Tag Futebol

Celtic head into the international break with positivity and negativity engulfing Ange Postecoglou’s team.

Of course, the Hoops lost the Old Firm derby, but then ended the transfer window by signing three players on deadline day.

On the chalkboard

How Postecoglou begins to fit all of these new signings into the squad will be interesting to witness.

Of course, the Bhoys lost the likes of Odsonne Edouard, Kristoffer Ajer and Ryan Christie, but they ended up securing the additions of 12 new first-team faces.

Celtic’s defence has been mediocre again at times this term, but after Anthony Ralston’s flying start to the campaign, his role seems to be one of the few positions that are actually nailed-on.

Greg Taylor missed the clash with Rangers last weekend through injury but it wasn’t Boli Bolingoli who was entrusted at left-back. Instead, it was new signing Josip Juranovic who was playing out of position.

It’s perhaps surprising that Bolingoli is still at the club, but in the words of The Athletic’s Kieran Devlin, it would be a surprise if he got any regular football.

Writing in his post-deadline day column, he said: “Boli Bolingoli will remain at Celtic despite no intention to use him in the first team.”

Fans buzzing

On that evidence, it looks as though the Ivorian full-back will never be seen in a Bhoys shirt ever again.

Postecoglou is yet to hand Bolingoli a single minute in competitive action since he became the manager and it would be a huge surprise if that changes.

Foreign transfer markets are still open but despite that, the defender seemingly has no interest in departing Parkhead.

Although that will frustrate Celtic supporters, news that he’s set to just sit on the sidelines for the season should delight them. After all, this is a player who has let them down on countless occasions.

He’s also a man who Neil Lennon was forced to call “stupid” last season. Bolingoli went on an unsanctioned trip to Spain during the height of the pandemic and hasn’t stepped foot in a Celtic shirt since.

Unaware of the events which had taken place, he continued to train upon his return and even featured from the bench against Kilmarnock days after coming back. He not only put his teammates and coaching staff at risk, but also everyone at Killie.

It caused uproar throughout the Premiership and the £1.9m-rated dud was subsequently sent on loan to Turkey.

After that, it looked unlikely that Bolingoli would ever play for Celtic again, and the player’s worst fears appear to have been confirmed this summer.

Postecoglou isn’t a fan of him and has turned to Adam Montgomery instead as a late substitute and backup to Taylor.

Considering that he’s a homegrown talent, supporters should be delighted with how this is playing out. He certainly deserves a role in the side over someone like Bolingoli who has disrespected the club so significantly.

AND in other news, “Being monitored”: Journo makes Celtic transfer claim, their next Ajer may arrive soon…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer has praised Crystal Palace for the intensity they showed against Tottenham and the way they passed the ball.

Palace ran out 3-0 winners in that London derby versus Spurs last Saturday, courtesy of goals from Wilfried Zaha and Odsonne Edouard, the latter scoring twice.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, of course, had to play half an hour with 10 men following Japhet Tanganga’s red card in the second half. But nevertheless, it was still a superb performance by Palace.

And the Eagles’ intensity and passing on the day particularly caught the attention of Palmer.

“I thought they were excellent against Tottenham,” the ex-Leeds United and Southampton player told FFC.

“The way they moved the ball, the intensity. They passed the ball, looking to play from the back, play through midfield. I thought it was a very, very good performance.”

Patrick Vieira will be hoping for another good performance when Palace take on Liverpool next and why not when you have the likes of Zaha and Edouard?

While no one will be expecting the Eagles to travel to Anfield and take all three points back to south London, they look like they have a team that can at least carry an attacking threat during the game and cause Jurgen Klopp’s side problems.

Ishant Sharma, the Indian fast bowler, has been ruled out of the first ODI against England in Rajkot on Friday due to an ankle sprain. Ishant, who was Man of the Series in the recent Test series against Australia, has been advised five days’ rest, a BCCI release said.”He is undergoing his rehabilitation at present and is making good progress,” N Srinivasan, the BCCI secretary, said. “Hence he would not be available for the first ODI against England.”Apparently, the team management had informed the BCCI that Ishant aggravated the injury due to his “bowling overload” during the last Test against Australia in Nagpur, which India won by 172 runs to clinch the four-Test series 2-0. Ishant bowled 35 overs in the final Test and took four wickets to complete a highly successful series in which he sent down 138 overs for 15 wickets.The team management was planning to get MRI scan done on Ishant as a preventive measure and assess the injury in consultation with Mumbai-based doctor Anant Joshi, who is a member of the ICC’s medical committee.Ishant’s injury will hit India’s fast-bowling options for the series opener against England, leaving captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni with Zaheer Khan, RP Singh and Munaf Patel. Zaheer bowled 145.5 overs during the four-Test series against Australia. Munaf and RP Singh last played for India in August against Sri Lanka in Colombo during the five-ODI series, a series that Ishant missed.The Indian team has reached Rajkot and is scheduled to have a practice session in the afternoon, while England is arriving in the evening and will have their nets on Thursday.

The Tasmanian Cricket Association (TCA) has launched a plan to install lights at Bellerive Oval after being told it risked losing future one-day international fixtures unless it became a viable day-night venue. The TCA hopes the light towers could be built as early as next year, although it is likely to face opposition from local residents.In his first day as the TCA chairman, Tony Harrison said he was hoping to lodge a development application with the Clarence City Council within a matter of weeks. The urgency from the TCA has been sparked after Cricket Australia and Channel Nine expressed strong reservations about scheduling further day games at Bellerive.”Cricket’s broadcast partners have told us that lighting is required if they are to continue to telecast matches from Bellerive,” Harrison said. “As a result, Cricket Australia has advised that it will be difficult to program one-day international and Twenty20 matches here if they are not telecast.”The TCA has for years been keen to install lights at the ground but the local council and residents have provided consistent stumbling-blocks. However, Harrison believes lighting technology has advanced enough to mean that there would be no wash of lighting beyond the playing area, and retractable telescopic towers might be the way to go.But Richard James, alderman with the Clarence Council, said there would still be strong opposition to the development. “I just think it’s a ridiculous decision,” James told the , “and it’s one I think that the TCA may learn to regret.”Harrison said the TCA appreciated the position of its neighbours and intended to work with them to deal with their concerns. Bellerive Oval has hosted two one-day internationals per season for the past two summers, but often receives only one per year.

تحدث حسني عبد ربه قائد فريق الإسماعيلي السابق ومدير الكرة الحالي، عن الأخطاء التحكيمية في الدوري الممتاز، وأزمة الطفل الذي تم إجباره على خلع قميص النادي الأهلي قبل دخوله اختبارات الدراويش للناشئين.

وقال عبد ربه في تصريحات تلفزيونية بفضائية “صدى البلد” عبر برنامج “الماتش”: “الفريق يمر بمرحلة صعبة في جدول الدوري ولا بد أن نُحسن النتائج خلال الفترة القادمة لإنقاذ ما تبقى من الموسم في جدول الدوري”.

وأضاف: “موقف التحكيم في مباراة المقاولون كان خطأ تامًا، والفريق استحق الحصول على ركلة جزاء وتعحبت من عدم مشاهدة الحكم أمين عمر لركلة الجزاء عبر تقنية الفيديو لأن الفريق كان يستحقها”.

طه إسماعيل وأحمد حسن وعبد ربه لمجلس اتحاد الكرة: احترموا أنفسكم وقدموا استقالتكم

وتابع: “للمباراة الثانية على التوالي نتعرض لأخطاء تحكيمية، المباراة الماضية أمام الزمالك وأمام المقاولون العرب كانت هناك ضربتان جزاء في المبارتين لم يُحتسبا لنا، لا بد أن يحصل الفريق على حقه تحكيميًا”.

وواصل: “أما عن واقعة منع دخول الطفل لنادي الإسماعيلي بقميص الأهلي، فـ مشاعري كأب أنه حال ذهاب نجلي إلى أي ناد عليه أن يُعامل بشكل جيد، الاختبارات لكل الناس والكل سواسية والفرق فقط في الموهبة”.

واستكمل: “يجب أن تكون هناك وقفة مع أمن النادي على هذا الموقف، لن يستطيع أحد أن يزايد على حبي للإسماعيلي، لكننا أخطأنا وعلينا أن نعترف بذلك، ولن أرضي الجماهير وأقول كلامًا آخر وربنا سيحاسبني، لن أرضي أي أشخاص على حساب ربنا، يجب أن أكون مع الحق”.

واستطرد: “هذا طفل ليس له ذنب في أن يتعامل معه أي مسؤول بهذه القسوة، وضعت ابني مكانه وهذه إهانة ولن أقبلها، ليس صحيحًا أن أعنف طفلاً وأجعله يخلع قميصه بهذه الطريقة”.

واستأنف: “كان من المفترض أن ينزل اللاعب بقميص الأهلي ويُجري الاختبار به لنوصل رسالة جيدة للناس إن أي شخص شرف له أن يدخل النادي الإسماعيلي”.

وأتم: “عندي أكاديمية خاصة في الشيخ زايد، ومعي في سيارتي ملابس الإسماعيلي للطفل، وأتمنى أن أصل له ويحضر للأكاديمية”.

واختتم: “أتمنى من مجلس إدارة الإسماعيلي أن يكون هناك عقوبة ضد من تسببوا في الواقعة”.

An update has emerged regarding Real Betis’ valuation of reported Wolves transfer target William Carvalho.

What’s the talk?

According to El Desmarque, Real Betis are prepared to sell the midfielder for a fee in the region of £7.6m-£8.5m (€9m-10m), despite paying nearly £17m (€20m) for him in 2018 from Sporting Lisbon.

This comes after a report surfaced earlier this summer claiming that Wolves have a long-standing interest in the Portuguese international.

Get it done

Wolves manager Bruno Lage must sanction a swoop for the defensive midfielder this summer as this appears to be a brilliant opportunity for the club. He is a long-term target and there may not be a better time than now to snap him up, with Betis seemingly willing to take a sizeable loss to raise funds of their own before the end of the current transfer window.

Transfermarkt value the 29-year-old at £13.5m and this suggests that Wolves would be picking up a bargain if they could get him in for between £7.6m and £8.5m. He is vastly experienced at the top level, with almost 200 appearances for Sporting, 86 for Real Betis and 68 caps for his country. This shows that he is a reliable operator in midfield and would appear to represent a safe signing at Molineux.

Former Portugal manager Paul Bento once hailed the midfielder as “extraordinary” whilst managing him at international level. He said: “He’s extraordinary and having a great season. He’s proved that he’s above average mature.”

Bento’s comments suggest that Carvalho has impressed for his country, whilst he averaged a solid WhoScored rating of 6.88 in the Nations League for Portugal last year. The holding midfielder would arrive at Wolves with pedigree and experience for a relatively modest fee, which is why the club must act on their interest to bring him in before the end of August.

It may not be a flashy £30m signing of a striker who could score numerous goals in the Premier League, but it the type of steady, shrewd addition on whom great teams can be built. Not every team has 11 superstars and you need reliable performers who can do a job when required, which Carvalho appears to be. This is why Lage must bring him in for a cut-price fee this summer to bolster Wolves’ midfield options.

AND in other news, “Wolves very much see..” – Journalist shares club’s stance on key player amid exit speculation…

Left to rummage through the remains of yet another overseas series squandered after a memorable comeback, Anil Kumble, India’s captain, had few positives to pick out

Jamie Alter in Colombo11-Aug-2008
Anil Kumble: “I do not think there was enough contribution throughout the series from the middle order”© AFP
After surrendering the series to a clinical Sri Lankan outfit, India have to face up to and deal with the harsh truth that they only won one session of this game. Left to rummage through the remains of yet another overseas series squandered after a memorable comeback, Anil Kumble, India’s captain, had few positives to pick out.”We missed out on a good opportunity to beat Sri Lanka,” Kumble said. “We did really well in Galle to come back and we did not capitalise on the winning of the toss here. You cannot lose five wickets in the first 40 overs of a Test. That happened to us quite regularly in this series, which is something we need to think about.”With a hundred more runs in the first innings, India could have changed the outcome of this match. However, their famed middle order failed again – twice. Dammika Prasad and Ajantha Mendis bowled with guile and accuracy to spell the death knell for India. Kumar Sangakkara’s match-winning hundred boarded up the coffin, and Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan returned to hammer in the nails.”For a new batsman to go in straight away and face two spinners is never easy,” Kumble said. “People got starts, if they had converted it would have been a different story. I do not want to give excuses. Overall we did not play quality cricket to win the series.”This was also arguably the worst series for India’s famed middle order. Sachin Tendulkar looked a shadow of himself in scratching 95 runs at 15.83 and Sourav Ganguly, who batted so brilliantly against South Africa at Ahmedabad and Kanpur in his last series, was a phantom in Sri Lanka, making 96 runs. Rahul Dravid’s tentativeness at the crease this series has betrayed a tinge of insecurity, and VVS Laxman managed just two fifties, out five times to Mendis.”It is not just one or two players [who we should blame],” Kumble said. “It is important that everyone contributes. I do not think there was enough contribution throughout the series from the middle order consistently. Even the lower order did not contribute consistently except one game here. That is obviously something that let us down.”Harbhajan Singh and Ishant Sharma turned in match-winning performances in Galle but otherwise there was little to speak of in the bowling department. Except for Harbhajan, who took 16 wickets, no bowler averaged less than 30. Kumble, India’s highest wicket-taker ever, had a series to forget. His eight wickets at 50.00 was his worst three-match series since India played Pakistan in 2006. “I take responsibility,” he said, before quickly opting to take the clichéd route, “but the bowlers put their hearts in.”The saving grace of defeat is that it invariably brings lessons. As Kumble pointed out, India have a month and a half to think about what needs to be done before a four-Test series against Australia. “That’s still a lot of time for us to reflect on what went wrong,” Kumble said. India’s time starts now.

يخوض فريق الكرة بالزمالك مباراة قوية مساء غدًا السبت أمام منافسه الإسماعيلي في إطار لقاءات الدوري المصري.

ويلتقي الزمالك مع الإسماعيلي غدا السبت باستاد القاهرة الدولي في الجولة الحادية والعشرين من المسابقة المحلية.

ويسعى الزمالك لاستعادة نغمة الانتصارات في الدوري والحفاظ على تصدره جدول ترتيب المسابقة المحلية.

وكان الزمالك قد سقط في آخر مباراتين له ببطولة الدوري المصري أمام إنبي وطلائع الجيش بنتيجة 2-0 و1-0 على التوالي.

ويرغب فيريرا في إشعال حماس اللاعبين وقيادتهم للفوز وذلك قبل توقف الدوري لفترة طويلة بسبب خوض منتخب مصر مبارياته في تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023.

طالع | لا تنشغلوا بالملعب.. بطولات يكشف رسالة جهاز الزمالك للاعبين قبل مواجهة الإسماعيلي

ويقود الحكم الدولي إبراهيم نور الدين إدارة المباراة تحكيميًا ويعاونه سمير جمال ويوسف البساطي، والسيد منير حكماً رابعاً.

وفي المقابل يحاول الإسماعيلي بقيادة حمزة الجمل للفوز وخطف الـ3 نقاط أو التعادل في أسوأ الظروف من أجل تحسين مركزه في الدوري المصري والهروب من القاع.

ويعاني الإسماعيلي من شبح الهبوط هذا الموسم في ظل تراجع نتائجه وكثرة تغيير المدربين منذ انطلاق البطولة.

يذكر، أن الزمالك يتصدر جدول الدوري برصيد 41 نقطة جمعها من الفوز في 13 مباراة والتعادل خلال مواجهتين والهزيمة في 4 لقاءات، بينما يتواجد الإسماعيلي في المركز الـ16 ولديه 18 نقطة جمعها من الفوز في 4 لقاءات والتعادل في 6 والهزيمة في 9.

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo atropelou o Linense. A goleada de 5 a 0 neste sábado no Morumbi encerrou o confronto das quartas de final do Campeonato Paulista em 7 a 0. O time de Rogério Ceni faz sua obrigação e se garante nas semifinais do Estadual. Excelente. Porém, mais importante do que o resultado elástico em um duelo previsível foram os outros fatores obtidos pelo Tricolor dentro de casa.

Os dois gols de Gilberto, um em cada tempo, reforçaram que o time tem a quem recorrer quando precisar de gols. O centroavante vive fase monstruosa: com dez tentos em 13 jogos, é o artilheiro do time na temporada. Na ausência de Cueva, a má fase de Wellington Nem, é uma opção para formar o ataque ao lado de Lucas Pratto. Mas calma lá. Outra peça também se colocou na disputa: Thomaz.

Em seu primeiro jogo como titular, segundo pelo clube, o meia-atacante foi muito bem, obrigado. Cavou faltas, abriu espaços. Ele sabe se deslocar muito bem, em movimentação constante. Numa dessas, apareceu na cara do gol, aos 33 do segundo tempo, e marcou o quarto do Tricolor. Para quem nasceu na parte social do clube, foi emocionante.

Antes de Thomaz carimbar-se como candidato a uma vaga no time, porém, houve mais o que comemorar. Titular absoluto, Thiago Mendes teve uma jornada inspirada e marcou outros dois gols. Chegando com força, fez o que Ceni mais espera dele. Jucilei também entrou muito bem. Dono de assistência primorosa para Thiago. Ou seja, com a regularidade de Cícero, o meio de campo para a reta decisiva dos campeonatos está definido e em boa fase: }Jucilei, Thiago Mendes e Cícero.

E a defesa, hein? Aquela que sempre era vazada chegou há quatro jogos sem sofrer gols. Lucão fez outra partida segura. Buffarini salvou o time duas vezes. Júnior está cada vez mais firme. A dúvida e a preocupação do dia fica por conta de Rodrigo Caio. Escalado como volante, saiu machucado no primeiro tempo. Será que enfrenta o Cruzeiro na quinta pela Copa do Brasil? Daí a importância da melhora de Lucão. Sem contar que Renan Ribeiro, dono de duas defesas importantes pelo menos, já conquistou a torcida. Ele passa segurança.

Pronto, o São Paulo passou no vestibular. Agora, com a chegada dos prováveis clássicos na semifinal do Estadual e o difícil confronto com o Cruzeiro, é hora de aplicar o que sabe de melhor. E o Linense, que preferiu fazer dois jogos no Morumbi, só serviu de trampolim para a melhora do São Paulo. Pouco, muito pouco.

FICHA TÉCNICA
SÃO PAULO 5 X 0 LINENSE
Local: Morumbi, São Paulo (SP)
Data-Hora: 8/4/2017 – 16h
Árbitro: Luiz Flávio de Oliveira
Auxiliares: Alberto Poletto Masseira e Miguel Cataneo Ribeiro da Costa
Público/renda: 27.230 pagantes/R$ 726.644,00
Cartões amarelos: Thomaz (SAO), Zé Antonio, Caíque, Samuel e Pio (LIN)
Cartões vermelhos:-
Gols: Gilberto (22’/1ºT) (1-0), Thiago Mendes (1’/2ºT) (2-0), Thiago Mendes (14’/2ºT) (3-0), Thomaz (33’/2ºT) (4-0), Gilberto (35’/2ºT) (5-0)

SÃO PAULO: Renan Ribeiro; Buffarini, Maicon, Lucão e Júnior Tavares; Rodrigo Caio (Jucilei, aos 38’/1ºT), Thiago Mendes (Wesley, aos 16’/2ºT) e Cícero; Luiz Araújo (Neilton, aos 23’/2ºT), Thomaz e Gilberto. Técnico: Rogério Ceni.

LINENSE: Victor Golas; Bruno Moura, Rodrigo Lobão, Caíque e Samuel (Bruno Costa, aos 39’/2ºT); Pio, Joãozinho (Murilo Rangel, aos 11’/2ºT), Giovanni e Zé Antônio; Thiago Humberto (Diego Felipe, aos 20’/2ºT) e Gabrielzinho. Técnico: Márcio Fernandes.

While Leeds United fans will be eager to watch Kalvin Phillips in action when England take on Denmark in the semi-finals of EURO 2020, they might want to be keeping a closer eye on another player on show tonight; Mikkel Damsgaard.

Reports in recent days have claimed that Marcelo Bielsa’s side have got their sights set on the Sampdoria star, with Turkish publication Sabah claiming that the Whites, along with the likes of Barcelona, Juventus and Liverpool, among others, are all interested in signing him.

And, after news emerged of Leeds’ interest in the winger, Noel Whelan threw his backing behind a potential move.

He said: “Wow, now he would be a signing. From what I have seen, he is the next big thing coming out of Denmark. Again, we are looking at players who are the right age and of the right profile. Somebody who would compliment what Marcelo Bielsa already has.

“Leeds nowadays are very intense and aggressive in their style of play and fitness plays a huge part. He looks to me as if he could do that as well, which is important because it’s not just about the little flicks. Damsgaard is a very exciting prospect. If we could get that deal over the line it would show just how far we’ve come in the last couple of years.”

More than the fact the 20-year-old enjoyed an impressive campaign with Sampdoria going forward – he scored two goals and provided four assists, including against the likes of Inter and Milan – it’s his defensive work that marks him out as the kind of player that Bielsa needs at Elland Road.

Sofascore lifts one of the left-winger’s biggest strengths as his “high pressing”, and when you look at his defensive numbers, it’s clear to see why.

Despite the position he plays, he averaged an impressive 1.2 tackles and 0.7 interceptions per game in Serie A – only Jack Harrison betters his tackles per game among Leeds’ attacking players, while only Raphinha made more interceptions.

Dubbed as “magical” by Norwegian football expert Martin Mikkelsen, he also added that the 21-year-old is “dynamic and can go both ways. He is creative but also so mature in his decisions.”

And that ability to be an influence going forward, but not forgetting his defensive duties makes him the perfect wide player for Bielsa.

The £26m-rated star has also been hailed as being “phenomenal” by Denmark teammate, Kasper Schmeichel, for his performances in the competition this summer, and England will be hoping that he doesn’t turn up with a big-time performance.

But while Leeds fans will be desperate for Phillips to do well, they may want to keep a close eye on a player who Victor Orta wants to sign ahead of the new Premier League season.

Meanwhile, Leeds could sign a dream De Paul alternative in this star…