All posts by h716a5.icu

A Dutch journalist has dropped an interesting update on Everton’s pursuit to try and sign Denzel Dumfries in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Coleman not getting younger

Given that Seamus Coleman is now 32, and will turn 33 years of age in October, the Merseyside club seriously need to start thinking about replacing him at right-back for the long-term.

Being the character that the Goodison skipper is, he will want someone to push him for his starting spot, and Dumfries could well be the answer.

The Latest: Dumfries update

Speaking on Dutch outlet Algemeen Dagblad’s podcast (via Sport Witness), journalist Mikos Gouna has claimed that Goodison Park faithful now face serious competition from Inter Milan to sign Dumfries, and also made a bold prediction with regards to the ace set to star for the Netherlands at Euro 2020:

“This boy will, of course, make a top transfer.

“I understand that Inter, for example, is also interested.

“He cost 5.5 million for PSV. Well, they will double that. They have already promised him that they will cooperate.”

The Verdict: Sign him

Dumfries scored a highly impressive four goals and supplied a further nine assists in 41 matches in total across all competitions in the 2020/21 season (Transfremarkt), showing just how much of an attacking threat he is, and at 25 years of age, is a lot younger then Coleman, and thus has a lot more time to continue to develop.

He is also the captain of his current club in PSV, similar to the Republic of Ireland international, meaning that leadership both on and off the pitch would not be lost if he took his starting place.

Marcel Brands is thought to be a big fan of his, which should give them even more of an incentive to sign him up.

In other news, find out what manager update has left Toffees buzzing here!

Kabir Ali has rounded off a memorable week by completing a hat trick of prestigious awards at the inaugural Worcestershire County Cricket Club Awards Dinner

Worcestershire CCC Media Release27-Sep-2002Kabir Ali has rounded off a memorable week by completing a hat trick of prestigious awards at the inaugural Worcestershire County Cricket Club Awards Dinner.The 21-year-old picked up the Hewett Recruitment Player of the Year Award and the Apollo 2000 Young Player of the Year, adding to the PCA Young Player of the Year title he was awarded earlier this week. Kabir was the County’s leading wicket taker in first class and one-day cricket this season and earned selection for ECB Academy this winter.He took 71 First Class wickets at an average of 25.08, becoming the third leading wicket taker in the country. During the season he took 5 five wicket hauls and had two ten wicket matches with a best bowling analysis of 7-43 v Oxford University and he also recorded best first class score with the bat with 51 not out v Northants.The Hewett Recruitment Player of the Year is awarded to the player who performed to the highest level over the course of the season. Performances in every First Class and One-Day fixture voted on by members of the media and Director of Cricket.The Apollo 2000 Yong Player of the Year is awarded to the outstanding young cricketer who has developed their talent and reached a consistently high level of performance during the season, as voted by the WCCC Coaching Staff.Vikram Solanki won the Premier Letting One-Day Player of the Year Award after a fine season in the abbreviated game scoring 929 runs at an average of 42.22 including two 100’s and 7 50’s.The Dick Lygon Award presented to the player who has made an outstanding contribution to the Club both on and off the field during the season, as voted by the Captain, Director of Cricket and President went to James Pipe.

A major update has emerged regarding Charlton’s chances of signing on Liverpool forward Liam Millar this summer.

What’s the talk?

According to Goal.com, the Premier League club are planning to send Liam Millar on loan to a Championship side next season following his spell with Charlton in League One last term.

This comes as a blow to the Londoners, who are reportedly interested in signing him for a second spell at The Valley after he impressed for the Addicks this year.

Back in January, former Charlton boss Lee Bowyer claimed that Millar is an “exciting” player and highlighted his pace as his main asset. He told cafc.co.uk: “He’s an exciting player, he wants to travel with the ball and he wants to go past people, that is what we need. It has been obvious, since we lost Alfie [Doughty] to injury, that we’ve lacked that pace to hit teams on the break and Liam is going to bring that to us as an option.”

Fans will be gutted

Charlton fans will likely be gutted by this news as it seemingly rules out the club’s chances of being able to sign Millar for another season on loan. Liverpool want to step up his development by sending him on loan to a higher division in the Championship, and the Addicks may not be able to convince the Premier League giants that another year in League One would be best for his progress.

Millar could potentially join a Championship club and fight for promotion to the top flight whilst playing regular football, which would be a step up from featuring in the third tier for the Addicks.

Missing out on the 21-year-old would be a blow to Charlton because of his fine performances for the club in the 2020/21 campaign. The Canadian winger provided the Londoners with two goals and six assists in 23 starts in League One, averaging an impressive WhoScored rating of 6.90 in the process. No Addicks player had more assists than Millar, which is some achievement given that he only joined the club midway through the season, and they could miss his creativity from wide areas.

The £3,000-per-week dynamo also ranked fifth in Charlton’s squad for average WhoScored ratings out of every player to feature in 10 or more games. This shows how vital he was to Nigel Adkins’ side and why fans may be gutted that it now seems unlikely the 21-year-old will be at The Valley next season.

Never say never in football, though, as Millar is still at Liverpool as it stands. If he does not get an attractive Championship offer and it gets late in the window, then the opportunity could arise for Charlton to swoop in if they are still interested in signing him.

AND in other news, Forget Solomon-Otabor: Sandgaard must seal Charlton swoop for 8 G/A beast instead – opinion

With just two days to go before the start of the Ashes series England opener Marcus Trescothick is in confident mood

SOMERSET04-Nov-2002With just two days to go before the start of the Ashes series England opener Marcus Trescothick is in confident mood.At the end of the third day of the final warm up game against Queensland at Brisbane he told told: "I’m looking forward to Thursday and hope that I can score a century in both innings, and that England win the first test match and the series."He continued:"I was disappointed to be run out when I was on 46 and would have liked to have scored more runs in the early matches. Thankfully my injury is feeling O.K. and I’m in good shape ahead of the match."Marcus told me that it has been very hot over in Brisbane and that there had just been a thunderstorm.Tuesday is going to be a day off for the England team ahead of the final day of preparation on Wednesday and Marcus told me that he was going to spend it `doing a bit of shopping’Regarding his Somerset team mate Andrew Caddick he told me: "Caddy is in good spirits and bowling well. He is also really looking forward to it."The left hander from Keynsham talked about comments that are being made by the Australians ahead of Thursdays Ashes opener. He told me: "We are getting a lot of stick wherever we go. People are coming up to us even when we are out for a meal and telling us that we are going down."Marcus had a message for all of the fans back in England. He told me: "Thank you for all your good wishes and support it means a lot to us to know that all of our supporters back at home are rooting for us."

Liverpool’s hopes of signing Kylian Mbappe this summer appear extremely slim, with journalist Fabrizio Romano claiming that a deal won’t happen.

The Lowdown: Liverpool eye up stunning Mbappe move

Mbappe is arguably one of the most exciting players in the world at the moment, catching the eye with his incredible pace and relentless end product, scoring 132 goals in 171 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain. He is the most valuable player in world football according to Transfermarkt, who rate him at an eye-watering £144m.

His current PSG deal runs out at the end of next season and Liverpool have been continually linked with making a hugely exciting move for him this summer.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

The Latest: Romano provides bleak update

Unfortunately, that looks unlikely to happen, if Romano is to be believed. Taking to Twitter to respond to a question regarding the current situation, he rather brutally claimed that ‘there’s nothing between Mbappe and Liverpool’, as things stand.

While the journalist might not always get it right, he is one of the most trusted reporters in football, and his update suggests that the prospect of seeing the French maestro in a Reds shirt next season seems increasingly unlikely.

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The Verdict: No great surprise

There is no doubt that this update is a blow to Liverpool fans, but it has always been difficult to see the Reds signing the 22-year-old when Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino are all still at Anfield, not to mention the frugality often shown by FSG in the transfer market.

It would be very difficult for Jurgen Klopp to keep all of his attacking players happy, especially with Diogo Jota also a strong option.

Liverpool’s best hopes of signing Mbappe could be as a replacement for Salah or Mane next summer, by which time both Anfield heroes will have turned 30.

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to the Reds’ rumoured interest in a Champions League-winning player. Find out who it is here.

Leeds United will have to pay around £4m if they want to sign Hibernian defender Josh Doig this summer, according to journalist Ross Pilcher.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with Doig move

The Whites have been linked with a move for the 19-year-old, who has impressed for Hibs, making 24 appearances with a goal and three assists in the Scottish Premiership last term.

Doig could potentially move on this summer, with a number of clubs keen on snapping him up, including Leeds and Brighton, as a move to England beckons.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: Journalist provides update on Doig

Speaking to Sussex Live, the Daily Record’s Pilcher gave an important update on the young defender’s future, quoting the amount that Leeds would need to pay to prise him away from Easter Road. He reported:

“From what I understand, Cochrane was one they were aware of seeing as they have Josh Doig and Lewis Stevenson for left-back already, wasn’t really an issue.

“The big one will be at left-back if Doig goes and at and center-back if they sell [Ryan] Porteous, although they might look to add there anyway.

“I imagine they’ll [Hibernian] look to see if they can fill gaps with decent youngsters from Brighton rather than target any specifically for starting spots.

“My best guess would be someone comes the other way on loan if Brighton sign Doig, or they need a backup striker (which they do). Kevin Nisbet is their main man and top scorer so is going to play.

“I know they’ve been keeping tabs although only Watford have made a bid so far which has been knocked back. Hibs will be looking for about £4million.”

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The Verdict: Huge long-term potential

While it is important that Marcelo Bielsa signs readymade players for Leeds this summer, it is also vital that they plan for the future, ensuring that their current momentum continues for years to come.

Doig would be a signing who represents the long-term future at Elland Road – Hibs manager Jack Ross has described him as ‘excellent’ in the past – possessing the potential to be an exciting addition and possibly even fill in from time to time in the first team.

Left-back is an area which needs addressing, with Ezgjan Alioski likely to move on from Yorkshire, and the Scot could be a handy backup for someone like Junior Firpo, who could join imminently.

In other news, Leeds are believed to have made contact with one summer target – find out who it is here.

MELBOURNE, Nov 8 AAP – A pair of teenagers led an outstanding effort from Victoria’s depleted bowling attack here today in the Pura Cup cricket match against Queensland.

Roger Vaughan08-Nov-2002MELBOURNE, Nov 8 AAP – A pair of teenagers led an outstanding effort from Victoria’s depleted bowling attack here today in the Pura Cup cricket match against Queensland.Rob Cassell snared 4-33 in his first-class debut and former Australian under-19 team-mate Cameron White took 2-30 as Victoria rolled the Bulls for 187 on day one at the MCG.The Bushrangers were 1-40 at stumps, with Matthew Elliott 31 and Graeme Rummans on nine.Queensland collapsed from 4-165 at tea, with Cassell bowling Lee Carseldine on the first ball after the break for his first wicket at this level.Cassell and White, both aged 19, shared the wickets between them and Andrew Symonds top-scored with 92 as Queensland lost 6-22 after tea.”We followed our plans really well today, we’ve got some team bowling plans and we didn’t falter throughout the day,” Cassell said.”I wasn’t really expecting to get a game at all…I consider myself pretty lucky.”I was quite nervous with the first couple of balls I bowled – I just wanted to land them on the pitch.”Cassell followed the example of his Melbourne club team-mate Shane Harwood, who took a hat-trick on debut and finished with six wickets for the match last week as Victoria beat Tasmania.Harwood (back), Ian Harvey (back) and Ian Hewett (knee) were all ruled out this morning, while captain Shane Warne returned to national duty.Nick Jewell was made 12th man, meaning four changes to the side.Apart from Cassell, Will Carr and Jon Moss came in and Andrew McDonald was a late inclusion.Cassell and his team-mates only found out the composition of the team when they arrived at the ground this morning, with selectors giving the injured players every chance to prove their fitness.”I didn’t get too much sleep last night,” Cassell admitted.Victoria was expected to struggle against Queensland’s strong batting lineup, but Carr had captain Jimmy Maher well-caught in close for 22 after the Bulls won the toss.Moss removed opener Brendan Nash for 13 and Stuart Law two balls later for a duck and from there only Symonds took it up to the Victorian bowlers.Symonds clubbed 16 fours in his innings, but even he had some trouble with White’s leg-spin.Carr also bowled Symonds on 35, but it was a no-ball.Victoria’s innings started badly when Jason Arnberger shouldered arms to Ashley Noffke and was bowled, leaving his side 1-0.The Bushranger bats have earnt a bad reputation in the last couple of seasons for letting their bowlers down, making a poor opposition score look suddenly good by comparison.But Elliott and Rummans made sure there was no further damage in the hour before stumps.

England have staged a remarkable revival on the second day of the first Test at the Gabba, dismissing Australia for 492 and ending the day in the relatively strong position of 158 for the loss of just one wicket

Claire Killeen08-Nov-2002England have staged a remarkable revival on the second day of the first Test at the Gabba, dismissing Australia for 492 and ending the day in the relatively strong position of 158 for the loss of just one wicket. After Ashley Giles took four wickets for the tourists, Marcus Trescothick and Mark Butcher both completed unbeaten half centuries.Resuming at 2/364, Australia crumbled and their middle order failed. Only Shane Warne (57) provided any stability down the order. Matthew Hayden (197) was out early, caught behind off the glove as he looked to cash in on an Andrew Caddick (3/108) short ball. The left-hander looked tired after his marathon innings yesterday – it was probably his determination rather than his strokeplay that got him as close as he did to the double century.After the departure of Hayden, Damien Martyn (26), Steve Waugh (7) and Darren Lehmann (30) did nothing to cement their places in the team. Martyn needed runs to justify his promotion to number four. Waugh, under ever-increasing pressure to justify his place, was caught at leg gully off Caddick. Lehmann is returning to Test cricket after an absence of nearly four years. All three missed a chance to boost their confidence for the remainder of the series.With Adam Gilchrist out without scoring, Warne was the only contributor from the lower order. His rapid 50 included eight boundaries, but his team-mates were pinned down by the England bowlers’ improved line and length. They all bowled better than yesterday, particularly Giles (4/101) and Craig White (2/105), who changed the tempo of the match for their captain.After Warne eventually fell to Caddick, the stitching completely unravelled. Lehmann and Andy Bichel were dismissed by consecutive balls from Giles, and although Jason Gillespie denied the left-arm spinner a hat-trick. Glenn McGrath did not trouble the scorers and added the third duck to the Australian scorecard.The England openers Trescothick (63*) and Vaughan (33) got off to a flyer. Vaughan was particularly aggressive, smashing McGrath (1/57) out of the attack, taking 23 off his first four overs. Vaughan hit the lanky pace bowler to all parts of the ground, showing no respect for the number one ranked bowler in the world.Although McGrath got his own back when Vaughan nicked a ball that nipped back off the seam through to Gilchrist, that was the only joy for Australia, as England dealt confidently with Warne (0/46) and Bichel (0/40). Gillespie, apparently injured, bowled just three overs.Trescothick was dropped twice, by Martyn at slip and Hayden at point. It may cost Australia dearly, as both he and Butcher have gone on to post half centuries. The dropping of Mark Waugh has resulted in players shifting from their regular positions. Martyn has moved to second slip, with Ponting moving into third and Steve Waugh moving into the cover region.England’s recovery has set up what could be an enthralling third day, with Australia needing to regroup and focus on playing positive cricket, much as the tourists did today.

Mohamed Salah had a ‘strong desire’ to represent Egypt in this summer’s Olympic Games before Liverpool blocked his participation. 

That’s according to Shawky Gharib, the coach of the squad heading to Tokyo.

In his interview with Egyptian outlet MCB Masr (via This is Anfield), he conceded that the Reds were within their rights to withdraw Salah from contention.

Could this be a source of tension between Salah and Liverpool?

Gharib’s claim comes as Liverpool reportedly prepare to open contract talks with the forward, who has entered the final two years of his deal. Salah has not yet decided whether he will commit to another long-term deal at Anfield.

The 29-year-old is already set to miss a chunk of the 2021/22 season, with the Africa Cup of Nations returning to its mid-season slot. The tournament is scheduled for 9 January to 6 February, a window which includes two Premier League matches – Brentford at home and Crystal Palace away.

Fan feed Anfield Watch relayed Gharib’s comments, and here’s what some Reds supporters made of those words.

Liverpool fans react as Salah’s Olympic hopes thwarted

“I see a major problem developing”

Credit: @PhilPhenom

“The Egypt FA should have a strong desire to pay his salary.”

Credit: @Kethamz

“I’d believe it. But it’s gotta be either/or. Both is too much”

Credit: @keepmoremoney

“Eh AFCON > Olympics, I’m fine with it, let other players try to shine & let Salah get a good start to the season. Win win”

Credit: @EssamHafiz

“Olympics or AFCON, but it can’t be both. Especially with #LFC not buying any coverage up top so far.”

Credit: @WonderBoy3589

“Sorry Mo lad but you’re needed elsewhere!”

Credit: @Davies_1978

In other news, this forward is set to leave Anfield. 

“It won’t happen again this series,” was New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming’s commitment about the catching in the slips cordon after his side went unpunished for errors by India in the first National Bank Test at Wellington’s Basin Reserve today

Lynn McConnell12-Dec-2002″It won’t happen again this series,” was New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming’s commitment about the catching in the slips cordon after his side went unpunished for errors by India in the first National Bank Test at Wellington’s Basin Reserve today.Four possible chances went begging, two of them missed, and two, amazingly not attempted.”Our catching behind the wicket, which is something we pride ourselves on, was very poor today.”We didn’t get hurt, they didn’t hurt us. There was probably 20 runs we lost through that but the danger, or risk, of letting opportunities slip, we can’t let that happen with a good batting side.”Fleming said each catch missed had its own characteristics and each “had a bit of heat on them” as Shane Bond was getting some good speed on the ball but they were catching mistakes that the side needed to, and would, get rid of.He was making no excuses for lack of match play being a factor and pointed out that in the games he played with Wellington the side had picked up 17 catches behind the wicket so he had certainly had a good look.The speed Bond had generated and the fact two were tough chances had been a factor also.”There are no excuses. It won’t happen again and we will get better this series,” Fleming said.While there was bounce in the pitch, Fleming said it was a wicket with good pace which was the way he hoped New Zealand would go in wicket development and he said the Basin Reserve and Eden Park had both been pitches with those qualities.New Zealand thought at one stage they might be looking to hold India to 150 but Rahul Dravid’s class had come through for his side and in the end New Zealand were happy enough with 160.”I would have liked a little bit less but we will do the work with the bat tomorrow,” he said.The batsmen had to apply themselves on the particular wicket, but they were given a good lesson by Dravid and were keen to attack a little more on the second day.If the New Zealanders could get some momentum to their game, and get more fieldsmen in front of the wicket that would be a key to survival, he said.Asked what he thought would be a good score, Fleming said: “800!”But he added that New Zealand needed to do a lot of batting over the next two days to take advantage of their situation in the match.