All posts by h716a5.icu

Surrey and Sussex will hold a two-minute silence in memory of all-rounders Ben Hollioake and Umer Rashid before their first Frizzell County Championship match at The Oval on Friday.

CricInfo16-Apr-2002Surrey and Sussex will hold a two-minute silence in memory of all-rounders Ben Hollioake and Umer Rashid before their first Frizzell County Championship match at The Oval on Friday.The two players died in separate tragic accidents in the past two months, and both will be remembered by players and officials before play starts. Surrey’s England all-rounder Hollioake died in a car crash in Perth, Australia, and Rashid drowned during Sussex’s pre-season trip to Grenada.Surrey have also confirmed that Hollioake’s elder brother Adam will not becaptaining them during the early stages of the season. The job is expected to go to Mark Butcher.A Surrey spokesman said: “Adam has been told to take the time he needs. Wedon’t know yet when he will be back but the decision will be his.”

Urdu Report

Abdul Shakeel01-Jun-2001

Lanky Winchester KS all-rounder Dave Greatham has announced that he is off to Normandy – and won’t be playing any part in the cathedral city’s Southern Electric Premier League Division 2 promotion bid this summer

Mike Vimpany01-Apr-2002Lanky Winchester KS all-rounder Dave Greatham has announced that he is off to Normandy – and won’t be playing any part in the cathedral city’s Southern Electric Premier League Division 2 promotion bid this summer.It’s not the lure of the sandy French Channel beaches that has attracted Greatham away from River Park.But the opportunity to help Normandy – the Castle Lager Surrey Championship club, based just off the Hog’s Back -push for a promotion place.Greatham, who lives in Petersfield, still hopes to play for the Hampshire Board side in the 38 County Championship. He took three wickets in the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy defeat by Ireland last September.

West Ham United are among the teams tracking Marc Guehi ahead of the summer transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic, Chelsea have triggered a 12-month extension that ties the England U21 international down for the next two years before they make a decision on his future at Stamford Bridge.

Having spent the season on loan to Championship outfit Swansea City, he could be sent out temporarily for the third time or they could cash in on the 20-year-old, with his value expected to be in the region of £15m to £20m.

Premier League rivals Crystal Palace and Southampton have interest in signing him, as well as Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach, too, whilst the Hammers have looked at him before.

Strength in depth

With a place in Europe next season a plausible scenario for West Ham, the Irons need to start planning for next season and they will absolutely have to give David Moyes more strength in depth if they are to contend in another competition.

The 58-year-old manager has already had to deal with his fair share of injury problems throughout the campaign, and that’s without playing the extra midweek matches across Europe.

Another striker to pair with Michail Antonio should be top priority, but a central defender will be required too, as we have often seen Aaron Cresswell fill in when a back three is deployed.

West Ham are also set to lose Fabian Balbuena as his contract will expire at the end of the season.

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In Guehi, they could find an interesting solution, especially as he wouldn’t be expected to usurp either Craig Dawson or Angelo Ogbonna upon arrival.

The 20-year-old gem, who stands at 6-foot, has been impressive for Steve Cooper’s side this season, even performing better than the aforementioned Hammers stars in many defensive facets.

Across 40 Championship appearances, Guehi has averaged 3.2 aerials won, 1.7 tackles and 1.6 interceptions per game, via WhoScored.

Despite being two inches smaller than Dawson, and three inches smaller than Ogbonna, he is winning more in the air than the pair of them and is also more productive when the ball is on the ground.

The former West Brom and Watford centre-back is only managing 0.5 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game, whilst the Italian brute isn’t much better, with just one tackle and one interception per match.

Some of Guehi’s England U21 teammates have waxed lyrical about his strength.

In a video clip posted to Twitter, the Chelsea man was dubbed an “absolute tank” and “massive” by Stoke goalkeeper Josef Bursik, whilst his Blues academy pal Conor Gallagher claimed that “you can’t get around him.”

Guehi would be one for the future but he could certainly make an instant contribution if needed, so GSB must look to sanction a move for him should he become available in the summer.

AND in other news, West Ham handed huge injury boost ahead of Brighton clash…

An era in Bengal cricket that had begun in 1981 ended today

Staff Reporter12-May-2001An era in Bengal cricket that had begun in 1981 ended today. Former Test opener Arun Lal finally bade goodbye to competitive cricket as he played his last club match for East Bengal. It was the end of a 20-year-old career in Bengal that had seen the blossoming of cricket in this state.During his playing days for the state and the zone side, Lal had won everything that mattered. He was instrumental in bringing Bengal its first Ranji Trophy after 51 years in 1989. He played a leading role in East Zone’s victories in the Duleep and the Deodhar Trophy. Above all, he was the man responsible for making Bengal and East Zone a force to reckon with in the national scenario in the eighties and the early nineties. He also played 16 Tests for India from 1982 to 1989 scoring 729 runs at an average of 26 with a highest score of 93,The 46-year old Lal finally found the going too tough in the summer even for the club matches. Lal, who is now the chief coach of the East Zone branch of the National Cricket Academy said that physical shortcomings were forcing him to quit the game that he loved playing so much. “It may seem strange, but this year, I had problems after playing club matches in the hot and humid summer. That is why I decided to quit after the official end of the season today.”Lal said he could have continued by picking and choosing the matches that he wanted to play. However, the professional that he is, he refused to take such a path. “A club signs me for the entire season. Most of the important club matches are played in March when the summer sets in. So I cannot really opt out of any match,” he explained. He added, “Even last year during the same period I had scored a hundred. However, I did not feel as drained as I have been feeling this year. The recovery factor is taking too long a time. This has forced me to take the decision to quit.”Unlike many others, Lal sees a very promising future for Bengal cricket. “There are plenty of young cricketers who are coming up. Players like Arindam Das and Rahul Deb are going to help Bengal in the future." Lal will continue to keep in touch with the game by coaching, going on commentary assignments and writing columns on cricket. The bearded opener had never formally announced his retirement from first class cricket even though he stopped playing for Bengal after 1995. Bengal cricket will always be in debt to the man from Kapurthala.

According to a report by Bild (via Sport Witness), manager Ralph Rangnick has been offered the job at Tottenham Hotspur as Daniel Levy’s search for a new manager continues to heat up – with Lilywhites going wild over this ‘good news’ in response. 

Rangnick has recently emerged as a candidate for the Tottenham job following blows regarding the likes of Julian Nagelsmann and Erik Ten Hag.

Nagelsmann took the job at Bayern Munich whilst Ten Hag signed a new deal at Ajax, and now journalist Christian Falk has told Bild that Rangnick is moving up the managerial candidate list as a result.

He even claims that Tottenham have offered him the role, with many Spurs fans going wild as some call this ‘good news’.

Given his glowing reputation as the ‘godfather of gegenpressing’, and the fact Levy needs to appoint a manager as soon as possible to prepare for the 2021/2022 season, it’s little wonder many Lilywhites are ecstatic.

Find all of their best verdicts down below.

Tottenham fans go wild for Rangnick claim

“I beggggggg he’s the only good option left”

Credit: @reecethfc_

“Please be true”

Credit: @Terry24790111

“Please god please I’m begging I’m on my knees”

Credit: @yikyikhuoyik

“The rebuild starts now”

Credit: @FtblMason

“First good news we’ve had in a while”

Credit: @ReguilonEra

“This is what I want to hear”

Credit: @CleopasPedzisa

“Literally our last resort. Praying.”

Credit: @RyanMale99

“Its time”

Credit: @Eliano

In other news: Gold drops teasing managerial update, find out more here.

If Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa was watching the Old Firm clash between Rangers and Celtic on Sunday, then there’s every chance that the Argentine would have been calling up the club’s hierarchy to wax lyrical about Ryan Kent.

Reports in recent days and weeks have suggested the 24-year-old is a transfer target for the Whites once again, after it was revealed that the Premier League side had a bid rejected for the winger last summer.

And during the Gers’ 4-1 thrashing of their rivals on Sunday afternoon, Kent was absolutely outstanding, and surely showed Bielsa that he could create a scary duo in the Premier League alongside Leeds talisman Raphinha.

As per Sofascore, he completed four of out of his six attempted dribbles which was the joint-highest of any player on the pitch, while he also provided a mammoth five key passes – again the most of any player on either side.

The winger also showed he’s someone who can handle the physical side of the game too, winning nine total duels, which was the most of any player who took to the field.

As well as picking up the assist for the opening goal of the game, Kent also had arguably the most eye-catching moment of the match, absolutely skinning Greg Taylor with a brilliant piece of Raphinha-esque skill and leaving him for dead.

And speaking after the game, Gers boss Gerrard said: “I watch a lot of Celtic and they’re a good team, but with all due respect, they’ve got weaknesses – especially in that back-line.

“I wanted to put two men right up against them centre-halves and cause them problems all night. I wanted Ryan Kent to continue to do what he does to Scott Brown, which is to be a right menace and the three of them were superb.”

Given how Raphinha has terrified Premier League defences all season and been a “right menace” himself, Leeds could ensure the Brazilian has a more than capable supporting act on the opposite flank in the Gers star.

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The £20k-a-week earning Kent put in a masterclass, and Bielsa will be salivating at the prospect of partnering him with Raphinha at Elland Road for next season in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, this Leeds man surely had Bielsa fuming after Brighton…

Crystal Palace and Leeds United are thought to be interested in Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles ahead of the summer window.

And, as to be expected, plenty of Palace fans have been giving their thoughts to the club’s reported interest in the 23-year-old on social media.

The Mirror claim that Palace are the latest club to show an interest in Maitland-Niles, who has impressed out on loan at West Brom in recent months.

He’s made nine appearances for the Baggies, with Sam Allardyce’s side winning three, drawing three and losing three with the Arsenal man in the starting line-up.

Leeds have been watching developments closely, with the report suggesting the Gunners may decide to cash in on the versatile ace over the coming months.

Maitland-Niles, on £48,000-a-week, still has over two years remaining on his Emirates deal and is valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt.

Palace fans react

@cpfc_xtra shared the report on Monday evening. This is what these Palace fans had to say in reply, with many seemingly keen for a deal to materialise.

“I beg”

Credit: @RRcpfc

“A young home-grown utility player? I’m all for the east London Schlupp”

Credit: @acjonesy1

“Yes please!”

Credit: @deanmiles23

“On the cheap or for loan and we should be all over this. Can play LWB/RWB and CM”

Credit: @ReeceJMT

“all over plz plz plz”

Credit: @luiscpfc

“I’ll take it”

Credit: @TheEagleDC

In other news: Fresh Eddie Howe to Crystal Palace update emerges, find out more here. 

Rangers take on their Old Firm rivals at Ibrox on Sunday afternoon, with Steven Gerrard’s side no doubt eyeing up a potential domestic double.

Whilst the Premiership title has already been secured this season, the Light Blues will be keen to ensure that all the bragging rights go their way by securing a win against the Hoops on Sunday, which would surely put them in pole position to win the Scottish Cup.

Gerrard is close to having a fully-fit squad at Rangers, apart from long-term absentees Ryan Jack and Nikola Katic, so he could rotate his team for the visit of John Kennedy’s side.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Gerrard to line up at Ibrox, with two changes from the side which beat Hibernian last time out…

Although Jon McLaughlin has featured earlier in the competition, it seems likely that Gerrard will stick with first-choice Allan McGregor for this one.

There’s one change in defence as, after returning to full training recently, captain James Tavernier makes his return to the team at right-back, with Nathan Patterson dropping out.

Unsurprisingly, the midfield trio of Steven Davis, Glen Kamara and Joe Aribo which has worked so well this season remains the same, and Gerrard will be hoping that they can win the midfield battle on Sunday.

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Finally, there is one change in attack, as Scott Wright’s excellent performance against Cove Rangers warrants him a start for this one, which means that Kemar Roofe, who reportedly earns £35,000 per week at Ibrox and has been hailed as a “winner” by Barry Douglas, drops out.

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776”]

Wright supports Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent in attack, although Gerrard will have plenty of attacking options on the bench if he needs them.

In other news… Gerrard in line for huge Rangers boost with “special talent” who is “made of iron”

Edinson Cavani’s future at Manchester United looks increasingly uncertain by the day.

Out of contract at the end of the season, but with the option of an extra year, it is reported that he is considering quitting Old Trafford, with his father also indicating that there is a “60 per cent” chance that the striker could leave at the end of the campaign.

Now, Uruguay assistant coach Mario Rebollo has waded into the argument, suggesting that Cavani must leave Manchester United for the good of the national team.

Whatever the 34-year-old’s decision, whether that be to remain at the club or indeed depart, he needs to make it soon as it could have massive implications on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans.

Should he elect to depart, this could potentially force the Red Devils back into the transfer market for a forward even though the likes of Mason Greenwood, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford are capable of playing through the centre.

With Cavani having struck seven goals and notched two assists in his time at Old Trafford since his arrival from Paris Saint Germain, Solskjaer is likely to want a forward who can have a similar impact.

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That is not going to come cheap though, with any striker, unless they are a free agent, surely set to cost more than Cavani’s £6.3m valuation.

Any move could significantly reduce the Red Devils’ summer transfer budget, with then consequent moves for other areas impacted with United potentially having less funds available.

However, should Cavani stay, this could mean that United could look at somewhat more illustrious and costly targets without the need to bring in another striker.

Whilst the Uruguayan will certainly be making his decision for the good of his career, the longer he takes over who is next employers are will only exacerbate the uncertainty at Old Trafford.

AND in more news, take a look at which Man Utd defender’s transfer valuation has gone into freefall…