Penguins Report Card: Strong Rebound, Building Blocks in Place
Tottenham must try signing a striker in January as a backup to Dominic Solanke Tottenham Hotspur have been trying to bring in a new striker at White Hart Lane given the inconsistency and lack of availability of Richarlison. Richarlison has failed to live up to the lofty expectations of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful since arriving from Everton in 2022, owing to persistent injury issues and chronic inconsistency. In more than two years in North London, he has scored only 16 goals . The Brazilian international has spent the majority of this campaign so far on the treatment table, failing to provide the required backup to Dominic Solanke , who arrived at N17 for a club-record fee from Bournemouth in the summer. The English centre-forward is gradually adapting to Ange Postecoglou’s system at Spurs, playing in almost every game due to a lack of quality backup. With injuries aplenty, the last thing Ange Postecoglou will want is to lose his main striker. Thus, the addition of a new striker is an absolute must, John Wenham—the owner of the Spurs podcast Lilywhite Rose—has insisted Tottenham to make a move for Brighton and Hove Albion centre-forward Evan Ferguson. He thinks the 20-year-old could be the ideal addition to Postecoglou’s attacking ranks. “Teams such as Fulham and Leicester City are being credited with an interest in Ferguson,” John Wenham exclusively told Tottenham News . “Therefore, I just find it mind-blowing that we wouldn’t be pushing at the front of the queue for his signature. He would be the perfect option up top and is a player with an incredibly high ceiling, and someone who has great ability on the ball. “This isn’t a kid with one or two games under his belt, this is a player who scored a Premier League hattrick against Newcastle at the age of 18.” As per reports , Brighton have made Evan Ferguson available on loan in January. The Republic of Ireland international has fallen down the striker pecking order under new manager Fabian Hurzeler this season, starting just two Premier League games thus far. He has only netted once in a total of 12 games . Ferguson is a hugely talented striker with high potential, although he seems to have become something of a forgotten man after a quiet last season. However, he is only 20 and has a lot of time to develop the different facets of his game. The young centre-forward requires a run of games to regain his mojo, and Ferguson could get that under Big Ange with Spurs still in all four competitions. Even when Richarlison does return, there is no guarantee that he will remain fit. Thus, Wenham is right in suggesting the Lilywhites to sign the Irishman on loan in January for the second half of the campaign. This article first appeared on To The Lane And Back and was syndicated with permission.
China signals readiness to mend ties with U.S. ahead of Trump inaugurationTweet Facebook Mail The father of one of the Melbourne teens who died from suspected methanol poisoning on the South-East Asia "trip of a lifetime" has urged the Laos government to fully investigate what happened to ensure her death was not in vain. Following the deaths of Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles , both 19, an emotional but determined Mark Jones read out a statement on behalf of his family, expressing their grief for the young Australians and the four other international tourists to die in a popular backpacker town this month. He said his daughter's "lust for life and adventure" had "cruelly been cut short" as her life was just beginning. METHANOL EXPLAINED: The deadly substance you can't see or taste Bianca Jones fell ill while on a backpacking holiday in Laos with her best friend. (Facebook) "Our daughter was on the trip of a lifetime with one of her best mates," Jones said yesterday. "This was meant to be a trip full of lifelong memories, and was to be the first of many. "Bianca wanted to explore the world, meet new friends, lead and create change for good." Instead, the friends died late this week in separate hospitals in neighbouring Thailand, where they'd been flown for more intense treatment after suffering suspected methanol poisoning. The victims are believed to have consumed drinks tainted with the substance, which sometimes appears in poorly made liquor or is added as a cheaper alternative to ethanol, but can cause severe poisoning or death. READ MORE: What to know about the Laos town at centre of suspected methanol poisonings Mark Jones read out a statement on Saturday, November 23, 2024, on behalf of his family after the deaths of Australians Bianca Jones, Holly Bowles and several other backpackers died from suspected methanol poisoning in Laos. (9News) It is understood the owner of the Nana Backpackers Hostel in Vang Vieng, where Bowles and Jones stayed, has been detained in Laos' capital Vientiane to assist police with their enquiries. The girls had free shots at the hostel before going out and drinking at other bars on the night before they were found ill but the hostel owner insisted the drinks did not come from his bar. The deaths sparked outrage, well wishes and warnings from Canberra to Washington, including messages from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, various consulates and even Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder. Jones thanked the Australian government for its support and issued a request to authorities in Laos, one of the region's poorest countries, which has been popular with backpackers for years. "I would like to take this opportunity to urge the Laos government to investigate this to the fullest extent, to make sure this incident doesn't happen again," he said. "We can't have the passing of our daughter ... not lead to change to protect others. Holly Bowles (left) died after a suspected mass poisoning during a holiday. (Facebook) "Young men and women should be able to travel, create their own life experiences and be safe. "We'll forever miss our beautiful girl and hope her loss of life has not been in vain." After days of silence and limited transparency about police investigations into the deaths of the two Australian women, British lawyer Simone White, two Danish women and an American man, the Laos government finally addressed the tragedy on Saturday , stating it was "profoundly saddened" and promising to investigate. The Vientiane Times , which is part of an agency run by the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, named the other victims as Danes Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Frela Vennervald Sorensen, 21, and American James Louis Hutson, 57. Reporters Sans Frontiers (Reporters Without Borders) ranks Laos 153 of 180 on the World Press Freedom Index. Mark Jones leaves with his family after speaking to the media. (9News) Simone White, UK lawyer victim of methanol poisoning in hospital (squirespattonboggs.con) Along with Nine's newspapers, the local outlet cited a police report stating that the Danes and Americans were separately found unconscious in their respective rooms at the Nana Backpackers Hostel on November 13, several days before news broke that the Australian women were fighting for life. The women went to a bar the previous night and returned home about midnight and weren't found until 6pm, while the American was discovered about three hours later after staff realised he hadn't left his room all day. Yesterday, the hostel manager said staff were told by other guests that Bowles and Jones were unwell after they failed to check out as planned on November 13, and they arranged transport to a hospital for them. DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP : Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play .