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Gloucestershire trio Steven Snell, Kadeer Ali and Rob Woodman have all left the club

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Oct-2010Gloucestershire trio Steve Snell, Kadeer Ali and Rob Woodman have all left the club.The latest set of departures follows those of seamers Steve Kirby and Gemaal Hussain, who are now both at Somerset, and Anthony Ireland, who left for Middlesex. Opening batsman William Porterfield also left, moving to Warwickshire in search of First Division Championship cricket.Wicketkeeper Snell, 27, joined Gloucestershire in 2005 and has had to compete with Steve Adshead and latterly Jonathan Batty for the gloves. His desire to get regular first-team cricket was behind his move to leave.”Whilst Steve Snell was an important part of the 2010 line-up, we envisage he would have very few opportunities next season,” said Gloucestershire chief executive Tom Richardson.”Knowing Steve wants to and deserves to be playing first-team cricket, we agreed that it would be in everyone’s best interest if he were free to pursue his career at a new club.”Batsman Kadeer Ali also arrived at Bristol in 2005 from Worcestershire and despite his undoubted promise has endured mixed fortunes with the club. Last season he played just six first-class games making 240 runs at 21.81. He feels he can offer more having at one stage being selected for England A and hopes a new county can revive his fortunes.”At 27 and having represented England A a few years ago, I feel I have plenty more to offer in the game and I will be looking for a new county,” he said.Former Somerset batsman Woodman, 24, was signed in 2008 but failed to establish himself and did not play a single first-team match for Gloucestershire last season.

‘It’s looking like’ Neco Williams will remain at Liverpool beyond the transfer deadline, according to The Athletic’s Caoimhe O’Neill. 

The lowdown

The Liverpool Echo’s Paul Gorst had reported earlier on Deadline Day that the Wales defender had cut short his holiday in Dubai to resolve his future, while Goal’s Neil Jones had claimed that a loan move to Championship promotion-chasers Bournemouth was in the works.

Williams, who is valued at £7.2m by Transfermarkt, has three-and-a-half years left on his £25,000-per-week Liverpool contract.

The latest

O’Neill tweeted on Monday morning: “Liverpool defender Neco Williams is unlikely to move out on loan today despite reports linking him with a move to Bournemouth, @TheAthleticUK understands.”

In a follow-up tweet, she added: “Reports had suggested the right-back had cut his holiday short to consider his options but understand this was not the case. Still plenty of time for an offer to come in for the Wales international but at this stage it’s looking like he will stay put.”

The verdict

This is probably good news for Liverpool fans. Williams has delivered some strong performances this season, illustrating his value to the squad.

For instance, he earned a SofaScore rating of 7.9/10 for his display against Porto in the Champions League group stage at Anfield, winning 10 of his 11 ground duels, completing five out of six dribbles and creating two chances that night. He also notched a 7.1/10 rating against AC Milan at the San Siro on the final group matchday.

The defender may well be reluctant to drop down from that level to the second tier of English football.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano revealed a significant Monday morning LFC development

Leicestershire have announced that allrounder James Benning will leave Grace Road at the end of the 2010 season

Cricinfo staff02-Sep-2010Leicestershire have announced that allrounder James Benning will leave Grace Road at the end of the 2010 season.Benning, 27, joined the club on loan from Surrey in 2009 before making the move permanent. He has made just a single appearance in Championship cricket this year, however, in Leicestershire’s seven-wicket win against Worcestershire at New Road.In that game, Benning made 29 and 26 not out and also took three wickets, but competition for the allrounder’s spot in the side has limited his chances. Leicestershire coach Tim Boon believes Benning still has a future in the game as he looks for opportunities elsewhere.”James is a talented cricketer who I’m sure will attract interest from other counties,” said Boon. “He has made good contributions in one-day cricket with bat and ball. James had limited four-day opportunities but has the ability to change the course of the game through a positive approach. I personally wish James every success in the future.”

Everton have officially sacked Rafa Benitez, becoming the fifth manager to be shown the door since Farhad Moshiri became the majority shareholder at the club in 2016, and there are already a number of managers being named as potential suitors for the position.

Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney and Roberto Martinez have all been identified as rumoured targets as Benitez’s successor at the club, after Sky Sports journalist, Ben Ransom, named the trio live at Finch Farm on Sunday afternoon.

However, there is a manager that was closely linked with the Everton job before they appointed the Spaniard in the summer.

Nuno Espirito Santo is currently out of work, after being sacked by Tottenham Hotspur following a poor start to the season, and was replaced with Italian manager, Antonio Conte, but could become the perfect appointment for Everton in their current situation where they find themselves 16th in the Premier League this season.

The Portuguese coach earned his credibility and respect in the top-flight during his tenure at Wolverhampton Wanderers taking them from midtable in the Championship to a Europa League quarter-final and an FA Cup semi-final, establishing themselves as a Premier League club finishing as high as seventh in two consecutive seasons in the league under his guidance.

His 47.7% win ratio at Molineux surpasses the 47.1% Wolves completed as they won three league titles in the 1950s under Stanley Cullis, earning him high praise from respected figures in English football, with Gary Lineker hailing the manager “fabulous” upon his mutual departure from the Midlands club.

Lineker told viewers of Match of the Day after Wolves were defeated in Nuno’s last game in charge:

“Ultimately, a disappointing farewell for Nuno but he’s done a fabulous job there over the years and turned them into a real, proper Premier League club.”

Moshiri could hire Nuno and utilise his proven experience in building a club up from mediocrity to challenging in Europe and domestic competitions, finally giving Everton fans something to smile about after a nightmare season so far, with an ongoing lack of success, going further back then Moshiri’s Everton journey, which has seen the club without a trophy for almost 27 years.

Everton have confirmed in a statement that they will announce the new manager at Goodison Park in due course, with currently no word of any official approach being made for any prospective appointment so far.

That said, we think it should be the former Wolves and Tottenham boss who is handed the keys to Goodison Park.

In other news: Sky Sports journalist reveals favourites for the job

Many Sunderland fans were critical of the performance of Lynden Gooch in their 1-1 draw at Accrington Stanley in League One on Saturday afternoon.

It was a frustrating game for the Wearsiders, who had to settle for a point in the end despite taking the lead through Aiden O’Brien and the hosts having Ross Sykes sent off for a second yellow card.

Gooch would not have been too pleased with his own individual performance, as he lost out on three of his four duels while also failing to record a single successful dribble, along with giving the ball away 19 times (SofaScore).

He was also the only Black Cats player to have played the full 90 minutes and record fewer touches than goalkeeper Ron-Thorben Hoffmann, highlighting his lack of impact on the match.

Sunderland fans slam Gooch

These Sunderland supporters slammed the American’s display on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that he is a ‘liability’:

“Lynden Gooch, Leon Dajaku have a word with yourselves, and you call yourselves professional footballers?”

Credit: @scottclem23

“Gooch is just a total liability defensively and just can’t keep the ball at all, his stats must be horrendous”

Credit: @Raymond52479726

“Hope Gooch never wears a Sunderland shirt again”

Credit: @kieranwiIson

“Gooch is woeful”

Credit: @woodylad83

“There’s still players in this starting 11 that are nowhere near good enough if we want to go up. Flanagan, Gooch the two main culprits. Work needs doing in the window quickly”

Credit: @SpeakSAFC

“I’ll tell you what. Lyndon Gooch has got to be the worst footballer I’ve seen. But another word about the manager. We will NOT get promoted with him in charge.”

Credit: @BradleyDSharp11

In other news, find out what transfer update has left these Black Cats fans buzzing

Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes England need to play five bowlers if they are to win an Ashes series in Australia for the first time since Mike Gatting’s side did it over 20 years ago

Cricinfo staff25-May-2010Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes England need to play five bowlers if they are to win an Ashes series in Australia for the first time since Mike Gatting’s side did it over 20 years ago. However, Vaughan feels the current England set-up, led by coach Andy Flower and captain Andrew Strauss, will choose to play an extra-batsman instead.”The debate all summer will be about England’s formation,” Vaughan told AFP. “Will it be six batters and four bowlers, or five and five? I firmly believe they are going to need five bowlers in Australia but I think this management group and Strauss will go with six and four.”They will say they win as many games with four (bowlers) as they do with five. I guess the question I will say is ‘well how many real top teams do we beat with four?'”Vaughan opted for a five-man attack during England’s thrilling home win over Australia in 2005. That line-up was led by a rampant Steve Harmison, and included Andrew Flintoff, Simon Jones, Matthew Hoggard and Ashley Giles. He also pointed out that England used five bowlers in their two Ashes Test victories in 2009.”We beat Australia last year with Freddie (Flintoff) in the team twice, at Lord’s and the Oval, and with five bowlers. I think we need five bowlers. I think Tim Bresnan is a good enough batter to bat at seven, with Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad at eight and nine. But I think they will go in with six (batsmen).”Vaughan, while praising Swann, expressed concern that Australia could target England’s player of the year if he was part of a four-man attack. “He’s had a wonderful year but I just worry that if Swanny doesn’t get it right and the opposition do attack him a little bit more, three seamers on days one and two looks very, very light,” he said. “Maybe they’ll get some overs out of Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood but they are not going to do much damage. We’ll wait and see. But from what I’ve seen of Andy Flower, I think they’ll go with six batters.”Vaughan went on to applaud England’s victory in the World Twenty20 final, the team’s first win in an ICC tournament, calling it an “amazing achievement”. But he insisted it still didn’t compare to the Ashes. “It’s not as important as the Ashes, don’t get me wrong. The Ashes is the pinnacle but, as an achievement, it’s right up there.”

USA and Cayman Islands notched up victories on the opening day of the ICC World Cricket League Americas Division One Twenty20

Cricinfo staff05-Jun-2010USA prevailed over Argentina in a close encounter at the Sea Breeze Oval in Hamilton, winning by two wickets in a big chase. Struggling at 105 for 7, USA were boosted by a 67-run eighth-wicket stand between Timroy Allen (32) and Orlando Baker (28*). The pair gave their team a realistic chance of winning after a bulk of the line-up had faltered in its chase of 184. Allen struck two sixes in his 21-ball knock while Baker stayed through to the end to seal victory with 11 balls to spare. Argentina didn’t help their cause by conceding 25 extras, 17 in wides.The star for Argentina with the bat was Grant Dugmore who smashed 68 in 35 balls, including six fours and five sixes. He was supported by Tomas Francis (35) and Donald Forrester (32) as Argentina finished with a challenging score. But USA’s lower order stepped up to overhaul it.Cayman Islands eased to an eight-wicket win over Bahamas at the National Stadium in Hamilton. Ryan Bovell struck an unbeaten 50 to chase down a paltry target of 102 and was supported by opener Ramon Sealy in that effort. Only three Bahamas batsmen reached double-figures with each failing to push on. Ryan Tappin made a slow 23 while Marc Taylor chipped in with 20. Bowlers Marlon Bryan and Alessandro Morris bagged two wickets each to restrict the opposition to a woefully inadequate total.

The USA Cricket Association has announced dates and venues for its major competitions in 2010

Cricinfo staff07-Apr-2010The USA Cricket Association has announced dates and venues for its major competitions in 2010. The USACA Super League, to be played between November 12 and 14, will remain in South Florida, but new sites are proposed for other national tournaments.The main international tournament is the ICC World Cricket League Division Four, scheduled to take place between August 14 and 21 in Italy, and ahead of that there is the ICC Americas Division One to be held in Bermuda between May 29 and June 7.The Men’s Eastern and Western Conference tournaments will not be held until September – the Eastern Conference between September 10 and 12 at a venue yet to be allocated, and the Western Conference in Los Angeles between September 17 and 19.The Women’s Nationals are scheduled for June 4 to 6 in Cupertino, California, five weeks ahead of the ICC Americas Challenge Series in Toronto.The Under-15 Nationals are set for July 15 to 18, with the Under-19 event from August 6 to 9.

With only four wins under their belt in the Premier League so far this season with seven draws and eight defeats, the January transfer window could provide Leeds United with the perfect opportunity to make some changes to their squad so they can turn their fortunes around and have a strong second half of the season.

One player that Leeds could turn to that would improve the team is Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley, who the Yorkshire club have been linked with a move for in recent weeks.

With just five appearances and one start in the Premier League so far this season, it’s safe to say that Barkley is not seen as an important player for Chelsea and shows why he has been touted with a move away from Stamford Bridge this month.

Even though he hasn’t managed to score or provide an assist in the 11 total appearances he’s made across all competitions so far this term, the attacking midfielder has shown in the past that he is capable of delivering when given a consistent run of games.

For example, in his first five starts for Aston Villa during his loan spell there last season, the 28-year-old managed to score two goals and provide one assist before a hamstring injury knocked him off course.

Labelled as a “first-class” player by former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard, Barkley could feasibly get his campaign back on track by making the move to Elland Road this month by getting some regular minutes under his belt in the process.

If Leeds are able to sign him in January either on a loan or permanent deal, this could give Bielsa the chance to get rid of Rodrigo given how the 30-year-old has not only managed to score just nine goals in 43 appearances for the Whites since his arrival. Considering he’s the club’s highest earner with a weekly wage of £100k-per-week and rather injury-prone, he hasn’t set the world alight.

It’s evident the Argentine manager hasn’t taken to the Spain international too well, with Gabby Agbonlahor delivering the following assessment following a time where he was substituted on and off the pitch in the same game.

“But in the game against Chelsea, he got taken off when he was brought on as a sub. It’s a bit humiliating from the manager.

“Sometimes you can lose players when you do stuff like that. I’m sure he won’t want to do that again,” he told Football Insider.

Moving forward, Leeds should definitely try and secure a deal for Barkley this month to add another midfield or attacking option for Bielsa in his squad, which could be very useful throughout the remainder of the season if they keep losing players to injuries.

In other news: Alan Nixon drops worrying Leeds transfer update, it could spell disaster for Bielsa – opinion

Aston Villa are certainly one of the league’s in-form sides having picked up nine points from their last five games under new manager Steven Gerrard, only losing to Manchester City and Liverpool.

However, the Villans face a hectic schedule across the festive period, playing seven games within the space of a month and the 41-year-old will need numerous options to rely on should his squad rack up injuries and suspensions.

The West Midlands side possesses some decent attacking talents, with Villa scoring 21 league goals in 16 games thus far. Together, strikers Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings have scored a combined seven of those goals.

Ings though has been unreliable with his fitness since swapping Southampton for Birmingham in the summer, making 11 appearances in the league and Gerrard could certainly do with some more options in the striker department.

Villa have a handful of exciting, young attacking options with the likes of Jacob Ramsey, Cameron Archer and Carney Chukwuemeka all featuring for the first team this campaign.

Although, the B6 club do also have another attacking option currently on loan, who could prove useful for Gerrard’s squad, should he be recalled, and that’s Louie Barry.

Having joined League One outfit Ipswich Town on loan in the summer, the 18-year-old striker has seen limited game time, playing just 286 minutes for the Tractor Boys.

The Suffolk club have also recently sacked manager Paul Cook, which could prove to be the final nail in the coffin for Barry.

The former-Barcelona youth player has been likened to Michael Owen in the past by former Villa player Lee Hendrie and was labelled “outstanding” upon the signing of his first pro-contract.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, Hendrie labelled the young forward’s most exciting qualities:

“He reminds me of a young Michael Owen in the fact that he’s very slight, small, but he’s very quick, and I’m surprised that he hasn’t been given a bit more of a chance since that game.”

The match the pundit refers to is one that fans will remember for the youngster’s well-taken goal against Liverpool in the FA Cup last season, equalising in a 4-1 defeat when numerous youngsters were required to play after the first team had taken a major pandemic-related hit.

There has been a suggestion that Barry could be recalled and then sent out on loan to a League Two club, however, the 18-year-old could certainly prove to be an option for Gerrard, one that potentially saves him millions in potential transfer fees.