Newcastle United royalty in Alan Shearer was far from happy with his dearest team’s abysmal showing in the Tyne-Wear Derby on Sunday afternoon.

Indeed, after the dust had settled on the 1-0 defeat, the Premier League’s all-time top goalscorer wouldn’t mince his words, branding the lifeless performance from the away side as “pathetic”, especially in such a high-stakes contest.

Shearer would also call into question Eddie Howe’s team selection, as the ex-AFC Bournemouth boss continues to skate on thin ice in the St James’ Park dug-out, with Anthony Elanga – in particular – dismissed as “awful” by the Magpies hero.

Elanga has nowhere to hide now with the former Nottingham Forest winger surely the first name to be dropped from Howe’s starting XI for Newcastle’s EFL Cup tie with Fulham tomorrow evening.

Howe's puzzling decision to start Elanga

The Swedish attacker would be thrown into the deep end of the starting lineup unexpectedly, with this reintroduction against Newcastle’s arch nemesis going down as only his seventh start of the season.

The 23-year-old’s minutes have been extremely limited for good reason, too, with the number 20 only boasting a single assist from 16 Premier League appearances this campaign so far.

This is a major drop-off from his City Ground peak, with six goals and 11 assists collected last season, seeing him be dubbed a “special” talent by his ex-boss in Nuno Espirito Santo.

He is nowhere near those heights now, having since completed a £55m switch from Forest to Tyneside, tallying up no shots, dribbles or crosses at the Stadium of Light, making the decision to start Elanga in such a key match feel very confusing.

It’s even more of a perplexing alteration when you consider Jacob Murphy has three goal contributions himself in Premier League action this season, leading to former St James Park attacker Craig Bellamy once hailing him as an “outstanding” talent, who often shines on the big occasion.

Elanga & Murphy vs Sunderland

Stat

Elanga

Murphy

Minutes played

59

31

Goals scored

0

0

Assists

0

0

Touches

27

24

Accurate passes

13/19 (68%)

11/15 (73%)

Key passes

0

1

Accurate dribbles

0/2

1/1

Total duels won

0/4

2/3

Stats by Sofascore

The 30-year-old also offered up a lot more verve and energy than his disappointing counterpart from his limited minutes on Sunday, with two duels won and one successful dribble mustered up, despite only being on the pitch for barely half an hour.

He isn’t the only option Howe has up his sleeve to replace the insecure number 20, with a long-term option for the future also in his plans.

Exciting youngster can replace Elanga at Newcastle

Howe could be prepared to think outside of the box when replacing the lacklustre 23-year-old, largely as he’s been consistently let down by senior individuals this season. 19-year-old Antonio Cordero is catching his eye as a potential replacement.

The Magpies’ purchase of Cordero this summer, after the expiry of his contract at Malaga, very much went under the radar, as Howe and Co jumped to the front of the queue for his services, ahead of Real Madrid and Barcelona.

But, when assessing his previous red-hot form in Spain, he could soon return to England following a loan stint at KVC Westerlo and become a surprise senior presence that makes Elanga’s first-team spot even less fixed.

A blistering seven goals and nine assists came the Spain U19 regular’s way from just 60 appearances, with his standout efforts in Andalusia nearly sealing promotion for Malaga up to La Liga.

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It’s led to rave reviews, notably from former Newcastle sporting director Paul Mitchell, who called him an “exciting talent,” while Como scout Ben Mattinson has previously suggested that he is “like Gordon and Murphy.”

He hasn’t set the world alight out on loan in Belgium just yet, with only 89 unmemorable minutes of action coming his way, leading to zero goals or assists being picked up.

But, with Howe clearly capable of getting the very best out of his youngsters at St James’ Park, as seen in Lewis Miley scoring against Bayer Leverkusen, Cordero might soon be fast-tracked to the first team.

Elanga does still have time on his side to turn around his disappointing stint to date, but Howe’s patience will be running very thin, as more no-show performances like the one against Sunderland could ultimately cost him his employment.

Related As bad as Woltemade: Newcastle star who lost 100% duels could now be sold

Eddie Howe could now cash in on this Newcastle star, who was as bad as Nick Woltemade in their narrow Tyne-Wear Derby defeat.

Posts ByKelan Sarson

Everton are now reportedly targeting a move to finally sign a replacement for Seamus Coleman after their scouts were impressed by a Premier League star.

Everton send scouts to watch Coleman replacement

At 37 years old, Coleman deserves every bit of credit for how he’s still playing his part at Everton. When 2026 arrives, however, the Toffees must move Jake O’Brien back into the heart of their backline and find a permanent solution to their right-back problem. Coleman has been an excellent servant, it would be a transfer failure if The Friedkin Group failed to find a replacement.

With the Republic of Ireland defender set to become a free agent at the end of the season, his farewell is certainly set to be an emotional one. In many ways, it’s almost fitting that David Moyes – who handed Coleman his Everton debut – will get the chance to oversee his final match for the Toffees.

Related Everton eyeing "fantastic" Middlesbrough star who's dropping hints about his future

The Toffees could land a key replacement for James Garner.

Posts ByTom Cunningham

The veteran manager has already been full of praise for his captain this year, telling reporters back in March when it looked as though the right-back was on his way out of the club: “You don’t just keep people for the sake of keeping them because if you did every club would have hundreds of old players there.

“But if we had our way, we would try and keep Seamus around – definitely. Or give him the opportunity to be around but he may have something else on.

So, off the pitch there may still be a role for Coleman. On the pitch, though, the Toffees are seemingly assessing their options. According to Football Insider, Everton are now targeting a move to sign Jayden Bogle to succeed their well-respected captain in 2026 after their scouts were impressed with the Leeds United defender.

"Unbelievable" Bogle would finally replace Coleman

In terms if candidates, Bogle should be among those at the very top of Everton’s list to replace Coleman next summer. The Leeds defender has endured a solid season so far, with the Whites currently on course to achieve Premier League survival, and he could receive a summer switch as a result.

Whether Leeds choose to stand in his way is the big question. Daniel Farke is certainly a fan of the 25-year-old, having told reporters back in February: “He’s an unbelievable lad, unbelievable attitude – in all aspects. He works relentlessly, his defensive behaviour is so crucial, also his offensive behaviour, he’s a top team-mate in the dressing room, a perfect age and home-grown. What more do you want?”

PL stats 25/26

Bogle

O’Brien

Minutes

1,403

1,310

Assists

1

1

Tackles Won

19

13

Ball Recoveries

72

40

Based on this season’s numbers, Bogle would be an upgrade on central defender O’Brien, who has been asked to play the right-back role in place of Coleman so far this season.

Subscribe to our newsletter for Everton transfer insight Want deeper coverage? Our newsletter breaks down Everton’s right-back search – player stats, scout notes and transfer scenarios showing why Jayden Bogle is being linked as Seamus Coleman’s likely successor, alongside wider Premier League transfer analysis. Subscribe Subscribe to our newsletter for Everton transfer insight Want deeper coverage? Our newsletter breaks down Everton’s right-back search – player stats, scout notes and transfer scenarios showing why Jayden Bogle is being linked as Seamus Coleman’s likely successor, alongside wider Premier League transfer analysis.

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If Moyes’ side are to push on, then welcoming a natural option down their right-hand side should be among their top priorities when the summer transfer window arrives.

Tom Cairney has been touted as a transfer target for numerous clubs this summer, including West Ham United.

It is easy to see why the midfielder is wanted given his impressive performances for the Cottagers over the last few seasons.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”269481″ player=”12034″ title=”Five talking points from the World Cup last 16″]

During the 2017-18 campaign, Cairney scored six goals and created five assists in 37 appearances for Fulham.

Now that the club are back in the Premier League thanks to their playoff final win over Aston Villa, it is understandable that they want to keep hold of one of their best players.

How far will England get in Russia? Tell us now and win any World Cup shirt of your choice.

On Thursday, the club announced via their official website that Cairney has signed a new five-year contract, which means that West Ham and co have missed out on a potential new signing.

Judging by the reaction on social media, the Hammers’ following are not too cut up about it, and perhaps that is because Jack Wilshere is believed to be on the verge of moving to the London Stadium.

According to Sky Sports News, the midfielder is close to agreeing a deal after ending his 17-year spell at Arsenal.

Comment from discussion West Ham target Tom Cairney reportedly signs new 5-year deal with Fulham..Comment from discussion West Ham target Tom Cairney reportedly signs new 5-year deal with Fulham..Comment from discussion West Ham target Tom Cairney reportedly signs new 5-year deal with Fulham..Comment from discussion West Ham target Tom Cairney reportedly signs new 5-year deal with Fulham..Comment from discussion West Ham target Tom Cairney reportedly signs new 5-year deal with Fulham..Comment from discussion West Ham target Tom Cairney reportedly signs new 5-year deal with Fulham..

Punjab completely dominated the first day’s play of their three day North Zone Cooch Behar Trophy (under-19) match against Jammu & Kashmir at the Dhruv Pandove stadium in Patiala on Tuesday. At stumps they were 140 for two in reply to J & K’s first innings total of 126.Winning the toss, J & K ran into trouble against A Uniyal and G Mandora and lost six wickets for 51 runs. A seventh wicket partnership of 64 runs off 24.4 overs between V Kaw (38) and A Mongotra (28) produced a recovery of sorts. But then three wickets fell with the total on 115 and J & K were all out for a highly adequate score. Uniyal (3 for 19) and Mandora (3 for 23) were the wreckers-in-chief while SP Singh hastened the end of the innings by taking two wickets for two runs off 3.4 overs, of which two were maidens.When Punjab batted, SP Singh (60 not out) and opener Binwant Singh (41) with a second wicket stand of 77 runs off 14 overs steered the side to a strong position by close. While Binwant faced 51 balls and hit five fours, the more aggressive SP Singh faced 69 balls and hit five fours and three sixes.

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Manchester United fans have taken to Twitter to discuss Barcelona’s injury problems ahead of the Champions League quarter-final tie between the two teams.

The Red Devils welcome the Spanish champions to Old Trafford on the 10th April, before heading to the Camp Nou just six days later with a place in the semi-finals at stake as well as the fate of your William Hill bonus code for the tie.

Watch the video below to find out what Jesse Lingard is like off the pitch in the latest Match Of The Bae with Emma Conybeare…

Interestingly, however, Ernesto Valverde’s side could be without Luis Suarez for the first leg, after the Uruguay international sprained his ankle – they will definitely be without Ousmane Dembele, who tore his hamstring in the last 16 against Lyon.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men fought back from a 2-0 deficit to beat Paris Saint-Germain and make the quarter-finals, which they are set to be the underdogs in against Barcelona.

With the latest fitness update, however, United have been handed a lifeline.

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The Red Devils’ fans on Twitter are obviously happy to hear the news, and have taken to Twitter to react with jubilation…

Rain, a slow pitch and bad light could not stop Jacques Kallis from scoring his eleventh, and first against Pakistan, Test hundred as South Africa took the honours on day one of the First Castle Lager/MTN Test ending on 250 for five wickets in an overcast Durban.Coming to the crease when South Africa was 33/2 Kallis batted through the day to end undefeated on a magnificent 104 when bad light was called 14 overs from the end. Using simple cricket basics and playing everything to ground Kallis is sure to categorise this as one of his better innings. From the time he came to the crease he hit the ball in the middle of the ball with near perfect timing. Being very strong on the legs he also stroked some classic back foot drives past the covers. His hundred coming up in 284 minutes included eleven fours and a big six off Saqlain Mushtaq over midwicket.Saqlain bowled 29 overs in the day and was instrumental in restricting South Africa to the 250 in 75 overs. Bowling very well he became the fifth Pakistan player to take 200 wickets in a Test career when he had Boeta Dippenaar caught at the wicket. Not the best ball he ever bowled, a rank long hop outside off, but one that he will remember his entire career.Saqlain’s wicket of Gary Kirsten will also be remembered by many after Kirsten was caught at slip off a no ball he proceeded with an exact replica of the previous ball, this time legal, to have the left-hander once again caught at first slip.Kirsten, who was very lucky to also survive a leg before decision from umpire Venkataraghavan when on 31, once again proved his form by playing himself to a patient 56, putting together a 122-run third wicket partnership with Kallis.Waqar Younis had started the day well winning the toss and deciding to field first on a dull and overcast morning. No sooner had the two captains left the field than the rain came down causing a 40-minute delayed start. Whether this delay would have changed his decision is unknown.The decision however initially proved to be the right one when Graeme Smith fell caught behind off Mohammad Sami for 15 and Herschelle Gibbs, forcing from the back foot, was caught at backward point for 11 from the bowling of Waqar. South Africa at 33 for two, inside of ten overs, needed someone to rebuild the innings.Smith continual chase of the ball outside the off and the recent form of Gibbs will be a worrying factor for the South African selectors.Kirsten and Kallis proved to be the players that took South Africa out of the danger zone and into one of some comfort when bad light stopped play.Dippenaar will have nightmares about the ball that got him out. Forcing a cut at a rank long hop from Saqlain he bottom edged to the keeper while Neil McKenzie will wonder what has happened to his form. Never looking comfortable at the crease, and seemingly unable to read Saqlain he was bowled by a peach of a reverse swinger from Waqar that went through the gate of an expansive drive.The early weather conditions should have assisted the bowlers a lot more than it did. Surprisingly very little movement was witnessed in the first 15 overs with Saqlain, ominously for South Africa, the one to extract a lot of turn out of the pitch on the morning of the first day. He might just have the last say as this Test progresses.With 14 overs lost day two will start 30 minutes earlier at 09:30 local (7:30 GMT) tomorrow.

Will he? Won’t he? Reports are yet to confirm whether Inzamam will quit Tests soon © AFP

Speculation over the future of Inzamam-ul-Haq, the former Pakistan captain, is mounting with some reports claiming he is set to retire from Test cricket after playing in the second Test in Lahore against South Africa.Geo TV and , the Urdu-language daily, both reported that Inzamam had reached an agreement with the Pakistan Cricket Board which would see the batsman play one last Test at home before bowing out – unlike many ex-cricketers in Pakistan – with some grace and dignity.The reports also suggested that the board may make a financial payment to Inzamam, a golden handshake of sorts, for announcing his retirement. This, however, was denied emphatically by a statement from the board, which stated “that all policy decisions regarding Inzamam will be announced in the next couple of days which will be in the larger interest of the game.”The newspaper report that the PCB has carried out a deal with Inzamam by assuringhim a guaranteed sum of 10 million rupees for his retirement from Test cricket, isabsolutely incorrect,” it saidNone of these reports, however, have quoted Inzamam directly. The only newspaper to quote him on the topic, the , another Urdu daily, has him denying any such plans. “I have no plans to retire at the moment. I am available for the second Test and have told the selectors of my desire,” Inzamam said. However, to add to the confusion, the same newspaper’s front page has also carried the retirement story. The Daily Express has also quoted Inzamam claiming he has cancelled his trip to London where he was expected to be present for hearings in the Darrell Hair case.Inzamam stepped down from the captaincy and retired from ODIs after Pakistan’s early exit at the World Cup earlier this year. He was initially keen to play on in Tests, but the board and selectors have, unofficially, been equally keen for him to step away and didn’t award him a central contract.To complicate matters further, Inzamam was also one of four players to sign up for the Indian Cricket League (ICL), a move which meant, according to the PCB’s stance, that he would not be considered for Pakistan selection.Yet Inzamam was, according to the selection committee, considered for the first Test squad against South Africa. He wasn’t picked because he made himself unavailable. If he does play one last Test, Inzamam has an opportunity to surpass Javed Miandad as the leading Test run-scorer for Pakistan as he needs 20 runs to go past Miandad’s haul of 8832.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsTrinidad & Tobago Red Steel overcame a Chris Gayle explosion in the first over of Jamaica Tallawahs’ chase of a modest target to secure a seven-run victory in Port-of-Spain that put them in the semi-finals of CPL 2015. The win vaulted Red Steel into second place; they are only a point behind leaders Barbados Tridents but have a game in hand.Gayle launched Tallawahs’ pursuit of 145 by clobbering legspinner Samuel Badree for 26 runs in the opening over. He hit three sixes and two fours off the first five balls, four of them disappearing towards long-on and the other over deep square leg. Jacques Kallis and Dwayne Bravo then kept Gayle boundary-less for six balls and he eventually mis-hit a slower ball from Bravo to long-off, where he was caught by Johan Botha. Bravo then caught Mahela Jayawardene at slip off Suliemann Benn, reducing Tallawahs to 36 for 2 in 3.3 overs.Red Steel’s spinners continued to wreck the chase: Benn took another scalp, Derone Davis claimed one, and Badree bounced back from his expensive first over by taking three middle-order wickets in a spell that included a maiden. Tallawahs were reduced to 87 for 7, and between the seventh and 16th overs they scored only 43 runs. With 39 runs needed off 18 balls, Andre Russell hit two sixes and two fours to give Tallwahs some hope. But his dismissal to Bravo left his team with 16 to get off nine balls, and Red Steel prevailed by seven runs.Unlike Tallawahs’ frenetic innings, Red Steel built their total around the solidity of Kallis, who batted through 20 overs to remain not out on 61 off 51 balls. He was joined by Dwayne Bravo with Red Steel on 76 for 3, and the pair added 69 runs in seven overs. Bravo scored 49 of them off 30 balls, hitting three sixes late in the innings to finish on a high.

Scorecard1:06

Lancashire make final after another low-scoring semi

English cricket’s three-for-one Finals Day provided entertainment in the second semi-final worthy of the supermarket discount bin. The pitch was stodgy, it was apparent from the outset that intelligent bowling could clamp down on scoring rates, and those Twenty20 fans who want their entertainment identified by an adrenalin rush of boundaries, which is most, will have grimaced with disappointment.Lancashire only needed 116 in a contest defined by missed sweeps, drag-ons and heaves into the leg-side that will not feature on a bat manufacturer’s promotional video. It was a slightly troubled chase, James Faulkner defiantly putting it to bed with two successive leg-side sixes off Chris Wood, the only sixes off the match. The margin: six wickets with seven balls to spare.For the fourth successive time at Edgbaston, Hampshire lost in the semi-finals. They have tried changing hotels, travelling at different times. Cricketers being a superstitious lot, lucky underwear will no doubt have been binned. But it was not down to luck, it was down to an inability to adapt to a slow surface, all the more surprising as they regularly combat similar pitches, designed to their strengths, on their home turf at the Ageas Bowl.It did not help that the second match took place after the home side, Birmingham Bears, had been knocked out in the semi-final and a sense of disappointment hung over the ground. It did not help that the rhythm of T20 is somewhat lost in the gap between the group stages and the final (although time is clearly needed to sell tickets), but Hampshire’s innings lacked energy and wit: it was disappointing fare.

Lost it with the bat – Vince

James Vince, the Hampshire captain, rued the shot selection of his team-mates which prevented the team from posting a competitive total in their semi-final.
“It was a disappointing batting performance. The wicket was tough and it was going to get harder as the day went on, so we knew we weren’t looking at a total of 170-180. But I was happy to win the toss and there were some disappointing shots in there. No one stuck around to be able to build a partnership.
“We never really managed to take regular wickets like they did and it’s easier to set your stall out to score 120. There were plenty of little points you could look at in the field but we lost it with the bat. If we’d got another 20 or 30 runs, we’d have had a chance of defending it.”
Lancashire captain Steven Croft said: “We’d like to have finished it two or three overs before but Jimmy Faulkner’s a really cool finisher and Browny anchored the innings very well. We assessed the pitch very early and both seamers and spinners bowled well.”

James Vince, a batsman of some quality, acquitted himself considerably better than anybody. He was eager to show his prowess on a big day, having been omitted from England’s 50-over squad once again. He could play on this Finals Day pitch, justifying his decision to bat upon winning the toss. It was just that not many other Hampshire batsmen could.Vince made 69 out of 115 and, having opened, was out to the second ball of the last over, a skied top-edge which fell to the wicketkeeper Jos Buttler as he tried to heave Faulkner into the leg side. He was dropped on 45, too, by Buttler off the offspin of Steven Croft, but generally, his thought processes and execution were faultless.Around him, others fared less well. George Edwards has not been a regular for Lancashire this season in any format, but the wickets of Michael Carberry, who spliced to mid-off, not imagining his 13 would be the second top score, and Adam Wheater, first ball, athletically held by Buttler down the leg side, set Lancashire motoring.It was a scenario that Lancashire’s spin pair of Stephen Parry and Arron Lilley could not resist. They entered the final against Northamptonshire with 40 wickets between them and economy rates below seven, their effectiveness in T20 bearing comparison with Faulkner, and there is no higher praise than that.Parry found sharp turn to bowl Owais Shah as he came down the pitch and defeated Sean Ervine and Liam Dawson on the sweep. Lilley bowled Wood to a swipe and Yasir Arafat to one of several drag-ons in the match. Their combined tally of 5 for 32 in eight overs, with Vince watching with growing consternation, ensured Lancashire had a cakewalk.Vince chose not to bowl his spinners in the Powerplay, for understandable reasons, but by the end of the six overs Lancashire were 43 for 1, the chase all but broken, before Danny Briggs and Will Smith had a chance to respond. Keith Brown’s unbeaten 45 from 43 balls ensured the opportunity was not shunned. Buttler perished at long-off, telling himself as he went, no doubt, that he could still make an impact in the final.Hampshire even tried dismissing a Lancashire batsman by pushing him away from the crease, not a dismissal not yet included in the MCC Laws. It was an incident that could have created a major flashpoint, instead to cricket’s credit it just became a curio.Davies, on 3, scooped a catch to mid-on and with everybody seeming strangely oblivious to the no-ball call from Rob Bailey (a marginal decision by an umpire who rightly still believes giving no-balls is part of his job, unlike many of those standing in the Ashes) he made little attempt to make his ground. Vince, who was rapidly becoming the only Hampshire player with common sense, took off a bail, but an appeal for a run out was not really on when two Hampshire players were manhandling Davies to the pavilion.

Scorecard
File photo – Vijay Shankar displayed both sides of his game in a fluent 110-ball 86•K Sivaraman

India A lost out on two-and-a-half hours to overnight and mid-afternoon rain, but Bangladesh A were left needing more rain on the final day after more injudicious shots. In the field they were hampered by injuries to both the quicks, Rubel Hossain and Shafiul Islam, who bowled only 6.1 overs between them. Against innocuous spin every Indian batsman flourished: overnight centurion Shikhar Dhawan raced away to 150, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu allrounders Karun Nair and Vijay Shankar scored fluent half-centuries to set up a declaration, and the bowlers enjoyed the trigger-happy Bangladesh top order to take two wickets in the 11 overs possible before bad light took off some more time from India.Dhawan began the day where he left off, resuming on 116 he kept playing with the field through nifty foot movement and a wide array of shots. In such form and mood, he can make captains look silly and guilty of following the ball. Against error-prone spinners it seemed he could have accumulated for however long he desired, but his sense of adventure got the better of him. Just after reaching 150, he fell lbw while reverse-sweeping. It wasn’t going to slow India down. Shreyas Iyer kept attacking, often going over cover in his 38 off 55 balls, and he fell just after putting India into the lead, again trying to force the pace, looking to go over midwicket.Nair and Shankar then began a fruitful association. Nair’s driving through covers was pretty and precise, and Shankar began solidly. They added 108 in under 30 overs. Nair – 71 off 97 – dominated that stand, piercing the gap between short cover and extra cover repeatedly, hitting 12 fours, before falling to a Jubair Hossain legbreak that stayed low. Shankar had just started to build a partnership with Naman Ojha when heavy rain sent the players off. At that time India were 131 ahead, and Shankar had scored 48 runs off 93 balls.After the rain, followed a storm. With declaration on his mind Shankar showed the other side of his game. At will he launched spinners into the stands effortlessly. In 17 balls after the rain break he looted 38 runs to give India a possible day and 16 overs to bowl Bangladesh out and knock off whatever might be necessary.”I never thought about going for the hundred,” Shankar said. “After the break we just wanted to get as many runs for the team. I could have taken ones and twos but I was thinking of getting boundaries.”The openers didn’t seem in the mood to make India work hard. They kept playing at wide balls regularly. Soon enough and sure enough, Anamul Haque became the first one to edge Ishwar Pandey through. That Soumya Sarkar fell to a vicious offbreak from Jayant Yadav shouldn’t take away from the shots he played against the quicks before that. Varun Aaron didn’t even bowl, perhaps because of the fading light.”We have been playing bad shots,” Haque agreed. “We are not that used to playing longer formats of the game. We will need to work hard to force a draw in this game.”