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Elliot Anderson was Steve Bruce’s only positive in Saturday’s FA Cup third round defeat at Arsenal as the teenager made his Newcastle United first-team debut.

Bruce handed the 18-year-old his senior bow as an 81st-minute substitute for Joelinton at the Emirates Stadium as the tie headed for extra time, following two appearances on the bench before the turn of the year.

Anderson had been in terrific form for the Under 23s this season, netting six goals and providing one assist in eight appearances across all competitions, with his strikes split two-to-one between central and holding midfield roles.

Andy Carroll could take some credit for his performance at the Emirates but also left Bruce with plenty of question marks, having worked hard at both ends of the pitch only to squander two great chances to win it without the need for extra time.

Bruce had hinted at handing Anderson his debut in the pre-game build-up, having been impressed with what he’d seen from the youngster in training over the past few months.

“He’s been with us for six to eight weeks now, and we like what we see,” Bruce told reporters, via quotes by The Shields Gazette.

Anderson may not have to wait too long before making his first senior start, now, having impressed as a second-half substitute in Saturday’s defeat at Arsenal, where he rarely looked out of place facing a side featuring several players who earn wages in excess of £100,000-per-week.

Anderson kept his head up throughout extra time looking to inspire a rare win over Arsenal and played Jacob Murphy in behind with a cute pass down the right-flank only for David Luiz to stand in his way.

Arsenal had to swarm Anderson in the closing stages of extra time in order to see out their 2-0 third round win, but Bruce will take a great deal of comfort in how the teen talent took to the challenge of facing a confident Gunners side at their own stadium, embarrassing his teammates in the process given the big impact he made despite his relative inexperience.

Bruce will even have been impressed by Anderson despite the midfielder, who signed a new long-term contract on his 18th birthday in November, winning just three of his nine combined duels with success in one of seven ground battles and each of his two aerial contests, per SofaScore.

Anderson also lost possession 11 times, yet completed 16 of his 20 passes, took 30 touches, struck one effort on Bernd Leno’s goal and attempted a dribble. He further made one successful tackle from three attempts, with the scale of the occasion clearly no issue.

AND in other news, Steve Bruce has no alternative but to perform a U-turn and tie a £4.5m-rated Newcastle star down with a new deal now…

Arsenal could discover another Gabriel Martinelli in Bursaspor starlet Ali Akman.

What’s the story?

Mikel Arteta’s side appear to be having a busy start to the January transfer window, with Sead Kolasinac already having left to join Schalke on loan, whilst the likes of Mesut Ozil have also been linked with moves away.

But despite the potential outgoings, the Gunners have their sights on bringing in some new players too, with The Daily Mail claiming that both them and Premier League rivals Chelsea are tracking 18-year-old striker Akman.

The report adds that the Turkey U21 international has just six months remaining on his contract at Bursaspor, and that he could be available for as little as £3m.

Similar to Martinelli

When the Gunners brought in little-known Martinelli from Ituano in Brazil, not much was expected of the youngster. A signing for the future, and a player who might stake a claim for the U23s first, before eventually making his first-team debut.

And then, Martinelli’s impressive early performances caught the eye of Unai Emery, and he later became a fixture under Arteta too. When given the opportunity to impress, the Brazilian took it with both hands, and it’s a measure of just how good he is, that he played a big role in the Gunners’ turnaround in form over the past couple of weeks with his sheer energy.

In Akman, who is playing for Bursaspor in the second tier of Turkish football, Arsenal could find something similar. The 18-year-old has already scored nine goals in 16 league games this season, and the fact Chelsea, and other European sides are chasing him, shows how highly-rated he is.

His arrival at the Emirates would cast further speculation over Eddie Nketiah’s long-term future at the club, with the English ace having recently been linked with a move to West Ham. If Akman came in, and then hit the ground running like Martinelli, then it could spell big trouble for the England U21 international.

Fulham return to Premier League action on Sunday afternoon and face another tough game against reigning champions Liverpool at Craven Cottage.

Scott Parker’s side were comfortably beaten by Manchester City in their last fixture, suggesting that changes are likely ahead of their game against the Reds.

The Cottagers were perhaps fortunate that City only managed to score twice last time out, however, as they completely dominated proceedings, taking 15 shots during the game, compared to Fulham’s six.

Therefore, it might be best if Parker adapts his side to be slightly more defensively solid ahead of the game against Jurgen Klopp’s side, in the hope that they are not carved open as easily as they were at the Etihad.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Parker to set his side up against Liverpool…

Alphonse Areola keeps his place in between the sticks, with the PSG loanee having been one of Fulham’s standout performers in the Premier League so far this season – he ranks as the sixth-best performing player as per Whoscored.

The defence stays the same, although Parker will be hoping that they put in a performance similar to the one in the 2-1 win against Leicester City, rather than the one they produced against Manchester City.

Joe Bryan can provide some much-needed security on the left-hand side, as he can help Antonee Robinson stem the threat of Mohamed Salah on Liverpool’s right-wing.

He replaces Ivan Cavaleiro, who earns £60k per week at Fulham, with Ademola Lookman preferred to start on the wing.

There’s one other change in midfield, as Tom Cairney replaces Harrison Reed, with the Scottish midfielder perhaps the man who can unlock this strong Liverpool defence, whilst he could also be a threat with his long-range shooting.

Bobby Decordova-Reid starts up front, after the strange decision to play him as a right-wing back last time out, and the former Bristol City man will be hoping to add to the three goals he has managed in the top-flight so far this season.

This will undoubtedly be a tough game for Fulham but if they can produce a display similar to the one they did at the King Power Stadium recently, they certainly won’t make things easy for Liverpool.

And, in other news… Fulham can shackle “world-class” LFC beast by unleashing Joe Bryan on Sunday

Speaking exclusively to FootballFanCast, former Aston Villa ace Marlon Harewood has insisted he hasn’t been surprised by the form of summer signing Ollie Watkins.

The 24-year-old arrived from Championship side Brentford to reunite with Dean Smith at Villa Park, and has hit the ground running at his new club, bagging eight goals in just 11 games – that of course includes his memorable hat-trick in the 7-2 thrashing of Liverpool.

Now, Harewood has given his thoughts on the club’s new centre-forward, saying: “I’m not surprised. He’s a top-class player in the striker situation, and it’s good to see him doing what he’s doing. Obviously, the players around him they’ll want to do well as well. It compliments him in positions where he’s going to score goals.”

Watkins’ arrival and good form has been a welcome shot in the arm for Villa this season, with Smith’s side managing just 41 goals in 38 games last season in the Premier League.

Their campaign wasn’t helped by the fact Wesley suffered a knee injury at the start of the year and is only just working his way back up to full fitness, so having the man from Brentford just click as a new player straight away has been music to the ears of Smith.

Whether he can keep up his consistency over the course of his first season in the Premier League remains to be seen, but all the early signs point to him doing exactly that.

He’s come up with some big goals against the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal, and with Villa flying high and even seemingly up for a potential challenge for a European spot, Watkins could hold the key.

According to a report by the Daily Mail, Tottenham Hotspur are ‘interested’ in signing Bournemouth winger David Brooks along with four other Premier League suitors as the domestic transfer deadline looms tomorrow afternoon. 

Brooks, who has been a head-turning star for the Cherries in recent seasons, could still make a return to the top flight before Friday’s 5pm cutoff, with Manchester United, Liverpool, Leicester, Everton and Spurs all firmly keeping tabs.

Levy eyes swoop for Brooks

Despite landing a plethora of summer signings already, including the sensational return of club icon Gareth Bale, the Mail have now credited Spurs chairman Daniel Levy with ‘interest’ in Brooks.

The 23-year-old has already shown his capabilities at Premier League level at a young age, scoring seven goals and assisting five more over 29 Premier League starts during the 2018/19 season (WhoScored).

Brooks was sidelined for most of the subsequent campaign with a serious ankle injury, preventing him from living up to his exploits the season prior.

Transfer Tavern take

Even though the attacker seems to have potential, there are drawbacks to an unlikely last-minute deal, namely due to Bournemouth’s £40m valuation of him. Cherries manager Jason Tindall will also be keen on keeping the winger in order to boost his side’s promotion bid back to the Premier League.

Because of this, despite currently languishing in the second tier, Bournemouth are under no pressure to sell, making this last-minute move potentially unlikely.

Described as ‘wonderful’ and an asset who’ll ‘want to play in the Premier League’ by ex-Lilywhites midfielder Michael Brown (Football Insider), landing Brooks on deadline day could still be a huge ask for Tottenham given his sizeable fee.

Spurs fans, how likely is it that Levy will pull off this late deal? Have your say in the comments section below…

MatériaMais Notícias

Afastado da Fifa por 90 dias, em outubro, o presidente Joseph Blatter sabia das comissões pagas pela ISL para Ricardo Teixeira e João Havelange nos anos 90. A informação é do programa “Panorama”, da BBC, produzido pelo jornalista Andrew Jennings.

Falida em 2000, a ISL negociava os direitos comerciais das competições organizadas pela Fifa. Uma investigação descobriu mais tarde que a empresa realizou vários pagamentos não justificados a diversos dirigentes da entidade máxima do futebol. Blatter sempre negou ter conhecimentos dessa situação.

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Porém, a BBC teve acesso a um documento do FBI que diz que Joseph Blatter sabia sim desses pagamentos. Esse documento seria uma carta de Havelange admitindo que Blatter sabia sim de todo o esquema.

– Esclareço que todos os custos do caso, incluindo advogados, foram pagos pela Fifa. E enfatizo que o sr. Joseph Blatter tinha pleno conhecimento de todas as atividades – diz o ex-cartola brasileiro nessa carta.

Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley is said to have been left baffled by a legal bill worth more than £500,000 accrued by Henry Mauriss in the latest news involving the takeover saga.

As per The Chronicle, talks between the chief executive of Clear TV and the lawyers of Ashley were ongoing over the summer but the CEO of Sports Direct has been left mystified by the slow nature of the discussions since the Kingdom of Saudi Arabian (KSA) group officially decided to withdraw their own £300m bid after losing patience with how much time it was taking for the Premier League and Richard Masters to decide whether or not to approve their bid.

Nevertheless, the paperwork of the Mauriss bid is said to be examined very carefully by the current owner at St James’ Park. However, it is his failure to follow up on the £350m verbal agreement on a deal earlier this year that has left Ashley casting his own doubts on the intentions of the businessman.

Nonetheless, the approach has still cost Mauriss big in legal fees, which has left Ashley baffled. Indeed, the English tycoon looks more unlikely by the day to come to an agreement with Mauriss over a serious offer, as Ashley is expected to label both the American and the Bellagraph Nova (BN) group as “time-wasters” when he addresses the matter publicly.

It seems as if a prospective takeover of the Tyneside club by Mauriss is all but dead, as the Saudi-led consortium continue to play the waiting game in order to try and get their own deal with Ashley back on track.

Geordies, do you think a Mauriss takeover is still possible? Comment below with your views!

Loads of Everton fans have been reacting to the news from the Merseyside club that a deadline for Season Ticket renewals has been confirmed, according to their official website.

As per the website, the deadline that members of the Goodison Park faithful can renew their season tickets for the upcoming 2020/21 season will be on Tuesday 28th July, an extension on the original date of 2nd April because of the global pandemic outbreak that swept across the footballing world.

The next campaign will be a fresh one under Carlo Ancelotti having replaced Marco Silva and taken over from interim boss Duncan Ferguson in the middle of the term.

Despite the Italian coach guiding the Toffees to 11th place in the Premier League table so far with five games still left to go, one fan claimed that he ‘won’t be attending a game until Ancelotti is gone’, as perhaps he feels that the Blues need to be higher up in the league if they have aspirations of qualifying for European football for the next season.

Ancelotti may also have not helped his case with defeats like the 4-0 hammering against his former club Chelsea and being knocked out of the FA Cup 1-0 by their bitter rivals Liverpool, who played a largely inexperienced team.

These EFC supporters reacted to the news on Twitter, as some Blues fans wondered whether they would be allowed back into their stadium as a result of the global pandemic outbreak:

Evertonians, will you be renewing your season ticket for next season? Comment below!

MatériaMais Notícias

A decisão da diretoria do Flamengo em reintegrar os jogadores afastados por participarem de uma festa no meio de semana rendeu debates entre os rubro-negros. Enquanto Pará, Alan Patrick, Everton, Paulinho e Marcelo Cirino retomam sua rotina de atividades sob o comando de Oswaldo de Oliveira, o LANCE! traz a opinião de seus colunistas sobre o “perdão” ao quinteto.

Incertezas sobre a postura da cúpula do Fla no assunto e análise sobre a possibilidade de escalá-los na partida contra o Goiás, neste domingo, às 17h, no Maracanã, pela 34ª rodada do Brasileirão, são apontadas. Confira!

ROBERTO ASSAF
A opção por reintegrar os jogadores ao elenco seria o caminho natural para a diretoria do Flamengo tomar. Além de os atletas estarem de folga quando a festa ocorreu, deixá-los afastados faria com o que perdessem a forma às vésperas do fim de temporada. Isto causaria uma desvalorização deles no mercado em época de negociação.

Não vejo nada de mal em escalar estes jogadores na próxima partida, afinal, devem estar em boas condições de jogo. Porém, o Flamengo tinha de começar o ano de 2016 com diretoria nova.

ALVARO OLIVEIRA FILHO
​
​A impressão que este episódio passa é de que o assunto foi mal conduzido pela diretoria. A cúpula do Flamengo precisava ter conversado com os jogadores para esclarecer a polêmica da festa, antes de precisar voltar atrás por tomar uma decisão intempestiva.

Porém, este episódio é o de menor proporção em uma gestão marcada pelos erros nas tomadas de decisões. Tanto que, se estiverem aptos a jogar, não vejo problema em escalar os atletas no fim de semana.

O problema é que o Flamengo precisa definir, de fato, sua filosofia, o perfil de jogadores que quer a partir da próxima temporada. Ao que tudo indica, boa parte dos “perdoados” não interessa ao clube para o ano que vem, por exemplo.

Glasgow Rangers were unlikely happy when the Scottish football season was brought to an end last month.

It had been decided, of course, that the top four leagues in the country could not be continued as it was no longer safe to do so, with the Gers’ fierce rivals Celtic winning the title and Hearts being relegated to the second tier. There has been plenty of other talking points in Scottish football around that decision, such as James Anderson’s rumoured investment and the Ibrox outfit accusing the SPFL of corruption, but the decision to end the campaign stands.

The Scottish Cup, though, is still open, and SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell has explained the situation in regards to the tournament. In an interview with Sky Sports, he said they intend to play the semi-finals and the final of the tournament in front of fans this calendar year, although that may not be possible if social distancing regulations remain in place.

This appears to have outraged the Gers supporters – one even called it a “total farce”. They have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

Let us know what you think!