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The Liverpool fans in the Transfer Tavern are hoping their club will add another attacking wide player to their ranks this summer to provide backup for the likes of Mo Salah and Sadio Mane, and recent reports suggest they could be set to do exactly that, albeit, at Harry Wilson’s expense. 

The Breakdown

According to Gazzetta Dello Sport (via talkSPORT), Liverpool are interested in signing Marko Pjaca from Juventus this summer, and the Old Lady have named their price at £22 million. The 23-year-old didn’t make a single appearance for Juventus last season due to injury, but he later moved on loan to Schalke in January where he made just 7 appearances for the club.

The price-tag on his head seems rather extortionate on the back of the season he just had, but Juventus’ demands can be justified from the potential he demonstrated whilst rising through the ranks in Croatia as a youngster, and at 23 he has plenty of improving left to do.

A potential deal for Pjaca would go some way to improving Liverpool’s strength in depth – something which was blatantly missing last season.

However, Jurgen Klopp must consider that the arrival of a new wide player would almost certainly force Harry Wilson to pursue his career away from the club this summer.

The 21-year-old impressed whilst on loan at Hull City last season with his direct style of dribbling and quality in the final-third.

With a record of 7 goals and 4 assists from just 13 appearances to boast from his short-term loan spell, it’s fair to say Wilson deserves a chance to shine in the first-team next season, but the Pjaca reports suggest the club have doubts about his ability to succeed.

If that does indeed prove to be the case, Wilson will surely depart Anfield this summer in search of a fresh environment where he will be given the opportunity to showcase his huge talent on a regular basis.

And on the evidence of the progress he has made in 2018, Liverpool’s loss will certainly be another side’s gain.

Liverpool fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

As reported by The Daily Record, Dave King has made controversial comments about the amount of titles Celtic have won and could potentially win.

After a dominant season in which Celtic went unbeaten domestically, won the treble and finished 39 points ahead of Rangers, you might expect that figures at the Ibrox club would be pretty quiet this summer as they go about the business of building a squad that can potentially challenge the Hoops.

That definitely isn’t the case however and Light Blues chief King is making headlines again for his comments about the value of Celtic’s recent title wins.

As quoted by The Daily Record, King said:

I was asked recently if I thought Celtic could get 10 in a row. My response is that Celtic have got two in a row at this point in time. So they need to win another eight to get to 10. Do I think there’s any chance of them getting another eight? I don’t think there’s any chance of them doing that before us winning another league title.

We’re not quite sure of the logic King is using to come up with the two-in-a-row number. The fact remains that Celtic have in fact won six titles in a row in the Scottish top-flight and in truth are showing no signs of slowing down under Brendan Rodgers.

As you can imagine his comments haven’t exactly gone down well with Hoops fans, nor the rest of Scottish football, and supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his comments…

Manchester City today confirmed the arrival of Gabriel Jesus, a deal that was first agreed last summer, and the young Brazilian will arrive in the Premier League hoping to build upon the success he achieved in 2016.

After winning a gold medal with Brazil at the Olympics last summer, Gabriel Jesus took his international form to club level and helped guide boyhood club Palmeiras to their first league title since 1994 – and he was crucial to their success.

Netting 12 goals in 27 league appearances, Gabriel Paulista boasted an impressive ratio of 193 minutes per goal and averaged 2.8 shots a game – showing that he kept the South American defences he came up against busy.

As well as being a goal-threat on his own, Gabriel Jesus also laid on 37 key passes to his team-mates and registered five assists – which shows the impact he can have across Manchester City’s attack.

At just 19-years-old, Gabriel Jesus is one to watch for the coming years but he already possesses the ability to make an immediate impact in Pep Guardiola’s squad and Tottenham Hotspur should be wary of his talents this weekend.

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The World Cup. In any sport this competition is the absolute pinnacle. The best players, teams and facilities come together for a few weeks with appreciating the cream of the crop the goal as games come thick and fast. Football is no different, with the iconic golden trophy the one that every player wants to lift. Winning guarantees legend status.

Alas, it’s not an easy one to claim, with seven game standing in the way, each more difficult than the last as the quality of opposition and the pressure of the situation crank up each time the whistle signals the start of another 90 minutes.

The quarter-finals onwards provide the ‘crunch’ moments, so it’s extremely disappointing when performances are not up to scratch at this time. With that in mind, here are FIVE of the worst showings from the last eight onwards…

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Zinedine Zidane vs. Italy – World Cup Final 2006

Despite being the ripe old age of 33, Zidane ran the show at the 2006 World Cup. The magical Frenchman was the Les Bleus’ captain and the creative spark behind the team’s run to the final in Berlin, where he even got on the score sheet early with a typically cool penalty-kick.

However, the incident that now, disappointingly, characterises the midfielder’s career occurred in extra time, when in a moment of sheer madness he head-butted Marco Materazzi’s chest. A red card followed. One of the most iconic World Cup pictures then emerged as Zidane trudged past the trophy with his head lowered on his way to the dressing room. This was his last act as a professional football – he retired shortly after.

Italy went on to win on penalty-kicks.

Keep up with all the action from the 2015 Rugby World Cup with Rugby Right Now. Rugby Right Now brings all of rugby’s latest news, expert views and team and player social media platforms all together at the touch of your fingertips. Available to download now in the App Store on iOS or visit online at www.rugbyrightnow.com.

Brazil vs. Germany – World Cup semi-final 2014

Brazil are synonymous with the beautiful game. The yellow shirts of the Selecao are associated with free-flowing, attacking and dangerous football, and with the World Cup being played in their own back yard in 2014, many expected the most successful nation in the competition’s history to add another star above their badge.

Alas, A ruthless German side, who went on to win the tournament, took them apart in Belo Horizonte. 5-0 down within 30 minutes, Brazil were thoroughly embarrassed in their own back yard and only got one effort on the scoresheet in the 90th minutes, by which time Germany had effectively wandered back to the dressing room!

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Asamoah Gyan vs. Uruguay – World Cup quarter-final 2010

It may be a bit unfair on Asamoah Gyan, but the Ghanaian had the hopes of an entire continent on his shoulders back in 2010. The pantomime villain that is Luis Suarez handballed on the line to keep out a goalbound header with just moments of extra-time remaining. Penalty. Gyan stepped up, he’d already netted two spot-kicks in the tournament prior to kick-off, but his effort skimmed the crossbar and flew over. Suarez celebrated on the sidelines, Gutting.

Ghana then went on to lose the shoot-out, and their chance to become the first African side to ever reach the last four of a World Cup.

Keep up with all the action from the 2015 Rugby World Cup with Rugby Right Now. Rugby Right Now brings all of rugby’s latest news, expert views and team and player social media platforms all together at the touch of your fingertips. Available to download now in the App Store on iOS or visit online at www.rugbyrightnow.com.

David Seaman vs, Brazil – World Cup quarter-final 2002

If your confident enough to sport a pony tail on a football pitch, you better have the skills to back it up. However, Seaman was caught out in horrendous fashion by a young Ronaldinho in 2002. A fairly innocuous free-kick following a Paul Scholes foul was awarded 45 yards from goal. It looked like the midfielder would just whip a ball not the area. Seaman thought that, too, and as he came to claim it, the flight and pace caught him off guard. The ball sailed into the top corner. England went out.

Did Ronaldinho mean it? Who knows?

Keep up with all the action from the 2015 Rugby World Cup with Rugby Right Now. Rugby Right Now brings all of rugby’s latest news, expert views and team and player social media platforms all together at the touch of your fingertips. Available to download now in the App Store on iOS or visit online at www.rugbyrightnow.com.

Roberto Baggio vs. Brazil – World Cup Final 1994

Roberto Baggio was the shining light of a somewhat bizarre World Cup in 1994. The United States were attempting get their heads around ‘soccer’, Diana Ross missed a penalty in the opening ceremony and TV companies pushed for the game to be split into quarters… Madness.

Alas, Baggio kept his form ticking over on the pitch, right up to the final. The fifth and final kick of a shootout needed to find the net to keep Italy in it against Brazil in the final, but the classy attacker choked.

Keep up with all the action from the 2015 Rugby World Cup with Rugby Right Now. Rugby Right Now brings all of rugby’s latest news, expert views and team and player social media platforms all together at the touch of your fingertips. Available to download now in the App Store on iOS or visit online at www.rugbyrightnow.com.

Manchester United's new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe faces a blow in his bid to replace Old Trafford as the government will reject a plea for funds.

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Ratcliffe wants to build 'national stadium' in the northGovernment will reject approach for public money to be usedOld Trafford would be knocked downWHAT HAPPENED?

reports that the British government will reject any plea from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS to use public money to help fund a new national stadium in the north of England, that would serve as Manchester United's new home, following the proposed demolition of Old Trafford.

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The report claims that the government have made it abundantly clear that United would need to fund any new stadium themselves. Ratcliffe, though, wants to discuss his plans with the government, as he also intends to potentially regenerate the area surrounding Old Trafford in the coming months and years.

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While the government would reportedly be willing to fund regenerative projects around Old Trafford, they are not minded to help fund the construction of an entirely new stadium, per the report. Ratcliffe has not yet spoken directly with any ministers but that conversation may well take place in due course.

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In the meantime, United will be back in action at Old Trafford on Saturday when they host Fulham. A win would move them level on points with fifth-placed Tottenham.

Kylian Mbappe has told Paris Saint-Germain that he won't renew his contract, leaving the club with little choice but to sell him this summer.

This all started with a picture from the past. A young Kylian Mbappe sits on his childhood bed, leaning on the wall, while a collage of Cristiano Ronaldo posters surround him. There isn't an inch of white space, just a Real Madrid legend plastered all over his room.

That image first came to light in 2017, when the then-Monaco forward was in search of a new club — already pipped as one of the best strikers in the world at 18. At the time he chose PSG, putting his childhood dreams on hold. But there was always a sense that he would someday be a Madrid player.

Six years later, it has become relevant again. Mbappe informed PSG yesterday that he would not be renewing his contract, which expires at the end of next season. This comes less than 12 months after he spurned Madrid interest, and committed at least another two years of his future to Paris.

The Parisians are now in a classic football predicament; they can either sell Mbappe now or risk losing him for free in a year. And Los Blancos still lurk.

PSG have adamantly declared that Mbappe will not leave the club for free under any circumstances. They insist that he will either change his mind and pen a new long-term contract, or leave for a handsome fee this summer. Mbappe, meanwhile, has insisted that he is not trying to force a move, and that he wants to play at Parc des Princes next year. But his good will — if not shrewd negotiating tactic — does little to chance PSG's stance. If the Parisians are true to their word, Mbappe will likely be out of Paris by the end of August.

Now might just be the time for PSG to cash in, anyway. Mbappe is among the best players in the world, and a Paris native. But he's also always had one eye on the Spanish capital. And at this point, when in need of striker, Madrid are almost certain to pay up.

So, PSG have been gifted the chance for Mbappe to leave on the most favourable terms possible, and they should take it. This is no longer about the idealism of a local kid, or the Ligue 1 title he would inevitably deliver next season. Instead, the Parisians face a financial decision, one intrinsically tied to the success of their side for years to come. Mbappe must be sold.

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  A Paris sweetheart

  Selling Mbappe is not an immediate net benefit to PSG. There are, shockingly, football matches to win. And having arguably the best player in the world playing for your team tends to bring about some degree of success over the course of a season. Mbappe would be crucial in next year's Ligue 1 campaign, and by default makes them slightly more competitive in the Champions League (although he can do nothing about the obligatory yearly collapse.)

  He is an immensely talented footballer who will only continue to improve. That he is a Parisian who once resisted the allure of one of Europe's biggest clubs to stick around makes him a marketing gem, too. He is, in effect, the only player who still has the adulation of PSG's notoriously critical ultras. PSG are unfortunate that Mbappe has such a deep desire to go to Madrid — otherwise, this seems like the kind of footballing marriage that could last forever.

  Still, romance aside, from a club perspective, Mbappe's benefit is dwindling. The star player has started to become a distraction.

  It started last summer, when he made massive financial demands to PSG, which were swiftly granted. He wanted more money, power and autonomy than everyone else at the club. And the Parisians agreed to every last detail — before celebrating it like they'd signed him as a bargain.

  But they can't necessarily be blamed for that. If this were anyone else, PSG would have denied the demands, and perhaps been more willing to get rid of the disgruntled player. So, with Mbappe, those celebrations — ones that were raucous despite the absurd €70 million ($75m/£60m) loyalty bonus they reportedly agreed to pay the Frenchman for every year he stayed at the club — could perhaps be forgiven. Football is often rather heartless, but it would have been one for the idealists to see Mbappe stay with his hometown club.

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  Is he worth it anymore?

  Still, Mbappe has always understood the power he has. He negotiated so harshly with PSG last summer because he knew that they would pay up. A deal that would send him to Madrid seemed close at the time, but there was always a prevailing sense that PSG would get the last chance to change his mind — if only to retain their hometown sweetheart.

  And, just as he expected, the Parisians paid up. But he didn't hold his nerve for long. Mbappe reportedly regretted his decision to stay immediately and was swiftly on the phone with an indignant Florentino Perez asking Madrid to sign him.

  In October, that desire came to light. Shortly before a key Champions League clash, it was revealed that Mbappe wanted to leave — something that blew up in the media before being swiftly taken back. A few months later, he took jabs at Neymar in the press about his late-night fast food habits. Shortly after that, he feuded with the club via social media about a season ticket promotion video that wasn't to his liking. PSG diligently took it down.

  There were further incidents, too. Mbappe was made vice-captain at the expense of Presenel Kimpembe — without Kimpembe even knowing about the decision. He criticised his teammates in the press after a loss to Bayern Munich, admitting that PSG 'aren't good enough' to win the Champions League.

  This was all accepted, mostly because Mbappe's brilliance on the pitch was dragging PSG to another Ligue 1 title. Without him, they may well have been beaten to the finishing post by Lens.

  And there's an argument to be made here that this is just another incident, that Mbappe will retrace his steps, and draw an even more generous contract out of the Parisians. But this time, it seems a step too far. Even if Mbappe is bluffing — and he almost certainly isn't — the vice-captain has become more trouble than he's worth.

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  Cash in now

  The idea of simply selling the forward isn't that simple, though. Footballers have made public their desire to leave clubs before, but not on this scale, of this quality, or at this price point. Mbappe should be one of the most expensive players in the world. In today's market, superstars of this magnitude are not sold. In a world without contract constraints, it would take an astronomical amount of money to lure him from PSG.

  And now the Parisians are effectively free to name their price. They reportedly want something in the range of €200 million(£172m/$215m), according to the. That evaluation is impossible to argue with, not least because there is no precedent for how much a player like Mbappe, in the last year of his contract, should cost.

  The issue is, Madrid likely won't pay that much, and PSG surely know that. At this point, then, it's a numbers game. But it won't necessarily be easy for Los Blancos. They just spent €103 million (£88m/$110m) on Jude Bellingham and were counting on Mbappe being available for free next summer. They would perhaps otherwise have the nerve and opportunity to hold out, but the fact that Karim Benzema recently left for Saudi Arabia complicates things. Suddenly, Madrid need a striker.

  Still, Mbappe has done his club a favour. He noted last year that he did not want to leave PSG on a free — and would rather them generate funds from his sale. And by telling the club that he wants out before the transfer window has properly opened, Mbappe has made good on that promise. PSG have something of a negotiating position.

  Madrid, then, could perhaps drive the asking price down. But they won't have the advantage of the hasty negotiations of a last-minute deal. Instead, they will have to meet PSG somewhere. Even though he wants out, Mbappe will not come cheap.

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  How can Madrid afford him?

  And that could be a big disadvantage for Los Blancos. Perez promised fans last week that Mbappe would be a Madrisista, but not until 2024. This whole thing, then, accelerates the timeline that was supposed to be adequately paced. In a sense, it's been altered since Benzema announced his exit. Madrid were going to need to sign a striker in some form this summer. It was largely assumed, for some time, that Harry Kane would be that man. The Englishman would not have come cheap — Spurs are notoriously stingy negotiators.

  So, Madrid have adjusted accordingly, benefitting from a series of squad moves in the past few weeks. Eden Hazard mutually agreed to part ways with the club, and left millions on the table in doing so. Benzema was amongst the highest earners in Madrid and also left. Meanwhile, Marco Asensio is gone — ironically to PSG — which should clear up some space, too. Bellingham's €10m (£8.6/$11m) salary isn't friendly, but it could have been far worse.

  Still, Mbappe is the highest-paid player in Europe, and turned down an eye-watering €232m (£200m/$250m) over three years from Madrid last summer. He will inevitably have to take a pay cut when he leaves PSG. But that doesn't mean it'll be a massive one, or that he will simply accept far poorer terms. This is still an immensely expensive endeavor, both in terms of the money going to PSG and the wages owed to the player himself.

  And there's reason to believe this could alter the way Madrid look, too. Los Blancos have created some room, but might need to make a sale or two. It helps that they have some high-value assets in midfield, notably Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde. Neither player is a guaranteed starter next year, and both could fetch fees north of €70m. Madrid won't like the idea of selling either midfielder — both are immensely talented — but if it comes to it, they might have to lose a big-name player in order to bring in a world-class megastar.

  There's precedent here, too. In 2013, Mesut Ozil, then a top-tier attacking midfielder, was sold to help fund the signature of Gareth Bale — a player who was by no means a direct replacement for the outgoing German. Concepts of loyalty and indispensability didn't really apply then, and it's doubtful that they have suddenly been adopted.

  This is a ruthless club that always tends to find a way. The Galactico days of old are gone. But Madrid haven't lost their penchant for a big signing. If they want this to work, they will find the right number, and get rid of whoever they need to.

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Depois de começar a temporada como titular do Fluminense, o volante Hudson chegou a ficar três partidas sem sequer entrar em campo. Mas, quando voltou se firmar entre os 11 que começam jogando, sendo titular nas últimas cinco partidas do Tricolor, veio a paralisação do futebol por conta da pandemia do coronavírus. Agora, o jogador encara outra realidade isolado dentro de casa. E ele falou sobre como tem sido este período:

– Minha rotina tem sido acordar cedo, tomar um bom café da manhã, fazer um treino, almoçar, descansar um pouco. Leio livros, assisto um filme, uma série, passo um tempo com a minha esposa. Estou tendo tempo de voltar a estudar inglês que eu estava precisando. Fora algumas outras coisinhas que a gente vai fazendo. Tem sido uma adaptação, não tem sido fácil, mas a gente sabe que é preciso ficar em casa agora, que esse isolamento é muito importante para todo mundo. É muito sério tudo que está acontecendo, não podemos subestimar as notícias, as ordens do governo e as medidas que estão sendo tomadas. Quanto mais rápido a gente se conscientizar, mais rápido as coisas vão se resolver e voltar ao normal – disse o camisa 25 do Fluminense, antes de completar sobre as dificuldades que este paralisação pode causar:

– Para um jogador ficar em casa, não é o ideal, principalmente porque trabalhamos com o nosso corpo, treinando situações de jogo, para não perder o que ganhamos neste início de temporada. Não tem sido fácil, mas de certa forma estamos procurando manter alguns tipos de treinamento possíveis de fazer dentro de casa. Vamos levando e torcendo para que tudo isso acabe o mais rápido possível.

Ainda que tenha citado problemas que esta pausa pode gerar na parte tática da equipe, os jogadores do Fluminense estão tendo um bom acompanhamento de profissionais de diversos departamento do futebol do clube, que os acompanham diariamente e fizeram um planejamento de atividades para manter os jogadores focados e saudáveis. Para o volante Hudson, esse apoio e acompanhamento é fundamental.

– O Fluminense passou uma cartilha para a gente, não só para a parte física, mas também a parte psicológica, nutricional e fisiológica. Todos esses setores do clube nos orientaram para que a gente siga ativo. A parte física, liderada pelo professor Marquinhos Seixas, passou trabalhos diários, então vamos ter o que fazer todos os dias, na parte funcional e de força, mesmo com algumas adaptações, para que a gente possa deixar nosso corpo o mais ativo possível, e para que a gente não sinta tanto na volta aos treinamentos. É possível que já tenha jogos em cima, então precisamos nos manter ativos neste período que estamos em casa – comentou o atleta.

Sobre a paralisação, Hudson demonstrou esperança em uma melhora em breve. Para o volante, o momento é de conseguir evitar ao máximo atitudes que possam contribuir para a proliferação do vírus.

– Não fico assustado, mas sim preocupado. Percebemos que cada vez mais casos vem aparecendo, algumas pessoas ainda não tiveram consciência do problema que estamos enfrentando. Temos que evitar sair de casa, manter a higiene, evitar aglomerações, cada um ficar na sua residência e esperar isso passar, porque isso vai passar. Se a gente cumprir tudo que está sendo determinado, isso não vai demorar a passar. Mas para isso temos que nos precaver, abrir mão de muitas coisas, para que isso tudo passe rápido. Daqui a pouco tudo vai voltar ao normal, não só o futebol, mas a vida de todo mundo, que é o que todo mundo mais quer nesse momento.

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MatériaMais Notícias

Se o Botafogo está, até aqui, apenas treinando posicionamentos e variações táticas, a equipe de Alberto Valentim chegará mais perto da realidade de uma partida de verdade nesta sexta-feira. O Alvinegro vai realizar um jogo-treino com o Estrela do Norte, clube capixaba, no centro de treinamento do China Park, em Domingos Martins, na Região Serrana do Espírito Santo.

Será a primeira oportunidade que Alberto Valentim terá, mesmo que ainda seja um jogo não-oficial, de testar aquilo que vem sendo colocado aos jogadores na pré-temporada. A partida será realizada às 16h e deve ser uma simulação com os padrões naturais de um jogo, com dois tempos de 45 minutos cada.

O Estrela de Norte é um dos times tradicionais do futebol capixaba. Localizado em Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, município do ES, foi campeão estadual em 2014, além de acumular cinco vice-campeonatos. Para 2020, a equipe contratou Zé Humberto, um treinador com história no futebol capixaba. A estreia da equipe no Estadual será no dia 28 de janeiro, contra a Desportiva Ferroviária, no Estádio Sumaré.

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O que esperar do Botafogo
Intensidade, verticalidade, aproximação… Essas são as três palavras que Alberto Valentim provavelmente mais falou nos primeiros cinco dias de pré-temporada. Com treinamentos puxados e elogiados pelos jogadores – tanto em coletivas quanto longe dos microfones -, o comandante ainda não trabalha com uma ideia de atletas titulares e reservas, mas algumas questões já parecem maduras na cabeça do treinador.

O esquema mais utilizado até o momento foi o 4-1-4-1, com um primeiro volante e dois meio-campistas mais avançados, além de um jogador por flanco e um centroavante. A formação 4-2-3-1, contudo, também foi colocada em certas ocasiões e pode aparecer: no caso, a diferença é que há um meia-atacante com menor responsabilidade defensiva.

Seja qual for a formação tática, algumas movimentações devem aparecer com frequência: um dos volantes recua para ficar na linha dos zagueiros, enquanto os dois laterais sobem, se igualando aos outros meio-campistas, formando um 3-4-3. No ataque, também é comum notar bolas longas na direção de Pedro Raul, que dá a bola para um meia que vem de trás com um movimento de pivô. O atleta central logo faz a ligação com um dos jogadores de lado, que busca a infiltração na área em diagonal.

Defensivamente, a tônica deverá ser de pressão para recuperar a bola com a maior rapidez possível. Uma das cartilhas mais seguidas por Alberto Valentim em toda a sua carreira é justamente esta questão de incomodar o adversário no seu próprio campo. Neste começo de 2020, o treinador, juntamente com o departamento físico, vem focando na preparação dos atletas com o intuito dos jogadores aguentarem correr por mais tempo.

India captain MS Dhoni has said Virat Kohli’s ability to rotate strike is the key to converting starts into big scores in pressure situations after India’s six-wicket win over Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Mar-2016India captain MS Dhoni has said Virat Kohli’s ability to rotate strike is the key to converting starts into big scores in pressure situations after Kohli’s unbeaten 55 off 37 balls took India to a six-wicket win over Pakistan at Eden Gardens on Saturday.Kohli arrived in the third over with the score on 14 for 1 and had only faced two deliveries by the time India fell to 23 for 3 in the fifth over in pursuit of Pakistan’s 118, but Dhoni said Kohli thrived in such situations by not depending on boundaries to get himself and the team out of trouble. Up until the ninth over, Kohli had only struck one boundary but had taken nine singles in his first 13 deliveries in partnership with Yuvraj Singh to add the first 31 runs in a 61-run stand that took India within striking distance of victory. In all, Kohli scored off 28 of his 37 deliveries, including 19 singles.”It’s very simple. What an innings is all about is how you convert it, when you’re under pressure,” Dhoni said after the win. “There are a few ways to handle pressure. At times we have seen, in Test cricket, or ODI and T20 format, when there is a lot of pressure, often they go for the big shot. It seems at that point of time that that’s the best option, but when you’re under a lot of pressure, the best way to deal with it is to take a single, go to the other end, because that calms you down, and at the same time you have that positive intent because you’re looking for that single. And you know your areas.”Everybody knows what their strength is – for some it’s a flick, for some it’s the cut. So if it’s in your area, you have to play your shot. If not, try to take a single, go to the other end. And if you see his batting, that’s what he really does. And where he has an edge over the others is, you have to push hard. That’s why he loves batting with individuals who can run hard with him. Because running hard is the easiest way to score runs. You hit it in the middle, between long-on and deep midwicket, if you have two good runners, you can convert that one into two, or one-and-a-half runs into two, and that puts a lot of pressure on the bowler and the fielders.”The other ingredient to success that Dhoni attributed to Kohli is his “hunger to perform”. Dhoni said Kohli’s preparation habits enabled him to consistently score runs rather than going through dips in form.”He takes everything as a challenge,” Dhoni said. “He wants to improve, he wants to contribute in each and every game, and that’s what it’s all about, because he wants to contribute, he wants to score runs, he prepares well, he takes care of his fitness. He knows, he understands now, in different wickets how he’s supposed to bat and score runs. And we all know, once he gets going, once he gets a start, he always converts it into a big innings, which I feel is one of the most important things for any youngster coming into the game.”MS Dhoni attributes Kohli’s ability to thrive under pressure to his eagerness for taking singles•IDI/Getty ImagesKohli’s success helped shield the problems faced by other batsmen on the day, in particular Suresh Raina who was out first ball to Mohammad Sami. The left-hander has struggled recently, scoring 1 in two of his previous three T20I innings. However, Dhoni deflected questions about Raina’s form and said the team still had confidence in him.”People don’t score runs in one or two games, that question will be asked,” Dhoni said. “If Shikhar doesn’t score in one more game that question will be asked, why not Jinks to open and Shikhar left out. I feel it is important to back players and at the same time, if you see there are too many people who need to bat at that No. 3 slot.”If you compare the stats, especially when it’s happening in India, you’ll see there are lot of individuals who should bat at three, but Virat gets an edge, and in the same way I think [Raina] deserves that No. 4 position more than anyone else, and it’s important to back him. Yes, there might be tactical changes when he won’t get that slot, but overall I think he’s the best option.”Dhoni also gave credit to his spinners for exploiting conditions after winning the toss and inserting Pakistan to bat first. The India captain said the amount of time the pitch spent covered due to rain throughout of the day was a strong factor in his decision-making, though he was surprised at the amount of turn so early in the match. At the same time, he also explained his reasoning for not bowling out R Ashwin despite the trouble caused by Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja early in the match.”Initially we never thought it would turn so much. Reading the wicket, I thought there was a bit of moisture because they had watered the wicket yesterday and I don’t think they got enough sun today. The last time when I saw the wicket was before the start of the game, and then it was quite damp. And even when you roll the wicket, the top surface may look a bit good, but it’s more a cosmetic thing, because underneath there was a lot of moisture.”I feel it was because of the moisture that the spinners were getting a lot of turn. Even the ones that were bowling it quite hard, if you hit the seam you can turn the ball, and that’s what Jadeja and Ashwin did. The Pakistan batsmen, they are good players of spin bowling, and later on I felt, there was a chance, if I had given it to Ashwin they could have gone after him. I’m not saying he can’t deal with it, but I went for the safer option.”While Dhoni said he is proud of India’s historic unbeaten record against Pakistan in World Cups and World T20s, he said it’s not something they take for granted.”There is also a reality that one day we will lose – whether it is today or in ten years or 20 years or 50 years. There is no such thing that you will always keep winning. Also, our team has evolved a lot, and somehow in ICC events our performances have been good of late, whether it’s the last Champions Trophy or the World Cup. We have given pretty good performances, so that also plays a role. I feel we have played good cricket, and that’s the reason.”

أعلن تشافي هيرنانديز المدير الفني لفريق كرة القدم الأول بنادي برشلونة، عن تشكيل اللاعبين لمواجهة جيرونا، ضمن الجولة 16 من بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

المباراة تجمع بين جيرونا صاحب المركز الثاني، وبرشلونة صاحب المركز الرابع، على ملعب الأخير، لويس كومبانيس الأولمبي.

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تشكيل برشلونة شهد استمرار إيناكي بينيا في حراسة المرمى، في ظل إصابة الألماني مارك أندريه تير شتيجن، ويقود الهجوم روبرت ليفاندوفسكي.

ويرافق ليفاندوفسكي في الهجوم، الثنائي جواو فيليكس ورافينيا، في طريقة لعب 4\3\3 المعتادة للمدرب الإسباني تشافي هيرنانديز. تشكيل برشلونة أمام جيرونا في الدوري الإسباني اليوم

حراسة المرمى: إيناكي بينيا.

خط الدفاع: جوليس كوندي، رونالد أراوخو، أندريس كريستنسن، جواو كانسيلو.

خط الوسط: فرينكي دي يونج، إلكاي جوندوجان، بيدري جونزاليس.

خط الهجوم: رافينيا، روبرت ليفاندوفسكي، جواو فيليكس.