Aston Villa’s encounter with Crystal Palace was marred with controversy on Saturday afternoon, which has left players and fans alike still wondering what could have been.
Egyptian winger Trezeguet was given his marching orders before the hour mark, picking up a second yellow card for a late barge on Wilfried Zaha before Jordan Ayew’s instinctive finish in the 73rd minute won them the match.
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In stoppage time, substitute Henri Lansbury had a goal chalked off by referee Kevin Friend after he adjudged that Jack Grealish dived during the build-up to the goal – as Friend blew his whistle before Lansbury stuck the ball in the net, VAR could not have reviewed the incident.
Summer arrival Bjorn Engels tweeted his thoughts on Sunday afternoon, following the dubious defeat and the trouble in the away end, which the Belgian was even spotted trying to resolve post-match.
One supporter said the 24-year-old’s actions took guts, calling him a ‘proper man’ for doing so and another added that he was ‘absolutely class’ for tweeting that.
A further member of the Villa Park faithful claimed Engels was fast becoming a firm favourite at the west Midlands club whilst one believed he had gained a lot of respect for his actions.
The snap may have annoyed the Northern Ireland fanbase, but the Sheffield United supporters should feel buoyed by the fact Norwood is enjoying some time off.
He’s been instrumental to the Blades’ good start to the campaign as he’s played every minute in the Premier League so far as the Yorkshire outfit have lost just once in their opening four fixtures.
Norwood will be vital if Chris Wilder’s side are to stay up this term, and seeing him relaxing and recovering rather than battling against Germany will certainly alleviate a number of United supporters’ concerns about keeping him fit for the whole season.
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…
Arsenal have not had the best of luck with injuries so far this season, and in the build-up to last weekend’s Premier League game against Watford, they were dealt another crushing blow.
After being without the likes of Hector Bellerin, Kieran Tierney and Rob Holding, it was confirmed that Alexandre Lacazette will be unavailable until October.
The France international played through the pain of an ankle injury for several weeks, and has now been advised to spend time on the sidelines to recover.
It leaves Arsenal light up front, with just Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to lead the line. Unfortunately, at this point, it looks as though the decision to let Eddie Nketiah joins Leeds United on loan may have backfired.
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The youngster has hit the ground running at Elland Road. He has started just two games for the Whites but has netted four goals in all competitions, including late, important strikes against Brentford and Barnsley. He has already displayed his prowess in front of goal, but that will come as no surprise to those who have followed him as he has made his way up through the Arsenal ranks; he scored 28 goals in 38 games for the Under-23s and 15 in 16 for the Under-18s.
With Lacazette out injured, the 20-year-old would have been the perfect replacement. While Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a lethal striker, Unai Emery also enjoys playing him on the wings on occasion. He has played there 13 times for the Gunners in total.
Such is the quality of the 30-year-old forward, he has enough talent to operate successfully either on the flank or up top, but playing him on the wing allows Emery to line up with two wide men, whether it be in a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Against Watford, the Gunners started with two strikers. Aubameyang was in impressive form once again, bagging a brace, but Nicolas Pepe, who partnered the former Borussia Dortmund man, was not as impressive. His talents of beating his man and cutting in from the right are, obviously, better suited to a wide position.
The presence of Nketiah, a natural striker, would allow the Ivory Coast international to move out to the right opposite Aubameyang. This move would, therefore, add balance to the side in the absence of Lacazette, while affording Emery the flexibility to play his star man in another role.
Unfortunately, he will have to find another solution. Allowing Nketiah to leave increasingly looks like a horrible mistake.
Reputational rehabilitations in sport are rare but not unheard of. In the eighties Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon was an unpopular figure, disliked for his brash and cocky demeanour. But then health issues, including dementia were made known post-retirement and the public notably softened their stance. Australian cricketer Steve Smith, meanwhile, will never be fondly regarded in the UK but after a summer in which he has taken the sport to exalted heights it can be said that he has reclaimed substantial respect following last year’s ball-tampering scandal that saw the team captain ostracised for a year.
Perhaps the most famous example is David Beckham, who underwent a remarkable transformation from sinner to saint in the late nineties. His sending off at the 1998 World Cup resulted in an effigy being hung outside a pub in south London, so strong was the vitriol at the time. But hard work, trophies, and subsequent memorable moments with England saw the Manchester United midfielder turn things round, to such an extent that his pop star wife later admitted that she called him ‘Goldenballs’.
Then there is Raheem Sterling, of course, the most unique instance of this phenomena.
In Sterling’s case his vilification – described as a ‘persecution’ by the Times late last year – was unique because, unlike the others, he had not actually done anything wrong to trigger it. It should be stated here that ‘wrong’ is such a subjective word. After all, Beckham merely flicked out a leg in instinctive petulance.
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In the summer of 2015 the then 21-year-old winger was one of 27 players who switched from a Premier League club to another. The manner in which he agitated for a move understandably riled Liverpool supporters but quite why this aggrieved other fans and the media at large remains a mystery given that it is commonplace these days for footballers to deploy such tactics to secure a transfer.
Nevertheless, the fee was sufficiently high enough to gain headlines and attention for a good while and the odd jibe that he wasn’t worth the money could be heard down your local watering hole simplyÂbecause Sterling was not yet a finished article. On the international stage, meanwhile, the player was one of several to under-perform at consecutive major tournaments for England.
That’s it really. That’s what Raheem Sterling had in the debit column. It’s not a lot and especially when it’s balanced out by other realities, namely that Sterling was clearly a shy and decent lad – that was plain to the naked eye and to any fair interpretation. He was also improving season on season at the Etihad and it was only a matter of time before he transferred that improvement to the England set-up. Furthermore, he never once hid on the pitch and always gave 100%; character traits that are usually highly appreciated in this country.
Alas these truths were of no consequence and very quickly Sterling found himself the poster boy of all that is deemed wrong with modern football. His move from Liverpool had him caricatured as a ‘snake’. Beneath the headline ‘Obscene Raheem’ his purchase of a house for his mother had The Sun using up their entire thesaurus of trigger-words in faux-outrage.
He was a ‘shamed’ winger. He was ‘flaunting’ the ‘blinging’ house (the latter description there being deeply troubling) all the while ‘boasting’. Soon it was open season. Soon we were venturing into some very weird territory. Sterling was castigated for taking an Easyjet flight. He was mocked for eating a Greggs pastie. The ‘penny-pinching’ winger was taunted for driving an unwashed car. He was slammed as a ‘love-rat’ when proposing to his ‘long-suffering fiance’ Paige Milan, a stark contrast to the regal celebration of ‘Posh and Becks’ engagement.
On and on it went, drip, drip, drip into the nation’s psyche; from the vicious to the ridiculous and it shouldn’t be under-estimated how much of a damaging reputational effect this had with the mainstream populace beyond football. I recall my own mother – a person who has no interest in or knowledge of the game – telling me last year: “I see that Sterling is at it again.â€
At it. Again.
What she was referring to was the hyperbolic and hysterical coverage of the England star’s gun tattoo, perhaps the nadir of the entire Sterling media obsession and more importantly the one that turned it into a national conversation where sense eventually entered the fray.
Before we move on to the dramatic change in perception that has occurred this past year as a result of that sense it is worth staying momentarily with that tattoo farrago. People lost their minds. Think of the children. He was a role model after all.
Yet nobody talks about that tattoo anymore, despite the fact that by virtue of being indelible ink it is still there on Sterling’s lower right leg. Nobody frets that an impressible child is going to seek out a real, actual weapon and run amok. To believe so would be utterly ludicrous.
The tattoo is still the same. We are not.
On the pitch this past year – as he was last year but let’s take our victories where we can – Raheem Sterling has been brilliant. Since the start of 2018/19 he has scored 31 times for Manchester City. For his country he has scored eight times in his last eight appearances. He has become a pivotal figure for both.
Soccer Football – FA Cup Final – Manchester City v Watford – Wembley Stadium, London, Britain – May 18, 2019 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling celebrate winning the FA Cup REUTERS/David Klein
Off the pitch he has undertaken a media offensive, making himself available for more interviews with the intention of highlighting what a thoroughly nice guy he is while a number of public responses to the plight of racism in our game have been greeted with widespread admiration.
Such positivity has been mirrored. Respected writer Daniel Storey recently called him a ‘cultural leader’.
Trevor Sinclair said last week that Sterling was ‘up there with Messi and Ronaldo’. The Daily Mirror insisted he is a ‘national treasure’. Concerning the Three Lions, where once he was a hate-figure he is now a symbol of hope. Concerning the man, where once he was pilloried he is now loved.
Even as a Manchester City fan who adores Raheem Sterling, I must confess that I find comparisons with Messi a touch far-fetched. Just as I find the elevation of him as a ‘national treasure’ a little silly. Sir David Attenborough is a national treasure.
Perhaps though this lavish acclaim is over-compensation for the treatment he previously received – to go from one extreme to the other – and if that is so it’s an intriguing scenario.
It suggests remorse; it hints at an attempt to redeem ourselves.
Raheem Sterling deserves all the credit in the world and more for how he has turned things around, to go from zero to hero, but regarding the remarkable change in his perception that is on us.
And we don’t deserve any credit for that. None whatsoever.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…
Sometimes it just runs in the family doesn’t it? Yaya and Kolo Toure. Frank and Ronald De Boer. Bobby and Jack Charlton. Shola and Sammy Ameobi. Okay perhaps not the last one, but you get the gist.
There have been plenty of great footballing brothers in the history of the game, and though it may be early stages yet, Newcastle could have one of their own history-making sibling duos on their hands.
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Sean Longstaff has already enjoyed a meteoric rise at St James’ Park since bursting onto the scene last year, and now it could be the turn of little brother Matty to do the same too. And according to the 19-year-old, having his older sibling around has been a blessing.
“It helps having Sean around. You see what he done last year and you look to try to replicate what he’s done. Having him around is great but all the other lads have helped me as well.”
The teenager made his competitive debut for the club in the Carabao Cup clash against Leicester earlier this season, and with the Magpies not having the deepest of squads, he could be in line for further games.
During his time with the U23s side last year, Longstaff showed off his versatility and commitment to the cause by playing in holding midfield, central midfield, attacking midfield, left midfield and right-back. It’s that kind of willingness to put the team first that will no doubt endear him to the St James’ Park faithful.
Having already seen Sean make his mark on the first-team, Steve Bruce revealed he is confident Matty can more than emulate his big brother.
“They are both hugely competitive and it’s quite unique we’ve got brothers and the pair of them could be playing. Matty’s bright, he’s tenacious, can score a goal – he’s got all the stuff you need to succeed. Got a huge desire to do well like his brother. He’s impressed me enormously over the last four, five weeks. His brother’s running statistics on Saturday were enormous – absolutely enormous. I’ll just remind of him of that, what he’s got to live up to!”
Following the older Longstaff’s injury ahead of the Liverpool game last week, Newcastle fans flooded to Twitter to urge Bruce to throw Matty into the deep end.
It may not have happened yet, but if he continues to progress, then there is no reason why the Magpies can’t start a Premier League game in the near future with the Longstaff brothers holding down the midfield. Two Geordie siblings romping about the hallowed turf of St. James’ Park, wouldn’t that just be special?
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…
After lighting up the MLS with Atlanta United, there were no doubt big hopes for what Miguel Almiron could potentially bring to Newcastle. After all, he had become the club’s record signing at the time. The Magpies were getting an attacking midfielder who scored goals, provided them and worked his socks for the team… or not.
Unfortunately for both him and the club, things just haven’t quite worked out so far.
The Paraguay international has huffed and puffed, and his commitment to the cause cannot be questioned. But the quality that underlined his performances across the pond have been non-existent. There have been moments where it has looked ever so close to happening, and there have similarly been occasions where you have been left wondering whether the Tyneside club had bought his twin brother.
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And, if you ever needed a snapshot of just how woeful Almiron has been since his move in the January transfer window earlier this year, then look no further than the graphic below.
Even beside the alarming stat of him failing to score a single goal or assist this season (something in fact he hasn’t managed in his entire Magpies spell), the dip in the under-lying numbers from his time with Atlanta makes for much more worrying news for Steve Bruce.
As per Whoscored, his shots per game have gone down by almost a third, and there is certainly an element of a vicious cycle as to why that is the case. The longer the Paraguayan goes on without scoring, the more his confidence takes a hit, and the less likely he is to even take on a shot.
His dribbles per game meanwhile have almost gone down by half, while the less said about his abysmal key passes per game the better.
Such has been the lack of impact from Newcastle’s big-money signing, Magpies legend Rob Lee exclusively told Football FanCast earlier this month that he had been left unimpressed with what Almiron has brought to the table.
“(Miguel) Almiron I’ve been really, really disappointed in. I know people rave about the way he runs around, but for me for someone who’s cost us £20m, hasn’t scored a goal, hasn’t had an assist, I think you’ve got to do more than that. We need him to do more than that. Joelinton needs some help.”
And that last point is precisely why Bruce has to be ruthless with Almiron now – even fans have noticed how isolated Joelinton has been, sympathising with the Brazilian for a lack of service.
It would be in the side’s best interests to leave the Paraguayan out of the firing line, and just allow him to reset his batteries and go again in a couple of weeks.
Real Madrid have a rather difficult task ahead of them.
After a disappointing bout with Club Brugge in the heart of the Spanish capital, Los Blancos will welcome the current runners-up to the first spot in La Liga, Granada, to the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
Not many would’ve expected to see a newly promoted team so high in the standings after seven matchdays and yet, here they are, ready to take another scalp and continue shaking Spain to its core.
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For that reason, they cannot be taken lightly and Zinedine Zidane would be wise not to underestimate them. That also includes sending out a strong side that can get the job done this Saturday afternoon.
And with that being said, here’s what we think the Frenchman should go for in terms of his personnel…
Thibaut Courtois had to be subbed off at half-time in the clash against Club Brugge and the club confirmed that the Belgian is suffering from gastroenteritis with dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.
Zidane did mention that there indeed was a problem with his goalie when he faced the press after the Champions League clash, so Alphonse Areola is his best option.
Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…
One other player that will miss out on the clash is Marcelo. The experienced left-back has also been injured for a while but made an appearance against Club Brugge in midweek. Still, the newest report coming from the club suggests he suffered a relapse of his injury so we won’t see him against Granada this weekend.
And with other left-back options, Ferland Mendy and Nacho, also injured, Zidane faces a huge selection problem that we believe can be best solved by a big change in formation.
Even though it’s fairly risky, we’re going with the bold choice of three defenders in front of Areola as Ramos and Varane are accompanied by Eder Militao.
In the middle of the park, Zidane should stick with familiar faces – Toni Kroos, Casemiro and Luka Modric are expected to all be fit, and they should be joined by James Rodriguez in a more advanced role. Despite only finding one assist this season, he’s averaged an impressive 1.8 key passes per game.
Gareth Bale sat out the last clash altogether, but we’re putting him into our suggested XI, contributing to three goals in five La Liga games so far.
He should be deployed on the right, opposite of Eden Hazard and just next to their centre-forward Karim Benzema, who remains Real Madrid’s top scorer in La Liga with five goals this term.
On Saturday evening, Tottenham Hotspur released a statement confirming that Hugo Lloris had suffered a dislocated elbow during Saturday afternoon’s Premier League clash with Brighton & Hove Albion.Lloris was stretchered off in the early stages of his team’s 3-0 defeat, and it would be fair to say that the initial signs did not look great.Spurs have not given a timeframe for the goalkeeper’s recovery, although they did confirm the extent of the injury following an examination at a local hospital.The 2018 World Cup winner is surely set for an extended period on the sidelines, which is far from ideal due to Tottenham’s current problems.Indeed, the capital outfit have lost four of their last five matches in all competitions – including a 7-2 defeat to Bayern Munich last week.As expected, a number of the club’s fans took to social media in the aftermath of the Lloris announcement, and a selection of their reaction can be seen 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…
Even though they have been getting better as of late, Real Madrid are still striving to improve their defensive record in the 2019/20 campaign.
And with many of their key players slowly but surely getting on, one man could solve both problems all by himself.
On the chalkboard
Recently, Real Madrid have been linked with Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar, as per reports coming from Don Balon.
And looking at the 24-year-old’s qualities and Los Blancos’ needs, it does seem like a match made in heaven.
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So far, Real have conceded 13 goals in ten games across all competitions, and while that record is not necessarily disastrous, their first clean sheet of the season came after five games had been played.
Besides, with Sergio Ramos already 33-years-old, their backline could definitely do with some new blood.
A future leader
Looking at Skriniar’s stats, it’s easy to see why Real Madrid are reportedly keeping a close eye on him.
The 24-year-old has averaged 0.9 tackles per game in Serie A and three in the Champions League so far in the season. On top of that, he managed 0.3 and 0.5 interceptions per game in each of the competitions respectively, combining that with a rather impressive 3.7 clearances in Serie A and two in Europe as well.
Of course, Ramos still edges him out ever so slightly in some of these categories but Skriniar is only starting to develop properly.
Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…
Maybe he’s not on Ramos’ level just yet but if Real Madrid are seriously considering approaching him, they surely won’t regret it.
At only 24 years of age, Skriniar is nowhere his best and yet, he’s already showing clear signs of brilliance.
Besides, it would get two birds with just one stone – Real Madrid would go a long way to fixing their defensive issues and would also get a good Ramos successor as well. Real, of course, have already signed Eder Militao but one feels that Skriniar is ahead of the Brazilian in his development and could actually be an excellent partner for the summer signing.
The London club have won just one of their last five games in all competitions, and their last two matches have been a 3-0 loss to Brighton and an embarrassing 7-2 defeat against Bayern Munich.
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It doesn’t seem as if anyone is on the same page at Spurs, as Moussa Sissoko has publicly criticised Mauricio Pochettino and there have been rumours of a dressing room rift.
However, it seems as if a recent announcement has buoyed a couple of players who were reportedly at odds with one another, as Jan Vertonghen and Christian Eriksen both liked Michel Vorm’s tweet after he re-signed with the club.
This isn’t to say that the return of the Dutchman is the solution to all of the club’s problems, but it does seem as if two key players have been given a little bit of a boost by it.
Hopefully, Vorm’s presence can help unite the dressing room in the coming weeks, but it remains to be seen whether or not the atmosphere or results improve.