Tag Futebol

Worrying pictures have emerged of Tottenham star Gareth Bale wearing an ice pack after he was taken off against West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.

Bale injured?

The £22.5m-valued 31-year-old (Transfermarkt) played 78 minutes at the Hawthorns against the Baggies, with him coming off when the score was 0-0. Harry Kane’s late strike gave Spurs all three points.

Unfortunately, when he was sat in the stands, Bale was seen with an ice pack strapped to his ankle. It is unclear whether the issue was serious or if it was just a precautionary measure.

Worry for Mourinho

Bale was almost the perfect no-risk loan signing for Jose Mourinho. He loves the club, having burst onto the scene at White Hart Lane, and his record of over 100 goals and four Champions League trophies shows just how good a player he can be.

However, there is just one issue – Bale has a terrible injury record. During his time at Real Madrid, he missed 99 games due to a whole host of injuries. It has taken him a while to build up some fitness in north London during this second spell – this was his first start in the Premier League this campaign. All in all, he has played a grand total of just 301 minutes across six games in the English top-flight and the Europa League.

This is, at the very least, a reminder to Mourinho that Bale needs to be managed. As Danny Mills previously told Football Insider, Bale is “desperate” to be with Spurs. That being said, the staff at the Lilywhites must make sure he is ready to play whenever he is selected.

In other news, Tottenham are interested in this two-time Champions League winner.

It appears West Ham have lost the race to land one of their mooted transfer targets this summer and there’s only one place to aim the blame…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mirror last month, the Hammers had offered £10m for Nottingham Forest right-back Matty Cash but now it appears he’ll be moving elsewhere.

The Independent are claiming that a £15m deal has been agreed with Premier League rivals Aston Villa with personal terms soon to be agreed.

It’s suggested that the 23-year-old became one of the Championship’s most sought-after players after the Reds failed in their promotion push – Fulham were another team keen on signing him.

GSB failing

This is not the first time that the Irons have missed out on a target nor will it be the last, however, Cash would have been a very shrewd signing to bolster David Moyes’ backline.

The young winger-turned-defender delivered three goals and five assists whilst averaging 3 clearances, 2.6 tackles, 1.4 interceptions and 1.1 key passes per game, via WhoScored.

And his form over the past season or two has been well regarded – respected chief football writer at the Times, Henry Winter, believes Cash “looks Premier League class” while Quest TV’s Sam Parkin labelled his season as “outstanding”.

Ryan Fredericks doesn’t appear to be the best of options on the right side, especially when it comes to attacking, which is something the Forest sensation would evidently resolve going by his figures for the season.

The 27-year-old could only muster up three assists, so it’s no wonder that the Hammers struggled to create chances and quickly became embroiled in a relegation battle.

All GSB had to do was offer £5m more, even if it came in the form of add-ons or instalments as that’s what has been reportedly accepted from Villa.

Their lack of investment this summer is damning, so there could well be another dog fight at the bottom of the table unless they soon open their chequebook.

AND in other news, Irons may have the perfect Declan Rice successor right under their nose…

Wolverhampton Wanderers are unlikely to have a busy summer transfer window but one mooted target would more than make up for it if reports are to be believed.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, Wolves are ‘focused’ on signing Newcastle United sensation Allan Saint-Maximin as they look to take advantage of the Magpies’ precarious situation and uncertainty off the pitch.

It’s claimed that the enigmatic Frenchman has been tipped to leave St James’ Park following an impressive debut season amid the ongoing takeover saga.

Meanwhile, the Midlands outfit have a real shot at being in the Europa League once again next season having finished the campaign in seventh place and they could even win it this year with the competitions set to resume next week.

Traore replacement?

A lot has been made about Adama Traore’s future at Molineux. Premier League winners Liverpool have been one side courted with interest in the right-sided beast in recent months.

Saint-Maximin could be the absolute ideal replacement for the Wolves man should he actually depart the club this summer.

Magpies skipper Jamaal Lascelles has even compared the pair, speaking to ChronicleLive, he said: “He’s a great player. Physically, you know the guy from Wolves, Traore? Max says he never does gym, he’s never done gym before, but he’s strong as an ox. He’s fast, so explosive.”

The 23-year-old has been one of the few shining lights for Toon this season having provided three goals and four assists. He’s also averaged a whopping 4.7 dribbles, 1.8 shots and 1.3 key passes per game, via WhoScored, which further bolsters reasoning behind why this might be a very smart move indeed.

Only Traore has managed more dribbles each appearance in the top-flight this campaign whilst Saint-Maximin is ahead for shots and key passes.

There can’t be a more like-for-like successor here and Fosun should absolutely sanction a swoop for the £18m-rated attacker, just a year on from his £16m switch from Nice.

AND in other news, find out which referees Wolves will want to see more of in future…

Loads of Everton fans have been destroying Marco Silva as ONDA DEPORTIVA (via The Toffee Blues) reported that he is a contender to manage at Valencia CF.

The Spanish club currently sit in 10th place in the La Liga table on 46 points having lost their last three games in the division, and only have five matches left to boost their hopes up of qualifying for European competition for the upcoming 2020/21 season, as per Sky Sports.

Silva would surely be looking to make an instant impact if he is hired, but several members of the Toffees faithful on Twitter did not seem to have faith in him given his relatively disastrous spell at Goodison Park.

The Portuguese boss was sacked by the Merseyside club midway through this campaign off the back of a rather humiliating 5-2 defeat at the hands of their bitter rivals Liverpool that left them sitting in the relegation zone (via BBC).

Silva actually lost more games in charge of the Blues then he won, having managed in 60 matches in all competitions, according to Transfermarkt.

These EFC supporters destroyed their former coach:

Evertonians, would Silva be a bad move for Valencia? Comment below!

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly leading the race to sign Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson this summer, reports say. 

Wilson was touted to move to Tottenham last year amid claims of an £80m double raid by Mauricio Pochettino. While a move never materialised, the Lilywhites are still interested in the England international.

According to The Sun, Spurs have emerged as the front-runners to sign Wilson in the summer.

Bournemouth were relegated on the final day of the 2019/20 Premier League season. Despite the fact they beat Everton at Goodison Park, Aston Villa’s draw at West Ham meant their efforts were all in vain.

The Cherries badly needed a win and for both Watford and Villa to lose at the weekend.

While Wilson failed to get on the score-sheet, his teammates Josh King, Dominic Solanke and Junior Stanislas combined to put three past the Toffees.

Daniel Levy is set to submit a quick offer for the forward, as he will want to remain in the Premier League when Bournemouth drop back down to the Championship.

The Cherries had resisted all attempts to sign Wilson in the past, usually handing him long-term deals to ward off any potential suitors, although the chairman could capitalise on their mistake as they will want to get his salary off their wage bill as soon as possible.

Wilson currently earns £110,000-a-week wages and he may have to take a pay cut to stay in the English top flight.

The 28-year-old has struggled for goals this season, as he has only scored eight times in 35 games in the Premier League, but he is still highly rated and could provide suitable cover for Harry Kane. Despite his struggles, he has still taken 1.8 shots per game via WhoScored.

However, it is worth remembering he managed nearly double that tally last year (WhoScored).

Spurs desperately need to find a backup for Kane and his international teammate turn out to be a shrewd signing. Available at a mere £10m, he would surely be a bargain, especially given the current climate.

Tottenham fans, should Levy sign Wilson in the summer? Let us know down below!

أعلن الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا” عن سحب تنظيم بطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2021 من اليابان، بعدما اعتذر الاتحاد الياباني.

الاتحاد الياباني أعلن رسميًا عبر موقعه الرسمي عدم تنظيم بطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2021، بسبب جائحة فيروس كورونا وانتشار الوباء.

طالع أيضًا.. السعودية: تحدثنا مع “فيفا” لاستضافة كأس العالم للأندية

الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا” أكد ما أعلنه الاتحاد الياباني، مشيرًا إلى أنه لم تعد اليابان في وضع يسمح لها باستضافة كأس العالم للأندية 2021.

وقدم فيفا الشكر إلى الاتحاد الياباني لكرة القدم على عملهم والتزامهم خلال الفترة الماضية، ويتطلع إلى عودة كأس العالم للأندية إلى اليابان في المستقبل.

وأشار بيان الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم، إلى أنه سيتم الإعلان عن مضيف بديل لكأس العالم للأندية من قبل الفيفا في الوقت المناسب.

جدير بالذكر أن النادي الأهلي يشارك في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2021، بعدما فاز ببطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا على حساب كايزر تشيفز 3/0 في النهائي.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Jack Harrison has really come into his own in recent weeks.

The winger has scored three and assisted four in his previous eight games for Leeds United, and he’s quickly becoming one of the Whites’ most important players.

Of course, many Leeds supporters will now have more of a keen interest in his future. One fan, in particular, was desperate for an update, so he asked Phil Hay during his Q&A session on Tuesday night about Harrison’s future.

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What’s been said then?

The Scottish journalist was hosting a Q&A session with The Athletic after United’s 1-0 win over Reading, and one supporter posed what could happen to the Manchester City loanee next season.

“Not sure of the exact price but Leeds have the option to sign him permanently. Bielsa is a big fan of his so I’d imagine that he’d look for the club to exercise it if they go up.” Hay responded.

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Good, but worrying

This update will be music to the ears of some as Hay has confirmed that there is a chance that the Yorkshire outfit will sign Harrison at the end of the season, suggesting that the manager will eventually work towards that eventuality.

However, it’s rather ominous as the reporter also hints that the permanent signing of the Man City man hinges on Leeds’ promotion.

The 22-year-old has looked like a Premier League quality player in recent weeks with his goals and assists, so you can understand why Leeds need to go up in order to land him. However, the prospect of being without Harrison next season is a rather daunting one after his incredible performances lately.

The winger’s numbers have improved greatly recently and he’s registering 1.7 shots per game as well as amassing 1.6 key passes. That goes to show the huge influence Harrison’s having in the final third and why Leeds must hold onto him in 2020/21.

In other news, one Leeds star has been praising Marcelo Bielsa’s “carnage” training strategy.

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…

Did he do enough?

A lot of the talk going into the game was going to be about who would replace Blues captain Harlee Dean following his red card against Cardiff City in the previous week and the job fell to Jake Clarke-Salter.

The Chelsea loanee has found game time hard to come by so far this season, only making one appearance in the league, away to Wigan Athletic (via Transfermarkt).

If you take a look at his numbers, you’ll see that he did a relatively OK job. He certainly could have done better, particularly when it came to the aerial duels given that he is a central defender, but overall he didn’t disgrace himself, winning three duels in total.

There are also some things that you can’t necessarily put down as a number, most notably in the last couple of minutes when he chased down Aleksandar Mitrovic down the right flank and managed to stop the Fulham forward.

He also managed to do enough to put Aboubakar Kamara off when he was one-on-one with Lee Camp in the dying seconds of the match, forcing him to hurry his shot rather than be able to take it around the onrushing stopper.

It showed his work rate and a battling ability to compete, more than making up for the loss of Dean.

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With the captain set to be out for another two games once the international break is over, he has certainly earned himself the right to hold down that starting position as the interim defender.

It’s going to be hard for him to dislodge someone like Dean when he comes back in the starting line-up given that he’s the skipper, but that shouldn’t be a barrier for him making the first team on the whole. After all, this was a small statement made to his manager that he has what it takes if given the chance to actually perform.

As we suggested last week at FFC, lining up with three at the back could be a way for the Blues going forward, and even with Dean being brought back into the fold he could still find his way in alongside him and one of the other established centre-backs.

اعتذر مهاجم فريق مانشستر سيتي سيرجيو أجويرو عن ركلة الجزاء التي أهدرها في مباراة اليوم أمام تشيلسي، في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وتلاقى الفريقان في إطار منافسات الجولة الخامسة والثلاثين من البطولة، حيث خسر مانشستر سيتي بهدفين مقابل هدف.

وحصل مانشستر سيتي على ركلة جزاء قبل نهاية الشوط الأول، أهدرها أجويرو بعدما سددها بطريقة بانينكا. أجويرو يهدر ركلة جزاء أمام تشيلسي

وكتب أجويرو عبر حسابه الشخصي بموقع “تويتر”: “أريد أن أعتذر لزملائي والطاقم الفني والمشجعين بسبب إهداري ركلة الجزاء”.

وأضاف الأرجنتيني: “لقد كان قرارًا سيئًا مني، وأنا أتحمل المسؤولية كاملة”.

I would like to apologise to my teammates, staff and supporters for missing the penalty. It was a bad decision and I take full responsibility. — Sergio Kun Aguero (@aguerosergiokun) May 8, 2021

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…

It has now been ten games since Garry Monk was appointed as manager at Sheffield Wednesday – that’s nine league matches and a Carabao Cup exit to Premier League outfit Everton to be precise.

The trip to Blackburn Rovers saw him succumb to just his second Championship defeat of the season as the home side fought from behind with a late three-minute double, even despite substitute Jacob Murphy heading home what looked likely to be a winner seven minutes from time.

Wednesday now sit outside the playoff zone, but with the league being so tight, they remain just one point off regaining their place.

Watch Sheffield Wednesday Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Last weekend’s game highlighted a number of concerns but none more so than what lies ahead for the 40-year-old in January.

In the past, Football FanCast have stated the reliance the team has on top goalscorer Steven Fletcher, and that’s not really changed at all over recent matches.

The 32-year-old hasn’t scored for five games now, but that’s because he’s simply given too much to do as he’s often playing on his own in attack – someone like Atdhe Nuhiu should have partnered him against Blackburn.

During this barren run, Massimo Luongo has stepped up to the plate to provide two match-winning goals – both coming in 1-0 victories, over Wigan Athletic and Stoke City respectively.

And just as goals were beginning to be shared around the squad, he gets injured.

The Owls are yet to win since his absence.

Then there is Barry Bannan, who was a surprise scratch for the trip to Lancashire, his presence was sorely missed the most as he’s one of the only creative members of the squad – he averages more key passes per game (2.2) than anyone else, and has notched up three assists this campaign.

It feels like Wednesday are becoming increasingly reliant on these three aforementioned players, which isn’t a great trait to have, and it only highlights just how many signings Monk may need to make in January.

While in comparison, people have consistently stepped up to the plate in defence – Dominic Iorfa has been a revelation in captain Tom Lees’ absence, and when Julian Borner went down in the warm-up against Leeds, Sam Hutchinson deputised ever so naturally.

The Owls chief must be tossing and turning at night when he realises that it’s Joey Pelupessy trying to fill in for Bannan, while the less said about Fletcher’s back-ups, the better. Anonymous.