Tag Futebol

As per London World, there has been a very interesting transfer development out of Tottenham Hotspur involving Bristol City attacker Alex Scott.

The Lowdown: Scott shining in Bristol…

The 18-year-old, likened to Manchester City star and England international Jack Grealish (London World), has turned many heads with his performances at Ashton Gate.

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Indeed, Scott has attracted Premier League attention already from the likes of West Ham United and Everton, with both clubs believed to have shown a keen interest.

A fixture in Nigel Pearson’s Robins side, starting an abundance of Championship matches this season, the teenager’s form has also caught the eye of Spurs chiefs.

The Latest: Spurs send senior official to watch Scott…

As per London World, Tottenham senior scouting official Peter Braund was recently sent to Ashton Gate to run the rule over Scott.

Furthermore, the outlet claimed that Spurs and their manager Antonio Conte are ‘right at the front of the queue’ for his services as they enter pole position.

The Verdict: Get it done…

The fact that Scott has become a real regular under Pearson at such a young age highlights his obvious ability and potential.

Tony Vance, his former manager at Guernsey FC, first noticed the playmaker’s ability as he candidly raved over Scott’s ‘tremendous balance’ and ability to ‘float around the pitch’ in an interview with Bristol World.

Sources inside his current club apparently regard the midfield gem as an ‘elite’ player with bags of potential.

Taking this into account, Spurs should certainly consider making an effort to secure him ahead of other Premier League suitors.

In other news: ‘Wow’, ‘One to watch’…Media blown away by ‘stunning’ development at Tottenham, find out more here.

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville was left in awe of Liverpool star Thiago during the Premier League clash with Manchester United. 

The lowdown: Liverpool run riot

It was a night to remember for the Reds as Jurgen Klopp’s men put four past their arch-rivals, Manchester United, at Anfield.

Luis Diaz opened the scoring following a decisive move before Mohamed Salah ended a mini goal drought with a brace on either side of a Sadio Mane strike.

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However, one man outside of the goalscorers, in particular, caught the eye as Liverpool moved to the top of the Premier League…

The latest: ‘A joy to watch’

Speaking during Sky Sports’ live coverage (20:30, April 19) at Anfield, ex-Old Trafford stalwart Neville, who was co-commentating on the match, eulogised over a moment on 30 minutes as Thiago found Mohamed Salah with pinpoint precision.

“Absolutely sensational, this pass, a joy to watch,” the former Red Devil gushed.

That pass was one of 108 out of 113 (96%) accurate passes from the 46-cap Spaniard as Thiago earned an 8.20 Sofascore rating on the night – bettered only by Salah, whose two goals helped the Egyptian to an 8.40 rating.

To put those numbers into perspective, the visitors’ entire starting midfield four – Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba and Diogo Dalot – complete just just 83 passes.

The verdict: First class

Signed for £20million from Bayern Munich (BBC), Thiago arrived on Merseyside having already tasted success on the biggest stage. The 31-year-old is a four-time La Liga champion with Barcelona and has lifted the UEFA Champions League with both Bayern and the Spanish giants.

Since becoming a Red the cultured ace has gone from strength to strength and there can be no doubt that the ex-Barca man’s influence on Klopp’s side has been ever-increasing throughout this season – this was a performance right out of the top drawer, full of moments of sheer quality that clearly impressed even the most staunch Manchester United supporter.

Having had his fitness issues throughout his time on Merseyside, Liverpool’s chances of adding more trophies to the Carabao Cup won earlier this term will depend on the midfielder’s availability and potentially more displays such as this.

In other news, the race for one Liverpool target is heating up. Read more here.

Andrew Flintoff’s future is once again in major doubt after he was ruled out for the remainder of the season after failing to recover from the knee injury that has sidelined him since last year’s Ashes

Cricinfo staff03-Aug-2010

Andrew Flintoff’s future is once again in major doubt after he was ruled out for the remainder of the season after failing to recover from the knee injury that has sidelined him since last year’s Ashes.It had been hoped that Flintoff would return to second XI action with Lancashire this week but his comeback was initially delayed following concerns over how his knee would react to a one-day game. Now the decision has been taken that he will not be able to resume playing at all this summer.”Whist Andrew has made significant progress, the combined opinion is that he is not quite ready for a return to cricket,” Mike Watkinson, Lancashire’s cricket director, said. “He will continue his rehabilitation into the winter months and we will constantly monitor and review his progress so that he is better equipped for a return to action.”This latest setback means he won’t be fit to take part in the Champions League Twenty20 in South Africa during September after he’d been named in Chennai Super Kings’ provisional squad for the tournament. There must also be serious doubts over his winter plans which had been expected to included Twenty20 spells in Australia and New Zealand before next year’s IPL.Flintoff underwent knee surgery two days after England regained the Ashes last August and initially aimed to be ready for the start of the season. That soon became unrealistic and he required a further operation to clean up the knee earlier this year which put his recovery back another six months.Throughout his rehabilitation Flintoff, who retired from Test cricket following the Ashes, has said he is determined to win back his England one-day place and had even set his sights on next year’s World Cup in India. That chance now appears to have vanished although there was already a growing feeling that Andy Flower had moved on without Flintoff.

According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, via Sport Witness, some major Man City transfer news has emerged involving Sporting Lisbon star Matheus Nunes.

The Lowdown: Guardiola blown away…

After Pep Guardiola’s side hammered Sporting 5-0 away in the first leg of their Round of 16 Champions League Round tie, one opposition player who seemingly blew away City’s boss was in fact Nunes.

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Speaking to media afterwards, the Sky Blues head coach lavished praise on Sporting’s in-demand midfielder, even going on to claim he is ‘one of the best players in the world today’.

Guardiola’s rave review of the 23-year-old has prompted links to signing him in the summer window with A Bola (via SW) now sharing a promising transfer development out of Eastlands.

The Latest: Man City hold discussions…

According to their sources, City chiefs have apparently held ‘informal’ discussions with Sporting over a transfer for Nunes.

In perhaps the most exciting part of this story, the player himself is very keen on moving to Manchester, with there even being suggestions he ‘dreams’ of signing for Guardiola.

It’s also pointed that both Sporting and City’s ‘privileged relationship’ could boost them further in an attempt to land Nunes.

The Verdict: Make a move?

The Premier League champions already have a wealth of talent at their disposal in midfield, but given they could sign him for just €40 million (£33m), it appears there is little financial risk for City.

Called ‘unbelievable’ by former teammate Goncalo Santos, the player’s WhoScored stats point to someone who could actually be of use in Guardiola’s unique false-nine system.

A superb ball-carrier, Nunes completes more dribbles per 90 on average domestically than any City star has in the Premier League – backing why they’re allegedly interested.

Given his quality and fairly cheap potential sum, the Sky Blues should at the very least consider a transfer this summer.

In other news: Man City officials sent to club as Pep now eyes ‘absolute beast’ alongside Haaland! Find out more here.

Legspinner Imran Tahir took a hat-trick as Warwickshire bounced back from their championship humbling at Chester-le-Street with a five-wicket Friends Provident t20 win against Durham tonight

02-Jul-2010
ScorecardLegspinner Imran Tahir took a hat-trick as Warwickshire bounced back from their championship humbling at Chester-le-Street with a five-wicket Friends Provident t20 win against Durham tonight. It kept the visitors on course for the quarter-finals, while Durham’s fifth successive defeat in the competition left them next to the bottom of the North Group.At 51 for 7 Durham were on course for their lowest Twenty20 total, but Albie Morkel and Gareth Breese added 66 in the last eight overs to take them to 117 for 8.Warwickshire were unable to call on England Lions pair Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott but cruised home with two overs to spare. They were 68 for 2 after 11 overs but then both Darren Maddy and Ian Westwood were run out.They needed 41 off six overs, but Rikki Clarke eased the pressure by driving Ian Blackwell over long-off for six. After Jim Troughton was stumped for 34, Clarke hit a second six on his way to an unbeaten 29 as Warwickshire took 19 off the 18th over, bowled by Neil Killeen in his first appearance of the season.After being put in on a sunny evening, Durham were already in the mire when Tahir came on for the 12th over. He has already had eight wickets in an innings against them at Edgbaston this season, plus 6 for 69 last Wednesday, and continued to wreak havoc largely with his googlies.He hurried a delivery between bat and pad to bowl Gordon Muchall for 10, then Will Smith drove to mid-on, where Ant Botha held a juggling catch. Left-hander Ben Harmison edged the hat-trick ball to Clarke at first slip.Durham took seven runs off each of the first two overs, with a boundary for both openers, but then totally lost their way. The next six overs produced a total of 11 runs for the loss of four wickets.Ian Blackwell lobbed a simple catch to mid-on off Neil Carter, who also yorked Ben Stokes, while Phil Mustard miscued to midwicket off Boyd Rankin and Dale Benkenstein drove Keith Barker to mid-off.Breese hit half of Durham’s total of eight fours in his unbeaten 30, while Morkel drove the only six, off Tahir. Morkel, who had to send for a runner after suffering a leg injury, reached 48 off 42 balls before holing out off the final ball of the innings.

India’s exit may not create the seismic activity that followed the early flight home in the 2007 World Cup, but it is bound to produce plenty of harsh assessment

Andrew McGlashan in St Lucia12-May-2010

India have had another Caribbean nightmare. Three years ago they were the kings of Twenty20 but now have some serious thinking to do about the shortest format. For the second tournament in succession they have been dumped without a win in the Super Eights and defeat never goes down well back home. And this from a side in which every member played at the IPL. Ideal preparation? Obviously not.This exit may not create the seismic activity that followed the early flight home in the 2007 World Cup, but it is bound to produce plenty of harsh assessment. The inquisitions had started even before this match, with India only having an outside chance of progressing. That faint hope disappeared once Sri Lanka reached 144 in their run-chase and a demoralised side then gave up the match off the last ball. Four sixes in the final eight deliveries carried Sri Lanka to an impressive success and their all-round performance was the complete opposite of what India have been able to produce.MS Dhoni managed a few smiles in his press conference as he was grilled in expected fashion. Partly that was due to an interruption from the PA announcer about an illegally parked car, but also when he was asked about how this would go down in India. He knows what it will be like. He’s been here before and it won’t be pleasant.”As captain you are always under pressure,” he said. “I think it’s the responsibility of the captain to explain why the team didn’t do well because he’s the face of the team. He gets the credit when he goes well and he also gets the criticism. It shouldn’t reach into your private life but we are leading a country where cricket is a big sport and each time we go out we are expected to win.”But it was the downbeat nature of his assessment of what the team could have done about the situation which was most clear and surprising. “At the end of the day we are on the losing side, nothing much can be done about it because this is the best 15 [players] you can get in India when it comes to T20. At the end of the day if you are outplayed there is nothing much you can do about it.”In hindsight the signs weren’t good to start with. They were the last side to arrive and didn’t opt for a practice match before their opening game. Dhoni suggested it was the last thing his team needed after a 90-minute coach ride from the international airport in St Lucia to the north of the island. They have also chosen days off rather than practice during the event but Dhoni said “one more practice session wouldn’t have made a difference”.They were lucky with the schedule in the group stage as their opening game was against Afghanistan who, for all the romanticism it possibility entailed, were never seriously going to challenge India. That gave them breathing space and the victory against South Africa, led by Suresh Raina’s 101, was a slick display which boded well. In reality they peaked too soon.They couldn’t handle the pace and bounce of the Barbados pitch and Dhoni has admitted some of the batsmen aren’t up to the challenge due to the nature of conditions they are brought up on. There aren’t many bouncy tracks at the IPL. When they were back in St Lucia they were right at home on the front foot and Raina was back in the runs. Nothing was bouncing above knee height. Dhoni admitted that India’s inability to cope with the bouncer was systemic.”Most of us have the problem of playing short-pitched balls. So it is not just the youngsters who had problems. We can’t neglect it any more. But we don’t have bowlers who consistently at 145-50 kph and most of wickets in India don’t have that kind of bounce,” he said.”But we should also remember we are good players of spin. So we shouldn’t be ashamed that we can’t play short-pitched bowling. We have to play even against short balls but we can’t be ducking and leaving all the time in Twenty20,” Dhoni said.Win or lose, the role of the IPL was bound to be at the forefront of India’s performance. Dhoni has said it’s unfair to compare the two, but if anything this World Twenty20 has just gone to reinforce that the quality is actually spread pretty thinly in that tournament. It’s a domestic event, albeit a big and brash one. Dhoni also made a subtle suggestion that players needed to take responsibility for themselves.”I’ve had no setbacks because of the IPL but at the same time players need to be smart because IPL is not only about cricket,” he said. “You have to respect your body and if you don’t do that then IPL is draining. If you play late games and go to the parties and travel the next day it takes a toll. But if you take care of yourself 45 days of cricket shouldn’t affect you because we play 200 or more in a year.”It’s a question of priorities for this India team and maybe international Twenty20 is now down the list. Now that they are top of the tree in Test cricket the BCCI is trying to arrange Test series left, right and centre so they can retain the mantle. South Africa’s tour earlier this year was adjusted to include two Tests and Australia are now being asked for the same when they visit in October. If the BCCI really do want to help the future of Test cricket then it’s a great move, but it is clearly more than coincidence.India next’s assignment is a triangular series in Zimbabwe alongside the hosts and Sri Lanka with what, in effect, is a shadow side. Senior players, including Dhoni, are being rested, which suggests he is more tired than he has admitted.However, for Dhoni there is a huge challenge on the horizon over the next nine months – preparing his team for a World Cup on home soil. Failure here will be hard to stomach for the billions of fans, but failure next year won’t be tolerated.

Reliable transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed the latest on Everton left-back Lucas Digne’s future at Goodison Park with the Frenchman heavily linked with an exit this window.

What’s the story?

Romano has confirmed that Digne will be leaving the Merseyside club this month, tweeting: “Lucas Digne will leave Everton, never been in doubt. Three Premier League clubs interested, next week will be key.”

Digne has been linked with a handful of Premier League clubs, including the aforementioned Newcastle and Chelsea, after falling out with Everton manager Rafa Benitez.

The quarrel has meant that the 28-year-old hasn’t played a minute of football for the Toffees since their 4-1 home derby defeat to Liverpool on 1 December.

The left-back has also reportedly requested for the Merseyside club to allow him to leave Goodison Park this window.

Everton fans will be sweating

Since arriving in the North-West three-and-a-half years ago from Barcelona, Digne has become a fan favourite on the blue side of Merseyside and Everton fans will be gutted to see him depart if a move is able to materialise.

Benitez has been able to bring a replacement in already with 22-year-old Ukrainian left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko joining from Dinamo Kyiv last week.

However, Toffees supporters haven’t been pleased by the breakdown of the manager and Digne’s relationship, with Everton columnist Michael Ball making his feelings towards the situation known after Everton lost 3-2 to Brighton last weekend, stating:

“One of the most baffling decisions Rafa Benitez made for Everton’s defeat to Brighton was selecting Lucas Digne as an unused substitute.

“We’ve got a current international for world champions France in the squad but he’s not in the team.

“Rafa’s stubbornness has once again backfired on him. It’s not the first time it’s happened, he’s done this at previous clubs.

“He’s putting his own pride above the health of our football club. I think from this moment, the fans have now lost trust in him.”

This decision, among many others made by the Spaniard since being appointed in the summer has led to discontent among the Goodison faithful.

Digne’s imminent exit is made all the worse by Mykolenko’s shaky first showing this weekend, being dribbled past twice, losing possession 22 times and completing just 67% of his passes on debut.

As a result, the club’s fanbase will undoubtedly be sweating over the situation even more.

In other news, Everton have been linked with this well-known forward…

علّق فيل فودين، لاعب فريق مانشستر سيتي، على تجديد عقده مع حامل لقب الدوري الإنجليزي اليوم الجمعة.

وكان مانشستر سيتي قد أعلن اليوم توقيع فيل فودين، صاحب الـ22 عامًا، على عقد جديد مع النادي حتى عام 2027.

وقال فودين في تصريحات للموقع الرسمي للنادي: “من الصعب أن أصف بالكلمات مدى سعادتي بتوقيع هذا العقد، إنه حلم أصبح حقيقة”.

وأضاف: “لقد كنت من مشجعي مانشستر سيتي طوال حياتي، لقد تدربت هنا لسنوات عديدة حتى أصبحت لاعب كرة قدم، أنا أحب هذا النادي كثيرًا، لذا فإن معرفة أنني سأكون جزءًا منه حتى عام 2027 هو أمر رائع”.

وواصل: “لقد تحسنت كثيرًا في السنوات الأخيرة، ويعزى الكثير من ذلك إلى بيب وموظفيه، الذين يرشدونني كل يوم في مجال التدريب، يمنحني العمل معهم أفضل فرصة للتحسن أكثر وأن أصبح أفضل لاعب يمكن أن أكونه”.

وأردف: “مع الفريق الذي لدينا هنا، أشعر أنه يمكنني مواصلة التعلم والفوز بالألقاب، هذان هما أهم شيئين بالنسبة لي”.

واختتم: “أريد أن أشكر كل شخص في مانشستر سيتي لأنه بدونهم لن أكون حيث أنا اليوم، كل مدربي الأكاديمية الذين عملت معهم، وكل اللاعبين الذين لعبت معهم وكل من يعمل من وراء الكواليس، إنه لشرف كبير أن أكون جزءًا من نادي كرة القدم هذا”.

Rafa Benitez has had a bad start to his tenure, with a poor first half of the season by Everton’s standards currently sitting in 15th.

As a result, he has come under fire from fans, however, there is a chance to redeem himself by having a successful and impactful transfer window that can revive the club’s season by earning points and climbing the table.

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic, Everton are interested in signing Barcelona defender, Ronald Araujo, with Benitez potentially completing his defensive line overhaul in the summer by offering the 22-year-old better terms than the La Liga giants.

The Spanish manager has already secured two young full-backs, Nathan Patterson and Vitaliy Mykolenko, who joined the club over the last week since the transfer window has opened, with the signings suggesting that he is keen to add more depth and reliability in the back line.

The £35k-per-week gem who “has everything” according to Gerard Pique, has been at Barcelona since 2018 and is on significantly less than many of his peers in the first team, with just 18 months left on his basic contract, it is reported that the youngster will start looking at his options.

Bye bye Holgate

Mason Holgate has been a complete liability for Everton this season, from getting red-carded in a high footed dangerous challenge against Tottenham Hotspur to lacking in presence as part of the defensive line this, losing the majority of his ground duels (56%) this season and losing possession 22 times in the defeat to Brighton last weekend according to SofaScore.

One fan Tweeted a shout to sell the 25-year-old Toffees defender during his most recent performance, summing up how bad he’s been; “Sell Holgate at half time.”

Araujo, on the other hand, is having an amazing season so far with Barcelona, gaining a more consistent place in the first team, with 21 appearances and two La Liga goals so far.

According to SofaScore, when it comes to the Uruguayan youngster’s defensive credentials this season, he has won 68% of total duels, and when you compare to Holgate’s shocking possession loss (22) in his latest appearance, Araujo only lost the ball eight times in his most recent appearance against Betis.

Benitez may now have the opportunity to axe Holgate, as he is linked with a move to Burnley this January, leaving a place for Araujo to slot into the defensive line, who clearly offers a better output both offensively and defensively which would make a big difference to Everton’s current struggles.

In other news: Benitez heading for nightmare with Lucas Digne

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan has said the ground conditions at the Shere Bangla National Stadium are “almost unplayable and unfit to play” with regard to the evening dew

Sriram Veera at the Shere Bangla National Stadium04-Jan-2010Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan has said the ground conditions at the Shere Bangla National Stadium are “almost unplayable and unfit to play” with regard to the evening dew. In fact, he proposed that the subsequent games in the tri-nation tournament start earlier to avoid such a situation.”It was almost impossible to grip the ball as the dew started at 6:00 pm and we had four spinners in our team,” Shakib said. “If the conditions remain like this, even 300 won’t be difficult to chase. I even discussed the matter with [Kumar] Sangakkara, who agreed. We might speak to the officials and try to change the timing of the games to a 12:00 pm start.”His opposite number, Sangakkara, admitted that the dew was a big issue. “I had spoken to the groundsman earlier and therefore decided to chase,” he said. “Tomorrow this could happen to us. I can understand Shakib’s views but I don’t know what you can do about it [changing the time].”Of course, if the start time changes, it would make for better cricket. But I guess you take the good with the bad. You do feel sorry for the fielding side as dew kicked in the evening.”India captain MS Dhoni had expressed his concerns yesterday. “It would be good if we can start the match at 11:00 am, so that it gets over by 8:30 pm or 9:00 pm, at least an hour earlier than what it is now,” Dhoni said. “That is the time it really gets wet, but we have to play at whatever timings are given to us. We don’t decide on these matters.”The dew certainly played its role today, killing the excitement during the chase as the spinners found it difficult to grip the ball. But the game was lost while batting. It was the first game of the tournament and, ideally, it should have been exciting.However the dull, drab and low-quality contest witnessed half the crowd, which was never strong to begin with, heading for the exits mid-way during the chase. Perhaps it was the cold that was the catalyst behind the exodus, but the quality of play certainly wasn’t rivetting enough for them to brave the elements and come in numbers or stay till the finish.Bangladesh suffered from the old problems that have derailed their progress at the international level. Their top order struggled, rather surprisingly, against bounce on such an easy-paced wicket. The first four wickets all fell to short-pitched deliveries.Interestingly, around the time of the toss, the top order were practicing pull shots. They stood in line and kept pulling the balls which were thrown at them on to a net flung to their left. One was curious whether they were expecting short deliveries on this track or were they simply practicing big swings to the on side?And when it came, it didn’t seem like a plan. “On these wickets, you can’t go with a short-ball plan,” Sangakkara said. “But we found out that they were facing some problems with bounce and Suranga Lakmal later exploited it well.”Chanaka Welegedera bowled one short in the fourth over and Imrul Kayes was slow on the pull. The ball brushed the shoulders en route to Sangakkara. Another short ball, in the seventh over from Nuwan Kulasekara, saw Kayes mistime another pull but it cleared midwicket. The third bouncer though, in the 13th over, undid him as he got a fatal top-edge trying to pull.That seemed to kickstart a collapse. Lakmal got one to kick up to Raqibul Hasan’s shoulder height, who stabbed it straight to slips, while Shakib upper cut another lifter straight to thirdman. Mohammad Ashraful and Mahmudullah did the repair job, but on this wicket, with dew waiting to play havoc later in the day, 260 was never going to be enough.