Tag Futebol

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

La Liga is finally returning this weekend and Real Madrid will be travelling away to Mallorca for matchday nine. Even though every point matters, Zinedine Zidane should consider rotating his squad a bit considering the tough schedule ahead.

On the chalkboard

Currently, Los Blancos are sitting top of the table in La Liga and are two points ahead of their arch-rivals, Barcelona, and three points ahead of city rivals Atletico Madrid.

For the time being, things are under control but football is unpredictable and everything can change in an instant.

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With that being said, however, it would be wise of Zidane to actually try and look ahead and towards the end of the month.

Real have a midweek Champions League fixture and will then travel to the Camp Nou for the El Clasico the weekend after this one.

For that reason, rotating the squad for the trip to Mallorca could be a viable and recommendable option.

Planning ahead

If Zidane were to deploy a somewhat weakened lineup this Saturday, it still shouldn’t be seen as a form of disrespect.

Mallorca are, however, a newly promoted team that are currently sitting third from the bottom of the La Liga table and have only two wins to their names so far in the new campaign.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

Not to mention that prioritising and picking your battles is essential if you want to compete on all fronts.

Real Madrid still don’t have a win under their belts in the Champions League and winning against Barcelona next weekend is definitely a must for Los Blancos.

For that reason, this is the perfect opportunity to give some other players a chance, and also rest and preserve the key pieces of the puzzle for the tough schedule ahead.

In the worst-case scenario, points will be dropped against Mallorca but the team will still be fresh to tackle the bigger fish shortly after that.

And besides, Zidane has enough quality and depth on his bench to be able to get all three points on Saturday regardless of the lineup he deploys.

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…

Jordan Pickford and Everton travel to Turf Moor on Saturday where the current first-choice England keeper will meet his foe Nick Pope, as the Burnley man continues to push him for the number one spot.

Pickford has been involved with England ever since Gareth Southgate sought to replace Joe Hart in 2017, with the 25-year-old taking the number one shirt as the Three Lions approached the World Cup in 2018. In the process, the former Sunderland keeper edged past Pope, Tom Heaton and Jack Butland for the main jersey, but things are looking much different nowadays.

The tide is seemingly changing with the Burnley keeper having a significantly better start to the season than the Toffees man. Pickford was arguably lucky to sneak into the England side based on form as the Sky Sports’ power rankings omitted him from the 23-man squad, based on his statistical numbers.

He also fluffed his lines against Manchester City last weekend, drawing stern criticism from Everton fans for firstly failing to save Riyad Mahrez’s free kick and then almost gifting a goal with an irresponsible failed Cruyff turn in his own third, so it certainly feels as though the pressure is on Pickford to prove he can still be trusted.

Pope, on the other hand, comes with a reputation of steadiness between the sticks, even if he’s a more understated presence than Pickford. The Burnley man has the one cap to his name and was on the bench during each match at the World Cup. However, a shoulder injury kept him out of the squad for many months, which subsequently lost him his place in the Burnley goal, as Heaton returned by the time he was injury-free.

However, having secured the number one spot after Heaton’s move to Aston Villa, now is the time for the 27-year-old to make his mark on the Three Lions setup, and recent form suggests he’s ready to become Pickford’s England nemesis by capitalising on the Everton man’s sloppy start to the season with more assured performances.

Pope currently boasts 3.3 saves per Premier League fixture, whilst winning 0.7 aerial battles each game, and at the same time has conceded three goals less than the 25-year-old’s 12 at Everton so far. On the other hand, Pickford has averaged just 2.4 saves per game in the league, whilst averaging just o.1 aerial battles won per match.

The Burnley shot-stopper has made 24 saves this season, whilst making five high claims and seven sweeper clearances. In contrast, England’s current number one has stopped just 17 shots, made two high claims and two sweeper clearances.

Not only are the statistics significantly in favour of Pope reclaiming the jersey, but his overall performance on a consistent basis proves his worth as well – averaging a 6.86 rating on Whoscored compared to Pickford’s 6.32.

There is no doubt Southgate will be watching closely as Burnley host Everton to determine who takes the spot between the sticks against the Czech Republic and Bulgaria. Right now, it may just come down to whoever makes an error or pulls off a more important save, as the England boss certainly has a tough call to make.

But while it seems Pope can only really go up in Southgate’s estimations as the current second or third choice, Pickford needs to impress to ensure he doesn’t slide down the pecking order. After such ropey beginnings to the new campaign, another disappointing performance could prove incredibly costly. Nothing shows a player up more than failing to deliver in front of a direct rival, or in this case, a potential nemesis.

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…

Seamus Coleman was sent off for a second yellow card on the 56th minute against Burnley last weekend, which forced Marco Silva to bring on back-up right-back Djibril Sidibe during the second half.

The Frenchman joined Everton this summer on a season-long loan from AS Monaco but has had to settle for a place on the bench so far, other than two Carabao Cup fixtures where he started.

Upon entering the fray for his first-ever Premier League outing, Sidibe was also booked towards the end of the match. However, with Coleman suspended, now is his time to show Silva that he is the main man for the Toffees at right-back.

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In Ligue 1 last season, Sidibe provided two assists in 27 appearances – the same amount as the Irishman in the Premier League – and after averaging 3.3 tackles per game in the Champions League, the 27-year-old could prove to be a positive addition both defensively and creativity.

As Coleman’s dismissal came in the form of two yellow cards, the Everton regular will miss just the one game against West Ham United, which further justifies the importance for Sidibe in that game. It may be a one-shot take for the former Lille defender, and should he impress, a spot as the Toffees’ main right-back may well be on the cards.

This is because Coleman’s form has indeed been questionable so far, being part of a defence that has conceded 13 goals in eight games. However, the 30-year-old does have the one assist to his name and has averaged 3.3 dribbles each match thus far. Although, his topsy-turvy start may allow Sidibe to take his spot in the side should the Frenchman stand out against West Ham.

The last time the Monaco loanee started for his new team, he achieved a 7/10 rating for his display against Sheffield Wednesday, which may have already given Silva some food for thought in the full-back slot. With a solid performance against West Ham, Coleman may find himself missing even more action, and quite frankly, he couldn’t have chosen a much worse time to get himself a suspension as now Sidibe has a golden opportunity to snatch his place.

The centre-back was very straightforward with the caption. He didn’t dwell on the Dutch team’s performance as he simply stated ‘Job done’ before moving on to talk about the upcoming games for Liverpool.

This is exactly the type of mindset Jurgen Klopp needs from his star man if Liverpool are to win the Premier League this year, and luckily, it seems as if van Dijk has the perfect attitude.

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عزز صلاح محسن، لاعب فريق الكرة الأول بالنادي الأهلي، تقدم المارد الأحمر على حساب مضيفه الإسماعيلي في اللقاء الذي أقيم بينهما اليوم.

المباراة أقيمت على ملعب استاد برج العرب بالإسكندرية في اطار مؤجلات الجولة 12 من عمر الدوري المصري الممتاز.

فيديو | بدر بانون يسجل هدف الأهلي الأول أمام الإسماعيلي

وأحرز صلاح محسن هدفه في الدقيقة 87 بعد انطلاقة سريعة من وسط الملعب لينفرد بالحارس محمد فتحي، ويسدد على يسراه مسجلًا الهدف الثاني لفريقه.

وكان بدر بانون قد سجل هدف الأهلي الأول في الدقيقة 71 من عمر اللقاء، عن طريق ركلة جزاء نجح في تنفيذها بعدما احتسبت بعد اللجوء لتقنية الفار لصالح محمد شريف.

ويخوض الأهلي مباراته وهو محتل المركز الثالث في ترتيب الدوري برصيد 24 نقطة، فيما يقع الإسماعيلي في المركز السادس عشر برصيد 10 نقاط. هدف الأهلي الثاني أمام الإسماعيلي

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Tottenham Hotspur are lining up a move for Fulham defender Steven Sessegnon, the brother of summer signing Ryan, per The Sun.

What’s the word?

The report states that Spurs attempted to sign Steven when they were in negotiations for his brother in the summer, making a £3m bid.

That offer was rejected but The Sun states that Fulham fear Spurs will return with another offer soon.

His twin brother has yet to make his debut for Tottenham due to injuries.

But Steven has already made four appearances for the Cottagers this season and has also been included in the England Under-21 squad for clashes with Turkey and Kosovo.

Dogged determination

Daniel Levy made a deal for Ryan very difficult by attempting to bring in his brother too.

Football FanCast understands that negotiations between the two clubs dragged because of his determination to sign both twins.

Fulham wanted the two deals to be separate and, ironically, the path could now be smoother.

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Because they already have one, negotiations are unlikely to be anywhere near as complicated as they look to bring Steven into the club, provided they can agree a fee with the Championship club.

Levy has always been regarded as a master negotiator and it appears that his determination could well pay off.

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استفز جناح الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة، عثمان ديمبلي، منافسهم باريس سان جيرمان قبل ساعات من مباراتهما في ذهاب دور الـ 16 من بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويستضيف برشلونة يوم غدًا، الثلاثاء، على ملعب “كامب نو” باريس سان جيرمان في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت “القاهرة” بقيادة الحكم الهولندي الدولي، بيورن كيوبرس.

اقرأ أيضًَا.. بيانيتش قبل مباراة باريس سان جيرمان: نريد الاستفادة من ميسي

وتحدث ديمبلي في تصريحات لموقع الاتحاد الأوروبي الرسمية عن الريمونتادا التي نجح فيها برشلونة عام 2017 في الفوز 6-1، وقال: “مباراة سُجلت في التاريخ، خاصة بالنسبة لنادينا”.

وتابع: “من الصعب على كل الفرق في أوروبا وخاصة في دوري الأبطال أن تعود بعد الهزيمة 4-0، لكن برشلونة فعل ذلك مع لاعبين رائعين مثل ميسي، نيمار وإنييستا”.

وأضاف: “كما قلت، اعتقد أن هذه المباراة قد سُجلت في التاريخ، نعم سيكون هناك نية في الانتقام بالمباراة المقبلة، ووسائل الإعلام تحاول أن تزيد من إثارة هذه المواجهة”.

وأتم تصريحاته: “لكننا داخل غرفة اللاعبين في برشلونة، لا نتحدث عن ذلك لكننا بالطبع نعتبرها مباراة معقدة للغاية”.

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West Ham United fans are not happy with a new link to veteran midfielder Gary Medel.

Hammers insider Ex-West Ham United Employee claims that the Hammers are “keen” on the Chile international.

Medel is 31 and has some Premier League experience, having played for Cardiff City in the 2013-14 season as they were relegated to the Championship.

He made a total of 34 Premier League appearances but did not score a goal, while providing one assist.

Medel has since spent three years with Serie A giants Inter Milan as well as two years at Turkish club Besiktas.

Nevertheless, Hammers fans are not happy with the idea of acquiring Medel in this transfer window, even with Pedro Obiang nearing a departure to Serie A.

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Indeed, many fans believe that he will simply follow in the footsteps of Carlos Sanchez, who spent the majority of 2018/19 on the sidelines due to injury.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

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Jamie Redknapp posted a belated Instagram snap thanking everyone for the great birthday wishes on Wednesday.

His actual birthday was on Tuesday, and the Liverpool legend decided to celebrate it with a big ticket giveaway for his “A League of Their Own” show, and a chance to meet the big man and the whole crew themselves.

But despite his 46th birthday already being a couple of days behind past, many stars were keen on replying to Redknapp on his

/BzLoqjdFdmL/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram snap and either bantering him or simply wishing him all the best.

Some of the most interesting and funny stuff actually came from people who already congratulated him before, so were here mainly for the laughs. One of those people was Eidur Gudjohnsen, the ex-footballer who was quick to compare the Liverpool legend to Gordon Ramsey, the famous chef.

Redknapp’s partner in crime and the stand-up comedian who is also a part of the aforementioned show, Romesh Ranganathan, was naturally all for laughs so he just pointed out that he did not agree to meet anyone despite the birthday announcement.

Apart from those two jokesters, the rest were pretty much in serious mode and either congratulated the ex-star again or did it for the first time, apologising for forgetting in the process.

Redknapp was one of the Reds for a total of 11 years and is still well regarded in those parts.

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After the departure of Arsene Wenger last summer, it was clear Arsenal needed to shake things up off the pitch as well.

The north London side had long been run by one authoritative figurehead and the Frenchman’s exit allowed for a much-needed revamp.

Reports in recent months had suggested that the club were looking to appoint a technical director and there were suggestions that names like Monchi and Marc Overmars were being lined up.

Now, the Gunners have confirmed that former general coordinator of Brazil, Edu, will take up the position and will  “oversee the work of first-team coaches, the academy and player scouting and recruitment”.

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After hearing the confirmation, Arsenal fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the choice of appointment and many were seemingly excited for the future.

Gunners supporters felt that with Edu finally through the door, the rest of the summer transfer window could finally kick into gear in terms of the necessary incomings and outgoings.

Indeed, some fans urged the Brazilian to look to his native country and bring in some of the talent that shined at the Copa America, like Brazil’s Everton Soares.

Check out some of the excited reaction of Arsenal fans below: