Karachi, Nov 7: Karachi Whites chalked up their fourth victory in theQuaid-i-Azam Trophy National Grade-I Cricket Championship with acrushing 208-run triumph over Gujranwala at the KCCA Stadium here onTuesday.The home side hardly felt the absence of their strike bowler DanishKaneria on Monday. The leg-spinner left for Lahore to join thenational camp for the first Test.Karachi Whites were allowed by the match referee Sikander Bakht toreplace Kaneria with pacer Kashif Ibrahim as per clause 3.iii in thePCB playing conditions, which clearly states that if a player iscalled on national duty during the course of a match, substitute willbe allowed who may bat and bowl.Kashif bowled eight overs but failed to take wicket.The match ended on a premature note, 35 minutes after lunch on thefourth and final afternoon, when the Abdul Rehman was unable to bat inGujranwala’s second innings because his left hand was heavily bandagedas result of the injury he sustained on Sunday evening.Rehman is likely to be out of action for 10 days at least.Resuming at the overnight score of 69 for three, the visitors lost theremaining six wickets for 92 runs. The only redeeming feature forGujranwala was Zahid Fazal’s gallant contribution of 74.The 27-year-old Test discard added 36 to his Monday’s tally of 38before his 182-minute stay was finally over with the total on 132.Adnan Malik on the long-on fence held a well-judged catch to provideoff-spinner Tahir Khan his third of four wickets.Zahid’s 188-ball knock was laced with 11 fours. He was involved in theonly major partnership of the innings with his captain Majid Saeed,who made 21 off 111 deliveries. The pair put on 71 for the fourthwicket in 123 minutes.Both Tahir and the slow left-armer Adnan Malik bowled with greatcontrol and variation to share all the wickets to fall on Monday.Tahir finishing with four for 44 in 24 overs while Adnan, who was notrequired to bowl in the first innings, chipped in with two for 28 in15.2 overs.With the maximum points from this win, leaders Karachi Whites have 51points to their credit. They take on Sheikhupura at the UBL SportsComplex from Friday in the sixth round.
Nelson Semedo, Ki-Jana Hoever and Pedro Neto are all out of Wolves’ Premier League clash with Leeds United, according to journalist Tim Spiers.
The Lowdown: Wolves face another big match
Wanderers are back in league action on Friday evening, as they host relegation-threatened Leeds on a big occasion at Molineux.
Bruno Lage’s side still have a chance of finishing in the top four this season, albeit a slim one, highlighting the importance of their clash with the Whites.
They will have to make do without three important figures for the game, though.
The Latest: Trio out of clash
Writing on Twitter on Thursday, Spiers confirmed in a six-word verdict that Semedo, Hoever and Neto would all be absent against Leeds, with the Portuguese pair back after the international break:
“Semedo, Hoever and Neto are out.”
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The Verdict: Must-win game
It is a blow to be without all three of Semedo, Hoever and Neto, with the absence of the first two leaving Wolves depleted in terms of right-back options. It seems likely that Jonny will again fill in there, having returned to action recently.
This is undoubtedly a must-win game for Wanderers, considering they are at home to a team near the bottom of the table, with anything other than three points damaging in their quest for European football.
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Victory would see Wolves go within two points of Arsenal, albeit having played three games more, and they would also jump into sixth place in the process.
In other news, Wolves have been given a boost regarding one player. Find out who it is here.
Millwall have recently returned from a 3 game pre-season tour of Ireland from which they may have come home with 2 wins and a draw under their belts.
The Lions may also come home having filled one of the centre forward positions; a major concern before the trip; in the shape of Shaun Batt
After three good performances in Ireland, Batt has surely but himself in Kenny Jacketts’ mind for the upcoming season. Two goals in three games was a good return for the injury prone forward. Yes, they may have been against Longford Town, but goals are goals no matter where or how they are scored. Plus Batt would have been desperate to just score in a match since his horrific two year sidelining injury.
But the tour of Ireland did show one of the weaknesses that have now come into Batt’s play since the injury. Durability of a set period of games, three games in six days, and this proved too much for “BATTman’ as he limped off in the final game of the tour.
With the league calendar, especially in the final weeks of the season and around Christmas, being ever-so similar, three games in seven days, it could see Jackett picking and choosing which games for Batt to play in.
Despite the problem that may come about with durability over quick game periods, Jackett has describe Batt as “There are signs that he is getting back to the player we saw when he joined us from Peterborough,” which can only be positive for the team, and Batt himself.
I believe that Batt could prove to be a surprise player in the team this season. Since the injury, surprisingly he has got faster and a lot stronger. He is also huge so a big strong and fast player to play against, I wouldn’t fancy it. Batt is also a player who goes in 100% for every ball despite the previous injury he’s not carrying the stigma about getting injured again, a very good prospect.
The question is who would he play with?
Who knows if Darius Henderson will be at The Den come August, but I could see that as a good partnership due to Henderson power and prescience, epically in the air, this also added on with Batt’s blistering pace.
The obvious choice would be Andy Keogh as he will now be considered the Lions main strike point. But I see both Keogh and Batt as similar players, both “Real ‘Wall” type players – always chasing down lost causes and putting tackles in on the wing, whereas someone with Henderson’s positioning and style of play would suit Batt. Hendo upfront would leave Batt to chase when needed.
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Despite this it also looks likely that Jackett will dip into the loan market in order to add tooth the Lions attack, with Arsenal youngster and England U-19 international Benik Afobe looking like being Kenny Jacketts’ main striker target after keeping an interest in him since the beginning of last season. Less then three weeks until the first competitive game against Crawley in the Capital One Cup, anyone else counting down the days like me?
Liverpool winger Stewart Downing has stated that the Anfield club have a real chance of breaking into the Premier League top four this season, and that he is happy with how the campaign has started.
The Merseyside outfit have taken seven points from their first three fixtures, and underwent something of a revival since Kenny Dalglish took over the reigns last term.
With a busy summer transfer window, which included the acquisition of the England wideman from Aston Villa, Downing has talked up The Reds’ chances of qualifying for the Champions League.
“If we keep playing the way we are at Liverpool, we’ve got a hell of a chance of being in the top bracket. We have started the season very well but we’ve got a tough run of games coming up, starting with a trip to Stoke this Saturday,” he is reported to have said in Mirror Football.
Downing has commanded a starting place for England in recent games, and also expressed his satisfaction of how the campaign has started on a personal level.
“It’s also been a good start for me with club and country. It was nice to play against Wales and the main thing is we’ve got another win under our belts,” he concluded.
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Liverpool travel to take on Stoke at the Brittania Stadium on Saturday, and will look to maintain their unbeaten start.
Norway striker John Carew has moved a step close to leaving Aston Villa after reportedly passing a medical at Stoke City on Thursday.
Carew, 31, has struggled to force his way into the plans of Villa boss Gerard Houllier in the first half of the season, starting just six games and failing to score.
The arrival at Villa Park of record-signing Darren Bent means Carew would have been likely to fall further down the pecking order.
Stoke now appear to have beaten off competition from Premier League rivals Fulham in the race to sign the former Valencia and Lyon man, who is understood to have passed a fitness test late Thursday.
Earlier in the day, Stoke assistant manager Dave Kemp confirmed that the two English Premier League clubs were in talks.
“(Carew) is a very good player and one we would be interested in,” Kemp said.
“To say we were targeting John Carew (is not necessarily true) but (Darren) Bent goes there so it might become an option and that is what happened.”
“He is a quality player and we would be interested in a player of that ilk.”
“He is a very experienced, top-level Premier League striker and he would bring much to the team so we would like to sign him – but so would a number of other clubs possibly.”
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“There have been discussions but nothing has been finalised.”
The deal is likely to be completed on Friday, but it is unlikely to feature in Stoke’s trip to Fulham on Saturday.
Manchester City, Tottenham and Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing Caen teenage striker M’Baye Niang.
The 17-year-old burst onto the Ligue 1 scene 18 months ago and has impressed with his physicality, movement off the ball and eye for goal.
His side were relegated from the French top flight last term, despite the youngster’s individual performances, and as such Caen will be willing to cash-in on their starlet should a sufficient bid be received.
Mirror Football have City as the frontrunners to sign the attacker, as Brian Marwood is believed to have invited the youngster to the Etihad Stadium for talks over a possible move.
However, The Daily Mail state the Tottenham have invited Niang to have a trial with them, and will make an offer should the forward suitably impress.
Arsenal have already had Niang training with them and as such Arsene Wenger now has a decision to make over whether or not to enter the bidding, with the player’s valuation thought to be in the £5-6 million mark.
Niang has represented France at under-16, 17 and 21 levels already despite his tender age.
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Arsenal target Juan Mata was among the goals as Valencia defeated Hamburg 2-1 in their pre-season friendly in Germany on Tuesday.Mata gave his side the lead with a delicate back heel, before Spain under-19 international Juan Bernat doubled the advantage in the 70th minute. Hanno Behrens nabbed a late consolation for the hosts.
Next up for Unai Emery’s side is a match with Romanian champions Cluj, while Hamburg start their Bundesliga campaign against champions Borussia Dortmund on Friday.
Valencia meanwhile will be hoping to still have Mata at their disposal when they start their domestic campaign against Osasuna on August 20.
A Sandro Wagner goal was the difference between Bundesliga club Werder Bremen and English Premier League side Everton.
Wagner exploited Everton’s defensive frailties to head home the winner on 37 minutes.
Promoted Premier League side Queen’s Park Rangers had more fortune in their friendly with Football League graduates Crawley Town, winning 4-2.
Charlie Wassmer scored a brace for the new League Two boys, but QPR were too strong, with Heidar Helguson scoring twice and Kaspar Gorkss and Lee Cook also finding the back of the net.
The January transfer window can be a chaotic mess at times; usually the breeding ground of panic buying, overpriced average players and a minimal amount of successful and viable signings. The top players are tied to their clubs, the smaller clubs fighting off relegation are determined to keep their stars and the players being floated about by agents and clubs are either unwanted, injured or put simply rubbish.
According to business advisory firm Deloitte, Premier League clubs spent just £30 million in the 2010 January transfer window. In the midst of an age of austerity most clubs prefer to focus on a loan to buy strategy, 70% of deals in the 2010 January window were of this ilk and the 2011 window looks set to follow the same pattern. Long gone are the days of £170 million (2009) and £150 million (2008) being spent. Even free spending Manchester City are going to have cut back on the spending and wage budget if they are going to have any hope of meeting UEFA’s impeding financial regulations (not that the impeding signing of Edin Dzeko will aid them in that respect).
Nevertheless you can still expect a flurry of ridiculous and unneeded signings, mainly in the bottom half of the table. For the top half most squads are set in stone with the only activity likely to be outgoings. There are five teams that will certainly be active in bringing players in, whether it’s to save their ailing title bid, pull themselves out of a relegation battle or to maintain a steady and unexpected ascent of the Premier League table.
Chelsea look to possess the squad with the most immediate need for investment, in the space of three months they have regressed from world beaters to a team that may struggle to finish in the top four. They have the smallest squad in the Premier League, with only sixteen players registered out of a possible twenty-five at the beginning of the season (obviously excluding players under the age of twenty-one). It is a statistic that has been catapulted to prominence in the absence of key players and a large proportion of their defensive unit spending spells on the treatment table. A defender is a must and the club have apparently had a £17 million bid rejected by Benfica for their Brazilian centre-half David Luiz. Potentially one of the best defenders in the game, Luiz would inject both youth and pace into the centre of Chelsea’s defence and the ability to fill in at left back further enhances his suitability for the champions. Benfica are said to want an outlandish £37 million and with City also interested it would make sense for Chelsea to try and rush through a deal. Before either City swoop in or they lose even more ground on Manchester United.
There will certainly be a degree of transfer activity for Liverpool this window. Former Spurs and Arsenal affiliate and the ‘Director of Football Strategy’ at Liverpool, Damien Comolli, is now overseeing Liverpool’s transfer activity. Comolli has been utilising his knowledge of European football over the last couple of months to fit in to NESV’s philosophy of creating superstars rather than buying them.
Multiple names have been linked with a wide man the most obvious target. Rennes’ Sylvain Marveaux was recently spotted at Anfield. The Frenchman posseses a striking similarity to one time Liverpool target Florent Malouda’s style of play and could give Liverpool a natural width that neither Kuyt or Maxi Rodriguez can supply. Whispers have intensified regarding a possible loan move for Manchester City’s Emanuel Adebayor to provide cover, assistance and more importantly competition for a misfiring and seemingly uninterested Fernando Torres.
A transfer window doesn’t go buy without a flurry of signings for West Ham and this window will follow the same routine as Avram Grant tries to get West Ham out of trouble. Numerous names have been linked as usual and a move for Steve Sidwell has had to be canned due to Roma’s inability to raise the necessary funds for Valon Behrami. The rest of West Ham’s supposed transfer interest is what you would expect from a club that thought a waist busting Benni McCarthy was the answer last season. Liam Lawrence of Stoke is allegedly the subject of a £4 million bid, just days after he secured a free transfer to Portsmouth and the owners also see perennial crock Wayne Bridge as worth of £90,000 a week.
The transfer window gives Aston Villa’s Gerard Houllier the chance to bring in some of his own players to the club. Spurs’ young right back Kyle Walker has already been brought in on loan to provide cover for the injured Luke Young. The club have continued the theme of claret and blue madness by rivalling West Ham for the ridiculously overpaid Wayne Bridge, despite having a superior left back already on their books in Stephen Warnock. Houiller will try to offload the likes of Carew and Ireland to fund any moves and the main target has to be a goal scorer. With Agbonlahor playing wide, Carew frozen out and Heskey being Emile Hesky goals could soon be in short supply. A reuniting of Michael Owen and Houiller could be on the cards and would suit both parties. Omar Cummings, a Jamaican from MLS side Colorado Rapids has been on trial and could be given a loan deal if he impresses.
Steve Bruce’s Sunderland side have deserved all the superlatives they have received thus far and it seems Bruce isn’t willing to rest on his laurels as he pushes for a European spot. It has been revealed that the club have approached both Sulley Muntari and Stephane Sessegnon from Internazionale and Paris Saint Germain respectively. Both moves show how far the club has come under Bruce’s tenure and should cement the clubs top half finish. Cover in the defence is also an issue for the Black Cats and the answer could well be a move for Richard Dunne who is amongst a clutch of Villa players seemingly frozen out by Houiller.
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It’s always an excited time for fans as newspapers and online sites rage with speculation, usually inane and inaccurate rubbish, but every now and then that piece of ridiculous speculation becomes fact. Hopefully by January 31st we will have an array of new stars demonstrating their talents in our league. Not to forget the return of a more than familiar face under the tutelage of Harry Redknapp.
Written By Lee Wilson at ‘This is Futbol’
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Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis has admitted that the club are eager to sign quality not quantity this summer, and has hailed the arrival of Lukas Podolski.
The Gunners finished third in the Premier League last term and are assured a place in the Champions League group stage, and as such the north London club are eager to strengthen.
“I think the good thing about this summer is that there is more certainty in terms of our Champions League position,” Gazidis told The Guardian.
“We have acted early to get the critical signing in Lukas Podolski. Our fans will be able to see him compete at the Euros and see what a very good player he is.
“The great thing about Lukas is that not only can he contribute goals, but he can also play in different positions so you get tremendous versatility and Arsenal class. He is technically a top-class player and that was a good early addition for us.
“The key for us is not the volume of signings we might make but that the signings we make add something to the squad. That is something Arsene Wenger thinks extremely carefully about and for all of the pressure he is placed under, he tends to make good decisions.
“We want to win major competitions. We want to win the Premier League. We want to compete to win the Champions League. That is our ambition. My message to our fans is that we are doing everything in our power to make sure that Arsenal can challenge for trophies next year.
“That is what this summer is about and that is what we are focused on for next year. We have a good team, we have a good young core of players and we need everybody involved to have belief so that we can push forward into next year and make a run at the Premier League trophy and for the Champions League. We believe we can do that,” he concluded.
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He was brought to White Hart Lane in the midst of Ronaldinho fever with the mind-set that he could be even better. Whilst the Brazilian was bamboozling defences in La Liga whilst sporting the red and blue of Barcelona, Giovani Dos Santos was scribbling his signature on a contract that would see him wear the white of Tottenham Hotspur.
Fast-forward three years and things have gone considerably sour for the 22-year old Mexican. Frozen out, unwanted and seemingly stagnating at a club already brimming with a midfield full of quality players. It’s been a sorry decline for Dos Santos and the only way he can pick his career up is by moving on. However Harry Redknapp and the rest of Tottenham Hotspur might just regret not giving him a chance to shine.
There is no doubting that Dos Santos has bags of talent and Tottenham seemed like the perfect platform for him to rise to the top of footballs very best. The club were looking to progress to the next level after a series of fifth place finished and the winger was seen as the final piece of the jigsaw. Spaniard Juande Ramos was in charge and he had first hand experience of seeing Dos Santos in action during his time with Sevilla. A fee of £4.7 million was seen as a coup for a player highly rated by the biggest club in the world. But what transpired saw Dos Santos fail to make the desired impact and also get on the wrong side of Redknapp who replaced the Spanish boss early in the season. The Spurs boss criticised the Mexican’s attitude and life outside the club, as he would regularly turn up late to training on a Monday morning.
After so much hype he seemingly slipped off the radar and with other talented players coming to the fore everything seemed lost for Dos Santos. The pressure of being compared and having to live up to the world best footballer at the time had obviously gone to the young mans head. He’s played 10 games for Spurs in the last three years and is considered by many of the fans to be a flop. He is obviously still well thought of around Europe with Udinese joining Sevilla and Valencia in the chase for his services. However I still think Tottenham should give him one more chance to prove he is the player he was prophesised to be. He clearly slipped out of everybody’s mind and when he popped up playing for Mexico in South Africa in last years World Cup many people didn’t really bat an eyelid instead focusing on the players that were expected to excel at the tournament, which is understandable. I’ve always held a candle for Dos Santos after seeing him play for Barcelona a few years ago. He also proved to be one of the greatest ever free transfers for me on Football Manager but that’s a story for another day.
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What followed thoroughly delighted me to the point of sheer ecstasy. Whilst the rest of the country were complaining about England’s ineptitudes I was wild eyed like a little child who had just received the latest action figure for Christmas. I took so much pleasure in watching Dos Santos actually show the people of Earth that he is the player many people thought him to be. His performances for Mexico were a joy to behold and he was deservedly nominated as young player of the tournament narrowly losing out to Germany’s Thomas Muller. A decent loan spell at Racing Santander followed and this coming season he will be back at Spurs unless a move elsewhere materializes.
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But with the impending departure of star midfielder Luka Modric and as Redknapp struggles in the transfer market he’d be foolish not to hold out an olive branch to the Mexican. I have a sense that Dos Santos wants to succeed but first and foremost wants to play the sport he loves. You don’t see many ex-Barcelona players taking the opportunity to move to Ipswich Town and play Championship football. The World Cup highlighted the potential that he still possesses and at 22 he still has time on his side to make his Tottenham career a success. However I think Redknapp’s patience has already worn too thin and the death knell on Dos Santos’ White Hart Lane career may have already been signed, sealed and delivered. I’m certainly not apprehensive when I say that Tottenham will live to regret letting him go.