All posts by h716a5.icu

The pull of being offered more wicket-keeping opportunities was one of the main attractions that satisfied Nic Pothas when he shunned a host of other counties and joined Hampshire.

Richard Isaacs12-Apr-2002
Nic Pothas
Photo Vic Isaacs
The pull of being offered more wicket-keeping opportunities was one of the main attractions that satisfied Nic Pothas when he shunned a host of other counties and joined Hampshire.Pothas, the 28-year-old from Johannesburg creeps under the wire in the county cricket by virtue of holding a Greek passport, a family link with the European country allows him to play as a non-overseas player, much in the same way as players like Joe Scuderi at Lancashire and Kevin Pietersen at Nottinghamshire.It seems to be all the rage in county cricket at present, and Hampshire has joined this growing trend by signing the South African.But his link with Hampshire coach Jimmy Cook was also a swaying factor. Pothas made his first class debut at the Wanderers for Transvaal in October 1993 alongside Cook, who characteristically hit 102 out of his states’ 602-9dec first innings total. South African test star Darryl Cullinan top scored with 337*!On signing a two-year contract, Pothas was looking forward to the challenge that county cricket holds. “I knew what the situation was at Hampshire when I signed. But the other counties that showed an interest wanted me to play specifically as a batter.”At Hampshire, I know I will be keeping in the one-day games and when Adrian Aymes decides to call it a day, then I would like to hope I would take over.”Hampshire was the best place for me to come in that respect, but also Jimmy Cook is here too and he is someone I have played with and be coached under. The point that he has played and coached county cricket also is a bonus.”A little known fact about him is that he has represented his country in three one-day internationals, during the Godrej Singapore Challenge in August 2000, playing as a keeper in the absence of Mark Boucher.Batting just the once, on his debut, he struck 24 batting at number seven.Now, having pinned his hopes on a career in county cricket, he is classed as an overseas player in his own country – “you cannot be a local cricketer for two first-class sides in a twelve month period. I have sat out the last year at home, with the aim of playing here in England.”He has played 86 first-class matches and scored 3889 runs at an average of 36, with a highest score of 165 – for South African Combined Universities against the touring Englishmen that contained his new captain, Robin Smith.Pothas could not remember having met Smith in the past – it was only when he was reminded that for former England batsman held the catch that ended his lengthy innings did it occur to him that he probably had …. cursed him at some point !!!”Robin has been superb, as all the lads have since I arrived. It has been way beyond my expectations. Generally, when you go to a new place, there are guys you do not get on with but here, there is not one single person I have not enjoyed.”Robin is down to earth, simple in his techniques and simple in the things he does. I am really looking forward to the season ahead, but have made no immediate personal aspirations for my performance.”I have made no run targets or catches targets or targets to be playing for England in two or three years time. I just want to be as successful as possible and see the club winning trophies.”

Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in signing Marcel Sabitzer this summer, despite the departure of Jose Mourinho last month…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Thursday’s print edition of Italian newspaper La Gazetta dello Sport (27th May, page 14), which claimed that Spurs are still a ‘dangerous competitor’ in the race to land the 27-year-old attacking midfielder.

Mourinho, who is now in charge of AS Roma, is also still keen on the RB Leipzig skipper but his former north London outfit ‘remain at the window,’ as per the report.

Meanwhile, Sport Bild believe the Bundesliga club are willing to sell their star playmaker for around €42m (£36m).

Lo Celso upgrade

Tottenham have been crying out for a goal presence and creative source from midfield all season and that is exactly what Sabitzer would provide.

This campaign alone, the Austria international has directly contributed to 16 goals in 39 appearances in all competitions, meaning he has averaged a goal or an assist once every 185 minutes, via Transfermarkt. That’s merely another impressive return from Sabitzer, who provided 16 goals and 11 assists in 2019/20.

It means he has delivered a total of 25 goals and 18 assists across the past two seasons, a stark contrast to Spurs’ options in the same role and, in particular, Giovani Lo Celso.

The Argentine was seemingly signed as a replacement for Christian Eriksen, initially joining on loan from Real Betis in the summer of 2019 before the north Londoners made the move permanent in a club record-equalling £55m deal.

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

In the same timeframe as Sabitzer’s lucrative run, Lo Celso has only given Spurs seven goals and four assists in return at an average of one goal contribution every 334 minutes, as per Transfermarkt.

That’s nearly double the Leipzig star’s ratio by comparison. It’s a massive difference.

Furthermore, the 25-year-old isn’t even among Spurs’ most creative players, managing only 0.8 key passes and 0.4 dribbles per game during the 2020/21 season, whilst Sabitzer has managed 1.1 key passes and 0.6 dribbles per match in the Bundesliga this term.

He’s evidently everything that Lo Celso should’ve been for Spurs. It’s also no wonder why he’s earned many a glowing endorsement in recent times – his former boss Ralf Rangnick described him as “remarkable” and current head coach Julian Nagelsmann has previously dubbed him a “goal threat”.

Get German Football News editor-in-chief Daniel Pinder has even likened the attacking maestro to the Lilywhites’ former playmaker.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “I think he’d bring a lot to Tottenham. He’s very similar to Eriksen, he’s that sort of player that Spurs have been missing in midfield.”

Even in the absence of a new manager, chairman Daniel Levy must ensure that it is Spurs who win the race for the £26m-rated dynamo this summer.

He would be a clear upgrade in a vital area of the pitch for whoever is appointed as the club’s next manager.

AND in other news, NO Kane? Skriniar SIGNED? How Spurs’ XI could look under Antonio Conte…

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Premier League striker Brian Deane is confident that West Brom will challenge for promotion under Chris Wilder if they end up hiring him.

Wilder is being heavily linked with the West Brom job, with the Mirror recently reporting that the 53-year-old is the Midlands club’s No.1 choice to replace Sam Allardyce.

Meanwhile, the Sunday Mirror (via Football League World) claims Wilder has already identified his first transfer target for the Baggies in Newcastle United’s Dwight Gayle.

Ultimately, with Wilder at the helm, Deane is expecting West Brom to be among the candidates to go up.

“I think if you look at the West Brom squad, they’ve got a very well-balanced squad,” the ex-Sheffield United striker said. “They’ve got a lot of pace, lot of mobility in there.

“They’re obviously going to be challenging. If Chris does go there, then he’s got a good squad to mould.”

While there are already some strong sides in the Championship, such as Swansea City and Bournemouth, who both fell short in the play-offs, West Brom should fancy their chances under a coach like Wilder – a coach who has won Premier League promotion before.

Bringing in a forward who is so prolific in this division like Gayle will also drastically boost their chances.

A training camp of the Pakistan cricket team ahead of next month’s tour of Australia, which was to start in Lahore from May 17, has been put back

Sports Reporter10-May-2002A training camp of the Pakistan cricket team ahead of next month’s tour of Australia, which was to start in Lahore from May 17, has been put back.The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has now rescheduled it for May 28 after which the team will leave for Australia on June 5 where they are due to play three one-day matches and a practice game.Meanwhile, the PCB’s plans of hiring a foreign trainer for the national team have been put on hold following Wednesday’s bomb blast in Karachi that prompted the New Zealand team to pack up and leave.The PCB had reportedly finalised a deal with an Australian trainer, whose names could not be known, in order to keep the cricketers in top shape for the Australian tour and the next year’s World Cup.

Former Tottenham Hotspur captain Graham Roberts insists that there will be money for a summer spending spree at the club.

Spurs are yet to appoint a new manager with the latest reports suggesting that talks with former Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte have broken down.

Conte has history of spending big to bolster his squads, spending over £30m no fewer than nine times in his career, per Transfermarkt.

It remains to be seen if Spurs will back him to the hilt, especially given the impact of the pandemic and the fact that they needed to take out a loan from the Bank of England in the past year.

Roberts, though, is confident that there will be a “pot” of cash for the new manager to spend, as the club look to again challenge for the top four.

Indeed, Spurs ultimately finished seventh following a damaging season under Mourinho, and are now facing up to the prospect of playing in the Europa Conference League next season.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Roberts said: “The club will have money.

“They will do things right and there’ll be a pot there for transfers, it’s whether we can get a little bit more in there to help them bring in a few.”

England’s football World Cup dream may now over, but they’re not the only national side that needs support this summer

Durham CCC Media Release26-Jun-2002England’s football World Cup dream may now over, but they’re not the only national side that needs support this summer.England take on India in the NatWest Series on Thursday 4th July in the first floodlit international at the Riverside, Chester-le-Street. Tickets are still available for the most eagerly anticipated match of the season, with a record crowd expected.With Durham’s Paul Collingwood named in the 15 man squad, there could be alocal flavour to the game. There’s also the chance to watch some of crickets’ greatest stars with Hussain, Stewart, Thorpe and Trescothick just a few of the names in the England squad and Tendulkar in the India squad.Tickets are available now by calling the Durham County Cricket Club on 0191 387 1717 or via www.crickettickets.net. Adults £35 and juniors £15 (U16). Thursday 4th July, 2.30pm – 10.20pm.

Fill a hat with a long list of available managers and it’s likely that one of them will have been linked to Everton in the past fortnight!

The Toffees seemingly have plenty of names they’re willing to consider as they patiently plan their future without Carlo Ancelotti.

What’s the latest?

The last few days have been a hectic affair in terms of Everton’s hunt for a new manager.

They have been in talks with Nuno Santo and have also made an informal approach to West Ham boss David Moyes.

However, the freshest name on their minds is ex-Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez.

The Telegraph reported on Wednesday evening that the Toffees were considering a shock move for the 61-year-old who is currently out of a job.

Benitez lives on Merseyside and is very keen on returning to the Premier League, with Farhad Moshiri now viewing him as a genuine option.

Contact has been made with the Spaniard but advanced talks are far away.

A solid alternative

The Everton chairman is particularly keen on luring two of the club’s former managers to Goodison Park this summer.

One of which is Roberto Martinez, someone who guided them to a fifth-place finish, and the other is Moyes.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-everton-manager-and-transfer-news-ancelotti-moshiri-fonseca-howe-moyes” title= “Read the latest Everton manager and transfer news!”]

The Scot enjoyed over a decade in Merseyside and is the last head coach to take Everton to a place in the elusive Champions League.

That being said, if they can’t agree on a deal for Moyes to return, Benitez would be one of their next best bets.

Their experience levels are the same but it’s the Spanish coach who comes out on top in terms of a trophy haul.

Benitez won the Champions League with Everton’s city rivals and won La Liga on two occasions with Valencia. He also has a Europa League winner’s medal to his name with Chelsea and has won a domestic cup in England and in Italy.

His stock may have fallen since a largely unsuccessful spell at Newcastle but given the right budget, as he wasn’t at St James’ Park, he could thrive.

Everton haven’t been afraid to spend in recent years but never got to feel the full force of Ancelotti’s lure.

Benitez has his own appeal to players around the globe and has a large book of contacts he could use to his advantage.

Described as “fantastic” by Jurgen Klopp, the managerial veteran is flexible tactically and an avid user of analytics on the training ground. His meticulous attention to detail could finally lift Everton from their mid-table obscurity.

AND in other news, Worse than Nuno: Moshiri risks more mediocrity if Everton hire “stubborn” 47 y/o boss…

Darren Gough has been ruled out of first Test against India after suffering pain and stiffness in his right knee during Yorkshire’s Roses match against Lancashire at Headingley.

Stephen Lamb22-Jul-2002
Gough- knee problem
Photo CricInfo
Darren Gough has been ruled out of first Test against India after suffering pain and stiffness in his right knee during Yorkshire’s Roses match against Lancashire at Headingley.Gough has twice had surgery on the knee since sustaining the injury at the end of the winter one-day series in New Zealand.Gough’s setback is a further blow to the England selectors, who are already without Andrew Caddick, Alex Tudor and Marcus Trescothick for the Test, which starts at Lord’s on Thursday.Gough was included in the original squad of 13 announced on Saturday, on condition that he came through the Roses match, his first Championship game of the season, unscathed. His absence increases the chances of a Test debut for the Glamorgan fast bowler Simon Jones, who is already in the squad.Chairman of selectors, David Graveney, said: “This latest setback is verydisappointing news for Darren and for the team. Everyone knows what an important member of the side he is and he will be sorely missed at Lord’s.”At this stage, we can’t look too far ahead as to what the prognosis might be for the rest of the Series. We will simply have to wait and see what advice the specialist gives Darren and take it from there.”No decision has been made yet on whether to send for a replacement for Darren. The selectors will discuss the situation later today and we will have to re-consider our options ahead of Thursday.”Gough will make a further visit to a specialist in Sheffield tomorrow.

Heartbeats fluttered at a rate twice the speed of Merlene Ottey

Haydn Gill21-Aug-2002Heartbeats fluttered at a rate twice the speed of Merlene Ottey. The tension was boiling hot. It was high drama.And when it was all over, Barbados, behind the steely resolve and calm nerves of Ryan Wiggins, clinched the regional under-19 three-day championship by completing a pulsating, nerve-jangling one-wicket triumph in an absorbing final against Trinidad and Tobago here on Monday.It was followed by jubilant celebrations that included one female fan proudly running on Sabina Park with a Barbados flag and also extended to senior Barbados players in Jamaica for the Red Stripe Bowl.When last man Ruel Brathwaite, a genuinetail-ender coming off four successive ducks, emerged from the huddle of the George Headley Stand, Barbados required another 16 runs to achieve their target of 163.It appeared a task as difficult as climbing the Blue Mountains in the distance.Trinidad and Tobago, spearheaded by their amazing record-breaker Ravi Rampaul, were on the verge of victory, they thought.Wiggins, now firmly entrenched, maintained his cool in the face of Rampaul’s telling accuracy and scampered a couple of twos to carry Barbados within reach of their first title at this level since 1999.It appeared a bold move when he took another two off the final ball of a Rampaul over and it exposed Brathwaite to the lesser challenging stuff of off-spinner Amit Jaggernauth with two runs needed.When Brathwaite forced a single close in to the first ball of the over, the Barbadians got up from their seats in preparation to celebrate. When Wiggins guided the next ball to short-man and raced through for the winning run, all sprinted out to the middle to acclaim their hero, who finished unbeaten on 50 when the mission was achieved at 5:55 p.m. with 4.4 overs remaining."My heart was going fast. It was a lot of mental stress trying to hold on. I had to think really hard to see the team to victory," Wiggins said."All I needed to do was to stay in and lead the team to victory. I knew the other guys would have come and backed me up. It paid off."Wiggins, the Man Of The Match, has been part of previous champion school teams before, but this was the highlight of his young career."I have played in many finals before. We have won them, but to win one for Barbados is a great honour."Coach Roddy Estwick is usually a cool customer, but he too was gripped by the tension that prevailed around the ground."Obviously you are going to be worried when Ruel Brathwaite walks to the wicket and he hasn’t got a score in his last four innings, but believe in our team spirit," Estwick said.Barbados, 91 for four at tea with Wiggins and Martin Nurse together, were favourites at that stage and later at 131 for five before Trinidad and Tobago gained the initiative by snatchingthe next four wickets for 16 runs.The last of those wickets gave Rampaul a tournament record 45 wickets, eclipsing the mark set by his countryman Rajindra Dhanraj in 1987 when Trinidad and Tobago last won the tournament.When Barbados achieved their champagne moment, many of the Trinidadians bowed their heads in disappointment.The session between lunch and tea was just as intense as the final stages.While Nurse led Barbados’ cause, Trinidad and Tobago turned to Rampaul for the entire session and he responded by claiming the scalps of Kirk Gibson, Kirk Edwards and captain Kenroy Williams in an impressive effort.Nurse tried to be aggressive on occasions and did so with good effect, but his progress was thwarted by the removal of Barbados’ three key middle-order batsmen.From a distance, however, there appeared to be some doubt over the dismissals of Gibsonand Williams. Gibson, never comfortable, was struck in front of the stumps, but the ball might just have pitched outside leg stump, while Williams could not be faulted if he thought the ball was heading over the stumps.With the impressive Rampaul bending his back and running in with purpose, it provided a fascinating contest with Nurse.The left-hander arrived at his third successive second innings fifty with a pull off Rampaul, but the vocal Trinidadians were convinced they had their man twice in the penultimate over before tea. They were dumfounded when Rampaul had appeals for catches to the ‘keeper turned down.As the players headed for the final interval of the match, the threat of rain appeared imminent. It was ominously overcast and thunder was rolling in the distance, but luckily the dark clouds passed to the north of the ground.Just before they resumed on 91 for four, the sounds of Michael Jackson’s Thriller boomed from the sound system. How appropriate it was.The situation became even more intense for Barbados 25 minutes after tea. Nurse opted to go after a bouncer from the tall fast bowler Richard Kelly, but his attempted pull found the fielder down at deep backward square-leg.It was a disappointing end to an innings that included six fours and a six. The only other blemish was a chance he offered to second slip off Rampaul when he was 30. With Nurse gone, Wiggins admirably shepherded the lower order with a level-headed approach that was needed in such testing circumstances.

Celtic appear to be closing in on signing Sunderland striker Charlie Wyke, according to The Northern Echo.

The Lowdown: Wyke a man in demand

Wyke, who scored 30 goals in 53 appearances last season, is out of contract at the Stadium of Light in a matter of weeks.

A number of clubs are keeping tabs on his situation as a result, including Cardiff City, Nottingham Forest and Millwall, who have all held talks with the 28-year-old.

However, it seems as if the Hoops are at the front of the queue for the striker who former Black Cats boss Phil Parkinson called ‘excellent’ last year.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-5/” title=”Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Celtic hoping to make progress

According to The Northern Echo, Celtic are increasingly confident of persuading Wyke to turn his back on Sunderland and snub offers elsewhere to move to Scotland.

The Hoops held talks earlier in the summer and are now hoping to make progress on a cut-price deal with a formal offer.

The Verdict: McKay and Postecoglou close to first signing

It seems as if new CEO Dominic McKay and boss Ange Postecoglou are closing in on their first signing at Parkhead, which is huge.

Celtic appear to be in need of attacking reinforcements ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, especially with star man Odsonne Edouard looking likely to move to Leicester City.

Leigh Griffiths’ future also seems undecided, and should the pair depart, Albian Ajeti would be the club’s only recognised striker.

Bringing Wyke in for nothing could be a shrewd move going off his goalscoring form over the past 12 months, and it looks as if a deal now has legs. A first Postecoglou signing could soon be on the way.

In other news: McAvennie reacts as Hoops eye move for 150-goal forward, find out more here.