المقاصة: علمنا استقالة إيهاب جلال من الإعلام.. وقادرون على صنع غيره

أكد بكري سليم المدير التنفيذي لنادي مصر للمقاصة، أن إيهاب جلال المدرب السابق للفريق الفيومي، لا يمتلك أي تبريرات لقراره بالرحيل عن الفريق في الوقت الحالي.

وأعلن مصر المقاصة فسخ عقد إيهاب جلال بعد قبول استقالته من قيادة النادي وتعيين علي عاشور مدرب فريق 99 خلفا له. طالع التفاصيل

وأضاف بكري سليم خلال مداخلة هاتفية عبر برنامج “جمهور التالتة” المُذاع عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورت 2”: “لا أجد تبريرًا لقرار إيهاب جلال لأن علاقتنا به أقوى من ذلك”.

تابع: “نحن علمنا من وسائل الإعلام أنه قدم استقالته، وكونه أعلن أنه سيقدم شكوى ضد النادي فهذه ألعن بكثير”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. رئيس المقاصة يكشف السبب الحقيقي وراء رحيل إيهاب جلال المفاجئ عن تدريب الفريق

وواصل: “نحن فوجئنا بما حدث، مصر المقاصة لم يؤخر مستحقات ونحن نمر بأزمة مالية مثل كل الأندية، اللواء محمد عبد السلام لا يتأخر عن أي أحد في الفريق أو المدير الفني حتى لو اضطر أن يدفع من جيبه الشخصي”.

استكمل: “حتى لو فُرض أن إيهاب جلال تأخرت عليه مستحقاته فهذا ليس سببًا لكي يتركنا في هذا الوقت لأنه من المفروض أن المقاصة صاحب فضل عليه وهناك دلال بيننا ولم نتوقع ما فعله، ونحن في حالة حزن شديد منه”.

أوضح: “تم عقد جلسة مع إيهاب جلال من فترة ولم يُبدي أي مشكلة، لم يكن يصح أبدًا أن يتصرف إيهاب جلال هكذا فهو ابن نادي المقاصة”.

اختتم: “الأندية الكبيرة لا تقف على أحد، لا أهلي أو زمالك ولا مقاصة، ومن صنع إيهاب جلال قادر على أن يصنع غيره”.

Celtic fans split on Toljan after Europa League setback

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Celtic’s Europa League hopes are dangling by a thread after a 2-0 defeat to Valencia this week, and fans are still unconvinced by January signing Jeremy Toljan.

Toljan’s arrival at Parkhead was a very welcome sight for Celtic fans, as the right side of Brendan Rodgers’ defence has been a weak point all season.

Mikael Lustig is well past his best and Cristian Gamboa never really seems to have earned the manager’s trust, so it was no surprise to see Toljan go straight into the starting XI after his arrival from Borussia Dortmund.

However, after impressing and grabbing an assist in a 2-0 win over Hibernian, he struggled massively at times on Thursday night.

The 24 year-old, who already has 72 Bundesliga appearances to his name, recorded the lowest pass completion rate of any of the Celtic defenders or midfielders with just 86 per cent.

It was on the defensive end where his vulnerabilities were more clearly exposed though, as Valencia made scoring European away goals look easy against a disorganised Hoops back line.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where fans are split on the young defender…

Fan Predictions: Manchester United versus Liverpool

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Manchester United host Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday in a clash that is more hyped than the Carabao Cup final it precedes and both clubs will be hoping to claim three all-important points.

The Red Devils’ exceptional run of form might have hit a stumbling block in their 2-0 loss to PSG in the Champions League last week, but they got right back on track with a comfortable victory over Chelsea in the FA Cup 5th round.

Jurgen Klopp’s side meanwhile, will be looking to produce a far more clinical performance than the one they put in on Tuesday – the Reds’ lacklustre finishing meant Bayern Munich left Anfield with a truly undeserved clean sheet.

Regardless of the bitterness between the two long-time rivals, the clash is of enormous importance to both in the Premier League – United will be aiming to leave fifth placed Arsenal in the dust while Liverpool can go top of the standings.

This week’s expert fans, the TT’s United apologist Alex Rigby and Football League World assistant editor and Liverpool nut George Dagless, offer their predictions ahead of the Super Sunday battle…

If you’re Jurgen Klopp, who partners Virgil van Dijk in defence out of Fabinho and Joel Matip? 

George: “I’d not be surprised if Fabinho actually played there because he looks a decent centre-half but, by virtue of me thinking he’s going to be in midfield, Matip starts.

“Van Dijk is the leader and Matip benefits from that, I think together they are a decent enough partnership and I’ve no issues with them going in together – nor do I if the Brazilian ended up alongside our number 4.”

Alex: “It’s a tough one because Fabinho has been performing very, very well in defence. But I’d have to say Matip. The big man is decent enough to partner alongside the league’s best centre-back and make it work – despite it being a less than ideal situation. 

“Fabinho’s services will be needed in midfield as well. He performed excellently in the reverse fixture and there’s every chance he’ll be the man set up to nullify Paul Pogba.”

Indeed, former Monaco man Fabinho has impressed at the heart of defence in Dejan Lovren and Joe Gomez’s stead despite being a holding midfielder by trade. Deputising for the suspended van Dijk against Bayern, the 25-year-old cut a composed figure and the timing of his tackling was exemplary.

While he may grow to be a better option at centre-half than Matip, the Reds will sorely miss Fabinho’s physical presence at the base of midfield if he does continue in defence against United. As Alex says, he will be instrumental if the Anfield outfit are to shut down the increasingly influential Pogba.

United’s victory over Chelsea in the FA Cup saw Marcus Rashford and Romelu Lukaku deployed up front, with Juan Mata as the No.10. Is this the best trio?

Alex: “Yes and no. What United did at Chelsea was remarkable and every player had their part to play. However, there were glaring signs that Lukaku doesn’t really suit United’s new style of play under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. He’s no way near gifted enough technically, I think everyone can see that.

“The club now rely on rapid transitions from defence to attack, much like the old days under Sir Alex Ferguson, and if you’ve got Lukaku ballooning his touch into row-z it doesn’t really work. 

“Mata on the other hand looks far better in the central role compared to when he plays right-wing. Clearly, Solskjaer has realised far quicker than Jose Mourinho that Mata’s lack of pace really doesn’t suit the position.”

George: “I don’t think it is with the way Solskjaer likes to play.

“Mata is a fantastic footballer and does well against us invariably so he might feature but all fit United probably aren’t going to use him as much under the Norwegian.

“He wants pace and directness and for me their best three are Martial, Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard. Obviously, Martial and Lingard face late fitness calls but could be available and I’d say that’s their best attack.”

It has become apparent in Solskjaer’s short reign that strikers of Lukaku’s mould don’t exactly fit perfectly into the Norwegian’s system.

Instead, the sight of Rashford on the shoulder and running in behind to latch onto a Pogba pass and slot home has become a regular one – the England international’s mobility makes him far more suited to Solskjaer’s style than Lukaku but that hasn’t stopped the ‘Baby-faced Assassin’ from fitting the former Everton man into his side.

Is this Liverpool’s biggest test of the season so far considering the nervy performance against Bayern on Tuesday and United’s resurgence? 

George: “No. But it’s up there, as it is any season when it’s United.

“I’d say the game at the Etihad was bigger this season – which obviously didn’t go well – and the home game against Napoli given what was riding on it – and that did go well.

“I think the Bayern result could have been far worse – if you can’t win at home in Europe don’t concede – and so I don’t think that places any more onus on us winning this one.

“It’s Manchester United against Liverpool, anyway, this is one you’ll always be up for.”

Alex: “Manchester United and Tottenham stand in the way of the one trophy Liverpool truly care about – the Premier League. It’s been nearly 30 years since they last won the title, far longer than their relatively recent Champions League success.

“It’ll be a test of bottle and skill on Sunday, and the biggest one yet, no doubt.”

Aside from a much-improved defence, the major improvement Klopp’s side has made is that they have learned how to win at all costs – see clashes against Brighton and Crystal Palace, where the Reds had to dig deep to grind out a result.

Unfortunately, that ruthlessness was lacking in their stalemate with the Bundesliga champions on Tuesday, with many players guilty of missing glorious chances to give the Reds the lead – Sadio Mane screwed wide his side’s best chance of the game as the ball fell to him in the box.

A loss to United this weekend could be disastrous for Liverpool psychologically, if not in terms of their title hopes. While it has to be said the Red Devils are a far improved team since the two sides last met, the Reds will surely accept nothing other than a win.

This game will be far more of an even contest than the 3-1 Liverpool win in December, where the Reds were dominant in midfield. Can United match or better them in the middle of the park this time?  

Alex: “Liverpool’s midfield isn’t better than Manchester United’s, especially when you have Pogba dropping in there to perform some wizardry. 

“Of course, they certainly had the edge on them back in December but how much of that was down to players giving up on the manager?“You’ve got to say that the way United are pressing now isn’t much different from Klopp’s style, and the players they have in their lineup should have the technical edge on the day. Ander Herrera relishes these types of games and he’s playing incredibly at the moment. Will be the difference on the day.”George: “They have a better chance but they’re still not as mobile.“Paul Pogba is obviously the big difference – Liverpool don’t have a midfielder like him in terms of the goals and assists he can bring from the middle of the park and so the Reds must keep him quiet.“Is he still disciplined in the biggest games, though? He was shown up against PSG and so he is far from infallible.“Herrera and Nemanja Matic look to be the sitting two and they are good at what they do but players can run off them – and the likes of Gini Wijnaldum breaking lines should hopefully cause them issues.”World Cup winner Pogba has chalked up eight goals and five assists since Solskjaer’s United revolution began and is finally looking like the player the Old Trafford outfit were expecting to get when they spent big to bring him back from Juventus.It hasn’t been a perfectly smooth ride for the Frenchman since Mourinho’s departure, though – the 25-year-old was sent off against PSG and, in losing his temper, could cost his side again if Liverpool don’t give him the time on the ball he craves.The Reds will likely swarm the number 6’s every touch and limit his influence on the game to the best of their ability. While the rest of the team have undergone huge transformations too, it seems that if you can stop Pogba you can more or less stop United.Mixed fortunes for English sides in the Champions League so how far off are they from dominating Europe’s top table? The Pl>ymaker FC squad discuss in the video below…Finally, what are your score predictions? Alex: “3-2 United.” George: “My heart says we spark into life and outclass them, 2-0. Head says 1-1.”

Match Preview: West Ham United vs Liverpool

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West Ham United take on Premier League leaders Liverpool at the London Stadium on Monday night. 

Both sides will be heading into the clash hoping to bounce back from disappointing results last time out. The Hammers fell to a 3-0 defeat to Wolves, whilst Jurgen Klopp’s men failed to take three points from Leicester City and extend their lead at the top to seven points.

The Reds will be the favourites heading in Monday night’s encounter, but the Irons have already produced some impressive performances at home against ‘big six’ opponents this season – including wins over Arsenal and Manchester United and a hard-fought draw against Chelsea – so we should be in for an exciting game.

So, will West Ham add another scalp to their list, or will Liverpool get back to winning ways and maintain their advantage in the race for the title?

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the 8pm kick-off…

What History Tells Us

Liverpool have certainly had the most joy out of this contest in the Premier League era. Their tally of 27 wins over West Ham dwarfs their opponent’s count of nine victories. 

The Reds’ aggressive and attacking style of play has generally reaped rewards against the east London club too, as they have racked up an impressive 85 goals in this fixture. West Ham, meanwhile, have only mustered 40. However, the likes of Felipe Anderson and Marko Arnautovic have the capacity to add to that number on Monday should the visitors show any signs of complacency. 

All in all though, there aren’t many positives for Manuel Pellegrini to take from his side’s head-to-head record, but West Ham have repeatedly upset the odds this season and he will believe in their ability to do so again in front of their own fans on Monday.

Key Battle – Felipe Anderson vs Sadio Mane

Both attackers primarily play on the left flank, and both are absolutely instrumental to their respective team’s forward approach, whilst they are also relied upon to produce end product. Both have also been in fine form so far this season.

Anderson has been integral to the Hammers’ attacking play this season. Since his summer arrival from Lazio, the Brazilian has quickly settled into the pace of the Premier League and has shown his class and skill on a number of occasions. 

His average output of 1.7 shots, 1.9 dribbles and 1.8 key passes per game demonstrates how vital he is to the Irons’ attack and how many methods he has of hurting his opponents in the final third. His return of eight goals and two assists makes him one of West Ham’s most prolific men so far this season and he will be key to their chances of success against Liverpool.

Mane forms part of Liverpool’s astonishingly effective attacking contingent alongside Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah. This trio are able to combine effectively with one another, and their cohesion is central to Liverpool’s current success.

All three are capable of scoring and assisting goals, and the stats suggest that Mane is chipping in with his fair share. His average of 2.4 shots, 1.7 dribbles and 1.2 key passes per Premier League game this season is evidence of just what a potent attacking threat the Senegal international is. With ten goals and one assist already under his belt so far this season, the 26-year-old will be keen to add to his tally on Monday.

Both Anderson and Mane can win games for their teams, but Mane’s teammates may be better equipped to playing him into goalscoring positions on a regular basis, which could make all the difference. 

Ref in Focus – Kevin Friend 

Kevin Friend’s influence on this match could go a long way towards determining its result. Out of the 18 officials to have taken charge of a Premier League game this season before the weekend, none had average more penalty awards per game that Friend’s figure of 0.5. Should either side on Monday give him any reason to point to the spot, then Friend is unlikely to hesitate.

What’s more, out of the 18, the 47-year-old ranked in the top five in terms of fouls per game, fouls per tackle and yellow cards per game, averaging 22.25, 0.66 and 3.63, respectively. 

This could lead to a rather disjointed game, with plenty of set-pieces, which is likely to suit the home side more than Klopp’s free-flowing outfit.

Team News

The Hammers have a huge injury list, with talented stars such as Jack Wilshere, Manuel Lanzini and Andriy Yarmolenko certain not to be available for Monday’s game. What’s more, plenty of Pellegrini’s alternative options may not be fully fit either, such as Samir Nasri and Lucas Perez.

Arnautovic may be fit to lead the line for the home side, whilst club captain Mark Noble and talented teenager Declan Rice will almost certainly be tasked with anchoring the midfield. 

The Reds ought to look to test Noble’s mobility and the likely presence of Angelo Ogbonna and Pablo Zabaleta’s ageing legs in the Hammers’ defence ought to encourage Liverpool’s pacy, dynamic attackers.

Liverpool aren’t without defensive losses of their own though. The absences of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez ought to mean that James Milner, returning from suspension, slots in at right-back. What’s more, without Dejan Lovren available for selection, Joel Matip will likely deputise, which immediately makes the Reds’ rearguard a less solid unit.

Having sat out the disappointing draw against Leicester, Klopp will likely reintroduce Fabinho into the middle of the park, to ensure that the Reds don’t lose the physical battle to Noble and Rice. Overall then, that’s two changes from the side that drew with the Foxes last time out. 

Joao Felix should be seriously interesting Liverpool in the summer transfer window

Liverpool announced world-record profits in their yearly-financial reports highlighting the club’s success off the field.

The Reds announced a profit of £106m – increased from £40m – with turnover increasing by £90m for the last financial year. Liverpool’s run to the Champions League final earnt them an estimated £72m while the £142m sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona also boosted their accounts. Despite their lavish summer spending, Liverpool have now leapfrogged Arsenal to third in the Premier League revenue standings.

Their excellent performance off the field should mean Jurgen Klopp will be backed with another transfer war chest when the transfer window reopens in the summer. If Liverpool manage to secure their first league title in 29 years, a bigger budget will be available.

One man Klopp should use his funds to sign is Benfica wonderkid – Joao Felix. Valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt, the 19-year-old has emerged as one of Europe’s hottest prospects after joining the club on a free transfer in 2015. Felix has enjoyed plenty of first-team football this season, attracting plenty of interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs – Liverpool should aim to be first in line for his signature.

The Portugal U21 international has netted eight goals and registered four assists for his team-mates in all competitions this season. Felix possesses blistering pace and close control which makes him a nightmare for defenders to deal with. The youngster would help replace the magic lost in Coutinho’s departure and add another dimension to the Liverpool forward line.

Felix has the potential to be one of the world’s top playmakers and would thrive under Klopp’s management on Merseyside. He could prove to the final piece of the puzzle for the Reds.

Liverpool fans, thoughts?

The scene is set for Steven Gerrard to win his first league title

Brendan Rodgers’ departure for Leicester City’s rattled Celtic’s comfortable season, as they’ve been left hanging heading into the Scottish Premiership finale.

While former boss Neil Lennon’s been reappointed to steady the ship, Rangers could be the biggest beneficiary from Rodgers’ untimely move.

With eight games still left, Rangers are quite far off their rivals, being eight points adrift of the top spot. That being said, the departure of such an influential manager’s certain to have an adverse effect on the players. They’ll now have to change their style to suit Lennon’s philosophy and this awkward change could affect key results ahead.

The Bhoys’ next fixtures include a tricky trip to Heart of Midlothian and against Aberdeen. If they’re to drop points in those games, Rangers could climb back to turn up the heat behind them. The Old firm derby’s scheduled to take place at the end of March, and the last time Rangers defeated the Celts at Celtic Park was way back in 2010.

However, The Gers are a rejuvenated unit under Steven Gerrard, who has instilled heart and soul into their gameplay, which allowed them to stun Celtic earlier this season. If Neil Lennon doesn’t get up and running quickly, the pressure could end up crumbling Celtic’s comfortable momentum.

The chances might be low, but Rangers will be eying the title after this untimely roadblock in Celtic’s campaign. The Gers need to win all their games themselves and hope Celtic slip-up, allowing them to create history under Gerrard.

It’s a season-defining week for Arsenal

Unai Emery would’ve been proud of the performance Arsenal delivered on Saturday in the north London derby, but will eager to see his side string some consistency together this week as the Gunners face Rennes in the Europa League on Thursday before hosting Manchester United at the Emirates on Sunday.

In what could be seen as the make-or-break week for Arsenal, in terms of their top four chances, the manager and his players will be confident after what was a highly successful couple of days last week, picking up wins over Southampton and Bournemouth before earning a point at their rivals.

Arsenal will now need to keep their focus and get positive results against both the French outfit and United. The Red Devils currently sit a point above Arsenal following their win over Southampton this past weekend, while a solid shift in the first-leg against Rennes will also be a high priority for Emery.

The North London club has shown since the start of the year that they have a lot more composure and consistency, compared to recent campaigns, and the club’s fans have really increased their belief that they could be playing in the Champions League again next season.

Rotation will also be important in these two matches and Emery will have to be careful that his squad doesn’t suffer any unnecessary injury setbacks for the final few months of the season.

Given the fact that United are the final top six club the Gunners still have to face, Emery will be eager to get the best out of his players to pick up a victory over them, whereas United though, still have to face Chelsea and Manchester City before the season concludes.

This sets the perfect opportunity for Emery and his group of players to really show to the rest of the league that they have made massive strides to improve the club’s position as one of the powerhouses in English football again and give the fans a real reason to be optimistic about the club’s future.

West Ham fans think Arnautovic wasn’t trying vs Crystal Palace

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West Ham drew 1-1 with Crystal Palace on Saturday despite being utterly dominated for the entire second half, and fans are not happy with Marko Arnautovic’s contribution.

After a solid performance against Liverpool on Monday night, it was absolutely written in the stars that the Hammers would underwhelm on Saturday.

The only thing Manuel Pellegrini’s side is consistent at is being inconsistent, and they showed this even within the 90 minutes of the clash at Selhurst Park.

Look away Arsenal fans! American Soccer Fan is back to troll more fans at the London Stadium in the video below…

The Hammers deservedly went in front after Mark Noble slotted in from the penalty spot before half time, but the second period was like a completely different game.

Palace racked up 25 shots, finally levelling the scores with 15 minutes to spare when Wilfried Zaha’s deflected strike found its way past Lukasz Fabianski, who was superb again.

Arnautovic was introduced with over 20 minutes remaining with the score still at 1-0, but the Austrian international quite simply didn’t look bothered.

He touched the ball just eight times, one less than Pablo Zabaleta, who did not come on until the 83rd minute.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where the fan favourite is quickly becoming a very unpopular figure indeed…

Tottenham eyeing £35.3m summer move for Suso

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Tottenham are one of a number of teams linked with a summer move for ex-Liverpool starlet Suso, but would the Spaniard be a good fit in north London?

What’s the word?

According to Corriere dello Sport, Tottenham and Arsenal are both interested in signing Suso.

The 25 year-old attacker has transformed his career since leaving Liverpool, and has racked up 21 goals and 34 assists in 121 games for Milan.

He is in contract with the San Siro club until 2022, but the report from Corriere dello Sport claims that he has a €40m (about £35.3m) release clause.

Milan are keen to hold on to the crafty playmaker, and the report claims the player himself is happy where he is, but could he be tempted to replicate the career path of Mohamed Salah?

Something to prove

Of course, Salah and Suso are nothing alike in terms of their style of play, barring the fact that they are both left-footed attacking players.

While Salah’s game is based around speed, intelligent movement and pure ruthlessness in front of goal, Suso’s game is centred on craft, guile and vision.

Still, he has followed the Salah path so far, struggling at a big Premier League club (he scored just once in 21 Liverpool games) before moving to Italy, where his end product has skyrocketed.

Like Salah, the four-cap Spanish international was too lightweight during his first stay in England, but the intensity, physicality and tactical genius on show in Serie A has helped him develop into a complete winger.

Suso can just as easily beat his man and cross with his right foot as he can come inside and shoot with his left, and he has the work rate and versatility to function in a Mauricio Pochettino side.

The AC Milan ace may not have quite the same impact Salah has had at Liverpool – the Egyptian has scored a ridiculous 64 goals in 86 appearances, undoubtedly one of the Premier League’s greatest ever signings – but around £35m for a supremely gifted player with the desire to keep improving could be an absolute snip for Spurs this summer.

نجم برشلونة الشاب يحصل على مكان في الفريق الأول

ذكرت تقارير صحفية إسبانية، أن نادي برشلونة سيمنح لاعبه الشاب رقمًا في الفريق الأول.

بيدري جونزاليس، صاحب الـ18 عامًا سيحصل على مكان في الفريق الأول، كما  سيرتدي القميص رقم 16 هذا الموسم.

اقرأ أيضًا.. إيمري: فياريال ليس مرشحًا للفوز أمام برشلونة

وقالت صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية، إن بيدري لم يعد لاعبًا بصفوف الفريق الرديف، وأن النادي الكتالوني سيعلن ذلك خلال الساعات القليلة المقبلة.

وسيكون بيدري، ضمن خيارات رونالد كومان، المدير الفني للبارسا أمام فياريال خلال مواجهة الأحد المقبل.

يذكر أن برشلونة تجاهل عديد العروض التي وصلت إلى بيدري هذا الصيف، كما أن كومان يشعر بالرضا عن لاعب لاس بالماس السابق.

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