[ad_pod ]Amid Gareth Southgate’s side’s triumph over Switzerland in the Nations League, the England Lionesses also enjoyed a fine Sunday as they got their Women’s World Cup journey off to the perfect start.Phil Neville’s side claimed a hard-fought 2-1 win over Scotland in their opening group game, and have begun the tournament in the right tone.The result prompted England captain Harry Kane to take to Twitter to offer up his congratulations to the women’s side, and urged them to ‘bring it home’ this summer.

That tweet lead to Kane’s Tottenham teammate Moussa Sissoko to enter the conversation, and the Frenchman understandably insisted that the tournament was for Les Bleus to win.

The World Cup, which is being held in France, saw the hosts record an emphatic 4-0 victory over South Korea in the opening game of the competition, and they are being considered amongst the favourites to lift the trophy at the end.

Kane and Sissoko’s support for their countries’ respective women’s sides showed the great interest in this year’s World Cup, with initial viewing figures suggesting that 6.1m people saw England’s clash with Scotland on Sunday.

With so many great sides involved, it will be fascinating to see who walks home as champions of the eighth edition of the Women’s World Cup.

[ad_pod ]Raheem Sterling has undoubtedly become one of the most impactful players of his type in the world since leaving Liverpool for Manchester City. He was directly involved in 29 of City’s Premier League goals in 2018/19 as they successfully defended their league title. He has become the guy the greatest coach in the modern era turns to when it matters most. For England too he is indispensable.There was a time too when he was indispensable for Liverpool. During the exhilarating season of 2013/14, the Wembley boy tore defences apart in tandem with Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez as the Red men so nearly broke their Premier League duck. He was loved at Anfield; loved for his adventurous wing-play that conjured up something pure, almost childlike.Speaking of which, though he has been lured north from QPR as a wide-eyed 15 year old Sterling was by default an academy kid. He was theirs, this dribbling tearaway. Raheem Sterling was money.Sadly though money came to define Raheem Sterling, entirely unfairly but through a course of events that can be made sense of. He was no longer adored for his instinct to entertain, nor admired for his ambition and self-belief but rather labelled as ‘greedy’ and in the same manner as ‘Cashley’ Cole before him the player became a by-word for footballing excess and entitlement. More so, his highly publicised switch from Liverpool to Manchester City in the summer of 2015 was the most controversial and fractious since Sol Campbell limousined across north London.We are all pertinently aware of what this stigma led to. There was the media castigation that eventually took the form of a witch-hunt and took us down some very strange avenues such as criticising the City winger for buying a Greggs pasty and damning him for an unwashed car. There was – and is – his hostile receptions at Anfield that were initially vicious but now take the form of pantomime booing to unnerve a dangerous opponent. We know too that thankfully the unedifying circus that surrounded the lad for far too long seems to have finally abated as a reappraisal of who he actually is takes over.This isn’t about any of that though. This isn’t the Raheem Sterling story. This is about a transfer that shook the world.And that began in earnest – or at least entered the public domain – in February 2015 as Brendan Rodgers first acknowledged an impasse in contract negotiations between club and player by stating that Sterling had received an ‘incredible deal’ supposedly worth up to £100,000 a week but in all likelihood no conclusion would now be reached until that summer.Some context is needed here and it is context that damns Rodgers. First of all the winger had two years remaining on his present contract so was in no rush to commit either way. Additionally, there were legitimate concerns emanating from this overtly ambitious player over Liverpool’s ability to match his desire to secure silverware. That season the Reds had relatively struggled, eventually finishing sixth as a collective hangover took hold following their tremendous charge to 84 points the previous May. Suarez had now departed for Spain. Gerrard was heading to America. Sterling, then, was absolutely within his rights to wait and see what Liverpool’s transfer plans were even if that displays the arrogance of a 21st century footballer.Much more of relevance however is this undeniable truth: right now, every single top flight club will have a player who is stalling on penning a new deal. At Manchester United it is David De Gea. At Manchester City it is Ilkay Gundogan. We really could go on. Yet when do we ever hear a manager so candidly reveal such details as Rodgers did? Never. That’s when. Never.The Northern Irishman’s intention clearly was to put pressure on his young charge, pressure of the worst possible kind. Throughout Liverpool – a city much like any other where rumours spread like wildfire – people had long known that Raheem Sterling and his employers were at loggerheads. Rodgers’ words though confirmed it; made it a great big issue. And boy did the club and fans respond.For the following game right up until the end of that season Sterling’s every touch was booed by his own supporters. A coterie of former Liverpool players meanwhile wasted little time in condemning his perceived disloyalty and even his own captain Gerrard got in on the act stating that he found his team-mate’s behaviour ‘disappointing’. In reality it was Gerrard’s decision to invite further castigation onto a colleague that was disappointing.Later Sterling would claim that one of the reasons why he opted to leave Anfield was because he felt ‘bullied’ during this period. Looking back through the press clippings you can see why.

Not that all of the blame however can be attached to the club. Exasperated at seeing his reputation tarnished, Sterling then came out and gave an ill-advised interview with the BBC that April where he denied that money was his primary objective. And if that were not inflammatory enough his agent Aidy Ward soon after insisted that his client would not be staying on Merseyside no matter the amount offered to him. “He is definitely not signing. He’s not signing for £700, £800, £900 thousand a week. He is not signing.â€

Needlessly the player and his agent poured petrol onto an already roaring fire and in July – when it was abundantly obvious to one and all that a move was now inevitable – Sterling then refused to fly out to Thailand as part of Liverpool’s pre-season tour.

The duo’s words and actions have been described above as ‘ill-advised’. Perhaps this is wrong because then for equilibrium the words and actions of Rodgers, the fans, and ex-players such as Phil Thompson, John Aldridge and Jamie Carragher should also be deemed that. And that’s not the case at all. From Liverpool’s side it was, bluntly, hubris because they routinely did this to other clubs – unsettled their best player, even encouraged them to strike if need be. They didn’t have it done to them.

That summer 27 players moved from one Premier League club to another but it was only Sterling’s £49m transfer to Manchester City – that concluded a prolonged chase for his signature – that dominated the headlines and felt like a bitter war.

And four years on we can seek out who was to blame all we like but ultimately it comes down to a deterioration of a relationship, one that is commonplace throughout the game. A player wanted a move. The club wanted him to stay. The player got his way and the club was well remunerated.

The circus, however, pitched up regardless and the madness and witch-hunt duly began.

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Rangers may have recorded a morale-boosting victory in the Old Firm derby on Sunday afternoon but that has not managed to eliminate negativity from the club this week.

As expected, the game was fiercely contested and there were incidents for the referee to deal with, one of which has been dealt with retrospectively.

That was, of course, the incident involving Jon Flanagan and Scott Brown, with the former booked for elbowing the Celtic man in the face.

But he has since been banned after a three-man panel decided it was a red card offence. Jozo Simunovic, however, has managed to escape retrospective punishment for a similar offence.

According to Press Association journalist Andy Newport, Simunovic was referred to the same three-man panel of ex-referees as the Flanagan incident but there was not a unanimous agreement that it was also worthy of a red card.

Naturally, that revelation was met with widespread fury and disdain amongst the Gers faithful, as accusations of blatant bias and corruption ran rife on Twitter.

And it’s easy to sympathise with their frustration given what happened at Ibrox on Sunday.

Here’s what the infuriated Rangers fans had to say in response to Newport’s tweet…

حقق نجم فريق ليفربول جيمس ميلنر رقمين مميزين بمشاركته في مباراة اليوم أمام فريق أتالانتا، في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وأعلن مدرب ليفربول يورجن كلوب التشكيل الأساسي لمواجهة أتالانتا، حيث تواجد به ميلنر (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

ويلتقي الفريقان في الجولة الرابعة من دور مجموعات البطولة، في ملعب الأنفيلد.

وحسب الموقع الرسمي للنادي، فإن تلك المباراة هي رقم 50 لـ ميلنر مع ليفربول في المنافسات الأوروبية.

وأوضحت أن ميلنر هو اللاعب رقم 23 في تاريخ النادي الذي يصل إلى ذلك الرقم.

ليس هذا فقط، بل أن ميلنر هو أكبر لاعب في ليفربول يحقق هذا الإنجاز، حيث يبلغ من العمر 34 عامًا و326 يومًا.

وكسر ميلنر بذلك رقم كيني دالجليش الذي حقق 50 مباراة أوروبية مع ليفربول بوصوله إلى سن الـ34 عامًا و51 يومًا، في عام 1984.

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Ben Davies appears ready to play through the pain barrier for Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League final after confirming that he will have surgery after this weekend’s clash with Liverpool, per BBC Sport.

What’s the word?

The left-back is set to miss Wales’ Euro 2020 qualifiers against Croatia and Hungary due to a hernia operation.

The report claims that Davies has struggled with “pain” all season and that surgery is the only course of action to correct the issue.

It appears that he is prepared to play through the problem on Saturday, however, as Spurs attempt to win the European competition for the first time in their history.

Davies has made a total of 40 appearances in all competitions for Mauricio Pochettino’s men but it remains to be seen if he will be utilised in the final, with Danny Rose seeming to have made the left-back spot his own.

Rose started both legs against Ajax and Manchester City in the last-four and the last-eight respectively; Davies played a combined 27 minutes across the four games.

Impressive loyalty

This is impressive from Davies, who is valued at £22.5 million by Transfermarkt, especially given that he is perhaps unlikely to actually start the game.

Rose, on form, is one of the best left-backs in the Premier League but Davies has been a diligent back-up and is often trusted by his manager in major outings.

And it appears that team unity comes first and Davies’ participation in training and his presence on the bench will be vital to the club’s preparation.

This is Spurs’ biggest game in their history and they need all hands on deck, whether they will play 90 minutes or 30 seconds.

Davies understands that and has put Spurs first; that can only be admired.

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The date is 22 September 2018. The venue is Villa Park and Sheffield Wednesday’s Daniel Pudil has just headed the ball away from what he thinks is impending danger.

Standing 25-yards from goal is John McGinn. Just take it and down and work another opening would have been the rational thought.

But McGinn isn’t rational. The Scot unleashes a remarkable volley on his left foot into the top corner and the Villa faithful erupt. The rest, they say, is history.

That was the 24-year-old’s first goal in the famous claret and blue strip and it’s highly unlikely he’ll ever score a better one in his entire career.

After arriving from Hibernian last summer, the midfielder has been a revelation. In many ways, he’s been even better than Jack Grealish.

The latter was named in the Team of the Year, but arguably his midfield partner would have been more deserving.

Steve Bruce was the man to bring him to the Midlands and, as a result, the Villa fans still owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to their former manager.

He didn’t get too much right during the first half of the season. The fact he played an out of sorts Mile Jedinak at centre-half proved his thinking was off the mark.

However, what he did get spot on, was the decision to bring McGinn to the Championship.

Looking back at it, it seems a masterstroke, especially given the injury that Grealish picked up midway through the campaign.

Therefore, without the former Hibs man, it’s unlikely Villa would be on the verge of securing a place in the Premier League.

On Monday they take on Derby at Wembley in the play-off final. It’s a game which needs no introduction. The result means everything for both clubs and their midfield general will again be crucial.

McGinn’s quality this season indicates he can make the step up to the Premier League. He has too much quality not to, and if Villa win, he’ll have the platform to finally show what he can do at the highest level.

In total, Villa’s number seven has found himself involved in 15 goals this term, playing a crucial role both in terms of finding the net himself and laying on chances for his teammates.

But what is arguably most impressive, barring his creativity and attacking nous, is his energy.

McGinn is an absolute engine in midfield and this compliments Grealish to perfection. Villa’s skipper has a tendency to get caught forward but the former is able to cover the ground in midfield with great tenacity.

His 14 yellow cards this term shows his willingness to get stuck in but his poor disciplinary record is nothing to be concerned about, even if there were fears a possible 15th booking would keep him out of the play-offs.

“Fair play nonsense!” – Watch one fan’s astonishing defence of Leeds’ controversial goal against Villa on Sunday in the video below…

When assessing what you want from a midfielder, McGinn has it all. Even with Bruce now gone, he’s left a lasting impact that could still prove telling in the club’s promotion charge.

Dean Smith has done a wonderful job since being appointed and will rightfully take the plaudits if Villa secure victory on bank holiday Monday.

Yet, in amongst that, there should still be light applause for Bruce. Without one of his signings Villa would have been a lot worse off.

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With ongoing financial struggles backing the club into a corner in the past couple of years, more and more emphasis has been placed on bringing through youngsters to shape the future at QPR, with signing big-name players to make an impact in the short-term no longer realistic.

Mark Warburton looks set to give the youth ample opportunities in the first team in 2019/20 and for Marcin Brzozowski, who signed a contract extension on Tuesday that will keep him at Loftus Road until next summer, it’s an exciting time.

The 20-year-old spent last season on loan at Harlow Town, where he gained some valuable experience, and is targeting a breakthrough to the first team having seen the likes of Ebere Eze flourish.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Theo Ogden found two rebelious Leeds fans in the home end at Loftus Road in QPR’s 2-1 FA Cup win. Find out what happened next in the video below…

A Poland youth-international, the 6 ft 3 shot-stopper will have to compete with Joe Lumley for a starting berth next term, but he’s surely up for the challenge.

Here’s what the Hoops fans had to say on Twitter…

كشف مصدر داخل الأهلي عن القائمة الأولية للفريق التي استقر عليها الجهاز الفني بقيادة بيتسو موسيماني، استعدادًا للموسم الجديد.

وكان الجهاز الفني للأهلي قد أرسل القائمة الأولية للفريق لـ اتحاد الكرة اليوم، وشهدت استبعاد الثلاثي أليو بادجي وصالح جمعة وأحمد الشيخ.

طالع | صلاح محسن يعلن عبر بطولات سلبية مسحة كورونا وينضم لمعسكر الأهلي قائمة الأهلي الأولية في الموسم الجديد

حراسة المرمى: محمد الشناوي وعلي لطفي، وقيد مصطفى شوبير تحت السن.

خط الدفاع: محمد هاني وياسر ابراهيم ورامي ربيعة وسعد سمير وأيمن أشرف وبدر بانون وأحمد رمضان بيكهام وعلي معلول ومحمود وحيد.

خط الوسط: آليو ديانج وعمرو السولية وحمدي فتحي وأكرم توفيق وناصر ماهر ومحمد مجدي أفشة وطاهر محمد طاهر وجونيور أجاي ومحمود كهربا ووليد سليمان وحسين الشحات وجيرالدو.

خط الهجوم: صلاح محسن، ومحمد شريف، وأحمد ياسر ريان، ومروان محسن.

وشهد القائمة تواجد الثلاث صفقات الجديدة المغربي بدر بانون، وأحمد رمضان بيكهام، وطاهر محمد محمد، بالإضافة إلي اللاعبين العائدين من الإعارة، صلاح محسن ومحمد شريف وأحمد ياسر ريان وناصر ماهر.

تم رفع اسم محمود متولي وكريم نيدفيد ومحمد محمود بسبب الإصابة، على أن يتم قيدهم في فبراير المقبل.

A goal-scoring crisis during Manchester United’s bitter last few weeks must have opened the eyes of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Suddenly, his strikers weren’t the world-class finishers they’re supposed to be, considering the transfer fees and wages they’ve commanded over the course of his career. Indeed, Romelu Lukaku is just far too inconsistent to be trusted, while Marcus Rashford is too predictable and looks a shell of the man who gave fans THAT moment in Paris. As it stands, Anthony Martial’s a better winger than forward, which isn’t really saying much.

Obviously, all this leaves Solskjaer with little firepower up front.

As a result, he’s seemingly looking to bolster that department to make sure scoring goals wouldn’t be a problem next season. Now, according to reports from Globo Sporte (via Metro), the Red Devils are targeting a surprising striker in 21-year-old Pedro from Brazilian side Fluminense.

Apparently (via Marca), he was once a Real Madrid target earlier this year and is now seemingly on the Red Devils’ radar. Now, the young Brazilian’s bloomed over as one of the most promising strikers in the Brasilerao Serie A.

Impressively, he netted 10 goals in 19 games last season and already scored twice in four games this time around. The 6’1′ striker’s almost a mixture of Lukaku and Rashford, showcasing raw strength, commanding presence along with impressive ability to whiz past defenders.

He’s strong in holding the ball and creating space for team-mates. Moreover, the Brazilian’s an excellent finisher and a real predator in the final third. His impressive striking ability, incisiveness in and around the penalty area has traumatized the Brazilian league’s defenders.

Who doesn’t love a talented South American youngster arriving at the club, after all? Clearly, it’s going to be a step up but United need to build towards a project to challenge the top two, buying superstars just hasn’t worked.

Pedro’s potential signing would be a gamble, but he’ll bring the unpredictability missing from United. A smoother attacking line could be created with Pedro’s inclusion, as Solskjaer can mould this promising striker into the lethal goal-scorer akin to what Sir Alex did to him.

United fans, are you optimistic about his potential signing? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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According to The Mirror, Everton are lining up Getafe centre-back Djene Dakonam if Chelsea do not allow Kurt Zouma to return to Goodison Park.

The Blues are currently under a transfer ban, which could potentially see them hang on to the Frenchman who starred for the Toffees whilst on loan last season.

Dakonam was one of the heroes of Getafe’s 2018/19 campaign as they only just missed out on a Champions League qualification spot, finishing fifth instead.

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

The 27-year-old performed admirably at centre-back despite being just 5 ft 10, a height that you wouldn’t normally associate with a central defender.

Getafe value the 34-cap Togo international at £30m, and a deal may be pursued by the Merseysiders if they aren’t given the green light on Zouma.

It would certainly be a risk given his height and the physicality of the Premier League, but what do the writers of Football FanCast think about this transfer story?

Harry Sherlock

“Dakonam is an excellent defender. Per WhoScored, he makes 1.6 tackles per La Liga game, on average, along with 2.2 interceptions and 4.4 clearances. His pass completion rate is just 71.9%, though, and he’d need to sharpen that up to ensure that he can be a hit in the Premier League. As it is, he’s got all the raw tools needed to be an exceptional top-flight defender. A deal at £30m, though, is something of a risk. He could just as easily flop as be a major hit. Everton should tread carefully.”

Luke Glanville

“If Kurt Zouma isn’t going to be an Everton player by the start of next season, then Everton will need to sign another Premier League-quality centre-back this window. However, I feel they should be targeting a big name with Premier League experience and Djene Dakonam just isn’t the answer. The 27-year-old would struggle in the top flight for me and his height is one of the reasons why. And £30m is a lot of money to pay for a defender who isn’t going to be able to cut it.”

Matt Dawson

“It’s a difficult one to work out because as good as Djene Dakonam has proven to be in Spain, there are some factors that perhaps suggest he wouldn’t cut it at Everton and in the Premier League. His pass completion is particularly poor which could make him somewhat of a walking disaster. There are surely far better options in the market if the Toffees are looking for a Zouma replacement. This is a deal that they must forget about.”