East to leave Essex

David East, Essex’s chief executive, is to leave the county for a new role in the UAE. East, who was Essex’s wicketkeeper during the 1980s and made more than 350 appearances for the county, has been appointed as chief executive of Abu Dhabi Cricket Club and Emirates Cricket Board.After ending his playing career, East returned to Essex as commercial manager before being made chief executive in 2000. He will remain with the club until the end of the year and help oversee the process of recruiting a successor.”David leaves the role after 12 years in the position and everyone associated with the club would like to wish him the best of luck in the United Arab Emirates,” Nigel Hilliard, Essex’s chairman, said.

West Ham: Fans enjoyed club’s throwback to crucial 2007 win over Bolton

A lot of West Ham fans enjoyed footage posted by the club on Twitter showing a tremendous victory at Upton Park back in May 2007.

The game, played 13 years ago yesterday, saw the Irons beat Bolton 3-1, with two goals coming from Argentinian striker Carlos Tevez, whilst the other came from club legend Mark Noble, as per BBC. Tevez was a great signing for the East London side in the one season he was at the club (2006/07), scoring seven goals and picking up four assists, as per Transfermarkt.

In that campaign, the Irons narrowly avoided the drop as they finished 15th in the Premier League, but were only three points away from Sheffield United in 18th, as per Sportsmole.

Tevez’s goals throughout the season and the win against Bolton proved vital to the club staying in the division that year and the footage gave the West Ham faithful fond memories of an eventful season in England’s top flight.

Here is what some Hammers fans had to say following the club’s tweet:

West Ham fans, was Tevez one of the best strikers to play for the club? Comment below with your views!

Peshawar achieve lowest total before suffering third consecutive defeat in One-day tournament (Associations)

Peshawar suffered their third consecutive defeat in the One-day tournament (Associations), losing by 8-wickets to Karachi Whites after posting the lowest total so far in the tournament.Batting first after winning the toss, Peshawar were skittered out inside 40 overs, as 9 of their batsmen failed to achieve double figures. This is the worst batting performance by any team in a tournament, which hitherto had seen some very daring deeds with the bat.Ironically, their were only two ducks in this sorry looking batting line up, the first being Mian Adnan run out by Adnan Malik and the second Mohammad Asif, the last man, lbw by the same player.Adnan Malik bowled superbly for the home side, giving away just 18 runs in 7.5 overs and grabbing three wickets. However, the main damage was inflicted by Imran Javed. The pace man bowled tidily for his ten overs, taking 4 for 22.For Peshawar, skipper Sajjad Ahmed top scored with 42 off 94 balls and opener Javed Iqbal made 11 of 24. Apart from these two, no other batsman could take his personal score past double figures.Karachi opened their innings with skipper Shadab Kabir and the former Pakistan captain Moin Khan. These two added 64 in about 7 overs, before getting out on the same score. Moin Khan batted aggressively for his 47 (29 balls, 7 fours, 2 sixes), whereas Shadab got 14 off 13.Zafar Jadoon and Saeed Bin Nasir took just around 6 more overs to knock of the required 101 runs. Zafar remained not out on 21 (24 balls, 4 fours) and Saeed made an unbeaten 16 (10 balls, 3 fours).After this loss and with only two more Pool matches to be played, Peshawar’s chances of reaching the semi-finals have almost faded out. Karachi Whites, on the other hand, are well on their way to the knock out stage, after winning two out of their three encounters.

Aston Villa: James Chester discusses expiring contract at Villa Park

Aston Villa defender James Chester, currently on loan at Stoke, has provided an update on his expiring contract at his parent club.

The 31-year-old fell out of favour with Dean Smith following the club’s promotion to the Premier League and made just two appearances before agreeing a loan move to the Championship side in the January transfer window. Having impressed upon his arrival at the bet365 stadium, Chester instantly became a starter, featuring in all but one of Stoke’s league games before the postponement in fixtures in March.

With Villa boss Smith seemingly happy with his defensive options, Chester is unlikely to see his contract renewed, meaning that he would be available on a free transfer this summer. Stoke boss Michael O’Neill has suggested that the Potters could make a permanent move for the centre-back, although that will depend on Villa’s decision whether or not to offer new terms.

Writing in his latest column for The Athletic, Chester has now provided an update on his current situation.

“My current contract at Aston Villa expires this summer and it is something I have thought of slightly but as we’re waiting on so many decisions, I haven’t really asked too many questions. I don’t think people at clubs will have any kind of answer for me.

“I’ll put my mind to it when I have all the information in front of me. Maybe in the next few weeks.”

You would have to feel that this is the ideal summer for Chester to leave Villa and look to find first team football elsewhere.

Stoke could provide that option for the defender but, with the Potters enduring a poor season, the former Hull City man should perhaps look for a more promising destination if he is to sever his ties with Aston Villa permanently.

Aston Villa fans, would you be alright with Chester leaving for Stoke permanently or do you feel he could play at a higher level? Let us know in the comments section below…

Swansea fans are furious with Leroy Fer speculation

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Swansea City are currently in talks with Lille over Leroy Fer, as covered by Sky Sports and BBC Sport.

Fer, 29, has been impressive for Swansea this season, having stayed with the club following their relegation from the Premier League last term.

The midfielder’s contract will expire at the end of this season, however, and the above sources have claimed that Lille could sign him before the end of the week.

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

There is absolutely no question that his exit at this stage would be a blow.

And the Swansea fans have been on social media urging their club to keep hold of the Netherlands international.

Indeed, Swansea are only six points off the playoff positions in the Championship.

If the Welsh outfit are to challenge for the top six this term then surely they need to keep hold of their captain beyond the end of the January window.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Swansea fans can be seen below:

West Brom fans lavish praise on Holgate display vs Aston Villa

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Loads of West Brom fans have been reacting to their win over Aston Villa, and they’re absolutely stunned by the performance of loan signing Mason Holgate.

West Brom were forced to go to Villa Park without star man Dwight Gayle due to his two-match ban for diving, but the Baggies were able to pick up an excellent result without the Newcastle loanee.

Hal Robson-Kanu gave Darren Moore’s side the lead just before half time, and Jay Rodriguez’s deflected strike doubled the score minutes later.

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

The second half was a tiresome and scrappy affair, but Moore’s side were more than good value for their 2-0 win, and fans are particularly impressed by Holgate.

The Everton loanee joined in January until the end of the season, and has now racked up two assists in six Championship appearances after setting up Robson-Kanu’s opener with a delightful cross.

At 22 years of age, his versatility, technical skill and athleticism are all extremely impressive, and he has certainly endeared himself to the Hawthorns faithful after Saturday’s dominant display down the right flank.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

ترتيب الدوري المصري بعد خسارة الزمالك أمام أسوان

خسر الزمالك من أسوان بهدفٍ نظيف في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما اليوم ضمن منافسات الجولة 29 من بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ونجح حرس الحدود في الفوز على إنبي بنتيجة 3-2 في مباراة قوية جمعت بين الفريقين اليوم. ترتيب الدوري المصري بعد خسارة الزمالك أمام أسوان

1- الأهلي 72 نقطة.

2- الزمالك 55 نقطة.

3- بيراميدز 48 نقطة.

4- المقاولون العرب 48 نقطة.

5- الاتحاد السكندري 37 نقطة.

6- سموحة 36 نقطة.

7- مصر للمقاصة 36 نقطة.

8- إنبي 35 نقطة.

9- أسوان 34 نقطة.

10- الإسماعيلي 31 نقطة.

11- طلائع الجيش 30 نقطة.

12- الانتاج الحربي 30 نقطة.

13- المصري 29 نقطة.

14- حرس الحدود 29 نقطة.

15- الجونة 28 نقطة.

16-وادي دجلة 27 نقطة.

17- إف سي مصر 19 نقطة.

18- طنطا 17 نقطة.

لمتابعة ترتيب الدوري المصري محدث باستمرار اضغط هنا

 

Nathan Redmond reveals that Ralph Hasenhuttl has told him to stop standing still

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In-form Southampton attacker Nathan Redmond has opened up to The Daily Echo on his one-to-one meeting with manager Ralph Hasenhuttl during the squad’s training camp in Tenerife earlier this month, saying that the Austrian told him to stop ‘standing still’.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the 51-year-old boss had a discussion with and provided feedback on every player in the squad that was present for the trip to the Canary Island, which included Redmond.

The 24-year-old has been in scintillating form since Hasenhuttl was appointed as Mark Hughes’ successor back in December, scoring six goals and providing a further two assists in all competitions.

However, despite being arguably the south coast outfit’s best player in the last couple of months, the former Norwich City man revealed to The Daily Echo that he wasn’t exempt from having things to work on and improve.

Redmond said: “In terms of the negatives, he told me to not stand still as much. He noticed at the start when he first came in that I stood still and that I was waiting for things to happen.

“He said I was still standing still a little bit, but not as much as before.

“There are a lot of things like decision making and stuff, but at the end of the day if I want to keep developing and performing in this team, then I have to take it on board.”

Is Hasenhuttl right?

He probably is, yes.

While Redmond has clearly stepped it up in terms of being a big threat in the final third for Southampton in recent times, there are still obviously more ways in which he can affect matches for his side.

Hasenhuttl clearly wants the one-cap England international to be more aware and on his toes, providing that movement to help his teammates out when they are looking for forward passes.

It is the sort of contructive criticism that can make the 24-year-old an even better player than the one he is showing he is right now, and that can only benefit Saints in their battle against relegation.

Tottenham fans rocked by another injury blow

[ad_pod ]Tottenham Hotspur have been rocked by news of yet another injury blow.Ben Davies limped out of the club’s Carabao Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea on Thursday, and the club have confirmed that he will now miss this weekend’s FA Cup tie against Crystal Palace.Moussa Sissoko, who made his comeback from a groin injury against the Blues, sustained a knee injury in that game, and may also be unavailable, with further assessments to take place this weekend.Spurs are already without striker Harry Kane and midfielder Dele Alli, while Son Heung-Min is still with South Korea on international duty. However, his side lost to Qatar on Friday and have been eliminated from the Asian Cup, meaning he will soon be available for selection.CheekySport’s Joel claims Spurs badly need to invest in January after not having “the balls” to beat Arsenal. Check out his uncensored opinion in the video below…The news of Davies and Sissoko’s injuries will come as a major disappointment to manager Mauricio Pochettino, who is already working with the bare bones of a thin squad.He may well be able to deploy Victor Wanyama against the Eagles after his return to fitness, but that may prove scant consolation, particularly given Sissoko’s excellent displays thus far this season.And Spurs fans have called on the club to finally dip into the transfer market to reinforce the squad, having seen the side fail to add a new player for the last two windows.

Losing Ryan Kent in summer could be a big loss for Steven Gerrard’s Rangers

Steven Gerrard’s Rangers have played some stunning attacking football this season and a youngster to have helped that is young Ryan Kent.

The loanee from Liverpool has become a fan-favourite at Glasgow, with his electric demeanour producing brilliant moments throughout the season.

Kent’s been a nightmare for defenders in the Scottish Premiership, lighting up The Light Blues’ left wing. Not only is Kent a pacy winger, but his close-control and dribbling ability are also unprecedented. The 22-year-old has turned out to be a Steven Gerrard favourite, as the gaffer’s given him the opportunities and freedom to express himself.

Kent has scored 5 goals and assisted 4 so far for the Light Blues, forming excellent chemistry with his team-mates. He’s shown impressive ability to wheeze past his opponents on the left flank, often bamboozling defenders with his cunning trickery.

A confident man going forward, Kent also possesses the ability to make inwards into the box and going all the way to score amazing goals. The youngster’s dribbling prowess was on show against Celtic when he provided a delightful assist for Ryan Jack’s winner.

The left-winger’s heroics against Celtic, whom he terrorized with his pace and trickery, proved how crucial he is to their fast-paced attacking style. However, Jurgen Klopp’s also licking his lips watching Kent’s growth and probably can’t wait to have him back. Indeed, Gary McAllister hinted (via the Scottish Sun) there’s little chance of keeping him at Ibrox, making it all a bittersweet for Rangers fans right now.

Clearly a level above most other players north of the border, it’ll be very hard to replace him in the summer, especially in their price range. Still, if he can help the Gers win a title, who really cares?

What will be Liverpool’s gain is a huge loss to Rangers, who are growing more reliant on Kent’s influence to play their best football.

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