All posts by h716a5.icu

According to Mundo Deportivo, Southampton are battling West Ham and AC Milan to sign Barcelona defender Junior Firpo this summer.

The Lowdown: Saints planning for new season

After a mixed season that saw Southampton reach an FA Cup semi-final but also finish a lowly 14th in the Premier League table, Ralph Hasenhuttl and co will be planning for the upcoming campaign.

That is likely to see a number of new arrivals, and the Saints appear to have their eye on a La Liga left-back.

The Latest: Saints eye Firpo

The latest report suggests that Southampton are an option for Firpo this summer.

At the moment, though, it seems like the Hammers are leading the race for the 24-year-old, with Milan also an intriguing proposition.

The Verdict: Worth a punt

The move to Camp Nou has not gone fantastically for Firpo – he has made just 41 appearances across two seasons for the club (Transfermarkt). However, during the 2018/19 campaign, he scored three goals and provided five assists for Real Betis in 29 matches despite being a defender.

Valued at just £7.2m (Transfermarkt), he is unlikely to break the bank – which is just as well considering Hasenhuttl previously said the Saints will struggle to sign any single player for more than £10m (Sky Sports). It remains to be seen whether they are able to beat their competitors to his signature but the Barca left-back would be a very good addition in a problem area for the Saints.

In other news, Southampton fans rage at this man’s exit.

Winchester’s Paul Marks faces a late check on a back injury before the Hampshire Cricket Board’s 50-over warm-up match against Hampshire 2nd XI at the Rose Bowl Nursery ground on Sunday, 11am

Mike Vimpany15-Apr-2002Winchester’s Paul Marks faces a late check on a back injury before the Hampshire Cricket Board’s 50-over warm-up match against Hampshire 2nd XI at the Rose Bowl Nursery ground on Sunday, 11am.Marks injured his back playing soccer last weekend and did not play in Sunday’s HCB indoor finals.County 2nd XI coach Tony Middleton is expected to field several of his prospective Academy XI in the match.Hampshire Board XI: Paul Gover (Havant – captain), Paul Marks, Dave Greatham (Winchester KS), Daniel Peacock (Lymington), David Banks, Damian Shirazi, Kirk Stewart (BAT Sports), Neil Randall, Chris Wright (Liphook & Ripsley), Roger Miller, Matt Hooper (Andover).

Last week, David Turnbull scooped the award for Celtic’s Player of the Season.

It was richly deserved for an impeccable first term at Parkhead. Having signed for the Hoops last summer, the Scot hasn’t let the negativity distract him.

From an offensive point of view, he’s been a shining light. Turnbull stepped up to the plate in the absence of James Forrest, scoring ten goals and registering eight assists.

That said, there was one player who no matter the scoreline and no matter how bad things got, they were always a beacon of hope and positivity. That happens to be Kristoffer Ajer.

The Norwegian is likely to leave Paradise this summer and if he does indeed head for the departure lounge, he can do so with his head held high.

Ajer has been a consistent figure, a man who is every bit a leader, someone who could easily fill the leadership void of Scott Brown.

Saturday’s clash with Hibernian was all about the affectionately known Broony. This was his final outing in a Celtic shirt but he waved farewell to the Hoops with a goalless draw.

That said, there was one stand out player, someone who should have stolen the plaudits over their tireless defensive midfielder.

Again, we come back to Ajer. He was the heartbeat of the side, marauding forward at regular intervals and dictating the game from centre-back.

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We should hardly be surprised with this performance, though. During negative times, the Norway international had been a shining example for the rest of the team.

Speaking earlier this season, John Hartson commented: “He’s grabbing the bull by the horns and he’s almost dragging the team through, even to these draws. You see him making these lung-bursting runs forward, he’s marauding with that big stride, he’s challenging, on his backside, making blocks, in the opposition’s penalty area.”

Hartson added: “He’s a credit to the rest of the players. They should all look at him and if they’d all adopted the same attitude as Ajer then might have made a better fist of it in terms of holding on to the title.”

That was exactly the attitude the defender showed against Hibs on Saturday.

He completed a whopping 97% of his passes and took 115 touches during the contest. Only Brown and Callum McGregor took more than Ajer.

Furthermore, the 23-year-old won seven ground duels, more than anyone to take the field at Easter Road this weekend.

For a centre-back, his performance was full of attacking intent. He completed two dribbles, the same number as Ryan Christie, and was fouled on three occasions. One of those came after a lung-busting 50 yard run forward.

Those numbers are remarkable for someone playing in the position Ajer features in.

If he does walk out the exit door this summer it’ll be a huge loss. However, you can’t be surprised. His ball-playing abilities will fit right at home in a number of top sides south of the border.

AND in other news, £12k-p/w dud must never play for Celtic again, he lost the ball every 5 touches y’day…

David Moyes has been handed a fresh injury blow ahead of West Ham’s final game of the 2020/21 campaign…

What’s the latest?

The Hammers will likely be without first-choice goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski after he suffered a knee injury during the warm-up against West Brom on Wednesday evening. It’s thought that the 36-year-old suffered a knee issue and had to be withdrawn from the starting XI at the 11th hour, with Darren Randolph featuring in his place.

“He felt his knee go from under him. I don’t know if he’s done anything bad. We’ll have to see. Obviously, it’s a blow because he’s been very good for us,” revealed Moyes after the victory.

The ever-reliable ExWHUemployee told fans on Twitter that he would “extremely doubt” Fabianski’s involvement against Southampton on Sunday afternoon.

Moyes has since delivered a fresh update on the situation, and it isn’t looking very good. Speaking in his pre-game press conference, the West Ham manager told reporters, via football.london: “Don’t know about Fabianski, [I] don’t think it is quite as bad at the time but it will be a last-minute call on Sunday.”

Huge blow

Given the endless list of injury problems with which Moyes has had to deal throughout the season, particularly since the turn of the year, it would be a surprise to see him risk the Poland shot-stopper.

Fabianski must surely have the European Championships in the back of his mind, so surely he won’t want to risk aggravating the injury, especially as it’s a knee concern.

Ultimately, this will come as a major blow to Moyes as it makes the Irons a much weaker side defensively. Randolph looked a little shaky from crosses and set pieces against the Baggies in midweek.

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He will now be coming up against a pair of better forwards in Danny Ings (12 goals) and Che Adams (nine goals), both of whom average 1.5 or more shots per league game this term, as per WhoScored.

The 34-year-old will be in for a busy afternoon if he’s not at the top of his game, while it remains to be seen how the defence will feel without their usual and trusted number one behind them.

Fabianski has started 34 of their league outings this term, keeping nine clean sheets and letting in only 1.2 goals per game, via Transfermarkt.

West Ham need just one point from the match to seal a place in the Europa League, or else they’ll be competing in the lesser and inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League, which will be far less appealing to any of their mooted summer transfer targets.

Therefore, Moyes may well feel a little worried about their prospects going into such a crucial encounter this weekend. He’ll be hoping that Randolph can fit in seamlessly, but he’ll have to improve from midweek.

AND in other news, GSB could boost West Ham’s Europe ambitions by securing “complete” £15m “technician”…

He was dropped from the Guyana Test on India’s last tour of the West Indies in 1996-97

Special Correspondent11-Apr-2002He was dropped from the Guyana Test on India’s last tour of the West Indies in 1996-97. This time around he will walk out to toss with Carl Hooper on the very same ground.For Sourav Ganguly, the captain of the Indian team, that is a great feeling. And, “by the grace of God,” as he puts it, he has always come back stronger at the places where he was dropped earlier. Remember Toronto? He earned four consecutive Man of the Match awards in his second Sahara Cup after being dropped for a couple of matches in the first one.But this is a different ball game altogether, and he will have to best the average Caribbean bowling attack to ensure a good first-innings total for the team, coming in at number three.With one more Test victory, he will be the most successful Indian captain on foreign soil. At the moment he has three victories, the same as MAK Pataudi, Bishen Singh Bedi and Sunil Gavaskar. This is his and his team’s best opportunity to do so. Twenty-four hours before the first Test, he chatted exclusively with our correspondent:Do you remember being dropped from the Guyana Test in 1997?Of course, yes. I can never forget that. It keeps pinching me every time I look back at the previous tour. Believe me, it will be a great feeling when I’ll be going out with Carl Hooper to toss the coin for the first time. It is a coincidence, but a wonderful one, I must admit.Do you think your team is capable of winning a test series in the Caribbean?Definitely. Ours is a much stronger team than the team touring here in 1997, especially in the bowling department. We have two of the finest spinners of modern-day cricket, and Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan are operating in tandem with the new ball. It is quite a balanced attack and capable of taking 20 wickets to win us a Test match. In 1997, Sri [Srinath] was not there, neither was Harbhajan. So we are hopeful.But will Harbhajan play in the first Test?I hope so, if he is fully fit to play. I don’t want to aggravate the injury by picking him when he is not fully fit to take the strains of five days of cricket. It is up to our physio to take the final decision tomorrow morning.It seems that you are destined not to play the full team you desire abroad. Anil Kumble played under you first in the South African tour, Sachin Tendulkar and Srinath were missing from the Sri Lankan tour…What can I do about it? It really hurts. But at the same time, you must not forget that we are playing throughout the year, and anybody can pick injuries. We should be prepared for that. But there are some positions you just cannot fill up. Bhajji [Harbhajan] was an integral part of our planning. If he misses the Test, we will have to change our strategy.Then will you be playing with three seamers and Kumble?That is yet not finalised. At the moment we are not ruling out the possibility of playing Bhajji at Guyana. If he is not available, then of course we will have to think otherwise.Will India continue with Deep Dasgupta at the top of the order?Why not? He is averaging nearly 40 in Tests as an opener, and that is enough for the team management to allow him one more chance. He deserves it. I know he was not tidy behind the stumps in the recently concluded series. But keeping to Anil [Kumble] and Bhajji on Indian wickets is always tougher for a newcomer. I hope he will keep better here. And you cannot drop a performing opener who showed tremendous guts in South Africa.You had said that Rahul Dravid would get back his number three spot after the Delhi Test. Will that be true, or you will continue at that position?I think I will continue. We need Rahul to play the second new ball at the bottom of the innings. And personally I was getting frustrated waiting so long to bat in Tests, especially after opening the innings in one-dayers. My vice-captain has faith in me to allow me one or two more opportunities.You did not come here with the team. A section of the media was not at all happy at that. Your reactions?I simply fail to understand why there is such a furore about it. If your wife is ailing, isn’t it your duty to be beside her bed for as much time as you can? I just did that and came here right before the tour-opener. Not only that, I did play in that match too. Yes, I didn’t come with the team, but there were some unavoidable reasons, and I took the permission of the Board president. That is enough, I suppose.But what about playing so slowly in the limited over match following the first class match here?We were trying to spend as much time at the wicket as possible. There was only one preparatory match before the first Test. The batsmen wanted to have a feel of the wickets here. That is why they played so slowly. It was in the interest of the team.

Celtic are leading the chase for Cardiff City defender Ciaron Brown, according to TEAMtalk.

The Lowdown: Brown’s versatility

Brown spent half of the current campaign on loan at Livingston this season and actually scored and provided an assist in a 2-2 draw against the Hoops back in January.

The Northern Ireland international, predominantly a centre-back, also played as a left-back and a left midfielder this season, and his displays seemingly haven’t gone unnoticed.

The Latest: Hoops not the only club interested

TEAMtalk lead with a title that Celtic are leading the chase for the Cardiff man, however, clubs in Germany and Belgium are also keen on the 23-year-old.

The report adds that Brown is out of contract in south Wales this summer, but the Bluebirds do have an option which they are set to activate which could prevent the defender from becoming a free agent over the coming months.

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The Verdict: A shrewd addition?

The specific clause could prove to be a problem for the Hoops and new CEO Dominic McKay, although, should a deal become available for a reasonable price, we think Brown could be a smart signing ahead of the 2021/22 season.

You’d expect the new Celtic manager to make a number of signings over the coming months, but it seems unlikely each addition will be a high-profile name for big money.

Bringing in someone like Brown, who can play in three different positions, could be a shrewd piece of business in the long run, and at 23 years of age, still has time to improve.

In other news: Journalist claims Celtic have completed a deal as seven-word message emerges, find out more here. 

When Jeremie Frimpong unexpectedly left Celtic for German shores back in January, it left the Hoops in the lurch.

The Bhoys suddenly needed to fill a vacant hole at full-back and they didn’t have much time in order to do it.

The player that Peter Lawwell and Celtic’s recruitment team decided upon was Jonjoe Kenny.

On paper, this was an adequate piece of business from the top brass at Parkhead. They’d found a temporary resolution to their problem at barely any cost.

The Toffees defender arrived on loan and after being nominated for Rookie of the Year when playing for Schalke in the Bundesliga, it looked like he’d do well.

Unfortunately, like Celtic’s season, it has been a period to forget. Kenny is eye-catching going forward but truth be told, his defending leaves plenty to be desired.

The £15k-per-week earner has endured a dismal few months at Paradise and with his stay in Glasgow coming to an end, John Kennedy must focus on other options, players who may actually be here next season.

After all, if Celtic decide to bring Kenny back next term, it would be a questionable decision.

When the big games have fallen upon the Hoops, Kenny has never been one to stand up and take responsibility.

In all three Old Firm derbies now, he’s been particularly inconsistent. In February, the defender’s lapse back pass led to a corner from which Alfredo Morelos scored.

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There are no prizes for guessing the man who was supposed to be marking the bullish Colombian from that set-piece; Kenny.

His worst performance in a Celtic shirt arguably followed in the Scottish Cup fourth round.

He and Diego Laxalt had what Paul John Dykes described on A Celtic State of Mind during the half time interval as a “nightmare.”

The Everton youngster struggled with Ryan Kent and was at fault for both goals. He failed to get close enough to Steven Davis for the opener and then accidentally diverted the ball into his own net for the second after failing to track the run of Kent.

Unfortunately, he was poor again the last time Celtic took to the field.

The 24-year-old didn’t provide much support to James Forrest down the right-hand side and was given a rough afternoon defensively.

Kenny lost possession 21 times and only completed 72% of his passes as his side slipped to a devastating 4-1 defeat at Ibrox.

Scott Brown may have been at fault for Morelos’ fierce strike in the first half, but Kenny never looked comfortable during his time on the pitch. His afternoon was made worse by the fact he committed two fouls and was dribbled past on three occasions.

It doesn’t feel as though Kenny has been at the races for a while now. Like Celtic’s season, his performances have only continued to dwindle.

The interim manager needs to factor in other options when the Bhoys face St Johnstone on Wednesday evening.

AND in other news, McKay must wield the axe on 5ft9 Celtic dud, Sutton dubbed him the “new Ryan Christie”…

Barry Fry has told Football FanCast that Liverpool’s season has been nothing short of a “disaster”.

The club are facing a genuine battle to finish in the top four, a comedown after last season’s brilliance as they won the Premier League title at a canter.

Jurgen Klopp’s side are fighting with Chelsea, West Ham United, and Tottenham Hotspur to qualify for the Champions League, with their hopes taking a fresh blow on Saturday as they were held to a last-gasp 1-1 draw against Newcastle United at Anfield.

But they could well finish in the Europa League, as they have battled with a number of injury issues.

Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, Jordan Henderson, Alisson Becker and Divock Origi have all struggled with injury issues, with the first two missing the majority of the season.

Liverpool only dropped points in six games last season, drawing three and losing three, but following the clash with Newcastle United, they have now drawn nine and lost nine.

And Fry believes that they have run out of luck this term.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, he said: “I mean, after the previous two years, where they’ve been absolutely brilliant, this season’s been a disaster in as much as he’s had horrendous injuries for a horrendously long time and things like that, everything’s gone wrong for Liverpool this season.”

Barry Fry has exclusively told Football FanCast that Tottenham must make a “statement” in the transfer window.

They signed no less than seven players last summer, but following their Carabao Cup final defeat last weekend, it’s been another trophyless season for Spurs, who could also miss out on Champions League football once again – with the gap to fourth-placed Chelsea at five points.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has been the best of their seven summer additions, but the likes of Joe Rodon, Matt Doherty and Carlos Vinicius have all struggled to make an impact in Tottenham’s first-team, with the latter scoring just once in the Premier League.

And Fry has warned Tottenham’s owners that they must improve their squad to compete again next season.

Should Spurs finish 7th or lower, it would be the first time they’ve finished outside the top-six since coming 8th under Harry Redknapp back in 2008-09.

Fry told Football FanCast:

“I think a statement has got to be made by Joe Lewis and Daniel Levy that they intend to keep Harry and they intend to help him by getting better quality squad players.

“If Tottenham’s first team go out, on their day they can beat anybody, but if they get injuries, they haven’t got the strength in depth or class to come in and do the same job.

“They’ve got a big, big problem!”

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Carlton Palmer has criticised Dejphon Chansiri for causing friction in his relationship with ex-Owls manager Tony Pulis.

Pulis was sacked as Wednesday manager at the end of last December after just 10 games in charge.

In a statement on the club’s official website (via BBC), Chansiri stated that the Welshman was removed from the Hillsborough dugout because of poor results and “other issues” going on behind the scenes.

Palmer, however, is refusing to accept the notion that Pulis was the main culprit, suggesting that Chansiri had made promises to the 63-year-old that he did not keep.

The retired England international told FFC:

“Tony Pulis is a seasoned manager. If anybody could have turned their fortunes around, it would have been Tony and he didn’t last two minutes, and I think that’s because the chairman, reading between the lines, promised him money to spend in the transfer window and there were no funds available.”

Chansiri has since turned to Darren Moore, who has a mammoth task in trying to keep Wednesday in the Championship. While the Owls do have a game in hand, they still find themselves in a deep hole, currently 23rd in the table with 32 points on the board.