All posts by h716a5.icu

Taking to Twitter, a number of Manchester City fans have slammed the performance of Ilkay Gundogan following his display against Southampton this afternoon.

Pep Guardiola’s side, after much midweek drama regarding the Etihad Stadium attendance, took to the Eastlands turf once again as they aim to retain their Premier League crown from last campaign.

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The Sky Blues reigned dominant over the English top flight over 2020/21, a season blighted by the ongoing global pandemic, and a key player to the incredible side has been Gundogan.

Last season, the Germany international finished City’s top goal scorer in all competitions with 17, thriving in a new final third role under Guardiola.

However, many Sky Blues supporters didn’t seem impressed with his largely quiet performance today and believe they have seen him perform much better in the past.

Missing a big chance, Gundogan’s few shots off target also highlight his lack of edge in the attacking areas today (SofaScore).

Here’s how some City supporters rated him during the contest this afternoon, with one fan describing him as “the worst player by far”.

Man City fans slam Gundogan…

“Gundo fooled us all with his quarter season purple patch una”

Credit: @fodenfrenzy

“Gundo drives me crazy”

Credit: @JesusTechy

“Pep needs to take of Gundo ASAP. He’s been the worst player by far today”

Credit: @wodukoya

“Gundo and Ferna disasterclass :(“

Credit: @mb_kun

“Gundo’s horrible today”

Credit: @tebeg0_

“Gundo has to come out.”

Credit: @_sir_quinton

In other news: ‘Yessss’, ‘Finally’, ‘This is good news’…Harry Kane update has many Man City fans ecstatic, find out more here.

ExWHUemployee has provoked mass excitement amongst West Ham United supporters after claiming that the club are ‘very hopeful’ Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma will be a Hammers player in the near future.

The Lowdown: Hammers have red hot start

Starting off 2021/22 in the same fashion that they ended last term, West Ham United boss David Moyes will be desperate to add quality to his already impressive roster in order to once again challenge for European football this season.

Having made inroads in terms of recruitment, the Scot has acquired two new faces in the form of Craig Dawson and Alphonse Areola [Transfermarkt].

Now, the Hammers look to be close to sealing a major coup following recent claims on social media.

The Latest: West Ham ‘very hopeful’ on Zouma deal

Speaking to his large audience on Twitter, the well-connected ExWHUemployee responded to a fan question asking about the latest on the Zouma state of play, stating:

“Club very hopeful that deal will be completed soon”

The two clubs are said to have agreed a fee of around £25 million for his services, with personal terms believed to be in the final stage of negotiations [Daily Star].

The Frenchman is expected to sign a five-year-deal at the London Stadium upon completion of the deal.

The Verdict: Zouma signing would be a major coup

With West Ham set to find out their Europa League group stage fate this week, bringing Zouma to the club would be a positive statement of intent that would significantly add to Moyes’ side going forward.

In 2020/21, the 6 foot 3 ace enjoyed an impressive year, registering five goals in 36 appearances encapsulating all competitions [Transfermarkt].

Showing his dominant presence within the Blues rear-guard, Zouma successfully won 3.6 aerial duels per fixture on average in the Premier League, taking considerably pressure off his contemporaries in the process [WhoScored].

Once labelled as ‘brilliant’ by his former boss Frank Lampard, West Ham United should look to close out a deal for Zouma’s signature as soon as possible [Absolute Chelsea].

If ExWHUemployee’s account of events is anything to go by, this could be sooner rather than later.

 In other news, West Ham United fans are loving a reported transfer update. Find out more here.

The PCB will sit down with the ICC and World Cup hosts India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, in Dubai on June 3 to try and reach an out-of-court settlement over the 2011 World Cup dispute that saw Pakistan’s share of matches taken away over security concerns

Osman Samiuddin21-May-2009The PCB will sit down with the ICC and World Cup hosts India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, in Dubai on June 3 to try and reach an out-of-court settlement over the 2011 World Cup dispute that saw Pakistan’s share of matches taken away over security concerns. Since the decision in April – taken after the terrorist attacks on Sri Lanka in Lahore in March – Pakistan and the ICC have been locked in a legal wrangle; the PCB filed a notice over the decision, calling it discriminatory and illegal and arguing that the correct procedures had not been followed. The meeting is the first indication of any kind that the impasse may be resolved outside of a courtroom.The meeting will be attended by ICC president David Morgan, Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, and top officials from the BCCI, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). Sharad Pawar, the former BCCI president and Morgan’s chosen successor, will also be part of the meeting.It appears to be the result of Butt’s recent trips to Sri Lanka and India, where he met DS de Silva, the SLC chairman, and Pawar to drum up support and discuss Pakistan’s case. After the spate of legal action – which included filing a case in a Lahore civil court against the removal of the World Cup secretariat from Lahore to Mumbai and also referring the entire matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sports – relations between the PCB and the ICC, as well as other members, had worsened considerably. Butt’s visits were seen also as diplomatic missions to improve communications between PCB and the remaining hosts of the world cup.”I had very detailed discussions with Mr Pawar and the meeting went well,” Butt told Cricinfo. “We decided some solution has to be worked out and we will have a discussion in Dubai on June 3. David Morgan, Mr Pawar and the heads of SLC and BCB will all be there as we discuss the situation and work towards a solution.”Since the legal notice, the ICC has vigorously refuted Pakistan’s claims point by point but also clarified, crucially, that Pakistan’s hosting rights to the tournament had not been taken away. For an embattled board, it was a victory of sorts, leaving the option open apparently for a neutral venue to come into play.”We sent them a legal notice and they replied,” Butt said. “And they acknowledged that our hosting rights cannot be taken from us. These are contractual commitments that are strong even if we agree that there might be different interpretations there.”As the PCB has moved forward with its two-pronged strategy of legal action on one hand and back-channel communication on the other, little has emerged about what Pakistan actually wants from their actions. No country is willing to visit Pakistan after the terrorist attacks on the Sri Lankan team in March in Lahore, a feeling made clear at the ICC meeting in April when the decision was originally made. Speculation suggested Pakistan wanted either financial compensation or a move to ‘host’ its share of matches at a neutral venue.Butt confirmed that the neutral venues option was in the pipeline but would come up only after the correct process had been followed. This will be top of the agenda at the Dubai meeting. “First our hosting rights cannot be taken away just like that, that we have to clear. There are four full-member countries who are hosts and all signed this one agreement with the IDI. There are terms and conditions in there.”We will, as per the agreement we have all signed, submit a satisfactory security plan to the ICC for games in Pakistan. Should that plan not be satisfactory then we will put forward a proposal for a neutral venue, be that in the Middle East or Kuala Lumpur. That process and procedure is part of the hosting agreement that we all signed.”Whether or not the co-hosts are keen on a neutral venue, in particular Dubai and Abu Dhabi, is not clear yet. The ICC has not entirely ruled out the option. “The ICC has never received any proposals from the PCB on alternate venues so we cannot speculate on how the ICC Board would deal with any requests,” an ICC spokesperson told Cricinfo recently.According to sources within the BCCI, however, the idea may not be so popular. Butt discussed with Pawar the financial importance of Pakistan hosting matches in Dubai as a cash-strapped board can ill-afford to lose 14 World Cup matches, the sources told Cricinfo. The host for each World Cup match receives US$750,000 from the ICC for the “extra work”, 100% of gate receipts and 100% of money raised through hospitality.Pawar, however, conveyed to Butt during their lunchtime meeting on Sunday that the BCCI was not keen on Dubai as a neutral option, and reiterated the Indian and ICC stance that the 2011 World Cup is a subcontinent event, and should stay as one.

Virender Sehwag blasted India’s fastest one-day hundred as India swept to a comprehensive victory and secured their maiden one-day series triumph in New Zealand

The Bulletin by Siddarth Ravindran11-Mar-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Virender Sehwag was merciless against the New Zealand bowlers © AFP
Virender Sehwag blasted India’s fastest ODI hundred as the visitors swept to a comprehensive win that secured their maiden one-day series triumph in New Zealand. Sehwag reached three-figures off 60 balls with a signature six and his awe-inspiring hitting overshadowed Gautam Gambhir’s near run-a-ball half-century. Daniel Vettori and the rest of the New Zealand bowlers were powerless in the face of the onslaught and what had seemed a challenging target was chased down with ridiculous ease. Even the two stoppages due to rain couldn’t stem the run-deluge with Sehwag completing his century as early as the 18th over.Astonishingly, only five runs came behind square on the off side, generally Sehwag’s favourite hitting area. But the batsman still displayed his range of strokes in one Iain O’Brien over, hitting four fours off five balls: a powerful pull to midwicket, a drive that nearly took the bowler’s head off, a whip off his pads and a pull-drive over mid-on to a short delivery.In an innings filled with scintillating strokeplay, Sehwag was at his most murderous when play resumed following a rain break at the 10-over mark. With intermittent showers holding up play at regular intervals, Sehwag decided to make sure there was an early finish – in a five-over period, starting from the 12th over, he moved from 52 to 92. The high backlift showed his intentions as he set about dismantling O’Brien, Ewen Thompson and Jacob Oram. Only Daniel Vettori’s intelligent variations of pace managed to draw a measure of respect from Sehwag.Spare a thought for the debutant Thompson, who sends down gentle medium-pacers of the sort New Zealand so favoured in the 90s. After more than eight years of toil on the domestic scene, he was rewarded with a place on the national team, only to come up against a rampaging Sehwag on a small ground and a benign track with field restrictions in place. His four overs were taken for 42 runs, Sehwag’s mighty hit into the scoreboard behind midwicket being the pick of the strokes against him.Smart StatsVirender Sehwag’s unbeaten 125 is his third ODI hundred in New Zealand, where he averages more than in any country in which he has played more than one match. In 11 games there he has hit three hundreds, for an average of 55.80 and a strike rate of 100.90. He is the only Indian to score more than one ODI century in New Zealand.In his last 21 ODIs, Sehwag has scored 1240 runs at an average of 62 and a strike rate of 131.49.In 24 innings, Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir have added 1380 runs at an average of 60 and run-rate of 6.61 per over. Among Indian opening pairs, who have scored at least 750 runs, this pair has the highest average and strike rate.Sehwag and Gambhir added 201 at a rate of 8.55 runs per over, which is the second-fastest double-century partnership in ODIs. Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga added 286 against England in 2006 at a rate of 8.98 runs per over.Ewen Thompson’s economy rate of 10.50 is among the most expensive by a debutant. Among those who bowled at least four overs on debut, only four have a worse economy rate.It’s only the third instance of a team scoring 200 or more while batting second in an ODI and winning without losing a wicket.There was some respite for the bowlers when they bowled at Gambhir, who played the straight man to Sehwag, just nudging the ball around to pick up the singles. There weren’t too many big hits, one of the standout shots of his innings being a deft leg-glance off Oram.The Gambhir-Sehwag show was reminiscent of the frenetic hitting from Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder in the previous ODI at Hamiltion. The New Zealand pair put on a century stand this time around as well after Vettori chose to bat on a pitch offering some early assistance to the bowlers, but it was a less frenzied affair. It was the perfect base for New Zealand, but with Ross Taylor and Oram failing to fire again, India were able to scrap their way back into the game. Peter McGlashan, who made an inventive half-century, and Grant Elliott were unfazed by a couple of rain breaks and cobbled together 95 runs off the last 10 overs.Ryder did much of the early scoring, but had a torrid time against the new-ball bowlers. Praveen Kumar’s away-swingers had him fishing outside offstump and he also struggled to cope with Zaheer Khan’s indippers.At the other end, McCullum made a serene start; content to leave anything outside off, and always on the lookout for the tip-and-run single. At one stage, he had 3 off 20 deliveries. However once he got his eye in, he picked up the pace and the doddering run-rate rose towards a respectable six per over.India’s part-time spinners were brought on to stem the runs and both Yuvraj Singh and Yusuf Pathan did their job. Yuvraj was unlucky not to have dismissed McCullum – Mahendra Singh Dhoni botching a simple stumping chance – but got rid of Ryder; a slog-sweep swirling to Suresh Raina at square leg.Taylor gifted his wicket soon after and with Martin Guptill not finding any fluency, it was left to McCullum to push the tempo. The Indian fast bowlers took some important wickets, including that of McCullum, during the batting Powerplay (from the 34th over) to leave New Zealand struggling at 185 for 5 after 38 overs.It was left to McGlashan and Elliott to rectify the damage. McGlashan showed off his repertoire of sweeps – orthodox, paddle, and reverse – even against the quicks to keep the runs flowing while Elliott adopted a more orthodox approach. Fifty-one runs came off the final four overs after the second rain break to help set a target that was expected to test India’s batting might. However, Sehwag and Gambhir barely broke into a sweat when they came into bat.

West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone is likely to stay put at the Hawthorns for the whole of this season, according to Noel Whelan.

The Lowdown: Spurs linked with move

Johnstone ended up staying put at West Brom this summer, despite constant reports claiming he would move to a Premier League club.

Tottenham have now been tipped to sign the England international in the January transfer window, seeing him a possible replacement for Hugo Lloris.

The Latest: Johnstone tipped to stay

Speaking to Football Insider, however, former Leeds United striker Whelan claimed Johnstone would likely see out the campaign with the Baggies, highlighting his importance and explaining why allowing him to leave wouldn’t make sense:

“You’ve got to look at West Brom’s predicament. They’re sitting at the top, they’re looking to get promoted back to the Premier League. He’s a big part of that.

“Can you afford to lose a player like that or sell a player like that in January when you’re so close to maybe getting back to the Premier League? I’m not so sure.

“They might be better off keeping him until the end of the season. Making sure you’ve got a quality international goalkeeper in between your sticks.

“It could be that the fine line of you’re getting promoted or not. It’s a double-edged sword, risk and reward. You’ve got to take that chance to keep as many international players in that team as possible.”

The Verdict: Vital player in promotion push

Johnstone is a massive player for West Brom – he has been hailed as ‘magnificent’ by former Baggies manager Sam Allardyce in the past – so losing him in January would be a huge blow.

The goalkeeper is integral to Valerien Ismael’s side’s promotion push, as they look for a swift return to the Premier League.

It could be that Johnstone wants to move on at the end of the season – whether or not West Brom have gone up could be key to that decision – but they need him to stay for the time being.

In other news, some West Brom fans are keen for one player to sign a new deal. Find out who it is here.

Cameron White spent much of Sunday morning watching television coverage of the Victorian bushfires that have claimed at least 111 lives

Alex Brown09-Feb-2009
Cameron White: “Some of the fires are pretty close to where I grew up. My mum is not far away from a couple of the fires so I am calling her a fair bit” © Getty Images
Two wickets and a spectacular catch gave audiences the impression that Cameron White’s focus had never been sharper, but the allrounder admitted his thoughts were elsewhere during Sunday’s win against New Zealand. White spent much of the morning watching television coverage of the Victorian bushfires that have claimed at least 111 lives, many of them from the Gippsland region from which he hails.White’s aunt lost three friends over the weekend, and Victoria’s captain remains in regular contact with his mother, who is in the vicinity of several other blazes. The harrowing tales of loss and scenes of devastation prompted him, along with James Hopes, to request black armbands be worn by players at the SCG in recognition of the many victims, and White said his mind was never far from those affected by bushfires described as the worst in Australia’s history.”It really hits home when you have been to a lot of the places and know what they were like before the fires, and now to see them totally destroyed in some places,” White said. “I was on the internet after the game looking at the photos and reading the stories, and just thinking how lucky I am to be doing what I am doing and that my house is still standing.”Some of the fires are pretty close to where I grew up. My mum is not far away from a couple of the fires so I am calling her a fair bit, and her sister lost three close friends over the weekend. It is awful what’s happening, and everyone is grateful to all the firefighters out there who are doing their best.”White’s Victoria team-mate Peter Siddle also comes from the Gippsland region, and it is understood his brothers have also lost friends. Siddle will join the one-day squad in Adelaide on Monday, and is favoured to play the final two matches against New Zealand.Cricket Australia, in conjunction with Channel Nine and the Commonwealth Bank, will stage a bushfire appeal to coincide with the one-day international in Adelaide on Tuesday. The Australian squad will donate their match fees of A$67,000.White said the move had the full support of the Australian players, and hoped the funds would help. “We have all been following it pretty closely; we had the TV on in the dressing room,” White said. “[The bushfire appeal] is a great cause, and it is always good when cricket can reach out and help in that sort of way.”Cricket Victoria will on Monday hold discussions as to how it might help in the relief effort. Exhibition matches, equipment donations and an appeal surrounding the FR Cup final – should they host the game – are among the moves under consideration.

Sky Sports journalist Michael Bridge believes Emerson Royal fits the bill of what Tottenham were looking for. 

Spurs signed Royal on deadline day from Barcelona, with the right-back signing a contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium until 2026. BBC Sport reported that the agreed fee for the right-back was €30m (£25.8m).

Tottenham manager Nuno Espirito Santo added five new faces to his squad this summer, with Cristian Romero, Pierluigi Gollini, Bryan Gil, Pape Matar Sarr and Emerson Royal all penning deals with Spurs.

Michael Bridge believes the latter ticks a lot of boxes for Tottenham, telling Football FanCast: “Nuno knows him quite well. He’s had a very good reputation from Real Betis, sort of fits the bill of what Tottenham are looking for – good defender, but can bomb forward, he’s six foot as well so quiet a decent height. He’s 22 which is a fantastic age, so he ticks a lot of boxes.”

It’s been a good summer transfer window for Spurs and they’ve also had the perfect start to the Premier League campaign, as Nuno Espirito Santo’s side currently sit top of the league and are the only team with maximum points from their opening three matches.

Alongside being successful domestically, Spurs have also progressed to the group stage of the UEFA Europa Conference League, after beating Pacos de Ferreira 3-1 on aggregate over two legs and have been drawn to face Rennes, Muta and Vitesse in Group G.

Southampton picked up a promising point against Manchester United on Sunday, and they could’ve easily taken all three against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

Fred’s own goal gave the Saints the lead in their first home fixture of the new Premier League season before Mason Greenwood’s low shot squirmed under Alex McCarthy for the equaliser.

Adam Armstrong had two great chances to score as Southampton weathered a United storm in the second half but ultimately, both sides had to settle for a point.

Despite having their own chances to win the game, Hasenhuttl’s men may well have found themselves on the losing side on Sunday afternoon if it were not for Mohammed Salisu’s impressive performance at centre-back.

The Ghanaian defender made two goal-saving blocks during the game and generally defended very well against the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Greenwood, Jadon Sancho and Anthony Martial.

As per SofaScore, the 22-year-old would earn an impressive 7.7/10 rating for his performance, which was the highest of any Southampton player to feature in the game, and the joint-highest along with Greenwood from either side.

Although Man of the Match Tino Livramento was hugely impressive once again at right-back and then further forward in the second half, Salisu’s influence on the game should not go unnoticed, as he made three clearances, blocked three shots and made three interceptions.

For comparison, last season Salisu averaged 2.4 clearances, 0.4 blocks and 1.4 interceptions in the Premier League, which emphasises that he was excellent on Sunday afternoon.

Although Hampshire Live journalist Tom Leach only rated him a 6/10 for his performance, he did acknowledge his influence, writing:

“Salisu saved the day multiple times during the first half, clearing inevitable goals off the line with last-ditch attempts to get it away.”

The £9m-rated Salisu also looked good with his passing, completing 27/34 of his passes at St Mary’s, whilst he would win 3/4 of the duels he was involved in, which emphasises just how dominant his performance was at the back.

And, in other news… Southampton dealt decisive blow with “exceptional” winger

Nineteen-year-old batsman Umar Amin has been rewarded for his impact on the domestic season with a call-up to Pakistan’s 15-man squad

Cricinfo staff12-Jan-2009
Khurram Manzoor retains his place ahead of Nasir Jamshed © AFP
Nineteen-year-old batsman Umar Amin has been rewarded for his impact on the domestic season with a call-up to Pakistan’s 15-man squad for the first ODI against Sri Lanka on January 21 in Karachi. The team, the first picked by a new-look selection committee headed by Abdul Qadir, has gone back to traditional Pakistani strength, pace, but is not entirely without surprise.Amin was the second-highest run-getter in last month’s RBS Pentangular One-Day Cup, scoring 254 runs at an average of 84.66 and strike-rate of 89.12. A sound left-hand top-order batsman, he has impressed on several Under-19 tours and was also part of Pakistan’s Under-19 squad at last year’s World Cup in Malaysia.”He is a real prospect and the coach and captain were both keen to have him in the squad, to encourage him and groom him further,” Salim Jaffer, one of the selectors, told Cricinfo. “He has impressed a number of people this season.”But pace it is that dominates Pakistan’s thinking ahead of the three-match series. Sohail Khan returns having missed the Abu Dhabi series against West Indies in November as does the skiddy, all-round option of Yasir Arafat. Ahead of both are the first-choicers, Shoaib Akhtar, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul and Iftikhar Anjum, thus giving Pakistan six options. The wickets, it is a given, will be quicker and bouncier than have been seen in recent times.”The selection committee spoke to the coach Intikhab Alam about the plan for the series and we have picked a squad according to that,” Jaffer said. “Our strength is pace and we believe our options there are stronger than Sri Lanka’s so we have gone for that.”But there are some surprises in this squad, prime among them the exclusion of Nasir Jamshed. Arguably Pakistan’s find of a lean year in 2008, Jamshed has been overlooked despite being in the runs domestically. Jamshed missed the Abu Dhabi matches after pulling out at the last minute with an illness and was replaced by Khurram Manzoor.A fair rather than spectacular return in those three ODIs has meant Manzoor retains his place over Jamshed, though it is learnt the spot was the focus of considerable debate and disagreement between the committee. One selector was in favour, but was ultimately ruled over by the other two.There was also some friction over the dropping of Fawad Alam, the allrounder, who has become a regular squad fixture over the last year. As much as a lack of impact, it is thought Pakistan’s preference for pace in this contest went against him.The only spinner in the squad is offspinner Saeed Ajmal, which means there’s no place yet for legspinner Danish Kaneria, who was hopeful of a one-day call-up with the change in the PCB management. Kaneria was surprisingly promoted to the top grade of central contracts and noises coming from the new management had suggested he may get a look-in under these selectors, having long been outside of Pakistan’s ODI thinking. But a poor showing in the Pentangular one-dayers seems to have gone against him for the moment.Sri Lanka’s visit will be the first test for Shoaib Malik after he was given an indefinite extension as the team’s captain earlier this month.Pakistan squad : Shoaib Malik (capt), Misbah-ul-Haq, Salman Butt, Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal (wk) , Sohail Tanvir, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Iftikhar Anjum, Saeed Ajmal, Khurram Manzoor, Sohail Khan, Yasir Arafat, Umar Amin.

Sheffield Wednesday have endured a difficult start to their 2021/22 campaign following their relegation from the Championship last term.

Darren Moore’s side lost to Huddersfield on penalties after a 0-0 draw in their Carabao Cup match to open the season, before drawing 0-0 with Charlton in their League One curtain-raiser.

This means that they head into a home clash with Doncaster on Saturday without scoring a single goal so far this season and are in need of a positive result to kickstart some momentum.

They face a Doncaster team who lost their first League One match 2-1 against AFC Wimbledon and then beat Walsall on penalties in the Carabao Cup.

Will Moore ring the changes this afternoon? Here is our predicted XI for the match…

We are predicting the Owls boss to make three changes to his team from the trip to east London, all in the final third of the pitch.

He lined up with a 4-3-3 formation against Charlton and we believe that the back five and midfield three will stay the same. Every player outside of the front three achieved a WhoScored rating of 6.5 or higher, with Hutchinson, Iorfa and Bannan all tipping over into the 7/10 bracket.

After failing to score in the league opener, changing the front three could be exactly what Wednesday need. However, the first of our changes may be enforced as Callum Paterson was taken off with a head injury last week, and we are predicting Lee Gregory to take his place as the starting number nine. You may have already read our case for the 32-year-old to get the nod as Moore’s lone striker because of his experience and goalscoring record.

Secondly, we believe that Marvin Johnson will slot in on the left of the front three in place of Jaden Brown. The £6k-per-week dynamo is yet to make his full debut for the Owls after joining from Middlesbrough and this could be Moore’s chance to hand him a start.

Brown lined up on the left against Charlton and recorded a disappointing WhoScored rating of 6.21 as he was dispossessed three times, lost the ball through poor control twice, and created just one chance during the game. The inexperienced 22-year-old could do with being taken out of the firing line after a lacklustre showing.

This is where Johnson could be perfect to come in as he is experienced and proven himself to be a reliable performer at a higher level. The 30-year-old was a regular for Middlesbrough in the Championship in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 campaigns, making 38 and 42 appearances respectively – suggesting that he could thrive after dropping down to a lower division.

Finally, Wednesday announced the signing of Theo Corbeanu on loan from Premier League side Wolves earlier this month and he is yet to make his debut for the club. Andre Green put on a disasterclass against Charlton as he registered a dismal WhoScored rating of 5.8, managing zero shots and zero chances created in 64 minutes on the right wing.

This suggests that he does not deserve to keep his place in the starting XI, which opens the door for Corbeanu to come in. Whilst there is little evidence to prove that this would be a good decision, Green’s performance was abysmal and an exciting young talent like Corbeanu could potentially thrive on being given the opportunity to show that he can make the step up to senior football. That is why Moore should gamble and throw him into the side today.

AND in other news, Joe Crann drops update on £8.4k-p/w “big player” which will leave Wednesday fans buzzing…