All posts by h716a5.icu

Former Liverpool player Paul Stewart thinks that captain Jordan Henderson will sign a new deal with the club. 

Henderson has two years to run on his current deal which he signed in 2018, but The Telegraph are reporting that talks over a new contract have stalled.

Henderson has been instrumental in the midfield at Anfield, helping the club lift the Premier League, Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and the English League Cup. The central midfielder was also named the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year in 2020.

Whilst contract talks have stalled, Paul Stewart told Transfer Tavern: “I think he’ll sign a new contract. I think him you know when we talk about Harry Kane and Grealish being one club men, he loves Liverpool too much to just walk away.”

Liverpool have made one summer transfer so far, that of Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig for a fee of £36million and after losing one of Henderson’s midfield partners in Georginio Wijnaldum to Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer, the club will be looking to replace him.

The Daily Mirror are reporting that Atletico Madrid have given Liverpool the green light to sign midfielder Saul Niguez, should a reasonable offer be made.

Owais Shah has been preferred to Ravi Bopara for a place in England’s squad to tour India for two Tests during December

Cricinfo staff28-Sep-2008
Owais Shah has been named in the Test squad to take on India in December © Getty Images
Owais Shah has been preferred to Ravi Bopara for a place in England’s squad to tour India for two Tests during December. The final batting slot was the main decision for the selectors after their announcement at the weekend that Michael Vaughan wouldn’t be picked.Bopara was named in the squad to face South Africa, at The Oval in August, and enjoyed a prolific season for Essex which appeared to put him in line for a place. However, Shah made his Test debut in Mumbai in 2006, making 88 and 38, and is likely to play all seven preceding ODIs to find some form ahead of the Tests.”Owais has done very well this year and he performed well last time England were in India,” said national selector Geoff Miller. “It’s a further opportunity for him to build on his success with the one-day side this year and his inclusion in the squad will create real competition for places within the batting unit.”Miller added that Vaughan could still join up with the performance squad during the winter. “It is a possibility…we could use that,” he told Sky Sports News. “There’s a lot of opportunities for him to play. It’s all about winning matches and sessions and we’ll look after Vaughan as much as we can. We could look at that or send him out somewhere in the world.”Andrew Strauss came back and did well after a break and Vaughan will hopefully do that as well, ” he added. “Going abroad might put his mind right. We will organise where he goes so he can try and get back in the side. We know what he is capable of.”Tim Ambrose and Matt Prior have been named as the two wicketkeepers, but Prior is the favourite to take the gloves for the Test series after reclaiming his one-day place against South Africa. However, Ambrose will join up for the duration of the limited-overs series as back-up.”Matt has enjoyed an impressive domestic season with Sussex and having re-established himself in the one-day side, he will now compete with Tim Ambrose for the position of Test wicketkeeper,” Miller said. “Matt remains our first choice keeper in the one-day game, but Tim will join the squad in India as reserve wicketkeeper for the duration of the one-day series.”They both go out there on an equal [for the Tests],” Miller added. “Those decisions will be made by captain and coach once conditions have been taken into consideration.”The best keeper this season has been James Foster, but he didn’t expect to get a call from the selectors. However, his omission from the performance squad is a major surprise.”With fellow wicketkeepers Matt Prior and Tim Ambrose both having been awarded incremental contracts it shows my chances are slim – otherwise why offer them contracts if they aren’t going to be selected?,” he wrote in his diary.”It’s disappointing because I feel I’ve had a good season with the bat and gloves in all forms of the game,” he added. “In general, I feel I’ve been very consistent over the last four to five seasons and my skills are improving all the time. That doesn’t seem to be enough for the England selectors but I’ll keep plugging away.”The spin cover for Monty Panesar comes from Graeme Swann, despite Adil Rashid’s 62 wickets this season and the claims of Samit Patel. Swann provides enough batting skill to slot into the lower-order if England opt for two spinners in a match, while Rashid will spend valuable time with the performance squad who are in India at the same time as the main tour.Ryan Sidebottom has joined the quick bowlers who faced South Africa at The Oval and during the one-day series. A few months ago he was the first name in England’s bowling attack, but he picked up a series of injuries and lost his zip in the second part of a long season. However, his work over the last 18 months counted heavily in his favour and he’s a quality reserve to have on the sidelines. The only concern, if he plays, will be the rough created for Harbhajan Singh.The performance squad will arrive in India on November 19 and will then join up with the main tour ahead of the second Test in Mumbai. Four Kent players – Robert Key, Joe Denly, Amjad Khan and Robbie Joseph – have been named despite the club’s Championship relegation, while Middlesex left-hander Dawid Malan has also earned a place.Test squad Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen (capt), Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Owais Shah, Matt Prior (wk), Tim Ambrose (wk), Graeme Swann, Stuart Broad, Steve Harmison, James Anderson, Ryan Sidebottom, Monty PanesarPerformance squad Tim Bresnan, Mark Davies, Steven Davies, Joe Denly, Robbie Joseph, Rob Key, Amjad Khan, Sajid Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Eoin Morgan, Stephen Moore, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Ollie Rayner, Jonathan Trott

Crystal Palace unveiled their new home kit on Tuesday evening, which naturally received plenty of interaction on social media from numerous Eagles supporters.

Palace had already released their away and third strips and shared their traditional red and blue kit 11 days before the new season gets underway.

The Eagles had a helping hand from the club’s ‘oldest fan ever’, Nan Pam, who modelled the shirt in a video with a number of Palace players.

The kit, available to view here, has diagonal red and blue stripes across the front with a red sleeve and a blue collar.

You’d expect that the first time Palace will wear their new home attire competitively would be in Patrick Vieira’s first game in charge at Selhurst Park against Brentford on August 21, as they are away to Chelsea in their season opener.

Palace fans react

The club shared a clip of the new kit on their official Twitter page. The response was largely positive from fans, with one labelling it as ‘epic’.

“Not sure how to feel about this”Credit: @Connormuz02″This is SO Palace! I love it all!”Credit: @fivestarjane”only we would do this”Credit: @xylottie”This is epic”Credit: @LucyGauntlett”I love they got Nan Pam in there… fantastic!”Credit: @RednBlueRich”Honestly what a club we are”Credit: @NathanBarclay98

In other news: ‘This hurts’ – Many Crystal Palace fans react to transfer news

Zaheer Khan took his first five-wicket haul in India

Cricinfo staff10-Oct-2008
Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan took nine of the ten wickets in Australia’s first innings © Getty Images
Brett Lee was becoming a menace. He had added 59 for the eighth wicket with Michael Hussey and had foiled India’s hopes of a quick finish to the Australian innings. India needed an inspiring burst from someone and it came from Zaheer Khan. After a brief rest during the break for tea, he cut through the defences of three batsmen with the swinging old ball. The last wicket – that of the centurion Michael Hussey – brought Zaheer his first five-wicket haul in India.Zaheer was India’s most successful bowler on the first day with two wickets including one in the final over which reduced Australia’s advantage. His first spell on the second morning, however, was expensive. He went for 36 off 6.4 overs, releasing the pressure created by Ishant Sharma, who bowled four maidens in the morning session.”I couldn’t get my rhythm going in the first session,” Zaheer said. “Maybe I was trying a little too much in terms of length and all. I wanted to be a bit more attacking which didn’t work. But in the second spell I decided to go slow.”The pitch was a back-breaker. The initial movement disappeared once the ball got old and several deliveries hardly bounced, giving Mahendra Singh Dhoni some nasty takes at ankle height. Zaheer, however, wasn’t about to complain.”It’s a bit on the slower side, the ball is keeping low. This is how subcontinent wickets are and you just have to work out a way which is useful for you in terms of getting wickets,” he said. “It’s hard work, but we are prepared for it. We [Ishant and I] got nine wickets between us and we can’t complain much about the pitch.”The Australian batsmen, although they scored 430, had a run-rate of only 2.86 runs an over. Zaheer credited it to the Indian bowlers analysing the conditions and executing the plan of making run-scoring difficult. Ishant was one of the primary reasons why Australia were stifled at one end. He took 4 for 77 in 30 overs and troubled every batsman, including Hussey. Zaheer said bowling in tandem with Ishant was “special” and that it was good to see a youngster “ready to take responsibility”.

Cricinfo previews the clash between Chandigarh Lions and Royal Bengal Tigers

Cricinfo staff27-Oct-2008Match factsOct 28, 2008
Start time 7.30pm (1400 GMT)
Even without the talismanic Dinesh Mongia, suspended on disciplinary grounds by the ICL, Chandigarh would look for maximum points against the in-form Royal Bengal Tigers © ICL
Big PictureThe advantage that Chandigarh have going into the match is that they have played two less games than the three other teams locked on four points. However, the exclusion of Chris Cairns and Dinesh Mongia from the squad might weigh heavily on their minds during this crucial stage of the tournament.A win against the in-form Royal Bengal Tigers in their fourth match will not only be a confidence booster but will ensure valuable points to help the ICL 20-20 domestic tournament winners seal a spot in the semis. While the wins in the first two games against the two extremes of the table – Mumbai and Chennai – were relatively close encounters, they were brought down to earth by a ruthless Hyderabad outfit the last time around as Jimmy Maher and Abdul Razzaq hardly broke a sweat to ease to a nine-wicket win.Bengal have been enjoying a rich vein of form with the only blip coming against the Ahmedabad Rockets. Even though they were crushed by ten wickets, they bounced back in the very next game against the Dhaka Warriors to affirm their supremacy at the top of the table. The Bengal squad seems to be one, strong cohesive unit with every player putting up stellar performances in at least one match. If Hamish Marshall and Craig McMillan shared the limelight before, sparkling performances by Deep Dasgupta and Rohan Gavaskar have hogged the latest headlines.Where they rankChandigarh, in sixth position with four points, won’t be too bothered having played the least number of games among the teams. However, they will be looking to enter the elite four and will look for points on the way, especially with games against their nearest rivals coming up.Bengal, in second position with eight points, are certainly the favourites for the title. They will want to break free from Hyderabad in third place and narrow the gap with Chennai at the top to possibly ensure an easier pick for the semis.Form guide (most recent match first) Chandigarh Lions: LWW
Royal Bengal Tigers: WLWWWStatsBengal’s Deep Dasgupta is top of the wicketkeeping charts along with Khalid Mahmood (Lahore) and Paul Nixon (Delhi) with the most number of dismissals – three catches and four stumpings.None of the Chandigarh batsman have scored a half-century in the tournament so far, the highest being 47 by Dinesh Mongia against Chennai in the second game.Players to watchHis economy rate is yet to cross the six-an-over mark in the three matches so far. A disciplined bowler first, Andrew Hall is an extremely capable batsman which makes him one of the most sought-after players for the shorter formats. He is expected to come good in this last round of matches as Chandigarh look to bag the second piece of silverware this season.
Among the more illustrious stars of the international galaxy like Marshall, McMillan, Upul Chandana and Lance Klusener, there has been one performer who has quietly been doing the job for Bengal. Paceman Eklak Ahmid is just behind Chandana in the wicket-taking charts with six wickets and more is expected from the promising left-arm seamer who has delivered the goods whenever he has played. The only time he didn’t, Bengal were mauled by Ahmedabad.Quotes”Now that we’ve all played a fair amount of Twenty20 cricket, we know each other’s game and we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. We also have a fair idea of what we can do as a team and as individuals”

West Ham are planning to make a new offer for Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car, according to Turkish journalist Ekrem Konur.

The Lowdown: Caleta-Car profiled

Caleta-Car is 24 years of age and has been with the French club since 2018. The Croatia international, who stands at 6 foot 3, has made 91 appearances for Marseille in all competitions, scoring on three occasions.

He’s never been valued higher than his current £22.5m Transfermarkt valuation and is represented by the same agency as Jack Grealish and Mason Mount.

Konur claims that the Hammers have had a £12m bid rejected for the centre-back, but it doesn’t seem as if they have given up hope of securing his services this summer.

The Latest: New bid

According to Konur, the Irons are planning to hold further talks with Marseille over a deal for the centre-back.

He took to Twitter on Saturday morning to share the news, with Caleta-Car possibly becoming the club’s first big-money signing of the summer.

The journalist outlined: “West Ham are planning to raise their offer and hold talks with Marseille again.”

The Verdict: Need to get a move on

The Hammers could be way off with their opening £12m offer for Caleta-Car, especially when you take into his consideration his Transfermarkt valuation.

Time is ticking, and with the new season just days away, West Ham now need to start getting deals over the line.

Securing a new centre-back for David Moyes, potentially Caleta-Car, may turn out to be a solid start and could then allow the club to focus on a new centre-forward, with Michail Antonio currently the only recognised striker at the London Stadium.

In other news: Many West Ham fans flock to official club announcement, find out more

Sheffield Wednesday host Doncaster at Hillsborough on Saturday as they go in search of their first win of the campaign.

The Owls lost on penalties to Championship side Huddersfield in the Carabao Cup before drawing 0-0 with Nigel Adkins’ Charlton on the opening day of the League One season.

They now face a Doncaster side who lost 2-1 to AFC Wimbledon last weekend in the league before beating Walsall on penalties in the Carabao Cup this week.

On the Chalkboard

Callum Paterson was forced off with a worrying head injury against Charlton and could now miss the match against Doncaster. He was stretchered off the pitch just 16 minutes into the game, having started as the main centre-forward, and Moore could now need to make a decision on his team selection for this weekend’s clash.

The Owls boss must now unleash Lee Gregory this weekend to make his full debut for the club. The 32-year-old has joined from Championship side Stoke and could now have the perfect opportunity to come in and show what he can do in League One.

His record in the third tier is exceptional, with 35 goals and nine assists in 78 appearances in League One throughout his career, having also played 183 games in the Championship, in which he has scored 40 goals. This highlights his experience and quality in the Football League and why he could be a terrific player to bring into the Owls’ starting line-up against Doncaster.

Earlier this year, Derby manager Wayne Rooney said that Gregory was a “handful” to deal with during his loan spell at Pride Park and that he is able to give a lift to team-mates with his energy.

The 35-year-old told RamsTV, as relayed by Derby News: “I thought Lee Gregory was great for us when he came on. He showed great energy and enthusiasm.

“He was a handful and I think he really lifted the rest of the team when he came on with his energy. I was delighted with him.”

Gregory could therefore help to raise the standards of his teammates by pressing the opposition and proving a handful when out of possession. His energy could inspire others to match his levels of effort, giving Wednesday a greater chance of putting in a superb team performance instead of being lackadaisical off the ball.

Moore praised Gregory as a ‘quality player’ after the forward’s arrival at Hillsborough. The manager told Wednesday’s official website: “He’s a quality player. He adds competition to the top end of the pitch and we’re looking forward to getting him started.

“He’s knows the level, his enthusiasm and willingness that he possesses makes him a really good player and we’re glad to have him on board. He gives us that little bit more in terms of attacking options.”

The £12k-per-week attacker offered a glimpse of what he is capable of with two goals against Manchester United’s under-23 side in a friendly earlier this week. This shows that he is fit and raring to make his debut for the club, with minutes under his belt in the friendly and goals going in to boost his confidence, which is why Moore must unleash him on Saturday.

AND in other news, Joe Crann drops update on £8.4k-p/w “big player” which will leave SWFC fans buzzing…

Mohammad Asif, who was due to leave on Thursday morning with his lawyer Shahid Karim for the two-day hearing, said he had been told to remain in Pakistan

Cricinfo staff27-Nov-2008
Fresh dates for Mohammad Asif’s hearing will be finalised later next month © AFP
Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif will not be travelling to Mumbai after his IPL drugs hearing was put off due to the terror attacks in Mumbai. A tribunal, comprising former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, the former vice-chancellor of India’s Maharashtra University of Health Sciences Dr Ravi Bapat, and lawyer Shirish Gupte, had set November 29 as the date for hearing Asif’s appeal in Mumbai, after he had appeared before them on October 11.Asif, who was due to leave on Thursday morning with his lawyer Shahid Karim for the two-day hearing, said he had been told to remain in Pakistan. “After the Mumbai attacks, I called them [IPL officials] up to find out the status quo of the drugs tribunal hearing and they told me they will convey fresh dates later to me,” Asif told . “I don’t think the hearing is that important now. Whenever it is held I am confident of being cleared as we have prepared well for it.”Sunder Raman, the IPL chief executive confirmed to that the hearing had been postponed and fresh dates “will be finalised later next month”.The IPL had announced in July that Asif had tested positive for nandrolone during its first season. His B sample also showed traces of the drug but the levels varied between both samples. Karim had said the discrepancy could work to Asif’s advantage.Asif was suspended by the PCB from all forms of the game pending the result of the IPL inquiry. He previously tested positive for nandrolone just before the 2006 Champions Trophy in India. Though he was banned for one year by a PCB tribunal, the punishment was overturned a month later on appeal.

Manchester United midfielder Andreas Pereira is closing in on a move to Brazilian giants Flamengo, according to reports.

What’s the story?

According to Globo Esporte, the 25-year-old is closing in on a move back to his homeland after struggling to make an impact at Old Trafford in recent years.

The report claims that United are open to Pereira’s potential, leading to both parties treating the ongoing negotiations “with great optimism”.

It’s also claimed that Flamengo would like to confirm the creative talents arrival as soon as possible in order to register him in the Copa do Brasil – meaning the move needs to be completed by next Tuesday.

He’s been shocking

After struggling for game time under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in recent years, Pereira spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan at Serie A outfit Lazio.

He made 33 appearances in all competitions for the capital club, but only five of them saw him feature from the off as he failed once again to force his way into the starting lineup on a regular basis.

That was the South American’s third spell away from Old Trafford in the last five years, and it seems the time has come for Pereira to secure a permanent move away from Manchester.

In a recent interview with TNT Sports, he admitted he’s ready for more responsibility at this stage in his career and wants to become an important player.

“I’m ready to play, I’m not a boy anymore. I’m a man ready to take responsibility. I’m sure that with playing time and continuity as a starter in my position, I can show what I’ve done on base, I can score more goals and give assists,” Pereira said.

“A player of my position needs the confidence to play, and the freedom to be bold on the field.”

As for his United future, the midfielder added: “In Manchester or elsewhere, the time has come to play, to have at least an hour per game on the field, to have the confidence to play. I want to be happy, to feel important.”

Therefore, a move away from the Red Devils may be the best option for the £7.2m-rated flop this summer.

With a shocking return of just four goals and five assists in 75 appearances for United, Periera has clearly shown he’s not good for United and Solskjaer must axe him, adding a significant boost to his transfer kitty in the process.

And, in other news…Report drops exciting Man Utd update which will have fans buzzing 

Cricinfo previews the fifth game of the ICL World Series between Bangladesh XI and Pakistan XI

Cricinfo staff26-Nov-2008Match factsNovember 27, 2008
Start time 7.30pm (1400 GMT)The Big Picture
Will Naved-ul-Hasan star with the bat again? © ICL
The Pakistan XI stepped up to the task in their must-win game against the World XI. All teams now have two points each, making the final two league games of the tournament virtual semi-finals.Both Pakistan and Bangladesh have bounced back strongly after losses in their first games, and if they carry that momentum on Thursday, it will surely make for a thrilling contest. Shahriar Nafees’ unbeaten 70 carried Bangladesh to a win over India on Tuesday, while for Pakistan two outrageous half-centuries from Naved-ul-Hasan and Abdul Razzaq helped chase down a daunting 189 with 2.1 overs to spare. It was a comfortable win, considering the target and the fact that Inzamam-ul-Haq wasn’t required to bat.Chasing seems the way to go in this tournament. Sides batting second have won the last three games, and in the inaugural game, it was an all-round effort from Lance Klusener that thwarted Bangladesh’s chances after they chose to field.Players to watchHabibul Bashar will be a man under pressure. He captained the Dhaka Warriors in the ICL 20-20 Indian Championship, but failed to take them to the semi-finals. The same Dhaka side forms the Bangladesh XI, and Bashar would be eager to see him team through. Bashar’s personal form with the bat also remains a worry – against India he did not bat at all, and it was surprising that a specialist batsman dropped out of the top seven.Razzaq is one of the few members in the Pakistan squad who did not play for the Lahore Badshahs. The Hyderabad Heroes allrounder starred on Wednesday, with his unbeaten 73 helping Pakistan win a do-or-die clash.