All posts by h716a5.icu

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith has suffered a setback ahead of the new Premier League campaign, and it’s one that will have him worried.

What’s the story?

The likes of Jack Grealish, Tyrone Mings, Douglas Luiz and Emi Martinez have enjoyed superb runs on international duty with England, Brazil and Argentina respectively, with the four involved in the European Championship and Copa America finals.

The Express and Star’s Matt Maher had initially revealed: “The quartet will be given a sufficient break to recover once their involvement in the international summer has concluded.

“It means Grealish, Mings and Martinez are unlikely to report back until toward the end of the month, though midfielder Luiz is not expected back until August and will likely miss the start of the season, after being selected for Brazil’s Olympics squad. Boss Dean Smith was keen to give his players as much recovery time as possible after completing the most congested season in Premier League history.”Since that report on July 3rd, England, Argentina and Brazil have all reached the finals of their respective competitions, and thus now won’t finish their international duties until the end of this weekend.Dean Smith will be worriedIf you were going to name a top four or five of the most important Villa players, then the likes of Grealish, Martinez and Mings would surely feature on that list.Grealish, in particular, has already proven what a big miss he is for Smith’s side, with the Midlands club winning just three of the 12 Premier League games that he was out for during the closing couple of months of last season.And, after hearing the news, former Premier League goalkeeper Paddy Kenny said: “If you don’t give them time to recuperate, they could break down, you could see them miss a longer period rather than just having to miss a game or two.”The sports science department will have it all planned out. You do need that two or three weeks break though. I’d be surprised if they don’t get that off.”Being without your club captain, and your number one goalkeeper, who coincidentally Lionel Messi just called a “phenomenon”, is a massive blow. Then add to that losing Mings who is one half of Villa’s tried and trusted back-line alongside Ezri Konsa, and a virtual ever-present in Luiz, and you’ve got a recipe for a early season disaster.It’s exactly why Smith will be worried about them missing the majority, if not all of pre-season, and them possibly not being ready for the the start of the new campaign too.Meanwhile, Villa are now interested in this “unbelievable” star…

Surrey’s plans to redevelop The Oval in time for next summer’s Ashes have been dealt a blow with the news that a public inquiry is to be held over the safety of the gas holders next to the ground

Cricinfo staff19-May-2008
The gas holders, which have been in use since Victorian times, are the cause of a public inquiry over their safety © Getty Images
Surrey’s plans to redevelop The Oval in time for next summer’s Ashes have been dealt a blow with the news that a public inquiry is to be held over the safety of the gas holders next to the ground.The Oval had hoped to build a hotel, along with 2000 additional seats, and an agreement with Lambeth Council had been reached, but a Health and Safety executive has deemed the ancient gas holders – which are still in daily use – a potential hazard to nearby spectators.According to , Surrey are contemplating decommissioning the gas holders. “This would take years but might be the answer,” Paul Sheldon, the chief executive, told the newspaper. “We convinced Lambeth Council, who were very vigilant, that this would be a safe project. They were convinced there was no risk and were swayed by the area’s regeneration and the employment that the hotel would bring.”This will be a severe test case as there are gas holders in Stratford which will have implications for the Olympics in London. We are fortunate that Arora Hotels are not abandoning us, but building inflation is running at 10 per cent a year.”The inquiry has been called by Hazel Blears, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

An update has emerged on Wolfsburg centre-back Maxence Lacroix, regarding Tottenham’s interest in his services… 

What’s the talk?

 According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham are interested in a deal to sign Wolfsburg central defender Maxence Lacroix.

Speaking on his Here We Go podcast, Romano claimed that Lacroix is one of the players Fabio Paratici is looking at as he attempts to build Nuno Santo a squad capable of challenging for the top four in the Premier League.

Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jules Kounde were also mentioned by the journalist, although it remains to be seen where each player ranks on their shortlist. Wolfsburg reportedly want £26m (€30m) for Lacroix.

Fans would love it

Tottenham fans would love it if the club signed Lacroix from Wolfsburg this summer as he would be a quality addition to their squad.

Spurs are in dire need of centre-back arrivals following the news that a number of current first-team options are potentially set to leave the club before the end of the transfer window.

The Sun have reported that Toby Alderweireld wants to leave England to return to Belgium, whilst Paratici is open to offers for both Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier.

This means that Tottenham could be in the market for multiple centre-back additions if they all depart in the coming weeks/months. Therefore, Lacroix could be a much-needed signing in terms of the depth at centre-back.

However, does he have the quality to be a success in the Premier League? On the official Bundesliga website, the powerhouse is compared to Manchester United and England legend Rio Ferdinand, who won the title six times with the Red Devils and was named in the PFA Team of the Year on six occasions.

“A centre-back cut from the ‘tall and lean’ mould, rather than ‘big and hulky’ variety, Lacroix has a certain grace on the ball that is reminiscent of former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand in his prime.

“Similarly able to glide out of defence and pick a forward pass to a teammate, his elegance masks a steely will to win and a healthy aggression. In 2020/21, for example, he was among the top 30 players league-wide for passing accuracy (87 per cent) while also coming out on top in an impressive 59 per cent of his tackles.”

If he is anywhere near as good as Ferdinand was, then he could be an unbelievable signing for Spurs, both in the short term and the long term.

At the age of 21, Lacroix still has the majority of his career ahead of him to develop and improve as a player, but he has given himself a solid foundation to build on after a superb season for Wolfsburg. He averaged an impressive WhoScored rating of 7.03 in 29 Bundesliga starts for the club as they secured Champions League football.

Spurs fans would surely be delighted if their club can get a deal done for Lacroix.

AND in other news, Robbie Keane 2.0: Levy could seal dream deal with “first-class” dynamo, Spurs need him…

Will Luke presents the plays of the day from the fifth ODI at Lord’s

Will Luke at Lord's28-Jun-2008
In and out: butterfingered Tim Ambrose makes a meal of a Jamie How top-edge © Getty Images
Drop of the day
Jamie How tried to pull James Anderson on 4, the ball looping andskying to where a short fine leg would have positioned himself.England’s diminutive little wicketkeeper, Tim Ambrose, joggedbackwards quickly and made excellent ground, steadying himself all thewhile. The ball plopped into his gloves, panged off the middle fingerof his right hand, and plopped out again. England’s body languagehuffed disappointment and anger, as Ambrose plodded and moped,doubtless realising there were 46 more overs left in New Zealand’sinnings. Fortunately for him, How only lasted another four overs.Bat-snapping of the day
Several years ago Michael Atherton, the former England captain,wondered why someone couldn’t do the honourable, justifiable thing andbreak Glenn McGrath’s arm. It was a perfectly reasonable request,never more so when considering McGrath had dismissed him a record 19times. A similar tactic was employed today by Anderson, thoughchoosing to snap Brendon McCullum’s bat, not his arm. McCullum hadonly nudged the ball to midwicket yet the blade almost split in two,hanging on by the bat’s thin outer covering. Perhaps the replacementdidn’t feel right for McCullum, as he fell in Anderson’s next over,edging to first slip. “That’s the sign of a bat that has been kept fortoo long in a dry place,” Atherton noted. Perhaps he should havelocked McGrath in a greenhouse.Rookie mistake of the day
Welcome to captaincy, Kevin. Jacob Oram had calmly, almost anonymouslymoved onto 36 from 34 balls, and together with Scott Styris helped NewZealand recover from 124 for 4. Pietersen’s decision to stick withOwais Shah’s only occasional offbreaks, rather than the greaterability of Ravi Bopara’s nagging seamers, raised a few eyebrows, notto mention the spirits of the outnumbered New Zealand fans. Oramheaved him into the Mound Stand over midwicket before opening hisshoulders and depositing another six into the Edrich Stand to bring upa brutal fifty from 37 balls. Pietersen’s said yesterday that he would”be smoking a cigar at mid-off” if they achieved all their goals, butthere wasn’t hope of him even enjoying a spivvy little roll-up withOram (and later Stryis) threatening as they were.Completely in, emphatically out
It is nothing short of perplexing watching Ian Bell attempt to asserthimself. He began England’s chase in silky, oozy fashion, flickingKyle Mills for two beautifully timed fours through midwicket.Immediately, he showed his intent, class and authority at the crease,and he continued in the same vain against Mills later in his inningswhen he stood tall to drive him crisply off the back foot. The moresettled he looks, the more complacent he becomes, the greater theinfuriation for his fans. Rather predictably, on 27 he walked acrosshis stumps to Mark Gillespie and that was that; a soupcon of aninnings, once again leaving England impatiently hungry for more.

Tottenham Hotspur must beat their arch-rivals to the signature of Houssem Aouar this summer…

What’s the word?

French journalist Julien Laurens, who has appeared on ESPN and BT Sport, has claimed that Spurs have entered the race to sign the long-time Arsenal target.

He tweeted: “Being told that Tottenham have now also entered the race for Houssem Aouar. Arsenal are still keen on the Lyon playmaker but Spurs are in the conversation too now.”

Back in September 2020, the Gunners had a bid rejected by Lyon for their star midfielder, as per The Guardian, and evidently they have retained their interest in him this transfer window.

Get it done!

If the Lilywhites can beat their arch-rivals to the 23-year-old, then sporting director Fabio Paratici deserves a lot of praise as he’ll be signing someone capable of getting the club rocking again.

Spurs suffered one of their poorest seasons in recent times, slipping down to seventh in the table and missing out on a place in either the Champions or Europa League for the first time in over a decade.

Several midfield options also appear to be on the chopping block, including Moussa Sissoko and Harry Winks, so there could certainly be a spot for Aouar to fill ahead of next season.

Valued at €30m (£26m), the French dynamo has been a regular source of goals and creativity from a deeper role, having provided 24 goals and 25 assists since the start of the 2018/19 campaign.

The impressive numbers don’t stop there as, throughout his entire career, Aouar has averaged 2.1 dribbles, 1.8 shots, 1.4 tackles and 1.2 key passes per game, via WhoScored.

It’s no wonder the Lyon maestro has been compared to Andres Iniesta – a player capable of pulling the strings from the no.8 role – as well as being dubbed “an exceptional talent” and lauded for his “special” qualities.

“I’ve often likened him to Andres Iniesta, which is obviously a big shout because, for me, he is one of the greatest players of all-time,” claimed Get French Football News journalist Adam White to Football FanCast.

“I don’t necessarily mean in quality but in style. He has silky movement and drifts in midfield to pick passes. At his best, he is absolutely brilliant to watch and he can play anywhere in midfield. He’s great on the ball and technically outstanding. His vision is brilliant. He’s a huge talent.”

On the above evidence, Aouar could be a mouthwatering prospect in Spurs’ current engine room and as such, he could be the sort of signing to get fans excited after a dismal and negative 12 to 18 months.

Paratici must do all he can to secure the 5 foot 9 gem.

AND in other news, Paratici could secure Spurs’ best signing since Son with £34m-rated “absolute beast”…

Newcastle United are expecting to hear ‘something significant’ on their Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) case against the Premier League imminently.

That’s according to Shields Gazette journalist Liam Kennedy (via Twitter).

The lowdown

Mike Ashley has taken the Premier League to the CAT as well as initiating arbitration proceedings, and the disputes centre around the stalled takeover by a Saudi-led consortium.

A report from The Independent on Saturday suggested that the takeover was unlikely to go through before the start of the new Premier League season as Newcastle kick-off the campaign with a home fixture against West Ham United on 15 August.

A source told the newspaper that ‘the uncertainty is affecting how the club is operating’, with Ashley reluctant to spend on transfers ‘if he is not going to be the owner’.

The latest

‘Club sources’ have indicated that an important update on the CAT case will arrive as soon as ‘this week’.

However, Kennedy does sound a note of instinctive scepticism as he tweeted: “Club sources suggesting they are expecting to hear something significant on the CAT case this week.

“As ever with #NUFC though, we watch & wait.”

The verdict

At this stage, it would be understandable if Newcastle fans were distancing themselves from all the noise surrounding this prospective takeover.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters offered assurances at the start of this year that a resolution would be reached ‘in a timely manner’, but it has proven to be an exhausting process.

However, Kennedy’s update offers optimism that things are finally starting to ramp up, hopefully leading to decisive developments in the next month or so.

In other news, the demands of this Newcastle target have been revealed.

The MCC has asked the ICC to reverse its decision to alter the forfeited Test between England and Pakistan at The Oval in 2006 into a draw

Cricinfo staff12-Jul-2008
The MCC, the umbrella body that oversees the Laws of Cricket, is opposed to changing the result of a Test, according to a report in the Times © Getty Images
The MCC has heavily criticised the ICC’s decision to alter England’s win in the forfeited Test against Pakistan at The Oval in 2006 into a draw, and will lobby for another reversal.The MCC is the body responsible for the Laws of Cricket, and secretary Keith Bradshaw felt the decision contravened the spirit of the game and its Laws. It is also reported that the MCC’s cricket committee is opposed to any alteration to Law 21, which states that the result should not be changed.”Cricket is the worse for this decision and it was opposed unanimously by the ICC’s cricket committee, on which I sit,” Bradshaw told the Times. Michael Holding, the former West Indian fast bowler, resigned from the ICC cricket committee following the verdict.The ICC ruling was termed as “unprecedented and dangerous” by Robert Griffiths, QC, who represented umpire Darrell Hair at his tribunal hearing against the ICC. “It had no power to do so under the Laws of Cricket and the decision is a nullity,” Griffiths, along with fellow barrister Stephen Whale wrote in the Times. “But it is deeply troubling that the ICC should take this unprecedented and dangerous step. It is historical revisionism of the worst kind.”Law 21(10) is unequivocal: once the umpires have agreed with the scorers the correctness of the scores, the result cannot be changed. The reasoning is vacuous. It was, officially, ‘based on the view that in light of the unique set of circumstances, the original result was felt to be inappropriate’. This is even though ICC board member witnesses admitted under oath at Hair’s tribunal that the umpires’ decisions were in accordance with the Laws.”The Test was awarded to England after Pakistan did not come out to field after tea on the fourth day, following accusations of ball-tampering. The result had off-field ramifications as well. Hair went on to be suspended from the ICC elite panel, and though that decision was overturned last year when he took his employers to the High Court in London, the initial decision formed the basis of Pakistan’s appeal for a change to the result.

American journalist Larry Henry Jr has dropped the latest on talks from Newcastle United to sign USA international Cameron Carter-Vickers in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Impressive at Bournemouth

Carter-Vickers had a very impressive 2020/21 season while on loan at AFC Bournemouth from Tottenham Hotspur, as the Cherries just missed out on promotion back up to the Premier League with a play-off semi-final loss at the hands of Brentford, who eventually went up themselves.

The Spurs man played in a total of 21 games in the EFL Championship, winning no fewer than 4.5 of his duels per match, as well as averaging 3.4 clearances, 1.1 interceptions and one tackle per game, helping his team keep five clean sheets in the process (Sofascore).

The Latest: Carter-Vickers update

As per journalist Henry Jr, both the St. James’ Park faithful and Celtic ‘remain in talks’ with the Lilywhites over a potential deal to sign Carter-Vickers, ‘per a source close to the player’.

THFC would also receive a sell-on clause in addition to a transfer fee, should the central defender leave North London.

The Verdict: Sign

Steve Bruce could do with bulking up his squad now as the new campaign looms, and Carter-Vickers could prove to be a cheap option to do just that.

Rated at a mere £1.8m by Transfermarkt, the USA international is unlikely to be very pricey at all, and will have gained a lot of confidence from some of his displays while at Bournemouth.

Nonetheless, at just 23 years of age, he still has a lot of potential, and may get the regular games on Tyneside needed to realise that.

In other news, find out what consortium insight Lee Ryder has dropped on the potential takeover here!

Medium-pacer Nazmul Hossain, who missed the last few games of Bangladesh A tour of England due to illness, has been recalled to the national side after a two-and-a-half year absence

Cricinfo staff10-Aug-2008
Dhiman Ghosh will want to grab the opportunity provided after Mushfiqur Rahim was ruled out due to a shoulder injury © AFP
Medium-pacer Nazmul Hossain, who missed the last few games of Bangladesh A tour of England due to illness, has been recalled to the national side after a two-and-a-half year absence. Allrounder Shakib Al Hasan has also been included in the 15-man squad to tour Australia later this month after skipping the Kitply Cup and Asia Cup to appear for academic examinations.Dhiman Ghosh takes the wicketkeeper’s slot as Mushfiqur Rahim was ruled out due to a shoulder injury. Fast bowler Mashrafe Mortaza and batsman Alok Kapali, who were both struggling with injuries, were picked while there’s no place for batsman Nazimuddin and left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain.Bangladesh leave Dhaka on Thursday and will play five warm-up matches ahead of the three-ODI series which starts in Darwin on August 30.Squad: Mohammad Ashraful (capt), Mashrafe Mortaza, Shahriar Nafees, Tamim Iqbal, Raqibul Hassan, Shakib Al Hasan, Alok Kapali, Dhiman Ghosh (wk), Mahmudullah, Abdur Razzak, Shahadat Hossain, Farhad Reza, Mehrab Hossain jnr, Nazmul Hossain, Dolar Mahmud

Private letters written by Don Bradman, mostly to former Australian board chairman Bob Parish, on a variety of subjects have been discovered by Cricket Australia just days before his birth centenary

Cricinfo staff17-Aug-2008
Don Bradman felt the lbw law should be tweaked so that batsmen are given out for deliveries that pitch outside off and leg stump, provided they don’t offer a shot © AFP
Private letters written by Don Bradman, largely to former Australian board chairman Bob Parish, have been discovered by Cricket Australia just days before his birth centenary on August 27. The subjects of the letters range from the ban on tours to South Africa during the apartheid era, remuneration for players, and World Series Cricket.Bradman was an administrator of the game for 35 years. In 1960 he was appointed the Australian board chairman – he served another term later that decade – and dealt with problems like chucking and apartheid during his tenure.The letters, published in several Australian papers on Sunday, reveal Bradman favoured giving bowlers a fairer deal as he suggests the lbw law be tweaked so that batsmen are given out for deliveries that pitch outside off and leg stump, provided they don’t offer a shot.Bradman wrote against a move to get the Australian government to intervene in the television rights issue that cropped up during Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket (he described Packer’s media promotions”propaganda”). He wrote to Parish: “I would not willingly support any move to have government interference in TV rights, which may control Packer because, as I have said many times before, it would inevitably bring control of the fees that may be paid.”The ban on touring South Africa, Bradman wrote, had moved cricket from the sporting basket and in to the political basket. “… not of our wish or doing, but by fate”. In April 1978 he wrote to South African cricket chief Joe Pamensky: ‘Unfortunately I am despondent in believing that although your cricketers have done everything you can in S.A., … countries will now come out with the verdict, the political verdict, that they can’t play in S.A. so long as Apartheid is government policy. Regrettable too, our Prime Minister, gives the impression he thinks the same way …”I think you will get a good and sympathetic hearing from the cricket fraternity in London but what use is that if the powers that be won’t let tours take place …”Evidence of his foresight lies in a letter on the problem of throwing in cricket. Bradman writes that it would be crazy to return to an earlier situation where there was no definition for throwing. “Those who claim recent events may have rectified the trouble may well be right – IN THE SHORT TERM [sic]. But in 10-20 years it would certainly return and be a bogey once more, and I think our responsibility is to provide now against such a contingency.” According to Bradman, the best way to test a bowler’s action is during a match where he is bowling flat out and does not know he is being filmed.