All posts by h716a5.icu

Southampton lost 1-0 to Wolves in the Premier League on Sunday as their winless start to the campaign extended to six matches.

The Saints have drawn four and lost two of their opening six league matches, holding Manchester United, Newcastle, Manchester City and West Ham to draws, whilst losing to Everton and Wolves.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men have scored four goals in those six Premier League games, with two of them coming in a 2-2 draw with the Magpies. Of those four strikes, one – Mo Elyounoussi v Newcastle – came from a wide player.

This suggests that Southampton are struggling for quality in the wide areas, with no winger for the Saints registering an assist either this term in the league. Therefore, it could be time for the Austrian head coach to unleash the rarely-seen gem Nathan Tella.

Earlier this month, Hasenhuttl explained why Tella has not been actively involved for the club in the Premier League.

He told Hampshire Live:

“I am actually a little bit disappointed that I cannot give him more chances to play. The games that we are playing at the moment are not so perfect for him, I think.

“We saw last season that Nathan was by far the most developed of the younger group and he had a really good pre-season but, as always with young players, he must consistently work hard and show up to get those chances to play.

“I must say that, in the number ten position, he has a lot of good qualities. He is very energetic and he has a really good ability against the ball, running back and sprinting back.

“It will help him if he can get a little closer to the goal. I see him as a striker. He is an alternative for Adam Armstrong at the moment, who does a very good job as a striker.”

Whilst Hasenhuttl has said that he sees Tella as a striker, he must now consider giving him an opportunity to shine in one of the two wide number 10 roles. As he said himself, he is energetic and able to work up and down the flank, possibly offering more defensive protection for the full-backs whilst also causing problems for the opposition with his pace.

Tella could solve a key problem for Southampton if he is unleashed from the start in the Premier League if he is able to find his form. He has played two games in the League Cup this season and provided one goal and one assist, which suggests that he could have the quality to be a threat in the final third, which is what the Saints have been lacking out wide this season.

Therefore, Hasenhuttl must give him the chance to start out wide and show what he is capable of doing. If it doesn’t work then he can go back to the other players who are also struggling, but for now, it is surely worth throwing the young forward in.

AND in other news, Ralph masterstroke: Southampton flop has seen value plummet 64% since St. Mary’s exit…

Returning to the Pakistan fold after two years in the cold, Abdul Razzaq slipped back into the international fold

Nagraj Gollapudi at The Oval13-Jun-2009Not often does sport allow a second chance. No wonder Abdul Razzaq had a big smile as he started his second act on a near-perfect note. Returning to the Pakistan fold after two years in the cold, Razzaq slipped back into the international fold without much fuss. Straightaway Younis threw the new ball to Razzaq. Just like that Razzaq sauntered up to the bowling crease in his laidback run-up. The crowd, too, warmed up to his return and welcomed him back with fervour.Razzaq’s first ball was full and moved into Aaron Redmond’s legs. The bowler went for a big shout, the crowd roared, immediately followed by huge sigh as there was a faint inside edge. Two balls later, Brendon McCullum charged at a short one on the off stump, only to slash it directly to Fawad Alam at point. The Oval shuddered as the Pakistan fans went berserk.Younis Khan didn’t persist with Razzaq despite an expensive 10-run second over. But in his following over Razzaq increased the pace gradually, maintained the middle-and-leg line against the right-handed Martin Guptill, who paid the price for playing across the line and was declared plumb. Immediately Razzaq shed his cool façade and let out a shriek, raised both hands skywards in a fashion reminiscent of the Iranian weightlifter Reza Zadeh who had just straightened up to lift 263.5 kilograms (a world record, set at the 2004 Athens Olympics).Razzaq’s final figures of 3.3-1-17-2 were the second-best to the peerless Umar Gul but he had managed to give the early breakthroughs that swung momentum Pakistan’s way, something they had failed to do so far in the tournament. Something Younis had been literally begging of his other strike bowler, Sohail Tanvir. “Razzaq gave the breakthrough I was looking for so far,” Younis said. “I’ve always been confident if we get a good start we are on our way.”Younis’s decision to open the bowling with Razzaq may be looked upon as a gamble despite him being an active performer for Hyderabad Heroes in the Indian Cricket League (ICL). The world of divide between the level of cricket in the ICL compared to the international arena was a fact not lost on Younis, who had a chat last evening with Razzaq, who had landed in London on Friday afternoon after a long flight from Lahore.”I was chatting with him about both forms of the game being different but he managed really well,” Younis said. The Pakistan captain did give it a thought before deciding to ask Razzaq to bowl the new ball. Surprisingly Razzaq had opened the bowling for Pakistan only 10 times previously in the ODIs – that was at the beginning of his career between 1997-2001.”It was a brave decision on my side but having played the ICL for two years Razzaq is more experienced than anyone in the Pakistan team in Twenty20,” Younis said. Having been a matchwinner in the ICL Razzaq proved his eminence in the domestic RBS Twenty20 Cup recently: he was the highest wicket-taker, fifth on the run-makers’s list, and was the only player to hit a century.Though Yasir Arafat’s hamstring injury meant Pakistan lost a fast bowler, Pakistan’s think-tank here and the selectors back home had no doubt about Razzaq being the best replacement. Strange how things turnaround in sport: two years ago the selectors had given up on Razzaq after his dreadful form, dropping him from the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa. A bitter Razzaq hit back at the selectors and even decided to give up the game. Obviously, he went back on his decision.

India Under-19s beat the visiting England Under-19s by 28 runs in thethird and final One-Dayer at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium,Hyderabad on Tuesday

Santhosh S22-Jul-2009India Under-19s beat the visiting England Under-19s by 28 runs in thethird and final One-Dayer at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium,Hyderabad on Tuesday. India colts took the series 2-1.England colts were set a target of 278 to win in 47 overs. They werepenalised three overs for slow over rate on a hot day in Hyderabad.The loss of three overs seemed to have worked against the Englishcause. They kept losing wickets, trying to keep the score boardmoving.Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan destroyed the English top order with figuresof 10-0-50-4. Nicky Peng (4), Gary Pratt (71 off 77 balls), Ian Bell(51 off 72 balls) and Mark Wallace (16) were Vidyut’s victims.Pratt and Bell gave the English chase the momentum by adding 94 runsfor the second wicket in 19 overs. Pratt and Bell played with ease ona pitch that has produced runs in plenty. Both of them were caught byAlind Naidu off the bowling of Vidyut. Pratt struck a huge six andseven fours in his stay at the crease. Bell lofted a six and struckthree fours in his knock and got out trying play a lofted on drive.Gordon Muchall tried his very best with a quickfire 42 off 34 balls.He drove one straight into the hands of Mane in the covers off thebowling of Amit Mishra.Kadeer Ali (15), Robert Ferley (1) and Justin Bishop (4) were all runout, going for the quick single. The efforts of Pattison (15) andTremlett (11) were not simply good enough to stop the inevitable, asEngland colts were all out for 249 in 45.2 overs.Earlier, India Under-19s elected to bat and got off to a cautiousstart. Vinayak Mane and Gautam Gambhir put together 55 runs for thefirst wicket in 12.3 overs.Tremlett sent back Mane (24), Arindam Das (33) and Manvinder Bisla(17). Arjun Yadav was run out for three and Alind Naidu was trappedlbw by Ferley.Gambhir who made 81 off 97 balls with eight boundaries, was the mainstay of the Indian innings. Vidyut (17) fell to Malik and Mishra wasrun out for none off the following ball to leave India in deep troubleon 217/8 after 45 overs.Ratra (45 off 40 balls) and Sidarth Trivedi (37* off 19 balls, 5fours) blasted 60 runs in the last five overs to bulge the Indiantotal. Captain Ratra’s innings was the highlight of the day, as hetoyed with the bowling, playing some breathtaking strokes.

Wolves winger Adama Traore could be set for an extended period on Bruno Lage’s bench, according to Sky Sports pundit Gabby Agbonlahor.

The Lowdown: Struggles under Lage

Following two short-lived spells with Aston Villa and Middlesbrough, Traore finally found a home in Wolverhampton and has made 140 appearances since joining the club in 2018.

His best season for the Wanderers came in the 2019/20 term, when he played 54 times across the Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup, scoring six goals and assisting 12 others.

However, under Bruno Lage, Traore is yet to score or assist in nine appearances in all competitions and has only featured for 20 minutes in the previous two games – the victories over Southampton and Newcastle United.

The Latest: No need to rely on Traore

Speaking to Football Insider, Agbonalhor delivered his verdict on the situation at Molineux, saying: “It’s good that other players are stepping up. They don’t have to rely on Traore.

“Maybe now they’ve got a forward who has come in and proven that he can cause damage, they’ve got options, they don’t have to play Traore every game who is not providing goals or assists. They can keep him on the bench.

“They’ve got Trincao as well and Daniel Podence.

“It’s looking better for Wolves now and this is what they needed after a worrying start to the season.”

The Verdict: Contract situation unclear

After having his name linked with a reunion with Nuno Espirito Santo at Tottenham Hotspur, Traore’s contract situation at Wolves remains ongoing and not starting as much as he has previously may well shift his eyes to elsewhere.

However, with a zero goal contributions all season, it is no surprise that Hwang Hee-Chan has replaced him in Lage’s side, with the South Korea international netting three goals and becoming Wolves’ top goalscorer.

Traore’s electric and direct dribbling is a strong tool to use off the bench, something Lage has done this season, but whether Traore will settle for that is a different story.

In other news, this player has been linked with a move to Molineux. Find out more here.

Cricket Canada has handed central contracts to six players – HarvirBaidwan, Umar Bhatti, Rizwan Cheema, Khurram Chohan, Sunil Dhaniram, and Henry Osinde

Cricinfo staff24-Jul-2009Cricket Canada has handed central contracts to six players – HarvirBaidwan, Umar Bhatti, Rizwan Cheema, Khurram Chohan, Sunil Dhaniram, and Henry Osinde – as Associate countries enter an era of professionalisation.However Cricket Canada clarified that the national team captain Ashish Bagai had not been given a contract as reported for he remained “committed to his career in Europe and will continue to play for Canada as his schedule permits”.Bhatti said receiving the contract was a dream-come-true for him. “As a group wecan focus on playing cricket without having to worry about other issues, such as going forpractice after working a full day, and having to take time off work to go on tours,” Bhatti said.”Having half the team as full-time professional cricketers will not only help the standard of the national team’s set up but is also helpful in terms of development of cricket across the country … players will be able to help set up and maintain programs for early development of future players.”The opening batsman, Geoff Barnett, was also offered a professional contract but turned it down, and he is also unavailable for Canada’s home series against Kenya next month due to family commitments.

Aston Villa have now been joined by Tottenham in the race to sign Stoke City defender Harry Souttar, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Villa links

Reports last week suggested that Villa have set their sights on raiding the Championship side in January for the Australia international.

Souttar still has just under four years remaining in his Potters contract and holds a career-high £3.6m Transfermarkt valuation.

The 22-year-old has been a regular under Michael O’Neill this season and has impressed with a 7.36/10 average WhoScored match rating.

But it appears as if Villa will now have to battle Spurs for Souttar’s services…

The Latest: Spurs join race

According to Football Insider, who were informed by a Tottenham source, Spurs are looking to beat Villa in the race for Souttar.

They have watched the centre-back on multiple occasions already this season and are keeping tabs on on his situation ahead of the January window.

The Verdict: Chukwuemeka 2.0

Villa and Johan Lange pipped Daniel Levy in the race to sign teenage forward Caleb Chukwuemeka over the summer, and the two may well battle it out again for Souttar in 2022.

Dean Smith bolstered his defensive ranks over the summer by bringing Axel Tuanzebe in on loan, however, he still has just four senior centre-backs on the books.

Spurs have five, so Souttar may get a better chance of first-team football in the Midlands over north London.

A transfer could well be one to keep a close eye on over the coming months, but it appears as if Villa need Souttar’s services more than Tottenham do.

In other news: ‘Makes a lot of sense’ – Many AVFC fans buzz at Gregg Evans’ ‘exciting’ transfer news. 

A number of Wolves fans are excited after Molineux scouts were reportedly sent to watch Benfica’s Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.

Bruno Lage’s side face Leeds United in the Premier League this weekend, looking to continue their impressive recent form.

Wolves make the trip to Elland Road on Saturday afternoon having picked up three league wins in succession, against Southampton, Newcastle United and Aston Villa.

Last weekend’s 3-2 victory at Villa Park, which saw Lage’s men come from 2-0 late in the day, should give them enormous confidence going into the Leeds game.

It could still be that new signings arrive at Molineux in January however, with the winter window offering a chance to freshen up the squad, and according to Record [via Talking Wolves on Twitter], a Wolves scout was in attendance for the Benfica-Bayern match on Wednesday night.

Wolves fans react to scouting claim

It isn’t specified which player was being looked at, but these Wolves fans were still excited by the rumour on Twitter.

“Lewandowski to Wolves… HERE WE GO! “

Credit: @AdamWWFC_

“We’re signing Kimmich”

Credit: @haydenbd_

“Nunez perfect Raul replacement”

Credit: @AdanTroare

“Rightfully so”

Credit: @__Grav

“Any eyes on that Robert fella?? Looks half decent”

Credit: @Elky_v

“Bring all the Portugese boys back”

Credit: @WolvesNumber37

“Ohhh hello what’s going on here then?”

Credit: @HarryWi57417449

In other news, two key Leeds players are out of the Premier League clash with Wolves. Read more here.

Hot on the heels of the ECB ditching 50-over cricket at domestic level, Cricket South Africa (CSA) are also going to examine the future of their one-day format which could see an end to the 45-over MTN Domestic Championship

Cricinfo staff28-Aug-2009Hot on the heels of the ECB ditching 50-over cricket at domestic level, Cricket South Africa (CSA) is also going to examine the future of their one-day format which could result in the end of the 45-over MTN Domestic Championship.At CSA’s annual conference in Johannesburg, it was decided to maintain the current 45-over duration for the first round of the 2009-10 season which starts on October 28, but a new structure could be in place shortly after that. It adds further weight to the theory that 50-over cricket is living on borrowed time after the ECB revealed it would play a 40-over tournament alongside Twenty20 from the 2010 season.At the recent ICC executive board meeting in London there was a recommendation from the cricket committee that the current ODI format needed to be looked at because of waning interest in 50-over matches. The ECB is expected to ask the ICC to review the ODI structure after the 2011 World Cup in Asia.”Cricket around the world is moving in a new direction and it is important that, as a board, we consider the changing face of the game and make decisions in line with this,” said CSA president Dr Mtutuzeli Nyoka. “The 45-over game is an area of concern so we are hoping that in the next few weeks cricket’s stakeholders are able to come up with an innovative solution to this problem which works for cricket, and for the sponsors, who invest substantial amounts of money in the game.”Tony Irish, CEO of the South African Cricketers Association, added: “From a players’ point of view, we are keen to look at innovation and move with the times. We are happy that the decision retains the 45-over format in the first round of the competition but also gives CSA time to get extensive cricketing input on whether or not this should change in the second round.”Playing 45-over cricket at domestic level hasn’t hindered South Africa’s performances on the international stage where they are now No. 1 in the world. The ECB used this as an example of why switching from 50 to 40-over matches would not harm England’s chances on the world stage while ODIs remained in the current format.The commercial deals for 50-over World Cups have been signed until 2015, but the push for change could overtake events. “The ICC has event, commercial and broadcast contracts in place up to and including the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2015,” an ICC spokesperson said. “There is nothing to stop members experimenting with other formats but the ICC is committed to three viable formats of the game – Tests, ODIs and T20Is.”

Some West Ham United fans could not believe comments from Nuno Espirito Santo, who said that Tottenham were the better side during Spurs’ 1-0 defeat to the Hammers on Sunday.

The Irons picked up all three points against their capital rivals at the London Stadium thanks to a goal from Michail Antonio. They are now up to fourth in the Premier League table, and David Moyes and co will now be aiming to improve on last term’s sixth-place finish.

Tottenham did not have a shot in the second half, but that didn’t stop Nuno’s delusions of grandeur. He said after the clash that his team was the better of the two (via Sky Sports), something which obviously flabbergasted a number of West Ham supporters.

The comments were shared around on Twitter, and they attracted plenty of attention from Hammers supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on what one of them called “deluded” remarks from Nuno.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Nuno’s comments

“Deluded like the whole of that fanbase. Spursy”

Credit: @imramblingon

“Was he watching a different game!”

Credit: @geordiehammer77

“Didn’t have a shot in the second half”

Credit: @DeadlyDiangana

“0.00 xG in the second half so that is on brand for a Nuno team”

Credit: @selldit

“This is as bad a take as Benitez thinking Antonio fouled Pickford last week for our goal then”

Credit: @MarkHor85004053

“Was he watching Liverpool? Because he’s lying to himself if he thinks Spurs were better today.”

Credit: @dawnofthedead81

In other news, some West Ham fans have been reacting to this Jesse Lingard update

Rain came to Scotland’s rescue on the final day of their ICC Intercontinental Cup match against Ireland in Aberdeen, ensuring that play was washed out and the hosts won first-innings points

Cricinfo staff20-Aug-2009
ScorecardThe gloomy weather ended Ireland’s chances of pushing for victory•International Cricket CouncilRain came to Scotland’s rescue on the final day of their ICC Intercontinental Cup match against Ireland in Aberdeen, ensuring that play was washed out and the hosts won first-innings points even though they were likely to be defeated had the weather stayed clear at Mannofield Park.The advantage was with Ireland at the end of the third day with Scotland on 72 for 5, needing another 226 runs with only the lower half of their batting order left. But heavy overnight showers and then some more this morning forced play to be delayed at first and finally abandoned at 2.42 pm.Scotland and Ireland claim three points each from the draw while the hosts gained another six because of a six-run first-innings lead.