All posts by h716a5.icu

Everton fans have been reacting to the news that Cenk Tosun has entered into talks with Besiktas concerning a return to Turkey.

Tosun’s spell at Goodison Park has not gone too well. In 2018, the Toffees paid £27m to take him to Merseyside (Sky Sports), but he failed to justify that lofty transfer fee. In 58 outings he has managed just 11 goals (Transfermarkt), with injuries thwarting him throughout his time in England.

Now, though, there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel for all involved. As per Fotospor (via Sport Witness), Everton are in talks with Besiktas in a deal that would see Tosun return to his homeland, with the rumours emerging on the same day his agent insisted the striker is ‘happy’ on Merseyside.

The Super Lig outfit would also be a good fit for the £4.5m-valued 30-year-old – he has managed 67 goals in 146 games for the Turkish side and it is from them that Everton signed him in the first place.

The news has been doing the rounds on Twitter, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform below.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Tosun news below

“I’d love to believe this but he will suck every pound he can from the club before his contract expires…”

Credit: @BE_Toffees

“Good riddance”

Credit: @Mark53779049

“Hopefully!”

Credit: @J_Griffiths14

“Why wait just cancel ye contract and go now”

Credit: @Jc_efc66

“Let’s hope so”

Credit: @S34nR

“I’ll forgive brands for everything if he manages to get money for him.”

Credit: @mhart89efc

In other news, Everton fans are livid with this injury news.

Plays of the day for the fifth day of the second Test between South Africa and Australia in Durban

Brydon Coverdale in Durban10-Mar-2009
Graeme Smith warmed up just in case he had to bat © AFPGetty Images
It’s catching
Brad Haddin’s gloves haven’t been the safest place during this match.He put down a chance on the fifth morning and fluffed a sitter on thefourth day, when the Australians were convinced there had been an edgebehind. As tea approached he discovered there was perhaps a better wayto take catches. Morne Morkel inside-edged onto his pad off SimonKatich and the ball flew low to Haddin, who managed to trap it betweenhis thighs. As he threw his hands up in a successful appeal, the ballremained nestled safely between his legs.Umpire love-in
As the Australian team huddled during the drinks break in the middlesession, planning their afternoon, the umpires had a conference oftheir own. Asad Rauf has been active all Test and this time he andBilly Bowden and the fourth umpire Ian Howell had a big group huddle -or was it a hug? – before they embarked on the remainder of the game.The referral system has the ability to turn umpires against each otherif decisions are overturned but in Durban it was all about the love.Generous Harris
Paul Harris isn’t the world’s worst lower-order batsman but he appearsto have one specific flaw. When occasional bowlers come on, the skillthat he actually has and the ability that he believes he possessesdrift further apart. At the MCG in December, Harris became the firstman in Test cricket to fall to the gentle medium-pace of MichaelHussey when he tried to clear long-on and was caught in the deep.Simon Katich is a more proven bowler than Hussey but rarely trundlesat the top level these days and it took him only two balls on thefinal day to entice a similarly adventurous shot from Harris, whotried to clear mid-on and was taken by Peter Siddle running back withthe flight. For the record, Harris also became part-timer MarcusNorth’s first Test victim a week ago in Johannesburg.Just in case…
It’s not easy for the public to see what’s going on in the Kingsmeadnets, where the players are largely shielded by high walls anddiligent security guards. But it is possible to peer into the netsfrom outside the ground and before play on the fifth morning the mostnotable activity was a warm-up session for South Africa’s captainGraeme Smith. His right hand was still bandaged and he wasn’t gettingpadded up but Smith was doing some jogging up and down a vacant pitchwhile his team-mates bowled and batted. After his heroic comeback witha broken hand in Sydney nobody was prepared to write him off in Durbanand he was warming up, just in case. But as the wickets tumbled earlythe chances of him batting became slimmer and his green shirt andshorts remained in place. There was no SCG encore.

Sir Vivian Richards believes that complacency cost England dear in their recent Test series in the Caribbean, as West Indies held onto their 1-0 lead to reclaim the Wisden Trophy for the first time in nine years

Cricinfo staff13-Mar-2009
Ramnaresh Sarwan impressed Viv Richards with his application © Getty Images
Sir Vivian Richards believes that complacency cost England dear in their recent Test series in the Caribbean, as West Indies held onto their 1-0 lead to reclaim the Wisden Trophy for the first time in nine years.”It appeared to me that England came out to the Caribbean this time, and felt they could take West Indies for granted,” Richards said in a column for the Johnny Walker Know Your Boundaries campaign. “From my experience, [complacency] is always a recipe for disaster, thinking you have a game or a series won before it is played.”Though the series ultimately went down to the wire, with England falling just two wickets short of victory on the final day in Trinidad, the application shown by West Indies impressed Richards, who famously never lost a series during his time as captain between 1985 and 1991.”I was happy to see that West Indies stuck to their task throughout the series,and though England came at them hard, they responded strongly each andevery time,” he said. “For most of them, it was, perhaps, the first time they have experienced winning a Test series against a big side in the world of cricket, and so they should remember this feeling, remember what they did to achieve, and try to do it more consistently in the future.””It got a little too close for comfort at the end, but I am glad to see that West Indies continued to show the fight and the character they have exemplified throughout this series,” he said. “Twenty20 may be the new cricket craze, but there is nothing like winning a Test match or a Test series, and I hope the West Indies players savour it and recall it every time they step out onto the field in the future.”Richards was particularly impressed with Ramnaresh Sarwan, who scored more than 600 runs in the series including a career-best 291 at Bridgetown. “He’s never batted so well before in his life, and it is a series, I believe, he will remember for a long time. No matter how good the pitches might have been in this series, some of the totals that England posed were pretty intimidating, and he was chiefly responsible for West Indies putting them in their true perspective.”Despite the euphoria of a first series victory since 2004, Richards expressed his regret that there weren’t more locals in the grounds to witness the team’s achievement. “The England supporters, as they usually do, travelled in large numbers, and outnumbered West Indies supporters in most cases,” he said. “Maybe, some people are still disenchanted with the team, and adopted a wait-and-see approach, but I thought following the win in Jamaica, this would have encouraged a lot more people to attend the matches.”But I think winning this series would change some of their attitudes, and they would start believing in the players a little bit more, and we will begin seeing a lot more bums on seats in the future.”

Choosing between Leeds United and Newcastle United would have been a difficult decision for Glen Kamara if serious offers were made during the transfer window, says ex-Whites midfielder Carlton Palmer.

According to TEAMtalk, both Premier League clubs were interested in the Rangers star, with the latter in particular having been keen.

In a boost for Rangers boss Steven Gerrard, though, Kamara remained at Ibrox as Leeds focused their attention on Dan James on deadline day while Newcastle had a 31st August to forget.

Had it come down to choosing between the two English top-flight outfits, though, Palmer is unsure which one Kamara would have opted for.

“It’s a difficult one as a player, isn’t it? It’s where you think you’re going to play the most football,” the ex-Leeds man said to FFC.

“Leeds have a settled side at the moment. I think he [Marcelo Bielsa] has his 1-11 that he relies on, that he knows he’s going to pick week in, week out, so it’s a difficult one.

“Do you go there, sit on the bench and wait for your opportunity, or do you go to a club and play?”

West Ham and Wolves were also credited with an interest in Kamara, so if he does decide to leave Scotland for England, it looks like he could have plenty of options.

And with little activity during the summer transfer window, failing to bring in Hamza Choudhury on loan from Leicester City on deadline day, Steve Bruce will probably be hoping to win the race in the future.

Jack Clarke’s Tottenham Hotspur struggles look set to take to another blow as a different young attacker impresses Nuno Espirito Santo.

The Lowdown: Worries for Clarke

After bursting on the scene with Leeds United, Clarke was signed by Tottenham Hotspur as a player for the future, but he has only featured four times for the club as he has struggled to rise to the expectations.

He spent the second half of last season on loan at Championship side Stoke City, where he failed to find the net in 14 appearances and he wasn’t part of the Potters’ squad for the final two months of the season due to an ankle injury.

Clarke has appeared in the last three Premier League 2 games, grabbing an assist in the young Lilywhites’ recent 2-1 win over Liverpool, but it seems another wonderkid has caught the eye of Nuno.

The Latest: Breakthrough talent bad news

According to Football London, Dilan Markanday could feature in Thursday’s Europa Conference League tie with Rennes, alongside Nile John and Dane Scarlett, after impressing with the under-23s this season.

Markanday, who was an unused substitute in the 3-0 defeat at Crystal Palace, has scored four goals in three games for Spurs’ under-23s, including a hat-trick over Leeds United.

The report states that Clarke’s decision to remain at Spurs and fight for his place rather than seeking first-time football elsewhere on loan doesn’t appear to have gone well, and the fact that he didn’t make the bench at the weekend shows he has fallen further behind.

The Verdict: Huge challenge on hands

Clarke currently has Heung-Min Son, Steven Bergwijn, Lucas Moura and Bryan Gil already ahead of him in his position and with Markandy now appearing to be above him, the signing from Leeds doesn’t seem to have worked as both parties would have hoped.

With loan spells at Queens Park Rangers and Stoke not working as Spurs would have wanted either and Clarke not hitting the same numbers as Markandy for the under-23s, the decision to exclude him from the Palace squad is warranted.

A potential loan move in January to boost his confidence and give Nuno a reason to re-visit the situation would be the best move for Clarke, whose contract runs out in 2023.

In other news, a former England midfielder has made a claim about Harry Kane. Find out more here.

No match-up illustrates the difference between last year’s tournament and IPL 2009 better than the match between Deccan Charger and Rajasthan Royals

The Preview by S Rajesh01-May-2009Match factsMay 2, 2009
Start time 12.30pm (10.30GMT, 16.00 IST)Yusuf Pathan has done more than his bit to keep Rajasthan afloat, but there has been little support from the rest of his mates•AFPBig PictureOn last year’s form, Rajasthan Royals would have been runaway favourites to walk away with this game. However, no match-up illustrates the difference between last year’s tournament and IPL 2009 better than this one: Deccan Charger, the laggards of IPL 2008, are among the top teams this time, while Rajasthan are struggling to string together victories, winning just two so far.Rajasthan are facing the same problem that Deccan encountered last year – too many players out of form, which leaves the onus of victory on a handful. Yusuf Pathan has been the Man of the Match in both matches that Rajasthan have won, and the team’s fortunes have invariably risen or fallen with him.Deccan, on the other hand, have had several players who have come to the party: apart from their openers Herschelle Gibbs and Adam Gilchrist, Dwayne Smith and Rohit Sharma have played handy knocks, while RP Singh and Pragyan Ojha are among the top wicket-takers in the tournament. Ojha hasn’t had a bad game yet in IPL 2009, which is amazing for someone of his inexperience. This might also be Fidel Edwards’ last game of the tournament, and he’ll want a better end to IPL 2009 than the previous game, when he lost control over both his direction and his temper.Form guideDeccan Chargers – LWWWW
The top-order batting has been in good shape, thanks largely to their openers, while the bowling attack has a fine mix of pace and spin.Rajasthan Royals – LWLWL
Graeme Smith’s lack of runs at the top of the order has been a huge worry, which has put extra pressure on the shoulders of Yusuf. Ravindra Jadeja has shown excellent maturity with the bat, but Rajasthan need more consistency at the top of the order.Team newsDespite the defeat, Deccan are unlikely to tinker too much with the team that played Delhi. T Suman, who played his first game of the tournament, scored a quick 23 from 14 and is likely to retain his place.Deccan: (probable) 1 Adam Gilchrist (capt/wk), 2 Herschelle Gibbs, 3 Azharuddin Bilakhia, 4 Rohit Sharma, 5 T Suman, 6 Dwayne Smith, 7 Venugopal Rao, 8 Pragyan Ojha, 9 Shoaib Ahmed, 10 RP Singh, 11 Fidel Edwards.The injury to Kamran Khan means Rajasthan will have at least one change to the line-up which lost to Chennai. An option could be to strengthen their batting,Rajasthan: (probable) 1 Graeme Smith, 2 Rob Quiney, 3 Swapnil Asnodkar, 4 Yusuf Pathan, 5 Dimitri Mascarenhas, 6 Ravindra Jedeja, 7 Paul Valthaty, 8 Shane Warne (capt), 9 Mahesh Rawat (wk), 10 Siddharth Trivedi, 11 Munaf Patel.Stats Yusuf Pathan has scored 145 runs at an average of 36.25, and a strike rate of 159 runs per 100 balls. Exclude him, and the rest of the Rajasthan Royals average 12.18, at a strike rate of 85. The average opening partnership for Deccan is 41.60, at a run-rate of 10.4 per over. Rajasthan’s average opening stand is 9.20, at an average of 4.84 per over. On an average, Deccan score 52 runs in the first six overs, for the loss of one wicket. Rajasthan average 34 in the first six overs, for the loss of two. Head-to-head recordLast year, Rajasthan put it across Deccan in both games, chasing down 214 in the first game in Hyderabad, and cruising to an eight-wicket win in the home game in Jaipur.

Many Wolves fans have been left fuming as some early Team News has emerged ahead of their game away at Southampton on Sunday afternoon.

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match in the Premier League, Bruno Lage has now revealed (via Liam Keen) that Rayan Ait-Nouri will be out for ‘seven days’, and Yerson Mosquera has a ‘muscle injury’, meaning that he will also have to miss the game away at the Saints.

It means that the Midlands club will likely have to continue with Marcal at left wing-back, despite him having a torrid time in the 2-0 loss at home to Brentford last weekend, in which his performance was criticised by the Molineux faithful.

Nonetheless, Lage will be hoping to have both players back as soon as possible, in what is already a thin squad to pick from.

Wolves fans on Team News

These WWFC supporters fumed as the Team News was shared on Twitter:

“Damn”

Credit: @pjsaturday63

“Ait-Nouri a big miss, he needed to start against Southampton.”

Credit: @C8JP8S

“Pain”

Credit: @capzwwfc

“Jesus”

Credit: @__Grav

“Have to watch 90 minutes of Marcal attempting to cross again”

Credit: @GeorgeTheStud

“Bed”

Credit: @wwfcglover

In other news, find out what recent news has Wanderers talking here!

With seven sides involved in an intense scrap for the semi-final places, Delhi will look to get a leg-up in the table after the match against lagging Kolkata

The Preview by Siddarth Ravindran04-May-2009Match factsMay 5, 2009
Start time 16.30 (14.30GMT)Gautam Gambhir has had a tournament to forget so far•Associated PressBig PictureTaking on the pre-tournament favourites isn’t an enviable task at the best of times, but when you are propping up the table and are in a must-win situation, it is harder still. Kolkata Knight Riders have that exacting job, when they face the Delhi Daredevils at Kingsmead on Tuesday. They may not have the results to show, but Kolkata have upped their game after the pasting from the Mumbai Indians in Port Elizabeth, and each of their last three matches could have swung either way going into the final two overs.With seven sides involved in an intense scrap for the semi-final places, Delhi will look to get a leg-up in the table after the match against a lagging Kolkata, particularly after the slip-up against Chennai Super Kings. What is pleasing for Delhi is that they are among the top teams despite two of their key players, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, performing well below par. A less-than-threatening Kolkata attack presents a great opportunity for the pair to stamp their influence on the tournament.Form guide (completed matches, most recent first)Delhi Daredevils – LWLWW
With Gambhir and Sehwag not quite hitting top gear, the Delhi middle-order has stepped up. AB de Villiers and Tillakaratne Dilshan have put in match-winning performances, and Dinesh Karthik made a stylish half-century against Chennai. The overseas bowlers have also been on form, Dirk Nannes and Daniel Vettori consigning Glenn McGrath and Farveez Maharoof to the bench.Kolkata Knight Riders – LLLLL
Brendon McCullum’s continuing troubles with the bat are contributing to Kolkata’s sustained poor form but Brad Hodge’s two battling half-centuries are heartening signs for a side which has struggled to post competitive totals.Watch out forBrad Hodge has been one of the reasons Kolkata have not been completely outplayed in their last two games. His ability to pace an innings, combining quicksilver running with savage-hitting, has made him a crucial part of a lightweight batting order. His tidy offspinners are an added bonus.Even when AB de Villiers fails with the bat, as he did in the previous game against Chennai, he makes an impact with his safe catching and livewire fielding. After a couple of low scores, he’ll be looking to make amends against Kolkata.Team newsDelhi are still to take a call on Sehwag’s fitness. If he hasn’t recovered from his finger injury, David Warner will keep his place. Otherwise, Warner will miss out, with Daniel Vettori likely to come back. Legspinner Amit Mishra’s place is likely to be under scrutiny after two ineffective performances.Delhi Daredevils (probable) 1 Virender Sehwag/ David Warner, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 AB de Villiers, 4 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 Mithun Manhas, 7 Rajat Bhatia, 8 Daniel Vettori/Amit Mishra, 9 Ashish Nehra, 10 Pradeep Sangwan, 11 Dirk Nannes
Struggling Kolkata have the added headache of finding a replacement for the explosive Gayle. With Moises Henriques failing to take his chances, either Sri Lankan allrounder Angelo Mathews or Mashrafe Mortaza could get a game. Ashok Dinda also had a forgettable outing against Punjab, and might be benched.Kolkata Knight Riders (probable) 1 Brendon McCullum (capt), 2 Sourav Ganguly, 3 Brad Hodge, 4 Wriddhiman Saha, 5 Morne van Wyk (wk), 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Laxmi Ratan Shukla, 8 Ajit Agarkar, 9 Murali Kartik, 10 Ashok Dinda, 11 Ishant SharmaStats and triviaBrad Hodge is the only Kolkata batsmen to have made a half-century, and he also has the best bowling average (14.00) in the side.Delhi’s batsmen, in contrast, have one hundred and six half-centuries.Head-to-headKolkata won the first match between the two sides last year, in front of a packed Eden Gardens, despite a batting failure after Shoaib Akhtar’s dramatic debut, when he ripped through Delhi’s top order. The return game was washed out without a ball being bowled.

Manchester United have suffered a major injury blow ahead of their Champions League encounter with Villarreal after centre-back Harry Maguire was ruled out of action.

What’s the word?

The Red Devils host their Spanish opponents this evening looking for their first points in Group F, but their task has been made considerably harder due to their captain’s enforced absence.

Maguire had to be substituted in the 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa over the weekend after picking up a calf injury, and he joined fellow defender Luke Shaw on the treatment table as the left-back also had to leave the field of play early due to a fitness concern.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer provided an update of the pair’s current situation in Tuesday’s press conference, and it appears as though Shaw has recovered quicker.

“Luke has been in today, so I’ll give him a chance to be involved, he didn’t train with the team,” the Norweigian tactician revealed. “Harry is more or less definitely out; it doesn’t look good.

“It is his calf; that might take a few weeks. Let’s see how quickly he recovers. He wanted to play against Villarreal; he missed the last game. We will have to make a few changes.”

Solskjaer will be gutted

News that United will be unable to call upon the services of Maguire for this crucial Champions League clash will certainly leave Solskjaer feeling gutted.

A shock defeat against Young Boys in the opening group game has piled the pressure on the Old Trafford outfit to get a result against Villarreal, and the absence of their captain and first-choice centre-back is a bitter blow to their hopes of getting a positive result.

And, in other news…Imagine him and Pogba: Man Utd must complete swoop for £60m beast, he’s a big upgrade

Australia A take on Pakistan A in Townsville this week and there will be plenty of interest in the spinner Jon Holland

Brydon Coverdale25-Jun-2009As Australia’s selectors ponder whether to use a specialist spinner in the Ashes, they will be keeping a close eye on proceedings in Townsville. Three slow bowlers are in the Australia A squad playing there this week and it’s the most unheralded of the trio, Victoria’s Jon Holland, who will create the most interest.The selectors already know what to expect of Jason Krejza and Cameron White, who are also in the squad. Holland is more of a mystery. A left-arm orthodox bowler – that in itself is rare in Australia – with only four first-class games to his name, he has earned such impressive reviews that Allan Border even suggested he should have been picked ahead of Nathan Hauritz on the Ashes tour.That endorsement wasn’t based on statistics. Holland, 22, made his state debut last October and has nine first-class wickets at 49.11. He hasn’t yet won a permanent spot in Victoria’s line-up but such is the dearth of spin options around Australia that Holland can jump the queue with strong performances against Pakistan A.”I was fairly surprised. A few people had said it was coming up and I might be a chance but I hadn’t really thought much of it,” Holland told Cricinfo of his Australia A selection. “It’s come out of the blue because I didn’t finish the year playing for Victoria. I only got a couple of chances and I didn’t really cement my spot, so I was a bit shocked when they told me I was in.”It wasn’t a surprise to those who had been following Holland’s progress for the past few years. Ray Bright, the Victorian selector and the most recent left-arm orthodox spinner to play Test cricket for Australia, has been watching Holland since he starred in an under-19 state carnival in Perth four years ago.His highlight in that tournament was 11 wickets against South Australia and Bright believes even now Holland isn’t fully aware of his own potential. He has spent plenty of time working with Holland, inevitably nicknamed Dutchy, who Victoria rate so highly that already they have him pencilled in for a 10- to 15-year state career.”His strength is he’s an attacking bowler,” Bright said. “He’s a very relaxed individual. That’s when he bowls at his best. I get the feeling there is a bit of a thought process around from some people that they’re trying to make him into more of a defensive bowler and I think that would be completely against what his strengths actually are.”The spin coach Terry Jenner has kept track of Holland’s development and watched him bowl at the Centre of Excellence this month. He has seen glimpses of Daniel Vettori in Holland and he believes his biggest weapon is terrific subtlety in his change of pace. Like Bright, he wants Holland to retain his willingness to flight the ball.”Most guys just dart it in and Dutchy doesn’t,” Jenner said. “I hope he never loses that. It’s a natural gift for a young guy to have. Vettori isn’t a big spinner – in fact I think Jon spins it further – but Vettori varies his pace and that change of pace is one of Jon’s attributes too.”

“Most guys just dart it in and Dutchy doesn’t. I hope he never loses that.”Terry Jenner on Jon Holland

However, Jenner hopes Holland isn’t thrust into the national team before he is ready and thinks a promotion in the next couple of seasons might be too soon. The selectors have found it hard to get the best out of their young spinners in recent years. Dan Cullen and Cullen Bailey were rushed into Cricket Australia contracts only to slip quickly from the radar. Krejza, White and Beau Casson have discovered how fickle the selection process can be.As Krejza learnt when he was axed after his second Test, wicket-taking potential is rapidly forgotten when runs leak. Hauritz is the only spinner not to have fallen out of favour lately and his role is primarily to keep things tight, although there is no guarantee he will be in the starting line-up in the Ashes. Part of the problem is a lack of willingness from state captains to trust their slow bowlers.”There was a round last year where … no side out of the six Sheffield Shield sides played a specialist spinner,” Bright said. “There is a bit of a dearth around. Nathan Hauritz is struggling to get a game at New South Wales and yet he’s the one spinner in the Australian side.”In the meantime, three slow bowlers will take the field for Australia A. The first of two four-day games against Pakistan A begins in Townsville on Friday before the sides head to Brisbane for three one-dayers and a Twenty20. It is the perfect moment for Holland to shine, as he not only aims to impress the Australian selectors but also the Victorian selectors, who will need to juggle him with Bryce McGain next summer.”It’s a good time,” Holland said. “If I can get a few games for Victoria and Australia A I’ve just got to take every opportunity that I can get, hopefully perform well, and the opportunity is there.”