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Rowledge have put their Southern Electric Premier League Division 2 relegation worries aside by reaching the last 16 of the National Village Championship, sponsored by The Cricketer magazine

Mike Vimpany11-Jul-2002Rowledge have put their Southern Electric Premier League Division 2 relegation worries aside by reaching the last 16 of the National Village Championship, sponsored by The Cricketer magazine.Their reward for an 11-run win over Sparsholt is a seventh round home tie with Buckinghamshire champions, Dinton on July 21.David Lloyd was the inspiration behind the Sparsholt victory, hitting 95 of a Rowledge total of 190-6, before taking 3-21as the Winchester club slipped to 179 all out (Tim Richings 41).Ian Stuart did his level best for Sparsholt, top scoring with 63 and returning a respectable 3-34.

A number of Liverpool fans are in positive spirits about the Reds signing Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn following a report suggesting as such.

Jurgen Klopp will surely be keen to make a few new signings this summer in addition to Ibrahima Konate, who has already joined from RB Leipzig.

Gini Wijnaldum’s exit to Paris Saint-Germain is likely to leave a sizeable void in Liverpool’s midfield, so a new signing there wouldn’t go amiss.

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Borussia Monchengladbach ace Florian Neuhaus has been tipped to join the Reds a number of times, but now McGinn’s name has been thrown into the mix. The Sunday Post (Post Match pullout, 20/06, p2) [via LFC Transfer Room on Twitter] claimed that the Scotland international is on Liverpool’s radar, with the midfielder being valued at £20m.

The 26-year-old started all but one of Aston Villa’s Premier League games last term, with three goals and six assists to his name (Transfermarkt), while only Jack Grealish averaged more than his 1.4 dribbles per game among Dean Smith’s squad (WhoScored).

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Liverpool fans want Reds to sign McGinn

These Liverpool supporters took to Twitter to call for the Reds to sign McGinn, believing that he would be a strong addition in the middle of the park.

“I actually rate him so highly, would love this signing”

Credit: @jwftbl

“Quite like this….we need a hard working ball-winner in the midfield. John fits the bill. Sure he’s not £100m but he’d still take Pogba down”

Credit: @Goranh75

“He’d be perfect for the Reds”

Credit: @Doyley1208

“I’d actually rate that”

Credit: @Simply_Sadio

“My analogy of John McGinn: He’s a young James Milner. So I’m not against it.”

Credit: @Auxanooo

“What a player! Would love McGinn at Liverpool”

Credit: @SH35dv5e7

In other news, one Liverpool hero has hinted at unhappiness in his current role at Anfield. Find out who it is here.

Manchester United are reportedly set to sign Aston Villa goalkeeper Tom Heaton on a free transfer in the coming weeks, meaning mass changes could occur at Old Trafford this summer.

What’s the story?

According to well-known journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the 35-year-old shot-stopper is set to re-join his boyhood club after a disappointing spell at Villa Park.

Romano claims that Heaton is scheduled to undergo a medical with the Old Trafford outfit before signing a contract until 2023 with the option of a one-year extension.

De Gea needs to watch out

United’s goalkeeping conundrum has rumbled on for several seasons now, with David de Gea’s steady decline since the 2018 World Cup causing several major talking points.

The Spain international has made multiple high-profile mistakes between the sticks for the 20-time English champions over the last few campaigns, and the emergence of Dean Henderson has only served to add more cause for debate.

De Gea returned to his homeland for personal reasons midway through 2020/21, meaning the young keeper had a chance to impress between in the starting XI week in week out.

However, Henderson failed to take his chance, making a string of errors, including a horrendous performance against United’s bitter rivals Liverpool.

With the Red Devils looking to regain their spot at the summit of the Premier League, addressing their goalkeeping problem is expected to be high up on Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s priority list this summer, and the potential arrival of Heaton could spell bad news for their current crop of keepers.

The Villa man is highly unlikely to come in and be United’s No.1, given he spent the entire 2020/21 campaign playing understudy to Emiliano Martinez, but his addition will leave Solksjaer with four shot-stoppers to choose from.

Sergio Romero is set to depart, while the £19.8 million rated De Gea (as per Transfermarkt) and England international Henderson will either fight it out to be first-choice, or both face the axe, leaving to door open for a new, top-quality goalkeeper to make his mark at Old Trafford.

It could bring an end to De Gea’s ten-year stay at United, where he’s won one Premier League title, one FA Cup, one League Cup and a Europa League crown, and mark a new chapter in the club’s eventful goalkeeping history.

By bringing in Heaton, United now have an adequate backup goalkeeper to Henderson if they do decide to move on from De Gea, and after his recent performances, that would not come as a shock at all.

And, in other news…Unleash him Ole: Man Utd already have their Juan Mata heir in rarely-seen 18 y/o gem 

Southampton have been linked with Peter Olayinka and Daryl Dike ahead of the summer window but who would be the better addition to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side?

Peter Olayinka

According to Premier League.cz, Southampton, Brighton and Aston Villa are all interested in signing the Slavia Prague forward this summer, with the Czech side expected to demand between £6m-£7m for his services.

The Nigerian forward, who features in a wide target man role for Slavia Prague but can also play through the middle, was one of the top performers for Slavia in their impressive run to the Europa League quarter-finals last season, as he contributed three goals and two assists in 11 appearances, averaging a solid 6.92 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

He also managed six goals and three assists in 24 appearances in the Fortuna Liga, which suggests that he could be a threat for Hasenhuttl’s side next season, especially from an aerial point of view, which is something that the Saints arguably lack in their attack.

Daryl Dike

According to TEAMtalk, Southampton are one of a number of Premier League sides monitoring the Orlando City striker after his superb performance on loan at Barnsley in the Championship last season.

The 21-year-old would contribute a superb nine goals in 21 appearances to help Valerian Ismael’s side secure a playoff finish, so it is no surprise that plenty of Premier League clubs were quick to take notice.

His performances with the Yorkshire side earned him the praise of experienced manager Neil Warnock, who said:

“I think they’ve probably got the best striker in the division in Dike. It’s said they’ve got a £17m buyout, so I would imagine if they go up, they’ll be buying him because he’s been unbelievable when I look at his clips. He scores goals, he’s big, strong and young. He’s got every attribute really.”

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Who would be better?

Although Dike’s buyout clause means that he would probably be the more expensive option, he is more of a natural striker than Olayinka and has age on his side.

The USA international looks to have a huge amount of potential, whilst Olayinka may have already hit his peak in the Czech league, so Dike could prove to be a great investment for the future by Southampton.

Therefore, Saints vice-chairman Martin Semmens should forget about Olayinka this summer and instead focus on signing Dike for Hasenhuttl’s side. He scored more this term, has a higher ceiling and is already acclimatised to English football.

This is a no brainer for the Saints hierarchy.

And, in other news… Southampton could repeat Armstrong masterclass with swoop for “outstanding” beast

Former Tottenham Hotspur star Graham Roberts claims that Mauricio Pochettino has been proved right over the past two years amid links with a sensational return to the club.

The Sun have reported that Spurs are considering bringing the Argentine back to the club.

He has spent the second half of the season at PSG, winning the Coupe de France, though his side failed to win Ligue 1 and were knocked out of the Champions League in the semi-finals.

The report claims that Pochettino would consider a return as he is already unhappy in France.

And Roberts believes that he has been proved correct with his assessment of the club’s needs during his time at White Hart Lane.

In an interview with Gary Lineker in 2019, he said that the club needed to add new furniture to their house, essentially sending a message to chairman Daniel Levy that a rebuild of the squad was needed, something that didn’t happen.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, Roberts claimed that the next manager needs to have full control of transfers, and said: “I think what they have to do is, whoever is manager, he has to buy his own players.

“He has to buy the players he wants to buy. I think Pochettino made that statement – he said we’ve got a brand new house but you need new furniture to go inside it and I think over the last 18 months, or two years, we’ve seen what he meant because there is a lot of deadwood there.”

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Premier League manager Lawrie Sanchez has compared Marcelo Bielsa to Roy Hodgson, and believes the Argentine will stay at Leeds this summer.

Following his outstanding job since his appointment in 2018, the 65-year-old is a hugely popular figure with the Elland Road faithful.

Having guided Leeds back to the Premier League, Bielsa has already turned them into an extremely competitive side, with a top-half finish firmly in their sights despite losing to Brighton on Saturday.

But just like this time 12 months ago, there remains anxiety surrounding his future once again, with his current deal running out in two months.

Bielsa only signed a new one-year contract one day before the season got underway, and a repeat could be on the cards this time around.

However, reports do point towards the fan favourite remaining at Elland Road next season.

And despite the uncertainty, Sanchez has reassured Leeds supporters by saying that he expects the experienced manager to stay on.

He told Football FanCast:

“Where does he go? He isn’t going to another Premier League club. I think he’s a bit like Roy Hodgson. He wants to work, doesn’t he?

“He’s working now in the biggest league in his life, and as much as he comes across as not that interested in it, when people tap you on the shoulder back home and say, ‘I saw you on the TV the other week, your team did brilliant,’ it’s a massive boost to you.

“I think he will stay. They call him a maverick; he dances to his own tune, doesn’t he?

“So, if he did leave you would say ‘that’s Bielsa’. But if he were to stay involved in football and having come all the way to Leeds and having seen how well the team has done this year, and obviously they will be backed next year, so I can see him staying.”

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Howey, who made 278 appearances during his career, has admitted that he was never convinced how good Kalvin Phillips was until this season.

Phillips is one of the most important players for Leeds United as he has become the anchor who allows players such as Raphinha, Jack Harrison and Stuart Dallas to stay higher up the pitch, and his WhoScored rating of 7.06 proves how important he is.

The £4,500 per week midfielder has also become an England regular despite this still being just his first season in the Premier League and Gareth Southgate trusts him to start for the Three Lions during Jordan Henderson’s absence.

Speaking on how he has been won over by Phillips this season and what he thought of him when he first saw him play live, Howey told FFC:

“I think a lot of clubs will be looking at him in the summer, but I must admit that I wasn’t 100% sure what all the fuss was about with Kalvin Phillips.

“I saw him against Everton, and at the time I was with Gareth Southgate and I said to him, ‘yeah he is a top player’. He’s comfortable on the ball, his distribution is very good and then you put him in the England team, and it looks as though he’s been there for years.”

Phillips has picked up a few injuries this season and Leeds have struggled without their midfielder general at times because he offers the defence protection but he also gets attacks started quickly.

Marcelo Bielsa has guided Leeds to a comfortable position in the table but the Argentine is still yet to sign a new contract at Elland Road beyond this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic, according to Italian journalist Nicolo Schira.

Over a month ago, reports first emerged linking the north London strugglers with a move for the 21-year-old talisman, with the Serie A outfit looking for a fee in the region of €50m (£44m).

As Vlahovic is under contract until 2023, there is no rush to cash in on him, especially given the form he’s in but Spurs can strike gold if they win the race to secure him.

The likes of AC Milan, Dortmund and RB Leipzig, who offered €25m (£22.5m) last summer, are all said to be keen.

Spurs could have plenty of decisions to make in the striking department this summer.

Harry Kane’s future remains dubious for the time being, with both Manchester clubs keeping tabs on his situation, and he will wait until after England’s Euro 2020 tournament to decide his fate.

Whilst it seems unlikely that Spurs will activate the £40m option to sign Benfica loanee Carlos Vinicius permanently, according to the Daily Mail.

Therefore, a new forward is certainly going to be on the agenda, regardless of whether or not Kane goes.

Vlahovic makes an interesting candidate as he’s emerged as one of Europe’s most promising young attackers and at just 21, he’s surely only going to get better.

In just 30 league appearances, the Serbian has found the net 15 times, which is more than Andrea Belotti and Ciro Immobile, and as many as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, so he’s certainly in good company.

Inter Milan legend Christian Vieri even believes he’s up there with Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe as one of Europe’s top young strikers, he told fans on TwitchTV (via TBR): “I think that, after Haaland and Mbappe, he is one of the strongest in Europe. He has quality, technique. He is Serbian and they are all technically good.”

That sort of talent, combined with an evident knack for regularly finding the net, would certainly prove useful for Jose Mourinho or whoever is in charge next season – whether that be as a replacement for Kane or a viable understudy.

Rated at just £36m by CIES Football Observatory, Levy really ought to make a move now before his value soars rapidly – the comparisons to Haaland and Mbappe will certainly aid his growth, so the Spurs chairman must stump up the cash sooner rather than later.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Aurier? Spurs can land upgrade in 22 y/o beast who’s made 74 tackles…

If Sunderland don’t achieve promotion this season, it will cause deep-rooted frustration.

It will create sadness and perhaps an everlasting mindset that the Mackems are destined to see out their existence in the third tier of English football.

This season, however, has been that will go down in the history books. They have new owners, perhaps their most impressive manager in a number of years and they are currently in third place in League One.

The Black Cats have a wonderful opportunity to get promoted and if they secure that in the remaining games of the campaign, it will be the icing on the cake.

This has been a term where Sunderland won their first trophy in 48 years, beating Tranmere at Wembley in the EFL Trophy final a number of weeks ago.

Lee Johnson’s men didn’t have it all their own way in that game and that was largely thanks to flying right-back Otis Khan.

The 25-year-old was a constant thorn in the Sunderland defence, terrorising Callum McFadzean. On that occasion, Khan completed as many as four dribbles, the joint-highest of any player on the day.

The defender also attempted seven crosses and won five of his seven duels defensively. No wonder he’s been described as a player who “works hard” by Keith Hill. Unfortunately for Tranmere and Khan, it was the Mackems who took home the silverware.

Sunderland clearly liked what they saw from Khan because he’s now been linked with a move to the Stadium of Light.

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It would be a shrewd capture from Johnson and one that could take not only their defence to the next level but also their attack.

With Jordan Jones and Aiden McGeady on the flanks, there is always a reason to be excited heading into a Sunderland match. Both players have created goals and chances at will for Charlie Wyke this term, a man who has found the net on 26 occasions in 2020/21.

The addition of Khan, however, could give him even proper opportunities to score. You only need to look at that performance at Wembley. In delivering just over half a dozen crosses, he was a rampant threat.

He has been transformed from a winger into a full-back at Tranmere and that’s certainly evident in the way Khan gets forward.

The right-sided defender has made 1.4 key passes per game this term and 1.1 successful crosses per match. For context, only Denver Hume and McGeady in the Sunderland side have conjured up more chance creations and crosses.

Both of those players happen to be their weapons down the left. On the opposite side, Sunderland don’t quite have the same potency. The addition of Khan, therefore, could be huge.

The thought of him whipping deliveries in for Wyke to head home is something worth salivating over.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than Burge: Johnson will be fuming with SAFC ace who made just 9 passes…

MatériaMais Notícias

O Atlético-MG venceu a Ponte Preta, neste sábado (1º), no Moisés Lucarelli, por 2 a 1. Contudo, criou oportunidades suficientes para que o resultado fosse maior. Autor de um dos gols, Clayton deixou o campo explicando a situação:

– Acho que conseguimos encaixar bem (o jogo. Depois, fizemos o segundo e tivemos uma grande oportunidade de fazer o terceiro (com o Cazares) – afirmou.

O atacante não foi o único a falar sobre o assunto. Responsável pela assistência para o gol de Júnior, o lateral esquerdo Fábio Santos também crê que a equipe poderia “matar o jogo” em gol perdido por Juan Cazares.

– Jogar aqui é muito complicado, sempre foi. No primeiro tempo, poderíamos matar o jogo fazendo o 3 a 0. Mas sem dúvida nenhuma valorizou muito a nossa vitória – concluiu.