Everton star Bryan Oviedo is on course for a World Cup showdown with England, just seven weeks after being ruled out for the long term with a broken leg, according to the Daily Mirror.
The Everton left back shattered his leg in an FA Cup clash with Stevenage in January, and was told he would not play until next season at the earliest.
But the Costa Rican international has made a recovery that manager Roberto Martinez has described as ‘phenomenal’ and is on course to face England in the Group D clash in Brazil.
“It is a personal phenomenon because Bryan is well ahead of his planned recovery time,” said Martinez.
“We sent him to Costa Rica with the national team and they will assess him. But the specialist saw him this week before he went away, and feels he can make the World Cup, which is incredible.
“He’ll be in Costa Rica for two weeks, the specialist is going over from London and we’re working together to see if we can get him fully fit. It’s an incredible opportunity for him.”
Oviedo earned cult hero status amongst Toffees fans after striking the winner against Manchester United at Old Trafford earlier in the season, and Martinez reckons he deserves more praise for the bravery he has shown in his recovery.
“Bryan is an incredible boy and a really quick healer, whose mentality and approach are unbelievable,” he said.
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“He has that huge goal of the World Cup and is a great example for anyone. I know for sure he will be fine for pre-season, but if we can get him okay for the summer, it will be incredible.
“I would encourage that, he deserves it. And I think we can get a better player at Everton if we can get him to the World Cup. Physically he’s a machine and I would never have a concern about that.”
Andre Villas-Boas is adamant Tottenham are still on track to make it through to the knockout stage of the Europa League despite drawing with Maribor, according to Sporting Life.
The Slovenian side had won only twice their previous 15 European games at home but did enough to put a major dent in Spurs’ hopes of qualification from Group J.
Despite lying third in the table Villas-Boas is adamant the North London club are in a good position after Gylfi Sigurdsson’s equaliser earned them a point.
“Certainly on the running of the first half. The second half was extremely good, the first half was not so good,” he said.
“We came back into the game, which is pleasant to see again and it is good for us to bounce back.
“It is obviously not the full result we wanted bearing in mind the draw between Lazio and Panathinaikos, but certainly we will take a point.
“The group is completely open. What we face now is two games at home and I think we are in a good position in the group.
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“We are in third position. We have three games to play, there are nine points to play for.
“You see the group – it is very tight. It is not a group where the leader has run off with points.”
The first signing of Unai Emery’s tenure at Arsenal has come in the somewhat surprising form of a 34-year-old right-back.
It doesn’t exactly scream out new era but Arsene Wenger’s successor is reportedly a huge fan of Stephan Lichtsteiner and his track record at the top of the European game is tough to dispute.
So, have Arsenal paid good money for old rope or could the Switzerland international become a crucial component in changing the mindset at the Emirates Stadium, restoring the Gunners to their former glories? Football FanCast take a look at the potential consequences – some positive and some negative – of Arsenal signing the Juventus star in a bosman deal…
Hector Bellerin ups his game
Soccer Football – Europa League Semi Final Second Leg – Atletico Madrid v Arsenal – Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain – May 3, 2018 Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin looks dejected after the match REUTERS/Juan Medina
Certainly over the last 18 months, Hector Bellerin’s form just hasn’t matched the levels of his first few seasons in Arsenal’s senior squad, when he kept Mathieu Debuchy out of the team and was tipped for a mega-money return to Barcelona as Dani Alves’ natural successor. He’s by no means the only young Gunner who failed to show clear signs of progression during Wenger’s final few seasons in charge, but perhaps this instance isn’t a consequence of such institutional problems.
Last season particularly, Bellerin was one of the first names on the team sheet simply due to a lack of competition at right-back. Calum Chambers represented an emergency option at best, lacking Bellerin’s pace and creativity, and Debuchy was shipped off to Ligue 1 in January. In short, the 23-year-old has been far too comfortable for far too long, but signing such a proven and dependable alternative in Lichtsteiner should put the Spaniard back on his toes – making the kind of consistent impact a dynamic and technical player of his talent should be capable of.
In terms of improving his game too, especially defensively, there’s plenty Bellerin can learn from the Switzerland hero. Juventus’ iconic defence know all the dark arts of the trade, but Bellerin often seems to lack that cute shrewdness.
Arsenal gain a new leader
Soccer Football – FA Cup Third Round – Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal – The City Ground, Nottingham, Britain – January 7, 2018 Arsenal’s Per Mertesacker in action with Nottingham Forest’s Ben Brereton REUTERS/Darren Staples
Perhaps the biggest motivation for signing Lichtsteiner is the leadership and responsibility he’ll bring to a defence that often seems to lack it, even when star centre-back Laurent Koscielny is on the pitch. And that only rings truer with Per Mertesacker leaving the Gunners this summer; the German World Cup winner may have been far from his best during his final few seasons at the Emirates Stadium, but he brought a lot to the team in terms of his captaincy and his vast experience.
Lichtsteiner’s of a similar mould; he’s just lifted a seventh Serie A title with Juventus and that winning mentality could make a massive difference to a squad that seemed only too content with mediocrity at times last season, especially away from home where they picked up just four Premier League wins. Likewise, if there’s any doubts over Lichtsteiner’s experience, he’ll likely surpass 100 caps for Switzerland at the World Cup in Russia this summer, currently on 98.
Wage bill gets eaten up by a squad player & contract demands are raised
While Lichtsteiner may initially represent something of a bargain swoop because he’s able to move on a free transfer, that will likely only have inflated any wage demands the veteran full-back made. Lichtsteiner’s reported salary at Juventus wasn’t the largest with Totalsportek claiming he picked up £1.75million (€2million) a season. But that figure could well have jumped up to facilitate the Arsenal move, especially as it will very likely be the last contract of Lichtsteiner’s career and he’s (at least on the surface) saving the club a small fortune in transfer fees.
Arsenal showed a willingness to break their wage structure when they handed Mesut Ozil a new contract earlier this year, but this isn’t a superstar of the first team we’re talking about. Lichtsteiner will be a squad player at best, rotating with Bellerin and playing in the cup competitions, so it becomes a question of how much Arsenal really think that kind of service is worth.
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After all, it will affect their capacity to meet the wage demands of other targets they may have in mind this summer and perhaps more worryingly, it could raise the monetary expectations of the rest of the squad too. With Aaron Ramsey, Danny Welbeck and Jack Wilshere’s contracts expiring either this summer or the next, if it becomes apparent he’s on a big deal that could seriously hamper those negotiations.
The Welshman has already been offered a substantial improvement on his current terms but The Telegraph suggest it’s still on the modest side compared to the rest of the market. Should it emerge Lichsteiner is on handsome money, Ramsey will inevitably start to feel like he’s being short-changed.
Southampton will hope their 1-1 draw with Tottenham on Sunday proves to be something of a turning point. The Lilywhites struggled to hit top gear in the absence of their chief playmaker Christian Eriksen, but that shouldn’t take away from what was an incredibly positive performance from a side who haven’t won in the Premier League since November.
There was clear confidence in the structure of the team defensively and optimism going forward. In fact, by the final whistle, after Michael Obafemi missed the chance to mark his debut with a goal as a low cross whistled past his toes, it was arguably the home side – rather than the top-four chasing visitors – who created the better chances.
So, Southampton supporters, who was your side’s best performer at St. Mary’s yesterday? Let us know by taking part in the poll below and giving every player involved an individual rating out of ten…
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When the current Premier League campaign draws to a close, Daniel Levy will find himself at a crossroads. Back in December, replacing a laughed-out-of-England Andre Villas-Boas, the Tottenham chief passed the managerial reins to then-youth coach Tim Sherwood, subsequently handing the ex-Lilywhites midfielder an 18 month contract.
That length of contract appears to be out of politeness more than anything else. Even at the time, I’m sure Sherwood knew the ultimate aim of his tenure was to steady the ship ahead of a more coveted managerial arrival at the end of the season.
The leading candidate, then and now, remains current Netherlands coach Louis Van Gaal, a manager who has claimed Eredivisie, Bundesliga, La Liga and Champions League titles before, and has made no secret of his desire to work in England after the World Cup in Brazil.
But Sherwood’s performance in the Lilywhites dugout has surprised many for a head coach previously unblooded at any level of the game. So with Van Gaal an option but the former England international continuing to impress, it’s now a question of whether Levy should stick or twist. In other words, has the current Spurs boss done enough to deserve another season in the job?
Tottenham’s planned revival under Tim Sherwood back into the Premier League’s top four hasn’t quite taken place, but in comparison to the AVB days, the former midfielder’s appointment has instigated a drastic turnaround in form.
Under the Portuguese’s leadership, the North London side were averaging less than a goal per game, and suffered humiliating defeats to Manchester City and Liverpool – two clubs the Lilywhites were expected to be competing with for league standing back in the summer.
In sharp contrast, Tottenham have dropped just eight points out of a possible 33 since the 45 year-old took the Lane hot seat, and most importantly, they’ve netted 21 times in eleven Premier League fixtures.
More than the results, it’s Sherwood’s insistence on entertaining the Tottenham faithful that’s been most pleasing and refreshing, in comparison to their testimonial-paced, chess-like manner of performance under his predecessor, which was some how, paradoxically blamed on the Spurs supporters.
A worryingly alienating and departmental 4-3-3 system has been replaced with a more Premier League-traditional 4-4-2, and although many felt that demonstrated Sherwood’s tactical naivety, it has produced far more dynamically charismatic side to Tottenham. In short, Sherwood has provided Spurs with the personality and identity they disturbingly lacked at the start of the season.
Furthermore, there have been plenty of side-stories that have given us an insight into what kind of manager Sherwood is. With one of his first actions as Tottenham boss being to promote budding youngster Nabil Bentaleb to the first team – ignoring the pressures of £9million summer signing Etienne Capoue’s calls for regular football– the Tottenham boss clearly has an eye for good player.
The 19 year-old has since made seven Premier League starts, playing important roles in wins over Crystal Palace, Swansea, Everton and Newcastle. He’s by no means the finished article, but has all the makings of a talented defensive midfielder.
Similarly, Sherwood saw fit to reach out to Emmanuel Adebayor, who had been demoted to the development squad and completely alienated by the previous regime – presumably due to the Togo international refusing to leave White Hart Lane back in the summer.
But seeing past the merky shroud Villas-Boas had surrounded him with, and the regular haranguing of Adebayor in the British press, the Spurs manager had enough self-belief to make up his own mind on the striker – whom, for all his negative stigmatism, dons a Premier League record of 91 goals in 208 appearances, and is probably the most talented front-man on the White Hart Lane roster.
Mercurial or not, the former Arsenal and City star has repaid Sherwood’s faith. His eight goals and two assists in 12 league appearances under the new boss has left Adebayor as the club’s top scorer, in the absence of form from Roberto Soldado and Jermain Defoe, and Sherwood deserves full credit for the Togo striker’s miraculous revival.
But lingering concerns remain over Sherwood’s credentials and his ability to get Tottenham back into the top four – he may have steadied a sinking ship at White Hart Lane, but Champions League qualification was the ultimate motivation for Daniel Levy to spend £110million on new recruits in the summer, and it will undoubtedly be at the forefront of the agenda next season.
Admittedly, the Spurs gaffer’s tactical gullibility has to come into question. Tottenham’s 2-0 FA Cup defeat to Arsenal was a steep learning curve for Sherwood; sticking to his tried-and-tested 4-4-2 formation, the Lilywhites were swiftly picked apart by a technically-gifted Gunners midfield and a free-roaming, penetrating attack. From the announcement of the team sheets in the early afternoon, it was clear that philosophical flaws would go on to dictate the derby’s outcome.
Sherwood has shown tactical variation since, most recently deploying a 4-3-3, but naivety struck again last week when Tottenham came away from a heated tie in Ukraine with a 1-0 deficit to Dnipro. One has to consider whether a more experienced manager, particularly on the European scene, like Van Gaal, could have masterminded a better result.
Similarly, although through no particular fault of his own, Levy will be concerned that his manager is still yet to get the best out of Roberto Soldado and Erik Lamela – the two most expensive signings in the club’s history. Once again, Sherwood had no part in signing these players and should certainly not be held to rights over their poor form.
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But under his first team leadership, the goals for the Spaniard have become even more of a rarity, and club record-signing Lamela appears to have slumped even further down the White Hart Lane pecking order. Could a manager of greater experience with top players have provided a solution to their stale form by now? That’s not an accusation, just something the Spurs chairman will have to bear in mind – after all, that’s £56million’s worth of investment on the line, and if Tottenham are to qualify for the Champions League next season both will need to contribute significantly.
That being said, the Tottenham hot seat has taken a literal meaning under the chairmanship of Daniel Levy – so roasting that no manager has been able to remain seated for too long – and regardless of Champions League qualification next season, one feels Spurs are in need of a period of stability that also brings the club back to its English roots, following a summer in which £110million was spent on nine players that hadn’t set foot in the Premier League before.
But you get the feeling Levy won’t see it that way. Tottenham’s Champions League push has been shelved this season, and with so much money on the line it’s unlikely he’ll be willing to wait another year. Furthermore, Levy’s next appointment has to be the correct one – since he took charge at White Hart Lane, despite the club gravitating towards the more glamorous end of the Premier League table, his managerial hirings have been surprisingly hot and cold.
With that in mind, a b-line for the tried, tested and decorated Van Gaal seems inevitable in the summer – Tottenham’s impatience with Europe will undoubtedly get the better of them once again. But should Levy be unable to tempt the Dutchman, Tim Sherwood is certainly an impressive contingency plan.
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Manchester City’s Gareth Barry is finding life harder as reigning Champions compared to when his team were seeking their first Premier League title.
City struggled against an in-form West Brom team at the weekend, staging a late comeback with two goals from substitute Edin Dzeko to stop Chelsea extend their four point lead at the top of the table. In the Champions League this season, Roberto Mancini’s team are yet to win with only one point from two games.
Barry believes the reason the Citizens are finding it harder this season is because Premier League and European teams are being provided with a greater incentive to defeat Man City now that they are the Champions of English football.
“It is a strange feeling having won the title last year and coming back. For a lot of the players it was the first title they had won, including myself” said the England international.
“It’s important – you need that desire, that work attitude to produce what you have done again but you are playing against teams week in, week out who are desperate to beat the champions.
“They are trying a bit harder than they were last season, they’re playing the best team in the country. They are desperate to put one over you and that is what we are facing at the minute.”
The 31-year-old recently told Manchester Evening News that he is enjoying his role as City’s unsung hero in midfield without attracting too much attention.
“I am that sort of player. I don’t go on to the pitch thinking about walking back into the media area and looking for headlines.
“All I care about [is] playing my game, and as long as I’m playing and the team is winning, it’s perfect.
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“It’s fantastic to receive the ball and see the attacking options we have, the options to give the ball into feet, or put it in behind, and know they will create chances” added Barry.
Manchester City are in action against Ajax tomorrow night Champions League fixture which will be crucial to their progress in the tournament.
One of the most important objectives for Aston Villa this summer is to keep Jack Grealish.
Why is it so important?
In the past, the versatile midfielder has struggled with off-field activities.
However, this season, in particular, he has been a crucial member of Steve Bruce’s team.
The 22-year-old, who is valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt – made 31 appearances in all competitions.
In that time, Grealish created seven assists and scored three goals, and during his injury absence towards the end of the campaign, he was heavily missed.
According to the Express & Star, Villa could be forced to sell a number of players in order to balance the books following their failure to earn promotion to the Premier League.
On Saturday, the midlands outfit were beaten 1-0 by Fulham at Wembley, and even though they failed to reach the promised land, Grealish was a strong performer.
If the midfielder moves on, it would cause a huge blow for Villa, which is the opposite of what they need following their disappointment at Wembley.
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Will he leave?
At the age of 22, Grealish is still young enough to wait for a major move elsewhere, but it could be hard for Villa to convince the midfielder to stay put.
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The Republic of Ireland Under-21 international will feel that he has the potential to thrive elsewhere.
He has spent his entire career at Villa so far, therefore he has an emotional connection to the club.
However, if Premier League clubs come in for him this summer, Grealish cannot be blamed for having his head turned.
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has admitted that Anthony Martial could miss Monday’s Premier League clash with Stoke City at Old Trafford.
Martial has been in impressive form for United this season – scoring nine times and registering eight assists in all competitions for the Premier League club.
The 22-year-old, who is valued at £58.5m by transfermarkt.co.uk, had been in line to start for the Red Devils when they welcome struggling Stoke on Monday night.
However, Mourinho has conceded that the France international ‘is not ready’, and could therefore miss out on a spot in his selection.
Mourinho told reporters:
“Martial is not ready, but I hope he can play.”
Martial’s absence, which is reportedly due to a slight problem picked up on the club’s training camp in Dubai, could allow Marcus Rashford to join Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata in support of leading scorer Romelu Lukaku in the final third of the field.
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Eric Bailly and Michael Carrick are among those still unavailable, but Antonio Valencia should return for Mourinho’s side at Old Trafford following a hamstring problem.
Ahead of Arsenal’s clash with Manchester United at the Emirates tonight, Betfair has poked fun at Arsene Wenger’s double slip up at the weekend with some carefully positioned ‘Caution’ signs.
The signs, positioned at Arsenal and Highbury & Islington tube stations as well as outside the Emirates Stadium read: “Don’t slip up again, Arsene!” on the traditional wet floor style signage.
After setting fans expectations high all year, Arsenal’s 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool was seen by many as the inevitable slip up that has marred many of Arsenal’s recent title challenges, and when Wenger took a slip of his own on his way home from the match it was too much to take for most Arsenal fans.
Betfair Spokesman Barry Orr commented today: “Football fans have been saying all season that it’s only a matter of time before Arsenal slip up in the title race. Their thrashing at the hands of Liverpool started things off badly at the weekend, and then Arsene went and took a tumble at Liverpool Lime Street station on his way home.”
“We thought it would be right and proper to do all we can to help Mr Wenger avoid another slip up ahead of his must win clash with United. Whether his team can avoid a second slip up in the title race remains to be seen but at 5-4 favourites we think it will be tight’’
‘’Arsenal’s next 3 game, United in the League, Liverpool in the FA Cup and then Bayern in the Champions League, will define their season and we are offering 20-1 that they win all three’’
Arsenal v Man Utd, Match Odds:5-4 Arsenal, 23-10 Man Utd, 11-5 Draw
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Arsenal to win their next three games: To beat Man Utd, Liverpool, Bayern Munich – YES 20-1
Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has hit back at FIFA vice president Jim Boyce who has been heavily critical on the Uruguayan striker.
Boyce, who is Britain’s FIFA representative has described Suarez’s recent dive against Stoke City as ‘nothing less than cheating’ and that diving is ‘a cancer’ in the game.
This has lead the Uruguayan Football Association to write a letter of complaint to FIFA, demanding that the Northern Irishman should be referred to the governing body’s ethics committee.
After playing in his country’s 3-0 win defeat against Argentina, Suarez has accused Boyce of only being interested in raising his own profile.
He told waiting journalists, “This guy (Boyce), I’ve no idea who he is. I don’t know why he has been talking about me.
“He certainly can’t be well-known and he want to get publicity. Let him carry on talking. My job is to play football and to try to do so in the best way possible.
“What he has said does not affect me. I am not interested in what he has to say. It’s been important to have the support of the Uruguayan FA and the people.
“I have lived through a lot in the past year, with people saying things about me, but I have continued playing and proving my job is what happens on the pitch.”
Boyce is not the only one to criticise the controversial striker. Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielney recently told French magazine L’Equipe that he is the forward he hates to face most.
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He added, “He is tiresome to defend against. He cheats, he pulls your shirt, giving small blows. You always want to give him a kick but you have to be careful not to be red carded.”