Tag Futebol

Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho has already confirmed that he will be starting veteran centre-back Toby Alderweireld in the second leg of his side’s Europa League Round of 32 clash with Wolfsberger AC this evening.

But who will partner the 31-year-old Belgian?

Joe Rodon isn’t registered for the competition, so it’s between Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez, who both started their last two league defeats against West Ham (2-1) and Man City (3-0).

The latter could be in the most danger of losing his place, and quite rightly too…

On the Chalkboard

It’s been quite surprising to see the former club-record signing back involved amongst the starting XI in the Premier League.

He’s only started ten of their 24 outings, three of which coming in their last three matches, while across a nine-game period between the end of October and Christmas, he was snubbed entirely in the top-flight, via Transfermarkt.

At one stage, it seems as if Spurs weren’t against him leaving during the January transfer window – according to The Athletic correspondent Charlie Eccleshare, they would have considered offloading him if they could have found a viable replacement.

His long absence from the squad was a mere consequence of a calamitous afternoon against the Hammers, in which he conceded an own goal and endured a torrid time, and that has now come full circle.

The 24-year-old received his second-lowest rating (5.82) of the season that day – the worst coming only two games ago in that City defeat (5.57), where he made another error leading to a goal, via WhoScored.

And after the return fixture against their London rivals, former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara urged the club to get rid of Sanchez, he told talkSPORT:

“I look at the team and the back-four is just an absolute shambles. I don’t know why Jose keeps playing [Davinson] Sanchez and [Eric] Dier because it’s probably one of the worst partnerships in the Premier League!” before adding: “Get rid of them!”

No Spurs defender lost possession more times than the 6 foot 2 colossus, while he was dribbled past more times (three) than any other visiting player too, as per SofaScore.

Supporters have often dubbed him a liability, as seen in post-match reaction against Brentford in the Carabao Cup semi-final, and in response to a transfer report ahead of the January window.

Sanchez, who is valued at £36m by Transfermarkt and earns a reported £75k-per-week in north London, was identified as a “weak link” by Mourinho during a Europa League final between Man Utd and Ajax, according to Tony Cascarino, so the Spurs boss knows all too well about his faults.

“Absolutely dreadful” (Sky Sports, via HITC) and “disgraceful” are just two other phrases used to describe Sanchez and his defending since the turn of the year alone, only proving that he’s continuously let the club down for weeks, if not months, on end.

On the above evidence, the Mauricio Pochettino flop has no business being involved in the starting XI tonight – or in the near future either. Mourinho must be ruthless and axe him over Dier this evening.

AND in other news, Better than Dier: Levy could land Spurs a massive upgrade in £22.5m-rated “machine”

David Moyes has delivered West Ham United a welcome boost after confirming that Arthur Masuaku has returned to light training sessions.

The DR Congo international has been out of action since mid-December having made the decision to have surgery for the sake of his career, after dealing with pain in his knee for the best part of two years.

West Ham refused to put a timescale on his return at the time but Moyes is now hopeful of seeing the 27-year-old be back available for selection in around a month.

Masuaku went under the knife following a strong run in the Hammers starting line-up following a move from Moyes to go five-at-the-back, with the £7m-rated dynamo opening 10 of the London Stadium natives’ first 11 games of the Premier League season.

There were slight concerns that Masuaku may need a second operation last month, but allegedly did not report back any discomfort in his knee since the initial surgery.

Moyes confirmed in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Fulham, that while the left-back remains West Ham’s only absentee through injury, his progress is heading in the right direction.

“We’ve only got Arthur Masuaku [out], who has started jogging for the first time on Thursday following his knee surgery, so it gives us a thought that Arthur is only possibly a month away from coming back,” the Irons boss said.

“Hopefully, we’re trying to keep as many people fit as we can. This is a really difficult period for us. The fixture list has not been easy for any of the clubs and we’re no different.

“We’ve a really important Premier League game and then an FA Cup tie in midweek as well, so it’s another really big week for us. That said, I’m not thinking about the cup tie tomorrow, that’s for sure, but I know it’s on the horizon because of the week we’ve got.”

Moyes confirming that Masuaku is nearing a return to action will come as a boost for West Ham, after the east London outfit opted against strengthening the left-back position during the mid-season transfer window.

The Hammers were linked with a myriad of potential options to add depth behind Aaron Cresswell and youth prospect Ben Johnson, with FC Barcelona’s Junior Firpo, Manchester City’s Oleksandr Zinchenko, Chelsea’s Emerson Palmieri, Brentford’s Rico Henry, RB Leipzig’s Matthew Bondswell and Manchester United’s Brandon Williams all touted at some stage.

Yet Moyes and the Irons hierarchy ultimately opted against spending out on a short-term fix, which could now prove to be a masterstroke if Masuaku is able to come back into the fold and hit the ground running next month.

The 27-year-old’s efforts earlier in the Premier League campaign still remain at a high level compared to his positional rivals across the division, with Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell (1) and Sheffield United’s Max Lowe (0.8) the only left-backs blocking a higher number of crosses on average (0.7) per game in the top-flight this term, per WhoScored.

Masuaku additionally ranks fourth in the league for passes blocked (1.2) and fifth for accurate crosses (1.1) delivered by a left-back, and is the joint-most successful left-sided full-back for bringing possession out from the back with 2.2 successful dribbles a game, level with Brighton’s Solly March.

Cresswell, who took over honours at left-back following Masuaku’s operation, is also offering 1.1 accurate crosses a game but is misdirecting 1.7 more than his teammate, who only fails to find a West Ham shirt 2.6 times a game compared to 4.3.

Moyes may still persist with Cresswell in the role given the Irons’ form at present, but Masuaku’s return will be a big boost in adding adequate depth in the role in a potential European push.

AND in other news, David Moyes can give a £3.5m-rated outcast a new lease of life at West Ham with one decision…

علق محمد مجدي أفشة لاعب الأهلي على تتويج فريقه بلقب السوبر الإفريقي بعد تغلبه على الرجاء المغربي اليوم الأربعاء بركلات الترجيح.

وكان الوقت الأصلي للمباراة انتهى بالتعادل بهدفٍ لمثله، ليتجه الفريقان لركلات الترجيح التي حسمها الأهلي لصالحه بنتيجة 6-5.

وقال أفشة خلال حديثه بعد المباراة على قناة “بي إن سبورت”: “الحمد لله على الفوز، كان يجب أن نفوز اليوم من أجل جماهير الأهلي وأهنئهم جميعًا”.

طالع أيضًا.. فيديو | إصابة عمرو السولية قبل انطلاق مباراة الأهلي والرجاء في السوبر الإفريقي واستبداله

واختتم صانع ألعاب الأهلي: “مباراة صعبة، واجهنا فريقا كبيرا، وأهنيء طاهر محمد طاهر على الهدف الذي أحرزه”. تصريحات أفشة بعد فوز الأهلي على الرجاء في السوبر الإفريقي

Everton midfielder Anthony Gordon must step up for Carlo Ancelotti as Bernard reportedly nears a move to UAE outfit Al Nasr.

What’s the word?

According to the Liverpool Echo, Toffees chiefs are in official negotiations with Al Nasr over a deal for Bernard.

The Brazilian has entered into the final 18-months of his £120,000-per-week contract and has fallen out of favour under Carlo Ancelotti, with the Italian only starting him twice in the Premier League this season.

Everton are hoping to see a deal for Bernard finalised before Monday night’s deadline in order to clear his lucrative terms from the club’s wage bill, and may even allow the 28-year-old to secure a free transfer just two-and-a-half years on from joining the Blues.

Bernard was omitted from Ancelotti’s matchday squad as Everton lost 2-0 at home to Newcastle United on Saturday after being an unused substitute in the prior 1-1 draw with Leicester City, the 12th time this season that he had failed to enter a top-flight fixture from the bench.

Previous reports had suggested that Al Nasr had agreed to sign Bernard on loan with a €5m (£4.5m) obligation to turn the deal permanent at the end of the season, despite claims of Everton wanting £9m amid interest from AS Roma.

Everton parting with Bernard before Monday night’s 23:00 shut off is likely to have implications on Gordon’s future at Goodison Park, with the winger unlikely to be allowed to leave on loan following interest from Championship and Bundesliga clubs.

Time for Gordon to step up

Everton retaining Gordon, if Bernard’s deal to join Al Nasr goes through, will leave Ancelotti needing the youth product to step up, after a handful of underwhelming outings from the youngster in recent weeks and months.

David Unsworth has previously backed Gordon to find a home for himself on the wing, for he boasts “unbelievable pace” and a growing eye for the final pass, but the forward let Everton and Ancelotti down when fielded in the FA Cup against Rotherham United earlier this month.

Gordon was criticised for his poor body language during the third-round tie having shrieked into the shadows after a promising start, going from turning defenders inside out and carving the backline apart to rarely completing a pass and offering no end product.

That performance also came in only the 19-year-old’s third start of the season across all senior competitions, while playing a mere 87 minutes of Premier League action thanks partly to being hauled off just 10 minutes into the second-half at Sheffield United.

Gordon failed to create many one-vs-one opportunities at Bramall Lane and Ancelotti will need to see the England U20 do more if he is to offer the threat from the left that £13.5m-rated flop Bernard could not offer Everton.

It was also those performances that have helped to see Lucas Digne emerge ahead of Gordon, as well as Bernard, in Ancelotti’s pecking order for wide-left options, after the French full-back opened the Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester games in midfield.

If Gordon is to stay at Goodison Park and not leave on loan in line with Bernard’s exit, it has to be time for the Liverpool-born prospect to step up and make the position his.

AND in other news, a £70k-p/w gem let Carlo Ancelotti down as Everton lost to Newcastle…

أعرب سيرجيو بوسكيتس لاعب فريق برشلونة عن إحباطه الشديد بعد توديع منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا، عقب خسارة الأمس أمام بايرن ميونخ.

واستضاف ملعب الأليانز آرينا مباراة الفريقين في الجولة السادسة والأخيرة من دور مجموعات دوري أبطال أوروبا، حيث خسر برشلونة بثلاثة أهداف دون رد. أهداف مباراة بايرن ميونخ وبرشلونة

وودع برشلونة بتلك النتيجة منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا، حيث سينتقل إلى ملحق دور الـ16 من الدوري الأوروبي.

وقال بوسكيتس في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية: “مشاعر سيئة، ليس هذا ما أردناه، هذا ليس ما يستحقه النادي أو الجماهير، هذا هو الواقع، نحن ذاهبون إلى الدوري الأوروبي”.

وأضاف: “نحن في موقف صعب ومؤلم، هناك العديد من العوامل التي أثرت علينا، الوضع الخاص للنادي، الأمور لم تتم بشكل جيد، اللاعبون لم يفعلوا الأشياء بشكل جيد أيضًا، إنها مجموعة من كل شيء”.

وواصل: “لقد مرت الكثير من الفرق بهذا الوضع، تشيلسي، بايرن ميونج، نحن نعرف ما نريد، هذا ليس ما يستحقه النادي، الآن مع تغيير الإدارة والمدرب ليس لدينا أي شك في أننا سنعود، كما يجب أن نكون في الأوقات العصيبة، سنكون هناك في البطولة ونقدم كل شيء”.

وأردف: “أعتقد أنه يمكننا الفوز بالدوري الأوروبي، نعم، لدينا فريق للمنافسة، نحن نتنافس بشكل أفضل، لقد لعبت كرة القدم لسنوات عديدة وأنا أعلم أننا سوف نتحسن بسبب طريقة عمل الفريق، سنتحسن ونمضي قدمًا في البطولة”.

واستكمل: “هناك إحباط بالطبع، إنه يؤلم ويؤذي الكبرياء، إذا حصدنا المزيد من النقاط، فلم نكن لنصبح في هذا الموقف، لم نقم بالأشياء بشكل جيد في المباريات الأولى، الحظ لم يرافقنا كذلك، دخلنا في تلك الفوضى بأنفسنا وهذا شيء مؤلم”.

واختتم: “هذا كل شيء، هذا هو الواقع ويجب أن نحاول مواجهته بأفضل طريقة، أحاول مساعدة الفريق وإذا كان يجب أن نكون الآن في الدوري الأوروبي، هكذا سيكون، إذا كانت خطوة إلى الوراء لاكتساب الزخم، كان ذلك أفضل”.

حصل محمد صلاح نجم فريق ليفربول على تقييم جيد بعد مشاركته في مباراة اليوم ضد ساوثهامبتون، في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

واستضاف ملعب الأنفيلد مباراة الفريقين في الجولة الثالثة عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي، حيث فاز ليفربول بأربعة أهداف دون رد.

وشارك محمد صلاح في تلك المباراة بأكملها، ولم يسجل أهدافًا ولكنه صنع الهدف الثاني والذي سجله زميله البرتغالي دييجو جوتا. ملخص لمسات محمد صلاح أمام ساوثهامبتون

وحسب شبكة “هوسكورد” العالمية، حصل محمد صلاح على تقييم بلغ 7.4/10 حيث أوضحت أنه استحوذ على الكرة بنسبة 3%، وبلغت نسبة تمريراته الصحيحة 69%.

وفقد محمد صلاح الاستحواذ على كرته مرة واحدة فقط، ولم يخض أي التحامات أو صراعات هوائية، وصوب أربع تسديدات، لم يكن أي منها تجاه المرمى، حيث جاءت اثنتين خارجه، واثنتين تم اعتراضهما من قِبل الخصم.

Do you remember the name John Bostock? Once upon a time, he was the next big thing at Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs poached him from Crystal Palace in a controversial deal which saw a tribunal set the fee at just £700k, leaving then Eagles chairman Simon Jordan furious.

That was hardly a surprise given his revelation several years later that La Liga giants Barcelona were once courting him aged 14. Chelsea even had a bid turned down for him in the region of £900k prior to his move to N17.

Bostock was at Spurs for five years, first arriving under Juande Ramos in 2008 before Harry Redknapp and then Andre Villas-Boas took the reigns. He made only four senior appearances in north London.

During that time, he was sent out on loan to five different clubs, ranging from League Two Swindon Town to MLS outfit Toronto.

Though, he could never hit the heights he had once been touted for. Bostock was among the same age group as Harry Kane yet it was often the former that was tipped for greatness.

The Daily Mail dubbed him “the golden boy of English football”…

Where is Bostock now?

The short answer is nowhere. The 28-year-old does not currently have employment with any club anywhere.

At the start of October, he was released by Ligue 2 outfit Toulouse, who were relegated from France’s top tier last season, after a loan spell at Championship side Nottingham Forest.

His journey to France came via a spell in Belgium for Thursday night’s Europa League victors Royal Antwerp and then OH Leuven.

It was then Lens and a short stay at Turkish Super League club Bursaspor before returning to French football.

At international level for the England U17 squad, Bostock captained the side but now at 28, he finds himself at a crossroads without a contract.

Whether it was a decision from Villas-Boas or from chairman Daniel Levy, they were clearly right to dump him for free in 2013.

He evidently wasn’t going to make it at Spurs and that call has been fully vindicated as proven in the interesting path his career has taken since.

AND in other news, £63m-rated lightweight may have blown his final chance at Spurs…

MatériaMais Notícias

Após o empate do Internacional contra o Bayer Leverkusen, por 3 a 3, nesta quarta-feira, na estreia das equipes na Florida Cup, no Estádio Lockhart, em Fort Lauderdale, nos Estados Unidos, o meia Anderson afirmou que ainda existe possibilidade de deixar o Colorado.

Recentemente os dirigentes gaúchos teriam recusado uma oferta de R$ 25 milhões do Hebei Fortune, da China, por Anderson. O meio-campista revelou que as negociações com o chineses continuam acontecendo e que, apesar de estar satisfeito no Inter, pode se transferir em breve.

– Eu sou jogador do Inter. Tenho quatro anos de contrato. Estou muito feliz, mas tudo pode acontecer. Estamos negociando. Vamos ver. Se tiver que ficar, ficarei muito feliz – disse Anderson.

Comprado no ano passado junto ao Manchester United, da Inglaterra, por um valor que teria alcançado R$ 24 milhões, Anderson sempre foi visto no Inter como um jogador que poderia render um bom dinheiro ao clube, apesar do baixo rendimento em campo. A intenção da diretoria seria conseguir um valor de R$ 40 milhões em uma possível venda neste momento. Além do Fortune haveria outro clube chinês interessado no jogador.

– A questão em particular do Anderson: veio uma proposta, rechaçada em função do valor, que o presidente entendeu que não era factível com o que se pretendia. Vamos aguardar se eles vêm novamente com mais pressão para cima do Internacional – afirmou Carlos Pellegrini, vice-presidente de futebol do Inter ao Globoesporte.com, antes da viagem para o torneio nos Estados Unidos, sobre a possibilidade de vender o jogador.

Em pouco menos de um ano no Inter, Anderson fez 45 jogos, marcando apenas um gol.

RelacionadasInternacionalInternacional estreia com empate na Florida CupInternacional14/01/2016InternacionalDe volta a campo! Confira como será o início de temporada do InterInternacional13/01/2016Futebol InternacionalMeia brasileiro pode conquistar Bola de Ouro do futebol belgaFutebol Internacional13/01/2016

MatériaMais Notícias

O ano de Gustavo Scarpa começou com um empréstimo para o Red Bull. Após a disputa do Campeonato Paulista, o meia retornou ao Fluminense e estava perto de se emprestado novamente. Aos poucos, foi ganhando algumas oportunidades e se destacando. De encostado a titular absoluto do time no fim da temporada, o jogador sabe que não é mais uma promessa e destaca que pretende se tornar uma realidade em 2016.

– Esse ano fui quase uma promessa e sei que estou me tornando uma realidade. No ano que vem a responsabilidade vai mais do que dobrar. Vai aumentar muito. Vou ter que aprender a lidar com isso. Vou deixar de ser um menino e começar a ser tratado como uma referência mesmo dentro do clube, independentemente da idade – disse, ao site oficial do clube.

Ciente de que a cobrança será maior em 2016, Gustavo Scarpa ressalta que está preparado para a pressão de dentro e fora do clube na temporada e afirma que isto será bom para o seu crescimento profissional.

– Tenho que estar preparado. Sei que vai ser assim e quero que isso aconteça porque acredito que vai ser muito bom para o meu crescimento. Já estou preparado para a pressão de 2016 e dos anos seguintes – explicou o camisa 40.

Um dos jovens com mais potencial dentro do elenco, Gustavo Scarpa é visto como uma opção para uma possível negociação no ano que vem. Neste ano, o Tricolor vendeu Kenedy e Gerson para a Europa.

West Ham United could be on the verge of ending their centre-back pursuit as they enter the race for an experienced Premier League colossus…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, the Irons are keen on poaching Antonio Rudiger from Chelsea as he faces uncertainty over his future at the club having been left out by Frank Lampard in recent weeks.

The Telegraph’s reliable Blues correspondent Matt Law claims the 27-year-old is now effectively their fifth-choice centre-back and has been frozen out since the arrival of free-agent Thiago Silva.

Moyes is in the market for a new central defender and he could swoop in for the £36m-rated German on loan.

Ferdinand-like colossus

Ever since the likes of James Tomkins and James Collins departed east London, the centre-back position has been a rather troubling conundrum, even more so with Winston Reid perpetually on the treatment table.

You could argue that the club lack the presence of a Rio Ferdinand-type, someone who can influence from the back in an imposing nature and there were none better than the former fan-favourite.

Rudiger can give the Hammers that and more – ESPN describe the 31-cap international as a “tall, quick and athletic defender who is capable of turning out at centre-back or full-back” who is “comfortable with the ball at his feet and has all the necessary physical attributes to become a top-level centre-back.”

Perhaps the 27-year-old has been unfairly treated across the river as last season he averaged 2.9 aerials won, 2.8 clearances, 1.4 tackles per game, and even managed a passing accuracy of 86.8% from over 70 passes per match too, via WhoScored.

The 6 foot 3 monster has even been likened to Ricardo Carvalho by Garth Crooks, which isn’t a bad one to make given his influence in Chelsea’s title-winning sides.

Although Ferdinand himself isn’t a huge fan of Rudiger having slammed him for “appalling defending” in the past, though Moyes needs a quick solution and bringing him in on loan could provide that.

AND in other news, Hammers could find their new Payet in Serie A wizard…