All posts by h716a5.icu

Many Sunderland fans have been slamming the performance of Elliot Embleton despite their 2-0 win at home to Ipswich Town on Saturday.

The Black Cats had to wait until the 85th minute at the Stadium of Light before Luke O’Nien broke the deadlock, with Aiden McGeady making sure of the points in injury time.

Embleton did not have his best game in a Sunderland shirt, losing out on three of his duels, while he also failed to record a shot on target, accurate cross or long ball from midfield. He lost possession of the ball on 14 occasions as well, the fourth-most out of any of his teammates (SofaScore).

Sunderland fans slam Embleton

These Sunderland supporters slammed Embleton’s performance on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that he ‘makes me miss Chris Maguire’, a winger who left them for Lincoln City after just five goals and five assists in the Championship last season (Transfermarkt), while a couple of others claimed that the 22-year-old was ‘awful’ against Ipswich:

“Watching Gooch and Embleton really makes me miss Chris Maguire.”

Credit: @iain_lane

“Neil tried but Embleton was anonymous and O’Nien can’t play the holding role by himself. Saying that, Evans was poor today. Distribution was woeful. Definitely a smash and grab but you’ll take it.”

Credit: @kingsway79

“Gooch and Embleton were very poor today”

Credit: @76skelly

“I thought Embleton second half especially was awful and could’ve been off 10 minutes earlier. Was typical Gooch too I thought, loads of effort and the ball but so wasteful and frustrating”

Credit: @JHerra18

“Embleton was awful as well”

Credit: @kylesafc_73

“Embleton the myth”

Credit: @JordCook2

In other news, find out which other Sunderland player also felt the flak from some fans at the weekend

Western Australia has kept their dreams of a Champions League Twenty20 berth alive with a comfortable 24-run win over Victoria at the WACA

Alex Malcolm10-Jan-2010
Scorecard
Luke Pomersbach helped Western Australia set up their victory•Getty ImagesWestern Australia have kept their dreams of a Champions League Twenty20 berth alive with a comfortable 24-run win over Victoria at the WACA. In a low-scoring affair on a sluggish pitch, bereft of grass, it was the Warriors’ bowlers who dominated proceedings to stifle the Bushrangers’ pursuit of 153.It was the type of track where scoring would get progressively harder as the ball got softer, and the Bushrangers dug themselves into a huge hole at 2 for 27 after six overs. Firstly Brad Knowles (3 for 20) and then Man-of-the-Match Ashley Noffke (2 for 23) summed up the conditions well using a mixture of pace and slower ball bouncers to foil the Bushrangers artillery in Brad Hodge, Matthew Wade, and David Hussey.Aaron Heal (2 for 20) then continued his superb form, spinning the ball sharply to claim big-hitters Cameron White and Dwayne Bravo with miscues, to leave the Victorian tail with too much to do and too little time to do it.Earlier the Warriors had given the Bushrangers a blueprint of how their innings should’ve been approached. The WA openers Wes Robinson (34) and Shaun Marsh (19) raced to 51 after six overs before Victoria reeled them back through the left-arm orthodox of Jon Holland (2 for 27). Dirk Nannes’ second spell was arguably the best of the day removing the dangerous Luke Ronchi and Luke Pomersbach at a cost of just five runs in two overs to pull the Warriors innings to a grinding halt at 5 for 152.It was a score that seemed below par given the electric start but the Bushrangers proved the formula of ‘runs on the board’ is still a key in any form of limited-overs cricket by mistiming their run chase badly to fall 24 short at the close.The result catapulted the Warriors to second on the table, despite losing their first two matches, while Victoria are in danger of missing the finals for the first time in this competition’s history.

Naeemuddin Aslam and Khurram Khan’s perfectly-timed run chase took UAE to their second win in as many matches as they overcame a strong Netherlands total in the World Twenty20 Qualifier in Dubai to book a place in the Super Fours

Cricinfo staff10-Feb-2010
Scorecard
Qasim Zubair’s five wickets helped UAE progress to the Super Fours•International Cricket CouncilNaeemuddin Aslam and Khurram Khan’s perfectly-timed run chase took UAE to their second win in as many matches as they overcame a strong Netherlands total in the World Twenty20 Qualifier in Dubai to book a place in the Super Fours.Despite their shock defeat of Kenya in the opening fixture, few would have expected UAE to challenge a Dutch side that did so well in the World Twenty20 in England last year. Yet in a fluctuating contest that saw one side surge ahead only for the other to claw their way back, an unbroken 101-run stand between Khan and Aslam was the clinching effort in front of an ecstatic home crowd.Coming together with UAE stumbling at 67 for 4 after almost eight overs, in pursuit of Netherlands’ 164, the pair calmly worked the ball around and picked up the odd boundary to keep the required rate in check.Aslam led the early stages but his calculated attack on Pieter Seelaar’s left-arm spin almost brought his downfall as he heaved a short ball through the outstretched hands of the deep-midwicket fielder. It ended up going for six and Aslam didn’t look back as he marched to an unbeaten 60 from 48 balls. Incredibly, given the character of Twenty20 cricket, his innings contained just four boundaries, as he and his captain ran Netherlands ragged.Khan provided serene support and the pair picked off all the bowlers with even precision. He ended up cracking the winnings runs, which also carried him to fifty in style, smashing Mudassar Bukhari for four over long on.In the end, they made light work of a target that looked imposing after Daan van Bunge clubbed 76 to rescue a Netherlands innings that was tottering on the verge of collapse. Qasim Zubair led the UAE bowling effort with 5 for 24 and his burst in the middle overs reduced Netherlands from 65 for 2 to 66 for 5 before van Bunge took charge.He butchered four sixes and six fours in his 48-ball stay, which alongside an unbeaten 32 from captain Peter Borren lifted the total to 164. Netherlands would have been confident of defending their score but UAE proved too resilient.It sets up an intriguing winner-takes-all clash between Netherlands and Kenya on Thursday, while UAE have sealed their progress into the next round as they chase their first entry into a global tournament since the 1996 World Cup.

An update has emerged on Flamengo gem Gabriel Barbosa, regarding Newcastle United’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to 90min, the Magpies are considering a bid for the Brazilian centre-forward, who is set to be available for a fee in the region of £30m.

The report claims that he is interested in a move to the Premier League, with Arsenal, Aston Villa and West Ham among the other clubs keen on landing him.

Imagine him & Wilson

PIF could land a dream deal for Howe and Newcastle by signing Barbosa as it could help the ex-Bournemouth boss in using his favoured formation.

The 43-year-old likes to deploy a 4-4-2 and that requires two strikers who can function alongside each other as an effective pair. In the Flamengo man, they could find an ideal foil to Wilson – who has 17 league goals since the start of last season – and create a deadly strike pairing that could excite supporters in the second half of the campaign – just imagine that.

His goalscoring record at club level is phenomenal. He has scored 84 goals in 122 games for Flamengo, including 11 goals in 13 Libertadores matches and 12 in 17 in the Serie A this year. This shows that he has the quality to score goals at a consistent rate, whilst he has also been tipped for bigger things.

Former Brazil international Zico once claimed that the attacker has what it takes to become one of the greats. He told O Dia (via TNT Sports):

“I think Gabigol has everything to be the greatest striker in Flamengo’s history. It’s getting there. His performance got better and better, consolidating himself as one of the greats.

“He’s already gone down in history. He is young and can do much more, and hopefully, he can do it. Doing this is always good to give joy to the Rubro-Negro fan and, logically, we always expect this from a guy who has the potential that he has.”

These quotes suggest that there is more to come from Barbosa and, at the age of 25, he could fulfill his potential at St. James’ Park. His goal return for Flamengo is exceptional but it remains to be seen whether or not he can have a similar impact in England, with a move to Newcastle in January potentially a career-defining transfer for him.

He could benefit from playing in a front two with Wilson as he would not be tasked with shouldering the responsibility of leading the line on his own. Therefore, it could be a dream deal for all involved, with Howe getting a player to suit his system, Barbosa offered a Premier League opportunity and Newcastle bolstering their squad.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than Dubravka: NUFC flop who lost 62.5% duels let Howe down badly…

England Lions found Pakistan A’s spinners too much to handle as they fell to an 83-run defeat in the opening one-dayer in Dubai after collapsing for a paltry 96

Cricinfo staff22-Feb-2010
ScorecardEngland Lions found Pakistan A’s spinners too much to handle as they fell to an 83-run defeat in the opening one-dayer in Dubai after collapsing for a paltry 96. The Lions attack had impressed to restrict Pakistan A to 179, but Abdur Rehman and Raza Hasan ran through the top order with six wickets between them.Hasan, a 17-year-old left-arm spinner, made the important breakthrough when he bowled captain Andrew Gale after the Lions had progressed to 40 for 1 against the seamers. Rehman then struck twice in two balls when he removed Michael Carberry and James Taylor to leave the chase floundering on 41 for 4.For 10 overs Ian Bell and Steven Davies steadied the innings with a stand of 30, but the spinners remained a threat. Rehman ended the resistance when he nabbed Davies and Hasan then removed Adil Rashid for a duck to leave the Lions with a huge task in front of them.The lower order also succumbed to spin as Rehman collected his fourth by removing Chris Woakes and Mohammad Hafeez chipped in with a brace. Ian Bell was the only batsman to provide prolonged resistance and was left stranded on 46 when Hasan took his third to wrap up the match.Spin also played a key role when Pakistan A batted with David Wainwright, the Yorkshire left-arm spinner who was given his chance now that James Tredwell has left for Bangladesh with the senior squad, claiming 3 for 26. The Lions picked up wickets at regular intervals with Wainwright taking his first when he removed top-scorer Hafeez for 51.He also accounted for Hammad Azam, who was the star for Pakistan at the recent Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand, and Aamer Sajjad for a useful 39 before the quicks returned to close out the innings. However, the total proved more than enough as Pakistan A set about trying to overturn their Twenty20 series defeat in successful style.

With Leeds United only managing to win three of their 15 Premier League games so far this season, drawing seven and losing five, it seems as though the Yorkshire club could be looking to the upcoming January transfer window to help them strengthen their squad and have a better second half of the season.

What’s the latest?

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, he has claimed that Leeds could be looking to sign a new midfielder to bring to Elland Road and join Marcelo Bielsa’s squad.

In a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT, O’Rourke had this to say on the matter.

He said: “From what I’m hearing, they might bring in a No.6 midfield cover in January, somebody to provide some backup to Kalvin Phillips with Adam Forshaw just returning from injury. So probably a more defensive midfielder or central midfielder rather than an attacking one.”

Fans buzzing

Given how Phillips was forced off the pitch with an injury during Leeds’ recent 2-2 Premier League clash against Brentford and the fact that Leeds only have three other central-midfield options in their squad at the moment, it probably isn’t a bad idea for the Whites to bring another midfielder to Elland Road in January to give Bielsa some depth in that area for the rest of the season.

Should they do so, it would understandably leave the Elland Road faithful buzzing given problems in that area this term.

With only three outfield Leeds players having played more minutes than Phillips in the league so far this season, this shows just how integral to Bielsa’s side and why it would be a big miss if he’s out of action for a significant period of time.

The 26-year-old’s importance to Leeds reaches back to last season where the team lost seven out of the nine league games he missed throughout the campaign.

Thinking back to the previous summer transfer window when Leeds were extensively linked with a move for Huddersfield Town midfielder Lewis O’Brien, it will be interesting to see if they will reignite their interest in him next month or look for another midfield option to help them get through the rest of the season.

Taking into account how Leeds have managed to concede 22 goals in the league so far this season, it would be a smart move if the club brought in a more defence-minded midfielder that could protect their backline and generally make them tougher to play against, which would surely delight a lot of Leeds fans.

In other news: Huge setback: Leeds struck with double injury blow that’ll surely have Bielsa fuming – opinion

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has delivered the latest on Leeds United’s transfer plans for the upcoming January transfer window.

What’s the story?

During a Q&A for the Premier League clash against Manchester City on Tuesday night, a fan raised the possibility of Marcelo Bielsa’s side entering the January market for some new signings.

And in response, Hay said: “The intention is there after the injury to Phillips. But it will depend on budget and available options. You know the drill.”

Victor Orta must act

A combination of injuries and just pure rotten form has meant that the January transfer window has taken more importance than perhaps it has ever done under Bielsa’s tenure at Elland Road.

They sit 16th in the table at the moment and have only won two of their last 11 matches.

Premier League safety, therefore, is absolutely paramount, and strengthening the squad to ensure that Bielsa’s side aren’t hit as hard as they have been by injuries and illness is crucial.

The likes of Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford, among many others, have been and will be out for extended periods of time, and it’s no surprise that people have implored the club to act.

Speaking to Football Insider, Danny Mills said: “Who is next after Phillips? They have to consider that. He’s their star man and that is something they need to think about in the long term. Whether it is right to bring that person in January, there’s some debate over that.

“Is that the most important thing? What sort of players can you really get in January? Players get injured after international duty in November and December. You don’t need a degree in sports science to tell you that. That little bit of fatigue can make the difference.”

News that Leeds do now have the intention to sign players is sure to excite fans, especially when you consider that even just recently, it was being suggested that the Whites wouldn’t be that active in the transfer market.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing this Uruguayan star…

Ireland will begin the defence of their World Cricket League Division 1 title against Kenya when the 10-day tournament begins in Netherlands on July 1

Cricinfo staff22-Mar-2010Ireland will begin the defence of their World Cricket League Division 1 title against Kenya when the 10-day tournament begins in Netherlands on July 1.The hosts start off against Scotland while Afghanistan, who recently qualified for the World Twenty20 in West Indies, open against Canada in the six-team event. For Ireland, Canada, Kenya and Netherlands the competition will allow them to continue planning for the 2011 World Cup after the four teams qualified through the previous WCL Division 1 event, in South Africa, last year.It was at that tournament that Afghanistan narrowly missed out on reach the World Cup when then finished fifth, but made up for that disappointment with their Twenty20 success last month.A total of 18 matches will be played in this year’s tournament which will be staged in a single-league format with the top two sides qualifying for the final and the other four teams squaring-off in the play-off matches on the last day of the tournament.For a full fixture list click here.

Chris Cairns talks to Cricinfo about his decision to take Lalit Modi to court after the IPL supremo implied he had been associated with match-fixing

Martin Williamson24-Mar-2010Former New Zealand allrounder Chris Cairns has told Cricinfo of his “distress” at reported claims by IPL commissioner Lalit Modi that he had been barred from the tournament because of what was alleged on Modi’s Twitter post to be “his past record in match-fixing” and explained why he has decided to take the matter to court.”Modi is … possibly the most powerful man in world cricket today,” Cairns said.” I couldn’t believe what he’d said. My initial reaction of shock turned into outrage. I’m proud of what I have achieved in cricket and I am not going to have Modi or anyone else destroy that.”Cairns is anything but naïve and admits he is aware of murmurings that have been circulating ever since he left the rebel ICL tournament in 2008. “Certain news agencies ran scandalous, rumour-based articles claiming that unsubstantiated allegations of match fixing were the reason for my contract being terminated. These rumours were nothing much more than “pub talk”. But they needed to be nipped in the bud, so my lawyer and I denied them at the time, and not another word was heard on the subject.”There is not any truth in any suggestion I have ever been associated with any type of match-fixing.”Officially, Cairns’ contract was cancelled because of fitness issues and he agrees that he was at fault in that he had “failed to turn up properly fit for their tournament”.”I’d completed a five-week, 1000km walk from Auckland to Christchurch for my charity Foundation in NZ in August and September of 2008, just two weeks prior to our assembly for the ICL tournament. My knees were particularly damaged but it was my left ankle which gave me most trouble and meant my cricketing performance was hampered. While I indicated to ICL at the time of my dismissal that I was unhappy with their decision, I understood and respected that their main priority was to have a reputable competition. Subsequently I went back home in December 2008 and had an operation on my left ankle because I knew I had to get it fixed if I wanted to try and regain my ICL contract.”But with the ICL now moribund, Cairns who has not played since, says he was genuinely excited when Sundar Raman, the chief executive of the IPL, suggested via a third party that he should put his name forward for the 2010 auction”He enquired about my wellbeing and possible interest in putting my name forward for this January’s auction and I was keen to do so. It was the IPL who asked me to play in their competition. Emails between Raman and myself followed and all was put in place in late December for my name to go on the initial list of 97 players available to be chosen for the final auction. I received details about the process from the IPL lawyers at IMG. Modi was copied in on these emails, so he was fully aware of my involvement.”Modi says that it is the IPL who invites players to put their names forward, and it is the IPL who can withdraw the invitation. I agree. My participation in the 2010 IPL is at the league’s discretion and it was their entitlement to choose whom they wish. But for Modi to publicly express such damaging statements without any consultation or verification is incredible. He agrees that being on the IPL shortlist was no guarantee he would be picked, although he says he knows of at least one franchise who were interested. “I could have had one last hoorah on the cricketing fields of India. That hope was extinguished with a sledgehammer.” According to Cairns in the days that followed the MCC withdrew an invitation for him to tour the UAE with them later this month.

I’m all for straight talking but you shouldn’t just fire out hurtful and damaging comments which are picked up around the world without any evidence to support them

Modi’s original twitter post was followed a few days later by quotes in the Australian media affirming his position. “We know what we are doing and at the end of the day he’s not going to be allowed to play and that’s it,” he said. “Let him sue us, then we will produce what we have to in court.”As a result, Cairns instructed his solicitors to take action. “As he won’t reply to my lawyers’ letters, sue is what I am doing. I’m all for straight talking but you shouldn’t just fire out hurtful and damaging comments which are picked up around the world without any evidence to support them.”And what of ESPNcricinfo, who reproduced Modi’s post? “It acted responsibly when it heard of my complaint. It took swift action and removed Modi’s comments from its site. I am grateful that it has acknowledged that it was wrong to have given it the oxygen of publicity.”Cairns accepts taking Modi to court, if it comes to that, will not be cheap or quick. “The legal route is not one I undertake lightly, but I have moved swiftly to pursue action against Modi because that is where he says he will meet me. Despite that, he is not making himself available to be served with the writ.”I was – indeed am – proud of the career I carved out in the game. As I move on to other things I had hoped that I would now be able to walk around the cricket grounds of the world, in the company of the sports fraternity, with a degree of comfort and hopefully respect. I had hoped too that if I was remembered, then it would be for my achievements on the field. Modi has, for now at least, taken that away from me.”Modi declined to comment when approached by Cricinfo.

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has delivered a worrying update on his Hoops side’s injury situation following the disappointing 0-0 draw to St Mirren on Wednesday night.

What’s the story?

The likes of Kyogo Furuhashi and Joe Hart were left out of the side in midweek, and speaking in his post-match press conference, Postecoglou was quick to insist that anyone who did miss out, was because they were either injured or suspended.

He said: “All of them were unavailable, none of them were rested. I don’t know where that came out. I don’t rest players, if they want a rest they can have a rest when they’re 45. Everyone who wasn’t playing tonight was unavailable. Either suspended or injured so that’s the case.”

Then, when asked whether any of them would potentially be back for the Boxing Day clash against St Johnstone, he added: “Not sure. We’ll see, it’s unlikely that anyone will definitely come back into it. There’s a couple who might be close but we’ll see over the next couple of days how they recover.”

Fans surely worried

With Hart and Furuhasi out, and the likes of David Turnbull, Jota, Giorgos Giakoumakis and James Forrest also missing, the Hoops find themselves in a bit of a tricky situation heading into the game against St Johnstone on Sunday.

That match will be the Hoops’ final game in the Scottish Premiership before the winter break, and with the title still very much up for grabs, a slip-up now could prove to be season-defining.

The draw against strugglers St Mirren was a misstep in itself, and anything but a win against bottom side St Johnstone at the weekend would be frankly unforgivable. After all, they are now six points behind their Old Firm rivals and are at risk of a bit of a collapse heading into the New Year period.

Celtic’s injury problems have begun to stack up right at the moment they could have done without it, and fans will surely be worried about the prospect of seeing their depleted team drop some more valuable points this Sunday.

Meanwhile, this Celtic man let Ange down vs St Mirren…