Matthew Hayden will aim to shed his Twenty20 batting outlook for the remainder of the one-day series in India. Hayden, who thrashed a tournament-high 265 runs in South Africa, struggled to adjust in the opening ODI in Bangalore on Saturday, scoring 34 before a rash shot to S Sreesanth.”I will look to take my time over the course of the next games, get my tempo right and get set into the game and look to kind of advance from there,” Hayden said in The Australian. “I did feel my reins were well and truly tucked in close and I wasn’t dealing well with the frustrations of the subcontinent where play seems to stop and start.”Hayden called his innings “disjointed” and was surprised by the changes after the new experiences in South Africa. “If there wasn’t a bloke stuffing around with the sightscreen or somebody wandering in front of it, or [Michael Clarke’s] injury, it was just a really unusual tempo coming off Twenty20 cricket where the game is almost over by the 20-over mark,” he said. “The whole night was like the really, it was just phenomenally different to a Twenty20 comp.”More battles loom between Hayden and Sreesanth over the series and the bowler said he had respect for the Australians “outside the ground, not inside”. Sreesanth has dismissed Hayden twice in a row and is aiming for five wickets on his home ground in the second match on Tuesday.Hayden welcomed Sreesanth’s attitude. “Aggression is part of the game, it’s something we have been trying to preach to the world about,” Hayden said in the Daily Telegraph. “I am glad to see other countries following Australia’s lead and becoming more aggressive. If there is not aggression out in the middle, why are we playing the game?”
CI I have with me, an all time great and one who contributed a lot to Indian cricket in all forms and at all levels – Polly Umrigar, who served at various level of cricket as a manager, coach for Indian cricket. Welcome to the show, Sir. Let us have an introduction about your playing days and how you started your cricketing career?Polly Umrigar Well, I was in Solapur and I was hardly 12 or 13 years old and went to see the seniors playing. The captain of the side said he was short of a player and asked if I would join the side. I replied in the affirmative and was keen to get into the game. The position they gave me to field was deep fine leg. The wicketkeeper was not a good one and was leaving the balls. I had to chase the balls to see that it did not go for four. After the match, the captain said “Polly you have a good cricket future. You are a very promising boy.” I still remember these words.Later a gentlemen called Pandey asked me why I was wasting the time and asked me to join in his coaching camp. In Solapur, we had only matting wickets and we had two sessions for three hours each. They taught how to bowl the inswinger, outswinger and so on. They made a circle in that matting and asked us to bowl in the circle and would have to count it by ball by ball. That helped me to maintain the length when I was playing Ranji and national and higher levels.Even when we were batting, a six feet tall man – one Mr. Singh bowled with the new ball from few steps. During those time we didn’t have protection like helmet and thigh pads. So many times I have been hit on my arms and thighs. Believe it or not certain times when I was moving a little bit, our coach who stood behind the nets, asked me not to move. Really they grilled me a lot. As my father was transferred to Bombay from Solapur, I came to Bombay. After joining school, I was unable to play for them because when you come from outside you couldn’t play for the first year. Hence I could not get a chance in the city matches also. After I joined St. Xavier’s College, one of our coaches Mr. Bhagadur Kapadia saw me and he asked me to play for his club. He never disturbed my batting style for otherwise you would have seen a different Polly Umrigar. Clubs were approaching me and I was playing for bigger clubs to play bigger matches. In my opinion, coaches play a vital role for any cricketer.CI Coming to your cricketing area, when you made your debut against West Indies in 1948-49, you put on 70 odd runs with Dattu Phadkar that too when India was in great trouble. What was that experience like?PU Before answering that question, I would like to say something about the way how I got into the side. There was one All India University match against the touring West Indies side and I got 130 runs in that match. The man who came into the dressing-room was none other than [George] Headley. He was pleased and told me that “You have wonderful cricket in you. Keep it up.” To get something like this from a top man was very, very encouraging for me. I was selected for the Delhi Test where I was in the 14 but couldn’t get a chance to play. In the next Test in Bombay which was my home ground, I was selected in the XI. With India in deep trouble, Phadkar asked me not to go for shots and asked me to stay until lunch. If I remember correctly, I scored 30 not out till lunch and we pulled India out of danger. It was the first time in Test cricket when I felt that I could also achieve something in the game.CI The match against England at Madras, when you scored 130 not out in the 1951-52 series which in fact that was the first ever Test win for India. What was your experience?PU I was in the 14. Hemu Adhikari met with an accident and he was not able to play. So, the skipper said “You are in the side”. I grabbed the opportunity with both hands. I sort of stuck over there and got 130 not out. Not only that we also won our first Test match.CI What was your feeling when you became a first Indian to score a double hundred in Test cricket against Kiwis in Bombay?PU Against New Zealand …I was the skipper and I was the first man to get 223. I was very very pleased and very, very happy. Somebody making a mark in cricket and it stays there.CI Tell us something about your experiences while playing for India?PU Well, apart from cricket I play hockey and football too. During my time, when I was leading or playing for Bombay, we had a very strong batting side and would get a minimum of 500 runs. That solidity was there in the batting, which sort of made Bombay go and win the national championship final so many times. After I settled in Bombay, so many clubs were approaching me to play for them. The first entry I made in a big match was at the Pentangular which was played in 1944-45 and 1945-46 as an offspinner. After the Pentangular was stopped I started playing Ranji in successful fashion till my retirement.Here I would like to add something about my Test experience especially against Pakistan in Delhi in 1961. I have not been captain after the Madras incident. When Nari Contractor was injured, I was standing in the slips and watching Hanif Mohammed batting. He seemed to be a little bit shaky against the movement of the ball. If I remember correctly that time Ramakant Desi and Bapu Nadkarni were bowling. In fact Bapu was admired by the great Sobers. Hence the next morning, I called Bapu and told him he was so stingy of giving away the runs. But try and get wickets. Soon I called Bapu to bowl and follow my advice. We almost won the match. Fazal Mahmood was not watching the game. He was sitting in the corner. In the evening, he said `Thank God, Polly is not captain of India’. In the Test match against MCC at Calcutta the next season, I remember again Nari got injured and I took over the captaincy. When Barrington was batting I asked Ramakant to bowl short. Barrington hooked and Durrani took a good catch. After I left the ground, people asked me come to the centre for getting an ovation. Really these things are long remembered. When I was in good form with both bat and ball I had planned to retire.CI How did you use your earlier experience in the Bombay side?PU When I was leading or playing for Bombay, we had a good batting, bowling and fielding side. Normally we always tried to make the batsmen tired for he will get out easily. On the morning, we used to wish our captain by going to his room and in the evening both teams would sit together for a chat. But the next morning we were very serious about the game. This is how we developed the team spirit.CI After you stopped playing cricket were you involved closely with any cricketing activities?PU After 1962, I stopped playing and entered into administration, as a selector of the Bombay Cricket Association (MCA) and then I became the manager of the Indian team. I was also in the managing committee of the association, before becoming the honorary joint secretary of the MCA. Later, when Mr Wankhede approached me for building a stadium, I was involved in the building of the Wankhede stadium and spent almost every day from nine to nine for it.CI Well Sir… Can you tell us about your book on coaching. How does it work for youngesters regarding coaching and batting?PU I have written it in a simple format and gave [the] book to all the schools, all the associations even outside the board. I just want to give something back to the game, to the younger generation. This success has tempted me to bring another book on preparation of pitches.
Ricky Ponting will play his first game for Tasmania in two seasons when he starts the ING Cup match against Queensland at the Gabba on Saturday. The lack of appearances from Ponting, the Australia captain, has upset his state as he used breaks in the international calendar to rest instead of turn out for the Tigers.Ponting will be in charge of the side for their opening one-day game of the season and will have Michael Di Venuto as his deputy. Adam Polkinghorne will also play his first limited-overs match for his state after a two-year absence.Jimmy Maher, the Queensland captain, will become the state’s most capped one-day player when the Bulls field a full-strength line-up including the Test players Matthew Hayden and Shane Watson. Stuart Law is the current holder with 85 matches, but Maher, who is the limited-overs competition’s leading run-scorer with 3661, is on course to become the first Queenslander to play a century of first-class and domestic one-day games.”Stuey Law is one of the all-time greats for Queensland so to pass him in any regard is a great thrill,” Maher said. “The fact we are playing at the Gabba as well as it being one of the rare occasions when we’ve got everyone on deck is even more special. We didn’t get our season off to best of starts last week so our focus is pretty firmly on performing well as a group this time.”TasmaniaGeorge Bailey, Travis Birt, David Dawson (wk), Michael Dighton, Michael Di Venuto, Xavier Doherty, Adam Griffith, Ben Hilfernhaus, Scott Kremerskothen, Adam Polkinghorne, Ricky Ponting (capt), Damien Wright.
Despite an iffy weather forecast it dawned fine in north London today, and England’s openers will soon be out in the middle again, looking to build on a lead which is already substantial at 223. In an ideal world Michael Vaughan would pile on another 250 runs or so and declare around tea-time, giving himself at least four sessions to bowl West Indies out again on a slowish pitch which is taking a little turn.But Plan A, as Brian Lara has discovered, doesn’t alweays work. Despite the currently cloud-free sky, the weather may yet intervene. But piling on the runs isn’t impossible on this pitch, as England’s openers demonstrated last night, putting on 71 in 22 overs without apparent effort. Marcus Trescothick’s first two shots, which he eased through the covers for fours, might have caused the bowler, Tino Best, a restless night.In the first innings West Indies’ bowling was wayward, and their fielding worse. Lara will want a better collective effort from his men today, and maybe a little help from the clouds, which have largely deserted him since that overcast first morning, when he put England in only for the cumulo-nimbus to roll away amd reveal acres of blue sky.
43.3 oversWest Indies 249 for 1 (Hinds 103*, Lara 75*) beat Australia 247 for 8 (Lehmann 107, Gayle 5-46) by nine wicketsWavell Hinds scored a magnificent 103 not out, his second century in three days, and Chris Gayle emulated Viv Richards’s feat at Dunedin in 1986-87, with five wickets and a half-century in the same match, as West Indies cruised to a nine-wicket victory over Australia in the seventh and final one-day match in Grenada. The icing on the cake was applied by Brian Lara, who cracked Darren Lehmann for three consecutive sixes to rampage to victory, and Australia’s all-conquering tour had ended in abject defeat.
Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels celebrate another wicket
Let it not be forgotten that the series had been done and dusted after four games, but there was still plenty pride at stake. Ricky Ponting himself had described the final three matches as a series within a series. But now, after 21 victories in consecutive matches, Australia have lost three in a row to the same team for the first time since the Texaco Trophy series against England in 1997.Australia, Lehmann excused, were off the pace throughout the match. They began their innings in a tangle, as Lara manipulated his spin bowlers to wonderful effect, and they finished in a heap. Hinds and Gayle became the first West Indian opening pair to post three figures against Australia in one-day cricket, and Hinds and Lara compiled a second, even more vigorous, century partnership in the same innings.Australia were visibly shattered by the end. Their fortunes were summed up by two men – Ricky Ponting, the man of the tour, who was unable to lead his team in the field after being clattered on the right hip early in his innings, and Jason Gillespie, who snarled and glared his way through ten economical overs, but dropped the most outrageous sitter at long-off when Hinds was on 76. With Lara at his bat-flinging best, it was hardly a match-turning moment, but it was the sort of chance that the World-Cup vintage Australians would have gobbled.They had been all at sea in the first 15 overs of the match. Unsettled by Lara’s unorthodox tactics, which involved a solitary opening over from the offspin of Marlon Samuels, Matthew Hayden (8) clipped Merv Dillon straight down the throat of Dave Bernard jr on the midwicket boundary (a replica of his dismissal on Friday), before Adam Gilchrist played back to Samuels with uncertain footwork and inside-edged onto his stumps for 5 (18 for 2).
Darren Lehmann: his fourth one-day century was in vain
Had it not been for a quick-footed contribution from Lehmann, Australia would have been even deeper in the mire. Lehmann is an unlikely understudy for the ultra-athletic Michael Bevan, but he used the crease well to nurdle the spinners and clip the quicks off his pads. He limited himself to four fours and one out-of-context six in his first 70 runs, before unfurling his reverse-sweep and booming drive to crack six more fours in 20 balls. He found good support from Andrew Symonds (48) and Brad Hogg, who played a number of air shots early on, but eventually began connecting with his deft sweeps and flicks, finishing with an important 53 from 58 balls.The final total was some 30 runs more than West Indies might have hoped to concede, after their domination of the early exchanges. But it mattered little when Hinds and Gayle came together at the start of West Indies’s reply. As usual, it was Gayle who made the early running. He nearly kneecapped umpire Doctrove at point with a blistering cut shot in the second over, before resuming his feud with Brett Lee, cracking him for a pair of fours in the fifth over. Gayle, who suffers from a heart complaint, tired visibly after his early exertions, and at one stage had to take several minutes’ rest and a drink of water before continuing. But continue he did, raising his fifty with a mighty six over long-off, as Symonds’s first over disappeared for 13 runs.But Symonds soon had his revenge, though not before Hinds had thumped him for a six of his own, as Gayle was deceived and bowled by a yorker-length quicker ball (116 for 1). Gayle’s innings had lasted 68 balls with one six and eight fours, but there was no respite for Australia, as Lara strode to the middle. Hinds cranked up a gear, slamming Brad Hogg over long-on for the second six over his innings, and was deservingly named Man of the Series in the post-match presentations.For Australia, a five-week break cannot come soon enough. They have been on the road virtually non-stop since November, and with Bangladesh and Zimbabwe to follow, they shouldn’t have to exert themselves too much in the next few months. West Indies, on the other hand, are riding the crest of a wave, and Sri Lanka are likely to find the going pretty tough when they arrive next week.
Former Pakistan stalwarts accused New Delhi of double standards andbelieved that India had pulled out of the Asian Test Championshipbecause they were afraid of losing. Intikhab Alam, a former captainand coach, said: “It’s a senseless decision. In my personal opinion,the Indians are afraid of losing to Pakistan.”Hasib Ahsan, another vocal Test off-spinner, went a step ahead when hesuspected Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) involvement inthe withdrawal. “I suspect that BCCI themselves asked their governmentnot to clear the tour because they know they can’t go anywhere afterlosing to Pakistan in Lahore,” he said.Pakistan had thrashed India in the inaugural Asian Test Championshipfixture at Kolkata in near silence. India were last year bulldozed byMoin Khan’s men in the Asia Cup one-day tournament in Dhaka. Pakistanwon both the titles while India failed to qualify for the finals.The Indians have suffered a string of defeats after their historicsuccess against the Australians at home. They lost the one-daytournament finals in Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka while lost the first Testat Galle by 10 wickets. “If India thinks that Kashmir issue would beresolved by not playing cricket, then they are foolish,” Hasibcontinued, adding: “India has mixed sports and politics and I knew itfrom the last two to three months that they have no plan to come toPakistan.”Intikhab said: “This decision spells politics and politicians would bethe only gainers and cricket will be the loser.” Intikhab questionedNew Delhi’s policy of only targeting cricket. “Yasin Merchant won theAsian snooker championship in Karachi in June while an Indian playerappeared in a squash tournament in Peshawar earlier this month. InOctober, India will be sending its contingent for the SAF Games. Butwhen it comes to playing cricket, they disallow permission.”New Delhi’s policies and logic are mindboggling in the backgroundthat they had said in April that they had no objection if India playsPakistan in any multinational tournaments,” Intikhab said.Intikhab demanded New Delhi to spell out its policy and come out cleanrather than confusing the situation and playing ping pong withPakistan. However, the former Surrey player felt that since all thethree Asian countries have won World Cups, they needed to play againsteach other more often to form a formidable Asian block.Wasim Akram, under whose captaincy Pakistan won the Chennai andKolkata Tests in 1999, wondered if he would get another chance to playa Test against India. “I don’t know if I will get a chance to playthem again. I am in the twilight of my career and time is not in myhand. That’s precisely why I was keen and geared up for the LahoreTest,” Wasim, who was also a member of Imran Khan’s 1986-87 BangaloreTest winning team, said.Wasim said New Delhi’s decision has not only dampened the hopes anddreams of cricketers of the two countries, it has also spoiled theparty of billions of fans.”If the Australians or the Englishmen dream to play in the Ashes,cricketers from Pakistan and India like to play against each other.Similarly, there is probably more interest in the followers of thegame when India and Pakistan lock horns rather than Australia facingEngland,” Wasim said.PCB Cautious: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reacted cautiously tothe fate of two other assignments involving India after New Delhireportedly withdrew its team from the Asian Test Championship startingAug 29.Pakistan `A’ is scheduled to tour India in Nov while traditionalrivals are to jointly host a quadrangular tournament next year inMarch, also involving the West Indies and Zimbabwe. While the PCBofficials restrained from any comments on New Delhi’s decision, theysaid a formal invitation from India regarding the Pakistan `A’ team’stour was still awaited.”As regards the quadrangular tournament, that stage at present is toofar away. Let’s see how the winds blow in the days to come,” directorof the PCB, Brig Munawar Rana, said from Lahore. Brig Rana, on India’swithdrawal, said since the highest authorities in India have taken thedecision, Pakistan’s response would be issued by Islamabad. He,however, admitted that a statement from the foreign office wasexpected sometime Wednesday evening.The PCB official said India had informally invited to host Pakistan`A’. He, nevertheless, added that once a formal invitation isreceived, it will be considered keeping in mind the present situation.
Former Premier League manager Alex McLeish has tipped Tottenham star Harry Kane to quit the Lilywhites for a Champions League contender in the summer transfer window.
The Lowdown: Kane’s future is uncertain
Daniel Levy suffered a testing summer last year after the England captain made it clear that he wanted to join Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
The Sky Blues made a staggering £125m bid for the striker, with Spurs sensationally rebuffing the offer as Levy desperately sought to keep hold of his most prized asset.
As reported by The Athletic’s David Ornstein, the 28-year-old will assess Tottenham’s progress over the remainder of the season before he makes a decision over his Spurs future. The club will not initiate contract talks due to their failed attempts last time out, so it is up to the striker to do that himself.
According to former Scotland manager McLeish, Kane will leave Tottenham in the summer.
Speaking to Football Insider, he claimed: “My prediction would be that he will leave.
“I think I said that before and he didn’t, but I have to believe Harry will try and get to one of the bigger clubs. Spurs are a huge club, don’t get me wrong. But he’ll want to go to a club that are achieving far more consistently than Spurs.
“If Spurs become an incessant winning team, it’s possible he’ll want to stay with the manager. He will then believe the manager has re-galvanized the team.
“He could possibly see him as the father figure-type thing. Saying things like: ‘I love him, I’m not going to go, I see a future and we’re going to win things with this guy.’
“But my money would be on him going to a club who have a better chance of winning not only the league but the Champions League.”
The Verdict: Conte’s key man
It would be disastrous for Antonio Conte and his project at the north London club if his star striker chooses to pursue a move elsewhere in the summer.
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When compared with players in the same position over the past year, Kane ranks in the 92nd percentile for total shots, the 91st percentile for non-penalty expected goals plus expected assists, and in the 90th percentile for progressive passes made (via FB Ref).
Despite having a poor season by his own standards, the England international remains Tottenham’s top scorer this season, with 16 goals in all competitions.
With few alternatives in the centre-forward position, this demonstrates just how important he is to Conte and Spurs. However, at 28, he may feel that he is approaching a crossroads in his career in terms of contending for major prizes, which makes McLeish’s prediction a plausible one.
In other news: Antonio Conte green-lights Spurs move for new top transfer target
Having brought you some of Football’s most offensive sayings, here are arguably the 25 stupidest quotes to ever grace our game. Footballers aren’t exactly known for their brains, but some of the commentators have no excuse:
25. Phil Neville – The Brazilians were South American, and the Ukranians will be more European.
24. Lawrie McMenemy – When you are 4-0 up you should never lose 7-1.
23. Terry Venables – If history repeats itself, I should think we can expect the same thing.
22. Ian Rush – I couldn’t settle in Italy, it was like living in a foreign country.
21. Barry Venison – I always used to put my right boot on first, and then obviously my right sock.
20. Ruud Gullit – We must have had 99 per cent of the match. It was the other three per cent that cost us.
19. Paul Gascoigne – I’ve had 14 bookings this season – 8 of which were my fault, but 7 of which were disputable.
18. Glenn Hoddle – When a player gets to 30, so does his body.
17. Bryan Robson – It wasn’t going to be our day on the night.
16. David Coleman – If that had gone in, it would have been a goal.
15. Alan Green – It was the game that put the Everton ship back on the road.
14. Ugo Ehiogu – I’m as happy as I can be – but I have been happier.
13. Kevin Keegan – Argentina won’t be at Euro 2000 because they’re fromSouth America.
12. Alan Ball – I don’t believe in luck… but I do believe you need it.
11. Mark Viduka – I would not be bothered if we lost every game as long as we won the league.
10. Tom Ferrie – Dumbarton player Steve McCahill has limped off with a badly cut forehead.
9. Vinnie Jones – Winning doesn’t really matter as long as you win.
8. Stuart Pearce – I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel.
7. Peter Jones – Sporting Lisbon in their green and white hoops, looking like a team of zebras.
6. Jonathan Woodgate – Leeds is a great club and it’s been my home for years, even though I live in Middlesbrough.
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5. Ron Atkinson – Well, Clive, it’s all about the two M’s – movement and positioning.
4. Metro Radio – Julian Dicks is everywhere. It’s like they’ve got eleven Dicks on the field.
3. Mark Draper – I’d like to play for an Italian club, like Barcelona.
2. David Beckham – I definitely want Brooklyn to be christened, but I don’t know into what religion yet.
1. Ron Greenwood – Playing with wingers is more effective against European sides like Brazil, than English sides like Wales.
Marseille remain in contention Ligue 1 title race after a 3-0 home win over Brest on Wednesday, while Lyon were well beaten by Auxerre.The victory means Marseille trail league-leaders Lille by four points, with just three matches remaining.
France forward Loic Remy put his side on the way to victory with a goal after just 12 minutes.
While visitors Brest proved tough to break down, Jordan Ayew’s 59th-minute strike effectively ended the contest.
Defender Gabriel Heinze grabbed the third goal with nine minutes to play as Brest’s shocking run of form – which has seen them win just one of their last 11 matches – continued at the Stade Velodrome.
Lyon missed an opportunity to bolster their chances of snaring a Champions League place after they were thumped 4-0 at Auxerre.
Dennis Oliech put the hosts at Stade de l’Abbe Deschamps ahead after 19 minutes, and any hope Lyon had of resurrecting a comeback was blown when defender Dejan Lovren was sent off in the 40th minute.
Alain Traore compounded Lyon’s woes with his strike in the second minute of first-half injury time, before the Burkina Faso midfielder added a second four minutes after the break to make it 3-0 for Auxerre.
Cedric Hengbart hit his side’s fourth goal 11 minutes from time.
Lyon still occupy third place – and a Champions League spot – but missed the opportunity to steal a march on fourth-placed Paris Saint-Germain, with the two sides split by just one point.
Elsewhere, Sixth-placed Sochaux won their third game in succession with a 3-0 victory over relegation-threatened Monaco.
Lens kept alive their slim hopes of escaping the drop with a 1-0 win over Bordeaux, while Nice compounded the woes of relegated Arles with a 3-2 win over the cellar-dwellers.
Caen are just two points above the bottom three after being held 1-1 away to Stade Rennes, who – despite occupying fifth spot on the table – are winless in nine.
Montpellier came from behind to beat Lorient 3-1 at home, while Valenciennes earned a point at Toulouse after their 0-0 draw.
Sunderland has been host to a plethora of football greats such as Charlie Hurley, Kevin Phillips and Brian Clough. This author has bore witness to some decent football in his life time as a Black Cats fan, enjoying the Quinn-Phillips partnership, the spectacular aerial saves of Thomas Sorenson (a certain derby penalty being a particular highlight), and the more recent ‘scoring for fun’ antics of Darren Bent.
To say that Sunderland have had their fair share of dreadful players would be an understatement; there were two seasons in the past decade that saw the Black Cats break the Premier League record for lowest points, which is currently held by Derby County. Jeff Whitley, Andy Gray, Kelvin Davis and Greg Halford are all worthy of places on a team sheet of Sunderland Stinkers, but unfortunately (for Sunderland fans) they don’t cut the mustard for this elite list of top 5 worst signings.
Peter Reid will always be remembered as the man that rescued Sunderland from lower league obscurity. The Everton legend helped the Black Cats to their first ever Premier League campaign and developed a side that would compete at the top of the table for two consecutive seasons. Reid is also responsible for four of the signings (one is from a caretaker manager) that made this list. This is not due to a lack of trying by the author to fit in some of the inexplicably rank purchases of the Roy Keane era, or the dirge that entered the ranks via the whole hearted, light pocketed Mick McCarthy. Granted, Jeff Whitley and Andy Gray are two of the worst players I’ve seen in a red and white shirt, but the majority of those selected barely got the chance to display their inept footballing skills because they were THAT bad.
Prepare to be dazzled by the array of talentless wonders that will always be remembered by Sunderland fans for the wrong reasons.
5. Lilian Laslandes
The partnership between Kevin Phillips and Niall Quinn flourished during the 1999/2000 Premier League season, but with the latter reaching the closing stages of his career, Peter Reid was forced to invest in a new striker.
Lilian Laslandes became Sunderland’s most expensive player ever in 2001 when he signed from Bordeaux for £3.6million. The Frenchman had scored 47 in 119 games for Les Girondins and also boasted powerful physical attributes and a reasonably tall height of 6 foot 1.
Laslandes went on to score one goal for the Wearsiders in the league cup, and a big fat zero in 12 Premiership games. This was blamed largely on Reid’s decision to play Laslandes as a target man, though his failure to make any impact whatsoever in the short time he was given to establish a Premier League career may have something to do with it. The physical nature of the striker had been hyped up by Reid and the press, but it wasn’t evident on the playing field.
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Laslandes’ career fizzled out as he returned to Ligue 1 for Nice. He then retired in 2008 to become a handball player for Bordeaux.
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