After another season where Crystal Palace have found themselves in the relegation mix, Roy Hodgson is likely to strengthen his squad in the summer.
And if reports are to be believed, one area the Eagles boss will look to improve is midfield.
The Breakdown
According to the Daily Star, Crystal Palace are keeping an eye on Newcastle United’s Mo Diame with the 31-year-old’s contract set to expire in the summer should the appearance clause for an extended year in his current deal not be triggered.
Whether that happens or not, though, the south London club should not be targeting the Newcastle man.
In midfield, Diame is able to provide a lot of power and energy. However, in Luka Milivojevic and Cheikhou Kouyate, Crystal Palace already have that.
Rather, Hodgson should be looking at midfielders who can bring a bit of a spark and some creativity to the middle of the park. But again, in Max Meyer, it is something the Crystal Palace manager also has at disposal.
With that in mind, Hodgson should be looking to utilise the Germany international instead of buying more of the same.
Diame would not be a terrible acquisition, but you cannot help but think he is not the profile of midfielder Crystal Palace should be looking at in this moment of time.
Crystal Palace fans, do the Eagles need Diame? Join the discussion by commenting below.
Aston Villa midfielder Conor Hourihane believes, in quotes reported by The Express & Star, that the pressure has been taken off of the club a little following recent results, but his comments are slightly surprising.
What’s the word, then?
Well, there is no doubt that it has been a disappointing campaign for the Midlands outfit, who would have been expected pre-season to be comfortably in the top six by now.
However, ahead of their trip to Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night they lie four points outside of the play-off positions, thanks to two successive victories against Derby County and then arch-rivals Birmingham City on Sunday.
Speaking to The Express & Star, the Villa midfielder said: “Is the pressure off a little? Maybe so. But we expect a lot from ourselves and we have not done what we wanted to do over the course of the season.”
Confusing comment
What the Republic of Ireland international is probably trying to say is that the pressure is off of them as they chase a top-six spot rather than having to hold onto one.
However, given their stature, the players they have at their disposal and the money they have spent over the past couple of years at this level, the pressure is very much still on them.
They should be competing for the top two let alone the play-offs, and the latter should be the bare minimum they achieve this term.
That means that there is actually a weight on their shoulders to continue delivering, and positive performances and results against Forest and Boro this week would certainly help.
فجرت صحيفة “Times Live” الجنوب إفريقية مفاجأة من العيار الثقيل بشأن المدير الفني المقبل للنادي الأهلي في حال رحيل رينيه فايلر، المدير الفني الحالي للفريق اليوم الأربعاء.
وبحسب التقارير الإخبارية في الأيام الماضية، من المتوقع أن تكون مباراة كأس مصر اليوم أمام الترسانة هي الأخيرة للمدرب السويسري بعد رفض الإدارة سفره إلى بلاده من أجل إجازة قصيرة خوفًا من عدم عودته من جديد إلى القاهرة.
ويخشى الأهلي من رحيل فايلر خاصة مع اقتراب موعد مباراة الوداد البيضاوي في نصف نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا في 17 أكتوبر المقبل، خاصة وأن المدرب قد رفض إلغاء بند الرحيل بدون شرط جزائي في أول 10 أيام من أكتوبر.
اقرأ أيضًا.. ميدو: فايلر يرتكب جريمة كروية في حق الأهلي
وأفادت الصحيفة الجنوب إفريقية أن مدرب صن داونز، بيتسو موسيماني، قد استقال من منصبه خلال الساعات القليلة الماضية لتولي مهمة المدير الفني في أحد الأندية الكبرى في شمال إفريقيا.
وتواصل الصحيفة مع بعض المصادر المقربة من موسيماني، والتي أكدت أن المدرب من الممكن له تدريب الأهلي وربما يكون منافسه المغرب الوداد في الفترة المقبلة.
وتابع المصدر: “النادي الذي سينتقل إليه بيتسو طلب منه الانضمام فورًا للفريق برغبة أن يقودهم في دوري أبطال إفريقيا”.
وأضاف: “نأمل أن يكون صن داونز سعيدًا بهذا الأمر، لأنه أمر جيد لجنوب إفريقيا، لم يدرب أي مدرب أسود إفريقي هذه الأندية الكبرى في شمال إفريقيا، هذا يعد تكريما كبيرا لموسيماني وهو شرف كذلك لجنوب إفريقيا”.
يأتي ذلك على الرغم من نفي المدير العام لنادي صن داونز، يوجيش سينج، والذي أكد أن لا صحة لهذا الأمر وأن كل ما يكتب عبر الإنترنت حول ارتباط بيتسو بالأهلي غير صحيح تمامًا لأنه لم يستقل”.
وواصل المصدر الكشف عن المزيد من المعلومات، وقال: “حصل موسيماني على كامل حريته في اختيار الجهاز الفني لناديه الجديد، وسيتم الإعلان عن التعاقد معه في الوقت المناسب”.
الجدير بالذكر أن موسيماني سبق له وفاز ببطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا على حساب الزمالك مع صن داونز في عام 2016.
كشف يورجن كلوب المدير الفني لفريق ليفربول الإنجليزي النقاب عن الاتفاق الذي أبرمه مع لاعبيه، بعد النجاح الذي حققوه في الأنفيلد.
وقاد كلوب الريدز لتحقيق بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا وكأس السوبر الأوروبي والدوري الإنجليزي، وأخيرًا كأس العالم للأندية.
وعندما سُئل قبل مواجهة أستون فيلا اليوم عن تكتيك السير أليكس فيرجسون المتمثل في النظر في أعين لاعبيه لمعرفة ما إذا كان لا يزال لديهم الجوع بعد الفوز بلقب الدوري الإنجليزي، قال كلوب إنه ليس لديه شك بشأن لاعبيه، على الرغم من إنه تمنى مازحًا لو كانت لديه عيون مدرب مانشستر يونايتد السابق.
وقال كلوب في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “ليفربول إيكو” العالمية: “هذا ما كان يفعله فيرجسون دائمًا؟ كم عدد ألقاب الدوري التي فاز بها؟ 13، وكان دائمًا يعود إلى فترة ما قبل الموسم ويبحث دائمًا عن الجوع لدى لاعبيه، أتمنى لو كانت لدي أعين أليكس فيرجسون بكل تأكيد”.
وأضاف: “لقد اتفقت مع اللاعبين منذ فترة (منذ فترة أطول من فترة ما قبل الموسم) على أننا نحاول أن نجعل هذا أفضل وقت في حياتنا طالما أننا معًا وهذا ما ما زلنا نفعله، لذلك لا أشك في الرغبة وجوع أولادي”.
وواصل: “وظيفتي هي أيضًا أن أستمر في ذلك وأنا أعرف نفسي لفترة طويلة بما يكفي لأعرف أنه يمكنني القيام بذلك بشكل مختلف، هذا يعني أننا في الجانب الآمن (يضحك)، إذا لم ننجح، فلن يكون ذلك لأننا لا نريد ذلك بكل ما لدينا”.
وأوضح: “الفرق الأخرى يمكن أن تكون أفضل، في كرة القدم وفي الحياة الأمر كذلك، لكن هذا ليس بسبب الجوع أو الرغبة أو الجشع أو أي شيء آخر”.
Tottenham Hotspur have been in quite terrible form recently.
After breathing the rarefied air of the title race for so long, Spurs headed into a week that saw them face Burnley, Chelsea and Arsenal in quick succession. Win all three games and many believed that the battle for the title would become a three-horse race.
Instead, Mauricio Pochettino’s men lost to the Clarets and the Blues and drew with the Gunners. A loss to Southampton last time out put the cherry on top of a particularly sour cake for Spurs and they are now locked in a battle to qualify for the top four.
They are just one point clear of Arsenal in fourth and three clear of Manchester United, while they sit just four ahead of Chelsea.
Here at Football FanCast we’ve taken a look at how Pochettino can arrest the slump and ensure that Spurs qualify for the Champions League.
Rest Kane
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This is a difficult one, of course, such are the talents of Harry Kane.
But the fact remains that, since the England captain’s return from injury, Spurs have not won a game.
He has scored three goals while half-fit but there are no signs that his workload will lighten any time soon. Gareth Southgate has called him up for England’s Euro 2020 qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Montenegro and he is likely to start both games.
Pochettino, then, should consider giving Kane a rest when he can.
The ability of Son Heung-min has been proven this season – he scored in every Premier League game that Kane missed – and he can step in at any time.
Kane is incredibly likely to play against Liverpool at the end of the month but, after that, Spurs face the likes of Crystal Palace, Brighton & Hove Albion and Huddersfield Town. There will be plenty of opportunities to give the forward some respite.
Trust Son
As mentioned, Son enjoyed some of his best form in a Spurs shirt while Kane was injured.
If Kane is to be put on the bench, Son has to be trusted to replace him.
Pochettino has a fascination with striker Fernando Llorente, routinely throwing him on in an attempt to rescue games when they are not going the club’s way.
But the South Korea international is a more multi-functional player and is a better finisher to boot.
Placing some faith in Son, allowing him to play through the middle, and giving Kane a rest kills two birds with one stone.
Pochettino should consider it, particularly with a soft run of fixtures to come after a tough encounter with Jurgen Klopp’s title-chasers.
Stop rotating the defence
There is too much uncertainty in the defence.
Supporters and players alike do not know which full-back will play from week-to-week, while Toby Alderweireld was strangely rested against Southampton at the weekend.
This is not sustainable if Spurs want to challenge at the top end of the league.
Pochettino has to make a decision on the club’s first-choice full-backs and central defenders and stick with it until the end of the season, fitness permitting.
Rotation leads to mistakes and it has cost Spurs all too regularly this term.
This long-term policy needs to end to re-establish defensive solidity.
Go for the jugular when leading
Spurs loss to Southampton came about after Kane had given his side the lead at St Mary’s.
Spurs also took the lead in losses to Watford, Wolves and Arsenal.
There is a complacency problem at Spurs; all too often they appear to take their foot off the accelerator in the hope that what they have done is enough.
Soccer Football – FA Cup Fourth Round – Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur – Selhurst Park, London, Britain – January 27, 2019 Tottenham’s Kieran Trippier reacts REUTERS/David Klein
Pochettino’s men often play down to their opposition too, allowing them to set the tempo of the game and appearing passive when confronted with problems.
That has to change. If Spurs take the lead, they have to double it, triple it and quadruple it to ensure that those three points are in the bag.
They have thumped the likes of Bournemouth and Everton this season so we know it’s possible. Pochettino has to ensure his players are going for the jugular in every game, regardless of the situation.
Play every game like a Champions League tie
Spurs have enjoyed a quite remarkable turnaround in Europe.
After losing to both Inter Milan and Barcelona in their first two games, a draw with PSV Eindhoven appeared to have consigned Spurs to an early exit.
However, they showed amazing fortitude to rally and beat both PSV and Inter at Wembley, before earning a creditable 1-1 draw with Barcelona in the Camp Nou to seal their unlikely qualification to the last-16.
A 3-0 win over Borussia Dortmund then earmarked Spurs as genuine contenders, and a 1-0 triumph at Signal Iduna Park added even more fuel to that particular fire.
If Spurs play with such discipline and flair in the Premier League, they will have little to worry about in the battle for the top four.
Playing every game as though it is in the Champions League might well see Spurs pick up a fair few points between now and May.
كشف محمد عادل المشرف على قطاع الكرة بنادي المقاولون العرب عن اسم لاعبين من الأهلي يرغب في ضمهما لصفوف ذئاب الجبل خلال الموسم المقبل.
وكان الأهلي قد تعاقد مع طاهر محمد طاهر لاعب المقاولون العرب ليكون ضمن صفقات القلعة الحمراء في الموسم الجديد.
وقال محمد عادل خلال مداخلة هاتفية عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورتس”: “لا يوجد اتفاق مع الأهلي على استعارة لاعبين، ولكنه كان مجرد حديث خلال صفقة طاهر محمد طاهر أنه عندما تكون هناك فرصة لإعارة لاعبين من الأهلي سنتحدث في الأمر”.
وأضاف: “اتفقنا مع الأهلي على الفصل بين صفقة طاهر محمد طاهر وأي صفقات سنحتاجها من القلعة الحمراء”.
وحدد اسم لاعبين يرغب المقاولون في ضمهما: “العربي بدر وشادي رضوان ضمن اللاعبين الذين نرغب في استعارتهما من الأهلي”.
وواصل: “لكن لا أخفي أن الوضع ما زال حرجًا في الدوري، والجميع في حالة تركيز مع عماد النحاس المدير الفني لفريق المقاولون، ولا يوجد أي تفكير في أي أمر خلال الفترة الحالية”.
وتابع: “عماد النحاس كان قد استدعى لاعبين ناشئين ولكن استبعدهما مرة أخرى حتى يضمن المركز الرابع”.
واختتم: “الشائعات كثرت حول طاهر محمد طاهر، تارةً يقال إنه أصيب بكورونا وتارة يقال عنه أشياء أخرى، ولابد من وجود وقفة للحد من الشائعات، وسنتخذ الإجراءات القانونية ضد الأخبار الكاذبة”.
Aston Villa boss Dean Smith has revealed that James Chester is making steady progress in his recovery from a knee injury, but is still not ready to return.
What’s the latest?
Smith told Villa’s official website:
“James Chester has had a course of injections. He’s now doing light work on the bike and in the gym.”
Chester only missed one of Villa’s first 29 matches of the 2018-19 campaign, but has been on the sidelines since the start of February due to a knee problem.
Smith has said that the centre-back ‘has had a course of injections’ and is currently undergoing recovery work in the gym as he bids to be fit before the end of the season.
There is no indication when the 30-year-old might be fit to make his return, but Villa have been boosted by the news that on-loan Manchester United ace Axel Tuanzebe is fit again.
Chester admitted last month that it had been a frustrating period, but it seems likely that he will be able to play some part between now and the end of the campaign.
How important is Chester to Villa?
Very, very important. It would be fair to say that some of the focus has been taken away from the Welshman due to the form of Tyrone Mings.
Mings arrived on loan at Villa during the January transfer window and the 6 ft 5 ace has been in excellent form for Smith’s side in recent weeks.
Kortney Hause, meanwhile, has impressively slotted in at centre-back due to the absences of Tuanzebe, Chester and also Tommy Elphick.
Tuanzebe is now ready to return, whilst Smith said that Elphick ‘should be back soon’, which does take the pressure off Chester in terms of forcing his return.
The 5 ft 11 ace is still hugely important to Villa, though, and will be desperate to return as soon as possible as Smith’s side look to secure a playoff spot.
If he is not able to return soon, it will have an extremely damaging effect on the club’s surge for promotion.
Chris Sutton has had his say on Celtic’s managerial situation ahead of the Old Firm, and he’s got it absolutely spot on.
The Bhoys welcome Rangers to Parkhead on Sunday, leaving the word “welcome” open to interpretation of course, in a match that should put the nail in the coffin of the Gers’ season.
Lennon has guided Celtic ten points clear of their arch-rivals, and Sutton has said what the gaffer must do to turn his interim post into a permanent one.
Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he often received racist abuse after North London Derbies – Check out the video below…
What did he say?
“Is it his first big challenge? No, I think he has been challenged,” Sutton told BBC Radio 5 Live (27/03/19, 20:30). “I think that the early fixtures under him, Hibs and Hearts away, were extremely difficult fixtures and Aberdeen who pushed them.
“I think it’s his most important challenge. I think it’s just as big for Steven Gerrard – I think in terms of Neil Lennon getting the job, he needs to beat Rangers and beat them in style.”
Spot on
Plenty have reckoned that a win in the derby would hand Lennon the job for next season, but Sutton has raised the bar for the boss, and he’s absolutely right.
With all due respect to the Gers, Celtic have been dominating this rivalry for quite some time, and they don’t need a manager who can scrape wins against their old foes.
What the Bhoys want is a manager who will not only dominate domestically but also make some noise in Europe, and the Old Firm is the only game in Scotland that can match the pressure and intensity of a Champions League night under the lights.
Coming out and Sunday and ripping the Gers to shreds would show that Lennon is still hungry and looking to improve, rather than just steadying the ship until someone better comes along.
اتخذ المدرب الفرنسي، زين الدين زيدان، المدير الفني لنادي ريال مدريد، قرارًا بشأن حارس المرمى الذي سوف يعتمد عليه، ليحرس عرين اللوس بلانكوس، في مباراة قادش القادمة بالليجا.
ريال مدريد يواجه قادش، يوم السبت القادم، على ملعب “ألفريدو دي ستيفانو”، في الجولة السادسة من الدوري الإسباني.
وكانت هُناك شكوك حول إمكانية مشاركة تيبو كورتوا، أمام قادش، بعد الإصابة التي تعرض لها مع منتخب بلجيكا.
اقرأ أيضًا.. هازارد لا يريد المجازفة بالمشاركة في الكلاسيكو أمام برشلونة
حارس تشيلسي السابق، تعافى من الإصابة، وجاهز للعب أمام قادش، ولكن زيدان لا ينوى الدفع بـ كورتوا في المباراة القادمة، وفقًا لما ذكرته صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية.
وأوضحت الصحيفة أن زيدان يريد الاعتماد على أندريه لونين في تلك المباراة، حتى يكون كورتوا في أتم الجاهزية للمباراتين التاليتين في دوري أبطال أوروبا وفي الليجا.
ريال مدريد بعد مواجهة قادش، يفتتح موسمه في دوري أبطال أوروبا بمواجهة شاختار دونستيك، ثم يواجه برشلونة في الكلاسيكو، خارج قواعده على ملعب “كامب نو” يوم السبت بعد المُقبل بالجولة السابعة من الليجا.
Pablo Hernandez’s brace on Saturday helped Leeds United claim an important 3-2 victory over Millwall and will surely live long in the memory for every White reading this. Whether the club are ultimately promoted or not, moments like that truly are what football is about.
Marcelo Bielsa’s men had to work hard for the three points due to a resistant Millwall team, who could easily have walked away from Elland Road with at least a point but the determination and desire from a player like Hernandez once again inspired this Leeds team to get over the line.
Speaking in his post-match conference, Bielsa emphasised the valuable leadership qualities the winger brings to the team and why he has been such an influential player for them this campaign.
With ten goals and 11 assists so far this season, Hernandez has been one of the club’s main attacking threats in the league and has been brilliant at finding other players in better positions. His experience has contributed enormously to the team and has helped club-captain Luke Ayling in his job like on Saturday when Hernandez scored in the 83rd minute to give the Yorkshire club the lead.
Indeed, the 33-year-old captained Leeds on two occasions in December last year, scoring in both the encounters with QPR and Bolton, which Leeds won respectively.
That already showed that Bielsa backs him as one of the group’s leaders and his role as a sort of ‘captain’ in the squad could be pivotal in Leeds’ quest play in the Premier League again next season, whether that will be through the playoffs or automatic promotion.
The composure of Hernandez will be very important in those encounters, though, both because of his individual qualities and the responsibility of motivating the team to get the job done.
Leeds fans, for how long will you remember Hernandez’s double? Join the discussion by commenting below…