Tag Futebol

Aston Villa are relishing life under Unai Emery, as the Midlands side continue to climb the table and enjoy the new peaks to their success.

The Spaniard arrived when the Villans were sat in 16th place under Steven Gerrard, and inspired his inherited squad to finish in a European spot and claim 7th place after a heroic run of form in 2023.

Back in August, only Pep Guardiola had won more Premier League points than Emery in 2023, highlighting just how much of an influence his guidance has had on the same team that were struggling for points not even a year ago.

The four-time Europa League winner installed a new breath of fresh air to Villa Park, with times being tough in spells prior to his landing in Birmingham.

One area that the former Arsenal and PSG boss has bolstered is the pull that Villa have in the transfer window, highlighted as they welcomed five new faces of high calibre to the squad this summer.

The Villans haven’t always found such ease in landing their targets, with plenty of talent linked over the years going on the find sanctuary elsewhere and show those in the Midlands what they’re missing.

Rewind back to 2018, and Steve Bruce had taken charge of Villa’s push for promotion in the 2017/18 Championship season, missing out in the play off final to Fulham to see them remain in the second-tier for a third consecutive campaign.

The club’s transfer prospects were integral to them fighting for promotion once more after the summer of 2018, with one name listed as a potential capture that is currently outperforming Emery’s heroes today.

Did Aston Villa nearly sign Niclas Fullkrug?

In May 2018, news in Germany reported Villa’s interest in Hannover striker Niclas Fullkrug, who was in demand in England following his impressive performances in the Bundesliga.

In the 2017/18 campaign prior to the transfer window, Fullkrug netted 14 league goals in a tough term for Die Roten who finished 13th while their striker ranked at 3rd in the Bundesliga’s scoring charts.

That season at Villa, Albert Adomah ended the campaign as the side’s top scorer on 14 goals in the second tier, prompting a slight need for change to the front line with Bruce’s midfield men contributing more than their designated strikers.

As reported by BILD, the Villans were joined by Newcastle United, Leicester City, Watford, Cardiff City and Fulham in their admiration of Fullkrug, who could have been the man to ease the pressures on scoring.

BILD had an understanding that Hannover wouldn’t listen to offers below €10m (£8.6m) for their sharpshooter, which was evidently a price too high as he remained in his homeland by the time the transfer window had closed.

It wasn’t the last time that the now 30-year-old would be linked with a move to England, as this summer he told BILD, relayed by Fussball News, how he “could have gone to England” prior to his move to Borussia Dortmund in August.

How much is Niclas Fullkrug worth?

Dortmund paid a fee in the region of €13m (£11.2m) to capture the forward’s signature this summer, with him once again being the subject of transfer rumours due to his high-scoring tallies in the Bundesliga.

Though Fullkrug didn’t leave Hannover during the summer of Villa’s reported interest, he did depart to rejoin his former club Werder Bremen the year after in 2019, joining for a fee of €6.3m (£5m).

Now, as listed by CIES Football Observatory, the German international is valued at just €10m (£9m), telling the story of the difference in value in England and Germany, with fellow 30-year-old striker Harry Kane moving to Bayern Munich for £100m.

While Kane scored 30 Premier League goals last term to bolster his price tag, Fullkrug was just 14 league goals behind him in the 2022/23 campaign, suggesting that Villa and other clubs could have picked up a bargain by signing him when interest was swarming.

How many goals has Niclas Fullkrug scored?

Goals have been a consistent theme in Fullkrug’s career in his homeland, with his current domestic tally sitting at 146 goals in 381 games representing a host of German clubs.

His strong form over the past few years was rewarded internationally, as he was handed his national team debut by Hansi Flick in 2022, where he has since gained nine caps and scored seven goals.

After joining Bremen from Hannover in 2019, the goals kept coming for the striker, who was once dubbed “clinical” by scout Cal Murray, who also described the German as a “great finisher”.

During his four-year stay at Bremen, the 30-year-old scored 46 goals, with 19 of them coming in the decisive 2021/22 season that saw Bremen get promoted back to the top flight thanks to his contributions.

His consistent scoring streaks make it easy to see why Bruce was interested in the prospect of bringing the forward to the Midlands, with what has come since being interesting reading for those at Villa.

What is Niclas Fullkrug doing now?

Last season, the Hannover-born whiz found the net 16 times in 28 Bundesliga appearances, meaning that he outscored Villa talisman Ollie Watkins who claimed 15 goals in 37 Premier League appearances in 2022/23.

In 133 Bundesliga games in his career thus far, Fullkrug has bagged an impressive 46 goals and provided a further 11 assists, with that a remarkably similar record to what Watkins has achieved in England's top flight, having scored 44 goals and registered 17 assists in 117 games to date.

As highlighted in the table below, there are also direct similarities between the two forward’s games, with their averages per 90 last campaign suggesting just how much Fullkrug offers to his side in comparison to Watkins, who is adored in Birmingham.

While not many would trade the Englishman considering the form he has been hitting under Emery’s guidance, it epitomises the quality that Bruce could have captured for his Villa side for a mere price of just £8.6m.

Who did Villa sign instead of Fullkrug?

It wasn’t all doom and gloom at Villa for Bruce that summer, as they recruited Tammy Abraham on loan from Chelsea in a move that proved pivotal to the Villans’ promotion to the Premier League, as he netted 26 league goals.

The Englishman did of course return to his parent club at the end of that season, in a bittersweet goodbye from Villa Park, who were eternally grateful for his contributions to their push for the top-flight.

Looking back, the signing of Fullkrug could have been a strong move for Bruce, who would have found the missing piece to his puzzle in the German international, who continues to show his worth in the Bundesliga.

From £8.6m to outscoring Watkins, Villa could have struck gold by unearthing the status of Fullkrug in the Premier League, however, things just weren’t meant to be for both player and club.

WA keeper-batter is hoping to translate her stunning Australia A form into a big WBBL season

Tristan Lavalette04-Oct-2024A naturally aggressive batter and technician behind the stumps, Maddy Darke has for some time been touted as a potential successor to Australia captain Alyssa Healy.The symbolism was evident five years ago when Darke, only 18 at the time, made her WBBL debut for Sydney Sixers and received her cap from Healy, who she had modelled her attacking batting and glove work on.But it’s been a tough journey living up to those expectations and she moved to Western Australia in 2021 to ignite her career. Darke’s WA coaches have worked hard on building up her confidence and belief that she absolutely belongs at the professional level.Having shown glimpses over the years, Darke, 23, might be putting it all together after scoring eye-catching centuries recently for Australia A in the multi-format series against India A in Queensland.In tough batting conditions against the red ball on the Gold Coast, Darke lifted Australia out of trouble at 94 for 5 in their second innings of the four-day fixture with an unbeaten 105 off 197 balls from No.6.She took heed from the messaging from her WA batting coach Wes Robinson, a concise communicator, who implores her to “keep it really simple and let your technique do the talking”.

“If I could one day play for Australia, I’d absolutely love the chance. For me, not knowing when that opportunity would arise, it’s just about improving my wicketkeeping and batting while also trying to be a better teammate. Hopefully that takes care of things.”Maddy Darke

She batted superbly with the lower order, running hard between the wickets to frustrate India A. Darke unleashed several attractive strokes through the covers, but it was mostly a gritty innings that proved the difference in Australia’s eventual 45-run victory.”I was really pleased because four-day cricket is a real test of your mental capacity as well as your physical skill-set,” Darke told ESPNcricinfo. “Being able to grind through a few sessions with the tail is something that I’m not really accustomed to.”I’m really, really pleased with how the whole series went and to get as many runs as I did,” she added, having also scored 106 in the second one-dayer.Darke, nicknamed ‘Bondi’ due to her affinity with the famous Sydney beach, has not carried her momentum into the start of the domestic season having scored just 49 runs from three innings to start the Women’s National Cricket League.Self-doubt could once again creep in, but working closely with Robinson and WA coach Becky Grundy has helped her feel more at ease.”She [Grundy] tells me to just trust that my game is more than good enough to do well at any level,” Darke said. “I think that is something that I really try to keep in mind because she wouldn’t be telling me that if she didn’t actually believe in me.”I’m trusting my strengths and recognising when I’m doing things really well to keep trying to do them and not get distracted or caught up in what other players are doing.”To see a bit more evidence of that on the field with runs in the India series, really, really helps build my confidence.”Darke has also been working hard with the gloves as shown in her solid efforts behind the stumps against India A, where she admitted to feeling “exhausted” by the end of the four-day game. While adept at keeping to pace and spin, she’s more comfortable being up to the stumps.”It’s actually been a bit of a focus to make sure I’m not neglecting keeping back and working on being in really good positions to move laterally and dive,” Darke said.Maddy Darke drives through the offside•Getty ImagesShe’s learned “different techniques” from veteran Beth Mooney and England wicketkeeper Amy Jones, her Perth Scorchers teammates, while WA wicketkeeping coach Damon Rowan regularly puts her through the same drills as men’s counterparts Josh Inglis and Baxter Holt.Darke was left almost awestruck the first time she trained alongside Inglis, who has become Australia’s No.1 wicketkeeper in white-ball cricket. “He’s amazing, so quick, so powerful,” she gushed to Rowan at the time.Darke closely studied Inglis’ technique up at the stumps. “He moved so late, but he’s so quick to the ball. I was actually taken aback,” she recalled. “He’s so explosive and powerful. That’s what I want to get to, but I’ll have to chip away at that over the years.”He has played all over the world, so it’s a great opportunity to build my knowledge and learn from him.”It’s been a slow start to the domestic season for Darke and WA, who are winless after their opening three WNCL matches. But if Darke can rediscover her Australia A form, as a potential WBBL breakout looms, then talk of being Healy’s heir apparent will go into overdrive.”I’ve definitely got my eye on that spot whenever it would become available. If I could one day play for Australia, I’d absolutely love the chance,” she said.”For me, not knowing when that opportunity would arise, it’s just about improving my wicketkeeping and batting while also trying to be a better teammate. Hopefully that takes care of things.”

There’s no WTC context to the Zimbabwe vs West Indies series, but there’s still plenty to look forward to

Firdose Moonda03-Feb-2023

Gary Ballance is back playing Test cricket

Gary Ballance, the Zimbabwe-born, England-capped top-order batter, has been out of the Test arena for longer than Zimbabwe have waited to play West Indies in this format. His last appearance was in July 2017 against South Africa and brought an end to the first phase of a Test career that had 1000 runs in its first 17 innings and yielded fewer than 500 in its next 25. Since then, Ballance has been one of the central characters in the Yorkshire racism scandal. He admitted to and apologised for using the word P*** when talking to Azeem Rafiq, and then took a lengthy break from the game to manage his mental health.Related

• Review panel urges CWI and West Indies players to find 'middle ground'

• Ballance set for Zimbabwe Test bow against West Indies

Ballance was released from his county contract, which was due to run until the end of the 2024 season, early and returned home to Zimbabwe at the end of last year. He signed a two-year deal with Zimbabwe Cricket and joined a long list of players who have headed back to the country from England, including Kyle Jarvis, Brendan Taylor (both since retired) and Blessing Muzarabani, in a bid to boost the national set-up. Ballance made his debut for Zimbabwe last month, and was capped in T20Is and ODIs, but it’s the longest format where he is expected to make his biggest contribution.With a first-class average of 47.31, four Test hundreds to his name, and years in the county circuit, Ballance will bring experience and gravitas to a line-up that is only rarely exposed to the rigours of Test cricket.

Dave Houghton’s first Test series as coach

Another prodigal son in the Zimbabwean set-up is coach Dave Houghton (who is also related to Ballance), who came back into the fold before the T20 World Cup qualifiers last year. Houghton, who previously captained Zimbabwe at the 1992 World Cup and coached them in 2009, was tasked with turning around the fortunes of a team that had lost a series to southern African counterparts and associates Namibia and were at risk of missing a fourth successive ICC event.He inspired a remarkable turnaround in which Zimbabwe not only went to the 2022 T20 World Cup but made it out of the first round into the Super 12s and stunned eventual finalists Pakistan. They also beat Bangladesh for the first time in an ODI series after nine years (that’s six series). Every player interviewed – including Sikandar Raza, who was included in the ICC’s ODI and T20I teams of 2022 but will not feature in this series because of T20 franchise commitments – has credited Houghton for changing the environment, giving them freedom to express themselves, and encouraging them to play attacking cricket.Now, he has to work his magic in the format Zimbabwe have the least experience in. They have not played Test cricket for 18 months, since they hosted Bangladesh and lost heavily.Brian Lara, here with Kyle Mayers, has his work cut out•CWI Media

What sort of impact will Brian Lara have?

West Indies have problems of their own after their dismal performance at the T20 World Cup, where they did not advance out of the first round. On their subsequent tour to Australia, they were blanked in both the T20I and Test series.A report by CWI warned that West Indies cricket could “cease to exist as an entity” if they continued to lose players to T20 leagues and failed to cultivate incentives for representing the islands, especially in Test cricket. The report detailed a new strategy where West Indies would use a select group of white-ball players in red-ball cricket in order to fast-track their development.None of them are part of the touring party to Zimbabwe, though, but another familiar face is. Brian Lara will begin his role as West Indies’ performance mentor on this trip, a job aimed at assisting with both the tactical and technical skills of the team. Much like Houghton, Lara has his work cut out. But he will be comfortable with what should be a fairly soft landing in Zimbabwe before moving south to neighbouring South Africa for a full tour.

Shannon Gabriel returns; Alzarri Joseph comes full circle

A West Indian bowling attack is usually worth keeping an eye on, especially this time, because it features two names that will be an important part of their rebuilding.Shannon Gabriel returns to the squad after a 14-month absence – a consequence of being injured and then overlooked. He will join a pack that also includes Jason Holder, Kemar Roach and Alzarri Joseph, who was their leading wicket-taker in Australia.Joseph is proving to be one of their most consistent players across all formats. He was their second-leading wicket-taker in ODIs last year and had his most successful year in T20s in 2022 – he took 46 wickets at an average of 19.54. Joseph is exactly the kind of player West Indies could lose to leagues unless they incentivise and manage him properly and this series could be the start of that process.Shannon Gabriel returns to the West Indies squad after a 14-month absence•AFP via Getty Images

A test case for Test cricket outside the big boys

Thanks largely to Bazball, we know that Test cricket is alive and well, but we don’t know if that’s the case outside of a select few teams. The big three, along with New Zealand, Pakistan and to a lesser degree, South Africa, still put the longest format on a pedestal. But when it comes to Zimbabwe and West Indies, where hosting Test matches is costly and the rewards are slim, this format may still be running cold. This series will give us a gauge.Zimbabwe Cricket has put an effort into marketing it and expects to see a healthy clutch of spectators, not least because there hasn’t been any Test cricket in Bulawayo since the West Indies trip of 2017.If you think that’s overly optimistic, it’s not. The Harare Sports Club was well supported during Zimbabwe’s recent series against Ireland and there’s a sense that Zimbabweans are warming to the game again, thanks to the recent form of the national side. Zimbabwe fans have formed their own supporters union, named Castle Corner after the beverage, and are campaigning for crowds to pour into the Queens Sports Club.Whether the series will be well-followed outside of Zimbabwe remains to be seen. It is being played at the same time as the start of Australia’s Test series in India, the Women’s T20 World Cup and the PSL, and the end of the SA20, the ILT20 and the BPL, which leaves cricket lovers spoilt for choice.

And who scored two hundreds in his final Test?

Steven Lynch19-Oct-2020Which batsman has the best career strike in the IPL? asked Mohan Shetty from India
Top of the pile here, for those who have faced at least 125 balls, is the explosive Jamaican Andre Russell, whose overall strike rate after the Kolkata Knight Riders’ match against the Mumbai Indians on Sunday was a towering 181.72 per 100 balls. That’s around 22 clear of the next man to have scored more than 1000 runs, Rishabh Pant, although another West Indian, Nicholas Pooran, is hurtling along at a strike rate of 170.83: he’d only scored 410 runs, though.Which player scored two hundreds in his final Test? asked Richard Daniels from South Africa
This remarkable finale was managed by the Essex and England batsman Charles Russell – who, like the later England wicketkeeper, was generally known as Jack. Russell toured Australia in 1920-21, and after two failures made a century in Adelaide. Back home, with Australia the opposition again, he added hundreds in the last two Tests of the summer, at Old Trafford and The Oval.With England’s regular openers, Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe, taking the winter off, Russell toured South Africa with an under-strength England side in 1922-23. He took some time to get going, but followed 96 in the fourth Test, in Johannesburg with 140 and 111 in the fifth, in Durban, battling illness as well as the home bowlers to become the first Englishman to score twin centuries in a Test.That gave Russell five hundreds in his ten Test matches, and an average of 56.87 – but surprisingly he was never chosen again. England’s next Tests were more than 18 months away, against South Africa at home in 1924: Hobbs and Sutcliffe returned, and there was no place for Russell, who was 36 by then. He played on for Essex until 1930, passing 2000 runs in both 1925 and 1928.Which cricketer got married on the rest day of his Test debut? asked Jamie Collins from England
My first thought was that this was the Sussex seamer Tony Pigott, who received a surprise call-up for what turned out to be his only Test, against New Zealand, in Christchurch in 1983-84. But he actually postponed his wedding, as he’d been due to tie the knot on the fourth day of the match: ironically, he needn’t have bothered, as England collapsed for under 100 in both innings, and lost on the third day.The charismatic South African fast bowler Andre Nel actually got married during a Test match he was playing in, against West Indies in Centurion in January 2004. The ceremony took place after play ended early because of bad light on the second day; Nel was whisked there by helicopter, but was back next day, and celebrated by dismissing Brian Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul. ­But that wasn’t Nel’s debut – and so, finally, the answer to your question: the man who got married on the rest day of his first Test was the Guyanese offspinner Clyde Butts, during West Indies’ second Test against New Zealand in Georgetown in April 1985. Butts didn’t take a wicket, and played only six more Tests. He later became a West Indian selector.Andre Nel got married during the fourth Test against West Indies in 2004, dashing away in a helicopter after close of play one day•Getty ImagesWho just missed making centuries on his Test and ODI debuts, scoring nineties in both? asked James Morton from England
This near-miss specialist was New Zealand’s Stephen Fleming, who made his Test debut in March 1994 against India in Hamilton, and made 92 in the second innings. A few days later, in his first ODI, in Napier, Fleming was run out for 90.I remember a strange story a few years back about someone who invented some batting statistics and was given a county contract, only to be soon found out – who was this? asked Nick Hamilton from England
This strange episode concerned Adrian Shankar, who had played at Bedford School with Alastair Cook, and had a few matches for Bedfordshire and Cambridge University. He scored a genuine first-class century, in the Varsity Match at Oxford – although his coach, Chris Scott, later described the opposition bowling as “terrible”.Shankar’s career went off the rails when he became a rather surprising signing by Worcestershire in 2011, six years after his last first-class match. After a duck in a List A game and 10 (retired hurt) in the Championship against Durham, Shankar’s story unravelled. It transpired that he was three years older than he had told Worcestershire – he’s supposed to have said later that he was on life support until he was three, so those years didn’t count – while claims he had been a prolific scorer in senior tournaments in Sri Lanka turned out to be wide of the mark. Shankar was sacked, and several documents handed over to the police.Use our feedback form or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

UConn Huskies women's basketball star Azzi Fudd is having herself an excellent couple of days. Last week, she announced her new podcast , co-produced with Steph Curry's Unanimous Media.

And on Monday, the Arlington, Virginia, native threw out the first pitch at the Washington Nationals' game vs. the Cincinnati Reds.

Fudd rolled up to the mound in a custom Nats jersey, and showed off her athleticism with a pretty decent—albeit seemingly short—throw.

Check that out below:

Although she was a projected first-round pick, Fudd opted against the 2025 WNBA Draft for another year at UConn, where she'll have one last chance to study under the tutelage of Geno Auriemma.

Still, she'll have access to the WNBA and its spoils via her recently confirmed girlfriend Paige Bueckers, currently in her rookie year with the Dallas Wings.

So it's the best of both worlds for everyone. And we can't wait to see what this DMV native does next season.

Benjamin Sesko's continued injury layoff is a significant blow for Manchester United and boss Ruben Amorim. Sesko has been sidelined since early November with a knee injury sustained against Tottenham Hotspur and while there were initial reports suggesting a swift recovery, the United boss announced a disappointing reason for his striker's latest setback.

• Bitter blow for United boss

  Amorim has revealed the Slovenian striker, a £74 million ($98.8m) summer signing from RB Leipzig has suffered a recent bout of food poisoning which will delay his comeback beyond the originally anticipated date. Sesko's absence has been keenly felt, particularly as United are set to lose key forwards Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo to the Africa Cup of Nations, leaving the squad short on attacking options. The ongoing uncertainty surrounding Sesko's fitness puts immense pressure on other available forwards like Joshua Zirkzee and Matheus Cunha. And his agent, Elvis Basanovic, has noted Sesko is "impatient" to return. 

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Amorim: 'We have to see'

  Speaking to the press ahead of the clash with Bournemouth on Monday evening, Amorim said: "(Harry) Maguire is out, (Matthijs) De Ligt is out, Ben (Sesko) we have to see. We have to see if he's available, he has some food poisoning but let's wait, we have two training sessions still."

• Sesko agent: 'We will see him on the pitch very soon'

  Speaking earlier this week, Sesko’s representative Basanovic told Slovenian broadcaster Arena Sport: "Benjamin feels very good, his rehabilitation is going according to plan. He can’t wait to get back on the pitch. He’s missing matches, he’s a little impatient and we hope that he will return soon, to be where he feels best again. It’s hard to say exactly (when he will return), it will ultimately be decided by the medical service and the coach. I think we will see him on the pitch very soon. Maybe sooner than it seems at the moment."

  And on Sesko’s relationship with boss Amorim, Basanovic added: “I must say he (Amorim) received Benjamin excellently. I think Ruben is first of all, an excellent person with fantastic charisma, extremely intelligent, emotionally intelligent and I think he knows what he’s doing. I believe he’s in a difficult situation. It’s not easy to build such a project that requires enormous knowledge and amount of time. United is one of the biggest clubs in the world, if not the biggest and people don’t understand you need time. But I think every team being built needs time. Just look at [Matheus] Cunha, Mbeumo and Sesko: they have played very few matches together.

  "And I think that they especially need games and they need to develop certain automatisms because then it’s much easier. When you have these automatisms, you don’t need to think where a player is or runs but that you start automatically. Then the results come and everything looks much better."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Bournemouth up next for United

  United face a demanding festive schedule with four Premier League matches leading up to the New Year and begin their run with a home match against Bournemouth on. The Cherries have become a banana skin for United in recent meetings and are winless in their last four Premier League games against them. But Amorim's side are in a good vein of form after a rocky start to the season, having lost just one of their last nine league games, with the defeat being the recent 1-0 at home to Everton. They then travel to Villa Park to face Aston Villa on December 21st and their Boxing Day fixture (which is the only top-flight game that day) sees them host Newcastle United at Old Trafford. And they round off 2025 with another home game against Wolves on December 30th.

Juventus have reportedly joined the race for Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, as the young Red Devils star continues to attract interest from Serie A amidst the stagnation of his Old Trafford career. The 20-year-old has frequently been linked with Napoli and Juve are now said to be 'monitoring' Mainoo, whom they see as the next Paul Pogba if they can convince Mainoo to swap Manchester for Turin.

Mainoo could become new Pogba at Juventus

Reports by in Italy dub Mainoo the ‘talent which conquers half of Europe’ and say that the 20-year-old could become ‘Paul Pogba 2.0’ if he joins Juventus, whom ‘the player likes’.

Reports state that while Mainoo’s potential ‘does not go unnoticed’ at United, Napoli could make him a ‘priority target’ amidst a lack of similar options in the midfield, with a permanent move touted. The door is open for Juventus to make a swoop in January, though, and recreate a famous scenario where Pogba joined the Italian giants from United as a 19-year-old and went on to become one of the world’s best midfielders before returning to Old Trafford for £89 million ($117m) in 2016.

Whether Mainoo’s career could take a similar trajectory remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that comparisons can be drawn between the Carrington academy graduate not being given the first-team opportunities he perhaps deserves, in the same manner Pogba had to deal with before his first exit from the club.

AdvertisementAFP'The club comes first' – Mainoo and Zirkzee told exit reality

Mainoo has previously been reported to have demanded an Old Trafford exit in search of more game-time, but Ruben Amorim recently stated in a press conference that January exits will only occur if it is in the best interests of the club. He appeared to be referring to want-away stars Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee.

"The first thing is that the club comes first, so we have to think about the club and the team, and then everything can happen," said Amorim. 

"I was a football player, I understand everything, and I want to help my players in every situation, so I don't know what is going to happen.

"I want my players happy. I understand the frustration of some players, seeing that the World Cup is there, and I know what it means for the World Cup, but Manchester United comes first, so if I can help the club and the players, I will be happy, if not I have to think about the team."

Midfielder maintains minor Old Trafford role

Having played just 170 minutes in the Premier League so far this season, Mainoo’s role within Amorim’s side does not appear to be growing in the near future. While the Portuguese continues to proclaim his trust in the 10-cap England international publicly, his continued selection decisions tell an entirely different story.

Mainoo has even recently been told to join league leaders Arsenal, by former Gunners star Stefan Schwarz: "Arsenal have the best conditions for young players. And they have a manager in Mikel Arteta that is not afraid to give responsibility to them and give them opportunities when he feels they are ready. It's just about preparing them in the best way and that's what Arsenal have done very well the last couple of years."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

AFPMainoo exit situation as Serie A interest intensifies

Speculation linking Mainoo with an Old Trafford exit will undoubtedly only increase in volume as the January transfer window approaches.

Monday’s home defeat to Everton ended a five-game unbeaten run for the Red Devils and consigned Amorim’s side to a first home defeat since August, having won all four of their Premier League home fixtures since opening-day defeat to Arsenal.

Whether the disappointing result will impact Mainoo’s chances of further minutes in the coming weeks remains to be seen, with his 32 minutes on the field against the Toffees representing his longest cameo since August 30 against Burnley.

United have European ambitions this season and with the Champions League race looking wide open at present, Amorim has previously expressed how difficult it is to give minutes to his entire squad with only one game per week. This could, ultimately, lead to Mainoo demanding a departure once again, particularly if interest from the likes of Juventus becomes more concrete.

Lionel Messi extended his remarkable scoring streak in the MLS Cup Playoffs, netting his ninth goal in seven matches to give Inter Miami a 1-0 lead over FC Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference semifinal. The Argentine legend struck in the 18th minute, showcasing his aerial ability as he rose to meet a pinpoint cross from young winger Mateo Silvetti, silencing the packed crowd inside TQL Stadium.

Getty Images SportArgentine connection

Messi gave Inter Miami a crucial advantage in their Eastern Conference semifinal against FC Cincinnati, heading home in the 18th minute to put the visitors up 1-0 at TQL Stadium. The goal came after a swift counterattack sparked by former Barcelona teammate Jordi Alba, who intercepted a misplaced pass from Nick Hagglund in midfield.

Alba quickly found Messi in a central pocket, and the forward slid a perfectly weighted ball out to Argentine winger Mateo Silvetti on the left. The youngster delivered a pinpoint cross into the box, and Messi met it with a bouncing header that beat goalkeeper Roman Celentano and nestled into the far corner.

AdvertisementWatch the goalGetty Images SportMiami's tactical approach pays dividends

Inter Miami's tactical setup under head coach Javier Mascherano has proven effective thus far, with the team looking to advance to its first Eastern Conference final since joining MLS in 2020. Despite playing away from home, Miami have executed their game plan perfectly, absorbing Cincinnati's early pressure before striking clinically on the counter-attack.

The hosts had their best chance in the 22nd minute when forward Ender Echenique narrowly missed equalizing, his shot sliding just inches wide of the far post. The goal also sparked something in Miami, as Rodriguez fired a shot at Celentano after being fed in the area by Messi, only for the keeper to parry it clear.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportMessi's playoff dominance showcases continued excellence

Messi's header against Cincinnati further cements his status as the most influential player in Major League Soccer. Since joining Inter Miami in 2023, the Argentine superstar has transformed the franchise from expansion strugglers to legitimate title contenders, bringing unprecedented global attention to the league.

أعلن الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف” رسميًا عن اعتماد استاد برج العرب بالإسكندرية لاستضافة المباريات الإفريقية والدولية خلال الفترة المقبلة، بعد استيفائه جميع المعايير المطلوبة.

وجاء قرار “كاف” عقب زيارة ميدانية مشتركة قام بها أعضاء من الاتحاد الإفريقي واتحاد الكرة المصري، بهدف متابعة مدى جاهزية الاستاد لاستقبال المباريات القارية.

وأكدت اللجنة خلال زيارتها أن استاد برج العرب استوفى جميع الاشتراطات الفنية والتنظيمية الخاصة بمباريات الفئة الثالثة، ما أهله لاستقبال مباريات الأندية والمنتخبات في مختلف البطولات.

طالع أيضًا | الجيش الملكي يعلن قرارًا مفاجئًا قبل مواجهة الأهلي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

وفي خطاب رسمي، أوضح الاتحاد الإفريقي أن الموافقة على عودة الاستاد تأتي في إطار حرص “كاف” على توفير ملاعب ذات معايير فنية عالية، تضمن سلامة اللاعبين والجماهير، بالإضافة إلى جودة تنظيم المباريات.

ويمثل اعتماد استاد برج العرب خطوة مهمة للكرة المصرية، إذ يمنح الأندية والمنتخبات الوطنية فرصة خوض المباريات القارية على ملعب مجهز بأحدث المعايير المطلوبة.

أجرى بيب جوارديولا مدرب مانشستر سيتي مؤتمراً صحفياً للحديث عن آخر استعدادات فريقه لمواجهة ليفربول في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وقال جوارديولا في تصريحات نشرتها “سيتي إكسترا” عن وصوله لألف مباراة في مسيرته التدريبية: “ألف مؤتمر صحفي، ياله من شرف، كانت تلك اللحظة الأفضل بجانب المقابلات السريعة”.

وأضاف إذا كان يتذكر مباراته الأولى في التدريب: “أجل، أشعر بقلق أقل الآن، لكن في الوقت نفسه، بصراحة لا أتذكر، لقد مر وقت طويل”.

وواصل :”اسمعوا، لو خيرت بين منافس واحد لمشاركة هذا الإنجاز بخوض 1000 مباراة، أرغب في مشاركة ذلك مع الكثيرين لكن ليفربول سيكون الأفضل، خاصة مع كلوب، الذي كان أكبر منافس لي هنا، لا يمكن أن يكون هناك أفضل من ذلك، لقد قرر الكون ذلك، لطالما شعرت بمدى احترامنا لبعضنا البعض، يورجن منحني الكثير وأفتقده بشدة، قلت يا آلهي تغلبت على هذا الرجل، كم علي التفكير والعمل والتحسين وهذا يعود إلى ليفربول ولأنفسنا”.

وسئل جوارديولا إذا كان يعرف عدد انتصاراته في 999 مباراة تدريبية: “بالتأكيد أعرف الكثير، الأرقام جنونية، يؤسفني إخبارك بذلك، أنا مغرور ومتغطرس، لكنها جنونية، إذا قلت إنني لا أعيش وأفكر في عدد الانتصارات فعندما تصل لهذا الإنجاز وتقرأ ما أنجزته، تجد أننا حققنا إنجازات مذهلة، من الصعب الوصول لذلك ولو بدأت من جديد، لما وصلت لذلك، إنها مباريات كثيرة وهزائم قليلة مقارنة بألف مباراة ونأمل المواصلة الأحد”.

أقرأ أيضاً.. كومباني يكشف عن مرشحه المفضل للفوز بالدوري الانجليزي هذا الموسم

وتحدث جوارديولا عن مواجهة ليفربول :”لقد دفعنا ليفربول ليكون أفضل وليفربول دفعنا لنكون أفضل، هذا أمر مؤكد”.

وأكد بيب: “الأساسيات هي ما كنت أؤمن بها في اعماق قلبي، لم أخنها ولو مرة واحدة في مسيرتي، اتخاذ قرار خاطئ أو اللعب بشكل سئ أو أن الخصم أفضل، لا يعني أنني أشعر أنني فعلت شيئاً لم أؤمن به، أبداً أبداً، دائماً ما أحاول إنهاء المباراة بقول أنه أعجبني أداء الفريق”.

وذكر بيب: “لا تسألونني إن كنت سأدير 1000 مباراة أخرى، لا، لا، لا، إنه كثير جداً، بفضل برشلونة ولاعبيهم، وبايرن وسيتي، لاعبين كنت معهم ومازالت، هناك الكثير من العمل والشغف والحب وفي ذلك لا أحد يتفوق علي،أحب اللعبة والتدقيق في أسرار الخصوم وكيف يلعب دورتموند وبورنموث وكيف تدير الأمور وتقنع اللاعبين وكيف تشركهم ودائماً ما يتابعني اللاعبين، لا يتابعونني فقط عندما لا يلعبون، أما البقية أقول لهم اذهبوا إلى هناك فإنهم يتابعونني دائماً”.

وتحدث بيب عن سباق اللقب هذا الموسم: “كل ما يمكن فعله الفوز بمبارياتنا والاقتراب من المنافسة، يجب على آرسنال الحضور إلى هنا، في آخر عامين أو ثلاثة وخلال عملية إعادة بناء النادي والفريق ودخول سوق الانتقالات لسنوات عديدة، ما يفعلونه استثنائي، وفعلوا بالفعل لموسمين أو ثلاثة لكننا في أوائل نوفمبر وفي أوائل نوفمبر لا يفوز أحد باللقب”.

وتحدث بيب عن إصابة رودري: “سنرى غداً لكن في الوقت الحالي لا أعتقد أننا سنخاطر، بعد ذلك تأتي فترة التوقف الدولي، مازالنا في نوفمبر والجزء الأكبر من الموسم لم يأتي بعد ونحن بحاجة لرودري، ونتشوق بشدة لعودته لكننا نعلم أن نيكو لاعب مهم وجيد للغاية”.

وذكر بيب عن كونه أعظم مدرب على الإطلاق، بطريقة ساخرة: “إنهم على حق تماماً، أمي وأبي منحاني القدرة التنافسية، ولكن ليس هذا، آه أريد أن أموت، أريد أن أقتل لأكون الأفضل”.