowling attack in Warne, Munaf Patel, Sidharth Trivedi and Jadeja. And they have weeded out players like Kaif who weren’t 100% last season.WeaknessThe absence of Tanvir and Watson (he’ll play only as a batsman) from the bowling is a concern. But not many expected the injury-prone Watson to be so effective with the ball last season. Time for Henderson and Tait to step up. PREDICTION FOR 2009 Should make it to the semi-finals. At that stage, their bowling might crack under pressure.IPL 2008 – The key figures: Final position: WinnersTop scorer: Shane Watson with 472 runs at 47.20Top wicket-taker: Sohail Tanvir 22 at 12.09 and economy rate of 7.07Best result: 105-run win over DelhiWorst result: Delhi won by nine wicketsHighest team score: 217 for 7 v Deccan ChargersLowest team score: 103 v MumbaiChennaiLook out for Suresh Raina’s beautiful strikes over extra-cover•Getty Images

They were a pretty solid outfit last year: The batting was impressive with Matthew Hayden and Michael Hussey in full form though the bowling botched up a few times. They have strengthened it this year with the inclusion of Andrew Flintoff, though only for the first half. It will be interesting to see which four foreigners play. If Flintoff goes in with Makhaya Ntini, Albie Morkel, and Matthew Hayden, we might see Muralitharan, who wasn’t so effective last year, sit out with the offspinner R Ashwin, who was the highest wicket-taker in the Challenger series, playing alongside L Balaji and Manpreet Gony.The buzz It’s been a pretty professional, low-profile show so far – just as it was last year. They announced very early the redesignation of Stephen Fleming as a mentor, rolled out a new team song early, and hit South Africa early as well for their camp. In the auction they got what they wanted – Flintoff.New facesFlintoff, Thilan Thushara, and the Tasmanian George Bailey, who might not be used much.Watch out for Suresh Raina. He was just ahead of Rohit Sharma in the pecking order before India’s series against Sri Lanka began but rocketed ahead by the end of the New Zealand series. Look out for his beautiful strikes over extra-cover. Not many in the world play it better than him.Missing in actionMichael Hussey, though he has said he will be available for semi-finals if needed. Barring Hussey and Flintoff, all their foreign players are available for the full season.X Factor Stephen Fleming the coach. This is his first stint in this role but, if you believe Suresh Raina, he was a great help in developing mental skills. Raina spoke about the dinner meetings last year when Fleming would take him and the young players and offer advice. Post-IPL, we might see the rise of Fleming the coach in the international arena.StrengthBatting. The middle-order in particular is really strong with Raina, Dhoni, S Badrinath, Flintoff and Albie Morkel. And discount Matthew Hayden, who hit a frenetic 35-ball 65 in the warm-up game, at your peril. He is fit and will have a point to prove after his tame exit from the international arena.WeaknessWho will open with Hayden? Parthiv Patel averaged 27.45 with a strike rate of 101.68 but was not used in all games. Will they use M Vijay and is he suited for this format? And one has to wait and watch if Manpreet Gony can repeat his dream season.PREDICTION FOR 2009Should make it to the semi-finalsIPL 2008 – The key figures:Final position: Runners-upTop scorer: Raina with 421 at 38.27Top wicket-taker: Albie Morkel: 17 wickets at 23.47 and an economy rate of 8.31 and Manpreet Gony: 17 wickets at a higher average but an economy rate of 7.38Best result: Nine-wicket win over PunjabWorst result: 9-wicket loss to MumbaiHighest team score: 240 for 5 v PunjabLowest team score: 109 v Rajasthan

Arsenal were among a number of clubs who were left furious following Newcastle United’s official takeover, according to The Daily Mail, and plenty of Gunners fans have been reacting on social media to the club’s stance.

Newcastle are now owned by Saudi-led consortium PIF, who purchased the club from Mike Ashley in a deal worth £305m which went through on Friday.

The Daily Mail claimed that Arsenal, along with Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham, all tried to stop the takeover from going through.

The Guardian shared a report on Friday evening claiming that the other 19 top-flight clubs, including Stan Kroenke-owned Arsenal, now want to know what changed for the Premier League to wave through a takeover with little notice.

Arsenal fans react

Well-known Arsenal page @AFTVMedia shared the story of Arsenal’s attempts to stop a Newcastle takeover on Twitter on Monday afternoon. Here is what these Gunners fans had to say in reply, with some taking a shot at their own club’s unpopular ownership…

“Rich billionaires jealous that a richer billionaire has been able to do what they’ve done. Pathetic. If they cared about the future of Arsenal they would have invested & ensured we was run properly the last decade.”

Credit: @NLondon_is_Red

“what a disgrace!”

Credit: @aditwp

“Sell the club then”

Credit: @90minafc

“Absolute greed. Unbelievable.”

Credit: @ferguspateman

“Lol, absolute nonsense”

Credit: @juzz_18

“They are all crazy”

Credit: @AdeboyBilly

In other news: ‘Omg’ – Lots of Arsenal fans ‘buzzing’ as ‘massive’ news is confirmed

Chris Broad landed back in Manchester and launched a stinging attack on the security in Lahore at the time of yesterday’s attack which left eight people dead, while expressing his concern that the incident sounds a ‘death knell’ for cricket in Pakistan

Cricinfo staff04-Mar-2009
Chris Broad: ‘We were promised high level security and in our hour of need that security vanished. There was not a sign of a policeman anywhere’ © PA Photos
Chris Broad landed back in Manchester and launched a stinging attack on the security in Lahore at the time of yesterday’s attack which left eight people dead, while expressing his concern that the incident sounds a ‘death knell’ for cricket in Pakistan.Broad, who was the ICC’s match referee for the Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the city, accused the Pakistani authorities of leaving match officials as “sitting ducks” and claiming that players and officials arriving for the Test were not offered sufficient protection despite assurances given by the Pakistan board.”I’m angry with the Pakistani security forces,” Broad said. “We were promised high level security and in our hour of need that security vanished. There was not a sign of a policeman anywhere. They had clearly gone, left the scene and left us to be sitting ducks. I had an inkling before the Test match leg of the tour that something might happen. I certainly didn’t think this was going to happen.”Broad’s claims that he had flagged concerns about the security before the start of the series will raise issues. “I raised my concerns with the ICC before the tour started and they passed on those concerns to the Pakistan board. They assured me through e-mail that all security would be taken care of, presidential-style security. And clearly that didn’t happen.”When we were in the van we weren’t aware of what was going on outside. But after the incident when you watch the TV pictures you can clearly see the white van we were in, next to the ambulance in the middle of a roundabout, with terrorists shooting into our van and past our van and not a sign of a policeman anywhere.”Broad has been praised for throwing himself on top of fellow official Ahsan Raza as the vehicle they were travelling in came under fire. “I am not a hero,” he said. “Most of us were just waiting for a bullet to hit us.”Raza was shot in the back during the attack and rushed to Lahore’s Service hospital for surgery on a collapsed right lung and a damaged liver. Hospital staff said the operation was successful.Raza’s family members have said he is recovering fast and is likely to be released from the intensive care unit in the next two to three days.Broad went on to say that some of the security forces fled when the shooting started. “At some stage … someone opened the door of the van and an elite policeman threw himself inside and lay on top of me. That wasn’t particularly brave. When the shooting stopped, I shouted at him to drive us away but he said: ‘I don’t drive.'”For all Broad’s anger at the security concerns, he was just as dismayed at the impact that the attack could have on the future of cricket in the country. “They have a lot of very talented cricketers, and I feel sorry for the cricketers and for the cricket-mad public of Pakistan,” he said. “But this is a bit of a death knell for cricket in Pakistan and I feel sorry for those people. I can’t see it going on for the foreseeable future.”Ijaz Butt, the chairman [of the PCB] has come out and said that friends will come to Pakistan but I don’t think they have any friends in world cricket that will go to Pakistan after this has happened. Sri Lanka were a friendly country – they wanted to go, they wanted to support Pakistan. I don’t think they will be going back and certainly India, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa won’t be keen.”Broad said the ICC would, in future, possibly have to take more direct responsibility for security arrangements rather than leaving matters to individual boards. “There are countries who have their own security experts,” he said. “I know England have Reg Dickason from Australia. Dickason didn’t think Pakistan was safe for anyone to go to. He was amazed the Sri Lanka tour went ahead. But he’s not advising Sri Lanka.”Maybe there’s something for the ICC to look at – that they themselves take the safety concerns into consideration and make the decisions.”

Many Wolves fans have been left fuming as some ratings for their players in the video game FIFA 22 have been ‘leaked’.

The makers of FIFA 22 have been ‘leaking’ ratings of some players ahead of the game’s launch, with Lionel Messi being the highest-rated player at 93.

Talking Wolves have now shared some ‘leaked’ ratings for some Molineux players, with the highest rating being given to Raul Jimenez at 83.

Several Wolves fans are particularly angry at the ratings rumoured to be given to Ruben Neves (82), Pedro Neto (78) and Adama Traore (78), as they feel those figures are not a true reflection on the players’ ability.

Nonetheless, it will no doubt be interesting to see how their ratings compare to other players in the Premier League once the full game is released.

Wolves fans on FIFA 22 ratings

These supporters of the Molineux club fumed as the rumoured ratings were shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that Traore’s rating is ‘insane’:

“Neto at 78 is a DISGRACE by the way”

Credit: @ry_mcflyy

“Neto at 78 is a complete joke.”

Credit: @cpj93070

“Neto 78, Adama 78 and Neves 82. Jokers”

Credit: @kyleprentice99

“FIFA only bothers with the big teams. If Neto had gone to Liverpool in the summer he would be 83.”

Credit: @Ashley19345299

“78 for Traore is insane”

Credit: @ChrisSuarez26

“Neves not 87+ is no joke genuinely criminal”

Credit: @JHayess8

In other news, find out what Bruno Lage comments have left these Wolves fans gushing

Steven Gerrard has provided an update on Rangers centre-forward Alfredo Morelos’ injury situation.

What’s the latest?

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has confirmed that Alfredo Morelos was rested from the start against Motherwell to protect him from aggravating his hamstring injury.

The Gers head coach has revealed that he had a tight hamstring after the defeat to Lyon and that he did not want to risk him on Sunday.

He told Rangers TV, via the Glasgow Times:

“Alfredo Morelos has had a bit of a tight hamstring I don’t think it would have been sensible to throw him into this game.

“We have important games to come so I wanted to protect him from himself today.”

Fans will be delighted

Rangers fans will surely be delighted to hear this update from Gerrard as it confirms that Morelos’ issue will not prevent him from starting in the next few matches. He played the final 15 minutes off the bench and fans could be forgiven for thinking that was a sign that he may not be 100% fit for a couple of games as he was not able to play a significant portion of the match after his injury.

However, Gerrard has made it clear that he was simply being protected ahead of other important matches. This means that Morelos could find himself back in the starting XI against Dundee at the weekend, assuming he is also rested for the League Cup match against Livingston on Wednesday to get him fully up to speed.

Morelos has one goal and one assist in five league appearances for Rangers this season, but his previous record in the division suggests that he will hit the goal trail sooner rather than later.

Last term, he scored 12 goals in 26 starts, which came after 12 goals in 18 starts the year before – showing that he has the quality to score goals regularly at this level.

This indicates that the goals will flow for Morelos eventually, which is why getting him back fully fit as soon as possible will be a boost for the Gers. Fans will be delighted to see him back in the starting XI next weekend if he is deemed fit enough, as he has the pedigree in the Scottish Premiership to win matches on his own.

AND in other news, 67% duels lost: Rangers lightweight let Gerrard down badly vs Motherwell…

When Celtic enter the League Cup on Sunday afternoon, they will take plenty of confidence into the clash.

The Hoops have now recorded three victories on the trot and have totted up back-to-back clean sheets. Both of those were rarities last season, so Ange Postecoglou’s men should savour that.

On the chalkboard

That being said, Celtic will have to be wary this weekend because their opposition are Hearts, a team who caused them grief on the opening day of the Premiership campaign.

The Bhoys were miles from their best as a late goal from John Souttar ensured a losing start to Postecoglou’s league reign two weeks ago. However, they are now in a very different place after scoring 13 goals in their last three outings across all competitions.

Their new signings have hit the ground running too, but one player who is yet to be seen at Parkhead or in Celtic colours is James McCarthy. The Irishman signed on the same day as Joe Hart, but with no pre-season minutes under his belt having been a free agent, he is some way behind in terms of his fitness.

Postecoglou has claimed that it could be a while before we see the midfielder in full action, but with the League Cup right around the corner, now feels like the perfect time to hand him his Hoops debut.

Celtic didn’t win a single trophy last season, so the cup competitions will hold a little more significance than normal. However, with weary legs setting in against Jablonec last Thursday, the manager may favour rotation.

Tom Rogic stood out in that match but tired significantly. With an important clash with AZ Alkmaar coming up, the Australian should be given time to recover with McCarthy coming in.

The former Crystal Palace man won’t be completely fresh himself but he’s an experienced campaigner who should be able to replace him and perform reliably at the base of midfield. Dubbed “top-class” by Postecoglou, the 30-year-old could be the heir to Scott Brown in the middle of the park.

Callum McGregor has performed admirably in a deeper role but McCarthy is more accustomed to playing there. During his last full season with Palace, he won 2.5 tackles per game, proving that he can stick his boot in and win the ball when it matters.

On that evidence, the 30-year-old might be the perfect player to combat Hearts, so Postecoglou needs to hand him some sort of role on Sunday.

AND in other news, Celtic close to signing £2.5m “creative monster”, he’s perfect for Postecoglou…

The wicketkeeper and middle order batsman will replace Zander de Bruyn as captain, who signed a new county contract with Somerset which will keep him out of the Warriors’ pre-season preparations for two years

Cricinfo staff25-Sep-2008Davey Jacobs will be leading the Warriors for the 2008-09 South African domestic season. The board of directors announced that the wicketkeeper and middle order batsmen will replace Zander de Bruyn as captain, who is expected to return to the Warriors squad on September 30 this year.Though de Bruyn has signed a new county contract with Somerset which will keep him out of the Warriors’ pre-season preparations for the next two years, he will remain fully committed to the team and continue to be an integral part.Jacobs said he was thrilled to be offered the opportunity to captain the Warriors. “It’s a huge honour to captain the team and it is a role that I have always strived for in my career. I am looking forward to working with the coach, Russell Domingo, the staff and management by helping and being part of making the Warriors the most successful franchise in the country”.The Warriors first match in the SuperSport Series will be away to the Lions at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on October 2.