All posts by h716a5.icu

Southampton’s hopes of signing Arnaut Danjuma this summer have seemingly been handed a boost after Bournemouth failed to win promotion back to the top-flight with defeat in the play-off semi-final against Brentford recently.

The Dutch winger was linked with a move to St Mary’s earlier this year, with The Sun claiming that both Southampton and West Ham were keen on bringing the former Club Brugge man to the Premier League.

However, it had seemed as if he could help the Cherries secure an immediate return to the top-flight following their relegation last season, as they finished the season in fine form and earned a spot in the playoffs.

They met Brentford and earned a 1-0 win in the home leg thanks to Danjuma’s goal before he added another in the return leg to put Jonathan Woodgate’s side 2-0 up on aggregate.

However, the Bees would fight back and would progress to the final after a 3-1 win, consigning Bournemouth to another season in the second tier.

Given that Danjuma managed an impressive 17 goals and seven assists in 35 Championship appearances this season, it would be a surprise if he doesn’t earn himself a move away, and Southampton could be the ones to take advantage of the Cherries’ failure to win promotion.

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Goals from out wide has been a real problem for Ralph Hasenhuttl this season, with Nathan Redmond, Moussa Djenepo, Theo Walcott and Stuart Armstrong managing just 10 Premier League goals between them, so signing a winger with an eye for goal like Danjuma could be a superb addition ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

Woodgate was full of praise for Danjuma earlier this year after his impressive form helped fire Bournemouth up the table, saying:

“I know last season that he didn’t really get a run in the Premier League and he maybe found it a bit difficult to get game time, but this season he’s been outstanding. I can only talk of what he’s done under my reign, but at the minute, he’s playing some exceptional football, and what else he is doing is working for the team.”

A player of Danjuma’s quality deserves to be playing in the Premier League and given that Southampton hold a geographical advantage in any potential discussions, you would hope that Saints CEO Martin Semmens can convince him to make the switch to St Mary’s this summer.

And, in other news… Semmens should overrule crazy Hasenhuttl decision and swoop for £8.1m-rated beast

The Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka has organized the BCCSL Invitation Quadrangular Tournament 2002, to be held from the 19th of April to the 2nd of May 2002, which will feature four teams playing on a round-robin basis, namely a Sri Lanka

BCCSL09-Apr-2002The Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka has organized the BCCSL Invitation Quadrangular Tournament 2002, to be held from the 19th of April to the 2nd of May 2002, which will feature four teams playing on a round-robin basis, namely a Sri Lanka Schools XI, The BCCSL Development Squad, a Club XI, and Sri Lanka `A’.This tournament is intended to allow promising young players, particularly those who performed well in this year’s Premier Division 1 Tournament and Inter-Schools Tournament, an opportunity to demonstrate their talents against competitive teams, in the presence of the National and Junior Selectors.The matches will be played over three days, with 90 overs per day. The itinerary is as follows:19, 20, 21 April – Sri Lanka Schools XI vs. BCCSL Development Squad at Moors
19, 20, 21 April – Club XI vs. Sri Lanka `A’ at SSC
24, 25, 27 April – Sri Lanka Schools XI vs. Sri Lanka `A’ at NCC (no play on 26th which is a poya day)
24, 25, 27 April – Club XI vs. BCCSL Development Squad at Bloomfield (no play on 26th which is a poya day)
30th April, 1st, 2nd May – BCCSL Development Squad vs. Sri Lanka `A’ at SSC
30th April, 1st, 2nd May – Club XI vs. Sri Lanka Schools XI at NCC

The following players have been selected for the Club XI. These players are requested to contact National Coach Champaka Ramanayake on telephone 077-342210 or 681601-4.Club XI
1. Sajith Fernando (Captain) – Colts
2. Nuwan Shiroman – Tamil Union
3. Dilruwan Perera – Panadura
4. Nimesh Perera – Sebastianites
5. Indika de Saram – Tamil Union
6. Upul Fernando (Wicketkeeper)- Ragama SC
7. Sanjeewa Silva – Sebastianites
8. P Jayasundara – Chilaw Marians
9. R Dissanayake – Air Force
10. N Rupasinghe – CCC
11. Hashanth Fernando – Sebastianites
12. Nandika Ranjith Moors
13. Lakshitha Gamage Air Force
14. Lahiru Fernando Sebastianites
15. S Arangalla Ragama SC
16. T. Paranavithana SSC

The Sri Lanka `A’ and BCCSL Development Squad teams will be selected from the following players. These players are requested to contact National Coach Hemantha Devapriya on telephone 077-418842 or 681601-4.
Sri Lanka `A’ and BCCSL Development Squad1. Avishka Gunawardene SSC
2. Ian Daniel Bloomfield
3. P Hewage NCC
4. S Kalavitigoda Colts
5. Bhathiya Perera Moors
6. Michael Vandort CCC
7. T M Dilshan Bloomfield
8. Chamara Silva Panadura
9. A Pollonowita CCC
10. C Jayasinghe BRC
11. J Mubarak CCC
12. M Gajanayake Tamil Union
13. T Kandambi Bloomfield
14. Malintha Perera SSC
15. Rally Tissera NCC
16. U Chandana Tamil Union
17. R Herath Moors
18. M Pushpakumara Colts
19. D Hettiarachchi Colts
20. Amila Perera Panadura
21. S Weerakoon BRC
22. C Mudalige CCC
23. K Lokuarachchi Bloomfield
24. D Liyanage Colts
25. E Upashantha Colts
26. P Gunaratne Anthonians
27. I Amerasinghe NCC
28. A Ganegama NCC
29. I Gallage BRC
30. K Weeraratne Colts
31. D Lokkuhettige Galle
32. G Wijekoon Tamil Union
(BCCSL media release)

According to a report by Football Insider, West Ham United, and by extension GSB, are lining up a bid to sign West Bromwich Albion ace Sam Johnstone this summer – and it is believed he is ‘very keen’ to join the club.

The Lowdown: Johnstone and West Ham…

Links to the England shot stopper are nothing new with David Moyes’ men keeping tabs on his exploits for quite a while now.

Indeed, previous reports even claimed that West Ham are above other competitors in the race for his signature as the Irons search for an eventual heir to current mainstay Lukasz Fabianski.

The Latest: GSB lining up bid…

It is now claimed by Football Insider that GSB and West Ham United are lining up a bid to sign the player this summer and he is a firm target for the club.

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As well as this, Johnstone has apparently told friends he is ‘very keen’ on a move to east London and has privately made it clear he wants an instant return to the Premier League.

He was relegated with current club West Brom last season but reports claim the Baggies will still demand a lofty price tag.

The Sun stated recently that they have slapped a £20m price tag on Johnstone despite their Championship status.

The Verdict: Do it West Ham…

Even though his mooted fee could be lofty given these uncertain financial times, the price tag could yet be negotiated depending on developments and the notion of West Ham lining up a bid is exciting.

Johnstone was arguably one of the shining lights for WBA last season, starting 37 Premier League matches and only missing one match all campaign (WhoScored).

He kept six clean sheets in that time and even bagged an assist during West Brom’s surprising 5-2 victory at Stamford Bridge (Transfermarkt) – with pundit Kevin Phillips lauding him as their ‘outstanding player’ of the campaign (West Brom News).

At 28-years-old with plenty of years ahead between the sticks, he could be a brilliant option for the Hammers this summer.

In other news: West Ham fans horrified by club announcement, find out more here.

The chances of Sri Lanka’s spin wizard, Muttiah Muralitharan, being fit for the second Test against England at Edgbaston appear to be diminishing by the day

CricInfo24-May-2002The chances of Sri Lanka’s spin wizard, Muttiah Muralitharan, being fit for the second Test against England at Edgbaston appear to be diminishing by the day.Although Murali turned his right arm on the outfield at Cardiff, where SriLanka are playingtheir tour match against Glamorgan, his action is still restricted by the injury to his left shoulder.Team manager Chandra Schaafter does not expect Muralitharan to be ready forEdgbaston, but still hopes he might be fit for the third Test at Old Trafford.”It seems very unlikely he will play in the second Test and we are only hoping he can play in the third,” he said.”There is nothing yet to indicate he will and nothing to indicate he won’t. It is just a matter of how quickly he gets back into shape.”Sri Lanka are also awaiting video evidence from the ICC of the suspect bowling action of their left-arm paceman Ruchira Perera, who was reported by the umpires after the drawn first Test at Lord’s.Perera, 25, is not playing in the current match. “We are waiting for the video tapes to arrive,” Schaafter said.”I have been promised them tomorrow or the day after by the ICC and after weget them we will start to work on what we see.”This problem never came up before. He has played seven Test matches and there has never been a hint of anything like this. It came as a big surprise toeveryone.”

Sri Lanka coach Dav Whatmore is confident that his players can bounce back and surprise England at Old Trafford if they are honest to themselves and accept the mistakes made at Edgbaston.

Sa'adi Thawfeeq11-Jun-2002Sri Lanka coach Dav Whatmore is confident that his players can bounce back and surprise England at Old Trafford if they are honest to themselves and accept the mistakes made at Edgbaston.”We had a good review of the Edgbaston Test the other day at Chesterfield for about two hours and we admitted to our shortcomings,” Whatmore revealed, speaking after net practice at Old Trafford.He added: "Honesty is part of the game. If you accept your mistakes, you canmove on. We have the opportunity to put it right at Old Trafford.”Trailing England 1-0, he seeks solace in the side’s recent form. “Our recordover the last nine months suggests that we are a better team than them.”My personal belief is, that when you look at the big picture, it will tell you that we had nine wins, one draw with one loss. That loss was the result of one bad session of play, between lunch and tea on the first day.”"You can’t win a Test match in a session, but you can go a long way towardslosing it, and that was the sad tale of the second Test," he reasoned. “Itbecomes a different game when you make 162 on a wicket which looks more like a 250 track.””The performance with the ball wasn’t that good either, but it’s asking too much on the bowlers to defend that kind of total. We need to put that one bad session out of our minds and reassure ourselves that we are playing good cricket,” he said.Old Trafford is, of course, familiar to Whatmore, as it is for off-spinnerMuttiah Muralitharan who played two seasons here (1999 and 2000) with Lancashire. Whatmore coached Lancashire from 1997-99 before returning to SriLanka.He hopes the local knowledge will come in handy. “This wicket I think will be a bit kinder to us, and with our knowledge and experience we can take a little bit of confidence into this Test."”The pitch is dry and starting to crack,” Whatmore added, meaning Muralitharan has an important role to play. “It’s very hard, not that much of grass and it will be really tough on medium-pacers to bowl on. Murali did well here for Lancashire because he is able to bowl tightly, get the ball to turn and get a little bit of bounce.”So Whatmore’s fingers are tightly crossed: “It’s a pitch where you win the tossand bat first.”Sri Lanka are likely to make just one change to the team that lost at Birmingham. Fast bowler Dilhara Fernando has recovered from a debilitatingback injury and after 18 overs against the MCC at Chesterfield he is now setto replace Buddika Fernando.

Sheffield United transfer target Jack Hendry has completed his move to KV Oostende.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Record, who claim that the centre-back is no longer a Celtic player after Oostende activated their £1.75m option to purchase the 26-year-old following his loan spell at the Belgian club last season.

It has been reported that Sheffield United, as well as a host of Premier League and Championship clubs, had been closely monitoring the defender ahead of a potential move in the upcoming transfer window, with Oostende thought to be more than willing to part with the Scotland international for a fee of around £10m, having agreed to sell him on to the highest bidder.

Jokanovic will be delighted

With Oostende’s permanent signing of Hendry being the first step in his potential move to Bramall Lane this summer, that they have tied up their deal for the £3.15m-rated Scotland international so efficiently is sure to leave Slavisa Jokanovic delighted.

Considering just how impressive the £8,000-per-week centre-back was in Belgium last season, the amount of interest in acquiring his services this summer is hardly surprising.

Indeed, over his 30 Jupiler Pro League appearances last term, Hendry helped his side keep six clean sheets, in addition to averaging 0.6 interceptions, one tackle, 4.1 clearances and winning 4.8 duels per game.

The 26-year-old also impressed in an attacking capacity, scoring two goals and providing one assist, with these metrics seeing the centre-back earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.01 – ranking him as Oostende’s third-best performer in the Belgian top flight.

As such, the addition of the former Wigan Athletic defender to Jokanovic’s backline ahead of the Blades’ upcoming Championship campaign would certainly not appear to do their chances of securing an immediate return to the Premier League any harm whatsoever.

However, with a significant amount of competition for the man Brendan Rodgers dubbed a “fabulous” player, it would be highly advisable for the 52-year-old Blades boss to try and tie up a deal for Hendry sooner rather than later.

In other news: Sheff Utd transfer update emerges on “versatile” £3k-p/w gem, Jokanovic will be gutted

According to Sky Sports, Serie A giants Napoli ‘could start moving’ for Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Moussa Sissoko ‘in the coming days’ – with the Frenchman now a firm target.

The Lowdown: Mass Spurs exodus?

Spurs will need to offload players before they can start to seriously move for signings this summer.

Due to the pandemic, which has severely impacted finances at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, it is reliably reported that Spurs are planning to bolster their transfer kitty by means of selling (Alasdair Gold).

The likes of Serge Aurier, Erik Lamela, Harry Winks, Dele Alli and even Lucas Moura have been mentioned as possible candidates for the Lilywhites chopping block (football.london).

Sissoko is also a likely sale, with Sky now sharing this latest development.

The Latest: Sissoko attracting interest…

As explained by Sky, Napoli are now seriously eyeing the 31-year-old and could even ‘start moving’ for the player.

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The outlet says they could swoop in the ‘coming days’, with club chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis now targeting Sissoko alongside Benfica ace Nuno Tavares and Fortuna Sittard maestro Zian Flemming.

Indeed, Sissoko could also be an ‘important reinforcement’ for Napoli this summer.

The Verdict: Get rid…

Operating under severe financial constraints, Spurs need to take advantage and sell surplus-to-requirements players wherever possible.

Napoli’s fresh interest represents a golden opportunity to offload a player who arguably doesn’t hold that much market value – especially having entered his 30s.

Sissoko has been a good servant for Spurs, making 202 appearances for the club since signing from Newcastle in 2016, but we believe his time is up in north London and this is a move that the club should be happy to facilitate.

In other news: Spurs now want to sign this ‘excellent’ ace who Shearer called ‘fearless’ – find out more here.

On a day which was forecast to be thwarted by weather, Hampshire will be satisfied with their work on the first day of the Frizzell County Championship match against second-placed Leicestershire.

Vic Isaacs10-Jul-2002On a day which was forecast to be thwarted by weather, Hampshire will be satisfied with their work on the first day of the Frizzell County Championship match against second-placed Leicestershire.Only five overs were lost shortly after Hampshire were bowled out for a commendable 311, taking the match to close of play.It looked unlikely Hampshire would reach that stage when they lost half the side with just 113 on the board, despite Giles White and Will Kendall posting a half-century opening stand – 52 being the highest of the season.But Kendall survived two dropped catches, the first before he had scored and the second when on four, both occasions edging to second slip and Darren Maddy’s failed hands.It was a slow start as Phil DeFreitas bowled with his vast experience on show, but without success as the medium-pace of Maddy accounted for White leg before. Kendall followed shortly after to Matt Whiley, who endured an otherwise poor day with the ball, throwing down no fewer than 17 no-balls.Spinner Carl Crowe received two easy dismissals after lunch when Robin Smith loosely cut to DeFreitas and Neil Johnson was stumped. John Francis, in his first game for Hampshire this season, edged to Michael Bevan to reduce the visitors to 113-5.However, John Crawley was standing tall at the other end and with Nic Pothas rebuilt the innings as both reached half-centuries before the former shouldered arms and was bowled for the second time in the space of a week.Pothas received valuable support from Dimitri Mascarenhas (22) and Shaun Udal (23). The South African-Greek hit 11 fours in a solid 63 (95 balls).Chris Tremlett, alongside Udal furthered the Hampshire score with a 58-run stand for the ninth wicket, taking it past an unlikely 300 mark, given their early troubles.Maddy accounted for Tremlett (28) and as the players left the field, the rain that began to threaten came, ensuring Leicestershire did not begin their innings.But 311 on this wicket, which is not of the highest standard, could be enough to put Hampshire in view of only their second Championship victory of the season.

Leicestershire fell short by 55 runs in their bid for victory in the Second X1 Championship clash with Essex at Oakham School

Leicestershire CCC26-Jul-2002Leicestershire fell short by 55 runs in their bid for victory in the Second X1 Championship clash with Essex at Oakham School.Set a target of 304 they were bowled out for 249 after Tom New and Damien Brandy had put them in with a chance with a century stand.But in the end the extra experience of an Essex side which included Mark Illott proved decisive, and Leicestershire were unable to achieve what would have been a memorable win.Coach Lloyd Tennant was more than satisfied with the effort however, and said that despite defeat there were a lot of plusses to come out of the match.Tennant said:”New batted really well to make 89,Brandy scored another 48 to follow up his half-century in the first innings, and Stephen Adshead returned to form as well with a fine 50.”When you consider that the oldest batter in our side was Ashley Wright at 21, then it was a good effort to go as close as we did.We have gone down the path of playing youngsters this season, and we knew it would be tough for them in many of the games.”But there are real signs of improvement,and the good thing is that we are now starting to compete and give the opposition a run for their money.”

Crystal Palace have interviewed Swansea City manager Steve Cooper and are split on whether to offer him the Selhurst Park job.

And, as to be expected, a number of Palace fans have been giving their thoughts on the off-field development on social media.

According to Football Insider, who were informed by a source, the Eagles board were impressed with the 41-year-old.

However, the report adds that the Palace hierarchy are 50/50 on whether to hand the Welshman the job. Some believe he is the perfect man to take over from Roy Hodgson, however, others want a boss with Premier League experience.

Cooper has been at the Liberty Stadium since 2019 and has taken charge of over 100 games as Swansea boss, leading them to the Championship playoff final last year.

Palace fans react

@CPFCtransfersHQ shared the news on Cooper on Wednesday evening. This is what these Eagles supporters had to say in reply, with a number of fans against a deal for the Swansea boss.

“Please no anyone but him”Credit: @erictwigs”NO PLEASE NO”Credit: @Thomas01568186″Why are we going for him for why?”Credit: @cpfcjj89″Ygxchjjfdmjjcxsawhkm CXXKKZSSZ JUST DO SOMETHING PALACE”Credit: @TheEagleDC”Hopefully we never get linked with wasteman like this ever again now the penny’s dropped parish has realised there’s far better out there like Favre.”Credit: @JA9baller”Will get a Brentford season ticket if this happens”Credit: @Char_uk1

In other news: 63-year-old another Palace target, fans react, find out more here.