All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

A number of Liverpool supporters have been bemoaning the Reds’ new kit, with resounding negativity the order of the day on social media.

Jurgen Klopp’s side picked up a huge win on Wednesday night, making the awkward trip to Burnley and coming away with a 3-0 victory.

Roberto Firmino opened the scoring, burying a finish after numerous other chances had come and gone, before the excellent Nathaniel Phillips made it 2-0 in the second half.

[freshpress-quiz id=“355458″]

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain completed the win late in the day, as Liverpool jumped to fourth in the Premier League table with one game to play.

Away from on-pitch matters, the Reds have unveiled their official home kit for the 2021/22 season, with fans no doubt initially excited to see what their heroes will be wearing next year.

It’s fair to say that the new strip hasn’t been received well on the whole, however, with many admitting they are not admirers of it after the club released images on their official Twitter account.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/the-latest-liverpool-transfer-news/” title=”The latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

Liverpool fans loathe new Reds kit

These Liverpool supporters took to Twitter to provide their thoughts on the kit, which has an orange lining around the neck and sleeves.

“That’s probably our worst home kit ever. Maybe just about being saved by the Warrior ones”

Credit: @BackseatsmanLFC

“Genuinely shocking. Yeah I’m an adult I’m not meant to like football kits or something but Holy god it’s so so bad”

Credit: @KevDublin

“The orange sleeves are a disgrace”

Credit: @_Tom_Cross

“When did we turn into Roma?”

Credit: @Divinalves

“This thing reeks”

Credit: @the_goat12

“Let down by this kit, that orange doesn’t belong there and the lines on the kit look ugly. 5/10”

Credit: @noplasticinsea

In other news, some Liverpool fans love a gesture that one legendary figure made to a current Reds hero. Read more here.

Speaking to the press, Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte has confirmed an injury blow for yet another player in Dane Scarlett, with Giovani Lo Celso and Cristian Romero also ruled out.

The Lowdown: Spurs players sidelined…

Pulling up on international duty with Argentina just before Tottenham’s return to Premier League action, the Lilywhites were dealt a heavy blow when summer signing Romero became sidelined.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-developments-2/” title=”Spurs developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Commenting on the injury yesterday, the Spurs boss also claimed that the 2020/21 Serie A MVP award winner’s injury is ‘serious’ and has no official timeframe on when he could return.

Meanwhile, the defender’s compatriot Lo Celso is also sidelined, but Conte believes the midfielder’s problem is less serious than Romero’s.

In that update, the 52-year-old also shared news on an injury blow for another Spurs player in Scarlett.

The Latest: Scarlett injury blow confirmed…

Speaking to the press (via football.london), Conte says that Tottenham’s talented teenager is ‘injured’ along with the South American duo, citing an ankle problem. He explained:

“Scarlett at this moment is not available. During the international break he had a problem with his ankle and now he’s not available. He’s injured, in the same way like Cristian Romero and Giovani Lo Celso. But we’re talking about a young player with great talent and for sure I can’t wait to work with him and to know him much better.”

The Verdict: Untimely setback for Scarlett…

As the 17-year-old continues his development, this injury will come as a setback at the wrong time given that the Europa Conference League is a perfect opportunity for more minutes.

Scarlett has started two of their Group G games so far and, if he weren’t sidelined, Conte may well have handed him the nod again tonight against a Mura side who are bottom of the group with zero points.

Lauded as a ‘diamond’ by former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho, it is no secret that the teenager is a young talent who’s exciting many at Tottenham.

Conte will not only be tasked with ushering in a new era of success in north London, but also having responsibility for making sure that Spurs can continue to nurture such bright players.

In other news: ‘Coming from Tottenham’…Journalist makes exciting transfer claim with big offer on the table, find out more here.

It’s not about talent, or natural ability. Becoming a professional footballer is all about how hard you work and the choices that you make during your career. It’s also about who you know! If there are people in your life with connections – like coaches, scouts, agents- then use them to get ahead of the competition. Because it takes more than just skill to become a professional football player these days; it takes drive and determination too!

What qualifications do you need to be a professional footballer?

To play professionally, the most important qualification is that you’re good enough. All players who want to earn money from football can’t be considered for playing in any league or team without meeting all the requirements set out by the individual teams. That means an ability to read and write English well, as well as being able to speak comfortably on behalf of yourself and your teammates. 

The rules vary among countries but they usually involve having no criminal record either in England or abroad, no history of drug or casino abuse (such as no deposit free spins) and medical certificates confirming that there are no conditions preventing you from working.

What are the chances of becoming a professional football player?

Your chances of becoming a professional footballer depend on many different factors. Where you live, the team that you play for, and if you have any sort of connection to a coach or scout all have an effect on your chances. At the end of the day, it is up to you to put in the hard work and dedication necessary to become a professional footballer.

Top tips for becoming a professional footballer Be willing to relocate for the right opportunity: Moving to a new town or country can be difficult, but it is sometimes necessary to give yourself the best possible chance of success. Get as much experience as you can: The more matches and training sessions you play in then the better your chance of being noticed by scouts and coaches. Play well with others: Competition for places is tough at professional clubs so if you want to get noticed than demonstrating your ability and willingness to work hard for your teammates is important too. Learn English: With so many foreign players in the Premier League, it’s crucial that young players understand English so they can speak confidently with their coaches and teammates. Have a back-up plan: All footballers get injured sometimes; if you’re lucky, it will be a minor injury and you’ll only miss a few games. But what about times when injuries can end your career? If that happens then having a solid education could save you from financial hardship in the future. Take up an active hobby: Given how much time football players spend on the field practicing, clubs prefer to sign those who have healthy interests such as horse riding or outdoor sports to help them recover from injury and maintain good mental health. Be coachable: When young players reach professional level, they often find themselves working under managers and coaches with decades of experience playing the game at the highest level. Sometimes younger players don’t feel confident in challenging a coach or manager’s decisions during a match. However, if you demonstrate faith in your colleagues and authority figures then they’ll be more likely to take you seriously on the pitch too. Develop good personal habits: Eating well, getting enough sleep each night and keeping healthy are all important factors in ensuring that players stay motivated and achieve their best performance levels on the football pitch. If you’re not taking care of yourself properly then it will be harder for coaches to trust you with a place in the team. Watch matches closely: Sometimes when watching a football match it can be easy to get caught up in what is happening elsewhere on the field rather than concentrating on your own role within the game. Keeping an eye on what other players are doing lets you learn from their good and bad play. Don’t give up: If you truly want to become a professional footballer then make sure that nothing gets in the way of achieving your dreams. Bad luck, injuries and lack of opportunities can all put talented players off going for their dream, but if that’s what you really want then persistence is key! Moving to a new town or country can be difficult, but it is sometimes necessary to give yourself the best possible chance of success.

The more matches and training sessions you play in then the better your chance of being noticed by scouts and coaches.

Having faith in your colleagues and authority figures then they’ll be more likely to take you seriously on the pitch too.

If you truly want to become a professional footballer then make sure that nothing gets in the way of achieving your dreams.

Conclusion

It’s not impossible to become a professional football player, but it is difficult. You need to be willing and able to relocate in order for your skillset to reach its full potential. It will also take time, effort, and dedication on your part.

A number of Liverpool supporters are fuming after James Pearce claimed the Reds are unlikely to sign anyone in the January transfer window.

Jurgen Klopp had a quiet time of things in the summer, with Ibrahima Konate the only player coming in and the likes of Gini Wijnaldum and Xherdan Shaqiri leaving the club.

There may be the need for January reinforcements to come in, though, especially with Naby Keita, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane departing to the Africa Cup of Nations.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375258″]

Next month could be a pivotal one in Liverpool’s season and whether or not they do any transfer business may end up proving key to their success.

According to The Athletic‘s Pearce [via Anfield Watch on Twitter], however, the Reds are unlikely to make any new signings in January, ‘barring an injury crisis or a change of heart’.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-15/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

Liverpool fans fume at James Pearce claim

It isn’t an update that has gone down well with some Liverpool fans on Twitter, with these supporters providing their thoughts.

“Tell us something we DON’T know James”

Credit: @andrefening

“Seriously, I love klopp and wouldn’t change him for any other manager but he cannot moan about congestion fixtures and then not sign any players”

Credit: @braham_shay

“Sorry can’t do this”

Credit: @StartJoeGomez

“Is this ever going to end?”

Credit: @jono1018

“Wow, what a shock. Come early Feb we will be linked with players again….. At least it wont be Sancho again lol”

Credit: @jayellcee7791

“The article on February 1st… ‘Liverpool are gearing up for a very expensive summer where they look to spend £200m+’…. The article on September 1st… ‘The new Anny Road development has gone over budget that’s why reinforcements could not be bought in!'”

Credit: @sjlfc2005

In other news, some Liverpool fans have flocked to an exciting transfer update. Read more here.

Leicester City booked their first FA Cup semi-final place with a stunning 3-1 victory against Manchester United on Sunday evening.

Kelechi Iheanacho scored twice, with Youri Tielemans getting the other as the Foxes scythed through the Red Devils despite Mason Greenwood’s first-half equaliser at the King Power Stadium.

The Nigerian striker followed up his hat-trick against Sheffield United with another all-action showing, inspiring Brendan Rodgers’ men through to the last-four where they will now meet Southampton at Wembley Stadium.

Iheanacho was a threat to the Red Devils from the off, with his constant pressing a thorn in the side of the visitors.

That paid dividends midway through the first-half as he picked off a poor Fred backpass to round Dean Henderson and score with a low finish.

He then doubled his afternoon’s work with a well-guided header from Marc Albrighton’s free-kick to take his goal count to 12 for the season and a remarkable nine since early February in all competitions.

Iheanacho’s excellent performance did not just end with his goals however.

According to WhoScored, he had two shots on target, both of them finding the net, whilst also producing a dribble and drawing as many as three fouls – more than any player on either side.

His creativity was also eye-catching as well, contributing a further three key passes, with just Marc Albrighton contributing more than the former Manchester City man.

Whilst he was a threat to the Red Devils throughout the 90 minutes in an attacking sense, Iheanacho also contributed defensively, too.

He racked-up two tackles and two interceptions in what ended up to be an energy sapping 90 minutes.

Considering his performances in recent weeks, including his performance against Manchester United, Iheanacho is certainly earning his £60k per-week wages.

AND in more news, take a look at which Foxes’ star’s comments have reaffirmed his commitment to the Foxes…

Glasgow Rangers defender Leon Balogun has slammed UEFA and FIFA amid the racism row involving Glen Kamara.

Balogun slams governing bodies

During the Gers’ 2-0 defeat to Slavia Prague at Ibrox in their Europa League round of 16 second leg, Kamara was the subject of alleged racist abuse from Ondrej Kudela.

Slavia have moved to deny those allegations (slavia.cz), while Kamara has released a statement backing up his claim. Speaking to German publication Kicker, Balogun has slammed the governing bodies’ lack of action, as he said:

“What is missing: That UEFA or FIFA will take action. I am no longer interested in these wretched campaigns. That is all well and good, but the campaign content must also be lived authentically and must not remain just empty words. Designing captain’s armbands with the label “No Racism” is of no use if racist incidents are not punished again in the end. I have the feeling that “People of Color” are used to promote the supposedly cosmopolitan and inclusive values ​​of the FIFA and UEFA brands. But when it is precisely these players that are attacked, far too often people are silent. I would like the expensive campaigns to be followed by action.”

Hard to disagree

It is hard to disagree with Balogun – it feels as though there is a distinct lack of desire from both UEFA and FIFA to make real strides in the battle against racism. Incredibly, the £80,000 fine Nicklas Bendtner received for showing Paddy Power on his boxer shorts at Euro 2012 was higher than all but one punishment dished out by UEFA for racism offences in the previous decade (inews.co.uk).

While campaigns such as Say No to Racism and even kneeling as part of the Black Lives Matters movement might raise a certain amount of awareness to the cause, it is nowhere near enough to eradicate this issue. UEFA and FIFA must both do more in this fight rather than hoping the problem goes away.

In other news, Rangers eye this defender as Filip Helander is linked with a move away from Ibrox.

Wolves are reportedly interested in a move for Stade de Reims forward Hugo Ekitke, according to The Telegraph. 

The lowdown: Rising stock

The 19-year-old spent the second half of the 2020/21 season on loan at Danish side Vejle BK, scoring three times and registering two assists in 11 outings before returning to France.

Since then, the speedy frontman has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in Ligue 1 and has been linked with a move to a host of Premier League clubs, including the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/all-the-latest-from-wolves-4/” title=”All the latest from Wolves!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Newcastle United were believed to be close to landing Ekitike in January but the move failed to materialise and now the Wanderers could be about to throw their name into the mix ahead of the summer window…

The latest: The Telegraph makes claim

As per the report from journalist for The Telegraph, John Percy, Wolves are the latest club to ‘show interest’ in the teenage sensation.

It’s claimed that officials from Molineux have been ‘scouting’ the France Under 20 international whose running style has been likened to that of compatriot and Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe.

The report states that Wolves will face ‘serious competition’ for the two-cap youth international in the summer as Bruno Lage attempts to bolster the attacking options at his disposal in the Midlands.

The verdict: An exciting prospect

Described as ‘very special’ by manager Oscar Garcia, Ekitike has scored ten and provided another four assists in 24 appearances across all competitions this season playing as both a centre-forward and a left-winger, with transfer insider Graeme Bailey even reporting that many in France believe he is the ‘next Mbappe’ and would be a ‘huge signing’ in the Premier League.

Per FBref, the young Frenchman is actually a close match to Wolves star Raul Jimenez stylistically and it’s no surprise that Lage would look towards the ace to arrive as an understudy.

Standing at 6 foot 2, Ekitike possesses the necessary physical attributes to handle the rigours of the Premier League, something that until now Fabio Silva has struggled to cope with, and can therefore be considered as a realistic target to add to the ranks this summer.

In other news, Wolves are reportedly eyeing up a move for an exciting player. Find out who it is here.

He’s eligible to make his Crystal Palace debut on Saturday, which will be music to the ears of Roy Hodgson heading into Saturday’s Premier League clash with Wolves.

Visa issues have kept Jean-Philippe Mateta waiting for a highly-anticipated Premier League debut, but he may now get the chance to show what he can do after Hodgson confirmed he will be available for selection.

“He’ll train with us on Thursday and Friday,” Hodgson said. “He now has his visa which was a slight problem we needed to sort out but he now has that. He will certainly be in the squad for Saturday and I’ll make a decision whether he starts or not.”

The target man, 23, has scored 10 goals in 17 games in all competitions this season, including seven in the Bundesliga and a hat-trick against Freiburg in November.

Hodgson could not hide his delight at the opportunity to work with Mateta, saying: “we’re very pleased to have him here, we’ve chased him for a period of time and luckily the club have been able to strike a deal with Mainz and we have him now for the next 18 months on loan at least, which is fantastic.”

The loan signing, therefore, must come straight into the starting line-up on Saturday as he could be the man to hit Wolves where it hurts the most.

On the Chalkboard

Nuno Espirito Santo’s men just haven’t looked the same without Raul Jimenez as they find themselves in 14th place, level with Palace on 23 points apiece, albeit with a game in-hand over Hodgson’s side.

The Eagles can climb above them with a victory and Mateta could prove he can be Palace’s main man by helping them pick up all three points.

You only have to look at the numbers to understand why Steve Parish parted ways with £2.5m for his signature – seven goals in 15 top-flight appearances, taking his total goal contributions for the season to eleven if you count the solitary assist as well, as per Transfermarkt.

He’s already bettered his slight tally of three goals from last season and racked up nearly the same amount of minutes.

Whilst Michy Batshuayi recently ended his goal drought stretching back to Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Ajax in the Champions League two years ago, it was a case of far too little, too late from the Belgian striker, who has been nothing short of disappointing since he returned to Selhurst Park from Stamford Bridge.

With Palace’s lack of an effective frontman upfront, Mateta should be deployed as the lone striker as he has shown he can hold up play and bring others into the game. On average, he wins 1.8 aerial duels and 1.7 ground duels per game, winning 3.5 duels overall, which is at least double that of Batshuayi (1.3), per SofaScore.

In layman’s terms, this means that he is both good in the air and good with the ball at his feet, whilst he add a natural goal threat through the middle of the pitch, as he takes 1.9 shots per game, via WhoScored. For context, this would place him third on the leaderboard topped by a certain Wilfried Zaha himself.

It’s this kind of work rate that could make the £9m-rated ace such a valuable asset for Hodgson’s side, given their struggles in front of goal this season.

Zaha has worked very hard, with nine goals in 18 games, but he can’t be expected to shoulder the burden by himself. Even he could benefit from playing alongside a striker like Mateta as part of a front two, as the pair could combine to cause Wolves all sorts of problems at the back.

There’s no doubting the fact that Mateta, who is still unproven in the Premier League, should be one of the first names on the team sheet.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace can sign their next Scott Dann in Stoke City’s Nathan Collins…

Many Glasgow Rangers fans are livid with comments from politician James Dornan as the fall-out following their Premiership title celebrations continues.

This campaign has been one many Gers fans will never forget. They picked up their first top-flight title in 10 years, and they even went the entire campaign in the Premiership unbeaten (BBC). In fact, they only suffered three defeats across the whole season, one of which was on penalties (Transfermarkt).

Following the 4-0 defeat of Aberdeen on the final day of the season, throngs of Rangers supporters took to the streets of Glasgow to celebrate the team being given the trophy. There was some trouble in George Square – 20 arrests were made (firstpost.com) – but the celebrations were generally peaceful.

There have been plenty of discussion regarding sectarian chanting, with Rangers players and fans accused of singing anti-Catholic songs – there has been no proof of either charge as of yet.. However, football commentator Derek Clark @derekclarksport has put together two tweets from SNP politician Dornan, who appears to have indirectly shown double standards.

Dornan’s tweets were shared by Clark on Twitter and they attracted plenty of attention from Gers supporters. These took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the matter.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Dornan below

“See for all this talk about the constant singing of anti-Catholic and anti-Irish songs from a week past Saturday I’ve still not seen any videos of it. Surely with the amount of people there a video of it would have surfaced somewhere?”

Credit: @RyanKerr_1

“What a shocker @glasgowcathcart still pontificating while remaining silent on the apology front he said he would do himself.”

Credit: @GBryson86

“The double Standards”

Credit: @ayeready1872

@glasgowcathcart thinks it’s OK to have a hatred towards people from the UK, but not OK if that hatred is directed towards Irish. Normal people call out hatred wherever it’s directed.

Credit: @NoColoursLaddie

“This however, is exactly why people like @glasgowcathcart have zero credibility. They believe they and only they, get to decide what is and isn’t acceptable. Condemn others, but when they vent their anti-UK bigotry and hate, they should be allowed to do so with complete impunity.”

Credit: @wavydot

“He’s lost it”

Credit: @declanlally

In other news, these European giants are interested in signing Joe Aribo.

Charlton must swoop for Norwich centre-back Akin Famewo after Norwich’s loan manager, Neil Adams, admitted that the defender is likely to go back out on loan next season.

What’s the talk?

Adams has opened the door to the “strong” defender Famewo leaving Carrow Road on a temporary basis again next season. The former Luton man spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan to Charlton in League One.

Adams has said that the ultimate goal for Famewo is to be part of their first-team squad, but that it will not happen right away and he needs to have a pathway to reach his target.

He told Norwich’s official website:

“It is different, because when you are sending players on loan what is the ultimate, what is the target, what is the goal? As I said before, it is to come back and play for us but sometimes that needs to be done in stages.

“The goal for Akin was to go and get games under his belt, to go and prove himself at League One level and impress at a good club, a really big club, in Charlton Athletic. He has had a fantastic loan there. He was excellent. He kept six clean sheets in the first seven games, and six clean sheets on the spin, which is pretty much unheard of at any level.

“He was part of that back four and the goalkeeper who did that, along with the team to give Charlton credit. We have seen all his games and he has done really well. He has shown his attributes, that we know he has got. He is strong, he is quick, he can defend, and he can play on the ball.

“He was hampered by one or two injuries, which was a bit of a shame, because it disrupted his flow and frustrated him, but I think overall he went and showed what a good defender he is and, obviously, he has ticked that box and now it is on to next season and what decision and what pathway he has now.”

Fans would love it

Famewo made an instant impact upon his arrival at Charlton at the start of the season, helping to keep six clean sheets in his first seven starts. Charlton kept shutouts against Sunderland, Portsmouth and Oxford during that run of games, with the 22-year-old playing all bar 16 minutes of the six matches. In total, Charlton kept clean sheets in 10 of the 20 League One game Famewo started, whilst Nigel Adkins’ side only kept seven clean sheets in the 26 games Famewo either missed or began on the bench.

Of all the Charlton defenders to start 15 or more League One games, Famewo averaged the highest WhoScored rating in the squad. Famewo averaged a score of 6.96 in 22 games, 7.04 in 20 starts, with Jake Forster-Caskey and Jayden Stockley the only players – out of every position – to manage better than that over the course of the season. Famewo was a dominant defender for Charlton, winning four aerial battles and making one block per game in League One to go along with his 4.5 clearances per game.

Famewo did struggle with injuries during his spell with Adkins’ team. The Norwich defender suffered a hamstring injury in November before missing two months of the campaign with an ankle injury during the festive period. This caused Famewo’s season to stutter and the defender was unable to play the majority of Charlton’s league matches because of it.

Bringing him back to the club for a second season could give him the chance to stay fit for the entire year and play the regular matches that Adams admits Norwich want for him.

Furthermore, Charlton fans should be happy if the club can get a deal done as not only will their team be getting a quality player, but supporters will be given the opportunity to enjoy his impressive defending in person with crowds permitted at matches next season.

AND in other news, Les Reed is delighted to see this key man thriving at Charlton…