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Celtic are apparently set to battle it out with Aston Villa and Fulham for Gary Hooper’s signature – but why?

It was revealed (by the Scottish Sun) earlier in the week that Celtic interim boss Neil Lennon would like to make former Celtic striker Gary Hooper one of his first signings if he becomes the club’s new permanent manager, which was confusing enough in the first place as he’s past it (and that could apply to either player or manager).

Unsurprisingly it’s understood that the 31-year-old would be keen on a Parkhead return – and who wouldn’t, guaranteed domestic success and Champions League? Beats scrapping it out midtable in the English Championship. But it seems now Fulham and Aston Villa (as per the Scottish Sun again) are also looking at the player, which could threaten Lennon’s attempts to live ten years in the past.

Hooper was a decent player back in the day and scored 63 goals in 90 league starts between 2010 and 2013 before making an ill-fated £5million switch to the vastly inferior Norwich City.

The Englishman earned himself a special place in the hearts of the Parkhead faithful when he scored in every possible competition for the club, including the Champions League and Europa League, plus – of course – some goals in Old Firm derbies and a brace in the 2013 Scottish Cup final win over Hibs.

Interim boss Lennon is apparently waiting to hear from major shareholder Dermot Desmond and chief executive Peter Lawwell whether he’ll be given the job of replacing Brendan Rodgers in the long-term, which in itself is an appointment many Celtic fans aren’t too keen on.

Indeed, like with Hooper there is a general feeling among the Green and White faithful that some things are better left in the past.

With that in mind, surely recruiting a youthful manager with progressive ideas and strategies would be a far better idea than Neil Lennon, who had a good innings, yes, but is starting to show his age with interest in has-been players like Gary Hooper.

Celtic fans, would you be happy to see Hooper representing your club again? Is it really a step in the right direction? Let us know in the comments below!

أكد مدرب فريق ريال بيتيس مانويل بيليجريني أن النجم ليونيل ميسي ما زال الأفضل في العالم، إلى جوار البرتغالي كريستيانو رونالدو، على الرغم من تراجع قدرات الأرجنتيني على التهديف هذا الموسم.

وجاءت تصريحات بيليجريني قبل مباراة الغد بين برشلونة وريال بيتيس، في الدوري الإسباني.

ولم يسجل ليونيل ميسي إلا هدف واحد في النسخة الحالية من الليجا بعد خوضه 6 مباريات، إلى جانب صناعته هدفين.

وقال بيليجريني، في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية: “ميسي ما زال هو الأفضل في العالم، جنبًا إلى جنب مع كريستيانو رونالدو، لقد أحدث فرقًا لعقد من الزمن”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. كومان: ميسي يمر بلحظات صعبة مثل أي لاعب آخر

وأضاف: “حتى في أفضل لحظات مسيرتهما، لم يتمكن ميسي أو رونالدو من اللعب بمفردهما، أداء لاعبي كرة القدم يتماشى دائمًا مع أداء الفريق”.

واختتم: “لا يمكن أن يكون هناك شكوك حول قدرة ميسي، كان هناك حديث حول ما يُقال في بيئة برشلونة لكنه يواصل إثبات قدراته على أرض الملعب”.

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Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino spoke to the press on Friday ahead of his side’s Premier League clash against Huddersfield Town at their new stadium on Saturday lunchtime.

Spurs come into the clash against the already-relegated Terriers on the back of a 1-0 Champions League quarter-final first-leg win against Manchester City in midweek, as they continue their quest for a top-four finish.

The club confirmed via their official Twitter account before the conferene that Harry Kane, Eric Dier, Erik Lamela and Serge Aurier will all miss out against Jan Siewert’s men, while Dele Alli faces a late fitness test to see whether he is able to feature after suffering a broken hand.

Without further ado here are the two most important things Pochettino said.

Harry Kane injury

Firstly the Argentine spoke about Kane’s issue, and he said (via Football.London  at 13:46pm): “He feels sad and disappointed like everyone at the club and of course it is a tough moment for him, tough moment for the team, tough moment for us.

“I was speaking to him before and we need to assess every day to properly answer to see when he can come back to train with the team.

Asked when he could return he added (via Football.London at 13:52pm): “At the moment it is impossible to give a date. It is a similar injury to the one he suffered last time against Manchester United. We have five weeks. If we are into the final of the Champions League, maybe he will play but we’ll see.”

A huge blow, but not a surprising one. Having seen how quickly Kane has bounced back from injury previously there is still some hope for Tottenham supporters that they might still see the 25-year-old again this term.

Dele Alli update

Meanwhile, despite the club not ruling Alli out for Saturday his manager certainly didn’t give the impression that he will feature, as per The Guardian.

Pochettino said: “I am not too optimistic. It is very painful. He broke his hand in two parts. Yesterday he saw the specialist. I am more optimistic for him to be available for Manchester City in the second leg.”

That is certainly not an ideal situation for the north London outfit to be in – especially if Alli does miss out – but they will of course take some solace from the fact that they are facing the bottom team at home and should still be able to secure the three points.

Having him available for the City return leg is arguably more important right now anyway.

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Since joining Wolves, Nuno Santo has had wave after wave of praise. But does he actually still have a lot to prove?

There’s no denying his achievements in the English game so far. He took Wolves up in some style last term and they’ve had a tremendous first campaign back in the Premier League.

At the moment they sit seventh and were just moments away from reaching an FA Cup final too.

However, there are some clear issues Nuno has to iron out if Wolves are to ensure they don’t have a bitter reality check and suffer from second season syndrome in 2019/20.

What’s the issue?

In short, Nuno is too stubborn and if Maurizio Sarri has been receiving criticism for something similar then the Portuguese boss deserves the same.

Yes, Wolves have achieved some outstanding results this season but it overshadows some major problems. The Midlands club only have one plan and there is a serious lack of any tactical alternative.

That has never been so evident than in their defeat to Watford last Sunday. Plan A was going swimmingly well, but once the game turned they had nothing to combat their opponents.

They went defensive, so defensive in fact that it cost them the game. They invited pressure and then after conceding Gerard Deulofeu’s second goal had no answer.

Nuno struggles to adapt when the going gets tough and although they’ve claimed 13 points against top six sides, there have been some questionable performances on the road. Molineux may be a fortress but it’s a place they can afford to play an attractive brand of football at.

A major problem in having no plan B is that they have to set up the same on the road and their display against Burnley at Turf Moor two weekends ago was indicative of this.

A Wolves fan shares his most gutting moment of the last 10 years supporting the club in the video below…

Nuno’s substitutes are also largely ineffective and provide further evidence of a lack of an alternative plan. At Wembley, the changes he made had no difference, whilst regular rotation options Adama Traore and Ivan Cavaleiro have only contributed six goals between them.

Wolves’ coveted 45-year-old has been uttered as one of the managers of the season, but perhaps pundits ought to look at the man who outfought him last weekend, Javi Gracia, instead.

Hearts manager, Craig Levein, has already admitted that he is looking ahead to next season’s recruitment, and hopes to add flair and creativity to his side in the summer.

With that in mind, one player has already had a week-long trial at the club in March, and Levein, having been impressed with what he saw, is hoping to bring him back in the summer for a second look.

Ghanaian midfielder, Cletus Nombil, is 18-years-old, and plays for Dreams FC, in Ghana’s Premier League.

If he has a successful second trial, and the club offer him a deal, it remains to be seen if he will be with the first team squad, or seen as someone for the future.

But Levein wants to run the rule over him in preseason games, despite him having played in a private friendly against Queen Of The South last month.

He told the Edinburgh Evening News: “I’m trying to get him back in the summer. I really liked him from what I saw. The lad is very young but I want to see him playing in a pre-season friendly.

“He is a central midfielder normally. He is probably a bit more attack-minded than defensive. For a young boy, his training was good.”

He sounds exactly like the type of player that Levein was referring to when he mentioned recruiting more players who can unlock a defence, this week.

And that he wants to get his summer shopping spree done as early as possible, it all bodes well for Hearts to be able to start next season with a close-knit group, who have already familiarised themselves with each others’ style of playing.

That will be particularly pertinent should they earn a Europa League spot, with qualifying rounds ensuring an early start to the 2019/20 campaign.

The report also warns that, should he impress enough, obtaining a work permit for the youngster may not be straightforward.

The player had secured a loan deal with Czech side, Sparta Prague, with an option to make it permanent afterwards, but it fell through due to an inability to get the necessary visa documentation approved.

But Levein may have competition for his signature, with Swedish side, AIK Stockholm having given him a trial in February too.

What are your thoughts on Levein’s recruitment thoughts at Hearts? Does he have the club going in the right direction? Let us know what you think…

تقدم أولي واتكينز بهدف مبكر لفريقه أستون فيلا في شباك ليفربول خلال المباراة الجارية الآن.

وجاء هدف واتكينز في الدقيقة الرابعة من عمر المباراة بعد خطأ فادح من أدريان حارس المرمى.

أدريان مرر بالخطأ لـ جريليش، والذي أرسل الكرة لـ واتكينز المتواجد أمام المرمى ليسجلها في الشباك.

ويلاقي ليفربول نظيره أستون فيلا، ضمن منافسات الجولة الرابعة للدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز. شاهد الهدف

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Georginio Wijnaldum played the full 90 minutes as Liverpool drew 0-0 with Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie at Anfield.

Both teams had opportunities on Tuesday night, but the draw means that the contest is delicately poised ahead of the second leg in Munich next month.

The likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane so often grab the limelight, but 5ft 9in Wijnaldum has again been impressive for the Reds this term.

The clash with Bayern proved to be his 30th appearance in all competitions this season and he certainly brings balance to the Liverpool midfield.

It is for that reason that the Netherlands international is sure to start the second leg, where Liverpool will look to improve on their poor away form in Europe.

In response to a social media post from Wijnaldum, the Liverpool fans were keen to pay tribute to the 28-year-old.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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Loads of Everton fans have been giving their verdict on the fantastic form of Mason Holgate, as the youngster continues to impress on loan with West Brom.

Holgate always looked a little out of place at Everton, as the 22 year-old is clearly immensely talented, with all the technique and athleticism needed to make it at the top level, but yet he just couldn’t put it all together in a blue shirt.

That now appears to be down to various managers’ team selection rather than the player’s own shortcomings though, and he is excelling in a new role for West Brom, who he joined on loan in January.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Though he did occasionally feature on the flank at Goodison, the majority of his time was spent at centre back, where he was often bullied by physical strikers.

Now playing right-back at the Hawthorns, he is proving himself more than capable of holding his own physically against any winger, and is also showing the attacking instincts required to be a modern day full-back.

The youngster assisted Jake Livermore’s late winner in a 3-2 win against QPR on Tuesday night, which takes his tally to three assists in just seven Championship starts.

Fans are impressed by his form, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

Former Barcelona full-back Junior Firpo has detailed to pressures of playing in Catalonia, taking aim at former boss Ronald Koeman.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Signed in 2019, never cracked first teamReceived threats after disappointing debutCriticised Koeman for management styleWHAT HAPPENED?

Firpo arrived in Catalunya as an apparent back-up to Jordi Alba. However, he never found his footing for Barca, struggling for minutes, and experiencing difficulties on and off the pitch during a turbulent two-year spell. Firpo detailed the difficulties of playing for one of Europe's biggest clubs in an interview with .

AdvertisementGettyWHAT FIRPO SAID ABOUT HIS FIRST START

The full-back admitted his Barca career got off to a poor start, when he was removed from the game at half-time of his full debut: "Starting like this, with a mistake in my first game as a starter… and on top of that the coach took me off at half-time. That makes you start off on a very bad foot and with criticism. As much as I didn't try to read them, nowadays everything reaches you, especially with social networks. After that game I had thousands of comments and insults, thousands of private messages and threats."

WHAT HE SAID ABOUT WHY HE DIDN'T LEAVE THE CLUB

After his first season, Firpo had a good option to go to Inter, but spurned it due to his newborn son's health problems: "My second child was born with lung problems and I made the decision to stay in Barcelona. The medical services were very good and I did not want to make a move between countries after such a complicated time entering and leaving the hospital.

"I slept in the hospital, I went to train and returned to the hospital. My son Jasson was in the ICU and only one of my wife and I could go visit him for about 5 or 10 minutes two or three times a day."

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GettyWHAT HE SAID ABOUT RONALD KOEMAN

After agreeing to stay at the club, Firpo clashed with new boss Koeman, who forced him out of the side: "Koeman gave me an answer in which he was not being honest: he told me that I was contaminating the group, so I stopped trying."

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras encerrou, neste sábado, a preparação para enfrentar o Água Santa, no jogo que marca a volta do time ao Allianz Parque após 138 dias, neste domingo, às 16h. O técnico Vanderlei Luxemburgo comandou trabalho tático no campo sintético, que é idêntico ao do estádio, em atividade que foi acompanhado pelo presidente Maurício Galiotte e pelo diretor de futebol Anderson Barros, ambos presentes no gramado.

Como as atividades continuam sem a presença da imprensa, para minimizar o risco de contágio por Covid-19, o Palmeiras divulgou somente que a manhã foi de exercício tático e ensaio de jogadas. Não foram dados indícios da escalação, mas o técnico disse na quarta-feira, depois da derrota por 1 a 0 para o Corinthians, que pretende fazer uma ou duas alterações.

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Uma mudança bem provável é a entrada de Marcos Rocha, que cumpriu suspensão no Dérbi. Mayke o substituiu e, depois, o volante Gabriel Menino entrou na lateral direita, recebendo intensos elogios do técnico. Na defesa, Gustavo Gómez ainda não renovou contrato e, por isso, a dupla de zaga continua formada por Felipe Melo e Vitor Hugo.

Quem também está fora é Viña. O lateral-esquerdo sofreu concussão na quarta. passou 24h em observação no hospital e se reapresentou à Academia de Futebol na última terça, em cronograma de volta gradual. Sem o uruguaio, Diogo Barbosa é o principal candidato a entrar no time.

Existe ainda incerteza no setor ofensivo. Sem Dudu, negociado com o Al Duhail, do Qatar, e Gabriel Veron, que sofreu lesão muscular e não joga mais pelo Campeonato Paulista, Zé Rafael foi titular e não agradou. Os meias Lucas Lima, Raphael Veiga e Gustavo Scarpa e o atacante Wesley podem ganhar oportunidade para formar a linha de frente com Rony, Willian e Luiz Adriano.

Assim, a provável escalação do Palmeiras para a última rodada da primeira fase do Campeonato Paulista tem: Weverton; Marcos Rocha, Felipe Melo, Vitor Hugo e Diogo Barbosa; Patrick de Paula, Bruno Henrique e Lucas Lima (Raphael Veiga ou Gustavo Scarpa); Rony, Willian e Luiz Adriano.

O Palmeiras está classificado para enfrentar o Santo André nas quartas de final, mas está em segundo lugar no Grupo B, com 19 pontos, e, para ser líder e ser mandante no jogo único da próxima fase, precisa vencer o Água Santa, no Allianz Parque, e torcer para o Santo André, dono de 20 pontos, tropeçar contra o Ituano, no Canindé, também às 16h deste domingo.

O Verdão também tem a chance de alcançar a melhor campanha da primeira fase. Para isso, além de vencer e secar o Santo André, precisa que o Red Bull Bragantino, que tem 20 pontos, não derrote o Botafogo de Ribeirão Preto, em Osasco, outro jogo às 16h deste domingo. Quem tiver melhor pontuação ganha o direito de ser mandante nos confrontos únicos das quartas e semifinal e também no segundo e decisivo duelo da final do Estadual.