Tag Futebol

Tottenham are apparently in hot pursuit of Mexican whizz Hirving Lozano.

Well, according to CalcioNapoli24, Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs are keen to sign PSV Eindhoven’s impressive winger and it’s hard to see how this wouldn’t be a good move.

This isn’t the first time Spurs have registered their interest in the player having apparently (as per TEAMtalk) pursued him following the most recent instalment of the World Cup in Russia. And surely they’ll be inspired by the fact that the little Mexican whippet has produced a mightily successful season in the Netherlands, claiming 21 goals and 12 assists across 40 appearances in all competitions.

Jesus Martinez, chairman of the player’s former club Pachuca, told ESPN Deportes back in March that Manchester United had been tracking him since he was 16, so it’s clear the 23-year-old has been making an impression for quite some time.

If it didn’t hit home last summer, surely it’s beginning to dawn on Spurs fans that they’re going to need to sign some players in the upcoming window if they’re to stay afloat. Fernando Llorente, the man who bundled in Spurs’ route to the Champions League final, expected to leave, Harry Kane missed 17 games due to injury and Vincent Jansson has played 144 minutes of football (only 36 of which came in the Premier League). With that in mind, Lozano could provide the necessary quality in a region of the pitch they’re becoming increasingly weak in.

Compared to Spurs’ current forwards, Lucas Moura and Son Heung-Min, both of whom we considered to have performed particularly well this year, Lozano reigns supreme in a few all-important statistics.

For example, while Son produced 12 goals and six assists, and Lucas 10 (with zero assists), in the recently completed Premier League season, the Mexican managed to net 17 times and created on eight separate occasions for his teammates, in the Eredivisie. And though Son and Moura both finished on an impressive 2.4 and 1.4 shots per game, Lozano trumps them both with an average of 3 – at much higher conversion rate, according to Squakwa.

Obviously, it’d be a step up in quality but, looking at the raw stats, there’s a player there waiting to be unleashed. And at the very least, his talents could alleviate some of the pressure on Harry Kane, if not optimise his performances. What’s not to like about that?

Spurs fans, would you be happy to sign Hirving Lozano? Who would he replace? How many players do you realistically think you need to introduce this summer? Let us know in the comments below…

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As reported by The Sun, Manchester City left-back Benjamin Mendy has no chance of featuring in the FA Cup final against Watford tomorrow after his knee problems continue to trouble him.

Who will play?

Luckily for Pep Guardiola, this is a common occurrence and the young Oleksandr Zinchenko will continue to line up at left-back in place of the crocked French international.

Mendy managed to make just 10 Premier League appearances this term due to fitness issues, although the 22-year-old Zinchenko has deputised admirably for him and put in some wonderful performances.

Who would win out of Man Utd’s treble winners and Man City today? Fans discuss in the video below…

The Ukrainian will most likely start tomorrow’s showpiece event against the Hornets as a result of the former Monaco man’s absence, where he will have to keep a close eye on the dangerous Gerard Deulofeu.

City should revise their summer transfer plans

It was recently reported by Sky Sports that the Cityzens would be placing their faith in Mendy and will not dip into the market for another left-back this summer.

Whilst that show of trust is commendable, is it naive from City?

The 24-year-old has managed just 17 league appearances in two seasons since signing in a £52m deal from Monaco, which simply isn’t enough for a player brought in for such a sum.

Even when he is available, there are question marks over the full-back’s professionalism. He has risked Guardiola’s wrath by turning up late to physio sessions and going out partying in the early hours of the morning.

If Zinchenko were to suffer an injury, City would most likely turn to Fabian Delph to slot in at left-back, but he simply isn’t good enough to play that role in Guardiola’s system and doesn’t offer anywhere near the dynamism of Kyle Walker on the other side.

Mendy just can’t seem to stay fit, and the decision not to sign a new left-back should definitely be reconsidered after his latest bout of injury trouble.

[ad_pod ]BBC Radio Solent journalist Adam Blackmore has revealed on Twitter that Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has hinted Fraser Forster could make a shock return to the starting XI for the trip to West Ham United on Saturday.

What’s the word, then?

Well, despite being the club’s first-choice option for a number of seasons previously, the 31-year-old hasn’t made a single appearance for Saints since the 5-2 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur on Boxing Day 2017.

Firstly he paid for a run of poor form to find himself behind Alex McCarthy in the pecking order, and the arrival of Angus Gunn last summer only served to push him down to being the third-choice stopper.

From last minute penalties to being taken apart by local rivals, fans pick the moments that defined their clubs’ seasons in the video below…

However, he has returned to the fold and been on the substitutes’ bench in recent weeks with McCarthy injured, and now Hasenhuttl has suggested he could be named on the team-sheet at the London Stadium.

Blackmore tweeted: #saintsfc manager Ralph Hasenhuttl set to ring the changes at West Ham on Saturday. Told me that Fraser Forster might come in – “if you want to give him a chance it’s a good moment for this.”

Good idea?

It certainly is.

Southampton are safe now so the final two matches of the season are pressure-free and give Hasenhuttl a chance to look at some of the players he may not have seen a lot of – Forster included.

The Austrian will be able to make a judgement on whether the stopper is good enough to be involved next season, as well as putting him in the shop window should he have already decided that he wants to move the former Newcastle United man on during the summer window.

Whisper it quietly but Barnsley are now within touching distance of an immediate return to the Championship.

A fantastic Easter weekend for the Tykes saw them grind out a crucial 2-1 victory over Shrewsbury Town on Friday before they sent out a signal of intent to the rest of League One by dispatching Plymouth Argyle 3-0 on Monday.

Six points from a possible six saw Daniel Stendel’s side move further clear of Sunderland with their nearest challenge for a top-two finish now coming from Portsmouth who matched their results. Although Barnsley currently have an advantage of two points over Pompey, their rivals still have one more game to play between now and the end of the season.

However, when you considered that Kenny Jackett’s men still have to face the Black Cats and Peterborough United, it is clear that if the Tykes can extend their current winning run to five, they will be in a superb position to secure automatic promotion.

One of the biggest positives that the club’s supporters can take from Barnsley’s recent performances is that they have seemingly fully recovered from their defeat at Burton Albion at the start of the month and are showing no signs of letting the pressure get to them. Whereas Sunderland have floundered in recent weeks under the weight of expectations, Stendel has kept his players grounded and focused on the task in hand which has in turn produced positive results.

Indeed, the race for the top-two is far from over and there is still time for the Tykes to slip-up yet if they can take their recent form into their clashes against Blackpool and Bristol Rovers, they should have more than enough to take their tally for season to 94 points, a total which has guaranteed promotion for the last 20 years in the third tier.

What do you think Barnsley fans? Are you confident that your side now have what it takes to seal automatic promotion in May? How impressed have you been with Stendel’s impact since the German joined the club last summer? Get in touch below.

Newcastle fans will have massively enjoyed the events of Sunday afternoon. As their squad was touching down in the capital ahead of yesterday’s trip to Arsenal, their Tyne-Wear rivals, Sunderland, were playing the Checkatrade Trophy final where they lost to Pompey on penalties.

Whilst the Magpies may have been a day early for April Fools day, they still managed to successfully mug off their rivals with their very well timed tweet. As Sunderland fans would have been in tears over their Wembley loss, the Geordies were arriving in London on what was described by their Twitter admin as a ‘glorious afternoon’ and none of the travelling Newcastle fans would disagree with that.

In recent years, Sunderland have been able to boast a superior record over Newcastle when it comes to clashes between the two sides, yet now that the Black Cats are rotting in League One it’s hard to see a way that the two sides will be meeting anytime soon, unless of course, they find themselves clashing in a domestic cup game. That won’t bother the Geordies one bit, though as they’ve loved seeing Sunderland flailing.

You can read the Magpies’ reaction to their club’s cracking tweet here:

The Geordies love content like their club’s tweet from Sunday, and anything to troll their bitter rivals will always go down well with the St James Park faithful.

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In recent memory, Birmingham have had a habit of losing their most promising academy players. Nathan Redmond was the first to flee the scene before Damarai Gray also packed his bags and moved on too.

Gray made his first-team debut for the club at 17, Redmond at 16. But the club now has a youngster who can surpass them both.

At the age of 15, Jude Bellingham has already been a part of the first team squad. He’s yet to make his senior bow, but it seems only a matter of time before he does.

However, embroiled in a relegation battle, it may be best for Garry Monk to ease him in slightly more gently next season.

It says a lot about the player, though, that he has been close to appearing in the Championship already. Monk clearly has no fears and if you’re good enough you’ll get your chance.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

In Birmingham’s match with West Brom last month he was the 19th man in the squad, warming up with the team before the game and then watching on from the substitutes bench.

Considering his age it’s quite the achievement and he now has the potential to follow in the footsteps of some of the Blues’ former players currently plying their trade in the Premier League.

Of course, the club will hope he doesn’t make the leap with another side as Redmond and Gray did.

Bellingham is an attacking midfielder but has a habit of getting involved in the goals. He scored four in one game against Liverpool last year and also found the back of the net on his U23 debut this season, popping up with the winner three minutes from time. That says it all about his will and determination.

He’s also shone at youth level for England and has hit double figures for appearances in the U23s this term.

The 15-year-old is incredibly raw but is certainly one that should be monitored closely going into next season.

Not turning 16 until the summer, Bellingham has a serious chance of becoming the club’s youngest player to feature in the Championship. Only time will tell whether he breaks that record.

أعلن الاتحاد البلجيكي لكرة القدم عودة النجم كيفين دي بروين إلى نادي مانشستر سيتي، حيث لن يشارك أمام منتخب آيسلندا في دوري الأمم الأوروبية.

ويلتقي المنتخبان يوم الأربعاء في الجولة الرابعة من المجموعة الثانية في المستوى الأول من البطولة المذكورة.

وشارك دي بروين في مباراة الأمس أمام منتخب إنجلترا في الجولة الثالثة، والتي انتهت بخسارة بلجيكا بهدفين مقابل هدف.

ولم يستكمل لاعب الوسط اللقاء، حيث خرج في الدقيقة 73، وأثار المدرب روبيرتو مارتينيز القلق حول إصابته (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وتسبب الاتحاد البلجيكي في إثارة المزيد من القلق لدى مانشستر سيتي، حيث أكد أن دي بروين لن يكون متاحًا للمشاركة في مباراة بعد الغد.

وأكد الاتحاد البلجيكي، عبر حسابه الرسمي بموقع “تويتر”، أن دي بروين عاد إلى مانشستر سيتي حيث إنه ليس لائقًا لمواجهة آيسلندا.

يُذكر أن مانشستر سيتي سيواجه آرسنال يوم السبت القادم، في الجولة الخامسة من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

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Southampton’s woes continued as two defensive lapses cost them in their 2-0 defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, and big changes are needed when Saints host fellow relegation battlers Fulham at St Mary’s on Wednesday night.

On the chalkboard

Ralph Hasenhuttl chose to stick with the five-at-the-back system for the trip to north London, but within 17 minutes the visitors had a mountain to climb as they found themselves 2-0 behind, with a misunderstanding between Jack Stephens and goalkeeper Angus Gunn leading to the second.

The result left the south coast outfit in 18th position and one point from safety, and realistically they will know that they need to beat the struggling Cottagers in midweek – especially with fixtures against Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur to follow.

With Danny Ings already out and Michael Obafemi seemingly suffering another hamstring issue on his comeback against the Gunners, Hasenhuttl doesn’t exactly have a plethora of attacking options ahead of the crucial clash.

What needs to happen?

Firstly, the Austrian manager needs to stick with what he did at the start of the second-half at the Emirates, by ditching Stephens and playing with a back four.

Southampton don’t need to play five in defence against a team they need to take the game to from the very first minute on Wednesday, and in truth the Saints boss should go with the his preferred 4-2-2-2 formation he has used at previous clubs.

One man who should be included in the starting line-up from the start is Josh Sims, even if he has only been named in the 18-man squad in the Premier League on two occasions this term following a less than successful loan spell with Reading.

With the 21-year-old scoring twice and assisting two more for the U23s in their 6-2 Premier League Cup win against Notts County on Friday, he deserves a chance to put a leaky Fulham defence under pressure from kick-off.

That would allow Nathan Redmond and Sims to play in the advanced positions out wide, with Shane Long, Charlie Austin and Sam Gallagher fighting it out for the two centre-forward spots.

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Aside from constant accusations of bottling it, it’s hard not to be impressed with Tottenham Hotspur. Here’s a club that has pulled itself up into the Premier League title conversation by placing faith in a young manager and even younger players, who have ceased the opportunity to continuously improve.

But that shouldn’t fool us into thinking every player at Tottenham is a resounding success story, even if they may appear that way. With that in mind, our writers deliver their verdicts below on a controversial question – who is Tottenham’s most overrated player?

Harry Sherlock – Christian Eriksen

“He regularly flits in and out of form and he struggles to maintain his highest level across a season. Indeed, the likes of Real Madrid are said to be interested and, when he is at his best, it is easy to see why. But those occasions come about all too rarely. Eriksen is not capable of performing at his peak for 38 Premier League games. Until he can, he’s going to be Spurs’ most overrated player.”

Will Jones – Lucas Moura or Erik Lamela

“Where to start? Lucas Moura and Erik Lamela are probably the two players in Mauricio Pochettino’s squad most guilty of flattering to deceive. Neither can produce the consistency required to shine at the elite level, but their reputations are spared due to the occasional flashes of inspiration they’re both capable of producing.”

Harry Elnaugh – Kieran Trippier

“The former Burnley man gave us a moment in the summer that none of us will forget as long as we live but he is often a massive liability at right-back. Of course, he is a huge threat when allowed to pick out a cross but, particularly in the 1-0 loss to Manchester City in which his mistake cost his side the game, he can be caught out on the back foot.”

Jack Saville – Christian Eriksen

“The Denmark international is borderline unplayable on his day, but those days are diminishing in regularity. If Tottenham can attract a huge figure for his services in the summer they would be wise to cash in and use the money to invest elsewhere.”

Christy Malyan – Hugo Lloris

“There’s a reason a truly elite club has never snapped up the Tottenham captain and it’s not because he happens to love the Lilywhites. Lloris is capable of making world-class saves but so are most goalkeepers in the Premier League and the fact is, he’s also capable of an absolute clanger.

“After that horrendous mistake in the World Cup final last summer his career should be in tatters – much like Loris Karius after his Champions League howler. It just so happens that Liverpool lost, whereas a France win swept what Lloris did under the rug.” 

خرج محمد دبش مدافع مصر المقاصة من مباراة فريقه أمام الأهلي بسبب حصوله على طرد مباشر في اللقاء المقام ضمن منافسات الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويلاقي الأهلي نظيره مصر المقاصة على أرضية استاد القاهرة في إطار لقاءات الجولة 28 من بطولة الدوري.

وأعاق محمد دبش، أليو ديانج لاعب الأهلي أثناء ركضه بالكرة في هجمة مرتدة لفريقه في الدقيقة 57، ليقرر الحكم محمد الحنفي اللجوء لتقنية الفار وبالفعل أشهر البطاقة الحمراء لمدافع المقاصة. طرد لاعب المقاصة أمام الأهلي

طالع أيضًا.. مباشر بالفيديو | مباراة الأهلي ومصر المقاصة في الدوري

يذكر أن الأهلي تُوج بلقب الدوري ويتربع على صدارة الترتيب برصيد 72 نقطة أما المقاصة فيحل بالمرتبة السابعة برصيد 36 نقطة.