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Football Insider recently revealed that Glasgow Rangers winger Ryan Kent has changed his agent in what will be a big blow to talks over a new contract with the club, but the 54-time Scottish champions simply can’t afford to lose their midfield dynamo.

What’s the word?

Former Rangers manager Alex McLeish believes his decision to switch agents could lead to a departure in the not too distant future.

The one-time Liverpool player has been on Leeds United’s radar for several months as Marcelo Bielsa is looking to bolster his firepower.

Both Ezgjan Alioski and Jack Harrison have been in fine form in recent weeks, whilst Raphinha has emerged as a real talent after his arrival at Elland Road in the summer, but it’s believed that Bielsa is still looking to bring in other options.

When asked about the 24-year-old changing agents, McLeish told Ibrox News:  “Well, I think there will be alarm bells ringing there after that news.

“However, at the moment you don’t see any disruption in his game. He’s playing at a fantastic level and he just has to keep showing what he can do. Listen, we’ve said many times that there comes a time when you can’t stop the sale of a certain player. I couldn’t do it back in the day when Lorenzo Amoruso went to Blackburn, it was money the club needed at the time and you have to do what the money guys tell you to.”

But from Steven Gerrard’s perspective, Kent is definitely one of his first-team regular starters he must keep at all costs.

Keep him at all costs!

Despite his age, it goes without saying that the winger is an integral part of Gerrard’s side. Admittedly, the Gers have scored 64 goals in 24 games, but Kent has contributed thirteen times in total.

Whilst this may not seem like a lot, when you consider the fact that he has contributed more assists than any other outfield player besides Ianis Hagi in all competitions so far this season, his impact cannot be ignored.

Apart from Kent, Brandon Barker, Jordan Jones and Glenn Middleton are the only out-and-out wide options on the left wing, but there the similarities end.

Simply put, the Oldham-born diamond in the rough is a class above his closest rivals, whilst Jones is currently suspended after being handed a seven-match ban by the SFA for breaking coronavirus protocols.

It was only last week that Tam McManus insisted he is the best player in Scotland. He told PLZ Soccer, as quoted by Glasgow Live: “I think he’s the best player in Scotland, I think he’s, without doubt, the best player in Scotland, at the minute.”

If for whatever reason Kent does leave the club, Gerrard would find it incredibly hard to find a player to replace him in the starting line-up who operates at a similar level.

AND in other news, Steven Gerrard may regret his decision to axe Jermain Defoe from the Europa League squad…

Sunderland manager Phil Parkinson has been handed a boost for the upcoming League One tie with Oxford United, who reportedly have seven first team players unavailable.

The opening weekend did not prove to be a good one for the Black Cats, struggling to a 1-1 draw with Bristol Rovers at the Stadium of Light.

Chris Maguire was on the scoresheet for the Wearsiders in the final 10 minutes to earn the home side a point but George Dobson was sent off in added time to hand Parkinson much to ponder as his team approach Saturday’s game with Oxford.

Oxford, who narrowly missed out on promotion last term, lost their opening League One game of the season 2-0 to Lincoln City.

Manager Karl Robinson has been hit with a major setback heading into Saturday’s game against Sunderland, with seven players said to be unavailable.

Matty Taylor, Josh Ruffels, Sam Winnall and Mark Sykes are all on Robinson’s injury list, whilst Alex Gorrin and Jamie Hanson are unavailable. A seventh player in Robert Atkinson is also ruled out after being sent off against Lincoln at the weekend.

With such injury problems at Oxford and their defeat to Lincoln last weekend, that should hand Sunderland a substantial boost in their quest for their first league win of the new season against depleted and potentially demoralised opponents.

However, predicting Sunderland’s results at the moment is a guessing game, considering that the late salvage mission against Bristol Rovers came just four days after an 8-1 thumping of Aston Villa’s under-21s in the EFL Trophy.

Do you think Sunderland can secure all three points this weekend? Let us know your predictions in the comments section below…

Tottenham Hotspur were left stunned on Sunday evening as they threw away a three-goal lead against local rivals West Ham United in the Premier League.

Jose Mourinho’s men went into the break looking the likely victors after Heung-min Son and Harry Kane combined once again to make it 3-0 within 18 minutes, the South Korean bagging in the very opening minute.

But the Hammers fought back with a quickfire trio of goals themselves, all of which came in the final eight minutes with Manuel Lanzini’s last-second scorcher the pick of the bunch.

Despite all of the negativity that’ll come from throwing away two points, many in N17 must be encouraged by the display of club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele.

A lot was made of the Frenchman’s future throughout the back end of last season and into the summer. It’s thought that Daniel Levy was keen to keep his mega-money star at the club whilst Jose Mourinho had doubts, as per Football Insider.

And after this showing, it appears the Spurs chairman was bang on the money as Ndombele proved his toughest critic wrong with a fine performance.

Per FotMob, the 23-year-old made eight recoveries, won six of nine duels and also recorded two dribbles, two tackles and made 40 passes at an accuracy rate of 85%.

The €50m-rated (£45m) maestro is starting to finally adapt to the conditions and pace of Premier League football and now that he appears to be fully fit, he’s producing energetic and creative displays like this one.

Levy has been fully vindicated with his stance on Ndombele and whilst credit has to be given to Mourinho for starting and trusting him this season, he was clearly premature in his thoughts to offload the £200k-per-week midfielder after an average debut campaign.

If there’s any positive to take from this 3-3 draw aside from Kane, then it should absolutely be Ndombele. He could become a huge player as the season rumbles on.

AND in other news, £63.5m-rated Spurs lightweight badly let Mourinho down vs West Ham…

Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho has reportedly drawn up a five-man summer shortlist and there’s an interesting name mooted that could spell trouble for one of north London’s longest-serving players.

What’s the word?

According to the Evening Standard, Spurs are keen admirers of AFC Bournemouth winger David Brooks and they could now pounce with the Cherries relegated to the Championship.

It’s claimed that Mourinho is keen to build a ‘more balanced’ squad but faces tricky obstacles financially and as such, some players could be sold in order to fund the changes he has in mind.

Coincidentally, Tottenham will need their north London rivals Arsenal to lose in the FA Cup this weekend as it’ll mean a place in the Europa League group stages and thus, more money.

Bye-bye Lamela?

It’s interesting that the Spurs boss has a winger on his mind given the sheer volume of options he has at his disposal – as recently as January, the Champions League runners-up signed Steven Bergwijn from PSV Eindhoven and he’s since gone on to play a crucial part when fit.

Surely it would mean the end for someone like Erik Lamela after seven years at the club.

Back in February, Football Insider claimed that Spurs would listen to offers for the 28-year-old in the summer and then reinforced this in June by suggesting that the Argentine was playing for his future post-restart.

Brooks would be a very decent replacement indeed despite having an injury-hit campaign on the south coast. It was only last season the Welshman provided seven goals and five assists as well as averaging 1.4 shots, 1 key pass and 0.8 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

His Cherries teammate Chris Mepham believes the 23-year-old has “got tonnes of ability” whilst his boss, Eddie Howe, rued his absence, claiming that the “very impressive” Brooks was a “pivotal player” who won and changed games for Bournemouth in 2018/19.

Swapping out Lamela for the talented £21.6m-rated Welshman would certainly be a good move for the future.

AND in other news, Mourinho eyeing timely transfer reunion with ex-Spurs man…

Arsenal’s defence has been under constant scrutiny for the last decade at least.

Sébastien Squillaci, Carl Jenkinson and Philippe Senderos are among the flawed stars who have attempted to fill the void left by some of the Premier League’s greatest defenders.

The Gunners appeared to have turned a corner last summer though as Stan Kroenke splashed out £25million to sign Celtic’s skipper, Kieran Tierney. The Scottish international had just won his fifth consecutive Scottish Premiership title and was riding the wave of a historical treble-treble with his boyhood side.

But things have not quite worked out for the 22-year-old since he made the move down south as injuries restricted the left-back to just 11 appearances in all competitions before football’s shutdown.

Despite playing well during his limited game time, particularly in the Europa League, some reports suggest Tierney has already been written off. The Sun noted back in February that the North London club was ready to cut their losses on the full-back and sell him back to former boss Brendan Rodgers should Ben Chilwell depart Leicester City. The Foxes’ gain would be Arsenal’s baffling loss.

It comes as no surprise to see Rodgers linked with his former star-man; back in 2017 after a narrow Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich, the then Celtic boss said, “Kieran Tierney was up against Arjen Robben and he was outstanding again. I had Danny Rose as a young player at Watford and I worked with Ryan Bertrand at Chelsea. And Kieran is right up there with those boys.”

It’s therefore surprising to read reports linking Arsenal with a move for Ajax full-back Nicolas Tagliafico. Although the Argentine is highly-rated, at five years Tierney’s senior with an alleged £22.4million asking price and competition from European giants Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan, it is not a transfer that makes sense.

Arsenal’s frugal nature in the transfer market became apparent long before Arsène Wenger’s reign came to an end. With bigger priorities elsewhere on the pitch such as centre-back and midfield, the Gunners board would be foolish not giving Tierney time to settle.

New boss Mikel Arteta appears to be a fan of the youngster. He told Arsenal legend Ian Wright recently: “I’m really looking forward to working with him and giving him the opportunity to play. His attitude, his commitment, his willingness, it’s incredible. I think he’s going to bring something special to us. It (the injury) has been a shame, but it’s part of his development. During your career, you go through these moments.”

Gunner’s fans may call for more consistency after seeing Sead Kolasinac blow hot and cold during his time in the capital and Tierney’s season blighted by injuries. But on this occasion, good things may come to those that wait.

Tierney was voted PFA Scottish young player of the year three times during his time at Parkhead and was a constant menace down the left-flank. He contributed at least five assists in every full campaign that he played in Scotland and although many will question the quality of football north of the border, Celtic and Rangers’ performances in Europe this season has surely added credibility to its standard. Pub teams don’t defeat the likes of Lazio, Porto and Braga.

Arsenal have long been accused of lacking leaders who are prepared to dig in and battle as well as producing the eye-catching flair that they became renowned for under Wenger. Tierney is a man who can do both. He captained his club and country at just 20-years-old and has 45 games in European competition under his belt already.

The summer signing returned to training following his shoulder injury before the coronavirus pandemic hit pause on football and the Premier League’s likely resumption next month offers Tierney the perfect opportunity to silence any doubters and stop Arsenal’s alleged transfer plans in their tracks.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Cruzeiro viveu boa relação com Brasília (DF) no último fim de semana. Além de a capital federal ter sido palco da final da Superliga Masculina de Vôlei, em que o Sada Cruzeiro se consagrou campeão pela quarta vez, a cidade também recebeu mais uma edição do Reduto Azul no ano.

O evento tem o objetivo de aproximar a torcida do clube, e o Cruzeiro aproveitou para atrair sócios-torcedores. A equipe do Sócio do Futebol cadastrou os cruzeirenses que ainda não faziam parte do programa.

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Atualmente, o Cruzeiro conta com 74.513 sócios-torcedores e ocupa o sexto lugar do Torcedômetro, ranking nacional do Movimento por um Futebol Melhor.

Mesmo morando em outro estado, os sócios podem ajudar o clube e ainda aproveitar os descontos e benefícios oferecidos pelas empresas parceiras do Movimento por um Futebol melhor: Ambev (Brahma), Unilever, Sky, Pepsico, Premiere, Centauro.com.br, Rede de Hotéis Arco, Méliuz e Bic.

According to The Evening Standard’s David Lynch, Liverpool have turned down the chance to sign RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner this summer due to two key reasons.

What did he say?

The Germany international has been linked with a move to Anfield for a number of months now, with recent reports indicating that Werner would be prepared to join Jurgen Klopp’s side should they meet his release clause.

But now, the forward looks set to join Liverpool’s Premier League rivals Chelsea, and Lynch has suggested that a couple of reasons played a part in them choosing not to make a move themselves.

Can you spot your Xabi Alonso from your Bruno Cheyrou? This Liverpool quiz will have you questioning your knowledge…

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He said: “With Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino set to stay put this summer, the Reds feel they would have been unable to offer the sort of regular game time the 24-year-old might expect.

“That famed front three have been virtually ever-present for Liverpool since first being assembled by Klopp ahead of the 2017-18 season. The German is believed to favour relying on his current crop of fringe players, including Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino, to back them up next term.”

Gamble

Make no mistake about it, Liverpool are taking a major gamble by not choosing to bring Werner to Anfield.

Not only are they missing out on someone who could provide them with extra firepower to ease the goal-scoring burden on the likes of Mane and Salah, but they are seeing him join one of their direct rivals.

It’s a double blow for Klopp, and whilst his trust in his back-up options like Origi and Minamino is admirable, it’s certainly a big ask for those two to come straight into the starting eleven and offer anything close to the kind of quality provided by Mane and co.

If next season doesn’t pan out in the way the Reds want, then this moment will surely be looked back on as a potentially decisive one.

Going into the final 20 minutes against Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United found themselves 3-0 down following goals from Son Heung-min, Lucas Moura and Harry Kane.

Michail Antonio eventually got the Hammers on the scoresheet with a well-taken finish, before Angelo Ogbonna added West Ham’s second in the sixth minute of injury time:

These goals will make the scoreline look more respectable in the history books, but they did little to please West Ham fans witnessing the poor performance.

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That was especially the case with the Italian’s finish, as there was no time for the men in claret and blue to go out and get an equaliser.

It has been said that Ogbonna’s moment of quality simply papered over the cracks, rather than actually being a truly positive sign, in a comparable way to the Newcastle United loss.

A selection of Twitter reaction to the goal, including posts from unimpressed West Ham fans, can be seen below:

Everton fans are far from happy after London Evening Standard journalist Dan Kilpatrick revealed that Son Heung-min led out the warm-up for Tottenham Hotspur instead of Harry Kane in midweek.

This gesture was a show of support for the Spurs forward after his involvement in the horror injury to Andre Gomes.

Gomes will face many months out and almost certainly will not play until next season at the very least.

Son was visibly distraught after the injury to the Everton man and the situation has clearly taken a toll on him mentally. After his goal in midweek against Red Star Belgrade, the 27-year-old was seen to bow his head and clasp his hands rather than celebrate.

However, despite his touch of sincerity, Everton fans are not happy with the Spurs man at all. One fan said, “this is getting a joke”, as another supporter sarcastically praised him for his “full recovery” from the event.

Clearly this has had an effect on Son and the last thing he will want is to upset the Everton fanbase even more.

However, it seems he is doing just that, with many of them unhappy with the amount of sympathy he is receiving.

Here’s what some of them have had to say…

أكد أيمن يونس لاعب الزمالك السابق، أن كارتيرون المدير الفني للأبيض، لم يتعلم من أخطائه، بعد التعادل مع بيراميدز.

الزمالك تعادل مع بيراميدز بهدف لكل فريق، في المباراة التي أقيمت أمس الأحد، ضمن منافسات الجولة 19 من عمر بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وقال يونس خلال تصريحات عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورتس”: “كارتيرون لم يتعلم من أخطائه، وفعل نفس الأمر مثل مباراة الأهلي، وهو الاستسلام وإعطاء كل الدوافع للخصم”.

وتابع: “دخول شيكابالا صنع الفارق وأضاف اللمسات السحرية، وأشكره على الكرة التي قدمها في الشوط الثاني”.

طالع | جماهير الزمالك تحيي شيكابالا وتهاجم جهاد جريشة بعد انتهاء مباراة بيراميدز

وأردف: “مدرب بيراميدز تملك المباراة وأخرج لاعبي الزمالك منها، وعبد الله السعيد قدم مباراة رائعة”.

وأكمل: “كنت أتمنى أن يبدأ الزمالك بشخصيته الكبيرة ويخيف المنافس، ولكن التحول في الشوط الثاني حدث من خلال التغييرات، وأشرف بن شرقي كان المفتاح الذهبي للفريق”.

وأتم: “على الزملكاوية أن يتقبلون نتيجة اليوم، لأن هناك أهدافًا بالجملة ضاعت”.