All posts by h716a5.icu

As per The West Ham Way website, reliable club insider ExWHUemployee has shared an update out of Rush Green as talks intensify for Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car.

The Lowdown: West Ham offer rejected…

Over the final week of this year’s January transfer window, reports have claimed that West Ham made a loan bid to sign the Croatia international but it was swiftly rejected (Scottish Daily Mail via pressreader).

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-news-copy/” title=”West Ham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Daily Express recently backed this claim, too stating that the Irons and recruitment chief Rob Newman have failed with an opening loan offer.

It is believed that Marseille won’t entertain the notion of a temporary transfer and instead want to sell outright, with talkSPORT stating the price is somewhere around the £20m mark.

According to Ex, though, the Irons are still negotiating a ‘compromise’ as he shares an update.

The Latest: West Ham talks intensify…

According to the insider’s sources, via West Ham Way, ‘talks have intensified’ for Caleta-Car’s signature today as the Hammers chase a ‘loan to buy arrangement’.

It is believed that the Ligue 1 giants are indeed ‘eager’ to strike a permanent deal due to their financial woes.

The Verdict: Pivotal hours…

A centre-half has long been on Moyes’ transfer agenda and he will be hoping that a compromise can indeed be reached with Marseille, especially going by Caleta-Car’s pedigree.

Called an ‘excellent player’ by talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook, the 6 foot 3 powerhouse signing on loan could be a real snip.

According to WhoScored, only Kurt Zouma has averaged more interceptions per 90 in the Europa League this season (3) than Caleta-Car (1.7) when comparing to West Ham’s squad, while the international’s impressive 92.1% pass accuracy in the French top flight indicates he is a tidy player.

Still only 25-years-old, he could also be an asset for years to come if West Ham do opt to trigger a possible permanent move in any loan-to-buy arrangement.

In other news: ExWHUemployee says West Ham want ‘phenomenal’ £45m star, he’s allegedly open to joining…find out more here.

The reserve day for all matches in this tournament means nothing much has changed due to Thursday’s washout; whoever loses the replay on Friday will still be left staring at a must-win situation in their final league match

The Preview by Siddarth Ravindran in Dambulla18-Aug-2010Match FactsFriday, August 20, 2010
Start time 14.30 (0900 GMT)Big PictureThe washout means Suraj Randiv has yet to serve his suspension and will miss the replay on Friday•AFPAnyone looking to predict how the second half of the tri-series will pan out will have a hard time finding a pattern from the first set of league matches. Consistency has eluded all three teams, each of whom have had one comfortable victory and one big defeat so far. The reserve day for all matches in this tournament means nothing much has changed due to Thursday’s washout; whoever loses the replay on Friday will still be left staring at a must-win situation in their final league match.Missing out on a bonus point has left Sri Lanka at a bit of a disadvantage, but their immediate challenge will be to switch the focus back to cricket after the brouhaha over the Suraj Randiv no-ball incident. There have been accusations of breaching the spirit of cricket, apologies aplenty and an internal probe into the incident by the Sri Lankan board, which resulted in Randiv’s suspension for a game and him and Tillakaratne Dilshan losing their match fees. The controversy overshadowed a comprehensive defeat to India, after which Kumar Sangakkara criticised his team for batting that was “not at all professional and not up to standard at this level of cricket”.New Zealand surprised everyone in the opening match with a strong batting performance, before their batting fragility was exposed by Sri Lanka. One of New Zealand’s main worries in the tournament has been the top-order batting, and that will be amplified if Martin Guptill fails to recover from injury in time for Friday’s game. They have lost three wickets cheaply in both their matches so far, leaving the middle order plenty of rescue-and-recovery work.Form guide(most recent first)
Sri Lanka: LWLWW
New Zealand:LWWLLWatch out for…Kane Williamson has had a difficult initiation to international cricket, he’s yet to score a run after two innings. Talked up by Ross Taylor ahead of the series and rated as New Zealand’s best backfoot player by the coach of his domestic side, Northern Districts, 20-year-old Williamson will be keen to justify the hype surrounding his call-up.Another player who has had a couple of failures in the tournament is Mahela Jayawardene. A couple of months ago in Dambulla, he effortlessly piled on the runs during the Asia Cup to smoothen Sri Lanka’s path to the final. He will be looking to recapture that form as the tussle for a final’s spot heats up.Team newsRandiv remains suspended for the game on Friday. Sangakkara had said the presence of many right-hand batsmen in the New Zealand line-up had prompted him to pick Rangana Herath in the opening match. Given how little New Zealand have seen of Ajantha Mendis, the spinner could also get a look-in ahead of Dilhara Fernando, though the quick bowler may be preferred if the incessant rain has made the pitch more suited for fast bowling.Sri Lanka: 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt & wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Chamara Silva, 7 Chamara Kapugedera, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Rangana Herath, 10 Ajantha Mendis/Dilhara Fernando, 11 Lasith MalingaGuptill’s injury could leave New Zealand with three players in the top four with a combined experience of 13 matches.New Zealand: 1 Martin Guptill/Peter Ingram, 2 BJ Watling, 3 Ross Taylor (capt), 4 Kane Williamson, 5 Scott Styris, 6 Jacob Oram, 7 Grant Elliott, 8 Gareth Hopkins (wk), 9 Nathan McCullum, 10 Kyle Mills, 11 Daryl TuffeyPitch and conditionsBoth captains have talked about how the ball seams more under lights but swings less than it does during the day. Ross Taylor reckoned 230-240 will be a par score but, if there is more rain in the air, his estimates are likely to change.The three captains have had differing views on the importance of the toss: MS Dhoni thinks it crucial, Taylor says it doesn’t have big influence on the game while Sangakkara says it gives a slight advantage. Taylor elected to bat on Thursday and the captain winning the toss in the replay is likely to do the same.Quotes”The openers are there and it is a tough job when the ball does swing around. I am sure they are used to it and hopefully we can lose less wickets at the top and give ourselves a better chance through the middle.”

“As professionals, whatever happens before games or after games, it’s immaterial when we go onto the field. There the focus is to win the game and try things out.”

Everton have appointed Frank Lampard as their new manager after struggling so far this season, currently sitting 16th in the Premier League just four points above the relegation zone.

The former Chelsea boss will be hoping to quickly make his mark on the Toffees to get them back into a more comfortable position in the league, although his first assignment in his new role pits him against Brentford in an FA Cup fourth round clash this afternoon.

Despite signing five players in the January transfer window, there has been glimpses of talent from some who are already at the club even during poor team performances, with Anthony Gordon a standout performer in the side since gaining a regular spot in the starting XI under Rafael Benitez.

The 20-year-old has made 19 appearances across all competitions, bagging two goals and two assists so far this season. His most notable performance against Chelsea in a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, when his free kick found academy player Jarrad Branthwaite for the equaliser.

That led Trevor Sinclair to shower praise on Gordon, saying: “I can’t tell you how good that free-kick was. It’s a superbly flighted ball. And it’s a great finish, he had to stretch every bit of his body.

“Mendy had no chance, but I have to say, Anthony Gordon! Watching him develop this season has been an absolute joy.”

According to SofaScore, the born-and-bred Evertonian is the ninth-highest rated Everton player in the Premier League so far this season, with 1.1 shots taken and 1.2 tackles won per game on average across 17 appearances, showing that he is a keen attacking presence when he gets the opportunity to play.

With Dominic Calvert-Lewin injured and Richarlison likely to replace him up front, there will be a chance for the £7.2m-rated gem, who was hailed as “creative” by Everton journalist David Prentice, to play on the left wing against Brentford on Saturday. The 20-year-old will surely be hoping that he can impress his new manager, as he could terrify opponents if he performs at the levels we have seen from him in the league in recent months.

Lampard must unleash Gordon when he leads out his Everton side for the first time at Goodison Park today, as he will be hoping to not only progress in the cup but also build confidence and resilience in the team, helping to inspire a winning mentality going forward when they return to action in the Premier League on Tuesday against Newcastle.

In other news: Lampard handed a boost in pursuit of this reported Everton target

Medium-pacer Hamid Hassan single-handedly ended Kenya’s resistance on the fourth and final day to give Afghanistan a 167-win

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Oct-2010
Scorecard
Hamid Hassan starred with 11 wickets•International Cricket CouncilMedium-pacer Hamid Hassan single-handedly ended Kenya’s resistance on the fourth and final day to give Afghanistan a 167-win and take them to the top of the Intercontinental Cup table. Just 8.1 overs were needed as Hassan bowled Nehemiah Odhiambo and James Ngoche, and trapped Ragheb Aga and Elijah Otieno lbw, to finish with match figures of 11 for 157.Kenya’s lower-order collapse followed a string of determined starts from the top order that enabled them to make a decent fist of chasing 512. Opener David Obuya made a patient 79 while his top-order colleagues, Collins Obuya and Steve Tikolo, played around him. Both scored fifties, adding 90 and 99 respectively with David. Unfortunately for Kenya, none of them were able to kick on and make the big score that was needed if they were to have any chance of victory.Afghanistan took control of the match after making 464 in the their first innings, built around captain Nawroz Mangal’s maiden first-class century, before bowling Kenya out for 160. The 23-year-old Hassan, who was the first Afghanistan cricketer ever to play at Lord’s when he represented the MCC against a select Europe XI in June, 2007, did the damage early, taking five of the first six wickets to leave Kenya reeling at 90 for 6.Kenya’s bowlers had rallied on the third day to bowl Afghanistan out for 207, with offspinner James Ngoche picking up his first five-wicket haul, but the result was never in doubt.Afghanistan will take on Scotland in the final next month, having won five of their six matches in the league phase. Scotland’s only loss in the league came against Afghanistan, who beat them by 229 runs. Hassan was the bowling star in that match as well, with almost identical figures of 11 for 154. He is the leading wicket-taker in the Intercontinental Cup with 35 wickets at an average of 21.17 and a strike-rate of 33.8. His teammate, Mohammad Shahzad, is the top run-scorer, having made 736 runs at an average of 81.77.

Malahide Cricket Club in Dublin has secured a grant of €450,000 from the Irish government to become the country’s newest international-standard venue

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2010Malahide Cricket Club in Dublin has secured a grant of €450,000 from the Irish government to become the country’s newest international-standard venue, thanks to a deal brokered by Darragh O’Brien, the TD (Member of Parliament) for Dublin North. According to a press release, it is “conservatively estimated” that each major international game held at the ground in future will generate €1.5m for the economy.”I’m delighted to confirm that the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport Mary Hanafin has sanctioned a grant of €450,000 for the redevelopment of the cricket ground at Malahide Cricket Club,” saidDeputy O’Brien. “The funding will be used to extend the ground (playing pitch), making it the first international standard cricket ground in the Republic of Ireland with a capacity of 12,000. It will also be the only international ground for any sport in the North Dublin area.”While this is great news for cricket and recognition of its growing support, the economic benefits of this development cannot be underestimated,” he added. “€1.5 million will be generated for the economy for every major international game held at the new grounds. The impact of teams like Australia, England and Pakistan travelling here to play Ireland will be enormous for the tourism, transport and hospitality sectors.””Most people are aware of the continued success of the Irish cricket team – this commitment is an affirmation of the support by the Government for the sport and the hard work of the national team. I want to personally thank my colleague Mary Hanafin for her efforts in working to ensure cricket will benefit from this world-class facility.””Malahide was selected last year as the preferred venue for an international ground and I expect the work to begin very soon following this announcement. I want to thank the Fingal County Manager David O’Connor and his officials; Evelyn Harmon, the president of Malahide Cricket Club; Club Secretary Ann Bracken, Treasurer Norman Adams; the previous MCC president Justin Rogers who had a vision for this many years ago; and Ian Talbot the project manager deserves tremendous praise for his work on this important development.”Deputy O’Brien added: “Cricket is a fantastic sport which has huge growth potential. There is a very loyal following for cricket in the North Dublin area and many other communities around the country. I believe this will only grow and grow as people see the world-class facility we’re constructing here and the social and economic benefits that can come from this kind of investment.”Welcoming the announcement Cricket Ireland Chief Executive Warren Deutrom said: “Cricket Ireland is delighted with the announcement of funding for the development of Malahide CC into an international venue. It is a massive vote of confidence by the Government in our sport, and recognition of our increasing profile on the world stage, which we hope our performances in the World Cup in the New Year will only amplify.”It is entirely fitting that one of the true cricket heartlands in this country will play host in years to come to the great teams of the world, such as England and Australia, as Ireland builds on its success and its aspirations to challenge the world’s best.”

Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side head into today’s Premiership clash on the back of an extremely disappointing showing against Bodo/Glimt in the Europa Conference League on Thursday night, with the 56-year-old’s side falling to a 5-1 aggregate defeat to the Norwegian minnows.

As such, the Greek-Australian coach will undoubtedly be hoping for a much better display when his side make the trip to Hibernian on Sunday afternoon, especially considering the Hoops can extend their lead at the top of the Premiership table to six points – with second-placed Rangers playing Motherwell later in the day.

However, while the vast majority of Celtic’s players endured something of a game to forget on Thursday night, there was one bright spark in Norway – Liel Abada.

Postecoglou must unleash Abada

Indeed, over his 45 minutes on the pitch at the Aspmyra Stadion, the right-winger was the one player who looked as if he could have made something happen for Celtic, with the £4.05m-rated forward taking four shots at the Bodo/Glimt goal, completing one dribble and attempting four crosses and one long ball.

The £15k-per-week 20-year-old impressed when doing the dirty work for his side, making one interception, winning two of his three duels and drawing one foul – as well as having a big penalty claim turned down by the referee.

These returns saw the Israel international earn a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.1 – ranking him as Celtic’s second-best player on the night – while the Daily Record’s Michael Gannon also awarded the winger a six in his own player ratings, stating of Abada’s display: “Lively with a couple of efforts and involved in a big shout for a penalty.”

As such, while the likes of Reo Hatate and Jota are also in with a shout of returning to the starting XI at Easter Road, it would appear a must for Postecoglou to unleash the player who Yossi Benayoun dubbed a “star” and James Dornan claimed reminded him of Bobby Lennox today, as the youngster would undoubtedly terrify the Hibs defenders.

In other news: Ange must axe £15k-p/w Celtic “joke” who plays like he’s in a “Sports Relief match”

West Ham United insider and reliable source ExWHUemployee has shared a fresh update for supporters as the club agree a new contract in principle.

The Lowdown: Hammers eye in-house deals…

Reports have backed that the Irons and manager David Moyes are eyeing plenty of in-house new deals for some of their best players.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-newest-updates/” title=”West Ham newest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Indeed, before taking to the transfer market, West Ham apparently wish to secure the futures surrounding some of Moyes’ star assets – including the likes of winger Jarrod Bowen and midfielder Tomas Soucek ‘in line for big improvements’ (Claret & Hugh).

Meanwhile, shot stopper and mainstay number one Lukasz Fabianski has previously confirmed talks with the Irons over extending his deal which is set to expire in late June as things stand.

While nothing has been announced on those fresh terms yet, ExWHUemployee has now shared a fresh update on Fabianski’s situation.

The Latest: Agreement reached, but not signed…

According to the insider, via West Ham Way, a deal with the 37-year-old over fresh terms is ‘agreed’ but hasn’t yet been signed.

The goalkeeper, ‘as of now’, has given the green-light to extend his stay but no ink has been put to paper – with Ex claiming ‘question marks’ over Moyes’ options could prompt the club to turn to Burnley star Nick Pope.

The Verdict: Get it signed…

While it is currently uncertain what is delaying the actual signature from Fabianski, we believe securing the former Poland international should be a major priority before this summer.

A Moyes ‘untouchable’, the Premier League veteran has played nearly every top flight game for West Ham and more minutes in the division than any other Irons player (WhoScored).

Before contemplating whether to activate Alphonse Areola’s permanent deal clause or to take to the summer market, securing Fabianski to fresh terms for one more year is simply imperative.

In other news: West Ham insider makes contrary Declan Rice claim as ongoing talks emerge…find out more here.

New Zealand’s coach Mark Greatbatch has delivered a candid verdict on the efforts of his players in Bangladesh, declaring that they “played like dicks”

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Oct-2010New Zealand’s coach Mark Greatbatch has delivered a candid verdict on the efforts of his players in Bangladesh, declaring that they “played like d****”. Greatbatch was also scathing of the top order, suggesting that some of the batsmen simply weren’t good enough, and that it was “inexcusable” to lose 4-0 to Bangladesh.New Zealand play India in a three-match Test series that begins in Ahmedabad next Thursday. Although the format is different, Greatbatch hopes his players can use the Tests to regain some form and pride after the Bangladesh debacle, which resulted in meetings between senior New Zealand Cricket officials and team management.”When you play badly like that you’ve got to front up,” Greatbatch told . “It’s very devastating. We played like d**** really and I suppose there’s one positive thing, we’ve got a chance next week to actually put it right.”I think some [of the top order] aren’t good enough. I think some think they are better than they are and the third one I think is the mind. We’ve got to get our mind right and sometimes that requires patience, sometimes it requires being aggressive. What it requires is actually sorting out the cricket smarts and weighing up the situation that you’re playing in and we’ve got some work to do in all those areas.”Part of their plan to address the top-order problems, in the longer format at least, is for Brendon McCullum to move up into the top three for next week’s Test. McCullum made 86 in his four ODI innings in Bangladesh and he said it was to be expected that the players would come under the microscope following the disappointing tour.”I guess when you lose 4-0 in Bangladesh you can’t come home and expect a parade,” McCullum told the . “We didn’t play well and we’ve just got to cop it sweet. There’s no point in crying into your beer about it. You’ve just got turn the page and move on to the next tour. As long as we learn some lessons it’ll probably be good for us. It could be the best or worst thing that could happen.”Following the Ahmedabad Test, New Zealand travel to Hyderabad and Nagpur, and Greatbatch said given India’s strong record at home two draws from the series would be a good result. After the Tests there is a five-match ODI series, before the players fly back to New Zealand for a short break before taking on Pakistan at home.

Manchester United have surely crushed their top-four chances after falling to a 3-1 defeat at The Emirates this afternoon, now leaving them six points adrift of Arsenal.

Ralf Rangnick’s team were thrown into an end to end game against the Gunners, struggling to control possession (44%) and offering up fewer shots on target than their hosts – something which ultimately led to them not taking anything from the match.

In truth, United couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start, with Nuno Tavares opening up the scoring in the third minute, before Bukayo Saka doubled the Gunners’ lead from the spot just after the half-hour mark.

Cristiano Ronaldo made sure that his return to the pitch was noticed with a defiant response to Saka’s penalty, bagging a goal of his own just two minutes later – bringing Manchester United back into the game before half-time.

However, the visitors were unable to even up the scoreline in the second half – with Ronaldo seeing his second goal denied by VAR and Bruno Fernandes missing a golden opportunity by smashing his penalty against the woodwork.

The game ended 3-1 with Granit Xhaka killing the tie in the 70th minute, and supporters of the Red Devils must have been furious when the final whistle was blown, as yet again their team failed to take their chance to climb the league table.

And, while Raphael Varane very much had a game to forget in the heart of the United defence, the player who will be most disappointed with his own performance is Fernandes – who could have single-handily crushed Manchester United’s top-four hopes.

Not only did the Portuguese midfielder dubbed “embarrassing” by journalist Ben McKenna miss his golden opportunity to equalise from the spot, but he also failed to hit the target with a single shot, completed just 22 passes and was unsuccessful with 100% of his dribbles.

Indeed, these statistics show how completely ineffective the 27-year-old was on Saturday afternoon, as the Portugal international was a very much passenger for his side, and Rangnick will surely be disappointed that the player failed to deliver when it really mattered.

Manchester United now find themselves trailing behind in the race for the top four, and will find themselves even further worse off if Tottenham Hotspur can get a result from their game against Brentford this evening, leaving Champions League qualification dreams in doubt.

AND in other news: Ten Hag targeting £42m talent as his first MUFC signing, it could be bye-bye Maguire

New Zealand’s poor batting display on the first day of the third and deciding Test cost them the match, according to Daniel Vettori

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Nov-2010On New Zealand’s 1999 tour of India, the heat, the noise and the crowds had all started to take their toll on the visitors. In the second Test, Rahul Dravid was further adding to their woes by doing what he does best – batting long. As former New Zealand fast bowler Dion Nash tells it, a butterfly suddenly landed in the middle of the pitch, and Dravid pulled away from the strike. While the rest of the players watched in “collective horror”, Adam Parore stormed down the pitch and stomped on the insect. Dravid turned around and said loudly, “Oh no, he has kicked the butterfly, that’s bad luck for you guys”. It was indeed, for New Zealand went to suffer a big loss. The frustration of a typical Indian tour had had its effect on Parore.This time around, there has been anything but frustration in New Zealand’s camp heading in to the third Test. They even threatened to win the first Test, and comfortably drew the second. But just when everyone had forgotten the whitewash in Bangladesh that preceded this tour, they collapsed in this Test. India were allowed to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee, admittedly with a little bit of help from the umpires.New Zealand’s performance today wasn’t all that surprising. The ball turned and bounced, and with two umpiring howlers going against them, they didn’t have much of a chance to save the game. It was their batting debacle on the first day on a true surface that was the real surprise, especially since it followed their creditable batting performances in the first two Tests, albeit on flat tracks.”I can only look at the overall performance and say it was poor in this Test as compared to the first two Tests,” Daniel Vettori said. “We were exceptional then because we grinded it out and put in good performances. In this part of the world, the first-innings runs keep you in the game, and then it’s up to your bowling attack to take wickets but that didn’t happen here. I think after winning the toss, scoring just 193 put us under a lot of pressure.”We might never know whether it was because New Zealand play better when they are the underdogs, which they were in the first two Tests, and stumbled here because they went in with higher expectations, or whether Brendon McCullum’s last-minute injury completely unsettled the team. The second day was the best for batting on this pitch, and their bowlers couldn’t make much headway. Their chance came on the third day morning; the ball was still hard and they removed Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, and Suresh Raina, but Vettori was left to rue their inability to dislodge the pair of Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni.”We bowled so well and took three wickets but couldn’t capitalise on that. Dhoni and Dravid played exceptionally well. There were lots of niggles for us but I think India showed us how to bat, especially in this Test.”Their fight evaporated after the 193-run stand between Dravid and Dhoni. In the first Test at Ahmedabad, after a hard day’s work when New Zealand had fought hard to push India on to the back foot, Sreesanth came to meet the press. After giving credit to the opposition, he couldn’t help himself, saying “Let’s see how they play on a proper turning track. I think they will struggle”.Today, they did exactly that, and collapsed in a heap. “Any time you lose, you surrender too early,” Vettori said. “We knew we had to be positive this morning but couple of dismissals… There was a period where India bowled well but once you get through the new [hard] ball, it’s a wicket where you can bat on for a long time. We are disappointed with our performance.”On the eve of the game, Vettori had said that they would be judged on how they performed in the final Test. India were without their best bowler Zaheer Khan and New Zealand had won the toss, but everything went pear-shaped from then on. “A loss is a loss. It should hurt us as much no matter the situation. To win the toss we were pretty happy with that. If we had gone through that period- just 58 overs were bowled – and come in the next morning, which was the best day to bat as India proved, but we made things difficult the way we batted on the first day.”