2016 ~ Bravecom

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Alexis survives; relieved sighs recorded at Arsenal

Alexis Sanchez has given Arsenal an injury boost after playing – and scoring – for Chile on Tuesday. Sanchez’s fitness has been a cause for concern over the international break for the Gunners, with the forward having suffered a “low-grade muscle injury” during Chile training. It was thought that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has keen for the 27-year-old to return to his club for treatment, but Chile insisted he remain with their camp. He missed the 0-0 draw with Colombia with the injury, but it then emerged that Sanchez has been passed fit to feature in the World Cup qualifier against Uruguay on Tuesday. Record levels of panic were seen at the Emirates Stadium, with Wenger branding the decision to play the star as “suicidal”. But the forward played 85 minutes, scored twice and emerged unscathed as Chile ran out 3-1 winners. Arsenal are now expected to wrap Sanchez in cotton wool ahead of the club’s trip to Old Trafford on Saturday. Manchester United – and 16 Conclusions – await.

England 2-2 Spain: Rating the players

OE HART: Didn’t shout in the tunnel or punch any walls. Had no meaningful save to make but his distribution – bypassing the Spain press with searching balls into midfield – was comforting to watch. Pep would have been furiously shaking his head with disapproval. And England conceded twice after he was substituted, so that’s something. NATHANIEL CLYNE: Defensively, he was fine. Spain found little luck down Clyne’s right-hand side, as the Liverpool full-back transferred his club form to the international scene. More questions can be asked of the 25-year-old offensively however, as a number of England counter-attacks were thwarted by his poor first touch or a slight delay in his decision making. It remains difficult to separate him and Kyle Walker. GARY CAHILL: This always happens. Gary Cahill starts and plays the majority of a match, and yet I write absolutely no notes down on his performance. Much like a referee, the Chelsea centre-half is at his best when he goes unnoticed. The statistics tell us he made one interception and one clearance, while his pass accuracy of 94.1% was the highest of any player in an England shirt. JOHN STONES: The accepted wisdom is that John Stones has the perfect manager at club level to help harness his ball-playing abilities. Perhaps the same can soon be said for his boss on the international stage, too. The Manchester City centre-half still takes risks in possession, but he was robust, forceful and authoritative in the tackle. Is it the Southgate influence? Who knows. But the 22-year-old is at least showing signs of progression, development and learning; eight clearances, three tackles and two interceptions say so. DANNY ROSE: It’s strange to think that the Tottenham defender was considered as Ryan Bertrand’s equal on the international stage not long ago. Rose has truly embraced the challenge of taking the regular left-back mantle as his own, providing width and solidity on the flank. Luke Shaw faces a bloody big battle to claim his spot back. And England conceded twice after he was substituted, so that’s something. ERIC DIER For 94 minutes, he was fine. He manned the midfield, offered a passing option to the defenders, and tracked the Spain runners. Then the Isco thing happened. For a defensive midfielder who has spent much of his career at centre-half, letting his marker evade him so easily to score is borderline criminal. JORDAN HENDERSON: No England player made more tackles (three). No England player attempted more passes (49). No England player created more goalscoring opportunities (two). His assist for Jamie Vardy’s goal was a fine delivery. He remains unbeaten as England captain, and was the more accomplished member of the midfield two. RAHEEM STERLING: The positive performances are becoming so commonplace that it was somewhat disappointing to see Sterling regress in the second half. In the first, the Manchester City winger was an absolute delight, making incisive runs, bursting past opponents with pace and brushing them off with strength and skill. But the most striking part of his continued development is his decision making, with a couple of low, driven crosses troubling the Spain defence a number of times. The footie idiot is regularly displaying an awful lot of football intelligence. ADAM LALLANA: We keep saying it, but we really do mean it: Thank you, Jurgen. Lallana set the tone in defence and attack, relentlessly chasing the opposition down when out of possession and, when Spain were bullied into relinquishing the ball, using it to perfection. His curved pass into Jamie Vardy was inch-perfect, and he dispatched the subsequent penalty with confidence. It is a massive shame that injury restricted him to just 27 minutes. JESSE LINGARD: Busy. Sharp. Tidy. Neat. These are the words that will be used to describe a Jesse Lingard performance which screamed ‘seven out of ten’. Which is fine, because the Manchester United forward pressed well, passed with purpose and combined effectively with his teammates. He was great. His international future does not lie as a No 10, but he is a serviceable squad option. And there’s nothing wrong with that whatsoever. JAMIE VARDY: The first half was terrible. The Premier League winner resembled more of a competition winner as he miskicked, miscued and mishapped his way through a mistake-riddled opening period. The early tackle on Cesar Azpilicueta was as high and dangerous as his skewed attempt with the outside of his boot on 25 minutes. His only positive contribution, winning the penalty Lallana converted, was borne from the horrible first touch of a player clearly lacking in confidence. So Vardy deserves immense credit for his improvement in the second-half. His well-taken header marked a first goal for club or country since September 10, while he was robbed of an assist only by Theo Walcott’s errant finishing shortly after. His international career might well have been hanging in the balance after that first half; he managed to rescue it before his removal after the hour mark. SUBS THEO WALCOTT (for Lallana, 27): Why did Theo Walcott waste a large portion of his career pretending to be a striker? The Arsenal forward had three shots – no player had more – yet his attempts were either too weak, poorly-placed, or a combination of the two. The thing is, he scores the chance Vardy provided him early in the second half if he is playing for Arsenal in a routine win over Sunderland or Hull. TOM HEATON (for Hart, 45): Far busier than Hart, but Heaton will have felt comfortable facing a constant onslaught on his goal. Iago Aspas’ strike would have been too much for most goalkeepers, but Isco’s late equaliser was preventable. Therein lies the reason that he is not England’s No 1, despite Burnley fans’ protestations to the contrary. PHIL JAGIELKA (for Cahill, 45): Stop calling up 34-year-old centre-halves who aren’t good enough to play at this level. Cheers. ANDROS TOWNSEND (for Sterling, 65): He’s great, isn’t he? Some questioned his inclusion in Southgate’s squad, claiming that he is not even the best England winger at Crystal Palace. But that misses the point entirely. The 25-year-old has earned his place in the international fold through his international performances. He can be trusted to do the job, basically. And with two tackles, two interceptions and three dribbles in under half an hour, he did just that. MARCUS RASHFORD (for Vardy, 68): Fast, isn’t he? Direct, isn’t he? It was quite nice to see the teenager feature as a central striker, and he almost reaped the rewards after rounding Pepe Reina, but he ran the ball out of play. Ceded possession for Spain’s opener, a crime which he knows would be punished with a public haranguing were it committed at club level. AARON CRESSWELL (for Rose, 79): Congratulations on the deserved debut. Commiserations on the defence conceding twice in the 16 minutes you played, having kept a clean sheet for the previous 79. Cresswell was not at fault for either goal, but it does not reflect well.

Frank Lampard to leave New York City FC

New York City FC has announced that the former Chelsea midfielder will not return to the club for the 2017 MLS campaign. Frank Lampard will leave New York City FC when his contract expires at the end of 2016, the MLS club announced Monday. Chelsea great Lampard signed for the expansion franchise in 2014 but initially spent a season with parent club Manchester City in the Premier League. Having arrived at Yankee Stadium midway through the 2015 MLS season, 38-year-old Lampard went on to score 15 goals in 31 MLS appearances. Lampard teased on Instagram that he would be making an announcement regarding the "next stage" of his career soon, while also saying: "As my time at NYCFC comes to an end, I would like to thank so many people for the kindness and support that they have shown me over the last two years. "My teammates have been a pleasure to play alongside. The amazing fans have given me incredible support and backing. ... I have very much enjoyed my time, and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to play for such a great club and in such an incredible city." NYCFC coach Patrick Vieira added: "Everybody talks about Frank's goal-scoring record from midfield but I can tell you after a year of working with him, he brings so much more to a team than just goals. "What Frank has brought to the locker room is something just as important – his experience, his elite mentality and his mentorship for the younger members of our squad have helped us greatly this year. "It is clear that Frank has embraced playing in this league and for this club. I am grateful for his service in my first year here and I wish him the very best in whatever he chooses to do next."

How did Pep get the best out of Messi? He banned sex after midnight, says Nasri

The Frenchman has opened up about some of the Manchester City manager's more unusual rules, revealing how important it is that his players get a good night's sleep. Samir Nasri says Pep Guardiola's secret to getting the best from his players is to prohibit them from having sex after midnight. Nasri left Manchester City to join Sevilla on loan in August after managing just 15 minutes of Premier League football under the new manager at the Etihad Stadium. Although the former Arsenal star spent little time working with the former Bayern Munich and Barcelona boss, there was one clear instruction issued to the squad that he has not forgotten. "Relations must be before midnight. Even if you have a free day the following day," Nasri told L'Equipe du Soir when asked for one of Guardiola's secrets for getting the maximum from his stars. "It's so you can have a good night's sleep. He told us this is how he managed to get the best out of Messi and Lewandowski, and for them to avoid the maximum number of muscular injuries." The 29-year-old, who was deemed overweight by Guardiola upon his return for preseason training, also hinted at the Catalan coach's equally strict dietary guidelines. "He suppressed many things that were in the kitchen," Nasri said. "With Guardiola, on the first day of training, you know how you should play, how to squeeze and also how to stand off the ball. The next day, you have videos for everything that you have to do. "He will not bully you, but he will do everything to make you progress, to get you to know you how to position yourself and how to play. He's a picky person." City enjoyed a stunning start to the campaign, winning all 10 of its opening matches, and a recent dip in form was offset somewhat by a convincing 3-1 victory over Barca in the Champions League. The side resumes its domestic campaign with a trip to Crystal Palace on Saturday. Nasri, who has enjoyed outstanding form under Jorge Sampaoli at Sevilla, is set to face Deportivo La Coruna in his next outing.

Ronaldo draws level with Muller, Keane in international scoring charts

Two goals against Latvia have taken Cristiano Ronaldo to 68 for Portugal, placing him joint-fourth in Europe's all-time list. Cristiano Ronaldo has drawn level with Gerd Muller and Robbie Keane with 68 international goals following his double in Sunday's win over Latvia. The Portugal captain scored a penalty and a brilliant volley a 4-1 World Cup qualifying victory to stretch his run to seven goals in his last three appearances for the European champions. Ronaldo, who hit the post with a second penalty and steered a header against the crossbar late in the match, is now joint-fourth in the scoring charts in Europe alongside Germany great Muller and Keane, who retired from Republic of Ireland duty in August. The Real Madrid star, who has scored more goals than any other active player in international football – 12 clear of Lionel Messi – is now behind only Ferenc Puskas (84), Sandor Kocsis (75) and Miroslav Klose (71) in the continent's history. He has some way to go to become the greatest international goal scorer in history, though. That honor still belongs to Iran great Ali Daei, who hit 109 goals in 149 appearances across a 13-year career.

Rojo names his toughest away ground, and Man Utd fans might not like it

The Argentine defender reveals he dislikes playing at Anfield, and admits the Reds supporters make it a hostile environment Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo has admitted that playing Liverpool at Anfield is one of the toughest games of the Premier League season. The 26-year-old was an unused substitute when the Red Devils played out an uneventful stalemate with their rivals on Merseyside in October and so it’s quite right he doesn’t hold fond memories of the iconic stadium. And it appears the Argentine, who signed for United in a £16m deal in 2014, isn’t a big fan of travelling to London either as he singled out away ties at Crystal Palace and West Ham as particularly difficult - though he's yet to play at the Hammers' new ground, the London Stadium. “A few stand out but I think the toughest are Crystal Palace, West Ham and also Liverpool,” he said on a Q&A video posted on Man Utd’s Twitter page. “It’s the people, the supporters and also the team. There’s a hostility and a tangible rivalry there.”

Alexis Sanchez returns to Chile training

The Arsenal attacker joined Claudio Bravo in training for Juan Antonio Pizzi's side ahead of their clash with Uruguay Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been given a boost with news that Alexis Sanchez is back in training with Chile. The former Barcelona forward limped off during training on Tuesday with a calf problem, causing him to miss the World Cup qualifier with Colombia. However, Sanchez returned to training for Juan Antonio Pizzi's side on Sunday, with Manchester City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo also back from injury. Despite taking part in drills, Sanchez wore a large bandage on his right thigh as Chile hope he will recover fully ahead of their upcoming international with Uruguay. On Thursday, club boss Wenger stated that he did not wish the 27-year-old to be risked, but with Chile sitting outside the automatic qualification spots for the World Cup, Sanchez could be likely to feature. "It's a grey area between the national team and the club team and of course they look at their own results, which I can understand, but we have to preserve the health of Alexis Sanchez," the Frenchman told BeIN Sports. "He always wants to play and that's where it is a more sensitive case because he's always ready to play even when injured." Sanchez has scored six times in 11 Premier League games for the Gunners this season, looking to build on last year's tally of 13, and the 16 goals he scored in his first campaign after joining from Barcelona. Arsenal currently sit in fourth place in the English top flight, and have upcoming games against Manchester United, PSG, and Bournemouth when they return from the international break.

Almost 40 years old, Simons makes first Belgium appearance for three years

The Club Brugge veteran answered his manager's call on the day of Sunday's game after a number of injuries in defence left Belgium short at the back Timmy Simons proved his professionalism and dedication to his country by returning to action for Belgium on Sunday for the first time in almost three years. The 39-year-old received a last-minute call from Roberto Martinez to bolster Belgium’s defence for Sunday’s match against Estonia after Christian Kabasele dropped out to an injury. And Simmons didn’t let his nation down, eventually joining up with the rest of the squad at 1am on Sunday. The defender replaced Axel Witsel to win his 94th cap in a poignant moment towards the end of the World Cup qualifying Group H encounter which Belgium won 6-1. It is his first appearance for the Rode Duivels since he came on in a 4-2 friendly win over USA in 2013. Simons is far from the oldest player to grace the international stage though. Barrie Dewsbury holds that record, having played for Sark at the grand old age of 52.

Lukaku enjoying Martinez's 'fun' Belgium tactics

The former Wigan and Everton boss has enjoyed a strong start in charge of the Red Devils and Sunday's crushing victory was another positive step Romelu Lukaku is finding playing in Roberto Martinez's attack-minded Belgium side "fun" after scoring two goals in the 8-1 demolition of Estonia. Martinez's men have been almost flawless so far in World Cup qualifying Group H, with the defeat of Estonia moving them on to a maximum 12 points, while they have scored 21 times and only conceded once. Dries Mertens was in particularly inspirational form on the day, scoring twice and setting up another two, but Lukaku also played a pivotal role and added a late double of his own. Speaking to VRT after the game, the Everton star was in a jovial mood: "How much was it again – 8-1, really? "The team was really good and it's fun to play in such an offensive team. "We did well in possession and created many chances. We did a good analysis of the match against the Netherlands [a 1-1 draw], where we should have done much better. "We have scored eight times and this is the standard we should try to keep to in the next games. "The fans come here to see a great game and that was the case. They want to see us play like our clubs and that's what we have done, so everyone is happy."

RUMOURS: Spurs delay Kane contract talks

The England striker could be on his way out of White Hart Lane, with Chelsea, Manchester United, and Manchester City all interested Harry Kane could be set to leave Tottenham as the club are refusing to make him one of the best paid players at White Hart Lane, according to the Sun. The England international is currently on £60,000 a week with Spurs, but is looking to increase his salary in line with the top earners at the club. Should negotiations with the 23-year-old fail, Kane has no shortage of admirers in the Premier League, with Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United keen on the striker. Kane currently has three goals in six league appearances for Spurs this season, having hit 21 and 25 goals in his last two Premier League campaigns with the London side.

RUMOURS: Juventus consider Depay move

The Italian giants have added the Manchester United attacker to their list of targets should a deal for James Rodriguez not materialise Juventus are targetting Manchester United attacker Memphis Depay if their bid for James Rodriguez fails, according to Don Balon. The 22-year-old is currently outside of Jose Mourinho's plans at Manchester United, with Everton interested in signing the Netherlands international on loan. However, the Toffees could face competition from Juventus in the transfer window. The Serie A champions have already targetted Real Madrid's James Rodriguez as their key signing in January, but could turn to Depay if they do not get their man. James could cost Juventus £75 million to sign on a permanent deal, but Depay may be available on loan as he looks for gametime away from Old Trafford.

Robben hopeful after injury scare

The Bayern Munich winger sustained a hamstring issue but believes he will be able to feature in the derby match with Dortmund Arjen Robben confirmed he was substituted at half-time of Netherlands' 3-1 win over Luxembourg with an injury scare, but stressed the problem is not a significant one. The winger scored with a cool finish after 36 minutes – one year to the day of his last Netherlands appearance – but did not return to the pitch after the interval due to tweaking his hamstring. Robben says he made a sensible decision not to risk further damage and is hopeful the problem will not keep him out of Bayern's crucial match away to rivals Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga next Saturday. The 32-year-old told NOS after the match: "The word 'injury' is probably a little bit too heavy and I hope it is not bad. "But of course it was not nice that I had to leave the field. I had to defend a counterattack and attempted a sprint. I felt a brief cramp at the back of my thigh. "When we arrived in the dressing room after the first half I had a discussion with the team doctor and we decided not to start the second half. "I used my head and did not get caught up the emotion. You want to keep playing, but it is wiser not to do this. Of course, you always feel responsibility, even towards my club Bayern Munich and therefore this was the best decision." The match was level at one apiece at the break, with two second-half goals from substitute Memphis Depay required to see Netherlands to victory and avoid falling victim to a shock result. Robben said: "We just gave a goal away at the end of the first half and you cannot say that we played well. "I do not want to be negative but it is the reality. We want to reach the World Cup, but we will have to play a higher level." Netherlands are second in Group A, three points adrift of leaders France and ahead of Sweden on goal difference as they look to reach Russia having failed to qualify for Euro 2016.

No broken foot for Griezmann

The French star has escaped bone damage to his foot and could be available to face Real Madrid in the derby next Saturday Atletico Madrid have confirmed that star forward Antoine Griezmann did not suffer a broken bone in his foot during France's World Cup qualifying win over Sweden. Goal 50: The best footballers of 2016 Griezmann was taken off in the first half of Friday's 2-1 victory after taking a blow to his left foot and withdrew from the squad for the friendly against Ivory Coast as a precaution. Further medical checks have revealed that he has suffered heavy bruising and he will continue to undergo treatment in the Spanish capital with a view to recovering fitness in time for the Madrid derby on November 19. "In the x-ray that was completed yesterday, an injury to the bone was ruled out, and the diagnosis indicates that he has suffered a trauma with a hematoma on the left foot," an Atletico statement read on Sunday. "Both the medical services of the France national team and those of Atletico Madrid have agreed for the Frenchman to return to Madrid, where he has already been placed in the hands of our physiotherapists. "During the day on Monday, he will continue with a new course of treatment and his recovery will continue to be assessed." Griezmann was eager to play down fears of a significant problem and promised fans that he would do everything to be available for the meeting with Real Madrid at the Vicente Calderon. "It's not too serious," he said, as quoted by Marca. "But I have to work morning, afternoon and night to be ready." Griezmann has eight goals and five assists in 14 games for Atletico in all competitions this season

Hazard gives Chelsea injury scare after being forced off for Belgium The Belgium international has added to Antonio Conte's injury concerns after he signalled he was unable to continue and was substituted late on in their World Cup qualifier Eden Hazard has given Chelsea an injury scare after being forced off late on during Belgium’s 8-1 World Cup qualifying win over Estonia. The forward was on target for Roberto Martinez’s side in Brussels but was replaced 73 minutes in after picking up a knock and signalling to the bench he was unable to continue While it was unclear how bad the injury was it will be a further blow to Antonio Conte with star striker Diego Costa also struggling to be fit. The striker will miss Tuesday’s international friendly with England after being forced out of the Spain squad after aggravating a groin problem. Both players have been in fine form for the Blues this season with Conte having led them to second place in the table, just a point behind leaders Liverpool going into the international break. Costa has nine goals already this season, and is the Premier League's top scorer, while Hazard has seven with Chelsea due to play Middlesbrough on Sunday.

Mourinho not rushing 'super' Mkhitaryan

The former Borussia Dortmund player will shine in the Premier League once he breaks through, according to his manager
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho believes Henrikh Mkhitaryan will be a star at the club, but the attacker must wait for more of a chance.
Mkhitaryan, a £30million off-season signing for United from Borussia Dortmund, has played just 29 Premier League minutes off the bench to begin the campaign.
Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata and Anthony Martial have been preferred ahead of the Armenia star, and Mourinho said the trio's form was keeping Mkhitaryan out.
"The others are playing really well," he said.
"When some managers buy players they play because they think about protecting themselves. I choose this player, I bought this player, I have to show the world I was right.
"No, the first thing I think about is my team. Miki is a super player and so I am sure he will succeed. I am not in a rush to play him to show the world how good he is.
"Maybe he will play at Hull [on Saturday]. We have a very good squad and every weekend we are going to be here and you are going to ask about A, B or C because it's a normal thing."
Mourinho believes discussion over his selection will be common this season, with United having won their opening two games of the league campaign.
The Portuguese tactician also said his decisions led to constant speculation over players' futures.
"It's difficult but if Mata is on the bench, you tell me I want to kick him out and want to sell him," Mourinho said.
"If I don't play Martial it's because he is in crisis, or if I don't play Ashley Young, it's because I don't like Ashley Young.
"If it's Memphis Depay, it is because he is on his way out."

Zaza set to join West Ham, confirms Bilic

Dumped out of the Europa League by Astra on Thursday, there is set to be some good news for the Olympic Stadium side around the corner
Juventus striker Simone Zaza is on the brink of signing for West Ham, manager Slaven Bilic has confirmed.
The Italy international saw a move to Wolfsburg break down earlier this month, but is now set for the Premier League after the clubs agreed a fee.
"With the Zaza situation, it looks very likely to happen and should happen today," Bilic said on Friday at his pre-match media conference ahead of the game at Manchester City on Sunday.
"As far as I know the deal is agreed between the clubs.
"The personal terms are also agreed and he is due in London today, so we hope it will be done.
"It's very positive and is a boost. We've been trying for a long time now to get a top-quality striker and he was always mentioned."

Cavani is not good enough to replace Man Utd superstar Ibrahimovic

A lamentable display against Metz last weekend was the last thing the former Napoli ace needed as he attempts to fill the Swede's giant boots at the Parc des Princes
There is no place for Edinson Cavani to hide. For his first three years with Paris Saint-Germain, he could claim the overbearing spectre of Zlatan Ibrahimovic impinged upon his ability to play to the level expected of a €64 million signing, but the shadow of the Swede has gone and he is currently unchallenged for the No.9 role in Unai Emery’s plans.
His first outing could scarcely have gone any worse. While his effort levels could certainly not be questioned, the quality level on display was well short of that expected of a No.9 playing at one of Europe’s top clubs. Ibrahimovic, he is not.
Cavani was, admittedly, returning from injury, but the quality of opportunities he passed up against modest opponents was alarming, and for a period it seemed it might cost his side against opponents prepared to defend doggedly. Ultimately Lucas Moura and Marco Verratti got the Parisians out of jail, but a scrappy 2-0 victory was not in the script.
“I know I had a lot of chances,” he admitted to the press following the match. “It was only my first match after injury and I hope to improve. I can improve a lot.”
And he will have to. In squandering opportunity after opportunity, he became the first player in a major European league to miss, by Opta’s standards, three ‘big chances’ in a single match this season. Indeed, he’s the only player to have done this more than once since the start of last season.
He’s nothing if not persistent, but on big European nights, when PSG might only get a couple of openings, such profligacy could be fatal for his side.
The 29-year-old has already earned a reputation of failing when his side need him most. PSG have frustratingly stumbled at the quarter-final stages of the Champions League in each of the last four years, with Cavani anonymous as they suffered a shock 3-2 aggregate loss against Manchester City in the previous edition.
Last season was particularly difficult and saved only by a winning goal against Chelsea at Parc des Princes – though even that probably should have been stopped by Thibaut Courtois. In total, Cavani scored only twice in 10 European outings.
Domestically, his record in big games is actually healthy. In matches against Marseille, Lyon, Saint-Etienne, Lyon and Monaco – arguably PSG greatest competition over the last three seasons – he has scored 19 goals in 32 outings.
And the squad are still united behind the industrious attacker. “He does incredible work for the team, both defensively and offensively,” midfielder Thiago Motta commented. “If he continues to do that, things will happen.
“For an attacker, it’s normal to be criticised if you don’t score. But at a collective level, his work was very good. I am very sure he’ll start to score.”
A more selfish approach – like a certain Swede – may benefit him at an individual level and consequently PSG at a team level.
Ibrahimovic might be gone, but he is certainly not forgotten at the Parc des Princes – particularly when he has made an explosive start to life with Manchester United, scoring in three straight competitive outings.
Cavani is inevitably compared to the man he replaced. Not only is Ibra a cult hero in the French capital like few others, he was also supposedly the obstacle to the Uruguay international's relatively disappointing scoring figures.
While the Swede hogged centre stage, the former Napoli man failed to breach the 20-goal mark in Ligue 1 – well below the level he set in Serie A, when he managed 29 in the 2012-13 season alone. Now the focus upon the marksman has increased, and so too has the pressure to perform.
On Sunday, PSG face their first real test of the Ligue 1 season when they travel to face Monaco at their Stade Louis II home, opponents who were one of only two to beat them in Ligue 1 last term. Ultimately this is not the stage that Cavani will be judged on, but a strong display is required to justify the confidence of those who have pinned so many hopes on him.
He has no place to hide. Ibrahimovic has gone but his legacy remains, and over the next 10 months Cavani will - somehow - have to live up to it or prepare for a future elsewhere. All the evidence so far suggests the latter.

BREAKING: UEFA announces Champions League changes

European football's governing body has confirmed the top four ranked associations will receive four automatic places in the Champions League from 2018-19
UEFA has announced the top four ranked associations will receive four automatic spots into the Champions League from 2018-19, bypassing the qualification process.
The governing body has released a series of changes which are set to come into Europe's elite club competition.
Amongst the changes are a new club co-efficient system starting from season 2018-19 and also a new system for both seeding and revenue distribution.

Wenger: I am 99 per cent confident of new Arsenal signings

Arsene Wenger is "99 per cent" confident Arsenal will sign new players for the end of the transfer window.
Goal understands deals have been agreed for Valencia centre-back Shkodran Mustafi and Deportivo La Coruna striker Lucas Perez for a combined fee of close to £50 million.
Offers of €40m and €20m were accepted for Mustafi and Perez, respectively, on Thursday and the pair will now travel to London to undergo a medical.
“We are working on the deals, but we are not close enough to announce today," Wenger told reporters.
“Will we sign anyone before the window closes? I’m 99 per cent confident.”
He added: “It was a strange transfer market, I expected it to be easier than ever, it has been more difficult than ever.
“It looks like it will be frenetic in the last three days, everyone has sat on their money but we know they will all splash out now.”
The two incoming deals paves the way for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Calum Chambers to leave on loan, though Wenger insisted neither will be sold and no further incomings will happen.
“We have a big squad, we cannot have more players anyway," he concluded.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

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Thursday, August 18, 2016

The world's most popular pesticide probably killed England's wild bees http://www.particlenews.com/n/044kUck7?s=adv.touchpal

Not one, not two, not three, but FOUR clubs have rejected Cesc Fàbregas!

'Why not 30 goals?' Conte sets Premier League target for Costa

The Spain international can torment defences this season if he concentrates on penalty box prowess, says the Blues boss
Chelsea head coach Antoinio Conte has challenged Diego Costa to hit 30 goals this season after offering a ringing endorsement of the striker's talents.
Costa was influential in firing Chelsea to Premier League glory during the 2014-15 season but his faltering form last time around mirrored the Stamford Bridge outfit's shambolic title defence.
Conte's acquisition of Belgium forward Michy Batshuayi from Marseille and links with other strikers led to speculation that Costa's days at the club were numbered.
But the Italian has involved the 27-year-old prominently during pre-season and wants to see Costa focused solely on being a dynamic penalty box presence as he seeks to restore Chelsea to the upper reaches of English football.
Asked whether Costa could hit 20 goals this season ahead of Monday's opening Premier League match against West Ham, Conte playfully responded: "Why 20 and not 30?"
Although he added he does not like to give striker's specific goal targets, the former Juventus and Italy boss believes Costa can become a scourge of top-flight defences once more.
"Diego is a forward and he knows that, in my idea of football, the forward must be a point of reference for the team," Conte said. "I don't like that a forward moves around the pitch. I like him to stay there [in the box] because you are a forward and your commitment is to score goals and to stay in the right position. You are a forward - not a midfielder, not a defender.
"I don't like to speak about single players but I will make an exception. Diego is a great player. I know that he is a fantastic finisher but I think he can still improve a lot.

"I hope for this. I try to improve all of my players. Their past is not important to me and now, I am seeing a good attitude from Diego – to work and to improve in different situations.
"I am happy that Diego stays here to work with us. We know that we can improve through the work and the most important thing is that the players have put themselves into this idea.
"Diego can give a lot to this team and I am sure he will have a good season."
Stamford Bridge will get its first viewing of Conte's famously animated touchline persona when West Ham make the short trip across London and the Chelsea boss believes his passion for the game is an area of common ground with his main striker.
"Diego always shows a great passion and I am the same," Conte added. "He doesn't want to lose. I like this passion and I want to put it in the team.
"It's important to have passion for your work, for your football. It can help you to get over difficulties. I like this commitment - that the players work very strongly for the team.
"I ask Diego for this and I demand this of him. I never ask [specific goal targets] of my strikers but I ask Diego and all the players to have a great attitude.

Splash the cash! Genius Conte & superstar Hazard not enough for Chelsea to win title

The Italian has strengthened his new team but needs even more additions. Goal’s Chelsea correspondent Nizaar Kinsella previews their Premier League chances this season
Antonio Conte has given a great first impression to everyone at Chelsea, with Eden Hazard and the first-team squad quickly adapting to his way of football.
The former Italy coach, however, is relying on largely the same side which failed miserably last season, with only a few fresh names in the squad.
The 46-year-old has introduced heavy conditioning training and a new set of tactics to change the face of his team, which lifted the title under Jose Mourinho before falling well short as they recorded the worst-ever Premier League title defence last year.
The two biggest factors in the failure last season was the club's transfer policy and poor preparation in a short pre-season under Mourinho, with Chelsea managing to rectify only the latter so far.
Chelsea's senior players have told Goal that Antonio Conte's set up at the club is "very different" to anything they experienced, as they are worked extremely hard in double training sessions ahead of West Ham United on August 15.
Conte's remit from the club's high-profile owner, Roman Abramovich, is to return Chelsea to the Champions League. A fourth-placed finish and entry into the competition would be considered an adequate outcome for the coming season.

The lack of European football could have a positive effect on the The Blues' chances of achieving that aim, but disappointing activity in the transfer market may be a hindrance.
The club have only made two signings in Michy Batshuayi and N'Golo Kante despite Conte wanting more movement, both in and out of Stamford Bridge, during this transfer window.
The fans remain frustrated from last season's failed window where they signed Pedro, Falcao and Baba Rahman, who all flopped at the club.
An ageing defence stands out as a particular priority, as the club target Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly; while they also hope to add goals by signing Romelu Lukaku for £70m.
Closer to home, meanwhile, Chelsea's two-time Uefa Youth League winning academy has produced some of England's best youngsters. Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ola Aina and Nathaniel Chalobah have all progressed from the academy but they have struggled to reach the next level in a very bloated squad.
Aina's development in pre-season shows that some talent is ready to break into the first team next season, although it is debatable whether those young promises can take the place of established names at a critical point for the club.
Further inactivity on transfers would in any case look like a failure, as the renewal desperately needed in the Blues' ranks has so far failed to materialise in the transfer window.
After missing out on Conte's number one target, Roma's Radja Nainggolan, the coach hopes to bring in at least one marquee signing, having seen both Manchester clubs once again spend heavily.
And after that forgettable 2015-16 campaign, there are still plenty of weaknesses to be addressed in the squad.
Neither the defence nor attack functioned for large swathes of the previous season, and while Eden Hazard's return to top form is an encouraging sign it may not be enough to return Chelsea to the Premier League's top table.
When Conte joined Juventus he took them from a seventh-placed finish to Scudetto winners in his first season, but despite his challenge at Chelsea holding some similarities, it will arguably be more difficult with six or seven teams competing for domestic glory.
Abramovich and his staff need to take inspiration from Conte's touchline aggression and apply it to the transfer market, or their new manager's work will eventually be undone due to a lack of quality compared to their rivals during the Premier League this season.

Stones was a 'f***ing player' - Caballero hails new Man City signing

The Argentine goalkeeper, who was selected ahead of Joe Hart for the Blues' Premier League opener, was impressed with the England defender's performance
Manchester City goalkeeper Willy Caballero hailed new signing John Stones as a "f***ing player" after he made his debut in the 2-1 victory against Sunderland on Saturday.

Caballero was chosen ahead of traditional City No.1 Joe Hart for the club's Premier League opener, with coach Pep Guardiola favouring the Argentine's ability to build up play from the back.

Guardiola also highlighted Stones as a priority target in this summer's transfer window for his skill in possession, and the young England defender was handed his first start just four days after clinching a £47.5 million move from Everton.

There were a couple of suspect moments for both players in an overall positive display, but Caballero is certain that the team will improve given time - especially if new boy Stones continues to impress.

"This is a very important change," Caballero said of Guardiola's demands on playing out from the back. "Sometimes we are taking risks when we pass the ball in our backline and my first pass was really really complicated because they could have scored, but after that we played [much] better from the back and we can start playing as the boss wants, but we need minutes. We need minutes together.

"Two or three players have arrived in the last week. John played today like a f***ing player, he plays as he has has been here from the last three or four years. It’s important to play together. We need games and minutes together to have experience together and to have rhythm and to play more better if we can."
Guardiola's decision to select Caballero instead of Hart took many by surprise an hour ahead of kick-off, although it has long been suspected that the Englishman's place could be under threat.
Claudio Bravo is keen to link up with Guardiola and it is thought that personal terms have already been agreed. Caballero expected to leave the club earlier this summer, but while City are expected to pursue a new keeper before the end of the transfer window, it could now be Hart who is moved on.

And the Argentine says Guardiola has had plenty of discussions with Hart in the past few weeks.

"I think he spoke with Joe a lot of times, but with me, I just trained every day in the whole of pre-season, and I realised in the last day that I am going to start."

He insists, however, that the current scenario is difficult for everybody involved: "Yeah, it is. For sure, it’s very tough in this situation for me, for Joe, for the fans, for everything, but I just tried to think and enjoy this opportunity and the most important thing is that we won as well.

"It doesn’t matter who played and when Joe has the opportunity, I think he will enjoy it as well as me."

Caballero, though, says he has not tried to replicate the success of any of Guardiola's former goalkeepers in a bid to impress his new manager.

RUMOURS: Darmian allowed to leave Manchester United

The Italy international was not even named on the bench for the first Premier League game of the season against Bournemouth and is reportedly wanted by Roma and Napoli
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho could put Matteo Darmian up for sale, according to Calciomercato.

The Italy full-back was not even on the bench for the Red Devils' opening Premier League fixture against Bournemouth.

It is the latest indication that the former Torino defender, who only moved to Old Trafford last summer, is not in Mourinho's plans, with Roma and Napoli both interested.

Wrong time, wrong project, wrong team - Pogba has made a mistake rejoining Manchester United

Mino Raiola is well suited to his profession. The so-called 'super-agent' is a shrewd reader of the transfer market and has a flair for hyperbole. In January of last year, he boldly proclaimed of Paul Pogba, "He will break Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer record because there can be only one Mona Lisa."
Whether you agree with the latter clause, the former has now become fact. However, Pogba hasn't just broken Ronaldo's transfer record, he's also smashed Gareth Bale's. The Frenchman is now the most expensive footballer of all time, with Manchester United having agreed to pay Juventus €107m (£92m) to take him back to Old Trafford.
It was always accepted that Pogba would eventually part company with the Bianconeri. Raiola has never made any secret of that. "We've always said we'll be able to leave when we feel the time is right, with the right project, the right team and all of the parties are in agreement," he stated in November 2015. So why, in August 2016, has his most prized possession joined United?
While a historic accord has been reached between the Red Devils and Juventus that suits both parties (at least financially), looking at this deal from Pogba's perspective, this is the wrong time, the wrong project and the wrong team.

Firstly, there is the timing. Pogba is leaving Juventus just when they appear to have their best chance of winning the Champions League. As Bianconeri boss Massimiliano Allegri stated in July, "Anyone who has the opportunity to leave Juventus has to consider things very carefully because right now Juve are among the top four European clubs."
Yet Pogba is moving to a side that were not even among the top four in England last season. The France international wants to win the Champions League - that dream is now at least another two years away.
Admittedly, Pogba is just 23 and he will have convinced himself that he is buying into a long-term project aimed at restoring United to their former pre-eminence among England's elite. However, the once-proud protectors of 'The Manchester United Way' have entrusted that responsibility to Jose Mourinho, a manager who has never spent more than three seasons at one club.
Of course, Mourinho has sanctioned some typically high-profile signings, chief among them Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. However, while the former is a modern great and already endeared himself to the Old Trafford faithful with the winning goal in Sunday's Community Shield win over Leicester at Wembley, he is now 34 and has only signed on for one season. Meanwhile, there is a question mark over Mkhitaryan's ability to adjust to the Premier League. The Armenian is an attacking midfielder of rare quality but the last Borussia Dortmund playmaker to pitch up at Old Trafford certainly didn't fare so well...
Mourinho has some wonderful young talent to work with, including Marcus Rashford, but then, the Portuguese has never been a coach under whom talented teenagers have flourished.
The goal here is not to cast Mourinho in a negative light but to merely point out that after losing dressing rooms in his last two managerial positions, at Chelsea and Real Madrid, there is sufficient uncertainty surrounding his suitability to the United job to make one wonder why Pogba has left a stable, successful side in Turin for a team in transition.

Then again, the sentimentality of the situation cannot be underestimated. Pogba may well feel that he has unfinished business at Old Trafford. He bears no ill will towards Sir Alex Ferguson but remains bitterly upset by the fact that he was never given a proper chance to shine under the former United boss. "I was in love with Manchester and I was a Mancunian," he told FourFourTwo last year.
However, it still seems strange for a player driven by winning titles and being the best player he can be to have decided that now is the time to return. He could have either pushed for a move to reigning European champions Madrid or spent another season in Turin, where he would have been guaranteed another shot at the Champions League while he closely monitored how Mourinho was faring in Manchester.
Instead, Pogba has taken a huge gamble with his career - one that is only certain to pay off financially.
“If Paul leaves Juventus, it will be for the absolute top,” Raiola insisted last year. However, even the most die-hard United fan would grudgingly admit that the club are no longer at the pinnacle of European football.
Pogba may well be a work of art - but he is now a part of what is very much a work in progress.

Pogba & Zlatan IN: Man Utd are a world superpower once again

The world-record signing of Paul Pogba takes the Old Trafford giants back to a level they could only have dreamed of over the last three years
At the close of 2015-16 Manchester United were a pale shadow of their former majestic selves. Their league campaign had ended two days late without Champions League qualification for a second time in three years against the backdrop of organisational farce, and within a week their FA Cup victory was quickly forgotten amid an ill-timed leak that they were about to sack manager Louis van Gaal.
It was the perfect denouement to a season of underwhelming results and uninspiring football. Van Gaal had reduced them to a functional but frustrating side regularly barracked for their tedious style of play as part of the Dutchman’s ‘philosophy’. With their failures on the field, along with their shortcomings away from the pitch, they were struggling to command any kind of credibility as a modern-day leader in the game.
What a difference a couple of months can make.
The confirmation of Paul Pogba’s return to Old Trafford in a deal worth a total of beyond £200 million caps a summer which has seen a complete transformation of Manchester United’s image. From ailing fallen giants, they have quickly turned themselves into a superpower once more.
First came the acquisition of Jose Mourinho as manager, then the headline-grabbing signatures of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Pogba rounds out a near-perfect summer for a club that by rights should have struggled to attract players of such a star level due to their absence from the Champions League this time around.
How many clubs preparing for Thursday night football have ever managed to load their squad with top-quality talent like Pogba and Mkhitaryan? Who else other than United and Mourinho could possibly have hoped to persuade Ibrahimovic that he should give up one of his final chances to win a Champions League by joining a Europa League outfit instead?

The secret behind it, of course, is United’s amazing pulling power off the field. Despite their decline on the field under David Moyes and then Van Gaal following on from Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign, they have only become bigger and better in a commercial sense. Jaw-dropping amounts continue to be made by Ed Woodward and his board in order to fuel the Old Trafford coffers.
Just as they threw money at Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao two years ago, United have responded to a top-four failure by going big. But whereas the board drove the arrival of Van Gaal’s two biggest captures in his first summer at Old Trafford, this time they have got the process right. This time they put everything into Mourinho’s hands and simply went out and got what he asked for.
The Portuguese highlighted four areas of weakness, and every one has been addressed. A hole in defence has been filled by Eric Bailly, the lack of bolshie leadership in the final third needed an Ibrahimovic, Mkhitaryan will add the spark in the attacking line that was missing last term, and now Pogba will provide the drive that United haven’t had since the days of Paul Scholes.

Mourinho is the first Manchester United manager to get his way in the market since Ferguson, and United look like the real deal again as a result. So what if it cost them a fortune to get to where they are now? They have the money, let them spend it. In football’s age of the individual, United simply went out and recruited some of the greatest personalities in the game.
What is of the utmost importance is that United fans can now head for game this season with a spring in their step again; with hope once more. For the last few seasons there have been no title challenges and very little in the way of attractive football. This term, that will simply not be the case.
It will be another 12 months before they can even begin to show Europe just how far they have come since the end of May, but the Premier League has already been served notice that Manchester United are a powerhouse once more.

Conte keen to solve defensive issues

The Blues showed plenty of potency in front of goal as they downed Werder Bremen 4-2 on Sunday, but the boss would like to see more solidity at the back

Chelsea coach Antonio Conte has been impressed with his side's pre-season preparations but says there is still work to be done defensively.
West Ham visit Stamford Bridge on August 15 in Chelsea's Premier League curtain-raiser, with Conte targeting seven days of graft to get his team on the same page at the back.
After defeating Werder Bremen 4-2 in a friendly, ex-Juventus boss Conte was left displeased by his side's defensive lapses.
Nemanja Matic gave away a penalty to allow ex-Chelsea striker Claudio Pizarro to convert from the spot, before substitute Lennart Thy was given the space to power an effort home from range in the second half.
"There were some bad situations to concede two goals which I didn't like," Conte told Chelsea's official website.
"We must improve a lot, but we were tired after our pre-season, it was a good victory.
"We've finished our pre-season, it was very tough and hard in all aspects and we must be pleased to finish with a win.
"We are working very hard to be ready, it will be difficult, we know we have some problems but we are trying to solve them.
"I saw positive things and many situations that we can improve. We are working on this. Now there is only one week left of work before the season starts."

Mourinho explains decision to sub 'angry' Mata

The Spain international was replaced half an hour after coming on for the Red Devils in the Community Shield, but the Portuguese boss has explained things
Jose Mourinho says he took off Juan Mata just half an hour after his introduction in order to defend against high balls in the final minutes of Manchester United's 2-1 Community Shield win over Leicester City.
Mata was introduced on 63 minutes for opening goalscorer Jesse Lingard, who had taken a knock to his foot, but was hauled off in injury time for Henrik Mkhitaryan as the Premier League champions pushed for an equaliser.
The 28-year-old, who has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford in recent weeks, was visibly frustrated as he made his way back to the dugout for the final seconds of United's triumph at Wembley.
But Mourinho, who sold Mata to United during his first season back as Chelsea manager in 2013-14, says he made the change to help run out the clock while leaving his team capable of defending from late set-pieces.
"I know I did something which is not nice to do which is replace Mata, but he's happy now," Mourinho told reporters. "The rules allowed six changes, and I wanted to stop the game, to kill time. I have one more player [to bring on] and I have to pick the smallest one [to come off].
"He played very well, he gave me exactly what I needed.
"However I knew it would end with long balls, throw-ins, so I don't pick [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic or [Marouane] Fellaini for sure. Mata is the smallest one.
"He was very angry but they threw everything. We want to win and everybody is happy in the end."
Ibrahimovic marked his competitive debut for United with the winning goal seven minutes from time, after Jame Vardy had equalised following a superb solo strike from Lingard.
Vardy's goal, Leicester's first effort on target, came after 52 minutes, when Fellaini played a backpass into his path after intercepting a ball from Ahmed Musa.
Mourinho, however, blamed the goal on the playing surface rather than his midfielder's error.
"It's a mistake of the slow pitch," he said. "I put my hand on the surface and thought 'wow, we're in trouble' because we wanted a fast pitch.
"Marouane gives the backpass, the ball slows down, and Vardy smells everything and is really fast."

This is only the beginning - Zlatan fires warning after Community Shield winner

After leading the club to a title in his official debut with a decisive header, the former Paris Saint-Germain star believes they will only get better as the season progresses
Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes there is something big going on at the club after netting the winner in the Community Shield against Leicester City on Sunday.
Ibrahimovic made the decisive impact on his competitive debut for United seven minutes from time at Wembley with a looping header from Antonio Valencia's cross to seal a 2-1 victory for Jose Mourinho's men.
Earlier Jesse Lingard had opened the scoring for United with a brilliant solo goal, only for Jamie Vardy to cancel out that effort for the reigning Premier League champions.
But Leicester could not respond to Ibrahmiovic's goal as the Swede sealed his first piece of silverware as a United player after winning 12 trophies in four years at Paris Saint-Germain.
"There's something big going on with our team, we're only at the beginning but it is a good start," Ibrahimovic explained after the game.
"It feels good. First official game, we played for the trophy and we won. That's what it is all about - it is the 31st trophy I've won.
"It is why I came here, and hopefully there will be more. We played against a good team, you can see they are very strong and a collective.
"I feel very good, it's a fantastic team, with good spirit, and everybody knows the coach. He does everything to win.

"It is probably the biggest club that I have ever played in, the only one that compares is Milan."

Ranieri: Forget what Leicester have achieved

The Foxes boss told his side to put last season behind them and urged the players to strive to achieve more this season
Leicester City might have made history last time out when they claimed their maiden Premier League title in the most spectacular of seasons, but Claudio Ranieri said last season is just that: history.
Ranieri and Co. finished 10 points clear of Arsenal to complete one of the greatest achievements in sporting history.
And having now tasted Premier League glory, Ranieri is hungry for more.
"I was satisfied," he said ahead of Sunday's Community Shield clash with Manchester United. "But now I am hungry. I want to eat something."
"I said: 'I know you very well now. Forget what we have achieved; I want more,'" he said.
"You can't tell me: 'This is my maximum.' I want more than the maximum of last season."
But Ranieri knows he is not the only one who is hungry.
Leicester might have been the hunters in 2015-16, but this year they are the hunted and Ranieri knows there are six big, hungry teams in United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham looking to make Premier League glory their own.
"Now there are six big teams who want to win, they want to kill us," Ranieri said.
"That is normal. We are the champions but we are still the underdogs. But I don’t want my players to ever give up against them.
"We can lose but I want to see them playing together as a team, helping each other. Suffer for your team-mates, that is my philosophy. Last season we did something that is hard to repeat. We know that very well but I want the maximum from everybody."

Wenger: Premier League will be more open than ever

The Frenchman insists that the club can come out on top in the most open title race in years, as the Gunners prepare for next weekend's opening game against Liverpool
Arsene Wenger is braced for another highly competitive Premier League title race, though he has urged his Arsenal players to ensure that they come out on top.
The 2016-17 Premier League season gets underway next week, with surprise title holders Leicester City looking to stun the sporting world yet again.
Wenger's Arsenal played second-fiddle to Leicester last term, ultimately finishing as runners-up as their drought without a Premier League trophy extended to 12 years.
Arsenal's bid to top the table for the first time since 2004 will not get any easier, though, as Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte, Jurgen Klopp, Mauricio Pochettino and Claudio Ranieri also vie for supremacy in what Wenger insists will be a wide open title race.
"There are plenty of clubs with big ambition. At the moment there are many big managers and many big clubs," said the Frenchman, after Friday's 8-0 friendly rout of Viking.
"It raises the ambition and the hope everywhere, but only one will win it. We just have to make sure it is us.
"The competition will be very fierce, especially with Leicester winning it last year. Nobody expected that so some smaller clubs could hope to be in the fight for it too. They can say that the bigger clubs will drop points against each other, so it will be more open than ever but also more interesting.
"We've got a difficult start against Liverpool, then it's Leicester straight away, then to Watford. In the first three games we have to make sure that we are ready."

Arsenal open their Premier League campaign at home to Liverpool on August 14, without key trio Mesut Ozil, Laurent Koscielny and Olivier Giroud.

OFFICIAL: Manchester City announce Moreno signing

The 19-year-old follows in the footsteps of Ilkay Gundogan, Leroy Sane and Gabriel Jesus in joining the club this summer, but will be immediately loaned to Deportivo La Coruna
Manchester City have completed the signing of young Colombia international Marlos Moreno, the club announced on Saturday.

The 19-year-old forward arrives at the Etihad Stadium from Atletico Nacional and has signed a five-year deal.

Moreno, though, will immediately join Deportivo La Coruna on loan, and will remain with the Spanish side until the end of the 2016-17 season.
“City are one of the best clubs in the world," the teenager told the club's official website.

"It will be nice to experience being part of such a big club. I want to make the most of it.

“Pep Guardiola is one of the best managers in the world. I think he likes young players very much and he can improve young players tactically and technically. It will be great to work with him and to be part of a great team.”
Moreno becomes City's seventh signing of the summer, following the acquisitions of Leroy Sane, Ilkay Gundogan, Nolito, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus and Aaron Mooy.

Mourinho expects strong Premier League defence from Leicester

The Foxes have signed five players this summer and the Red Devils boss has been impressed by their dealings, as they attempt to reclaim the title they so shockingly won
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho expects Premier League champions Leicester City to launch a strong defence of their title after an impressive pre-season.
Mourinho has been impressed with the club's signings during the transfer window - the club have acquired the likes of Ahmed Musa and Bartosz Kaputska - and believes that the Foxes have assembled a stronger squad than the one that shocked the world to win the title last season.
But Mourinho is aware of how hard it is to defend the Premier League title, and believes that the extra stress of Champions League football could take its toll on Claudio Ranieri's men.
"I think it will be a different season for them but they can cope with the situation. They have a new experience playing the Champions League which changes the profile of their season," Mourinho said.
"They have a minimum of six big matches to play in between Premier League matches so that changes their season but they have a better squad.
"They have bought good players. The manager is good, he is experienced. I think they can cope. I hope they cope. I wish everything goes well for them."
Mourinho will get a close look at the champions as he pits his new-look United squad against them in the Community Shield on Sunday.

Ozil, Koscielny and Giroud to miss Liverpool clash - Wenger

The Frenchman confirmed the influential trio will not play a part in his side's Premier League opener against Liverpool next weekend following the 8-0 friendly win over Viking
Mesut Ozil, Laurent Koscielny and Olivier Giroud will all miss Arsenal's Premier League opener against Liverpool, manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed.
The influential trio have not resumed training following their exploits at Euro 2016 and Wenger has since ruled them out of facing Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool next Sunday at the Emirates Stadium.
Speaking after Arsenal's 8-0 friendly rout of Norwegian outfit Viking on Friday, Wenger said: "The Liverpool game will come too early for them."
The absence of Giroud leaves Wenger short on forward options, though Theo Walcott and Chuba Akpom continue to stake their claims for a starting berth.
Walcott opened his pre-season account against Viking, while Akpom maintained his fine form ahead of the new Premier League campaign after netting his third friendly goal.
oel Campbell and Alex Iwobi scored braces, with Santi Cazorla and an own goal inspiring the demolition at the Viking Stadion.

Mourinho: Ronaldo's Euro 2016 final antics didn't help Portugal

The Manchester United manager was not impressed with the star's actions towards the end of the decider in France, and dubbed it an "overload of emotion"

Jose Mourinho says Portugal was not helped by an animated Cristiano Ronaldo in the final of Euro 2016.
The Real Madrid star was forced off in the first half of the 1-0 win over host nation France after sustaining a knee injury in a challenge with Dimitri Payet.
Ronaldo returned to the dugout for extra time and was seen gesticulating wildly in an effort to encourage his teammates, at one stage lifting coach Fernando Santos from out of his path.
Former Portugal and Benfica star Antonio Simoes criticised Ronaldo for his antics, and Mourinho has agreed that the 31-year-old's "overload of emotion" did not help his side's cause.
"His contribution in the last few minutes of the final was nothing," the Manchester United boss told Sport TV. "There were 11 players on the pitch doing their job, and the person in charge of them was the coach.
"I looked at it as an overload of emotion, from someone who saw that the team was just minutes away from achieving the objective that they all wanted.
"He lost a little emotional control, although that's not a bad thing. I think the 11 who were there in those four or five minutes were totally focused on what they were doing, they had full control of the situation.
"But my experience has told me that, in these moments, when important decisions might need to be made, the players are lost in their own little worlds."
A solitary strike from Eder in extra time secured Portugal's first major trophy at the final in Paris.

Viking 0-8 Arsenal: Wenger's men run riot in easy friendly win

Joel Campbell and Alex Iwobi both netted twice as the Gunners romped to a dominant victory in Stavanger, with Viking capitulating after the break

Seven second-half goals helped Arsenal to an 8-0 thrashing of Viking in Friday's friendly in Norway.
Santi Cazorla saw a penalty saved by goalkeeper Iven Austbo after just four minutes, but Arsene Wenger's side responded emphatically to record a third pre-season win in a row.
Joel Campbell opened the scoring on 33 minutes, but the Gunners had to wait until five minutes after the break to take control of proceedings, when Cazorla blasted home from distance.
Theo Walcott and Campbell both struck from close range before the hour mark before substitute Alex Iwobi got in on the act, burying Cazorla's pass before drilling a low effort in off the post with nine minutes to play.
Chuba Akpom rounded off the scoring in the 89th minute to seal Arsenal's win, and put Wenger's squad into fine spirits ahead of Sunday's friendly with Manchester City.
Cazorla's spot-kick was well saved by Austbo, but Arsenal's control on proceedings eventually told 12 minutes before half-time, when Campbell turned in Mohamed Elneny's header following a corner.
Cazorla made no mistake when picking his spot in the second half, as he raced into space 20 yards out before rifling a left-footed shot into the goalkeeper's bottom-left corner to make it 2-0.
With the floodgates swinging open, Walcott made it three, smashing home from close range after being teed up by Campbell, and the Costa Rica forward doubled his own tally just six minutes later when he fired a shot in off the crossbar after Iwobi sent him free into the area.
Iwobi got himself on the scoresheet on 71 minutes, as Viking surrendered possession in their own half to allow Cazorla to pick out the Nigerian, who finished coolly from close range.
The 20-year-old swept him his second and Arsenal's seventh as the Viking defence appeared to surrender completely, collecting Jeff Reine-Adelaide's pass before curling a low shot in off the far post from the left of the area.
Amund Wichne was introduced for the beleaguered Austbo for the closing minutes, but he was unable to prevent Akpom making it 8-0 to Arsenal, as he spilled a shot to allow the substitute a tap-in.

RUMOURS: Chelsea weighing up Stanciu move

At a budget price of just £6 million, the 23-year-old starlet could be subject to an offer from Antonio Conte's Stamford Bridge side
Chelsea are keeping close tabs on Steaua Bucharest attacker Nicolae Stanciu, according to the Mirror.

The versatile attacker, who can operate anywhere across the attacking line, struck 14 goals and racked up 11 assists last season at club level.

The 23-year-old's exploits have caught the eye of Blues boss Antonio Conte, who feels a bid of just £6 million should be enough to land the forward.

Winners and losers of the MLS summer transfer window

Philadelphia Union, Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps were among the teams who best bolstered their squads for the upcoming season...
The MLS summer transfer window has drawn to a close, and while there weren't any superstar additions on the level of a Thierry Henry or a David Beckham, teams throughout the league made this one of the busiest summers in recent memory.
The league's new player acquisition tool, targeted allocation money, not only paved the way for teams to be more aggressive on the international player front, it also gave teams another trade tool to work with even if they were focusing on talent already in the league.
The MLS transfer window closed late Wednesday evening, and while teams can still pick up free agents, most of the important roster building for the stretch run was completed this week. Here is a look at the teams that made the most of the transfer window, and the teams that missed their chance to load up for the playoff stretch.
PHILADELPHIA UNION. The clear-cut winners this summer. Yes, the Union paid a high price for the services of U.S. national team midfielder Alejandro Bedoya, but the reality is he is a serious upgrade and his versatility will give Jim Curtin plenty of options when trying to put together a starting lineup. He also provides a veteran locker room presence on a young team. The addition of Charlie Davies gives the Union the kind of fast forward option they were lacking, and his relationship with close friend and former college teammate Bedoya should help boost the Union locker room.
SEATTLE SOUNDERS. The addition of Uruguayan playmaker Nicolas Lodeiro is a game changer and, while he has played just one game so far, that appearance only heightened expectations about what he can do for the struggling Sounders attack. The Sounders also brought back Alvaro Fernandez, a move that was overshadowed by Lodeiro's arrival, but one that should also help the club make a late playoff push.
CHICAGO FIRE. It will take some time to know just how successful this window was for the Fire, but they were certainly busy trying to revamp the roster and brought in a pair of players Veljko Paunovic will be hoping can provide an upgrade. Michael de Leeuw was acquired in May, but only recently made his debut in July and has shown signs of being a quality addition. Armenian striker David Arshakyan is an unknown quantity to American soccer fans, but the 6-foot-4 forward should give the Fire a physical presence up top. Luis Solignac is a more known quantity in MLS, and should be an upgrade.
Where the Fire made out was in their trading of the top allocation spot to the Philadelphia Union. They landed a first-round pick, close to $200,000 in allocation money and a discovery option on an unnamed player. That deal, coupled with the FIre's ability to unloaded unwanted forward Gilberto and send Kennedy Igboananike to D.C. United, should help in the long run. Unfortunately for Fire fans, there were no high-profile signings that might help truly turn the season around.
COLORADO RAPIDS. You can argue that Tim Howard's contract was a steep price to pay for a goalkeeper, but it's tough to argue with the idea that he steps in right away as one of the best goalkeepers in MLS and the perfect leader to help a team that suddenly has championship aspirations. Replacing Luis Solignac with longtime MLS veteran Sebastien Le Toux could also wind up being a significant pickup.
NEW YORK RED BULLS. The days of superstar acquisitions are on hold these days at Red Bull Arena, but moves like the two made this week show a Red Bulls team committed to winning its first MLS Cup. Newly signed designated player Omer Damari gives the team sorely needed forward depth and Austrian winger Daniel Royer gives them an experienced player to help fill the void left by the departure of Lloyd Sam.
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS. It was a very busy summer window for the Whitecaps, who landed some players capable of contributing right away in attack and defense. The addition of Giles Barnes was a shrewd one, and the Jamaican attacker should help boost an offense that has struggled without injured speedster Kekuta Manneh. The arrival of Canadians David Edgar and Marcel de Jong have also given the team depth.
The Whitecaps were sellers as well, moving Octavio Rivero to Chile and flipping Fabian Espindola to Necaxa for a tidy profit after acquiring him from D.C. United.
COLUMBUS CREW. Remember when Kei Kamara was traded and the belief was that the big haul received from New England would help the Crew improve? Well, not only has the Crew's season devolved into a nightmare, but those major reinforcements didn't really arrive. Norwegian defender Nicolai Naesse should help the team on the defensive front, and Zack Steffen is a future star at the goalkeeper position. That said, the Crew don't look like a team that did enough to really turn around a terrible season.
SPORTING KANSAS CITY. Peter Vermes spoke out recently about what he believes to be an inflated transfer market, comments that came as Sporting KC failed to make a major splash this summer. To be fair, the winter saw free agent pickups Brad Davis and Justin Mapp, but you feel like Sporting KC could have used one more starting-caliber forward.
FC DALLAS. Why is a team currently leading the overall MLS standings on this list? Blame Fabian Castillo. His transfer saga has become an ugly eyesore and now it has dragged on to the point where it seems like FC Dallas will have no choice but to sell. The prolonged ordeal now means that even if FC Dallas agrees to sell, a transfer won't help the club improve this season's squad. And if Castillo stays in Dallas? Things won't be pretty.
HOUSTON DYNAMO. Owen Coyle's departure was always going to lead to a shakeup in Houston, and Giles Barnes' departure was part of that. The Dynamo essentially raised the white flag on the 2016 season with the acquisition of some younger international players in Keyner Brown and Yair Arboleda. Eric Alexander could turn into a useful pickup, but overall it felt like an underwhelming summer for a team that has endured several down years.
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION. The Revs don't make this list because they traded Charlie Davies to the Union. They're here because they didn't do anything to improve the roster in the summer window. To be fair, they made their big splash in April with the acquisition of Kei Kamara, but for a team still chasing a playoff spot, the summer window felt like a wasted opportunity for New England.

Bayern will not pay Lewandowski 'crazy' wages

While the German powerhouse are keen to extend the Poland star's current deal, they have admitted that the likes of Manchester City and PSG could pay him more
Bayern Munich are ready to offer Robert Lewandowski a new and improved deal, but the Bundesliga champions will not be paying their star striker "crazy" wages.
The Poland international's existing contract runs until June 2019, but Bayern are keen to reward him for his fine performances since his transfer from Borussia Dortmund in 2014 amid interest from Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.
Although talks are well under way, Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge suggested negotiations could be drawn out over wage demands.
"We have had a number of meetings with Lewandowski's agents. We are ready to renew his contract," Rummenigge told Bild.
"We will definitely not sell him. But we have always been willing to change a player's contract if the situation or his value changes.
"We will not be paying the kind of wages on offer at Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, though. We are paying some very good wages, but those clubs are paying crazy figures.
"You do not win more trophies [by paying such wages] anyway."
Lewandowski, 27, netted 30 goals in 32 Bundesliga appearances last term as Bayern cruised to the domestic title.

Buffon: Higuain showed great courage & personality in Juve move

The goalkeeper is confident the €90 million striker will add a lot to the Serie A champions and believes he was right to make the move
Gianluigi Buffon says new Juventus team-mate Gonzalo Higuain has shown great courage in making the move from Napoli.
The Argentine made a €90 million transfer from the Serie A runners-up to the champions, much to the intense displeasure from Napoli supporters.
But Buffon says the striker - who scored 36 league goals last season to set a new record in a single Serie A campaign - does not deserve hassle for making such a controversial move.
"I believe that a player who has the courage to make such a choice demonstrates a great personality," Buffon told Sky Sport Italia on Thursday.
"Someone like Higuain, who over three years at Napoli scored loads of goals, has the right to choose another destination.
"He can have an enormous impact on our squad."

OFFICIAL: Aston Villa snap up McCormack for £12m

The Scotland international scored 42 goals for Fulham following his £11 million move from Leeds United in 2014, and has now completed a similarly big-money move to Villa Park
Aston Villa have signed Ross McCormack from Fulham for £12 million, the club have confirmed.
McCormack becomes Villa's fourth signing of the close-season, following the arrivals of Pierluigi Gollini, Tommy Elphick and Aaron Tshibola, and has signed a four-year contract.
The Scotland international scored 42 goals in 100 appearances for Fulham in all competitions, having joined for a similarly sizeable fee of £11m from Leeds United two years ago.
"I'm delighted to bring Ross on board," said Villa boss Roberto Di Matteo. "He's a player with a proven track record and plenty of experience in the division.
"He is a player whose goalscoring record has been excellent everywhere he has been and we feel he can be an important addition."
Villa begin their Championship season at Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday.

Ferdinand: Pogba doesn't want money - he wants to be the world's best

The former Manchester United defender believes his ex-team-mate will be returning to Old Trafford for the right reasons if his proposed €110 million transfer is completed
Rio Ferdinand has insisted that Paul Pogba's proposed world-record move to Manchester United is not motivated by money.
The Juventus midfielder left Old Trafford in 2012 due to a lack of first-team opportunities but now looks set to return for a reported fee of €110 million.
United are also likely to spend big on Pogba's salary but Ferdinand, who faced the pressure of living up to a £30m price tag when he joined the Red Devils in 2002, believes the Frenchman is motivated solely by his goal of becoming the world's best player.
"I speak to Paul," Ferdinand told the Daily Mirror. "I know him. For Paul, it's all about football. It’s not about money.
"The biggest thing for me and my family [when I moved to United] was not the money. It was: 'What's Giggsy like? What's Roy Keane like?'
"Paul's like that. He loves football. It's all about improving and being the best.
"When he left I asked him why and he said: 'I want to be the best player in the world.' He's on the right track."
Ferdinand says the biggest pressure on Pogba will not come from the weight of public expectation but from within United.
"[The transfer fee] is big pressure, but my biggest pressure wasn't on the football pitch at Old Trafford," he added.
"My biggest pressure was on the training pitch with those players. It was walking into the dressing room knowing that they were thinking: 'What does £30m get you then? Can he win us the league? Can he help be the bedrock of this team?'
"That's the pressure that I felt most when I went into Manchester United, and putting that pressure on myself to write myself into the history of the club through success and winning trophies."

Neymar & Brazil booed after draw with 10-man South Africa

The Barcelona star could not find the breakthrough and Rogerio Micale's side were greeted with jeers at the final whistle as their home Games got off to a rocky start

Brazil were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by 10-man South Africa in their opening Olympic Games match in Brasilia on Thursday.
Head coach Rogerio Micale fielded captain Neymar, rising star Gabriel Barbosa and new Manchester City signing Gabriel Jesus in a fearsome three-pronged attack but they were unable to find a breakthrough inside a packed Mane Garrincha Stadium.
Lebo Mothiba twice missed chances for South Africa in the first half before the hosts began to take control, with Neymar twice coming close from distance and Gabriel Jesus hitting the post with the goal gaping.
South Africa were dealt a blow when Mothobi Mvala picked up a second booking in quick succession but despite their territorial dominance, Brazil could not find the goal they needed to take control in Group A.
Mothiba dragged a presentable opening wide from inside the area in an even first half, though Neymar stung the hands of Itumeleng Khune as Brazil began to step up their attacking efforts.
Neymar then whipped a curling shot onto the roof of the net from 20 yards and Gabriel Barbosa forced Khune into action from distance, but the packed crowd in Brasilia grew increasingly restless as Brazil struggled for inspiration in attack.
Mvala's dismissal gave the hosts some renewed impetus but Gabriel Jesus missed a sitter midway through the second half, turning the ball onto the base of the post with Khune having been caught out by Luan's bouncing cross.
Barbosa was twice denied at close range by Khune and Neymar almost squeezed a shot home in stoppage time after a run from the left, but Brazil were forced to settle for a point.
The result leaves Group A finely poised heading into Sunday's second round of matches, with Iraq and Denmark having played out a goalless draw earlier in Brasilia.

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