All posts by h716a5.icu

Leeds United made contact with Mauricio Pochettino over a stunning move to Elland Road, according to Guillem Balague.

What’s Balague had to say about Leeds and Pochettino?

The Whites are currently on their fourth head coach of the season in Sam Allardyce, following on from Jesse Marsch, Michael Skubala and Javi Gracia.

Leeds find themselves in real danger of relegation from the Premier League and have just two games remaining to get out of the bottom three in what has been another disappointing campaign in Yorkshire.

After sacking Marsch back in February, it took Leeds a number of weeks to bring in a new manager, and it appears as if Pochettino, who has been out of work since leaving Paris Saint-Germain in July, was on the radar.

Balague was speaking about Pochettino in a column for the BBC ahead of his proposed move to Stamford Bridge.

He stated that Leeds, along with Aston Villa, Athletic Bilbao, Benfica, Nice, Nottingham Forest, Sevilla and Villarreal all got in contact over moves for the 51-year-old. Pochettino wasn’t short of offers and even initially turned down Chelsea until he was offered more control by Todd Boehly.

Never likely…

Pochettino looks set to return to the dugout ahead of the 2023/24 season at Chelsea, and you could argue that Leeds were dreaming when thinking he may be tempted to make the move to Elland Road.

The Argentine, who plays an attacking 4-3-3 formation, is close to 600 games as a manager and has been used to European football with Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain.

Hailed as “world-class” in the media, Pochettino has been linked with some of the biggest clubs in the world such as Real Madrid, a job he was reportedly holding out for. However, it looks as if he will move to Chelsea, who appear to be building for the future with a €1bn+ valued playing squad, as per Transfermarkt.

Meanwhile, Leeds appear to be a side heading in the opposite direction and could find themselves in the second tier next season, so it wasn’t exactly a surprise to hear they were unsuccessful after contacting Pochettino, presumably earlier in the year.

It will be interesting to see who Leeds target in the summer to replace their current interim head coach, but relegation over the coming weeks could change those plans drastically, with Feyenoord’s Arne Slot thought to be a target after leading his side to the Eredivisie title.

Jason Roy plundered a 51-ball hundred but it was not enough to earn Surrey a quarter-final

Tim Wigmore29-Jul-2016
ScorecardTo be at The Oval on Friday night, with a sell-out of close to 25,000 enraptured by the brilliant brutality of Jason Roy, it seemed incongruous to consider that England’s domestic T20 is a tournament deemed to be in need of a rapid overhaul.No county does T20 better than Surrey. This typically boisterous crowd took Surrey’s total attendance for their seven home T20s to over 140,000, and the revenue these games have raised to over £4 million: both figures are records. On this night the crowd’s only gripe was the rain at Chelmsford, which eliminated Surrey, but, as they belted out renditions of in between the Icelandic football clap, no one seemed remotely perturbed.Whatever the future of English domestic T20, it will be all the better if it involves plenty more innings like this from Roy. While the blared out, Roy’s thunderous hitting was again the rhythm of the night at The Oval.In this mood, Roy has the swagger of a villain in a Western, brazenly bestriding his turf, ready to shoot down anyone with the effrontery to challenge him. Or so it seemed as he greeted James Tredwell’s offspin with a huge straight six then, as if insulted by how easy it had all been, promptly launched the bowler over wide long-on, the longest boundary.When Roy thrashed a full toss down the ground to bring up his fourth T20 century, off 51 balls, he removed his helmet, giving off the air of a gladiator appreciating the crowd’s acclaim.For all its destruction, this was an innings defined by far more than raw power. There was impudent improvisation too – reverse-scooping Darren Stevens over short third man for four, or waltzing across his stumps to lift the ball over the keeper. There was also ample evidence of Roy’s maturity as a batsman, the brain to go with his brawn. He scored off all but nine of the 62 deliveries he faced, a dot-ball percentage of just 14.5%. To put that into context, 40% of deliveries in the World T20 were dots.With Roy in this mood Aaron Finch, the world’s second-ranked T20I batsman, was relegated to the status of B-list support act; on most nights the violence underpinning Finch’s 79 would have been befitting something rather more. If the two did not quite break the records they threatened to – they fell five runs short of the English record partnership for any wicket and 14 short of the all-time record opening stand in T20 cricket – their 187 did break Kent.When Gareth Batty fired a delivery down the leg side after seeing Sam Billings giving him the charge, and Roy claimed Stevens, diving at full length after running in from the extra cover boundary, soon after, Surrey’s cruise to victory was assured.Yet it had all come too late to secure qualification for the quarter-finals. For the second consecutive season Surrey’s financial clout had failed to yield progress beyond the group stages.”We’ve put on an absolute spectacle tonight and showed what we’re capable of,” a downcast Roy said. “That’s the most disappointing thing – there were some crucial game we should have won, but we didn’t show that grit and determination.”At a time when the teams who take part in England’s elite T20 competition face being determined by ground size rather than on-field performance, some would see Surrey’s failure as a reminder of the need to keep the principle of meritocracy at the heart of the domestic English game.The debate will rumble on, long after the last remnants of spilled beer have been cleaned from The Oval’s stands.

Chelsea 'shouldn't be too far away' from announcing Mauricio Pochettino as manager and he could help to accelerate the development of the Blues' young talent, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest news involving Mauricio Pochettino?

As per Football Insider, Chelsea are going to announce their new boss by the end of this week and Pochettino is 'expected to land the role' at Stamford Bridge.

The report states that discussions have reached the 'final stages' with just minor issues to iron out, such as the makeup of his backroom staff as the Argentinian edges closer to a return to management.

According to The Daily Mail, Pochettino already has plans in place to strengthen key positions and is believed to want a new goalkeeper, midfielder and striker in the forthcoming transfer window.

He is also keen to trim the squad where appropriate in order to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations while also giving Chelsea some balance in the squad heading into 2022/23.

On the pitch, things look to have got slightly better for the Blues following a torrid nine-match winless run, as they dispatched Bournemouth 3-1 at the Vitality Stadium last weekend in the Premier League, as per BBC Sport.

Benoit Badiashile was among the scorers in Chelsea's triumph on the South Coast and journalist Jones told Football FanCast that he thinks Pochettino's prospective arrival could help the likes of the central defender and others to develop at Stamford Bridge.

Jones told FFC: "I mean, obviously, we were waiting for the news of the appointment now of Pochettino and it shouldn't be too far away and once that appointment is made, Chelsea fans can start to become more excited about talent like Badiashile and what they'll get from him."

Who else could be winners under Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea?

Conor Gallagher has been in decent form for Chelsea recently, netting twice in his last four matches, as per Transfermarkt, including a header against Bournemouth last weekend.

The Epsom-born midfielder has shouldered the responsibility of breaking between the lines well in the last few weeks at Stamford Bridge and could be looked at by Pochettino as someone to shape his midfield around, given his endeavour, age and profile.

Mykhailo Mudryk and Levi Colwill could also be players central to the Pochettino project. Speaking on Twitter, journalist Rob Pratley has recently claimed: "I understand 2 of the main points Pochettino has impressed the club on is his roadmap for Levi Colwill and Mykhailo Mudryk. The former is viewed as an integral core of the defence, whilst Pochettino has expressed his belief the latter can become an extremely effective goalscorer."

Chelsea have a lot of groundwork to do this summer to get back to pushing for major honours in west London, making pre-season an important time for all involved as they aim to head into 2023/24 in the right frame of mind.

Joe Root produced a seamless 93 from 106 balls and Jos Buttler made 70 from 45 balls as England wrapped up victory by 122 runs for a 3-0 series win

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando02-Jul-2016England 324 for 7 (Root 93, Buttler 70, Vince 51) beat Sri Lanka 202 (Chandimal 53, Willey 4-34) by 122 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJoe Root’s 93 set up a 122-run win for England•PA PhotosEngland’s start was swift, their middle overs lively, and their finish was efficient. In response to an imposing total of 324, their visitors stuttered at the outset, lost wickets through the middle, and arrived at a limp finish. Sri Lanka’s 122-run defeat was an apt reflection of the chasm between the quality of the teams on display this series, which England have sewn up 3-0.Joe Root produced a seamless 93 from 106 balls to underpin his team’s dynamic innings, but it was arguably Jos Buttler who played the most electric knock within it. He set off with a four to fine leg, collected quick runs into the outfield for a while, then after facing 25 deliveries, let fly with the boundaries. There were shovels over the shoulder, searing cuts, crunching drives and a six over long off, all executed with a powerful bottom hand. His tally was 70 off 45. James Vince had also hit a half-century at the top of the innings.Erratic seam bowling at either end of the innings had helped England to their imposing total. Most hopes of Sri Lanka running that score down then dissipated in the first 22 overs, after which they were 107 for 5. Dinesh Chandimal made his fourth consecutive fifty as the wickets fell around him, before David Willey wiped out the tail to finish with four wickets for himself. Sri Lanka were all out for 202, and never in the course of their chase, did they appear to have the measure of their target.In England’s innings, Danushka Gunathilaka’s part-time offspin claimed three wickets for 48 from his full quota of overs, but it was debutant left-arm seamer Chaminda Bandara’s 1 for 83 which was the more definitive set of figures. Bandara was wayward at the outset while the other seam bowlers failed to pose a consistent threat, and costly at the death when everyone was going for runs. Nuwan Pradeep was also expensive again, giving away more than seven an over, as he attempts to come to grips closing out an innings.England had purred into motion with a cover-driven boundary from Jason Roy’s bat, third ball. Though play was soon left suspended for about 25 minutes by a passing shower, the hosts’ tempo rarely wavered over the following three-and-a-half hours. Bandara bowled overs that cost 11 and 14 in the Powerplay, while more experienced bowlers delivered more disciplined, but hardly miserly, spells. By the tenth over, only seven boundaries had been struck in all, yet 66 runs had been gathered. The green tinge on the pitch, which had put both captains in the mood to bowl first, offered only modest sideways movement. The overhead cloud made for only the slightest swing.The dismissal of Roy came somewhat against the run of play – caught on the midwicket boundary off Suranga Lakmal for a run-a-ball 34. Root, the next batsman, sent his first ball skipping through the covers for four, and Vince continued his pretty progress alongside the new man, the pair flitting efficiently between their wickets until Vince reached his first international fifty, off 54 balls. He was soon out charging Gunathilaka, who pulled his length back and slipped a ball past Vince’s advance, but neither that wicket, nor the next one, really dented England’s rate of progress. Halfway through the innings, the hosts were 138 for 3.With a confident Gunathilaka proving so successful, Mathews banked on spin through the middle overs. Jonny Bairstow was occasionally tested by it during his 21 off 28, but Root’s mastery of the single prevented Sri Lanka from making substantial headway. This steady beat of ones and twos was occasionally enlivened by the crash of cymbals: the reverse-paddle for four off the exceptionally part-time bowling of Kusal Mendis, the clatter through the covers at the end of the 38th over.Buttler twice hit Pradeep for consecutive fours, and thwacked a six off Lakmal in the 44th over, as he scored 45 runs from the last 20 balls he faced. It was he who propelled England’s run rate past six, and though he was out in the 48th over to give Bandara his first international wicket, had laid the groundwork for a fast finish. Thirty-three runs were hit off the last three overs.When the chase got under way an inability to pierce the lively infield drew a fatal mistake from Kusal Perera, not for the first time in the series. He was out lbw to Willey at the end of the fourth over. Mendis and Gunathilaka attempted to build the platform Sri Lanka required, before committing another of Sri Lanka’s most common mistakes through the series: attempting to come back for a second run in the 14th over, Mendis was caught short by Bairstow’s throw.From 66 for 2, the match slipped quickly. Gunathilaka was lbw to Liam Plunkett for 48. Mathews had his stumps splayed by a yorker from the same bowler. Upul Tharanga was bowled first delivery by Adil Rashid, and Dasun Shanaka was stumped off him, some time later. When Seekkuge Prasanna was caught at fine leg by a diving Willey, Sri Lanka had crumbled to 170 for 7 in the 35th over. A brittle tail didn’t hang around long.

West Ham United have already made contact to sign Sao Paulo midfielder Pablo Maia and have promised to return for his signature.

While they could reach the final of the Europa Conference League, the London outfit has struggled domestically.

They're almost guaranteed safety from relegation but they have been too close to the drop zone all season.

What's the latest on Pablo Maia to West Ham?

Three days ago, Bolavip Brasil, via Sport Witness, reported that West Ham and Fulham have made contact with Sao Paulo for Pablo Maia.

The Brazilian outfit plans to raise funds by selling players and have identified Maia as one of those who could be sold.

This is good news for West Ham and Fulham with both sides ready to accelerate their interest.

According to Andre Hernan, both the Hammers and the Cottagers have promised Sao Paulo they will return to sign Maia.

While covering Hernan's claims, Bolavip Brasil added that the two Premier League outfits will 'return with maximum force' to sign Maia.

Having already made contact with the Brazilian club, they will 'go strong'.

Maia is expected to cost in the region of €11m (£9.6m) but perhaps a bidding war between the two outfits will see that value rise.

Could Pablo Maia be the next talent to arrive in the Premier League?

There are already a number of Brazilians excelling in the Premier League and the Hammers added one over the summer in the form of Lucas Paqueta who has finally begun to find his feet in London.

Last year, Football Talent Scout, Jacek Kulig, shared on Twitter that Maia is a Casemiro-esque player, highlighting his passing, vision, tackling positioning, anticipation and work rate as his strongest traits.

According to Fbref, he ranks in the 92nd percentile for blocks and in the 99th percentile for successful aerial duels won. When players move to the Premier League, one of the concerns is always over whether they will be able to compete physically, although it's doubtful Maia will have that particular issue.

If West Ham are successful in signing him this summer and keep most of their players, the 21-year-old could have a big impact on their play.

Maia would give the Hammers more protection in transition, allowing the likes of Paqueta, Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma more space to build attacks from.

And with the future of Declan Rice under serious speculation ahead of the summer window, perhaps he could be the ideal replacement for the Irons.

Tottenham Hotspur have made an "important proposal" to Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti as chairman Daniel Levy keeps up the hunt for a new manager, according to reports.

Who could Spurs appoint as manager?

The north Londoners, well over a month after parting company with former head coach Antonio Conte, are said to be stepping up their chase for his replacement.

Reports in the last week have suggested that Levy has completed the due-diligence stage of his search, having assessed multiple candidates whilst holding discussions with the likes of Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique (The Evening Standard).

The free agent duo aren't solely attracting Tottenham's real interest, though, as Xabi Alonso of Bayer Leverkusen and even Sporting Lisbon's Ruben Amorim are rumoured to be of interest.

Spurs have however recently missed out on appointing Burnley boss Vincent Kompany after they were repeatedly linked, with the Belgian putting pen to paper on fresh terms at Turf Moor.

The Premier League side are weighing up moves for new candidates on a regular basis, it would seem, as Serie A-winning coach Spalletti has emerged as a fairly new target in the last week.

Now, Italian journalist Paolo Bargiggia, appearing as a guest on 7 Gold’s Il Processo (via Area Napoli and Sport Witness), claims the 64-year-old has an "important proposal" from Spurs.

As well as the Lilywhites, it is also believed Roma are potentially eyeing him to replace Jose Mourinho.

When asked about Spalletti's future, Bargiggia explained:

“Why did the manager release certain statements [Napoli exercising one year extension], proving to be rather cold on the hypothesis of a renewal? The problem is that the Tuscan had an important proposal from Tottenham. Spalletti earns €2.7m a season, elsewhere they can guarantee him a very high salary.

“Then came two other potential proposals, not yet so concrete. One is PSG, even if Mourinho is more likely to go there. The second is sensational: a return to Rome. I repeat, however, there is nothing official.”

What could Spalletti bring to Spurs?

Possessing both the necessary experience and a proven track record of winning silverware, we believe Spalletti could actually be an exciting option for Levy.

The former Zenit St.Petersburg boss has won a grand total of eight major trophies, including this season's Scudetto, not to mention he encourages an attack-minded brand of football.

Called an 'genius' manager by Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, Spalletti's current Napoli deal also runs out in 2024.

Former India team director Ravi Shastri has applied for the post of national head coach

PTI06-Jun-2016Former India team director Ravi Shastri has applied for the post of national head coach. Shastri, who worked with the team from August 2014 to April 2016, confirmed his application to on Monday. His contract as team director had ended with India’s exit from the World T20 in March.”Yes, I have applied for the chief coach’s post today morning. I have e-mailed all the requisite documents that were asked for in the advertisement,” Shastri said.Asked if he had prepared any presentation or roadmap, Shastri said: “Whatever is required by the BCCI, I have provided them. If you ask me whether I am confident or not, all I can say is that my job was to apply for the post and I have done that. I cannot comment on anything else.”Under Shastri, who had taken over as director in 2014, India made it to semi-finals of successive global events – the 2015 World Cup and the 2016 World T20, and also climbed to No. 1 on the Test rankings for a period of eight weeks until Australia took over in February 2016. In this period, India also won their first limited-overs bilateral series in Australia, by whitewashing the hosts 3-0 in a T20 series.Apart from Shastri, current chairman of selectors and former India coach Sandeep Patil has also thrown his hat in the ring. Patil had earlier coached India back in 1996, taking over from Ajit Wadekar who stepped down after India’s semi-final loss to Sri Lanka in the 1996 World Cup semi-final. Patil’s tenure was a forgettable one; he was replaced within six months.However, Shastri’s team of support staff – Sanjay Bangar, R Sridhar and B Arun – have not yet applied as BCCI sources believe that they would like to continue in their earlier roles depending on the requirements of the board.

Journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed that Chelsea are considering a possible move to hire Luciano Spalletti as the club's next manager.

What are the latest Chelsea manager rumours?

The Blues are currently on the hunt for a new head coach but it remains unclear who has been their number one target.

At the moment, Mauricio Pochettino looks to be the potential favourite but that's only after the likes of Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique have fallen out of the race.

However, it seems as though Napoli boss Spalletti is going to be yet another name considered for the role by Todd Boehly and co.

Indeed, while speaking in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT, Jacobs outlined the club's interest in the 64-year-old but explained that it might not be an easy deal to complete.

In full, he said: "Luciano Spalletti is another name that has been spoken about. But at the moment, he's fully focused on Napoli and winning the Scudetto, and is not necessarily attainable, therefore, to approach or speak to at this point. So Chelsea do want to move in the coming weeks to get that name.

"Because even if that name starts next season, they still want to lock down the name, which helps stabilise the club. And then there's a name that they can take in the coming weeks into the transfer market ahead of the window opening which is important as well. But this has always been about Chelsea not rushing."

Why would Chelsea want Luciano Spalletti?

It's no shock that Spalletti would be considered by the Premier League side. In fact, after the season he's had with Napoli, he may well be a target for a number of top teams across Europe.

After all, the coach has led his side to a Champions League quarter-final and is on the verge of bringing the first Scudetto to Naples since the 1989-1990 season during the legendary days of Diego Maradona.

With that title race not quite wrapped up just yet though, it's understandable Spalletti's focus remains on Napoli and so if Chelsea want to make an appointment soon, they may struggle to get the Italian on board.

However, as Jacobs points out, the club's managerial search has been about taking their time and so they may opt to be patient and persevere with Frank Lampard as interim while waiting until the summer.

At which stage, perhaps with the Serie A title under his belt, Spalletti could be a more realistic target.

Arsenal are captivated by Sporting CP's Manuel Ugarte, and they have recently conducted a scouting mission to run the rule over the midfielder, according to recent reports from Portugal.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

The Gunners are looking to strengthen in attacking areas this summer, and they are said to be crazy about signing Villarreal winger Samuel Chukwueze, who could be brought in to provide competition to Bukayo Saka at right-wing.

Mikel Arteta could look at bringing in a number of options to strengthen the spine of the team, and he is also believed to be looking at Real Sociedad centre-back Robin Le Normand, as well as central-midfielder Martin Zubimendi.

Declan Rice also remains a target for the north London outfit, and the West Ham United captain would be "very interested in joining Arsenal", according to journalist Dean Jones, with talks set to take place in the summer window.

According to a report from O Jogo (via Sport Witness), Ugarte may also now be a target for the Gunners in the summer, with the club recently sending officials to watch the midfielder during Sporting's clash with Juventus.

The Portuguese club are planning to sell the 22-year-old for as much as possible in the upcoming window, with his release clause currently set at €60m (£53.5m), and it is "practically inevitable" he departs.

Arteta liked the maestro's performance in Arsenal's Europa League clash with Sporting last month, and the club have been captivated by his performances ever since.

Should Arsenal sign Manuel Ugarte?

The report details that Arteta is on the lookout for a "complete midfielder" this summer, but there are some doubts about whether the Uruguayan offers enough in an attacking sense.

The Montivideo-born ace has registered zero goals and just one assist in 42 appearances for Sporting so far this season, having mainly been utilised in a deep role, as he particularly specialises in the defensive side of the game.

Over the past year, the "Rolls-Royce of a midfielder" ranks in the 99th percentile for tackles per 90, and in the 97th for interceptions, meaning he more than makes up for his lack of threat going forward with his defensive acumen.

However, Rice also flourishes in those aspects of the game, while he is also more of a threat going forward, and has proven Premier League experience, therefore the England international should remain Arsenal's priority target in the summer window.

Glasgow Rangers returned to winning ways this afternoon at Ibrox as they clawed back the deficit to nine points in the Premiership title race, albeit on a temporary basis.

The 5-2 victory over St Mirren wasn’t without a scare or two, with the Paisley outfit twice equalising through Mark O’Hara and the scores were tied at 2-2 heading into the final ten minutes of the match.

A flurry of goals followed, with Alfredo Morelos netting twice and late substitute Scott Arfield also getting on the scoresheet. The result means Michael Beale has only been on the wrong end of defeat twice during his spell as manager, both to Celtic.

Todd Cantwell was impressive yet again. The Englishman received a Sofascore rating of 9.5/10 for his display, comfortably the best player on the pitch as he added two assists to his early goal.

The former Norwich City player has been a shrewd signing, and he also chipped in with two key passes, five shots in total and four tackles throughout. However, it was Fashion Sakala who took his opportunity well, enjoying a solid performance against the Buddies.

How did Fashion Sakala perform for Rangers against St Mirren?

The Zambian has enjoyed success under Beale having been frozen out of the starting XI earlier in the season by former boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

Under the Englishman, Sakala has scored six goals and grabbed seven assists, and it’s no wonder he was dubbed a “dangerman” by Rangers Review journalist Joshua Barrie before the recent Old Firm clash.

Against St Mirren, the 26-year-old was deployed in a slightly unfamiliar left-wing role due to an injury to Ryan Kent, although he has starred in this position before, most notably in a crucial win over Hibernian at the start of March.

Sakala scored the Gers’ second goal this afternoon while registering three key passes and five shots in total, clearly demonstrating how much of an attacking threat he posed the opposition defence.

The winger was successful with four of his eight dribble attempts and took 43 touches throughout his stint on the pitch, and despite not starting a match for a few weeks, he showed no sign of sluggishness in his performance.

The showing will have pleased Beale greatly and proves that he has solid strength in depth within his team, which could prove to be crucial heading into next season.