All posts by h716a5.icu

Since Jurgen Klopp took over as manager of Liverpool back in 2015, the Merseyside club have managed to win their first Premier League title in 30 years and the sixth Champions League trophy in the club’s history.

One player that has been a massive part of the club’s success in recent years is right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £180k-per-week according to Spotrac, the same figure as Roberto Firmino and Fabinho.

The 23-year-old, who is a product of Liverpool’s youth academy, made his senior debut for the Reds back in October 2016 in a Carabao Cup victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

Since then, the Englishman, who has been described as a “stunning” player by former Reds striker Michael Owen, has gone on to make a total of 185 appearances for Liverpool across all competitions in which he has managed to score ten goals and provide a mind-boggling 47 assists along the way.

In terms of his market value, it was listed at just £450k according to Transfermarkt in February 2017 after being signed as a boy on a free transfer. Since then, Alexander-Arnold’s rise has been so meteoric that his value now stands at a massive £67.5m.

For the 2019/20 Premier League season that saw Liverpool secure the Premier League title, Alexander-Arnold massively played his part by appearing in all of their 38 games in the campaign and managing to score four goals and provide 13 assists in the process, which is mightily impressive for a full-back.

Back in July, Alexander-Arnold put pen to paper on a new long-term contract at Liverpool, which goes to show just how important he is to the club and how much they want him to stay on for the foreseeable future.

In our view, since making his senior debut for Klopp’s side, Alexander-Arnold has established himself as one of the Premier League’s top players and a firm Liverpool favourite among the fans and everyone associated with the club. He is an elite full-back, someone who has helped to redefine the role of a full-back.

Moving forward, given how the defender is still relatively young, we see no reason why his market value cannot increase even further if he continues to play regularly for the team and keep racking up goals and assists along the way.

In other news: Klopp could finally replace Wijnaldum at Liverpool by signing £27m-rated beast – opinion

Jeremy Snape believes South Africa will use a disappointing semi-final defeat to motivate them for future series

Alex Brown19-Jun-2009Jeremy Snape, South Africa’s sports psychologist and performance coach, hopes Thursday’s dispiriting World Twenty20 semi-final defeat will not compound the pressure on a team yet to cast off its “choker” tag, but rather serve as motivation for future series.The South Africans wasted little time in decamping from England following the seven-run loss to Pakistan, boarding a Johannesburg-bound flight on Friday morning. The sting of defeat that accompanied them onto the plane will likely linger until their next international assignment – the Champions Trophy in October – and Snape is determined to channel those emotions constructively.But the task is great. Despite winning a record seven consecutive Twenty20 matches entering Thurday’s match at Trent Bridge, South Africa were constricted through the middle stages of their innings and eventually fell seven runs short of Pakistan’s relatively modest 149 for 4. The expressions on the South Africans’ faces ranged from astonishment to dejection, and Graeme Smith, the captain, faced the inevitable questions relating to choking at the post-match press conference.Snape conceded that, with the benefit of hindsight, South Africa’s batsmen might have adopted a different approach through the middle overs – they were limited to just 34 runs between the sixth and 13th overs – but insisted the sublime bowling of Shahid Afridi and Saeed Ajmal, and not a fragile South African mindset, was the determining factor in the match.”We were so close to doing something very special,” Snape told Cricinfo. “I personally wouldn’t lump this result in with others from the past. The guys are hurting. They’re getting ready to get on a plane when they thought they’d be getting ready for a final. We have to make sure the hurt is channelled in a way that it fuels us for the future, and makes our bowling more precise in the nets, our fielding drills more clinical.”Obviously, the players were nervous. It’s a big game and that’s natural. There’s nothing I could say that could stop that. We did not play badly, and I certainly wouldn’t say we choked. We came up against an incredibly good Pakistan team. They made the finals of this tournament last time and have some incredibly dangerous players. Afridi produced his best best game of the year and had a huge impact on the outcome.”On reflection, perhaps the guys might have tried different things. But we were also sticking to our gameplan, and it’s usually unlikely that someone will be able to consistently bowl six yorkers in a row. [Umar] Gul’s execution was more precise than anyone we’d faced in the tournament. In hindsight, maybe we could have been more innovative against him, but there’s also the whole issue of wickets in hand to consider. Every team is continually learning in this format and we are probably no exception.”Pakistan were indeed in magnificent form throughout the semi-final, managing a competitive total on a slow Trent Bridge pitch and defending it with their best fielding performance of the tournament. The power and improvisation displayed by Afridi against Johan Botha stood in stark contrast to the rigidity and orthodoxy of the South African batsmen against Pakistan’s spinners. Their efforts kept South Africa well below the required run-rate, and Gul’s metronomical accuracy at the death ended the tophy aspirations of Smith’s men.The brilliance of Pakistan tempered the media’s reaction to South Africa’s unexpected exit. Still, the South Africans will be ruing the missed opportunity to rid themselves of the choker tag, and must now brace for another barrage of questions relating to their mental strength ahead of the Champions Trophy.”We had a chat in the dressing rooms after the game,” Snape said. “At the end of the day people will remember tournaments for the trophies won. We have to make sure that the hurt of this disappointment fuels our drive and execution for series to come.”We’ll be ready for the next tournament and face up to the pressure again. The [Champions Trophy] is in South Africa, which is a big bonus. We’re confident we can go one stage further on home soil in the next tournament.”

It may have been a dismal World Twenty20 for India, but when it comes to one-dayers they have been unstoppable over the past year

Siddarth Ravindran04-Jul-2009Match factsSunday, July 5, 2009
Start time 09.30 (13.30 GMT)
MS Dhoni has been in prime form this series•Associated PressThe Big PictureIt may have been a dismal World Twenty20 for India, but when it comes to one-dayers they have been unstoppable over the past year. MS Dhoni’s boys have strung together four comfortable series victories since the defeat in the Asia Cup final, and with plenty of ODIs coming up India will want to extend that winning sequence with a success on Sunday.On the other hand, West Indies haven’t won a series against serious opposition in more than a year. To salvage this one, they need their pace spearhead Jerome Taylor to fire; in the absence of Fidel Edwards there’s more responsibility on Taylor, whose performances have mirrored West Indies’ fortunes in this series. Unless he and his pace-bowling colleagues provide the early breakthroughs, West Indies will have a tough time against the savage hitters in the Indian middle order.Friday’s game at the Beausejour Stadium was shortened to a 22-over affair due to rain, and showers are forecast for Sunday morning as well, raising the possibility of another curtailed game.ODI form guide (last five matches, most recent first)
India – WLWLW
West Indies – LWLLL
Watch out for …The absence of several big names opened up the opportunity for Dinesh Karthik to get an extended run in the side. With Dhoni firmly ensconced in the keeper’s spot, it was as a specialist batsman that Karthik had to make an impression, and he’s delivered. His 67 in the first game helped re-build the innings after two early wickets, and a 47 on Friday gave India the perfect launchpad.Runako Morton has been providing the solidity at the top of the order to complement Chris Gayle’s flamboyance. The pair have provided decent starts in each of the games, reducing the pressure on the West Indies middle order. Morton is also the home side’s leading run-getter this series, with 149 runs.Team newsIt will be hard to drop allrounder Abhishek Nayar, who didn’t get to bat or bowl on his debut on Friday, without giving him a chance to prove his credentials, meaning Ravindra Jadeja could remain on the sidelines. Fast bowler RP Singh has been ineffective in the series so far, which might lead to Praveen Kumar returning. With part-timers Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, and Yusuf Pathan complementing Harbhajan Singh in the spin department, Pragyan Ojha is likely to continue warming the bench.India (probable) 1 Dinesh Karthik, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Rohit Sharma, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 MS Dhoni, 6 Yusuf Pathan, 7 Abhishek Nayar, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Ashish Nehra, 11 Ishant SharmaWith West Indies naming only a 13-man squad, there isn’t too much room for them to tinker. Narsingh Deonarine and Lionel Baker are the two players who sat out on Friday, and it’s unlikely they will get to play on Sunday either.West Indies (probable) 1 Chris Gayle (capt), 2 Runako Morton, 3 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 Darren Bravo, 7 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8 Jerome Taylor, 9 David Bernard, 10 Suleiman Benn, 11 Ravi Rampaul.Stats and trivia India have won only one one-day series in the Caribbean so far, a rain-affected contest in 2002 Dhoni’s unbeaten 46 on Friday pushed his one-day average above 50. Only Michael Bevan and Michael Hussey (min 25 innings) have a higher average than him. Dhoni has scored 632 runs at 90.28 this year. If more proof was needed of Chris Gayle’s hitting ability, take a look at the number of sixes he has hit this year – 27, which is ten more than the next highest.Quotes”He’s had a magnificent series and he’s played some really good one-day cricket for us.”

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have slammed the first half display of midfielder Tomas Soucek against Brentford this afternoon. 

David Moyes’ men have been given a challenging afternoon so far at the London Stadium as the Bees seriously test West Ham’s resolve.

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The away side have had plenty of joy going forward and were eventually rewarded when Bryan Mbeumo capitalised on a rebounded effort for 1-0.

One man who hasn’t impressed Irons supporters one bit, despite his cult hero status from last season, is Czech Republic international Soucek.

The 26-year-old arguably hasn’t quite been at the races for West Ham this afternoon and it’s debateable he hasn’t quite lived up to his 2019/2020 form so far this campaign.

Heading into the international break, supporters will be hoping he can turn his form around this afternoon as West Ham fans voice their discontent with his first half display.

Find all of their Twitter verdicts on Soucek down below.

West Ham fans slam Soucek

“Tomas Soucek has turned into the most bang average midfielder this season. Knew it’d happen. I remember calling it at the start, to @FPLBhuna. Meh”

Credit: @FPLHarry24

“Soucek stinks”

Credit: @NoContextWalker

“Why has Soucek turned into Darren Fletcher”

Credit: @whuchr

“Soucek has proper declined this season”

Credit: @HHickford

“Soucek looks knackered every game”

Credit: @seann_mears

“What’s acc happened to soucek”

Credit: @HammerzOliver

“soucek is so bad”

Credit: @THIERRYNEVERS

In other news: Reliable reporter says West Ham fans ‘should be excited’ by big development, find out more here.

Speaking to Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur ‘insider’/club source John Wenham has revealed what he believes is ‘really good news’ regarding the new stadium.

The Lowdown: State of art ground open for use…

Tottenham’s brand new state of the art ground has been tipped to bring in some much-needed revenue to the club since his opening as chairman Daniel Levy seeks to turn the Lilywhites into a powerhouse.

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Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Spurs have missed out on millions of pounds worth of this off-field income and even announced an ‘irrecoverable’ loss of £63.9m last year (The Evening Standard).

As restrictions become lifted, the ground can finally play a host to numerous prestigious events in a financial boost for the club.

The Latest: Wenham makes stadium claim…

Speaking to FI, Spurs insider Wenham backs that this is ‘really good news’ and insists that Levy and co are still ‘working’ to secure even more contracts to host these events.

“Tottenham are working very hard to get those contracts,” he explained.

“We need to become the home of NFL in London, we have to take all the Wembley games.

“We have had three events there at the stadium and there is another coming up. This has been a great success.

“So far, we have sold out all of them. The support for NFL in England is certainly there.

“The stadium is a better experience than Wembley and I expect we will become that home of NFL.

“There is boxing coming up. We have Lady Gaga playing, Guns N’ Roses are playing.

“Capital FM are holding an event there. Saracens are also playing a game there and it’s expected to sell out.

“It is also full of conferences through the week and this all generates money, it’s really good news for Tottenham.”

The Verdict: Looking up?

Following a near financial scrape during the height of COVID, with Spurs even having to take out a £175 million loan through the Bank of England last year, these contracts will undoubtedly come as a boost for the club.

In a football landscape often dominated by money, Tottenham need all the help they can get off-field in terms of revenue income in order to keep up with powerhouses of today.

In other news: Spurs already have offer pencilled in to sign ‘world class’ player who Hoddle called ‘outstanding’…find out more here.

Centuries from Jacques Rudolph and Andrew Gale on the final day enabled Yorkshire to escape with a draw, in the face of some disappointing Lancashire bowling

John Ward at Old Trafford03-Aug-2009
ScorecardJacques Rudolph was at his adhesive best to hold off Lancashire•Getty ImagesCenturies from Jacques Rudolph and Andrew Gale on the final day enabled Yorkshire to escape with a draw, in the face of some disappointing Lancashire bowling. The overnight batsmen were not separated until mid-afternoon on a largely dry day with occasional brief outbreaks of rather weak sunshine. The Lancashire bowlers took only two wickets throughout, and Yorkshire ended the match 46 runs ahead with six wickets still in hand. The pitch also played a part ; like many others around the country, it should be officially classified as “too placid for first-class cricket.”Yorkshire began the day on 71 for 2, still 237 behind Lancashire and knowing they would have to bat through virtually the entire day to avoid a heavy defeat. In retrospect, the most crucial period was the first twenty minutes or so. Had Lancashire been able to break through then – as they nearly did – the whole course of the final day and the match might well have been different.Yorkshire’s obvious game plan, in the good old Roses match tradition, would have been for Rudolph and Gale to drop anchor and aim to bat out the day. In fact, they began rather as if they were the team more than 200 runs ahead and were looking for a quick declaration. Had this been the case, such a positive start, with a run-out attempt survived in the first over, would have been admirable. But it did not seem appropriate when Yorkshire were in such a dire position; it was more as if the approach was, “Well, we have lost this match, but we might as well enjoy ourselves while we’re here.” Both batsmen were intent on sweeping the spinner Gary Keedy right from the start, and lived dangerously.But they survived, part of the reason being that Lancashire’s bowling for the most part was innocuous. Keedy was tidy, but the danger was more in the strokes the batsmen were choosing rather than the diabolical skill of the bowler. The pacemen were inconsistent, and so many deliveries were off line that the batsmen could have kept the score ticking over without undue risk.But, despite displaying what the likes of Arthur Mitchell would no doubt have dismissed as contemptible frivolity, they kept their concentration admirably, the runs kept flowing and the wickets did not fall. Sajid Mahmood bowled some troubling deliveries, but he is unlikely to become a regular England player unless he learns how to maintain the pressure on the batsman consistently for over after over, instead of letting them off the hook with regular loose deliveries. He is a highly talented player who at present is not fulfilling his potential.Apart from rejected appeals for lbw or close catches, the only near-chance the batsmen offered before lunch was when Rudolph, on 64, chipped a ball just over square leg’s head. Gale was the more aggressive of the two, taking 74 balls over his 50 to Rudolph’s 113, and he also hit Keedy for a fine six over long-on. At lunch Yorkshire were 203 for 2, the first session of the match they could fairly claim to have won.Gale caught Rudolph in the nineties, at one stage being on 97 while Rudolph had 99. He then hammered a ball from Kyle Hogg through the covers for four to reach his century first, his partner following soon afterwards. Gale’s century took 141 balls and Rudolph’s 209. It was a creditable return to form for the opener after a period of low scores and too many soft dismissals.Rudolph survived a hard chance at short leg at 107, but Gale was the first to go, trapped lbw for 121 while playing across the line to Tom Smith, who was the most consistent of Lancashire’s erratic quicks.. The pair had added 218 for the third wicket – and even now Yorkshire was still 51 runs behind. They still had not cleared off the arrears when Rudolph fell for 121 to a sharp catch at short leg as he turned a ball from Keedy round the corner. But Lancashire had now lost their self-belief and did not seem to consider a deviation from the scripted draw was possible.Jonny Bairstow struggled at first, but showed the fighting spirit he has often demonstrated in his short career to hang in there, and at tea Yorkshire were 307 for 4 – still a run behind. Afterwards Bairstow batted with quiet fluency and reached his 50 off 79 balls, making up well after his slow start. When a light drizzle started just after 4.40, the umpires took the opportunity to end the match as a draw. Lancashire will regret the one that got away, but Yorkshire have even more to worry about, as their disturbingly unsuccessful season continues.

Jamie Siddons, the Bangladesh coach, has been diagnosed with skin cancer and will undergo surgery in Australia

Cricinfo staff27-Aug-2009Jamie Siddons, the Bangladesh coach, has been diagnosed with skin cancer and will undergo surgery in Australia.”I have skin cancer near my eye and I will need a surgery to have it removed on Thursday,” Siddons told “The plastic surgeon says it should be straight forward and I can travel back in two weeks if there are no complications after surgery.”I’m hoping for a smooth outcome from the surgery. It all depends on the spread of the cancer when they start looking. I’m only here [in Australia] for surgery, not for holidays. I already put this surgery off by eight weeks so I could be with the team on the tour.”Siddons did not return to Bangladesh following the tour of Zimbabwe and went to Australia instead. His contract as Bangladesh coach expires in November but he expressed the desire to continue with the team until the 2011 World Cup.

Adama Traore could leave Wolves and still isn’t the finished article as a footballer, according to Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield.

The Lowdown: Traore still hit-and-miss

The 25-year-old is arguably one of the Premier League’s most entertaining players, given his remarkable pace and ability to dribble past players.

A lack of end product has always been Traore’s downfall, however, and despite some good performances this season, he is still yet to register a single goal or assist.

The Latest: Hatfield makes key claim

The Spaniard’s future at Wolves is up in the air, with a new contract not yet signed, and speaking to Give Me Sport, Hatfield suggested that he wouldn’t be a great loss now:

“It’s a lot of money to get for a player whose future isn’t guaranteed at the club.

“He is not the youngest player in the world anymore – it’s not like he’s 22 years of age.

“He’s pushed on from there now in terms of years on the pitch and we’re yet to see that end product really reveal itself on a consistent basis.”

The Verdict: Time to earn big money for him?

There is always hope that Traore will suddenly go up a gear and find consistency in the final third – Tim Sherwood has described him as ‘fantastic’ – but as each year passes, the more unlikely it feels.

As Hatfield alludes to, the wide man is 25 now and should be in and around his peak years, but he arguably remains as raw as he has ever been.

For this reason, if a huge bid comes in for Traore, Wolves should accept it, using the money elsewhere and moving on without him.

In other news, some Wolves fans have shown their love for an official club tweet. Read more here.

A round-up of the ninth day of the KPL Cup

Cricinfo staff17-Sep-2009Bangalore Provident (Rural) consolidated their position at the top of the league with a confident win against Belagavi Panthers. The fatigue from playing two back-to-back matches in less than 24 hours showed as Belagavi managed only 116 for 6 batting first. Captain J Arunkumar failed to repeat the fireworks from the previous day, while left-arm spinner Sarfaraz Ashraf accounted for the dangerous Manish Pandey and Robin Uthappa. It was Shyam Ponappa’s quick 34 that lent some respectability to the score while the others continued to flounder.Belagavi sensed an opportunity during the chase when they sent back the Bangalore Provident openers with the score on 20. But a third-wicket partnership of 57 between Amit Verma and captain Balachandra Akhil strengthened the innings. Akhil played the aggressor with a 23-ball 34, with five fours and a six, while Verma gave solid support with a near-run-a-ball 31. Even as both departed, the Belagavi bowlers did not do enough to seize the initiative and Bangalore Provident won with eight balls to spare.Shamanoor Davangere Diamonds eked out a seven-run win in a rain-affected contest against Malnad Gladiators via the VJD method. The two points helped them switch places with Malnad, who sank to the bottom of the table. Opting to bat, Shamanoor were lifted by Mayank Agarwal’s 30 off 27 balls. However, just 7.1 overs were bowled before the rain came down.Set a revised target of 44 from five overs, Malnad found the going tough. None of the batsmen managed double figures as Shamanoor held the edge throughout the chase. Seventeen off the final over proved to be too tall an ask and Malnad tasted defeat for the fifth time.

The rumours linking Everton with Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek simply won’t go away as the January transfer window edges closer.

What’s the story?

Speculation regarding the 24-year-old’s possible switch to Goodison Park began over the summer after he struggled to settle at Old Trafford, with Marcel Brands openly admitting that the engine room operator was on his list of potential targets.

“We had him on our list. At the beginning of the transfer window, we enquired at United, then it was impossible,” the Toffees’ director of football told Dutch outlet NOS.

“At the end of the window, I received a call from Guido Albers, his agent, that he might be rented out after all. But at the last minute, it was cancelled. Stopped again.”

Recent reports revealed that Van de Beek has since changed his agent in order to push through a move away from Old Trafford, while ESPN journalist Mark Ogden has claimed that Everton are still keen to secure the Dutchman’s services.

“I think when January comes Everton are quite keen to take Van de Beek but it depends,” Ogden said on Fabrizio Romano’s Twitch channel. “If a new manager comes in, he might want to say to Van de Beek: ‘I’m going to give you a chance’. So everything depends on who the manager is.”

Everton fans will be buzzing

After securing a domestic double with boyhood club Ajax and playing a pivotal part in their run to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019, Van de Beek’s arrival on English shores the following year was greeted with some fanfare.

However, things have not worked out for him with the Red Devils. The creative talent has started just four Premier League games since arriving for £40m in September 2020 and, going into this weekend’s fixtures, he has received just six minutes of league action in the current campaign.

His lack of first team opportunities under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer despite United’s troubles on the pitch have understandably led to growing frustrations from within the player’s camp, so an imminent exit could be on the cards.

Despite his Old Trafford struggles, Van de Beek has shown during his time with Ajax that he is well capable of providing a cutting edge and creative threat from midfield, scoring 41 goals and setting up another 34 in 175 appearances for the Amsterdam club.

A large section of Everton fans could well be buzzing with excitement at the prospect of Van de Beek filling a James Rodriguez-sized creative hole in the first team, but as Ogden states, any decision over his future could depend on who is in the United dugout over the winter transfer window.

In other news… Imagine him & Richarlison: Everton must swoop for £17m dynamo who has “huge potential”