All posts by h716a5.icu

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa could strike fear into the rest of the Premier League by signing Spain star Adama Traore this summer.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days have suggested that the Whites are interested in signing the Wolves winger, with claims back in December revealing that Bielsa’s side were keen on luring him to Elland Road.

If the Yorkshire club can pull off a deal for the Spanish flier, then it could well help form a terrifying duo alongside Raphinha.

Imagine him and Raphinha

Dubbed a “machine” and someone who “scares defenders” by former Leeds man Rio Ferdinand, the £100k-a-week earning Traore has got the kind of game-changing pace and ability that could help form a terrifying duo with Raphinha at Elland Road.

Bielsa himself has previously admitted to how tough a player Traore is to mark, saying: “It’s better to follow the man than leave him to a team-mate. I believe, fundamentally, Traore likes to play out wide on the wings. If he dominates the ball on his side he’s difficult to start, so whoever’s marking him will need some support.”

Averaging an impressive 4.1 dribbles per game – the highest in the entire Premier League last season – and being fouled 2.3 times per match – the third-most in the division – Traore is as direct as they come, and never seems to stop wanting to take the full-back on.

Having someone like the Spaniard on the opposite flank to Raphinha would give Leeds a second exciting option for them to turn to and try and change a game.

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If teams even think of trying to double up on Raphinha, then the Whites can simply switch the play to Traore and let him wreak havoc. Managers would have a real hard time coming up with a game-plan that would see them deal that kind of twin threat.

It’s exactly why a move for Traore this summer would be an exciting one for Leeds.

Meanwhile, Bielsa could reunite with this former star at Elland Road…

Suspensions apply to organisations affiliated to the Hampshire Cricket Board and to neighbouring County Boards.

SPCL Committee Release23-Aug-2002The following suspensions have been confirmed, with effect from 23 August 2002:Jamie Glasson (South Wilts CC)
Suspended for the next two League matchesColin Jolley (Hartley Wintney CC)
Suspended for the next two League matchesSuspensions apply to organisations affiliated to the Hampshire Cricket Board and to neighbouring County Boards.

Caribbean batting legend Brian Lara paid tribute to Sachin Tendulkar onMonday, claiming he was "proud" of the Indian icon’s achievements

Charlie Austin09-Sep-2002Caribbean batting legend Brian Lara paid tribute to Sachin Tendulkar onMonday, claiming he was "proud" of the Indian icon’s achievements.Tendulkar, 29, became the youngest player ever to play 100 Test matches whenthe final npower Test against England started at the Oval last Thursday."It’s a great achievement for a 29-year-old to play 100 Tests," Lara said."The form and consistency that he has shown over his career is tremendous.""He has the world at his feet and he’s taking it one step at a time. He’llplay a lot more and I am proud for him as a friend – I hope he goes on toeven greater things."Asked if he would have liked to replicate Tendulkar’s phenomenalconsistency, which has seen the right-hander score 8351 runs at 57.99,including 30 Test hundreds, Lara was claimed to be happy being his own man."I look at Sachin and I see a great player, the kind of person that youwould like to follow, but I have my reputation and am happy with the way mycareer has gone," he said.Lara was talking to the journalists after the arrival of the West Indiesteam in Colombo for the ICC Champions Trophy, a tournament that Lara hopeswill provide further confirmation of a resurgence in West Indian cricket."This team has gelled well," claimed Lara. "We have a lot of young playerswho are now coming to terms with international cricket. We have performedcreditably in recent times and can do well here."He added: "We are capable of getting back to the top, perhaps not asinvincible as the team of the 1980’s, but a force to be reckoned with ininternational cricket."Lara is still recovering from an elbow injury sustained after a bizarrecollision with fielder Marvan Atapattu during West Indies’ tour of Sri Lankalast year."I am not 100% at the moment," he said. "The injury was the most serious ofmy career and has had a psychological effect on me. I have been unable to docertain things and it’s going to take time to get back to my best."But, even if not fully fit, Lara believes he has an important role to playin the team as a senior player."I know what it takes to gel a team and every senior player has to play apart to help the captain by performing on and off the field," he said."I don’t see myself as a father figure but someone who the young players cancome to and talk about cricket. I have a very good relationship with theyoung players."Lara has played 90 Tests in his career, scoring 7572 runs at 49.49.

GSB should make their move for mooted West Ham transfer target Yangel Herrera after a fresh claim was made about his future…

What’s the word?

During an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern, La Liga expert Euan McTear claimed the 23-year-old midfielder will definitely leave Manchester City this summer, having spent the last two seasons on loan at Granada.

“He’ll leave them for sure,” he claimed.

Last month, the Daily Mail suggested the Venezeulen international was one of several players up for sale as the Premier League champions looked to fund moves for Harry Kane and Jack Grealish.

The Hammers were one of several top-flight teams linked with interest in Herrera in the report and he is expected to cost in the region of £20m.

Get it done

Irons boss David Moyes will need to bolster his playing squad in pretty much every position this summer if they are to remain competitive next season as the prospects of playing over 50 games should become a reality after qualifying for the Europa League.

Of course, some roles are a bigger priority – such as upfront – where the Scot only has one senior striker in Michail Antonio, who is often injury-prone.

But one or two injuries to the engine room could spell disaster at the London Stadium.

First-choice duo Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek are only really backed up by retiring skipper Mark Noble and if West Ham do not add a new central midfielder this summer, they will almost certainly have to in 12 months time.

So why not do it now, with someone like Herrera on the market.

McTear also waxed lyrical about the 23-year-old’s recent season, in which he excelled for La Liga outfit Granada on their way to the Europa League quarter-finals.

“He’s been key to their qualification for Europa League and then the run to the quarter-finals,” he told The Transfer Tavern.

“He’s like a classic box-to-box midfielder, a bit of a throwback in that way. His first instinct is to try and dribble, to pass it forward, charging forward he took so many shots this season, he would get in the box, he scored quite a few goals early on when they were lacking strikers and attacking midfielders and that’s the thing too, he’s been really versatile.”

Also dubbed a “complete central midfielder” by Venezuelan football expert and journalist Carlos Ponte to talkSPORT, Herrera has shown a niche ability to impact the game in multiple ways, mixing aggression and tenacity with an average of 0.7 dribbles, one shot, 1.8 tackles and 2.2 fouls per La Liga outing, via WhoScored.

The 24-cap international, who stands at exactly 6-foot, would be a nice addition to Moyes’ midfield armoury this summer and for just £20m, it wouldn’t take too much of the budget away to bolster other areas.

GSB must make the move amid this exciting claim.

AND in other news, Forget Abraham: Moyes must sanction West Ham swoop for “unstoppable” £15m “big talent”…

Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing a move for Mario Lemina in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Midfielders needed

Given that Joe Willock is not guaranteed to sign from Arsenal on a permanent deal, and Matty Longstaff has also been recently linked with a move away from St. James’ Park on loan, the North East club may need to bring in reinforcements in the centre of midfield.

Steve Bruce will certainly be looking to add to his squad in time for the new 2021/22 season, and midfield should be an area that he will be looking to strengthen in.

The Latest: Lemina eyed

As per the Daily Mail, the Tyneside club are reportedly interested in signing Lemina, who only has a year left on his current deal at Southampton.

The Gabon international spent last term on loan at Fulham, who find themselves relegated from the Premier League down to the EFL Championship.

The Verdict: Wait for other targets

While signing Lemina should not be completely ruled out by the Magpies, given his past experience of playing in the top flight, they should wait to see who else may become available first later on in the window.

The 27-year-old had a fine individual campaign for Fulham, wining 4.5 of his duels a game in the top flight, while also averaging 2.2 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per match (Sofascore).

However, he was not able to help enough to keep Scott Parker’s side up, and the fact that the Saints wanted to loan him out to a Premier League rival in the first place shows that they clearly do not rate him very highly.

Also earning a heavy £64,000-per-week at St. Mary’s Stadium, the Toon should avoid signing him – for now.

In other news, find out which six-foot ace courted by Atletico Madrid NUFC are eyeing here!

New Queensland captain Maher felt 240 was a very achievable target on a small ground with a good wicket and fast outfield and felt the Bulls contributed to their downfall.

AAP13-Oct-2002New Queensland captain Maher felt 240 was a very achievable target on a small ground with a good wicket and fast outfield and felt the Bulls contributed to their downfall.”We made the mistakes ourselves. I don’t think they were forced errors, so that’s something we can look back on and use in preparation for upcoming games,” Maher said.”To their credit, NSW bowled and fielded well. Going out to bat I thought 240 was well below par, a score that I was very happy to be chasing, but we just didn’t do it with the bat.”Queensland had a perfect start when NSW opener Brad Haddin was run out off the first ball without facing as he charged down the pitch without looking at opening partner Corey Richards.Experienced Queensland fast bowler Michael Kasprowicz (2-30 off 10 overs) conceded just 12 runs in his initial seven over burst.Batting three places higher than he normally does for Australia, Bevan capitalised on the chance to play a long innings and played several dashing cuts and drives.He added 90 with Richards (36) and 85 with Michael Clarke (39) and struck nine fours in his 138th ball innings.Man of the match Nash, and Bracken, who whipped out Martin Love (0) and Lee Carseldine put NSW in control until the furious mid innings onslaught from Symonds who smashed ten fours and three sixes.

The Tasmanian Cricket Association is pleased to announce that a Field of Fame, to honour past, present and future Tasmanian cricketers is to be incorporated in the Development at Bellerive Oval.

Tasmanian Cricket Association29-Oct-2002The Tasmanian Cricket Association is pleased to announce that a Field of Fame, to honour past, present and future Tasmanian cricketers is to be incorporated in the Development at Bellerive Oval.The Field of Fame will initially honour twelve cricketers who have made substantial contributions to Tasmanian Cricket both on and off the field since Tasmania’s inception into the Sheffield Shield/Pura Cup in 1977/78 season.This will of course be no easy task, but one that should create much interest amongst cricket followers in the State.The inductees are to be selected on the basis of their contribution to Tasmanian cricket. The criteria is not strictly statistically based but rather the process considers the worth and value each has made to cricket outcomes and progress since Tasmania was admitted to the Sheffield Shield/Pura Cup in 1977/78.Following that time, 133 players have played for Tasmania in 1st Class cricket. Former selectors, Alan Carey, Barry Harper and Kel Coburn have accepted the responsibility of naming the first inductees to be included on the Field of FameThe initial twelve will not necessarily represent a "first" team or the best twelve players Tasmania could theoretically field.It is important to note that inductees to the Field of Fame do not have to be retired, in order to be considered for induction.What a great opportunity for the Media and the sporting public to try and pick Tasmania’s first 12 inductees and compare their selections to those of the nominated selectors.The unveiling of The Field of Fame will be performed by former Australian Captain, Allan Border AO, at a ceremony to be held on Thursday, 14th November 2002 at 11.00am.The formal announcement of the inductees will take place on Sunday 17th November 2002, the last day of the Australia "A" versus England Tour match here at Bellerive.Those selected will be officially inducted to the Field of Fame at a dinner to be held at Bellerive Oval on Friday, January 10th, 2003. This invitation only dinner will launch the celebrations surrounding the Re-Opening of the Oval on January 11th during the Australia v England VB Series One-Day International.Guests and dignitaries will travel from all over the World to be in attendance, which will add to the total package of January 11.The Field of Fame will take the form of a small cricket field centered on a statue of David Boon, with a sequence of silhouette cricketers carrying plaques describing the careers of those inducted. The Field of Fame will be situated in the forecourt adjacent to the main northern entrance to Bellerive Oval and the Members Pavilion.Well-known Tasmanian sculptor, Stephen Walker AM, has been commissioned to create the statue of David.The unveiling will then be followed by a "David Boon Club" luncheon in the new Century Room at Bellerive Oval, with the guest speaker being Mike Coward, who is widely regarded as the most influential and knowledgeable cricket writer in Australia.

Rangers are reportedly preparing a bid for Santiago Moreno this summer, and the Colombian could be a superb addition to Steven Gerrard’s squad at Ibrox ahead of next season.

According to journalist Pipe Sierra on Twitter, the Gers are preparing a €3m (£2.6m) offer for the America de Cali winger this summer, who is also attracting interest from Norwich City and the MLS.

Leeds United and Southampton have also previously been linked with the 21-year-old, who has earned comparisons with Liverpool superstar Sadio Mane for his style of play.

The young winger has already established himself as a regular with the Liga Dimayor side, making 51 appearances in all competitions and contributing 10 goals and seven assists in that time, so he could certainly add something to Gerrard’s squad ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

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The 41-year-old manager already has plenty of quality available to him on the flanks, with the likes of Ianis Hagi and particularly Ryan Kent two of his most consistent performers last season as they finished the Premiership campaign unbeaten, whilst Scott Wright and Kemar Roofe also featured out wide on occasion.

However, if Gerrard wants his side to compete in the Champions League next season, whilst also retaining their Premiership title, he needs to add young attacking talent to his squad, and Moreno could be a superb option for the future.

Considering that both Hagi and Kent have been linked with moves away from Ibrox this summer, signing a winger may prove to be a priority for Ross Wilson ahead of next season. If these latest reports are true, the sporting director is evidently keen on securing Moreno’s signing in the coming weeks.

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776″]

With eight goal contributions in just 17 league appearances for America de Cali last season, there seems no reason why the 21-year-old couldn’t have an impact in the Scottish Premiership, and it would be a huge boost for Gerrard if Wilson were to secure Moreno’s signing ahead of next season.

In other news… Rangers dealt huge blow over “top player”, Gerrard surely gutted

Michael Vaughan says England are aiming at a total well in excess of 400 to put Australia under pressure in the second Test at Adelaide.

CricInfo21-Nov-2002Michael Vaughan says England are aiming at a total well in excess of 400 to put Australia under pressure in the second Test at Adelaide.The Yorkshire opener hit 177 out of 295 for four as England began an Ashes fightback after they were overwhelmed by 384 runs in the first Test at Brisbane.”If we can try and get 450 on the board we can try and put the Aussies under some pressure,” Vaughan said. “It is a good pitch, quite slow. It has a few cracks on it, so it may get a bit uneven over the next two or three days.”Vaughan warned that England can expect no easy pickings for his Yorkshire team-mate, off-spinner Richard Dawson, when Australia come to bat.”It is quite inviting for the sweep off the spinners with short square boundaries, so it will be tough for young Dawson to bowl on it,” he said.Vaughan described his own innings, the highest in Tests by an English batsman in Australia since Mike Denness hit 188 in Melbourne on the 1974-75 tour, as the pinnacle of his career.”It hasn’t really sunk in yet but it’s something you dream about from a young age – of coming to Australia and doing well,” said Vaughan. “The most important thing is that England are in a good position on what at the moment is a good Adelaide wicket.”It’s probably the best of all my hundreds simply because you are playing against Australia. It’s a good wicket but they are always asking questions and they have got a fantastic attack. The hundreds in the summer were great but to score a hundred against Australia in Australia has to be the pinnacle.”Vaughan was also adamant that despite his dismissal in the last over of the day, England would have settled for 295 for four before the start.”It’s been a good day for us,” he said. “We would have been happy for that at the start of the day. It’s a good wicket which is taking a little spin and I think over the next few days it should get more uneven and harder for the batsman to score on.”Vaughan had a let-off on 19 when Queensland seamer Andy Bichel appeared to have him caught at cover by Justin Langer, but the third umpire Steve Davis ruled that TV replays were inconclusive and gave Vaughan the benefit of the doubt.”I was in my rights to stand my ground, because I was not sure if he had caught it,” said Vaughan. “Obviously they were disappointed because they thought he had.”

Many Everton fans have been reacting to a tweet from Dominic King, who shared an image of a banner which was erected outside Rafael Benitez’s house in England.

As we approach pre-season, the Toffees remain without a permanent manager after Carlo Ancelotti left the club to return to Real Madrid (Sky Sports). At the moment, it appears that Benitez is set to be his replacement (The Telegraph), but this is a potential appointment which does not appear to have gone well with many Everton supporters – after all, he used to be the manager of their fierce city rivals Liverpool.

Still, that is no excuse for the banner which was put outside his family home, with the message reading: “We know where you live, don’t sign”. That is an appalling threat to make to someone just because they might become the manager of a football club.

A photo of the banner was shared on Twitter by journalist King, who fumed: “This banner is online. It has been posted not far from where Rafa Benitez lives with his wife and his daughters. It’s sinister, it’s reprehensible and the people responsible for it should be ashamed. They are a disgrace.”

The image duly attracted the disgust of many Everton supporters who took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on what one Toffees fan understandably called a “despicable” act.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the tweet from King below

“It’s hard enough being an #Everton fan without suffering the despicable element of a minority of so called fans. Totally ashamed!”

Credit: @Holdtight_TV

“It’s utterly shameful & embarrassing. It’s criminal behaviour & should be treated as such.”

Credit: @EFCMatt1

“100% not what our football club is about utterly embarrassing. Forget about football, in this instance I feel for his family and Benitez himself.”

Credit: @notsimon1878

“Disgusting, too far. The person(s) who have put this up don’t represent me as a fan! That goes for the banners outside Goodison too. I don’t want Benitez at all but this is too much!”

Credit: @Pistolpov

“Ashamed and embarrassed”

Credit: @EvertonNewsFeed

“Utterly embarrassing for us Blues. I didn’t want Rafa as manager but now more than ever I will support him. If he wants to manage us with all this going on deserves our support.”

Credit: @bluedoc999

In other news, Everton are believed to be interested in this Juventus ace.