Swansea manager Steve Cooper has been handed a huge potential boost ahead of the South Wales Derby at the weekend, with Marc Guehi back in training and in contention to play after his recent injury problems.
The on-loan Chelsea man has been integral to Swansea’s success in the Championship this season, having made 31 appearances in the second tier, in which he has averaged an impressive 6.94 WhoScored average match rating for his performances.
This ranks him as Swansea’s sixth best-performing player of those who have made 10 or more appearances this season, so it is clear that he is a hugely important part of Cooper’s side.
Therefore, after missing recent games through injury, including the disappointing 3-0 defeat against Bournemouth in midweek, it is a huge bonus that the England under-21 international is back in contention.
Cooper confirmed earlier this week that Guehi is back in light training and that Swansea ‘give him every chance for Saturday’, so there definitely seems to be a lot of hope that he could make his return in the derby.
Swansea’s defence is one of the big reasons why they are challenging for automatic promotion this season and, whilst their clean sheet record has been tarnished in recent results, they have arguably looked their best with a back three of Guehi, Ben Cabango and Ryan Bennett this season.
Swansea have never done the double over Cardiff City in their history and, after a 2-0 win in the away fixture, the Swans will be hoping that they can rewrite that particular piece of history on Saturday at the Liberty Stadium, so having one of their best defenders potentially back available is undoubtedly a big boost for Cooper.
Last season, the 41-year-old manager was full of praise for Guehi, praising his “outstanding” performance in a 2-1 win against Sheffield Wednesday, so he clearly holds the £5.4m-rated 20-year-old in high regard.
Hopefully, Guehi will be available for selection and can produce a similarly impressive display for the Swans if selected, as they will need to be at their best to beat Mick McCarthy’s in-form side on Saturday.
Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane endured a nightmare evening as his side were beaten in the 132nd North London derby at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Erik Lamela went from hero to zero, having scored an outrageous rabona to open the scoring in the first half, he then received his marching orders after a second booking for elbowing Kieran Tierney in the face.
The visitors could only muster up six attempts on goal all game, with only 50% of those being on target compared to the Gunners’ 13 shots, via SofaScore.
Kane found it difficult to have any sort of influence in the derby, a match he usually regularly turns up for – indeed, the England talisman is the all-time goalscorer in this very fixture (11 goals).
Throughout the 90 minutes, the 27-year-old contributed towards 50% of their total shots (three) and failed to find the net, aside from being caught offside for one strike, or really trouble Bernd Leno whatsoever.
Kane also had the second-fewest number of touches of any Spurs starter (27). Even the goalkeeper, Hugo Lloris, managed more touches (41) and he spent the same amount of time on the pitch as the striker.
That merely emphasises how ineffective the £108m-rated sensation was in such a crucial game.
What makes it worse is that from those 27 touches, he lost possession ten times, so it’s not as if he was suffering from a complete lack of service – he was just wasteful when given the chance.
It means Kane lost possession once every 2.7 touches, the worst of any Spurs player – even Moura, who lost possession a whopping 19 times, managed to keep hold of the ball for longer spells. He even struggled when having the ball, making only nine of 14 passes (64%).
The 48-time England international was pretty much nullified by the impressive defensive exploits of Gabriel and David Luiz as the Spurs striker won just 44% of his nine aerial duels, as per SofaScore.
Kane has contributed 16 goals towards Spurs’ total of 47 for the season (34%), so Mourinho was surely expecting to see more from just an influential player but in return, he got a shockingly lightweight and anonymous showing.
It was a performance that will undoubtedly leave him bitterly disappointed and hugely let down. He really needed Kane to step up more after Heung-min Son was withdrawn through injury and it wasn’t until the final 20 minutes that we saw some sort of spark.
It was a night to forget for Kane.
AND in other news, Exclusive: Spurs legend Mabbutt discusses Harry Kane…
Rangers-linked John Lundstram has refused to be drawn on his future, saying that “it’s the same situation, everything’s still on the table.”
What’s the word?
Reports in recent months have suggested Rangers are one of several clubs across Europe keen on landing Lundstram from Sheffield United as Steven Gerrard seeks to bolster his midfield options, with The Athletic claiming that the Ibrox side are “admirers” and are “waiting in the wings” with the midfielder’s contract coming to an end this season.
It is understood the Ibrox boss was interested in signing a central midfielder as well as a playmaker last year, with Bongani Zungu and Lewis Ferguson being identified as the club’s main targets.
However, Rangers did manage to sign Zungu on loan during the extended summer transfer window, but it seems Gerrard is still keen on Lundstram as he looks to complete an overhaul in midfield.
The in-form midfielder, 26, made the remarks before Sunday’s clash with Chelsea at Bramall Lane.
He said: “It’s the same situation, everything’s still on the table. We’ll see what happens.”Of course, (speculation) is bound to happen but I’m here and while I am here I’m committed, as you’ve seen in my performances.”I’m 110 per cent and no-one can question that. Who knows what will happen but while I’m here, I’ll give everything.” Better than Bongani Zungu?
With Steven Davis’ contract coming to an end in the summer, the 36-year-old’s long-term future at Ibrox still remains uncertain, despite Gerrard’s insistence that the board should offer him a new deal.
Meanwhile Zungu has done very little to suggest that he deserves to stay at Ibrox on a permanent basis, with the Rangers boss giving him just 149 minutes of football in the Scottish Premiership.
In the £4k-a-week earning Lundstram, however, Gerrard could find the perfect replacement for the 124-cap Northern Irish international.
He really burst onto the scene last season, making 34 top-flight appearances for the club predominantly from the midfield, with five goals and three assists to show for his 26 starts. By comparison, Zungu has scored just twice in the past four seasons alone across all competitions, which suggests that he’d offer a far greater attacking threat than the Bafana-Bafana midfielder.
His captain at Bramall Lane, Billy Sharp, has spoken highly about his teammate’s physicality, athleticism and technique. He said:
“He gives us a lot of energy and he got an assist as well, which is important.“He’s got all the attributes. He runs so much in a game, he provides assists and goals. He’s a real menace to other teams and a great player to have.”
Ross Wilson, therefore, should capitalise Lundstram’s uncertain future and contract status at Sheffield United by bringing the soon-to-be free agent to Ibrox when his contract runs out at the end of this season.
AND in other news, Rangers will regret letting Nathan Young-Coombes leave as he ‘closes in’ on Ibrox exit…
أعلن الاتحاد التونسي لكرة القدم عن تماثل لاعب منتخب النسور وفريق الزمالك حمزة المثلوثي للشفاء من إصابته بفيروس كورونا.
وكان المثلوثي قد تعرض للإصابة بكورونا خلال تواجده مع منتخب بلاده في بطولة كأس العرب قطر 2021.
أنيس العياري: منتخبان مرشحان للفوز بكأس العرب.. وأتمنى مواجهة مصر في تصفيات المونديال
بيان الاتحاد التونسي بشأن تعافي حمزة المثلوثي:
“تماثل حمزة المثلوثي للشفاء التام من فيروس كورونا بعد أن ثبتت سلبية جميع تحاليله، وقد التحق اللاعب بزملائه في النزل، كما تلقى الضوء الأخضر لمباشرة التمارين مع بقية اللاعبين، وحيث أنه لم تكن له عوارض فإنه واصل تمارينه عندما كان في الحجر الصحي من خلال متابعته لبرنامج خاص وقع إعداده من قبل المعد البدني والإطار الطبي للفريق”.
Former England international Rob Lee, while speaking exclusively with FootballFanCast, has expressed his concerns over Everton signing rumoured January target Sami Khedira from Juventus.
The Toffees are believed to be one of several sides eying a winter move for the outcast midfielder, with Calciomercato citing Carlo Ancelotti’s Blues, plus Tottenham Hotspur and Championship promotion-chasing trio AFC Bournemouth, Norwich City and Watford as potential destinations.
Juventus are eager to offload Khedira in the mid-season market after the German was deemed surplus to requirements by head coach Andrea Pirlo, who is yet to call on the 2014 World Cup winner to play a single minute across all competitions so far this season.
Khedira has accepted the fact that his future will not reside in Turin beyond the end of January, but Lee – who made 267 Premier League appearances for Newcastle United – does not believe the £185,000-per-week veteran would be an improvement on Ancelotti’s current squad.
“Are you buying him for his name and what he’s done in the past? Do they need him? I’m not sure they do. I’m not sure he’s the sort of player they need,” Lee told Football FanCast.
“When they’ve got their 11 players out, their fit 11 players, they are a match for anybody, I mean anybody, in that league. They can play as well as anybody. But it’s strength in depth what they need.
“Is he going to come in and be a bit-part player? Probably not. Just hope they are not going to sign him just for the sake of his name. Is he the sort of player you need? I’m not sure. I think, get your full-backs back and they’ll be good.”
Khedira has endured a continual decline at Juventus over the past three seasons, with injuries seeing the 33-year-old go from a regular at the Serie A giants in 2017/18 to making just 10 league outings in 18/19 and 12 in 19/20.
The veteran German has not been seen on the field for an Italian top-flight fixture since last November, after surgery on a knee injury sidelined Khedira for several months before a tear in the abductor muscle ensured he played no part in Maurizio Sarri’s plans following the restart.
Pirlo now has no use for the one-time Champions League winner since succeeding Sarri at the Allianz Stadium, making a winter move a near certainty.
It remains to be seen if Everton do offer Khedira a first taste of Premier League football in the twilight years of the £3.6m-rated midfielder’s career, after he spoke fondly of his time working under Ancelotti at Real Madrid.
“There are many coaches, even in the Premier League that I respect a lot. Ancelotti is doing a great job at the moment and is a great personality. He is one of the coaches who impressed me,” Khedira told Sky Germany last month.
AND in other news, Marcel Brands has landed a huge break in his bid to final rid Everton of Steve Walsh’s £42m blunder.
Liverpool are being regularly linked with a move for Lille centre-back Sven Botman now that the January transfer window has opened and the former Ajax man could be the perfect addition to Jurgen Klopp’s squad.
What’s the word?
According to Duncan Castles on the Transfer Window Podcast (via Express), Liverpool are in talks with the 20-year-old’s agent and could make a transfer bid this month.
Klopp is currently without a senior centre-back in his first-team squad, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all currently sidelined due to injury.
Better than Liverpool’s current options?
Fabinho has done a superb job filling in there, whilst youngsters Nathaniel Phillips and Rhys Williams, who Klopp labelled as “exceptional” back in November, have also performed admirably. However, the fact that Manchester United are now level on points with the Reds at the top of the Premier League emphasises that the Merseyside club must improve their defence in January, as sticking with their current inexperienced backline for the rest of the season seems like a disaster waiting to happen.
Fortunately, they look to have identified a quality replacement in Botman, who has enjoyed a superb start to the season with Lille, having averaged a superb 7.13 rating across his 17 appearances in the French top-flight.
Castles was certainly full of praise for the young defender during the podcast, saying:
“He’s tall and quick and I think this is one of the things that factors into Liverpool’s assessment, he’s incredibly strong one-on-one.
“In one statistical analysis, he’s the best one-on-one duels in the big five leagues across Europe this season.”The journalist also suggested that the Dutchman would be a huge improvement on Williams and Phillips at the heart of Liverpool’s defence, saying:”From what I’ve seen of those two centre-backs [Williams and Phillips], I would think he’s significantly better.”Whilst this might seem harsh, considering Phillips has averaged a 7.19 rating for his performances in the Premier League, whilst Williams’ one league start against Tottenham Hotspur earned him a 6.91 rating, Botman is certainly highly rated and would perhaps be a better long-term option than either of the young Liverpool centre-backs.Transfermarkt currently values the 20-year-old at £9 million, perhaps as he only joined Les Dogues in the summer for €9 million (£8 million), which suggests that Michael Edwards wouldn’t have to pay over the odds to bring him to Anfield this month and he must therefore do everything he can to sign him.And, in other news… Liverpool can sign their next Salah in “perfect” 51-assist ace
Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp were not best pleased following their 1-1 draw at the weekend due to the last-minute penalty given to their opponents.
Former top flight referee Mark Halsey has commented on this decision by Stuart Attwell to award that late spot-kick after consulting his pitch-side monitor, and he believes the officials did not follow proper protocol.
What Halsey had to say about the decision
Speaking to This is Futbol, Halsey said: “For me, I want to see a referee be strong and stick with their original decision. It’s a contact sport, not every bit of contact is a foul.
“If you look at that incident on Saturday, I don’t think he’s looked at that long enough. I think he’s been told what to do. I can’t casually say, ‘Yes he has,’ because we can’t hear what’s being said, but he was there a minimal amount of time looking at that incident.
“Also, IFAB protocol is that they have to be looking at the incident in real-time, not in slow-mo. You can make anything look like you want to make it look in slow-mo.”
Liverpool fans will be furious
The fact that Halsey believes the officials broke International Football Association Board (IFAB) protocol is definitely concerning and will no doubt leave the Anfield faithful fuming.
Even though the decision can now not be changed, it would perhaps be no surprise to see the club lodge some form of complaint, as they did after the Merseyside derby.
VAR has been brought in to help referees, but it seems to only be confusing matters, as much for the officials themselves as for the fans and players. Whether or not anything comes of this apparent mishap remains to be seen, but it certainly won’t make the Reds feel any better.
In other news, Danny Murphy explains what he knows regarding Liverpool’s ‘door opener’.
O atacante Paulinho, com contrato com o Flamengo válido até 2018, posou semana passada com a camisa do Corinthians, no meio da conversa do time paulista pelo jogador. O Rubro-Negro já decidiu que multará o atleta, e o técnico Muricy Ramalho falou publicamente que Paulinho não está nos seus planos do time para a próxima temporada.
-Não espero contar com ele, isso já é uma coisa definida. O Paulinho é um jogador que está à disposição do mercado. Ele é um jogador valorizado tem contrato com o Flamengo. Então tem que se acertar com o Flamengo, tem que ter um pouco de calma. Não é assim que faz as coisas. Ele tem contrato com o Flamengo e deve responder por isso – afirmou o técnico Muricy Ramalho, em entrevista à Rádio Bandeirantes.
A reapresentação do Flamengo está marcada para o dia 6 de janeiro.
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After the Euro 2020 Championships was pushed back until next year due to the impact and devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic, it began to feel as though forever would pass before getting to watch our beloved England National Team partake in another international tournament after the joy and heartache of the 2018 World Cup – which saw us reach the semi-finals of the competition for the first time in 28 years.
Many fans were looking towards this year’s Euro’s with great optimism – due to the recent ability of the England team as well as the abundance of young English talent coming through the ranks over recent years, giving many fans like myself a reason to hope again that the National Team will again one day bring football home.
Despite the competition being moved to next year – there are still plenty of positives to take from that. It ultimately gives Gareth Southgate more time to prepare and plan, and also gives plenty more youngster and England internationals to fight for a spot and prove themselves given they have another season to perform at their best ahead of Southgate’s final 23-man squad.
With all that being said, it would be interesting to try and take a stab at how Southgate might lineup in their countries first game of the Euro’s next season – and with that being said, this is my predicted starting XI for England’s first game of Euro 2020 in a favoured 4-3-3 formation…
GK – Dean Henderson
This season will be the 23-year-olds first full season at United since being loaned out to Sheffield United in 2018 for two seasons, which saw him get promoted with the Blades to the Premier League, eventually finishing in 9th place in their first season back.
Henderson kept 13 clean sheets in 36 league appearances last campaign, and next season it is likely that he will establish himself as United’s new No.1 after the poor form of Spanish shot-stopper David De Gea. It is likely that if Henderson plays first-team football regularly next season, he will be Southgate’s first choice for the Euro’s over Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
RB – Trent Alexander-Arnold
The youngster has become one of the biggest talents in world football over recent years, becoming Liverpool’s first-choice right-back, and winning the Premier League Young Player of the Year Award last season.
The club’s title-winning campaign saw Alexander-Arnold register 13 assists and scored 4 goals at full-back, and the 21-year-old will likely be a shoo-in for Southgate at right-back for the tournament next year, with the player essentially helping to revolutionise the way full-backs operate in modern football.
CB – Joe Gomez
Soccer Football – Euro 2020 Qualifier – Group A – England v Montenegro – Wembley Stadium, London, Britain – November 14, 2019 England’s Joe Gomez REUTERS/David Klein
Another Liverpool defender in the mix – Joe Gomez has become one of the countries best defenders over the past few seasons. Along with Virgil van Dijk at the Reds, Gomez has evolved his game from full-back to a competent and reliant central defender, who possesses great speed and physicality.
Last season during the club’s title-winning campaign, the 23-year-old averaged 1.4 interceptions, 2.1 clearances, and 2.5 aerial duels won per game. The player has also become a great passer of the ball, something that Southgate has favoured in his choice of defenders over the past couple of years, averaging an 88% pass success rate – and will likely be one of the managers first-choice centre-backs next year.
CB – Harry Maguire
Since his world-record move to Manchester United last season, the defender has helped the clubs defensive record in the league immensely. The season before joining, the Red Devils conceded 54 goals in the league, but last season the club only conceded 36, garnering the third-best defence in the league.
His individual stats for the last campaign were also impressive – averaging 1 tackle, 1.9 interceptions, 4.1 clearances, and 4.6 aerial duels won per game. If he can carry this form into next season, there is no doubt that he will be Southgate’s other first-choice centre-back for England in their opening game.
LB – Ben Chilwell
The left-back recently moved to Chelsea this month, and will likely become the club’s first choice over Marco Alonso and Emerson. Last season saw the defender finish 5th in the league with Leicester City – and his stats boasted a fine run of form for the season.
The 23-year-old finished with 3 goals and 3 assists, as well as averaging 1.6 tackles, 1 interception, 2 clearances, and 2.1 aerial duels won per game – and has been one of the countries first choice options at left-back for some time now. His recent move to Chelsea will certainly help him progress further as a player, and will likely make him a guarantee at left-back for Southgate and his team.
CM – Declan Rice
Since making the switch from the Republic of Ireland to England, the 21-year-old has been capped once for the Three Lions in an impressive performance against the Czech Republic – and had a stellar season for the Hammers last time out.
Last season, Rice averaged 3.1 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1.3 clearances, and 1.4 aerial duels won per game from defensive midfield – all stats and aspects that would benefit England in that position, with them failing to find a proper defensive midfielder for some time now. Rice looks the right player to fill this void, and will likely be Southgate’s go-to in midfield.
CM – Jordan Henderson
Jordan Henderson lifting the Premier League trophy for Liverpool.
The 30-year-old has become one of Liverpool’s most important players over recent years since becoming the club’s captain – and last season lifted the Premier League trophy for the club, along with the Champions League the season before.
For England, it has often been the same case, with Henderson becoming a regular choice for Southgate’s squads during each international break. At Euro 2020 the midfielder will be 31 and will provide the squad with some much-needed experience in midfield as well as in the dressing room at big tournaments for the country, making him the managers second go too in deep midfield alongside Declan Rice.
CAM – Jack Grealish
The Aston Villa captain finally received his first England call up this month, a well-deserved accolade after an impressive season for the Villans in their return to the Premier League.
Last season saw Grealish finish the campaign with 8 goals and 6 assists – as well as creating the second most amount of chances in the Premier League, sitting behind only Kevin De Bruyne. Grealish could be the attacking midfielder with the creativity that England has needed for some time now, with many tournaments highlighting our lack of flair from attacking midfield. If Grealish can have another stellar campaign for Villa next season, it is almost certain that Southgate should choose him in attacking midfield for England.
RW – Jadon Sancho
Another player that is a certain shoo-in for the starting XI at Euro 2020 – Jadon Sancho has gone on to become one of the best players in the world last season in the Bundesliga, the 20-year-old scored 17 goals with 16 assists, an incredible record for a player so young – but clearly the stats showcase the talent and ability that Sancho possesses.
England only have a handful of top class wingers at their disposal, but from the right-hand side, there is no other player to start at right-wing for Southgate other than Jadon Sancho.
LW – Raheem Sterling
Raheem Sterling has been one of England’s best players for the past few seasons now – last season saw the winger produce one of his best goal-scoring seasons yet, with 20 goals and 1 assist in the Premier League for City, finishing as the club’s top goalscorer in the league. Sterling has proven himself as a world-class player, and there is no other person to start at left-wing for England come the Euro’s next year – and will be one of Southgate’s go-to players to rely on during the tournament.
ST – Harry Kane
Our final player to make the starting XI – it is no other than England captain Harry Kane. We can go over the stats, such as his 143 goals in 210 games Premier League appearances for Spurs, but we all know the ability and goalscoring prowess that he posseses – and will be the first name on Southgate’s teamsheet every time.
With Kane finishing off the England front three, there is no doubt in my mind that this starting XI has the capability to win the Euro’s next year – and if Southgate were to opt for anything close to this, then we should all be very excited for next summer.