Despite reports earlier suggesting Erik ten Hag’s advantageous position in the race to become the next Manchester United manager, it is still as open as ever with Mauricio Pochettino still being considered.

What’s the word?

The 87.9% of the United fanbase who are hoping for the appointment of Ten Hag will be left fuming by the latest report.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano shared a fresh update on the Argentine’s status in relation to the United managerial gig:

“Mauricio Pochettino is still absolutely in the race. He had a conversation with Man United. They’re approaching people next to him since November.”

Supporters won’t like it

What we can take from the latest report from Romano is that the race is not over and a set decision has not yet been made.

Despite being the manager of PSG, Pochettino’s potential appointment has rattled the majority of the United faithful, given the fact that he did not win a single trophy at Spurs.

His two accolades with PSG, the French Cup and French Super Cup are also held on scrutiny due to the calibre of the competition in Ligue 1.

Although he is on track to win his first league title, things have not exactly gone to plan for the Argentine, with rifts between superstars Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi leaving fans feeling as though he can not manage big-name players.

The comparison between Zidane and Pochettino made by journalist Jonny Bentley sums up their managerial strengths whilst subtly addressing their weaknesses;

“Poch enjoys coaching and developing young players.

“Zidane is an expert in managing big egos and winning big trophies.”

Although Pochettino is seen as the underdog in the race to become United boss, you cannot fault his ability to rebuild a squad on a shoestring budget as he demonstrated at Spurs.

As for his lack of trophies, he so very nearly led Spurs to continental success, reaching the final of the most prestigious club competition in world football.

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He also missed out on lifting the Premier League, after Leicester City stretched ahead of his Spurs side and Arsenal to complete what was a miraculous underdog story back in the 2015/2016 season.

Seen as the lesser entity in this race against Erik ten Hag, Poch will be hoping to take a leaf out of the Foxes’ book and complete his miraculous underdog story by becoming United’s next boss.

However, if that does happen, it may not go down well with the Old Trafford faithful.

In other news – Sold at £38m, then scored 184 PL goals: MUFC had a shocker over “unique” 33 y/o icon…

Southampton registered their first Premier League clean sheet after convincingly beating Newcastle at St Mary’s.

The Saints made it back-to-back wins for the first time this season to lift themselves out of the relegation zone and they now stand just three points behind the beleaguered Magpies in the table.

Alan Pardew, returning to his old club for the first time since being dismissed in August 2010, saw his side turn in another listless display on the South Coast as they suffered a third league defeat on the bounce.

The visitors were on the back foot from the outset and had Tim Krul to thank for keeping out a 25-yard free-kick from Gaston Ramirez before he thwarted Jason Puncheon with a fine block.

Nigel Adkins’ men continued to press and went even closer to breaking the deadlock only to see Rickie Lambert’s dead ball strike slam off the crossbar. It wasn’t until 10 minutes before half time that their pressure was finally rewarded with Newcastle the architects of their own downfall.

A poor clearance from Krul was seized upon by Nathaniel Clyne, whose long range effort was unconvincingly headed away by Mike Williamson into the path of Ramirez and his low cross was turned home by Adam Lallana.

Pardew rallied his side at the break and Vurnon Anita came closest to an equaliser but couldn’t find the telling finish to beat Paulo Gazzaniga when clean through on goal.

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That miss was duly punished by Ramirez on the hour mark as he stabbed the ball home from close range after Krul had spilled a low cross from Puncheon, who saw a fierce effort cannon back off the post soon after,

Jose Fonte was also denied by the woodwork, his header crashing against the bar, before Gazzaniga stooped low to keep out a powerful header from Davide Santon.

Three wickets in the last over for Matthew Cassar ensured a rare National League victory for Derbyshire.Choosing to bat first Derbyshire lost early wickets, three to Dimitri Mascarenhas, whose seam bowling troubled the top order batsmen. Cassar edged a ball behind, Di Venuto struck two big fours before falling LBW to Hartley, Rob Bailey hit the ball so high that it took an eternity for the ball to land into young Chris Tremlett’s large hands.Stubbings and Sutton rallied the innings before the former became the first of Shane Warne’s four victims. In the space of four balls, Warne dismissed Pyemont, Lacey and Aldred in the course of which he took his 100th wicket in all competitions for Hampshire this season.Hampshire in turn started poorly, Shane Warne LBW to the evergreen Tim Munton with the fifth ball of the innings and Robin Smith edged a ball from Dean to Sutton.Kenway batted steadily and pushed along the run rate in partnership with Jason Laney. Laney fell to a stunning catch near the square leg boundary by James Pyemont and Will Kendall, who was the leading run scorer for Hampshire this year, was needlessly run out for one.Prittipaul then joined Kenway as Hampshire seemed to be coasting towards their target and on Prittipaul’s departure, Mascarenhas joined in the fun, hitting a huge six off Lacey, but with Kenway, who had hit eight fours in reaching 50, then failed to reach the boundary in his next forty runs got behind the run rate.Cassar was brought in to bowl the last over, with Hampshire needing only nine to win with five wickets in hand.Kenway took three runs from the first two balls, then with an unusually slower ball, he bowled Aymes middle stump. Udal took a single, to leave Kenway facing but Cassar bowled him off the penultimate ball and then followed this with the same feat to see off Chris Tremlett and give Derbyshire their second National League win of the season.

Boland trounced Free State by 10 wickets in their Supersport Series clash in Paarl on Sunday thanks to eight wickets from right-arm seamer Brad Player.The match was over within three days with Player returning match figures of eight for 37 in 33.5 overs. His second innings haul of five for 26 came off 27.5 overs including 18 maidens.Free State resumed the third day on 184 for four in their second innings, still 44 runs short of requiring the hosts to bat again. Kosie Venter and his overnight partner Gerard Brophy took the score to 213 before Brophy was trapped leg before by Charl Langeveldt for 27.Venter, who was at the crease for almost four-and-a-half hours, followed without any addition to the total when he mistimed a pull shot off new Warwickshire signing Neil Carter for 40.With his wicket went any chance of a Free State fightback, although their fate was probably sealed as early as Saturday evening when Louis Wilkinson departed for 89. It was a stylish and fluid innings, but its end, coming as it did just before the close of play, was the worst possible way for the visitors to end the day.By the time the rest of the batting order crumbled after the Venterdismissal the match was clearly over. Free State managed to surpass the Boland first innings total to avoid the embarrassment of an innings defeat, but their total of 249 only left Boland needing to score 22 to win.They knocked-off the runs in six overs with Jonathan Trott not out on 14.Boland earned 18 points for the win while Free State took two bowling bonus points for their efforts.On Friday Boland won the toss and elected to bowl, which proved to be a wise decision by skipper Louis Koen. Right-arm seamer Charl Langeveldt took five for 19 and Player three for 11 that crippled the Free State innings as they slumped to 102 all out.Boland’s reply was severe, taking a 228-run first innings lead with total of 330. Pieter Barnard was inspired, scoring his ninth career century and sharing a record 171 second-wicket partnership with James Henderson (76). He was dismissed for 120 early on the second day but by then the damage was terminal for the Free Staters.Free State were reeling at 52 for three in their second innings before Venter and Koen put on 112 for the fourth wicket that perhaps gave them a false glimmer of hope. In the end though, Free State will examine the flaws in their batting as they prepare for their next match, while Boland will try to build on this strong showing.

Dayle Hadlee and Ross Taylor at naming of New Zealand Under-19 World Cup preliminary squad Photograph © CricInfo

Next year’s International Cricket Council Under-19 World Cup will be attended by more than 400 players and officials and will be a bigger event than last year’s CricInfo Women’s World Cup.Fifty-four games will be played during the month of action which involves 16 teams, compared to 31 games for eight teams in the women’s event.New Zealand Cricket’s chief executive Martin Snedden said: “It is a privilege and honour for New Zealand Cricket to host this event.”New Zealand yesterday named a preliminary trial squad of 19 who will attend the High Performance Centre on December 12-13.”They will be under the tutelage of (coach) Mark Greatbatch who will work with them to develop their one-day skills and they will play two matches. Hopefully they will go away with a better appreciation of how to play one-day cricket,” team manager Dayle Hadlee said.Only four players – captain Ross Taylor, Rob Nicol, Iain Robertson and Jesse Ryder – who played for New Zealand Under-19 in their series victory over South Africa are eligible for selection.Those selected will be attempting to follow in the footsteps of previous Under-19 World Cup players like Chris Cairns, Brian Lara, Mike Atherton, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Andrew Caddick, Sanath Jayasuriya, who all played in the inaugural event in 1988, while more recent New Zealand internationals at later World Cups have been Lou Vincent and James Franklin.The squad was chosed by youth team selectors Bruce Morrison, John Howell and Dayle Hadlee.A thorough selection process has been undertaken to search for talent in New Zealand with talent identification clinics held at each of the major associations.The selectors will also be attending the Gillette Cup finals to keep an eye out for any players who may have been missed.The final team selection will be on January 2 and the team will assemble at Lincoln on January 9 before playing three pre-tournament warm-up games. These will be against Canterbury ‘A’ on January 11, the England side on January 15 and Pakistan on January 17.Hadlee said he believed that along with the National Under-19 Tournament the playing programme will have the team pretty much on track and match-hardened going into the event.Greatbatch said he wasn’t going to tell anyone how far he thought the New Zealand team could get in the tournament.”It will be a very unique experience to play on home soil (for the selected players),” he said.The trialists are (five to be added): Ross Taylor (captain, Central Districts), Scott Baldwin (Central Districts), Geoff Barnett (Central Districts), Michael Bates (Auckland), James Bullick (Auckland), Greg Cates (Auckland), Craig Clare (Central Districts), Brooke Hatwell (Northern Districts), Fraser Hawes (Canterbury), Greg Hay (Central Districts), Stephen Murdoch (Wellington), Rob Nicol (Auckland), Iain Robertson (Canterbury), Jessie Ryder (Central Districts), Ian Sandbrook (Central Districts), Robbie Schaw (Central Districts), Lance Shaw (Auckland), Jordan Sheed (Otago), Richard Sherlock (Central Districts).

Barbados’s Kensington Oval will be the venue for the historic first Twenty20 International in the Caribbean. The 115-year-old ground will host the match when the West Indies meet Australia on June 21 under lights.The floodlights at Kensington Oval are yet to be installed but two months ago, Miles Weekes, who is working under a contract with Kensington Oval Management Inc, the company formed to market, operate and maintain the facility said: “We are looking to have them in place by January.”In the fixtures unveiled by the West Indies Cricket Board on Friday, it also showed that Barbados will be hosting the third Test of the Sir Frank Worrell Trophy Series from June 12-16. There will also be an ODI at the 3Ws Oval of the Cave Hill Campus of the University of West Indies when the Vice-Chancellor’s XI face the visitors.Australia arrive in the region on May 12 and will play three Tests and five ODIs. Apart from Kensington, the other Tests will be at Sabina Park, Jamaica and Sir Viv Richards Stadium in Antigua. Before then, Sri Lanka will be in the Caribbean for two Tests – in Guyana and Trinidad – and three ODIs. The third ODI on April 16 will be at the Beausejour Stadium in St Lucia and will be a day/nighter.

Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews has said that offspinner Sachithra Senanayake’s reduced potency following remedial work on his action was among the reasons he had not been picked so far in the series. Sri Lanka’s bowling has ailed against Pakistan so far, prompting calls for personnel changes, but Mathews felt they were already using their best bowlers.Senanayake was suspended for exceeding the 15-degree flexion limit last year, but has since been cleared to bowl after remodeling his action. In eight matches since returning to ODI cricket, he averages 41.11 with an economy rate of 5.23. He had averaged 34.82 with an economy rate of 4.62 prior to his suspension.”Sachithra has bowled well, but after his remedial work, his effectiveness has slightly decreased,” Mathews said. ” The other thing is, Pakistan have seven right-handers at the top and are also a team that plays spin well. Dilshan is there to provide offspin. There is a chance Sachithra will play, but in all three matches so far, our spinners didn’t get much out of the track. If we look at their spinners, they have bowlers who turn it a lot. Yasir Shah would turn it on any track. Sometimes we have to do the best with what we are good at. We have to figure out how to do well with the bowlers we have.”Lasith Malinga’s apparent decline has also been worrying for Sri Lanka. Malinga had surgery on his ankle last year, and has since suffered a variety of other complaints. He averages 36.93 and has an economy rate of 6.04 in ten matches this year – his worst numbers since 2009. Mathews said Malinga continued to deserve a place in the side despite leaking runs at eight an over on Sunday.”It’s not at all an issue to drop a senior, but we know Lasith’s capabilities. He understands his game. He feels that he hasn’t performed well and that he needs to do a lot better for the team. You need to give guys chances as well. As soon as you have a couple of bad games you can’t throw away these players because they are quality players. They are experienced enough to handle their game. I’m pretty sure he’ll come out firing tomorrow.”We’ve talked about his performance with Lasith. We are confident he’ll play in the way the team needs him to play. The quick bowlers didn’t do well in the three matches – not just Lasith. We didn’t have a bowler who could take wickets. We can’t make major changes.”With the spin stocks appearing bare, there have also been calls to recall Rangana Herath to the side. However, Mathews said Herath’s omission was largely self-imposed.”We talked with the selectors about Rangana Herath. As he wants to play Tests for a while, we got a message that one-dayers are a bit tough on his body, given his injuries. He talked with the selectors and told them his stand. He’s someone who’s very valuable to us in Tests. He can’t be particularly athletic in ODIs with his knees the way they are. He told the selectors and myself that, and so we’ll look at him when the Tests come.”

Brad Haddin has said he has no regrets about the way his Test career ended, when he was not reinstated after stepping down from the Lord’s Test to be with his ill daughter. That decision effectively spelled the end of Haddin’s days as an Australia player, and on Wednesday he confirmed that he was now officially retired from international cricket.While it was fully expected that Haddin, 37, would depart after the Ashes tour, it had appeared likely when the campaign began that he would remain the incumbent gloveman throughout. However, he withdrew from the second Test at Lord’s to be with his four-year-old daughter Mia, who was receiving treatment in a London hospital.Mia had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer when she was only 17 months old, and Haddin had missed the 2012 tour of the West Indies to remain home with his family at the time. In announcing his retirement at the SCG, Haddin said he had no regrets about his decisions and knew that he was unlikely to be recalled after standing down during the Ashes.”I’m not dirty … I’m no different to any other parent in Australia,” Haddin told reporters in Sydney. “Everyone puts their family first and I have no regrets about doing that.”To me, it wasn’t a choice. I remember saying to [wife] Karina at the hospital that I’ll never play again. She said there was still three Tests to go but cricket is a big business/sport and I’d put myself in a position where I was vulnerable because I walked away. I could live with that because I was needed somewhere else and it was a place that was far more important for me.”My family needed me at that time and the reality is I was unable to take the field for Australia with the 100% focus I needed. I understood the consequences that went with my decision; I put myself in a position to lose my spot and I don’t regret that, not one bit. I wouldn’t change one thing because I don’t regret one thing that happened.”Haddin’s wife Karina and children Mia and Zac were at the press conference at the SCG on Wednesday, and Haddin said Mia’s health was heading in the right direction.”Mia needed surgery [in Sydney] a couple of weeks ago,” he said. “She had some internal bleeds … but everything is going in the right direction. She’s a normal four-year-old girl and the surgery will allow for her to enjoy a better quality of life.”Haddin’s retirement means he will finish his career with 66 Tests to his name, along with 3266 runs at 32.98 and 270 dismissals. That places him fourth on the Australian Test wicketkeeping tally, behind Adam Gilchrist, Ian Healy and Rod Marsh.His successor, Peter Nevill, played well on debut at Lord’s, and Haddin said it was apparent when the team headed to Derby for a tour match ahead of the third Test that the selectors were leaning towards retaining Nevill. Haddin said he spoke to national selector Rod Marsh to ensure that Nevill was given enough of a chance in Derby to prepare properly for the Test.”I’ve been in cricket long enough to know when you’re about to be dropped because people start talking to you differently,” Haddin said. “I remember saying to ‘Nev’, ‘I’m not playing in this third Test, you’re in’ and he said ‘no, no’ but I said I’d ask Rod because we needed to sort it out. Pete hadn’t kept much in England and I thought if he was playing in the Test he’d need to get used to the conditions.”What was meant to happen was Rod said we’d share the keeping in that match and I said ‘Rod, I’ve been around for 15 years, if you want me to go out and give you the energy, the perfect keeping game, I’ll go and do that but if you know what’s going to happen cut the bullshit and tell us – don’t play one off against the other because you know after 15 years what I can do’.”In the end I made the call. I’m not there to muck around, we were there to play for Australia and we had to prepare the best we could and that meant Nev had to keep. My thought was we were halfway through an Ashes series and this idea about one of us keeping for the first 30 overs when they knew what the decision was, well I thought let’s get on with it, you’ve made your decision and that’s how it unfolded.”Haddin said now was the perfect time to retire from internationals and first-class cricket, although he will play on for the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League. The Sixers confirmed in a press release on Wednesday that Haddin was still a key member of their squad for this summer.”I’ve only ever wanted to play at the SCG. It’s great to be here today to make my announcement,” Haddin said. “I came to the realisation after Lord’s. I’ve had a privileged run, but I lost the hunger on the Ashes tour. It was an easy decision to retire.”

Albie Morkel could play his first T20I in 18 months having been recalled to the South Africa squad for the series against India in place of David Wiese who has suffered a fractured hand.Wiese suffered the injury to his right hand when trying to take a catch off his own bowling during a warm-up match ahead of the season and required surgery which will keep him out for up to six weeks.Faf du Plessis, the T20 captain, acknowledged Wiese was a significant loss and admitted Morkel has earned a chance he thought may have passed him by.”David is a fantastic player for us in the T20 format. He has done really well. His bowling is going to be missed the most. He has been a banker from a captain’s point of view. You know what you are going to get from him. He is pretty clever in the middle, he is a very smart bowler.”Albie brings a lot of experience. I suppose Albie would have thought his time is up, once again, but he is getting another opportunity because he is a quality player. For him, its important to try and also put a stake, even if he wasn’t in our thinking and our plans, he is getting an opportunity to make it so.”Meanwhile, Rilee Rossouw has been ruled out of the entire limited-overs leg of the India tour as he continues his recovery from a stress fracture to his foot he sustained against New Zealand with the South Africa medical team being careful not to rush him back.Rossouw was not set to play the T20s, but had been in line for the one-day series which followed. His place will be taken by uncapped batsman Khaya Zondo who was already part of the T20 squad.”The medical committee have decided its still too early for him to be pushed at this stage,” South Africa team manager Mohammed Moosajee said. “The plan is to get him to be ready by the end of October.”There was better news regarding du Plessis with his knee injury, which kept him out of the New Zealand limited-overs matches in August, having recovered significantly although he will be watched closely in India, especially as he is one of only six players included in all three formats. “I was batting in the nets this week with Gary [Kirsten] and I feel good,” he said.To complete a lengthy fitness bulletin ahead of the team’s departure to India, Chris Morris was given the all-clear after coming through three T20 warm-up matches for his franchise, the Titans, having recovered from the groin strain which hampered him in Bangladesh.

Waqar Younis, the Pakistan coach, has called the team’s second-innings batting in Abu Dhabi “unacceptable” after they were left grateful for the arrival of dusk to prevent defeat in a Test where the final day had begun with the first innings incomplete.England declared with a lead of 75 and Pakistan were rocked early by James Anderson, who struck twice in an over, followed by the run out of Mohammad Hafeez. A stand of 66 between Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq had appeared to calm the nerves and confirm the draw, only for Younis to spoon Adil Rashid into the covers and Misbah to charge down the pitch at Moeen Ali and miss his expansive shot.”It’s unacceptable to bat like we did in the second innings,” Waqar said. “It should have been a straightforward draw but we allowed them to threaten us and beat us. We allowed them to come that close, we allowed them to threaten us and run away with the game. We should realise that we are a very good Test side but we committed some silly mistakes, especially in the batting which could have cost us the game.””The way they played, we have to really pull our socks in the second Test. What happened was not on and we have to really improve on that if we want to win the series. We have experience in our batting, we know our batting and know it should have lasted the final day, or the final session but we didn’t and that we have to consider.”I am confident that my side can bounce back but we have to realise that it is all about playing all sessions equally well and if you don’t in one session the opponents come down hard on you as England did.”Waqar knows that Pakistan will be boosted by the return of legspinner Yasir Shah, who missed the opening Test after suffering a back spasm the day before the game, but said that they cannot afford to purely rest on the comeback of their star bowler, even suggesting the favourites tag has shifted in the series.”Fair enough we will get Yasir back but they will be thinking that they can compete. Before the series started it was their own verdict that they were underdogs but now we are the side which have to stage a comeback.”Yasir’s return, at the expense of either Rahat Ali or Imran Khan, will also be welcomed by England according to their coach Trevor Bayliss who said the “ego” of international cricketers meant they wanted to be tested by the best players.”The boys want to be the best team in the world and that means you have got to play the best players and he is the best player,” Bayliss said. “I’m sure these guys would like to test themselves against any of the best players and come out on top.”At this level the egos are right up there, they want to play the best and show the best that they are better than them. They will want to show him they can play him as well as any other these other players.”The lack of specialist spin cover in the original squad to cover for a circumstance like Yasir’s injury has angered Misbah and could lead to more back-up being available this time. Bilal Asif, the offspinner whose action is currently being tested, has been added to the squad for the second Test.