Tag Futebol

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…

If these comments are anything to go by, we should be in for a feisty encounter today.

Speaking ahead of their game at the City Ground, Royals boss Mark Bowen was adamant that he didn’t want his side to be considered pushovers anymore.

The comments come with his side 20th in the table and having only one 3 of their 13 games this year:

“I have tweaked the way we play in terms of trying to be a bit more direct and a bit more on the front foot. I want us to play games where it’s a battle for every team playing against us. I hate that label where if you play Reading it’s going to be a nice game of football.

“Well excuse me for saying it but sod that. I want us to be nasty and if we get that right the quality in the team will take over and we will become a better side and will get more points.”

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When he was first appointed, Lamouchi spoke about how this division was the ‘worst league in the world’, and if the past two games have been a baptism of fire in the Championship, it appears as if he’s going to be in for another tough day at the office.

The past two games have been something of a disaster for Nottingham Forest, with fans now starting to question the manager, and he is going to have to do something incredibly drastic to get those fans back on his side.

A two-game losing streak can be somewhat acceptable, especially when you consider the number of injuries to key players that they have had to put up with during the process.

However, if that turns into three defeats in a row, and back to back losses on your home ground, it starts to become a problem and something that can quickly become a trend.

Lamouchi has been given an advantage here, Bowen has just gone and told him how he expects to set his team up.

This may give him added pressure but it’s up to him to try and counteract Reading’s setup, because if he can’t learn when being given a heads up in this manner, perhaps that ten-match unbeaten run wasn’t all down to him after all.

Barcelona have a plethora of young quality rising through their academy system and B team at the moment.

This season we have seen the likes of 17-year-old Ansu Fati steal the headlines with mature performances for Ernesto Valverde’s first-team, notably when he scored against both Osasuna and Valencia in late-August and early-September.

Fati has now made a total of eight appearances for the Blaugrana this term, with his latest start coming against Real Valladolid last week as the club cruised to a 5-1 victory at the Camp Nou.

Another young player to see plenty of game-time this season is winger Carles Perez, who has registered three assists and scored once in seven La Liga appearances (five starts) this term, per Transfermarkt. Both Perez and Fati are now deemed to be valuable assets to the Catalan’s senior side – proven by the amount of minutes they have both seen this time out.

20-year-old central midfielder Riqui Puig is another young player making progress for Barcelona. Despite not featuring for the first-team yet, he has scored two and assisted two goals playing for the club’s B team in the Spanish second-tier this season.

Barca fans are excited about what the future has in-store for Puig, expressing their feelings towards the Spaniard on Twitter, after a clip of him doing an obscene bit of skill recently surfaced on the social media platform.

Barcelona fans, how much of a talent is Puig? Let us know by commenting below!

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

Wolves return from the international break with high hopes about kicking on in the Premier League after they enjoyed a fruitful run of matches just a couple of weeks ago.

Nuno Santo’s men recorded three straight victories in all competitions, which was topped off by a stunning 2-0 win over reigning champions Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

The result was a stark contrast to last month when the west Midlands outfit were trounced 5-2 by Chelsea before losing their Europa League group opener to Braga just days later, both coming on their own patch, Molineux.

Their 32,000-seater home plays host again this weekend as Southampton make the trip north looking to bounce back from a Blues-shaped defeat of their own.

On the Chalkboard

With both teams having to endure a two-week pause in the season, it is hard to gauge how either side is going to perform.

However, Nuno will need to call on improvements from his key man up top, Raul Jimenez, if he wants to get anything from this match.

The Mexican striker is currently suffering a barren domestic spell as he is without a goal in six successive matches in all competitions – his last strike came in the 3-2 defeat at Everton.

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This just simply has to improve, especially as the Saints come into this fixture on the back of four clean sheets in their last five away games and for a side that sits in the sole spot outside of the relegation zone, that’s quite impressive.

Centre-back Jan Bednarek has been a mainstay in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s backline this season, playing in all eight top-flight matches, so it is reasonable to suggest that he will hold the keys to Jimenez unlocking that much-needed goal.

The 23-year-old stands slightly smaller than the Mexican, but this season, he’s won more aerial duels at 3.3 per game. He should be able to use his ability in the air to combat any long balls or crosses that come into the box.

As that’s not entirely Nuno’s style of play, it may be wiser to look at how Jimenez can get the better of the Pole, and it appears that on the ground is the way to go as he averages 2.5 dribbles per game when Bednarek sees a man get past him a good 1.1 times per match.

Although he is strong in the tackle as highlighted by his figures of 2.4 per game.

Jimenez needs to find a way to rediscover his goalscoring prowess this weekend, but Southampton’s young centre-back provides a problematic encounter in doing so.

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

Having signed Joelinton from Hoffenheim, Newcastle’s deadline day signing of Andy Carroll certainly raised a few eyebrows.

Yes, he had been a hero during his first spell on Tyneside, scoring 33 goals in 91 outings, but his miserable luck with injuries underlined his status as a major gamble; he missed 24 games in total in 2018/19. There is also the question of whether the Englishman can play second-fiddle to the club’s record signing.

But, after catching a brief glimpse of the pair playing together towards the end of the Premier League clash against Brighton last weekend, Steve Bruce may find it worthwhile to get the duo into the starting line-up at the same time.

The Premier League has often shied away from the old-school 4-4-2 combination in favour of a more continental, possession-based approach.

What Newcastle have on their hands, however, is a pair of centre-forwards who are unlike anything in the division. And that could be the secret to their success this season.

On the chalkboard

Both standing at over six feet tall, Joelinton and Carroll could provide a real throwback to the strike partnerships of yesteryear.

The latter’s bread and butter throughout his storied career has been throwing himself into battle with the opposition’s centre-backs, physically bullying them and dominating them in the air – look no further than the fact he has won 6.2 aerial duels per game as a career average.

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The man he could partner, Joelinton? Well, the Brazilian has won 4.2 aerial duels per game this season, and playing the two of them up top would give Newcastle a platform to build from. The Magpies aren’t blessed with an abundance of nimble, tricky players who want to engage in intricate passing.

What they do have, however, is some wide-men who have a real penchant for getting deliveries into the box.

The likes of Allan Saint-Maximin, Christian Atsu and Matt Ritchie could provide incredible service from the flanks – the latter two, in particular, have both averaged more than a cross per game this campaign. Atsu has 1.3 and Ritchie has 1.7. Saint-Maximin has played just 57 minutes but has yet to have his crossing statistics recorded by WhoScored.

So what could a potential line-up with both Joelinton and Carroll in it look like?

More than anything, having such a physically dominant duo up top would give opposition teams something else to think about.

Going more direct, winning headers and second-balls in and around the box would cause havoc, and it would give Bruce’s side a far greater attacking threat.

It may be old-school, but it could be exactly the new approach Newcastle need.

Barcelona were rocked by an injury blow on Tuesday night, as Jordi Alba limped out of the encounter against Borussia Dortmund.

The left-back was replaced by Sergi Roberto on the night as the two sides played out a 0-0 draw in the Champions League.

Whether Alba actually could’ve made a difference on the night against Dortmund, we’ll never know, but many Barca fans are now hoping that Junior Firpo gets a shot at the left-back position in the Spaniard’s absence.

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The young defender joined the Catalan giants in the summer in a deal worth €18m (£15.9m) and this could well be his time to shine.

So far this season, the 23-year-old has made one appearance, tallying a mere nine minutes in the victory against Real Betis on matchday two.

But many of the fans believe that now is the time for him to step up and show Ernesto Valverde he is the right man for the job.

As soon as the club officially confirmed Alba’s injury, many of them rushed to Twitter to voice their opinions.

You can see some of their reactions down below:

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Arsenal face Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday as both sides look to maintain their 100% records this season. In an attempt to get something out of the game, Unai Emery should make a key formation change, with David Luiz particularly in mind.

On the chalkboard

In both games against the Reds last season, the Gunners played with a 4-2-3-1 formation. In the first game, at home, they were able to get a 1-1 draw, but in the return fixture at Anfield they were easily dispatched 4-1.

On the whole, last season was a disappointment from an Arsenal point of view. They finished fifth in the Premier League and were easily second-best in the Europa League final against Chelsea. There were a host of new signings during the summer, including Luiz, who signed from west London. And his arrival could allow his manager to make a key formation change that would help the Gunners this weekend.

Could Gabriel Martinelli become Arsenal’s star striker in the not too distant future? Deluded Gooner thinks so in the video below…

Luiz can excel as part of three centre-backs

4-2-3-1 formation was used in both games against the European champions last season, and it was Emery’s favourite formation throughout the campaign. However, he did choose to play three central defenders on 18 occasions and the Gunners did well, claiming 13 victories. That included wins against Napoli, Valencia and Tottenham.

So clearly it was a formation that worked, and now it could be even more effective with Luiz. Since returning to Stamford Bridge from PSG in 2016, his best term was when he played as part of a trio under Antonio Conte. During that first season back in London in 16/17, Chelsea won the Premier League with an impressive haul of 93 points.

That set-up allows the former Benfica man to take risks whilst being covered by two teammates. His passing capabilities are well-known to fans in England and abroad – since 2015, he has registered a pass of accuracy of below 85% in just one season – and this line-up allows him to be slightly more adventurous.

A back three will also help combat Liverpool’s attacking threat. Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino scored 68 goals in all competitions between them last year, but with an extra defender, Arsenal may just be a little harder to break down – eating up the central space Salah and Mane like to ghost into.

Three centre-backs may not be Emery’s preference, but it could help him get a result against Jurgen Klopp and co, and Luiz would be vital to its success.

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

Tom Davies is still waiting for his chance to impress this season and Everton’s match against Lincoln could provide the perfect opportunity.

On the chalkboard

Everton have got to an underwhelming start this season and will view the clash against the Imps as a chance to build confidence and improve their style, with boss Marco Silva asserting that it is a match his team are treating like any other.

They need to add goals to their game and are severely lacking in attacking threat at the moment, as evidenced by their six shots on target in the Premier League, but it is not just the fault of their strikers.

Silva is yet to decide on his preferred midfield pairing, with Morgan Schneiderlin and Andre Gomes featuring this season as well as new signing Jean-Philippe Gbamin before he picked up an injury, but as of yet none have reached the same level of performance as last season.

Fellow new signing Fabian Delph has also entered contention after his return from injury, and given his international experience he would also be above Davies in the pecking order – which is why the Everton academy product needs to start against Lincoln.

In Everton’s second-round clash last year Davies captained his side to a 3-1 win against Rotherham, a game in which he also picked up an assist and made 59 successful passes, according to Wyscout.

Lincoln match could be ideal for Davies

With only two Everton midfielders other than Davies at full fitness, and neither in top form, an excellent display against Lincoln will prove to Silva that Davies deserves a chance in the league.

Lincoln are a well-rounded side who can be physical at times, but it should be a good opportunity for Davies to show his energy as well as his ability on the ball, and he should help Everton dominate possession.

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Following his impressive display against Rotherham last year he was given a run in the Everton team, and played every minute of matches their next four matches, making an average of 52.7 passes per game, underlining what game time and confidence can do for a player’s performance.

If Davies can show more energy and desire than Everton’s other midfield options he could become a permanent fixture in Silva’s starting line-up, but the Brazilian won’t be aware of what he can offer his side at this point if he doesn’t start against Lincoln.

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Surely it can’t just be us who find the unnecessary blue neon background lighting a little annoying. We just want to know what colour it is for goodness sake.

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حرصت صحيفة الاتحاد الرياضي الإماراتي على تسليط الضوء لمسيرة مصطفى محمد مهاجم الزمالك المعار إلى نادي جالطة سراي التركي.

مصطفى محمد لفت الأنظار إليه في الدوري المصري، والدوري التركي أيضًا، حيث نجح المهاجم في تسجيل هدفين في أول مباراتين له مع  جالطة سراي، وسجل مصطفى محمد هدفه الأول أمام باشاك شهير.

فيما قاد مصطفى محمد جالطة سراي للفوز على فناربخشة، بتسجيله هدف الفوز، واعتلى ناديه صدارة جدول الدوري التركي برصيد 48 نقطة.

طالع أيضًا.. مصطفى محمد: سعيد بالانتقال إلى جالطة سراي.. ومشجعوه يشبهون جماهير الزمالك

ونشر الحساب الرسمي لصحيفة الاتحاد على موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “تويتر”، فيديو يوضح الأندية المصرية التي لعب لها مصطفى محمد قبل احترافه في الدوري التركي من خلال بوابة جالطة سراي مصحوبة بالتعليق التالي: “البلدوزر العنيد يرسم طريقه الجديد”.

وتابع: “تحدى المصري مصطفى محمد لاعب الزمالك السابق الجميع وأصر على الاحتراف الأوروبي، وبعد جدل كبير تحقق له ما أراد وبدأ مسيرته بشكل رائع مع جالطة سراي بأمل تكرار تجربة المُلهم محمد صلاح في ملاعب العالم”.

جدير بالذكر أن مصطفى محمد انضم لنادي جالطة سراي التركي على سبيل الإعاراة لمدة سنة ونصف قادمًا من نادي الزمالك في يناير المنقضي.

"البلدوزر العنيد" يرسم طريقه الجديد..
تحدى المصري #مصطفى_محمد لاعب #الزمالك السابق الجميع وأصر على الاحتراف الأوروبي وبعد جدل كبير تحقق له ما أراد وبدأ مسيرته بشكل رائع مع #جالطة_سراي بأمل تكرار تجربة "المُلهم" #محمد_صلاح في ملاعب العالم pic.twitter.com/wZemGpqhxR

— الاتحاد الرياضي (@alittihadSport) February 9, 2021

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

According to Turkish publication Aksam, Fenerbahce are interested in signing Arsenal centre-back Shkodran Mustafi this summer.

What’s the word?

The report claims the Super Lig giants are lining up a move for the Germany international and that the Turkish side’s sporting director, Damian Comolli, has already made contact with the 27-year-old’s agent.

The news of Fenerbahce’s interest comes after BBC’s David Ornstein revealed on BBC 5 Live Sport that Arsenal have been looking to offload the centre-back ever since he first signed and that Unai Emery had decided “enough was enough” after the Europa League final.

End the misery now

For far too long Mustafi’s name has just become synonymous with calamity and derision. This is a World Cup winner with Germany, consigned to being looked at as not even being worthy of Sunday League football.

His errors and mistakes have been infuriatingly similar, inspiring a horrible case of deja vu. His biggest gaffe this season came at a time when the Gunners simply couldn’t afford it, allowing Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha to waltz on through and end up costing the north London side a precious result in their race for Champions League qualification.

Are Man City better than Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’? Fans discuss in the video below…

The miscommunication was eerily reminiscent of the goal scored by Charlie Austin for Southampton, when the England international ghosted in from behind, when he had absolutely no right to.

In 84 Premier League appearances, the German has seen three errors directly lead to goals and has a questionable disciplinary record too. His tendency to lunge into challenges has seen him pick up 26 yellow cards and commit a total of 103 fouls – more than one a game.

Valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, Mustafi is at an age now where the mind-numbing errors should be virtually non-existent. But despite playing at the top level for sides like Sampdoria, Valencia and now Arsenal, the 27-year-old has shown no real sign of improvement.

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After witnessing the Gunners’ defensive struggles in a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium earlier this year, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher fumed: “Mustafi has never been good enough since the day he walked in the door and that’s the reason why all the goals come down there. To see Arsenal defend like that, there’s a big job there for Unai Emery to do.”

The big job Emery has to do is getting Mustafi out the door. If Fenerbahce are willing to take a chance on the blundering defender, then the Gunners by all means should allow them to take it.