All posts by h716a5.icu

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool outfit may have another Ibrahima Konate in their academy ranks.

The Reds have had a plethora of talent emerge over the last few seasons, with Billy Koumetio looking as though he could be one of the next big prospects.

The 19-year-old has been a regular feature for the Liverpool U23s, starting 88% of their Premier League 2 games this season.

Koumetio, like Konate, progressed through the youth system in their native country France, though the former made the switch to England at U19 level to continue his development before playing senior football.

On the topic of senior football, Koumetio was given the chance to feature for the first team, lining up as a left centre-back in a partnership with Joe Gomez against Leicester City in the EFL Cup back in November.

Ironically, Koumetio was substituted at half-time for Ibrahima Konate, with the switch taking place purely for tactical reasons.

It is easy to see why Klopp backed the youngster against a strong Leicester City side, who were narrowly defeated 8-7 on penalties, after pushing the Anfield side all the way in what was an entertaining 3-3 draw.

Though, it was the £450k-rated starlet’s performance against Atletico Madrid in a U19 UEFA Youth League game that had U23 manager Marc Bridge-Wilkinson waxing lyrical over his talent.

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo after the Reds’ 2-0 victory over Fernando Torres’ side, the youth manager said:

“I thought Billy was outstanding. He was shown a yellow card midway through the first half and that was always going to be tricky, but I thought he dealt with it and played a really mature game.”

On the then-18-year-old’s potential, Bridge-Wilkinson added: “He’s doing really well. We know the potential he has got and he really showcased that against Atletico.”

The former Lyon youth prospect has also received plaudits from Klopp himself – when the German was asked about his side’s injury situation last year, he told Sky Sports:

“The injury situation we’ve had has been… pfffff. But it has helped them get more minutes. Rhys Williams? From the moment he trained with us, I could see he was a proper talent. Billy Koumetio? Incredible…”

With Koumetio sharing a similar height, position, nationality and playing style, it is clear to see that Liverpool could have another Konate-type figure within their ranks – something that will surely excite the Liverpool faithful who may well be seeing more of the starlet next season.

AND in other news: Fabrizio Romano reveals big transfer development, it’s great news for Liverpool

The IPL governing council has all but cleared the participation of ten teams in the fourth edition of the league, which starts a week after the World Cup

Nagraj Gollapudi05-Jan-2011The IPL governing council has all but cleared the participation of ten teams in the fourth edition of the league, which starts a week after the World Cup. There is only one precautionary measure the IPL will take before the player auction: to check if the players, who represented Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab in the past editions, have received their dues from their respective franchises.”It was decided that before the auction takes off it is necessary to check if the payments to the players [from the two franchises] have indeed been made because that was one of the three conditions set by the court,” an IPL official told ESPNcricinfo. The reasoning behind that move was that the board did not want to find itself at the receiving end later, in case both Rajasthan and Punjab failed on their word given to the court.On their part, the two franchises have confirmed they cleared all dues well before the deadline date, which is before the auction day on January 8. The two-day auction will be held in Bangalore over this weekend where 350 players will go under the hammer.The clearance means the BCCI has decided to suspend its legal battles with both Rajasthan and Punjab, the two franchises it had terminated last year for alleged violations. It also rules out any move by the board to approach the Supreme Court to overturn the Bombay High Court’s stay on the termination.

New Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag may look to sign Tottenham winger Steven Bergwijn this summer, according to The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare.

The Lowdown: Bergwijn hints at Old Trafford move

Ten Hag was announced as Manchester United’s new manager last month, penning a deal through to 2025.

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He looks set to make final decisions on transfer targets ‘in the coming weeks’, with numerous players linked with a move to Old Trafford.

One of those has been Bergwijn, who hinted earlier this month that a move to United could be on the cards.

Labelled as an ‘important player’ with ‘good fitness’ by Antonio Conte, the Dutch winger can play anywhere across the front three but has made just four Premier League starts this season.

The Latest: Eccleshare’s claim

Reliable reporter Eccleshare shared a story for The Athletic regarding Bergwijn on Thursday. One source believes that Bergwijn will “100%” leave north London at the end of the season, with Eccleshare stating that a possible solution could be a move to Manchester United.

Ten Hag is thought to be a fan of the 24-year-old and made multiple attempts to bring the forward to Ajax, however, Eccleshare added that there is nothing concrete from Old Trafford as of yet.

The Verdict: One to watch?

Ten Hag wants to be heavily involved when it comes to signings, sales and new contracts, so if he personally wants to bring Bergwijn to Manchester, it could be a deal to keep a close eye on.

He hasn’t had the best of times in the Premier League with Spurs, scoring just eight times in 80 games, but Ten Hag will know all about his qualities after coming up against the winger at PSV.

Bergwijn is still just 24 years of age, and with Spurs seemingly looking to offload the player, United may well be able to secure his services for a relatively low fee which would bolster Ten Hag’s attacking ranks.

In other news: Ten Hag wants Man Utd to hijack Spurs move for ‘difference maker’; could replace ‘useless’ flop. 

Plays of the day from the MCG as the fourth Ashes Test continues

Andrew Miller and Peter English28-Dec-2010Ponting’s comings and goings
Ponting’s arrival at the crease was a thunderous moment. As he emerged from the pavilion for what could conceivably be his final Test innings at the MCG, he was greeted by a wall of boos which slowly but surely were drowned out by the most raucous of cheers. Where previously he had attempted to blast his way back to form, this time he took the attritional route, as he waited 15 deliveries for his first runs before doubling his tally with a thick inside-edge off James Anderson. On 5, he steered Chris Tremlett through gully to pass 100 runs for the series, but at no stage did he look remotely settled. The end, when it came, was poignant, as he inside-edged Tim Bresnan into his stumps, and departed the stage head bowed, a great champion laid low for what must be close to the final time.Hussey hustled
After his staggering feats of batsmanship in the first three Tests, which included a career-best 195, a matchwinning 116, and fifty-plus scores in each of his other three innings, Michael Hussey was due a failure or two. The trouble is, such is the paucity of Australia’s batting strength at present, his team could not afford for him to fail. Sure enough, after making 8 in the first innings, he didn’t even get off the mark this time around, as Bresnan buzzed around his off stump from his relentless and subtly swinging full length, and Ian Bell at short cover swooped to gather a tentative poke from the seventh ball of his stay. It was the moment of the match as far as England’s fielders were concerned, and from that moment on, no-one thought to doubt that the Ashes were in the bag.Fifties man
Shane Watson makes delightful half-centuries but just can’t go on. Since he was turned into an opener last year he has reached fifty 16 times in 34 innings, but only twice has he gone on to three figures. It happened again today as he moved relatively smoothly to 54 – his fourth half-century of the campaign – before running out of energy. Shortly after tea he padded up to Bresnan, who had been angling the ball in, and was lbw. He tried a referral, but was soon on his way, with Australia craving so much more.Pain in Australia’s side
Run-outs always hurt, but the damage is much greater when the victim is fighting to stay in the team. Phillip Hughes’ dismissal was particularly painful because it wasn’t his fault. Watson pushed Graeme Swann to the left of Jonathan Trott and set off, leaving Hughes in a futile sprint to reach his ground. He left with 23 as Australia lost an unnecessary wicketearly in their attempt to score the 415 needed to force England to bat again. “It’s a horrendous feeling to be involved in it,” Watson said in accepting the blame. “Especially for a young guy trying to show what he can do on the international stage.” Hughes, who has also posted 2, 12 and 16 since being recalled, now has to wait to learn whether he’ll be needed for Sydney.A novel proposal
The writing may have been on the wall for Australia’s cricketers, but midway through the afternoon session, it was also in the sky, as a lone microlight twisted and turned in the heavens above the Great Southern Stand, to spell out a message for one (presumably) lucky lady. Over the course of several minutes, a stream of white smoke belched out the message: “Marry … me … Kerri”, the final part of which was completed long after the first half had been blown away in the breeze. For what it is worth, the ABC commentator Kerry O’Keeffe politely declined the offer.Hilfenhaus strikes at last
Ben Hilfenhaus has done a lot of hard work in this series for not much reward, but he doubled his series tally with 2 for 83 from 37 overs. Hilfenhaus had managed only a wicket in each of his two previous Tests despite delivering 72 overs of economical swing bowling. So he was a relieved man when Graeme Swann edged a bouncer behind and Chris Tremlett was bowled by one tailing in. He would have been even happier if the wickets had come before England had reached 500.

Gary Kirsten has said he trusts his bowling unit, bolstered by the return of a fit and eager Zaheer Khan, to prove the critics wrong

Sidharth Monga in Durban24-Dec-2010Gary Kirsten has said he trusts his bowling unit, bolstered by the return of a fit and eager Zaheer Khan, to prove the critics wrong. Responding to former South African cricketers’ comments on the weak bowling unit and lack of pace, Kirsten said, “Bottom line is, we need to get 20 Test wickets. I think we have shown in the last three years that we have the ability to get 20 Test wickets in any conditions. It’s up to us to prove to every one that we can do that here. It’s up to us to prove to ourselves too that we can do that. Obviously nice to have Zaheer back. We look forward to whatever conditions are given to us, and we have the quality in our bowling line-up as well.”Going by the first looks, the conditions should assist the bowlers. Kirsten didn’t go to the rock-hard and green Kingsmead pitch, but observed from the change room. “Looks a similar colour to the outfield,” he said. “Let’s see what comes up in two days’ time.”If there is rain in the lead-up to the Test, as the groundstaff fear, the pitch will retain a lot of moisture, potentially creating a situation where batting first might be as difficult as it was in Centurion. Kirsten said the batsmen would need to be prepared for such a challenge, applying themselves better.”We were well prepared for the last Test,” he said. “It was a tough wicket to bat on on the first day. We probably let ourselves down a bit. We have got to assess the situation and get the best we can get out of the surface as a batting unit. I felt we were 100 runs short in the last Test, and we have got to apply ourselves. The preparation has been very good. The guys are working as hard as they have ever worked. I am happy from that point of view. At the end of the day they have to get on the field and make a play. The players are determined, they are really motivated to do well. They are going to give it their best shot, that’s what we can ask of the players.”Kirsten spoke of the importance of putting up scores close to 400 in the first innings. “We know that if one of our top six is getting a decent score, a big hundred, we are going to get a score in excess of 400,” he said. “The guy that’s in, and it could be anyone, and can get in and bat for a decent amount of time, that will allow us to get to scores of 400. We know that in Test cricket if you are not around about that mark in the first innings, you are going to put yourself under pressure.”The Indian team returned to training on Thursday, after a two-day break following the first Test. MS Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh and Suresh Raina decided to stay off the optional training session at the Kingsmead. Raina is under pressure to keep his place in the side after a twin failure in the first side, but Kirsten said no decision has been made regarding the No. 6 spot.

Some early West Ham United team news has emerged ahead of their upcoming Europa League clash on Thursday night, as David Moyes could be about to unleash a player with just two senior appearances.

The Lowdown: Route to the final?

Moyes’ men are set to take on Eintracht Frankfurt at the London Stadium under the lights, in what will be the first of two epic semi-final legs.

The Hammers booked their place in the last four following a 4-1 aggregate victory over Lyon in the quarter-final, where Jarrod Bowen scored twice to continue his impressive run of form.

As the Irons look to go all the way, it seems as though they will have to do it without their respected troop of centre-backs as some news emerged on Kurt Zouma on Wednesday.

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The Latest: Zouma misses training

In a recent video shared on Twitter by The Athletic journalist Roshane Thomas, Zouma wasn’t anywhere to be seen in preparation for the game, but youngster Aji Alese could be seen training alongside the first team.

The post read: “Open training session at Rush Green. No sign of Kurt Zouma but Aji Alese training with the first team.”

With David Moyes confirming the Frenchmen is a serious doubt, it looks like Alese may get a shot, at least from the bench.

The Verdict: Time to unleash Alese

With Zouma looking unlikely to be involved against the German side, this would leave Craig Dawson as the only fit senior centre-back available for selection, so it’s time to unleash the 21-year-old star in the making.

The £360k-rated Alese has only played senior football for the Irons twice but has made 22 appearances in Premier League 2 so far this season, finding the net on two occasions for the youth side, as per Transfermarkt.

Once hailed as an “outstanding” player by his U23s boss Mark Robson, even though Alese isn’t necessarily used to playing on a world stage, the emergence of a great young player could be exactly the injection of life the Hammers need to finish the season on a high.

In other news, the Hammers are plotting to swoop in and sign a Lyon player who impressed them in the last round…

Leeds United have finally parted ways with Marcelo Bielsa…

What’s the word?

That’s according to talkSPORT, who delivered a 13-word update on the situation emerging from Elland Road following their 4-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday afternoon.

“BREAKING: Marcelo Bielsa has left Leeds United by mutual consent  – talkSPORT sources understand,” they shared on social media.

If true, it would end a three-and-a-half-year stint at the club, in which he guided the club to the Premier League for the very first time in 16 years.

Is it the right decision?

On the basis of recent results and the prospect of now being in a relegation battle, this doesn’t appear to be that much of a kneejerk reaction from director of football Victor Orta and chairman Andrea Radrizzani.

Whilst the Argentine is always going to be remembered for the hugely positive impact he left in west Yorkshire, it’s no secret that his side have been abysmal for the majority of the 2021/22 campaign, that said, injuries have played a part, too.

Saturday’s latest heavy loss meant that the Whites had leaked at least three goals in each of their last five outings, with 40 goals conceded across their last 12 fixtures in all competitions a truly worrying trend.

That’s 3.3 goals conceded per game, which really is relegation form, especially when the side had won only two games in that timeframe, as per WhoScored.

Such form had started to test the patience of the Elland Road faithful who have stuck by the 66-year-old through thick and thin but due to his unwillingness to change it up, many were becoming frustrated by his ways and as such, they will be delighted by this news.

73% of fans polled by Football FanCast after the game urged Bielsa to go.

There are only 12 games to go, so it’s certainly a bold risk from the club’s hierarchy and with the side only two points above the relegation zone, it leaves any new manager needing to make an instant impact.

It’s not the way that anyone wanted it to happen but fans will surely be happy to see this decision made. In their current form, with no signs of changing, Leeds are heading back to the Championship. This gives them a small glimmer of hope that they can remain a Premier League outfit.

AND in other news, “Stupid”  liability who lost 70% of his duels has become Leeds’ worst nightmare…

Craig Hope has delivered a major boost for Newcastle United ahead of the Premier League clash against Everton next week.

What’s the story?

Writing on Twitter on Wednesday night, he said: “Chris Wood should be fine for Newcastle game v Everton on Tuesday & is travelling back to UK. There had been a virus outbreak in New Zealand national-team camp which forced cancellation of yesterday’s game against Uzbekistan.”

Massive boost for Newcastle

With both Newcastle and Everton within just four points of each other – the Toffees do have a game in hand however – Tuesday’s night could have massive implications for how this Premier League season pans out for both sides.

A win for the Magpies at St James’ Park would claw back the deficit and add to the momentum built by the success of the January transfer window, while similarly, a defeat for Frank Lampard’s new side would really drag them into the relegation dogfight.

It’s exactly why Hope’s update on Wood being fine for the game next week is sure to have Eddie Howe buzzing, with the New Zealand international already being tipped to be a major success on Tyneside.

Former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell said: “His goal record is very good and aerially he is brilliant. When you have the likes of Trippier whipping the ball in, it would appear to be another very clever signing. Wood is a striker who can go and attack it. He is as good as anyone at attacking the a ball in the box.

“I just think they need weapons who can keep them up. Wood is one of them. I think he’d be a very good signing for them. It’s a move that definitely weakens Burnley as well, which can only be a good thing for Newcastle.”

Both Howe and the club’s fans will surely be buzzing with this latest update on their new striker.

Meanwhile, Newcastle are now set to make this decision…

Australia’s coach Tim Nielsen believes the series loss in England has provided a silver lining, with the unexpected return of Shaun Tait to the ODI setup a promising sign for the future

Brydon Coverdale in London01-Jul-2010Australia’s coach Tim Nielsen believes the series loss in England has provided a silver lining, with the unexpected return of Shaun Tait to the ODI setup a promising sign for the future. Tait, who hadn’t played an ODI since February 2009, was a late inclusion in the squad and has picked up four wickets in his two games, adding speed and shock value to an attack that has performed well under pressure.Tait decided two years ago that his body was better off if he avoided first-class cricket and concentrated on the shorter formats, where he has been hovering in the high 150kph region. While Tait has been economical and collected wickets, one of the best signs for Australia is that his body is so far standing up to 50-over cricket.”It’s one of the real bonuses for us out of this series that he’s been able to get back in the squad and play so well,” Nielsen said ahead of the final ODI at Lord’s. “The only thing that I find a bit difficult with [not playing first-class cricket] is the fact that unless the schedule works out really well, he can have quite big gaps between games and not get the volume of bowling that keeps him going.”So, while he’s fresh, he needs to find ways of training harder and training well between games, whereas the four-day games used to maintain his regular contact with competitive games. He’s finding a pretty happy medium at the moment with the amount of work he does. His body is responding well to that. He’s getting fitter and maturing as a player as well. He’s feeling better about himself, he’s feeling comfortable in his world, his body’s not hurting every time he bowls.”Tait picked up the important wicket of Andrew Strauss at The Oval on Wednesday but the star of the attack was Ryan Harris, who finished with 5 for 32 in Australia’s first win of the series. It was the third time in his short 16-game career that Harris has taken a five-wicket haul, and it continued the trend of the bowlers sharing the workload.Doug Bollinger’s 3 for 20 at Old Trafford nearly set up a miraculous win, Steven Smith has snared five victims in the series and Harris was also the most impressive in the first game in Southampton. Nielsen was pleased with the progress shown in such a short space of time from a bowling group that entered the tour with limited international experience.”This is the first time this complete bowling attack has bowled in England, so they’re getting better and better as they go on,” he said. “We realise they were very short on experience over here. We’ve seen them improve their length, improve their lines and learn about the conditions we’re playing on over here, slower wickets that don’t bounce as much as at home.”Although the side has been without its leader Mitchell Johnson during the one-day series due to his elbow infection, he has joined the group and is set for a comeback during the two Twenty20s against Pakistan next week. Johnson has been bowling in the nets this week but Australia won’t be tempted to give him a run in Saturday’s final ODI.”The reason for getting him here was to ensure we had him outside and bowling and going as well as we could leading into the Test matches,” Nielsen said. “We were concerned if he stayed in Perth and it happened to be wet and cold he wouldn’t get the bowling outside. He’s been great with our quicks and he’ll be ready to go for the Twenty20s.”

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their efforts to bring a new striker to St. James’ Park before the end of the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

BBC Sports’ French football correspondent Julien Laurens has revealed one of the players the Magpies are looking at as they attempt to add to their attacking options before Monday’s deadline.

He told the Sky Sports Transfer Podcast, via NUFCBlog:

“Mohamed Bayo, the Clermont striker. He is one that they really, really like. He is having a great season in France and has a lot of the qualities that are required to do well for a striker in England.”

Off their seats

This update will surely get Newcastle fans off their seats in anticipation and excitement as Bayo could be a brilliant signing to potentially end the window with if the club manages to land Bruno Guimaraes and a centre-back alongside him.

The Clermont forward has found his goalscoring touch in Ligue 1 this season, with nine goals in just 15 starts for the French outfit.

He has also provided two assists and is averaging 1.1 chances created per game, which shows that he has a creative side to his game and is far more than just a goalscorer in the number nine role.

His form in the top tier follows on from a sensational year in Ligue 2 in the 2020/21 campaign. The 23-year-old produced 22 goals and six assists in 34 games for Clermont as he led the team to promotion, with the striker now stepping up his game and delivering end product at a higher standard of football.

It remains to be seen whether or not Chris Wood will be able to hit the goal trail between now and the end of the season after his move from Burnley.

He has scored three goals in 19 Premier League starts this season, which suggests that Bayo could end up being the superior option if he is able to adapt to English football as his goal record in France is exceptional.

Therefore, Newcastle fans will be off their seats and excited about the prospect of the Guinea international arriving on Tyneside in the next 36 hours or so as he could be an excellent addition to the side. His goalscoring ability could help the Magpies to win more games in the second half of the season and Howe must push PIF to get this potential deal over the line.

AND in other news, “Rejected”: Journo reveals fresh Jan transfer setback, NUFC fans will be fuming at PIF…