Tag Futebol

Romelu Lukaku’s new agent has made some bold claims recently about the status of the Belgian forward.

He has stated that had he been representing Lukaku earlier he would never have signed for Everton. He also believes Lukaku is better than Chelsea’s Diego Costa.

Is Mino Raiola right or is he just being disrespectful?

After spending a season on loan at Everton from Chelsea, Romelu Lukaku signed for Roberto Martinez’s side last July for £28 million. He had scored 15 league goals for the Toffees in the 2013/14 season; a bit of a jump from the 0 Premier League goals registered at Chelsea.

During his time at Everton, Lukaku has received immense praise for both his work rate and his goals. Whereas at Chelsea, he hardly got a look in.

So what is so wrong with playing for Everton?

They may not be a ‘big six’ side but they aren’t a bad side either. They were one of the teams to watch in the Europa League before being knocked out by Dynamo Kiev. Everton may not be as high up the table as they were last season but they also aren’t fighting to stay up.

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Considering Everton giving Lukaku first team football, he should be grateful. It is clear to see that Chelsea did not want him, despite Raiola saying he may have still been playing at the Bridge had he been his agent earlier.

But why would Lukaku want to stay at Chelsea just to keep the bench warm?

Everton have helped Lukaku become the player he is today. They may not be the most glamorous side on earth but you could certainly do a lot worse.

Raiola had no need to speak out about Everton. Having faith in Lukaku is one thing, but to bash the side who field him and pay his wages is another.

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Lukaku probably won’t play for Everton forever. But he does now and that is what matters.

He still plays in the league that is considered to be the best and most physical in the world. Raiola’s comments were disrespectful and he should be careful he does not make things worse for his player.

If anything, his comments could deter supposedly ‘bigger’ sides from signing him.

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Roberto Martinez insists Wigan will continue to play passing football as they battle to stay in the Premier League.

Latics again turned on the style to defeat Millwall 2-0 in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final and the Spaniard has vowed to stick by the same principles as his side fight another relegation battle.

Positive results for Sunderland and Aston Villa over the weekend mean Wigan are back in the bottom three and face battle to beat the drop over the remaining games of the season.

However, while Martinez wants his players to fight for survival, he also wants them to play good football.

“I have never been tempted to change,” he said. “From starting as a manager at Swansea in 2007, it hasn’t been easy.

“Everyone looks at Swansea now and thinks they have played that way for 20 years. It took six months. It was very new and people had to be educated.

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“But since I left my country to join the British game I would never change my football beliefs.”

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Everton fans have been reacting to the news that Kevin Mirallas wants to leave the club permanently, and let’s just say the Belgian might want to stay off Twitter for a few days.

Kevin Mirallas was a popular figure at the height of his Everton career. Fans were able to overlook his inconsistencies thanks to his passion for the shirt and his aggressive, exciting wing play.

The Belgian winger managed 29 league goals in 151 appearances for the Toffees, but fans eventually grew tired of him being world class twice a season and not even showing up in the other games.

He moved back to Olympiacos on loan in January, the club where he made his name, but has had little to no success, managing just two goals in 11 league appearances.

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“I have stated that I want to stay,” Mirallas told Greek publication SDNA when asked about his future at Olympiacos.

“But it is something for which there is no development, since it will be discussed at the end of the year.”

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If the 30 year-old was hoping for an outpouring of fans begging him not to leave, he might want to stay off social media, as fans are practically praising the heavens that his time at Goodison is done.

Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…

Javier Hernandez has long been insisting that if he’d been playing more games for Real Madrid then he’d be scoring more goals for the club. And true to his word since gaining back-to-back starts for Los Blancos, Chicharito hasn’t let his manager down.

His change of fortunes began when he was started against Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League quarter final match. The first-leg had surprisingly ended 0-0, despite both teams fielding highly capable forwards, though the city rivals had already played each other a ridiculous six times this season so perhaps they were just bored of the sight of each other.

Anyway, with neither side able to break the deadlock, everything was there to play for when the fixture came to the Bernabeu. And although Real Madrid will always be considered a stronger team than their much poorer neighbours, on the night of the return fixture they were missing key attacking players Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale. So up stepped Hernandez for his big moment, and he didn’t fail to impress.

Both teams had good chances, but with full time approaching and no goals yet again, it looked certain to go into extra time. Then a clever pass across the box from Cristiano Ronaldo to Hernandez put Real 1-0 up and ultimately into the semi finals.

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You could see from the Mexican’s reaction that he couldn’t quite believe his luck. Not only had he scored for his adopted club but his goal had allowed them to continue their journey towards an eleventh Champions League trophy.

Since that magical night Hernandez has found himself back in favour with manager Carlo Ancelotti. He was rewarded with a start in their next Liga match against Celta Vigo where he scored twice, a result which may well put him in contention for their remaining league fixtures and upcoming European game away to Italy’s Juventus.

Hernandez has been on loan with the Spanish capital club for the past year and his long term future will be decided shortly. If Real choose not to sign him on a permanent deal then he’ll return to parent club Manchester United, though manager Louis van Gaal has made it clear that despite his recent good form there is no future for the striker at the club.

Fortunately he has impressed enough lately to be able to receive a few good offers from top clubs if Real Madrid overlook him.

Throughout what has surely been a frustrating season waiting for consistent playing time, Hernandez has stayed positive and it is perhaps this positivity and patience that has meant he was able to play without fear and take his opportunities when they arrived. Many players who are in the middle of a goal drought or are trying to prove themselves allow the stress to affect their performances, and it often makes the situation worse.

Real Madrid could use having a player like Javier Hernandez as another attacking option next season, but would a player in the peak of his career agree to spending more time on the Old Trafford bench than on the pitch?

Whether he’s a Real Madrid player next season or not, Hernandez has shown that he is still a formidable and relevant striker and should be proud of his year as a Galactico.

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Not bad for a so-called Manchester United reject.

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Nuri Sahin blamed Brendan Rodgers for his unsuccessful Premier League stage at Liverpool, as the manager made him play in a position he was not used to.

The midfielder, who joined his former club Borussia Dortmund in January, thanked God for not being any longer under Rodgers’ management, The Metro Reports.

“I did not fail at Liverpool. Brendan Rodgers wanted me to play as a number 10. But I do not play behind the strikers”.

“I talked to him and asked him why he was playing me there. It is not my real position. The coach could not answer me”, he assured.

And the Turkish added: “I thank God I have left Brendan Rodgers”.

Nevertheless, the 24 year-old, who joined the Reds on loan from Real Madrid before returning to Germany in the January window, keeps a good memory of his days at Anfield.

“Still, I have no regrets. To play at Anfield was a wonderful experience. And maybe if I had not gone there I would not have been able to return to Borussia Dortmund. For that, I am happy”, the Turkey international said.

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Sahin, who only played 12 games with Liverpool, is not a regular yet in Jurgen Klopp’s plans and has featured mainly as a substitute with Dortmund.

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Mauricio Pochettino will have been disappointed to see his Tottenham Hotspur side only manage a draw against Brighton on Tuesday night, but the north London club’s attentions at this point in the season are firmly focused on the FA Cup.

With Manchester City and Liverpool both eliminated from the tournament, many are viewing this year’s FA Cup as Tottenham’s best chance of grabbing a trophy that acknowledges the incredible progress the club has made in recent seasons.

In order to do that, however, Tottenham will have to beat Manchester United in Saturday’s semi-final and accordingly, Pochettino’s team selection will have to be somewhere near perfect.

And considering the quality United boast in the middle-to-final thirds, selecting the right defensive midfielder could prove key. England international Eric Dier has occupied that role in the engine room on the most part this season, but Victor Wanyama played the full ninety minutes there against Brighton.

It wasn’t exactly an imposing display from the Kenyan but he provided an important and sturdy platform in midfield and would have played a hand in a clean sheet had Serge Aurier not tripped Jose Izquierdo inside the box for a penalty that was largely against the run of play.

So, Tottenham fans, who would you prefer to start in defensive midfield against the Red Devils? Let us know by voting below…

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Since arriving at Anfield in the summer of 2011 for a fee of around £16million, Jordan Henderson has been on a steady rise throughout his time at Liverpool, quickly becoming a solid member of Brendan Rodgers’ current side, and even staking his claim within the England national set-up in the run up to Euro 2016.

The former Sunderland man has subsequently been touted as a potential captain of future Liverpool teams, with some in the game even going as far as labeling the 24-year-old the ‘next Steven Gerrard.’

Within the context of such a claim, does the current Anfield midfielder really warrant such a lofty status, or has Jordan Henderson in-fact been just another in a long line of young English talents to simply receive too much hype in recent years?

Whatever your opinion on the no. 14, it must be conceded that the man from the North East has turned out to be a great deal better than what many within the footballing community initially deemed him to be. £16m certainly seemed like too much for a player that had barely achieved a thing in the Premier League, and had so far only displayed glimpses of what his overall game could offer.

Henderson has nonetheless proved that he is worthy of plying his trade in the English top-flight throughout the last few seasons, and definitely provides a positive force within Brendan Rodgers’ current side.

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However, none of this means that he is destined to become the next Steven Gerrard by any stretch of the imagination. Such claims seem to be born out of delusion rather than anything else. Yes – the romanticised idea of Gerrard being replaced by a young up-and-coming star currently in the same squad as the Liverpool legend would seem like the ideal situation, but if such claims are to be taken as truth, the future of this once successful football club will only continue to remain short of what Liverpool could ultimately be achieving.

Jordan Henderson simply doesn’t even come close to being the next Steven Gerrard in the grand scheme of things. Obviously scenarios such as this one are always subject to change, and of course, it is not impossible for the former Sunderland man to one day become an even better player, yet as things stand these bold statements are some way wide of the mark.

Gerrard possessed an ability that could see him get into any team in the world during his hey-day. His goal ratio from midfield was simply remarkable, he seemed to never lose control of the ball when the legendary Liverpool captain was at his best, and while that all important Premier League trophy nonetheless eluded the former England captain throughout his footballing life, his overall CV goes down as one of the best careers of his era.

The thought of Jordan Henderson starting for the likes of Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and perhaps even Chelsea – with all due respect – would simply seem too out of place to be given any real consideration. For all his effort and admirable determination shown for Brendan Rodgers’ team this season, the 24-year-old simply will never reach the world class status that many expect him to if he carries on at his current rate of development.

Henderson may have proven to be a very good player this campaign, but in all honesty he just hasn’t been outstanding. He can certainly go on to achieve his own individual legacy at Anfield, but with all things considered, the current England international simply doesn’t warrant being labelled the ‘next Steven Gerrard.’

Away from such needless hype and media scrutiny however, and the former Sunderland man might just eventually prove his doubters wrong…

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It’s hard to sum up the general feeling around Elland Road at the minute. Worryingly, I can’t decide whether that’s due to the amount of different opinions flying around, or whether it’s simply a fact that there just isn’t much feeling at all.

Our fans are renowned for their passion and commitment to the cause. We wont ever give up a fight even when it seems like all is lost and we’ve been written off by the rest of the watching world. Being Leeds is more to people than just football, there’s a sense of a pride that surrounds the club, an aura, the mere fact that we are still scrapping away despite being down for the count numerous times over the last few years shows just how much belief, at times blind belief, we have.

Unfortunately, over time that belief has been tested and stretched to breaking point, and it appears that this time there is no quick fix. The club as a whole has lost that spark that has always been the difference between us and anybody else.

You can look at attendances as proof of this, but my worry goes deeper than that.

What reason do the younger generation have to support Leeds? In the past we’ve always been one of the bigger clubs, battling it out in the Premier League and in Europe with the elite teams from around the world, not only that, but we still had that spark that made us different from the rest.

When kids grow up, they look at their friends who all support the usual big teams, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City etc and have a decision to make. Most of them will just go with the popular choice at the time, but there are always a few that want something different.

That has always been our advantage.

No crowd roars like an Elland Road crowd. It amazes me watching fans from other teams celebrate when they score, barely even bothering to applaud. Any youngster that gets given a taste of Elland Road at its best wont ever look back.

But as it stands, they wont have that option. The passion is dwindling and for the first time in my existence I can see people starting to care less about what happens to their club. They’ve put that much effort in to sticking at it through low after low that it’s got to the point where they don’t have the energy for it anymore.

It pains me to say it, but we are slowly but surely turning into just another average football team. The difference between us and the other clubs now is disappearing. We are no longer a big draw in the Championship, teams don’t fear Leeds United anymore.

I don’t blame GFH for this, they’ve inherited a club on it’s knees and they’ve been making an effort to get the fans back. The transfer window closed last week and most rational thinking fans will understand that despite not spending endless amounts of money, we have improved the squad and we’re quite clearly happy to pay the wages of better quality players. I’ve no doubt that we’ll see what GFH are truly made of in the summer, but by then who knows what position we will be in.

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Leeds need their spark back. Our recent win over Tottenham in the cup was a timely reminder of just how things could be, a capacity crowd filled with pride and passion, the players working hard together and our name back in lights for all the right reasons.

This really could be the breaking point. If the next few months go well for us then there is still hope for our recovery, if they don’t, I fear that the damage may become permanent.

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West Ham United are lining up a £4m move for Manchester United goalkeeper Sam Johnstone to solve their goalkeeping problems, as per the Mirror. 

The 25-year-old Englishman has enjoyed an impressive season on loan at Aston Villa but has never played a Premier League match so it feels like the Hammers could set their sights higher.

What’s the story?

The report states that West Ham will send Joe Hart back to Manchester City this summer and want Johnstone, of their city rivals United to replace him on a permanent basis.

Johnstone’s United contract was recently extended via an automatic one-year clause, according to the report, which means that the Old Trafford club will be entitled to a fee for the English goalkeeper.

The stopper is valued at £2.25m by Transfermarkt but the report claims the Hammers are eyeing up a £4m swoop to convince Jose Mourinho to part with Johnstone.

West Ham can do better

There are some positives to signing Johnstone; he is young for a goalkeeper, he is English, he is hungry to prove himself, he has enjoyed a good season at Villa Park and £4m is cheap in the current market.

But the fact remains that he hasn’t made a Premier League appearance at the age of 25. He hasn’t experienced the scrutiny that comes with being a first-choice top flight goalkeeper and West Ham is a very tough place to learn your trade right now.

A more experienced goalkeeper is needed to inspire confidence behind a defence that has suffered badly with injuries and departures in recent months.

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West Ham fans want to see greater signs of ambition at their club and I don’t think that the signing of Johnstone will satisfy their fanbase, who are looking for heavy investment in experienced Premier League campaigners this summer.

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As Will Hughes can find his teammates with pin-point accuracy, chase down the opposition with the utmost determination, and hold onto the ball as if it were seemingly stuck to his feet – sometimes it’s hard to remember that Derby’s young creative midfielder is actually English.

Very few of his Championship counter-parts are as technically gifted as the Surrey born 19-year-old, and even though Hughes remains very much a raw talent in need of further development, he is soon becoming known as one of England’s most exciting prospects in many a year.

Despite being strong favourites to land the fiery blonde haired midfielder last season, Liverpool have now seemingly cooled their interest in Hughes after the young talent signed a new four-year-deal with Derby over the summer. But will such developments ultimately end Brendan Rodgers’ desire to sign the Pride Park favourite, or does a lucrative move to Anfield still await Will Hughes this January?

With all the possession play, tight passing and free-flowing football that was produced by Rodgers’ side last season, it comes as no surprise that the Reds wanted to add Will Hughes to their already bulky roster. The 19-year-old would have certainly fitted in with the footballing philosophy that was aimed for by Suarez and co, even if the immediate step-up to the Premier League initially proved difficult for the Derby star.

Whilst such a move would have been ideal for Rodgers last season, this year’s campaign has seen Liverpool completely fail to reach the high standards that they set in 2013/14, and without the dpearted Luis Suarez and injured Daniel Sturridge, the Reds hardly look worthy of a place in the top half of the Premier League, let a lone a top four spot.

Such a poor turn in form has therefore likely not gone unnoticed by Will Hughes in his attempts to work out where best to play out his career. Liverpool have become slightly more direct with their new strikers on board, and as the Merseyside club are no strangers to signing promising young English talent for way over the odds, only to see them later fail as a result of their over ambitious spending, Will Hughes could have become one in a long line of young prospects who simply failed to make the grade at Anfield.

That is not to say that the Hughes would definitely struggle at Liverpool now however, among the likes the recently impressive Lazar Markovic and Philippe Coutinho, Hughes could in-fact still be the perfect fit for Rodgers’ should his time come in the Premier League.

Although the discussion remains no more than mere transfer talk at this current stage, Derby County’s desire to keep a hold of their latest sensation arrives in much more definitive terms. Upon Hughes signing his new deal in the summer, Rams boss Steve McClaren reflected: “He is a promising young talent and we are looking forward to working with him over the next few years.”

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Whilst such statements should never be taken for gospel and could literally change overnight, it seems that for the moment at least, Will Hughes remains very much a Derby County player, and should his side achieve promotion to the Premier League this season, this young star will likely be playing for the Rams, not the Reds.

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