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Royals can control their fate by winning their next three. The first of those is against a side with a history of pulling off late heists

The Preview by Shashank Kishore12-May-20185:06

Manjrekar: Mumbai Indians finally playing to potential

Big Picture

The venue of that famous Rahul Dravid cap fling after one of the most stunning T20 heists will now host another high-voltage clash, even though this isn’t quite a knockout.Such are the dynamics this time that even 12 points could get a team into the knockouts, something each of the bottom four is still in the running for. If they win their last three, or maybe even two, there is a bright chance of Royals entering the top four without a helping hand. The tougher challenge, though, is in trying to win two of these away.

Form guide

• Mumbai Indians: beat KKR by 102 runs, beat KKR by 13 runs, beat Kings XI by six wickets

• Rajasthan Royals: beat CSK by four wickets, beat Kings XI by 15 runs, lost to Kings XI by six wickets

One of those will be in Mumbai, which means a homecoming for not just Ajinkya Rahane, the captain, but also for the core support group – Amol Muzumdar (batting coach) and Sairaj Bahutule (spin bowling consultant). It is this vast knowledge of the conditions that will add a layer of intrigue to the clash on Sunday evening.For starters, they’ll have to find a way around a thin middle order. Stuart Binny at No. 5 is at least two positions higher while Prashant Chopra, who opens in domestic cricket for Himachal Pradesh, isn’t their best option as a middle-order batsman. But given Mahipal Lomror hasn’t managed to make an impression, shunting him out after just two games so far could be a tad too harsh.Mumbai are in a similar position. From being on the brink of elimination 10 days ago, they have come storming back with three successive wins. Among the primary reasons is their batting rejuvenation that has helped blow over patchy death bowling.After shuttling up and down the order, Rohit Sharma at No. 3 has proved to be the steady influence. Ishan Kishan’s injection of momentum, like he did with a blistering half-century against KKR, and their utilisation of Ben Cutting made possible only because they have finally looked beyond Kieron Pollard, have provided them the necessary muscle. Now for the bowlers to hold their own and play the home-advantage card well.

Previous meeting

Jofra Archer, one of their costlier acquisitions at INR 7.2 crores (US$ 1.1 million), made a splash on IPL debut after sitting out of the first two weeks with a side strain. His 3 for 22 helped restrict MUmbai to 167. K Gowtham, among their costlier Indian signing at INR 6 crore (US$ 970,000), walked in at No. 8 with Royals needing 43 off 17, and then clattered an unbeaten 11-ball 33 to seal a win with two balls to spare.

Likely XIs

Mumbai Indians: 1 Evin Lewis, 2 Suryakumar Yadav, 3 Rohit Sharma (capt), 4 Ishan Kishan (wk), 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Krunal Pandya, 7 Ben Cutting, 8 Mitchell McClenaghan, 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Mayank Markande, 11 Mustafizur Rahman/Adam MilneRajasthan Royals: 1 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Ben Stokes, 4 Sanju Samson, 5 Prashant Chopra, 6 Stuart Binny, 7 K Gowtham, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Ankit Sharma/Shreyas Gopal, 10 Jaydev Unadkat, 11 Ish Sodhi

Strategy punt

In a tournament of tall scores and big individual contributions, Gowtham’s 100 runs in 10 innings have contributed to two vital wins. After his cameo against Mumbai, he made a six-ball 18* when Royals needed 25 off eight, to take them within one blow against Delhi Daredevils. His two sixes off his first three balls helped clinch a last-over thriller on Friday night against CSK. There’s perhaps a case of promoting him to give him more match time. He’s got numbers to back him: 157 runs off 91 balls with his balls-per-boundary ratio at an impressive 3.95. This could mean trusting Stokes to play finisher despite poor form.

Stats that matter

• Rahane has eight 30-plus scores in 14 innings against Mumbai. Overall, he has made 490 runs at an average of 40.8 and strike rate of 125.6.
• Mitchell McClenaghan has dismissed Sanju Samson four times in five innings.
• Mumbai’s win percentage of 70 is the highest among all sides in their last four league games, since 2013. Royals’ stands second last at 41.6% above Delhi Daredevils’ 21%.
• Jos Buttler is coming off four successive half-centuries. Can he become only the second batsman in IPL history after Virender Sehwag to score five? Familiarity of Mumbai’s bowlers, having represented them for two seasons, could help.

Fantasy pick

Think left field. Ben Stokes has a week left at the IPL, before he links up with the England side for the Test series against Pakistan. His batting numbers – he doesn’t even figure in the top 20 this season – have been ordinary. Fantasy points are maximised when an unpopular pick delivers finally. Stokes is like a ticking timebomb. Surely, there’s a big performance coming, at least to justify the returns on investment.

You cannot curse Wahab Riaz. Especially when the man has a five-for on debut.

Nagraj Gollapudi at The Oval18-Aug-2010You cannot curse Wahab Riaz. Especially when the man has a five-for on debut. Not on the day when he proved to be an able replacement for the injured Umar Gul and bowled long and testing spells on a pitch he described as ‘batsman’s paradise’. Not when he kept constant pressure on England, sharing duties with Mohammad Asif after Mohammad Amir seemed out of sorts. Still, back in Pakistan, his achievement will be viewed with a sceptical eye. Some even might hold a grudge against him.According to the critics, what lies behind the unfair criticism is the fact that Riaz lacked the necessary credentials to deserve a national contract ahead of other aspirants like the erratic but experienced Mohammad Sami, who destroyed Australia with a fearsome spell of bowling at the SCG in the first week of 2010. Other competitors included the towering Mohammad Irfan, another left-armer, nearly seven feet in socks, who caught the eye not only for his height but also his bowling skills. Then there was Tanvir Ahmed, the best bowler in the 2010 Quaid-e-Azam competition with 86 wickets for Karachi Blues. The 30-year-old Ahmed was up against Riaz for the spot left vacant by Gul.On Tuesday afternoon, just before the final training session, Pakistan coach Waqar Younis told both men that he would make his choice based on which of the two bowlers would display more confidence. It helped Riaz that he has a permanent smile on his face. That and a penchant to engage with the batsman did not go unnoticed. In the end Riaz was preferred.Ijaz Ahmed, the assistant coach, and one of the few Pakistan batsmen to succeed in England, gave Riaz the cap with the simple words “make sure you do your best”. He proudly wore it and was embraced and backslapped by his team-mates. Half an hour into the morning he would take the cap off to measure his run-up as Amir, probably exhausted after a long summer, for the first time on the tour failed to dominate with the new ball.Riaz’s excitement lasted just a few deliveries as Andrew Strauss stroked two sumptuous boundaries at the end of his first over in Test cricket. Next over Riaz made use of the true bounce on the Oval pitch to seam it slightly away and pocket the England captain as his maiden Test wicket. It wasn’t long before he’d added Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen, before returning to successfully gain an edge off Eoin Morgan’s bat just after the lunch break. 10-5-19-4 were not bad figures after barely a couple of hours on the field.While England were left scratching their heads as to what had hit them, Riaz must have been wondering ‘is Test cricket always so easy?’ To give due credit, he had been performing overseas in the last two years. On the ‘A’ tours of Australia and Sri Lanka, he topped the bowling charts with 11 wickets in each of the twin Test series in 2009. Against England Lions this year he was the second highest wicket-taker.But if his initiation was made easy it was because of the help he received from the A-pair – Asif and Amir. Like a conveyor belt Asif returned to harass the batsmen with his never-ending probe. In the morning Trott was on the hop almost every delivery he faced from Asif, Pakistan’s highest wicket-taker so far in the series. So when Riaz offered him width on his very first ball Trott plunged excitedly to drive the fuller, angling-away delivery, but could only succeed in edging to second slip. Amir, before he left the field with dehydration, was constantly egging Riaz to remain persistent with his lines while offering valuable tips to work out the batsmen. “Amir and Asif’s contribution was big and they have been supporting me and they were boosting me, giving me the confidence that I could do it,” Riaz said.Riaz’s stock ball is the one that is angled away from the right-hander. But what also caused discomfort was his ability to move the ball at speeds consistently hovering around the 90mph mark . Allied with the bounce and a slinging action, the batsmen needed to pay attention and even that could not save them at times – as Pietersen and Morgan found out.”The main thing he had today was the element of surprise,” is how Matt Prior, England’s best batsman on the day, described Riaz. “We hadn’t seen a great deal of him, so that played into his hands. He bowled well but having seen his action and how he bowls and tries to get people out, that will stand us in good stead in the second innings.”But Riaz today showed that uncanny ability to constantly frustrate the opponent with his consistency. In the second session Prior and Stuart Broad had put up a record stand for the eighth wicket and threatened to spoil Riaz’s debut until he bounced back to deceive Broad with a clever slower ball. In the preceding over leading up to the dismissal Riaz had pitched fuller and was varying his pace smartly, forcing Broad to wait for the ball. It was a good contest between two youngsters not shy to exchange a few words.Though Riaz was warned by the umpire to not waste time talking to the opponent he enthusiastically chased the batsmen and irked them with his antics. Even after the day’s play, he crossed paths with Prior after the media scrum and could not resist saying: “Now, I’ve to get your wicket.””Next time I want to get 10 wickets,” he said with a big smile. He is clearly hungry for success and for now the critics can rest easy.

Watching the second Test wend its way towards a draw, it occurred to Vaneisa Baksh that the most exciting cricket really comes from evenly matched teams

Vaneisa Baksh03-Jun-2008

	Ramnaresh Sarwan may have scored a century on the final day, but by then the match had a tired air © Getty Images

Watching the second Test wend its way towards a draw, it occurred to me that the most exciting cricket really comes from evenly-matched teams, even if they are not strong ones. The cricket is at its most competitive, twisting us into the knots we need to be in to keep watching for five days.By the final day in Antigua, with Australia having declared twice, and West Indies never really sparkling, it had become onerous. Even when the captain Ramnaresh Sarwan made his 11th Test century it had a tired air, as if we had waited too long for him to convert another fifty to a hundred. Ian Bishop mentioned that Sarwan had experienced a good season on account of his three fifties and a century in the Sri Lanka series. That is true, but Sarwan has been playing for eight years, and is an exceptionally good batsman who should have been able to turn more of his 30 half-centuries into hundreds. As it was, he lasted until 128 – a necessary innings if only for pride and to keep the series alive with a draw – and alongside him was the rock, Shivnarine Chanderpaul.Chanderpaul made another century in the first innings, and when the match ended with Ricky Ponting deciding it was not worth his while to plod on, he was 77 not out, having partnered Sarwan to guide West Indies to their first draw with Australia since 1995, and earning the Man-of-the-Match award. “Play it safe,” he said, just try to last it out – an ethic that seems terribly at odds with the flamboyance associated with West Indies cricketers.He held ground the way only Chanderpaul can in these times. In the first innings, his heroics had been simply another day’s work to him, that stoic, workman’s approach to the game that has empowered him above all in this team given to view their wickets as castaways. In truth, it was every man playing according to his nature during the series thus far. Nothing really new has emerged.In the first Test, the bowlers did what had been longed for and reaped wickets, and by doing so went into the second match with a larger measure of hope. Yet the batting was indifferent, and cost a game that should have been the reward for four good days. This has been the nature of the West Indies team; when the bowling and/or fielding is true, the batting tells lies, and vice versa. Rarely do all the elements join the chorus, and this is not just reflective of the squad members.At the barely scuffed grounds of the Sir Vivian Richards stadium in Antigua, what greeted them? They found a pitch that the journalist Garth Wattley described as “a lifeless, brown stretch of earth,” adding vividly that “there was more discernible movement in molasses than off it [on the first day]”.To compete on this corpse, there were no recognised spinners, and five pacers with little difference among them. In a grand sweep, the selectors managed to deflate the momentum gained by the quicks in the previous match because they were asking them to ply their trade on a surface that absorbed their wiles without giving anything back. They also managed to suppress further what little hope there might be for spinners having a chance on the West Indies team, as they again communicated their vision that spin is part-time work for some batsmen.One imagines pitch preparation aligned to the strengths of the home team, and one imagines selections based on maximising conditions that exist – desirable or not. Home advantage did not seem to be a worthy consideration for the administrators.The result was a first day’s play that was excruciatingly lifeless, as if the pitch had sucked away all the energy in its precincts. Spectators could not be bothered to come. There was no West Indian energy to come from off the field, as it did at Sabina Park. Even the fielders couldn’t keep their focus, and under the circumstances, the fumbles were costly and painful to the hard-working bowlers.To make matters worse, the drainage on the outfield was bad enough to lose two sessions on the third day, causing much lamentation over the enormous cost incurred to try to fix this problem repeatedly after it had become evident at the World Cup last year. It was embarrassing, and one wonders whether this had been factored into the decision to hold one of the matches on the ground. Poor umpiring decisions contributed to reducing the scores, a continuing source of debate over technology use.For Ricky Ponting’s men, it would be gratifying to hold on to the Sir Frank Worrell trophy even before they set foot on Barbados soil for the final match. The retirement of Stuart MacGill leaves Australia with yet another hole to fill, but they are a resilient bunch, with a cricket ethic that leaves them formidable even under pressure. The third Test may yet be the most revealing of what might be a turning point for both sides. If only the series was longer.

There aren’t many better feelings than watching your team home and away.

Win, lose or draw, we’re there to support our beloved clubs whether it be at the home ground or as part of a tiny away section.

League One in particular is as competitive as ever, containing some historic names of English football, and so with that comes a number of must-visit grounds.

Focusing on the third tier, Football FanCast has ranked the top ten away days in League One which you should be looking to embark on if your team ever gets the chance.

For this list, we've considered the area, affordability, potential nearby activities and the stadiums themselves when coming up with the best away trips League One has to offer.

10 The Valley – Charlton Athletic

We are kicking things off in the capital, in particular Greenwich, where we have The Valley.

This is the home of Charlton Athletic, who were playing Premier League football as recently as 2007, but have since hit a bump in the road.

Fans of the Addicks currently find themselves struggling to get out of League One, but they do have an excellent stadium to show off with a capacity of over 27,000.

Visiting such a big stadium at this level of course means that a sizeable away allocation comes with it as well – a couple of thousand are able to attend.

Given that Charlton is London, it is easy enough to make a weekend out of a clash with this team, as there is no shortage of activities and pubs and whatnot in the surrounding area.

One slight downfall, though, is that with the location comes more expensive drinks than fans from further afield may be used to.

Away day rating: 6/10

9 Memorial Stadium – Bristol Rovers

Travelling further west to Bristol now, which is a two-team city.

Bristol Rovers and Bristol City divide the land in blue and red and it is the latter who are the more established, having been in the Championship consistently for nearly a decade now.

Rovers are the team going under our microscope with their ground, the Memorial Stadium.

The stadium itself has a capacity of just over 12,000, so whilst it may not be competing with the venues that have graced the top flight, it is still very impressive.

Rovers originally spent 89 years at Eastville Stadium but left there in 1986 and then moved to the Mem ten years later.

Away day rating: 6/10

8 Weston Homes Stadium – Peterborough United

Iconic stadiums losing their names to sponsors is a plight that is working its way through the EFL.

Peterborough United’s London Road is the first victim on this list, but the Weston Homes Stadium is certainly not as bad as another that will feature later on.

The Posh is a highly regarded club, this reputation being boosted by the openness shown by owner and chairman Darragh MacAnthony when it comes to the dealings in the transfer windows.

Peterborough has a historic cathedral if that is something that piques your interest before or after your team goes to battle with the Cambridgeshire side. Beyond that, there is a fair amount of general history on show and as the location suggests – Cambridge isn’t far away at all, either.

London Road is another stadium that holds a very respectable capacity, which is in excess of 15,000, with the possibility of a great atmosphere from home and away supporters.

Away day rating: 6/10

7 Pride Park – Derby County

Derby County are the first club to creep beyond the 6/10 mark and hit the heights of a very respectable seven.

They are another team who have played top-flight football in the Premier League era, although they do of course hold that haunting record for the lowest points tally.

Pride Park is where they call home, and according to BetVictor, this is the best ground in all of League One.

GiveMeSport states that season ticket price, price per game, stadium utilisation, total mileage, number of votes, atmosphere, location, stadium view, infrastructure and food were the various criteria that were assessed in BetVictor’s study.

Back in 1888, Derby were one of the 12 founding members of the Football League, showing just how steeped in history they are, making them a shoo-in for this list.

Away day rating: 7/10

6 St James’ Park – Exeter City

St James’ Park is a famous location up in Newcastle but also down south as well, with Exeter City having a ground of their very own going by the same name as the Magpies’.

Exeter are very proud of their reputation of being a fan-run club and so that quickly endears them to the football purists who come to visit in Devon.

The Grecians are a loud and proud group of supporters, with their clashes against local rivals Plymouth Argyle always being extremely fierce whether it's at Home Park or St James’.

There is a standing area and a seated area for away fans at Exeter, which is a nice touch, and with a fine city just minutes away from the ground, the stadium itself is worth a visit.

Away day rating: 7/10

5 Bloomfield Road – Blackpool

Returning to the trend of former Premier League teams, Blackpool reached those particular heights with Charlie Adam as captain and Rob Edwards and Ian Evatt also featuring – a pair who now manage Luton Town and Bolton Wanderers respectively.

Blackpool is known for having its infamous tower, the Pleasure Beach, waterparks and a zoo.

Once again, this is a location which would be suitable for the family, so a weekend getaway could be arranged around the main event of a football match.

Bloomfield Road has a capacity of 17,625, with the figures for away fans able to creep into four figures once again.

The presence of plentiful empty seats does lead to Blackpool being marked down, but it remains a desirable location for away fans, for sure.

Away day rating: 7/10

4 Kassam Stadium – Oxford United

Peterborough United affords you the chance of visiting Cambridge, while the other famous university city can be attended when your team goes toe-to-toe with Oxford United.

People of an older generation may know Oxford’s home as Grenoble Road, but it is now known as the Kassam Stadium in honour of Firoz Kassam, who owned the club between 1999 and 2006 as well as having a stint as chairman.

Kassam paid just £1 for the club due to the financial difficulties they were enduring at the time.

Oxford is considered to be a great place to visit, while as of 2021, it was named as the eighth-most expensive area in the country to buy a pint, so visiting fans will have to be wary when they flock to the nearby pubs.

Away day rating: 8/10

3 Toughsheet Community Stadium – Bolton Wanderers

Weston Homes Stadium isn’t the best name around, but that is nothing compared to the Toughsheet Community Stadium.

There have been a lot of changes to the name of Bolton Wanderers’ home, from the Reebok Stadium to the University of Bolton Stadium and now to this.

But this name is one of very few blemishes on an away day to Bolton, in truth, with the size of the stadium certainly working in their favour.

Referring back to BetVictor’s research, Bolton ranked 14th in the entire Football League. This put the Trotters ahead of Premier League grounds such as Newcastle United, Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester United to name just a few.

Away day rating: 9/10

The top ten away days in the Premier League – ranked

An away day is one of the best parts of being a football fan, but which is the best in the Premier League? Football FanCast has taken a look.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 22, 2023 2 Oakwell – Barnsley

Barnsley join Bolton at an away day rating of 9/10, but the former gets the slight edge, and finishes second on the list as a result.

Oakwell is an old-school, classic ground for football and Barnsley in general are a club with a lot of history.

They are firmly ingrained in the landscape of England from a football perspective which makes it a worthwhile away day instantly.

The club doesn’t own the stadium anymore, with the council having to take over to save the club from facing extinction, and whilst they have gone from the Championship play-offs to League One in just a couple of years, Barnsley remains a massive club that deserves a lot of respect and admiration.

Away day rating: 9/10

1 Fratton Park – Portsmouth

There aren’t many better grounds that one can visit in the EFL than Fratton Park.

The University of Portsmouth labels itself as “one of the most affordable UK cities for university students”, and why can’t that carry over to football fans wanting to frequent the pubs, particularly when “the cost of a pint [is] averaged at £4.51, one pound cheaper than London.”

We have no notes for Pompey, it is a club with a great following in a nice area and Fratton Park is the best stadium in League One, all things considered.

Away day rating: 10/10

Jadon Sancho's Manchester United career could come to an end in the near future, and journalist Fabrizio Romano has now suggested a potential replacement at Old Trafford.

Will Jadon Sancho leave Man United?

Sancho made the move to Old Trafford in 2021, with big things expected of him after he completed a big-money transfer from Borussia Dortmund. He was arguably seen as one of the most promising young players in Europe at the time, but he has been a huge disappointment since returning to England.

In total, the 23-year-old has scored just 12 goals and registered six assists in 82 appearances for United, with his performances too often feeling forgettable rather than influential. Not only that, but he now finds himself completely frozen out of the squad by Erik ten Hag, following disciplinary issues in recent weeks, and there is currently only one direction that his Red Devils career is heading in.

Things can change in football, of course, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see Sancho leave United in the January transfer window, should the problems with the manager not be resolved. If that happens, a new attacker would need to come in to aid squad depth, and one potential addition has been name-checked.

Who could replace Sancho at Old Trafford?

Speaking to Caught Offside, Romano claimed that Wolves star Pedro Neto would be a perfect replacement for Sancho at United, should he move on, even though there isn't concrete interest in him at the moment:

"Just one final point on Man United and Jadon Sancho – at the moment there is no significant update to report, and I’m not aware of any decision on a potential new winger signing in January.

"There are many good opportunities around such as Pedro Neto who I’ve already mentioned and who is a fantastic player, but it’s absolutely not sure or guaranteed that Man United will spend big money in January."

Neto could be a wonderful signing for United if they strike a deal for him in January, or next summer for that matter, with the Portuguese speedster clearly a fabulous young player with so much long-term potential.

The 23-year-old has made a superb start to this season for Wolves, already getting four assists in seven Premier League outings, as well as playing a key role in Ruben Dias' own goal for Manchester City on Saturday, as Wanderers ran out surprise 2-1 winners over the champions at Molineux.

Admittedly, Neto has had some serious injury problems in the past, which could make signing him a gamble for United, who already have lots of players unavailable, but he is fit and firing at the moment, and he looks unplayable at times.

Capable of playing on either flank, the Wolves winger is fast, direct and possesses end product, being hailed as a "superstar" by Jamie Carragher in the past, and at just 23 years of age, there is still so much more to come from him.

Put bluntly, he simply looks like a better player than Sancho at this point – they are the same age – and could ultimately be an upgrade on him if he leaves Old Trafford sooner rather than later.

West Bromwich Albion have already displayed an outside-the-box approach with their transfer activity this summer.

Whilst Nathaniel Phillips is a well-known name to most Championship fans, Aune Heggebo is definitely more of an unknown entity to the average supporter. Yet, West Brom have gambled on the former Brann goal machine to come good on English shores, having spent £4.7m on the Nordic striker.

It remains to be seen whether Heggebo will go on to be a rip-roaring success in England, but his blistering goal record in his native Norway is definitely encouraging to look at.

Why Heggebo could be a success at West Brom

After all, Erling Haaland infamously hails from the same nation, with the lofty attacker now one of the most feared strikers in world football after beginning his career in Scandinavia.

Of course, nobody will be anticipating Heggebo to storm into his new environment and be as instantly clinical as the Manchester City powerhouse, but the signs are there that he could be a lethal finisher at the Hawthorns if he can manage to navigate the step-up well.

In total, for Brann, the £4.7m forward would power home a potent 51 goals from 146 games, with the Eliteserien outfit no doubt putting up a valiant fight to try and keep their star asset around for longer.

Unfortunately, whilst £4.7m is a steep amount to splash in go, West Brom’s lavish spending has been overshadowed somewhat by near neighbours Birmingham City routinely flexing their muscles.

Across the Midlands, the £10m forked out on ex-Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi around the same time has certainly sent a message to the division’s best clubs.

However, the Baggies could shoot back into the limelight if they manage to get another left-field piece of business over the line, with a new target perhaps going down as Ryan Mason’s very own Kyogo if all clicks into place.

West Brom's answer to Kyogo

Before being renowned as a venomous goal threat with 85 strikes next to his name at Celtic, Kyogo would have been viewed as a bold pick-up by the Hoops, considering the Japanese gem had only ever played in the comforts of the J League, before Glasgow came calling.

West Brom might well look to tap into the Asian markets themselves with their next summer buy, with reports from earlier in the month suggesting that the Championship side had bid £1.1m for Jeonbuk Hyundai attacker Jeon Jin-Woo.

Jin-Woo’s numbers in South Korea vs Kyogo in Japan
Stat	Jin-Woo	Kyogo
Games played	163	182
Goals scored	32	66
Assists	20	36
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Jin-Woo might well follow in Kyogo’s footsteps in establishing himself as a menace up top when making the same daunting geographical leap, having amassed an electric 52 goal contributions plying his trade in Korea for both Jeonbuk and ex-employers Suwon Bluewings.

The brand-new Birmingham buy was able to devastatingly reach double Jin-Woo’s goal tally when starring for the likes of Vissel Kobe, but the two-time South Korea international will surely feel less nervous about taking that next step to the Baggies, knowing others have moved to the United Kingdom and thrived in some challenging environments.

To help the 25-year-old even more, Mason will also have Heggebo available for selection in attack, who will be equally eager to hit the ground running in his fresh location.

It does remain up in the air how well West Brom will do next season, with Mason also being a rookie manager away from their daring summer business, but Jin-Woo could become a firm fan’s favourite at the Hawthorns if he manages to excel in the English game to the same lofty heights Kyogo managed in Scotland.

Dream Johnston upgrade: West Brom submit surprise offer for £1.1m star

West Bromwich Albion could think outside of the box when pursuing a Mikey Johnston upgrade.

2

By
Kelan Sarson

Jul 16, 2025

West Bromwich Albion's squad situation at this point in time is less than ideal, with injuries mounting up, a number of first-team players leaving for the African Cup of Nations soon and now the development of Jeremy Sarmiento being recalled hitting the Baggies square in the face.

The news of Sarmiento returning to Brighton would have stung even more knowing that the Seagulls were just preparing to offload their South American winger out again to Ipswich Town, the Tractor Boys benefiting from West Brom's dire predicament.

Carlos Corberan won't move away from utilising the loan market completely this January however, with the West Midlands side interested in securing another loan move according to reports to attempt to soften the blow of Sarmiento exiting.

West Brom transfer latest – another loan deal

TEAMtalk have recently reported that the promotion-chasing Baggies are going after Dexter Lembikisa in January, the current Rotherham United man excelling with the Millers away from parent club Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan.

Yet, West Brom could come in this month and offer Lembikisa a better loan move where he could help Corberan's men clinch promotion to the Premier League instead of playing his part in Rotherham staving off relegation.

The Championship playoff hopefuls aren't the only interested party though, with TEAMTalk further elaborating that Middlesbrough and Ipswich are also keen whilst the Tractor Boys' arch nemesis Norwich City have joined the queue too for his services.

EFL Championship done deals: Every January 2024 transfer

As the January transfer window closes, FFC has you covered for every in and out involving your club in the EFL Championship.

ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

West Brom will hope they can land Lembikisa to get a tetchy Baggies fanbase back on side, the masses at the Hawthorns growing increasingly worried at the threadbare nature of the squad before them.

Dexter Lembikisa's style of play

Lembikisa would push the likes of Darnell Furlong and Conor Townsend all the way on his arrival to the West Midlands to stake a claim for a first-team spot, equally adept at playing down both flanks as an adaptable full-back presence.

The current Millers man is also more than capable of venturing forward and playing further up the field if needed, scoring once so far this campaign for Rotherham under the previous tenure of Matt Taylor by confidently firing home on the volley against Norwich City.

Lembikisa's form has taken somewhat of a nosedive in recent weeks, as his Rotherham side continue to struggle to beat the drop, but Taylor showered the explosive 20-year-old with praise after that stunning strike – the ex-Millers boss describing Lembikisa as 'outstanding' when speaking to BirminghamLive.

Wolves pathways manager Steve Davis also described the Jamaican full-back as a 'confident boy' via the Premier League club's website when Lembikisa joined the Millers, the young defender hoping he can excel with a team higher up the Championship if rumours are correct and justify the confidence he possesses in his own ability too.

West Brom need all the bodies they can get into the building at this moment in time – and in Lembikisa – the Baggies would get a raw, exciting talent that could see the second-tier side go from being passive in games to suddenly upping the tempo and terrifying teams.

Losing Sarmiento will hurt those at the Hawthorns for the time being, but by signing this exciting 20-year-old defender this month, could get the ball rolling with many more purchases coming in after to breathe life back into a depleted West Brom group.

Arsenal are once again seeking the ultimate silverware in the form of the Premier League title. The Gunners came ever so close throughout the last campaign, but were eventually denied by the winning machine of Manchester City on their way to picking up an historic treble. This time around, those in North London will hope that their victory over the champions at The Emirates will go a long way in their claim for top spot come May. Meanwhile, the January transfer window could also play a part.

If Arsenal can add some final reinforcements to Mikel Arteta's side, then they may well become a force strong enough to outperform Pep Guardiola's outfit. Arteta is seemingly well aware of that too, having reportedly requested one particular January signing.

Arsenal transfer news

After sealing their return to Champions League action last season, Arsenal could have easily sat back and settled for European qualification once more. Instead, however, they made a statement in the summer by beating City to the signature of Declan Rice, whilst also welcoming Kai Havertz from Chelsea. Rice has particularly slotted straight in and became a vital player under Arteta, who has reportedly requested a repeat of Arsenal's midfield recruitment for the January transfer window.

According to Sport in Spain, Arteta has asked Arsenal to sign Ruben Neves from Al-Hilal in January in a new wish. The former Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder left the Midlands club in favour of a move to Saudi Arabia during the summer, but could now get an instant return to England's top flight. The Gunners could reportedly welcome Neves as a replacement for Thomas Partey, who has struggled with injuries and a lack of game time this season, with Arteta insisting on a move. Arsenal know all about his quality too, given that two of Neves' Premier League goals came against the Gunners.

They will reportedly have to fend off interest from Newcastle United in pursuit of the midfielder's signature, though the Premier League could vote to block players moving between associated clubs on loan, which could rule out a move to the Magpies for Neves in January.

Arteta wants to sign "complete" Neves

It's easy to forget just how talented Neves is after he swapped the Premier League for the Saudi Pro League during the summer, but this is still a player who appears to be able to compete at the highest level. For a side in Arsenal's position, adding the Portugal international to their side could make all the difference in their hunt for silverware. Neves' stats in the Premier League certainly show that he is ready to replace Partey.

Player

Goals

Assists

Tackles Won

Interceptions

Ruben Neves

6

1

43

50

Thomas Partey

3

0

40

28

Former manager Julen Lopetegui was also full of praise for the midfielder last season, saying:

"All of my decisions are difficult for me, but I prefer to always have all the players ready. It’s very good news for us that Ruben is coming. Of course, Ruben is a very important player for us and now he is ready to play. It is good news for us, for sure. He is a very good player, a very complete player and important for the dressing room and on the pitch.”

Glasgow Rangers made the decision to part ways with manager Michael Beale earlier this month after the English tactician endured a difficult start to the season.

The Light Blues lost three of their opening seven Scottish Premiership matches and were knocked out of the Champions League by PSV during the play-off round, which meant that the club moved into the group stages of the Europa League.

This came after the former Chelsea youth coach was allowed to oversee an overhaul of the playing squad over the course of the summer transfer window.

Jack Butland

Free

Dujon Sterling

Free

Leon Balogun

Free

Kieran Dowell

Free

Jose Cifuentes

Permanent

Sam Lammers

Permanent

Cyriel Dessers

Permanent

Danilo

Permanent

Abdallah Sima

Loan

As shown in the table above, the former Rangers chief was able to snap nine new recruits to bolster the team after the likes of Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Kent, Scott Arfield, Antonio Colak, Fashion Sakala, and Ianis Hagi moved on, either on loan or permanently.

The results on the pitch did not justify the mass changes and the board made the decision to ditch the English tactician, who has since been replaced by Belgian boss Philippe Clement.

However, not all of Beale's deals were to the detriment of the club as one player who has been a standout performer on the pitch since his arrival is goalkeeper Jack Butland.

How much did Rangers pay for Butland?

Rangers did not pay a penny for the former England international as they agreed a pre-contract deal for the shot-stopper back in June, ahead of his contract with Crystal Palace expiring at the end of the month.

At the time of the move, Beale claimed that the club had signed an "excellent" goalkeeper who is now in the prime years of his career at the age of 30.

His performances so far this season have backed up that claim but there may have been some doubts over how it would pan out at the time due to his difficulties in England in recent years.

How many Premier League appearances did Butland make?

He racked up 87 Premier League appearances throughout his time down south with various clubs but none of those came during a loan spell with Manchester United last season.

Butland spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Old Trafford but Erik ten Hag did not feature him in a single competitive match before his return to Palace, and eventual move to Ibrox.

That came after the 30-year-old ace only played ten top-flight games in two-and-a-half seasons with the Eagles as he failed to displace Spanish titan Vicente Guaita to earn a regular spot in the starting XI.

He did play nine times during the 2021/22 campaign. However, the Englishman was unable to catch the eye as 43% of the shots on his goal found the back of the net and his side only kept one clean sheet, as per Sofascore.

His troubles at Palace, and United, came after an impressive start to his senior career with Birmingham and Stoke in his younger days. He racked up 214 competitive appearances for those two clubs combined and kept 60 clean sheets in total.

Butland became the youngest goalkeeper in England history when he made his debut against Italy in 2012 at the age of 19 and has earned nine caps for his country to date.

The 6 foot 5 colossus enjoyed a fantastic spell with Stoke after coming through the academy system at Birmingham as he won their Player of the Year award for the 2015/16 and 2018/19 campaigns.

He kept 18 clean sheets and saved 71% of the shots on his goal across 45 Championship starts during the latter season but failed to build on his form for the Potters as his career fell by the wayside at Palace after a move to Selhurst Park in 2020.

How has Butland performed for Rangers?

Rangers now appear to have benefitted from Butland's declining career as they swooped in to sign him for £0 and the towering gem has been a revelation this season.

The former England international has hit the ground running at Ibrox and already established himself as a star and key player for the club with his fantastic performances between the sticks.

He has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.11 across nine Scottish Premiership starts and kept an eye-catching six clean sheets to date, with an impressive 77% save percentage.

Whereas, Allan McGregor only saved 57% of the shots on his goal and kept eight shutouts in 24 top-flight appearances for the Light Blues last season.

This suggests that Rangers have secured a huge upgrade in goal by replacing the veteran Scotsman with Butland, who was hailed for his "outstanding" goalkeeping by journalist Josh Bunting in August, over the summer transfer window.

The former Stoke star has also enjoyed a strong start to life in Europe with an average Sofascore rating of 7.35 and a save percentage of 75% across two Europa League group stage outings.

How much is Butland worth now?

Football Insider recently reported that the Light Blues value the 30-year-old colossus at a fee of at least £5m amid interest from Championship side Birmingham.

The outlet claimed that his former club are keen on a deal for the Gers star, just months on from his move to the Scottish giants, but also add that the Ibrox side will not entertain any offers for his services during the upcoming January transfer window.

They have also stated that his internal valuation at Rangers will only increase further beyond £5m if his impressive performances on the pitch continue throughout the rest of the 2023/24 campaign.

The interest from Birmingham highlights how much of an impact Butland has made for the club this season as he has done enough to attract attention from elsewhere after three months of competitive football.

His valuation has quickly soared from £0 to £5m since Beale snapped him up for nothing from Palace and the former Gers boss, therefore, deserves credit.

The ex-QPR head coach hit the jackpot for the club with his move to sign the giant stopper, who now looks set to play a key role for Clement moving forward.

ECB’s standards of corporate governance ‘fall well short of what’s acceptable’, says former Somerset chairman

George Dobell07-Mar-2018A county chief executive has called for an independent inquiry into the ECB’s decision to make payments to Test-hosting grounds, in the wake of the resignation from the ECB Board of Andy Nash, the former Somerset chairman, who cited standards of corporate governance which “fall well short of what’s acceptable”.Nash, once tipped as a potential successor to Colin Graves as ECB chairman, was responding to revelations – published by The Times in recent days – that several Test-hosting counties will receive large payments (understood to be GBP500,000 a year) in years they do not host Tests. These payments, Nash alleges, were agreed without the ECB board’s approval or even knowledge.As a former Somerset chairman, Nash was alarmed that the payments would marginalise the 10 non-Test hosting clubs and “clearly signals to many a move to promote eight counties as the first among equals”.It is not hard to understand Nash’s concerns. In recent days Hampshire – a club who will benefit significantly from the arrangement – have announced the signing of Sam Northeast in the face of substantial opposition from other counties. Kent, Northeast’s club since his schooldays, will not benefit from the payments. Is it fair, Nash asks, for such counties to be disadvantaged in these situations? Equally, is it fair that a club such as Glamorgan – that has seen loans of public money written off and has a modest record of producing England players – is rewarded with extra funds?It is also understood that Nash’s attempts to raise his concerns in recent days have been most unwelcome to members of the ECB executive – especially Graves – and he therefore came to the conclusion that he could serve no further purpose on the board.”I hereby resign with immediate effect from the ECB Board,” Nash wrote in a letter to Graves.”I’ve recently become concerned that the standards of Corporate Governance at ECB are falling well short of what’s acceptable and in all conscience I can’t allow myself to continue to be associated with it.”I would be failing in my duty as a director if I didn’t bring these to the Board’s attention and this I’ve tried to do. The current fiasco over the actual / alleged / planned payments to TMGs is an exemplar. Whether intentional or not it clearly signals to many a move to promote 8 Counties as the first among equals. As an ardent supporter of the 18 FCCs this is not a direction of travel I can live with.”It’s also come to my attention in the last 24 hours that my actions as a listening and conscientious NXD are sadly misunderstood and misinterpreted by yourself. I sincerely regret that because all I want is the best for the game and for good governance of the ECB.”I wish English cricket every future success: it’s been an enormous privilege to serve this great game as a County Chairman and ECB Board Director since 2004.”At this stage, the resignation is only an embarrassment to an ECB executive that have talked a good game about corporate governance – Tom Harrison, the chief executive, even used it as mitigation for Ashes defeat. But it has the potential to become much more serious.In the event of an independent inquiry, one obvious area of interest would be the on-going situation whereby Yorkshire, who fared well both in major match allocations and in terms of being awarded the right to host one of the new T20 teams, owe family trusts set up by Graves over GBP20 million. Those Grave trusts also retain a right of veto over who joins or leaves the Yorkshire board.Graves, it might be remembered, left the room when the ECB Board approved the recent major match allocations, as he accepted there was the possibility of a perception of conflict of interest. But did he leave the room when Durham were stripped of their Test status, or when the chairman’s meeting rejected the ECB’s own working-party recommendation into a future T20 competition featuring promotion and relegation rather than the new-team version?There may also be scrutiny of a letter, signed by Graves and sent to Somerset, at a time when the club was faltering in their support of the new-team competition. In the letter, Graves seems to imply that Somerset would be well placed as a future host of one of the new teams, though they subsequently missed out on that opportunity. ESPNcricinfo understands that Somerset did briefly consider a legal challenge to that decision but have been assured they will be better served, in the long term, if they accept their fate.And that may be considered the nub of the problem. For too long, deals have been conducted out of sight and scrutiny. For too long, counties have been forced into acquiescence by offers of patronage or fears of retribution. The ECB, who insisted on non-disclosure agreements during the debate over the future direction of domestic T20, has now reacted to recent negative publicity by threatening to report anyone suspected of ‘leaking’ information to the media to their new regulatory committee designed to uphold standards of integrity. Does that sound like an organisation that welcomes scrutiny and openness?Nash had served as a board member and county chairman for more than a decade but this act, bringing to light the high-handed management of the game, may prove to be his most influential moment.