All posts by h716a5.icu

Liverpool have had a very good start to their 2021/22 season so far having remained unbeaten across all competitions.

Their latest match saw them humiliate Manchester United 5-0 at Old Trafford in the Premier League ahead of their Carabao Cup match against Championship club Preston North End later this evening.

However, the Merseyside club have been dealt a rather significant injury blow ahead of the match at Deepdale after Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders revealed that midfielder Fabinho will not be available after missing the game at the weekend, which should be worrying for Reds manager Jurgen Klopp.

Although, Lijnders did say that the club are monitoring the Brazilian day by day and are hopeful that he will be fit enough to play in their next Premier League match at the weekend against Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield, so there may not be too much to worry about if he fully recovers for the weekend.

On the other hand, with the Preston match in mind, it’s safe to say Fabinho would be a big miss for the Reds from a defensive point of view considering he has managed to rack up an average of 1.5 interceptions per game, 1.2 tackles per game and one clearance per game so far in the Premier League this season according to SofaScore.

In addition to this, Fabinho will be a big miss for the Reds this evening because he is not the only senior midfielder set for a role on the sidelines for the time being with James Milner, Naby Keita, Thiago Alcantara and Harvey Elliott all out with injury issues.

Taking this into account, it seems as though the only fit senior midfield options that Klopp could go with against Preston are Jordan Henderson, who played the full 90 minutes against Manchester United at the weekend, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who replaced Keita at the weekend when he went off injured and Curtis Jones, who replaced Milner when he also had to go off with an injury.

Moving forward, given how important Fabinho is for the team given Klopp has selected him on nine occasions across all competitions so far this season, everyone at the Merseyside club will undoubtedly be hoping that the team can cope without him against Preston and that he can recover as soon as possible and back in the team.

The Liverpool boss will still be gutted at missing the Brazilian for tonight’s game.

In other news: Klopp could save LFC millions by unleashing 21 y/o “leader”, he’s VVD’s heir apparent – opinion

An update has emerged regarding Ousmane Dembele’s thoughts on a potential move to Newcastle.

What’s the talk?

According to Goal.com, the Barcelona attacker is open to a switch to St James’ Park next summer at the end of his contract at Camp Nou.

The report claimed that his deal expires at the end of the season and the Magpies are one of the clubs in the race to land him on a free transfer.

Newcastle fans could love it

Newcastle fans will surely love this update for several reasons. For starters, Dembele being apparently open to a transfer to the club shows how much of an immediate impact the takeover has had on Tyneside, with top players now prepared to consider it as a viable destination.

Before the takeover, would Dembele – who Barcelona signed for £121.5m – have been tempted to join Newcastle and work with Steve Bruce after a potential midtable finish in the Premier League? It seems unlikely, although impossible to say with certainty, but now it appears to be a real possibility with the prospect of the Magpies progressing in the coming years under PIF’s ownership.

The fans might also love this news because it suggests that Dembele could be a Newcastle player by the start of next season. He has proven his quality at the top level throughout his career for France, Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona, which could make him an excellent addition to the current squad.

Former Barcelona forward Lionel Messi once hailed the Frenchman, tipping him to become of the best players in the world. The Argentine said: “On the pitch he’s a phenomenon. It’s up to him where he ends up, he could be one of the best. He’s young and he is adapting.”

He has been directly involved in 51 goals in 118 games for Barcelona, having managed 10 goals and 22 assists in 50 matches for Dortmund earlier in his career. The 24-year-old has also scored four times in 27 caps for France, helping his country to win the World Cup back in 2018.

This shows that he has the ability to score and set up goals in both Germany and Spain, with Dembele producing six goals and three assists in 19 La Liga starts for Barcelona last term. Therefore, Newcastle fans would surely love the thought of him lining up alongside Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin at St James’ Park next season.

AND in other news, PIF can get St James’ Park rocking with 52 y/o “master”, Saint-Maximin would love him…

Speaking to talkSPORT (via West Ham Zone), former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour has dropped a West Ham United transfer claim involving Manchester United star Edinson Cavani.

The Lowdown: West Ham in striker hunt…

Since the beginning of the year, West Ham have been on the lookout for a capable back up and alternative to star frontman Michail Antonio.

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Manager David Moyes even confirmed his desperation to bring a new striker to east London over the summer, but after looking, West Ham were unable to bring in a suitable option.

As such, with January just under three months away, all eyes will be on whether the Scotsman finally ends West Ham’s long and drawn out search for another forward.

The Latest: Parlour suggests Cavani…

Speaking to talkSPORT (via West Ham Zone), ex-Premier League star Parlour has claimed that West Ham could make a swoop for Cavani given his current situation at Old Trafford.

The Uruguayan has featured just three times for United so far this season, owing to the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo and fitness issues, with his contract expiring in 2022.

Now, in a debate with Alan Brazil live on air, Parlour has mooted a possible swoop from West Ham.

“If he did move on in January, Cavani, and said ‘I’m not happy, I want to play football’, would West Ham come in for Cavani?”, he asked.

“I would worry about the wages,” Alan Brazil replied.

Parlour: “Wages won’t be a problem for West Ham.”

The Verdict: Short term snip…

Amassing an incredible 358 goals over a long-winded career, Cavani certainly has experience in finding the net and could come as a prolific short term option for Moyes.

United could be eager to make some form of profit off the 34-year-old this January so it isn’t out of the question they could consider selling, either.

Gary Neville has also been vocal in his praise for the former Paris-Saint Germain forward, calling Cavani ‘absolutely sensational’ on Sky Sports (via The Metro).

In other news: ‘Perfect’, ‘I would cry’…Many West Ham fans erupt as talks held for ‘incredible signing’, find out more here.

There was no case of second-time-unlucky for Tillakaratne Dilshan, and ablazing century pushed a tummy-bug-hit New Zealand to the brink as theGalle Test entered its climactic phase

The Bulletin by Dileep Premachandran21-Aug-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outIt was butchery from Tillakaratne Dilshan yet again, only this time he ensured he crossed three figures•AFPThere was no case of second-time-unlucky for Tillakaratne Dilshan, and ablazing century pushed a tummy-bug-hit New Zealand to the brink as theGalle Test entered its climactic phase. Having taken a 153-run lead, withMuttiah Muralitharan taking his 100th wicket in Galle, Sri Lanka piled onthe misery either side of lunch, with stroke-filled cameos from KumarSangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera buttressingDilshan’s stunning effort. By tea, when the declaration came, the lead was412 and with several batsmen ill, New Zealand’s chances of survival werevery much dependent on the weather.But though it rained for nearly an hour after tea, their task was madeharder as soon as play resumed, with Daniel Flynn – promoted to open asTim McIntosh was indisposed – brilliantly caught an inch off the ground byMahela. Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor, batting at No.3 forthe first time, defended stoutly to prevent further damage, before badlight took the players off for the final time.Sri Lanka had amassed 183 in the second session, and the tone was set inthe very first over after the interval, as Sangakkara took three fours offJacob Oram. At the other end, Dilshan eased to 50 from just 35 balls and greetedJeetan Patel with a paddle sweep for four. To worsen Patel’s mood, ReeceYoung, the substitute wicketkeeper, couldn’t hold on when Dilshan openedthe face and tried to run one down to third man. He was on 62 at the time,and New Zealand had plenty of time to reflect on the lapse.With Sangakkara timing the ball so beautifully, the century partnershiptook just 113 balls, and it required a massive stroke of luck for NewZealand to break through. Dilshan drove one hard and low, and it justbrushed Daniel Vettori’s fingers before crashing into the stumps with Sangakkaraa few inches short of his ground.It was merely temporary respite though. Mahela announced himself witha meaty mow over square leg, and as the batsmen continued to pick the gapswith effortless ease, Vettori was forced into adopting a defensive linefor both himself and Patel – spearing the ball into the leg-stump rough.Mahela continued to sweep, but Dilshan’s scoring did stall as he didlittle more than pad the ball away.Once Dilshan dusted off the sweep and started to attack, New Zealand ranout of options. Patel did finally get a wicket, as Mahela popped up areturn catch, but Samaraweera buried any thoughts of celebrationwith two mighty leg-side swipes for six. He fell trying to repeat the featagainst Vettori, and the stage was then set for Dilshan to get the hundredwhich eluded him in the first innings.A single to mid-off got him there, and a fusillade of strokes followed.Prasanna Jayawardene chipped in with cuts behind point, heaves over coverand the odd edge, but it was Dilshan who ran the show, peppering theboundaries as the 50 partnership came up in just 41 balls. By then, mostof the New Zealanders were looking as sick as Brendon McCullum and JesseRyder, both of whom had been taken ill.It hadn’t taken Sri Lanka’s bowlers long to wrap up New Zealand’s firstinnings. Murali had Iain O’Brien caught behind before Thilan Thushara cameback to take his fourth wicket of the innings, bowling Vettori off theinside edge. Vettori’s had been a desperate shot, but with the haplessChris Martin at the other end, he really had no option but to go for thesingle off the last ball of the over.It was desperation of another kind when Dilshan, who had clattered 92 from72 balls in the first innings, arrived at the crease. Once again, NewZealand had no answer to his aggression, and O’Brien appeared stunned whenhe was hooked for six and then flayed for four through cover at the startof the innings.Tharanga Paranavitana went, edging to slip, but with Sangakkara caressing gorgeousstrokes through the covers, Dilshan was once again given the license to flirtwith the boundaries of Test-match batting. Both O’Brien and Martinsuffered as the ball was cut, square-driven and pulled ruthlessly eachtime it was even fractionally off length. The deluge that came after teawas nothing compared to what had gone before.

Kalvin Phillips is fit and available for Leeds United’s Premier League clash with Norwich City this weekend, as confirmed by Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Injury-plagued start to the season

The Whites have made a disappointing start to the season, winning only won of their opening nine league games and sitting in 17th place.

There are various reasons for Leeds’ struggles, but injury problems for Phillips have certainly been one of them, given his huge influence on the team – they lost seven of the nine league matches he missed last season.

The 25-year-old has only managed to feature in six of his side’s nine matches so far this term, arguably not looking sharp in all of those outings, too.

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The Latest: Hay provides positive update

As Leeds prepare to face Norwich at Carrow Road on Sunday afternoon, Hay has taken to Twitter to provide a positive update on Phillips, confirming in a seven-word verdict that he is available for selection after featuring at Arsenal in midweek:

“Phillips fine after his return on Tuesday.”

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The Verdict: Massive boost for Leeds

Having Phillips back in the middle is an enormous positive for Leeds, with arguably no other player at the club carrying more influence.

He has averaged 2.3 tackles and 1.2 dribbles per game in the league this season – only Liam Cooper (2.4) has more tackles – also completing 84.6 percent of his passes.

His impact on both sides of the ball is immense, and with little depth behind him in the defensive midfield position, it is absolutely crucial he is fully fit and firing.

In other news, Beren Cross has made a big claim regarding one Leeds player. Find out who it is here.

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United’s pursuit of Montpellier forward Stephy Mavididi…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Magpies are among the clubs interested in a deal to sign the former Arsenal attacker this month.

The report claims that Brighton and Crystal Palace are also monitoring his progress, with a fee in the region of £15m being touted.

Imagine him & Wood

Imagine a strike force of Wood and Mavididi lining up for Newcastle in the Premier League in the coming weeks with Callum Wilson out injured!

If Howe can secure a deal for the 23-year-old, he could be an ideal player to slot in alongside the New Zealand marksman due to his style of play and physique. The 5 foot 9 forward is in a similar mould to Wilson in the sense that he is more likely to cause problems with his pace and footwork than physically or in the air, which could complement Wood brilliantly.

Former Charlton boss Lee Bowyer once compared Mavididi to a greyhound because of his electric pace, saying: “There was one time we broke and we had Stephy and Sullay (Kaikai) breaking and it was like two greyhounds in a race – look at how quick they are.

“We’re very fortunate, we’ve got these types of players at the club., if we can get them right and get them all fit for the remaining eight games, it’s going to be exciting times.”

This suggests that the 23-year-old could be the perfect partner for Wood if Howe wants to play a 4-4-2 system, as he could be the one to make runs in behind and play off of the former Burnley man. The 6 foot 2 New Zealand international has won 5.5 aerial battles per game in the Premier League this season, which suggests that Mavididi could have numerous chances per match to run in behind and create chances from Wood’s flick-ons.

Karl Robinson, a former manager of his during a loan spell at Charlton, previously claimed that the young striker has a “bright future” , and this mooted transfer could be an investment for the future as well as one to make an immediate difference. At the age of 23, Mavididi has plenty of scope for development left in him, and he could be a player with whom Howe works over time to improve his game.

He is capable of playing through the middle or out wide and has been in fine form this season, with six goals and three assists in Ligue 1, after scoring nine goals last term, suggesting that he could have the end product to make the most of his prospective partnership with Wood.

That tantalising propsect means that Newcastle must do everything in their power to try and lure Mavididi back to England.

AND in other news, Player keen: Howe must seal NUFC deal to land “world-class” maestro, he’s Cabaye 2.0…

Manchester United confirmed the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on Sunday morning, after over three years in charge at Old Trafford.

In a statement, the Manchester United board thanked Ole and outlined their intentions moving forward;

“Ole will always be a legend at Manchester United and it is with regret that we have reached this difficult decision.

“Michael Carrick will now take charge of the team for forthcoming games, while the club looks to appoint an interim manager to the end of the season.”

The dismissal follows an embarrassing result for the Red Devils that saw them lose 4-1 to Watford on Saturday afternoon, which was seemingly the final nail in the coffin for the Norwegian manager, after an emergency meeting was held in the hours following the game, eventually leading to the club’s announcement.

Many names have been thrown into the mix for the highly speculated Manchester United manager job, and although the initial position to be filled is for an interim manager to take over for the next six months, moves are being made to find the right long term manager to lead them into the 2022/23 season.

One journalist has dropped a huge development on one particular popular candidate for the long term position next summer.

Sky Sports News reporter Dharmesh Sheth claimed;

“It’s my information that Ajax simply wouldn’t entertain releasing a manager mid-season. However, I’ve been told that Erik ten Hag would 100% be interested in the Manchester United job in the summer. His contract runs out in the summer of 2023.”

Fans will surely be buzzing with this revelation, as Erik Ten Hag is said to be one of the ‘most promising’ managers in world football right now.

The 51-year-old Ajax boss has led the Dutch side to two league titles and to their first Champions League semi-final since 1997 beating Real Madrid and Juventus on their way.

He also has connections to a Manchester United player who, ironically, scored the final goal for the side against Watford.

Ten Hag developed Donny Van De Beek into the player that scored 41 goals and 34 assists for Ajax, before making his move to Manchester United.

The 24-year-old midfielder would clearly welcome Ten Hag with open arms after having a turbulent time so far at Old Trafford with not being able to get into the team and would hope that his presence could boost his game time, and ultimately make him more of a key player in the starting team.

With that in mind, everyone associated with the 20-time English champions would surely be elated to see him arrive at the club next summer.

Manchester United are set to face Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday with Michael Carrick leading the team in their must-win in Spain.

AND in other news, “Sources close to Sir Alex Ferguson say” – MUFC manager update will have fans buzzing…

Clint McKay record his first six-wicket haul in first-class cricket to keep Australia A on top after the third day

Cricinfo staff28-Jun-2009
ScorecardClint McKay record his first six-wicket haul in first-class cricket to keep Australia A on top after the third day against Pakistan A in Townsville. McKay, the Victorian fast bowler, grabbed a career-best 6 for 75 to ensured a handy first-innings lead for the home team.At stumps, Australia A had reached 4 for 128 in their second innings with Cameron White on 21 and Tim Paine on 3. Wahab Riaz picked up two wickets to add to his five from the first innings but the visitors faced an uphill battle with one day to play.McKay started the damage early by removing Azhar Ali for 78, having added only five to his overnight score. Fahad Iqbal (42) and Sarfraz Ahmed (56) steadied the Pakistan innings with a 75-run partnership before they fell in consecutive overs.Although the Australians finished in a strong position they received some bad news with the fast bowler Burt Cockley ruled out of the second and final four-day match due to a gluteus medius tear. He will be replaced in the squad by the Tasmania allrounder Luke Butterworth.

England are praying Andrew Flintoff’s knee suffers no lingering effects from his first bowl with the side since steering them to a mood-changing victory at Lord’s last week

Andrew Miller and Alex Brown29-Jul-2009Andrew Strauss has provided a telling insight into the growing confidence within the England team by insisting Ricky Ponting’s squad has lost its aura of invincibility. Ten days after England ended Australia’s 75-year unbeaten streak at Lord’s, Strauss leapt onto the offensive on the eve of the Edgbaston Test, suggesting Ponting’s youthful band do not possess the intimidatory powers of their predecessors.”I don’t think this Australian side has got an aura about it to be honest with you and prior to this Test series starting we didn’t feel they had an aura about them,” Strauss said. “That’s not disrespectful to the players they’ve got because they’ve got a lot of very good players but I think the aura came with the likes of Warne and McGrath and Hayden and Gilchrist, all those sort of guys.”This [Australian] team over time might develop an aura, but right at the moment you’ve got a lot of guys who are at the start of their Test careers. It doesn’t mean you are any more likely to beat them or anything like that but it feels like you are playing against any other Test team.”Strauss’ comments are someway short of revelatory – Graeme Smith and Anil Kumble have previously commented on Australia’s decline following the retirements of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist, to name but a few – and even his opposite number, Ricky Ponting, conceded that there was a grain of truth in his sentiments.”Any feeling of aura that you get against opposition sides is something that is built up over a period of time,” said Ponting. “There are some reasonably fresh faces around our group who are just starting to find their feet at international level, so it’s inevitable that the aura of our side is going to change. But it’s okay for him to say that now, I’m not sure he was saying that after Cardiff – we had it well and truly over most of their batsmen down there.”Since last year’s tour of India, Ponting’s side has won five, lost six and drawn three Test matches, and is fighting to repel South Africa’s bid for their No. 1 ranking. Australia’s crown has already slipped in the shorter forms of the game – the South Africans are rated the world’s top-ranked 50-over side, while Australia suffered an embarrassing first-round exit at the World Twenty20 – and Strauss insisted the rest of the world was fast reeling them in on the Test front.”An aura is when the opposition teams, even though they are on top, are not confident they are going to beat you,” he said. “They always expect something dramatic to happen that will bring your team back in the game and put them under pressure again.”We certainly felt that in 2006-07. Even when we had good days, we were thinking what is going to happen now. Is Gilchrist going to blast a hundred or Warne take five wickets from nowhere? It only comes with a large consistent level of performance for a long period of time. Australia had that, personally I don’t feel that’s where they are right at the moment.”Strauss conceded England would not establish its own aura without a sustained period of success; a point that was met with agreement by Ponting at his ensuing press conference. “You create aura with a group of guys on top of their game, all heading in the same direction, and with stand-out performances,” he said. “It’s generated over a period of time with some excellent play, and England’s current Test rating would probably indicate that they don’t have one.”Key to England’s hopes of achieving success in this series is Andrew Flintoff, a man who possessed an aura all of his own at Lord’s, and despite not training on Wednesday, Strauss was confident his allrounder would be fit for the third Test.In the lead-up to Lord’s, where he took five second-innings wickets, Flintoff had scans on the injury and it has required regular pain killing to provide him with the chance of repeating his 2005 Ashes triumph. “He bowled two good spells [on Tuesday], one in the middle, one in the nets, and he seemed to come through those okay,” Strauss said. “It’s always the case, you’ve got to see how he responds to bowling more than actually what happens when he’s bowling. But we are optimistic at this stage.”Given the overcast conditions, the only reasons England will have to change their second Test line-up are if Flintoff is injured or they are desperate to bring in Steve Harmison. “The guys who played at Lord’s all performed pretty well so we’d have to be sure the conditions were going to help someone else if we were going to make that change,” Strauss said. By confirming that Monty Panesar has been released from the squad, the likelihood of an unchanged attack has increased.The England dressing room is a quieter place since Pietersen’s foot surgery and Ian Bell has tip-toed back into the XI after being dropped during the West Indies tour. Strauss said the entry of Bell, who will bat in Pietersen’s spot at No. 4, was reassuring.”He’s a proven Test performer, he’s played in the Ashes before and he’s done that spell out of the side that a lot of us have been through,” he said. “It’s not much fun when you are out of it but it makes you very, very hungry when you come back in. And also, you’ve got a kind of mindset that you’ve got nothing to lose. You’ve been out of the side, this is another opportunity for you. I expect him to grasp that with two hands and play some really good innings in the coming matches.”For Ponting, however, the absence of Pietersen provided an undoubted boost to his hopes of making in-roads into their batting. “They’ve lost some skill out of their middle-order,” he said. “I think [Pietersen] is one of the better and more dominant players in world cricket, and I firmly believe England look to him to give them something with the bat, so we’ll see over the next five days whether anything has changed.”Bell is a good player, as we’ve seen through his career, but he hasn’t played as well as he would like against Australia, so it’s a great opportunity for us. If we can get the openers out early and get the middle-order out there against a relatively new and shiny hard ball, we can do some damage.”Strauss said it would be “massive” if England could enter the fourth Test in Leeds next week with a 2-0 advantage. “One thing we are very conscious of is not resting on our laurels now we are 1-0 up,” he said. “We’ve got a fantastic opportunity this week to build on that. Complacency is the furthest thing from our minds at the moment. We are expecting a much harder Test match this week and we’re ready for it.”

With Lee Johnson having seen his Sunderland side get off to a highly impressive start to their 2021/22 League One campaign, with the Black Cats picking up 15 points over their opening six fixtures of the season, hopes will undoubtedly be high of achieving yet another positive result against Fleetwood Town on Saturday afternoon.

Indeed, in the club’s most recent fixture against a then-second placed Accrington Stanley side, the Mackems sent a clear message to the rest of the league with a dominant 2-1 win, a result which ensured Sunderland maintained their position at the top of the table.

So, with Johnson looking to further strengthen his side’s title credentials at Highbury on Saturday, will the 40-year-old make any changes to the team that defeated Accy last weekend? Here’s how we think Sunderland could line up against the Cod Army, along with the latest team and injury news…

With Tom Flanagan suspended for the Fleetwood clash after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season, Johnson will be forced into at least one change to the side that started against Accy, however, we also expect the 40-year-old to make one further switch in his line-up.

Concerning the absence of centre-back Flanagan, it would appear to be a choice between Bailey Wright or Frederik Alves to come into the starting XI in the heart of the Sunderland defence.

However, with Alves having highly impressed in the 3-2 Carabao Cup win against Blackpool earlier this season, as well as the fact that Fleetwood are currently languishing down in 17th place in the League One standings, Saturday’s fixture would appear the perfect time to unleash the West Ham United loanee.

Furthermore, with Johnson revealing that he expects Leon Dajaku to make his debut against the Cod Army, and with Lynden Gooch having averaged a rather disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.63 over his six league appearances so far this season, we expect the £5k-per-week winger to drop out of the side for the 20-year-old Bayern Munich loanee.

Elsewhere, the central midfield duo of Daniel Neil and Luke O’Nien remains unchanged, despite club captain Corry Evans’ presence on the bench.

In other news: Johnson must unleash “quality” £900k-rated SAFC gem today, could be a game-changer