All posts by h716a5.icu

Wolves have experienced a disappointing season this time round and Steve Bull, who has a stand named after him at Molineux, has exclusively told Football FanCast that any player could leave this summer.

This is the first time that Wolves have finished lower than seventh in the Premier League since they won promotion back in 2018 and that has been down to their lack of goals as their joint-top scorers, Ruben Neves and Pedro Neto, have just five goals.

In more positive news for Wolves fans, Nuno Espirito Santo has confirmed that Raul Jimenez is getting looked over by the club’s doctors to determine whether or not he is ready to play a part in the final game of the season against Manchester United.

Wolves have a squad of players that have been at Molineux for several years now and that could see any of them leave this summer, according to Bull, who spoke exclusively to FFC:

“I think anybody could be sold this summer but we don’t know who’s going to come in and maybe replace them but there are a few players who have been in and out recently like [Ruben] Neves and [Willy] Boly.

“So, whether or not they are coming towards the end of it at Wolves and if they want to go, you never know, but they might all be here next year and I would love to see them all here next season.”

Boly’s absence may be explained by the fact he has been suffering from long COVID, but the situation with Neves, who Nuno only recently labelled a “fantastic player”, is a lot less clear.

Wolves spent quite heavily on players such as Nelson Semedo and Fabio Silva last summer which saw Wolves splash out £74.5 million on new players just under 12 months ago.

If Wolves fail to reach greater rights than a bottom half finish next season, players such as Neto, who has been linked with a move to Manchester United, could look to leave the Midlands club.

The Interim Committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka will have to wait to bring in Barry Richards as batting coach

Clementine Fernando06-Jun-2001The Interim Committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka will have to wait to bring in Barry Richards as batting coach.The board’s initial plan was to bring Richards in ahead of the three match Test series against Indian and then to follow it up with two other stints ahead of the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.With the busy domestic cricket schedule many of the leading players are taking part in the Mercantile Cricket Tournament and, with the imminent Pakistan A tour, the plan will not be realized before the Indian trip.A member of the Interim Committee, Sidath Wettimuny, confirmed that the South African great will only be coming in October or November. CricInfo also learns that the board has not yet signed the contract with Richards.

Manchester City have been heavily linked with both Harry Kane and Andre Silva ahead of the summer but who would be the better signing for Pep Guardiola’s side as they search for a replacement for Sergio Aguero?

Harry Kane

Manchester City have been regularly linked with a move for the Tottenham Hotspur striker in the past year but things have accelerated in recent weeks, after the England captain made it clear that he is looking for a new challenge this summer, following a less than impressive campaign from the North London club.

The 27-year-old has enjoyed a fantastic campaign despite Spurs’ failings in the league and in the cup, contributing 23 goals and 14 assists in the Premier League, earning a fantastic 7.9 average rating from WhoScored.

Kane has consistently found the back of the net in the top-flight in recent seasons but would likely cost well over £100m after one of the best seasons of his career thus far.

Andre Silva

According to the Daily Mail, Silva is one of the names on Manchester City’s list to replace Aguero this summer after an exceptional season with Eintracht Frankfurt in the German top-flight.

The Portugal international signed for the Bundesliga side following an impressive loan spell last season and finished second in the goalscoring charts behind only Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandoski this season, hitting 28 goals in just 32 league appearances.

The 25-year-old is currently valued at just £37.8m by Transfermarkt so would likely be much cheaper than Kane, whilst Eintracht Frankfurt’s fifth-placed finish suggests that the offer of Champions League football could tempt him to the Etihad this summer.

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Who would be the better signing?

Whilst there is little doubt that Kane is the better player at this moment in time, it would be extremely surprising for Man City to spend over £100m on a 27-year-old who has struggled with injury problems in the past, so they may well be better going for the younger, cheaper option of Silva.

The “ice cold” forward, who has been likened to Lewandowski, has emphasised his quality in the past two seasons after struggling with AC Milan and could prove to be an excellent replacement for the outgoing Aguero.

[freshpress-quiz id=“577936″]

Therefore, given Kane’s likely excessive asking price, City sporting director Txiki Begiristain should forget about signing the Englishman this summer and instead look at bringing in Silva.

And, in other news… Txiki heading for major Man City disaster with “really impressive” £15m beast

Former Australian wicket-keeping great Rodney Marsh said today in Kolkata that both Deep Dasgupta and Ajay Ratra had the potential to play for India

Staff Reporter17-May-2001Former Australian wicket-keeping great Rodney Marsh said today in Kolkata that both Deep Dasgupta and Ajay Ratra had the potential to play for India. Marsh, who was in the city to watch the trainees at the Eastern Wing of the National Cricket Academy run by the BCCI told reporters that he had been impressed with both at the NCA in Bangalore. “However, I told them that wicket-keeping should be their first priority. They can think about their batting only after they have sharpened their keeping skills.”The burly Australian spent close to two hours with the boys of the Academy. He told them, “You have got to learn to dream as dreaming will make you more ambitious and propel you to greater heights. At the same time, you will also will have to work hard.” He offered himself as an example. “I was called iron gloves at the beginning of my career. That made me all the more determined to succeed. So I dreamt of success and worked hard and was rewarded for it.”Marsh also expressed his satisfaction at the way the camp was being run. He also had a detailed discussion with the chief coach Arun Lal and the assistant coaches, Barun Burman, Randhir Singh and Jimut Mohanty as to how the camp should be conducted. “I just gave them suggestions. Now they will decide what is better for the boys,” said Marsh. “However, I have asked them to monitor the off-season programme chart that has been provided to the cricketers.”Marsh, who had developed a notable partnership with the great Dennis Lillee said that there was plenty of talent in India. “Give them a chance to come up,” he said. When asked as to why India was not producing another Kapil Dev, Marsh snapped back, “Has Australia produced another Dennis Lillee? They are genius who come once in a while. India now has Sachin Tendulkar. Now after his retirement, if somebody asks why isn’t another Tendulkar being produced, it will be a difficult question to answer.”Later, talking to the aspiring talents, Marsh said, “Always see to it that the basics are right. Without that, nobody can succeed.” When Bengal’s under-19 wicket-keeper Ritesh Jaiswal asked Marsh as to how one should concentrate between overs, the latter said, “Between overs take off the gloves and flex your fingers continuously. That will keep your hands from getting tired.” He also corrected the bowling and batting techniques of a few others. Overall, it was a two-hour session that the students of the Academy will cherish for a long time.

Like any keen follower of the game, I have always understood that Lord’s is a very special cricket ground ever since I first came across the name some forty years ago

Partab Ramchand04-May-2001Like any keen follower of the game, I have always understood that Lord’s is a very special cricket ground ever since I first came across the name some forty years ago. It was the headquarters of cricket, the hallowed turf, the ground among grounds and many other such exalted and reverant titles. And like any other cricket lover, I longed to pay a visit to Lord’s.In succeeding years, however I heard less complimentary things about the game’s holy of holies. Fellow journalists told me that the ground was uninspiring, others wondered what the ballyhoo was all about. Sunil Gavaskar of course had a few unkind words to say about Lord’s and this was even before his well publicised misunderstanding with a gateman at the entrance. The ground had no special atmosphere, it was alleged and the common complaint was that the members were stuffy and the staff high handed. Of course, over the same period, I also heard from visitors that Lord’s was indeed something special, that therewas a special aura about it, and its bond with history and tradition had earned for it the sacred place it has acquired in the game.These contrasting opinions did not in any way diminish my desire to visit Lord’s and see a day’s cricket. For all the opinions expressed by others, I wished to make my own judgement and last week I finally achieved a lifelong ambition. A personal trip to London could only mean that a visit to Lord’s was on top of the agenda. Of course, I planned to go to the Oval too but that remained second on the agenda.The first time I saw Lord’s was from the outside when my host drove me past the ground. The one obvious structure that one could see from a passing car was `the spaceship’ – the press box constructed for the 1999 World Cup. A few days later, I finally entered the ground thanks to the initiative taken by a member. I gingerly took my first steps past the WG Grace Gates after having taken a long and close look at it. My host graciously took me around and I finally saw the museum, the shop, the committee room, the pavilion, the administrative area, the lounge and the bars, the library, the dressing rooms and the one place I wanted to see above all – the Long Room. It was all what I had expected. Swathed in history and tradition and full of the kind ofmemorabilia that one rarely comes across, I understood why it is a room quite unlike any other anywhere. I went around the various stands – the mound stand, the grand stand, the Compton and Edrich stand and all along my mind was full of rushed vignettes depicting the great deeds enacted and the great matches played on the ground. I stayed there for long, looking at the image of Father Time and soaking in the unique atmosphere. And to complete the happy picture, I found much to my surprise – considering what I had heard and read – that the membersand staff were pleasant and even gracious. With a ready smile, they provided information and some even helped me in taking photographs at various places.Unfortunately it was not a totally happy picture. For the fickle English weather did not allow me the opportunity to see a day’s cricket on the hallowed turf. As I was making my tour of the ground, the skies were grey following rain in the morning. And with no improvement in the weather, the umpires called off play in the scheduled one day game between Middlesex and Durham at 1 pm.All good things have to come to an end and I had to tear myself away from Lord’s because of a prior engagement. And shortly after 2 pm, I reluctantly passed through the Grace Cates and suddenly found myself in the rather mundane area of St John’s Wood, staring at a residential building appropriately called Lord’s View.Whatever Gavaskar and others of his ilk might say, Lord’s has everything – a unique atmosphere, a lush green outfield, the very epitome of neatness and cleanliness, a structure gold rich in tradition and history and an aura of style, taste and elegance in the furniture. One visit and anyone would be quickly aware of being in the game’s headquarters, a very special ground and a venue quite unlike any other in cricket history. What more can one ask for?

Liverpool will be able to call upon Diogo Jota this weekend despite initial fears that he may have been injured.

The Portuguese international reportedly missed training on Thursday, sparking worries that he could have been ruled out for the Reds’ Premier League clash with Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon.

However, Jurgen Klopp allayed any fears over the 24-year-old’s fitness, stating that he was “fine” in his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon.

Jota’s inclusion in the Liverpool squad will certainly be a huge boost for the Reds as they aim to close the gap on the top four in the final few games of the Premier League campaign.

Despite having suffered a three-month injury absence since his arrival from Molineux, the 24-year-old remains one of the most productive players at Anfield.

The Portuguese, who earns just over £90,000 per week with Liverpool, has hit 12 goals in all competitions so far in a red shirt.

For comparison, only Mo Salah and Sadio Mane have found the net with more regularity than Jota – a remarkable feat considering that he has only started 16 matches all season out of a possible 45.

It will be a huge relief for Klopp to be able to call on Jota and his goalscoring talents for today’s clash against Newcastle. The German has never attempted to hide his admiration for the Portuguese, labelling his performances as “class”.

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Whilst Jota might have triggered some concerns by missing training on Thursday, that he is ready and available for this weekend’s match will be a huge boost to Liverpool and their chances of overcoming Newcastle and maintaining their top four push.

AND in more news, take a look at which current Bundesliga superstar could be Liverpool’s perfect Mo Salah successor…

Wolves’ attempts to replace two of their best players last summer turned into a mess.

Jeff Shi spent over £27m on defensive liability Nelson Semedo and splashed a club-record £35.6m on Fabio Silva to garner only three goals.

On the chalkboard

On paper, these additions looked promising. Semedo had been signed from one of the biggest clubs in world football; Barcelona, while Silva was and still is, the definition of a wonderkid.

However, things haven’t played out well for the Old Gold. Raul Jimenez, Daniel Podence and Pedro Neto have all suffered from significant injuries this term while Adama Traore has one goal since December 2019.

Life has been made all the more difficult by the departing Matt Doherty and Diogo Jota. They accounted for 25% of Wolves’ goals last season and they simply haven’t been replaced.

Jota has become a shining light for Liverpool and already has a Champions League hat-trick to his name. He has also managed to break up the terrifying trio of Sadio Mane, Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino. That isn’t easy work but Jota has made it look relatively straightforward.

The Portuguese youngster scored 16 times last term, a number no one in the Wolves side this season has come close to eclipsing. Neto and Ruben Neves are their top scorers during 2020/21 with only five strikes in comparison.

The replacement

Jeff Shi didn’t do a great job of reinvesting the £41m they sold Jota for last summer but he has a chance to amend things in a few months time.

He could do so by bringing South Korean sensation Kang-in Lee to the club. It’s thought that Valencia could offer the attacker to Wolves in a swap deal involving enigmatic forward Rafa Mir.

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Mir has done well on loan at Huesca in Spain this term and has 12 La Liga goals for his troubles; more than both Antoine Griezmann and Joao Felix.

However, it wouldn’t be a huge loss if he departed because he’s never actually scored a goal in English football.

While surrendering Mir, they could finally land their Jota replacement.

After all, Lee is a particularly dangerous and tricky individual. Possessing an enormous release clause of £71m, the South Korea international is only 20 but has already been compared to one of the most creative footballers to play the game in David Silva.

Lee can play on the flanks but also through the middle as an attacking midfielder. He has creativity in abundance and can beat a defender on a frequent basis.

Like Jota, his dribbling is mesmeric. This term, Lee has registered 1.4 dribbles per game and has been fouled on 1.8 occasions per match.

Those numbers are more impressive than Jota who has performed 1.1 successful dribbles each game and has been fouled on 1.1 occasions.

Dubbed an “outstanding talent” by Valencia academy director Luis Vicente Mateo, Lee still needs to work on finding the net more regularly; he has scored just once this term but has four assists to his name.

If he can work on his finishing, then he’d be an astute capture for those at Molineux. He could even replace the attributes that Jota took with him when he left for Merseyside.

AND in other news, Move over Podence: Wolves must swoop for £80k-p/w brute with “breathtaking technique”…

Crystal Palace’s transfer plans appear to have taken a considerable blow with one of their prime targets apparently not interested in moving.

According to The Athletic, Aaron Ramsey currently has no interest in leaving Juventus which could leave Steve Parish having to look elsewhere for a central midfielder.

It was previously thought that Palace were interested in bringing the Welshman back to the Premier League, with journalist Nicolo Schira suggesting that the Eagles had made an enquiry to Juventus.

Ramsey, a Serie A champion in 2019/20, would certainly have been a statement arrival should he actually have signed for Palace in the summer transfer window.

Before his move to Turin, he had made 262 appearances in the Premier League, scoring 40 goals and providing a further 51 assists – a record that would have been hugely useful in the Crystal Palace midfield.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-crystal-palace-news%2c-transfer-rumours-and-more-townsend-bayindir-butland-van-aanholt-parish” title=”Latest Crystal Palace news, transfer rumours and more…”]

Even former Gunners’ boss Unai Emery was left enamoured by Ramsey, with the Spaniard praising the midfielder’s “amazing” attitude and application during his final year at the Emirates Stadium.

It goes without saying then that the 30-year-old would have gone a long way in replacing the likes of James McArthur and James McCarthy, whose Selhurst Park deals expire this summer, whilst he would have been a fantastic partner in the centre of the park for current Eagles captain Luka Milivojevic.

Rated at £18m and with two years left on his current contract at the Juventus Stadium, Ramsey certainly looked the perfect addition for the Eagles and one that could even have taken them to the next level during the 2021/22 campaign.

However, that now does not seem an option following the news that he has intentions on remaining in Turin for the foreseeable future, a development that is certainly a big blow to Crystal Palace’s transfer aspirations.

AND in more news, take a look at which player could be the perfect successor to Vicente Guaita…

Some Liverpool fans have been sticking up for Naby Keita following his early substitution in midweek.

The Reds were wretched on Tuesday evening, losing 3-1 to Real Madrid to leave their Champions League hopes hanging by a thread, ahead of next week’s second leg at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp’s men were disappointing throughout the night in Spain, but their first half showing was particularly bad, with the team seemingly incapable of stringing few passes together and being completely outplayed by the home side.

Someone who struggled more than most was Keita, who played a negative role in Liverpool losing the midfield battle prior to being hooked before half-time.

It was a moment which again clouded the Guinean’s future, with the 26-year-old constantly finding himself struggling to get going at Anfield.

Speaking in his pre-Aston Villa press conference on Friday, however (via quotes shared by James Pearce on Twitter), Klopp played down the incident, saying there is no issue between him and Keita.

Liverpool fans show faith in Keita

Here’s how some Liverpool supporters reacted on Twitter to Klopp’s defence of Keita as they too stuck up for the midfielder and showed faith in him.

“So he’s not finished then? I was told by Twitter he’d never kick a ball for us again?”

Credit: @JohnMcMah0n

“I don’t understand why people are cancelling Keita, He is a baller bro! Just injury prone. Literally like Matip, he is great defender just injuries mess him up”

Credit: @Gabriel_Onas

“Start him vs Villa…”

Credit: @NoDarkSarkasm

“Don’t be surprised if Naby starts tomorrow and Gini or Thiago are rested”

Credit: @bigjlfc

“Good, don’t do it again Jurgen”

Credit: @dongeo80sbaby

“Think we will see the best of Naby next season”

Credit: @JohnnyfField

“Mugged him off completely…”

Credit: @F9Txrres

In other news, Liverpool have been linked with another move for an exciting young European player. Find out who it is here.

Glasgow Rangers fans have been reacting to a clip of Slavia Prague’s Ondrej Kudela leaving a Glasgow Hotel with the rest of his teammates.

The Czechia champions progressed to the Europa League quarter-finals after beating the Gers 2-0 at Ibrox. They should have been enjoying their success after the match, but instead they have found themselves in hot water over allegations of racism. According to Steven Gerrard and Glen Kamara, Kudela racially abused the Gers star towards the end of their match on Thursday (Sky Sports).

Slavia have since released a statement vehemently denying the allegations (slavia.cz). On Friday morning, Kudela and the rest of the Slavia squad left their hotel in Glasgow to return to their homeland. STV reporter Raman Bhardwaj was on the scene as they left and attempted to ask Kudela a series of questions, but he didn’t get an answer to any of them.

A clip of the interaction was shared on STV’s official Twitter account, and it attracted plenty of attention from the Rangers supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Kudela clip below

“What a Coward, it’s a bit obvious now can’t even stand towards the press”

Credit: @JordanS14698152

“Well done Raman, look at the coward run. Disgusting.”

Credit: @simon1872

“They have already been caught lying saying the police were involved lying right through that club its shameful”

Credit: @Kylehilton1989

“His silence speaks 1000 words”

Credit: @mr_goldfish

“For a bloke who supposedly got battered in the tunnel, he looks surprisingly fresh faced. Another Slavia lie perhaps?”

Credit: @OzRNGR

“Silence is compliance”

Credit: @RFCGW

In other news, Rangers are interested in this 18-goal striker.