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Former Premier League manager Lawrie Sanchez has exclusively told Football FanCast that should Brendan Rodgers keep Leicester inside that top six, he’ll be a sho0-in to eventually replace Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

Despite their failure to qualify for the Champions League once again, even though the Foxes sat inside the top four for almost the entire season, Rodgers guided the club to their first ever FA Cup success and another fifth-place finish.

His impressive work has seen him linked to the job at Tottenham, whilst he’s previously been mentioned alongside the Arsenal vacancy.

But he recently reiterated his desire to remain at Leicester and continue making the club top six regulars having led the club into the Europa League twice on the bounce.

However, if Rodgers continues to defy the odds, a so called ‘top-six club’ could come calling.

And Sanchez told Football FanCast that it could yet be Manchester City when Pep eventually goes.

“I wonder whether if Brendan is thinking strategically, a couple of years at Leicester, where he could go?

“Tottenham are a big club, Arsenal? Guardiola is going to do two or three more years at Manchester City, then that job will become available.

“He had a go at Liverpool and came close, but if he’s in the top six for the next two or three years and Guardiola goes, he’d be a sho0-in for it wouldn’t he, you’d think.”

Kevin Phillips believes it is “almost impossible” Borna Barisic will stay at Glasgow Rangers given the interest in him from Premier League clubs.

The Lowdown: Interest in Barisic

Barisic has attracted plenty of attention from south of the border thanks to his performance for the Gers over the past couple of seasons.

Leeds United as well as Aston Villa, Arsenal and Wolves have all been linked with a move for the left-back.

The Latest: Phillips expects transfer

Speaking to Football Insider in the wake of the news of all this interest, Phillips believes it will be very difficult for the Gers to hold on to the Croatia international this summer. He said:

“I’ve always said the draw of the Premier League, does it outweigh playing in the Champions League?

“At the end of the day, Rangers are never gonna win the Champions League. They can give it a good go and try and get as far as they can.

“But the chance to play in the Premier League, week in, week out, probably outweighs that in my opinion.

“So it’s almost impossible to turn down a Premier League side. Of course, the finances are gonna be a lot different as well.

“There are quite a few clubs looking for a left-back. It’s a specialised position and they’re not very common. So it will be interesting to see how that one unfolds.”

The Verdict: Champions League is Gers’ joker card

Barisic showed his attacking threat last term with five goals and 14 assists in all competitions (Transfermarkt), while he was also part of a team that conceded just 13 goals in the league – he is crucial for the Gers on both sides of the ball.

It was a marvelous campaign for the £5.4m-valued 28-year-old (Transfermarkt), who is currently away at Euro 2020 with his country.

That will only attract attention from other sides, and Barisic does not have too long left for a big move. The Gers’ Champions League fate may play a big role in the defender’s future – qualification for the group stages of Europe’s premier club competition may be enough to convince him to stay for one more year.

Fail to get past the qualification rounds however, and Phillips’ concern may just come to fruition.

In other news, Rangers fans were livid at this Euro 2020 news.

Following Somerset’s disappointing performances this season, which has seen them relegated to the second division in both the County Championship and the NUL National League, Somerset chief executive Peter Anderson has written to every one of the

Richard Walsh23-Sep-2002Following Somerset’s disappointing performances this season, which has seen them relegated to the second division in both the County Championship and the NUL National League, Somerset chief executive Peter Anderson has written to every one of the club’s seven thousand members to apologise.A copy of the complete letter is printed below so that every website reader has a chance to see exactly what Mr Anderson has to say.For those who live locally the Somerset chief executive will be talking to Simon White on Somerset Sound just after nine o’clock on Tuesday morning.In his letter which dropped onto member’s doorsteps over the weekend Mr Anderson says:`I am writing to apologise for the poor display by our players this season. It is true that they did exceptionally well to reach the final of the C & G Trophy Final and who will ever forget the exciting semi-final victory over Kent. However, this does not disguise the fact that too many of our performances seemed to lack enthusiasm, urgency, and the requisite application expected of professional players.Vic Marks, our knowledgeable Cricket Chairman, will sit down with the coaching staff and some senior players to assess what went wrong and what is needed to rectify the situation. We are making financial provision to sign three players, including an additional overseas player, which will be communicated to you when contracts have been signed.Some of you may feel puzzled (even resentful) that such a successful team of players in 2001 should be allowed to under-perform in 2002. Others will resign themselves to the historical fact that Somerset have disappointed and then resurrected themselves before. Whatever your feelings the fact remains that we have a very good County Cricket Club in Somerset. The ground, facilities, youth development, training and financial structures are the envy of many. All of this has to be converted into good performances on the field which is where our players have clearly let the Club, yourselves and themselves down this season.Richard Parsons, our long-serving and most dedicated Chairman, will be stepping down at the end of this year. It is disappointing that this should occur on the back end of such a poor season, which has nothing to do with his decision to retire. He will be writing to you about an important change he recommends concerning the appointment of his successor which your Committee believes will assist the Club in expanding its income base in the sponsorship and corporate hospitality fields. Somerset need to do this if it is to firstly survive and then compete in what is now a very competitive county cricket scene.Each and every coach and player will be interviewed and left in no uncertain terms as to what is expected of them in 2003. For most of them the message is quite simple – you got us down, you get us up. You too have a part to play in that process off the field by continuing to support Somerset County Cricket Club in the magnificent way you have done so in the past. It will be difficult getting out of Division II in both competitions. We can do it though if we all pull together.What happened has depressed us all but it is not the end of the world; nor is it the end of Somerset County Cricket Club.’As and when developments occur over the next few weeks they will be reported here on the Somerset website, which during the time since it started has become the major source of information regarding the club.

The National cricket selectors have named the following South African squadfor the first Castle Lager/MTN Test match against Sri Lanka at the Wanderersfrom the 8th to the 12th of November

UCBSA Media Release05-Nov-2002The National cricket selectors have named the following South African squadfor the first Castle Lager/MTN Test match against Sri Lanka at the Wanderersfrom the 8th to the 12th of November.Shaun Pollock – Captain, Mark Boucher – Vice-captain, Steve Elworthy, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Mornantau Hayward, Claude Henderson, Jacques Kallis, Gary Kirsten, Neil McKenzie, Makhaya Ntini, Ashwell Prince, Graeme Smith.Coach: Eric Simons
Assistant Coach: Corrie van Zyl
Physiotherapist: Shane Jabbar
Fitness Trainer: Andrew Gray
Manager: Goolam Rajah
National selection convener Omar Henry said the final eleven will be namedon the morning of the Test. He added: “Neil McKenzie has shown good formlately, and his century in Kimberley for the A side last weekend wasimpressive”.McKenzie’s Titans teammate, fast bowler Steve Elworthy, is recalled, havingalso impressed the selectors for the A side. His last of two Test matcheswas at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand in 1999.In form Easterns all rounder Andrew Hall, who like Elworthy was named one ofSouth Africa’s Mutual and Federal Five Cricketers of the year last month,has been rewarded for his consistent performances with both bat and ballthis season.

Everton have been handed a boost in their bid to bring Chris Smalling to Goodison Park this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Corriere Dello Sport (via Sport Witness), who claimed that the AS Roma centre-back is no longer considered non-transferable by the Serie A club, with both Tiago Pinto and Jose Mourinho believed to be open to the sale of the 31-year-old in the summer transfer window.

The report added that Everton are extremely interested in making a move for the former Manchester United defender, and should Marcel Brands submit an acceptable offer, Roma would not stand in the way of Smalling’s departure from the Stadio Olimpico this summer.

Brands will be buzzing

While Smalling did not have the best of seasons for the Giallorossi last time out, something which was largely down to the centre-back picking up a number of varying injuries, the 31-year-old’s form in the season prior demonstrated that, as long as he keeps himself injury-free, he would be a fantastic signing for the Toffees to get over the line this summer.

Indeed, over his 30 Serie A appearances for Paulo Fonseca’s side in 2019/20, the £10.8m-rated man helped his side to keep six clean sheets, as well as averaging 1.9 interceptions, 0.8 tackles and four clearances and winning 4.5 duels per game.

The England international also impressed for Roma in an attacking capacity that term, scoring three goals, providing two assists and averaging 0.3 key passes per league fixture. These returns saw the £102,000-per-week centre-back earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.12, ranking him as Roma’s sixth-best performer in the Italian top-flight that year.

As such, with Marcel Brands undoubtedly hoping to build a squad in the summer transfer market which would be capable of much more than Everton’s 10th-placed finish in the Premier League last time around, the news that the player Fonseca dubbed an “extraordinary” defender is available on the transfer market is sure to have left the Toffees director of football buzzing.

In other news: Forget Benitez: Moshiri could still land “excellent” 54y/o who Everton fans would love

After months of speculation, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has terminated the services of its chief executive officer, Gregory Shillingford

Derrick Nicholas03-Oct-2002After months of speculation, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has terminated the services of its chief executive officer, Gregory Shillingford. In a media release, the WICB said that Shillingford’s termination “followed consideration of a report on his performance conducted by its Review and Assessment Committee…and comments from each board member.”Shillingford’s position has never been secure since he became embroiled in a controversy surrounding the firing of West Indies team manager Ricky Skerritt via email last year. Skerritt was subsequently rehired following a review of the method of his dismissal.As early as June last year, Shillingford expressed uncertainty about his future involvement with the WICB since he was part of the Select Committee that had fired Skerritt. Reports published earlier this year also hinted that a WICB director had ‘advised’ two members of staff at the WICB secretariat in Antigua that the CEO’s days were numbered. When news of this broke, it was quickly dismissed. As recent as two weeks ago, there was talk of a ‘separation agreement’ being in place, but this too was dismissed by the regional body.The WICB said that the decision to fire Shillingford was unanimous. Roger Brathwaite, the newly appointed chief marketing executive, will act as CEO until a replacement is appointed.

Many Glasgow Rangers fans were delighted at seeing a photo of Nikola Katic as the Gers returned to training ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

The Ibrox outfit enjoyed a magnificent campaign last term as they won the Premiership for the first time in 10 years without losing a single game in the division. However, they had to do so without the services of central defender Katic, who missed the entire campaign through injury after picking up a serious issue during pre-season training last year (Transfermarkt).

The 55-time Scottish champions are now back in pre-season training ahead of a season in which they will attempt to defend their league title. Fortunately for them, it looks as though £1.44m-valued Croatia international Katic (Transfermarkt) is ready and raring to go if an image shared on the club’s official Twitter account is anything to go by.

These Gers fans were delighted with the photo and they took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the matter.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the photo of Katic

“The Croatian Prince returns”

Credit: @rhysmgale

“Things you love to see”

Credit: @BenBaker__

“Glad to have you back big man”

Credit: @GraemeDavis1872

“Welcome back King Katic”

Credit: @OhItsSteely

“Nico Is Back, Baby. With him hopefully back to full fitness, I’ll be like a new signing. 56, here we go.”

Credit: @William140494

“The big man will feel like a new signing this year. Buzzing for him”

Credit: @10candan

In other news, Rangers are set to ramp up their pursuit of this 27-year-old.

LONDON – England has called up James Kirtley to replace fast bowlerDarren Gough for its one-day cricket squad.

AAP20-Nov-2002LONDON – England has called up James Kirtley to replace fast bowlerDarren Gough for its one-day cricket squad.The England squad has been hit by a string of injuries while inAustralia and Kirtley has been added to the list of one-day specialistsfor the triangular series against Australia and Sri Lanka in Decemberand January.Kirtley married three weeks ago but will cut his honeymoon short for hisfirst playing tour of Australia.”It gives me the opportunity to play against the some of the bestplayers in the world on some of the best pitches in the world, so it isthe ultimate test for me. It is sad that Goughie is unfit but it givesme a chance to show what I can do,” he said.

AC Milan have expressed an interest in signing James Rodriguez from Everton, according to Colombian outlet Win Sports TV’s Pipe Sierra.

The lowdown

Everton brought former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich superstar James to Goodison Park on a free transfer last September.

He finished the season second only to Gylfi Sigurdsson in the Blues’ assist ranks, and was also their fourth-highest scorer with six goals (via BBC Sport).

James has a year left on his contract, though Everton do have the option to extend it for a further 12 months.

However, Carlo Ancelotti, who reunited with the Colombia international on Merseyside, has of course left to join Real Madrid.

The latest

Sierra reports that AC Milan have made their interest known to James’ representative Jorge Mendes.

The Serie A giants, set to play Champions League football again in 2021/22 after an eight-year absence, are expected to start negotiating with Everton ‘next week’.

“AC Milan is interested in the Colombian midfielder James Rodríguez (29) and has made it known to his representative Jorge Mendes,” Sierra claims, translated via Twitter.

“Negotiations with Everton they will start next week.”

The verdict

It would be a little surprising if James was still an Everton player come the start of the season, because you’d imagine Ancelotti was a big reason he joined in the first place.

If he was to leave, there would probably be mixed emotions among the fanbase. When he played, James was largely very good and showcased his top-tier creative abilities.

But he only featured in five of the Toffees’ last 14 matches with persistent fitness issues, and that has to be a real worry going forward with a new manager coming in and seeking players they can rely on.

In other news, this influential figure says Everton have been keeping tabs on a prolific striker.

According to a report by Mundo Deportivo, via Sport Witness, Tottenham Hotspur are now ‘willing to take the first step’ to sign Barcelona ace Miralem Pjanic – with new managing director Fabio Paratici knowing him well from Juventus.

The Lowdown: Spurs eyeing Pjanic?

The £210,000-per-week midfielder has emerged as a target for Tottenham over this last week with Sport first claiming that they had made an approach.

This alleged Spurs transfer development even garnered praise by pundits in the press, with pundit Alan Hutton raving over the reported enquiry to Football Insider whilst calling Pjanic an ‘amazing player’.

The Latest: Tottenham now ‘willing to take the first step’

As per another report from Spain, this time from Mundo Deportivo, the Lilywhites are ‘willing to take the first step’ to sign Pjanic with his Barcelona future in doubt.

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The Bosnia and Herzegovina international struggled last season and his club apparently wanted him to leave as a free agent this summer and help reduce their enormous wage bill.

While it is stated that Pjanic would prefer a move back to Juventus, the Turin giants are prioritising Euro 2020 star Manuel Locatelli as more of a prime target.

This has allowed Spurs and Paratici to potentially make a move as they weigh the first step.

The Verdict: Worth it?

It’s little wonder Barca wish to offload Pjanic given his sky high salary and limited appearances last term, with the 31-year-old starting just six La Liga matches.

However, it is obvious the midfield dynamo has quality in his locker by his many great seasons in Serie A and 100 international caps for Bosnia. 

Over his 281 appearances in the Italian top flight across stints at both Juve and Roma, Pjanic bagged a noteworthy 42 goals and 73 assists from midfield (Transfermarkt).

He also possesses vast experience in the Champions League with 80 cameos in Europe’s peak competition.

It would be a financial gamble by chairman Daniel Levy and director Paratici, but one which could provide a player with a wealth of experience.

In other news: Tottenham make approach to sign £43.2 million-valued star once likened to Messi, find out more here.