All posts by h716a5.icu

Manchester United have finally sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, following an embarrassing defeat 4-1 to Watford on Saturday afternoon.

The speculation around Solskjaer and his managerial position has been the hottest topic in football for months, and now the Glazers have pulled the plug on the Norwegian.

In a short and sweet statement, Manchester United tweeted;

“Manchester United can confirm that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has left his role as Manager.”

“Thank you for everything, Ole.”

The manager job at Manchester United has been talked about endlessly over the last few weeks, with several high profile names attached to the role at Old Trafford.

Brendan Rodgers, Erik Ten Hag, Luis Enrique and Zinedine Zidane are just a few of the names that have been dropped on social media and by journalists over the last month or so, but there is still no confirmation on who will take over to manage the team Solskjaer has assembled.

One manager that has gone under the radar for the job is Sevilla manager, Julen Lopetegui, another name touted with the vacancy.

The Spanish manager has an impressive CV so far, managing Porto, Spain, Real Madrid and now managing Sevilla.

Lopetegui is most famously remembered for being sacked as Spain manager on the eve of the World Cup in 2018, after accepting an offer to manage Real Madrid.

Since the controversy at Spain and a terrible run that led to his dismissal at Real Madrid, the 55-year-old manager has been rebuilding his reputation at Sevilla, finishing fourth in the Champions League in his first season and winning the Europa League in 2020.

An exciting review from Sevilla president Jose Castro explains why his smart thinking could be perfect for United:

“When we signed him, we were convinced he was the ideal coach for us. He has brought new ideas and theories, but above all, he is a very serious and hard-working guy. He is very methodical and studies very well for each game,” he said.

“Without a doubt, the players take strength from that. We hope to see that again in the ‘derbi’, such intensity in our team.”

The experienced coach has broken records at the club with a 62% win rate across his career, while his percentage at the Spanish club is the highest win percentage in the history of Sevilla FC, so he clearly has a winning mentality that he has instilled into his team and their performances.

Winning games is something Manchester United really need to start doing to stay in a conversation for the top four in the Premier League so he could be the man to dig the Glazers out of their managerial torment at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils currently have only five wins after twelve games, sitting seventh in the table and six points off fourth place West Ham. Thus, the sacking of Solskjaer has come at a time where Manchester United need to get a winning run of form going.

Manchester United will take on Villareal on Tuesday in the Champions League, with Darren Fletcher or Michael Carrick likely to lead the team out away from home, they will need to secure a win to qualify for the round of 16.

In other news: Harry Maguire was awful against Watford

The trip will start with the two Tests (February 6-10 and 14-18) and will be followed by three ODIs, on February 21, 24 and 27 respectively

Cricinfo staff15-Jan-2010The Indian board has issued the schedule for South Africa’s tour during February of this year. The two Test matches, the venues of which had previously been named, will be played in Nagpur from February 6-10 and Kolkata from 14-18, with the three-match ODI series to be held in Jaipur, Kanpur and Ahmedabad on February 21, 24 and 27 respectively.Kolkata, which will host its first Test since 2007, has had trouble with its floodlights over the last two seasons, the latest incident occurring in the one-dayer between India and Sri Lanka.South Africa were scheduled to play only five ODIs during the tour but agreed to play the Tests following a request from Indian board.

Tim O’Gorman and Peter Wright have been nominated to replace Jack Simmons, the former Lancashire player, as chairman if the ECB

Cricinfo staff28-Jan-2010Tim O’Gorman and Peter Wright have been nominated to replace Jack Simmons, the former Lancashire player, as chairman of the ECB.Wright, currently chairman of Nottinghamshire, was proposed by Warwickshire and seconded by Surrey and Yorkshire, while O’Gorman was proposed by Derbyshire and seconded by Kent and Leicestershire.Ballot papers will be sent the chairmen of the 18 first-class counties and the MCC on Thursday and have to be returned by February 12. The winner will be then be recommended to the 41 members of the ECB for election.O’Gorman, 42, played 117 first-class games for Derbyshire and Don Amott, the Derbyshire chairman, feels this experience is important. “Our committee are firm in their belief that a candidate with experience as a professional cricketer should be nominated. That coupled with Tim’s enthusiasm to do the job makes him, we believe, the perfect candidate.”John Morris, the Derbyshire head of cricket, added: “Having played in the same Derbyshire team as Tim for many years, and then having continued to see his valuable work with the PCA, I believe Tim to be an outstanding candidate for the position.”

Celtic have had a topsy-turvy season under the management of Ange Postecoglou as the Australian boss gets used to his surroundings at Parkhead.

There have been negatives but there have also been plenty of positives, particularly in the way a number of his new acquisitions have taken to life in Glasgow.

The likes of Kyogo Furuhashi and Jota have both hit the ground running, registering impressive numbers in offensive areas already.

What’s the word?

The January transfer window is now just a month away but they will head into the winter period safer of losing their prized assets.

Postecoglou had to deal with a mass exodus in the summer as Kristoffer Ajer, Odsonne Edouard and Ryan Christie all left.

There was also disruption at board level where Dominic McKay took his leave just months after succeeding the retired Peter Lawwell.

However, further setbacks look unlikely thanks to a promising update from Alan Nixon.

The reporter said on Monday that hailed coach Gavin Strachan was set to stay with the club after an approach from south of the border.

He Tweeted: “Hartlepool. Gavin Strachan has turned down the move to become manager … staying with Celtic.”

Fans buzzing

This is news that will come as music to the ears of not only the club’s manager, Postecoglou, but also the club’s supporters.

After all, the last thing the Hoops need at this point in the season is significant disruption behind the scenes.

On a larger scale, Neil Lennon and Nick Hammond departed the club last winter after fan protest and that whole saga, combined with diabolical on-field displays, led to the club’s pursuit of ten Premiership titles in a row collapsing rather quickly.

Celtic are embroiled in a title race again this year and have a more realistic chance of clawing back the crown that they held in their possession for nine years.

Losing Strachan would not be disastrous but watching him leave Parkhead behind would certainly not be ideal as they attempt to win honours again.

That’s why a number of fans were delighted with the news in a section of Tweets relayed by This is Futbol.

It’s clear to see why the fanbase holds him in such high regard too. He entered the club last summer and his efforts at Lennoxtown have been commendable despite Celtic’s plight.

A review from former Scotland international, George Boyd, tells you why he’s such an important figure at Paradise.

He once told The Athletic: “he’s just a really great human being, a really lovely man, very easy to get on with and down to earth. Very humble and thoughtful.”

Posh director, Barry Fry, added: “His man-management is his biggest strength. He always makes sure to pick out players individually and tells them things they should be working on, and because they had faith in him and trusted him, they would then go out and do it with him. His main asset is how well he handles and understands players.”

If Celtic are going to reclaim the SPFL then having someone in their ranks who is so trusted amongst the playing staff can only be a good thing.

On that evidence, and the words of Fry and Boyd, it’s evident why Strachan’s continued place on the bench at Parkhead is a huge boost for everyone at the club.

AND in other news, Exciting Celtic transfer development emerges, Ange will be buzzing…

Damien Wright made life difficult for New South Wales on a tightly-contested opening day, but Peter Forrest helped ensure Victoria didn’t completely dominate play

Brydon Coverdale at the MCG12-Feb-2010
ScorecardPeter Forrest posted a half-century in his second match of the season•Getty ImagesDamien Wright made life difficult for New South Wales on a tightly-contested opening day, but Peter Forrest helped ensure Victoria didn’t completely dominate play. Forrest, Dominic Thornely and Phil Jaques toiled hard to get the Blues to 6 for 215 at the close of a protracted day that began an hour late due to Melbourne’s stormy weather and ran until bad light stopped play at 7.10pm.Forrest and Thornely put on 79 for the fifth wicket and pushed New South Wales on to 4 for 173, which was a decent fightback after Wright left them at 2 for 26. In his second Sheffield Shield match of the summer after recovering from a calf injury, and having been Man of the Match in his only other appearance, Wright struck twice in an over to back David Hussey’s decision to send the Blues in.Phillip Hughes’ poor run of form continued when he was caught at slip off Wright for 14 and Simon Katich followed for a duck after a good offcutter clipped his edge and he was caught behind. Forrest, who was also playing his second game of the 2009-10 campaign, helped steady the innings with Jaques, who looked solid until a blow to the foot from a John Hastings yorker left him in need of a runner.Wright played a part in the dismissal of Jaques, who prodded at Darren Pattinson and was well snapped up for 47 by Wright diving forward at gully. Steve Smith will want to forget his tentative hook off Hastings that flicked the edge and was taken by Matthew Wade but the New South Wales resistance solidified after that lapse.Thornely and Forrest locked down and each scored at a strike-rate of 30 as they aimed primarily for crease occupation against a Victorian outfit for whom victory would make a home final a strong possibility. Hastings ended their stand with the old ball when Forrest was snaffled low to the ground by David Hussey at second slip for 58 from 188 deliveries.Thornely did manage one six – straight down the ground off Jon Holland – but misjudged a leave when Wright returned with the second new ball and was lbw for 44 off 143 balls. At stumps Victoria needed to finish off the lower order – Daniel Smith was on 15 and Steve O’Keefe also had 15 – and they were also hoping their star opener Chris Rogers would recover from a virus that kept him off the ground for the whole first day.

As confirmed by West Ham United and shared by the press, David Moyes has been dealt ‘another big injury blow’ as news comes out of the club.

The Lowdown: Injuries pile up…

Defensive mainstay Angelo Ogbonna, who was a fixture in Moyes’ starting XIbefore his ACL injury, has already been sidelined for the foreseeable future, with worries then mounting over Kurt Zouma and Ben Johnson.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-updates/” title=”West Ham latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The latter pair limped off during West Ham’s epic 3-2 victory over Chelsea at the London Stadium last weekend as Moyes and the club’s fans were made to sweat over the players’ conditions.

This is amid their top-heavy run of fixtures as they attempt to maintain a fight on all fronts, currently still competing in the Carabao Cup and Europa League and continuing to battle for a Champions League finish in the Premier League top four.

News has now come out of West Ham on Zouma’s condition in what has been described as ‘another big injury blow’.

The Latest: Moyes dealt worrying news…

As relayed by The Guardian reporter Jacob Steinburg, West Ham have confirmed that Zouma suffered a hamstring tendon injury in ‘another big injury blow’.

The journalist tweeted:

“Kurt Zouma suffered a hamstring tendon injury against Chelsea. Another big injury blow in defence for West Ham who have already lost Angelo Ogbonna for the rest of the season.

“Increases need for a centre-back to arrive next month.”

The Verdict: Big blow…

Zouma was playing brilliantly under Moyes before his latest setback, dealing a big blow to the 58-year-old and West Ham, who now have just two senior centre-back options at their disposal.

Unsurprisingly, since this news emerged from east London, the club have been linked with signing a central defender urgently, with both Nathan Ake and James Tarkowski mentioned (Evening Standard).

Given the emergency state of affairs, 90min also claimed that Moyes could turn to the Championship in an effort to boost his options, with the likes of Dael Fry, Rob Dickie and Lloyd Kelly already being scouted.

Whether he opts to swoop for lower league or top-flight standard cover, there is little arguing that the need for a centre-half is now imperative for the Irons, especially considering the greater number of matches this season.

In other news: West Ham could already back Moyes with £17.1m bid to sign 6 foot 3 powerhouse in January, find out more here.

Alastair Cook is preparing to stick with the same balance of seven batsmen and four bowlers that carried his side to a comfortable, if somewhat laboured, 181-run victory in the first Test at Chittagong

Andrew Miller in Dhaka18-Mar-2010Alastair Cook is preparing to stick with the same balance of seven batsmen and four bowlers that carried his side to a comfortable, if somewhat laboured, 181-run victory in the first Test at Chittagong, as he aims to hand the England captaincy back to Andrew Strauss with a 100% record from his first tour in charge.On the eve of the second Test at Dhaka, England are still weighing up their options and have not ruled out the introduction of a second spinner in James Tredwell to partner their ten-wicket Man of the Match from Chittagong, Graeme Swann.But in the absence of a genuine allrounder – and Luke Wright has been virtually eliminated from their considerations – the likelihood of calling upon a five-man attack seems slim, especially now that England have a 1-0 lead in the series, and therefore no need to gamble with their selection.”Historically four bowlers tend to do very well,” said Cook. “In an ideal world you’d love to find that fifth bowler who can bat to find the perfect balance, and obviously that’s what great allrounders like Jacques Kallis bring to the side, but they are few and far between. There’s always a chance this pitch might suit a different attack or it might spin more, so you have to go with whatever side you think will win the game.”England’s preparations received a boost when their senior fast bowler, Stuart Broad, reported fit after missing Thursday’s practice with a stomach complaint. Assuming he is fully recovered, the only realistic change to the line-up that played at Chittagong would be the introduction of Tredwell at the expense of one of the other two seamers, most probably Steven Finn. However, given the positive impression he made on debut, an unchanged XI is the likelier scenario.”We’ll sit down after a look at the wicket and pick a team to win the game,” said Cook. “If we think that two seamers and two spinners is the best way to go, then we will do that, even though it is very un-English. We are used to playing in English conditions where it’s very unlikely you’d ever to go out with fewer than three seamers. But these are the selection decisions that do come up in the subcontinent, and if we want to do expand our game on turning wickets, we’re going to have to get used to it.”Broad’s most notable moment in a somewhat lacklustre performance at Chittagong was his failure to address the umpire while appealing for an lbw decision against Abdur Razzak, and with Swann also attracting opprobrium for his four-lettered send-off to Bangladesh’s centurion, Junaid Siddique, England’s behaviour will be under scrutiny at Dhaka. Cook, however, was unconcerned. “A lot has been made of those two incidents but the umpires haven’t reported it, and the match referee hasn’t reported it,” he said.”They were probably very close to the mark and Swanny has apologised, but we want to play hard, aggressive cricket and our disciplinary record over the last couple of years has been exceptional,” he added. “You want to play close to the edge but if you do go over, you have to hold your hands up.”However, a mean streak will doubtless be essential during England’s next overseas Test assignment, which just happens to be the small matter of an Ashes tour in roughly nine months’ time, and Cook admitted that some of the team’s thoughts and plans were already beginning to be projected towards Brisbane, the scene of that eagerly awaited first Test – especially after the manner in which the team capitulated against South Africa at Johannesburg in January.”This is our last Test match away before we go to Australia and that has been noted,” he said. “We discussed the issue this week about what it means to play for England and wanting to win, and how big it is to win 2-0. We’ve got jobs to do and responsibilities, and it’s all part of our development as a side because in South Africa we didn’t really do ourselves justice in that last Test match.From Cook’s own point of view, he is ready to relinquish his stand-in role having become a more rounded and mature player, thanks to his opportunity to take charge of the team in Strauss’s absence. “I’ve got an understanding of what Straussy goes through and what you need from the people around you,” he said. “When I go back into the ranks I’ll a lot more confident in my thoughts and hopefully help Straussy a lot more.”The balance of his leadership and my role will hopefully improve. You definitely need an air of confidence from that right-hand man. During the field I’ll go and chat to Colly [Paul Collingwood] and his ideas are good, trustworthy ideas. You gain trust as a leader and hopefully I can give more help to Straussy, not just on the pitch but off the pitch as well.”England (probable) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Michael Carberry, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Paul Collingwood, 6 Ian Bell, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Graeme Swann, 11 Steven Finn.

West Ham United manager David Moyes will recall Pablo Fornals for Sunday’s Premier League trip to Burnley, The Evening Standard’s Jack Rosser has predicted. 

The lowdown

The Irons travel to Turf Moor looking to re-establish the three-point gap between themselves and Manchester United in the race for the top four. They beat title-chasing Chelsea 3-2 last time out, but did lose Kurt Zouma and Ben Johnson to injury.

Fornals had started every single Premier League game prior to that London derby, and Sky Sports co-commentator Tony Gale has declared him a ‘workaholic’ with ‘phenomenal’ fitness levels.

The latest

Rosser’s predicted line-up features two changes from the one which beat Chelsea.

Arthur Masuaku, scorer of the winning goal against the Blues, replaces Johnson at left wing-back in the 3-4-2-1 system.

With Declan Rice shifted into the back three, Manuel Lanzini drops into a deeper midfield berth. That leaves one of the two slots behind Michail Antonio vacant for Fornals to occupy.

The verdict

It would be no surprise to see Fornals earn a recall. According to WhoScored, he has been the Hammers’ fourth-best performer this season with an average rating of 6.98/10.

Only Antonio has bettered his record of four goals and 1.5 key passes per 90 minutes, while the £67.3k-per-week attacking midfielder contributes defensively too by averaging 1.6 tackles per game, which puts him fifth in the Irons’ ranks.

It will be interesting to see how he performs in Rosser’s mooted 3-4-2-1 system, though, given that all his previous starts this term have come in a 4-2-3-1.

In other news, West Ham are willing to fork out £17m to land this target

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Newcastle United are ‘planning’ on signing a right-back as well as one or two central defenders, including Sven Botman.

The Lowdown: Defensive reinforcements needed

The St. James’ Park faithful have conceded no fewer than 41 goals in the Premier League so far this season, by far the most in the league.

Their 18 goals scored is actually respectable compared to some of the other sides battling relegation, and so it is clear where the problem lies for Eddie Howe.

With the financial backing of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium, it would not be a surprise to see the North East club try to recruit some new defenders in the January transfer window, but it is the quality of those players that will be questioned given the relegation fight that they find themselves in.

The Latest: January plans

As per Italian football journalist and transfer expert Romano, the Tyneside outfit are now ‘planning’ to sign one or two centre-backs next month, with Sven Botman ‘top of the list’.

They are also ‘looking’ for a right-back, which is a ‘work in progress’ as they look to strengthen their backline.

The Verdict: Needed

Practically a whole new backline is needed in order to give the Magpies the best chance of staying up, given heir poor defensive record this term.

Botman would certainly be an improvement, given that the 21-year-old ranks highly against the Toon’s other centre-half options in terms of average tackles (one) and clearances (4.6) per game in their respective domestic leagues this campaign, and also averages the most passes (60.2) at the highest accuracy (85.6%) (WhoScored), suggesting that he is more comfortable with the ball at his feet and playing out from the back.

Changes need to be made in order to save NUFC’s season, with Jamie Carragher recently telling Sky Sports (via NUFC360) they need ‘at least’ three more defenders in January, so Romano’s update is surely music to fans’ ears.

In other news, find out which ‘exceptional’ talent Newcastle have attempted to sign here!

For two days at Chittagong it was a walk in the park for England, but over the next three it turned into a hard slog

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan19-Mar-2010Match factsSaturday March 20, 2010
Start time 9.30am (03.30GMT)Shafiul Islam has been recalled by Bangladesh for the second Test•Getty ImagesBig PictureFor two days in Chittagong it was a walk in the park for England, but over the next three it turned into a hard slog. Eventually they overpowered Bangladesh, as everyone imagined they would, but the team returned to Dhaka with some weary bodies and tired minds. With only three days to recover between matches (they may have had more with a bit more adventure) it will be a test of Andy Flower’s claims that this is the fittest England side ever.Bangladesh can take great heart from the way their performance improved during the match. It is clear they are forming the backbone of a decent batting unit with the flamboyant skills of Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah alongside the adhesiveness of Mushfiqur Rahim and Junaid Siddique. Shakib Al Hasan, their captain and leading player, had a poor game with the bat in the first Test and is due a score.Their challenge again has to be to take the match five days – victory, surely, remains beyond them with a weak bowling attack – and ensure England climb aboard their flight home knowing they have been through two hard-fought Tests.There is a feeling within the England team – although they are reluctant to say it – that they are pretty much on a hiding to nothing on this tour. A full hand of victories is all that was expected; any defeats would have been major embarrassments. Alastair Cook gave a forthright defence of his tactics after the first Test, but there was a sense of reactiveness rather than proactivity in his captaincy.These, though, are early days for his leadership and he will be immensely satisfied to leave with his record intact. That may need another five days of hard work.Form guide (last five completed matches)Bangladesh LLLLW
England WLDWDWatch out for…Steven Finn has come a long way in a short time. A couple of weeks ago he was back in London preparing for a pre-season boot camp with Middlesex and now he has leapfrogged Liam Plunkett and Ajmal Shahzad into the Test team. His first appearance confirmed his promise as he troubled the Bangladesh batsmen on a slow, flat pitch. A return of two wickets didn’t do him justice, but he’ll have learnt valuable lessons about bowling on docile surfaces. The indications are he will get another chance in Dhaka to further advance his claims ahead of the home season.Ever since he made his debut at Lord’s aged 16, Mushfiqur Rahim looked to have the skills to withstand Test cricket. His double effort at Chittagong – 79 followed by 95 – suggests he has come of age at the highest level as he twice left the England attack with little idea of how to remove him. It took a great catch in the first and an ill-judged charge in the second to bring his downfall. Given some of the frailties elsewhere in the order Rahim is suited to a position higher up, but for now at least he seems set to stay at No. 7. For the good of Bangladesh it might benefit them in the long term if he gives up the wicketkeeping gloves and slots in at No. 4.Team newsBangladesh have confirmed two changes, with pace bowler Shafiul Islam replacing the disappointing Shahadat Hossain, while Jahurul Islam will make his debut in the middle order in place of Aftab Ahmed. The onus will be on Bangladesh’s spinners to have more of an impact than they managed in the first Test.Bangladesh 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Junaid Siddique, 4 Jahurul Islam, 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 7 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 8 Naeem Islam, 9 Abdur Razzak, 10 Shafiul Islam, 11 Rubel HossainEngland are likely to stick with an unchanged team, which means no spin support for Graeme Swann after his 10-wicket haul in Chittagong. Cook has virtually guaranteed that the seven batsmen will remain, so if a change is made then it will be Finn who would make way now that Stuart Broad has recovered from illness.England (probable) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Michael Carberry, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Paul Collingwood, 6 Ian Bell, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Tim Bresnan, 10 Graeme Swann, 11 Steven FinnPitch and conditionsJamie Siddons, the Bangladesh coach, said he expected a little more life in this surface but it is likely to remain heavily in favour of the batsmen. A touch more bounce would please everyone – except, perhaps, the home side’s batsmen – and the spinners will be hoping for more help from the footmarks. Temperature wise it will be hot again, with the mercury hitting the high 30s on most days.Stats and Trivia Bangladesh’s second innings at Chittagong was their fourth-longest at 124 overs.Junaid Siddique became the fourth Bangladesh batsman to score their maiden Test hundred this year following on from Mushfiqur Rahim against India and Mahmudullah and Shakib Al Hasan against New Zealand.Siddique’s 106 was also Bangladesh’s fifth-longest Test innings in terms of balls faced.Quotes”We bowled, I think, nine maidens in 145 overs [138.3]. It’s ridiculous, and it’s not good enough. Test cricket should be a game where you have to work a lot harder for your runs, but we couldn’t bowl one side of the wicket, and when we wanted to bowl at the wickets we couldn’t do that either.”
“They were probably very close to the mark and Swanny has apologised, but we want to play hard, aggressive cricket and our disciplinary record over the last couple of years has been exceptional.”
Alastair Cook wants his team to maintain an aggressive approach.