All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Rangers have been heavily linked with Morecambe star Carlos Mendes Gomes in recent weeks but it appears as if Steven Gerrard’s hopes of bringing him to Ibrox this summer have taken a significant blow.

According to the Scottish Sun, Rangers are very interested in signing the winger this summer and it had appeared as if they would be able to bring him to Ibrox on a free transfer, due to his contract with The Shrimps being set to expire at the end of the season.

However, Morecambe manager Derek Adams has now delivered a crucial update on the 22-year-old, suggesting that he was ‘comfortable’ with Rangers’ interest in him, as the club have an option in his current contract to extend his deal by another year, something which they will be taking up in the coming weeks.

This means that if Rangers want to bring the Spanish forward to Ibrox this summer, they will have to pay a fee, which could prove to be a significant one, given his impressive performances in League Two this season.

In 40 appearances, the former Atletico Madrid youngster has contributed 15 goals and four assists, which has earned him a solid 6.99 average rating.

His goals have helped Morecambe enjoy a superb season in England’s fourth tier, as after their 4-3 win against Oldham Athletic at the weekend, they currently sit in fourth position, just one point outside the automatic promotion spots.

If the Lancashire side were to achieve promotion, then it would likely only increase Mendes Gomes’ asking price further, so it may prove difficult for Ross Wilson to sign him this summer.

After an impressive performance against Scunthorpe recently, Adams was full of praise for his top scorer, saying:

“Carlos is a fantastic boy, you can tell that by his work ethic in training and in games.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776”]

Therefore, it is disappointing news from Rangers’ perspective that he won’t be available on a free transfer this summer, as he could have been an excellent addition to Gerrard’s side, and this update suggests that the Light Blues may well end up waiting until next summer before making their move for Mendes Gomes.

And, in other news… Gerrard has a huge decision to make over “terrific” Rangers ace after rampant Old Firm display

Fans of Glasgow Rangers have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which Gers shared footage of their players instructing fans to stay at home for the Old Firm clash this weekend.

Following Rangers fans’ celebrations outside Ibrox earlier this month, after Steven Gerrard’s side clinched their first Scottish Premiership title for 10 years, the club faced significant criticism from Scottish MPs for allegedly not doing enough to discourage their fanbase from breaking lockdown restrictions.

In response, ahead of the Old Firm clash this weekend, the club put together a video that featured a number of first-team players instructing fans to abide by the restrictions, urging them to stay at home.

And, after the club shared this footage on Twitter, fans of Rangers flocked to have their say on the matter, with some appearing to feel victimised by the footage, however, others responded in a more sarcastic manner, while more suggested that the club were overdoing it with their repeated messages.

So, what exactly did these Rangers fans have to say in reaction to the club’s footage?

“Yes, but what do you mean?”

@ross_acg_gibson

“Excellent, you just know that Bassey being involved is going to cause an implosion.”

@StephenHarper28

“What you saying here, guys?”

@chr1sbett

“100% fishing this post.”

@t3hShmo

“Dunno why I feel I’ve had my intelligence insulted here?”

@CostaLoyal

“Bit ironic having Bassey in there.”

@d44571044

In other news: many Rangers fans have slammed this Union Bears statement – find out more here!

Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey believes that Southampton cannot have “any complaints” regarding the penalty that was given against them during their 2-1 defeat to Wolves.

Halsey reacts

Graham Scott pointed to the spot after Ryan Bertrand blocked Nelson Semedo’s attempted cross in the second half, which appeared to strike his arm from an incredibly short distance.

Saints fans were up in arms about the incident as manager Ralph Hassenhuttl gave an incredibly disgruntled post-match interview about it.

The result stopped the South Coast side from moving closer to the top 10 places, and remain in 13th with a game in hand.

Speaking exclusively to Football Transfer Tavern, Halsey had his say on what he thought about the decision that went against Southampton.

“There was a little bit of distance although it was at pace,” he said. “But the problem is, why turn your body? Why not face the ball and then put your arms up within your body?

“For Bertrand, he’s making the referee’s decision for him because he turns his body, but at the same time moves his arm out, makes himself bigger and puts his arm in an unnatural position.

“I don’t think Southampton have got any complaints about the onfield referee for giving that as a penalty. You just run the risk and I don’t understand why they do it. Keep your arms down or don’t turn your body.”

Halsey touched on previous games where the Saints found themselves on the wrong side of the decisions once more, especially during their defeat to Manchester United and their 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa just after the New Year.

“I can understand why Hassenhuttl was upset because there have been decisions going against them, especially at Old Trafford with the penalty and then Matty Cash against Aston Villa. I can understand his frustrations, I really can.

“He’s seen a lot of inconsistencies with referees and handball. I felt the Cash one was a clear handball, and I still do. Because he did exactly the same, made himself bigger and moved his arm towards the ball even though there was that minute touch off his thigh.

“In that [Bertrand] situation, the referee had given it straight away. VAR wouldn’t have overturned it because it wasn’t a clear and obvious error. It would’ve been interesting to see, had he not given it, what VAR would have done.”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

The St Marys’ faithful, and Hassenhuttl, have every right to feel aggrieved about the incident, especially given some of the decisions that have gone against them in recent weeks and months.

Consistency is a serious issue when it comes to officiating and the decisions that are being made, which must be addressed before the start of next season.

Unless it’s absolutely clear what the rules are and it’s followed by every referee, then moments of controversy like the one at the weekend involving Bertrand will just continue to mount up.

In other news, Have a look at what Southampton fans thought of this incident – here.

The main reason behind football being so popular for betting is its worldwide availability and live telecasts in different forms of media. Most countries play football and have their own teams and clubs which makes the sport common for sportsbooks, both online as well as in brick-and-mortar gambling sites. Football is the most popular sport in the UK, followed by cricket, rugby, tennis, and badminton.

Thus, sports betting is also legal there. When it comes to betting in the UK, football exceeds its popularity among all other sports and there is a huge number of punters looking to bet on football leagues via bookies.

Sports Betting Sites Not On Gamstop

The UK has a well established and detailed culture for sports betting. Bookmakers make a substantial contribution to the economy by generating taxes and providing employment. However, the Gambling Act of 2005 established the United Kingdom Gambling Commission as the primary governing body for enforcement of gambling legislation and regulating gambling activities within the country which brought about major changes in the terms of gambling and betting within the country.

The Act states that any gambling operators who are based in the UK have to obtain a license from either UKGC or a white-listed territory by the UKGC in order to provide gambling facilities to the UK based punters.

This may be beneficial for problem gamblers as it helps them sign up for the self-exclusion schemes associated with these bookmakers. But, not all bettors want to surround themselves with rules and regulations by the UKGC for controlling their gambling activities unnecessarily. This is where non GamStop UK sites for online betting step in and offer their gambling services. These sites run on offshore licenses such as Curacao eGaming, Malta, Gibraltar, or Kahnawake. Offshore license holders have the least amount of rules and regulations and do not control a punter’s gameplay.

These are flexible in nature. These sites provide a high-quality gaming experience and cater to an audience that spans across all geographies. Apart from Sports Betting options, these sites also provide a variety of gambling options including Slots, Baccarat, Roulette, VIP Rooms, and Live Dealers. Most of them feature games from top tier providers such as Microgaming, Playtech, Azumi, etc.

Self-Exclusion Scheme Benefits

Self-exclusion promotes responsible gambling in all forms. It is made to assist the recovery of problem gamblers and is also a preventive measure for gamblers who are eventually getting addicted to gambling. For such people, there are a few self-exclusion schemes that can be helpful for them :

GamStop : It is a free service launched in 2018, that restricts a person’s gambling tendencies by imposing certain rules. A person registered under GamStop has to undergo an exclusion period of 6 months, 1 year, or 5 years according to their choice. During this time, Gamstop prevents access to all gambling websites and apps run by companies licensed under the UKGC. Once registered, the scheme cannot be revised.

Gamban: Gamban is a user-friendly application that blocks all forms of online gambling on the installed device. It is a secure, reliable, and affordable option for those who want to fight their gambling addiction problems. However, it can only be effective if the response is spontaneous. Once the app is installed, the device will no longer have access to any gambling apps or websites. The application supports Android, Mac OS, iOS, and Windows.

GamCare: Gamcare was founded in 1997 and operates in England, Wales, and Scotland. It is an independent UK based charity that aims at providing information and support for a person suffering from gambling problems. It also provides materials and training to the gambling industry for improved player protection along with social responsibility. The training programs stress recognizing the signs of problem gambling and suggest solutions for the same.

If a bettor wants to gamble without being restricted by any of these self-exclusion schemes, they can choose to use betting sites not on Gamstop which are liberal and easy to use without restrictive policies.

Concluding Thoughts

Self-exclusion should be a voluntary process where a gambler identifies his own addiction and decides to take up a solution. Otherwise, there can be other means of going around these schemes such as using a fake identity, providing inaccurate information, using other devices, and so on. These applications or schemes are designed for the welfare of the people. Betting should be a leisure activity and not a habit and only then can one control gambling. Most of the UK based gambling sites provide self-exclusion schemes for all their punters.

Everton could struggle to recoup much of their initial outlay on Gylfi Sigurdsson but looking at a younger replacement remains sensible, Kevin Phillips has told Football Insider.

It follows a report from the website that Everton will listen to offers for the Icelandic international this summer. The outlet claimed that the 31-year-old will be available for a ‘fraction’ of the £45m sum paid to recruit the attacking midfielder from Swansea City in 2016.

Sigurdsson’s strong 2020/21 campaign

Sigurdsson has been in decent form this season, scoring six goals and assisting a further nine in all competitions. He has well surpassed his meagre tally of six goal contributions from last season.

Carlo Ancelotti has utilised his versatility, deploying him as a deeper-lying central midfielder and even a centre-forward on occasion.

Sigurdsson has just over a year remaining on his £100,000-a-week contract and is valued by the CIES Football Observatory at somewhere between £6m and £8.5m.

Phillips issues Sigurdsson transfer verdict

Whilst such a sale would represent a huge loss for Everton, former Premier League Golden Boot winner Phillips says that now might be the ideal time to refresh the squad with a new number 10.

“They aren’t going to get anywhere near what they paid for him, that’s for sure,” he said.

“Maybe that’s a sign of Everton thinking ‘he’s a 31-year-old who’s had a good a season’ but will they get that again next season?

“His value is only going down. Maybe it’s time to cash in and bring someone in who’s younger, who they’ll get more years out of.”

Intriguingly, Phillips also suggested that Sigurdsson may dig in and look to see out his contract if Champions League football was on offer at Goodison Park next season. The Toffees are currently five points behind fourth-placed Chelsea but crucially have a game in hand.

“It’ll be interesting to see how that one plays out,” the 47-year-old said. “If Everton were to finish in the top four, would Sigurdsson really want to leave?”

Transfer Tavern verdict

Sigurdsson has demonstrated this season, after a disappointing 2019/20 campaign, that he can be a valuable member of the Everton squad.

If you’re only going to receive seven figures in a sale, then it probably makes sense to keep him around as a versatile rotation option for one more year.

Finishing in the European places would boost the Blues’ spending power regardless. They shouldn’t necessarily be in a sell-to-buy position.

In other news, could this midfielder become an Everton player in the next transfer window?

According to Football Insider, Leeds United have been offered the chance to sign Montpellier striker Andy Delort in this January transfer window.

What’s the story?

The Whites have had to rely on Patrick Bamford week-in and week-out for this entire Premier League campaign thus far, and to the 29-year-old’s credit, he’s done remarkably well on the whole – he’s already bagged ten goals in 18 games in the division.

But now, Football Insider claim that with French football feeling the pinch of the financial situation facing most clubs around the world, Montpellier are keen to raise some quick money by cashing in on Delort this month.

The report adds that Marcelo Bielsa’s side are one of a number of clubs to be offered the 6 foot Algeria international’s services, and that Leeds are on the look-out for a striker who can benefit from the amount of crosses they put into the box.

Shades of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink

With Bamford Leeds’ sole saviour up front this season in the Premier League, Bielsa will no doubt be desperate to add to his striking ranks, and a move for the rapid Delort could go a long way to solving way.

How quick is Delort? Well, it was revealed that last season in Ligue 1, he was ranked as the fastest player in the division, even ahead of PSG flier Kylian Mbappe.

And, an analysis piece by French Football Weekly hailed Delort’s all-round game, saying: “What Delort lacks in height, he more than makes up for in terms of his use of physique when holding off defenders with his shoulders and he uses his excellent ball control to quickly move the ball out of his feet to release venomous shots from range.

“His strength also allows him to play with this back to goal and his placement of shots is extremely accurate. On his day, Delort is a technically-gifted player who makes the best use of his great first touch.”

A lot of Delort’s game resembles that of former Leeds striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, with the Dutchman of course possessing one of the fiercest strikes in the Premier League during his time and having great feet – that’s not to mention how much of a proven goal-scorer he was in the top-flight too, netting an impressive 129 times in the competition.

Delort has been in fine form this campaign for Montpellier, out-scoring PSG superstar Neymar with nine goals in 18 games. His previous experience in English football – 11 games with Wigan in the Championship back in the 2014/2015 season – saw him score none whatsoever.

But with a few years gone, Delort may be ready for a return to these shores.

Meanwhile, Leeds must try and sell this Radrizzani disaster…

After securing a place in the Champions League knockout stages in midweek with a win against Olympiakos, Manchester City return to Premier League action on Saturday afternoon, as they face Burnley at the Etihad.

A goal from Phil Foden proved to be the difference in Greece but with Kevin De Bruyne set to return to the starting eleven after not travelling in midweek, the English midfielder may miss out against Sean Dyche’s side.

The Clarets secured their first win of the Premier League season last time out with a 1-0 triumph against Crystal Palace so will be buoyed ahead of their trip to Manchester, and they certainly won’t make it easy for the Citizens.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Guardiola to line up his side against Burnley, with the Spaniard making four changes…

Ederson unsurprisingly keeps his place in goal, whilst Kyle Walker will also more than likely return to the starting 11 after he also didn’t travel in midweek.

Despite an impressive display from John Stones, Aymeric Laporte will probably return at centre-back to continue his recent strong partnership with Ruben Dias.

Although it was a decent returning game from Benjamin Mendy after his latest injury, Joao Cancelo will probably switch back to left-back for the game against Burnley.

There’s one change in midfield as De Bruyne replaces Foden, as although the 20-year-old was extremely impressive against Olympiakos, the game against Burnley will be much more of a physical battle in midfield, so he may be the one axed in place of De Bruyne.

However, he could still make an impact from the bench, as he did earlier in the season against West Ham, which led to Joe Cole praising him following the game, with the pundit saying:

“You can see he’s got a hunger to score and it was an outstanding goal.

“He looked like the best player when he came on the pitch. You look at the amount of money spent on some of the players out there and that’s a young Englishman.

“He’s an outstanding talent and after today Pep (Guardiola) will look at him with a different light because he changed the game.” (per Daily Mail)

Meanwhile, Ferran Torres should return to the starting line-up on the right-hand side, in place of the out-of-form Bernardo Silva, whilst Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus will more than likely complete the attack, although they will want to put their missed chances in midweek behind them.

Guardiola’s side are in desperate need of three points, as they currently sit 14th in the Premier League table, so nothing but maximum points from this game will be acceptable if they have title aspirations for this season.

And, in other news… Manchester City must complete signing of £63m-rated “complete” striker loved by Messi

According to Sport BILD journalist Christian Falk, Arsenal are interested in signing Borussia Dortmund midfielder Julian Brandt.

What’s the story?

The Gunners have been short of creativity this season, with just 16 goals scored in their first 16 games of the new Premier League season.

Mikel Arteta’s side have improved in the last couple of games, particularly with academy starlet Emile Smith Rowe playing in that all-important number ten role.

But, it seems the north London side are still intent on signing an attacking midfielder, and Falk has claimed that Brandt is in their sights, and that a “transfer is already a topic in the dressing room”.

Perfect upgrade on Ozil

Whilst things haven’t quite gone to plan for Brandt this season – he’s completed the full 90 minutes just twice in the Bundesliga – there’s no doubting the kind of talent the Germany international possesses.

His former coach at Dortmund, Lucien Favre, said: “He can play different positions in different systems, on the wings, between the lines, in a midfield two or three, even as a striker. He offers many solutions for a coach. That’s his great quality, that’s his strength.”

That versatility sets him apart from Ozil, who whilst he could potentially play off the right, is at his best in that number ten role. Brandt can play on either flank, and with Arteta showing he is a tactically astute manager, the 24-year-old’s ability to adapt to different systems and demands seems tailor made for the Gunners right now.

In August 2017, he became the youngest Bayer Leverkusen player to rack up 100 Bundesliga appearances, and has already got plenty of Champions League experience with Dortmund too.

If Edu can pull off a deal for the £31.5m-rated record-breaker, then Arsenal may just have found their ideal Ozil upgrade.

Spurs suffered their first defeat of the year on Thursday night, and one of Jose Mourinho’s most-trusted generals was the catalyst for their downfall.

Defending champions Liverpool ran away with a 3-1 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to bolster their title defence, while it leaves the north Londoners with plenty to do before they can truly be considered a contender.

It was a trio of errors that proved to be Spurs’ Achilles’ heel, all of which started with Eric Dier’s ghastly judgement for Roberto Firmino’s opener.

The £22.5m-rated star is above and beyond Mourinho’s first-choice centre-back having started 18 of their 19 league outings, seven more than Toby Alderweireld, 12 more than Davinson Sanchez and 15 more than Joe Rodon, as per WhoScored.

As one of the regular starters, he should be a reliable figure in the heart of defence – that’s why he’s continually selected, right?

Well, his lapse in concentration to allow the Brazilian to ghost in and tap home right before half time to really set the tone for the rest of the game.

As Dan Kilpatrick wrote in his post-match ratings column for the Evening Standard: “It was another example of a big error undermining his performance,” which echoed the thoughts of football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, who claimed Dier “makes some decisions that undo a lot” of his good work.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-and-rumours” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours, injury latest and more!”]

Interestingly, both journalists graded Matt Doherty’s display as worse than the Englishman, but that’s a tad unfair. First of all, the 29-year-old was playing out of position at left wing-back and secondly, he had only just returned from injury.

The right-footed defender had missed their FA Cup win on Monday and their victory over Sheffield United in the league, so cut him some slack.

As mentioned above, Dier needed to do a lot better, especially considering his involvement in the match. He recorded the second-highest number of touches (91) but in doing so, delivered very little in return.

Indeed, the 43-cap England international lost possession 11 times as he was awfully careless in the passing game, also recording 11 missed passes and six missed long balls, via SofaScore.

Wasteful.

Firmino, who has struggled in front of the sticks this season, failing to score in the five league games before kickoff, had the better of Dier as he managed to fire off three shots, including the opener.

Doherty can be given a free ride this time around – it’s the 27-year-old colossus who betrayed Mourinho.

Dier is one of the few defensive players the Spurs boss actually trusts, so it says a lot when Alderweireld didn’t start, and they shipped three goals against a side who hadn’t scored in the Premier League since December 27.

AND in other news, Spurs could find their next Danny Rose in £20m “special player”…

It's safe to say that this has not been a rip-roaring start to the new season for Tottenham Hotspur. They may have dispatched Everton with some aplomb but they have now dropped points to Leicester City and Newcastle United.

The draw with Leicester across the opening round of fixtures was painful but the 2-1 loss at St James' Park on Sunday afternoon will no doubt sting even more.

Spurs arguably had the better chances, hitting the bar and constantly getting into promising positions courtesy of wide players Wilson Odobert and Brennan Johnson.

However, their defensive susceptibilities came back to bite them on a ground where, let's be honest, they've been pretty dreadful in recent years.

Remember that 6-1 defeat? Of course, you do. Things weren't quite as bad this time around obviously but it still left plenty to be desired.

Why Tottenham lost to Newcastle

A lack of end product could be blamed for Spurs' defeat on Tyneside. After all, they only found the net courtesy of an own goal from Dan Burn.

It was Johnson who was crucial to that goal and he was a big threat when he came on at half time, attempting three crosses and completing both of his two dribble attempts.

However, there wasn't much forthcoming from his fellow winger in summer signing Odobert. The Frenchman was a threat but that final pass was missing on too many occasions. He created just one key pass and missed a 'big chance' of his own,

It was ultimately their defensive performance that let them down the most. Players were caught out of position for both goals, scored in the first 45 minutes by Harvey Barnes and then in the second period by Alexander Isak, a man who has proven himself to be a constant thorn in Tottenham's backline over the years.

While standing out in moments, Cristian Romero must share some of the blame for Sunday's dropped points.

Cristian Romero's performance in numbers

Romero is one the most elusive football players going. On his day, the Argentine is a titan at the back and he pops up with pretty important moments in the final third too, scoring against Everton last week.

However, he's also rash and hot-headed, the first trait we saw for both goals conceded by Postecoglou's men.

For the first, Romero went sprinting out of the backline to press the Newcastle midfield but in the process of forcing a throw-in, Eddie Howe's side took it quickly. Where did the ball go? Exactly where the Spurs defender should have been, with the delivery sent straight into the path of Barnes who fired home.

He was arguably more at fault for the second. Once more he was caught straying out of position which left an acre of space in behind for Newcastle to capitalise on. Capitalise they did.

Jacob Murphy darted onto a ball and then slid it across the face of the goal for Isak who was handed a tap-in. That moment drew notable criticism from the Sky Sports commentary team, who stated: "Truly dreadful, you can't ball watch, you've got to drop off. Romero just seems to be watching the ball, he's got no idea where Murphy is. Udogie gets sucked in too."

Minutes played

90

Touches

60

Accurate passes

46/53 (87%)

Key passes

0

Long balls

0/3

Clearances

2

Interceptions

0

Tackles

2

Ground duels won

2/2

Aerial duels won

3/5

Romero's performance was also aptly summed up by Football.London's Alasdair Gold. The reporter handed him a 5/10 match rating, writing that he 'defended well until the goal when he was caught out of position after pressing up the pitch. Caught flat-footed for the second goal as well.'

So, two moments where the defender lost his concentration cost his team today and Spurs will now have to stew on this one for two weeks until the Premier League returns following the international break.

Bigger talent than Cardoso: Spurs struck gold with "future £100m" player

Ange is going to turn him into a force to be reckoned with…

ByAngus Sinclair Aug 31, 2024