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Football London’s former West Ham correspondent Sam Inkersole has delivered his verdict with the club reportedly set to bring Rob Newman to the London Stadium as their new director of football, according to ExWHUemployee.

The post has been vacant since Mario Husillos left the role back in 2019, when manager at the time Manuel Pellegrini was relieved of his duties.

After a fantastic campaign last season where the Hammers finished sixth in the Premier League, there will be a sense of optimism around the club and West Ham fans will be hoping for a good summer of recruitment, to help push them towards the top end of the table again this term.

The Hammers have signed four players so far this summer; Craig Dawson, Thierry Nevers, Pierre Ekwah Elimby and Armstrong Oko-Flex, three of whom will be joining up with the academy initially, but correspondent Sam Inkersole believes it’s still imperative the club get a Director of Football.

“West Ham need a Director of Football, to almost take the burden off [David] Sullivan I think.

“Whether he will allow that I don’t know, because he does like to have a very hands-on role in things.”

If Newman is the man to take the role, he will join the club from Premier League champions Manchester City, something that Inkersole thinks is a good thing.

“Look, bringing someone in from somewhere like Manchester City is never going to be a bad thing and West Ham certainly need a Director of Football, just to act as middleman in the transfer negotiation process. I think it would be very beneficial for West Ham.”

The reason why Jarrod Bowen missed West Ham’s latest pre-season friendly has been revealed and it’s sure to delight many around the London Stadium…

What’s the word?

The 24-year-old winger has been linked with a move to Premier League rivals Liverpool in recent weeks, with The Athletic’s James Pearce revealing that he featured amongst Jurgen Klopp’s shortlist of summer targets.

Question marks were raised after Bowen missed the Hammers’ win over Brentford on Saturday afternoon, but according to the ever-reliable ExWHUemployee, there is nothing to worry about.

Speaking on his ‘The West Ham Way’ Patreon page, he said:

“Bowen is injured with a minor foot injury and was not risked today. There is no move to Liverpool lined up at this point.”

A silver lining

The £27m-rated Irons star may be out injured but at least he’s not in talks with the Reds over a potential transfer.

Bowen is expected to play a massive role as David Moyes’ first-choice right winger this season, having scored eight goals and provided five assists to help the team qualify for the 2021/22 Europa League.

The 24-year-old was so good that he frequently created more clear-cut goalscoring chances than any of Liverpool’s attacking options, including Roberto Firmino, Mo Salah, Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane, as per WhoScored – it’s no wonder Klopp has his eyes on him.

He signed for the East London side on deadline day in January 2020 in a £20m-plus deal from Hull City and has thrived under the stewardship of the 58-year-old ever since.

Behind Bowen, there are very few options for Moyes to consider, especially considering the departure of Felipe Anderson, while the chances of Andriy Yarmolenko following suit seem rather high amid interest from Turkey.

The £60k-per-week dynamo has even been deployed up front in the absence of the injury-prone Michail Antonio, so that goes to show his importance to the team, and that’ll only increase heading into a potential 50-plus game campaign.

Once described as “unplayable” and a “special talent”, Bowen appears to be sticking around for the foreseeable future, and that will leave the Irons faithful absolutely delighted.

AND in other news, Moyes facing West Ham nightmare amid concerning Sky Sports update, fans will be fuming…

Somerset’s recent overseas signings – Cameron White, Graeme Smith and Ricky Ponting – will be their potential recruits in 2010 for the English Premier League

Cricinfo staff06-Sep-2008
Cameron White could return to Somerset for the EPL in 2010 © Getty Images
Somerset’s recent overseas signings – Cameron White, Graeme Smith and Ricky Ponting – will be their potential recruits in 2010 for the English Premier League (EPL). The EPL is likely to mirror the Indian Premier League, which allowed four overseas recruits in a side’s playing XI.”It just depends on the policy for the EPL from the ECB and how the overseas players will be divided,” Brian Rose, Somerset’s director of cricket, told the . “But as far as we are concerned, Cameron White, Graeme Smith and Ricky Ponting, who have all played for the club, would be natural targets for us.”I am sure all three of them would probably want to play for Somerset again if they can. We have to project forward to 2010 now, as I am sure other counties are doing.” The EPL will involve 20 teams, the 18 counties plus two guest teams, and has been scheduled for June 2010. The sides will be split into two divisions.Justin Langer, Somerset’s captain and current overseas player, is under contract for 2009 and is unlikely to extend it, the newspaper reported. White had two successful seasons with Somerset in 2006 and 2007, Ponting played for a month in 2002 while Smith led the side for three months in 2005.”The batsmen like the pitches but players also like the atmosphere at Taunton as well,” Rose said. “The crowds always back Somerset and with the new development Taunton will be the best ground in the country to play a Twenty20 match.”Also it is a nice town for the families to come to because cricket is the main focus of sport in the county.”

An update has emerged regarding Leeds’ pursuit of Huddersfield midfielder Lewis O’Brien.

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, the Whites are set to make another bid for the 22-year-old this week.

The report claims that the Whites have already had a £3m offer knocked back by the Championship club, but they will now go back in with an improved effort to land him. O’Brien is said to be keen on making the switch happen.

Bielsa would love him

Marcelo Bielsa will be delighted with this news as he would surely love to have O’Brien at Elland Road next season. Victor Orta must ensure that this offer Leeds are preparing is sufficient enough to seal a deal, as the enforcer could be a terrific addition to the Whites’ squad.

A key component of Bielsa’s tactics is pressing the opposition quickly. The Argentine coach wants his team to be aggressive out of possession in order to win the ball back or force the other team into making a mistake or playing backwards, duly stopping their attack.

In his 4-1-4-1 formation, the two central midfielders ahead of Kalvin Phillips are crucial as it is they who are racing from box to box to defend and press throughout the game. This means that any player coming in to fill that role will need to be able to cover ground at an impressive rate.

Huddersfield writer Steven Chicken pointed to O’Brien’s capacity for running as one of his biggest strengths, stating that his “fitness is incredible”.

He said: “Former Huddersfield boss Danny Cowley often praised O’Brien as being ‘like having two players’, with the midfielder receiving particular praise from his manager and fans alike for his ability and willingness to rush back and win the ball with a clean sliding tackle whenever his side were caught on the counter-attack.

“He certainly has the potential to be (a Premier League player), if he’s not already. His fitness is incredible and he just never seems to get tired, which is one of the biggest difficulties Championship players have when stepping up to the Premier League.

“He’s never going to be a big glamorous name in the Premier League, but he is the kind of wholehearted, committed player that managers love because they do so much of the hard work that helps other players to shine.”

This suggests that Bielsa would love the 22-year-old at Elland Road, as he has the ability to work hard for the team and press the opposition. The Leeds coach would be able to send O’Brien out onto the pitch knowing that he is likely able to deliver upon his extreme demands, which is why he would surely be delighted to add the Englishman to his squad before the end of the transfer window.

AND in other news, Orta must avoid Leeds howler over £76k-p/w dud who is “on the way down”…

Dimitri Mascarenhas has been named captain of England’s Hong Kong Sixes team for the two-day tournament in November

Cricinfo staff29-Sep-2008Dimitri Mascarenhas has been named captain of England’s Hong Kong Sixes team for the two-day tournament in November. He was overlooked for both the one-day and Twenty20 sides to play in India and the Stanford Super Series despite his domestic success.Graham Napier, who hit 152 against Sussex in the Twenty20, is also included in a strong seven-man team. Ed Joyce will probably act as the wicketkeeper, while all the other players can perform with bat and ball.The tournament will be held at the Kowloon Cricket Club on November 8 and 9. The event will again include an All-Stars team, who were beaten in last year’s final by Sri Lanka.Squad Dimitri Mascarenhas (capt), Tim Bresnan, Ed Joyce, Darren Maddy, Graham Napier, Jonathan Trott, Graham Wagg

The ECB has announced a 150% increase in prize money for next season’s domestic tournaments, with the biggest prize going to winner of the County Championship

Cricinfo staff24-Oct-2008
Durham captain Dale Benkenstein during the presentation of the Championship trophy last month … next year’s winners will share £500,000 © Getty Images
The ECB has announced a 150% increase in prize money for next season’s domestic tournaments, with the biggest prize going to the winners of the County Championship. This year Durham pocketed £100,000, but next year’s champions will collect £500,000.The players from the winning county will share £350,000 and the county £150,000. The total prize money and reward payment for the County Championship will rise to £1,060,000. The runners up will receive £225,000 of which £175,000 will go to the players and £50,000 to the county. In 2008 the runners-up received £40,000.There are also significant rises in the prize money and reward payments for the winners of the final Pro40 competition and for the county which lifts the Friends Provident Trophy at the Lord’s final in late July.”The ECB board strongly believe that it was important to increase the prize fund available to all competitions on the back of the rise of the opportunities provided by Twenty20 cricket and we were particularly anxious to increase the money that was available for the winners of the Championship,” David Collier, the board’s chief executive, said. “These increases reward both players and counties and in a difficult economic climate demonstrate the strength of cricket and our confidence in the domestic game. “

Serie A expert Conor Clancy doubts Euro 2020 star Mikkel Damsgaard has the ability to replace either Mo Salah or Sadio Mane at Liverpool.

Damsgaard impressed during the tournament, reaching the semi-finals with Denmark and scoring twice along the way, including a world-class free-kick against England in the last four match at Wembley.

He has now returned to Sampdoria in Serie A and there are various reports suggesting that he could move on in this transfer window for a significant fee.

Liverpool have been linked with a potential move, that would cost in excess of £30m, but Clancy has his doubts as to the viability of the 21-year-old being a hit at Anfield.

Damsgaard remains a young player and he has had just one season in the top-flight, moving to Sampdoria from FC Nordsjaelland at the beginning of the most recent campaign.

He went on to make 35 appearances, scoring twice and registering four assists, and Clancy, the editor in chief of Forza Italian Football, does not think that he would be able to match the output of superstars Salah and Mane.

He said: “I’m not sure. I’ll never see Damsgaard scoring the number of goals that Mane scores or Salah scores.

“And I’m not sure if he’s as bustling as Mane would be off the ball but he’s more of a playmaker rather than one of the players in that front three.”

The Pakistan fast bowler, Yasir Arafat, has returned to join Sussex for his second stint, leaving Kent

Cricinfo staff28-Oct-2008The Pakistan fast bowler, Yasir Arafat, has returned to join Sussex for his second stint.Arafat, 26, left Hove for Canterbury in 2006 and was Kent’s leading one-day and Twenty20 bowler with 27 wickets at 17.74. He also picked up 38 Championship wickets, but is now ready to return to the south coast.”Yasir’s signing is fantastic news and we are flattered that he is keen to return to Hove,” said Mark Robinson, Sussex’s manager. “It’s further evidence that people who play for the club fall in love with it.”He’s not only an outstanding new and old ball bowler, but a fantastic lower-middle order batsman, who should stand out in both our four and one-day cricket.”

Mark Warburton has dropped an update on the state of his Queens Park Rangers squad ahead of their Championship fixture this Saturday.

What’s the latest?

In comments given following QPR’s penalty shootout victory against Leyton Orient in the Carabao Cup earlier this week, the 58-year-old revealed that both Luke Amos and Ilias Chair would be rejoining first-team training following their respective injuries, and could be available for the trip to Hull City on Saturday.

However, the manager also cited concern that a number of players, including Stefan Johansen and Charlie Austin, will struggle to maintain fitness as a result of the club’s busy schedule.

Warburton said: “We’re looking at this crazy schedule we face over the next seven to 10 days, which no one can explain to me.

“We’re looking at players. Ilias Chair not being available [for Orient], Stefan, looking after him, Charlie Austin, looking after him, so it was doing what we had to do.

“We’ll have a training group [on Thursday] of about six. The likes of Stefan, Jordy [de Wijs], Chris Willock, Dom Ball – those guys. Luke Amos is with us. Ilias Chair back in training. We’ll work with a small group and do what we have to do.”

Fans will be buzzing

While it is indeed true that QPR have a hectic schedule coming up, playing four games – starting with the Hull clash – over the space of 10 days, the news that Amos and Chair are back in training will undoubtedly have fans buzzing.

Indeed, with Amos having not played for the Rs since suffering a cruciate ligament rupture in October 2020, his return is sure to be a big boost for Warburton. The 24-year-old is a fantastic option in defensive midfield -he had the club’s best tackles per game average (2.2) last season despite his sparse involement – as well as being an extra body which the manager can call upon in order to rotate his squad over their busy schedule.

Meanwhile, the return of Chair is also a significant plus for the 58-year-old, as the attacking midfielder – who has not featured for the club so far this season due to a recent illness – was one of the Rs’ most impressive players in the club’s 2020/21 campaign, scoring eight goals, registering four assists and average a SofaScore match rating of 7.04 – ranking him as QPR’s fourth-best player last term.

As such, while the QPR manager may be unhappy with the Championship fixtures already coming thick and fast, it is undeniable that the return of two key midfielders is a welcome boost for the manager, who will be hoping his side can secure their first Championship victory of the season at MKM Stadium on Saturday.

In other news: Warburton drops claim on “excellent” QPR gem which will be music to the ears of fans

Sunderland head into their League One clash against MK Dons this afternoon on a high after winning their opening two matches of the campaign.

Supporters are typically full of optimism heading into a new season and so far Sunderland are living up to expectations following wins over Wigan and Port Vale. The Black Cats beat the Latics 2-1 in League One on the opening day of the season and then defeated Port Vale by the same score to progress through to the next round of the Carabao Cup earlier this week.

They will be hoping to maintain their 100% record as they travel to Stadium MK and it will be intriguing to see how Lee Johnson approaches the game, and whether he decides to change up his team after playing two games in the space of five days leading up to this match.

What changes should Johnson make? Here is our predicted XI for the game…

We are tipping Johnson to make eight changes to his team from this week’s win over Port Vale to freshen up his side against MK Dons.

Starting off between the sticks, we are predicting that Anthony Patterson is handed the goalkeeping duties for this match ahead of Lee Burge. Johnson alternated between them in the first two matches, which potentially indicates that he is still torn between them for the number one position.

Against Wigan, Burge made two saves and conceded one goal as he recorded a WhoScored rating of 6.37 for his performance. The £2k-per-week ‘keeper also made two high claims to retrieve the ball from crosses. Meanwhile, 21-year-old Patterson was handed an impressive WhoScored rating of 7.21 against Port Vale in the Carabao Cup. He won three aerial duels to claim the ball under pressure, whilst also making three saves and completing two high claims.

This suggests that he had the much better game out of the pair and therefore deserves to be named as the number one for the game against MK Dons, as he has performed to a higher level this season on the limited evidence available.

Ahead of this game, we urged Johnson to unleash Dennis Cirkin for his debut following his move to the club from Tottenham. The left-back has arrived on Wearside as a permanent transfer and is now the club’s only recognised left-back option, with young midfielder Dan Neil having played out of position in defence of late.

With Cirkin now in the building and available for selection, we are predicting that the gaffer will bring him into the starting XI. Not only is he an exciting young talent who could surprise people and make an impact, but it also allows Johnson to stop using Neil out of position, as the 19-year-old struggled against Wigan, when he earned a lowly WhoScored rating of 6.40.

In terms of the rest of the changes, we are backing Callum Doyle, Corry Evans, Carl Winchester, Aiden McGeady, Elliot Embleton and Ross Stewart all to return to the side after they started and impressed against Wigan on the opening day of the League One season, following their rests against Port Vale. They should now be fit and ready to fire on all cylinders this weekend, as none of the other players who came in against Port Vale did enough in our view to displace them.

AND in other news, Alan Nixon drops claim on £13k-p/w Sunderland “leader”, Lee Johnson will be relieved…