Marc – Football World Cup Blog

Pep Guardiola says he can’t help John Stones’ push for Euro 2020

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said that John Stones has room for improvement on the playing field. The England international has struggled to attain regular playing time with the Citizens over the past year and of late, there have been situations whereby he has been left on the bench or excluded from the matchday squad altogether.

With the injury comeback of Aymeric Laporte, Stones could potentially drop down the selection order further but Guardiola insists that he must show more responsibility towards the team than the player, he told: “He has good points and some have to improve. It is simple, he is a young central defender. I want to make decisions that he likes but I have to make decisions to be honest with me. I know it is not easy for him.”
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Maguire insists Jesse Lingard should have scored for Manchester United

England international Harry Maguire has said that compatriot Jesse Lingard should have found the net for Manchester United during the club’s 2-0 Premier League at Watford. The Red Devils had the chance to open the scoresheet early in the game but Lingard squandered a one-on-one with goalkeeper Ben Foster as he chipped his effort over the bar.

In the second half, the Hornets were the better team during the early stages but ultimately the Red Devils were the reason for their own downfall. A David de Gea blunder contributed to the opening goal and just five minutes later, they conceded a penalty which Troy Deeney comfortably slotted into the net.
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Frank Lampard admits injury blow for Chelsea midfielder

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has confirmed that Ruben Loftus-Cheek has suffered a couple of injury setbacks over the past two months and there is no definite date for his return to the playing field. The England international has been out of action since the closing weeks of the previous campaign where he picked up a serious Achilles injury while playing in a charity game for the Blues.

Initially, it was anticipated that he could make his comeback by the end of the year but that seems unlikely to happen with Lampard revealing that the midfielder has suffered a couple of unexpected setbacks along the way, he told: “He’s had a few setbacks over the last two months. He’s not had a new one, but it’s not flying along as much as we would want. It’s not for the want of trying, from everybody and Ruben himself of course. There’s nothing worse than being injured. “But at the moment we’re no closer to him being fit.”
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Joe Gomez admits needs for regular gametime to improve England prospects

Liverpool defender Joe Gomez has acknowledged that he needs regular minutes at the club level in order to stand the chance of representing England regularly. The young defender was picked by Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate for the recent internationals against Bulgaria and Kosovo, but he was left a frustrated figure on the bench in both of those games.

In a report covered by The Mirror, Gomez said that he cannot blame Southgate for the recent treatment, considering there are several players within the squad who have earned more minutes on the playing field this term. He added that his situation with the Reds is acceptable, given the stiff competition for places and he needs to wait for the chance to impress.
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Gareth Southgate explains Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s England call-up

England head coach Gareth Southgate has said that Aaron Wan-Bissaka was closely monitored by his coaching staff last season and believe the right-back deserves to make the jump to the senior national team. Wan-Bissaka made the big-money move to Manchester United from Crystal Palace over the summer and he has since accumulated the second-most number of tackles in the new league campaign.

Speaking in a press conference, Southgate said that the Three Lions are gifted with multiple options on the right side of the backline and Wan-Bissaka has been offered the chance to compete with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kieran Trippier, he told: “We tracked him [Wan-Bissaka] very closely last year and thought he had an outstanding season. But we wanted him to stay with the U21 group, he has adapted well and quickly to a high-profile move. We are looking at him and Trent, that is reason Kyle Walker is not with us.”
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Guardiola fancies Sterling to score 30 goals for Manchester City this season

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes Raheem Sterling has the credentials to reach the 30-goal mark for the Citizens this term. The England international was the standout performer for the Citizens last season with 25 goals across all competitions and Guardiola feels the attacker has the ability to make an improvement during the ongoing campaign.

In a press conference, Guardiola was asked whether Sterling can reach the mark 30-goal mark for the current season and his reply was positive saying: “Yeah, hopefully. It will be good for him and for the team. When he’s in front of the goal, he puts it in the net. So, he can do it, yeah. He scored 25 last season, and 25 to 30 is only five goals. So he can do it.”
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Manchester United boss Solskjaer fires warning to Jesse Lingard

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has told Jesse Lingard that he needs to produce a better level of performance in order to command a regular starting role next season. The England international had an average 2018/19 season with the Red Devils and he ended the campaign with just five goals across all competitions.

For the current pre-season, Lingard has been a regular feature for the side without success and Solskjaer has cited that the attacker must seek an improvement in terms of the performances, he said:“Jesse has proved before with his big-game goals that he’s valuable. But of course I’m going to demand more of him. I think he will be the first one to know that his last season was not up to standard. What we have discussed can be between the two of us, but I expect more from him and he knows what I want. “Jesse knows what it is to be a Manchester United player. At times maybe he’s made one or two bad decisions but he’s made more good decisions than bad. He’s a top boy.”
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Ian Holloway backs Tammy Abraham to make an impression at Chelsea

Former Queens Park Rangers manager Ian Holloway has said that he is excited to see Tammy Abraham make an impression with Chelsea next season. The England international struggled during a Premier League stint with Swansea City between 2017 and 2018 and that meant that he was loaned out to the Championship with Aston Villa last term.

The move worked out perfectly for the Villains and the striker himself, who scored 26 goals in the Championship and Holloway is looking forward to the striker making a mark with the Blues, he told TalkSPORT: “I’m so excited because I can see Tammy Abraham playing for Chelsea. I was fuming the other day when he was subbed for the England Under-21s.

“OK, when he went to Swansea it didn’t work for him because it was his first season in the Premier League, but he’s ready now. The boy is an immense talent.He was the second-highest goalscorer in the Championship last season and he’s the record goalscorer in their youth set-up. So I’m delighted. I think he’s ready for it and it’s got to happen now.”
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Neville believes Leicester City will be under pressure to keep Maguire

Manchester United legend-turned-pundit Gary Neville has said that Leicester City face a huge battle to keep hold of Harry Maguire this summer amid interest from both Manchester United and Manchester City. The England international was heavily linked with a move to the Red Devils last summer but the Foxes managed to sway away the interest by convincing the centre-back to sign a new long-term deal.

Despite this, the speculation regarding the defender’s future has refused to cease and recent reports have claimed that United and City could go head-to-head to pursue the services of the former Hull City man. Speaking to Sky Sports, Neville said that Maguire has improved immensely in the past couple of seasons and he can be placed in the bracket of John Stones, considering his composure and ball-playing abilities.
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Darren Anderton insists Jack Grealish won’t improve Tottenham

Former Wolverhampton Wanderers ace Darren Anderton has said that Jack Grealish may not necessary improve Tottenham Hotspur, should the north London club make an approach for his services. The 23-year-old was heavily linked with Spurs during last summer’s transfer window but ultimately the midfielder decided to stay put with the Villains and sign a new long-term deal.

Since then, he has captained the west Midlands outfit to a second-straight Championship play-off final but Anderton does not believe the midfielder has the credentials to walk straight into the starting lineup at Spurs, he told SportingBet: “Jack Grealish wouldn’t improve Tottenham’s team and they’ve got better players in his position already.
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