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Premier League, watch out.

Harry Kane could be about to return to form at Tottenham Hotspur after an intriguing claim emerged following the appointment of Antonio Conte as manager.

What’s the word?

According to football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, the England international is “really excited” about the prospect of working with the Italian boss after he replaced Nuno Santo in the Spurs dugout.

“Not the most startling news you’ll ever hear but I understand Harry Kane, among others in the Spurs squad, is really excited about working with Antonio Conte and is impressed with the ambition of the appointment and what the future holds,” he tweeted.

A return to form?

It’s no wonder the 28-year-old striker is keen to work with Conte given his illustrious coaching career. He has secured no fewer than nine major trophies, including a Premier League title and an FA Cup with Chelsea.

His latest triumph was just last season as he delivered Inter Milan their first Serie A triumph in over a decade.

So if it’s silverware that the Hotspur Way graduate desires so much, there’s a good chance the club break their 13-year duck with a proven winner at the helm.

Kane has looked like a dejected figure for much of the season, after a move to Manchester City failed to materialise, and that has correlated into some pretty dire performances on the pitch.

Indeed, the Englishman has found the net just once in eight league starts, with the Lilywhites ranking amongst some clear relegation candidates for key attacking metrics.

Spurs are tied-last alongside winless Norwich City for average number of shots per game (10.3), as per WhoScored, and they also rank fourth from bottom for expected goals (10.63 xG), via Understat.

Conte managed to get a tune out of Manchester United flop Romelu Lukaku during his time at the San Siro as the Belgian colossus bagged 64 goals in 95 appearances under the 52-year-old, so Kane should be thrilled about his chances of returning to form.

If much of Spurs’ success boils down to the Englishman’s form, then the Lilywhites faithful should be absolutely buzzing by this claim from Gold as a happy Kane will surely see him return to the goalscoring machine we’ve seen for several years.

AND in other news, Paratici could transform Conte’s Spurs by signing “special” £63m-rated “absolute gem”…

Called as cover for openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, who sustained injuries during the third one-dayer between India and Australia

Cricinfo staff01-Nov-2009The wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has been called up to the Indian squad as cover for openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, who sustained injuries during the third one-dayer against Australia in New Delhi.”Dinesh Karthik will be joining the Indian team in Mohali,” N Srinivasan, the BCCI secretary, said in a statement. “Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir sustained injuries during the third match and a final decision on their availability for the fourth match, to be played at Mohali on November 2, will be taken on the morning of the game.”While Sehwag was hit on the foot by a Peter Siddle yorker in the eighth over, which prompted the physio’s attention, Gambhir was struck on the neck by a Ricky Ponting pull. He did not field for the rest of the Australian innings. Neither batsmen managed a substantial score during the chase but India went on to win by six wickets to take a 2-1 lead in the seven-match series.Karthik, 24, who was overlooked for the current series after last featuring in the Champions Trophy, has scored 502 runs in 33 ODIs at 23.90 and is likely to be a backup to captain MS Dhoni behind the stumps as well.

Injuries that have already eliminated Fidel Edwards from the imminent West Indies tour of Australia have now cost the fast bowler a retainer contract

Tony Cozier12-Nov-2009Injuries that have already eliminated Fidel Edwards from the imminent West Indies tour of Australia have now cost the fast bowler a retainer contract from the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).Chief executive Ernest Hilaire confirmed on Wednesday that one-year contracts in four separate grades had been issued to 33 players but had been withheld for Edwards and opening batsman Dale Richards until their “medical status is cleared”.He noted that when Edwards returned to Barbados from the ICC World Twenty20 in England in June with a back injury, the WICB put him on a remedial programme. “He abandoned it and went to play in the Champions League in India (in October) and got injured there,” Hilaire said. “We now need to sort that out.”Like Edwards, Richards has been set back by a succession of injuries. Richards missed last season’s home series against England and the following series in England with knee and ankle problems. A dislocated shoulder during the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa ruled him out of the recent President’s Cup, the regional one-day tournament. “It’s not that they wouldn’t be offered contracts,” Hilaire said. “It’s just that we have to resolve their medical status.”Based on experience, record and potential, the contracts are graded at US$120,000, $80,000, $60,000 and $24,000. The last category is for what is called ‘developmental players’. Match, tour and sponsorship fees are additional and paid to those selected for West Indies, with or without contracts.Hilaire said the names already published in the Caribbean media were correct but he would not state which were in which group nor give the overall costs. An estimate of around US$2 million would not be short of the mark.As promised, contracts have been given to all those hurriedly called up for the first Test against Bangladesh in St Vincent in July after the selected 13 withdrew because of the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) dispute with the WICB, mainly over contracts.”The board told them before the Test that it would offer all of them contracts because of their commitment and the sacrifices they were making to come and play,’ Hilaire said. Among them are teenagers Andre Creary of Jamaica and Kraigg Brathwaite of Barbados who were in the first Test squad but did not appear in the series. Ryan Hinds, Rawl Lewis and Devon Thomas are the only ones who played against Bangladesh not included in the deal as they only came in after the first Test.Of those originally chosen against Bangladesh and who have returned to the fold following the Caricom-brokered agreement between the WICB and the WIPA, only Runako Morton has not been contracted. Barbados allrounder Dwayne Smith, who last played for the West Indies more than two years ago, and the exciting 20-year-old Trinidad and Tobago left-hand batsman Darren Bravo, younger brother of Dwayne, are both on the list.A surprise omission is Kieron Pollard, the big, hard-hitting all-rounder who was one of the stars of Trinidad and Tobago’s outstanding performance in the Champions League in India last month. He has a modest record in 15 ODIs but his average of 37.46, with three hundreds, in regional first-class cricket is better than many of those chosen. He has now signed to turn out for South Australia in Australia’s Twenty20 competition in January.List of contracted players
Barbados: Sulieman Benn, Tino Best, Kraigg Brathwaite, Kemar Roach, Dwayne Smith.Combined Campuses and Colleges: Ryan Austin, Kevin McLean, Omar Phillips, Floyd Reifer, Chadwick Walton.Trinidad & Tobago: Adrian Barath, Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Lendl Simmons.Guyana: Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Travis Dowlin, Ramnaresh Sarwan.Jamaica: Dave Bernard, Andre Creary, Chris Gayle, Nikita Miller, Brendan Nash, Jerome Taylor.Windward Islands: Andre Fletcher, Nelon Pascal, Darren Sammy, Devon Smith.Leeward Islands: Lionel Baker, Kieran Powell, Gavin Tonge.

Crystal Palace are keen on signing Real Madrid striker Borja Mayoral in January, offering him an ‘escape route’ from his loan spell at Roma.

The Lowdown: Palace linked with Mayoral move

The 24-year-old is currently on a temporary spell at the Stadio Olimpico, where he has been based since 2020, having been deemed surplus to requirements by Real Madrid.

After scoring 10 times in 18 Serie A starts last season, he has found himself completely out of favour under Jose Mourinho, making just three late substitute appearances this term.

Mayoral is sure to be looking at alternatives to Roma and it appears as though Palace could provide one, with one report emerging on Saturday regarding a potential move.

The Latest: Fresh report emerges

According to Mundo Deportivo journalist Pablo Planas [via Sport Witness], an ‘escape route has been opened’ at Roma and Mayoral is ‘ready to take it’.

Palace and Fiorentina are claimed to be the two clubs in the running to snap up the Spaniard, who has scored seven times in 33 matches for Real Madrid and is ‘close’ to parting ways with the Serie A club where is currently on loan.

The Verdict: Interest seems genuine

The fact that two quickfire reports have emerged suggests that Palace genuinely see Mayoral as a possible January acquisition, which should be exciting for Eagles fans.

While the striker may not have been a revelation for Real Madrid or Roma, he has still scored goals at two prestigious European clubs, which shows his pedigree.

Patrick Vieira may be well-stocked in attack, with Odsonne Edouard, Jordan Ayew and Christian Benteke all options at centre-forward, but Mayoral could just be a step up from all of them.

In other news, some Crystal Palace fans have reacted to an injury update. Read more here.

Tim Paine will make his return from a finger injury when Bellerive Oval hosts its first domestic match under lights on Sunday

Cricinfo staff11-Dec-2009Tim Paine will make his return from a finger injury when Bellerive Oval hosts its first domestic match under lights on Sunday. The Hobart ground had the floodlights installed during the off-season and the FR Cup game between Tasmania and Western Australia will be the first day-night match held at the ground.Wade Irvine has been dropped for the clash to make was for Paine’s comeback. Paine has not played since October after breaking his finger during Australia’s one-day international tour of India.Paine is part of a 12-man squad that the Tigers hope can push them into third spot on the FR Cup table. They are in fourth position with three wins and three losses, like the third-placed Western Australia, who have also picked up a bonus point.Tasmania squad Michael Dighton, Tim Paine (wk), Ed Cowan, George Bailey (capt), Travis Birt, Luke Butterworth, James Faulkner, Brett Geeves, Jason Krejza, Xavier Doherty, Brendan Drew, Gerard Denton.

Mark Douglas has revealed what changes Eddie Howe has made on the training ground at Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Brutal regime

As per Craig Hope, the 43-year-old sent a lot of brutal messages to his players in first training session since taking over from the departed Steve Bruce.

Some of the messages included: ‘we train as we play’, ‘match sharp’, ‘no jogging’ and ‘if you think you’re maxed out, you’re not’, before then watching the under-11 side train.

It is clear that he is putting a stamp on his authority at St James’ Park straight away as he aims to help the Magpies fight off relegation from the Premier League.

The Latest: Changes

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, Douglas has revealed that sources from the training ground have said that Howe has had a ‘transformational’ impact in the international week, with the intensity and overall mood having ‘lifted’ in the space of just a few days.

The former Bournemouth boss has been getting to know his players and staff, and one of his beliefs is that everyone at the training ground should be ‘adding value’, as he has also been talking to staff about their roles and how it fits into football operations.

The Verdict: Promising

Given the situation in which Bruce left Newcastle, 19th in the Premier League with just five points and no wins after their first 11 games (Premier League), it is promising to see Howe stamp his authority so early on in his tenure.

First and foremost, the aim for the 43-year-old will be to make sure that his team stays up before he can really sink his teeth into the long-term project. If he succeeds, there is no reason not to give him a chance of improving his squad with a big transfer budget, and then he can implement his methods on better quality players.

Judging by Douglas’ insight, Howe certainly seems like a coach who the current crop of players do not want to cross.

In other news: One former EPL goalkeeper had his say on some potentially ‘big’ transfer news for NUFC

Peter Siddle must get through Wednesday’s FR Cup match against New South Wales to play in Saturday’s opening Test against Pakistan

Cricinfo staff22-Dec-2009Peter Siddle must get through Wednesday’s FR Cup match against New South Wales to play in Saturday’s opening Test against Pakistan. Siddle missed the final West Indies game in Perth with a nagging hamstring complaint but has been picked in the Boxing Day squad.However, his last hurdle before the MCG is a 50-over game at the SCG as the defending champions aim to shift from fourth place. “The funny thing was I was actually better before the Perth Test than I was in Adelaide, so it’s not as big a deal as everyone thinks,” Siddle said in Melbourne.”I’ve had a couple of bowls the past two days and I had a good hit-out yesterday in the middle of one of the district grounds and it’s come up fine. I don’t feel any different to when I was bowling a few months ago. It’s feeling ready and I’m feeling confident.”Siddle was pleased to be able to test the problem before he ran into Pakistan. “I’ve got to get through this game with no worries and I am confident of doing that,” Siddle said. “Hopefully I get my spot back now and get back in there.”He comes into the squad for Rob Cassell while another boost for the Bushrangers is the fitness of Brad Hodge, who had to pull out of what was meant to be his final Sheffield Shield appearance with a knee injury.New South Wales have called in Dominic Thornely for the encounter after losing Phillip Hughes to the Australia squad. The allrounder Steven Smith missed the four-day Shield game against Victoria but has been cleared for the one-dayer as he looks to impress further ahead of Australia’s limited-overs fixtures next month.Victoria squad Rob Quiney, Chris Rogers, Brad Hodge, David Hussey, Cameron White (capt), Aaron Finch, Andrew McDonald, John Hastings, Matthew Wade (wk), Peter Siddle, Jon Holland, James Pattinson.New South Wales squad Phil Jaques, David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Ben Rohrer, Moises Henriques (capt), Daniel Smith (wk), Steven Smith, Dominic Thornely, Stephen O’Keefe, Grant Lambert, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc.

West Brom are currently third in the Championship and struggling to close the gap to put pressure on Fulham and Bournemouth in the promotion places of first and second.

The side have had various injuries over the season so far, but most of those injured players have since returned and became available for the Huddersfield game in the weekend just gone, the only notable absence was that of Kenneth Zohore.

Although already out of favour in Valérien Ismaël’s side, the 27-year-old striker has picked up a muscle injury in training that will see him sidelined for the next few months.

Speaking about Zohore before his injury woes, Ismael did hint that the forward could grasp an opportunity to earn his place in the side, but did not manage to mark his mark due to injuries ever since;

“At the minute it’s early – you never know what can happen.

“For Ken, it’s about patience, work, he wants to play every time with the under-23s which is a good sign. He wants to stay in the rhythm. He trains well. He is our player so everyone needs to be involved, stay focused and involved and you never know.”

This fresh injury won’t be too much of a concern to West Brom in terms of playing the forward, because he has seemingly had one eye on the door since the summer with links with a move away from the club.

Zohore has had 23 appearances, five goals and one assist for the side since he joined in 2019 from Cardiff City.

However, with the transfer window coming up in a few weeks, the opportunity to offload Zohore, who has cost the club the best part of £10.7m in transfer fees and wages, is looking unlikely in this fresh injury blow to the player, and could hinder the Baggies opportunities to get suitors for the player or a good offer on the table.

Ex Albion striker Kevin Phillips spoke out on Zohore’s future and his predictions for January.

“I think he’ll move on [in January],” Phillips told West Brom News.

“It’s clear that he’s not in Ismael’s plans. I know he played against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup but ultimately, his future lies somewhere else.

“Your guess is as good as mine as to where he goes. I think he’ll just want to go and play football, whether that’s abroad or he drops down to League One.”

Consider how poor his performances have been and his latest setback is sure to leave supporters rather angry that they might not be able to cut down on his salary in the winter, something that will no doubt prove important when welcoming new additions in their bid for promotion.

In other news: Callum Robinson impressed in Irish win…

The Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara has replaced Yuvraj Singh as the captain of Kings XI Punjab for this year’s IPL

Cricinfo staff15-Jan-2010The Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara has replaced Yuvraj Singh as the captain of Kings XI Punjab for this year’s IPL. Speculation was rife over the past few weeks in India that Sangakkara was the man to take over the captaincy and Anil Srivatsa, the franchise’s chief executive officer, confirmed the news today.”Kumar Sangakkara is the new captain of Kings XI Punjab. We are hoping for good things to come out of it,” he told reporters in New Delhi.Under Yuvraj’s captaincy in the inaugural IPL in 2008, Punjab had qualified for semi-finals. But in the second edition, held in South Africa last year, they failed to make it to the last four. Yuvraj was Punjab’s highest run scorer in 2009 with 340 at 28.33, with two half-centuries, but that was not enough to lift their fortunes.Srivatsa said the move would not take away from Yuvraj’s importance as a star player, and that on the contrary the management hoped it would bring forth more runs from the allrounder. “Being taken off the leadership role does not diminish Yuvraj’s standing in the team. Yuvraj’s inputs are vital for us,” he said. “He has done well for the team in the past two seasons and he has one more year with us. He did his job well enough. This has got nothing to do with all this.”Sangakkara said he had spoken to Yuvraj immediately after being told about the change of leadership. “I have enjoyed playing under Yuvraj, he is a very able captain. When everything was not concrete, I spoke to him and after that I decided that it was the right time to take up [the] captaincy.”I don’t think it would cause any problem. He is a very good friend. I had a long chat with him on this, everything was done very transparently. Moreover, Yuvraj is the most important player in our side. Any IPL team will be lucky to have him. He can change a match just like that. He is a matchwinner.”Sangakkara was second to Yuvraj in South Africa with 332 runs at 30.18, with two half-centuries.

Speaking to Football Insider, a ‘Tottenham source’ has shared news on Antonio Conte’s plans for Tanguy Ndombele ahead of January.

The Lowdown: Ndombele fighting for future?

The club-record signing has endured a whirlwind time at Spurs filled with many twists and turns since his move from Lyon in the summer of 2019.

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Indeed, despite impressing in flashes of form, Ndombele has arguably failed to apply it on a regular basis and his stay in north London has been marred by consistent reports of unrest.

The 24-year-old reportedly informed Tottenham of his desire to leave over the summer, and that wasn’t the first murmur of his unhappiness, with chairman Daniel Levy famously having a sit-down with Ndombele in the ‘All or Nothing’ fly-on-the-wall documentary during his first season at the club.

As the midfielder is handed another fresh start under Conte, some news has emerged involving the Italian’s stance on the player.

The Latest: Conte makes sale plea…

As per the Spurs source, speaking to Football Insider, after publicly calling out Ndombele’s work ethic, the manager has ‘gone even further behind the scenes’ and ‘made it clear’ that the Lilywhites should listen to offers for him.

The 52-year-old has apparently told Tottenham officials to sell the midfielder and make use of the cash for new incoming signings as he seeks to build his own team.

The Verdict: Right move?

Offloading the France international mid-season will be no easy feat, especially since you’d imagine that Levy and Tottenham will want to recuperate most of the £53.8m they paid to sign him.

He isn’t without his value given his evident ability, as hinted by Spurs’ English players apparently calling him ‘unbelievable’, according to West Ham star Declan Rice.

Meanwhile, talkSPORT pundit Martin Keown hailed Ndombele as ‘underrated in what he does’ – but the difficulty remains that, in the pandemic era, it is arguably unclear whether most clubs would be able to afford a big-money bid in the winter months.

If Conte is to get his wish, managing director Fabio Paratici may just have to pull out all the stops.

In other news: ‘Coming from Tottenham’…Journalist makes exciting transfer claim with big offer on the table, find out more here.