New owners would mean a new-found ambition for Newcastle United, the sleeping giant who has spent so long in the land of nod, only the loudest alarm would get it to stir from its pit.
While certain aspirations to sign top-class players and get the Magpies back competing higher up the league will excite fans, a change of guard in management could be somewhat worrisome.
According to reports (via The Mirror), Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nahyan is planning big things for Newcastle, apparently having either Jose Mourinho or Arsene Wenger on his list for next season as Rafa Benitez’s potential replacements. While the arrival of any such Premier League titan would definitely send shockwaves on Tyneside, Newcastle United would suffer from another drastic change.
Clearly, Benitez knows which departments need improvement and has formed a cohesive bond with the current players, keeping a limited squad in the Premier League two seasons on the bounce with little genuine concern for their safety. Indeed, the Spaniard’s style is etched into the club, as he should be the one overlooking the overhaul, making big signings and preparing for more prominent campaigns ahead.
There’s an emotional connection between the two parties here. Yes, other fans might not understand it, but everyone connected to the black and white cause will know what we mean. They’re good for each other.
Wenger has already stated he wouldn’t manage another Premier League club than his beloved Arsenal. Even if he does, the Frenchman isn’t the one to spend big nor usher in success immediately. Jose Mourinho might be one of the most successful managers in the modern era, but his rapid decline, coupled with a controversial reputation can completely hamper the harmony Benitez’s created among the players.
Frankly, bringing in Wenger or Mourinho would be showing off rather than a statement of intent. An empty power play.
The Magpies already possess a brilliant manager capable of overseeing a potential revolution. Rather than looking into other options, the first thing Sheikh Khaled must do should his takeover be completed is to make Benitez sign that extension.
Newcastle fans, would you want Benitez to be replaced by Mourinho or Wenger? Join the discussion by commenting below…
عاد الدولي الإسباني داني كارفخال إلى تدريبات ريال مدريد، قبل مواجهة بوروسيا مونشنجلادباخ الحاسمة في دوري أبطال أوروبا يوم الأربعاء المقبل.
ريال مدريد استعاد سيرجيو راموس بعدما تعافى من الإصابة وتواجد في تدريبات النادي الملكي أمس الأحد، استعدادًا لمواجهة الأربعاء. “طالع التفاصيل”
ويريد داني كارفخال أن يسير على خطى قائده، بعدما تواجد في تدريبات ريال مدريد اليوم الإثنين، قبل حوالي 48 ساعة من ملاقاة مونشنجلادباخ في ملعب ألفريدو دي ستيفانو، بالعاصمة الإسبانية مدريد.
صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية، أفادت بأن مارتن أوديجارد لن يلحق بمواجهة ريال مدريد، بسبب بعض الانزعاجات في ساقة اليسرى، وسيخضع لفحوصات طبية غدًا الثلاثاء، لمعرفة موقفه النهائي من مواجهة الفريق الألماني.
واجتمع زين الدين زيدان مع اللاعبين قبل مران الفريق اليوم، ووجه بعض العبارات الحماسية لنجوم ريال مدريد قبل المواجهة الحاسمة أمام بوروسيا مونشنجلادباخ الأربعاء المقبل.
ويحتاج ريال مدريد للفوز من أجل التأهل إلى دور الـ16، حيث أن نتيجة الخسارة ستطيح به إلى الدوري الأوروبي.
Manchester United are looking to sell Romelu Lukaku and use Marcus Rashford as the club’s leading striker next season, according to the Daily Mail.
What’s the word?
After a difficult second season at Old Trafford in which Lukaku found the net just 12 times in 32 Premier League appearances, the big Belgian could be on his way to Italy with new Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte interested in the frontman.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would like to bring in a new physical striker but also sees Rashford as the ideal candidate to lead the line for United next season.
The 21-year old notched ten goals and seven assists in the Premier League this season but did so while occupying a variety of positions, as opposed to solely playing in his natural striker role.
Time to shine
After scoring at a rate of just over a goal every four games, questions must be asked about Rashford’s proficiency in front of goal, but the United youth product is still a good bet for Solskjaer.
Rashford has the right combination of skill, strength and mentality to make it big at Old Trafford. Blessed with lightning speed and a terrific shot Rashford has thus far displayed all the skills necessary to become a top striker.
His winner against Tottenham in January displayed a devastating mix of speed and finishing, his free-kick against Cardiff exemplified his ability to strike the ball and his stunning effort against Brighton showed his capability to conjure something out of nothing.
In addition to the physical and technical talents of Rashford, the England international also has the mental persona to succeed as a striker for a big club. Strikers need to have thick skins and many, such as Alvaro Morata, have fallen under the intense pressure of leading a Premier League team.
Check out the below above to see football played as you’ve never seen it before… in a maze!
After rising through the youth ranks at Old Trafford, Rashford has already shown his mental strength and desire to step up and lead his side. With time expiring on Manchester United’s Champions League campaign, the Manchester native stepped up to emphatically strike home the winning penalty against PSG.
In the most crucial of moments, Rashford wanted the ball in his hands, something that should not be taken for granted with a 21-year old.
Thus far in his young career, Rashford has already displayed the physical, technical and mental attributes necessary to be an elite striker. United should jump at the opportunity to thrust him into the fire.
Arsenal fans on Twitter have angrily turned on Unai Emery after the Gunners boss proclaimed his pride at his side’s season in the wake of their 4-1 Europa League final defeat to Chelsea.
An even opening 45 minutes gave way to a second half of thorough Chelsea dominance as Eden Hazard scored twice to lead the Blues to a comfortable Europa League triumph.
The defeat in Baku consigns Emery’s side to Thursday night action next season after missing out on Champions League football by finishing fifth in the Premier League and failing to win the Europa League.
Speaking after the damaging defeat the Arsenal manager said: “We played a good first half but lost control in the second half. I am proud of my players and proud of our season. We will carry on improving in our way.”
A cataclysmic finale to the Premier League season saw Arsenal win just one of their final five fixtures, with defeat to Chelsea rubbing salt in the wounds of a disappointing year.
And frustrations boiled over amongst the Gunners faithful on Twitter after Emery’s controversial satisfaction at the failed campaign.
According to The Chronicle in Zimbabwe, Aston Villa are ready to splash £20m in order to bring midfielder Marvelous Nakamba to the club this summer.
What’s the word?
Aston Villa have already wrapped up four signings since the window opened, adding bodies to their ranks in both attacking and defensive phases of play. However, it now appears as though they’re targeting the midfield area.
The Villans are certainly not going about their business quietly and after signing Brazilian striker Wesley from Club Brugge for £22.25m, they could be set to raid the Belgian side again.
The Chronicle suggests that Dean Smith’s men have Nakamba in their sights and are ready to spend £20m on the midfielder.
Newcastle are also interested in the 25-year-old per the report.
Much needed steel
Nakamba is a highly rated footballer according to The Chronicle and it’s easy to see why after the player shone for his club side in the Champions League last term.
The Zimbabwean was exceptional as he played in all but one of their group games alongside recent addition Wesley. It was an impressive campaign for Club Brugge as they defeated Monaco and also drew with Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
It’s difficult to assess just how well a player will settle from Belgium but there is a case to be made that he’ll be able to cut it after a similar player in Wilfred Ndidi made the switch from Genk to the Premier League in 2017.
Both of them are tough tackling midfielders and as a result, Nakamba could give something to the Villa midfield that’s sorely missing.
In the Champions League last season the Zimbabwe international made 4.4 tackles per game. Ndidi, on the other hand, made 3.8 in the Premier League which proves just how alike they are.
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However, if you compare that to the current set of players at Villa, Nakamba is streets ahead.
John McGinn made the highest number of tackles per game for the Villans but that only amounts to 2.1 on average.
As a result, it’s easy to see where the Club Brugge man could benefit Smith if he signs ahead of the new season.
Villa lack a tough tackling midfielder but Nakamba could help put that behind them.
Rangers are a potential destination for international defender Martin Olsson this summer, according to Swedish outlet Expressen.
What’s the story?
With Lee Wallace leaving the club, Borna Barisic not living up to expectations and Jon Flanagan not a viable natural choice at left-back, Rangers need to be on the hunt for players in that position this summer.
Martin Olsson is a free agent after his contract at English Championship side Swansea City expired at the end of last season and Expressen reckon Rangers are one of the clubs interested.
Check out what the Pl>ymaker FC squad got up to at the Football Blogging Awards in the video below…
With Fenerbahce and Nottingham Forest also linked with the player in the report, there could be competition for his signature.
Barisic problem
Steven Gerrard signed Barisic last season from Croatian top-flight side NK Osijek, but the defender has under-performed and had his fair share of fitness issues, failing to live up to his tag as one of the big signings of the summer.
Olsson has the quality and the top level experience to replace Barisic, or at least provide the kind of competition that Rangers need to maintain consistency across an entire season.
With 47 caps for Sweden and 197 career Premier League appearances, Olsson is clearly an operator capable of playing at Scottish Premiership level.
He had fitness problems of his own at Swansea last term that limited the amount of matches played but has a long history of playing 30+ games a season so those issues in Wales aren’t too much of a red flag.
Rangers should definitely be throwing their hat in the ring on this one.
Dwight Gayle’s future has been far from certain after his loan deal with West Brom came to an end but one thing that did look certain was that he wouldn’t be returning to Albion.
Express & Star claimed in May that due to financial reasons they wouldn’t be able to bring him back. However, The Daily Mail claimed last weekend that the Baggies were still keen on a deal if Salomon Rondon heads back to Newcastle.
Yet, journalist Matt Wilson has since quashed talks of him returning, suggesting nothing has changed since last month.
Reacting to the news, West Brom fans were incredibly upset at the development as one called the club useless. Another supporter claimed that this was the reality of the situation facing Albion.
A further fan said that not bringing Gayle back would haunt them whilst another tweet hoped he’d take a wage drop in order to return.
The forward was in brilliant form for the Baggies last term, ending the campaign as their top scorer on 24 goals.
But despite his impressive season, it looks as though West Brom will now have to look elsewhere for a striker.
After an incredible run to the UEFA Champions League final, Tottenham Hotspur’s European dreams are over tonight after losing 2-0 to Liverpool.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side went above and beyond expectations at the start of the season to make the Madrid final and in many ways Spurs fans should be proud of their team.
However, tonight’s performance wasn’t effective at all and there are serious question marks being asked of a few of the club’s big name players.
Could the man in the video below be Spurs’ most overrated player? Decide for yourself…
Christian Eriksen stood out as one of the less impressive players on the pitch, failing to trouble the Liverpool defence or goalkeeper meaningfully across the 90 minutes.
Looking slow and sluggish throughout, many fans feel he should have performed much better or simply not have been selected by manager Mauricio Pochettino at all.
Spurs needed their most prominent players at their best to beat Liverpool and with players like Eriksen failing to impress then there will be some big decisions for the Tottenham manager to make this summer.
These fans took to Twitter on Saturday night to share their thoughts on the 27-year-old’s final display…
After years of building, Liverpool are finally back among Europe’s elite with Jurgen Klopp at the helm.
The Reds 2-0 win over Tottenham in the Champions League final brought the Merseyside club their sixth European Cup and showed the world the Liverpool are back stronger than ever, but that doesn’t mean there is no room for improvement.
Regularly making slight tweaks to the starting XI with a new player or two is how teams build dynasties and, for Liverpool, they should be aiming to do the same this summer transfer market. So who are the five main targets for the club heading into the window, and will they actually improve the side going into next season?
[snack_break title=”Memphis Depay”]
Soccer Football – Euro 2020 Qualifier – Group C – Netherlands v Belarus – De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands – March 21, 2019 Netherlands’ Memphis Depay celebrates scoring their third goal REUTERS/Piroschka Van De Wouw
It’s one of those rumours that will never seem to go away, but here we are in the year 2019, and Memphis Depay is still being linked with a move to Liverpool by the likes of the Express.
The former Manchester United flop has been a revelation since his move to Lyon, leading the club to the Champions League final in two seasons and forming a reputation as one of the most dangerous attackers in Ligue 1. But a move to Liverpool would be a step in the wrong direction for Depay.
Unless Jurgen Klopp has plans to ship off talisman Roberto Firmino, the Dutch international would be a luxury substitute player at best on Merseyside, with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane proving this season to be some of the best wingers in world football, leaving no room for Depay in the squad.
[snack_break title=”Matthijs de Ligt”]
One name who has been mentioned a lot in recent weeks with a move to Liverpool is Ajax captain and wonderkid Matthijs de Ligt, with the Express recently reporting that agent Mino Raiola would prefer his teenage client move to the interested Merseysiders over the likes of Barcelona.
De Ligt is without question one of the best centre-backs in world football a player who will solidify Liverpool’s status within the elite for years to come. Partnered alongside international teammate Virgil van Dijk, the duo can form one of the best defensive pairings in European football.
The 19-year-old would be an exceptional coup for Liverpool, and it won’t be surprising to see Klopp put De Ligt at the top of his transfer list this summer.
[snack_break title=”Max Kruse”]
One thing Liverpool have been exceptional at in the past few seasons under Klopp is finding value in the market, with the likes of Andy Robertson and Joe Matip just a few of the Germans exceptional finds.
The latest name to be added to that list could be Max Kruse, who according to the Daily Star is in talks with the Champions League winners for a move.
The veteran striker who has spent his entire career in the Bundesliga would act as a backup for main striker Firmino, but if there’s one thing Liverpool could do with this summer, it’s quality options on the bench, and Kruse more than fits the bill.
Although Divock Origi has firmly placed himself amongst the greats at Liverpool after his Champions League heroics, Kruse would be a more reliable option off the bench next season having scored 11 and assisted nine this season alone for Werder Bremen in the league.
[snack_break title=”Samuel Chukwueze”]
Keeping up the theme with better options off the bench, Villarreal winger Samuel Chukwueze is a name that has also been linked heavily with a move to Liverpool, per Goal, and just like Kruse, the attacker would be an ideal signing for Klopp.
The Nigerian attacker had a breakout year in Spain with the Yellow Submarine, and at just 20-years-old Chukwueze would certainly be a signing for the future, but that doesn’t mean he will be immediately shipped out on loan.
Able to play on both wings, Chukwueze will provide excellent cover for both Salah and Mane in midweek matches and cup competitions, giving Liverpool’s star men valuable rest whilst giving the promising youngster first-team football.
[snack_break title=”Bruno Fernandes”]
Soccer Football – Europa League – Round of 32 Second Leg – Villarreal v Sporting CP – Estadio de la Ceramica, Villarreal, Spain – February 21, 2019 Sporting’s Bruno Fernandes celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Heino Kalis
“I like Liverpool a lot more [than Man City]. It’s a more direct [style of play], more offensive, maybe less organised, but more intense football.”
Those were the words of Sporting Lisbon star Bruno Fernandes to Portuguese publication Record via the Liverpool Echo, who has been a reported Liverpool target, per Record (via Daily Mirror), for some time, and just like Depay, would be an ideal fit for the club.
The attacking midfielder will not only add a slew of goals from either central midfield in a 4-3-3 or behind the striker in a 4-2-3-1, but also a burst of creativity that has been lacking since Philippe Coutinho left nearly 18 months ago. Fernandes is also an expert of scoring from distance, with 5 goals scored from outside the box in all-competitions last season, making the Lisbon star a near-like-for-like replacement for the now Barcelona man.
Lots of Manchester United fans have taken to Twitter to react to Harry Maguire’s Twitter post.
The England international moved to quash rumours of a move to Old Trafford after he himself ignited them by liking an Instagram post tipping him to become a fan favourite at United if he makes the move.
Watch a Man Utd fan’s epic Ed Woodward rant in the video below…
United tried to sign the former Hull man after last summer’s World Cup, in which the 6 ft 4 colossus starred for his country on their way to making the semi-finals of the tournament.
The Leicester centre-back has been linked with a move to both the Red Devils and their rivals Manchester City, with a switch to the Etihad looking the more likely.
Maguire tweeted: “I didn’t mean to guys… we’ve all been there,” as he moved to put the rumours to bed, although all he managed to do was get the United fans talking about him even more in the comments section.
By no means has the 26-year-old done anything to help fizzle the rumours out, so let’s take a look at what some of the United fans on Twitter have been saying about his tweet…