All posts by h716a5.icu

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Pete O’Rourke has dropped a teasing West Ham United transfer hint involving Liverpool striker Divock Origi.

The Lowdown: West Ham eye new forward…

As per manager David Moyes himself, West Ham have been on the look out for new striker over 2021 with the Scotsman saying last summer he was ‘desperate’ to bring one in.

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The club have cast their eye on numerous targets, including the likes of Andrea Belotti and Adam Hlozek, with claims there may have been pre-January offers made for FC Basel forward Arthur Cabral.

Now, sharing what he knows on Origi’s links to West Ham, O’Rourke has dropped a teasing hint in an interview with GMS.

The Latest: O’Rourke drops hint…

Speaking to the outlet, the reporter hints West Ham could indeed sign the Belgium international and it’s one to ‘keep an eye on’.

He explained:

““Divock Origi finds himself down the pecking order at Liverpool and we know West Ham have been long-term admirers of the Belgian. It’s an interesting one, that one, it’s one to keep an eye on.”

The Verdict: Get it done…

Despite being a bit-part player at Anfield, the 26-year-old has actually impressed when called upon by manager Jurgen Klopp – so much so he has attracted real praise.

Klopp branded Origi ‘incredible’ and a ‘monster’ to the press recently while West Ham fans will remember his sublime finish to pull a goal back for Liverpool at the London Stadium in a 3-2 thriller last month.

Still having yet to reach his peak, Origi has managed 64 senior career goals and when given an opportunity he should surely be set for far more.

West Ham, amid their search for a Michail Antonio alternative, could be the club to grant him a new lease of life.

In other news: ‘I’m hearing’ – Journalist makes big money transfer claim involving West Ham, find out more here.

The Sawai Mansingh Stadium remained a fortress for Rajasthan Royals, who made it eight out of eight wins at the venue by bulldozing Kings XI Punjab with five overs remaining

The Bulletin by Siddarth Ravindran07-Apr-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Michael Lumb blazed 83 off 43 to make short work of the target•Indian Premier LeagueThe Sawai Mansingh Stadium remained a fortress for Rajasthan Royals, who made it eight out of eight wins at the venue by bulldozing Kings XI Punjab with five overs remaining. Opener Michael Lumb pummelled 83 off 43 balls to deliver Rajasthan their third straight victory, which lifted them to joint second spot, an unlikely position for a team that was written off after starting with three defeats in a row.Rajasthan sprinted to the highest total of the season in the first five overs (65), after Punjab had mucked about to gather the least runs in the final five overs (27), reflecting the gulf between the two sides. Punjab reverted to being the bumbling bunch that has been entrenched at the bottom of the table all season: the batting lost fizz after a bubbly start, the fielding was the usual butter-fingered effort, and the bowling lacked inspiration.Mahela Jayawardene top-scored again, and Yuvraj Singh briefly showed off his awesome hitting, but with the rest failing to contribute anything substantial Punjab ended up with an inadequate total.The variety of sweeps against the spinners and the trademark carves behind point off the quicks were the highlight of Jayawardene’s innings, in which only seven runs were scored in front of the wicket. He had some luck as well, a leading edge six to third man off Aditya Dole, reprieved when Shane Warne reacted slowly to a caught-and-bowled chance and dropped by Dole at deep square leg.With Kumar Sangakkara’s poor tournament continuing, it was Yuvraj who provided some support for him. Warne was at his bewitching best in the previous game, but had no answer to Yuvraj today. First, Yuvraj muscled him over midwicket for a six, and two overs later clobbered two flat sixes and a four to take 24 runs off eight balls against the Rajasthan captain.The match turned in the next over from Dole: he had Yuvraj dragging a short ball onto the stumps and Jayawardene edged to a wide slip. That sucked all the momentum out of the Punjab innings, and they never recovered.Ravi Bopara pottered about before being run out after racing down the track for a second run which his partner, Irfan Pathan, was not interested in. Watson varied his length and pace well towards the death, and Siddharth Trivedi’s steady servings of slower deliveries proved hard to score off, so much so that Punjab couldn’t hit even one boundary in that period.The Punjab score looked insufficient, but it was not as measly as Lumb and Naman Ojha made it seem. The match was essentially decided after the fourth over of the chase, in which Lumb lashed fast bowler Rusty Theron for 20 runs to blast Punjab to 55 for 0.The template was set in the first over, when Ramesh Powar made a hash of a simple fielding chance to give away two extra runs, and Sreesanth followed that up with gift of a short ball that was pulled for four by Lumb.Sangakkara shuffled his bowlers around but to no avail: Lumb picked off the spinners with a bunch of sweeps and reverse-sweeps, while showcasing his full range of strokes against the quicks. The 100 came up in the ninth over when Irfan was caned for four fours, and Lumb was also eyeing his century. He was dismissed in the next over, but Ojha, who has been quiet when Lumb was blasting, took charge of the chase, and with the help of Yusuf Pathan finished off the game in the 15th over.

Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan captain, has said he is satisfied with his team’s overall performance in the World Twenty20

Cricinfo staff19-May-2010Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan captain, has said he is satisfied with his team’s overall performance in the World Twenty20 but admitted the shock defeat against Australia in the semis, after having dominated the bulk of the game, hurt them more than a loss in the final, had they qualified, would have done.”I was not expecting that we will perform so good against South Africa and Australiaespecially after we dropped too many catches against England and lost narrowly (by one run) to New Zealand,” Afridi told reporters upon arrival in Karachi. “So I think overall I am quite satisfied with the team’s performance and importantly we played as a unit.”Had I won that match (against Australia) and lost the final I would not have been disappointed.”Michael Hussey’s late assault stunned Pakistan, as he smashed 60 off 24 balls, including three sixes and a four in the final over off Saeed Ajmal to seal victory with a ball to spare. “The situation was not looking like we were going to lose,” Afridi said. “We had our two best bowlers bowling the last two overs, but I must say the Australians played very well.”Afridi defended Ajmal, and said his performance at the death against South Africa in Pakistan’s previous game prompted the decision to let him bowl the final over. “It was a big match for Ajmal, he was under pressure,” Afridi said. “(But) he also bowled the 20th over against South Africa and moreover he was also bowling from his favourite end against Australia.”Pakistan play Australia again in England in a ‘home series’ in a couple of months, and Ajmal, then, will have another opportunity of facing off against Hussey. “I hope I will have another go at him when we meet in two months’ time,” Ajmal said.

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa remains a big admirer of Huddersfield midfielder Lewis O’Brien amid January transfer links, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: O’Brien continues to be linked with Leeds

Few players have been linked with a move to Elland Road as much as O’Brien has in recent months, in a story which refuses to go away.

The 23-year-old is still being tipped to join Leeds, and with Kalvin Phillips currently out injured, the need to bring in a new midfielder this month is undeniable.

O’Brien has continued to be a key player for Huddersfield this season, starting 24 Championship matches and being hailed as ‘very special’ by his manager Carlos Corberan.

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The Latest: Journalist makes fresh O’Brien claim

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke talked up Bielsa’s love for the player, perhaps hinting at Leeds making a move for him.

He outlined: “I think he was interested in O’Brien. He does like him as a player. He thinks he’s got the style and profile that fits the way he wants to play football.”

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The Verdict: Snap him up, Leeds

It is easy to look down on O’Brien because he is playing in the Championship, but Bielsa’s admiration for him speaks volumes and he is someone who could be an exciting coup.

He possesses bucketloads of energy and quality in the middle of the park, possessing a similar style to Phillips and averaging 2.8 tackles and 1.9 dribbles per game in the league this season.

That highlights O’Brien’s quality both on and off the ball, and at 23, he is someone who could make an immediate difference as well as being a long-term acquisition for Leeds if they can finally entice him to make the short move across West Yorkshire.

In other news, one journalist has made a Raphinha transfer claim. Read more here.

Cricinfo previews the second Test between West Indies and South Africa at Warner Park

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran17-Jun-2010Match factsJune 18-22, 2010
Start time 10.00am (14.00GMT)Big PictureWill Darren Bravo make his Test debut and make a difference to an under-performing middle order?•AFPSeven games into the tour and West Indies still don’t know how to beat South Africa, irrespective of the format. This West Indies team is a pale shadow of the one that fought bravely in Australia just a few months ago. Injuries to key players like Ramnaresh Sarwan and Fidel Edwards may have pegged their fortunes back a bit, but unfortunately, the other senior players look a deflated bunch. The intimidation from Chris Gayle is missing, so is the stodgy resistance from Shivnarine Chanderpaul.Their capitulation for 102 in the first Test at Trinidad was a sorry sight, after their bowlers did a decent job to restrict South Africa to 352. Nelon Pascal is not a batsman, but his dismissal in both innings – attempting a one-legged Caribbean style hoick – was a comical, yet depressing sight if you were a West Indies supporter. Besides him, the specialists at the top were out bowled shouldering arms, Narsingh Deonarine’s first-innings dismissal a case in point. Such shots don’t give confidence that the team is out there to fight it out.Despite that abject display, an unchanged team was named for the second Test. With the A team away in England, there wouldn’t have been a large pool of players to pick from. The best they can do is to slot batsmen in positions they’re more familiar with. Given their poor form, a draw at St Kitts will be as good as a victory. For inspiration, they need to run tapes of the Adelaide Test late last year when Chris Gayle carried his bat in the second innings to put his team in front.South Africa on the hand have fewer worries and credit should go to the way Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel have forged such a deadly combination with the new ball. The slow pitches in the Caribbean haven’t made them any less lethal. They showed what the home side lacked – bowlers with raw pace. The visitors, apart from catching up with the World Cup action at home, also celebrated their national youth day by coaching youngsters at a clinic at Warner Park.Form guide (last five completed matches)West Indies LLDLL
South Africa WLWWDWatch out for…Chris Gayle: The West Indies captain was talked about at length during the one-dayers on how his performances have a direct influence on the way the team plays. If he fires, the side’s uplifted, but if he doesn’t, the rest throw in the towel. Ideally, at least one among the others in the middle order will have to put his hand up and cover the slack. If Gayle has to show more responsibility, he can adopt a change in approach and shed his attacking instincts a bit. If he minimises the risks, he can bat longer and drop anchor, allowing the rest to bat around him. The Adelaide Test is an example of the recent past. Gayle has done it before and now it’s his chance to lead by example.Paul Harris: His role in Trinidad was made redundant with Steyn and Morkel hogging most of the wickets. He was preferred to Johan Botha for the Test, despite not being in sparkling form in the last few Tests. If the pitch takes turn, Harris could play an important role. Coach Corrie van Zyl identified some technical problems in Harris’ action and said he would work on it to help him get more turn.Team newsKemar Roach, probably the fastest bowler in the region, was retained after missing the first game and the assumption is he has recovered from an ankle injury. If he’s fit, he should walk in, replacing either Pascal or Ravi Rampaul. The under-performing middle order will worry West Indies, so there’s a chance for Darren Bravo to come in place of probably Deonarine. Brendan Nash could be pushed down the order to No.5, where he’s more comfortable.West Indies (likely) 1 Chris Gayle (capt), 2 Travis Dowlin, 3 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 4 Darren Bravo/Narsingh Deonarine, 5 Brendan Nash, 6 Dwayne Bravo (vice-capt), 7 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8 Sulieman Benn, 9 Shane Shillingford, 10 and 11 two among Ravi Rampaul/Kemar Roach/Nelon PascalSouth Africa are likely to play the same team. van Zyl said Harris will not be replaced by any other spinner.South Africa (likely) 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Alviro Petersen, 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 AB de Villiers, 5 Hashim Amla, 6 Ashwell Prince, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Paul Harris, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Lonwabo TsotsobePitch and conditionsThe short boundaries at Warner Park could lead to a high-scoring Test, if the pitch is conducive enough. Rain intervened in Trinidad and showers are forecast for St Kitts too.Stats and TriviaThis venue has hosted only one Test so far, between West Indies and India in 2006. Centuries by Daren Ganga and Sarwan took West Indies to 581 and the bowlers put India under pressure, restricting India to below the follow-on target. West Indies opted to bat on and the game drifted towards a draw. West Indies last beat South Africa in an international match in 2007, the Port Elizabeth Test. Since then, the losing streak stands at 17, across all formats. There are milestones to be achieved – Jacques Kallis needs another 89 for 11,000 Test runs, Graeme Smith another 88 for 7000 runs and Gayle another 73 for 6000 runs.Quotes”Before the first Test, we spoke about the fact that we were going to be tested, not having played Test cricket for quite a while. In a three-Test series the next match is just as crucial. We can’t afford to take our foot off the gas at all.”
Graeme Smith”The batsmen can improve and a few of those 50s and 60s should have been centuries. I was impressed, however, with the manner in which we fought back after losing three wickets late on the first afternoon.”
“We have to believe in ourselves and play good, hard cricket.We have to try and make the necessary adjustments for the next Test match.”

Michael Olise was Crystal Palace’s standout performer in the Eagles’ 2-1 comeback win away to Millwall in the FA Cup third round on Saturday afternoon.

The Premier League outfit had gone 1-0 down after Benik Afobe capitalised on a Jack Butland howler before Patrick Vieira’s side turned their fortunes around to secure their place in the fourth round, with the 20-year-old at the heart of the comeback.

Having signed from Championship outfit Reading last year for a fee of around £8m, the Frenchman has endured a mixed start to life in south London, managing just two starts in the Premier League thus far.

However, Olise has made 13 appearances in the top flight, scoring two goals and registering three assists. Having played 460 minutes of league football, the youngster is averaging a goal involvement every 92 minutes, an impressive return for him in his debut campaign at that level.

Palace’s cup tie with their London rivals proved to be an opportunity for the talented Frenchman to make a real impression on his manager, and that opportunity was grabbed with both hands.

Olise proved himself to Vieira

The winger equalised almost immediately after half-time, scoring with a spectacular curling finish off of the far post after cutting in from the right-hand side, netting his third goal of the campaign in his third senior start.

Just 12 minutes later, he produced an excellent delivery into the box for an unmarked Jean-Philippe Mateta to head home and ultimately settle the contest in Palace’s favour. Moreover, Olise could’ve had a brace of similar goals, having struck the woodwork with another audacious effort from the right flank.

Conor Gallagher may be Palace’s best player of the season so far according to WhoScored figures, but according to SofaScore, he was outshone today by the 20-year-old. Olise was the website’s man of the match as he earned a standout rating of 8.5/10, although it wasn’t just his goal contributions which marked him out as the pick of the bunch at The Den.

The £34k-p/w talent also had 48 touches down the right flank before being withdrawn in the 88th minute, as well as successfully completing two of his three dribbles. Defensively, he won five duels and two tackles, so he also pitched in with his share of work out of possession.

Today’s match was was certainly an opportunity for Olise to prove a point to his manager, who may now believe that he was mistaken to give the 20-year-old so few chances from the start during the season so far.

The question now is whether will we see more of the French youngster in the Eagles’ starting XI during the second half of the campaign.

In other news, Palace have been linked with this promising forward…

Mark Ramprakash struck an unbeaten half-century to guide Surrey to a seven-wicket win over Northamptonshire on the final day of their County Championship Division Two match at Wantage Road

27-May-2010

ScorecardMark Ramprakash struck an unbeaten half-century to guide Surrey to a seven-wicket win over Northamptonshire on the final day of their County Championship Division Two match at Wantage Road. Ramprakash, who also made 70 in the first innings, hit 79 off 143 balls as the visitors won for the first time in 17 Championship matches, their last success coming in this fixture last year.Former South Africa paceman Andre Nel, who blasted 96 on Thursday, had earlier taken four for 68 as Northamptonshire were reduced to 229 all out, giving Surrey a target of 241. Surrey captain Rory Hamilton-Brown then hammered an explosive 45 off 42 balls as they comfortably made that total with 10 overs to spare.The hosts began the day 165 runs ahead of Surrey on 154 for 4, with captain Andrew Hall on eight and his predecessor Nicky Boje on 18. However, Boje only faced four balls without adding to his overnight score before he smashed Tim Linley straight to Matthew Spriegel at backward point.The hosts were then left floundering on 159 for 6 when David Sales, who has been suffering with a migraine during the match, was run out by Chris Schofield at mid-wicket to bag a pair. Hall made it to 32 before he became Nel’s third victim when he edged him to Surrey wicketkeeper Steven Davies.Nel struck again by trapping James Middlebrook lbw for five before Sri Lankan seamer Chaminda Vaas (17) went via the same method off Jade Dernbach. Dernbach, who hit an unbeaten 56, then wrapped up the Northamptonshire tail by bowling Lee Daggett, who made just two.Chasing 241 with 68 overs left, Surrey made a quick start by crashing 37 off the first seven overs before losing Davies for 25, when David Willey took a superb diving catch at mid-wicket off the bowling of Boje.Arun Harinath, who went for a duck in the first innings, threw his wicket away when two short of his half-century by launching Willey to Rob White at mid-wicket. Hamilton-Brown then blasted his exciting knock of 45 before missing an attempted cut off Middlebrook and was stumped by O’Brien.This left the visitors on 156 for 3 at tea and they needed 85 from the final session for the victory. The runs continued to come freely after the break and Ramprakash reached his second fifty of the match off 94 balls. He and former Northamptonshire man Usman Afzaal, with 33 not out, then shared an unbeaten stand of 88 to carry Surrey over the line.

Sunderland endured a frustrating 3-1 loss at the hands of Lincoln City in League One on Tuesday night, courtesy of a hat-trick from old boy Chris Maguire.

It was a game that saw both Carl Winchester and manager Lee Johnson sent off for the hosts, in what was a damaging defeat for their promotion hopes. Using statistical experts SofaScore, The Transfer Tavern have now analysed who the three worst performers (to have played 45 minutes or more) for the Black Cats were on a disappointing night:

Anthony Patterson

Admittedly joint-second in terms of rating, Patterson was given a 5.9 by SofaScore.

The goalkeeper only managed to make one save all game, and lost possession of the ball twice.

Conceding three goals, he would not have been happy with both himself or his defenders’ performance.

Jack Diamond

Diamond was also given a 5.9 rating by SofaScore, and was taken off on 65 minutes.

The midfielder lost out nine of his duels, and failed to record any shots on goal, while he also made no successful dribbles or key passes.

Diamond also lost possession of the ball 17 times, the joint-fourth most out of his teammates.

Carl Winchester

Unsurprisingly, Winchester was given the worst rating by SofaScore with a 5.5, after he was given a red card before Maguire slotted home the penalty for his second goal.

He lost three duels, and also failed to make a single clearance, blocked shot or key pass, while giving the ball away four times.

It was a night to forget for him, and for SAFC supporters in general.

In other news, find out who was slammed against Lincoln here!

A half-century by Suzie Bates, followed by three wickets for Sian Ruck helped New Zealand square the series at the Rose Bowl despite a heroic 73 from Sarah Taylor

The Bulletin by Sahil Dutta01-Jul-2010
ScorecardSuzie Bates set up the New Zealand victory with 68•Getty ImagesA half-century by Suzie Bates, followed by three wickets for Sian Ruck, helped New Zealand square the series at the Rose Bowl despite a heroic 73 from Sarah Taylor.After the opening fixture was dominated by spin this was a much more free-flowing contest that fluctuated one way and the other before finally settling in New Zealand’s favour. Twice the tourists took control, first in their batting innings and then again in their fielding effort, only to see England fight back strongly, but they eventually held off the challenge for a deserved win.Set 148 after Bates and Sara McGlashan’s century stand helped post a competitive total, England slipped to 29 for 4, as some ill-judicious shots combined with Ruck’s accurate left-arm swing left the home side floundering. But Sarah Taylor was joined by Jenny Gunn to revive England’s hopes and leave them needing just 38 from the final 34 balls. Having worked their way into a strong position though, England lost their last five wickets for 26 runs to give New Zealand the spoils.That England even got so close looked unlikely after the batsmen had faltered so badly early on. Charlotte Edwards fell to the first delivery of the innings – which she didn’t even face – when Sarah Taylor’s crisp drive was deflected off the bowler to cannon into middle stump. If it wasn’t quite the worst possible start, it was close to it and brought Claire Taylor, still searching for her mesmeric 2009 form, to the crease.Given her record and experience she needed to be the architect of the chase but instead she scratched around, making 2 off 7 balls, before aiming – and missing – a leg-side heave at Sian Ruck. It betrayed a player short of confidence and match practice.Ruck then struck twice more, removing Laura Marsh and Lydia Greenway in the space of three deliveries to leave England tottering. Sarah Taylor, however, stood firm throughout. She started slowly but soon grew in confidence to pick off regular boundaries through the leg side on her way to a half-century from 44 balls. Gunn at the other end was almost as effective and the pair put on 80 to carry England right back in the contest.The game changed with the introduction of Amy Satterthwaite, who didn’t even play in the opening match, in the 15th over. Gunn aimed a routine clip into the leg side only to find a leading edge that looped tamely to Watkins at mid -off. Danielle Wyatt departed soon after and suddenly England were in trouble again.Lucy Doolan’s slow, looping offspinners did for Danielle Hazell and Taylor lost the momentum she had generated so effectively with Gunn. With 24 needed from 14 balls she couldn’t find the boundaries like she had six times before and ended up being run-out off the final delivery of the penultimate over to seal the game for New Zealand.If anything, the tourists would feel they should have set a lot more than the 147. Bates and McGlashan were completely dominant, picking off boundaries with powerful shots down the ground and pulling-off inventive scoops behind the wicket, to take New Zealand to 115 for 1 by the 15th over.But a rocket throw from long off by Katherine Brunt caught McGlashan short and England, sensing an opportunity, surged back. Hazell was the best of the bowlers, finishing with 3 for 19 but it wasn’t enough to prevent New Zealand setting up a winner-takes-all clash in the final match at Hove on Friday.

Kevin Phillips has tipped Robert Snodgrass to leave The Hawthorns in the January transfer window.

What’s been said?

In a recent interview with West Brom News, the former Premier League centre-forward stated his belief that, due to the versatile midfielder’s high wages and lack of first-team minutes under the management of Valerien Ismael, the Scotland international could be set for a move away from West Brom this month.

Speaking about the 34-year-old’s future, Phillips said: “From all parties concerned, Snodgrass might go. It’s been made clear he’s not in the plans. I’m pretty sure he’s on a decent wage there so if they can get him through the door and free that up, that might be the option to bring a couple of players in on his salary alone. It makes sense. Snodgrass will just want to go play football somewhere.”

Ismael must axe Snodgrass

While Snodgrass’ impressive positional versatility and experience in the game would both appear to make him well suited to Ismael’s setup at West Brom, the fact that the midfielder is reported to be earning a hefty £24k-per-week at the Championship side means that, if he really isn’t part of the 46-year-old manager’s plans, then the Frenchman simply must axe the Scot this winter.

This would seem to be the case, as, so far this season, the £720k-rated man has made just six Championship appearances with only four of these coming as starts.

Over those outings the 34-year-old has averaged a SofaScore match rating of 6.83, ranking him as the Baggies’ 13th-best performer in the second tier of English football.

And, while his displays for Albion have been far from disastrous in the current campaign, with it being reported recently that Ismael will have to sell before he is able to bring in any further January additions, it would indeed appear as if the sale of the club’s third-highest earner in Snodgrass would be a very wise move this month.

In other news: West Brom dealt big transfer setback as new development emerges, Ismael will be fuming