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An update has emerged on Rangers centre-back Leon Balogun, regarding Steven Gerrard’s thoughts on the defender.

What’s the talk?

According to The Scottish Sun, the Gers boss is be keen to keep Leon Balogun at the club beyond the end of the season.

The report states that Balogun is out of contract at the end of the campaign, but he has won over Gerrard’s trust and could be handed an extension.

Gerrard loves him

Ibrox chief Ross Wilson must make a key decision by offering Balogun a contract to remain at Ibrox beyond the end of the 2021/22 campaign. He must now allow the central defender to depart on a free transfer as he still has plenty to offer and could be a valuable player for Gerrard moving forward.

Whilst there is speculation circling around Gerrard’s own future at Rangers, he is still contracted to the club and we can only assume that he will be the head coach heading into next season as it stands. This is why signing Balogun to a new deal could be a shrewd move, as he is a player the ex-Liverpool man loves.

Earlier this year, Gerrard lauded the defender as he admitted that he wanted Balogun to sign a contract extension, which he later did. The manager said:

“Leon is someone we want to keep hold of. He knows that and he is performing so well.

“He signed a contract with an option of an extension and we want him to be here beyond this season.

“Leon knows he is wanted here. I think he’s enjoying it, he’s playing with a smile on his face.

This, along with the aforementioned report stating Gerrard’s trust in the £14k-per-week defender, shows that Balogun is loved by the manager and that is why he must be handed another extension by Wilson.

He has shown on the pitch this season that he still has quality to offer.

Balogun has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.20 in the Premiership and 7.25 in the Europa League, with Rangers keeping three clean sheets in his six league appearances.

This shows that he can still perform to a high standard for the Gers and Wilson must please Gerrard by getting the Nigerian international to put pen to paper.

AND in other news, Rangers may be set for big boost after Gers news, Gerrard will be elated…

Christian Benteke says ‘there were some contacts’ with other clubs before he committed his future to Crystal Palace. 

The lowdown

It was confirmed at the beginning of June that Benteke had signed a new two-year deal following the expiry of his previous contract. He’s said to be pocketing £120,000-per-week at Selhurst Park.

Benteke joined the Eagles back in 2016 for a fee of £28.08million and has gone to score 33 goals in 150 appearances.

He finished as Palace’s second-highest scorer in the Premier League last season, with his tally of 10 goals bettered only by Wilfried Zaha (11).

The Belgian has started two of Patrick Vieira’s four competitive matches in charge, registering an assist in the 2-2 draw with West Ham United prior to the international break.

The latest

Speaking to native publication Sport Magazine, Benteke admitted he ‘thought about’ moving on as the end of his deal approached.

Ultimately, though, he chose to stay put, in part because he’s so settled in the area.

“In January we started thinking about leaving,” he said. “Then I had a long talk with the coach [Roy Hodgson] and he told me he couldn’t guarantee that I would play 90 minutes every game, but he added that he was counting on me.

“I decided to fight back and keep working hard. And I’m glad it paid off.

“I thought about it and there were some contacts. But I have taken many factors into account. My first argument, separate from the conversation I had with the chairman, was my physical readiness.

“I also wanted to stay here for family reasons, as my children have been attending school in London for a few years now. I was happy to be able to maintain some sort of stability.”

The verdict

It remains to be seen whether Benteke has made a wise decision. Palace have now brought in fresh blood up front in the form of £14million Odsonne Edouard.

Significantly, he’s believed to be better suited to Vieira’s preferred style of play.

Benteke may now find starting opportunities hard to come by and be forced to settle for cameos from the bench. The manager could look to him to ask different questions of defenders if plan-A doesn’t come off.

In other news, Palace wanted to sign this defender in the summer.

Leicester City will be hoping to end a two-game losing streak in the Premier League when they host Burnley at the King Power Stadium this afternoon.

The Foxes bounced back from consecutive defeats to Manchester City and Brighton with a 2-0 victory over Millwall in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

Building on that momentum is the task facing Brendan Rodgers’ charges when the Clarets pay them a visit, and a significant injury boost could help them to do just that.

Rodgers confirmed in Friday’s press conference that centre-back Jonny Evans is available for selection, giving Leicester renewed hope of securing all three points.

With that in mind, here’s how Football FanCast expects the 48-year-old to line up against Burnley, with six changes from the side which won in midweek…

The virtually ever-present Kasper Schmeichel will return to his usual sport between the sticks after backup ‘keeper Danny Ward was given his first appearance of the season against Millwall.

In defence, a back four of Ryan Bertrand, Caglar Soyuncu, Jannik Vestergaard and Ricardo Pereira should start despite Evans’ return to action, allowing the 33-year-old time to recover properly.

The engine room will have a familiar feel to it, with Wilfried Ndidi and Youri Tielemans forming the heart of the Leicester midfield.

Ahead the dynamic pair is set to be an exciting forward line. Summer signing Ademola Lookman could keep his place in the starting XI after scoring last time out, replacing the £3.6m-rated Marc Albrighton on the right wing.

Harvey Barnes will take up his usual occupancy on the left flank, while Kelechi Iheanacho will provide support to lone striker Jamie Vardy.

In other news… Forget Iheanacho: “Incredible” Leicester beast who won 8 duels ran the show against Millwall 

MatériaMais Notícias

Você lembra qual foi a última vez em que o Fluminense saiu de campo sem sofrer gols? Neste Brasileirão, nenhuma. Desde o dia 22 de abril, há quase dois meses, quando venceu o Vasco na semifinal do Carioca, a equipe de Abel não sabe o que é passar 90 minutos com a defesa intacta. Nesta noite, às 21h45, o Tricolor pode encerrar a sequência negativa de 13 jogos diante do lanterna Avaí, pior ataque da competição. O site do LANCE! transmite a partida em tempo real.

​Jogando fora de casa, a fragilidade da defesa é ainda mais evidente. A última partida sem sofrer gols como visitante foi no dia 12 de março, contra o Boavista, em Bacaxá, pela Taça Rio. Porém, a Ressacada não tem intimidado os adversários: o Avaí só fez dois gols em casa neste Brasileirão – e apenas um fora. Ou seja, marcaram apenas em três das oito partidas até agora.

Para Henrique, capitão e titular absoluto, os desfalques e mudanças na escalação influenciam no mau momento da defesa. Metade do time que chegou a ficar sete jogos sem sofrer gols na Taça Guanabara não segue entre os titulares.

– Muda o campeonato, muda o time, é difícil. Ficamos um tempo sem tomar gol no começo do ano e perdemos aquela base pelas lesões que estamos enfrentando. Os jovens estão bem, estamos tentando acertar e no caminho certo – defende o zagueiro, que cita a defesa como um conjunto.

– O sistema ofensivo são os onze, e o sistema defensivo são os onze também. Logo as coisas vão se acertar.
​

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Cricinfo takes a look at the results from round one of New Zealand’s 2008-09 domestic State Championship

Cricinfo staff20-Nov-2008Captain Matthew Bell led from the front as Wellington crushed Canterbury by an innings and 42 runs at Basin Reserve. His 146, along with Luke Woodcock’s all-round effort, condemned the defending champions to their second defeat in the competition: they had lost to Auckland in the tournament opener. Rain meant a delayed start, but Bell hit a rapid 88 on day one to make up for lost time. He brought up his 18th first-class ton on the second day. James Franklin (69) and Luke Woodcock (58) also contributed to Wellington’s score of 428. A toothless display followed from Canterbury in their first innings. Franklin and Jeetan Patel picked up three wickets apiece. They did not fare better in the second innings after Wellington enforced the follow-on. Essex allrounder Graham Napier took three wickets, and Woodcock ran through the bottom half as Wellington gained sweet revenge for their defeat in the 2007-08 State Championship final.Even rain on the final day could not prevent Auckland from crashing to a 138-run defeat against Central Districts in Napier. Brad Patton was clearly the star for the hosts, playing the anchor role in the first innings and bringing up his maiden first-class century in the second. Put in to bat, Central Districts ended on 213, riding on Patton’s 57. However, Ewen Thomson’s 5 for 57 on the second day ensured the lead stayed with the visitors. Auckland were reduced to 42 for 6 in reply, but some late hitting then from Auckland’s lower order, notably Steven Croft (59), ensured they reached 207. Patton then stroked a well-made 142. He was involved in a 106-run partnership with Timothy Weston, and then added 93 with captain Matthew Sinclair. Central Districts were finally all out for 335 on third day, and soon had Auckland reeling at 159 for 6 by stumps. Scott Styris’ 71 the previous day failed to inspire his team-mates as Brent Hefford ran through the Auckland lower order on day four. He finished with 3 for 48 as the opposition were dismissed for 203.Otago had to be content with first-innings points against Northern Districts in Dunedin. They restricted Northern Districts to 275 after opting to field. Kane Williamson’s 82 was the stand-out performance with the bat. The 18-year-old hit seven fours and a six in his 139-ball innings. Craig Cumming was the star during Otago’s turn to bat. His 72-run partnership with Neil Broom (54) helped the hosts finish just two runs ahead. Trent Boult picked up 5 for 53 – his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket. By the time Northern Districts came out to bat the second time, early on the fourth day, it was too late to force a result. Neil Wagner picked up 3 for 32 as the visitors finished on 181 for 7.

Wellington 1 1 0 00 0 8 2.772 428/8 386/20 Central Dist 1 1 0 00 0 8 1.337 548/20 410/20 Auckland 2 1 1 00 0 8 0.938 983/40 1048/40 Otago 1 0 0 01 0 2 1.147 277/9 456/17 Northern Dis 1 0 0 01 0 0 0.872 456/17 277/9 Canterbury 2 0 2 00 0 0 0.620 886/40 1001/28

The forthcoming India-Australia Test series is a refreshing antithesis to the recent trends in world cricket. There is a gradually increasing sense of anticipation around it that the shorter, and the more popular, forms of the game lose out on.The week leading up to the series, which can lay claims to have displaced the Ashes and India v Pakistan as the prime rivalry in Test cricket, has seen the anticipation gain more pace. Not for nothing is this series hyped, according to MS Dhoni. “The hype has a lot to do with what happened when they came to India [in 2004-05]: they did well here in the Test matches,” Dhoni said. “And again the hype was created when we went there and we played well.”There was a good game of cricket, and people expect that [again] and that’s why all the hype is created. Both are top-ranked teams and we are a side that play really well. We have really done well at home, people expect good, competitive cricket as well as some aggression on the field. That’s why there are so many expectations about an India-Australia series.”Dhoni said, though, that this was more than just a grudge series, notwithstanding what might have happened in the past. “Rather than getting desperate and wanting to settle scores out there, it is better to take it match by match, do our goals day by day and session by session, play consistent cricket over the five days,” he said. “It’s not about settling things because in that case you get desperate and that can affect your game.”That Australia have no established spinner in their side, and none of their bowlers have been involved in a Test in India before, should make the hosts the more favoured side going into the series, but Dhoni said they were not underestimating the Australians. “People are saying that [about the lack of experience in the Australian side], but the main thing is to play good cricket over a period of time,” he said. “It has nothing to do with either having experienced players in the side or not. Yes experience counts, but at the end of the day it’s all about being there on the field, putting your hand up and performing well. They have players who are talented.”On a personal front, Dhoni will be making a comeback to the Test team after he had opted out of the Sri Lanka series. And playing in Tests is a different feeling in many ways: for one, he doesn’t have to worry about captaining the side. “You don’t lose hair, there is less pressure, but as a wicketkeeper you have to assist the captain as you can give inputs,” he said at the end of the second day of the pre-series camp at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.At the camp today, the focus shifted from fitness and fielding to nets. The 13 players were divided into groups of seven and six, each comprising two pace bowlers and a spinner. The first ball of the session was bowled by Munaf Patel to Virender Sehwag; the two had an altercation in the recent Irani Cup match. They were opponents then, and team-mates now.The batsman went in twos: one faced the India bowlers, the other the nets bowlers on the adjoining strip, and then interchanged. Sehwag-Rahul Dravid, and VVS Laxman-Mohammad Kaif were the two batting pairs in the first session.After facing the bowlers, the pairs moved to the other set of nets where one of them faced the bowling machine, while the other, in the most interesting exercise of the day, had to pit their skills against tennis serves from the coach Gary Kirsten, after which they would interchange. Kirsten would literally serve a ball that looked like a tennis ball but was harder, the ball would either bounce awkwardly into the ribs or – if there was some slice put to it – swing away prodigiously.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for West Ham United forward Jarrod Bowen this summer as manager Jurgen Klopp looks to strengthen his forward line.

What’s the story?

The Reds were first credited with an interest in the versatile 24-year-old last month by The Athletic’s James Pearce, and now The Mirror’s David Maddock has substantiated those claims.

Maddock has stated (as relayed by The Anfield Buzz Twitter account) that Liverpool could sign Bowen before the end of the current transfer window, adding some much-needed firepower to Klopp’s first team squad.

Jurgen Klopp would love him

After bagging 52 goals in 117 Championship appearances for Hull City, Bowen earned a move to the Premier League in January 2020 when the Hammers splashed out £20m to secure his services.

During his time at the London Stadium, the stocky winger has impressed with his stamina and incredible work rate, assets which would make him an ideal fit for Klopp’s unique gegenpressing system.

With fringe players Xherdan Shaqiri and Divock Origi rumoured to be heading for the Anfield exit door, the enigmatic German is believed to be in the market for another attacking option this summer.

As the 20-time English champions are working with a limited transfer budget, Bowen could be a decent value for money option.

Klopp would surely love his pressing ability, playing style and versatility, even if some doubts remain surrounding his quality on the ball.

Despite Bowen finding the back of the net on a regular basis in the Championship, he has struggled somewhat to replicate his form in front of goal in the Premier League. A return of nine goals and ten assists in 53 appearances for West Ham is a respectable return, but not one expected of a Liverpool player brought in to fire them back to the top-flight summit.

However, the £27m-rated maestro has plenty of potential and Klopp could be the ideal manager to mould him into a ruthless goalscorer at the highest level.

It remains to be seen whether Liverpool’s director of football Michael Edwards makes a concrete offer for Bowen, but with the resources available, he could be an astute purchase perfectly suited to Klopp’s demands.

In other news… James Pearce reveals transfer update which will leave Liverpool fans gutted

A potentially worrying update has emerged regarding the future of Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba.

What’s the story?

The France international has been heavily linked with a move to Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain throughout the summer after entering the final year of his contract with United.

However, the shock arrival of six-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi at the Parc des Princes meant that PSG were no longer able to finance a move for Pogba in the current transfer window.

Now, according to The Independent’s chief football writer Miguel Delaney, the Ligue 1 club are willing to pay Pogba a whopping €600,000 (£510,000) per week for the start of the 2022/23 season as they attempt to lure him away from his boyhood club. As it stands, the 28-year-old will be available on a free transfer at the end of the current season, and his preference is to leave Manchester.

Solskjaer will be absolutely fuming

Pogba came through the ranks at United after arriving in Manchester from Le Havre in 2009 but only made a handful of substitute appearances before departing for Juventus in 2012. After winning four Serie A titles and two Italian Cups during a four-year stint in Turin, the 6 foot 2 maestro returned to English shores in a then world-record £89m deal in 2016.

The Frenchman was expected to propel the Red Devils back to their former glory and inspire them to multiple major trophies, but things haven’t quite gone as planned. In 207 appearances for the Old Trafford outfit, Pogba has bagged 38 goals and laid on a further 46 assists for his teammates, winning the Europa League and EFL Cup along the way.

He has often been criticised for a lack of consistency and an apparent poor work ethic when on the pitch, although in truth United have hardly provided him with an environment built for success.

The Jose Mourinho era was a tough spell for players and fans alike, and the subsequent transitional period under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was just about undoing the damage that the controversial Portuguese coach had caused.

However, there’s now a very different feel about the 20-time English champions. Under their Norwegian, they’ve recorded consecutive top-four finishes in the Premier League for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.

The additions of Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane this summer could catapult United back into title contention for the first time since their legendary Scottish manager moved to the boardroom.

Pogba is also currently in the best form of his United career and has been produced top-class performances since last December. An incredible four assists on the opening day of the campaign against Leeds United over the weekend showcased his importance to the Red Devils.

Therefore, the possibility of losing him next summer will surely leave Solskjaer absolutely fuming. With the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea continuing to strengthen their squads, the Red Devils can’t afford to wave goodbye to one of their most influential and important stars.

In other news… “Still a chance”: Journo drops Man Utd transfer update that will leave fans excited 

If we really want to increase the number of players available for the national team and get guys into training, we need to do something about the drug problem in this country.We’ve heard more talk this week about the number of players not turning out for the national squad and as someone who has been around cricket my whole life I can tell you the biggest problem is marijuana. If we could stop people smoking weed we would have triple the amount of players available.It’s a serious social issue and it’s something we really need to address. If you can’t give up marijuana to play for your country and reach the pinnacle of your sport then you have a serious, serious problem.I know for a fact that there are a lot of players who won’t give up weed to play for their country. It’s crazy. Kids as young as 13 and 14 are getting hooked on it.If we invested money into educating people and stopping the country’s marijuana problem it would do more for sport than anything. We’ve had this problem for years and we have turned a blind eye to it but we can’t turn a blind eye any more because it’s right there in front of us every day.Every football match you go to, every cricket game you go to, you have the scent of marijuana.You can’t hide from it because it’s everywhere you go.The Bermuda Sun

The appointment of Patrick Vieira as manager could be a game-changer for Crystal Palace when it comes to signings, says former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer.

After missing out on the likes of Nuno Espirito Santo and Lucien Favre, Steve Parish and the rest of the Palace board turned to Vieira and decided to make the Frenchman Roy Hodgson’s successor.

Since then, the south London club have gone on to sign the likes of Conor Gallagher, who snubbed Palmer’s old side Leeds United in the process, and Joachim Andersen. And Palmer believes more players will be lured to Selhurst Park by Vieira’s presence.

Speaking exclusively to FFC about the Arsenal legend’s recent appointment, he said:

“It’s a game changer in terms of attraction. Who wouldn’t want to play for a legend of the game, Patrick Vieira?

“He was a phenomenal football player, phenomenal football player, so he will have huge pulling power for his name.

“I think it’s a good signing for Crystal Palace and it could be a good fit for Patrick Vieira.”

On top of Gallagher and Andersen, Palace have also brought in Marc Guehi from Chelsea, who is arguably one of the most promising centre-backs in the country right now, so this is turning out to be a really good transfer window for the Eagles.