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For a billionaire, Mike Ashley sure lacks knowledge in how to spend his money.

Indeed, while fellow members of the 1% of the 1% across the league are taking their clubs to newer heights, the Magpies are stuck in a rut under Ashley’s reign. Frankly, his incompetence has nothing for their development and making them sink further away.

However, there’s still time for the Sports Direct mogul to right his wrongs, somewhat anyway. Obviously, starting by extending Benitez’s contract would be nice. Secondly, he needs to stop encouraging Newcastle as a selling club, having let the likes of Andy Carroll, Demba Ba and Yohan Cabaye leave over the course of his ownership.

According to reports (via Sky Sports), Sean Longstaff’s meteoric rise has attracted Manchester United’s interest this summer. Apparently, the Red Devils want to add youthful exuberance to their midfield with the exciting 22-year-old.

Well, Ashley simply cannot allow Longstaff to leave after witnessing his superb rise to fame last season. Any big bid shouldn’t be entertained at this stage of the Benitez project, if there is to be one going forward.

The academy graduate’s brought life to his boyhood charges’ midfield with his tireless running, ruthless pressing and intelligent movement, connecting the fans to the team in a way only hometown heroes can. Ashley cannot allow his greed for profit into selling away another prized asset. Indeed, as if prematurely offloading Giorginio Wijnaldum or Mohamed Sissoko wasn’t enough damage.

If the Newcastle owner truly wants to see them as a rising force, he needs to make tough decisions. This really is one of them.

Newcastle fans, would you be disappointed by Longstaff’s potential departure this summer? Join the discussion by commenting below…

The Welsh international has had a brilliant career at Arsenal and leaves having scored 65 goals, including an unbelievable season in 2013/14 where he scored 15 from midfield.

Unai Emery and the Arsenal board though did not seem to rate him that highly and Arsenal actually withdrew their contract offer back in October, leading to the Old Lady swooping in and getting themselves an absolute bargain.

The 28-year-old is cultured on the ball, possesses great technique, has a fantastic work rate and represents a genuine goal threat from midfield.

Arsenal will miss Ramsey for all of these qualities but also because he understands the club and has a lot of Premier League experience.

The majority of Arsenal fans seem to think that the club’s treatment of Ramsey has been disgraceful and though he was given a nice send off on Sunday, the feeling is that for a player of his quality should have been handed a new contract.

Arsenal must now find a way to replace the Welshman, but to get a player of Ramsey’s talent the Arsenal board are going to have to spend a lot of money – something they are not necessarily going to do.

كشفت تقارير صحفية موقف ثلاثي مانشستر سيتي من التواجد في مباراة توتنهام هوتسبير بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

مانشستر سيتي لا يخوض أي مباريات منذ يوم الأحد الماضي، ويستمر الفريق في ذلك حتى 20 من الشهر الجاري، بسبب فترة التوقف الدولية.

وبعد نهاية فترة التوقف الدولية يحل ضيفًا على توتنهام السبت 21 نوفمبر من الشهر الجاري على ملعب “توتنهام”، ضمن لقاءات الجولة التاسعة من البريميرليج.

ويغيب الدولي البرازيلي فرناندينيو عن السكاي بلو منذ 22 أكتوبر الماضي، بعدما تعرض لإصابة في الساق، خلال مباراة مانشستر سيتي وبورتو في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وعاد فرناندينيو إلى تدريبات السكاي بلو، السبت الماضي، بعدما تعافى من الإصابة، وسيكون قادرًا على التواجد في مباراة السبت القادم؛ وفقًا لما ذكرته شبكة “جول” العالمية في نسختها الإنجليزية.

اقرأ أيضًا.. دي بروين يكشف موقفه من الاستمرار مع مانشستر سيتي

وأوضحت الشبكة، موقف الدولي الأرجنتيني، سيرجيو أجويرو، مُهاجم الفريق من التواجد في المباراة، مؤكدة أنّ أجويرو سينضم إلى التدريبات الجماعية هذا الأسبوع؛ وبالتالي سيكون جاهزًا لمباراة توتنهام.

أجويرو غاب عن الملاعب منذ شهر يونيو الماضي بسبب تعرضه لإصابة قوية في الركبة وخضوعه لعملية جراحية.

ثم تعرض النجم الأرجنتيني لإصابة في أوتار الركبة في مباراة وست هام، أجبرته على الغياب عن مباريات، مارسيليا، شيفيلد يونايتد، أولمبياكوس، وليفربول.

وقالت الشبكة إن الدولي الإنجليزي رحيم ستيرلينج جناح الفريق سيكون قادرًا على التواجد بشكل طبيعي مع السكاي بلو، بعد التأكد من عدم خطورة إصابته، حيث تعرض لإصابة عضلية في التدريبات.

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Paulo Gazzaniga was thrown into the Tottenham Hotspur team on Saturday as the club lost 1-0 to Manchester City in the Premier League.

Normal No.1 and club captain Hugo Lloris was not in the matchday squad after sustaining a minor injury.

On the chalkboard

This was something of an audition for Gazzaniga, playing against the best team in England.

It is fair to say that he failed it.

While he has turned in some impressive performances in goal for Spurs during his time at the club, Gazzaniga was the picture of nervousness against Pep Guardiola’s side.

That is perhaps forgivable, given the circumstances surrounding his inclusion, but he did not make a positive impression.

Per WhoScored, he made three saves, though he only collected the ball once and he also allowed one effort to squirm out of his hands and roll behind for a corner.

His distribution, too, left a lot to be desired.

While playing against Ederson – perhaps the finest sweeper keeper in England – can make his stats look particularly poor, Gazzaniga had a pass completion rate of just 53%. Ederson’s, by comparison, was 74%. Earlier this week, in the Champions League encounter between the two clubs, Lloris had a pass completion rate of 61%.

Gazzaniga, then, was constantly placing his own backline under unnecessary pressure.

An upgrade is required

Lloris is not the best goalkeeper in England and Spurs could certainly improve upon him in the transfer market, should they choose to.

But perhaps the real problem lies in the depth behind him.

Michel Vorm is ageing and surely rusty and, while Gazzaniga has time on his side at 27, it has become apparent that neither are capable of deputising for any length of time.

This summer, then, as Spurs look to dip into the transfer market for the first time since January 2018, a goalkeeper must be on the agenda.

It may seem harsh but, after Saturday, Gazzaniga simply cannot cut it.

Alfredo Morelos is a crucial player for Rangers, and he’s had more than enough big moments to cement his position as one of the best forwards in Scotland.

However, amidst all of the great moments that he’s enjoyed, the Columbian has also had more than a few struggles. Both on and off the field, it’s fair to say that his time at Rangers has been full of controversy.

For every sparkling moment, Morelos’ star has dimmed due to some disappointing events that, unfortunately, he’s likely to be remembered for at Ibrox when he does eventually move on.

Of course, the most recent of these came at the weekend, when he was sent off against Celtic, but that’s only the start. We’ve listed a few of his worst moments in a Rangers shirt…

Sent Off Against Celtic

Of course, this is the event that is most in the mind, and with good reason. On Sunday, Rangers had one of their most important games of the season – against Celtic.

The Gers needed to win the game to have any chance of winning the title in Scotland this term, even if it would have still been tough if they had bagged the three points.

If nothing else, they were playing for pride – a sense of pride that had been shattered in the preceding weeks because of bad results.

However, a red card for Morelos in the first half essentially put an end to those hopes, with Rangers unlikely to beat Celtic with one less player.

The implications of that loss could be massive, as after all the progress that the Gers have enjoyed this season, all they’ve done is prove that they’re still below Celtic.

Missed Opportunities

Who could forget that poor miss from Morelos against Celtic back in March last year?

Merely feet away from the byline, he was only required to steer the ball towards the goal, and he couldn’t do that.

On the day, rival fans couldn’t help but laugh, but it’s proven to be a real low point for Morelos for his time in Celtic. Of course, he’s not had a lot of successes in the Old Firm derby, and this miss highlighted why.

Scoring in big games is what separates good forwards from great forwards, and his miss on this day was his best opportunity to end that hoodoo.

Stupid Comments

Big players, especially at clubs that aren’t playing for traditionally huge and dominant European clubs, often find it impossible not to talk about their future, and Morelos is no different.

He’s made no secret of his plans for life after Rangers. For example, he previously said to W Radio, (via the Sun): “There are many teams interested in me and a lot of them have watched me play. Most likely my transfer will be this summer.”

That’s one sure-fire way to harm your relationship with a fanbase, and it says a lot about the player. It shows his lack of commitment, and in truth, it shows his lack of care for the club.

It makes you think that, when he gets sent off as he did against Celtic, does he really care? After all, it doesn’t matter to him if Rangers manage to go beyond Celtic – as he thinks he’ll have bigger fish to fry next season.

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It was revealed in an interview with The Express last September that Raul Jimenez narrowly missed out on joining West Ham United, and Irons fans on Twitter are regretting missing out on him following his latest display for Wolverhampton Wanderers.

While rumours at the time in 2015 suggested the Mexico international overslept and missed his flight to London, he confirmed via The Express that the real reason he joined Benfica instead was because that was a permanent move, while any deal with the Hammers would have been a loan one.

The 27-year-old, who completed a club-record £30m transfer to Molineux last week following a hugely successful temporary spell, scored a brilliant goal in the FA Cup semi-final against Watford on Sunday.

It looked as though it would be the winning goal until the final seconds, and even though the centre-forward was on the losing side his all-round game was once again one of the highlights for Nuno Santo’s men and didn’t go unnoticed by West Ham supporters on social media.

One labelled him as “the one that got away”, while another simply described failing to bring him to the capital as “the West Ham way”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

يخضع السنغالي أليو بادجي، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، لاختبار طبي على هامش المران الذي يقام صباح غدٍ الخميس.

وأكد خالد محمود طبيب الفريق في تصريحات للموقع الرسمي للأهلي، أن بادجي سوف يخضع لاختبار طبي، وفي حالة عدم شكواه من أي آلام سوف يشارك في المران الجماعي بصورة طبيعية.

طالع أيضًا | شريف فؤاد بعد ثلاثية الأهلي أمام إنبي: سنحقق دوري أبطال إفريقيا

وكان بادجي قد خرج من قائمة الفريق التي واجهت إنبي بسبب شكواه من كدمة في الكاحل.

ونجح الأهلي في الفوز على نظيره إنبي اليوم في مباراة الجولة 32 من عمر الدوري المصري الممتاز بثلاثية دون رد.

Aston Villa fans have been living in dreamland in recent times as Dean Smith continues to get the very best out of his side, with a play-off spot now well within their sights.

It’s safe to say that Smith’s January transfer window signings have had a huge influence on how things have panned out during the second half of the season as the likes of Tyrone Mings and Kortney Hause have worked wonders.

Hause has been simply sensational in recent games as he continues to enjoy a rich vein of form and he even managed to find the back of the net against Nottingham Forest. The Villans have conceded just once in the three matches that the Englishman has started in, which just goes to show much of an influence he’s had.

But, securing a summer deal for the central defender may be difficult as his parent club Wolverhampton Wanderers will be well aware of his performances at Villa Park, so they could look to include him in their plans next season.

Villa simply must make him their top summer target as he’s helped cure their central defensive woes and has already built a formidable partnership with Mings. Indeed, many supporters feared the worst when James Chester suffered an injury but Hause has made fans forget all about the Welshman as he’s made the position his own.

The 23-year-old is clearly enjoying life at Villa Park and he’s already found a place in the hearts of many supporters, so he may be open to a permanent move in the summer transfer window.

Aston Villa fans, would you like to see Kortney Hause at Villa Park permanently? Surely he’s done enough to warrant a permanent move…

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Loads of Liverpool fans have been giving their verdict on Saturday’s comfortable 3-0 win, and there’s plenty of praise for the often-unheralded Georginio Wijnaldum.

After making his name for Newcastle as a goalscoring midfield who loved to drive into the box with Frank Lampard-esque timing, Wijnaldum’s transformation at Liverpool has been remarkable.

Jurgen Klopp has turned the Dutch international into one of the most well-rounded box-to-box midfielders in the world, a role which is perfectly suited to the composed, mature and ridiculously athletic 28 year-old.

Roberto Firmino has thrown a party themed around the colour of his teeth! Watch the video below to find out what we’re talking about…

Perhaps the one mark against his overall game is a lack of goals – he had scored just once in the league before Saturday – but it was him who put the game to bed with a delightful goal.

Sadio Mane opened the scoring with a header, but Wijnaldum stole the show when he latched onto an Andy Robertson pass, controlled the ball beautifully with his first touch and then gently lobbed it over the helpless Artur Boruc.

The all-action midfielder, who Klopp claimswas badly ill before the match, completed 91 per cent of his passes, made three key passes and one tackle, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

The world misses the Premier League

With the Premier League season still under suspension, one of the biggest questions that have remained on every football lover’s lips is when the restart is likely to be.

Although in the face of the ongoing pandemic, such questions might be considered to be rather sensitive and selfish, considering that people are testing positive for the virus every minute, while several others are dying every day.

But can we really blame these fans for missing their beloved league so much?

No, we cannot.

The bromance between the EPL and its global community is just too strong to be broken by any pandemic.

No disrespect COVID-19, but that’s just the truth.

As the most-watched league in the world, the premier league has been a hotspot for football lovers for many years now. And that’s thanks in no small parts to its nonstop delivery of mouthwatering fixtures, exciting matchups, and several other intriguing actions.

But football lovers aren’t the only ones who miss the glamour and glitz of the Premier League.

Talk of the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) fans, Monday Night Football (MNF) lovers, and even those bettors betting with Agen Bola Terpercaya like Spbobet all miss the excitements, money-making potential, and entertainment of their beloved league.

What we know about the suspension of the Premier League

In the wake of Mikel Arteta testing positive for the COVID-19 virus back in March, the football bodies in England decided to halt all footballing activities, including weekend matchups, FA Cup games, and even lower league fixtures.

But with most clubs still having at least 9 matches to play before the season wraps, there’s a growing sense that the few remaining games might just be played behind closed doors.

How long has the Premier League been suspended for?

Back in March, the match between Manchester City and Arsenal had to be called off because some of the members of the Arsenal team were feared to have been in direct contact with the disease, having met the president of the Greek club Olympiakos a while before. The rescheduling of that match marked the beginning of a process that would soon eventually result in the indefinite suspension of the whole league.

From the time of suspending the Manchester City vs. Arsenal game, a match earlier scheduled to hold on March 11, the Premier League has been made to sit in the stands and watch as the world continues to fight its unseen enemy for exactly 34 days and still counting.

When is the Premier League likely to resume?

After a meeting between all 20 clubs on Friday, April 3, it was announced that the Premier League would not resume in early May as previously planned.

The situation is clearly evolving day-by-day, and it remains to be seen when the league will be able to get back underway. The Premier League remains determined to complete the current season and avoid it being written off completely.

A league statement read: “The Premier League will not resume at the beginning of May – and the 2019/20 season will only return when it is safe and appropriate to do so.

“The restart date is under constant review with all stakeholders, as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic develops, and we work together through this very challenging time.

“The Premier League is working closely with the whole of professional football in this country, as well as with the Government, public agencies, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the game achieves a collaborative solution.

“With this, there is a combined objective for all remaining domestic league and cup matches to be played, enabling us to maintain the integrity of each competition.

“However, any return to play will only be with the full support of Government and when medical guidance allows.”

Will the Premier League season be voided?

One very popular opinion amongst football lovers is the idea of voiding the current premier league season and declaring it as null and nonexistent and then waiting until the whole Coronavirus drama passes before starting a new season.

But guess what? There’s not a chance in heaven of that happening.

Not only will a cancellation send a wrong impression about the league’s management to the public, but it could also result in the league incurring losses up to £1billion, according to chief executive Richard Masters.

Sky, BT, and overseas rights holders have already paid the Premier League for their full season’s broadcast rights, despite a quarter of the campaign left to play.

So scrapping the campaign will mean broadcasters will look to recoup millions.

What else has the Premier League said?

As well as supporting the NHS and promoting public health messages, the Premier League detailed its discussions regarding its players and clubs in lower leagues.

The April 3 statement continued: “In the face of substantial and continuing losses for the 2019/20 season since the suspension of matches began, and to protect employees throughout the professional game, Premier League clubs unanimously agreed to consult their players regarding a combination of conditional reductions and deferrals amounting to 30 percent of total annual remuneration.

“This guidance will be kept under constant review as circumstances change.

It added: “Discussions also took place regarding financial relief for clubs in the short term, and while there is no single solution, measures are to be put in place to immediately deal with the impact of falling cash flow.

“Critically, the league unanimously voted to advance funds of £125 million to the EFL and National League as it is aware of the severe difficulties clubs throughout the football pyramid are suffering at this time.”