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Andrew Symonds has been fined A$4000 for calling Brendon McCullum a “lump of s…” during a radio interview following a hearing in Melbourne on Thursday. Symonds pleaded guilty to a charge of “detrimental public comment” after being reported by Cricket Australia on Tuesday.Gordon Lewis, the code of conduct senior commissioner, issued the fine – which is less than a match fee for a one-day international – following the hearing at Cricket Australia’s offices. Symonds had previously apologised to McCullum for the incident, which occurred last Friday during an interview with the comedians Roy and HG.”Whilst the comments were intended to be light-hearted, I acknowledge that they were careless and as such I accept the fine that I have received today,” Symonds told AAP. “I am pleased that the commissioner determined the penalty based on the full 14-minute interview, and not just the one comment that received extensive coverage.”I want to again apologise to Brendon McCullum for my comments and thank him for his understanding. I want to reinforce that I remain committed to Cricket Australia and Queensland Cricket, and I look forward to putting this matter behind me so that I can focus on my cricket.”Symonds was talking about McCullum’s signing to play for New South Wales in the domestic Twenty20 final when he said: “They’re trying to use him [McCullum] as the out because he’s a Kiwi. Yep, we love to hate them, but he’s the lump of s…, sorry, lump of cow dirt, that people are thinking of.” Symonds had been drinking before the interview but made his grade comeback the following day.The decision leaves Symonds free to continue his recovery from knee surgery and he will play for Queensland in Friday’s Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia at the Gabba. There were some calls for Symonds to have his national contract cancelled, but he remains available for the tour to South Africa, with the squad being named next week.The hearing came after Symonds was involved in an altercation with a man at a Brisbane pub on his return to the Test team in November, which followed his suspension for going fishing in Darwin instead of attending a team meeting. Symonds has been undergoing counselling since the incident in the Northern Territory and his psychologist has supported his international comeback.

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Criticado pela torcida e pela diretoria por ter dito que deixará o São Paulo depois das falhas contra o Atlético-MG, o zagueiro Lucão encontrou apoio no vestiário tricolor. O atacante Marcinho defendeu o companheiro e disse que ele estava de cabeça quente na hora da declaração, e que não deve ser “crucificado” por eventuais erros que cometer.

– Foi uma coisa de momento, de cabeça quente depois do jogo. É uma coisa que não posso falar porque quem vai discutir isso é a torcida, que às vezes pode pegar no pé, ou a diretoria falar com ele. Mas, por mim, ele fica (no São Paulo) e a gente continua trabalhando, mesmo porque ele sempre nos ajudou. Não é por erro ou outro que temos que crucificar – disse o jogador na coletiva desta segunda-feira, no CT da Barra Funda.

A diretoria pensa diferente. Incomodados com a fala de Lucão e com a repercussão negativa, os dirigentes decidiram barrar o zagueiro do jogo contra o Atlético-PR, marcado para quarta, na Arena da Baixada. Lucão não vai viajar com o elenco para Curitiba, e a diretoria vai pensar se o jogador ainda tem condições de vestir a camisa tricolor.

– É uma situação que poderia acontecer com qualquer um, sair do jogo de cabeça quente, às vezes fala algumas coisas de momento. Acho que a gente vai conversar e já passou essas coisas. Não é assunto que tem que ficar falando sobre – completou Marcinho.

Em busca da primeira vitória da história contra o Furacão na Arena, o São Paulo volta a treinar na tarde de terça, e em seguida viaja para o Paraná. Até agora, o Tricolor só somou um ponto como visitante no Brasileirão.

Veja as principais respostas de Marcinho:
​
O clima ruim atrapalha o dia a dia do São Paulo?
“Quando perde um jogo e dois dias depois já tem outro, não dá pra pensar em críticas ou deixar o clima ficar ruim. Tem que descansar porque já tem jogo na quarta, tem que pensar em ganhar. Deixar um pouco de lado e sempre buscar a vitória no próximo jogo. Ruim quando tem semana cheia de trabalho vindo de derrota, o que não é o caso, tem jogos na sequência.”

O que desequilibra o São Paulo?
“A gente tem que caprichar um pouquinho na frente e atrás. Antes do jogo com o Corinthians, a gente só tinha tomado dois gols e feito bastante. Encontrar equilíbrio entre ataque e defesa. Com elenco que a gente tem, qualidade de todo mundo, a gente pode, sim, brigar lá em cima.”

Tricolor espera quebrar o tabu na Arena da Baixada?
“Por peso a mais, falar que nunca ganhou, não vem ao caso. A gente tem que jogar como a gente vem jogando, jogar jogos para ganhar. Claro que sempre evoluir, então espero que a gente possa fazer bom jogo lá e trazer vitória.”

Janela de transferências pode prejudicar o elenco?
“Quando algum dos times do Brasileiro perder um ou dois jogadores importantes é difícil. Pode acontecer aqui também, a gente e todos os times têm que estar preparados pra isso e ter sempre uma peça de reposição. Às vezes pode mudar, ou também não, porque saem e chegam jogadores. Isso a gente vai ver com o tempo durante o ano.”

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Nottingham Forest have been dealt a major injury blow ahead of their upcoming Carabao Cup clash.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by Nottinghamshire Live, Chris Hughton revealed that summer signing Jordi Osei-Tutu will miss Tuesday evening’s EFL Cup fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers due to a hamstring injury, which the right-back picked up in the 2-1 loss to Blackburn Rovers last week.

Speaking about the current state of his Forest side, the 62-year-old manager said: “All of those who were not available are still not available – the two Joes, Worrall and Lolley, Loic Mbe Soh, Nuno Da Costa and Jordi Osei-Tutu.”

Hughton then touched upon the Arsenal loanee’s injury, revealing: “Jordi will be out for several weeks, that we do know. It’s a big blow for us. But our thoughts at the moment are about doing everything we can for him, getting him back in the best shape that we can.”

Big blow

While the continued absences of Worrall, Lolley, Mbe Soh and Da Costa will undoubtedly come as a blow to Hughton, the fact that Osei-Tutu now looks set for a long spell on the sidelines is sure to be the most gutting news for Hughton.

Indeed, with the £1.08m-rated defender having only joined Forest at the beginning of the month, with his signing made in order to provide Hughton with greater depth at full-back, the 22-year-old’s injury once again leaves the Reds manager extremely short of options in the position.

As such, it would seem likely that both Gaetan Bong – who was informed he was free to leave the club earlier this summer – and Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel – who has been heavily linked with a move away from the City Ground – will start against Wolves on Tuesday – with Hughton undoubtedly hoping his side can at least put in an impressive performance against the Premier League, side in a bid to kickstart the Garibaldi’s so far disastrous Championship campaign.

In other news: Forest dealt major transfer blow over “brilliant” £20k-p/w ace, Hughton will be gutted

The vast majority of Celtic’s transfer business has been wrapped up ahead of deadline day but there are still a few things for Ange Postecoglou to address.

Two of the biggest pieces of business they’ll conduct will fall in the outgoings category, with two star players expected to leave Parkhead behind.

What’s the word?

Odsonne Edouard looks to be heading to Crystal Palace before the 11pm deadline on Tuesday, with the Frenchman finally putting a long-running saga to bed.

However, he’s not the only Hoops player who looks as though they’ll be packing their bags and heading south of the border.

Ryan Christie’s contract expires in January, so this summer was the last opportunity for Celtic to receive a fee for him. At one point it looked as though he may pen terms on a new deal, but Postecoglou seems happy to sell him.

Alan Nixon reported the following, citing there had been some drama in Christie’s possible move away. He tweeted: “Ryan Christie. Late drama. Burnley agreed a deal. Bournemouth have now come in. More wages at Burnley. But better chance of playing where he wants at Bournemouth.”

Journalist Pete O’Rourke then confirmed the attacking midfielder’s decision: “Bournemouth are set to pull off a coup by landing Celtic midfielder Ryan Christie.”

Fans fuming

Although Celtic have signed Kyogo Furuhashi and Liel Abada, who can both play in wide areas, losing Christie so late in the window will surely anger Celtic supporters.

That’s a feeling they definitely wouldn’t have felt if he’d left before playing a match under Postecoglou.

The Scot was severely out of form last season and took pelters from pundits as a result. He scored just twice in his final 24 league outings of 2020/21 and had a woeful habit of shooting from range.

However, this season he has witnessed quite the turnaround, putting himself on a pedestal for English clubs to begin a bidding war over his services.

In fact, Christie has been one of Celtic’s most consistent players since Postecoglou was given the reins. He scored a wonderful diving header against Jablonec in the Europa League and then picked up a quite tremendous hat-trick of assists when Celtic smacked Dundee 6-0.

No player has produced more key passes per game (four) in the Premiership this season than Christie, while only Ralston (two) has managed more dribbles per match than the Scotland international’s 1.8 an outing.

On that evidence, he is a vital player in the squad, and Hoops fans will surely be angry to see him leave. A replacement may have already been drafted in Jota but he will take time to settle in.

AND in other news, Worse than Edouard: £4.5m-rated Celtic gem who lost 80% duels let Ange down massively…

Speaking live on Sky Sports (via Football Daily), reporter Michael Bridge has made a claim on Manchester City’s ‘next bid’ as they try to sign Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur before August 31.

The Lowdown: Kane saga in full flow…

Since Sky first broke news of Kane’s desire to leave Spurs way back in May, there have been no shortage of reports linking him with a move to the Premier League champions.

Pep Guardiola recently confirmed their desire to sign the Englishman as they hunt for a Sergio Aguero replacement, with the Sky Blues arguably lacking a world class goal scorer in their team.

Kane is understood to desire a move to the Etihad Stadium by reliable sources but chairman Daniel Levy is apparently refusing to budge as deadline day looms.

The Latest: Sky reporter makes claim on ‘next bid’ for Kane…

As per Bridge, speaking live on Sky Sports (via Football Daily), City do have a ‘next bid’ lined up for the 28-year-old.

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According to the journalist’s information, Spurs will receive an offer of around £127 million for their superstar striker.

“It’s down to Manchester City, they need to come up with a bid which Daniel Levy will deem acceptable,” he explained on Sky.

“From what we’re told at the moment, the next bid will be around €150 million, which is, what, £127 million.

“From what I’m told with Tottenham that is not something Spurs are willing to accept, the problem we’re getting here for both clubs is that time is running out.”

The Verdict: Consider it?

At 28, Kane has arguably reached the peak of his powers already and it’s more unlikely that a club could come in with a similar offer next summer or the summer afterwards.

The striker, who bagged a sensational 23 goals and 14 assists last season in the Premier League alone, wants to leave and if Spurs are to cash in and make as much money as possible then the time is now.

A £127m offer from City should, at the very least, be considered by Levy as managing director Fabio Paratici also looks strengthen Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad before August 31.

With the eye for talent Paratici has shown so far, one would have to assume the transfer guru could find quality players in as many as three positions with that sort of money.

In other news: Bid pending: Spurs offer now expected to sign ‘incredible’ player after behind the scenes talks, find out more here.

Ange Postecoglou will be presented will plenty of dilemmas as he heads into his fourth competitive outing as Celtic manager.

The Australian has found life tough since being handed the keys to Parkhead but he’s got an excellent chance on Thursday evening to start moving proceedings in a positive direction.

The Hoops travel to Czech Republic to face Jablonec in Europa League qualifying where they will be hoping for much better luck than they had on their brief Champions League adventure.

Celtic will be able to call on the services of Joe Hart following his move from Tottenham this week but they will be without James McCarthy who arrived following a spell as a free agent.

Will Hart actually start on Thursday? Here’s the XI we’re predicting to take to the field today…

We’re tipping Postecoglou to make four changes to the side that lost to Hearts last weekend.

Two replacements are required in defence where the error-prone Nir Bitton is axed from Postecoglou’s plans with Stephen Welsh coming into the fray.

Carl Starfelt initially looked as though he’d be a doubt for this match after not being included in the UEFA squad list but he was pictured training in the run-up to the game after travelling to Czech Republic.

A second change is in goal where the £15k-per-week Hart replaces Scott Bain who made a mistake against Hearts last weekend.

A third change is made in the middle of the park where Liam Shaw earns his first start in place of Ismaila Soro. The Ivorian has struggled in the opening weeks of the campaign and therefore, is dropped to the bench.

The final alteration to the starting XI is in attack where James Forrest misses out in favour of Ryan Christie on the left wing.

Forrest was poor in that position last weekend, completing one of four dribbles and failing to provide an accurate cross in the entire game. He also lost 80% of his duels and surrendered possession 11 times; the highest number by any attacking player for the Bhoys.

Christie, on the other hand, put in a productive performance from that side of the pitch in the first leg against Midtjylland.

AND in other news, Ange must ruthlessly axe Celtic’s £14k-p/w “walking joke” tonight, he’s been shocking…

A source from Aston Villa has claimed that Dean Smith is now willing to sell both Anwar El Ghazi and Wesley before the summer transfer window ends.

The Lowdown: Villa busy

Villa have been very busy in the transfer market so far, using the money that they earned from selling Jack Grealish to Manchester City to bring in the likes of Emi Buendia, Leon Bailey and Danny Ings.

With all of their new arrivals, they may now have to stat trimming their squad down, leaving some players at risk of going through the exit door at Villa Park in the coming weeks.

The Latest: Smith stance

As per Football Insider, an AVFC source has claimed that Smith is now willing to offload both El Ghazi and Wesley as the result of his transfer business so far.

Potential moves away from England for the duo re the most likely at this stage, and there is ‘strong interest’ in El Ghazi from AS Roma, who is currently valued by Villa at £15m.

Wesley reportedly has interest from teams in Belgium, Turkey and Holland, although they are all likely to prefer a loan move as opposed to a permanent deal.

The Verdict: Sell both

If Villa can get £15m for El Ghazi, then it would prove to be good business, as his game time will now be severely limited by the arrivals of Buendia, Bailey and Ings.

Described as ‘unstoppable’ in training by former teammate Alan Hutton back in December, he can certainly be a handful, but now may be the best time to cash in on him.

As for Wesley, he has had a terrible time with injuries while in the Midlands, and currently earns £46,000-per-week at Villa Park.

With the arrival of Ings as well, his playing time will also be very limited, and so it would be a good idea just to get his wages off of the books.

In other news, find out which international Villa re now in talks to sign here!

Celtic have had an exciting week as they continue their preparations for the new season.

They’ve signed a plethora of new players including Liel Abada and Kyogo Furuhashi while the Hoops’ Champions League qualifying campaign kicked off on Tuesday.

On the chalkboard

Celtic looked productive in the final third against Midtjylland but unfortunately, they were only able to come away from their first-leg clash with a 1-1 draw.

One of the primary reasons was some lacklustre defending.

Stephen Welsh gave away a cheap free-kick that was plundered home when arguably, Vasilis Barkas, should have done a lot better to prevent it from going in.

Abada had opened the scoring for the Bhoys on his debut but his fellow countryman, Nir Bitton, let his side down once again.

He was given a second yellow card after a severe rush of blood. He was annoyed with Anders Dreyer for simulation and consequently, poked a finger in the attacker’s face which was enough to provoke his marching orders.

Bitton was somewhat of a liability last season and this latest calamity will do himself no favours with the Celtic supporters.

Speaking after his dismissal, Bhoys Analytics said on Twitter that he was a “walking joke.”

The solution

Celtic are planning to replace the exit-bound Kristoffer Ajer with the signing of Carl Starfelt from Rubin Kazan.

However, in order to improve on their dismal defensive record last term, they will also need to find a way to improve on Bitton.

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The Hoops shipped 16 more goals than Rangers in the Premiership last season and without Ajer, you sense the gap will only grow larger.

Though, if Ange Postecoglou lands two capable centre halves, they should be able to narrow things instead.

Celtic have also been linked with a move for Hajduk Split defender Mario Vuskovic this summer, a player who should be an instant upgrade.

One of Bitton’s biggest criticisms is a lack of composure. However, Vuskovic doesn’t lack anything in that department.

After being named in the Guardian’s Next-Gen list for 2018, reporter Aleksandar Holiga was effusive in his praise: “He’s not just dominant in challenges but also exceptional in build-up play. He often scores goals and can score from free-kicks like a No 10.”

The young Croatian isn’t a typical defender but that’s what sets him apart from Bitton, a player who can be rather hot-headed.

The 6 foot 2 colossus won fewer aerial duels than the Israeli last season but won fractionally more defensive duels as a whole in terms of percentages.

A deal may cost Celtic in the region of £5m and after their defensive display on Tuesday evening in the Champions League, he’s clearly needed.

A defensive duo of Starfelt and Vuskovic has enormous potential at Parkhead.

AND in other news, As bad as Bitton: £5.5k-p/w Celtic dud who lost possession 19x massively let Ange down…

Manchester United finally announced the signing of former Borussia Dortmund ace Jadon Sancho earlier this summer following a lengthy pursuit.

However, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer attempts to close the gap to Premier League champions Manchester City, several star names continue to be linked with a move to Old Trafford and it looks like Ed Woodward will be getting the chequebook out a few more times in the coming weeks.

Key positions such as centre-back and holding midfield are thought to be high up on the Norwegian’s wish list, as the likes of Raphael Varane and Eduardo Camavinga have reportedly caught the eye of the United hierarchy as they plan for a title tilt.

A new contract for talismanic figure Paul Pogba has also been muted.

With all of that in mind, what will Solskjaer’s starting XI look next season once the summer transfer window has concluded?

Here’s our prediction…

One of Solskjaer’s biggest decisions will be over who begins the campaign as his first-choice goalkeeper. Dean Henderson was given several opportunities to impress at the backend of last season, but after making a string of errors, David de Gea was reinstated, and we think he will get the nod again for the start of 2021/22.

Ahead of the 30-year-old shot-stopper is likely to be a few familiar faces, although one key addition is likely to arrive. Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka were all impressive throughout 2020/21, yet doubts remain over the ability of Victor Lindelof.

The Sweden international often struggles with the pace and physicality of the Premier League and Real Madrid’s Varane has been linked with a move to the 20-time English champions as a result.

With just under a year remaining on his contract at the Bernabeu, an imminent exit looks all but guaranteed for the France international, and he could become United’s second big-money signing of the summer if they match his £42.5 million asking price.

In midfield, we fancy Pogba to put pen to paper and extend his contract with the Red Devils, becoming a key component of the club’s engine room for many years to come.

The World Cup-winning maestro could be joined by compatriot Camavinga in the centre of the park after the Rennes teenager was linked with a £25.7m move to United in recent weeks. Solskjaer is set to rival Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain for his signature in an attempt to bolster his first-team options.

Bruno Fernandes is all but guaranteed to take up his usual spot in the starting XI, while Sancho’s £73m transfer should see him lineup alongside Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani in a fearsome front three.

And, in other news…Man Utd linked to £54m-rated “phenomenon”, fans will surely be buzzing 

Australia, though rattled in the Colombo Test, are still favourites to clinch the three-match series by winning the second Test starting Friday here at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.And if Steve Waugh and his men are able to tame a youthful Pakistan side it will be Australia’s fifth successive Test triumph over Pakistan. When the two teams met last Down Under in 1999-2000, Australia whitewashed Wasim Akram-led Pakistan side 3-0.Sharjah has been a happy hunting ground for Pakistan but the present Australian team is without doubt the world’s best Test side and it will require something out of the ordinary to stop the baggy green juggernaut taking an unbeatable 2-0 lead.Conditions here are similar to Sri Lanka and the oppressive heat and humidity will be felt by both the teams as the mercury is likely to hover around 40 degrees Celsius making bowling and fielding a tough proposition over the next five days if the match lasts that long.On paper and in terms of performance the Australians have upper hand in all three departments of the game, batting, bowling and fielding. Despite the sensational collapse in the second innings in Colombo triggered by the express pace of Shoaib Akhtar, Aussies batting is formidable.With gangling Glenn McGrath and spin king Shane Warne backed up by tearaway Brett Lee, the Aussies have the arsenal to undo Pakistan’s vulnerable batting which invariably crumbles when put under pressure.If one goes by the words of groundsmen and pitch experts the track is going to be slow, offering some assistance to spinners from the third day onwards. And in all probability both the teams are likely to replace one seamer with a spinner although the final eleven will be announced just before the toss.Pakistan are expected to bring in young leg-spinner Danish Kaneria in place of speedster Mohammad Sami while Australia could induct uncapped off-spinner Nathan Hauritz for the injured Jason Gillespie although the pacer’s replacement Brad Williams has arrived.Reuters adds: Pakistan will target Steve Waugh in an attempt to make the Australia captain’s 150th Test appearance as uncomfortable as possible.Waugh and his twin brother Mark both made second innings ducks in Australia’s first Test win and have come under further pressure to justify their places in the Australia team.”No doubt Steve is a great player and has played some fine cricket at the highest level but we are not in mood to give him, or for that matter, other players any inch,” Pakistan skipper Waqar Younis told reporters Thursday.Steve Waugh discounted any suggestion that the Test would be a special landmark.”It’s just another Test for me,” he said. “The idea is to play well, score some runs, captain the side well and win the match for Australia.”Australia, for their part, need to counter Shoaib, who took five wickets in 15 balls in the first Test.”He did turn the match for a while, but in the end we won. That’s what matter in the final analyses,” Waugh said.Teams (from):Pakistan: Waqar Younis (captain), Imran Nazir, Taufiq Umar, Abdul Razzaq, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Faisal Iqbal, Rashid Latif, Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq, Danish Kaneria, Mohammed Sami.Australia: Steve Waugh (captain), Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh, Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath, Nathan Hauritz, Brad Williams, Andy Bichel, Darren Lehmann.Umpires: Srinivas Venkataraghavan (India) and Steve Bucknor (West Indies).TV umpire: Nadeem Ghauri (Pakistan).Match referee: Clive Lloyd (West Indies).