All posts by h716a5.icu

David Moyes’ West Ham United side face a challenging trip to Manchester United in Saturday afternoon’s Premier League encounter, with the 58-year-old undoubtedly hoping for a repeat result of the third round Carabao Cup tie earlier this season, when the Irons bested the Red Devils 1-0 at Old Trafford.

However, while West Ham’s form has picked up in recent weeks, a 3-2 home defeat against Leeds United last time out will have brought Moyes’ men back down to earth with a bump – although a win against a team currently two points behind them in the top four race would certainly lift spirits in the Hammers camp once again.

Also, with Kurt Zouma likely to be available for selection following his recovery from both injury and illness, Moyes has regained arguably one of his most important players for the trip to Old Trafford.

Moyes must unleash Zouma

Indeed, following his £29.8m move from Chelsea last summer, Zouma has quickly established himself as a first-team regular at the London Stadium, turning in a number of highly impressive performances prior to his injury in December.

Indeed, over his 11 Premier League appearances this season, the £33.5m-rated defender has been in fantastic form for the Irons, helping his side to keep two clean sheets and scoring one goal, as well as making 1.2 interceptions, 0.6 tackles and 5.2 clearances per game and winning 60% of his duels.

These returns have seen the £120k-per-week France international average a SofaScore match rating of 6.91, ranking him as the Hammers’ joint 10th-best player in the top flight.

As such, should the player who John Terry dubbed “unbelievable” and a “beast” be fit to start this afternoon, Moyes simply must unleash the 27-year-old, as the presence of Zouma in both boxes will undoubtedly be a prospect which could terrify Man United’s players.

In other news: Moyes could finally replace Haller as West Ham initiate talks for “incredible” £40m ace

Sri Lanka are the only team close to full strength for the tri-series, but New Zealand could benefit the most from the tournament

Siddarth Ravindran in Sri Lanka08-Aug-2010In its dual role as commercial hub of the North Central Province and site of the holy Golden Cave Temple, a UNESCO world heritage monument, Dambulla has long attracted a varied set of visitors. In 2010, the town seems out to add aficionados of the one-day game to that bunch, laying out 14 ODIs for them in fewer than three months, a feast even Sharjah didn’t offer during its salad days as a cricketing venue.The tickets are cheap, the weather is reasonable, and the pitch isn’t one of those featherbeds which make bowlers despair over their choice of career, but bussed-in school kids made up a chunk of the sparse crowd during the Asia Cup in June, and things aren’t likely to be too different for theupcoming tri-series.The players involved won’t be bothered by that, though. The teams will be using the tournament to figure out their combinations for next year’s World Cup in the subcontinent. India and Sri Lanka had talked of building up to cricket’s showpiece tournament during the Asia Cup but could not zero in on a settled batting order. The tri-series will be New Zealand’s first one-day tournament in five months, and gives several of their newcomers a chance to test themselves in conditions alien to those at home.For what it’s worth, the tri-series could also cause a major reshuffling in the one-day rankings. Australia are runaway leaders with a 14-point lead, but the next five teams are separated by only seven points. India are second, but that spot could be taken by either New Zealand (now fourth) or Sri Lanka (now sixth) by the end of the tournament.Teams will find it simpler to capture that second spot if their captains win the toss often. The floodlights at Dambulla are a bit dodgy and, more importantly, the pitch assists bowlers more under lights than in the afternoon, making the toss more vital than it should be. Sri Lanka had been the dominant team in the league phase of the Asia Cup, but they lost the toss and the final partly due to the lavish movement the Indian bowlers extracted from a previously benign track.In a time when three-day gaps between Tests are the norm, even if teams have to travel to a different venue, the tri-series follows a leisurely schedule despite being played entirely in Dambulla. There’s a two-day break between each match, giving teams ample time to visit the many archeologicalheritage sites in Sri Lanka’s famed Cultural Triangle.Sri LankaThe home side is the only one close to full strength and should start as favourites. After looking good for much of their previous two series, Kumar Sangakkara’s team finished poorly in both and were left with only the moderate reward of a shared Test series, something Sri Lanka will want to redress.Their batting order is settled till No. 5, but the Sri Lankan think-tank is still figuring out their best players for the remaining slots. With Thilina Kandamby having fallen out of favour, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Kapugedera and the recalled Chamara Silva are battling for two places. The absence of Muttiah Muralitharan means the tournament is a chance for the spinners Suraj Randiv, Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath to make cases for a permanent place.IndiaSri Lanka must be among MS Dhoni’s favourite destinations for one-day cricket: his captaincy record in the country is four titles in four tournaments. Adding a fifth could prove difficult, though, because India are without four first-choice players – Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan – which leaves Dhoni with a very young team: 11 members of the squad are 25 years or younger. The good news for him is that most of the youngsters have played plenty of cricket in Sri Lanka and are familiar with the Dambulla pitch as well.The pace attack, which was ineffective during the Tests, is beefed up by the return of Ashish Nehra and Praveen Kumar, but India’s slow-bowling combination will be interesting to watch. Pragyan Ojha had a successful Test at the P Sara Oval, but with Ravindra Jadeja making the XI for his all-round skills, will India go in with two left-arm spinners (in addition to the part-time bowling of Yuvraj) or will offspinner R Ashwin get an extended run?New ZealandNew Zealand Cricket has smartly lined up matches in all three World Cup host nations in the run-up to the 2011 tournament. The absence of match-winners, such as Daniel Vettori, Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder, means New Zealand are a long shot for the tri-series title, but with so many players with so little experience of the subcontinent, they could be the team that benefits the most from the tri-series. The other plus for Ross Taylor’s side is that, while the other two teams have only a few days and no matches to switch from Test to one-day mode, New Zealand have tuned up for the tri-series with two convincing warm-up wins in Sri Lanka.

Danish Kaneria has been cleared to return for Essex in time for Twenty20 finals day on Saturday

Cricinfo staff12-Aug-2010Danish Kaneria has been cleared to return for Essex in time for Twenty20 finals day on Saturday. Kaneria was released from the Pakistan squad after the first Test against England and the PCB wanted him to regain form at county level, but the club had already acquired the Australian legspinner Bryce McGain as a replacement overseas player.However, despite McGain collecting a strong tally of ten wickets in two County Championship matches, he could be forced to make way after the ECB cleared Kaneria to resume his position with Essex. Kaneria will remain with the county for the remainder of the summer, unless he is called back into Pakistan’s touring party, which leaves McGain’s position in doubt.”It is obviously great news that Danish will be available for finals day, we are all delighted to welcome him back,” Paul Grayson, the Essex coach, said. “He is a top-class performer in Twenty20 cricket and is a match-winner in his own right. He knows us and we know him well and his record is outstanding across all formats of the game.”Kaneria will join Dwayne Bravo as the overseas contingent for Essex in their Twenty20 semi-final against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl. Hampshire will be without the batsman Michael Lumb, who has broken a foot, while Essex are confident Ryan ten Doeschate will play after a long lay-off due to a torn calf.”The squad is in great shape and is looking strong ahead of Saturday,” Grayson said. “Ryan ten Doeschate looks fit and our only injury worry remains that of Graham Napier”.

A frustrating Newcastle United transfer claim has been made regarding their efforts to bring in new recruits… 

What’s the talk?

Telegraph reporter Luke Edwards has provided fresh updates on the club’s pursuits of Mohammed Salisu and Mitchel Bakker as the Magpies look to strengthen their squad before the deadline next week.

Edwards tweeted: “#nufc have looked at Salisu at Southampton but was told last week that “it’s not going to be possible…”

He then followed that up with: “Also told the Bakker deal is not happening too #nufc.”

This comes after Newcastle reportedly agreed a deal with Bayer Leverkusen to sign the Dutch international left-back, with it now appearing as though the move has collapsed.

Howe will be livid

Eddie Howe will surely be left livid by these two claims, as it appears as though he is set to miss out on two targets this week.

It will be particularly frustrating for the Newcastle manager as his backline is in dire need of reinforcements before the window slams shut next Monday. Only Norwich have conceded more goals than the Magpies in the Premier League, and they have played a game more in the division.

Howe’s side have kept just two clean sheets so far this season, both coming in 1-0 wins, and have let in two goals per game on average.

This emphasises how below-par the defence has been and why it is imperative that the club bring in additional signings to bolster that area of the pitch, joining mid-season recruit Kieran Trippier in the back four.

Salisu has enjoyed a fine campaign with Southampton in the top flight, averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.01. He has made an incredible five tackles and interceptions per game, along with 4.4 clearances, and has won 61% of his duels, as per SofaScore.

Meanwhile, Bakker has made 2.3 tackles and interceptions per match and won 55% of his duels whilst playing at left-back for Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, as per SofaScore. This shows that both players have the potential to be strong defenders on their day and could have improved Newcastle’s team.

Howe will be livid with the prospect of missing out on both of them, particularly with less than a week left to go in the transfer window. Time is running out for the Magpies, and failing to complete key deals could cost them if they are unable to improve their starting XI.

AND in other news, Craig Hope drops exciting NUFC transfer claim, PIF could now sign the new Ronaldo…

Tottenham Hotspur have received a huge injury boost ahead of their return to competitive action this weekend…

What’s the latest?

Antonio Conte is expected to welcome back first-team duo Heung-min Son and Cristian Romero to the squad following their respective hamstring injuries in what is a huge boost, according to the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick.

The South Korean missed his country qualifying for the 2022 World Cup to focus on rehabilitation in north London, having been absent since their Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg defeat to Chelsea at the start of January.

Whilst the Argentina international, who joined the club on loan from Atalanta in the summer, has missed a substantial amount of game time dating back to early November when he picked up a problem on international duty.

Major boost

The return of these two key figures should leave Conte absolutely delighted as the pair have been sorely missed in recent months.

Son is currently the team’s top goalscorer in the Premier League, where Spurs have lost just once under the Italian head coach since his arrival in November, and has certainly stepped up amid Harry Kane’s struggles.

Indeed, the versatile forward has bagged three more goals than the Englishman but has missed a couple of their recent matches. He’s also a beacon of creativity, jointly leading the way for assists (three) and is averaging more key passes (1.9 per game) than any other player, as per WhoScored.

Meanwhile, Romero’s presence amongst the backline has been evident as the likes of Davinson Sanchez and Japhet Tanganga haven’t been up to scratch with their error-prone performances, especially in the three games against Chelsea across the League Cup and Premier League.

Despite only starting six times in the top-flight, the 23-year-old colossus ranks second for tackles (2.3 per game) behind fellow summer signing Emerson Royal, and leads the way for interceptions (1.7 per game), via WhoScored.

“This guy is an animal, I swear. He’s perfect for the Premier League,” teammate Pierluigi Gollini told the Evening Standard earlier in the season, whilst Conte emphasised that he was an “important player” for the side when he first picked up the issue.

Therefore, on the above evidence, the 52-year-old will be overjoyed by the prospect of selecting the key Spurs duo when they return to action this weekend when they host Brighton and Hove Albion in the FA Cup fourth round.

AND in other news, Conte concerns emerge at Spurs amid huge transfer claim…

Bangladesh’s hunt for a bowling coach has finally come to an end with the appointment of Ian Pont, the former Essex fast bowler

Cricinfo staff14-Sep-2010Bangladesh’s hunt for a bowling coach has finally come to an end with the appointment of Ian Pont, the former Essex fast bowler. He has been awarded a contract till the end of next year’s World Cup and will join the Bangladesh team’s training camp on Thursday in Mirpur.Pont, 49, played for Essex, Nottinghamshire and Natal before retiring from first-class cricket in 1990. He has extensive coaching experience, having managed the Netherlands side for two years leading up to the 2007 World Cup, besides working with county teams Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Essex and Kent as a fast bowling coach.The appointment fills a vacancy created by the resignation of former Sri Lanka fast bowler Champaka Ramanayake due to illness. Former South African allrounder Lance Klusener had been the Bangladesh board’s original choice but after prolonged discussions he turned down the offer earlier this month.Pont has developed a specialised coaching method known as Advanced Biomechanics Speed & Accuracy Technique and has authored the coaching manual “The Fast Bowler’s Bible”, which was published in 2006.

The ECB structure group – who are charged with reviewing the structure and fixture list of English domestic cricket – has recommended a reduced County schedule from the 2012 season.

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Oct-2010The ECB structure group – who are charged with reviewing the structure and fixture list of English domestic cricket – have delayed making any changes for next year and instead recommended a reduced county schedule from the 2012 season.The group met for the first of two meetings on October 19 and have suggested that the volume of domestic cricket be reduced by 8 – 12 days.The aspiration for a reduction in the number of games is welcome news after the bloated fixture list this year but comes after it emerged that the ECB was going to retain the 151-game Friends Provident t20 structure for next year, despite concerns over dwindling crowd numbers.With counties wanting to bolster finances after a difficult 2010 season there are no changes recommended for next year and the group are yet to set out any detail of plans for the reductions in the Championship or FP t20 come 2012.Instead they argue that the need for ‘sustainable’ changes required a longer period of review, which means the 2011 schedule is likely to mirror 2010.The only specific change outlined for 2012 is to the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition – introduced in the 2010 season to replace the two-division Pro40 leagues. Having only just been introduced it is set for another overhaul.The structure this year, in which 21 teams – including a hastily-arranged Unicorns side made up of non-professionals – were split into three groups, is to be replaced in 2012 by 20 teams split into four pools of five – with the winners of each group reaching a quarter-final. The format of the tournament could also change to 50 overs, with the ECB structure group recommending that the tournament mirror the format used in international cricket.The group will meet again before the ECB Board meeting in the middle of November to review the number of Championship and FP t20 matches to be played in future seasons.

Everton journalist Greg O’Keeffe says it was ‘disappointing to see’ Ben Godfrey’s injury tarnish Saturday’s win over Brentford. 

The lowdown

Everton kick-started the Frank Lampard era with a resounding 4-1 victory over The Bees at Goodison Park, securing their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

But the victory, The Toffees’ first on home soil since 6 December, was somewhat marred by Godfrey’s hamstring issue.

BBC Sport’s Phil McNulty saw the Englishman ‘pulling up sharply in possession’ in the early stages, and he wasn’t able to continue.

He was subsequently seen leaving the stadium on crutches, and now Lampard will be sweating on the results of a scan.

The latest

“Disappointing to see Ben Godfrey substituted with what looked a very painful injury,” O’Keeffe wrote in The Athletic’s matchday discussion.

While Godfrey had to be ‘helped off by two physios’, a stretcher wasn’t required, which may ‘at least’ be a more positive sign.

The verdict

Godfrey is an especially useful player because, while he’s a central defender by trade, he can also be deployed on the right or left.

Lampard would have been hoping to revitalise a player who made England’s provisional squad for Euro 2020 but hasn’t done enough to feature for Gareth Southgate since.

Everton are already without Abdoulaye Doucoure until March and Tom Davies and Fabian Delph until April, meaning their protection in front of the defence is also wounded.

The Toffees are just four points above the bottom three ahead of their midweek trip to fellow strugglers Newcastle, and Lampard’s task just got even harder.

In other news, Phil Kirkbride loved this man’s performance yesterday.

Crystal Palace are trying to sign Peterborough United defender Ronnie Edwards, according to The Daily Mail’s Joe Bernstein. 

The lowdown

Edwards is a 19-year-old centre-back who’s enjoyed a breakthrough season with Peterborough.

Having only made five appearances in 2020/21, he’s now a regular at London Road, with 10 starts in the last 11 league matches.

The Englishman still has more than three years to run on his contract with The Posh and is reportedly valued at £15million.

That would make him Peterborough’s record departure, ahead of the likes of Britt Assombalonga (£6.2million), Ivan Toney (£5million) and Dwight Gayle (£4.8million).

Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen have established themselves as the first-choice centre-back pairing at the club this season following their summer arrivals, playing 36 and 32 games respectively.

The latest

Vieira sees the prospective signing of Edwards as part of the next stage of the rebuild at Selhurst Park.

They envision him as a ‘big part of their future’, along with 21-year-old Guehi and 25-year-old Andersen.

Palace are to set to battle his fellow admirers Tottenham Hotspur, but their hope is that Vieira’s ‘record in giving young players a chance’ appeals to Edwards.

The verdict

Palace remain one of the older sides in the Premier League when it comes to average age. At an average age of 26.9, they rank 15th in the Premier League, some way short of Arsenal’s benchmark (24.3).

However, this is a marked improvement from last season, when they sat at the bottom of this particular table under Roy Hodgson on 28.8.

Vieira, then, looked to reenergise his team with young talent, and if this report is anything to go by, he’ll be continuing those efforts this summer.

Edwards would be another exciting addition. Peterborough chairman Barry Fry has dubbed him a ‘Rolls Royce’ and is certain he’ll enjoy an ‘outstanding’ career, while Sir Alex Ferguson has apparently urged Manchester United to sign him.

In other news, Palace have also been linked with this Brentford star. 

A round-up of the fifth day of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Twenty20 tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Oct-2010Dinesh Karthik’s career-best 90 helped Tamil Nadu complete their league phase with a perfect five wins out of five, setting up a 23-run victory over Andhra.Tamil Nadu, already through to the next phase, were struggling at 50 for 3 after two of their Chennai Super Kings players, S Badrinath and S Anirudha, fell for ducks. Karthik and opener Abhinav Mukund then put on the biggest partnership of the tournament, an unbroken 139 runs to power Tamil Nadu to 190. Karthik completely dominated the stand, clubbing three sixes and 11 fours in his 41-ball effort, while Mukund made a comparatively sedate 64.Andhra’s chase spluttered early on with both openers falling cheaply. Former India batsman Venugopal Rao hammered a quick 70 but with only two other batsman making it to double digits, Andhra’s challenge faded and they were bowled out for 167. The result means Andhra finish bottom of the table, without any wins.At the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Kerala booked their spot in the next stage of the competition by thrashing Goa by eight wickets, a win that secured them second spot.Kerala’s most famous player, Sreesanth, bowled only two overs in the match but Goa were still limited to 131. Goa opener Swapnil Asnodkar, who came into the limelight with a series of cameos for Rajasthan Royals in the inaugural IPL, made a half-century but had little support from his team-mates – his captain Sagun Kamat (21) was the only other batsman to make it past 20.Kerala had little trouble knocking off the runs, with Rohan Prem making his first Twenty20 half-century. He had support from opener Abhishek Hedge (35) and his captain Raiphi Gomez (20*) as the target was overhauled in 18 overs.In the other league match of the round, last year’s finalists Hyderabad lost by four wickets to Karnataka and both teams were knocked out. After being sent in, Hyderabad were floundering at 28 for 3 before Dwaraka Ravi Teja and Arjun Yadav, son of former Indian offspinner Shivlal, put on 69 for the fourth wicket. Quick bowler Aditya Sagar took three wickets in his final over to finish with 4 for 29 and keep Hyderabad to 148.Karnataka coasted to victory on the back of thirties from each of their top four batsmen. Opener Mayank Agarwal, playing his first senior tournament, continued to impress, making 31 to finish as the highest scorer of the league phase. Robin Uthappa, doubling up as wicketkeeper for this match, made 30 before Manish Pandey’s unbeaten 34 took Karnataka to their third win, which put them in third place.