West Ham United defender Ryan Fredericks has been criticised by members of the media today following his performance against Newcastle United in the Premier League.

The Lowdown: Moyes makes ‘odd’ call…

Irons boss David Moyes, rather than picking the in-form Ben Johnson for a spot at right-back, instead opted to start Fredericks against the visitors this afternoon.

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This team selection raised some question marks with critics even questioning the ‘odd’ decision given Johnson’s often brilliant league performances.

What followed was an outing in which Fredericks appeared to struggle as members of the media voiced their criticism of West Ham’s defender.

The Latest: Media criticise Fredericks…

Indeed, after being hooked by Moyes at half time following what some believed to be a ‘shambles’ display, journalists and celebrity West Ham figures alike all agreed this wasn’t the Englishman’s best day.

“Not a surprise to see Fredericks off at the break, on a yellow and struggling to keep Newcastle out down that side.” – Jack Rosser, The Evening Standard (Twitter).

“Bore off Fredericks. What a shambles of a first half he’s had.” – Evan Kenneth Jones, actor and former West Ham presenter (Twitter).

“Ben Johnson replaces Ryan Fredericks. No big surprise.” – Tom Clark, football.london reporter (Twitter).

“WHUFC haven’t been comfortable at any point in this first half and it’s a howler from Rice that allows Willock to equalise from close range. NUFC having great joy down Fredericks’ side and they deserve to be level.” – Toby Cudworth, 90min journalist (Twitter).

The Verdict: Correct

The numbers certainly suggest Fredericks had an off day.

According to SofaScore, the 29-year-old ranked in as one of West Ham’s worst-performing players on the day with a 6.3/10 and only completed 50% of his passes.

He also found success with none of his attempted crosses into the box and cut a largely ineffective figure in both an attacking and defending sense, leaving little wonder members of the media weren’t impressed.

In other news: Journalist: West Ham in strong position to sign ‘amazing’ player who club think is worth ‘£50m’, find out more here.

As per Sky Sports, some transfer news has come out of Tottenham Hotspur involving in-demand Wolverhampton Wanderers star Ruben Neves.

The Lowdown: Pochettino eyed 2018 move for Neves…

Journalist Adrian Kajumba, writing for The Daily Mirror at the time, revealed that former Spurs boss and fan favourite Mauricio Pochettino personally had Neves in his sights back in 2018.

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Indeed, the Argentine reportedly added Wolves’ star midfielder to his transfer wish list alongside other Portuguese internationals like Cedric Soares and Gelson Martins.

In the same year, reports suggested that the Molineux outfit would have demanded big money to let Neves leave, with Wolves apparently setting his valuation at ‘over £100 million’.

Now, as per Sky Sports, it appears that Tottenham have been eyeing him again this season as they aim to back manager Antonio Conte with fresh faces.

The Latest: Spurs in mix for Neves?

The big-name broadcaster, as written by their reporter Lyall Thomas, have claimed that Spurs ‘have also been interested in Neves this season’ alongside Manchester United.

This comes as Sky Sports also revealed that the 25-year-old is emerging as a top transfer target for north London rivals Arsenal.

The Verdict: Make a move?

Given the signing of Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus in January, not to mention the presence of other dependable central midfielders like Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp in their squad, a move for Neves shouldn’t be too hotly pursued by Spurs in the summer.

Tottenham arguably need a backup to star striker Harry Kane much more urgently, with The Athletic also stating that Conte’s major summer priority is a left-sided central defender.

Despite Neves being lauded as a ‘quality’ Premier League player by ex-Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips, the Lilywhites may have other priorities this summer, and we believe they should leave Pochettino’s one-time target alone.

In other news: Tottenham could strike imminent agreement to sign ‘magical’ £25m striker! Find out more here.

Former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Paul Robinson has urged Antonio Conte to make a big call over Villarreal loanee and Lilywhites outcast Giovani Lo Celso.

The lowdown: Wanted man

The 26-year-old midfielder joined La Liga side, Villarreal, in January on loan until the end of the season and has since played a part in helping Unai Emery’s men reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

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Lo Celso featured in all 180 minutes of the quarter-final triumph over Bayern Munich and has reportedly already done enough to earn a permanent switch to El Madrigal.

However, despite the murmurings of a potential swap deal involving Pau Torres, one ex-Spurs favourite still believes that the Argentinian has a career as a Lilywhite…

The latest: ‘More to give’

Robinson, who regularly features as a pundit for Sky Sports, has urged Conte to bring Lo Celso back to N17.

Speaking to Football Insider, he stated: “It is difficult when a manager doesn’t fancy you and then lets you go two or three weeks into his time there.

“Lo Celso is a player that I like. He has shown that he has defensive as well as attacking qualities. He isn’t afraid to stick a foot in and can play as a holding midfielder.

“I’m a big fan of his. You have to give Conte full control over his squad. He has been brought in to do a job. If he wants to move on Lo Celso you cannot question him.

“But I think he is a top player who has a lot more to give. For that reason, I’d like to see him get given another chance at Spurs.”

The verdict: Time up?

Signed for £27.2million from Real Betis (BBC), Lo Celso has flattered to deceive since joining Tottenham, scoring eight times and registering six assists in 84 appearances for the club whilst never truly nailing down a starting spot under Nuno Espirito Santo or Conte.

As the Italian manager and recruitment chief, Fabio Paratici, begin preparations for the summer window – it seems unlikely that the 38-cap Argentina ace is part of the long term plans moving forwards at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium having been cast aside in January.

Lo Celso’s mid-season departure made room for the arrival and subsequent impact of Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus as the Uruguayan has already eclipsed the nine Premier League outings managed by his fellow South American predecessor this term.

In other news: Tottenham legend lauds current Spurs regular, find out more here.

Ten high-quality fast bowlers in one squad seems a bit excessive for a state team, but it looks like New South Wales will need the full list this summer

Peter English21-Sep-2010Ten high-quality fast bowlers in one squad seems a bit excessive for a state team, but it looks like New South Wales will need the full list this summer. The Blues’ first game is still almost three weeks away and already half the contingent is either on Australian duty or injured.Josh Hazlewood’s back stress fracture forced his exit from the India tour on Saturday and allowed a standby call up for his team-mate Mitchell Starc. Doug Bollinger and Shane Watson are also on that trip while Nathan Bracken is recovering from knee surgery and hoping for a December return.The wise Stuart Clark, the part-time captain and attack mentor at 34, has seen this sort of situation before. “It’s always the issue, you start off with 10, and by about November 10 you’re struggling to find three, due to injury, attrition and playing for Australia,” he said. “There could be a situation where we have too many, but there’s every chance, as per usual, that bowlers are hard to come by.”When the season starts with a one-day game against South Australia on October 9, Clark will probably line up beside a couple of Brett Lee, Trent Copeland, Burt Cockley and Moises Henriques. Life will become more complicated in November when the Test players should be available for two Sheffield Shield fixtures before the Ashes.Copeland, a 24-year-old right-armer, raced to 35 wickets in his first five Shield games for New South Wales last year during an amazing streak that began with 8 for 92 on debut against Queensland. He is in his first full season as a contracted player and said state training had been a who’s who of Australian cricket over the past couple of weeks.He thinks the overall depth in bowling spurs on the players. “It’s good for the competition and competitiveness at training,” he said at the pre-season camp on the Sunshine Coast. “It’s no surprise New South Wales cricket is so strong, because there is competition for places, and it pushes guys to improve their skills.”However, there will still be times during the summer when the fast men are pigeon-holed as first-class or limited-overs players. Brett Lee has made that decision already following his retirement from white clothes last season, while Bracken could also head that way depending on how well his knee recovers from its latest operation.”There are some guys who are probably more suited to certain forms,” Clark said. “But I guarantee it will be all hands on deck for first of the game of the year, due to guys being with Australia and guys with injury. We’ll make these great predictions and they’ll be all useless by the start of the season.”Clark remains enthusiastic about being back on the domestic scene full-time following a disrupted summer last year, which followed the Ashes tour. He gained 12 wickets in five Sheffield Shield matches but missed a chunk of the season with a back injury.”I’m excited about playing cricket,” he said. “I still really want to play, still like going out to bat, bowl, field, run around, and play with the younger guys. There are no dramas there.”For the first time since he was elevated to the Australian squad in 2005 he has completed a proper pre-season. Most importantly for New South Wales, Clark is fit and available, unlike half of his fast bowling team-mates.

MatériaMais Notícias

Pela 8ª rodada do Paulistão, São Paulo e Santos se enfrentam no Morumbi, às 17h. Favorito no confronto, o time do técnico Dorival Júnior superou a desconfiança do início da temporada e vem de quatro vitórias seguidas, todas elas sem sofrer gols. Ainda em fase de formação, o Peixe venceu sua última partida no campeonato e vem motivado para o confronto.

O São Paulo é o líder do Grupo B do Paulistão, com 10 pontos ganhos. No meio da semana, o Tricolor passou pelo CSA, de Alagoas, e confirmou sua vaga na terceira fase da Copa do Brasil. Já o Santos, que encabeça o Grupo D do estadual com 11 pontos, não teve compromissos nos últimos dias e ficou treinando no CT Rei Pelé de olho no clássico.

Confira todas as informações da partida:

Local: Estádio do Morumbi, em São Paulo (SP)
Data-hora: 18/2/2018, às 17h
Árbitro: Raphael Claus
Assistentes: Emerson Augusto de Carvalho eAlex Ang Ribeiro
Onde ver: TV Globo, pay-per-view e Tempo Real do LANCE!

SÃO PAULO (T: Dorival Júnior)

RelacionadasVaivémMoisés, Victor Ferraz e Iniesta. Veja como foi o vaivém de sábadoVaivém17/02/2018SantosSantos adota cautela em exames de Dodô e adia anúncioSantos17/02/2018SantosSequência, assistências e estudo rival: Guedes é titular no clássicoSantos17/02/2018

Suspensos: Rodrigo Caio (3º Amarelo)
Pendurados: Petros
Lesionados: Morato

Santos (T: Jair Ventura)

Pendurados: Jean Mota
Desfalques: Braz (suspenso) Victor Ferraz (luxação no ombro), Bruno Henrique (lesão no olho direito)

PALPITES: Na redação do LANCE!, 100% dos jornalistas consultados acreditam que o confronto terminará empatado no Morumbi.

Newcastle United are reportedly ‘open’ to selling Allan Saint-Maximin in the summer.

The Lowdown: Contract disputes

As per 90min, the 25-year-old has been pushing for an extension to his contract at St James’ Park for much of the season, but Eddie Howe is ‘concerned’ about his wage demands.

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The Frenchman earns a reported £93,000 per week already in the northeast, and the Tyneside outfit are currently ‘unsure’ over giving him a significant rise in his salary, bearing in mind that he still has four years left on his contract.

The Latest: Premier League interest in Saint-Maximin

Taking to Twitter, transfer insider Graeme Bailey has expanded on his article, claiming that the Magpies are now ‘open’ to selling Saint-Maximin this summer, with both Wolves and Everton ‘interested’ in his signature.

He tweeted: “Newcastle open to Allan Saint-Maximin summer exit with Wolves interested.

“The French wing wizard still has over four-years left on his current deal, but he wants a pay-rise…to get one he might have to leave.”

The Verdict: Keep him

Saint-Maximin is simply far too important to Newcastle to let him go now, especially to a rival club in the Premier League.

The 25-year-old has played in best-performing players in the top flight.

Aside from his five goals and three assists, Saint-Maximin has also received no fewer than six Man-of-the-Match (MotM) awards, far more than any of his teammates, and no Newcastle player averages more shots, dribbles or through balls per match than him (WhoScored).

Therefore, the St James’ Park board simply have to sort out his contract situation and get him hungry for next term.

In other news, find out who NUFC are now considering selling in a swap deal

Leicestershire chairman Neil Davidson has accused coach Tim Boon and captain Matthew Hoggard of setting a poor example to the younger players at the club after the pair led calls for his resignation.As Cricinfo exclusively revealed, Boon and Hoggard, backed by the playing, ground and administrative staff allege that Davidson interferes in team affairs and has made the club unattractive to new players. However, following an emergency board meeting at Grace Road on Monday, and a private meeting with Hoggard, Davidson denies the charge and believes the actions have set a bad precedent.”I think really the way the senior coach unfortunately got the captain into this and the senior players is setting a very poor example to our fine young players about how they should behave at a cricket club,” Davidson told Sky Sports News. “I like Matthew immensely it but I don’t think he’s thought this one through. I think Matthew has found himself in a very difficult position. The current situation is unsustainable so we’ll see how it all pans out.”Hoggard later released a statement of his own insisting he had taken his action in the best interests of the club. “As coach and captain, Tim Boon and I believe we have a duty to bring matters of serious concern to our employer’s attention and we did this privately and confidentially in recognition that this was and remains a matter for the board of Leicestershire county cricket club.”We conveyed the sincere and deeply held views of the players and staff of the Club to the Board and asked them to act appropriately in light of those concerns. We continue to urge them to do so.”Leicestershire finished bottom of the second division of the County Championship last year and though they have fared better in first-class cricket under new captain Hoggard this season – winning five matches – Davidson believes the poor performances in limited-overs cricket demands his attention.”I don’t interfere on a week-to-week basis, day-to-day basis, it’s when we lose matches we should win and we lost all our home games in Twenty20 this year bar one which was rained off. We’ve won two CB40 games so far this season and we’ve lost twice to Scotland.”The performances just aren’t good enough and these are revenue-generating areas of the club and for a small county we can’t afford to underperform. We’ve got one of the best set of youngsters in the country and I’m raising questions about the ability of the management to get the best out of those players.”

بعث النجم الأرجنتيني ليونيل ميسي برسالة مُفعمة بالحماس قبل مباراة فريقه الأولى في كأس العالم قطر 2022.

ويفتتح منتخب الأرجنتين مبارياته في كأس العالم 2022 بمواجهة المملكة العربية السعودية غدًا الثلاثاء.

نشر ميسي عبر حسابه الرسمي على موقع “إنستجرام” مقطع فيديو يظهر رحلته بقميص الأرجنتين ما بين بطولات كأس العالم وكوبا أمريكا.

اقرأ أيضًا | تشافي: ميسي أفضل من مارادونا وبيليه بغض النظر عما إذا كان يفوز بكأس العالم أم لا

وكتب ميسي: “هناك الكثير من الذكريات والأوقات السعيدة وغير السعيدة التي عشت فيها، لكنني فخور دائمًا بتمثيل بلدنا وفريقنا الوطني”.

وأضاف: “نبدأ غدًا كأس عالم أخرى برغبة كبيرة وكل حلم، سنكون جميعًا معًا”.

وأشار ميسي في تصريحاته مؤخرًا إلى أن كأس العالم هذا قد يكون الأخير بالنسبة له وفرصته الأخيرة للتتويج باللقب الذي لم يرفعه في مسيرته على الإطلاق.

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Newcastle United are reportedly now eyeing up a summer move for Taiwo Awoniyi.

The Lowdown: Awoniyi having a ‘remarkable’ season

As per Bundesliga journalist Stefan Bienkowski, the Nigerian striker is having a ‘remarkable’ season at Union Berlin.

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He has scored no fewer than 17 goals and supplied a further four assists in 37 games across all competitions so far this term (Transfermarkt), so a number of clubs will no doubt be looking at him over the summer.

The Latest: Newcastle lurking for Awoniyi

As per Soccernet, sources close to Awoniyi have revealed that he is now ‘set’ for a move to the Premier League at the end of this campaign, but he has not yet decided who he would like to sign for.

Newcastle are joined by West Ham United and Southampton in having already ‘signified interest’ in the Nigeria international, and his departure is expected to be a record sale for Union.

They signed him for just €5m (£4.2m) last summer, so they could end up cashing in for a tidy profit.

Sources believe that Awoniyi has ‘unfinished business’ in English football after leaving Liverpool, where he was sent out on loan seven times before being sold without ever playing for the Reds.

The Verdict: Get it done

Currently rated at £13.5m by Transfermarkt, Newcastle could snap up Awoniyi for a tidy fee.

Given Callum Wilson’s injury problems, and with Chris Wood only finding the net twice since signing from Burnley in January, Eddie Howe could do with another option up top, and the Nigerian powerhouse would be perfectly suited to the pace and demands of the top flight.

Described as having ‘explosive power, a poacher’s instinct and cool head’ on the Bundesliga website, the 24-year-old could thrive on Tyneside, and of course he will have the extra motivation to show everyone what he can really do on these shores.

In other news, find out what amazing PIF claim this transfer insider has now dropped

Newcastle United reportedly now want to sign both Moussa Diaby and Benoit Badiashile in the summer.

The Lowdown: Busy summer

After the St. James’ Park faithful all but confirmed their safety in the Premier League by reaching 40 points after beating Crystal Palace at home 1-0, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) can now look to the summer for the next stage of their long-term project.

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Another three points on the board at Carrow Road on Saturday has seen the Magpies fly into ninth-place, and it’s easy to sense the excitement as we approach PIF’s second transfer window at the club.

They have been linked with some high-profile names already, including the likes of Darwin Nunez and Philippe Coutinho, as the North East club looks to go to the next level.

The Latest: Two more targets

Taking to Twitter, transfer expert Santi Aouna has revealed that the Tyneside outfit now want to sign Diaby and Badiashile from Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco respectively.

The latter’s price tag has already been set at €40m (£33.6m) by the Ligue 1 side, while Diaby’s price is unknown at this stage.

The Verdict: Sign both!

The Magpies have the money to spend, so they should be looking to get both players in.

One thing that they have in common is that they are lightning-quick, as Badiashile has been described as ‘very fast’ by Monaco Vice President Oleg Petrov, while the German media have previously hailed Diaby’s pace as ‘irresistible’.

Nonetheless, with strong rumours that Allan Saint-Maximin could leave the Toon, Eddie Howe will want to inject some more speed into his team, and these two would be perfect.

In other news, find out what ‘frustrating’ NUFC injury blow has now emerged here!