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With just three crunch matches left to play in the Championship for Sheffield Wednesday, many of the hardened Owls players are playing for their futures at the club alongside trying to keep the South Yorkshire titans in the second tier and avoid relegation.

The likes of Barry Bannan, Will Vaulks and Josh Windass are all out of contract this coming June, not knowing if their efforts are going to be enough on the pitch to then be rewarded with a deal to stick around at Hillsborough.

Liam Palmer also falls into the category of being a well-loved Owls servant who could simply walk away from the club this summer, the Wednesday icon now 32 years of age and heading towards retirement getting closer by the day if a contract isn't put on the table.

Liam Palmer's season at Sheffield Wednesday

You wouldn't know from Palmer's flexibility this season that he is nearing the end of his playing days, still performing at his very best for Wednesday as an adaptable presence even when times have been very tough.

The ageing number two has made 31 appearances in the league for the relegation-threatened Owls, filling in at defensive midfield when required and looking a natural in that position too.

It was playing back in defence last match against Stoke City in a 1-1 draw however where Palmer even managed to bag for Wednesday, the 32-year-old helping himself to his 13th strike for his boyhood club where he first began making waves in the senior side all the way back in 2010.

Football journalist Dom Howson even described Palmer as "terrific" last season, when the 32-year-old starred in Wednesday winning promotion to this level.

Still, even with his powers not diminishing for Wednesday in the midst of an intense relegation battle either, Palmer could be moved on in June with his contract expiring.

Owls boss Danny Rohl could well decide a fresh look for the Owls squad is necessary, as seen in his preference for giving young talents a go in the form of young centre-forward Bailey Cadamarteri amongst many other emerging talents in South Yorkshire.

Liam Palmer's wage compared to Sheffield Wednesday squad

Palmer currently pockets a healthy pay packet of £12k-per-week in the Wednesday camp, which means he earns a heftier wage than many of the exciting breakout talents Rohl has helped to nurture since coming in as boss in October last year to replace the car crash managerial stint of Xisco Munoz.

As much as Cadamarteri has shone under the popular German manager, Djeidi Gassama and Anthony Musaba have been even more impressive down the wings for the troubled South Yorkshire side when accompanying the 18-year-old striker – accumulating 11 goals between themselves.

But, the impactful Owls pair both earn less than Palmer at £1.5k-per-week and £9k-per-week respectively whilst both being significantly younger too at just 20 and 23 years of age.

1. Barry Bannan

£24k per week

2. Michael Smith

£17.5k per week

3. Will Vaulks

£15.9k per week

4. Michael Ihiewke

£15.1k per week

5. Callum Paterson

£15k per week

Even with Palmer being £3k per week off being in the top five earners at Hillsborough based on this table, four of the five who do make up that select group are out of contract like the 32-year-old with their excessive wages surely one factor that will be taken into account when deliberating whether they warrant renewals or not.

Another will of course be what league the Owls find themselves in next season, with £5k-per-week teenage star Bailey Cadamarteri at least content he will be pulling on a Wednesday strip for the foreseeable away from Palmer's anxieties who would continue earning more than double Cadamarteri's salary if kept on.

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Wednesday will feel sad if they do move on Palmer when his contract is up, but with the success the relegation-threatened side have had with more youthful gems, it could prove to be a smart decision to wave goodbye to the Scotsman when emotions are removed.

Trent Alexander-Arnold left new Liverpool manager Arne Slot in awe after the full-back did the "impossible" in training this week.

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Alexander-Arnold pulled off great trickSlot warned him the shot was impossibleReds gearing up for Premier League seasonWHAT HAPPENED?

Slot challenged the England international to curl the ball into a goal from behind the touchline after the Dutch manager pulled off the trick himself. Not content with simply copying the coach, though, Alexander-Arnold decided to move the ball further back. He was warned the shot was an "impossible" one, but managed to send it bouncing into the net.

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Slot will hope that Alexander-Arnold's awesome goal will be a sign of things to come from the 25-year-old as they gear up for their first season under the Dutch manager after he replaced Jurgen Klopp at the helm at Anfield. The pair seemed to be having a good time together, too, which could be an indication that the right-back is open to committing his future to the Merseyside club by signing a contract extension, with his current deal set to expire in a year.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

Liverpool will hope to get the Slot era off to a winning start when they come up against Ipswich Town in their first Premier League game of the season on Saturday. The following Sunday, they take on Brentford in their first home game of the campaign.

Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has shared a goodbye message to the football world in a new documentary about his life.

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Eriksson revealed terminal illness in JanuaryReflects on life in new documentarySwede led England's 'Golden Generation'GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

In January, Eriksson revealed that he has terminal cancer and has "at best" one year left to live. In the upcoming Amazon Prime documentary 'Sven', which explores the life of the former England boss, the Swede sends a poignant goodbye message to the football world, describing his career in the game as "fantastic".

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Eriksson made tabloid headlines in England for his off-pitch affairs, but his achievements as a manager shouldn't be forgotten about. He won league titles in Portugal and Italy, and is hailed in the documentary by David Beckham for "making [England] fans believe".

Getty ImagesWHAT ERIKSSON SAID

"I had a good life. I think we are all scared of the day when we die, but life is about death as well," Eriksson says at the end of the documentary. "You have to learn to accept it for what it is. Hopefully at the end people will say, yeah, he was a good man, but everyone will not say that.

"I hope you will remember me as a positive guy trying to do everything he could do. Don't be sorry, smile. Thank you for everything, coaches, players, the crowds, it's been fantastic. Take care of yourself and take care of your life. And live it."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Earlier this year, Eriksson fulfilled his lifelong dream to manage Liverpool at Anfield when he led a team of Liverpool legends against Ajax, receiving a wonderful ovation from the crowd. "A memory for life," the 76-year-old said afterwards. "Everybody was the winner today. It was beautiful, absolutely incredible."

There could well be a summer of major change at the Stadium of Light on the horizon, not just with a managerial switch taking place.

The powers that be at Sunderland could well look to freshen up the playing squad here and there as well, especially if the likes of Jack Clarke depart for pastures new in the Premier League after being a constant ray of light for the Black Cats this turbulent season with 15 Championship strikes.

There might also be a clear-out of some high earners on Wearside who might not fit into next season's new-look identity, with one out-of-sorts winger in danger of being sold on soon to free up more space on the wage bill.

Patrick Roberts' numbers at Sunderland this season

Patrick Roberts has had a frustrating season in truth to match his side's overall underwhelming campaign, only picking up a pitiful two assists from 31 Championship matches with zero goals also registered.

That is a major decline in form from last term under Tony Mowbray, where the ex-Manchester City man helped himself to five goals and seven assists to steer the Black Cats to a playoff finish.

The 27-year-old attacker hasn't been blessed with the best luck when it comes to injuries this campaign, however, with the experienced forward missing for large chunks of 2024 to the detriment of his youthful side who could have done with a more seasoned head up top in big games.

Still, with Sunderland looking at appointing a new and exciting manager to replace Mike Dodds, Roberts' days could be numbered as a figure of the Black Cats camp that has, arguably, become stale.

Roberts' high wage will also be a factor as to why Sunderland could look to get rid soon, with the diminutive winger earning four times Trai Hume's wage despite the Northern Irish defender being a more settled part of the Black Cats team all season long.

Roberts' wage compared to the Sunderland squad

The ex-Celtic loanee finds himself in the top five earners of Dodds' camp still remarkably, all whilst the forward has only been fit for action eight times this year in the Championship.

Raking in a sizeable £12.5k-per-week, according to Capology, Roberts is currently sitting pretty as the fourth highest earner at the Stadium of Light despite other more notable first-team faces earning far less.

1. Jack Clarke

£16.9k per week

2. Daniel Ballard

£15k per week

3. Bradley Dack

£15k per week

4. Patrick Roberts

£12.5k per week

5. Anthony Patterson

£10k per week

Anthony Patterson is earning £2.5k-per-week less than Roberts when scanning the top earners table above, with the first-choice goalkeeper feeling a little harshly done by considering he's been an ever-present figure for Sunderland this season under the various managers that have been in and out of Wearside.

Hume only earns £3k-per-week compared to Roberts' far heftier £12.5k-per-week wage too, even with the 22-year-old defender being on the radar of Leeds United once upon a time after starring in patches for the topsy-turvy Black Cats in the second tier.

The Northern Irishman could well be demanding a pay increase for next season, therefore, to keep him around at the Stadium of Light with Roberts being let go of potentially enabling Sunderland to mess about with pay packets more.

It would be a very sad severing of the ties if Roberts was let go of in the off-season, having once been referred to as "magic" by ex-boss Mowbray, but one that could allow Sunderland more freedom to strengthen next campaign.

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ByKelan Sarson Apr 22, 2024

Buckle up for the India v Pakistan 2011 World Cup semi-final in Mohali

The Preview by Sriram Veera29-Mar-2020The Big pictureBeyond the hype, this contest can perhaps be best viewed through the prism of the two captains. Shahid Afridi is the passionate, exhibitionist leader who doesn’t mind showing his emotions on the field. He will shout, cajole, plead, laugh, roar and feel every pulsating moment of the contest. It’s exactly what this Pakistan team needs after the controversies of 2010 – someone who can remind them of the school-boyish joy that this game can provide.MS Dhoni is the uber-cool captain and, while he can be vocal while dealing with the press, he is almost invisible on the field. Silent nods of appreciation, a quiet word in the ear, calm instructions, a shrug of the shoulder is all you will get from him. And again, it’s what this star-heavy team needs. Someone who can be calm and remind them of the basics of the game.Pakistan – who told their players they could be here in the semi-finals? – almost renew themselves with each crisis. That’s how it has been always: Controversies. Paralysis. Rebirth. Success. And more controversies. This was a big tournament for the survival of Misbah-ul-Haq, in the middle of a great comeback. In a sense, the Lord’s Test spot-fixing saga and its sordid aftermath was actually a blessing in disguise since it paved the way for his return. For Younis Khan, too, survival instinct, as a batsman facing a dip in form before the tournament, would have helped in dealing with that crisis. Playing his last tournament, Shoaib Akhtar knew this was the time to let his game do the talking. And for that man Afridi, mentally almost perennially young, this was the best chance to dazzle on the biggest stage. He has taken that chance and led the team with great passion. Kamran Akmal lives and breathes in amnesia. Bad memories don’t haunt him – who else could have recovered so well after that nightmarish effort against New Zealand?And yet nothing much has changed with the way they play cricket on the field. It’s still the bowlers who win the games for them. For all that is mercurial about them, Pakistan have lost just one game in this tournament.India have occasionally limped, at times choked, sometimes dazzled, before beating Australia to reach to the semi-finals. The progress card has the bowlers in the red, the batsmen guilty of not finishing the job, and the fielding has always been almost beyond redemption. Their mode of progress should actually have freed them up in some ways. The batsmen must have realised that they can’t try too hard to cover up for their bowlers’ weakness by trying to pile on too much, with the batting Powerplay pulling the rug from under their feet a few times. The bowlers showed they are learning from the serial hiding by putting up a pretty disciplined effort against Australia. In some ways, the pressure must be off them, as not many would be surprised if they leak 300 runs.It’s the batting India depend on. Is there any weakness in it barring those Powerplay debacles? Gautam Gambhir hasn’t been at his personal best – were he playing at his optimum, he would have rendered Virat Kohli superfluous at No. 4. Yet Gambhir’s slightly iffy form has made Kohli vital in that middle order. Prior to the tournament, it was felt that Kohli would be a misfit in the lower order, where Suresh Raina and Yusuf Pathan would be more dangerous, and that he might be wasted even further up. But Gambhir hasn’t been at his fluent best and India have turned to Kohli to take them through the middle overs. Gambhir has always raised his game against Pakistan and his form will be crucial on Wednesday as it would then give the middle order the licence to attack.Form guideIndia WWLWW (completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan WWWLW
Watch out for…Virender Sehwag: In the past few games Sehwag has – curiously, for a batsman so wonderfully innovative as him – tried to hit every spinner through the off side. He would back away and try to drive, slice or cut and has fallen a few times in the process. Pakistan might well have a spinner bowling at him early and it will be fascinating to see whether Sehwag will retain that off-side bias or be more inclusive, and open, in his approach.Umar Gul’s yorkers: After Lasith Malinga, Gul has probably the best control over the yorker in world cricket today. There have of course been days when the radar has been awry but more often than not he has got them right. The Indian lower middle order will be fully tested by the yorkers, slower ones and the bouncers that he loves to bowl.Sachin Tendulkar v Abdul Razzaq: Bowlers like Hansie Cronje and Razzaq, more than the Umar Guls and the Shoaib Akhtars, have been reasonably successful against Tendulkar. Cronje used to tease Tendulkar with deliveries shaping away from a length outside off while Razzaq specialises in the opposite: he slides the ball back in, looking for that lbw. He hasn’t always had success, but it will be a mini-battle worth watching. Will Tendulkar opt for all-out attack or will he bat with relative care against Razzaq?Zaheer Khan v Kamran Akmal: Kamran loves to square drive and Zaheer has been able to bend the ball back in to the right-hand batsmen this tournament with the new ball. This contest should be fun.Umar Akmal v spin: India will rely a lot on the slow bowlers during the middle overs, and Umar is the middle-order batsman who loves to attack spin. He has laid into the likes of Daniel Vettori on the tour of New Zealand and is always itching to cut and slog-sweep.Team newsThe signs are that Ashish Nehra is likely to replace Munaf Patel. Even Yusuf Pathan has been sweating it out in the nets raising speculations that he might push R Ashwin hard for a spot in the team. Ashwin has been really good in the games he has played and has added some teeth to the attack while the nature of the track has made India think about bringing in Yusuf.India (probable): 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Suresh Raina, 8 Yusuf Pathan / R Ashwin, 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Ashish NehraPakistan are thinking of playing three seamers. The choice for the third seamer is between Shoaib and Wahab Riaz. Afridi said Shoaib wasn’t 100% fit but a decision will be taken on the evening preceding the match.Pakistan (probable) 1 Kamran Akmal (wk), 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Asad Shafiq, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Shahid Afridi (capt), 8 Abdul Razzaq, 9 Saeed Ajmal / Abdur Rehman, 10 Umar Gul, 11 Wahab Riaz / Shoaib Akhtar.It’s a batting pitch but what’s eating everyone is the dew factor.Heavy storms, lightning and rain lashed Chandigarh late on match eve, immediately adding a light shroud of doubt over the game. For the whole day there were no signs, not even a hint of rain playing a spoil-sport but around 9pm, there were rumbling sounds of thunder accompanied by high-speed winds. The velocity of the winds were so strong that the heavy iron barricades manning the team hotel were blown away.The weather forecast for Wednesday suggests sunshine during the day with minimal chance of heavy rain. Punjab Cricket Association officials said that they had studied the forecasts for the period ending March 31 and there was “zero precipitation” expected. In simple terms, there are no strong rains expected on the day of the match.Stats and trivia Afridi is the first bowler in World Cup history to take four wickets in a match on four different occasions in a tournamentMS Dhoni is the only wicketkeeper-captain who has played in 100 ODIsZaheer Khan is the second Indian bowler after Javagal Srinath (44 wickets) to take more than 40 wickets in World CupsQuotes”I feel I have been batting really well. It is just that in some situation I could not bat flamboyantly. If you bat at 5, 6 or 7, and if the top order does really well, it does not give opportunity to lower-order batsmen. The last game was an ideal game where I could have got a bit more runs which were needed at that point of time. So form has been a worry it is just that sometimes there were not many opportunities and when there was an opportunity and there were times I was not able to score in a particular game”.

Northern Territory Cricket hopes to help the rest of the country with a return of the sport

Andrew McGlashan18-May-2020Darwin is set to see the resumption of cricket in Australia for the first time since the sport was shut down by the Covid-19 pandemic and Northern Territory Cricket (NTC) is open to being a testing ground for how the game needs to adapt.The Darwin and District Cricket Competition, which would have normally begun in April, will now start with a T20 tournament over the Queen’s Birthday weekend from June 6 before a one-day competition begins and runs until a final on September 19.Darwin is currently one of the most open places in Australia, having significantly loosened Covid-19 restrictions in recent weeks. NT Cricket has worked closely with Cricket Australia on the guidelines that will be in place including areas such as not sharing kit and how to maintain the cricket ball which is an issue that reaches the top level of the game.ESPNcricinfo revealed earlier this month that the ICC is debating allowing forms of legalised ball-tampering at international level to avoid the need to use sweat and saliva on the ball. Ball manufacturer Kookaburra has since come out with plans for a wax-applicator – although rival Dukes have said their ball does not need artificial aids to shine – and NT Cricket are open to trailing any solutions if they are available.”We are very open-minded and we’d be quite happy to work with someone like Kookaburra to trial a new wax applicator to shine the ball,” NT Cricket CEO Joel Morrison told ESPNcricinfo. “We’ve played a similar role in the past with a new T20 cricket ball they wanted to introduce. Whether it’s Kookaburra or anyone else who would like trial something and we can play a role in testing that for the rest of Australian cricket – or even global cricket – we are more than happy to do so.””Hopefully [playing cricket] is a ray of hope, not only for the cricket community in Australia but around the world to show that things are starting to get better albeit the risks always remain with Covid-19. If we do the right thing and follow the advice, then there is the ability to get back playing sooner rather than later. Hopefully to see a cricket ball bowled here in Darwin in a couple of weeks’ time gives hope to those playing across Australia.”The other key part of the Top End summer – the NT Strike League – remains uncertain to take place due to border restrictions. Two seasons ago the Strike League saw David Warner and Cameron Bancroft take part during their ball-tampering bans.Darwin was in line to host international cricket for the first since 2008 in August, for the visit of Zimbabwe for a limited-overs series, but that is now a major doubt with the borders still shut to international and domestic travel meaning anyone arriving (barring a few exceptions) needs to quarantine for 14 days. However, Morrison said the Northern Territory government was open about working with elite sport around major events if suitable plans are in place.”Darwin in particular is still very much open for business in that sense of hosting major events,” Morrison said. “We’ve spoken to CA and offered our support in whatever way they require to bring that series to life if they are in a position to do so. Obviously that series is one of a number of considerations for CA moving forward, if there’s a way we can help support that series they know we are open to working with CA and the NT government to explore all options.”

Manchester City forward Jack Grealish has been told to expect a hostile reception when England face the Republic of Ireland in the Nations League.

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Grealish returning to Ireland with EnglandRepresented opponents at youth levelSwitched allegiance in 2015WHAT HAPPENED?

England and Manchester City star Jack Grealish is heading back to Ireland during the international break but this time he will be representing the Three Lions. The 28-year-old featured against the Republic of Ireland in 2020 but is now set to return to Dublin for the first time since changing allegiance in 2015. Callum Robinson – who plays as a striker for the Boys in Green – is good friends with the former Aston Villa man but says he would be surprised if Grealish is not met with loud boos on Saturday.

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Robinson said: "I'd be surprised if he doesn't because I think he gets booed anywhere he goes anyway – even in England. I think he'll be getting ready for a bit of abuse but that's part of it, it's part of the game. He's old enough and with being a senior player now, that stuff's going to come. As I said, he gets it in English games [in the Premier League], I don't think there will be any change on Saturday, I think he will be getting it."

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Grealish is not the only man to have switched sides during his career. Declan Rice represented Ireland three times before joining up with England and the Arsenal midfielder will also be anticipating a frosty reception.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR GREALISH AND ENGLAND?

Interim boss Lee Carsley was a frontrunner for the Ireland job before taking the step up for the Three Lions. He will want to get off to a winning start and will be relying on Grealish's experience to help him through what will be a tricky match in the Nations League.

Rangers manager Philippe Clement has confirmed that one of his key men has picked up a season-ending injury, in what is described by the Gers boss as a "big blow".

Rangers face defining period in title race

The Gers really are now into the business end of the season, with the Scottish Premiership title race potentially set to go right until the final day of the campaign.

Next up for Rangers is Sunday's home clash with Kilmarnock at Ibrox, at which point they could find themselves six points adrift of Celtic at the top of the table, assuming their rivals win at home to Hearts on Saturday afternoon. Clement's men would have a game in hand, but it would certainly crank up the pressure on them, in what would become a must-win game if it wasn't already.

There is no question that the Gers are the current underdogs to win the title, but there have been twists already this season, and they make the trip to Parkhead next weekend for what could be a truly defining fixture between the two adversaries.

Injuries have affected Rangers throughout the season, with left-back Ridvan Yilmaz one of those who has been absent since March, for example. Now, another significant fitness blow has emerged – one that supporters will be devastated to hear.

Clement confirms Goldson injury blow

Speaking to the press before Sunday's clash with Kilmarnock, Clement confirmed that Rangers ace Connor Goldson won't play again this season due to injury: "Wednesday in training, Connor hurt his knee bad, he will be out for the rest of the season after a scan.

"It is a big blow, he has played 48 games this season, one of the leaders. He said to me, he wanted to be in the dressing room to support the boys."

This is a massive setback for Rangers at such an important point in the season, with Goldson such an experienced head whose nous in big games could have been so key in these remaining matches in 2023/24.

This season, the 31-year-old has featured prominently again for the Scottish giants, starting 30 matches in the league, averaging 3.4 aerial duel wins and 2.8 clearances per game in the competition. His longevity is outlined by the fact that Steven Gerrard lauded him back in 2019 during his time in charge at Ibrox, saying: "I must give him a special mention tonight and I can't think of a word to Connor.

"He's had one session, or half a session because of how light it was and to come in having not played since Celtic and trained ever so little, he was a mountain for this club tonight."

Appearances

30

Starts

30

Aerial duel wins per game

3.4

Clearances per game

2.8

Tackles per game

1.5

Blocks per game

0.6

Pass completion rate

86%

The hope is that others can now fill the void left by Goldson, starting this weekend, but it is hard to shake the thought that his absence for the remainder of the season could end up being a big moment in the title race.