Tag Futebol

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

Jose Mourinho has cooled Tottenham Hotspur’s interest in Barcelona midfielder Carles Alena, per Sport via Sport Witness.

What’s the word?

The report states that previous manager Mauricio Pochettino was heavily interested in recruiting the 21-year-old, valued at £27m by Transfermarkt.

Who is that?! Can you name all of these obscure Spurs signings? Give it a go now…

Alena has struggled for minutes at the Camp Nou and has made just two La Liga appearances thus far this season, though he did play 90 minutes in Tuesday’s 2-1 Champions League win over Inter Milan.

But Mourinho is said to have cooled Spurs’ interest as the January window approaches, with Getafe and Real Betis both linked with a move.

Not the player needed

This is a wise choice from Mourinho.

Football FanCast has detailed previously how Alena doesn’t really seem to know his best position and, at this point, he would merely be blocking the way for Spurs’ talented youngsters.

The likes of Oliver Skipp and Harry Winks both play a similar role to the youthful Barca ace and stifling their development – the former remains a teenager, Winks is just 23 – makes precious little sense.

The fact that Getafe and Betis – two mid-tier La Liga clubs – are being linked too should paint the picture; that is his level.

Spurs are better off out of any bidding war.

Meanwhile, Barcelona have been told to sign one Spurs star.

طالبت جماهير ليفربول، إدارة حمُر الميرسيسايد بتجديد عقد نجمنا المصري محمد صلاح، وذلك بعد هدفه في مرمى مانشستر يونايتد، والأداء الجيد الذي قدمه خلال المباراة.

ليفربول انتصر على مانشستر يونايتد بأربعة أهداف مقابل هدف، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما أمس الخميس على ملعب “أولد ترافورد”، في مباراة مؤجلة من الجولة الرابعة والثلاثين (طالع تقرير المباراة).

اقرأ أيضًا.. تعرف على تقييم محمد صلاح بعد هدفه امام مانشستر يونايتد شاهد ملخص لمسات محمد صلاح في مباراة ليفربول ومانشستر يونايتد

صلاح شارك في المباراة كأساسي، وقدم أداءً جيدًا، وسجّل هدفًا رائعًا، كما ارتدى شارة القيادة لأكثر من ربع ساعة، بعد خروج فينالدوم من اللقاء.

جماهير ليفربول عبر موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “تويتر”، أشادت بأداء صلاح، كما طالبت إدارة النادي بتجديد عقده، الذي ينتهي بعد عامين. ردود أفعال جماهير ليفربول على أداء محمد صلاح اليوم

صلاح أحد أعظم اللاعبين في تاريخ ليفربول.

One of our greatest players 👑 — Watch LFC (@Watch_LFC) May 13, 2021

فقط اعطوا محمد صلاح ما يريده.

just give Mo whatever he wants 👑 — Dito – @yfriandito (@yfriandito) May 13, 2021

أسطورة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

Premier league legend — HoofBall FC (@parkthebus8989) May 13, 2021

اعطوا محمد صلاح العقد الذي يريده. 

Give him whatever contract he wants — James (@jamesmg156) May 13, 2021

يا له من هدف جميل من ملكنا. 

What a lovely goal from our king 👑❤️ — m.Khatib 🇯🇯🇴🇴 (@AliasKhatib) May 13, 2021

صلاح واحد من أفضل لاعبينا.

One of our best players 👑❤️⚽️ — Rajat (@stevie_g132) May 13, 2021

امنحوه عقد جديد. 

Give him that contract — Shannonʸⁿʷᵃ (@icy7_YNWA) May 13, 2021

إنه أفضل (لاعب موسم واحد) رأيته على الإطلاق، إنه عظيم.

He’s the best one season wonder I’ve ever seen, he’s magnificent — Fran Kennedy (@celticjazz) May 13, 2021

صلاح لن يترك ليفربول، انظروا إلى احتفاله.

He will never leave liverpool look at his celebration — Merivan94 🇩🇿🇸🇾 (@liverpooldzz) May 13, 2021

عيد مُبارك لك مو. 

مُستحق تمامًا أيها الملك. 

Eid Mubarak to you Mo
Well deserved King — Vanisha (@nivesh0403) May 13, 2021

هذه هي أفضل طريقة لتظهر لهم من هو أفضل جناح أيمن في الدوري الإنجليزي.

Thats the best way to show em who is the best rightback player in the League — Abdiaziz (@Abdi_Aziizi) May 13, 2021

الحفاظ على محمد صلاح وفيرجيل فان دايك، أمر مُهم للغاية لـ ليفربول، من أجل المُضي قدمًا.

Keeping salah and vvd is so important for Liverpool going forward — HoofBall FC (@parkthebus8989) May 13, 2021

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

As quoted by the club’s official website, Manchester United’s Marcos Rojo has opened up on the club’s recent use of the three-at-the-back.

What did he say?

In a surprise tactical switch first introduced this season against Liverpool, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side ground out a hard-fought 1-1 draw against a team that had gone flawless in the Premier League.

The change in system has allowed Rojo a chance to come into the first-team alongside established centre-back partnership Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof, and the 6 foot 2 man has provided an insight into the advantages of implementing such a style.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The 29-year-old said: “I’ve played in both systems (four man and five-man defences) many times throughout my career. I feel more protected with three centre-backs in there, covering attacks from the other team, you’re always a bit more organised and, as I always say, the full-backs can attack much more freely and push right on.

“You have more players in attack whilst having cover at the back. I think that’s the difference when you play with three centre-backs. It’s good to use systems and that players can adapt to different formations. That makes a team much stronger and it’s much more useful to the manager when it comes to making decisions.”

Something to focus on

Make no mistake about it, the change in system has given United’s players something to sink their teeth into. When you’re struggling for form and results, often doing something different on the training ground and then on the pitch can be the key for individuals to re-focus their minds. And in Rojo’s case in particular, it has effectively rejuvenated his Old Trafford career – the Argentina international has now featured in seven games this season.

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

Playing this formation, as Rojo himself notes, gives Solskjaer the opportunity to use the likes of Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and even Daniel James as a strike partnership. And quite obviously with an extra centre-back, some added defensive protection. Since the introduction of the three-man defence, United drew against Liverpool, beat Partizan Belgrade and beat Chelsea in the Carabao Cup (they reverted to a traditional back-four against Norwich).

So whilst it may be early days, the tactical switch has brought the Red Devils some early rewards. The trick will be whether it pays off in the longer-term.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

A step back, but not a huge one.

Whilst the defeat at Wigan could be seen as some as just a bump in the road, one former Nottingham Forest player believes that it should act as a lesson for Forest boss Sabri Lamouchi to learn from.

What’s he said?

Speaking with Nottingham Live, the former Forest man said that Sabri Lamouchi’s men needed to be more aggressive right from the outset in the future, to make sure that results like this don’t happen again:

“We have to make sure we’re on the front foot in the first place. From the first whistle. Get at teams straight away. That’s got to be something we improve on in these next two home games. Two games at the City Ground this week is a good chance to get back on track and quickly forget about the weekend.

“But no games are easy – if Sabri Lamouchi, the manager, didn’t know that already, he will do now. Hull and Reading are more than capable of catching us out. We’ve got to start well, look to get the first goal and get the crowd behind us.”

Watch Nottingham Forest Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Best foot forward

As we have discussed previously on FFC, Nottingham Forest are at great risk of missing out at the end of the season if they don’t start killing games off.

With the exception of their 3-0 result against Birmingham City, every single one of their games so far this season have been decided by one-goal margins. Clearly, on that evidence, they need to start scoring more goals. That may all change if they’re able to alter their mentality.

Nottingham Forest need to start showing their dominance in games. Whilst they may be doing relatively well in the table right now, they could be doing so much better and putting more pressure on the rest of the league.

Their undefeated streak was impressive but they must ensure they bounce back.

The defeat at Wigan should serve as a wakeup call to Lamouchi that he needs to start being able to adapt to various situations, and that his style of play won’t be able to see Forest through the whole of the season.

After all, teams will probably start to work them out sooner or later.

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…

Wednesday signalled the one-year anniversary of Aston Villa appointing Dean Smith as their new manager following the sacking of Steve Bruce.

It’s fair to say that the appointment has led to where they are today as the club embarked on a historic campaign last season, culminating in them clinching promotion in the Championship playoff final.

The mood at Villa Park prior to his appointment was quite frankly ugly, and it had gotten to the stage that a pensioner had launched a cabbage at the head of Bruce.

Check out the real-life version of FIFA 20’s Volta Football in the video below…

Now a year on, no such items are being thrown on the pitch as Smith has now probably cemented his legend status, after all, he’s ‘one of their own.’

The fanbase must surely be thrilled by the fact that they are back in the top-flight after a three-year hiatus.

During that time, the team managed to pick themselves up a record – ten straight wins without a defeat. This run of form ultimately springboarded Villa from a team that looked down and out following Bruce’s destruction to a side buoyed by the momentum of sneaking into the playoffs.

Although, all of this has been part of the wider story.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

When the 48-year-old was appointed, Villa CEO Christian Purslow said: “Most importantly, he has a very recognisable football coaching philosophy.

“His motivation, energy, and hunger to manage at the highest level is another outstanding feature of Dean. He really understands what Aston Villa is all about. That’s a very good set of qualities.”

The former Liverpool Managing Director was clearly sold by this in just the one six-hour interview which led well into the night in Purslow’s hotel room, he added:

“We wanted a coach committed to playing football the right way and a coach that was intimately acquainted with who and what Aston Villa is.”

And that tells the story really.

The Villa boss has fully encaptured what the role is about – it helps to be a supporter, but that’s irrelevant because of the managerial ability which Purslow has described.

It’s clear to see that the CEO set out clear aims and ambitions for the club, and by getting the club back into the Premier League, that’s only just getting underway.

If the club did end up flirting with relegation, there’s a considerable chance that Smith is able to keep hold of his job, and that’s because of the vision created between the two, all originating from that eager overnight meeting.

Purslow seems to have his feet grounded and that should certainly play to Smith’s advantage.

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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… 

Marcelo Bielsa attracted widespread criticism from Leeds fans at the weekend.

Considering the way he’s taken Leeds to a new level in the Championship it was perhaps somewhat of an overreaction.

But there is an argument to be had in terms of his team selection.

At the moment, it’s proving questionable and the way he’s set up his team has led to late exploitation and also a lack of goals.

In matches against Swansea and Derby, they had over 60% of the possession but only scored once and took just a solitary point from those clashes.

So what can Leeds do?

On the chalkboard

At the moment Bielsa’s tactical ignorance is proving to be a real issue for Leeds. He keeps on relying on Jack Harrison, someone who hasn’t contributed to a goal since the opening weekend, while Patrick Bamford has now gone goalless in three games.

The calls, certainly from supporters, is for Eddie Nketiah and Helder Costa to start but possibly a system change is needed.

After all, arguably Leeds’ best performance in the league this season came when operating with three at the back.

Against Stoke last month the Whites recorded a 3-0 victory as they amassed 64.5% of the possession away from home.

It was as complete a performance as you can get on the road as Bielsa’s much-teased two man attack was in operation.

On the day, Harrison and Bamford were the men tasked with leading the line as a pairing but with Nketiah now so close to gaining a chance, perhaps this is how the Argentine can work him into his system.

It’s particularly confusing that the 64-year-old has neglected this formation since the win over Stoke.

Leeds are struggling to get over the line but even if a 4-1-4-1 is his preferred way to go, he shouldn’t be against change.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Whites’ brightest spell against Brentford came when they switched to a three-man defence as Nketiah popped up with a late winner.

It allowed greater protection for their attacking full-backs in Stuart Dallas and Gjanni Alioski as well, who both scored against Stoke.

In that 3-4-1-2 system they deployed at the Potteries, Leeds looked confident in defence but also going forward.

That was certainly not the case versus the Rams, especially late on when they conceded three of Derby’s five efforts on goal in the final 15 minutes.

Ignorance is sometimes bliss but perhaps Bielsa ought to look at something that has already treated Leeds so well in 2019/20, rather than a system that’s causing difficulties.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…Â

West Brom’s unbeaten run to life in the Championship under Slaven Bilic finally came to a halt as Leeds United were victorious at Elland Road on Tuesday evening.

Left-back Ezgjan Alioski bagged the only goal in the 1-0 win as he rifled an effort home via a Kyle Bartley deflection less than ten minutes before half-time.

The home side were made to work for their three points as the Baggies mounted an onslaught of serious pressure throughout the second half, recording 67.3% possession.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

But their dominance came to no avail as Marcelo Bielsa’s side leapfrogged them to take sole possession of the league’s lead.

For the most part, Bilic named an expected starting XI though there was the surprise inclusion of Hal Robson-Kanu, a player Football FanCast tipped to start this very match earlier in this week.

It’s fair to say that experiment didn’t work out as the veteran forward managed just one shot at goal before he was replaced after an hour.

West Brom could also count themselves lucky that they didn’t lose the match by a wider margin – even despite being on top for large spells as Leeds still had their chances.

Sam Johnstone, the man between the sticks, was their saviour at times on Tuesday night.

Per SofaScore, the 26-year-old made eight saves, five of which were inside the penalty area – including this outstanding double stop…

He also managed one punch and one high claim as he asserted his authority in the Baggies’ box.

The former Manchester United shot-stopper has received flack for his performances on Twitter over the course of the season while some have even called for Jonathan Bond to replace him. However, this latest showing is sure to silence his critics.

Bilic brought in a third keeper early last month in Ali Al-Habsi, but Johnstone has managed to keep hold of his number one spot, and with matches like this one, that’s no surprise to see.

It could well have been a different, and far greater scoreline had the shot-stopper not been on the top of his game.

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So Manchester City’s incredible luck of the draw (pun intended) continues. Pep Guardiola’s side learned the fate of their Champions League group stage campaign on Thursday night, and it could not have gone much better for the Citizens.

City were handed a reunion with Shakhtar from pot two, meaning that they avoided the likes of European heavyweights Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. Dinamo Zagreb and Atalanta rounded off the group, and it ultimately bodes well for a smooth transition into the knockout phases for the Manchester side.

After seeing the group stage draw, City fans flooded to Twitter to share their disbelief and joy at how things panned out for them.

Watch Manchester City Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Many supporters couldn’t hide their excitement at seeing the club handed another favourable outcome and insisted it is a “brilliant draw”.

Some even suggested rival fans would be getting “salty” at seeing City’s luck and appeared to revel in their good fortune.

Check out some of the delighted reaction of City fans below:

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Tottenham Hotspur have certainly been busy during the 2019 summer transfer window.

One of their big acquisitions was Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon, a highly talented youngster who penned a brand new contract that will bind him to Spurs until at least 2025.

And Tottenham Hotspur’s new number 19 seems to already be showcasing his tremendous skill in the training ground, if his latest social media activity is anything to go by.

Sessegnon has taken to

/B1L8iiBgW84/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram to share some brilliant footage of a challenge he was issued and one that he certainly aced.

Judging by the video, the youngster was supposed to hit the woodwork of the goal as many times as possible and he even complimented himself by captioning it with “Who’s got the world record” and then posting an emoji that represents him raising his hand.

And other stars were seemingly equally impressed by the video.

Of course, some were there solely to give him some banter but that doesn’t make the video less impressive as a whole.

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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 a report from Italian publication La Lazio Siamo Noi, Leicester are interested in landing defender Bastos from Lazio before the window shuts.

What’s the word?

Leicester’s hand could well be forced before the transfer market closes if Harry Maguire does indeed close out a move to Manchester United.

The Foxes have done some impressive work in landing both Ayoze Perez and Youri Tielemans but they could still be faced with a potential major exit.

In preparing for that eventuality, a central defender may have to be signed. Lewis Dunk was touted with a £45m move earlier this month but they’re now being linked with a defender in Serie A.

Per La Lazio Siamo Noi, centre-back Bastos is attracting the interest of both Watford and Leicester. The report claims he could be available for between €15m-€13m (£13.7m-£11.9m).

Watch Leicester City Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Cunning ploy from Rodgers

At the age of 28, adding someone like Bastos, who only started 11 times last term, might seem somewhat questionable.

However, it could be perfect for what Leicester need at the moment and it might also enable the Foxes to put in place an intriguing strategy with their defenders.

If Maguire does leave then a replacement will be needed but landing the Lazio man could be the ideal stop-gap signing.

Leicester have some top young defenders coming through at the moment but whether they’re ready to be thrust into Premier League action remains to be seen.

Filip Benkovic has come back from a loan spell at Celtic but admitted himself he’s a magnet to injuries whilst Caglar Soyuncu seems to be out of favour after playing just two times in 2018/19.

If you think the rumoured £80m for Harry Maguire is too much, check out how much his potential replacement will cost in the video below…

Therefore, bringing in an experienced defender like Bastos could help to plug the gap for a year.

As a result, it can allow both Benkovic and Soyuncu to develop themselves away from the limelight before a potential route into the first team next season.

After all, the Angolan defender will come with the qualities necessary to fit in at Leicester.

He’s a good passer, achieving a success rate of 86% last term whilst making 1.2 tackles across the minimal game time he was afforded too.

This would be smart work if Leicester get a deal over the line.

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