Tag Futebol

Australia’s selectors were made to look foolish again when Shaun Marsh hit 110 against England two days after being left out of the World Cup squad

Andrew McGlashan in Hobart22-Jan-2011Australia’s selectors have had a difficult summer and they were made to look foolish again when Shaun Marsh hit 110 against England two days after being left out of the World Cup squad. He may yet make the trip because Michael Hussey, the man he has replaced for this series, remains a major doubt due to his hamstring injury.Marsh made a strong case that he should have been there by right, but his hopes of making the 15-man World Cup party weren’t helped with the selectors able to select Tim Paine as a reserve keeper-batsman. Given Australia’s batting woes this season, it’s difficult to think why Marsh isn’t playing a part across all formats. Mickey Arthur, his coach at Western Australia, rates him as talented as any batsman he has coached, although a first-class average 37.97, lower than his ODI mark, doesn’t do him any favoursBut even though his route to the subcontinent next month rests on the fortunes of others he isn’t dwelling on being overlooked. “I’m never one to worry about selections,” he said after Australia’s 46-run win in Hobart. “I was disappointed not to get picked, but I see these games as an opportunity to improve my game at international level. It’s given me a lot of confidence. I’m sure the guys who go over will do a great job.”England were due to face Marsh when they played Australia A, also at Hobart, in November but he pulled out due to injury. Andrew Strauss said they would need to come up with some new ideas. “He had a nice mix of getting ones and hitting boundaries,” he said. “He’s a player in good form and we’ll have to look at how we could have done things differently.”By trade Marsh is opener, like his father Geoff, but his immediate chances for Australia appear to be in the middle order and he showed his adaptability in Hobart when he came in at No. 6 with the score 4 for 33. He added 100 with Cameron White then an unexpected 88 with Doug Bollinger for the ninth wicket to give Australia a defendable total.”It was just a great opportunity for me,” he said. “Huss going down was very unfortunate but it gave me my chance. It didn’t matter where I batted for Australia, I just wanted to play. It’s obviously different to opening but I knew once I got myself in, and started feeling good, I could play some shots. It was a lot of fun out there especially with Dougie at the end. We got our team to a competitive total and defended it well.”Marsh had plenty of praise for his unlikely tail-end partner. Bollinger had only batted four times in his previous 27 ODIs with a top score of three, but unfurled two cover drives during his run-a-ball 30. “Dougie was loving it out there,” Marsh said. “It was a lot of fun. I was trying to tell him to rotate the strike and keep the ball on the ground. He played some wonderful shots, it was fantastic the way he went about it. Without him we probably wouldn’t have got to 200.”Although Marsh is unlikely to break the opening combination of Shane Watson and Brad Haddin, Michael Clarke made it fairly clear that he wants to make use of Marsh’s impressive form by using him higher up the order. “Shaun will definitely be playing in the next three games,” Clarke said. “It’s unlikely he’ll be batting at No.6 as well, especially when he’s hitting the ball as sweet as he is. He’s in wonderful nick at the moment. He’s certainly going to get opportunities if he plays like that.”

West Ham United boss David Moyes could now be set for real backing this summer as a club insider shares some ‘£150 million’ news out of Rush Green.

The Lowdown: Moyes eyeing fresh faces…

Reliable reports indicate that Moyes and the Hammers are eyeing a real summer overhaul amid their chase for Champions League qualification and chase for unprecedented Europa League silverware.

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

The Times claim that West Ham’s boss could want as many as four major signings in the next window, including a possible goalkeeper, left-sided centre-half, central midfield player and, of course, a striker.

His transfer kitty to acquire this many fresh faces will be a crucial determining factor as Moyes aims to build upon another impressive campaign over-all.

Club insider Claret & Hugh, sharing an update on star man Declan Rice’s future, have also dropped news in their piece on just how much Moyes will be allocated to spend.

The Latest: C&H make big-money claim…

The Irons source, making a claim in the last line of their article, say that West Ham and Moyes will be backed with a ‘£150m’ kitty.

They also state that the club are ‘set to spend in the summer’ as this potentially exciting update emerges ahead of what could be a very interesting summer window.

The Verdict: Promising…

The lack of finalised moves in January could be made up for in the summer going by this news.

West Ham are certainly short in a number of positions, namely centre-back amid their current injury crisis, while striker Michail Antonio is still their only recognised option up front.

If the Irons are to maintain their place among the Premier League’s best, they will need sufficient backing, and it will certainly be intriguing to see if GSB do indeed grant Moyes the signings he requires with this big £150m kitty.

In other news: ‘Deal is there to be done’ – West Ham insider makes exciting striker claim as price drops by £20m, find out more here.

Promising Leeds United centre-back Leo Hjelde could miss the rest of the 2021/22 season through injury, according to expert Ben Dinnery.

The Lowdown: Injury setback for Hjelde

The 18-year-old is seen as a hugely exciting youngster at Elland Road, with his former Ross County manager John Hughes describing him as a ‘fantastic’ addition for the Whites upon signing him.

Hjelde has only made three appearances for Leeds this season and unfortunately he has suffered a severe setback, having picked up a leg injury against Everton.

It remains to be seen if the Norwegian will require surgery but the current situation doesn’t look positive.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Expert makes worrying claim over Hjelde injury

Speaking to Football Insider, injury expert Dinnery even hinted that Hjelde’s season could be over, especially if surgery is needed. He outlined:

“We don’t have a definitive diagnosis here, so we’re trying to read between the lines. In terms of the mechanism, it happened quite late in the game. Based on what we’ve seen in the past, it could be related to his meniscus.

“If that’s the case, they will try to manage it conservatively in this three-week period. The other option is surgical intervention, which is a real possibility.

“We’re two-thirds of the way through the season. Once you go under the knife, the expectation is that you can be three or four months out.

“If it is the meniscus, they will try it for that three-week period. If there’s a chance he can play again this season, great. But the reality is that, if you’re going to go under the knife, the focus is going to be getting ready for pre-season.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-35/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Don’t rush him back

It is vital that Leeds handle the teenager with care in his current situation, ensuring that he isn’t rushed back as it could potentially aggravate the problem further down the line.

The Norwegian is not in a situation where he is desperately needed by Marcelo Bielsa at the moment, having been used sparingly by the manager, and the most important thing is ensuring that he recovers fully.

If that means Hjelde doesn’t return until next season, so be it, and he should be viewed as someone who can be a star in the future, rather than an inexperienced head who is thrown into the intense glare of Leeds’ current Premier League relegation battle.

In other news, another candidate has emerged in the race to potentially replace Bielsa. Read more here.

Leeds United transfer target Seko Fofana has refused to rule out the idea of leaving Lens this summer, giving the Whites fresh hope of sealing a move for him.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with Fofana move

The Whites may have had a quiet January transfer window but incomings are expected in the summer, with reinforcements needed particularly in midfield, where Brenden Aaronson is said to be a target again after the failed bids last month.

Another player Leeds have been linked with recently is Fofana, who is enjoying a good season with Lens, scoring seven goals in 24 Ligue 1 appearances.

Other Premier League clubs, namely Burnley and Newcastle, are also keen, and they have all been boosted after new comments from the French-born Ivory Coast international emerged.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Midfield hints at exit

Speaking to Foot Mercato [via Sport Witness], Fofana claimed that ‘nothing is impossible’ regarding a potential Lens exit at the end of the season, with Leeds name-checked with ‘real interest’ in the report:

“To be honest, nothing is impossible. Today, I can very well say yes (stay at Lens) and tomorrow it will be no.

“There are a lot of parameters and we don’t control everything. I am very happy to be here. We try to go as far as possible and I remain focused on this end of the season. I hope we will go as far as possible.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-34/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Strong summer addition

Midfield is an area that clearly needs strengthening this summer, with Kalvin Phillips relied upon far too much and Adam Forshaw suffering huge injury problems over the last few years.

Fofana looks an ideal man to come in and add quality in the middle of the park, with his aforementioned scoring record coupled with a hugely impressive 90.7% pass completion rate in the league this season.

Not only that but he has also averaged 0.7 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per match, which although not earth-shattering numbers, show he is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades who can chip in defensively when needed.

He produced a ‘masterclass’ performance against French giants PSG back in December, with journalist Zach Lowy saying he is a ‘phenom’ who ‘absolutely dominated’ Marco Verratti, Danilo Pereira and Leandro Paredes.

In other news, Phil Hay claims one Leeds player could require surgery. Find out who it is here.

سرد حازم إمام عضو مجلس إدارة اتحاد الكرة، تفاصيل استبعاد ياسر إبراهيم لاعب الأهلي، من معسكر منتخب مصر، مؤكداً أن القرار جاء من جانب روى فيتوريا المدير الفني للفراعنة.

وقال حازم إمام في تصريحات إذاعية عبر آثير “أون سبورت إف إم”: “ياسر إبراهيم لم يعتذر، ولكن ما حدث أن سيد عبد الحفيظ أبلغ إدارة منتخب مصر أن اللاعب يخضع لنظام تدريبي بحمل عال خلال الأيام الماضية”.

وأكمل: “حدث تواصل بين سيد عبد الحفيظ ومحمد غرابة مدير المنتخب وأن اللاعب أنهى مرانه أمس مع الأهلي وكشف له عن النظام التدريبي للاعب ومعاناته من الإرهاق”.

طالع | حازم إمام ردًا على منتقدي فيتوريا: سنلعب الكرة التي يحبها المصريون.. وكلاتنبرج لن يرحل

وأردف: “غرابة تحدث مع فيتوريا مدرب المنتخب وأنه من الصعب مشاركة اللاعب في مران أمس واختلاف الأحمال بين الأهلي والفراعنة وضرورة تخفيف الأحمال التدريبية على اللاعب”.

واختتم: “فيتوريا قرر عدم ضم ياسر إبراهيم بسبب معاناته من الإجهاد، بسبب كثافة التدريبات مع الأهلي والاكتفاء باستدعاء خالد صبحي مدافع الاتحاد السكندري بدلًا منه”.

The Sahara Group will continue as sponsors of the Indian team after they won the contract by bidding Rs. 3.34 crores ($719,000) per match, a marketing committee official has told Cricinfo. The current sponsorship contract ends on June 30 and the new one runs until December 31, 2013. A top Sahara official also confirmed the development. Bharti Airtel, the only other company in the fray, put in a bid for Rs 2.89 crore ($628, 260) per match.”We take pride in sponsoring the Indian national team,” Abhijit Sarkar, corporate affairs head at Sahara, said.Sahara’s winning bid comes as something of a surprise as chairman Subrata Roy had said the company would re-evaluate its sponsorship of the Indian team after it bagged the Pune IPL franchise. According to market sources, Sahara decided to bid again because an analysis of the numbers turned out positive. It paid Rs 407 crores ($88 million) over the last four years, so the new deal requires roughly Rs 85 crores ($18.5 million) more, which doesn’t hurt the group much.Sahara waited until the last minute before entering the bidding because it was worried about the response from its competitors. It feared the price of the deal could rise over Rs 500 crores if its interest was publicly known. The deal is solely to sponsor the Indian men’s team, as the group was not interested in spending an extra Rs 10-15 crore on the other three squads (women’s, India A and Under-19).The BCCI is not bothered by the failure to attract a sponsor for the three other teams, and will not attempt to find one, a board official who is a member of the marketing committee, told Cricinfo. As it stands, these teams don’t play a lot of matches anyway, and when they do, the matches aren’t always televised. Occasionally, the matches even clash with those of the Indian team, robbing them of any value, the official said.The board had set a base price of Rs 2.5 crores ($ 541,000) per match for the three-and-a-half-year period, during which India will play between 144 and 167 matches, depending on how far the team progresses in ICC tournaments. At Rs 3.34 crores a match, the Sahara deal is worth between Rs 481 crores ($104 million) and Rs 558 crores ($121 million). A member of the BCCI marketing committee told Cricinfo that the board is very happy with the new deal, as it represents a 50% increase per match over the previous deal (in actuality, the increase is much higher).Under the terms of the previous deal, Sahara paid Rs 1.91 crores ($ 412,000) per Test, Rs 2.09 crores ($ 455,000) per ODI and Rs 1.57 crores ($ 340,000) per Twenty20. The new price is the same across all three formats, and more than doubles the price of a Twenty20 game, highlighting its appeal and popularity.The board had originally issued a tender late last year with a base price of Rs 3 crores ($ 650,000) per match, but failed to attract a single bid. As a stop gap measure, the Sahara Group agreed to extend its sponsorship of the Indian team for a further six months.The Indian board issued the tender on Monday inviting companies to bid for the rights and the bidding period closed on Saturday.

West Ham must finally go ahead and sign Fiorentina star Nikola Milenkovic amid a recent transfer update…

What’s the story?

The Hammers were linked with a swoop for the Serbia international back in the summer, and now, journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed David Moyes’ side could revisit a move for the centre-back in this month’s January transfer window.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, O’Rourke said: “The one that probably stands out for me is Milenkovic at Fiorentina. They tried to get him in the summer before the deal fell through.

“I think it fell through because of his agents demands, so that could possibly be revisited. He’s definitely been a long-term target for West Ham.”

Huge upgrade on Issa Diop

With Angelo Ogbonna ruled out with an ACL injury, Moyes has had to shuffle his back-line this season in the Premier League, and against Crystal Palace last time out, turned to Issa Diop.

The Frenchman however put in a dismal showing, with Football.London giving him a measly five in their post-match player ratings and even declaring that “his place could come under pressure if the Hammers bring in another defender during the transfer window”.

And if that’s the case, then Milenkovic surely has to be that man.

The Serbian is an absolute powerhouse in the centre of defence, averaging 1.4 tackles and 1.3 interceptions in Serie A last season – both stats in the top five among Fiorentina’s entire squad.

The £20.7m-rated titan has already earned rave reviews for his abilities and potential, being described as someone who is “fearless” and is a “beast”.

Mozzart journalist Dejan Stankovic revealed that the defender could well be the next Nemanja Vidic, saying: “Milenkovic is better than Vidic with the ball at his feet, and he is much calmer on the field. He is the most talented centre-back Serbia have had since Vidic, and they definitely have one thing in common – both are fearless.”

Milenkovic has shown he could also develop into the leader Ogbonna is right now, having captained Fiorentina on a couple of occasions already last season, despite only being 23.

Standing at 6 foot 5, Milenkovic is a towering presence in the Viola’s backline; indeed, his height makes him taller than Diop by an inch.

With Diop looking shaky and unconvincing as a long-term answer, the Fiorentina man could be the perfect upgrade for the Hammers this month.

Meanwhile, West Ham are also interested in another Premier League star…

Many Everton fans have been left raging over yet another transfer update that has emerged on Lucas Digne.

Toffees fans were furious earlier this week when it emerged Chelsea are eyeing a move due to Ben Chilwell’s injury.

Now, as per L’Equipe (via Get French Football News), the Londoners are prioritising a loan deal for the left-back in the January transfer window, and report also states that the Goodison Park faithful currently value him at £25m.

Considering that he is currently standing at £27m according to Transfermarkt, and he has been valued even higher during his time at the Merseyside club, £25m does seem too low of a price to sell Digne, especially if it is to a rival in the Premier League.

Nonetheless, it would be very difficult to find a suitable replacement for the France international midway through the season with that kind of budget, and as he is the only senior left-back in the squad, one should question whether the Toffees should sell him anyway.

Everton fans on Digne transfer news

These Blues supporters were left raging over the transfer claim as it was shared on Twitter:

“25m? Do they want just his right foot??”

Credit: @KingDemarai

“He is worth more than £25m but we have managed the situation so badly we have teams trying to loan him. Terrible work from Benitez and the board”

Credit: @WiseAlaundo

“What a joke of a football club we’ve become”

Credit: @_owen1878

“£25m?!?!?!?!”

Credit: @_luke1878_

“If this goes ahead on any level I will be FUMING!”

Credit: @anna1efc

“How can #everton sell a quality left-back for £25m yet Man U pay £80m for an average CB? If it’s to sell then make it £50m or there abouts.”

Credit: @Lewinyoeverton

In other news, find out what ‘ridiculous’ club update has Evertonians erupting here!

Celtic appear to be edging closer to the completion of a triple swoop in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Hugh Keevins, with the journalist revealing on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard (via Vital Celtic) that all three of Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and Yosuke Ideguchi have each had their work permit applications granted ahead of their expected moves to Celtic next month.

Speaking about the Japanese trio, Keevins said: “It is my understanding that the work permits have been done for three Japanese signings. So there [is] an immediate injection for Ange Postecoglou. Of course, they are then obliged to hit the ground running.

“I think the addition of more people inside the grounds would just help lift everyone. Celtic included. The result in Paisley was a body blow for Celtic. They are six points behind, so when the new signings come in for Ange Postecoglou, he will certainly believe that they have the capacity to overcome the deficit. Well, get games played [to] see if he’s right.”

Fans will be delighted

Considering the sheer number of injuries Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side have suffered so far this season, in addition to the Bhoys’ lack of depth in a number of positions across their first-team squad, the news that the deals for all three of Maeda, Hatate and Ideguchi appear to be nearing completion is sure to have left the Bhoys fan base delighted.

Indeed, with all of David Turnbull, Jota, Albian Ajeti, Giorgos Giakoumakis, James Forrest, Karamoko Dembele, Christopher Jullien, Callum McGregor, Joe Hart, Greg Taylor and Anthony Ralston being unavailable for selection for the Hoops’ 3-1 win over St. Johnstone in their last Premiership outing, as well as Kyogo Furuhashi being withdrawn just 15 minutes into the fixture due to a hamstring injury, Postecoglou’s squad is very much down to its bare bones at present.

As such, it is clear for all to see just how much the addition of three fresh faces before the restart of Scottish football is needed for Celtic, and, following Keevins’ latest update, it would seem very likely that Maeda, Hatate and Ideguchi will all be in contention for a place in Postecoglou’s matchday squad when Hibernian make the trip to Parkhead on January 17.

In other news: Ange can finally axe “stupid” £15k-p/w Celtic flop by sealing “extraordinary” £8m gem

Celtic have been handed a boost in their bid to bring Zinedine Ferhat to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by French media outlet Objectif Gard (via the Daily Record), who reveal a fresh twist to the story, suggesting the Algeria international is actively pushing for a move away from Nimes this January, with the 28-year-old being absent from the Ligue 2 side’s training on Wednesday.

This will come as a huge boost to Celtic and AS Saint-Etienne, both of whom are reported to be interested in a move for the winger – whose current contract at Stade des Costieres is set to expire at the end of the season.

Postecoglou will be buzzing

Considering the sheer amount of ability Ferhat quite clearly possesses, the news that the forward is very much keen to secure a move away from Nimes this January is sure to have left Ange Postecoglou buzzing.

Indeed, over his 33 Ligue 1 appearances last season, the £4.05m-rated winger scored six goals, provided a highly impressive ten assists – the joint second-most in the league alongside Dimitri Payet – and created nine big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.9 shots and making 1.6 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £13k-per-week 28-year-old earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.07, ranking him by far and away as his side’s best performer in the top flight of French football last time out.

And, with Celtic having suffered a number of injuries to their wide attacking options so far this season, it would certainly appear that, should Postecoglou wish to give his side the best possible chance of sealing the Premiership title this season, greater depth is very much needed on the wings.

As such, considering his rather extraordinary returns in Ligue 1 last term, it would indeed seem like a move for Ferhat would be an incredibly wise one for the Bhoys this January, and, following the latest on the winger, it certainly looks as if there is a deal to be done for Celtic.

In other news: “Opened talks”: Joseph drops major transfer update that’ll have Celtic fans buzzing