A atuação do Flamengo no primeiro tempo da partida contra o Ceará tem que servir como exemplo do que não se deve fazer em 2016. Afinal, o Rubro-Negro fez exatamente o oposto daquilo que o técnico Muricy Ramalho orientou durante a pré-temporada: jogou de forma espaçada, errou passes no meio de campo e ficou em desvantagem na defesa por diversas vezes. Não à toa, levou um gol e poderia ter sofrido mais do bem armado Ceará.
Em linhas simples, o Rubro-Negro jogou da seguinte forma na etapa inicial: Wallace, Márcio Araújo e Juan trocavam passes na zaga e ficavam sem opções na saída de bola, já que todos os demais estavam mais avançados. Nas poucas vezes que conseguia avançar, errava passes e dava o contra-ataque ao Ceará, que marcava com duas eficientes linhas de quatro atletas. Por conta disso, o goleiro Everton quase não trabalhou no primeiro tempo.
Com as mudanças no intervalo – permaneceram apenas Paulo Victor, Wallace, Emerson e Guerrero – o Flamengo voltou melhor, embora tenha se beneficiado com a total modificação do Ceará, que substituiu os onze. No entanto, o gol sofrido nos primeiros minutos – em posição duvidosa – não desanimou o Rubro-Negro. Melhor posicionado, com mais qualidade no passe no meio de campo – após as entradas de Canteros e Mancuello – e a boa opção ofensiva com Marcelo Cirino, o time de Muricy Ramalho evoluiu.
Mais do que ter crescido na partida, o Flamengo deixou ainda mais claro o que estava errado no primeiro tempo. Os “reservas” Canteros, Mancuello, Alan Patrick e Marcelo Cirino se saíram melhor do que os “titulares” Márcio Araújo, Willian Arão, Everton e Gabriel. Naturalmente, a saída de bola melhorou e os erros de passe foram menos constantes. Resta, ainda, evoluir na marcação. O 4-1-4-1 compactado que Muricy deseja não encaixou.
Em suma, apesar da derrota nos pênaltis, o amistoso com o Ceará foi bom para observação, algo que é fundamental na pré-temporada. O Flamengo ainda tem muito a melhorar na parte tática. Isto é, encaixar a compactação, tanto na defesa quanto no ataque, melhorar a saída de bola e caprichar mais no passe. Além disso, a defesa ainda precisa de sérios ajustes. Wallace, Juan e Cesar Martins bateram cabeça em certos momentos da partida e perdeu na velocidade em boa parte das jogadas.
De bom, ficam as boas entradas de Mancuello e Marcelo Cirino e a evolução ofensiva no segundo tempo, tanto é que o Rubro-Negro marcou três vezes e ainda criou outras oportunidades. Antes da estreia no Campeonato Carioca, o Flamengo ainda tem mais duas partidas de laboratório: o amistoso contra o Santa Cruz, domingo, na Arena Pernambuco, e a estreia na Primeira Liga, quarta que vem, contra o Atlético-MG, no Mineirão. Bom para fazer ajustes.
Ross Wilson has said that he would like to make two more signings for Glasgow Rangers if possible, speaking during a Q&A on Wednesday.
Wilson in transfer revelation
The Gers were busy this summer, bringing in no less than eight first-team players including the likes of Kemar Roofe, Ianis Hagi and Bongani Zungu.
The January window is fast approaching, and Wilson was asked by Vital Football whether he would like to sign a player on a pre-contract agreement or initially on loan with an option to buy. He responded:
“In an ideal world I’d sign two players (as long as we need two and they fit our strategy!).
“The two examples you mentioned are both important to us but they key word you mentioned is targeted. That needs to mean we have done the work and followed the clear strategy and process to get to the signing stage on those two examples.”
Is there any need?
The heavy investment during the summer has worked wonders for the Ibrox outfit so far this season. The Gers are unbeaten in 20 games in all competitions, lead the Premiership by nine points and are also joint-top of their Europa League group after three matches. Everyone at the club could hardly have asked for a better start.
It is always important to keep an eye out for any interesting talent, which Wilson will do. However, halfway through an important campaign, too many new arrivals could disrupt the flow of things. As the sporting director himself says, it is important to find players who match exactly what the club need.
In other news, Rangers fans rage at this latest Castore offering.
Liverpool fans will be considering themselves lucky that they haven’t been monumentally rocked by the absence of Virgil van Dijk and Fabinho so early on in the season. The Reds will be looking to retain their Premier League title and losing the Dutchman looked like it would have a detrimental effect on their reigning term.
But in a miraculous turn of both luck and good form, stand-in defenders Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams have done a superb job of keeping the ship afloat. Joe Gomez has arguably been one of Jurgen Klopp’s most important players during this time, stepping into the shoes of natural leader van Dijk.
Teenaged centre-back Williams has massively stepped up to the plate and is already shifting his attention to his future at Anfield.
Fighting talk from Rhys Williams
Following his performance against Atalanta in Liverpool’s midweek clash, the 19-year-old expressed his delight over making his debut Champions League appearance. He went on to thank Klopp for his recent flurry of opportunities and says he is determined to repay the manager’s faith.
“I want to become an irreplaceable piece of this side. It’s a great team with great players,” Williams said post-match (via Liverpool ECHO).
Such fighting talk despite only making his senior debut this season is something the manager simply cannot ignore. After Trent Alexander-Arnold’s astonishing success story, it’s inspired many other academy graduates to follow down a similar path.
Whilst this paints a vivid picture of what a workhorse Williams is, it could be bad news for Gomez moving forwards. Even with his hard graft these last couple of weeks, the nature of football is a cruel one and players get dropped to make room for new up and coming talents.
Should Williams prove to be an option that Klopp simply cannot ignore, there’s a big chance he could edge out the England international for his space alongside van Dijk in the future.
Alexander-Arnold himself has already been impressed by the 6 ft 5 powerhouse. Speaking to LFCTV GO, the full-back lauded his teammate’s ability to step up.
“We’ve got an amazing squad,” the Merseyside local said. “You’ve seen Rhys Williams stepping in and doing a world-class job, at a young age with such little experience. He’s got a bright future ahead.”
In other news, Liverpool given boost ahead of potential Ozan Kabak signing…
Arsenal have signed former Chelsea players David Luiz and Willian over the last few transfer windows and it looks like another ex-Stamford Bridge man has been attracting interest from the Gunners following his latest comments.
Speaking recently, former Premier League star Oscar has said that he has been called by Luiz and Willian and they have been trying to convince him to join the Gunners. Oscar told Fox Sports Brasil, via TEAMtalk: “They called me, they had to call me. Because we have good communication. Sometimes I talk to them. They said ‘come to Arsenal, come here”
“But for me it’s a little more difficult. I have a contract with Shanghai, it’s a little more difficult to leave. Willian had finished his contract. I was happy that they got together again. And happy that Willian is happy.
“The most important thing is to be happy, regardless of the place. So I hope they are happy there.”
It would be a very weird signing if the club were to make a move for Oscar as he has been playing in China since 2017, per Transfermarkt, but he did perform well in England’s top flight for Chelsea as he won two Premier League titles and a League Cup trophy during his spell there.
Across his career, the 29-year-old has played 398 times, scoring 97 goals and supplying 129 assists, per Transfermarkt, which is a very respectable track record. He seems to be getting on well with Shanghai SIPG as he has managed five goals and six assists in 2020 in the the Chinese Super League, averaging 4.2 key passes and 2.8 shots per game, via WhoScored.
However, he is playing in a league which is different in quality to the Premier League and it could be hard to replicate this consistency in England.
Fellow Brazilians Luiz and Willian will know how much quality he has from their shared international duty, but it seems like a risk for Arsenal to look to take a punt on a player nearing his 30s and playing in China.
Gunners fans, do you want Arsenal to sign Oscar? Comment below with your views!
Manchester United have only made one transfer so far this transfer window, and it was a very good one as highly rated Dutch midfielder Donny van de Beek joined the club from Ajax.
However there seems to be a growing frustration from a lot of supporters of the club that there have not been more signings, especially when it seems like the news on their pursuit on the possible signing of Jadon Sancho varies from positive to negative on a daily basis.
According to Rob Dawson, who works at ESPN, and tweeted out by utdreport, Red Devils manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seems to now be in the same boat as supporters of the club. He has been largely accepting of the financial implications that recent events have caused but now he is starting to become annoyed and impatient that deals he thought would happen have not materialised.
With their Premier League season getting underway as they play Crystal Palace at the weekend, all associated with the club will not want any rifts because it could affect the campaign, and hopefully Ed Woodward starts to bring in some more signings to please the manager and the fan base shortly.
Here is what fans said following the news:
Man United fans, what are your thoughts on this news? Comment below!
Tottenham Hotspur could be about to miss out on one of their mooted summer transfer targets if fresh reports are to be believed…
What’s the word?
According to Football.London, Spurs have been keeping tabs on young Almeria striker Darwin Nunez but they may have missed their opportunity.
It’s claimed that the 21-year-old has had rival Premier League clubs hot on his tail as well as Jan Vertonghen’s new Benfica, who are seemingly set to sign him for £25m.
The Athletic reported Brighton’s interest last month and they also suggest that “his pace, physical strength and finishing prowess has prompted comparisons with his compatriot Edinson Cavani.”
Llorente 2.0
Going by that review alone, then it appears as if Spurs are about to make a huge mistake as Nunez could well have been the next Fernando Llorente in north London.
The club have since rued his departure last summer as he was the ideal second choice to Harry Kane and now with Jose Mourinho at the helm, the veteran Spaniard could have even partnered him on the odd occasion.
Nunez bagged 16 goals for Almeria on their way to the La Liga 2 promotion game but couldn’t help his side earn a place in the Spanish top-flight.
Football scout Mario Husillos Jnr also likened him to Luis Suarez for his “work rate, aggressiveness, and scoring ability” and believes he’d fit right in amongst the physicality and direct nature of the Premier League.
In Kane’s absence earlier this year, Spurs crashed out of the FA Cup and Champions League – and very nearly sacrificed a place in Europe – all because they didn’t have a senior striker to plug the gap.
Levy not opting to sign Nunez for £25m will surely come back to bite one day as he’s everything they are currently crying out for.
AND in other news, Spurs eye Watford veteran as perfect Kane backup…
Muito próximo de entrar para o grupo de homenageados por completar 50 jogos com a camisa do América-RJ, o volante Muniz terá que adiar a celebração, ao menos, por um jogo. Com 49 partidas disputadas com a camisa do Mecão, Muna, como é carinhosamente chamado por seus companheiros, recebeu o terceiro cartão amarelo no duelo contra o Barcelona e desfalcará o Mecão desta quarta-feira, diante do Madureira. Inconformado por ficar de fora da importante partida entre os líderes do Grupo C da Copa Rio, Muniz, com bom humor, se escalou nas arquibancadas do Giulite Coutinho para apoiar o time americano na busca pelos três pontos.
– Estarei na torcida. Até porque, independente dos 50 jogos que eu completaria, o resultado positivo vai ser muito importante para nossas pretensões no campeonato. Eu queria muito atuar nesse jogo, mas infelizmente não vou poder ajudar meus amigos dentro de campo. Contudo, fora das quatro linhas, serei mais um a estar com a bandeirinha na mão, torcendo das arquibancadas – relatou sorridente o jogador do Mecão.
Membro da equipe desde o Carioca de 2014, Muniz vem sendo peça fundamental do América na temporada. Titular em 28 dos 29 jogos do Mecão no ano, o volante crê que o treinador do Ricardo Cruz não terá dificuldades em escalar outro atleta para seu lugar. O meio-campista ainda elogiou o elenco rubro e listou alguns dos nomes que podem exercer bem sua função e representar bem o Rubro na partida contra o Madureira.
– Acho que o Ricardo não terá problemas para escalar outro jogador no meu lugar. Nosso grupo é muito forte. Os jogadores que estão do lado de fora estão se preparando bem e quando entram dão resposta positiva. Por isso penso que não vai ser diferente dessa vez. Diversos jogadores podem representar bem a camisa do América, como o Taércio, o Ramon, e o Castro Jr, mas essa parte eu deixo para o nosso treinador (risos). Quem o Ricardo Cruz escolher para ser titular, vai desempenhar bem a função.
This exclusive interview with Jermain Defoe is in conjunction with On The Ball, available to download on Apple and Google Play now!
Very few players split opinion between Tottenham and West Ham fans like Jermain Defoe does.
For the former, he is a goalscoring hero having scored almost 150 goals across two very successful spells in North London. For the latter, he’s a player who is perceived to have betrayed his roots by trying to leave at a time when the Hammers needed him most.
But regardless of all that, the striker has enjoyed a hugely successful career, in which he has scored for every club he’s played for and is currently on a mission to help Rangers win their first SPL title since 2011.
For young football fans, he’s a role model both on and off the pitch. If his goalscoring exploits for both club and country weren’t inspirational enough, his charitable work away from the pitch certainly is.
On the pitch, it’s no secret that making it in football is the dream of millions of kids around the world and it’s even less of a secret that it’s one of the most difficult industries to be successful in.
To make it, you need dedication, sacrifice, hard work and perseverance, and even then it still might not enough to earn a pro-contract. However, there is a new app that is designed to help footballers of all ages to gain an edge both on and off the pitch.
On The Ball is the world’s best football training platform and offers users of all ages and abilities access to tailored training programs created by Premier League players, to help teach real skills and training techniques. With over 1,000 training videos demonstrated by some of the biggest names in the game, users literally have everything they need in one place in order to improve their fitness, skills and technique whenever they need it.
Jermain Defoe is a huge supporter of the On The Ball App and he spoke exclusively to Football FanCast to talk us through what he loves most about the platform and, of course, some of the biggest talking points of his career to date.
What do you love about the On The Ball App?
“If I was a kid now I would be excited about the app. There’s like a thousand drills on there, so to be able to download something to my phone and be able to use it to develop my skills would have been so useful. The people behind it are players who have played at the highest level, they’ve played in the Premier League and for their countries.
“I would have been all over it. Drills on dribbling, passing, fitness, it’s an unbelievable idea, to be honest! Kids, even coaches, of all ages and abilities will definitely benefit from it for sure.”
Where did your hunger and commitment to make it come from when you were growing up?
“Football has always been a real passion of mine, even from a very young age. It came from my family as well, though. I always knew the importance of working hard growing up, my Mum used to always drill into me that if I was ever going to achieve anything then I had to work hard to get it.
“Growing up, my Nan and Grandad came over from the Caribbean and worked really hard. My grandad worked in the meat factory and my Nan worked in the sugar factory. My mum was a single parent before my sister came along. So everything I saw around me was people grafting.
“I used to always tell my Mum that I wanted to be a professional footballer. Ever since I could walk and talk, I wanted to play football. My Mum supported me with that but always told me that I had to work hard, that I had to always work harder than the person next to me. That’s the sort of mentality I had growing up.”
Despite that commitment, fighting the temptation to take your foot off the gas and do what your mates were doing must’ve been difficult…
“Yeah, of course. When you’re young, sometimes parents say things that you don’t fully understand and obviously there were times I just wanted to go out with my mates.
“We lived on an estate and from my bedroom window, I could see my friends at night just chilling with girls, drinking and stuff like that. Even if I didn’t want to get involved in all that stuff, I just wanted to be out there having a bit of banter.
“But to be fair, I always listened and I thought, at the end of the day, if I want to fulfill all my dreams and goals, I’m just going to listen to my Mum and see where it takes me.”
At West Ham, things didn’t end in the way that you would’ve wanted and you ended up leaving on a sour note. What happened there?
“When I signed for West Ham, there was a lot of pressure at the time because they had to pay Charlton something like £1.6million because apparently they’d made an illegal approach for me. I was only 16-years-old, so there was a lot of pressure there.
“I made my debut at 17, scored in the cup, and everything started going so well. I loved it at West Ham and a lot of my family were West Ham fans.
“So everything was going so well and we all know what the fans are like with young players coming through, they love you.
“But then my agent at the time advised me to hand in a transfer request. I was naive and never had to deal with anything like that before. I was young and didn’t really know about transfer requests.
“The backlash was just crazy! I obviously stayed until January before Tottenham came in for me and then I was thinking, ‘Tottenham are a massive football club,’ and I wanted to go.”
Football – FA Barclaycard Premiership – West Ham United v Manchester United – 17/11/02 Jermain Defoe celebrates after scoring for West Ham Mandatory Credit:Action Images / Alex Morton LivePic
You picked up three red cards in quick succession before that January move which, knowing how your career has gone, was very out of character. Was that out of frustration that you weren’t sold in the summer?
“Obviously you look at that and think it’s so out of character. Looking from a West Ham fans’ point of view, I understand why they might think I was doing it on purpose but if you really knew me, you’d know all I want to do is score goals and play every game, so why would I want to miss football matches?
“At the time I felt like I was a target for players I played against and the referees. That’s how I felt. People were trying to wind me up and referees weren’t really protecting me because I was in the spotlight after what had happened with the transfer request.
“So I had so much anger and I was so frustrated with the whole transfer request situation. I didn’t really know what was going on.”
Rumour has it that you nearly returned to West Ham years later?
“Yeah, I nearly went back to West Ham. I spoke to Mark Noble on the phone and he explained that the club wanted me back, that they needed someone to score goals, but at the time I said I wasn’t going to leave Sunderland because they had done a lot for me and I had a special relationship with the fans, but I didn’t rule it out for the future.
“Obviously it didn’t happen but the West Ham fans, despite all the stick they used to give me when I was at Spurs, were buzzing. Some of the positive messages I was getting on social media made me think that despite all that stick they gave me, they would’ve welcomed me back.”
After four years at Spurs you left for Portsmouth. How did that come about?
“It was a hard decision for me to make. I loved it at Spurs. But we had a change of manager, Juande Ramos came in. He had different ideas.
“One day in training he said something to me, I said something back, and then he told me that if I wasn’t happy I could leave. Even the players couldn’t believe he’d said it to me.
“So I phoned my agent and told him what the manager said. Ramos spoke to Daniel Levy about it and the chairman was like: ‘Are you joking? That is not happening!’
“The next game I was given the armband to be captain! It was strange.
“So it was a footballing decision in the end. I spoke to Harry Redknapp, who was at Portsmouth at the time, and he just said: “JD, come and play for me.” I love Harry, everyone knows I love Harry, and he never used to complicate things. All he said to me was ‘focus on scoring goals, that’s it.’
“At the time Pompey had an unbelievable team. Sol Campbell, Sylvain Distin, David James, Sulley Muntari, Milan Baros, Niko Kranjcar, Hermann Hreidarsson. The team was unbelievable, so I was happy I was going to them.
“Redknapp was the manager, they call him my Dad in football, so it was perfect for me. But it was so hard to leave Tottenham. I just felt like I had no choice. I just couldn’t play for Juande Ramos.”
You soon returned to Tottenham after a short spell at Portsmouth, but there was also an offer from Juventus on the table…
“When Redknapp left Portsmouth for Tottenham I was just sitting there waiting for the phone to ring. Eventually, he called me and told me he wanted to bring me back.
“I was waiting for days for a deal to happen but during that time I had a phone call from a different agent who had a close relationship with Italian clubs, and he told me that if the Tottenham deal doesn’t get done ASAP then he was going to take me to Juventus because they wanted me.
“I had no problem with that because Juventus is a massive football club, a giant, but deep down I just wanted to go back to Tottenham. I felt like I had unfinished business there.
“I felt the love there, not just from the fans but from the people working at the club. The people that worked in the canteen, the laundry girls, I had a close relationship with everyone at Tottenham and I didn’t want to leave in the first place.
“To get the opportunity to go back was my number one priority but if it didn’t happen then obviously Juventus were waiting.”
And then a move to the MLS followed. How did that come about and why did you only last 11 months before coming back?
“When Toronto first came in for me there was no way I wanted it to happen. I had just signed a new contract with Tottenham and at the time I just thought I was going to end my career there.
“But then I spoke to Tim Leiweke, who was responsible for bringing David Beckham to LA Galaxy, and then spoke to Daniel Levy about it.
“If it was another Premier League club interested in me then Levy wouldn’t have let me go but he said that as it was an unbelievable opportunity for me and my family, he wouldn’t stand in my way if I wanted to see if I could get a deal done.
“When I was there I could get Premier League games on the TV at home and I used to sit there and miss the Premier League, naturally. Harry called me again and told me QPR wanted to sign me and stuff like that.
“But then I had a hernia and needed to travel back to London to see a specialist. After that, I was doing some rehab in the south of France when I got a text from Gus Poyet, who was Sunderland manager at the time. He told me he wanted to sign me and build a team around me.
“Obviously I knew Gus, I played with him at Tottenham, and it was an opportunity for me to come back to the Premier League and score goals.
“But even then it was difficult because Toronto weren’t having it, they didn’t want me to go. I didn’t want to let them down because they had worked so hard to bet me there, but I just wanted to be back in the best league in the world.”
Throughout your career you’ve played in some top derbies – where does the Old Firm rank?
“It’s the best. It’s unbelievable. I appreciate all the derbies I’ve played in but when I spoke to Graeme Souness before I signed for Rangers, he told me it’s the best football match in the world.
“But you have to experience what it’s like, it’s a special game. When we beat them 2-0 at home, the atmosphere was incredible. I was looking around, almost in a trance, looking at the crowd bouncing, it gave me goosebumps. It really was amazing.”
Do you think Rangers have what it takes to win the SPL title again within the next couple of years?
“I said it when I signed, I believe it’s only a matter of time before it happens. Celtic fans give me a bit of banter about it on social media but I do genuinely believe it’s only a matter of time.
“For one, Rangers fans are special. They travel everywhere. And then when I look at the coaching staff, the manager and his presence, and the whole team, the club has everything it needs to be successful. Everything, even down to the food we’re eating at the training ground.
“The squad is so strong. We do 11v11 in training and we all wonder afterward what team the manager is going to pick at the weekend because he can literally pick two different teams. Having that keeps everyone on their toes, which is good.
“If we win the league again that’s 55 titles. It’ll be a special one and to be a part of something like that would be mad.”
Soccer Football – Premiership – Rangers v Celtic – Ibrox, Glasgow, Britain – May 12, 2019 Rangers’ Jermain Defoe with manager Steven Gerrard after being substituted REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
It would also stop Celtic winning 10 titles in a row…
“I’m not even focused on that. I’m just focused on being a part of Rangers history. When you walk down the tunnel and on to the pitch at Ibrox you can see the names of great players on a board and I say to the players, if we can be on that board one day then we’ve done something special.
“When you’re on that board you know that even after you leave, you’re always welcome back. So to see my name on that board one day would be unbelievable.”
What’s Steven Gerrard like as a manager?
“He’s amazing. It cannot be easy going from being a player to a manager. It’s not easy!
“Imagine trying to keep 25 players happy. You pick your best XI but then you’ve got to keep the others happy at all times as well. It’s literally impossible.
“The way he is honest with the players, he always tells us that if we’ve got a problem then his office door is open. The way he handles the press is amazing because it is not easy up there.
“And the team he’s got around him. We’ve got an identity and we know how we want to play and that’s something that’s been worked on in pre-season. Everyone knows their roles and responsibilities.
“And even now, with the current situation, we’ve got something where we can go and look at the sessions that we’ve had during training or with tactical sessions, just so it all stays fresh in our minds.
“We’ve got everything under Steven Gerrard at Rangers to be successful and when it happens, it’ll be a dream come true.”
You’ve recently signed a one-year contract extension at Rangers – what happens after that? Is retirement an option yet?
“I got a message from a Rangers fan today saying, ‘you better play until you’re 40!’
“I still feel sharp and fit. People ask me how I do it, even players from my generation ask me how I’m still fit and playing at the top level. I don’t ever miss a training session. I train every single day. I look after myself as well as I can.
“I’m doing my coaching badges at the moment because, at the back end of your career, you’ll always think about what you want to do next, whether it’s becoming a coach or a manager.”
Does management appeal to you?
“I don’t know yet. I’m just going to do my badges and then see what happens. At the end of the day, if you love football and you’ve got an opportunity to stay in the game and give something back then why not?”
To be a better player or coach, improve your fitness and develop your ball skills with On The Ball, download the App on Apple and Google Play now!
Rangers are interested in signing Dundee United’s Louis Appere, that is according to a report from Football Insider.
The report says that the Gers’ scouts have been keeping an eye on the winger during what has been a breakthrough campaign for the 21-year-old.
They are not the only side interested, though, with the Championship’s Stoke City also keen.
This has quite clearly been Appere’s first season in the spotlight. He has been a regular for Dundee United in the Scottish Championship, scoring four goals and providing five assists in 26 matches in the second tier – there is little surprise that one of the biggest clubs in the country are interested.
Sheyi Ojo has been the man to occupy the right-wing so far this campaign for Steven Gerrard, but he has failed to settle despite his Liverpool pedigree – he does have five assists in the top flight, but just one goal, and he failed to feature in any of the last six matches before the league was suspended.
Ojo is only on loan from Anfield, but he doesn’t look to be the answer to Gerrard’s problems – Appere, though, could very well be that man. With a Transfermarkt value of just £225,000, he could very well constitute an incredible bargain – Ross Wilson should be looking to secure his services.
Should Rangers move for Appere? Let us know in the comments!
Aston Villa star Jack Grealish underlined his England credentials on Monday evening with an outstanding display against Newcastle United.
The coveted playmaker was in inspired form after returning to the side, providing a level of creativity that has been distinctly absent from Villa’s play during his absence.
It was the type of performance that prompted plenty of discussion regarding his England credentials, with Euro 2020 firmly on the horizon and Gareth Southgate set to confront some healthy dilemmas in the coming months.
Perhaps the main issue for Grealish is the fact Southgate’s preferred system doesn’t incorporate a number ten – even if the 24-year-old confessed last night that he prefers to play as a No.8 – and that is a problem James Maddison is also facing.
The two players have been depicted as rivals for a place in Southgate’s England squad along with Chelsea’s Mason Mount, but Maddison’s reaction to Grealish’s Monday night display suggests there is no love lost between the pair.
Indeed, the Leicester City star posted a message of admiration for his compatriot on his Instagram story, labelling him as “outstanding”.
Maddison’s attitude is indicative of the rising feel-good factor amongst the pool of English players both within and on the periphery of the squad, and his message of support is a positive sign of the atmosphere Southgate has manufactured.
From one outstanding playmaker to another, a friendly rivalry could be emerging.