All posts by h716a5.icu

Rangers have had a pretty eventful season this time around after cruising to the SPFL title in their previous campaign.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side currently find themselves in the semi-finals of the Europa League and set to take on Hearts in the Scottish Cup final.

One player that has been a particularly important player for the Gers this season is midfielder Joe Aribo.

With 31 league appearances to his name in this campaign, only Connor Goldson and James Tavernier have played more minutes than Aribo.

Across all competitions, the 25-year-old has now made 50 appearances for his side.

In those appearances, the midfielder has shown with his eight goals and ten assists just how important he is for the team.

Regarding Aribo’s future at Ibrox, not only has he been linked with a range of Premier League clubs during the previous January transfer window, but he will also be entering the final year of his contract in the summer.

With that in mind, it could be worth Van Bronckhorst having a player in mind that could be a potential replacement for the Nigerian should he end up leaving Ibrox in the near future.

One figure already at Rangers that could fit that particular bill is 18-year-old Alex Lowry.

As a product of the club’s youth system, the midfielder has made 13 appearances across their senior and reserve sides.

Having found the back of the net three times and delivered two assists, the teenager has shown what an attacking and creative danger he can be, just like Aribo.

Described as a player that is “unlike anyone else at Rangers” by his former academy coach Graeme Murty, Lowry has also scored two goals in five games for the Scotland U19 side.

Murty also praised the starlet’s “technical ability, the range of passing that he sees and executes” and his “individual ability to go past people.”

Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to say that the Gers have a very exciting young prospect in their ranks that could well go on to become a big player for them in the first team.

Moving forward, while Van Bronckhorst would presumably prefer to keep hold of Aribo for as long as possible, it should be a relief for him and the Rangers fans to know they have a player like Lowry that can be relied upon to make the step up if needed.

In other news: Wilson could land a new £13m talent as Rangers plot bid for £180k-rated sensation

On a day when most of Australia’s Test batsmen failed around the country, Steven Smith’s 59 was a rare highlight

Brydon Coverdale at Bellerive Oval17-Nov-2010On a day when most of Australia’s Test batsmen failed around the country, Steven Smith’s 59 was a rare highlight. The first Ashes Test at the Gabba is eight days away but Smith does not expect his performance, which came in difficult seaming conditions against a quality England attack, to propel him into the top six.”The selectors have a fair indication of what they’re going to go with in Brisbane,” Smith said, on a day when Michael Hussey, Marcus North, Ricky Ponting, Shane Watson and Simon Katich all made low scores. “Some people fail on wickets if they’re green around the country. I guess you can’t really take too much out of what’s going to happen this week.”Even so, Smith’s innings will impress the selectors, as it began watchfully after England reduced Australia A to 5 for 66, and became gradually more attacking as Smith became used to the conditions. But there remains doubt over what role Smith is best suited to at the Test level; he played as the main spinner against Pakistan this year when Nathan Hauritz was injured, but is also an impressive striker of the ball.”Down the track I’d definitely like to be a middle-order batsman,” he said. “I work just as hard on my batting as I do on my bowling. Down the track I would like to be a genuine allrounder; whether the selectors see it that way at the moment or not, I’m not sure.”Smith was helped by England’s short-pitched attack, which suited his swatting style of pulls and hooks. Steve O’Keefe also handled the bowling well in making 66, but the rest of the batsmen struggled.England’s bowlers, led by Chris Tremlett with 4 for 54, mixed controlled aggression with good, fuller balls that facilitated swing and seam. It’s a plan that the Test team should expect from James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Steven Finn, who are already in Brisbane adjusting to the conditions.”When you come out to Australia and you play on these wickets, you hope that your attributes will play a part,” Tremlett said. “At 6 feet 8 myself and the other guys are pretty tall as well, definitely that is the plan, to intimidate guys and get in their faces a little bit.”Everyone put their hand up. Everyone got a couple of wickets, apart from Monty. But even though he didn’t get a wicket, he put the pressure on and bowled really well. I think as a group, it was a very good bowling performance.”It was Tremlett’s first match for England in two years, and although he began nervously with a wayward first over, he quickly found his radar and picked up the first wicket in his next over. He said there had been a major change in the squad’s attitude since he last played, which could augur well as they aimed to retain the Ashes.”I haven’t been involved for a couple of years, and I have come in and noticed a difference in confidence within the side,” Tremlett said. “I guess that comes from winning a lot of series and a lot of games back to back. Hopefully we’ll take that on to Brisbane and go from there.”Tremlett also insisted he had not given up on hopes that he might be part of the team for the first Test at Brisbane. “It is maybe not set in stone, the first-Test squad. All you can do is when you get your opportunity, try your hardest – and you never know; you might have put your name in the hat. Getting some wickets builds your confidence – and if my opportunity does come along, my confidence will be high.”

Canada will begin their World Cup preparations in earnest by sending a squad of players to the World Cricket Academy in India as part of a tour that includes games against teams from Delhi, Raipur, Nagpur and Mumbai

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Dec-2010Canada will begin their World Cup preparations in earnest by sending a squad of players to the World Cricket Academy in India as part of a tour that includes games against teams from Delhi, Raipur, Nagpur and Mumbai.Two of Canada’s matches will be played in World Cup venues, the Jamtha International Stadium in Nagpur and the historic Bombay Gymkhana ground, while eight games will be against strong Indian domestic opposition.The majority of the squad who played the ODIs against Ireland earlier this year will tour but John Davison (work) and Geoff Barnett (work) will join for the final fixtures while Henry Osinde (school) will join midway through. Rizwan Cheema, Khurram Chohan and Hamza Tariq are having to remain in Toronto until their visas are granted. Umar Bhatti is the only one unable to attend due to an injury to his lower leg.The trip gives Canada a chance to train in the diverse conditions they will confront at the World Cup in February next year, hosted jointly by India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Ingleton Liburd, Canada’s head of cricket, thinks the experience will be vital for the tournament.”Our commitment is to ensure that the team has every available resource is put into supporting our team ahead of the World Cup,” he said.Cricket Canada’s President, Ranjit Saini, was understandably excited to have secured the tour and was grateful for the assistance of the BCCI in making it possible. “BCCI and its member associations have been generous and kind in giving access to good venues and arranging quality teams to play against in an exceptionally busy domestic season,” he said. “The spirit of cooperation and the willingness to help has been exceptional.”Tour schedule:15-Nov-2010 Canada XI vs. DDCA u22 (Delhi)
17-Nov-2010 Canada XI vs. DDCA XI (Delhi)
21-Nov-2010 Canada XI vs. Chattisgarh Cricket Association XI (Raipur)
23-Nov-2010 Canada XI vs. Chattisgarh Cricket Association XI (Raipur)
25-Nov-2010 Canada XI vs. Chattisgarh Cricket Association XI (Raipur)
28-Nov-2010 Canada XI vs. Vidarbha u22 (Nagpur)
29-Nov-2010 Canada XI vs. Vidarbha XI (Nagpur)
01-Dec-2010 Canada XI vs. D Y Patil Sports Academy (Mumbai)
02-Dec-2010 Canada XI vs. Air India XI (Mumbai)
03-Dec-2010 Canada XI vs. Bombay Gymkhana (Mumbai)

Sunderland have two matches left of the regular 2021/22 League One campaign to secure their place in the play-offs, and they come up against Rotherham at the Stadium of Light tonight.

They face the Millers in their penultimate match in a game which could have huge repercussions at the top end of the table.

The Black Cats are only one point ahead of seventh-placed Sheffield Wednesday and could find themselves out of the top six if they fail to win, whilst Paul Warne’s side are second and only above third-placed MK Dons on goal difference.

Alex Neil will need to get his team selection and tactics spot-on to come away with the three points, and one decision we believe he must make is the call to start Alex Pritchard.

The ex-Norwich midfielder’s last start came on 2nd April against Gillingham and he must now finally be unleashed in the starting XI after making his return from injury off the bench against Cambridge.

Pritchard has been sublime when he has played this season, as he has averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.10 in League One. He has scored four goals and provided seven assists in the division, showing that he has the quality to make a difference in the final third.

Former Black Cats manager Johnson previously showered the magician with praise, saying: “Pritch is going to be important for us and I think you see that as well.

“We are still building him up. He’s 95 percent fit and I think he has that quality to unlock doors at this level that most people haven’t.”

The £8.5k-per-week dynamo has created 2.1 chances per game in League One this term and provided his team-mates with eight ‘big chances’ in total. He has proven Johnson right as he has been able to consistently deliver with his creativity on the ball.

Meanwhile, Patrick Roberts has averaged an underwhelming SofaScore rating of 6.61 as he has created 1.2 chances per match and started out wide against Cambridge last time out. This suggests that the ex-Spurs man has a better chance of making a difference against the Millers, as he has been better over the course of the campaign when fit.

Forget about Roberts out on the left flank; Pritchard must be unleashed from the start tonight to help Sunderland break down Rotherham’s defence.

AND in other news, Double blow as Sunderland hit with a huge setback ahead of final two games…

Crystal Palace came from behind to secure a 2-1 victory in added time away to Southampton this afternoon to boost their hopes of finishing in the top half of the Premier League table.

Oriol Romeu’s early header from a corner saw the Saints lead at half-time but goals from Eberechi Eze and substitute Wilfried Zaha in the 92nd minute saw the Eagles turn the match on its head.

The win sees Patrick Vieira’s men leapfrog Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side into 12th, with 10th-placed Newcastle just two points ahead of the Eagles having played one game more.

It was an excellent effort from all those in yellow at St Mary’s, with goalscoring duo Eze and Zaha set to receive plenty of plaudits, but the performance of midfielder James McArthur also deserves much praise.

McArthur stole the show for Palace

The 34-year-old made an impressive 57 passes toady, with a 79% accuracy, whilst also producing two key passes. Moreover, the Scotsman made a whopping 87 touches in a busy display, in addition to completing half of his attempted crosses and long balls.

With three clearances and two interceptions, there was also a decent defensive contribution whilst winning just under half of his duels. Most importantly though, McArthur set up Zaha’s late winner, his fourth assist of the season.

It looks as though the veteran midfielder is headed into the final weeks of his Palace tenure, with his contract set to expire this summer and an extension yet to be signed.

Labelled a “driving force” earlier this season by the HLTCO podcast’s Dan Cook, McArthur made the move to south London from Wigan Athletic in 2014 and has since been an excellent servant for the Eagles, with today being his 248th appearance in Palace colours.

In a season where Conor Gallagher has received numerous plaudits when it comes to performances from midfield, the campaign must have been testing at times for the 34-year-old Scotsman, who has started 15 of Palace’s 34 Premier League matches this term. Moreover, an injury which kept him out for two months didn’t help.

However, it was a solid display from McArthur today as he stole the show against Southampton to inspire the Eagles to a hugely satisfying victory.

AND in other news: Crystal Palace plot exciting bid for £9m-rated “sensation”, it’d leave Vieira thrilled

ESPNcricinfo previews the fourth ODI between South Africa and India in Port Elizabeth

The Preview by Sriram Veera20-Jan-2011Match FactsJanuary 21, Port Elizabeth
Start time 14:30 (12.30 GMT, 18.00 IST)
Will Yuvraj Singh come up with a match-winning performance?•Associated Press Big PictureIndia are on the verge of a rare series win in a land where they have their worst win-loss record. Prior to this series, they had just won just three ODIs against South Africa in South Africa. It was that bleak. The start to this series hinted at more of the same as they capitulated against bounce in Durban. However, they bounced back in style, with a little bit of help from South Africa, to go 2-1 up.The last pieces of the World Cup puzzle are slowly falling in place too. Yusuf Pathan sealed the No. 7 slot with a violent knock, and Virat Kohli continues to put pressure for a spot in the top order with impressive performances. It’s the opening position that seems a bit wasted on players who aren’t in the World Cup squad. And neither M Vijay nor Rohit Sharma has seized their chances. Vijay has combusted cheaply and Rohit has looked out of the depth. Will India replace one of them with Parthiv Patel in the next game? Rohit might stay for he offers an extra option with his offbreaks.South Africa have lost two in a row now but there have been a couple of positives: JP Duminy played two responsible knocks and is beginning to show that he can lead the lower order through crisis situations and Faf du Plessis showed promise. He played a responsible and restrained knock in the last ODI and will have two more games to show his hitting prowess. Albie Morkel, who was drafted in for the last two games, has since been released from the squad, leaving South Africa without a suitable all-round option to replace the struggling Wayne Parnell. They may be forced to stop shielding legspinner Imran Tahir against India and give him a chance to prove his worth.Form guideSouth Africa: LLWWL
India: WWLWW
Players to watch out for…Hashim Amla has looked in great touch, and got off to great starts but has rarely converted them. He has paid the price for attacking all the time. If he can temper his approach and make more judicious shot selections, he can really boost this South African batting line-up.Yuvraj Singh hit a half-century in the second ODI and was looking fluent in the third when he fell. There are enough indications that Yuvraj will play at No. 4 in the World Cup. One hour of his batting can win games for India, while his nagging slow bowling adds immense value in suitable conditions.Team newsParthiv Patel, who came in as replacement for Sachin Tendulkar, might take M Vijay’s opening slot. The Port Elizabeth pitch aids spin and Piyush Chawla, who is in India’s World Cup squad, might get a game.India (possible): 1 Parthiv Patel, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Yusuf Pathan, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Piyush Chawla / Ashish Nehra, 10 Munaf Patel, 11 Zaheer KhanSouth Africa are likely to bring in Imran Tahir in the place of Wayne Parnell.South Africa (possible): 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Colin Ingram, 4 AB de Villiers (wk), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Faf du Plessis, 7 Johan Botha, 8 Dale Steyn, 9 Wayne Parnell / Imran Tahir, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Lonwabo TsotsobeStats and trivia At Newlands, Zaheer Khan became the 21st bowler to get 250 ODI wickets. He is the third left-arm seamer, after Wasim Akram and Chaminda Vaas, and the fifth Indian to capture 250 or more. Harbhajan Singh is currently on 246 Yusuf’s 59 was the first half-century by an Indian No. 7 batsman South Africa. The previous best was 47, made by his brother IrfanQuotes”South Africa have got a bit of problem with their selection issues. They must select seven coloured players out of 15. Their tail will be too long. They have a problem with the batting down the order.”

Glasgow Rangers are reportedly now ‘keeping tabs’ on Ross Stewart ahead of the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Play-off heroics

Stewart scored the only goal of the game as Sunderland beat Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 in the first leg of their play-off semi-final on Friday night, charging down defender Sam Hutchinson before eventually poking the ball home, with his work rate earning high praise from Black Cats legend Kevin Phillips.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/rangers-news-4/” title=”Rangers news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Earning the nickname the ‘Loch Ness Drogba’ dating back to his time at Ross County thanks to his battering ram style up front, that was his 25th goal of what has been a great season for him individually.

The Latest: Rangers lurking

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Pete O’Rourke has shared that the Ibrox faithful are now ‘keeping tabs’ on Stewart ahead of the summer, and it would be ‘hard’ for him to turn them down:

“It looks like he’s obviously on their wanted list, Ross Stewart. It’s been talked about now for quite a few weeks that Rangers are keeping tabs on him.

“If Rangers do come calling, it’s going to be hard for somebody like Ross Stewart – a Scottish player – to turn down their advances.”

The Verdict: Sign

Given injuries to Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe recently, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team could do with another striker in the squad, especially going into another season with an added European campaign.

Dubbed a ‘menace‘ by journalist Philip West, who writes for renowned SAFC podcasters Roker Report, Stewart has certainly proven that he knows where the goal is, and given that he has already played in Scottish football, he should be able to settle in nicely at the Teddy Bears.

Nonetheless, he has not hit his prime yet at 25 years of age, and so the summer presents the perfect time to buy him.

In other news, find out who Gers now face a ‘big fight’ to keep here!

Tamil Nadu waited all day long but could only dislodge Vineet Saxena as Aakash Chopra propelled Rajasthan to a strong position at the end of the opening day

The Bulletin by Sriram Veera03-Jan-2011
Scorecard
Aakash Chopra knew where his off stump was and let the opposition know it, wearing them down with his technique•William West/AFPAround one hour into the game, after he chose to bowl, the Tamil Nadu captain Dinesh Karthik exhorted his bowlers to show (patience in Tamil). They waited all day long but could only dislodge Vineet Saxena, as Aakash Chopra propelled Rajasthan to a strong position at the end of the opening day. Tamil Nadu threw everything they had at Chopra but he was immovable.It was a day of hard grind. It was a day where the batsmen had to work really hard, especially in the first two sessions, to overcome the conditions. It was damp, it was overcast and Rajasthan were asked to bat. Chopra and Saxena, however, stuck adhesively to the crease to slowly turn the tide against the visitors. The ball seamed around in the first half of the day but the duo showed exemplary patience to keep the bowlers at bay.Chopra, who missed out on a big score in the quarter-final, oozed solidity and sported a big smile as he walked off the park at sun set. It wasn’t his shot making but the way he left the ball outside off that elevated this knock. He knew where his off stump was and let the opposition know it, wearing them down with his technique. He punctuated his leaves with elegant cover drives whenever the bowlers pitched it fuller trying to make him play. He got going with a gorgeous cover drive on a bent knee against L Balaji and repeated the shot off C Ganapathy. Almost immediately, the seamers started to bowl short of a length and Chopra settled down with ease. He covered for the movement and repeatedly nudged and steered them behind the wicket.Post-lunch, the seamers, R Suthesh and S Sam, bowled a stifling line and length but Chopra relied on his technique to break free. The feet movement was precise, the head was over the ball and he played late. Soon, Karthik had to bring in his spinner Suresh Kumar and Chopra used his feet effectively to pile on the runs. Time and again, he skipped down the track for his drives and cut when the length was shortened. The manner in which Chopra brought up his fifty captured his serene approach: He went down the track and realised that he had gone too far down to a full delivery from Suresh but adjusted superbly by crouching on a bent knee and steered it to past gully to the third man boundary. And it was apt that he brought up his hundred with his favourite cover drive.Chopra didn’t have to do all the hard work alone today as he found some great support from Saxena, who hit a big hundred against Mumbai in the quarter-final. Though he wasn’t as assured as Chopra, Saxena buckled down to wear down the attack. He took 17 balls to get off the mark and was in some bother early on to the deliveries in the off-stump corridor. Balaji beat the bat a few times with his variations but Saxena soon settled down. He too left many a ball and unfurled off drives whenever the bowlers over pitched. He took more risks against the spinners: he smashed Suresh over midwicket boundary and lifted him to long-on to bring up his fifty.Saxena’s best shot, though, came against the left-arm seamer Suthesh when he unfurled a delightful, straight-driven boundary. Suresh, who saw Ganapathy fail to hold on to a swirling mis-hit when Saxena was on 47, got his man eventually when he turned one big to beat the attempted cover drive.Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Rajasthan’s captain, added to Tamil Nadu’s woes by hitting a confident 28 with four boundaries. And just when all looked lost for the visitors, he inside-edged an off drive onto his boot and retired hurt. The injury, though, didn’t look too serious and Kanitkar should return to bat tomorrow. Chopra saw through the day with the nightwatchman Vivek Yadav and left Tamil Nadu facing a night of discontent.

A round-up of the second day of the third round of the Regional Four Day Competition

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Feb-2011Windward Islands are on the verge of an easy win against Guyana in St Vincent. After bowling out Guyana for 142 on the opening day, Windwards’ top and middle orders chipped in to steer them to 223 on the second. Andre Fletcher made 43 and Keddy Lesporis contributed 46. Legspinner Devendra Bishoo picked up five wickets, giving his team a chance of a fightback despite conceding an 81-run lead. But Guyana capitulated in their reply. Seamer Mervin Matthew picked up four wickets, blowing away the top order, and leaving his opponents reeling at 98 for 9 at stumps. Bishoo resisted with 23 down the order, but there is little hope left for Guyana with just one wicket remaining and them just 12 runs ahead.Barbados fought back on the second day against Jamaica at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown. Seamer Jason Holder finished with a five-for and shared eight wickets with Fidel Edwards as the pair ran through the remainder of the Jamaica line-up after they had posted 316 for 5 on the opening day. The last five wickets fell for just eight runs, the first among them being overnight batsman David Bernard, who made 84. In response, the Barbados batsmen impressed with opener Kraigg Brathwaite making 76, backed up by a half-century from captain Ryan Hinds. At stumps, Barbados were 220 for 4, still 96 runs behind.Combined Campuses and Colleges took control over their contest against Leeward Islands in Antigua. In a collective bowling effort, where each of the six bowlers used picked up at least a wicket, CCC were able to bowl out Leewards for 186. The Leewards top and middle-order batsmen got starts but were unable to push on. Tonito Willet was the only one who managed to reach a half-century and he was helped by Lionel Baker at No.10, who made 37 to rescue his team from 125 for 8. But Leewards still conceded a lead of 100 which was extended to 147 by stumps with CCC still having nine wickets remaining.Trinidad and Tobago held the edge against England Lions at the Queen’s Park Oval. T&T needed just one wicket on the second day to end the England Lions innings and that didn’t take too long to come as the visitors were bowled out for 325. T&T replied strongly with openers Lendl Simmons and Justin Guillen chipping in with 30s, and the experienced hands Runako Morton and Darren Ganga adding an unbeaten 49 for the third wicket to take their team to 173 for 2, still 152 adrift.

It is no secret that Arsenal have long benefitted from their ability to produce outstanding young talent, with the club’s academy continually churning out potential prospects.

Not only is the talent there – nurtured and fostered by the Gunners youth system – but there is also a clear pathway into the first-team, evidenced by the recent emergence of both Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka.

While the duo have taken different routes to becoming regular starters – with Smith Rowe enduring a learning curve out on loan at both RB Leipzig and Huddersfield Town – their rapid development has been a benefit to all concerned, with the two starlets having also already forced their way into Gareth Southgate’s England plans.

Not satisfied with those success stories, however, the north Londoners will be eyeing that next fledgling talent who can step into the limelight from the youth team, with 20-year-old centre-back Omar Rekik potentially the next to do so.

Much has been made of the ability of current Marseille loanee William Saliba, although with the Frenchman currently on his third temporary stint away from the Emirates, doubts remain over whether he has the backing of manager Mikel Arteta.

Should the club wish to cash in on the 21-year-old this summer, then in Rekik the Gunners boss has a perfect alternative, with the former Manchester City youngster potentially the next name on the seemingly never-ending conveyor belt of talent.

Having been signed on a £540k deal from Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin back in January 2021, the Netherlands born gem is yet to feature in the first-team, although has done enough already to catch the eye at youth level, with Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley recently lavishing him with praise.

Speaking about the central defender – whose brother Karim plays for Sevilla – earlier this season, Cowley said of the youngster that: “Omar [Rekik] is a centre-half who I watched at Bournemouth a few weeks ago.

“He’s technically very good with a lovely range of passing and he breaks his lines taking real responsibility on the ball. He looks a talented player.”

Speaking further about the current crop coming through the ranks at Hale End, the club’s Head of Emerging Talent Yousuf Sajjad called him “exciting”.

A move to Championship outfit Stoke City was touted in January, only to collapse on deadline day, albeit with that interest suggesting that it is not just those inside London Colney who are getting excited about his quality.

Equally, despite his lack of senior action thus far at club level, he has already made three appearances for the Tunisian national team, notably making two brief outings at this year’s AFCON tournament back in the winter.

The signs are there that Arteta has a real prospect on his hands, all the Spaniard needs to do now is put some faith in him.

IN other news, Vieira 2.0: Arsenal gifted chance to sign “top-class” £25m ace, he could guarantee UCL…