Calum MacLeod boosted Derbyshire in the battle of the winless teams but for Northants a miserable season refused to relent

ECB Reporters Network19-Jul-2018
ScorecardCalum MacLeod’s 58-ball century led Derbyshire to their first win in this season’s Vitality Blast with a 31-run win at Wantage Road that kept Northamptonshire winless from five matches.MacLeod’s second T20 hundred, with 12 fours and four sixes, saw Derbyshire rack up 211 for 2 – their joint-second highest T20 total – that was defended very easily after Lockie Ferguson removed Ben Duckett and Richard Levi in the Powerplay.MacLeod, the Glaswegian right-hander who was the scourge of England as they lost to Scotland in Edinburgh earlier this season, became the first Scotland player to hit an ODI hundred against England. This time he became just the third century-maker for Derbyshire in T20s after Greg Smith and Wes Durston. He finally fell for a career-best equalling 104, miscuing a drive to extra-cover.Northants skipper Alex Wakely said: “It’s a similar story for us, we’ve gone for 200 four times and you’re not going to win too many games doing that. We’re just not doing it out on the field, I’m not sure why, we’ve got bowlers who are good enough they’re just not executing and you can see how guys have got big runs against us.Talking T20 Podcast

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“But the nature of T20, sometimes you just have to say well played and Calum played brilliantly. They then had three guys bowling 85 mph plus, every ball was hip height and above and they made it very difficult for us.”MacLeod began by driving Rory Kleinveldt past cover point and then over backward point, before cutting and sweeping Josh Cobb for further boundaries.A viscous lofted cover-drive was parried for six by a diving Ben Sanderson before a steer past short-third man brought him four more en route to fifty in 33 balls.His hitting set a good platform at 136 for 1 after 14 overs and MacLeod then heaved Brett Hutton over extra-cover for six, turned a high full-toss over long leg for another maximum and slammed his 10th four past mid-off as 22 came from the over. Luke Procter was slapped wide of mid-on before a drive past point brought up MacLeod’s century.MacLeod shared a stand of 126 with Wayen Madsen – a record second-wicket stand for anyone against Northants. Madsen, as ever, played a clever innings with excellent running between the wickets.He reverse-swept Seekkuge Prasanna for his first boundary and twice steered fours past point before heaving Procter onto the pavilion balcony. A slower ball from Kleinveldt was driven past extra-cover and he reached a half-century in 32 balls in the final over that yielded 16.Derbyshire, having been sent in, scored 75 runs in the final six overs. But in the first six, they were given a bright start from Billy Godleman, playing his first T20 this season. He skipped down to the first ball of the innings to lift Sanderson for four before hoisting Hutton for six over long-on. He pulled Kleinveldt for two fours but having got to 29, drove Procter to deep cover.The Northants chase never got into gear. Ferguson, introduced in the third over, produced a spell to put the game beyond doubt. He removed Duckett first ball with one that nipped away, took the edge and was wonderfully held down low at first slip by MacLeod, before a spearing yorker cannoned Levi’s off stump.Kyle Coetzer, playing his first match for Northants since 2015, went to uppercut Hardus Viljoen and was caught at short-third man for a fourth-ball duck as the Powerplay ended at 48 for 3. Cobb was then caught at extra-cover trying to drive Alex Hughes’ first delivery and the same bowler got a slower ball through Alex Wakely to bowl him for 10. Hughes finished with 4 for 42 – his final over being struck for 22.It was part of a brief flurry from Kleinveldt, who blasted four sixes in his 36 from 14 balls. He and Prasanna, with 29 in 14 balls, kept the home support entertained but the lower order were left with far too much to do.

Paul Mullin is playing through pain at Wrexham, with Phil Parkinson revealing that the Red Dragons’ star striker has an “injection” booked in.

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• Pre-season injury delayed start to campaign
• Has been among the goals again of late
• Nursing niggling muscular problem

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 29-year-old frontman missed the start of the 2023-24 campaign after suffering a punctured lung in pre-season. He has been working his way back to peak form and fitness since then, with the odd spell being taken in among the substitutes.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Mullin was back on the hat-trick trail last time out, in a 4-0 demolition of Accrington Stanley, and has taken his goal tally to 16 for the season and 95 in total for the Red Dragons. He is, however, still having to contend with niggling injury issues.

• WHAT PARKINSON SAID ABOUT MULLIN

  Wrexham boss Parkinson has said of Mullin having to manage a muscle complaint that will require medical attention: “He has also been playing with a problem with his hamstring. He is going to have an injection this week in his back. But he never moans about it, he carries on and never misses training with it, but it is something we have had to wait for this free week to get resolved. What Mulls has done here in terms of his goal ratio is extraordinary; there is going to be a period where it doesn't go his way and we have been able to rest him a few games to keep him fresh, [against Accrington] he was on a different level at times.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MULLIN?

  Mullin signed a new contract on New Year’s Day that is due to keep him at SToK Racecourse until the summer of 2027. He may have taken in more promotion celebrations by the time that deal comes to a close, with Wrexham currently occupying a top-three standing in the League Two table as Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney seek to deliver on Premier League ambition.

Gary O'Neil is doing a tremendous job at Wolverhampton Wanderers given he inherited a squad that was significantly weakened this summer as the club had to asset strip to comply with Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.

With the sales of star talents Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes, in particular, expected to contribute to their plight, the Old Gold have fought back in the face of adversity by beating Manchester City and registering a point against rivals Aston Villa.

While an upturn in form has done wonders to lift the mood around Molineux, Wolves can still be punished for their lack of astute business and non-existent planning in the transfer window as years of overspending on underwhelming talent is coming back to bite them.

Although a bleak outlook on their transfer business is a present reality, their exceptional transfer window following their promotion in 2018 suggests the club are capable of being meticulous and accurate with their recruitment.

In what will go down as one of their greatest-ever windows, Wolves brought in the likes of Rui Patricio, Will Boly, Jonny Otto, Joao Moutinho, Diogo Jota and Raul Jimenez, a sextet that played a major role in their rise to Europa League stardom.

Wolves' most expensive transfers in 2018

Player

Transfer fee

Jonny Otto (Atletico Madrid)

(£18m)

Adama Traore (Middlesbrough)

(£17.3m)

Rui Patricio (Sporting CP)

(£15.5m)

Diogo Jota (Atletico Madrid)

(£12.1m)

Willy Boly (FC Porto)

£10.3m)

Benik Afobe (Bournemouth)

£9.8m

All fees sourced via FootballTransfers

Remarkably, Nuno Espirito Santo could have added another quality star that summer if he had managed to prize Oleksandr Zinchenko away from Manchester City.

Did Wolves come close to signing Oleksandr Zinchenko?

On their return to the Premier League, Wolves were splashing the cash presented to them by wealthy Chinese owners Fosun to ensure their impact in the top flight was an instant one.

The high level of talent they were eyeing up was unheard of from a newly-promoted side, outlining their ambitions to be more than just relegation strugglers by attempting to break their transfer record to sign Zinchenko for £16m, as per Sky Sports.

Despite being given the go-ahead by manager Pep Guardiola to finalise the deal, it was reported that Zinchenko wanted to stay in Manchester and fight for his place.

Indeed, the Ukraine international declined the opportunity to have a medical at Wolves and instead became a fan favourite at the Etihad as he helped the Citizens to four Premier League titles and four Carabao Cup triumphs.

He left the serial winners to join the title challengers in the summer of 2022, linking up with his former assistant manager Mikel Arteta in a £32m move to Arsenal.

How good is Oleksandr Zinchenko now?

Described by Guardiola as "incredible" after becoming one of the unsung heroes in City's title-winning machine, Zinchenko made 128 appearances at the Etihad across five years, showcasing why Wolves were desperate to capture him in 2018.

A deep-lying playmaker for his country and a sensational attacking full-back for his club, the 26-year-old has combined both of those roles to devastating effect at Arsenal, showcasing his importance in the Gunners' build-up phase.

While his fearlessness and technical guile helped Man City hoover up silverware, it is now helping transform Arteta's side, being deployed in a central role as a left back rather than a supporting one.

Zinchenko tucks into midfield when Arsenal are attacking, smothering opponents and picking them apart with his astute passing range.

It is those technical attributes that saw Kyle Walker label him in City's top three best players technically while Guardiola praised him for the intelligence required to play that role, saying: "He is so, so smart."

Zinchenko is quintessentially a playmaker from left back and this is demonstrated by how highly he compares against his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues, ranking in the top 1% for progressive passes, top 4% for pass completion, top 5% for passes into the penalty area and carries into the final third in the past year, via FBref.

For comparison, Wolves' current starting left Rayan Ait-Nouri possesses nowhere near the same technical qualities as the Ukraine international, falling significantly lower for pass completion (top 40%), progressive passes (top 52%) and passes into the penalty area (top 87%).

In terms of being an exceptional ball-carrier, capable of driving O'Neil's side up the field, the Frenchman is certainly that, finishing within the top 3% for successful take-ons, top 13% for fouls drawn and top 20% for carries into the penalty area, however, with the signing of Zinchenko, the Old Gold would have seen their attacking output down the left flank skyrocket.

Wongpaka Liengprasert picks up five wickets and then keeps composure with Thailand needing six off the final over to seal a last-ball win

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jun-2018
ScorecardACC

Already, the 2018 Women’s Asia Cup T20 has thrown up a number of surprises. If Bangladesh, coached by former India wicketkeeper Anju Jain, beating India for the first time was huge, Thailand’s victory over Sri Lanka may herald a new lease of life to women’s cricket in the country. Their four-wicket win off the last ball in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday was their first ever against a Full Member, the result all the more incredible because Thailand don’t even have international status yet and because they were, incidentally, coached by a Sri Lankan, Janak Gamage.Offspinner Wongpaka Liengprasert justified the captain’s call to bowl first by taking 5 for 12 as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 104, of which openers Yasoda Mendis and Anushka Sanjeewani made 54. Eight others recorded single-digit scores in an innings that featured three stumpings and three run-outs. The only other notable contribution came from Oshadi Ranasinghe, who was unbeaten on 20.Liengprasert picked up her first three wickets in successive overs – the 10th, 12th and 14th of the innings. She then removed top scorer Sanjeewani for 32 in the 17th to reduce Sri Lanka to 93 for 7. Sornnarin Tippoch picked up the two other wickets to fall.In three previously completed innings in the tournament, Thailand hadn’t scored more than the 67 for 8 they made in the tournament opener against Pakistan. So to chase down 105 against the four-time runners up was always going to be a tall order.But they started well. The openers put on 43 runs in 7.5 overs, and another 34 were added for the second wicket. When Naruemol Chaiwai fell after updating her top score in the tournament from 20 not out to 43, Thailand were 77 for 2. For most sides, this may have been a cruise, but for an inexperienced outfit not exposed to top-flight cricket, needing 28 off 29 balls, even with eight wickets in hand, wasn’t going to be straightforward.Another wicket fell four deliveries later, in the 16th over, to turn this into a battle of nerves. Nattaya Boochatham, the No. 3, batted till the penultimate over to make 19, before being dismissed.With Thailand needing six off the final over, they lost the wicket of Tippoch, but weren’t going to be denied. Liengprasert, who did all the damage with the ball, kept her composure to make a crucial 13 off 9 balls to clinch a famous win.

Arsenal have taken great pride in their Hale End academy throughout the years.

It was, of course, a notable hunting ground for Arsene Wenger during his triumphant years in the capital. Think Tony Adams, who had already graduated when the Frenchman arrived, think Jack Wilshere, think Hector Bellerin too.

Truth be told, no one quite expected such a reliance on it once Wenger departed the Emirates. Unai Emery was the man to hand Bukayo Saka a first-team debut but it's under Mikel Arteta where England's Player of the Year for two seasons running has become the poster boy of this great club.

Eddie Nketiah has taken on Thierry Henry's iconic number 14 shirt, Emile Smith Rowe has the number 10 and a certain Folarin Balogun has even been sold for £35m. It's safe to say Hale End has never been brimming with more talent than it has in the last five years or so.

How many goals has Saka scored for Arsenal?

The 22-year-old's first goal for the Gunners came in typical fashion. You don't need two guesses to work out how.

Playing in the Europa League under Emery's reign, Saka took the ball on the right-hand side and drove infield before curling the ball beyond the goalkeeper from the edge of the box.

It's a finish now synonymous with the young winger. Just think of that fizzing drive against Nottingham Forest on the opening weekend of the current season, or his delicious curling effort against Manchester United from range last term.

There's an Arjen Robben vibe to it, although Saka is now doing his best to surpass the great Dutchman's legacy in the game.

Since that moment as an 18-year-old against Eintracht Frankfurt, the England star has only gone from strength to strength.

He was named in the PFA Team of the Season for 2022/23, won the PFA Young Player of the Season and is now a Ballon d'Or nominee having crashed home 43 goals and 45 assists in 189 first-team matches. The consistency at which he both creates for his teammates and finds the net himself is extraordinary.

Yet, he's not the only winger from the Arsenal academy to produce similarly excellent numbers. Step forward, Serge Gnabry.

What did Serge Gnabry achieve at Arsenal?

The German's senior debut for the Gunners came 11 years ago now, in September 2012 as Wenger handed him his bow against Coventry City in the League Cup. Less than a month later, he would make his league debut, becoming the second youngest Arsenal player to do so at 17 since Jack Wilshere.

Gnabry may not have found the net that on either day but his career since has been a remarkable one having moved to London for just £100k.

He had to wait a year later to score his first in Arsenal colours, finding the net against Swansea City in a 2-1 win. It was a landmark moment and one that set the tone for the rest of his time in football.

Despite never achieving too many regular starts, the attacker impressed with his exciting performances, although left the club with only a solitary goal and two assists to his name at senior level.

Why did Gnabry leave Arsenal?

The Germany international eventually left in an £8m deal to Werder Bremen in 2016, citing his lack of opportunities.

In an interview after departing, he said: "I was still confident I could've got in the team but I didn’t want to wait. I didn't want to be fourth or fifth choice any longer.

"It was the hardest decision I had to make in football, leaving a club like Arsenal – the fans, the players – but to keep playing I had to take a step back and it was the right decision."

Where is Serge Gnabry now?

After leaving north London, the 28-year-old's career has been remarkable. Now capped 43 times with Germany, the winger has taken the Bundesliga and continental football by storm.

At Werder Bremen, he only played 27 times but scored 11 and assisted two before inevitably joining Bayern Munich.

He enjoyed a successful loan spell away from Bavaria at Hoffenheim where he netted ten and assisted seven during 26 appearances before returning to Munich with a point to prove.

Since becoming a permanent member of the Bayern squad, Gnabry has been simply sensational. He once scored four goals against Tottenham in an enthralling 7-2 Champions League win for the Bundesliga side, a night that no doubt Arsenal fans revelled in.

Those are just four of 15 Champions League goals, while the exciting flanker has also registered an enormous 60 Bundesliga strikes for his current employers.

How does Saka compare to Gnabry?

It would feel rude to compare his fortunes to Saka's, but that's what we're going to do anyway.

Games

224

189

Goals

82

43

Assists

51

45

Transfer value

£48m

£104m

Data via Transfermarkt.

Of course, Saka's breakthrough has come later and it would not be a surprise if he goes on to usurp Gnabry's fortunes but even last term, the latter outperformed Arsenal's current world-beater.

Indeed, in 2022/23, the England wide man found the net on 15 occasions while registering 11 assists in 48 appearances. As for Gnabry, he posted 17 goals and 12 assists in 47 outings.

Arsenal may well have great regrets about letting the German talent leave during the final years of Wenger's reign. He has, after all, scored 103 goals since, but Saka's emergence on the scene has certainly helped them watch on from afar knowing it wasn't a total disaster to cash in.

Fabrizio Romano says a "big name" player is "absolutely ready" to leave his club as Arsenal target him for manager Mikel Arteta.

Who will Arsenal sign in 2024?

The north Londoners, despite links to other transfer targets like Royal Antwerp's Arthur Vermeeren and Club Brugge forward Andreas Skov Olsen this week, are widely tipped with potentially signing the likes of Brentford star Ivan Toney or Wolves winger Pedro Neto. The former, who scored 20 league goals for the Bees last season prior to his gambling ban, looks set to be one of England's hottest transfer commodities in the new year. He returns to action on January 17, and given his excellent past form under Thomas Frank, it's little surprise big clubs like Arsenal are circling.

Neto, meanwhile, has been dazzling under manager Gary O'Neil this season; scoring one goal and assisting five others already after coming back from a serious injury. This has prompted some rumours that the Portuguese could come as an alternative to Bukayo Saka on that side. Whichever position Arteta decides to shore up, there are many calls for Arsenal to bring in a centre-forward and proven goalscorer.

Ivan Toney transfer update

Going back to Brentford's star man, respected transfer journalist Romano now has a Toney transfer update as he gears up for a move away from west London. According to this reporter, writing on his Daily Briefing, the 27-year-old "big name" is "absolutely ready" to leave in the new year – which could come as a boost for Arsenal as they keep tabs on his situation alongside English capital rivals Chelsea.

"He’s another big name to watch for January," wrote Romano.

"Arsenal and Chelsea are informed on Toney’s situation, they know his situation very well and that he’s ready to make a top club move in January. It will depend on how much these clubs want to spend, because Toney will likely cost at least £60-65m to sign from Brentford. Let’s see if Chelsea decide to attack the situation, or if Arsenal go for him.

"In any case, Toney is absolutely ready to leave Brentford."

We believe the striker would be an ideal fit to bolster Arteta's forward line, especially considering his already-proven Premier League experience and the fact he could cost just £60 million. In this day and age, that kind of fee for a 20-goal-per-season forward is arguably bargain material.

His manager has also called Toney an "amazing" and "remarkable" player, saying this on his star man earlier in the year.

“Ivan is amazing in many, many aspects,” Frank told Brentford's official website.

“The way he copes with pressure and distractions is amazing. He’s been scoring goals, performing for the team and driving the team. He’s remarkable.

“I can only talk about the Ivan that I see every day around the place and he’s a fantastic person around the group. He’s got that unique emotional intelligence to be aware of all the players, and every staff member."

Manchester United have had a plethora of talented players on their books throughout their 145-year history, but some of those have slipped through the net, and perhaps departed the club far too soon.

Football FanCast has taken a look at 10 players Manchester United should never have sold.

10 Angel Gomes to Lille – Free (2020)

Letting Angel Gomes – a highly-talented England Under-21 international – depart on a free transfer looks like a huge mistake from United.

Gomes has been an integral part of Lille's side since joining up with their first team in the summer of 2021 following a successful season-long loan spell with Portuguese top-flight outfit Boavista, and at just 23 years old, he has plenty of time to improve.

His performances for England at the Under-21 European Championship this summer were further evidence that United made an error in letting him go, as he displayed countless midfield masterclasses en route to winning the illustrious youth-level competition.

What's worse is that United are in desperate need of a deep-lying playmaker – the role Gomes operates in – and could do with someone of his profile to partner Casemiro at the base of the midfield.

Erik ten Hag would surely have loved to have him at his disposal…

9 Memphis Depay to Lyon – £13.8m (2017)

Memphis Depay very much feels like a 'right player, wrong time' kind of transfer, which is often the term United fans would use to describe his tenure at Old Trafford.

The Dutch forward made a £31m switch to Manchester in 2015 as a 21-year-old following a 28-goal season with PSV, but he failed to replicate the heights displayed in the Eredivisie and with his national team.

He netted a respectable seven goals in his debut season at United and provided nine assists, which certainly isn't a bad return, particularly given his age.

The following season, Memphis barely got a look-in under the stewardship of Jose Mourinho, who sold the Dutchman in January 2017, ending a short 18-month career at United.

Since departing, he's flourished at Lyon, where he scored 76 goals and provided 55 assists across 178 appearances before joining La Liga giants Barcelona in 2021.

Memphis is now plying his trade with Atletico Madrid.

8 Darren Fletcher to West Brom – Free (2015)

Darren Fletcher was one of Sir Alex Ferguson's most reliable and consistent players. The Scotland international won five Premier League titles during his career at United, evincing his capabilities as a top-level title-winning midfielder.

But an illness limited his playing time and he fell down the pecking order during Louis van Gaal's reign before departing on a free transfer to West Bromwich Albion in the 2015 January window.

Fletcher went on to make 91 consecutive Premier League appearances and became a consistent performer once again – something United perhaps needed at that time.

So Van Gaal may have ultimately regretted the decision to allow him to leave.

7 Ander Herrera to PSG – Free (2019)

Ander Herrera was a passionate five-year servant for Manchester United and a fan favourite because of it. The Spaniard won the club's prestigious Player of the Year award in 2017 but was not offered a contract extension that summer, and departed Old Trafford on a free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in 2019.

In an interview with The Telegraph just over a year after his United exit, Herrera admitted he never wanted to leave: "My intention was not to leave the club and I was happy there – as happy as I am now here. It was not a secret.

"I was negotiating for more than one year but I expected more from the board after my third season at the club when I was player of the year.

"They didn’t come to me that summer; they didn’t even call me. And that was very painful for me because I had a feeling that I was giving everything."

The midfielder went on to make just under a century of appearances for the Parisians, winning two league titles and five domestic cups as well as starting the 2020 Champions League final.

6 Jonny Evans to West Brom – £7.2m (2015)

Jonny Evans departed United for West Bromwich Albion in the summer of 2015, and within two years at The Hawthorns, the centre-back was subject of a £20m bid from Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola was at the forefront of City's interest and had targeted the Northern Irishman himself, which is about as high praise as you can get given the Spaniard's exceptional record.

Evans was also the centre of interest from Arsenal the previous summer, but the West Midlands club held firm in their desire to keep him.

Leicester City managed to sign the defender in 2018 for just £3.5m after they triggered his relegation release clause, and he again proved his worth with the Foxes, making 152 appearances across one of the club's most successful periods.

He was an integral part of Leicester's FA Cup triumph and back-to-back fifth-place finishes. So perhaps the eight years that followed his United exit provided the club with good reason to rue their decision in 2015.

Evans is now back with the Red Devils, aged 35, having penned a one-year deal earlier this month.

5 Patrice Evra to Juventus – £1.6m (2014)

When United let 33-year-old left-back Patrice Evra depart in the summer of 2014 to Juventus, it certainly wouldn't have struck fans as a transfer blunder.

But Evra displayed that there was plenty of life in the old dog yet, as he went on to win two Serie A and Coppa Italia titles whilst starting in the 2015 Champions League final for the Turin titans.

He also played every minute of every game for France at Euro 2016, helping his nation reach the final before suffering a heartbreaking defeat to Portugal.

The defender clearly still had the legs to play a pivotal role at Old Trafford and could've helped 18-year-old Luke Shaw adapt when he arrived from Southampton that same summer.

Though, it's important to note that his exit was down to family reasons, rather than United forcing him out the door prematurely.

On his United departure, Evra spoke to Tuttosport, via the Mirror: “My wife found it difficult to live in Manchester, I made a decision that wasn't mine."

4 Wilfried Zaha to Crystal Palace – £3.3m (2014)

Wilfried Zaha has been an electrifying top-flight winger ever since his 2014 United exit and was the subject of a mega-money bid from Arsenal in 2019.

The fleet-footed, skilful forward made a whopping 458 appearances across his two spells for Palace, scoring 90 goals whilst laying on 76 assists, so it's fair to say he didn't do too badly following his departure from the Red Devils…

He now plays his football in Turkey with Süper Lig giants Galatasaray, who have signed numerous high-profile players this summer, such as Mauro Icardi, Hakim Ziyech and Tanguy Ndombele, to name a few.

Perhaps United could've done with Zaha over the years, having bought several failed wingers to the club for sizeable fees.

3 Gerard Piqué to Barcelona – £4.3m (2008)

Gerard Piqué left Barcelona in favour of a move to Manchester United as a 17-year-old, but during his four-year stay, he never managed to gain consistent playing time.

The Spanish centre-back made just 23 appearances for the club before Barca re-signed him in 2008, and as they say, the rest is history.

Piqué enjoyed a trophy-laden 15-year spell at the Catalan giants and became one of the best centre-backs in the world for a number of years.

What could have been…

2 Jaap Stam to Lazio – £16.5m (2001)

Jaap Stam won three consecutive Premier League titles at Manchester United and was an integral part of the 1999 treble-winning campaign.

But his Old Trafford career came to an abrupt end when he was controversially sold to Lazio in the summer of 2001 due to a bust-up with Sir Alex Ferguson.

The United boss was reportedly upset about the allegations Stam had made in his autobiography, Head to Head, about the club. Both Sir Alex and Stam deny the book had anything to do with his exit and the Scotsman later confirmed the move was fuelled by Lazio's colossal offer.

"At the time, he had just come back from an Achilles injury and we thought he had just lost a little bit. We got the offer from Lazio – £16.5m for a centre-back that was 29. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse. But in playing terms, it was a mistake," said Sir Alex.

Nevertheless, regardless of how Stam's departure came about, it was certainly a ruthless end to a trophy-littered three-year stint at the club, with the Red Devils relinquishing their league title that season.

1 Paul Pogba to Juventus – Free (2012)

Probably the most high-profile transfer blunder United have made is… Paul Pogba, who left the club on a free to Juventus in 2012 before re-signing him four years later for a world-record transfer fee worth £93.2m.

What's worse is that the midfielder would leave Old Trafford for free once more last year, despite the eyewatering amount of cash outlaid to sign him in 2016.

But it was his first exit that left the club rueing their decision to let him slip from their grasp, as he quickly emerged as one of the world's best midfielders at Juve and was shortlisted for the 2015 Ballon d'Or, further evincing his world-class ability.

During his initial four years away from United, the Frenchman won four successive Serie A titles and five domestic cups whilst starring in the Champions League, helping his side reach the final in 2015.

Though, it must be noted that United did offer Pogba a new deal prior to his initial exit. The France international told Man United's podcast why he departed in 2012: "It was a very difficult decision for me, with the manager as well and everything with the contract.

"It wasn’t the contract but more like the trust with the manager. Obviously, the manager, for me, is still the best manager in history.

"When they asked me to sign the contract, if I didn’t sign, a lot of things happened. I didn’t train, I went back to training by myself and stuff like this.

"It made me a bit angry and was nothing about the money. It’s just about you’re a player, we believe in you, you believe in you and, me, I just want to play football. That is all I want. I want to play."

Dwight Yorke has advised Manchester United to sign Romelu Lukaku on loan in the summer, due to a "priceless" quality he possesses.

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Lukaku currently on loan at Roma Enjoying prolific spell in Serie AYorke advises United to re-sign BelgianWHAT HAPPENED?

Lukaku is on loan at Roma from Chelsea and the Serie A club do not have a purchase option, meaning he is currently set to return to Stamford Bridge at the end of the season. Yorke, though, has urged United to strike a deal to bring the Belgium international back, having had him under their employment between 2017 and 2019, as a more senior alternative to Rasmus Hojlund, who has scored seven Premier League goals this term.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT YORKE SAID

Yorke believes United could "compete with the best" if they secure Lukaku's signature again, as he told OLBG: “Romelu Lukaku is absolutely still good enough to play for a top-six club. I think Man Utd or Tottenham should take Lukaku on a short-term loan deal and agree to pay a certain amount of his wages. As much as people say about Lukaku, he has a very impressive goalscoring record and he doesn't get as much credit as he deserves.

"If you have a fired-up Lukaku who wants to play for you, he's a match-winner and a handful for any opponent in the world. Man United have invested heavily in Rasmus Hojlund, but if you want to compete with the best then Lukaku is that player who can score 15 to 20 goals in a season, which is priceless and hard to find in today's game. Lukaku is still only 30 years old and a proven goalscorer, I think whoever gets him on a short loan deal will have done good and subtle business."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Lukaku has been in strong form since joining Roma and has scored 18 goals in 36 games in all competitions this season. During his time with United, he scored 42 goals in 96 games, but was sold to Inter Milan in 2019 for a fee of £73 million ($93m).

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

Lukaku will next be in action for Roma against Brighton in the Europa League on Thursday. Manchester United's next fixture comes against Liverpool in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on Sunday.

Crystal Palace have stapled themselves into the fabric of the Premier League since their promotion a decade ago, surviving in the top flight by recruiting astutely for youngsters while their factory-like production of star-studded talent has saved the club millions.

Two clear examples of their ability to churn out talent is the emergence of Gareth Southgate and Aaron Wan-Bissaka in South London, although their impact for the Eagles is blown out water by departing Palace legend Wilfried Zaha, who left an untouchable legacy behind having made 458 appearances across an 18-year association.

Naturally, discovering the next young talent, whether that's through meticulously cherry-picking from their academy or scouring leagues across the world, hasn't always been plain sailing for the Eagles.

The London-based outfit have been linked with interest in a number of talented gems over the years, only to watch their stock and value soar with another club.

One example of this is Alphonso Davies, with the Canadian rising to stardom as one of the best left-backs in the world since slipping through the Eagles' grasp in 2016.

Did Crystal Palace almost sign Alphonso Davies?

Bayern Munich may have snapped up Alphonso Davies from Vancouver Whitecaps in 2019, however, GOAL once reported that Crystal Palace came very close to signing him three years earlier.

While this seems extraordinary now, the 22-year-old was brought to the attention of Palace chairman Steve Parish after receiving a tip from his sister but their deal to sign him fell at the final hurdle as Davies failed his work permit.

He told Suddeutsche Zeitung: "When he was 15, 16 in a football school in Edmonton, where my sister lives, she recommended him to me.

"We flew to Canada especially to see the player. We wanted to sign him, but once again we couldn't get a work permit in England!

"True story! I still have all the mails. I'm sure he would have been interested in coming to us – and we were very early!"

Palace showcased their sharp eye for talent by being the first to discover Davies and since his breakthrough at the Allianz Arena, the Canadian has made Parish curse the time that the work permit stood in their way of capturing the sensational youngster who continues to put in stunning performances on the domestic and European stage.

How good is Alphonso Davies?

Davies exploded onto the scene at Bayern in 2019 and instantly showcased his explosive attributes, eating up ground with his electrifying pace and tremendous athleticism while showcasing composure with his end product, becoming a vital cog in the final third.

In 162 appearances for the club he's recorded 28 assists – output that not many of his positional peers can match across Europe – and this season he's threatening to have his best one yet.

Since arriving in Munich, the most assists that Davies managed in a single Bundesliga campaign was four but in six appearances this term, the left-back has already notched up three, refining his tools in advanced areas of the pitch under Thomas Tuchel.

Lauded by teammate Joshua Kimmich as "unbelievable" after the Canadian starred in their 8-2 thrashing of Barcelona in 2020, pocketing Lionel Messi and shining further forward, the 6-foot machine has since developed into an unstoppable force down the left flank in Bavaria, and when comparing his defensive and attacking metrics to his fellow positional peers across Europe's top five leagues, he's on another planet.

In the past year, Davies ranks within the top 1% for ball recoveries, carries into the penalty area and successful take-ons, top 2% for progressive carries, top 4% for assists and 12% for progressive passes record, as per FBref. It is hardly a surprise, therefore, that he has been valued at a mighty £70m by CIES Football Observatory.

Davies is, quite simply, outstanding in every department and a joy to watch when he carries the ball forward in a perpetual motion, breezing past defenders with his searing pace and supplying the icing on top of the cake with a delightful piece of quality.

While Crystal Palace have seen some great left-backs star at the club in recent times, including Patrick van Aanholt and Tyrick Mitchell, none can come close to what Davies has achieved in world football, winning five Bundesliga titles, two German cups and a Champions League, with the Eagles forever ruing that work permit.

ScorecardSurrey routed Somerset by an innings with more than four sessions to spare to replace them at the Specsavers County Championship table.Jade Dernbach and Morne Morkel shared eight wickets as Somerset, who had followed on 279 runs behind, were bowled out for 210 in 61.2 overs to hand Surrey victory by an innings and 68 runs.Only James Hildreth, who finished unbeaten on 89, offered prolonged resistance to a rampant Surrey seam attack. It is the first time since 1958 that Surrey have won three games in succession by an innings and they went on to win the Championship that season as well.The odds on a first title since 2002, which was when Surrey last won at Guildford, will have shortened after this impressive performance.They set victory by taking five wickets in the first hour as Somerset, who resumed on 18 for 0, lurched to 69 for 5.Morkel made the breakthrough with his first ball of the day, trapping Matt Renshaw lbw half forward for two. Dernbach then picked up the first of two wickets in his opening spell when George Bartlett drove loosely and was caught behind.Ed Byrom could only fend off the next delivery – a well-directed bouncer from Morkel – to short leg then Dernbach pinned Tom Abell deep in his crease.Rikki Clarke had Steve Davies held in the gully at which point Somerset had lost five wickets for 51 runs before Hildreth and Lewis Gregory dug in, either side of lunch.They added 62 runs to raise Somerset hopes of a fightback before another well-directed short ball from Morkel broke the stand as Gregory edged low to Clarke at slip.Dom Bess played down the wrong line and lost his off stump to Clarke but Josh Davey gave Hildreth good support in an eighth wicket stand of 62 although Davey rode his luck. Surrey were convinced he had been caught behind before he had got into single figures and he was dropped on 19 by Scott Borthwick at second slip.Hildreth pulled offspinner Amar Virdi, who was being watched by England’s chief selector Ed Smith, into the adjoining road for six and coped well with Morkel’s pace but he ran out of partners. Davey eventually gloved another good lifter, this time from Dernbach, to wicketkeeper Ollie Pope and Tim Groenewald played on for a second-ball duck.Morkel applied the final touch when Max Waller, batting as concussion replacement for Jack Leach, who had been struck on the helmet by the South African on the second day, edged another bumper to Pope.Hildreth hit 13 fours and faced 127 balls but lacked support against a Surrey side who look well equipped to end their long wait for the title on this evidence.