Sunderland’s Elliot Embleton set for extended run in the team

What a strange time this is for Sunderland.

The Black Cats are at the centre of a potential takeover and they have just hired a new manager in Lee Johnson.

However, they now won’t play for a fortnight with their next three games were postponed.

On the chalkboard

Just as the positivity had been reinstalled at the Stadium of Light after their 4-0 win over Lincoln, proceedings in the north-east have become rather depressing again.

Because of an outbreak of COVID-19 within the squad, the Academy of Light has been shut until December 27th with a variety of players now having to self isolate.

Four players have tested positive for the pandemic which has only added to an ongoing list of fitness concerns within the squad.

Denver Hume is currently out injured while Luke O’Nien has a dislocated shoulder and is out until the New Year.

However, they received another damaging blow this week when Johnson revealed that Josh Scowen could miss as many as seven weeks with a shin injury.

It really does feel as though Sunderland players are dropping like flies at the moment.

The solution

Fortunately for the Black Cats, they do have a number of midfield players available to them. With Max Power ruled out against Wimbledon, George Dobson came back into the XI and was paired next to the ever-reliable and ever-consistent Grant Leadbitter.

Though, with Scowen missing they needed to find another midfielder from somewhere.

That happened to be Elliot Embleton, a man who usually prefers to play in more advanced roles. The 21-year-old had a serious hamstring injury last season which meant he didn’t play at all for Sunderland and to this day, he has still only featured on 16 occasions for the first-team.

He’s never truly had a consistent run to establish himself as a regular but now with a host of players out and lacking fitness, his chance could arrive.

It’s unfortunate the youngster never really got an opportunity under Jack Ross or Phil Parkinson. After all, the former held him in high esteem. “Embleton has been terrific since he came back for pre-season. You can see what he can provide in the final third, so I was pleased with that,” Ross commented in July 2019.

Of course, his season was ruined by injury last term but he is now fully fit and has developed nicely.

Against Wimbledon, the midfielder was assured and composed as he completed 88% of his passes, created two chances and had two shots.

If we see more of that, it’s likely Embleton will be in the team more. He definitely deserves a run.

In other news, Johnson must unleash Sunderland talent with “magic feat”…

Celtic: Jeremie Frimpong was Lennon’s real threat in Hamilton win

Celtic are back in action thanks to their positive run of form across the last five fixtures. Their most recent win came on the road against Hamilton, thanks to a solid performance from the whole team.

Neil Lennon has taken some risks over recent weeks, dropping senior personnel and taking chances on lesser seen players. The likes of David Turnbull and Ismaila Soro have grabbed their chances with both hands and have delivered a positive impact to the Celtic midfield.

The duo started against Hamilton and the former bagged himself another goal. He joined Leigh Griffiths and Odsonne Edouard on the scoresheet to breeze past the Accies at their ground. Another who impressed but went under the radar was Jeremie Frimpong, who was blistering down the right flank.

Jeremie Frimpong vs Hamilton

Despite being just 20 years of age, the Netherlands youth international has been a key part of Celtic’s season so far. He has featured in every Premiership match this term and despite being a defender, the £8,000 per week right-back is a force to be reckoned with going forward.

According to Sofascore, Frimpong put in a solid performance across the backline with his four tackles, one interception and one clearance. He also won ten of his 12 duels and drew five fouls thanks to his pace down the wing.

Hamilton struggled to cope with his presence down the right-hand side and his performance will have seriously impressed Lennon. The gaffer will be relieved with Celtic’s recent form, as speculation has recently surrounded his future at the club.

Winning to Scottish Cup and the chance to recruit in the January window could be enough to save Lennon’s job. If he is to remain the Hoops boss, promising young players like Frimpong will be key moving forwards.

In other news, Signing David Turnbull was a stroke of genius from Hammond…

Forget Lennon: Lawwell to blame for putting Celtic’s legacy in grave danger

This season has the potential to be a defining moment in the history of Scottish football, not just because Celtic are gunning for a record-breaking tenth league title in a row.Their chances of doing so have just taken a major dent having tasted an embarrassing defeat in the first Old Firm derby of the season and even though it’s just one fixture of 38, there were telling signs that should pose a much greater threat to everything that’s been created at Parkhead in this current legacy.Rangers are closing the gap on Celtic, and rapidly.The Light Blues currently occupy top spot with a four-point cushion to the Hoops and for the second time in as many seasons, they have looked the completely better outfit at Celtic Park.Outfought and outmuscled – could this be the year that the Gers finally break that duck? Quite possibly.You can lambast Neil Lennon for his team selection – he certainly got one or two calls wrong on the day – but his hands were somewhat tied due to injuries and the virus practically decimating a number of his key stars.But the performance was perhaps a real sign that the Bhoys’ Glaswegian rivals have finally caught up after so many years.Steven Gerrard’s men looked better in every single aspect – that much was evident in the fact that the home side failed to register a single attempt on target all game.And that is what serious investment has got them in the past few seasons – Ryan Kent (£7m), Kemar Roofe (£4.5m), Filip Helander (£3.5m) and Conor Goldson (£3m) to name just a few.It can’t be denied that Rangers have spent well and it’s now starting to come together.In that time, Celtic have lost several key players and perhaps haven’t brought in the right replacements, even potentially resting on their laurels in a complacent way.Which is why chief executive Peter Lawwell should be put in the firing line, after all, he’s putting his legacy on the line here too.If you want to blame the manager for this, then it only comes back to the top of the hierarchy as he was the man to appoint him in the first place following the departure of Brendan Rodgers, who made a serious statement during his time in charge.Former Hoops midfielder Alan Thompson copped a lot of flak on Twitter on Saturday evening with this tweet:

But maybe he’s right.

It was only a little over a year ago that fans unveiled a damning banner display following a similarly embarrassing defeat to Cluj in the Champions League, it read:

“This is how it feels to be Celtic, downsizing again as you know. The Celtic board are gambling on ten in a row.”

Yet here we are – same manager, same situation. No Champions League football, and now chasing their arch-rivals in the league.

Their transfer strategy has hardly improved since then, and you only have to look at Rangers’ rapid rise to see that.

You can take fire at Lennon, but the buck must be passed onto Lawwell too.

AND in other news, one BAD decision embarrassingly cost Celtic in Old Firm defeat…

Fulham can bolster their squad by signing Kai Wagner in January

Tony Khan can give Scott Parker’s side a big boost by securing a deal for Philadelphia Union left-back Kai Wagner in January, although the Cottagers will have to see off competition from West Ham if they are to complete his signing.

It has been reported by the Daily Mail recently that the West London club, along with the Hammers, are weighing up whether to make an offer for the German defender in the upcoming January transfer window.

The 23-year-old, described as a ‘revelation’ in an article by The Athletic in 2019, has impressed with his performances in the MLS in recent seasons, with the defender contributing six assists in 32 appearances in 2019, earning a solid 6.8/10 rating (per WhoScored).

Across 2020 meanwhile, the former Schalke man has scored twice and assisted twice across just 20 appearances, whilst his average rating is much improved (per WhoScored).

Therefore, it is perhaps no surprise that Premier League sides are taking an interest in the youngster ahead of the winter transfer window, and with the report suggesting that he could be available for as little as £3.5 million, he could represent a bargain deal for Fulham.

Parker’s side already signed fellow left-back Antonee Robinson from Wigan Athletic in the summer transfer window and the American has impressed in his Premier League appearances thus far, averaging a solid 6.94 rating from his five appearances in the top-flight.

The Cottagers also have Joe Bryan available as a left-back, and the former Bristol City man has also done fairly well following Fulham’s promotion, having averaged a solid 6.62 rating from his five appearances in the Premier League.

However, squad depth can be hugely important for a Premier League side, especially one such as Fulham who are arguably in a relegation fight this season, and should either one of Robinson or Bryan suffer an injury, then having Wagner available to fill-in would be of great benefit to Parker.

The Philadelphia Union manager Jim Curtin was full of praise for the German earlier this year, as following a 1-0 win over New England, he lauded both of his full-backs, saying:

“I thought the play, in particular, of our outside backs defensively was excellent, whether it was making a tackle, a big block or a clearance. I think sometimes we just expect them to be solid every game. It’s a time where I can single them out and give them a little bit of praise.” (per Fox PHL)Therefore, it seems as if it is only a matter of time until Wagner earns himself a move away from the MLS, and considering how cheap he is seemingly available for, Khan should hopefully be working hard to ensure that he moves to the West part of London, rather than joining David Moyes’ side.

Duelo: quem foi o melhor atleta brasileiro em 2015? Vote!

MatériaMais Notícias

O ano está quase no fim. E em diversas modalidades os atletas brasileiros brilharam pelo mundo. O país se destacou em 2015 no futebol, surfe, natação, vôlei de praia, basquete e até no beisebol.

Assim, o LANCE! quer saber de você: quem foi o melhor atleta do país neste ano? São 15 competidores na disputa. Para te ajudar, trazemos abaixo um resumo do que cada um fez:

Adriano de Souza – chegou à etapa final do WCT (Circuito Mundial de Surfe) com chances de ser campeão
Ágatha e Bárbara Seixas – campeãs mundiais no vôlei de praia, na Holanda
Alison e Bruno Schmidt – campeões mundiais no vôlei de praia, na Holanda
Ana Marcela Cunha – ouro nos 25km e prata nos 10km (distância olímpica) na maratona aquática no Mundial de Desportos Aquáticos, na Rússia
Fabiana Murer – vice-campeã mundial no salto com vara no Mundial de Atletismo, na China
Filipe Toledo -chegou à etapa final do WCT (Circuito Mundial de Surfe) com chances de ser campeão
Gabriel Medina -chegou à etapa final do WCT (Circuito Mundial de Surfe) com chances de ser campeão
Isaquias Queiroz – conquistou um ouro e um bronze no Mundial de Canoagem, na Itália
Leandrinho – campeão da NBA com o Golden State Warriors
Marcelo Melo – campeão em Roland Garros e número 1 do mundo no ranking mundial de duplas no tênis
Neymar – campeão da Liga dos Campeões com o Barcelona, e finalista da Bola de Ouro da Fifa
Paulo Orlando – campeão da MLB (a liga americana de beisebol) com o Kansas City Royals
Thiago Pereira – foi prata nos 200m medley no Mundial de Desportos Aquáticos, na Rússia, e quebrou o recorde de número de medalhas na história dos Jogos Pan-Americanos

continua após a publicidade

ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإسباني بعد نهاية الجولة التاسعة.. بنزيما يتصدر وديباي يسجل

واصل الهولندي ممفيس ديباي التهديف في الموسم الحالي من بطولة الدوري الإسباني، بعدما سجل هدفًا في الجولة التاسعة خلال مواجهة فالنسيا.

ولم يحظ كريم بنزيما وفينسيوس جونيور بفرصة تسجيل المزيد من الأهداف هذا الأسبوع في الليجا، بعدما تأجلت مباراة ريال مدريد وأتلتيك بلباو.

وانطبق الأمر نفسه على الأوروجواني لويس سواريز، حيث تأجلت مباراة أتلتيكو مدريد وغرناطة في الجولة نفسها.

وشهدت تلك الجولة تسجيل راؤول دي توماس لاعب إسبانيول لهدف أمام قادش، بينما غاب راداميل فالكاو عن التسجيل في هذه الجولة، حيث ظل على دكة بدلاء رايو فاليكانو أمام إلتشي. ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإسباني بعد نهاية الجولة التاسعة

كريم بنزيما، ريال مدريد، 9 أهداف.

ميكيل أويارزابال، ريال سوسيداد، 6 أهداف.

فينيسيوس جونيور، ريال مدريد، 5 أهداف.

ممفيس ديباي، برشلونة، 4 أهداف.

راؤول دي توماس، إسبانيول، 4 أهداف.

لويس سواريز، أتلتيكو مدريد، 4 أهداف.

أرنوت جروينفيلد، فياريال، 4 أهداف.

راداميل فالكاو، ريال فاليكانو، 3 أهداف.

يوسف نصيري، إشبيلية، 3 أهداف.

أنخيل كوريا، أتلتيكو مدريد، 3 أهداف.

ويمكن متابعة ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإسباني، موسم 2021/22، محدث بشكل مستمر من هنا.

Tottenham Hotspur: Darren Bent slams ’embarrassing’ decision that may cost Spurs top four

Darren Bent has insisted handball rules need to change after Tottenham had a goal controversially ruled out by VAR in the 3-1 defeat at Sheffield United. 

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Spurs striker believes it was an “embarrassing” decision and officials need to rely on common sense more often.

Blades boss Chris Wilder admitted the technology is a farce as Harry Kane’s equaliser was disallowed because Lucas Moura’s arm appeared to touch the ball in the build-up.

The player-turned-pundit believes that the rules need to change to ensure this kind of scenario doesn’t happen again.

Bent told assistant editor Russell Edge “it’s embarrassing. First and foremost, in that situation, common sense has got to be used. Where, in honestly, can Lucas Moura put his hands?

“Either he lands on his neck or he puts his hands out and I think that’s where common sense has got to prevail. In that situation there, the rules have to be changed.

“In certain situations, I can understand and VAR, on rare occasions, it has been correct but as far as that one, Lucas Moura has no idea where the ball is and he’s got nowhere else to put his hands.

“To give a handball for that – his hands were in a natural position, when you’re falling that’s where your hands would go.”

It is hard to argue with Bent on this one, as Moura arguably couldn’t put his hands anywhere else.

Under the current rules, a goal cannot be given if the ball touches an attacking player’s hand or arm if it immediately results in a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

Last week, Jermaine Jenas said “the players and the managers this year have been unbelievable in mentally getting over these kinds of hurdles that VAR is throwing at them.”

Although the Lilywhites went on to lose 3-1 at Bramall Lane, it raises the question over whether or not the result would have stayed the same if Kane’s equalising strike had been awarded.

Moreover, some may argue that Spurs should have been given a free kick for the foul on Moura that led to him touching the ball.

As a result, the Blades leapfrogged the Lilywhites into seventh in the Premier League. Jose Mourinho’s side are now tenth in the table, twelve points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, with their chances of qualifying for the Champions League looking ever more remote, although they have a game in hand.

VAR has been subjected to intense scrutiny ever since it was first introduced, as the Blades seemed to have equalised moments after Son Heung-min’s opener in the reverse fixture.

However, Spurs have gotten away with more than most this season, as Dele Alli levelled against Watford despite appearing to control the ball with his upper arm.

With that being said, they can’t expect to receive the rub of the green all of the time, although it is highly likely the debate will continue to rage on for a number of weeks.

Tottenham fans, do you think the VAR decision was the biggest mistake of the season? Let us know down below!

Potential is an overpriced product, and we’re all addicted

The return of the Premier League has the potential to be an invaluable morale boost for fans across the UK. Will Liverpool throw it all away, will Bramall Lane be giving Lionel Messi a warm Yorkshire welcome, will Daniel Farke lead Norwich to a miraculous escape? These intertwining storylines are set to ignite excitement into what has become a pretty tedious lockdown, and the potential that something special might happen is enough to make even the most miserable of fans twitch with nervous energy.

When we talk of potential we are expressing hope, and we can all agree that now, perhaps more than ever, hope is an admirable thing. Excited conversations about youth players are a way to project towards a better future, fanciful bets on promotions are a way to dream about new and spectacular away days. It is hope that lights a fire underneath us and provides a moment of fantastic ‘what-iffery’, albeit one that in the back of our minds we know will probably never come to anything.

It’s worth pointing out that this preoccupation with potential is not just confined to football, it is something we experience in our everyday life. Take film trailers, for example, which exist solely to get your hopes up. Then the film is released, and you realise there’s no such thing as de-aging, and Robert de Niro is too old to be curb-stomping small business owners.

Or what about first dates, a phenomenon that terrifies and thrills in equal measure. Could this be the one, or more importantly, will I get laid? Ah no, l’ve accidentally brought my own empty glass back from the bar again, complained bitterly that they forgot to put the gin in, and fallen over before I even reached the bar anyway.Or New Year’s Eve, which has never, in the history of years and eves, lived up to expectations.

The enormous transfer value of footballers with ‘potential’ is the most tangible way to assess this affliction because history shows us just how rarely players reach this mythical promise. How many wonderkids genuinely live up to the hype? The answer is depressingly few, and while that’s not to deny that players like Wayne Rooney, Theo Walcott, or even Freddy Adu had great careers, did they achieve what millions half-suspected they would?

Even the freak exceptions to the rule, messrs Messi and Ronaldo, failed to deliver world cup glory to their adoring nations. And if you think this sounds like a harsh assessment of two of the greatest players to ever grace the game, ask yourself what your hopes and dreams were when Wazza burst onto the scene. Or Gazza. Or whatever ‘azza’ you decide to label Jadon Sazza with? I don’t think it’s a stretch to suggest we all believed, no matter how fanciful, that these players had the potential to bring football home, that they still might.

Stepping down from this tirade against legends of the game for a second, it’s important to point out this wonderfully pessimistic formula can be applied to players throughout the professional game. Across the football league, players under the age of 23/24 are assigned this multiplier, gifted with an assurance that massive improvement is inevitable. Are there cases where a player’s raw ability at 21 is harnessed to an extent that he is genuinely worth double, even triple his actual value in a few years’ time?? Perhaps, but these are rare, and canceled out by the numerous players who improve at an ‘old age’ (James Vardy and Chris ‘Bashambauer’, we’re looking at you).

Yet in spite of all this, I get it. Given the choice between a 28-year-old striker who will almost definitely bag 15 goals a season, and a teenager who might potentially score 20+ in a few years time, I go with the kid 100%. I accept the youth premium, the yearly wage rise, the personal development crises, the nightclub incidents, the inexperience, the loud haircuts, the inability to do anything vaguely interesting and not post it on Instagram – I am willing to put up with all of that, because you never know.

Yes, potential is the gap between reality and an imagined future, but it’s also hope. Hope that Christopher Nolan’s next film isn’t as confusing as the trailer makes it look. Hope that your Tinder date doesn’t notice you photoshopped your jawline. Hope that your New Year’s Eve plans fall through and you get to just sit in your pants watching Jules Holland’s Hoota-Granny with a cup of tea and a mound of own-brand oat nobblies.

We hope that the return of Premier League football will be every bit as wonderful and traumatic as we think it might be. After all, as either Dumb or Dumber once said: “So you’re telling me there’s a chance”.

Spurs fans loving interest in Sevilla defender Diego Carlos

With the joint-worst defensive record in the Premier League’s top-ten, it’s no surprise to see Tottenham being linked with a whole host of centre-backs ahead of the summer transfer window.

The futures of the likes of Jan Vertonghen and Juan Foyth are also very much up in the air, so a new central defender is likely to be even more of a major priority for Jose Mourinho’s side.

And according to The Daily Telegraph, the Lilywhites are looking at Sevilla powerhouse Diego Carlos.

Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

The report claims that whilst Spurs are involved in the race to sign Beijing Guoan defender Kim Min-jae, Carlos is another viable alternative for them. However, the one main sticking point behind doing a deal for the Brazilian, is his asking price, with Sevilla reportedly wanting in excess of £35m to part ways with the 6 foot ace.

After hearing about their links to Carlos, Spurs fans flooded to Twitter to share their reactions.

A few fans insisted that Daniel Levy simply wouldn’t be willing to shell out to sign someone like Carlos, and with that reported £35m asking price, it’s clear to see why.

Another Spurs fan in particular questioned why the club just didn’t go for a more proven and elite option like Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly.

Part of a Sevilla side currently lying in fourth place in La Liga and well in the fight for Champions League football next season, Carlos has been one of the standout performers.

The 27-year-old has featured in all but two of Sevilla’s league games this season, and boasts some pretty impressive defensive and passing stats when compared to someone like Toby Alderweireld.

As per Sofascore, he wins more total duels (4.1), averages a better passing accuracy (84%), and has committed no errors that have either led to a shot or goal this season, unlike Alderweireld who has made two.

Spurs have got plenty of options to decide over, but Carlos is playing in a side competing with the big boys in Spain, and seems to be more than holding his own.

On this day: Wolves make history at Old Trafford

With a capacity of 32,050, Molineux is by no means an underwhelming place to watch football.

It is the one and only stadium in which Wolves have played their home games since they were formed in 1887. The record attendance for a match there is 61,315 – almost double what it can hold now – which came in February 1939.

Watch Wolverhampton Wanderers Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Interestingly, though, they also hold the record for the highest attendance at Old Trafford – and it came in a match in which Manchester United didn’t even feature. Again in 1939, on March 25th, they made history in their clash versus Grimsby in the FA Cup semi-final.

Nowadays, the Red Devils’ historic arena can hold as many as 74,879 – but the Old Gold and the Mariners surpassed even that in their match over 80 years ago. They managed to fit in 76,962 people into the stadium, and the fans then took in Wolves’ huge 5-0 victory, which meant they reached the final for the sixth time in their history.

That final of the competition was played, as it is now, at Wembley Stadium. They came up against Portsmouth, but they were unable to contain the south-coast side, finishing on the receiving end of a 4-1 defeat.

That match was another historic occasion – it proved to be that last FA Cup final before Great Britain entered into war with Germany.

It would be seven years before domestic English football’s biggest match would take place in a time of peace.

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