Tag Futebol

Celtic are officially the Scottish Premiership champions after the SPFL cut short the season.

The decision was taken at a board meeting earlier today after all 12 top-flight teams agreed last week that ending the current campaign was unfeasible.

Average points-per-game has been used to decide the final standings, which sees Hearts relegated to the Championship and Rangers finish some 13 points behind the Hoops.

SPFL chairman Murdoch MacLennan congratulated Celtic and sent considerations to the Jam Tarts, claiming there was “no realistic option but to call [the season]”.

Bhoys skipper Scott Brown has been celebrating the triumph on social media after he posted a 12-word message to Twitter – and much of the Celtic Park faithful have been going nuts in his replies.

The 34-year-old has captained the squad to each of their nine titles in the historic run and many would love to see him make it ten next season.

He had featured in a whopping 50 matches this season, potentially showing that he’s still got plenty in his locker.

The greatest rivalry in world football: Test your Old Firm derby knowledge below…

Here’s how fans reacted to his tweet…

AND in other news, Celtic fans are missing this former Parkhead star…

When Odsonne Edouard arrived at Celtic on loan, he set the Scottish league alight. That meant that the Hoops did everything they could to sign him on a permanent deal, and in the end he joined for £9.27 million, per Transfermarkt.

He has quickly become a fan favourite at Paradise, and this campaign he was the top goal scorer in the division, finishing nine goals ahead of Jermain Defoe in second place, via BBC Sport.

Becoming such a vital player for the Hoops and helping them achieve a lot of success has not gone unnoticed, with clubs across Europe interested in signing the forward. However with news this week from Sky Sports suggesting that the Celts are currently trying to tie down the attacker on a new contract, it looks like they will definitely have him for next seasons historic title push as they try to achieve something never done in Scottish history and win the league ten times in a row, per talkSPORT.

So how much do Celtic fans know about Edouard’s career so far at the club? This quiz will test even the most dedicated supporters.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Newcastle put in one of their most convincing performances of the Steve Bruce era last Saturday afternoon.

They showed tremendous resilience and concentration to halt Manchester City in their tracks as they drew 2-2.

Twice they came from a goal down to level proceedings and it said an awful lot about the type of character the players have at St James’ Park.

However, going into their clash with Sheffield United on Thursday, Steve Bruce would be wise to replicate a bold decision he made last weekend.

On the chalkboard

Perhaps rather surprisingly, Bruce decided to keep Fabian Schar among the substitutes against the Citizens.

The Switzerland international has recently just returned from injury but has regularly been one of the Magpies’ most consistent and cultured defenders.

Last term, he scored four goals and claimed a solitary assist for his troubles while he’s played nine times in 2019/20, instilling himself as a regular under the new management.

However, the man who replaced him when he was sidelined, Federico Fernandez, was in superb form on Saturday to justify exactly why Bruce’s call was right.

The Argentine was a colossal figure at the back and made ten clearances along the way. Before the game, there may have been a debate between both him and the £10.8m-rated Schar but the latter wasn’t favoured.

Perhaps fearing the possibility of aggravating the knee issue he had before, it was a decision that more than paid off.

Fernandez was strong in the tackle, winning two challenges, while there was also room for an impressive five interceptions. The 30-year-old’s reading of the play was eye-catching and against a City side possessing the creative hubs of Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva, this was vital.

When Bruce’s men take on the Blades, it wouldn’t be a great surprise if Schar was again kept on the bench.

After all, his replacement in the side has done little wrong and deserves a bigger run in the side.

In other news, check out what Newcastle fans had to say about Alan Shearer’s TOTW…

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It’s been a rough decade for Leeds United.

The 2010s represent the first decade in the club’s 100-year history that Leeds haven’t spent a season in the top-flight, but despite the tough times, United have had some fantastic players through this period.

Join us on a trip down memory lane as we create our Leeds United Team of the Decade.

[snack_break title=”Goalkeeper – Kasper Schmeichel”]

Leeds United have struggled with their goalkeepers since 2010 as it seems as if they’ve had a new number one every other year.

The likes of Paddy Kenny, Kiko Casilla, Andy Lonergan and Bailey Peacock-Farrell have all had stints as United’s first-choice goalie, but you can’t deny that Kasper Schmeichel is the most talented keeper to play for Leeds over the past ten years.

His impact at Elland Road wasn’t incredible, but he’s undoubtedly the pick of the bunch over this past decade, and after going on to win the Premier League with Leicester City in 2016 he’s got to be considered one of the most successful players to pass through Elland Road.

[snack_break title=”Right-back – Sam Byram”]

Sam Byram may have left Leeds when he was only 23 years old, but he was incredible during his short time at Elland Road. He was consistently efficient in defence, winning 1.5 and 1.7 tackles per game during 2013/14 and 2014/15.

The defender had his career affected by a string of injuries, but the hype that surrounded Byram during his teenage years was huge and for good reason.

The current Norwich City man was brilliant for the Whites making 143 appearances by the age of 23.

[snack_break title=”Centre-back – Liam Cooper”]

Current club captain Liam Cooper has more than earnt his place in this team.

The Scotland international is currently halfway through his sixth season at Leeds, and he just seems to keep getting better and better.

The arrival of Marcelo Bielsa seemed to be the turning point for Cooper as he made the PFA’s Championship Team of the Year last term and has since been a key part of Leeds’ team this term, winning 4.3 aerial duels per game.

[snack_break title=”Centre-back – Pontus Jansson”]

Leeds fans may not love him after he joined Brentford in the summer, but Pontus Jansson was undoubtedly one of the club’s best defenders this decade.

The Swede made the Championship Team of the Season on two separate occasions, and he was the definition of a cult hero as his performances sparked one of the most memorable chants the terraces at Elland Road have heard over the past ten years.

[snack_break title=”Left-back – Charlie Taylor”]

Leeds haven’t been blessed with incredible left-backs in the 2010s, but it’s fair to say that Charlie Taylor has been the pick of the bunch.

The York-born defender made over 100 appearances for the Whites after graduating from the academy, and he’s now a Premier League stalwart for Burnley after appearing in all 38 of the Clarets’ matches last season.

[snack_break title=”Right-midfield – Pablo Hernandez”]

Robert Snodgrass may feel rather unlucky to not grab the right-midfield spot in this side, but it’s impossible to overlook the two-time Player of the Year winner.

Hernandez was Leeds’ best player in their most successful season of this decade, and for that reason, he makes this team.

We can’t say much about the Spaniard that hasn’t already been said, he’s an incredible technician and an absolute delight to watch whenever he steps onto the pitch. Last term he contributed to 24 goals.

[snack_break title=”Centre-midfield – Kalvin Phillips”]

We really can’t look past the Yorkshire Pirlo for this spot.

Phillips is the epitome of what Leeds United are all about having come through the academy as a boyhood fan, and he has all the talent in the world.

He’s been linked with moves to the Premier League and touted for a spot in the England team, but no matter where his career takes him he will always have a special place in the heart of every United supporter.

[snack_break title=”Centre-midfield – Lewis Cook”]

The other central midfield spot in this team could have gone to a number of players.

The likes of Mateusz Klich, who scored ten times last season, Jonny Howson and Bradley Johnson all have claims to be in this side, but it’s Cook who steps in alongside Phillips.

The midfielder is the only man in this team to earn an England cap in the past decade, and while he wasn’t at Leeds for that long he showed enough during his time at the club to earn a place in this side. In his final term, he made 1.1 key passes and also registered a solitary shot each outing on average.

[snack_break title=”Left-midfield – Max Gradel”]

Max Gradel may not be the best player to have played for Leeds over the past decade, but he’s got a good case to be considered the most entertaining.

The pacy winger was a joy to watch during his time at Elland Road, and his 2010/11 season in which he netted 18 league goals from the wing may be the best single campaign that any Leeds player had over the past decade.

[snack_break title=”Striker – Ross McCormack”]

On his day, Ross McCormack was the best player in the Championship while he was at Leeds United.

The Scotland international was the division’s top goalscorer during his last season at the Yorkshire club, and he’s the only player to have received a 10/10 rating from Phil Hay during his 15-year spell as the chief football writer for the Yorkshire Evening Post.

[snack_break title=”Striker – Chris Wood”]

Some of you may have expected to see Jermaine Beckford or Luciano Becchio in this spot, but when you weigh it all up it’s really hard to look past Chris Wood.

Another Championship Golden Boot winner, the New Zealand international was sensational for the Whites, netting 41 goals in 83 league games. It’s a mammoth task to keep Beckford or Becchio out of this spot, but Wood just about edges it.

[snack_break title=”Manager – Marcelo Bielsa”]

Could it have been anyone else?

The Argentine has been a revelation since joining Leeds last summer as he led them to their best league finish of the decade. He’s already a legend at the club, and the best may be yet to come.

[snack_break title=”The team”]

And there we have it.

It’s been a turbulent decade for the Whites, and to be honest, it’s one the fans may not look back on too fondly, but there have been some cracking players to play for the Elland Road outfit, and our team looks pretty mouth-watering to say the least.

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A selection of Liverpool fans have slammed Mohamed Salah for his unconvincing shooting, after the Egyptian failed to score as the Reds beat KRC Genk 2-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Salah was handed a starting role in the UEFA affair at Anfield by head coach Jurgen Klopp, who called on the winger to play alongside Divock Origi and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in a front three.

Goals by Oxlade-Chamberlain and midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum ensured the Merseyside outfit triumphed over their Belgian opposition, and moved top of Group E after SSC Napoli were held to a draw at home to Red Bull Salzburg.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Liverpool fashioned a total of 28 shots against Genk as they recorded their third win of the Champions League campaign, with six of those coming from Salah.

No player for either side attempted more efforts on goal than Salah, per WhoScored data, but the 5 ft 8 star could only turn one of his shots on goal as three were blocked and two sailed wide of the mark.

Salah’s wayward efforts meant the 27-year-old failed to score in a UEFA tie for the second time this season, having also hit blanks six times in the Premier League.

He has attempted a shot on goal every 21.2 minutes in the Champions League and 23.2 minutes in the Premier League, though, but has only hit the target once every 72 and 50.5 minutes respectively.

Here are some of the messages shared from fans reacting to Salah’s shooting against Genk…

Leeds United fans on Twitter have highlighted one tactical switch they’d like to see Marcelo Bielsa make this weekend.

Indeed, Whites supporters have urged the manager to start Tyler Roberts ahead of Mateusz Klich in the near future.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Polish midfielder has been a little bit out of form as the Whites have lacked a cutting edge going forward – failing to net more than one goal in each of their last seven league matches. Klich has also assisted just one goal all term.

Roberts brings about a little bit more of an attacking spark as shown by his substitute appearance against Preston North End last week where he was constantly causing issues for the opposition defence.

Whether or not Marcelo Bielsa opts to make this change in the coming weeks remains to be seen, but there certainly are a section of supporters who believe it’s the right thing to do.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on social media..

Liverpool visit Old Trafford on Sunday and they may be in a buoyant mood as Paul Pogba remains unavailable for the hosts through injury.

It is a notable absence which could possibly deflate Manchester United as much as boost Jurgen Klopp’s side, and that could prove decisive in the Reds maintaining their 100% record in the league.

Another bonus for Liverpool is that many of their players were able to rest over the international break, including Mo Salah, whilst Roberto Firmino continued his fine start to the season with a goal against Senegal.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Salah looks to have overcome the knock he sustained against Leicester whilst there are also significant returns in other areas.

Alisson is expected to start for the first time since the opening day clash against Norwich, whilst Joel Matip is in line for a return to the team-sheet after injury forced him off against Sheffield United, a prospect which could be a big boost for the visitors.

Above all, though, is the problem of Pogba being missing, as that could have enormous tactical repercussions and determine how the game is played.

That is primarily because, without the France international, the Red Devils are a different outfit.

Their midfield lacks an attacking dimension and there is a derth of quality and creativity going forward when the likes of Scott McTominay, Nemanja Matic and Fred play.

Pogba’s passing stats suggest as much, as he completely surpasses any of his teammates in that area, with Fred’s 0.8 key passes per game the next best behind Pogba’s 2.6.

As a result, United will lack a threat in midfield to unleash the likes of Marcus Rashford and Dan James, and that means Jurgen Klopp can concentrate on attacking.

Oxlade-Chamberlain should therefore earn a recall as he can provide the injection of pace and flair in the middle of the pitch that Jordan Henderson lacks, evidenced best by the 29-year-old’s average of 1.4 successful dribbles per league game.

The Reds will not have to worry about him having to cover defensively against Man United’s midfield because of their lack of attacking threat, and that means Klopp should be more adventurous, particularly as his side failed to score at Old Trafford last year.

قرر توني كروس نجم ريال مدريد والمنتخب الألماني، الاعتزال الدولي بعد بطولة كاس الأمم الأوروبية التي ستقام في الصيف المقبل.

توني كروس الذي ظهر لأول مرة مع منتخب ألمانيا في 2010، وفاز ببطولة كأس العالم في 2014، قرر وضع حد لمسيرته الدولية.

طالع أيضًا.. ماركا توضح مدى خطورة إصابة كروس وإمكانية لحاقه بمواجهات ليفربول وبرشلونة

صحيفة “بيلد” الألمانية، أفادت أن توني كروس قرر الاعتزال الدولي في سن 31 عامًا، بعد المشاركة مع منتخب بلاده في بطولة يورو 2020 والتي ستقام الصيف المقبل 2021، بعد تأجيلها لمدة عام بسبب فيروس كورونا.

وقرر كروس التركيز على مستقبله في ريال مدريد فقط، من أجل تقديم أفضل ما لديه فيما تبقى من مسيرته الكروية.

توني كروس خاض مع منتخب ألمانيا حتى الآن 101 مباراة دولية، وأحرز 17 هدفًا، ومن بين البطولات التي لعبها، كانت كأس العالم 3 مرات، 2010 في جنوب إفريقيا، 2014 في البرازيل، وأخيرًا 2018 في روسيا.

وخاض أيضًا كروس بطولتي كأس الأمم الأوروبية مرتين في 2016 على الأراضي الفرنسية، وقبلها كانت يورو 2012 في أوكرانيا وبولندا.

من ناحية أخرى، أعلن ريال مدريد في وقتٍ سابق عام 2019 تمديد عقد كروس الذي انضم في 2014 من بايرن ميونخ، حتى 30 يونيو 2023.

تقرر انتظام خماسي الزمالك الدولي بالمنتخب الأول محمود جنش ومحمود الونش وطارق حامد وأحمد سيد زيزو وعبد الله جمعة في تدريبات الفريق يوم 30 مارس الجاري.

ويستعد الزمالك لمواجهة مولودية الجزائر المقرر لها ٣ أبريل المقبل بالجزائر، في الجولة الخامسة لمباريات دور المجموعات لبطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وأفاد الموقع الرسمي للزمالك، أن انتظام خماسي القلعة البيضاء سيأتي عقب انتهاء مباراة المنتخب أمام جزر القمر في الجولة السادسة للتصفيات المؤهلة لبطولة كأس الأمم الإفريقية والتي ستقام يوم 29 مارس الجاري باستاد القاهرة.

طالع | أول تعليق من أحمد فتوح بعد استبعاده من معسكر منتخب مصر

وفي نفس الوقت سينتظم ثلاثي الزمالك في المنتخب الأولمبي “أحمد عيد وإمام عاشور وأسامة فيصل” في تدريبات الفريق يوم 30 مارس أيضا عقب انتهاء معسكر المنتخب الأولمبي المقام في الفترة الحالية في إطار استعدادات المنتخب لدورة الألعاب الأولمبية المقبلة بطوكيو.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

As quoted by Sky Sports, Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs has urged referees to protect Daniel James.

What did he say?

The Wales international endured a difficult night on Monday against Nuno Espirito Santo’s Wolves, and received boos from the home fans after being booked for diving in the first-half.

Now, Giggs has leapt to the 21-year-old’s defence and insisted it is up to the referees to ensure he remains protected from defenders.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

He said: “You’ve seen he gets kicked a lot. Sometimes when you anticipate it, it can look like a dive. The speed he’s going at, it can look worse, but I’m not worried about that. He gets a lot of stick and referees need to protect him.”

Badge of honour

Having enjoyed a dream start to his United career with a goal on his Premier League debut for the club, James was effectively brought down to Earth with a shuddering halt against Wolves. The former Swansea star was unable to use his explosive pace to hurt Nuno’s side, and the opposition certainly did their best to stop him in his tracks with a team-high four fouls being committed against him.

Instead, James’ game was defined by being booked for apparent simulation, and he spent the rest of his time on the pitch being booed by the home fans. It must have been a real chastening experience for the young winger, and it will be up to him to make sure he doesn’t end up building an unwanted reputation of being a diver.

Check out the below above to see football played as you’ve never seen it before… in a maze!

His pace and speed will naturally make things more difficult for officials to spot if he has genuinely been fouled, and it is certainly right to hope that they look out for opposition players looking to target him with strong tackles. But Giggs’ claim of James needing “protection”?

The likes of Wilfried Zaha and Eden Hazard when he was in the Premier League made a career out of almost relishing being two of the most fouled players in the league. It represents something of a badge of honour that players need to resort to ‘dirty tactics’ to stop them. So if anything, James should simply dust himself off, smile and embrace the rough treatment.

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