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Boult was also pleasantly surprised by his performance for the day, given his early assessment of a ‘dry, sticky wicket’

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jan-2019There had been little evidence of it during the first three ODIs, but swing made a belated appearance in the fourth ODI in Hamilton. It’s a rare sight in white-ball cricket – so much so that a struggling Tim Southee finds himself out of New Zealand’s ODI attack – and when it’s there it spooks batting teams.And when there’s swing, who better than Trent Boult to exploit it?Boult’s 5 for 21, his seventh five-wicket haul in ODIs, blew away an India line-up lacking Virat Kohli, who has been rested from the remainder of this tour, helping skittle them out for 92, and helping New Zealand register their first win of the series.Boult bowled his 10 overs in one allotment, unchanged, and by the time he was done India, at 55 for 8, had just gone past their lowest-ever ODI total. Despite causing such devastation in the opposition ranks, however, Boult didn’t actually feel like this was his day and everything would go his way.”Some days you do, but today really wasn’t one of those days,” Boult said in his post-match press conference. “I thought the wicket was pretty dry and it was actually quite slow, and yeah, couple of overs there, a little bit of swing, [which will] obviously keep you interested, but I suppose the modes of the dismissals there – a couple of caught-and-bowleds, which literally lobbed back to you, probably not how you traditionally see your wickets as an opening bowler.”Yeah, it wasn’t one of those days, to be honest, and it came out nicely and it was just nice to get a little bit of reward.”For all the modesty, even the two seemingly soft caught-and-bowleds were the result of Boult’s two big weapons as a fast bowler: his awkward left-arm-over angle and his late swing back into the right-handers.Both Rohit Sharma and the debutant Shubman Gill initially followed the angle across them, moving their front foot forward and across, as if in preparation for drives through the covers. Then, as the ball swung back in, they hurriedly pulled their front leg out of the way to make room for their bat to come down straight, but the panic of the late adjustment hardened their hands, causing them to pop the ball back to the bowler.The same kind of delivery did for Kedar Jadhav too, the No. 6 batsman falling lbw, forced to play around a too-firmly-planted front pad.It wasn’t just Boult who swung the ball. Colin de Grandhomme did so too, picking up three wickets with his wobbly medium-pace, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar managed a couple of wickets in New Zealand’s chase.What makes a white cricket ball swing so much on some days, and so little on most other days in ODI cricket?”I wish I had the answer, but no, I’m not sure,” Boult said. “I think it’s been a windy summer and wind kills the fast bowler, to be honest. Once it’s a bit gusty, it eliminates the swing and the wicket dries out pretty quickly as well, and turns into a pretty good batting wicket, but yeah, the conditions were there today, and not just myself, the guys that backed each other up, they played their roles, and it was done nicely as a collective.”ALSO READ: Daryl Mitchell, Blair Tickner make NZ T20 squadWith Kohli not around, and MS Dhoni not fit, Boult’s dismissals of both openers, by the eighth over of the innings, left an experimental India middle order facing a difficult situation.”Yeah, it’s the first time we’ve really got down into the middle order [in this series],” Boult said. “Obviously they’ve lost a classy player there, with their captain, but yeah, it’s all about putting pressure on the top order, it’s always been that kind of gameplan.”It was nice to get through them and have a look at the middle order today. Very satisfying, we know we’ve got the gameplan, we know it works, and it was just about executing it, which I thought we did nicely today.”

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster has unleashed an attack on Casemiro after the Red Devils drew 2-2 against Bournemouth last weekend.

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Casemiro criticized for Bournemouth drawBen Foster calls the Brazilian a 'disgrace'Club likely to sell Casemiro in the summerWHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Devils were fortunate to avoid loss at the Vitality Stadium against Bournemouth last time out, as the Cherries were denied a late penalty, departing the south coast with a 2-2 draw. Foster was incensed with Casemiro for failing to stop Justin Kluivert's second goal for Bournemouth.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT FOSTER SAID

Speaking on his YouTube channel, The Cycling GK, Foster said [via The Mirror]: "The second goal, Casemiro, he’s a holding midfielder. He should be that engine, that rat in the midfield, the disruptor – somebody that breaks up all the attacks, gets in people’s faces.

"The second goal, for me, is an absolute disgrace. It’s an absolute disgrace. He’s allowed to wander into that space and get his shot off. Casemiro almost notices at the last second, meanders in, hangs a leg in there.

"And I’m thinking, do you know what? If I was a manager of a team and my holding midfielder did that, that action there and then, I’d say that’ll do. You, come off."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Having dropped crucial points, Aston Villa's lead of 13 points has effectively ruined Man Utd's ambitions of making the top four this season. They currently sit in seventh place in the Premier League standings level on points with Newcastle. If the club drop more points than the Magpies, they will lose out on the chance to play in Europe altogether.

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR CASEMIRO?

It has been heavily reported that the Red Devils under the guidance of Sir Jim Ratcliffe could move Casemiro on this summer after his dismal season under Erik Ten Hag. He will likely play a major part for the rest of the season for the club with injuries plaguing the squad.

New South Wales will still play the majority of their home Sheffield Shield matches at the SCG, despite the inclusion of an ICC-compliant oval in plans for a new A$50 million training base for the state association. It is the first time NSW has shifted its headquarters away from Sydney’s eastern suburbs in more than 150 years of existence.Discussions about the headquarters and training facilities of Cricket NSW have been going on for more than five years, and focus upon a new “hub” site in the Sydney Olympic Park region began to take shape in late 2016. It was hastened by concurrent plans to redevelop the Sydney Football Stadium adjacent to the SCG, thereby squeezing the state association out of offices it had occupied for some years.At the same time, ongoing squabbles between NSW and the SCG Trust, plus the expansion of the state’s number of elite teams with the advent of the NSW women’s team and men’s and women’s Big Bash League sides, created further pressure for expansion. To that end, the NSW state government has pledged A$30 million to the project, with NSW and Cricket Australia to contribute A$10 million. The remaining A$10 million expected to be required to fund the project will be sought in coming months from sponsors and also the Federal government.”This is a landmark day for NSW cricket. NSW produces the best cricketers, male and female, in Australia and they will now have the best facility in Australia to train,” NSW chief executive Andrew Jones said. “This facility will also accommodate indoor training and outdoor playing for men, women, boys and girls from all over Sydney.”The growth of cricket and the Allianz Stadium redevelopment make this facility urgently needed. During the past decade the number of elite teams under the Cricket NSW umbrella has grown from two to six with the advent of the men’s and women’s Big Bash. With Cricket NSW also leading the professionalisation of women’s cricket two seasons ago, we have simply outgrown what we currently have at Moore Park.”The new facility will allow us to have a modern high-performance centre with a cricket field and plenty of turf nets to cater for the increased number of elite and developing players now coming through our pathway system. With our extra training facilities at Blacktown and a continuing presence at the Sydney Cricket Ground we will now be able to better cater for all our athletes right across Sydney.”Key to the new facility will be the ability to train on turf wickets during the winter months, an advantage previously available only by venturing north of the NSW border to the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane. But despite the inclusion of a new cricket ground in plans, the association’s strategy will still be to play four of every five home Shield fixtures at the SCG, leaving the new Olympic Park precinct, to be completed by 2022, as a training and administrative base.”The government’s investment of $30m towards a Western Hub will be a game changer for our sport in NSW,” CA chief executive Kevin Roberts said. “I know first-hand the importance of facilities like these to support young aspiring cricketers, particularly in one of the fastest growing areas of Australia. CA is pleased to join Cricket NSW and the NSW Government in investing in this project and we can’t wait for it to get started.”Since the opening of the NCC in Brisbane in 2013, Cricket Victoria has unveiled its own A$40 million headquarters at Junction Oval in Melbourne, Tasmania has worked to allow its players the chance to train on turf during the winter by installing a large marquee in Hobart, and now NSW has followed suit with its own set of year-round facilities. CNSW will move to temporary offices in Sydney Olympic Park at the end of this season, ahead of the new centre’s opening.”In our 159-year history we have never had a home that we manage and control,” Jones said. “We produce the best male and female cricketers in Australia and they deserve the best facilities, and now we will have them. It will be the best high-performance cricket facility in Australia. There have obviously been some issues for cricket lately, but they are one or two-year issues, this is a 100-year success story. So this will set Cricket NSW up until 2118, so what happened in 2018 won’t matter.”NSW already shared a playing and training facility at Blacktown Oval to Sydney’s west, while the Sydney Thunder play their BBL home games at Sydney Olympic Park.

The Bangladesh opener has often shown a tendency to get fired up and deliver with the bat when he or his team is being talked about. He did it again at Basin Reserve

Mohammad Isam at Basin Reserve12-Jan-2017Tamim Iqbal regularly follows the news and what’s going on on social media. That habit nearly derailed his career during the 2015 World Cup, when he felt that discussion about his poor form was being taken too far on social media. But, most times it seems to work for him; when there’s a lot of talk going around on a particular match situation, conditions or opponent, it’s hard to miss the fire in his belly when he comes out to bat. He has often delivered impressively soon after such talk surfaces.A few cases in point: when Bangladesh were said to be not good enough for Lord’s in 2010, Tamim responded with a breathtaking century. When the BCB president had questioned his fitness in 2012, he responded with four fifties in a row. Ten weeks ago, with everyone crumbling to spin around him, Tamim struck 104 on the first day of the Dhaka Test against England, one of his best efforts given the situation. He did it again in Wellington today.Leading up to this Test, doubts about Bangladesh’s ability to deal with a green Basin Reserve pitch swirled all around. The whispers grew in volume especially after someone posted a photo of what looked like a pitch made of AstroTurf. Bangladesh’s batting inconsistencies during the preceding limited-overs games, and the many collapses in 2016, added to the sense of unease. How did Tamim respond? Fifty-six off 50 balls, his fourth 50-plus score at a 100-plus strike rate in Tests.The pitch wasn’t as green on the first morning but the unease would have only got deeper when Kane Williamson put Bangladesh in to bat. Tamim responded with boundaries. He squeezed some through the slips but also cut and drove whenever he was offered width. He struck five fours in the first five overs. He could not convert the quick start into something more, but, by the time he was finally dismissed in the 15th over, nerves would have been eased in the dressing room.After the day’s play, Tamim said a positive dressing-room atmosphere is natural after someone bats like he did. “It might have given them confidence, though I wouldn’t say anyone got relaxed seeing me bat,” he said. “I think even I would have gained some confidence seeing someone bat comfortably. Before the first ball of this game, there was a question mark. But after seeing how someone like Mominul [and I] played, it became clear that scoring and surviving were both possible.”Mahmadullah’s brain-freeze gave New Zealand an opening•Getty ImagesTamim said all-out attack was not his plan; he just wanted to punish the bad balls. “I knew that I had to choose one way of batting in these conditions. I didn’t want to miss out on bad balls. Good balls are a given here, so I had to use the boundary balls properly to keep the scoreboard going and give me more confidence. I utilized the scoring opportunities. This was my plan. I didn’t go out there thinking of attacking every ball. I just didn’t want to miss out on scoring balls. I connected most of the deliveries that I went after, which was good.”New Zealand fast bowler Neil Wagner said Tamim’s aggression caught the hosts off guard, giving Bangladesh the early edge in the game. “I think today was Bangladesh’s day. I think we didn’t bowl well in partnerships for a long period today, and we got hurt. I think Tamim batted really well. They showed a lot of intent, coming out positively to put the bad ball away. It obviously put us on the back foot. We never really settled into a rhythm and into an area because of the way they batted.”Making life easier for the batsmen that follow, of course, is the opener’s duty. Stories abound about one former Bangladesh opener who used to make everyone nervous by always maintaining that ball was moving around like a snake off the pitch, particularly when they were playing abroad. Tamim, by contrast, is known as a very upbeat figure in the dressing-room, and his application in picking the right balls to hit must have been noted by Mominul Haque, who was getting his first bat on the tour. He started off quietly before finding boundaries regularly and ending the truncated day on 64 not out. Mahmudullah left most deliveries outside off quite well until a brain-freeze had him chasing a very wide one and getting out after getting set.When rain came down for the third time to end the day, Bangladesh were 154 for 3. Tamim admitted it would have been a better day for the visitors had Mahmudullah survived. “I think if you see how the others batted, it was different [to my innings] but they batted to their strengths. If [Mahmudullah] Riyad was at the crease till the end, it would have been a superb day for us.”Depending on how day two pans out – Bangladesh could yet collapse – Tamim’s 56 could well be soon forgotten, but, even so, it has to be appreciated for its immediate impact. He effectively scythed through the nonsense with his bat in the hope that the rest will follow suit.

Ruben Amorim was asked about Manchester United's interest in Matheus Cunha as Wolves look to take advantage of goal-shy Red Devils.

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• Amorim asked about United's interest in Cunha
• Brazilian forward has a contract with Wolves until 2029
• Man Utd face Wolves on Sunday

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  United, who have struggled for consistency up front in the 2024-25 campaign, are strongly linked with a move for Wolves forward Cunha. With high-profile signings like Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund failing to cement their place in the number 9 position, as they have scored just six league goals between them, the Red Devils are considering triggering the Brazilians' £62.5 million ($82m) release clause. With Cunha under contract until 2029, Wolves are unlikely to settle for a lower price.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  United boss Amorim recently heaped praise on Wolves manager Vitor Pereira and his style of play while specifically naming Cunha, who has impressed the Portuguese coach. The former Sporting CP manager will look to bolster his squad ahead of the 2025-26 season as the Old Trafford outfit are headed for a busy summer transfer window.

• WHAT RUBEN AMORIM SAID

  Speaking about Pereira, the 40-year-old said: "I think he's doing an amazing job. He's playing a 343, he's doing quite well. He's changing some players, he has real quality players – Cunha and all these guys, they have real quality. They are fresh. So we know it's going to be a tough match and we are going to need a lot from our supporters. I know it is a bad thing to ask anything this season from our fans but we need them on Sunday."

  When asked if Cunha could head to Manchester next year, Amorim added: "I just gave the example because I remembered about Matheus – he's scoring a lot of goals. Just that."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  After a spirited performance against Lyon in the Europa League quarter-final second leg on Thursday, United will now aim to get back to winning ways in the Premier League as they host Wolves on April 20.

في أعقاب قرار نادي الهلال بالاعتذار رسميًا عن المشاركة في بطولة كأس السوبر السعودي للموسم الرياضي 2025-2026، بدأت تتصاعد التساؤلات حول الخطوات القادمة التي سيتخذها الاتحاد السعودي لكرة القدم للتعامل مع هذا الموقف، خاصة مع اقتراب موعد إقامة البطولة في هونج كونج خلال شهر أغسطس المقبل.

ويمثل هذا الاعتذار سابقة نادرة في تاريخ البطولة، نظرًا لمكانة الهلال الكبيرة محليًا وقاريًا، كما أنه يسلط الضوء على التحديات المرتبطة بتزاحم جدول المشاركات المحلية والدولية، ومدى تأثيرها على الأندية واللاعبين من الناحية البدنية واللوجستية، ما يتطلب توازنًا دقيقًا في إدارة الموسم الرياضي.

وفي هذا الإطار، أصدر الاتحاد السعودي لكرة القدم بيانًا رسميًا للرد على اعتذار الهلال، موضحًا الإجراءات التي سيتم اتخاذها لضمان تطبيق اللوائح وتنظيم المسابقة بالشكل الأمثل.

طالع أيضًا | تقارير | موقف النصر من المشاركة في كأس السوبر السعودي بعد اعتذار الهلال بيان الاتحاد السعودي لكرة القدم

تلقى الاتحاد السعودي لكرة القدم خطابا رسميًا من شركة نادي الهلال، يتضمن تأكيد اعتذار الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي عن المشاركة في بطولة كأس السوبر السعودي 2025-2026، والمقرر إقامتها خلال الفترة من 19 إلى 23 أغسطس 2025 في هونغ كونغ.

وبناء عليه، فإن الاتحاد السعودي لكرة القدم سيباشر اتخاذ الإجراءات اللازمة وفقًا للأنظمة واللوائح ذات الصلة، وذلك من خلال اللجان المختصة.

كما سيتم العمل بموجب اللائحة التنظيمية لمسابقة كأس السوبر السعودي وذلك بعد استكمال الإجراءات النظامية من قبل لجنة المسابقات في الاتحاد السعودي لكرة القدم.

ويؤكد الاتحاد السعودي لكرة القدم في هذا السياق حرصه على احترام الأنظمة واللوائح المعتمدة، وحرصه على حماية مصالح جميع الأطراف ذات العلاقة، وذلك استنادا إلى نظامه الأساسي المعتمد من الجمعية العمومية.

Saturday in the Premier League sees a crucial clash as two of the bottom three go head-to-head, with Wolverhampton Wanderers taking on Ipswich Town at Molineux.

Wolves are undefeated in seven league meetings with the Tractor Boys, beaten during only one of their 16 encounters in the Black County since 1991, but could really do with a victory in this one, considering both sides kick off four points from safety.

Following Monday night’s 2-1 defeat at West Ham, the Old Gold have won only three of their last 25 Premier League matches, dating back to early-March, pressure is really starting to mount on Gary O’Neil, desperately requiring a victory either here or at Leicester next Sunday, or potentially from both, if he’s to remain in charge this Christmas.

So, ahead of this huge relegation six-pointer, we assess the biggest selection dilemma O’Neil is facing.

João Gomes' suspension

Having collected his fifth yellow card of the campaign at the London Stadium on Monday, João Gomes will sit out Saturday’s crucial clash with Ipswich suspended.

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Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

He had been carefully treading this tightrope for six matches beforehand, but was cautioned by referee John Brooks shortly after the hour mark during the defeat at West Ham.

This is a big blow considering Gomes has racked up 1,273 minutes in the Premier League this season, the second-most of any Wolves player, a mere ten minutes fewer than Rayan Aït-Nouri, starting all 15 fixtures and scoring two goals, finding the net against both Crystal Palace and Fulham.

So, could Wolves’ forgotten man fill Gomes’ void this weekend?

The perfect Wolves replacement for Gomes

When Hwang Hee-chan arrived from RB Leipzig in 2021, initially on loan with a £14m option to make the deal permanent, which was taken up, he did so to much excitement.

Nubaid Haroon described him as “exciting” and, given that the South Korean international had scored 45 times for RB Salzburg, 11 of these goals coming in UEFA competitions, it was easy to understand why.

The highlight of Hwang’s time in the Black County to date remains the winner he scored against Manchester City last season, coming days after Pep Guardiola, rather patronisingly and dismissively, named Wolves’ front three as “Neto, Cunha and the Korean Guy”.

Overall,the 28-year-old has scored 22 goals for Wolverhampton Wanderers to date, yet to get off the mark this season, following by some considerable margin his best campaign in an Old Gold shirt last time round.

Hwang Hee-chan Premier League career with Wolvs by season
Statistic	21/22	22/23	23/24	24/25
Appearances	32	27	29	9
Minutes	1,865	1,130	2,119	300
Goals	5	3	12	0
Goals per 90	0.24	0.24	0.51	0
Assists	1	1	3	0
Expected goals	4.6	2.9	7.7	0
Shots	28	18	44	0
Shot-creating actions	38	30	48	5
Goal-creating actions	2	2	9	1
Statistics courtesy of FBref.com

As outlined in the table above, 2023/24 was by far Hwang’s most productive campaign at Wolves, ending the season as their joint-top scorer in the Premier League, alongside Cunha.

However, this season, he’s yet to score, register an assist or even take a shot in just 300 minutes on the field.

Since suffering an ankle ligament injury during Korea Republic’s World Cup qualifying victory over Jordan in Amman back in October, Hwang has made just three cameo appearances off the bench, the longest of which was a 33-minute appearance at Goodison earlier this month, remaining amongst the substitutes on Monday night, despite the urgent need for an equaliser.

This weekend though, in Gomes’ absence, now is surely the time for O’Neil to unleash Hwang, starting him alongside the aforementioned Cunha, as well as Jørgen Strand Larsen, both of whom have been impressive this season, when Ipswich visit on Saturday.

Imagine him & Cunha: Wolves can land perfect Mourinho signing in £16m star

Wolves are looking to add goals to their team

By
Joe Nuttall

Dec 12, 2024

West Bromwich Albion had to make do with a draw on the road last time out in Chris Brunt’s latest game as Baggies interim boss.

If it hadn’t been for Welsh veteran Joe Allen unexpectedly scoring at the death, it would have been a successive win for the Northern Irishman in the Championship, but the Swansea City midfielder had other ideas unfortunately.

Whilst Brunt has impressed in spells since taking on the reins unexpectedly from Carlos Corberan, it seems as if the second-tier promotion candidates are pressing on with replacing the Spaniard outright.

West Brom holding talks with bold Corberan replacement

As per recent reports from @talkwba on X (formerly Twitter) West Brom look set to hold talks with former Young Boys manager Raphael Wicky about taking over from Corberan, in what would be a left-field choice of replacement.

Described as being ‘well liked’ by the second-tier outfit, the Swiss manager would join the English game off the back of succeeding in his native Switzerland, alongside managing further afield in the United States with Chicago Fire.

Whilst he boasts no experience of the tough demands of EFL football yet, the Baggies will pray he acclimatises swiftly to his new surroundings if a deal is to be secured, having already made a name for himself on these shores when getting the better of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City back in 2018 as Basel boss.

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What Wicky could offer West Brom

Wicky wasn’t facing off against the battered and bruised version of City now either, with his Basel side handing out a first home loss of the season to the super-confident hosts when picking up an almighty 2-1 scalp.

In that same run of fixtures in the Champions League, Basel also managed to get the better of Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United 1-0, with both titans of the English game remarkably humbled by the 47-year-old’s methods.

Domestically in Switzerland, Wicky would also prove to be a hit when he was Young Boys manager, leading the side to a Swiss League and Cup double as boss during a very successful 2022/23 season.

Therefore, everything points in the direction that he could go on to be a great successor to Corberan’s throne in managing to get more out of an underdog team like the now Valencia boss pulled off for the Baggies when he first arrived and they were near the foot of the Championship.

Games managed

321

244

Wins

168

96

Draws

62

64

Losses

91

83

Yet, despite Corberan turning West Brom into regular play-off challengers away from worrying about the drop under Steve Bruce, Wicky boasts more overall victories as a manager at 168 contrasted next to his counterpart’s 96, albeit from a significant boost of 77 more clashes.

Still, that win percentage – which comes in at 52% – cannot just be brushed aside after one look, with the 47-year-old wanting to pick up more and more victories as a boss if the Hawthorns do come calling soon.

Often utilising the 4-2-3-1 formation when in charge at Young Boys – alongside a more preferred 4-4-2 set-up – this will suit the current Baggies set-up perfectly well with Tom Fellows a constant menace down the wings alongside offering the team a strong defensive shape.

It was always going to be a tough ask for West Brom to immediately go out and find a dream successor, but in Wicky, the promotion hopefuls could strike gold on what is somewhat of an unknown entity.

West Brom struck gold on star who is now worth more than Mowatt & Johnston

West Bromwich Albion will pray this star isn’t tempted by a move away this January.

ByKelan Sarson Jan 4, 2025

Newcastle United currently sit in fifth place in the Premier League table and are battling it out to secure a position in the Champions League for next season.

The Magpies have won their last six matches in all competitions and are fresh off the back of a 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur in North London on Saturday.

As you can see in the highlights below, all three of Eddie Howe’s starting attackers were involved in the two goals, with Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak scoring and Jacob Murphy assisting the second goal.

Murphy has now contributed with an eye-catching three goals and seven assists in 17 appearances in the Premier League this season, which shows that he has stepped up to provide regular quality on that right side of the attack.

The former Norwich star turns 30 next month, however, and is unlikely to be the long-term solution to Howe’s problems in that position moving forward.

Newcastle could dip into the market in the January transfer window to find a long-term option to grow into that role, by signing a player closer to Hatem Ben Arfa in style than Murphy.

Hatem Ben Arfa's time with Newcastle

The French magician was a left-footed star who could play as an attacking midfielder or on the right flank, cutting in onto his left foot from the right, during his time at St. James’ Park.

In three years on Tyneside, Ben Arfa contributed with 14 goals and 15 assists in 86 appearances in all competitions for the Magpies, which shows that he offered plenty of quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

Beyond his goals and assists, the Toon sensation was simply a joy to watch. The mercurial playmaker, who averaged 2.9 successful dribbles per game throughout his career, was not afraid to run at defenders to get the team up the pitch and fans off their seats.

As you can see in the clip above, Ben Arfa had the ability to weave in and out of multiple challenges to create moments of magic in the final third, which resulted in wondergoals when he could apply the finishing touch to go with it.

Of course, not every mazy dribble ended with a goal or an assist, otherwise he would not have been playing for Newcastle battling in midtable in the Premier League at the time, but he often provided a spark when the team needed one out of nowhere.

Ben Arfa was a player the fans could get excited to watch play football week-in-week-out and Howe could unearth the club’s new version of the French sensation by swooping to sign one of Newcastle’s reported transfer targets before the end of the January window.

Newcastle eyeing Premier League gem

Last month, Football Insider reported that the Magpies are one of the clubs interested in a deal to sign Southampton forward Tyler Dibling ahead of the second half of the season.

The outlet claimed that Newcastle and Manchester United are both eyeing up the 18-year-old starlet after his impressive start to life in the Premier League with the struggling Saints.

It was reported that Dibling would prefer a move to St. James’ Park over one to Old Trafford, however, due to concerns over the kind of game time he would get with Ruben Amorim’s side.

Football Insider added that it could take a fee of up to £30m to convince Southampton to part ways with their star academy product, despite their struggles on the pitch in the top-flight this season.

It was not revealed, however, whether or not Newcastle would be prepared to offer that kind of money to secure a deal for the England youth international in the January transfer window.

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The report did state, though, that any deal for Dibling is more likely to happen in the summer transfer window and that relegation from the Premier League for Southampton, who have six points on the table, could make an exit for the teenage star ‘inevitable’.

Whether it happens this month or ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, Howe could unearth the club’s next version of Hatem Ben Arfa by striking a deal to bring Dibling to St. James’ Park to bolster his options at the top end of the pitch.

Why Tyler Dibling could be Hatem Ben Arfa 2.0

Firstly, the Saints star does not turn 19 until February and is not yet at the peak of his powers in senior football, so he is someone who could come in with the long-term picture in mind.

This means that Howe could work with him on the training pitch to help the teenage sensation to fulfill his potential and elevate himself to a Ben Arfa level, or even higher, talent.

Anthony Gordon produced seven goals and three assists in 65 Premier League matches for Everton, a hardly prolific return, yet has managed 17 goals and 14 assists in 70 top-flight games under Howe, which shows the kind of development the manager can oversee.

Dibling’s form at youth level, with 19 goals and 11 assists in 59 academy matches for Southampton, suggests that the potential is there for him to develop into a regular contributor in the final third at first-team level, like Gordon.

As you can see in the clips above, from a clash with Newcastle’s U21 side in 2022, he has the technical ability to produce Ben Arfa-esque moments driving forward with his left foot to score impressive goals.

Despite his age, inexperience, and the six-point team he is playing in, Dibling has showcased glimpses of his talent at Premier League level so far this season.

Appearances

19

Starts

13

Goals

2

Big chances created

2

Successful dribbles

27

As you can see in the table above, the English whiz, who U23 scout Antonio Mango claimed is “balling out”, has contributed completed more than two dribbles per start on average, and scored twice.

Howe could bring the left-footed star, who has predominantly been deployed on the right flank but can also play centrally, to St. James’ Park with a view to helping him take the next step in his career, as he did with Gordon, to turn Dibling into Ben Arfa 2.0 for the Magpies.

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8

Jason Holder
As impressive as Holder’s bold batting and canny bowling was his attitude to the contest. He does not give up, and is not overly irked by aggression directed his way from opponents. On the evidence of this series he should be batting at No. 6 for West Indies, and probably leading the team in the next year or so. A source of optimism.Jerome Taylor
Some truly brilliant spells in Jamaica maintained a formidable record at Sabina Park, as Taylor swung the ball at pace while also summoning a rare yorker to stop Steven Smith short of 200. He lacked enough support, but will be a worthy opponent in Australia later this year so long as the West Indies can find another paceman or two with enough discipline to help him.Devendra Bishoo
Not many bowlers spin past Steven Smith, a fact that underlined the excellence of Bishoo’s Dominica display. His absence from Sabina Park was a major blow to the hosts, and it can only be hoped that his poorly spinning finger can be effectively treated ahead of future assignments. Australian pitches, with their extra pace and bounce, should agree with him.

6

Shane Dowrich
A sound temperament, a sturdy enough technique and a determination to stay at the crease marked Dowrich as one of the more promising young batsmen to enter the West Indies Test XI in recent times. Has plenty more to learn, but was at least able to “stick it out” for far longer than any other young batsman apart from Holder.

5

Shai Hope
Three starts in four innings suggested that Hope may have the right stuff provided he can build on his concentration, but the question for the West Indies is where he should bat. Having opened in Dominica he dropped down to No. 5 at Sabina Park, looking neither out of his depth nor quite ready to dominate. Watch this space.Marlon Samuels
The longest West Indian innings of the series, yet was twice out hooking and then missed the second Test. Samuels is the most enigmatic of figures, but for now he is the only senior batsman the West Indies possess. The team knows who he is and what he provides, and must hope he can suppress the instincts that had him taking on the short ball in a most ungainly fashion at Windsor Park.Marlon Samuels needs to show more responsibility as the West Indies’ senior batsman•Getty Images

4

Jermaine Blackwood
Batted as though he had a bus to catch – a bus to a Twenty20 match. Despite making a strong start to the West Indies home season before this series against England, a few of his dismissals made one wonder if he really can become a successful Test player. Blackwood freely admitted he has plenty of work to do on his concentration. The talent is there, but how much does he want Test match success?Veerasammy Permaul
Suffered by comparison to Bishoo, and made little impact at Sabina Park. Permaul is steady, but clearly needs the pitch to do much of the work for him. Batted passably in the second innings as the last rites were being given.Denesh Ramdin
Much more was expected of Ramdin this series. His wooden captaincy and mediocre batting left plenty to wonder whether he is the right man to lead the team to Australia at the end of the year. Like several other members of the team he fell back from his efforts against England, and it will be a question of resolve as to how much he works on that after the Caribbean Premier League.Shannon Gabriel
Fast but erratic, Gabriel may be the right man to share the new ball with Taylor, but must close the gap between his best and worst. Missing out on the Jamaica Test through illness was a blow, for he would doubtless have made the ball jump on a lively first morning.Darren Bravo managed an underwhelming 49 runs in four innings during the series•Getty Images

3

Kraigg Brathwaite
Devoid of footwork and hurried by the Australians’ pace, Brathwaite looked worryingly out of his depth for someone who has been installed as a long-term opening batsman. On swifter Australian pitches, such problems may well be exacerbated further.Darren Bravo
The biggest disappointment of the series. Despite his obvious talent, Bravo was hemmed in and made to look ponderous by the Australian bowlers and their disciplined lines. Unlike his mentor and hero Brian Lara, Bravo was unable to get through the tough periods and make the bowlers come back for more spells. Without Shivnarine Chanderpaul around anymore, Bravo must do more than this.Kemar Roach
Three years ago Roach was a constant threat to Australia, but this time looked a bowler much diminished. Lacking his former pace, he was also less accurate, and failed completely to support the excellent Taylor on day one in Jamaica. Capable of so much better than he showed here.Rajendra Chandrika
A first-class average of 26 does not inspire much confidence in an opening batsman, and Chandrika was set a most difficult task to step up. A pair on debut will make for painful reading, but plenty of other batsmen have dealt with that ignominy before improving. It remains to be seen whether Chandrika will get that chance.