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Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand wicketkeeper, has termed his much-debated move to play Twenty20 for New South Wales as innovative and one that could add “tremendous value” to his domestic side, Otago. McCullum’s hasty switch to New South Wales for the Australian domestic Twenty20 final was received with varied reactions, but McCullum has said people are entitled to their opinion and he is not offended.”This is clearly new ground, and a sign of the changing landscape that is Twenty20 cricket globally,” McCullum wrote in the . “There has been much discussion of my move, throughout Australia and New Zealand, and I’m sure that not everyone will agree on what’s right or wrong in this instance. One thing is for sure: the game has changed over the past 12 to 18 months with the development of Twenty20 cricket, and the game will continue to change as we move forward.”McCullum said it was his responsibility to “enhance rather than diminish” the value of Otago cricket, although he did not clarify how his appearance for New South Wales would help Otago. “I will not try to defend my decision, as in my mind, the motives were sound, and I also believe people are entitled to their opinion, and the decision to take offence to criticism is always in the eye of the beholder.”In a confused radio interview last week, Andrew Symonds criticised McCullum’s move, while Matthew Hayden said it was indicative of New Zealand’s “disappointing” international schedule. McCullum has brushed off Symonds’ jibe. “Andrew Symonds’ much-publicised spray, although inappropriate, has not upset me, and I feel no animosity towards him for this,” he said.In the end McCullum only scored 10 off 11 balls in the final in Sydney – which NSW won by five wickets – but said it was a fantastic experience. “It was an amazing event and, with 20,000 people turning up, it once again showed how popular Twenty20 has become.”

أعرب الدولي الدنماركي، كريستيان إريكسين، المُنضم حديثًا إلى مانشستر يونايتد، عن سعادته بالانتقال إلى الشياطين الحمُر، مُشيرًا إلى أنه متطلع للعب مع الريد ديفلز في مسرح الأحلام “أولد ترافورد”.

وأعلن مانشستر يونايتد، اليوم الجمعة تعاقده مع إريكسين في صفقة انتقال حُر، بعد نهاية عقده مع برينتفورد، ووقع على عقد مدته ثلاث سنوات حتى 2025.

وقال إريكسين في تصريحات للموقع الرسمي لناديه: “مانشستر يونايتد نادٍ خاص، وأنا لا أطيق الانتظار للبدء”.

وأضاف: “لقد حظيت بامتياز للعب في أولد ترافورد عدة مرات ولكن القيام بذلك بقميص مانشستر يونايتد سيكون شعورًا رائعًا”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. مانشستر يونايتد يتوصل إلى اتفاق مع أياكس لضم لاعبه

وواصل: “لقد رأيت عمل إريك في أياكس وأعرف مستوى التفاصيل والإعداد الذي وضعه هو وطاقمه كل يوم، ومن الواضح أنه مدرب رائع”.

واختتم تصريحاته قائلًا: “لقد تحدثت معه وتعلمت المزيد عن رؤيته والطريقة التي يريد أن يلعب بها الفريق، فأنا أكثر حماسًا للمستقبل، لا يزال لدي طموحات كبيرة في كرة القدم، وهناك قدر كبير أعلم أنه يمكنني تحقيقه، وهذا هو المكان المثالي لمواصلة رحلتي”.

Some Sheffield Wednesday supporters were critical of Barry Bannan’s performance against Rotherham United despite their 2-0 win on Saturday.

The Owls faced a tough trip to last season’s fellow relegated side and Yorkshire outfit, looking to continue their impressive start to the season.

While Darren Moore’s side may not have been at their best, they still managed to come away with an impressive 2-0 victory, taking them to the top of League One in the process.

Florian Kamberi and Lee Gregory scored the goals for the Owls, while Bailey Peacock-Farrell saved a penalty, meaning they now have 10 points from their opening four games, not conceding once in that time.

Bannan is one of the highest earners at Hillsborough on £27,000 per week, but he wasn’t at his best for much of Saturday’s game. He lost possession 12 times against the Millers and completed just 12 passes all afternoon, being beaten in two of his four duels (Sofascore).

Sheff Wed fans disappointed with Bannan display

These Owls fans took to Twitter to criticise the midfielder’s performance on what was a rare off-day for him.

“Bannan anonymous. Team not firing”

Credit: @BiffBosh

“Getting overrun in midfield. Bannan & Luongo anonymous so far”

Credit: @MarkoGreen80

“Bannan been poor today”

Credit: @cc1867_

“Bannan is fantastic but we’d be better having tango on set pieces”

Credit: @legohillsboro1

“Also encouraging because not everyone seemed on their game today. Bannan, so brilliant in the first three matches, was effectively taken out of the game by Lindsay. I expect to see other teams do that more to us. Set piece deliveries were unsharp today too”

Credit: @ploehmann

“Wednesday’s midfield has been non existent so far. Need to get Bannan into the game. The good news is the defence has held firm. 23 gone. 0-0”

Credit: @domhowson

In other news, one rumoured Sheff Wed target has been linked with a shock Premier League move. Read more here.

New coach Andy Moles hopes New Zealand can leave behind the past as he takes over the side ranked No. 8 in the ICC Test rankings

Cricinfo staff02-Dec-2008
Will Andy Moles’ appointment help revive the falling fortunes of the New Zealand side? © AFP
The John Bracewell-era has ended on a rather sour note, but new coach Andy Moles hopes New Zealand can leave behind the past as he takes over the side ranked No. 8 in the ICC Test rankings.”We’ve got to move forward,” Moles was quoted by the . “The players and I can’t do anything with what’s gone behind, we can only control what happens in the future, and that’s really relevant right now.”Martin Crowe, the former New Zealand captain, has called for a complete overhaul of the manner in which the team is managed following the loss in the second Test against Australia in Adelaide – he described it as the country’s “worst moment in Test cricket”.Moles, who will meet captain Daniel Vettori on Wednesday and the rest of the team on Sunday, said his first priority was to fix the side’s back-room staff. “I want to get it all sorted out so the players know ASAP what the makeup of the team off the field is,” Moles said.Crowe had pulled no punches in his interview on Radio Sport. “We’ve put a coaching regime in place and they have got in the way of the development of these talented cricketers,” he said “The last five years have been probably the most destructive to our game in the history of our game.”Nevertheless, he was hopeful Moles would change the culture of the group. “You’ve got to allow cricketers to be themselves, you’ve got to allow them to be individual and you’ve got to ask them to be self-sufficient,” he said. “I just want it all cleared out. Give the kids a chance to just be what they can be and I’m sure they’ll respond in time.”Let’s hope that Andy Moles and Dan Vettori can just put a smile on people’s faces and let them have a beer at the end of the day. Let them relax, let them be human beings.”Moles’ first assignment is against West Indies, who are one place above New Zealand in the rankings. The squad for the first Test in Dunedin, starting on December 11, will be named on Saturday. “With a change of personnel [Moles] there is always likely to be a different approach,” Glenn Turner, the former batsman and current selection panel manager, said. “Players have got to get more out of themselves. That’s the key.”It’s all very well to say we don’t have the players. What we’ve got to say is surely we can get more out of what we’ve got.”

Australia’s fast bowlers believe patience will be the key on long, hot days in the field during the upcoming Test series in India

Cricinfo staff02-Oct-2008
Brett Lee expects to have to work extra hard in India © AFP
Australia’s fast bowlers believe patience will be the key on long, hot days in the field during the upcoming Test series in India. None of Australia’s bowlers have played a Test in India and while the focus has largely been on the selection of a spinner, Australia will be looking to the pace trio of Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson for the majority of the wickets.”Patience is definitely going to be a word that we will be using through the whole Test series,” Lee told the . “I just think the key to bowling over here, going on what you read and what you hear from past players, is to be nice and patient.”We are up against world-class batsmen, we are up against wickets that aren’t going to be conducive to fast bowling, and the weather is going to be really hot. We have to try as a team to block all that stuff out and just really focus on the way we know, to be nice and patient.”Although he was overlooked throughout the 2004-05 tour of India, lack of experience is not an issue for Lee, who has 289 Test wickets and will almost certainly jump to fourth on Australia’s all-time list during the trip. With Johnson battling for form, Lee’s major support could come from Clark, who said he would be aiming to bowl straight to suit the conditions.”The wickets become harder to bat on,” Clark said. “They don’t bounce, there is no pace in them and they don’t carry. Lbw and bowled become a really useful mode of dismissal, rather than just caught. In Australia a lot of the guys get caught behind the wicket. Bowled and lbws are a big way of getting out over here.”The three main fast men will probably have support from the allrounder Shane Watson, who is preparing for a likely return to Test cricket three years after his most recent Test. However, a viral fever has laid Watson low this week and he is in doubt for the final tour match, which starts on Thursday.

Forza Italian Football editor Conor Clancy has urged Euro 2020 star Federico Chiesa to join Chelsea ahead of their Premier League rivals.

Chiesa, who joined Juventus from Serie A rivals Fiorentina for a potential fee of £54million last October, scored two goals in seven appearances as Italy were crowned European champions last month.

According to German media outlet Bild, Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea made a move for Chiesa as they seek to build on last season’s Champions League win. The report suggests Juventus rejected the offer, thought to be in the region of €100million, from the west London club.

Premier League rivals Liverpool also failed with a similar bid for the 23-year-old, according to La Repubblica.

Italian media outlet Calciomercato have reported Premier League title holders Manchester City, along with Bayern Munich, are keeping tabs on Chiesa as well.

But Serie A expert Clancy, who has watched Chiesa closely during the early years of his career, believes Chiesa would produce his best form at Stamford Bridge.

He told The Transfer Tavern: “I think he would fit in better at Chelsea.

“Obviously, working with Pep Guardiola at City would be unbelievable for him and Italy. But he is the type of player that you don’t want to be part of a bigger system, which you often see with Guardiola teams.”

Liverpool have been linked with a shock move for Bournemouth winger Arnaut Danjuma as the new season approaches.

What’s the story?

According to Spanish outlet Marca (as relayed by Sport Witness), the Reds are interested in signing the exciting 24-year-old over the coming weeks, although they’re likely to face competition for his signature.

The report claims that La Liga outfit Villarreal are also keen to acquire Danjuma’s services, with the Cherries placing a €25m (£21.2m) price tag on their prized asset.

Bye-Bye Xherdan Shaqiri

Danjuma arrived on the south coast two years ago but he initially struggled to adapt to life on English shores, failing to contribute a single goal or assist throughout 2019/20 as Bournemouth suffered relegation from the Premier League.

However, the two-cap Netherlands international was in scintillating form last season, playing a pivotal part in the Cherries’ run to the Championship play-off semi-finals. In 37 appearances in all competitions, Danjuma found the back of the net on 17 occasions, laying on a further eight assists for his teammates, earning praise from his former manager Jonathan Woodgate.

“He’s an exceptional player, in a really good place at the minute, Arnie. He’s another one who I’ve always done a lot of work on him at his previous clubs, so I knew all about him coming into this role, I knew what type of player he was,” said the 41-year-old.

“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.”

With Liverpool reportedly open to Xherdan Shaqiri’s departure in the current transfer window following an underwhelming couple of seasons, Danjuma could be the ideal replacement for the Swiss winger.

His asking price is likely to be within the Reds’ budget, and his exceptional dribbling and finishing ability makes him an intriguing acquisition who Jurgen Klopp could develop given his age.

Therefore, director of football Michael Edwards must swoop for Danjuma before another potential suitor makes their move, providing Klopp with the strength in depth he needs for a title tilt.

In other news… Liverpool receive boost in their pursuit of £21.3m “livewire”, Klopp would love him 

Tottenham Hotspur are among the leading contenders to sign Nicolo Barella this summer, according to reports…

What’s the word?

Spanish outlet Marca claimed that the Inter Milan midfielder is attracting interest from across Europe, notably from Premier League duo Spurs and Liverpool.

They go as far as suggesting that the English pair are the front-runners in the pursuit of the 24-year-old sensation.

It’s thought that there has been talk of possible bids in the region of €60m (£52m) to €70m (£60.5m), which could well eclipse the Lilywhites’ club-record fee of £55m for Tanguy Ndombele.

This is backed up by Italian newspaper La Repubblica, who claimed that the Serie A champions would only sell for the latter amount.

Lo Celso upgrade

It remains to be seen whether Spurs have the finances to make such a splash, but Barella would be quite the addition for Nuno Espirito Santo heading into next season.

If there is any Spurs player who has underperformed since arriving in N17, you could argue that Giovani Lo Celso sits atop that list, especially if he is to breakthrough as a true box-to-box option in the midgield engine room.

The Inter beast would be a considerable upgrade in the role, that’s for sure.

On the way to sealing the club’s first Serie A title in 11 years, Barella provided three goals and nine assists from midfield and ranked amongst the most consistent performers at either end of the pitch, having averaged 1.6 tackles and 1.3 key passes per game, via WhoScored.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-team-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours, gossip and much more!”]

By comparison, in the 74 appearances that Lo Celso has made since his arrival in London from Real Betis, he has only provided seven goals and four assists. Barella has arguably done better in just one season than the Argentine has across two.

Lo Celso struggled for creativity throughout 2020/21 as well, managing only 0.8 key passes per game in the Premier League.

The 29-cap Euro 2020 champion has received some glowing endorsements in the past and perhaps the biggest of them all comes from former Spurs striker Jurgen Klinsmann, who compared Barella to Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante.

In quotes sourced by football.london, the German said: “He has the same function as Kante – but the Inter player is in the development phase.”

Furthermore, the Italy star has also been described as “warrior full of determination” by the legendary Arrigo Sacchi and “extraordinary” by former Cagliari coach Rolando Maran.

Valued at £58.5m by Transfermarkt, Barella’s worth is only going to increase tenfold after a season in which he clinched two major trophies across the domestic and international stage.

On the above evidence, Paratici could well land a major upgrade to Lo Celso by breaking Spurs’ club transfer record.

AND in other news, Paratici could finally replace Eriksen with Spurs swoop for £26m-rated “revelation”…

A number of Liverpool fans are excited after a transfer story emerged regarding the Reds’ reported interest in Netherlands forward Donyell Malen.

Jurgen Klopp’s side battled their way to a third-place finish in the Premier League last season, but the team looked jaded at times during a tough campaign.

There is a feeling that some fresh blood is needed in the squad this summer, with defender Ibrahima Konate already arriving from RB Leipzig. Liverpool’s attack could be in need of a rejig, considering the struggles of Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino last term.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

According to Voetbal International journalist Marco Timmer [via Sport Witness and LFC Transfer Room on Twitter], agent Mino Raiola is in talks with Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund about a move for Malen.

The 22-year-old Dutchman scored 19 goals in the Eredivisie last season and is seen as one of the most exciting young players in the Netherlands.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/the-latest-liverpool-transfer-news-6/” title=”The latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Liverpool fan react positively to Malen links

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to provide their thoughts on the possibility of Malen coming to Anfield, with many Kopites very much in favour.

“I would like this signing”

Credit: @ChrisHPE

“That magazine is very reliable so this is good news”

Credit: @ABxLFC

“Interesting. The adaptation between leagues might take time, especially as a squad player with limited time, but he’s definitely really talented”

Credit: @NotoriousJOS

“Liverpool please”

Credit: @agarwalkaus

“Jota, Malen and Elliott as our backup front three omds what an upgrade”

Credit: @itskebaboclock

“@LFC SIGN HIM”

Credit: @sanomistan

In other news, Liverpool’s interest in a former transfer target has reportedly returned. Find out who it is here.

اختتم يوفنتوس موسمه في الدوري الإيطالي بهزيمة أمام مضيفه فيورنتينا بهدفين دون رد، مساء اليوم السبت.

وحل يوفنتوس ضيفًا على فيورنتينا في ملعب “أرتيميو فرانكي” بالجولة الأخيرة للدوري الإيطالي لموسم 2021-2022.

وتقدم ألفريد دنكان بهدف لصالح فيورنتينا في الدقيقة الأولى من الوقت المحتسب بدلاً من الضائع للشوط الأول.

وشهدت المباراة إصابة جورجيو كيلليني قائد يوفنتوس، في الرأس حيث نزف دماءً، وكانت تلك المباراة الأخيرة له بقميص السيدة العجوز.

وقام مدرب يوفنتوس ماسيمليانو أليجري، باستبدال كيلليني ودفع بدانيلي روجاني بديلاً له مع بداية الشوط الثاني، كما شارك حارس المرمى كارلو بنسوليو بدلاً من زميله ماتيا بيرين. 

وفي الدقيقة 60 شارك أكي بدلاً من فيدريكو بيرنارديسكي والذي ودع زملائه والجماهير حيث سيرحل أيضًا عن يوفنتوس.

بحلول الدقيقة 76 شارك فلاهوفيتش وماكيني بدلاً من مويس كين وميرتي. 

وقبل إطلاق صافرة النهاية تحصل فيورنتينا على ركلة جزاء، سددها نيكولاس جونزاليس، لتنتهي المباراة بهزيمة يوفنتوس بهدفين دون رد.

تجمد رصيد يوفنتوس عند النقطة 70 في المركز الرابع، وفيورنتينا أصبح رصيده 62 نقطة.

يوفنتوس ضمن التأهل بالفعل لدوري أبطال أوروبا، وفيورنتينا سيشارك في تصفيات دوري المؤتمر الأوروبي. 

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