Category Uncategorized

Shane Watson says all of the Australian bowlers should be blamed for the side’s lack of penetration on the fourth day as England stormed back into the opening Test.

Peter English at the Gabba28-Nov-2010

Shane Watson says all of the Australian bowlers should be blamed for the side’s lack of penetration on the fourth day as England stormed back into the opening Test. The locals started with a 202-run lead but by stumps were 88 behind after the visiting top three took advantage of an inconsistent attack to post 1 for 309.Mitchell Johnson struggled with his line and Ben Hilfenhaus was unthreatening for long periods, while Peter Siddle could not build on his impressive six-wicket return in the first innings. “I don’t think you can single out Mitchell today,” Watson said. “All of us, the bowlers, didn’t perform particularly well, me included.”Andrew Strauss (110) and Alastair Cook (132 not out) were regularly given balls to cut, pull and drive, and the wayward approach also allowed them constant singles. Jonathan Trott joined the fun after Strauss was out stumped to Marcus North, the only wicket to fall on an extremely difficult day for the hosts.”It came down to sustaining pressure and unfortunately we weren’t able to do that,” Watson said. “We did it for little periods but weren’t able to execute for long enough. The English guys batted well, particularly Strauss and Cook, but all of us as a bowling group weren’t able to consistently execute to build the pressure that was needed.”The problem has been a feature of Australia’s attack since the last Ashes series and is highlighted on flat pitches when the bowlers can’t make things happen. “That’s something we are continuing to work on as a group,” Watson said. “We know how important it is on flat wickets and there’s no doubt that there’s going to be a lot of flat wickets throughout this whole summer. We have to continue to improve, to make sure we get better at it.”This surface was supportive to the fast men for the first two days but has flattened out. There are a few cracks to aim for but England’s position is so strong that they may be in a position to push for victory over the second half of the final day. That depends on lifting their scoring rate in the morning, something Watson hopes they try to achieve.”It would be nice if they did,” he said. “It might give us a few more opportunities to be able to take some wickets.”Although England were reluctant to think too far ahead in the game, Australia’s former captain Ian Chappell said that a positive approach in the final stages of the game could have a major bearing on the momentum of the series, much as was the case when England snatched a draw from the jaws of defeat at Cardiff in 2009.”A draw has got to be the favourite, but England should at some point just start to push a little bit, and try to frighten Australia,” Chappell told ESPNcricinfo. “I don’t for a moment think they will bowl them out – if they do you’ll be talking about this one in the same terms as Headingley 1981, or India’s victory over Australia in Calcutta. But even if England can push Australia into a bit of a corner and get five of them out and put the frighteners on them, then they would go to Adelaide with a huge psychological boost.”Despite the swift momentum shift, Watson said Australia were still in the game. “But we do have to turn it around very quickly,” he said. “We still need to get nine wickets and that seems a long way away at the moment. But there’s definitely still quite a bit of hope for us.”

تتواصل اليوم الجمعة 25-11-2022، منافسات بطولة كأس العالم قطر 2022، بإقامة 4 مباريات خلال مواجهات الجولة الثانية للمونديال.

وانطلقت بطولة كأس العالم يوم الأحد 20 نوفمبر، وشهدت العديد من المباريات القوية والنتائج المفاجأة خاصة للعرب، حيث حقق منتخب السعودية انتصاراً تاريخياً علي الأرجنيتن بهدفين لهدف، كما فازت اليابان علي ألمانيا بطل العالم 2014 بنفس النتيجة.

وتونس والمغرب تعادلا سلبياً مع الدنمارك وكرواتيا، وذلك في أبرز مواجهات الجولة الأولى من كأس العالم.

طالع | مدرب قطر: سنعدل طريقة لعبنا أمام السنغال.. ونحاول تجاوز مباراة الافتتاح

وتنطلق اليوم، الجولة الثانية من منافسات المونديال، حيث تلتقي قطر مع السنغال، ويسعى المنتخبان لتحقيق الفوز الأول لهما بعد الخسارة في الجولة الأولى من الإكوادور وهولندا على الترتيب.

وفي المجموعة الثانية، يلعب منتخب إنجلترا مع إمريكا، وإيران ضد ويلز.

مواعيد مباريات اليوم الجمعة والقنوات الناقلة: مباريات كأس العالم 2022 اليوم:

ويلز × إيران:

تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 12 ظهراً بتوقيت القاهرة، 1 بتوقيت السعودية، وتنقل على قنوات 1 beIN Sports Max وbeIN 4K HDR وAlkass EXTRA One HD وAlkass EXTRA TWO HD

قطر × السنغال:

تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 3 بتوقيت القاهرة، 4 بتوقيت السعودية، وتذاع عبر قنوات 2 beIN Sports Max  وbeIN 4K HDR وAlkass EXTRA One HD وAlkass EXTRA TWO HD وبالإضافة إلى قناة بي إن سبورت المفتوحة على النايل سات.

هولندا × الإكوادور:

تنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة 6 بتوقيت القاهرة، 7 بتوقيت السعودية، وتنقل على قنوات 1 beIN Sports Max و beIN 4K HDR وAlkass EXTRA One HD وAlkass EXTRA TWO HD

إنجلترا × إمريكا:

تبدأ أحداث المباراة في تمام الساعة 9 بتوقيت القاهرة، 10 بتوقيت السعودية، وتنقل علي قنوات 1 beIN Sports Max و2 beIN Sports Max وbeIN 4K HDR وAlkass EXTRA One HD وAlkass EXTRA TWO HD

يمكنك مطالعة ترددات قنوات مفتوحة ناقلة لـ كأس العالم 2022 من هنا.

يمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنا.

According to Football League World ‘sources’ out of Tottenham Hotspur, a promising transfer update has now come out of N17 involving West Bromwich Albion keeper Sam Johnstone.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye new goalkeeping addition?

Lilywhites manager Antonio Conte has transformed the club on-field since his appointment, propelling Tottenham into top-four contention and reigniting faith in supporters.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-newest-updates/” title=”Tottenham newest updates…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Winning six out of their last seven Premier League matches, the disastrous tenure of ex-boss Nuno Espirito Santo seems like a distant memory, with sights now firmly set on how Spurs could improve further in the summer market.

Loanee and Atalanta goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini looks set return to his parent club with Tottenham now having to take to the transfer window in search of a Hugo Lloris understudy.

The Latest: Tottenham confident of sealing Johnstone deal…

According to FLW, ‘sources’ have explained that Spurs are confident of sealing a move for out-of-contract ace Johnstone.

Indeed, according to the report, Tottenham are convinced the 29-year-old will choose to join them this summer as they believe they’ve entered pole position.

The Verdict: Promising update…

As explained previously by pundit and former Premier League shot stopper Paddy Kenny, Johnstone would be a ‘top signing’ for Spurs and a ‘big loss’ for West Brom (Football Insider).

He’s already earned himself caps for England with Sam Allardyce having waxed lyrical over his performances in the top flight last campaign.

Bypassing any fee and snapping him up on a Bosman would kill so many birds with one stone – the biggest ones being their homegrown quota and lack of depth behind Lloris.

Indeed, this move really does seem like a no-brainer.

In other news: Tottenham officials sent to club as Paratici eyes ‘imperious’ ex-Man City man for Conte! Find out more here.

Manchester United were unable to take all three points from their clash with Leicester City, drawing 1-1 with Brendan Rodgers’ side at Old Trafford on Saturday evening.

Despite the game ending in stalemate, it was full of controversial decisions throughout. Scott McTominay’s challenge on James Maddison prompted shouts for a red card, while a goal for Maddison was disallowed late in the second half after VAR picked up a foul on Raphael Varane during the build-up which prompted the referee to overturn the Foxes’ glimmer of hope for taking all three points.

United controlled possession throughout the evening with 54% possession of the ball, but after Leicester went 1-0 up in the 63rd minute when Kelechi Iheanacho found the back of the net, only one man could salvage something from the match for the Red Devils.

It wasn’t Bruno Fernandes, who had a generally good game yesterday off the back of his new four-year contract during the week. Instead, one of his midfield team-mates came up with a redemptive display.

We don’t talk about Bruno

Brazilian midfielder Fred has been imposing himself in a more advanced role since Ralf Rangnick arrived at the club, and his progression under the German coach has not gone unnoticed.

The 29-year-old has scored two goals and contributed four assists in 16 games since the interim manager arrived in November, with his latest strike rescuing a point against Leicester. Notably, his pre-Rangnick record was four goals in 137 United appearances.

Fred made a very quick response, imposing himself on the Foxes’ defence just three minutes after the away side took the lead at Old Trafford and netting the equaliser in the 66th minute to allow United to take something from the game.

According to SofaScore, the midfielder – who Owen Hargreaves once claimed “Sir Alex would have dropped” – not only scored the equalising goal but had a team-high 87 touches of the ball, made two key passes, two tackles and two interceptions. He was also successful in four out of his five dribbles during the game, proving that he was effective in both offensive and defensive play in the middle of the park.

United are currently three points adrift of Arsenal, who currently hold fourth spot in the Premier League table, and the Gunners could go six points clear of Rangnick’s side if they win on Monday night with another game in hand too. Following the Red Devils’ draw this weekend, they may have now squandered their chances of qualifying for the Champions League next season, but it would have been even worse had the much-maligned Fred not come up with the goods to at least salvage something from Saturday.

In other news – Forget Pogba: MUFC’s “great talent” lost the ball every three touches as he endured a howler on Saturday

West Bromwich Albion’s star striker this season, Karlan Grant, registered fewer touches than goalkeeper Sam Johnstone in an extremely poor display against Birmingham City.

Grant, who is the top scorer for the Baggies this season was nowhere to be seen as his side lost 1-0 to their local rivals who pick up their first win in four.

The 24-year-old made the move to The Hawthorns for £15m from Huddersfield when West Brom were in the Premier League, but it appears his celling is at this level.

He was substituted in the 68th minute of the game at St Andrew’s and was replaced by Andy Carroll who offered something different but still couldn’t find the back of the net.

To make matters worse for Grant, as well as the rest of his team, he failed to register a shot on target throughout the game.

When it comes to passing he made only three, with only Carroll who came on for him, the one West Brom player to make fewer or less.

Grant’s accuracy rate was also one of the worst on the whole pitch at a dismal 43%.

These stats come as more of a shock for the £7.2m rated forward who has registered at least one shot on target in each of his last four starts -registering 3+ in two of those games.

Throughout the season his ‘unlikely’ partnership with Callum Robinson has been working for the Baggies who have been making a late push for the play offs.

However, defeat now leaves them five points off sixth place, and with tough fixtures still to come it’s looking unlikely they’ll make it.

Manager Steve Bruce will be disappointed with the team’s performance at St Andrew’s against his former side, and the question is will he try something different in their next game or will he stick with Grant?

Carroll had the best chance of the game and is now back from injury, so if he can stay fit perhaps Bruce will look to him further.

This may only be a one-off, but West Brom will be hoping that Grant can get his form back on track if they are to see their slim play-off chances come true.

IN other news: Sold at £13m, now worth £49.5m: WBA will have nightmares over 6ft4 “beast of a man”…

Waqar Younis has hailed the selection of Pakistan-born batsman Usman Khawaja to the Australian Test squad

Cricinfo staff22-Jun-2010

Waqar Younis, the Pakistan coach, has hailed the selection of Islamabad-born batsman Usman Khawaja to the Australian Test squad, calling him a role model for immigrants. Khawaja could make his debut against the country of his birth when Australia play Pakistan in a two-Test series in England in July.”Now Khawaja has broken into the Australian team, I am sure if he performs well it will encourage other Pakistanis living and playing in Australia, because the system there is good for players,” Waqar told from Colombo.Waqar, who lives in Sydney, said he had watched Khawaja play and was impressed with his talent. “He plays like the Australians do and it is great to see someone from Pakistan breaking into world’s best team,” he said. “He is an impressive talent and is in the Australian squad only because he has done well at the domestic level.” Khawaja, who plays for New South Wales, scored three centuries and 698 runs at 63.45 in seven games last summer.Waqar, however, warned Khawaja not to expect any preferential treatment from the Pakistan squad should he be in the XI in the two-Test series. “I hope he doesn’t score much against us and my bowlers come hard at him.”Pakistan last played Australia in Australia in 2009 and lost all three Tests, five one-day games and a Twenty20 match. Waqar, who took over as coach after that disastrous tour, said facing Australia again would not be easy. “This is not going to be an easy series. As long as we remain positive, play to our potential and show mental strength we can surprise Australia. If at the back of your mind, you think you are playing Australia, which is a great side, you must also have a belief that you can play well and show mental strength. This is an area we are working on.”The first Test starts at Lord’s on July 13 and the second at Leeds on July 21. Pakistan also play four Tests, two Twenty20s and five one-day matches against England on the tour which ends on September 22.

Manchester United have not been as active as expected during this transfer window so far, although they have been linked with a number of players over the last few months as Ralf Rangnick’s side have struggled to chase down a top four spot so far this season.

What’s the word?

Journalist Alex Crook has given his insight to the speculation surrounding United potentially signing Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria during this month’s transfer window.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, he revealed: “I think if they did that, it’d be to keep him out of the clutches of the likes of Liverpool. I think certainly there’s been talks between United and his representatives.

“No fee agreed yet, and there would be a minimal fee, I think it’d be less than £10 million to sign him this month.”

It was reported by SPORT1 this week that United had made contact with the midfielder and commenced talks, but there doesn’t appear to be any official moves made by the club as of yet.

Fans will be buzzing

Signing a defensive midfielder has been a priority at Old Trafford for a long time, and numerous fans have continuously identified this issue in poor performances over the last 18 months.

Nothing has materialised in the way of filling the position with a high-quality upgrade, but if the club can bring Zakaria to Manchester, it would likely leave many Red Devils supporters buzzing.

The 25-year-old is composed on the ball, his 90.1% passing success rate this season bettered only by Jesse Lingard at United. He is also adept at breaking up play, making 1.2 interceptions per game – a higher average than any of Rangnick’s current midfielders.

He is not afraid to break forward, either, averaging 1.2 shots per match this term. Remarkably, that is a slightly better return than United forward Marcus Rashford (1.1).

The Red Devils remain in a decent position to change the direction of their campaign, still competing in the Champions League and FA Cup, as well as being in contention to finish inside the top four with almost half of the Premier League season still to go and only six points off West Ham, who currently occupy fourth spot.

Adding a player like Zakaria, who has won the majority of his aerial duels this season, into an oft-cited weakness of the team would surely help United to progress in the tournaments in which they are still competing, as well as the challenge of securing a top four spot in the Premier League.

In other news: Rangnick reveals quadruple selection boost ahead of Aston Villa clash

The Professional Cricketers’ Association is investigating claims that players were left to take the decision to go ahead with Saturday’s IPL match

Cricinfo staff19-Apr-2010The Professional Cricketers’ Association is investigating claims that players were left to take the decision to go ahead with Saturday’s IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians following two low-intensity bomb blasts outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.The quoted Ian Smith, the PCA’s legal adviser, as saying the PCA were looking for more details about what led to Saturday’s match going ahead, and were looking at a claim from a non-Indian player that the decision was left to the players themselves.”The immediate worry for us, and I have heard this direct from one of the players, is that after the initial explosion and a sweep of the stadium, the decision that the game should go ahead was taken by the players,” Smith said. “From what I have been told, the Indian guys said very quickly that they felt unfazed. But the foreign guys then felt under pressure to agree with their colleagues. The idea that you can determine whether conditions are safe by a referendum of the players is outrageous.”They were out in the middle warming up when the bomb went off. We don’t know who provided them with the information on which they made their decision.”JP Duminy, who plays for Mumbai, told that Bangalore “were upset with the situation”. “We were told to go back into the change rooms [after the blasts], and the security tried to keep everything low-key,” he said. “They said everything was fine and that the game will go ahead. Bangalore were upset with the situation and had to be convinced to play the game. My team was always going to play.”Smith said he hadn’t been able to speak to any of the six English players – Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan, Owais Shah, Michael Lumb, Kevin Pietersen and Ravi Bopara – involved in the IPL, but had been in email communication and advised them wait for a full report from the ICC’s security experts Nicholls Steyn Associates and Reg Dickason, security adviser to the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations.The semi-finals of the IPL have now been moved out of Bangalore and will be played at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai instead. While pleased with the shift, the PCA said it wasn’t happy about the relocation being announced before the players had left Bangalore.”Players I have spoken to today are experiencing quite a few problems and some are currently caught up in traffic trying to reach the airport, which isn’t ideal,” Angus Porter, the PCA chief executive, told Cricinfo. “We are pleased that the semi-finals have been moved to Mumbai, but making it public before the players have left Bangalore has left us a little uneasy. We will be very glad when they reach Mumbai.When asked if the events of the last 48 hours went against pre-tournament agreements, Porter said, “The security plans have varied with how they have been implemented and we are concerned with how some aspects have been delivered.”But what I do want to add is that this isn’t a time to hit the panic button about the 2011 World Cup. Security around international teams is generally easier to deliver, rather than when individual players are out there representing sides such as at the IPL.”

Should a Manchester United fan rock up at the Borussia Dortmund training ground and sing Mariah Carey’s hit festive track, ‘All I want for Christmas is You’, there’s only man they’d be singing it in the direction of; Erling Haaland.

The Norwegian’s exit from Dortmund has been teased for several months now and with Ralf Rangnick at the helm, a figure he knows well from his days at Red Bull Salzburg, United’s dreams of signing him could become a reality.

Indeed, it’s thought that the club’s interim boss has even had conversations with Haaland’s father about a potential transfer to Old Trafford in 2022.

The Red Devils may have Cristiano Ronaldo in their ranks, but perhaps the finest present this winter could be Dortmund’s star striker.

He is a colossal figure in the game and is so perfect at every aspect of the game that he feels like he was made in a laboratory.

Haaland has remarkable pace and upper body strength, can head the ball and leap like a salmon, while his finishing ability is simply devastating.

It’s no surprise, therefore, that he was dubbed a “goal-scoring cyborg” by reporter Alex Truica.

Further acclaim has come from one of United’s nemesis down the years in Thierry Henry who described the 21-year-old as “lethal.”

That’s an easy word to label the £135m-rated forward who has found the net with ridiculous regularity in recent years.

Since signing for the Bundesliga club, he has scored 76 times in just 75 outings, with 19 of those strikes coming this term.

On that evidence, staking a case for him improving the United side is an easy one to make.

Nurtured at Salzburg, he already knows the pressing philosophy and thus, he could be absolutely perfect for Rangnick this January as he aims to put his stamp on the Manchester club’s playing style.

For instance, Haaland has recorded 35 successful pressures of the ball in 2021/22, a tally that betters every attacking player at Old Trafford. In terms of forwards in their squad, Mason Greenwood (31) and Jadon Sancho (30) are the best.

With that in mind, not only would the Norway international bring a bigger goal threat to the northwest but he’d also help Rangnick implement his gegenpress.

Therefore, signing him this winter would be the perfect late Christmas present for United supporters around the globe.

AND in other news, Rangnick must seal Man Utd swoop for £81m-rated “weapon” with the “essence of Cruyff”…

Celtic ‘are looking’ to loan out Osaze Urhoghide during the January transfer window, according to Joe Crann for The Scotsman. 

The lowdown: Urhoghide limited

Urhoghide was the first signing of the Ange Postecoglou era at Celtic, penning a four-year deal after his contract at Sheffield Wednesday expired (via Sky Sports).

However, he was limited to a solitary appearance prior to the winter break, and that came in a Europa League dead-rubber against Real Betis.

The right-back produced an all-action performance against the La Liga outfit, winning five tackles, prevailing in nine out of 15 duels, completing two dribbles and creating a chance (via SofaScore).

The latest: Celtic plan loan move

‘(I) understand that the club have turned down approaches to sign Osaze Urhoghide on a permanent basis,’ Crann said on Twitter.

However, the Hoops do intend to let him leave Parkhead on a temporary basis.

There’s interest in the 21-year-old from ‘clubs in the SPFL and English Championship’.

The verdict: Great decision

Opportunities have been hard to come by for Urhoghide, but he very much looks to remain part of Celtic’s long-term plans.

And no wonder, based on a ‘fantastic debut’ against Betis that Football Scotland’s Euan Robertson rated eight out of 10.

If he can impress on loan further down the SPFL or in the English second tier, he’ll return to Lennoxtown for pre-season with his prospects of a greater squad role significantly boosted.

Listing him for loan is a smart move from the Hoops, and a permanent deal should absolutely be out of the question given how little we’ve seen of his abilities so far.

In other news, Gabby Agbonlahor is in awe of this transfer business.