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A major transfer update has emerged which will affect Rangers’ plans to bring one of their targets to Ibrox this month…

What’s the talk?

According to Dutch outlet AD, Gers target Joey Veerman is set to undergo a medical with PSV Eindhoven ahead of a €5.5m (£4.6m) switch from Heerenveen, with the report claiming that they have beaten Feyenoord to his signature.

The Scotsman have also carried a claim from the Netherlands stating that he is due to join PSV for a fee of €6m (£5m), having been heavily linked with a move to Ibrox in the summer.

Last month, journalist Pete O’Rourke touted him as a player who Giovanni van Bronckhorst would look to sign in his first transfer window in charge at the club.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “Veerman will definitely be high on the list of targets. They tried to sign him in the summer and he still remains high on their list of potential targets.

“With van Bronckhorst in there now, I think it just gives extra weight in maybe following up that interest in the Dutchman.”

This will infuriate the Gers

Van Bronckhorst is headed for his first disaster in Glasgow, as missing out on a deal for the Dutch midfielder could be a major blow for the club. O’Rourke claimed that he was one of their top targets for the January window and they are now set to watch him sign for another Eredivisie club instead of coming over to Scotland, which could alter their plans in the market.

This news will also surely infuriate Rangers fans as Veerman could have been a superb signing for the Scottish champions. He has proven his quality in the top division of Dutch football in recent years and shown that he can perform consistently to a high level.

Since the start of the 2019/20 campaign, the midfielder has produced 14 goals and 21 assists in 71 appearances whilst averaging a sublime WhoScored rating of 7.33. This season, he has averaged a rating of 7.32 from the website and provided three goals and six assists in 18 Eredivisie outings.

The 23-year-old could therefore have been an excellent addition to Van Bronckhorst’s side, as he is capable of delivering consistently strong performances whilst chipping in with vital contributions in the final third.

This is why Rangers fans will be infuriated by this news, as the club have allowed PSV to beat them in the race for his services. It also illustrates why this is a disaster for the Gers head coach, as he is missing out on what could have been a quality signing.

AND in other news, Rangers can brutally axe £5.6k-p/w dud if Van Bronckhorst signs beast who’s a “nightmare to mark”…

Both sides got mauled in their first Super Eights match, one of them is likely to be out by the time they are through with each other

The Preview by Sidharth Monga08-May-2010Match FactsSunday, May 9, Bridgetown
Start time 0930 (1330 GMT)Chris Gayle hasn’t quite been at his best in this tournament•Getty ImagesThe Big PictureOne of these teams brings most of the TV revenue. One of them is bringing in the crowds at the actual venues. Both of them got mauled in their first Super Eights match: India by 49 runs, only to be outdone by West Indies, who fell 57 runs short. One of them will be out by the time they are through with each other. Barring, of course, complex and improbable permutations, which are made more complex and improbable thanks to the huge margins of defeats and consequently poor net run-rates.

In terms of commercial value, India have won. The match begins at the unTwenty20 hour of 9.30am to cater to the huge TV audience in India instead of putting the host team in an afternoon match so that it is more convenient for the people to turn up at the Kensington Oval.This will also be West Indies’ first early-morning start in the tournament, and might take some adjusting. Their fast bowlers won’t mind, though. Kemar Roach and Jerome Taylor would have liked what they saw when Australia bounced India out. They will need all the help from their fielders, though, who were hopeless against Sri Lanka. Even on bouncy tracks, you don’t give Indian batsmen too many chances. Suresh Raina, for example, showed how dangerous he could be when South Africa didn’t quite finish him off after having him in all sorts of trouble in their first-round match.With India’s batting and West Indies’ fielding getting all the flak, their other disciplines can’t get away either. India bowled horribly against Australia, which originally set up the defeat. West Indies were lucky to win against England, and their other two full-innings scores have been 138. One of them against Ireland. There is a whole lot of improvement to be done for both the sides, there is one day to figure it out, and there will be only one live slot available after the match.Form guide (most recent first)India LWWWL
West Indies LWWLLWatch out for…MS Dhoni doesn’t make too many excuses. He knows he is leading a tired side, and he says so. He knows he is leading a side not equipped to attack short-pitched bowling on a quick track. There is not enough time in Twenty20s to wear an attack down by ducking and swaying, and pulling and hooking is not India’s strongest suit. And Dhoni says so. He knows those facts can’t be changed overnight, and that a way has to be found around them. And when an unconventional route has to be found, Dhoni usually leads the way.

While a plethora of chances was being missed against Sri Lanka, Dwayne Bravo ran from long-on to field a ball at midwicket, swooped on it in front of Wavell Hinds who had just refused to accept a sitter, and let the throw rip, keeping the batsmen down to one. His angry face then told a story. He would go on diving crazily, attempting impossible catches, and his effort was not going to be enough. Not when he hasn’t been quite himself with both bat and ball. But that Bravo energy is exactly what West Indies need now, that desperation to want to do everything. Something to the order of what Bravo did in these two teams’ previous meeting: four wickets and a flamboyant 36-ball 66 with the bat.Team newsRohit Sharma, with his lone hand of 79 against Australia, should have assured himself a place. Ravindra Jadeja, on the other hand, went for 38 runs in two overs, missed a catch, and ran himself out by running away from the stumps. Jadeja, when used in the middle overs, has been a valuable left-arm spinner for Dhoni, and it will be interesting to see what effect one horrible day has on his place. India, anyway, played one batsman too many against Australia, so either of the spinning “allrounders”, Yusuf Pathan or Jadeja, could be left out to bring in a specialist bowler. The choice of that specialist bowler should be interesting too: by not picking him on a bouncy track, Dhoni has shown a bit of a lack of confidence in R Vinay Kumar, so Piyush Chawla could be in the fray too. Injured Praveen Kumar’s replacement Umesh Yadav isn’t likely to reach there in time for this game.

India (probable) 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 M Vijay, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 MS Dhoni (capt, wk), 6 Rohit Sharma, 7 Yusuf Pathan/Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Piyush Chawla/R Vinay Kumar, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Ashish Nehra.Even though Jerome Taylor went for 28 in three overs on his comeback, there is no way West Indies are going without two genuine quicks against India. Given Andre Fletcher’s struggles behind the stumps, they could give the specialist keeper, Denesh Ramdin, a game. Wavell Hinds is wasted coming in at No. 8 anyway. And whether Fletcher the batsman is worth a place is open to debate.West Indies (probable) 1 Chris Gayle (capt), 2 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 3 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4 Andre Fletcher/Wavell Hinds/Narsingh Deonarine, 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 Kieron Pollard, 7 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8 Darren Sammy, 9 Sulieman Benn, 10 Jerome Taylor, 11 Kemar Roach.Pitch and conditionsThis is the final day of the Super Eight stage in Barbados before the tournament heads back to St Lucia. There has been good pace, true bounce, and not much sideways movement in the surface. In other words, it has been a pitch that not many will complain about. Another warm day is predicted.Stats and trivia Against Australia, when Harbhajan Singh became the second man in the Indian line-up to reach double figures, they escaped equalling the dubious record of 10 batsmen failing to reach a score of 10 in an innings. India hold the current record, jointly with Bermuda, West Indies and Ireland. Yuvraj Singh jointly holds the record for most sixes in Twenty20 internationals, 38. Chris Gayle, at No. 5 on the list, has hit 27.Quotes”If somebody bowls 150kph short stuff then you have to be really good at pulling which isn’t our natural strength. Most players from India are very good at cutting the ball, but only a few are good pullers against the new ball.”
MS Dhoni, India’s captain, is not hiding behind excuses

“It is must-win for both teams and it should be a good game. We are still confident we can win the two games and move onto the semi-final.”
Chris Gayle, West Indies’ captain, has not lost hope

Celtic are closing in on the signing of midfielder Riley McGree from MLS outfit Charlotte FC, according to The Daily Mail.

The Lowdown: McGree profiled

McGree is a 23-year-old Australia international who can play in a defensive, central or attacking midfield role. [Transfermarkt]

He recently returned to Charlotte following a second loan spell with Birmingham City, where he made 15 appearances under Lee Bowyer during the first half of the season.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-copy/” title=”Celtic updates!! (Copy)” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Valued at £540,000 by Transfermarkt, McGree appears to be a player of interest to Ange Postecoglou, despite the Celtic manager already bringing in two midfielders this month in Reo Hatate and Yosuke Ideguchi.

The Latest: In the coming days…

The Daily Mail shared a story early on Sunday morning, claiming that the Hoops are closing in on a move for McGree.

The report suggests that Celtic could win the race for the playmaker in the coming days, with Postecoglou adamant that the 23-year-old can make a big impact at Parkhead.

The Verdict: A shock target…

With the Hoops already bolstering their midfield ranks with the acquisitions of Hatate and Ideguchi, this update has perhaps come as a bit of a shock.

It seemed as if permanent moves for loanees Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota were next on the agenda, but instead McGree could well become the club’s fifth addition of 2022.

Should a move to Glasgow materialise, it could turn out to be a shrewd one, especially with the likes of Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough also interested. McGree would be able to turn out in a variety of roles, and who knows, he could be viewed as an attacking midfielder signing to cover for the injured David Turnbull at Parkhead.

In other news: ‘Big’ – Pundit buzzing after hearing ‘massive’ transfer news from Celtic Park

South Africa ended the third day at the Queen’s Park Oval in a position of total dominance thanks to the fearsome bowling combination of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel

The Bulletin by Liam Brickhill12-Jun-2010Close:
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Dale Steyn picked up for 5 for 29 to reach 200 Test wickets in just his 39th match•AFPSouth Africa ended the third day at the Queen’s Park Oval in a position of total dominance thanks to the fearsome bowling combination of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, who combined to skittle West Indies for just 102 in their first innings.After Morkel’s opening burst left the hosts’ top order in tatters, Steyn ripped through the middle and lower order to take 5 for 29 and become the fourth fastest bowler to reach 200 Test wickets behind Clarrie Grimmett, Dennis Lillee and Waqar Younis. Graeme Smith gave his bowlers a rest after their hard work, choosing not to enforce the follow-on, and by the close he had found the form that had eluded him on the tour thus far to take South Africa to 155 for 2 with an unbeaten 79, a lead of 405.Morkel bowled with great effort to extract life from a slow, low pitch and bully the top order from the crease in the morning session, reducing West Indies to 12 for 3 as Travis Dowlin, Brendan Nash and Chris Gayle were removed with back-of-a-length deliveries.Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Narsingh Deonarine rallied briefly with a 59-run fourth-wicket stand, but Steyn then tore through the middle order, reverse-swinging the ball at high pace as six wickets fell for just four runs in 28 deliveries. Denesh Ramdin showed some pluck as he took West Indies’ score past 100 in a 27-run partnership with No. 11 Nelon Pascal, but Jacques Kallis then returned for a second spell and wrapped up the innings with the wicket of the tailender.South Africa were in control of the game within the first hour, as Morkel bowled with discipline and patience and found pace and alarming bounce off a placid pitch. Dowlin had stern questions asked of his technique against the short ball, and the whereabouts of his off stump, before he lost patience and pushed at one that he should have left.Morkel made it two wickets in two balls when he had Brendan Nash caught behind off the glove with the first delivery of his next over. Umpire Steve Davis didn’t think he had got anything on it, but the South Africans were convinced and asked for a referral, upon which Davis’s decision was overturned. With the first ball of his next over Morkel got the wicket that South Africa really wanted, as Chris Gayle went to pull a back-of-a-length delivery that wasn’t quite short enough for the shot and the resulting inside edge cannoned into his stumps to put West Indies in serious trouble at 12 for 3.With Morkel and Steyn taken off after their opening spells, Chanderpaul and Deonarine began to settle and took a particular liking to Paul Harris, who bowled six unsuccessful overs for 25 runs. They managed to weather another short burst from the opening pair before lunch, but when they returned, refreshed after the break, West Indies’ capitulation was quick in coming. The partnership was broken as Steyn went round the wicket and sent down a brutal bouncer at Chanderpaul, who gloved an easy looping catch to Mark Boucher.Dwayne Bravo, too, was bounced out shortly afterwards, although in his case it was a lack of bounce that contributed to the dismissal. Morkel dug one in halfway down and Bravo, expecting the ball to rear up at him, crouched and turned his head away but the ball kept low and flicked the glove on its way through.In a sustained assault of fast bowling of the highest standard, Deonarine was next, shouldering arms to a delivery that reversed in to him from around the wicket to have his stumps splayed. Shane Shillingford fell to the very next ball as Steyn continued to find devilishly late movement at high pace and the batsman was struck on the pad right in front of the wicket.Ramdin managed to survive the hat-trick ball – though it was wide of off stump and he flashed wildly at it – but three balls later Steyn reached the 200-wicket milestone by beating Sulieman Benn for both pace and movement to rattle his stumps.His fifth wicket came just two balls later, as Ravi Rampaul – like Deonarine before him – failed to pick up the reverse swing as Steyn came round the wicket and he left a ball that clattered into his off stump. With that, West Indies were 75 for 9 and Steyn’s four overs since the lunch break had yielded five wickets, for the cost of just four runs.When Ramdin took three boundaries off his 14th over, Steyn was pulled out of the attack, but the fightback was a brief one as Kallis nipped Nelon Pascal out in the second over of his spell. Deciding against the follow-on, Smith and Alviro Petersen put on 56 without much discomfort despite the fact that the pitch was beginning to exhibit huge variations in bounce.After Petersen was trapped in front of his stumps by Benn for 22, Hashim Amla suffered his second failure of the game, driving Shillingford uppishly into the hands of a diving Deonarine in the covers to reduce South Africa to 79 for 2.But Smith fought to a half-century off 78 balls and Kallis was also in belligerent mood, his first boundary a massive six over long-on off Shillingford. He took South Africa’s lead past 400 with a savage pull off Pascal before fading light forced the players from the field.

The second season of the Karnataka Premier League is set to get underway from September 18 and the stand-out feature this year is the expansion of the tournament to other centres in the state like Manipal and Hubli

Kanishkaa Balachandran in Bangalore13-Jul-2010The second season of the Karnataka Premier League is set to get underway from September 18 and the stand-out feature this year is the expansion of the tournament to other centres in the state such as Manipal and Hubli. The Twenty20 tournament, which ends on October 3, will feature the same eight franchises as last year, following a round-robin format with the top two teams qualifying for the semi-finals.Bangalore got a generous share of the matches last year, with Mysore hosting a few games. Going by the enthusiastic response generated in Mysore, the organisers have capitalised on it by granting the semi-finals and the final to the city. The host association, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), has decided to spread the tournament evenly between all four venues. The tournament kicks off at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, which will host the first four days. The players then go to Hubli for the next leg before heading to the university town of Manipal, near the coastal city of Mangalore. Mysore will host the final leg.Karnataka was the first state to introduce a local franchise-based Twenty20 tournament, taking a cue from the hugely successful IPL after its second season. There will be a player-transfer window for the tournament between August 15 and 30, during which time the franchises will have to finalise their squads – a minimum of 14 players and a maximum of 22. Those who’ve signed two-year contracts are also eligible to be transferred, provided the concerned franchises and players come to an agreement.Brijesh Patel, the secretary of the KSCA, said he was excited by the opportunities on offer for players from smaller centres but was also aware of the challenges from the organisers’ point of view.”The KPL has opened doors for players from mofussil areas and for coaches as well. The boys are getting more confident in playing in front of big crowds,” Patel said at a press conference in Bangalore. “We know there will be logistical issues, such as erecting temporary structures and transporting players. We’re trying to get the cricketing facilities on par with that of Bangalore.”Patel added the KSCA is constructing a stadium in Hubli, which could be upgraded to first-class status if it passes the test during this tournament. Bangalore will host the only four day-night games.The lesser-known players have the most to gain from the KPL and Patel said it would serve as a feeder-system for the IPL auctions and for selection into the state team. Although he was satisfied with the enthusiasm shown by the players in the opening season, he felt some needed to train harder.”I thought the quality of cricket in the first season was good. However, the physical fitness needs to improve,” Patel said. “Some of them couldn’t get past those 15 days, often suffering from cramps.”There was talk after the first season to get players from outside Karnataka to participate but the BCCI rejected the proposal. Patel, however, didn’t understand why it should be an issue. “The BCCI did not approve it. If the host association (KSCA) has no issue, then what’s the problem?”The tournament, however, could miss star state players like Abhimanyu Mithun, Vinay Kumar and Manish Pandey, who will be away in South Africa representing the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Champions League, between September 10 and 26. They could be available only for the final leg of the KPL or earlier, depending on their progress in South Africa.Bangalore Provident (Rural) are the defending champions after beating Belagavi Panthers under lights in Bangalore last year.

Flocking to Twitter, many Liverpool fans have erupted over a fresh transfer claim involving their club and Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria.

Jurgen Klopp has already been linked to a host of new midfield additions so far this month with the Reds and FSG seemingly setting their sights on a fair few central options.

The likes of Toni Kroos and Jude Bellingham have been mentioned recently given Liverpool’s arguable lack of depth in that area.

Now, sharing some news on who Liverpool are also eyeing, Sport 1 and their reporter Patrik Berger say that the the Anfield side are one of the clubs interested in signing Zakaria from Monchengladbach.

The Swiss ace’s deal is currently set to expire this year as things stand, meaning he can negotiate a pre-contract this month or opt to leave as a free agent in the summer.

Alternatively, Monchengladbach could even sell for a cheap fee, with Sport 1 claiming they could offload for as little as €6-7 million (£5.07m-£5.8m).

Liverpool fans erupt…

Flocking to Twitter, many Liverpool fans have erupted with their takes, with some believing he could be an ‘absolute bargain’ for Klopp.

The powerhouse 6 foot 3 midfielder can play both as a defensive midfield player and a centre-back whilst still being only 25-years-old, leaving little wonder why some supporters feel this way.

Zakaria averages 1.5 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 1.9 dribbles per game, showing his quality on both sides of the ball.

Find all of their best reactions down below:

“Seems like a no brainer for Liverpool and Klopp….”

Credit: @TheKop_

“€6m-€7m??? This sounds like an absolute bargain?”

Credit: @TomBrownrigg200

“We are crying out for a midfielder. €8m would be a rob. Buy him”

Credit: @JamzLFC786

“Plz”

Credit: @jj___lfc

“Sign him up a beg and let minamino go for 7m”

Credit: @lfanCai

“This is the classic no brainer. Best bang for buck.

sign him already”

Credit: @muootarek

“SIIIUUUUUUU”

Credit: @RitsonLFC

Niko Kovac has emerged as a potential candidate for the vacant manager’s role at Everton.

The Telegraph’s Jason Burt says that the 50-year-old’s name is ‘being pushed’ as the Toffees assess their options, and the Croatian is apparently keen to have a crack at the Premier League.

Everton sacked Rafael Benitez in the wake of Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Norwich City. It is their second managerial search in the space of eight months after Carlo Ancelotti left in June.

An overview of Kovac

Kovac has managed three clubs – Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayern Munich and AS Monaco. The Croatian succeeded Jupp Heynckes at Bayern after taking Eintracht from relegation territory to the top half.

However, he was sacked by the Bavarian giants in November 2019, 16 months after taking charge, following a 5-1 defeat at the hands of his former club. He had managed to win a league-and-cup double in his first season at the helm in Munich (via BBC Sport).

Kovac’s next stop, in the summer of 2020, was Monaco, but he was dismissed earlier this month with the team sixth in Ligue 1.

Fan feed The Toffee Blues relayed Burt’s claim, and here’s what these Everton supporters made of it, with many in favour of seeing Kovac getting the Goodison Park gig.

These Everton fans call for Kovac

“Get it done lads”

Credit: @ericowens27

“This is more like it…. So probably won’t happen”

Credit: @thatphillad

“I’ve decided Kovac is my #1 choice”

Credit: @efc18789

“I can get behind this”

Credit: @AmateurGus

“Him or Favre & I’ll be happy”

Credit: @MattyHughes10

“Get him”

Credit: @kmcgrath28

In other news, many Everton fans reacted with disbelief to this club announcement

Azeem Ghumman will captain Pakistan A for the forthcoming tour of Sri Lanka between August 20 and September 18

Cricinfo staff14-Jul-2010Azeem Ghumman will captain Pakistan A for the forthcoming tour of Sri Lanka between August 20 and September 18. The 15-member squad also includes discarded opening batsman Khurram Manzoor and the promising fast bowler Mohammad Irfan. Ghumman led Pakistan in the recent Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand, where they finished runners-up.Surprisingly, there is no place in the squad for wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed, who was until recently Pakistan’s first-choice back-up to Kamran Akmal. Sarfraz made his Test debut earlier this year in Hobart against Australia and despite a safe performance behind the stumps has been edged out of national contention altogether.The tour begins with a one-day tri-series also involving South Africa A between August 24 and September 6. Pakistan will then stay back and play two four-day games against the hosts.”Our concentration is on young blood and it is high time for us to bring in the new boys,” Mohsin Khan, chief selector, told . “And the tour to Sri Lanka is very important for our A team because the top players can be picked up for the national squad.”My effort has been to prepare a quick backup for the national team. We have already selected four new faces in the ongoing England tour. In order to sustain the same custom, these young players will be added in the 15-man squad that will also include some veterans.”According to a report in , the selection has been made without the input of one selector, however: Saleem Jaffer. The former left-arm fast bowler, part of the selection committee for over three years, has gradually been nudged out over the last month following a disagreement with the chief selector over the manner in which the squad for England was chosen.Jaffer’s contract, due to expire on July 31, will not be renewed and he said he was surprised at not being consulted over the selection and a letter from the board indicating the end of his tenure.”I was shocked for not being invited in the meeting, and shocked further as the letter doesn’t contain any reason why I am not able to get the extension,” Jaffer told Dawn.In three years, Jaffer worked under four different chief selectors — Salahuddin Ahmed, Abdul Qadir, Iqbal Qasim and Mohsin, the current chairman.Pakistan A: Azeem Ghumman (capt), Khurram Manzoor, Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Aamer Sajjad, Sheharyar Ghani, Naved Yasin, Hammad Azam, Naeem Anjum (wk), Zulfiqar Babar, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Talha, Mohammad Irfan, Junaid Khan, Tabish KhanReserves: Rameez Alam, Arun Lal, Umair Khan, Mohammad Rameez, Raza Hasan, Adnan Akmal

Salman Butt is not convinced that returning Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan to the Test team would be the right move

Nagraj Gollapudi at Trent Bridge01-Aug-2010Salman Butt has a question for those of us who feel Pakistan are hitting themselves in the foot by continuing to ignore the Ys – Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan – out of the batting ranks. “Having seen the past results can anybody over here tell me how many wins Pakistan had with the people who were previously playing?” Butt shot the query at the media after Pakistan’s embarrassing defeat in Nottingham.He probably meant Pakistan’s record in England, as out of the five and six Tests Younis and Yousuf have played respectively in this country, they were part of only one victory – at Old Trafford in the summer of 2001 when Inzamam-ul-Haq bolstered the middle-order with his calm presence. Waqar Younis, Pakistan’s current coach, was then leading an experienced side, which also featured Wasim Akram, Saeed Anwar and Saqlain Mushtaq.However, Butt, if he has been referring to the stats books, would also be aware of the Y-pair’s outstanding record in England: Yousuf has compiled 716 runs at 65.09 including a double-century and Younis has logged 470 runs at 52.22 with one hundred and a highest of 173. Those are big runs and Pakistan could do with such stone-walling efforts, going by the fragility of their batting order this summer.The call for their return is bound to get louder if you consider the fact that in the six innings so far on this trip, Pakistan’s middle-order, comprising Nos. 3-7, has recorded a solitary half-century. Azhar Ali, Umar Amin, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal have have all wobbled and succumbed to pressure easily.Yet Butt and Waqar have stressed that Pakistan possess the best possible unit at the moment and it was only healthy and apt to think beyond the Ys. “Whoever is in the Pakistan side is there because of his ability and needs to be given time to show what they are capable of,” Butt said. “Had we been winning with them in the team in the past two years then it could’ve been a mistake. But the results were the same. In fact these guys pulled off a victory after 15 years [against Australia last week at Headingley]. So people are not seeing the reality.”Waqar was more direct on Saturday evening, when Pakistan had lost their top three wickets in a matter of minutes. Asked if he felt the inexperienced middle order needed reinforcement in the form either Yousuf or Younis, or both, he did not entertain the thought too much. “Look, one is retired [Yousuf]. We can’t really bring somebody back from retirement. The other one [Younis] has got serious issues with the cricket board [PCB],” Waqar said with a smile.Waqar said he was disappointed at some of the shots his batsmen played but felt this team was on the right track, in light of what he had witnessed in the past few years where Pakistan cricket had been marred by relentless controversies. “If you compare the Pakistan side from the last two to three years to this one it is a big improvement,” Waqar said. “We want to make this into a big unit. We might have to take a couple losses but this unit looks good.”Pakistan’s biggest problem on this trip has been the weak spine the batsmen have shown in the face of challenging seaming and swinging conditions. Their ineptitude to raise a challenging score has only hurt and eventually demoralised their fast men – Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul, who have put in stellar performances. Butt accepts the blame. “Yes, because we have got out very quickly today and we lost seven wickets in an hour’s time you can say we have the problems against the seaming (swinging) ball.”Butt himself was a failure, getting a single-digit score in both innings. Ironically for Butt, though just two matches old as captain, he is Pakistan’s highest run maker this year and so remains the man to lend a direction for the rest of the batting order. “All of us need to take responsibility having played a bit more cricket than some others in the team,” Butt said.However Butt is not willing to pull the pin on any of the batsmen. “I am just two games old: we have won one and lost the other. So I can never think of saying they have not responded. I can’t be that impatient,” Butt said. According to him, expecting Pakistan to win every match is asking for the moon. “What do you expect from them – win every game? That will not happen. This is the time when you back your players. It is just a matter of putting up a performance whether it being bowling, fielding, batting. The faith I have in them, I know they can make a comeback.”

Flocking to Twitter, many Southampton fans are buzzing over a fresh transfer update out of St. Mary’s Stadium involving Fulham forward Fabio Carvalho.

Saints transfer chief Martin Semmens has kept his role as chief executive even after Serbian-born businessman Dragan Solak completed his £100 million takeover in early January (Sky Sports).

As such, the Southampton CEO is still tasked with overseeing recruitment strategy as Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side become linked with a few signings.

Their main priority appears to be wrapping up a permanent deal for loanee Armando Broja, who has impressed since joining on a temporary transfer from Chelsea (The Guardian).

However, that doesn’t mean other moves aren’t in the pipeline, with an update emerging involving Fulham forward Carvalho.

According to Eurosport journalist Dean Jones, speaking to Give Me Sport, Southampton are in pole position to sign the exciting Championship talent who has seven goals and two assists this season.

As per the ‘transfer insider’, Semmens and have ‘really been leading the race’ for Carvalho despite interest from Liverpool, West Ham and Tottenham (TEAMtalk).

Saints fans buzzing…

Flocking to this claim, many Saints supporters have been left buzzing on Twitter, with one fan calling him a would-be ‘unreal signing’.

His brilliant Championship form at the tender age of 19-years-old just shows how much potential Carvalho may have to become a really top level player, and the fact he could leave as a free agent as things stand is even more of a reason to swoop.

Here’s how Southampton fans reacted on social media as their club lead the way:

“Perfect signing if we pull that off”

Credit: @Charlie_Mercer_

“This is an incredibly inspiring move. Another youngster who can shine in a young talented team”

Credit: @LH_SFC

“PLEASEEEE”

Credit: @danthemanmfer

“This excites more than any potential deal for Broja tbh. #saintsfc”

Credit: @andrew2021k

“Get this done”

Credit: @Ross_Hodgson98

“YES YES YES”

Credit: @sfcrxbbo_

“This would be an unreal signing. Instantly replaces Redmond and brings energy in those winger positions”

Credit: @sfchenry_