ESPN FC News
PSG: Neymar to have surgery in Brazil, out for Real Madrid clash
PARIS -- Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed that Neymar will have surgery in Brazil later this week after he <aWednesday, February 28, 2018
PSG: Neymar to have surgery in Brazil, out for Real Madrid clash
PARIS -- Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed that Neymar will have surgery in Brazil later this week after he <aWillian a shining light for Chelsea in otherwise troubled season
ESPN FC News
Willian a shining light for Chelsea in otherwise troubled season
Former Chelsea midfielder Craig Burley assesses whether Antonio Conte will still be at the helm in mid-March by the end of their brutal run of upcoming fixtures.
If there is one predictable aspect to Chelsea's current form, it is that each match is impossible to predict. Some wretched performances have been liberally interspersed with some excellent ones as the team have struggled to find any regularity in their displays, sometimes within the same game: as seen in Sunday's 2-1 defeat to Manchester United.
Among the collective, however, is one individual who has found that elusive level of consistency. And it could not have come at a more welcome time. At...Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Monday, February 26, 2018
Chiyangwa accused of bribery, blackmail
Sport – The Standard
Chiyangwa accused of bribery, blackmail
Former Zifa accountant Fabian Venganayi has accused under-fire Zifa president Philip Chiyangwa of attempting to bribe and blackmail him in a desperate bid to silence him as his nasty fight […]
The post Chiyangwa accused of bribery, blackmail appeared first on The Standard.
Sunday, February 25, 2018
Pep Guardiola thrilled to land first trophy with Manchester City
ESPN FC News
Pep Guardiola thrilled to land first trophy with Manchester City
LONDON -- Pep Guardiola was delighted to land his first trophy at Manchester City after winning the Carabao Cup with a comfortable <aManchester United vs Chelsea – Premier League LIVE! Line-ups, teams news and buildup to kick-off
The Independent - Football
Manchester United vs Chelsea – Premier League LIVE! Line-ups, teams news and buildup to kick-off
Follow the action from Old Trafford and the fight for the top four
Saturday, February 24, 2018
MSV Duisburg 'keeper Mark Flekken pays price for switching off at wrong time
ESPN FC News
MSV Duisburg 'keeper Mark Flekken pays price for switching off at wrong time
Duisburg goalkeeper Mark Flekken made an all-time blunder Saturday vs. Ingolstadt.
Goalkeeper gaffes are nothing new in football but the manner in which Duisburg goalkeeper Mark Flekken covered himself in shame on Saturday might just be a sporting first.
In his side's 2. Bundesliga match against Ingolstadt, the Dutch keeper went from hero to zero in a matter of seven minutes, stopping a penalty in the 11th minute before conceding a goal so cringeworthy it will be played on loop in blooper reels for years to come.
After an Ingolstadt goal kick, Ingolstadt quickly works the ball...Friday, February 23, 2018
Germany’s Breinlinger lifts Troutbeck Triathlon African Cup
Sport – The Standard
Germany’s Breinlinger lifts Troutbeck Triathlon African Cup
GERMANY’S Jonas Breinlinger completed a fairytale maiden visit to Zimbabwe by winning the 2018 edition of the Bonaqua Troutbeck ATU Sprint Triathlon African Cup at the Troutbeck Resort here yesterday.
The post Germany’s Breinlinger lifts Troutbeck Triathlon African Cup appeared first on The Standard.
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Dortmund's Michy Batshuayi claims he was subjected to 'monkey noises' from Atalanta fans in Europa League draw
The Independent - Football
Dortmund's Michy Batshuayi claims he was subjected to 'monkey noises' from Atalanta fans in Europa League draw
The Belgian striker on loan from Chelsea tweeted '#GoWatchBlackPanther'
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Fox to air 38 World Cup games on network TV in U.S.
ESPN FC News
Fox to air 38 World Cup games on network TV in U.S.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino speaks to ESPN FC's Gab Marcotti about his hopes of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups being able to change any negative perceptions of both Russia and Qatar. Fox Sports will air 38 of the 64 games of the 2018 World Cup on network television in the United States.
The tournament opener between hosts Russia and Saudi Arabia will air on Fox at 11 a.m. ET on Thursday, June 14, and all but two matchdays will feature at least one game on Fox.
The other 26 games will all be shown on Fox's cable channel FS1, including two games in the round of 16 and two of the four quarterfinals.
All other knockout-stage matches will be on Fox, including the final at 11 a.m....Monday, February 19, 2018
How Man City should line up vs Wigan
men - Sport
How Man City should line up vs Wigan
Man City face Wigan in the FA Cup 5th round ahead of Arsenal in the Carabao Cup Final next weekend
Sunday, February 18, 2018
Will Paul Pogba be back for Manchester United vs Sevilla?
men - Sport
Will Paul Pogba be back for Manchester United vs Sevilla?
Man Utd travel to face Sevilla in the Champions League.
Saturday, February 17, 2018
Player Ratings: Huddersfield 0-2 Manchester United
BlameFootball
Player Ratings: Huddersfield 0-2 Manchester United
Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
Manchester United came back to winning ways after progressing into the last eight of the FA Cup after winning against Huddersfield Town 2-0.
Romelu Lukaku scored a brace as Jose Mourinho’s men kept their hopes alive for a trophy this season after overcoming their opponents in a crucial away encounter.
Here’s how Jose Mourinho’s men fared during the crunch encounter against the Premier League newcomers.
Sergio Romero: 6
There were some nervy moments in the first half but the custodian got back into the game with nothing much to have his mind worried.
Ashley Young: 6
Handled his defensive responsibilities well, and made up a brilliant ball for Juan Mata, whose goal was rule off-side.
WATCH: Everyone Is Talking About This Hilarious ‘Mata’ Moment
Chris Smalling: 7
Made crucial interventions all throughout the match. Was definitely the best United defender on the pitch.
Victor Lindelof: 5
Looked nervous in the first half but grew on to the game as the game progressed.
Luke Shaw: 6
A decent game as the left-back saw the threat off mostly during the game.
Michael Carrick: 7
Looked composed and got his passes right. Looked good on the eye after a solid show.
Nemanja Matic: 5
Lost possession at times and did not look as sharp as expected. Had a better second half.
RELATED:
5 Things Jose Mourinho Is Doing Wrong At Manchester United
Scott McTominay: 6
Looked energetic and calm but was often run out by the opponents.
Juan Mata: 7
Had a good game and scored a goal only to be ruled off side by VAR. Looked solid at the right and connected well with Lukaku and Sanchez besides setting the Belgian up for the opener.
Alexis Sanchez: 7
Made an assist for Lukaku in the 2nd half and looked good after the break after a quiet 45 minutes.
Romelu Lukaku: 9
Scored two good goals and showed his attributes of hold-up play beside the work and energy.
SUBSTITUTIONS
Anthony Martial: 5
Looked to bring some energy down the left and made some decent impressions going forward.
Jesse Lingard: 5
Tried hard to break into the Huddersfield box but did not have much luck.
Eric Bailly: 3
Came on at the final seconds of the injury time.
The post Player Ratings: Huddersfield 0-2 Manchester United appeared first on BlameFootball.
Friday, February 16, 2018
Marcos Alonso to return for Chelsea's Champions League showdown with Barcelona, says Antonio Conte
The Independent - Football
Marcos Alonso to return for Chelsea's Champions League showdown with Barcelona, says Antonio Conte
Asked about the omission of the recently-injured Alonso, Conte confirmed his optimism over the wing-back before the round of 16 clash
Thursday, February 15, 2018
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Zimbabwe heading in the right direction, says Taibu
Sport – The Standard
Zimbabwe heading in the right direction, says Taibu
As Zimbabwe warm-up for the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers at home with a bilateral series against Afghanistan in the UAE, former national team captain Tatenda Taibu, who retired in 2012 […]
The post Zimbabwe heading in the right direction, says Taibu appeared first on The Standard.
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Jose Mourinho 'planning to sell two Manchester United players'
men - Sport
Jose Mourinho 'planning to sell two Manchester United players'
Man Utd boss Jose Mourinho has already started thinking about the summer transfer window with reports he plans to axe two first team players.
Monday, February 12, 2018
Juventus vs Tottenham, Champions League: What time does it start, where can I watch it and what are the odds?
The Independent - Football
Juventus vs Tottenham, Champions League: What time does it start, where can I watch it and what are the odds?
A look ahead to the Champions League fixture at the Juventus Stadium
Sunday, February 11, 2018
Man City 'agree £50m deal' for Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Fred and more transfer rumours
men - Sport
Man City 'agree £50m deal' for Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Fred and more transfer rumours
Manchester City have agreed a £50m deal, according to the latest transfer rumours.
Saturday, February 10, 2018
Tottenham 1-0 Arsenal: Tactical Analysis Of A Dull North London derby
BlameFootball
Tottenham 1-0 Arsenal: Tactical Analysis Of A Dull North London derby
Reuters / Paul Childs
The North London derby is one of the fiercest and the most entertaining fixtures in English football, and has been so for almost a whole century. This time around, that was hardly the case as a rather long 90 minutes ended in the favour of Tottenham Hotspur.
The scoreline stood at 1-0 after a familiar figure of Harry Kane brought down the ball into the bottom corner of the net via a brilliant early cross from Ben Davis relatively early in the second half.The English striker deservedly opened his account for his possible second century of goals.
Arsenal on the other hand failed to replicate their flair from last week which has obviously reflected upon the scoresheet and statistics.
And with the first half being one of the most lacklustre periods in recent London derbies, let’s take a look what what changed since then to award Tottenham a deserved win.
Watch Video For Detailed Analysis:
The Lineups
The hosts lined up as one would usually expect them to and maintained similar positions and roles in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
However, a backline of Kieran Trippier, Davinson Sanchez, Jan Vertonghen and Davis was fielded in the absence of Toby Alderweireld, though he was hardly missed on the pitch.
Up front, Mauricio Pochettino managed to field all his best players with a solid central midfield duo of Mousa Dembele and Eric Dier followed up by a familiar attacking party of Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen.
Many fans have questioned Arséne Wenger’s choice of fielding a 4-3-3 formation and assignment of roles and surely enough such concerns reflected heavily upon the result.
A midfield consisting of Granit Xhaka, Mohammed Elneny and Jack Wilshere screamed of excess sideways passes, bar the Englishman. Wenger had been left with no other choice due to an unexpected groin injury to star midfielder Aaron Ramsey.
However, it was the roles and positions of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Mesut Özil raised a few eyebrows. Mkhitaryan was assigned to the left flank and Özil was deployed as a right-winger; probably the French gaffer’s biggest mistake in the starting XI.
Though the selection of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has netted 4 goals in 4 games against the today’s opponents, Alexandre Lacazette made sense, it failed to help Arsenal’s case.
A dullest of first halves
It would be ridiculous to think Tottenham, who usually play quick and intricate counter-attacking laced with long balls, would dominate possession against the Gunners, who boast one of the best possession tactics in England.
Surprisingly, that’s exactly what happened as the Arsenal XI seemed to be happy playing slow and letting their opponents have the ball almost to the point where the men in red looked completely uninterested.
Ironically, Pochettino’s side failed to make any results out of their dominant first half, mainly due to one man, Elneny.
Wenger had requested the Egyptian of an amphoteric role of a ball playing holding midfielder and an extra defender. The former Basel man almost seamlessly managed to drift between the two tasks in hand and did an excellent job to integrate himself as the fifth defender in his side’s back four when defending. This coupled with a stable back-four of the visitors helped keep their rivals at bay despite numerous knocks at Petr Cech’s goal.
But it was no surprise that the men Emirates lacked any sort of creativity with Özil in a rather confusing position, which could’ve easily been fixed with swap with Mkhitaryan. And Aubameyang’s mere 6 touches, with zero touches in the opposition penalty area did nothing to help his side’s situation.
Further, Son Heung-min was also complexly nullified thanks to a a resilient Hector Bellerin who managed to block almost every cross from the South Korean. The Spaniard constantly made surges forward allowing more dynamic range on the flank, whereas Nacho Monreal more or less stayed put at left-back.
However, the statistics clearly showed the edge the Lilywhites had over their neighbours:
A second half with a few moments of joy
Though it would be harsh to say only the second half was worth viewing, one cannot blame someone who’d feel so.
The lineups remained unchanged in the second half, but the Spurs boss seems to have given great tactical advices to his men as his side played with a bit more venom- something that ultimately killed the game for Wenger’s side.
Spurs continued to enjoy possession and Kane had started to make lethal runs into the opposition half, which paid off in a goal in the 49th minute. Davies managed to whip in a brilliant early cross for his teammate, who towered over Laurent Koscielny to finish the attack.
The visitors had then been outclassed in pressing and were subsequently dispossessed numerous times. Moreover, an almost perfect offside trap mechanism implemented by the Argentinian managed nullified all runs from the recording signing pair of Aubameyang and Lacazette.
However, credit where it’s due, Dembele may have not won the man of the match award, but he certainly deserved it if not for his teammate’s winner. Defensively and offensively clinical and vital, it is hard to comprehend why the Belgian is often forgotten when discussing elite midfielders in the Premier League.
That coupled with Dier who outclassed Xhaka, Elneny and Alex Iwobi in midfield, the Europa league side had no chance of scoring.
The midfield duo maintained dominance over central midfield and covered the area behind them efficiently. And with help from Alli during defensive situation, maintaining possessions in those areas looked fairly easy on their part.
Towards the latter stages of the match, introduction of Danny Welbeck, which increased his side’s number of centre-forwards to 3, made no difference as Tottenham were more than happy to sit back and wait for the final whistle.
Full-time
A deserved win for the men of White Hart Lane, who were significantly more composed and tactically sound. They go 7 points clear of their rivals, who now have a huge mountain to climb if they fancy any chances of Champions League football next season.
Kane has started his glorious run for a second century of goals and has equalled Robert Pires’ record of 7 North London derby goals.
Further, Spurs now are on a 9 match unbeaten run- the current longest streak in the league.
The post Tottenham 1-0 Arsenal: Tactical Analysis Of A Dull North London derby appeared first on BlameFootball.
Three things Man City and Pep Guardiola need to show vs Leicester
men - Sport
Three things Man City and Pep Guardiola need to show vs Leicester
A look at the talking points for Manchester City ahead of their Premier League game with Leicester.
Friday, February 9, 2018
Would your club sign Leicester's Riyad Mahrez as City ponder renewed move?
ESPN FC News
Would your club sign Leicester's Riyad Mahrez as City ponder renewed move?
The FC crew discuss Riyad Mahrez's transfer predicament at Leicester.
The FC crew discuss Riyad Mahrez's transfer predicament at Leicester.
The FC crew discuss Riyad Mahrez's transfer predicament at Leicester.
Riyad Mahrez saw a transfer deadline move to Manchester City fail as Leicester stood firm over their £95 million valuation of him -- and then he refused to train.
Puel says Mahrez needs to get his head right but what's next for Leicester's mercurial talent? ESPN FC's club correspondents have their say on whether their team should consider a summer move.
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MAN CITY: Yes
Pep Guardiola wants more options out wide to stretch opponents, particularly against tight, defensive teams, which is...Thursday, February 8, 2018
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Manchester United's Jesse Lingard sorry for tweet after Munich silence
ESPN FC News
Manchester United's Jesse Lingard sorry for tweet after Munich silence
Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard has apologised after a tweet in relation to computer gaming was posted on his personal accountLet us be realistic
Sport – The Standard
Let us be realistic
Word that the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) have sent invitation letters for the Warriors to play the Teranga Lions of Senegal and the Pharaohs of Egypt on the Fifa dates […]
The post Let us be realistic appeared first on The Standard.
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Manchester United Munich air disaster memorial – live updates and tributes from Old Trafford
men - Sport
Manchester United Munich air disaster memorial – live updates and tributes from Old Trafford
A service is being held at Old Trafford on the 60th anniversary of the tragedy which claimed 23 lives.
Monday, February 5, 2018
Van Dijk Is Getting Seriously Trolled For What He Did Against Tottenham
BlameFootball
Van Dijk Is Getting Seriously Trolled For What He Did Against Tottenham
Reuters/Matthew Childs
Super Sunday in the Premier League was certainly a delight, as tight top 4 contenders Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur locked horns in order to secure some advantage over each other.
But the thriller had a classic and dramatic ending, forcing either side to share the spoils, as the match ended in a 2-2 draw. A brace from Liverpool’s new talisman, Mohamed Salah, proved to be too little to edge over late goals from Victor Wanyama and Harry Kane.
However, like most high-profile matches, this one too, was laced with some controversy and mixed reception at the end due to a certain penalty and a certain player at the heart of it.
Very late into the game, during stoppage time, substitute Erik Lamela collided with Virgil van Dijk in the Liverpool penalty box.
The match official was quick to blow his whistle to award the Londoners a penalty, as the Dutchman seemed to have thrusted his knee into the Spurs star’s spine during the collision. And as you’d expect, Kane successfully converted the spot-kick.
Though the decision is still up for debate, the incident has only brought up a bigger issue at hand- VDijk’s career at Anfield so far.
The £75 million signing was expected to sort out the Reds’ defensive crisis, but seeing his display against Swansea last week and Tottenham this Sunday, fans have begun to question his quality and actual worth in terms of cash.
Virgil van Dijk is so good, he's helping both sides to score in every match.
£75m bargain.
— BlameFootball (@blamefootball) February 4, 2018
Needless to say, throwing one’s knee up in the air at those latter stages of an important match, when your team is leading with a single goal, is extremely reckless, but ignoring that fact would still leave behind the former Southampton man’s below par performances.
Although most fans would be wise enough to consider the Dutch international to be a very good defender, conceding 9 goals in 5 games is rather embarrassing, especially considering his title of world’s most expensive defender.
The post Van Dijk Is Getting Seriously Trolled For What He Did Against Tottenham appeared first on BlameFootball.
Sunday, February 4, 2018
Leeds United sack Thomas Christiansen after Cardiff thumping leaves them seven points from playoffs
The Independent - Football
Leeds United sack Thomas Christiansen after Cardiff thumping leaves them seven points from playoffs
Simon Grayson is understood to be willing to take over
Saturday, February 3, 2018
Chisora snubs Bomber’s challenge
Sport – The Standard
Chisora snubs Bomber’s challenge
ZIMBABWE-BORN British heavyweight boxer Dereck “Del Boy” Chisora says he is not interested in responding to last week’s challenge by Elvis “The Bomber” Moyo, adding that he knows nothing about […]
The post Chisora snubs Bomber’s challenge appeared first on The Standard.
Manchester United squad vs Huddersfield Town revealed
men - Sport
Manchester United squad vs Huddersfield Town revealed
Man Utd team news vs Huddersfield hints at how Jose Mourinho's players could line up in their Premier League fixture at Old Trafford.
Friday, February 2, 2018
Mourinho Identifies Top Rated Player To Solve Midfield Problems
BlameFootball
Mourinho Identifies Top Rated Player To Solve Midfield Problems
Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
It would appear that Manchester United will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that their entire squad is of world class quality.
With the winter window having drawn to a close, manager Jose Mourinho has already identified his first target once the market reopens in the summer.
As per Manchester Evening News, Arturo Vidal is the player targeted by Mourinho as the ideal replacement for Michael Carrick. Despite what it might seem, the signing won’t be an extravagant one, as a dire need will soon arise amongst the Mancunian dressing room.
Apart from Carrick, who is poised to retire at the end of this season, the future of Marouane Fellaini is also uncertain, after the central midfielder refused to renew his contract. A similar plight might afflict afflict Spaniards Juan Mata and Ander Herrera too.
At 30 years of age, Vidal’s Bayern Munich spot might be in grave danger with the impending arrival of Leon Goretzka in the summer. With his contract due to end in 2019, a move to Old Trafford could be very much possible, and might even be entertained by the Bundesliga giants.
Despite having Pogba and Matic helming the heart of their play, the arrival of the former Juventus maestro could heavily aid their efforts, especially against big clubs.
Lastly, the chance to link up with fellow Chilean and United’s latest grab, Alexis Sanchez, could be the defining factor in favour of the Premier League giants.
The post Mourinho Identifies Top Rated Player To Solve Midfield Problems appeared first on BlameFootball.
Thursday, February 1, 2018
Man City player Kevin De Bruyne reveals ref Bobby Madley told him why he didn't show red
men - Sport
Man City player Kevin De Bruyne reveals ref Bobby Madley told him why he didn't show red
West Brom's James McClean lunged at Manchester City star as he broke away to score
