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Responding to reports of unrest from Spurs players over Nuno Espirito Santo’s management, Alasdair Gold has dropped his own claim in a football.london Q&A.

The Lowdown: Spurs players unsettled under Nuno?

As per The Independent, just a few months into his reign, some Spurs players appear unhappy with life under Nuno despite an originally brilliant start to the season.

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After picking up the Premier League Manager of the Month award for August, Tottenham have slumped to three defeats in their last three league games by sizeable margins to a plethora of their London rivals.

As such, journalist Miguel Delaney has now revealed that those close to the Spurs squad aren’t impressed – with one quote claiming him to be “some of the worst of Mourinho without the medals”.

The Latest: Gold drops claim…

Responding to these reports when asked by a Spurs fan if Nuno has already lost the dressing room, Gold pleaded to be ‘wary’ of players or agents moaning about coaches.

“I’m so wary of players or agents moaning about managers,” he explained in a football.london Q&A.

“It’s a worrying theme, particularly at Tottenham, and Pochettino, Mourinho, Mason and now Nuno have all had sniping behind the scenes, presumably from those who aren’t playing.

“At some point, we have to look at the players and why the ‘go to’ option is to moan about the manager. How many managers do the club have to go through before the players are happy? Perhaps it says more about them than those brought in to manage them.”

The Verdict: Reoccurring problem…

As explained by Gold, the issue of unrested Spurs players has become a reoccurring theme and one suffered by a plethora of managers since Pochettino left the club in 2019.

Certain sections of the Lilywhites squad must now take blame in what is looking more and more like a toxic environment at Hotspur Way.

The fickle nature of football could mean the mood surrounding Spurs and Nuno could change in a matter of weeks depending on results and if his playing style notably improves.

However, as it stands, it appears the 47-year-old is the latest in a long line of managerial scapegoats.

In other news: Talks ongoing: N17 source leaks Spurs development as news emerges on ‘priority’ for Levy, find out more here.

Cricinfo presents the plays of the day in the 1st ODI between India and West Indies in Kingston

George Binoy27-Jun-2009Tense decision of the day
West Indies needed 21 runs off 12 balls with one wicket in hand. India’s nerves were fraying. It should have never got this close. A crucial choice lay before India, who should bowl the penultimate over? And the meeting of the minds to make this vital decision took forever. MS Dhoni presided over the assembly while Harbhajan and Yuvraj Singh were the most vocal players to attend, firmly backing Ashish Nehra, who was playing his first ODI in four years. Harbhajan whipped off Nehra’s cap and then took his position at mid-off. Harbhajan’s confidence in the bowler was repaid moments later when Denesh Ramdin lofted a catch straight to him.Wardrobe malfunction of the day
David Bernard slipped and fell as he delivered the second ball of the 31st over. As he picked himself off the turf, he realized that his maroon tracks were badly torn near the left knee. Unable to run in with the cloth flapping around, Bernard asked the umpire for help and he resourcefully produced a pair of scissors and cut off the leg of the tracks at the knee. Bernard, to the crowd’s delight, was a funny sight, running in to bowl four balls with one leg exposed from the knee and below. He duly trooped off after the end of the over to get a new pair of bottoms.Controversial moment of the day
Ishant Sharma bowled a high full toss at Dwayne Bravo, whose attempt to smash the ball landed in Rohit Sharma’s hands at cover. The batsman was confident that it would be called a no-ball, for it was much too high, and the fielder too seemed to think the same way for Rohit did not celebrate the catch but attempted a run out instead. The umpires, though, did not signal a no-ball and gave a disappointed Dwayne his marching orders.Debutant of the day
Twenty-year old Darren Bravo, Dwayne’s brother, began his ODI career with massive expectations with some people comparing his domestic record and left-hand technique to one Brian Charles Lara before he played the kind of innings that made him the prince of Trinidad. Darren walked out after his brother was dismissed and was credited with runs after his first ball smashed into his boot and went to the fine-leg boundary. His second ball also sped to the boundary but this time off the bat after Darren played a stylish leg glance.Nostalgic moment of the day
Indians fans have been lamenting the disappearance of the MS Dhoni they know and love in recent months because the nudging and nurdling batsman he has become is a far cry from the flamboyant six-hitter that he was. Those Dhoni fans watching the Sabina Park ODI, however, would have bolted upright after watching the first ball off the 37th over. There was no mistaking that whiplash like scoop. The ball was full, Dhoni had stayed in his crease, got under the ball, and whipped it with tremendous use of his bottom hand over the straight boundary for six. He even allowed himself a smile after the ball cleared the boundary.Weakness of the day
It might not work in the absence of Fidel Edwards’ raw pace, Michael Holding said about the possibility of the West Indian fast bowlers using the short ball to unsettle India’s batsmen like they did in the World Twenty20. Perhaps Jerome Taylor was listening because he bowled a hostile first spell, with speeds reaching 92 mph, on a rather unresponsive pitch. The Indian openers hopped around and eventually Gautam Gambhir flailed at a bouncer and top-edged a hook to midwicket. Rohit Sharma, too, perished against a short ball, one delivered at a gentler pace by Lionel Baker.

Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie has suggested Mike Ashley could sack Steve Bruce if Newcastle United lose their next two matches.

The Lowdown: Bruce unpopular

It is no secret Bruce is not the most popular man in the north-east, but he has been dealt another blow via a recent Newcastle United Supporters Trust poll.

It has emerged 95% of surveyed supporters want him to walk away from St. James’ Park – a resounding majority, and yet some of them may even wonder what the other five per cent are thinking.

The Latest: Downie provides Bruce update

Speaking on Sky Sports, Downie shared an update on Bruce’s future, claiming that Ashley being ‘desperate’ to sell the club may impact the decision. He said:

“So if Steve Bruce is to carry on and have Newcastle down there, marooned in the bottom three, that is when it becomes a situation where he [Mike Ashley] may have to, you know, make a change at the top.“I don’t think that will happen in the next few days but should they lose against Spurs and then potentially the game [Palace away] after that, I think Mike Ashley may have a decision to make.”

The Verdict: Matter of timeQuite frankly, it does seem like it is only a matter of time before Bruce is relieved of his duties at the club, and the longer he stays the more damage they will suffer.So far this term, the Toon have not won any of their seven Premier League matches, and the Magpies’ football remains dismal – for example, only three sides have averaged less than their 42.7% possession in the league (via WhoScored).In the likes of Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin, Newcastle do possess some talented and exciting players. They need to get someone in who is able to get the best out of the players at their disposal, as it looks like Bruce is uncapable of delivering that.In other news, this man could replace Bruce as boss.

Lasith Malinga has joined Tasmania for the 2009-10 Australian domestic Twenty20 competition

Alex Brown and Brydon Coverdale02-Jul-2009Lasith Malinga has agreed in principle to join Tasmania and Sri Lanka’s frontline spinners, Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis, are close to signing with Victoria and South Australia respectively for next season’s Twenty20 Big Bash competition. The news comes amid rumours that Queensland are contemplating a scenario in which Andrew Flintoff – whom they almost signed last season – would play the latter stages of the tournament at the conclusion of England’s tour of South Africa.Malinga’s prospective move, along with those of Chris Gayle (Western Australia) and Dwayne Bravo (Victoria), will greatly boost the profile and prestige of Australia’s domestic Twenty20 tournament. That will be further enhanced if, as expected, Muralitharan and Mendis ink deals within the coming weeks, and New South Wales fulfill their ambition of luring Kumar Sangakkara.But a late-tournament cameo from Flintoff could overshadow all others. Injury prevented the former England captain from turning out for Queensland last season, and a dash across the Indian Ocean after England’s tour of South Africa could be on the cards. Trevor Barsby, the Queensland coach, will head to England this month to meet with several international players whom the Bulls are interested in for next season, although it is not known whether Flintoff is among them.The involvement of Malinga and his Sri Lankan team-mates will be subject to availability as the national team is scheduled to take part in a one-day tour of Bangladesh in January, although there are significant doubts that that series will go ahead. Malinga was the leading wicket-taker among non-Indian players in the recent IPL, collecting 18 at 17.33, and his fast, slinging style will presumably prove a handful for Australian domestic batsmen.”Twenty20 cricket is a such a hard game for bowlers and it’s so batsman-friendly, but he is a guy who has actually found a way to dominate with the ball pretty regularly,” Tim Coyle, Tasmania’s coach, said. “He is fast, he bowls fantastic yorkers, he’s got a good change of pace and the research we have done, he is a fantastic fellow as well.”Each state is allowed two foreign players for the Big Bash and Cricket Australia has given each team an extra $50,000 to help attract the big names.

Two half-century partnerships in the lower order lifted the New Zealanders after an unimpressive start

Cricinfo staff12-Aug-2009
ScorecardRoss Taylor notched his second fifty of the tour•AFPTwo half-century partnerships among the lower-order batsmen lifted the New Zealanders after an unimpressive start on the opening day of their second tour match against Sri Lanka Cricket Development XI, at the NCC grounds in Colombo. The tourists were in a spot of bother at one stage at 172 for 7 but an unbeaten 68 by Jeetan Patel helped push that score to a more respectable 283 for 8.The hosts struck in the opening over when Dammika Prasad trapped Tim McIntosh lbw, one of six batsmen who were trapped in front. Shortly after, Daniel Flynn too missed out when he fell to Tharanga Lakshitha. Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor then added 89 for the third wicket, the most productive stand of the day. Guptill found form with a half-century after failing in the opening game, while Taylor notched his second fifty of the tour. However, the spinners struck in quick succession to peg the New Zealanders back. Seekkuge Prasanna, Jeevan Mendis and Suraj Randiv shared four of the next five wickets to fall and the visitors were in need of a revival again. Taylor fell for 75, trapped by the Prasad, the right-arm fast bowler.Patel scripted that revival, adding 61 with Jacob Oram and then an unbeaten 50 with Iain O’Brien. Patel hit four fours and a six in his unbeaten 68. O’Brien played the supporting role in that stand, hanging around for a stubborn 9 off 41 balls while Patel took control.

Many Everton fans have been flocking to some positive news on the future of Rafa Benitez.

Writing in a Q&A session for The Athletic, George Caulkin has revealed that the new owners at Newcastle United have ‘reluctantly accepted’ that the Spaniard will not leave Goodison Park.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium are ‘admirers’ of Benitez and have links to him, but it now looks as if they will be pursuing other managers to replace Steve Bruce.

This has come as a huge relief to several supporters of the Merseyside club, given that Benitez has guided them to fifth place in the table in the Premier League, and identified what now look to be absolute bargains in Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray as players that he brought into his squad in the summer transfer window.

Everton fans on Benitez news

These EFC fans flocked to the news on Benitez as it was shared by The Toffee Blues on their Twitter page:

“This fella is the best thing about Everton, I understand people who can’t have him because of his time at Liverpool but if you can try to forget this guy will have us closer than anyone to the top 6/7”

Credit: @ShoeyEFC1234

“Told you all! Rafa the gaffer has principles unlike some others we know!”

Credit: @JimFromWoodburn

“Weird seeing loyalty to our club”

Credit: @Kreeder85

“Going nowhere”

Credit: @DixiReal

“SIUUUU”

Credit: @Evertongoats

“Never broke a contract in his career.”

Credit: @johnmerro1

In other news, find out what early Team News ahead of West Ham United has Evertonians talking here!

Many Everton fans have been left fuming as the starting XI was revealed for their game at home to West Ham United in the Premier League this afternoon.

As shared by the Toffees’ official Twitter channel, Jordan Pickford starts in between the posts, with a back four made up of Seamus Coleman, Michael Keane, Ben Godfrey and Lucas Digne ahead of him.

Allan, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Andros Townsend, Alex Iwobi and Demarai Gray make up the midfield, while Salomon Rondon starts up top.

A lot of Everton supporters are particularly bemused that the much-criticised Iwobi is starting over academy product Anthony Gordon, while others are unhappy that Rafa Benitez has left Yerry Mina on the bench against the Hammers.

Everton fans on team news

These Toffees fans were left fuming as the team news was announced by the club on Twitter, with one fan going as far as to claim that it was a ‘questionable’ selection by Benitez:

“Iwobi over Gordon is questionable. Don’t get me started on the striker.”

Credit: @BT_1878

“You’d be fuming if you’re Gordon”

Credit: @ToffeeMc1878

“Iwobi adds absolutely nothing, God knows how he continually gets in the side.”

Credit: @MrGriffGaff

“Nooo Mina”

Credit: @iiCeDEFC

“Why is Mina benched you donkeys?”

Credit: @Efc_Josh19

“Post the real team, would rather play with 10 men than have Iwobi”

Credit: @CoreyEfc2

In other news, find out which Evertonian’s comments have delighted these fans

The contest veered between bat and ball, dominating certain passages, but, at the end of the day, New Zealand had their backs firmly to the wall

The Bulletin by Jamie Alter at the SSC27-Aug-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Thilan Samaraweera scored his fourth century of the year to hand the momentum to the hosts early on•Associated PressThe contest veered between bat and ball, dominating certain passages and providing the limited crowd with entertaining viewing, but, at the end of the day, New Zealand had their backs firmly to the wall.The match was intriguingly poised with Sri Lanka at 295 for 4, but Thilan Samaraweera, with help from Chamara Kapugedera, powered Sri Lanka into the box seat with a breezy 72-run stand. Then the tail imploded – five wickets went down for 27 – to let slip a position from which they could have batted New Zealand out of the game. Samaraweera’s fourth century of the year, though, guided the home side past 400, and the Sri Lankan quick bowlers struck thrice early to grab back some of the momentum the visitors had seized.A limp reply from New Zealand, which included the haphazard dismissal of Martin Guptill, left the middle order with too much. Dammika Prasad, taking the place of Nuwan Kulasekara, struck with his first ball to get Tim McIntosh, though replays suggested he was lucky. Thilan Thushara needed no such help in getting Daniel Flynn to nick one that pitched outside off stump and held its line.Guptill showed brief resilience, playing some cracking on-side strokes, to race to 29 from 26 balls. Then Thushara tested him with a series of bouncers. Guptill hooked one for four. The next ball reared into his ribs and he gloved it to fine leg. A man went out to deep square leg. Three in a row followed and Guptill was visibly torn between leaving or pulling. Then he got another short one and fell for the trap, getting a top edge straight to the fielder placed back. On air, an incensed Danny Morrison called it “brainless cricket”.Ross Taylor led a passage of recovery with Jesse Ryder, adding 85. Taylor took his time, playing out 31 deliveries for 10, before opening up with some aggressive shots through the off side off Prasad. He survived an extremely tight call on 30 against Muttiah Muralitharan but continued to sweep the spinner. He was dropped on 56 off Murali, but was left looking from the other end as spin accounted for Ryder, popping to short leg, and Jeetan Patel, edging to slip.Unfortunately for New Zealand nobody could match Taylor’s defiance and shot selection and the tourists found themselves struggling for survival. New Zealand had brought themselves back into this match well after lunch after Samaraweera made 500 look a distinct possibility, but their top order failed to reciprocate.Without Samaraweera, Sri Lanka would have really struggled. Iain O’Brien put New Zealand on the right track with a good first spell of quick bowling on an unresponsive track, dismissing Mahela Jayawardene when a hundred seemed inevitable, but the visitors again sat back to allow Samaraweera flourish. A sumptuous on-drive for four – taking him past 1000 Test runs this year – set the tone for his innings along. The eighties were a blur as Samaraweera unfurled slow-motion pulls past square, spiffy drives past cover and a couple of deft dabs.Samaraweera slowed down after Jayawardene’s dismissal, facing 14 balls when on 99, but eventually reached the landmark, after 277 minutes at the crease, with a push between cover and point off Martin. The next ball was hooked for six, a release of adrenalin. A classy drive past cover followed off Jacob Oram, who continued to bowl without pace or menace, after which Samaraweera clouted Jeetan Patel for consecutive fours, unafraid to go over the top. Kapugedera, who enjoyed a life on 9, eased his way to 35 before miscuing to mid-off four minutes before lunch.New Zealand came out after the interval and turned in their best passage of the match. Chris Martin began the session by bouncing Prasanna Jayawardene, who top-edged to long leg. Then Patel struck, first getting Prasad to poke to slip and trapping Herath lbw next ball. His fourth victim was the man of the moment, Samaraweera, who gloved a reverse-sweep to depart for an excellent 143.It was an inning of insatiable determination and skill, and New Zealand – like Vettori had hoped – didn’t manage to learn from it. Taylor will need much of the same determination shown by Samaraweera to help New Zealand leave Colombo without suffering the sort of crushing defeat they experienced here in 1998.

An incisive opening spell from Dolar Mahmud rocked Zimbabwe, and though they recovered to post 210, it was easily chased down by Bangladesh thanks to Mushfiqur Rahim’s 98

The Bulletin by Kanishkaa Balachandran18-Aug-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outMushfiqur Rahim’s 98 ensured Bangladesh cruised to victory•AFPAfter three consecutive run-fests, the bowlers finally had their say. Zimbabwe won the toss but thoughts of repeating the 312 they posted in the fourth match were undone by an incisive opening spell from Dolar Mahmud. A lower-order revival pushed the score to 210 but it wasn’t enough to challenge Bangladesh, who stormed to a 4-1 series win thanks to Mushfiqur Rahim’s 98.It turned out to be a good toss to lose for Bangladesh, who were hardly tested with the kind of swing and seam movement that startled their opponents. The conditions this morning redressed the balance between bat and ball in this series. It was clear from the outset that hitting through the line wasn’t going to be easy. Zimbabwe didn’t respect the conditions enough, and slipped to 69 for 6 in the 14th over. The game was all but sealed.Vusi Sibanda’s embarrassing dismissal just showed how clueless Zimbabwe were against the moving ball. Facing Dolar, he shuffled across, assuming it would be a leg-side wide, but the ball swung back towards him and sent the leg stump cartwheeling a few yards.The frustration of having to earn boundaries, perhaps, saw Charles Coventry – a record- breaker in the previous match – out before he could open his account. Dolar then bowled Malcolm Waller through the gate with an inswinger, sending his off stump spinning. Syed Rasel, who kept things tight, trapped Sean Williams with a sharp in-dipper, before Dolar sent back Elton Chigumbura with another big inswinger.As Zimbabwe slid, the value of the Dolar rose. He was flown in midway through the series as a replacement player, though Bangladesh will wonder after this performance why he wasn’t in the original squad.Brendan Taylor was Zimbabwe’s last hope. He wasn’t afraid to use his feet against the spinners to pick boundaries over the on side, including a huge six over midwicket. The hosts desperately needed a recovery, and it took shape with two fifty-plus partnerships piloted by Taylor. Prosper Utseya assisted Taylor with a stand of 54 before another stubborn supporting act by Ray Price.The spinners bowled in tandem from the 16th over till almost the end, but didn’t quite enjoy the same success as the seamers. Taylor and the lower order sensed that their only chance of a recovery was to pick as many singles off them. The spinners tried variations, slipped the odd quicker delivery in the blockhole, but the batsmen resisted. Taylor showed a lot of patience and also trusted his partners by constantly rotating the strike. After lofting Mahmudullah over midwicket in the 24th over, he had to wait 15 overs for his next boundary.Price nudged it around, picked the gaps and wasn’t afraid to heave the spinners across the line, a tactic which fetched him boundaries. Taylor went shortly after getting his half-century, lbw to Mehrab Hossain jnr, before Price tried to marshall the tail.Bangladesh’s start was steady, dominated by Mushfiqur who got valuable exposure in his makeshift role as an opener. Tamim Iqbal was uncharacteristically scratchy, and the frustration led to his dismissal. Mohammad Ashraful tried to waltz his way back into form by regularly charging the bowlers, but his audacity got the better of him – a slash off Chigumbura was taken by Sibanda, who pulled off a one-handed blinder leaping at backward point. Only recklessness, it seemed could have caused Bangladesh the game.Mushfiqur had the luxury of time to build an innings and made his promotion count. A lean trot with the bat – which included four ducks in five innings – in 2007 cost him his place in the ODI squad. That was a distant memory today as he took charge, dictating terms by scooping Ed Rainsford over his head before taking on Elton Chigumbura to set the tone for the chase. He was comfortable when the spinners came on, making room to cut and pierce the big gaps in the field.It was a near-flawless effort, save for a thick edge that just cleared short third man. He reached out to a half volley from Utseya and crashed it through the covers, before cutting the same bowler through the off side. Mushfiqur exploited the big gaps in the field left by Zimbabwe, who had already given up, and slowly proceeded towards his hundred. A final act of bravado – stepping down the track to Price – cost him his maiden century but he had already done his job.Bangladesh wouldn’t have settled for anything less than a 4-1 series win; what remains on the wishlist is consistency against tougher teams.

Plenty of Aston Villa supporters have been reacting to Ashley Preece’s predicted XI for the game against West Ham this weekend.

Villa play host to David Moyes’ side, who have just come off the back of dumping holders Manchester City out of the Carabao Cup.

The Hammers are also impressing in the Premier League and in the Europa League, whereas Dean Smith’s men have lost their last three.

Preece shared a story on Tuesday evening, believing Smith will ring the changes this weekend following the 3-1 defeat to Arsenal.

The reliable reporter has tipped Smith to return to a back four, with Leon Bailey and Jacob Ramsey coming in for Axel Tuanzebe and Emiliano Buendia.

That would allow Smith to go with a 4-3-3 system, with Ollie Watkins out on the left and Douglas Luiz holding in front of a back four.

Villa fans react

This is what these Villa fans had to say in reply to Preece’s Twitter post, with some picking out Tyrone Mings for criticism and another labelling the decision to play Buendia centrally as opposed to out wide as ‘bizarre’.

“Mings only had 4 yellow cards all last season and already has four this… I’m not entirely sure what that says, but it isn’t positive.”

Credit: @CaptainScott87

“All Norwich fans said to us Buendia has to play on the wing and yet we’ve played him in the middle, really bizarre.”

Credit: @MartinRammer

“9 games and already 1 yellow away from a ban.. makes that ridiculous time wasting a bit more ridiculous.”

Credit: @lvad78

“No Buendia… there is a surprise! Pathetic agenda against him despite not playing in his favoured (or most used to) position or formation. Grealish was right…”

Credit: @AlBlanch

“Definitely useful for Mings to have a game out. He’s been a liability this season. Needless fouls, constantly giving the ball away, regularly out of position. I close my eyes when the ball comes near him at the moment.”

Credit: @RossMatthewman7

“Mings should be dropped but he won’t be”

Credit: @TaylorMods

In other news: ‘The best’ – Many AVFC fans go wild as Fabrizio Romano shares ‘official’ Villa news.