West Ham had a nightmare with Anderson

West Ham have been fairly consistent when it comes to spending big money on new players during the transfer windows over the past few years such as Kurt Zouma, Nikola Vlasic and Sebastien Haller among others.

However, as tends to be the case with most clubs, not every transfer deal ends up being worth the time, effort or money it took to complete.

One prime example of this at the east London club is the deal West Ham secured for Brazilian winger Felipe Anderson.

Signed in the 2018 summer transfer window from Italian club Lazio for a then club-record fee of £36m, the attacker made 73 appearances for the Hammers across all competitions but could only score 12 times and provide 13 assists, meaning he cost the club £3m-per-goal from the transfer fee they shelled out for him.

In October 2020, the 28-year-old joined Porto on loan but only made ten appearances with no goals scored before returning to the London Stadium in June last year.

Not long after that, the east London club decided to bring Anderson’s time as a West Ham player to an end by selling him back to Lazio for a reported fee of just €3m (£2.52m).

With 38 appearances under his belt across all competitions this season, the winger, who’s picking up a weekly wage of £85k-per-week according to Salary Sport, has scored six goals and provided seven assists in the process, meaning he could realistically equal the goal contributions tally he had for West Ham in just one season back with Lazio.

In December 2019, Transfermarkt rated the Brazilian’s market value at £40.5m, the highest it has ever been throughout his career, whereas it now stands at just £9m, presumably as a result of his disappointing spell in England and on loan with Porto.

Having been slammed by former Sky Sports pundit Phil Thompson for his “really poor” performances in a Hammers shirt, Anderson “couldn’t cut it” at the club according to Ben Foster, which is hard to dispute.

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Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to say that GSB had a nightmare when they gave the green light on what was then a club-record transfer deal for their club.

In other news: Moyes can finally axe £61k-p/w WHU dud with swoop for “outstanding” 25 y/o “leader” – opinion

Inspired India evict South Africa

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

RP Singh was sensational and provided India the much-needed cutting edge against a formidable South African batting line-up © Getty Images

A sensational spell of 4 for 13 from Rudra Pratap Singh dumped South Africa out of the Twenty20 party as India romped to a comprehensive 37-run victory that sealed a place in the semi-final against Australia. South Africa, previously unbeaten in the competition, again proved masters ofthe choke, falling 10 short of the 126 that would have taken them to the last four and eliminated New Zealand.India, rocked by the withdrawal of Yuvraj Singh before the game with tendonitis of the left elbow, had struggled with the bat themselves, slipping to 33 for 3, but a tremendous 85-run partnership between Rohit Sharma and Mahendra Singh Dhoni propelled them to 153 for 5 on awell-grassed pitch of variable bounce.Rohit Sharma, in his first innings in the tournament, struck some sumptuous strokes through the cover region, making room and lofting the ball cleanly over the infield. He also targetted themidwicket region, finishing the innings with a glorious six over square leg off a Johan van der Wath full-toss. At the halfway stage India had only 57 on the board, but Rohit Sharma and Dhoni amassed 56 in the last five overs as a frown started to crease Graeme Smith’s brow.India’s defence of 153 started in appalling fashion with Sreesanth pushing the first ball down the leg side for four wides, and when Smith clipped one off his pads for four, South Africa had 11 from the first over. That, though, was as good as it would get. RP Singh made the perfect start, trapping Herschelle Gibbs leg before, before a stupendous Jonty Rhodes-like dive from Dinesh Karthik at wide second slip sent Smith on his way.Enter Sreesanth. AB de Villiers survived one vociferous appeal for leg before, but the second one was so plumb that he might as well have walked. And though both Justin Kemp and Mark Boucher started with fours, the runs dried up as a hint of swing led to more flails at air than solidconnections.Kemp was always going to be dangerous, and the manner of his dismissal once again illustrated the value of youth in the side. Boucher tapped and ran, but Rohit Sharma raced in from cover to pick up and throw in a fluid motion that caught Kemp marginally short of the crease.The home support was in shock, and that quickly turned to despondency when RP Singh came round the wicket to deliver a peach that cleaned up Shaun Pollock’s leg stump. At 31 for 5, it seemed like game over. But Albie Morkel had been in magnificent hitting form all tournament, and Boucher held down one end as South Africa watched the asking-rate spiral beyond 10an over.When Joginder Sharma, who bowled fairly tidily, came on, Morkel drove him through cover – the same fate that met Irfan Pathan when he gave a little too much width. Generally, though, the bowling was impeccable, forcing both batsmen to settle for singles and the odd two into the outfield.The momentum shifted slightly when Harbhajan Singh was introduced. Boucher tucked a full-toss off his pads for four, cut one late to third man and then clipped one beautifully between the leg-side fielders; 15 came from the over. But even when Morkel swung Joginder Sharma for a massive six straight down the ground, the asking-rate remained 12 an over.That pressure eventually told when Sreesanth was brought back for his final over and the 17th of the innings. Boucher chopped one back on, and as he walked off, it was apparent that the limit of South Africa’s ambition would be the 126 needed to qualify for the last four.Vernon Philander and van der Wath both went down swinging, stumped by Karthik – who had taken over the gloves once Dhoni felt some back pain early in the innings – off Harbhajan, but the final nail was hammered in when RP Singh produced a magnificent yorker to end Morkel’s defiance at 36.

Earning his spurs: Rohit Sharma performed superbly under intense pressure to provide India with a competitive total © Getty Images

It left Smith to ponder just what had gone wrong, after miserly bowling from Pollock had reined in the Indian openers. Gautam Gambhir was the aggressor early on, and he enjoyed a reprieve as well, when Philander made only a half-hearted attempt to catch a miscued pull.On his home patch it was Pollock who made the breakthrough, having Gambhir mishit one to Smith at mid-off. And it soon got worse for India as Karthik chipped the first ball he faced to Albie Morkel at square leg.It then became three wickets in four balls when Virender Sehwag’s attempt to guide the ball down to third man ended up in Boucher’s gloves. With the run-rate going nowhere, and two new men at the crease, India were in disarray.Robin Uthappa walloped one mighty six off van der Wath, and was then put down by Philander at mid-on. With Rohit Sharma starting to play his strokes, the mood in the dug-out was starting to lift a little, but then Uthappa drove Morne Morkel on the up to Smith at mid-off.Despite the blip, Rohit Sharma started to time the ball beautifully and the South Africans began to get flustered about errors in the field. Dhoni clouted Albie Morkel over long-on with a tennis forehand, and also benefited from a top edge over the keeper. There was a massive six over midwicket as Morne Morkel overstepped, and it was all India thereafter as a match that they began in a bullock cart ended in a magic carpet ride. For South Africa, another major tournament, and the Chuck Palahniuk novel….

Australia under fire for pushing Pawar

Australia have been described as “rude and arrogant” by the Indian media following unsavoury incidents after their Champions Trophy win. Ricky Ponting’s men were taken to task for pushing Sharad Pawar, the BCCI president and an Indian government minister, off the presentation dais after their eight-wicket win over the West Indies in Sunday’s final in Mumbai.Ponting, who was visibly impatient after the long presentation ceremony, gestured towards Pawar with his forefinger, asking him to quickly give away the trophy, which Australia had won for the first time. Newspapers on Tuesday carried front-page pictures of Damien Martyn pushing Pawar with his right hand, urging him to get off the stage so that the team could pose with the trophy.The picture in the added: “They are supposed to be aggressive, even rude on the field. On Sunday, Australia showed they are not exactly polite off it too.”Sachin Tendulkar, who usually prefers to stay silent on most controversial matters, also took a swipe at the Australians. “I was not watching the proceedings but from what I heard, it was unpleasant and uncalled for,” Tendulkar said at a sponsors’ function in Mumbai on Monday. “Firstly, it should never have happened. It’s important to show respect to a person who is so dear to the cricketers and is involved with cricket. Such incidents should be avoided.”Dilip Vengsarkar, India’s chief cricket selector, added: “You expect such behaviour from uneducated people. If they wanted to pose for photographs, they could have politely requested him. This is appalling.”Niranjan Shah, the BCCI secretary, described the incident as “unintentional”, but he also said players “seem to leave good sense behind”. “Anyway, you know how players are once they get on the cricket field.”However, Pawar laughed off the incident. “It was a small thing, a stupid thing,” Pawar said in the . “I don’t want to react.”

Bichel shines in the Gabba gloom

Tasmania 8 for 234 (Dawson 55, Bichel 5-64) v Queensland
Scorecard

Andy Bichel celebrates one of his five wickets © Getty Images

Andy Bichel grabbed five wickets as Queensland enjoyed the better of a gloomy opening day of their Pura Cup match against Tasmania at The Gabba.Bichel finished with 5 for 64 after Tasmania were put in, but the visitors’ batsmen dug deep in difficult conditions and closed on 8 for 234, a commendable achievement given the circumstances.On a green pitch and with low cloud cover, it was always going to be a day which favoured the bowlers, and so dull was it that the floodlights were on for most of the afternoon and evening sessions.Tasmania, without the injured Michael Bevan and Dan Marsh, lost two wickets inside the first 35 minutes before David Dawson (55) and Travis Birt (48) combined to add 87 for the third wicket. It was a disappointing day for Jamie Cox, who was playing a record-equalling 159th Pura Cup appearance, as he nibbled Bichel to Chris Hartley, the wicketkeeper, for 6 to become Bichel’s 600th first-class wicket. It could have been worse for Tasmania, but Dawson was dropped three times in the slips.After Dawson became Hartley’s second victim – off the bowling of Andrew Symonds – Tasmania slipped to 6 for 140, but a gutsy, unbeaten ninth-wicket stand of 56 between Xavier Doherty (37 not out) and Adam Griffith (22 not out) defied Queensland again. Doherty nearly came to blows with Mitchell Johnson, Queensland’s erratic fast bowler, when he narrowly avoided a beamer, but the pair survived to the close.”It was very disappointing,” said Queensland coach Terry Oliver. “I’m not that happy but Tasmania gutsed it out and full credit to them.”

Sri Lanka A take honours on first day

Scorecard
Glamorgan were back in whites for the first time in almost a month yesterday, as they faced Sri Lanka A on day one of a four-day match at Swansea. A strong Sri Lankan team, which has won seven of its nine matches on this tour and drew with West Indies over the weekend, took the upper hand on the first day, bowling Glamorgan out for 169 and ending the day nine runs ahead with seven wickets in hand after half-centuries from Ian Daniel and Jehan Mubarak.Glamorgan won the toss and opted to bat first, but got off to a less than ideal start when Mark Wallace fell to Nuwan Kulasekara for 11 (26 for 1). Kulasekara struck again when David Hemp was caught by Bathiya Perera for 10 (44 for 2), and David Hemp fell soon after, bowled by Ranga Dias for 3. After a rain-affected first session Glamorgan went to lunch at 51 for 3, but a 60-run partnership between Matthew Elliot and Jonathan Hughes raised their hopes in the afternoon.However, the introduction of spin into the attack in the form of Mohammad Suraj sparked a dramatic collapse, as Glamorgan lost their last seven wickets for only 58 runs in 21 overs. The first to go was Matthew Elliot, bowled by Suraj for 48 to break his promising partnership with Hughes (111 for 4). Suraj picked up 5 for 40 with his offspinners, also dismissing Ian Thomas and Hughes before Perera chipped in with the wickets of Robert Croft and David Harrison to leave Glamorgan on the brink at 162 for 8. Suraj wrapped up the innings soon afterwards, with Darren Thomas caught by Daniel for 16 and Andrew Davies trapped lbw for one.Harrison, who has not played since the end of June after being sidelined by injury, opened the bowling and struck with his fourth ball to have Shantha Kalavitigoda caught at slip for a duck as Glamorgan threatened a fight-back. Sri Lanka A were 52 for 2 when Harrison had Malintha Gajanayake caught behind for 19, but Daniel and Mubarak carried them out of trouble with a 57-run partnership. Daniel went to his half-century from 66 balls, but was out soon after, lofting Dean Cosker straight to Harrison at long off (109 for 3).Mubarak brought up his own 50 with a six off Cosker, and had added an unbeaten 69 in partnership with Perera (43*) to put Sri Lanka A firmly in control at stumps.

Third day is a complete washout

Persistant rain throughout the day, meant Hampshire and Durham had to sit out the 3rd day of the Frizzell County Championship match at the Rose Bowl.Umpires Graham Burgess and David Constant called an end to proceedings just after the tea interval.With just one day remaining, Hampshire chances of recording their first Championship win of the season have dropped considerably.

Bushrangers name Pura Cup team

The Victorian Bushrangers today named a full strength side to take on the Southern Redbacks next week in their opening match of the 2001/02 Pura Cup season. The match is scheduled to begin next Wednesday, October 17, at the Adelaide Oval.Chairman of Selectors, Shaun Graf, said the final eleven would be selected to suit the conditions in Adelaide. “We have plenty of variety within the twelve selected, so we’ll wait and have a look at the conditions in Adelaide next week”.Coming into the side from last Sunday’s ING Cup match are Captain Paul Reiffel, Mathew Inness, Colin Miller and Matthew Mott.The team for Sunday’s ING Cup match against the Southern Redbacks following the Pura Cup match, will be announced later this week.BUSHRANGERSPaul Reiffel (c), Matthew Elliott (vc), Jason Arnberger, Darren Berry, Damien Fleming, Ian Harvey, Brad Hodge, Mathew Inness, Michael Klinger, Colin Miller, Matthew Mott, Shane Warne.

Newcastle need Saint-Maximin vs Everton

Newcastle’s 1-0 defeat to Chelsea at the weekend was their first in the Premier League since the middle of December – when they lost three on the spin against difficult opposition in Leicester, Liverpool and Manchester City.

Their excellent run of form that has steered them away at least temporarily from relegation trouble is a testament to Eddie Howe’s revitalising impact he’s had on Tyneside – getting the best out of the players he already had at his disposal, as well as making some smart signings in January.

Even without Allan Saint-Maximin, who suffered a knock and then missed a further game through illness, Newcastle still managed to win seven points out of nine available during his absence – proving that they aren’t so reliant on him anymore.

With that being said, the Frenchman could catch Frank Lampard’s Everton side out tonight – as the Toffees will likely have done preparation on a number of other players who have stepped up in place of the 25-year-old – who now has a huge workload lifted off his back, and can play with a little less pressure on his shoulders.

Having made eight goal contributions in 25 Premier League appearances so far this season, Saint-Maximin only has two in his last ten, and fans would be forgiven if they were beginning to worry that he was burning out – but his time out of the team could be exactly what he needed to return to his best – and against an out-of-form Everton team, he has the perfect opportunity to do so.

After all, in the words of Kieran Trippier, he is a player who “will reach” the standard required to win the Ballon d’Or, something the right-back admits is one of the attacker’s main goals in life.

Valued at £28.8m by Transfermarkt, the £93k-per-week winger has established himself as one of the most exciting talents in Europe since joining the North-East club.

He ranks in the top 2% among players in his position across Europe’s top five leagues and continental competitions for carries into the final third per 90 (3.01), top 6% for shot-creating actions per 90 (3.97), but most impressively, ranking as the number one winger for dribbles completed per 90 (4.79).

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With his opponents today all out of sorts and completely disorganised, conceding 12 goals in their last six games in the league,  Saint-Maximin could just remind everyone why he is one of the most talked about Premier League talents, and why the likes of Gary Neville have labelled him “breathtaking”.

In other news: PIF can get St James’ bouncing as NUFC plot bid for “untouchable” £45m titan

Uthappa, Agarwal puncture Delhi; Easwaran shines for Bengal

ScorecardRobin Uthappa struck his third successive century this season, while Mayank Agarwal stroked his maiden first-class century as Karnataka flattened Delhi in a marquee top of the table clash in Hubli. It rained runs on what appeared to be a green top, with Karnataka racing away to 358 for 3 when stumps were drawn. Pawan Suyal, the medium pacer, was the most successful bowler for Delhi with the wickets of R Samarth (17) and Agarwal (118).Uthappa’s 148 was studded with 16 fours and six sixes, with the highlight of the day being his two fours and four sixes in a single over off Dhruv Shorey to race from 95 to 127. It also happened to be his 17th century in the Ranji Trophy to put him joint-second with Rahul Dravid in the list of century makers for Karnataka. Brijesh Patel tops the charts with 26 centuries.
ScorecardAbhimanyu Easwaran’s 88 was the highlight on a day in which 20 wickets fell in Kalyani as Bengal took charge against Odisha despite being bowled out for a paltry 142 in the first innings. While Easwaran was the batting mainstay, Aamir Gani, the offspinner, returned career-best figures of 6 for 34 to skittle Odisha for 107. Easwaran and Sayan Mondal then added 20 without losing a wicket in nine overs as Bengal ended a frenetic day with a 58-run lead.On a day in which little went right for Odisha with the bat, their bowlers gave a good account of themselves, with Dhiraj Singh, the left-arm spinner, taking 5 for 58. Suryakant Pradhan, the medium pacer, had three scalps.
ScorecardPankaj Singh made an impact immediately upon returning from a hamstring injury by taking 4 for 10 in 14.2 overs as Haryana were shot out for 112 in Lahli. Virender Sehwag, who returned to lead the side after missing the last two games because of his commitments with the All-Stars T20 series in USA, top scored with 29, while Mohit Sharma, batting at No.10 contributed 23.Rajasthan’s openers started well with Manendar Singh and Vineet Saxena added 61, before Ashish Hooda broke through to dismiss the debutant for 22. Saxena and Puneet Yadav ensured there would be further casualties as Rajasthan ended the day on 75 for 1, bringing the deficit down to just 37 with the heart of their batting still to come.No play was possible at the MCA Stadium in Pune after overnight rains and a wet outfield forced the players indoors for most parts of the day. When the outfield was good enough for the match to start, the light deteriorated sharply, with umpires calling off play at 4.10pm. Play will begin 15 minutes early on the remaining three days.

Boje leaves Warwickshire facing drop

ScorecardNicky Boje produced a fine all-round display, following three wickets with an unbeaten 74 as Northamptonshire eased to a six-wicket win, continuing Warwickshire’s alarming slump in form. Boje was well supported by Riki Wessels and David Sales as they chased down 231 with four overs to spare.Warwickshire looked like making a game of it when they removed both Northamptonshire openers early, but Boje and Wessels, who clubbed 52 off 29 balls, added 77 to put the chase on course.Boje then combined with Sales, who faced 52 balls for his runs and hit seven fours and a six. Ant Botha claimed two wickets on his Warwickshire debut, but it wasn’t enough.None of Warwickshire’s batsmen went on to produce a major innings, six of them falling between 24 and 41. Jonathon Trott top scored and some late hitting from Nick James and Alex Loudon boosted the total, although Northamptonshire made it appear well under par.

  • The other match of the day, between Lancashire and Nottinghamshire at Old Trafford was abandoned without a ball bowled. The shared points leave Nottinghamshire second and Lancashire fourth.
    Team Mat Won Lost Tied N/R Pts Net RR For Against
    Worcestershire 5 4 0 0 1 9 +0.721 909/151.4 833/158.0
    Nottinghamshire 7 3 2 0 2 8 +1.083 1106/181.2 999/199.1
    Sussex 7 3 2 0 2 8 +0.146 1071/186.5 1095/196.0
    Lancashire 7 2 1 0 4 8 -0.068 697/111.3 693/109.4
    Hampshire 6 3 2 0 1 7 +0.347 1124/173.3 1121/182.5
    Northamptonshire 6 2 3 0 1 5 -0.546 1045/187.0 1048/170.5
    Essex 6 1 3 0 2 4 -0.321 746/137.0 790/137.0
    Gloucestershire 5 1 2 0 2 4 -1.077 632/115.0 746/113.3
    Warwickshire 7 1 5 0 1 3 -0.648 1269/229.0 1274/205.5

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