All posts by h716a5.icu

A number of Crystal Palace supporters have been left stunned at Roy Hodgson’s comments in his Sheffield United press conference on Friday.

The 73-year-old, who is out of contract at Selhurst Park in a matter of months, was speaking to the media ahead of the Eagles’ trip to Bramall Lane on Saturday afternoon.

Palace have scored just 34 goals in 33 Premier League games this season and have only netted three or more times in a fixture on three occasions, with the last time coming way back in December.

Hodgson knows his side will have to be more attack-minded against the already relegated Blades to come away with three points.

Talking to the media, he said:

“We’re going to have to be bolder in an attacking sense, maybe that compact shape isn’t going to be as good as it’s been as we are going to need to take more risks going forward. We’re aware it’s a delicate balance but we’ll take the game to Sheffield United.”

His comments were shared by The Athletic’s Crystal Palace correspondent Matt Woosnam, and they didn’t take long to make their way on to social media.

Palace fans react

@CPFCtransfersHQ shared those comments on Twitter on Friday afternoon.

These Eagles fans were quick to give their thoughts to Hodgson’s words, with a selection available to view below…

“This HAS to be bait why is he only saying this NOW at the end of the season when it literally doesn’t matter?”Credit: @kade_bladeSE25″My brain hurts”Credit: @CPFCMax03″I’ll believe that when I see it”Credit: @BenM_CPFC”Only took him 4 years”Credit: @localpla5tic”3 years too late, old boy.”Credit: @dannycoyle007″Liar”Credit: @WARRENG39

In other news: Many Palace fans fume as club make an enquiry for 32-year-old striker, find out more here. 

Skipper Mark Alleyne was Gloucestershire’s wounded hero as they maintained a100 per cent Benson & Hedges Cup group record with a five-wicket win overGlamorgan at Bristol

Richard Latham04-May-2001Skipper Mark Alleyne was Gloucestershire’s wounded hero as they maintained a100 per cent Benson & Hedges Cup group record with a five-wicket win overGlamorgan at Bristol.Alleyne hit a match-winning 79 not out, despite a painful hand injurysustained while fielding, to guide his side past the visitors’ total of236-6 with nine balls to spare.He had earlier taken 2-36 from ten overs after winning the toss and theall-round contribution was enough to pip the unlucky Jimmy Maher to the GoldAward.Glamorgan’s new Australian opener hit a magnificent 142 not out to set thehome side a challenging target. There were 12 sumptuous foursand a straight six off Mike Cawdron in his highest ever limited overs score,made off 151 balls.The outcome might have been different had Steve James not been forced toretire hurt on 30 after edging a ball from Jon Lewis into his left knee.Glamorgan were 85-1 in the 20th over and going well.They soon plunged to 127-5 before Robert Croft and Darren Thomas providedsome belated support to Maher.Gloucestershire looked in trouble at 66-4 in reply, despite a dashing 24 off16 balls from new father Ian Harvey, celebrating the birth of daughterCharlotte the previous afternoon.But Matt Windows (40) helped Alleyne add 77 for the fifth wicket beforeJeremy Snape became an even more effective partner.Alleyne and Snape cleverly found gaps in the field and compiled theirunbroken stand of 97 with few risks, although Alleyne was crucially droppedon 28 by substitute fielder Dean Cosker at cover off Adam Davies.Snape’s unbeaten 46 came off just 44 balls, with six fours, while Alleyne’sinnings occupied 89 deliveries and featured eight boundaries.

Mudassar Nazar Photo © CricInfo I do feel it’s strange – we are playing only the 2nd Test but it will spell the end of the series

Mudassar Nazar30-May-2001
Mudassar Nazar
Photo © CricInfo
I do feel it’s strange – we are playing only the 2nd Test but it will spell the end of the series! Nevertheless, I do hope the Pakistan Team is better mentally prepared for this game than the 1st at Lord’s.
Faisal Iqbal
Photo © CricInfo
In between the Tests they have done very little physically, to improve their standard of play. In two practice games, barring Saleem Elahi and Faisal Iqbal not many batsmen have spent much time at the crease. Saeed Anwar who failed in both the innings at Lord’s did not even participate in any of the games. In my whole professional career I have never seen a specialist batsman miss as many games as Saeed Anwar has. In fact, during all his playing career he’s been plagued by injuries and illness. The only bonus is, he always performs better after a lay-off. Maybe he’s superstitious and misses out on games at will.To win at Old Trafford, Pakistan needs Saeed Anwar to be at his best because I fear we are putting a lot of pressure on Inzamam. In reality, I believe all the specialist batsmen should make a sustained effort to pull Pakistan out of the mire. It won’t be an easy task but nothing is impossible in cricket. All we need to do is to cast our mind back at the recently concluded series between India and Australia. We need all our senior players to set an example to our junior players.Talking about senior players, I hope Wasim has put the nightmare of the last test match well behind him and with renewed vigour, is looking forward to the game at Old Trafford. He has some very fond memories of this ground and I hope playing in front of Lancastrians will spur him to help win this test match for his country.Waqar Younis will need to Captain well in this match because his handling of five fast bowlers could have been better in the last one. For example, he could have unleashed Shoaib Akhtar at the tail-end batsmen rather than bowling himself and Wasim. He should remember when at his peak how quickly he used to dispose off the lower order batsmen with his lethal yorkers.Azhar came into the Lord’s test after a long lay-off and bowled well but was given a two-hour spell which stiffened him up for the evening session and was not as productive.There is talk about Razzaq opening the batting for Pakistan. I have no problem with it as long as it is only a short-term policy. He has a strong defence and if encouraged can attack the new ball bowlers as well. My only problem would be if he plays a major innings for Pakistan, it would limit his bowling later in the game. In the long run Pakistan needs him to take three or four wickets in every game.Manchester’s inclement weather is more than well publicised. In one whole month, Lancashire has managed to play only one one-day game at home. The pitch has been under cover for most of the month so we can only guess how it’s going to behave.After signing-up Wasim Akram in 1988 Lancashire started preparing very dry pitches to help Wasim achieve reverse swing. The square was also left extremely dry so that the ball would rough up very quickly. It also meant the pitch would be conducive for spin and this is the main reason why Muralitharan is employed by Lancashire County for this season.I have played three games at Old Trafford in the last four years and on each occasion the ball turned sharply, almost from the start. I expect Saqlain to play and will not be surprised if Mushtaq Ahmed is also in contention. Even though it has rained a lot during the last month in Manchester and the square at Old Trafford will be green, I still feel it is hard to change the nature of the pitch.Therefore, it should help seam as well as spin but I cannot imagine Pakistan playing an extra spinner at the expense of a batsman when even against a weakened Leicester, they scored only 294 runs in their only innings.Faisal Iqbal scored runs in New Zealand and has performed well in England so far. He deserves his chance in the Team and, providing he is careful against Caddick at the start of his innings, he should prosper and help Pakistan’s more aggressive batsmen by occupying one end. Inzamam, Yousuf Youhana and Younis Khan desperately need Pakistani openers to give them a solid start so that they can pile up enough runs to put English batsmen under pressure.I hope Shoaib Akhtar is back to his full fitness as I think he poses the biggest threat to England. But, in order to bowl England out twice in this match he requires lots of extra support from Wasim and Waqar. Both are coming towards the end of their glittering careers but are still capable of outperforming most bowlers in the world.Let’s hope both of them have a better game this time.

Ed:Mudassar Nazar is a veteran of 76 tests and 122 ODIs. He is currently the chief coach of Pakistan’s National and Regional Cricket Academies. In view of the overwhelming interest of users in CricInfo’s articles, we have invited him to write for us.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, David Norris, who made 36 appearances for Leeds United, has revealed that Ezgjan Alioski will certainly be leaving Elland Road when his contract expires this summer.

Alioski has reportedly signed a pre-contract with Galatasaray – this is despite the winger/full-back featuring frequently under Marcelo Bielsa this season, making 31 Premier League appearances.

Bielsa has opted to deploy Alioski as a left-back this term, which has allowed Stuart Dallas to play as a central midfielder, with his seven goals and two assists being very important for Leeds this campaign.

Speaking on how Alioski will be leaving this summer and why he wouldn’t be surprised to see a replacement arrive at the end of the season, Norris exclusively told FFC:

“Yeah, Alioski is definitely going to be leaving. So, with him off I wouldn’t be surprised to see someone new come in.”

It has been reported that the £15,000 per week ace turned down a new contract offer at Leeds and he has been able to speak with clubs outside of England, as he’s in the final six months of his current deal.

Leeds have improved at the back recently, with Bielsa’s side only conceding four goals in their previous six games.

Reports in Germany suggest that Tottenham Hotspur have made a bid for a new centre-back ahead of the summer transfer window…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Sport Bild, who claimed that Daniel Levy and the Spurs hierarchy have already submitted an offer to Borussia Monchengladbach for their German defender Matthias Ginter.

However, it is reported that they will face stiff competition from Premier League rivals Liverpool, as well as RB Leipzig and Inter Milan.

The 27-year-old, who is valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt, isn’t likely to make a decision on his future until after the European Championship this summer.

Shades of Ramos

It is no secret that Spurs will make the addition of a new central defender their top priority this summer, regardless of who takes the dugout next season.

Defensive mistakes and blunders have been the defining theme of their disastrous season and ultimately it was a huge factor in Jose Mourinho losing his job, as they were set up to defend when the players weren’t capable of doing so.

Alasdair Gold at football.london believes the north Londoners will try to sign two centre-backs, in which one will fit the profile of being a leader. This is where Ginter could fit in, having been compared to one of the game’s greats in Sergio Ramos.

Speaking to Sky Germany (via Bundesliga.com), World Cup and Ballon d’Or winner Lothar Matthaus showered the 6 foot 2 colossus in praise as he said:

“Ginter has become a leader at the back, in a similar way to Ramos at Real [Madrid]. He doesn’t just give instructions to his teammates but leads them as well. That’s what Ginter is doing really well at the moment. He reminds me of Ramos.”

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The 37-time Germany international has been one of Gladbach’s most consistent performers this season, averaging a WhoScored rating of 6.91 along with 3.6 clearances and a squad-high 2.7 aerial duels won.

His ability with the ball at his feet is another appealing attribute, with the towering centre-back managing to record a passing accuracy just shy of 85% despite averaging the most passes per game in the team (69.3), as per WhoScored.

Which is exactly what Ramos is renowned for.

National team head coach Joachim Low believes the Gladbach beast is “a bit underrated.” He added: “Ginter is solid and has a very good first ball out of defence. He’s also improved defensively and is calm and reliable. You know what to expect, which is important for a coach.”

Whilst Dortmund chief Michael Zorc has previously claimed that Ginter is “one of Germany’s strongest, most versatile and talented young players” and went onto describe him as “formidable.”

Indeed, the 27-year-old’s ability to play at right-back makes him even more attractive to Spurs, especially as that has been a problem position for the past 18 months – if not longer.

If Levy wants to deliver a defensive leader for his next manager, they shouldn’t look much further than Ginter, who – on the above evidence – has the skillset required to thrive in the Premier League.

AND in other news, Forget Kane: £45m-rated Spurs monster who had 102 touches stole the show vs Wolves…

Sourav Ganguly says that he enjoys touring more than playing at home

Sankhya Krishnan07-Jun-2001Sourav Ganguly says that he enjoys touring more than playing at home.With so many people around and so much hype, Ganguly suggests that hefeels cramped in domestic surroundings. Indeed he never tires ofpointing out that he has a better Test average away than at home. At47.66, his away average is almost seven points higher than thecorresponding figure of 40.79 at home. Ganguly is not the only Indianto possess such a distinction. Rahul Dravid and Sadagoppan Ramesh alsoshare it and while Sachin Tendulkar does not, he still averages ahealthy 53 away. Dravid actually boasts a figure above 50 in seven ofthe nine countries he has played in (except Sri Lanka where he isclose enough and Australia where he is far enough) which is positivelybrilliant.A closer scrutiny reveals some warts in that seemingly impeccablelooking away record. The captain for instance has not approached theuniformly good record across the five continents as his second number.He has come, seen but failed to conquer in four nations: Australia,South Africa, West Indies (from where not coincidentally the best fastbowlers hail) and Zimbabwe. One of the commonly articulated grouses ofbatsmen is the lack of sufficient practice games to get acclimatisedto the conditions. A hastily arranged visit from South Africa to breaktheir isolation in 1991/92 meant that one of India’s warm-ups in thesubsequent tour of Australia was lopped off the itinerary. India wentinto the first Test with just one first class game behind them andwere ritually slaughtered.On the first tour of Zimbabwe in 1992/93, India blithely entered theTest without so much as a first class game behind them and almostfaced the mortification of a follow-on. Six years later, on theirsecond tour, they had one game which they won by an innings withouthardly breaking into a sweat. But that one innings of batting practiceclearly did not suffice for when it came to the crunch, the celebratedIndian batting folding up without so much as a whimper. With two gamesscheduled this time (in which the Indians utilised all four innings)they have nothing to complain about. Four Indian batsmen grabbed theopportunity to make centuries and yet there have been some disturbingsigns.The Indian captain’s Test place is largely hanging on reputation. Hehasn’t scored a century in his last 11 Tests. It should be a challengeGanguly should be raring to overcome by getting as much match practicein the middle before the Test. In the circumstances, his approach inthe second warm-up game was a trifle baffling. Having failed in bothinnings against Zimbabwe A in the first tour game, what did Ganguly doagainst CFX Academy? He promoted Hemang Badani who does not figure inthe Indian team’s plans for the first Test ahead of him in the battingorder and then retired after making 53 which was incidentally hisfirst 50 in his last eight first class games. Shades ofoverconfidence?The stunning turnaround midway through the series against Australiameant that Ganguly was forgiven for his poor run with the bat. Thereis a perception running in sections of the public that he sacrificedhis personal form for the sake of the team by focusing his energies onthe verbal pleasantries. It may be difficult to reproduce such aggronow when the team is installed as favourite and not as underdog.Ganguly’s place in the team is not under threat. Far from it. MarkTaylor and Nasser Hussain have survived longer periods in the battinghorrors. As long as the team wins, all other foibles will be forgiven.But to keep winning India needs the skipper to fire in his primaryrole sooner rather than later. He should realise that, as the oldcliche goes, the willow can speak the most eloquently of all.

Goa Cricket Association (GCA) secretary Vinod Phadke, wanted by policefor his alleged involvement in the fake ticket scam during the fifthone-day international between India and Australia, today surrenderedbefore the judicial magistrate of Margao

07-Jun-2001Goa Cricket Association (GCA) secretary Vinod Phadke, wanted by policefor his alleged involvement in the fake ticket scam during the fifthone-day international between India and Australia, today surrenderedbefore the judicial magistrate of Margao and was granted bail.Phadke was released on a bail of Rs one lakh and two sureties of likeamount on conditions includang that he make himself available to theinvestigating officer as and when required, DIG Karnal Singh said.GCA president and former deputy chief minister Dayanand Narvekar,treasurer Ramnath Shankar Das and Phadke have been called forinterrogation at Margao tomorrow as the police santed someclarifications and more details of some events, Singh said adding eventhough the custodial enquiries were not possible the police would getto the truth.Das was arrested immediately after the episode was reported and is nowon bail. Narvekar was granted bail yesterday. But both Narvekar andPhadke did not cooperate with the police and from time to time filedbail applications before different courts, and finally got the bailfrom the Goa bench of the Mumbai High Court for a month.The judicial magistrate of Margao has now given bail to Narvekar andPhadke for two months or till the chargesheet is filed, whichever isearlier.

The Chronicle’s Lee Ryder has slammed the display of Joelinton for Newcastle United despite their win over Sheffield United in the Premier League on Wednesday evening.

The Lowdown: Willock rescues Newcastle again

Joe Willock scored yet another goal for Steve Bruce’s team as they ran out 1-0 winners at St. James’ Park against the relegated Blades, and crucially in front of some members of the Toon Army.

It was the first round of fixtures in the top flight in which fans were allowed back into all grounds in the 2020/21 term, with the second set to come in on the final day on Sunday afternoon.

The Latest: Ryder slams Joelinton

While there were some very good performances for the Tyneside club on Wednesday, Ryder was not impressed with Joelinton, who only lasted the first half as he was taken off at the beginning of the second.

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, the Magpies journalist claimed that the striker ‘wasted a couple of chances’ in what was a ‘disappointing night’ for him, giving him a measly 6/10 overall rating, the joint-lowest out of any Magpies player to have started the match.

The Verdict: Not Joelinton’s best game

Joelinton did not have his best game for NUFC, as he failed to record a single shot on target or key pass, and achieved a mere 75% pass accuracy, the lowest out of any of his teammates to have started (Sofascore), so Ryder’s criticism is more than justified.

The Brazilian also lost possession of the ball on four separate occasions, and only managed 20 touches in total (Sofascore), showing how little impact he had before being taken off. For some context, goalkeeper Martin Dubravka managed 38 touches.

Nonetheless, he will want to improve on this display going into the new campaign, especially once Callum Wilson comes back to full fitness, putting his starting place under threat.

In other news, find out what big claim Ben Jacobs has dropped as news emerges on the takeover case here!

Former international Dipak Patel’s connection with Central Districts has ended

Lynn McConnell03-Apr-2002Former international Dipak Patel’s connection with Central Districts has ended.Patel, who coached CD to win the Shell Cup in its last season last year, and the Shell Trophy in 1998/99 has retired from his position with the side.Patel had five seasons as coach of the side and included among the highlights of his connection is a defeat of India in 1998/99 and a memorable performance against the Australians of 1999/00.As a result of their one-day success last summer, CD represented New Zealand at the Champions Cup tournament in Perth, where they beat Indian side Mumbai in round robin play.Several CD players advanced to national honours during Patel’s tenure.National representatives included Craig Spearman, Andrew Penn, Mathew Sinclair, Glen Sulzberger, Jacob Oram and also New Zealand A players Michael Mason and Lance Hamilton.CD chief executive Blair Furlong commented: “Although Dipak continued to be based in Auckland during his five summers as coach, his commitment to Central Districts and its players was first class.”His ability to mould a team was seen when basically his first contact with them on a regular basis was in October when the Stags had its annual camp and usually played the Academy in Christchurch.”In addition we are grateful to Dipak’s family for allowing Central Districts to disrupt their family life for five summers.”Central Districts wishes Dipak Patel well in his future cricketing endeavours and thanks him most sincerely for a job well done,” Furlong said.That future may well see Patel take on the coaching of the Auckland side after its coach Tony Sail stood down at the end of this summer.

Leeds must look to land Liverpool star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain this summer amid Carlton Palmer’s transfer claim.

What’s the story?

The England international has struggled to really make his presence felt at Anfield, with injuries once again taking their toll on him just like they did at former club Arsenal – he has managed just 103 appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side since joining four years ago.

Palmer has now suggested that the Whites should potentially throw their name into the ring for him, feeling that the £18m-rated man could be the kind of player who could take Marcelo Bielsa’s team to the next level.

Speaking to Football FanCast’s sister site This is Futbol, he said: “Alex could be a good fit for any team. I think he’s a very good player; I think he’s just been unfortunate with injuries. I don’t know why Liverpool would want to sell him – maybe he wants to play more regular football.

“I mean, why not? Leeds have done fantastically well and this is what I’m talking about going to the next level. You know, the likes of Oxlade-Chamberlain could take you to the next level, and it’s a big club as well.”

Bielsa would love him

When signing for Liverpool, Anfield Index Pro podcaster Dan Kennett hailed the midfielder as a “physical monster” with “pace, power and endurance.”

Speaking in October 2019 after Oxlade-Chamberlain’s goalscoring display against Genk in the Champions League, Rio Ferdinand said: “You can tell Klopp loves him and he’s desperate to get him in the team somehow. He offers something totally different to the likes of Milner, Wijnaldum, Fabinho and Henderson. He can dribble past people which is hard for a midfielder. It’s great to see him get back in. I like the way that he gets into those positions.

“Once he gets into those pockets in behind the opposition’s midfield he can dribble and shoot. He’s a fantastic footballer and it’s all about decision making there. He offers something totally different in the midfield for Liverpool.”

That ability to take on players is something that Aaron Ramsey, his former teammate at Arsenal, lauded a couple of years ago when saying: “He’s very explosive and quick off the mark, he can go past players with ease and his final ball in has been very good”.

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Given his versatility, and his ability to bring some power and pace to the middle of the park like Ferdinand says, that makes Oxlade-Chamberlain the kind of player who Bielsa would surely love to add to Leeds’ engine room.

Meanwhile, Leeds United could form a “mouth-watering” attack by signing this star…