Tag Futebol

One of the gems of Rangers’ title win last season, Joe Aribo has certainly developed into a bona-fide star at Ibrox following his move a couple of years ago.

Having initially signed him for Rangers on a free transfer from Charlton, former Gers boss Steven Gerrard was very vocal in his praise of the midfielder, even going so far as to saying that he hoped he would be able to manage him for a long time.

Speaking after a particularly impressive performance against East Fife, Gerrard said of Aribo: “I am not sure how many good players have been at this stadium, but I don’t think you will see many better than Joe. Top players turn up anywhere, it doesn’t matter if it is in front of 50,000, or 1500, your standards are always the same and from day one Joe has done that. He was outstanding from start to finish.

“He can go as far as he wants. I hope he stays alongside me for many years, but he’s got the world at his feet.”

The 25-year-old Aribo ended up playing 112 times for Gerrard’s Rangers in his time north of the border, scoring 20 goals and providing another 18 assists as he embraced a real box-to-box role at Ibrox.

Transfermarkt now value him at £9m, and it’s testament to his ability that even with the change in manager recently to Giovanni van Bronckhorst, he has remained a real threat going forwards – in his 13 games under the Dutchman, he has managed three goals and three assists.

His role in helping the Gers finally wrestle away the Scottish Premiership crown from Celtic was huge, notching six goals and providing four assists in his 25 top-flight appearances, playing in a number of different roles from number ten to out wide on the right too.

Ross Wilson should take a lot of credit for spotting the diamond that Aribo has turned out to be for the Gers, and the fact he arrived for absolutely nothing in terms of a transfer fee makes it a dream deal.

Meanwhile, GVB has revealed a major Rangers blow…

Scorecard
Sri Lanka will be sick of Stafanie Taylor, Shanel Daley and Anisa Mohammed after their tour of the Caribbean is over. For the third consecutive game, the West Indies trio frustrated Sri Lanka and ensured West Indies swept the three-match Twenty20 series. Sri Lanka had done well to keep West Indies to 112, out of which Taylor made a match-winning 59, but their inability to cope with Mohammed’s teasing offspin saw them slump to a 28-run loss at St Mary’s Park.Taylor, who in the previous two games had hit half-centuries, was again to the fore in testing circumstances. Sripali Weerakkody, bowling right-arm medium with the new ball, struck in the first over and then again to snap a brisk 40-run stand between Taylor and Juliana Nero. When Deandra Dottin edged Weerakoddy behind for 6, West Indies were 55 for 3 and Taylor had to reassess the situation. Shashikala Siriwardene, bowling her tidy offspin, and the left-armer Suwini de Alwis struck as well to keep the pressure up on the hosts. Taylor’s 59 off 50 balls was the highest score after Nero’s 24 and no other batsman crossed 6. Taylor was last out off the penultimate ball of the West Indies innings.As it turned out, she had again done enough with the bat. Sri Lanka’s chase got off to a good start with Dedunu Silva and Chamari Atapattu adding 40 in 5.5 overs, but Silva’s run-out for 13 off the last ball of the sixth over changed the complexion. Daley, who had been impressive in the first game with 3 for 13 off her quota, induced false strokes in consecutive overs to have Atapattu (27) and Inoka Galagedara stumped. From here the chase completely fell apart at the seams and like West Indies middle and lower order has succumbed, so did Sri Lanka’s. Only one other batsman reached double-figures and Mohammed accounted for the last four wickets in another outstanding spell of 4 for 8 from 3.3 overs.

Duncan Fletcher, the former England coach and Zimbabwe national team captain, arrived in Zimbabwe today

Cricinfo staff09-May-2010Duncan Fletcher, the former England coach and Zimbabwe national team captain, arrived in Zimbabwe today to conduct a week-long coaching clinic at the High Performance Centre in Harare.Fletcher, who linked up with the South Africa squad as a batting and tactical consultant during England’s winter tour to South Africa, will be working with selected national age-group players – as well as some of the senior national team players and local coaches – at the centre.”We have a full schedule with the Under-16s, Under-17s and Under19s throughout the week but we have also allocated time with some of the provincial coaches as well”, said Kevin Curran, director of the Centre. “Fletcher’s credentials as a world class coach are unquestionable and we are honoured to have him here. It is a fantastic opportunity for players and coaches alike.”Fletcher coached England for seven years up until 2007, and guided the team to unprecedented success in that time, including six series wins in a row leading into the 2005 Ashes. He also led England on two tours to South Africa, starting with his maiden series in charge in 1999-2000 and culminating in a memorable 2-1 triumph five years’ later.As Zimbabwe’s first ODI captain, Fletcher played a key role in Zimbabwe’s famous victory over Australia at the 1983 World Cup. After his retirement, he gradually moved into coaching, winning trophies with Western Province and then Glamorgan before he was selected as the first foreigner to coach England in 1999.Fletcher’s is the second high-profile visit by a respected coach to Zimbabwe this year, after legendary legspin coach Terry Jenner travelled to the country in January.

Having gone through October and November without a win in the Premier League and with only one win from four games in December, it’s safe to say that Everton have not been in the best shape in recent months.

Luckily for the Toffees, the January transfer window is close to opening and could therefore give the Merseyside club the opportunity to potentially strengthen their squad and put them in a good place to put their poor run of form behind them end the season on a high note.

Speaking to Football Insider on what business Everton could do in January, pundit Frank McAvennie had this to say on the matter.

He said: “If Everton are going to stick with Rafa then it needs to be shown. The easiest way to do that is in January, you can give Rafa the players he wants. It’s no good sacking [Marcel] Brands and backing the manager if the form doesn’t turn around and you sack the manager anyway.

“It sounds like Rafa will have the chance to build his own team and that’s what he needs. You can’t judge him, it’s not his team. Let him bring four or five quality players in this January then let’s see where they are. I can see that happening.”

The prospect of Everton signing four or five quality players must be an exciting one for a lot of Toffees fans who will undoubtedly be hoping that Benitez can get 2022 off to a winning start in the same way he started the season off with Everton.

However, as McAvennie mentioned, with Everton saying goodbye to their director of football Marcel Brands earlier this month, it will be interesting to see how the club goes about their business in January and if Brands’ absence will have an impact.

In terms of which areas of the pitch the Toffees could look to strengthen in January, if they are aiming to sign a handful of quality players, they should definitely focus on signing at least one, if not more defensive players given how only Leeds United, Watford, Newcastle United and Norwich City have conceded more goals than they have so far this season.

Furthermore, they may have to replace the likes of Yerry Mina and Lucas Digne who have both been linked with an exit away. Consider Seamus Coleman’s age, too, and the idea of signing a few defenders certainly makes sense.

After all, the Merseyside outfit won’t start picking up more consistent point hauls until their defence gets better.

In other news: James 2.0: Moshiri could spark fury at Everton with swoop for “lazy” £380k-p/w flop – opinion

According to ESPN, Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte is eyeing a major overhaul behind the scenes as he holds private meetings with club chiefs and makes a decision on midfielder Tanguy Ndombele.

The Lowdown: Conte ‘evaluations’ made…

The Lilywhites manager, as he candidly admitted to the press, has been making ‘evaluations’ on his Tottenham squad as he decides who stays and who goes this January and beyond.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-updates-5/” title=”Spurs latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Spurs’ head coach recently finished his assessment of the Hotspur Way squad with many players currently linked with a possible move away from north London.

The likes of Matt Doherty, Giovani Lo Celso and Dele Alli are mentioned as possible departures with yet more news emerging on who could leave Spurs.

The Latest: Conte makes Ndombele call…

According to ESPN, club record signing Ndombele is one of six players Conte is now ‘willing’ to part with as he holds ‘private meetings’ with Spurs chiefs.

Chairman Daniel Levy is ‘expected to back’ the Italian’s exit decisions but club hierarchy recognise the difficulty in facilitating these deals mid-season.

As well as Ndombele, other players at risk of being sold are indeed Alli, Doherty, Lo Celso, Steven Bergwijn and even Japhet Tanganga.

The Verdict: Right call?

Given his arguable lack of application at N17 despite his obvious ability, with Conte publicly questioning it, perhaps may be the right time to entertain offers for the Frenchman.

As ever in January, the difficulty lies in finding a suitable offer for Ndombele but given the player’s pedigree, you would believe it is a possible a big club could register interest.

Described as ‘unbelievable’ by insider John Wenham, the midfield ace completed more dribbles per 90 last campaign than any Spurs player in the Premier League (WhoScored), with former boss Jose Mourinho hailing his turnaround at one point.

Alas, his bright flashes have come at an inconsistent rate and Conte will want players who can perform at a high level more regularly in his side.

In other news: Tottenham ‘working strongly’ for ‘phenomenal signing’ as reporter drops Twitter claim, find out more here.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has delivered a damning verdict on Leeds United star Tyler Roberts and suggested an exit from Elland Road could well be the best for him.

What’s the story?

He said: “To be completely honest, I feel like a move elsewhere would do him good. To repeat myself, the season so far isn’t down to him. He hasn’t made much impact and that’s why I think Leeds need better but he attracts a lot of criticism in a situation which is much bigger than him.

“A fair few players have struggled for form – the problem for Roberts is that he has no credit in the bank. He ran hard last night and made the effort but I’m not sure this period and the way he’s been used is doing him or the team a great deal of good. It is fascinating to see how much Bielsa trusts him though.”

He’s not been good enough for Leeds

While at 22, Roberts is hardly an ageing footballer in the declining years of his career, it remains to be seen just how better he can get given how disappointing he has been since the step-up to the Premier League in particular.

The Wales international has endured a nightmare start to the campaign thus far, scoring no goals and providing no assists, and has quite an unbelievable record of just eight goals in 99 games for the club.

Former Leeds striker Noel Whelan has previously insisted that the £12.6m-rated forward hasn’t shown enough in the Premier League to convince Bielsa that he’s cut out for this level – he managed just one goal in 27 top-flight appearances all of last season, and even that came in the penultimate game against Southampton.

Whelan added: “Is he good enough? In my opinion he isn’t. I would love him to go out there and prove me wrong because I want everyone to succeed. I need him to show me more. He needs to show more fight and desire. I just do not see that.”

Hay’s verdict that Roberts should look to leave is sure to intrigue fans about how the Welshman’s career can be turned around, whether it be at Elland Road or elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has dropped a major claim on Bielsa’s Leeds future…

كشفت تقارير صحفية عن المرشحين المحتملين لخلافة بريندان رودجرز في صفوف ليستر سيتي، حال إقالته من قِبل إدارة النادي.

ويعاني ليستر سيتي من سوء النتائج في الموسم الحالي من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، حيث يحتل المركز الأخير برصيد نقطة واحدة فقط.

ولم يفز ليستر سيتي في أي مباراة، وتعادل في واحدة وخسر في 6، وكان آخرها هزيمة الأمس أمام توتنهام بستة أهداف مقابل هدفين.

وسُئل بريندان رودجرز عن رأيه في إمكانية إقالته من قِبل النادي، حيث رد بأنه سيحترم أي قرار للمسؤولين.

من جانبها، ذكرت صحيفة “ذا صن” الإنجليزية عن المرشحين المحتملين لتدريب ليستر سيتي، حال إقالة بريندان رودجرز، وفقًا لمكتب المراهنات.

وأوضحت أن أبرز المرشحين لخلافة بريندان رودجرز هو مدرب بيرنلي السابق، شون ديتشي، حيث يمكن أن يقدم حلًا قصير الأمد لمسؤولي الثعالب.

ولكن إدارة ليستر سيتي قد تتطلع إلى لعب كرة قدم مفتوحة وهجومية، أشبه لأسلوب مدرب باريس سان جيرمان السابق ماوريسيو بوتشيتينو، وهو ما يضعه ضمن المرشحين.

كذلك هناك مدرب تشيلسي السابق توماس توخيل، الذي تمت إقالته من منصبه الأسبوع قبل الماضي.

يناسب مدرب ليدز السابق مارسيلو بيلسا أيضًا هذه الفئة، كما تضم قائمة المرشحين رافائيل بينيتيز، وآخرهم كلاوديو رانييري الذي سبق وأن قاد ليستر سيتي لتحقيق لقب الدوري الإنجليزي في عام 2016.

With Dara O’Shea suffering a serious injury earlier in the season that will keep him out for the next few months and Kean Bryan suffering a season-ending blow recently, it’s safe to say West Brom will need as many defensive options as possible at their disposal for the time being.

With that in mind, it seems that the Midlands club could be set to lose one of their young defenders currently in their youth ranks.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by All Nigeria Soccer (via Birmingham Live) that Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham, Aston Villa and Southampton are interested in signing West Brom youth defender Kevin Joshua.

Despite only joining West Brom’s U23 side from Solihull Moors’ U19 side back in March for an undisclosed fee, the 19-year-old centre-back has played in six of their 11 league games, grabbing one assist in the process, showing how impressive he has been given the number of clubs reportedly eyeing up a transfer swoop for the youngster.

Ferguson 2.0

Even though Joshua hasn’t made an appearance for Valerien Ismael’s side this season, there is a possibility that Ismael could be forced into giving the teenager his senior debut for the Baggies given their defensive injury issues, and certainly if any of their other senior defenders get injured between now and the end of the season.

Therefore, it should now be one of Lai Guochuan’s top priorities to keep hold of Joshua and out of the clutches of the numerous clubs reportedly interested in signing him, which could be seen as a disaster if he were to leave the club so soon after joining them. That’s especially when you consider the way they lost a fellow defensive talent in Nathan Ferguson so controversially to the jaws of the Premier League.

Given his young age, there’s no reason why Joshua, who has been described as a player who is “aggressive, quick, and excellent on the ball,” by his agent Arfan Rehman when he joined the club, couldn’t go on to become a regular first-team figure at The Hawthorns in the future, giving the Midlands club even more reason to keep the defender in their ranks.

Moving forward, perhaps giving the teenager some first-team minutes could not only help Ismael’s side in the short term while O’Shea and Bryan are out injured but also in the long-term by proving that they feel Joshua will have a big part to play for the senior team. By doing so, they may also be able to avoid a repeat Ferguson scenario too.

In other news: 60% duels won: WBA’s “dangerous” £18k-p/w beast proved he can be Ismael’s main man – opinion

Just a few days since their previous Premier League outing that saw Southampton beat Aston Villa 1-0 thanks to an early goal from Adam Armstrong, it seems as though two Saints players have failed to get through the latest international break unscathed.

What’s the news?

It has recently been revealed that Saints captain James Ward-Prowse has withdrawn from the England squad through illness with Valentino Livramento also dropping out of the England U21 squad with an injury, which will surely leave Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl gutted.

After all, it’s safe to say the duo are important players for the manager given how Livramento has started all 11 of Southampton’s Premier League matches so far this season, with Ward-Prowse having only missed two league games as a result of his ban earlier in the season.

Given the lack of clarity over the severity of Livramento’s injury and Ward-Prowse’s illness at the moment, we feel that this could be a worrying time for the Southampton fans, even though they still have a decent amount of time until their next league game against Norwich City.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-southampton-news” title=”Check out the latest Southampton news!”]

Thinking about the worst-case scenario which would be if the duo are both unable to play against the Canaries, we feel that this would be a massive blow for the Saints given how significant they are for the team in defence and midfield.

With Livramento, the fact that he has managed to rack up an average of 2.5 tackles, 1.8 clearances and 1.5 interceptions per game in the league proves just how useful he has been for the team from a defensive point of view.

In regards to Ward-Prowse, we feel that he could well be a big miss if he isn’t available for the Norwich match considering how he has a higher passing success percentage (87.8%) and made more crosses per game (1.9) than any other Saints player in the league so far this season according to WhoScored. Furthermore, he’s the club captain so to lose him again would be an almighty blow.

In a recent poll ran on Football FanCast, the majority of Saints fans made it clear that they feel Ward-Prowse is Southampton’s most important player, demonstrating why they’ll be gutted about his potential absence.

Moving forward, with the pair set to stay at the club for the remainder of the break, everyone at Southampton, especially Hasenhuttl, will be hoping that they can fully recover from their issues by the time the Premier League starts back up again.

In other news: Southampton could have Che Adams 2.0 in “promising” 17 y/o starlet, fans will love him – opinion

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been left slamming the display of Ianis Hagi despite their 3-1 win away at Livingston in the Scottish Premiership.

Goals from Scott Arfield, Joe Aribo and Fashion Sakala were enough to give Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team all three points in the end, but Hagi would surely not have been too pleased with his own individual performance.

The Romania international lost out on three of his duels, and also failed to score with both of his shots on goal, while he was also unsuccessful with five of his crosses and two of his long balls in the game (SofaScore).

Hagi was guilty of losing possession of the ball on no fewer than on 13 separate occasions in the match, the sixth-most out of any of his teammates (SofaScore), in what pretty much summed up a frustrating afternoon for the midfield player.

Rangers fans on Hagi display

These members of the Ibrox faithful slammed his performance on Twitter, with one Teddy Bears supporter even going as far as to claim that he was ‘hilarious’ in some of his play:

“Forgot Hagi was playing”

Credit: @douglaspark92

“The thing is Hagi and Morelos are anon again! Both look like playing with lead boots”

Credit: @Shodan47

“Hagi so far is not in the game”

Credit: @cameron1701

“How bad has Hagi been again today?”

Credit: @Kjrocket80

“Need more from Morelos again. Hagi also not contributing hugely. Need them to show something or I’d be getting the subs on.”

Credit: @AMcKellar89

“Some of this play from Tavernier and Hagi is hilarious. Not in a good way.”

Credit: @BMCRangersRants

In other news, find out what official club post has Gers buzzing here!