علّق يورجن كلوب المدير الفني لفريق ليفربول على الأداء الضعيف للحارس أليسون بيكر بعد الهزيمة في مباراة اليوم أمام مانشستر سيتي في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وخسر ليفربول بأربعة أهداف مقابل هدف في الجولة الثالثة والعشرين في ملعب الأنفيلد. أهداف مباراة ليفربول ومانشستر سيتي

وارتكب أليسون بيكر خطأين فادحين نتج عنهما الهدفين الثاني والثالث لـ مانشستر سيتي.

وقال كلوب في تصريحات لشبكة “سكاي سبورتس” العالمية: “هذا صحيح أننا لم نمنح أليسون الكثير من الخيارات، خاصة فيما يتعلق بالهدف الأول”.

وأضاف: “الهدف الثاني لا يوجد تفسير حقيقي، ربما كان أليسون يعاني من برودة القدم أو شيء من هذا القبيل!”.

وواصل: “يبدو الأمر مضحكًا ولكن لا أعرف الموقف!”.

وتابع: “لقد أنقذ أليسون حياتنا مرات عديدة، لا شك في ذلك، ولكنه ارتكب اليوم خطأين”.

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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…

Speaking on talkSPORT, Arsenal legend Ray Parlour has urged his former side to sort out their defensive problems this summer if they have any hope of wanting to finish in the top four next season.

What did he say?

The Gunners conceded 51 goals in the Premier League last season, giving them the second-worst defensive record out of the top six. Club captain Laurent Koscielny’s future remains uncertain, whilst new signing William Saliba will spend the upcoming campaign back on loan at St Etienne.

As such, Parlour has expressed his concern that Unai Emery’s side are still short in defence, and that it is a major “worry” for him.

Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

He said, as quoted by Football.London: “The worry for me has always been the defence. We’re talking about (signing) good players but we aren’t talking about no defenders at the moment. Defenders is probably the key area where we are missing at the moment.

“We know about Koscielny’s situation, that has not been great for the club, him not going on tour. That is the area for me where they’ve got to address big time if they’re going to have any chance to get in that top four again.

“That’s what let them down in the end because the goalscoring at the other end was no problem with (Pierre-Emerick) Aubameyang, (Alexandre) Lacazette, them sort of guys. It’s one of those situations where you’ve just got to wait and see what happens with the transfer window.”

Attack is the best form of defence?

Despite their much talked about problems in defence, the Gunners are reportedly pursuing a big-money deal for Lille star Nicolas Pepe. The Ivory Coast international is an in-demand winger and has attracted interest from many of European football’s biggest sides, but appears to be inching closer to a move to the Emirates.

On the face of it, the potential signing of Pepe seems like a swoop for someone that will not solve their main concern at the back. But Emery’s thinking perhaps revolves around the realisation that the Gunners’ defence needs extensive surgery that they simply can’t afford right now.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

Adding another attacking weapon to his arsenal (no pun intended) would give the Gunners some more leeway for their creaky defence; the likes of Pepe, Aubameyang and Lacazette, amongst others, will be charged with out-scoring oppositions week-in and week-out, in the simple knowledge that a clean sheet will be a rarity.

Sometimes attack really is the best form of defence, and the Gunners could perhaps replicate the type of form Liverpool showed in 2013/14, when they scored a whopping 101 goals in the league but also conceded 50, which took them to second place and an automatic Champions League spot.

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Loads of Manchester United fans have been left reeling by a tweet from ESPN journalist Rob Dawson, who says Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is “comfortable” with the prospect of making no more signings this summer.

The Red Devils haven’t exactly been quiet this summer, revolutionising their defence with moves for fresh home-grown talent in Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire, while a swoop for Daniel James adds pace to the attack.

However, there is still a feeling amongst fans that they are crying out for a playmaker, someone in the mould of Christian Eriksen perhaps.

Dawson delivered an update on the interest in Tottenham’s Eriksen on Wednesday morning, and it’s fair to say fans haven’t taken it too well.

Not only does the tweet claim Eriksen looks more likely to head to Spain, it hints Maguire could be the final new face to arrive at the club this summer, even saying Solskjaer is at peace with that scenario.

Unsurprisingly, fans are absolutely furious, slamming the manager for being a “yes man” and a “puppet”, and we’ve collected some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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Manchester United are still in Australia and awaiting their second and final game to be played in the land Down Under.

After their first exhibition match against Perth Glory, the Red Devils are now turning to a clash with Leeds United to finish off their Australian adventure.

In the meantime, they also officially confirmed the release of their 2019/20 away kit.

Adidas made sure the Red Devils would indeed stand out with a fresh design that breaks away from the traditional colours and introduces a new savannah-toned colour palette.

The players have already been showcasing it on their social media accounts and Manchester United’s summer signing, Daniel James, has been one of those stars already donning it for the fans.

Get the latest on Harry Maguire’s potential move to Man Utd in the video below…

The youngster took to

/Bz8Q05zH4bz/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram to celebrate the release of the new kit.

And judging by the comments flooding James’ Instagram profile, other stars are starstruck by the beauty of the new Manchester United colours.

James has also been called a “model” by some of his friends who just couldn’t get enough of him and the new jersey.

The 21-year-old winger joined this summer from Swansea and will be looking to add some lethality and pace into the Red Devils’ attack.

Last season, he played a total of 38 games in all competitions, scoring five goals and assisting a further ten for the Welsh outfit.

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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… 

After arriving from Brazilian side Ituano this summer in a rather low-key deal, Gabriel Martinelli produced an impressive performance on his first-team debut for Arsenal against Colorado Rapids.

The 18-year-old had largely been tipped to feature for the north London’s side academy teams over the course of the upcoming campaign, but his display against the MLS outfit certainly raised a few admiring eyebrows.

On the chalkboard

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Unai Emery’s side are on the hunt for a new winger, who can bring pace, trickery and movement. It has perhaps been no surprise then to see the likes of Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha and Gremio’s Everton Soares being linked with a move to the Emirates.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

But Martinelli’s performance against the Rapids, and his campaign as a whole at Ituano last year, could have already given them the solution. In a comfortable 3-0 victory to open up the Gunners’ pre-season, Martinelli was a real live-wire, hustling and harrying the opposition and being a relentless bundle of energy.

The Brazilian was sometimes erratic with his touch and his passing, particularly with little pressure around him. But the teenager’s willingness to get on the ball and drive at the opposition defence caused constant problems, and his movement without it was arguably the biggest highlight of his display.

Operating from the right-hand side of Arsenal’s attack, Martinelli made piercing runs in between the opposition full-back and centre-back and was a real nuisance for the Colorado back-line. Indeed, his goal symbolised everything that the winger had tried during the match.

Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Having seen left-back Dominic Thompson run into space on the left-flank, Martinelli’s searing pace saw him edge well ahead of his defender and arrive at the near post with great timing. Despite the ball coming at an uncomfortable height, the Brazilian’s improvised finish with his chest and shoulder slammed into the back of the net and was just reward for a fine debut.

Both Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alex Iwobi combined for a total of just 12 goals in 90 total appearances last season; Martinelli’s incisive movement and eye for goal could surely see him better that on his own if given the chance to impress and bring some much-needed spark to Arsenal’s attack.

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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…

According to L’Equipe (via Get French Football News), Everton are amongst a number of clubs interested in signing Monaco’s Rony Lopes, with the Ligue 1 side believed to be ready to sell for a fee in the region of €25m – €30m (£23m – £27.6m).

The former Manchester City attacker is believed to be of interest to Sevilla, Valencia, Newcastle and West Ham along with the Toffees – it remains to be seen who he joins with just a couple of days until the transfer deadline.

The 23-year-old is a diminutive attacking midfielder with a low centre of gravity, similar to a player already in the Toffees’ ranks – Bernard.

Interestingly, the Brazil international also plays primarily in the same position as Lopes does out in a left attacking midfield position, so let’s take a look at how the pair weigh up against each other.

As you can see, it looks as if the Portugal international is a much larger goal threat than the former Shakhtar Donetsk man.

Lopes averages a substantially higher amount of shots per game, taking 2.1 attempts at goal on average compared to Bernard’s average of 0.7.

Additionally, the 23-year-old Lopes records 0.8 more key passes per game than the 26-year-old Brazilian, suggesting that he is a far more creative presence behind the striker than Bernard is.

Check out some amazing tekkers in the video below…

The 5 foot 9 Monaco man just appears to be a more direct player in comparison to Bernard, who averages the same amount of dribbles as Lopes but doesn’t appear to do as much with the ball in the final third as the Portuguese ace.

It should be noted that Lopes played on the left, right and as a central attacking midfielder, as well as a striker, last term, whilst Bernard featured in the middle and on the right too, so Marco Silva could well deploy the pair together if he felt like it.

In terms of the cold, hard numbers however, Lopes does appear to be the more likely to threaten opposition goalmouths.

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Todd Cantwell has given an interview highlighting his wishes to play a more central role for Norwich City moving forward.

”I would say it’s probably a favoured one,” he said to EDP24.

However, for the time being, Cantwell said he was happy to play wherever manager Daniel Farke sees fit for him.

“But playing off the left under Daniel is not like a normal left midfield role, so I wouldn’t say it’s too far out of position but naturally I’ve always been a number 10 and it’s always been a position that’s I’ve felt like I’ve flourished.”

The youngster starred for Norwich during the club’s 4-1 loss to Serie A top-four finishers Atalanta on Tuesday.

Cantwell started the game due to a knock picked up by Marco Stiepermann in the 5-1 win over Luton Town last Saturday.

Moving to a central role may not be too far off in the near future for the 21-year-old despite the form of Marco Stiepermann last season. The German scored 10 goals and assisted a further nine as Norwich City won promotion to the Premier League.

However, despite Stiepermann’s form, he remains the only out-and-out attacking midfielder at the club, according to Transfermarkt. Cantwell himself has played the majority of his games at the under-23 level as an attacking/central midfielder (26). His suitability for the role is further enhanced by his statistics from last season.

The youngster averaged exactly one key pass per game (per WhoScored) in the Championship last season, showing his creative prowess. To put that into context, only six players in their squad averaged more last season, all of whom were older and more established.

Cantwell should be given a chance to impress manager Farke in the centre of the pitch. He appears to have all the attributes to succeed in the position, from his stature and body shape (pointed out in a scout report by the Daily Mail) to his dribbling ability on the ball against opposing defenders.

And with Stiepermann the only out-and-out attacking midfield option, the rotation will be necessary especially with the Carabao Cup and FA Cup games next season. Those will be the games where Farke needs to use Cantwell as his number 10.

Cantwell has a bright future after being named in the young EFL team of the year last season. With issues ranging from a lack of options to his own strong contributions, the 21-year-old should be used in a central role.

How big a role will Cantwell play? Join the discussion by commenting below…

علّق جوزيه مورينيو المدير الفني لفريق توتنهام على خسارتهم في مباراة الأمس أمام فريق إيفرتون في بطولة كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي.

وتلاقى الفريقان في إطار منافسات دور الـ16 من البطولة حيث فاز إيفرتون بخمسة أهداف مقابل أربعة. أهداف مباراة توتنهام وإيفرتون

وقال مورينيو في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “بي بي سي” العالمية: “لقد استمتعت ولم أستمتع! لقد استمتعت بالطريقة التي لعبنا بها بالكرة”.

وأضاف: “صنعنا فرصًا، كانت لدينا حركة رائعة، سجلنا الأهداف، أظهرنا شخصية رائعة، لكن كرة القدم الهجومية تجعلك تفوز فقط في حال عدم ارتكابك للأخطاء أكثر مما تصنعه من فرص”.

وواصل: “لقد سجلنا أربعة أهداف ولم يكن ذلك كافيًا، هذا يؤلم الجميع، الشعور لدينا هو أننا لعبنا بشكل جيد، كنا شجعان، كنا الفريق الأفضل عندما تقدمنا بهدف، ثم ارتكبنا خطأ تلو الأخر تلو الأخر، لنستقبل هدفًا ثم الثاني ثم الثالث”.

وتابع: “وبعد ذلك قاتلنا مرة أخرى ولكن كان لدينا المزيد من الأخطأء، لقد كنا الفأر والقطة في المباراة، أخطائنا الدفاعية هي الفأر، والقط تمثل في محاولاتنا للتغلب على ذلك عن طريق اللعب جيدًا، لم يكن هذا كافيًا”.

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Tottenham Hotspur fans have been left confused by a frankly ridiculous transfer rumour from El Confidencial.

They claim that Real Madrid could buy Giovani Lo Celso from Real Betis in a deal worth €40m (£35.8m) plus Mariano.

That would then allow the club to bid for Spurs’ Christian Eriksen by offering the north London club the chance to take the Argentina international in part-exchange.

Spurs have been heavily linked with a move for Lo Celso this summer as they look to bring in further transfers to a squad that has already been reinforced with both Tanguy Ndombele and Jack Clarke.

Real, too, are said to be keen to sign Eriksen in this transfer window, with the Denmark international reportedly identified as an alternative to Manchester United’s Paul Pogba.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

But Spurs fans do not believe the rumour, insisting that it is genuinely ridiculous to think Real would sign a player, only to then move him on straight away.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

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Leicester City defender Harry Maguire is edging closer to a move to Manchester United after telling manager Brendan Rodgers he wants to leave the club, according to The Daily Mail.

The paper say that Maguire informed team-mates and staff of his intentions during the squad’s pre-season training camp in France, hoping that it paves the way for a £75m move this summer.

Who is Man Utd’s worst ever player? Bebe? Eric Djemba-Djemba? The fan in the video below actually think it’s one of the Red Devils’ current crop…

United have been chasing the England international for weeks now, with Sky Sports reporting at the start of July that the club had a bid for him rejected by the Foxes.

The 26-year-old, who has extensive experience from League One level through to the Premier League, is clearly coveted by the Red Devils, who will be hoping he can improve their poor defensive performance in the top-flight last term.

United conceded more goals than all but one of the teams in the top half of the table in 2018/19.

Fans are now hopeful they could finally land their man, taking to Twitter over the weekend to share their thoughts…