All posts by h716a5.icu

Liverpool's 4-4 draw against relegated Southampton on the final day of the 2022/23 Premier League season typified the tumultuous nature of their campaign, illuminating the good, the bad and the inscrutable.

Jurgen Klopp's side have been imperious over the past several years, but this term they surged down a rutted road with no seatbelt and have consequently been left in disarray, failing to qualify for next year's Champions League for the first time in seven years.

Victory on the south coast would not have affected the Reds' final league standing, but it underscored the issues that are very much omnipresent within Klopp's squad, pervading like an acrid smell despite constructing a late-season purple patch that saw seven victories on the trot ended by successive draws to close the campaign.

The offensive impetus was intact at St. Mary's Stadium and is not the area of attention heading into the summer transfer window. Rather, the shambolic defensive issues were on full show and will have reminded Klopp and co that changes need to be made shortly, and while captain Jordan Henderson will be chastised for his "dreadful" error by The Athletic's James Pearce, Joe Gomez was at the epicentre.

How did Joe Gomez perform vs Southampton?

Gomez, integral in gleaning the Premier League and Champions League for his Anfield side, must now be sold after another howler; he is simply submerged in depths too great to overcome as his manager seeks an apt route back toward success.

The £95k-per-week dynamo did not cut the mustard against Southampton and was branded a lowly 6.3 match rating by Sofascore, winning just two of his six duels, and while he completed 93% of his passes and succeeded with five of his six attempted long balls, he was unable to stop the torrent that allowed the home side to clamber back from two goals down to lead 4-2.

Perhaps the most telling part of the display was Gomez's actual defensive contribution, with one clearance and one interception the extent of his work, failing to make a tackle and leaving LFC podcaster Graeme Kelly branding him as "finished".

Goal's Neil Jones gave the one-time Charlton Athletic prospect a 5/10 match rating and said that he was 'nowhere near commanding enough', and that sums it up when considering the calibre of centre-back Liverpool need to return to former glory.

Gomez must be granted sympathy for his woes; he has fallen prey to three serious injuries during his time at Liverpool and has undoubtedly and understandably been hampered by the setbacks, but after the Reds' shambolic collective season, Klopp must be ruthless as he crafts a formula to take his team back to the forefront.

He was incisive before, signing Allison for £67m after Loris Karius suffered the ignominy of an error-strewn Champions League final in 17/18, and must do so again in the forthcoming transfer market.

Gomez has actually been mooted for a move away from Anfield over the past few months too, with top four high-fliers Newcastle United linked with the 26-year-old over the past few months, Magpies manager Eddie Howe seemingly a 'big fan' of the 11-cap England international.

Liverpool are at a definitive moment and are indeed presented with an opportunity to reassemble the squad ready to compete for major honours once again, and while Gomez has been a stalwart for his Merseyside outfit, he may well have played his last after yet another dismal display.

Wolverhampton Wanderers will likely target Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou, should Julen Lopetegui leave Molineux this summer, according to Football Insider.

What’s the latest on Lopetegui’s Wolves future?

Lopetegui is preparing his side for a final day trip to Arsenal this weekend, with Wolves guaranteed to remain in the Premier League. The Spaniard has turned things around in the Midlands to take the side from bottom of the table to 13th on 41 points, however, his future appears to be in doubt.

There has been speculation that Wolves are unable to get the signings and investment they promised Lopetegui and instead need to sell to keep up with FFP this summer.

The Old Gold boss has since offered a cryptic update on his future, although Wolves officials are hopeful they can keep hold of the manager beyond the summer. However, there have been rumours about potential replacements. Football Insider shared a story in the last 48 hours regarding Postecoglou, claiming Celtic are fearing Wolves could move for the manager this summer.

The report states that the 57-year-old was on the Molineux shortlist to replace Bruno Lage last year and ‘will likely be in the running for the job once again if Lopetegui decides to leave Wolves after just half a season in charge’.

Who else wants Ange Postecoglou?

Postecoglou has worked wonders at Celtic Park, winning back-to-back Scottish Premiership titles with a 76% win rate this season. He is on course to secure a domestic treble for the Hoops, so there is no surprise he has been hailed as "incredible" by members of the media and linked with a move to the Premier League.

However, it doesn’t look as if Wolves will be on their own when it comes to a potential move for the attacking 4-3-3 style manager, with Tottenham now also linked with the Australian on Thursday morning after a move for Arne Slot fell through.

Wolves will be hoping that Lopetegui remains put, but it is good to see that they appear to have managers in mind should things come to a swift end with their current head coach.

Joel Garner, the former fast-bowling great who is now West Indies’ team manager, feels players from the region have promise but don’t work hard enough

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Aug-20162:31

‘Why work for five days when you can work for three hours?’ – Garner

Joel Garner, the former fast-bowling great who is now West Indies’ team manager, feels players from the region have promise but don’t work hard enough.”We’ve always had promising players, we’ve always had attractive players, the problems we have is that, most of the players are identified, I don’t think they work hard enough, and they fall away,” Garner said, in a media interaction on Tuesday. “I think that if the players are prepared to work as hard as they need to work, they can get to the top of world cricket as well.”When asked which areas the players might need to work harder on, he pointed to the lack of long innings and sizeable partnerships, which has been a problem for West Indies right through their ongoing Test series against India, apart from the final day of the drawn second Test in Jamaica.”I think that the longer they spend in the middle, the easier the batting becomes,” he said. “And I think that is one area that I’d like to see improve, where you’d like to see the fellows batting long, not only batting long but batting effectively.”If you look at it, partnerships are important in any cricket game. The reason we were able to save the game in Jamaica was we had batting partnerships virtually whole day. If you don’t get the partnerships, you won’t get the performances. It’s very important to take something away from the game in Jamaica, to look at how we prepare and how we can build on it.”Garner said the lure of T20 may be hampering West Indies’ younger players coming through the junior ranks.”I think that, when you look at our cricket, we are challenging maybe up to Under-19s,” he said. “If you look at every world competition, when you look at them, West Indies is there. Where we have the challenge is when we go away. I think everybody looks at the T20 cricket and they want to play the T20 format of the game as opposed to playing the longer version of the game, and, you know, it is a matter of choice. Why work for five days if you can work for three hours? I think that that’s the mentality and it’s something that we’ve got to try and change in terms of how our players look at the cricket and the type of cricket our players want to play.”While Garner clarified that he wasn’t dissuading players from playing T20, he wanted revenues earned from T20 to be invested in the grassroots, and for the players to be able to play more first-class cricket. He compared the current situation, where domestic players play ten matches a year, to the situation of the best West Indies players of his era, who were all overseas professionals in county cricket.”I don’t know about discouraging [players from taking part in T20],” he said. “As I said, T20 cricket is used to raise finances for everybody, and I think that if you look at it, that is where we should have been trying to say we can, you know, earn some income that we can reinvest in our junior cricketers and in our local cricket.”We are fortunate that we can play ten games now as opposed to five. Are ten games enough in a year? When I played, I played 20-somebody or 40-somebody games in a year playing county cricket, and that is where the strength of the cricket is – the more you play, the more you get accustomed to it, the harder the cricket is, and the more professional you become.”Asked about the proposal to split Test cricket into two tiers, Garner said such a move would keep Test cricket to “a chosen few”.”I wish them luck if they want cricket to remain with the big three or the big four,” he said. “You have the two-tier system, I mean, you’ve got to start someplace, and the only way you can get into the two-tier system is by playing against the teams that are above you in the table. If you can’t play the teams above you on the table, how will you get in?”So, to me, it begs the question, what purpose does it serve? Are you trying to preserve Test cricket or are you trying to keep it to a chosen few? I can’t answer it for you because you want to preserve Test cricket, the only way you can preserve Test cricket is to let people at the lower level play against teams above them to be able to compete and to be able to progress.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly already looking ahead to the summer transfer window, in what will be their first with Julen Lopetegui in charge.

The Spaniard took over from Bruno Lage in November, after the Portuguese manager was dismissed the month prior leaving Wolves in talks to be relegation candidates.

In his short stay so far at Molineux, the former Real Madrid boss has confirmed survival and is beginning to shape the squad to fit his style in the bid to improve league form.

Just two games remain for the Midlands side in this Premier League season, as the summer approaches with the chance to reflect and make changes where necessary before the 2023/24 campaign commences.

Wolves have been linked with a host of players and have been the centre of speculation regarding players potentially departing the summer, however in terms of replacing vacating names, Lopetegui may not need to look further than what he already has in some areas.

The club boasts a flourishing academy, with one name making the headlines in the Championship for his performances ahead of his expected return.

Who is Ryan Giles?

Ryan Giles has been part of the Old Gold academy since the age of 8, where he has established his career having signed a long-term deal in 2020 at Molineux.

The 23-year-old full-back has endeavoured on a host of loan spells in the EFL during his bid to graduate from the academy, including stays at Shrewsbury Town, Coventry City, Rotherham United, Cardiff City, Blackburn Rovers and most recently Middlesbrough.

The youngster has shone during his time playing under the guidance of the up-and-coming Michael Carrick, helping the side in getting to the Championship playoffs and he now finds himself in contention to become a member of Lopetegui’s first-team squad next season.

What could Ryan Giles bring to Wolves next season?

The creative left-back has thrived this season, standing second in the count for most assists with 11 so far.

Once hailed by journalist Nathan Judah as “absolutely superb”, the Englishman has excelled defensively too, having won 54% of his ground duels, which is an average of 1.9 per game as per Sofascore. This also means that he gets the better of the opposition's winger more times than not.

The potential departure of current left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri this summer could pave the way for Giles to make his way into Lopetegui’s plans.

The Algerian has been a stand-out performer this season, however, his numbers have been replicated – if not excelled – by Giles in his incredible season at Boro.

As per FBref, the Englishman has averaged a huge 8.05 progressive passes received per 90 in comparison to Ait-Nouri’s 6.42, showing his willingness and ability to get forward and impact play in the opposition's half.

This is similar to his number of progressive carries too, having recorded 2.51 per 90 to the Wolves left-back’s 2.49.

It’s integral for Premier League full-backs to be advanced while maintaining defensive composure, making the 23-year-old a surefire contender for success in the country’s top division.

There is little to doubt the quality that Giles possesses and the work he has put in to be in contention to have a place in Lopetegui’s plans, however, this summer could be the perfect chance to impose himself on the squad.

Less than four months ago, as the English season drew near, Liam Livingstone was unsure whether he would find a place in Lancashire’s middle order

Andrew McGlashan17-Jul-2016Less than four months ago, as the English season drew near, Liam Livingstone was unsure whether he would find a place in Lancashire’s middle order. Now he is in the England Lions squad for their tri-series against Sri Lanka A and Pakistan A having impressed as a versatile batsman across all formats.Livingstone, a 22-year-old from Barrow-in-Furness, was not completely on the outside of the first-team, having become a fixture in the T20 side that won the NatWest Blast in 2015, but was determined not be pigeon-holed early as a single-style player. He made his first-class debut in the opening match of the Championship season against Nottinghamshire – with an attack featuring, at the time, four internationals including Stuart Broad – and struck a crucial 70 which earned Lancashire what would become a matchwinning lead.Much more was to follow with a maiden century in the next match against Somerset, then defiant unbeaten 60s against Durham and Yorkshire and a second hundred against Warwickshire. After nine Championship matches he has 582 runs at 72.75 and has been a crucial element in Lancashire’s standing near the top of the table.He has also bristled in T20 with a ferocious 55 off 23 balls against Yorkshire in a televised game which led to at least one commentator proclaiming a bright future – “I try to shut that out and just play the game,” Livingstone says of the attention – and it his white-ball skills which will be at the forefront during the Lions series.”It’s happened a lot quicker than I expected,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “At the start of the year I didn’t really know whether I’d be playing first-team cricket, then within three months and getting a Lions call-up it’s all been rather rapid.”Livingstone, who first came to significant public attention when he scored an astonishing 350 off 138 balls for his club side Nantwich in 2015, says he always believed he had the talent but acknowledges conversations he had with Ashley Giles, the Lancashire coach, during pre-season as the catalyst for the success that has followed.”I had a lot of chats with Ash in the winter, just about being given the confidence to play my own natural game and luckily he put a lot of faith in me to do that,” Livingstone said. “When I got the call that I’d be playing in the first game that was a great boost and I’m just glad I’ve been able to reward him for giving me that chance.”I owe a lot to Ashley because he’s the one who has given me the freedom to play the way I play. He said don’t worry how you do, just go out and play your game and whatever happens, happens. The conversation at the start of the year was a big moment for me, he was the one who gave me the confidence to be myself – treat the game as another game, and it has worked well for me since then.”One aspect that has stood out has been Livingstone’s adaptability across formats, a prerequisite for the modern batsman who wants to quickly adjust between the first-class and limited-overs game but something easier said than done especially when trying to secure a place in the first team.”I was always confident I would be able to succeed, I was just waiting for my chance,” he said. “I knew I had the ability, I just needed to prove it. There were a lot of people who thought the way I played wouldn’t work in first-class cricket but luckily I’ve proved a few people wrong and hopefully I can kick on from here: this is only a start and I now need to put in consistent performances to help win matches for Lancashire.”Staying true to himself – with the help of the backing from the Lancashire management – is something he believes very strongly in. “I think the one thing that has really helped me throughout my youth days is just being as natural as I can and not trying to change anything or copy anyone. The few times I’ve had people try and change things it hasn’t worked at all, so one of my biggest beliefs is to stick to what I trust and what works for me.”On the evidence of the last few months, it is proving a very wise decision.

Sean Williams and Craig Ervine are not part of Zimbabwe’s 18-man squad for the three T20Is against India starting June 18 in Harare

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jun-20161:00

Depleted Zimbabwe seek turnaround in T20Is

Batsmen Sean Williams and Craig Ervine are not part of Zimbabwe’s 18-man squad for the three T20Is against India starting on June 18 in Harare, after suffering injuries during the ODI series.Ervine injured his hamstring in the first ODI, while Williams, who replaced him for the second game, fractured his finger at training soon after the toss.Tendai Chisoro and Tawanda Mupariwa, who were part of the ODI squad, were left out, while the uncapped offspinner Tapiwa Mufudza earned a call-up. Brian Chari and Tinotenda Mutombodzi, who last played an international game in late 2015, were also recalled, while Chamu Chibhabha, who last played T20Is in January, was picked following decent returns in the ODI series.Zimbabwe’s changes

In: Brian Chari, Donald Tiripano, Tinotenda Mutombodzi, Timycen Maruma, Tapiwa Mufudza, Chamu Chibhabha
Out: Sean Williams, Tinashe Panyangara, Luke Jongwe, Tendai Chisoro

Chari, an opening batsman who is yet to play T20Is, impressed for Zimbabwe A in their home series against Bangladesh A in November last year, when he struck a century to secure a draw in the second four-day fixture. Mufudza, who made his franchise debut in 2011, picked up 15 wickets in 10 T20s for Mountaineers, with best figures of 5 for 20.Eleven members who were part of Zimbabwe’s World T20 campaign, in which they failed to qualify for the main round, were retained. Among the notable omissions were Tinashe Panyangara, out with a back injury, and Luke Jongwe. Having lost the ODI series 3-0, with poor batting in all games, Zimbabwe will be hoping for better results in a format in which they are currently 12th in the ICC rankings.”We’re not going to reflect too much on the one-dayers, we are just going to look to hit the ground running in T20s,” Cremer said after the ODI series loss. “We’re going to try our best to turn things around.”He hoped Zimbabwe, who are ranked below Afghanistan and Netherlands, would draw inspiration from their T20 win over India last year. “I think it’s motivating enough that the last T20 we played against India here is the one we won,” he said. “It’s motivating enough knowing how it felt when we won the last time, how good the crowd was and how we enjoyed that. Guys are looking forward to doing well and obviously having a disappointing one-day series makes us even more motivated to do well in the T20.”Zimbabwe squad: Graeme Cremer (capt), Sikandar Raza, Brian Chari, Tendai Chatara, Chamu Chibhabha, Elton Chigumbura, Neville Madziva, Timycen Maruma, Hamilton Masakadza, Wellington Masakadza, Peter Moor, Tapiwa Mufudza, Tinotenda Mutombodzi, Richmond Mutumbami (wk), Taurai Muzarabani, Vusi Sibanda, Donald Tiripano, Malcolm Waller

Arsenal are a team that clearly has immeasurable trust in their youth, best outlined in the fact that they boast the youngest average squad in the league alongside Southampton.

Therefore, it will worry Mikel Arteta greatly that they do not boast that same freshness in their engine room, with Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey aged 30 and 29 respectively, and a 31-year-old Jorginho as a backup.

Of late, the Spaniard has actually preferred the latter to his Ghanaian stopper, in an effort to exert more control over games as more of a pass-master.

However, if Edu is to get their top target this summer, it could make both of these midfielders obsolete as Declan Rice offers a fine blend between the two.

As a hard-working general who is beginning to add creativity to his game, the West Ham United captain has proven himself more than capable of dominating the midfield battle even for a relegation-threatened side. Should he move to this title-chasing outfit, the sky really is the limit.

However, with a £120m price tag hovering above his head, the Gunners might need to make some sacrifices to tempt such a top young talent to the Emirates.

Given Partey's recent absence from the side, and the fact his profile directly matches the 24-year-old's, this potential transfer could spell the end of the ex-Atletico Madrid ace's time in north London.

Is Declan Rice better than Thomas Partey?

Although Partey has been ever-present in their midfield, starting 26 times, at crucial moments this season he has gone missing. His 7.11 average rating is impressive, but perhaps hides displays like the 6.1 showing against the Hammers, in which Rice taught him a lesson and the Premier League slipped further out of their grip.

Sitting as the protector of the two centre-backs, the £200k-per-week titan has maintained an 88% pass accuracy alongside 2.2 tackles per game, via Sofascore.

However, when compared to Rice, these figures are all blown out of the water.

His 7.21 average rating is upheld through an 88% pass accuracy too, but he adds 1.8 interceptions and 1.5 clearances onto his 2.3 tackles per game. That is without mentioning his 61% dribble success rate, which allows him to progress play and get into the positions that have seen him notch three goals and two assists, also per Sofascore.

It seems that with each passing season, David Moyes' main man only improves. It is no wonder he was branded a "generational talent" by journalist Roshane Thomas.

If Arteta is to maintain his youth-focused philosophy, and Edu is the man tasked with ensuring the culture remains that way, to swap Rice for Partey is a necessary decision to see Arsenal improve their levels whilst further decreasing their average age. The future would be so immeasurably bright in north London if they can push this deal through in the summer.

Sri Lanka seamer Shaminda Eranga has been admitted to hospital in Dublin to undergo tests on an elevated heartbeat

Alan Gardner19-Jun-2016Sri Lanka seamer Shaminda Eranga has been admitted to hospital in Dublin to undergo tests on an elevated heartbeat. He is understood to be in a stable condition but will remain in Ireland until Monday while the rest of the team returns to the UK.Eranga experienced discomfort during Sri Lanka’s 136-run win over Ireland at Malahide on Saturday. He came out to bat and faced the final ball of the innings but did not bowl and instead went to hospital.”Eranga had an elevated heartbeat prior to the innings commencing and was taken to hospital for tests,” Sri Lanka team manager Charith Senanayake told ESPNcricinfo. “He’s doing good but in hospital till Monday to complete all tests.”Sri Lanka are due to return to England, ahead of the first ODI in Nottingham, on Sunday evening. Eranga’s involvement in the ODI series against England had been in some doubt after he was reported for a suspect action during the Test series. The ICC announced on Sunday that his action had been found to be illegal and he will be suspended from bowling in international competition with immediate effect.His absence continues a tour dogged by bad luck for Sri Lanka’s pace attack. Dhammika Prasad was ruled out of the Tests with a shoulder injury after playing in one warm-up game and Dushmantha Chameera was then forced to return home after suffering a stress fracture to his back.

Arsenal are preparing an offer for Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha, who is set to become a free agent at the end of the season, according to a recent report from Football Insider.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

The Gunners are reportedly eyeing a new winger in the upcoming window, and it has recently been reported they are pushing to sign Barcelona's Raphinha, with sporting director Edu Gaspar making constant calls to pursue a deal for the Brazilian.

Another wide option is Bayer Leverkusen's Moussa Diaby, having missed out on the Frenchman in the January transfer window, and he could be available for around £65m this summer, at which point a move is a more realistic possibility.

Journalist Dean Jones has hinted Mikel Arteta could go back in for Pedro Neto, with Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke also claiming they are plotting a surprise move for the Wolverhampton Wanderers ace.

There will also be an option available to Arsenal on a free transfer, with Football Insider now reporting they are preparing an offer for Zaha, who is keen to challenge himself elsewhere at the season, despite holding contract talks with Palace.

The Gunners are not the only Premier League club vying for the 30-year-old's signature, however, with Chelsea said to be interested, while there are also suitors from abroad, and Marseille could make a move.

The Ivory Coast international has been a long-term target for the north London club, having had big-money approaches turned down in the past, and they are ready to reignite their interest, now he is available for free.

Should Arsenal sign Wilfried Zaha?

Arsenal will, on the whole, be happy with this season, given that they are back in the Champions League next season, although they will be a little disappointed about some of their results in recent weeks, which have given Manchester City the advantage in the title race.

It could be argued that one of Arteta's issues in recent weeks has been a lack of squad depth, with Rob Holding being criticised after coming in for William Saliba, while there is also a lack of backup options for Bukayo Saka.

With Reiss Nelson being linked with a potential move away, Zaha could be a fantastic replacement, given that he has proven himself at Premier League level over a number of years, hitting double figures for goals in the previous three seasons.

Hailed as "phenomenal" by Arteta, the £130k-per-week Palace star has earned a chance to prove himself at a club like Arsenal, and it is a very low-risk move for the Gunners, given his availability on a free transfer, so he could be an open goal signing.

Time in the middle for South Africa’s bowlers was the most important takeaway from their tied warm-up match against West Indies Cricket Board President’s XI, according to Hashim Amla

Firdose Moonda30-May-2016Time in the middle for South Africa’s bowlers was the most important takeaway from their tied warm-up match against West Indies Cricket Board President’s XI on Sunday, according to Hashim Amla. The match was affected by rain, with only 24.1 overs possible in the second innings, but it gave South Africa’s attack enough time to find rhythm.”It was a really good sign that our bowlers got some time in the middle before it started raining. It was turning out to be a good game,” Amla said. “They bowled well. It started raining and the ball got really wet, but even then they bowled decently. Getting overs under the belt is the most important thing.”The match was set up for a tense finish after President’s XI had reached 127 for 3, chasing 281, and all of South Africa’s bowlers used in the fixture got in more than one over. Morne Morkel and Tabraiz Shamsi were the only two bowlers in the squad who did not get a bowl.Despite not having played competitive cricket in nine weeks after the World T20, Kagiso Rabada did not show any signs of rust and took 1 for 13 in five overs. Wayne Parnell was the only player coming off a long lay-off. Parnell had last played in the first week of April, for Cobras in the Sunfoil Series, and took a five-wicket haul in the first innings against Titans. But he struggled to replicate that form and conceded 35 runs in four overs. Kyle Abbott (1 for 11) and Chris Morris (0 for 18) have some form behind them, both having been part of the IPL, while the spinners were just getting started when the rain came down.Imran Tahir (1 for 15) and Aaron Phangiso (0 for 8) both seemed to settle in easily. They will be crucial to South Africa’s success in the triangular series where conditions are expected to favour the slower bowlers. There is a strong possibility of sides fielding more than one specialist spinner, especially at Providence, the venue for the first three matches. “The wickets in West Indies can differ, but a lot of the guys are saying that Guyana may be a bit slower and lower. But you will only really know when you get there,” Amla said.Amla was the most successful batsman and scored an aggressive 92 for the South Africans, who were also propped up by contributions from the lower order. Morris, Abbott and Phangiso were among the runs, after Rilee Rossouw had been dismissed for a duck and JP Duminy fell for just 6. South Africa missed Faf du Plessis – out with a finger injury – Quinton de Kock – necessitating the use of an opposition wicketkeeper – and AB de Villiers, who will join the squad shortly, having just played in the IPL final.Out of the 15 members in the squad, de Villiers is one of 11 to have taken part in the IPL, which meant South Africa’s players were not going into the tri-series cold. In fact, Amla said their time at the tournament would be an advantage. “I don’t think (the difference between T20 and ODIs) is that big. The only thing is that you have a lot of time to set the game up,” he said. “You have to remind yourself that there is a lot of time still left in the game, but it’s a lot easier to go from T20s to one-dayers than from a Test match.”South Africa and West Indies play the series opener on Friday.