Month: October 2019

Paul Pogba has not travelled for Manchester United’s Europa League clash with AZ Alkmaar following specialist advice about a foot injury and concerns over “one of the worst” plastic pitches Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has seen.

United continue their Group L campaign in The Hague on Thursday evening, when the France World Cup winner will be among a number of high-profile absentees.

Pogba played the entirety of last week’s Carabao Cup penalty shoot-out win against Rochdale and the 1-1 Premier League draw with Arsenal on Monday, but an ongoing foot issue meant he did not head to Holland with United.

The club said in a statement: “Following a specialist’s opinion, Paul Pogba requires a period of further rest and conservative treatment for the foot injury he sustained during the game against Southampton in August. Updates will follow in due course.”

Solskjaer provided an update on Pogba’s situation at his press conference on Wednesday afternoon, with the United manager saying it would have been too much of a risk to play the midfielder on the poor artificial surface.

“It is after discussions with a specialist that we planned he needs further treatment and rest on his ankle,” he said.

“And I probably wouldn’t risk him on Astroturf anyway if he was available for this game. But he needs a bit of rest now.”

Anthony Martial, Luke Shaw, Ashley Young, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Phil Jones were others absent from the trip to Holland, where AZ Alkmaar are having to play in The Hague due to the collapse of the roof at their own stadium.

The match is being held 47 miles away at ADO Den Haag’s stadium, where the tired, plastic pitch shocked Solskjaer.

 

 

“I was surprised they have chosen to play on this pitch when I looked at it,” he said.

“I am used to Astroturf pitches from back home in Norway and it is not the best I have seen. It is one of the worst ones I have seen for a long while.

“We have all got standards back home in Norway. They are all more modern and new, and you get them changed. But it is safe. It is not the newest.

“The ‘grass’ is on the floor, on the carpet more or less. I don’t think they have pulled the grass up to get it to stand and be more bouncy.

“It seems like it has been used a lot. My knees haven’t enjoyed Astroturf but these boys are OK.”

The players scuffed and kicked the turf as they tested it on their way out for training on the eve of the game, while coaches spent time checking the way the ball bounced and ran across the surface.

The first trip of United’s last continental campaign also came on an artificial surface as Jose Mourinho’s side beat Young Boys in Switzerland – a 3-0 win that Juan Mata came into as a second-half substitute.

“It’s a completely different game but we need to start from the beginning ready for them,” the Spaniard said. “They’re used to playing in these conditions and from the beginning they will be dangerous.

“We will train today to try and adapt to the pitch and hopefully after the game we cannot say it was an excuse and we’ve won the three points.”

 

The home fans didn’t react too well as the hosts were dumped out of the tournament

Shoes and bottles were thrown at Qatar players by fans as ugly scenes marked United Arab Emirates’ exit from the Asian Cup at the semi-final stage.

Tension between the two countries has been building in recent months with UAE being among several Arab nations to cut off Qatar over its alleged support for terrorism.

UAE fans made their feelings clear even before the match started as they booed the Qatar national anthem.

But it wasn’t until tournament top scorer Almoez Ali scored Qatar’s second goal in the 37th minute that the missiles started, with his goal celebration being interrupted by shoes being thrown from the crowd.

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From that point on, Qatari corner takers regularly had to deal with projectiles being thrown from the crowd – and their third and fourth goals were also met with a hail of missiles.

A thrown shoe is a severe insult in many Middle Eastern countries, signifying that the target is worse than dirt on the bottom of the shoe.

Qatar’s victory saw them qualify for their first Asian Cup final where they will meet four-time champions Japan in Abu Dhabi on February 1.

The former Red Devils midfielder is pleased to see a World Cup winner playing to his potential having been among his harshest critics in the past

Paul Pogba “lost total respect” for Jose Mourinho, says Paul Scholes, with the Manchester United midfielder now “playing with his brain” and delivering the goods under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

A difficult opening to the 2018-19 campaign saw questions asked of the form and future of the France international.

His strained relationship with Mourinho sparked transfer talk as he was dropped from the starting XI and stuck on the bench.

United’s decision to make a managerial change in December has helped to revitalise their fortunes, with Pogba among those to have burst back into life during a nine-game unbeaten run.

Scholes is pleased to see the 25-year-old playing to his full potential, with the Red Devils legend having been among his harshest critics in the past.

The ex-United star told Radio 5 Live of Solskjaer’s ability to bring the best out of an enigmatic former Juventus playmaker: “It’s difficult. Obviously that’s what Ole has done.

“I’m not sure that [Massimiliano] Allegri at Juventus would have had that kind of attitude with him.

“I think it’s just down to the player. I’ve been one of his biggest critics and I hated doing it, but the reason I was doing it is because I’ve played alongside the lad.

“I’ve seen over the years what a talent this player is. For the first part of this season and probably last year he was playing for himself.

“I think he lost total respect for the manager, which I don’t agree with totally.

“Now he’s playing with his brain and he’s using the quality he has. You’ve seen the last 8-10 games what a player he is and what a player he can be.”

Since Solskjaer took the reins at Old Trafford, Pogba has delivered six goals and four assists.

United will be looking for him to make a telling contribution again on Sunday when they make the trip to Leicester.

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The Reds can maintain their place at the top of the Premier League table with a win over Claude Puel’s Foxes at Anfield

The Premier League title race resumes this week, with Liverpool seeking to maintain their place at the top of the table.

Leicester City are the visitors to Anfield, with Claude Puel’s Foxes looking to bloody the nose of another one of the big boys.

They have already beaten both Manchester City and Chelsea in recent weeks, but will have their work cut out as they seek to become the first visiting side to win at Anfield in the league since April 2017.

Liverpool beat Crystal Palace in a nervy encounter 10 days ago, and have won 20 of their 23 league fixtures so far this season. A 21st victory would be the perfect way to end a challenging January for Jurgen Klopp’s men.

Here, Goal takes a look at everything you need to know ahead of Wednesday night’s game…

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Liverpool will make checks on a number of players ahead of the game.

Fabinho limped out of the Palace game with a hamstring issue, but returned to light training last week and could be fit to feature despite a bout of illness. Trent Alexander-Arnold (knee) is likely to miss out, but Gini Wijnaldum could be ready to return after missing out against Palace. Virgil van Dijk, who missed training through illness on Friday, should be fine to play.

Dejan Lovren will also be available after a hamstring problem.

Joe Gomez, Rhian Brewster and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are all sidelined.

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Liverpool will be without James Milner, who will serve a one-match ban following his dismissal against Crystal Palace.

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The big question for Liverpool surrounds who will play at right back, with Alexander-Arnold set to miss out, Milner suspended and Nathaniel Clyne having been loaned to Bournemouth.

Fabinho, if fit, could fill in having performed well there in the past for both Monaco and Brazil. Youngster Rafa Camacho, who made his Premier League debut as a late substitute against Palace, is another, less pedigreed option, while teenage Dutchman Ki-Jana Hoever could be considered.

In midfield, Wijnaldum’s return should see him partner Jordan Henderson, with the final place between Xherdan Shaqiri and Naby Keita. Keita was preferred last time out but is yet to make his mark since his move from RB Leipzig.

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Leicester will check on the fitness of defender Harry Maguire, who suffered an injury in the Foxes’ last game against Wolves.

Daniel Amartey is on the long-term absentee list.

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The fixture will be broadcast live in the UK on BT Sport 1, kick-off 8pm. Highlights can be found on Match of the Day, BBC One at 10.45pm.

In the United States, the game can be watched live on television on NBC Sports, kick-off 3pm ET. 

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The Gunners took in a quiet January window, with another midfielder taken on loan from Barcelona representing their only piece of incoming business

Denis Suarez may be little more than “a squad player” at Arsenal, says Alan Smith, with business during the January window doing little to inspire confidence.

Unai Emery had made no secret of the fact that there would not be much movement in north London.

He was, however, linked with a number of players heading towards the deadline.

In the end, only one deal got over the line, with Spain international midfielder Suarez taken from Barcelona on loan until the end of the season.

That agreement includes a summer purchase option, but former Gunners striker Smith is not convinced that the 25-year-old will make much of an impact.

He told Sky Sports: “Arsenal fans would have loved to have seen a little bit more business, but they did manage to bring in Denis Suarez.

“How much will he play though as you imagine he may be a bit of a squad player?

“Unai Emery knows him from Sevilla, he is versatile, while another young lad in Smith Rowe has gone out to Germany to get some game time.

“I do not think Emery would have given up on him and it will be good for his education, so hopefully he can come back a better player.”

Emile Smith Rowe moved out on Emirates Stadium on deadline day as Suarez arrived.

He has linked up with Bundesliga side RB Leipzig on a short-term loan.

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A spell in Germany is intended to aid the development of an exciting 18-year-old talent.

Arsenal have already seen Reiss Nelson flourish after making a similar switch to Hoffenheim.

England U19 international Smith Rowe will now get the chance to follow in those footsteps and stake a claim to more regular minutes upon his return to his parent club.

Suarez, meanwhile, will be looking to hit the ground running and prove that he can cut it in the Premier League.

If he is handed an immediate bow by Emery, then he will get a baptism of fire on Sunday away at reigning champions Manchester City.

The Blues striker faces renewed competition from the recent signing of Gonzalo Higuain but he will remain in London for the rest of the season

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Olivier Giroud has reiterated his commitment to Chelsea amid January offers from several Chinese Super League clubs, Goal understands, despite being challenged by the arrival of new signing Gonzalo Higuain. 

The 32-year-old has reportedly been targeted by Dalian Yifang but he has immediately rebuffed all January interest as he remains committed to his current club.

Marseille have also long held an interest in the striker whose deal expires at the end of the season, but Chelsea will have the option to extend the France international’s deal for another year, should they wish.

Chelsea have taken over AC Milan’s loan deal for Higuain with Juventus and have an option to buy him for £32 million at the end of the season, which could ultimately unsettle Giroud, who has still only made 12 starts all season.

Giroud told Canal Football Club recently: “Marseille and Lyon, of course, are two big clubs, and I have never ruled out a return to France. Now, at the time I said that, the priority was to stay in the Premier League.”

Meanwhile, Lyon have since expressed an interest in Giroud, after their owner and chairman Jean-Michel Aulas went public about the World Cup winner.

“This summer, of course Giroud will interest me,” Aulas told Le Figaro. “It seems a little tight for this winter. We do not want to overload with attackers, especially as we have a real team.

“Aside from that, we will have to see what manager we have at that moment of the season, but I like this boy. He is a good guy.”

Andreas Christensen has also had interest in him during the January transfer window but Chelsea have made it clear to all parties that he is not available, either on loan or on a permanent deal.

Juventus had expressed an interest in a short-term deal but it was knocked back, leading to the Serie A champions re-signing Martín Caceres on loan from Lazio.

The interest in the Denmark international may not extend to an offer of a permanent deal in the summer as the Turin club a move for Ajax’s Matthijs de Ligt, but they may return should they fail to land their main target. 

David Luiz’s long-term future, meanwhile, is secure as Chelsea look set to keep him at the club for another year, after positive talks with his representatives.

Additional reporting by Romeo Agresti and Bruno Andrade.

The country considers that the purchase of such points in FIFA and other games constitutes gambling, an interpretation contested by EA

EA Sports are set to end the sale of FIFA Ultimate Team points in Belgium, in response to a ruling in the country against alleged ‘unregulated gambling’.

Ultimate Team players have the opportunity to earn coins in the popular game mode, which can then be invested in the purchase of packs of new players.

The game, however, also offers users the option of buying points – an alternative to coins – directly with a credit or debit card.

It is this practice which has come under scrutiny in Belgium, with the country cracking down on the FIFA series and other games which function with similar features.

And while the company does not agree that, as was ruled, the purchasing of points to buy randomised packs is a form of gambling, EA Sports will comply with the order.

“After further discussions with the Belgian authorities, we have decided to stop offering FIFA Points for sale in Belgium,” EA signalled in a statement on Tuesday .

“We’re working to make these changes effective in our FIFA console and PC games by January 31, 2019. This means that players in Belgium will not be able to purchase points to obtain FIFA Ultimate Team packs. Players still can access Ultimate Team and play with their existing players. 

“All content in the game can be earned through gameplay, as has always been the case, and players can continue to use coins and the in-game transfer market. Any players in Belgium that have existing FIFA Points in their accounts can continue to use them, but they will not be able to purchase more. 

“We apologize to our players in Belgium for any inconvenience caused by this change. 

“We seek to bring choice, fairness, value and fun to our players in all our games. In addition to providing players options in how they play, we include pack probabilities in our games for the transparency players want to make informed content choices. 

“While we are taking this action, we do not agree with Belgian authorities’ interpretation of the law, and we will continue to seek more clarity on the matter as we go forward.

“The impact of this change to FIFA Ultimate Team in Belgium is not material to our financial performance.”

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Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva has been charged with misconduct by the Football Association over his social media post about team-mate Benjamin Mendy.

The Portuguese tweeted an image of a young Mendy alongside an image of the brand mascot of Spanish confectionery brand Conguitos on September 22.

He deleted the post, which has now led to an FA charge.

A statement from the governing body on Wednesday morning read: “Bernardo Silva has been charged with misconduct for a breach of FA Rule E3 in relation to a social media post on September 22, 2019.

‘It is alleged that the Manchester City player’s activity breaches FA Rule E3(1) as it was insulting and/or improper and/or brought the game into disrepute.”

The FA statement continued: “It is further alleged that the activity constitutes an ‘aggravated breach’, which is defined in FA Rule E3(2), as it included reference, whether expressed or implied, to race and/or colour and/or ethnic origin.

“The midfielder has until 9 October 2019 to provide a response.”

FA guidelines state that a breach of rule E3 on social media would not immediately mean a six-match ban, as a proven offence on the pitch would.

Instead, a regulatory commission will decide what sanction it deems appropriate for the act committed.

Where the comments are “clearly pejorative and discriminatory”, match-based sanctions can be imposed.

Mandatory education courses are also to form part of any sanction for a proven offence.

 

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Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen says he and his team-mates let the club down after their 7-2 Champions League humiliation against Bayern Munich.

Spurs were torn apart by the German champions at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as former Arsenal winger Serge Gnabry scored four goals to leave Vertonghen “ashamed and embarrassed”.

Robert Lewandowski grabbed a brace and Joshua Kimmich also found the net as Spurs conceded seven goals at home for the first time in their history.

“It was a painful night for us,” the Belgium defender said. “They punished us with every single mistake we made and we let the fans and everyone at the club down with this result.

“Bad. Everyone is ashamed of this result. There’s not too much I can say about this.

“I think everyone will have a bad night’s sleep and probably a couple about this.

“I feel extremely hurt. All negative words. It is embarrassing. It is a very bad result.”

Things started off well as Son Heung-min opened the scoring and even after Kimmich’s quickfire leveller Spurs were the better side, but could not find that crucial second goal.

Lewandowski’s effort on the stroke of half-time to put Bayern in front proved pivotal as they ran riot in the second half, scoring five times with a Harry Kane penalty wedged in between.

The defeat does nothing to alter the perception that all is not well at Spurs this season, but Vertonghen’s central defensive partner Toby Alderweireld has called on his side to be “men” in their response to the hammering.

“It is up to us to try to change it as quickly as possible,” he said.

“This is part of football, sometimes you are on the good side, sometimes you are on the bad side. We have to be men and take responsibility to try to change this as quickly as possible.

“We work hard and the only way up is to work hard and try to improve. Of course the fans are disappointed, we are as well.

“We have to try and get ourselves up as quickly as possible. Of course we did not say a lot, everyone was quiet.

“We have to manage it as a team, be together and work hard to pick ourselves up and try to get out of this situation as quickly as possible.”

 

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Serge Gnabry rubbed salt into Tottenham wounds after his four goals helped Bayern Munich demolish Tottenham 7-2 in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Spurs were embarrassed on home turf as four second-half goals from former Arsenal winger Gnabry helped the Bundesliga champions to a thumping Group B win.

The heaviest defeat of Pochettino’s reign is the latest in a string of poor results for the north London club this term following their run to the final of this competition last season.

Spurs went ahead through Son Heung-min and briefly threatened a comeback after Harry Kane’s penalty made it 4-2 before Bayern ran away with three goals in the final 10 minutes.

Joshua Kimmich had drawn the German club level, while in-form striker Robert Lewandowski gave them a half-time lead before claiming his second during the closing minutes.

However, the star of the show was Gnabry, and the former Arsenal man couldn’t help but attempt to wind Tottenham fans up on Twitter after the match.

“North London is RED!!!” he tweeted, alongside pictures of him celebrating his goals.

After the match, Gnabry spoke to Sky Sport Deutschland, he said: “It’s difficult to put this into words, winning 7-2. None of us would have imagined this.

“To have scored four goals is also an amazing feeling. I imagine all the Arsenal fans enjoyed that one!

“Obviously it’s a great result for us and we’re going to enjoy the evening.”

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