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Many Everton fans have been left buzzing over some manager news involving Duncan Ferguson.

As per the official website of the Merseyside club, he has now been appointed as the caretaker manager for the upcoming matches, after Rafa Benitez left his post following the 2-1 loss away at Norwich City in the Premier League.

Ferguson took charge of training at USM Finch Farm on Tuesday morning, as they prepare to face Aston Villa at Goodison Park at Saturday lunchtime, and he will be supported by John Ebbrell, Leighton Baines and Alan Kelly.

Of course, the Scotsman is a Toffees legend after so many years as both a player and coach, scoring 72 goals in 273 games in total. In his first stint as an interim manager, he was impressive, winning his opening fixture 3-1 at home to Chelsea back in 2019, while also picking up draws against both Manchester United and Arsenal (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, he seemingly looks to be a very popular appointment among the Blues supporters.

Everton fans on Ferguson manager news

These Evertonians buzzed as the manager news was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that they are ‘delighted’:

“DUNCCC SIUUUUUUUUUUUUU”

Credit: @jayefc_

“Superb. I’m a big fan of this decision.”

Credit: @HeidiInteriors

“Brilliant news @Everton sensible decision”

Credit: @RichieRowlands

“The news I have been waiting for all week”

Credit: @Babby008

“Delighted.”

Credit: @stugriff31

“Yesssss”

Credit: @_Rob1878_

In other news, find out what interesting EFC claim Benitez has now made here!

Cayman Islands completed a five-wicket win against Argentina on the reserve day in Pianoro

Cricinfo staff16-Aug-2010Cayman Islands completed a five-wicket win against Argentina in Pianoro on the reserve day, following an abandonment on Sunday because of rain.Lucas Paterlini was bowled by Marlon Bryan•International Cricket CouncilArgentina’s batsmen struggled to get going after they were sent in and wickets fell at regular intervals. Opener Pablo Ferguson, who toiled for 121 balls for 37, was one of only two batsmen to pass 30. The other was Gary Savage, whose 33 was brisker, coming off 45 balls. The others failed to contribute substantially and Argentina were restricted to 160 for 8 in 50 overs. Conroy Wright and Ryan Bovell took two wickets each for Cayman Islands but it was Marlon Bryan who had best figures of 3 for 32.Cayman Islands’ chase of a modest target got off to a horrific start with both openers falling for first-ball ducks. The innings was floundering at 4 for 2 when Pearson Best launched a brazen counterattack, clobbering 55 off 32 balls, an innings that included three sixes and seven fours. By the time he fell, bowled by Diego Lord, Cayman Islands had scored 64 in ten overs and the chase was back on track. Two more wickets fell, reducing the innings to 95 for 5, but Bovell chipped in with the bat as well, scoring an unbeaten 53. He was supported by Ronald Ebanks, who made 30 not out, as Cayman Islands reached the target with 102 balls to spare.”It was great to secure our first win today and against a side we know well in the form of Argentina. We played them in the ICC Americas tournament in Bermuda recently and lost so it was good to be victorious on this occasion,” said Bovell. “I think we played good disciplined cricket and stayed focused on our game plan and ended up executing it well. We now need to maintain the momentum of today’s win into tomorrow’s fixture against the USA.”

Everton have made three signings during the January transfer window, however, they have not made any further additions since they sacked Rafa Benitez over a week ago.

Though, with less than a week to go they have been linked with a player who could potentially change the fate of their season.

The Toffees are struggling in the Premier League so far this term, finding themselves teetering on the edge of the relegation zone only three points clear of the drop.

Their defensive record has been shocking, with the side scoring 11 fewer goals than they have conceded and several shocking performances at the back that have cost Everton points, most recently Michael Keane’s own goal at Carrow Road which led to their tenth defeat and the firing of Benitez.

Further bolstering the defensive line is something Farhad Moshiri and Duncan Ferguson should be looking closely at in the last week of the transfer window, with Malang Sarr linked with a move to Goodison Park.

Yerry Mina has recently returned from injury and adding a high quality centre back partner could be the change that Everton need to reignite their campaign and save themselves from a relegation battle at the bottom of the Premier League table.

Sarr can play both left back and left sided centre back, which would complement Mina on the right side perfectly, with the £5.4m-rated titan being hailed by his current manager Thomas Tuchel, who said:

“I have the feeling that he knows his role very clearly, he appreciates being in the team and when necessary, he steps up and shows he can be a strong teammate and a strong player.”

The 22-year-old is not currently first choice at Chelsea, making just ten appearances so far across all competitions but has clearly impressed his manager due to the praise he has received, and even his little experience playing in a competitive and successful side could be something that could add value to the Everton defence right now.

Ferguson could form a terrifying defensive duo by deploying Mina and Sarr together, with the 6 foot 3 Everton defender returning to the side.

The Colombian will offer a fresh perspective in the backline following the confidence knocks the other central defenders are likely to be rocked by after several poor performances this season.

Combine that with Sarr’s eagerness to prove he is good enough for first-team football, whilst offering experience of playing alongside some of the most pedigreed defenders in football like Thiago Silva, and it bodes well for the future of the Toffees’ backline.

There has been no official approach or bid made for the young Chelsea defender, but this could change in the last week of the window as Moshiri will surely be keen to make sure Everton have everything they need to stay in the Premier League next season.

In other news: Moshiri could cause chaos by appointing Vitor Pereira

Led by Davy Jacobs, Warriors knocked out South Australia in clinical fashion

Sriram Veera in Centurion25-Sep-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Davy Jacobs made 61, off 41 balls, to become the leading run-scorer in the Champions League•Associated PressWarriors owned this Centurion night. The batting defined purpose at the start: Davy Jacobs and Colin Ingram unleashed hell in the Powerplay and allowed the middle-order to soak up the inevitable pressure exerted by the slow men in the middle overs. Then the tail finished strongly. Warriors were 77 for 1 from seven overs, reached 128 for 4 in 16, when the tail wagged in style to push them to a strong total. The perfect script reached its climax when their spinners Johan Botha and Nicky Boje choked the chase after Lonwabo Tsotsobe left South Australia gasping for breath by removing their in-form openers in the fourth over.The script had its moments of drama. South Australia had given the second over to a spinner Aaron O’Brien. It made sense. The pitch appeared as it was raked before the start; it looked dry and withering. It was obvious that spin was the way to go. It took one aggressive move by Ingram to upset the plan, though. Ingram rushed down the track to the third delivery of the over and smacked it to the straight boundary. Immediately O’Brien pushed it through shorter. Mistake. Ingram pulled one for a six and cut the other for a four and Warriors had moved to 20 for 1 from two overs. It was the beginning of a ferocious assault.The game lurched forward even more dramatically in the next over. It was Jacobs v Tait and we had a clear winner. Jacobs’s batsmanship is simple: a cocked wrist that snaps late to unleash violence, and tonight it was Tait who copped it. Jacobs unfurled a peach of a straight drive and followed it up his trademark shuffle-and-explode move: He moved across the stumps, waited back inside the crease and whipped a 151 kmph full delivery over square-leg for an outrageous six. He moved across again and dragged the next ball past mid-on for another boundary, and Warriors were truly up and away. When Daniel Christian bowled an over of tripe with three overpitched deliveries on the legs – all of which were put away for boundaries by Jacobs – the score read 77 for 1 from 7 overs.South Australia’s slow men – O’Brien, Cullen Bailey, the legspinner, and Daniel Harris, the mediumpacer so ideal for this track – kept them in the game by picking three wickets for only 51 runs in the next nine overs. You wondered then, if this trio can cause this much damage, what would Botha and Boje do later?Boje’s first blow of the day came with the bat, though. He mowed Christian in the final over for two sixes and unfurled a smart sweep to pick up another boundary. And when Justin Kreusch smote the final delivery beyond the long-on boundary, the crowd grew delirious. They could sense that it could be a special night. It was.South Australia must have fretted about playing spin on this track but it was the seamer Tsotsobe who stunned them with a double strike in the fourth over of the chase. Both the Redbacks’ openers, especially Michael Klinger, are extremely strong on the off side and so, Tsotsobe tied them by bringing the ball back into the middle stump.Both perished to weak on-side shots. Harris top-edged an intended pull and Klinger flicked lamely to midwicket. And when Botha and Boje came on with their strangulation acts, the chase petered out. Ferguson played a few big hits in the end but the fight had long evaporated into the Centurion night. The home crowd lapped it up with great delight. Right through the game, they kept chanting, “Let’s go Warriors, let’s go”. It felt as if one was back at the Warriors’ den at St George’s park in Port Elizabeth.

Celtic are looking to tie down youngster Ben Doak to a new long-term contract, according to former Bhoys striker John Hartson.

The Lowdown: English duo keen on Doak

The Hoops were quite productive on transfer deadline day when it came to outgoings, with Osaze Urhoghide, Adam Montgomery and Kerr McInroy all sealing loan moves away.

Doak was attracting interest from both Liverpool and Chelsea late in the January window but recently made his senior debut for Celtic.

He came off the bench on Saturday in the dramatic 1-0 win over Dundee United, and it seems as if the club are desperate to keep hold of a player who Ange Postecoglou called ‘fantastic’.

The Latest: Hartson’s comments

Hartson, who regularly features on BBC Radio 5 Live, was talking to The Go Radio Football Show, as relayed by Vital Football.

The Welshman labelled Doak an ‘unbelievable talent’ and added on-air that the Hoops are trying to tie the youngster down to a new deal, saying:

“He’s one of Jackie’s as well. He’s building them up is Jackie Mac my old roommate.

“Apparently he’s an unbelievable talent and highly rated at Celtic.

“They are trying to tie him down to a longer contract, Ben Doak.

“So as I said, he is another one like the boy Dembele who came through very, very young.

“But Celtic think very highly of him. I can tell you that.”

The Verdict: Next five months will be key…

It’s good to see that the Hoops are looking to keep Doak at the club and managed to retain his services beyond the January transfer window.

Various matchday squad inclusions and his debut may have contributed to him staying put in Scotland for now, but the next five months could be crucial in regards to his long-term future.

Hopefully Celtic will finalise a new deal for the youngster before the summer, because if they don’t, the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea could come calling once again.

In other news: Celtic received 11th-hour bid for ‘explosive’ ace but Nicholson stood firm

Spanish outlet Sport have provided an update involving Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale. 

The lowdown: Bale in Madrid

Out of contract at the end of the season (Transfermarkt), it now seems inevitable that the 32-year-old will finally leave Spain this summer.

Despite being an integral part of a successful time in the history of the La Liga giants, the Welsh forward has been castigated by fans and media alike in recent years at the Bernabeu due to an ongoing battle with fitness issues.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-copy/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Having spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan at Tottenham – scoring 16 times and providing three assists – a fresh claim has now emerged from Spain…

The latest: Spurs keen

As per the report from Sport, Spurs, and by extension Fabio Paratici, are among the clubs plotting to offer Bale a contract should the Welshman indeed decide to continue with his career.

Hometown club Cardiff City, Newcastle United, Rangers and a move to the MLS are also cited as possible destinations for the man once hailed as ‘one of the best in the world’ by former interim Tottenham boss Ryan Mason following a hat-trick against Sheffield United.

However, it’s suggested that the 102-cap ace may yet hang up his boots should Wales fail to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar later this year.

The verdict: Still got it

If there was any doubting whether the enigmatic Welshman still has the quality to perform at the elite level, a recent stunning brace for Wales in the World Cup playoff against Austria put the questions to rest.

Managing Director of Football Paratici will attempt to strengthen the squad at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer and a move for Bale, who Antonio Conte actually tried to sign whilst at Inter Milan, would be an interesting option.

Whilst a return would excite supporters, since moving to Madrid in 2013 Bale has missed an eye-watering 134 matches through injury and fitness woes. Therefore, to make this move a feasible option certain assurances would either need to be in place over fitness or it would need to come at a low financial cost.

In other news: Report makes swap deal claim as Spurs open talks! Find out more here.

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has injured his left hamstring and is fighting for fitness ahead of the tour of Australia which starts later this month

Sa'adi Thawfeeq07-Oct-2010Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has injured his left hamstring and is fighting for fitness ahead of the tour of Australia which starts later this month.Sri Lanka team physio Tommy Simsek said that Sangakkara suffered the injury while training on a muddy track on Tuesday, but was confident he would be fit for the Australian tour. “It is a mild grade-one hamstring injury,” Simsek said. “He is currently under treatment and requires about two weeks to recover from the injury.”Sangakkara also suffered a hamstring injury during Sri Lanka’s last tour to Australia in 2007-08 and missed the first Test at Brisbane. The injury came a day after Sangakkara was named the CEAT-Sri Lanka Cricket cricketer of the year and most popular cricketer. He is also currently the number one ICC ranked Test batsman.Simsek said that Sri Lanka allrounder Angelo Mathews was also struggling to be fit for the tour with an injury to his left knee bone. “We are monitoring Angelo’s fitness daily,” Simsek said. “At the moment he cannot put much effort on his left knee and is unable to bowl. He has time until the team leaves for Australia on October 16 to show improvement otherwise we will have to replace him.” Batsman Thilina Kandamby has been put on standby for Mathews.Sri Lanka play a series of three one-day internationals and one Twenty20 international against Australia in addition to three warm-up games against state sides during the short tour.

Australia have dropped to fifth place in the ICC Test rankings following their 2-0 series defeat in India and are placed below England for the first time since the rankings were introduced in 2003

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Oct-2010Australia have dropped to fifth place in the ICC Test rankings following their 2-0 series defeat in India and are placed below England for the first time since the rankings were introduced in 2003.Australia and India entered the two-Test series on 113 and 127 points and the hosts’ wins in Mohali and Bangalore earned them three more points, taking them 11 clear of South Africa, who are in second place.In contrast, Australia conceded three points and slipped to 110, two behind England. It is their lowest ranking ever. However, they will have the opportunity to reclaim fourth place when England travel to Australia for the Ashes in November.

Tottenham Hostpur have been handed a boost in their bid to bring Romelu Lukaku to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by 90min, who claim that Chelsea are now open to parting with the £97.5m centre-forward at the end of the current campaign, with Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain both believed to be keen on the 28-year-old’s signing.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-martinez-dybala-spence-conte-2” title= “Read the latest Spurs news!”]

Another interested party could well be Antonio Conte’s Tottenham, with The Daily Mail reporting back in January that the Belgium international would be keen to work with the Italian once again, while ex-pro turned analyst Frederic Gounongbe also claimed in an interview with RTL that Spurs would be interested in a move for the striker this summer.

Lukaku would “go to war” for Conte

Considering the unbridled success Conte enjoyed with Lukaku leading his line at Inter, it is not difficult to imagine the 52-year-old being extremely keen to work with the Belgian hitman once again at Tottenham.

While it is true that, following his big-money move to Chelsea last summer, Lukaku has not exactly been in the best form of his career – having bagged 12 goals over his 37 appearances in all competitions for Thomas Tuchel’s side, only five of which have come in the Premier League – the 28-year-old nevertheless proved last season just how deadly he can be in the final third.

Indeed, over his 36 Serie A outings last term, the £350k-per-week played a key role in Inter’s title-winning campaign, scoring 24 goals, registering 11 assists and creating 10 big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.7 shots and making 1.4 key passes per game.

These metrics saw the £76.5m-rated forward who claimed he would “go to war” for Conte average a quite breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.32, not only ranking him as the 52-year-old’s best performer in the Italian top flight but also as the joint 12th-best player in the division as a whole.

As a result of these returns, Darren Bent recently stated his belief on talkSPORT that Lukaku would indeed be a fantastic signing for Fabio Paratici to get over the line for Spurs this summer, saying:

“If the worst came to the worst and Harry Kane did go elsewhere, if they could get Lukaku… we’ve seen what he’s done under Conte – he got the best out of him.

“Even down to his nutrition, that was the best I have ever seen him look last season. If there is an opportunity Kane leaves and Conte can get Lukaku, I’d go out all day to get him.

“For someone with Premier League experience, there would be no one better to bring in to replace Kane. I know they are completely different types of players, but Lukaku would be an adequate replacement – certainly with everything he has done with Conte.”

As such, while it would likely take a record-breaking fee – one much greater than the £63m Spurs paid Lyon for Tanguy Ndombele back in 2019 – in order for Tottenham to land the striker Sylvain Distin dubbed a “monster” this summer, it would nevertheless appear extremely advisable for Paratici to do all he can to seal Lukaku’s signing – as the Belgian is undoubtedly a player Conte would love to have at his disposal in north London.

AND in other news: Conte can finally axe “terrible” £91k-p/w dud as THFC plot bid for £58m-rated “leader”

Brendon McCullum reaped rewards for his hard work on day four, milking a tired bowling unit to get to the third-highest score in second innings in Tests in India

The Bulletin by Sidharth Monga16-Nov-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outBrendon McCullum saved the Test in some style•AFPBrendon McCullum reaped rewards for his hard work on day four, milking a tired bowling unit to get to the third-highest score in second innings in Tests in India. The game was headed for a draw the moment Zaheer Khan left the field again – he had been out of action for a good part of the fourth day due to an abdominal strain – after bowling just three overs in the morning session.New Zealand, the No. 8 side in the world, have now held India, the No. 1 side, to four consecutive draws; in two of those India have done the surviving. India, who seemed to have given up surprisingly early in the morning, have now conceded 400 or more in at least one innings of their last seven Tests.There were two outside chances for the game to come to life, but both were duly thwarted. Cheteshwar Pujara dropped McCullum at forward short leg when the batsman was 148, and the lead 185. That was the only chance Harbhajan Singh had created in 26 overs until then.The next time Harbhajan created an opportunity, some excitement was manufactured, with Kane Williamson given out lbw erroneously to an offbreak certain to miss the leg stump. Williamson was on his way to becoming only the seventh man to begin his Test career with back-to-back centuries. He had survived the tense moments last evening, started the day with three boundaries in the first over, and then settled in for an innings full of his trademark back-foot punches.When he got out, though, New Zealand were 223 ahead, and there were 57 overs to go. For those who hope or fear too much, a collapse could still direct the game towards a result. McCullum and Daniel Vettori, though, took 20 runs off the next four overs to disappoint the hopeful and the fearful.It may have seemed like milking because of the ease with which McCullum got his runs, but he did it with some style and nonchalance. India tried to pack the leg side and bowled round the wicket, only to see him casually reverse-sweep them for boundaries. They were not exactly reverse-sweeps, he was so confident he just bent the knees half way and guided them past point. His maiden double-hundred he brought up with the “McScoop”, having scored his last 24 runs off 19 balls. That spell of hitting also included a six over long-off off Pragyan Ojha and two reverse-swept fours off Suresh Raina.Smart Stats

Brendon McCullum, during the course of his double-century, went past his previous highest of 185 against Bangladesh at Hamilton in 2010.

McCullum’s double-century was only the second by a New Zealand batsman in India and is third on the list of top scores by New Zealand batsmen against India.

McCullum’s double-century is the fifth in the team second innings in India. The highest is VVS Laxman’s 281 at Kolkata in 2001.

Harbhajan Singh has conceded 305 runs and picked up six wickets at an average over 50 in the series so far. On the other hand, he has scored 295 runs with two centuries.

Gautam Gambhir scored his first runs in the second innings after three ducks in his previous three outings.

Virender Sehwag scored his first second innings half-century since November 2009, when he made 51 against Sri Lanka at Ahmedabad. He averages just over 30 in the second innings and over 70 in the first innings.

As McCullum’s good friend and former Kolkata Knight Riders team-mate Chris Gayle moved assuredly towards a triple-century in Galle, a triple was on here in Hyderabad too. There were 32 overs to go to the start of the mandatory overs, and there was no way New Zealand were going to declare without letting him have a go at the highest score by a New Zealander – 299 by Martin Crowe.Hence McCullum’s charge towards the record books. He reversed-swept another boundary, played the chip over midwicket, crashed Sreesanth back past him, and then cut him furiously to get to 225.It was after this that Sreesanth achieved slight personal redemption, removing McCullum with a slower legbreak. Then he bounced Tim Southee, who had hit him three times with bouncers when he was batting. Some softening-up and eye-balling later, Sreesanth bowled Southee.Perhaps to keep their tail away from any more bouncers, New Zealand declared during tea, and bowled 17 overs before the last hour. Virender Sehwag, usually bored in such situations, helped himself to a quick fifty, giving the crowd some entertainment.