Tag Futebol

Newcastle United suffered their second consecutive loss since they guaranteed their status as a Premier League team for another season by surpassing the magic 40-point mark against Arsenal, and it showed that changes need to be made if they are to progress next season.

The Tyneside outfit had been on an outstanding run of four victories in a row – that preserved their top flight status – prior to successive 1-0 defeats against Everton at Goodison Park and then bottom club West Bromwich Albion at St James’ Park on Saturday.

While Rafa Benitez’s men have received plenty of plaudits recently for their impressive performances on the pitch, it is clear that they have let their standards slip since they reached 40 points, and that should be unacceptable despite their great achievement this term.

The Spanish manager would already have been thinking about improving his squad and freshening things up this summer in order to try and make them regular top-half finishers in the Premier League, but to do that he may need to move some players on first.

Here are three Newcastle stars Rafa must sell this summer as the club look to enter a new chapter in their history…

If Newcastle want to push on next season, they need to be bringing in players that are an upgrade on what they already have in the starting XI, and that could mean moving the players on that aren’t doing enough to get in it right now.

One of those is centre-back Ciaran Clark, who despite being a regular in the team under Benitez earlier in the season when Florian Lejeune was injured, has recently found himself back on the substitutes’ bench.

If Benitez is looking for an upgrade on Lejeune to partner captain Jamaal Lascelles this summer, then it should be the Frenchman that acts as competition with Clark heading through the exit door.

If you asked the majority of Newcastle supporters early on in the season if they expected Mo Diame to be at the club next term – or even beyond the January transfer window – they would have said no.

However, the Senegal international has forced his way into the starting XI in 2018 and kept the likes of Jonjo Shelvey and Mikel Merino on the substitutes’ bench at times because of his impressive performances.

Despite that fact, if the Magpies want to progress in the 2018/19 campaign then they should look to find a replacement for the soon-to-be 31-year-old, who certainly isn’t going to be the future of the club.

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With Islam Slimani perhaps not impressing enough to be signed on a permanent basis, Aleksandar Mitrovic likely to go following a fruitful loan spell with Fulham and Joselu struggling in terms of goalscoring, one of Benitez’s priorities this summer is going to be strengthening his frontline.

The Spaniard will likely be looking to bring two new strikers to the club so his team are more dangerous in the final third next season, and that could mean there is no room left at St James’ Park for Dwight Gayle, whom Toon fans on Twitter are quickly losing patience with.

While he has been a great servant for the Magpies and helped them make an instant return to the Premier League, he has shown that he perhaps isn’t at the required standard to be a top player at top flight level, and with no room for sentiment when you want to progress, he should be sold at the end of the campaign.

Do you agree, Magpies fans? Let us know below.

Manchester United and Arsenal fans in the Football Transfer Tavern are eagerly anticipating a decision from their target after the Daily Mail revealed that Borussia Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan is set to decide on his future at the end of the month.

The man tipped to replace Michael Carrick or the man to become the anchor of Arsenal’s midfield is set to put an end to all of the speculation surrounding his future.

The 24-year-old has one year remaining on his contract at the Westfalenstadion and it is expected he is going to follow Jurgen Klopp out of the club.

Which means Dortmund could opt to cash out on the German international this summer as they risk losing him on free in 2016.

The midfielder is currently on international duty, but took to Facebook on Friday to discuss his future.

In a statement he wrote: ‘In recent weeks, I, like you, have read again and again that it is already agreed I will sign somewhere. Today [Friday] I am in contract negotiations here, tomorrow [Saturday] I’m having a medical check there. At first I could still laugh about it, but when there was talk of “contract poker” and “a rip-off” it made me look bad.

‘Yesterday [Thursday] an ominous number [as regards to his wage demands] appeared in the press and so I have now decided to say something about it’

‘The 2014-15 season strictly speaking only ends on June 30. So far there have been barely any transfers done in Europe, yet as the rumours have spiralled I am supposed to have demanded more and more [cash], putting off making a final decision’

‘What has been forgotten is this: I have one more year on my contract with BVB [Dortmund].

‘What is important to me is that I’m not seen to be wagering financially or using delaying tactics’.

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Gundogan then added: ‘What’s next for me personally, I will reveal as soon as possible’.

‘Still, I’ll only make a decision after this season and our important game for the European Championship qualifier with the national team.’

This can only give the Blues and the Gunners hope of landing him although it could end up in bad news as he may opt to move elsewhere.

Manchester United and Arsenal fans. How important would Ilkay Gundogan be if joined your squad? Let us know your thoughts below.

Manchester City are set to sign Toluca’s Argentinian defender Diego Novaretti as one of two centre-back arrivals this summer, according to the Mirror.

Sky Italia reported last night that a deal was being put in place that would see the 27-year-old uncapped defender come in as free transfer signing to be a squad player next season.

City are targeting signings like Novaretti to go alongside big-money transfers in order to conform with Uefa’s Financial Fair Play.

However, it seems they will also look to bring in another centre-back because Joleon Lescott appears on a list of 12 players that The Times claims are going to be moved out of the Etihad Stadium in the summer.

Kolo Toure has already been told that he is surplus to requirements and is on the look-out for a new club while the names of Aleksandar Kolarov, Wayne Bridge, Edin Dzeko, Samir Nasri, Roque Santa Cruz, Maicon, John Guidetti, Scott Sinclair, Dedryk Boyata and Richard Wright are also likely to be circulated.

However, some of those names will be difficult to shift with Maicon already having stated his intention of seeing out the final year of his two-year contract.

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City are looking to bring in up to six new signings to give the squad a freshness and will also look to promote some of their loan and Elite Development Squad players to the first-team squad.

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Queens Park Rangers’ lengthy search for a new centre back continues as a deal between the West London club and Tottenham Hotspur’s Michael Dawson has stalled.

QPR had a £9million offer accepted by Spurs this week and it seemed R’s boss Mark Hughes was set to add another defender to his squad after their 5-0 home thrashing by Swansea on the opening day.

However, Hughes has told talkSPORT that personal terms cannot be agreed between the club and the player and it seems the deal is as good as dead.

“At the moment it is not where I’d hoped it would be,” said Hughes.

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“It may change. Obviously we’ve still got days left until the window closes so it might be revisited, but at the moment it is not in a place we think we can progress. There was an issue with personal terms.”

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Manchester United and Arsenal’s Premier League clash this Sunday represents the end of an era. Under Arsene Wenger, the Gunners emerged as the Red Devils’ ultimate title rivals during the late 1990s and early 2000s. But having announced he’ll be leaving the club at the end of the season, this could well be the last time the Frenchman faces his oldest foes, not to mention one of his most bitter enemies in United counterpart Jose Mourinho.

So will Sunday’s concluding instalment provide the perfect end to this 22-year Premier League subplot, and can previous encounters tell us anything about what to expect this weekend? Here’s the complete Premier League history of Man United vs Arsenal…

Head-to-Head

Arsenal’s 1-0 win at Old Trafford in 2002 to clinch the title remains one of the most celebrated occasions in Arsenal’s recent history, but their overall record against Manchester United is actually quite modest considering how competitive their rivalry was throughout the first 15 years of the Premier League. They’ve only won 13 games against United from 51 attempts, and that famous victory on United’s patch was just one of three they’ve managed there out of a possible 25 in the Premier League.

United though, have suffered their own slump in recent years and that’s seen the balance of this fixture largely level out; both teams have won two, lost two and drawn two of the last six meetings, with Arsenal scoring two more goals than the Red Devils during that time.

Top Scorer – Wayne Rooney

Arsenal inadvertently played a key role in announcing Wayne Rooney to the world as a teenager and throughout his career, no club has conceded more goals from the former England captain.

Nine of those 15 came in 24 Premier League appearances for United, making Rooney the all-time top scorer in this fixture. He’s closely followed by Thierry Henry, who notched up eight in 14 top flight appearances against United, failing to net past them during just two of his full Premier League campaigns.

Robin van Persie and Danny Welbeck, meanwhile, have represented both sides of the Arsenal-United divide. With the Dutchman on six, a hat-trick for the England international this weekend would see him move just behind Henry in this fixture’s top scorer chart.

The Shared Icon – Robin van Persie

He may have broken a million hearts and earned the moniker Judas when he jumped ship to Old Trafford in 2012, but Robin van Persie was without a doubt Arsenal’s most talented player by a considerable distance at that time. Eight seasons in north London produced 132 goals, three Premier League Goal of the Month awards, a Golden Boot and an FWA Player of the Year award – but just one piece of silverware from 2004/05.

Upon joining the Red Devils, van Persie instantly fired his new employers to the Premier League title, clinching a second consecutive Golden Boot in the process. It provided the parting gift Sir Alex Ferguson deserved, a final title before retiring, but that’s when RVP’s importance to United started to wane. After scoring just 22 league goals in the following two seasons under David Moyes and Louis van Gaal, the Dutchman was allowed to leave for Fenerbahce.

The Classic Clash – Man United 0-1 Arsenal

There have been far more entertaining clashes down the years in terms of goals, not least including a succession of heavy hammerings handed out by the Red Devils. But few, if any, have matched the significance of this meeting at Old Trafford in 2002 when Arsenal clinched the Premier League title on their rivals’ patch.

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It was an ugly, bitter-fought game with few clear-cut chances – between a United side in transition and a Gunners outfit starting to evolve into the Invincibles – but Sylvain Wiltord remained a menace all afternoon and it was the Frenchman who eventually proved the difference. His counter-attacking run in the second half lead to a Freddie Ljungberg shot that Fabien Barthez could only manage to parry, leaving an onrushing Wiltord to tuck home the rebound.

United pushed for an equaliser but that only made them more open and Arsenal had the chance to extend their lead. Not that the scoreline truly mattered; this clash was all about the result.

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Liverpool fans in the Football Transfer Tavern are preparing for a trip to Wembley this weekend, as their side prepare to take on Aston Villa for a place in the FA Cup final.

Brendan Rodgers is hoping a first trophy of his Liverpool career can save a season that otherwise looks set to end in disappointment, after the Reds fell out of the race for the top four with back-to-back defeats to Manchester United and Arsenal.

Prior to that, Liverpool had been the form team in the country, going a run of 13 games unbeaten and getting themselves back into the mix for a top four finish after a dismal start to the season.

It looks as if they are going to fall short however, and the supporters will demand an improvement next term – and some better summer signings.

Here we have identified five of the most pointless Liverpool transfers of all time.

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Click on Brendan Rodgers to reveal 5 most pointless Liverpool transfers ever

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El Hadji Diouf

It looked as though Liverpool were going to make Nicolas Anelka’s loan spell permanent back in 2002 but for some inexplicable reason, Gerard Houllier decided against the move.

In what many consider to be the beginning of the end for the French coach, Houllier opted to bring in El-Hadji-Diouf for £10 million instead, having watched him perform well for Senegal at the 2002 World Cup.

Diouf turned out to be perhaps the worst number 9 in the club’s history, managing just three Premier League goals in two seasons, and no shortage of disgraceful controversies – one of which included spitting at a Celtic fan during a UEFA Cup tie in 2003.

Salif Diao

Like his fellow countryman El Hadji Diouf – who arrived at the same time – Diao struggled to settle in England, and never produced the same form he did on the international stage.

In three season’s at Anfield, he managed 37 Premier League appearances, and just one goal.

He was not helped either by Gerard Houllier’s comments, with the former Anfield boss claiming he was signing a midfielder similar in style to Patrick Vieira.

Sadly for all connected with LFC, Diao was hardly good enough to clean the boots of the Arsenal legend.

Bruno Cheyrou

Bruno Cheyrou completed Gerard Houllier’s holy trinity of disastrous signings when he joined Salif Diao and El Hadji Diouf as the new summer signings in 2002, with the Frenchman arriving for £4.5million.

Houllier famously labelled Cheyrou ‘the new Zidane’, a comment that seemed to prove a huge burden.

Cheyrou enjoyed a decent patch of goalscoring during the 2003-04 season, but left Anfield following the arrival of Rafael Benitez with a record of 31 Premier League appearances and two goals, having made no real impact at a time when the Reds were hoping to build on their second placed finish of 2001/02.

Milan Jovanovic

A parting ‘gift’ from former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez, the Reds had apparently beaten Real Madrid of all clubs to the free transfer of the Serbian forward – seriously, Real Madrid.

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Jovanovic joined Liverpool in the summer of 2010, managed only one season, two goals, and just a handful of average performances, before being sold the following summer.

Benitez had built him up in what proved to be his final season on Merseyside, although his successors Roy Hodgson and Kenny Dalglish never rated him – and neither did any of the Liverpool fans.

Christian Poulsen

Who in their right mind tries to replace Javier Mascherano with Christian Poulsen? Only current England boss Roy Hodgson.

The Danish midfielder was a good six or seven years past his best when he arrived at Anfield, and completed a dreadful summer of business which saw the previously mentioned Jovanovic, Joe Cole, Paul Konchesky and Danny Wilson arrive.

Any of those players could have made this list in truth, but it’s Poulsen who makes the cut simply because of the drop in class he brought compared to the player he was replacing.

The time period in which he was brought into the club is looked back on as perhaps the darkest in Liverpool’s Premier League history.

It’s difficult to determine whether the ‘Manchester City Project’ has been a success, despite the club’s silverware. Their title win came after a monumental slip up from their inner-city adversaries, resulting in a 1st place finish due to a goal difference of +64 to Manchester United’s +56.

And while the last game of the season was riveting for City fans and neutrals alike, the Citizens only managed their first title in 44 years by narrowly beating the now-relegated Q.P.R. With margins that tight, the difference between success and failure comes down to the stud on a player’s boot.

Of course, the less said about Manchester City’s time in Europe since Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his moneybag cronies stepped in the better, but considering this is an article about Mancini, I’ll say it anyway.

With a collective of European experience in abundance, City failed to impress in what has become the holy grail of cup competitions. Cited reasons for their failure included their admittedly tough groups, a lack of involvement at this stage, and a testing domestic timetable. But one simply needs to mention Borussia Dortmund to render these feeble arguments obsolete.

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Considering the £536.7m spent on transfer fees alone (agent fees and wages will make that figure significantly higher) and a return of one Premier League title and one FA Cup, then you have to admit that judgement day is coming for Roberto Mancini – and it doesn’t look pretty.

Granted, he could make it two FA Cups unless Wigan do the unthinkable come Saturday May 11th, but his form in Europe has been woeful. It begs the question; does the suave Italian really have the tools to push Manchester City to the next level – say, back-to-back title challenges and posing a genuine threat in Europe?

If we consider tools to mean finances, then Mancini is fully equipped to do so; everyone is acutely aware of the spending power at his disposal. If we consider tools to mean personnel, then again, Mancini has a wealth of options at his fingertips – a roster of international players, Champions League winners and now league winners.

But if we were to consider tools as Mancini’s skillset as a manager, then his checklist of achievements since joining City would suggest he doesn’t have what it takes to mould this into a team of perennial winners.

Tactically, the former Sampdoria player has fallen short. His dalliance with alternative formations – three in defence, loading the middle of the park – have only offered a sharp retort. The decision to experiment with the shape of his team – even during games – has been baffling, especially as he tinkered in Europe against sides such as Ajax, Real Madrid and Dortmund.

Then there’s his transfer record. Buying players has been a huge part of the project over in the blue side of Manchester. It hasn’t quite been ‘stuff the team full of talent and see what sticks’, but it hasn’t been far off that either.

Vincent Kompany, Pablo Zabaleta and Joe Hart have been Manchester City’s most consistent performers. Last season, the solid partnership of their Belgian rock and England’s Number One effectively secured them the title, while this year, Zabaleta has once again underlined the importance of the roaming, hard-working full back to a top European side.

Mancini didn’t sign any of these players; he inherited them. Amongst his successful signings, we can count James Milner, Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure – signed for a combined fee of £90m. These weren’t exactly unknowns in the footballing world, and had an impressive track record to precede their big-money moves.

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Counting Mancini’s less successful transfers takes more time. Maicon, Samir Nasri, Edin Dzeko, Javi Garcia, Jack Rodwell, Scott Sinclair and Gael Clichy have rarely been on a run of form befitting a world-class player, at Manchester City anyway. This is not to say their résumés weren’t impressive before joining, but they’ve certainly failed to make the impact they’re paid to make. The buck, unless it is revealed he’s not in charge of first team comings and goings, stops at Roberto.

With tactical deficiencies so rife this season, and a questionable grip on the transfer market today, Mancini seems unable to steer this blue ship towards the glory so feverishly demanded by the club’s owners and fans. Say what you will about their spending power (and plenty has been said) but while it’s there, employing the best person possible to look after it is paramount.

Jose Mourinho’s love affair with Chelsea looks to be rekindled this summer, and while Manchester City could take advantage of the London club’s exiting Spaniard, they probably won’t. Despite a Champions League and (probably) another Europa League under his belt, he too seems to lack that star quality required to be a City manager.

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Leeds fans are delighted with the progress of Bailey Peacock-Farrell, but there are still a few who have their doubts about the 21 year-old.

There’s no way around it, this season has been abysmal for Leeds.

After a positive start to the season, a run of bad form in the new year convinced the club to look for new leadership, but the arrival of Paul Heckingbottom has only made things worse.

If there’s been one silver lining, it’s the form of Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

The youngster entered the fray against Wolves last month, and despite getting chipped by Benik Afobe on his debut has gone from strength to strength since then.

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The 21 year-old averages three saves per match, the highest number in the Championship since his debut, and also boasts an impressive 95 per cent claim success rate.

All that said, Peacock-Farrell is still waiting for his first clean sheet.

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While much of the blame for this should be placed on the leaky defence, plenty of fans have voiced their concerns about the goalkeeper who was sent back from loan spells with Swedish side Landskrona BoIS and non-league York City.

Fans have been discussing whether the 21 year-old should be the number one next season, and some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…

Arsenal have to sign a new centre-back, central midfielder and goalkeeper this summer, with Chelsea’s Petr Cech an ideal addition.

This is the view of Gunners hero Ray Parlour, who feels that this summer is a massive one for his old club as they plot to cement themselves as title contenders in 2016.

Arsenal are 2015’s form team in the Premier League, but even the miraculous run they’ve been on is unlikely to be enough to dislodge Chelsea – who hold a 10-point buffer over them – at the top of the table.

WANT MORE? >> Arsenal transfer news | Latest transfer news

Per Mertesacker has struggled for form, while Laurent Koscielnly has endured injury issues, and Mikel Arteta may well be released when his contract expires in a few months’ time, which has made both positions issues of concern.

Wojciech Szczesny has been bombed out of the starting line-up in league action, too, meaning that a new stopper is another worry.

And Parlour feels that all three positions have to be addressed, with Cech the perfect solution between the sticks:

“Straight down the spine of the team [needs strengthing].” He is quoted by the Express.

“Arsenal need to look at signing a new centre-half and definitely a central midfielder because people like Mikel Arteta may leave in the summer.

“They’ve got to look at their goalkeeping situation, whether Wojciech Szczesny is moved on and replaced with Petr Cech, who has always been mentioned.

“He would be a great signing for Arsenal if Chelsea will let him go there.

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“If he [Arsene Wenger] can add a bit of quality, I think they will have a really good run next year, progress, and maybe get a bit closer to Chelsea, or whoever it is next season, to win the Premier League.”

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At this stage of the season every match is deemed a ‘must win’ irrespective of your league position. Even more so for Arsenal on a weekend when neither of their rivals for Champions League qualification contest a Premier League fixture. The Gunners are currently two points adrift of Tottenham, whom they have game in hand on, and Chelsea in fifth but can leapfrog both and seize a place in the top four. It’s an opening Arsene Wenger is aware his side can’t afford to miss if they’re going to reclaim the seat held on Europe’s top table for the last 16-years. The opening line of Athlete’s single ‘Chances’ succinctly encapsulates the ideology they must work from if complacency is to be avoided. ‘Take all your chances why you can’. Luckily they are coming into form and generating momentum at the right time though and last weeks success at West Brom was their third league victory on the spin.

Norwich’s narrow 1-0 victory of the North London club back in October marked their first under Chris Hughton and began a 10-game unbeaten sequence that saw whispers of Europe filter around Carrow Road. But since that run came to an end just before Christmas the Canaries have managed just one win in 15 games and are yet to be assured of their top-flight status for next season. Last week’s 2-2 draw with Swansea was only the second time they’d managed to score more than once in a league game since December and a struggle to find the net has been their Achilles heel. 14 draws from 32 games has also contributed significantly to their slide although a stalemate this weekend would undoubtedly be welcomed by Hughton.

Team News

Jack Wilshere (ankle) and Theo Walcott (hip/thigh) are fit again for Arsenal but last weeks match winner Tomas Rosicky is doubtful with a hamstring problem. Per Mertesacker is banned after his red card at West Brom.

Goalkeeper Mark Bunn is a doubt for Norwich after hurting his groin in last weeks draw with Swansea. Bunn will be assessed before kick off with Lee Camp ready to deputise. Anthony Pilkington is back following a hamstring injury.

What the managers said…

“I don’t mind if Tottenham losing will have an influence or not. And I don’t care about that because I care about our results. We do not have to look at other teams. We just want to focus on how we want to play and to win our games. That is all we want to do — focus on ourselves, win our games and continue to play the way we play.” Arsenal need to forget about Chelsea and Spurs insists Arsene Wenger (The Sun)

“It is not about pulling out three or four of our remaining games and saying those are the ones. We need to try and get something from every game. You are hoping the other results go for you and if we play on a Saturday you sit and watch the Sunday games, but that is normal. Once you start anticipating a team is going to lose or win a game that is a very dangerous way to go about things.” Chris Hughton wants maxium effort in each of Norwich’s remaining games (Norwich Evening News)

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Pre-Match Statistic: Arsenal have taken 15 points in their last six Premier League games – a record only match by leaders Manchester United.

Prediction: Arsenal 3-0 Norwich City

Make your bets ahead of the showdown at the Emirates Stadium by clicking on the banner below

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