Jacob Ramsey left Aston Villa on loan in the January transfer window to join Doncaster Rovers and he has just been given a major award.
The attacking midfielder has won the club’s Goal of the Month award for his strike against MK Dons, which earned Doncaster a 1-0 win.
It was a team move, with Seny Dieng, Brad Halliday, and Jon Taylor all involved before Ramsey swept home a smart finish.
And it neatly caps a superb start to his time in League One.
He has made just three senior appearances for Villa, two of which came in the 2019/20 season, in the FA Cup tie against Fulham and the EFL Cup tie against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Since his move to Doncaster, though, he has played seven times and has scored three goals, including a brace on his debut in the 3-0 win over Tranmere Rovers.
The 18-year-old, born and bred in Birmingham, is an England youth international, too, having been capped by the U18s and the U19s.
With him in the team, Doncaster have won five of the seven games they have played, and sit ninth in League One, just five points off the play-off spots.
Ramsey’s award, then, is a neat little prize to win following an impressive start away from Villa and one has to wonder if his future will lie with the Midlands club.
He was something of a fixture for the U18s, playing 38 times and scoring 16 goals, while also providing four assists.
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The teenager has also been a key member of the U23s, playing 25 times, scoring eight goals and registering six assists.
He is ascending the ladder in the right way and one has to think that his time at Doncaster will only boost his standing in the eyes of manager Dean Smith.
Ramsey is one to watch for Villa fans.
Meanwhile, Villa are set to make a huge decision over this striker’s future!
Manchester United starlet Angel Gomes’ current contract with the Red Devils comes to an end in the summer of 2020.
This has prompted Chelsea to show interest in bringing the 19-year-old to Stamford Bridge after its culmination, as reported by The Metro.
United have already offered the teenager a contract worth £25,000-a-week and it is suggested within the report that Gomes’ representatives are unimpressed with the offer, indicating that he may not re-sign on these terms.
The club have defended their offer though, using Mason Greenwood’s extension as a benchmark for academy players who are making their step up into the first-team setup.
Gomes has been handed limited game time this season, making just six appearances for the first-team, and The Manchester Evening News have suggested this is because he hasn’t signed a new contract yet.
With the above in mind, FFC writers have given their verdicts on whether United should offer Gomes improved terms.
Jonathan Radcliffe
“Angel Gomes is obviously a promising player, but it is worth pointing out that Manchester United went and paid £47m to take Bruno Fernandes, a player who plays in his position, to Old Trafford in January, and he has already hit the ground running with three goals and four assists in nine matches – that does not bode well for the youngster.
“Whilst it would be damaging to lose him to a rival, it would be worse for his talent to be wasted. The Red Devils should look at the bigger picture and let him go.”
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Lewis Blain
“I see no reason why Manchester United should tie Angel Gomes down to a new deal. The Red Devils are on a bit of a resurgence from the dead and he’s not played a part in it whatsoever. To me, he’s just another Tom Cleverley, who is probably better off forging a career away from Old Trafford.
“In addition to this, he’s provided zero goals or assists in ten first-team appearances per Transfermarkt, so he’s not exactly proving his worth either. Solskjaer is also well-stocked in his position following the addition of Fernandes in January – he’s got Pogba to return, too.
“Regardless of his comparisons to United hero Paul Scholes, he just isn’t living up to expectations and isn’t worth fresh terms – unless he’s happy to be a mere squad player. Gomes ought to leave for the greater good of all involved.”
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Charles Jones
“Honestly, I don’t see Gomes having any real future at the top-level.
“The young attacking midfielder is quite simply too diminutive standing at a measly 5 ft 3, and that lack of physicality would be huge at Sunday League level nevermind when you’re coming up against some of the best athletes in the world.
“Okay, small players have done well before, Lionel Messi is arguably the best player ever, but if Gomes had the talent to be the next big thing surely he’d have already broken through?
“Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hasn’t been hesitant to play youngsters, look at Brandon Williams and Mason Greenwood for example, but for some reason he’s steered clear of Gomes.
“I don’t think they should bother even thinking about giving him a new contract.”
Danny Lewis
“Having already had a £25,000-a-week offer turned down by the teenager, the last thing United should be doing is allowing themselves to be held to ransom by a youngster who hasn’t had much of an impact yet.
“With this said, he is a talented player, so if a u-turn is taken and he accepts the current terms then he would still be worth keeping around at Old Trafford.
“Even if he may not be able to make it into the team, with the likes of Fernandes blocking his route into the starting XI, there will likely be a sell-on value that makes it worth keeping him around – while he can also be somebody to use off the bench or in the cups for the time being while he proves his game.
“However, there is no way that they should be allowing him to force their hand towards giving him more money, considering there have been plenty of youngsters who have broken into the side ahead of him.”
Meanwhile, a Twitter post has shown what Bruno Fernandes has been getting up to.
Tottenham Hotspur fans have been left gushing over their former midfielder Ryan Mason after he posted a throwback image to Twitter over the weekend.
With the United Kingdom stuck inside under lockdown, a little trend has emerged on social media whereby fans, players and whoever else that likes the sport of football get involved by uploading an image without any caption or context. Here’s what the 28-year-old put up:
The Spurs academy graduate enjoyed an eight-year spell amongst the first-team setup before leaving for Hull City, but his career would then be devastatingly cut short after he suffered a skull fracture in a match with Chelsea in 2017.
He’s clearly still adored by those in north London as loads of supporters replied to his tweet.
Here’s what has been said…
Mason played 70 times for the Lilywhites where he managed to find the net four times and also provided four assists, per Transfermarkt.
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He was lauded as everything from a Spurs “legend” to the “boss” while one supporter credited his role in kickstarting the Mauricio Pochettino revolution in north London.
Given the current circumstances sweeping the nation, some others offered up warm words to stay safe during this time…
There were plenty missing his exploits at the Lane, too. One further member of the Spurs faithful claimed he would love to have Mason in their midfield now, suggesting that he was quality on the ball and always worked his socks off.
However, it’s hard to see many central midfielders getting in the squad currently due to the vast range of options at Jose Mourinho’s disposal.
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AND in other news, Spurs should look to sign this “outstanding natural talent” in the summer…
Not only does he have to ensure that his team do not concede, but he also has the responsibility of launching attacks from deep, of distributing the ball well.
Of course, he also has to crunch into tackles and rob attackers of the ball, in order to keep the score down.
There have been plenty of world-class defenders in Premier League history.
Here, Football FanCast looks at some of the very best…
Rio Ferdinand
No centre-back on this list earned more top-flight honours than the former England man, which is a stunning achievement in itself. In many ways though, Ferdinand’s credentials for being the Premier League’s greatest centre-back lay in the fact he was much more than simply a talented and athletically imperious centre-half; during Ferdinand’s era, few central defenders offered his quality in possession, speed and agility.
It made him the perfect centre-back partner, capable of covering behind a more old-fashioned accomplice or bringing the ball into United’s midfield to link up with Michael Carrick and Paul Scholes – a vital component of the Red Devils’ ability to build attacks from the engine room.
If there’s one criticism of Ferdinand, it’s that he was only truly at his best when placed alongside someone like Nemanja Vidic who offered that physical and aerial dominance.
Still, he remains a genuinely brilliant centre-back.
Sol Campbell
A considerably less elegant centre-half but for what Sol Campbell lacked in style he more than made up for in sheer brutish physicality. In that sense, Campbell had absolutely everything; a towering leap, plenty of speed and the strength to wrestle a baby rhino. Add great positional intelligence and occasional running-back-esque marauds up the pitch into the equation and Campbell was easily one of the most feared defenders in Europe during his hey-day.
He was also a vital member of Arsenal’s Invincibles starting XI as it’s most defensive element, which is perhaps the strongest endorsement of the former England international’s credentials. Likewise, it takes an exceptionally brave man to trade the Tottenham captaincy for a place in the Gunners’ backline by way of a free transfer and mental toughness was a huge part of Campbell’s game as well; for varying reasons, he’s had to endure his fair share of stick and abuse down the years.
The obvious negative compared to the rest on this list though, is that Campbell is the only one to concede more goals than make appearances in the top flight. That’s largely due to his time at Portsmouth and Spurs’ many years wading through mid-table mediocrity.
Vincent Kompany
He won four Premier League titles at Manchester City.
And what always stood out most about Kompany, aside from the usual physical dominance and aerial ability, was how he played on the front foot, regularly stepping up to nick the ball and instigate a counter-attack rather than simply waiting for the action to come to him.
That underlines the attacking ethos the Sheik owners have attempted to create at the Etihad and the Belgium international has been a central figure in City’s stunning rise, captaining them from 2011 onwards.
A genuine machine in defence, and though injuries crippled his ability late in his career, he belongs on this list.
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Nemanja Vidic made the fewest Premier League appearances of any centre-back on this list but he was the second-most successful during that time, his five titles only trumped by defensive partner Rio Ferdinand. And that’s not a mere coincidence; he was the perfect foil to Ferdinand’s more technical style. While Vidic was no slouch on the ball himself, his greatest strengths resided in the more traditional centre-half job description – essentially, keeping the ball out of the net by any means possible.
Football – Stock 07/08 , 26/8/07 Nemanja Vidic – Manchester United Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Carl Recine
That required body-on-the-line blocks and last-ditch tackles, while few, if any Premier League defenders, have come close to matching his utter dominance in the air. He and Ferdinand produced arguably the most balanced and fearsome centre-back partnership in Europe during their best years and nine seasons together produced five titles, alongside a European honour in 2008.
There are drawbacks, though – chiefly that Vidic did have a knack for getting himself sent off – and also of collapsing in the face of Fernando Torres – and after a serious injury during the 2011/12 season, he was never quite the same force again.
John Terry
The complete centre-back, pure and simple. John Terry was the best in the world at defending the near post for pretty much his entire Chelsea career, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg of what the Captain, Leader, Legend offered the Blues. Much like Vincent Kompany at City, he was one of the the driving forces behind Chelsea’s rise under Roman Abramovich, captaining the team to five Premier League titles (the first and last a decade apart) and a Champions League in 2012.
On top of that though, Terry was simply an exceptional footballer up until a few years ago when his talents noticeably waned. Completely dominant in both boxes, a fantastic reader of the game and brilliant at distributing the ball with both feet – something that went unappreciated for much of his career.
Terry’s game lacked any real weaknesses and evolved over time to suit his age. Furthermore, it’s a testament to his mental strength that a player who drew such negative attention from the media, often rightly so, for a whole host of different reasons never allowed it to affect his performances or his ability to lead the team.
People have questioned whether he almost had too much influence at Stamford Bridge though, and whether that’s affected the success of the club over the years.
Many Celtic fans are in disbelief over the latest plans put forward by Rangers which outline the way in which they believe the Scottish Premiership should be sorted this season, and unsurprisingly it involves the Hoops not winning the league.
After football has been postponed due to recent events, the Scottish Professional Football League is set to crown Celtic champions as well as relegate Hearts after the 23rd of April, via The Guardian.
However Steven Gerrard’s side, who are 13 points behind the Hoops (via BBC Sport), are not happy with the idea, saying that they will oppose the plans to decide the division and instead want financial support. Their statement goes on to say, “For the avoidance of doubt, Rangers firmly believe the season is only complete when all 38 games have been played to a finish.” via Rangers.
Whilst there are arguments for both sides, it seems like the SPFL will let it go down to a vote, which is due to happen as soon as possible, via The Guardian.
Fans of the Hoops have reacted poorly to their arch-rival’s proposals and understandably so, as the title is within their grasp with only eight games left to play, via BBC Sport.
Multan completed an eight-wicket win over Quetta in their Group B encounter at the Multan Cricket Stadium. Set a target of 155, a challenging one given the first-innings total – the highest of the game – was 210, Multan eased to victory with an unbroken stand of 64 between Usman Tariq and Rameez Alam. Usman top scored with 68, and steadied the chase along with his elder brother, Hammad Tariq, after they lost a wicket with the score on ten. The two put on 81 runs. Hammad was dismissed for 47, but Rameez continued from his unbeaten first-innings 82, scoring 25 more runs to see Multan home. The team moves to fifth place in Group B with six points from the win.It was a third consecutive day without play in the other match which began a day later in the second round, at the Marghzar Cricket Ground. Islamabad had closed the first day at 47 for 2 against Peshwar, and the game ended in a pointless draw at the same score.
Newcastle United supporters have been reacting to Jonjo Shelvey’s claim that teammate Martin Dubravka is deserving of a “massive, massive move to a top European club”.
The comments have only just surfaced on social media from his interview with In the Box last week, popular Twitter account NUFC360 tweeted his remarks out.
Shelvey was tasked with naming his ‘Dream XI’ whereby he named his current shot-stopper as the man between the sticks but interestingly enough touted him for big things.
Although, it hasn’t gone down well with the St James’ Park faithful as they have been reacting in their droves with comments slamming the 28-year-old Englishman.
Dubravka originally joined the club in January 2018, initially on loan from Sparta Prague, before making the move permanent later that summer for a fee believed to be around £4m.
The 31-year-old keeper has gone on to feature 80 times for the Magpies, conceding 101 goals and recording 24 clean sheets via Transfermarkt.
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October 7, 2012 Start time 2.30pm local (0900 GMT/1000 BST)Will it be Charlotte Edwards or Jodie Fields holding the trophy after the final?•ICC/Getty
The Big Picture
Considering their status in the women’s game and the fact the countries contested the finals of the first four Women’s World Cups, it seems strange that this will be the first meeting between England and Australia in a global final since 1988. But that will be the case on Sunday, when the holders, Australia, attempt to defend their title against England, winners of the inaugural Women’s World Twenty20 in 2009.New Zealand have been the third wheel in recent times, losing to Australia in the Caribbean in 2010 and England at Lord’s a year earlier, but they fell at the semi-final stage at this tournament, denied the shot at an inglorious hat-trick. They became England’s fourth scalp in a row, with Charlotte Edwards’ team having already beaten Australia in their dead-rubber group game.England arrived at the World T20 on the back of their first 20-over defeat in 20 completed matches. The run that began after losing to Australia in January 2011 was ended by West Indies last month but, since then, England’s sense of invincibility has been reinvigorated. Katherine Brunt’s thrifty new-ball spells and England’s four spinners – with 16 wickets between them – have thrived on slow Sri Lankan pitches. Their batting is lead by three of the five leading run-scorers in the tournament in Edwards, Sarah Taylor and Laura Marsh.Australia are not without good form or star players either. Their record of played 14, won 11 in 2012 is second only to England’s (who have won 17 out of 18) and the likes of Lisa Sthalekar, ranked the No. 1 bowler in the world, Julie Hunter, the leading wicket-taker in Sri Lanka, and Ellyse Perry form part of a formidable attack. The batting may not have fired in quite the same way but you can be sure that Jodie Fields’ side will be all stoked up for a clash with the old enemy.Any fixture between these two countries comes with the obligatory Ashes tag, which will add spice to a showpiece that is also a scene setter, ahead of the men’s final between Sri Lanka and West Indies. After a gap of 24 years, this one should offer compelling viewing all on its own.
Form guide
(Most recent first, completed matches) England WWWWL Australia WLWWL
Watch out for…
Charlotte Edwards may get fewer headlines these days, thanks to the impish brilliance of Sarah Taylor with bat and gloves, but her presence at the top of the order is still of immeasurable importance for England. The all-time leading run-scorer in the format, she also heads the standings at the 2012 World T20 and her ability to hit down the ground against spin gives her one up on most of England’s male batsmen. Her battle with Ellyse Perry could set the tone.Julie Hunter may have torn up West Indies with a five-for during Australia’s semi-final win but it was Lisa Sthalekar who presented them gift-wrapped and ready for destruction, opening the bowling with her offspin and conceding just six runs from four overs. Australia’s No. 4, she is also a good enough batsman to be ranked in the world’s top ten. At 33, Sthalekar is four months older than Edwards and further proof that T20 isn’t just for the kids.
Team news
After convincing semi-final victories for both sides there would seem little need to change barring injury or illness.Australia (probable) 1 Meg Lanning, 2 Alyssa Healy, 3 Jess Cameron, 4 Lisa Sthalekar, 5 Alex Blackwell, 6 Jodie Fields (capt & wk), 7 Rachael Haynes, 8 Julie Hunter, 9 Ellyse Perry, 10 Jess Jonassen, 11 Erin OsborneEngland (probable) 1 Charlotte Edwards (capt), 2 Laura Marsh, 3 Sarah Taylor (wk), 4 Lydia Greenway, 5 Arran Brindle, 6 Danni Wyatt, 7 Jenny Gunn, 8 Katherine Brunt, 9 Anya Shurbsole, 10 Danielle Hazell, 11 Holly Colvin
Pitch and conditions
The pitch was looking similar to one prepared for the second semi-final, which did hold together better than the surface on Thursday. Spin will still play a key part but don’t rule out Katherine Brunt or Ellyse Perry enjoying some success. They are the outstanding pace bowlers in the women’s game. This semi-final will be played in the scorching heat of the afternoon although both sides are now acclimatised.
Stats and trivia
Lisa Sthalekar four-over spell for six runs in the semi-final was the second most economical by an Australian in Twenty20 behind Sarah Coyte’s 4 for 5 from four overs against India at Billericay in 2011.
The head-to-head between the two teams in T20s stands at 8-4 in England’s favour, although it is strictly 8-5 because Australia won the one tied game between the sides in a Super Over, which came in the previous World Twenty20.
When these sides last met in a global final, at the 1988 World Cup, England made 127 in 60 overs batting first. That’s the sort of score whoever bats first in this final will like to reach in 20.
Quotes
“It’s never an easy feat to come through semi-finals, we had to play West Indies who have improved immensely. It was a really good team performance. So we are really excited to get another chance to play England.” Lisa Sthalekar“Two years ago, it was a really disappointing tournament for us. I’m really proud of the way the girls have come back. We’re peaking at the right time.”
Pat Cummins expects to be parachuted in to the New South Wales Sheffield Shield team on the final day of what is shaping as a potentially fiery encounter with a Queensland side not entirely happy to be facing as many as 15 players against their 11 ahead of the first Test at the Gabba.While Cummins has been left out of the New South Wales side for their Sheffield Shield match against Queensland, to start at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane on Friday, there is a chance the 19-year-old may be included as a substitute player for the last day of the match on Monday, with four of the Blues players due to join Australia’s Test squad.Returning home from a trophy-winning Twenty20 Champions League campaign with the Sydney Sixers, Cummins said he hoped to be able to take part in the final day of the match, his first involvement in a first-class fixture since his one and only Test match against South Africa in Johannesburg last year.”We mapped it out three or four months ago so I knew what the process was going to be, I obviously want to be out there playing cricket and Shield cricket especially,” Cummins said. “Hopefully, maybe I’ll play on the fourth day of this game, depending on what the selectors do with the Aussie side and then hopefully after that get into the next Shield game.”I have been playing T20 cricket for about two or three months and we mapped out a plan then and in between the games we knew we wouldn’t be able to fit in enough overs to get right for Shield straight away, so it’s probably building up for two or three weeks and then getting right for the shield game against Victoria at the SCG.”If NSW were bowling on the final day of the match, that would allow Cummins to ease his way back into Shield competition after spending the past two months playing Twenty20 cricket with Australia and the Sydney Sixers. Cummins, who has not played a first-class match for nearly a year, is expected to be considered for the third Test against South Africa in Perth, but only if his body and form holds up through Shield cricket in the meantime.Queensland are unhappy that they do not know the identity of the replacement players they may face, the coach Darren Lehmann pointing out that the side may be stacked with batsmen or bowlers depending on the game scenario.”It’s certainly not fair,” Lehmann said. “I’d like to know who the replacements are when we’re playing a game. They could be bowling or chasing runs and end up picking all batters to replace their bowlers. So I’d like to know who they are replacing them with.”If they don’t replace them, or rather don’t let us know who they are, then they can’t replace them. It’s first-class cricket.”New South Wales have named a squad featuring four members of Australia’s Test squad – Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, David Warner and Mitchell Starc – and only two players who have not played for or toured with the Australians. Brad Haddin will keep the wicketkeeping gloves ahead of Peter Nevill, who has been named as a specialist batsman.The Blues will be without Moises Henriques and Steven Smith, who will instead be part of the Australia A team to play South Africa in Sydney. For Cummins, the chance to play even a walk-on role in a first-class fixture is an enticing prospect after a year beset by injuries and countless T20 engagements.”In the past 18 months [Johannesburg] was the only game of cricket I played with a red ball, so I am itching to get back with the red ball and trying to get it swinging around for more than two overs,” Cummins said. “You want to play as much cricket as possible and it starts with the Shield and I haven’t played Shield cricket for close to 18 months now so I am chomping at the bit to get out there.”It’s ok that it is mapped out three or four months in advance but it does hurt when you are sitting on the sidelines and you feel relatively fit and there are other people playing.”New South Wales squad David Warner, Shane Watson, Scott Henry, Nic Maddinson, Michael Clarke (capt), Peter Nevill, Brad Haddin (wk), Steve O’Keefe, Mitchell Starc, Trent Copeland, Josh Hazlewood, Doug Bollinger.