علّق المدرب البرتغالي جوزيه مورينيو المدير الفني لنادي توتنهام هوتسبير، على أداء الويلزي جاريث بيل جناح السبيرز في مباراة لاسك لينز النمساوي بمسابقة الدوري الأوروبي.

بيل سجّل هدفًا في تعادل توتنهام مع لاسك لينز النمساوي مساء اليوم الخميس على ملعب “لينزر” بنتيجة 3-3، ضمن مواجهات الجولة الخامسة من دور المجموعات بالدوري الأوروبي (طالع تقرير المباراة).

اقرأ أيضًا.. رسالة ساخرة من مورينيو للاعبي توتنهام بعد التعادل مع لاسك في الدوري الأوروبي

وقال مورينيو في تصريحات صحفية عقب نهاية المباراة: “لقد أخرجته قبل 15 دقيقة من نهاية المباراة، لأنه ليس قادرًا على خوض 90 دقيقة بعد”.

وأضاف: “بيل يعود شيئًا فشيئًا، إنه يقترب من اللعب لمدة 90 دقيقة، لقد قدم لنا أشياء جيدة اليوم”.

وأتم تصريحاته قائلًا: “جاريث بيل لديه الكثير من الأشياء الإيجابية في طريقة لعبه، وبالطبع يُمكنك أن ترى أن هناك القليل من الأشياء التي يجب عليه تحسينها”.

[ad_pod ]Liverpool fans are keep to see Junior Firpo arrive at the club after he was linked with a move to Anfield.The Guardian reported on Friday that the Reds are in the market to buy a back-up left-back for Andrew Robertson next season and haven’t been put off by the £45m release clause in his Real Betis contract.“It reminds me of a bus seat!” – Watch a damning verdict on Chelsea’s new kit in the video below…Still just 22 years of age, the defender made 30 appearances in all competitions last season for the La Liga outfit, scoring three goals and assisting five times.The reported fee needed to bring him to the English Premier League may seem expensive, but the Spain U21 international can also play further forward on the left flank and could prove to be a smart, versatile pick to replace Alberto Moreno.Robertson has emerged as a strong and consistent performer for Liverpool, but competition never hurts and with Liverpool potentially reaching the latter stages of various tournaments next season then competent back-up is required.

Fans are certainly eager to see the deal done, taking to Twitter this weekend to share their thoughts…

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After a crushing 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in last year’s Champions League final, a big summer awaited a Liverpool side who were clearly just a few players away from becoming a force to be reckoned with.

The supporters were in a terrible mood. Loris Karius’ reputation was in tatters. Everything seemed bleak.

However, just three days after the crushing defeat to Los Blancos, a key cog arrived at Anfield.

Are the media letting Jurgen Klopp off lightly for his lack of silverware? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

Brazilian international Fabinho was signed in a deal worth £43.7m, and immediately provided the Reds with the steely bite their midfield was sorely lacking.

All you need to do is take a look at the three players that Jurgen Klopp started last year’s final with.

Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Gini Wijnaldum.

All three are very much the same player in some respects; hard working, decent but not exactly spectacular in possession and not exactly huge physical presences in the middle of the park either.

In stark contrast, 6 ft 2 Fabinho is certainly a dominant figure in there, and is by no means just a lump; he has excellent technique that goes unnoticed by many.

When the Reds walk out of the Wanda Metropolitano tunnel, they should feel confidence coursing through their veins almost immediately thanks to the No.3’s presence in the side; even more so given the fact that a player like the Brazilian is what Tottenham will be sorely missing.

They sold the only real player of Fabinho’s ilk back in January when they allowed Mousa Dembele to go to China, and have just Victor Wanyama and Eric Dier to somewhat mirror what the former Monaco man brings to Liverpool.

Dier and Wanyama, however, are nowhere near as good as Fabinho. They are very limited from a technical aspect and are also extremely injury prone.

Mauricio Pochettino’s midfield will probably consist of Christian Eriksen, Harry Winks and Moussa Sissoko on Saturday, and none of them are the midfield destroyers that all successful teams need; names such as Casemiro – who was crucial in last year’s final – and Fernandinho spring to mind.

Spurs will look towards a big summer as they look to build on getting to the Champions League final.

Despite losing out to Liverpool, there is a big sense around the club that they than more than overachieved with their Champions League showing, and manager Mauricio Pochettino will no doubt be keen take some steps in the transfer market to ensure the club continues to progress.

With the new stadium finally open, Pochettino will be hoping to see some backing from Daniel Levy, and this weekend has seen the club linked with a move for Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake, who continues to impress for the Cherries under Eddie Howe.

While a £40m fee might seem a hefty chunk of change on paper, Ake has been brilliant under Eddie Howe, developing into the one of the finest young defenders in the English game after never quite getting his chance with Chelsea previously.

Ake fits the mould of a player Spurs would buy, given his age and the way he plays out from the back.

His relaxed style should not be seen as lazy though and he is strong in the tackle, as well as being dominant in the air, and with a chance of playing at what is seemed a higher level with Spurs, it looks like a match made in heaven.

Spurs are looking to move forward with young players who want to develop and prove a point under Pochettino, and Ake fits the bill perfectly given his performance in the 2018/19 season.

38 Premier League appearances where he averaged just under two tackles per game while recording over six clearances per game mark him out as an impressive defensive stalwart, and it is these sort of impressive stats which will impress the onlooking Spurs management team.

[ad_pod ]On Friday afternoon, Manchester City’s official Twitter account posted a tweet reminding their fans of Frank Lampard’s last goal for the club back in 2014 on the 24th of May.The tweet describes Lampard as a ‘City legend’ in a tongue-in-cheek way, but Daily Telegraph journalist Matt Law did not pick up on the joke.

Credit to him, though, he quickly realised he had missed the point and taken the bait from City’s Twitter account.

Lampard spent one season at City, and though it was quite successful as he scored eight goals in 38 appearances, the term legend cannot be applied to his spell in Manchester.

Matt Law was not the only person to bite, however, as numerous people on Twitter responded with the same sort of puzzlement.

The endeavours of the social media team at Man City to wind up Chelsea fans clearly worked. Law, who covers Chelsea on a regular basis for the Daily Telegraph, was one of many to express bemusement at the tweet.

Perhaps the team behind the tweet are looking to get their kicks from Twitter in the absence of title-winning football to gloat about.

Either way, they managed to catch out plenty of social media users including the well-respected journalist.

Lampard himself probably had a chuckle as he prepares to try and take Derby County back up to the Premier League on Monday.

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After eighteen months of injury problems, loss of form and a crisis of confidence, it’s fair to say Alexis Sanchez hasn’t enjoyed the greatest of times at Old Trafford since joining Manchester United in January 2018.

The former Arsenal man has been the target of some severe criticism from many sections of the United faithful and his astronomical wages probably don’t help with endearing him to supporters either.

But the forward still seemingly has a lot left to give judging by his international performances. The 30-year-old scored one and made one in Chile’s opening Copa America game against Japan and his performance certainly raised a few eyebrows in the red half of Manchester.

Many United fans took to Twitter after the game to vent their frustrations at seeing the Chilean put in a starring display for his country, but failing to produce anything even remotely similar during his time at Old Trafford.

Whilst a few on the other hand felt a solid campaign for Chile in the tournament might do Sanchez’s confidence a world of good, others were far less forgiving of the winger’s previous form for the club and instead urged United to cash in on him whilst his stock might be high.

Either way, check out some reactions from surprised United fans down below:

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Per a report from Football Insider, Aston Villa are planning a swoop for Chelsea man Todd Kane.

What’s the word?

At the age of 25 it’s remarkable that Kane is still on Chelsea’s books. The right back has never really been able to get a look-in as a combination of injury and indifferent loan spells have led to a stuttering career.

Kane spent last season on loan at Hull where he impressed in what was his first full season in English football. And he could now finally make a permanent switch away from the Blues after eight different loan spells.

Football Insider suggest that newly promoted Villa are planning a swoop on a free transfer when his contract expires this summer.

Danger for Elmohamady?

After Dean Smith released Micah Richards and Alan Hutton it’s no surprise to see another body in that position potentially arriving.

Yet after the imminent arrival of Frederic Guilbert, who signed in January before heading to Caen on loan, it could spell the end of Ahmed Elmohamady as a permanent fixture in the team.

The Egyptian was crucial for the Villans last season, claiming eight assists from both right midfield and further back in defence. He played a pivotal hand in the play-off final too, laying on the opening goal for Anwar El Ghazi.

Elmohamady has been the victim of two relegations from the Premier League with Hull but his experience of the top-flight could be key next season.

However, with the possibility of Kane arriving it could force him out of the team. The former Oxford United loanee is extremely versatile, possessing the ability to play further up the field on both wings, as well as in a right back position.

“Finding a Lionel Messi in Sheffield… bit of a tall order!” – Watch Championship fans attempt to name their clubs’ Messi in the video below…

Although playing predominantly on the left hand side of midfield when he has been favoured in attacking areas, he also featured on the right wing on multiple occasions in 2018/19. As well as that he played 25 times as a full-back.

In comparison, Villa’s current number 27 can play also play on the right of midfield, a role he made 13 starts in last term.

Bearing that in mind, it’s easy to view Kane’s transfer as a potential like-for-like replacement for Elmohamady. With Guilbert also returning, the Egypt international’s place in the side will be in danger.

اتخذ المدير الفني السابق للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، رينيه فايلر، قرارًا نهائيًا حول العرض المقدم من طرف نادي نانت المنافس في بطولة الدوري الفرنسي بعد إقالة مدربه، كريستيان جوركوف. (طالع التفاصيل)

وكانت التقارير الفرنسية في الأيام الماضية قد ربطت فايلر بإمكانية تدريب نانت بعد شهرين فقط من الرحيل عن النادي الأهلي بسبب الظروف الأسرية.

وكان فايلر قد حقق ناجحًا باهرًا مع الأهلي في العام الذي درب فيه العملاق القاهري، لكن منذ أزمة فيروس كورونا وهناك تغيير في تعاملاته مع الجميع وهو ما اعترف به في تصريحات صحفية وتلفزيونية.

وأرجع السويسري سبب التغيير لخوفه على عائلته التي لم يتمكن من رؤيتهم منذ فترة طويلة بسبب انشغاله مع الأهلي وصعوبة السفر بسبب إجراءات فيروس كورونا، وهو ما جعله يفسخ العقد في بداية شهر أكتوبر للعودة إلى بلده وعدم استكمال بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا التي توج بها الفريق مع، بيتسو موسيماني.

ولكن بحسب صحيفة “Nau” السويسرية، رفض فايلر عرض نانت وأبلغ المسئولين في النادي الفرنسي بذلك، حيث يرى أن التوقيت غير مناسب خاصة وأنه قد عاد إلى بلده بسبب عائلته ويريد قضاء بعض الأيام معهم مع اقتراب أعياد الميلاد وهذا ما ينتظرونه منه.

الجدير بالذكر أن فايلر قد فاز مع الأهلي ببطولتين هما الدوري والسوبر المصري قبل رحيله والعودة إلى سويسرا.

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Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has rejected the chance to speak to Derby County about replacing Frank Lampard at the club, as reported by The Times.

What’s the story?

After a solid, if unspectacular, year of progress at Rangers, Gerrard is apparently attracting interest from teams in England.

The paper say that in the event of Lampard taking the vacant post at Chelsea, Gerrard is viewed as a potential successor at Pride Park.

However, the Gers boss has rejected advances from the Rams before discussions could even begin, according to the report. He is entirely focused on adding players to his first-team squad ahead of a pre-season training camp next week.

Given Derby are promotion contenders in the English Championship next season, Gerrard’s refusal to even entertain the notion of a switch could be seen by some as something of a surprise, but he clearly values the project he is building at Ibrox.

Watch the video below to find out which derbies the Pl>ymaker squad have picked as the most entertaining, fierce and passionate in the world…

Statement of intent

The last thing Rangers will want this summer is uncertainty surrounding the manager’s position at the club. There could be enough reports of big player exits over the next couple of months to add that kind of instability to their hugely important summer.

With UEFA Europa League qualifiers on the immediate horizon Rangers’ season will begin very soon and they don’t have the luxury of indulging in off-season transfer merry-go-rounds down south that could potentially derail their summer.

By rejecting discussions outright, Gerrard is telling any interested parties that he is determined to see his current spell at Rangers through until the club either win trophies or his position becomes untenable.

That kind of statement of intent should obviously delight supporters, who have really taken to the Liverpool icon as a trusted leader, even if the club came up short in all competitions last season.

Fans haven’t seen the necessary stability to progressively build for years and the next 12 months is a serious opportunity to finally get some sort of silverware on the board.

Gerrard will know that kind of success will boost his stock as a manager as much as anything he does in the Championship.

Everton are hoping to add players this summer that can take them into the European spots next season. With that in mind, Ryan Fraser would give them the attacking edge to help them achieve their goal.

The Bournemouth winger has played 38 games in the Premier League this season, making an impressive 14 assists and scoring seven goals in the process. Undoubtedly one of the best players outside of the top six, the Scotsman’s reportedly got admirers all over the country, and The Sun’s Alan Nixon believes the Toffees have a ‘major interest’.

While he also mentions Arsenal are working on making their interest known too, Fraser could become a club legend if he signs for Everton. Indeed, he needs to take advantage of this huge season and take a step up, but not a step too far as Arsenal would be.

The 25-year-old can be part of the exciting project Everton have in mind. Their attacking style would be attractive to Fraser and his direct nature would work wonders at Goodison Park. Frankly, it seems like a match made in heaven.

He’s rated at £16.2m on Transfermarkt and that seems a favourable price for Everton considering his age and potential impact. Obviously, Bournemouth would surely demand more than that but as a marquee addition, the former Aberdeen star is the kind of upwardly mobile talent the club are in desperate need of. Granted, any potential arrival could impact the playing time of Bernard, but competition is healthy, and it might just improve both players’ abilities.

The Toffees would go some way to reaching their goal of European football if they can snatch Fraser from Bournemouth this summer. He’s exactly what they need, so Marcel Brands needs to get a move on and sign him before Arsenal do instead.

Everton fans, where do you think your club needs to strengthen this summer? Join the discussion by commenting below…