All posts by h716a5.icu

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will know full well just how tough the challenge to overcome Manchester City will be. After all, the Spaniard was an integral part of that success for many years, once a disciple of Pep Guardiola.

Although this Premier League campaign seems destined to go down as a failed attempt at the title, incredible progress has been made to bridge that gap. However, the quality of their squad and its depth remains far from the requisite level.

This summer marks a huge opportunity to maintain pace with their rivals, securing not only their status as a team capable of challenging all season in the league, but also one to give a good showing in the Champions League, of which they will make their return.

Acquiring talent that has already starred on such a level would be preferred, but maintaining their status as the youngest average squad in the league will also remain important.

Therefore, the suggestion that they must go and sign Josko Gvardiol makes perfect sense.

Would Josko Gvardiol be a good fit at Arsenal?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Paul Brown hinted that the Gunners should swoop for the Croatia international immediately.

However, The Times had reported on a £97m release clause, which could prove a stumbling block.

As a left-sided centre-back, the 21-year-old would offer an instant upgrade on the ever-impressive Gabriel Magalhaes and be the perfect long-term partner for William Saliba. The depth in this role would instantly reach the levels required to compete with City.

The youngster is widely regarded as one of the best young defenders in world football at the moment, with BBC pundit Alex Scott even claiming: "His potential is just limitless. We’re seeing every aspect of his game and that’s what you always need."

Boasting a 6.98 average rating in the Bundesliga, Gvardiol is as remarkable with possession as he is at reclaiming it. His 90% pass accuracy matches that of Gabriel's, yet the Brazilian does not quite rank in the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90 when compared to other defenders across Europe like his counterpart.

Few bring the ball out with as much poise, pace and power as the RB Leipzig general, who was branded a "monster" by journalist Fabrizio Romano for his World Cup displays in which he averaged 1.6 interceptions, 1.3 tackles and 5.3 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

A rock at the back for his overperforming country and already a top-flight mainstay, the youth and subsequent potential of Gvardiol puts him just above the 25-year-old whom he could be set to replace.

Kyle Jarvis continued his and Lancashire’s excellent start to the Specsavers County Championship season with four wickets before lunch and 6 for 70 in all on the opening day against Surrey at Old Trafford

ECB Reporters Network22-May-2016
ScorecardKyle Jarvis struck four times in his first spell•Getty ImagesKyle Jarvis continued his and Lancashire’s excellent start to the Specsavers County Championship season with four wickets before lunch and 6 for 70 in all on the opening day against Surrey at Old Trafford.Surrey, having elected to bat, slipped to 40 for 5 inside 18 overs during a weather-affected day and were later bowled out for 191 inside 62 overs.Jarvis claimed the prized scalp of Kumar Sangakkara, lbw for a duck, during an excellent 10-over opening spell on the way to his third career haul of six wickets or more. They were his best figures in a Lancashire shirt.Surrey opener Rory Burns batted superbly for 92 off 164 balls, but he was last man out to leave the hosts with 12 overs to face before close. They reached 16 without loss.Lancashire are aiming to win their first three home matches in a Championship campaign for the first time since 1952 having beaten Nottinghamshire and Hampshire here already. Victory could take them top of Division One ahead of next week’s Roses fixture at Headingley.Tom Bailey made the first breakthrough at the end of the fifth over when he had Arun Harinath caught behind.Jarvis then removed Sangakkara lbw and had Steven Davies caught behind for ducks in the eighth over before forcing Jason Roy to chip to mid-on for 2 in the 14th.And when Ben Foakes was bowled shouldering arms to one which nipped back in the 18th, Surrey were in all sorts of trouble.Lancashire’s new-ball pair were aided by swing and seam movement, but at least Burns and James Burke were able to stem the tide with a 64-run stand for the sixth wicket either side of lunch.Their partnership was interrupted by a near two-hour rain delay immediately after lunch, and Jarvis made the breakthrough in the 38th over when Burke edged to first slip for 31. Tom Curran followed caught behind as Surrey reached tea at 126 for 7.Burns reached his fourth fifty against Lancashire off 123 balls in the final over of the afternoon and shared 68 for the eighth wicket with Gareth Batty midway through the evening.He combated a hostile post-tea spell from Neil Wagner, who later removed of Batty and Mathew Pillans in the space of three balls in the 58th over to leave the score at 182 for 9.Batty was smartly caught at second slip by Tom Smith and Pillans bowled. Wagner wrapped up the innings when he trapped Burns lbw.Lancashire have included former captain Smith in their side after injury.Smith played in their opening T20 Blast match on Saturday, which was his first appearance since last April following a career-threatening back injury and more recent hamstring problems.He has come in for opener Karl Brown. He bowled nine overs for 27 and opened the batting with Haseeb Hameed. They will begin day two unbeaten on 7 and 5 respectively.

The back of Andre Russell’s Nottinghamshire shirt announced him as Dre Rus, the Jamaican rapper, but it was in his cricketing not his musical, guise that he made an impact that could transform Nottinghamshire’s season

David Hopps18-Jun-2016
ScorecardAndre Russell was in uninhibited mood as he returned to Worcester•Getty ImagesThe back of Andre Russell’s Nottinghamshire shirt announced him as Dre Rus, the Jamaican rapper, but it was in his cricketing, not his musical guise that he made an impact that could transform Nottinghamshire’s season.What hip hop there was against Worcestershire came in the form of a limp because of a mild leg strain, but his destructive hitting remained unaffected as his 41 from 25 balls, in a sixth-wicket stand of 64 with Dan Christian, transformed a tricky Nottinghamshire chase into a four-wicket win with seven balls to spare.At both Sydney Thunder and with the West Indies in World T20 in recent months, Russell has emerged victorious. Nottinghamshire will hope his brief, four-game stay also rubs off, although they will soon have to prosper without him: he has only one more match before heading to the Caribbean Premier League. For the first two, he has just watched it rain, and has spent his time swimming and staying in the warm.Nottinghamshire were desperate for a change of fortune in a season that had brought only one win and two abandonments from their first five games. To overcome an impressive Worcestershire side, and prevent them from returning to the top of North Group in the process, was an indication of better times ahead, second-bottom turned into fourth in the space of a few mighty blows.A grabby pitch after another wet week meant boundary hitting was a challenging task, but Russell has experience of this ground in 2013 and he produced two of the biggest sixes seen at New Road in recent years, one flying close to the hotel at long-on (nearly a collector’s item of a brutal blow clearing a brutalist building) and another when he sprang from an even lower crouch than normal and jack-in-the-boxed Joe Leach over the new pavilion behind square and across the car park towards the adjacent cricket ground.”Strength man, strength,” was how he explained it. When he struck the sixes, they played his songs and, on one occasion, he did a little dance, his sport and his music coming together in satisfying fashion. There was a third six with the battle won, off Moeen Ali, which threatened a burger van. He has come a long way since he first came to Worcestershire’s attention while playing for Barnard Green CC down the road in the Malvern Hills.”I haven’t played any cricket for the past four weeks,” Russell said. “My body is used to ‘keep going, keep going’. Coming here and playing tonight, it was a bit tough but I’m happy to be back on the park.”Christian possesses prodigious strength, too, and he was a redoubtable ally in making an unbeaten 53 from 39 balls. At 95 for 5 from 11.2 overs, requiring 165, Nottinghamshire had just lost two wickets in two balls to the leg-spin of Brett D’Oliveira, both of them bowled, Samit Patel charging and missing a googly by a distance, Greg Smith virtually transfixed.Nottinghamshire’s opening pair, Michael Lumb and Riki Wessels, also carried obvious danger. They have been in potent form in 50-overs cricket – Lumb making back-to-back hundreds in the Royal London Cup as Nottinghamshire passed 400 on each occasion, including a record run glut against Northamptonshire.Joe Clarke’s right-handed catch above his head at extra cover silenced Lumb as he tried to drill Leach overt the off side, was just that. Wessels was down to Moeen, who had him caught at long on for 36.By then, Alex Hales had departed, too. England players rarely appear in county T20 and when they do they are often ill prepared for the task. Hales was an example of that, having had one white-ball net all season in a summer where his emphasis has been to devise a successful batting approach for Test cricket, a task satisfactorily addressed. He mullered Ed Barnard for one boundary, but fell for 4 in 6 balls when he mistimed Barnard to mid on.Trevor Bayliss has received general approval since his appointment as England coach, credited with being a key influence in their more confident approach, but his lack of time watching county cricket has not gone unnoticed. His presence at New Road was therefore welcome, as he looked on in dark glasses, as if in disguise, protected against this infernal June by a heavy coat and England cap.Young fans enjoy T20 at Worcester•Getty ImagesWorcestershire prefer chasing, but they settled to well enough to first strike, taking 54 from the powerplay, without loss. Moeen’s presence was a help, as one pull through mid-on against a 90mph Russell short ball testified, and Tom Kohler-Cadmore did not suffer from the comparison.Since he began the T20 season with a fast hundred against Durham, Kohler-Cadmore has carried threat at the top of the order and it was evident again in his 30 from 20 balls before Steven Mullaney’s first ball – the first after the powerplay – struck his off stump as he tried to run a straight ball to third man.On such a surface, Mullaney slow-medium cutters had an immediate effect. When it comes to being effective and unsung in T20 cricket, he ticks both boxes and Moeen perished trying to hit him down the ground. Nobody would have been more relieved about that than Patel, whose first over had just gone for 14 with Moeen giving the impression he could imagine nothing more agreeable.From that point, 75.2 in 8.3 overs, it was a struggle for Worcestershire. Nottinghamshire cranked up the bowling variations in the second half of the innings – Russell deceiving Ross Whiteley’s slog with a slower one – and Worcestershire ground to a halt. It took Clarke’s maiden T20 fifty to rouse them as 43 came off the last four overs.It was a hard-working innings from a talented young batsman learning with every over, his drives stylish, his attempts at invention – notably the scoop shot – not always coming off. On many days, his 69 from 48 balls might have secured victory, only for Russell’s song and dance to win the day.

Newcastle United return to action in the Premier League this afternoon as they travel away from home to face Leeds United at Elland Road.

The Magpies have the opportunity to increase their lead over fifth-placed Liverpool to six points with a win over the Whites, which would place them in a healthy position to secure Champions League football heading into the final three matches.

Eddie Howe's men were dealt a setback in their last outing in the division, though, as they were beaten 2-0 by Mikel Arteta's Arsenal side at St. James' Park, thanks to a strike from Martin Odegaard and an own goal from Fabian Schar.

How will Newcastle line up against Leeds?

The Toon head coach could make three changes to the starting XI that lined up against the Gunners, with one in midfield and two in attack.

Nick Pope could keep his place between the sticks and the back four may also remain the same, with Kieran Trippier, Schar, Sven Botman, and Dan Burn tasked with keeping the ball away from the ex-Burnley titan's net.

However, Howe could alter his midfield by binning Joelinton in favour of academy graduate Elliot Anderson. The Brazilian has enjoyed an exceptional season, scoring six times in 28 Premier League starts, but struggled against Arsenal as he lost eight of his 13 duels and created one chance whilst being tackled three times out of four dribble attempts – as per Sofascore.

Anderson, meanwhile, won 100% (3/3) of his duels, completed 100% (2/2) of his dribbles, and created one chance in nine minutes of action off the bench, as per Sofascore. His impressive cameo could have been enough to convince the coach to bring him into the XI today.

On the wings, Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron could come in for Callum Wilson and Jacob Murphy, with Alexander Isak moving into a central role.

Newcastle's "unplayable" French forward – as he was dubbed by Chelsea boss Frank Lampard – has two assists in his last two starts and could provide creativity to break Leeds down on the left flank.

Almiron, who has scored 11 goals in 25 starts in the Premier League this term, could also replace Murphy as Howe looks to keep the competition fierce and healthy in the forward areas.

The Paraguay international has proven himself to be a reliable goalscorer this season, and along with the £16m wizard's creative presence out wide, could provide him with the opportunities he needs to punish the opposition.

Predicted Magpies XI (4-3-3): Pope; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Anderson, Guimaraes, Willock; Almiron, Isak, Saint-Maximin.

West Ham United are one step closer to reaching the Europa Conference League final following a 2-1 victory over AZ Alkmaar on Thursday evening – but one player's performance should put his starting place under threat.

David Moyes’ men put their poor Premier League form behind them as they continue to shine on the continent and a first European final in nearly 50 years is now within reach, and securing the trophy could potentially give the manager a new lease of life heading into next season.

Said Benrahma put himself in contention to start against Brentford this afternoon following a performance which showcased his vast attacking talents. The winger scored, took six shots in total, succeeded with four dribble attempts, and managed 79 touches, and Moyes will be delighted with his display.

There were a couple of players who were below par, however, mainly in defence. Aaron Cresswell lost possession seven times and won just one duel at left-back, yet it was Thilo Kehrer who was arguably West Ham’s weakest link against the Dutch side, and Moyes should consider ditching him against the Bees.

Will Thilo Kehrer start for West Ham against Brentford?

Against the Eredivisie outfit, the German was, at least statistically, their poorest performer, averaging a Sofascore rating of just 6.5/10.

He played the full 90 minutes yet made only one tackle throughout, while winning just one duel from four attempts, clearly lacking any sort of physical presence on the right side of defence.

Having 43 touches suggests he saw plenty of the ball, though he didn’t exactly do much with it, registering zero dribble attempts while delivering only one cross, which was unsuccessful.

All in all, it was a poor performance from the former Paris Saint-Germain defender and his league displays recently have been rather mixed to say the least.

A woeful display against Manchester City where he was run ragged by Pep Guardiola’s attack was followed by a much-improved showing against Manchester United last week, where he won five of his seven duels and made three tackles. He was vital to their victory, but he just couldn’t replicate it against AZ and Moyes may have a big decision to make considering the German's inconsistency and the Hammers not yet safe.

Will he ditch the £80k-per-week defender for Ben Johnson? Only time will tell. Although they currently sit six points clear of the drop zone, Moyes will breathe a sigh of relief if they even claim just a point from the clash against Brentford which will see the club all but retain their top-flight status.

The Champions Trophy could be scrapped after the 2021 tournament in India, and could even be abolished after next year’s event, in England

Tim Wigmore23-Jun-2016The future of the ICC Champions Trophy is back in doubt. It is understood that the tournament is highly likely to be scrapped after the 2021 tournament, in India, and could even be abolished after next year’s tournament, in England, should a new ODI league be introduced from 2019.The Champions Trophy was originally meant to be scrapped after the 2013 edition, but the huge commercial success of that year’s tournament in England led to it being retained, at the expense of the World Test Championship that had been scheduled for 2017.However, now the tournament faces being a victim of the ICC’s ongoing review of the structure of international cricket. Under the latest proposals an ODI league, of 13 nations, is being planned from 2019, culminating in a play-off between the leading two sides in 2022.It is felt that, with an ODI league alongside the World Cup, a third 50-over tournament would be superfluous, adding unnecessarily to the schedule and risking confusion among casual fans by creating three winners of 50-over international tournaments in the space of 24 months.Although the Champions Trophy has proved hugely popular, in part due to its condensed nature – 15 matches will be played over 18 days in next year’s competition – the ICC has never been enamoured with having two marquee tournaments in 50-over cricket alongside the World Twenty20, and had planned to scrap the tournament as far back as 2011.Over seven editions, and despite the concise nature of the tournament, the Champions Trophy has struggled to build up a clear identity. An additional factor is the anticipated return of the World T20 to a two-year cycle. That proposal is likely to be ratified at the forthcoming ICC Annual Conference in Edinburgh.As part of the ICC’s proposals for reforms to the schedule of the international game, it is envisaged that structured competitions – ICC global events, and the leagues in Test and ODI cricket – would take up less than six months a year, creating ample time for countries to organise extra bilateral cricket, such as the Ashes, and for players to participate in domestic T20 leagues.The commercial implications of scrapping the Champions Trophy are not a great concern. This is because the extra value of a biennial WT20 would more than offset the costs of its removal.Indeed, it is understood that senior figures from the ICC have recently met with Star Sports in Dubai to discuss the future of ICC events and whether to retain the Champions Trophy.It is possible that, as part of the negotiations for Star Sports to broadcast the two extra WT20s in this broadcasting cycle, scheduled for 2018 and 2022, they would agree for the 2021 Champions Trophy to be scrapped.If it was agreed that the 2021 Champions Trophy would not take place, India, the scheduled hosts for that tournament, would be well-placed to host another WT20, in 2022 or 2024, instead.

Manchester United's efforts to land Kim Min-jae this summer have been handed a boost with Il Mattino in Italy reporting that the Glazers are prepared to pay the player's release clause – and that the defender has said yes to a move.

Are Man United signing Kim Min-jae this summer?

The Premier League outfit have been linked with a move for another midfielder and striker mainly this summer, with reports suggesting that a player in each of those positions is a transfer priority for manager Erik Ten Hag.

However, the Red Devils have also been linked with a swoop for another defensive reinforcement during the summer transfer window as well. Whilst the club already have a number of options to choose from in their backline, that number could decrease when the season comes to a close. Harry Maguire has been linked with an Old Trafford exit for example, which would free up some space in the centre-back positon and so has Victor Lindelof. Further to that, some depth will be created by the departure of Phil Jones, who is likely to leave as a free agent this summer.

It means that United want to sign a defender and the most heavily linked name is that of Kim Min-jae from Napoli. The Red Devils have been keen to do a deal for the Napoli man and it appears that their chances of getting one over the line have been boosted today.

That's because a report from Il Mattino in Italy states that the side's owners, the Glazers, are prepared to trigger the player's release clause of 56 million Euros (£48m). The centre-back himself is also believed to be up to an Old Trafford move, with the report adding that he will say yes – especially when his salary is likely to be quadrupled if he completes a move over to the Premier League. A deal then looks like it is moving along nicely and could soon be completed for the club.

Who is Kim Min-jae?

The Napoli defender has caught the eye with some superb performances for his club in Serie A and in Europe over the course of the current campaign. Marshalling the backline, he has managed a WhoScored rating of 7.10 in the domestic league, which marks him out as one of the better options in his position in the division.

In addition, his performance level increases when given the chance to perform on the big stage. In the Champions League, that WhoScored rating increases to 7.20 for example and with 2.4 interceptions per game in that competition, it shows his adept ability to read opposition play and break it up to help his side start attacks of their own.

Further to this, former Premier League and Man United man Park Ji-Sung has heaped the praise on the defender. He called the centre-back "extraordinary" and added that he is a "technical leader" too.

United then would be getting a standout player in Kim – so if a deal does get done, it would be good business from Erik Ten Hag's side.

Pakistan took a 1-0 lead in the series after beating England by 75 runs at Lord’s, as Misbah-ul-Haq’s irrepressible side took the ten wickets they required for victory on the fourth day

The Report by Alan Gardner17-Jul-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsPakistan celebrate the key wicket of Jonny Bairstow•Getty ImagesPakistan took a 1-0 lead in the series after beating England by 75 runs at Lord’s. That is the simple version but there were multitudes contained within as Misbah-ul-Haq’s irrepressible side took the ten wickets they required for victory on the fourth day, four of them going to the talismanic Yasir Shah on the way to match figures of 10 for 141 in his first Test match outside of Asia.Set 283 to win – a target only one side had previously achieved on the ground – after dismissing Pakistan inside the first ten minutes of the morning session, England’s batsmen struggled to build partnerships. Only when Jonny Bairstow and Chris Woakes were putting together a stand of 56 over 31.4 gruelling overs did Misbah have to seriously ponder where a wicket was coming from.The breakthrough came from Yasir, although there was little sleight of hand about a long hop that Bairstow simply missed attempting to swat through the leg side. His distraught reaction, head bowed over his bat as the Pakistan players celebrated around him, provided an illustration of England’s disappointment at losing a match in which they were always slightly behind but refused to abandon as beyond their powers of recovery.Yasir’s tenth wicket practically sparked a playground bundle as Woakes was taken at slip trying to hit out with the No. 10, Steven Finn, for company and 79 still required. Mohammad Amir rattled Jake Ball’s stumps an over later to put the final seal on an emotional comeback six years after his previous Test appearance.This was a gripping encounter, fought in excellent spirit and holding the attention of a packed crowd throughout. A sizeable contingent of Pakistan supporters cheered every wicket as their side pushed for a first Test triumph at Lord’s since Waqar Younis and Mushtaq Ahmed’s exploits in 1996. When the Pakistan team lined up afterwards to do a series of celebratory push-ups in front of the pavilion – a salute to the military fitness camp undergone by the players before the tour – the whole ground was in raptures.England may have been primed to the threat posed by Yasir and Amir but it was Rahat Ali who gave Pakistan the early advantage. England lost their top three in little more than an hour of batting and although the rejigged middle order that had been considered a weakness resisted admirably there was too much left for them to do against a constantly probing attack.Yet while Bairstow remained in the company of Woakes – a man with nine first-class centuries, not to mention 11 wickets in the match – England could imagine that the improbable was still possible. With the bowling tight and scoring opportunities scarce, the seventh-wicket pair resolved to soak up the pressure and fight for every inch.Nothing seemed to be happening in the middle, yet at the same time, everything was happening. Wahab Riaz threw himself into a five-over spell after tea that yielded 0 for 8 but saw the ball repeatedly swerve late past the outside edge. Both batsmen edged short of catchers in the cordon – Woakes a matter of millimetres in front of Asad Shafiq at third slip – and Wahab ended up lying in the dust as he strained for a breakthrough. He was also warned twice by the umpires for running on the pitch.At the other end, rewards were not as readily forthcoming for Yasir as had been expected after his first-innings six-for. There was turn – as Gary Ballance discovered when a delivery beat his front pad and attempted flick to end his dogged 43 – but the pitch was placid enough for Woakes and Bairstow to survive as long as they eschewed risk. When Yasir won an lbw decision from Joel Wilson against Woakes, the batsman confidently reviewed in the knowledge that his bat had intervened first.England had initially recovered through a 49-run partnership between Ballance and James Vince, who made his best Test score before being dismissed by Wahab, flinging his hands at a drive shortly after lunch. Wahab had begun to make the ball reverse away down the slope and a thick edge flew to Younis Khan at second slip, who this time held on to the catch at the second attempt, having unsuccessfully juggled a much tougher chance with Vince on 9.Ballance, in the second innings of his comeback Test, seemed to grow in confidence, totting up runs with nudges and nurdles. He was vulnerable to Wahab’s probing outside off stump but generally played the ball softly and late, other than when slashing a four over the slips. He and Bairstow added another 39 runs in 13 overs of careful batting when Yasir, having changed to bowling from the Nursery End, struck for the first time.The man identified as Pakistan’s likeliest match-winner had to wait until his 13th over but, for aficionados of legspin, it was undoubtedly worth it. Ballance had just pulled a sharply turning delivery through square leg for his sixth boundary; the next ball was a little fuller, spun a little harder down the slope and darted like a swallow past Ballance’s attempted flick to hit leg stump. If the shot was questionable, the overall effect was reminiscent Shane Warne’s dismissal of Andrew Strauss at Edgbaston in 2005.Moeen Ali did not last long, waltzing out of his ground and aiming a heave across the line at Yasir, only for the ball to spin between bat and pad to hit the top of middle. At 139 for 6, England were still less than halfway to their target; Pakistan were more than halfway to theirs.After the third day’s play, Pakistan’s coach Mickey Arthur was hoping his side could “sneak another 19-20” more runs. They managed just a single from Amir as England took the last two wickets in 13 balls, though that was enough to push the requirement up above the 282 achieved by Michael Vaughan’s side against New Zealand in 2004. Stuart Broad picked up both, Yasir and Amir caught behind, to become the third England bowler to pass 350 Test wickets.Adrenaline coursed through initial stages of England’s assault. Cook chopped the opening delivery for four through point as England raced to 19 for 0 from three overs before hitting their first speed bump: Rahat found his line and the tiniest contact with Cook’s outside edge, a kiss goodbye for the England captain who turned away ruefully as Kumar Dharmasena’s finger went up.Rahat bagged and tagged the next two as well. Alex Hales attempted to force a cut, a thick top edge flying quickly to be well held by Mohammad Hafeez at first slip; then a misbegotten pull from Joe Root sent a top edge out to the grateful Yasir, jogging to his right to take the catch some 20 yards in from the boundary at deep square leg. It was just one of a multitude of joyous individual and collective moments for Pakistan on a ground where they experienced such pain when the spot-fixing scandal erupted six years ago. They have fresh memories now.

Nottinghamshire, believe it or not, are deep in the relegation mire – and the situation has got worse after an intervention by their old boy Andy Carter

David Hopps14-Aug-2016
ScorecardAndy Carter stormed back to Trent Bridge•Getty ImagesDiscovering Nottinghamshire hanging around at the wrong end of the First Division is like finding the flash guy with the top-of-the-range BMW drinking in the cheapest pub in town. No matter how much you remind yourself he is loaded you can’t avoid noticing in the corner of your eye the unexpected scrambling for enough change for another bag of pork scratchings.Nottinghamshire are heading for Twenty20 finals day on Saturday. Among the most glamorous of county cricket’s limited-overs side they finally have a chance to claim a T20 trophy that has long seemed overdue. But four-day cricket is a less endearing story. It is entirely possible they could go to Edgbaston uncomfortably placed at the bottom of the Championship.Midway through this match, Hampshire lead by 180 with nine second-innings wickets intact, a position made more secure in the final session by Jimmy Adams’ unbeaten 68.”The plan now is bat and bat,” said Liam Dawson. “We’ll look to bat all day and see where it takes us.” They might be bottom but that they have the capacity to grind out a batting day is beyond doubt.A Hampshire victory would send them above Notts in the table. Such an outcome would not just cause shivers in the East Midlands. Hampshire have long presumed to be relegation fodder and a victory would cause consternation for Surrey, Lancashire and Durham. Suddenly, the First Division relegation outcome would look likely to be contested deep into September.Quite how Nottinghamshire succumbed for 245, 74 behind on first innings, must have been a mystery for their combative captain, Chris Read, whose counter-attacking, unbeaten 70, full of attractive off-side drives, prevented total calamity. It was Family Fun day at Trent Bridge but only Read seemed to want to do much colouring in. He seems to have been staving off Nottinghamshire collapses for a lifetime and, by rights, his boyish dash should have been exhausted years ago.To make matters worse, Nottinghamshire’s morning collapse, in which they lost five for 77 in decent batting conditions, was engineered by Andy Carter, whose gangling pace bowling used to be at Notts’ service until he rejected a new contract and decamped to Derbyshire at the end of last season, only to abandon that in disgust after half a season because of his lack of Championship opportunities to join Hampshire, who at that point had so many injured fast bowlers they were almost reduced to looking for solutions in a Tesco bargain bucket.Read considered a bad day with consummate understatement. One day he will surely crack, grab everybody by the throat and promptly announce his retirement. Until then he merely said: “It was a disappointing morning session and ultimately, although it was a good fightback to get to 245, we were somewhat lacking in first innings’ runs.”Andy Carter bowled nicely. We all like Andy here at Notts and we’ve fond memories of his time with us. Unfortunately for us he chose this moment to bowl a good opening spell. We’ve not batted well all season; it’s one area we are trying to improve. We are working exceptionally hard behind the scenes to put things right but again we came unstuck.”Hampshire went into the match with only Ryan McLaren taking his Championship wickets under 40s, but Carter’s debut gave them a bowler eminently capable of a hot spell or two, his Derbyshire return of six wickets for 73.33 best overlooked. An incisive pre-lunch spell underlined that as he removed three former team-mates for six runs in 12 deliveries.The nightwatchman, Jake Ball, hit his first delivery to Adam Wheater at midwicket, Riki Wessels found a bouncer from a former team-mate irresistible and holed out, fourth ball, at deep square leg, and Steven Mullaney chopped a rising delivery onto his stumps. Wessels has had an eye-catching one-day season and strange things can happen to an attacking player met by an old team-mate who bangs one in and suggests: “Go on then, try to hit that for old time’s sake.”When you need to dig in, Brendon Taylor is not your man. Neither does he immediately strike you as the sort of high-profile signing you want in a relegation battle. Since abandoning an unpredictable international career with Zimbabwe for the security of county cricket, he has produced the occasional destructive innings alongside rather too many lax dismissals to earn admiration in his new homeland.He fell to a good catch by Mason Crane at midwicket, off Gareth Berg, and soon afterwards Notts were 91 for 6 when Samit Patel was lbw, struck on the boot by Brad Wheal and hobbled off. He was the hero of Notts’ NatWest Blast quarter-final win and the crowd rose to him with great fondness, which was nice to see, but the sense will forever remain that it is impossible for Samit to cross the road without the intervention of a couple of moments of tragi-comedy.That left Read to find support from Michael Lumb – a restrained innings ending when he edged an attempted pull and became a fourth wicket for Carter – and some tail-end spanking from Luke Wood and, more unexpectedly, Imran Tahir, helped by a missed stumping off Dawson. Wood was unhinged by a short ball from McLaren which deflected off bat and helmet. Carter’s simple catch in the leg-side allowed Dawson to wrap up the innings with wickets in successive balls. Hampshire are still kicking for all they are worth.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Liverpool have nearly agreed personal terms with Alexis Mac Allister and just need to work out the finer details and then trigger his release clause to complete the transfer.

What's the latest on Alexis Mac Allister and Liverpool?

There is no shortage of suitors for the Brighton midfielder right now with a collection of Premier League teams linked with the Argentine in recent times.

What's more, there appears to be some sort of clause in his contract which will allow him to leave the Seagulls this summer if a bid comes in of a high enough value.

With that in mind, whoever wants to sign him may have to act fast to beat off the competition for Mac Allister's signature and it looks as though Liverpool will endeavour to be that team.

Indeed, while speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano revealed that he can leave in June and having sorted "90 per cent" of the personal terms, there are just a few things left to do before the Reds can land the £50k-p/w star.

He explained (2:58): “There is an exit clause for Alexis Mac Allister to leave Brighton. Formally it is something that Alexis Mac Allister's camp and Brighton decided when he signed the new contract months ago.

"In that moment, they decided the fixed amount for Alexis Mac Allister to leave the club in the summer and to leave the club in June. So early in the window.

“This is why Liverpool want to be fast. The agreement on personal terms is 90 per cent done. So Alexis Mac Allister is really really close to Liverpool.

"But this clause is also helpful on the club's side. Liverpool need now to complete the agreement on these details. And then in that moment, will be able to complete the deal.

"But being there a fixed amount – a kind of release clause into the contract – they know that it's crucial to reach a full agreement with the player, also on the final details to avoid any potential competition from other clubs with Mauricio Pochettino big fan of Mac Allister."

How much will Mac Allister cost?

It remains unclear just how much Liverpool will have to pay to trigger that release clause but

a report in Argentine newspaper La Nacion has stated that the 24-year-old will command a fee of around £60m, while his weekly wage will double to £100k.

That's certainly not a bargain but with a number of other teams interested in the World Cup winner, the Reds perhaps cannot afford to haggle over prices too much.

Indeed, it sounds as though they are happy to bite the financial bullet and meet both the player and Brighton's demands to get the deal done as soon as possible.