Month: April 2021

Kylian Mbappe has revealed how his ego is able to elevate him above Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi and makes him capable of “toppling mountains”.

Having enjoyed a meteoric rise at Paris Saint-Germain, Mbappe, along with  Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland, leads the charge to replace Messi and Ronaldo at the top of the game.

The young pretenders may have to wait until the veteran duo hang up their boots to be considered in the same bracket. However, the 22-year-old Mbappe says he already ranks himself above the Barcelona star and Juventus striker as a self-motivation technique.

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“The ego? Of course, it’s important because when you’re in the rough, no one else is going to push you,” Mbappe told RMC Sport. “And you have to convince yourself that you are capable of toppling mountains.

“People don’t understand ego but when you are not well there is no one who will come to your house to tell you that you can do that. It’s just you and your mindset. It’s just you. You have to convince yourself that you are capable of doing great things.

“Every time I go on a pitch I always tell myself that I’m the best and yet I have played on grounds where there was Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. They are better players than me, they have done a billion more things than me. But, in my head, I always tell myself that I’m the best because that way you don’t give yourself limits and you try to give your best.”

Mbappe admits his self-confidence is sometimes misinterpreted as arrogance. However, he says it is more a selfish desire to get the best out of himself.

The PSG talisman added: “Of course, sometimes people do not understand because I think there is perhaps also this barrier which is created in relation to this subject, where one does not really explain what the ego is.

“For people, the ego is just not giving a friend a penalty, having a better salary than the player of the rival team. It’s not just that, it’s also in the preparation. It’s a personal thing, to surpass yourself, it’s way beyond that superficial thing of saying ‘me, me’. But I think there is quite a bit to be said about it.”

 

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Thomas Tuchel has called Sergio Aguero ‘world-class’ amid rumours of a Chelsea move for the Man City superstar.

On Monday, it was revealed that Aguero will leave the Etihad at the end of the season.

He’s already won a host of trophies in Manchester, including four Premier League titles and one FA Cup.

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The forward could improve that haul in the coming months as City chase the quadruple.

Following the announcement of his departure, a host of top clubs became linked with Aguero.

Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid are at the front of the queue. They’re joined by Chelsea and Manchester United, who want to keep Aguero in the Prem.

Tuchel has now responded to the transfer rumours.

Speaking about Aguero at a press conference, he said: “There is no words needed for me about the achievements of this guy, he is a world-class player.

“We have three competitions in which we are in with Manchester City so I will not speak about their player.”

Chelsea are thought to be looking into attacking alternatives for the misfiring Timo Werner.

The 25-year-old has scored just five league goals so far and has been labelled as one of the ‘flops of the season’ by pundit Micah Richards.

Another option is Borussia Dortmund sensation Erling Haaland. His entourage is currently touring Europe to speak to interested clubs, including Chelsea.

When asked about the Haaland links, Tuchel continued: “There is big news around him and his agent. It seems like they are creating a race for the player and I will fully accept this for a player of Borussia Dortmund, a promising player of course.

“He isn’t our player and is not in our squad.”

The German boss was named Premier League Manager of the Month for March as the Blues gained seven points from three games.

Speaking about his award, Tuchel said: “I’m grateful to receive an award like this and it means I am at the right club. I see it as a team award. It feels good. It’s not the end of the road, we’re still competing in April and May. We want to produce.”

Chelsea take on Sam Allardyce’s West Brom on Saturday at 12:30.

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Scott McTominay has explained why Lionel Messi almost rejected his request for his shirt after 2019’s Champions League quarter-final tie at the Nou Camp.

McTominay, who played the full 90 minutes in central midfield, witnessed Messi adorn his dazzling performance with two goals as Barcelona won 3-0 on the night and 4-0 on aggregate.

Mesmerised, the Scotland international asked goalkeeper Sergio Romero if he could try and convince his countryman to hand over his shirt. But Messi, who received a bloody nose during the game via Chris Smalling’s elbow, was reluctant at first, mistakenly identifying McTominay as the culprit.

McTominay, first asked by ESPN who he thinks the best player in the world is, said: “Messi, 100 per cent. Yeah, Messi, Messi. I got his shirt, you know?

“So, whenever we played against him for Barcelona [in 2019], Chris Smalling elbowed him and he’s got blood coming out of his nose. And he thought it was me.

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“Because I said to Sergio Romero: ‘Please can you ask Messi to get his shirt?’.

“Sergio comes back in and said: ‘Oh, he thinks you were the one who elbowed him on the halfway line’. I said: ‘No, no, no, no – tell him it wasn’t me, so make sure I get that shirt because that’s going in my bedroom’. So he knows it wasn’t me now.

“Sorry Chrissy, but he was the one who roughed him up a bit.”

Barcelona, who had won 1-0 in the first leg courtesy of a Luke Shaw own goal, would go on to face Liverpool in the semi-finals. They ran out comfortable 3-0 winners at the Nou Camp but were given a rude awakening at Anfield as Liverpool roared back in the second leg to win 4-0 and progress into the final at La Blaugrana’s expense.

Head coach Ernesto Valverde, sacked in January last year, would not contest another Champions League knockout tie with the club.

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says a decision on whether Jordan Henderson takes part in Euro 2020 is out of his hands.

Henderson is in rehab after tearing his groin in the Merseyside derby in February.

Gareth Southgate struck a sombre note when speaking about Henderson’s potential involvement last week, saying he faced a fitness race that would go “close to the end of the season”.

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With fellow Liverpool player Virgil van Dijk recovering from the ACL damage he suffered in October, Southgate joins Netherlands coach Frank De Boer in sweating on the availability of a key player.

And while Klopp said he would not stand in the way of either player being selected for the summer tournament, he was non-committal on their chances.

“I don’t want to take a player away from England or Holland, if they’re ready, they’re ready. It’s not down to me to make these decisions,” said Klopp.

“I have no idea about the Euros. Nothing has changed.

“They are all in the place they should be in the moment and that’s it. The rest, the time will show. I don’t want to take Holland or England’s player away. If they are ready then they are ready, if they are not ready I cannot change that.

“They are, in the moment, in the rehab process, it’s not up to me to make that decision. I only deliver the news when I have it and I don’t have any at the moment – no bad news, no brilliant news, they cannot play tomorrow. That’s the situation.”

Southgate is keen for Liverpool to get minutes into Henderson to build up his match fitness ahead of the Euros.

However, when asked if there was a timescale for a potential return, Klopp added: “No, not really.

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“He is not here in the moment, he cannot train, but he will train in the next days and weeks for sure.

“The problem is, I’m not a doctor, so it’s just about time and if the time will be enough I have no idea. But I hope so.”

Pundit Micah Richards believes Chelsea signings Timo Werner and Kai Havertz are the biggest ‘flops’ of the season.

The German duo have struggled since securing moves from RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen respectively.

Werner has scored just five goals in 28 Premier League appearances, while Havertz has managed just one in 21 games.

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When asked who were this season’s biggest ‘flops’, Richards told the Daily Mail: “Sadly, it’s a toss-up between two Chelsea players – Kai Havertz and Timo Werner.

“I could not have been more complimentary about Werner when he signed last summer and I was expecting massive things from him, after watching him for RB Leipzig in the Champions League.

“It just hasn’t happened for him but the same is also true of Havertz. I hope both of them learn from this difficult season and come back to show their true potential.”

Both forwards have been open about their struggles in England during interviews.

Last month, Werner said he had ‘learned a lot’ from the current campaign.

He said: “A lot of good strikers come to the Premier League and take one year to settle down and adapt.

“I think my form is going up and getting better and better. Maybe this year is not the year of goal-scoring but at the end, I will reflect on the season.

“I have learned a lot. I know exactly the teams we play against, how they play.

“I never had [a goal drought] in my career before. You can always learn more from the bad situations.”

The 25-year-old eventually ended his drought with a goal in Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Newcastle in February.

Havertz, meanwhile, has had slightly less opportunities to prove himself at Stamford Bridge.

He is competing with Mason Mount and Hakim Ziyech for a place in the starting lineup.

Speaking about the tough situation, he said: “It wasn’t easy for me to come here, everything was new. I think it’s seven months ago since I came so now it’s time to perform. I know that.

“I know there are many people right now who have had doubts about me but I just keep on going, keep on working. I try to help my team in every game, that’s the most important thing.”

Both players have high potential which could be reached under the guidance of Thomas Tuchel.

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2021/22 might be when we see the real Werner and Havertz in the Premier League.

Mikel Arteta has insisted that despite the injuries they have had to deal with, Liverpool are still “amazing” for what they have achieved.

After a superb couple of years that have seen Liverpool win the Champions League and Premier League, they have dropped off this season.

A number of high-profile injuries and poor performances have seen them drop out of contention for the title.

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Football365’s famous Euro 2020 England ladder

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With nine games to go, Liverpool are seventh in the table. They are five points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea.

The 2020/21 season has been a difficult one for Arsenal as well as Liverpool. The Gunners have spent most of the season around mid-table having lost 11 of their 29 outings in the league.

Arteta’s men were boosted last time out as they defeated their north London rivals Tottenham 2-1. If they beat Liverpool on Saturday they will move to within just one point of Klopp’s side.

Arteta told reporters on Thursday, as cited by The Mirror, that Liverpool have been “incredible” in recent years:

“I don’t know, I’m not the one to analyse what has gone wrong for them,

“I can talk about what they’ve done – I’ve seen a lot of games and what they’re still producing and the stats will support that.

“They are, if not the best, the second best team in every department that we coaches have to analyse.

“But then this is football, the ball has to be in that net and the final action has to provide a moment to win a football match.

“And then you have some individuals that dictate the quality of your team. Sometimes you cannot predict those things, so I think it’s a lot of things.

“I prefer to look at ourselves. What they have done in recent years has been incredible.

“Obviously the competition that they were facing with Manchester City made both teams better and I think they’ve been pushing each other to a different level, one that we probably haven’t seen in the Premier League.

“That’s the level that we have to reach to compete with them.

“This season is so different, in particular, they have had a lot of issues internally with big injuries.

“But they’re still amazing with what they’ve done.”

Pundit Craig Burley claims Manchester United cannot continue their rebuild with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer still in place at Old Trafford.

Solskjaer has battled through several periods of intense criticism and is now praised by the majority with United currently second in the Premier League and in with a good chance of winnin the Europa League.

Recent reports suggest the Norwegian is set to receive a new £30million contract, with the United hierarchy impressed by the progress of the team under his guidance.

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A busy transfer window is expected as the Red Devils look to further improve their chances of mounting a genuine title challenge.

But Burley believes United will have to replace Solskjaer to win the league before adding five new players to their roster.

Asked by ESPN (via TEAMtalk) how many signings United need, he said: “Okay, so a manager…

“I believe Man United will not win the league with Solskjaer in charge.

“So a manager, a centre-half, a right-back because [Aaron] Wan-Bissaka is defensively good, going forward, not so good.

“If [Manchester] City sign [Erling] Haaland… I don’t know. Probably four or five again, still a fair chunk yeah. Still a fair chunk.”

Borussia Dortmund machine Haaland appears to be on the shortlist of most top European clubs this summer after scoring an incredible 33 goals in 31 games this season.

United are said to be interested, with Solskjaer’s previous with the striker a potential bonus, but they will face competition for his signature from City and Chelsea, among others.

United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has hailed Solskjaer’s impact at Old Trafford, backing him to continue the progress he’s made.

“While the disruption to our operations remains significant, we are pleased by the tremendous resilience the club has demonstrated through the pandemic, underpinned by the dedication of our people and the strength of our commercial business,” Woodward said.

“We have been reminded of the importance of football as a source of community, entertainment and pride to fans around the world, even as we have sorely missed them at Old Trafford.

“The progress made by Ole and the players this season is clear and our thriving Academy and Women’s team are also adding to the optimism we feel about the future on and off the pitch.”

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Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp believes Georginio Wijnaldum is not irreplaceable and the club are fully justified in the stance they have taken over his contract.

The Holland international’s current deal expires this summer and there currently appears no likelihood of an extension despite the player saying last month he would be “devastated” if he left.

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Wijnaldum, who is 31 in November, is Liverpool’s most consistent and most reliable midfielder – only left-back Andy Robertson has played more Premier League minutes for the club this season – but Redknapp does not believe that means owners Fenway Sports Group should change their approach to funding big contracts for players over 30.

“They do run the club in a stats-based way and you have to trust what they are doing here,” he told the PA news agency.

“I understand what they are trying to do, they are not just going to throw money away and give players long contracts.

“That is their model and it has worked so well for them so you have to believe in what they are trying to do. You also can’t be held to ransom by players.

“Wijnaldum has been a brilliant signing for Liverpool: his energy levels are fantastic but they have a feeling that, long-term, giving a player that much money until he is 33 or 34… they don’t want to do it.

“I am sure Jurgen Klopp won’t want to lose him as you can’t deny he is a fantastic player but he is not irreplaceable, you can find players like him, and Liverpool will be in the market trying to find the next Wijnaldum.

“Time will tell whether it is the right decision but I do understand what Liverpool are trying to do.”

Klopp’s side return to action against Arsenal on Saturday and need to build some momentum following the win against Wolves before the international break.

A top-four finish still looks difficult as they are currently seventh, five points behind Chelsea in the last qualification spot, although another route is still open as they face Real Madrid next week in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

However, Redknapp insists it is not impossible for Liverpool to qualify via the Premier League.

“Of course they can make the top four but I think they have to find some rhythm and confidence,” added the former Reds midfielder, speaking at the launch of the McDonald’s Fun Football programme which is looking to provide one million hours of free football sessions for children aged between five and 11 in 2021.

“It is going to take a lot of doing now, they are going to have to go on a really good run of form, they are going to have to find the right balance defensively.

“I think Liverpool are outsiders but they certainly can get in the top four because this is the period when you need a run of form and anyone can find it.

“Chelsea are on a great run now but it only takes or two games to destabilise that and everything can change.

“Anything can happen, I think Leicester last year proved that. They were in brilliant form, bankers for the top four, lockdown came and they completely went.”

England Under-21 boss Aidy Boothroyd says the Croatian players’ wild celebrations at the end of England’s win on Wednesday prompted Curtis Jones’ outburst that saw him shown a red card.

The Liverpool star was involved in an altercation with members of Croatia’s U21 team and their staff in the wake of England’s exit from the Euro 2021 tournament.

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Domogoj Bradaric’s injury-time goal denied England a place in the quarter-finals.

Despite the Three Lions winning the game 2-1, with goals from Jones and Crystal Palace forward Eberechi Eze, they were dumped out of the competition as they needed to win by two clear goals to progress.

Jones had to be held back as he clashed with opposition players amid celebrations on the pitch and was shown a second yellow card for his part in the rough and tumble.

Boothroyd attempted to explain why Jones was so angry after the game.

“All their staff were on the pitch and celebrating in between some of our players and it just got a bit fraught”, Boothroyd told Sky Sports.

“Emotions got high. I’ve got to get to the bottom of the card [for Curtis Jones]. I have been unable to speak to the referee yet. I’ll find out what when on there.

“It is one of those highly emotive situations where sometimes things can happen, thankfully both sets of staff sorted it out.”

Portugal topped Group D after winning 3-0 and it is Croatia, rather than England, who will meet Spain in a quarter-final in May.

Boothroyd added: “It was a do-or-die effort and brilliant in many aspects, but we’re bitterly disappointed and football is a cruel game.

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“The young players will benefit in the long term but at the moment that sounds like a ridiculous thing to say.

“We didn’t get knocked out today, we got knocked out against Switzerland (a 1-0 opening defeat). The way we played in the first two games is not a true reflection of who we are.

“I thought we played really well (against Croatia), I was proud of the performance and I’m as disappointed as the players are. They will learn from this. When you lose in the last minute of a game in a tournament it hurts and it’s a lesson.

“We should look a bit closer at ourselves and examine where we can get better.”