All posts by h716a5.icu

Many Crystal Palace fans are delighted, following news that new signing Michael Olise is scheduled to return to training in two weeks, reported by Matt Woosnam.

Enjoying a fantastic 2020/21 campaign, the London-born attacker registered 19 goal contributions in 46 appearances for his old club Reading; seven goals and 12 assists [Transfermarkt].

Now at Selhurst Park following his move from the Royals, Olise suffered an injury earlier this month which has hampered his chances of making an immediate impact at his new club [101 Great Goals].

Positivity has emerged however, with Woosnam, via Twitter, sharing that Patrick Vieira has said the exciting youngster should be back in training in the next two weeks.

In light of this news, no wonder loads of Crystal Palace diehards took to Twitter to rejoice at the latest developments.

Crystal Palace FC fans react:

Replying to the respected reporter on Twitter, here is what some Palace fans had to say about Olise’s prospective return:

“That really is fantastic news!”

Credit: @LukeRemnant”Great news”Credit: @PalaceBySea”Brilliant news”Credit: @LiamBro86″The prem ain’t ready!”Credit: @Nyerider”yay”Credit: @JoshuaCPFC”Wonderful news”Credit: @DavidMatthews6In other news, Crystal Palace fans react to a player departure.

Any thoughts that India had of quickly piling onto to a 151-run lead, taken through Harbhajan Singh’s quick strikes on another foggy morning, evaporated in the afternoon sunshine as England turned in a vigorous spell

The Bulletin by Jamie Alter22-Dec-2008
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

James Anderson dismissed Sachin Tendulkar for the fifth time in Tests as England fought back after a limp batting display in the morning © Getty Images
This was a time to boss England, but instead India were forced to scrap. Any thoughts that India had of quickly piling onto to a 151-run lead, taken through Harbhajan Singh’s quick strikes on another foggy morning, evaporated in the afternoon sunshine as England turned in a vigorous spell. In an enthralling session between lunch and tea, a disciplined England seam attack removed Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar to rattle India, and suddenly the hosts were on the back foot. Sitting on a 1-0 lead going into the final day of the series, they needed a counterpunching innings from Yuvraj Singh to get back into safe territory, ending the day 285 in front with six wickets in hand.Facing a massive deficit, England needed to do something out of the ordinary to curb India’s pre-lunch intent. Step forward Ian Bell. Sehwag drove the ball back to Stuart Broad, who took some pace off the shot even as Sehwag hurried out of the blocks. The ball rolled towards Bell at short cover, who gathered it and raced Sehwag to the other end. Then, with the ball in hand, Bell dived forward to bulldoze the stumps and Sehwag didn’t even stop to check what the umpires had to say. Sehwag has been run out only twice in Tests, and both times Gautam Gambhir has been a partner.The ball did a bit in the afternoon as James Anderson and Broad bowled a fuller length in this innings and zeroed in on a precise line. After a courageous hundred in the first innings, Dravid was put under pressure by 18 scoreless deliveries from Anderson before the 19th, from Broad, stayed low and knocked back the middle stump.Twenty-two scoreless deliveries followed, with Andrew Flintoff coming into the attack and also adhering to a strict line. There was some swing for Anderson and Broad, and also movement off the pitch, and they hustled the batsmen into some loose shots. Broad plugged away at one end and was unfortunate to see Tendulkar escape with two faint inside-edges onto pad.After an impressive nine-over spell, Broad was replaced by Anderson and the change of ends worked like a charm. Within three deliveries of a superb over, England were in the ascendancy as Tendulkar, beaten the ball before, steered one straight to gully. At 44 for 3 India were sweating, even though with the lead they were effectively 195 for 3.Anderson, especially, got the ball to move in both directions, which made it difficult for the batsmen to pick up the swing. His second spell, which read 7-5-7-1, was built on a simple formula: pitch it full – there were only two short balls – and move the ball just enough to unsettle the batsmen. In the 19.1 overs since Sehwag had departed, India scored just 26 runs in what was England’s most promising passage of the Test.Kevin Pietersen began the final session with a defensive field, with four men manning the boundary despite India’s slow approach. VVS Laxman got off a pair but kept poking outside off stump to Anderson, once edging wide of second slip and then being rapped on the pads. Anderson mixed it up to Laxman, managing good reverse-swing off a tidy line, but it was a run-out that ended Laxman’s struggle after a 49-ball 15.With an overall lead of 241 India were still ahead, but the manner in which they batted didn’t suggest it. England were the dominant side and India had been forced to consolidate.But like the man he replaced in this team had in a similar collapse at The Oval in 2007, Yuvraj produced a Sourav Ganguly-esque innings to get India out of a jam. While Gambhir retracted further into a shell, Yuvraj cracked Panesar for two fours in his first three deliveries. Drives flowed past cover and mid-on, and as the shadows lengthened in Mohali, Yuvraj emphatically swung Panesar with the turn for six to the cheers of the home crowd. Yuvraj’s brisk knock, in stark contrast to Gambhir’s 155-ball effort, helped India progress to 134 for 4.India had started the fourth morning encouragingly, after heavy fog delayed play by two hours, by nipping out the last four wickets in 10.3 overs. England resumed their first innings on 282 for 6, trailing by 171 runs, and proceeded to collapse after India decided to not take the new ball.Harbhajan struck with the first ball of the third over as Matt Prior tickled an offspinner down the leg side, a doosra turned out to be too much for Broad to fathom, Zaheer Khan only had to pitch one delivery on the stumps to bowl Graeme Swann, and Panesar prodded to Gambhir. England had lost six wickets for 20 runs either side of the close of play, giving India a handy lead.But instead of looking to declare before stumps, India found themselves struggling to hold on.

According to 90min, West Ham United manager David Moyes’ search for a new striker ‘could lead to a move’ for Sevilla ace Luuk de Jong.

The Lowdown: West Ham in striker hunt…

Claret & Hugh first revealed that signing a new forward as a back up and an alternative option to Michail Antonio was one of the Scotsman’s top priorities for this window alongside landing a centre-back and Jesse Lingard.

However, over two months after that report, it appears the Irons are no closer to finally sealing a new centre-forward option for Moyes.

They have been offered the likes of Alassane Plea and are currently linked with a late move for Liverpool striker Divock Origi, with 90min now bringing a fresh link.

The Latest: West Ham could now swoop for de Jong…

As per the news source, Moyes and West Ham could move for La Liga hitman de Jong as their options wear thin.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-news-3/” title=”West Ham latest news…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The towering 6 foot 2 forward, an established international with the Netherlands, may now become an option for the Irons as the club look to address the attacking areas before August 31.

It is also claimed de Jong ‘will be allowed to leave’ the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium this summer as Sevilla close in on a deal for Wolves forward Rafa Mir.

The Verdict: Right man?

Valued at around £9 million by Transfermarkt, the experienced forward could prove to be a capable back up option for Antonio given his very good track record with injuries especially.

Scoring 201 career goals in total since his professional debut in 2008/2009, the 38-cap forward isn’t exactly a star name who would overwhelmingly excite supporters but could prove a capable option.

He has played 39 games or more in six of his last seven seasons and may be a reliable choice given West Ham’s more highly congested fixture schedule this year.

In other news: Bid tabled: West Ham have now made offer to sign ‘unbelievable’ player for Moyes, find out more here.

Unable to get in touch with Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the East Zone selectors decided to leave him from the Duleep Trophy squad for the game against West, starting from January 29 to February 2 in Mumbai

Cricinfo staff11-Jan-2009
Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be included in the squad if he confirms his availability, Raja Venkat said. © AFP
Unable to get in touch with Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the East Zone selectors decided to leave him from the Duleep Trophy squad for the game against West Zone, starting from January 29 in Mumbai. However, Raja Venkat, the East Zone selection panel chief, has said Dhoni will be added to the squad straightaway if he makes him available. Dhoni, who is reportedly holidaying in Coorg, did not respond attempts by the selectors to contact him. Shiv Sunder Das, the Orissa opener, will lead the team.”I sent him a message on January 7 or 8 informing him about the selection meeting for the Duleep Trophy and asked him to call back to confirm his availability,” Venkat, who is also a member of the national selection panel, told Cricinfo. According to him, his colleague Jodh Singh, the Jharkhand selector, sent a similar message, but he too did not get a reply. Venkat, though, denied that there was a question-mark over Dhoni’s inclusion. “A player of his calibre can walk into any team. It will be a motivation for the youngsters also if he plays.”The Duleep Trophy competition is scheduled to begin on January 22 and end on February 9. It is the last domestic tournament ahead of India’s tour of New Zealand.East Zone squad against West Zone: Shiv Sunder Das (capt), RR Parida, Manoj Tiwary, Wriddhiman Saha, Ashok Dinda, Ranadeb Bose, Dibyendu Chakrabarty, Niranjan Behera, Basanth Mohanty, Haladhar Das (wk), Anand Katti, Krishna Das, Saurabh Tiwary, Tushar Saha, Jayanta Debnath.

Southampton earned themselves an impressive point on Sunday afternoon as they drew 1-1 with Manchester United at St Mary’s, and fans will have been delighted with the way that Ralph Hasenhuttl adjusted his side to ensure that they weren’t overwhelmed by the Red Devils.

The Saints were perhaps fortunate to go in ahead at half-time, as Che Adams’ strike was deflected past David de Gea by Fred, whilst Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side had a couple of attempts cleared off the line by Mohammed Salisu.

Despite being ahead, Hasenhuttl recognised the need for change and introduced Jan Bednarek at half-time, with the Poland international playing the second 45 as a right-back, with teenage sensation Tino Livramento pushed further up the pitch.

Although the 18-year-old was hugely impressive in the first half, Hasenhuttl was perhaps right to protect him after the interval when you consider the attacking talent that United possess, particularly with the way Paul Pogba has started the season on that left-hand side.

Bednarek, with the added protection of Livramento, was able to help contain the Frenchman more in the second half, and whilst he did pick up the assist for Mason Greenwood’s equaliser, the away side created very few clear-cut chances because of Southampton’s improved defensive shape.

Whilst you might feel that a manager making an early change to improve things is not something which deserves great credit, Hasenhuttl has come under a lot of criticism for his refusal to make alterations in the past, particularly last weekend when he waited until the game was lost at Goodison Park to make any meaningful changes.

The Austrian also deviated from his usual 4-2-2-2 setup late on as he introduced Ibrahima Diallo to switch to a three-man midfield, which offered the Saints more control in the middle of the park, which helped them weather the United storm and create good chances of their own, so they could’ve even earned all three points.

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431”]

Southampton fans must therefore be delighted that Hasenhuttl’s tactical changes helped earn them a point and will be hoping to see him continue to improve and adapt things throughout the season when there is a need to do so.

In other news… Southampton set to miss out on long-term target, fans will be gutted

Julian Hunte, the West Indies Cricket Board president, and Donald Peters the chief executive, have played down the financial concerns of the game

Cricinfo staff23-Jan-2009
Carib Beer’s pull out from West Indies domestic cricket was the latest loss of a sponsor for the board © The Nation
Julian Hunte, the West Indies Cricket Board president, and Donald Peters the chief executive, have played down the financial concerns of the game in the Caribbean despite the recent loss of sponsors for domestic tournaments.Neither the four-day or one-day regional events had title sponsors after Carib Beer pulled out of the first-class event shortly before it began. It left the board needing to fund the tournament, which has been expanded this year, out of their own reserves but Peters said options are on the table.”We are getting sponsors,” Peters told the agency. “But the directors have set some parameters for levels of sponsorship. We have proposals from a number of small sponsors who want to work with the WICB, and we are doing this, and the week before I came to Guyana, we were signing a contract with a major player in the Caribbean.”We will announce this later in the month, so I want to assure you that it is not an absence of sponsors,” he added. “I have read that we are broke, and that sponsors are leaving us, but it really is that we are leaving them. The important thing is if our side starts winning, people will join us.”Nobody rejects us flatly. They just tell us what they can afford and we decide if it’s the right fit. What we have also offered sponsors is to come together to sponsor one competition, so we are optimistic.”Earlier this week Peters was criticised for remarks that put the blame for the money problems at the foot of the West Indies players for not performing consistently on the field and making the team a marketable product. Hunte, though, said the economic climate was a major factor in making life difficult, but that the board was prepared to support themselves.”We are always in the market for sponsors, but if you will look back toShell and to now, you will see the number of firms that have sponsored WestIndies cricket and have left,” he said. “The impression that we get is, given the economic realities of the Caribbean right now, that it is difficult to find sponsors for our tournaments, so that we can play them on a home and away basis.”The cost for the four-day competition is US $2.2 million. We have people shying away from it, but our policy is to ensure that we find the resources every year, as we budget, to be able to run our premier tournaments ourselves.”Where we can get a sponsor or a number of sponsors in a small market like ours, we will embrace them. But the policy is not to depend on the sponsors because we will run the risk of not doing what we are supposed to do.”WICB’s chief financial officer Barry Thomas said the board had plans to pursue alternate means of revenue generation. “The full implementation of a professional league by 2010 and increased revenue from non-traditional sources such as merchandising and new tournaments are some of the things we plan to pursue,” Thomas said. “Also executing an efficient World Twenty20 Championship next year to ensure a positive financial return is also another means to give our revenue a boost.”Thomas said apart from the global recession, developing franchises for a new cricket league and a fresh international touring schedule following the end of the current Future Tours Programme could have a negative impact on the WICB’s finances.

According to Roker Report, Sunderland are in talks to sign Leon Dajaku from Bayern Munich.

The Lowdown: Busy summer for Sunderland

The Black Cats have been busy so far this summer, bringing in seven new players either on a temporary basis or permanently (Transfermarkt).

However, it seems that their transfer business might not be done just yet.

The Latest: Dajaku talks

As per Roker Report, Sunderland are interested in signing Dajaku from six-time European champions Bayern.

Dajaku is currently with Union Berlin on a temporary basis, but has made just two Bundesliga appearances for the capital club.

The Verdict: A talent

While £1.62m-valued Dajaku has not yet made the transition to the elite, his record at youth level suggests that he has plenty of talent and ability. In 60 games for VfB Stuttgart’s development sides, he scored 41 goals, showing that he can be prolific. Also, Bayern clearly saw enough in him to give him three appearances for their first team.

At the age of 20, it is now time for him to make his mark and start to develop. It remains to be seen whether Sunderland can get a deal done before tonight’s transfer deadline.

In other news, Sunderland fans were livid with this former player’s comments.

The strongest leaders respond at a time of crisis and if ever England needed a captain’s innings this was it, and Andrew Strauss responded with 169

Andrew McGlashan in Antigua15-Feb-2009
“There are two ways to come back from what happened last week. One is to go into your shell and try and get runs and the other is to take the bull by the horns and say ‘I’m going to get runs’ and that’s certainly the kind of mindset I was in” © Getty Images
The strongest leaders respond at a time of crisis and if ever England needed a captain’s innings this was it. In the last week alone, they have been humbled for 51, their third lowest Test total, and been involved in the shortest match in history after the outfield farce of two days ago. Through it all the players have had to remain focused on their challenge, trying to claw back a series deficit, and in compiling a magnificent 169 – one of his finest centuries – Andrew Strauss has shown that he has the strength and character to turn the team’s fortunes around.He looked under pressure in Kingston and few could have blamed him given his rapid elevation to the top job. However, two painful innings suggested the weight of the role was heavy on Strauss’s shoulders. The way he cut, drove and pulled here was the innings of a man lifting the burden off in the most convincing of styles.It was one of those days where nearly everything went right for him, including losing the toss after he admitted he, too, would have bowled first, and he also received a life on 47. “I was very keen to field first when I came to the ground, but by the toss it was a bit more 50-50,” he said. “I probably would have done, so it was a good toss to lose.”Perversely, the mad scenes of the last couple of days – with a Test being moved to a new venue in less than 48 hours – could have helped England. Being the visitors, and also the batting team when the match was abandoned on Friday, meant none of the controversy rested with them. They were just the unfortunate other half. Also, how many people have mentioned 51 all out in recent days? No longer has it been the talk of the town thanks to the extra-large sandpit a few miles down the road.Although Strauss made back-to-back hundreds in Chennai in December they were far more grafting innings, perfectly suited to the occasion but devoid of flair. This 278-ball innings was the free-flowing Strauss of 2004 and 2005, the one that marked his debut with a hundred against New Zealand at Lord’s. And in terms of tone-setting pace this was comparable to his hundreds at Johannesburg on the tour of South Africa and at The Oval during the 2005 Ashes.”There are two ways to come back from what happened last week,” he said. “One is to go into your shell and try and get runs and the other is to take the bull by the horns and say ‘I’m going to get runs’ and that’s certainly the kind of mindset I was in. Generally as a team we were positive, but in a controlled way which is the right way to be.”Any captain likes to get any early century under his belt. It stamps his authority and means he doesn’t have to answer questions about justifying his own form while trying to lead the side. An early ton, however, is no guarantee of a successful reign. Kevin Pietersen marked his first Test in charge with a century at The Oval followed by another two games later in Mohali and now he is back in the ranks. Strauss, though, is set for the long haul and his innings today provides a foundation on which his authority on the side can be built.”We’ve had a hard couple of weeks. After being bowled out 51 in the last Test you want to come out and play positively and prove to everyone that as a batting unit we have a lot of good players,” he said. “In that respect it’s very satisfy. As a captain it’s always important to get runs and lead from the front, but I’ve felt in pretty good form all tour so I knew that if I backed my game plan that runs would come.”Despite his double failure in Kingston, any doubts about his batting pedigree as captain would have been very premature. When he previously took charge in 2006 he scored two hundreds against Pakistan including, like Pietersen, one in his first Test, at Lord’s. When he was denied the Ashes captaincy that winter his form went into a protracted slump that cost him his place. On his return he was a different player, more conservative and less cavalier (not that he was ever the most gung-ho) but this was a reincarnation of a younger Strauss.When at his best, Strauss sees the ball early and relies largely on three basic strokes; his drive, cut and clip. However, his game was so strong on this occasion that the pull was also impressive, especially the one through mid-on to move to 99, until the tired effort that brought his downfall. The footwork was crisp and sharp, especially impressive when he came down the pitch to the spinners. One such shot, a lofted straight drive to fittingly bring up England’s 100, went clean out of the ground and bounced into Factory Road. If he managed that at the Sir Vivian Richard Stadium it would have landed in scrub land. It said a lot about why so many people are pleased cricket is back at the ARG.And on a day bathed in memories, England came up with a few comparisons of their own. In 1994 they responded to being bowled out for 46 in Trinidad by reaching 299 for 5 at the close on the opening day in Barbados. They had also been put in, by Richie Richardson, before Michael Atherton and Alec Stewart opened with a stand of 171. They went onto win the match handsomely so the omens are good for England. All that, though, is for the future. Today was about England getting their tour back on track. They needed someone to lead from the front, and in Strauss they found the perfect man.

Alan Hutton has given his reaction to a Newcastle United exit rumour involving Sean Longstaff.

The Lowdown: Price revealed

As per The Daily Mail, the St. James’ Park faithful have set a £10m asking price if they were to sell Longstaff before the summer transfer ends, following reported interest from both Everton and Southampton.

The central midfield player only has a year left remaining on his current deal in the North East, and so they risk losing him for free next summer.

The Latest: Hutton on Longstaff

Speaking to Football Insider, former Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa right-back Hutton has claimed that the Toon Army would be annoyed if they ended up selling Longstaff, especially if they do not bring in any more players before the deadline hits:

“These are the things that really annoy the supporters.

“When they’re seeing their homegrown players come through and then get sold on or whatever.

“He did kind of burst onto the scene and then it’s just kind of cooled off a little bit. It’s been difficult.

“The type of football that Steve Bruce plays and the formation that he plays might not suit him down to the ground.

“I just don’t think it’s something that the fans will be happy seeing. They’re not bringing anyone in and then there’s a possibility of these guys going.

“It’s not ideal. I don’t know why they wouldn’t want to sign him to a long-term deal. I don’t think it will go down well.”

The Verdict: Sell

Even though Longstaff is a homegrown player, and so the fans would want to see him do well, he only has year left remaining on his contract, and it does not look as if he will be offered a new deal.

Thus, to get £10m for a player that can leave for free a year from now would be good business by the Tyneside club, and could then be used to bring in one or two more players to help fill out Steve Bruce’s squad.

Yes, selling to a direct rival in the Premier League would certainly not be ideal, but it is a sacrifice that the Magpies should be willing to take from a financial point of view.

In other news, find out which ‘spectacular’ maestro NUFC are eyeing here!

Andrew McGlashan presents the plays of the first day in Barbados

Andrew McGlashan in Barbados26-Feb-2009
Alastair Cook hit a six. No, really © AFP
In and out…again
A few minutes before the toss, confirmation came through of a potentially significant team selection by England. Steve Harmison had been dropped in favour of Ryan Sidebottom on the surface expected to help Harmison the most. Really, though, he should have seen it coming. His winter has been a series of recalls and omissions; picked in Chennai, dropped in Mohali, picked in Kingston, dropped in Antigua (the first one), picked in Antigua (the second one) and now dropped in Barbados. He should keep his bowling boots handy for Trinidad, although this time his omission might be more permanent.Powell’s problems
Daren Powell has been the focal point for many of West Indies’ discussions leading into this Test. For all his fine efforts in helping save the game at the ARG he is really struggling with his bowling. He has been offered a show of faith from John Dyson, but his performance during the first session was woeful. He couldn’t land two balls in the same place and was continually cut away by Andrew Strauss. He was withdrawn after conceding more than half the team’s runs in his five-over spell, though he later produced an absolute corker to clean up Strauss.The real deal
Alastair Cook doesn’t do sixes, so there was a collective intake of breath as he went down on one knee and swept Sulieman Benn over deep midwicket. It was just his second maximum in international cricket and the first that could be termed authentic. His previous six was a fortuitous top-edged hook that flew over the wicketkeeper’s head on last year’s tour of New Zealand. This latest effort came right out of the middle and landed close to the beach (the makeshift one on the ground, that is. The proper beach would have been a hit too far even for Viv Richards).All off the bat
The ball regularly found the middle of the England openers’ bats during the first-wicket stand. In fact, it barely hit anything else. The 108 runs scored in the morning session were shared between Strauss and Cook without that normally useful contribution from Extras. He didn’t get his first run until Denesh Ramdin let through a bye against Benn in the 41st over.Cook’s boiling point
Normally the countdown for a batsman’s milestone begins in the 40s or 90s, but for Cook everyone was watching as he pushed himself through the 60s. Since his last Test century, against Sri Lanka at Galle in December 2007, he had reached fifty 10 times but not passed 76. With a nudge through square leg he broke the barrier and surely, now, he would crack three figures again. The tension grew; he spooned a pull just out of Benn’s reach and then he edged between keeper and slip. On 94, he failed to get hold of a pull and found square leg. Cook could barely believe it.Powell’s pearler
The earlier entry focused on Powell’s lack of form. Well, give the guy credit, he didn’t give up. Thrown the ball after tea by Chris Gayle he produced a stunning yorker, virtually out of nowhere, to uproot Strauss who was batting serenely on 142. His spell ended with figures of 7-3-14-1, one of his best stints of the series and his captain will have been mighty grateful for it.Quick, quick, slow…and quick again
The first session brought 108 runs, the second 113 but there were just 39 in the first 23 overs of the third. England came to a juddering halt after the opening strand was finally cracked. Owais Shah laboured 47 balls for his 7 while it took Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood 29 deliveries to open their partnership. However, a late surge against some seriously quick stuff from Fidel Edwards livened up the closing overs.