All posts by h716a5.icu

A number of Liverpool fans have been reacting positively to journalist Fabrizio Romano’s claim that Ibrahima Konate will officially join the Reds this summer.

Jurgen Klopp looks almost certain to delve into the transfer market at the end of the season, having endured a 2020/21 campaign to forget.

Liverpool’s woes at centre-back mean it is a key area to focus on in the summer, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all missing significant chunks of action.

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One player who has been linked with a move to Anfield more than most is Konate, who has matured into an exciting young defender at RB Leipzig, becoming a regular France Under-21 international.

The 21-year-old has been continually tipped to sign for Liverpool and Romano has now further increased the likelihood of him heading to Merseyside.

Responding to a message on Twitter on Wednesday evening, he showed where his opinion lies, stating quite simply: “He’s going to Liverpool.”

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Liverpool fans delighted with Konate update

These Liverpool fans provided their thoughts on the update on Twitter, with plenty of positivity in the air.

“LET’S GOOOOO Konate”

Credit: @Its_kene

“It’s gonna be scary”

Credit: @LFCTanmay

“Fabrizio you better not be lying my friend”

Credit: @NSMisAverage

“How I love you Fab!”

Credit: @MalcolmTheSix

“FABRIZIOOOOOOOOOOO”

Credit: @APLFC_

“YES”

Credit: @joethegoatgomez

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been left buzzing after an update on two key players. Read more here.

Sports Minister Lakshman Kiriella is expected to announce the names of Sri Lanka’s national cricket selection committee shortly and among those in therunning is former Sri Lanka Test wicket-keeper/batsman Amal Silva

Sa'ad Thawfeeq09-May-2001Sports Minister Lakshman Kiriella is expected to announce the names of Sri Lanka’s national cricket selection committee shortly and among those in therunning is former Sri Lanka Test wicket-keeper/batsman Amal Silva.Silva is presently serving as the chairman of the umpires committee andif he gets the nod, will replace former selector Shammi Silva.The strength of the selection committee will probably be reduced to fourmembers if Lalith Kaluperuma is stopped from serving on it.Kaluperuma, a former Sri Lanka cricketer, is a supplier of clothings tothe cricket board and it is against the controlling body’s principles thatsuch people should not be serving it.The other members of the five-man committee, which completed its term onApril 30, are Tikiri Banda Kehelgamuwa, Brendon Kuruppu and KapilaWijegunawardena, all three of whom are likely to be retained.There is also a likelihood that a separate set of selectors will benamed to concentrate on junior cricket.This step, which the interim council is keen to implement, will greatlyrelieve the national selectors of their onerous task of having to keep awatch on all levels of cricket, which they have found virtually impossibleto do over the past years.The junior selection committee will concentrate on having people whoare involved in coaching at junior levels and will be widespread. Some ofthe past Sri Lankan players whose names have been mentioned are RogerWijesuriya, Don Anurasiri, Champaka Ramanayake, Jayantha Seneviratne andRanjith Madurasinghe.Last week the interim council of the Board of Control for Cricket in SriLanka (BCCSL) announced it various sub-committees who will be serving underthe current administration headed by Vijay Malalasekera.

Marcelo Bielsa is reportedly on the verge of agreeing a new deal at Leeds United, acting as a huge boost for anyone associated with the club.

The Lowdown: Bielsa transforms Leeds

The Argentine has been an incredible influence at Elland Road since taking charge back in the summer of 2018, guiding the Whites back into the Premier League.

Not only that, but Bielsa has done it in style, playing superb attacking football and getting his players in peak physical condition.

The 65-year-old has connected with the fans and been one of the most popular figures at Leeds in many years, transforming the club’s fortunes.

The Latest: New deal expected

According to the Telegraph’s Luke Edwards, Bielsa is ‘on the verge of agreeing’ to extend his stay at Elland Road, adding that he remains ‘totally committed’ to the cause.

It is believed that he is happy where he is currently, seemingly ending speculation over whether or not he would still be at the club next season.

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The Verdict: Massive news for Leeds

For all the top players at Leeds at the moment, it is Bielsa who is the most important figure for the Whites, so this is an enormous piece of news.

Hailed as ‘special’ and a ‘genius’ by compatriot Mauricio Pochettino, he is the one who has made these players so effective with his elite coaching – so many of them were struggling in the second tier before his arrival.

The longer he stays in Yorkshire the better, with Leeds’ next aim surely to push for the European places next season, or at least replicate their 2020/21 campaign and solidify themselves as a threat to the top ten.

The hope is that Bielsa is still Leeds manager for years to come, such is his vast influence, and his players will no doubt feel the same, having shone so brightly under his tutelage.

In other news, a pundit has been talking up Leeds’ rumoured interest in a Premier League player. Find out who it is here.

Lancashire’s tentative batting gifted Glamorgan their first one-day successof the season, at the seventh attempt

Colin Evans20-May-2001Lancashire’s tentative batting gifted Glamorgan their first one-day successof the season, at the seventh attempt.It was Old Trafford’s first day of cricket this summer, but there waslittle for the home support to cheer as Glamorgan made easy work of their148 target.Matthew Maynard’s unbeaten 39 eventually helped them home with26 balls to spare, ending a miserable record of five losses in the Benson& Hedges Cup as well as another defeat in their previous National Leaguematch.Lancashire won the toss but quickly slumped to 9-2, and it could have beenan even smaller target without Neil Fairbrother.He survived a blow to the head from a ball from Alex Wharf, who had alreadyremoved Ryan Driver and Alex Flintoff, and then went on to make 62 from 107balls.Fairbrother and John Crawley put on 53 for the third wicket before Crawleyran himself out, and Lancashire never really recovered.Spinners Dean Cosker and Robert Croft conceded a combined total of just 43from their 18 overs to limit Lancashire to a final total of 147-6.Glamorgan, in contrast, marched to their 50 within ten overs, as AustralianJimmy Maher, with 19, and Keith Newell, who made 29, set the platform.Muttiah Muralitharan bowled his usual miserly spell, conceding just 14 runsfrom nine overs, but couldn’t remove Maynard, who helped the visitors tovictory with a six off Ian Austin.

Ralph Hasenhuttl has suffered an injury blow to his squad at Southampton, with Jan Bednarek set to miss Saturday’s game against Fulham, but there is a silver lining as it could see Mohammed Salisu handed a rare start.

The Poland international was substituted at half-time in the 3-1 win against Crystal Palace in midweek and Hasenhuttl has since confirmed that the 25-year-old is a doubt for the weekend, saying: “Jan Bednarek has a little bit of a problem with his ankle.

“In the last game he got a hit on his heel I think and didn’t train today (Thursday) or yesterday (Wednesday).”

It will likely bring an end to the centre-back’s run in Southampton’s side which has seen him start all 35 of their Premier League fixtures so far this season.

Although he has been an important member of Southampton’s squad this season, and showed great form earlier in the campaign when he and Jannik Vestergaard established a formidable defensive partnership, his recent displays have been poor and his injury could be a blessing in disguise for the Saints.

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Hasenhuttl will want to finish the season strongly whilst also utilising some of Southampton’s younger players, so Saturday’s game against already-relegated Fulham side could be the perfect opportunity to start Salisu at centre-back.

The Ghanaian, who joined from Real Valladolid last summer, has been limited to just five Premier League starts this season, although his recent performances have emphasised why Southampton were so keen to bring him in.

He was superb in their 1-1 draw with Leicester City when the Saints were down to 10 men, posting a formidable 11 clearances, and was solid again when replacing Bednarek in the win against Crystal Palace on Tuesday night.

Therefore, Salisu deserves a start against Scott Parker’s side this weekend; and if he can enjoy a strong finish to the season, then it would be an obvious silver lining to the bad news that the “excellent” Bednarek – as hailed by Matt Le Tissier – is sidelined.

In other news… Southampton handed huge transfer boost over 29-goal “phenomenon”, Semmens must deliver

New Zealand’s Level III cricket coaches will be receiving their latest round of training over the next month

Lynn McConnell18-Jun-2001New Zealand’s Level III cricket coaches will be receiving their latest round of training over the next month.With about 70 Level III coaches spread over the six provincial associations, New Zealand Cricket’s director of coaching development John Howell and the director of player development Ashley Ross will be visiting each association to conduct the two-day courses.Coaches at this level are required to attend a new course every four years to maintain their certification.Among some of the Level III coaches are: Sir Richard Hadlee, Tony Blain, Allen McLaughlin, Matt Horne, Llorne Howell, Ann McKenna, Denis Aberhart, Gary MacDonald, Lee Germon, Michael Sharpe, Dave Hadfield, Mark Greatbatch, Scott Briasco, Alistar Jordan, Paul Unwin, Brendon Bracewell, Chris Kuggeleijn, Cliff Dickeson, Karl Treiber, Mike Wright, Grant Bradburn, Michael Austen, Julie Harris, Sarah Kelly, Vaughn Johnson, Kristy Van Dyk.Also taking part will be Lyn Kidman of the Christchurch College of Education who will be discussing the subject of player empowerment, the subject of a book she has recently written.This relates to players being more responsible for their own decision-making.New Zealand national coach David Trist will work with Howell on what is a team culture while Howell and Ross will also discuss the role of decision-making.They have just completed a course in Auckland which dealt with learning styles and Howell said the role of decision-making was becoming a big thing in cricket.It was an area with a lot of debate and said there was great interest in the type of decision-making that saw less orthodox batsmen like Nathan Astle and Andrew Jones play a ball a certain way and survive while more orthodox players played it another way and got out.”People in pressure situations often react differently to an event than they would in normal life,” Howell said.There would also be tactical and strategic discussions on things such as whether a spinner like Sri Lankan Mutiah Muralitharan should be played in front of the pad in the way Martin Crowe preferred or behind the pad as John Reid preferred.As part of the programme, regional under-19 high performance squads will be working with Ross at each venue on skills practices with the coaches observing.Another part of the course will involve Bruce Blair working on Digi-Cricket, the coaching programme designed by former Australian women’s cricket coach John Harmer, who is now the England women’s coach. Blair will also deal with what makes the tough, elite athlete.Ross will also discuss whether athletes should have their styles changed or should they be left alone?The first session will be held in Hamilton on June 27-28, the second in Wellington on July 1-2, the third at Palmerston North on July 3-4, the fourth on July 5-6 in Auckland, the fifth in Dunedin on July 9-10 and the final session in Christchurch on July 11-12.From August 1-3, development workshops will be held at Lincoln University with the first-class coaches and other invited coaches. The programme will be slightly different to that for Level IIII coaches.

Urdu Report

Tahir Amin Malik02-Jun-2001

Leicester City’s hopes of finishing in a Champions League qualification place were extinguished on Sunday afternoon after they fell to a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur.

It was a desperately disappointing end to an otherwise outstanding campaign for the Foxes, who lifted their first-ever FA Cup crown just a few weeks ago.

For much of the season, it seemed inevitable that Brendan Rodgers’ men would finish inside the Premier League’s top four and return to Europe’s elite cup competition for the first time since 2016/17, but defeats to Newcastle United, Chelsea and Spurs in their final four league games saw them end up in fifth place.

It’s the second consecutive campaign where the Midlands outfit have missed out on a Champions League spot on the last day of the season, however, this one may hurt Rodgers even more, given Leicester led on two occasions over the weekend.

Chelsea’s defeat to Aston Villa meant three points would have seen the 2016 Premier League champions leapfrog the Blues in the top-flight table, and it seemed as though that would be the case with under 15 minutes of action remaining.

That was until a rare goalkeeping howling from Kasper Schmeichel badly let Rodgers and his teammates down. The 34-year-old shot-stopper punched the ball into the back of his own net when attempting to clear a corner, levelling the scores in the 79th minute.

As per SofaScore, the Denmark international received a rating of 5.4/10, by far the lowest score awarded to any player on the King Power pitch.

The big error topped off an underwhelming display from the usually dependable keeper. He let in four goals, he only had a passing accuracy of just 68%, and managed to pick out a teammate with only four of his 11 attempted long balls.

Fortunately for the Foxes, this kind of display is certainly infrequent as far as Schmeichel is concerned, and he received the backing of his manager after a mistake against Burnely a few months back.

“He’s been brilliant for me in my time here, there’s moments where it looks like it’s going to be a goal and he pulls off a save,” said Rodgers. “His concentration and his desire to stop the ball going in the net is so good.

“He always produces for us, he’s absolutely outstanding when he had to be here. That’s why he’s one of the top keepers at this level.”

The Leicester fans will surely forgive their great Dane on this occasion, given his past heroics, but it will still be a disappointing way to end 2020/21 nonetheless and it was, all in all, a hopeless performance from one of the club’s modern-day legends, a performance that cost his side a Champions League place.

And, in other news…Lost 60% of his duels: £21.6m-rated Leicester City lightweight badly let Rodgers down 

The tragic death of Ben Hollioake completely overshadowed the Second Testin Wellington

Scoop27-Mar-2002The tragic death of Ben Hollioake completely overshadowed the Second Testin Wellington.Most of the 5,000 or so England fans on the ground first learned of thedeath of 24-year-old Ben at around 10.30am local time on the third day -around 30 minutes in to the extended day’s play.BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew was doing a commentary stint onthe local sports radio station when he uttered the words: “I have some verysaddening news for England cricket fans listening…”An eerie silence fell over the large crowd and it only became clear laterthat the then batsmen – skipper Nasser Hussain and Ben’s Surrey team-mateMark Butcher – were totally unaware of the terrible news.The devastating news breaking during the middle of a Test match obviouslyhit everyone hard.And the Barmy Army were left with a dilemma as Paul “Leafy” Burnham explained.He said: “Everyone was shocked and saddened by the news – a debate wenton about whether it would be appropriate to sing Ben’s name in his memoryas there was no precedent for this sort of thing.”We had to deal with this in a responsible and sombre manner and we obviouslytook the view of the England team into account – Ben’s Surrey team-matesMark Butcher and Graham Thorpe were batting in the morning session and wereunaware of the tragedy.”In the end we thought of what we would have wanted if we were Ben Hollioakeand we decided to sing his name, but not until after the tea interval wheneveryone – including the England team – knew.”It’s something that has happened in football. When West Brom legend GeoffAstle died recently, all the Albion fans chanted his name at the next game.”In fact I’m told this has been happening at most Albion games since, showingjust how much he meant to them.”Perhaps this is something that might happen at future England cricket matchesto remember Ben – I don’t know.”We hope it didn’t put the players off.”In the press conference afterwards Nasser said it was particularly difficultfor them fielding when Ben’s name was song.”However I think he meant that this just brought home to the team just howmuch Ben meant to everyone.”I know that when the England and New Zealand teams held a minute’s silencein memory of Ben before the start of the fourth day’s play it was one immaculatelyobserved by everyone on the ground.”All our thoughts are with Ben’s family at this terrible time.”I hope we never have to deal with anything like this again.”The term tragedy is often overused nowadays, but the snuffing out of sucha bright shining light as Ben at such a young age is surely one event towhich the word can be justifiably applied.Ben had a gifted talent and was a natural athlete with more than rare abilityat several other sports as well as cricket for which he will always be remembered.A larger than life character off the field – he was a young man who livedlife to the full.In years to come the death of Ben may be placed alongside the sad loss ofJames Dean, River Phoenix and, in a sporting context, Duncan Edwards – naturaltalents who died before achieving their peak.We will never know just what Ben’s prodigious talents – yet to fully blossombut already given a brief and all too short airing in the public eye – wouldhave allowed him to go on and achieve in the game.Farewell Ben – there will be thousands of us will remember you and yourprecocious and often stunning talent.

With a mass exodus on the cards at Celtic this summer, the Hoops will need to get their recruitment strategy in place swiftly.

Of course, that will depend on if and when the new incoming manager at Parkhead is announced.

What’s the word?

With Odsonne Edouard potentially heading for pastures new, the Bhoys will need to find new players to bolster their attack.

One such forward could be Aaron Boupendza. The winger currently plays for Hatayspor in Turkey but plans to lure him to Glasgow are now reportedly in full flow.

90min linked the flying attacker with a move to Celtic a few months ago but reports closer to his homeland in Gabon suggest that the deal has progressed. According to Gabon Review (via Milliyet) the Hoops have started negotiations to sign Boupendza.

They suggested that Celtic offered a sum of €6.5m (£5.5m) to begin with, but that was rejected by Hatayspor. Negotiations have continued and it now appears that Paradise chiefs are ready to throw €8m (£6.8m) at the 24-year-old.

Unfortunately, with other Turkish clubs interested in prising him away, his preference is to remain in the Super Lig.

Perfect Elyounoussi replacement

Celtic may be in the hunt to find a successor for the exit-bound Edouard but replacing Mohamed Elyounoussi will also be important.

The Norwegian is heading back to Southampton now that the season in Scotland has concluded, but it feels highly unlikely that Dominic McKay and co will cough up the £5m required to sign him permanently. They’d be much better off saving their money and spending it on Boupendza instead.

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The Gabon international finished as the Super Lig’s top scorer this term with 22 strikes in 36 outings, proving himself to be a ruthless and clinical finisher.

His assist tally amounted to just one but, with his ability to play on the flanks, he could perfectly fill the void left behind by Elyounoussi.

The Norwegian only beat the goalkeeper three times in his final 16 league matches of the campaign but he still ended 2020/21 with 17 strikes in all competitions. That made the 26-year-old Celtic’s second top scorer, so they’ll need to find a replacement from somewhere.

Compared to Kylian Mbappe, better options than Boupendza won’t come much cheaper for the Parkhead hierarchy. Blessed with speed and quick feet, his dribbling is incredibly similar to Elyonoussi’s.

The Celtic loanee registered 2.3 per game in the Premiership this season, while Boupendza managed 2.6 dribbles per game in Turkey. That meant he completed 93 take-ons throughout the campaign, the second highest in the whole of the Super Lig.

Celtic must ensure that negotiations go well here; the Gabon international would be a superb acquisition in the final third and an upgrade on what they had this term.

AND in other news, Hoops could be set for huge blow after worrying Celtic news, fans should be scared…