Southampton’s 11-year stay in the Premier League ended last season, with the South-coast outfit finishing rock-bottom of the league.

Saints fans must ruminate how a team playing in front of a packed-out St.Marys Stadium in the UEFA Europa League seven years ago will have to completely rebuild a squad that looked like it only had an upward trajectory.

A side containing the likes of Dušan Tadić, Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane is the same club that is now recruiting Championship standard players while clearing out their squad as they try to recoup as much money as possible.

The Hampshire-based side was a defensive circus show conceding a mammoth 73 goals (the second most in the league) as their opposition couldn’t stop finding the back of Gavin Bazunu’s net.

The Saints could have been more defensively solid if they were to keep former Southampton academy player Tyrone Mings on their books.

The now Aston Villa centre-back has been smashing it in the Premier League earning him a few caps for England in the process.

Why did Southampton release Mings?

The academy coaches at Staplewood often get most players’ verdicts bang on.

After all they are a football club that has risen from League 1 to the promised lands of the Premier League which was been heavily helped by the academy players involved in the first team.

To think in League 1, Southampton had the likes of Adam Lallana and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain contracted to them.

However, with Mings, it was a different story.

The now 6 foot 5 “titan” – as described by Sky Sports journalist Dan Bardell – was ironically released due to his small stature.

In 2009, the then 5 foot 8 Mings was told by coaches at Staplewood that he would no longer be an academy player, with his height being the main issue as they believed it could impact his future development.

There was a chance for the now England international to stay with the Hampshire outfit, but Southampton were facing budget cuts to their academy system and the young defender was deemed surplus to requirements.

How did Mings’ career play out?

Life for the ball-playing centre-back was particularly rosy following his release from Southampton. Mings found himself living in a homeless shelter at a young age and had to work pulling pints in his local pub.

Speaking on his time living in a shelter, Mings said:

"I often get asked about spending time in a homeless shelter growing up. I was about 7 or 8 but what we didn’t have in money at the time we certainly made up for with love and support as a family.

"It probably taught me the gratitude of having a close support group of friends and family that you can lean on when things aren’t going well because you can make the best of a bad situation".

Perseverance kept Mings’ goal of becoming a professional footballer alive and like many players who are released from academies they often find their feet in non-league.

The now Aston Villa defender started his career at non-league side Yate Town before moving on to Chippenham Town where he excelled with Football league clubs watching his exciting progress.

The “class act”, as also expressed by Bardell, caught the big break he was looking for in 2012 when signed for Championship side Ipswich Town.

Portman Road would be where the 6 foot 5 defender would call home for the next three seasons as he racked up 63 appearances for Tractor Boys scoring one and assisting on eight occasions.

The rapidly developing Ipswich defender was making massive strides in his game in Norfolk and in 2015 was picked up by Premier League new boys Bournemouth in a deal worth £8m.

Not a bad piece of business considering he was signed for only £10k.

Who else was interested in Mings?

The Bath-born defender was also close to joining south London outfit Crystal Palace and Premier League giants Arsenal.

The Eagles were looking for defensive reinforcements at left-back and Mings was identified as a target, however, Ipswich rejected the incoming £3.5m bid for the Englishman.

Arsene Wenger was reportedly a keen admirer of the then 21-year-old and when asked if he would sign the promising Ipswich player he said:

"He is one of the young players we follow."

Mings was added to the very long list of players whom Wenger could have signed and went on to achieve great things.

The then Bournemouth man would pack his bags for potentially the final time in his career as he switched the beaches of the south coast to the urban city that is Birmingham as he signed for Aston Villa in a deal worth £25m in 2019.

How has Mings played at Villa?

Known as a “fantastic footballer” and “dominant" by former Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard, Mings has had a solid few years in the Midlands.

Last season, the £100k-per-week man played as the great ball-playing centre-back we all know him as.

Mings ranked first for both accurate passes (46.0) and long balls per (3.0) 90 in the entire Villa squad. His average long palls per 90 was on par with Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne and the England defender was just behind Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes (3.1).

The 18-capped England international also demonstrated his phenomenal defensive capabilities as he ranked first for clearances (4.5) and blocks per 90 (0.6), according to FotMob.

It’s safe to say Mings has adjusted to life at Villa Park very well.

Is Mings Southampton’s biggest howler?

The Saints have a proven track record for nurturing some of the finest British footballers and their academy has previously been on par with some of the big six teams.

James Ward-Prowse, Luke Shaw and Gareth Bale are the most notable names to have been produced at Staplewood.

However, like most top academies there will be a few blunders, such as the now £22m valued Mings

.

Name Current club Sold for Highest market value Tyrone Mings Aston Villa Released £26m Ben White Arsenal Released £45m Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Beşiktaş £15m £34m

White is another absolute shocker for Southampton – like Mings, the now Arsenal man was released for nothing and has gone on to represent the Three Lions at international level.

To make matters worse, fellow south coast club Brighton & Hove Albion were able to sell the former Saints academy prospect for a very healthy £50m.

The Championship side only managed to get one season out of Oxlade-Chamberlain who could have solidified a first-team spot in Southampton’s midfield in the Premier League.

They did manage to get £15m for the then 17-year-old, however, the UEFA Champions League winner could have left St. Marys with a bigger legacy left behind like Ward-Prowse.

The academy coaches and recruitment team at Staplewood can move past the decision to let Mings and White go for free after all they are continuing to produce more promising players such as Tyler Dibling.

What Southampton need to do is try to avoid the past repeating itself.

They have let a few of their wonderkids go with the very highly-rated England youth international Jimmy-Jay Morgan leaving the south coast for a place in Chelsea’s academy.

Liverpool were linked with a move for Real Madrid star Federico Valverde this summer, and a new update has given Reds fans hope of one day luring the midfielder to the Premier League.

Where did Real Madrid find Federico Valverde?

Back in 2016, Real Madrid signed Valverde from boyhood team Penarol in Montevideo. Having been promoted from the youth set-up to the first team two years later, as per Transfermarkt, he’s since gone on to make a total of 208 senior appearances in the Spanish capital.

Carlo Ancelotti’s central midfielder still has another four years remaining on his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, but that doesn’t seem to have stopped FSG and Jurgen Klopp from highlighting him as a potential candidate to bring to Merseyside.

The Secret Scout reported that the Reds submitted an enquiry for the 25-year-old last month alongside his teammate Aurelien Tchouameni, having failed to secure the services of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia who both ended up joining Chelsea, and it wasn’t long before they took their initial interest one step further.

Spanish outlets claimed that FSG then tabled a €60m (£51.8m) offer for the Uruguay international, and whilst a deal failed to come to fruition before September 1st, it sounds like there is reason to believe something could happen in the future.

Are Liverpool signing Federico Valverde?

According to reports in Spain (via Football365), Valverde “half regrets having made this decision” to stay at Real Madrid and believes that the best thing he could have done would have been to have “packed his bags”.

The La Liga star has a “feeling of being secondary” and knows that he “needs more prominence” after saying “no” to joining Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United over the summer.

The Los Blancos veteran has “already noticed” that he won’t be a regular starter this season, so there’s a possibility that he could look to seal an exit in January.

How many goals has Federico Valverde scored?

In La Liga during the 2022/23 campaign, Valverde posted 11 contributions (seven goals and four assists) in 34 games which is an impressive return for a central midfielder, form which has seen labelled a “monster” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.

The Montevideo native has also recorded 11 shots so far this season which is the second-highest total throughout his squad, via FBRef, not to mention that he’s extremely calm and composed on the ball averaging a 90.7% pass success rate.

Furthermore, Madrid’s £133k-per-week earner, who has the versatility to operate in eight different positions over the midfield and attack, will know what it takes to compete and be successful having secured ten pieces of silverware since the start of his career, so he will possess the same winning mentality of the current squad who are already at Kirkby.

Finally, Valverde shares the same agent, Wasserman, as both Joe Gomez and Curtis Jones, so should the hierarchy attempt to make a second move for their target in the new year, the existing connection that his representative already has to the club could give them a small advantage in getting a deal over the line in 2024.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIn a nutshellIn a wildly oscillating game that frequently blurred the lines between victory and defeat, Lahore Qalandars prevailed over Karachi Kings in the Super Over. After Lahore had made 11 in the Super Over, Karachi were halted in their tracks by Sunil Narine, who unleashed his full complement of tricks. Conceding only two runs off the first five balls, which included the wicket of Colin Ingram, Narine all but ensured Karachi didn’t provide one last twist in an encounter that wouldn’t pause for a moment of calm.Earlier in the night, Lahore experienced the full spectrum of emotions – they came within shouting distance of wrapping up the game, but then thought they stuffed it only to eventually tie the game. Needing 16 to win off the last over, Sohail Akhtar turned up and dialled up the adrenaline with a sequence of 2, 4 and 6 off Usman Khan.With four runs needed off three deliveries, Mitchell McClenaghan ran himself out in pursuit of a bye. With the equation eventually narrowing down to three off one, Akhtar hit one straight down the throat of long on.However, even as Karachi were celebrating, it emerged that Usman had overstepped. More drama ensued as the two batsmen – Akhtar and Gulraiz Sadaf – hadn’t completed the run. Despite the ball being ruled dead with Ravi Bopara, the fielder, having completed the catch before the run was completed, the umpires Aleem Dar and Tim Robinson ruled that Sadaf would be on strike for the last ball. With two needed off the final delivery, Usman nailed his yorker and Sadaf could manage only one as the game went into the Super Over. Just over a week ago, Lahore found themselves on the wrong side of a Super Over. This time they would prove to be second-time lucky.Having put into bat earlier in the night, Karachi found a steady tempo for the major part of the innings. Despite losing opener Joe Denly early on, Karachi prospered from a 72-run stand between Babar Azam and Lendl Simmons. Simmons began with three boundaries driven through the covers off Anton Devcich’s bowling, and settled in with an equal measure of nifty cuts and expansive slogs. By the time he was dismissed in the 12th over, Simmons had made 55 off 39 deliveries. Azam, meanwhile, had a fortuitous moment when he lofted Yasir Shah to mid on where Shaheen Afridi fluffed a sitter. Reprieved on zero, he went on to score his second fifty in three games, a 49-ball 61.Lahore’s chase was moulded on the same template as Karachi’s, as they accumulated runs at a good clip without much extravagance. Agha Salman (50 off 45 balls) played a mature hand with Fakhar Zaman (28) and Devcich (24) rallying around him. Even as it looked like Lahore had this chase covered, Karachi’s bowlers, led by captain Imad Wasim and Bopara, took the pace off and slowed things down. Like Lahore, who had scored only 24 runs from overs 10 to 15, Karachi, too, faltered in this phase to manage only 32 runs.In a bid to up the scoring rate, Salman attempted to clear the deep midwicket fence but was undone by a terrific tag-team effort from the Azam-Simmons duo. Azam took the catch, and realising he was falling over the ropes, scooped the ball back to Simmons. Soon after, with 23 needed off 11 balls, Wasim backpedalled to pluck a fine catch to dismiss Sohail Khan and bumped his head into the turf in the process. Stretchered off the field, he had scans overnight and was kept under observation, which revealed a mild concussion. However, “his vitals are fine”, the PSL tweeted on the afternoon after the game.*Where the match was wonIn a game where there were too many false dawns, the decisive blow was struck by the understated Narine in the Super Over. Despite not having a huge score to defend, Narine wrested the match in Lahore’s favour in the first three deliveries. Starting with a straighter one on the stumps which Simmons couldn’t score off, he got away with a full toss next ball as the batsman could only manage a single off it. The third delivery, to Ingram, was a loopy offbreak that produced a top-edged slog brilliantly held by a diving Mitchell McClenaghan at fine leg. Narine pinned down Simmons once again with a 116 kph delivery and effectively put the lid on the match there and then.The men who won itWhile it is hard to look beyond Narine, it is important to acknowledge Salman’s composure at the top and McCullum’s cool under pressure. After Salman had marshalled the innings, McCullum, coming into bat at No.5, struggled to get his timing right, but managed the impactful strikes, like the ramp six off Usman. In the Super Over, too, his boundary off the penultimate ball from Mohammad Amir gave Lahore some extra cushion after they had lost Zaman early on.Where they standA win for Karachi could have seen them dislodge table-toppers Quetta Gladiators. Instead, they remain on third position with nine points. Lahore Qalandars, meanwhile, are officially out of the tournament, but have managed to salvage some pride with their second successive win in as many days.*

Despite their impressive performance in the Nidahas Trophy, Bangladesh’s wicketkeeper said they “haven’t become a T20 side of caliber yet”

Mohammad Isam19-Mar-2018Before the Nidahas Trophy, Bangladesh never felt like they were playing consistently in a T20 tournament, according to Mushfiqur Rahim. Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka twice in final-over thrillers, which has given them confidence for the future.Mushfiqur said Bangladesh’s overall recovery in this tournament, after the poor home series against Sri Lanka, stood out. They were beaten 2-0 in the T20s in February, after they lost the ODI tri-series final and the Test series, to Sri Lanka.’Should have been quiet’ – Nurul Hasan

Nurul Hasan, the Bangladesh substitute player, who picked up a 25% fine for his behaviour in the match against Sri Lanka on Friday, said he regretted arguing with Thisara Perera.
“I was sent inside the field to speak to [Mahmudullah] Riyad ,” Nurul said. “I asked the umpire whether the first ball was given a bouncer. Thisara Perera came up to me and said, ‘Who are you to talk? You go, you don’t have to talk’. I said I am not talking to you. He started to abuse me. I kept saying it has nothing to do with you. I should have been quiet. I think the heat of the moment got to me. This is all that happened.”

“We haven’t become a T20 side of caliber yet but if you compare how we did in the home T20s in February to how we did in Sri Lanka, we have taken a step in the right direction,” Mushfiqur said. “We have shown we can be consistent in T20s. We still have a lot of room for improvement. Our top-order batsmen have to play till the end. We did finish two games well.”Our bowlers have to take more wickets in the Powerplay overs. We have to work on our death-over bowling. Most of the wickets were flat, we were a bit behind India’s economy rate. I think it is a gain that we now have some confidence in T20s, like we have found in Tests and ODIs.”Bangladesh were short of confidence prior to the Nidahas Trophy, but Mushfiqur boosted their morale after carrying them past Sri Lanka in the second league game. Mahmudullah’s cameo in the virtual knockout against Sri Lanka lifted them further. However, they lost one crucial moment in the final as Dinesh Karthik hit Soumya Sarkar for six off the last ball of the match.Mushfiqur however feels that Soumya cannot be blamed. “It is quite obvious to feel bad. But it wasn’t due to one person,” Mushfiqur said. “If all our bowlers could concede one or two runs less or our batsmen could have scored 10 runs more, things would have been different. It is a team game so the failure is ours. We have to take lessons from this game. It was the first time for Soumya, so I am sure the next time he faces up to such a situation, he will do much better.”A lot of big-name bowlers have failed to hold on to their nerve. Malinga was taken apart by Marlon Samuels in the same venue in the 2012 World T20. We lost a good opportunity, is all I can say. It is not every day that you get a chance to beat India. We have now missed two opportunities. We will keep this hurt inside so that we can go ahead.”

With one to defend off the last over, the seamer started with a wide but then had Scotland’s No. 11 Brad Wheal caught behind with his next delivery to spark wild celebrations

The Report by Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo12-Mar-2018

Zimbabwe 210 (Ervine 57, Sharif 5-33, Leask 4-37) tied with Scotland 210 ( Berrington 47, Cremer 3-21, Chisoro 3-42)
Scorecard Zimbabwe and Scotland battled to a tie in a thrilling match at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. Both teams were already assured of a place in the Super Six stage ahead of this encounter, but there was no let up in intensity, nor in the interest of the fans, who once again turned out in big numbers and were treated to a nail-biting finish.Scotland seemed to be cruising in pursuit of 211 during Richie Berrington and George Munsey’s 76-run fifth wicket stand, but Berrington’s dismissal for 47 gave Zimbabwe the chance they needed, and in a pressure-cooker atmosphere they chipped away to reduce Scotland to 171 for 8. No. 10 Mark Watt’s brave hitting took Scotland to the brink, but when he fell in the penultimate over, the match turned again. Yet more drama was to follow, as a Blessing Muzarabani yorker tailed wide down the leg side wide to bring the teams level with six deliveries still to be bowled. Pulling his length right back, Muzarabani then had Brad Wheal caught behind with his next delivery to spark wild celebrations.Zimbabwe’s great escape brought an end to a topsy-turvy day in which both teams traded blows and the bowlers dictated the path of the match. After Zimbabwe opted to bat, Safyaan Sharif starred for Scotland with the ball, recording his maiden ODI five-wicket haul, while Michael Leask’s offspin brought a career-best 4 for 37.Brendan Taylor and Craig Ervine were the only Zimbabwean batsmen able to make an impact, and their dismissals proved timely for Scotland. Zimbabwe were rolling along at almost five-and-a-half runs an over when Taylor played on for 44, and Ervine’s wicket for 57 in the 44th over meant Zimbabwe had no set top-order batsmen left to take on the bowling at the death.Between times, Sharif’s probing spells and Leask’s consistency meant the rest of Zimbabwe’s batsmen were only able to put together one partnership worth more than fifty – between Taylor and Solomon Mire for the third wicket. Sharif’s first over of the match went for 16 as Cephas Zhuwao started in blistering fashion, but with his next seven overs and four deliveries he collected 5 for 17, including a maiden.Sharif put his yorker to particularly good effect. With it, he removed Hamilton Masakadza leg before just as he was starting to hit his stride. Later in the innings, once again it was a yorker that beat Cremer for pace and pinged him on the toe in front of his stumps as Zimbabwe slipped to 187 for 7. Finally, it was another very full delivery that shattered Blessing Muzarabani’s stumps to bring Zimbabwe’s innings to a close in the 47th over.But the yorker wasn’t Sharif’s only trick, and he was also backed up by some sharp fielding. Zimbabwe were tottering at 152 for 5 when he removed Sean Williams to put Scotland firmly in control. It was a classic set-up for the left-hander, Sharif angling the ball in and then moving it away to take the outer half. Calum MacLeod was perfectly positioned, close in at gully, to take the catch.At the other end, Sharif received excellent support from Scotland’s spinners. Scotland used four slow bowlers, who bowled 29 overs for 139 runs, with Leask striking while, at different points, Mark Watt and Tom Sole helped Scotland to keep control of the game.Zimbabwe also relied heavily on spin, and left-arm spinner Tendai Chisoro – picked ahead of seamer Kyle Jarvis for this match – opened the bowling from the Airport End. He opened the door for Zimbabwe with the early dismissal of Matthew Cross, who sliced under a drive to be caught by Williams at cover point.Chisoro also had Sole caught behind in his opening spell, but Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer bruised his figures – and those of Muzarabani, as Scotland raced past fifty in the Powerplay. Graeme Cremer brought himself on in the 12th over to turn the match once again, Coetzer playing too early at a legbreak to be caught and bowled for 39. Cremer returned later in the innings, bowling from the opposite end, to break the partnership between Berrington and Munsey and renew the pressure on Scotland.Each one of Zimbabwe’s bowlers contributed something, with Chatara, Williams and Raza also taking a wicket apiece. Muzarabani seemed the only weak link, having been targeted by Coetzer early on and Leask at the death as Scotland’s no. 8 threatened to take the game away with a run-a ball 28 not out. But he, too, took a wicket, and in the end it was the one that mattered, ensuring Zimbabwe and Scotland would each take three points through to the Super Sixes.

Southampton head into the international break on a sour note having been on the end of a 5-0 thrashing against Sunderland and as a result, saw their unbeaten Championship record come to an end.

The Saints were outclassed in every department as the Black Cats landed ten shots on target, created six big chances and recorded an xG of 1.94, condemning the visitors to a miserable afternoon and one they'll need to recover from after the internationals.

Since his arrival at the club, Russell Martin has engraved his possession-heavy style of football at St Mary's but despite dominating the majority of games, have struggled to kill off their opposition, winning by a solitary goal in victories over Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth and Queens Park Rangers.

Falling short in front of goal so far, Southampton sought to improve their fortunes with the deadline day capture of Ross Stewart for a reported £8m from Sunderland.

What are Ross Stewart's strengths?

Throughout his two-and-a-half-year stay at the Stadium of Light, Stewart was referred to as the "Loch Ness Drogba", a nickname coined by supporters for his predatory instincts in front of goal and his ability to turn up in the big games.

There were many of those during Sunderland's 21/22 campaign in League One as they battled tooth and nail to get out of the division at the fourth attempt, doing so through the play-offs with Stewart firing 24 goals in 46 appearances.

Following promotion, the 27-year-old picked up where he left off by scoring ten in his first 13 Championship games and although his season was curtailed due to injury, his time in the North East was hugely successful.

While a fully fit Stewart is capable of firing the Saints to promotion, he wasn't the only striker linked to the club this summer, as Martin reportedly sought to sign Joel Piroe from Swansea City in an attempt to rekindle his love affair with the Dutchman.

Piroe, who scored 19 Championship goals last season, would have been a more prolific forward signing than the Scotsman.

How good is Joel Piroe?

Having chalked up an impressive 41 goals in 88 Championship appearances, Piroe was expected to be plying his trade in the Premier League this season, but it was Leeds United who won the race for his signature in a reported £10.5m deal.

Despite his predatory instincts seeing him deliver superb returns in front of goal, it's his interplay that makes him more than a penalty box striker or a poacher. The 24-year-old is capable of operating in a deeper role in-behind with Daniel Farke using him as a number 10 against Ipswich.

Piroe demonstrates his play-making ability through an array of his passing stats, eclipsing Stewart in most metrics and displaying his ability to link play better than the Southampton man. That, combined with his deadly nature in front of goal makes him a truly dangerous proposition.

Across the 22/23 Championship season, Piroe bettered Stewart for pass completion (81.5%/68%), passes into the penalty area (0.85/0.26), progressive passes (2.40/1.99) and expected assists (0.10/0.03), as per FBref.

While the "clinical" and "dangerous" finisher, as dubbed by journalist Josh Bunting, surpasses Stewart for his efficiency in possession, their shooting and finishing stats align closely together, suggesting that Piroe wouldn't be much of an upgrade in that department, although the sample size is larger for the Dutchman.

Stewart exceeds Piroe for shots on target (1.47/1.38), shots (3.71/3.32) and non-penalty xG (0.62/0.38) but these are fine margins when it comes to shooting as Piroe's exploits at Championship point towards a player who is consistently lethal in front of goal.

With almost one goal every two games, signing the now Leeds star would have guaranteed consistent returns, whereas the recent part of Stewart's career has been blighted by injury troubles so it could take him a while to get up to speed.

When the season is concluded in May, it's highly likely that these two won't be far behind the summit of the Championship scoring charts but given what Piroe could have brought to Martin's possession-based system, perhaps he's the one that got away this summer.

Southampton are well-known for churning out talent from their academy setup and selling them on for huge profits in the future.

James Ward-Prowse is the most recent of those to have demonstrated the quality being produced from the Saints' academy having followed in the footsteps of the likes of Luke Shaw, Theo Walcott and five-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid, Gareth Bale.

While the relentless production of talent coming from their academy is impressive – as emphasised this season through 17-year-old Samuel Amo-Ameyaw being rewarded with a chance in the first team – Southampton have also become renowned for signing young players at comparatively small fees and nurturing their development before selling at a significant profit.

The most blatant example of that fact was their £13m acquisition of Virgil van Dijk from Celtic in 2015 with the Dutchman quickly rising to prominence as one of the best defenders in the league, as the Saints pocketed a hefty £75m from Liverpool two and a half years later.

In 2022, Ralph Hasenhuttl unearthed a gem from Manchester City as Romeo Lavia joined the club for £10.5m and although the South Coast club were relegated from the Premier League, Lavia's impressive performances earned him a £58m move to Chelsea this summer, making them a cool £48m on their investment.

Southampton are experts when it comes to signing young players for a cheap and turning a huge profit, but have buckled under the pressure of spending big money on more experienced talents, wasting millions on Dani Osvaldo, who demonstrated that the Saints haven't always been smart with their business.

How much did Southampton pay for Dani Osvaldo?

During Mauricio Pochettino's tenure at the club, the Argentine was in desperate need of a striker to help them become more ruthless in front of goal and after managing him at Espanyol, where he chalked up 20 goals in 45 appearances, Pochettino decided to break the bank to lure Osvaldo to the Premier League.

Joining from Roma for a club record fee of £15m in 2013, the Italian promised to live up to the price tag having amassed an eye-watering 34 goal contributions in 55 appearances in the Serie A.

Despite his impressive rate of scoring, Roma's coach at the time, Rudi Garcia, questioned Osvaldo's attitude during a friendly with Turkish side Bursaspor in 2013, stating that the 27-year-old's behaviour would cause serious problems unless he changed his attitude.

He said: “He is a great striker, but his personality is a serious issue.

“[For instance], in my opinion, he shouldn’t have reacted to the fans’ jeers, although I do understand it’s hard not to do when you’re being insulted."

In that one moment, warning signs were thrown towards Southampton, but they chose to ignore them. Indeed, Pochettino thought his attitude wouldn't get in the way of his performances, and it turned out he was wrong.

What happened to Dani Osvaldo next?

As a club record signing, a lot is expected, especially as a striker. Supporters were expecting Osvaldo to become their next heroic goalscorer, following in the footsteps of Rickie Lambert, but how his Southampton career unravelled instead left supporters pulling their hair out.

In 13 appearances for the club in the 2013/14 campaign, Osvaldo's only moment of brilliance came against Manchester City, as his superbly curled effort helped the Saints to a point against the eventual champions.

"From now on I can show how much I can do, and how well I can perform,” the Italian said, after scoring his third – and last – Southampton goal.

Although he offered words of encouragement to supporters, he failed to kick on from there, headbutting Jose Fonte in training, an incident that ultimately ended his career in England.

Osvaldo spent just 166 days at the club before he was shipped out of the club to Juventus on loan, failing to impress at the Old Lady before Southampton released him in 2015 after he'd bled the club dry of £25m, including fees and wages, across two years.

After retiring at 30-years-old in 2016, the Italian outlined his hatred towards football in an interview with Fox Sports, saying: “Football was not happy, it is a world full of ****." You can imagine the ending of that.

As far as record signings go, Osvaldo will go down as one of the worst in Premier League history.

Newcastle United appear to have a lot of happy players at the club currently, but one individual is keen on moving away, according to a fresh claim from the man in question.

Will Newcastle finish in the top four?

The Magpies have been flying until recently, with everything seemingly heading in the right direction after securing a top-four finish last season, ending up fourth in the Premier League table. That saw them qualify for the Champions League for the first time since the early part of this century, in what was a huge achievement by Eddie Howe and his players.

Things have started to go a little wrong for Newcastle of late, however, with three defeats in a row coming their way in the league, admittedly against Manchester City, Liverpool and Brighton. A big improvement is needed quickly, or they could begin to find themselves drifting further away from their rivals in the top four battle.

There is no reason why there shouldn't be an upturn in fortunes, in truth, especially with some easier matches on the horizon, and the hope is that Howe's side return to winning ways at home to Brentford on Saturday.

Newcastle now have a hugely impressive squad – arguably the best they've had in the Premier League era – and one that is filled with players who seemingly see their futures lying at St James' Park, but that doesn't apply to one individual.

Will Loris Karius leave Newcastle?

Speaking to Corriere della Sera [via Sport Witness], Magpies goalkeeper Loris Karius all but admitted that he wants to leave Newcastle, saying that he is "waiting" for the right opportunity to arrive, responding to question about a move to Serie A being a possibility:

"It is a possible solution, which I consider. It could happen in the future. As a child I followed Inter, Milan and Juve matches on TV. But I don’t want to move only based on Aria and Diletta. I’m waiting for a good job opportunity."

In truth, it makes total sense for Karius to find a new club as soon as possible, with Howe clearly not seeing him as a regular between the sticks, especially as Nick Pope is so clearly first choice in that area of the pitch.

The 30-year-old has only made one solitary appearance for Newcastle to date, conceding twice in it, and his career has really stalled since that disastrous performance for Liverpool against Real Madrid in the 2018 Champions League final.

Karius' twice glaring errors in that high-profile game will never be forgotten, and sadly, it appears to have knocked his confidence for good, having initially joined the Reds as a highly-rated young goalkeeper who was seen as the solution between the sticks before Alisson eventually arrived as that man.

The German needs regular football at this point in his career, and he isn't going to be afforded that at Newcastle, so the hope is that he seals a move away in the January transfer window and enjoys a successful new chapter in his career, having not had much of an impact at all at St James' Park.

Eoin Morgan, England’s limited-overs captain, has thrown his weight behind the ECB’s 100-ball concept, describing himself as a “big fan” and suggesting it was crucial for the governing body to innovate in order to stimulate waning interest in cricket in the UK.Morgan was one of only three players briefed on the plans before they were announced last week – England women’s captain Heather Knight and PCA chairman Daryl Mitchell were the others – and he has given it his full backing. While there has been criticism from many quarters and complaints about the lack consultation during the process, Morgan felt the “noise” around “The Hundred” was a good sign.”I think the biggest positive is that it is something different,” he told ESPNcricinfo, speaking at the launch of the 2019 World Cup fixtures at Lord’s. “The ECB have identified that there has been a huge decrease in participation in the game for a number of years, we need to do things differently to attract a new audience and I think this does.”I think the noise that it’s created is brilliant, it’s good news, because you get the same people who love the game – like I do – coming to the game and complaining about it, because staying rigid is what we’re used to and what we enjoy. But there’s a huge element of staying rigid that can eat away at the game an deter the popularity of the game and that’s a big worry. So the hundred format, I’m a big fan of it.”The Hundred sounds different. I have a lot of friends outside cricket who would never come to a match but have already said they enjoy that there is a bit of noise around it, because it’s upsetting people that already come to a game and that is the point of the product.”Falling participation figures have been a cause for concern at the ECB for several years, but last year the ECB sold its TV rights package for GBP1.1bn, a deal which guarantees the return of live cricket to the BBC.The new tournament for 2020 was initially envisaged as a T20 competition that would be similar to the IPL or Australia’s Big Bash. There have been suggestions that broadcasters demanded a shorter game in order to better fit schedules but Morgan said it was important to consider the wider picture in attempts to grow the game.”When they came to the idea of the 100-ball scenario, I really enjoyed it,” Morgan said. “It’s cricket at its simplest and coming from a background in an area that’s not very cricket orientated, I suppose I had a reasonable view on things, because I’m not tied to one format, or appealing to one certain audience. I want to get something forward that’s going to appeal to everybody.”I think having the new format on terrestrial television, is a huge opportunity for us to go into people’s living rooms and grab their attention for a short space of time in the evening, which I think could be great for the game.”We’re still a long way out from the tournament starting, a good two years, so plenty of time in between to iron things out. Hopefully we come to something that’s practical and appealing not just for the cricketing public but for the sporting public.”

Scott Borthwick and Ben Foakes swung the match in Surrey’s favour

Paul Edwards at Kia Oval21-Apr-20182:11

Mixed fortunes for India duo

ScorecardWickets, wickets, everywhere, nor any ton to clap. Unless you have been rather lucky that has been your lot over the last week or so. Indeed, some batsmen have done rather well to stop one ball in three. Yet for a couple of sessions at the Oval it seemed this game between Surrey and Hampshire might buck the pattern. Four wickets fell in 64 overs on the first day only for nine to go down after tea and the visitors’ last seven in barely more than a morning’s play on Saturday. Centuries? You were more likely to see Nigel Farage sharing a fondue with Ken Clarke.On such mornings Rikki Clarke’s seamers and Sam Curran’s inswing were always likely to set a clattering tone. Talk of this being a decent pitch for batsmen sounded ever more like tattle for the Sunday papers as both bowlers took four wickets and Hampshire conceded a first-innings deficit of 64. Thus, on an afternoon when increasing cloud cover was added to the batsmen’s spring handicaps it seems only proper to salute Hashim Amla and Scott Borthwick, the players whose technique and bravery halted the processions of batsmen to and from the pavilion.Borthwick’s was the more significant innings: his first season for Surrey was a modest one but his 74 enabled Surrey to build a 281-run lead by close of play and that should be enough to set up a home win. However, should Amla bat as gloriously in the second innings as he did on Saturday morning, all is not lost for Hampshire. Then again, people may not be surprised that the South African batted well at The Oval. If you once scored 311 not out on a cricket ground it is reasonable to suppose you have a soft spot for the place. But unless you are Don Bradman at Leeds, you rarely return to a favoured venue in quite such glory. Poignant recollections are far more likely. It was thus an unmixed joy to see Amla transcend the occasion by making 55 of the most felicitous runs we are likely to see this season.At the other end wickets tumbled freely and double-figures became distant summits. James Vince was leg before to Rikki Clarke’s second ball of the morning and took a long moment before wandering off. Sam Northeast was caught at the wicket off Curran, Rillee Rossouw fell lbw to Curran and Liam Dawson edged Jade Dernbach to Ben Foakes. Hampshire subsided to 116 for 7.A different game played out at the other end. For over half an hour, Amla played the ball very late and only when compelled to. Then there was a clip through midwicket, precise cuts through gully and a leg glance to treasure. These and other strokes will linger in the mind until September and beyond. Rory Burns kept faith with his seamers and justifiably so. You were more likely to see an albatross at the Oval than the Surrey off-spinner Amar Virdi bowling.Amla reached his fifty off 67 balls while at the other end Kyle Abbott biffed a useful 23. The innings ended all too briefly for the neutrals shortly after lunch when Curran’s inswing accounted for Abbott and Wheal and Clarke moved one back off the seam to have Amla leg before. It was his second false shot in 83 balls.Surrey, though, had still taken a substantial advantage from the first half of the game and Borthwick spent the rest of his Saturday extending it. Abbott again did his best for Hampshire by having Burns caught behind and castling Mark Stoneman, albeit through the size of gate one might only see at Chatsworth.Undaunted, Borthwick settled into his work and was soon playing the cover-drives and clips through midwicket that still has them weeping their pints across the North East. He added 45 with Dean Elgar and then a further 87 with Foakes. A pulled six off Abbott seemed the prelude to a century but the South African ended such thoughts when he gave Borthwick the unwanted honour of being the twelfth batsman in the game to fall leg before.Yes, the ball was still moving about but Foakes reached his fifty just before the close and then helped Ollie Pope piloted Surrey towards even greater prosperity. Perhaps only Amla in his splendour can overhaul their advantage. One is beguiled by the mere prospect.