All posts by h716a5.icu

Speaking to Football Insider, talkSPORT pundit Danny Mills has praised chairman Daniel Levy amid the ‘absolute mess’ at Tottenham Hotspur surrounding the Harry Kane transfer saga fall out.

The Lowdown: Kane fails to secure move away…

Since the beginning of the summer, Spurs star Kane was heavily linked with a move to Premier League champions Manchester City and their manager Pep Guardiola even confirmed interest in him.

The 28-year-old reiterated his desire to leave Tottenham in May as he presumably contemplated the prime of his career and the clock ticking away when it comes to shots at winning silverware.

However, after an exit failed to materialise, Kane then announced he was staying in north London as pundit Mills drops a claim on the fall out of this transfer saga.

The Latest: Mills praises Levy…

Following the end of Kane’s exit links which seemed to drone on for months, Mills has now praised chairman Levy for sticking to his guns and refusing to budge on asking price.

Meanwhile, he has also criticised the Tottenham star’s PR team and their handling of the rumoured gentleman’s agreement.

“The relationship is going to be a little bit strained,” he told Football Insider when asked about Kane’s situation.

“Fair play to Daniel Levy, he’s stuck to his guns and said – ‘Unless we get a ridiculous fee, you’re staying’.

“We’ve had all this speculation about a gentleman’s agreement, about coming back from training on time, and more.

“None of this has come from Levy. It’s all been started by Harry Kane and the interview with Gary Neville.

“Tottenham just kept their powder dry, the way it has been dealt with by Kane and his PR team is an absolute shambles.

“Why not come out and reveal this gentleman’s agreement? Harry Kane has not come out looking good in this, it’s an absolute mess.”

The Verdict: Interesting times ahead…

Over these next few months, it will certainly be interesting to see how the England international restores his reputation with supporters after his attempt to engineer an N17 exit.

You could argue, with Kane slowly approaching the twilight phase of his career, that his desire to win silverware is natural but fans will also be overjoyed that their most crucial player looks to to be with them for the foreseeable future.

Nuno Espirito Santo can now build his team around the forward who clinched a sensational 2020/2021 Golden Boot last season.

In other news: Spurs chiefs left seething over N17 exit gaffe as Gold drops behind the scenes reveal, find out more here.

A round-up of the fifth day of the first-round matches in the 2008-09 Royal Bank of Scotland Cup

Cricinfo staff17-Mar-2009Group AThe Rawalpindi Rams drubbed the Abbottabad Rhinos by ten wickets at the United Bank Limited Sports Complex. Babar Naeem’s decision to field first proved a good decision as his bowlers kept the opposition to a paltry 126 in 31.1 overs, and then the captain biffed an unbeaten 82 in 56 balls to take Rawalpindi to a massive win. Led by new-ball operator Rashid Latif, Rawalpindi had Abbottabad in early trouble and they never recovered. Latif took three wickets and was well supported by the rest of the attack and from 76 for 7 this was always one-way traffic. The highest contributions to a poor total was the captain Ghulam Mohammed and tailender Rashid Mansoor’s equal 23. The rout was completed by the opening pair of Naeem and Naved Malik, who slammed 127 in just 16.5 overs. Naeem hit 14 fours and a pair of sixes in his whirlwind innings and Malik a comparatively sedate 42 from 46 balls.The Hyderabad Hawks also chased down their target without much fuss at the Niaz Stadium. Having kept the winless Quetta Bears to 220 in 48.4 overs, Hyderabad eased home by six wickets. Quetta had also been put under early pressure by the opposition’s new-ball pair but unlike Abbottabad, their lower middle order did a decent job of trying to resuscitate the batting order. Taimur Khan (33), Jalat Khan (33) and Imran Khan (42 from 28 balls) chipped in at various junctures to get the total past 200, but it proved easy for Hyderabad. The opener Aqeel Anjum hit a composed 85 from 109 balls to shepherd the chase and there were valuable hands from No. 3 Mohammad Waqas (50) and Mohammad Urs (33 not out from 17 balls). Like Rawalpindi, Hyderabad have won two of four matches.Another win for the side chasing, at the National Stadium, but this one a tighter affair. Set 239 to win, table-toppers Multan Tigers ultimately overcame a sloppy start to seal victory by two wickets with 17 balls remaining. The Karachi Dolphins’ pace quotient had done well to reduce Multan to 35 for 4 and then hit back to dismiss the opener Sohaib Maqsood for 47, but Kashif Naved (86) and Mohammad Hafeez (25) combined to hold the innings together. Kashif was eighth out at 203 for 8, giving Karachi some hope, but Rizwan Haider and Mohammad Irshad stitched together an unbeaten 39-run stand to take Multan home. Haider made a crucial 31 from 40 balls and Irshad a brisk 24 from 17. The win kept Multan at the top spot and they have yet to lose a game. Karachi remain in second place.

Joe Aribo travelled to join up with the Nigeria squad recently and his manager has dropped a worrying claim about his future at Rangers.

The Super Eagles manager Gernot Rohr claimed that the Rangers midfielder was involved in transfer talks at the end of the window, which was his reason for being late for international duty.

He said:

“We are ready, we are still missing two players or three (Aribo, Onuachu, Awaziem), they will arrive tonight or tomorrow.

“These players were concerned by transfer problems so they could not be here with us since yesterday (Tuesday).”

Although the former Charlton Athletic man obviously didn’t leave Ibrox before Tuesday’s transfer deadline, Rangers fans may well be concerned to hear that he was involved in transfer negotiations.

Since joining on a free transfer from the Addicks in 2019, the midfielder has established himself as a key player in Steven Gerrard’s side, making 99 appearances, in which he has contributed 18 goals and 16 assists.

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776”]

At just 25, the £5.85m-rated man still has plenty of time to improve his game and his attributes suggest that he could certainly make it in the Premier League, so it is no surprise to see him attracting interest from abroad.

However, Gerrard was clearly keen to keep hold of his best players in the transfer window as the Teddy Bears look to retain their Premiership title, and if Rangers did have any negotiations regarding Aribo, they clearly didn’t amount to much.

The 41-year-old manager is certainly a big fan of the Nigeria international, as he sang his praises last season, saying:

“He was fantastic today, not just the goal but his running power, his quick feet and the way he outplays people. He is a fantastic kid, you can’t get him off the training pitch, he’s always working on his game.”

Therefore, whilst Rangers were able to keep him in this transfer window, fans may well be worried about the prospect of him leaving in January after Rohr’s transfer claim.

And, in other news… £3.15m-rated Rangers ace may have played his last Ibrox game

“Help your mates out,” Andrew Flintoff pleaded to the England squad as they prepared for the second Test. Normally it is him bailing the team out of trouble, but on the fourth day at the Antigua Recreation Ground he really needed his mates to take the str

Andrew McGlashan in Antigua18-Feb-2009
Andrew Flintoff was clean-bowled for nought in the first innings, and bagged a pair with another duck today © AFP
“Help your mates out,” Andrew Flintoff pleaded to the England squad as they prepared for the second Test. Normally it is him bailing the team out of trouble, but on the fourth day at the Antigua Recreation Ground he really needed his mates to take the strain. A labouring Flintoff, suffering from a hip injury, managed just three overs in the second innings, but the others stuck to their task as England chipped towards a series-levelling victory that appeared a world away from the Kingston debacle.”I’m not going to lie to you and say everything is all right because there’s a problem there. Hopefully we can do it for him,” said Steve Harmison, one of Flintoff’s closest friends. “He’s been our go-to man for long periods of time, but it’s our chance to say thanks very much. I’ve been in those situations before [bowling with injury], you are basically bowling for your mates to give the rest a bit of a rest.”Alarm bells ring whenever Flintoff grimaces and it has been clear over the last couple of days that all is not quite right. He seemed in good health on the second evening when he steamed in after England declared, but yesterday he lacked his usual spark although through force of character, and sheer hard work, still managed three wickets.As England chased quick runs he dropped down the batting order to No. 9, when he should have been going the opposite direction. Finally the ECB came out with the official line that he was suffering from “hip soreness”, but Harmison’s comments suggest it is more than soreness. His innings was a painful affair before he chipped a catch to midwicket, bagging his third pair in Tests, and even in the nine-ball stay his movement was hindered.Then, in the field, he was decidedly creaky and failed to bend down to one delivery that scuttled past him. But you knew, as sure as day turns to night, that he would give bowling a go if asked by Andrew Strauss. Sure enough he came on in the 23rd over to put his body through more pain. His first ball was 78mph and generally he was four miles-per-hour down on his first innings spell.”What the problem is I think we’ll have to wait until the end of the match,” Harmison said. “Where he goes from here nobody knows, but hopefully he can be fit for Barbados. But the big lad is in a bit of pain and it shows the character he has that he even attempted to go out on the field.”With Flintoff having problems, England’s selection adjustment to recall Harmison in place of Ryan Sidebottom proved a shrewd move. Harmison, who also admitted the team were “embarrassed” by what happened in Jamaica, doesn’t have an outstanding set of results so far, but he has given Strauss another back-of-a-length option. His burst that eventually accounted for Devon Smith showed promise as the arms pumped hard from the Pavilion End. He, too, has had to battle through illness in this match and he admitted he still wasn’t right.”I was at death’s door yesterday, struggling after about five balls,” he said. “The first time I went off I was sick and after that the heat did me. It completely drained me; I didn’t come out until lunchtime today. I was asleep on the floor. I didn’t feel very strong out there. I’ve not eaten much in the last few days which for me is difficult.”Given these issues, the caution from Strauss in setting West Indies a massive 503 was understandable. Four Tests ago England failed to defend 387 in Chennai, while West Indies hold the world record for a successful chase of 418 on this ground. Richie Benaud used to talk of the differences between a declaration and a closure, and this was definitely the latter from Strauss.However, given how much time was left in the game, it was unlikely Strauss would opt for a bold and aggressive declaration, but it’s these little moments that can give an insight into the mindset of a dressing room. England have controlled this game throughout, yet this is a team still trying regain the art of winning, unlike the 2004-05 unit where it came as second nature. There is a temptation to give them an extra cushion, just in case something goes wrong; in case Harmison has a bad day, in case James Anderson loses his line or in case Flintoff is injured.Then there is the opposition to consider. It is only two months ago that Virender Sehwag tore the England attack to pieces with his 68-ball 83 in Chennai, which proved a vital factor in India’s success. The onslaught knocked the stuffing out of the bowlers and of the current outfit only Stuart Broad escaped the defeat. Facing them in this game was Chris Gayle, someone equally capable of an innings of such destruction, so the buffer of 500 meant that even if Gayle had launched a blitz, the panic shouldn’t have set in. As it was, Gayle was fairly subdued, but the delight on England’s faces when he was trapped lbw showed how key his wicket was.Negative thoughts would never enter the mind of a side that has tasted regular success, but England’s recent diet has largely been humbling defeats. A good final day here and that slide can be, at least temporarily, arrested. And there will be no one happier than Flintoff even if he can’t play a key role. He’ll be the first to buy his mates a drink.

Liverpool could secure their ideal heir to Gini Wijnaldum this summer after being linked with a move for Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar.

What’s the story?

The Reds have been credited with an interest in the technically gifted 23-year-old throughout the current transfer window and received a boost in their pursuit of the Frenchman on Tuesday.

According to RMC Sport (as relayed by Get French Football News), multiple Lyon players could be on their way out of the Ligue 1 club as director of sport Juninho looks to resolve an attitude problem within the dressing room.

Aouar was named amongst those potentially heading for the exit door, and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp should take advantage of the sudden change in circumstances, thus solving his engine room conundrum.

Heir to Gini Wijnaldum

Despite his tender years, Aouar has been around for quite a while and has already cultivated a reputation as an extremely gifted dribbler, capable of splitting open a defence with a precise pass or finishing off a flowing move with a well-placed shot.

In 172 appearances for his boyhood club, the sought-after star has scored 32 goals, laying on a further 31 assists for his teammates, but his underlying numbers are arguably just as impressive. As per WhoScored, Aouar recorded an average of 2.3 shots, 1.3 key passes and 1.5 dribbles per game last season, highlighting his outstanding ability with the ball at his feet.

Compared to Wijnaldum’s respective tallies of 0.8 shots per game, 0.6 key passes and 0.9 dribbles, Aouar appears to be a big upgrade on the Dutch international, although those figures are heavily influenced by the tactical restrictions placed upon him by Klopp.

However, the comparison does illustrate how the Lyon ace has a different skillset to Wijnaldum, meaning that his arrival on Merseyside would represent an evolution in Liverpool’s midfield options rather than being a direct replacement.

Aouar’s unique set of attributes first caught the attention of an English audience when he came up against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the Champions League back in 2018, with the Spanish tactician lauding his performance after the final whistle.

“Houssem Aouar is a very good player. He is incredible,” said Guardiola.

“We talk a lot about (Tanguy) Ndombele, but Aouar is also excellent. He’s always very calm with the ball at his feet, with an excellent technical quality.”

Therefore, Liverpool’s director of football Michael Edwards must sanction a move for the £37.8m-rated maestro, plugging a Wijnaldum-shaped hole in Liverpool’s team.

In other news… Fabrizio Romano drops fresh Liverpool claim which will leave fans very worried 

Crystal Palace are in the market for a new forward player before the current window closes, but they’ll have to move onto another target after missing out on PSV Eindhoven star Noni Madueke.

What’s the story?

The Eagles were one of several Premier League clubs believed to be keen on securing the 19-year-old’s services this summer, but PSV have confirmed the teenager has signed a contract extension keeping him at the club until 2025.

Director of Football Affairs John de Jong expressed his delight that Madueke will stay longer in Eindhoven, saying: “There was a lot of interest from foreign clubs in Noni, but we wanted to connect Noni to PSV even longer.

“After good talks with Noni and his family, he succeeded in extending his contract until 2025. We as a club are very happy that Noni will stay, and we look forward to a successful collaboration.”

Patrick Vieira will be gutted

Madueke’s decision to remain at the Philips Stadion is likely to leave new Palace manager Patrick Vieira feeling gutted.

The capital club have failed to win even score a goal in the opening three games of the Frenchman’s reign and scoring goals is something the England Under-21 international has excelled at since arriving in Dutch football.

In 45 appearances for Roger Schmidt’s charges, Madueke has bagged 15 goals and laid on a further nine assists for his teammates, earning praise from several impressed onlookers, including former PSV ace Tommie van de Leegte.

“He’s fast and has the capability to trick his opponent. He brings creativity and is very explosive in his actions,” said Van de Leegte (via Goal).

With Andros Townsend departing Selhurst Park over the summer, Vieira is currently lacking a natural right-winger in his first-team squad, an issue he admitted he wants to solve before August 31st.

“When you look at the squad, we are maybe a little bit more light on numbers, and we are working hard to improve the squad [with] the window are still open. We will try to bring players that can improve our squad,” Vieira revealed in a pre-match press conference.

“I think where we are maybe a little bit more short is upfront and in the midfield, I think it would be good to reinforce those positions.”

However, the former Nice boss will have to set his sights on other options after Madueke committed his future to PSV, leaving him short on time to secure another forward’s signature.

And, in other news…Parish must sanction Crystal Palace move for £10.8m-rated gem, Vieira needs him 

Manchester City defender Yan Couto has confirmed that he was present at Celtic Park during the Hoops 3-0 Europa League win against FK Jablonec last Thursday, as their loan interest in the Brazilian intensifies [City Xtra].

The Lowdown: Celtic look for right-back reinforcements

Starting off 2021/22 in impressive fashion, Ange Postecoglou will be consulting all avenues as he look to bolster the depth within his squad.

Right-back has been a particularly problematic position for Celtic in recent years. Currently, Anthony Ralston is the only right-sided defender on the books at Parkhead with previous senior experience.

Could the Celts have edged closer to plugging some gaps within their rear-guard after the latest developments?

The Latest: Couto confirms Parkhead attendance

Evaluating his options for the new campaign, Couto accepted an invitation to watch the bumper European clash in Glasgow two days ago [City Xtra].

Celtic have been keen on the 5ft 6in ace for a number of weeks. Despite his preference to stay on at the Etihad for the forthcoming season, Couto understands that he may need to go out on loan to gain regular first-team exposure [City Xtra].

Alongside the Bhoys, former employers Girona are mooted to be eyeing the Brazil Under-20 man, as well as a multitude of sides in Portugal.

The Verdict: Couto would be an astute piece of business by Postecoglou

With the transfer window due to shut in a matter of weeks, bringing in someone like Couto would provide a much-needed boost for the Celtic support.

In 2020/21, he excelled on loan at Girona, registering seven goal contributions in 30 appearances all in [Transfermarkt].

In the Spanish Segunda Division, Couto also showed his desire to lay on chances for attacking team-mates, completing 63 crosses across last year [FB Ref].

Once labelled as the ‘New Dani Alves’ by Spanish news publication Sport, Celtic should look to do everything they can to convince Couto to move north of the border [Daily Mail].

In other news, Celtic have been linked with a Republic of Ireland international.

Former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan has laid into Derby County manager Wayne Rooney, telling him to “grow up”.

The Lowdown: Jordan no fan of Rooney’s

The Rams have made a poor start to the season, picking up just one point from their opening two matches and of course struggling off the pitch as much as on it.

Rooney finds himself desperately trying to save his job and he had already been labelled as ‘clueless’ by Jordan earlier in the summer.

The Latest: Jordan provides latest response

Now, the outspoken pundit has provided his latest criticism of the Derby boss, taking to talkSPORT [via The Express] to further lambast Rooney and claim he is childish for not wanting to speak to them:

“Wayne has taken exception to observations that have been made with no preconceived agenda.

“I couldn’t care less about Rooney. I have no agenda and no interest. You ask me a question about Derby County, I’ll give you an honest answer.

“If Wayne wants to cry & not talk to us because he thinks there is an agenda then he should grow up.”

The Verdict: Ignore him, Wayne

The best thing Rooney can do in this situation is to simply ignore Jordan and focus on the job at hand, which is trying to get Derby out of the mire.

If the Manchester United legend ends up getting into a war of words with him it will only make the current situation worse and the pundit is no doubt looking to get a rise out of him.

This is now a critical period in Rooney’s time at Pride Park, with victory at Hull City on Wednesday far more paramount than any ‘victory’ he could get over Jordan.

In other news, Derby are set for a potential transfer windfall – read more here.

Chelsea are in the process of overhauling a squad that desperately underperformed in the Premier League last season, with new boss Mauricio Pochettino potentially eyeing another striker.

Who have Chelsea signed so far?

The Blues have added Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson to their squad already this summer – players boasting 28 goals combined in the Bundesliga and La Liga last season – while teenage wingers Angelo Gabriel and Diego Moreira have joined from Santos and Benfica respectively.

Those arrivals have helped to offset the departures of Kalidou Koulibaly, Mateo Kovacic, Edouard Mendy, Kai Havertz, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, N'Golo Kante, Mason Mount, Cesar Azpilicueta, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Christian Pulisic, among others.

Chelsea are said to have made signing Moises Caicedo their top priority before the transfer window closes on 1st September, but Brighton & Hove Albion are continuing to play hardball.

However, Pochettino may have better success when it comes to bringing in another attacking player, as L'Equipe reports that Chelsea are preparing a bid for Montpellier ace Elye Wahi, who is reportedly valued in the region of €30m (£26m).

How old is Montpellier striker Elye Wahi?

Despite only turning 20 earlier this year, Wahi is already an established Ligue 1 player as he has featured 84 times for Montpellier, including 33 appearances last season as La Paillade finished 12th.

Wahi was directly involved in 24 goals across those 33 games (19 of his own and five assists), which puts him on a par with Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar. Indeed, only six others in the French top flight could better that tally – Kylian Mbappe (34) and Lionel Messi (32) among them.

Given his age, his already-proven ability and a reasonable price tag, Wahi looks to be a steal on the face of it. Indeed, the youngster may even be a better option than Jackson to potentially partner – or indeed, fill in for – Nkunku should he arrive.

The France U21 international scored seven league goals more than Jackson last season, doing so at a rate of 0.68 per 90 minutes, compared to 0.67 per 90 for the Senegalese, as per FBref.

Wahi was also slightly more accurate in terms of shooting accuracy, finding the target from 58.1% of his efforts, compared to 56.1 for Jackson, while there is also little between the pair when it comes to carries (19.2 v 19.5 respectively).

Jackson does pose more of an aerial threat, winning 30.2% of his duels in the air compared to 20.4% for Wahi, but the Frenchman's game is based more around pace and power.

That is not to say Jackson is not a superb player himself, but according to The Analyst, Wahi is already ranked in the top 11% of all forwards across Europe's top five leagues for goals scored last season and does not turn 21 until next January.

Described by Diario AS reporter Andres Onrubia Ramos as a "real beast", Wahi will no doubt be hungry to hit the ground running should Chelsea win the race for his signature.

On the basis of what he has already shown in France, do not bet against him challenging for a regular starting spot as Pochettino's Stamford Bridge revolution continues.

Nuno Espirito Santo was delighted after a hard fought 1-0 win for his Nottingham Forest side over Premier League champions Manchester City

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Forest four points clear of City in the tableHudson-Odoi's late winner the differencePep's men boss possession but can't convertFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Callum Hudson-Odoi's 83rd minute strike was enough to take all three points in a game which could have significant ramifications for Champion's League qualification. The game appeared destined to end in a stalemate until the winger neatly controlled a cross-field pass from Morgan Gibbs-White before cutting inside and beating Ederson at his near post.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Third-placed Forest now sit four points ahead of City in fourth after Saturday's result. Chelsea can overtake the champions if they beat strugglers Leicester City on Sunday.

AFPWHAT NUNO ESPIRITO SANTO SAID

The Forest boss said: "It was a tough game, everybody saw how good Manchester City are, they had us on the ropes but the boys worked very hard. Of course they were going to have chances, but it was then about us taking ours.

"[Beating City] shows the progress but there is so much football still to be played. Let's focus on the journey and move on to the next one."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

DID YOU KNOW?

City bossed possession but couldn't find the opening they desperately needed at the City Ground. Pep Guardiola's side enjoyed 69 per cent of the ball, and strung together 603 passes, more than doubling Forest's output of 262.