Writing on Twitter, reliable Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold heaped praise on midfielder Tanguy Ndombele as the one ‘real ray of light’ after his first-half performance against West Brom at the Hawthorns.Â
Ndombele, who impressed during a somewhat lacklustre first 45 minutes, made two key passes over that time whilst standing out above the likes of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Gareth Bale – with that front trio tipped to take the game by storm.
Ndombele praise
However, during the first period, one man who really stood out for Gold was Ndombele – and the journalist called him a ‘real ray of light’ for his brilliant showing after he has seemingly been rejuvenated under Jose Mourinho.
Spurs went through a scare with the star man going down in a lot of pain at one stage, and was substituted soon after, with supporters potentially hoping it isn’t serious.
A report by Get French Football News earlier in the summer claimed both the Frenchman and Mourinho had a behind the scenes bust-up, with his future looking severely in doubt at one stage.
Transfer Tavern take
Signed for a club-record £53.8 million, a significant investment by chairman Daniel Levy, Spurs supporters could now be glad they’re currently seeing the very best of Ndombele after a brief spell of tension at the club.
Indeed, the ‘phenomenal’ 23-year-old has shone in a role more further forward recently in central attacking midfield, arguably a tactical masterclass by Mourinho which has allowed him to express his ability in a less shackled role.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Moussa Sissoko, the enforcers sitting just behind Ndombele, give license for the player to wreak havoc with his boundless energy and creativity.
After his first-half showing, as Gold says, it’s safe to assume Spurs won’t want to lose him.
In other news: Fans were in full reaction after Mourinho’s comments, find out more here.Â
West Brom have been linked with a surprise solution to their striking woes ahead of the upcoming transfer window…
What’s the word?
According to the Daily Mail, the Baggies are one of several teams keeping a close eye on Crawley Town marksman Max Watters.
It’s claimed that Watford and clubs from League One and Belgium are also keen on signing the in-form 21-year-old, who is valued at around £1m by the League Two outfit.
Calculated risk
Albion are among the lowest scorers in the Premier League having bagged just eight goals in 11 appearances. The only two teams that have managed fewer are either side of them in the relegation zone.
That tells you all you need to know right now.
Their pursuit of Karlan Grant finally came to an end in the summer with the club splashing out £2m in six instalments, but so far, his arrival hasn’t gone to plan.
He’s scored just once in seven starts whilst an average rating of 6.48 is hardly going to inspire anyone just yet.
It’s time for desperate measures, so a calculated risk on a young player that’s worth only £1m could be right up Guochuan Lai’s penny-pinching street, Watters could well turn out to be a bargain.
Just look at how Jamie Vardy’s career turned out in the end.
The 21-year-old has scored a whopping 12 goals in 14 appearances in all competitions, meaning he is averaging one goal every 75 minutes on the pitch, via Transfermarkt.
Even former Baggies boss Darren Moore has backed him for success as the young striker was originally on the books of Doncaster Rovers before making the permanent switch south.
Speaking to Doncaster Free Press, Moore told of his disappointment over not keeping the 5 foot 11 talisman at the Keepmoat and praised his ability, he said:
“He’s got all the attributes. He’s a powerful man, he can play in a variety of positions in that front line. He boasts tremendous speed. He’s got an eye for goal and gets in the right places. He’s got wonderful attributes.”
Whilst he’s no proven Premier League player, it can’t hurt to have an unknown quantity in the ranks, one that can push Grant to do better.
AND in other news, Exclusive: Pundit questions West Brom’s potential £150m takeover
كشف موقع بريطاني عن أفضل تشكيل للاعبين في تاريخ قارة إفريقيا والذي ضم 3 لاعبين مصريين على رأسهم جناح ومهاجم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول، محمد صلاح.
ووضع موقع “Give Me Sport” البريطاني، محمد صلاح، في مركز لاعب الوسط الأيمن وعلى اليسار زميله في ليفربول، ساديو ماني، وهما اللاعبان الوحيدان اللذان مازالا يلعبان حتى الآن من التشكيل.
ولكن قام الموقع باختيار حارس مرمى منتخب مصر السابق، عصام الحضري، كأفضل حارس في تاريخ إفريقيا وكذلك مدافع النادي الأهلي ومدير منتخب مصر الحالي، وائل جمعة، ضمن خط الدفاع.
اقرأ أيضًا | مدرب أنجولا: محمد صلاح رقم 1 في العالم.. ومباراة مصر تحدي كبير
عصام الحضري
وتحدث الموقع عن حارس مرمى منتخب مصر الأسطوري وتصريحات مهاجم كوت ديفوار الأسبق، ديديه دروجبا، واختياره للحضري كأفضل خصم له في مسيرته على الإطلاق، والذي فاز مع الأهلي ومنتخب مصر بكل البطولات الممكنة وأصبح أكبر لاعب في تاريخ كأس العالم بعدما شارك في مونديال روسيا 2018 في عمر 45 عامًا. وائل جمعة
كان حاضرًا في إنجازات منتخب مصر في الألفية الحالية والفوز بكأس أمم إفريقيا 3 مرات في 2006، 2008 و2010، ويعتبر جمعة على نطاق واسع أعظم مدافع إفريقي في التاريخ وفاز بلقب دوري أبطال إفريقيا ست مرات مع الأهلي. محمد صلاح
هل نحتاج إلى تبرير لاختياره؟ هكذا تحدث الموقع عن الفرعون المصري المتألق مع ليفربول وأرقامه القياسية تتكلم عنه، وطالب الجميع بمشاهدة أهدافه الرائعة عبر موقع “يوتيوب” وسيدركون مدى براعته وتألقه. أفضل تشكيل في تاريخ إفريقيا
Celtic are set to face a bid for one of their stars before the end of the summer transfer window and it would be a major mistake if they were to entertain any advances…
What’s the word?
According to Football Insider, Premier League outfit West Bromwich Albion are pursuing the signature of Hoops midfielder Olivier Ntcham with Slaven Bilic keen to bolster his options after a slow start to the season.
They claim that the Scottish champions value the Frenchman at around £12m, triple the amount they paid for him in 2017.
It remains to be seen if Celtic would be open to a sale, though the 24-year-old is a wanted man across Europe. He has two years left on his current contract at Parkhead.
Transfer disaster
This would be an awfully silly decision to make from head of football Nick Hammond as well as manager Neil Lennon if they sanction this exit.
Ntcham has played nine times already this season, starting five times across the SPFL and Champions League qualifying and has provided two assists, per Transfermarkt.
Lennon has already hinted at the fact that his 35-year-old skipper Scott Brown isn’t going to be able to play week-in, week-out at this level, especially with a potential venture into the Europa League – that quest starts on Thursday.
That means strength in depth will be needed, which is where Ntcham comes in and perhaps eventually, he could be the man to replace the Scottish veteran in the future.
Ex-Bhoys boss Brendan Rodgers once hailed the midfielder as a “terrific talent” whilst Lennon himself knows of his qualities, he said: “Ntcham is an excellent player and it’s really up to him to keep that consistency. He’s a great trainer and already he’s made a significant start to the season. When he is in the mood, he’s fantastic. If we can just get that consistent level from him, we’ll have one hell of a player on our hands – as we already do.”
It just seems like a mistake to give up on a player that has already played 132 times for the club at such a young age.
In a summer or two, Hammond will be staring down the barrel at finding a suitable Brown successor when they may have had one lie in wait all along.
AND in other news, Celtic should reignite interest in “big, big talent” likened to Raheem Sterling…
According to 90min, Sheffield United have held talks with Liverpool over potentially signing Rhian Brewster on loan this summer.
What’s the word?
The striker spent the second half of last season on loan at Championship side Swansea, scoring ten goals in 20 league games. And despite scoring a brace in Liverpool’s 2-2 draw against RB Salzburg in a pre-season friendly clash, it seems Brewster could be on his way out of Anfield for the upcoming campaign.
Can you spot your Xabi Alonso from your Bruno Cheyrou? This Liverpool quiz will have you questioning your knowledge…
90min claim that Chris Wilder’s United are the current frontrunners for his signature, and that whilst Liverpool have been impressed by his development, they believe a loan spell at a Premier League side is the best move for him at this time.
The report adds that along with the Blades, teams like Leeds, Newcastle, Fulham and Crystal Palace have also made enquiries for the 20-year-old.
Foolish from Klopp
Whilst performances in pre-season friendlies are hardly occasions for managers to make long-term plans from, Brewster’s goal-scoring display against Salzburg did prove that he could well be an important rotation option for Jurgen Klopp’s side next season.
Divock Origi has forever etched himself into Anfield folklore with his goals against Barcelona and Tottenham in the Reds’ Champions League triumph from a couple of seasons ago, but he showed nothing like the kind of form that would indicate he is ready to fill in for Roberto Firmino on a regular basis.
The Belgian scored just six times in 42 games across all competitions, and if Firmino were to pick up a knock that kept him out of action for a while, Origi surely wouldn’t fill Klopp with too much confidence.
Hailed as “magnificent” by Steven Gerrard after one particularly impressive performance in the UEFA Youth League, Brewster would add a bit more firepower to Liverpool’s ranks. Sending him out on loan would rob the Reds of a much-needed goal-scorer in the short-term.
Manchester United could spring a surprise and sign former Burnley midfielder Jeff Hendrick on a free transfer this summer.
According to Football Insider, as per Daily Express, Man United are plotting a shock move for Hendrick in the summer following his release by the Clarets and amid reported interest from AC Milan. The Red Devils are ready to move for him as he can fit into multiple positions in midfield.
It is no secret that United want to sign Jack Grealish and Jadon Sancho, but the 2-2 draw with Southampton showed that still need to shore up defensively.
The Irish international, who has won 54 caps for his country, is now a free agent.
Hendrick has impressed for Burnley this season, as Sean Dyche’s side have climbed their way into the top half of the Premier League table. He played 24 games in the Premier League this term, scoring two goals, supplying two assists, winning 1.1 headers per game and recording a passing accuracy rate of 75% (via WhoScored).
Nemanja Matic remains the club’s only specialist in the defensive midfield position, which is a major cause for concern as the 31-year-old Serbian isn’t getting any younger, but the Republic of Ireland midfielder could provide cover as a midfield anchor if necessary.
Dyche had made it clear that he wanted Hendrick to stay with the Clarets but the 28-year-old rejected the offer of a new deal from the Turf Moor outfit.
His versatility could prove useful as Solskjaer’s side seek to challenge for silverware next season. However, whether or not the Red Devils will be able to stave off interest from AC Milan and Newcastle is another matter altogether.
United fans, should Ed Woodward sign Jeff Hendrick in the summer? Let us know in the comments section!
One of the heroes of that great Leeds team of the early 2000s, Ian Harte more than most would have been chuffed to bits at seeing his former side clinch their return to the Premier League.The Whites secured their top-flight status thanks to rivals West Brom slipping to a surprise 2-1 defeat to Huddersfield Town on Friday night, meaning that they have guaranteed a top-two spot in the Championship and automatic promotion.And Harte was quick to take to Twitter to share his thoughts on Leeds’ Premier League return.
Having played in the Premier League in his time with Leeds, Harte will know all about the kind of magic that Elland Road can inspire when hosting top-flight football.
In what has been a long and drawn-out campaign, Marcelo Bielsa’s side have completed their main goal of finally getting out of the Championship, and they’ve done it with some games to spare too.
No more play-off heartbreak, and no more worrying about a late meltdown. The job is done, and now it’s time to celebrate.
يرى مدافع منتخب فرنسا وناديي برشلونة ويوفنتوس الأسبق، ليليان تورام، أن مهاجم منتخب بلجيكا وتشيلسي روميلو لوكاكو، هو أفضل لاعب في العالم بالوقت الحالي، رغم وجود العديد من الأسماء الكبيرة.
وانتقل لوكاكو في الميركاتو الصيفي الماضي بمبلغ ضخم إلى تشيلسي قيمته 115 مليون يورو من إنتر ميلان، بعدما دخل الأخير في دوامة بسبب قوانين اللعب المالي النظيف، التي أجبرته على بيع أشرف حكيمي كذلك.
اقرأ أيضًا.. فوتبول إيطاليا تكشف حديث أليجري مع لاعبي يوفنتوس في التدريبات قبل مواجهة ميلان
وأجرى تورام حوارًا مع صحيفة “لاجازيتا ديلو سبورت” الإيطالية، والتي سألته عن رأيه في من هو أفضل لاعب في العالم خلال مسيرته، وقال: “الظاهرة رونالدو”.
وعن أفضل لاعب الآن، لم يتردد الفرنسي كثيرًا، وقال: “روميلو لوكاكو.. هو رائع ومذهل، ثم يأتي مبابي وماركينيوس”.
وعن أفضل لاعب إيطالي يحبه في الوقت الحالي: “إذا كان يوفنتوس فهما فيديريكو كييزا ومويس كين، كذلك أحب نيكولو باريلا لاعب إنتر ميلان، ونيكولو زانيولو نجم روما”.
Many Crystal Palace fans are reacting to the news that Genk striker Jonathan David is a player that the club are keeping their eyes on.
The Canadian has already set the Belgian league alight, scoring 37 goals in 83 appearances, per Transfermarkt. This is a very impressive tally at only 20 years-old and he has also managed to get three goals in seven Europa League appearances, showing he can perform consistently at continental level.
It is not just David’s goals that have caught the eye of the Premier League side either, as he has averaged 2.1 shots and 1.1 successful dribbles per game, per WhoScored, which highlights how much confidence the player has as an attacking threat.
According to the Guardian, Palace have shown interest in signing the forward, but he favours a move to Germany. Indeed, it is thought that Borussia Monchengladbach are very keen on the Canadian (Het Laatste Nieuws via BuliNews).
The attacker has already been linked to Arsenal and Manchester United too, via the Daily Express, so he clearly has the potential which some high profile clubs clubs want to unlock.
Whether Palace can compete with these clubs and sign him remains to be seen, but it seems he would certainly be a popular addition if the Eagles did get him – probably due to his fantastic goal record in Belgium…
Palace fans, what are your thoughts? Comment below!
It’s July 2016 and a group of ardent Hammers fans have been waiting for four hours in the pouring rain for an opportunity to meet their Canning town born hero – Mark Noble.
He has been delayed for attending the grand opening of the new stadium store due to flooding in the Brentwood area in Essex where he now lives, caused by out of season torrential rain during the night and early morning. However, those Hammers fans don’t care; they’ve simply got to meet and have their photograph taken with him.
In their minds, any of them or their families could be Mark Noble and by the same token, he could be one of them. This, thoughm is only part of the reason why he is considered ‘Mr West Ham.’
This week it has been announced the West Ham United captain has donated £35,000 to Basildon Borough Council to help deliver essentials to the people effected by the Coronavirus outbreak. It is also believed he has played a part in the #playerstogether campaign – along with other senior Premier League players like Jordan Henderson, Harry Maguire and Troy Deeney – created to help raise funds for the NHS in these current troubling times.
Back in May 2016, he was even granted the freedom of the Borough of Newham – the London Borough West Ham resides in – for his services to the people of the area.
This came as no surprise to West Ham fans. A club captain for four years and part of the first team for thirteen, he is one of them after all, but what has led him to this point?
Below are just five of the reasons why West Ham fans hold their No.16 in such high regard…
He grew up in the local area of the club he now leads.
Mark grew up in Canning Town and then Beckton, a stone’s throw from Upton Park.
Having played for local side Barking Colts, he was then picked up as an 11-year-old by scouts at Arsenal. However, due to the distance to Highbury from his then home in Beckton, causing him to be consistently late for training, the decision was made for him to join his local club West Ham United’s Academy two years later in 2000.
Football – West Ham United v Southend United – Carling Cup First Round – Upton Park , 24/8/04
Mark Noble – West Ham United in action against Southend United
Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Gareth Bumstead
04/05
Mark became the youngest player to appear for the club’s reserve team at the age of 15 and after several appearances for the reserves, he then made his debut with the first team as a 17-year-old in August 2004 in a League Cup match against Southend United.
“Obviously when you grow up in the area you love playing on the street, and to go from playing on the street with my mates to playing at Upton Park is a bit surreal,” he said after his debut.
His passion for the club and the fans
Noble became club captain in September 2015, in time for West Ham’s momentous final season at Upton Park in 2015/16.
Upon succeeding previous Captain Kevin Nolan, Noble said: “When you are at a massive Barclays Premier League club like West Ham United playing in the best league in the world, to be captain and be brought up in the same area is something very special for me, for my family and the fans because they can relate to it.”
He spoke to the fans during an interview after the famous final match against Manchester United in May of that year, stating “this isn’t a football club, this is a family. Every West Ham fan out there is my family.”
It’s comments like these that demonstrate Noble’s undoubted commitment and passion for the club.
Over the years he’s been with the club through good times and bad, including in 2018 when fan unrest led to protests and pitch invasions at the club’s new home in Stratford..
Noble’s passion led to him helping to drag one of the protestors off of the pitch in a day of ignominy for the club.
“I’m a West Ham fan and I’ve always protected the club,” he said. “If someone approaches me, I’ll protect myself.”
He plays ‘The West Ham Way’
The phrase ‘playing the West Ham Way’ has long been derided, some of the time unfairly, but this largely depends on what your opinion of the West Ham Way is.
Most at West Ham believe it’s origins to come from the 1960s when Ron Greenwood’s side enjoyed arguably the most successful period in the club’s history. Winning the 1964 FA Cup and the European Cup Winners Cup the following season, closely followed by three of their players playing a major role in the glorious World Cup winning England team in 1966, West Ham United became known as a free-flowing football team.
Often, Greenwood’s philosophy was that it was as important to play well as it was to win matches. In the years since, the club haven’t always stuck to this idealist way of playing, but could it be interpreted that the West Ham Way has itself changed somewhat. Nowadays, West Ham fans expectation of their players is commitment and hard work, with maybe a little bit of style from time to time.
Mark Noble perfectly understands this philosophy. This was never better demonstrated than in the match where Noble scored his first league goal for the club against Tottenham Hotspur in March 2007.
Football – West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur – FA Barclays Premiership – Upton Park – 06/07 – 4/3/07
Mark Noble scores the first goal for West Ham United
Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Tony O’Brien
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Brought into the side’s midfield by Alan Curbishley, thanks in part to an injury crisis but also because of his hard-working industrious playing style, Noble spent much of the game buzzing all over the Spurs midfield before scoring a superb strike to give his side the lead. He even ended the game in tears following a last-minute defeat, seemingly condemning the club to relegation, before a marvellous end of season run, with Noble in the side, winning seven of their last nine games to stay up.
Over the years his playing style has adapted to an extent, leading the team from a deeper position as age has caught up with him, robbing him of his pace and stunting his previous penchant for running up and down the pitch.
Now, his deep lying midfield position allows him to be pivotal to the way the team plays, often spraying passes to players with more technical ability in advanced areas leading to goals. His pass completion rate each season has consistently been over 80% in recent years. In his 495 matches, he has 59 assists for the club and 60 goals – with 38 of those coming from the penalty spot.
He’s also the mentor for his central midfield partner and the man many West Ham fans hope will take his place as captain one day – Declan Rice.
Soccer Football – Premier League – West Ham United v Arsenal – London Stadium, London, Britain – January 12, 2019 West Ham’s Declan Rice celebrates after the match with Mark Noble REUTERS/David Klein EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account r
He’s ‘Too Good for England’
Noble’s promise in his early career led to International recognition for England at U18 and U19 level, closely followed by a call up to the U21 side in the summer of 2007 by then coach Stuart Pearce. He would go on to captain the team at the 2009 U21 European Championships, where they would be defeated in the final by their German counterparts.
However, a call up to the senior national side has long eluded him, despite some critical acclaim over the years. He was tipped by some to go to the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Euros due to his club performances in those seasons, but on both occasions was overlooked by Roy Hodgson in favour of younger candidates, despite his obvious experience.
Noble’s lack of England caps put him alongside other West Ham ‘legends’ who have had similar snubs, like Billy Bonds and Julian Dicks, often because of fears their rugged style of play may not be suited to international football.
West Ham fans know his qualities, though, and if anything, this has helped endear him to the Hammers faithful, serenading him with chants of “Too Good for England” several times over the years.
His dependability and consistency
Since his return to the club after returning from a loan spell with Ipswich Town in the first half of the 2006/07 season, Noble has averaged 28 league appearances each year. That’s an incredibly consistent run over 13 seasons. That’s largely due to his importance to the side, allied with his superb injury record.
During the thirteen seasons that Noble has been part of the first-team, he has suffered only six notable injuries, with the maximum time away from the team being 49 days in both the 2012/13 and 2016/17 seasons. He has been consistently picked by no less than seven managers in his time at West Ham, who often use varying playing styles, yet still come back to using Noble as part of the spine of their teams. He even reportedly played through pain and required injections to play for the club in 2017, displaying his obvious dependability.
He’s not always been immune to calls at certain stages to be dropped, notably during the 2016/17 season, a time he said “was the hardest of his career” and also more recently this season during the club’s wretched run of form. There being some suggestions new loan signing Sparta Prague captain Tomas Soucek could take his place in the side once the Premier League resumes.
If this season does mark the beginning of the end of Mark Noble’s time as West Ham’s talisman on the pitch, then it’s surely only going to be only the beginning of the next stage in his football career. Noble admitted in 2018 that he hadn’t done his coaching badges but he certainly sees himself as a mentor figure: “I think there’s no better person than me at this club to know the morals and ensure the foundations are kept with the young players and staff members.”
It’ll be interesting to see what happens in the coming years, whether he moves into coaching or joins the growing list of former footballers that end up chatting to Sky Sports or BT Sport every week in punditry.
Either way, there can be no doubt those Hammers fans will always see him as ‘one of them.’