Tag Futebol

Glasgow Rangers signed several players in the summer, but one player has surprisingly stood out from the rest…

What’s the word?

Steven Gerrard’s side are gearing up to face Standard Liege at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne in the Europa League group stages on Thursday night.

According to The Daily Record, there are no new concerns for Rangers, as Kemar Roofe has returned to the squad after missing the 2-0 victory over Celtic in the first Old Firm derby of the season due to injury.

Rangers signed Roofe on a four-year-deal from Belgian side Anderlecht for an undisclosed fee, rumoured to be around £4.5m, via Transfermarkt. The 27-year-old made 16 appearances for Anderlecht, and scored seven times in a campaign that was disrupted by injury problems. But he could turn out to be a bargain buy for the Light Blues.

Bargain buy?

It’s fair to say that Gerrard has grown accustomed to using experienced footballers far more often as he balances the demands and pressures of domestic and European competitions. Indeed, he has called upon the likes of Jon McLaughlin and Jermain Defoe on regular occasions in recent weeks.

Strength and depth in the squad will be so important if his side are to challenge for silverware this season, which is where the Jamaican international comes in. Roofe’s return to fitness will give Gerrard several options to choose from upfront, and his experience in the Belgian Pro League makes him a useful attacking asset. It’s worth remembering that he scored six goals and supplied two assists in 13 games in the Belgian top flight last term, via Transfermarkt.

Whilst we aren’t for one minute suggesting that he will supplant Alfredo Morelos anytime soon, the £4m-rated ace may get his time to shine to ease the burden on Gerrard’s first-choice striker.

After arriving at the Ibrox outfit from Anderlecht, Roofe has already scored twice in five games in the Scottish Premiership this season, whilst he has averaged 2 shots per game, via WhoScored. In comparison, fellow new-boy Cedric Itten has only managed one shot per game, although the majority of his appearances have come as a substitute from the bench, as per WhoScored.

Once hailed as a “hard-working” professional by his former teammate Barry Douglas and a “cold-blooded” finisher by ex-manager Thomas Christiansen, the versatile player, who can play in the centre, on the left or right of the midfield, as well as operating as a centre-forward, could turn out to be a true bargain, as he can provide competition and cover for Morelos and Itten.

Gerrard has shown that he isn’t afraid of making a few tactical tweaks here and there. Why not let Roofe off the leash against Standard Liege in the Europa League?

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers must take a gamble on long-term target Jack Wilshere…

Glasgow Rangers are getting ready to face Celtic in the Old Firm derby. Neil Lennon’s side are in the middle of a crisis but Steven Gerrard has a few injury concerns of his own to worry about…

What’s the word?

According to The Daily Record, Rangers defender Filip Helander faces a race against time to prove his fitness for the clash with Celtic. The 11-cap Swedish international had been in fine form for his club before being called up by his country before the international break.

But he was told to return to the Ibrox outfit by boss Janne Anderson after turning up for training with a “slight injury.” And Rangers will have to wait and see if he can shake off any issues so he can be available for selection at Parkhead.

Cause for concern?

This isn’t the first time Helander has had to overcome adversity. In fact, he has had to deal with his fair share of injury problems in recent years, including a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to a foot injury. However, the “really positive” player worked his way back into contention, and he has been a regular feature in the squad ever since alongside Connor Goldson.

Per SofaScore, Helander has played seven games in the Scottish Premiership this season, having started six games so far, keeping four clean sheets, whilst averaging 2.9 tackles, at least 1 interception and 2 clearances per game.

Even so, his latest setback will have given Gerrard some cause for concern. After missing a large chunk of last season, he cannot afford to endure another long spell without football. There is also the possibility he could aggravate any lingering issues against Celtic in a game that is almost always expected to be a physical encounter between the two sides.

Helander’s teammate Leon Balogun partnered Goldson at the heart of the back line against Ross County in the Gers’ last game before the international break. And the bargain ace gave a good account of himself whilst away on international duty.

Therefore, the Rangers boss may instead opt for a back four including Calvin Bassey, Balogun, Goldson and Tavernier to face Celtic. He will need his side to be fully fit and firing on all cylinders when the team travel to Celtic Park.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers given major boost as Steven Gerrard cleared for Celtic clash…

Tottenham Hotspur could finally be about to replace Christian Eriksen but they face a tough test in securing the perfect successor…

What’s the word?

According to Sky Italia’s Angelo Mangiante, Spurs boss Jose Mourinho wants to bring AS Roma playmaker Nicolo Zaniolo to north London this summer.

It’s claimed that an official from the Premier League club met with the Serie A outfit at their Trigoria training base but it appears as if the player may not be for sale.

Just a few days ago, Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness) suggested Spurs were preparing a €50m (£45m) bid and Mangiante states they were prepared to offer a sum during this meeting, though they were knocked back instantly.

Playmaking heir

Whilst Roma seem to be holding firm over one of their best young talents, at the end of the day, everyone has their price so Daniel Levy shouldn’t give up just yet.

The north Londoners haven’t yet replaced Christian Eriksen, who departed for Inter Milan in January – Giovani Lo Celso seemed to be the man to replace him but he’s better off in a deeper role.

Zaniolo appears to be a neat fit to take the playmaking crown at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

This season, the 21-year-old provided eight goals and four assists whilst averaging 2.3 dribbles, 1.7 shots and 1 key pass per appearance in all competitions, via WhoScored.

He’s been likened to both Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard by ex-Inter coach Stefano Vecchi with Roma legend Francesco Totti describing the Italian as a player with “explosive strength and technique.”

Zaniolo is also said to be “precise and quick in his passing” and that his “decision-making is exceptional,” according to Serie A expert Mina Rzouki.

All of these things point towards the attacking midfielder being the absolutely ideal man to bring some creativity further up the pitch at Spurs.

Levy’s just going to have to tempt Roma into a sale with a better offer.

AND in other news, Spurs’ £25m target could be the perfect foil for Harry Kane

Tottenham Hotspur could be forced to sell Juan Foyth this summer after just three years in north London, according to reports.

Tottenham and Southampton agreed a fee for Saints star Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg last week, with the midfielder set to undergo a medical in north London.

According to football.london’s Alasdair Gold, Spurs must sell some foreign players if they want to bring in new signings in the summer. Foyth faces a further problem, as he is now too old to qualify for Tottenham’s B list in European competition.

The Lilywhites will reach the limit of foreign players in their squad for the Europa League qualifiers once Hojbjerg’s signing is completed, which will put the 22-year-old Argentine defender in a spot of bother.

The 10-cap Argentina international has fallen out of favour with Spurs boss Jose Mourinho, who considers him surplus to requirements, while Leeds United remain interested in signing the former Mauricio Pochettino prodigy.

He has been tipped to make a move to Elland Road to link up with his fellow countryman Marcelo Bielsa, who was a mentor to Pochettino in the past.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy must decide whether he will find Foyth a loan move to improve his chances of playing regularly or cut his losses and sell him in the summer. At this stage in his career, he needs to be playing regular first team football, which is something that Mourinho is not prepared to provide.

For whatever reason, it hasn’t worked out for Foyth during his time in the Premier League lately, as he has featured just twice in the top flight for the Portuguese since he succeeded Pochettino last November. His contract will run out in 2022 and Spurs should sell him to raise some much-needed funds to reinvest in the transfer market.

Tottenham fans, do you think Daniel Levy should let Foyth leave for Elland Road? Let us know your views in the comments below!

تُقام مساء اليوم الأحد مباراة من العيار الثقيل بين فريقي ليفربول بقيادة يورجن كلوب، ومانشستر سيتي بقيادة بيب جوارديولا في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

طالع | تشكيل ليفربول الرسمي أمام مانشستر سيتي.. محمد صلاح أساسيًا

ويستضيف ملعب الأنفيلد مباراة الفريقين في قمة منافسات الجولة السابعة من الدوري الإنجليزي، موسم 2021/22.

ويتواجد ليفربول في المركز الثاني في جدول الدوري الإنجليزي برصيد 14 نقطة، بفارق نقطة واحدة فقط عن مانشستر سيتي صاحب المركز السادس. تشكيل ليفربول المتوقع أمام مانشستر سيتي

حراسة المرمى: أليسون بيكر.

خط الدفاع: جويل ماتيب، فيرجيل فان دايك، أندي روبرتسون، جو جوميز.

خط الوسط: فابينيو، جوردان هندرسون، كورتيس جونز.

خط الهجوم: محمد صلاح، فيرمينو، ساديو ماني. تشكيل مانشستر سيتي أمام ليفربول

حراسة المرمى: إيدرسون.

خط الدفاع: روبن دياز، إيمريك لابورت، كايل ووكر، كانسيلو.

خط الوسط: رودري، كيفين دي بروين، برناردو سيلفا.

خط الهجوم: رياض محرز، رحيم ستيرلينج، جاك جريليش.

يمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة على مركز المباريات من هنا.

Former Sunderland striker Stephen Elliott has commented on the pending sale of Bali Mumba to Norwich City, questioning the low transfer fee reportedly agreed by both clubs.

Premier League side Norwich are currently fighting for their top-flight status as they sit bottom of the division at present, but that has not stopped the Canaries from already agreeing a summer transfer.

Football Insider were among the first to claim that Norwich were interested in making a move for Mumba, who has been impressing for Sunderland’s youth sides.

The 18-year-old is thought to be one of the top talents at the Academy of Light, having made a step up to the first team on 10 occasions.

Initial reports from Football Insider were followed byÂthe Sunderland Echo, who claimed that an initial transfer fee of £500,000 had been agreed, but it is now claimed that the figure has dropped to £350k.

Touching on the reduction, former Black Cats striker Elliott seemed baffled by the club’s decision to allow the young talent to leave for a lesser amount.

Further to the news of an agreed deal, it was also reported by Sky Sports that Mumba had agreed a three-year deal with Norwich.

Elliott has hit the nail on the head with just a short statement. Sunderland do not seem to care about the club’s young players anymore and Mumba’s exit is just another in a long line of talented youngsters to leave.

If Mumba goes on to become a top player in English football, Sunderland will only have themselves to blame and if, like Elliott alluded to, no clause has been added, then more fool the Black Cats.

Do you think Sunderland should have asked for more for Mumba? Let us know in the comments section below…

Southampton midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg wants to join Tottenham Hotspur this summer, according to the Evening Standard. 

Jose Mourinho has made it clear that the 24-year-old is the player he needs to transform Tottenham into a side capable of challenging for silverware next season.

Hojbjerg was stripped of the captain’s armband after refusing to sign a new deal at Southampton and he has told Ralph Hasenhuttl he wants to move on to bigger and better things. Spurs are leading the race to sign the Dane in the summer, amid interest from Ajax, and that could see Kyle Walker-Peters move in the opposite direction.

Mourinho has decided that Eric Dier’s best position is in the defence and considers Hojbjerg to be a significant upgrade on the midfield options he has available at the moment.

As it stands, this will be bad news for Walker-Peters, who fell out of favour with Mourinho after appearing to take aim at the Portuguese in an interview with the Saints’ official website.

He is only one year younger than Hojbjerg and has played every single minute of Southampton’s past four games, helping Hasenhuttl’s side to beat Watford and Manchester City while earning draws against Everton and Manchester United.

Hasenhuttl wants to sign a right-back before the start of next season and is a keen admirer of Walker-Peters. Although Mourinho had suggested that the 23-year-old could still return to Tottenham, he added that he won’t stop him from leaving if he wishes to do so.

It now seems that Spurs are eager to use him as part of an exchange deal for Hojbjerg, despite him impressing for the Saints since the Premier League restart. No matter how hard he tries on the pitch, the defender seems to have burnt most of his bridges back in north London.

Mourinho is prepared to let him go, which could end up being a decision he regrets in the future, as the academy graduate has reminded his parent club of exactly what he has to offer.

Tottenham fans, do you think Mourinho should give Kyle Walker-Peters another chance? Let us know in the comments below!

Some Leeds United fans have flocked to a tweet that was recently posted by ex-Whites left-back Ian Harte to share their positive memories of the club’s UEFA Champions League quarter-final first-leg victory over Deportivo La Coruna from the 2000/01 campaign. 

The Whites managed to put three goals past Deportivo at Elland Road in the first-leg of their 2000/01 Champions League quarter-final clash. This victory was ultimately substantial enough to help the Whites advance to the semi-finals of that season’s competition, as Deportivo could only manage to earn a 2-0 win at home in the second-leg, meaning that Leeds would advance to the semi-finals after winning the tie 3-2 on aggregate. 

The Whites’ official club Twitter account recently posted a tweet sharing footage of this memorable night in the club’s history. Harte, who started at left-back for Leeds in that clash, subsequently shared the club’s recent tweet via a tweet of his own in which he reflects positively on this game. 

In addition to starting at left-back for the Whites in this classic win, Harte scored the opening goal of the game in the 26th-minute via a direct free kick. As a result, it may be understandable why the former Republic of Ireland international might hold some positive memories of this game. 

Some Whites fans have been sharing some joyful reactions to Harte’s recent tweet, as they have also been reflecting fondly on this classic win. Read the recent posts from some Leeds fans who have been reacting positively to Harte’s recent post in the tweets below.

كان روبرتو مانشيني غاضبًا من فريقه الإيطالي بعد التعادل 0-0 في سويسرا، وهو التعادل الثاني على التوالي، في تصفيات أوروبا المؤهلة لكأس العالم قطر 2022.

تمامًا مثل التعادل 1-1 مع بلغاريا يوم الخميس، أتيحت الفرصة لـ منتخب إيطاليا وفشلوا في استغلالها، كما أهدر جورجينيو ركلة الجزاء التي أنقذها يان سومر حارس مرمى سويسرا.

قال مانشيني لشبكة “RAI Sport” الإيطالية: “هذه لحظة لا تدخل فيها الكرة، مرة أخرى، كان لدينا الكثير من الفرص”.

وأضاف: “لا يتعلق الأمر بركلة الجزاء، لكن هناك مواقف أخرى، نحتاج إلى أن نكون أكثر تصميمًا، أكثر دقة، وأكثر تمامًا كما هو الحال أمام بلغاريا، إنها مباراة أخرى لا يمكننا أن نفشل في الفوز بها مع العديد من فرص التهديف التي تم إنشاؤها”.

وواصل مانشيني: “كان الأمر أصعب في الشوط الثاني، لكن كانت لدينا الفرص في الشوط الأول والثاني، مما يعني أن الفريق قدم كرة قدم جيدة”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. كيلليني بعد التعادل أمام سويسرا: إيطاليا اليوم أفضل مما كانت عليه في يورو 2020!

بالنظر إلى هذه النتيجة، سُئل مانشيني إذا أصبحت مواجهة نوفمبر مع سويسرا في إيطاليا الآن حاسمة في صدارة المجموعة، وأجاب “أعتقد ذلك، نعم”.

الفريق المتصدر يذهب مباشرة إلى كأس العالم 2022، مع دخول الوصيف في التصفيات، وسويسرا لديها الآن سبع نقاط من ثلاث مباريات، في حين أن منتخب إيطاليا لديه 11 نقطة من خمس.

وسئل مانشيني أيضًا عما إذا كانت ستكون هناك تغييرات في التصفيات الثالثة لهذا السباق ضد ليتوانيا؟

وأوضح: “الفتيان متعبون، لذا ستكون هناك بالتأكيد بعض التغييرات، إنها فرصة ضائعة، أشعر بنفس غضب مباراة يوم الخميس تمامًا، بالضبط نفس الشيء تكرر”. ملخص مباراة إيطاليا وسويسرا في تصفيات كأس العالم

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

After another disappointing result at the weekend, the pressure on Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has well and truly intensified. Reports in recent weeks had suggested the Norwegian was fighting for his job at Old Trafford, but The Athletic have claimed that the club are determined to stand by him even with Mauricio Pochettino now available.

It’s certainly an admirable stance from the Red Devils, but one that will come under serious examination on Wednesday night. Former United boss Jose Mourinho will return to Old Trafford as the recently appointed Tottenham boss, and there is certainly an element of a day of reckoning when it comes to Solskjaer. With that in mind, below is a look at how the Norwegian might set his team up for the visit of the north London side.

In front of United number one David de Gea, Solskjaer will be keen to keep his back-four the same, and provide a bit of stability. Since Mourinho took charge, Spurs have scored ten times in just three games, and the Red Devils will have a tough task in trying to keep the away side at bay.

And one of the Spurs men who has really appeared to enjoy a new lease of life under their new Portuguese boss, is Dele Alli. He has scored three times and provided one assist in that period, and Solskjaer will be incredibly wary of the England international. Having gone with Andreas Pereira to partner Fred in central midfield against Aston Villa last time out, the Norwegian may look to add some extra defensive protection on Wednesday night. That could potentially mean Axel Tuanzebe gets drafted into the line-up, in the same position he was brought on at Sheffield United.

Watch Man United v Tottenham Live and Free with Amazon Prime

Further forward, whilst Juan Mata had an afternoon to forget against Villa – the Spaniard had just 35 touches and finished with a 6.5 match rating as per Sofascore – he does enjoy a relatively impressive record against Spurs. In the ten games he has played against them, he has scored three goals and provided a further four assists, and that could well prove to be decisive when Solskjaer makes his decision as to who should play.

And with a late injury update reportedly seeing Anthony Martial being ruled out of the game, it could mean Marcus Rashford returns up front, with Jesse Lingard being drafted in to replace the Frenchman.