All posts by h716a5.icu

Some Liverpool supporters have been reacting in delighted fashion to Neil Jones’ claim that Mohamed Salah will be offered a new contract.

There have been some sensational players during the Jurgen Klopp era at Anfield, but Salah has arguably been the Reds’ star man.

The Egyptian superstar has enjoyed astonishing success in a Liverpool shirt, not only winning the Premier League and Champions League but also scoring 125 goals in 203 appearances.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

Salah’s current Reds deal expires in the summer of 2023, but the hope is that he stays beyond that date, continuing to break records at the club.

According to Goal journalist Jones on Twitter, the 29-year-old could be next in line for a new deal, following Virgil van Dijk’s renewal on Friday.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/the-latest-liverpool-transfer-news-copy-4/” title=”The latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Liverpool fans react to Salah latest

Unsurprisingly, the news has gone down extremely well with a number of Liverpool fans, who provided their thoughts on the update on Twitter.

“Him and Hendo hopefully. This is brilliant by the club”

Credit: @paulmcmasterLFC

“Yes Neil”

Credit: @nithesh_sagar

“Our Dynasty!!!”

Credit: @Shuaibu_Mk

“Wow! Good to see”

Credit: @imBrendonParker

“King staying”

Credit: @AminurAbid1

“Neil Jones lad”

Credit: @Lewis4653

In other news, some Liverpool fans have also been reacting joyously to another Reds update. Read more here.

Khurram Manzoor’s unbeaten 107, supported by a run-a-ball 83 from Faisal Iqbal, steered Sind Dolphins to their first win of the tournament

Cricinfo staff18-Dec-2008
Scorecard
Khurram Manzoor guided Sind to a five-wicket win © Sohail Abbas
Khurram Manzoor’s unbeaten 107, supported by a run-a-ball 83 from Faisal Iqbal, steered Sind Dolphins to their first win of the tournament, over North West Frontier Province Panthers in Karachi. Set 235, Sind lost two quick wickets but the 159-run stand between Manzoor and Iqbal put them on course for a comfortable five-wicket win with five overs to spare.Sind chose to field after winning the toss, and opening bowler Anwar Ali struck twice to reduce NWFP to 40 for 2. Yasir Hameed anchored the innings, but he was dismissed three short of a century by Sohail Khan. Sohail was the pick of the Sind bowlers, with 3 for 32 off his ten overs. Anwar and Farhan Ayub took two wickets apiece, while Aamer Sajjad was the only one besides Hameed to go past 25.Umar Gul and Samiullah Khan had Sind in trouble at 8 for 2, but Manzoor and Iqbal overcame the shaky start. Iqbal was the more aggressive of the two, scoring 83 in a stand of 159 with Manzoor. He was eventually caught behind off Junaid Khan, after hitting ten fours and a six in his 87-ball innings.Shahid Afridi, the Sind captain, upped the run-rate with a brisk 25 off 13 balls, but he was dismissed by Samiullah. Fawad Alam was run out for a duck, but Sarfraz Ahmed and Manzoor, who made 107 off 136 balls, took their team to victory.Sind move to second place in the points table with the win. They had suffered a narrow one-wicket loss to Baluchistan Bears in their first match of the tournament.

Punjab Stallions 3 3 0 0 012 +0.842 821/148.3 703/150.0 Sind Dolphins 2 1 1 0 0 4+0.288 547/95.0 547/100.0 B Bears 31 2 0 0 4 -0.270872/150.0 875/143.5 Fed Areas 2 11 0 0 4 -0.734 483/95.2580/100.0 NWFP Panther 2 0 20 0 0 -0.424 446/100.0 464/95.0

Former Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Mark Crossley does not expect Ethan Horvath to be used as the second-choice stopper by the club following his summer arrival.

The club sealed a deal to sign the United States stopper in the summer, bringing him in on a free transfer.

Horvath has previously played for both Molde and Club Brugge, and he has won a total of seven caps for his country.

The 26-year-old made his debut in the EFL Cup against Bradford City, playing the 90 minutes as Forest won 2-1.

That has been their only victory of the season thus far, as they have lost to Coventry City, Bournemouth, and Blackburn Rovers in the Championship.

And Crossley insists that those at the club believe that Horvath could soon become the No.1 if he is given the chance to play regularly by manager Chris Hughton in the coming weeks and months.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast this week, Crossley said: “It’ll be interesting to see how he does.

“He’s definitely not being brought in as a number two. The word from the City Ground, and I still speak to people there, is that if he gets his chance, he’ll be in and he’ll take some moving.

“So it’s up to Samba to stay in the team.”

Former Leicester City player Steve Howey is pleased that Harvey Barnes has signed a new contract at the King Power Stadium.

Barnes has put pen-to-paper on a new four-year deal with the Foxes, which will keep him at the club until June 2025.

The 23-year-old has made 102 appearances for Leicester, scoring 21 goals and providing a further 15 assists.

Barnes has featured three times this season for Leicester, including the season’s curtain-raiser, the Community Shield, where the Foxes beat Manchester City 1-0 at Wembley Stadium.

And Howey admits that he was happy to see Barnes commit his future to Leicester, exclusive telling Football FanCast: “I thought last season, up until his injury, he was playing very, very well.

“So, I’m pleased that he’s managed to sign his contract, he’ll be happy, the club will be happy, and I think it’ll not be long before he’s back in the form, which he was showing before he got injured, but I think all parties are happy that he’s got a new long-term contract, his family will be a lot more settled and now he can just concentrate on his football.”

After adding the Community Shield to the FA Cup they lifted last season, Leicester have started the new season in indifferent form, beating Wolves 1-0 at home before being thrashed 4-1 at the hands of West Ham in east London.

Younis Khan has been appointed the Pakistan captain, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced today

Osman Samiuddin27-Jan-2009
Younis Khan has a third shot at the Pakistan captaincy © AFP
Nearly two years after he should’ve taken over, Younis Khan took his place as the captain of Pakistan, after the Pakistan Cricket Board decided to relieve Shoaib Malik of his duties. Younis, who has twice previously turned down the leadership, takes over as Test and ODI captain, his first assignment less than a month away when Sri Lanka return for a two-Test series.After a night and day of intense speculation, and a day full of meetings, Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, confirmed rumours that had begun floating almost as soon as Pakistan trooped off the field after one of their worst ODI defeats to Sri Lanka on Saturday. They were fueled by a 15-minute meeting earlier today between Younis and Butt, in which the offer was first made. There followed meetings between Butt and senior officials from the board and team management at which it is learnt there was clear consensus: Malik had to step down.”We asked Shoaib Malik to step down as captain. He agreed and only then did we appoint Younis Khan as captain of Pakistan,” Butt told reporters at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. “We have taken the step because our performances weren’t great. The end result is not just winning but the performance. We didn’t just lose to Sri Lanka, we performed poorly. So we have made Younis Khan the captain of both Test and ODI sides.”No tenure has yet been set for his leadership – “as is the PCB way,” said one official – but there was unanimous approval for the move to replace Malik and bring in Younis. “The feeling was clear that something had to be done because the team had performed so poorly and Younis was the first choice,” an official present at the meetings, said.Younis has long been seen as the natural choice to lead Pakistan. The impression was built during an impressive two-year reign as vice-captain to Inzamam-ul-Haq, where he often stepped in to take over in sessions and Tests to telling effect. But he blotted his credentials by twice walking away from the post, which in turn led to uncertainty today over whether he would accept.The first time he had done so was in October 2006, days before the Champions Trophy, when he walked out of a press conference fuming that he didn’t want to be “a dummy captain.” He turned down the post again after the World Cup the following year, though reasons weren’t made clear at the time. But over the course of the year, Younis is said to have changed his views, culminating in the trip to India at the end of the year, where he expressed a desire to captain Pakistan.It was understood by Cricinfo that Younis was keen to set some terms and conditions for taking over, but it appears that has not been the case. “As far as we are aware, no terms and conditions have been set,” said the official. “The chairman is not the kind of man to qualify an offer. Younis was offered it and he accepted and that is that.”Malik’s downfall had been on the cards for some time. His win-loss record in ODIs remains impressive but it has been built on weak opposition. Against bigger teams he has been less successful and the resounding nature of the defeats to Sri Lanka sealed the deal. But as much as on-field results, the pressure built on him because of his inability to build a relationship with senior players in the team. Mohammad Yousuf criticised him openly, though he did so only after going to the ICL. Privately, at least two other senior players were also unhappy with his approach and particularly at the clique he is said to have cultivated within the team.These issues culminated last week with Malik openly questioning Shoaib Akhtar’s commitment during the Sri Lanka series, before u-turning and claiming he had not singled out Shoaib. The episode is said to have greatly incensed the board and though Butt played down reports of a rift, another official hinted it might have been worse than previously thought.”Many things were discussed in the meetings, including Malik’s relationship with players. Things weren’t great and as an example, during the last ODI in Lahore when the team was staying at the team hotel, Malik stayed at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). Draw what conclusions you want from that.”

Sunderland are in advanced talks over a deal to bring Ryan Alebiosu to the Stadium of Light this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Northern Echo, who claim that the Black Cats are increasingly confident of securing a deal to bring the Arsenal right-back to the club on a season-long loan deal before the closure of the summer transfer window on Tuesday.

The report continues by stating that, while the majority of his transfer business is complete, Lee Johnson is still eager to bring in greater depth at full-back, with Kyril Louis-Dreyfus believed in advanced talks with the Gunners for the 19-year-old.

“Great signing”

It is easy to see why Johnson is keen to bring in a further body who is capable of operating at full-back over what remains of the summer transfer window, as, at present, the Mackems manager has just three natural options across both the left and right-back positions in his first-team squad – in the shape of Dennis Cirkin, Niall Huggins and Luke O’Nien.

However, with O’Nien often being required to play in central midfield, Johnson has regularly had to deploy midfielder Carl Winchester on the right-hand side of his defence.

As such, a move for a player in the role would appear to make sense for the Black Cats, and, should the club manage to get a deal over the line in the coming days, Alebiosu could well be a great addition for the League One side.

Indeed, the 19-year-old – who can also play at left-back – was a regular in the Arsenal U23 side last season, making 18 Premier League 2 appearances, over which he provided one assist, as well as featuring in three EFL Trophy fixtures.

Furthermore, Sunderland legend Kevin Phillips has also given his approval regarding a move for the defender, stating his belief that Alebiosu could be a “great signing” for his former side.

As such, following a highly impressive start to their League One campaign – with the Black Cats topping the third tier table after five games played – the addition of a player as highly rated as the £1.7k-per-week Arsenal youngster would only appear to provide Sunderland’s chances of finally securing promotion back to the Championship this season with a major boost.

In other news: Sky Sports provide update on “shining light” that’ll leave SAFC fans gutted

Shoaib Malik has been retained as Pakistan’s captain for an indefinite period. The decision was made by PCB chairman Ijaz Butt

Cricinfo staff06-Jan-2009
Despite the brickbats, Shoaib Malik will continue as Pakistan captain © AFP
Shoaib Malik has been retained as Pakistan’s captain for an indefinite period. The decision was made by PCB chairman Ijaz Butt and not the board’s governing council as had been expected.Salim Altaf, the board’s chief operating officer, confirmed Malik’s extension and said the chairman had made the decision and not sought the council’s approval as it was not operational, six of its members having resigned.Butt said he saw “no reason to replace” Malik as captain, who himself said the decision would spur him on further. “Ever since I took over the team, my aim has been for us to fight and play as a unit, so that remains the prime target, and I aim to take Pakistan to the top place in the world,” Malik told .”I am thankful to the PCB, the PCB chairman for showing faith and confidence in me. I will always try my level best to keep the team on the winning track.”Malik’s captaincy came up for review at the end of 2008, but the extension of his tenure was a formality after he got the vote of confidence from both the PCB chairman as well as Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam in recent weeks. Former players have continued to express doubts over Malik’s potential as a leader in the past, and former team-mate Mohammad Yousuf blamed the “lack of respect” from Malik as one of the reasons for his signing up with the ICL.There have also been persistent reports of rifts between Malik and other senior players. But he seems to have won over Intikhab, who had said before he took over as coach that Shahid Afridi was a better candidate than Malik.Malik was handed the reins following Pakistan’s early exit in the 2007 World Cup. Under him, Pakistan have had mixed fortunes. They reached the final of the ICC World Twenty20 in 2007, and last year they beat India in the Kitply Cup final in Bangladesh, followed by a 3-0 sweep in the ODI series against West Indies in Abu Dhabi in November. Malik led Pakistan to a country record 12 successive ODI wins in 2008, though the bulk of them came against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.However, Malik also lost both the home Test and ODI series to South Africa in 2007, as well as the Test and ODI series in India that followed. The team also failed to make it the final of the Asia Cup held in Pakistan in June-July 2008. In an otherwise bleak international schedule in 2008 – Pakistan did not play a single Test – Malik, however, impressed the board with domestic success.He first led Sialkot Stallions to the Twenty20 title, before leading Punjab to victory in the Pentangular One Day cup. That win, in particular, when he faced off against three potential contenders for the national captaincy in Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar and Misbah-ul-Haq, made a particularly strong impression on the board.

West Brom are interested in making a late-summer move for Oostende centre-back Jack Hendry, according to a report which emerged on Saturday.

The Lowdown: West Brom make flying start

The Baggies enjoyed a memorable win on Saturday night, beating Peterborough United 1-0 thanks to Semi Ajayi’s last-gasp strike.

The victory means Valerien Ismael’s side are second in the Championship table with four wins and a draw in their opening five matches.

The Latest: Hendry linked with move

West Brom’s squad looks strong currently, but they are reportedly keen on strengthening it further, with The Daily Mail claiming they are interested in signing Hendry.

Oostende are thought to be willing to sell the Scotland international, having only just snapped him up from Celtic, in order to make a quick profit.

Burnley, Southampton, Sheffield United and Newcastle United are all mentioned as potential suitors, however, so the Baggies could have a battle on their hands to sign the defender.

The Verdict: Ideal late signing

Hendry could be an ideal man to come in right at the end of the transfer window. He is described as ‘quick, technically good and strong in the air’, and would surely enhance West Brom’s chances of promotion further, having won the Belgian top flight’s player of the season crown last term.

At 6 foot 5, he is a towering presence at the heart of the defence, while seven caps for Scotland proves that he is capable of playing at a high level.

At 26, he is also at a good point in his career and could provide competition for the likes of Ajayi, Kyle Bartley and Dara O’Shea.

In other news, one player has been tipped to make a permanent move to West Brom. Find out who it is here.

It used to be Australian players who would begin their international careers with a string of victories before tasting defeat but now New Zealand’s fresh faces are enjoying the same feeling

Brydon Coverdale at the MCG06-Feb-2009
Grant Elliott’s composure impressed his captain Daniel Vettori © Getty Images
It used to be Australian players who would begin their international careers with a string of victories before tasting defeat but now New Zealand’s fresh faces are enjoying the same feeling. The captain Daniel Vettori said following his side’s six-wicket triumph at the MCG that a winning culture was starting to develop thanks to their successes against West Indies last month and their 2-0 lead over Australia.”It’s really good for some of our young guys,” Vettori said. “Martin Guptill and Neil Broom haven’t ever lost a game in New Zealand colours. Those sorts of feelings are starting to swirl around the dressing room that we’re starting to get a feel of what it’s like to win. It’s only been three in a row but there’s some good confidence in the team.”Take out their no-result in Auckland and it’s actually four in a row and in the past year, New Zealand have won 14 one-day internationals and lost four. It is an impressive record for a squad that is missing the injured allrounder Jacob Oram and the batsman Scott Styris.Even more pleasing for Vettori was that two of their newer faces, Grant Elliott and Neil Broom, got New Zealand home at the MCG with a 50-run partnership from 44 balls. They reached their target of 226 with seven deliveries to spare and both men struck boundaries at important times when a few dot balls could have given Australia a real chance.”They’ve probably got about 15, 16 games between them, but they looked so composed and so mature and led us to a comfortable victory in the end,” Vettori said. “The big thing with Neil is to get him to play his natural game. When he starts thinking about things he probably clutters himself a little bit.”While it was New Zealand’s less experienced players who got them home, Australia relied heavily on the older heads of Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey in a batting order that again was a little too fragile. It has been difficult for Australia to maintain their aura following the retirements of key players and Vettori said the changing nature of Australia’s side was a bonus for his squad.”For a lot of our younger guys they grew up watching a lot of the Australian players, guys that have recently retired,” he said. “A lot of the guys we’re playing now, some of our guys have played in A-teams and emerging players teams so they have a better understanding than just turning up and finding a guy that they’ve idolised for the last 15 years.”One such man is Ricky Ponting, who is resting, and his stand-in captain Clarke faces the challenge of sparking his team into a winning unit in Sydney on Sunday after five consecutive losses – one more and they will hand over the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy. He will do so without Shaun Tait, who has been released from the squad to deal with a hamstring problem, although Clarke himself is likely to play after suffering a painful blow on the toe while compiling his 98.He and Michael Hussey, who built a 133-run stand, both fell in the final five overs when Australia needed to build on their solid platform. Clarke conceded that their inability to lift their rate after a conservative start was a major factor in posting a total that was too small.”It always makes the job harder when you lose a couple of wickets early,” Clarke said. “I guess with the batting I think we were probably 20 or 30 short and I take responsibility for that. If I’d turned my innings into 130 it’s a different game.”

Zimbabwe’s sports minister, David Coltart, has said New Zealand have an obligation to tour his country and that if needed, he will travel to New Zealand to persuade the government

Cricinfo staff21-Feb-2009Zimbabwe’s sports minister, David Coltart, has said New Zealand have an obligation to tour his country and that if needed, he will travel to New Zealand to persuade the government. New Zealand prime minister John Key this week said he was prepared to order the team not to tour in July on safety and health grounds, but Coltart said the tour would benefit Zimbabwe.”My call to the New Zealanders is clear and unequivocal,” Coltart told . “People have to give this coalition government a chance, and that applies to all levels, cricket included. I would like to see the New Zealand team touring Zimbabwe. If it need be I will go to New Zealand to persuade them to come.”I am not turning a blind eye to the inadequacies in our cricket and our country,” Coltart said. “My call must not be interpreted that way. My call is in the interest of the public, the players and cricket in Zimbabwe. My call is in terms of sportsmanship.”Coltart was hopeful that the new coalition government, led by Morgan Tsvangirai, would improve the political climate. “We will look at the wider political issues seriously. My wish is that by the time they [New Zealand] are scheduled to come in July these issues would have been addressed,” he said.However Key remained firm in his stance. “We are considering the options available to the Government, but in our view, Zimbabwe represents a significant risk for the Black Caps,” Key said in the .New Zealand toured Zimbabwe in 2005 despite public comments from the then prime minister Helen Clark that she did not want the trip going ahead. She stopped short of barring the team from going, although John Howard did ban the Australian side from travelling there in 2007, and it looks likely that Key will take the same course.