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Leandro Paredes begged Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni to "change his mind" and reconsider his potential resignation.

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Scaloni hinted at potential resignation after Brazil winSuggested he is not at 100 per centParedes wants the coach to brush aside resignation thoughtsWHAT HAPPENED?

In a bombshell interview, after masterminding Argentina's 1-0 win over Brazil in World Cup qualifying, the Albiceleste manager revealed that he "has to think a lot about what to do", suggesting that he might relinquish his post of head coach for the national team. His comments sent shockwaves among the players and fans as they hold Scaloni in the highest regard after the tactician guided them to their third global crown in Qatar 2022. Paredes urged Scaloni to think long and hard about leaving the national team and hoped that he would continue at the helm.

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Speaking to the media after the match, Paredes said: "We didn’t talk to Scaloni. We are aware he’s the head of the group, let’s hope he stays there, that he makes the decision to stay because he is very important. He will have his reasons but we are more than grateful. Let’s hope he changes his mind and stays with us.”

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Argentina have been flourishing since Scaloni took over the reins. After a disappointing result against Uruguay last time out, the manager showed that he can boost his troops to script a comeback even in the most hostile of conditions. They are currently at the top of the World Cup qualifying group and hold a massive eight-point lead over sixth-placed Brazil, who have lost three consecutive matches under Fernando Diniz.

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JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR SCALONI & ARGENTINA?

Scaloni's remarks came in the aftermath of a match marred by off-the-pitch violence at Brazil's Maracana stadium. His words could be a repercussion of the complete breakdown of law and order at the stands as he did not share anything definitive about his potential resignation. Although it does raise questions about his future the Argentina faithful will be hopeful that their successful World Cup-winning coach isn't leaving the team anytime soon.

The Pakistan Cricket Board’s independent biomechanics facility, installed at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), is in line to obtain accreditation from the ICC

Umar Farooq13-Apr-2017

The PCB’s independent biomechanics facility, installed at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), is in line to obtain accreditation from the ICC. The testing facility has been acknowledged by the world body after two officials from Pakistan underwent a two-day workshop in Pretoria last month.The facility has fulfilled the technical requirements in terms of equipment and expertise to procure official accreditation. It operates with 16 motion-capture high-speed infrared cameras and two high-speed video cameras in compliance with the ICC’s requirements. Other mandatory preconditions laid down by the global body include the availability of an indoor area with enough space to allow a player to perform their full run-up, a three-dimensional motion-analysis system with a minimum of 12 high-speed cameras, along with the recruitment of qualified personnel experienced in using such systems and implementing the ICC testing protocol.So far, LUMS has been implementing its own model of assessment on cricketers but the ICC required it to align with the governing body’s protocol that mandates quality checks and calibrated trials during assessment using specialised kit. Professor Mian Awais, Head of the biomechanics facility at LUMS, and PCB representative Hissan ur Rehman attended an exclusive two-day workshop – involving four sessions primarily aimed at introducing the ICC protocol regarding bowling assessment and data processing – at the High Performance Centre in the University of Pretoria, to oversee the administration of the test centre.The idea of reviving the biomechanics lab came up after Pakistan found themselves saddled with several cases of suspect bowling actions in the recent past. Among the high-profile internationals to have undergone reassessment for illegal action, Mohammad Hafeez has returned with a remodelled action, as has Saeed Ajmal – the latter, however, has been a diminished force and has not played for Pakistan since 2015. According to the PCB, the stock of offspinners available at the domestic level also includes a significant number with suspect actions.In 2015, the ICC accredited five centres around the world – in Brisbane, Cardiff, Loughborough, Pretoria and Chennai – as testing facilities for the global body with a view to reviewing bowlers reported for suspect bowling actions. The PCB initiated the process of establishing the biomechanics facility in the country by entering into a partnership with LUMS – where equipment worth USD 460,000 had been lying unused from 2008 to 2016 – as it needed to have an independent testing facility of its own.Pakistan could have been the first Asian country to have a high-profile biomechanics facility, but construction of the laboratory and financial mismanagement impeded its progress. LUMS, however, helped make up for lost time by re-gathering the equipment and making it functional by conducting tests on over 20 domestic cricketers so far. The centre has also tested the Kenya offspinner James Ngoche, whose bowling action was declared illegal by the ICC in 2015.

Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi have been told what they need to do in order to emulate USMNT legends Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey and Brian McBride.

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U.S. looking for a reliable goalscorerTwo players of potential in that mixIcons of the past showed how it's doneWHAT HAPPENED?

The Monaco and PSV strikers are currently competing for the No.9 spot in the United States national team. Both are proven goalscorers at club level, but are relative newcomers when it comes to the global stage. They have been on target for their country – with efforts recorded during the latest international break – but are also working on unlocking full potential.

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Balogun has pledged allegiance to the USMNT following a tug of war with England – with the New York native netting twice through four appearances for his country – while Pepi is up to nine goals from 18 outings.

WHAT THEY SAID

Former USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard has told the : “When you look at the history of the USMNT, our success has always been built on consistent goalscorers – someone who can do it in friendlies, someone who can do in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, someone who can do it on the world stage. Sometimes, in this current team, you can do it by committee because they have so many good wingers and midfielders, but ultimately the USMNT has to have a Clint Dempsey, a Jozy Altidore, a Brian McBride – where in moments, going into a game that might be against an opponent where you might not dominate the ball, you are looking at and saying ‘If in two hours we have won this game, I know he’ll have scored’. We have seen it down the years – Jozy Altidore put five people on his back and scored, Clint Dempsey pulled a rabbit out of the hat, Brian McBride stuck his head in a place that he shouldn’t have. There has always been that down the years for the last two decades. What’s missing from this current group is that, and I think it was missing going into the World Cup. What I do think about Balogun and Pepi is, they can start to sharpen each other. If one scores, then the other is thinking ‘I’ve got to get the bit between my teeth and make sure I keep pushing’. That then sends them back to their clubs and they push harder. A recognised goalscorer, someone who does it consistently, is greedy and hungry and doesn’t want to come off the pitch, is angry when they don’t get the ball, that’s the type of No.9 that the U.S. needs. I think those two can do it. I like the look of them. They both present different options.”

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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Ex-Sunderland and Toronto FC frontman Altidore scored 42 goals for the USMNT in 115 appearances. Former Fulham and Seattle Sounders star Dempsey hit 57 in 141 games, while McBride – who represented Columbus Crew, Everton and Fulham in his club career – managed 30 in 96 caps.

Tottenham Hotspur will appreciate a lot of things about Manchester United's Harry Maguire ahead of the summer transfer window.

Is Harry Maguire up for sale?

It was a disappointing campaign at Old Trafford for the England defender who saw his role diminish under Erik ten Hag in his first campaign at the helm.

Prior to the arrival of the Dutchman, Maguire had played a prominent role in United's 2021/22 campaign where he made 28 starts in the Premier League.

However, this season has seen the 30-year-old's game time severely reduced to the point where he has only made eight starts in the top flight.

However, there are conflicting reports as to whether the centre-back will be leaving this summer with talkSPORT now claiming he is keen to remain at United and fight for his place.

This comes just days after the reliable Fabrizio Romano suggested that those around the player were of the belief this is the perfect opportunity for him to leave the club.

But speaking on the Five YouTube channel, David Ornstein has suggested those at Spurs will appreciate a lot of the qualities which Maguire could potentially bring to north London.

Adding to this, the reliable journalist also nodded towards the 30-year-old's relationship with his national captain, Harry Kane:

"I don't think this situation is satisfactory for his career at club or international level. And that's why there will be conversations to be had. There will be interest in him.

"We've seen Tottenham linked, I think Tottenham really will respect what level of player he is, but also the character, the sort of leader he would bring to any camp, the leadership sorry.

"He's good friends with Harry Kane from international level. So I don't think this is a sort of equation of one in one out or a swap of sorts. I think if he was to go somewhere like that it would be to play together ideally."

How much does Harry Maguire earn?

Tottenham's defensive record last season really was dreadful with the north London side shipping in 63 goals which saw them finish with a goal difference of a mere +7.

But a move for Maguire may leave many Spurs fans concerned as to whether the club would actually be bringing in an upgrade considering the huge levels of criticism he has come under in recent months.

Maguire would arrive with a lot of experience from his time with Leicester and United, however, is this really a deal which would prove beneficial for Spurs?

According to FBref, the England international ranks inside the bottom 15th percentile for tackles made over the last year with an average of just 1.03 per 90 minutes.

And at the age of 30, is he a player who Spurs' new boss Ange Postecoglou could look to as a long-term option as he looks to begin the rebuild in north London.

After all, this is a player who is believed to be earning in the region of £190k-per-week at United but is unable to make the starting XI under Ten Hag.

Despite the recent criticism, talkSPORT's Gabriel Agbonlahor has hailed Maguire as "outstanding" and perhaps Spurs feel similarly as they search for upgrades at centre-back.

Thomas Tuchel desperately wants to sign the England international, and the defender showed why in Wednesday's friendly between the two clubs

Manchester City maintained their perfect start to pre-season with a 2-1 victory over Bayern Munich in Tokyo on Wednesday, with Aymeric Laporte netting a late winner.

Pep Guardiola's side were second best during the first half, but led at the break thanks to James McAtee, who was on hand to follow-up a shot from Julian Alvarez that had been well-saved by Yann Sommer.

Bayern looked to have earned a draw when Mathys Tel scored a tap-in from another rebound with just nine minutes remaining, but Laporte – who has been linked with a move away from the Etihad before the close of the summer transfer window – nicked it for City right at the death, when he turned in a cut-back from Phil Foden.

GOAL looks at what we learned during the clash at a sold-out Japan National Stadium…

• Rico Lewis has an important role to play

  McAtee may have broken the deadlock in Tokyo, but the opener was all about fellow young gun Rico Lewis, who also had the far more impressive first half. The 18-year-old excelled in a fluid role that saw him sit in midfield alongside Mateo Kovacic when City were defending, while at the same time affording him the freedom to get forward when in possession. Indeed, it was Lewis who burst into the area before squaring the ball for Alvarez, whose shot was spilled by Sommer into the path of McAtee.

  With serious doubt surrounding the future of Kyle Walker, don't be surprised if the versatile Lewis sees plenty of game time this season, given he can also operate as a right-back. He made 14 Premier League appearances last season – but he could feature even more regularly in the coming campaign.

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• Walker's enduring excellence

  On the eve of the game in Japan, Guardiola said of Walker, "He is incredibly important for us. He has specific qualities that are so difficult to find out wide. I don’t know what’s going to happen. Both clubs are in touch. We will fight for him like I'm sure Bayern will too."

  There's absolutely no doubt about that, because while the England international may have only played for 45 minutes, he rather effortlessly underlined why he's so highly rated. His famed pace was once again there for all to see as he repeatedly snuffed out any threats posed by Bayern's fast forwards, while Walker also played the pin-point pass from inside his own half that released Lewis into space in the build-up to McAtee's goal.

  Guardiola has admitted that he has no idea how the tug-of-war for Walker's services will finish, but he'll be praying that the defender remains on the City side. A player of the 33-year-old's quality and experience is truly invaluable to any squad.

• Getty Images
  

  Ederson's incredible importance

  Given City dominate possession in nearly every game they play, Ederson doesn't often have much to do in between the sticks. However, as he so memorably and crucially underlined in the Champions League final win over Inter, he usually steps up to the mark when called upon.

  The Brazilian did so again here, making a couple of big saves when Bayern were piling on the pressure in the first half. He also very nearly kept a clean sheet, denying Paul Wanner from close range with a wonderful reaction stop, only to see Tel took away the rebound.

  And City will need Ederson to maintain his level of excellence, given Stefan Ortega does not inspire anything like the same level of confidence. The German played all 90 minutes of City's previous pre-season fixture, against Yokohoma F. Marinos, and was arguably at fault for at least two goals.

  Consequently, one really would wonder what would happen to City's defence – and Guardiola's game plan – if, heaven forbid, Ederson were to be sidelined by an injury in between transfer windows. He really is one of the few irreplaceable players in the starting XI.

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• Inter's interest in Sommer is strange

  Inter's precarious financial position means that they are forced to sell at least one key player every year, and Andre Onana was the man to be sacrificed this summer, which made sense of course, given he had arrived on a free transfer from Ajax at the start of the season, meaning his sale to Manchester United represented pure profit.

  However, that left the Nerazzurri needing a couple of goalkeepers, with veteran shot-stopper Samir Handanovic having also left San Siro during the current transfer window, and the ongoing attempt to fill one of those voids with Sommer has raised some eyebrows in Italy, given the Bayern Munich man is nowhere near the same level as Onana, particularly with the ball at his feet.

  Indeed, the Switzerland international was blessed to get away with an awful error just before the break, when he lost possession inside his own area after coming under pressure from Bernardo Silva. Sommer got away with it, but if any representatives of Inter were watching, the not-unusual lapse in concentration from the 34-year-old may have convinced them to redouble their efforts to also sign Anatoliy Trubin from Shakhtar Donetsk. After all, there's a reason why Bayern are willing to let Sommer go…

Kane Williamson has said the fourth victory of his captaincy will go down as “one of the great” Test wins, after New Zealand claimed nine wickets in the final session to seal a 138-run win

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Hamilton29-Nov-20162:00

Plan was always to get the asking rate up – Hesson

Kane Williamson said the fourth victory of his captaincy will go down as “one of the great” Test wins, after New Zealand claimed nine wickets in the final session to seal a 138-run win. A draw had appeared the most likely result for most of day five, and although New Zealand had gone wicketless with the first new ball, they claimed six scalps with the second – Pakistan losing the last four wickets for one run, in the space of 14 balls.Pakistan had also lost Sarfraz Ahmed to a run out shortly before the second new ball was due. “The wicket of Sarfraz was a big moment, but I guess when you take nine wickets in a session, they are all pretty big moments,” Williamson said. “It all happens pretty quickly. With the new ball around the corner, we thought if we could open up an end, and get a new batsman out to face the new ball, we would be in with a slim sniff. The feeling at tea time and now is pretty contrasting. This will go down as a great Test victory. For it to completely flip-turn was something pretty sudden, certainly.”Williamson suggested Pakistan’s collapse had not been spurred by any cataclysmic shifts on strategy on New Zealand’s part. With the visitors having batted the first four hours of the day without losing a wicket, it was assumed that the Hamilton pitch had lost its sting.”That surface was pretty good for batting,” Williamson said. “That certainly showed when first new ball didn’t do a huge amount. They batted very well and we weren’t able pick up those early wickets. Only thing we could do was stick with it and try and control the game. To get that breakthrough – which took a long time – we did have to stay patient.”New Zealand had given themselves 101 overs to bowl Pakistan out, after declaring late on the fourth day. With 369 needed for victory in the fourth innings, Pakistan had also had incentive to attempt the chase, as they were trailing in the series.”If you look back to yesterday and discussions around declaration in terms of giving the opposition an opportunity to track down the total and play a few shots – that perhaps worked in our favour,” Williamson said. “It was a big target. To chase it down, you have to play very well. They were getting themselves into a position – nowadays, with T20 cricket, you give yourselves 30 overs and think about what you can chase. That seemed to be how they were taking down the total.”Where we were really good in those first two sessions is keeping the run rate down below two. It kept pushing the required rate up a bit higher, and made them go hard a bit earlier. That presented us with a few opportunities. Pakistan are a very good side who know how to bat time, so perhaps we were fortunate to get nine in the last session.”The 2-0 victory means New Zealand will now move into the remainder of their seven-Test home summer with some confidence. They had suffered four consecutive Test losses before this series had begun.”It was going to be a big challenge coming home from India and a tough series against South Africa. The guys picked themselves up,” Williamson said. “I suppose we went back to the drawing board with how we’d like to play our cricket at home. Sometimes the baggage from previous results can be tough to get past, but the guys were fantastic. They had a couple of days off and they came back fresh, raring to go. They’re all looking forward to a big home summer.”

James Anderson has been reprimanded by the ICC for showing disrespect to umpire S Ravi on the third day of the Lord’s Test against Sri Lanka.Anderson was found to have breached Level 1 Article 2.1.1 of the ICC Code of Conduct which relates to “conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game.” Anderson admitted the charged and accepted the sanction from the match referee Andy Pycroft so there was no need for a hearing.The incident occurred during Sri Lanka’s seventh-wicket stand between Kusal Perera and Rangana Herath when Ravi told Anderson, who was becoming frustrated, not to sledge Herath. The umpire was seen talking with Joe Root who was captaining England at the time due to Alastair Cook being absent from the field after the blow to the knee which forced him to hospital for an x-ray.The charge was laid by the on-field umpires, Ravi and Rod Tucker, as well as third umpire Aleem Dar and fourth umpire Michael Gough.All Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of a warning/reprimand and/or the imposition of a fine of up to 50% of the applicable match fee.

Insider ExWHUEmployee has revealed that West Ham United could owe millions in unpaid fees to Russian clubs and it could result in a transfer ban.

What are the latest West Ham transfer rumours?

In the summer transfer window before last, Nikola Vlasic arrived from CSKA Moscow on a permanent transfer, while Alex Kral joined on loan from Spartak Moscow for the 2021/22 season.

It's safe to say those moves didn't go great for either player. Indeed, Vlasic is now on loan with Serie A club Torino after one goal in 19 Premier League outings for the Hammers, while Kral finished his loan with just six appearances under his belt across the entire season.

On top of that disappointment, it seems as though West Ham now have another headache to consider relating to the flops.

Indeed, while speaking on The West Ham Way podcast, Ex revealed the club still owe money relating to unpaid fees, with payments affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The insider said (0:21): "West Ham apparently owe a collective amount of £7.8m to the Russian authorities over unpaid transfer fees.

"So the first one is for Alex Kral’s loan move from Spartak Moscow, apparently, we still owe £4.38m for that. And that we still owe CFK Moscow £3.5m for Vlasic.

"Now, West Ham are arguing that you're not allowed to send money to Russia, obviously as a result of the Russia-Ukrainian war.

"But the Russian authorities are saying they're owed that money, and there's even talk that they're applying for us to have a transfer ban as a result of not paying these figures.

"I mean, the figure is so small that I'm sure if that ever became a realistic penalty, then then we would just pay it. But we're still disputing this."

Why did Alex Kral flop at West Ham?

It's fair to say Kral didn't enjoy his time with the East London football club. Indeed, he told Capital Football in a interview earlier this season: “Really fast I recognised I won’t play in too many games, so I worked on my weaknesses in each training.

“Moyes didn’t speak much with me, he was detached.

“I only spoke to him one time when I went to him, asking him what I needed to improve to play, at a time when Rice and Tomas were out of the game.

“But something was off because if I had been doing everything right I’d be playing, no? So, I tried to speak like this with him, I didn’t go and ask: ‘Why am I not playing?’.

“But he kept saying that I needed to wait for my chance, the rest was between him and me."

In the end, he left West Ham have played for just one minute in the Premier League, so it's safe to say it wasn't a good loan spell – nor was he worth that £4.38m still owed.

Vlasic also struggled as mentioned earlier and seeing as he cost an initial £25.7m plus £7.7m in add-ons, which seems to not have been paid yet, the Irons must truly regret these deals now.

Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw will "100%" sign a new deal at the club, according to an update from renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano.

How is Shaw playing this season?

The Red Devils are enjoying an excellent season to date, clinching EFL Cup glory already and also having a chance of winning the Europa League and FA Cup. Meanwhile, a top-four finish in the Premier League looks likely, in a year that has seen big strides made on the pitch.

Numerous United players have shone throughout the campaign, with Marcus Rashford the standout performer, and Shaw has been a model of consistency at left-back. The 27-year-old has been an influential presence in both and attacking and defensive sense, making 22 league appearances and averaging both 1.7 tackles and 1.2 key passes per game in the competition.

The Englishman has now established himself as arguably one of Europe's best left-backs, and with his current United deal expiring next year, it is important that the club ties down his future. That certainly looks set to be the case, with an exciting new update suggesting as much.

Is Shaw set to extend his stay?

Taking to Twitter, Romano relayed Erik ten Hag's quotes regarding Shaw, before providing his own update over a new contract being signed:

"Ten Hag: 'If Luke Shaw signed new deal, I don't know — I haven't heard, as John Murtough didn't inform me until now. I have to wait for that. If it's true, I’m pleased. We want to keep Luke because he's a really important player for our team'.

"New deal, 100% agreed."

This is clearly great news from a United perspective, with Shaw someone performing at the peak of his powers, and an undoubted a key starter for Ten Hag's side. The 29-cap England international's manager has called him "a great player and a great personality for the dressing-room", and at 27, a new long-term deal will run out when he is still potentially in his best years.

It is heartwarming to see Shaw reach such a high level, having suffered a terrible broken leg early in his United career and not always managed to consistently become an important player down the years. He is now fully reaching his potential, though, and there is no reason why he can't find another gear, too, especially if more key signings are made during what is hopefully a fruitful summer transfer window at Old Trafford.

League leaders Arsenal opened up a five-point lead at the summit with a commanding 4-0 victory over Everton at the Emirates on Wednesday evening, with Mikel Arteta’s side having more than redeemed themselves after slipping up in the reverse fixture just a few weeks ago.Having been undone by a James Tarkowski header in that hard-fought meeting on Merseyside, the Gunners looked set to again be frustrated by Sean Dyche and co this time around, after initially finding it difficult to break the visitors down in the opening exchanges.It ultimately took a moment of genius from Bukayo Saka to break the deadlock as the Englishman fired home emphatically from the angle just before the interval, with the Hale End hero then dispossessing a hapless Idrissa Gueye to tee up Gabriel Martinelli on the stroke of half-time.With that youthful duo having both reached double figures for Premier League goals this season with those first-half strikes, captain Martin Odegaard then got in on the act with a composed finish on the 70-minute mark, following clever work from January arrival Leandro Trossard down the left flank.Things then got even better for the hosts in the closing stages as that man Martinelli tapped in for his 11th league goal of the campaign – one more than teammate Saka – with the Brazilian unsurprisingly recording a standout 8.4 match rating, as per Sofascore – the highest of any player for either side.It was, however, a man who did not get on the scoresheet who was arguably “MOTM” – as per Simon Collings – with that award going to left-back sensation, Oleksandr Zinchenko, as the versatile Ukrainian once again pulled the strings for his side, proving why he’s on the best in the division in the process.

How did Zinchenko play against Everton?

The former Manchester City man was at the heart of the action as he made 109 touches on the night – the most of any player – having been integral in helping to unpick what was a stubborn Toffees defence, after playing a clever, threaded pass for Saka’s opener.

The 26-year-old was also heavily involved in the hosts’ fourth goal of the night after sliding in Eddie Nketiah inside the area, with the academy graduate subsequently picking out Martinelli to wrap up a comfortable win for the title-chasing outfit.

That creative impact came amid what was an “incredible” performance from Zinchenko as he proved “so influential” in his playmaking, defensive berth – according to Collings – with the 52-cap ace having laid on three key passes as a marker of his probing prowess, while recording an 8.0 match rating.

The £32m man was simply a ‘class above’ – as Collings noted in his Evening Standard player ratings piece – with it looking as if he is making it his personal mission to drag Arteta’s men to the title, at the expense of his former employers.

On the basis of last night’s display – and with regard to the season as a whole – City must be surely regretting allowing Zinchenko to make the move to the capital.