Category Uncategorized

Graeme Swann insists there will be no hangover from England’s Ashes-retaining heroics in Melbourne as they eye a first series win in Australia in 24 years

Peter English01-Jan-2011Graeme Swann insists there will be no hangover from England’s Ashes-retaining heroics in Melbourne as they eye a first series win in Australia in 24 years. The tourists partied hard after holding on to the trophy at the MCG but Swann, who details some of the exploits in his latest video diary, said everyone had re-focused on finishing the Test campaign on a high.”It’s been sorted out already,” Swann said after training at the SCG. “We haven’t had celebrations going on for many days. We had one night out after the game, you should celebrate a Test victory and an Ashes-retaining victory heavily. I tried to a lead a merry dance, but that was one night and we’ve moved on.”England will face an unfamiliar Australian line-up after the captain Ricky Ponting was ruled out with a broken finger. That has provided Michael Clarke with his first game in charge and Usman Khawaja, the No.3, and Michael Beer, the spinner, are both expected to debut. It should mean that England have a huge advantage with all their experience, but Swann remains wary of so many news faces.”On one hand there is a whole pile of pressure on them because it is a New Year’s Test match and they will be shaking like big dogs, but on the other hand coming in for your first game can be the best time you ever play because you don’t know what it is all about,” he said. “You’ve not got the pressure on your back … You have to hope it goes the first way as you don’t want two people on debut and one getting a five-for and the other a hundred.”Swann has 13 wickets for the series and has been satisfied with his contributions in the wins in Adelaide and Melbourne, but he starts this Test with different expectations on him. This pitch is traditionally a slow bowler’s surface and England will look to him to provide significant damage.”You always look forward to bowling on pitches renowned for spin, but that can bring pressure as well if people expect it to turn square like Sydney did 15 years ago,” he said. “I’m reliably informed by people in Australia that it doesn’t turn like it used to, but it will offer some assistance later on in the game.”Swann’s 64 Test wickets were the most in 2010 and he has been a key man in a series of England successes. “It’s been pretty much a dream year,” he said. “I got married in January, won the Twenty20World Cup [in May], retained the Ashes in December. If 2011 can be anything like that, I will be over the moon. It’s been a dream period for me.”We’ve played some very good cricket and there are not many England players who can say they have played in two Ashes, won one, retained the other and won a [Twenty20] World Cup. I’m pretty chuffed the way the last 12 months have gone.”Swann is not sitting back enjoying the view because there is still work to be done to ensure this side is the first since Mike Gatting’s in 1986-87 to win the Ashes in Australia. “In South Africa last year I thought I’d draw a line under the end of the year and we got absolutely hammered at the Wanderers,” he said. “I’m going to draw a line under this series after the series and hopefully we can win 3-1.”

Corrie van Zyl, the South Africa coach, has said that Mark Boucher needs to do more in order to reclaim his place in South Africa’s limited-overs squads

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Sep-2010

Corrie van Zyl, the South Africa coach, has said that Mark Boucher needs to do more in order to reclaim his place in South Africa’s limited-overs squads. Boucher, who continues to keep wicket in Tests, was omitted from the ODI and Twenty20 squads for the home series against Zimbabwe and the tour of the UAE.”I spoke to him [Boucher] about certain aspects of his game that need to improve,” van Zyl told . “He is thoroughly aware of the reasons [for the omission].” Boucher will be playing for the Warriors in the domestic MTN40 series and van Zyl said it was an opportunity for Boucher to prove himself. In his last 10 ODI innings Boucher, 33, averaged 21.87 with a high score of 31 not out.South Africa had used AB de Villiers as wicketkeeper during the limited-overs leg of their tour of the West Indies in May as they sought to fine tune their team combination ahead of the 2011 World cup. He will keep wicket once again during the ODIs against Zimbabwe and Pakistan, while Heino Kuhn, the Titans wicketkeeper, will be used for the Twenty20s against Zimbabwe.van Zyl also said that Herschelle Gibbs, 36, who last played for South Africa during the ODI series against India in February, could still make his way back into the ODI squad. Gibbs is scheduled to play Twenty20 cricket in Australia and New Zealand and van Zyl said his recall would depend on his form and whether South Africa needed a batsman like him in their ODI squad.The first ODI between South Africa and Zimbabwe is on October 15 in Bloemfontein. The ODI series between South Africa and Pakistan begins on October 29 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke believes it would be a ‘big coup’ if Leeds bring Barcelona’s Sergino Dest to Elland Road this summer, GiveMeSport report.

The Lowdown: Dest links

Leeds were linked with a move for Dest at the end of March, with sources suggesting that the right-back is on Victor Orta’s radar alongside RB Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-04-02T155252Z_391313781_UP1EI421841M9_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-SOU-REPORT.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The 21-year-old has played as a full-back and winger on both flanks this season but is primarily a right-back.

The USA international still has over three years remaining on his Nou Camp deal, and O’Rourke has been having his say on a possible deal for the £16.2m-rated defender.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

Talking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke said that ‘it would be a big, big coup’ if Leeds managed to land Dest over the coming months, believing that he may be a man in demand this summer.

“I can see Leeds monitoring his situation. It would be a big, big coup if they were able to bring him to Elland Road in the summer.

“I’m sure there will be a lot of clubs looking at Dest, who has performed well for the United States over the last couple of years, especially if Barcelona are willing to sell him.”

The Verdict: Interesting…

Raphinha has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona, so Leeds could look to enquire over bringing Dest to Yorkshire plus receiving cash in a deal for the Leeds star – it may even give them a head start on other sides looking to sign Dest.

Some supporters may be cautious, though, with Junior Firpo not exactly starring in his first campaign after signing from the Catalan giants last summer.

Dest does look like a promising talent who is also extremely versatile, so a move to link up with fellow countryman Jesse Marsch could be one to watch over the coming months.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano reveals big transfer blow for Leeds as key 21 y/o target now set to move elsewhere

According to talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, Southampton did not make any attempt to sign Dele Alli this month, despite previous reports linking him with the club.

The Lowdown: Dele Alli’s recent struggles

Alli has faced a tough period in his career over the last year, having lost his place in Tottenham’s starting XI. The 25-year-old has made just two Premier League starts under current Spurs manager Antonio Conte, totalling a meagre six appearances during the Italian’s reign so far.

As a result, the playmaker has been linked with a move away from N17, and it seems that a breakthrough has been made regarding his exit from north London.

Fabrizio Romano took to Twitter to report the news, saying: ‘Dele Alli to Everton, done deal and here we go! Full agreement reached with Tottenham, permanent move subject to medical in the next few hours. It’s done.’

The Latest: Saints fail to move for Alli

According to talkSPORT journalist Crook on Twitter, Southampton made no effort to sign Alli from Tottenham during the January transfer window, stating: “Also reliably informed #SaintsFC did not make any attempt to sign Dele Alli this window”.

This is despite previous reports linking the 25-year-old with the south coast club, with Ralph Hasenhuttl an admirer of the England international.

The Verdict: Missed opportunity

Despite his poor form, Alli could have been a fantastic option for Southampton, who have now missed the opportunity to pull off a late transfer in January. This could have been similar to the Takumi Minamino loan move from this time last year, which proved to be relatively successful.

Once hailed as ‘good enough for Real Madrid’, it seems ridiculous that Southampton would not have gone in for the Spurs ace, particularly when he seems set to be leaving on a free, with a £10m fee following clauses being met. Having totalled 91 career goals, Alli could have been of real use to Hasenhuttl, as he would’ve bolstered the Saints’ attacking options with proven top-flight quality.

If Southampton want to push higher up the league table, they will need to meet £100,000-per-week demands. Otherwise, they won’t be able to secure many players of significant quality in today’s inflated market.

In other news: Southampton are till in talks over this striker

Bowling change of the day
Luke Wright made a memorably succinct contribution to England’s World Twenty20 victory over Australia – his solitary over of the tournament produced the wicket of Cameron White and stifled the run-rate with five singles. Today, however, he didn’t have to wait nearly so long to get involved, as Andrew Strauss called him into action in the 14th over, midway through the bowling Powerplay. With visible self-belief, he bounded to the crease with the vigour of a Labrador puppy, removed Tim Paine with his second delivery, then had Ricky Ponting caught at fine leg for initial figures of 3-1-7-2.Anchor of the day
For all his indubitable class, Michael Clarke has never quite convinced as a limited-overs batsman, and as captain in the Caribbean recently, he singled himself out as a scapegoat after coming in at No. 3 in the final and plodding his way to a run-a-ball 27. So, what is there to say about his latest effort – 87 not out from 97 balls? On the one hand, it met the needs of his team entirely, as he stabilised the innings from a dicey 98 for 4, and enabled Australia to bat out the remaining 28 overs of their innings. On the other hand, it lacked a critical final measure of oomph, as 12 singles and a two from his final 13 balls would testify. With better support, it might not have mattered, but in a new-look side, the onus was on Clarke to be anchor and impetus.Innings of the day
It was left to England’s Irishman to demonstrate how to recover a one-day innings, from a near-identical scoreline of 97 for 4. Eoin Morgan waited 19 balls today for his first boundary, a bout of circumspection that compared to his 27-ball wait during his Test debut against Bangladesh last month. But whereas on that occasion, he gave his start away with a loose dab on 44, this time he ground urgently through the gears to leave the Aussies needing (and lacking) inspiration to dislodge him. He broke the run-chase with 10 fours in the space of his next 34 balls, the most audacious of which was a flippant uppercut for a one-bounce four over third man. The remainder of the innings was a cruise, but he still sealed it in style with an 85-ball hundred.Let-off of the day
Kevin Pietersen is playing his last “home” international at the Rose Bowl, after the announcement that he will be leaving Hampshire at the end of the summer. In five-and-a-half seasons, he has managed seven Championship matches, 17 List-As and two Twenty20 appearances, so this hardly amounted to a teary-eyed farewell, but it ought to have been more anticlimactic than his eventual 29 from 36. While still on 0, and facing up to Ryan Harris, he played loosely away from his body for Paine to claim what sounded like a faint snick. The umpire was unmoved, but later Snickometer replays suggested KP was a bit lucky.Debut of the day
Last month, the 21-year-old Steven Finn announced himself as the next big thing in England’s bowling ranks, as his 6’7″ frame routed Bangladesh in consecutive Tests at Lord’s and Old Trafford. Though he’s now being hidden during this five-match Ashes appetizer, the Aussies have had no such qualms about blooding their own lanky rookie, with the 19-year-old Josh Hazlewood becoming the youngest ODI debutant in their history. At 6’5″, he is a fraction shorter than Finn, but on initial inspection, he’s no less a prospect. He started nervously as Pietersen crunched his first ball for four, and eventually conceded 41 in seven overs. But his cross-seam cutter to bowl Craig Kieswetter was a peach, and it was notable that Ponting trusted him with a slip in a hunt for mid-innings wickets. On this occasion, the ploy failed, but many fine careers have been launched in defeat.Superfluous expenditure of the day
On the day that George Osborne announced stringent cuts in the government’s emergency budget, the Rose Bowl authorities were on hand to demonstrate that not everyone’s purse-strings require the same amount of tightening. The summer solstice has only just passed, and with the sun eventually setting at 9.23pm this was in fact the third-longest day of the year, not to mention one of the hottest. There wasn’t a whole lot of need for the floodlights that blazed away from the end of Australia’s innings, and didn’t really play any significant role until the final 15 overs of England’s run-chase. Still, they looked impressive, as indeed did the rest of the ground. Nine years after its inauguration, Hampshire’s international venue is finally coming into its own.

MatériaMais Notícias

Tottenham Hotspur could look to move more players on in the summer transfer window…

What’s the word?

That is according to reliable football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, who dropped an intriguing claim about Antonio Conte’s future plans after his first attempt at shifting around the squad at Hotspur Way.

Spurs made two additions from Juventus in Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski but saw as many as four players depart on deadline day.

And Gold believes that further exits could happen at the end of the season.

“I get the feeling there will be more departures in the summer because Conte will have identified those players he wanted out now and those who he could use until the end of the season before upgrading them,” he claimed during a Q&A with supporters this week.

Clearing out the deadwood

This is certainly an interesting comment from one of the most trustworthy journalists when it comes to anything Spurs related, though it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

Conte, a Premier League and FA Cup winner with Chelsea, must be backed and if that means shifting more players on ahead of next year, then that’s exactly what chairman Daniel Levy and sporting director Fabio Paratici must do.

Truth be told, it’s something that has long been needed in N17 and the club’s recent moves are merely just the start.

A lot of the players that were around during the Mauricio Pochettino era still remain but there were signs even in the summer that the Italian supremo was making a change.

The likes of Erik Lamela and Moussa Sissoko have moved on permanently, whilst there appears to be no way back for either of their club-record signings, Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso, after leaving in January on loan with options to buy for their respective sides.

As Gold suggests, there are a few options that still remain as Conte will still be able to get a tune out of them, such as Matt Doherty and Harry Winks, who are going to be valuable squad players over the second half of the season but they perhaps have no right to be in the Italian’s long-term plans.

Ultimately, that should leave much of the fanbase excited about what might lie ahead for the future of this squad. Conte appears to be in it for the long haul within a few windows, he will surely have built a squad of players that he wants at the club.

AND in other news, Levy masterclass: Spurs just played a blinder over “unplayable” £34.2m-rated disaster…

MatériaMais Notícias

Após voltar ao futebol depois de sobreviver ao acidente aéreo e garantir vaga na Libertadores de 2018 junto a Chapecoense, o lateral Alan Ruschel realizou mais um sonho ao se casar com a jovem gaúcha Marina Storchi. A cerimônia foi realizada no sábado, em Bento Gonçalves, na Serra Gaúcha.

Em seu perfil no Instagram, o jogador publicou uma foto ao lado da esposa e relatou o sentimento de selar sua união com Marina, que viajou à Colômbia, quando namorada, para acompanhar seu tratamento e luta pela recuperação do acidente.

– Momento único e muito importante nas nossas vidas. Noite inesquecível!!! Obrigado a todos que fizeram parte da noite de ontem com a gente #Sr&Sra Ruschel – escreveu o lateral.

O goleiro Jackson Follmann e o zagueiro Neto, que também sobreviveram a tragédia, marcaram presença no casamento e subiram no palco para cantar ao lado do noivo durante a festa.

RelacionadasBrasileirãoRelembre alguns golaços do Brasileirão 2017Brasileirão08/12/2017ChapecoenseDanilo Barcelos entra na mira da Chape para suprir saída de ReinaldoChapecoense08/12/2017CorinthiansPrioridade para Carille, defesa vira dor de cabeça no Timão após saídasCorinthians09/12/2017

Kings XI Punjab ahead of the third season of the IPL is a long injury list, but they will be relieved that Yuvraj Singh is on track to play the first match

Siddarth Ravindran01-Mar-2010One of the major concerns for Kings XI Punjab ahead of the third season of the IPL is a long injury list, but they will be relieved that Yuvraj Singh, one of their most important players, is likely to be fit in time for the first game against Delhi Daredevils.Yuvraj tore a ligament in his left wrist in late January and missed the second Test against Bangladesh and the entire series against South Africa that ended two days ago. He had been to Australia last week for treatment and is now looking forward to resuming batting. “I will start batting in three days,” he told Cricinfo. “It’s been five weeks (since the injury), so yes, I should be good for the first game.”Punjab were one of the best teams in the inaugural IPL, cruising into the semi-finals, but had a tough time in the second season, affected by the injuries to fast bowlers Sreesanth and Jerome Taylor, and the unavailability of Australian players for much of the competition.Yuvraj has targeted at least a semi-final spot this year, and believes one of the keys to a strong performance will be having the entire squad fit and available for the tournament. “We had a good first year, made the semi-finals easily when we had our full bench of players,” he said. “So if we have our full bench of players not injured, we have a good chance of going through to the semi-finals.”They have several important players struggling for fitness, though. Australian batsman Shaun Marsh, their standout performer in the first IPL season, became the latest worry after he was ruled out of the upcoming one-day internationals against New Zealand due to a back problem.Their most expensive overseas player, fast bowler Brett Lee, is also beset with fitness problems. (However, IPL chairman Lalit Modi said in his Twitter page that Lee is arriving in India tomorrow). Lee is recovering from a painful elbow surgery that ruled him out of the entire Australian home summer campaign, and said a couple of weeks ago that he might never bowl again. He has only played two matches since spearheading New South Wales’ march to the Champions League title last October.”We have a few injuries but we still have a bit of time to get fit for the first game,” Yuvraj said. Besides fitness issues, the lack of quality Indian batting back-up for Yuvraj is another of Punjab’s drawbacks, which makes it vital that allrounder Irfan Pathan recovers from the back injury that has kept him out of the preliminary squad of the ICC World Twenty20 in the Caribbean.

Manchester United could secure themselves a bargain deal in the January transfer window after being linked with a move for Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele.

What’s the story?

According to Mundo Deportivo (as relayed by The Express), United have joined the race for the 24-year-old but he’s been offered a new salary of £9.4m to stay at the Nou Camp for the foreseeable future.

Manager Xavi Hernandez has reportedly expressed his desire for Dembele to stay put in the negotiations, and although the France international wants to remain at Barca, he has been offered significantly more money by other clubs.

The drawn-out talks have seen Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and the Red Devils circle for the youngster’s signature, with the latest updates claiming he has decided to call an end to his time in Catalonia.

Spanish journalist Jota Jordi has claimed that despite Xavi insisting he will be a key part of his plans, Dembele is set to snub the offer of a new deal, opening the door to an imminent exit.

“Dembélé has told Xavi not to count on him for next year. They are going to try to convince him, I understand. He can negotiate with whoever he wants in 25 days,” Jota told El Chiringuito.

Ralf Rangnick could seal a bargain deal

Dembele rose to prominence at Borussia Dortmund after departing boyhood club Rennes and was regarded as one of the world’s most promising stars when he joined Barca for a fee potentially rising to £135.5m back in August 2017.

Then Rennes sporting director Mikael Silvestre and former United defender compared him to a young Cristiano Ronaldo, saying: “I saw Cristiano Ronaldo arrive at the same age at Manchester United, and Ousmane has the same characteristics, which remind me of a young Cristiano.”

However, injuries have significantly hampered the flying winger’s progress and game time ever since he arrived at the La Liga giants.

Across his four-and-a-half-year spell with the Blaugrana, Dembele has failed to start over 20 La Liga games in a single season, scoring 30 goals and providing 21 assists in his 121 appearances.

But he has continued to show flashes of his truly world-class potential when fit and available for selection, earning praise from former teammate and seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi.

“On the pitch, he’s a phenomenon. It’s up to him where he ends up, he could be one of the best,” Messi is quoted by Sport as saying in December 2018. “He’s young, and he is adapting.”

Therefore, the £287,000-per-week ace could prove to be a real bargain if interim manager Ralf Rangnick can secure his services in a cut-price deal in January, or on a free next summer.

With Edinson Cavani out of contract in the red half of Manchester at the end of the current campaign, the 20-time English champions will need some attacking reinforcements and Dembele could be the ideal candidate.

And, in other news…Man Utd could find perfect Rangnick heir in 48 y/o who’s in a “Brendan Rodgers-mould”