All posts by h716a5.icu

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have gone wild for a transfer admission by manager Valerien Ismael concerning West Bromwich Albion duo Matheus Pereira and Sam Johnstone.

Both men have been heavily linked to the Hammers recently, with football.london believing West Ham are looking to sign Johnstone this summer as a replacement for Lukasz Fabianski.

Meanwhile, attacking midfield ace Pereira could be seen as an alternative to Jesse Lingard as West Ham eye a possible move this summer (Daily Express).

As per reports, both men could also go for cut prices, with the Athletic detailing Johnstone could be snapped up for in and around £10 million while Pereira is expected to cost around £25m (Daily Star on Sunday via Hammers News).

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Now, West Brom boss Ismael has dropped a transfer admission on both the reported West Ham targets – confirming he fully expects them to leave this summer (BT).

As this news emerges, taking into account the previous claims on price tags, many Irons supporters have pleaded with the club to get a deal done and raid the Championship club.

Indeed, there were no shortage of replies to West Ham Fan Zone, who shared Ismael’s admission and the valuation claims on Twitter.

Find all of their best verdicts down below.

West Ham fans plead for West Brom raid on Pereira and Johnstone

“This could be major for us!”

Credit: @LindsayWesker

“What are we waiting for??”

Credit: @RiceSZN_

“No brainer”

Credit: @alexjg0

“GET IT DONE”

Credit: @DanielLuker_

“Would be over the moon with these two”

Credit: @IronDragon87

“Please please please”

Credit: @whuabi

“Get it done Moyesy”

Credit: @billyspencer21

“Do it”

Credit: @MalmbergMelvin

In other news: Journalist makes 11-word West Ham transfer claim involving ‘phenomenal’ striker, find out more here.

HOBART, Dec 18 AAP – Queensland is looking for full points while Tasmania wants survival when last season’s Pura Cup finalists meet at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval tomorrow.

Don Woolford18-Dec-2002HOBART, Dec 18 AAP – Queensland is looking for full points while Tasmania wants survival when last season’s Pura Cup finalists meet at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval tomorrow.”We’re always looking for six points and that would be a nice Christmas present,” Queensland captain Jimmy Maher said today.Maher was confident that even without Andy Bichel, who’s with the Australian one-day side, and Michael Kasprowicz, who’s nursing a torn hamstring, he had the bowlers to dismiss the Tigers twice.”I think we have the best attack in Australia as a group,” he said.His other big weapon is Martin Love, who plundered an unbeaten double century for Australia A against England at his last Bellerive appearance.”He very rarely misses out down here, touch wood,” Maher said.”It’s a happy hunting ground.”But Maher knows that Tasmania started its drive towards the final by flogging the Bulls in the corresponding fixture last season.”Tasmania’s had a rough start to this season, but on their day they’re capable of beating anyone,” he said.Tasmanian captain Jamie Cox said his team, which is bottom and still without a win, had to beat Queensland to stay in contention.”If we can’t win this one, we’re gone,” he said.Cox felt there were some promising signs from the last two matches — a narrow loss that should have been a win to New South Wales and first innings points against Western Australia in Perth.”This game will be a great indicator as to whether we’ve really turned the corner,” he said.The Tigers go into the match unchanged while Queensland was saved from last minute disruption when the national selectors preferred Brad Hogg to Nathan Hauritz as Shane Warne’s replacement.Maher said it would be disappointing for Hauritz.”But he’s only 21 and I’m sure there’s plenty of cricket ahead for him,” Maher said.Teams.Tasmania: Jamie Cox (c), Sean Clingeleffer, Michael Dighton, Michael Di Venuto, Xavier Doherty, Adam Griffith, Shane Jurgensen, Scott Kremerskothen, Dan Marsh, Scott Mason, Ben Oliver, Damien Wright.Queensland: Jimmy Maher (c), Brendan Nash, Martin Love, Andrew Symonds, Stuart Law, Lee Carseldine, Wade Seccombe, Ashley Noffke, Nathan Hauritz, Joe Dawes, Damien MacKenzie, Scott Brant.

Ireland captain Heather Whelan will miss the three-ODI series with West Indies this month as she is expecting a child. Isobel Joyce will lead the side for the first time

Cricinfo staff13-Jun-2008Ireland captain Heather Whelan will sit out the three-ODI series with West Indies this month as she is expecting a child. Isobel Joyce will lead the side for the first time for the series which begins on June 24 and also includes a Twenty20, with Nicki Coffey her vice captain. The former skipper Clare Shillington has also been named in the 12-player squad.West Indies had managed to hastily arrange a tour of Ireland, England and Netherlands this summer in order to keep their World Cup ambitions on track. Although they had qualified for next year’s tournament in Australia – the ultimate prize in women’s cricket – they were in danger of missing out through having not played enough games.The European nations have stepped in to help and the matches will be useful experience for Ireland, who have missed out on both the World Cup and the World Twenty20 in England. Only the teams who qualified for the World Cup got to play in Twenty20 competition, and Ireland failed in the qualifiers in South Africa earlier this year.Squad Emma Beamish, Jean Carroll (wk), Nicki Coffey, Marianne Herbert, Cecelia Joyce, Amy Kenealy, Joanne McKinley, Ciara Metcalfe, Cathy Murphy, Eimear Richardson, Melissa Scott-Hayward, Clare Shillington.

Former manager and Football Insider pundit Alex McLeish has been reacting to Celtic’s links to midfielder Aaron Mooy.

The Lowdown: Mooy links

Australian Ange Postecoglou officially took over as Celtic manager earlier this month, and it hasn’t taken long for players from his native country to be linked with a move to Parkhead.

The Hoops are reportedly keen on goalkeeper Mat Ryan, whereas Australian news outlet The World’s Game believes Celtic could make an approach for Mooy.

The midfielder, capable of playing in a defensive, central or attacking role, is currently with Shanghai SIPG in China after leaving Brighton last summer.

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The Latest: McLeish reacts

McLeish was talking to Football Insider and brought up the links to Mooy, describing the former Manchester City man as a ‘terrific’ player.

“I saw them linked with Aaron Mooy. Did he start at Man City?

“Then he went to Huddersfield and then Brighton. He’s a terrific player and the type of player Celtic should be going for.

“He’s got energy to burn. Any time I’ve seen the guy, he’s very difficult to dispossess on the ball.

“I’m not saying he’s a dribbler but when he gets the ball and just when you think you’re going to tackle him, he’s already given it to somebody else. One of his teammates gets it and normally it’s a good pass.

“He is a guy with great football nous.” 

The Verdict: A huge pay cut would be required

If Celtic are indeed keen on Mooy and do make an approach, then the midfielder may need to take a big pay cut to return to Scotland.

The former St Mirren man agreed to a $180,000-a-week deal in China which is the equivalent of £130,000-a-week.

You’d expect that would need to be cut considerably if he wants to reunite with Postecoglou in Glasgow, with Celtic’s highest earner on the books now Callum McGregor on £20,000-a-week.

It looks set to be a busy summer for Postecoglou and the Hoops, but a deal for Mooy may not be realistic unless he takes a huge salary hit.

In other news: Hoops working on two deals amid McKay and Postecoglou’s Wembley meet up, find out more here. 

Somerset Cricket Museum continued it’s close association with the famous I Zingari Cricket Club when the curator Tony Stedall announced that Charles Clive Ponsonby-Fane had agreed to become the new patron

Richard Walsh21-Sep-2002Somerset Cricket Museum continued it’s close association with the famous I Zingari Cricket Club when the curator Tony Stedall announced that Charles Clive Ponsonby-Fane had agreed to become the new patron.Mr Ponsonby-Fane, who resides at Little Brympton near Yeovil will be well known in cricketing circles because it was his great great grandfather Sir Spencer Ponsonby- Fane who back in 1845 was joint founder of I Zingari, which is probably the most well known of all wandering cricket teams.Those who have visited the Somerset Cricket Museum will know that one of the most impressive exhibits which has pride of place is a display of I Zingari memorabilia.The I Zingari items on show at the museum consist of a remarkable collection of material relating to the club and were originally assembled by the new patron of the Somerset Cricket Museum at Brympton before being kindly loaned to the museum.Sir Spencer Ponsonby-Fane played most of his first class cricket for Surrey, but had a long association with Somerset County Cricket Club and between 1891 until he died in 1915 at the age of 91 he held the post of President of the club.Speaking for the museum Mr Stedall told me: "We are absolutely delighted that Mr Ponsonby-Fane has agreed to become our new patron."

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou had added former Hoops defender Erik Sviatchenko to a list of possible summer signings, according to the Daily Record.

The Lowdown: Sviatchenko’s continued success

The 29-year-old is still with Danish side FC Midtjylland after leaving Parkhead back in 2018 in a deal worth £1m.

The centre-back is Midtjylland’s captain, and after winning six major honours with the Hoops, has gone on to more success with his current employers. He’s lifted three more trophies in his second spell with Midtjylland, taking his career honour tally to 10.

Sviatchenko, who has five caps for Denmark to his name, still has three years remaining on his Midtjylland contract, but it seems as if Postecoglou could look to bring him back to Scotland.

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The Latest: Sviatchenko links

The Daily Record report that Sviatchenko is in line for a dramatic return to Glasgow, adding the centre-back has unfinished business at Celtic Park.

He’s on Postecoglou’s list of Celtic targets, with a Parkhead rebuild set to take shape under the Australian.

Sviatchenko, who is a big fan of Hoops coach John Kennedy, has a buy-out clause in his current deal and is also attracting interest from the Premier League.

The Verdict: A no brainer?

With Kristoffer Ajer confirming he wants to leave Celtic earlier this month, Postecoglou will more than likely be in search of multiple centre-back additions over the coming months.

Stephen Welsh will be the Hoops’ only fit senior centre-back on the books if Ajer leaves, with Christopher Jullien sidelined since the New Year.

Bringing in someone like Sviatchenko, who knows the club extremely well and what it takes to be successful, could be an excellent piece of business.

He’s made 63 appearances for Celtic, has turned out on 39 occasions in the Champions League and Europa League, and at 29, you’d expect Sviatchenko will still have plenty to offer over the coming years, should he seal a return to Scotland.

In other news: Hoops to offer ‘keeper long-term contract, find out more here. 

It’s a good thing the strong Pakistan speedster left Trent Bridge in a hurry in a Land Rover shortly before the start of the second day’s play

Anand Vasu11-Aug-2002It’s a good thing the strong Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar left Trent Bridge in a hurry in a Land Rover shortly before the start of the second day’s play.Akhtar, a former Nottinghamshire Outlaws player and the bowler of the fastest recorded ball in the history of the game, was down at Trent Bridge for a small recording stint with Channel4. After sending down a few characteristic deliveries for the cameras to catch, Akhtar wandered around to the Indian nets and exchanged words with several players.The speedster spent a few minutes talking about the experience just before he left the ground.”India – Pakistan cricket should be on. It is THE series we all look forward to,” he said, referring to a topic that occupies the interest of a majority of fans from the two countries.The way he wandered across to Harbhajan Singh and embraced him left no doubt about the relations between the teams.”There’s no problem between the players of our teams. We get on very well. I met all the Indians today and it was good to catch up with them. There’s a lot we have in common. We watch so many Hindi films in Pakistan — probably more than you even,” said Akhtar with a throaty laugh now laced with an English accent.Having been rested from the Pakistan team that plays a one-day triangular tournament against South Africa and Sri Lanka in Morocco soon, Akhtar made it clear that it was not on account of injury. “I’m not injured at all at the moment. No niggles even. I’m completely fit. Any injuries are a thing of the past.”Like all keen competitors, Akhtar was raring to take on the best in the world.”After the tournament in Morocco we play Australia in Kenya. I’m really looking forward to that. We’ve done well against them in the past and I want to beat them again. That will give me and the Pakistan team a lot of confidence,” he explained.Akhtar has been the centre of media attention since his debut, for a whole host of reasons, but recently hogged the limelight for his 100mph-plus delivery against New Zealand. Although there was controversy about the accuracy of the speed guns that recorded the feat, Akhtar insists it was an important moment.”I always wanted to break the 100mph mark and knew I could do it. I’m glad that I managed it. It’s good to have that behind me,” said Akhtar of the achievement.Speed apart, the paceman suggested that his career had advanced in leaps and bounds.”I’ve grown into a match-winner in recent years. I’ve been taking more and more wickets and winning matches for Pakistan. That is the most important thing. If I keep doing that, I know the speed will come on its own,” he explained.For his counterparts across the border, who all suffer in comparison, Akhtar had nothing but encouraging words.”Zaheer Khan looks sharp. He has good pace and importantly, the right attitude for a fast bowler. Nehra too moves the ball well and is promising. They both have the potential to become world-class bowlers,” he said.Sadly for the touring Indians though, there was hardly any evidence of this from the pair in question. Although Zaheer Khan redeemed himself by bowling well in patches, Nehra proved to be a complete disappointment in the second Test against England. Perhaps things might have been different if India had the services of the experienced Javagal Srinath. In this light Akhtar stressed on the contribution of Wasim Akram to Pakistan cricket.”Wasim bhai is a living legend. I’ve always looked up to him from when I was a kid. From the day I started playing for Pakistan he’s helped me and the other youngsters out tremendously,” he concluded.It might be too late for Srinath and too early to proclaim the arrival of Zaheer Khan and Nehra on the world stage, but the time is just ripe for Akhtar. At the top of his rhythm and ability he’s a devastating match-winner. And yes, we all know what a crowd puller he is.

Ipswich must seal a deal to sign centre-back Callum Connolly following his exit from Premier League side Everton.

What’s the talk?

Last month, TWTD reported that Ipswich are looking at Connolly as a potential target ahead of the upcoming transfer window to bolster their squad. Connolly spent the 2017/18 Championship campaign on loan to Ipswich from Everton and the club are now looking into the possibility of a return to Portman Road for the defender.

Everton have now confirmed that they have decided to release Connolly. The 23-year-old is out of contract at the end of the month and Everton have opted against renewing his deal, with Connolly now poised to become a free agent in July.

Former Fleetwood manager Joey Barton hailed the “superb” centre-back for his versatility and quality earlier this season. He told the Gazette:

“But the added bonus has been Callum Connolly. We thought he would give us versatility but every position he’s gone into, he’s just played better. He’s played left centre-half and was superb, then he flipped over to right centre-half and he was superb.”

Chambers 2.0

Ipswich and Paul Cook could be about to land Luke Chambers 2.0 if they are able to bring Connolly to the club on a free transfer this summer. The main comparison between the two players is that they are both leaders on the pitch. Simon Grayson arrived at Fleetwood in January and instantly made Connolly his captain for the rest of the campaign in League One. Chambers, who is set to leave Ipswich on a free this summer, has been the captain at Portman Road for the majority of his time in Suffolk and led the team on and off the pitch with pride.

They also play in the same positions on the pitch. Chambers and Connolly both played right-back and centre-back in League One this season for Ipswich and Fleetwood respectively. This proves that Connolly could come in and play the same roles that Chambers has been able to over the last decade or so, as both players are adept at playing in the heart of the defence and at fullback.

The £17k-per-week beast, Connolly, has already shown that he has the quality to excel at League One level. He averaged a superb WhoScored rating of 6.86 across 40 appearances on loan to Fleetwood in the 2020/21 campaign, starting 38 of those games at centre-back. This proves that he is a capable performer at this level and, at the age of 23, he could have the potential to play for the Blues for a very long time – just as Chambers was able to do.

AND in other news, Ipswich must seal swoop for “tremendous” £360k-rated beast, fans would be buzzing…

Leicestershire have expressed their delight at the selection of Darren Stevens and Matthew Whiley in the provisional squad announced for the England National Academy in Australia this winter

Leicestershire CCC11-Jul-2002Leicestershire have expressed their delight at the selection of Darren Stevens and Matthew Whiley in the provisional squad announced for the England National Academy in Australia this winter.Stevens, 26, has enjoyed an impressive first-half to the season and was named the club’s Bland-Bankart Player of the Month for May. He has hit four half centuries plus a score of 125 against Warwickshire in the Championship, and a brilliant 91 in a Norwich Union League match against Notts.Whiley, still only 22, joined Leicestershire from Notts at the start of last season, and is showing signs of developing into one of the quickest bowlers in the country.Head coach Phil Whitticase said: “In Whiley’s case you have to accept that he is still young and still learning. But he has good pace and the fact that he is a left-arm fast bowler is a good thing to have in your armoury. What he needs to work on is putting the ball in the right areas more consistently.”Stevens is an exciting talent with an array of attacking shots. He has worked hard on his game this season and the fact that he has now become established in the side had added to his confidence.When he is in full flow there is no more exciting young batsman in the game.”James Whitaker, Leicestershire’s secretary-manager said: “It is excellent news, and encouraging for the club, that two of our young players could be stepping onto the first rung of the ladder towards international recognition.We are delighted.”

Eighty runs from John Crawley saved Hampshire’s embarrassment as the struggled to save the follow on after Leicestershire has scored 428 in their first innings.

Vic Isaacs25-Apr-200280 runs from John Crawley saved Hampshire’s embarrassment as they struggled to save the follow-on after Leicestershire has scored 428 in their first innings.Vince Wells added just one to his overnight score before he edged Mullally to give Kenway his fourth slip catch. Following some lusty hitting from the veteran DeFreitas, the innings folded when three wickets fell in 22 balls.Will Kendall and Derek Kenway were dismissed cheaply, before skipper Robin Smith and John Crawley, batting at the Rose Bowl for his new county for the first time, revived the innings with a 70-run stand. Smith showed some of his fine array of strokes, driving the short ball hard to the boundary and playing off his legs much in his old style, before he fell to a sucker punch and was well caught at long-on by Carl Crowe.Crawley was a lone figure by now, with Johnson, Pothas and Udal departing quickly to the medium pace of Maddy and Dagnall. When he was finally out for 80, Crawley had struck nine fours.With Hampshire facing the follow-on, youngsters Chris Tremlett and James Hamblin stayed till close of play, but Hampshire still require another 34 to avoid it.
Bees buzzing
Photo Vic Isaacs
With so much going on at the Rose Bowl with the new pavilion, a remark was made as to the place buzzing. This was however taken seriously as a swarm of bees stretched across the playing fields as players and umpires lay flat on the ground, and as the bees moved towards the members enclosure, spectators were seen scurrying away. After the bees had settled on the advertising board an expert bee-keeper from the local council arrived to clear the danger.