Southampton fans and neutrals alike may have expected the south coast outfit to be active in the summer transfer market having only narrowly avoided relegation to the Championship last month, but it hasn’t been the case.Saints took their time to bring in Mark Hughes on a permanent basis after he kept them up in the final eight matches of the campaign, and there have been no major ins or outs since that moment even though some of their Premier League rivals have been busy both being linked with new additions and bringing them in.The Daily Echo reported on Wednesday that the club has only just started looking at potential new additions this summer, and perhaps they feel that it would have been difficult for them to get any deals done before the World Cup with some of their targets also potentially featuring in Russia.[ad_pod ]Those Southampton supporters who have been moaning on Twitter and expecting to see and overhaul and five or six new faces arrive should trust in the club and Hughes though, because if they keep the majority of their squad together it doesn’t actually need too much work.

While the south coast outfit, who should hijack Brighton’s £22m bid to sign an attacker with 36 goals and assists in 2017/18, were really poor under Mauricio Pellegrino, it perhaps had something to do with how bad the manager was rather than the team as a whole not being good enough.

Those players certainly showed in the closing stages of the 2017/18 campaign that they do have the quality in the locker if they have a boss that organises them and keeps their fitness levels high – which is what Hughes did – and with a couple of tweaks they could be a force again.

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Towards the end of Pellegrino’s reign, fans may have been expecting Cedric Soares, Ryan Bertrand, Dusan Tadic, Mario Lemina and Manolo Gabbiadini to leave St Mary’s whichever division they found themselves in come what May. However, the situation and mentality of those players may well have changed under the tutelage of Hughes, and those individuals who looked almost certain to be on their way out may now stay for at least another year.

Sofiane Boufal is one name that could be on his way out however after he fell out with his Welsh boss following the defeat against Chelsea in April, before being excluded from first-team training and their final few Premier League fixtures.

If Saints manage to keep hold of Bertrand, Cedric, Tadic and Lemina in particular – who may not attract too many admiring glances from other clubs considering they were involved in a relegation battle last term – then they don’t need too many signings.

As things stand, they have a good goalkeeper, two decent full-backs, strong central midfield options and strength in depth when it comes to strikers.

The areas where they do perhaps need some strengthening are at centre-back and on the wings, where they lacked experience and quality and pace, respectively.

While a priority must surely be to bring in an experienced centre-half and leader to help the likes of Wesley Hoedt, Jack Stephens and Jan Bednarek with Jose Fonte and Virgil van Dijk sometimes sorely missed in 2018, a wide forward who can score and create is also a must – something Southampton haven’t really had since they sold Sadio Mane with Boufal and Nathan Redmond often struggling.

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Yes, Southampton do need a couple of quality additions to push on next season, but the St Mary’s faithful shouldn’t be panicking or getting too downhearted about their lack of business just yet.

The World Cup is usually the showpiece for relatively unknown talents to come to the fore, but it has the power to remind us of players previously tipped for greatness as well. Fabian Schar certainly falls into that category; after a fantastic 2013/14 Champions League campaign at FC Basel, the Switzerland international was linked with a number of clubs including Tottenham Hotspur.

While Schar’s club career has since taken a serious downturn, last term suffering relegation from La Liga with Deportivo, his opening performance for Switzerland at Russia 2018 highlighted exactly why the Lilywhites were once so keen on securing his services – playing an instrumental role in quelling the offensive influence of Willian, Neymar and Philippe Coutinho in a 1-1 draw with Brazil.

How far will England get in Russia? Tell us now and win any World Cup shirt of your choice.

With that in mind and Tottenham likely in need of a replacement for Toby Alderweireld this summer, his contract situation still awaiting resolution, we asked Spurs fans earlier this week whether Mauricio Pochettino should revive his reported interest in the 26-year-old from summer 2014.

And according to our poll, 54% of Tottenham supporters would back a swoop for Schar this summer. Are there any other former targets who have impressed you at the World Cup, Spurs fans? Let us know by commenting below…

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Shane Harwood’s career could be over due to a serious shoulder injury but the Victoria fast bowler has not given up hope of returning to state cricket next summer

Cricinfo staff16-Nov-2009Shane Harwood’s career could be over due to a serious shoulder injury but the Victoria fast bowler has not given up hope of returning to state cricket next summer. Harwood, 35, needs a shoulder reconstruction, which means his 2009-10 season is over and it will be an uphill battle to regain his place in the Victoria team.It was only seven months ago that Harwood became Australia’s third oldest ODI debutant of all time when he collected 2 for 57 against South Africa in Port Elizabeth. He has always been a late starter, having made his first-class debut at 28, and he hopes his age won’t be held against him in Victoria’s future plans.However, the Bushrangers have significant depth in their fast-bowling stocks with younger men such as Clint McKay, Peter Siddle, John Hastings, Steve Gilmour and Darren Pattinson likely to lead the attack in the future. Even the other veterans Damien Wright and Dirk Nannes are younger than Harwood.”I’m still a bit optimistic I’ll get back, to be honest,” Harwood told the . “The thing that I’m positive about is I’m still bowling in the 140s. I still think that’s achievable.”I know a lot of people will put my age factor next to the reconstruction and have doubts. But if I can have a fair crack – I’ve got to do rehab until the end of the season anyway – I suppose we’ll assess it at the end of that.”Harwood has had the injury for years, but due to his age and the prospect of losing his place in a strong side, he has until now opted not to have a reconstruction. The decision has now been taken out of his hands after he aggravated the problem in a one-dayer against Tasmania earlier this month.”I had a clean-out before I went to the Champions League and battled through that while I was away,” he said. “Then the last game I felt a bit of a pain go down my back when I attempted a yorker. Then I tried a slower ball and it hurt more. I finished my spell, but the next day I felt horrible. I knew I was in trouble.”I damaged my shoulder about four years ago and I probably should have had a reconstruction then, but sort of subject to age and only having one-year contracts I avoided it. I didn’t want to take that risk. If I was 26 I would have just gone and got it fixed like Sids [Peter Siddle] and Macca [Andrew McDonald] and these guys have. So I’ve hung with it.”Harwood will face a six- to 12-month rehabilitation and he will be 36 by the time he is ready to play again. He has played 44 first-class games and has always been injury prone, which will only add to the hard decisions that he and Victoria will need to make over the next year.

With another day’s play left the game was evenly poised with Mumbai requiring another 193 runs to take the vital first-innings lead

Nagraj Gollapudi in Mumbai10-Dec-2009
Scorecard
Cometh the hour, cometh the man: Wasim Jaffer’s record 38th Ranji century lifted Mumbai’s spirits on day three•K Sivaraman

For the better half of this decade Wasim Jaffer has remained the bulwark of Mumbai’s batting. Today was no different for the Mumbai captain: he stood tall and calm to crack an effortless century that thwarted the challenge raised in the morning by Tamil Nadu’s bowling attack. With another day’s play left the game was evenly poised with Mumbai requiring another 193 runs to take the vital first-innings lead.At the end of the day if Mumbai could afford a nervous yet confident smile, it was because Jaffer, their most experienced batsman, was still agile and fresh despite a five-hour-long vigil. Jaffer arrived at the fall of Sahil Kukreja, the second wicket in the morning. At 72 for 2 Mumbai were staring at an uphill task but they had the best pair of batsmen at crease, two men who had on numerous occasions led rearguard actions in the past.Their first task was to thwart Tamil Nadu from making further dents after the visitors had got rid of the overnight opening combination of Praful Waghela and Kukreja, who played the wrong shots. Waghela failed to move his feet trying to drive L Balaji in front of square and offered a simple catch to Anirudh Srikkanth at point. Kukreja played away from his body against a straight delivery on the off stump from Yo Mahesh, and the faint edge went straight to the hands of the wicketkeeper K Sushil.This was the precursor to the most engaging battle of the day, between Ajinkya Rahane and the 16-year-old left-arm spinner Aushik Srinivas, who taunte and tormented the restless batsman with his loop and flight. Rahane is technically straight and likes to take charge immediately to gain the upper hand against the bowler. Having rolled his wrists to flick Balaji for his first four, Rahane steadily grew confident. Srinivas, who comes to the bowling crease with a lovely action full of rituals, understood his opponent’s attacking psyche, and so pulled his length a few inches back and gave the ball the right amount of loop to put a question in the batsman’s mind.Thus Rahane became indecisive. On 12 he stepped out and was beaten in the air, but Sushil fumbled collecting the ball and missed an easy stumping opportunity. Srinivas stood there without any emotions.In the second over after lunch Rahane tried to defend off the front foot but the ball bounced, surprised him, and took the leading edge. However, Murali Vijay at first slip failed to latch on. Rahane was on 22, and that was a turning point. “The left-armer was good and we had to be cautious,” he admitted after the day’s play.Jaffer had meanwhile taken charge at the other end. He had started with his trademark wristy flicks against Yo Mahesh, the second of which brought up Mumbai’s 100. Yo Mahesh committed the mistake of pitching on a driving length in his next over which Jaffer punched straight past mid-on’s left side for another four.He even neutered the danger of Srinivas. When the bowler challenged him with a flighted delivery, Jaffer just lunged forward to firmly push the ball past the huge divide between cover and mid-off for another four. By now Rahane had gained in confidence. As soon as Srinivas attacked with another flighted delivery he jumped out to hit it over the bowler’s head for his first six.
Srinivas was tired and replaced by Vijay with Abhinav Mukund, but Jaffer hit consecutive fours off the first two ball. Rahane ended the over with a straight drive that brought him his half-century.When Srinivas was brought from the opposite end Jaffer vaulted out of his crease to hit consecutive straight sixes off the first two balls, the first of which got him past the fifty mark. Here onwards both batsmen adopted a less attacking mode. Between overs 50 and 75 Rahane did not hit one boundary. He then raced into the nineties with five fours spread over five overs a half hour into the final session.After his double century, against Hyderabad in the previous game, Rahane looked set for another century when he faced Srinivas on 98. Srinivas once again resorted to his trusted weapon – flight. Rahane plunged forward to defend but the ball spun and took a faint edge on its way to the wicketkeeper. For one man it was heart rendering, for the other it was sheer jubilation.But Jaffer remained unaffected and brought up a record 38th Ranji hundred with a single. Just like S Badrinath had made the difference for Tamil Nadu on the first two days, Mumbai’s hopes now rest on Jaffer. He has been their talisman for long and the task is not beyond his reach.

Sri Lanka opener Tillakaratne Dilshan has been virtually ruled out of tomorrow’s game against India

Cricinfo staff04-Jan-2010Sri Lanka opener Tillakaratne Dilshan has been virtually ruled of tomorrow’s game against India because of a groin strain. He suffered the injury during his match-winning 104 in the opening fixture of the tri-nation tournament in Bangladesh, against the hosts.Sri Lanka entered the competition with a depleted team and have now been dealt a further blow with Dilshan’s injury. The injury came in the 34th over when Dilshan clipped Abdur Razzak to deep square-leg and turned for the second run. He pulled up in pain and it was revealed later that it was a groin injury.”We have had eight players injured in the last 60 playing days,” captain Kumar Sangakkara said. “It’s rather unfortunate, but we can do nothing about it. He [Dilshan] has pulled up an abductor muscle in the groin region. Hopefully, he can come back into the game at some point in the tournament. Hopefully, others will grab the chances.”Dilshan batted on with a runner to complete an assured century and guided Sri Lanka to a facile win. Dilshan, who scored ten centuries in 2009, has been the main batsman for Sri Lanka and they are likely to find it difficult to overcome his absence.In the recent past, Sri Lanka missed the services of Mahela Jayawardene, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dilhara Fernando, ThilanThushara, Angelo Mathews and Nuwan Kulasekara due to injuries at various points.

Australia wrapped up their 12th consecutive Test victory over Pakistan on the final afternoon in Hobart

The Bulletin by Brydon Coverdale at Bellerive Oval18-Jan-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe Australians were happy to get Sarfraz Ahmed as they moved closer to a 231-run win•Getty Images

Australia wrapped up their 12th consecutive Test victory over Pakistan on the final afternoon in Hobart, where Khurram Manzoor’s fighting half-century was not enough to salvage a draw for the visitors. Nathan Hauritz added to his growing reputation as Test bowler by picking up the key wicket of Manzoor and finished with three, while Peter Siddle also grabbed a trio of victims.Despite showers being forecast, the only sprinkling of rain came during the lunch break and it wasn’t enough to delay Australia’s charge to a series clean-sweep and a fifth Test win of the summer. Australia have now equalled the record for the most consecutive Test wins by any country over any other nation, matching the 12-game streak currently held by Sri Lanka over Bangladesh.The only slight concerns for Australia came during a 66-run seventh-wicket stand between Manzoor and Mohammad Aamer. Manzoor, who came in for this Test at No. 3, enhanced his chances of keeping his place in the side with a patient 77 from 239 deliveries that gave Pakistan, for the morning at least, a tiny sniff of saving the game.Manzoor showed impressive resolve for most of his innings but it didn’t hold, and soon after an injudicious swipe against Hauritz he slashed at a cut against the spinner and was caught behind. The rest of Pakistan’s resistance fell away and Hauritz had Umar Gul brilliantly caught at slip by Michael Clarke for a duck, before Mohammad Asif (0) was bowled by Mitchell Johnson.Hauritz finished with 3 for 30 and was comfortably the leading wicket-taker for the series, with 18 at 23.05. Siddle was also happy with his 3 for 25, which was his best return of a lean summer, and he wrapped up the victory with the second new ball when Danish Kaneria played on for 1.Pakistan’s victory target of 438 was not the issue for Australia, they simply needed to grab the remaining wickets while the weather held up. Showers had been tipped on the final day but the Tasmanian local Ricky Ponting, who was confident in his knowledge of the state’s weather, had his decision not to enforce the follow-on vindicated.Australia began the day impressively wth Shoaib Malik caught behind off Siddle for 19, after adding only one to his overnight score. That was the key breakthrough for Australia as it opened the way into Pakistan’s lower order, and the wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed finished his debut Test with a disappointing batting return when he was caught at slip off Hauritz for 5.Sarfraz departed in strange circumstances, when his edge clipped the gloves of Brad Haddin, went through the hands of Clarke and onto his boot before bouncing up for Clarke to complete the catch. If Pakistan had made their catches stick throughout the series it might have been a more enjoyable tour for them. Now they must wait until the two Tests in England in July to redeem themselves.