All posts by h716a5.icu

Pundit Jamie O’Hara believes that West Ham United could be dragged into a relegation battle in 2021/22, should they choose not to dive further into the transfer market [METRO].

Enjoying a fantastic campaign last time out, West Ham United managed to finish in sixth place and successfully qualified for the Europa League group stage against all odds.

However, their lack of transfer activity has become a concern for fans and pundits alike.

Barely scratching the surface, the Irons have added Alphonse Areola on loan from Paris St-Germain, alongside completing a permanent deal for previous loanee defender Craig Dawson [Transfermarkt].

Speaking to TalkSPORT, relayed by Metro, O’Hara issued a damning verdict on where he believes their trajectory lies this season, stating:

“If they don’t get some players in quickly and strengthen that squad, West Ham are going to be fighting relegation. They’ve got the Europa League as well, they haven’t got a squad, it’s not big enough.”

In light of these comments, no wonder loads of West Ham United diehards took to social media to vent their disgust at the former Tottenham man’s claims.

West Ham United fans react:

Replying to popular West Ham fan outlet Uber West Ham, here is what some fans had to say about O’Hara’s comments:

“Think on this. O’Hara was sacked from Billericay. He thinks the Moon landings didn’t happen. Doesn’t know who Stalin, Chairman Mao or Genghis Khan were. Yet we are supposed to give his views on football credence? PS: He said the same last year.”

Credit: @Hammers54

“The same jamie ohara that said declan was bang average?”

Credit: @AdamEpsly

“He works for talk sport. They just get former professional footballers looking for media careers to say outrageous stuff”

Credit: @benrahmaww”More drivel by football “genius” Jamie O’Hara. Hilarious.”Credit: @DX7Dreams”He predicted West Ham to finish 19th last year. The bloke is a clown”Credit: @CStevens2109″Who cares”Credit: @RichardWatts1In other news, West Ham United plot a move for a Ligue 1 ace.

A preview of the third-round matches of the Ranji Trophy Super League 2008-09

Cricinfo staff22-Nov-2008

Ajit Agarkar has combined well with Dhawal Kulkarni and Ramesh Powar so far in the season © Cricinfo Ltd
The Ranji Trophy Super League has got off to an extremely slow start this time. Of the 14 matches in the first two rounds, five have yielded results: three of them by an innings, one by nine wickets, and the other by 237 runs. The tense draws and close wins are not to be seen. In testing times for the longer version of cricket, the Ranji Trophy can do with better contests.With three teams from each group going through to the knockout stages, a team like Mumbai, who have had two outright wins, can even think of booking their place in the next stage. But in the third round, the onus is on the other sides. Clearly the Ranji Trophy needs to take off some time soon.A look at the Super League matches starting Sunday:Group ADelhi v Mumbai in Delhi
Once upon a time this was a big rivalry in domestic cricket. Mumbai had dominated this contest (three outright wins and two first-innings leads in five matches) over the last ten years, but their clash last season was different.In 2007-08, the two played out an interesting game. Delhi shot Mumbai out for 166, but could manage only an 85-run lead. Mumbai came back strongly, scoring 471 in the second innings, and then Delhi batted out more than a day to hang on to the three points they had gained through a first-innings lead. This time, the last two champions could bring the Ranji Trophy to life if they manage a close contest.Coming into the match, Delhi have not been playing like defending champions. After having secured three points against Punjab at home, Delhi went to Hyderabad and conceded the first-innings lead to an average side. Fitness problems have affected them, too, with comeback man Ashish Nehra straining a hamstring during the second match. They have also dropped Amit Bhandari.Mumbai have had a superb start to the season. In Dhawal Kulkarni they have found a promising medium-pacer. In Ajit Agarkar and Ramesh Powar, Kulkarni has found ample support. Mumbai have thumped Rajasthan and Gujarat already, and in such form they are a tough team to stop.Gujarat v Hyderabad in Ahmedabad
Gujarat will know they have had a strange start to the season. In the first round, they pummelled Saurashtra by an innings but in the second they were at the receiving end of similar treatment from Mumbai, against whom they scored their second-lowest total ever – 44. The momentum from the first match is gone, and they will have to start afresh against a team that has quietly registered two first-innings leads en route to a four-way tie for the second spot in the group. With Gujarat and Hyderabad being two of those four teams, this match becomes interesting because one of them would have made important headway by the end of the next four days.Orissa v Rajasthan in Sambalpur
Both the teams have had a rude start to the season. Rajasthan lost outright to Mumbai and Punjab, while Orissa were at the wrong end of the festivities in Rajkot last week. After Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja broke record after record against their bowling, Orissa could not manage 200 overs between their two innings. Standing at one and 0 points, the thoughts of relegation will not be far from their minds. And in such cases, matches against the other relegation contenders are absolutely crucial.Saurashtra v Punjab in Rajkot
These are two teams on an upswing after disappointing starts to their seasons. In the first round, Saurashtra lost by an innings to Gujarat, and Punjab managed one point against Delhi. In the second, Saurashtra won by an innings against Orissa, and Punjab beat Rajasthan by nine wickets. Now these are two teams who are equal in terms of trends, and in terms of points – tied at six.Group BUttar Pradesh v Tamil Nadu in Ghaziabad
This is the top-of-the-table clash in Group B. Both teams have got six points each, courtesy two draws. Numerically they might be in a similar position, but Tamil Nadu have been far more impressive in the early stages. Twice they have enforced follow-ons after huge first-innings scores, but on both occasions they ran out of time – against Maharashtra and Karnataka. Their batting seems to be in superb health, and if their bowlers can work a way to get 20 wickets on a regular basis, they could be a force in the Ranji Trophy again.UP, on the other hand, have just about hung on, despite an indifferent start to the season. Their batting remains their weak point, and with Suresh Raina gone, Mohammad Kaif and Tanmay Srivastava will have to continue carrying the batting on their shoulders. UP’s bowling, with Praveen Kumar, Sudeep Tyagi and Piyush Chawla in the side, versus TN’s batting should be a good contest.Railways v Baroda in Delhi
Both teams have played only one game each so far, and Railways have had a better start in that one match. They played the one-innings game well, against Karnataka, and went back with three points. But Baroda, semi-finalists for three years in a row, are not a team to be underestimated.

Brett Lee is desperately hoping Australia can retain their hold over Graeme Smith when the first Test starts in Perth, where Lee will be leading one of the least experienced Australian attacks in recent memory

Brydon Coverdale in Perth15-Dec-2008
Brett Lee will lead an inexperienced attack at the WACA © Getty Images
Brett Lee is desperately hoping Australia can retain their hold over Graeme Smith when the first Test starts in Perth, where Lee will be leading one of the least experienced Australian attacks in recent memory. Stuart Clark was due to have surgery on Monday afternoon to remove bone spurs from his right elbow and it meant Lee’s fast-bowling support would come from Mitchell Johnson, playing his 16th Test, and the second-gamer Peter Siddle.There was also a chance the offspinner Jason Krejza, who has one Test to his name, would round out the attack ahead of the allrounder Shane Watson. Their task will be all the more difficult against a South Africa batting line-up so powerful that three of their group are in the top six Test run scorers in 2008.Second on the worldwide list is the captain Smith, who averages 71.73 in Tests this year but has a dismal record against Australia. Smith has played Australia eight times for an average of 22.25 and has made only one half-century, and it is a trend Lee wants to see continue.”We know what we’re up against with Graeme Smith,” Lee said in Perth ahead of Wednesday’s first Test. “The reason why we’ve had success on him in the past is because we’ve done our homework. We’ll be trying our hardest to try and do the things that we’ve done in previous games to try and knock him over.”He has got some big scores against us as well, but the first Test I think, especially the first session, is going to sum up the whole series. If we happen to bowl first, then we have to really set the tone. If Graeme Smith gets away, which he’s shown on a number of occasions especially against other countries, he can lock himself in for the big score.”The responsibility for getting Australia away to a strong start in the field will largely fall to Lee, who has 56 Test wickets at 29.19 this year but was down on form and speed on the recent tour of India. Lee regained some of his spark against New Zealand on a flat pitch in Adelaide, where he grabbed a career-best nine wickets for the match.”Personally the NZ series was perfect for me as far as a great lead-in to South Africa,” Lee said. “I was really happy with the way I bowled, especially the last game, the second Test in Adelaide. I felt like the ball came out the best that it has in a long, long time.”Over rates a challenge in PerthFast bowlers always take on a heavy workload at the WACA, which could mean further over-rate headaches for Ricky Ponting. The long run-ups used by Lee and his colleagues contributed to the team regularly falling behind on their overs in India and although they have addressed the problem, Lee said it was unlikely to go away.”We are leaving sometimes hats on the fence, making sure we’re not talking between overs, things like that, just getting back to our mark as quickly as we can,” Lee said. “The difficult thing that we have unfortunately is that we’ve got bowlers who are doing the job who come off 30-metre run-ups.”We aren’t out there to try and bowl a certain amount of overs per day, we’re out there to try and play entertaining cricket for the crowd and try and do the best we can for the Australian cricket team. Sure these things do come into play and we have to address that.”Clark also struggled for impact in India before finding some form at home, only for his elbow problem to flare up so severely that surgery was required. The operation might have ended his summer but it has opened a door for Siddle, who bowled tremendously fast in the nets on Monday.”Siddle will definitely play,” Australia’s captain Ricky Ponting said. “We’ll just have to look at the wicket a bit more closely tomorrow. The wicket is still a little bit damp. It was a very hot day in Perth yesterday and I think the groundsmen needed to pump a little bit of water into it.”Australia are unlikely to finalise their starting XI until after they train on Tuesday and while Krejza initially appeared to have the edge over Watson, he could miss out if the pitch proves especially lively. Australia used four fast bowlers in Perth last season only to lose to India when the surface failed to offer as much spice as expected.The WACA curator Cameron Sutherland said this year’s pitch would act differently from the one used last summer, when the preparation was impeded because the ground hosted the domestic Twenty20 final three days before the Test. He predicted bounce and carry, which could help Watson’s chances of adding to his eight Test caps.”It’s a lot more life in it at the moment, a lot greener surface [than last year],” Sutherland said. “It probably was like a day two wicket on day one of the Test last year. This year the surface is a lot greener and probably where we’d want it to be more this year.”But after their error in judgment in selecting the attack last season, Australia know they cannot afford to make a similar mistake against the world’s No. 2 Test team. And Lee is well aware of how much rests on him to spearhead the bowling effort against a side that is confident of its chances.”This is probably the most important Test match of the series,” Lee said. “This is the one that sets it up. The team that can walk away with the win here, will definitely set the tone for the rest of the summer.”

Aston Villa defeated Newcastle United 2-0 on Saturday afternoon thanks to goals from Danny Ings and Anwar El Ghazi.

Ashley Preece shared a few of Steve Bruce’s comments following the Villa Park clash, which duly had a lot of Villa supporters talking.

VAR was heavily involved in the Midlands, with Dean Smith’s side getting two calls in their favour in the second half.

The first came just after the hour mark after Tyrone Mings’ header was handled by Jamaal Lascelles inside the penalty area, with El Ghazi converting from the spot to double the lead.

Newcastle then thought they had a penalty of their own after Emi Martinez fouled Callum Wilson, but VAR brought it back for a marginal offside on the Magpies forward.

Bruce wasn’t pleased with the two calls, saying: “I didn’t think we were looking at lines anymore, lines from armpits. I’m disappointed with VAR. He’s offside from a toe again? I’m really frustrated. The handball as well, nobody in the ground thought it was handball.”

Villa fans react

Preece shared those comments from Bruce via Twitter shortly after the full-time whistle. Here is what these Villa fans had to say in reply, with many going in on the former Villa manager.

“MY EX MANAGER CRYING… INJEECT ITTTTTT”Credit: @Nathan_Mole17″Amazing when an actual football manager doesn’t get the simple adjustments to VAR.”Credit: @lil_wizard123″Clueless”Credit: @dvtavfc”I was in the lower Holte – shouted penalty immediately & well before review was called by VAR. Sorry Bruce but wrong again”Credit: @RobA19″Nobody in the ground thought it was a handball? Mate, it was in front of the Holte End who collectively shouted “handball”.”Credit: @Lou_IzIs”Handball was so obvious Brucey”Credit: @RachyAVFC

In other news: Aston Villa now keen on signing versatile ace who’s open to a move

Shaun Marsh was the Man of the Match in Australia’s five-run victory

Cricinfo staff18-Jan-2009
Shaun Marsh has scored 79 and 78 in the first two ODIs against South Africa © Getty Images
The Australia opener Shaun Marsh was the Man of the Match in his team’s five-run victory against South Africa in Hobart but he said it was “very disappointing” that he didn’t carry on to make a bigger score. Marsh made 78 off 103 balls to lead Australia to 249 for 9, a total that helped them draw level in the series.He also made 79 in the series opener at the MCG, a game which Australia lost. In both matches, Marsh was dismissed while trying to hit the ball on the leg side.”I’ve probably got out at crucial periods in both games and it’s been very disappointing that I haven’t gone on,” Marsh said in the Mercury. “I’ve left the team in a bit of a tricky position so hopefully in the next few games I can really bat through the innings and do my job properly.” Marsh said he would aim to maintain his concentration during the middle overs – he’s been dismissed in the 38th and 33rd over – and focus on playing straighter, instead of looking to force the ball on the leg side.Another player who had an important role in Australia’s win was the Tasmania fast bowler Ben Hilfenhaus, who took 2 for 60 and delivered the final over of the game. Hilfenhaus’ penultimate over at the MCG had cost 18 runs and contributed significantly to South Africa’s victory. However, when faced with a similar situation in front of his home crowd – South Africa needed 17 to win off the last over – Hilfenhaus held his nerve and conceded only 11.”To have that sort of pressure to deal with and get the job done, I think, will hold him in good stead for future games when he might be confronted with a similar situation,” Ricky Ponting said. “It’s like a batter as well, if you actually get out there and win a game, and get a team across the line, you know you’ve done it before and therefore do it again. For Hilfy that will be excellent for him.”

Manchester City have reportedly made a bid for Barcelona outcast Ilaix Moriba, and the teenage midfielder could be a superb addition to Pep Guardiola’s squad in the future.

What’s the word?

After a disagreement with manager Ronald Koeman, Moriba looks set to leave Barcelona in the near future, which has piqued the interest of several top clubs across Europe.

According to Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), the 18-year-old has already received offers from City, Chelsea and RB Leipzig, with the Citizens looking to bring him in on a free transfer in 2022 when his contract at the Nou Camp expires.

Would Moriba be a good signing?

Moriba is currently being made to train with the reserves at Barcelona due to an ongoing contract dispute, but his previous performances in the first team, as well as him being a product of the esteemed La Masia academy, would suggest that he’d fit in well at Manchester City in the future.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-manchester-city-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Manchester City transfer rumours and news!”]

In total, the teenage midfielder has made 18 appearances for the Barcelona first team, in which he has contributed one goal and three assists.

After the youngster opened his account for the Catalan side last season, Koeman sang his praises, saying: “Ilaix scored a fantastic goal, it was an incredible goal and had a lot of impact on the match. He took advantage of the opportunities he had. He is very good at controlling the ball and he is a very strong player.”

However, he now seems to have ruined any chance of having a future at Barcelona, and he deserves a fresh start at another club, with a Nou Camp exit seemingly on the cards for Moriba in the near future.

Considering that three of Guardiola’s key midfielders in Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Fernandinho are all 30 or older, you could argue that the Manchester City manager needs some young talent capable of replacing them in the future.

[freshpress-quiz id=“577936”]

Moriba seems to have a huge amount of potential and City fans will surely be delighted to hear that the Premier League champions have reportedly made an offer to sign him.

In other news… Guardiola handed huge boost with academy talent, fans will be buzzing

A South African court has dismissed the appeal by fast bowler Andre Nel against a one-match ban handed to him by Cricket South Africa

Cricinfo staff10-Feb-2009A South African court has dismissed the appeal by fast bowler Andre Nel against a one-match ban handed to him by Cricket South Africa. Judge Mervyn King ruled that the sentence was “a reasonable one”, meaning Nel will remain ineligible for selection for the next Standard Bank Pro20 Series match to be played between the Lions and Eagles on Sunday.Nel had been reported during a four-day match in Paarl last month and was found guilty of breaching clause 1.4 of CSA’s rules of conduct, namely that players “shall not use crude or abusive language nor make offensive gestures to any other participant, official or spectator”. Nel appeared before CSA’s disciplinary commissioner, Advocate Michael Kuper, SC, in Johannesburg, who handed down the sentence on January 20.Judge King said: “From a deterrent aspect, a message has to be sent to players that they cannot use these expletives on the field of play, more particularly today, as there are stump microphones and, as in the instant matter, the expletive was picked up and broadcast to thousands of viewers around the country, including young followers of the game of cricket.”Nel will be ineligible for selection for two more matches this season if he is found guilty of a similar contravention of the code during this while.

London Evening Standard journalist Jack Rosser has revealed that West Ham United tried to sign Tammy Abraham from Chelsea but were ultimately put off by his wage demands.

The striker has sealed a move from the Blues to Italian club Roma, who are currently managed by Jose Mourinho.

West Ham, by comparison, have yet to sign a striker in this transfer window, with the deadline coming on Tuesday.

Rosser has confirmed that they were interested in bringing Abraham into the club but found a deal too financially challenging.

Indeed, he has claimed that the same went for Arsenal, who were also interested in a deal for the forward.

Abraham had fallen out of favour under manager Thomas Tuchel but had an impressive scoring record at Stamford Bridge.

In total, he scored 30 goals in 82 games for the club, and has already provided two assists at Roma, with both coming in the 3-1 win over Fiorentina.

Rosser said: “They liked Tammy Abraham, they tried for Tammy Abraham, but it proved too expensive for what they wanted to do.

“His wage demands, Kurt Zouma’s wage demands are big, Tammy Abraham’s are far bigger, and Roma were willing to meet that. Arsenal weren’t and West Ham weren’t so that’s why that one didn’t come off.”

Ajantha Mendis has not had an impact in the first two ODIs against India but his lack of success is “not a huge concern” for his captain Mahela Jayawardene

Cricinfo staff01-Feb-2009
Ajantha Mendis has not caused India many problems in the first two ODIs © AFP
Ajantha Mendis, the Sri Lankan spinner, has not had an impact in the first two ODIs against India but his lack of success is “not a huge concern” for his captain Mahela Jayawardene.Mendis was the fastest to 50 wickets in ODIs, reaching the landmark in his 19th match, and had success in his initial duels with India, taking19 wickets in his first six ODIs against them. However, he’s managed only two tail-end wickets in this series and conceded 91 runs in 20 overs.”We cannot ask a 23-year-old to pick four wickets in every game. I am sure Ajantha will bounce back,” Jayawardene said. “Right now, they [India] are playing him well. The batsmen also adjust themselves and then the bowlers try to change what they want to do and that’s how they learn.”He is still bowling well and creating opportunities. He is probably not picking wickets because the batsmen are not taking too many risks against him.”It is not only Mendis the Indians have countered effectively to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Muttiah Muralitharan took only 1 for 52 in Dambulla, went wicketless for 32 in Colombo. He is two wickets away from breaking Wasim Akram’s record of 502 ODI wickets.Mahendra Singh Dhoni, however, did not overplay his batsmen’s success. “I won’t say that our batsmen have got the better of the Sri Lankan spinners,” he said. “They are not getting wickets, but at the same time they are not giving away too many runs. We are cautious and targeting other bowlers. We are happy that we are not giving wickets to the spinners.”Sri Lanka and India will play the third ODI – another day-night contest – at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on February 3. The venue will continue to host the remaining ODIs following a change in the schedule. The SSC will not be able to host the fifth ODI, due to security reasons. The fourth match is a day-night affair while the fifth is a day game.

Newcastle United’s deadline day arrival Santiago Munoz could struggle to get to grips with the rigours of the Premier League, warns Steve Howey.

The Magpies completed their transfer business by securing the services of Munoz on an 18-month loan deal, which has the option to buy, from Mexican top flight side Santos Laguna.

Munoz has gone straight into Newcastle’s academy, rather than the first-team, having scored just three goals in the Mexican top tier.

The 19-year-old striker shares a similar name to the fictional hero Santiago Munez in the 2005 movie Goal! which involves a Mexican striker joining Newcastle and firing them into the Champions League.

Munoz, who has won three caps for the Mexico under-23s, was one of just two summer signings for the Tyneside club, following the £20million arrival of former loanee Joe Willock.

Should Munoz step up from the youth set-up to Steve Bruce’s first-team, Howey believes the teenager may take time to adjust to the speed of the Premier League.

He exclusively told The Transfer Tavern: “If he had been tearing it up in Mexico, it would ease your mind a little bit. But his goalscoring record isn’t brilliant and we don’t know what he’s like off the pitch and his temperament on the pitch. All of these things would have been looked into.

“If he’s been struggling playing against teams from the back-end of Mexico, how well is he going to do against the big boys and good defenders? I would imagine he will find it very difficult.”