All posts by h716a5.icu

Steve Howey believes losing Youri Tielemans would come as a bigger blow to Leicester City than seeing James Maddison depart this summer.

Belgium international midfielder Tielemans, who scored the winner as the Foxes got their hands on the FA Cup for the first time in their history in May, has been attracting interest from Liverpool.

Reports published by Belgian media outlet Voetbal24 suggest the 24-year-old is keen to leave Leicester for Anfield.

However, Brendan Rodgers’ side have made keeping Tielemans, who has two years remaining on his current deal, a priority this summer and they are eager for him to pen a new contract.

Meanwhile, creative midfielder Maddison is being courted by Arsenal, with the Gunners looking to bounce back after a disappointing season which means they will not be involved in European football for the first time since 1995.

Howey, the former Leicester defender, feels the Foxes would be more inclined to let Maddison depart instead of Tielemans.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “Tielemans would be the bigger loss, for me.

“Maddison is an excellent player but I think there were a couple of issues off the field last season. We all make mistakes, so I haven’t got a problem with that.

“Sometimes players just feel as though they could do with a move to give their career another spark. He might fall into that category. But, if I were him, it would have to be a very good offer from a very good club to tempt me away from Leicester.”

Lancashire have announced that 37-year-old Dominic Cork will not be offered a contract for 2009, a move which may well signal the end of his first-class career

Cricinfo staff12-Aug-2008Lancashire have announced that 37-year-old Dominic Cork will not be offered a contract for 2009, a move which may well signal the end of his first-class career.The club said that the decision not to extend Cork’s contract “was made with the longer term development of the playing staff in mind and to allow the side to evolve, providing younger players the opportunity to grow into the team.””It hurts, decisions like this,” Cork told Sky Sports News. “But, typical Dominic Cork, I’ll come back and I will haunt Lancashire and come back hopefully and prove the manager and the committee wrong.””I’m open to any offers. I just want to play as Dominic Cork always plays, with his heart on his sleeve [for] any club I can help. I’m a keen lover of the game still, at 37. I’m still very fit, I still work very hard, and still have a lot to offer in the game.”Cork, who played 37 Tests and 32 ODIs for England, moved to Lancashire from Derbyshire in 2004 and in five seasons to date he has taken 169 wickets and scored 1803 runs in 61 appearances.Another player who will not be reappearing for Lancashire in 2009 is legspinner Simon Marshall, 26. In four seasons at Old Trafford the former Cambridge University player made nine appearances taking 15 wickets at 45.60.

Alex McLeish has been left lauding the new deal that has been given to Son Heung-Min from Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Son contract

As confirmed on their official website, Son has signed a new four-year contract at Spurs, which will keep him at the North London club until 2025.

Fabio Paratici is ‘delighted‘ with the deal, and the South Korea international himself claimed that it was ‘easy’ to sign a new contract with Nuno Espirito Santo’s team.

The Latest: McLeish lauds Son deal

Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish, a pundit who has previously been a manager in the Premier League, has lauded the new contract given to Son, and even admitted that he had doubts that he would sign on:

“I think that’s a brilliant re-signing.

“I had my doubts that Son would stay but that is brilliant news for Tottenham fans.

“He’s been an integral part of any of the marginal success Spurs have had over the past few years. Champions League finals and all that stuff.

“He’s shown some fantastic, world-class performances against top-class clubs. I remember the Man United 6-1 game a couple of years ago.

“He’s just a dream of a footballer, a dream of a player to have in your squad.”

The Verdict: Brilliant news

As McLeish rightfully puts it, Son signing a new deal is brilliant news for the Lilywhites.

The winger had such a good individual 2020/21 term, scoring no fewer than 22 goals and supplying a further 17 assists in 51 matches in total across all competitions (Transfermarkt).

He has shown on countless occasions how reliable of a player he is in the final third, and has been rightfully rewarded with a new bumper contract.

Nonetheless, it is so important for THFC to keep their best players at the club for as along as possible, and Son certainly fits into that category.

In other news, find out what transfer claim has left Lilywhites erupting here!

New Zealand A beat Queensland by 36 runs at the Albury Oval to take a lead in the two-match series

Cricinfo staff11-Sep-2008
Scorecard
New Zealand A beat Queensland by 36 runs at the Albury Oval to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. Martin Guptill and Neil Broom scored half-centuries to lead the visitors to 263 for 6 and Mark Gillespie and Michael Mason took seven wickets between them to successfully defend the target.New Zealand’s openers, Aaron Redmond and Guptill, shared an opening stand of 67 after being put in by Queensland captain Chris Simpson. Teenage medium-pacer Alister McDermott, the son of former Australian fast bowler Craig McDermott, provided the breakthrough by trapping Redmond lbw for 25. Guptill scored 57 before he was caught behind off Cameron Boyce with the score on 99.Broom scored a brisk 64 off 71 balls with two fours and three sixes and New Zealand were pushed towards 263 by useful middle-order contributions from James Marshall, who made 44, Greg Hay and Grant Elliott.Queensland used as many as eight bowlers but they managed to pick up only six wickets among them with McDermott and Nathan Rimmington taking two each.Queensland’s run-chase was jolted by wickets falling in clusters and the only resistance came from opener Ryan Broad who made 72. Gillespie picked up his first wicket by bowling the other opener, Nathan Reardon, for 10. The second-wicket partnership between Broad and Lee Carseldine had reached 40 before New Zealand picked up two wickets – Carseldine and Glen Batticciotto – in quick succession.Simpson joined Broad and they steadied the innings with a 102-run stand for the fourth wicket. Gillespie, however, broke the resistance by bowling Simpson for 44 and had Andy Bichel caught behind four runs later to leave Queensland on 155 for 5. Their challenge came to an end when Broom breached Broad’s defences on the same score.Gillespie finished with figures of 4 for 31 and was backed up by Mason who picked up 3 for 45.

This has been a torrid old summer for Everton Football Club as they strive to pick up the rubble following Carlo Ancelotti’s departure.

Rafa Benitez is now at the helm but with his association to the red side of Merseyside in mind, he’s had a difficult start to life at Goodison Park.

What’s the word?

The Spanish coach has so far had to make do with cheaper signings in the transfer window while he’s also had to deal with the threat of star players leaving.

James Rodriguez looks as though he could join AC Milan while Richarlison had even fielded a phone call from Ancelotti about a move to Real Madrid.

However, the Brazilian should be staying at the Toffees this summer after Fabrizio Romano provided an exciting update on his future during a Twitch stream.

Asked whether there was a chance that Richarlison could end up in Madrid, he simply replied; “No.”

Fans buzzing

With Everton not looking likely to spend big this summer, holding onto one of their most vibrant attacking players was of utmost importance.

Richarlison had a difficult end to the season, scoring just once in his final 12 matches and failing to assist a goal at club level in the entire of 2021.

However, his form during the ongoing Olympics has proved exactly why he’s such a talented player and why Everton must keep him at all costs.

During Brazil’s opening match, the striker scored a fantastic hat-trick for his country against Germany. Richarlison has since scored two more goals, meaning he now leads the pack in the race for the Golden Boot.

An incredibly tricky player, no individual in an Everton shirt recorded more than his 1.8 successful dribbles per match last term.

He was also the club’s second top scorer behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin, proving just how important the forward could be to Benitez this season.

Richarlison has the tendency to be a frustrating figure but on his day, he is a first-class talent, someone who can scare Premier League defenders to death.

Consequently, fans should be delighted that he’s set to stay put in Merseyside.

AND in other news, Everton can seal best deal since Lukaku with “electric” £36m star who’s “unstoppable”…

Cricinfo presents the plays of the day for day four of the second Test between India and Australia in Mohali

Cricinfo staff20-Oct-2008
Matthew Hayden may have pulled Simon Katich with him in playing one shot too many at the start of the Australian innings on the fourth day © AFP
Serial offender, part II
Early in the morning, with India pushing towards a big lead, Australia could have thought of only one saviour: Father Time. And so came an over rate of 12 to 12.5 for an hour. In a short spell, Shane Watson pulled out of his run three times. Without saying it was a deliberate time-wasting ploy, commentator Sunil Gavaskar couldn’t resist having a dig or two. Don’t know how the Australian papers, the sensationalist ones, will see it, though.When luck becomes ploy
Mitchell Johnson was very lucky with the down-the-leg-side dismissals in the first innings. The way Virender Sehwag went for a similar ball to his first innings’ dismissal it seemed an action replay was being enacted live. The ball from Johnson was shortish, hip-high, and would have been a big wide in a one-dayer, but Sehwag went for it, and barely missed edging it. That was on the first day, Johnson tried it to similar effect today. ‘Australian for stock ball’, eh? Just in case Foster’s use it, they know where the copyright lies.Suicide, and how?
Chasing 516, Matthew Hayden and Simon Katich came out swinging. The first ball of the innings was hit over mid-off, not convincingly at all. So while he scored 29 off 20 balls, he was not playing his natural game. He looked to manufacture shots, and minutes before tea he had tried one shot too many. The sadder part was, he perhaps pulled Katich with himself. The latter played a hopeless shot to give Harbhajan Singh two wickets in an over. One can imagine Hayden trying to muscle his way out of a lean patch, but whatever happened to Katich?Why don’t you walk, mate?
In the 37th over of India’s second innings, Johnson should have had Sehwag. But the umpire, Asad Rauf, didn’t think so. That was also the end of the over, and Ricky Ponting was seen having a chat with Sehwag during the changeover. Ponting did all the talking, and Sehwag did all the shaking of the head. Don’t know what the minutes of that conversation were, but if Ponting had suggested Sehwag to walk if he had edged, it had some effect on the latter. The next time Sehwag edged, he walked. It was a thick edge, though, so he really didn’t have any choice.Cheer of the day
It was a sad moment for the sparse crowd when Sehwag got out in the 90s, for only the second time in his career. But he was entertaining the crowd and, when he was out, there was a huge cheer when, instead of Rahul Dravid, Mahendra Singh Dhoni walked out on a day India needed quick runs for a huge total before declaration. Not that the crowd meant any disrespect to Dravid, just that they found Dhoni a better proposition in the circumstances.

Gautam Gambhir has said he accidentally elbowed the bowler Shane Watson in the chest during a tense exchange on the first day of the third Test in Delhi

Cricinfo staff29-Oct-2008
Gautam Gambhir was also involved in a exchange with Simon Katich during the third session © AFP
Gautam Gambhir has said he accidentally elbowed the bowler Shane Watson in the chest during a tense exchange on the first day of the third Test in Delhi.Gambhir, who scored an unbeaten 149 to drive India to 296 for 3 at stumps, clashed verbally with Watson during the middle session and then ran into him when trying for a second run.”It wasn’t deliberate, it just happened,” Gambhir said. “I didn’t need to get into this argument with Shane Watson because he had no option of getting me out. There wasn’t a need for me to stick my elbow out.”Watson immediately turned around to the batsman to complain and the Australian players now expect the incident to be looked at by match referee Chris Broad. In the second Test Zaheer Khan was fined 80% of his match fee for an aggressive send-off to Matthew Hayden and the aggression between the teams was on show again.Gambhir and part-time spinner Simon Katich argued regularly during the bowler’s six overs late in the day and at one stage had to be separated by the umpire Billy Bowden. “That’s part of the game,” Gambhir said of the incidents. “They were really desperate to get me out because of the way I was batting and were trying to break my concentration. But the important thing was to just be there, not back out, and keep up the concentration.”The Australia vice-captain Michael Clarke quickly spoke to both Katich and Watson after the incidents. “I did see that [the elbow incident] on replay and I’m pretty sure the match referee, or whoever, will have a look at that,” Clarke said. “Like the incident with Kato, it’s important we all get on with the game. As vice-captain, I grabbed Watto and just said ‘continue to bowl well’.”When Katich was at his most animated Clarke put his arm round the bowler. “Say what you have to say and let’s get on with it,” Clarke said. “I said, ‘let it go, Kato, just get on and bowl, it’s fine, let it go’.”

West Bromwich Albion midfielder Romaine Sawyers could be heading for an exit from The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

According to a number of recent reports, as relayed by the Express and Star, Stoke City are thought to be keeping a very close eye on the situation of the 29-year-old ahead of a potential move in the summer transfer window.

It is reported that Michael O’Neill is keen to bring in further additions to his Potters side in the coming weeks, having already made four signings this summer, with his focus now falling upon the Albion midfielder.

Finally, it is mentioned that the Saint Kitts and Nevis international was left out of Valerien Ismael’s matchday squad for the Baggies’ season opener against Bournemouth last Friday, something that would appear to suggest Sawyers could well be heading for a move away from the club in the not too distant future.

Fans will be buzzing

While it is indeed true that West Brom are currently short of options in the middle of the park, with Sawyers being one of three players capable of operating naturally from central midfield in Valerien Ismael’s first-team squad, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that, should Stoke submit a reasonable offer for the 29-year-old, the Frenchman should cash in on the midfielder this summer.

Indeed, over his 19 Premier League appearances for Albion last season, the £1.8m-rated man scored no goals, provided no assists and created just one big chance for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.2 shots and making a mere 0.3 key passes per game.

The £10k-per-week Sawyers also lost possession of the ball an average of 8.1 times per match, in addition to making one error that led to a shot and two errors that led to a goal, with SofaScore listing one of the player’s weaknesses as his error proneness.

These metrics saw the man Jake Livermore dubbed a “top player” earn a highly disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.47, ranking him as Albion’s joint-worst performer in the top flight of English football.

As such, despite the fact that Ismael is so thin on the ground in central midfield, if Stoke were to submit a bid anywhere near Sawyers current £1.8m Transfermarkt valuation, it would highly advisable that the 49-year-old snatches O’Neill’s hand off. Albion fans will be buzzing to get the disapointing midfielder out of their club.

In other news: Steve Madeley reveals major West Brom transfer development, Ismael will be buzzing

England’s tour of the Caribbean next January will get underway in St Kitts instead of Barbados, after the West Indies Cricket Board announced a switch in the itinerary for two three-day warm-up matches

Cricinfo staff18-Nov-2008England’s tour of the Caribbean next January will get underway in St Kitts instead of Barbados, after the West Indies Cricket Board announced a switch in the itinerary for two three-day warm-up matches.The England team will now arrive in Basseterre on January 21, and will play their first fixture, against a St Kitts XI at Warner Park, four days later. The second match, a first-class fixture against West Indies A, will begin on January 29, two days after the conclusion of the opening game.The first Test gets underway in Jamaica on February 4, with the second scheduled for the Sir Vivian Richards stadium in Antigua on February 13. Thereafter the teams will fly to Barbados where a two-day practice will take place against a BCA President’s XI, at a ground to be confirmed.The 50-over practice match in Trinidad before the start of the five-match ODI series will be played against WIPA President’s Select XI, at a ground to be confirmed.

Fixtures

January 2009 Sun 25 – Tue 27
10:00 local, 14:00 GMT St Kitts v England XI
Warner Park, Basseterre, St Kitts
Thu 29 – Sat 31
10:00 local, 14:00 GMT West Indies A v England XI
Warner Park, Basseterre, St Kitts
February 2009 Wed 4 – Sun 8
10:00 local, 15:00 GMT 1st Test – West Indies v England
Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica
Fri 13 – Tue 17
10:00 local, 14:00 GMT 2nd Test – West Indies v England
Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua
Sat 21 – Sun 22
14:00 GMT Barbados Cricket Association President’s XI v England XI
Venue TBC
Barbados Thu 26 – Mon 2
10:00 local, 14:00 GMT 3rd Test – West Indies v England
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
March 2009 Fri 6 – Tue 10
10:00 local, 14:00 GMT 4th Test – West Indies v England
Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad
Sat 14
14:00 GMT West Indies Cricket Board President’s XI v England XI
Venue TBC
Trinidad Sun 15
12:00 local, 16:00 GMT Only T20I – West Indies v England
Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad
Fri 20
09:30 local, 13:30 GMT 1st ODI – West Indies v England
Providence Stadium, Guyana
Sun 22
09:30 local, 13:30 GMT 2nd ODI – West Indies v England
Providence Stadium, Guyana
Fri 27
09:30 local, 13:30 GMT 3rd ODI – West Indies v England
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
Sun 29
09:30 local, 13:30 GMT 4th ODI – West Indies v England
Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
April 2009 Fri 3
14:30 local, 18:30 GMT 5th ODI – West Indies v England
Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia

Steve Bruce still wants to tick two more boxes in the summer transfer window after signing Joe Willock, according to The Athletic’s Chris Waugh. 

The lowdown

Just two days before their first game of the season against West Ham United, Newcastle completed their first signing of the summer.

Willock arrived from Arsenal for a fee in excess of £20million and signed a six-year contract with the Magpies (via BBC Sport).

The 21-year-old scored eight goals over the course of his loan spell in the second half of last season, establishing himself as the club’s ‘number one target’.

The latest

Newcastle may just be getting started, with a left-sided centre-back and a defensive midfielder still on the agenda.

FC Midtjylland’s Jens Cajuste would fit the no. 6 bill, and he’s said to be ‘highly rated by Newcastle’s scouting team’.

But the Magpies could also target someone who can cover both positions, and Marseille’s Boubacar Kamara may well be that man.

Recruitment sources have maintained, though, that Newcastle are only in a position to agree one permanent deal and two loans this summer.

The verdict

On paper, Kamara looks to be the answer to Newcastle’s problems. He addresses both areas Bruce wants to strengthen and is still only 21 years old, meaning his performance levels and his value should both climb.

However, it’s hard to see Marseille sanctioning a loan move when the player is into the final 12 months of his contract. If he is to leave, they’ll surely want to ensure they bank a decent fee.

Perhaps Newcastle could use sales as a means of a generating the funds for an additional permanent transfer.

In other news, Newcastle have made an offer for this Serie A star.