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Scottish giants Celtic are gunning for a historic tenth title in a row this season and they have every chance of doing so as Neil Lennon’s side remain unbeaten in the league so far.

But a serious lack of foresight could come back to hurt them later down the line.

Rewind to the summer of 2019, the Hoops made some solid deals in the transfer market – loan moves for Moi Elyounoussi and Fraser Forster from Southampton were regarded as quite the coup for the club whilst Christopher Jullien, Greg Taylor and Jeremie Frimpong have all cemented their names as first-team regulars now.

However, there was a disappointing departure amongst the Parkhead academy ranks as Liam Morrison rejected a deal to join Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, which has since turned out to be a grave mistake.

The 17-year-old had his sights set on a move to Germany as soon as Bayern entered the equation but the likes of Peter Lawwell and the youth setup should have done so much more to tie him down long-term.

This week, The Guardian named him among the top 60 ‘best young talents in world football’ sitting alongside the next Erling Haaland and the best Portuguese prospect since Cristiano Ronaldo.

They relay comments from Scotland youth coach Brian McLaughlin, who said: “He has all the potential to be a Champions League centre-back. I believe their academy people have likened him to a young Mats Hummels and I think it is a good comparison. You have a centre-back who is equally comfortable playing on the right or the left and has the ability to beat a man if he has to.”

Again, this comparison is made by Bundesliga.com, claiming the teenager is “the very definition of a modern centre-back, combining sentry-like qualities with cultured build-up play.”

And he’s already been impressing Bayern’s academy manager Jochen Sauer, who added: “He’s a robust and physical defender with a lot of quality.”

Given the dubious future of Kristoffer Ajer at Celtic Park and the fact that Shane Duffy is only signed on a season-long loan, the Bhoys could well live to regret their feeble attempts to keep a generational Scottish prospect at the club.

Lawwell and co only have themselves to blame.

AND in other news, Lawwell could land Celtic their next Broony with swoop for 5-goal monster…

Ex-Spur Michael Brown insists it is “unbelievable” that Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho is still trying to figure out his best starting lineup. 

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Spurs star believes tactical changes and a busy schedule have prevented Mourinho from working out his favourite starting XI.

The Portuguese once again defended his team selections and queried why other managers like Frank Lampard, Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola are not questioned on their choices after Tottenham beat Newcastle 3-1 in the Premier League to mark the first time he has won at St James’ Park.

Spurs slumped to a shock 3-1 defeat at Sheffield United, but have begun to turn things around, and they are now on a four-game unbeaten run.

Brown told assistant editor Russell Edge “Mourinho’s come out this week and said about his team selection, why journalists don’t ask other people – it was a good win to ease the pressure but he’s still trying to find his team, isn’t he?

“I just can’t find out what their settled side is and I keep saying the same thing. It’s unbelievable, isn’t it? I don’t know if he is closer to finding out. I think sometimes it’s tactical, I think sometimes it’s the run of games, the loading.

“It’s changing people’s opinions, you’re getting judged against different teams. I don’t think you’ve got much choice so I don’t think you’re getting a true reflection of who he wants. The thing you can say is the likes of Alderweireld, Vertonghen – why weren’t they playing?”

It is hard to argue with Brown on this one, as several factors have played their part in Mourinho’s team selection in recent weeks.

Questions remain over Tanguy Ndombele’s future as the club’s record signing has been in and out of the starting lineup lately, and he has now been ruled out for the rest of the season after picking up a knee injury.

Mourinho has messed around with his preferred formation since the Premier League restart, kicking off proceedings with a 4-2-3-1 system, before alternating between a 4-3-3 and 4-4-1-1 structure.

In fairness, matters have been taken out of his hands, as Eric Dier, Dele Alli and Juan Foyth have all missed matches for one reason or another.

Dier, who has established himself as part of Mourinho’s first choice pairing, has been missing for the past three games as a result of the four-match ban the FA imposed on him for his actions after the Norwich FA Cup defeat back in March.

Meanwhile, Alli was suspended for one game over a post on social media about coronavirus, before suffering a hamstring injury which ruled him out of the last four games.

Tottenham find themselves in the mix for a Europa League place after picking up three points against the Magpies, with both Wolves and Sheffield United also in contention with only two games remaining.

The Lilywhites next welcome Leicester City to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, knowing they need to win both games to qualify for the competition next season.

Tottenham fans, do you think Mourinho has been forced to tinker with his team selection? Let us know down below!

MatériaMais Notícias

Com poucas oportunidades no Fluminense, o atacante Magno Alves vem despertando o interesses de equipes nacionais e internacionais. Com contrato até o fim de 2016, o jogador está satisfeito no Tricolor e pretende cumprir seu vínculo com o time das Laranjeiras. Segundo Maurício Nassif, empresário do camisa 20, não existe chance do Magnata deixar o clube.

– Tivemos sondagens sim, principalmente do Ceará, que passou por momento difícil. Voltaram a nos procurar. Mas não houve nenhum tipo de negociação. O pessoal do mundo árabe voltou a ligar. O Magno está empenhado em cumprir o contrato até o fim. Está em ótimo momento familiar, apesar de jogando pouco. Está feliz por ficar perto dos filhos. Está na busca pelo espaço. Por ele ter idade, precisa de uma sequência de jogos para voltar a render o que rendia no Ceará. Não há qualquer movimentação para ele sair do clube – afirmou Nassif, à Rádio Brasil.

Desde que acertou o retorno ao Fluminense, Magno Alves participou de 13 jogos e marcou um gol. Quando foi apresentado, recebeu a camisa 20 para homenagear o Washington e Assis, ídolos do clube que eram conhecidos como Casal 20. Pelo Tricolor, Magnata já balançou as redes em 113 oportunidades e é o 11º maior artilheiro da história do clube.

تحدث اليوناني تاكيس جونياس المدير الفني السابق لنادي بيراميدز، عن الفترة التي قضاها مع الفريق بعد توجيه الشكر له بعد نهاية بطولة الدوري المصري.

وكان جونياس تولى تدريب بيراميدز بداية من 29 يونيو الماضي، خلفًا للمدير الفني الأرجنتيني رودلفو أروابارينا، ولكن إدارة بيراميدز وجهت له الشكر عقب نهاية الدوري المصري الموسم المنقضي.

طالع | رسميًا.. إيهاب جلال مديرًا فنيًا لـ بيراميدز خلفًا لتاكيس جونياس
 
وقال جونياس خلال تصريحات عبر برنامج “أوضة اللبس” على قناة “النهار”: “عندما توليت تدريب نادي بيراميدز كان اللاعبون يشعرون بفقدان الثقة بعد خسارة بطولة الكونفدرالية، وتوليت قيادتهم في وقت صعب”.

وتابع: “الوقت كان ضيقًا لتطبيق طريقة لعبي مع الفريق، عندما توفر لنا الوقت الجيد للإعداد سيختلف الأداء، مع مرور الوقت في بيراميدز نجحت في تحقيق نتائج جيدة، عكس بدايتي مع الفريق”.

وأضاف: “لا أعلم إلى أي مدى كان من الممكن أن نصل إذا استمريت مع الفريق للموسم المقبل، وتوفرت لي فرصة الإعداد الحالية، وغير سعيد بعدم استكمال مهمتي مع بيراميدز”.

وواصل: “إذا كان الموضوع متوقف على ممدوح عيد كنت سأستمر مع نادي بيراميدز، ولكن القرار كان من الإدارة نفسها”.

وأكمل: “السبب الذي أبلغوني به في بيراميدز لي عن رحيلي هو رغبتهم في التعاقد مع مدرب مصري، وصدقت ما قيل لي”.

واستمر: “أتمنى التوفيق لـ إيهاب جلال المدرب الحالي لفريق بيراميدز، لأنه من أفضل المدربين المصريين، ومحظوظ لأنه يدرب فريق جيد جدًا ولديه وقت أن يعمل معه”.

وأردف: : “أعتقد إذا كان هناك فرصة لاستمراري حتى كأس مصر كنت سأحصل على البطولة، حتى إذا كنت واجهت الأهلي في النهائي، لأن قوة داوفع بيراميدز في نهاية الدوري كانت جيدة، وقوة داوفع الأهلي نهاية الموسم غير جيدة في المباريات”.

وأتم: “لو امتلكت فرصة التدريب في أوروبا سيكون علي جبر أول لاعب مصري أضمه”.

Most of the attention in the northeast is on Newcastle United’s imminent takeover, and one player who may not be part of the new era is right-back DeAndre Yedlin, who is reportedly looking to leave the club this summer.According to The Athletic’s Paul Tenorio, in conversation with Jon Champion and Taylor Twellman, the American is wanting to move on from the Magpies at the end of the season.

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Yedlin has been at the club since 2016 after being signed by Rafa Benitez in his first summer in charge, joining from Tottenham Hotspur.

He has gone on to feature 110 times for the club, although this season he has only managed a bit-part role due to injuries and his manager Steve Bruce favouring Javier Manquillo.

A groin strain, a hip problem and a hand issue has restricted the 26-year-old to just 12 Premier League matches this term, playing a total of just 772 minutes.

And it is fair to suggest that many supporters at St James’ Park wouldn’t be too disheartened to see him leave should a move come to fruition.

Here’s what has been said…

AND in other news,ÂNewcastle fans go berserk over Mauricio Pochettino news…

Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana is being lined up as a potential transfer target for PSG, according to the Daily Mirror.

Lallana, 31, has made just eight appearances this season for the Reds, finding difficulty in breaking into a team that sits at the top of the Premier League.

The former Southampton captain did score the equaliser at Old Trafford to ensure that Jurgen Klopp’s men maintained their unbeaten start, however.

He’s out of contract at Anfield in the summer, leaving the French giants free to pursue his signature on a free transfer when the January transfer window arrives.

Thomas Tuchel wants Lallana to replace forward Edinson Cavani, who is being linked with a move to the MLS.

LA Galaxy are chasing the Uruguayan to replace the recently departed Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who left the club after two seasons.

Lallana would hardly be a natural replacement; in his 186 Premier League games, the England intentional has scored 30 goals, a strike rate that falls some way short of Cavani’s.

Here’s how some Liverpool fans reacted to the transfer rumour:

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to The Sun, Manchester United could seal the signing of long-term target Gareth Bale in the upcoming January transfer window.

What’s the word?

The Real Madrid superstar has been linked with a move to Old Trafford for a number of years now, but has failed to see a transfer materialise. But after a particularly tumultuous season last year in which some of his own teammates questioned his attitude and commitment to the cause, it could finally be Bale’s time to leave.

And according to The Sun, Real Madrid believe that if he does not join up with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side in the New Year, then they are “convinced” he will do so in the following window. The report further claims that United were keen on luring Bale to the club when the Wales international was close to joining Chinese outfit Jiangsu Suning in the summer, and that the Red Devils are “even more determined to land a star name to rescue their season now”.

The ship has sailed

A few years ago, when Bale’s injury problems weren’t as disruptive or severe as they have been recently, a move for the Welsh talisman would have been seen as a major coup. After all, this is the man who many would have earmarked as Cristiano Ronaldo’s potential successor at Madrid. Instead, a mixture of medical issues and struggles to get to grips with the Spanish lifestyle have really tarnished his reputation.

The Red Devils have already been burned by a January swoop for a high-profile star on hefty ages. Alexis Sanchez anyone? Bale’s arrival may be heralded as a superstar-worthy signing, but his pre-existing issues at Madrid would only just resurface back in the Premier League. The £54m-rated man isn’t suddenly going to become 100% healthy again, and back to his old self. The ship may have sailed for the 30-year-old’s move to Old Trafford.

Gareth Bale’s story at Real Madrid is quite interesting.

He was one of those players that was just a single step away from actually leaving the Spanish capital for good, but in the end he stayed and played a small part in their ongoing campaign.

Watch Spanish Football Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

The very first couple of games were rather good, actually.

Bale scored two goals and assisted further two but then the injuries returned and he has been sitting on his tally of seven games played across all competitions for a while now.

Interestingly enough, it seems that the 30-year-old star has returned to training with his national team and many of Real Madrid fans didn’t really take it that well.

Upon seeing him fit and happy for Wales, they immediately stated that he should leave the club and that he’s only at Real for the money, slamming the star for his disrespectful behaviour in the process.

You can see some of their replies down in the collection of tweets below:

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

Pressure, what pressure?

West Bromwich Albion returned to the top of the Championship table with a comfortable 2-0 victory over basement boys Stoke City on Monday night.

The Baggies had slipped down the table slightly over the weekend, but only because those around them competed 48 hours earlier.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

A goal from Matty Phillips, who snagged his sixth of the season, and a penalty from super-sub Hal Robson-Kanu was enough to secure all three points up in Staffordshire.

Following the match, talkSPORT pundit Adrian Durham made a bold claim surrounding another one of Albion’s key players.

He believes that despite being the best ‘passer of a ball’ in the division, Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips is the best overall player in the division.

There’s no doubt that is enough to back up his viewpoint – Phillips is United’s top-rated player on WhoScored (7.45), while no other player has recorded more tackles (four).

But to discount Sawyers entirely from the argument on that basis is a little naive, he offers so much more than just his passing ability.

The 28-year-old is the key orchestrator to the entire squad – averaging 80.3 touches per game. He is the metronome, the engine.

Without him, there is an argument to be made that the Baggies wouldn’t be where they are.

Sawyers has played every minute of every game this season, which only three other players have managed, and they are all in defence, a position that probably requires less energy.

The midfield maestro is averaging a vast 92% passing accuracy and nearly 70 passes per game, which ranks him as the best overall in the division for the first category, and the best midfielder in the division for the latter.

But he also offers other aspects to his game as seen with his 1.3 tackles and 75% aerial duels won per game, via SofaScore.

Sawyers is even a player that Leeds fans were drooling over after his performance on Monday night as they clearly regret not trying to sign him in the summer – despite having Phillips.

In the same clip linked above, former Premier League striker Darren Bent claims he cannot believe that the Baggies man isn’t playing in the top-flight.

This only goes to show his importance to Slaven Bilic’s side, and given the lack of options he has at central midfield, taking him out of the team would be so much more disastrous than if Phillips was absent for Marcelo Bielsa.

If Sawyers gets injured or picks up suspension it will result in a rapid recall for either Gareth Barry, who hasn’t played since his ‘career-threatening’ injury, or Rekeem Harper, who has played just six league minutes all season while centre-back Semi Ajayi is also an option.

Whereas Leeds have multiple options to fill any void left behind by Phillips – for example, Adam Forshaw has a better passing success rate than the 23-year-old at 89.7%, which is the highest in their squad, per WhoScored.

It is this sort of ‘MVP’ status that makes Sawyers the best in the division as he’s just ever so crucial to Albion’s promotion hopes and given they are top of the table, and that he’s played every game, he should currently be the number one name on Durham’s lips.

أثنى أسامة نبيه المدرب العام للزمالك على موقف إمام عاشور بحضوره مباراة تونجيث السنغالي في الجولة الأخيرة من دور المجموعات بمسابقة دوري أبطال إفريقيا لدعم زملائه.

وكان الجهاز الفني قد وقع عقوبة على عاشور بسبب اعتراضه على استبعاده خلال مباراة مولودية الجزائر في خامس جولات دور المجموعات بالبطولة القارية.

طالع | الزمالك يعلن إيقاف إمام عاشور بعد الفوز على مولودية الجزائر

وقال نبيه  في تصريحات للموقع الرسمي إن عاشور أبدى التزامًا كاملًا في الفترة الماضية بالقرار الإداري الذي اتخذه الجهاز الفني تجاهه، مؤكدًا على أن فرض الانضباط من أهم الأسس التي يضعها الجهاز الفني بشكل عام داخل الفريق.

وأوضح أن هناك تقييمًا لما يقدمه إمام عاشور بالامتثال لقرار الجهاز الفني، وأن الفترة المقبلة ستشهد عودته للفريق في الوقت المناسب.

واستطرد: “كل ما يحدث من إمام عاشور يعتبر مؤشرات جيدة جدًا من قبل اللاعب، وفرض حالة الانضباط والالتزام هام جدًا”.

يذكر، أن استاد القاهرة الدولي قد استضاف مساء السبت مباراة الزمالك وتونجيث في سادس جولات دور المجموعات ببطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، في اللقاء الذي انتهى بفوز الفارس الأبيض برباعية مقابل هدف.