Newcastle fans loved Dummett’s performance against Bournemouth

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Newcastle United came from behind to pick up a point away to Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon, with Matt Ritchie netting a late equaliser for the Magpies.

Salomon Rondon had actually sent Newcastle ahead at the Vitality Stadium, but Josh King netted a double for the hosts before Ritchie levelled in the 94th minute.

All in all, it was a good point for Rafael Benitez’s side.

And a number of the club’s supporters took to social media after the match to lavish praise on Paul Dummett.

According to WhoScored, the 27-year-old – who sported the captain’s armband – won two aerial duels and made two tackles against the Cherries. He also made one stunning goal-line clearance.

It was certainly a strong performance from the defender and a whole host of Newcastle fans were keen to offer words of praise.

The point has left Benitez’s team in 13th position in the Premier League table, seven points clear of the relegation zone, which is currently occupied by Cardiff City, Fulham and Huddersfield Town.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

رئيس يويفا: واثقون من إقامة يورو 2020 العام المقبل.. ولكن!

كشف رئيس الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم “يويفا” ألكسندر شيفيرين، إمكانية تأجيل أو تغيير جديد يخص موعد بطولة كأس أمم أوروبا، يورو 2020، بسبب فيروس كورونا المستجد “كوفيد 19”.

وكان اليويفا قد أجل البطولة لمدة عام من يونيو 2020 حتى يونيو 2021، بسبب توقف مسابقات الأندية في الموسم الماضي بسبب الوباء العالمي الذي هدد الملايين حول العالم في شهر مارس الماضي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. هيرتا برلين يُعلن إصابة جندوزي بـ فيروس كورونا

وتحدث شيفيرين عن الوضع الحالي في تصريحات لشبكة “موفيستار” الإسبانية، وقال: “نحن واثقون وعلى يقين تام أن يورو 2020 ستعُقد في 2021”.

وتابع: “بالتأكيد، نحن قلقون بشأن الوضع الحالي، لكننا متأكدون من إقامة البطولة في العام المقبل في 12 دولة كما هو مقرر”.

وعن إمكانية عودة الجماهير بالكامل للملاعب الأوروبية: “نحن نعمل مع الحكومات على هذا الأمر، ولكننا لن نستطيع التأكيد على شيء إلا بموافقة الحكومات في الدول مثلما هو الحال في إسبانيا، ولكن بالنسبة ليورو 2020 نعمل على جميع الاحتمالات والنسبة لعودة الجماهير للاحتفال بالبطولة بالشكل الأنسب”.

الجدير بالذكر أن فيروس كورونا قد بدأ في الانتشار مرة أخرى فيما يسمى بالموجة الثانية مع اقتراب فصل الشتاء، خاصة في بلدان مثل إيطاليا، إنجلترا وفرنسا.

Liverpool fans lavish praise on Andrew Robertson

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It would be fair to say that not too much was made of Andrew Robertson’s arrival at Liverpool ahead of the 2017-18 campaign.

The Reds paid around £8m for Robertson, who was part of the Hull City side relegated from the Premier League the previous season.

The move almost came out of the blue and there were a number of people who questioned whether the Scot was capable of representing a top-four club.

Fast forward almost two years and Robertson is one of the best left-backs in the top flight.

He turned 25 years of age on Monday and as expected, Liverpool’s official Twitter account was on hand with a special birthday message for the full-back.

It will not come as a surprise to learn that the club’s supporters were out in force to lavish praise on the defender, who has contributed a brilliant eight assists in 28 Premier League appearances for the Reds this term.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Leeds United: Quick turn-around for Preston clash ideal for Bielsa’s side

Leeds United were uncharacteristically poor at the weekend against Birmingham City.

Indeed, The Whites did create a number of good chances at St Andrew’s and dominated possession throughout yet they let themselves massively in defence. Although they only conceded once in Saturday’s defeat, on another day they would have let in three or four as the Blues saw a number of chances saved by the impressive Kiko Casilla.

As a result of their slip-up, Marcelo Bielsa’s side were leapfrogged by Sheffield United in the Championship standings after their promotion rivals secured a vital victory at Preston North End. With Norwich City pulling seven points clear at the top of the table, it is now a two-horse race for second place in the second tier.

Importantly for Leeds, they will not have too much time to dwell on their defeat at Birmingham as they head to Preston on Tuesday where they will be aiming to replicate the Blades’ result from the weekend. If the Whites do make a welcome return to form at Deepdale, they will be able to put the pressure back on Chris Wilder’s side who do not play until Wednesday.

Bielsa will undoubtedly be looking for a reaction from his side in midweek and may bring in the likes of Jack Clarke and Keemar Roofe in order to secure all three points. The latter of the two players made a return from injury as a substitute against the Blues and may replace Patrick Bamford who was way below par on Saturday.

Although the Lilywhites will undoubtedly pose a considerable threat to Leeds, they will not be entering the clash with a lot of confidence having lost their last two in the Championship. Nevertheless, it is paramount that the Whites treat their opponents with the utmost respect as they know that any more slip-ups in the coming weeks could end up killing off their hopes for automatic promotion in May.

What do you think Leeds fans? Is it good that your side has a chance to bounce back from Saturday’s defeat almost immediately in midweek? Or would they have benefited from an entire week on the training ground? Let us know below.

Tim Sherwood could provide QPR with a great temporary solution to manager dilemma

The search for a new manager is now in progress for Queens Park Rangers following the sacking of Steve McClaren, though it probably should have started sooner.

QPR’s form since the beginning of the new year has been absolutely dreadful, leaving them floating a few places above the relegation zone.

Still, better late than never, and the west London club could now look to appoint Tim Sherwood as they hope to avoid a catastrophic end to the season.

The Breakdown

Sky Sports reports the former Aston Villa manager is on the list of candidates to succeed McClaren in the dugout, with the Loftus Road hierarchy confident their next appointment should have no trouble in steering the team to safety.

The Rs are eight points above 22nd-placed Rotherham with the current Championship campaign edging closer to its conclusion.

Bearing that in mind, albeit perhaps an underwhelming name to most QPR supporters, Sherwood would not be the worst appointment if brought in on a short-term basis.

Considering the direction Tottenham were heading in under Andre Villas-Boas before his sacking back in 2013, Sherwood managed to steady the ship at White Hart Lane when he replaced the Portuguese coach.

Meanwhile, at Aston Villa, the 50-year-old also did well to guide the Midlands club to Premier League safety in the 2014/15 season when he came in to succeed Paul Lambert.

Ultimately, if QPR cannot get their first-choice target now with Sky Sports also reporting that Portsmouth’s Kenny Jackett is high on their list, then Sherwood could be their best bet temporarily.

QPR fans, are you open to the idea of Sherwood coming in? Join the discussion by commenting below.

Southampton fans react as Fraser Forster features in friendly v QPR

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The international break has gifted the Southampton squad a chance to get some casual minutes under their belts, with many of those who haven’t been called up to their national teams featuring in a friendly versus QPR on Wednesday.

The game, which the Saints won 3-2, gave run outs to Nathan Redmond, Charlie Austin and Yan Valery to name but a few. However, the real talking point was the rare sight of Fraser Forster – the former Celtic man hasn’t featured for the first team all season, with Angus Gunn stealing the gloves.

Between the sticks for the Saints, the 31-year-old let in two against Championship opposition, but that didn’t matter one bit to the St Mary’s Stadium faithful who were largely pleased to see the goalkeeper was even at the club still.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Here’s what they had to say on Twitter, with most simply excited to see him don the gloves again, while another suggested he may yet regain his starting spot…

Rangers must act fast and sign Joe Worrall permanently

What a season Joe Worrall’s had at Rangers! He’s been nominated for the club’s Young Player of the Year Award and his manager’s been singing his praises, so the club must get to work on securing him on a permanent basis.

He’s made 19 appearances at centre-back for the Gers this season, and the 22-year-old has settled into life in the Scottish Premiership with ease. It’s not often a young player can adapt so quickly, but his 52 Championship appearances for Nottingham Forest means he’s got experience beyond his years.

If Rangers don’t buck their ideas up and begin negotiations with his parent club soon, other clubs in England will come calling, and that’s a bigger pull factor than the Scottish league. They must act fast to tie him down while they’ve got him under their wing.

After the draw against Aberdeen, Gerrard heaped praise on him, saying: “I thought Joe was outstanding, it was a man-of-the-match performance and he will be a captain of whatever team he plays for” (Quotes sourced from the Scottish Sun). If that’s not enough for the board to take note, we don’t know what is.

Rangers’ progression this season has been promising and they must add to their squad in summer to move closer towards challenging for the title. What they can’t afford to do is lose their standout talents from this season and have to spend vital money replacing them.

They have to buy Worrall – who is valued at £7.2m by Transfermarkt – ahead of next season before he continues his upward trajectory somewhere else. The player has the capabilities of reaching the top, so it’s important the Gers sign him up before he’s head-hunted by clubs they can’t compete with financially.

Rangers fans, Who do you think an alternative to Joe Worrall would be if he doesn’t sign on a permanent basis? Join the discussion by commenting below.

كاراجر: يجب أن يكون ليفربول مثل الحيوان المصاب أمام إيفرتون

يرى جيمي كاراجر أسطورة ليفربول الإنجليزي، أنه على يورجن كلوب المدير الفني للفريق، التعافي من الخسارة أمام أستون فيلا، في مواجهة إيفرتون بعد قليل ضمن الجولة الخامسة من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وخسر ليفربول بسباعية مقابل هدفين من أستون فيلا، قبل فترة التوقف الدولي، ويسعى للاستفاقة في ديربي ميرسيسايد أمام إيفرتون اليوم السبت.

وقال كاراجر في تصريحات لصحيفة “ليفربول إيكو” الإنجليزية: “الأمر محرج حقًا لـ ليفربول، شعرت عندما كنت لاعبًا أنه لا يوجد أسوأ من الحصول على نتيجة سيئة قبل فترة التوقف الدولي”.

طالع أيضًا.. تشكيل ليفربول أمام إيفرتون

وأضاف: “كان هناك وقت طويل، أود أن يعتقد ليفربول أنه سيكون حيوانًا مصابًا، وعليه أن يظهر رد فعل أمام إيفرتون، دائمًا ما تفعل الفرق الكبيرة هذا”.

وأكمل: “عليك أن تحسن الأداء، في مباراة أستون فيلا الأمر كان سيئًا للغاية، كان استثنائيًا أيضًا، أعتقد أنه في مواجهة إيفرتون لا بد من تغيير العديد من الأشياء”.

وواصل: “في آخر 80 مباراة قبل مواجهة أستون فيلا، ليفربول خسر 4 مباريات فقط، وهو أمر مخيف، عندما تفكر في الأمر”.

واختتم: “أتوقع أن يقدم ليفربول أداء أفضل ضد إيفرتون، لأن ليفربول أفضل ويتفوق بشكل كبير عليهم، أنشيلوتي في حالة جيدة، ولكن فريق يورجن كلوب سيحقق الفوز”.

Transfer Flashback: When Aberdeen sold Adam Rooney

There is nothing worse for a passionate football fan when their club lets a star player leave. For Aberdeen fans, that was exactly what happened less than 12 months ago when the news was confirmed to them on the 19th July that Adam Rooney would be leaving Pittodrie to sign for Conference club Salford City.

So far this season the Republic of Ireland striker has scored 16 goals in 30 league games for his new club, but prior to his time with Salford City, the 30-year-old was a goal machine at Aberdeen. His record of 87 goals in 197 games for the Dandies made him a household name north of the border and his departure certainly would have hit the Aberdeen supporters hard.

In the final season that Rooney spent with the club, he only managed ten goals in 44 outings, with eight of those coming in the Scottish Premiership. His influence was obviously dwindling, but that didn’t make his departure any easier to stomach amongst the fans. The highest point of Rooney’s Aberdeen career was his Scottish League Cup success with them in the 2013/14 season, and that will be one of the things that the fans remember him so fondly for, even if he only played two games in the competition.

You can see what those Aberdeen supporters made of Rooney’s departure here:

The Dandies were all gutted, as you can see from the tweets above, that they had to say goodbye to Rooney after four and a half years and will still be missing him now.

Rangers: Middleton can be perfect replacement if Kent does not return to Ibrox

Steven Gerrard’s admission that Rangers will not be in a position to sign winger Ryan Kent from Liverpool on a permanent basis is a blow for fans, who have taken the player to their hearts.

Gerrard did also say he hopes to persuade the Merseyside giants to let the 22-year-old continue has development at Ibrox for another year, and with his contacts at Anfield, it is always a possibility.

But it remains to be seen whether it will be a viable option, with Liverpool possibly wanting him to be loaned out to an English Premier League or Championship side next term.

But all is not lost for Rangers, and should Kent not return to Glasgow next season, they may have a ready-made replacement for him at the club already.

Glenn Middleton, the 19-year-old sensation, has been in fine form for Graeme Murty’s reserve side this season, and having had a taste of first team action at the start of the season, it may be time for the teenager to get an opportunity again.

Middleton scored twice for Murty’s second string side, in their 3-2 win over Hibs yesterday — one of which was a superb curling strike — and his all-round display was top drawer.

The Northampton-born player (who is valued at £135k by Transfermarkt) never looked out of place when he was given an opportunity at the start of the season, which saw him score goals in the league, League Cup and Europa League, and is a hot prospect for the Ibrox club.

With only five games of the season remaining, and Rangers having an eight point cushion to Kilmarnock and Aberdeen, in third and fourth respectively, it could be the perfect time to slip Middleton back into the first team fold, and give him a run of games.

The extra experience would be invaluable for the player, and should he look the part, he could become a regular next season — whether Kent returns or not.

It is a move that could save Dave King and Rangers money, and would allow Gerrard to use his limited budget to strengthen other areas.

It seems like a logical choice to bring him into the side, but whether Gerrard chooses to do so with Rangers’ reserves now in the mix to topple Celtic, and win the reserve league, is another story.

Do you think Middleton could be the answer if Kent does not return? Would you give him a run in the side for the remainder of the season? Let us know your thoughts…

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