All posts by h716a5.icu

After the doom and gloom of life under Mike Ashley, the arrival of the PIF regime has brought with it renewed optimism and on-field improvement for Newcastle United, with the Magpies having enjoyed a remarkable transformation over the past 18 months or so.

Having repeatedly found themselves fighting to stave off relegation in recent years, the northeast side could well be closing in on what would be a stunning top-four finish, having also reached the final of the Carabao Cup just a few months ago.

It would appear that the new ownership have got little wrong since taking over the club back in October 2021, with the club's recruitment having undoubtedly been particularly astute in that time, namely snapping up the likes of Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn last year for bargain fees of just £12m and £13m, respectively.

One notable blunder that PIF may well have made in recent times with regard to incomings, however, is the signing of striker Chris Wood, with the New Zealand international having hardly proved value for money following his £25m arrival from Burnley back in January 2022.

How much did Chris Wood cost Newcastle?

After early, ambitious talk following the change in ownership that Newcastle would be targeting the likes of Kylian Mbappe, the St James' Park outfit no doubt took a wise approach not to opt for the big marquee names, having been in a fight for survival heading into that winter window.

To go from rumours regarding such high-profile figures to then ending up with a more low-key signing such as Wood, however, did appear rather odd at the time, with talkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor describing it as a "strange, strange signing" after talk of "all these superstars".

Having scored just three league goals in the first half of the 2021/22 campaign at Turf Moor, the experienced marksman went on to score just twice more in the remainder of the season in his new home, despite starting 15 top-flight games.

That inability to make an impact was continued in the current campaign as the 31-year-old again netted only two league goals in 18 outings in the first half of the season, having looked a "bit lost", according to pundit Tam McManus.

With Eddie Howe and co already having Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak to call upon there appeared to be little need to keep Wood around, with the Magpies ultimately allowing the 70-cap dud to join Nottingham Forest on an initial loan deal in January.

That brought to an end a bizarre and rather costly 12 months for the centre-forward on Tyneside, with the 6 foot 3 man having cost roughly £4m in wages across the year in relation to his £80k-per-week salary, as well as his initial fee of £25m – totalling £29m.

That does appear money down the drain, in truth, such were the Auckland native's shortcomings, albeit with the only saving grace having been the fact that Forest have already forked out £15m to make the temporary deal permanent.

Even so, that transfer tale will be one that PIF will wish to forget in a hurry…

Wolverhampton Wanderers swept aside an in-form Crystal Palace on Tuesday evening to condemn Roy Hodgson to his first defeat on his return to the Premier League.

The stubborn resistance of Julen Lopetegui’s men stopped an Eagles side that had scored nine goals in their past four games from finding the net.

It was another brilliant result for the Midlands club, who have won three of their last four top-flight matches and six of their previous eight games at Molineux.

A large portion of the credit must be awarded to Lopetegui, who took charge when the club dismally resided in the relegation zone. Since he has overseen eight victories in 18 Premier League encounters to provide Wolves with an excellent platform was survival.

As well as his obvious tactical acumen, the former Real Madrid coach’s recruitment has played a massive factor in this turnaround and the signing of Mario Lemina has emerged as an intelligent and astute masterclass.

Why has Mario Lemina been a good signing for Wolves?

The former Southampton ace arrived in the Midlands for an undisclosed fee in the January transfer window and has been one of Lopetegui’s most trusted options.

Upon the 29-year-old’s return to England, his new manager showered him with praise.

He said: “I think that he has the profile to be a good player for us. He has to be a very complete player, with and without the ball. I think without the ball he’s a very strong player, and he knows his job. With the ball, he has enough technically to play and to understand the play.”

The relationship between the Spanish boss and Lemina has blossomed. The Gabonese international has started 13 of Wolves’ last 15 league outings to underline his paramountcy and the important role he had undertaken in such a short space of time.

During this time, the midfielder has been an outstanding contributor to the defensive effort and has averaged 2.1 tackles, 1.3 clearances, and 0.9 interceptions per 90, according to Sofascore.

These impressive numbers contribute to a wider analysis of this dominant physical pivot as he ranks in the top 8% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for tackles and clearances.

The £45k-per-week man has formed a formidable partnership with Ruben Neves in central midfield, as the captain is often spraying mesmeric passes out to the flanks whilst Lemina effectively breaks up play.

With Lopetegui and the “unbelievable” Lemina – as per one club analyst – both presented with a pre-season and a full campaign next year, they could both be central figures once again.

Rangers are 'lining up a pre-contract offer' to sign Norwich City star Kieran Dowell, amid reports they're also closing in on signing Jack Butland.

What's the latest Rangers transfer news?

Michael Beale's side will likely need some major summer signings as a plethora of both first team players and fringe members of the squad run down their contracts.

Indeed, as thing stand, many Gers stars are set to leave Ibrox on Bosman deals – with Ryan Kent, Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Jack, Scott Arfield, Steven Davis, Allan McGregor, Kieran Wright and Filip Helander on the way out for free (Transfermarkt).

Bayern Munich loanee Marik Tillman will also return to his parent club unless Rangers activate the buy-option in his contract, making these next few months crucial as the Scottish Premiership giants look to bridge the gap between themselves and rivals Celtic.

Rangers are moving behind-the-scenes, with reports suggesting they have been in contact with Ecuador international and Los Angeles F.C midfielder Jose Cifuentes.

Meanwhile, former England international Jack Butland is also thought to be nearing a move to the club – and claims state he is on the brink of joining as his contract expires this summer.

Now, according to Football Insider, it appears Rangers are looking to move for another soon-to-be free agent – with Canaries star Dowell on the radar. Indeed, it is believed Beale's side are 'lining up a pre-contract offer' for the 25-year-old with his Norwich deal running out in June.

Rangers' manager has even personally ran the rule over Dowell himself, attending Norwich’s 1-1 draw with QPR last Wednesday to watch him in action.

The midfielder also already has a mate at Ibrox in Todd Cantwell, with the pair knowing eachother well from their time together at Carrow Road.

Should Rangers move for Dowell?

Dowell possesses Premier League experience, making 19 English top flight appearances for Norwich last season.

The Englishman has built upon that campaign since, chipping in with eight goal contributions in the Championship this year as Norwich remain firmly in play-off contention.

Signing Dowell for free would come as a fairly low risk move by Gers chiefs, especially considering he ranks among their best for key passes made per 90 in the final third this season (WhoScored).

He could provide that spark of creativity under Beale as the likes of Kent and Morelos edge nearer to summer exits from the Scottish football giants.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are thought to be keen on signing Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek this summer, 90min report.

What’s the latest Wolves transfer news involving Loftus-Cheek?

Julen Lopetegui appears to be guiding the club to safety after picking up three Premier League wins in the last four games.

Wolves are now just three points away from the magic 40-point tally, with club officials seemingly eyeing possible signings ahead of Lopetegui’s first full season in charge.

One player who seems to be of interest is Loftus-Cheek, who actually scored at Molineux back in 2018.

90min reporters Graeme Bailey and Tom Gott shared an update on Loftus-Cheek’s future in the last 48 hours. They claimed that Chelsea are open to offers for the midfielder, who is attracting interest from a number of Premier League clubs including Wolves, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Leicester, Newcastle and West Ham.

However, AC Milan are also interested and the player is thought to be intrigued by the idea of moving to the San Siro.

Should Wolves sign Loftus-Cheek?

Loftus-Cheek, hailed as a “dangerous” player by journalist Josh Bunting, will soon be entering the final 12 months of his £150,000-a-week Stamford Bridge contract.

The 27-year-old is primarily a central midfielder but can play in a holding role or on the right-hand side, showing that he could be a versatile option for Lopetegui.

He has now made 150 senior appearances for the Blues, with 28 of those coming this season in a range of midfield positions.

It has been a disappointing season on the whole for Chelsea, and as per WhoScored, Loftus-Cheek has averaged a match rating of 6.57/10. However, that score is actually better than a number of Wolves midfielders including Mario Lemina, Joao Moutinho, Pablo Sarabia and Boubacar Traore.

Therefore, for the right price, Loftus-Cheek could prove to be a shrewd signing at Molineux, and by the looks if it, it could be one to keep an eye on over the coming months.

Tottenham Hotspur's manager upheaval over recent years has unsurprisingly seen them linked with a host of managers, yet the three chosen to succeed Mauricio Pochettino have all come under the same mould.

One crucial characteristic that at least two of them shared was the fact that they were winners, and the hope was that they could bring such a mentality to north London at last.

However, with the dugout once again devoid of a permanent boss and no silverware to show for it, it seems this was yet another failed venture to add to the ever-growing list.

With a new man now needed to take over from caretaker Ryan Mason come this season's conclusion, it seems that chairman Daniel Levy could be set to right the potential wrongs of his former sporting director Fabio Paratici, who pulled the plug on a move to appoint Paulo Fonseca back in 2021.

He has re-emerged as part of a long list of candidates, having excelled lately with LOSC Lille.

However, one negative attribute hovers over the Portuguese tactician that might worry fans. Some might suggest he boasts the club's DNA within him, as across a fine career, the 50-year-old has struggled on the big occasions.

How does Paulo Fonseca play?

Having overseen many philosophical shifts across his various jobs, French football has seemingly seen him revert to predominantly a 3-4-3, with the 3-4-2-1 as a supplementary ideal.

With a play style that demands possession but prefers solidity over a high press, there are shades of Antonio Conte in his current practices in Lille. Despite this, his desire to play through the middle is something which will benefit the style of Harry Kane, should he stick around long enough to reap the rewards.

Journalist and renowned transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, back before the deal fell through in 2021, offered his verdict on how Fonseca might work out at Spurs. Despite the exciting upsides, there remained plenty of downsides that could worry fans.

He claimed:

"He is perfect in the dressing room and perfect in his relationship with the players.

"He had a problem here in Italy with the top matches playing against Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Napoli and never winning a top match and it was something that was criticised by football journalists in Italy."

Despite this, European football expert Andy Brassell remained confident: "He’s a really good coach, there’s no doubt about that. He’s got a strong philosophy and likes to play attacking football."

With beautiful football on show but a soft underbelly that might still remain, it seems Fonseca could be the perfect fit to comply with Spurs' DNA, but not to change it as fans would likely desire.

Mosaddek Hossain’s unbeaten 35-ball 57 helped Abahani Limited clinch a thriller by three-wickets over Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club at BKSP-3 in Savar

Mohammad Isam at BKSP-328-May-2016Mosaddek Hossain’s late-overs heroics gave Abahani Limited a crucial three-wicket win over Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club at BKSP-3 in Savar, but an umpiring decision late in the game marred the thrill of the contest.With ten runs required off the last three balls of the match, Mosaddek squeezed the ball to sweeper cover, but the throw wasn’t collected cleanly by Doleshwar wicketkeeper Rony Talukdar. Mosaddek and Taskin Ahmed were involved in a mix-up while trying to pinch a second run. While Taskin tried to complete it, Farhad Reza, the bowler, broke the stumps at the non-striker’s end with the batsman still a foot outside the crease. But umpire Rezwan Parvez was unmoved amid huge appeals from Doleshwar fielders. After the umpire had given it not out, Doleshwar’s players spoke to him but to no avail. The rest simply looked crestfallen from the boundary edge, with hands going on head and hips.With Abahani needing eight off two balls, Mosaddek struck Farhad’s full toss sweetly over long-on before smashing him over cover for the match-winning boundary. Abahani’s players were jubilant, even as their supporters made lewd gestures towards the bemused Doleshwar players.Mosaddek timed his unbeaten 35-ball 57 to near-perfection despite wickets falling at the other end in their chase of 192. He was quiet during his 27-run stand with Rajat Bhatia before finding his seven boundaries, mainly on the off-side, as the Doleshwar bowlers got fuller as the match progressed. Two sixes apart, there were hardly any traces of the lofted hits.Mosaddek arrived at the crease following Shakib Al Hasan’s dismissal in the 19th over. Batting on 40, Shakib missed Ashok Menaria’s delivery as Talukdar fumbled before breaking the stumps to have him stumped.The game began at 1:00pm, four hours after the scheduled start, due to heavy rain. But it was a see-saw contest from when Doleshwar slipped to 58 for four in the 11th over. Nasir Hossain blasted a 56-ball 72 from that point, hitting four boundaries and two towering sixes. He added 82 runs for the fifth wicket with Sunzamul Islam before another quickfire 25 with Reza. Ziaur Rahman closed out the innings with a six and a four in his 11-ball 18.Abahani dropped four catches including one where Mohammad Shahzada crashed into his captain Tamim Iqbal who had almost completed the skier offered by Nasir. Abahani too lost early wickets as Tamim was caught well at mid-off and Liton Das at long-on. Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Shakib added 74 runs for the third wicket, which put the impetus into their chase.

England’s limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan and former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum have consented to their inclusion in the draft for the second edition of the Pakistan Super League

Umar Farooq01-Jul-2016The Pakistan Super League has announced that England limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan and former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum have consented to be part of the player draft for the second season in 2017. The draft will be held in the UAE in October, during Pakistan’s Test series against West Indies, while the tournament is slotted for February next year.The PSL also stated that all five franchises had “unanimously agreed” to an increase in the total player salary cap of $1.2 million per team by a maximum of 9% for the next edition. The decision was reached after a meeting with franchises in Lahore on Friday.PSL chairman Najam Sethi said more high-profile signings would be revealed over the next few days. “Brendon McCullum and Eoin Morgan are proven international stars who not only bring a wealth of international cricket experience but also bring invaluable leadership experience to the HBL PSL player roster,” Sethi said. “While we have announced these two names, there are at least a dozen additional top-level signings that will be revealed in the coming days. It will be interesting to see how teams manage their retention and transfers given such quality additions to the player draft”A player retention policy was among the outcomes of the meeting on Friday, with teams being allowed to retain up to 16 players from the existing squad, including those who did not play a game last season.”It was decided that the teams may retain up to 16 players from their existing squads,” the PSL said in a statement. “All players who were brought on board by a team, regardless of whether they played, are eligible for retention. The retention window will also provide teams with a chance to renegotiate with existing players and the window closes on September 14, 2016. The transfer window is concurrently open with teams in a position to leverage their draft picks and/or existing squads to find an ideal balance.”Last year, 310 players, including 138 from Pakistan, were drafted from five categories – Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver and Emerging – with the franchises signing international stars like Chris Gayle, Kevin Pietersen, Shane Watson, Dwayne Bravo and Darren Sammy, among others. Previously, the emerging category had 59 Pakistan players regardless of their age or playing experience. For the second edition, however, the PSL management has an age barrier in place – players in the emerging category will have to be under 23 years of age as of January 1, 2017, and the franchise will have to draft at least one player from its home region.The order of franchises in the draft was decided based on the first season’s result. Hence, Lahore Qalandars, who finished last, will have the first pick in this draft followed by Karachi Kings, Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators. Defending champions Islamabad United will have the final pick in every round.In another important move, the PCB is in talks to rope in franchises that will buy out national regional teams for a year. ESPNcricinfo understands that the PCB and at least three franchises have agreed in principle to buy their respective regional teams for Rs 15 to 25 million each per year. The idea is still in a preliminary stage, but the move is a part of the PCB’s plan to make regional cricket independent and self-sustaining.

Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray has spoken out over the sighting of Jobe Bellingham at the club's play-off semi-final against Luton, revealing one of his staff has a "close" relationship with the player according to Chronicle Live.

What is the latest on Jobe Bellingham to Sunderland?

The Black Cats have had an excellent campaign back in the Championship this year, with the side already storming into the play-off spots. After securing a final day win over Preston North End, the side secured their promotion chances by finishing in sixth place.

The opening leg of their semi-final tie with Luton went as well as the club could have hoped too, with Sunderland overturning a 1-0 deficit to end up 2-1 victors. Despite Elijah Adebayo firing the Hatters in front, a superb curled strike from Amad Diallo then levelled proceedings. Trai Hume then edged his side in front in the second half and Mowbray's men then managed to hold on for the win.

Whilst their potential promotion is not sealed yet – and it is still therefore unclear where they will be playing their football next season – there is already talk over potential transfer targets. One such name is Jobe Bellingham, the brother of Jude, who currently plays for Birmingham. The player is reportedly close to making a move to the Stadium of Light and was even pictured watching the club's fixture against Luton.

Now, boss Tony Mowbray has spoken to Chronicle Live about the sighting of the midfielder at the weekend and said:

"I'm the head coach, so I don't get involved too much in who we might sign. One of my coaches is very close to the Bellingham family, he talks on national telly about his big brother at Dortmund, so maybe he's come to watch a big game because his season has finished. I don't know the answer [why Bellingham was at the game]."

Should Sunderland sign Jobe Bellingham?

The Black Cats will certainly be aiming to strengthen their side regardless of the division they are in this summer and they could definitely do that by bringing in the Birmingham man.

At just 17-years-old, he is still only young but is already showing flashes of his promise much like his brother did. He's started just five games for the Blues this year but has already managed to get 80% pass accuracy, with 0.6 tackles per game and an 80% dribble success rate. It shows the player is well capable of finding a teammate, isn't afraid to get stuck in and can drive the ball forward himself – all traits that you would want from a box to box midfielder.

Bellingham is one for both now and the future and Sunderland's squad would certainly be made better if they could add the midfielder to it.

It was a day for the purists in Royal Tunbridge Wells where bowlers toiled in the heat and dirt while Kent’s batsmen played the ball on its merits to reach 310 for 3

ECB Reporters Network17-Jul-2016
ScorecardSean Dickson buckled down to the job•Getty ImagesIt was a day for the purists in Royal Tunbridge Wells where bowlers toiled in the heat and dirt while Kent’s batsmen played the ball on its merits to reach 310 for 3 on the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship clash with neighbours Sussex.A sluggish, two-paced pitch coupled with an outfield at The Nevill Ground that could do with a good mowing ensured an honest battle between bat and ball and, with great joy, the introduction of leg-spin before lunch as the visitors vied for a second breakthrough.Kent certainly won the cat-and-mouse tussle of day one courtesy of a second-wicket stand worth 162 in 57.2 overs between Joe Denly (78) and Sean Dickson (81) who could only muster 12 boundaries between them.Dickson, Kent’s top-scorer on a hard-working day, said: “Joe Denly and I had a chat when we were batting and we came to the conclusion that the pitch was two-paced and seemed a bit quicker from the bowlers from the Pavilion End.”Whittingham bowled me a bouncer earlier that over and, if I’m honest, I didn’t play it that well. I knew in the back of my mind he’s probably bowl me a second bouncer but I never really got into a good enough position to deal with it. I was caught between the steer and leaving it alone and did neither. I should have just ducked out of the way.”Dickson added: “I’ve been getting decent starts of late without going on beyond 50. Okay, I didn’t bat on to reach three-figures today but, looking at the bigger picture, I’ve at least helped set us up nicely for a big total.”In these conditions the pitch will only get dryer and start to break up. So the prospect for Sussex, of facing Kagiso Rabada and our two spinners on a dry wicket, isn’t going to be an inviting one.”Batting first after winning the toss, Kent lost their makeshift opener Adam Ball to the 10th ball of the match. Standing in for Daniel Bell-Drummond who is away on England Lions duty together with Sam Billings, Ball drove at his fourth ball of the day from Chris Jordan to edge to Ross Taylor at first slip and depart without scoring.Denly and Dickson saw off the new ball pairing of Steve Magoffin and Jordan, then Stu Whittingham’s first delivery of the game proved eventful, a beamer, it flew over Joe Denly’s head for six no balls leading to an official warning from umpire Nick Cook.The hosts re-grouped either side of lunch through Denly and Dickson who set out their stall to bat time. Playing back, the South Africa-born player in two minds against a short delivery and only succeeded in spooning it to Will Beer positioned in the gully.After batting over four hours Denly was also guilty of giving up his own wicket. Aiming to pull a length ball from Whittingham, he skied a top-edge to Taylor at mid-wicket to make it 199 for three. It proved to be the last success of the day for Sussex.Northeast and Stevens dug in through to stumps, Northeast passing his 50 in 77 balls while Stevens posted his first-half century since mid-May from 75 deliveries and with six fours and six.

The major priority for Tottenham Hotspur this summer will be on finding a new permanent manager ahead of next season, although the Lilywhites will also have to begin thinking about potential new recruits in order to bolster the current squad.

According to reports in Spain, one man who could well be a possible target for the north London outfit is Crystal Palace sensation, Eberechi Eze, with the piece suggesting that the 24-year-old is valued at around €30m (£26m).

The former Queen's Park Rangers playmaker – who made the move to Selhurst Park on a £20m deal back in 2020 – has enjoyed another standout campaign with the Eagles, with the Daily Mail only recently claiming that the exciting talent is in contention for a senior England call-up.

There does appear a need for Spurs to bolster their attacking options amid the growing uncertainty surrounding Dejan Kulusevski's long-term future at N17, with claims in Italy suggesting that the Premier League side may not sign the on-loan Juventus man on a permanent basis.

Would Eze be a good signing for Spurs?

A player capable of genuine moments of "magic" – as previously hailed by ex-teammate Christian Benteke – Eze has evidently put himself on the radar of Daniel Levy and co due to his impressive recent form, having now scored ten goals and provided three assists in 36 top-flight games this season.

The fleet-footed dynamo has been particularly electric in recent weeks after scoring six goals in just his last seven league games, including a clinical brace during Saturday's 2-0 win over AFC Bournemouth.

Such an impact has seen the £30k-per-week magician earn notable praise from teammate Joel Ward in the aftermath of that comfortable triumph over the Cherries, with the experienced defender stating:

"Ebs’ quality is incredible, with what he does on the ball, the way he manipulates it and the way he just seems to glide over the pitch – it’s mesmerising at times."

While capable of playing on the flanks, the one-time Wycombe Wanderers loanee has particularly thrived in a central midfield berth this season after scoring eight times in just 13 games in that role, ensuring he offers a great deal of versatility to any potential suitor.

As far as Tottenham are concerned, it may be of interest that Eze is said to share a number of statistical and stylistic similarities with Arsenal skipper, Martin Odegaard, according to FBref, with the two men both offering a real creative spark in the centre of the pitch.

That likeness between the pair is showcased by the fact that they can simply glide forward with the ball at their feet, with Eze ranking in the top 15% among his European peers for progressive carries, while Odegaard ranks in the top 14% in that regard.

The two men also possess a real willingness to impact proceedings in the final third as the Palace ace ranks in the top 12% for touches in the attacking penalty area, while the Gunners maestro ranks in the top 2% in that same metric.

While it may pain Spurs supporters to admit, Odegaard has been a truly immense presence at the Emirates this season having contributed 15 goals and eight assists in the league alone for Mikel Arteta's side, with the Lilywhites likely wishing to have their own version of the impactful Norwegian.

With the signing of Eze, however, Levy could well find Tottenham's answer to the former Real Madrid man, such is their likeness.