دافع زكي عبد الفتاح مدرب حراس مرمى منتخب مصر الأسبق، عن الانتقادات التي وجهت إلى محمد صلاح قائد الفراعنة بسبب السفر إلى إنجلترا للعلاج بعد إصابته في مباراة غانا بـ كأس أمم إفريقيا.
وقال زكي عبد الفتاح في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة اون تايم سبورتس: “الشناوي أفضل حارس مرمى في مصر، ومن بعده على بُعد مسافة كبيرة، لكن هناك 6 أهداف دخلوا مرماه منهم 5 كان من الممكن أن يتصدى لهم”.
وتابع: “الشناوي كان يتصدى لكرات مع الأهلي تتسبب في تحول المباراة، هذا لم يفعله في البطولة، 7 اختبارات دخل منهم 6 أهداف”.
وأردف: “اللاعبون في مصر يفهمون الوطنية خطأ، لو مُصاب يتغاضى ويقول أريد أن ألعب، هذه ليست وطنية بل أنانية، هذه جريمة في حق النادي والبلد، تعاملت مع الحضري وقلت له هذه ليست وطنية بل أنانية”.
وأكمل: “كل الهجوم على صلاح ليس له داعي، لا أحد يهمه أن يحصد بطولة مع المنتخب أكثر منه، ممكن يستغنى عن كل البطولات التي حصل عليها مع ليفربول مُقابل أمم إفريقيا”.
طالع | ميدو: كرة القدم المصرية تحتاج إلى ثورة.. وإقالة المدرب واتحاد الكرة ليست حلًا
وأوضح: “المفروض هناك ترتيب لتسديد ركلات الترجيح، أبو جبل قرر يُسدد عندما وجد مهند لاشين لا يريد أن يُسدد، الاختيارات خطأ من البداية، حتى في حراسة المرمى، اختيار أحمد الشناوي المصاب ومحمد صبحي الذي لا يُشارك مع الزمالك”.
واستطرد عبد الفتاح: “محمد الشناوي إصابته ستستغرق أكثر من 3 أشهر، وليس كما أعلن، تتذكرون إن أحمد شوبير اعتزل بسبب نفس الإصابة”.
وواصل: “مصطفى شوبير لو كان خرج إعارة كان ذلك سيمثل فارق معه، كان يجب أن يكون في رؤية له وأن يخرج للإعارة لأن في الموقف الحالي كان سيكون جاهزًا، لكني أرى الآن أن يُشارك مصطفى شوبير بدلًا من الشناوي، ولا يتعاقد الأهلي مع حارس أخر، وعلي لطفي يعود بديلًا”.
وبسؤاله من الأنسب لقيادة منتخب مصر حال رحيل فيتوريا؟، أجاب: “أرى في الإعلام إن كيروش يعرف طريقتنا، أو كولر، أسهل شيء المدرب الذي يلعب على الهجمة المرتدة، نحن عندنا طلعت يوسف أفضل من كيروش وهناك طارق العشري”.
وأتم: “أرى أن المدرب المناسب الآن مدرب مصر، وأرى الآن الموجود على الساحة وعنده فكر هو أيمن الرمادي، لو تريدون أن نلعب بشكل دفاعي ممكن طلعت يوسف أو طارق العشري”.
Celtic return to action in the Scottish Premiership this afternoon as they travel away from home to face Glasgow Rangers at Ibrox as confirmed champions.
The Hoops are 13 points clear of their rivals in the table and have the chance to extend the gap to a staggering 16 points with three matches left to play.
Ange Postecoglou's side secured the league title last week with a 2-0 win against Hearts and could use these last four games to rotate his side with a view to making decisions on what he wants to do with the squad in the summer transfer window.
How will Celtic line up against Rangers?
The Australian head coach could make three changes to the XI that started against Hearts last time out, with one in midfield and two in attack.
However, the defence could remain the same with Joe Hart between the sticks and a back four of; Anthony Ralston, Carl Starfelt, Yuki Kobayashi, and Greg Taylor.
Cameron Carter-Vickers has been ruled out for the remainder of this season with a knee injury and this has opened the door for January signing Kobayashi to showcase his quality on a regular basis.
Celtic midfielder Aaron Mooy.
In midfield, Aaron Mooy could be brought in to replace Matt O'Riley next to Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate. The 32-year-old has registered four goals and ten assists in 13 Premiership starts this season and the boss could give him an opportunity to add to his tallies against the Light Blues this afternoon.
On the wing, Daizen Maeda could make way for Liel Abada.
The Japan international has one goal in his last seven appearances and the latter has two goals and one assist in the same time, despite only starting once, which could lead to the £15k-per-week "revelation" – as he was dubbed by Alan Hutton – taking the 25-year-old's place this afternoon.
Finally, Kyogo Furuhashi came off with a knock against Hearts and Postecoglou could rest the club's star striker by offering Oh Hyeon-gyu a rare start after his goal off the bench last time out.
Oh has only started once of his 12 Premiership appearances and managed to plunder three goals for the club since arriving on a permanent deal in January and could be given a huge chance to impress whilst leading the line against Rangers today with Abada and Jota either side of him.
BBC host Mark Schwarzer has noted the "very poor" play from Tomas Soucek had West Ham United's rivals "hugging and kissing" on the sidelines.
What's the latest on Tomas Soucek and West Ham?
The Hammers travelled away from home for the Saturday lunchtime event in the Premier League as they took on Crystal Palace.
A few weeks ago, this looked like it could be a vital clash in terms of the current relegation battle but with both sides picking up form, it didn't feel quite so important ahead of kick-off.
Even so, both sets of players seemed to be really up for it as five goals in the first half made for a thrilling opening 45 minutes.
Soucek actually opened the scoring but two goals in quick succession saw the Eagles fight back to lead 2-1. Just ten minutes later, the Czech midfielder was involved again – this time for all the wrong reasons.
Indeed, he dallied on the ball and was robbed by Jeffrey Schlupp, who then raced away from the £65k-per-week man and then finished coolly to make it 3-1.
This terrible bit of play from the West Ham midfielder must have left David Moyes infuriated, but it seems the Palace coaches couldn't believe their luck.
Indeed, when talking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Schwarzer noted that Roy Hodgson's assistants Ray Lewington and Dean Kiely were "jumping up and down" in delight.
He said (via BBC Sport): "Very poor from Tomas Soucek. I was watching the Crystal Palace bench after that goal. Ray Lewington was jumping up and down. He and Dean Kiely were hugging and kissing!"
Will West Ham sell Soucek?
Interestingly enough, there were reports this week about how Soucek had been due to have contract talks earlier this season but they'd been put off until the summer.
This could suggest that West Ham and Moyes aren't necessarily keen on keeping the 28-year-old around for much longer – although he has played regularly this term, with over 40 outings across all competitions.
Tomas Soucek
If he is playing for his future, however, this "poor" incident was hardly the best display of his talents. In fairness to Soucek, he had already scored, and just five minutes later, he managed to provide an assist as Michail Antonio's made it 3-2 before half-time.
Even so, if you do something so bad it literally has the opponents "hugging and kissing", it's safe to say you've probably left your own manager absolutely furious.
Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy is seemingly continuing his bid to find a suitable successor to current boss, Antonio Conte, with the Italian coach looking set for an imminent exit from N17 following what has been a disappointing campaign thus far for the north London outfit.
Recent weeks, in particular, have soured the mood at the club after the Lilywhites were dumped out of the FA Cup and Champions League in limp fashion, with that ill feeling then exacerbated following the former Chelsea man's explosive post-match comments after the late collapse away to Southampton last weekend.
Such woes have ensured that Levy and co are now plotting yet another managerial change amid what has been a turbulent last few years in the dugout, with the Premier League side looking for their fourth permanent appointment since the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino back in 2019.
The popular Argentine has been tipped for a return to his former club, although the 51-year-old is not the only potential candidate who could seemingly revitalise Tottenham's fortunes, according to The Telegraph, with Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou another figure who could well spark something of a resurgence in the capital.
The Greek-Aussie has undoubtedly worked wonders during his time at Parkhead to date, with the Hoops currently on course to claim a second successive league title amid what has been a rampant run of domestic form, with the Old Firm outfit having previously finished 25 points behind rivals Rangers in the season prior to Postecoglou's arrival in 2021.
That turnaround has been aided by the 57-year-old's "exceptional" recruitment record – according to former Bhoys skipper Scott Brown – while the former Yokohama Marinos boss has also earned plaudits for his "beautiful attacking football", as per BT Sport pundit, Owen Hargreaves.
Despite having been something of an unknown quantity prior to the move to Glasgow, the experienced asset is now rightfully catching the attention of clubs south of the border, with it set to be a notable coup if Levy could tempt the one-time Australia boss to make the switch in the near future.
Would Postecoglou be a good fit at Spurs?
If Postecoglou is to be snapped up any time soon, the highly-coveted coach could look to emulate the impact that another former Celtic man has enjoyed in the Premier League of late, with Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers having enjoyed a standout spell at the King Power Stadium in recent years.
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While the former Liverpool and Swansea City ace had previously coached in England's top flight prior to making the move to Scotland, the Northern Irishman certainly enhanced his reputation during his time in the Scottish Premiership, having won a plethora of major honours during his three-year spell – notably guiding his side to an unbeaten domestic campaign in 2016/17.
That remarkable hot streak unsurprisingly led to interest from afar, with Rodgers ultimately taking the somewhat controversial decision to move on from the historic club to join the Foxes midway through the 2018/19 season, in order to get started early in his new surroundings.
While that certainly damaged the Carnlough native's image back in Glasgow – even irking members of his own family in the process – that mid-season switch subsequently proved fruitful, with the one-time Watford boss using that extra time to settle to good effect as he went on to steer Leicester to fifth in his first full season at the club, before repeating that feat the following season.
Although the 50-year-old – who has also been linked with a move to Spurs – has come under pressure of late with the Midlands outfit currently battling to stave off relegation, the Foxes did claim a first-ever FA Cup triumph back in 2021, before also winning the Community Shield.
That success may well indicate that Rodgers has taken the winning mentality that he fostered at Celtic to his current post, with the hope being that Postecoglou could also mirror that journey if he is to link up with Levy and co any time soon.
The latter man may wish to wait until the summer before taking a decision on his future, although a repeat of Rodgers' mid-season move to England could also prove fruitful.
A number of Manchester United supporters have been reacting to the news that Harry Maguire will be suspended for the FA Cup semi-final against Brighton.
The Lowdown: Sunday chaos
Erik ten Hag’s side continued their long unbeaten record at Old Trafford following a dramatic quarter-final with Fulham on Sunday afternoon.
Aleksandar Mitrovic put the visitors in front in the second half before chaos ensued with 20 minutes to go. Jadon Sancho’s effort was blocked on the line by Willian, with referee Chris Kavanagh initially giving a corner. However, VAR advised the official to check the pitchside monitor, with Willian protesting and manager Marco Silva not happy. Silva was then shown a red card before Kavanagh awarded a penalty, with Willian also dismissed as well.
Mitrovic was also furious and pushed the referee’s arm, becoming the third visitor to be sent off. Bruno Fernandes equalised from the resulting spot kick before Marcel Sabitzer put United in front shortly after and Fernandes sealed a 3-1 win in stoppage time.
Ten Hag’s side will now take on Brighton at Wembley for a place in the final, but the United boss won’t have a full selection of players to choose from.
The Latest: Fans react to Maguire news
Maguire received a booking after just 21 minutes for a foul which meant that he would be suspended for the semi-final. United Report shared the news on Twitter during the game, where a number of supporters were actually happy at the update.
“Finally some good news” – @nilohitsharma
“Best thing to happen today even if we win” – @MattyMurray18
“Yessssss” – @thatmendiguy
“Blessing in disguise if Varane is for enough to replace him” – @forthesp0rts
“YESSSSS TODAY CAN’T GET ANY BETTER” – @kxngrxse
“One less game I have to endure Maguire in a United shirt until he’s sold to Newcastle in the summer. Seems like a decent enough lad but watching him play for United gives me major health problems. Looking forward to it being over, but I will have PTSD for many many years.” – @ManUnitedTalk
“This news, makes me feel better than seeing our performance” – @djuangnoff
The Verdict: Varane and Martinez?
Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez have been Ten Hag’s first-choice centre-back pairing this season. Varane missed the match on Sunday with an injury but is expected to be back in action following the international break.
Therefore, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if the two were to start at Wembley next month, with Victor Lindelof a potential option from the bench.
Maguire being suspended isn’t ideal, though, despite the reaction from some fans, so Ten Hag will be hoping his squad remain fully fit over the coming months, especially at the back before the meeting with Brighton.
Manchester United can book their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals with victory over West Ham United at Old Trafford this evening, with the Red Devils hoping to maintain their rampant recent momentum, following the wins over both Barcelona and Newcastle United in the Europa League and Carabao Cup, respectively, last week.
The latter triumph saw manager Erik ten Hag claim his first piece of silverware as United boss, with the Dutchman seeing his side run out 2-0 winners in what was a rather comfortable Wembley outing on Sunday.
Despite the euphoria of ending the club’s almost six-year trophy drought, the celebrations for both players and staff have been cut short amid the quick turnaround ahead of the visit of the Hammers, with Ten Hag unlikely to condone any complacency from his side.
That being said, the 53-year-old may be inclined to shuffle his pack amid what has been a hectic run of fixtures of late, with doubts also emerging regarding the fitness of both Fred and Luke Shaw following the weekend win, while Anthony Martial is also not yet ready to return.
How will Man United line up against West Ham?
With that team news in mind, Football FanCast predicts that there will be seven changes from the side that were victorious against the Magpies, with tonight’s meeting handing the chance for a handful of fringe assets to impress…
The most notable changes could lie in the backline with backup ‘keeper Tom Heaton likely to come into the side, while Lisandro Martinez could be the only survivor from the weekend win, partnering club captain Harry Maguire – whose deteriorating performances have been branded “woeful” in the past by journalist Tom McDermott – at centre-back.
As for the midfield ranks, the influential Casemiro could be joined by January arrival Marcel Sabitzer and teenager, Zidane Iqbal, with the 19-year-old’s inclusion allowing Portuguese playmaker Bruno Fernandes the chance to earn a well-earned rest.
The 28-year-old may not be the only key figure to drop to the bench with leading scorer Marcus Rashford another who could benefit from a break from the action, with the Englishman having been a doubt prior to facing Eddie Howe’s men.
The forward’s place in the side could then be taken by compatriot Jadon Sancho, with the former Borussia Dortmund gem set to line up alongside both Wout Weghorst and Antony in the forward line.
Glasgow Rangers are reportedly eyeing up a potential ‘huge’ deal to bring Nikola Krstovic to Ibrox this summer.
The Lowdown: Krstovic profiled
The striker is enjoying an impressive season at Dunajska Streda in Slovakia, where he has scored 19 goals and supplied a further four assists in just 26 games across all competitions so far (Transfermarkt).
He has also been capped five times by Montenegro by the age of 22, providing one assist for his country (Transfermarkt), and he could attract plenty of interest this summer, with his club turning down enquiries for him in the January transfer window.
The Latest: Would take a ‘huge outlay’
As per Football Insider, Rangers will ‘struggle’ to sign Krstovic this summer, as it would take a ‘huge outlay’ to sign him, while also involving selling one of the Light Blues’ current options.
His club are looking for a fee of between £4m and £5m to sell him, with his contract not set to expire until 2025, and they are expected to knock back further bids for him in the summer transfer window.
Krstovic is seen as a potential replacement at Ibrox for Alfredo Morelos, who is out of contract at the end of the season.
The Verdict: Worth the risk?
Signing Krstovic for up to £5m would certainly feel like a risk for Rangers, as he would rank highly among their record signings over the years.
However, signing a striker is imperative should Morelos leave Ibrox, as his goals (121 for the club) will not be easy to replace.
Krstovic has already shown this season that he knows where the back of the net is, but there may be question marks over whether he can replicate that form in the Premiership.
Nonetheless, the 6 foot 1 forward is only 22, so he should have the potential to improve drastically under Michael Beale, should the Light Blues decide to splash the cash on him.
Leeds United have rejected Leicester City’s £20m bid for Jack Harrison, according to The Daily Mail.
The Lowdown: Harrison’s new role
The winger has been a regular at Elland Road after first moving to the club in 2018, making a total of 186 appearances for the Whites.
The 26-year-old, who mainly lines out on the wing, has been used in a new central role by Jesse Marsch in recent weeks, especially impressing in the FA Cup. He has contributed to four goals in as many games in an attacking midfield role (as per Transfermarkt), with Harrison now into the final 18 months of his Leeds contract.
The Latest: £20m bid rejected for Harrison
The Daily Mail shared a story on Sunday night, mainly looking at Patrick Bamford’s return to fitness for the club.
Within their report, they said that Leeds have rejected a £20m offer from Leicester for Harrison and hope that his goal against Accrington Stanley on the weekend won’t be his last in a Whites shirt.
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The Verdict: Right decision?
Harrison could have been the club’s fourth-most expensive sale of all time (behind Raphinha, Kalvin Phillips and Rio Ferdinand) if that £20m offer were accepted.
However, he has shown his versatility in recent weeks by adapting wonderfully to his new role and has been in fine form this season, with Conor McGilligan labelling the 26-year-old as ‘superb’ earlier in the campaign.
He is currently the Whites’ fourth-best performer in the Premier League ahead of the likes of Wilfried Gnionto, Crysencio Summerville, Luis Sinisterra and Brenden Aaronson (as per WhoScored), so keeping hold of his services appears to be a shrewd move, especially as it is so late in the transfer window.
Elland Road chiefs may need to look into a new contract relatively for him soon, though, as otherwise speculation over an exit could continue heading into the summer.
Everton’s potential signing of Arnaut Danjuma could hinge on them not hiring David Moyes as Frank Lampard’s replacement, according to Alex Crook.
The Lowdown: Danjuma deal
Sky Sports reported just days ago that the Toffees were set to sign the Villarreal forward on loan until the end of the season.
It would see the 25-year-old return to the Premier League following a spell at Bournemouth before he moved to the Yellow Submarine for £21.3m in 2021.
Although he failed to score in the top flight, the Dutchman bagged 17 goals and seven assists in the Championship, earning him the move to La Liga.
Despite the deal looking set for the previous few days now, it’s yet to be confirmed with an interesting revelation seemingly behind that delay.
The Latest: Crook’s comments
Speaking on TalkSport following the sacking of Lampard, Crook let slip that Danjuma’s deal could hinge on who becomes the new boss at Goodison Park, with him reportedly unwilling to sign should a certain manager be named.
Crook said: “In terms of signings, I wonder if it might have an implication with the Arnaut Danjuma deal. That, I was told on Saturday was pretty much a done deal; it still hasn’t been formally confirmed by Everton yet.
“I was also told that Danjuma was seeking assurances, not necessarily that Frank Lampard would be the manager, but he had a particular manager that he didn’t want to come in and replace Lampard.
“Let’s just say that it was David Moyes that blocked Danjuma’s move to West Ham in the summer, so that might give you a clue.”
The Verdict: Eye-opening situation
Crook’s claim suggests there could be a huge problem with potential player power at Everton – and even from a player who’s yet to sign.
Danjuma has enjoyed a good spell in Spain with 22 goals and four assists coming in just 51 games, which has unsurprisingly caught the attention of the Toffees, who are in dire need of goals – they are the second-lowest scorers in the Premier League with just 15.
However, the idea that a player will push the board to appoint a different manager than they potentially planned is ludicrous to imagine it could happen.
Although Moyes isn’t one of the favourites to take up the reins at Everton again, there was still belief from The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards, who explained a scenario could have occurred where the Scotsman replaced Lampard in the hotseat at Goodison.
This news will likely enrage the Everton faithful even further who have already protested against Farhad Moshiri’s ownership, and the idea of the already unpopular board being bullied by a player from another club would surely push that anger even further.