All posts by h716a5.icu

As Scottish champions Celtic edge closer to wrapping up a second successive league title, the Parkhead outfit's impressive lead at the summit has afforded the chance for manager Ange Postecoglou to blood the youth of late.

18-year-old sensation, Rocco Vata – who has been linked with clubs across Europe in recent times – has notably featured in three of the club's last four Scottish Premiership games, having previously made his senior debut against Hibernian back in December.

The Republic of Ireland youth international is not alone in having been handed a chance to impress of late, however, with fellow teenager Ben Summers having also made his first-team bow as a late substitute in the 4-1 drubbing away to Kilmarnock.

Those recent nods from Postecoglou toward the youth set-up will likely come as encouragement to the Old Firm outfit's other academy prospects, with the climax of the season potentially allowing further debuts to be dished out.

One such starlet who is perhaps deserving of an opportunity at senior level is another teen sensation in the form of Bruno Davidson, with the 19-year-old – who only recently extended his deal at the club until 2025 – having shone in the academy ranks this season.

Who is Bruno Davidson?

The former Scotland youth international, who is also eligible to represent Canada, has been "causing some buzz" among those in North America due to his performances for the Hoops, according to The Athletic's Joshua Kloke, having been identified as "one to watch" – as per Kloke.

The £590-per-week playmaker has warranted the hype of late after providing 12 goals and assists in 34 games in all competitions for this season, including six goals and five assists in 25 Lowland League appearances for the club's 'B' team.

The versatile asset – who can also feature on the flanks – has been with the Glasgow side since signing from Hutchison Vale back in 2020, with the Scottish Premiership side fending off a host of Premier League suitors to secure the youngster's signature.

That rival interest is a marker of just how highly-regarded Davidson is as a prospective talent, with there a potential for the exciting gem to prove a dream heir to Aaron Mooy as Celtic's creative, midfield hub.

The latter man has proven something of a revelation since his free transfer arrival last summer, with the Australian having notably been "outstanding" since returning from World Cup duty, according to Postecoglou.

Much like Davidson, the experienced asset has largely operated as a playmaking option in the centre of the park this season, showcasing his threat in the final third after contributing seven goals and ten assists in 40 games across all fronts.

While the one-time Huddersfield Town man has been "different class", according to pundit Frank McAvennie, at 32 it remains to be seen if he will be a long-term fit at Celtic Park, with only just over a year left on his existing deal.

As such, unleashing young Davidson – who is waiting for his first senior appearance for the club – in the near future could allow Postecoglou to find an ideal successor to Mooy for the years to come.

Aston Villa fans will have been keeping a close eye on the progress of Middlesbrough this season, with two of their brightest young stars currently on loan with the Championship side.

Cameron Archer has long been lauded as one to watch at Villa Park and has certainly shown glimpses of his potential with Michael Carrick's side, notching ten goals and six assists in just 18 appearances in the second tier.

However, he is likely to remain behind Ollie Watkins in the pecking order in Unai Emery's side and unless the Spanish manager changes his formation in order to accommodate both next season, it is difficult to see Archer becoming a regular in the Premier League.

Emery could promote Aaron Ramsey into his starting side next term considering his impressive performances, with the Englishman likely to compete with Emiliano Buendia in the attacking midfield role, given the Argentine's lack of goal involvement in the top flight so far this term.

Who is Aaron Ramsey?

Ramsey, who is the younger brother of Jacob, spent the first half of the Championship season with Norwich City, where he would manage a respectable three goals and three assists in 18 appearances.

Since linking up with Carrick at Middlesbrough, the 20-year-old has taken his game to another level, notching five goals and one assist in just 11 Championship outings, with a superb WhoScored average rating of 7.16 for his performances.

For context, the top performer at Villa so far this season has been Watkins with a 7.01 rating from WhoScored, so Ramsey will surely be eyeing up a first-team spot when the 2023/24 campaign rolls around.

While Archer and Ramsey's performances weren't quite enough for Boro to seal automatic promotion from the second tier, they will likely be key figures for Carrick in the playoffs, and could well help the north east side return to the Premier League.

Carrick was full of praise for Ramsey's role in his side earlier in the season, saying:

"AJ was brilliant. He's a selfless player. He makes selfless runs for those around him, he's intelligent, he sacrifices himself and understands what others around him are good at.

"He's just a good footballer. He's fitter and stronger, because athleticism is a big part of his game, but I thought his football intelligence and quality on the ball was fantastic."

Despite Villa's impressive form in recent weeks which has them on the brink of the Champions League spots, Buendia has just five goals and two assists in 33 appearances in the top flight, with a disappointing 6.74 rating from WhoScored.

The Argentine also averages fewer shots (1.2 vs 1.7) and dribbles (0.7 vs 1.8) per game than Ramsey, so the academy graduate could easily take Buendia's place in the first team if he can transform his strong recent form into equally impressive Premier League displays throughout 2023/24.

Bangladesh’s dramatic collapse on Monday was so sudden that it had ashattering effect not only on the cricket fans in the country but alsoon the genuine lover of the game

Partab Ramchand29-May-2016Bangladesh’s dramatic collapse on Monday was so sudden that it had ashattering effect not only on the cricket fans in the country but alsoon the genuine lover of the game. How can one analyse the performanceof a team that holds its own till the morning of the fourth day andthen goes down so abysmally that the match is lost tamely by the endof the same day? Long after the inaugural Test against India was lostat the Bangabandhu stadium by nine wickets, the home team was stilltrying to come to terms with the defeat. Perhaps this was the expectedresult on the eve of the game but not after Bangladesh had written ascript which had them sharing the honour stakes even as play resumedthis morning.A keen duel for supremacy for the first innings was on the cards whenIndia resumed at 366 for seven but thanks to Sunil Joshi and AjitAgarkar and their eighth wicket partnership of 56 runs off 15.5 overs,India went ahead without losing a wicket. Joshi who had already takenfive wickets in the Bangladesh first innings now inched towards hiscentury which would have bracketed him along with Vinoo Mankad (atLord’s in 1952) and Polly Umrigar (at Port of Spain in 1962) as theonly other Indian players to have notched up the rare double of acentury and five wickets in an innings in a Test match. But the 31-year-old left handed all rounder from Karnataka was not destined tojoin the greats. For, on 92 he holed out to mid off. It was a sad endto a gallant innings. Joshi had come in at a crucial juncture onSunday and along with Ganguly and Agarkar managed to give India aslender lead which proved of enormous psychological advantage in theultimate analysis. Joshi batted four hours, faced 180 balls and hitnine fours.The tail did not offer much resistance and Agarkar was last out for avaluable 34 off 88 balls. He hit five fours. Agarkar’s wicket gaveNaimur Rahman his sixth scalp of the innings and India ended 29 runsin front on the first innings.India were all out just before lunch and with five sessions left inthe game, all kinds of scenarios were being discussed. Certainly therewere so many possibilities but none could have bargained for whatactually happened. A team that had batted so bravely for almost elevenhours and 153.3 overs to score 400 in the first innings caved in offjust 46.3 overs and a little over 200 minutes the second time aroundfor a meagre 91. It was inexplicable. There was nothing outstanding inthe Indian bowling and the wicket, but for the inevitable wear andtear on a fourth day pitch, was still good to bat on. And yet theBangladesh batsmen well and truly psyched themselves out. They were onthe backfoot from the moment Shahriar Hossain ducked into a short ballfrom Srinath and got hit on the left shoulder. In pain, Shahriarretired to receive attention. Mehrab Hossain and Habibul Basharpainfully took the score to 32 in the 13th over when the former playeda loose stroke outside the off stump at Zaheer Khan and was held lowdown by Murali Kartik at backward point.After this, it was verily a procession. One by one the Bangladeshbatsmen fell to injudicious shot selection. Except for Bashar who made30 off 63 balls with four boundary hits and wicketkeeper Khaled Masudwho scored an unbeaten 21 off 68 balls with one boundary, none of theother batsmen reached double digits. The lofty reputation the batsmenearned by their gallant display in the first innings was lost by theirshoddy showing in the second and in the end the cynics, who doubtedBangladesh’s lasting qualities, proved to be right. Making the most ofthis pathetic showing were Srinath, Agarkar and Joshi. The 31-year-oldIndian spearhead who was unimpressive in the first innings would haveregained his confidence by taking three for 19 but, truth be told,these were flattering figures. But then no less flattering were thefigures of Joshi (3 for 27) and Agarkar (2 for 16). The batsmen justhad no clue in tackling the short deliveries, which Srinath andAgarkar peppered them with.India were now left to get only 63 runs for victory and about the onlyinterest left was the margin of the win and when that would comeabout. Sadagopan Ramesh was bowled by Hasibul Hoosein, essaying anextravagant shot but SS Das (22) and Rahul Dravid (41) steered Indiato victory with a day to spare. Dravid, the more aggressive of thetwo, hit five fours and a six while Das had three fours. Incidentally,Das also took five catches in the match. India had to get the runsfrom 15 overs if they wanted to finish the match by the evening andthey accomplished this off the last ball of the 15th over. With thelight murky, the floodlights were turned on midway through the Indianinnings under the playing conditions. It was probably the first timethat India were playing a Test under floodlights. It was also a firstfor Ganguly – a victory in his first Test as captain. He joined theranks of Polly Umrigar, Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and SachinTendulkar as the only other Indian captains to have achieved thisfeat. The Indian team also presented Anshuman Gaekwad with the perfectparting gift with the Test match being the last assignment for thecoach during his short, second tenure. Not unexpectedly, Joshi wasdeclared man of the match.

Man City have been handed a welcome boost ahead of their Champions League match against Real Madrid with the news that three Galacticos stars are all likely to miss out for the Spanish side, as reported via journalist Gustavo Hofman.

What is the latest Man City team news?

Pep Guardiola's side have yet to win the Champions League but will hopeful of finally getting their hands on that elusive trophy this campaign.

They've reached the semi-final stage again, having done it three times in succession now, and come up against a Real Madrid side that saw off Premier League rivals Chelsea in the quarter-final stage. The La Liga giants pulled off a 4-0 aggregate victory over the Blues and prior to that also eased past Liverpool.

City themselves though managed to topple Bayern Munich in the previous round of the competition, beating them 4-1 over the course of two games and putting seven past RB Leipzig before that.

With City harbouring ambitions of getting all the way to the final again, they would have been handed a welcome boost then ahead of their first fixture against Madrid tonight. That's because the Spanish giants are set to be without two more stars, having already seen Eder Militao miss out through suspension.

According to journalist Gustavo Hofman, Ferland Mendy and Dani Ceballos both missed Madrid's training final session ahead of the fixture against Man City. Luka Modric was another name who was nearly sidelined for the tie but boss Carlo Ancelotti has since revealed he can "play without problem." It means that the midfielder is now likely to play against Guardiola's outfit.

It will be a blow for Madrid, with Ceballos having played in six of the club's Champions League games so far this campaign and Mendy in five. However, it will be welcome news for City as they look to chase a win.

A welcome boost for Man City?

The news of these potential absentees will be pleasing for City and their fans, as they aim to try and overcome Madrid and try and get their hands on the Champions League.

Whilst there are more influential players that the club would more likely want to see on the sidelines – Modric has two goals and one assist so far in the competition for example and nearly did miss out – it will still hinder the La Liga side in their bid to reach another final.

Ceballos has seven goal contributions this campaign in all competitions, showing that he is a player well capable of getting the business done for Madrid, regularly used as an impact substitute. Mendy too has featured 25 times this year and has an assist to his name, showing that he remains an important player for the club. For both to miss out then is not going to help the Spanish side in the slightest.

Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani is reportedly weighing up an 11th-hour bid to take control at Manchester United.

What’s the latest Old Trafford takeover news?

Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have been the frontrunners when it comes to an Old Trafford takeover from the Glazers, with the pair submitting third offers at the end of April.

Ratcliffe appears to be leading the race, though, with reports in recent days suggesting that he has taken a significant step closer to a deal. The INEOS group are set to enter final talks with the Glazers unless the Qatari group led by Jassim increases their bid, and it looks as if they are considering doing just that.

The Daily Mail’s Mike Keegan has been providing updates throughout the entire process when it comes to a possible takeover and shared a further development in the last 48 hours.

Keegan stated on Twitter that Jassim is weighing up an 11th-hour bid with Ratcliffe still in the lead. A final decision isn’t expected this weekend, with the preferred bidder likely to be named next week.

Key stages…

It seems as if it is last chance saloon for Jassim when it comes to a takeover, with time ticking for him to make an 11th-hour bid. Should he do just that, it could delay the process even further, with Ratcliffe’s offer resulting in the Glazers’ retaining a 20% in the club.

A deal with Ratcliffe could reach as high as £6bn according to reports, whereas Jassim’s third proposal came in at under £5bn, meaning that he may need to significantly up his bid to stand any chance.

You’d expect there will be further developments over the coming days, and with time ticking ahead of the summer transfer window, every passing day could have an impact on the club’s transfer plans.

Erik ten Hag is thought to be “concerned” that a positive first season in change could be derailed this summer with a transfer budget freeze now in place due to the ongoing takeover process. A number of signings appear to be wanted at Old Trafford, especially in midfield and attack, so the manager will be hoping there is a quick solution to the off-field saga over the coming weeks.

Mark Adair, the right-arm pacer, and Sean Terry, the top-order batsman, have earned call-ups to the Ireland squad to face Afghanistan in a five-match ODI series next month

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jun-2016The uncapped pair of Mark Adair, a right-arm seamer, and Sean Terry, the top-order batsman, have earned call-ups to the Ireland squad to face Afghanistan in a five-match ODI series next month.George Dockrell and Max Sorensen have been dropped while Boyd Rankin has Warwickshire commitments. Peter Chase, the seamer with one ODI cap, and allrounder Tyrone Kane have earned recalls.Adair, 20, has played only one first-class match in which he took a solitary wicket alongside four T20 games in which he has two wickets. Terry, the son of former England batsman Paul Terry, is relatively more experienced, with 11 first-class matches under his belt, in which he has scored 440 runs at 29.33 including five half-centuries. In eight List A games, Terry has 161 runs at 32.20.Ireland squad

William Porterfield (capt), Mark Adair, John Anderson, Peter Chase, Ed Joyce, Tyrone Kane, Tim Murtagh, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Kevin O’Brien, Stuart Poynter, Paul Stirling, Sean Terry, Gary Wilson.

“Mark Adair has impressed me with his skills in the limited opportunities I have seen him, and the series is ideal to get him involved with our international programme,” John Bracewell, Ireland’s head coach, said.Bracewell added that Terry’s recent unbeaten double century against Scotland A boded well for him. “Naming 14 players – as opposed to 13 for the Sri Lanka series – gives us an opportunity to bring in batting cover and we believe that Sean Terry covers all the positions required,” he said. “He showed his qualities with his recent unbeaten 251 against Scotland A. Tyrone Kane gives us allrounder cover in the squad as we look to increase our depth in this area with the retirement of John Mooney.”Explaining the omission of Rankin, Bracewell said that it had been known that this series would potentially clash with his county duties and they had come to an agreement with Warwickshire.”When we re-signed Boyd back into the Ireland squad at the end of last year, the Afghanistan series was possible but unconfirmed. The likely series dates fell at a crucial time for Warwickshire, so we agreed he would not be available for the series if it was confirmed, but would be for all other major commitments in one of our busiest-ever years.”On balance, we felt a partially-available Boyd was better than not at all. He’ll be 32 next week and there is a lot of cricket coming up between now and the end of the summer. Both parties will continue to carefully monitor and manage his workload in his best interests and longevity in the game. Of course, succession planning is vital, so it’s an ideal opportunity for us to look at other options – Peter Chase is the logical replacement for Boyd and is currently bowling very well.”Regarding left-arm spinner Dockrell, who has played 52 ODIs but did not appear in the two matches against Sri Lanka, Bracewell said that Ireland’s spin stocks were reasonably healthy. “With Andy McBrine bowling so well at present and Paul Stirling an experienced back-up, we feel in the early stages of the series, an extra spinner is a luxury we don’t need. We will of course look at our spin options as the series progresses, and if necessary, strengthen that area.”Ireland will take on Afghanistan in the first ODI on July 10. All five matches are scheduled to take place at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast.

Fast bowler Jerome Taylor has been left out of the West Indies squad for the final leg of the tri-nation series involving South Africa and Australia, in Barbados

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jun-2016Fast bowler Jerome Taylor has been left out of the West Indies squad for the final leg of the tri-nation series involving South Africa and Australia, in Barbados. Taylor’s omission, after taking only two wickets in West Indies’ first four games, was the only change to the squad that now comprises 13 players.All three teams have two wins and two defeats after four games each, but West Indies are bottom of the table because they conceded a bonus point in defeats to Australia and South Africa.The Barbados leg of the tri-nation series comprises three ODIs, with each team playing the other once before the top two qualify for the final.Squad Jason Holder (capt), Sulieman Benn, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Shannon Gabriel, Sunil Narine, Ashley Nurse, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Marlon Samuels

Harry Kane may stay at Spurs this summer, and could even sign a new deal, pundit Julien Laurens has claimed.

What's going on with Kane and Spurs?

The England captain has one year remaining on his contract, and with Spurs in disarray, a move has been mooted for their record goalscorer, who is still yet to win any major honours in his career.

The 29-year-old has been linked with Manchester United, but a transfer will not be easy as United will have to negotiate a fee with Daniel Levy.

Speaking on ESPN FC (10.30), Laurens claimed that he could see Kane staying for at least one more season, given the difficulties in striking a deal for him, and that he could even extend his contract depending on the outcome of Spurs' manager search.

"I can understand why United might try or might be interested and see if a move is possible. I think it's going to be very hard to deal with Daniel Levy, even with Harry Kane having only one year left on his contract," he stated.

"He may also want to be part of this next step and be part of that rebuilding job, and also I think it depends a lot on who comes in as a manager, because that guy might inspire Kane to sign a new deal to stay a bit longer, a bit like that relationship he had with Pochettino, which was such a strong relationship.

"So I think a lot of things can still happen. I think he will stay another season, and I would not even rule out him at some point extending his deal, if he believes that the right manager is in place, if he believes that the club is back on the right path, in the right direction, to go and try to win things and if that's the European Conference League, so be it."

Should Kane stay at Spurs?

There is a case to be made that Kane would be better off staying at Spurs for one more season and departing on a free transfer, even if that does not benefit the club.

Any interested party right now would likely have to pay a huge fee to prise him away from Spurs, and waiting one more year and running down his £200k-per-week contract could open up more options for him.

Man United would be the likeliest destination this summer given that a number nine is necessary for them, but one more year could see space open up at Real Madrid or Bayern Munich for Kane to move for free.

Spurs may not want to lose their prize asset, who has been described as "exceptional" for nothing, but if they fail to extend his deal, or sell him this summer, their hands may be tied.

Tottenham Hotspur are chasing a young, hungry manager in the mould of 2014 Mauricio Pochettino, according to a report by The Evening Standard.

What's the latest Spurs manager news?

The Lilywhites have little time left to officially appoint a permanent manager before the commencement of this summer's transfer window, with just two games of the Premier League season remaining.

Spurs have also reportedly ruled out appointing former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann, who is no longer in contention to succeed Conte despite his status as a free agent.

The north Londoners are thought to be chasing a plethora of in-work managers, though, with Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim, Feyenoord's Arne Slot and Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi among the names to have been linked recently.

Spurs are also thought to be on the lookout for a new sporting director, as Fabio Paratici was forced to resign from his post recently, having lost an appeal against his 30-month worldwide ban from football.

Back to their manager search, Spurs players had been mooted with an interest in re-appointing former boss Pochettino, but the club opted against a move for their ex-manager who has joined Chelsea.

Journalist Dan Kilpatrick, writing for The Standard, has given some background as to why – with supporters once calling for their former boss to come back.

He says Tottenham are looking for a "young, hungry, up-and-coming" manager in the mould of Pochettino in 2014, but not quite the man himself, with the 2023 version of the Argentine not fitting this profile.

This information has come from "sources close" to Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, with Pochettino being a decade older, more experienced and a different coach.

Who should Spurs hire instead?

We believe, now both Nagelsmann and Pochettino are out of the running, that Feyenoord's Slot could be a brilliant candidate if Spurs can prise him away from the Netherlands.

The 44-year-old encourages an attack-minded brand of football which could excite Spurs supporters, with Dutch football expert Marcel van der Kraan claiming he is a forward-thinking "maniac".

Van Der Kraan explained to talkSPORT:

“He is very similar to Pep Guardiola, his ideas are very similar, he is a massive fan of Pep and he plays the same time.“He goes ultra-attacking, he is almost like a maniac. Not on the touchline but it is fantastic to see how he has turned an average side into a wonderful attacking machine."

This philosophy will be of serious interest to the Spurs fanbase, who have long been subject to the more dogmatic styles of Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Conte in recent years.

WICB president has said it is necessary for his board to better peoples’ experience at the ground during Test cricket, to draw bigger crowds

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Aug-20161:48

‘Lack of crowds is because team is doing poorly’ – Cameron

WICB president has said it is necessary for his board to better peoples’ experience at the ground during Test cricket, to draw bigger crowds. Small turnouts for Tests have been an issue in the Caribbean in recent years – as it is in several countries around the cricketing world – and the poor attendances continued over the first two matches of the ongoing West Indies-India series.”As the West Indies Cricket Board, we need to do a lot more in terms of entertaining people at the ground,” Cameron said. “Right now, a lot needs to be done. We need to have Wi-Fi in the grounds, we need to be able to cater for children in a better way.”Cricket, especially Test matches, is an entire-day experience. Parents want to be able to take their kids to the cricket, to be able to enjoy the cricket, and not be too mindful that their kids are going to drop off a chair. So I think there’s a lot that we can do, in terms of ‘sportainment’, to ensure that the fans come out to the game and not just sit at home and watch the game.””A lot of people, fans out there, are interested in what is going on. So it’s not that the game is dead, it’s how do you get eyes coming into the ground and watching it versus those who are watching on social media or on television.”West Indies’ poor long-format showings added to the flagging numbers, Cameron said, but insisted he was confident of things turning around. “Part of why we don’t have as much crowds today is the team is not the best team, and when I say the best team, meaning we’re not winning at this point in time. But, that said, I can assure you, based on our Professional Cricket League [the regional first-class competition] and where we’re at right now in terms of development, in another year or so we’ll see people coming back to watch Test cricket.”