Tag Futebol

Liverpool fans on Twitter were jubilant yesterday. The Reds smashed it against Chelsea as the Blues came to Anfield, five years on from when Steven Gerrard infamously slipped in the title race of the 2013/14 season. However, this time no slip up was to happen, and Xherdan Shaqiri even got an outing from the bench to the delight of the home fans.

Xherdan Shaqiri is an absolute gem of a player. In his career, the versatile Swiss winger has featured as a super sub for Barcelona, Inter Milan and now Liverpool, with spells at Stoke and Basel where he was the main man in the team. As of late, though, the winger has struggled for game time as Jurgen Klopp has just refused to bring him on or start him, and yesterday was his first game for 49 days.

Even though the winger hasn’t featured in so long, even his first game after that lengthy spell of time as an unused substitute saw the 27-year-old manage just two minutes off the bench. Klopp brought Shaqiri on for Mo Salah and the Egyptian received a massive standing ovation from Anfield. Shaqiri failed to add to the scoreline, yet the supporters loved seeing him finally return.

You can read the Kopites’ thoughts on Shaqiri’s showing here:

The Reds absolutely loved seeing Shaqiri return and now they’ll be keen to see him back amongst the goals sooner or later.

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Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea is a target for Real Madrid once again, according to the Daily Mirror.

The Spanish giants reappointed Zinedine Zidane as manager earlier this month and the Frenchman is a huge fan of the Red Devils stopper.

What’s the word?

Real and De Gea have flirted with each other numerous times over the years.

Indeed, Los Blancos almost completed the signing of the goalkeeper in 2015, only for the move to be scuppered by the paperwork not being submitted on time.

De Gea has subsequently blossomed into a world-class player at Old Trafford and has made over 350 appearances for the club, winning the Premier League, the Europa League, the FA Cup and the League Cup.

However, he has yet to commit his future to United, with his current contract set to expire in 2020.

The Mirror claim that Zidane has been promised a huge amount of money to spend in the summer as he looks to turn Real into world-beaters once again and De Gea is already earmarked as a target, with £75million set aside for a bid.

Real signed Thibaut Courtois from Chelsea last summer but the report states that Zidane holds doubts over the Belgium international’s ability, hence the renewed interest in De Gea.

Most important battle of his career

This may be the most important battle of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s managerial career.

Assuming he is given the United job on a permanent basis, his first task will be to convince De Gea to stick around.

Real have come knocking in the past and United have been able to fend them off but the threat now feels all the more immediate.

United are unlikely to win a trophy this season – they are still in the Champions League but take on Barcelona in the quarter-finals – and face a battle to finish in the top four.

De Gea leaving would be a massive blow and he could take years to replace effectively. Sir Alex Ferguson suffered that exact same problem when Peter Schmeichel left Old Trafford in 1999 – it wasn’t until 2005, upon the arrival of Edwin van der Sar, that United found a calm and composed long-term No.1.

Solskjaer needs to work his magic and ensure that the Spaniard sees his future at Old Trafford; if he can’t, he faces the prospect of having to replace United’s only indisputable world-class player.

Losing Fernandinho to injury has shown what a catastrophe it would be if obvious replacement Ilkay Gundogan continues to reject contract talks.

Fernandinho is the unsung hero only Manchester City fans and football purists can appreciate: solid in midfield, tactical genius in defence and a calculated ballplayer at all times – the Brazilian has grown into a key player for the title-chasing side.

Manchester Evening News have a produced an interesting article regarding who could possibly replace the midfield rock – however, we are not sure we totally agree with their findings.

From our perspective, in former Borussia Dortmund man Ilkay Gundogan, City have their most obvious candidate.

The Germany international occupies a similar area of the pitch and performs a very comparable role – orchestrating play from the back and keeping the squad ticking. Some might say with a little more zest than his counterpart. But that is a sacrifice of solidity.

Even if it is not on a permanent basis, Manchester City will want to keep the player at the Etihad whilst they find and blood a recruit in place of Fernandinho – at least on they can rely on. Which is why it is so concerning to learn that Gundogan has been unwilling to enter negotiations with the club.

“We would like to do it, but it depends on the club and him, so I don’t know,” Guardiola is quoted saying (as per Mirror).

“Hopefully he can stay. I would prefer him to stay, but at the same time I want to feel he wants to stay, too.

“If he doesn’t want to stay, he has to leave. But we would like to continue. I said before, if he wants to stay, we will talk to him and we can sign the contract.

“We signed the contract with Kevin De Bruyne in a few days, and with other players — with Gabriel Jesus. But he [Gundogan] doesn’t want to right now, so we will wait. When he wants it, we will be here.”

Manchester City fans, would losing Gundogan be critical to your future title hopes? Let us know in the comments below…

Taking a risk with Ryan Yates has certainly paid off, hasn’t it? Since Martin O’Neill gave him a chance in the Forest side, he hasn’t looked back, and what a decision it was the manager.

It was a brave choice to give the 21-year-old an opportunity in the centre of the park where usually experience is key, particularly in the Championship. However, since making his first appearance against Reading he’s fit in well and has solved an issue the club could have spent millions fixing.

Yates wasn’t in a single matchday squad until their 4-1 victory over Leeds in January, but here he is, having now started the last eight games. He’s a product of the youth academy, and that’s endeared him to the fans even more, bringing more positivity to the City Ground than there was before Martin O’Neill.

Forest sit 11thin the Championship and don’t have much of a chance at reaching the play-offs, so it’s obvious investment is needed in the summer to catch up with clubs above them. By promoting Yates into the first team, it means the club don’t have to buy someone like him in the summer, and instead they can concentrate on other areas.

His success also sends out a great message to the rest of squad, saying ‘if you work hard enough, you’ll get your chance’. This will keep existing first-choice players on their toes and give confidence to other young or out-of-favour players.

The Forest fans will always have a greater connection with one of their own, so promoting him, while saving money and sending out a positive message to the rest of the squad is a masterstroke that can gift O’Neill success in the long run.

Forest fans, how high do you think your club can finish this season? Join the discussion by commenting below…

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard would have known that this January was going to be monumental in shaping his team’s season. 

With The Gers breathing down bitter rivals Celtic’s necks, they needed to add to their squad to make them that bit more competitive and push them to the next level in order to stop Brendan Rodgers’ men winning a historic tenth Scottish title in a row.

There was a lot of pressure for the Ibrox club to come up with the goods this January, and with that in mind, here are the club’s two biggest mistakes:

Not forward thinking

First of all, it must be said that Rangers did sign some young players this month such as Glen Kamara, who is 23, and Matt Polster, who is 25, but they also recruited some slightly older players in Jermain Defoe and Steven Davis.

The England striker Defoe is 36, and the 107-cap Northern Ireland international Davis is 34- both are great players, but are at the wrong end of their careers. Both were only loan signings, meaning that they will only have short stays at Ibrox, but it does give the indication that the club are only really thinking about this season.

This is not saying that Defoe and Davis are not good players, far from it. In fact, there is little doubt that they will improve their teams, but it does not answer the question as to where Rangers are going to be next season or the season after. This is a short-termist approach, and while it may pay off this season, if Rangers want to end Celtic’s run of dominance in Scotland, they need to build a squad for the future.

Not strengthening their defence

With the additions of Davis and Kamara, Rangers have gone a long way to enhancing their midfield for the rest of the season. Likewise, Defoe fills the gaping hole at the top of the field that needed to be filled to create a partner for Alfredo Morelos or even to replace the Colombian.

However, a problem lingering over Rangers at the beginning of the window was the state of their defence. They were not necessarily low on numbers, but were perhaps lacking in the quality needed to win titles.

Loanee Joe Worrall has been trusted by Gerrard on a number of times this season but has not necessarily repaid the manager’s trust. He has failed to win over a large portion of the fans and his manager would not want to rely on him too often. Likewise, fellow centre-back Gareth McAuley is now 39 years of age, and may not be able to last the season. Gerrard will need to therefore balance the workload among his defenders, and a new addition would have been very beneficial. Rangers fans will hope that Gerrard has a plan.

Tottenham Hotspur announced on Tuesday morning that Heung-min Son is facing an extended period on the sidelines having suffered a fracture to his right arm.

The South Korea international, who picked up the injury against Aston Villa on Sunday, will undergo surgery later this week to correct the problem.

Spurs said that the attacker would be out “for a number of weeks”.

And with Harry Kane already on the sidelines until April following hamstring surgery, the news has not been well-received by a number of the London club’s fans.

Others, meanwhile, were astounded that Son managed to complete the full 90 minutes even though the 6 foot forward picked up the problem in the early exchanges at Villa Park.

The 27-year-old scored twice for Jose Mourinho’s side during the match in question, whilst he has registered 16 goals and nine assists in 32 outings in all competitions during the 2019/20 campaign.

Tottenham will be looking to pick up a positive result in the first leg of their last-16 Champions League clash against RB Leipzig on Wednesday night before travelling to a wounded Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday.

Meanwhile, a number of the Spurs fans have called for their club to sign this attacker ahead of the 2020/21 campaign.

According to The Daily Record (live transfer blog, 6th January, 10:59), Crystal Palace sent a representative to cast an eye over Dundee United striker Lawrence Shankland in his side’s 1-0 win over Queen of the South.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Eagles’ interest in Shankland comes as no surprise, for he has been enjoying a stunning campaign over in the Scottish Championship.

The 24-year-old has scored an eye-catching 21 goals in 24 appearances this season, while also grabbing three assists which means that, on average, he has been involved in a goal every game – impressive stuff from the Scotsman.

Despite not playing his football in the Scottish Premiership, Shankland has still earned two caps for Scotland and has one goal to his name, which came against San Marino – in doing so, he became the first lower-division player to score for Scotland in a competitive match since Clyde’s Tommy Ring netted against England in 1957.

The Times ran a feature on the Dundee United forward, in which they waxed lyrical about his qualities.

“Shankland is a natural in front of the posts, a sniffer who knows where to be and when. That much was obvious in the early minutes when James Forrest burst down the left and cut a low ball across the box. With all the nous of a seasoned striker, Shankland timed his run to perfection, darting in ahead of his marker to flash a shot at goal. It pranged off the goalkeeper’s diving body and over the bar.”

Andy Robertson and John McGinn are proof that Palace could be hunting in the right area

While some might argue that Scottish football isn’t comparable to that of the Premier League, two success stories are living, breathing proof that Palace might just be hunting in the right area, and could also be making a shrewd move should they secure Shankland’s signature.

Liverpool star Andy Robertson – a former teammate of Shankland’s – arrived on these shores with Hull before making the switch to Anfield, where he racked up 13 assists on his way to winning the Champions League last season.

The Scotland captain had also previously turned out for Queen’s Park and Dundee United.

Additionally, Aston Villa’s midfield heartbeat John McGinn – formerly of St Mirren and Hibernian – is also proof that quality players can be found in Scottish teams outside of the top two sides, Celtic and Rangers.

It’s the dawn of a new decade in the Premier League, but how much do you know about the last 10 years?

Villa’s No.7 has impressed so much in his debut campaign in the Premier League that the man who scouted him, Bobby Jenks, revealed that Sir Alex Ferguson was wondering why Manchester United let him slip through.

“He’s up there with the best-performing midfielders in the division. Wait until he’s had a year at that level and then we can say more. What I do know is that Sir Alex Ferguson is wondering why Manchester United let a talented Scottish boy slip through. He’ll be keeping a close eye on him that’s for sure and if he continues the way he is, you can bet he’ll be telling his pals at United, too.”

If Shankland can follow either of Robertson or McGinn’s paths in England, Palace Sporting Director Dougie Freedman could be onto something.

In other news, Roy Hodgson’s latest moan suggests his transfer pleas towards Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman are reaching boiling point…

According to a recent report from The London Evening Standard, Crystal Palace are interested in a January move for Dominic Solanke. The 21-year-old currently plays his football at Premier League giants Liverpool and has done so since leaving Chelsea in the summer of 2017, although no senior appearances under Jurgen Klopp this season has plunged his future at Anfield into huge doubt.

And reports suggest that Roy Hodgson’s Palace are interested in a move for the England international, while Steven Gerrard’s Rangers have also been repeatedly linked with the striker in times gone by – and it’s Ibrox he should choose over a move to Selhurst Park.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, while there is little doubting that Palace are in need of striking reinforcements at present, Christian Benteke is due to return from injury in the not-too-distant future, which provides Hodgson with his main man up top which he has clearly missed in recent times.

Yes, the Belgium international wasn’t necessarily in the best of goal-scoring form prior to injury, failing to net in four Premier League appearances this season, but what he gives this Eagles team has certainly been lacking – he is a focal point up top from which the likes of Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend can flourish.

And while his form in front of goal has been lacking for some time now, he is likely to give Palace a lot more than 21-year-old Solanke, thus likely leaving the Englishman rooted to the substitute’s bench, and thus gaining very little from a possible loan spell away from Liverpool.

And while Alfredo Morelos’ form for Rangers this term suggests that the same could happen north of the border, the distinct lack of alternatives for manager Gerrard suggests that first team football could well be more forthcoming for the Englishman at Ibrox.

22-year-old Morelos has been outstanding for the Light Blues this term with 17 goals and ten assists in all competitions, yet he has proven to be quite unreliable given he has been sent off on three occasions already this season, and as a result has missed some big Gers games.

And with the likes of Kyle Lafferty and Umar Sadiq unable to step up in the Colombian’s absence, it’s plainly obvious that Gerrard needs another reliable and accomplished option from which to choose from – Solanke would provide him with just that.

The 21-year-old may have struggled for goals for Liverpool since his move there last year, but one mustn’t forget the seven goals he netted for Vitesse on loan just a matter of years ago – he clearly has pedigree in front of goal.

And with Rangers having been linked with Solanke for some time now, including during the summer transfer window, he’s a player that Gerrard clearly desperately wants at Ibrox – that suggests that he’d be more than just a bit-part player.

As such, while first team football isn’t certain at either Palace or Rangers, it does appear more likely at the latter, which is why Solanke must forget about the former and instead link up with Gerrard at Ibrox.

Rangers and Palace fans… what do you think? Let us know!

[ad_pod ]West Ham have started to find their feet after a slow start under Manuel Pellegrini but their hard work risks being derailed.Already without summer signing Jack Wilshere, the Hammers have been handed another injury blow with the news that Carlos Sanchez, who also moved to East London during the close-season, could be out for the remainder of the campaign.The Colombia international has started just two matches for Pellegrini’s side this season, the defeats to Arsenal and Wolves last month, but has made a further three appearances off the bench – including in last week’s draw with Chelsea.Sanchez earned his first start since the first day of September during the midweek thrashing of Macclesfield Town but was forced off after just ten minutes and the 32-year-old could now miss the remainder of the season.With options in the middle of the park already limited, the injury could provide problems but not all West Ham fans are concerned by the situation. We have gathered some of the best reactions to his injury below.

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Newcastle fans have been discussing their striker targets, and it seems they’re not very fond of Salomon Rondon, as an overwhelming majority voted to sign Alassane Plea instead.

Last week, The Chronicle reported both West Brom powerhouse Rondon and Nice striker Plea as targets for the Magpies.

Rafael Benitez is desperate to add a marquee striker signing to his squad this summer, and both players certainly know where the back of the net is.

Reports have claimed the Magpies have loads of competition to sign Plea, who scored 21 goals in all competitions last season.

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The Frenchman, valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt, has loads of pace and skill and at 25 is about to enter his prime. Basically, he could be their new Papiss Cisse, who scored 13 goals in his first 14 games for the Magpies when he signed in 2012.

Rondon would perhaps be a lower risk lower reward signing than Plea, as the Venezuelan international would undoubtedly be cheaper than the Nice frontman.

Fans are clearly hoping Ashley gets his cheque book out though, as a whopping 75 per cent said Plea should be their new number nine.

You can find the full poll results down below…