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Jamal Lowe has been backed to become a Premier League star after some dazzling performances for Portsmouth this season, per Portsmouth.co.uk.

The 24-year-old has been in excellent form and turned in another superb display at the weekend, as Pompey beat Rochdale 4-1.

What’s the word?

Oli Hawkins, the Portsmouth striker, has backed Lowe to soon click through the gears and start playing in the highest tier English football has to offer.

Lowe has scored 16 goals and laid on nine assists thus far this season and scored in the win over Rochdale while creating two of the club’s strikes.

And Hawkins believes that he has all the raw materials needed to become a top-flight player.

Speaking to Portsmouth’s official site, he said: “Jamal got two assists and a goal, it was a brilliant performance from him.

“He can go on as high as he possibly can.

“This is a step for him in the right direction and this season he is showing what he can do. I think he could get to the Premier League if he puts the work in.

“Anything can happen in football and you never know.”

Too good for this level

Lowe is clearly ready to make the step up.

Whether that means that he is ready to play in the Premier League or the Championship remains to be seen but he is definitely too good for League One.

He has been in electric form this season as Pompey attempt to win promotion to the second-tier, and deserves all his plaudits.

He may well be best served to stay at Fratton Park if they do win promotion but failure to do so could well see the club scrambling to keep the jewel in their crown, at least if Hawkins is right about his teammate anyway.

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One Rangers fan on the forum of the Follow Follow fanzine believes that the club should consider using Glenn Middleton as a centre-forward.

The comment came on the back of a reserve outing for the 19-year-old where he scored two goals, taking his tally to eight in his previous five matches.

In his 28 first-team appearances in all competitions for the Glasgow giants this term, the teenager has largely featured on either wing, but primarily on the left-hand side.

So is this supporter on to something, and does Steven Gerrard need to listen?

The positives

Firstly, he can obviously finish as shown by his recent goal glut, as well as the fact he has five in 28 outings for the first team – the large majority of which have come from the substitutes’ bench.

Middleton is clearly a clever player with good movement who can drag defenders around, and if he was playing in attack with Alfredo Morelos for example he would surely create more space for the Colombian to work in.

He also has the pace to cause centre-backs big issues and to be played in behind, while he is deceivably strong, too.

The negatives

While he has been in great form for the reserves, putting in those consistent performances with the seniors is a completely different story – but then unless he is given an opportunity how will we know?

The other issue is that Gerrard would likely have to play two up top to make it work given he also has Morelos and Jermain Defoe in his ranks.

Pairing those two together earlier in 2019 failed miserably and he has since returned to his favoured 4-3-3 system, so the former Liverpool captain would have to take a big risk by reverting back to that and then leaving one of his more experienced players out.

Verdict

It would be a gamble, but Gerrard has the perfect opportunity to deploy it right now.

With Morelos injured and the league title gone, he should name Defoe and Middleton together and see what happens – it could even result in an effective plan B for next season.

فاز فريق برشلونة الإسباني، بهدفين مقابل هدف، على دينامو كييف الأوكراني، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما، مساء الأربعاء، على ملعب “الكامب نو”، ضمن لقاءات الجولة الثالثة من دور المجموعات في دوري أبطال أوروبا. شاهد اهداف مباراة برشلونة ودينامو كييف

هذا الانتصار رفع رصيد برشلونة لـ تسع نقاط، ليتصدر مجموعته في دوري الأبطال، فيما توقف رصيد دينامو عند نقطة بالمرتبة الثالثة في سلم الترتيب.

تقرير الشوط الأول

أصحاب الأرض، افتتحوا التسجّيل مُبكرًا في الدقيقة الرابعة من الشوط الأول، بعدما احتسب حكم المباراة ركلة جزاء لـ برشلونة، عقب تدخل مدافع الضيوف على ليونيل ميسي، انبرى لها الأرجنتيني، وسددها بنجاح في شباك الضيوف.

وفي الدقيقة السادسة، أهدر الدولي الفرنسي، أنطوان جريزمان، فرصة هدف محقق والمرمى خالٍ بطريقة غريبة بعض الشيء.

وأناب القائم عن حارس مرمى الضيوف، وتصدى لفرصة هدف رائع من الإسباني بيدري.

تقرير الشوط الثاني

كاد الضيوف أنّ يسجلوا الهدف الاول، ولكن الدولي الألماني، مارك أندريه تير شتيجن، تألق وتصدى لفرصة هدف مُحقق في الدقيقة 55.

شتيجن تصدى في أكثر من مناسبة، لأكثر من كرة لهجوم كييف، وحافظ على نظافة شباك النادي الكتالوني.

وفي الدقيقة 65، أحرز جيرارد بيكيه، الهدف الثاني للنادي الكتالوني، عد عرضية رائعة من أنسو فاتي من الجهة اليمنى، انقض عليها بيكيه بالرأس، مُسجلًا الهدف الثاني للنادي الكتالوني.

وفي الدقيقة 75، قلص فيكتور تسيهانكوف، النتيجة لـ دينامو كييف بالهدف الأول.

وحرم حارس كييف، الدولي الفرنسي، عثمان ديمبلي من إحراز هدف رائع في الدقيقة 79 بتصدي خرافي.

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Marko Arnautovic could play his last game for West Ham United this weekend against Watford.

The Austria international has a £45million release clause in his current contract and attempted to engineer a move away in the January transfer window.

The proposed move to China never came off, however, and, since then, he has struggled in front of goal even if he did net twice in the win against Southampton.

Should the Hammers attempt to convince the 30-year-old, whose current contract is worth £110,000-a-week according to Football FanCast sources, to stick around? Our writers give their verdicts below!

Billy Meyers

“Get rid of him. Marko Arnautovic has disrespected the club with his childish antics in attempting to force a move away, and regardless of that, his form since that January window has been appalling. If the Hammers can get anywhere near the price offered for the Austrian back in January, they should take the money and run with a younger, hungrier alternative instead.”

James Beavis

“Having only tied him down to a new contract in January, West Ham must convince Arnautovic to stay and then give him at least the first half of the 2019/20 season to prove his worth. Selling him would be the easy way out for club and player. Manuel Pellegrini can still work his magic with the Austrian and get him fully fit and motivated again in pre-season. If he is, he can make the difference for the Irons next term, especially alongside Felipe Anderson and a potential new striker signing. If he fails to step up to the plate, however, leave him on the bench until January and then move him on. Simple.”

Luke Glanville

“West Ham United shouldn’t try to persuade Marko Arnautovic to stay in the summer. Him remaining in east London would render the whole January transfer saga and the games that Manuel Pellegrini has lost as a result completely pointless. A whole season ruined for nothing. Yes, Arnautovic is a very important player for the Hammers, but they’ve shown at times in 2018/2019 that they can be a better team without him. Plus, this summer may be the last chance for David Sullivan and Gold to get back what they originally spent on the Austrian – the 30-year-old isn’t getting any younger. It makes perfect sense to let him leave this time around.

Well, it was fun while it lasted, am I right? Sheffield Wednesday’s dazzling run of form under Steve Bruce has hit a stumbling block in and now their farfetched play-off dream really seems to be over. 

Indeed, after having an unbeaten run stretching back to the middle of January, it’s no surprise that Sheffield Wednesday have burned out a tad, now the season is drawing to its conclusion.

Now their long-shot aspirations of a sneaky spot in the play-offs seem to be all but finished, the focus for Steve Bruce and the board alike should be on the upcoming summer transfer window, which presents itself as a brilliant opportunity to bring in capable players for a promotion push.

That’s all well and good and something that needs to be done but when the injured Matt Penney returns for the Owls, the 21-year-old could be even more influential under Bruce.

Penney, (who is valued at £180k on Transfermarkt) has been out of action for Sheffield Wednesday since December but upon his return next season, he could easily appeal to Steve Bruce like a new signing would do.

Whether new management would decide to utilise Penney as a left-back or left-midfielder is really up to them but either way, the 21-year-old is set to fight back with a real point to prove. Penney was undoubtedly a big part of Wednesday’s team before his injury, judging by the fact he missed just three games at the start of this season.

With a summer budget unknown, the best way for Steve Bruce to save money in the left-back or wide position is to use Matt Penney when he is back fighting fit.

Do you agree that Penney would be like a new signing when back from injury? Let us know!

Arsenal still sit within a chance of making the top four in the Premier League this season.

New manager Unai Emery has been impressive in the main as he has got his Gunners team back into contention for the Champions League places, and Emery will be confident in his team’s ability to seal the deal in the coming weeks.

However, there is a big summer coming for the Gunners in terms of who the club might look to bring in, and with news emerging this weekend that former Man City striker Eden Dzeko could be on the move from Roma, we here in the Tavern feel he’d be ideal for Arsenal.

Dezeko is 33 now, but he has something about him what the rest of the Gunners squad seem to miss, with his strength and power and ability to lead the line something Arsenal have been missing for some time.

While the likes of Lacazette and Aubameyang are both brilliant in their own rights, Dzeko would give them a different opiton and a plan B of sorts.

The Bosnian striker was excellent for City when they won the league a few years back, and his ability to finish with his head and bring others into play might well give Arsenal the boost they need.

The Gunners have plenty of talent and lovely footballers on the books, but signing someone like Dzeko might well just be the perfect piece of summer business for them.

The Czech Republic man showed just how impressive a career he’s had in a goodbye Instagram post. Nacho Monreal was quick to respond and wished the former Chelsea man good fortune in the future.

Joining Chelsea in 2004 for £7m, the 36-year-old didn’t take long to establish himself as the best goalkeeper in the league. His lightning fast reflexes and command of his area helped Chelsea on their way to four Premier League titles, of which he played a crucial role in three.

He was also a key part of the 2012 Champions League winning team, saving a penalty from Arjen Robben in extra time, a moment which ensured his place in the hearts of Chelsea supporters.

In all he made 494 appearances for Chelsea, winning 14 trophies along the way.

In the summer of 2015 Cech joined Arsenal for £10m and went on to make 110 appearances for The Gunners, whilst also lifting the FA Cup on one occasion.

He will likely be in goal for the Europa League final in Baku.

Could there be one last trophy for a true legend of the modern game? It certainly would be a fitting ending to what has been a superb career.

أعلن رئيس الاتحاد الموريتاني لكرة القدم أحمد ولد يحيى ترشحه لمنصب رئيس الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “الكاف”.

ومن المقرر إقامة انتخابات رئاسة الاتحاد الإفريقي في شهر مارس 2021 بالمغرب.

وكتب أحمد ولد يحيى عبر حسابه الشخصي بموقع “تويتر”: “حرصًا على الترويج لكرة القدم الإفريقية وبعد تفكير عميق ومشاورات مكثفة، قررت تقديم ترشيحي لرئاسة الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم”.

ويتولى مسؤولية الاتحاد الإفريقي في الوقت الحالي أحمد أحمد، والذي قرر ترشحه للانتخابات المقبلة.

وهناك 4 مرشحين حتى الآن على ذلك المنصب، وهم أحمد أحمد، وباتريس موتسيبي رئيس نادي صن داونز الجنوب إفريقي، وجاك أنوما رئيس الاتحاد الإيفواري لكرة القدم، إلى جانب أحمد ولد يحيى.

ويُعد أحمد ولى يحيى أول شخصية عربية تعلن ترشحها لنيل ذلك المنصب.

Soucieux de promouvoir le football africain et au terme d’une profonde réflexion et d’amples concertations, j’ai décidé de présenter ma candidature à la présidence de la Confédération Africaine de Football. #CAF2021 #Engagement #Détermination #Vision #PourleFootballAfricain pic.twitter.com/1PE6GOYxuh

— Ahmed YAHYA (@AYahya2021) November 9, 2020

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Momentum is a funny old thing. Two weeks ago you’d have looked at Aston Villa and thought they were a shoo-in from those competing for a play-off place to go up.

Leeds were all over the place and West Brom still hadn’t discovered their best football under James Shan.

The Villans, however, were on a ten-match winning streak and had all the confidence of a side who looked like title winners, not play-off contenders.

However, after a draw and defeat in successive games, albeit it to tough opposition, Dean Smith’s side may well have handed the advantage over to Derby who sealed a tremendous 3-1 win over the Baggies.

It’s important for Villa fans not to go overboard after defeat. It’s unlikely they will anyway given the confidence around Villa Park. But having rested players, Smith must ensure complacency now doesn’t become an issue.

Norwich was the time to make a statement

Aston Villa’s 12-game unbeaten run over recent months will be all well and good if the club get promoted in a matter of weeks. However, it could all be in vain if they taste defeat in the play-offs.

Against the eventual title winners, Norwich, the Midlands club had a chance to make a real statement but instead, Smith handled things in the wrong way and as such their momentum has taken a hit.

The Villa boss was always going to rest John McGinn after being in danger of missing the play-offs through suspension, but there were some questionable selections elsewhere, none more so than Henri Lansbury and Alan Hutton.

The former has had an injury-hit spell with the club but does possess outstanding quality on his day.

However, it wasn’t his afternoon as he struggled for the fluidity we’ve seen from the likes of McGinn, Conor Hourihane and Jack Grealish. There was a real lack of defensive solidity without Tyrone Mings starting too.

Getting through the game without injuries was important, but so was ensuring the momentum was still in place. Smith said after the game, per quotes from The Express & Star: “In my head, I don’t really see yesterday’s game as a loss.

“There’s an awful lot of confidence around Villa Park and you can feel it. The players will relish the games.”

But what’s important now is that there isn’t overconfidence. A defeat on the final day doesn’t count for much and Smith has still done a tremendous job this term. But against a top side, it could have measured just how far they’ve come since the 48-year-old walked through the door. However, the team selection didn’t allow that.

Rangers need to build a squad of young talent for the future, but promoting youth from within should be how the club do this. Frankly, Glenn Middleton’s career will stall if Jake Hastie comes to Ibrox next season.

Middleton has been bright this season and has looked comfortable when he’s been called upon, even in the Europa League. His two goals and three assists from 14 goals appearances demonstrate the potential he has if he gets more game time next term.

However, the 19-year-old could see his development stunted by the purchase of Motherwell winger Jake Hastie. The 21-year-old has made 41 appearances for his side this season, including 19 in the league, scoring 11 goals, according to Transfermarkt. As a result, Football Insider reckon Rangers are after him.

He’s out of contract at the end of the season, so he’d be brought in for free, but that doesn’t mean the signing is risk-free. If he’s brought in it would mean Middleton has another more senior player ahead of him in the pecking order and he might see that as his cue to move on.

Rangers aren’t exactly blessed with huge money, so when there is an opportunity comes for a young player to break through and make the first-team regularly, Steven Gerrard should make the most of it. It sends a poor message to the rest of the youth team if he doesn’t, and that could be costly in the long term.

Gerrard must think carefully about signing Hastie, because even though he’s clearly an exciting talent, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. He should stick with Middleton and let him continue what he’s started this season.

Rangers fans, would you like to see Glenn Middleton make more starts next season or would you prefer Gerrard to bring another player in? Join the discussion by commenting below…