Month: November 2019

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The Catalan defender believes the club can come good after two underwhelming performances

Gerard Pique has called on Barcelona fans to be patient with the side after they were held to a disappointing 0-0 Champions League draw with Slavia Prague on Tuesday at Camp Nou. 

The result comes just days after the Catalans were handed a 3-1 loss in La Liga against Levante with pressure beginning to mount on coach Ernesto Valverde. 

While the club stills sits top of La Liga and their Champions League group, Barca’s style of football has frustrated fans with Pique adamant they can find their feet again if given time. 

“I would ask for a little patience,” Pique told Movistar after the game. “I know the fans want more, we understand that, but we’re working hard to find the solutions. Not so much in terms of results, but in terms of how we’re playing.

“Everyone has their own opinion. I’ve spent a lot of time here now and when the supporters expect things to go better and they don’t, there is some criticism.

“We [the players] are trying to resolve these situations as quickly as possible. We have to keep cool heads. I think we are in a good position. We’re top of La Liga and our Champions League group. We’re not playing as well as we expect. The results aren’t bad, but they could be better. We do have to improve.”

Having tasted success so often with Barcelona, Pique suggested the club don’t have to be at their free-flowing best to still collect silverware at season’s end. 

“It’s difficult to say right now but there have been times when we’ve not looked good in the past and we’ve ended up winning trophies,” he said. 

“With Luis Enrique, it looked like things weren’t working for the first six months and then we won the treble.”

Valverde accepted fans were within their right to jeer his side after their performance on Tuesday but backed them to turn their form around. 

“The other day we lost against Levante and it does not escape us that the last two have not been our best matches,” Valverde told Movistar. 

“We know there is a lot of pressure on the team and we have to respond. In football, everything happens very fast. 

“Three days ago we were in a great moment and three days later it seems that we have entered a pothole. But that means that in three days we can turn it around.” 

Jurgen Klopp’s side are eight points clear at the Premier League summit, with a former star at Old Trafford pained by the success of an arch-rival

Gary Neville admits the success being enjoyed by Liverpool at present is “worse than a funeral” for Manchester United and their loyal army of supporters.

While the Red Devils have been knocked from a lofty perch, their arch-rivals from Anfield have stepped up onto it.

Jurgen Klopp’s class of 2019-20 are already Champions League winners and are now eight points clear in the race for the Premier League.

United, with 13 crowns to their name in the modern era, are having to watch on from afar and are sat a long way off the pace at home and abroad.

Neville admits that is difficult to take for everyone at Old Trafford, with the Red Devils legend telling Sky Sports after seeing Liverpool overcome title rivals Manchester City on Sunday: “It’s as painful as it gets. I have worn all black today with a black tie as well.

“It was a funeral match today, it was worse than a funeral. This is my funeral and you are witnessing it as we speak.

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“Manchester United fought for 20-odd years to get a title back and keep it away from Liverpool, the one club that can compete with United in terms of global fanbase, scale, tradition, history, success.

“If they get a Premier League title under their belt, they become a real power.

“In football, when a group of fans love a manager, love a group of players and you see that triangle of the manager, players and fans coming together, it’s so powerful. It’s a spirit that’s difficult to break.”

Neville once formed part of a star-studded United squad which swept aside all before them under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Klopp is now looking to do likewise at Liverpool, with many of the traits which once made the Red Devils so successful now prominent in the plans of their old adversaries.

Neville added: “It’s painful to watch because this Liverpool team have a lot of the qualities from the Manchester United teams I was part of; winning games late, that never-say-die attitude, looking desperate every single time to win the ball back, celebrating every goal like it’s the last goal they will ever score.

“As a Manchester United fan it’s awful to be at Anfield watching it, but you have to respect it.

“I watch football all the time and you see teams that are struggling to connect with their fans, or managers. We must recognise when a team is very good, and this Liverpool team is very good.”

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner fell victim of the Dutchman’s hunger for goals. the former France international has revealed

Cristiano Ronaldo was made to cry during Manchester United training by Ruud van Nistelrooy, Louis Saha has revealed.

Ronaldo joined up with the Old Trafford side as an 18-year-old during the era in which the Netherlands international striker was the top dog at the club.

The young Portuguese was still developing his game at that juncture and had a reputation for being greedy – something the goal-hungry former PSV striker did not appreciate.

As such, the pair rowed at training, which came to a head when the teenager was experiencing some personal issues.

“Ruud had that kind of ego: he wanted all the passes,” Saha told FourFourTwo. “And sometimes, for the development of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, it was difficult for the manager to deal with.

“Did Ruud make Ronaldo cry? Yeah, there were stories because I think they ended up in an argument at the moment when Cristiano’s father had passed away, so it wasn’t the right moment. Things like that happen when two players have lots of spirit, but I’m sure Ruud regrets some of his words.

“Cristiano was just an animal. I don’t know if you can say that he was a human! You could see from when he was 18 or 19 that this guy was not normal.

“These players who have all the ability recognise that it’s also about working harder than anyone – not just talent. The top seeds in tennis don’t hit the ball better or have better technique; no, they work harder than anyone, and Cristiano did that.”

While Van Nistelrooy, who later played with Real Madrid, might have had a spikey attitude, he had no problems with the France international, despite Saha taking his place in the 2006 League Cup final victory over Wigan – a call made by Sir Alex Ferguson that is rumoured to have hastened the Dutchman’s exit from the club.

“He was always really nice with me; he maybe had a problem with the choice made by the manager, but never with me. He was obsessed about goals, and I respect that,” Saha said.

“I know some people said I maybe pushed him to a move away from the club, but that’s totally b*llocks. He was such a good player – he just had an issue with the manager – and I was maybe good enough for the manager to replace him, but I could have played with him, too.”

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The UEFA men’s player of the year went in to bat for his Reds team-mate, who copped a negative reaction from fans on international duty

Virgil van Dijk has criticised the booing from England fans directed at his Liverpool team-mate Joe Gomez and has called for everyone to ‘leave him alone’.

Gomez was involved in a bust-up with Raheem Sterling at Three Lions training on Monday and received the negative reaction from supporters after coming on as a substitute during the 7-0 win over Montenegro at Wembley on Thursday night.

The clash between the two England colleagues occurred only 24 hours after Gomez’s Liverpool knocked off Sterling’s Manchester City 3-1 in a pivotal title game, with tension between the pair evident during the 90 minutes.

Van Dijk, who witnessed the unease between the English duo during the Premier League match, called the Three Lions supporter reaction to Gomez ‘disappointing’, but hopes the incident can be moved on from swiftly and that his Liverpool team-mate is left in peace.

“It’s disappointing to see [the Gomez booing],” Van Dijk said ahead of the Netherlands’ Euro 2020 qualifier against Northern Ireland.

“I want to say as well it’s been dealt with. I think everyone should stop talking about it because it’s just a thing that happened. They all sorted it out.

“Everyone needs to move on, leave Joe especially alone. But yes, it was disappointing to see.”

With Liverpool creating an eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League table ahead of Leicester City and Chelsea following the win over City, Van Dijk was asked about whether the Reds would end their 30-year wait for a league title.

However, the Dutch centre-half refused to be drawn into the angle and insisted his only focus was on getting to Euro 2020 with a positive result against Northern Ireland at Windsor Park on Saturday.

“I’m not gonna say that [it feels like Liverpool’s year],” Van Dijk said.

“It’s something for the media. For players the main thing is we focus on the game ahead of us.

“For me personally it’s Northern Ireland, it’s a tough task. What happens with Liverpool in the future we’ll see, we have no influence on it, the season is so long. My focus is on the next game, at the moment that’s [with our] national teams.”

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You and a guest can be part of a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Manchester with Melitta, while there is also Man Utd-branded merchandise up for grabs

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A win will be enough for Gregg Berhalter’s side to reach the Nations League semifinals following a statement victory over Canada

Despite all of the doom and gloom that has headlined the U.S. men’s national team’s first foray into the Concacaf Nations League, here we are. One win against a completely overmatched Cuba team will do the job. One win and the U.S. erases a historic Canada loss and moves forward towards bigger stakes and bigger games against the region’s elite.

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Friday’s victory over Canada was a statement – one that USMNT groups of past years wouldn’t have had to make, but a statement nonetheless. There is at least some fight in this group and, barring a massive upset against Cuba, they’ll get a chance for more revenge next year. Canada was first on the list given what happened in Toronto last month, but an opportunity to battle Mexico, and the rest of the Hexagonal’s contenders, ahead of World Cup qualifying will certainly be on the USMNT’s minds.

But before the Hex and before a potential Nations League semifinal showdown with El Tri, they’ll have to navigate Tuesday night. It’s an unusual game, a trip to the Cayman Islands to take on a Cuba team they battered 7-0 last time out. On paper, it should be little more than a walkthrough, but the U.S. has been down this road before.

As we do before each USMNT match, Goal has three potential lineups that Gregg Berhalter could deploy:

Most Likely XI

We’ll almost certainly see some sort of shuffling with this lineup as the U.S. prepares for its second game in just a matter of days. Given the level of the opponent, Berhalter will likely give a few younger guys a chance to impress heading into 2020. However, there’s a balance to strike as the U.S. does, in fact, need to win this game.

Josh Sargent got the nod against Cuba in October and, having sat behind Gyasi Zardes on Friday, he should get the nod on Tuesday. At some point, Sargent will need to play in the bigger games with more on the line, while usurping Zardes in the process, but it appears Berhalter is taking it relatively slow with the Werder Bremen prospect. That’s all well and good, but a solid Sargent performance that includes improved hold-up play, good linking with teammates and perhaps even a goal or two would go a long way towards raising his stock.

In the midfield, Berhalter will likely shake things up a bit despite a good performance against Canada. Alfredo Morales earned a cameo in Orlando, but is deserving of a full run-out, especially given the energy and attitude he’ll bring to the field. Sebastian Lletget was arguably man of the match against Canada but Cristian Roldan should get the nod in that spot fresh off an MLS Cup triumph. The Seattle Sounders midfielder has now had a full week off without game action, so he should have plenty of energy compared to some of his teammates, who entered USMNT camp fresh off an extended break following MLS elimination.

While some players, like Weston McKennie, should be given a second consecutive start, it’s probably asking too much of John Brooks to have him go twice in one break, at least given the scenario. The injury-prone defender was an absolute behemoth against Canada and showed off some real leadership during that match but, given his injury history, it makes sense to let him head back to Wolfsburg healthy and confident. Walker Zimmerman can do well enough in his place while also providing a good target on set pieces.

The big question is Jordan Morris, who is playing the best soccer of his life at the moment. This will be his third match in nine days, but there’s something to be said about sticking with the hot hand. Knowing that, it makes sense to at least start Morris and see if he can provide one more goalscoring performance before an extended vacation.

If it ain’t broke…

The win over Canada was arguably the USMNT’s best performance of the year. Each and every level of the team worked and each and every player on the field showed the energy many accused them of lacking in Toronto the month before.

Berhalter could, then, take this chance to lean on a famous saying: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Morris is in the form of his life, so why would you take him out of the game? Lletget and Jackson Yueill have had plenty of time to rest and recover following MLS elimination, so why shouldn’t they be ready to face lowly Cuba just a few days later? Zardes, Tim Ream and Paul Arriola are veterans, so why wouldn’t they be able to handle this type of turnaround?

There are plenty of ways to overthink things in this game, but very rarely do you get a chance to keep things simple and let them flow. Berhalter could do just that if he so desires as he has the chance to lean on at least a big chunk of players that put together a very good performance just a few days ago.

… But we’ve seen this before

However, the mentality listed above has come into play for the USMNT before, and with disastrous circumstances. Days after smashing Panama to put the USMNT one step away from the World Cup, Bruce Arena unveiled an unchanged lineup at Trinidad & Tobago days later. We all know what happened next. The USMNT were slow, lethargic and, ultimately, second best, and their World Cup hopes ended because of it.

That lesson was painful but also a poignant one. It taught everyone that, no matter your talent level and no matter your form, travelling in Concacaf isn’t easy. It’s not easy to go on long flights to humid climates and it’s not easy to win on shoddy pitches against teams determined to play the game of their lives against a continental power.

Still, it should be easy enough that a semi-fresh USMNT should be able to win anyway on Tuesday, but that’s not the point. The point is that Berhalter could very well see what happened in Couva two years ago and go in the complete opposite direction.

There’s enough talent here to give things a major change-up. There are enough bodies to get what is essentially a whole new lineup in. You have veteran leaders like DeAndre Yedlin who can take command and you have younger players that should be hungry enough to do what needs to be done.

At the end of the day, this Cuba team isn’t anywhere near as good as that T&T team was and the stakes are nowhere near as high. But it’s probably a good idea to learn from that day while also giving new faces a chance to impress.

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The Real Madrid teenager has starred for his club this season, but wasn’t given the chance to shine for his country over the international break

Tite rejected criticism of his decision to play Rodrygo Goes for just two minutes in Brazil’s 3-0 win over South Korea on Tuesday.

The Brazil coach said on Monday he would be patient with the teenage forward, who has made an impressive start to life at Real Madrid.

Rodrygo has scored twice in four La Liga appearances for Madrid and notched a hat-trick in their 6-0 Champions League demolition of Galatasaray this month.

The 18-year-old got 19 minutes on his Brazil debut in the 1-0 loss to Argentina on Friday and received even less playing time in Abu Dhabi.

“It’s one thing to throw Rodrygo into a system that’s already structured, like Real’s. It’s another thing to put him in a team that is being reassembled, even if he was doing the same job in the same position,” Tite said.

“It was so hard to organise for the team for today and they responded well. They were close to scoring a fourth and a fifth.

“It was a chance for Fabinho, Renan Lodi and Militao. They earned the chance and asserted themselves. Could it have been Rodrygo? Yes, but I preserved the continuity and the good moment of the team in the game.”

While cautious to throw Rodrygo straight into the national team, the Selecao coach recently praised the teenager’s conduct and believes he’s an ideal role model for other young Brazilians. 

“I talked to him and said he had to be very proud of his behaviour. As a person, as an example,” Tite said earlier in the week.

“I asked him to give a hug to his parents for the education they gave. Say thanks to Jair Ventura, the coach who launched him. He is an example for a lot of young boys who would like to be in his position.

“He must think I am a little crazy, because I was talking and I do not know him, this is our first meeting.

“But I saw that when he scored the first goal [against Galatasaray] he went to hug [Karim] Benzema, who assisted. When he completed the hat-trick, I saw the television camera was focusing on him and he didn’t look at the camera. He took the ball and kissed it and stood there.

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“He becomes an example for a number of boys. Football is a transformation agent, both for good and for bad. He’s like that, and I ended up telling him to hug his parents. I don’t know them, but they deserve it.”

The Manchester City boss admitted that it wasn’t his intention to criticize the Liverpool winger

Pep Guardiola admitted that he may have been wrong to hint that Sadio Mane was a diver as he admitted that Liverpool’s late-game heroics come down to skill, not luck.

Guardiola appeared to call out the Senegal winger this weekend after Liverpool scored a pair of late goals to stun Aston Villa and remain unbeaten in the Premier League.

The Manchester City boss labelled Mane as a “talent”, but said that “sometimes” the Liverpool winger is a player that dives.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp fired back, insisting that Mane is not a diver while saying that he would not get into discussing Manchester City’s own controversial tactical fouls.

And, with the two Premier League heavyweights set to face off this weekend, Guardiola was able to respond to Klopp’s response, and he did so by backtracking a bit on his earlier comments.

“My son and my daughter always when Liverpool win in the last minutes say Liverpool are lucky. I tell them not,” he said on Tuesday.

“What Liverpool has done this season and last season many times is because they have this incredible quality to fight until the end.

“That’s why I said to my players – not just my son and daughter- that it is not lucky. Sometimes at 94 against Leicester with the penalty, it was like ‘wow’. That was the intention for my comment but it was far from my intention to say that Sadio Mane is that type of player.

“Even with that, the ref and the VAR said penalty. Maybe I was wrong to think it wasn’t a penalty.“

Asked for his thoughts on what Klopp had to say, though, Guardiola said that he wasn’t even aware of Klopp’s comments.

“I don’t know. I didn’t listen to what he said,” the Spanish manager added.

Liverpool are set to host Manchester City this Sunday in a match that could go a long way towards deciding the Premier League champions.

The Reds currently maintain a six-point lead atop the league, having dropped points just once this season.

Before that, though, Liverpool will face Genk in the Champions League while Manchester City visit Atalanta.

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Scholes rejected claims that his ex-colleague was afraid to question the likes of Ed Woodward at Old Trafford

Former Manchester United star Paul Scholes has come to the defence of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, insisting that the current Red Devils boss brings his own personality to the job. 

Solskjaer remains under intense pressure at Old Trafford as the indifferent run of form United have endured since he came back to the club shows no sign of stopping. 

Saturday’s 1-0 reverse at the hands of Bournemouth compounded United’s crisis, leaving them stranded in 10th place in the Premier League and 10 points off fourth-placed Chelsea.

But Scholes, who played alongside the Norwegian during the glory days under Sir Alex Ferguson, rejects claims that he lacks the authority to succeed.  

“Ole is single-minded, he knows what he wants and he won’t just go along with it,” Scholes told BT Sport when it was put to him that Solskjaer was merely “toeing the party line” of Ed Woodward. 

“He’s not a yes man, there’s no chance that he is just a yes man. He is a Manchester United man, he will be trying his best to do the best for the club and bring it back to where it should be.

“We’ve had previous big managers, [Louis] van Gaal, Mourinho, and maybe they were just a little bit interested in themselves rather than the actual football club and what was happening. 

“With Ole we know he is a Manchester United man and he will be desperate [to succeed].”

Speaking prior to Thursday’s Europa League tie against Partizan, Solskjaer affirmed that United had a solid base to improve, and that he hopes his side put in a positive display midweek at Old Trafford which they can build upon.

“Hopefully, we can put a good performance in and get a win which would take us through to the next round,” he explained to BT Sport.

“We have a game on Sunday as well but experience is important and we know a win would fill us with confidence and take us through.

“We have talented players going forward, the foundation is there and we are defending well but now it’s about that little spark and we want to see that tonight.”

United’s next Premier League game sees them host Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday, with the Reds needing a win to climb above their next opponents and towards the top of the table.

 

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Brendan Rodgers’ men are one of the Premier League’s most in-form sides and our tipster is backing them to make it four wins in a row on Saturday

Leicester City will be looking to maintain their excellent form when they host Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday evening.

The third-placed Foxes have won seven of their last nine games, scoring 26 goals in that time whilst conceding just seven, and famously beat Southampton 9-0 just two weeks ago.

Arsenal begin the weekend just two places below Leicester but have failed to win any of their last three matches and have lost seven of their 14 away matches in 2019.

Leicester City vs Arsenal Latest Odds

bet365 offer Evens (2.0) that Brendan Rodgers’ side claim their fourth league win in a row and make it three consecutive victories over Arsenal at the King Power Stadium.

The Gunners have not won away from home since their opening fixture of the season and are aiming 5/2 (3.50)to arrest that run here, with the draw trading at 11/4 (3.75).

Leicester City vs Arsenal Team News

Matty James is the only absentee for Leicester and so there are unlikely to be any surprises in their starting XI.

Dani Ceballos will miss out for the Gunners, meanwhile, after he suffered an injury in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw at Vitoria on Wednesday. Former captain Granit Xhaka has not played since storming off against Crystal Palace two weeks ago and is set to be omitted again.

Leicester City vs Arsenal Preview

Arsenal’s poor run of form continued on Wednesday night when they conceded a late goal to draw 1-1 at Vitoria in the Europa League, and one of the last things they will have wanted is a trip to a ground where they have not won in over four years.

That now makes it just one win in their last five games in all competitions and also four away matches without a win, with Unai Emery’s men having won a mere four Premier League games all season.

Indeed, the Foxes have beaten the Gunners at the King Power in each of the last two seasons and given how Rodgers’ men are currently playing, it is not difficult to envisage them taking another three points.

Leicester City vs Arsenal Tips and Predictions

All things considered, the Evens (2.0) quote from bet365 on Leicester to win looks the best bet for this fixture on Saturday evening.

Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.

Leicester City to win at Evens (2.0) for a 2pt stake at bet365

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