All posts by h716a5.icu

A number of Manchester City fans want Raheem Sterling to depart the club after he was once again linked with a move to Barcelona.

The Citizens have enjoyed a generally positive start to the season. As it stands, they are third in the Premier League table, just two points behind leaders Chelsea, who they beat 1-0 at Stamford Bridge last weekend (Sky Sports). On Sunday, they were involved in a thrilling 2-2 with Liverpool at Anfield, taking four points from visits to the two teams ahead of them in the table.

One player who has not been involved as much as he would like this term is Sterling. The England international has started just two league matches (used more regularly. As per Mundo Deportivo (via AS), Barcelona have the money to sign Sterling in January and it is now down to Pep Guardiola and the 26-year-old to decide whether to entertain any prospective offers from Camp Nou.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from Man City supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to respond to the latest rumour, with many hoping that the club will cash in on the England winger, who according to WhoScored has been one of the champions’ least effective performers this season.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the Sterling news

“sell him !!”

Credit: @achmadepp

“Please Pep sell him”

Credit: @mcfcjosh9320

“Yes, and use the money to buy Haaland”

Credit: @Centurions_21

“If they’ve got a spare £80-90m down the back of the sofa we should be making this deal happen. Has definitely reached a ceiling at City and is 3rd choice on both sides of the pitch now.”

Credit: @Stubamford86

“I mean its kinda perfect cos Sterling gets another chance to prove himself until January and just gets sold if he cant get better”

Credit: @mcfcdavid_27

“Would be a great move for all parties. Dream. Move for Sterling in a league he would thrive, we already have an abundance of players in his position. Additional funds for a world class ST, in January or the summer. Be sad to see him go if it materialised.”

Credit: @LMLee123

In other news, Man City fans have reacted to an update on this striker.

The ICC World Twenty20 is a chance for the team to put behind them the miseries of the last few months

S Rajesh02-Jun-2009The ICC World Twenty20 represents an opportunity for Sri Lanka to put behind them the miseries of the last few months. The attack on their team bus in Lahore in March and the armed conflicts in the country have meant the team and the nation have had little to cheer recently. Kumar Sangakkara and Co have the chance to give the country some happy moments over the next couple of weeks.It’s Sangakkara’s first series as captain, but he has with him a team which has enough matchwinners to make the debut a memorable one. There’s plenty of flair in a batting line-up that has, apart from the captain himself, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan. The bowling attack, led by Muttiah Muralitharan and Lasith Malinga, has the firepower to be formidable in any conditions, and the team has several swift movers, ensuring that fielding is hardly a liability.With a 13-8 win-loss record in Twenty20 internationals, Sri Lanka also have one of the better stats in this format. Defeats against Pakistan and Australia deprived them of a semi-final spot in 2007, but with such a balanced line-up they have every chance of making the last four this time.Being in a tough group – Australia and West Indies are the others in Group C – means they must find form immediately and beat at least one of those two teams to move into the Super Eights. If they make that cut, though, they’ll find themselves in the relatively easier group, with Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh as possible group mates.StrengthsA bowling attack which includes Muralitharan, Malinga, and Ajantha Mendis must fancy their chances against any batting line-up in any conditions. Nuwan Kulasekara and Farveez Maharoof should find the England conditions in June to their liking too, which suggests batting teams will be hard-pressed to post big totals against them. Sri Lanka’s top four batsmen are a formidable lot too, and Jayasuriya will be keen to prove that his poor form in the IPL was an aberration.WeaknessesThe top order is superb, but Sri Lanka have been hit in the past by the lack of batting firepower down the order – it’s quite revealing that their run rate of 8.85 in the last six overs of twenty20 internationals is worse than the six other top teams. Chamara Silva, Maharoof and the rest of the lower-order batsmen will need to pull their weight and ensure that their late-overs batting isn’t a liability.X-factorThe starts that Sanath Jayasuriya provides with the bat could go a long way in determining how far Sri Lanka progress in the tournament. Jayasuriya’s recent form hasn’t been flash – he scored 221 in 12 innings in the IPL – but his ability to turn on the switch can never be underestimated.Key playersMuralitharan is an obvious matchwinner in the Sri Lankan team, but in conditions likely to assist swing and seam, Lasith Malinga could be more than a handful. He had an outstanding IPL, taking 18 wickets at an economy rate of 6.30, but he’ll also need to keep an eye on his radar – his 26 wides were the most by any bowler in the tournament.Twenty20 form guideSri Lanka’s record in this format over the last 12 months has been patchy – though they’ve won three out of five, two of those victories were against Zimbabwe and Canada. What will give them more encouragement is the form of their players in the IPL: Muralitharan and Malinga were terrific, while Dilshan was one of the most consistent batsmen and finished with the fifth-highest aggregate.Squad: Kumar Sangakkara (capt), Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Jehan Mubarak, Chamara Silva, Indika de Saram, Angelo Mathews, Farveez Maharoof, Nuwan Kulasekara, Thilan Thushara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Lasith Malinga, Isuru Udana.

Crystal Palace enjoyed a hugely exciting and productive transfer window over the summer, but things weren’t always as captivating on that front for the south London club.

During the 2014/15 season, Jordon Mutch joined the likes of Zeki Fryers, Martin Kelly and Fraizer Campbell in coming to Selhurst Park doors following a £5.71m switch from fellow Premier League side Queens Park Rangers.

It appeared to be a sensible transfer at first glance. Although the 6 foot beast had failed to find the back of the net in a frustrating six-month stay at QPR, he had impressed at previous employers Cardiff City.

Mutch bagged seven goals and provided a further six assists in 35 top-flight appearances throughout 2013/14, catching the eye despite the Bluebirds’ eventual relegation.

The box-to-box dynamo penned a four-and-a-half-year contract with Palace after spending just 25 weeks at Loftus Road, much to the delight of then-Eagles manager manager Alan Pardew.

“Jordon’s a player that caught my eye against my Newcastle side and he’s a young player with potential,” Pardew said. “It hasn’t quite worked out for him at QPR, so we’ve given him the opportunity to come and play here.

“He’s got talent, he can score goals, and in our environment, hopefully, he’ll have more success than he did at QPR. You need to score goals from all areas of the pitch in the Premier League, and that’s an area where we can improve.”

However, things went horribly wrong for Mutch during his time in south London. The former England under-21 international made just 11 Premier League starts for the Eagles before being sent out on loan to Reading in January 2017.

Another loan stint at Vancouver Whitecaps followed in the subsequent campaign before he was allowed to join South Korean outfit Gyeongnam FC on a free transfer.

Stints in Norway and Australia have followed for Mutch, who left Palace after failing to register a single goal or assist in 40 appearances for the club, and the 29-year-old is currently plying his trade with Macarthur FC in the A-League.

The whole saga was a regrettable nightmare for both player and club, and it’s a deal that both parties will surely wish turned out rather differently.

In other news… Signed for £3.42m, now worth £40.5m: Parish struck gold for Palace over £130k-p/w gem 

Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Boeta Dippenaar spoke to the media on a variety of issues after the fourth day’s play at Kanpur

Wisden Cricinfo staff22-Jul-2009

Virender Sehwag celebrates his Kanpur century© Getty Images
Virender Sehwag
On missing out on a possible double-hundred
I was still far away from a double-century, but at least I didn’t throw my wicket away this time.On opening with Gautam Gambhir
I had never opened with Gambhir in a Test till the Mumbai game against Australia. If we had settled in similar fashion over there we could have piled up a good score and it would have augured well. But it was nice to watch the way Gautam hardly showed any sign of pressure after his first-Test flop, because instead of playing steadily to fight his nerves he played a wonderful innings – half the time he was ahead of me.On the pace of India’s innings so far
We had decided in the morning to not lose any wickets, and that’s the reason we played slowly in the morning. After lunch we decided to quicken the pace so that we could get a big total by lunch tomorrow, and then try and bundle them out on a final-day pitch against the likes of [Anil] Kumble, Harbhajan [Singh] and [Murali] Kartik. That will still be our plan for tomorrow.On the difference between this opening partnership and other recent ones
The positive factor was we were playing our shots, but the last four Tests were played against a world-champion team and hence the pressure was more, and even though the other openers tried their best, unfortunately, they failed. Here, the pitch is dead and completely batsman-friendly.On whether switching partners around affects his batting
Not at all. The partner doesn’t make a difference to my batting. Yes, if the partner stays there, we feed on each other’s confidence, and the team gets a better start.On how the batting slowed down after he was out
Obviously after the fall of a wicket it is not easy to bat on a wicket that is keeping low and the ball is taking reverse swing. But once Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid settled down they played their shots.On the pitch
You have to make a better wicket where the bowler also gets some purchase, where the ball carries and takes turn. These kind of wickets are not beneficial to cricket.On doing well in Tests but less well in ODIs
In the one-dayers it is difficult to strike form quickly, as there is very little time – [you have] to play your strokes continuously. However in a Test you have lot of time and you can spend longer to get back to form.On whether South Africa were adopting a negative line
Of course, they had a negative approach right from the start whereas they had made a statement at the beginning of the game about a result. Instead, I never felt they had a winning attitude – they wanted to stop us from scoring by setting defensive fields and negative bowling. But we decided to be positive and go for a result.On the fog restricting India’s march
Yes, we only got only 112 overs in two days while they faced 183 overs. If we had played close to 150 overs we could have scored more than 500.Gautam Gambhir
On his positive batting
All the seniors helped me and gave me confidence. The good thing was that in front of me Viru bhai was playing, so that made me more positive.On missing a maiden Test hundred
Obviously it was a disappointment to miss the hundred. I was conscious of the nerves in the nineties, and I tried to calm myself down.Boeta Dippenaar
On the day’s play
It was a mixed bag for us. Virender Sehwag played really well and put us under a lot of pressure, but we came back really well which was a positive for us. It was very evenly poised, in that the Indians would have felt they had a good day as well. And in terms of where were stood at the start of the day, when their two openers were playing really well, we came back to put a lot of pressure on them in the middle session, and we were rewarded in that phase.On the Indians feeling that South Africa’s approach was negative
They can feel that, but you have to look at the conditions and there wasn’t much else that we could do. The wicket wasn’t really conducive for us to do much else, so we had to play the frustrating game. They might not like it, but we’ve got to do what believe is the best thing, and we thought that was the best thing to do today.On the likely result
It might on the surface look like the game is heading for a dead rubber, but there is a lot to play for, although a result would be an unlikely option. A lot of momentum that will be generated tomorrow will be taken to the next Test, and this is key.On the positives from the match so far
From a batting point of view it was really nice to see our batters do well against world-class spinners. From the bowler’s angle we know there is a lot of hard work still to be done. And though we were under a lot of pressure we came back really well to build pressure on the opposition, especially in the middle session. The fighting spirit the guys showed out there was very good.On bowling to Sehwag
He put our bowlers under a serious amount of pressure. Cricket is all about momentum, he built that momentum and took the momentum with him. And then it is really difficult to stop a guy like that. So I wouldn’t be too critical about our bowlers, as he took the attack to us and he was a hard guy to stop.

Yusuf Pathan, the India allrounder, has said his brother Irfan has been left out of the 30-man Champions Trophy pool for non-cricketing reasons

Cricinfo staff29-Jul-2009Yusuf Pathan, the India allrounder, has said his brother Irfan has been left out of the 30-man Champions Trophy pool for non-cricketing reasons.”Irfan’s performance was always up to the mark. He has not been left out because of his performance,” he said on Tuesday. “Everybody has seen what is happening. What will I comment. It is for you (the media) to react and comment on what is happening.”Irfan’s last one-day appearances for India were in the series in Sri Lanka, where he took four wickets but leaked 7.06 runs an over in two matches. What has also hurt his chances of making the national side is that his batting has fallen away in ODIs – he hasn’t scored a half-century in nearly three years.He was also part of three games during India’s dismal World Twenty20 campaign, but picked up only one wicket and didn’t contribute much with the bat either. He hasn’t been a part of the Test side since the home series against South Africa in April 2008.Both the BCCI and chief selector Kris Srikkanth declined to comment on Yusuf’s statements.

Politician and radio host George Galloway has questioned Leeds United’s decision to spend £25m on Dan James during the summer transfer market.

The Lowdown: Leeds get their man

In 2019, Leeds had all but confirmed the signing of James from Swansea City – he had even been pictured with a club shirt – but the move fell through on deadline day (via inews).

In the summer, they finally confirmed the signing of the Wales international, this time from Manchester United, for a fee of £25m (BBC).

The Latest: Galloway questions James signing

Writing on his official Twitter account, Galloway questioned the fee paid for the 23-year-old. He said:

“I don’t wish to be unkind and I’m rooting for Wales but I just cannot understand how Dan James can possibly be a £25million player…”

The Verdict: Overpaid

While James is not Leeds’ record signing – that honour remains with Rodrigo, who was captured from Valencia for £26m – the £25m fee is still a considerable one for Leeds to part with.

He was never able to nail down a regular starting spot in the Red Devils’ starting XI, and ended up making just 15 appearances in the Premier League last term, scoring just three times, as his club finished second in the table (Transfermarkt).

If he had not been playing for one of the biggest clubs in the country, it is hard to see how he would be worth such a large fee given that kind of form.

All that said, the winger is still young, and if he can add some more consistent end product to his pace and dribbling ability then he could more than prove his worth down the line.

In other news, Noel Whelan is excited by these Leeds United plans.

Twenty wickets fell on the first day of Netherlands and Afghanistan’s ICC Intercontinental Cup clash at Amstelveen, as the home side gained a 74-run lead

Cricinfo staff24-Aug-2009
ScorecardTwenty wickets fell on the first day of Netherlands and Afghanistan’s ICC Intercontinental Cup clash at Amstelveen, as the home side gained a 74-run lead. Afghanistan are only playing their second match in this tournament, and their inexperience in foreign climes cost them dear when they were rolled for 107 in 36.5 overs.Afghanistan produced what was thought to be an exceptional bowling display, with Hamid Hassan and Mohammed Nabi bagging four wickets a piece, to dismiss Netherlands for 181. But their efforts on the bowler-friendly wicket were soon over-shadowed by a calamitous batting performance, as Netherlands took no prisoners in their reply.Afghanistan began woefully, losing four wickets within the first nine overs with ten runs on the board. Noor Ali failed to reproduce the form he displayed against Zimbabwe XI last week, as he was trapped in front off Mudassar Bukhari without scoring. Ahmed Shah soon followed him back to the pavilion after being run out for one by Daan van Bunge who threw in from wide mid off. Edgar Schiferli continued the rout by bowling Mohammed Shahzad for nine, then Asghar Stanikzai was caught low down by Wesley Barresi off Schiferli for a sixth-ball duck.Netherlands were understandably chirpy in the field by this point, but a fifty partnership between Nowroz Mangal and Raees Ahmadzai brought some hope to the visitors. The storm wasn’t calm for long however, as Ahmadzai played one straight back to Seelar who snapped him up, caught and bowled, for 27, with the score at 60 for 5.Captain Mangal stuck in there resolutely as wickets fell around him; Peter Borren being the main culprit, dismissing Nabi for 13, who was caught by Bas Zuiderent, and the spectacular clean-up of Samuillah Shenwari, whose leg-stump was sent cartwheeling as he was bowled for 5. But Mangal’s resistance finally came unstuck as he played straight to Zuiderent at cover point off Borren for 41.It didn’t take much for Seelaar to wrap up the innings, taking the final two wickets with considerable ease. He dispatched Shapoor Zadran leg-before with considerable guile, as the flighted delivery hit the back pad sending Zadran packing for 4. The final wicket came as Hassan skied a huge drive off Seelaar down the throat of Mark Jonkman on the long-off boundary.Earlier, Borren was ruing the decision to bat first on what turned out to be a tricky wicket, as his side fell to 75 for 3 at lunch. If it wasn’t for an impressive knock from Tom de Grooth, who scored 54 before caught and bowled by Nabi, the state of play at the end of the first day could have been very different.

Arsenal are facing competition over mooted transfer target Luka Jovic…

What’s the word?

Earlier this week, Spanish outlet Defensa Central reported that the Gunners were considering the Real Madrid striker as a potential replacement for Alexandre Lacazette, who seems likely to depart the Emirates Stadium at the end of his current contract.

The Frenchman is free to leave in the summer and it’s thought that manager Mikel Arteta is ‘very interested’ in the 23-year-old.

But now, according to Italian publication Calciomercato.it, Serie A champions Inter Milan have entered the equation ahead of the January transfer window.

Neither report mentions what sort of price it’ll take to secure the Serbian this winter, though Transfermarkt value him at just £18m, despite costing the La Liga side around €60m (£50.5m) in June 2019.

Alexis 2.0

The 6-foot forward would certainly be an interesting candidate to replace Lacazette in the attack, even if he’s struggled for game time at the Bernabeu, managing only 84 minutes across all competitions.

It’s easy to forget he bagged 27 goals in 48 appearances for Eintracht Frankfurt during the 2018/19 campaign, form that earned him that big-money move. But the pressure and need to instantly deliver is much bigger at a club like Madrid. It’s especially tricky when you’re the back up to Ballon d’Or contender Karim Benzema.

During his time in the Bundesliga, Jovic earned a pretty remarkable comparison to former Premier League talisman Luis Suarez, who Arsenal were once keen on signing.

“He’s a classic goal-getter with great control of the ball and a good understanding of the game. I’d probably compare him to Luis Suarez,” Serbia coach Mladen Krstajic stated in an interview with T-Online (via Bundesliga.com).

“He’s courageous and dangerous at any moment because he’s always lying in wait for his chance or any inattention from the opponent.”

That sort of description could be said for Alexis Sanchez, too, particularly after Arsene Wenger once likened the Chilean dynamo to the ex-Liverpool striker.

In Jovic, Gunners chief Edu Gaspar could find another Sanchez and one that could fill a likely void in Mikel Arteta’s attack.

Furthermore, the 18-cap Serbia international has previously been lauded as a complete centre-forward by former teammate Kevin-Prince Boateng.

“He has everything to become [a world-class striker]. You see that in training. He has football in his genes, he’s a street footballer, and he has a nose for goal,” he said. “He scores with his head, right or left foot. He is technically good and can shoot well with both feet. He just has everything a striker needs.”

Meanwhile, Jovic talks himself up to be a “fox in the box”, which is certainly an encouraging sign as a striker will need that confidence when adapting to a new league.

With Lacazette on his way out, the north London giants must mull over a bid for the Madrid outcast. If he can rediscover his goalscoring boots, then he could well excite many around the Emirates Stadium.

Just like Sanchez joining from Barcelona back in 2014, this is a move that would add a lot of threat to Arteta and his squad.

AND in other news, Forget Pepe: £36m-rated Arsenal lightweight who lost 83% duels badly let Arteta down vs Palace…

Crystal Palace have been linked with a move for Manchester United forward Anthony Martial as manager Patrick Vieira looks to add more firepower to his forward line.

What’s the story?

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, the Eagles are eager to secure the services of the 25-year-old as speculation grows over his potentially imminent Old Trafford exit.

Martial’s days at United appear to be numbered after a disappointing 18 months for the France international, with Newcastle United also credited with an interest in his signature following their recent Saudi-backed takeover.

The report from Fichajes claimed that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s charges are set to demand a £40m fee for their unwanted striker, so Palace may need to fork out a record transfer fee in order to bring him to south London.

Imagine him and Wilfried Zaha

The versatile forward appeared to have made a significant step up in his progress during the 2019/20 season when he bagged 23 goals and provided a further 12 assists in 48 appearances for the Red Devils in all competitions.

His outstanding displays caught the eye of several impressed onlookers, including former United title-winner Robin van Persie, who claimed that Martial is a “world-class” player.

“Martial always have an eye for his teammates and that’s what sets him apart from the others. That’s why I think he’s a world-class player,” said the Dutchman.

Dormer Bayern Munich and United midfielder Owen Hargreaves was equally complimentary following an impressive showing against Copenhagen in the Europa League, saying: “Everyone’s got an opinion on Martial. He’s a Ferrari. He just looked like a £100million player.”

However, Martial was unable to build on that impressive 2019/20 showing last term. Injuries and a lack of form saw the former Monaco ace start just 17 Premier League matches and produce only 16 goal contributions in his 36 outings altogether.

After missing out on France’s squad for Euro 2020, it was hoped that the attacker would return to United refreshed and back firing once again this season, but he has struggled to make a positive impression on proceedings so far in 2021/22.

Martial has started just three games in the current campaign, finding the back of the net once after the arrivals of Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho pushed him further down the club’s pecking order.

Nevertheless, the prospect of him linking up with Wilfried Zaha at Selhurst Park would still be a daunting prospect for any top-flight defence, so the Palace hierarchy must sanction a move over the coming months.

In other news… Journalist claims “technical” CPFC gem is a “great option” for Vieira, fans will love him

Desperate for a promotion, the Australian fast bowler is adamant there is much to play for – 5-0 series lead or not

Alex Brown at Trent Bridge17-Sep-2009If there was one blot on the otherwise spotless record of Australia’s previous generation of cricketers, it was the perception of a lack of intensity in dead rubbers. It was, in fairness, a minor complaint – they were dead rubbers for a reason – but one Ricky Ponting’s new-look squad can seek to improve upon over the final week of their three-month UK sojourn.No longer is the Australian side blessed with wall-to-wall match-winners under little pressure to retain their places in the starting XI. Rather, this is a side with much to prove, both individually and collectively, and with the Champions Trophy and a one-day tour of India on the horizon, the Australians will be acutely aware that the final two ODIs at Trent Bridge and Chester-le-Street represent a chance to impress selectors for future series.Peter Siddle is in such a position. Handed his second one-day cap on Tuesday, Siddle currently resides on the second tier of limited-overs pacemen, behind Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Bracken. Desperate for a promotion, Siddle is adamant there is a lot at stake – 5-0 series lead or not.”There’s obviously plenty to play for,” he said. “For myself, to try and do well and shore up a spot for the Champions Trophy is my aim, and the whole aim of the side is to progress well in the next couple of games and be ready to go once we get over there. We don’t want to slacken off and let all that momentum we’ve worked up blow away in the last two matches and go over to South Africa not ready. We’re going to be fighting hard and trying our best to win the next two, win 7-0, and be ready to go once we get over to South Africa.”It’s about getting the right side that’s going to be ready for game one at the Champions Trophy. That’s what the next few matches are about – going out and performing well and showing them that you’re ready to go and ready for that opportunity once you’re over there.”Injury, form and circumstance have combined to install Siddle as one of Australia’s three first-choice Test fast bowlers ahead of Lee. In the one-day arena, however, it is the latter who has the edge over his younger rival and claims to the new-ball for the Champions Trophy and beyond in India.Siddle has yet to bowl alongside Lee in a one-day international – his starting berth on Tuesday came on account of the selectors’ desire to rest Lee ahead of a gruelling limited-overs schedule – but the Victorian pace man is hopeful the faster, bouncier conditions of South Africa will lend themselves to the pair operating in tandem.”Over here it’s obviously me or him at the moment and the way he’s been bowling and the way he bowls in the short form of the game is outstanding,” Siddle said. “He’s got an amazing record. I’ve just got to bide my time and take my opportunity when I get it.”I think it depends on the wickets more than anything on how they want to go about their line-up over there. Obviously South African wickets will be a little bit faster with a little more pace in them, so I might have a little more of a chance of actually playing with him than fighting it out with him for a spot. “At 24, and with only a handful of first-class appearances to his name, Siddle’s promotion to the Test side was both rapid and largely unexpected on Australia’s 2008 tour of India. His one-day career has, by contrast, progressed at a more methodical pace, leading to a sense of frustration for a bowler who thrives on the aggression and thrill of the contest. It is a fact of life he is learning to deal with.”It is tough if you’re out on the sidelines carrying drinks and you wonder when you’re going to get that chance,” he said. “I was lucky enough to get mine last night. Hopefully I can stay in for the next couple and see how I go from there.”You just always think that it’s better being over here with the touring side than being back home and being that little bit further away from being in the side. At least if you’re here and carrying the drinks you’re a touch closer than the bloke sitting back at home. That’s always a pleasing thing to think about.”