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A round-up of matches from the third day of the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Mar-2012Group ALed by Karim Sadiq, Afghanistan kept their quest for a spot in the ICC World Twenty20 on track with a third straight win in the T20 qualifier, this one an 89-run thumping of Denmark at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the UAE. Sadiq was the star at the top of the order, blasting his way to 91 from just 60 deliveries. He was particularly harsh on legspinner Bobby Chawla, whom he smashed for three of his five sixes. After setting up his side’s total of 172 for 5, Sadiq then turned destroyer with his offspin, ripping through the heart of Denmark’s batting line-up to leave them tottering at 40 for 7 in the 11th over. Three of Sadiq’s four victims were bowled, while the other was trapped leg-before. He finished with figures of 4 for 14 as Denmark were restricted to 83 for 9.A clinical performance from Canada helped them beat Hong Kong by eight wickets at the ICC Global Cricket Academy in Dubai. Having chosen to bat first, Hong Kong got off to a horrific start as Junaid Siddiqui knocked over their top order to have them limping at 17 for 4 after four overs. Opener Babar Hayat waged a lone battle, top scoring with 36, but received no support as eight batsmen scored in single figures. Hong Kong’s’ total of 81 for 8 was never going to threaten Canada and Hiral Patel made sure there were no nervous moments in the chase with a run-a-ball 40 at the top of the order as Canada cruised home with six overs to spare.Netherlands survived a scare from underdogs Bermuda before getting their second win of the qualifiers, in Abu Dhabi. Netherlands had been kept to 125 but took wickets regularly in the chase to keep control. At 96 for 8, Bermuda looked out of the game, but Rodney Trott struck four boundaries in his 18 off seven balls, to get Bermuda to within four runs of Netherlands’ total. Luckily for Netherlands, 21-year-old quick Timm van der Gugten’s four-wicket spell had done enough damage to ensure Trott’s blitz and Steven Outerbridge’s steady 34 not out were not enough. Netherlands are also indebted to Michael Swart, whose 53 off 51 was integral to them reaching a competitive total. Swart’s knock had helped get Netherlands to 92 for 3, but a collapse of 33 for six wickets followed, and the match ended up being closer than Netherlands may have hoped.Papua New Guinea picked up their first win of the tournament with a 35-run victory over Nepal in Sharjah. Chris Amini top-scored with 38 after Papua New Guinea were put into bat and then took 2 for 20 as Nepal fell well short of their target of 138. Papua New Guinea’s six bowlers all claimed wickets as only three Nepal batsmen made it to double figures – Prithu Baskota’s run-a-ball 36 not out from No. 6 coming too late to avert defeat. Geraint Jones, the former England Test wicketkeeper, helped anchor the Papua New Guinea innings with a brisk 32 before Jack Vare’s eight-ball 19 and some six-hitting from Amini turned a challenging total into an unattainable one.Group BIreland squeezed past Italy by two wickets in Abu Dhabi. Read the full report here.Namibia continued their impressive run in the tournament with a 17-run victory over USA at the ICC Global Cricket Academy Ground No 2 in Dubai. This time it was opener Raymond van Schoor who led the way for Namibia, batting through the innings to make 79 from 55 balls. Louis van der Westhuizen, their centurion in the last game, managed only 4 this time, but Craig Williams kept Schoor company in a 56-run partnership for the third wicket. Williams departed for 41 with the score 126 for 3 and Nicholaas Scholtz soon followed but Sarel Burger and Schoor plundered 44 runs from the last 3.1 overs to lead Namibia to 177 for 4. USA lost two wickets in the first two overs and never quite recovered. Aditya Mishra made a valiant 53 and Orlando Baker added 38 but the target was always just out of reach after their poor start.Scotland picked up their second win, beating the previously undefeated Uganda by 34 runs in Dubai, with Calum MacLeod once again top-scoring. MacLeod’s 45 off 34 balls gave Scotland a brisk start and the middle-order batsmen all made contributions towards the total of 170, with Gordon Goudie’s 26 off 10 balls, including three sixes, giving the run-rate a significant boost. Uganda started the chase well but the pressure of the challenging target told and wickets began to fall regularly. Majid Haq took 3 for 18 in his four overs and fellow offspinner Preston Mommsen bagged three wickets too as Scotland eased to victory.There was also a first win for Kenya, as their batsmen ran amok to pile up 176 against Oman in Dubai. Despite a solid chase, Oman were never really in the hunt, with Kenya’s spinners taking wickets at regular intervals to ensure a 35-run victory. The win was built on a 105-run opening stand in 13.1 overs between Duncan Allan and Alex Obanda, who both scored half-centuries, before Rakep Patel blasted his way to 33 off 16 balls, with four sixes. Adnan Ilyas got the Oman reply off to a good start with 35 off 27 balls, including six boundaries, but the Ngoche brothers, Shem and James, and captain Collins Obuya each claimed two wickets and only some late hitting from Nos. 9 and 10 allowed Oman to see out their overs.

Chris Gayle has been retained by Royal Challengers Bangalore for the 2012 IPL season, an official from the franchise has confirmed to ESPNcricinfo

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jan-2012Chris Gayle has been retained by Royal Challengers Bangalore for the next two IPL seasons. The Royal Challengers had first rights to Gayle’s services after he represented them as a replacement for Dirk Nannes in the previous year. Though the amount he has been signed for is yet undisclosed, it is to be revealed to the IPL authorities and will be deducted from the Royal Challengers’ auction purse.”We are delighted to make Chris Gayle a permanent member of our IPL squad. We are confident that with players like him in our side, we will take the extra step this season, and win our maiden IPL title,” Sidhartha Mallya, Director, Royal Challengers Sports Pvt Ltd, said in a release.”To me, Bangalore has been a home away from home,” Gayle said. “I wanted to continue playing for them, and it turned out that they were keen to retain my services.”The IPL trading window closes on Friday, January 20, and the Royal Challengers had the option to either retain Gayle or leave him to be open for auction on February 4. He went unsold at the auction last year and the maximum amount the Royal Challengers could pay him was $650,000, the amount Nannes was bought for. He joined them on a one-year contract and topped the run-charts in the 2011 season. This year, however, he could be bought for a significantly higher amount; the purse each franchise has been allowed is $2 million.Gayle was in prime form in the IPL last year, playing a crucial role in Royal Challengers’ journey to the final. He struck two centuries, three half-centuries, picked up eight wickets – a prize catch for any franchise that had his services for the season to follow. A BCCI official, at the time when Gayle’s future was uncertain, told ESPNcricinfo that the Royal Challengers were keen on signing Gayle but would have to shell out a large portion of their purse to convince him. “Bangalore want Gayle because they see the cricketing merit in the decision as he helped them to the final last year,” the official had said. “But if they decide to sign a deal with him, they will have to pay big money and if they do that they will be left with nothing much at the auction.”The Mumbai Indians, a richer franchise than the Royal Challengers, were also interested in signing Gayle but Royal Challengers made use of their first rights to his services.

ESPNcricinfo previews the Champions League match between New South Wales and Trinidad and Tobago in Chennai

The Preview by Siddhartha Talya27-Sep-2011Match factsNew South Wales v Trinidad & Tobago, September 28
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)Daren Ganga’s captaincy has won praise, but he needs to do more with the bat in Twenty20s•Global Cricket Ventures-BCCIBig PictureThese two teams have a history. They met twice in the inaugural Champions League Twenty20, splitting two exciting games. Kieron Pollard first announced himself with an unbeaten, blistering 54 off 18 balls in Hyderabad that won Trinidad and Tobago the match and him a bumper IPL contract with Mumbai Indians. In the other game, the final, Brett Lee played a decisive cameo, grabbed two wickets and caught Pollard, who had begun to look threatening, in the deep to seal the title for New South Wales. Both those matchwinners, however, will be absent from tomorrow’s encounter due to their commitments with their IPL franchises but in a tournament that has provided much entertainment thus far, we can expect the teams to deliver another close one.T&T, despite the absence of Pollard, have won plenty of respect. They’ve earned their place in the main leg by coming through the qualifiers and gave the high profile Mumbai Indians a serious scare. In a chase where fortunes fluctuated wildly, Mumbai just about held their nerve in the final over to win off the final ball, but T&T had no business keeping the game so close after being bowled out for 98. While they bowled determinedly, their batsmen didn’t press on after getting starts. Likewise with NSW, who were soundly beaten by Cape Cobras in their first game. Nor could NSW’s bowlers make much of a fight in the wake of an onslaught from the Cobras openers. With little margin for a slip-up, the team will aim for a quick climb from the bottom of the points table.Watch out for …Daren Ganga is a man of strong words and an impressive captain. In fact, Ian Chappell thought he should lead West Indies after the way they performed in this tournament’s inaugural edition. But, of late, Ganga’s own form with the bat has been poor. He had a good first-class season in the Caribbean but in his last six Twenty20 innings he has scores of 0, 7, 1, 17 and 5.Steven Smith is a player of immense value in the shorter versions, especially Twenty20, with his all-round ability. He was left out of Australia’s Test series in Sri Lanka which would have been a setback, given his spirited batting, outstanding fielding and leg-spin are known to have the makings of a regular in the national side.Team newsT&T underperformed big time with the bat, several of their players had an off day but it was an especially bad one for Denesh Ramdin. The former West Indies vice-captain is back in the national reckoning – he’s been picked for the Bangladesh tour and is a senior member of the T&T side – but will feel a bit of pressure after his duck and that missed run-out in the previous game. William Perkins is an attacking opener and a wicketkeeping option. T&T may not make any changes but their batsmen need to recover, and quickly.NSW went in with three spinners in their previous game, though Steve O’Keefe didn’t do much. If at all, they might make a change in their attack depending on the conditions.Stats and trivia Kieron Pollard has struck the most sixes for T&T in Twenty20 matches, but next in line is opener Lendl Simmons with 22. The most fours, however, have been struck by William Perkins – 60. David Warner is the highest run-getter for NSW in Twenty20 cricket – 924 in 30 matches. The next best is 397 runs behind, but he has played 17 games less at a better average – Phil Hughes. Quotes”We have capable batsmen who can come up tomorrow and mean business. We are coming up against a different attack on a different surface. Hopefully when the opportunity presents itself, our batters can come up trumps.”
Denesh Ramdin is determined to fight back.

There isn’t much explosive star power apart from their new captain Adam Gilchrist but feature a line-up of players who can play the bit parts really well almost like character artistes.

Sriram Veera09-Apr-2011Last three seasonsThey had a good first year, finishing second on points tally but have been on the decline since. They finished mid-level, at No. 5, in the second and slipped to bottom in the last tournament.

A round-up of the first two quarter-final games of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Twenty20 tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Mar-2011Madhya Pradesh cruised past Orissa to reach the quarter-finals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on the back of an impressive performance by their seamers and dominant knocks from Mohnish Mishra and Jalaj Saxena at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. After putting Orissa in, MP maintained a lid on their scoring rate by taking wickets at regular intervals. TP Sudhindra struck twice early and then Anand Rajan got into the act as well, and both finished with three wickets each. Orissa’s innings never kicked off and they only managed 126 in their 20 overs. That proved an easy chase for MP, who reached the target in 17.4 overs. Mishra blazed his way to 48 off 27 and Saxena stayed unbeaten with 55 off 47, as MP won by eight wickets.The morning game also saw an easy chase, with Tamil Nadu blasting their way past Delhi’s 144 in just 16. 1 overs. M Vijay clobbered 38 off 18 balls, his opening partner Srikkanth Anirudha got 49 not out and S Badrinath scored 47 as Tamil Nadu got home with eight wickets in hand. Delhi chose to bat, but got off to a sedate start by Twenty20 standards, with opener Shikhar Dhawan taking 33 balls for his 36 and captain Mithun Manhas 34 balls to get to 31. Yogesh Nagar gave the innings some impetus in the end, smashing 44 off 21, but Delhi’s total was well short of enough in the end.

Everton are in desperate need for big changes this summer and if they stay up in the Premier League at the end of the season it will only better their opportunities to strengthen the team to avoid another relegation battle in the future.

There are many areas of the pitch that will need Farhad Moshiri and Frank Lampard’s attention when the season draws to a close with changes specifically needed to improve the defensive play of the team, with the side conceding 19 more goals than they have scored in the current Premier League campaign.

With that being said, it may be time for Lampard to finally axe Seamus Coleman and start considering his options to replace the 33-year-old Everton captain who will be out of contract in June 2023, Finding the £68k-per-week defender’s successor could make a huge difference and relieve some pressure.

One player who could be the perfect replacement for the Irish defender who was labelled “poor” by journalist Josh Bunting, is Norwich City’s Max Aarons, who was linked with the club back in the January transfer window. Now he has been relegated once again Lampard could capitalise on the opportunity to snap up the youngster.

The 22-year-old was praised earlier this season by former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand on his YouTube channel, saying:

“He has got huge potential. He has got big, big potential.

“Lots of games, a lot of experience for someone so young, and he is just going to keep on improving.”

It is no wonder the young player has been attracting recognition when you consider his defensive statistics this season in the Premier League in a team that has struggled throughout. Aarons has put in impressive performances and shown his hard-working attitude despite the position the Canaries have found themselves in.

According to SofaScore, the English right-back has won the majority of his aerial and ground duels combined, making 2.1 clearances, 1.9 tackles and 0.8 interceptions on average per game accompanied by two big chances created and one assist in his 32 league appearances this season.

Ultimately, with the chances of Everton staying in the top-flight for another season they cannot afford to make the same mistakes and must make ruthless decisions to benefit the team going into the next season and signing up Aarons this summer could be a great start for the Toffees much needed rebuild.

AND in other news: Shocking Everton dud who lost ball every 4.7 touches cost Lampard big time yesterday

A round-up of the action from the third day of the sixth round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Division One

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Nov-2011Abbottabad crumbled twice during the day, losing 16 wickets for 119 runs to lose by an innings to Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. Beginning the day on 82 for 3 in pursuit of ZTBL’s 498, a 90-run stand between Mohammad Naeem (71) and Nadeem Akhtar (52) had taken Abbottabad to 173 for 4. Fast bowler Junaid Nadir and left-arm spinner Zohaib Khan triggered a collapse, ending with four strikes apiece as Abbottabad could not manage even 200. Leading by 301 runs, ZTBL enforced the follow-on but Abbottabad could not even take the game in to the final day. Iftikhar Anjum and Mohammad Khalil struck thrice each as Abbottabad sank without any fight. They were 23 for 5 at one stage and Rehan Riaz mopped up the lower order to finish with 4 for 23 as Abbottabad did not manage even 100 this time, making 95.Faisalabad recovered from 62 for 5 to make 234 and set Habib Bank Limited a target of 326 at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. Sarmad Anwar and Fahad Masood had sent back half the Faisalabad side with the hosts having an overall lead of 153. But the trio of Asif Hussain (49), Zeeshan Butt (49) and Naved Latif (51) lifted Faisalabad to 234 aided by 30 extras. Habib Bank’s openers brought the target under 300, knocking off 33 runs by stumps.Aqeel Anjum and Fawad Alam gave National Bank of Pakistan a massive first-innings lead over Karachi Blues at the National Stadium in Karachi. The duo put on an unbeaten 215-run stand as National Bank declared on 520 for 3, a lead of 222. Aqeel was unbeaten on 203 off 364 balls with 26 fours while Alam made 100 off 114. Nasir Jamshed had earlier fallen for 168 but there was to be no respite for Karachi. They finished the day on 90 for 1 with Asad Baig falling off the last ball of the day.Islamabad needed another 24 runs with five wickets remaining to avoid an innings defeat against Water and Power Development Authority at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad. WAPDA had earlier extended their first innings to 388 from the overnight 284 for 4, with useful contributions from Nawaz Sardar and captain Naved-ul-Hasan. Fakhar Hussain finished with 5 for 89 but WAPDA secured a healthy lead of 156. Naved and Sardar troubled Islamabad with the ball as well, reducing them to 132 for 5, despite Umair Khan’s unbeaten 74.Rawalpindi were in trouble against State Bank of Pakistan, having lost two early wickets in their chase of 333 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Mohammad Ali struck twice to leave them at 37 for 2 after State Bank made 215 on the back of Rameez Raja’s fifty. Left-arm spinner Babar Naeem’s maiden first-class five-wicket haul did not allow State Bank’s batsmen to build on the starts that several of them managed. Mohammad Rameez chipped in with three strikes as well to restrict State Bank but the loss of their openers left Rawalpindi struggling to save the game.Sialkot were involved in a tussle for the first-innings lead with Pakistan International Airlines at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot. Mohammad Yasin’s maiden first-class hundred took them to 299 for 4 at stumps, still 206 short of PIA’s huge 505 for 4. Yasin lost Faisal Khan early but Naved Sarwar settled in for the day, crawling to an unbeaten 47 off 215 balls. In contrast, Mohammad Ayub clubbed seven boundaries in his 69 off 55. His dismissal slowed proceedings but Sialkot were still in with a chance to take the lead going in to the final day.

Nigel Harrison, the former Barbados first-class umpire, has died aged 77 after a brief illness

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Dec-2011Nigel Harrison, the former Barbados first-class umpire, has died aged 77 after a brief illness. He stood in Shell Shield and Red Stripe Cup matches through the 1980s. His last first-class game was a tour match during England’s tour of the West Indies in 1990.He also served as the president and treasurer of the Barbados Cricket Umpires Association (BCUA). He was also a former managing director of Corbin Compton, a leading local advertising company.”He was a good umpire. I don’t think he ever had a bad report,” Lloyd Barker, a former international umpire, told the Barbados Cricket Association website. “He knew the game and was always very involved in the training of new umpires.”Joel Garner, the former West Indies bowler and current president of the Barbados Cricket Association, said in a West Indies Cricket Board release that Harrison had enjoyed the confidence of the players he worked with. “As a player I came into contact with Mr Harrison on many occasions while playing at the club level and in regional cricket and he was always a strong, firm umpire.”He was a good communicator and won the confidence of all the players. He made a huge contribution to the game at the club level in Barbados and also helped with the development of regional cricket as well.”WICB president, Julian Hunte, praised Harrison’s contribution to umpiring in the Caribbean. “It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to Nigel Harrison, who was one of the leading umpires in Barbados and West Indies cricket. He carried himself with dignity and made a significant contribution to the game he loved. He helped to lift the standard of umpiring across the region and was a standard-bearer.”Harrison also played club cricket for the Spartan Cricket Club, where he played alongside former West Indies players Wes Hall, David Holford, Cammie Smith, Tony Howard and Peter Lashley.

Alastair Cook’s colossal series continued on the second day in Adelaide, where he and his batting colleagues ground Australia into submission and delivered complete control to England

The Bulletin by Brydon Coverdale04-Dec-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAnother day, another Ashes hundred for Alastair Cook•Getty ImagesAlastair Cook’s colossal series continued on the second day in Adelaide, where he and his batting colleagues ground Australia into submission and delivered complete control to England. At the end of a stiflingly hot 37-degree day, Ricky Ponting’s men were sapped not only of energy, but also of virtually any hope of winning the Test, the ghosts of the Adelaide Ashes Test from four years ago notwithstanding.Australia knew their first-innings total of 245 was a long way below par, but the optimists in the team might have hoped it could become competitive if a few early wickets fell their way. Any such dreams were dashed by Cook, Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen, all of whom made batting on the placid surface look like a net session, and by stumps England were 72 in front, with only two wickets down.A few more hours of batting from England, and they will be in a terrific position from which to push for victory. And what’s a few more hours to Cook? Since the start of his second innings at the Gabba, Cook has batted for 17 hours without being dismissed, a display of concentration and physical durability worthy of a marathon runner. Add in his first innings in Brisbane, and he has made 438 runs in nearly 1400 minutes of batting.Australian fans fondly remember Steve Waugh’s efforts in the 1989 Ashes, when he was almost impossible to dismiss. It took him four Tests to score as many runs as Cook has made in one and a half. He registered his top score, an unbeaten 235, in Brisbane and there is no reason he can’t match that effort in Adelaide, where he closed the second day on 136 not out.Pietersen was with him, on 85, which was an equally ominous sign for the Australians, who knew Cook and Trott were in form but hoped they could exploit Pietersen’s supposed weakness against left-arm spin. Pietersen had one nervy moment early against Xavier Doherty, when he advanced and tried to drive aggressively down the ground, only to see his thick edge lob safely wide of point.Apart from that, he looked every bit the confident, dominant batsman who plundered 158 at the venue four years ago. He used his feet and placed the ball superbly against the spinners and had little trouble against the fast men, cruising to his half-century from his 77th delivery with a whip through midwicket for four off Peter Siddle. It’s 18 months since Pietersen has scored a Test hundred, but it would be a brave person to bet against him breaking that stretch on Sunday.The Cook-Pietersen partnership had blown out to 141 by stumps, with Pietersen rapidly gaining ground on his partner. Cook reached his 15th Test century from his 171st delivery, which was expertly cut forward of point for a boundary off Doherty, who had felt the brunt of Cook’s power square of the wicket earlier in the day.Cook had cut three consecutive fours in almost the same place, just forward of point, showing the Australians once again that while he was generally patient enough to leave fuller balls tempting him to drive, anything short would be treated harshly. Cook’s innings was impressive not only for his fine judgment, but for being chanceless throughout the day.On the one occasion that Australia won a decision against Cook from the umpire Marais Erasmus it was overturned on review; the caught-behind verdict off Siddle’s bowling was shown on replay to have come off Cook’s arm. Not that Australia had anyone to blame but themselves for failing to make more than two breakthroughs throughout the day, as they gave Trott three lives before he was eventually caught for 78 flicking Ryan Harris to Michael Clarke at midwicket.Doherty missed an opportunity to run out Trott on 6, when his throw from square leg flew a metre wide of the stumps. Trott had enjoyed a direct hit from an almost identical position on the first morning to remove Simon Katich, which sparked Australia’s top-order collapse. The side-on chance for Doherty was tough, but Michael Hussey had no such excuse.Trott was on 10 when his edge flew low to gully, where Hussey dropped a catch he would normally have swallowed. Australian shoulders slumped, and it allowed Trott and Cook to build a 173-run stand that should have ended a fraction earlier, when Brad Haddin dropped a reasonably simple chance down leg side off Harris when Trott was on 76.The runs had been flowing freely earlier in the day, when Australia’s fast men fed Trott’s leg-side habit with alarming generosity. Trott was in a positive frame of mind, fresh from his century at the Gabba, and he drove and flicked boundaries through the on-side with ease. During the middle of the first session England were moving at a limited-overs run-rate, adding 44 in a six-over period that sapped much of the positive vibe they’d enjoyed by removing Andrew Strauss in the first over.In his first over of an Ashes Test, Doug Bollinger attacked the top of off stump and Strauss was bowled not offering a shot. It was the high-point of Australia’s day, and it came from the third ball of the morning. There wasn’t much to celebrate from the remaining 525 deliveres.

Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson has delivered his verdict on the future of attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho at Aston Villa. 

The lowdown: Star signing

The 29-year-old arrived at Villa Park in January on a short term deal from Barcelona until the end of the season and proved to be an instant hit in the Midlands.

Following a debut goal against Manchester United in a 2-2 draw, Coutinho has taken his tally to four goals and three assists in just 14 Premier League outings.

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Despite a dip in overall form for Villa in recent weeks, manager Steven Gerrard has been backed to pursue a move for the former Liverpool man…

The latest: Robinson endorses summer move

Speaking to Football Insider, ex-Tottenham number one and current BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Robinson backed Villa to sign Coutinho on a permanent basis due to the good personal relationship with the manager.

“Villa have slipped away quietly this season. I was expecting them to finish in the top ten after the impact Steven Gerrard had in his first few weeks. They were playing really well.

“They are a work in progress though. You forget where they were when he took over. I still think he’ll want to sign Coutinho permanently. They have such a good relationship. I can see it happening.

“I think Coutinho, [Ollie] Watkins, John McGinn and Matty Cash will be the players Steven builds the team around next season. I can see them pushing on if they do.

“They have fallen away but I expect a big improvement next year.”

The verdict: Make it happen

Without a goal contribution in six outings, there has been an undoubted drop off since a scintillating introduction to life as a Villan for Coutinho.

However, boasting an impressive trophy cabinet with 11 major accolades from spells at the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich, opportunities to sign a player of the 68-cap Brazilian’s calibre don’t present themselves that often.

With a reported option to buy standing at £33million (Sky Sports), the Aston Villa hierarchy should be willing to sanction the permanent move for the skilful forward once described as possessing ‘magical powers’ by Roberto Firmino as Gerrard looks to build a squad ready to challenge the top half of the table next season.

In other news, journalist urges Aston Villa to focus on key position. Read more here.