All posts by h716a5.icu

A major update has emerged on Newcastle United’s search for a director of football…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Seagulls chief is ‘expected’ to join the Magpies in the coming weeks, leaving his role as technical director at the Premier League side.

This comes after The Athletic reported earlier this week that Newcastle had been given permission to speak with the former Three Lions man.

Ecstatic

Newcastle fans will surely be left ecstatic by this news as it is a major development in the club’s pursuit of a director of football. The report claiming that they were set for talks with Ashworth was promising and may have provided a sense of hope for the supporters, but this latest claim appears to suggest that the move is almost set in stone and he will be arriving at St. James’ Park.

It remains to be seen exactly when he will start his role and whether or not he will have any impact on the upcoming transfer window, but it is excellent news that they are on the verge of securing a man to lead the club forward.

He can now work with Eddie Howe to create a culture on and off the pitch on Tyneside, making sure that everyone is pulling in the same direction.

Newcastle are in a difficult position in the Premier League and they may be in need of a complete overhaul, which would require a competent director of football who is able to sculpt the club’s future.

Is he the man to do that? Brighton reporter Aden-Jay Wood Tweeted: “If Dan Ashworth goes (which I think he will), it will be a huge shame. Ashworth has almost singlehandedly changed Brighton’s approach both on and off the field and would be very, very difficult to replace.”

This suggests that the former FA chief would be perfect for the Magpies as he is able to alter the DNA of a club both in terms of their performances in matches and how they operate behind the scenes. He was also praised for his part in creating a winning mentality during his time with England, showing that he has been successful in both of his last two jobs.

Therefore, fans will be ecstatic to see someone with his pedigree and experience come through the door to build Newcastle back up to where they belong. They are 19th in the Premier League table as it stands and Ashworth could be the man to take them back to the glory days…

AND in other news, Hammond could seal instant NUFC masterclass by signing “outstanding” £15m “animal”…

Senior members of Pakistan’s team management on the tour to Australia raised concerns about a run-out wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal fluffed during the Sydney Test, hinting that it may have been more than just a cricketing error

Osman Samiuddin20-May-2010Senior members of Pakistan’s team management on the ill-fated tour to Australia earlier this year raised concerns about a run-out wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal fluffed during the second Test in Sydney, hinting that it may have been more than just a cricketing error. This has emerged in a video, leaked to a leading Pakistan sports channel, of meetings between officials and the six-man inquiry committee which investigated Pakistan’s performance in the aftermath of the tour.The tour is currently being investigated by the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) to establish whether Pakistan’s on-field performance was the result of what it called a “dysfunctional” team or “something more serious”. This was announced on Thursday by the ACSU’s outgoing chief, Paul Condon.The leaked segments of the video centre around the testimony given by Aaqib Javed and Intikhab Alam, assistant coach and coach respectively on that tour, to the committee. Akmal dropped Michael Hussey three times in the second innings, allowing the batsman to score a hundred that was pivotal in Australia winning the Test having conceded a 204-run lead.But the miss that has aroused suspicions was a run-out chance against Shane Watson, when Akmal cleanly collected a throw from the outfield but neglected to remove the bails with Watson short of the crease. In his statement, Akmal denied any wrongdoing. “I got the ball but was totally blind and couldn’t run out the batsman,” he said.Aaqib says of the miss that it was the “most shocking” of all his errors. “But the run-out, that was shocking, really shocking,” Aaqib says to committee members, including the head Wasim Bari, the PCB’s chief operating officer. “What did he do? How can this happen?”Asked specifically by a committee member how firmly he believes that Akmal’s mistakes were deliberate, Aaqib says, “I’m not sure, but my suspicions are pretty high. They are high because of other things I know about the process, the people in the surroundings. There is a high percentage. These things are not new in Pakistan cricket. These things have happened and I was a victim of them. There is a question mark, yes.”Intikhab, asked about the same incident, appears more reluctant to point to anything untoward. While describing the incident, though, he repeatedly refers to how shocked he was initially. “That run-out I saw, I was flabbergasted. If you see it, it is shocking….the ball came, he was diving so far out, what can I say? We couldn’t believe it. I heard many stories about match-fixing also.”The video, aired first by , a Pakistani sports channel, is particularly significant because it is the first time people within the board have spoken of match-fixing, an issue that has swirled relentlessly over Pakistan cricket over the last year. In the past, however, such statements have come only from ex-cricketers, or senators and parliamentarians. It isn’t clear, however, whether these suspicions were included in the various written reports handed to the PCB by touring officials or in the final inquiry committee report; it is understood, for example, that Intikhab’s written tour report did not raise this alarm.After these meetings, the inquiry committee decided to ban four senior players and fine three others heavily. Many of the other incidents in the video have already become public knowledge since the PCB completed its findings. Intikhab and Aaqib talk, for example, of Umar Akmal and the allegations that he faked a back ailment before the third Test in Hobart in protest at the dropping of his elder brother.Intikhab is also critical of the players’ behaviour away from the field, questioning their education levels and upbringing, their mental aptitude and ultimately concluding that they “seem to be mentally retarded.” He suggests, as remedial measures, that Shoaib Malik, Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan be removed from the team, though he says of Younis that “he is not a troublemaker but he has other issues.”Parts of the interaction between Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, another player facing a one-year ban from the national side, and the committee are also on the video. Rana talks at length about the players’ unhappiness with Younis when he was captain last year, admitting that he was part of a concerted movement to try and remove him.

Tottenham Hotspur chief Fabio Paratici is said to hugely admire Adama Traore ahead of the January transfer window…

What’s the word?

In recent weeks, the north London outfit have been linked with a move for the Wolverhampton Wanderers winger, with the Telegraph’s Matt Law first revealing their interest.

The ever-reliable Alasdair Gold of football.london has since provided another claim in a recent Q&A with supporters.

“Paratici likes Traore and wanted to sign him at Juventus in the past and he’s got 18 months left now on his contract. I’d imagine a deal next month though would be difficult to do and still pricey.

“Personally, I said in the summer that while Traore scares defences with his running and strength, his end product is mostly dreadful. Since then he’s recorded a total of zero goals and zero assists in his 19 matches in all competitions this season. My opinion, not that it means much, obviously hasn’t changed.”

However, according to ESPN, the Old Gold are willing to accept as little as £18m for him, despite being valued at £25.2m by Transfermarkt.

Sign him up!

The 25-year-old’s poor end product should be the least of Conte’s concerns, after all, that’s why he has Heung-min Son and Harry Kane at his disposal. It’s the havoc he can create that’ll allow the duo to thrive even more.

Just like he did last season, the Wolves attacker leads the division for dribbles per game (4.7). That’s way more than players like Mo Salah, Wilfried Zaha and Spurs’ Lucas Moura.

He is also averaging 1.1 key passes per game, which suggests he’s more of a creative talent than one that needs to find the back of the net.

His brute strength and physicality is surely something that Conte would love to have in his squad, especially as he’s a perfect fit for his system as the Spain international can play right-wing, as an inside-forward, up top and at right wing-back.

“He’s a machine. I was watching him pre-game and he could be a powerlifter or a cruiser-weight boxer – he’s huge,” Rio Ferdinand once told BT Sport (via BirminghamLive), whilst Southampton forward Che Adams dubbed him a “monster” to the Premier League’s official YouTube channel.

Meanwhile, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has often deemed him to be “unplayable”, which is rather telling of his ability in the big games and would suggest that his lack of end product isn’t hindering to his overall talent.

On the above evidence, Traore would be a fine addition to Conte’s unbeaten Spurs side. If Paratici and co really want him, then £18m isn’t a stretch, especially in January.

AND in other news, Conte can finally axe Spurs’ “freak of a talent” by signing “explosive” £27m-rated gem…

Shahid Afridi has been named as the captain of the Pakistan teams for the Asia Cup ODIs to be held in Sri Lanka from June 15, as well as the Test tour of England where Pakistan will play the hosts and Australia

Osman Samiuddin25-May-2010Shahid Afridi has been named Pakistan’s Test and ODI captain ahead of a busy summer which takes in the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka and then six Tests, five ODIs, as well as four T20Is, in England against Australia and the hosts. Pakistan’s board and selectors also opened the door on a possible return for Younis Khan and Shoaib Malik, two men only recently banned by the board for indiscipline. Another old hand at the indiscipline game, Shoaib Akhtar, has been called up in a 35-man list of probables, which will be culled down before the two events.The squad announcements were among the most eagerly-awaited in some time, given the chaos that followed since the tour to Australia. Pakistan effectively have been without a Test and ODI captain since then and had punished seven leading players – including four former captains – over disciplinary issues. But in recent days, speculation had grown that Afridi, already the Twenty20 captain, would be appointed.Once he had publicly announced that he would be available to play Tests, a format he had left four years ago, the decision was all but sealed to once again unite the leadership of all three formats under one man: “We requested Afridi to take on the Test captaincy and he very graciously accepted,” Ijaz Butt, chairman PCB, told reporters, flanked by Afridi and Mohsin Khan, chief selector. Today Afridi spent in meetings with Butt and the selectors to finalise a probables list.Afridi now becomes the 27th man to lead Pakistan in Tests and the fourth captain since the start of 2009.The decision remains a risky one, given that Afridi played the last of his 26 Tests almost exactly four years ago on Pakistan’s last tour to England. Until recently he has appeared unsure about a return to the format, but it is believed the appointment was part of an agreement to become the Twenty20 captain before the World Twenty20.Afridi asked for patience in what he accepted will be a challenging role. “As a challenge I have accepted this,” Afridi said. “Pakistan needs a senior player right now to lead them and that is why I accepted this. I don’t think we should have too many expectations for Test cricket right now but I will try to get our ranking up to where it should be.”The other big decisions were recalling the two former captains Younis and Malik back into the squad. Their return is dependent on their appeals against the ban being overturned by an independent arbitrator, but having been selected it seems unlikely their bans will now stay. In any case the PCB has thawed in recent days, Butt telling reporters yesterday that he will review the punishments and praising Younis in particular. Younis was handed an indefinite ban by an inquiry committee after the Australia tour earlier this year and Malik was given a one-year ban; neither’s indiscretions were specified, only a vague reference made to acts of indiscipline and unsettling the team.But their potential return and that of Shoaib [Akhtar] was insisted upon by Afridi, who said the summer would require experienced heads at the helm. Shoaib last played an international for Pakistan in May 2009 and his last Test back in December 2007, but has this season turned out in domestic cricket in a bid to prove his fitness; he was particularly impressive in the Pentangular ODI cup in Karachi recently.”It will be good if we can get back Younis and Shoaib because the team will be stronger with them in it,” Afridi said. “England is always a difficult challenge as a tour and you need experienced players on it. The mix has to be right between juniors and seniors.”Afridi revealed that he had also spoken to Mohammad Yousuf in a bid to get him to take back his retirement and return to international cricket. Yousuf had walked away from the game earlier this year after also being handed an indefinite ban by the board and he is the only one of the seven players punished not to have appealed against his punishment. But Afridi said Yousuf was unwilling to change his mind.Misbah-ul-Haq has been dropped once again, following disappointing results on his recall for the tours to New Zealand and Australia. Though he was picked for the World Twenty20 also, he didn’t make any significant contribution towards Pakistan’s semi-final run. The bigger surprise is perhaps the retention of Kamran Akmal; though he did well enough in the Caribbean with the bat, he remains as a result of this probables announcement, the likely first-choice wicketkeeper for the Test side. That is some achievement in itself given his performance in the last Test he played at Sydney (where he dropped four catches and fluffed a run-out), his behaviour in the aftermath of his subsequent axing and his generally shaky form with the gloves in Tests for a number of seasons now.The 15-man squad for the Asia Cup will be decided in the first week of June after a short, five to six-day training camp in Karachi. The squad for England will be decided soon after that.Probables: Salman Butt, Imran Farhat, Yasir Hameed, Khurram Manzoor, Shahzaib Hassan, Azhar Ali, Azeem Ghumman, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Faisal Iqbal, Fawad Alam, Hasan Raza, Asad Shafiq, Umar Amin, Aamer Sajjad, Mohammad Hafeez, Shahid Afridi (capt), Abdul Razzaq, Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Sami, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Irfan, Tanvir Ahmed, Aizaz Cheema, Danish Kaneria, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Zulfiqar Babar, Kamran Akmal (wk), Zulqarnain Haider (wk)

A major update has emerged on the future of Hugo Lloris at Tottenham Hotspur…

What’s the word?

The vastly-experienced club captain has entered the final six months of his current £100k-per-week contract in north London but according to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the club have made his extension a top priority.

He delivered a fresh update to his ‘Here We Go’ podcast this week.

“For Hugo Lloris’ contract… This is one of the priorities because Antonio Conte since he arrived, he [has] wanted Lloris to be the centre of the project, to be an important player for Tottenham, to accept this contract because he is out of contract in June. And so Tottenham are into it,” Romano explained.

“Let’s see if it will be a one-year deal with an option to 2024, it is a possibility, or directly a two-year deal. It is still to be discussed but Tottenham want Hugo to stay, he wants to stay. Antonio Conte loves experienced players, like [Samir] Handanovic at Inter was untouchable.

“Talking about Lloris – he is the priority for Conte, to keep him and extend his contract.”

Conte will be delighted

Even though Conte has made the need for additions during the January transfer window abundantly clear during his pre and post-game press conferences over the festive period, he will be buzzing to learn that the Lilywhites hierarchy will accelerate talks with the skipper.

Speaking about the 35-year-old in their recent 1-0 victory over Watford, the Italian claimed (via the Daily Mail):

“I am sure in a short time they can find a solution because he loves Tottenham and Tottenham loves him. Hugo today showed he is a top player and always focussed. For us, he is very important.”

Elsewhere, other reports have suggested that the Spurs head coach has little faith in Lloris’ back-up, Atalanta loanee Pierluigi Gollini, so the need to tie the Frenchman – who has a World Cup winners medal in his locker – down to a new deal is all that more important.

The win over the Hornets last week was the veteran’s 20th appearance of the current campaign and 393rd overall for the club, in which he has contributed a whopping 134 clean sheets, per Transfermarkt, proving to be a reliable and consistent influence between the sticks over the years.

It’s no wonder every Spurs manager sticks with him.

“For me, the most consistent keeper in the Prem the last 18 months has been Hugo he has been nothing short of outstanding. You can see why Poch and Deschamps love him so much and French and Spurs captain,” claimed club legend Graham Roberts on Twitter recently.

Therefore, this latest behind-the-scenes development from Hotspur Way is sure to leave the 52-year-old boss absolutely delighted heading into the rest of the season.

Spurs are certainly one step closer to tying Lloris down to fresh terms.

AND in other news, Conte could finally axe £25m-rated Tottenham “joke” as big transfer twist emerges…

Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford didn’t miss the Whites’ 3-2 win over West Ham through injury, according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Famous win for Leeds

Marcelo Bielsa’s side picked up an enormous three points on Sunday afternoon, battling their way to a fantastic victory at the London Stadium. Jack Harrison stole the show with a well-taken hat-trick but it was a superb team effort overall from Leeds, who dug deep in the absence of numerous key players.

One man who didn’t feature against the Hammers was Bamford, with the 28-year-old playing only once since the middle of September because of injury problems.

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The Latest: Hay gives positive Bamford update

Taking to Twitter after the West Ham game, Hay confirmed that Bamford didn’t miss out with an injury, with Bielsa instead exercising caution on his use of the striker given how much of the season he has missed.

The journalist revealed: “Bamford isn’t injured but in the end, Bielsa thought it would have been ‘premature’ to use him.”

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The Verdict: Season-changing return?

If Bamford is not injured, as Hay claims, then he should soon be set to return to action for Leeds for the first time since the clash against Brentford in early December. That could be huge for the Whites, considering how influential he had been last season, scoring 17 times and registering seven assists in the Premier League.

His end product should certainly make the team more potent but it is his all-round game which has also been greatly missed, from his link-up play to his work ethic.

Getting Bamford back on the pitch will give Leeds a very different look, and his 2020/21 return suggests that he can be the man to ensure that they pull away from any potential relegation scrap in the coming months.

In other news, Leeds have been given hope in their quest to sign one midfielder this month. Find out who it is here.

The Indian captain hailed the victory as ‘satisfying’ but wanted more improvement in the fielding

Siddarth Ravindran in Dambulla24-Jun-2010The same two sides had contested the final of the Asia Cup two years ago, and the totals and margin of victory are similar to the title clash at Dambulla on Thursday. The two matches couldn’t be more different though.Sri Lanka’s win had come on the back of two freakish performances – Sanath Jayasuriya’s counterattacking 125 to revive them from 66 for 4, and Ajantha Mendis’ star-making haul of 6 for 13 that derailed a rampant India – while MS Dhoni’s side won through an array of mostly routine but important contributions from nearly everyone in the side.Ashish Nehra may grab the headlines but his quick-bowling partners had done their bit earlier on. Praveen Kumar showed off yet again how dangerous he can be in conditions that suit him, and removed the dangerous Tillakaratne Dilshan in the first over, while Zaheer Khan tormented Upul Tharanga with sideways movement before getting him to shoulder arms to an indipper that took the offstump.As for the batting, Dinesh Karthik was the surprise Man of the Match but five other batsmen made 25 or more to steadily drive India’s total towards the zone labelled ‘competitive’. For a side that has often ridden on individual brilliance and its batting arsenal, a bowler-led team-based victory in a tournament final is especially significant.Dhoni was a pleased man after witnessing his side lift their game every time it mattered in the tournament, with the only defeat coming in the inconsequential league match against Sri Lanka. “This was a very satisfying win for us since we won three out of four games,” Dhoni said. “It was an important tournament, four of the best sides were playing, and each side was quite balanced, overall happy with the performance.”With the final being played on a fresh pitch, getting to bat first proved a big advantage at a venue where the team batting second usually finds it harder to score. “The guys were pumped-up to perform. It was a good toss to win, conditions were ideal for batting,” Dhoni said. “It got a bit slower as the game progressed and it started doing a bit under the lights, the fast bowlers made the most out of it.”There were some aspects of Thursday’s showing that he felt needed improvement, such as the number of batsmen who didn’t go on to score half-centuries after getting their eye in. “Most of us got the starts that was needed, we should have converted those starts,” he said. “But if you win a game nobody questions that but it is very important to learn even if you are winning games, I still think we could have scored more runs and given the bowlers the extra cushion of 15-20 runs.”India’s next limited-overs assignment is the tri-series in Dambulla, also involving New Zealand, following the Tests against Sri Lanka next month. With none of the batting youngsters having made compelling cases in the Asia Cup and the Zimbabwe series, it will be interesting to see what the pecking order is when the squad is chosen for that triangular.Another facet that Dhoni wanted the team to improve in was fielding, which had played a key role in Sri Lanka’s win in Tuesday’s league game. Kumar Sangakkara’s team was flat in the field during the finals, with several dropped chances and plenty of fumbles in the outfield.Kris Srikkanth, the Indian chairman of selectors, had said the players’ fitness and fielding levels had been looked into while picking the squad for the tournament, and the team has also shown a renewed focus on fielding during their practice sessions. “We need to improve our fielding, but one good thing, we had a few youngsters who did really well, so we don’t really have to hide too many in this side,” Dhoni said. “All our fielders are not brilliant but it was good in this series, if we gradually improve our fielding till the World Cup, we will be a safe fielding side, and fielding really contributes in one-dayers.”

Former BCCI president Sharad Pawar has taken over as ICC president from England’s David Morgan following the body’s annual conference in Singapore

Cricinfo staff01-Jul-2010Former BCCI chief Sharad Pawar has taken over as ICC president from England’s David Morgan following the body’s annual conference in Singapore. Pawar will lead the ICC for two years after having served as Morgan’s deputy for a similar period, and his appointment comes after the controversial rejection of former Australian prime minister John Howard’s bid for the vice-president’s jobPawar is the second Indian to hold the ICC’s top job, after Jagmohan Dalmiya’s stint in the late nineties. He praised the leadership of outgoing president Morgan, terming it an ‘impressive innings’. “David Morgan has set the principles by which the ICC operates and now it is our responsibility to build on his legacy,” Pawar said.One of India’s most influential regional politicians, Pawar’s rise to the most powerful post in cricket administration started with a fractious victory over former India captain Ajit Wadekar in the elections to the Mumbai cricket board in 2001. The next big step was the defeat of Dalmiya’s candidate in the tussle for control of the BCCI in 2005 after losing by one vote in the previous year.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Paul Brown of The Daily Star has shared what he knows as West Ham United eye a move for Flamengo forward Gabriel Barbosa.

The Lowdown: West Ham enter talks…

As first reported by Sky Sports, West Ham have been in talks to sign the Brazil international and even tabled a loan bid with the option to make his move permanent for €30m (£25m).

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Barbosa is believed to be keen on a move to England and the Premier League amid David Moyes’ search for a centre-forward alternative to Michail Antonio.

New recruitment chief Rob Newman and the east London club are still yet to bring in a signing for that position as the January transfer window enters its final week, with Brown now sharing an update on their bid to sign Barbosa.

The Latest: West Ham move ‘on the table’…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, citing ‘lots of little leaks’, he claims that a move for the 25-year-old is still ‘on the table’, believing it is due to the fact we don’t actually know what Barbosa wants himself.

“The only reason that one is still on the table is we don’t really know what the player himself wants,” Brown stated.

“There’s been lots of little leaks here and there that he really wants to come to the Premier League and that he really wants to come now and he likes West Ham and the way they play, and thinks he could be a really good fit there. But we haven’t really heard any of that from him.”

The Verdict: Time to step up bid?

Amid this uncertainty surrounding Barbosa’s future in South America and the reports indicating he wants a move to Europe, we believe West Ham need to either step up their pursuit or swiftly move on to other targets.

The January window has just over a week remaining and Moyes needs to address the centre-forward position as soon as possible, especially given Antonio’s history of injury problems and their real lack of natural alternatives.

Having scored 29 goals in all competitions throughout 2021, Barbosa is proven in front of goal and still at a fairly young age as he comes with the potential for sell-on value. Given his torrid spell at Inter Milan, though, you can understand why the Irons haven’t yet lodged an outright permanent bid and are more interested in a loan with the option to buy.

However, now is the time to make a final decision on whether to continue pushing for his arrival as we enter a crucial period of the transfer window.

In other news: ‘I know’ – Sky journalist makes live TV transfer claim involving West Ham and 28 y/o ‘beast’, find out more here.

Former Celtic man Mikael Lustig was one of hundreds to react to the news of Scott Bain’s new Parkhead contract.

The Lowdown: Busy January

The Hoops have been extremely productive during the January window, bringing in four new players already.

Three have arrived from Japan and one from Ireland, with the club also working on making Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers’ loan moves permanent.

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It’s not only incomings Celtic are working on, though, with Michael Nicholson also looking to move on a number of players, including Leigh Griffiths, who they have reportedly cut ties with.

The Latest: Bain contract

Celtic announced on Monday that Bain has signed a new deal through until 2024.

They shared the news on Instagram, with former right-back Lustig commenting ‘Torpedo’ along with heart eye and raised hands emojis.

The Verdict: Barkas and Hazard to leave?

Described by James McFadden as a shot-stopper who ‘makes it look easy’ with the ball at his feet, Bain has made just four appearances under Ange Postecoglou but has been a regular in the matchday squad.

And, with Bain signing new terms, that could mean that Vasilis Barkas and Conor Hazard may now seal exits.

There has been talk of that happening, and with Celtic also having high hopes for teenager Tobi Oluwayemi, now could be the time for the pair to depart, leaving Hart, Bain and Oluwayemi as options over the coming years.

In other news: Ange now after another Irish addition who Lennon previously wanted.