India A fired a warning to England Lions and West Indies A ahead of the forthcoming tri-Series with an emphatic victory over an ECB XI

ECB Reporters Network17-Jun-20182:25

‘Important to play close to the body in England’ – Shaw

ScorecardIndia A fired a warning to England Lions and West Indies A ahead of the forthcoming tri-Series with an emphatic victory over an ECB XI in the first game of their tour at Headingley.India A, coached by Rahul Dravid, had been due to play Yorkshire, but the ECB put together alternative opposition from county cricket because of Yorkshire’s progress in the Royal London One-Day Cup.India A fielded a team including three players with senior international experience and plenty of others who have made an impact in the IPL, and they quickly adapted to English conditions to post a total of 328 for 8 – then dismissed the ECB XI for 203.Prithvi Shaw, who captained India to victory in the ICC Under-19s World Cup in New Zealand earlier this year, set the tone with a sparkling innings of 70 from 61 balls including seven fours and three sixes.Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer, the tour captain who has made 12 white-ball international appearances, added half centuries at quicker than a run a ball, although the ECB XI did slow the run rate for periods with the Gloucestershire allrounder Ryan Higgins the pick of the attack, earning 4 for 50 from his 10 overs.Higgins had Shaw caught behind edging a drive to Alex Davies, the Lancashire wicketkeeper who was captaining the Board XI, and later in the same over bowled Hanuma Vihari off an inside edge.Sussex allrounder Delray Rawlins picked up the wicket of Vijay Shankar, chipping to mid-on where Surrey’s Will Jacks took the second of his three catches, having already snapped up Mayank Agarwal at backward point off Tom Barber.Rawlins then took two catches in consecutive balls to give Higgins his third and fourth wickets, following a simple take at long-off to dismiss Kishan with an acrobatic effort at mid-off to send back Iyer.Ollie Robinson and Jamie Overton each picked up a wicket in the closing overs, although the Mumbai Indians all-rounder Krunal Pandya kept up the attack with 34 from 28 balls including two sixes.The Indians were equally impressive with the ball, with their seamers especially relishing the gloomy conditions as the Headingley floodlights were switched on.Deepak Chahar had Davies flicking to mid-wicket, and a promising innings from the Gloucestershire opener George Hankins ended on 27 when he pulled Khaleel Ahmed to mid-on.Jacks hit two sixes before falling lbw to Axar Patel, a left-arm spinner who has played 38 ODIs for India, and the Derbyshire left-hander Ben Slater played some of the day’s best shots in making 37 from 38 balls before he edged Shankar behind.That turned out to be the second top score of the innings, behind Slater’s county team-mate Matt Critchley, who was ninth out for 40.Rawlins swept two boundaries off Patel but was bowled going for a third, Harry Finch was bowled by a beauty from Prasidh Krishna, and Higgins was run out after a mix-up with Critchley.Chahar, a 25-year-old seamer who was an IPL regular for Chennai Super Kings, polished off the last two wickets to end with 3 for 48.

Former Liverpool and Real Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa has explained why he was able to shut down Lionel Messi by making him “easier to mark”.

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• Spanish defender moved to Anfield in 2007
• Made full debut for the Reds at Camp Nou
• Kept Argentine icon quiet across two legs

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The ex-Spain international did not always get the better of Messi during their on-field battles, but one memorable Champions League outing from 2007 saw him emerge victorious. Said contest saw Arbeloa handed a baptism of fire by Liverpool, following his January transfer to Anfield, with Rafa Benitez asking the hard-working defender to line up against Messi in a last-16 encounter at Camp Nou.

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• WHAT ARBELOA SAID ABOUT MESSI

  Arbeloa has told the why the Argentine icon, who was only 19 at the time, was less of a handful back then: “We played that day with me at left-back. Two strikers up front, although (Dirk) Kuyt played a bit further back. (John Arne) Riise usually played at full-back, but that day played ahead of me. That day, I had to mark Messi. I remember it perfectly. Rafa Benitez came to training one day in Liverpool and he told me that I was going to play left-back to mark Messi. Rafa saw clearly that he was a player who tended to go inside, and he thought that I could do well in that position – which was new for me. It was also my debut in the Champions League and before it, we went to Portugal for a mini-training camp where we prepared for the game. The main difference from the Messi I marked that day to a few years later, was that then Messi would almost always receive very, very wide which made it easier for me to mark. Not quite man-to-man, but by dropping a lot in my zone and almost letting him receive on the wing. That made it easier for me to be very close to him, and I also had Riise’s defensive help throughout. I think I remember that it was (Juliano) Belletti, the Barca right-back, who didn’t overlap a lot in that tie. He was quite an attacking player, but he didn’t overlap much so I always had Riise’s help. Maybe the difference in the later version of Messi, who was obviously still as good, was that he started in a freer role and came to receive more in the square (between defenders) or dropped further back to receive. That made it very difficult for an opponent to get as close to him as I was in that game.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Arbeloa went on to say, with Liverpool progressing to the quarter-finals at Barcelona’s expense: “What Rafa wanted was for me to always let him receive the ball on the flank. He wasn’t too worried about Messi coming out wide, because he came out on his right foot – and that’s what we tried to do in that tie, which went very well. We won 2-1 in Barcelona, and even though they beat us 1-0 in Liverpool, we managed to eliminate a Barcelona team that had been European champions the year before. One of the things that also worked in my favour in this case when I was marking Leo Messi, and something that I insist on a lot with my players, is that Leo always tended to ask for the ball into his feet. I wasn’t worried that he would look to get in behind me. He wasn’t a player who would come and ask for the ball and then break into the space behind. That made it easier for me to stay on top of him, and I didn’t mind jumping whenever he went. If Leo dropped, I could go because there wasn’t that threat in behind and because Riise was also there. Sometimes, even if I pushed up a lot with Leo, he would drop and cover my position. Another of the instructions that Rafa gave us was when to leave him. That’s one of the most important things when you are marking a player. In the second half, Leo tried to get out a lot. The main difficulty when you release is to know if another player is going to pick him up. If I stayed with him but then he goes and goes, I had to communicate with Momo (Sissoko), in this example, so that he could get to him. If Momo has dropped, I never worried about following him because I always had Riise to help. In this case, we were almost a double full-back, and he covered me a lot in this position. So even if it wasn’t a man-marking job, in theory, in reality, it pretty much was.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Messi was still two years away from landing the first of his eight Ballons d’Or when facing Arbeloa and Liverpool, with his stock soaring from that point as he quickly learned how to get the best of any rival and what he needed to do to maximise his potential.

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana is under serious fire for his performances since joining from Inter this summer. Mark Goldbridge, presenter for talkSPORT and The United Stand, made an incredible claim regarding his abilities when he signed for the Red Devils.

What's the latest news involving Man Utd and Onana?

Onana joined Manchester United for a fee of £47.2 million in the summer from San Siro, signing a five-year deal with the option to extend his stay for an extra 12 months at Old Trafford, and high expectation has been bestowed on the shoulders of the Cameroon international.

He was partially at fault for Galatasaray striker Mauro Icardi's winning goal on Tuesday night, just moments after being spared by a missed penalty, in what turned out to be a disappointing 3-2 defeat for Manchester United at home in the Champions League.

Icardi raced later through and scooped the ball over Onana, who had already hit the deck in no man's land, claiming all three points for the visitors and ensuring that the Red Devils' campaign was to go from bad to worse.

Earlier on in proceedings, Onana was culpable for Casemiro's sending off and the resulting spot kick after his loose backpass was capitalised on by Dries Mertens, who ran through on goal before being taken out by the Brazilian enforcer, who received his marching orders for a second bookable offence.

Red Devils boss Erik Ten Hag has indicated that he will speak with Onana and back him to show his best form, stating in his post-match press conference: "I have to talk with more players, but I also have to talk with Andre of course. I will do and I will back him, because he’s a great goalkeeper."

What did Mark Goldbridge say about Onana?

Presenter Goldbridge made some pretty bold claims when Onana joined Manchester United and indicated that he would be a "transformative" signing for the club, which is yet to be evidenced by his performances on the pitch.

Speaking on The United Stand Youtube channel at the time, the media personality stated: "What is without doubt is that this is a really good signing. This will be a transformative signing for Manchester United with Onana, I think he’s got the personality."

He later added: "I do think he’s transformative, and it’s not just about passing out from the back, I think he’s got a lot of really good attributes for a goalkeeper that stand up against the best in the world."

Onana has shipped 18 goals in nine appearances across all competitions, and from his two outings in the Champions League, the 27-year-old has saved just 53.8% of his 13 shots faced, indicating he has plenty of room for improvement between the sticks at Old Trafford, as per FBRef.

Against Galatasaray, Onana also only completed 21 of his 37 attempted passes during the encounter, equating to a 57% hit rate in finding one of his teammates successfully, leading some to question his ability on the ball even though he is renowned for having a calm head in possession, as per Sofascore.

High-profile mistakes against Bayern Munich and Galatasaray, coupled with shaky displays against Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he was lucky not to concede a penalty in the latter, haven't helped his case, though he is far from the only player at fault for Manchester United's shoddy start to 2023/24. Fans will hope he can begin to show his true self in the next few weeks and months.

A seven-wicket morning session gave way to a more promising position at the close, but Warwickshire hold whip hand in make-or-break tussle

David Hopps at Lord's22-Jul-20182:03

Clark’s stunning Roses hat-trick stuns Yorkshire

ScorecardIt’s mid-season, the Championship is back, and it’s time for cricketers the length and breadth of the country to change their identity. On Friday night they are Twenty20 cricketers, brash smart alecks the lot of them; on Sunday morning they are back to the four-day grind with nothing more than a Saturday morning lie-in in between. They’ve spent the past few weeks exploring the distant horizon, telling themselves anything is possible. Now reality is back.Warwickshire did not just change formats over the weekend, they changed their name and half their side. They edged the first day but not by much, finishing 152 for 4, a deficit of 84, held together by a battling unbeaten half-century by Will Rhodes, his fourth of the season, who pushed a few false strokes to the back of his mind and dug in gamely.At lunchtime, outside the Bread Shop on St John’s Wood High Street, a man enquired with infinite politeness about the lunchtime score and seemed relieved to have found a fellow enthusiast. “Middlesex are 101 for 7.” In the interest shown in that one sentence, there is so much investment in life. But it sounded like a bad day and there followed a look of resignation with the thank-you. Middlesex’s change of identity had not begun well.The Bread Shop specialises in spelt, an ancient grain, a sub-species of wheat, which its advocates claim regulates metabolism, aids in the creation of sex hormones, increases circulation, build strong bones, boosts immunity and counters the swinging ball. Well, maybe not the last one. But Middlesex need some spelt; too often this season they have looked as unappetising as a mass-produced white loaf.After the length of a T20 innings, Middlesex were 80 for 7. In place of the white ball, which lives its life in straight lines, the red ball hooped around corners, behaving – as Marilyn Manson once optimistically described life – as a bucket of mystery.Oliver Hannon-Dalby helped Warwickshire chip away•Getty ImagesOliver Hannon-Dalby, a spindly fellow who walks around the outfield in a stately off-white sunhat like an Edwardian gentleman, swung the ball in to hit the stumps of two left-handers, Nick Gubbins, a superb delivery, and Eoin Morgan, who left a considerable gate; Chris Wright found lift to find the edge of Paul Stirling (promoted to opener without conspicuous success) and Stevie Eskinazi, and there were slip catches, too, to bring wickets for Ryan Sidebottom as John Simpson and James Harris followed. Middlesex lost six wickets for 25 in 55 balls.Considering that Middlesex need something spectacular to return to Division One, this deepened their predicament. Pre-season favourites for the Division two title, they began the second half of the season 45 points adrift of the top two. Their defeat against one of the top teams, Kent, was followed by the departure of their head coach Richard Scott. Against the leaders, Warwickshire, at Lord’s, it was very much a case of now or never.Not every Warwickshire bowler had a satisfying day. Chris Woakes is seeking to build up his rhythm ahead of the India series after hamstring trouble, but he disappeared at more than five an over, becoming increasingly frustrated by a series of refused lbw appeals.James Fuller, fresh from his six wickets in the Blast at the Ageas Bowl on Friday night, benefited from most of them. He registered only his fifth first-class half-century and his first for two years, batting at No 9, a spelt-laden affair as he shared stands of 86 with Max Holden and 51 with Ollie Rayner. His redoubtable resistance included a six over midwicket against Woakes and a curious advance to fly swat him down the ground, not altogether appreciated by the bowler. He was last out to a full toss from Hannon-Dalby.Middlesex supporters have not lost a sense of decorum as their season refuses to catch fire. The fall of Warwickshire’s first wicket brought in Ian Bell who now invites the ripple of gratitude afforded to all prominent England players presumed to be of past vintage.Those whose career may be most spent (although Bell, in the form he is in, could easily play past 40) are keenly watched. The squat onto his haunches before he faced the first ball was familiar and why does he look around to fine leg as his final act? Was he once out hooking first ball in the days when he shaved once a week? If not, what does he expect to see there? An ice cream van? A group of clowns heading to a children’s party? An open sewer which might potentially be a hazard to life and limb?From the first ball, he on-drove Harris sumptuously; from the third, his off-drive was crisp and clean. Even his play-and-miss in between felt like a practice shot. But in the next over, Tim Murtagh mesmerised him with one that held its line up the hill. The day gave way instead to Rhodes, and Jonathan Trott and a hard-won Warwickshire advantage.

Dele Alli has been advised to “step down a league or two” in a bid to rebuild his career, with the ex-England international a “disaster” for Everton.

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Midfielder lost his spark at SpursUnable to rediscover it on MerseysideHeading towards free agencyWHAT HAPPENED?

The former Tottenham midfielder was once considered to be one of the hottest prospects in world football, with 37 caps earned for his country. He was a goal-scoring force to be reckoned with at Spurs and regularly drew links to some of the biggest sides in Europe.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

A spark soon fizzled out in north London, though, and Dele was presented with a clean slate when linking up with Everton in January 2022. That move has not worked out as planned, with a succession of frustrating injury problems holding him back, and another change is now on the cards as his contract runs down.

WHAT KING SAID ABOUT DELE

Former Everton scout Bryan King has suggested that the MK Dons academy graduate may have to step back into the Football League when hitting free agency, telling of a player that is still just 27 years of age: “He’s not an Everton player, I can’t see his future there. He’s got to get his head around rebuilding his career, and I can’t see him rebuilding it at Everton. I think maybe he needs to step down a league or two, he’s still young enough. Ever since he stepped foot at Everton, he’s been a disaster. He had so much going for him at Tottenham, he’s just dropped off the radar. Terrible.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR DELE?

Dele has been struggling with a persistent groin problem of late, having undergone surgery in January, and appears destined to sever ties with the Toffees after making just 13 appearances for them – with a forgettable loan spell at Turkish side Besiktas thrown into the mix last season.

It has been reported that a Tottenham transfer target could now leave his club for under £20 million, which may be a more than affordable price.

Who are Spurs signing in January?

The January transfer window is slowly approaching and is set to open its doors in just over two and a half months, with Spurs well and truly preparing for it. Chairman Daniel Levy and Chief Football Officer Scott Munn sought to bring in a new sporting director to replace Fabio Paratici, with Aston Villa chief Johan Lange set to begin his new role on November 1. There is work for the incoming new Spurs employee, as reports suggest that manager Ange Postecoglou wants to strengthen the squad in various areas.

The Lilywhites have just Eric Dier as cover for current centre-back pairing Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, so it is believed Tottenham are targeting the likes of Galatasaray defender Victor Nelsson, Juventus star Gleison Bremer, Bournemouth's Lloyd Kelly and Bayer Leverkusen star Edmond Tapsoba as possible contenders. Meanwhile, midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has been heavily linked with a departure, with the north Londoners reportedly eyeing both Kalvin Phillips and Conor Gallagher as potential options to replace the Dane.

Jota from Al-Ittihad and Galatasaray star Kerem Akturkoglu have also been linked with moves to Tottenham this week, while they're also reportedly keeping tabs on Brentford star Ivan Toney's situation if the Englishman does depart Brentford in 2024.

Victor Nelsson transfer update

Going back to Nelsson, who is actually falling out of favour at his club right now, there has been quite a promising update on the reported Spurs transfer target. The defender, who allegedly wanted to join Tottenham over the summer window (Ekstra Bladet), is finding himself nearer and nearer the Galatasaray exit door. Nelsson has apparently lost his place to former Spurs defender Davinson Sanchez, and it is believed that the Turkish Super Lig side no longer want him in red and yellow.

That is according to Milliyet, who shared the latest Nelsson transfer news this week. They claim, in some good news for Postecoglou, Lange and Tottenham, that Galatasaray are willing to sanction the 24-year-old's sale for under £20 million. His release clause is actually around £22 million, with the club now entertaining a discounted sale price as they fear Nelsson's value will plummet sitting on the bench.

Aerial duels

Tackling

Concentration

Other recent Nelsson transfer updates have suggested that the Denmark international defender is an "important" target for Tottenham, so this could come as quite a decent pull for Spurs to make a mid-season move. However, it is surprising that the player may be sold for a lesser price, as he's been a pivotal figure for Galatasaray over the last two seasons.

According to WhoScored, Nelsson was an undroppable member of manager Okan Buruk's starting eleven last season; featuring over more league minutes than any other outfielder in their squad, so a move to north London could be one to keep an eye on.

West Ham have agreed another long-term contract after Jarrod Bowen with one teenager "tipped" for David Moyes' first team soon.

Jarrod Bowen signs new West Ham deal

The Hammers were gifted with some excellent news this week as star winger Bowen put pen to paper on fresh terms with West Ham. His brilliant early-season form, and rejuvenation throughout 2023, has resulted in a new and improved contract till 2030 and one which will take Bowen into this 30s with the club – provided they don't sell for a large transfer fee in the next few years.

It's been quite the week for Moyes' favourite, who was also called up by Gareth Southgate for England's upcoming friendly against Australia and Euro 2024 qualifier against Italy. Bowen is currently West Ham's top scorer this season, coming after he made history last term with his Europa Conference League-winning goal against Fiorentina in Prague. The future is looking bright for the ex-Hull City star, who recently expressed his delight at penning a new seven-year contract at the London Stadium.

“I’m so pleased to have signed a new long-term contract at West Ham,” Bowen said. "Everyone knows what this Club means to me, so committing my future until 2030 means so much to me and my family. I’ve loved every minute of my time here.

"Winning the Europa Conference League in Prague was an amazing moment, scoring the winner in the last minute will be something I’ll cherish forever. It’s left us all wanting that feeling again and again – we want to create more memories together, for our fantastic fans, and for this fantastic Football Club.”

West Ham contract news – Dan Rigge

Other players to have been linked with penning new deals are Tomas Soucek, Pablo Fornals and Vladimir Coufal – who are all heading into the final six months of their current contracts. Striker Michail Antonio has also signed a contract extension at West Ham, with Moyes and technical director Tim Steidten seemingly making big decisions behind-the-scenes.

Youngsters like Ben Johnson and Conor Coventry haven't been so lucky though, as some West Ham transfer news in recent weeks has suggested that they will be allowed to leave when their deals expire next year. Another starlet who appears to be impressing Moyes, though, is 17-year-old teenage sensation Dan Rigge.

The midfielder, who is "highly regarded" at West Ham, has now agreed a new long-term deal after Bowen and is "being tipped to push" for Moyes' first team in the near future (Football Insider). The England youth international was apparently attracting interest from many clubs, but has now officially pledged his future with the west Londoners.

Following a reported "breakthrough" in talks, it is believed Rigge and West Ham reached a full agreement on terms before the official club announcement yesterday, which comes as more good news for West Ham given just how highly rated he is.

Chelsea's most successful manager in recent times has been Thomas Tuchel.

The German tactician, who led the Blues to Champions League glory over Manchester City in 2021, was the last manager to deliver any sort of silverware to Stamford Bridge.

He recorded 63 wins in 100 matches and only tasted defeat 18 times in 20 months while reaching both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup finals in the 2021/22 season.

Despite this success, Todd Boehly and co ultimately decided that Tuchel wasn't the right man to take the club forward and according to his ex-wife, he was dismissed in September 2022 due to "off-field reasons and because the players lost respect for him".

While Tuchel's spell in charge ended on a sour note, so too did Chelsea's business during his time at the club, with the 50-year-old misfiring across all fronts in the transfer window.

He brought in the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Saul Niguez and Marcus Bettinelli – who all failed in the blue shirt – and also sold a whole host of talented stars, including Tammy Abraham, Kurt Zouma, Fikayo Tomori, Marc Guehi and Olivier Giroud, the latter of which has gone on to make the Blues regret selling him in 2021.

How did Olivier Giroud perform for Chelsea?

Throughout his career, Giroud has become such a likeable figure everywhere's been. During his six-year stint at Arsenal, the Frenchman earned plaudits for his consistent goal-scoring and his ability to produce the spectacular, scoring 105 times and assisting a further 41 in 253 appearances for the Gunners.

So it came as no surprise to see many Arsenal fans frustrated at the club's decision to sell him to their rivals for £18m in 2018, with Arsene Wenger claiming a year earlier that the striker was performing at the pinnacle of his powers.

He said: "I know how important he is not only as a player – he’s a fantastic player – but also in the group he has a big weight. It was a relief for me he decided to stay. Giroud in his prime is at the top of his game."

After moving to west London, Giroud would become a pivotal figure in the club's quest for European dominance and the "top level" forward – as formerly claimed by Wenger – would perform exceptionally in Europe's top two competitions.

In 2018/19, his eye-watering 11 goals and five assists in 14 appearances helped the Blues win the Europa League, ironically scoring the winner against his former club in the final.

Then in the 2020/21 campaign, the 6 foot 4 phenom would play an integral role in the Blues' run to the Champions League final, having scored a sensational six times in eight appearances, including all four goals in their 4-0 victory over Sevilla.

Given those standout performances on the big stage, it begs the question as to why Tuchel sold him to AC Milan for a measly £1m in the summer of 2021.

How many goals has Giroud scored since leaving Chelsea?

While supporters have been made to sit through the transfer saga involving Romelu Lukaku, the toothless Kai Havertz and the struggling displays of Nicolas Jackson since Giroud's departure, the Frenchman has been a revelation for AC Milan.

At the remarkable age of 37, the sublime finisher has showcased his final-third expertise at the Rossoneri and left Chelsea fans frustrated with the form he's producing.

In 95 appearances for Milan, he's scored 36 goals and supplied 14 assists, a total that has seen him outscore every Chelsea player since his departure.

The 126-cap international also outperformed the majority of his positional peers in the Serie A last season, ranking in the top 16% for non-penalty goals, top 4% for aerials won, top 18% for assists and top 2% for touches in the attacking penalty box, as per FBref.

Giroud's powers in front of goal have also shown no signs of slowing down in this campaign either with four goals and three assists in eight appearances in the Serie A.

The talented Frenchman may be approaching the twilight years of his career, but if anything, he's aged like a fine wine and he continues to make Chelsea regret selling him for such a nominal fee.

Pundit Frank McAvennie has U-turned over a "wonderful" West Ham United player, after originally calling his signing a "stupid" one by manager David Moyes.

West Ham fixtures and results

The east Londoners, over a mixed start to this new Premier League season, have sealed impressive results against the likes of in-form Brighton and big-spending Chelsea but appeared to fall by the wayside in their most recent domestic encounter against Aston Villa. Moyes' 4-1 defeat away to Unai Emery attracted real criticism, especially given the hapless nature of West Ham's defending at times.

Overall, West Ham have won four, lost three and drawn two in the league. However, they've only reigned victorious once in their last five games domestically. That is a record Moyes will be keen to rectify and very quickly, as he seeks to build upon the club's historic Europa Conference League triumph at the back end of last term.

That being said, there are certain members of the Hammers starting eleven which have stood out as real success stories so far. Jarrod Bowen, who recently signed a new contract at West Ham, has been absolutely excellent alongside summer signing James Ward-Prowse. The latter has been called one of the bargains of the summer, with Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards praising the "amazing" midfielder recently:

“I’ve banged on about Ward-Prowse now for so long and nobody was taking me seriously," said the Sky pundit.

"I was literally saying, he’s in a struggling team that don’t have a style of play and once he goes somewhere where he can express himself more, he’s got more than just taking free-kicks. He’s a comfortable footballer.

“When he’s played for England he’s not really took his chance so everyone sort of questions is he good enough for the highest level. But he is. He’s an amazing player."

There's also been praise for Lucas Paqueta by McAvennie, but the former West Ham striker has now moved to admit he was very wrong about one player who hasn't even started that many games for Moyes this season.

McAvennie U-turns over "wonderful" Benrahma

Irons midfielder Said Benrahma, who's made seven league appearances for West Ham, but mostly off the bench, possesses just one assist to show for his efforts so far this season. The Algeria international, signed from Brentford in 2020, has racked up over 140 appearances all competitions over his spell at the London Stadium, scoring more than 20 goals and bagging nearly as many assists.

A tricky dribbler, the ex-Brentford star can be easy on the eye when at his very best, with McAvennie praising Benrahma for his contribution overall – admitting he was wrong to call his signing "stupid".

“At the time I thought it was stupid because there was a young player everyone was raving about in the exact same position, and they sold him and brought in Benrahma and I’m thinking really," said the pundit to West Ham Zone.

“But he proved me wrong, he’s a great talent, a wonderful, wonderful talent. So it just shows you David Moyes knows what he’s doing.”

The fast bowler faces an uncertain future and remains out of contract with Hampshire at the end of the season

George Dobell28-Jul-2018Reece Topley is to undergo surgery on his back on Monday.Topley, who was diagnosed with a recurrence of a stress fracture earlier this month, will have a pin inserted in his lower back during the procedure at Wellington Hospital, just next to Lord’s. If his rehabilitation progresses well, he hopes to be fit to play not long after the start of the 2019 English domestic season.He faces an uncertain future, though. Not only is this the fifth stress fracture he has suffered in his lower back in six seasons as a professional cricketer, but he is out of contract at Hampshire at the end of this season and most unlikely to be offered a new deal. Any future county may require some persuasion before taking a chance on him in 2019.It is, however, the first time he has undergone surgery on his back. And while the procedure has been complicated a bit as the company that produced the screws preferred by surgeons in such situations has gone into receivership, it is thought he has a good chance of making a full recovery.While Topley has been plagued by back trouble throughout his career, he has represented England in 10 ODIs and six T20Is and remains highly-rated by the England management. Only a month ago, they considered recalling him as a replacement for the injured Tom Curran in the T20I squad facing India.