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Tottenham Hotspur could launch a surprise move for Eric Bailly in the January transfer window…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Sunday Times journalist Duncan Castles. who delivered the stunning claim on this week’s edition of ‘The Transfer Window’ podcast, where he said:

“Conte, one of the things he’s asking for in January is not one, but two starting centre-backs, this isn’t a big surprise when you look at what the two previous managers thought of the centre-backs. [Mauricio] Pochettino and [Jose] Mourinho wanted significant upgrades there, while [Nuno] Espirito Santo also wanted further upgrades on top of Cristian Romero.

“Look at what [Antonio] Conte has been doing, this weekend he started with Ben Davies and Japhet Tanganga alongside Eric Dier who was picked ahead of Davinson Sanchez, who should be a starter given the significant amount spent on him.

“Conte feels it’s fundamental to improve at centre-back to get his back-five system working properly.

“Options, one of the individuals they’re in discussions about, although as I understand it, there’s been no offer made at this point, is a Manchester United player, Eric Bailly, he’s someone Conte likes and he looked at him as a possible recruit at Inter.”

Big mistake

This could be a disastrous decision from the Spurs boss and Fabio Paratici’s recruitment team this winter, as the Manchester United defender is an injury-prone and inconsistent defender who probably wouldn’t solve their defensive problems.

It is true that the north Londoners need further additions, even more so with Conte electing for a back-three, but with Romero facing a serious stint on the sidelines, the Italian is left with several players that he may not be able to trust.

He was already having to play a left-back in the middle and now he has to choose between the three centre-backs who played their part in Thursday’s embarrassing defeat to NS Mura to feature alongside Dier and Davies.

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An injury-prone Bailly is far from the solution, with the Lilywhites in need of reliable quality to improve their terrible goal difference – they have the worst such record of any Premier League side ranked 16th or above.

“My only issue with Eric Bailly has always been his fitness, he can never stay fit. He’s always injured or a game away from an injury, and that’s a problem,” once claimed Red Devils legend Rio Ferdinand. “You don’t get that consistency of performance or get to know each other.”

Valued at just £9m and thought to be earning wages of around £80k-per-week at Old Trafford, the Ivory Coast colossus has missed a total of 99 matches since arriving in Manchester in £30m move from Villarreal back in June 2016.

When he has been on the pitch, he has very rarely delivered.

“He’s a rash defender and he seems like he’s always got a mistake in him,” suggested Trevor Sinclair on talkSPORT in recent weeks. “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks and the ship has sailed for Bailly. He’ll never be the composed defender Man United need.”

The Hotspur Way faithful should be hugely worried by the prospect of wasting money on the 27-year-old flop at the turn of the year.

Therefore, a move for Bailly in January would seem like a disaster waiting to happen for Conte and co. They must steer clear of him at all costs, as there are much better and more suitable options out there.

AND in other news, Antonio Conte could repeat Cesc Fabregas trick with “unplayable” Spurs star…

Yesterday, Virender Sehwag shot from the hip and today Sachin Tendulkar used the weight of his reputation to deflect hard questions on Sehwag’s statement

Sriram Veera in Chittagong17-Jan-2010The Test is just a day old but already the press conferences have been mighty interesting and generated quite a bit of heat. Yesterday, Virender Sehwag shot from the hip and today Sachin Tendulkar used the weight of his reputation to deflect hard questions on Sehwag’s statement.Even before the day’s play ended, the talk, among the reporters, was who would field questions from India. Would it be Sehwag or would they send coach Gary Kirsten to diffuse the situation. The intensity was crackling, but it progressively lessened even before Tendulkar neared the end.After a few minutes of gentle questions about the day’s play, the first salvo was fired. What do you have to say about Sehwag’s statement about Bangladesh having an “ordinary” bowling attack? Tendulkar’s face muscles tightened as he peered out at the questioner and said, “He [Sehwag] said it. You have to go and ask him. I won’t be answering questions of that kind.” Silence, murmurs and more gentle questions followed.As you would expect, someone returned to the topic of Sehwag. Do you think he was wrong in what he said? A grim Tendulkar looked annoyed, or at least feigned annoyance, and said, “Let’s move on to the next one”.Had it not been a big player like Tendulkar, one suspects that the press would have grilled or asked more questions. Tendulkar didn’t want to talk about it and, for the lack of a better phrase, knew exactly when and how to throw his weight.There was to be one last attempt on the issue. This time, the name of Sehwag was averted, but the essence was retained. Do you think Bangladesh can take 20 wickets? Tendulkar simply offered, “That we have to wait; it’s too early to say now.”Tendulkar, though, did give credit to Bangladesh, when he perceived the questions weren’t loaded. “Bangladesh exploited the conditions quite well. It took a long while [for the pitch] to dry and it’s still slightly damp. They bowled well. No one tries to play a shot to get out. The game is not over yet, there is a long way to go.”Enter Shakib Al Hasan. So far he has maintained a dignified silence on Sehwag’s statements. All that he offered yesterday was, “That’s his comments. I can’t say anything.”Today, he also refused to paint the performance as revenge. “I don’t really think we discussed it [Sehwag’s statements] at any point. Our main target was to bowl the correct lines and lengths, and we did it. The fielders supported us and though we missed two chances, we bowled well against a good batting side. As I said earlier, they can always mistakes. If we bowl at the right areas, they are bound to make mistakes.”There was no false praise about Shahadat Hossain’s bowling, but there was due acknowledgment of the context in which the fast bowler performed and what this meant for his confidence. “It’s good that he got wickets. This is his comeback game and it’s very crucial that he got some wickets. Yes, he didn’t bowl that well and the other two [Shafiul Islam and Rubel Hossain] were better but he [Shahadat] can bowl much better than this. Good luck to him for getting wickets on his comeback. He deserved a five-for but we dropped a catch.”Shakib also marshalled his resources well today; he shuffled his bowlers, never gave Shahadat a long spell and, interestingly, kept himself on unchanged for a long time. “There was some moisture and the ball was gripping. So I kept myself continuing at the one end. As for Shahadat, we [the bowling coach, coach Jamie Siddons and Shakib] decided to use him in short bursts. As for changing him after the first over, I just felt that Rubel will be better on the wicket as he was quicker.”Shakib was the one who took out Sehwag and let out a scream of joy, but all he said on that reaction was: “I was just excited. When you bowl big players from bigger teams and get a wicket, you will be always more happy.” Perhaps, the fact that he didn’t say much on Sehwag, said everything.

Football fans are the most loyal customers in the world. From purchasing new kits to following their team’s Europa League campaign in an obscure country, fans spend a lot of money on the beautiful game. Gaming has been another area where supporters are regularly spending time and money on their beloved clubs, perhaps by managing the team on specific releases or by scoring a belter with a club legend.

Over the years, the football gaming genre has been blessed with some truly memorable releases. These days, the sophisticated offering in this space has progressed massively, with an appetite for football games being firmly established given the success of past masterpieces. In the modern-day, fans are regularly changing their Premier League fantasy football squads in the lead up to Saturday’s big kick-off, while others are combining their love of football and online slot games in football-themed slots like Microgaming’s 11 Champions. Then there are graphically advanced and highly sophisticated offerings like FIFA 21 and Football Manager 2021. These types of creations wouldn’t be so popular today if it wasn’t for a selection of iconic titles which came before. That’s exactly why our focus is on some truly classic releases of old, which helped shape the football gaming landscape of today. Below is a look at some of the best of them.

FIFA Street (2012)

Available on PS3 in 2012, FIFA Street served up a feast of five-a-side action as players battled it out with some of the world’s biggest stars in a truly epic skill-off. Frankly crazy tricks were on show in what was a truly entertaining release to tuck into, although failure was a certainty if you failed to master the nifty footwork and sharp passing which was required to batter your friends. After all, solid defensive work and a well-oiled unit doesn’t really win you a futsal game.

Rocket League (2015)

Rocket League isn’t a football title as such, but it was clearly inspired by it. Like football, but instead of players the game features cars, Rocket League’s sports/driver hybrid registered massive success when it was released. So much so, in fact, that it is now a popular esport and has a big following behind it. A chaotic football release, players aim to outscore their opponents by charging the ball into the net. Full of jammy deflections and crashing tackles, Rocket League is a blast to play.

Sensible World Of Soccer (1994)

(Image via https://twitter.com/jeffsayhi)

 The ultimate top-down football game, Sensible World Of Soccer is fondly remembered by many football fans. Its banana-shaped bullet strikes and superhuman saves added to what was a chaotically beautiful release for its time. The Amiga game was arguably ahead of its time, too, featuring 24,000 players and 1,500 teams. Impressive.

Championship Manager: Season 01/02 (2001)

 Football management games are extremely popular these days, and their success is surely down to former masterpieces like Championship Manager: Season 01/02. Released in 2001 on PC, Sports Interactive’s management release was massive. Players picked the team, unearthed gems like Tonton Zola Moukouko in foreign territories, and experienced the highs and lows of being a football manager. The drama-packed text commentary was a beautiful touch, too.

Pro Evolution Soccer 6 (2006)

The Pro Evolution versus FIFA debate will rumble on for years to come, but there is no doubting just how enjoyable Pro Evolution Soccer 6 was. With the ability to score from virtually anywhere with Adriano or make the most of some intelligent off-the-ball movement from Andriy Shevchenko, Pro Evo 6 paved the way for so many of the popular titles we see today. Konami absolutely nailed this one.

In an effort to find a solution to widespread press concerns regarding the coverage of IPL 2010, the News Media Coalition has called upon the authorities “to avoid alienating the international news media community”

Cricinfo staff17-Feb-2010In an effort to find a solution to widespread press concerns regarding the coverage of IPL 2010, the News Media Coalition (NMC), which reached a compromise agreement with the IPL for last year’s competition in South Africa, called upon the tournament’s organisers “to avoid alienating the international news media community”.”The terms on offer from the IPL raise serious issues of press freedom including the ability to inform the public with topical information and the legitimate distribution of news content for editorial publications,” a statement from the body read. “The current wording will serve to act as a barrier to coverage by some media. This can only result in the loss of opportunities for cricket fans internationally to share in this news spectacle through the opinions and eyes of independent journalists and photographers working for publishers worldwide through the network of agencies and newspaper syndication services.”Indian news broadcasters have decided not to cover the third season in protest against “arbitrary” guidelines and contentious clauses regarding tournament footage. The decision, taken yesterday, followed a meeting between the News Broadcasters’ Association (NBA) and officials of the IPL and Set Max, the channel holding the broadcast rights for the tournamment.The NBA, which has 34 member channels, said the IPL and Set Max officials “arbitrarily” refused to abide by the 2008 norms, which had been agreed on by all.The media coverage guidelines for 2010 have reduced the duration of match footage that news channels can carry — 30 seconds per bulletin and seven minutes a day. Repeats will be allowed three times a day, as against four previously, and while match footage could earlier be telecast with a five-minute delay from the end of the live telecast, it has been expanded to a half-hour delay.The first IPL season was boycotted by the international news agencies over certain contentious clauses in the media accreditation guidelines, including a bar on supplying photographs to cricket-specific websites such as Cricinfo.The second season witnessed a repeat after NMC, the umbrella body that includes global news and photograph agencies Reuters, AP, AFP and Getty Images, objected over the same clause. However, the boycott was lifted after the IPL removed the clause from the terms of coverage.The NMC hoped for a similar move from the tournament organisers this time as well and sought the media terms for the IPL 2010 to reflect the agreement for the second edition.” In particular they [news organisations] would wish the IPL to remove those aspects of the terms and conditions which seek to define news platforms that are acceptable to the IPL in terms of their ownership and/or the scope of their business operations,” the statement said. “This would mean reinstating 2009 wording which sought to deal with IPL concerns about what the IPL felt were rogue operators, many of whom the IPL acted against.”We believe the language presents an excessive limitation on the free flow of information such as journalistic photography through legitimate distribution chains and is therefore damaging to press freedom. For many news organisations it is not feasible, nor in accord with their founding principles, to distinguish between legitimate customers.”It may be that alternative wording which mirrors the sentiments of the 2009 agreement could be found and we look forward to hearing a positive response on this. There are other concerns, particularly as regards the imposition of updating quotas, which also need reconsideration.”

As per Mundo Deportivo, there has been an update on Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye Dembele move…

After Spurs recorded pre-tax losses of around £80.2m for the last financial year, taking their overall debt to £706m (The Guardian), it’s little surprise to see transfer chief Fabio Paratici and manager Antonio Conte targeting free agents.

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The likes of Franck Kessie and Lorenzo Insigne are just two other names who have recently been linked with Spurs and could leave their clubs on a pre-contract in 2022.

Another player who’s been linked, and perhaps one of the biggest names to be mentioned, is France international Dembele, whose current deal also expires at the end of this season.

90min first claimed that Tottenham had joined the race for his services, with Mundo Deportivo now providing an update.

The Latest: Spurs have ‘offer’ of signing-on bonus…

As per their information, Spurs are one of three clubs to have the ‘offer’ of a signing-on bonus at the ready should Dembele decide to leave Catalonia.

Manchester United and Newcastle are the other two contenders who can gift the 24-year-old this incentive as both the player and his agent run out of time to make a decision.

It is said that the ‘ultimatum’ Barcelona gave Dembele ‘reaches it’s last days’, with the winger now expected to respond to their proposal of an extension.

The Verdict: Interesting times ahead…

The £210,000-per-week forward would be an eyebrow-raising addition for Conte in more ways than one.

On top of his lucrative salary demands, Dembele’s history of severe hamstring problems doesn’t exactly bode well for any club interested in signing the attacker.

His obvious ability is undeniable, with former Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman recently calling him ‘fantastic’ following a return to form, but it’s arguable that the finances involved and his unreliable fitness record make this a risky move for Tottenham.

Pundit Carlton Palmer certainly agrees, telling This is Futbol: “The way that recruitment of players is done now and the in-depth analysis of players and their game time and their injuries and the type of money that Dembele would be commanding, I think it would be a crazy signing.”

We wholeheartedly agree with the former England international and suggest that Spurs avoid this one.

In other news: Talks ongoing: Spurs in contact to sign ‘incredible’ £29.9m, club open to temporary deal, find out more here.

Phillip Hughes found a crucial time to score his second Sheffield Shield century of the season as he gave New South Wales a chance to stay in the game

Cricinfo staff14-Feb-2010New South Wales 225 & 4 for 253 (Hughes 149, S Smith 69*) lead Victoria 418 (McDonald 120, Rogers 80*, Wade 53) by 60 runs
ScorecardPhillip Hughes was in charge until the last over of the day•Getty ImagesPhillip Hughes found a crucial time to score his second Sheffield Shield century of the season as he gave New South Wales a chance to stay in the game. After Victoria took a 193-run lead on first innings, Hughes starred in the reply with 149 as the Blues reached 4 for 253 at the end of the third day.Hughes’ form has been patchy throughout the season and he has split with his manager, so it was a welcome contribution as he struck 23 fours and a six during his 170-ball occupation. New South Wales were heading for an outright defeat at 3 for 35, but Hughes found a partner in Steven Smith (69) and the young pairing moved the Blues ahead. They put on 194 at five an over for the fourth wicket, with Hughes falling in the last over, and had a buffer of 60 at stumps.Andrew McDonald sealed first-innings points for Victoria on the way to his 120 and got strong help from Matthew Wade (53) before Chris Rogers extended the advantage. Rogers was sick with a virus over the first two days but showed his strength during an unbeaten 80 that took the Bushrangers to 418. Josh Hazlewood and Trent Copeland gained three wickets each and will probably need some more on the final day to hold up the hosts.

Wolverhampton Wanderers centre-forward Fabio Silva could be on his way out of Molineux in January.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Tim Spiers, with The Athletic journalist revealing in a recent Q&A that, as long as Jeff Shi can bring in a replacement during the January transfer window, the 19-year-old striker will leave the Premier League club on a temporary basis.

Speaking about the short-term future of the Portugal U21 international, Spiers said: “Heading for a loan in January if they can bring in a replacement.”

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how much potential Fabio Silva quite clearly possesses, the news that Wolves are looking to loan the centre-forward out this winter, in addition to bringing a new striker into the club, is sure to have left fans buzzing.

Indeed, Wolves broke their transfer record to secure the £35.6m signing of the teenager in the summer of 2020, with Shi appearing to be incredibly excited by his side’s acquisition of the youngster, stating upon his arrival: “Our recruitment team have been watching Fabio since he played for Portugal U16s.

“They feel he has always been the best number nine coming through his age group anywhere in Europe. Fabio is a young player who shows not only incredible technical ability but also his game intelligence for a player of his age is top class.”

However, despite the club’s high hopes for the £22.5m-rated man’s development, Fabio Silva has so far started just 11 Premier League games in his Wolves career – making a further 33 appearances from the bench – scoring four goals and registering three assists along the way.

As such, in order to further the 19-year-old’s development in the professional game, a loan away from Molineux would indeed appear to be an extremely wise move by the club – allowing the youngster to enjoy a great deal more first-team minutes, while simultaneously bringing a new forward into the club who is perhaps more Premier League ready than the Portuguese starlet currently is.

In other news: Forget MGW: Fosun could solve huge Wolves’ problem with £27m-rated “freak of a talent”

As per reliable journalist Matt Law of The Telegraph, a transfer development has now come out of Tottenham Hotspur involving Wolverhampton Wanderers star Adama Traore.

The Lowdown: Spurs knocked back…

Sources indicate that this isn’t the first time Spurs, chairman Daniel Levy and managing director Fabio Paratici have held an interest in Traore with a last minute summer attempt already reported.

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According to another reliable journalist, David Ornstein of The Athletic, Paratici actually had a last gasp bid for the forward turned down during the last transfer window.

Despite the presence of ex-Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo at the time, Tottenham couldn’t manage to pull off a last minute coup for the Portuguese who was later dismissed from the N17 helm.

Now, with the Antonio Conte era well underway, it appears a development has come to light as Spurs keep Traore very much in their sights.

The Latest: Spurs eyeing Traore move…

According to Law’s sources, Tottenham are still eyeing the Spaniard for Conte ahead of January alongside well-known target Dusan Vlahovic.

It is believed that Conte is also ‘set to talk’ to Levy and Paratici about the January window ‘in the coming days’ as this report lifts the lid on a scheduled meeting with the Spurs chairman and chief transfer operator.

The Verdict: Golden opportunity?

As the Italian coach enters discussions with Levy and his national counterpart over a crucial next month ahead, we believe a swoop for Traore could fit the bill judging by his watered down price tag and non-stop praise.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is a known admirer of the 25-year-old, calling him ‘unplayable’ back in 2020, while ex-Lilywhites gaffer Nuno lauded his former star more recently as ‘special’ and ‘unique’.

Players have also been left in awe of Traore whenever they have had the misfortune of coming up against him at his best, with former Newcastle defender Jetro Willems calling him a ‘beast’.

It is also believed that Wolves could now be willing to sell in January for around £30 million (90min), exactly half of his once reported £60 million valuation (The Sun).

As the Midlands outfit reportedly become more open to negotiating, this could be Tottenham’s golden opportunity to finally get a deal done.

In other news: Spurs in pole position to sign ‘perfect’ player for Conte after price tag drops by nearly half, find out more here.

Harbhajan Singh has been fined $15,000 for his outburst directed at batsman T Suman after dismissing him

Cricinfo staff29-Mar-2010Harbhajan Singh, who starred with bat and ball in Mumbai Indians’ victory over Deccan Chargers in the IPL fixture in Mumbai, has been fined $15,000 by match referee Gundappa Viswanath for his outburst directed at batsman T Suman after dismissing him.The sanction was confirmed by IPL chief executive Sundar Raman, through his twitter update shortly after the match. “Harbhajan fined USD 15K by the referee. Found guilty – level one offence. During Suman’s dismissal,” Raman’s twitter-feed read.Harbhajan was in his element in the match, smashing an 18-ball 49 to lift Mumbai to a good score, and then snaring three wickets to help them defend 172. Suman was dismissed caught and bowled by Harbhajan, after which the bowler gave him an invective-ridden send-off.Harbhajan later pleaded guilty to a Level 1 offence (Article 2.1.4), which relates to “excessively audible or repetitious swearing”, and Viswanath imposed the fine on him. For Level 1 breaches of the IPL Code of Conduct, the IPL match referee’s decision is final and binding.Harbhajan’s fine is the first disciplinary action taken on a player during this IPL. During the course of the tournament, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Kumar Sangakkara have been slapped with fines for the failure of their sides to complete their overs on time. Kings XI Punjab emerged as a repeat offender, as a result of which their captain Sangakkara was handed a one-match ban.

The Unicorns, a team made up of players without first-class contracts, have announced their squad for Clydesdale Bank 40, which starts April 25

Cricinfo staff13-Apr-2010The Unicorns, a team made up of players without first-class contracts, have announced their squad for Clydesdale Bank 40, which starts April 25.The squad has been whittled down from 200 players who were recommended to ECB in December, which became 40 and then 21 after a series of training sessions throughout the winter.The Unicorns have been drawn in Group A alongside Lancashire, Glamorgan, Somerset, Surrey, Sussex and Worcestershire, and will play each county twice with the top team guaranteed a place in the semi finals.Ahead of their first game against Surrey on May 2 at The Oval, the Unicorns recently played against a Worcester side and will have two final opportunities to prepare for the Clydesdale Bank 40, a practice match at Wormsley a game against a Kent XI on April 25.Gordon Child, Unicorns team manager, said: “The Unicorns squad is a balance of youth and experience and we are very much looking forward to competing in the Clydesdale Bank 40. For the younger players aspiring to play first-class cricket this is an opportunity to learn from their more experienced team mates and really test themselves and understand the attributes needed to succeed at this level. It will be a real challenge for the squad but preparations are going well ahead of our first game against Surrey.”Unicorns Jahed Ahmed, Arfan Akram, Christopher Brown, David Burton, Wesley Durston, Ned Eckersley, Carl Greenidge, Neil Hancock, Mark Hardinges, Stephen Humble, Joshua Knappett, Thomas Mees, Christopher Murtagh, Michael O’Shea, Sean Park, Keith Parsons, Christopher Peploe, Richard Querl, Zoheb Sharif, Duncan Snell, Jackson Thompson.