Premier League clubs fishing for new talent to add to their squads often look to faraway leagues in Europe to buy from, but looking a little closer to home often pays off with the Championship full of exceptional players worthy of a top-flight challenge if purchased. Everton are a club to have found notable success with such a strategy.

Players such as James Maddison, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Ivan Toney all flourished into top players in the Premier League after finding their feet in the second tier of English football – Brentford signing Toney for a cheap initial £5m transfer fee from Peterborough United, a bargain looking back with the 27-year-old now an established goalscorer at top-flight level.

The Toffees have more than utilised this method of signing up-and-coming talents from the Championship effectively, acquiring the likes of Tim Cahill from Millwall and Joleon Lescott from Wolves in the past.

But, the standout name is John Stones, who Everton signed from Barnsley in a transfer around the £3m mark in 2013.

A decade on, Stones is now a key player for both Manchester City and England on the international stage.

Everton will hope that they can get their hands on another gem from the Championship, and in Adam Wharton from Blackburn, they could well replicate the Stones success story with the 19-year-old if he swaps Ewood Park for Goodison Park.

Are Everton interested in Adam Wharton?

Branded as an "outstanding talent" by football journalist Josh Bunting, Everton are very much interested in Wharton's services who continue to excel with Blackburn.

The young midfielder has made 33 appearances for his current employers to date, cementing his spot as a first-teamer this season after breaking through into the starting XI at the end of 2022/23 campaign.

Everton aren't the only interested party, with a whole host of top-flight teams from England sniffing around for Wharton's services – TEAMtalk reporting, via Alan Nixon, that Newcastle United, Manchester United, Brighton and four other Premier League clubs are all actively looking at Wharton for a possible January transfer worth around £10m.

But, Sean Dyche's men could have the upper hand. Nixon is reporting that the Toffees are 'preparing to launch a January bid' which proves Everton's interest is concrete for the young Blackburn star.

How good is Adam Wharton?

Adam Wharton is highly thought of in the Blackburn set-up, the Lancashire-born midfielder featuring in all but two of the Riversiders' games this season – dropping out of the side recently owing to injury.

On his first full game for Rovers, Wharton picked up a Man of the Match accolade – the homegrown talent's presence helping Blackburn get over the line in a narrow 1-0 victory, assisting the only strike of the contest versus the Tangerines.

His overall Sofascore rating for Blackburn sees him come in at a 7.0, his tenacity on the ball a standout attribute – recovering the ball an average of six times a game this season so far from ten matches played.

Everton could well look to Wharton as a useful buy to give the Toffees more energy and doggedness through the centre of the park, a spot freed up in the midfield too after Jean-Phillipe Gbamin was recently released by the Merseysiders.

The Toffees will further hope that they have unearthed a gem to the same level that they managed to obtain when purchasing Stones in 2013, Wharton drawing parallels by coming through at his hometown club and attracting plenty of interest from a whole host of Premier League suitors.

BBL stint gives England Test captain chance to expand T20 game

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Aug-2018Joe Root, England’s Test captain, and Jos Buttler have signed to play for Sydney Thunder in the 2018-19 Big Bash League. Both players will be available for seven games before heading to the West Indies with England in January.The move is particularly significant for Root, who was overlooked when entering the IPL auction earlier in the year. He has previously spoken about his desire to improve in the shortest format but has had few opportunities to develop his game since taking on the Test captaincy, and was dropped from England’s T20 XI last month.Root will link up again with Shane Bond, the former New Zealand bowler who is Thunder’s head coach. Bond worked with England’s Test squad as bowling coach during last winter’s Ashes.”Everyone you speak to that has played in the Big Bash finds it a really interesting tournament and watching it you can see that,” Root said. “You want to be involved in it and I’m really excited to get that opportunity with Sydney Thunder.”I’ve had some really good experiences with Shane Bond in the past when I’ve worked with him and I’m really looking forward to doing that again.”Buttler, by contrast, is one of most sought-after players in T20, having enjoyed a stellar 2018 IPL with Rajasthan Royals. He returns to Sydney Thunder after scoring 202 runs in six innings during last year’s BBL.”I loved my time there, there’s a great atmosphere in the group,” Buttler said. “There’s a lot of young guys but some experience in there as well, including Shane Watson who I really enjoyed getting to know and playing under his captaincy. It’s a great part of the world and a really fun dressing room.”England’s winter shedule allows centrally contracted players such as Root and Buttler a rare window to play in the BBL. Their tour of Sri Lanka concludes on November 27, and they do not leave for the Caribbean until January 11.

هاجم أحمد حسام ميدو، نجم الزمالك السابق، وليد دعبس، رئيس نادي مودرن سبورت، بشدة، بسبب تصريحاته الأخيرة حول وفاة اللاعب أحمد رفعت.

ورحل أحمد رفعت عن عالمنا يوم السبت الماضي، عن عمر يُناهز 30 عامًا، بسبب أزمة قلبية تعرض لها في إحدى المباريات، ثم تحسنت حالته الصحية، قبل أن يتعرض لانتكاسة مرة أخر ويودعنا.

وكان وليد دعبس قد أدلى بتصريحات إعلامية تم فهمها بشكل خاطئ (على حد تعبيره) بشأن سبب فسخ نادي الوحدة الإماراتي تعاقده مع الراحل أحمد رفعت.

طالع أيضًا | “إنت مش قاضي وعايزين تولعوا الدنيا”.. مناقشة ساخنة على الهواء بين وليد دعبس وهاني حتحوت بشأن أحمد رفعت

وكتب ميدو عبر حسابه الرسمي على منصة “إكس”: “أجمل ما في الأمر أن نادي مودرن سبورت أصدر بيانًا في الصباح يمنع فيه أيّ شخص من التحدث عن الموضوع لحين انتهاء التحقيقات، بينما خرج رئيس النادي في مداخلة تلفزيونية استمرت ٤٨ دقيقة”.

تابع: “أنا بصراحة فخور بأن لدينا إعلاميين في مصر متعلمين ورجالًا مثل هاني حتحوت وإبراهيم فايق، نتفق أو نختلف مع أسلوب أي منهما، لكنهما درسا الإعلام ومثقفان، والأهم أنهما رجال لا يخافان.. الإعلاميون مثلهما هم أمل مصر في العودة إلى سابق عهدها في الكرة”.

وأضاف: “وليد دعبس رجل غير مؤهل لتقلد أي منصب وغير مؤهل للحديث في الإعلام حتى لو خرج يتحدث عن فائدة المشبك ولماذا دمياط تشتهر به!! مداخلته التلفزيونية مع حتحوت أثبتت أنه رجل خفيف!! ومداخلته مع شبانة قبلها بيوم أثبتت أنه رجل لا ضمير له”.

واختتم: “من يرمي كلامًا ويلوح بتلميحات على إنسان متوف بهذا الشكل لإخفاء الحقيقة، فهو رجل لا يستحق أن تنظر حتى في وجهه أو تضيع وقتك معه.. أين النائب العام؟ ما الذي ينتظره لاستدعاء من تسببوا في وفاة أحمد رفعت رحمه الله؟ ما الذي ينتظره؟”.

احلى حاجه ان نادي مودرن طلع بيان الصبح انه مانع اي حد يتكلم عن الموضوع لحين انتهاء التحقيقات ورئيس النادي عمل مداخلة بالليل ٤٨ دقيقة 😂😂😂 #وليد_دعبس

— Mido (@midoahm) July 9, 2024

أنا بصراحة فخور ان عندنا إعلاميين في مصر متعلمين ورجاله زي #هاني_حتحوت و #إبراهيم_فايق نتفق نختلف مع أسلوب اي منهم بس الاتنين دارسين اعلام ومثقفين والاهم انهم رجاله ما بيخافوش ..الإعلاميين اللي زيهم هم أمل #مصر في العودة إلى سابق عهدها في الكورة..

— Mido (@midoahm) July 9, 2024

#وليد_دعبس رجل غير مؤهل لتقلد اي منصب وغير مؤهل للحديث في الاعلام حتى لو طالع يتكلم عن فايدة المشبك وليه دمياط بتشتهر بيه!! مداخلته التليفزيونية مع حتحوت اثبتت انه راجل خفيف!! ومداخلته مع شبانه قبلها بيوم اثبتت انه راجل ماعندوش ضمير..اللي يرمي كلام ويلمح تلميحات على بني ادم لسه…

— Mido (@midoahm) July 9, 2024

Chelsea looked like they were making progress having secured some positive results throughout the previous few weeks, but they were shocked by Brentford this afternoon.

The Blues had secured seven points out of nine in the last three Premier League matches, but Thomas Frank’s men stood firm and grabbed a 2-0 victory, meaning the Bees have won all three trips to Stamford Bridge since being promoted to the top flight in 2021.

Chelsea fail to continue their unbeaten run

The first half saw Chelsea dominate possession while also taking eight more shots than the away side, and it looked as though it was only a matter of time before someone opened the scoring.

Brentford went ahead with just over 30 minutes remaining courtesy of an Ethan Pinnock header before Bryan Mbeumo doubled their advantage during the dying embers of the match.

Mauricio Pochettino gave starts to Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke, yet the duo failed to get a shot on target during the match, while they made only two key passes combined, displaying a lack of cutting edge that the Argentinian would have been hoping for.

The former Paris Saint-Germain boss also deployed Cole Palmer in his favoured position of attacking midfield, and he was certainly pulling the strings for the Blues this afternoon, despite the defeat.

Cole Palmer continues to impress for Chelsea

The youngster opened the scoring against Arsenal last weekend, and while dropping slightly deeper today, he was still able to exude his talents.

He ran the show during the first half, with Statman Dave stating he was a “tidy, tidy player” due to the fact he made 22 final third passes, played three key passes and created a big chance, which unfortunately didn’t result in a goal for the home side.

The £75k-per-week gem showed once again why Pochettino signed him from Manchester City during the summer transfer window, and he could be an integral part of the team this term.

His Sofascore rating of 8/10 was also the highest on the Chelsea side, and he was always looking to get involved, taking 99 touches during the match, while succeeding with five of his seven long ball attempts and making four key passes.

The defensive side to his game could do with some work, however, as he lost possession 20 times in total, yet nobody will fault him for taking chances and trying to make things happen. The youngster also won just 20% of his total duels, and it could take some time for him to develop into a physically opposing player.

The more he plays for Chelsea, the better he will become, and the 21-year-old has already made a fine start, registering four goal contributions across just eight games and the future looks extremely bright.

The Blues will need to start from square one again following their loss today, but with a talent such as Palmer controlling proceedings for large parts of the game, Pochettino will surely be buoyed for the future and what he could bring to the team over the coming weeks.

Ben White tuned down an England call-up as he reportedly "struggled to settle" in the Three Lions camps before returning early from the World Cup.

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White chose to be excused from England dutyHad a row with assistant manager Steve HollandStruggled to adapt to his fringe roleGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Despite being in stellar form with Arsenal, White was absent from Gareth Southgate's 23-man squad for the upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Belgium. The manager subsequently revealed that Arsenal sporting director Edu informed him that the defender has requested to be left out of the national team set-up. The defender previously flew back from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar a day after England’s 3-0 win against Wales and has since not featured for the national team.

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A report from suggests that White faced difficulties coping with being out of the starting lineup, often not even considered the second-choice player for his position. He did not play a minute in England's Euro 2020 campaign and subsequently remained unused in the World Cup as well, which further unsettled him.

A reported confrontation with England's assistant manager, Steve Holland, further exacerbated White's unease. The altercation occurred when White received a verbal dressing-down from Southgate's right-hand man in the dressing room during a tactical session. The disagreement with Holland may have influenced White's decision to withdraw from the national team, but the details of the final meeting between Southgate and White in Qatar remain undisclosed.

SOUTHGATE RUBBISHES HOLLAND CLASH

Southgate claimed that the altercation with Holland was 'overblown' and there's no connection between White's decision to refuse national duty with that incident in Qatar.

“There’s no issue between us and there was never any issue with Steve Holland," he said. "That has been mentioned in articles and I don’t like that. People can talk about me and I have to accept that things get said that are false, about me. For whatever reason in this role, you have to stomach that. But I’m not prepared for that to happen to a key member of my coaching team. That is not the reason Ben is not available for selection.”

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(C)GettyImagesWHAT NEXT?

White's decision has effectively ruled him out of contention for Euro 2024. However, White's commitment to Arsenal is evident in his recent contract extension and impressive performances on the pitch. The player remains determined to contribute to Arsenal's efforts to win the Premier League and Champions League. Nonetheless, his decision to focus on club football underscores the challenges faced by fringe players in international tournaments.

MatériaMais Notícias

Para acompanhar o Santos em Curitiba, onde enfrenta o Atlhetico-PR, neste sábado (21), às 19h, pela 22ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, o membro do Comitê Gestor, Mario Badures, e o coordenador de futebol, Marcio Santos, foram de carro para a capital paranaense.

Badures repete o movimento que fez com o presidente Orlando Rollo, antes do jogo contra o Fluminense, pela 19ª rodada, no intuito de diminuir os gastos financeiros do clube.

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Ambos retornarão ainda hoje para a Baixada Santista, já que neste domingo (22) acontecerá a Assembleia de Sócios que definirá o impeachment, ou não, do presidente afastado José Carlos Peres. E, com isso, a única ideia de custos na ida à Arena da Baixada será de combustível, e não de estadia.

O elenco santista viajará de Curitiba para Quito, onde na terça-feira (24) encara a LDU, pelo jogo de ida das oitavas de final da Conmebol Libertadores.

A French influencer has told Kylian Mbappe that he will never win the Ballon d'Or and accused him of turning his name into a 'dictatorship'.

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• Influencer hit with legal complaint over kebab
• Forward wants the name changed
• Henni told star he'll never win Ballon d'Or

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Mohamed Henni received a legal notice from Mbappe's lawyer, Delphine Verheyden, after the forward found out that the Marseille supporter had named a kebab dish after him. He has been given a week to rename the dish or else face legal trouble.

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  Henni has an item named 'Bakery bread, as round as Mbappe's head', to which the French forward has taken offence. However, he is not the only player to have been mocked by the social media influencer as there is a pancake which reads  'As loaded as [Dimitri] Payet'.

• WHAT MOHAMED HENNI SAID

  Henni had earlier labelled Mbappe as someone "with no values" and a person who "has completely lost it".

  Now, he has come up with another round of scathing attack on the forward in a video on Instagram. He said: "He filed a complaint against me for that! For a kebab. 'Mba – complaint' Mbappe, he's turned his name into a dictatorship. Mbappe, 'Mba – round bread'. Over a kebab. Aren't you ashamed, Kylian?

  "You've got nothing else to do. Mbappe attacks more in the court than on the pitch. Now I'm going to change the description and say that the bread is as round as 'his big hazelnut head'. Or bread as round 'as the Ballon d'Or you'll never get'. Kiki, you'll never win it. I'll go all the way! All the way to the trial. You say that football has changed, but it's you who has changed Kylian. It's you who's forgotten where you come from. You've forgotten your values."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  It seems that Henni is in no mood to change the name of the dish and is braced up for a battle with Mbappe. Now, the ball is in the Paris Saint-Germain star's court.

India’s domestic season for 2018-19 is set to be its biggest ever, with 37 teams participating across formats for the senior men. The addition of nine new teams – six from the North East along with Puducherry, Bihar and Uttarakhand – has meant that there will be four groups in the Ranji Trophy, with the Elite and Plate Groups reintroduced.The Elite Group will have Groups A and B with nine teams each, while Group C will have 10 teams. The Plate Group will have all the new entrants: Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Puducherry, Sikkim and Uttarakhand. These teams were added to the roster courtesy to the Lodha Committee recommendations that mandated representation for each of the states.The BCCI have essentially reverted to the structure adopted for the 2016-17 season which had 28 teams in three groups – and added a fourth group with the new teams.One team from the Plate Group and two from Group C will qualify for the quarter-finals, with five combined qualifying from Groups A and B. The Plate team that qualifies will be promoted to Group C the next season, with the bottom-placed team in Group C being relegated to the Plate Group. Similarly, the two teams that qualify from Group C will move to Groups A and B, while the teams that finish at the bottom of those two groups will be relegated to Group C.The Vijay Hazare Trophy will follow the same format as the Ranji Trophy, in groupings and structure.The domestic season will get underway with the Duleep Trophy on August 17. This will continue to feature three teams playing against each other once followed by a final. The Duleep Trophy will be followed by the 50-over tournaments: the Vijay Hazare Trophy (September 19 to October 20) and the Deodhar Trophy.The Ranji Trophy will begin on November 1, with the league stage ending on January 10. The quarter-finals will begin on January 15, with the final to take place from February 2 to 6. The Irani Cup will then begin from February 11.The 20-over Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, meanwhile, has been slated in from February 21 to March 14. This means the tournament may take place after the IPL 2019 auctions. In previous years, there had been a move from IPL franchises to have the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy played before the auctions.The format for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy will have the 37 teams split into five groups, three with seven teams and two with eight teams. The top two teams from each group will qualify for a Super League in which they will be split into two further groups of five each. The top two teams from each Super League group will contest the final.The women’s senior one-day and T20 leagues will mirror that of the men. The women will begin their domestic season with the T20 Challenger Trophy from August 13, with the One-Day League in December and One-Day Challenger Trophy to follow in the first half of January. The women’s T20 League will take place from February 20 to March 13.

Manchester United have had a long-term interest in Crystal Palace central midfielder Adam Wharton, stretching back to the middle of last year.

The Red Devils were reportedly keen on a deal for him in the summer of 2024, when Erik Ten Hag was in charge. It was then reported this summer that Ruben Amorim wanted to bring the England international to Old Trafford.

With the January transfer window on the horizon, it has recently been reported that the club are planning to make a move for Wharton next month to bolster their options in the middle of the park.

What Adam Wharton can bring to Man Utd

Man United have been interested in the central midfielder for such a long time because he has been an incredibly impressive performer in the middle of the park for Palace.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The left-footed star has the technical ability and passing range that you would associate with a Spanish player, as shown in the clips below, whilst possessing the tigerish defensive qualities that you would associate with an English midfielder.

Wharton has averaged 2.6 tackles and interceptions per game, winning 56% of his ground duels in the Premier League this season, per Sofascore, whilst Casemiro has made 2.8 tackles and interceptions per game and won 55% of his ground duels for United.

The Brazilian, though, has only made 0.6 key passes per game and is yet to create a ‘big chance’ in the top-flight, per Sofascore, whilst Wharton has made 1.6 key passes per game and created six ‘big chances’ for Palace.

These statistics suggest that the Eagles star can replace Casemiro’s defensive contributions in midfield, and offer far more to the team in possession as a passer and as a creator.

In order for INEOS to fund a move to finally sign the English maestro, the Manchester United owners should ruthlessly cash in on Kobbie Mainoo.

How Man Utd can fund Wharton move

It has been reported that it will take more than the £67.5m that Palace raked in for Eberechi Eze to prise Wharton away from Selhurst Park, which could mean that INEOS need to raise funds to bring him in by selling one of their current players.

Reports suggest that Chelsea are leading a 12-team chase to sign Mainoo in the January transfer window, though it does not reveal whether they are looking at loan or permanent moves.

The England international was once described as “generational” by teammate Rasmus Hojlund, which seems to be a fair comment for a 20-year-old star who has racked up seven goals in 83 appearances for United, and ten caps for England, after coming through the academy.

However, as Amorim explained in the quote above, Mainoo has found himself in a position where he is competing with the captain, Bruno Fernandes, for a spot in the middle of the park.

The England international’s lack of minutes on the pitch in the Premier League is a cause for concern, hence why there are 12 clubs lining up moves for him in January, and this is why INEOS should ruthlessly cash in on him.

Last 10 Premier League games
Opposition	Mainoo
Wolves	12 minutes
West Ham	Unused sub
Crystal Palace	1 minute
Everton	32 minutes
Tottenham Hotspur	Injured
Nottingham Forest	Unused sub
Brighton	20 minutes
Liverpool	5 minutes
Sunderland	13 minutes
Brentford	24 minutes
Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, Mainoo has rarely been used by Amorim in the Premier League, getting cameo minutes here and there, sometimes not even coming off the bench.

Having a ‘generational’ talent like the 20-year-old and not giving him regular minutes is a waste of resource, particularly given that TEAMtalk recently claimed that he is valued at £80m by United. Some, like United writer Alex Turk have even suggested this is a “£100m-plus footballer” in the making.

If INEOS are unwilling to sack Amorim and if the manager is unwilling to change his system to accommodate Mainoo, selling the midfielder for £80m could be the best option for all parties involved.

As sad as it would be for United to cash in on such a talented academy graduate, having an £80m-rated player who is rarely getting minutes on the pitch is not helpful to anyone, and that is the situation that United have found themselves in.

Given that Wharton, who we have explained could be a dream upgrade on Casemiro, could cost upwards of £67.5m, selling Mainoo for £80m could provide INEOS with the funds needed to finally bring the left-footed star to Old Trafford to bolster the squad in January.

It is a huge call for the owners to make, one that may not be popular with supporters, but it could be the right decision if it allows them to sign Wharton, who would arrive as a brilliant deep-lying midfielder to play alongside Bruno Fernandes.

Man Utd identify two priority targets who could each cost club-record fees

INEOS are planning to stabilise the club while making two big midfield signings in 2026.

1

By
Ben Goodwin

3 days ago

Aston Villa are reportedly in a four-way battle to secure the services of one striker in particular in January, and he's already a familiar face to the Premier League.

Aston Villa strikers

The Midlands outfit only have Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran as their two natural options at centre-forward as it stands, and it’s recently been reported that Unai Emery would like to bolster his ranks in that department to build a squad capable of challenging. Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy is one of the targets to have emerged, but with Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham and clubs in Spain and Portugal also chasing him, it could prove difficult to get a deal for him over the line at the start of next year.

Therefore, AS Roma’s Tammy Abraham has seemingly been identified as a potential alternative, and he’s already had a previous spell at the club during the 2018/19 season having joined on loan from Chelsea, so supporters will know the positive impact he can have. The 26-year-old is yet to feature at all this season because he is still recovering from a knee ligament injury that he sustained at the end of the previous campaign, but regardless, he looks set to be a player who will be on the move in January.

Aston Villa plotting swoop for Tammy Abraham

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato.it (via Sport Witness), Aston Villa are keen on Tammy Abraham, but NSWE and Monchi are set to face stiff competition for his signature in January. West Ham United, Fulham and Brentford are also "in the picture" to sign the centre-forward, with the quartet of top-flight clubs all "keeping close tabs" on his situation at AS Roma.

The Premier League teams are "vigilant and determined to obtain new information" about their target ahead of the upcoming window opening, with Jose Mourinho's side ideally wanting to sell him to a club in the highest division in England.

Since the start of his career, Abraham has posted 205 contributions, 161 goals and 44 assists, in 373 appearances, which shows how prolific he can be in the final third (Transfermarkt – Abraham statistics), and it’s this form which has seen him dubbed a “goal machine” by ex-professional Stephen Elliot.

Standing at 6 foot 2, Mourinho’s £96k-per-week earner (AS Roma salaries), also recorded 62 shots over the course of the previous campaign which was the joint-highest total throughout his squad (FBRef – AS Roma statistics), highlighting his desire to find the back of the net.

Finishing

Player has no significant weaknesses

Likes to do layoffs

Through balls

Likes to do flick ons

Furthermore, Abraham has the versatility to operate out wide on both the left and right flanks alongside his usual role leading the line through the middle, so he could be a useful option for Emery to have at his disposal should he ever want to utilise him and Watkins at the same time.