Tag Futebol

Name: Ollie Watkins

Club: Brentford

Date of Birth: 30 December 1995

Position: Centre-forward

OLLIE WATKINS – HIS CAREER SO FAR

Ollie Watkins is a 25-year-old centre-forward currently playing his football over at Brentford in the Championship. He grew up in Newton Abbot and some of his first gigs in the sport that would later on become his life were at Exeter City. He finally joined their academy at U11 level, having previously been rejected when he was only nine years old in 2003. But that stay in the academy would indeed prove to be quite good and Watkins sore through the ranks to land into the first-team after only a year.

He signed his scholarship in 2012 and by 2014, he also penned his first professional contract, winning his first call-ups and appearances for Exeter in the 2013/14 season. And this was a start of something special for the youngster as he would remain at the club for the following couple of years, albeit with a short loan spell at Weston-super-Mare along the way.

The loan happened between 2014 and 2015 and Watkins would record 24 appearances for the Seagulls, scoring ten goals and actually developing quite a bit as well. This was essentially his first big shot at a regular role in a senior team and he embraced it with both hands. And upon return to Exeter, Watkins was adamant on succeeding there as well.

The now 25-year-old forward ended up playing a total of 78 games for them, scoring 26 goals and also adding 17 assists on the side as well. Needless to say, it was quite a return for such a young player and soon afterwards, Brentford came knocking on the door. In the summer of 2017, Watkins joined the Bees on a four-year contract, signing an extension soon after that, in 2019.

Since then, he has scored 49 goals and assisted 17 across 142 games for Brentford, surely cementing his spot as one of the most important players in the squad and one that has gone through tremendous development since his early years at Exeter and beyond that.

Now, it doesn’t really come as a surprise that he is a wanted man and could very well be on the move to greener pastures quite soon. He is surely ready for it.

TRANSFER LATEST

With his rise through the ranks, Watkins has become a prime target for many Premier League outfits as of late and many transfer rumours have indeed connected him with a switch to the English top-tier. Some of the latest transfer news, however, suggest the newly-promoted Leeds United might look to secure his signature in an attempt to boost their squad for the upcoming challenge.

The 25-year-old has been tipped to join the Whites in numerous Leeds United transfer news so far and it will be interesting to see how Brentford respond to the rumours.

As it currently stands, the Bees might indeed struggle to keep Watkins around for much longer.

PLAYER PROFILE

Even though he used to be a winger by trade, Watkins has successfully transitioned into the role of a centre-forward. All of his best traits that he possessed as a wide man, however, have been retained and combined with the new skill set he had to adopt with the switch, the 25-year-old comes with an impressive package, to say the least.

He is extremely athletic and can use his clever positioning and off-the-ball movement to confuse the markers and both create and exploit the space behind their backs brilliantly. When necessary, Watkins can also be used to pin back the centre-backs and give more freedom to his teammates that way. With good dribbling abilities as well as knowing when to drop, drift or move away from his position, courtesy of his winger days, the 25-year-old can cause chaos in the final third.

On top of that, he seems to give Brentford a decent aerial threat as well.

West Ham head into the Premier League’s final matchday of the 2019/20 season knowing that they are safe and secure for next year.

However, the Irons welcome a side battling relegation in Aston Villa, who come to east London on the back of an impressive victory over Arsenal last week.

Meanwhile, David Moyes’ side come into this one in decent form having won two and drawn one of their last three matches with the stalemate being against free-scoring Man United on Wednesday.

The 57-year-old has some decisions to make with team selection, so here’s what we are predicting this afternoon…

The Hammers could make as many as three changes with the Scotsman balancing injuries across the pitch.

Lucas Fabianski is sure to finish the term between the sticks, but the back four in front of him will be slightly different from midweek.

Left-back Aaron Cresswell came off injured early and is a serious doubt for this one, so Arthur Masuaku takes his place alongside centre-back pairing Angelo Ogbonna and Issa Diop whilst Ben Johnson continues on the right.

In a small tweak to the formation, Declan Rice heralds the backline with Thomas Soucek and Mark Noble slightly more advanced in Moyes’ engine room.

Pablo Fornals also keeps his place but switches to the right-flank as the impressive Jarrod Bowen is also a doubt like Cresswell.

Felipe Anderson could be handed a chance in his absence, starting on the other side – it would be the £28.8m-rated Brazilian’s first start since a defeat to Liverpool in February.

Whilst the final change comes in the attack.

Moyes could grant Sebastien Haller an opportunity to impress ahead of the summer, he may replace Michail Antonio upfront with the 30-year-old performing like a workhorse in recent weeks.

AND in other news, West Ham can finally replace Zabaleta with £18m summer raid…

أعلن المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة، رونالد كومان، عن قائمة اللاعبين الذين سيخوضون مباراة الغد أمام بنفيكا في الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويحل برشلونة ضيفًا على ملعب “النور” في العاصمة البرتغالية لشبونة، الأربعاء، في تمام الساعة التاسعة مساءً بتوقيت “القاهرة” بقيادة الحكم الإيطالي الدولي، دانيلي أورساتو.

وشهدت القائمة عودة ثنائي خط الوسط، سيرجي روبيرتو وبيدري، بعدما تلقيا التصريح الطبي للمشاركة في المباريات بصورة طبيعية بينما استمر غياب، جوردي ألبا، رغم تواجده في التدريبات في اليومين الماضيين.

وعاد فرينكي دي يونج مرة أخرى إلى القائمة بعد غيابه عن مباراة ليفانتي بسبب الإيقاف عقب طرده أمام قادش في بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

اقرأ أيضًا.. فان باستن ينتقد ممفيس ديباي: يلعب بشكل استعراضي وما يقدمه لا يناسب برشلونة

👥 CONVOCATÒRIA
✈️ #BenficaBarça pic.twitter.com/u5t1Skw5Se — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_cat) September 28, 2021

قائمة برشلونة لمباراة بنفيكا في دوري أبطال أوروبا

حراسة المرمى: مارك أندريه تير شتيجن، نيتو، إينياكي بينيا.

الدفاع: سيرجينيو ديست، جيرارد بيكيه، رونالد أروخو، كليموه لينجليه، أوسكار مينجيزا، صامويل أومتيتي، إريك جارسيا.

الوسط: سيرجيو بوسكيتس، ريكي بويج، سيرجي روبيرتو، فرينكي دي يونج، نيكو جونزاليس، جافي، بيدري.

الهجوم: ممفيس ديباي، أنسو فاتي، يوسف ديمير، فيليب كوتينيو، لوك دي يونج.

[COMUNICAT MÈDIC]@Pedri i @SergiRoberto10 han rebut l’alta mèdica! 👏#BenficaBarça pic.twitter.com/AAy5LRPOHc — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_cat) September 28, 2021

Tottenham star Tanguy Ndombele has continued to divide opinion all week. 

According to ESPN, Ndombele has told Jose Mourinho he never wants to play for him again.

Sources told ESPN a row broke out in a training session on Monday which carried on into Mourinho’s office at Enfield.

Ndombele, who is the club’s most expensive signing, is reportedly fed up with the constant criticism coming from Mourinho and gave him a piece of his mind.

The Spurs duo have dominated the headlines in recent months after they were forced to apologise for breaking government guidelines to train together during the nationwide lockdown.

However, their relationship is rumoured to have taken a downturn ever since, as the Portuguese is apparently frustrated by Ndombele’s lack of effort in training.

Tensions have reached breaking point and his representatives are working around the clock to try and find a resolution.

One option on the table is a move away from north London.

Barcelona are interested in the Frenchman but the La Liga giants do not have the money to fund a move, so will have to rely on a loan or swap deal.

Similarly, Bayern Munich may also make an approach, as Thiago Alcantara is seemingly set to leave.

The Bundesliga champions are also looking to sell Corentin Tolisso, amid interest from Manchester United, and could try to orchestrate an exchange for Ndombele.

However, Spurs will likely reject their proposal if an offer arrives.

Despite Mourinho’s reservations, Daniel Levy has insisted the 23-year-old is not for sale, as the board are convinced the record signing will eventually live up to his £55m fee.

Furthermore, Levy will not allow him to be used in swap deals, so the chances of him leaving in the summer are slim.

Tottenham fans, do you think Mourinho should give Tanguy Ndombele another chance? Let us know in the comments below!

Manchester City have reportedly made a move towards trying to sign Sergi Roberto from Barcelona, according to reports from Spain.

Mundo Deportivo claimed that director of football Txiki Begiristain has made enquiries to the La Liga club about the 28-year-old, with the approval of City manager Pep Guardiola, under whom the versatile Spain international has previously played at Camp Nou.

Roberto, who is valued at £36m by TransferMarkt and has won two Champions League titles with Barcelona, has the vast experience of playing 273 times for the La Liga champions, with 29 of those games coming this season as he has been a regular presence in their starting XI (as per TransferMarkt).

A midfielder by trade, the 28-year-old has been deployed mainly at right-back in recent months – coincidentally the position in which Nelson Semedo, who has also been linked with Manchester City (Sport,via Sport Witness), regularly features.

Roberto has an excellent passing success rate of 91.2%, which puts him ahead of Guardiola’s current right-backs Joao Cancelo (89.4%) and Kyle Walker (88.9%) in that regard. He also wins more tackles per game than the Englishman (1.2 to one), while they both average one interception per game.

However, Cancelo has a far better tackling average with 2.3 per game and also makes more interceptions per match with 1.4. Additionally, the Etihad Stadium duo have far greater attacking instincts than the Barcelona man. Roberto’s match averages of 0.2 shots and 0.5 successful dribbles pale in comparison with the respective figures put up by Cancelo (0.7 shots, 1.6 successful dribbles) and Walker (0.6 shots, 0.9 successful dribbles).

While Roberto would present Guardiola with a versatile option at right-back and central midfield, he does not seem an upgrade on the current right-sided defensive pair of Walker and Cancelo. Indeed, the latter has been reportedly considered as bait in a potential swap deal with Semedo (Mundo Deportivo, via Sport Witness), which seems difficult to comprehend given Cancelo’s more than respectable statistics from this season.

At £36m, 28 years of age and in a position where Manchester City are already well stocked, the Premier League champions ought to be looking elsewhere to bolster their squad over the summer.

Man City fans, are you surprised that the club are reportedly pursuing a move for Sergi Roberto? Comment below with your views!

Football Insider have been reporting that Leeds United will sell Lewie Coyle in January.

His apparent destination isn’t a surprising one as the right-back is reportedly set to join Fleetwood after spending the last two seasons on loan with the north-west outfit.

Coyle is currently in his third term with Joey Barton’s side, and he’s seemingly in the form of his life.

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The right-back has crafted four assists in 15 appearances this season, and when you consider that he’s a defender that is a truly incredible figure.

So why are Leeds looking to get rid of him?

He’s 24 and hasn’t had a look in at the club for a number of years now, but surely this form he’s showing at Fleetwood warrants him being given a chance?

We asked our team of writers to give their verdicts on whether or not Leeds would be right to move Coyle on permanently.

Lewis Blain

“There can be no harm in Marcelo Bielsa giving Lewie Coyle a go in the first-team. If anything, his recent spells out on loan have proven he has done the job asked of him and therefore, he should be given the opportunity.

“Both Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas have impressed when playing in a similar role as the 24-year-old. Ayling played as many as 40 times last term, registering six assists while Dallas has made 1.9 tackles predominantly from that third of the pitch in 2019/20. However, the message here is far greater.

“What must the other players out on loan or the promising talents coming through the ranks think – no matter what they do, it’s unlikely to see them ever cement their names amongst Elland Road folklore?

“Coyle has four years on both players too, which can only stand him in good stead. Leeds would be wrong to sell as there are much wider elements to consider. He’s unlikely to garner a sufficient enough fee to make Leeds stand back and snatch it.”

Kealan Hughes “Lewie Coyle may be performing well on loan but he falls some way short in meeting the required standard that Leeds need in their promotion push, and will certainly be surplus to requirements if the club is indeed promoted.“Despite playing in League One he has still only achieved an average of 0.7 interceptions per game, below that of Stuart Dallas’ 1.1 and Ezgjan Alioski’s one per game, which suggests he is not the type of full-back who would fit into a Marcelo Bielsa team.“They are better off cashing in now and using the funds to strengthen in January on areas which are in need of reinforcement, especially as he has only made 23 first-team appearances in the last four years.” Vijievan Jeevathayalan

“With his impressive start to the season, Leeds must strike while the iron is hot when it comes to a decision on Lewie Coyle. The right-back has been a consistent performer whilst on loan at Fleetwood Town, and as per Whoscored, his average match rating of 6.92 is the fourth-highest in the entire squad.

“But with Marcelo Bielsa’s side already containing the likes of Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas as options at right-back, it is difficult to see how Coyle could truly make a statement in the Whites’ first-team.

“They would simply be better off cashing in on the 24-year-old, and boosting the transfer coffers. While that may be harsh on the defender himself, Leeds must be ruthless and put the team’s needs first.”

Charles Jones

“I think Leeds would be making a huge mistake by letting Lewie Coyle go at this juncture of his career.

“His loan spells away from Elland Road should have been working towards his eventual introduction to the first team if he proved himself worthy, and he certainly has proven himself to be good enough.”

“What more could he do to prove his quality? He’s won two Player of the Year awards during his time away from Elland Road so why would they now choose to cut ties with him?. This could be a decision the Whites live to regret in the future.”

أكد أحمد أبوعبلة، رئيس الجهاز الطبي للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، أن نسبة لحاق حمدي فتحي بمباراة صن دوانز المقبلة متوسطة.

وكان حمدي فتحي قد أجرى جراحة في الكوع بعد تعرضه لإصابة أثناء وجوده مع المنتخب الوطني في التصفيات المؤهلة إلى أمم إفريقيا.

وقال رئيس الجهاز الطبي في تصريحات للموقع الرسمي إن حمدي فتحي، لاعب الفريق، أجرى آشعة في القاهرة قبل سفر البعثة إلى جنوب إفريقيا، وكشفت نتائج الأشعة عن وجود التئام شبه كامل في موضع إصابته.

وأكد: “نسبة لحاق فتحي بمواجهة صن داونز متوسطة، بينما نسبة لحاقه بمباراة نهضة بركان قوية”.

طالع أيضًا.. رامي ربيعة: الفوز أمام صن داونز ذهابًا لا يعني التأهل.. ونحتاج اللعب بأداء رجولي

وكانت بعثة الأهلي قد وصلت إلى جنوب إفريقيا صباح اليوم بعد رحلة استغرقت ما يقرب من ١٢ ساعة تخللها ترانزيت في مطار أسوان؛ للتزود بالوقود، ثم استقلال حافلة من مطار جوهانسبرج إلى مدينه بريتوريا.

جدير بالذكر أن الأهلي يستعد لمواجهة صن داونز الجنوب إفريقي يوم السبت المقبل، في إياب دور ربع النهائي من بطولة دوري أبطال أفريقيا.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

Manchester City’s trip to Liverpool was billed as the biggest game of the season and victory for the Reds has put them in a magnificent spot to snatch the title.

In truth, any defensive unit selected by Pep Guardiola to face Jurgen Klopp’s men was going to struggle, as Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane have now racked up 21 goals between them. Plus, whoever occupied the left-back spot up against the Egyptian was set for an almighty task, whether it had been Benjamin Mendy or Oleksandr Zinchenko.

However, it was the inexperienced Angelino who stepped in for this vital clash, and unsurprisingly, the Spaniard struggled against the Golden Boot holder. Throughout the game, the left-back was exposed defensively and failed to get Salah under his control.

The former PSV Eindhoven man signed for City for £5.3m and was playing in just his ninth game for the Premier League champions.

However, going forward, the left-back showed serious attacking intent throughout. Although he lost possession 28 times and completed just one of nine crosses, Angelino was consistently threatening Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The 22-year-old managed to create one big chance and made three key passes. So although he lost the ball 28 times, it is important to remember he troubled Liverpool often enough to worry the Anfield faithful.

Angelino also registered a shot which struck the woodwork for City on Sunday, and proved to Guardiola that he can be a valuable attacking weapon this season. Mendy’s troublesome record with injuries and Zinchenko’s current layoff may force in Angelino in on a more regular basis, and his display against the Reds suggested there was promise to be nurtured there.

Just because he couldn’t get hold of Salah doesn’t mean he can’t be a great asset for the champions moving forward. In truth, very few defenders struggle to contain the Egyptian.

It was another impressive attacking display from the left-back and it is important to assess his statistics in the context of the magnitude of the occasion from both an individual and collective perspective.

Tottenham Hotspur’s start to the 2019/20 campaign has seen the club slide to seventh in the Premier League table, and the decision from Mauricio Pochettino to bench one of the club’s key men in this weekend’s clash with Watford has got some fans talking after his passionate reaction to Spurs going behind against the Hornets. 

Heung-min Son, 27, was benched by Pochettino for the game against the Premier League’s bottom side who were winless coming into the clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Yet Spurs needed an 86th-minute equaliser from Dele Alli to secure a point against the Hornets as their inconsistent start to the current campaign continued with yet another disappointing domestic result.

After witnessing Son’s reaction to Spurs going behind, these fans were quick to jump to Twitter, with some praising him and others questioning why Pochettino left him on the bench in the first place.

Here are some of the best responses to Son’s reaction to his side conceding…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Off the Bench series, which places in-game managerial decisions and squad selections under FFC’s microscope.

Real Madrid beat Granada 4-2 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday and they largely had Luka Modric to thank.

Snapshot

Zinedine Zidane’s troops are in red-hot form in La Liga.

Not only are Los Blancos still top of the table but they’re also unbeaten in their opening eight clashes of the new season. In fact, their only loss of the 2019/20 campaign came in Europe, when they were beaten 3-0 by PSG at Parc des Princes.

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Despite their victory, it was far from a perfect night for the Galacticos. The injury to Toni Kroos is definitely a big concern, but the man who replaced the German midfielder on the night just might lead them in his absence as well.

A much-needed reinforcement

Modric was injured for quite a while himself and he missed four games across all competitions due to a fitness issue.

But now he’s back and it was actually his substitution that made a huge impact on the clash against Granada, making his teammate’s injury look like a blessing in disguise.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

The 34-year-old Croatian midfielder was bossing the middle of the park and dictating the play overall. Of course, he was also the one who scored Real’s third goal on the night but he did so much more than just that.

Modric tallied two key passes, 86.4% passing accuracy and 66 touches during the game.

But he was also active going the other way, as well – two tackles and two interceptions can attest to that and with a 7.95 rating, he was Whoscored’s Man of the Match.

Looking at the numbers, it really does not come as a surprise at all.

Kroos’ injury is definitely a concern for Zidane but having Modric in top form will surely help Real weather that storm.