All posts by h716a5.icu

It’s been quite the bumpy ride for Leeds United in 2021 as they battle out their second successive season in the big time.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side find themselves on the cusp of the relegation zone and with a mounting injury crisis at Elland Road, things could get a lot worse before they get better.

The Whites head to Anfield to face Liverpool on Boxing Day sat in 16th place, with the teams below them holding valuable games in hand.

There have been some real lows, such as the 7-0 thrashing by Man City but some highs, too.

Ahead of the January transfer window and the New Year, we’ve put together a festive quiz to test the most loyal of Leeds supporters.

Can you remember everything that has happened in what has been a whirlwind 2021? Here are 15 questions that only the die-hard fans will be able to answer. Think you can get more than ten right?

We bet you can’t…

After inspiring Kolkata to a hard-fought win against Delhi, Sourav Ganguly hinted that the changes made to the bowling attack proved crucial to the result

Cricinfo staff08-Apr-2010After inspiring Kolkata to a hard-fought win against Delhi, Sourav Ganguly hinted that the changes made to the bowling attack proved crucial to the result. Kolkata benched Shane Bond and Jaidev Unadkat, while Murali Kartik missed out due to injury. The replacements – Ajanta Mendis, Ashok Dinda and Iqbal Abdulla – were Kolkata’s best bowlers on the day.”It is always a difficult decision to leave Shane Bond out,” Ganguly said after the 14-run victory. “I wasn’t sure whom to play, Bond or Mendis, when we reached the ground. But then on seeing the wicket, I thought Mendis would do well. Even Iqbal Abdulla bowled well. He is a youngster and every time he gets an opportunity, he proves himself.”Ganguly and Chris Gayle gave Kolkata the perfect start, before they were pegged back, losing 3 for 17 in 3.1 overs. Angelo Mathews and Manoj Tiwary managed to reclaim the momentum in the end overs, but Ganguly noted that his team missed out on a few runs. “I think we should have got 190 today. We were a bit stuck during the middle overs,” he said.Chasing 182, Delhi were in the race thanks to a whirlwind 99-run stand in 58 balls between Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, before Ganguly ran the latter out. Sehwag’s dismissal at 134 for 4 in the 15th over tilted the game Kolkata’s way, and Ganguly acknowledged that was the turning point. “Till the time Sehwag was around, I thought they were very much in the match. He is a champion batsman and when he bats, anything is possible. So Sehwag, along with Gambhir, kept them in the match. It was only when Sehwag was dismissed that we began to sense victory.”When asked about his excellent fielding – apart from running out Gambhir, he held a smart catch, and threw himself around – Ganguly’s response was tongue-in-cheek. “As far as my fielding is concerned – I’m getting younger,” he said.Kolkata’s win continues a trend of alternating wins and losses in their last five games, and Ganguly admitted they needed to be more consistent. “We have been playing well for quite some time now. Hopefully, we will be able to win the next match. Every time we win one, we lose the very next game,” Ganguly said.Gambhir, the Delhi captain, was disappointed with the way the chase unfolded. “I think we should have finished the game as we had it in control. With wickets in hand, we should have achieved the target. But that is what happens in this format. You tend to panic and then you lose wickets. That’s what happened to us today. But all credit goes to KKR, they played excellently,” Gambhir said.”Obviously, my run-out was the turning point. Till then we were very much in the game. We needed around 90 odd from 10 overs which was absolutely achievable. We got two boundaries in that over and at that point of time we didn’t need that single. It was a mistake on my part and it was disaster,” he said.

A packed house at the Beausejour Stadium deserved better than the dismal performance served up by West Indies and Chris Gayle apologised to the fans after the host nation were knocked out of the World Twenty20 with a six-wicket defeat by Australia

Andrew McGlashan at Beausejour Stadium12-May-2010A packed house at the Beausejour Stadium deserved better than the dismal performance served up by West Indies and Chris Gayle apologised to the fans after the hosts were knocked out of the World Twenty20 with a six-wicket defeat by Australia.The supporters kept singing until the final run was scored – somewhat fittingly it came when Gayle fired a bouncer over the wicketkeeper’s head – but their spirits had taken an early blow when the captain was bowled by Dirk Nannes in the first over. So much rides on Gayle’s performances in this team that it was always hard to see how they would fight back, but the nature of the subsequent collapse was depressing.”There are no excuses and I apologise to the fans for our display in this World Cup but we have to hold our heads high,” Gayle said. “The turnout has been brilliant and I must commend them on that, it’s just unfortunate that we didn’t carry on to the semis. The support was very good and I must say thanks to all the fans.”We have worked really hard and hopefully in the series coming up [against South Africa] we can give you something to smile about. We worked really hard. We wanted it badly. The commitment is always there, even today in the outfield with the players diving around.”As the batting fell apart against Mitchell Johnson and Steven Smith, Gayle watched forlornly from the dugout with an air of a man who had seen it all before. During the tournament he has pleaded for help from his team-mates for some batting support but yet again no-one delivered”It’s severe pressure and a lot is on my shoulders. I was hoping to get someone to take some of that pressure in the batting department but it didn’t happen,” he said. “I tried my best, I’m not saying everyone else didn’t, but sometimes I try too hard and get myself in a bit of trouble rather than letting it come naturally.”When asked about what quality was missing from the side to make them regularly competitive against the best Gayle had a simple answer. “Consistency, that’s the only word I can use right now,” he said. “We are on and off, sometimes we turn up and are unbeatable and no team can play us but it doesn’t come often. In our batting it can’t be just me getting runs, others have to take responsibility.”There are no problems in the camp, the spirit has been fine but on the field we have been inconsistent. We are trying everything to get that right but it didn’t work today.”

Wolves have received a huge boost with the news that Romain Saiss will be available for the upcoming clash against Manchester United.

The Lowdown: Saiss superb for Wolves

Wanderers have thrived with Bruno Lage adopting a three-man defence this season, conceding just 14 times in 18 Premier League matches to date.

Saiss has been a key part of that success, forming a strong partnership with Max Kilman and Conor Coady, not to mention being hailed by his manager as “Maldini from Morocco”.

The 31-year-old is set to represent his country at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), however, and his involvement in the trip to Old Trafford on January 3 has been in doubt.

The Latest: Saiss available for Man United clash

Thankfully, Saiss will be available for the United clash, with The Express & Star’s Liam Keen confirming as much on Monday morning.

In his report, he stated that Europe-based players taking part in AFCON were expected to leave their clubs this week, but after the Confederation of African Football received requests to change that, they will now depart after the first set of fixtures in January.

The Verdict: Big boost for Lage

Saiss has been such a strong performer for Wolves this season, not only starting all 18 league games but also scoring twice, so this is a big boost for Lage. He tops the squad for aerial duels won (2.6) and interceptions (1.9) per game in the league during 2021/22 so far.

His experience at the back will be crucial against a United side who have found their feet under interim manager Ralf Rangnick, with a busy evening potentially on the cards for Wanderers’ defence.

Saiss will be a big loss when he heads off on AFCON duty, but the hope is that Wolves will battle on without him for a few matches in January before welcoming him back with open arms.

While Wanderers fans wouldn’t begrudge seeing their player doing well in the tournament, they surely won’t be too upset if Morocco end up being eliminated early and Saiss is back at Molineux before long.

In other news, Luke Hatfield has made a key Wolves transfer claim. Read more here.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Dean Jones of Eurosport has made a West Ham United transfer claim involving Sparta Prague striker Adam Hlozek.

The Lowdown: West Ham eye Hlozek…

As widely reported in recent months, the Czech Republic international is a striker West Ham and manager David Moyes have been keeping tabs on as the January transfer window opens for business.

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Indeed, Football Insider claimed just before the new year that the Irons, and by extension recruitment chief Rob Newman, made an early approach for Hlozek to find out what it would take to win the race for his signature.

They believe that Sparta could demand around £16-20 million for West Ham to sign him mid-season with The Daily Mail reporting since then that Hlozek is still firmly on the club’s radar.

Sharing an update, Jones has made a claim to GiveMeSport as he backs their interest further.

The Latest: Jones makes Hlozek claim…

Speaking to GMS, he says that West Ham are ‘definitely’ eyeing a move for the 19-year-old sensation who they like a lot.

However, he also claims his valuation could well be reason why they haven’t made their move yet.

“He is definitely somebody that’s on their radar and they like him a lot,” Jones explained.

“I can’t remember what his value is right now but I think that’s part of the concern of signing him at the moment.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

As West Ham remain in the market for a player who can back up striker Michail Antonio, a move for Hlozek in January comes with both ups and downs.

Lauded as ‘world class’ by his agent Pavel Paska (90min), the teenage hot shot has certainly impressed since the beginning of 2020/2021 – racking up 21 goals and 24 assists in all competitions (Transfermarkt).

These numbers at such a young age highlight his magnificent potential, but one red herring may well be that this comes in a far inferior division to the Premier League.

It remains a point of contention whether he could eventually replicate those numbers in England and there is an argument to be made he is more one for the future than the here and now.

West Ham shareholder Daniel Kretinsky’s ties as co-owner of Sparta, however, could gift the club an advantage in the race for his signature.

We believe a swoop for Hlozek is certainly worth considering even despite the slight drawbacks.

In other news: ‘Tears in my eyes’, ‘Finally’…Many West Ham fans flock to ‘very exciting’ transfer development, find out more here.

A season’s best 197 by Darren Stevens ensured Kent held County Championship leaders Nottinghamshire to a hard-fought draw in Tunbridge Wells

07-Jun-2010
ScorecardA season’s best 197 by Darren Stevens ensured Kent held County Championship leaders Nottinghamshire to a hard-fought draw in Tunbridge Wells.The 34-year-old just missed out on the third double hundred of his career but his near six-hour stay, with 24 fours and two sixes, nevertheless helped the visitors ease into a first innings lead of 108 and ensure a deserved draw.A tinder dry and slow pitch that offered little or no assistance to either spin or seam bowlers allowed Nottinghamshire to bat out the 62 remaining overs in the match for the loss of only three wickets before the sides shook hands on a draw just before 5pm. Nottinghamshire lost promising opening batsman Alex Hales (16) moments before lunch when the tall right-hander pulled a short one from Matt Coles into the hands of 12th man Warren Lee at deep mid-wicket.Then, after a second wicket stand of 103 in 36 overs, number three batsman Mark Wagh (34) played back to a turning ball from James Tredwell – his first of a new spell from the Railway End – that squeezed through bat and pad and onto off stump to make it 125 for 2. Kent gave new overseas recruit Malinga Bandara a much-needed 25-over work out and were rewarded with the scalp of Australia’s David Hussey (22). The classy right-hander missed an attempted paddle sweep to lose his off stump, but it proved the final wicket of the game.Nottinghamshire’s makeshift opener Samit Patel marched on to post his first half-century of the summer from 110 balls, with seven fours and a six, and was unbeaten on 76 when the umpires drew stumps. His fourth-wicket partner Steven Mullaney had also enjoyed the final session, reaching 48 from 47 balls, only to be denied his 50 when the game ended in stalemate with the visitors taking nine points to Kent’s 10.At the start of the day Stevens had reached 197 when he drove loosely outside off stump against Andre Adams to nick an inside edge to wicketkeeper Chris Read and bring an end to a magnificent 238-ball stay.Resuming on their overnight score of 478 for 6, Kent added another 92 despite losing Coles in the sixth over of the day. Adams picked up his first five-wicket championship haul for Nottinghamshire with the prized scalp of Stevens then Paul Franks wrapped up the innings by taking the final two wickets.He ended a ninth-wicket stand between Simon Cook (26 not out) and Bandara (29) when the latter holed out to long-on then polished the job off by pegging back the off stump of last man Amjad Khan (5) to leave Kent on 570 all out.

Ireland will be without teenage left-arm spinner George Dockrell, who impressed during the World Twenty20, when they take on Australia in an ODI on June 17

Cricinfo staff04-Jun-2010Ireland will be without teenage left-arm spinner George Dockrell, who impressed during the World Twenty20, when they take on Australia in an ODI on June 17. Cricket Ireland named 13 players for the one-off match in Clontarf and the only ones missing from the squad that went to the Caribbean are Dockrell and Nigel Jones.”It’s a pity that George can’t make the game, but he has exams which are obviously important to his future,” Ireland coach Phil Simmons said. “He’d been bowling really well and settled in superbly to international cricket. That has helped us offset the retirement of Kyle McCallan, and the injuries to Regan West.”Wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien had decided to postpone surgery on a fractured finger so that he would be able to play Australia.Simmons said playing Australia was a chance for his players to showcase their talents and added that, though Ireland may have lost that “surprise factor” when playing Full member countries now, they had “certainly gained their respect”. “We’re playing on home soil, in familiar conditions, and with the backing of our home fans. No-one treats us lightly any more, as they know if their game drops, we are ready to pounce.”I’ll be looking for the players to play with the same intensity that they showed in the West Indies. We did really well in the field against both West Indies and the eventual winners England.”William Porterfield, the Ireland captain, said his players had been talking about playing Australia since the fixture was announced. “You can’t help but be motivated by the chance to play the world champions, especially in front of the home supporters,” he said. “We all had a month together in the West Indies, and that tour was fantastic for both team spirit and preparing the squad for the international year ahead. There may be a few cobwebs as it’ll be six weeks since our last game, but everyone has been playing some sort of cricket. With the majority of the squad being full-time in cricket now, I don’t think there’ll be any problems with rustiness.”It’ll be a great experience playing against players of the calibre of Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Mike Hussey and Mitchell Johnson. We’ll certainly not be overawed though – we’ve played in three world cups now, and have got over that stage of our careers. It’ll be a great occasion for everybody in Irish cricket, and hopefully a day to remember.”Squad: William Porterfield (capt), Trent Johnston, Andre Botha, Peter Connell, Alex Cusack, Gary Kidd, John Mooney, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien, Boyd Rankin, Paul Stirling, Andrew White, Gary Wilson.

Arsenal have submitted an offer for Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic, according to reports in Italy…

What’s the word?

La Repubblica claim that the Gunners have bid around €70m (£58.5m) for the 21-year-old and La Viola president Rocco Commisso is now prepared to let him leave Florence this month.

The Fiorentina supremo has grown impatient with Vlahovic’s attitude and the behaviour from his representatives after it was confirmed back in October that he would not be signing a new contract.

In recent weeks, the Daily Mail revealed how his transfer could cost a total of £150m when factoring in wages and other fees, so the north London giants will have to pay a premium to see him arrive at the Emirates Stadium before January 31st.

Get it done!

Arsenal are in desperate need of reinforcements this month, that much is obvious following Sunday’s north London derby postponement.

With virus cases on the increase, players at the Africa Cup of Nations, Granit Xhaka suspended and other injuries mounting up, Mikel Arteta has been left with a threadbare squad this week.

There is a longer-term issue emerging, though.

Alexandre Lacazette’s contract is up at the end of the season and there has been no incline that he’s prepared to extend his current deal, so right now, the French veteran is set to leave, whilst Pierre-Emerick Aubamyang’s future is by no means certainly after he was stripped of the captaincy.

It means a new frontman is needed and Vlahovic would surely be a dream signing for the young Spanish head coach.

The Serbia international has been in electric form in front of goal this season – as per Transfermarkt, he’s delivered 19 goals in 23 appearances, meaning he’s found the net once every 102.5 minutes.

That builds on his impressive form for Fiorentina last season, where he bagged 21 goals in the Serie A.

He has since been lauded as a “complete number nine” by Italian football expert Conor Clancy, whilst his former coach Ivan Tomic dubbed him a goalscoring “monster” with shades of Zlatan Ibrahimovic about him.

Valued at £63m by Transfermarkt, the Gunners would do very well to secure him for just £58.5m. He’s a player that Arteta desperately needs, so it’s on Edu Gaspar and co to seal a move for him at all costs before the end of the month.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Partey: Arsenal can find new Santi Cazorla in £49.5m-rated “outrageous talent”…

Following a reported behind-the-scenes falling out with manager Rafa Benitez back in December, Everton’s full-back Lucas Digne has been continuously linked with a transfer move away from Goodison Park.

The likes of Newcastle United, Chelsea and Aston Villa have reportedly been working on signing the Frenchman, with the Midlands club apparently being the closest to securing a deal.

With a January exit looking likely, it seems as though a claim has emerged regarding the potential details of Digne’s exit this month which should please a number of Everton fans.

What’s the news?

In a recent Twitter post, journalist Alan Myers had this to say on what the current situation is at Everton regarding the potential sale of left-back Lucas Digne.

He said: “My understanding is Everton are not interested in any player plus deal for Digne, wherever he ends up, they want a straight sale.”

Digne signed to Everton back in the 2018 summer transfer window from Spanish club Barcelona in a deal worth a reported fee of £18m and has since gone on to make 127 appearances for the Toffees across all competitions.

Fans buzzing

During his time at Goodison, the 28-year-old had made himself an important figure for the team, particularly in an attacking sense by racking up six goals and 20 assists along the way.

As a result, it’s somewhat of a shame that his spell in Merseyside looks like it could be coming to an end in such an unfortunate and unexpected manner.

However, considering Everton’s current issue with FFP, it would make sense for the club to raise as much money as they can as quickly as they can to give them more freedom in the financial transfer market, a situation that would understandably delight fans.

Therefore, it would be perfect for the club if they receive a hefty windfall for Digne rather than a lower amount of money and a player, such as Newcastle’s reported previous offer of £22.5m and Sean Longstaff.

If Villa have offered more money for the France international than any other team, then Everton should take it and use it to improve their financial situation.

With the Toffees having brought in left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko recently, it seems as though they have already got their ideal replacement for Digne if he does end up leaving soon.

In other news: Journo gives perspective on potential Barkley signing

Andrew Miller at Trent Bridge09-Jul-2010When Ian Bell last played an ODI for England, both he and the team were very different beasts. On the tour of India in November 2008, Bell limped to a total of 84 runs in four straight defeats, and was dropped ahead of the fifth (and as it turned out, final) match in Cuttack, a decision which had no impact whatsoever on the result.Twenty months down the line, and Bell is back in harness, part of an England one-day squad that has won three series on the bounce, including the notable scalps of South Africa and Australia, and is now well on the way to a fourth in a row, if a sweat-free six-wicket win over Bangladesh is anything to go by. And while an easy 84 not out from 101 balls proves little in isolation, the unflappability of the performance was in keeping with the current team ethos.”I think from the Tests through to Twenty20s, there’s a real confidence about the side, and a lot of it overlaps so you feed off it,” said Bell. “Coming into this squad and being around for the Australia series was fantastic. It was very easy to slot in because of the confidence that everyone has. It felt as normal as it did to go into the Test matches, and I think it’s spreading over all forms of the game.”Bell knows his place in the side is not for keeps, not yet at any rate. Kevin Pietersen is being rested for this series, and with Paul Collingwood and Eoin Morgan also assured of their places in the first-choice middle-order, he is likely to make way when the stiffer challenge of Pakistan arrives in September. But he slotted into the side as if he had never been away, which is no mean feat for a player once derided for his timidity.”I felt confident in my ability to go out and play and I’ve been working as hard as I can with Warwickshire on playing spin bowlers and hitting boundaries in the middle overs,” Bell said. “Hopefully that’s what I’ve put in [to effect] here – the hard work over the last 12 months. Andy Flower spoke to me about a few things when he left me out of the side last year, mainly about playing spinners in the middle overs, and it’s started to pay off.”Bell confirmed he’s in a fine vein of form with a hard-hitting 158 for England Lions against India A earlier in the week, but he wasn’t required to showcase many of his new-found strokes on this occasion, as England sauntered to victory with 29 balls to spare. “I know where I am in this squad and I have to keep knocking on the door and working hard,” he said. “It was just a matter of playing the situation and that’s what we needed to do, but it was nice to have the opportunity to go out and score some runs.”Andrew Strauss, whose own freedom of expression was showcased in a 37-ball fifty, was delighted with the performance of his team-mate. “The great thing with Belly is he can pretty much bat anywhere in the order, he’s a pretty versatile cricketer,” said Strauss. “When you see him play innings like today, the top of the order seems like the more logical place for him to play, but he plays the spinners well, to so to come in lower down is not an issue.”That’s part of the reason why he has forced his way back into the squad. he is adaptable and he’s playing in a more aggressive manner that puts opposition players under pressure.”