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Flocking to Twitter, these West Ham United have erupted over the latest news involving transfer target and Manchester United star Jesse Lingard.

A highly sought-after target for West Ham in the summer, manager David Moyes couldn’t sign him on a permanent deal after an impressive spell on loan over the second half of 2020/2021.

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The 28-year-old, electing to stay at Old Trafford and fight for his place under ex-boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, has cut a bit-part figure since then with speculation mounting over a possible move away in January.

His contract expires in 2022 and it is believed that new deal talks have stalled with many clubs now circling to sign the England international, including West Ham (ESPN).

Sharing the latest news, reliable club insider ExWHUemployee has made an enticing claim, revealing that early January transfer talks are expected to take place for the attacker (Patreon).

In a further boost, it is believed that Lingard still wants to leave mid-season despite speculation he could perform a U-turn after Solskjaer’s sacking.

However, there is also much competition for his signature and obstacles before a West Ham deal can be done.

West Ham fans erupt…

As a result of Ex’s transfer claim, these West Ham fans have been in full voice on social media – with the majority wanting Lingard to make his return to the London Stadium.

Over his spell with the Hammers, he thoroughly impressed with nine goals and four assists in 16 Premier League starts – briefly putting him back in contention for England’s Euro 2020 squad.

He was also described as the best top flight player on current form at one stage and ‘absolutely phenomenal’ by talkSPORT pundit Adrian Durham, highlight just how imperious he was under Moyes.

Taking this into account, it’s little wonder Irons supporters want a deal to be done – find all of their best reactions down below:

“all I want”

Credit: @ovo_forbes

“Need him back in Claret and Blue ASAP.”

Credit: @westhamtransfer

“Yes please”

Credit: @Steve54905755

“Get it done now”

Credit: @WHUFCUSA

“Shouldn’t be any messing about. I think people are starting to realise how much he brought to the team. 100% walks in the team atm”

Credit: @Huzi2k9

“GET IT DONE”

Credit: @west_ham_philly

In other news: Journalist hints West Ham may now be in pole position to sign ‘world class’ striker for Moyes, find out more here.

A hostile Mohammad Aamer and an inconsistent-but-smart Naved-ul-Hasan meant Sri Lanka just about avoided their worst-ever defeat in a home ODI

The Bulletin by Sidharth Monga09-Aug-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Opening salvos: Mohammad Aamer and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan took eight wickets between them•AFP

A hostile Mohammad Aamer and an inconsistent-but-smart Naved-ul-Hasan sent Sri Lanka crashing to what was very nearly their worst-ever ODI defeat at home. Naved earlier gave Pakistan’s total a boost with hefty hitting in the final overs, after Pakistan had threatened to let half-centuries from Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq go to waste. Sri Lanka however, took the series having already won the first three matches.This was also the 10th straight time that a side batting first won at the R Premadasa Stadium. It can’t be ascertained if it was just the conditions, but the Pakistan pace bowlers were way better than their Sri Lankan counterparts. Aamer and Naved got more movement, and demonstrated better control and variation.Aamer set the agenda with the first ball, a brute that injured Upul Tharanga’s middle finger. Even if the finger wasn’t broken, the spirit was as he played and missed at an away-swinger next. The third ball, short and climbing into Tharanga, duly produced the edge. Even before the returning Sanath Jayasuriya could cause any damage, Naved flummoxed him with a superb slower delivery, putting the onus squarely on Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara.They added 35 in 37 deliveries, targeting Naved, before the veteran bowler fooled Sangakkara too with a slower one. Even before Sri Lanka could recover from that blow, Jayawardene edged an angling delivery from Aamer, finishing the match – at 58 for 4 – for all practical purposes.Aamer and Naved, though, proceeded to take out whatever life remained in the contest. Aamer did away with Chamara Kapugedera and Angelo Mathews in his next two overs, while Naved came back to take out Nuwan Kaulasekara and Dammika Prasad. Kulasekara’s dismissal was a splendid effort by Misbah, diving forward at first slip, giving him his third catch of the innings. Aamer finished with a career-best effort and Naved reached 100 wickets in ODIs.Thilina Kandamby and Malinga Bandara delayed the inevitable, but the record for the highest successful chase at the Premadasa Stadium never really came under threat. That Pakistan got to that total was largely due to the responsible fifties from Younis and Misbah.After an 83-run stand between Younis and Misbah for the fourth wicket, Pakistan lost three quick wickets, making them reassess the total they aimed for, but Naved’s late hitting made sure they felt confident going into the defence.Throughout their disastrous tour Younis has spoken about the importance of partnerships. Today he was involved in three valuable ones. The first one started after the first ball of the match, when umpire Gamini Silva welcomed back Nuwan Kulasekara by missing a thick inside edge from Kamran Akmal, and giving Sri Lanka a bonus wicket.Younis was sedate to begin with, enjoying a ferocious start from Iman Nazir from the other end. Nazir, playing his second match since his comeback from the ICL, raced to 35 from 21 balls in the first seven overs, as Prasad’s first three overs went for 30. Sangakkara then took a gamble, bringing on Mendis in the eighth over. The Pakistan batsmen have been exceptional in playing Mendis, looking to play him straight as often as possible, but Nazir went to turn the second ball he faced from him to midwicket, paying the price as he was trapped plumb in front.Younis found the perfect partner in Mohammad Yousuf, who did the majority of the scoring in the 68-run third-wicket partnership. But by the time Yousuf fell for 43, Younis looked set to convert the slow start.Younis, 13 off 39 at one stage, had started accelerating and along with Misbah, who also started fluently, Younis threatened to take Pakistan past 300. It was a typical Younis knock – a slow start, an increase in the number of singles and doubles in the middle portions, and only a few boundaries. Without a flurry of hits to the fence, Younis got 37 off the next 32 balls he faced, to reach his second fifty in a row.If Younis was playing an ideal middle-order ODI innings, Misbah at the other end started to mirror him, rotating the strike with ease. His first boundary came off the 25th ball, but he had reached 19 by then. He looked to dominate against the spinners, Jayasuriya and Bandara, getting three boundaries, and by the time the ball was changed after 34 overs, Pakistan had reached 186 for 3. With the slightly newer ball, Sangakkara brought back Prasad.Younis’ fall to a yorker from Prasad was followed by two more quick wickets, at which point Misbah took control and set himself to bat through the innings. He got good support from Naved, who hit two huge sixes and a boundary in the batting Powerplay, also the last five overs of the innings. Naved scored 33 off 29, Pakistan got 46 in the last five, and Misbah finished with an unbeaten 73.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has revealed that Leeds United defender Junior Firpo has suffered an injury blow and is expected to be out for a “couple of weeks”.

What’s the story?

Marcelo Bielsa’s side signed the left-back from Spanish giants Barcelona in the summer, and he’s been thrust straight into the action in the Premier League, playing six out of the first six games and completing the full 90 minutes in the past four before this weekend.

Firpo was missing from the match-day squad against Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Southampton, and Hay has now delivered yet more bad news on the injury front for Bielsa and Leeds.

He said: “Firpo has a muscular problem. Expected to be out for a couple of weeks.”

Bielsa will be devastated

While Firpo may not have been a regular starter at the Camp Nou last season – he played just 18 times in all competitions – he is the kind of attacking left-back who seems to be a perfect fit for Bielsa’s Leeds.

In his real breakthrough season with Real Betis during the 2018/2019 campaign, Firpo managed three goals and four assists in La Liga, as well as averaging 0.8 shots, 0.8 key passes and 1.3 dribbles per game.

The fact he’s had a difficult start to life at Leeds, at a time where the team as a whole has been struggling it should be said, should not disguise the fact that he will take some time to settle in.

Perhaps more than any club in the Premier League, adjusting to things at Elland Road with Bielsa’s notoriously intense tactics and famed pressing is arguably the most difficult.

But aside from being without someone who could provide such an attacking outlet down the left-flank, Firpo’s injury is yet another to add to the list of growing issues for Bielsa on that front.

He’s already seen a number of first-team players fall prey to illness, injury and even the dreaded fatigue of the international break – something that saw Raphinha rushed back to England after playing for Brazil but then not even playing on Saturday.

Bielsa would have been desperately hoping for some respite with injuries, but instead, he’s got another to contend with. He’s sure to be devastated.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing this La Liga starlet…

Shahid Afridi has been named Pakistan captain for the Twenty20 game against Sri Lanka next month

Cricinfo staff29-Jul-2009As had been widely expected for some time, Shahid Afridi has been named Pakistan captain for the Twenty20 game against Sri Lanka next month. He takes over from Younis Khan, who retired from the format after leading Pakistan to the World Twenty20 title last month.Afridi was instrumental in that triumph, turning in Man-of-the-Match performances in both the semi-final and the final. Since Younis’s retirement Afridi has been the leading candidate to take over, even as chairman Ijaz Butt initially said he would try and convince Younis to reconsider. Presently, he has only been appointed for the one game against Sri Lanka, but a more permanent decision is expected sooner rather than later.It will be the first time Afridi will lead the national team in any format of the game, getting his chance nearly 13 years after making his Pakistan debut. The last five years have been the most productive of Afridi’s career, where despite brief patches of indifference, he has established himself as a fixture in Pakistan’s limited-overs set-up. His form has been particularly good this year, with impressive performances in the ODI series and Twenty20 against Australia in Dubai in May. That culminated with his critical role in leading Pakistan to the World Twenty20 title. Allied to his player-of-the-tournament contributions in the 2007 version, another indicator of his suitability to this format, his ascension became inevitable.Whenever there has been a captaincy change over the last couple of years, Afridi’s name has figured prominently among the contenders. He has plenty of captaincy experience at the domestic level, having been at the helm of Habib Bank Limited, Sind and Karachi Dolphins over the past few years.

A century from Sunil Dhaniram and three quick wickets from Umar Bhatti left Netherlands staring at defeat after the third day of their ICC Intercontinental Cup match against Canada at Rotterdam

Cricinfo staff17-Jul-2009
ScorecardA century from Sunil Dhaniram and three quick wickets from Umar Bhatti left Netherlands staring at defeat after the third day of their ICC Intercontinental Cup match against Canada at Rotterdam.Dhaniram’s 144, which included 19 boundaries, put Canada into a dominating position as they declared their second innings on 419 for 9, leaving Netherlands requiring 368 to win. But the home side got off to a very poor start, losing their first five wickets for just 77 runs.Bhatti ripped through Netherlands’ top order with three quick wickets in the first 11 overs, though Daan van Bunge’s unbeaten 47 did provide them with some stability. Cracking five fours and a six, van Bunge found little support from his team-mates until Jeroen Brand arrived at the crease at No. 7, helping to put on 43 in 16.5 overs.Nevertheless, Netherlands face a huge task if they’re to save the game, let alone chase down the further 248 runs to win it.

ScorecardThe expected verdict on this drawn match was that the weather robbed Yorkshire of likely victory. However, going by the run of play on the final day, with innocuous Yorkshire bowling on a placid pitch, they might well not have won anyway had the match gone the distance. Having said that, Worcestershire’s two batsmen of the day, Vikram Solanki and Moeen Ali, put up a fine batting performance and the team came out of the match with great credit.Michael Vaughan did not take the field today, having strained his knee playing football. The Yorkshire authorities said it was not serious and he was just being rested as a precaution to ensure he was fully fit to play over the weekend. Play started on time, with Worcestershire on 100 for 2, under bright sunshine, but the weather flattered only to deceive. A draw was inevitable, barring exceptional circumstances, but both sides had bonus points to play for.In the second over Solanki drove a ball from Matthew Hoggard handsomely through extra cover for four, but then survived a confident appeal for a strangled catch to the keeper down the leg side. Apart from this, the first hour was virtually featureless, as the Yorkshire bowlers toiled manfully but without success or inspiration, and Worcestershire concentrated on survival, scoring only when it was safe to do so. Then came a magic moment, as Solanki reached his century by swinging a ball from the left-arm spinner David Wainwright over long-on for six. It had taken him 186 balls.At the other end Ali was playing a very mature, composed innings, and he too decided to reach the landmark of his 50 by launching Wainwright for a six over long-on – only, as he is left-handed, the ball travelled to a different part of the ground. It had taken him 156 balls, but this was exactly the type of supporting innings his team needed him to play. He had an escape on 54, as Wainwright was unable to hold a low return catch, but this was the only chance either batsman gave until late in the day. He celebrated with another six over wide long-on. Just before lunch Anthony McGrath amused himself by bowling a few bouncers over the batsman’s head, bouncing like a tennis ball – a silent comment on the condition of the pitch, perhaps.The second new ball was taken soon after lunch but it made no difference, as the Yorkshire bowlers appeared to be as flat as the pitch, although they did not bowl badly – only innocuously. Ali showed no nerves on approaching his maiden first-class century, apart from slightly miscuing his final stroke, a slice over point for four. The light was now worsening, but the sides were keen to keep playing as both wanted bonus points, still available. The conditions were no handicap to Ali, who lofted two consecutive leg-side sixes off Steve Patterson, followed by a four. But in the end the light won, even when Yorkshire resorted to their spinners, and they left the field at 318 for 2.Play, rather unexpectedly, restarted at 4.35 after another improvement in the light. Both teams wanted to play in search of bonus points, but by now the players outnumbered the spectators. The light again began to decline, and at one point Hoggard, at mid-off, ducked a drive from Solanki which he couldn’t see, and which in fact did not even reach the boundary. The stand passed 300, the largest Worcestershire partnership against Yorkshire. Finally, after scoring 153 runs off 281 balls, with 12 fours and 4 sixes, Ali slashed at a ball from Ajmal Shahzad and was caught at the wicket. For a youngster especially, it was a magnificent innings. Yorkshire had finally secured a bowling bonus point, after a partnership of 317.Solanki hit a remarkable six over extra cover just before reached his equally creditable double-century, which came off 313 balls. Almost immediately afterwards he was dropped at long-off attempting a straight six. That shortly preceded Worcestershire reaching their fifth batting point and the draw was concluded. The rain may be blamed for a drawn match but the final day showed clearly that the real villain was another non-result pitch. Until the points system is changed, drawn matches will continue to be in the majority in county cricket.

Celtic defender isn’t expected to return from injury until at least October or potentially longer, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: European inclusion

Jullien, described as ‘excellent’ by Neil Lennon, suffered an injury against Dundee United in Celtic’s final game of 2020 and hasn’t featured since.

The French centre-back was included in Ange Postecoglou’s squad for the Europa League group stages, though, along with five new summer signings.

Celtic’s final group game is set for December 9, however, it doesn’t appear as if Jullien will be ready anytime soon.

The Latest: Source shares update

Football Insider shared a story on Wednesday morning regarding Jullien. They were informed by a Celtic source who claimed that the 28-year-old is set to remain sidelined for at least another month.

The report adds that Jullien is still short of fitness and could be out for longer than October, with his cruciate ligament injury worse than first feared.

The Verdict: Another worry

With Kyogo Furuhashi suffering an injury scare on international duty, this isn’t the best of news for Ange Postecoglou going forward.

He may have been hoping that Jullien could have featured in a large chunk of the club’s Europa League group games, but it appears as if he will certainly miss September’s meetings with Real Betis and Bayer Leverkusen and potentially October’s clash with Ferencvaros.

Jullien has 10 games of Europa League experience under his belt, so the quicker he is back, the better Celtic’s chances may be of progressing through the group stage.

In other news: Unusual clause emerges in Celtic’s deadline day business; could cost Hoops down the line. 

Many Liverpool supporters have hailed Mohamed Salah after he reached an impressive landmark against AC Milan.

The Egyptian attacker scored the equalising goal as Liverpool came from behind to defeat AC Milan in the Champions League opener at Anfield.

Despite missing from the penalty spot earlier in the game, Salah recovered well and struck a neat attempt past Mike Maignan in the second half.

His 27th goal in the European competition for the Reds meant he is now the clubs joint-highest scorer in European Cup/Champions League games at Anfield with 14 goals, level with Steven Gerrard’s tally.

In his fifth season in the competition with Liverpool, Salah now sits on the same number as club legend Gerrard and is very likely to overtake the Rangers manager with at least two more games at Anfield to come this term.

Salah scored ten goals in 13 outings in the 2017/18 season before netting six times in ten European fixtures last season as he now sits on 129 goals for the Reds in 208 games.

Liverpool fans buzz over Salah record

These Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to hail their man for his joint-record accomplished on Wednesday night, with one fan claiming Salah to be ‘one of the biggest legends’ at the club.

“Egyptian King for a reason!”

Credit: @shakeer_ahmad08

“Just Goat things”

Credit: @excal74

“One of the biggest legends we’ll ever have, if we don’t pay him I’ll be inconsolable”

Credit: @lfcollie9

“ridiculous”

Credit: @wokeuplikebrace

“Levels”

Credit: @PsychoRelic_

“We love you and you doing good”

Credit: @AbdelhamidBar13

In other news, Liverpool fans want club to sign Premier League midfielder. Find out more here.

Stats preview of the Ranji semi-final round

Siddhartha Talya03-Jan-2009
Ajinkya Rahane and Wasim Jaffer average close to 150 when batting together © Cricinfo Ltd
Mumbai v SaurashtraMumbai have been by far the dominant team in the competition, winning six out of eight matches. However, their opponents Saurashtra were the only side that came close to beating them in the league stages. Saurashra were also responsible for Mumbai’s exit from last year’s Ranji Trophy by way of a first-innings lead.MumbaiBatting
The focus will be on Sachin Tendulkar – who returns for this match – but it is Ajinkya Rahane and Wasim Jaffer who have ensured Mumbai’s domination in his absence. They are the highest run-getters in the tournament, and partner each other well – with four century and two half-century stands, the duo average 149.57 when batting together.However, what their performance overshadows is their weak opening combination, with the six pairs used thus far averaging 28.79 in 14 innings. Sahil Kukreja has been successful, averaging 51.25 in five games, but Vinayak Mane and Vinayak Samant, the wicketkeeper, have struggled to impress. Amol Muzumdar’s form has also been a matter of concern for Mumbai, while Rohit Sharma has done well in the middle order, averaging 62.Bowling
Not content with securing a first-innings lead – on an average, they gain a 189-run advantage – Mumbai’s bowlers have managed to convert strong positions into victories. Medium-pacer Dhawal Kulkarni and offspinner Ramesh Powar have been their main performers, taking 61 wickets between them at an average of 21.08. They have proven more effective in the first innings, taking 35 wickets, including four out of their five five-wicket hauls, and have been ably supported in the second by Ajit Agarkar and Usman Malvi. Ten out of Agarkar’s 13 wickets have come in the second innings, including a five-wicket haul against Himachal Pradesh, while Malvi has taken eight out of his 15 in the second. Legspinner Sairaj Bahutule has been the major bowling worry for Mumbai, with his nine wickets costing 48 apiece.SaurashtraBatting
Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja and Shitanshu Kotak have done most of the scoring for Saurashta. Pujara is the third-highest run-getter in the competition, with 867 runs at 86.70, including three consecutive centuries – one of them a triple – and a match-winning effort against Karnataka in the quarter-final. Pujara put on 420 with Ravindra Jadeja – fifth on the run-scoring charts – in Saurashtra’s innings win against Orissa, and averages 148 in five innings with him. Kotak and Pujara have been more prolific: the two have added 724 in seven innings at 103.42, including three century stands.However, their batting, despite a superb Pujara-inspired run-chase against Karnataka, has experienced a blip. After three consecutive scores of 600, and an average first-innings lead of 315 in those games, Saurashtra have been bowled out for under 300 in five out of their next seven innings. The trio of Pujara, Kotak, and Jadeja had managed only a century and a fifty between them in six innings before each of them played a significant part in helping their team chase down 325 against Karnataka.Bowling
Saurashtra’s bowling has improved during the course of the season. Ravindra Jadeja, the tournament’s best allrounder, has taken 25 of his 39 wickets in Saurashtra’s last four games, and has been supported well by Sandeep Jobanputra, Jayesh Odedra, Kamlesh Makvana and Balkrishna Jadeja. Saurashtra have conceded 21.57 runs per wicket in their last four games, as opposed to 37.17 in the first four.Tamil Nadu v Uttar PradeshTamil Nadu’s most clinical performance in the league phase came against Uttar Pradesh – they trounced them by an innings. Their superior record and ability to emerge winners from difficult positions gives them the edge, but UP have also managed their way through tough situations.
Tanmay Srivastava is Uttar Pradesh’s batting hope © Cricinfo Ltd
Tamil NaduBatting
Tamil Nadu have gained the first-innings lead -an average of 195 – in five out of seven games, and on the two occasions they fell short – against Baroda and Bengal – they came back strongly in the second innings to emerge victors.Opener Abhinav Mukund has been their highest run-getter this tournament, with 756 runs at 84, including a triple-century in his team’s first game against Maharashtra. Mukund added 462 with M Vijay for the first wicket in that game, but has not found similar support in their next six – the average for the opening wicket has slipped to 36.22. The middle order, however, has stepped up, with S Badrinath, S Vidyut and Dinesh Karthik averaging 61.41 between them. An important aspect of TN’s batting has been their scoring rate. In ten innings, they have scored at an average of 3.6 runs-an-over, allowing the rate to fall under three only once.Bowling
L Balaji has been their spearhead with 31 wickets at 16.64. Twenty-four of those have come in Tamil Nadu’s three wins; he has taken five-wicket hauls in the second innings of those games. His 6 for 24 against Bengal swung the match in Tamil Nadu’s favour , and his five-for against Baroda helped his team win after they were bowled out for 117 in their first innings. Tamil Nadu’s seamers, Balaji, C Ganapathy and P Amarnath, have taken 55.37% of the wickets – 67 out of 121 – with 46 of those coming in matches won by their team.Uttar PradeshBattingTanmay Srivastava and Mohammad Kaif have starred with the bat for UP – they are team’s highest run-scorers – and have batted extremely well together, averaging 143.6 per partnership. Two performances stand out: they added 122 for the fourth wicket against Baroda after UP were in a precarious position at 9 for 3 and laid the foundation for a first-innings lead, and put on 247 for the third in a crucial game against Karnataka while pursuing 567 for a first-innings lead, helping their team go through to the quarter-finals.BowlingUttar Pradesh have the least wins among the semi-finalists. However, their bowlers have provided them the advantage, bowling out sides for gettable scores after fielding first, or being able to restrict the opposition to lower scores when the batsmen have failed to put on a sizeable total.In the four matches UP has fielded first, they have managed to gain a lead, after conceding 329 runs on an average. When batting first, they average 267, and have succeeded in gaining the lead on two out of three occasions.Fast bowlers have been more effective in helping them gain the early advantage, taking 23 of the 40 wickets to fall when fielding first, and 19 of the 30 when defending a first-innings score. Bhuvneshwar Kumar tops the bowling list for UP with 23 wickets at 22.21 – legspinner Piyush Chawla has as many wickets, but at a higher average of 30.95. Bhuvneshwar has been supported well by new-ball partner Praveen Kumar – three of their four five-wicket hauls have come in the first innings.

Former Leeds United player Jon Newsome believes that Jack Harrison has been a real positive for the club.

After three years on loan, Harrison made his Elland Road stay permanent this summer after his best return in a Leeds shirt last season.

The 24-year-old scored eight goals and got eight assists for the Whites in the Premier League in 2020/2021, helping them to a ninth-placed finish in their first season back in the top flight.

And Newsome believes Harrison has worked really hard and is a real positive for the Marcelo Bielsa’s side, exclusively telling Football FanCast: “He’s worked incredibly hard, so you know last summer, it was reported that he sort of like employed a personal trainer to get him fitter and stronger and develop as a player and I think we saw that last season, I think he really has and he scored some goals. 

“I think the biggest, not question mark, but if you had a tiny, tiny little bit of criticism on him was that he got himself into some really good goal scoring positions in the Championship final year and didn’t convert as often as he could and should have, and I think he’s put that to bed.

“I think he’s scored a number of goals and he has been a real, real positive for the football club.”

Harrison has gone on to make 128 appearances for Leeds United, scoring 18 goals and providing a further 20 in his time at Elland Road.