All posts by h716a5.icu

Tottenham Hotspur’s Sergio Reguilon now fears the axe by manager Antonio Conte as Barcelona eye a surprise move to sign the former Real Madrid talent, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Conte overhaul looming?

The Spurs head coach is reportedly plotting a major summer overhaul with as many as six major signings on his mind (The Telegraph).

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Conte wishes to add a reserve goalkeeper, right-wing-back, central defender, two midfielders and a new forward to his ranks as he prepares for a first full 2022/2023 season in charge at the Premier League club.

Several Lilywhites players have been tipped to make way as transfer chief Fabio Paratici is tasked with balancing the books and ensuring Conte’s transfer market wishes are fulfilled.

Now, sharing an update on who could leave north London, chief football writer John Cross of The Daily Mirror has an update for supporters.

The Latest: Cross makes Reguilon claim…

According to his sources, La Liga giants Barca are eyeing a ‘sensational’ move to sign former Real Madrid academy ace Reguilon from Spurs.

As well as this, the 25-year-old ‘fears he is not part of Conte’s long-term plans’ as he grows fearful of the Italian’s possible axe.

It is thought that Reguilon ‘could be surplus to requirements’ and it looks ‘increasingly likely he will leave’.

The Verdict: Let him go?

Depending on whether Madrid activate their £27.5 million buy-back clause for the defender or if it is Barca who end up swooping in, letting Reguilon depart should be considered by Paratici and Conte.

Ryan Sessegnon has been shining in the left-wing-back role when deployed and the Spaniard’s exit could help to balance Spurs’ worrying homegrown quota issue.

The potential fee will also bolster Paratici’s transfer kitty to fund summer swoops and appeasing Conte’s wishes in the summer will be crucial in keeping him at the club.

Lauded as a ‘top-class’ player by former Spurs keeper Paul Robinson, a Reguilon sale may well be one to watch out for regardless of his quality at times.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano: Conte could lose ‘monster’ Spurs player who’s now ‘expected to leave’…find out more here.

A round-up of the fifth round of Ranji Trophy’s Group A matches on December 9, 2012

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-2012
Scorecard
On a day when Ravindra Jadeja got his first call-up to the Indian Test squad, he extended his purple patch in the Ranji Trophy by troubling Bengal with bat and ball to put Saurashtra in command in Rajkot. He had already top scored with 70 on the first day, and he backed that up with a four-wicket haul to reduce Bengal to 112 for 9. The only Bengal batsman to resist was Manoj Tiwary, who made a battling 55 before being forced to retire hurt due to a muscle pull. Jadeja was not done yet. On a track where pretty much everyone else found it difficult to score, he walked out and slammed an unbeaten 57-ball 67 to increase the lead to 231, with six wickets still in hand. It leaves Bengal needing to score the highest total of the match to win the game.
Scorecard
Rajasthan captain Hrishkesh Kanitkar’s 28th Ranji Trophy century was the cornerstone of the first-innings effort of 294 against Gujarat. It was his second ton in two matches and it left him only behind Ajay Sharma and Wasim Jaffer in the list of most hundreds in the tournament. Gujarat’s left-arm spinner Rakesh Dhurve took six wickets to restrict Rajasthan, before Gujarat’s top order provided a solid start to the chase. Smit Patel, who was India’s wicketkeeper when they won the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year, and Samit Gohel, who was closing in on his third first-class half-century in three matches, put on 45 for the first wicket. Then, Gohel and Bhargav Merai stayed together till stumps, adding 59.
Scorecard
Madhya Pradesh held the advantage after the second day in Bhubaneshwar, as their bowlers nipped out three early Railways wickets. MP extended their first-innings total to 377 thanks to 22-year-old Rameez Khan’s maiden first-class hundred, and Anand Rajan’s first half-century of the season. The pair put on 94 for the sixth wicket, lifting MP from a slightly troublesome 210 for 5. Sanjay Bangar was the most successful of the Railways bowlers, taking four wickets, but his side will need him to contribute substantially with the bat as well if they are to get within MP’s first-innings total.

As per journalist Chris Wheeler of The Daily Mail (Twitter), there has been a significant update on the future of Man United playmaker Jesse Lingard as Tottenham Hotspur eye a move.

The Lowdown: Spurs make early January contact…

Reliable reporter Alasdair Gold of football.london backs that Lingard has been a target for Tottenham this month, lifting the lid on how they sounded out his representatives over a potential move.

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However, BBC reporter Simon Stone then claimed that the Lilywhites had a loan offer rebuffed – citing the fact that Man United don’t want to sell to a top four rival.

Reports of Tottenham’s interest have dwindled since then, but on deadline day, it appears they’ve re-emerged.

The Latest: Tottenham in the picture…

Wheeler, taking to Twitter, claims that Red Devils boss Ralf Rangnick has now approved a loan exit for Lingard by 11pm – green-lighting a potential transfer.

He adds that Tottenham are in the picture as one of a few clubs to show interest, alongside the likes of West Ham, Newcastle, Leicester, Everton and Burnley.

However, he adds that it remains to be seen whether United drop their demands or deal with a top four rival.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Depending on United’s deadline day stance over dealing with Spurs, we believe Lingard would be a fantastic capture before 11pm.

The England international, called ‘sensational’ by former Arsenal man Nigel Winterburn, bagged nine goals and four assists over 16 top flight appearances for West Ham last year (WhoScored).

It isn’t impossible to believe he could rack up similar numbers on a temporary spell under Antonio Conte.

In other news: ‘One to watch’ – talkSPORT reporter says Spurs could sign £29m ‘star’ today, find out more here.

England’s coach, Andy Flower has hit back at suggestions that Kevin Pietersen is “an outcast” in the England team

Andrew Miller in Brisbane22-Nov-2010England’s coach, Andy Flower has hit back at suggestions that Kevin Pietersen is “an outcast” in the England team, a choice of words used by Shane Warne in a newspaper interview on Monday, in which he blamed the selectors for sacking Pietersen as captain in January 2009 and in so doing damaging his previously impenetrable ego.”The way they have treated him is ordinary and he has been made to feel as if he is a bit of an outcast,” said Warne in the Courier-Mail. “KP might be the walking ego with the way he struts around, and sometimes he is unpopular with his own team-mates, and he can rub people up the wrong way. But he has to be made to feel important and like he is the man. If he feels like that, he will give you everything.”Flower gave Warne’s theory short shrift when informed of it during a press conference on Monday morning. “He’s anything but an outcast,” said Flower. “He’s a good guy to have around in the dressing room, a great player to have on your side, a very dangerous player that the opposition worries about. We expect great things from him and we expect him to take part in team dynamics like everyone else does, and that’s what he does.”In keeping with England’s languid approach to Thursday’s first Test at the Gabba, the squad marked their arrival in Brisbane with a day of sight-seeing, with Flower subscribing to the notion that working hard and playing hard is the best blend for creating a happy and dynamic team ethic. And as if to prove a point about Pietersen’s ability to mix it in a dressing-room environment, it was also confirmed that he will be joining Surrey for the 2011 season, having enjoyed a brief stint with them back in September following the severing of ties with his old club, Hampshire.”I think that we do have very good team unity,” said Flower. “Kevin does like the big stage, and I think that’s one of the great things about him as a competitive athlete, he enjoys the pressure situations, the chance to bat brilliantly while everyone’s watching, and that’s part of what makes up a very fine competitor.”Nevertheless, with the cauldron atmosphere of the “Gabbatoir” fast approaching, Pietersen remains the one England player who has yet to make a significant mark during England’s warm-up period, with a top score of 58 in four first-class innings at Perth, Adelaide and Hobart. What is more, his renowned weakness against left-arm spin was once again exposed in the final match against Australia A, when he was bowled for 5 by Steve O’Keefe – a dismissal that may well have influenced the selection of Xavier Doherty over Australia’s incumbent offspinner, Nathan Hauritz, for the first Test.Flower, however, isn’t convinced that such a tactic will pay off on the big day, and put the O’Keefe dismissal down to the bowler’s skill. “I thought he got quite a good ball the other day,” he said. “It drifted and just turned a bit at a reasonable pace. KP’s had a lot of success against left-arm spinners, and against Shane Warne who bowled with a similar trajectory, and I think he’s playing very well. He’s spent some time in the middle over the three first-class games, and though he missed out in Hobart, he’s feeling confident about his game and I expect him to do well. He’s in as good a nick as I could have hoped.”Despite the daunting reputation of the Gabba, a venue at which Australia haven’t lost a Test match in 22 years, Flower brushed aside the notion that the tone of the forthcoming series would be established from the very first ball – as was the case in 1994-95, when a Phil DeFreitas long-hop was carved for four by Michael Slater, and again in 2006-07, when Steve Harmison bowled his infamous wide to second slip.”We all realise the importance of setting the tone, but a five-Test series will not be won or lost over one ball,” he said. “We’ve played some good cricket recently and our guys think we can win this series. Whether or not we’re favourites is by the by, but any of the cricketers taking part in the middle will tell you that has nothing to do with facing up in that first hour or attacking with the new ball. We’re not overly concerned with that sort of judgment.”Australia have got an outstanding record here,” he conceded. “It’s going to be quite a record to turn over, but our side in the last 12-18 months has done a few good things, one of which was turning over that Lord’s record of not having beaten Australia there for 75 years. This is the challenge put in front of us, and we’re looking forward to it.”As for the overall importance of the Ashes, Flower was careful not to overstate their value, just as was the case in 2009 when England’s celebrations involved a low-key night on the tiles and an early flight to Belfast for a one-day game. Such a dismissive attitude to a triumph of that magnitude did raise a few eyebrows, not least from the team itself, but the approach was justified in hindsight, as England went on to build on their performance in a manner they were unable to do in 2005.”The Ashes is an important series, obviously, and the whole history of the competition is interesting, and it’s a real honour for everyone in our squad to be involved in it,” he said. “But we have ambitions to be the No.1 side in the world, and the Ashes being an important series in its own right is an important step along the way.”

England’s weakness against spin cost them for the third time in the series as they unravelled from a strong position to post an underwhelming total on a slow turning pitch

The Report by Abhishek Purohit23-Oct-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsVirat Kohli and Suresh Raina all but sealed the match with a 131-run stand for the fourth wicket•AFPEngland’s weakness against spin cost them for the third time in the series as they unravelled from a strong position to post an underwhelming total on a slow turning pitch in Mumbai. Their fast bowlers struck three early blows but Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina motored to a 131-run stand at close to seven an over, showcasing the difference between the sides and sparking another needless bout of words in the middle as England’s frustration overflowed.It was England’s own batsmen who had let down their ragged bowlers down when they caved in against spin in the afternoon. R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja took 5 for 79 in 20 overs between them after Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen had built on England’s quickest start of the series.Vinay Kumar broke the 73-run stand between Trott and an uncharacteristically subdued Pietersen, then Jadeja and Ashwin worked their way through a clueless England middle order, striking three times in six overs. Tim Bresnan took the score past 200 with a run-a-ball 45, but England were dismissed with 23 deliveries remaining when fast bowler Varun Aaron bowled Bresnan to finish with three wickets on debut.Disciplined pace bowling led by the impressive Steven Finn kept England in with an outside chance at the start of the chase. Kohli and Raina kept the runs coming, though, not allowing the score of 46 for 3 to tie them down in a partnership that steadily at first, and then emphatically, pushed England out of the match, making a 5-0 whitewash ever more likely.Finn and Bresnan had started with testing spells that kept the India openers quiet. The first five overs produced only 17 runs, leading Parthiv Patel to whip across the line and lose his stumps to Finn. Finn struck again in his next over when Gautam Gambhir inside-edged onto his stumps. His opening spell of 5-0-10-2 was followed by a sharp burst from debutant Stuart Meaker that induced Ajinkya Rahane into a poke outside off stump only for wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter to take a leaping one-handed blinder.Scott Borthwick, the young legspinner surprisingly chosen ahead of Grame Swann, bowled with heart, but it was unfair to expect him to have the same effect that the experienced Swann could have managed. Kohli and Raina continued almost unbothered, picking off the singles easily and finding the boundaries with crisp shots. The duo’s approach was in sharp contrast to England’s tottering line-up.Despite India being three down at the start of the bowling Powerplay, Raina took the chance and chipped Meaker just over mid-off for a boundary. His innings grew into a blur of scythes through extra cover and swings down the ground before Finn bowled him after a missed slog during a heated over. Raina had surged to 80 by then and with Kohli easing into elegant drives and cuts, India were runaway winners with almost ten overs remaining.England’s fate had virtually been sealed when their middle order tried to sweep and slog-sweep their way out of trouble. Pietersen was one of three batsmen to fall on the shots, though the substitute fielder Manoj Tiwary was responsible for sending him back with a diving catch after running across from deep midwicket.Ravi Bopara missed one from Jadeja to be caught in front and Jonny Bairstow’s disappointing series continued when he was bowled by a ripper that pitched on leg and turned to hit off stump. Samit Patel and Bresnan tried to salvage something from 145 for 6 but Patel slog-swept Ashwin straight to deep midwicket in another disappointing batting Powerplay for England.Aaron, who had consistently hovered above 140kph on debut, came back to run through the lower order, hitting the stumps three times, the last of which straightened past Bresnan’s outside edge to clip the top of off, with England well short of a challenging total on a turning pitch without Swann.Things hadn’t looked as gloomy for England when Pietersen and Trott accumulated solidly in a steady partnership that helped them recover after Alastair Cook and Kieswetter departed off successive deliveries. Though Pietersen went hard at deliveries and mistimed his strokes at times, Trott kept the runs flowing, cutting Jadeja three times to the deep point boundary. Trott welcomed Vinay’s second spell with a cracking drive that beat the cover sweeper easily but was dismissed two deliveries later. Pietersen continued to find the field and the India spinners soon got on top decisively, yet again.

Aston Villa are hopeful of signing Juventus midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur before Monday’s transfer deadline.

That’s according to The Telegraph’s John Percy, and as to be expected, the update has had a number of Villa fans talking.

The Midlands club have been busy this month, finalising moves for Philippe Coutinho, Lucas Digne and Robin Olsen while also adding Kerr Smith to their academy ranks.

Steven Gerrard still wants a centre-back and a holding midfielder, though, with an approach made for Bentancur over the weekend.

Percy claimed on Tuesday that Villa were hopeful of striking an agreement with Juventus and may look to bring in a centre-back on loan over the coming days. The reliable reporter touted an £18m figure for Bentancur, with Luis Suarez providing Gerrard with a glowing review of his international teammate.

Villa fans react

@villareport relayed Percy’s claim regarding the Uruguayan on Twitter. Here is what these Villa supporters had to say in reply, with many excited and one labelling a potential deal as ‘amazing’.

“Signing of the window if this happens”

Credit: @timcrowe__

“Yessssssss”

Credit: @_JackAvfc

“Percy at the back post as per”

Credit: @Nathhhavfc

“Signing this lad would make this an amazing transfer window. However, it will never be as good as the one when we signed Grant Holt”

Credit: @AvfcRick

“Not too expensive that, great deal”

Credit: @ajbyrne_avfc

“PERCYYYYYYYY”

Credit: @Finleydb10

In other news: ‘Stop it’, ‘£40m’ – Many Villa fans react as David Ornstein shares ‘interesting’ transfer news

A teasing update has emerged on Rangers and their efforts to fast track John Souttar’s arrival at Ibrox…

What’s the talk?

Edinburgh News journalist Barry Anderson has claimed that the Gers are working to agree a deal to sign the centre-back this month.

He Tweeted: “Rangers’ talks with Hearts over John Souttar are progressing but no transfer agreed yet. Seems a matter of time. Will be surprised if he plays for #HMFC again. Not involved at Auchinleck Talbot today.”

Excitement

This teasing claim will surely get Rangers fans excited as it suggests that the club are well on their way to bringing Souttar to Ibrox this month. Whilst Gio van Bronckhorst can rest easy with the knowledge that he is guaranteed to come in the summer, it could be a major boost in the short term to have him arrive six months earlier.

Bringing the central defender to Glasgow this month could improve the Gers’ chances of achieving success domestically and in Europe as he could be an upgrade to the starting XI.

Souttar has averaged a phenomenal SofaScore rating of 7.44 across his 19 Premiership starts. He has won 70% of his individual duels and made 4.3 clearances per game, showing off his defensive quality at this level.

Former Hearts boss Craig Levein once hailed the defender as one of the best in the division, saying:

“I’ve known him since he was 12 years old and he’s just got better and better. When he came here from Dundee Utd, we just needed to give him time. He’s grown into the player that I hoped he would be and for me he’s the best centre back in Scotland.

“Just for the fact that he can do wonderful things. His passing of the ball Saturday was fantastic, but he is also now capable physically of competing with any centre forward. His pace is very, very good and he’s strong, focused and aggressive.”

Meanwhile, no Rangers player outside of James Tavernier (7.80) has managed a higher rating than Souttar in the league. Connor Goldson’s score of 7.15 is the highest of any centre-back in the squad, suggesting that the Hearts man has been head and shoulders above any of van Bronckhorst’s current options.

Therefore, bringing the 25-year-old in this month could be a huge move by Ross Wilson and the Dutch head coach and fans will surely be excited by the prospect of him lining up for the club this season. That is why they will be delighted with this latest update on the pursuit by Anderson.

AND in other news, Major development emerges in “groundbreaking” Rangers move, GvB will be buzzing…

Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand captain, has asked his batsmen to play with clear minds if they are to arrest a nine-match losing streak that threatens to derail his side’s lead-up to the 2011 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Dec-2010Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand captain, has asked his batsmen to play with clear minds if they are to arrest a nine-match losing streak that threatens to derail his side’s lead-up to the 2011 World Cup.”Each individual has to stand up and perform well,” Vettori said ahead of the first of two dead-rubber matches against India, who have won the series 3-0. “We need a couple of top-order batsmen coming good in the next two matches. What we have to do tomorrow is be clear in our minds and perform the roles we need to do.”The reasons for the three-match drubbing are relatively simple and unfortunate. We failed to post enough runs on the board by trying different things. We did not put pressure on the Indian batsmen. In this part of the world you need to go harder with the ball and make it straight.”New Zealand’s ability to put up big scores has been hampered by injuries to Jesse Ryder and Brendon McCullum, and Ross Taylor’s indifferent form throughout the tour. Vettori was confident that Taylor would come good in Bangalore, his IPL home. He also hoped that McCullum would keep wickets to give his side more balance.”Ross has been performing well and has a good record for a long time,” Vettori said. “We are hopeful that he is comfortable here in Bangalore. Obviously this is a real turning point for him in the series. McCullum’s back is still giving him a bit of trouble. It is difficult to keep wickets with a sore back. He is on for the game tomorrow morning and is progressing and getting better. I am just hoping that he keeps wickets but I am not 100% sure.”The Chinnaswamy Stadium sported bouncy tracks during IPL 2010, and assisted seamers even during the recent Test against Australia. Vettori expected some help for the bowlers during the day-night game, but chose not to finalise his team’s composition ahead of time. “It has got lot more grass on it and probably not damp but little sticky,” he said. “We need to see what the change is going to be in the next 24 hours. We would take a decision [on the team] tomorrow. I think the present lot is good enough to win the game but there may be a couple of changes here and there.”Despite the lack of success on the tour, Vettori said the side had gained from Duncan Fletcher’s involvement as a consultant. He also hinted that there was talk of bringing Mushtaq Ahmed, the former Pakistan legspinner currently working with the England team, to help their spinners. “Duncan has come in under the same set of umbrella for batting. He has a lot of ideas on bowling, fielding and batting. He has come and is trying to help the guys as much as possible.”

Everton are on the search to bring in their sixth manager in six years, with many names being put into the rumour mill including Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney and Roberto Martinez, with Fabrizio Romano dropping a huge update on the latter.

What’s the word?

Romano took to his Twitter account last night to further confirm the reports that Everton will be interviewing former Fenerbahce manager, Vitor Pereira, in doing so he added a key piece of information that Toffees fans may have missed.

The transfer insider then explained a little bit about the situation surrounding Martinez, tweeting: “No way for Roberto Martinez.”

Martinez was considered the favourite after Sky Sports claimed that Everton were in talks to reunite with the Spaniard at Goodison Park, however, it was then further reported that the Belgian FA had blocked the move, with the manager unable to leave his head coach position at Belgium ahead of the World Cup in Qatar this year.

Fans will be relieved

Understandably, Everton fans will be elated with the news that the manager who they protested against almost six years ago will not be coming back to the club for a second stint.

Martinez suffered a similar fate to Rafa Benitez when the Everton supporters turned on him in 2016 after three seasons in charge at Goodison Park, with many protesting in the ground and even pitch invasions to approach the manager in the dugout, which we saw again with Benitez at Carrow Road during his last game in charge.

So, when the 48-year-old was said to be in talks with the Toffees for a return, Everton fans reacted badly to the idea, with many taking to social media to share their annoyance and reflect on Martinez’s previous reign, with one fan tweeting:

“I remember when we had Martinez, and how depressing it was and how much frustration there was at the end. It consumed me then and even more so now and it’s horrible.”

Duncan Ferguson is currently the caretaker manager at the club, but the need for results and stability is getting desperate at the Merseyside club as they sit just three points off the relegation zone, with many fans taking drastic action by approaching the club chairman, Bill Kenwright, after the defeat at home to Aston Villa at the weekend.

Moshiri must make the right decision over the next few days to give a new manager the opportunity to dip into the last week of the transfer window should they feel the need to, and gain an understanding of the group of players before the important FA Cup fourth-round tie with Brentford in just under two weeks time.

In other news: Alan Myers gives an update on Everton’s manager search

It was fitting that Simon Katich was named Australia’s Player of the Match in their 150-run win over Pakistan at Lord’s.

Brydon Coverdale17-Jul-2010It was fitting that Simon Katich was named Australia’s Player of the Match in their 150-run win over Pakistan at Lord’s. He is the team’s reigning Test Player of the Year, he has scored more runs than any other player in Test cricket over the past two years, and there hasn’t been a Test since Headingley last August in which he has failed to post at least a half-century.But despite his remarkable consistency, match honours have tended to elude Katich. Only twice in his career has he been named Player of the Match; once in Bridgetown in June 2008, in the third match of his comeback to the Test side, and at Lord’s this week for his innings of 80 and 83. This time he even had to share the award with Salman Butt.Not that such trinkets mean much to Katich. He’s spent long enough out of the Test team over the past decade to appreciate his position. When he was recalled at the age of 32 on the tour of the Caribbean two years ago and turned into a makeshift opener due to an injury to Matthew Hayden, Katich knew that he had to grab every opportunity and treat each game as if it would be his last.”That’s been a big part of my philosophy since I got back in,” Katich said after the Lord’s win. “I knew it was going to be tough to get back in at my age. I’ve just tried to really enjoy it because it probably wasn’t expected. From that point of view I haven’t put too much pressure on myself and I’ve just tried to enjoy each Test match and enjoy winning Test matches.”That’s part of our tradition of playing in the baggy green is to win Test matches. I’ve been through both eras of Australian cricket, where we were so dominant for so long and now the goal is to get us back up to No. 1. Hopefully we’re on our way to doing that.”The cricket writer Ray Robinson once wrote of Bill Lawry that if he wasn’t married to his wicket, they were at least going steady. Katich has been in a stable relationship with his for the past two years. His shuffle from leg to off is not the sort of move young players are taught, but in doing so he protects his stumps – he has been bowled only four times from 51 innings since his comeback.He eschews the rule of playing in the ‘V’ and his wagon wheel at Lord’s reveals as much. In his second-innings 83, he scored not a single run straight back past the bowler. Instead, he thrived on flicks through midwicket, cover drives, edgy cuts and singles squirted behind square leg. He’d be a hopeless baseball player; every shot would end up in foul territory.But his technique punishes bowlers who aim too straight and in swinging conditions, like the teams were confronted with at Lord’s, that can be a common error. There was no century for Katich, but against a Pakistan attack that found it easy to curl the ball in the air, his match tally was the difference for Australia.”Day one was probably as trying a conditions as any of us have faced in Test cricket for a while,” the captain Ricky Ponting said. “The fact the game is stop-start is never easy for batsman, the ball swung all of our innings and probably most of their innings as well. So the return we got out of Simon in both innings was fantastic.”And finally, Katich was rewarded for his efforts.