Immediately he took to Instagram to thank the fans for supporting him all season.
The attacking-midfielder cost a club-record £13.2m and though he has shined in spells, overall he has struggled with the competitiveness of the Championship and in particular the physicality.
Nottingham Forest went big to get Carvalho and his returns for an attacking midfielder have not been great. He has scored four goals and registered eight assists. These numbers are not bad but for a team that wanted to challenge for the playoffs they needed greater goal contribution from their club-record-man.
This could be because he has found his game time severely limited since Martin O’Neill took over as Forest manager, only starting six games since January.
The Forest fans though appear to have taken him to their hearts and perhaps they understand that he will need some time to adapt to the rigorous nature of the Championship.
The 22-year-old will no doubt have a good rest and return for Forest fresh and eager, as they try to make it to the Premier League next season.
Arsenal are going to prioritise the Premier League over the Europa League, according to midfielder Granit Xhaka.
The Switzerland international said last week that he would rather finish in the top four than win the competition, despite the club reaching the semi-finals, where they will face Valencia over two legs.
Per The Independent, he said: “I think, for me, the Premier League is first and after if you can go to the final and take the Europa League, of course, it is nice as well but for us it is the Premier League first.”
This quote looked naive at the time. It looks downright stupid now.
Arsenal lost 3-2 to Crystal Palace at the Emirates at the weekend and, prior to their encounter with Wolves in midweek, the Gunners sit fifth. They are one point behind Chelsea and four behind Tottenham Hotspur with four games of their season remaining. Manchester United, in sixth, are only two points further back.
Now, it must be said that Arsenal’s away record this season is quite simply woeful. In 16 games on the road, Arsenal have won six, drawn four and lost six.
Their home record, by comparison, would see them third, with their defeat to Palace only their second at the Emirates in 2018-19. It is a shame, then, that Arsenal have just one home game of the season remaining, against Brighton & Hove Albion. Trips to Wolves, Leicester and Burnley loom.
The Europa League, then, has to be the priority.
Valencia are fifth in La Liga and have lost to the likes of Alaves, Sporting Gijon and Rayo Vallecano this season. This is an inherently winnable tie for Emery’s men. It must be said, too, that Arsenal can progress to the final with just a victory at the Emirates; a thumping win in north London and a draw in Spain, or even a small defeat, would see the club through to the showpiece.
Soccer Football – Europa League – Round of 16 First Leg – Stade Rennes v Arsenal – Roazhon Park, Rennes, France – March 7, 2019 Arsenal manager Unai Emery looks dejected after conceding an own goal and Stade Rennes’ second Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs
If they get there, they will face either Chelsea, an opponent they know well, or Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt. Similar to Valencia, Frankfurt are fifth in the German top-flight and progressed to the semi-finals after a first leg defeat to Benfica – they won the second leg 2-0 after a 4-2 first leg loss.
This season, Arsenal and Chelsea have met twice. The Gunners won 2-0 at home and, true to form, lost at Stamford Bridge, 3-2.
The path, then, appears to be clear. And Emery would do well to follow the lead of Jose Mourinho, the former Manchester United manager.
Yes, the Portuguese was bombed out of the club after what many saw as a poisonous reign.
But he won the Europa League at Old Trafford in the 2016-17 season. In that campaign, United finished the season in sixth.
Mourinho clearly knew that the top four was beyond his reach – United finished seven points behind fourth-placed Liverpool – and focused his energies instead on ensuring that the club qualified for the Champions League via something of a backdoor.
He succeeded and the momentum gained from that season saw United improve dramatically the following season as they finished second. Of course, they were a mammoth 19 points behind champions Manchester City but Pep Guardiola’s side collected a record-breaking 100 points. One can chalk that up to experience, then.
Still, the point absolutely stands. United won the Europa League and used that momentum to improve their Premier League standing, while also playing in the Champions League.
With Arsenal facing a difficult run-in filled with tricky away trips, Emery should take a page out of Mourinho’s book.
To do that, he will have to ignore Xhaka – valued at £45 million by Transfermarkt. But, given how ridiculous the Swiss’ words look now, that should not be too difficult.
According to ESPN, Manchester United are ‘seriously considering’ making an offer of €120m for Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak this summer, which has plunged David de Gea’s future at the club in doubt – if successful, it would be a world-record fee for a keeper.
The Spanish international has made a series of errors in recent weeks for the Red Devils, during a time where his future at Old Trafford is still looking uncertain.
De Gea is still yet to agree a new contract with the 20-time Premier League champions as he bargains to earn the same wage as the club’s top earner, Alexis Sanchez, on £400,000-a-week.
The Flying Pig unleashes fury on Dea Gea, Young, Sanchez and Pogba in the funniest player ratings ever in the video below…
As a result, United seem to be eyeing up alternatives. However, with Sergio Romero and the promising Dean Henderson next in line to De Gea’s throne, should they even sign Oblak? Football FanCast’s writers have their say…
Matt Dawson
“I think it’s well and truly time for United to bite the bullet on De Gea, so lining up Oblak would be outstanding business. He’s easily one of the best goalkeepers in the world and given the mistakes De Gea has made recently, securing the services of another top star would go a long way to solving their defensive issues. Solskjaer has a big job on his hands to rebuild this summer but Oblak would be a phenomenal first building block.”
Ben Goodwin
“Oblak would be a tremendous waste of money for Manchester United, and that’s no slight at the player himself. He is one of best shot-stoppers on the planet if not the best, but he would cost a huge chunk of any sum received from an exit for De Gea, and there are other parts of the XI more desperate for improvement. If De Gea goes, the Red Devils would be better served moving forward with Romero and Henderson as their options in goal, freeing up funds to make the proper improvements required elsewhere in the team.”
Harry Elnaugh
“If United offload De Gea, only to blow the entire sum received for the Spaniard on Oblak, then they’re crazy. De Gea might have had a bad season but it will likely be his last. They should stick with him for another year at least as long as he wants to be there and, if not, they would be much better served going after a young shot-stopper whom Solskjaer can mould into a star in the next few years.”
حصل بطولات على حيثيات حكم مركز التسوية والتحكيم بشأن بطلان لائحة الزمالك الأخيرة وما ترتب عليها من أثار.
وكان مصدر في اللجنة الأولمبية قد أكد في تصريحات خاصة لـ بطولات: “الانتخابات الأخيرة والتي تم خلالها انتخاب أحمد مرتضى منصور، عضوًا في مجلس الإدارة، واللائحة الأخيرة أصبحت ملغية، حكم لجنة التسوية والتحكيم يُعتبر نهائيًا ولا يجوز الطعن عليه”. طالع التفاصيل
وجاءت حيثيات حكم بطلان لائحة الزمالك فى الدعوى رقم 15 لسنة 3 ق لعام 2019 الصادر من مركز التسوية والتحكيم الرياضى.
أولاً: قبول التدخل الهجومي من النادي المحتكم ضده شكلا وفي الموضوع بالرفض وإلزامه بمصروفات التدخل الهجومي وأتعاب المحكمين.
ثانيا: رفض الدفع المبدئي من النادي المتدخل هجوميًا بعدم اختصاص مركز التسوية والتحكيم المصري.
ثالثا: رفض الدفع المبدي من النادي المتدخل هجوميًا بعدم قبول الدعوى لرفعها من غير ذي صفة.
رابعًا: إلغاء القرار الصادر من رئيس اللجنة الأولمبية المصرية رقم 11 لسنة 2019 الصادر بتاريخ 1/6/2019 فيما تضمنه من الموافقة على اعتماد لائحة النظام الأساسي لنادي الزمالك المعدلة وما يترتب على ذلك من آثار.
خامسا: إلزام اللجنة الأولمبية المحتكم ضدها والنادى المتدخل هجوميا بالمصروفات شاملة الرسوم وأتعاب المحكمين فى الدعوى الأصلية مناصفة.
يذكر، أن اللجنة الأولمبية المصرية كانت قد قررت إيقاف مرتضى منصور رئيس نادي الزمالك 4 سنوات عن مزاولة أي نشاط رياضي، مع إلزام الزمالك بانتخاب رئيس جديد للنادي مع تغريمه 100 ألف جنيه، وذلك بسبب الشكاوى المقدمة ضده.
وجه أشرف صبحي وزير الشباب والرياضة، التهنئة للاعبي نادي الزمالك ومجلس الإدارة، بعد فوز الفريق على الرجاء المغربي اليوم الأحد، في دوري أبطال إفريقيا.
وفاز الزمالك على الرجاء، بهدف دون رد، سجله أشرف بن شرقي، في مباراة الذهاب بنصف نهائي بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، التي أقيمت بملعب محمد الخامس بالدار البيضاء.
وأعرب وزير الشباب والرياضة عن خالص أمنياته لفريقي الزمالك والأهلي في مباراتي العودة باستاد القاهرة، وتأكيد الفوز، والتأهل إلى نهائي البطولة؛ لتضمن مصر لقب النسخة الحالية من دوري أبطال إفريقيا.
الأهلي كان قد حقق الفوز على الوداد، مساء أمس السبت، بهدفين دون رد، في نصف النهائي الآخر للبطولة القارية.
ومن المقرر أن تقام مباراتي العودة في القاهرة، الأهلي يواجه الوداد يوم الجمعة المقبل، فيما يلتقي الزمالك مع الرجاء يوم السبت القادم، على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي.
كما تمنى وزير الرياضة التوفيق لنادي بيراميدز في مباراته المرتقبة أمام فريق حوريا كوناكري الغيني المقرر لها بعد غد الثلاثاء، وتحقيق الفوز بالمباراة.
طالع | أشرف بن شرقي يسجل رقمًا تاريخيًا مع الزمالك في دوري أبطال إفريقيا
وثمن وزير الشباب والرياضة تألق كرة القدم المصرية على المستوي القاري عقب استئناف البطولات بعد توقفها بسبب جائحة كورونا، مشيراً إلى أن تميز أداء اللاعبين المصريين مع فرقهم الثلاثة المشاركين بالبطولتين الإفريقية سينعكس بلا شك على أداء المنتخب الوطني الأول لكرة القدم في التصفيات المؤهلة لبطولة إفريقيا كون المنتخب سيضم أفضل اللاعبين منهم وفق رؤية الجهاز الفني للمنتخب.
[ad_pod ]Huddersfield Town’s second season in the Premier League has been the stuff of nightmares. The Terriers are currently stranded at the foot of the table, 16 points from safety with just eight games left to play.The Yorkshire club have managed just three league wins all season and have only netted 15 times in the Premier League – by far the lowest goal tally of any team in the division.Optimism is currently thin on the ground at the John Smith’s Stadium. Manager Jan Siewert will continue to believe that his side can pull off a miracle until it is mathematically assured otherwise. Attacker Elias Kachunga, though, already appears to have accepted that Huddersfield are going down.The indoor football skills in the video below have to be seen to be believed…
What he said
In the club’s recent press conference, as quoted by the outfit’s official Twitter account, the 26-year-old forward said: “We have a few games to go…We have to stick together and to try our best…We have to be realistic. We have to just focus on each game, we can’t change anything around us.â€
An honest assessment
These comments do seem a bit defeatist, and in that sense they’re honest. Huddersfield are beaten – their relegation all but assured. Kachunga’s comments on being realistic, and unable to change what’s around them, is indicative that he is aware that the club are done in the top flight.
This honesty is to be respected. The club have to continue doing their best week in, week out, but really the hierarchy’s focus should already be beginning to shift to next season. The Terriers have plenty of work to do if they’re to thrive in the Championship.
Siewert’s players will be as aware as anyone that the Terriers’ slim hopes of survival have now all but evaporated. Hiding behind platitudes helps no-one at this point.Â
Leeds United striker Kemar Roofe has taken to twitter to provide fans with a couple of updates on the progress of his ongoing recovery from injury.
The 26-year-old forward has been sidelined since sustaining a knee injury in February. The No. 7 has certainly been a big miss for the Whites, who have at times struggled to be as clinical in front of goal in the absence of their top scorer.
Roofe has notched 14 goals and racked up two assists in 26 Championship outings so far this season, as per Transfermarkt stats.
Patrick Bamford has generally done a fine job of leading the line for Marcelo Bielsa’s side in Roofe’s absence. However, with the Championship run-in approaching, and with Leeds still in the thick of the title hunt, the Argentine coach will be desperate to have Roofe back at his disposal and firing on all cylinders as soon as possible.
Plenty of Leeds fans have recently taken to twitter to wish Roofe well in his recovery…
Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has claimed that it is “impossible” for Danny Rose to start his side’s Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.
Rose sustained a shin injury during the club’s clash with Leicester City at the weekend, which Spurs won 3-1.
The England international was substituted late on, with Kyle Walker-Peters replacing the 28-year-old.
That change now appears to have been motivated by concern over the left-back’s fitness and it remains to be seen who will play against the Bundesliga giants.
Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…
Ben Davies is also on the sidelines and continues his rehabilitation from a groin injury.
That means that Jan Vertonghen is again likely to play at left-back, as he did during the club’s 1-0 win over Newcastle United.
And Spurs fans on Twitter have been left split over the news regarding Rose, with several excited at the prospect of Vertonghen playing at left-back, while others believe that it is a major blow for the club ahead of the first leg at Wembley.
Derby County secured safe passage to the next round of the FA Cup with a 1-0 win over Accrington Stanley on Saturday afternoon.
Both sides were reduced to ten men before the final whistle, but despite a spirited performance from the League One home side, Martyn Waghorn pounced in the 78th minute to poke the Rams ahead from close range.
Frank Lampard’s side just about deserved the win on the balance of play, and Waghorn will surely now have put himself in contention for more regular starts in the Championship.
Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…
The 29-year-old striker arrived at Pride Park from Ipswich Town in the summer (BBC), but he has been in and out of the Derby team so far this season. According to Transfermarkt’s statistics, the forward has made nineteen league appearances for Lampard’s side so far, though only twelve have come as a starter. He has only managed two goals and two assists in the league as well.
Lampard may have hoped to see a more prolific return on his summer investment by now, but he’ll be hoping that this contribution against Accrington Stanley sparks Waghorn into a run of good form.
After the win over Accrington Stanley, plenty of Derby fans took to Twitter to react to Waghorn’s heroics…
Queens Park Rangers winger Bright Osayi-Samuel has spoken about his improvement in front of goal, as reported by Football League World.
What did he say?
The 22-year-old has really kicked on at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium this campaign under Mark Warburton.
In his previous two seasons with the Championship club, since joining from Blackpool, he hadn’t made more than nine starts in a campaign, but he has gone on to make 20 this term, adding a further three substitute appearances.
One thing that has improved in that time, helping this integration into the starting lineup, is his finishing, which he has spoken about:
“I think, if I’m being honest, the thing with me is that I’ve always had chances but I’ve not had the composure when it really matters. Recently in the past two months, I feel like I’m more composed. When there’s a chance, I’m thinking about it rather than rushing it.
“That’s why I think I’ve scored more goals this season. I feel as though the more I do in training, the more I put myself in those situations of being composed and being relaxed when the chance comes, the more I do in training, the more I score in games. I believe most games I do create chances and it’s now time for me to score them.”
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Clear results
Osayi-Samuel’s work has had clear results, as he already has double the number of strikes that he managed last season, while also adding four assists, having failed to set up a goal in either of his two previous campaigns.
The former Blackpool man has scored four goals this season, bagging one against Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City, while also getting a brace against Cardiff City.
When looking at the way he secured these goals, it is clear to see how the work on composure has come into use, as he has taken the chances clinically.
Call yourself a Championship expert? Name all the top-scorers from each of these Championship seasons…
The one against Birmingham was arguably the biggest indication of this, as he had somebody tussling with him in an attempt to regain possession, but still had the piece of mind to beat the goalkeeper.
It will be hoped that he can continue this type of prolificacy in order to carry on getting on the score sheet.
Meanwhile, one man was slated for his performance against Huddersfield Town.