All posts by h716a5.icu

According to a report by AS, sharing more news on Antonio Conte’s plans for Tottenham, it appears Steven Bergwijn is now on the chopping block.

The Lowdown: Conte era begins…

As the new Spurs boss comes through the doors at N17, taking charge of the Lilywhites, much has been made of who will both come in and depart the club.

Tottenham have been linked with a host of Serie A stars already, including the likes of Federico Chiesa, Stefan de Vrij, Dusan Vlahovic, Alessio Romagnoli and Matthijs de Ligt (Calciomercato.it).

Meanwhile, there have been rumours that Tanguy Ndombele could now depart in January as Spurs eye an overhaul for Conte.

As well as Ndombele, AS have now shared who else manager Conte is personally plotting to sell.

The Latest: Bergwijn up for sale…

According to their information, as Conte eyes his preferred transfer targets, there are four names he is personally planning to discard from Spurs.

Dele Alli, Lucas Moura, Giovani Lo Celso and Bergwijn are all said to be on the chopping block with the latter man coming as a particularly surprising name given his form at times under former boss Nuno Espirito Santo this season.

The Verdict: Go time?

The Dutchman attracted praise from the ex-Lilywhites boss for being a ‘unique’ and a ‘very talented’ member of the squad and was a fixture on Nuno’s team sheet when fit and available.

Conte has been widely tipped to use a three-at-the-back formation on a consistent basis for Spurs, most likely a 3-4-1-2, and it is debatable where Bergwijn fits into that system as a natural winger.

The same goes for Lucas, who has impressed for Spurs as well whilst completing more dribbles per 90 than any Lilywhites player in the Premier League (WhoScored).

Both men now find themselves in a completely different situation under Conte than Nuno and it remains to be seen whether Bergwijn can work his way into the Italian’s permanent team sheet and off his transfer exit list.

In other news: Conte now has one eye on ‘incredible’ player who Klinsmann likened to Kante, find out more here.

The Pakistan captain said the wave of support back home that followed after he offered to step down, persuaded him to stay in charge of the team

Cricinfo staff30-Oct-2009Pakistan captain Younis Khan has said though it had been a difficult time facing up to match-fixing allegations, the wave of support back home that followed after he offered to step down, persuaded him to stay in charge of the team.”It started with the committee that called me,” Younis said. “As for me, it was very hard to go there and answer their questions. If I’m being questioned on my performance or my team’s performance then that’s very easy, as that happens in every country, not just Pakistan. But it was hard to go there and face them [and answer questions on match-fixing] and it was in my mind that if there were any hard questions then I’d quit.”I’m used to controversy, but this time the whole nation was behind me. I thought I might not be able to play for a couple of months but every single person in Pakistan was backing me, so that’s why I’m here.”There were believed to be various reasons behind Younis’s resignation, though he never openly stated them. It is believed that as well as the suspicions of match-fixing raised in the aftermath of Pakistan’s Champions Trophy semi-final loss to New Zealand, murmurs about factions in the team and management working to undermine Younis spurred the move.However, Younis said he was keen to stop, what according to him, was a flawed search for answers everytime the side failed to win. “It’s not possible all the time to win competitions,” he said. “I wanted to stop these things and that’s why I gave my resignation.”My mind is now free and I can just worry about my captaincy, worry about my own form and worry about my team. I have no problems with my team, no problems with my country and no problems with my countrymen and I hope you’ll see that in the coming days.”Pakistan will be engaging New Zealand in a limited-overs series – three ODIs and two Twenty20 internationals – in the UAE, from November 3-13. While the ODIs have been scheduled for Abu Dhabi, Dubai will host the two Twenty20s.Younis, however, downplayed the notion that the upcoming clash was a chance to avenge the defeat in the Champions Trophy. “It’s not [a revenge series] but all the Pakistan players have it in their minds, if possible, to beat New Zealand,” Younis said. “In cricket and sport there is no revenge, but we won’t forget that loss.”

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle’s interest in Bournemouth’s holding midfielder Jefferson Lerma.

What’s the talk?

According to 90min, the Magpies want to strengthen their central midfield options in the January transfer window in a bid to stave off relegation.

The report claims that the Colombia international is a player Eddie Howe is now targeting, having signed him during his time with the Cherries.

Win the fans over

Newcastle boss Howe could win over the fans at St James’ Park, if he hasn’t already when January comes around, by axing Isaac Hayden from the team in order to sign Lerma from Bournemouth.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-newcastle-howe-ter-stegen” title= “Read the latest Newcastle news!”]

The £41k-per-week Hayden has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.64 in the Premier League this season and won 51% of his duels overall. He has been dribbled past 1.4 times per game, highlighting a key issue with the former Arsenal man as he allows players to beat him far too easily in matches.

Lerma did not have this problem in his most recent season in the Premier League under Howe – in the 2019/20 campaign, he was dribbled past 0.8 times per game. He also averaged a rating of 6.82 as he won 55% of his duels and made 3.3 tackles and interceptions per game.

Former Cherries boss Jonathan Woodgate was effusive in his praise of the midfield destroyer, previously saying: “I don’t judge Jeff on goals. You know how I feel about Jeff. I’m his biggest fan. I think he’s unbelievable. If I can describe a six to anyone, he’s my favourite. He’s a six and he’s magnificent.

“He gives you absolutely everything every single game. Heads it, runs, tackles, passes. He’s a special player for me.

“He’s vital. You see what happened against Southampton (without him). Put Jeff in that team, it’s a different team.”

The 27-year-old has also displayed the attacking side to his game, creating 0.9 chances per match in the Championship this term, having managed 0.8 last season. Hayden, on the other hand, has created just 0.2 per game in the current campaign after managing 0.3 in the 2020/21 season, suggesting that Lerma could be an upgrade on him at both ends of the pitch.

Therefore, Howe could win the fans over by signing Lerma and improving the midfield by adding a combative, quality option to run the middle of the park alongside the likes of Joe Willock, Sean Longstaff and Miguel Almiron from January onwards.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Lascelles: Howe could strike dream NUFC deal for £9m-rated “Rolls-Royce”…

Daniel Vettori has asked his bowlers for a significant impact in Dunedin when New Zealand launch their home series in tomorrow’s first Test

Cricinfo staff23-Nov-2009Daniel Vettori has asked his bowlers for a significant impact in Dunedin when New Zealand launch their home series in tomorrow’s first Test. Jacob Oram’s retirement from Test cricket means the hosts will play a sixth specialist batsman, leaving Vettori and three seam bowlers to combat a “dangerous” Pakistan side.”You want to perform in all disciplines,” said Vettori. “I think there’s going to be a focus on the batting but when you’re going in with four bowlers, you want to make sure all four step up. In the past we’ve probably had a bit of a luxury with the all-rounder but this time round everyone has to step up and do their job. That’s going to be the key throughout the summer, that we get players performing at the right times.”Vettori took a blow to to his right elbow while batting in the nets yesterday, but had a bowl to suggest his injury is not too serious. “I wouldn’t say fully, but I’ll be fine,” he said, playing down the need to make Grant Elliott, carrying a knee niggle, pop into the side. “In a desperate situation we could call on him, but we’d rather not,” he said. “We’d rather stick to the four bowlers. It probably means an increased workload for me in particular, but I think that’s a good thing.”We have to be honest and acknowledge that our batting hasn’t been as good as we’d like but I’ve seen some really good improvements in some of the guys. Now we go into a Test match with six batters and their role is to bat. None of them have to worry about bowling so hopefully them, combined with Brendon [McCullum] and myself, can get the job done.”Pakistan have not played a Test since this summer, but Vettori was not about to take them lightly,”They’re a dangerous side,” he said. “They’ve got a very balanced bowling line-up and they’ve got one of the greatest batsmen of the modern generation in Mohammad Yousuf, so when you put that together that’s a useful side.”

A round-up of the fourth day’s action from the sixth round of the Ranji Trophy Super League

Cricinfo staff11-Dec-2009Group BPunjab’s Love Ablish had match figures of 11 for 183 against Orissa•ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Scorecard
A ten-wicket win on the final day at the Roshara enabled hosts Delhi keep alive their hopes of a spot in the Ranji Trophy quarter-finals. Set a target of 109 after keeping Maharashtra to 364, Delhi were eased home by their openers Virat Kohli (67*) and first-innings centurion Mithun Manhas, who was promoted up the order. Kohli hit 11 fours in his 56-ball effort, while Manhas took 49 balls for his. This win, Delhi’s second in a row, has taken their points tally 15. They now need to beat Bengal in their final group fixture, starting December 15 in Kolkata, to be in the hunt for the quarters.Group A
Scorecard
TP Singh, V Cheluvaraj and Yere Goud made solid contributions on the final day at the Uppal Stadium as Railways batted out a draw against hosts Hyderabad, finishing with three points. Resuming on 18 for 0, Railways ticked along through their openers Faid Fazal (49) and Cheluvaraj, who missed a century by seven runs, in a 145-run stand. Fazal fell to Mohammed Khader and later Cheluvaraj fell to the same bowler, giving Anirudh Singh his second catch of the day. TP Singh and Goud batted confidently and briskly; TP Singh’s unbeaten 105 took 100 balls and Goud needed 86 balls for his 72; it was his second fifty of the match.
Scorecard
Orissa claimed three points from their draw against Punjab in Chandigarh. The day began with Orissa leading by 302 and they declared at 247 for 8, the wicketkeeper Halhadar Das going past his fifty. Set 354, or more probably 66 overs to bat, Punjab finished on 192 for 4, with Uday Kaul making an unbeaten 73. Despite today’s single point, Punjab now share second spot with holders Mumbai with 16 points in Group A.

Rumoured Wolves transfer target Donny van de Beek will leave Manchester United in January, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Van de Beek linked with Wolves move

The Dutchman has endured a hugely disappointing United career, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seemingly not rating him as a player. Van de Beek has appeared in the Premier League for just 15 minutes this season and it looks as though his future lies away from Old Trafford.

Wolves have been linked with a move for the 24-year-old, with Bruno Lage seeing him as someone who could add undoubted quality to his squad.

The Latest: Romano gives significant update

Taking to Twitter over the weekend, Romano confirmed that Van de Beek is likely to leave United in January unless his current situation changes

The journalist claimed: “Donny van de Beek situation is so clear. He loves the club and he’s still super professional in training, doing his best for Man Utd – but if the situation remains the same, he will leave Manchester United in January.”

It isn’t specified whether a loan or permanent exit could be on the cards, but either way, it could alert Wolves.

The Verdict: Snap him up, Wolves

Van de Beek’s stock has understandably fallen in recent times but he is still someone who could be an excellent signing for Wolves, not least because of the attacking threat he offers. He plundered 28 goals and 21 assists in his final three Eredivisie campaigns at Ajax – by comparison, Wolves’ entire midfield registered six goals and two assists in the 2020/21 Premier League.

The Dutchman also has three goals to his name for the Netherlands and was a key part of a wonderful Ajax team which so nearly reached the Champions League final back in 2019, scoring in the semi-final first leg against Tottenham.

Van de Beek might just need an arm around his shoulder and some regular playing time – if Bruno Lage could offer that, English football may suddenly see the best of him as he adds another dimension to Wolves’ midfield.

In other news, a worrying Wolves transfer update has emerged. Read more here.

The very shape and variety of this attack, the threat of wickets alive in each of them, did for New Zealand at the Basin Reserve

The Bulletin by Osman Samiuddin06-Dec-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outMohammad Asif’s nine wickets took his series tally to 17•Getty ImagesIf Pakistan are not to go another three years and 12 Tests without a win, much will rest, as it has always, on their bowling. The very shape and variety of this attack, the threat of wickets alive in each of them, did for New Zealand at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, taking Pakistan to an ultimately comfortable 141-run win to level the series, going into Napier. Mohammad Asif and Danish Kaneria were the heavies this innings, but at all times Mohammad Aamer and a luckless Umar Gul were chomping at the bit behind them.Typically, the route to victory was a convoluted one, for dismissing 16 batsmen – they dropped six catches blind penguins wouldn’t have let go in the second innings – is clearly more fun than just ten. Little, however, could be done about a breathtaking counter from Ross Taylor, who left Pakistan dazed and confused and briefly raised hopes of an audacious steal; only after he fell half an hour before lunch, in the nineties for the second Test running, could Pakistan afford to hang a little looser.A dull morning had promised much for them, as Aamer and Kaneria struck early, reward for the batsmen’s own sins more than anything. If only New Zealand had a few more Taylors they would have walked this one. He was the only man standing, cigar in mouth, chest and guns out and willing to chest-bump Pakistan around, as he has through the series. The gulf between him and some of New Zealand’s batsmen is as wide as that of Mexico.He had started a dull morning like a man on speed. Quick hands and feet helped him drive easily through covers but an ugly slog across the line for six off Asif unleashed something even more in him. Adrenaline and heart, rather than just head, carried him through an exhilarating high-risk, high-octane bouncer battle with Gul where words were exchanged as freely as were blows and boundaries.The hooks weren’t always textbooks though when were textbooks last any good? Eyes came off the ball regularly, but intent takes a batsman a long way these days. He took care to mix in some more dapper strokeplay as well, a whippy cut through point and a couple of fine sweeps off Kaneria that easily carried for six. Before you knew it, he had put on fifty with Brendon McCullum, though it was more monopoly than collusion really.Some control came back Pakistan’s way with the return of Aamer and the nearing of Taylor’s hundred, a spell before lunch where run-scoring calmed down a little. Pakistan lost what little they had gained as Gul dropped a sitter at point from McCullum: what he was doing at a position made famous by men such as Jonty Rhodes will take some answering. Yesterday’s drops, dollies each one of them, were suddenly looking a little less funny. And when McCullum was rightly reprieved two overs later by the review system – hitting the ball rarely makes a good case for leg-before – things seemed to be not going as much Pakistan’s way as they would have liked.But the impressive Aamer persisted from round the stumps, no doubt furthering comparisons with you-know-who. Taylor’s nerves – hidden so well for so long – reappeared as he chased one and finally, as hell froze over, a Pakistani slip catch was held onto. Straight after lunch, Kaneria shut the door temporarily on the spin debate in Pakistan, reminding all of the innate beauty of his art. McCullum was done in by a delicious legbreak, and the googly that got Daryl Tuffey would have – and has – gotten rid of better men.Iain O’Brien, in his last home Test, smiled and slogged his way to a highest Test score but that was pretty much that, time left only for a couple of confirmations. One, that Daniel Vettori is not only the most dependable batsmen in his side, he is among the most irritating to bowl to the world over. And two, that even if this bowling attack remains intact for Pakistan, they might need to shoot a few of their fielders if they are to continue winning.

Victor Orta is reportedly lining up a move to replace Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds United…

What’s the word?

According to Valencian outlet Super Deporte (via Sport Witness), the Whites director of football has already made a first approach to former Granada boss Diego Martinez about the possibility of taking over from the Argentine.

It’s thought that everything points towards the 40-year-old being Bielsa’s replacement at Elland Road by the start of next season.

The Yorkshire giants have made a poor start to the 2021/22 season, having finished inside the top-ten last campaign, so the chances of the 66-year-old not renewing his contract is a distinct possibility.

Bye-bye Bielsa?

This may be a sign that Orta and co are prepared to make one of their biggest calls yet as life without Bielsa wouldn’t have crossed the minds of many around Thorp Arch.

The fan-favourite manager has been in dugout since June 2018, where he has since guided the club to the Premier League for the very first time in 16 years.

Across 155 matches, United have won 78 matches (50.3%), also averaging 1.66 goals and 1.68 points per game, via Transfermarkt, but it’s no secret that injuries and perhaps poor – or a lack of – recruitment has curtailed their progress this term.

Leeds sit one place and two points above the relegation zone after 12 games, and whilst there is plenty of time still left in the season, just two wins is worrying reading.

Martinez would be a really intriguing option from Orta, seeing as he’s never managed outside of Spain across a near 18-year coaching career, having held roles as an assistant at Sevilla and manager at Osasuna.

He has even achieved promotion to LaLiga with Granada and then steered them into the Europa League, making the quarter-finals last term.

However, given the loyalty and admiration to Bielsa around Elland Road, this move would certainly be a surprising one from Orta and it is perhaps even more strange given the timing.

Of course, Leeds need to think about post-Bielsa but you can’t help but feel he is far from finished in his journey here.

AND in other news, Bielsa gifted double Leeds United injury boost as Thorp Arch footage emerges…

Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf has said had requested Younis Khan to make himself available for the one-day series in Australia in January

Cricinfo staff24-Dec-2009Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf has said he had requested Younis Khan to make himself available for the one-day series in Australia in January, after the Tests. Younis, the regular captain, backed out of the three-Test series in New Zealand because he wanted a break from international cricket but didn’t figure in the squad for the three Tests in Australia, starting on December 26 in Melbourne.”Yes, I did call up Younis because we have always been good friends and we have played a lot of cricket together,” Yousuf told . “I would definitely like to see Younis back in the team as soon as possible because he is a very experienced batsman and the team is missing him.”We always got along well together and that is why I called him up to enquire about his plans. I am happy that he was very positive about resuming playing international cricket again.”Younis returned to domestic cricket by featuring in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final in which his team, Habib Bank, was routed by Karachi Blues by 141 runs inside three days. However, Younis failed to convince the selectors about his batting form as he made just 7 and 4.Iqbal Qasim, the selection chairman, however made it clear that Younis will not be considered for the Tests but was optimistic of his chances of making the one-day squad, provided he impresses in the one-day Pentangular Cup.”He can definitely make the one-day squad,” Qasim said. “We have no doubt about his class and fitness but we need to give him some time to get over his poor form and start scoring runs again.”Looking ahead to the series, Yousuf was bullish about Pakistan’s chances and backed the middle order to find some form.”The fact that we played a close Test series in New Zealand is good for us and I am sure our experienced batsmen like Shoaib Malik and Misbah-ul-Haq will strike their best form soon,” Yousuf said. “They just one need one long innings to get back their confidence. I know my boys can handle such pressure. We are looking forward to some close matches in Australia.”

The future of Rangers centre-back Connor Goldson remains up in the air, with his deal set to expire at the end of the season.

Former Premier League goalkeeper Paddy Kenny has suggested that the club are happy for him to leave as they have not resolved his contract situation, telling Football Insider: “I find it strange that Rangers haven’t sorted this.

“The fact that they have let it run down this far is a concern. They must know he can agree a pre-contract in January. Maybe Rangers are happy for him to move on, otherwise it makes no sense why they haven’t offered him a deal.”

Gio must axe Goldson

New manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst could win Rangers fans over instantly by brutally axing Goldson in the January transfer window. If the 28-year-old does not want to be at Ibrox in the long-term, he should be shipped out of the club as quickly as possible, which is why the Dutchman should look to sell him in the winter to make some money before he leaves on a free transfer.

The £27k-per-week defender came out after the 3-1 defeat to Hibernian on Sunday and admitted that the team has lost ‘a bit of hunger’.

He said: “We need something to change. We need a spark. I don’t want to say this, but we’ve lost a bit of hunger. We are champions and some think they don’t need to work as hard. That’s crept in all season.”

Former Scotland international Kris Commons labelled his comments as embarrassing and accused him of a defeatist attitude.

Football Scotland quote him as saying: “Connor Goldson’s comments after the game yesterday were an absolute embarrassment. He’s supposed to be one of the leaders in this Rangers squad.

“He claimed the match was as good as over at half-time, with Rangers trailing 3-1. Two goals down at half-time and he’s waving the white flags to surrender? Seriously?”

It is difficult to argue with his assessment of Goldson’s quotes. The centre-back is one of the senior players in the squad and he is coming out with worrying comments like those, whilst his contract is running down and nothing is being done to resolve the issues around his future.

Supporters will surely want players who are 100% committed to playing for Rangers and giving their very best out on the pitch. Goldson’s contractual situation and his recent comments both appear to suggest that he does not fit into either of those descriptions, and that is why Van Bronckhorst could appease plenty of the fanbase by cashing in on the 28-year-old in January.

AND in other news, “I’m told”: Journo drops inside claim on Gio which will leave Rangers fans fuming…