أعرب المدرب الإسباني ميكيل أرتيتا المدير الفني لنادي آرسنال، عن تمنيه برؤية المدرب الأسطوري للجانرز، آرسين فينجر داخل ملعب “الإمارات”، مرة أخرى في المستقبل.

وردًا على “كيف تفاعلت مع تصريحات فينجر، بأنه يود العودة لتشجيع الفريق عندما يُسمح للجماهير بالعودة”، أجاب: “أود رؤيته معنا وحولنا حقًا”.

وأضاف في تصريحات عبر الموقع الرسمي لـ آرسنال: “لقد كان شخصية هائلة بالنسبة لي، وهو شخص ما زال بإمكاني تعلم الكثير من الأشياء منه، وأود أنّ يكون أقرب إلينا”.

وواصل: “للأسف البيئة الحالية لا تسمح لنا بالقيام بذلك الآن (تواجد فينجر معهم)، لكنني أعتقد أنه شخصية يجب أن تكون حاضرة في هذا النادي، لأن في رأيي هو الشخص الذي كان لديه رؤية وساعد في تطور النادي ليكون ما هو عليه اليوم”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. أرتيتا يرفض التقليل من مانشستر سيتي: مازال يقدم أداءً مذهلًا

وعما إذا كان هناك أي خطط له لتوقيع عقد جديد مع النادي، أوضح: “لا أدري، لا أعرف!، لقد انتهينا للتو من فترة الانتقالات في الوقت الحالي، لكن يمكنني القول إنني سعيد حقًا في النادي وأشعر بالتقدير، وأشعر بالاحترام والدعم الكبير في الوقت الحالي”.

وتابع: “اهتماماتي تتعلق بكل العمل الذي يتعين علينا القيام به هنا، مع التحسين الذي نحتاجه حول الفريق ومحاولة الحفاظ على مستوى الأداء والتحسن”.

وأتم: “بالتأكيد أنا أريد البقاء، ولكن في كرة القدم الأمور تتغير بسرعة كبيرة، لذا علينا أنّ نكون على أهبة الاستعداد، دوري الآن هو تحسين آرسنال على المدى المتوسط والطويل، وتحقيق النجاح على أرض الملعب”.

Newcastle manager, Rafa Benitez held his usual pre-match press conference this afternoon, during which he admitted talks about a new contract with the club have taken place, and stressed his eyes are firmly on The Magpies and nothing else.

It will be a relief to fans to hear that finally there is dialogue between the manager and Lee Charnley, particularly with the speculation building up day by day as the process keeps dragging on.

When asked about the rumours of approaches from the likes of Celtic and the Chinese Super League, Rafa quipped: “I can read the same as you.”

He added that there has been “some contact” with Charnley and that talking to Newcastle is his “priority”, but stressed that his main focus was on the games ahead.

The Spaniard said: “I can read what is going on in press. My priority is to keep talking Newcastle and see where we are. I’m not thinking about anything else.

“We have some contact, I see (managing director) Lee Charnley sometimes. It’s too early (to talk). We have to concentrate on the games.”

Newcastle travel to Arsenal on Monday Night Football this week, and Benitez confirmed that skipper Jamaal Lascelles is fit for the game, and added that, although he is suspended for Monday’s game, Schar is now fine, following the head injury he picked up in Georgia playing for Switzerland last weekend.

Benitez knows his side are just one win away from reaching the self-imposed target to be considered safe, and the speculation surrounding his future is an unwanted distraction.

He, naturally, wants to concentrate purely on the football, for now, and says that the key is to stay calm for the run-in, especially if they don’t get the win he wants at the Emirates on Monday.

He said: “We know we have to win maybe just one more game.

“But if we can’t win the next one, we just have to keep going.

“I will not put us under pressure.

“We just need to stay calm and focus on the next game, then see what happens.

It is, obviously great news for Newcastle fans that he and Charnley are talking about the future now, but as we stated in an earlier article, Rafa putting all talks off until safety has been guaranteed is, in many ways applying added pressure to the survival race.

That said, once the three points Benitez craves have been pocketed, there will be no more excuses, and no more hiding from the barrage of questions coming his way until a definitive decision is made and announced.

Everyone associated with the club — including Rafa himself by all accounts — hopes for a positive conclusion to the saga that seems to have been going on for an eternity.

What do you think Newcastle fans? Is it good news that Rafa and Charnley are talking? Will he be able to convince him to stay? Or have you lost all trust in Charnley to get any deal done? Let us know…

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According to RMC Sport, West Ham United have been in contact with Lyon manager Bruno Genesio over a move to the club.

Lyon’s failure to reach the final of this season’s Coupe de France has led to the French club’s president Jean-Michel Aulas revealing that Genesio will not be offered a new contract before the end of the campaign.

And West Ham have reportedly been in contact over a potential move to London, whilst the same can be said for Newcastle United.

Manuel Pellegrini only took charge of West Ham last summer, but the Chilean spent big upon his arrival and it has been an inconsistent campaign for the club.

Indeed, the Hammers are currently 11th in the Premier League table ahead of their next Premier League game away to London rivals Chelsea on Monday night.

The club’s supporters have been on Twitter reacting to the Genesio speculation and a selection can be viewed below:

Considering all the changes West Ham United made in the summer, things have worked relatively well, haven’t they? Sure, there have been some poor performances and inconsistency continues to plague the club, but it would have been difficult for Manuel Pellegrini to have hit the ground running in his first season at the London Stadium.

However, one report is suggesting that might be all the time the former Manchester City manager gets in east London.

What’s the News?

RMC Sport are claiming West Ham are considering to make Bruno Genesio their new manager as his future with Olympique de Lyonnais remains in the air.

It is claimed that the Irons have already contacted Pini Zahavi, the manager’s agent, about a possible move and could look to appoint him in the summer.

The Verdict:

To say the news that West Ham could already be looking to replace Pellegrini in the summer would have to be considered a shock and also ludicrous at the same time.

Yes, the Chilean has hardly set the London Stadium alight, however, he has been a lot better than who the club have had in recent memory and has started to show some signs of progress with the group of players he has at his disposal.

After a huge overhaul last summer, the Irons are still within distance of finishing seventh in the Premier League and are well away from relegation, something that has not always been so sure at this stage of a campaign.

Pellegrini has managed to bring some star names to the club as well, with the likes of Felipe Anderson arriving, whilst he has reinvented the way West Ham play and has added an attractive element to it – although it can go missing at times.

Genesio only has experience of managing Lyon, so looking to replace Pellegrini with him could be a really risky piece of business and rather unnecessary at this moment in time.

West Ham fans, are you shocked that the board could already be looking to sack Pellegrini? Do you think Genesio would improve the team? Join in with the discussion below by sharing your thoughts with us.

[ad_pod ]Kieran Trippier recently admitted that he has struggled for Tottenham Hotspur this season.Indeed, The Telegraph quoted the right-back as saying that he ‘could have done a lot better’ for his club during the 2018-19 campaign.Trippier has been a regular for Spurs this season, making 29 appearances in all competitions, contributing one goal and four assists.The defender’s form has not always been brilliant, though, and the Tottenham fans have not exactly been shy in criticising him this term.The 28-year-old was one of England’s stars en route to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, but he has been unable to carry that form into the current campaign.Check out the harsh words the Playmaker FC squad had to say about Wayne Rooney’s England career in the video belowIn fairness to Trippier – a 2015 arrival from Burnley – he was man enough to admit his shortcomings.The Spurs fans are not really that interested, though, with many taking to social media to criticise the former Manchester City youth player in light of his comments.A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

وجه مدرب فريق مانشستر سيتي بيب جوارديولا تحذيرًا للاعب سيرجيو أجويرو، بعد عودته إلى الملاعب من جديد عقب فترة غياب دامت 4 أشهر للإصابة.

وتعرض أجويرو لإصابة قوية في الركبة، في يونيو الماضي، أجبرته على الخضوع لعملية جراحية.

اقرأ أيضًا.. جوارديولا: تصرف أجويرو مع مساعدة الحكم؟ ابحثوا عن المشاكل في مواقف أخرى

وعاد الأرجنتيني إلى مانشستر سيتي من جديد حيث شارك في مباراة أمس الأول، أمام آرسنال في الجولة الخامسة من الدوري الإنجليزي والتي حسمها السكاي بلو بهدف.

وسينتهي العقد الحالي لـ أجويرو في ملعب الاتحاد، في نهاية الموسم الحالي.

وعندما سُئل عن مسألة تجديد عقد أجويرو، أجاب جوارديولا في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “جول” العالمية: “الشيء المهم هو أن أجويرو عاد في حالة بدنية جيدة، والمهم كذلك أن يبدأ في العودة إلى إيقاعه المعروف، وألا يتعرض لمزيد من الإصابات، وأن يلعب جيدًا”.

وأضاف: “نحن نعرف ما يعنيه بالنسبة لنا، ونعرف كيف نقدره، ولكن الآن عليه أن يظهر مثل الجميع، أنا أولًا، إنه يستحق الاستمرار هنا واللعب بشكل جيد والفوز في المباريات”.

وواصل: “بعد ذلك، أنا والنادي بالطبع نقرر، ولكن عندما يلعب بمستواه المعهود فإنه لا يوجد لدينا أي شك تجاه بقائه معنا حتى يقرر الرحيل، لأنه لاعب فريد، ومهم لنا وللجماهير والجميع”.

وتابع: “بوجود سيرجيو على أرض الملعب، نحن أفضل، نحن أكثر أمانًا، لقد افتقدناه كثيرًا في لحظات مهمة في الجزء الأخير من الموسم، الآن خبر جيد بالنسبة لنا إنه عاد”.

Blackburn Rovers fans will look back on the era of Roque Santa Cruz fondly as the days before the dawn of their collapse.

The exotic talent that was Roque Santa Cruz is something Blackburn fans scantly enjoy nowadays stuck in midtable Championship purgatory, which is why this douse of nostalgic relief will come as a welcome surprise.

Before making his reported £3.5 million switch in 2007 (as per The Guardian) Santa Cruz had accumulated quite an extensive trophy collection at Bayern – consisting of six domestic cups, five Bundesliga titles and a Champions League winners medal.

So it may have come as a bit of a surprise when former manager Mark Hughes recruited him to work alongside the likes of Benny McCarthy, Jason Roberts and a young Matt Derbyshire (appreciate McCarthy was a player in his day).

Hughes said at the time (The Guardian): “Santa Cruz is a young player, an international with a good reputation who is playing at a top European club.

“The good thing from our point of view is that his fitness levels are fine as he has been playing in the Copa America.”

And Hughes was not wrong. Santa Cruz bagged 19 goals in 37 Premier League games earning the Lancashire a 7th placed finish in the Premier League – something they have not managed since.

Indeed, it is no coincidence that their form deteriorated following his big-money move to Manchester City in 2009 – who were just beginning to flex their muscles in the transfer market at the time.

Despite his move, however, the Paraguayan was unable to replicate his earlier form and after just 24 appearances for the club was quickly shipped off to Real Betis on loan, which was shortly followed by a loan and permanent move to Malaga CF.

26 goals in 109 appearances later Santa Cruz found himself on a plane to Mexican outfit CD Cruz Azul, but, in a bizarre turn of events, was returned just half-a-year later on loan.

Now 37 and back playing in his native Paraguay, the forward is a distance relic of the good and bad times for all those clubs he represented.

While it has been a disappointing season in the Championship for Millwall, supporters have still had something to smile about this campaign with the south London club performing exceptionally well in the FA Cup.

After beating AFC Wimbledon 1-0 in the previous round, a quarter-final clash versus Brighton at The Den now awaits Neil Harris’ men with Lee Gregory likely to be the home side’s best chance of making it to Wembley.

As for the visitors, looking at his most recent display, Anthony Knockaert could be the player who proves to make the difference on the day from a Brighton perspective.

With that in mind, how do the two Millwall and Brighton attackers compare?

Lee Gregory

Currently Millwall’s leading goalscorer this term, Gregory is the man Harris will undoubtedly be pinning his hopes on.

Capable of playing up front alone or with a strike partner, the English centre-forward is an individual who is clearly rated highly by his manager – and not just for his goal-scoring exploits.

“It’s not just his goals, Lee has got a lot of other attributes,” Harris told News at Den back in 2015 when speaking about his striker.

“His closing down from the front, link-up play and the way he competes in the air against big centre halves are terrific.”

Based on that, Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy could be in for a difficult Sunday afternoon.

TT Grade: C+ Anthony Knockaert

Knockaert stole the show in Brighton’s recent 2-1 win over rivals Crystal Palace after he curled in a fantastic effort towards the end of the game to give Chris Hughton’s men all three points.

Since winning promotion to the Premier League with Brighton, it is perhaps something the Amex faithful have not seen enough of.

Nevertheless, that moment of brilliance from out of nowhere is what Knockaert is capable of, making him someone Millwall have to pay close attention to.

Once the tricky winger receives the ball on the right flank, he has the skill to beat his full-back on the inside with his left foot before getting a shot on goal or playing in a team-mate.

Much attention will be on Glenn Murray when Brighton take to the Den pitch, but it could so easily once again be the Anthony Knockaert show.

TT Grade: B- TT Verdict:

Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final encounter between Millwall and Brighton will be no walk in the park for the Premier League side.

The Lions have already beaten opposition from English football’s top flight in Everton with Gregory getting his name on the scoresheet in that victory.

That being said, Brighton have to be considered favourites for the tie, especially with a player like Knockaert in their ranks.

Gerard Deulofeu is currently proving Everton wrong with his recent showings at Watford that have seen the Hornets qualify for the FA Cup semi-final after beating Crystal Palace 2-1 at Vicarage Road on Saturday afternoon.

Watford have been enjoying a great season and are currently eighth in the Premier League, only a point behind the high-flying Wolverhampton Wanderers, while Everton, on the other hand, have found it difficult to get any sort of consistency going.

The Spaniard spent two years at the Merseyside club between 2015 and 2017 before making a loan move to Watford in January 2018. The 25-year-old eventually signed a permanent deal at Watford in May that year and he hasn’t looked back, proving a valuable figure in Javi Gracia’s team this season.

The former Barcelona man never looked comfortable at Everton and found it difficult to earn a regular place in the starting lineup.

During that time, the Toffees’ turmoil somewhat started with both Roberto Martinez and Ronald Koeman failing to take the club to a new level, which ultimately led to some players also moving to new clubs. A graduate of the infamous La Masia academy, he clearly never received the full backing at Everton like he is currently receiving at Watford and it has proved to be instrumental to the Hornets success.

Gracia has been brilliant in managing Deulofeu throughout the campaign and has been able to use him in more than one position.

The Spanish international even played as an attacking midfield in the club’s previous league match at Manchester City, despite playing as a centre-forward for most of the season.

His versatility is finally paying off and his true potential appears to be delivering at the moment, while Marco Silva has struggled to get his players adapting to make-shift roles in the team.

If Watford continue to deliver good showings and finish the season on a high then Deulofeu will only get better, while Everton might have make another heavy investment in the summer transfer market to find a similar type of footballer.

Potentially more wasted money when they had such an exciting talent all along.

Everton fans, how disappointed were you to see the Deulofeu experiment fail so badly? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

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Leeds fans on Twitter have been praising Pontus Jansson for putting his body on the line to help the club seal a 2-0 win over Preston in the Championship.

Jansson got himself a black eye during Tuesday’s game after clashing heads with Lukas Nmecha in the closing minutes.

The 28-year-old has become a real fan favourite at Elland Road due to his good performances and his social media presence. The Swedish centre-back has gained himself a reputation as a hard man on the pitch courtesy of his tough tackling style and ferocity when defending.

Leeds United’s official Twitter page tweeted out a selfie that Jansson had taken which highlights the extent of the bruise on his face. The defender’s eye was swollen to the point where he was almost unrecognisable.

Whilst the image had some fans wincing in pain it had others feeling proud as they believe Jansson encapsulates the club motto of “Side before self. Every time.”

Here’s what Leeds fans had to say on Twitter…