Arsenal possess a rich and lengthy history boasting some of the Premier League’s finest talent, but when so many stars enter the illustrious Emirates, there are bound to be a few that slip through the net.

After all, who could forget that Harry Kane, Tottenham Hotspur’s all-time leading scorer and the man who just earned his former employers a cool £100m, was initially a product of the Hale End academy.

“He was a bit chubby and not very athletic,” former Gunners scout Liam Brady would once recall.

Given he has since scored 213 goals in the English top flight, whilst also breaking Wayne Rooney’s record for most England goals, it is fair to say that he got this one wrong.

The 30-year-old marks an outstanding example of how easy it is to write off players as youngsters, perhaps opting for proven senior starters with far less of a ceiling.

Whilst obviously on a far smaller scale, perhaps the same could be said for Chuba Akpom, who too struggled for opportunities in north London, but has since built an impressive career since departing.

How long did Akpom spend at Arsenal?

Having joined up with the academy in 2002, the 6-foot forward was seldom afforded any first-team opportunities under Arsene Wenger despite his stunning numbers within the youth squads.

After all, 33 goals in 50 games for the U21s marked a fine return, but in the end would only merit a meagre 12 senior appearances.

Such a lack of opportunity likely came due to the numerous loan moves the 27-year-old would endure, with his services touted out seemingly every season, never to return to the Emirates for a chance under the legendary Frenchman.

Frustration was understandable, with temporary spells at Brentford, Coventry City, Nottingham Forest, Hull City, Brighton and Hove Albion and Belgian outfit Sint-Truiden all building towards a permanent exit were he not to command a starting spot.

Admittedly, he would score a total of just 13 goals across all of those loans, and had done little to earn Wenger’s approval to start in the most challenging division in the world.

Where is Chuba Akpom now?

Greece would mark the next stop on his journey, enjoying a brief spell at PAOK in 2018 before a blistering return to England kickstarted a career that had promised much but was yet to deliver.

A fine tally of 34 goals in 82 appearances, including 28 in last year’s Championship campaign, helped push Middlesbrough towards the most unlikely of promotion charges, coming so close under Michael Carrick.

Akpom would speak about the former Manchester United midfielder in glowing terms, labelling him as the man who finally unlocked his potential: “He’s the manager I’ve been dreaming of my whole career. Honestly, he’s a pleasure to work with, I go out there and give 110% and I want to fight for the manager because he’s showed so much trust in me.”

Then, with one strike back in March, Sky Sports commentator Gary Weaver boldly dubbed him “the new goalscoring King of Teeside”.

Off the back of such form, European giants Ajax would come calling, where the marksman now plies his trade.

A true fairytale story that has seen a down-and-out dud realign his ambitions, such a rise could provoke a pang of regret from Arsenal, who allowed the clinical ace to leave without testing him at the elite level.

How much was Chuba Akpom worth at Arsenal?

Given the lack of opportunity afforded to Akpom, it was always unlikely that the rest of the footballing world would be aware of the potential lying within the pacey frontman.

As such, Transfermarkt would only value the Englishman at a tiny €1m (£869k), making his potential acquisition for another club a shrewd one.

With PAOK being the unlikely profiteers of this lack of interest, a return to England always felt likely given the numerous chances he had across all those aforementioned clubs.

How much did Ajax sign Chuba Akpom for?

When Akpom did depart north London, few would have predicted a career that led to him returning to the apex of European football elsewhere.

He seemed lost, and the Greek top flight hardly seemed the place to recapture what made him so special at academy level.

However, now a big-money acquisition of the Dutch side, they brought him in during the summer just gone for a sizable fee of £12.2m. The expectation seems to be that as he enters those prime years, the powerful striker can continue the growth that has led to such a rapid rise back to the top.

What is Chuba Akpom’s market value now?

To truly outline the growth enjoyed throughout that period since departing the Emirates, it is worth noting how Transfermarkt now values the Ajax ace.

After all, despite that aforementioned price tag, their latest valuation only sits at €12m (£10.4m), which is a figure certainly set to rise should such form continue in the Netherlands capital.

2023

€12m (£10.4m)

333% increase

2022

€2.8m (£2.4m)

11% decrease

2021

€3.2m (£2.7m)

35% increase

2020

€2.4m (£2m)

53% increase

2019

€1.5m (£1.3m)

N/A

However, when comparing that initial £868k with the fee Ajax paid to sign Akpom, since leaving Arsenal his value has actually soared by 1305%, as if the pain of seeing him score for fun at the Riverside was not tough enough.

Why is Chuba Akpom worth that much?

Whilst the wonderful story that led to Akpom’s recent move is enough to merit the price tag Middlesbrough set, the glowing testimony of his managers and former teammates helps to emphasise that notion.

After all, Carrick has been a vocal leader in earmarking the £27k-per-week star for praise, claiming in March: “It's not easy to score that many goals. He's scored all different type of goals for us since I've been here. I thought his performance was fantastic.

"He gets credit for his goals but his performance all round was terrific. And because we have threats in different areas, he ends up getting a bit more space. To score that many goals, hopefully he can carry on and set a new target for himself.”



Given how Boro have started the new term, with just one win in their opening eight league fixtures, it is clear the impact that the striker had, and just how big a vacancy his exit left.

Akpom will hope to find that scoring touch once again for an Ajax side in turmoil at the moment, with his lethal nature potentially the catalyst to bring the club together once more and reclaim their monopoly over Dutch football.

Manchester United have once again spent millions during the summer transfer window as Erik ten Hag looks to build a team which could go toe to toe with Manchester City and Arsenal at the top of the Premier League.

It remains to be seen whether the big money arrivals of Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount and Andre Onana will prove to be worth their vast transfer fees, or if they will turn into expensive flops.

The Old Trafford side has a rich history of luring talented players to the club for massively inflated fees, only to see some either under perform during their spell in Manchester or be sold on for a major loss.

Fred is a recent example. The Brazilian midfielder was signed by Jose Mourinho in 2018 for a fee in the region of £52m from Shakhtar Donetsk and following five seasons where he failed to live up to expectations, he left this summer to join Fenerbahce for just €15m (£12.9m), representing nearly a £40m loss.

This isn’t the first time this has happened either. Ángel Di María left after only a season for a lower fee than he was bought for, while Paul Pogba arrived for a staggering £89m fee, which was a world record at the time, before departing on a free transfer just six years later.

Another big money arrival who could well be the next to leave for a fraction of his original price is defender Victor Lindelof, as his valued has tumbled since joining the Premier League club.

How much did Manchester United sign Victor Lindelof for?

The Swede had caught the eye of Mourinho during his spell at Benfica where he made 73 appearances in all competitions and made the move to the Red Devils in the summer of 2017 for a fee of £31m as the Portuguese manager looked to build upon a season which saw him claim three trophies during his maiden campaign.

At just 22 years of age, Lindelof was far from the finished product, but he was clearly looked upon as a player who would improve as time went on while eventually becoming a mainstay at the heart of the United defence.

Romelu Lukaku and Nemanja Matic also arrived at United in big money deals that summer, while Alexis Sanchez joined from Arsenal in January.

What is Victor Lindelof’s market value now?

When he signed for United, his market value was €23.1m (£19.9m) which indicates that Mourinho clearly overpaid in order to secure his signature.

As time went on, his value slowly increased, and it peaked in January 2021, as the defender was valued at €56.5m (£48.5m) and they could have made a profit on the player if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had decided to cash in.

The following two years however has seen his market value tumble from that previous high. According to Football Transfers, as of July 2023, Lindelof is now only valued at €13.3m (£11m) and this represents a staggering decline from just two and a half years ago.

If Ten Hag does decide to sell him either in January or next summer, United will certainly fail to make a profit, suffering yet another major loss.

Why has Victor Lindelof’s market value dropped?

Although he has made 234 appearances for the club during his six years in Manchester, his recent campaigns have been rather underwhelming to say the least.

He played 28 league matches during the 2021/22 season yet was part of a defence that kept just five clean sheets across these matches and he also ranked in a lowly 17th position across the squad for overall Sofascore rating (6.76).

Not only that, Lindelof also ranked 18th for tackles per game (0.6) and eighth for interceptions per game (0.9), indicating that he failed to really make an impact when he did play.

His performances were in decline even before that season, with journalist Rob Blanchette even criticising him in 2020, saying: “No doubt, Lindelof has ability on the ball, but Premier League centre-backs need more. His decision-making can be woeful. It's a big problem for #MUFC. His long term starting role is in question.”

The 6 foot 1 dud only made 20 Premier League appearances last season, failing to rank in the top five across the squad for overall rating, tackles and interceptions.

When compared to positional peers over the previous 12 months, Lindelof fails to even rank in the top 50% across a range of defensive metrics, including tackles, blocks, clearances, interceptions and aerial duels per 90, showing his recent decline.

This clearly demonstrates why his value has deteriorated over the previous few years and what once looked like a defender who could become a regular fixture at the heart of the defence for the foreseeable future.

How much does Victor Lindelof earn?

The 29-year-old currently earns £120k-per-week at the Red Devils, and he has just one more year left before his contract expires.

If Ten Hag wishes to recoup at least some of the £31m fee they shelled out on him six years ago then the Dutchman will need to move him on in January or risk losing him for free next summer if he doesn’t sign an extended contract.

The Swedish centre-back has started just one league match so far this campaign as the former Ajax manager has preferred a defensive partnership of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane in the other three games, although they have conceded four goals across those games.

It’s evident that United endured somewhat of a howler by signing Lindelof, especially with his dwindling valuation which has slowly crept from a high of £48.5m to a current figure of £11m as of July.

The move could represent the latest in the long line of players who have moved to the Old Trafford side for big money, only to see their valuation drop due to a mix poor performances combined with the club being in turmoil.

Unless something happens to either Martinez or Varane, the defender likely won't start many matches until Christmas and this could potentially see him depart sooner rather than later.

Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has recently entered talks regarding a new long-term contract, and a reliable journalist has now revealed the time frame in which it’s likely to be signed.

How old is Alexander-Arnold and how many matches has he played?

Alexander-Arnold is now 24 years of age and has been at the club ever since his childhood days having graduated from the academy in 2016 to become a regular feature of the first-team, where he’s so far made a total of 277 senior appearances to date.

The England international has recently been rewarded for his service by being named vice-captain by Jurgen Klopp, and his leadership qualities alongside his high standard of performances have seen him attracting interest from high-profile clubs overseas.

According to 90min, Barcelona and Real Madrid are admirers of the right-back, and it’s this outside attention that has forced FSG into taking the necessary steps to secure his long-term future on Merseyside which is exactly what they have done.

Football Insider have claimed that the two parties have reached an agreement in principle for their homegrown talent to extend his stay in the Premier League, and a club correspondent has now delivered an update as to when supporters could see the deal getting finalised.

Is Trent Alexander-Arnold signing a new contract at Liverpool?

Writing in his column for CaughtOffside’s Daily Briefing, Liverpool reporter Neil Jones confirmed that Liverpool are aiming to announce Alexander-Arnold's new contract by the end of December. He said:

“I would expect Liverpool to get Trent Alexander-Arnold’s contract situation sorted by the end of the year. He is into the final two years of his current deal, and there is absolutely no doubting his importance to Liverpool’s long-term plans.

"He is already the creative fulcrum of the side, and his promotion to vice-captain in the summer tells you everything you need to know about his standing off the pitch. He’s one of the club’s key players, and one who has huge significance given he’s come through the academy.

“I don’t expect any hiccups in negotiations. Alexander-Arnold wants to stay and Liverpool want to keep him. There will be a lot of clubs hoping something goes wrong, but I don’t see it. Trent’s future lies at Anfield.”

How many assists does Alexander-Arnold have?

During his 277 senior appearances for Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold has posted 89 goal contributions (73 assists and 16 goals), showing how much he loves using his pace to burst down the flank, dribble past his marker and create chances for himself and his teammates in the final third.

The PLG client, who already earns £180k-per-week, has carried that impressive form into this season as he’s so far whipped a total of 16 crosses into the opposition’s box, which is the third-highest total throughout the squad, behind Andrew Robertson who is top on 38 and Dominik Szoboszlai in second on 17, via FBRef.

Klopp’s “genius”, as hailed by Jones himself, has also played a huge part in the club’s success over the years having helped to secure seven trophies, including the Premier League and Champions League, so Alexander-Arnold signing an improved deal would be nothing less than he deserves.

Allrounder Andre Russell is set to return to the West Indies squad for the first time since he was banned for a doping-code violation in January 2017. He was named in a 13-man squad for the Hurricane Relief T20 Challenge, a charity match against an ICC Rest of the World XI. The match is being staged with the support of the MCC, ECB and ICC to raise funds to rebuild and restore five cricket venues in the Caribbean that were damaged by Hurricanes Irma and Maria last year.The squad will be led by allrounder Carlos Brathwaite and will also feature openers Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis. All three of them, along with Russell, are currently playing in the IPL, which is scheduled to end on May 27, three days before the charity match at Lord’s.”We welcome the return of the players who missed the Pakistan series and are delighted to recall Andre Russell to the squad, as we believe he will have a key role in our white-ball cricket. Denesh Ramdin and Keemo Paul keep their places after encouraging performances at both regional and international level,” the chairman of selectors Courtney Browne said.

The five major venues

• Ronald Webster Park, Anguilla – damaged in Irma

• Sir Viv Richards Stadium, Antigua – temporarily converted to host refugees from Barbuda following Irma

• Windsor Park Stadium, Dominica – damaged in Maria

• A.O. Shirley Recreation Ground, BVI- damaged in Irma

• Carib Lumber Ball Park, St Maarten – damaged in Irma

Russell last played an international match in August 2016 and is currently in the middle of a productive comeback which began with him representing Jamaica in the Regional 50-over competition in February.This isn’t the first charity match being staged to raise funds to repair the damage done by the two Category 5 hurricanes, Irma and Maria – the former being the most powerful recorded in the Atlantic since 2005 – which ravaged the Caribbean Islands last year, among other hurricanes through August and September.In October last year, Darren Sammy and Kieron Pollard had led the Caribbean Select XI and Trinidad sides in a charity match that was aimed to directly help the communities that had suffered damages. This time round, the focus will be on the major cricketing centres that were affected, with all proceeds going into their rehabilitation.Cricket West Indies CEO Johnny Grave said: “On behalf of CWI, I’d like to thank the players for their commitment to and support of this vital cause. We’re hoping to raise a significant sum from the Hurricane Relief T20 Challenge and are very grateful to the MCC, ECB and ICC, without whom this match would not be taking place.”West Indies squad: Samuel Badree, Carlos Brathwaite (capt.), Rayad Emrit, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Rovman Powell, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Kesrick Williams

حصل لاعب من منتخب فرنسا الأول لكرة القدم، على جائزة رجل المباراة، التي انتهت بالتعادل السلبي أمام هولندا في يورو 2024.

وفرض التعادل السلبي نفسه على المباراة التي جمعت بين هولندا وفرنسا على ملعب لايبزيج، ضمن الجولة الثانية من المجموعة الرابعة ببطولة يورو 2024.

وللمرة الثانية فاز نجولو كانتي بجائزة رجل المباراة بعدما حصل عليها في مباراة فرنسا والنمسا الماضية في الجولة الأولى لإطار نفس المجموعة.

وصنع كانتي 4 فرص منها واحدة حقيقية للتسجيل أضاعها جريزمان أمام مرمى المنتخب الهولندي في الشوط الثاني.

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Chennai Super Kings came back from a slow start to post 128 off their last ten overs and edge Sunrisers out in a four-run win

The Report by Varun Shetty22-Apr-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:32

Faulkner: Sunrisers will be upset about the no-ball that wasn’t called

Ambati Rayudu’s masterclass was nearly outdone by one from Kane Williamson, but Chennai Super Kings survived that attack from Sunrisers’ captain and then a Yusuf Pathan cameo to crawl to the top of the table. In a match where all the action happened at the back end of the two innings, the difference was only four runs.The difference, perhaps, was that Super Kings had kept more wickets in hand up front than Sunrisers had. Seamer Deepak Chahar took three wickets inside the Powerplay as Sunrisers put up a poor response after being set 183 in the absence of the injured Shikhar Dhawan.Rayudu uses experience to beat conditionsSuper Kings found it hard after being put in. Afternoon games in Hyderabad have often brought out low-scoring games because the summer heat – the temperature was in the mid-30s today – dries the surface up.Shane Watson, whose explosive batting had helped Super Kings put up 107 for 1 in the first ten overs against Rajasthan Royals on Friday, was kept quiet. At the other end, it didn’t appear part of the returning Faf du Plessis’ brief to take on the bowling. With a a struggling Suresh Raina at No. 3, Super Kings put up both the season’s lowest Powerplay score – 27 for 1 – and ten-over score – 54 for 2, almost half of what they’d got against Royals.Rayudu approached it differently. Moments after walking in against Rashid Khan in the eighth over, he hit a mistimed sweep over midwicket. When Williamson brought Bhuvneshwar back for a third over to try and break the partnership in the 10th over, he picked his slower ball and nailed a slog sweep for six.For most of his 112-run partnership with Raina, Rayudu looked like he had a plan for this kind of a surface. It was, after all, his home ground. While Raina looked decidedly on the defensive, trying to walk around in the crease to drop balls on either side with soft hands, Rayudu first maneuvered the spinners around with use of the feet to get settled, and would then mess with the seamers’ lengths when he got boundaries at third man trying to slash them onto the leg side. In his last 16 balls Rayudu scored 48 runs, with six fours and three sixes.The Rashid problem and the miscalculationIt was, however, a Raina blitz against Rashid that signalled the attack in the 12th over. The legspinner had been caned by Chris Gayle in his last match, often bowling flat and full to allow him cleans swings through the line. When Raina slogged a loopy googly over midwicket in his second over, he quickly resorted to the same strategy despite finding success with flight earlier. He darted the next one full outside off and it ended up in the same place.Rashid was forced into trying to rush through his next two overs. Eleven of his last 12 balls didn’t land fuller than short-of-a-length and he was hit for six off the only full one in that period to go for 28, and finish with figures of 4-0-49-1, days after going for 55 in four overs.Stanlake and Shakib leaked runs simultaneously and a cheeky over from Deepak Hooda earlier meant Sunrisers didn’t bowl out Bhuvneshwar for the first time ever. They conceded 128 in the last ten overs.The other Kane, the umpiring mistakeChahar’s figures read 3 for 1 when Sunrisers were 22 for 3, and with Manish Pandey and Hooda gone, Williamson found himself at the forefront of a collapsing team that didn’t have both Dhawan and David Warner in the XI for the first time.Like Super Kings in the overs immediately following the Powerplay, Sunrisers were watchful but for completely different reasons. Williamson and Shakib only occasionally went after boundaries during their 37-ball stand of 49 for the fourth wicket. The moment Shakib tried changing that, he fell to Karn Sharma.Williamson didn’t have that problem when he went after the legspinner though. Shortly after lofting Jadeja over long-off, he proceeded to take 22 off Karn’s next over, with sixes through midwicket, square leg and long-off. Yusuf Pathan, on nine off 12 at that point, took the cue and got two sixes off the Dwayne Bravo in the next over. Suddenly, the equation was 52 off 24, and Sunrisers were in the game.Two balls later, though, came a moment that might have been the one that put them out. Williamson, deep in the crease against Shardul Thakur, tried to fend off a beamer that was clearly above waist height. It wasn’t called a no-ball by square leg umpire Vineet Kulkarni. Yusuf hit the next ball for six, which may have still been the outcome if that ball was a free-hit. But the loss of that run and an extra ball was decisive.Williamson fell to Bravo on 84 next over and Thakur had Yusuf caught off a slower ball. Despite a wild 17 off four from Rashid, Sunrisers fell short.

Glasgow Rangers managed to secure their first win since the 27 September as the Ibrox side secured a 3-0 triumph over high-flyers St Mirren in Paisley.

The result may have been slightly different had the Buddies not had a player sent off for a deliberate handball which prevented Abdallah Sima from scoring the simplest of tap-ins, but it ended up being comfortable in the end.

Steven Davis was taking charge of his second match during his interim spell following the sacking of Michael Beale, and it remains unclear whether he will still be in the hot seat after the international break.

If he is, then he must make a few changes to his starting XI for the tie against Hibernian in 12 days time and that includes giving youngster Ross McCausland a chance from the first whistle, especially after his cameo against St Mirren.

Does Ross McCausland deserve a chance in the starting XI?

Davis actually started another youth produce, Zak Lovelace, against the Paisley side, but he suffered an injury during the first half and was replaced by McCausland.

The Northern Irishman was given 49 minutes to impress, and he certainly grasped the chance with both hands.

The winger looked lively during his spell on the pitch, making three key passes and creating a big chance as he looked to carve some opportunities for his teammates while the youngster finished with an 88% pass success rate.

It was a promising display and proves that the opportunity could be there for the “dominant” 6-foot sensation – as so dubbed by Craig Mulholland – to establish himself as a first-team regular.

With Scott Wright underperforming recently, there is no reason to doubt McCausland’s ability, and he could be a better option than the Scot.

How has Scott Wright performed for Rangers this season?

The former Aberdeen winger has struggled to really get going in all honesty and this likely stems from the fact he was close to making an exit in the summer.

The 26-year-old was set for a move to Turkish side Pendikspor during the transfer window, yet it collapsed, and he chose to remain at Ibrox and fight for his place.

It hasn’t quite worked out so far. Wright has made just five appearances this term and registered zero goal contributions while he currently ranks in a lowly 26th spot across the squad for his overall Sofascore rating (6.25).

In comparison, McCausland ranks tenth for his rating (7.2) while the 20-year-old winger has made more key passes per game (three to 0.5) and created more big chances (one to zero) than Wright, clearly showcasing why he should be ahead of him in the pecking order.

Wright hasn’t scored or assisted in a Rangers jersey since the League Cup semi-final clash in January against Aberdeen, and he is clearly not up to the required standard to take the club to the next level.

McCausland may be raw and inexperienced at this level, yet this is how diamonds are formed. Giving him a run in the starting XI will allow him to develop and from his cameo against St Mirren yesterday, he looks like he has more to offer than Wright, no doubt about that.

فجر عصام عبد الفتاح، رئيس لجنة الحكام السابق، مفاجأة مُدوية، حيث اتهم مارك كلاتنبرج الخبير التحكيمي السابق بالاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، بالتلاعب بخطوط تقنية الفيديو في إحدى مباريات الأهلي، من أجل إثبات صحة هدف المارد الأحمر.

وقال عصام عبد الفتاح، في تصريحات عبر برنامج “الكورة مع فايق”، على قناة “mbc masr”: “أريد أن أذكر واقعة لحكم مظلوم حتى هذه اللحظة، وسيشارك في الأولمبياد وهو محمود عاشور والذي منذ أكثر من 8 أشهر لا يُدير مباريات في الدوري، ويتعرض لاضطهاد غير عادي”.

وتابع: “كانت هناك مباراة للنادي الأهلي، وجاء لنا الخبير العالمي الأجنبي (مارك كلاتنبرج)، والذي هو في الأصل لم يأخذ حتى دورة محاضرين محليين في إنجلترا، وحاول تحريك الخطوط لكي يُرضي أحد الأشخاص.. هذا عيب”.

وأضاف: “حاول الخبير التلاعب في الخط، لكي يتلاعب في صحة الهدف من عدمه، لا أتذكر المباراة، ولكن كان محمود عاشور هو حكم تقنية الفيديو وقتها، والهدف تم إلغائه بداعي التسلل”.

طالع أيضًا | عصام عبد الفتاح يوضح تبرير مسؤولي اتحاد الكرة لتعيين خبير أجنبي رئيسًا للجنة الحكام

ويقصد هنا عصام عبد الفتاح، واقعة إلغاء هدف النادي الأهلي في مرمى فاركو، خلال منافسات الجولة الثامنة والعشرين من الموسم الماضي، والذي سجله بيرسي تاو في الدقيقة 71، وقام محمود عاشور حكم الفار وقتها بإلغائه. هدف الأهلي الملغي أمام فاركو في موسم 2022-2023

وأردف: “كلاتنبيرج كان يريد أن يُظهر الكرة بأنها هدف صحيح لصالح الأهلي، ومحمود عاشور احتسبها تسلل، والهدف بالفعل كان تسلل”.

واختتم: “الاتحاد أعلن أن محمود عاشور موقوف، وأنا كنت خارج مصر، وعندما رجعت قمت بتعيينه لإدارة مباراة، هناك مسؤولين طلبوا مني ضرورة إلغاء قرار التعيين، قلت لهم أنتم الجهة المسؤولة وأقوى مني، أنتم اتحاد الكرة لو تريدون أن تلغوا القرار افعلوا ولكن أنا أيضًا سأرحل، وأنا لن ألغي قراري، ومن يريد أن يلغي قرار تعيين محمود عاشور عليه أن يتحمل تابعية قراره.. ولم يستطيعوا وقتها إلغاء القرار”.

ScorecardAs East Midlands derbies go, this one will go down as one of the great mismatches. Derbyshire’s players will hope to file it along with other brain fades such as telephone banking passwords and where their car keys are. A calamitous batting display saw them wafted aside for 110 on a sunny afternoon, leaving Nottinghamshire, the holders, to scamper to a place in the play-offs with an eight-wicket victory.That win came with disparaging haste as Notts endeavoured to lift their net run rate and thereby claim a home tie in the play-offs by finishing second in the group – it later transpired, successfully. Riki Wessels set the tone by striking the first four balls of Hamidullah Qadri’s second over straight for six – the over went for 28 – and to ribald cheers the game was settled within 11.5 overs. Wessels made 63 from 34 balls and Tom Moores caught the mood, batsmen with the licence to have a bit of fun.Derbyshire have had worse derby disasters. They were once bowled out for 16 on this ground, still their lowest total, as Fred Morley took 7 for 7 in 1879. Morley was regarded as the fastest bowler in the land and, had he not died of dropsy five years later, he might have fancied picking up a couple of wickets here, such was the ineptitude of Derbyshire’s display.”It’s unacceptable to be bowled out for just over 100,” said Billy Godleman, Derbyshire’s captain. “The surface was an interesting one and posed challenges, particularly when the seamers were bowling.”At least Derbyshire brought some cheer for England. Jake Ball, Nottinghamshire’s tall, languid pace bowler, has replaced Chris Woakes in England’s ODI squad for the Australia series and he loosened up with four wickets. There was an uplifting sight, too, for Peter Such, the ECB’s lead spin bowling coach, who was delighted to see Matthew Carter’s stately offspin reap three wickets too.Carter is one of England’s forgotten spinners, his progress hindered by the Championship’s banishment, by and large, to the start and end of the season. But he came into this match with two Royal London Cup four-fors this season and looked in good order. He is a tall man who just walks up the wicket with deliberation, but his rhythm was excellent and he drew turn from a used surface. He should get a Championship outing at Taunton this weekend and can still have a fine career ahead.Godleman was the Derbyshire wicket most sought, his tournament record standing at 505 runs at 84.16, but the captain only added four more, Carter drifting the ball into the left-hander then finding bite to have him caught at slip. Alex Hughes obligingly hacked a ball turning down the leg side to midwicket and Carter returned later to defeat Hardus Viljoen’s rustic heave.With Ball having Ben Slater caught at the wicket, Derbyshire were three down within 4.5 overs, their two batsmen who have dominated their 50-over season both gone and hopes of sneaking a top-three spot already retreating. Matt Critchley played brightly for 33 before chopping at Luke Fletcher’s wideish outswinger and the most surprising shot of all came from Wayne Madsen, who was his usual reliable self in making 37 only to heave Ball to long on in suicidal fashion.There were other giveaways too: a sweep down deep square leg’s throat by Gary Wilson, a leave alone against Ball by Darren Smit, although as Ball himself remarked after a second look, that one did come back a bit. Derbyshire didn’t even make it last until the rush hour had departed, leaving their supporters to queue up the A52, adding their own fumes of dismay to the evening pollution.