All posts by h716a5.icu

Loads of Glasgow Rangers fans have been left fuming as a post emerged from Ewan Murray.

The Scottish football journalist has now claimed that the Light Blues were not ‘excellent’ in their performance against Hearts in the Scottish Premiership a couple of weeks ago, despite what he had heard and read.

He added that the display ‘smacked of grasping for hope’, which really wound up the Ibrox faithful.

Steven Gerrard’s men ended up drawing the game 1-1 at home, but had no fewer than 27 shots on goal, with ten of those on target, and overall dominated a lot of the key stats in the fixture (SofaScore).

Given that the Teddy Bears dropped more points at home in their 2-2 draw with Aberdeen on Wednesday night, it seems as if Murray is trying to get the fans to bite, and that’s exactly what’s happened.

Rangers fans on Murray post

These Gers supporters were left fuming as Murray posted his thoughts on the match on his official Twitter page:

“I agree with the 5 live reporter who said Hearts stole a point and that there was only one team in the game, and Rangers should’ve been out a sight, but what would he know?”

Credit: @Gordygfl

“Absolute nonsense, it should have been a 3 or 4 to nil game vs Hearts”

Credit: @FacelessRanger

“The only thing missing from that game was Morelos’s shooting boots. Don’t kid yourself on that Hearts troubled us at all.”

Credit: @8MmAaRrKk

“You’re talking nonsense, Ewan. Dominated the first half. Sat off second half. Still had 3 excellent chances in the second half.”

Credit: @mendrinkmilk

“Rangers shoulda been out of sight from hearts in the first half. You seem to be tweeting more about Rangers than golf recently. And btw, we’re top of the league for a reason”

Credit: @brianpaton9

“He’s deluded hahah thank God you have some sanity.”

Credit: @Rfc1872I

In other news, find out whose display against Aberdeen was blasted here!

An ICC spokesman has criticised players from Afghanistan and Uganda who absconded at the end of the recent ICC Under-19 World Cup Qualifiers

Martin Williamson25-Sep-2009An ICC spokesman has criticised players from Afghanistan and Uganda who absconded at the end of the recent ICC Under-19 World Cup Qualifiers in Toronto, and who are believed to be looking to claim asylum in Canada.Reacting to concerns that the players’ action will have a detrimental effect on future tournaments, a spokesman told Cricinfo: “The ICC does not condone the act of players absconding during or after playing in an overseas tournament. Such an action does not benefit anyone: it affects the member from whom the players come as it means it is weaker for subsequent events.”It affects the country where they come from as it damages its reputation and, potentially at least, makes it harder for nationals and players without intentions to remain in a country illegally to obtain travel documents in the future; and it damages the reputation of cricket. Even those that abscond are potentially worse off as they become illegal within that country.”There has been growing concern that the recent defections will make it harder for players from some countries to obtain visas for future events. “The ICC does not play a role in obtaining visas for member boards,” the spokesman said. “That is the responsibility of each of those members. It is also the responsibility of those members to have knowledge of each of their players and their likely behaviour.”Asked if the ICC might take a more hands-on role in such matters, the spokesman said it was not for the ICC to interfere in the way that teams are selected. “The ICC does not seek to vet, to approve or disapprove of any selections of players for any teams and that has to be correct; each member is free to select whoever it sees fit.”

The tables turned in Chittagong on the fourth and final day, as Bangladesh Under-19 beat England Under-19 by two wickets in a thrilling contest

Cricinfo staff19-Oct-2009
The tables dramatically turned in Chittagong on the fourth and final day, as Bangladesh Under-19 beat England Under-19 by two wickets in a thrilling contest. England began the day with a lead of 87 and eight wickets intact, with the possibility of forcing victory by setting a testing target.But a collective bowling display from Bangladesh wrecked their chances. Alauddin Babu, Shaker Ahmed, Mahmudul Hasan and Sabbir Rahman each grabbed two wickets to run through the England line-up. From 38 for 2 at the start of the day, England collapsed to 107 all out. Wicketkeeper Michael Bates top scored with 27, and received some support from the tail, to extend the target to 157, which, in the end, proved just about inadequate.Bangladesh, in their chase, began on a positive note with openers Amit Majumdar (20) and Saikat Ali (29) putting together a half-century partnership. However, they then stumbled to lose their next three wickets for just seven runs. Danny Briggs, like in the first innings, was again their nemesis, finishing with 5 for 50, but the efforts of wicketkeeper Anamul Haque took Bangladesh past the finishing line. At 128 for 7, it was anybody’s game, but Haque, who made a calm, unbeaten 58, forged important stands with the lower order, including an unfinished 15 with Abul Hasan to see his team home by two wickets.

Valerien Ismael’s West Bromwich Albion side received a rather emphatic wakeup call in their bid to secure a top-two finish in the Championship last weekend, with the Baggies’ 3-0 trouncing by second-placed Fulham highlighting just how difficult it will be for Albion to finish above the Cottagers in the league this season.

As a result of this loss, the 46-year-old West Brom boss will undoubtedly be hoping for a much-improved performance and result when Championship strugglers Hull City visit The Hawthorns on Wednesday evening.

However, with the Tigers having taken points off of league leaders AFC Bournemouth already this season, the Frenchman will be well aware that he has no room for error when selecting his starting XI for the fixture.

One area of the pitch which could be causing Ismael something of a headache is in central midfield, with Alex Mowatt looking to miss out once again due to injury, and Robert Snodgrass failing to replicate his impressive display in the middle of the park against Bristol City at Craven Cottage last time out, registering a lower SofaScore match rating.

As such, it would appear highly advisable for the Baggies boss to unleash Brighton & Hove Albion loanee Jayson Molumby on Wednesday evening, as the 22-year-old has consistently performed when called upon by the Frenchman so far this season.

Indeed, the £900k-rated man was something of a surprise exclusion from West Brom’s starting XI at Fulham, as the midfielder had highly impressed while filling in for Mowatt in the Baggies’ previous two fixtures.

The first of these came in the 2-0 defeat to Swansea City, a fixture in which Molumby was one of Albion’s stand out performers, making one key pass, four tackles, one interception and winning five duels – with these returns seeing the 22-year-old earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.00.

The second came in the subsequent 3-0 win over Bristol City, a game in which the £17k-per-week man completed 40 passes, two dribbles, took two shots at the Robins’ goal, made two tackles and won eight duels – with these metrics seeing the midfielder earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.3.

As such, it would appear as if the reintroduction of the Republic of Ireland international who Ismael himself dubbed an “important” player would be a very wise move for the Frenchman to make on Wednesday, as Molumby has already proven himself as something of a game-changer for the Baggies.

In other news: Journo drops fresh West Brom January transfer claim that will devastate Albion fans

Aston Villa have confirmed the arrivals of a number of Steve Gerrard’s new backroom staff at Villa Park.

What’s the latest?

In a short statement on their official website, the club confirmed the arrivals of Gary McAllister and Michael Beale as assistant head coaches, Tom Culshaw as technical coach, Scott Mason as lead analyst and Jordan Milsom as head of fitness and conditioning.

During a recent interview with Football Insider, Danny Mills stated his belief that, in anticipation of both McAllister and Beale making the move to Villa Park, the duo will be vital to Gerrard becoming a success with the Premier League club.

Speaking about the appointments, the former England right-back said: “I think it’s vitally important, and Villa fans should be delighted his whole backroom team is coming. Michael Beale is a fantastic coach with a great reputation. Gary McAllister, part of that as well, he’s been there, seen it and done it at big clubs in the Premier League. There’s great experience coming with Steven Gerrard.”

Fans will be over the moon

Considering the impressive reputations that both McAllister and Beale bring with them to Villa Park, the news that the club have officially appointed the duo as Gerrard’s assistants is sure to have left fans over the moon with excitement.

Indeed, Beale is credited with being the former Liverpool captain’s main man on the training ground, putting the 41-year-old’s ideas into practice, as well as offering Gerrard tactical advice on a matchday by spending the first half of matches up in the stands – in order to gain a clearer picture of the way a game is panning out – before relaying his findings to the manager at half-time.

Furthermore, Beale has received high praise from many players he has coached in his career, perhaps none more so than from former Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday, who stated his belief that the 41-year-old was “probably the best coach I’ve worked under.”

Meanwhile, McAllister’s appointment brings with it a considerable amount of experience in professional management, with the 56-year-old having taken charge of both Coventry City and Leeds United. Gerrard will undoubtedly seek to draw upon that experience during his time at Villa.

As such, the news that McAllister and Beale have indeed followed the 41-year-old from Ibrox is undoubtedly a big positive for Villa, whose new era under Gerrard & co begins with a trip to Brighton & Hove Albion next weekend.

In other news: Lange must seal Villa swoop for £20k-p/w gem who loves “breaking the rules”

Tickets to the 2010-11 Ashes will go on sale on July 14 next year, but only to Australian residents who have registered with Cricket Australia

Cricinfo staff09-Nov-2009Tickets to the 2010-11 Ashes will go on sale on July 14 next year, but only to Australian residents who have registered with Cricket Australia. Remaining general seats, including those to overseas fans who have joined the programme, will be offered on July 20.The first of the five Tests begins in Brisbane on November 25, 2010 as Australia attempt to regain the Ashes following their 2-1 loss in England in August. “Register now to give yourself the best chance at getting your hands on these highly sought-after tickets,” Cricket Australia’s chief executive James Sutherland said.A similar scheme operated for the 2006-07 series and was unpopular on the opening day when the ticket sites crashed due to the huge demand. The Australian team was much more successful, taking back the urn with a 5-0 whitewash.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been handed a huge injury boost ahead of their upcoming Premier League fixture.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football.London, who revealed that, after missing Wolves’ last three league games as a result of a calf injury, Bruno Lage is now expecting to welcome Marcal back to his matchday squad for the visit of West Ham United on Saturday afternoon.

Lage will be buzzing

While it is undeniable that Rayan Ait-Nouri has impressed while filling in for Marcal at left-back, with the 20-year-old providing one assist and averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.7 over Wolves’ last three fixtures, the return of the 32-year-old defender will nevertheless have left Lage buzzing.

Indeed, the £1.62m-rated man has been the 45-year-old’s first-choice in the position so far this season, and, considering West Ham’s rather remarkable form in the current campaign, Marcal’s availability in what is sure to be a very challenging match will come as a huge boost to the Portuguese boss.

Over his eight top-flight fixtures so far this season, the defender has helped his side keep two clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.5 interceptions, 2.9 tackles and 1.9 clearances and winning five duels per game.

These returns have seen the £29k-per-week defender earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.86, ranking him as Wolves’ ninth-best performer in the Premier League.

As such, the return of the Brazilian will undoubtedly increase Lage’s chances of leaving Molineux with all three points on Saturday, something that the Wolves manager will be desperate for after succumbing to a lacklustre 2-0 defeat at Crystal Palace last time out.

In other news: Lage can save Fosun millions with 21 y/o Wolves prodigy who’s “wise beyond his years”

Where will Shane Watson reside in the Australian Test team in the long-term? The next few Tests will be telling

Alex Brown at the Gabba26-Nov-2009Shane Watson only ever appeared to hold a short-term lease on the Test opening position, and the landlord may soon be searching for a new tenant. Another lbw decision – his fifth in six innings as Test opener – served as further evidence of uncertain shot selection and cumbersome footwork to fast, new ball bowling, and a drop down the order could prove in the best interests of both player and team.Watson’s natural game is one of aggressive stroke-making; an instinct curbed by the discipline required at the top of the order. His three successive half-centuries in England proved beyond doubt he was of legitimate international stock, but the impression remains that he is a batsman yet to find his home in the Australian line-up.Australia have ten Tests to finalise their batting order for the next Ashes series, and it is difficult to envisage Watson maintaining his place alongside Simon Katich over that time. Phillip Hughes, Phil Jaques and Chris Rogers all possess superior first-class opening credentials to the Test incumbent and many more lbws to Watson this series will presumably intensify their claims for a change at the top.Thursday’s dismissal to Jerome Taylor was the sixth time in seven innings across all positions Watson has been trapped leg-before in Tests. On this occasion, Taylor deceived the batsman with several away-slanting deliveries before coaxing him into shouldering arms to a ball that veered in. It was a clever piece of bowling, although one Katich managed to counter.Australia’s selectors moved swiftly to remove Hughes when his susceptibility to straight, short-pitched bowling was exposed in England earlier this year, and their approach to Watson’s run of lbws will make for interesting viewing. During the Ashes, Watson appeared heavy-footed when resuming his innings after breaks in play, but on this occasion the right-hander was outmanoeuvred by Taylor’s canny change of trajectory.”I think his technique is outstanding and can definitely cope with opening the batting,” Michael Husey said in defence of Watson. “He’s shown it in one-day cricket and there’s no reason why he can’t do it in Test cricket as well. Everyone misses out, but I’m sure he will get runs in the second innings or the next Test. He can definitely handle that position.”Ricky Ponting this week hinted at his desire to see Watson eventually assume a more conventional allrounder’s role, batting in the middle order and contributing with the ball. By doing so, Ponting argued, Watson would be free to bowl without having to conserve energy to open the second innings, thereby unlocking his full potential.There remain two obvious hurdles to Ponting realising his plan for Watson: the will of the selectors and the complex issue of managing the reshuffle. Andrew Hilditch has on several occasions extolled Watson’s virtues as a resident opener while, in the same breath, touting Phillip Hughes as a long-term prospect at the top of the order. Perplexing, certainly, but perhaps less so than the task of identifying an opening replacement and, if necessary, a middle order fall-guy.Hussey seemed the man most likely for the axe but a century in his final Ashes innings and 66 at the Gabba on Thursday have presumably secured his place in the top-order for the time being. Marcus North has done little to warrant demotion in his eight Tests and, like Watson, provides Ponting with an extra bowling option when required.Where will Watson reside in the long-term? The next few Tests will be telling.

Sunderland have endured a difficult run of form in League One of late and find themselves seventh in the table after 15 games played.

The Black Cats have at least one game in hand over all of the teams above them in the table but have lost five of their last six matches in all competitions.

Lee Johnson’s side are still in a terrific position to kick on if they are able to get back on the right track and have won nine of their 15 matches, with 28 points already on the board.

Unsung hero

One player who has played a key role in Sunderland’s strong season overall and has been an unsung hero at the heart of the defence is centre-back Tom Flanagan. The Northern Ireland international may not get the credit forward players like Aiden McGeady and Ross Stewart get, but he is equally as important to the cause.

Johnson has a wealth of centre-back options at his disposal and Flanagan has emerged as an undroppable member of his back four. Frederik Alves, Callum Doyle and Bailey Wright provide strong competition for the starting spots in that position, but the 29-year-old has started 14 of the club’s 15 League One matches – highlighting how much the head coach relies on him.

His performances on the pitch back up Johnson’s trust in him. He has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 6.99 in League One – the highest out of all of the defenders at the Stadium of Light. This shows that he has performed to a consistently high level this season and is proving that he can be a reliable option week-in-week-out at this level for Sunderland.

Defensively, he has been sublime. Per SofaScore, the beast has won a whopping 98 duels and made 18 tackles and 14 interceptions. He has also made 70 clearances and won 67% of his ground battles over the course of the season, flexing his defensive strength. Along with that, he has also only been dribbled just past four times all season as he has established himself as a defender who is hard for League One attackers to get past on the deck.

These statistics highlight Flanagan’s excellent displays in the third tier this season and show why he has been an unsung hero for the club. He should be praised as much as the likes of Stewart and McGeady as his solid defending provides the platform for them to work their magic in the final third.

MS Dhoni believes India are a long way from becoming the best Twenty20 side in the world, despite a record chase against Sri Lanka in Mohali

Cricinfo staff12-Dec-2009India may have squared the series with a record chase but MS Dhoni has said the team will have to pull up their socks before they can claim to be a quality Twenty20 side. India’s successful chase of a target of 207, the highest successful chase in this format, snapped a four-game losing streak but their bowling and fielding left much to be desired.It was the second match in a row that Sri Lanka were allowed to cross 200, and the fielding was worse than in Nagpur, with six catches going down. “We could be the best team in the world in this format, but our bowling and fielding has got to improve,” said Dhoni. “We have been struggling with our bowling for some time, not just in the Twenty20 format, but in the one-day version as well.”If we could improve that aspect of the game, we would be a difficult team to beat. We certainly have the batting and this team has got character, but there are areas in which we need to improve.”That India managed to emerge triumphant owed plenty to Virender Sehwag’s 36-ball 64, Yuvraj Singh’s unbeaten 60 off 25 balls, and Dhoni’s quick 46. These three innings allowed India chase down Sri Lanka’s total of 206 for 7 with five balls to spare. “We had the firepower to chase this score, but we needed a good start,” said Dhoni. “Even if you lose a wicket at the top, the player who comes in ought to score at a brisk pace. That didn’t happen for us in the first game in Nagpur, but we were perfect here. Overall, you need every batsman to contribute and that’s exactly what happened in this game.”I’ve never seen a team dropping six catches, but then Sri Lanka missed as many run-out chances. In an international game, you have to take those chances whatever the reasons may be.”Kumar Sangakkara’s 31-ball 59 had been the foundation of Sri Lanka’s imposing total, but he was left to look on in frustration as Sri Lanka outdid India’s butter-fingered performance. “We did well to create that total which I thought was more than enough to win us this game,” he said. “We bowled the first six overs really well, but those catches and those run outs really mattered in the end. We had our chances, quite a few of them really, and we didn’t take them.”From there on, it was just a case of trying to contain because once we let go of the chances, there was no way of putting pressure on the opposition.”Yuvraj, whose rambunctious innings made a massive difference, said his 28th birthday was his best to date. “This is my best birthday till now. I am very happy the way we played, especially the batsmen. Frankly I was not expecting to score 60 of 25 balls.”He also credited India’s coach Gary Kirsten. “He is the best coach that I have ever played under,” said Yuvraj. “He understands the game and the pressure.”The sides will now begin a five-match ODI series on December 15 in Rajkot.