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Crystal Palace defender Patrick van Aanholt appears to be approaching the end of his time at Selhurst Park.

The Dutch defender is out of contract at the end of the season, with Galatasary having reportedly made an offer to acquire his services on a free transfer, according to Turkish publication Fanatik.

However, the hierarchy at the Eagles must ensure that doesn’t happen and instead convince van Aanholt to commit to a new contract.

The £7.2m-rated left-back, signed from Sunderland in the 2016/17 January transfer window, has become a club stalwart in the time since.

He has made 129 appearances for the Eagles. The Dutchman has certainly had his impact in forward positions, too, scoring 14 goals and providing six assists – a very positive record for a defender.

It’s not just his influence on the pitch as to why Palace should be desperate to keep the 30-year-old defender at Selhurst Park, though.

Should van Aanholt depart, that would only leave Roy Hodgson with Tyrick Mitchell as the only natural left-back in the squad.

Whilst the 21-year-old is showing immense promise and could go on to be a reliable first-team player, it might be too early to rely on him for consistent performances in the Premier League.

By allowing him to learn from Van Aanholt, who is supremely experienced in the top-flight of English football, he is only going to improve.

Even if the Dutchman does leave and Hodgson elects to promote Mitchell, this would leave the Eagles extremely light should he ever suffer injury, possibly leading the club into the transfer market for a new left-back.

In order to bring in someone of Van Aanholt’s quality, a considerable fee may have to be forked out.

It makes sense then for Steve Parish and Palace to save their money and instead continue to rely on Van Aanholt at Selhurst Park, considering that he is already a reliable member of the squad.

AND in more news, read more analysis on Wilfried Zaha’s dreadful return to the Crystal Palace team…

Roy Hodgson has refused to put a date on Wilfried Zaha’s comeback from a hamstring injury for Crystal Palace and has therefore ruled him out of the Premier League clash with Brighton on Monday.

What’s the word?

Zaha is Palace’s top scorer this season, as he has scored nine goals and recorded two assists in 19 top-flight appearances. In his absence, however, the Eagles have lost their last two league outings against Leeds United and Burnley, having failed to find the back of the net on both occasions.

Hodgson had previously been cautiously optimistic about his recovery but it has now been over two weeks since he last made an appearance for the club.

“[Wilf Zaha] is still suffering from the injury, there’s no question of that,” Hodgson said in his pre-match press conference ahead of tonight’s game against Brighton.

“The doctors, in particular, and physios are very anxious to not put dates on people so they’d be very angry with me if I suggested dates he could return.

“He’s working very hard to get back as soon as he can. I’m rather hoping the prognosis will be different to the actual timescale.”

Mammoth blow for Roy Hodgson

Zaha’s absence over the past couple of games has seen Jordan Ayew, Christian Benteke, Michy Batshuayi and Jean-Philippe Mateta all start with a varying degree of success, but they have all done little to make up for the fact that Palace have lost a player who tops the charts for shots taken per game in the Premier League, and who is second for dribbles and third for key passes per match out of the entire Palace squad.

As we mentioned previously, Mateta may be someone who could potentially come in and score goals, but he has been restricted to just one start in his two top-flight appearances since his arrival at Selhurst Park.

And even then, his stats still pale into insignificance next to those of Zaha’s. Mateta has currently only managed 0.5 shots and 0.5 key passes per 90 during his time in the Premier League this season thus far.

Palace have dropped points in their past two Premier League games which has seen them drop to 14th in the table as a result.

Hodgson, therefore, will be rather worried that it doesn’t look like Zaha will be returning anytime soon as they have looked rather devoid of inspiration without him.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace fear losing Wilfried Zaha in the summer…

Southampton continue to be linked with Manchester United full-back Brandon Williams this month, with The Athletic’s Dan Sheldon suggesting that he ‘remains a target’ and after Tuesday’s defeat against Arsenal, it seems clear that the Saints have to bring him in on loan this month.

Ralph Hasenhuttl was without both of his first-choice full-backs for the visit of Arsenal earlier this week, with Kyle Walker-Peters having picked up a muscle injury in training, whilst Ryan Bertrand was suspended.

Youngsters Yan Valery and Jake Vokins started in their place and both struggled against Mikel Arteta’s side, as they picked up 6.1 match ratings from SofaScore – the joint-worst of any outfield player on the pitch.

Both of Arsenal’s wingers, Nicolas Pepe and Bukayo Saka, would score on Tuesday after getting in behind the young full-backs, so you could argue that they were a big reason why Southampton ended up losing the game.

Neither have much experience in the top-flight, with Vokins having made just five senior appearances for Southampton in his career, whilst Valery has spent time with David Horseman’s B team this season following the arrival of Walker-Peters, having struggled to establish himself in the first-team since the 2018/19 season.

Therefore, when Hasenhuttl brought on Nathan Redmond for Vokins in the second-half, with defensive-midfielder Ibrahima Diallo moving to left-back, the Austrian was perhaps sending a message to the Southampton board that he is desperate for some defensive cover, especially with the Saints struggling with injuries this season which has emphasised their poor strength in depth in recent fixtures.

Williams looks to be the ideal man to bring in, as the 20-year-old has featured as both a left-back and a right-back in his time with Manchester United, so could provide excellent cover for both Bertrand and Walker-Peters.

The £9.9 million-rated youngster has struggled for game time in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side this season as a result of Luke Shaw and Alex Telles’ form, so a loan move could definitely suit both parties.

If Williams were to impress we could see a repeat of the situation that saw Walker-Peters join on a permanent deal from Tottenham Hotspur during the summer, and given the performances of both Valery and Vokins on their rare starts against Arsenal, it seems as if the full-back would be a great option to have for the long-term, rather than just this season.

Therefore, Martin Semmens should do everything he can to bring him to St Mary’s before the transfer window shuts.

And, in other news… “Ralph seems optimistic” – Exclusive: Pundit makes Danny Ings contract claim

Liverpool take on Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Sunday evening and will be hoping to end a run of four consecutive defeats in the Premier League by taking all three points against the Blades.

Chris Wilder’s side are bottom of the top-flight having endured a nightmare season, although they have shown that they won’t be going down without a fight in recent weeks, picking up valuable wins against West Brom and Manchester United.

The Reds have found it difficult to break down sides who sit deep and focus on defending, as we saw in the defeats against Burnley and Brighton recently, so they could be in for another tough game at Bramall Lane.

If Klopp wants to set the precedent on Sunday evening, he should consider switching back to a 4-2-3-1 formation, as the midfield, in particular, has been too defensive on several occasions this season, meaning they have struggled to create chances for the wingers and Roberto Firmino.

Here’s how Football FanCast feels the German manager should set his side up against the Blades, with four changes from the side that lost out against Everton last time out…

After the sad news of Alisson’s father’s death earlier this week, the Brazilian should perhaps not feature on Sunday, with Adrian replacing him in goal as Caoimhin Kelleher has also been absent in recent weeks.

There’s one change in the defence, as Nathaniel Phillips starts alongside Ozan Kabak at centre-back, replacing Jordan Henderson who was ruled out until April due to injury.

The switch to 4-2-3-1 means Thiago and Georginio Wijnaldum sit a bit deeper, with Xherdan Shaqiri replacing Curtis Jones in the attacking-midfield role.

Although Klopp labelled the academy ace an “exceptional talent” earlier this season, he hasn’t been at his best in recent fixtures and the Swiss international deserves another chance to impress.

Finally, Diogo Jota makes his return from injury in the attack, replacing the out-of-form Roberto Firmino, in the hope that he and Sadio Mane can take some of the pressure off Mohamed Salah by scoring some goals in this Liverpool side.

And, in other news… Edwards should seal summer swoop for 6 ft 3 CB beast who silenced Messi at 19

After finally getting their man earlier in the summer, Leeds United have opted to take the patient approach with Cody Drameh.

The 19-year-old arrived from Championship side Fulham, and has spent his time in Yorkshire with the U23s, where he’s only missed one game at Premier League 2 level.

He’s yet to be seen with the senior side however, and that’s something Marcelo Bielsa may look to change heading into 2020.

According to The Athletic’s Phil Hay, when Leeds scouted Drameh whilst he was at Craven Cottage, they saw shades of Luke Ayling in him. It was also suggested that the teenager saw a “clearer” route to the senior set-up at Elland Road than he did at Fulham.

Hay wrote: “Leeds are understood to have paid in the region of £300,000 for Drameh, a fee which could rise to £1 million with add-ons, last week.

“Fulham are fresh from promotion themselves and will play in the Premier League with Leeds this season but sources close to Drameh say the England Under-18 international saw a clearer first-team pathway in West Yorkshire than in west London. The deal was done despite Fulham’s reluctance to sell and after Manchester City showed some late interest.”

Drameh’s potential is there for all to see, with Eredivisie scout Xander Wilkinson going on record to hail his abilities. He said: “Defensively so impressive! His mind works quicker than most right backs I’ve seen in a naturally defensive mindset. Tactically very aware of what is being asked of him, times his engagements well, needs to add a little more unpredictability going forward.”

The starlet may not be ready to start in the Premier League right now, but he could learn a lot by potentially being given opportunities in the FA Cup and then some minutes here and there in the top-flight.

Exposing him to first-team football will be the real test of whether Drameh will sink or swim, and the young right-back could surprise everybody and take to it like a duck to water. Only time will tell.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na noite desta quarta-feira, no Estádio José de Alencar, em Muriaé, na Zona da Mata de Minas Gerais, o Cruzeiro derrotou o Tombense, por 2 a 1, de virada, em partida válida pela segunda rodada do Campeonato Mineiro. Após a partida, o técnico Deivid elogiou o desempenho do time, apesar de ter reconhecido que não foi um jogo fácil. O treinador elogiou especialmente os jogadores Marcos Vinícius e Élber, que entraram no segundo tempo. O primeiro, inclusive, fez o passe para o gol de Rafael Silva, que deu a vitória ao time celeste.

– Foi uma vitória pra tirar um pouquinho o peso. No primeiro tempo, não estivemos bem no jogo. O Tombense teve mais volume de jogo e ganhou o meio-campo. Não deu para ajustar. Eles foram melhores no primeiro tempo que no segundo. Foram dois jogos distintos. Eles ganharam o primeiro e nós ganhamos o segundo. No intervalo, consegui ajustar a equipe. Coloquei o Marcos Vinícius pra fazer o tripé, junto com o Henrique e o Sánchez Miño. O Élber ficou aberto pela direita porque o lateral-esquerdo deles estava apoiando muito e depois ele ficou com receio de subir. A gente está ajustando a equipe durante a competição e é muito difícil. O Tombense começou a pré-temporada em novembro, tanto que fisicamente eles estão muito acima do Cruzeiro. O segundo tempo foi muito bom. Temos que ajustar algumas coisinhas para não sofrer tanto. A gente está encontrando o melhor esquema e o melhor posicionamento para que os jogadores se sintam mais à vontade – disse o treinador.

Deivid reconheceu que o Cruzeiro sofreu um pouco na partida, segundo ele, principalmente por jogar de uma forma ofensiva. No entanto, o treinador afirmou que não pensa em colocar uma equipe em campo com mais preocupação defensiva.

– O Cruzeiro vai propor o jogo. Quando você faz isso, acaba dando espaço. E quando dá espaço, corre o risco de sofrer o gol. Não posso ser treinador do Cruzeiro e jogar atrás. Tem que jogar na frente. Com todo respeito a URT e Tombense, são clubes inferiores ao Cruzeiro. Nós vamos propor o jogo, é natural. Só temos que ajustar algumas coisas para deixar o time no jeito – disse Deivid.

O elenco do Cruzeiro retorna à Belo Horizonte na manhã desta quinta. À tarde, Deivid comanda treino na Toca da Raposa II. O time voltará a campo no domingo, dia 14, quando enfrentará o Tupi, no Mineirão.

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Manchester United are undoubtedly one of the biggest football clubs in the world. In terms of their history, finances, stadium and fan base, they can compare to anyone on the planet.That is why their Champions League exit at the hands of RB Leipzig simply cannot be accepted. Admittedly, they were handed a very tough group, which included PSG and Istanbul Basaksehir, along with the classy German outfit. Nevertheless, United should still have expected to qualify when you consider the resources they have, but once again, they came up short. However, the most worrying aspect is that nobody was really surprised because the standards at Old Trafford have slipped so much.

A quick glance at the latest football odds shows that you can get 16/1 for the Red Devils to win the Premier League. So, even in this season, one of the most unpredictable ever, the neutrals still don’t give United much of a chance. What’s also worrying for the fans is that nobody would dispute that, as the side have fallen way behind Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and even Tottenham.

From top to bottom, they are a club that lacks an identity or a plan. That was encapsulated by the fact that key figures are now apparently demanding the club look into appointing a director of football once again. They wanted one, they didn’t want one and now they want one again.

Ultimately, that lies with the Glazers, right at the very top. They need to set out a clear vision that everyone can buy into, and they then must appoint the right people in the right places. Whether that means Ole Gunnar Solskjaer keeps his job is open to debate, although the idea that he should be the United manager because he ‘knows the club’ is astounding in today’s game.

That lack of planning has also been evident on the pitch. After years in charge, Solskjaer still hasn’t settled on a formation and key men don’t play to their potential under his guidance.

The saving grace for the Norwegian, and those above him, is that United have somehow managed to just about avoid a catastrophe in the past. They can go 2-0 down to Southampton, but individual magic will rescue them. Similarly, a poor Premier League performance can be overshadowed by a magnificent win in Paris in Europe. They would be on the cusp of a disaster, yet they would just about get out of it.

That didn’t happen against Leipzig though, even though they nearly managed the unthinkable after trailing 3-0 with 20 minutes to play. In the end, though, they were out. We all know the importance of playing in the Champions League to the money men, so the recent elimination will have hurt. It should mean those awkward questions are asked, and then action can be taken.

As one of the richest and most powerful clubs in the world, it’s about time Manchester United started using that to their advantage. The embarrassment of falling into the Europe League, again, has to be the wake-up call that fans have been warning about for years as they look to build a team that can thrive domestically and in Europe, as they should.

In the end, the final score-line seemed to paint a completely different story to what actually happened on Sunday. A wretched display saw Aston Villa go 4-0 down at home to Southampton, before a late flurry of goals to make it 4-3 ensured the result looked far more respectable.

Dean Smith will undoubtedly not be impressed with the way his side started the game, especially in that first-half, when they went behind by three goals and also saw Che Adams have a goal ruled out for the visitors too.

But the one man who perhaps let the manager down the most, was John McGinn. The Scotland international was nowhere to be seen during his side’s Premier League clash, almost looking lost at having to play in a more deeper role in central midfield.

He just couldn’t get himself involved in the game, with a Saints midfield run superbly by double free-kick goal-scorer James Ward-Prowse completely overwhelming him in the engine room.

As per Sofascore, McGinn won just two of his eight total duels, whilst his usually energetic and intelligent runs forward deserted him. He attempted no shots on goal whatsoever, whilst he provided just one key pass and managed no successful dribbles whatsoever either.

With a final match rating of 6.2, the Scot had the worst score of any Villa midfielder, and his anonymous display contributed massively to Villa falling to yet another defeat in the Premier League.

After a barnstorming start to the top-flight, Smith’s side have suffered back-to-back defeats, halting all the momentum they had built up. Of course, it’s important to not go too overboard with Villa losing, especially given that they only avoided relegation from the Premier League on the final day of last season.

But even whilst putting a lid on expectations, Sunday’s performance was more than just a bubble being burst. And McGinn’s lacklustre display at the heart of midfield was the perfect symbol of that.

Liverpool appear to finally be making a breakthrough in the transfer window with talks ongoing for the signing of Thiago but they are still yet to replace Dejan Loven in defence – might that change now?

What’s the word?

According to the ever-reliable James Pearce at The Athletic, the Premier League’s defending champions hold interest in relegated Norwich City colossus Ben Godfrey.

He claims that the Canaries centre-back is a player that the club have watched closely, though he wouldn’t come cheap this summer. Sky Sports claim the Championship outfit would want £50m for his signature.

However, if Jurgen Klopp isn’t convinced that he ‘ticks all the boxes,’ then he’ll press ahead with Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez.

Raw talent

This move would very much be shades of Gomez in the sense that the German would be dipping into the lower leagues for a young English talent who is still quite raw, but could thrive under the right guidance.

The 22-year-old played 30 times in the Premier League last term, averaging 4.9 clearances, 2.2 aerials won per game as well as managing a passing accuracy rate of nearly 90% from 55.3 passes each match, via WhoScored.

Many at Anfield may remember playing the Canaries on the opening day last season and Mo Salah devoured the young colossus with one goal, one assist, two dribbles and three key passes per SofaScore.

But he was paired alongside Grant Hanley rather than someone as good as Van Dijk, so don’t let that put you off his prospects whatsoever.

Godfrey has received plenty of praise in the past year for his performances too. His boss Daniel Farke claimed he was “playing without mistakes and that is outstanding” whilst Alex Neil believed “his competitive streak is really, really good, he is strong, aggressive and he can use the ball well so he has a lot to work with,” adding that “he has good scope to improve.”

The young England defender has even drawn comparisons to Rio Ferdinand due to his imposing physique and ball-playing abilities.

Whilst £50m is extortionate, the Reds shouldn’t look further than Godfrey to fill the void left behind by Lovren.

AND in other news, Klopp reportedly renews his interest in young winger…

حصد منتخب مصر للكاراتيه المشارك ببطولة البحر المتوسط المقامة في قبرص، والتي يشارك بها 467 لاعبًا من 13 دولة، المركز الأول بالبطولة.

وحقق منتخب مصر المركز الأول في جدول ترتيب الدول المشاركة، من خلال إحراز 60 ميدالية متنوعة، منها 22 ذهبية، و16 فضية، و26 برونزية، لتضاف بذلك إلى السجل الحافل للرياضة المصرية.

اقرأ أيضًا.. مجاهد يجتمع مع كيروش لمناقشة استعدادات منتخب مصر لـ أنجولا والجابون

وهنأ وزير الشباب والرياضة الدكتور أشرف صبحي، المنتخب المصري للكاراتيه بعد هذا الأداء، وجدد تأكيده على أنه يتابع كافة مشاركات الأبطال الرياضيين المصريين فى مختلف البطولات العالمية والقارية.

وجاء ذلك فى إطار اهتمام وزارة الرياضة بالارتقاء بمستوى اللاعبين ودعمهم، لإحراز المزيد من الإنجازات.