All posts by h716a5.icu

Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side went into Saturday afternoon’s Premiership encounter knowing that a win would provide them with an enormous boost ahead of the upcoming Old Firm clash on Wednesday.

Indeed, after the Bhoys’ Glasgow rivals dropped two points in a 3-3 draw with Ross County earlier in the day, the Hoops knew that a win against Dundee United would take them to within two points of the league leaders ahead of their midweek meeting at Parkhead.

While it took until the 91st minute for Liel Abada to finally make the breakthrough, Celtic just about did enough to get over the line – although in truth the Bhoys’ performance was far from their best of the season.

Indeed, with the Hoops enjoying 75% possession, creating six big chances and having 21 shots at the Dundee United goal, it should not have taken them until the first minute of stoppage time to take the lead against a team who currently sit seventh in the Premiership table. That wastefulness was largely down to the display of Giorgos Giakoumakis.

Completed just three passes

With the 27-year-old currently being Postecoglou’s only available centre-forward – Daizen Maeda is on international duty with Japan and Kyogo Furuhashi is out with a hamstring injury – the Bhoys boss once again started the Greece international as the focal point of his three-man attack.

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However, over the course of his 83 minutes on the pitch, the £1.8m-rated striker offered next to nothing up top. He had just 21 touches of the ball – 17 fewer than Joe Hart between the Celtic sticks – completed a mere three of his six attempted passes and missed two of the six big chances that his team-mates created.

Furthermore, the £8.2k-per-week hitman also won just two of his nine duels, lost possession of the ball on 12 separate occasions and was beaten by an opponent twice.

These returns – or lack thereof – saw Giakoumakis earn an extremely disappointing, but hardly surprising, SofaScore match rating of just 5.9. That ranked him as the worst player to feature in the match, even considering that Nir Bitton was shown a red card with a little under 10 minutes to go.

As such, with arguably Celtic’s biggest game of the season coming up on Wednesday, and the 27-year-old likely to be Postecoglou’s only centre-forward option for the Old Firm clash, his performance will undoubtedly be giving his manager nightmares this evening. A repeat of this display against the league leaders could well be disastrous for the Hoops.

In other news: Celtic suffer yet another big blow as transfer update emerges which will leave fans gutted

Ross Taylor has denied that his side were complacent in the final game of the three-match Twenty20 series against Pakistan in which the hosts were routed by 103 runs

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Dec-2010Ross Taylor, the stand-in New Zealand captain, has denied that his side were complacent in the final game of the three-match Twenty20 series against Pakistan in which they were routed by 103 runs, the largest winning margin in contests between Test nations. New Zealand had already sealed the series after winning the first two games comfortably.”We wanted to win the series 3-0 after what’s happened over the last few months,” Taylor said, “and it’s disappointing to put out a performance like that in front of a pretty good crowd.”Chasing 184, New Zealand were bowled out for 80 in 15.5 overs, and at one stage were 3 for 4 with their top four batsmen – Jesse Ryder, Martin Guptill, Dean Brownlie and Taylor – all dismissed for ducks. “It’s a very disappointing way to end the series … when your four top batsmen get out for nothing it’s pretty tough chasing a total.”Taylor credited Pakistan’s bowlers for defending a target that he was confident his team would have been able to chase down. “The pitch changed a little bit but the way Abdul Razzaq and [Shahid] Afridi bowled was just outstanding,” he said. Afridi, the Pakistan captain, had career-best figures of 4 for 14 in 2.5 overs, and became the first player to reach the milestone of 50 Twenty20 wickets. He extended the New Zealand slide that began when Razzaq picked up three wickets with the new ball, while conceding just 13 runs in his four overs.Afridi said the win would come as boost to the Pakistan team that has struggled for consistency in recent times amid the spot-fixing allegations that have rocked the team. “This is the talent of Pakistan but we should be consistent,” Afridi said. “We’re trying to make a team combination before the World Cup (in February). I know we lost the series but this was a big win for us to keep our morale high.”The teams next play two Tests, the first of which begins on January 7. Taylor was hopeful that his team would be able to bounce back from what was a disappointing end to the Twenty20 series, after the initial optimism following John Wright’s appointment as national coach and their victory in the first two games.”The Test’s not far away, and it’s a bit disappointing to lose the momentum we had,” he said. “But the Test series is something where we did quite well in India, and hopefully we can improve on that back here in New Zealand.”

Leaders Nottinghamshire produced a valiant fight back against Yorkshire but will still face an uphill task to avoid a defeat that will throw the County Championship Division One title race wide open

08-Sep-2010
ScorecardMark Wagh played a key role in helping give Nottinghamshire the lead but gave his innings away for 90•Getty ImagesLeaders Nottinghamshire produced a valiant fight back against Yorkshire but will still face an uphill task to avoid a defeat that will throw the County Championship Division One title race wide open.After Andre Adams completed his third five-wicket haul in consecutive matches to bowl out Yorkshire for 264, half-centuries from Mark Wagh, Paul Franks and Adam Voges helped the hosts to reach 357 for 6 in their second innings.Makeshift opener Franks combined with Alex Hales to post Nottinghamshire’s first opening wicket partnership of 50 for the season on the way to 79, with Wagh hitting 90, including 14 fours and two sixes before falling to Adil Rashid (2 for 48). Ajmal Shahzad then removed Samit Patel and Ali Brown cheaply and the late wicket of Voges, caught behind off Oliver Hannon-Dalby for 72, could prove crucial, with Nottinghamshire 152 ahead at the close.After 18 wickets had fallen on day one, it only took 13 balls for Adams to wrap up the Yorkshire innings, trapping Hannon-Dalby lbw with the fourth ball of the day and then finding the edge of Moin Ashraf’s bat to be caught at third slip to finish with 6 for 82, leaving Yorkshire skipper Andrew Gale undefeated on 151.That left Nottinghamshire 205 behind but gutsy application from their top order meant they were able to go ahead of the visitors for the loss of only two wickets. While conditions did not offer the prodigious swing of day one, batting was far from easy in the early stages and both Hales and Franks had to dig deep to survive until lunch.Hales was eventually undone by the away-swing of Ashraf, offering a thin edge to wicketkeeper Gerard Brophy for 24. Franks and Wagh then added 131 in 36 overs before the arrival of Rashid’s leg-spin saw Franks caught at slip by Jacques Rudolph just before tea.With the pitch flattening out, Wagh and Voges pushed Nottinghamshire ahead with some excellent shots either side of the wicket until Wagh, in sight of his third hundred of the season, miscued a lofted drive off Rashid to mid-on, much to his disgust.Shahzad then produced a fiery spell to send Patel and Brown back to the pavilion, although both batsmen played loose shots outside off. When Voges fell four overs before the close to the new ball, Nottinghamshire had seen four wickets fall for 51, but Yorkshire may yet rue dropping Read on 7, with Brophy shelling the most straightforward of chances off Shahzad. Read will resume in the morning on 24, with nightwatchman Darren Pattinson on 20.

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has been assessing the potential financial implications should Glasgow Rangers go on to win the Europa League this season. 

The lowdown: Seville calling

The Teddy Bears have been on a wild ride to book their place in the final on 18 May in Seville.

They will take on Eintracht Frankfurt, the conquerors of Premier League outfit West Ham, in the showpiece, having already overcome two Bundesliga clubs in Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig to reach the decider in the south of Spain.

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However, victory in Seville would mean more than just a first major European honour in 50 years for the club…

The latest: Major financial opportunity for Rangers

Speaking to Football Insider, Maguire – a regular contributor for Sky Sports – has explained how the Europa League winners would be set to receive a huge influx of additional funds.

The finance expert said: “You get £1.5m for participating in the Super Cup, which they will do if they win the trophy.

“You will also get bonuses from sponsors. So that might take you to £6m or £7m. These figures are all significant.

“You then get an extra £30m from being in the Champions League next season, so overall we’re talking about a £40m football match.”

The verdict: Added importance

Whilst the players and indeed Van Bronckhorst will be fully focused on the task in hand from an on-field perspective, the Ibrox hierarchy will no doubt have one eye on the potential windfall should the Gers be successful in Seville.

Any incoming funds will be of particular importance this summer, as Old Firm rivals Celtic are set to lift the Premiership title, and in turn book their own spot in next season’s Champions League with all the associated benefits.

While there is no need for wholesale squad changes at Rangers, new signings will likely be necessary, and an additional £40m in the club’s coffers would undoubtedly be a huge boost to the summer budget.

In other news, some in the media raved about this Rangers starsin victory over Dundee United. Find out who here.

Boeta Dippenaar, the former South Africa cricketer, has said the South African team needs a coach who can “challenge them”

Firdose Moonda23-Dec-2010Boeta Dippenaar, the former South Africa opener, has said South Africa needs a coach who can “challenge them”. Corrie van Zyl, the team’s current coach, will step down after the 2011 World Cup and Dippenaar is one of the five members of the panel appointed to select a new national coach.Dippenaar, who will represent the South African cricketer’s association on the panel, and van Zyl will be joined by Cricket South Africa chief executive Gerald Majola, Andrew Hudson, the convenor of selectors and Andy O’Connor, cricket committee chairman, to choose the national coach. van Zyl will return to the High Performance Centre in Pretoria in April, where he was the coach prior to his appointment with the national team.Applications for the position close on 7 January 2011, after which the panel will meet to form a short-list. “It’s important that the panel finds common ground and that we know what we are looking for in order to appoint the best coach for this particular group of players. We want to appoint someone who can take them forward and help them grow,” Dippenaar said.Dippenaar, who played 38 Tests and 107 ODIs for South Africa, said it will be vital to find a coach whose character will blend well with that of the players. “We will have to look at the different personalities in the national team and find someone who can work with them.”The issue of personality clashes has been closely associated with the South Africa coaching job. Former coach Mickey Arthur was rumoured to have resigned because of differences with the administrators. He was also labelled a puppet of the senior players in Herschelle Gibbs’ autobiography .Dippenaar played under four national coaches, the last of them being Arthur, and said he could not provide an objective view of the Arthur regime because he didn’t spend enough time under him. He was full of praise for current Dolphins coach Graham Ford, who coached South Africa from 1999 to 2002. “He was a great coach and unlucky because he had two bad series against Australia and then lost the job.” South Africa won eight out of 11 series under Ford, but lost back-to-back series against Australia in the 2001-02 season, which cost him his job.The other coach Dippenaar played under, whom he has kind words for, is India’s current bowling consultant, Eric Simons, who took South Africa to the 2003 World Cup. “I think Eric was before his time. I don’t think he had a mature team at the time, but now the team is more settled and more mature.”Simons is part of a three-man South African contingent that is currently charge of the Indian team. Gary Kirsten is the head coach while Paddy Upton is the mental conditioning coach of the team. Rumours are rife that Kirsten will be head-hunted for the South African job and Simons and Upton may be tempted to follow him. Dippenaar would not be drawn into whether Kirsten is being targeted by the panel, simply saying “everybody is in the running.”

Tottenham Hotspur may have just edged closer to the signing of West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper and soon-to-be free agent Sam Johnstone, according to a Football Insider ‘source’.

The Lowdown: Spurs in pole position…

The Lilywhites, as per reliable reports, are the current favourites to snap up Johnstone on a Bosman transfer when his current deal expires at the end of 2021/2022.

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The Times and reliable football.london correspondent Alasdair Gold both suggest that Tottenham are in pole position for the 29-year-old who has also attracted interest from the likes of West Ham and Southampton in past months.

Antonio Conte is reportedly chasing the possible signing of a reserve goalkeeper who can provide sufficient back-up to number one Hugo Lloris, with Johnstone a real target (The Telegraph).

Now, as per FI, a major update has come to light this week.

The Latest: Johnstone wants to join…

According to a ‘source’, speaking to the outlet, Johnstone has now told friends he wants to join Tottenham – informing his inner circle that he desires a north London move.

This is despite the fact he would initially be an understudy to Lloris, a fact he’s comfortable with, mainly due to the belief he could eventually succeed Tottenham’s long-standing number one.

FI go on to add that Johnstone’s availability appeals to both Conte and Paratici.

The Verdict: Conte edges closer…

It appears, going by this latest update, Tottenham’s head coach has just edged closer to sealing one of his summer transfer demands.

Able to negotiate freely with clubs upon the expiry of his West Brom contract, the player’s green-light is seemingly the only obstacle to move past to seal a move.

As the 29-year-old becomes keen to join Conte and Spurs, it appears the Lilywhites have been given an almighty boost in pursuit of a player who pundit Paddy Kenny described as a would-be ‘top signing’ for them.

In other news: ‘That’s for sure’ – Sky Sports reporter backs big  transfer news out of Tottenham, find out more here.

Speaking to Football Insider, former Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Paddy Kenny has been left ‘delighted’ for West Ham following the draw for the Europa League round of 16.

The Lowdown: West Ham draw Sevilla in Europa League…

As confirmed, the Hammers and David Moyes are set for a real blockbuster clash in March following Friday’s developments.

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Indeed, the round of 16 Europa League draw has pitted West Ham against La Liga giants Sevilla, the most successful club in the competition’s history.

Having clinched the trophy a record six times, double that of the joint-second most successful teams in the tournament (Transfermarkt), Moyes and co will face a stern test against the Spanish side, but Kenny insists that the draw is actually good news for the Irons.

The Latest: Kenny thrilled…

Speaking to Football Insider, the ex-Premier League goalkeeper claimed that the high-profile encounter is exactly what West Ham qualified for in the first place, saying:

“That’s why you challenge to get into Europe.

“Incredible, what a game that will be for both sets of fans. It’s a massive game and probably the toughest they could have got.

“But that’s why they are here, you want to test yourself against the best and these guys are the best in this competition.

“I’m already looking forward to that. They have some huge players there.

“Martial is there but West Ham will know how to play against him.

“I’m delighted for them though. Sevilla are a massive club and West Ham aren’t flying out to the far end of Europe to play some nobodies.

“I’ll tell you what, imagine if they win. Maybe they can, it’s possible.

“It will be tough but you never know if they turn up.”

The Verdict: Big nights ahead…

Given the revenue it could bring to West Ham, not to mention the excitement of the tie for the club’s supporters, we believe that Kenny has a point.

Indeed, if Moyes’ men do get past Sevilla, it will make the occasion all the more momentous as West Ham aim to make history on their European run this season.

A couple of very big nights for the Hammers lay in store on 10 and 17 March.

In other news: Top club insider claims West Ham could now back Moyes with signing of  ‘world class’ £50m star, find out more here.

What started out as a slow-moving transfer window for Newcastle United ended on a very positive note, and Eddie Howe will no doubt feel the signings his club made in January have addressed some of the desperate issues facing his squad.

Bruno Guimaraes’ big-money arrival from Lyon was no doubt the highlight, with reports suggesting that fellow Premier League side Arsenal were interested in his services.

But, while the Brazilian could be a big player for the future for the Magpies, it might be Dan Burn’s signature from Brighton that really makes the difference for the Tyneside club this season.

With the second-worst defensive record in the Premier League this year with 43 goals conceded, Newcastle were in bad need of a really dominant defender, and while Burn has predominantly played at left-back for the Seagulls this campaign, he would surely be much more of an influence by returning to the heart of defence.

The 6 foot 7 defender himself said: “I’ve enjoyed centre-back. When I was playing left-back or wing-back I was enjoying it. It wasn’t my natural position, there were some things I was limited on going forward. Now playing centre-half again I’ve realised how much I’ve missed playing there. I’ve always known I could play centre-half at this level. I’m proving to people that I can do it now.”

As per Whoscored, Burn’s average of 1.7 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game in the Premier League this season is far better than that of any Newcastle centre-back, while only Jamal Lascelles has won more aerial duels than him.

Indeed, some analysis done by The Athletic revealed: “Burn’s aerial presence could be a real advantage at both ends of the pitch. When accounting for the strength of the opponent faced in an aerial battle, you can see below how he comes out a lot stronger than Diego Carlos — he is certainly used to the style of the Premier League.”

It’s no surprise then that his former boss at the Seagulls, Graham Potter, is a big fan of the defender, dubbing him as “incredible” and saying: “Anyone that criticises someone like Dan Burn doesn’t understand football, ultimately. I wouldn’t listen to them. It’s irrelevant to me. Dan just gives his best every day.

“He’s playing at the highest level. He’s a fantastic example of what a top athlete should be in terms of it’s not going to go well every day but he recovers, he fights; he fights for the team. He’s everything you’d want from a professional footballer, so just let the ‘experts’ talk.”

As well as that much-needed Premier League experience, Burn appears to be the right kind of person mentality-wise, which is exactly what Newcastle will need in a relegation scrap.

So while Bruno’s signing is the one that might have got Magpies fans very excited, it’s Burn who could make the real season-defining impact given that he’s much more likely to hit the ground running.

Meanwhile, Newcastle are now set to make this decision…

Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst is in for a busy summer transfer window as he looks to shape his squad ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

With the Gers currently sitting six points adrift of the Premiership leaders, the Dutch head coach is set to head into next season with the aim of winning the title back from their Glasgow arch-rivals – unless of course there is a very late twist in the current campaign.

This means that the club will have an extra edge in their transfer dealings, as they will be motivated to improve their squad to a point where they will be confident of finishing above the Hoops.

One player who must be brutally axed from the Rangers squad in the summer is Finland international Glen Kamara, as the timing is perfect for him to leave.

Ibrox chief Ross Wilson can seal a masterclass by cashing in on the 26-year-old, whose form has nosedived of late. He has only started one Premiership match since 5th March as John Lundstram and Ryan Jack have been preferred to him in the two deep-lying midfield roles.

In all competitions since that date, he has recorded a SofaScore rating of 6.8 or lower in each of his appearances, while he has struggled in the Europa League all season. He has averaged an underwhelming SofaScore rating of 6.68 in Europe across 11 appearances, showing that he has not been one of the key players in their charge towards glory in that competition.

Earlier this year, it was reported that the club value him at £15m. It would be a stroke of genius from Wilson if he is able to sell Kamara for that amount, as it would generate significant funds for Van Bronckhorst to strengthen the squad in other positions without weakening the club’s best XI.

In his last Premiership start, the Finland midfielder was culpable for Motherwell’s goal and was dubbed an “all-round shambles” by Andrew Dickson for his involvement in that play. The 26-year-old was given the opportunity to show Van Bronckhorst that he can be a reliable, regular starter for him in the middle of the park, but instead he let the manager down with a poor mistake.

Kamara has struggled to get into the team of late and has not been able to catch the eye whenever he has played, so that is why this summer will be the perfect time for him to be sold. Wilson must cash in on the player whilst his value is still reasonably high, whether that is the £15m previously quoted or a similar fee, and then use that money to reinvest in the team.

If he can pull that off, then it will be a transfer masterclass from the former Southampton chief…

AND in other news, Rangers now plot exciting bid for £1.8m-rated sensation, it’ll leave Van Bronckhorst thrilled…

Geoff Boycott has said the ECB needs to schedule County Championship games during the course of a home Test series to enable batsmen from the national team return to their counties and work on any weaknesses in the first-class format

Siddhartha Talya01-Sep-2010Geoff Boycott, the former England opener, has said the ECB needs to schedule County Championship games during the course of a home Test series to enable national players to return to their counties and work on any weaknesses in the first-class format. Several England batsmen, including Kevin Pietersen, struggled for form during the recently-concluded Test series against Pakistan and Boycott claimed that was a major worry ahead of the Ashes.”The England players play so much international cricket that it’s almost impossible to play any County Championship games in between matches,” Boycott said on Cricinfo’s fortnightly audio show . “Pietersen is one of England’s players who plays everything. The fixtures for four-day matches in England are so badly arranged that the England players, even when they get a space between Test matches, they can’t get matches with their counties, i.e four-day cricket matches.”They find that when there’s a week off between Test matches, they find their counties are playing a 40-over match or a Twenty20, which is not ideal. It’s not the best form of practice.”Since the start of 2006, Pietersen has played just one non-England first-class match while Paul Collingwood, another batsman who’s involved in all three formats, has represented Durham in just four four-day games. That pair averaged 23.33 and 19.83 respectively in the four Tests against Pakistan. Those few who have had an opportunity, Boycott said, have been able to show the benefits.”The only ones in the England team that can play County Championship fixtures are the guys who are not picked for the international ODIs,” he said. “It’s no coincidence that the two guys who played best for England in the series against Pakistan have been Jonathan Trott and wicketkeeper Matt Prior.”Now they didn’t play in England’s ODIs against Bangladesh and Australia, so there was a big period when they went back to their counties and batted well for them. They could take their time and play properly out in the middle. Many of the [other] England batsmen are playing poorly. It’s a big worry for the Ashes.”The solution, according to Boycott, was to schedule the Championship fixtures in between Tests where there was a reasonable gap. “There are periods when England play two Tests back-to-back, where you can’t return to your counties. But there are periods when there are nine days before the next Test. So if they organise the fixtures in that period where all the nine counties play Championship matches, then any batsman or bowler who felt he needed more practice could go back and play a proper four-day match.”England host India and Sri Lanka next summer but Boycott doubted the ECB would adopt a change in approach by giving precedence to first-class games over limited-overs. “They are so besotted, are the ECB, with making sure they have a four-to-six-week window to play Twenty20 cricket – about three matches a week for every county. It’s difficult then to fit Championship matches in,” he said.”They’re only interested in making money through one-day cricket. They think they can make Twenty20 in England like the IPL in India and they can’t. We have 60 million people in England but there are a billion people in India who’re nuts about cricket. So there is a bigger catchment area in all the cities to watch. It’s never going to happen [in England].”