Marc – Football World Cup Blog

Harry Kane says Tottenham have advantage on season restart

England international Harry Kane has said that Tottenham Hotspur have an advantage over their league rivals as they make a late push for the Champions League places. The north London side are presently seven points behind the top four but the fifth spot could also assure them a Champions League berth, suppose Manchester City’s European ban is upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

OptaJoe on Twitter: "56 - Harry Kane has scored 56 goals in 52 ...
They are currently only five points behind fifth-placed Manchester United at the moment and Kane feels the club have a good chance of making ground, given the club only need to focus on the league games without any other disturbances, he told: “From our point of view we are not in any of the other competitions so we have got nine games to concentrate on picking up as many points and try and get into the Champions League spots. So at least all our focus is going to be on one competition. It’s been a chance for me to get fit, it has been six months since I have played a game so I haven’t done that since I was about five years old.”

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Southgate Promises to Internally Deal with Walker andGrealish

Gareth Southgate has refused to close the door on Kyle Walker and Jack Grealish even if both players have been criticised heavily for not following the lockdown rules during the coronavirus pandemic situation. Manchester City’s Kyle Walker has been in the news of late for all the wrong reasons, as he has been partying with escorts even as the nation struggled to cope with the spread of the virus. Meanwhile, Grealish, who happens to be the captain of Aston Villa, crashed his expensive Range Rover after having visited a friend. Both players issued apologies for their actions, but they have come under intense scrutiny and criticism.

Manchester City have not yet announced a fine for Walker, but it is expected to be around £250,000 once the player returns to the training ground. Meanwhile, Grealish has already been fined £150,000 for his role in the accident.
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Steven Gerrard Keen to Help Rangers Liftthe League Title Again

Steven Gerrard is not hurrying to return to Liverpool and he is very much comfortable staying with the Scottish club Rangers. He confirms that Liverpool will be his team always. He has an extension of the contract with Rangers as he has made impressive development in his leadership. With the development of work in the Scottish club has given him an opportunity to have discussions with Liverpool.

The speculation regarding Liverpool’s manager post has arisen due to Jurgen Klopp’s decision that he will be leaving the club once his contract comes to expire. Gerrard was pulled to the scene because of his connection with Liverpool and also his performance alongside the Rangers have impressed everyone.
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Mills believes Bukayo Saka could make England squad for Euro 2021

Former Premier League ace Danny Mills believes Bukayo Saka could make the push for the England squad for next summer’s European Championships. The teenager has enjoyed a terrific breakthrough season with the Gunners this term where he has largely featured on the left side of the defence.

He has already contributed three goals and nine assists for the club and his performances have already led to suggestions that he could make the jump to the national side. Speaking on Sky Sports, Mills indicated that Saka could be one of the players to benefit from the Euros being postponed and he could possibly act as cover for Ben Chilwell in next year’s tournament.
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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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