All posts by h716a5.icu

From the moment Port of Spain woke up to 2.15pm, when any hope of a resumption of play evaporated, no rain fell at Queen’s Park Oval. Yet not a single ball was bowled

The Report by Sidharth Monga19-Aug-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Port of Rain: There was little rain but the wet outfield accounted for the whole second day’s play•AFPFrom the moment Port of Spain woke up to 2.15pm, when any hope of a resumption of play evaporated, no rain fell at Queen’s Park Oval. Yet not a single ball was bowled despite the sun beating down on the ground till 2pm.The umpires came out for inspection after inspection after inspection, but didn’t find the outfield to be fit for play. There was no super sopper to assist the ground staff nor was the whole ground covered when it rained. The eventual downpour at 2.15pm, 15 minutes before yet another inspection, accounted for any remaining hopes.With only 22 overs possible on the first two days, with forecast not great for the rest of the Test and given the facilities available at Queen’s Park Oval, only an unbelievable three days could produce a result. India needed to win this Test to retain their No. 1 Test ranking and not lose it to Pakistan. West Indies were 62 for 2 after 22 overs, all bowled in the first session on the first morning.

Talks will soon commence between Chelsea and a rival club over Mason Mount, with a large bid set to be made, journalist David Ornstein has claimed.

What's the latest on Mason Mount?

The England international is entering the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge, and as things stand, a renewal looks unlikely.

The 24-year-old is believed to be attracting interest from a number of top clubs including Man United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Bayern Munich, and it has been reported that his preferred destination would be Old Trafford.

Speaking on Sky Sports News, Ornstein claimed that Chelsea still want to keep the midfielder, but they will soon speak to Man United over a big-money transfer.

"The soundings we're getting is that despite Chelsea, maybe trying to give it one last go and hoping to keep him, that it is very possible now that he will leave," he stated.

"As I understand it, the other clubs who are interested are aware of his preference, and that there are talks expected between Manchester United and Chelsea in due course."

Should Chelsea sell Mason Mount?

The club were in negotiations to extend his contract, but a previous breakdown in talks has led to the current situation where his departure seems likely.

The midfielder has had a difficult season, managing just three goals and two assists in an injury-hit league campaign, with Chelsea suffering a nightmare campaign under four different head coaches.

Chelsea were unwilling to further increase their wage bill and hand Mount a big-money contract, but given the high turnover of players they have had in midfield, it may be worth trying harder to keep the Englishman.

Jorginho left in the January transfer window, whilst Mateo Kovacic has been linked with a move away. Having to replace Mount as well may prove costly, even if they do gain a big transfer fee from his departure.

Mount has previously been described as "unbelievable," and given his experience at the club since graduating from the youth academy, he could become a key player under Mauricio Pochettino.

The incoming Chelsea manager reportedly wants to build around an English core within the squad, including Mount, and the club could do themselves a disservice by selling a player that Pochettino may wish to keep.

If he does join a rival club and succeeds, then there may be yet more sale regret at Chelsea, years after huge mistakes in the transfer market saw them sell Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah, who went on to become two of the best players in the Premier League for rival competitors.

While KL Rahul struck his second consecutive half-century of the tour, captain Virat Kohli and allrounder Ravindra Jadeja also struck form with fifties on the second day of the warm-up match against West Indies Cricket Board President’s XI in Basseterre

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jul-2016
Scorecard3:08

‘Milestones and numbers don’t matter to me’ – KL Rahul

While KL Rahul struck his second consecutive half-century of the tour, captain Virat Kohli and allrounder Ravindra Jadeja also struck form with fifties on the second day of the warm-up match against West Indies Cricket Board President’s XI in Basseterre. All of India’s batsmen except Shikhar Dhawan, who made a fifty in the first match, scored in double digits as the visitors made 364 to lead the hosts by 184 in the first innings. They looked set to score more when Rahul and Kohli were batting but offspinner Rahkeem Cornwall’s five-for restricted them.Resuming the second day at 93 for 3, the Indians were led by Rahul who marched from his overnight 30 to score 64 before retiring out. Rahul and Kohli put on a partnership of 88 for the fourth wicket as Kohli scored 51. But the captain was dismissed soon after Rahul retired, lbw to Cornwall, who had also dismissed Cheteshwar Pujara the night before.”That was the purpose of coming here early to get used to the wickets and conditions and I’m really happy with the way I’ve batted in the last two innings,” Rahul said after the day’s play. “The wickets here have been hard, the weather is hot and humid so it’s not very easy to go out there and get runs but [I’ll] try to use these two innings and the time before the Tests to prepare well for the Test series. So I’m really happy with the way I’m prepared.”Out here it was a little slow and the outfield’s heavy and the ball is getting really soft after 20-30 overs, so getting runs is kind of hard.”Ajinkya Rahane then led the visitors past 250 as Stuart Binny was caught behind for 16 off Cornwall. Rahane too fell to the same bowler for 32. The Indians were 254 for 7 and Wridhhiman Saha’s run-out made it 298 for 8. The innings was revived by Jadeja, who came in at No. 9, as he scored 56 off 61 with eight fours. He first put on 44 with Saha and then 47 with R Ashwin, who scored a patient 26 off 61. Jadeja was eventually caught and bowled by Cornwall, who finished with 5 for 118.”The pitch is offering a little bit so you have to be consistent with your lines,” Cornwall said. “No nerves whatsoever [against a strong batting line-up], I back my skills to do what I have to do and at the end of the day we’re playing a game of cricket, so they have to bat and I have to put the balls in the right areas.”It is very special, they are top quality batsmen, you have to do your best against them. This will take me a long way. Once you perform against the best, it will always urge you to perform better. This game taught me a lot – I think patience and the way some of these guys carry themselves. It kept me to go and improve on my game.”The hosts batted for eight overs before stumps and lost opener Leon Johnson, caught and bowled by Ashwin, for 17 in the last over of the day. They were 26 for 1 at the end of the day and trailed by 158 runs.

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their plans to add to their goalkeeping department in the upcoming summer transfer window…

What's the latest on Ivor Pandur to Rangers?

According to the Daily Mail, the Light Blues are eyeing a potential swoop to sign Fortuna Sittard titan Ivor Pandur at the end of the season.

The report claims that the Scottish giants have sent scouts to watch the Croatia U21 prospect in action in the Eredivisie – catching his match against PSV on Sunday.

He is currently on loan to Fortuna from Italian side Hellas Verona but that move will become permanent in the summer after they exercised an option to tie him down until 2027.

How has Ivor Pandur performed this season?

The 23-year-old has been in fine form in the Dutch top-flight and his displays have been good enough to attract interest from Michael Beale, who could allow the star's current club to make an instant profit on him this summer if they opt to cash in straight away.

Pandur could come in as a big upgrade on Allan McGregor, whose contract is due to expire this summer, based on their respective performances in 2022/23.

The current Rangers 'keeper has made 23 appearances in the Scottish Premiership this term and averaged an unimpressive Sofascore rating of 6.71. He has only saved 59% of the shots on his goal and failed to get the ball in 14% of his attempted run-outs to make a clearance.

Pandur, meanwhile, has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.01 across 29 Eredivisie matches.

The 6 foot 1 shot-stopper, whose season was hailed as "excellent" by journalist Marco Conterio, has a save success rate of 69% and has won or cleared the ball in 100% of his attempted run-outs.

These statistics indicate that the Croatian colossus, who made seven Serie A appearances for Hellas Verona, would be a significant upgrade on McGregor between the sticks for the Light Blues.

The Fortuna glovesman has performed to a higher standard on a consistent basis whilst also boasting far more impressive shot-stopping and sweeping numbers.

He is more efficient, as shown by the aforementioned statistics, at keeping the ball out of the net and coming off his line to clear his lines than the veteran Scotsman, which means that the gem would prevent more goals and potential goalscoring chances for the opposition.

At the age of 23, the ace is also a staggering 18 years younger than the ex-Hull man and could offer more long-term value to the club – arriving as a player with potential rather than someone in the final few years of their career.

Therefore, Beale could improve his Rangers squad by ditching McGregor at the end of his contract this summer and swooping to sign the Croatian talent on a permanent deal.

Liverpool are "keeping a close eye" on Bristol City midfielder Alex Scott ahead of a potential move to the Premier League, according to journalist Keifer MacDonald.

Who is Alex Scott?

Scott is an academy graduate at Ashton Gate having worked his way up through the various youth ranks since joining the U18s back in 2020 to now being a regular feature of Nigel Pearson’s senior first-team having started 40 out of the 46 Championship games this season.

The Robins starlet’s contract with the second-tier side still has another two years remaining, but being the southwest outfit’s fourth overall best-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 6.79, has been catching the eye of a couple of clubs in the top-flight.

The Daily Mail reported in April that Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United were both interested in striking a deal for the 19-year-old, who has had a £25m price tag placed on his head, though it would now appear that Jurgen Klopp has jumped on the bandwagon and joined the race in an attempt to bring him to Anfield.

Are Liverpool signing Scott?

Taking to Twitter, Liverpool Echo reporter MacDonald revealed that Liverpool are also closely monitoring Scott as they weigh up whether to make an official approach ahead of the 2023/24 term. He wrote:

"Nigel Pearson believes Bristol City's Alex Scott will become a fully-fledged England international as the midfielder's talent has resulted in Liverpool keeping a close eye on his development at Ashton Gate."

Expanding in his column for the Liverpool Echo, the journalist claimed that Reds officials are "aware" and have "taken note" of the impressive "progress" that he has made in Bristol.

Liverpool will know that Scott has no experience of playing in the Premier League or at the highest level in England just yet, but the central midfielder has already been nicknamed the “Guernsey Grealish” and appears to have an extremely bright career ahead of him, so he may prove to be a promising acquisition for the long-term future of the club.

The England U19 international, who currently pockets £4.2k-per-week, is capable of positively impacting the game at both ends of the pitch, recording 87 shot-creating actions and 77 tackles since the start of the term, both of those numbers being higher than any other member of Pearson’s squad, as per FBRef.

The Three Lions’ European youth champion, who has seven goal contributions (five assists and two goals) to his name across all competitions this term, would finally add much-needed versatility to Klopp’s side with his flexibility to operate in five different positions over the grass, so FSG getting this exciting, young, up-and-coming talent in the building could be a great decision.

Australia’s batsmen tuned up for the Sri Lanka Test series with captain Steven Smith and Steve O’Keefe making half-centuries on the second day, despite a five-wicket haul from Shehan Jayasuriya

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando at P Sara Oval19-Jul-2016
ScorecardSteve O’Keefe followed his five-for with a measured half-century•AFPAustralia were given a long-but-light workout against spin on the second day, as all their batsmen hit at least 25, though only Steven Smith and Steve O’Keefe passed fifty. The second-day pitch at the P Sara Oval had begun to take some turn, but Australia can expect significantly drier conditions and substantially higher-quality slow bowling in the Tests. Nevertheless, a team total of 431 for 9 represented a strong outing for the visitors. The Sri Lanka selectors, watching on, would know the Australians have emerged from their first spin trial of the tour in ominous form.The Sri Lankan XI attack, which did not feature the island’s top spin prospects to begin with, operated under a kind of self-prohibition. Perhaps out of a strategic decision not to accustom the Australian batsmen to left-arm spin, captain Milinda Siriwardana did not bowl himself at all in the day. The other left-arm spinner, Chaturanga de Silva, was given only short spells at the top order; only when the tail-enders arrived at the crease was he more liberally used.Sri Lanka will hope this tactic sees Rangana Herath’s threat maximised when the Tests begin on July 26 in Pallekele. Siriwardana may also fairly expect to be named in the Sri Lanka squad, and if the selectors are of a similar view, Siriwardana will have kept his own powder dry.The day’s foremost workhorse was Shehan Jayasuriya, whose offspin may be classified his secondary skill. He delivered 29 overs, took five for 109, and sparked several close shouts while the seamers were rotated at the other end. Vimukthi Perera was the most impressive of the quick men, bringing a ball in to Joe Burns to bowl him for 72 in the morning, but Nisala Tharaka was also sharp in patches.O’Keefe’s unbeaten 62 may be the most consequential of the day’s performances for the Australians, as it raised his chances of entering the Test XI. Having taken a five-wicket haul on day one, O’Keefe was a measured foil to Mitchell Starc’s adventure, as the pair put on 59 runs from 13 overs late in the day. O’Keefe was largely content to nurdle the singles, often using his feet to spin. Starc, meanwhile, deployed a devastating slog sweep several times in his 48-ball 45. The pair did benefit from unimpressive ground fielding, however.Earlier in the day, Adam Voges and Smith had made 88 in each other’s company, largely finding runs on the leg side, as Voges in particular shelved the more aggressive shots. The pair’s frill-free accumulation took the Australians past the Sri Lankan XI’s 229, and formed the foundation of their team’s advance on day two. Smith came down the track to hit the offspin of Jayasuriya over the infield on occasion, but largely reserved his more expansive strokes for the seamers.It was spin that brought both batsmen’s stay to a close. Smith was trapped in front by de Silva, before Jayasuriya turned one in from the developing rough to beat Voges’ sweep shot and rattle his off stump. Mitchell Marsh struck a quick 25 thereafter, but was also out to Jayasuriya – caught behind down the leg side, though he did jokingly ask for a review of the umpire’s decision to suggest he did not hit the ball. Jayasuriya caught a high top-edge off Starc’s bat, and sent one through Lyon’s defences to complete his five-wicket haul.

Chelsea are keeping tabs on Pau Torres ahead of a potential move for the defender according to The Mirror (10th May, p.48, via Chelsea Chronicle).

What is the latest on Pau Torres to Chelsea?

The Blues have struggled to get going this season in the Premier League, with the club currently sat in eleventh place in the division. That's despite the fact that new owner Todd Boehly has bankrolled the Stamford Bridge outfit since taking over, helping the club to add stars such as Joao Felix and Enzo Fernandez.

It hasn't paid off so far though and ultimately ended up costing Graham Potter his job with Chelsea. Even interim manager Frank Lampard has found it hard to generate results from the side, having managed only one win so far during his short time in charge.

Ahead of a new managerial appointment in the summer then – believed to be former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino – the club will be desperate to have a transfer plan in place to add even more quality to the side.

One name that is being linked with a potential switch to Stamford Bridge is Pau Torres, according to The Mirror via Chelsea Chronicle. The report claims that the incoming Pochettino likes the defender and in order to try and mould the squad to his liking, he could add the 26-year-old to his backline. The only stumbling block is that they will face competition from Aston Villa to win the race for the man with a £55m release clause.

Would Pau Torres be a good signing for Chelsea?

The Villareal man looks like he could be a solid signing for any defence in the Premier League. He's exactly the type of centre-back you would want – good with the ball at his feet, able to marshall those around him and not afraid to put in a tackle.

This is showcased by his progressive passes rank in La Liga – Torres has 185 this campaign, which puts him within the top ten in the entire division in that stat despite his position as part of a backline. It shows that he is not afraid to pick out a pass and can do so with aplomb. He also ranks sixth for clearances in La Liga (130) and has an outstanding level of ball control, ranking first for progressive carrying distance (6987). He's a modern defender in every sense of the word then and can contribute effectively in both elements of play.

He's also been praised highly by those involved in the game. Javi Calleja, a former coach of his, called him an "extraordinary talent" for example. From someone who knows the defender well, it is high praise.

Torres then could instantly upgrade the Blues' defence and with his ability to drive the ball forward, he could also have a positive impact at the other end of the field too if he does sign.

With a hearty lead, now worth 385, and a pitch showing glimpses of deterioration, Surrey look well-equipped to prise out ten wickets tomorrow, and so regain a little of their lost swagger

Tim Wigmore at Kia Oval21-Jun-2016
ScorecardGareth Batty continued his fine form to cement Surrey’s position•Getty ImagesEverything about Surrey oozes a Division One club. The Kia Oval is a magnificent modern cricket ground, constantly being refined, and has a guarantee of Test matches the envy of every other international ground bar Lord’s. Nowhere else consistently gets as many through the gates at T20 games: over 100,000 every summer. The club’s annual turnover is £25 million, seven times that of the poorest of the 18 first-class counties.All that is missing, then, is results. Not since Graham Thorpe retired, 11 years ago, has a home-grown Surrey cricketer played for England in a Test. All the while, Surrey have spent more years than they would care to reflect – five of the past seven seasons – in Division Two: less the Manchester United of cricket, as they once liked to consider themselves, than the Queens Park Rangers, floundering despite huge spending.Last season Surrey waltzed to promotion, and so returned to what they would consider their rightful place. But their return to Division One has been grim: three draws and four defeats in their opening seven games. This is not quite an accurate reflection of how Surrey have played: they almost clinched a come-from-behind win at Trent Bridge, endured the agony of a one-wicket loss at Taunton and have suffered rain at inopportune times.Injuries have not helped, either: Mark Footitt and Matt Dunn are still out, and Stuart Meaker. Zafar Ansari and Ravi Rampaul have also been detained at various times. Missing from this game are Jason Roy, on England white ball duty, and Sam Curran, encumbered by A level examinations. Yet all these caveats cannot disguise the underlying truth: that a club with Surrey’s wealth ought to be performing better.Still, this might just have been their best day of the season. The washout of two-thirds of the second day had threatened to consign Surrey to another draw, already of limited value in their attempt to salvage their Division One place for next year. Not, though, with the side in such zesty mood, evident from Rampaul’s in-jagger to snare Brendan Taylor in the third over of the day.Deep into his 39th year, Gareth Batty might just be in the form of his life. In Surrey’s agonising defeat at Taunton, their last first-class game, he took ten wickets in the game. Here he added four more, perfectly exemplifying the subtle chicanery of the orthodox offspinner. A slightly quicker delivery turned and bounced just enough to defeat Michael Lumb’s attempted cut, a particular source of satisfaction, and then the tail heaved limply to fielders, complicit in their own downfalls.Yet, for all Batty’s skill, the most memorable dismissal was that of Samit Patel. Lumb pushed Batty into the offside, and called for a sharp single. Patel was slow replying, and stood motionless and aggrieved while Lumb ran past him, to consign him to his fate while the bails were removed at the striker’s end: run out by virtually the entire length of the pitch. For comic value it fell some way short of Patel’s fall onto his own backside three years ago against Derbyshire, but for his team the consequences were stark.Surrey had mustered a lead of 141, and a position that could have been designed for a return of the Surrey strut. But the ostentatious care with which the openers approached their task – the first 20 overs brought only 41 runs – betrayed the anxiety that has engulfed the club in their underwhelming start. At times more entertainment was to be found in the rooms at The Oval, which were staging trials for the BBC’s talent show The Voice, than in some funereal batting.But Surrey’s supporters had reason to find their own voices in the evening session. Kumar Sangakkara’s exquisite driving imbued the innings with impetus; he forged a 92-run stand with Arun Harinath, who grew increasingly assertive, before, in characteristically unselfish style, getting a leading edge for 83 as Surrey moved towards a declaration.After a rather painstaking effort from Gary Wilson – some members even ironically applauded him getting off the mark, from his 13th delivery – Steven Davies’ arrival was accompanied by the evening sun and the first hints of violence: he smeared his fourth delivery, off Matthew Carter, for an emphatic six over midwicket.In the Adam Hollioake years, such intent would surely have come before the end of the evening, giving Surrey a few overs to prey on any raw Nottinghamshire wounds. Still, with a hearty lead, now worth 385, and a pitch showing glimpses of deterioration, Surrey look well-equipped to prise out ten wickets tomorrow, and so regain a little of their lost swagger.

Matt Prior, the former England wicketkeeper, has backed Jonny Bairstow to start the international season as a more complete gloveman

Andrew McGlashan18-May-2016Matt Prior, the former England wicketkeeper, has backed Jonny Bairstow to start the international season as a more complete gloveman after having some valuable time to work on his game.Bairstow took over the gloves from Jos Buttler in the final Test against Pakistan in Sharjah – after Buttler’s runs dried up – then retained them for the series against South Africa. While he cemented his standing as a batsman of pedigree by scoring a maiden Test century in Cape Town, his work behind the stumps remained under scrutiny with chances being missed.After the Test series Bairstow did not feature in the ODIs and was not part of the World T20 squad. Apart from a one-match flying visit to the Pakistan Super League in the UAE he was able to take a break from the middle until pre-season with Yorkshire and Prior believes it will have been time well spent.”You have one guy who is scoring a lot of runs but has made a few mistakes behind the stumps and one guy whose glovework had gone up a huge amount but wasn’t scoring the runs,” Prior told ESPNcricinfo. “Jonny is the man in possession, he did well in South Africa with the bat and he’s had time to go away and work on the things with his wicketkeeping.”I think this period has been quite good for Jonny, he’s been out of the shop window, and he’s been able to go to the training ground and work hard. It’s very hard to make huge improvements while playing Test cricket, with so much scrutiny, 26 cameras on you, super slo-mo. I’m sure he’s used that time well to go away and work on areas, he’s a hugely determined guy and very resilient as well.”While Prior advocates consistency in the position, he also believes that having two players hot on the heels of each other can benefit both. Buttler has continued to be a force in the white-ball game with back-to-back ODI hundreds against Pakistan and South Africa, the first of them off 46 balls in Dubai to surpass his own record for England’s fastest. He has since gone on to establish his credentials as a world-class T20 batsman as well, with a starring role in England’s World T20 campaign and an impressive maiden IPL season with Mumbai Indians.Jonny Bairstow has been in fine form for Yorkshire after a lengthy break from action•Getty Images”It’s a really exciting time in that role because there are two fantastic cricketers in Jos and Jonny and they will push each other, but also use that pressure to get the best out of themselves,” Prior said at the Chance to Shine MCC Spirit of Cricket Day at Lord’s.Prior’s international career ended two years ago when he succumbed to an Achilles injury having made a Test comeback on Sri Lanka’s previous visit to England. He retired from all cricket last year after a lengthy attempt to recover. But, after a 79-Test career in which he scored 4099 runs, the third-most by an England wicketkeeper, and claimed 256 dismissals, second behind Alan Knott, he was assured a place as one of England’s finest.Like Bairstow, though, Prior had to come through a period in which his glovework underwent forensic examination and he was dropped after the tour of Sri Lanka in 2007. When he returned in late 2008 he did not relinquish his spot – except for a one-off Test in West Indies in 2009 to fly home after the birth of his son – until the Ashes had been surrendered in 2013-14.On the tour of Australia it was Bairstow to whom he handed the gloves and he has passed on advice to both him and Buttler since the end of his England career, something he is more than happy to continue to do should either of England’s current keepers want any further guidance.”I’ve spoken to both of them at different points, Jos when he was in Sri Lanka and I spoke to Jonny when he was in South Africa, and it’s quite interesting being able to look in from the outside – things sometimes look a bit clearer than when you are in the fog and haze of the England bubble. They both know that I’m here if they want advice at any time.”

Liverpool have placed goalscoring midfielder, Jesper Lindstrom, on their wishlist for the summer transfer window.

The priority for FSG and Jurgen Klopp this summer is to invest wisely in new midfielders at the end of the season after a dreadful 2022/23 campaign. At the time of writing, Liverpool are fifth in the Premier League and have very little chance of qualifying for next season's Champions League.

While it's true that there are a myriad reasons why things have fallen apart so spectacularly for the Reds, negligence on the part of FSG has brought these circumstances about.

Will Liverpool sign Jesper Lindstrom from Eintracht Frankfurt?

It's too early to say whether a deal to sign the 23-year-old will happen but Liverpool are interested. According to SportBILD, via Sport Witness, Jurgen Klopp has placed the attack minded midfielder on his wishlist for the summer. Frankfurt are in massive financial danger and need to sell players to balance their books, with Lindstrom valued at over €30m (£26.2m).

Competition for his signature is significant with Arsenal and Napoli also said to be investigating recruiting him this summer – it's easy to understand why he is a sought after talent, putting up 14 goals and assists this term. However, the player is allegedly a lifelong Liverpool fan.

He is by no means prolific but for a team like Liverpool, whose midfielders seem afraid of shooting, increasing attacking output from the centre of the park is important. Only six goals have been scored by Liverpool midfielders this season. The likes of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago, James Milner and Naby Keita have failed to score a single goal.

Could Liverpool poach Eintracht Frankfurt's sporting director?

Not only are Liverpool interested in Jesper Lindstrom but they have also been investigating recruiting Frankfurt's sporting director, Markus Krosche. In February, it was reported by the Athletic that after Paul Mitchell was ruled out, attention turned to Krosche. The 42-year-old has built a stellar reputation for himself and could land a prestigious job with Liverpool if all goes well.

Current sporting director, Julian Ward, took over from Michael Edwards but despite not yet completing a year in the new role, will move to Ajax in a similar capacity. Liverpool's future is unclear on the pitch and off – fans will be hoping for some more clarity on both fronts after a very disappointing season.