All posts by h716a5.icu

The latest news and updates from the Ranji Trophy season

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-2017M Vijay, Vijay Shankar return to TN squadTamil Nadu will be strengthened by the return of M Vijay and Vijay Shankar for their third-round game against Mumbai at the Bandra-Kurla Complex. Vijay, who missed Tamil Nadu’s previous game against Tripura with a stiff neck, will slot in at the opening position alongside captain Abhinav Mukund, while Shankar is expected to replace J Kousik in the eleven. Baba Aparajith also returns to the side after being part of the India A team that played New Zealand A recently.Vijay had played Tamil Nadu’s season-opener against Andhra and scored 4 and 55. He also had a brief injury scare when he retired hurt in the second innings after spraining his ankle. Vijay, however, returned to bat on the last day, and brought up his first fifty-plus score in first-class cricket since his 82 against Australia in March. Shankar is coming off a good run of form, having scored an unbeaten 47 and a 33-ball 61 against New Zealand A in the third and the fourth ODI respectively.Aparajith, too, has been in among the runs lately. He began the season with a fifty and a century against Andhra before going away to play the fourth and fifth one-dayers against New Zealand.Venugopal Rao opts out of remainder of Ranji seasonVeteran batsman Venugopal Rao has opted out of the rest of the season for Andhra citing personal reasons. Rao made 3 in the only game he played against Tamil Nadu. Andhra Cricket Association general secretary Ch. Arun Kumar has said the team would miss his services.”The absence of Mr .Y.Venugopala Rao will be felt by the team, but we have to respect the feelings of the player who was former captain of Andhra Ranji Team and India International,” he said.The selection committee, chaired by V Satya Prasad, has named batsman N Jyothi Sai Krishna as replacement for Rao for the remainder of the games.Rahul, Nair added to Karnataka squadKL Rahul and Karun Nair have been named in Karnataka’s squad for the third round of Ranji Trophy matches beginning October 24, against Hyderabad in Shimoga. Both of them were part of the Board President’s XI squad for the two warm-up fixtures against New Zealand that were played on October 17 and 19.Rahul, who has been left out of the New Zealand ODIs, struck a 68 in the first warm-up game in Mumbai on Tuesday. Nair, who led India A in the two unofficial Tests against New Zealand A made 78 and 53 in the two games.”Having Rahul and Karun is a big boost for Karnataka,” R Vinay Kumar, the Karnataka captain, said. “Rahul has cemented his place in the Indian team while Karun is also doing well. The sight of their names on the team sheet will put opponents under pressure.”Umesh, Karn bolster VidarbhaFast bowler Umesh Yadav, who was left out from India’s squad for the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand, and legspinner Karn Sharma, who moved from Railways, are set to play for Vidarbha in their second match of the season against Chhattisgarh in Nagpur.Umesh last represented Vidarbha in the quarterfinals last season when his side was toppled by Saurashtra. Karn’s recent form bodes well for Vidarbha: since the start of the Duleep Trophy, he has bagged 31 wickets in four first-class matches, including three five-wicket hauls.Vidarbha had opened their Ranji campaign by securing an innings victory over Punjab last week.

West Ham United forward Said Benrahma needs to ‘prove’ himself in the Premier League or risk losing out on first-team action, according to journalist Paul Brown.

The Lowdown: Falling out of favour

The Algerian made the £30m move to the London Stadium two years ago from Brentford and had an impressive start to life under David Moyes, though this has since taken a turn.

The summer arrivals of Lucas Paqueta and Maxwel Cornet have pushed the 27-year-old down the pecking order and his game time has suffered as a result, having made just three league starts this season.

The Latest: Brown’s verdict

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Brown insisted that Benrahma must find a solid run of form to force his way back into the starting XI if he wants to be seen as more than a fringe player.

“I think that’s the big thing for him, he’s not really been able to find much consistency at West Ham over long spells.

“So, I think it’s down to him really to prove that he’s first-team regular material, otherwise, he’s going to find himself on the periphery like this a lot more this season.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-news-5/” title=”West Ham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Second chance required

Benrahma has been hailed ‘immense’ by sports journalist Josh Bunting, and despite recently dropping off, he more than has the ability to make an impact moving forward.

The winger has made 29 goal contributions in the final third and currently averages 1.6 shots, 1.2 dribbles and 1.2 key passes per league game (WhoScored).

His work rate is sometimes noticeably lower than his teammates, but if he adds this side to his game, he will provide Moyes with an all-round threat up top.

Steven Smith has demanded his players find their voices and energy in the lead-up to the home summer, having pinpointed an uninspiring on-field attitude as one of the reasons for the team’s recent Test-series defeat in Sri Lanka

Daniel Brettig19-Sep-2016An Australian Test team described as quiet? No, really.Australia’s captain Steven Smith has demanded his players find their voices and energy in the lead-up to the home summer, having pinpointed a flat and uninspiring on-field attitude as one of the reasons for the team’s recent defeat in Sri Lanka.There was a marked contrast between the lack of assertiveness shown during those matches after the second day of the series, and the more aggressive posture of the limited-overs teams that won 50-over and Twenty20 contests in the aftermath of the Tests.Rested after the second ODI, Smith watched on television from his home in Sydney as the vice-captain David Warner led a far more demonstrative effort. Smith wants that to be the template for the way the Test players carry themselves in future, indicating that a more boisterous, aggressive attitude is critical to the way Australia play their best cricket.”I thought his energy was magnificent throughout those games and looking forward that’s the sort of energy we want from him and all of the other senior players,” Smith said of Warner, in Sydney ahead of the ODI team’s departure for South Africa, where they will also play a match against Ireland. “We’ve got a pretty quiet group and we need that sort of energy come South Africa and the summer as well. I thought in the Test series in Sri Lanka we lacked a fair bit of energy in the field and that probably cost us at times. We put down a few crucial chances and in the grand scheme of things that could have made a difference.”The raft of retirements that followed the 2015 Ashes series did serve to trip the national side of plenty of outsized characters, from the captain Michael Clarke and the wicketkeeper Brad Haddin to Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson – all featured in various on-field confrontations with opponents down the years. The likes of Peter Nevill, Adam Voges and Nathan Lyon are less likely to raise their voices, but Smith was firm in stating that they need to.”It’s difficult,” he said. “We’ve got some pretty quiet characters, so even if it’s not making noise verbally it might be just about having a bit more presence and the old Australian way of puffing your chest out and making your presence felt for the quieter guys. It’s trying to do that, get into the game that way and try to provide some sort of energy that way.”Communication was raised in another sense by Smith, when reflecting on the decision to rest him from the latter part of the Sri Lanka tour. The timing was queried by many around the world, even if the game’s crowded schedule makes such decisions more or less inevitable lest players like Smith or the fast bowlers be burned out well before their careers have run a natural course.”For me it was just about getting the messaging across and I think we could have got the messaging across a fair bit better,” Smith said. “We knew a fair way out that I was going to leave after the second one-day game. The fact we only brought it out the day before probably shocked a few people, so in future if this sort of thing pops up and someone’s having a rest … it’s about getting it out a little bit earlier.”I watched every ball that was bowled in the one-day series and I did miss it, but having said that it probably will do me the world of good looking at what’s coming up. Particularly the fast bowlers, it’s very difficult for them to sustain it for long periods of time and go full tilt, which we want those guys doing. Having said that, for this series it gives a couple of guys an opportunity, we get a look at the likes of Tremain, Worrall and Mennie.”

While there is little doubt that Steven Gerrard’s tactics were a big part of Aston Villa’s disappointing start to the season, it seems clear that a number of players haven’t been performing to their full capabilities.

One such man is Matty Cash, as the Poland international has struggled to replicate his impressive form from the start of last season which saw him linked with a move to Atletico Madrid.

Since signing from Nottingham Forest in 2020, the versatile full-back has been one of the most consistent performers at Villa Park and was ranked as the fourth-best performer in Gerrard’s side last term according to WhoScored, earning an impressive 6.91 average rating.

This led Gerrard to sing his praises towards the end of 2021/22, saying:

“Matty’s all-in. He’s been fantastic to work with, I love his energy, I love his character and his personality.

“He wants to be a good Premier League player, he wants to be a good international player and you can see that in the gym, after training doing extra work, watching clips and wanting to get himself as best prepared and in a position to improve. They are the people you want to work with.”

Sadly, the 25-year-old has been unable to replicate that level of form so far this season, with WhoScored awarding Cash a woeful 6.44 average rating for his performances in the Premier League.

This ranks him as the 15th-best performer in Villa’s squad, which emphasises how disappointing he has been in comparison to last season, as after looking great in an average squad, he now looks especially bad in a poor side.

In comparison to 2021/22, Cash is averaging fewer tackles (2.1 vs 2.3), fewer clearances (1.1 vs 2.2) and fewer blocks (0.4 vs 0.1) per game in the Premier League, which suggests that he is one of the reasons behind Villa’s poor defensive record which has seen them ship 20 goals in the top flight.

Jokingly dubbed a “poor man’s Grealish” by Ben Foster and Emi Martinez for his looks, the full-back has also struggled offensively, averaging fewer shots (0.5 vs 1), key passes (0.5 vs 0.7) and fewer dribbles (0.9 vs 0.6) per game in the Premier League which again emphasises how much he is struggling.

Therefore, until he can rediscover his old form, new manager Unai Emery should consider dropping Cash from his starting XI as he looks to turn the Villans’ poor start around.

Wolves are likely to keep hold of winger Daniel Podence and wouldn’t entertain the idea of selling him to Everton, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Podence a key man at Wolves

The Portuguese has matured into an influential figure at Molineux as the year have passed, using his pace and trickery to good effect.

Podence has scored 12 goals in 83 appearances for Wolves, as well as registering eight assists, and he has also been hailed as ‘delightful’ by Sky Sports commentator Alan Smith.

Podence has been linked with a move to Everton, however, and his current Wanderers deal expires at the end next season.

The Latest: Exit rumour laughed off

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones said he couldn’t see that happening, though, instead backing him to remain a Wolves player:

“I’d be amazed if Wolves let Podence go, especially to a team that they consider a rival like Everton.

“But I think that style of player is exactly what Everton should be looking for, somebody that can create and set up chances.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“398117″]

The Verdict: Important player moving forward

With Pedro Neto continually plagued by injury problems and doubts remaining over Adama Traore’s future, Podence is a vital player to keep hold of out wide for Wolves.

[freshpress-poll id=“399044″]

He could be entering the prime years of his career at this point, so as Jones alludes to, selling him to a direct Premier League rival makes little to no sense.

Offering Podence a new deal before his current one ticks into its final year would be a shrewd decision by the club, assuming Wanderers’ incoming new manager sees him as an important part of his plans.

Crystal Palace forward Odsonne Edouard could miss Sunday’s clash against West Ham due to injury, according to football.london.

The Lowdown: Southampton knock

Hailed as ‘special’ by his former Celtic manager Neil Lennon, the Frenchman has been a regular under Patrick Vieira this season and is yet to miss a Premier League game.

The 24-year-old scored three times and provided one assist during October, with his final goal of the month coming against Southampton.

The forward had to make way late on though after picking up a knock, which may leave him in a race against time to feature against the Irons.

The Latest: A doubt?

football.london reporter Michael Mutch shared a story on Tuesday afternoon looking at four players who Palace could be without this weekend.

He name-checked Cheick Doucoure, Chris Richards and James McArthur and also hinted that Edouard may miss out.

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

Edouard has been in fine form in recent weeks, so it would be a blow if he is ruled out of a first top-flight game this season.

The Frenchman has appeared to gain the trust of Vieira, who has started him for six consecutive league fixtures.

Therefore, you’d expect that everyone at the club will be hoping that the 24-year-old can make the trip to the London Stadium on Sunday, and Vieira may well be quizzed on Edouard’s condition in his pre-match press conference.

Everton travel to AFC Bournemouth tonight in what will be the first of two meetings at the Vitality Stadium this week. This particular clash will occur in the EFL Cup, with Saturday being the last Premier League game before the World Cup commences.

The Toffees will be hoping to end this portion of the season with two wins against a Cherries side in poor form, having lost all of their last four games.

It seems like Gary O’Neil’s magic has finally worn off.

Frank Lampard has a few injuries to contend with, as well as the weekend’s fixture which arguably holds more weight for a side now just two points from the relegation zone.

With that in mind, here’s the Everton XI Football FanCast are predicting for tonight’s match…

The 44-year-old is expected to make eight changes from the side that fell to defeat against Leicester City.

Jordan Pickford is expected to get a well-earned rest, with Asmir Begovic a fine deputy to take his place.

The cup match offers opportunities for players just recovering from injury, and after two substitute appearances on his road to a comeback, Nathan Patterson is now expected to start.

He will flank Yerry Mina, who Lampard confirmed was in contention for this game after recovering from his opening-day injury. The Colombian “leader”, as dubbed by Dominic King, will partner James Tarkowski, who was ever-present for Burnley.

Ruben Vinagre is expected to get a rare start on the left-hand side of defence at the expense of Vitaliy Mykolenko.

Due to injuries to Idrissa Gueye and Amadou Onana in their last game, James Garner will finally be handed a start alongside Alex Iwobi. Tom Davies will earn a recall, acting as the man to do the dirty work in the absence of their Senegalese stalwart.

Having spoken about hoping to give some youngsters an opportunity, the “outstanding” Stanley Mills – in the words of coach Paul Tait – could replace Anthony Gordon on the wing given the 19-year-old’s fine performances for the youth sides.

Demarai Gray is expected to continue on the opposite flank while Neal Maupay is the only real option to replace Dominic Calvert-Lewin in attack.

He was another unfortunate casualty in their clash with the Foxes and is expected to now be out until the World Cup.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Joe Scally to the Premier League in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by 90min, who claim that scouts from both Spurs and Manchester United were in attendance for Borussia Mönchengladbach’s 4-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund last Friday, with the Premier League clubs believed to be keeping a close eye on the 19-year-old right-back.

The report goes on to state that the defender has impressed officials from both clubs so far this season, and, with the teenager being called up for Gregg Berhalter’s USA squad for the World Cup, it can be assumed that both Tottenham and United will be taking a closer look at the full-back in Qatar.

The next Alexander-Arnold

Considering just how impressive Scally has been in Germany since his move to Borussia-Park in January 2021, it is not difficult to understand why Fabio Paratici would be interested in a deal to bring the USA international to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the winter market.

Indeed, over his 30 Bundesliga appearances last season – only 20 of which came as starts – the £17.5m-rated talent highly impressed going forwards, scoring one goal, registering two assists and creating two big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 0.6 shots, making 0.6 key passes and completing 0.7 dribbles per game.

The former New York City FC starlet also caught the eye in a defensive capacity, helping his side keep three clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.3 tackles, 0.7 interceptions, 1.1 clearances and winning 3.8 duels – at a success rate of 53% – per game.

It has been a similar story over his 15 league outings in the current campaign, with the £2.5k-per-week right-back having helped his side keep three clean sheets and created three big chances, in addition to making an average of 1.4 tackles, 0.5 key passes, 2.2 clearances and winning 4.5 duels – at a success rate of 68% – per fixture.

These returns have seen the full-back who Roland Virkus claimed has “gone from 0 to 100” earn a significant amount of praise, with Claudio Reyna claiming Scally is “one of the most talented right-backs in his age group in the world” and Bundesliga.com going as far as to compare the teenager to Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Writing about the defender earlier this year, the website said: “Scally himself says Dani Alves is his favourite player, and there are perhaps a number of similarities. However, the American has a bit more in common with his English counterpart.

“Scally describes his on-field attributes as being strong, fast and technical, meaning he provides the attacking impetus of his idol as well as Alexander-Arnold. The Liverpool full-back – a 2019 Ballon d’Or nominee – is like Scally the product of his local youth academy.”

As such, should Scally go on to star for the USA at the World Cup this winter, and Paratici subsequently launches a January move for the Mönchengladbach starlet, the Italian could well be rewarded with the unearthing of the Premier League’s next Alexander-Arnold-esque talent – something that is sure to be an incredibly exciting prospect for Spurs supporters.

Scottish champions Celtic are currently marching on in the defence of their title, although that has not stopped talk regarding potential January additions, with manager Ange Postecoglou admitting that much of the preparation has already been done ahead of the upcoming window.

Recent reports have claimed that one area that the Old Firm outfit could look to address is in the centre-forward ranks, with the Glasgow side hoping to bolster their firepower having been somewhat profligate during their underwhelming Champions League campaign.

That brief, European voyage saw the Hoops score just four goals in total as they finished bottom of the group, with pundit John Hartson notably stating that the attacking pair of Kyogo Furuhashi and Giorgos Giakoumakis will be thinking that they “should have done better” in front of goal.

While the latter man did get on the scoresheet during the draw with Shakhtar Donetsk at Paradise, the Greece international has struggled to achieve a regular role in the side since his £2.5m arrival from VVV-Venlo last year despite netting 25 goals, with only 22 of his 50 outings having come from the start.

According to pundit Frank McAvennie, the club are in need of a more ruthless figure to aid their chances next time around on the continent, with the ex-Bhoys striker stating: “The amount of chances they created, a good striker would have scored them and we would be in the playoffs. I would bring another striker in, I would like to see them have three.”

McAvennie could well get his wish if Postecoglou and co revive their interest in Ferencvaros marksman, Ryan Mmaee, with the Scottish Premiership outfit having been heavily linked with a move for the Moroccan over the summer.

The 25-year-old acknowledged last month that there was interest in his services in the recent window, while also admitting that he could be tempted into a departure in the near future, having arrived in Hungary just over a year ago.

The suggestion is that the 12-cap starlet could cost just £2m were he to be signed in the New Year, with that figure something of a bargain for a player who has eight goals and four assists in 21 games in all competitions so far this term, with his total tally for the club now standing at 27 goals in just 58 games.

That has been a continuation of the Belgium-born forward’s stunning form from the previous campaign, in which he recorded 30 goal involvements in only 37 games across all fronts, with no player having bettered that record among the Celtic squad last term.

The former Limassol man – who netted 25 goals in 58 games during his time in Cyprus – could well prove to be the missing piece of the jigsaw as far as Postecoglou is concerned, with the 57-year-old wise to make a fresh approach when the market re-opens.

Manchester United are no stranger to a marquee deal and might have found one to cement success for years to come in Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix. 

What’s the word?

Felix has not quite blossomed as hoped in the Spanish capital, largely due to the polarity in style between his own game and head coach Diego Simeone’s impetus on structured and resolute defensive play. 

And now, after signing for £113m in 2019 from SL Benfica, might be on the move once again, with Marca reporting that Felix has come to a decision on his future, and wishes to ply his trade elsewhere. 

And with Diario AS reporting that conflicts have reached boiling point, a departure from the club could materialise as swiftly as January.

Imagine him & Rashford

Were United to succeed in their pursuit, the entire offensive department would prosper as a result, although the impact it would have on the likes of Marcus Rashford would be immense.

With Rashford rekindling his best form after a drab year last season, he is finding the back of the net both for club and country, combining the return of his clinical prowess with a direct and energetic presence that leaves defenders scrambling in his wake. 

And with a creative mind slotted into the ranks, a new dawn might just be accentuated, with Erik ten Hag previously succeeding in nurturing the ability of Dusan Tadic at Ajax, a similar player. 

Managing just 33 goals and 18 assists in 129 appearances for Madrid, Felix would certainly wish for a team with more attacking intent, indeed somewhat prohibited by Simeone’s style.

As per FBref, Felix ranks within the top 12% for assists, 11% for progressive passes and 14% for dribbles completed, illuminating his creative presence that could power United’s batteries to new levels.

With his influence, Rashford would flourish, offering a platform to create direct frontal attacks and offered space by a forward who strives to provide a selfless contribution to his team. 

Hailed an “outstanding talent” by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, Felix would be a stunning addition to the Red Devil’s plans, perhaps the difference between struggling for a place in the top-four and challenging for the title. 

The “sensation” – in the words of writer Sacha Pisani – would be a sterling addition, and although a lucrative fee would be required, United have shown time and time again that they are unflinching when spending on those deemed capable of lifting them to the next level.

This time, it might just work out.