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In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Bull, who scored 306 goals for Wolves, believes Nelson Semedo will become as good as Matt Doherty was at Molineux, especially once he gets this season out the way.

Both full-backs have struggled for consistency this season with Semedo not offering the same goal threat and assist potential as Doherty did for a number of years for Wolves, and the Republic of Ireland international has struggled for regular minutes at Tottenham Hotspur only starting 13 Premier League games.

In 302 games for Wolves, Doherty managed to get 28 goals and 41 assists as a wing-back, and he quickly became one of the most clinical defenders in the opposition box but has not settled into a full-back role under Jose Mourinho.

Speaking on Doherty leaving Molineux and his hopes for Semedo’s future, Bull told FFC exclusively:

“I’m not really surprised at his lack of matches because I think he’s been injured a few times, but he is a very good player and if you need an outlet player then he’ll push up on the right-hand side like a winger rather than a full back.

“It used to be as soon as Coady got the ball he would be looking for that 40-yard pass out wide to Doherty and he’d knock it into his path and all of sudden he’d be in a shooting position.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/exclusive-andreas-sondergaard-wolves-premier-league” title=”Exclusive! Andreas Sondergaard talks all things Wolves”]

“So, you know we were sad to see him go but Semedo has come in and I think if he can get this season out the way with, then I think he’ll be on the same level as what Doherty was.”

In 26 Premier League appearances, Semedo, who reportedly earns £77,000-a-week, has registered just one assist which could be down to the fact Raul Jimenez has been injured since November, but Wolves fans will be hoping for more next season.

The Portuguese international was seen as a good and equally player to replace Doherty when he joined Spurs, but the £37 million signing hasn’t proved his worth yet.

Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie revealed that he is not keen on the idea of his old club signing Liverpool striker Divock Origi in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

Origi is currently being linked with a move to Villa Park, a development that could see him leave the Reds and find more first-team football.

Opportunities for the 25-year-old striker have been limited this season, with Jurgen Klopp understandably sticking with his trusted trident of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.

The trio helped fire Liverpool to their first English league title in 30 years last term, cementing positions in Klopp’s starting XI. Origi, as a result, has had to settle for a role on the bench, making it little surprise that he could leave the Merseyside club in the summer.

Hendrie, however, has warned Aston Villa about signing the 6 ft 1 Belgium international, believing his acquisition would be a gamble.

“Definitely not for me, not at all,” the ex-Villa player told FFC when asked whether his former side should pursue Origi. “I’ve obviously watched a lot of Liverpool over past seasons and, you know, he’s been brilliant when he’s been introduced.

“We’ve seen him in the Champions League make a big impact, but he hasn’t played enough minutes for me. It’d be half taking a gamble. I’m not saying he’s not worth taking a gamble, but he’s not the sort of player that I think would fit the bill for Villa.”

Hendrie concluded by saying: “Not for me, and I certainly wouldn’t even recommend to the club that they bought Origi – he’s not my sort of player.”

Should Villa decide to bring Origi in, the former Lille forward would be going up against Ollie Watkins for a spot in Dean Smith’s team, a player who has really impressed this season.

Watkins has reached double figures in the current Premier League campaign and recently earned his first call-up to the England squad.

According to a recent report, Tottenham Hotspur paid an agent a multi-million-pound fee for the transfer of one of the club’s summer signings.

The report by Football Insider claimed that a ‘recruitment source’ has revealed, as part of Tottenham’s deal to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers right-back Matt Doherty last summer, that Daniel Levy and the Spurs board paid super-agent Jorge Mendes a £6m fee.

As a result, it is reported that only around £10m of the figure Tottenham paid for the £18m-rated defender actually went to the selling club, with the remainder going directly to Mendes.

Transfer Tavern Take

While it is questionable whether Doherty has been worth the £15.12m with which Jose Mourinho’s side parted in order secure his signing last summer – as the 29-year-old has featured in just 12 Premier League games so far this season, over which he has averaged a rather disappointing WhoScored match rating of 6.65 – from Tottenham’s point of view, to whom exactly the Doherty transfer money went is not likely to be a great cause for concern.

The issue would appear to be more of a relevant point for Wolves, who, if Football Insider are to be believed, saw around a third of the transfer fee received for the sale of their fifth-best player in the league last season pocketed by Mendes.

In other Tottenham news, this Spurs transfer admission lifted the lid on a failed Daniel Levy coup with Pochettino – find out more here!

MatériaMais Notícias

O jogo entre Resende e Portuguesa-RJ, neste sábado, às 15h30, no Estádio do Trabalhador, marca a reedição da final da Copa Rio 2015. Na ocasião, o Gigante do Vale goleou por 5 a 2 e conquistou o bicampeonato da competição. Agora, em situação de igualdade, com três pontos em dois jogos, e separados apenas pelo saldo de gols, os times se enfrentam pela terceira rodada do Grupo D.

O meia Robinho, autor de um dos gols da vitória do Resende contra o Bonsucesso na rodada passada, lembra com carinho da decisão da Copa Rio, jogo em que, além da ótima atuação, marcou um dos gols da goleada.

– Lembro bem daquela final, foi especial. Fizemos uma partida irretocável, conquistamos o bicampeonato e eu ainda pude marcar um dos gols. Agora, o campeonato é outro, mas o jogo é de extrema importância também. Temos o objetivo de conquistar o título da Taça Rio, e uma vitória nos aproximará dos líderes. Contra o Macaé, até conseguimos encaixar o nosso jogo, mas cometemos algumas falhas, os gols não saíram e perdemos. Mas, contra o Bonsucesso, fizemos os gols e não sofremos perigo. Temos que repetir essa atuação segura para conquistarmos os três pontos.

O Resende ocupa a quinta colocação na Taça Rio, uma atrás da Portuguesa-RJ.

Veja os outros jogos da 3ª rodada do Grupo D:
Tigres x América-RJ – 26/03/2016 – 16h
Cabofriense x Friburguense – 26/03/2016 – 19h30
Bonsucesso x Macaé – 27/03/2016 – 15h30

أكد ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد ظهير ليفربول إن تواجد زميله المصري محمد صلاح في المركز السابع في الكرة الذهبية لهذا العام، هو أمر مفاجئ.

وكان محمد صلاح ضمن المرشحين الثلاثين للحصول على جائزة الكرة الذهبية، كأفضل لاعب في العالم للعام الحالي، 2021.

وتواجد محمد صلاح في النهاية في المركز السابع في الجائزة، والتي فاز بها النجم الأرجنتيني ليونيل ميسي للمرة السابعة في تاريخه.

وقال ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “telegraphindia” العالمية: “هناك دائمًا مفاجآت في هذا النوع من الجوائز”.

وأضاف: “إنه لاعب رائع وكان في حالة رائعة العام الماضي ومنذ أن وصل إلى الأنفيلد”.

وواصل: “ليس لدي أي تفسير لسبب احتلاله المركز السابع، لكنني متأكد من أن دافعه مثل العديد من دوافعنا هو أن يكون في أعلى القائمة العام المقبل”.

وعن الشراكة بينه وبين محمد صلاح، قال أرنولد: “أحصل على المزيد من الحرية في الناحية اليمنى، على مدى السنوات الأربع الماضية كنت دائمًا هناك أنا ومحمد صلاح، لقد تغير لاعبو خط الوسط الأيمن وتناوبوا، لكننا كنا دائمًا هناك”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. روبرتسون: محمد صلاح أدى دور ثلاثي ليفربول ولم يحصل على التقدير المستحق

وأوضح: “لقد أنشأنا علاقة جيدة هناك، ونفهم طريقة بعضنا في اللعب وهذا يتضح في مباريات هذا الموسم أكثر من أي موسم آخر”.

واستكمل: “أعتقد أن هناك تفاهمًا بين المثلث الأيمن لمعرفة أن الهجوم، عبارة عن التوغل والصناعة، التوغل والهجوم، التوغل وصناعة الأهداف، كل هذا يضر بالخصم، وهذا ما نحاول القيام به”.

واختتم: “نحاول أن نعطي الكرة لبعضنا البعض في الأماكن التي يمكن أن تؤذي الخصم حتى نتمكن من الفوز بالمباريات”.

أكد المدرب الإنجليزي ستفين جيرارد، المدير الفني لنادي أستون فيلا، أنه سيذهب إلى ليفربول من أجل تحقيق الفوز على فريقه السابق، وذلك قبل مباراة الفريقين، التي تُقام غدًا في البريميرليج.

أستون فيلا يحل غدًا السبت في تمام الساعة الخامسة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة ضيفًا على ليفربول، وذلك ضمن فعاليات الجولة السادسة عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز في المباراة التي تُقام على ملعب “آنفيلد”.

وتشهد مباراة الغد عودة قائد فريق الريدز السابق ومدرب فيلا المعين مؤخرًا إلى النادي للمرة الأولى كمدرب للفيلانز، في مباراة طال انتظارها بالبريميرليج.

وقال جيرارد في المؤتمر الصحفي الخاص بالمباراة: “أحترم الصخب والضوضاء حول المباراة وأتفهم ذلك، هذا الأمر للناس ليشعروا بالحماس لكن بالنسبة لي الامر هو بتهيئة الفريق بأفضل طريقة ممكنة لمحاولة تحقيق نتيجة إيجابية لأستون فيلا”.

وأضاف: “لقد كان لديّ علاقة جيدة مع الكثير من الأشخاص في ليفربول، قضيت وقتًا رائعًا هُناك، وكان لديّ رحلة جيدة حقًا، الفريق الذي دعمته وسأظل دائمًا داعمًا ومٌشجعًا لهذا الفريق”.

وواصل: “ولكن أنا سأذهب إلى هُناك من أجل التنافس، سنلعب ضد فريق جيد لديه مدرب جيد، ولكن هدفي الرئيسي واضح هو محاولة الفوز بالمباراة”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. أوريجي يغيب عن تدريبات ليفربول وشكوك حول لحاقه بمباراة أستون فيلا

وتابع: “العودة إلى آنفيلد ترسم الابتسامة على وجهي، ولكنني سأقوم بتجهيز فريقي لدخول المباراة للفوز لا غير والجميع في الملعب سيعرف ذلك”.

وعن علاقته بالمدرب الألماني يورجن كلوب، مدرب ليفربول: “لقد لعبت تحت قيادة يورجن كلوب في مباراة ودية في أستراليا، لقد كانت تجربة رائعة”.

وأكمل: “كلوب ليس بحاجة لأتحدث عنه، أعتقد ان العالم كله يعرف كم أن يورجن كلوب مدرب رائع، كلوب كان داعمًا كبيرًا لي وقدم لي النصيحة ومنحني فرصة تدريب ليفربول تحت 19 عامًا وسأظل ممتنًا له إلى الأبد”.

وأتم تصريحاته قائلًا: “ولكن في نهاية اليوم، هو يعلم وأنا أعلم أنه بمجرد أن تنطلق صافرة المباراة، سأحاول التنافس بأفضل طريقة ممكنة حتى يتمكن الفريق من تحقيق الفوز، هذا ما أنا عليه، هذا ما بداخلي وهذه هي الطريقة التي سأذهب بها إلى المباراة”.

West Brom have turned their attentions elsewhere after being unable to agree on a deal for one of their mooted targets, according to fresh reports…

What’s the word?

Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas has claimed the Baggies are eyeing a loan move for Galatasaray striker Mbaye Diagne as a deal for Hoffenheim forward Ishak Belfodil fell through last week.

It’s thought that the 29-year-old is available with an option-to-buy at the end of the season should Albion survive in the Premier League, despite the talisman having two-and-a-half years to run on his current contract.

“We have tried to acquire at least one or two new players this week but that hasn’t come to fruition,” said a desperate Sam Allardyce earlier in the week.

Shades of Salomon Rondon

Whilst 10-time Senegal international has never played in the Premier League, he cannot be written off despite the need for top-flight experience as his career goalscoring record is mightily impressive.

In just 38 appearances for the Lions, he’s found the net 22 times, including 11 this season, via Transfermarkt.

Indeed, Diagne has proven to be a prolific marksman wherever he’s been – at Turkish rivals Kasimpasa, he bagged 32 goals in 36 appearances, while on loan at Club Brugge last term, he quickly racked up four in six league matches, and during his time in China at Tianjin Teda, he found the net 15 times in 46 games, also per Transfermarkt.

A record of 94 goals in 164 career games isn’t something to turn your nose up at, that’s one goal every 1.7 matches.

In some ways, this move would very much echo that of Salomon Rondon back in 2015, a relatively unknown striker signed from Rubin Kazan for £12m. He had only played in his home country of Venezuela, Spain and Russia prior to the move – he turned out to be quite the player, didn’t he?

Rondon hit at least seven goals in three successive Premier League seasons before Albion were relegated to the Championship and as a result, he joined Newcastle where he would score 11 goals in the top-flight.

Speaking about his own playing style to the Guardian in May 2020, Diagne said: ” I’m big and strong, I can hold up the ball and lay it off, I’m good in the air and I’m a finisher.”

Indeed, he has won an average of 2.7 aerial duels and has fired off a whopping 2.6 shots per game throughout the course of his career, per WhoScored, which far exceeds that of summer signing Karlan Grant (0.8 aerials won, 1.3 shots per game).

Again, that only draws further similarities to Rondon and is certainly something that the Baggies are lacking with the 6-foot speedster Grant, especially since Charlie Austin has gone to QPR on loan.

The £44k-per-week marksman would be a fantastic addition this month, so it’s on sporting director Luke Dowling to sanction this swoop at all costs.

AND in other news, Forget Pereira: £17.5k-p/w monster stole the show for Allardyce…

For Celtic, it couldn’t get much worse at the moment.

They are 11 points behind their old nemesis in the race to win the Scottish Premiership and heading to the Czech Republic on Thursday, they are bottom of their Europa League group.

Coming through a run of games against Lille, Milan and Sparta Prague was always going to be difficult but if the Hoops are to prevail, they simply have to win this week.

That’s not just for the sake of their European progression, but for the sake of Neil Lennon too – a man who is under pressure despite receiving the backing of the board.

Therefore, his team selection this evening will be incredibly vital. He made a big call with Odsonne Edouard against Hibernian and it didn’t pay off, so does he come back into the fray tonight?

Check out our predicted XI…

In this side, Lennon looks set to make three key changes to his starting XI.

Let’s start with the biggest of them all – axing Albian Ajeti. The £4.3m-rated forward has failed to score in eight games and there can be little justification behind starting him.

We wrote this week that Patryk Klimala should finally get a look in but in a must-win clash, it’s Edouard who we ultimately think Lennon will settle on.

Another change comes at right-back. Jeremie Frimpong has been a favourite under the current management but with Celtic’s defence not up to scratch – conceding ten more than Rangers in the league – it’s the right-back who is sacrificed. As a result, Hatem Elhamed comes into the XI.

The final change sees Nir Bitton dropped with Christopher Jullien returning after injury.

Lennon admitted this week that he was in contention to play so the Frenchman’s inclusion will be a huge boost to a faltering backline. He partners Kristoffer Ajer with Shane Duffy having to settle for a place on the bench again.

Meanwhile, here’s how Celtic can end their Lennoxtown PURGATORY with a new manager…

MatériaMais Notícias

O Fluminense dará o pontapé inicial da temporada 2016 já às 17h deste domingo, diante do Shakhtar Donetsk, da Ucrânia, na Florida Cup. Antes de retornar ao Brasil, ainda encara o Internacional, na quarta-feira, também pelo torneio nos Estados Unidos. O primeiro confronto em solo brasileiro será válido pela recém-criada Liga Sul-Minas-Rio, contra o Atlético-PR, no dia 27. Pelo Estadual, o Tricolor estreia contra o Volta Redonda. Já é hora de pegar a agenda e anotar o que vem pela frente, torcedor.

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Confira os primeiros adversários do Fluzão na temporada-2016:

17/1 – 17h – Shakhtar – ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex (Orlando)
Florida Cup – transmissão da TV Globo

20/1 – 21h45 – Internacional – Lockhart (Fort Lauderdale)
Florida Cup – transmissão do SporTV

27/1 – A definir – Atlético-PR – Bezerrão ****
Liga Sul-Minas-Rio – transmissão a definir

31/1 – 19h30 – Volta Redonda – Raulino de Oliveira *
Campeonato Carioca – transmissão do Premiere

3/2 – 19h30 – Bonsucesso – Raulino de Oliveira *
Campeonato Carioca – transmissão do SporTV

10/2 – 17h – Madureira – Moça Bonita *
Campeonato Carioca – transmissão do Premiere

13/2 – 19h30 – Tigres do Brasil – Raulino de Oliveira *
Campeonato Carioca – transmissão a definir

17/2 – A definir – Cruzeiro – A definir **
Liga Sul-Minas-Rio – transmissão a definir

21/2 – 19h30 – Flamengo – A definir **
Campeonato Carioca – transmissão do Premiere

24/2 – 21h45 – Botafogo – A definir **
Campeonato Carioca – transmissão da TV Globo

* Estádio a ser definido, aguardando os laudos de segurança.
** Estádio a ser definido, aguardando os laudos de segurança e a liberação do administrador do estádio.
*** Fluminense ainda não divulgou preços e venda de ingressos para os primeiros jogos do ano como mandante
**** Aguardando aprovação da Liga

Chelsea are ready to travel across London to face Tottenham Hotspur in their latest Carabao Cup clash tonight.

After a disappointing 3-3 draw at West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League, Frank Lampard and his men will be looking to get back to winning ways against Spurs.

The north Londoners were given a bye through to the round of 16 after scheduled opponents Leyton Orient were forced to forfeit due to several positive virus tests.

Jose Mourinho’s side may have had more time to prepare but the Blues will be hoping to do enough to see themselves into the quarter-finals.

Transfer Tavern has predicted how Chelsea might line-up to face their London rivals…

Aside from the penalty he won against Brighton, Timo Werner hasn’t done much to impress at his new clubsince arriving this transfer window. In order to maximise his team’s chances of grabbing some goals, Lampard may bench the German in favour of Tammy Abraham, who bagged a goal in Chelsea’s comeback against West Brom on Saturday.

Kai Havertz should, and most likely will, feature in the role for which he is best known. After finally deploying him in the attacking midfield position, Lampard saw the 21-year-old score a hat-trick in their previous Carabao Cup match against Barnsley. Joining him could be Mason Mount and Callum Hudson-Odoi to maximise chance creation in the final third.

Chelsea’s holding midfielders haven’t done a lot to warrant much praise recently, with six league goals conceded already, so another shift in personnel could be on the cards. With N’Golo Kante linked with a permanent move away from Stamford Bridge, Ross Barkley could make a return to the starting line-up.

In defence, Spurs could be looking at facing Ben Chilwell, who could be set for his first start for his new club. Despite a disappointing display against the Baggies, it’s unlikely that Thiago Silva will be dropped. However, to help him at the heart of the backline, club veteran Cesar Azpilicueta would be a wise option to start.

Additionally, Willy Caballero could keep his spot in the team sheet, with Lampard potentially wanting to save new signing Edouard Mendy for the league game against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

How do you think Chelsea will line up against Spurs? Have your say in the comments below!