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علّق نجم ريال مدريد كريم بنزيما، على استدعائه لقائمة منتخب فرنسا استعدادًا لمنافسات يورو 2020، للمرة الأولى منذ عام 2015.

وقرر ديديه ديشامب، المدير الفني للمنتخب الفرنسي، استدعاء بنزيما، في قائمة ضمت 26 لاعبًا.

وعبر حسابه الرسمي على موقع “إنستجرام” نشر بنزيما صورة له بقميص منتخب فرنسا.

وكتب بنزيما: “فخور جدًا بهذه العودة إلى المنتخب الفرنسي وبالثقة التي حصلت عليها، شكرًا لعائلتي وأصدقائي وفريقي، ولكم.. ولكل من دعموني دائمًا.. الحمد لله”.

وتحدث ديشامب في تصريحات عن قرار استدعاء بنزيما، وأوضح أنه أجرى محادثة مطولة مع مهاجم ريال مدريد قبل حسم قراره، ويمكنك مشاهدة تصريحاته كاملة من خلال هذا الرابط.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

There’s damning with faint praise, but is there such a thing as praise with faint damning?

Because that’s the situation that the staff and players at Sheffield United might just find himself in after some rather weird remarks from former Blades boss Neil Warnock.

What’s he said?

Speaking to talkSPORT, Warnock praised Wilder for the work that he is doing at Bramall Lane right now even though the players he’s working work aren’t exactly of the highest quality:

“It’s an amazing system. I’m not being disrespectful, but he’s got bang average players playing top of the Premier League standards. That’s what you talk about man-management, these lads believe in what Chris is doing and good luck, the fans are loving it and I’m sure they’ll do well.”

Unleashing the beasts

Warnock has always been one that isn’t afraid to voice his opinion on all things football, but this might come back to bite him in the backside at the end of the season.

The praise for Wilder just seems to be never-ending, with ex-pros like Tony Cascarino saying that he should be considered for ‘bigger’ Premier League jobs further down the road, but a comment like this, is exactly what players like those in the Bramall Lane dressing room should be looking for, extra motivation.

Whilst Warnock might not exactly hold the highest esteem when it comes to the world of football, much in the same way John Terry made disparaging remarks about Robbie Savage a number of years ago, the chance to go and prove someone wrong should be a big motivator for the players as they go on this season.

Whilst some might write the Blades off, including to a certain extent us at FFC as well, they should take all these comments and use it as a way to prove everyone wrong.

They’ve already exceeded expectations by even getting into this division, and a quote like this might just be that little bit extra that they need to really kick on and make this season a memorable one.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Moussa Sissoko has maintained that Tottenham Hotspur can get back to their best despite a poor start to the season, per the club’s official website.

What’s he said?

The France international has started every single game in the Premier League this season, but Spurs have won just three of those encounters.

Indeed, Mauricio Pochettino’s men are currently 11th in the top-flight, eight points behind both Leicester City and Chelsea in third and fourth respectively.

But Sissoko is confident that he and his team-mates have the ability to turn their form around and begin to climb the table.

He said: “Like always, I give my best for the team and that’s what I will always do, like every player, until the end of the season.

“We are together and we want success together. Of course, the results in the last few weeks haven’t been great for us, but that’s football, that’s life.

“Sometimes it can be like this and we have to work our way through it, stick together and I’m sure good things will follow soon.”

Nonsense quotes

What’s the point of coming out with cookie-cutter quotes that supporters will surely find infuriating?

At the end of the day, all that matters – clichéd as it may be – is the score at the final whistle.

It is all very well coming out with these template words but Sissoko, of all people, needs to start backing everything up on the pitch.

He has been one of the club’s most improved players and, obviously, Pochettino trusts him.

But he has yet to add an end product to his play. On Sunday, against Liverpool, as Spurs lost 2-1, he had a prime opportunity to play in Son Heung-Min in the final 10 minutes but he ended up playing the ball through to Reds goalkeeper Alisson Becker instead.

Indeed, per WhoScored, while he has laid on one assist this season, he averages just 0.5 key passes per game, is dispossessed on average 0.9 times and has 1.7 unsuccessful touches.

Sissoko would do better to work on adding an end product to his game instead of pontificating about his side’s chances.

According to El Desmarque, Real Madrid may be willing to offer Mariano Diaz and Isco to Tottenham Hotspur in January in order to sign Christian Eriksen.

There remains huge speculation surrounding the future of Eriksen, who will see his contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium expire next summer.

And the Denmark international’s form this season – scoring just once in 11 appearances for Mauricio Pochettino’s side – does suggest that his head is elsewhere.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

According to El Desmarque, Los Blancos are weighing up the possibility of including Mariano and Isco in an offer for Eriksen.

It is a tricky situation, though, as the former Ajax youngster could decide to sit tight and leave on a free at the end of the season, which would certainly be more lucrative in terms of a signing-on fee.

The Spurs fans are absolutely desperate for the above deal to take place, though, and a selection of their reaction on Twitter is available to view below:

Leeds were back to winning ways for only the second time in six matches in all competitions on Tuesday.They bounced back from what was a tough defeat against Charlton last weekend to reign victorious over previously unbeaten West Brom.After the game took place, The Athletics’ Phil Hay posted an article that detailed the progression of Mateusz Klich, one of the players to take to the field for the Whites in midweek.However, the Polish midfielder was criticised by a certain segment of Leeds supporters who offered damning verdicts on specific aspects of his play when replying to his tweet.One fan said that he looked leggy while his inability to shoot properly was also at the front of one individual’s mind.Klich netted ten times in the Championship last term but has only scored one this time around. He also missed a penalty against Derby.A further fan was looking for improvement in the final third, explaining his decision making was poor.

Klich has been mooted for a new contract recently but nothing has yet to formally come out of the club regarding his future.

Here’s some of the criticism he received.

Just a couple of weeks after lighting up Old Trafford with a failed rabona, Marcos Rojo was given another opportunity to impress for Manchester United on Thursday night.Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gave the Argentina international a starting spot in the clash against AZ Alkmaar, and the 29-year-old didn’t exactly vindicate his manager’s faith in him.The defender had been linked with a move to fellow Premier League side Everton for the second consecutive year in the summer transfer window, but failed to see a move materialise. And based on this showing, the Toffees may feel they have dodged a bullet.The 6 foot 2 man made no tackles, interceptions or blocks, and lost possession 13 times – the second-most of any United player on the pitch.After seeing Rojo’s poor display, United fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the Argentine’s performance.Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Many supporters of the Manchester side hammered him for simply not being good enough, with one fan in particular insisting that he is “League One quality at best”.

Some Red Devils fans questioned his technical ability, and pointed to his tendency to clear the ball when under no pressure at all.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking to talkSPORT, Paul Scholes has insisted Manchester United losing Paul Pogba wouldn’t be a “big loss”.

What did he say?

The France World Cup winner was the subject of intense transfer speculation over the course of the summer transfer window, but a move to either Real Madrid or Juventus failed to materialise.

Since then, the midfielder has been caught up in the Red Devils’ penalty controversy at Wolves, and received criticism from some quarters over his below-par performances.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Now, Scholes has said if United were to lose him in the future, there would be players capable of stepping up to the plate.

He said: “I think it’s quite clear he wants to leave the club. He wanted to move to Real Madrid (in the summer) and for whatever reason it didn’t happen. If they ask him to stay for a year then we’ll see what happens. But I don’t think it will be a big loss to United (if he does go).

“At the end of the day his form hasn’t been great anyway over the last three or three years he’s been there. I’m sure there’s more players there who can step in and do just as good a job.”

Questionable

Having been one of United’s most productive performers last season with 16 goals and 11 assists, for Scholes to suggest Pogba leaving wouldn’t be considered a “big loss” is quite puzzling.

Losing the kind of drama the Frenchman appears to be followed around with off-the-pitch is understandable, but the 26-year-old has been a key performer for the Red Devils since his return from Juventus.

Scholes’ further suggestion that he’s sure the club have more players who can “step in and do just as good a job” is incredibly short-sighted too. If there are, then why haven’t they been given a chance yet?

The likes of Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have had plenty of opportunities to turn to other players in the first-team squad or even the academy. Instead, Pogba has remained a cornerstone of the United midfield, and that perhaps says it all.

أوضح الألماني يورجن كلوب، المدير الفني لليفربول سبب استبدال محمد صلاح في مباراة الفريق أمس أمام تشيلسي بالدوري الإنجليزي.

وقام كلوب باستبدال مزدوج، حيث أخرج صلاح وجونز ودفع بجوتا وتشامبرلين في الدقيقة 61، في مباراة حسمها تشيلسي بالفوز بهدف دون رد.

وقال كلوب في تصريحات لـ”سكاي سبورتس”: “رغبت في تنشيط الملعب بلاعبين جدد، بدا محمد صلاح وكأنه يعاني اليوم قليلاً، ولعب الكثير من المباريات، كان بإمكاني استبدال ماني أو فيرمينو وهذا واضح تمامًا”.

وأكمل مدرب ليفربول موضحًا: “ولكن في تلك اللحظة بدا أنه ينبغي استبدال صلاح، كذلك قررت إشراك ميلنر لإيقاظ الفريق قليلاً والحفاظ على التوازن”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. أوين: ماني رفض الحصول على ركلة جزاء أمام تشيلسي بسبب محمد صلاح!

وأردف كلوب: “لقد بدا صلاح محبطًا، هذه ليست مشكلة، كان بإمكاني تغيير الآخرين، لكنه بدا وكأنه شعر بحدة المباراة، ولم أرغب في المخاطرة به، لقد عرفته منذ فترة طويلة وهو عادة ما يبدو منتعشًا، وهذه كانت علامة على عدم المخاطرة به”.

وعن رد فعل محمد صلاح على خروجه، أتم الألماني تصريحاته: “كل شيء على ما يرام، وأنا أتخذ القرارات التي أعتقد أنها مناسبة في الوقت الحالي”. لحظة خروج محمد صلاح فى مباراة ليفربول وتشيلسي

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to La Nazione (via Calcio Mercato), Fiorentina are lining up a summer swoop for Manchester United midfielder Fred.

What’s the word?

The Brazil international has yet to feature under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this season, and has struggled to establish himself in the Red Devils’ first-team since his big-money move from Shakhtar Donetsk last summer.

Now, the report claims Fiorentina are contemplating make a move for the 26-year-old and the Italian side value the midfielder at €30m (£27.2m).

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

It adds that whilst the Viola have made an enquiry about his securing his services, it is still yet unclear whether United would be willing to let him go following the departure of Ander Herrera earlier in the summer transfer window.

Lack of depth

Surely United can’t afford to lose another player without having the opportunity to replace them? Even with Fred only being on the fringes of the squad at the moment, he still represents a proven option from his time in Ukraine. The Red Devils signed no midfielders in the summer window but have seen the likes of Herrera and Marouane Fellaini leave this calendar year.

The indoor football skills in the video below have to be seen to be believed…

To kick the season off, Solskjaer has had to make do with a midfield two of Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay, and the options to replace the duo in case of injury or loss of form are incredibly limited, with Nemanja Matic the only other senior option in the middle of the park.

United could really struggle if injuries begin to take their toll over the course of the season, and so really need every one of their current squad to do their bit. Letting Fred leave would be tantamount to a massive oversight on the Red Devils’ part.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Despite having the notoriously defensive Jose Mourinho at the helm, Manchester United encountered some alarming problems at the back during the first half of the last campaign. That frailty seemed to continue into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s time in charge, and in the end, the Red Devils ended up with the worst goals conceded record in the top six.

But following the arrivals of Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, there is understandably a sense of optimism that the club’s struggles in defence may have been eased. The duo are renowned for their imposing styles of play and will surely offer more protection to David de Gea in goal than an ageing Antonio Valencia, or the comedy double act of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones.

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However, United’s troubles may not be dramatically washed away by their new signings. Solskjaer’s intent to press from the front and win the ball back up high will likely result in the Red Devils playing a high line with their defence. At both Leicester and Crystal Palace – two sides not expected to dominate possession or play on the front foot – Maguire and Wan-Bissaka were often part of defences that stayed deep and soaked up the pressure, before countering.

At United, that simply will not be the case. The pair will be part of a back-line that is expected to push up and compress the space for the opposition to play out from; but as is the risk, a routine ball over the top could be something United face on a constant basis, and Maguire’s lack of pace is certainly something of a cause for a concern.

Indeed, whilst the Red Devils’ summer arrivals will boost the club’s defence in the long-run, the protection in front of them will have a major bearing on whether Solskjaer’s side will see a marked improvement. Ander Herrera’s departure has robbed United of a tenacious midfielder who was willing to get his foot in, whilst Nemanja Matic has underwent somewhat of a decline since his Chelsea days.

As United have seen with their top-four rivals Arsenal in recent seasons, the need for a dominant holding midfielder can often be the difference-maker. So whilst Maguire and Wan-Bissaka are a step forward in the right direction, the side’s defensive woes may not be over just yet.

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