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Charlton put on a show on Tuesday night as they produced a magnificent display against Crawley in the EFL Trophy, winning 6-1.

The Addicks have had a disappointing start to the 2021/22 campaign and this result could help lift the confidence heading into the rest of the season. Nigel Adkins’ side lost four of their first five competitive fixtures and picked up one solitary point in a 0-0 draw with Sheffield Wednesday on the opening day.

Their first League One victory came last weekend with a 2-0 win over Crewe Alexandra, with Charlton following that up with an exceptional 6-1 win against Crawley. Josh Davison scored twice, with Corey Taylor, Elliot Lee and Mason Burstow also scoring, along with an own goal from Crawley’s George Francomb.

Davison and the other goalscorers will take the acclaim for finding the back of the net, but there was a player in Charlton’s midfield who was the unsung hero with his performance in the middle of the park – George Dobson.

The 23-year-old, who arrived from Sunderland in the summer, put on a superb display in midfield as he dominated the game. He recorded a SofaScore rating of 7.9 for his showing, the highest out of all the players who failed to get on the scoresheet – with goals, of course, boosting the ratings of the goalscorers.

Per SofaScore, Dobson won the majority of his duels on the pitch – winning seven of his 12 contests, six of 11 on the ground and one out of one in the air. His key defensive stats, however, are where the true excellence of his performance lay. He made three clearances, five tackles, two blocks and eight interceptions over the course of 90 minutes.

To put that into perspective, Ian Maatsen’s average of 4.5 tackles and interceptions per game in League One was the highest in the Charlton squad last season. Dobson managed a combined 13 tackles and interceptions against Crawley, illustrating his dominance in midfield.

Whilst it is easy to be attracted to the players who scored the goals, Dobson was the one winning the ball back and initiating the attacks for Charlton. Without his incredible work in midfield, the rest of the team may not have had the opportunities to go on and score the goals they did, whilst the ex-Black Cats man also registered an assist for his troubles as well.

This is why he was the unsung hero for Adkins on Tuesday night. However, the Addicks boss will now be wanting to see a similar style of display more consistently from the beast in League One going forward.

The ECB will monitor the security situation in India ahead of the IPLfollowing yesterday’s attack on the Sri Lanka team in Lahore.Centrally contracted England players are due to take part for athree-week period following the tour of West Indies

Andrew McGlashan in Trinidad04-Mar-2009
Hugh Morris: ‘Anybody is vulnerable around the world now, No one canever guarantee 100% safety anywhere in the world’ © Getty Images
The ECB will monitor the security situation in India ahead of the IPLfollowing yesterday’s attack on the Sri Lanka team in Lahore.Centrally contracted England players are due to take part for athree-week period following the tour of West Indies.Hugh Morris, the managing director of England cricket, has already hadconversations with the Professional Cricketers’ Association chiefexecutive Sean Morris and said the recent events have changed thesecurity situation worldwide.”Clearly the players’ association and ourselves are looking veryclosely at the security situation around the world,” Morris said.”It’s good to see Lalit Modi saying that everything will be done tomake sure security around all the franchises will be in place but it’ssomething we will monitor.”The ECB have granted No Objection Certificates to the centrallycontracted players taking part, including Andrew Flintoff and KevinPietersen, and while stopping short of saying they could be withdrawn,Morris emphasised how important security had now become.”As far as centrally contracted players clearly we need to make surethat safety and security provisions are in place,” he said. “We’veagreed a no obligation certificate and…safety andsecurity is the No. 1 priority of our board.”Morris added that the impact of the attack on Sri Lanka’s team coach,as it approached the ground in Lahore, will be felt for a long time tocome. England’s next scheduled visit to the subcontinent is a tour ofPakistan in 2010, but that must now be in serious doubt.”Yesterday was a complete and utter tragedy,” Morris said. “It was ashocking event and I think the ramifications of it all we are going tohave to consider in the weeks and months to come. We are not due togo back for some time but we take every tour individually and willmonitor the situation as and when it arises.”England have Reg Dickason, an independent security advisor, with themon tour and he is also used by Cricket Australia, but Morris addedthat even with all possible protection no one can ever be completelysafe.”Anybody is vulnerable around the world now,” he said. “No one canever guarantee 100% safety anywhere in the world. The safety andsecurity situation of the last 24 hours is clearly a major issue andwe will be monitoring that.”Alastair Cook, the England opening batsman, said the significance ofwhat happened in Pakistan moved beyond cricket. “It’s a tragedy and it puts cricket intoperspective when you talk about drawn Tests and things like that. Itdoes hit home how quickly life can change when you are driving to aTest and stuff like that happens. Hopefully it won’t ever happenagain.”

Noel Whelan has given his reaction as an update emerged on Glasgow Rangers ace James Tavernier.

The Lowdown: Back in training

Speaking recently on his Twitch channel (via The Scottish Sun), Tavernier has revealed that he is still battling illness but his health is ‘good’.

The right-back also said that he has started training again ahead of a return to first-team action.

The Latest: Whelan on Tavernier

Speaking to Football Insider, former Leeds United and Coventry City striker now pundit Whelan has claimed that it will be a boost for Steven Gerrard’s team to have Tavernier back, and compared the situation to that of Virgil Van Dijk when he returned to Liverpool after a long injury:

“It is absolutely a boost to have him back.

“He’s like Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool and when he came back, they have missed the presence of that player out of the field.

“He is a key part of their first 11 and has been for years and years now. Not just with his set-pieces but the way he leads that team.

“It’s a massive boost for Gerrard and sometimes when you have a player like that it’s a calming influence out there on the field as well.”

The Verdict: Boost

It certainly is a boost for the Light Blues to have Tavernier back, given the influence that he has on the side both on off the pitch as well as on it.

Being the captain, his character has certainly been missed in the dressing room, and on the pitch, the Englishman has already managed to bag himself four assists in six games in total over all competitions so far this season (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, his return will certainly be welcomed by his teammates after everyone returns from the international break, as the Ibrox faithful look to kick on from their 1-0 derby win over Celtic.

In other news, find out which Premier League club wanted to sign this ‘magnificent’ Ger here!

The war of words between John Buchanan and Sourav Ganguly escalated further with Buchanan, the Kolkata Knight Riders’ coach, saying that he had already discussed with Sourav Ganguly the controversial theory of multiple captains for the team

Cricinfo staff27-Mar-2009The war of words between John Buchanan and Sourav Ganguly escalated further with Buchanan, the Kolkata Knight Riders’ coach, saying that he had already discussed with Sourav Ganguly the controversial theory of multiple captains for the team before making the announcement in a press conference on Wednesday. Ganguly had earlier denied any knowledge of this development, but Buchanan insisted that the two had had discussions on the issue during the IPL’s first season.”I had detailed discussions with Sourav during last season’s IPL about his future role,” Buchanan told , a Kolkata-based daily. “The developments were not at all new to him. We had spoken about the importance of having alternative captains.” Buchanan’s remarks contradict the statements of Ganguly, who had said he had no idea about this strategy. “All I can say is that I was not consulted on this. Frankly, it’s a new concept. It may work, it may not.”The decision has evoked strong reactions in Kolkata, with Ganguly fans burning effigies of Buchanan, whose security has been strengthened in the wake of these protests. But the coach explained that this format of the game required a completely new approach, and adapting to this would be difficult for most of the old-timers.”Not just Sourav. Ponting, Gilchrist, Sachin, Laxman, Dravid – for them the onset of Twenty20 has perhaps come at the wrong time. They still can manage because of their sheer talent. But I’m quite clear in my thinking. Like Sourav, they are also nearing the end of their playing careers. The game needs a ‘new dawn’. And the light will be provided by the numerous unnamed, uncapped players waiting for their chances.”When he was reminded that India had won the World Twenty20 under one captain, Buchanan responded by saying the game had undergone much change over the last one-and-a-half years.”At the time there wasn’t much research done about the Twenty20 format. I don’t want to undermine India’s achievement. But it’s true that most of the renowned international players were missing then. The state-level players showed more efficiency and sharpness during the tournament. Gone are those days. The world of franchises has completely changed the face of Twenty20 cricket, The game is progressing. This is what I had explained to Sourav.”Buchanan didn’t clarify as to who would lead the team during various stages of the match, saying that any of three or four senior players – including Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum – could take charge.He did say, though, that he understood Ganguly’s reluctance to accept the new idea, admitting that Steve Waugh would have reacted similarly had he been in Ganguly’s place. “Steve would have been worried the same way. He is also been brought up the traditional atmosphere. I had spoken to him before I left Australia and told him about my new plans. ‘Again a new idea?’ Steve said.”

Tottenham Hotspur have made a £130,000-per-week offer to Franck Kessie as his contract at AC Milan coming to an end, claim reports in Italy.

The Lowdown: High demand midfielder

Kessie’s contract at the Italian side runs out next summer and it has previously been reported that the Ivory Coast has rejected fresh proposals about remaining at the club.

The midfielder is in high demand after notching an incredible  14 goals from midfield last season, with Spurs rumoured to be competing with Liverpool for his services.

After moving to Milan from Atalanta in 2017, Kessie has drastically improved his all-round game and now could make a move to the Premier League.

The Latest: Paratici already making moves

As per CalcioMercato, Fabio Paratici and co have tabled a £130,000-a-week contract offer to sign the midfielder when his contract runs to an end.

The 25-year-old has reportedly rejected an offer from his current employers to stay at the club, with the deal being worth £82,000-a-week, but increasing in the fourth and fifth years.

With Spurs offering more for Kessie, a move to the Premier League could well be on the cards for the midfielder and the report states Tottenham are looking more and more likely.

The Verdict: Big signing

Spurs’ midfield isn’t the strongest area of their squad, with the likes of Tanguy Ndombele and Harry Winks struggling to make their way into Nuno Espirito Santo’s side since the Portuguese’s arrival.

Kessie, who has been praised and labelled as an irreplaceable leader by Milan icon by Massimo Ambrosini, will have the Champions League to showcase his talent, starting on Wednesday against Liverpool. Any positive performances will skyrocket his portfolio and more clubs could come in for him.

Hailed as ‘extraordinary’ by ESPN Serie A pundit Nicky Bandini, he would improve Spurs’ squad massively and take the club to the next level and potentially help them win their first trophy in 13 years.

In other news, Spurs wanted £40million for out of favour midfielder over the summer. Find out more here.

The Rajasthan Royal’s warm-up for next week’s IPL began with defeat to the Cape Cobras at Newlands

Cricinfo staff11-Apr-2009
ScorecardRory Kleinveldt scored a quick 23 and took 4 for 22 in a sound all-round performance•Peter J Heeger/Peter J HeegerThe Rajasthan Royals’ warm-up for next week’s IPL began with defeat to the Cape Cobras at Newlands. The defending IPL champions, fielding an XI that included rookie Indians and a few first-time overseas names, did well in the field but couldn’t reach the target of 143 set by the Cobras, South Africa’s domestic Pro20 champions.The Australian import Rob Quiney got Rajasthan’s reply off to a good start, but with wickets falling at regular intervals at the other end, he too succumbed to the pressure. Naman Ojha was the first to go for 10, edging the burly medium-pacer Rory Kleinveldt behind, before Vernon Philander cut Quiney off on 34. Robin Peterson then drew a leading edge from the experienced Mohammad Kaif. The wobble was on.Peterson drew another wicket when he beat Lee Carseldine’s bat and the wicketkeeper Ryan Canning dislodged the bails. It was a tight call that went in Cobras’ favour. The next to go was the explosive Tyron Henderson who, after hitting a big six, was run out by a flat throw from Philander. Justin Ontong came on for some spin and brought about a top-edged sweep off Ravindra Jadeja’s bat.Peterson’s tidy spin kept a check on runs and the asking rate inched toward nine at this stage. Enter Shane Warne, who shuffled about his crease and looked in the mood to just biff the ball. He was given a life by Andrew Puttick at long-on but hit a few classy shots before he top-edged an attempted steer to third man and was well held for 21 off 19 balls. Rajasthan collapsed against the disciplined Kleinveldt, who took four, and fell 28 runs short.The hosts’ 142 was set up by some clean hitting from Richard Levi (36 off 22 balls), Philander (26 off 21) and Kleinveldt (23 off 17) after a young Rajasthan pace attack made early inroads. In the second over, Peterson – in his first game for the Cobras after transferring from the Warriors – got a faint tickle off medium-pacer Amit Singh for 1. That became 15 for 2 in the third over when Puttick, down a place to No. 3, nicked Siddarth Trivedi to Ojha. Ontong’s off stump was knocked out of its base by a lovely yorker from Kamran Khan to make it 22 for 3. Kamran, who was picked out of obscurity in February without any first-class experience, bowled just the one over.Warne and Jadeja picked up a wicket each with their brands of spin to further dent the Cobras. But Philander, Levi – especially impressive with his hand-eye coordination – and Kleinveldt hit some courageous shots to get the total to respectability. Singh, the medium-pacer from Gujarat, had 3 for 18 from his four overs.Warne had said before the game he wanted a tough warm-up ahead of the second edition of the IPL and he got it.

An injury expert has now said that Richarlison could be out for Everton for longer than initially expected.

The Lowdown: Richarlison injured

Richarlison has missed the Goodison Park faithful’s last two games after picking up an injury in their 3-1 win at home to Burnley in the Premier League a couple of weeks ago.

It is not known exactly how long he will be out for, but the Merseyside club will be keeping a close eye on his progress with another international break set to come in October.

The Latest: Injury expert on Richarlison

Speaking to Football Insider, Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries website and has a background in medicine and data analysis, has now said that Richarlison could be held back until after the international break has finished, despite mentions of him only being out for ‘two or three weeks’:

“It was an impact injury after a tackle from James Tarkowski.

“It was Richarlison’s ankle but the actual issue is knee related. It looks like there might have been a hyperextension of the knee.

“He did continue for a bit but couldn’t complete the game. Benitez came out and said he has been involved in some elements of training but doesn’t feel comfortable.

“He wasn’t able to complete those sessions and there was a decision on the eve of the Aston Villa game to take him out of the limelight.

“There is no definitive timeline in terms of what we are looking at but in around two or three weeks has been mentioned at this point.

“What I would say is we are heading into an international break so even if he is 50/50 it could be he is held back. Just to make sure he is in a good place.”

The Verdict: Potentially big blow

It would certainly be a big blow for Rafa Benitez and the Toffees if Richarlison was forced to sit on the touchlines until after the international break.

In the last two matches that he has missed, the Blues have lost both of them, slumping to a miserable 3-0 defeat away at Aston Villa before being knocked out 10-9 on penalties to Championship team Queens Park Rangers after a 2-2 draw at home (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, Benitez will want the Brazil international back in his squad as soon as possible as he can help him pick up some much-needed results.

In other news, find out what transfer news has Evertonians raging here!

Ivan Madray, a middle-order batsman and leg break bowler, played two Tests against Pakistan in 1957-58 with little success, scoring three runs and taking one wicket

Cricinfo staff24-Apr-2009Former Guyana and West Indies cricketer Ivan Madray died aged 74 at the Georgetown Public Hospital on Thursday, a day after being admitted with hypertension.A middle-order batsman and leg break bowler, Madray played two Tests against Pakistan in 1957-58, scoring three runs and taking one wicket. His first-class career comprised six matches and was over by the time he was 24, after which he moved to England and played for Lincolnshire.The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), in a statement, said young cricketers could learn much from how Madray played his cricket, especially from his discipline, passion and hard work.Born on July 2, 1934 at Port Mourant, Madray made his first class debut for British Guiana against the touring Australians on April 20, 1955. He was one of several cricketers to emerge from Port Mourant under the guidance of Sir Clyde Walcott. His contemporaries included Basil Butcher, Rohan Kanhai and Joe Solomon.Madray also played alongside some famous West Indies cricketers such as Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Everton Weekes, Sir Conrad Hunte, Rohan Kanhai and Lance Gibbs in his debut Test against Pakistan at the Queen’s Park Oval, in a match the hosts went on to win by 120 runs.

Alexandre Lacazette could join Crystal Palace on a free transfer come the summer, 90Min claim. 

The lowdown

Lacazette’s contract is due to expire at the end of this season, and as it stands, neither the club nor the player are said to be particularly keen on an extension.

If the Frenchman’s situation remains the same in January, he’ll be free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with an overseas club.

Lacazette has made 173 appearances for Arsenal since he joined in 2017, scoring 67 goals and providing 29 assists (via Transfermarkt).

Manager Mikel Arteta hailed him as a manager’s ‘dream’ last December after he came off the bench to score the winning goal away to Brighton and Hove Albion.

The latest

Lacazette is apparently ‘open to the idea’ of staying in London, with Selhurst Park a possible destination. West Ham United have also emerged as admirers.

The duo from the capital face significant competition from abroad, though. Ligue 1 outfit Lyon would like bring Lacazette back, while clubs in La Liga, Bundesliga and Serie A are also said to be in the frame.

The verdict

Lacazette would in theory represent a real coup for Palace given his CV, but there are reasons to doubt the wisdom of the deal.

First of all, his wages. He takes home in excess of £180,000 per week at present, and you’d imagine that would be a far greater burden for the Eagles.

And then there’s the fact that Palace have only just signed a striker in the form of Odsonne Edouard. If he lives up to his potential, he could be the answer to the club’s no. 9 problem.

He’s only 23 years old, so more additions at the top end of the pitch may simply be unnecessary in the short-term.

In other news, Palace fans react as this blow emerges.

Andrew McGlashan presents the plays of the day from Chester-le-Street

Andrew McGlashan at Chester-le-Street17-May-2009Blow of the day
A cricket ball travelling at close to 90mph can cause real pain if it hits you – especially in a certain delicate area of the body. Ramnaresh Sarwan was facing James Anderson when a thunderbolt jagged back and struck him a precise blow in the box. Sarwan immediately keeled over in pain and writhed around on the ground in agony. The England players huddled round in concern, but when it became clear that Sarwan would recover the odd smirk and chuckle began to emerge. Sarwan needed a few swigs of water and a couple of deep breaths before resuming. He may have also have needed to ask the umpire, how many balls remaining?Best no-ball of the day
Perhaps one of the most important no-balls in England’s fairly recent history was the one that allowed Andrew Flintoff an extra delivery at Ricky Ponting during that thrilling over on the third day at Edgbaston, in 2005, which the Australia captain edged behind. Stuart Broad managed something similar here, albeit in more low-key circumstances. He’d overstepped in his 10th over, but with the seventh delivery he found Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s edge from round the wicket to give England a key breakthrough during the morning session.Working-over of the day
Broad was England’s star performer during the opening session as he showed the value of someone able to run in and hit the pitch hard. As the home side struggled to shift Sarwan for the umpteenth time in recent months Broad went into bouncer mode and gave him a real roughing-up. It was clearly a planned move as Andrew Strauss brought in a short leg and one ball nearly took the glove to Alastair Cook. Next over, Broad skimmed another past Sarwan’s helmet before the best of the lot reared at his throat, taking the glove as the batsman tried to fend it away and the ball looped into the gully. It was a top quality performance to remove a top quality batsman.Miss of the day
It’s early days for Tim Bresnan’s Test career, but if he finishes without a wicket to his name he will look back on the chance that went begging this afternoon. Coming round the wicket to Sulieman Benn he found the outside edge which flew at a neat catchable height on a line bisecting the wicketkeeper and first slip. Neither man moved for the catch, though, and the edge flew away to the boundary. It was going well to the right of Strauss at first slip so it’s fair to say it was Matt Prior’s catch, especially as he’s the one wearing the big gloves. All Bresnan could do was hold his head and hope another chance comes his way.Shot of the day
After the final day of this game it’s back into coloured-clothing mode, which will make Chris Gayle feel much better. The way he came out and started his second innings suggested he was already in one-day mode, particularly the stand-and-deliver drive over mid-on that carried the boundary for a huge six. James Anderson, who was happy to give Fidel Edwards a chirp earlier on, didn’t mutter a word and just turned on his heels to prepare for the next ball.Over of the day
This could easily have gone to Broad, but it only seems fair that Graham Onions gets a mention for his late double-strike to remove Sarwan and Gayle. That’s a decent pair of wickets especially after it had been a rocky start to the second innings for Onions as Gayle tucked into some short balls. However, Onions responded by trapping Sarwan lbw then got his revenge on Gayle when the West Indies captain edged a lifting delivery to first slip. The crowd wasn’t huge, but they gave the home-town boy a hearty ovation.Dedication of the day
Sarwan’s century seemed to mean a lot him as he screamed in celebration and punched the air. At the end-of-day press conference it became clear why as he dedicated his ton to a friend from Trinidad called Zalina who recently passed away. “I’d like to dedicate this hundred to a very close family friend of mine who passed away about two-and-half weeks ago,” he said. “I met her when I was about 13 or 14 and she has been very supportive of me over the years. I’d like wish her family all the best.”