Southampton fell to a 2-0 defeat against Leicester City on Saturday night, with Che Adams, in particular, disappointing with his performance.

The former Birmingham City striker struggled to have any real impact on the game and was rarely involved during his time on the pitch.

Ralph Hasenhuttl would have been relying on him to step up in the absence of strike partner Danny Ings, but in truth he never looked like scoring at the King Power Stadium as the Saints struggled to create clear-cut chances against Brendan Rodgers’ side.

As per SofaScore, the £15m Adams picked up a 6.7 rating for his performance, which was actually better than a lot of his Southampton teammates, but it is not easy to see why.

The 24-year-old striker would have just 20 touches of the ball, which was the fewest of any player who started the game, and significantly fewer than Saints ‘keeper Alex McCarthy, who had 53 touches.

Adams’ opponent Jonny Evans would earn a 7.1 match rating, register significantly more touches and only lose one duel during the game, with it clear that the former Manchester United man won the battle with the Southampton forward.

He would also manage to complete just eight of his 13 attempted passes during the game, resulting in a less than impressive success rate of 62%, which is lower than his season average of 69.3%.

By comparison, Adams’ last appearance in the 0-0 draw with West Ham saw him register 22 touches of the ball, despite him only being on the pitch for 58 minutes and no doubt still dazed from the kick in the head he received from Craig Dawson.

The striker usually averages 1.7 shots per game and 1.5 aerials won per game but registered just one of each against the Foxes, suggesting that his performance was below his usual standards.

Despite seeing very little of the ball, Adams would still manage to lose six out of eight duels and lose possession on eight occasions, suggesting that on the few occasions he was involved, the Leicester defenders had the better of him.

In the absence of Ings, the young striker needs to involve himself a lot more in Southampton’s build-up play but hopefully, the former Liverpool man will be back to accompany Adams in the Saints’ next Premier League fixture, which sees them take on Arsenal at St Mary’s.

And, in other news… Southampton signing England U’21 gem could see Ralph favourite depart

West Brom’s shocking run of form continued on Saturday evening as Newcastle United piled more pressure on struggling Albion boss Slaven Bilic.

According to reports in the build-up to this weekend’s crunch match at St James’ Park, the Croatian is facing an unlikely future in the Midlands and that defeat may have not done him many favours at all.

The home side took the lead inside 20 seconds when Miguel Almiron was given acres of space inside the penalty area and Darnell Furlong’s half-volley equaliser five minutes after the break wasn’t enough to stop former Baggies loan star Dwight Gayle late on.

He nipped in past Branislav Ivanovic to head home the winner just five minutes from time, sending West Brom back to the Hawthorns with an eighth defeat in 12.

Some may look to the enigmatic right-back for one positive from the match, but instead, attention should turn his fellow defender, young Dara O’Shea, who performed immensely out of position.

No player in the game was more involved than the Irishman, managing a whopping 90 touches, that’s one per minute, via SofaScore.

The 21-year-old also did his defensive duties, recording three clearances, two tackles, one interception and one block, as well as winning nine duels and making 53 of 69 passing attempts.

It was just his sixth-ever start in the Premier League, which makes it all that more impressive and had Albion come away with a draw in the north-east, then he would have rightly been picked out as a Man of the Match contender.

Aside from bringing the Baggies back to the top-flight, O’Shea is someone that Bilic should be lauded for as he first introduced him into the senior set-up last term – he even went as far as dubbing him “the future” of the club in one interview.

The “exceptional” beast deserves to keep his place amongst the starting XI, even when usual first-choice Kyle Bartley returns. He was the one shining light yesterday afternoon.

AND in other news, West Brom disaster who lost 84% of duels badly let Bilic down in Newcastle defeat…

Not that they’d like to admit it, but if Glasgow Rangers do intend to strengthen their squad in the January transfer window, then Steven Gerrard simply must prioritise his options out wide.

Ianis Hagi has established himself as a regular starter in the Scottish Premiership but both Brandon Barker and Jordan Jones have seemingly been deemed surplus to requirements. Gerrard should count his blessings that the transfer market is still open, for the time being at least.

Reports have emerged over the past week that Rangers are reportedly eyeing up a move for Sheffield Wednesday winger Adam Reach, whose contract will run out in the summer.

The Lancashire Telegraph recently revealed that Reach is free to talk to foreign clubs and thus, Rangers and their Old Firm rivals Celtic are closely monitoring his situation.

It’s been claimed Steven Gerrard’s side ‘may make a move for the 27-year-old who was bought for £5milllion from Middlesbrough in 2016.’

As per the Bosman ruling, he could move to a new club without costing a penny if he agrees a pre-contract deal with either club north of the border.

Wilson masterclass

With Reach nearing the end of his contract, it goes without saying that this could be yet another fine example of a masterclass from Ross Wilson – who played a central role in Southampton’s player trading – if he can snap up the 27-year-old.

There’s no doubt he’d take to Scottish football like a duck to water as he’s arguably one of the most versatile players in the English Championship.

Capable of playing out wide, upfront, in the midfield or even at left-back, his versatility not only means that he is a manager’s dream as he can play in a number of positions at short notice, but he’d also be a significant upgrade on the likes of Barker and Jones in the final third.

Previously described as “fantastic” by former Owls manager Jos Luhukay, he has a host of different qualities that could be game-changing for the Gers.

Perhaps most importantly, he’s better in almost every area than the hapless Rangers duo.

Reach has made 22 Championship appearances so far this season and has two goals and two assists to show for his 18 starts, despite playing in virtually every position besides centre-back, right-back and between the sticks. That’s one more goal contribution than Barker and Jones have managed between them, let alone by themselves, via Transfermarkt.

On top of this, the former Middlesbrough man makes just shy of one tackle and one interception per game, which shows that he isn’t afraid to get stuck in and contribute defensively as well. The same can’t be said for Barker and Jones, who have barely averaged one tackle between them this season, via WhoScored, and typically shy away from tracking back and breaking up attacks.

It’s clear that Reach would be an upgrade on the two Rangers outcasts, who are still yet to feature for the first-team this year.

With Rangers lacking genuine cover on the wings and Gerrard’s playing style revolving around the width on the outside channels, it’s fair to say that signing the experienced Reach could prove to be invaluable as they bid to stop Celtic from winning ten in a row.

The chastening 3-2 defeat to St. Mirren shows Rangers can’t afford to rest on their laurels in the transfer market. Therefore, snapping up Reach for a cut-price deal should be at the top of the list of Wilson’s priorities. He’s already proven he’s one of the best in the English second division and should settle into life in the Scottish Premiership.

Should they stall too long, there’s no doubt there’ll be other clubs waiting in the wings.

AND in other news, Ross Wilson must sanction Rangers swoop for on-loan Liverpool striker Taiwo Awoniyi…

MatériaMais Notícias

Maior ídolo do elenco do São Paulo, Diego Lugano foi mais um a sair em defesa de Lucão. Um dia depois de o zagueiro de 19 anos falhar grotescamente no clássico contra o Corinthians, o uruguaio elogiou o companheiro e pediu para a torcida não vaiá-lo.

– Futebol é coletivo não acredito em vilão e herói. O mais novo e o mais experiente estão sujeitos a erros, futebol tem disso. No caso específico, Lucão é jovem, da seleção de base, é compromissado e se o torcedor me escutar espero que não o vaie porque ele tem coragem, sai jogando e assumiu os erros, isso é valioso em um jogador muito mais que erro ou acertos. O time tem um jogo importante, precisa do apoio da torcida e é um momento bom para que o time comece a se unir – analisou Lugano, em entrevista ao programa Seleção, do SporTV.

Lugano ainda comentou sobre como o zagueiro pode se comportar após o erro. No primeiro tempo do Majestoso, Lucão entregou uma bola no pé de Lucca, que abriu o placar, e perdeu pelo alto para o corintiano Yago decretar o 2 a 0 no fim do jogo.

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– Todo jogador que entra em campo está disposto a erros e isso acontece com o mais novo e também com o mais experiente. Ele merece todo respeito dos companheiros, é um grande jogador e um grande homem. Nós vamos apoiar sempre ainda mais por ser um jogador de personalidade – disse Lugano.

De volta ao clube este ano, Lugano ainda vive a expectativa de reestrear pelo clube. Após o técnico Edgardo Bauza dizer que os erros de Lucão não apressarão a entrada do uruguaio, o ídolo disse que já está à disposição.

– Eu venho treinando há 10 dias , estou à disposição do técnico, venho fazendo meu trabalho esperando a hora certa de jogar – afirmou.

A tendência é que Lugano entre em campo pela primeira vez este ano no próximo domingo, contra o Rio Claro, no Pacaembu, pelo Campeonato Paulista. Na quarta-feira, contra o The Strongest (BOL), pela primeira rodada da fase de grupos da Libertadores, Bauza acenou com a manutenção de Rodrigo Caio e Lucão. Ainda nesta segunda-feira, o São Paulo também deve anunciar a chegada do zagueiro Maicon, contratado por empréstimo do Porto (POR).

Tottenham Hotspur are surely looking to put the past seven days behind them as they take a break from Premier League action later this evening.Jose Mourinho’s side head to Championship outfit Stoke City in a bid to make the Carabao Cup semi-finals, and it presents an opportunity for many of Spurs’ fringe and youth players to make a meaningful impact, and to send them into Christmas smiling.Last week, the north Londoners were beaten by a late Roberto Firmino header in a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool, which was followed up on Sunday with a complete no-show against Leicester City as the Foxes did a number on them to force the back down to sixth in the league.The illustrious Portuguese has won this very competition four times in spells with Chelsea and Manchester United, and he couldn’t have asked for a more favourable tie.But with fixtures coming thick and fast over the festive period, rotation is in order.Carlos Vinicius could be handed the reigns from Harry Kane in attack, whilst Joe Rodon will surely be given a chance to impress the boss. There should even be minutes for Gareth Bale, who has managed just 45 minutes of action in the past two weeks.Even though he should start, you can forget about the Welshman as it’s time for Mourinho to turn to youth and there may be none more deserving than Alfie Devine.He was spotted in training alongside the Real Madrid loanee on Friday, so there’s a great chance he’s involved for this trip – Journalist Alasdair Gold claimed that Devine has made a “real impression” on the senior coaching staff.

The 16-year-old summer addition from Wigan has continued to impress for both the U18 and U23 squads – in their respective PL competitions, he’s bagged three goals and provided one assist from midfield having played as a defensive anchor as well as a no.8 and no.10, per Transfermarkt.

Mourinho has already shown that he isn’t afraid to give the youngsters a chance – Dane Scarlett became the youngest ever player to feature for Spurs earlier this season he came on versus Ludogorets in the Europa League.

And with Harry Winks not fancied, and the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Moussa Sissoko due a rest, Devine could fulfil a spot in midfield this evening.

The teen sensation made the Guardian’s next generation ’20 to watch’ list in the summer as they noted him as an “imposing box-to-box” dynamo, whilst the Latics chief Jonathan Jackson dubbed him a “very talented footballer” who has “huge potential” after he signed a pro deal there prior to his £500k Spurs move.

Even Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has spotted his potential too, he tweeted: “Watched Alfie for a couple of years & he’s top class.”

With Oliver Skipp out on loan, it’s time for fans to see their next midfield gem in Devine.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Gary Mabbutt reacts to what Serge Aurier did after being subbed vs Leicester…

Leeds United were linked with a plethora of players during the summer, ranging from potential Ben White replacements to strikers that could maybe usurp Patrick Bamford.

And to be fair to the Premier League newcomers, they did some smart pieces of business, so much so that they avoided an absolute financial catastrophe along the way.

The Sun’s Alan Nixon reported at the end of August that the Whites were keen admirers of Liverpool outcast Harry Wilson, who the defending champions wanted around £20m for.

He is a player that Leeds director of football Victor Orta is said to rate “very highly,” as per Phil Hay at The Athletic.

The 23-year-old Welshman had no permanent suitors at that jaw-dropping price, which is hardly a surprise, and has now since gone out on loan to the Championship once again.

You get the feeling that he just isn’t going to make it in the big-time just yet as his switch to Cardiff is his fifth temporary spell away from Anfield since 2015, and his third in the English second-flight.

It is true that his spell in the Welsh capital is going to plan, he has contributed two goals and two assists in eight starts whilst also averaging 2.4 key passes, two shots and 0.8 dribbles per game playing primarily as a right-winger or through the middle, via WhoScored.

However, United need to make the £15m investment in Helder Costa work, on top of the obvious value that Jack Harrison holds as the Yorkshiremen can sign him permanently for a fraction of Wilson’s mooted fee at £10m.

Wilson has also continued to feature on the international stage, leading to former Wales star Dave Edwards lauding the speedster as “unplayable at times.”

Although, the Elland Road tenants have added further depth in wide areas, signing Ian Poveda in January and then Raphinha this summer. It very much would be hard to foresee where a player like Wilson would fit in under Marcelo Bielsa.

Orta dodged an almighty bullet here.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Palmer tips Leeds gem for one of the Premier League’s ‘top five’…

According to The Evening Standard, Arsenal are looking at Crystal Palace starlet Tyrick Mitchell.

What’s the story?

With Sead Kolasinac out on loan at Schalke for the rest of the season, and his long-term future at the Gunners uncertain, it’s no surprise that Mikel Arteta’s side are on the look-out for a new left-back.

And as per The Evening Standard, the north London side are scouting Palace’s Mitchell, and that they are one of several Premier League teams watching the 21-year-old.

The report adds that Arsenal are monitoring his situation at Selhurst Park, and whilst it was initially suggested his contract expired in the summer, it is thought to run longer than that.

Arsenal’s next Ashley Cole

Described as a “silent assassin”, Mitchell is perhaps atypical of the modern left-back, being really strong defensively.

One of his former coaches at Brentford, Gabriel Flores, raved about Mitchell’s work going back towards his own goal, saying: “When he is defending, we all see the film Rocky and think of Eye Of The Tiger (the theme song for the third movie in the series), and someone needs to have that. This kid has it.

“I always tell players if you want to see someone having that fire in his eyes, having the eye of the tiger, then watch him. Watch when he defends, when he tracks players down, when he goes to look, he has this look in his face and he still has it now. That’s just in him. He has a real hunger, passion and desire to not get beaten.”

And that was clearly seen in his impressive performance in Palace’s hard-earned 0-0 draw against Arsenal last week. Mitchell came up against the Gunners’ man of the moment, Bukayo Saka, and he completely nullified the England starlet.

As per Sofascore, he made three interceptions for Palace which was the second-most of any player for Roy Hodgson’s side, whilst he also made five clearances too, with only James Tomkins making more in that department.

Saka on the other hand could only complete one of his three attempted dribbles and lost possession 17 times, with Mitchell sticking touch tight to him and giving him little room to manouevre. It was a superb defensive performance against a player who had been in sparkling form for Arsenal.

As young and English, Mitchell is the closest thing Arsenal could have to the next Ashley Cole, who of course came through the Gunners’ academy and was part of the Invincibles.

If the 21-year-old enjoys half the success that Cole did at the Emirates, then he will have been a superb signing for the north Londoners.

Meanwhile, Arsenal can get Hector Bellerin’s successor in this starlet…

MatériaMais Notícias

A lista com os 30 jogadores que defenderão o Atlético-MG na primeira fase da Copa Libertadores está definida. Na noite desta segunda-feira, o clube divulgou os inscritos para a competição continental, trazendo como destaque as presenças do badalado Robinho, além do recém-contratado Junior Urso e de Juan Cazares, que é pivô de uma polêmica por seus direitos econômicos envolvendo Banfiled (ARG) e Independiente del Valle (EQU).

O “Rei das Pedaladas” Robinho retornará a uma disputa de Copa Libertadores ostentando a camisa 7. Já Junior Urso, que volta ao país após defender o Shandong Luneng, ficará com a camisa 20. A dupla ainda não entra em campo na quarta-feira, contra o Melgar (PER).

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Já Juan Cazares viajou para Arequipa (PER), amparado por uma inscrição provisória junto à Conmebol. Porém, sua presença na partida ainda é um mistério.

Outro dado curioso é em relação à numeração de Erazo. Além de suceder Jemerson, que foi negociado com o Monaco (FRA), o equatoriano herdou a camisa 4.

CONFIRA A LISTA DO ATLÉTICO-MG NA ÍNTEGRA:

1-Victor

12-Giovanni

24- Uilson

2- Marcos Rocha

3- Léo Silva

4-Erazo

5-Rafael Carioca

6-Douglas Santos

7-Robinho

8-Leandro Donizete

9-Lucas Pratto

10-Dátolo

11-Cazares

13-Carlos

14-Mansur

15-Edcarlos

16-Pablo

17-Hyuri

18-Lucas Cândido

19-Carlos César

20-Junior Urso

21-Gabriel

22-Thiago Ribeiro

23-Dodô

25-Yago

26-Tiago

27-Luan

28-Henrique

29-Patric

30-Eduardo

رفض مدرب فريق تشيلسي توماس توخيل توجيه اللوم إلى حارس المرمى إدوارد ميندي بعد خسارة السبت أمام وست هام، في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وتلاقى الفريقان في إطار منافسات الجولة الخامسة عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي على ملعب لندن الأولمبي، حيث خسر تشيلسي بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدفين. أهداف مباراة تشيلسي ووست هام

وتراجع تشيلسي نتيجة لذلك إلى المركز الثالث بدلًا من الأول، خاصة بعد فوز ليفربول على ولفرهامبتون بهدف دون رد وصعوده إلى المركز الثاني، وحصول مانشستر سيتي على الصدارة بعد فوزه على واتفورد 3-1.

وقال توخيل في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “فوتبول لندن” الإنجليزية: “يعاني ميندي من فترة عصيبة، لا أعرف السبب بالضبط ولكن يبدو أنه فقد بعض الثقة”.

وأضاف: “لم يكن قراره على أعلى مستوى مع الهدف الأول للخصم، ولكننا وضعناه أيضًا في موقف محرج حقًا، كان بإمكانه أن ينقذ الموقف لكنه لم يفعل”.

وواصل: “نحن بعيدون تمامًا عن إلقاء اللوم على أي شخص، ولكننا بحاجة إلى الاعتراف بأننا ارتكبنا الكثير من الأخطاء الفادحة في الوقت الحالي والتي كلفتنا الفوز على مانشستر يونايتد ووست هام أيضًا”.

وعندما سُئل عما إذا كان يفكر في إبعاد إدوارد ميندي عن حراسة المرمى في الفترة المقبلة، رد الألماني باقتضاب: “لا أعتقد ذلك”.

Steve Howey has exclusively told Football FanCast that he could see Christian Eriksen joining Everton from Inter Milan during the January transfer window.

The Toffees are one of several sides to have been linked with a move to end Eriksen’s Serie A nightmare during the mid-season window, with initial talks over a potential loan deal thought to have taken place.

Inter are keen to send Eriksen out on loan this month having seen him fall out of favour under Antonio Conte, who opted to overlook the £31.5m-rated maestro during Sunday’s 2-2 draw with AS Roma.

Eriksen has failed to score or provide an assist in any of his 13 appearances across all competitions this season, yet has been linked with winter moves to a host of clubs including Everton, Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Manchester United, Aston Villa and with a potential return to Tottenham Hotspur.

But former Newcastle United defender Howey can see Goodison Park serving as Eriksen’s next home, as the Denmark international is the type of player Ancelotti loves to work with.

He told FFC: “I can see somebody like Eriksen fitting in (at Everton). Absolutely. He’s that kind of Ancelotti type of player. He’s neat and tidy. He can score goals. So, it wouldn’t surprise me.”

Inter Milan are not understood to have yet fielded any official offers for Eriksen this month with West Ham and Aston Villa only testing the water, while PSG, Arsenal and Manchester United monitor his situation.

But a move to the London Stadium or Villa Park is not seen as an appealing destination for the 28-year-old, who provided four goals and three assists during his first half-season at the San Siro after netting three times and creating three for Tottenham before his £17m exit.

Everton striking a deal for Eriksen would likely prove costly with the Nerazzurri reportedly demanding that his £229,000-per-week contract is covered in full should he leave on loan, or a club would need to pay £27m for a permanent transfer.

Ancelotti currently has Rodriguez, Andre Gomes, Davies, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Sigurdsson and Alex Iwobi to call on to offer creativity from midfield, yet has only seen three assists from Rodriguez and two from Doucoure, Iwobi and Sigurdsson in Premier League games, so he might fancy a look at Eriksen, if the finances work for the Toffees board.

AND in other news, Marcel Brands must sign “quick” Everton target who “makes football look easy”.