All posts by h716a5.icu

Alongside a new midfielder and striker, the goalkeeper is another position that simply must be upgraded by Chelsea.

The incoming Mauricio Pochettino is attempting to fix the mess of the new ownership, who have spent around £585.5m but have failed to source a consistent and reliable shot-stopper.

Giorgi Mamardashvili is a name that has been linked to solving this damaging conundrum.

What’s the latest Giorgi Mamardashvili to Chelsea?

According to the Evening Standard, the Blues are keenly tracking the Valencia man.

The 22-year-old has emerged as one of the favourites to join the West Londoners after it was revealed that the club has ended its interest in Inter Milan’s Andre Onana.

It is understood that Chelsea have also distanced themselves from AC Milan’s Mike Maignan as they were put off by his mammoth £80m asking price.

Therefore, Mamardashvili has now become the focus and is viewed as a cheaper and more attainable alternative, with a reported £26m price tag.

Is Giorgi Mamardashvili a good signing for Chelsea?

The Georgian joined Valencia on a permanent deal in December 2021 and has made 63 appearances for the club, conceding just 71 goals whilst keeping 18 clean sheets.

During his debut campaign for Los Che, the 6 foot 5 titan went 560 minutes in a row without letting in a goal.

As recognition for his swift and smooth acclimatisation to Spanish football, the eight-cap international was named in Marca’s La Liga Discovery of the Season term.

Last term, he played every game for Valencia in the league and was arguably the team's most important asset, as the club narrowly avoided relegation.

A player of this reputation, form, and potential dramatically differs from Edouard Mendy, who is set to leave.

When the Senegalese arrived in West London in 2020 he was an incredible breath of fresh air, as he conceded just 29 goals in 44 games as he won the Champions League.

However, since this ceremonial moment, it has just been downhill for the 31-year-old, who has made more errors that have led to goals (2), than he has clean sheets (1) in the Premier League this term, as per Sofascore.

Despite Kepa Arrizabalaga’s highly questionable consistency, Mendy still couldn’t break back into the first team after injury and began just one of the club’s last ten top-flight encounters.

Therefore, it is a position that desperately needs to be addressed as Mendy has been labelled as a “liability” by the Athletic's Liam Twomey to underline his untenable predicament.

Comparatively described as “sensational” by a journalist, the signing of Mamardashvili would therefore be a fantastic replacement for Mendy.

The Tamil Nadu bowling coach expressed his concerns at the frequent ball changes seen in Nagpur. Within the first two sessions of the first day’s play, the SG Test ball was replaced three times

Arun Venugopal in Rajkot01-Jan-2017Tamil Nadu bowling coach L Balaji has expressed surprise at the frequency with which the ball was changed on the first day of their semi-final against Mumbai. It was replaced three times inside the first two sessions, and Balaji said it disrupted the momentum of both batsmen and bowlers. Mumbai coach Chandrakant Pandit concurred with Balaji’s remarks and said it was an issue that needed to be taken seriously.”During the game, [teams] batting or bowling can lose the grip because of a sudden change [of the ball]. I think most of the coaches had discussed that in the last coaches and captains [conclave],” Pandit said.There have been previous instances of the SG Test ball, which is used in the Ranji Trophy, being replaced after losing its shape, but Balaji said he had never seen a ball being changed so often within a short period. He also felt the constant changing played on the minds of Tamil Nadu’s batsmen. “When the ball keeps changing, it is like you have to adapt to different balls,” Balaji said. “The ball makes a big difference in bowlers’ skills because in the recent past a lot of [ball-related] controversies have been going on.”I am sure the ball has some kind of ability to change the course of the game; I believe in that because softer balls are sometimes helpful on some wickets and heavier balls are sometimes helpful on different wickets. I have not seen anything like three-four balls being changed in the first session. I don’t know [if it is] because of the conditions or because of the balls’ quality. That is not in our control. That’s up to the match officials.”On his team’s batting, Balaji admitted the loss of four wickets inside 15 overs either side of tea altered the script. He was, however, hopeful that Vijay Shankar, batting on 41, and the tail could rally the team towards a competitive total on the second day. “We have a couple of tailenders who have bailed us out many times – Aswin Crist can bat, K Vignesh can bat and Aushik Srinivas can definitely bat,” he said.”We have a decent total now but there is no reason why we cannot push this total further. Even in the England game [first Test against India in Rajkot], the lower order contributed a huge amount as they reached 500-odd runs [537] with [Zafar] Ansari and Ben Stokes and other guys.”Balaji, however, conceded the surface posed little challenge for the batsmen. “It is pretty much like the bowlers have to bend their back and take all the chances and half-chances,” he said. “That is very crucial. Our bowling has been one of the strengths this season, so let’s see.”Shardul Thakur, who picked for two wickets for Mumbai, felt his team was in a good position despite some patchy bowling. “Sometimes it’s difficult to control the ball, so just taking the idea like how much it’s swinging, whether it’s swinging out or coming in more [is important],” he said. “It’s important how you come back, keep bowling in the channel and trouble the batsman.”Mumbai’s seamers – Thakur, Abhishek Nayar and Balwinder Sandhu – accounted for five of the six wickets to fall. Thakur said they had looked to exploit the reverse swing that was on offer in the afternoon. “A lot of times, batsmen tend to go hard at the bowlers on such pitches, so it is important to just keep in the channel and keep moving the ball in or out, whatever you are comfortable with,” he said.”My inswing is good, so I was bowling that. I was mixing it up later on. We knew that one wicket would get us back in the game. It was then all about bowling in the channel and trying to get the new batsman out.”

Manchester United are in talks with Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana and are currently in pole position to bring him to the Premier League – but this could spell the end of David de Gea's time at Old Trafford.

What’s the latest on Andre Onana to Manchester United?

A new update on United’s pursuit of the shot-stopper has emerged, with Football Insider claiming the Red Devils are now the frontrunners to sign Onana during the transfer window.

A fee of around £50m will be enough to secure his signature as the uncertainty surrounding the future of De Gea rumbles on. The £375k-per-week star is out of contract at the end of this month and a new deal is yet to be signed off by Erik ten Hag.

Could Andre Onana replace David de Gea at Manchester United?

The Spaniard won the Golden Glove award for the 2022/23 Premier League season having kept 16 clean sheets – the second time he had claimed the award.

Despite this, he made a few high-profile errors, most notably against West Ham United, where he fumbled a weak Said Benrahma shot that resulted in a goal for the Hammers. This ended up being his fourth error that led to a goal – the joint-most of any player in the league, alongside Hugo Lloris.

He arguably should have done better during their defeat in the FA Cup final to Manchester City, as he failed to stop Ilkay Gundogan's shot from the edge of the area in the 2-1 loss, and a move for Onana could spell bad news for the United No 1.

The Cameroonian enjoyed a stellar year for Inter, especially in the Champions League, as his performances allowed the club to reach their first final since 2010, narrowly losing to City.

Across 13 matches in the competition, Onana averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.41/10, while conceding just 0.8 goals per game and managing to keep eight clean sheets, demonstrating his shot-stopping abilities well.

The ‘keeper ranks in the top 11% for touches per 90 (43.81) across Europe’s big five leagues and ranks in the top 10% for passes attempted per 90 (35.46), suggesting he is extremely comfortable with the ball at his feet and regularly plays passes, and he could certainly fit in well with Ten Hag’s philosophy of playing out from the back.

His ability was even lauded by Pep Guardiola, who claimed that Onana was “exceptional with his feet” before the Champions League final, proving just how highly regarded he is.

It would be a wonderful signing for United and he could play an integral role in the side next season as Ten Hag chases more silverware next term.

Leeds United may have just endured one of the tougher seasons in their recent history, but the 49ers' takeover of the club should offer a renewed sense of excitement for a fanbase that has relentlessly stuck by this lacklustre team.

Despite their presence in the forthcoming Championship campaign, this should still remain a season of hope, dreaming of promotion rather than the struggles and misery that their Premier League stint largely consisted of.

What it also means is that they will be able to spend with intelligence once again, given the exit of Victor Orta late last term.

With the interim sporting director Nick Hammond having already sought to focus on domestic markets, recent rumours seem to align with this trend.

Phil Hay detailed one such example earlier in the week, as he wrote of the Whites' interest in Liverpool defender Nat Phillips. Despite being without a manager, it is said that this deal, which could cost the club around £10m, is one that they will push for regardless of who is chosen to take charge.

Would Nat Phillips be a success at Leeds United?

Having only been promoted into the Reds' senior side due to their centre-back crisis in 2020, the 26-year-old defender has actually developed into quite a competent asset and starred on many occasions for Jurgen Klopp.

In fact, it was he who has led the praise for the academy graduate, noting in 2021: "In the air he's a monster but you could see it today, he's football-wise not bad, really good."

Across his 17 Premier League games that year, the Englishman maintained an impressive 7.19 average rating, upheld through his 84% pass accuracy and 4.8 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

Such outstanding form caught the eye of Scott Parker, who convinced the Merseyside club to let him join his AFC Bournemouth side on loan for the second half of the 2021/22 season.

There, he would once again prove his worth, helping the Cherries to secure promotion as his rating remained at 7.07.

As a defensive powerhouse with a focus on never shirking the hard work, it is hard not to draw comparisons between the 6 foot 3 goliath and Leeds' club captain Liam Cooper.

However, as the Scotsman has grown older, his body has begun failing him more and more, meaning he seldom can offer that physical and technical superiority that made him such a fan favourite.

Injuries have meant that the 31-year-old could only manage 18 league appearances last term, with an average rating of 6.73 showcasing his downturn in form.

To replace his steely persona with an equally battle-hardened ace, who already has experience at this level and way beyond, Phillips could underpin the 49ers' new-look side for many years to come and repeat his feats of the past to help secure an instant promotion.

Max Holden and George Bartlett earned a select place in the history of England Under-19s cricket with a new batting record in the Youth Test against India in Nagpur

ECB Reports Network14-Feb-2017Max Holden and George Bartlett earned a select place in the history of England Under-19s cricket as they extended their marathon partnership on the second day of the first four-day match against India in Nagpur.They were finally separated after a stand of 321 in 82 overs, a new record for any wicket for England which has only been beaten once in all international Under-19 cricket, in 2001 by an Indian opening pair including Gautam Gambhir who put on 391 against an England attack including Monty Panesar and Chris Tremlett, and captained by Ian Bell.Bartlett was the first to go, stumped for 179 off 249 balls including 25 fours and three sixes. That became the highest score by an England Under-19s batsman overseas, beating 170 by Nasser Hussain against Sri Lanka in Kandy in 1986-87.There are still 10 batsmen ahead of Bartlett in the all-time England list, but all of them made their runs on home soil – including his Somerset seniors Marcus Trescothick with 206 against India at Edgbaston in 1994, and James Hildreth against Bangladesh in Taunton a decade later.After Bartlett’s dismissal, Holden batted on, for almost 20 more overs and into a fifth session, until after eight hours and 47 minutes at the crease the opener was finally dismissed for 170 – leaving him joint second with Hussain on England’s overseas list.Still the agony wasn’t over for India as Delray Rawlins, the Sussex allrounder who had been England’s batting star of the one-day series ended unbeaten on 70 from 94 balls before Holden declared on 501 for 5 – England’s second highest total against India in Under-19 cricket, and the third highest by anyone in India.

Arsenal, Manchester United, and Chelsea will still feel like "they can win the signature of Lavia" as the race to land the Southampton midfielder is still "pretty open", claims transfer insider Dean Jones.

Arsenal transfer news – what's the latest on Romeo Lavia

The summer window has kicked off in some style in Islington as the Gunners have already confirmed the £65m purchase of Chelsea's Kai Havertz, and the deal to bring Declan Rice to the Emirates is also nearing completion.

Alongside these established names, the club has been linked to Southampton's exciting young prospect and full Belgian international, Romeo Lavia.

According to a report from the Independent, Arsenal first turned their attention towards the £45m player after concluding that any deal to bring in Brighton & Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo would be too difficult to achieve alongside their other targets.

However, the race has become a lot more complicated as Chelsea and Manchester United are said to be directly challenging the Gunners for his signature, with Liverpool 'monitoring' developments for now.

Where there is some doubt as to where Lavia would fit in at Arsenal, there is less about any potential move to the Red Devils.

At the moment, Erik ten Hag's choices in defensive midfield are the imperious Casemiro and the hard-working but under equipped Scott McTominay. If United could bring the 19-year-old to Old Trafford, he could make for the perfect understudy to the 30-year-old Brazilian, eventually stepping in to replace him a few seasons from now.

Chelsea on the other hand have just sold a huge portion of their midfield with N'Golo Kante moving to Saudi Arabia, Mateo Kovacic to Manchester City and the aforementioned Havertz to Arsenal deal, so a move for the Brussels-gem would make perfect sense, filling a current gap in the team and potentially staying with the club for the next decade.

What has transfer insider Dean Jones said about the race to sign Romeo Lavia?

Jones was confident that no club had the upper hand regarding the young Belgian at the moment and that all three teams will feel relatively good about their chances.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "I honestly think it's pretty open race at the moment. I wouldn't say that Arsenal are placed any better than Chelsea any better than Man United. I think that all of those clubs will feel that they can still win the signature of Lavia."

Do Arsenal need to sign Romeo Lavia?

The sides in this transfer saga could clearly use Lavia both now and in the future, but what about Mikel Arteta's side?

Well, it's a little more complicated; as things stand, the club have Thomas Partey and Mohammed Elneny in that defensive midfield position and will soon add Rice, the club's most expensive transfer ever.

From that, it looks hard to see where the "monster" – as dubbed by football writer Benjy Nurick – would fit into Arteta's immediate plans.

However, if the recent report from the Telegraph claiming that the club will cash in on Ghanaian international Partey is true, there could well be a way into the team for the ex-Manchester City wonderkid.

However, with Rice likely to take Partey's place as the clubs go to defensive midfielder anyway, Lavia would still be firmly behind a player only five years his senior.

While he would certainly be a fantastic rotation option, the player might view himself as something other than just a backup.

Whoever ends up landing the Southampton starlet will have an unbelievable prospect on their books, but it looks like some teams need his services more than others.

Wellington toppled Central Districts by five wickets in a closely-fought third preliminary final to set up a final date against Canterbury on Saturday

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Feb-2017
ScorecardMichael Papps put behind a string of low scores to score a half-century and take Wellington into the final•Getty ImagesAfter falling short by 27 runs against Canterbury in the first preliminary final, Wellington did not squander their second chance as they toppled Central Districts by five wickets in the third preliminary final at the Basin Reserve to set up a final against Canterbury on Saturday. Medium pacer Anurag Verma’s 4 for 49 helped bowl out Central Districts for 247, and opening batsman Michael Papps scored 80 to help Wellington scale down the target with three balls to spare.Like Papps, George Worker shone opening the innings for Central Districts. Worker strung together a century stand with captain Will Young (57 off 60 balls) to lift his team to 176 for 2. But Central Districts slid thereafter, losing five wickets for 29 runs, including that of Worker for 85. They were shored up by Josh Clarkson’s rapid 42, off 33 balls, with four fours and two sixes.Wellington showcased their batting strength in the chase. Barring Scott Borthwick, who was caught in the sixth over for 1, all their batsmen made contributions. Papps was supported by captain Hamish Marshall (37), Tom Blundell (21) and Michael Pollard (24).Papps’ wicket was the last Central Districts would take, when he was stumped off left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel. At that point, Wellington still needed 58 with just 47 balls and five wickets remaining. Luke Woodcock slammed an unbeaten 41 off 35 balls with four fours and two sixes, while Matt Taylor raced to an unbeaten 31 off 29 balls to seal a tense chase in the final over.Blair Tickner and Kieran Noema-Barnett took two wickets each, although the latter was expensive, leaking 59 runs in 10 overs. Patel finished with 1 for 52.

Manchester United are expected to make a bid for Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana, but it could be postponed until next week, according to reports from Italy.

Has David de Gea left Man United?

De Gea's contract with Man United expired on 30th June, and Football Insider reports that the 32-year-old is set to walk away from the club as he has little desire to play second fiddle to a new arrival, with Erik ten Hag identifying multiple targets.

Big names such as Diogo Costa and Thibaut Courtois have been linked in the past, while the lesser-known Feyenoord goalkeeper Justin Bijlow has also emerged as an option, with reports indicating he could be brought in alongside Onana.

Fabrizio Romano reports the Red Devils have already held a meeting with the Inter goalkeeper's agent ahead of a potential summer move, though there may be a short delay before an official bid is lodged if the latest update is to be believed.

According to reports from Italy (via Sport Witness), Inter are waiting for Man United to make their official bid for the Cameroon international, but there is a belief that it could be some time before it arrives.

The Serie A club have made it very clear they must receive €60m (£52m) if they are to sell their goalkeeper, but that figure is difficult for United to reach straight away.

Ten Hag has been "promised" that the 27-year-old will be brought in this summer, and there is a willingness to get the deal done.

Are Man United signing Andre Onana?

Man United have recently received a boost in their pursuit of the Cameroonian, as Fabrizio Romano has reported he is "open" to a move to Old Trafford this summer, and he could be a real upgrade on De Gea.

Ten Hag's current goalkeeper has often struggled with the ball at his feet, ranking in just the 30th percentile for average touches per 90 in the past year, while Onana places in the 89th percentile.

In stark contrast to De Gea, the former Ajax man is "remarkable with the ball", and is "equally comfortable using the ball with his right foot or his left foot" according to Eurosport's Alessandro Brunetti.

Hailed as a "superstar" by members of the media, Onana is exactly the sort of modern-day goalkeeper that could help take Man United to the next level, and they should come to the table with an opening offer next week.

James Vince and George Bailey will share Hampshire’s captaincy responsibilities for the 2017 season

George Dobell24-Mar-2017James Vince and George Bailey will share Hampshire’s captaincy responsibilities for the 2017 season.Vince, who was appointed Hampshire captain in 2015, will remain as club captain and continue to lead the side in limited-overs fixtures but Bailey, who returns to Hampshire on a two-year deal this year following a previous stint in 2013, will captain the side in the County Championship.A club statement said: “The move will allow both batsman an opportunity to focus on their own games during a busy campaign, whilst still affording them the opportunity to contribute across each format with their leadership skills.”Vince is highly-rated as a captain, having led England Lions and The South in the pre-season competition in the UAE. But a disappointing 2016 season – both personally and for Hampshire – left him jaded and Hampshire have taken the decision to ease his workload a little while retaining his position within the club. He retains realistic England ambitions, too, despite a tough start to his international career and this decision may allow a little more time to concentrate on his own game.Bailey, meanwhile, has captained Australia at international level and continues to lead Tasmania. Experienced, relaxed and at the stage of his career when personal ambitions are less likely to burden him, he should not only ease the burden on Vince but provide advice and support when appropriate.”We are fortunate to have two excellent captains within the squad and a split between the formats seems a sensible option for us,” Hampshire Director of Cricket, Giles White, said. “James will captain the white-ball teams and George the Championship side; this will allow them to channel their focus in the different formats which should benefit the squad as it looks to compete across all formats.”Bailey will not be available all season, though. He is expected to captain for the first time at Chelmsford on Friday 19 May and could also be absent in June when he could be involved in the Champions Trophy with Australia.

Amitabh Choudhary, the BCCI’s acting secretary, has said the $400 million offer the ICC has left on the table is not “anywhere even close” to the Indian board’s contribution to global cricket revenues

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Apr-2017Amitabh Choudhary, the BCCI’s acting secretary, has said the $400 million offer the ICC has left on the table is not “anywhere even close” to the Indian board’s contribution to global cricket revenues. Choudhary contended that the Indian market contributed 70 % of the global cricket revenue and that it was natural for India to get the lion’s share.Under the ICC’s new finance model, the BCCI’s share of ICC revenues across the 2015-23 cycle stands at $293 million. That share is based on the ICC’s projected income of $2.7 billion. While the BCCI wanted $570 million in accordance with its revenue percentage under the previous Big Three finance model, ICC chairman Shashank Manohar made a counter-offer of an additional $100 million to bring the BCCI’s share to nearly $400 million.During the ICC meetings last week in Dubai, Manohar placed that offer in person to Choudhary, which the BCCI rejected. The offer was once again made to Choudhary when he sat as the BCCI representative in the ICC Board meeting that eventually passed a new constitution, a new governance structure and the new finance model.While the ICC constitution comprising the governance structure will be ratified at the ICC annual conference, the revenue model will be approved by the ICC Board separately. “Because it is far less than what India deserves fairly,” Choudhary told the , when asked why he did not agree to the settlement deal.While presenting the finance model for the first time this February, Manohar said the basic premise was to allow every member country to get an equitable share. The BCCI objected, saying it could not accept the finance model without any scientific basis. Choudhary reiterated that stand.”Why do you forget that a disproportionate share of revenues to cricket comes from India? It’s very easy and misleading to say that India is getting a disproportionate share. The facts are that over 70 per cent of cricket’s revenue world over comes from the Indian market. That [the $293 million offered by the ICC] is not even close to the contribution that India makes.”In addition to hardening its stance over the finance model, the BCCI has also delayed announcing India’s squad for the Champions Trophy, which starts on June 1. Although the ICC and the ECB, the tournament hosts, are not breaking sweat yet, both are aware the BCCI is trying to use the Champions Trophy to facilitate a deal.Choudhary said any decision on revoking the Members Participation Agreement (MPA) could only be taken by the BCCI, which has called for a special general body meeting (SGM) on May 7. The Committee of Administrators (COA), appointed by the Supreme Court to supervise the BCCI, is vigilant to the BCCI moves. Vinod Rai, the COA chairman, said pulling out of the tournament was “hypothetical” at the moment. Ramachandra Guha, part of the four-member COA, tweeted in his personal capacity, saying a boycott should not be an option.”Speaking in my personal capacity, as a cricket fan, I believe the Indian cricket team absolutely must​ take part in the Champions Trophy,” Guha tweeted, and went on to add: “Boycotting or threatening to boycott a prestigious international tournament does not become a great cricketing nation.”According to Choudhary the decision was the BCCI’s and the COA, in his opinion, had no say in the matter. He also said the broadcaster would be the biggest loser if India were to pull out of the Champions Trophy. “It’s common sense; if India doesn’t play, it will become very difficult for the broadcasters to even produce [the event].”