All posts by h716a5.icu

Lots of Everton fans have been left fuming as some news emerged on Niels Nkounkou.

As per the official website of the Goodison Park faithful, the Frenchman has signed for Standard Liege on loan for the rest of the 2021/22 season.

Nkounkou has played in seven senior games in total over all competitions for the Merseyside club, including an appearance in the 2-1 away win at Huddersfield Town in the EFL Cup this campaign (Transfermarkt).

His departure means that Rafa Benitez now only has one senior left-back in his current squad at the moment in Lucas Digne, leaving them awfully short in that area if he were to get injured for a sustained period of time.

Thus, it seems a strange idea to let Nkounkou go without bringing in any cover.

Everton fans on Nkounkou exit

These Toffees fumed as the exit news was confirmed on Twitter, with one Blues supporter even going as far as to claim that it is ‘disgraceful’:

“No cover at left-back now… this makes no sense”

Credit: @bighfizzle

“As it stands, we are one injury away from disaster at the back. Gross negligence”

Credit: @LeeFMc83

“Announce Brands contract termination”

Credit: @Adam_1878

“Who’s Digne’s replacement? What disgraceful planning!”

Credit: @ymedeiros13

“BRANDS OUT”

Credit: @efcmidd13

“Complete shambles club is run by amateurs”

Credit: @piers_waters

In other news, find out what confirmed news has Evertonians buzzing here!

Daniel Vettori has said India will adjust to New Zealand conditions much faster compared to their previous tour in 2002-03

Cricinfo staff19-Feb-2009
Daniel Vettori: “India will find conditions easier.” © Getty Images
Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand captain, has said India would adjust to New Zealand conditions much faster than on their previous tour in 2002-03, when batsmen from both sides suffered in bowler-friendly conditions. Vettori said pitches had eased up considerably over the last few years, allowing visiting teams to compile bigger scores.”The pitches here are quite different from the ones in the past. The conditions are no longer that difficult as they used to be for a visiting side,” Vettori told . “The tracks have become flatter. It is a much more even playing field. It would come down to the skill of the day. India will have no complaints on that count.”In 2002-03, India failed to cross 200 in either Test and lost the series 2-0. It was no different in the one-dayers which followed as India were comprehensively beaten 5-2.However, India are now playing in the second half of the summer and Vettori said the visitors can expect some respite. But acclimatising will still be a challenge.”The weather should be okay. We have had good rains throughout the summer but it will not be as cold,” Vettori said. “Still India will have to make some adjustments. Coming from… 40 degrees to a place of 18 degrees, it will require some adjustments.”As captain and frontline spinner, Vettori will be expected to play a much bigger part with the ball this time. In the previous tour, such was the domination of the seamers that he didn’t get to bowl a single over in either Test.”I bowl at a late stage but I know my primary responsibility is to take wickets,” he said. “I’m looking forward to bowling against the Indian team led by Dhoni, who is one of the best captains in the world at the moment.”Commenting on the Indian team, Vettori said their batsmen will pose a bigger threat, in particular the openers.”The key players I think are the two openers – Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir. Sehwag is very dangerous and Gambhir has done exceptionally well in the last couple of years. A lot will depend on how they perform in New Zealand conditions.”Vettori said his team, which is in transition, caused by sudden retirements is shaping up well. “Because of injuries and retirements in the last 18 months, we’ve got some good young players. They are exceptionally talented. I’m excited about the things coming through. I’m also looking forward to some players who have recovered from injuries.”India begin their tour on February 25 with the first of two Twenty20 internationals. They also play five ODIs and three Tests.

The possibility of a boycott of the fifth and final ODI between West Indies and England in St Lucia looms large with the West Indies captain Chris Gayle indicating that his team may not take the field on Friday if outstanding issues with the West Indies C

Cricinfo staff28-Mar-2009The possibility of a boycott of the fifth and final ODI between West Indies and England in St Lucia looms large with the West Indies captain Chris Gayle indicating that his team may not take the field on Friday if outstanding issues with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) remain unresolved.Only two days ago, Gayle said that the pay dispute wouldn’t affect the remainder of the series and West Indies’ forthcoming tour of England, with the hope that it would be resolved. However, speaking ahead of the fourth ODI in Barbados on Sunday, Gayle admitted his disappointment with the way the negotiations had unfolded between the board and the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA).”I can say straight up that a boycott is a real possibility,” Gayle toldreporters on Saturday. “I am not going to go all around the world. I amgoing to say it plainly, ‘we need to have these matters resolved before theend of the series’, so we can forget about all of these disputes.”The WICB and WIPA had a two-day meeting earlier this week in Barbados to settle a number of issues including outstanding payments to the players from previous overseas tours. This happened after Dinanath Ramnarine, the WIPA president, quit as a director of the WICB, stating his position had become untenable due to the ongoing dispute.Gayle said the fourth match will proceed as scheduled but the fate of the fifth will depend on the developments over the next few days. “I am disappointed with the way things have been handled. I think they (WICB) arestill trying to bypass WIPA, and it is we, the players, that are instructingWIPA about what we want at this point in time,” Gayle said.”This is not a case, where WIPA goes off on its own and introduces thesesorts of things. We, the players, have asked for these changes, so basicallyfrom a contractual point of view, WIPA are the ones to sort them out, but Iam disappointed from what I hear.”There was a lot of speculation before the [third ODI] about whether thegame was going on. I know that I said I was looking forward to the game and so on and so forth. I would like to point out that I had not spoken to Ramnarine before attending the news conference [on Thursday], and when I got the feedback [from him], I got some disappointing news. It is not too good.”There are a lot of rumours out there, and they want to make WIPA look bad,and WIPA is not a bad thing, so we are very disappointed and will play thisgame on Sunday and see what happens in the next couple of days after this.”He also expressed his disappointment at reports in the media that five senior players were considering skipping the tour of England for the IPL in South Africa. It is understood that up to five players are upset that the tour clashes with the IPL and the WICB reacted saying a statement will be issued soon regarding their availability.”The players have come to me and are disappointed to see their names outthere in the media tarnished,” Gayle said. “It is not good. It is not right.”The arrangement was that there was to be no comments regarding thenegotiations, but we see these comments coming out, trying to get the publicagainst us, which I think will not happen. But we are all big men and we allhave to make our own decisions.”Up to this day, no one has really come to me about playing inthe IPL. But there is word on the street that there is a two-week window,and I could then fly to England.”

Crystal Palace will be looking to secure their first victory of the new campaign when they welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Selhurst Park in the Premier League’s early kick-off this afternoon.

The Eagles’ new era under Patrick Vieira has got off to a slow start, but a promising 2-2 draw against high-flying West Ham United last time out will have given the south London club some hope coming into this one.

The arrivals of former Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard and former Watford midfielder Will Hughes late on in the transfer window should also provide a significant boost to Palace’s hopes of success this season.

“Both of them are really good on the ball with good quality,” said Vieira in Friday’s press conference.

“Edouard can play with his back against the goal, he can hold the ball, he can run in behind, and he can score goals. He is a really interesting, interesting player with good experience at the European level.”

The Palace boss was equally as complimentary about Hughes, saying: “Will; really good technically, you know, with the way we want to play, he will be an important player for us.

“He didn’t train very much in the last couple of weeks. But he did catch up quite well lately, and he is somebody that will allow us to play a little bit quicker going forward,” the former Nice boss concluded.

With that in mind, here’s how Football FanCast expects the Frenchman to line up at Selhurst Park, with Edouard making his debut for the south London outfit…

In goal, the virtually ever-present Vicente Guaita is set to keep his place between the sticks after a solid start to the season, keeping one clean sheet in his three league outings.

Ahead of the Spaniard is expected to be the same back four which started against both Brentford and the Hammers, with Tyrick Mitchell, Marc Guehi, Joachim Andersen, and Joel Ward showing promises as a defensive unit.

The engine room is also likely to have a familiar feel despite the arrival of Hughes. Conor Gallagher excelled at the London Stadium, bagging a brace in their high-scoring draw, and should be partnered by the experienced duo of James McArthur and Cheikhou Kouyate.

It’s in attack where Vieira will have some big decisions to make. A hamstring injury picked up on international duty has ruled Jeffrey Schlupp out of action, so Wilfried Zaha and Jordan Ayew will occupy the flanks.

However, there’s set to be a three-way tussle for the striker’s position. Jean-Philippe Mateta has struggled to make an impact since arriving on English shores, while the £8.1m-rated Christian Benteke is yet to find the back of the net this season and could therefore lose his place in the team.

That means Edouard may be in line to make his debut for Palace, leading the line against table-toppers Spurs in front of his new home supporters.

In other news… Journalist reveals exciting Crystal Palace transfer update which will have fans buzzing 

India Women have retained most of their members from the squad for the 2009 Women’s World Cup for the women’s edition of the World Twenty20 to be held in England in June

Cricinfo staff28-Apr-2009India Women have retained most of their squad from the 2009 Women’s World Cup for the World Twenty20 to be held in England in June. The two players not included are allrounder Thirush Kamini, who has represented India in 19 ODIs and one Twenty20 international, and left-arm spinner Sravanthi Naidu. Jhulan Goswami will lead the side, and Amita Chopra, like in the World Cup, will be her deputy.In the squad of 15, the selectors have announced three new inclusions – Babita Mandlik, Latika Kumari and offspinner Diana David. Mandlik has played three ODIs, but not made an impression yet, managing just six runs. David, on the other hand, has done well with eight wickets in five ODIs, averaging 15. The World Twenty20 is the first of its kind for women, and will be held simultaneously with the men’s version in England.India Women: Jhulan Goswami (capt), Amita Sharma, Mithali Raj, Anjum Chopra, Rumeli Dhar, Sulakshana Naik (wk), Anagha Deshpande (wk), Priyanka Roy, Reema Malhotra, Gauhar Sultana, Harman Preet Kaur, Poonam Raut, Babita Mandlik, Latika Kumari, Diana David.

Celtic icon Frank McAvennie is keen to see more of new signing Cameron Carter-Vickers, following an impressive debut against Ross County last weekend [Football Insider].

The Lowdown: Carter-Vickers enjoys stellar debut

Linking up with Scottish giants Celtic on the last day of the summer transfer window, the 23-year-old will be looking to secure regular football after being on the fringes at Tottenham Hotspur.

Of course, the Unites States international has made a brilliant start to life at Parkhead. In his first start, Carter-Vickers managed to score, keep a clean sheet and also pick up the official Celtic man of the match award [BBC].

Former Bhoys man McAvennie was pleased with what he saw from the central defender, whilst he would like to see how he will get on against tougher opposition.

The Latest: McAvennie eager to see more of the United States international

Speaking in an interview with Football Insider, the 61-year-old said: “I was in contact with a few Celtic people at the game and I heard from them. They were saying Carter-Vickers was massive at the back, a big rock.

“He brought a shape to the defence, a solidity. Keeping a clean sheet is always a good thing and apparently he was a big part of that.

“The goal was pretty lucky but if you don’t shoot you don’t score so fair play to the boy. It sounds like a brilliant debut by all accounts.

“We need a player like him, he could be huge for us.

“It was a pretty easy test though, I’m interested to see what happens when he comes up against better sides”.

The Verdict: Carter-Vickers has the platform to become a key player at Celtic

Correctly, popular ex-pro turned pundit McAvennie is quick to point out that sustaining his good form over an extended period of time is paramount for Carter-Vickers.

However, he enjoyed an excellent loan spell at Bournemouth in 2020/21. Solid at the back, the Tottenham youth product managed to make an average of 3.6 clearances per fixture across last term [WhoScored], helping the Cherries to the play-offs.

If the American can continue his form across the campaign, he could well be a major part in the Hoops’ chase for Scottish Premiership title glory.

In other news, Celtic have sent a player to an injury specialist. Find out more here.

Thomas Meunier has now revealed how close he was to signing for Tottenham Hotspur before joining Borussia Dortmund instead.

The Lowdown: Contract run down

There would not have been a shortage of interested suitors when Meunier decided to run his contract down at Paris Saint Germain back in the 2019 summer transfer window, and he ended up signing for Dortmund on a free a year later.

Valued at £21.6m at the time, it was certainly a bargain for the German outfit.

He has since gone on to win the German Cup with the Bundesliga giants, after achieving so many accolades at PSG (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Tottenham revelation

As per AS, Meunier has now revealed that he could have gone to Spurs instead of Dortmund, among a couple of European heavyweights in Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan:

“I was able to go to other teams like Atletico, Tottenham or Inter, but in Dortmund the atmosphere is special. I live football with passion. Here in Dortmund you live the games in a very special way and that brought me here. It’s extraordinary.”

The Verdict: Shame

It is certainly a shame that the Lilywhites missed out on signing Meunier, especially on a free.

It seems they have only now solved their right-back situation by bringing in Emerson Royal from FC Barcelona, but Meunier would have been a perfect fit when also considering the business sense behind getting a £20m player for nothing.

Recently likened to David Beckham for his crossing ability by his Dortmund teammate Jude Bellingham, the Belgium international has a knack for an assist, with three already in four games in total over all competitions so far this season (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, to not pay a penny in transfer fees for a player of his calibre would have represented great business by Daniel Levy, especially in the midst of the pandemic.

In other news, find out who THFC ‘will certainly return’ for here!

Kamran Khan, the 18-year old Rajasthan Royals rookie left-arm seamer, has been reported for a suspect action

Cricinfo staff01-May-2009Kamran Khan, the Rajasthan Royals left-arm seamer, has been reported for a suspect action. Rudi Koertzen and Gary Baxter, the on-field umpires for the IPL game between Rajasthan and Chennai Super Kings at Centurion on April 30, said they had concerns over Kamran, 18, and hence requested the authorities to review his action.The two on-field umpires and TV umpire Amish Saheba reviewed footage of the game and believed Kamran’s action needed further scrutiny. The matter has now been referred to the Rajasthan management and the IPL’s technical committee.”The matter has now been referred to the team management of the Rajasthan Royals and the IPL’s technical committee as per the laws of cricket that govern our game,” Lalit Modi, chairman and commissioner of the IPL, said. “I now await the report from the technical committee and will then decide on the future course of action.”Kamran can continue to play until he is proven guilty of an illegal action. In five IPL games he has taken six wickets at 20.66, limping off the field during his last over against Chennai on Thursday.Shane Warne, the Rajasthan captain, said the team would back Kamran wholly. “Kamran has made a big impact in this IPL. He is a young man with a great work ethic and a huge appetite to learn,” said Warne. “With these attributes in mind, we are confident that this issue will be resolved very quickly. However, our first priority is a swift recovery from his knee injury from the last game. We currently await a full medical report after his MRI scan today.”Kamran, from Azamgarh in the north-Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, was spotted by Rajasthan team director Darren Berry at a talent scouting camp earlier this year. He impressed Warne instantly after bowling one over against the Cape Cobras in a warm-up game played a couple of days before the IPL kicked off. He was the bowler chosen by Warne to bowl the decisive ‘super over’ in the win against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Scotland have made four changes to their squad for the ICC World Twenty20, following the team’s failure to qualify for the 2011 World Cup

Cricinfo staff06-May-2009Scotland have made four changes to their squad for the ICC World Twenty20, following the team’s failure to qualify for the 2011 World Cup.The selectors have brought in Fraser Watts, Gordon Drummond, Glenn Rogers and Richie Berrington to replace Gordon Goudie (who is injured), Qasim Sheikh, Moneeb Iqbal and Calum MacLeod. Eleven of the players represented Scotland during the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa in 2007.”The selectors and the captain spent a considerable amount of time discussing the squad, as we must balance the longer-term development of the team alongside the need to perform well on the world stage in the shortest form of the game,” Iain Kennedy, the chairman of selectors, said. “We believe that Fraser and Richie will give us new batting options, as well as contributing significantly in the field, whilst Rogers and Drummond will offer variety to our attack.”There were a number of very close decisions made about the personnel required, and we are sure the selected squad will perform well against the best sides in the world.””This event will be a huge test for us all, playing some fantastic sides on the biggest stage cricket can offer,” said gavin Hamilton, who was appointed as captain last week. “We’ve made some positive steps forward in the last couple of weeks and the full squad is looking forward enormously to testing ourselves against the world’s best. It was pleasing that we had some difficult decisions to make, as this shows we have a number of players capable of playing at this level.”Scotland have warm-up games scheduled against England at Trent Bridge on June 2 and Netherlands at The Oval on June 3. Their initial group games are against New Zealand and South Africa on the June 6 and 7, both at The Oval.Scotland squad Gavin Hamilton (capt), Richie Berrington, John Blain, Kyle Coetzer, Gordon Drummond, Majid Haq, Neil McCallum, Navdeep Poonia, Dewald Nel, Glenn Rogers, Colin Smith, Jan Stander, Fraser Watts, Ryan Watson and Craig Wright.

Thomas Tuchel has now revealed how close Harry Kane was to leaving Tottenham Hotspur and joining him at Chelsea.

The Lowdown: Chelsea preferred Kane

Chelsea reportedly preferred to sign Kane over Romelu Lukaku in the summer transfer window, but while his future was still unclear at Spurs they opted for the Belgium international instead.

Manchester City were also firmly in the running to sign the England international captain, but in the end he stayed in North London.

The Latest: Tuchel on Kane

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match against the Lilywhites, Tuchel revealed (via Fabrizio Romano) that he thought that Kane would go to City, but admitted that they also had ‘some information’ on the striker, but a move to take him to Stamford Bridge was ‘never that close’:

“I thought Kane to Man City deal would happen. We never had a list with his name on it – but the club sorted out the situation. We had some information about Kane. But it was never that close that we had to experience the rivalry”.

The Verdict: Relief

It is certainly a welcome relief for Nuno Espirito Santo and everyone associated with the Lilywhites that they managed to keep hold of their talisman, despite interest from top teams in the Premier League.

There have been a number of reports recently suggesting that Kane would now be open to talks over a new deal, which would be vital in terms of keeping him at THFC for as long as possible.

Nonetheless, Tottenham now have to match his ambition, and by keeping him at the club they will have the best possible chance of success.

In other news, find out who Fabio Paratici has set his sights on signing here!