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Newcastle United are now reportedly ‘hot’ to sign Florian Wirtz after sending scout Geoff Lockhart to watch him in action.

The Lowdown: Emerging superstar

Wirtz is certainly the next big name coming out of German football at the moment at just 18 years of age, as Germany coach Hansi Flick described him as an ‘outstanding technician’ ahead of one of his team’s most recent FIFA World Cup qualifying games.

Jorg Jakobs, who is the Academy Director at Wirtz’s former club Cologne, claimed that the now Bayer Leverkusen talent ‘can do everything’, and footballing legend Lotthar Matthaus even went as far as to say that he will be the ‘second Kai Havertz’, emulating the Chelsea and UEFA Champions League match-winning star (Bundesliga).

The Latest: Newcastle ‘hot’

As per SportBild (via Sport Witness), the St. James’ Park faithful are ‘hot’ to sign Wirtz, and have joined a number of sides chasing the prospect.

They sent Lockhart to watch the attacking midfield player in action against FC Koln at the weekend, but a move has been ‘ruled out’ for now as he is set to stay at Leverkusen until 2023 at the earliest.

Experts have predicted that his transfer value could soar up to a whopping €100m (£84.4m) by then, a price that the North East club would be able to afford given the takeover from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium.

The Verdict: No brainer

If the Tyneside outfit can persuade Wirtz to move to the Magpies, then it is certainly a no brainer for them to sign him.

It is scary to think how good he can become at just 18, considering that he is already performing at the highest level and all those aforementioned plaudits.

A run of six goals and six assists in 12 appearances in total over all competitions so far this season earned him a call-up to the senior national team (Transfermarkt), and Wirtz would certainly be a mainstay in the Toon midfield for years to come if he makes the move.

In other news, find out which Tuchel-like manager has been ruled out by Craig Hope to be the new NUFC boss here!

A round-up of the tenth day of the KPL Cup

Cricinfo staff18-Sep-2009Nishant Shekawat’s 81 and Dilp Sagar’s five-wicket haul set up Bangalore Brigadiers’ (Urban) 26-run win over Mysore Maharaajas at the Gangothri Glades Ground. The opener Shekawat smashed seven fours and four sixes in his 49-ball knock to push his team to 140 in a shortened match. Robin Uthappa chipped in with 26 and the pair put together an attacking stand of 59 in 5.3 overs for the second wicket to lead their team to a formidable score in 14 overs. The Maharaajas’ chase got off to a poor start when they lost three wickets in an over to Sagar. He got the key wickets of KB Pawan and captain C Raghu to leave them at 26 for 3. Chethan William top scored with 36, but after he departed in the tenth over, the lower order crumbled to the left-arm spin of Narayanan Prasad, who took 4 for 14.The Brigadiers are tied on eight points at the top of the league with Bangalore Provident, who are ahead on net-run rate.An all-round performance from Stuart Binny helped Bijapur Bulls to an easy eight-wicket win over Mangalore United in Mysore. Binny was a tad expensive – conceding 10 an over – but he still took two wickets, including that of the Mangalore top scorer Rongsen Jonathan for 73. He then scored an unbeaten 48 off 31 balls to help chase down 179, with 16 balls to spare. Jonathan and Nikhil Haldipur (37) constructed the best stand of the Mangalore innings – 84 for the third wicket – to challenge Bijapur in the chase. But Mithun Beerala (61) and Gaurav Dhiman ensured an easy passage to the target with an opening stand of 93. Both made half-centuries – Dhiman’s was more ballistic as he smashed seven fours and three sixes in his 57, which came off 24 balls. They were separated in the seventh over, which gave Binny enough time to finish off the formalities with ease.

Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni shared a serene 148-run stand to help India win a battle of attrition on a sluggish track at the Feroz Shah Kotla

The Bulletin by Sriram Veera31-Oct-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outYuvraj Singh’s half-century boosted India during a tense period in their chase•AFPYuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni shared a serene 148-run stand to help India win a battle of attrition on a sluggish track at the Feroz Shah Kotla and take a 2-1 lead in the seven-ODI series. Australia would perhaps rue the fact that they settled for 229 when they batted after winning an important toss.”A total of 220 should be a good score on this pitch,” Ponting had said and Australia’s approach while batting reflected his mindset. Their bowlers did pick up three quick top-order wickets to leave India wobbling at 53 for 3 but Yuvraj and Dhoni batted with the knowledge that sufficient time spent at the crease would ensure a risk-free victory. The pitch was slow and not conducive to stroke making but it did not spin treacherously, despite the visibly dramatic wear and tear.The game was evenly balanced mid way during the chase with India in consolidation mode at 101 for 3, but Yuvraj and Dhoni slowly and surely pulled India ahead. They batted with restraint while settling in on this track because, as Michael Hussey proved earlier during an unbeaten 81, batting got easier with more time spent on it.They scored largely in singles and twos before Yuvraj attacked in the 34th over with 94 needed in 17 overs. He flicked for six and hit an extra-cover drive off Moises Henriques before he repeated the sequence next over with a bludgeoned six over long-on and a square-driven boundary against Adam Voges. The momentum shifted permanently after that and Yuvraj played several exquisite drives. He fell 29 runs short of the target but Dhoni struck a couple of boundaries to ward off any hiccups.Australia had tried their best to apply the squeeze in the middle overs of the chase with the spin-seam combo of Nathan Hauritz and Doug Bollinger. The fast-improving Hauritz slowed his pace and punctuated his offbreaks with the one that went on with the arm. Dhoni chose to play Hauritz off the back foot while Yuvraj pressed forward. Bollinger, who replaced Ben Hilfenhaus, bowled a nagging line and length to strangle the batsmen. Peter Siddle, too, was economical and Australia’s bowling, in the absence of Brett Lee and a quality spinner, was as tight as Ponting could hope for but perhaps they had erred in their conservative estimate of a total on this sluggish track.Once Australia decided not to play specialist opener Shaun Marsh, and possessing a thin middle-order inexperienced in such conditions, they were going to depend heavily on Ponting, Hussey and Shane Watson to reach a competitive total. Their approach seemed to indicate wariness that a collapse was never too far away on a demanding surface. Ponting, who opened only for the second time in his 327-ODI career in Tim Paine’s absence, and Watson didn’t try anything fancy during a sedate but solid start before Hussey took charge of seeing Australia through to the finish.Hussey’s innings was tailored to the situation. He played numerous little dabs and nudges, cut and swept whenever he could, and never got ahead of himself at any stage. He did play a reverse sweep against Yuvraj but it wasn’t a shot of flamboyance but one that exploited the gap in the field. He only hit three more boundaries – the first was a result of a misfield, the second came in the 48th over when he finally heaved one across the line and the highlight was the last, when he charged out to clatter Ashish Nehra over long-on in the 50th over.Before Hussey played his characteristic innings, Ponting and Watson played uncharacteristic ones to give the innings a steady start. With swing out of the question, the Indian seamers tried to win lbw decisions by bowling as straight as possible and the spinners slowed their pace and kept to an off and middle stump line. Ponting began cautiously, taking care to get his bat in front of the pads, and dealt in singles. Watson also batted in a similar vein and just when he was beginning to cut loose, he fell to Yuvraj after he was beaten by flight and turn and dragged his back foot out of the crease. Hussey came to Australia’s rescue with an assured knock but it wasn’t enough to stop India from going ahead in the series.

Craig Hope has revealed that the possibility of Roberto Martinez becoming the next manager at Newcastle United is now on the cards.

The Lowdown: Martinez interest

The journalist revealed earlier this month that the 48-year-old is ‘interested’ in taking on the manager’s role at St James’ Park, with Graeme Jones only given the job on an interim basis.

Having lost 3-0 at home to Chelsea on Saturday, the Magpies need to bring in a permanent coach as soon as possible, or else they risk being cut adrift at the bottom of the Premier League table when funds are made available in the January transfer window.

The Latest: On the cards

According to Hope, Jones has ‘handled himself well’ and a reunion with Martinez, for whom he was an assistant to the Belgium national team, is now on the cards.

The Spaniard is currently ‘on the shortlist’ of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium and would cost ‘less than £2m’ in terms of getting him out of his contract.

The Daily Mail journalist also revealed that there are ‘more talks’ set to take place with candidates ‘next week’, including Martinez.

The Verdict: Avoid

Given that Newcastle currently find themselves in a relegation battle, Martinez is not suited to the job at this moment in time. He has experience of being involved in one during his days at Wigan Athletic, but he ended up taking the Latics down to the Championship in 2013.

Former Premier League manager Alex McLeish thinks that the 48-year-old is a ‘world class’ coach and there have been signs of that, winning the FA Cup with Wigan in the same season that they got relegated, and guiding Belgium to first place in the official FIFA World Rankings.

However, even looking at his potential appointment in the longer term, he has not won a major trophy with Belgium despite their ranking and world superstars such as Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard at his disposal. In the Premier League, he also recorded bottom-half finishes with Everton in his last two campaigns at Goodison Park (Transfermarkt).

The new owners at St James’ Park should be looking elsewhere for their statement first managerial appointment at the helm.

In other news, find out which Saudi-based manager is now ‘in the running’ for the Newcastle job

The injuries are mounting up for Jurgen Klopp and his Liverpool side as they gear up for what should be a meaty clash versus West Ham on Sunday afternoon.

Setbacks have riddled Klopp’s squad over the last few months and they’re only getting stranger.

Curtis Jones is set to be out for a week after taking a finger to his eye in an accidental blow in training. Sadly, he’s not the only player who will be missing the encounter with the Hammers.

Liverpool are without Naby Keita and James Milner while Harvey Elliott and Joe Gomez are still in the treatment room.

Yet, there is a further face who the Reds manager will be severely gutted to lose.

Roberto Firmino picked up a problem after the match against Atletico Madrid and speaking in his pre-match press conference before the game with the Irons, the Brazilian was ruled out for a month with a hamstring problem.

Klopp said: “We are talking weeks, still. More than four. I’d consider that a serious injury.”

The German is absolutely right in his assessment. This is a hefty blow for the 2019/20 league champions because he has been a huge part of what Liverpool have achieved in recent seasons.

Of course, Diogo Jota has found form this term and has scored five goals, but no one offers quite what Firmino does.

During his time in Merseyside, the Brazil international has found the net on 93 occasions but it’s his 70 assists that perhaps make for the more eye-catching statistic.

He has played a vital role in helping the likes of Mo Salah and Sadio Mane to score so many goals and without him leading the line, the outlook of Klopp’s attacking triumvirate would look incredibly different.

Firmino is not always the most clinical of players but his selfless nature makes him a pivotal aspect of the Liverpool side.

Having Jota as a replacement is no bad thing, but to lose such a talented player for the best part of four weeks is an enormous setback.

There is, of course, an international break to contend with, but Liverpool then play an in-form Arsenal side before facing Porto in the Champions League. Evidently, a degree of rotation will be necessary. Without Firmino, however, that isn’t quite so possible.

AND in other news, Matip axed, £200k-p/w star returns in 3 changes: Predicted Liverpool starting XI…

A refreshed Brad Haddin is ready for anything from West Indies as Australia prepare for their first Test series since the Ashes

Peter English22-Nov-2009A refreshed Brad Haddin is ready for anything from West Indies as Australia prepare for their first Test series since the Ashes. West Indies have won only three of their past 39 five-day matches and scratched out a draw in the tour game against Queensland on Saturday, but Haddin remains cautious ahead of Thursday’s game at the Gabba.”They are one of those teams that are very, very unpredictable, they are hard to prepare for, you don’t know what you are going to get on the day,” he said in Brisbane. “You can get a world-class team that are high in spirit and plays great cricket or you can get the other end.”The full Australian squad arrives in Brisbane on Sunday, but Haddin, Michael Clarke and Peter Siddle are down to turn out in a Twenty20 exhibition at the Gabba on Sunday night. Haddin is back in the national team after finger surgery and appeared in a couple of Sheffield Shield fixtures for New South Wales to ease the fears over his fitness.Since he hurt his hand during the Ashes both Graham Manou and Tim Paine have shown their superior glovework, and Paine also registered some strong displays with the bat before he suffered his own finger problem in India. “I was behind Adam Gilchrist for ten years, so if you start worrying about what other people do it detracts from your performance,” he said. “I am just going to be the best cricketer I can be. I am not going to dwell on what has happened in the past. The keeping stocks in Australia are in great hands at the moment.”Haddin has appeared in 19 Tests since Gilchrist retired but has twice had to play through broken fingers. One benefit of the latest injury was some time away during a hectic period for the Australian squad.”I would be lying if I said the break hasn’t done me the world of good,” he said. “I do feel refreshed, and I am very keen to go. I haven’t played for Australia since the Test at The Oval, I can’t wait to get involved in the Test series.”

The way Jonathan Trott has begun his international career suggests he has always been destined to pull on an England shirt

Cricinfo staff23-Nov-2009The way Jonathan Trott has begun his international career suggests he has always been destined to pull on an England shirt, but as his return to South Africa brings him back to his old doorstep in Cape Town he is determined not to get carried away by the early success.Trott’s 87 in the second one-day international at Centurion Park helped England to a comfortable seven-wicket win as he added 162 with Paul Collingwood. It means he has now made significant scores in all three formats, following his 119 on Test debut and the runs he made in the two Twenty20 internationals against South Africa.He hasn’t quite had to deal with the harsh reception that Kevin Pietersen endured in 2005 by supporters or opposition – South Africa coach Mickey Arthur told his team to stop being so ‘matey’ – but early evidence has been that Trott will be able to cope with anything that comes his way during the tour. However, the next time he walks out to bat Trott’s biggest challenge could well come from the venue as he returns to his former home ground from the days he was a Western Province player.”Whenever I was playing county cricket and trying to become the best player I can be and hope to crack on to international cricket, you want to play at Lord’s and the SCG,” he said. “Then for me, I always wanted to come and play back at Newlands and be part of a winning England side – and hope I can contribute to that victory.””It adds a little edge to it for me. But I’m going to have to put the emotions of coming back here to one side to make sure they don’t play any role in the decisions I make on the field.”Questions about Trott’s background will follow him around for some time to come, but already he has become a key figure in England’s planning both for the current one-day series and the Test matches that start next month. He has slotted into the opening role alongside Andrew Strauss – a position he has occupied with success for Warwickshire – and he is savouring the chance to gain reward for hard work without getting wrapped up in emotions.”I’m really happy to be sitting here part of an England team, just won the first one-day game and looking forward to the second,” he said. I worked really, really hard to be able to sit here today and come on this tour.””It’s just the same as when I walked out against Australia in that first Test match. I try not to get too wound up about it – thinking ‘It’s an England game, and I haven’t played many. I just try to bring my Warwickshire processes into playing for England. Just like all the other guys in the team, I’m always trying to better myself.”

Celtic have been handed a huge injury boost ahead of their upcoming Scottish League Cup semi-final.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Daily Record, Stephen Welsh revealed that, despite being substituted due to a knock in Scotland U21’s 2-0 defeat to Belgium in midweek, he will be available for selection against St. Johnstone this weekend.

Speaking about his current condition, the centre-back said: “I’m fine. It was a knock when their player had a shot and followed through on us, but I just came off as a precaution. I’ll be fine for the weekend.

“You’re always worried when you feel a bit of pain, but luckily it wasn’t a twist or anything. It was just pure impact so I should be fine.”

Postecoglou will be buzzing

Considering the fact that Carl Starfelt is also an injury doubt for Saturday’s fixture, the news that Welsh looks set to be available for selection is sure to have left Ange Postecoglou buzzing, as, without being able to call upon the 21-year-old, the Bhoys boss would have been extremely short of options in the heart of his defence.

Not only that, but the academy graduate has proven over his five Scottish Premiership appearances this season that he is an extremely exciting prospect at Parkhead, with the £1.08m-rated man helping his side keep two clean sheets and providing one assist, as well as making an average of 1.2 interceptions, 0.8 tackles, 2.2 clearances and winning 6.2 duels per game.

These returns have seen the centre-back average a SofaScore match rating of 7.12, ranking him as Celtic’s joint 11th-best performer in the top flight of Scottish football so far this term.

As such, the news that Welsh will not be required to spend any time on the sidelines will undoubtedly provide Postecoglou with a huge boost ahead of Saturday’s fixture, as the 56-year-old will be desperate for a win in order to have a shot at picking up his first silverware as the Hoops boss.

In other news: Ange drops exciting behind the scenes update which is sure to have Celtic fans buzzing

Leeds United must finally sell Tyler Roberts amid Graham Smyth’s recent transfer update on the 22-year-old.

What’s the story?

The Wales international has endured a nightmare start to the campaign thus far, scoring no goals and providing no assists, but The Yorkshire Evening Post’s Smyth has insisted that a permanent exit from Marcelo Bielsa’s side makes “little sense”.

He said: “While Bielsa’s patience and trust are undoubtedly helpful, it’s not unreasonable to think of other action Leeds could take to benefit the player in the short term and the club in the long term. A January loan was briefly mooted midway through last season, but he stayed and enjoyed a run of a dozen Premier League starts.

“Having handed him a new contract in the summer and given that despite a relative wealth of experience he’s still only 22, letting him go permanently would make little sense. A Championship loan, however, if not in January then in the summer, would release him out from under the scapegoating and into space in which to breathe and develop.”Bielsa needs to sell him

Former Leeds striker Noel Whelan has previously insisted that the £12.6m-rated forward hasn’t shown enough in the Premier League to convince Bielsa that he’s cut out for this level – he managed just one goal in 27 top-flight appearances all of last season, and even that came in the penultimate game against Southampton.

Whelan added: “Is he good enough? In my opinion he isn’t. I would love him to go out there and prove me wrong because I want everyone to succeed. I need him to show me more. He needs to show more fight and desire. I just do not see that.”

With a total record of just eight goals and nine assists in 96 games in all competitions for the Whites, the time for waiting around to see if he can really make his mark is running out.

Leeds need to be pushing to take that next step, and Roberts has simply fallen far too behind.

Victor Orta and co will no doubt be already making plans for the upcoming January transfer window and how best to strengthen the first-team squad at Elland Road, and an area in need of desperate improvement is in Roberts’ position.

Signing an upgrade on the Welshman would go a long way to ensuring that the Whites can still thrive whenever Patrick Bamford is missing, like right now for instance.

A genuine goal-scoring attacking midfielder come forward would be a welcome addition in January, and be the final nail in the coffin for Roberts’ career at Leeds.

Constantly backing him to eventually come up with the goods is simply holding the Whites back.

Meanwhile, Leeds have been handed a boost before Spurs…

A round-up of the third day’s action of the 11th round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

Cricinfo staff17-Dec-2009Group BHot streak: Mohammad Rameez•Getty ImagesLife just keeps on rolling for promising right-arm seamer Mohammad Rameez. While his Pakistan Under-19 career will be over after this January’s World Cup in New Zealand, Rameez has ensured he’s going into the tournament in red-hot form. Rameez followed an eight-wicket haul in Multan’s first innings with five in the second as Rawalpindi clinched their fifth win of the season at the Multan Cricket Stadium.Rawalpindi weren’t able to extend a 217-run lead into much on the third morning but Rameez’s haul proved more than sufficient. He single-handedly ran through the top and middle order and finished with 5 for 86. That took his season tally to 70 wickets at 18.34 and he now has eight five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket bags in 2009. During the fifth round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy he took 13 against Peshawar and then in the seventh round he took ten in a loss against Sialkot. Pakistan’s selectors will definitely be keeping an eye on this talent in the months to come. Rawalpindi claimed nine points from this innings victory.Lahore Ravi continued the good work put in on the field on day three at the Lahore City Cricket Association ground to set themselves up for a third win of the season. The final Islamabad wicket was taken quickly into the first session, the follow-on was promptly enforced, and by stumps Lahore needed two wickets to win. Junaid Zia wasn’t able to replicate his first-innings form but made himself be counted, dismissing Zohaid Ahmed for 0 early and returning to cut off Umair Khan on 61. The lower middle order rallied to lead a recovery but at 285 for 8 the end is nigh for Islamabad.Sialkot left themselves ten wickets to take on the final day of their match at the National Stadium, and Karachi Blues a mountain to surmount. A lead of 197 overnight was catapulted to 545 through a clutch of half-centuries, but it was a day of missed opportunities as far as personal milestones were concerned. Four batsmen crossed fifty and one fell just short, but their collective efforts stretched Sialkot’s second innings to 445 in 92.3 overs. The most fruitful knocks came down the order from Nayyer Abbas (66 from 61 balls) and Adeel Malik (79 from 91) after a pair of middle-order half-centuries above them. Karachi Blues’ opening bowlers, Tanvir Ahmed and Tariq Haroon, took four wickets apiece. In six overs, Karachi Blues went to stumps on 13 for 0.Quick bowler Arun Lal’s six wickets, which had kept Hyderabad’s lead to 16, were reciprocated by Quetta’s batsmen in Mirpur Khas. Arun’s effort didn’t help Hyderabad squeaking a first-innings lead, but with a lead of 223 and six wickets in hand, Quetta can push for an outright win on day four. Hyderabad’s final three wickets fell for 28 in the morning with Lal taking two of them, and a tiny deficit was quickly erased by Quetta. Bismillah Khan (69), Shoaib Khan jnr (35), Taimur Ali (54) and Ata-ur-Rehman (35*) chipped in to boost Quetta’s shot at a win.A maiden double century from Zeeshan Asif coupled with former Pakistan batsman Ijaz Ahmed jnr’s 33rd first-class ton gave Faisalabad three points for a first-innings lead at the Sports Stadium in Sargodha. Faisalabad had resumed the day trailing by 166, with Zeeshan on 45, and he masterfully numbed Abbottabad into submission in Ijaz’s company. The pair extended their overnight stand of 48 into a massive 302-run alliance, with Ijaz contributing 149. The next five wickets went down for 67 runs but Zeeshan was able to find enough support to cross 200 and get Faisalabad’s lead to 155.Group AHabib Bank Limited rounded off a dominant league phase with a 117-run win over Lahore Shalimar at the Gaddafi Stadium. Starting the day at 186 for 9, HBL again showed the tenacity that has guided them into the finals, with the last wicket pair of Irfan Fazil and Shahid Nazir adding 77 more runs. That set a challenging target of 256. Lahore’s chase started well, the openers adding 45 but things went downhill from there. The openers were the only Lahore batsmen to make it to double digits, and the team folded for 138 with left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman taking five wickets.Khan Research Laboratories knocked off the 159 needed to win against Pakistan Customs in only 35.4 overs at Rawalpindi. They took only three overs to nip out the last Customs wicket, after which 70s from openers Saeed Anwar jnr and Sohaib Maqsood propelled them to four short of the target. Maqsood was then dismissed, but five minutes later a nine-wicket victory was confirmed.Karachi Whites were in sight of a come-from-behind victory over Sui Southern Gas Corporation at the Southend Club Cricket Stadium. Karachi struck twice early in the first session but Rizwan Ahmed’s unbeaten 92 shepherded SSGC to 182, setting a target of 223. Half-centuries from opener Mohtashim Ali (75) and No. 4 Afsar Nawaz (59), both of whom remained unbeaten, pushed Karachi to a solid 175 for 2.It was a similar situation at Faisalabad, where National Bank of Pakistan were on course for a win over Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited despite conceding a first-innings lead. Left-arm spinner Qaiser Abbas and fast bowler Mohammad Talha wrecked SNGPL, bowling them out for 150 in the second innings. Opener Mohammad Hafeez was the only SNGPL batsman to make a significant contribution, with a 56. NBP were well placed to overhaul the 208 needed for the win, after a 51 from opener Nasir Jamshed took them to 110 for 1.A draw seemed the likeliest result at the Diamond Club Ground, where Pakistan International Airlines are 50 ahead after losing one wicket in their second innings against Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited. Resuming from 251 for 4, ZTBL stretched their first innings to 373, thanks to Haris Sohail’s 81 giving them a first-innings lead of 100. PIA replied strongly, opener Kamran Sajid’s unbeaten 79 taking them to 150 for 1 at stumps.