Tag Futebol

Carlo Ancelotti has been dealt a nightmare by James Rodriguez, after the Everton midfielder endured “by far” the “worst match” of his international career as Colombia were humiliated 6-1 by Ecuador on Tuesday night.

Rodriguez featured for the full 90 minutes at the Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado to earn his 80th senior cap, but again failed to impress after lacking his usual magic in Friday’s defeat at home to Uruguay.

Yet his performance against Uruguay paled into insignificance compared to his efforts against Ecuador, with Colombian outlet El Tiempo describing the 29-year-old’s display as “by far” the poorest he has ever produced on the international stage, leading to questions over what the former Real Madrid maestro actually brought to the side.

“He had already come from not weighing in the match against Uruguay, but this may be his worst match with the Colombian National Team by far,” they claim. “He only appeared to collect the penalty that meant the partial 4-1.

“What is James’ problem? He does not adapt to the system, he does not weigh, he does not feel.”

El Tiempo thought so poorly of Rodriguez’s performance that he was only awarded a three out of 10 rating, despite ending a 12-game goal drought with his side’s late first-half penalty that offered Colombia hope of a second-half comeback.

Ancelotti would have been hopeful of seeing an individual comeback from Rodriguez after his torrid performance against Uruguay, with the £90,000-per-week midfielder entering the international break on the wrong foot after asking to be substituted in defeat to Manchester United.

“He was OK, he was tired,” the Italian said following the 3-1 loss, via quotes by the Liverpool Echo. “This week he did 80-minutes and he asked me to change it because he was tired but no physical problem.”

Rodriguez has been struggling for form in recent weeks following the testicular injury sustained in contact with Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk during October’s Merseyside Derby, which ruled the two-time Champions League winner out of Everton’s 2-1 defeat at Newcastle after passing a late fitness test to face Southampton.

He returned to the starting line-up against Manchester United, but again failed to register a goal or an assist to extend his run without scoring to three Premier League appearances and two without creating a goal, having struck thrice and assisted thrice in his first five outings.

Rodriguez finally scored again for Colombia in their brutal drubbing by Ecuador when he converted the 45th-minute penalty, while registering three key balls without creating a big chance, misplacing five of his seven crosses, eight of his 29 total passes and only attempting one dribble, per SofaScore.

While the talented 29-year-old beat his marker with his only dribble of the game, Rodriguez further lost four of his six ground duels and did not contend any aerial battles, lost possession 16 times, committed one foul and was dribbled past twice without offering any tackles, interceptions or clearances.

Ancelotti’s major concern will be to what extent playing 180-minutes in four days will have on Rodriguez, given his state when leaving Everton for international duty in south America, but also the level he was able to bring to the field once again.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti appears set for disappointment with a “great striker” overlooking Everton’s interest.

West Ham United must look to revive their failed bid to sign James Tarkowski after Burnley boss Sean Dyche hinted the defender’s head was turned by the transfer speculation this summer.

What’s the word?

According to Sky Sports, the Hammers saw an improved bid worth up to £30million snubbed by Burnley as the Clarets were under no pressure to sell their most-prized asset.

West Ham were willing to pay an upfront £20m in order to secure the signature of the two-time England international, or pay £23m with no future add-ons for a player who played every minute of Burnley’s 2019/20 Premier League campaign.

The Irons offer came after seeing an initial bid worth in excess of £20m rebuffed, as boss David Moyes was keen to land the 27-year-old amid hopes of using the £18m raised from Grady Diangana’s sale to strengthen his centre-back options.

Leicester City were also a keen suitor in the hunt for Tarkowski’s services this summer, and likewise saw a £30m bid rejected.

Tarkowski has now put the transfer interest behind him, but Burnley boss Dyche’s comments on the speculation which surrounded the defender’s future suggest his head was turned.

“I didn’t feel he wasn’t fully focused,” Dyche said, via quotes by LancsLive. “It’s tough for players. They have a lot of noise around them, even more so than ever, certainly way more than in my day, although I was no good!

“They’ve got media streams, social media, rumours, conjecture all going on all the time. So it’s more difficult for players now, I believe. But Tarky is a top pro. He always has been since we got him in here.

“I’m sure he’s focused and committed to what’s going on here now. It’s probably helpful to close the window down to clear up any situations that are spinning around on the outside, the noise as I call it.”

Should West Ham revive their Tarkowski pursuit?

With Burnley holding firm in demanding £50m for Tarkowski this summer, West Ham were never a realistic destination for the 27-year-old given the Hammers’ financial situation which made offloading high-earners pivotal to any potential spending.

But the Irons could not find permanent suitors for the likes of Felipe Anderson or Manuel Lanzini, and ultimately had to sell Diangana to raise some funds which were later put toward the capture of Said Benrahma.

If 2021 plays out differently, though, and West Ham are blessed with a greater war chest come the summer, Tarkowski’s situation is one that the Hammers’ ownership of David Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady must look to reconsider if the defender’s head was turned by the potential of a move to the London Stadium.

While the start of Tarkowski’s 2020/21 campaign was delayed due to a toe injury, his relentless game time in the previous term ensured he ranked first among all Premier League defenders for clearances (200), aerial duels won (198), second for shots blocked (47), seventh for interceptions (63) and 12th for ground duels won (109), per SofaScore.

It would take a dramatic turn of events for Tarkowski not to similarly impress this season, and make his situation one that clubs like West Ham will explore again with the 27-year-old’s £50,000-per-week contract due to expire in 2022.

AND in other news, a £27m-rated West Ham man must utilise the east London outfit’s transfer failings to his advantage.

West Bromwich Albion’s pursuit of a new striker has taken a damning twist this week with fresh reports emerging from a reliable source…

What’s the word?

According to the Telegraph’s John Percy, the Baggies are eyeing up a loan swoop for Leicester City outcast Islam Slimani with just days remaining in the current transfer window.

He claims that Albion have made an inquiry for the once £28m club-record man and are considering taking him on loan for the rest of the 2020/21 season.

The Foxes have loaned out the 32-year-old three times since 2018 and would prefer to sell him permanently this summer. His contract is set to expire in under 12 months time.

Same old, same old

You have to wonder when West Brom will get it right with their strikers. Romelu Lukaku was a mere needle in the haystack as it’s been year after year of disappointing flops.

Rickie Lambert, Nicolas Anekla, Georgios Samaras, Victor Anichebe, Brown Ideye are just a few from the last decade whilst it seems as if both of last summer’s signings, Kenneth Zohore and Charlie Austin, could soon join that list as neither have featured in Slaven Bilic’s plans this campaign.

The Algerian colossus would surely be another one you’d expect to fit in with these names, having cost a whopping £28m, he has only managed to score 13 goals in 46 appearances for the Midlands rivals. He’s clearly none done enough whilst on loan to convince Brendan Rodgers either.

French newspaper L’Equipe described Slimani’s performances for Monaco last season as “magnificent,” “a constant danger,” and “he offers solutions” yet he’s still not in the first-team plans at the King Power.

The 6 foot 2 forward is also sitting on extortionate wages of around £80k-per-week, meaning it’s still one hell of a gamble for Luke Dowling to sanction despite it only being a temporary switch.

Just go and pay what’s required for Karlan Grant, there’s a thousand times more upside there than adding to the list of Baggies flops.

AND in other news, Dowling on verge of West Brom masterclass if he lands £5m man…

Glasgow Rangers could well be four points clear of Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership table by the time they face Livingston FC next Sunday. Steven Gerrard will have had almost two weeks to think about his options when the whistle blows at the weekend.

As the old saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. So, the Rangers boss probably won’t tinker too much with the back four before the Old Firm derby, providing everybody is fit. James Tavernier and Borna Barisic are safe bets to start, whilst Connor Goldson and Filip Helander will most likely resume their partnership in the heart of the defence. However, Gerrard has other areas he urgently needs to address.

It seems Gerrard still hasn’t settled for a regular starter on the right wing. Ianis Hagi and Jordan Jones have started in recent weeks, whilst Brandon Barker came off the bench to score a goal against Ross County before the international break.

Competition for places has arguably never been higher which means that the Gers boss has some big calls to make. But both Barker and Jones have struggled at times in the Scottish Premiership with neither player managing more than 0.5 key passes per game, via SofaScore.

In fact, the pair haven’t provided a single assist between them at the moment, meaning even Scott Arfield is contributing more in attack, and he’s not someone you should really expect to see pinging in passes into the box. By comparison, Hagi has played 10 games in the Scottish top flight this season, and scored one goal and supplied five assists, whilst he has averaged 1.5 shots and 1.6 key passes per game, as per SofaScore.

He is also comfortable playing with either foot, meaning he can spray passes left and right, whereas Barker and Jones prefer to play with their right feet. Therefore, it’s time for Gerrard to give the 13-cap Romanian international the chance to shine, as the attacking midfielder could be the man to make the magic happen. He has been on the bench in their last two Premiership matches and still managed two assists, so he needs to be brought back into the 11 for the next game.

Gerrard once hailed the 21-year-old as an “outstanding” player after he inspired Rangers to a sensational 3-2 comeback victory against Braga in the Europa League last term.

What better way for Hagi to finally earn his stripes than by starting at Parkhead? His passing ability could cause Celtic all sorts of problems.

AND in other news, Ex-Rangers whizkid Billy Gilmour has thrived since his Ibrox exit…

Plenty of Liverpool fans have been reacting to transfer reports claiming that Marko Grujic could be sold this summer.

German media outlet Bild claimed that Hertha Berlin, to whom the midfielder has been on loan for the last two years, want to sign him on a permanent deal, with Jurgen Klopp set to decide on the player’s Anfield future during the Reds’ pre-season training camp in Austria. The news was subsequently shared on Twitter by @AnfieldEdition.

Grujic, who is valued at £13.05m by TransferMarkt, was Klopp’s first signing as Liverpool manager back in 2016 but has been unable to establish himself on Merseyside, making just 14 appearances for the club and being loaned out to Cardiff and Hertha Berlin (twice).

In responding to reports of the Bundesliga club’s desire for a permanent deal, many Reds supporters are in favour of that happening, given the plethora of midfield options at Klopp’s disposal, while some feel that selling the 24-year-old could help to bankroll the potential signing of Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich, with the Spain international reportedly keen on moving to Anfield.

Check out some of the Twitter responses from Liverpool fans below:

Liverpool fans, would you be in favour of selling Grujic if it meant being able to get the Thiago deal over the line? Join in the discussion by commenting below!

MatériaMais Notícias

A derrota para o Fluminense fez que com que a permanência na Série A voltasse a ser um milagre para o Vasco. A cinco jogos do término do Campeonato Brasileiro, a equipe precisa de uma façanha que apenas o Grêmio, em 2003, e o próprio Fluminense, em 2009, conseguiram: tirar uma vantagem de pelo menos cinco pontos do primeiro fora a cinco rodadas do fim do Brasileiro.

A matemática aponta que o Cruz-Maltino, hoje com 30 pontos, precisa de quatro vitórias e um empate para se livrar da queda. Afinal, com 43 pontos a chance de não cair é bem grande. Foi essa campanha que os tricolores gaúcho e carioca fizeram em 2003 e 2009, respectivamente. As únicas duas vezes desde o início dos pontos corridos, há 12 anos. É por isso que o auxiliar técnico do Vasco, Zinho, leva em conta esses “feitos”:

– Temos, sim, que respeitar e fazer essas contas. Ver essas informações e trabalhar em cima disso com os atletas. É bom trabalhar para vencer todos os jogos, mas sabemos que não é tão fácil. Vamos mostrar os números dos últimos campeonatos e ver que teve gente que conseguiu sair mesmo com os matemáticos dizendo o contrário. É desta forma que conversamos com os jogadores.

Em São Januário, embora ninguém admita publicamente, há um grande abatimento depois da derrota para o Fluminense. Afinal, se antes a equipe não perdia há nove jogos, agora não vence há cinco. O jogo contra o Palmeiras, domingo, em São Paulo, é visto como uma vitória fundamental para o futuro do Cruz-Maltino. E o discurso é de acreditar.

– A pontuação não diz que o Vasco caiu. Diz que o Vasco tem chance, desde que realize dentro de campo. Mas é bem possível, o futebol é incrível. Vence um jogo e muda completamente o astral. Se ganha um jogo como esse, contra o Palmeiras, fica tudo de novo real e bem possível. E ainda nos traz confiança a torcida. Em nenhum momento percebemos que eles (jogadores) não estão acreditando. Não é inventar uma história – comentou o auxiliar Zinho.

O certo é que está mais do que na hora de todos se unirem – diretoria, comissão técnica e jogadores – pois um terceiro rebaixamento em oito anos mancha a história do clube.

أكدت تقارير صحفية تونسية، أن علي معلول الظهير الأيسر للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، أغلق ملف العروض الخارجية التي وصلته خلال الأيام الماضية من أندية خليجية من أجل التعاقد معه بأرقام مالية كبيرة.

وأشارت صحيفة “تونس الرقمية” أن علي معلول حسم موقفه وقرر البقاء في الأهلي بعدما اتفق مع مسئولي القلعة الحمراء على تجديد عقده مع النادي لمدة موسمين مقابل مليوني و500 ألف دولار أمريكي.

وأضافت أنه بالرغم من أن العروض الخارجية كانت مُغرية للغاية للدولي التونسي إلا أنه فضل البقاء مع الأهلي ورفض الرحيل، خاصة بعد تمسك القلعة الحمراء به، لاسيما وأن علي معلول يشعر بالاستقرار والراحة مع المارد الأحمر.

طالع أيضا.. موسيماني: الفوز بـ دوري أبطال إفريقيا سيأتي بالضغط.. وسنعيد لقب الدوري إلى بيته!

وكشف مصدر داخل النادي الأهلي للصحيفة، أنه سيتم إعلان تجديد عقد علي معلول خلال الأيام القليلة المقبلة، خاصة أن الفريق ليس لديه ارتباطات هذه الفترة، بعد الانتهاء من مباراة إنبي أمس في دور الـ16 لكأس مصر.

Jose Mourinho is growing increasingly confident that Tottenham Hotspur can sign Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma this summer, according to the Daily Express. 

While Zouma has fought his way back into contention at Stamford Bridge, Frank Lampard is still looking to sign a new centre-back in the summer. He has pinned all of his hopes on signing West Ham’s Declan Rice and, if the former Chelsea academy player arrives at Stamford Bridge, Zouma could be sacrificed in his place.

Both Spurs and the Blues have obvious problems at the back, as they have conceded more goals than Arsenal, Premier League newcomers Sheffield United and newly-crowned champions Liverpool this season.

Mourinho is a massive fan of the Frenchman and has made no attempt to hide his open admiration (Sky Sports). He brought Zouma to the Premier League in the first place after signing him from Saint-Etienne back in 2014 (BBC Sport).

The Portuguese has made it clear that the 25-year-old is one of his top priorities in the summer. However, Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti, who has previously managed Chelsea, has tagged Zouma as a possible target. The Daily Express claimed that Spurs and the Toffees have hit a stumbling block, as the Blues value the Frenchman at £25m.

Zouma enjoyed a loan spell at Everton in 2018/19, but Mourinho’s relationship with the French international could still play a part in negotiations. As it stands, he could certainly be an upgrade on the Tottenham defence at the moment, as he has earned a higher WhoScored rating than any of Spurs’ defensive options so far this season.

While Daniel Levy has made it clear that he will not be spending ‘rivers of money’ in the summer, Zouma could be a shrewd signing to make as, given his young age of 25, he surely has plenty of time left in his career to continue to learn and develop.

Tottenham fans, should Daniel Levy sign Kurt Zouma in the summer? Let us know in the comments below!

أعلن الموقع الرسمي لنادي ليفربول، عن اللاعبين المرشحين لجائزة أفضل لاعب عن شهر أغسطس الماضي داخل الريدز.

ليفربول في الموسم الجديد خاض 3 مباريات، انتصر في مواجهتين ضد نورويتش سيتي وبيرنلي وتعادل مع تشيلسي بهدفٍ لمثله.

اقرأ أيضًا.. “WhoScored” تختار محمد صلاح ضمن تشكيل الأفضل لشهر أغسطس بالدوري الإنجليزي

وتواجد في قائمة المرشحين، التي أعلنها الموقع الرسمي، 18 لاعبًا، بينهم صلاح وساديو ماني، بجانب فيرمينو، فضلًا عن دييجو جوتا.

محمد صلاح في الشهر الماضي رفقة ليفربول، شارك في مسابقة البريميرليج، في 3 مباريات بواقع 270 دقيقة، وساهم نجمنا المصري في 4 أهداف، حيث أحرز هدفين وصنع مثلهما.

ويُمكنكم التصويت لجائزة أفضل لاعب في شهر أغسطس الماضي، من خلال الضغط هُنا.

It’s time to cast your vote for August’s @StanChart Player of the Month, Reds! 🗳️👇 — Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 3, 2021

يستقبل فريق بيرنلي نظيره ليفربول اليوم الأربعاء، في منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

واحتدم السباق على المركز الرابع في الدوري الإنجليزي مع الاقتراب من نهاية الموسم، خاصة بعد فوز تشيلسي على ليستر سيتي يوم الثلاثاء.

اليوم الأربعاء، يأمل ليفربول في العودة إلى مراكز دوري أبطال أوروبا، عندما يلتقي مع بيرنلي في تيرف مور بالجولة 37.

ليفربول يحتل المركز الخامس بـ63 نقطة، وحال فوزه سيصعد للمركز الرابع الذي يتواجد به ليستر سيتي بـ66 نقطة، بعد هزيمته من تشيلسي صاحب المركز الثالث (67 نقطة).

برايتون يتواجد في المركز الـ16 بـ39 نقطة بجدول الترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي.

طالع تشكيل ليفربول المتوقع أمام بيرنلي اليوم في الدوري الإنجليزي معلق مباراة ليفربول وبيرنلي

يعلق على المباراة حفيظ دراجي عبر قنوات beIN sports HD 1 premium، وbeIN sports 4k HDR.

يمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنا.