All posts by h716a5.icu

Liverpool are interested in signing Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka this summer after Gini Wijnaldum departed last month.

What’s the story?

According to TransferMarketWeb, the Reds are amongst a number of clubs interested in acquiring the 29-year-old’s signature as he nears the Emirates Stadium exit door.

The report claims that Juventus, Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City are also tracking Xhaka, despite him being heavily linked with a move to AS Roma.

Edwards must sanction swoop

Xhaka has endured a controversial five-year stay in north London, making 220 appearances for the Gunners in all competitions, winning two FA Cups along the way.

He won praise from current manager Mikel Arteta during the 2020/21 campaign following a string of impressive performances for the capital club.

“I think since he’s been back he’s been phenomenal; he’s playing really, really well,” claimed Arteta after a good run of form.

However, it’s been far from plain sailing for the Switzerland international during his time on English soil.

A poor disciplinary record has seen Xhaka pick up 58 yellow cards and three red cards during his Arsenal career, and he even missed his nation’s Euro 2020 quarter-final through suspension after earlier lighting up the tournament, playing a pivotal part in their impressive run to the last eight, including an impressive display in the Last 16 clash against France.

Nevertheless, his talent on the pitch has often been overlooked in recent years. Last season, Xhaka made 213 progressive passes while on Premier League duty – the fifth-highest total in the division, and also completed 268 passes in the final third – the highest tally in the top-flight, as per fbref.com.

It’s clear to see then that the combative midfielder is exceptionally good at moving the ball up the field effectively, getting his side into attacking situations on a regular basis.

Given that Liverpool’s gegenpressing style relies upon their midfielders and defenders constantly supplying their front three with an accurate stream of quick passes, Xhaka appears to be a good fit.

A fee of around £20 million is being muted for the Arsenal man, and at that price, director of football Michael Edwards must sanction a swoop.

And, in other news…Imagine him & Thiago: Edwards could get LFC rocking again by signing £60m “conductor” 

Leeds United winger Helder Costa could be sold if Noa Lang arrives at Elland Road this summer, according to former Whites defender Danny Mills.

The Lowdown: Costa struggles for playing time

Costa was a peripheral figure for Marcelo Bielsa’s side last season, not enjoying as much playing time as some of the more influential players at the club. The 27-year-old only managed to start 13 of Leeds’ 38 Premier League matches, scoring three times as the Whites finished ninth in the table.

This lack of playing time has led to reports linking Costa with an Elland Road exit this summer, especially with Lang tipped to come in.

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The Latest: Winger tipped to leave on

Speaking to Football Insider, Mills talked up the idea of the winger moving on to pastures new if Lang joins, having come to the end of the road at Leeds. The former Whites defender said:

“It’s not the most important position for Leeds to address and get sorted. It might just mean that they believe he’s better than Helder Costa and he may be moving on.

“It’s just freshening it up and rotating a few players. As hard as it is sometimes, that’s what you’ve got to do. You’ve got to make tough decisions as a manager. you have to move people on, freshen the squad up and bring in players with more quality.

“If that’s the case, that looks like what they’re trying to do.”

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The Verdict: Right time to move on

Costa is a talented wide player who has contributed for Leeds – former Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo has described him as ‘immense’ – but it feels like he should move on this summer.

At 27, and with his current deal not expiring until 2024, the Whites could still receive a hefty fee for the Portuguese, with that money going towards new signings.

If Costa stays, it is no disaster, but it is hard to see how he will feature any more prominently next season, especially if another winger is added to the squad.

In other news, Leeds are believed to be monitoring the progress of an international player. Find out who here it is here.

ADELAIDE, Oct 18 AAP – Victoria lost four wickets in the opening session today to crumble to the verge of outright defeat at 6-185 at lunch on the final day of its Pura Cup cricket match against South Australia at Adelaide Oval.

Sam Lienert18-Oct-2002ADELAIDE, Oct 18 AAP – Victoria lost four wickets in the opening session today to crumble to the verge of outright defeat at 6-185 at lunch on the final day of its Pura Cup cricket match against South Australia at Adelaide Oval.The Bushrangers started the day at 2-94 in their second innings, needing an impossible target of 512 for victory, but more realistically aiming to survive until stumps.But that also quickly became an unlikely result, when Brad Hodge (22), Graeme Rummans (48), Nick Jewell (30) and Cameron White (0) all fell in the morning session.Darren Berry, on six, and Ian Harvey, on nine, were unbeaten at lunch and needed a long partnership to give Victoria any chance of holding out for a draw, with only tailenders to come.Former Victorian off-spinner John Davison, playing his first game for SA, had the figures of 4-80, including the wickets of Hodge and Jewell today, while Ryan Harris took the other two wickets to fall.

Alderley Edge: Cheshire 404-7 Cornwall 221-2 (NA Stoddard 61*, AM Pearce 67, JM Hand 51*)

CricInfo30-Jul-2002Stone:
Staffordshire 367-7 and 185-5
Northumberland 182 and 141 (G Bulpitt 5-42)
Staffordshire won by 229 runs
Staffordshire 23 pts, Northumberland 4 ptsLong Marsden:
Herts 405-7d & 200-7d
Cumberland 125 & 372 (Clayson 107, M Lewis 77, S Knox 66, M Smith 6-102)
Hertforshire won by 108 runs
Herts 24 pts, Cumberland 3 ptsBedford:
Lincolnshire 257 & 169
Bedfordshire 277-5 dec & 150-5
Bedfordshire won by 5 wickets
Bedfordshire 23 pts, Lincolnshire 4 ptsFinchampstead:
Herefordshire 430-7
Berkshire 231 & 148
Herefordshire won by an innings and 53 runs
Herefordshire 24 pts, Berkshire 5 ptsMarlow:
Buckinghamshire 260 & 214-7 dec (B Atkins 74*)
Cambridgeshire 221 & 205-8 (A Akthar 64, I Flannagan 92)
Match drawn
Buckinghamshire 10 pts, Cambridgeshire 9 ptsManor Park:
Suffolk 364-7
Norfolk 196 & 242-4 (BJ Rodgers 57, SC Goldsmith 57, CR Borrett 55*)
Match drawn
Suffolk 11 pts, Norfolk 8 ptsThame:Wiltshire 312 & 206 (C Budd 53)
Oxfordshire 261 & 123-8 (C Knightley 80*)
Match drawn
Wiltshire 11pts, Oxfordshire 10 ptsSwansea:
Shropshire 420-6 & 190-2d (MJ Marvell 103*, TJ Mason 72*)
Wales 293, 184-5
Match drawn
Shropshire 12 pts, Wales 9 ptsDay 2 of 3Alderley Edge:
Cheshire 404-7
Cornwall 221-2 (NA Stoddard 61*, AM Pearce 67, JM Hand 51*)

Somerset Cricket Board XI continue their challenge for a place in the second round of the 2003 Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy this morning when they will be looking to beat Cornwall at Camborne, after rain brought an early finish to proceedings

Richard Walsh30-Aug-2002Somerset Cricket Board XI continue their challenge for a place in the second round of the 2003 Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy this morning when they will be looking to beat Cornwall at Camborne, after rain brought an early finish to proceedings yesterday.Batting first the Minor County side scored 301 for 8 in their allotted fifty overs, with young Michael Parsons being the pick of the Somerset bowlers, ending with 3 for 70 and Matt Dimond taking 2 for 65.There were also good returns from the slow men with left armer Arul Suppiah having just 36 scored from his ten overs, and Wes Durston taking 1 for 43 in his ten over stint.Opener’s Kevin Parsons and Kevin Sedgebeer got the Somerset reply off to a good start putting on 68 before Parsons was out for 33. Sedgebeer stayed a little longer until with the score on 89 he was out for 37.Somerset had moved onto 93 when with Durston and Michael Coles at the wicket the rain came down and the game was called off for the day.Play resumes today with Somerset requiring 209 for victory with 36.5 overs and 8 wickets remaining.

Former Sheffield United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny believes that Oli McBurnie would be keen on joining Rangers during the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Rangers linked with McBurnie move

Steven Gerrard will be desperate for his side to defend their Premiership crown next season, continuing to kick on and keep their rivals at bay. In order for that to happen, some new signings could be needed in order to keep Rangers’ squad fresh.

McBurnie has been linked with a £15m switch to Ibrox, despite only scoring once for the Blades in the Premier League last season as they were relegated to the Championship.

The Latest: Kenny talks up signing

Speaking to Football Insider, Kenny claimed that the Scotland striker would like to join Gers, tipping him to be a success at Ibrox. The 43-year-old said:

“Rangers are a massive club just like Sheffield United. If he has the chance to go there it proves that Steven Gerrard thinks highly of him which is always a good sign and it will be a massive move for him.

“He’s a proper target man and he’s put in in 100 per cent every time I’ve seen him play. So I don’t see why he wouldn’t succeed in Scotland.

“I’m sure a team of Rangers’ calibre could tempt anybody. With him playing for Scotland, I’m sure it will be something he’ll be very keen on.”

The Verdict: Ideal summer addition?

While McBurnie’s goalscoring struggles in England may make £15m seem a lot of money – especially as Rangers have only ever made one £10m+ signing in their history – he is someone who could thrive under Gerrard.

His work ethic could immediately appeal to the 41-year-old – he averaged 0.7 tackles and 1.3 clearances per game in the league last season – and he could find goals easier to come by in Scotland.

At 25, McBurnie’s peak years should still be ahead of him, so he would be considered a long-term investment for Rangers. It’s not hard to see why Kenny believes the striker could thrive if he joins the Premiership champions.

In other news, a former Rangers player has said some key words about Steven Gerrard’s future. Read more here.

Bruno Lage has an almighty job on his hands to improve this Wolves side.

Handed the keys to Molineux this week, he faces the task of rebuilding a squad who could lose some of their best players this summer.

On the chalkboard

Wolves are set to lose Ruben Neves in the coming months, with Arsenal courting the Portuguese midfielder ahead of a potential move.

There could also be exits in defence. Max Kilman’s future in the Midlands was uncertain during Nuno Espirito Santo’s tenure, while Romain Saiss’ time at Wolves is also shrouded in doubt. He has been linked with a move to France, where Rennes are interested in prising him away from the Premier League.

The Old Gold should have been searching for alternatives anyway judging by their defensive record in 2020/21, but this gives them an extra excuse to spend some money.

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They conceded 52 goals in the league last term, just one fewer than relegated Fulham and six more than 16th-placed Brighton. During a period between October and January, they kept only two clean sheets in 14 outings.

Willy Boly and Conor Coady can still be relied upon but there is a sense that a third dependable centre-back is required.

This week Wolves were linked with a move for Dael Fry, via Football League World. The Middlesbrough defender boasts a passing success rate of just 69.2% throughout his career but he would be an almighty upgrade in aerial situations.

The 23-year-old stands at a colossal height of 6 foot 4 and uses that to his advantage to bully opponents to one side. In the Championship this season, Fry won an impressive 6.3 aerial duels per match, the highest seasonal tally of his career to date.

The defender prevailed in 200 aerial battles last term, ranking him as the 12th best centre-back in the entire Championship.

That enormous tally usurps every single player at Wolves by a grand total of 115. Leander Dendoncker won the most with just 85 in comparison, while Boly’s average of 2.7 per match was the highest in that regard.

Described as a player who “has everything” by former Boro manager Aitor Karanka, Fry is a defender who appears to be improving all the time.

He needs to work on his distribution but he could offer some much-needed physicality to Lage’s backline. Boly offers that already, but a combination of the two would seem fearsome at Molineux.

A deal could also be done cheaply, with the Middlesbough centre-half rated at just £6.3m by Transfermarkt. Considering that Wolves have little to spend this summer, that would work out nicely for Jeff Shi and Fosun.

AND in other news, Forget Adama: Lage can save millions if Wolves unleash “outstanding” rarely-seen 19y/o…

Many Wolves fans have been left to buzz as Tim Spiers shared the name of a new manager candidate.

Writing in his latest piece for The Athletic, the journalist has shared that Steven Gerrard is being looked at by the Midlands club as a potential replacement for Nuno Espirito Santo.

Frank Lampard is also on the running, while Bruno Lage still remains the frontrunner, although Gerrard was certainly the name that caught the eye the most among the Molineux faithful.

The Liverpool and England international legend has just enjoyed a great season with Rangers, winning the Scottish Premiership title off of the hands of Celtic while also going through the Gers’ league campaign without a single defeat.

Of course, Gerrard knows the Premier League very well too, and so he has emerged as an ideal successor in the eyes of several WWFC supporters.

Wolves fans on Gerrard manager update

These Wanderers buzzed as Spiers shared the update on Gerrard on his Twitter page:

“Gerrard…. no brainer”

Credit: @nakedguyonvespa

“I think most of us want Gerrard”

Credit: @MarkTFillingham

“If Gerrard is an option we should go all out for him”

Credit: @Vaughany1973

“Gerrard please.”

Credit: @Supermancooks

“Gerrard all day”

Credit: @DanielSparkrite

“Gerrard. Got to be.”

Credit: @goggs19591

In other news, find out what transfer update has left Wanderers buzzing here!

Wolves are one step closer to appointing Bruno Lage as their next manager, according to reports…

What’s the word?

The Telegraph’s John Percy claims the 45-year-old is on the verge of being announced as Nuno Santo’s successor after he attended a work permit hearing on Wednesday afternoon.

Fosun are determined to have him in place in time for pre-season, though there are still some issues to finalise, such as his contract.

It’s understood that the former Benfica boss was recommended by super-agent Jorge Mendes, who has close ties with the Midlands outfit through his agency, Gestifute.

No hurdles are anticipated, so it’s only a matter of time until Lage is in the dugout at Molineux.

Got their man

This will come as exciting and encouraging news to Fosun, who have evidently got their no.1 target.

Percy suggests that, despite Mendes’ influence and other potential candidates on a shortlist, the Portuguese was still their first choice to take over from Nuno.

Perhaps surprisingly, Lage does have some experience of the Premier League as he was assistant to Carlos Carvalhal during the 2017/18 season, which saw them relegated after he took over in December from Sheffield Wednesday.

The Portuguese followed him to the Welsh outfit from Yorkshire before going onto become a manager himself at Benfica B.

Lage was then promoted to the senior side, where he won 67.1% of all his matches in charge, clinching the Primeira Liga title in 2018/19 as well as the Coach of the Year award.

That season, his Benfica side scored a whopping 103 goals, which earned him a reputation of being an exciting and attack-minded manager – something that should appear vastly different to Nuno’s final season in charge as no side above 16th place scored fewer goals than Wolves this term.

There is another benefit to Lage’s appointment as he’ll inherit a large Portuguese contingent of players, of course, with no fewer than seven members of the current squad being born there.

All in all, the news that Lage has received his work permit will be a massive boost for Fosun. They can now go full steam ahead with their plans to turn around their fortunes in the top-flight.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Lage: Fosun can seal dream duo by signing “exciting” talisman…

Andre Adams completed a great year of cricket when he was named Auckland’s Cricketer of the Year at annual awards dinner held last night

Lynn McConnell11-Apr-2002Andre Adams completed a great year of cricket when he was named Auckland’s Cricketer of the Year at annual awards dinner held last night.The Grafton United player has enjoyed a highly successful season in domestic cricket and has emerged as a force on the international scene. He played a leading role in the State Auckland Aces victory in the State Championship claiming 31 wickets at an average of 19.45, and scored 256 runs at an average of 25.60. This included two five-wicket bags and three 50s.He was selected in the TelstraClear Black Caps for the VB Series in Australia during January where he secured a starting position in the last four matches. He went on to play in the National Bank One-Day International Series against England taking eight wickets and recording not out scores of 28, 25 and 26 to capture the public’s imagination with his effervescence with bat, ball and in the field. He capped off the home season with an aggressive Test debut against England at Eden Park last week claiming 3-61 and 3-44 in New Zealand’s victory, and is now playing with the Black Caps in the triangular one-day tournament in Sharjah.Other winners were:Batsman of the Year – Men – Matt Horne (Grafton United)Matt Horne was the leading run scorer in the State Shield (one-day) competition with 428 runs at an average of 42.80. In the State Championship he scored 518 runs at an average of 57.55 including two 100s and a 50. His highest score of 178 came against Bangladesh, earning a Test recall for the series against Bangladesh and England. Horne was also awarded the State Medal at the New Zealand Cricket awards last week as the most outstanding player in men’s domestic cricket.Batsman of the Year – Women – Emily Drumm (Parnell)Emily Drumm was the leading scorer in the State League competition scoring 339 runs at an average of 42.37 including a high score of 112 not out against the State Northern Spirit. She was awarded the Ruth Martin Cup at the New Zealand Cricket awards last week for the most outstanding batting performances in women’s cricket. Drumm captained the TelstraClear White Ferns in the series against Australia during February and March. Her highest score of 88 came in the first match at Lincoln.Bowler of the Year – Men – Chris Drum (Birkenhead)Chris Drum took 38 first-class wickets for the State Auckland Aces at an average of 9.63 including 28 wickets in the State Championship. His 53 first-class wickets for Auckland and New Zealand this summer is only the third time a player has taken more than 50 wickets in a season since 1986/87. He returned career best bowling figures of 6-34 against Bangladesh and match figures of 10-55 in round five of the State Championship. He was awarded the Winsor Cup at the New Zealand Cricket awards last week as the best bowler in first-class cricket.Bowler of the Year – Women – Helen Watson (Grafton United)Helen Watson took 12 wickets at an average of 8.91 in the State League. She was the most economical bowler in the competition conceding 1.62 runs per over. She was also selected in the TelstraClear White Ferns for the series against Australia during February and March, but didn’t play a match.VECTOR Young Cricketer of the Year – Rob Nicol (Cornwall)Rob Nicol made his first-class debut for the State Auckland Aces this season at 18 years of age. He scored 489 runs at an average of 44.45 in the State Championship including two 100s and a 50. In scoring his maiden first-class century, he became the youngest Auckland player to achieve the feat. Nicol was also selected for the New Zealand Under-19 team which contested the ICC Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand during January.Panda Catering Umpire of the Year – Wayne Knights.Crown Relocations Club Cricketer of the Year (Premier Grade) – Bradley Nielsen (Howick Pakuranga).Crown Relocations Club Cricketer of the Year (First Grade) – Samir Lala (Eden Roskill).Club Cricketer of the Year (First Grade Women) – Emily Drumm (Parnell).