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Sunderland fans were livid with the performance of Aiden McGeady during their 1-0 defeat to Burton Albion on Tuesday evening.

The Black Cats started the season very promisingly, winning each of their first three games 2-1 in all competitions (Sky Sports).

They will have been confident of continuing that winning streak against Burton Albion this midweek, but they were defeated by a Jonny Smith goal. Lee Johnson’s side are still in a respectable eighth in the League One table, but this is no doubt a setback after such a strong start to the campaign.

McGeady was in fantastic form for Sunderland last term, managing six goals and 17 assists in all competitions (Transfermarkt). But so far this time around, he has been unable to find that same level of play. Against Burton, he once again failed to reach the standards that are expected of him given his undoubted ability.

The Sunderland fans were far from happy with what they saw from the £653,000-valued 35-year-old (Transfermarkt), and they took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts on his showing.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about McGeady below

“Absolute travesty of a result – we were infinitely the better team and the disallowed goal at the end summed it all up! That said though McGeady wants flogging for that miss in the first half – try that when you’re 3-0 up not at 0-0”

Credit: @Scookie555

“Promising performance, those two missed opportunities from Ross and McGeady cost us. It hurts more when you know you deserved to win. That linesman is my new nemesis.”

Credit: @fiona2608

“Maybe yeh mcgeady was off his game again, any news on Evans injury I’d bring him In for onien but got a feeling Johnson will bench Neil”

Credit: @chopper_safc

“I agree with that he’s looking a little unfit to me diamonds pace may be a better option or even hawkes”

Credit: @1charlie29

“Agree. Think he’s starting to fade unfortunately.”

Credit: @LdoubleE_87

“No, he was horrendous today but is levels above everyone else we’ve got on his day”

Credit: @safc28

In other news, Sunderland fans rage at these club struggles.

West Bromwich Albion manager Valerien Ismael is facing a nightmare transfer scenario at The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a Steve Madeley report for The Athletic, who claims that Albion are in desperate need of a new centre-forward ahead of their upcoming Championship campaign. However, without raising funds through the sale of some of the club’s current players, Ismael’s transfer kitty will not allow for a big-money addition to his attacking arsenal in the summer transfer window.

Madeley goes on to state that the most likely way of the Baggies raising money this summer would be by sanctioning the departures of both Matheus Pereira and Sam Johnstone, with it being claimed the pair would bring in over £30m – even at significantly reduced asking prices.

Finally, it is said that, in the event that the Frenchman does not cash in on either of his most valuable stars, he will have to turn his attention to out-of-favour Premier League forwards or an up-and-coming young goalscorer in the transfer market.

Nightmare scenario

Considering just how impressive both Pereira and Johnstone were for West Brom last season, it is undeniable that losing either of the two this summer would put a significant dent in the club’s hopes of securing an immediate return to the Premier League next season.

Indeed, over his 33 Premier League appearances last term, the £13.5m-rated Pereira bagged 11 goals, registered six assists and created a whopping 11 big chances for his teammates, with these returns seeing the £39k-per-week winger earning a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.18.

Meanwhile, over Johnstone’s 37 Premier League appearances, the £7.2m-rated goalkeeper kept six clean sheets and made a total of 166 saves throughout the season, with these metrics seeing the £28k-per-week shot-stopper earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.03.

Unsurprisingly, these ratings saw Pereira and Johnstone rank as the Baggies’ top two performers in the Premier League last season, demonstrating their importance to the team.

However, as Madeley states, with Mbaye Diagne returning to Galatasaray following his loan spell at The Hawthorns last year, it is indeed true that Ismael is short of options in attack ahead of next season. A proven goalscorer very much appears to be a necessity if Albion wish to give themselves the best shot at promotion.

As such, it would seem as if the Frenchman is stuck between something of a rock and a hard place, with the 45-year-old having to decide whether his team’s need for goals is greater than an incredibly solid option in between the sticks or a massive creative influence from the wing – a headache it is certain will be keeping the manager up at night.

In other news: West Brom transfer news confirmed on “exciting” highly-rated gem, fan surely buzzing

Nottingham Forest are interested in a deal to bring Josh Laurent to the City Ground this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Berkshire Live, who claim that, despite Reading having already turned down a seven-figure bid from Forest, as well as the Royals being extremely keen for the midfielder to remain at the Madejski Stadium next season, the 26-year-old could nevertheless be on the move after spending just one season with the club.

The report continues by stating that this is down to the fact that Veljko Paunovic’s side are struggling financially, with the money raised from the potential sale of Laurent then being able to fund the manager’s own moves in the summer transfer window.

Finally, it is claimed that should Forest, or indeed any other interested party, submit an offer that is deemed an acceptable fee by Reading, the midfielder will more than likely be playing his football elsewhere next season.

Murphy masterclass

Considering just how impressive Laurent was for Reading last season, should Dane Murphy indeed go on to secure a deal for the 26-year-old this summer, it would undoubtedly go down as something of a masterclass by the new Forest CEO.

Indeed, over his 45 Championship appearances last term, the £1.8m-rated man scored three goals, provided three assists and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.7 shots and making 0.5 key passes per game.

The central midfielder also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.4 interceptions, two tackles, 0.9 clearances and winning 5.1 duels per match.

These returns saw the man Paunovic dubbed a “fantastic” player earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.85, ranking him as the Royals’ joint ninth-best performer in the second tier of English football.

Futhermore, with the future of Joao Carvalho appearing somewhat up in the air at present, and the midfielder having failed to live up to his £13.5m transfer fee at the City Ground, it could well be time for Forest to cut their losses on the £15k-per-week man, with his potential departure then freeing up both room and funds to get a deal over the line for the £3.2k-per-week Laurent.

Indeed, if Murphy were to pull that off in what remains of the summer transfer window, we would be happy to admit that the chief executive is something of a genius.

In other news: Bye-bye Bong: Murphy must sanction NFFC swoop for £8.9k-p/w gem, he won’t cost a penny

Former Portsmouth midfielder David Norris is hopeful that the club can re-sign Ben Thompson from Millwall.

Thompson spent the first half of the 2018-2019 season on loan at Fratton Park, scoring three goals and adding three assists which saw him become a popular figure with the Pompey faithful, who have been wanting him to return ever since.

However, the midfielder’s excellent performances saw him become a key part of Millwall’s side, although a hamstring injury suffered in December 2019 has stalled Thompson’s momentum at The Den – with starts extremely hard to come by last term.

He started less than half of Millwall’s Championship games last season, and the recent addition of George Saville won’t have helped Thompson’s chances of playing more regularly.

Dan Cowley has already been busy in the transfer window, bringing in six new faces, including Thompson’s former Millwall teammate Shaun Williams, and Norris exclusively told Football FanCast that Thompson can be the next to come through the door at Fratton Park:

“Hopefully, with the other lad coming in, hopefully with the connection.

“On paper, it seems like it could, so hopefully that one would work.”

في رسالة مؤثرة، ودع جورجيو كيليني جماهير يوفنتوس، قبل مباراته الأخيرة على ملعب أليانز مساء اليوم ضد لاتسيو.

يوفنتوس ضمن التأهل إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا، ولاتسيو يحتاج لنقطة، لكن المباراة ستكون عاطفية أكثر من أي شيء لوداع جورجيو كيليني بعد 17 عامًا مع النادي الإيطالي، وكذلك باولو ديبالا.

وكتب كيليني عبر حسابه على موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “فيس بوك”: “لقد حان اليوم… العديد من المشاعر التي أمر بها”.

وتابع: “كان يوفنتوس كل شيء بالنسبة لي.. شبابي، خبرتي، نضج.. الرغبة في الانتصار، فرحة الانتصار، قبول الهزيمة، ضجيج التحدي، القتال في الملعب، كان رأسي دائمًا يدق.. وبعد ذلك، الأبطال، داخل وخارج العشب الأخضر”.

وأضاف: “أيضًا التعامل مع المدربين والمديرين والموظفين، الرجال الذين يمرون دائمًا يتركون لي شيئًا ما.. أشياء اهتممت بجمعها وحفظها والاعتزاز بها”.

طالع أيضًا.. ديل بييرو يوجه رسالة لـ ديبالا بعد إعلان رحيله عن يوفنتوس

وأكمل: “لا يمكنني تخيل ما حققته في هذا النادي العظيم، البقاء إلى الأبد في تاريخ يوفنتوس كان أمرًا يدور في ذهني دائمًا، ولكن هذه هي الحياة”.

وأشار: “لقد اخترت الوقت المناسب لأقول وداعًا، والمغادرة بلا ضوضاء عند المستوى الذي كت عليه، بعد المشاركة في العديد من القيم والمشاعر التي لن يتمكن أي شخص من محوها”.

وشدد: “لدي امتنان، لكل يوفنتوس، لعائلة أنيلي التي تبنتني طوال هذه السنوات، على أعز محبتي ولكل الأشخاص الذين أحبهم، والذين بدونهم لن أكون الشخص الذي أنا عليه الآن، لأنهم كانوا مصدرًا لا نهاية له لطالما كانوا يدعمونني ويمدونني بالطاقة في هذه الرحلة الطويلة”.

وواصل: “الآن أجد نفسي هكذا أمام أجمل غروب الشمس وأحاول تخيل فجر جديد.. لأن الرحلة لا تنتهي أبدا”.

واستكمل: “ما زلت لا أعرف ماذا أتوقع بعد ذلك.. لكنها ستكون قصة مختلفة، هذه من ناحية أخرى، هي لحظة الوداع والامتنان العميق اللامتناهي”.

واختتم: “شكرًا لك.. شكرا للجميع والمشجعين والمعارضين، أشكركم على الترحيب بي، وطرحكم ودعمي لي، شكرا لإعطاء معنى لكلمة حلم.. شكرا لكم حتى النهاية”.

West Bromwich Albion are considering a move to bring Alex Mowatt to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Athletic, who claim that the new West Brom manager Valerien Ismael is targeting a move for his former Barnsley captain in the summer transfer window.

The report goes on to state that a number of Championship clubs have made contact with the central midfielder regarding the offer of a contract, with the 26-year-old set to become a free agent at the end of the month.

However, The Athletic claim that Albion are the favourites to land the £3.6m-rated man this summer as a result of his ties with Ismael and the Baggies’ status as one of the favourites for promotion.

Ismael would love him

Considering just how important a part of Ismael’s Barnsley side Mowatt was last season, it is clear to see why the Frenchman is keen to bring the midfielder into his West Brom team this summer.

Over his 44 Championship appearances for the Tykes last term, the 26-year-old scored eight goals, registered seven assists and created nine big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.8 shots and making 1.5 key passes per game.

The former England U20 international also impressed in more typical central midfielder metrics, making an average of 0.8 interceptions, 1.7 tackles, 1.3 clearances and winning 4.9 duels per league fixture, in addition to touching the ball an average of 60 times per game.

These returns saw the £6.5k-per-week man earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.10, ranking him as Ismael’s best performer in a Barnsley side who defied pre-season expectations by securing a fifth-place finish in the second tier of English football.

And, with Ismael currently having only Romaine Sawyers and Jake Livermore as options in the middle of the park ahead of next season, central midfield is certainly an area in which the 45-year-old will be looking to strengthen in the summer transfer window.

As such, with Mowatt being available on a free transfer, combined with his brilliant performances for Barnsley and West Brom’s desperate need for reinforcements in the position this summer, a move by Albion for the man Steve Evans dubbed a “special” player would appear to make a great deal of sense, as well as one that Ismael would undoubtedly love to get over the line.

In other news: Ismael must secure bargain West Brom swoop for “fabulous” £3.15m-rated gem this summer

Marcus Trescothick had his first batting practice in the nets at the County Ground in Taunton this morning before the start of the third day’s play against Warwickshire

SOMERSET23-Aug-2002Marcus Trescothick had his first batting practice in the nets at the County Ground in Taunton this morning before the start of the third day’s play against Warwickshire.At the end of the net session during which he faced the Somerset coach Kevin Shine bowling with a hard ball, a decision was made that Marcus will not be playing for a Somerset XI against England Under-19s at Seaton Cricket Club on Sunday.Kevin Shine told me: "Whilst he was batting he still felt a slight jarring in his thumb when he hit the ball, so he will not risk playing on Sunday."The coach continued: "He has a hospital appointment on Monday, and assuming that everything is all right he will travel up to Blackpool for the championship match on Tuesday against Lancashire. Marcus will have nets with us at the ground and he may play, but no decision will be made until the morning of the match."Those who had been hoping to see the England star at Seaton CC on Sunday will not, however, be disappointed as Marcus will be putting in a special guest appearance at the ground during the lunch interval to sign autographs.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na estreia de Thiago Neves, principal reforço da equipe para a temporada, o Cruzeiro não teve pena e atropelou o São Francisco-PA por 6 a 0, com quatro gols de Rafael Sóbis. Robinho e Arrascaeta completaram o placar para a equipe celeste. Na próxima fase, a Raposa enfrentará o Murici-AL, que eliminou o América-MG nos pênaltis, em Belo Horizonte.

O Jogo

O Cruzeiro começou a partida de maneira avassaladora. Na primeira chegada, Sóbis contou com a falha de Labilá e abriu o placar e sua noite dourada no Mineirão. Depois, Arrascaeta recebeu e cruzou para Thiago Neves marcar, mas o assistente invalidou erradamente. Após ter mais um lance invalidado equivocadamente, a Raposa ampliou após cruzamento de Diogo Barbosa e finalização precisa de Robinho, 2 a 0. Soberano na partida, a equipe celeste ampliou novamente com Sóbis após rebote de Labilá em finalização de Thiago Neves, 3 a 0.

O meia novamente apareceu para dar o passe perfeito e Rafael Sóbis só completou para o fundo do gol. Mesmo levando quatro, a equipe paraense passou a marcar na saída de bola do Cruzeiro e deu mais espaços. E os comandados de Mano Menezes aproveitaram, após mais uma assistência de Thiago Neves para o quarto gol de Sóbis na partida, 5 a 0 e fim de papo no primeiro tempo movimentado no Mineirão.

A segunda etapa começou com o ritmo lento. Como no primeiro tempo, a primeira chegada foi da Raposa, que marcou o sexto com Arrascaeta, mas Robinho estava impedido na origem da jogada. Com estreia quase perfeita, Thiago Neves saiu aplaudido para a entrada de Alisson. O meia teve a chance de marcar após invadir a área mas parou em Labilá.

No minuto seguinte, Lucas Silva encheu o pé, Labilá espalmou e no rebote do travessão, o uruguaio Arrascaeta marcou o último gol da partida, 6 a 0. Novamente Alisson teve a chance de deixar o seu na goleada mas parou em Labilá novamente. Na última chance da partida, Sóbis recebeu na área, conseguiu um belo giro e só não fez seu quinto gol pois a bola subiu e passou por cima do gol do São Francisco.

FICHA TÉCNICA:
CRUZEIRO 6 x 0 SÃO FRANCISCO-PA

Data – Hora: 22/2/2017 – 21h45 (de Brasília)
Local: Mineirão, Belo Horizonte (MG)
Publico:11.931 torcedores / R$ 186.613,00
Árbitro: Eduardo Tomaz de Aquino Valadão (GO)
Assistentes: Edson Antonio de Sousa (GO) e Adailton Fernando Menezes (GO)
Cartões amarelos: Thiago Marabá (SFR)
Gols: Rafael Sóbis (4’1ºT – 1 x 0, 21’1ºT – 3 x 0, 25’1ºT – 4 x 0 e 36’1ºT – 5 x 0), Robinho (17’1ºT – 2 x 0) e Arrascaeta (29’2ºT – 6 x 0)

CRUZEIRO: Rafael; Ezequiel, Léo, Luis Caicedo (Manoel – 35’2ºT) e Diogo Barbosa; Henrique (Lucas Silva – 27’2ºT) e Ariel Cabral; Robinho, Thiago Neves (Alisson – 19’2ºT) e Arrascaeta; Rafael Sóbis Técnico: Mano Menezes

SÃO FRANCISCO-PA: Labilá; Diogo, Charles, Alemão e Rodrigo Santarém; Clayton He-Man, Sousa, Murilo e Thiago Marabá; Bartola (Juninho – INT) e Fabio Paulista (Thiago Floriano – INT). Técnico: Walter Lima

West Ham will soon embark on a landmark season at the London Stadium.

Not only are the Irons going to be competing in the Europa League for the first time since 2016 but it’ll also be the last time we’ll see club legend Mark Noble in the claret and blue.

Back in March this year, the 34-year-old midfielder confirmed he would pull the curtain down on an 18-year career in East London after signing a final one-year extension to his current £50k-per-week contract.

Noble has featured over 500 times for the club, which sees him rank amongst the top ten of the club’s all-time appearances makers. That, combined with the fact he’s been the captain for several years, means he’ll be a very hard man to replace.

Despite being restricted to only eight league starts last campaign, the Englishman is still reportedly a major influence in the dressing room. That makes David Moyes’ task to find a viable successor a very hard one.

A new central midfield signing is certainly going to be down the list of priorities, too.

It’s no secret that West Ham need a new striker to provide the perfect foil to Michail Antonio, whilst a permanent return for Jesse Lingard will also be desired.

However, there’s one name that the Hammers have been linked to that fits the bill as potentially Moyes’ dream replacement – Nahitan Nandez.

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The East Londoners face stiff competition for his signature, though.

Premier League rivals Leeds United have been heavily mooted with interest but Moyes has an ace up his sleeve over Marcelo Bielsa in the fact that he can offer the Cagliari star European football.

Nandez was a stern presence in midfield throughout the 2020/21 season – as per SofaScore, he averaged 1.8 tackles and won an impressive 6.1 duels per game, which rates out well in comparison to Noble, who has averaged between 1.5 and 2.1 tackles per match in each of his last four top-flight seasons, via WhoScored.

The 25-year-old, who has been capped 35 times by Uruguay, was given a glowing endorsement this week by Forza Italian Football editor-in-chief Conor Clancy.

During an exclusive interview with This is Futbol, he said:

“I think he’s only about five foot seven, but you wouldn’t know it if you just watched clips of him, he is a little bit of a machine. He’s so powerful but at the same time, has really, really good ball control.”

It’s thought that Nandez would be available for just €30m (£26m), which on the above evidence, would certainly be great value for money and with the Hammers on the up, this is exactly the sort of signing they need to make to prolong their period at the top.

In the “unstoppable” Nandez, the Irons could get the perfect successor to Noble.

AND in other news, Moyes could sign his next Duncan Ferguson in £30m beast who’s “horrible to play against”…

It has been a frustrating season for Brandon Williams who has had to deal with injury problems as well as the sensational resurgence of Luke Shaw so to stop his career from stagnating, Norwich legend Jon Newsome believes that the Canaries could be the perfect club for him to move to.

Williams, who was hailed as “exciting” by Gary Lineker last year, has only been handed two starts in the Premier League this season and with Shaw and Alex Telles ahead of him in the pecking order, links have emerged suggesting that the Canaries could be in line to swoop in for him on a season-long loan deal.

The Manchester United academy graduate was close to sealing a move away in January for the second half of the season as Newcastle United wanted him but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer refused to let him leave because of a lack of cover.

The 20-year old made a name for himself last season making 38 appearances in all competitions but this season has proved to be a stumbling block, something that Norwich could help him get over, something Newsome spoke exclusively to The Transfer Tavern about:

“I think Brandon Williams going out and playing some regular football elsewhere is exactly what both himself and Man United would want. So, it could be a very good fit.”

During their title-winning season, Norwich had three recognised left-backs on their books but Jacob Lungi Sörensen is the only one that will certainly be there next season as both Dimitrios Giannoulis and Xavi Quintilla will return to their parent clubs this summer.

Sörensen made 32 appearances for the Canaries but it is likely that Daniel Farke would find it difficult to turn down the opportunity of bringing in Williams, even if it was temporary if it meant Norwich stayed in the Premier League.