All posts by h716a5.icu

Rangers have been boosted ahead of their Europa League clash with Lyon, with three of the Ligue 1 side’s players ruled out of the game at Ibrox.

The Lowdown: Rangers face tough European challenge

The Gers open their European group stage account next Thursday, with Lyon making the trip to Ibrox for an intriguing clash.

Steven Gerrard’s men have to get over the disappointment of not getting into the Champions League, instead enjoying a strong run in domestic football’s second-biggest European competition.

The Latest: Gers boosted ahead of game

With perhaps the most enticing encounter of the group looming, Gerrard has been boosted by the news that Lyon trio Lucas Paqueta, Bruno Guimaraes and Tino Kadewere have been refused permission to play, as confirmed by journalist Robin Bairner on Twitter.

The Scottish Government has stepped in and put its foot down, due to the players performing in ‘high-risk countries’ during the international break.

Paqueta, in particular, is described as ‘indispensable’ for Lyon, so he will be a huge miss for the visitors.

The Verdict: Government do Gers a favour

A difficult assignment has undoubtedly been made easier for Rangers, with Paqueta’s absence a real boost for Gerrard and co – he scored nine goals and registered five assists in Ligue 1 last season.

The Brazil international has four goals for club and country already this term too, averaging a dangerous 2.5 shots and 1.5 dribbles per game in the French top flight.

A winning start to the group stage would be ideal for Gerrard’s side, potentially taking the pressure off later on in the round and allowing them to focus on Scottish Premiership commitments instead.

It looks like the government’s decision to stick to their guns and not make exceptions for elite athletes will benefit the Gers next week.

In other news, one Rangers player is set to miss his side’s upcoming games. Find out who it is here.

The IPL schedule is likely to be finalised early next week with India’s Home Minister P Chidambaram travelling to Chennai this weekend

Cricinfo staff20-Mar-2009The IPL schedule is likely to be finalised early next week with India’s Home Minister P Chidambaram travelling to Chennai this weekend. “The Home Minister is leaving [for Chennai] today and will only be back on Monday. It [likely decision] may only happen now on Monday,” a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) spokesperson told Cricinfo.The central government is still waiting for the written feedback from the states slated to host the IPL matches – only two have responded so far – to take a final call. “Only Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have got back,” the MHA spokesperson said without revealing if the two states had guaranteed the security for the IPL games.Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman, today said the league was prepared to face any sort of “eventuality” and had put in place remedial measures if necessary. “We have multiple iterations for multiple schedules with multiple possibilities,” he said. “We are taking every eventuality into account but let us not pre-empt anything.”IPL officials said following states had given them security assurances: Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh. They were still waiting for responses from three states – Maharashtra, Delhi and Tamil Nadu.With the heightened concerns over cricketers’ safety following the Lahore attack, the IPL has reportedly placed an order for 80 armoured vehicles to be delivered within 15 days. “This [bullet-proof vehicles] is a recommendation that has been given to us,” the quoted an unnamed IPL official as saying. “We’re looking into it and we’re hoping we will manage it.” However, said IPL officials refused to comment when asked about the report.

Amid a wretched start to the new Premier League season that has seen Newcastle United currently without a win, Steve Bruce will be desperately hoping for some better fortune when the international break ends later this week.

One way for Bruce to attempt to turn things around and give the club and its fans some hope and optimism for the future, is by turning to the club’s academy system.

Elliot Anderson is one of the Magpies’ prized jewels and was in excellent form for the Tyneside club’s U23s last season, scoring five goals and providing a further assist in just nine games at Premier League 2 level.

The Athletic’s Chris Waugh delivered a key update on where things currently stand with Anderson following the Magpies’ 6-1 drubbing at the hands of Aston Villa in the FA Youth Cup towards the end of the previous campaign, saying: “Anderson continues to train with the NUFC first team and there have been suggestions that, with Steve Bruce’s side edging towards safety, the 18-year-old may get a few cameo appearances between now and the end of the season.”

The attacking midfielder’s knack for breaking into the box and grabbing a goal is something Newcastle have only really seen from Joe Willock, with The Chronicle journalist Lee Ryder suggesting earlier last season that Anderson is “banging on Steve Bruce’s door now” thanks to his performance.

His former youth coach John Forrest, meanwhile, told The Athletic: “He knew how to dominate a game, which is a natural skill that’s hard to coach. He really was an outstanding footballer. He stood out, even then.”

Several of Anderson’s former Newcastle academy team-mates meanwhile have told The Athletic that, not only was he the “most talented player” in the team, he was also “supremely driven”.

Bruce himself admitted towards the end of last season, saying: “There’s a chance. We understand that he’s making big strides. And he’s only 18, the boy, but he’s in and around us. Yeah, he might get a chance before the end of the season. I’ll look at it, and what we’ve got. We’ve got our big players fit at the top of the pitch, of course, in Allan, Callum and Joelinton. He’s got fierce competition.”

Anderson played just three minutes of top-flight football all season, coming on in the closing stages of the 3-0 defeat to Arsenal back in mid-January. The lack of game-time for the talented teenager has led to plenty of Newcastle fans, on different occasions, calling for Bruce to bring him into the first team fold, but that has fallen on deaf ears.

Just recently, Magpies supporters voiced their anger at seeing him fail to even make the matchday squad against West Brom, while after he made his debut for England’s U19s, they urged Bruce to unleash him in the Premier League.

It may now be the perfect time for Bruce to listen to the fans and actually give one of the club’s most promising academy prospects a chance in the first-team, and arresting this poor run of form.

Meanwhile, Newcastle had a howler over this star…

Luke Hatfield has offered a prediction regarding Aston Villa’s interest in Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse.

What’s the talk?

Express & Star reporter Luke Hatfield has predicted that Aston Villa may return with another swoop for Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse if Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side have a difficult season.

Villa had an offer rejected for the England international over the summer before he put pen to paper on a long-term contract extension at St. Mary’s.

Hatfield told GiveMeSport:

“It could be one they revisit if Southampton struggle this season or if they were to go down after losing some key players.

“He’s obviously a fantastic player and Villa were very keen on him but things didn’t pan out.”

Worry

This prediction from Hatfield will surely cause Southampton fans to begin to worry. New contracts do little to stop transfers from happening, beyond preventing a player from leaving on a free transfer, which means that Ward-Prowse’s decision to extend his deal does not completely rule out a transfer next summer. It simply means that Villa may need to pay more money to get a move over the line.

The Saints fans will be worried by this as the £75k-per-week beast is a pivotal player for the club and his exit, at any price, would be a blow.

At the end of last season, Saints head coach Hasenhuttl highlighted the Englishman’s importance. The Austrian told the Daily Echo: “It’s not surprising for me, a player who played every minute this season is unbelievable.

“His physicality and his performances are outstanding. That’s our captain on the pitch and he is on the way that he is a very important player for this club for the long-term, I think.”

Ward-Prowse has not missed a single Premier League match for the Saints since the start of the 2019/20 campaign, starting all 80 matches. He averaged WhoScored ratings of 7.15 and 7.07 in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons respectively, showing that he has been able to provide consistent quality in recent years.

This is why fans will be concerned by the prospect of Villa coming back in for Ward-Prowse, as his exit would be a huge loss for Hasenhuttl. He would not only be losing the captain of the club, but also a player who has the ability to put in excellent performances whilst also avoiding injuries and suspensions.

AND in other news, £34k-p/w gem’s value has risen 143% since Southampton exit, Ralph made a huge mistake…

The ODI tri-series planned to take place in Zimbabwe in July appears to be in serious doubt after the Indian board put its participation on hold

Cricinfo staff29-Apr-2009The ODI tri-series planned to take place in Zimbabwe in July appears to be in serious doubt after the Indian board put its participation on hold until a third side was identified by Zimbabwe Cricket.”The visit to Zimbabwe was planned but has been dropped now as it was to involve three teams,” BCCI secretary N Srinvasan said. “They will have to find the third team for the series to be held.”South Africa had been named by the BCCI earlier in the month, only for Cricket South Africa to issue a statement saying it had never planned to participate.India’s cricketers are currently involved in the IPL, and will then take part in the ICC World Twenty20 in England, running from June 5 to 21. “We will have a ODI series afterwards in the West Indies, comprising four or five matches, and then will take part in the ICC Champions Trophy,” Srinivasan said. He also announced India’s rather packed playing schedule following the team’s return from South Africa.India will host the Champions Twenty20 League – cancelled last year in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks – and play a seven-match ODI series against Australia at home. Sri Lanka are scheduled to visit India for a full Test and ODI series, after which India would tour Bangladesh in January. “On our return we will host South Africa,” Srinivasan added.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles may have blown his final chance to impress manager Mikel Arteta as Arsenal advanced into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.

The Gunners picked up their third win in a row across all competitions by defeating League One minnows AFC Wimbledon 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium.

Alexandre Lacazette bagged an early penalty before he turned provider for substitute Emile Smith Rowe late in the second half. Eddie Nketiah then wrapped things up with a deft backheel past the visiting goalkeeper.

But for all the positives on the night, it was another worrying sign that time may be running out for Maitland-Niles, particularly after the controversy towards the end of the summer transfer window.

As explained by the Evening Standard in their post-match ratings column, it wasn’t the first time that the Hale End graduate had failed to impress in what is his preferred position, central midfield.

‘Some nice touches but did not bring any real incision and was sloppy in possession. Another opportunity in his prefered position that rather passed him by,’ they wrote.

The 24-year-old requested to leave the north Londoners just before deadline day and even shared his frustrations in a social media post. After ‘clear the air’ talks with Arteta, the England international was given assurances over his playing time this season, as per Goal’s Charles Watts.

He started the match against Norwich in midfield, where he was said to have ‘struggled’ despite their win, so it certainly seems like he hasn’t made the most of a rare second opportunity.

The £14.4m-rated dynamo, who earns around £52k-per-week at the Emirates Stadium, was the only Gunners starter to be graded lower than a 6.8 as he earned a 6.3, via SofaScore.

Against a side two divisions below, he failed to assert his dominance as a deep-lying playmaker in Arteta’s set-up. He won just two of eight duels (25%) and was dribbled past on two occasions, suggesting the opposition had his number frequently throughout the match.

Furthermore, Maitland-Niles lost possession 17 times – the second-most in the game – and didn’t produce anything going forward as he did not record a single dribble, key pass or shot, as per SofaScore.

With the January transfer window on the horizon, Arteta may want to think again should Everton return with interest in the versatile Gunners man.

It was yet another disappointing effort from the academy product, so he may well have messed up one of his final chances to play in his preferred role.

AND in other news, Once valued £45m, now worth 56% less: Gazidis had a nightmare over Arsenal “liability”…

Kolkata slid to a heart-breaking last-ball defeat against the Deccan Chargers, where Rohit Sharma slammed an incredible 26 runs off the final over to script a sensational victory

The Bulletin by Siddarth Ravindran16-May-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Rohit Sharma pummelled Mashrafe Mortaza in a dramatic final over to seal a thrilling win for Deccan Chargers, and boost their chances of reaching the semi-finals•Associated PressA day of great political change in Bengal, with three decades of Communist domination coming to a dramatic end, was almost matched on the field by the team from Kolkata – almost but, yet again, not enough to end the Knight Riders’ losing streak. They have lost several close games this season, but few have been as heart-breaking as this last-ball defeat against the Deccan Chargers, where in an incredible final over Mashrafe Mortaza went into meltdown and Rohit Sharma slammed the 21 runs to script a sensational victory. The success gives Deccan a boost in the intense scrap for the semi-final places, lifting them to third place with 14 points.It was a match filled with talking points but none more so than the no-ball called on the first ball of the final over of the match with Kolkata deemed to have only three fielders in the circle. Brendon McCullum was livid with the umpire but, after lengthy discussions between him and the umpires, the decision stood. It had been hit for four past square leg as well, which meant that Deccan needed only 16 off the over, far more gettable than the initial 21.The expensively acquired Mortaza, getting his first game of the tournament after an increasing clamour for his inclusion, kept the batsmen to two off the next two deliveries before giving the game away. A full toss on middle stump was swiped over midwicket for one of the biggest sixes of the tournament, and then there was a wide. Seven needed off three.Rohit coolly punched one to long-on for two, then crashed the next ball wide of cover for four. One needed off the last ball, and Rohit completed the turnaround in high style pulling it for six to leave Mortaza with the unflattering figures of 4-0-58-0.It undid all the good work of the previous two overs, when Kolkata relentlessly built up an advantage. Mortaza himself gave away only seven runs in the 18th and dismissed danger man Andrew Symonds with an agile run out. Ajit Agarkar, who had gifted away Kolkata’s previous game, was also superb, with a mix of yorkers and low full tosses that Deccan found hard to get underneath.Prime Numbers28Runs conceded by Harmeet Singh and RP Singh in the most expensive over of the tournament58Number of runs conceded by Mashrafe, the most expensive spell in the competition195.45Strike-rate of David Hussey in the tournament71Number of runs scored by Kolkata in the final five overs, the second-highest in the IPL4Number of bowlers having an average of more than 25 in the Kolkata team todayIt hadn’t seemed that it would get this close when Adam Gilchrist provided Deccan his customary blistering start, swinging sixes over midwicket and peppering the off-side boundaries as well. The introduction of spin stemmed the runs, with Murali Kartik troubling the batsmen with his sharp turn and bounce. The part-timers Brad Hodge and David Hussey also put the squeeze on, and after Gilchrist holed out in the 10th over, the asking-rate started steadily spiraling upwards, till Rohit’s heroics settled the matter.It had been a cameo almost as incandescent as Rohit’s that lifted Kolkata towards a defendable score. When Hussey walked out after 14.5 overs, Kolkata had plodded along to 85 for 2. He hurtled to a 17-ball 43 which nearly doubled their total by the end.There was an over almost as dramatic as Mashrafe’s final one when Deccan were bowling as well. The penultimate over was started off by RP Singh, who was forced out of the attack after sending down two above waist-high full tosses and just one legitimate delivery. Eight had already been taken off the over but worse was to follow when Harmeet Singh was brought on to complete it. Hussey swatted a short ball for four, then collected a couple of hard-run twos, before bludgeoning two sixes to round off the over. Twenty-eight came off it, the most expensive one of the tournament.Despite Hussey’s efforts, Kolkata only reached a middling 160 because of the go-slow of the earlier batsmen. Hodge and Sourav Ganguly couldn’t get any sort of momentum going after the McCullum dismissal in the fifth over, only 25 runs coming in the six overs before the strategic break.Ganguly, in particular, had a torrid time. One of his signature strokes during his high noon was the dance down the track to deposit the left-arm spinner over long-on. He attempted that shot off Pragyan Ojha’s first over; not only did he miss the ball, he was struck a painful blow to the groin, and spent a few moments on his knees to get his breath back.There was a controversial moment in the seventh over, when he stuck out his left hand to stop the ball as he was completing a single. Deccan appealed for ‘obstructing the field’ and when it was turned down, they were not too pleased with the decision, Gilchrist letting the umpire S Ravi know that the throw had been heading for the stumps.At the other end, Hodge wasn’t at his best either, only able to knock around the singles, and was especially uncomfortable against the spinners. Ganguly tried to get a move on after the time-out, but his struggle continued before the misery ended when he found the fielder at long-off in the 15th over. Hodge managed to string together some fours before Hussey’s frenetic intervention, but a nerveless Rohit consigned them to another defeat.

Steven Davies completed his century as Worcestershire passed 400, and then Michael Vaughan produced a very pleasing little cameo that was in turn cut short by the weather

John Ward at Worcester17-Jun-2009
ScorecardAfter the magnificent weather of the first day, typical English summer conditions were restored for the second, and half the day’s play was lost. In the cricket that did take place, Steven Davies completed his century as Worcestershire passed 400, and then Michael Vaughan produced a very pleasing little cameo that was in turn cut short by the weather.Worcestershire began the day with, for them, the unusually strong score of 319 for 5 wickets. Their immediate concern was to see Davies to his century. He began well, cutting the second ball of the day, from Ajmal Shahzad, for four. There were a couple of early snicks through the slips by both batsmen, and Ashley Noffke benefited from a low edge to the keeper that was not held. But Shahzad and Matthew Hoggard continued to give Davies too much width, and he thrived on the cut.He lost Noffke for 35, adjudged lbw padding up to Shahzad without playing a stroke, but then another smart cut, off Hoggard, brought him his century, off 152 balls, a fine dashing innings. He went on to reach 112 before he fatally flicked at a ball from Shahzad down the leg side and was well caught by the wicketkeeper. Worcestershire were now 375 for 7 and within reach of a fourth batting bonus point, for the first time this season.The weather, however, was causing problems, and after a brief stoppage earlier the players left the field for an early lunch. The rain was light but persistent, and 42 overs were lost before the game resumed after tea. Worcestershire reached their coveted batting point for the loss of Kabir Ali, as he tried to turn a ball from Hoggard to midwicket but only lobbed it to cover off the leading edge. They had the option of declaring to deny Yorkshire a bowling point, but continued batting, only to lose Gareth Batty, caught in the slips off Tim Bresnan for 25. Matt Mason flicked Hoggard over midwicket for a well-timed six, to finish with 11 not out when Chris Whelan was caught in the slips off Bresnan for 5.The innings closed for 415, the highest total so far managed by Worcestershire during this difficult season for them. Deon Kruis finished with three wickets, but Bresnan, with two lower-order wickets for 58, was the best and most economical of the bowlers, often beating the bat without any luck in for the most part good batting conditions.Yorkshire soon lost the wicket of Jacques Rudolph, who has tended to be rather too flashy opening the innings at times this season. He quickly hit Kabir for two boundaries, but then tried injudiciously to force a ball from Mason off the back foot and was caught at the wicket for 9; Yorkshire were 15 for 1. Vaughan naturally excited interest on his arrival and he made a rather tentative start. He pushed a single into the covers, and then a few minutes later produced a silky cover drive for four off Mason.At the other end Joe Sayers struggled for survival against the fiery Kabir, with the light deteriorating and rain threatening. Vaughan, although clearly unimpressed by the umpires’ refusal to take the players off the field, nevertheless produced another superb cover drive for four, this one on the up, followed by a classic off-drive to the boundary; then came a third in the same over, an exquisite square straight drive. With two fours, one involuntary, from Sayers the 50 came up in the 11th over. In Mason’s next over came a cut for four from Vaughan; then the rain returned and the day came to a premature close.

Leeds United star Raphinha may have to isolate for five days following the upcoming international break, according to TyC Sports, cited by Sports Witness.

The Lowdown: Raphinha’s fine form; second call-up

Raphinha was called up by Brazil for the first time last month but turned down the opportunity to represent his country, a decision which was hailed by Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani.

The 24-year-old has impressed since then, netting in back-to-back Premier League games against Newcastle and West Ham.

His displays have once again been recognised, with the winger being named in Brazil’s squad for the October internationals against Venezuela, Colombia and Uruguay.

The Latest: Five-day isolation?

TyC Sports, cited by Sports Witness, shared a story claiming the UK government will allow South American players to travel directly to England following the international fixtures.

They will have to isolate for five days, however, so with Brazil’s final fixture of the break on October 15, Raphinha would miss Leeds’ trip to Southampton on October 16.

The Verdict: Another decision to make…

The wide man has been managing a hip injury in recent weeks and could be a doubt for the club’s first October clash against Watford on Saturday.

It would be a big blow if Raphinha is unavailable for two fixtures next month, as he has comfortably been the club’s best-rated performer this season. [WhoScored]

Following this update, it appears as if he will at the very least miss the second game of the month against the Saints, unless he puts club before country once again and remains in Yorkshire.

In other news: Phil Hay drops six-word Leeds verdict that could be bad news for Bamford.

Chris Martin has announced he will return to Canterbury next season after spending the past four summers at Auckland

Cricinfo staff17-Jun-2009Chris Martin has announced he will return to Canterbury for the 2009-10 season after spending the past four summers at Auckland. Martin said the move was so he and his wife, who is expecting their first child, could be closer to their family in Christchurch.”I’ve played some of my best cricket in Auckland, so it’s been a really enjoyable experience,” Martin told . “I’ll definitely leave with a whole bunch of new friends that I’ll keep in touch with.”Martin started his first-class career with Canterbury more than a decade ago but switched to Auckland ahead of the 2005-06 season. He will share the new ball with Shane Bond but there are few other familiar faces remaining at Canterbury from his previous time there.”Canterbury are a very young side – I think there are only two players that I’ve played with before,” he said. “But I’m looking forward to working with [coach] Bob Carter and I’m keen to contribute what I can as a senior player with the younger guys in the squad.”The Auckland Cricket chief executive Andrew Eade said he respected Martin’s wish to put his family first. “It is always hard to lose a player of his experience and ability,” Eade said, “but the opportunity is now there for some of our younger players to step up and establish themselves.”