Category Uncategorized

A number of West Ham supporters have been hailing Declan Rice after he won the Man of the Match award in the Hammers’ win over Everton.

David Moyes’ side picked up a highly impressive 1-0 victory at Goodison Park on Sunday afternoon, with Angelo Ogbonna scoring the only goal of the game.

West Hamers were more than deserving winners on the day, as numerous players shone against Rafa Benitez’s men.

One individual who stood out from the crowd was Rice, however, with the England international a dominant force in the middle of the park throughout the match, completing 91 per cent of his passes.

On Monday, West Ham’s official Twitter account confirmed that the 22-year-old was named Man of the Match, as he continues to go from strength to strength as a player.

West Ham fans laud Rice

Needless to say, there was plenty of love for Rice in reaction to the tweet, with these fans providing their thoughts.

“The new Duncan Edwards!”

Credit: @tunneydick

“Mr Consistent. World Class and the best CDM in the league idc”

Credit: @Lummix99

“Seriously how many players in the league have been as consistent as he has over the past two seasons? Genuinely one of the best players in the league”

Credit: @whubxn

“My Captain”

Credit: @abdu_mata

“This guy is different gravy”

Credit: @reefwhu

“22 years old, destined for the top”

Credit: @tomnash_

In other news, some West Ham fans have reacted to a horrible injury update. Read more here.

MatériaMais Notícias

De volta após um período de licença, Maurício Galiotte adotou tom sereno diante da eliminação do Palmeiras na Copa do Brasil. Para o presidente, o time segue no caminho certo, mesmo caindo para o Cruzeiro no Mineirão.

-O time se comportou de maneira valente, honramos a camisa, por alguns minutos não conseguimos a classificação, mas o trabalho é o mesmo, estamos no caminho certo. Vamos continuar da mesma maneira, trabalhando com seriedade, temos a Libertadores, nosso grande objetivo, o Brasileiro e vamos continuar – disse o dirigente, na saída do Mineirão.
​
​Maurício esteve em Belo Horizonte (MG) acompanhado de seu segundo vice-presidente, Antonino Jesse Ribeiro, além do casal patrocinador do clube, Leila Pereira e José Roberto Lamacchia. Foi sua primeira aparição desde que teve sua licença divulgada, há quase um mês. No período ele viajou com sua família, e segundo o clube ainda resolveu últimos detalhes do empréstimo de Vitinho para o Barcelona B.

O empate em 1 a 1 dessa quarta gerou a eliminação porque o Cruzeiro marcou mais vezes fora de casa. Sem a Copa do Brasil, o Verdão ainda tem o Brasileiro e a Libertadores a disputar, este o principal torneio para o clube. A partida de volta contra o Barcelona (EQU) será no dia 9 de agosto, e o time precisa reverter a derrota por 1 a 0 sofrida em Guayaquil.

-É um jogo muito importante, temos um foco grande na competição, desejamos muito a Libertadores, e vamos trabalhar para conseguir o máximo. O trabalho continua. Temos convicção de que o grupo é competente, o trabalho é sério – encerrou o dirigente.

continua após a publicidade

Sunderland have opened talks with Elliot Embleton regarding an extension to his current contract at the Stadium of Light.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Sun (via Chronicle Live), who claim that the Black Cats are keen to tie the central midfielder down to a new deal, despite the fact the club have the option to extend the 22-year-old’s current contract, which expires at the end of the season, for a further year.

However, it is believed that, in order to best secure the academy product’s future on Wearside, Lee Johnson would much rather extend Embleton’s current contract for a number of years rather than simply activating the club’s clause.

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how impressive Embleton has been for Sunderland so far this season, the fact that the club appear to be extremely keen to tie the midfielder down to a new deal is sure to have left fans buzzing.

Indeed, over his seven League One appearances this term, the £4.3k-per-week man has scored two goals, registered three assists and has created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.1 shots and making 2.7 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the player Max Power dubbed a “nightmare” for defenders average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.14, ranking him as Johnson’s second-best performer in the third tier.

As such, it will hardly come as a surprise to Sunderland fans that the club are making moves to award the former England U20 international a new deal, as not only does Embleton appear to have the potential to be able to play a major role for the Black Cats in the years to come, the youngster could also be one of the main men in the club’s bid to finally end their spell in League One this season.

In other news: Sunderland handed major injury boost which will have Lee Johnson buzzing

Cricinfo staff08-Mar-2009South Australia 253 and 5 for 338 (Cosgrove 118, Harris 82) beat Tasmania 301 and 9 for 289 dec by 5 wickets
Scorecard
Points table

Mark Cosgrove continued his late-season flourish with 118 © Getty Images
Mark Cosgrove’s 118 drove South Australia to third place and ended Tasmania’s brave push to join Victoria in Friday’s final. The Tigers had fought back on the second and third days, but could not fulfil their last aim of ten wickets on Sunday, finishing with five as the Redbacks reached 338.Tasmania declared on their overnight score of 9 for 289 and were in with a chance until Cosgrove arrived. Cosgrove spent most of the season out of the side, but capped his recall with centuries in two of the final three games. He could have remained unbeaten but tried to clear the boundary with one run remaining and was out for 118.Daniel Harris steered the early stages of the chase, but when he left 18 short of a century the Redbacks were a nervous 4 for 189. Cosgrove played freely and Graham Manou, one of a host of in-form glovemen around the country, provided excellent assistance with 55 not out.James Smith started the pursuit aggressively with 31 off 29 before he slipped against Luke Butterworth, who completed a five-wicket haul and a half-century on Saturday. Klinger, who has a competition-high 1203 runs, went after lunch on 23 when he nicked Jason Krejza to Dan Marsh at slip and Callum Ferguson (11) edged to Tim Paine. However, the afternoon belonged to the Redbacks, who leaped over Tasmania after winning three matches in a row for the first time since 1994-95.

Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in Nicolo Zaniolo, according to reports in Italy…

What’s the word?

Calciomercato claim that AS Roma are keen on tying down the 22-year-old attacking midfielder to a new contract at the Stadio Olimpico, as he current deal expires in 2024.

It’s thought that the Italian playmaker is keen to sign but Spurs are in the market to land him, having been linked to him in summer 2020. Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness) even suggested that the north Londoners had a bid knocked back.

Zaniolo is currently valued at £36m by Transfermarkt.

Desperate need

Spurs must do all in their power to try and secure a move for the Roma star this January.

Nuno Santo’s side have been clearly lacking a creative influence since the start of the season – a Christian Eriksen-type player who can provide goals and assists in the final third.

Indeed, as per The Athletic, Spurs have recorded the lowest expected goals (4.42 xG) of any team in the Premier League, even those in the relegation zone. They have also only created two big chances and are second-bottom for total shots (46).

Only three teams have actually scored fewer goals than the Lilywhites, who possess a lethal frontline involving Harry Kane and Heung-min Son.

It’s an alarming issue which needs to be fixed in the transfer market and there won’t be many better candidates than Zaniolo.

Once described as a “modern mezzala” by former Inter Milan coach Stefano Vecchi, the young Italy international has been likened to Premier League greats Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, which bodes well for his potential fit in England, as well as the fact that they were both lethal in and around the opposition’s penalty box.

A serious injury ruled him out of featuring in 2020/21 but, during the previous campaign, the 22-year-old emerged as one of Roma’s attacking gems. He scored eight goals and provided four assists across Serie A and the Europa League, whilst also averaging 2.9 dribbles and 1.2 key passes per game, via WhoScored.

Zaniolo’s talent has also caught the eye of Roma’s record appearance maker, highest goalscorer and club legend Francesco Totti, who believes that the emerging talent “plays like a veteran” and “has explosive strength and technique, and everything it takes to become a truly great player.”

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Harry Winks and Oliver Skipp offer very little in the final third, whilst the likes of Tanguy Ndombele, Dele Alli and Giovani Lo Celso have struggled to step up in the past season or so.

It would make the world of sense for Spurs sporting director Fabio Paratici to launch a move for Zaniolo at the turn of the year. He can play out wide or through the middle and is clearly someone who could solve Nuno’s creative problems.

Whatever the price, the Premier League outfit must pay it.

AND in other news, “They will..”: Romano reveals what Paratici is planning at Spurs, fans will be buzzing…

The ICC’s executive meeting in Perth at the end of the month will go ahead, but without Peter Chingoka, the chairman of Zimbabwe Cricket

Cricinfo staff23-Jan-2009
Peter Chingoka: absent from Perth after refusing to submit a visa application © Getty Images
The ICC’s executive meeting in Perth at the end of the month will go ahead, but without Peter Chingoka, the chairman of Zimbabwe Cricket.Chingoka was banned from entering Australia by the authorities earlier this month because of what it stated were his links to the Mugabe regime. The ICC, whose executive made clear last summer that it would not allow meetings to go ahead unless all its members were permitted to attend, had been lobbying the Australian Foreign Office to grant Chingoka a visa.However, Cricinfo has learned David Morgan, the ICC president, was told by Stephen Smith, Australia’s foreign minister, that a decision whether to issue the visa could only be made if Chingoka actually submitted an application. Chingoka refused, despite lobbying from senior ICC officials, insisting that he be guaranteed entry before he applied.Given that Chingoka has been in Bangladesh watching Zimbabwe play ODIs there over the last week and is now believed to be in India, it is clear that no application has been, or will be, made by him.With all executive members having booked flights to, and made hotel reservations in, Perth a decision was made in the last few days to proceed without Chingoka. It is possible he will contribute by means of a telephone link-up from Harare.Chingoka’s stubbornness has left some ICC members unimpressed. Morgan has been publicly pushing the Australian authorities, while behind the scenes it is understood that Sharad Pawar, the ICC vice-president and India’s agriculture minister, has also been trying to put pressure on them. It now seems that their efforts were pointless.This echoes what happened last year when the ICC moved its annual meeting because the UK authorities refused to make a decision whether to allow Chingoka in until he submitted a visa application, which he refused to do. On that occasion, Chingoka’s tactics paid off and the meeting was moved away from London for the first time in 99 years.He was subsequently barred from entering or transiting through the European Union, again because of links to the Mugabe government.

Jacques Kallis, the South Africa allrounder, has said the upcoming tour of Australia might be the best chance for South Africa to end their Australian jinx. South Africa haven’t won any of their eight Test series against Australia since readmission – they also haven’t ever won a series in Australia – but Kallis believes they can buck the trend this season.”Australia are probably at their most vulnerable yet,” Kallis told Sport24.co.za. “It may be the best chance that we have had. But everything will have to go right for us to win.”Australia were comprehensively outplayed in in Mohali, where their their 320-run loss to India was one of their biggest defeats in recent years. But Kallis said that was not necessarily an indication of how Ricky Ponting’s men would perform at home.”They may be struggling a little in India, where they are playing in difficult conditions,” Kallis said. “To beat them over there [in Australia], everything must go right, such as winning the toss and performing better than they do at crucial stages. They’ll be at home, in conditions they know well and where they have not been beaten in years. It won’t be easy.”Graeme Smith, the South Africa captain, was also keen on making history, as the team did with the recent Test series win in England. “We’re on the brink of the most important season South African cricket has ever experienced,” Smith said at the South African Cricket Annual Cricketers of the Year banquet in Johannesburg on Monday. “This is a realistic opportunity for us to beat Australia in a Test series.”Australia are obviously not easy to beat in any form of the game, regardless of the amount of outstanding players who have retired in the last few years. We respect them enormously for the way they’ve dominated world cricket over the past decade. Nevertheless, I believe there’s enough experience in our team and that we have closed the gap in terms of talent and form.

“Our build-up to this coming Australian series has been carefully planned and we proved that everything is on track when we drew the Test series against India. We then won the away Test series in England for the third time in our nation’s history.”We’ve got an established top six batting order, statistically the best wicketkeeper the game has ever seen and a bowling attack that has proved its ability to take 20 wickets in a Test match on a regular basis in differing conditions.”South Africa play three Tests in Australia in December-January before hosting them for three in February-March. Led by Smith, the South Africa Test side has had a successful 12 months, with away series wins against Pakistan, Bangladesh and England.They have also enjoyed home successes over New Zealand and West Indies and a drawn series in India. The team’s 2008-09 season will begin with an ODI series against Kenya, starting October 31, followed by a one-day and Test series against Bangladesh.

Brendon McCullum is looking forward to more opportunities to bat up the order in Tests as he sets his sights on becoming the world’s best wicketkeeper-batsman. McCullum has been pencilled in for the No. 5 spot on the upcoming tour of Bangladesh, having filled that same role in the recent series in England.Prior to that McCullum was typically used at No. 7, but New Zealand’s relatively inexperienced batting line-up means he will become a more important middle-order man in the next few years. The captain Daniel Vettori has supported McCullum’s desire to settle at No. 5 in Bangladesh, in a middle order likely to feature the uncapped Jesse Ryder.”Dan knows what I’m trying to do in the game and my motives for doing it,” McCullum told the . “I want to be the best batsman-keeper in the world and by moving up the order it gives me a greater opportunity to do so, and to make a contribution to my team.”He will be hoping for big runs in next month’s two-Test series in Bangladesh, where he made his maiden Test century four years ago. New Zealand’s squad was departing on Tuesday and McCullum said having a couple of months off following the England tour was ideal.”I think sometimes when you’re continually playing, or on a playing-training regime, you lose a bit of focus in terms of what you’re trying to achieve,” McCullum said. “So the time out was great from that perspective. It freshened the body and mind and gave a bit more clarity.”The Bangladesh trip will act in part as preparation for New Zealand’s Test series against Australia in November. McCullum said entering the Bangladesh series as favourites was a situation not terribly familiar to New Zealand and they needed to embrace the opportunity.”If we want to get to the point we want to, which is to be the best team in the world, we have to start playing as frontrunners, and that’s a challenge this series presents,” he said. “This is a pretty good lead-in to a great summer and we’ve got to make sure we do the job clinically.”

According to a report by the Daily Express, West Ham United are in ‘pole position’ to sign Fiorentina defender Nikola Milenkovic and ‘remain in talks’.

The Lowdown: West Ham in defender chase…

As explained by club insider Claret & Hugh, strengthening the centre-half position has been a priority for manager David Moyes since the beginning of this window.

However, in recent weeks, signing a new defender and reinforcing West Ham’s centre-back options has been placed at the top of GSB’s transfer agenda – even ahead of the chase for an attacking midfielder and striker (ExWHUemployee).

Over these last few days, news has emerged of West Ham’s interest and talks to sign either Milenkovic or Chelsea colossus Kurt Zouma (Sky Sports).

The Latest: West Ham in pole position for Milenkovic…

As per the Daily Express, Moyes’ men are now in ‘pole position’ to sign the Serbian amid Tottenham’s move for Atalanta star Cristian Romero.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-developments/” title=”West Ham latest developments…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Their London rivals are said to be ‘keen’ on the Fiorentina centre-back but their prioritising of Romero has propelled West Ham to the front of the queue for Milenkovic.

This report adds that the Hammers ‘remain in talks’ over the 23-year-old, having held a strong interest since January.

The Verdict: Get it done…

After signing goalkeeper Alphonse Areola on loan from Paris-Saint Germain, we believe that Milenkovic should definitely be next through the door in east London.

Standing at a colossal 6 foot 5, the young defender won more aerial duels per game over 2020/21 (three) than any West Ham player bar Tomas Soucek and former Irons striker Sebastien Haller (WhoScored).

He is also a viable target financially, with reports suggesting he could leave Italy for as little as €15m (£12.7m) this summer (Charlie Eccleshare).

As explained by Italian football expert Conor Clancy, who spoke exclusively to Football Transfer Tavern, he could be an ‘affordable’ signing for Moyes or any English club, so West Ham need to do all they can to get this one over the line.

In other news: ‘As of now’…Journalist says ‘really exciting’ 54-goal player close to West Ham move, find out more here.

Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge reckons that Tottenham would sell Tanguy Ndombele for £50m this summer.

The Frenchman arrived in north London for a club-record fee with a huge weight of expectation on his shoulders following his ravishing form for Lyon, notably against Manchester City in the Champions League.

However, Ndombele hasn’t been able to replicate that form, with his two-years in north London overshadowed by some lacklustre performances and constant injury problems.

The 24-year-old appeared to put his injuries aside last season, turning out 46 times across all competitions.

Ndombele didn’t do enough to earn a place in France’s Euro 2020 squad, though, which meant he was amongst the first crop of players to return to Hotspur Way for the start of pre-season.

But the midfielder didn’t play a single minute in any of Tottenham’s opening three pre-season games, which has once more raised concerns over previous fitness problems he endured under Jose Mourinho.

Asked whether Spurs would consider cashing in on him, Bridge told Football FanCast: “I think they would. £50m can go a long way now. He could prove everyone wrong and turn up next season.

“No one from Spain is going to have the money, though, it’s difficult now, but we can’t sell all of these players we want to get rid of, some are going to have to stay.”