Weekend Sports Breakfast – talkSPORT: Recent Episodes
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Despite hailing Phil Foden as a ‘complete player’, Tony Cascarino says another Premier League star is ahead of him for Player of the Year.
The talkSPORT host instead backed a player from one of his old teams, Aston Villa, as the top flight’s best performer this season – Ollie Watkins.
Foden has been on fire for Man City this seasonFoden has been a key man for Man City this season as they aim to win a third straight Premier League title and defend their Champions League crown.
He has already made 40 appearances in all competitions, having only sat out of three games all campaign, and boasts of a record of 18 goals and ten assists.
His electric form bodes well for England ahead of Euro 2024 this summer, with the 23-year-old Stockport star showing his versatility with fine performances in midfield and across the front line.
But Watkins has almost singlehandedly helped Aston Villa break the Premier League’s top-four hegemony, with Unai Emery’s men a realistic contender for a Champions League spot.
The striker has shone with 21 goals in all competitions, but his league record of 16 goals and ten assists means he leads the top flight for direct goal contributions so far this term.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah is the next best in that ranking with 24, with Erling Haaland and Bukayo Saka next with 23 apiece, while Foden’s league record stands at 19 combined goals and assists.
Foden has been tipped by a number of pundits, including Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand, as No.1 candidate for the Player of the Year gong but, despite his praise for the Man City ace, Cascarino insists Watkins deserves it more.
“Phil Foden is now a complete player… but I still wouldn’t have him as No.1 for Player of the Year,” said the Weekend Sports Breakfast host.
“I think there are others in front of him, but he has grown and now he’s got an absolutely certain position in that Man City team.
“Phil’s got the lot, and I’m always amazed by how he takes the ball down, how he controls it out of the air, his feet are like arms at times with the way he controls the ball.
“And his energy – if you watch Phil Foden, he nearly covers every blade of grass when he’s playing. He’s everywhere, he’s chasing, relentlessly getting back to help out players, he does that brilliantly, and that’s without all the brilliant stuff he does technically throughout the game.
“But Ollie Watkins, I think he’s so far been the most outstanding player in the Premier League so far this season.
“He’s contributed so much to Aston Villa this year with goals and assists, and Villa are fourth at this moment in time because he’s played such a pivotal role.
“There are other candidates, of course. Virgil van Dijk is back to his very best at Liverpool, he’s been outstanding for them, obviously Foden is another one and you can certainly make a case for two or three of the Arsenal players as well – William Saliba has been absolutely sensational.
“But I’d still put Ollie at the top because Villa were not even close to being a top-four team just over a year ago and his contribution has been enormous.”
Watkins leads the Premier League for combined goals and assistsDrivetime host and former England striker Darren Bent agrees.
The Premier League 100 club member said he’d also name Watkins as Player of the Year if the season was to end now, haling his impact at top-four pushing Villa this term.
“He’d certainly be mine, I think he’s been outstanding,” said Bent.
“The goals he’s got, the assists as well, I think he’s been dangerous and looks to be getting better and better.
“His record of 16 league goals and ten assists is crazy, and Villa are in the top four – he’d be my player of the year for sure.”
A teenage Cesc Fabregas once told Teddy Sheringham that he should retire from football, says Tony Cascarino.
The Spanish midfielder goes down as one of the best players in Premier League history having shone for both Arsenal and Chelsea since making his breakthrough for the Gunners in 2004.
Fabregas had a bit of an edge, even in his early days with Arsenal He even had the guts to tell Sheringham he should retire Fabregas also played for Barcelona, Monaco and Italian side Como, before officially retiring from playing duties at the age of 36.
Cascarino paid a glowing tribute to Fabregas, least of all for the fact that he didn’t shy away from a confrontation.
Speaking on Weekend Sports Breakfast, Cascarino said: “He was known to put his foot in, Cesc Fabregas.
“I was talking to Teddy Sheringham and he played against him right at the end of his career and Cesc was at the start of his.
“Cesc was giving him a few words and was sledging him on the pitch and telling him to retire!
“I think he was about 17 or 18, but he was quite known for being feisty, but he was fabulously gifted.
“You don’t play for Barcelona, Monaco, Chelsea, Arsenal and these clubs and play as well as he did if you’re not.
“He always wanted the ball. He could create, assist and could certainly score goals.
Fabregas undoubtedly goes down as one of the Premier League’s best “He was a fabulous footballer, just look at his CV.
“He won the Euros with Spain, he won the World Cup and Premier League title – he didn’t win the Champions League but he’s had a great career.”
Declan Rice can be the player that transforms Arsenal into serial winners should he join in a club-record £100million deal.
That is according to ex-Chelsea star Tony Cascarino, who believes that the 24-year-old could be Mikel Arteta’s final piece of the puzzle.
England star Rice could swap West Ham for Arsenal this summer Former Chelsea striker Cascarino believes Rice can bring the good times back to north London Cascarino has argued that the England international can have the same impact at the Emirates as Liverpool duo Alisson and Virgil van Dijk have had at Anfield.
The pair made the move to Merseyside in 2018, which coincided with the Reds winning every major honour in the last five years.
Rice is known to be Arsenal’s No.1 target this summer with the Gunners already having two bids rejected by West Ham.
talkSPORT understands that the Hammers are encouraging Arsenal to make a third bid worth £100m to close the deal with Manchester City yet to turn their interest into a formal offer.
And speaking on the Weekend Sports Breakfast, Cascarino is of the opinion that Rice is exactly the type of player Arsenal are crying out for.
He said: “If you look at Arsenal, since Arteta came in December 2019, that season they got 56 points.
“He hadn’t played a part earlier in the season, the next season they got 61, the next season they got 69.
“And last year they got 84, so there’s a real upward curve at Arsenal.
Cascarino believes Rice can have the same impact at Arsenal as Alisson and Van Dijk have had at Anfield “Declan Rice would make the impact that Alisson and Van Dijk made at Liverpool by coming.”
Casacrino then went on to state that Rice wouldn’t be a first team regular should he link up with the Citizens.
The Marseille cult hero remarked: “It’s an easy choice – Man City is an easy choice as in they could easily win the double next year and maybe more.
“That’s the thing you’ve got to really consider, but how big a part do you really play in that if you go to Manchester City?
“Because it’s not impossible that they could spend £100m and he could be a bit-part player at Man City.
“Some people might laugh at that, well that’s exactly the first season of Jack Grealish.”
He added: “I do think there is a very high possibility that he won’t play as much football as he would like.”
Jude Bellingham has been told he can become an ‘even better player’ than Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid.
The 19-year-old England international completed only the second move of his career this week, by sensationally swapping Borussia Dortmund for Real Madrid to make him the most expensive British player ever.
Bellingham has taken Zidane’s number He’s already been tipped to be better than him Bellingham has already proven to be one of the most promising footballers in the world right now, with his performances for England at the 2022 World Cup alone demonstrating why he had so many suitors ahead of the transfer window.
Nevertheless, fans will be intrigued to see how the £115million signing [potentially, with add-ons] gets on at the Bernabeu – especially now’s he’s been given the no.5 shirt.
Bellingham has been a No.22 for Dortmund, Birmingham, and also England at the World Cup, but has now switched to No.5 – the same shirt his boyhood hero Zinedine Zidane wore when he was at the club.
Stepping into one of football’s greatest ever player’s shoes should be a tough challenge for a teenager.
However, talkSPORT’s Tony Cascarino – who played against a young Zidane during his early career in France – insists that not only can Bellingham get to Zizou’s level, he can surpass it.
Asked what is expected from Bellingham following his big-money move to Spain, the former Chelsea player said on talkSPORT’s Weekend Sports Breakfast: “It’s how he fits into that Real Madrid team.
“Can he get deciding, winning goals? I just think he’s capable of everything from what I’ve watched of him.
“When you look at Zidane, Zidane was 6ft 1 and he was quick, but he didn’t look blisteringly, eye-catchingly quick.
Cascarino believes Bellingham can be better than Zidane “Bellingham’s like that. He’s got a long stride and, once he gets going, he’s moving past people. Declan Rice does that, he can get past people with just a turn of foot.
“I think that’s the quality Zidane had. Is Bellingham as technically gifted as Zidane? No. But can he improve and become an even better player? Of course he can.”
Zidane played 227 games for Los Blancos between 2001 and 2006, netting 49 times in that time and assisting a whopping 69 goals too.
He also represented France 108 times, one of which being against Cascarino’s Republic of Ireland, while they also faced each other in Ligue 1 when Cascarino played for Marseille and Zidane was at Bordeaux.
The former striker has previously labelled Zidane as the best opposition player he’s ever faced.
Bellingham has already proven he can step up on the biggest stage Even so, Cascarino believes Bellingham already has qualities Zidane didn’t possess, despite being at the the start of his career and playing far less games
“One thing he’s got over Zidane is he’s way more versatile,” Cascarino said. “Zidane was normally stuck more on the left wasn’t he as a midfielder and sometimes in a No.10 role.”
He continued: “There are some similarities there because of their height, their upper body strength and the way they play the game.
“Could Bellingham become far better in the air for his size? Zidane got goals, and he did it in World Cup finals, with his head. Can [Bellingham] become better aerially?
“Can he get into the 18-yard box and get his head on a cross and show his heading ability as well?”
Mason Mount has been tipped as a perfect replacement for Granit Xhaka at Arsenal this summer.
But Tony Cascasrino has told talkSPORT he is ‘staggered’ Chelsea aren’t doing more to keep one of their own after splashing out £600million on new signings.
Mount looks set to leave Chelsea this summerArsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been linked with a strong interest in MountMount is widely expected to leave his boyhood club this summer with new contract talks at a standstill.
The 24-year-old midfielder is entering the final year of his current deal, which sees him earn £80,000-a-week, and it is reported he wants a significant pay rise to be closer to the club’s top earners to commit to new terms.
Chelsea are currently unwilling to meet those demands, with Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Bayern Munich set for a battle to sign him in the summer transfer window.
Mount is coming off the back of a disappointing season for Chelsea, having played the least amount of games since he became a first-team regular.
The England international has made 24 appearances for the Blues this term, largely due to injury, while he has also had his least productive campaign with just three goals and two assists.
Cascarino insists, though, that the talented star would be a superb signing for any top team this season, and a move to Arsenal would make the most sense – suggesting he would be wasted at Man United who are said to be willing to spend £55m to sign him.
But speaking about his impending departure from Stamford Bridge, the Weekend Sports Breakfast host said: “As an ex-Chelsea player, I’m staggered, it’s really weird.
“They’ve invested all this money into transfers and bringing in new players, and Mason is only just turned 24, he’s an England regular.
Mount may have already played his final game for Chelsea as he is currently sidelined with injury“I knew there were things going on at the start of the season, that there was something going on with Mason that didn’t seem right and Chelsea didn’t seem to want to get too involved in negotiating then.
“They’re still in the same place now and I don’t get it.
“Bayern Munich are interested as well, so there’s Bayern, Man United, Liverpool and Arsenal – you could argue four or the ten biggest clubs in Europe, if not the world, they all want him, but Chelsea are not going to push the boat out to keep him? I don’t get that.
“He’s a player who is tenacious. He’s not the most gifted technically, but he’s got an incredible attitude, a desire to run hard, to chase, he’ll chip in with goals, too.
“I think there’s a lot of stuff Mason does for the team. He’ll never be the star, but he’ll always be an excellent team player.”
Asked where of all those clubs he would be best suited, Cascarino added: “I look at Arsenal as probably the best fit for him, because I think he can do the Xhaka role really well.
Mount has been tipped as a top class replacement for Xhaka, with the Arsenal man set to join Bayer Leverkusen this summer“Mason will always get goals, he’s got a great eye for the goal, he’s a good finisher and he will always chip in. He’s very capable of getting ten-plus goals a season, and I think he’d fit well in this Arsenal team.
“But then you’ve got four really top managers – Arteta, Tuchel, Klopp and Ten Hag- they are four of the best ten managers in world football, so it’s a really tough one.
“I would say that Arsenal feels like the most natural fit for him because of the way they play.
“He’s great in that freedom role they’ve given Xhaka this season. To not be a winger, but being a midfielder who breaks in behind defenders and gets in the 18 yard box to get goals, – that’s where mason is really, really good.
“The only thing I’ve heard is that there’s a lot more expectation on Emile Smith Rowe at Arsenal next year, so would he be challenging for that spot? He’s a real talent.
“Liverpool need an attacking midfielder because they’ve lost some players at the end of the season, including Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, so they might want another one and see Mount as the guy.
“Man United have already got an attacking midfielder in Bruno Fernandes, so I’m not so sure Mason is needed there.
With Bruno Fernandes Manchester United’s captain in the same position, Cascarino doubts whether Mount would fit at Old Trafford“The bottom-line is does he want to go abroad or play his football here, and which one excites him the most?
“It’s not about money, this is not going to be a bidding war for Mason, because of those clubs wherever he goes he’s going to get a shed load of money.
“It’s all about making the right decision that he thinks is best for his career here and now, and you can only make that decision after you’ve met with people from those clubs.
“But it just staggers me that Chelsea are not trying to nail him down. They’ve spent £600m on players and they don’t nail down one of their own? I find that really strange and how they’ve let that happen, I don’t know.”
Jurgen Klopp was to blame for Liverpool dropping points against Aston Villa in their pursuit of Champions League football.
That’s the view of talkSPORT co-host Gabby Agbonlahor, who believes the Reds‘ manager’s touchline ban lead his side to not be at their best against the Villans.
Klopp watched on from the stands on SaturdayKlopp was forced to watch his side’s penultimate game of the season from the stands as part of his two-game ban following his comments about referee Paul Tierney.
Despite being on a seven-game winning streak with a chance to go level on points with fourth place Man United in the hunt for a Champions League spot, Liverpool had to rely on the outgoing Roberto Firmino to rescue them a point in the 90th minute to make it 1-1.
But, according to ex-Villa star Agbonlahor, had Klopp ‘kept his mouth shut’ and been on the touchline in his usual position, Liverpool would have had more control over the outcome of the game.
“Jurgen Klopp today, if I go back to Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool, they lacked intensity, they lacked creativity for at least the first 70 minutes,” he said on Sunday’s Weekend Breakfast.
“That came from Jurgen Klopp not being able to keep his mouth shut. He gets a ban, he’s in the stands, not on the sideline.
“Them players don’t put in that performance if Jurgen Klopp’s on that sideline, he wouldn’t allow it.”
Agbonlahor thinks Klopp is to blame for Liverpool’s slip upMost read in FootballLuton boss Edwards breaks down during live TV interview after positive Lockyer updateCoventry 1-1 Luton LIVE: Hatters win on penalties to seal promotion to the top flightLuton captain Lockyer feeling 'okay' after collapsing on pitch at WembleyBellingham can only hand out water as Borussia Dortmund throw away Bundesliga titleEx-Soccer AM host says Sky ‘missed a trick’ with last ever show as iconic programme endsCoventry fans rage at train shambles as travel chaos wrecks play-off final plans When asked if he really believes having a manager pitch side really makes a difference to players’ motivation, he said: “I’ve played in games where the manager’s not on the sidelines.
“You feel like ‘phew, okay, the gaffer’s not going to be screaming at me.”
Liverpool were lucky not to find themselves 1-0 down after just 20 minutes as Villa won a penalty, only for Ollie Watkins to stick his spot kick wide of the post.
Just five minutes later though, Jacob Ramsey found the net from the far post following some sloppy defending from the Reds, leading the home side chasing the game, which Klopp recognised in his post-match.
Cody Gakpo did have the ball in the net afterwards for what Liverpool thought was the equaliser, only for VAR to rule it out for offside.
Liverpool now have one final game to clinch Champions League football as they face Southampton, but will be relying on Newcastle and Man United to drop points in each of their remaining two games.
It’s all to play for in the race for Europe
Tony Cascarino says he’s seen lower league goalkeepers better with the ball at their feet than David de Gea, and it’s time for him to leave Manchester United this summer.
The Spaniard’s future at the club is uncertain after his errors led to the Red Devils crashing out of Europe – ending their hopes of a possible treble this season.
De Gea is not an ‘elite’ goalkeeper, according to CascarinoThat is coupled with the fact De Gea is out of contract at Old Trafford at the end of the current campaign.
Man United have the option to trigger a one-year extension to his deal, but are yet to do so due to his form and eye-watering £375,000-a-week salary.
It appears, then, that De Gea could be set to depart United on a free transfer in the summer after 12 seasons with the Premier League giants.
In that time the 32-year-old has collected one Premier League title, one FA Cup, two EFL Cups and one Europa League trophy, and was for a long time considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
But his powers have waned in recent years and, despite leading the Golden Glove race with 14 Premier League clean sheets this season, he does not fit in with Ten Hag’s plans to play out from the back – as his blunders against Sevilla in the Europa League proved.
That’s the verdict from Cascarino, saying a change between the sticks is overdue at Old Trafford and that Ten Hag should give Dean Henderson a run at No.1 next season.
De Gea was directly at fault for two of Sevilla’s goals in the 3-0 defeat, and should have done better to keep out their other strikeMost read in FootballLiverpool 3-2 Forest LIVE: Reds maintain European push after edging five goal thrillerArsenal called out for 'bluff' by Neville after 'extremely strange' huddleArsenal 3-3 Southampton LIVE REACTION: Gunners drop crucial points in title raceRamsdale blunder costs Arsenal in title race with error 'worse than De Gea'Journalist suffers mortifying wardrobe malfunction at Leicester's training groundMan United fans reveal players they want to leave the club after Europa League exit Speaking about the one-year anniversary of Ten Hag’s appointment on Friday, Cascarino was asked about the manager’s plans and said on talkSPORT’s Weekend Sports Breakfast: “I certainly think he’s a manager who knows what he wants, what he wants to do with the club and how he wants the team to play.
“I think it’s been a really tricky transition for him, there are a lot of challenges at Manchester United – they have a wage bill that is very high, they overpay a lot of players on long contracts.
“This will be the first really big summer for Ten Hag, because the business they do will have a major impact on what type of team he has. I think there will be a lot of business done by the club, a lot of people leaving and some of them will maybe be a bit unexpected.
“I’m not even sure De Gea survives, because Ten Hag is going to want a footballing goalkeeper.
“Ten Hag comes from the Ajax academy of football, and his players must be technically very good to play in a certain way. Look at all the leading clubs in the country, look at Pep Guardiola’s decision at Man City to get rid of Joe Hart because he wanted Ederson who could play much more with his feet. Arsenal made the same decision with Aaron Ramsdale, Liverpool with Alisson.
Cascarino insists De Gea does not fit in with Ten Hag’s system and what the manager wants from a goalkeeper“Goalkeepers have been changed at a lot of the clubs that are doing really well. I’ve got stick for saying this in the past, but if Tottenham want to play in a different way they’ve got to have a much better footballing goalkeeper than Hugo Lloris.
“I think that’s where Manchester United are with David de Gea. You’ve got to be able to play with your feet. I watch lower league football and I’ve seen goalkeepers who are way superior to De Gea with their feet. I’m telling you, I’ve seen a good few of them and they are better.
“I watched Dean Henderson a lot at Sheffield United and he was fabulous. He then came back to Man United, it didn’t go particularly well for him and then he got an injury.
“I still think there’s time for Henderson to make the most of an opportunity that can be there, but again that’s up to Ten Hag and what he thinks.
Henderson has spent this season on loan at Nottingham Forest but has been tipped to replace De Gea as Man United No.1 next season“Certainly as a goalkeeper I’d say he is very, very capable.
“Remember, De Gea is not No.1 for Spain. We’re not talking about an elite goalkeeper, here. He hasn’t even played for Spain since October 2020. Three years down the line he’s still Man United’s first choice.
“He’s had good seasons, for sure, but with his feet I’m just not convinced and I believe Ten Hag will implement a goalkeeper who is far more capable with his feet this summer.”
Tony Cascarino has suggested Liverpool could sell Trent Alexander-Arnold for big money to help fund a much-needed squad overhaul at Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp has lifted the lid on the financial constraints on the Reds this week, after the club pulled out of the race for top target Jude Bellingham.
Alexander-Arnold’s ability and age makes him Liverpool’s most valuable asset right now, says CascarinoThat news was a huge blog for supporters, with Jamie Carragher accusing the club of ‘selling fans a dream’ with their prolonged chase of the England star.
But even Klopp has hinted he is not 100 per cent happy about how things are going behind the scenes.
Speaking in his press conference ahead of Monday’s trip to Leeds, Klopp said quite plainly that Liverpool cannot go toe-to-toe with their Premier League rivals when it comes to signings.
Admitting the Reds have to be more realistic with their spending, Klopp said: “We cannot dream, we cannot be angry if we don’t get this or we don’t get that.
“It is clear other clubs can do in some situations more than us. Am I angry that we can’t do this or that? No, I am not. I don’t agree all the time with everything we do… but I am employed here. I am not here to be angry about things that will work out or not work out.”
The way Cascarino sees it, Liverpool are in the same position as they were a number of years ago when they were two or three players away from having a title-contending team.
Coutinho was Liverpool’s biggest star during the early years of Klopp’s reign, but that didn’t stop the club from cashing in when they needed the moneyMost read in FootballMan United fans loved Casemiro's reaction to David De Gea hugging Sevilla playerJournalist suffers mortifying wardrobe malfunction at Leicester's training groundEmery rejected Newcastle's billions in darkest hour, now he's showing why they wanted himLiverpool 'misled fans' over Bellingham, Arsenal 'need luck' in title race, Rashford newsSzczesny leaves pitch in tears clutching chest as worried teammates get him medical helpKeown rebukes FA for not banning assistant referee in Robertson 'elbow' furore In 2018, after finishing fourth in the Premier League and runners-up in the Champions League, the club decided to cash in on one of their star men, Philippe Coutinho, to the tune of £142million from Barcelona.
That windfall allowed Klopp to first bring in centre-back Virgil van Dijk and then goalkeeper Alisson – addressing two major issues in the Liverpool team – and they were duly crowned champions of Europe the following season, and a year later won the Premier League title for the first time.
Fast-forward to now and Liverpool are back right where they started, and talkSPORT’s Cascarino believes there’s only one player in the current squad they could reasonably sell for big money to help the Reds close that financial gap.
“They had this problem before they got Alisson and Van Dijk, but they did the right deals to bring in the money and bring in the right players who made a massive difference,” said the Weekend Sports Breakfast host and former Premier League striker.
“You have to earn more money, that’s the only way you can challenge and compete against these teams.”
Co-host Natalie Sawyer asked: “They don’t have a Coutinho they can sell on and generate the money though, do they?”
Alexander-Arnold has struggled for form this season, but he is still one of the most talented footballers in the country at 24 years old“Not really, no,” replied Cascarino. “Who would you say is at the right age is the most favourable player at Liverpool [for other clubs] at the moment? You’d probably say Trent.
“Even though he’s had a difficult year, Trent is of an age – he’s 24 – where you can still get a really big deal for him.
“He’s a Barcelona type of player, or a team that wants to play the way Trent does.
“They’ve still got some young lads they’re excited about at Liverpool, but it’s a very difficult one to imagine how Liverpool and how Klopp are going to deal with what’s in front of them.
“It’s a challenge because Manchester United have spent big, Chelsea will always do that, Arsenal are quite clearly an emerging club with a very young team, so there are now a lot more competitors around Liverpool for the Champions League spots.”
Jude Bellingham is ‘not what Liverpool need right now’ and Jurgen Klopp should sign Kalvin Phillips from rivals Man City instead.
That’s the verdict from Tony Cascarino, who insists the Reds should focus on signing a new ball-winning midfielder, not another attacking ‘luxury’.
Phillips would be a shrewd signing for Liverpool this summer instead of Bellingham, claims CascarinoLiverpool fans have been left disappointed this week with the Merseysiders pulling out of the race to sign Bellingham, despite a long-held interest in the Borussia Dortmund star.
Jurgen Klopp made it clear the Reds do not have the financial power to sign £100million-plus players season after season, comparing it to a child ‘wanting a Ferrari for Christmas’.
The news has angered many supporters, including Anfield legend Jamie Carragher, who has accused the club of ‘selling fans a dream’ over their interest in Bellingham and misleading fans that they could sign him in the summer.
But, talkSPORT pundit, former Premier League striker and Reds fan Cascarino thinks differently – saying Bellingham is not the type of player this current ailing Liverpool side desperately needs.
Speaking on the Weekend Sports Breakfast, Cascarino said: “Am I disappointed? No. Not at all.
“Klopp has been there before. He went after a Bugatti, not a Ferrari, in Mbappe. He had meetings with him in Paris, but that was a transfer they were never going to get over the line.
Bellingham has been linked with a move to Liverpool for well over a year, but it appears fans will be left disappointedMost read in FootballMan United fans loved Casemiro's reaction to David De Gea hugging Sevilla playerJournalist suffers mortifying wardrobe malfunction at Leicester's training groundEmery rejected Newcastle's billions in darkest hour, now he's showing why they wanted himLiverpool 'misled fans' over Bellingham, Arsenal 'need luck' in title race, Rashford newsSzczesny leaves pitch in tears clutching chest as worried teammates get him medical helpKeown rebukes FA for not banning assistant referee in Robertson 'elbow' furore “I love Jude Bellingham, I think he’s a fantastic player, but I don’t think he’s necessary for Liverpool at the moment.
“I think they need way more of an engine room that was similar to what they had a couple of years ago, and that is winning the ball back. They need a ball-winning engine room in there. Two midfielders who can get the ball back quickly, because I think that would make a massive change to Liverpool.
“Jude is a fabulous talent and every club in Europe would want him, and Liverpool aren’t in that ballpark.
“But I don’t think he’s necessary for Liverpool. I think there are more important types of players who need to come in before that luxury.
“They’ve got Thiago who is a fabulous footballer, but he’s not a good defender, he doesn’t do the things that are necessary to enable Liverpool to get the ball back quickly, and I think that’s paramount for Liverpool.”
Asked who would be a better fit, Cascarino suggested Phillips as first-class alternative to Bellingham and said the Reds should sign him after a bit-part first season as a Man City player.
Phillips has made just 14 appearances – and only two starts – for Man City since his arrival from Leeds last summer“The most important thing is to sign two players who can play, but their main job is to win the ball back – a bit like the Jordan Henderson type,” he said.
“I like Kalvin Phillips. He’s not been used at Man City.
“OK, Rodri’s performances have been extraordinary, but I think Phillips is a fabulous ball-winner – we saw him enough at Leeds to know that.
“I think they’ve got to go back to their first port of call – make your team as hard to beat as they were before. They were brilliant in midfield with Henderson, Fabinho and Gini Wijnaldum. It’s about rebuilding the backbone of the team, for me.”
Asked about Bellingham’s future if it’s not at Anfield, Cascarino added: “It’s very hard to ignore Real Madrid, but on this occasion he can.
Cascarino insists Phillips would be a great fit for Klopp’s system at Liverpool“If Man City come after him, go there. He’s young enough to play for both of those clubs in his career. He could easily play for Man City and then Real Madrid somewhere along the line.
“But if you get the opportunity to play for Pep Guardiola… Man City are going to be the team to beat for the next five years, that’s not rocket science.
“They are going to have an incredible array of players and they will spend. They have never stopped spending as a club and with the emergence of Jack Grealish this year, I still think Bernardo Silva has got a lot to play for, and obviously if Erling Haaland stays there, Bellingham would link up with him again.
“He’d be going to a club that is just going to be so competitive in the Premier League and Champions League. I would want to go there, if it was me.”
Antonio Conte is going down swinging as Tottenham manager as he made a furious rant on Saturday night.
Conte let rip at Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and his ‘selfish’ players in a stunning attack after his side threw away a 3-1 lead against Southampton to draw.
Conte went into full meltdown mode on Saturday eveningThe already troubled relationship the Italian had with the north London club now appears to be broken beyond repair.
Former Chelsea striker, and talkSPORT host, Tony Cascarino believes Conte is trying to take down as many people with him as possible.
“I don’t think he cares because he’s in a very privileged position because he’s made a hell of a lot of money as a manager,” he told Weekend Sports Breakfast.
“He’s thinking ‘if I do go down, I’m taking a few with me’.
“He’s definitely going to take a few with him. He’s not a manager who fears the sack. Financially he’s sound and will go and get another job.
“He will get another top job.”
Spurs are still fourth, but threw away two points against SouthamptonMost read in FootballLineker explains why he didn't present MOTD as he returns to screens after BBC rowConte in explosive meltdown as he hits out at 'selfish' Spurs squad and Daniel LevyMan United 'dodged bullet' by Conte decision as Neville jokes he should be forced to stayInconsolable Richarlison leaves pitch in tears after injury three minutes into Spurs clashGary Lineker delivers brilliant one-liner in response to BBC row in first TV appearanceLiverpool legend Gerrard spotted celebrating St Patrick's Day in McGregor's pub in Dublin “I felt it was a real frustration from him because they conceded two late goals. I think he imploded because of that.
“You are leading 3-1 and been quite comfortable and they’ve had a few injuries, and tried to see out the game and they couldn’t.
“I think they’ve got so angry because they couldn’t see out the game.”
Cascarino added: “Tottenham are a basket case of a club. You have a guy who has achieved six times getting 20 plus goals.
“It’s a real strange dynamic how this club implodes and does regularly.”
talkSPORT’s chief football correspondent Alex Crook believes that Italian must shoulder some of the blame himself for the club’s failure to win silverware.
Conte may not have long left as Tottenham managerHe said: “Antonio Conte, the way he’s been speaking for some time now it is almost like he’s doing Tottenham a favour.
“He’s this winning machine manager who has lowered himself to take charge of a club like Tottenham, who never win anything.
“He said ‘I’m not used to this, I’m not used to finishing seventh or eighth’. He knew the background when he took a highly paid job, he knew the remit was to at least qualify for the Champions League and win a trophy.
“Let’s look at some of the reasons why they are not competing for trophies, they managed to lose over two legs to a very poor AC Milan side.
“That was a tie they should have won, that was on Conte, then he made a bizarre change. Sacrifices an attacker when they need a goal to stay in the Champions League.
“That’s not on the players, that’s on the manager.
“They lost in the FA Cup against a Sheffield United side who were more interested in their own promotion aspirations than really progressing in the competition.
“He leaves out Harry Kane and loses another route to a trophy. Conte is far from blameless in all of this.”
Mason Mount would only be able to play one role in Liverpool’s team should he sign for them this summer.
That’s the view of former Chelsea star and Reds fan Tony Cascarino, who believes there are other top Premier League sides the Blues academy graduate would suit better.
Mount’s days at Stamford Bridge could be numberedMount has spent his entire career so far with Chelsea, but the boyhood Blue has entered the last 18 months of his contract with a new deal yet to materialise and talks at a standstill.
It’s been a tough season for the 24-year-old and the rest of the Blues side, with manager Thomas Tuchel being sacked and the team slumping into midtable under Graham Potter with their chances of a trophy this season looking unlikely.
As a result, Mount has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge and talkSPORT understands Liverpool are confident of signing him in the summer.
But having struggled to find a consistent role in Potter’s side this season and playing in a number of different positions, Cascarino believes a move to Merseyside might not be the best option for the Chelsea star.
“Well, he’ll have interest from clubs without a doubt, he’s played a very high level of football for a number of years. He’s not as good at the moment, but that won’t stop interest,” Cascarino told talkSPORT’s Weekend Sports Breakfast.
“It comes down to Mason and if he really just wants to stay at Chelsea and sit on money and find himself in and out of a team, because that’s where he is at the moment. Does that sit well with him? Probably not.
Most read in FootballGreenwood decision made by England boss Southgate as player waits for Man United verdictToney delivers savage response to betting jibe made at Brentford star on Instagram'Looks like Conor Benn' - Dean Saunders reveals Dwight Yorke's secret to staying in shapeMan United considering Greenwood return under two conditions, but could still cut tiesTottenham told signing £50m-rated star is key to convincing Harry Kane to stayingJordan says 'I was right' about 'turd' Fraser with Howe scathing over his Newcastle future Cascarino isn’t sure Liverpool is the right destination for Mount“He’ll want to be in the frame for England and he’s not an England regular if he’s sitting out of the Chelsea team.
“I’m not quite sure where he’s going to play at Liverpool. Is he going to play at the top of a three behind the centre forward whether that’s [Darwin] Nunez this season?
“He’s not going to play on the right because that’s for [Mohamed] Salah, [Luis] Diaz will come back and he’s on the left.
“He’s a central attacking midfielder. Now Liverpool did have [Alex] Oxlade-Chamberlain to fill that role and that’s not really happened. So Liverpool will be filling that void that the Ox didn’t really achieve.
Mount’s future at Chelsea is beginning to look uncertain“He’s had bad injuries and I feel sorry for him because he did have a number of seriously big injuries. But that’s the only way I can see [Mount] fitting.”
Liverpool have been crying out for a boost in their midfield this season, with them also struggling to achieve the same success they had last campaign thanks in part to a lack of tempo in the middle of the park.
And Cascarino believes the work rate Mount showed for England at the 2022 World Cup will have plenty of teams interested in him that will suit Mount’s style of play better – namely Newcastle.
He continued: “Mason Mount will have more than Liverpool chasing him, there will be a number of clubs chasing him in Europe and in this country.
Mount would ‘fit in really well’ at Newcastle, according to Cascarino“If you were Newcastle, would you want to get a player like him? If you want to become more of a Champions League team, I think Mason Mount would fit really well into the way Newcastle play.
“At the end of the season I think Newcastle could get Wilf[ried Zaha] on the left and Mount if they really wanted to.”
Mount will be unavailable for Chelsea against relegation-threatened Leeds at Stamford Bridge on Saturday after suffering an injury to his abdomen.
You can catch all the updates of that game live on talkSPORT.
Follow all the latest Premier League fixtures and results HERE on talkSPORT.com
Former Chelsea midfielder Andy Townsend does not believe Graham Potter has many ‘great’ players to choose from his squad.
Fellow former Blues star Tony Cascarino has also blamed the former Brighton boss for their lack of goals.
Chelsea have spent big on new signings in recent monthsBut Potter’s side have shown little signs of improvement during the campaignChelsea have signed 16 new players over the last two transfer windows and boast one of the Premier League’s largest squads after spending in excess of £500million.
However, despite having so many players, Townsend believes the west London side are lacking in top quality, world-class options.
Speaking to talkSPORT, he said: “I mean the size of the squad, we talk about the team lacking that cutting edge but the numbers in the squad, the amount of players that Graham has to choose from is incredible.
“He’s got a lot of what I would say very good players, he hasn’t got too many great ones for me. His best player is his right-back and Thiago Silva.
“Reece James and Thiago Silva I think are the best players by a distance. It’s very early for Enzo Fernandez but, again, we still don’t know whether or not he’s going to be a rip-roaring success.
“We think he might but we really don’t know.”
Chelsea have only won one game in all competitions in 2023Most read in FootballAston Villa 2-4 Arsenal LIVE REACTION: Gunners claim 'monumental' win in title raceRatcliffe and INEOS release statement outlining Champions League plan for Man UnitedHollywood superstar spotted looking stunned after Aston Villa goal against ArsenalQatari £4.5billion bid for Man United tabled as British billionaire also makes his moveArsenal manager Arteta branded 'deluded and disrespectful' for recent commentsRomeo Beckham quit football after Arsenal to try tennis with Murray before dad's bold move After 22 games in the Premier League this season, Chelsea have scored just 23 goals.
It is one of the reasons why they sit tenth in the table, but Cascarino feels as though their problems up top lie with Potter.
On GameDay Breakfast, the former Blues striker said “Take Solly March at Brighton, why did he have such a dreadful record?
“Now you’re seeing him play in a role at Brighton where he’s getting in positions where he scores goals.
“What was Raheem Sterling doing at Man City, why did he get 20-plus goals? Because he was told to get in certain positions, when the ball is on the other side, you get in and become like nearly in a centre forward role or at the far post area where you will have a simple tap-in.”
When asked by talkSPORT host Natalie Sawyer if the Blues boss was not telling his players to get into scoring positions, he replied: “Well no.
Recent results in the league have left them lingering in mid-table“It’s just that players are not, you’re doing a formation and then you’re doing the set pieces, you’re doing everything in the game to get goals.
“Bodies in boxes score goals, so you have to be in positions where, funnily enough, some of the best goal scorers I ever played with happen to be standing when the ball dropped to them.”
Chelsea next face a Southampton side that sits rock bottom of the Premier League table.
The Blues’ last league victory came over a month ago, with three points desperately needed to keep their slim hopes of a top four finish alive.
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Tony Cascarino believes Lee Mason should not have lost his job over his VAR blunder in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Brentford.
The Professional Game Match Officials [PGMOL] board confirmed on Friday the departure of the 51-year-old, who hit the headlines last weekend for failing to spot an offside in what was ultimately his final Premier League match.
Lee Mason has been sacked from his role as a Premier League VARThat lapse of duty incorrectly allowed Ivan Toney’s equaliser to stand as the Bees claimed a share of the points – which left Gunners boss Mikel Arteta furious.
The result cost the north Londoners in the title race and it was made even worse by their subsequent defeat to title rivals Man City, which saw Arsenal knocked off the summit for the first time since August.
Mason, who became a dedicated VAR at the start of last season following his retirement as a referee, was initially stood down from active duty for the next round of top flight fixtures, before the news of his departure from the Premier League and PGMOL by mutual consent.
While he has departed, though, John Brooks – who incorrectly disallowed a Brighton goal against Crystal Palace – is back on duty, and they are far from the only officials to get things wrong this season.
And talkSPORT pundit Cascarino, together with Weekend Sports Breakfast co-host Natalie Sawyer, says giving Mason the boot was too harsh.
“I find this story very odd,” began Sawyer. “I feel like there’s maybe a bit more to it that we don’t know. It just seems a bit over the top…”
Arteta was left angry after the result, which could have a huge effect on their title chancesMost read in FootballAston Villa 2-4 Arsenal LIVE REACTION: Gunners claim 'monumental' win in title raceRatcliffe and INEOS release statement outlining Champions League plan for Man UnitedHollywood superstar spotted looking stunned after Aston Villa goal against ArsenalQatari £4.5billion bid for Man United tabled as British billionaire also makes his moveArsenal manager Arteta branded 'deluded and disrespectful' for recent commentsRomeo Beckham quit football after Arsenal to try tennis with Murray before dad's bold move Former Chelsea and Republic of Ireland striker Cascarino replied: “I agree, totally. You’ve got to back people.
“Yes, he’s made a mistake, he’s made a blunder, but there were other people involved in that blunder as well.
“If you’re going to go hardcore on the decision if referees make a mistake like that, then it doesn’t really encourage people to be referees.
“You’re going to make mistakes. Obviously there are really bad ones, which that was, but I feel like he was punished and then hopefully he wouldn’t make that mistake again.
“If it was a continuing offender, which some people may argue he is, but then it’s not even three strikes and you’re out – it’s two.”
As Cascarino mentioned, it’s not first time Mason been stood down from duty this season, having already been punished in September after wrongly disallowing a Newcastle goal for a foul in their match at home to Palace.
Mason retired from on-field referee duties two seasons ago and has now left his role as a VAR tooSawyer added: “It might actually be mutual consent, so he might be happy to walk away because the spotlight has been on him and he has perhaps not enjoyed it.
“But I do think it’s sad that someone’s career can end like that on a human error, at the end of the day.
“Of course there will be fans who are delighted by the news and probably think more of the same should happen to other referees.
“But you have to remember this is a game where there are going to be mistakes that are made. Players make mistakes all the time, but we don’t drive them out of the game that often.
“I just think it’s a bit sad that it’s come to that, although I understand that he made a costly mistake.”
Mikel Arteta has been accused of being ‘deluded and disrespectful’ after claiming Arsenal deserve ‘two points back’ following their draw with Brentford.
A huge blunder from Lee Mason on VAR duty saw a Brentford goal that should have been ruled out for offside incorrectly given, leading to a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium last weekend.
Arteta was fuming and felt Arsenal were robbed of all three points against BrentfordThe decision has cost Mason his job, with the official sacked from his role as a Premier League official by the Professional Game Match Officials Board [PGMOL], and has also cost the Gunners big in the title race.
The result was made even worse by their subsequent defeat to title rivals Man City, which saw Arsenal knocked off the summit for the first time since August and defending champions City taking their place.
The north Londoners have the chance to reclaim top spot with a victory over Aston Villa on Saturday, but this week Arteta lamented the draw with Brentford and insisted Arsenal deserve to be given all three points from that game – although admitted that was never going to happen.
“We ended the game with huge anger and disappointment because that wasn’t a human error; that was someone not understanding their job and that’s not acceptable,” the Gunners boss said in a press conference.
“And that cost Arsenal two points and that’s not going to be restored, so we’re going to have to find those two points in the league.
“We appreciate the apology, we appreciate the explanation and we got a lot of sympathy from colleagues in the industry, but I will only be satisfied if they give me the two points back, which is not going to be the case.
Arsenal are now four games without a win in all competitions, which has seen their Premier League title bid derailedMost read in FootballQatari £4.5billion bid for Man United tabled as British billionaire also makes his moveRomeo Beckham quit football after Arsenal to try tennis with Murray before dad's bold moveLee Mason leaves role as Premier League official after VAR error that left Arteta ragingChelsea signing denied work permit, Liverpool Van Dijk boost, Man United takeover deadlineRonaldo misses sitter from four-yards but still provides goods in Al Nassr win'Silly' - Jordan and Pearce debate whether Rashford is world-class as goal form continues “I think they were really sincere, open and genuine, which is really good, but it doesn’t change the fact we have two less points than we should.
“And that’s it – we have to move on.”
But that has really rubbed talkSPORT’s Natalie Sawyer up the wrong way, with the diehard Brentford fan left fuming by Arteta’s assumption that Arsenal would have held onto their 1-0 lead against her beloved Bees.
“This has been getting on my goat for a while – the fact Mikel Arteta has kept going on about ‘give us our two points back’, that has riled me a lot,” said the Weekend Sports Breakfast host.
“I think it’s deluded and very disrespectful from Arteta to assume, with 20 or so minutes to go, that you were going to win that game against Brentford.
“I know I’m going to say that, it’s my team, but that has really riled me.
Brentford supporter Sawyer was not happy about Arteta’s comments“I think it’s totally wrong and disrespectful to a Brentford team that had more chances in the game, they had a greater expected goals [xG] rate.
“Why would you just assume that you would have won that game? I don’t understand it.”
The PGMOL announced on Friday that Mason had departed his role with the referees’ body and the Premier League by mutual consent.
Mason, who became a dedicated VAR at the start of last season following his retirement as a referee, was initially stood down from active duty after his error at the Emirates.
Mason failed to even draw offside lines as Ivan Toney’s equaliser was incorrectly allowed to stand despite Christian Norgaard being offside, and Ethan Pinnock appearing to interfere with play in the build-up.
And days later the decision was made to give the referee the red card.
Lee Mason has been sacked from his role as a Premier League VAR“PGMOL can confirm that Video Assistant Referee Lee Mason has departed the organisation by mutual consent,” a statement read.
“Lee was a Premier League referee for 15 years and oversaw 287 top-flight matches during that time, with his last coming during the closing stages of the 2021/22 season.
“His full career in the professional game saw the 51-year-old officiate in over 500 fixtures after he progressed to the Football League in 1998.
“We would like to thank Lee for his dedicated service to the professional game and wish him all the best for the future.”
Mark Lawrenson admits he has lost hope of seeing Liverpool finish in the Premier League top four this season.
The Reds sit in ninth place after winning just eight of their 19 league games so far this term, and are ten points adrift of fourth-place Manchester United.
The Reds have struggled so far this seasonSpeaking on Weekend Sports Breakfast, five-time league champion Lawrenson suggested Jurgen Klopp’s side are easy to score again and lack any real strength in midfield.
“I just don’t see it,” Lawro said about his former club’s top four chances.
“It’s sheer inconsistency. Virgil van Dijk is still out as well, It was said two months ago that if you get at Liverpool, you will create chances.
“That’s what all the teams have done lately when they play against them – they don’t just sit back, they think of having a go at them. They’ve not got great legs in midfield and they lack experience.
“They’re going through that change a little bit. They haven’t become a bad side and the manager is not a bad manager – he’s outstanding.
“He’s said it already, it’s one of those where they get to the summer and the revolving door will open: there will be people coming out and people coming in.”
It has been a tough season for Klopp – his toughest as Liverpool managerMost read in FootballCaicedo not for sale, star snubs Ronaldo reunion to agree Forest move, Gordon medicalSmalling 'hands in transfer request' at Roma amid Juventus, Inter Milan and Spurs interestBlackburn star Brereton Diaz agrees surprise move abroad on free transfer in the summerBrighton take action against Caicedo after transfer plea as they refuse Arsenal bidVideo emerges of Arteta refusing to celebrate Man City goal vs Arsenal during Etihad role'I saw Bielsa land!' - Klopp reacts to Dyche's Everton appointment and 'feels for Lampard' Later on, Lawrenson admitted there are problems with Mohamed Salah’s form in this campaign.
The Egyptian star has boasted an exemplary goalscoring record since arriving at Anfield, but has been off his normal pace so far this term with seven goals and four assists in 19 league appearances.
And the Reds great says Salah’s his struggles are a reflection of Liverpool’s collective woes, explaining that he’s just not getting the same service he has been used to.
“It’s unusual for him,” added the decorated former centre-back.
Mo Salah has struggled for goals this season“I think one of the problems is that he’s playing with different strikers every week and in different formations.
“The thing with him is that he needs to be happy to play and you can see it on his face.
“He’s a bit like, ‘What’s happening here?’ Consequently with them not playing particularly well, he’s not had too much of service – you don’t suddenly become a bad player.
“People think it’s because he’s signed a new contract and that sort of thing. It’s nothing to do with that. It’s just that he’s not been playing well and consequently, he hasn’t had too many opportunities.”
Keep up to date with all the latest news, rumours and gossip with our LIVE transfer blog
Manchester United signing Harry Kane is ‘absolutely what Sir Alex Ferguson would have done’, talkSPORT has been told amid reports of the striker’s possible summer move to Old Trafford.
Spurs fans woke up on Saturday morning to a huge transfer story that will have them fearing for the future of their iconic marksman.
Man United are reportedly considering a stunning summer swoop to sign KaneFerguson didn’t let age get in his way of signing a player if he felt they could add something to his teamMultiple reports claim Erik ten Hag has instructed the Man United hierarchy to ‘bring me Kane’, with the Red Devils plotting a stunning summer move for the England captain.
It is even suggested Kane is open to the move himself, with Tottenham failing to fulfil their promise of delivering trophies for their star man.
Ten Hag is said to have made signing a new world-class No.9 his top priority this summer, and Kane is his primary target with the 29-year-old set to enter the final year of his contract at the end of the season.
It is also claimed Spurs are doubtful they can convince him to stay.
The reports claim his transfer could fetch between £80million and £100million, despite his age and time remaining on his deal in north London.
While some may argue he is not worth that fee now – having been linked to Man City two years ago for around the same money – talkSORT pundit Tony Cascarino insists he is worth it, and it’s something legendary former manager Ferguson would have jumped at.
Ten Hag wants to new No.9 to lead his Man United team and reportedly sees Kane is the ideal candidateCould Kane be the next Teddy Sheringham? He moved from Tottenham to Man United at the age of 31 and went on to lift three Premier League titles, win the Champions League and the FA CupMost read in FootballChelsea complete Madueke deal, Trossard joins Arsenal, Man United line up Kane moveKiwior filmed at airport before Arsenal medical after £22m deal agreed with SpeziaLallana sends spiky message to Arsenal's Trossard and says Brighton are 'already coping' Noni Madueke: Chelsea complete sixth January signing as England Under-21 star arrives Trossard takes Pepe's shirt number at Arsenal even though £70m flop is still on the booksSpurs U-turn on decision to ban flag just 64 minutes after fan backlash “It’s absolutely what Ferguson would have done,” said the Weekend Sports Breakfast host.
“He bought Teddy Sheringham when he was 31, he got Dimitar Berbatov at a similar age [27] and Robin van Persie was 29 when Fergie signed him.
“Even though he’s [going to be] 30, Kane doesn’t rely on pace, so that’s a big asset for a player.
“Would Manchester United be the right club for him? Absolutely, of course it is. Look at the stature of the club, they want to challenge and next year Ten Hag has every ambition, you can quite clearly see he wants to be title challengers next year.
“If you’re going for Harry Kane, he’s another part of the puzzle you’re putting together, because he is one hell of a striker.”
Kane missed out on a move to Man City two summers’ ago and would have been assured there was silverware on the horizon to stay in north London.
Harry Kane has delivered another impressive Premier League season so far, but it is time he left Tottenham?But trophies have not materialised at Spurs and, with doubts over the future of head coach Antonio Conte too, it would make sense that Kane would feel the time has finally come to move on and seek the trophies his sensational scoring record deserves.
By the end of this season it is likely Kane will also be Tottenham’s all-time record goalscorer. The striker is only a goal away from equalling the great Jimmy Greaves club record of 266 goals.
And it would be the correct time to depart, according to Cascarino, with supporters left in no doubt over the striker’s love for his boyhood club.
“I can’t see how Tottenham can keep him,” he added.
Kane may feel now that he has to leave Tottenham to get his hands on the silverware a player of his talent deserves“They can try and push to give him fresh ideas to stay, I think they’ve tried to pacify him by appointing the type of managers they have, showing the ambition of having Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte.
“But time is running out for Harry. Now he’s 30, he’s looking and thinking, ‘I need to win things. I WANT to win things’.
“If you see his reaction to City’s third goal this week, it’s… wow, he’s literally shell shocked about how Spurs capitulated.
“I think he’s shown his love for Spurs and how much he’s done for them as a football club and it would be the right time to go.”
Keep up to date with all the latest news, rumours and gossip with our LIVE transfer blog
Liverpool and Chelsea have been told it would take ‘huge’ bid to tempt Brighton into selling Moises Caicedo in the January transfer window.
The 21-year-old Ecuadorian is one of the most highly-rated young players in the Premier League, with his performances for the Seagulls attracting the attention of two of English football’s biggest clubs.
Brighton have found a gem in Caicedo, who is one of the Premier League’s top young playersCaicedo has been linked with a move to Liverpool, with Jurgen Klopp said to be a big admirer as he looks to remodel his midfield at Anfield.
Meanwhile, he is said to be on Chelsea’s list of alternative targets after missing out on signing World Cup-winning Argentina star Enzo Fernandez from Benfica.
He isn’t the only Brighton player wanted by top teams this January, though, with star forward Leandro Trossard expected to depart after a falling out with manager Roberto De Zerbi, while Argentine ace Alexis Mac Allister is also a wanted man after lifting the World Cup in Qatar.
It is claimed Brighton would be more receptive to a bid for Caicedo than for Mac Allister, but even then it would take a big-money bid for the Seagulls to even consider parting with one of their key players.
But talkSPORT understands Brighton are yet to receive any bids for the midfield talent.
talkSPORT’s transfer insider Alex Crook said: “Moises Caicedo is being linked with the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea, but at the moment I’m told Brighton haven’t received any bids for him.
Caicedo is a key player for club and countryMost read in FootballMan United 2-1 Man City LIVE: Ten Hag 'dancing' as Rashford leads Red Devils to famous winAguero has everyone in stitches as ex-Barcelona ace Pique responds to Shakira's diss track'We're working hard' - Newcastle table offer for Barcelona forward whose future in doubtRashford was rejected by Man City as a kid for same reason River Plate didn't sign MessiMan United reject Southampton's Scott McTominay enquiry as Ten Hag wants squad strengthRomeo Beckham at Brentford 'for a reason' as David is seen leaving debut through bushes “And nor would they welcome them in this transfer window.
“I think it would take a huge amount of money for him to be prised away.”
Caicedo played every single minute of Ecuador’s World Cup campaign in Qatar.
He was signed by the Seagulls for just £5million from Ecuadorian club Independiente del Valle in 2021, and has since made 29 senior appearances for the club, chipping in with two goals and three assists.
Most of those have come this season, with his form helping Brighton up to eighth in the Premier League table.
While doing the business under De Zerbi at the Amex Stadium, he was brought to the club by Graham Potter and spoke highly of his former boss when he departed the Seagulls hotseat to become the new manager of Chelsea.
Caicedo has talked up a possible ‘dream’ move to Chelsea, but Brighton won’t be letting him go on the cheapHe even responded to questions over whether he would entertain a reunion with Potter at Stamford Bridge, admitting joining a club like Chelsea would be ‘a dream’.
“Right now I’m very focused on Brighton and the World Cup,” he said back in September 2022.
“I want to have a great World Cup and then we’ll see what happens.
“I think they are one of the best teams in the world and nobody would turn down an offer from Chelsea or any other club like that.
“It’d be a dream to be in the best teams in the world and succeed there.”
Keep up to date with all the latestnews, rumours and gossip with our LIVE transfer blog
Leandro Trossard is travelling back to Belgium after being dumped out of the Brighton first-team squad.
The forward is hoping to leave the Seagulls in January, with talkSPORT told a transfer to Tottenham is ‘most likely’, although north London rivals Arsenal are also keeping tabs on the situation.
Trossard is said to have returned home to Belgium after falling out with his manager at BrightonTrossard has fallen out with new Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi since returning from the World Cup in Qatar, with the coach unhappy with the Belgium international’s apparent poor attitude and behaviour.
He was dropped from the matchday squad for Brighton’s FA Cup win over Middlesbrough last week and the manager has insisted he will not feature against Liverpool in the Premier League this weekend, either.
The 28-year-old’s agent has since hit out at the coach, accusing him of ‘humiliating’ his client by making him train away from the rest of the first-team group.
Trossard’s agent, who confirmed the player had been involved in a training ground altercation with a teammate, called for Brighton to accept an offer for him this month as a transfer would be ‘beneficial for both parties’.
Tottenham and Arsenal have both been linked with an interest in the Belgian, although a potential bid from the Gunners hinges on their pursuit of Mykhailo Mudryk.
talKSPORT understands that deal is close, with the clubs how negotiating how much of the £62million transfer fee will be paid up front before the transfer is signed off by Shakhtar Donetsk.
Trossard is Brighton’s joint-top scorer this season with seven goalsMost read in FootballMan United 2-1 Man City LIVE: Ten Hag 'dancing' as Rashford leads Red Devils to famous winAguero has everyone in stitches as ex-Barcelona ace Pique responds to Shakira's diss track'We're working hard' - Newcastle table offer for Barcelona forward whose future in doubtRashford was rejected by Man City as a kid for same reason River Plate didn't sign MessiMan United reject Southampton's Scott McTominay enquiry as Ten Hag wants squad strengthRomeo Beckham at Brentford 'for a reason' as David is seen leaving debut through bushes And it appears Trossard has taken matters into his own hands by fleeing the south coast club and returning home to Brussels as he waits for a deal to happen.
“This is quickly turning into a very messy situation,” said talkSPORT transfer insider Alex Crook as he brought the Weekend Sports Breakfast the latest on Trossard’s future.
“I’m hearing that Trossard is heading back to Brussels. Whether he has Brighton’s permission, I’m trying to find out.
“We know there is interest from Tottenham but that hasn’t been backed up with a formal bid.
“The only bid Brighton have received is from an unnamed foreign club and it didn’t meet their valuations. That was rejected.
“Unless someone pays what Tony Bloom believes Trossard is worth, he won’t let him go.
De Zerbi has sent Brighton star Trossard into exile at the clubArsenal’s interest in Trossard hinges on whether they can get a deal done for top target Mudryk“We’ve seen in the past, he is a very ruthless negotiator. Arsenal paid £50m for Ben White and Chelsea paid even more for Marc Cucurella.
“They got good money for Yves Bissouma in the last year of his contract. If anything, Trossard’s behaviour will make Bloom more determined.”
On Trossard’s possible next destination, Crook added: “I think Tottenham are the most likely, they have shown the most interest.
“Arsenal are keeping tabs on the situation, but if they get Mudryk, they will feel they’re well-stocked in that area.
“It might be a club lower down, someone like Aston Villa, who are showing big ambitions to revamp the squad in Emery’s image.
“Maybe they are ones to keep an eye on.”
Keep up to date with all the latestnews, rumours and gossip with our LIVE transfer blog
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been told his tactics are flawed with Thiago in their team as his side’s struggles continue.
The Reds muddled their way to a 2-2 draw with Wolves in the FA Cup third round and once again looked below-par in the middle of the park.
Thiago’s role in Liverpool’s midfield has been questionedBrazilian defensive midfielder Fabinho remains off-form but Spanish superstar Thiago has been branded the issue by former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino.
The Weekends Sports Breakfast host is also a huge Liverpool fan and, while he believes the ex-Barcelona and Bayern Munich man is one of the best players he’s seen, doesn’t feel he suits Klopp’s style – especially when the chips are down.
He told talkSPORT: “My biggest problem with Liverpool is that I think Klopp’s idea is flawed around Thiago.
“He is a fabulous, talented footballer but, all the time he is in that midfield, the ball keeps going to him. And, yes, he is really comfortable on it and he can make things happen. He’s technically gifted.
“He’s up there with the very best I’ve seen but I just think it affects Liverpool’s style completely.
“They lose possession and teams keep coming at them and go through Liverpool like a knife through butter. I’ve seen Leeds do it to Liverpool at Anfield this year. I’ve seen Leicester do it to Liverpool. And I’ve seen, yesterday, Wolves, again.
Cascarino doesn’t believe Thiago fits Klopp’s styleKlopp needs to make big tactical decision – fastMost read in FootballripTributes paid as former PSG and Cameroon star dies from heart attack aged 40DEMANDDortmund want £100million up front for Bellingham with Liverpool leading racelesson'Casemiro has proved me wrong' - ex-Chelsea star praises transformative midfieldermoveMan United 'agree deal' to sign Aboubakar as Al Nassr contract ripped up for RonaldoINTERESTMan United 'close' to deal for Burnley outcast and World Cup hero Wout WeghorstlossMancini remembers 'little brother' Vialli and says 'I was hoping for a miracle' “These are without mentioning Fulham at the start of the season, Napoli in the Champions League, and Man United away.
“Liverpool are playing a style that I believe is flawed with Thiago in there because I just think it changes the whole way LIverpool managed the midfield before.”
Cascarino added: “Holding midfielders are really important in the modern game. You have to have a ball-winner. Kalvin Phillips did it for Leeds. Look at Kante being missing at Chelsea and what’s happened. They can’t do the same things at Chelsea.
“Casemiro coming into Manchester United completely changes their dynamic because he wins the ball and he keeps the ball. You can go on, Rodri at Man City.
“Holding midfielders are really important. Liverpool are missing that type of player. It’s not because Thiago is not a fabulous footballer, because he clearly is. I just think the style is flawed with him in it.”
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Casemiro has been hailed for revolutionising Manchester United’s midfield after another fine display against Everton.
The £60million summer signing from Real Madrid was influential again as the Red Devils progressed to the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 3-1 win at Old Trafford.
United fans adore their Brazilian signingsEverton put up a tough fight, particularly in midfield, but United and Casemiro came out on top for their seventh consecutive win.
And after seeing the team’s new Brazilian No.18 come out on top, talkSPORT host and former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino admitted he’d been proved wrong.
When asked what the biggest difference is for United this season, he replied: “Midfield, Casemiro has won the lot.
“I thought it was a lot of money, I’ll be honest on this and say I got it wrong.
“I know he’s a really good player, he doesn’t play for Real Madrid for that amount of time and do so well and win so much if he’s not a good player
“But, and there is a big but, He’s completely changed the midfield because [Christian] Eriksen gets freed up and with that [Bruno] Fernandes is back to the Fernandes that was playing brilliantly when he first joined.
Casemiro won a fierce midfield battleMost read in FootballtransfersChelsea chase Fernandez and Arsenal target Mudryk, Man City want BellinghamnutsDe Gea branded 'Sunday League' and Keane said it 'looked like he'd had a few drinks'ALL OKRonaldo can live with partner Rodriguez despite Saudi's strict unmarried couple lawsTWO BIRDSMan United 'agree deal' to sign Aboubakar with Ronaldo and Al Nassr to benefitdistressIwobi leaves Old Trafford in tears on a stretcher after 'nasty' ankle rollTALENTRomeo Beckham 'proud' after signing loan deal with Premier League developmental side “You can see a massive improvement in the team so you’ve got to hold your hands up and say how well the manager has done.
“Man United are a side brimming with confidence and Rashford is on top of his game, it’s an incredible run of matches and performances too.”
talkSPORT commentator and Sunderland legend Micky Gray was another to admit he was wrong to question the £60m fee paid for the 30-year-old.
He said: “You talk about doing the hard yards and winning the ball back for your team, but he’s got an eye for a pass, his reading of a football match, I’ve not seen that for a long, long time.
“I questioned his signing when he first walked through the door but sometimes you’ve got to take it back, he’s a top quality player and he’s made Man United so much better.”
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Darwin Nunez’s start at Liverpool has been likened to Timo Werner’s time at Chelsea.
But whilst it didn’t work out for the Blues star, Nunez has been told he ‘will come good’, and could have a similar impact like former Reds man Luis Suarez.
Nunez had a number of chances against Leicester but just couldn’t find the netJurgen Klopp’s side managed to cling on to their 2-1 lead over the Foxes on Friday night, as the visitors’ opening goal was cancelled out thanks to two own goals from Wout Faes.
The second time Faes turned the ball into his own net had stemmed from a chance from Liverpool‘s summer signing Nunez, whose shot hit the post before the ball rebounded off Faes and into the net.
But despite Nunez not getting on the scoresheet himself, talkSPORT’s Tony Cascarino was full of praise for his role in the game.
“I would say the relentless work rate of Nunez has been brilliant again,” the ex-Chelsea striker said on GameDay Breakfast.
“Okay, he’s not clinical enough and he has to become a better finisher, but his work rate was brilliant last night.
“Leicester didn’t like it. I mean [Daniel] Amartey gave him about four or five yards at one stage and got past him with a blistering pace.”
Most read in FootballbestCarragher labels Howe as Premier League's top boss ahead of Guardiola and KloppSTRONGFernandez signs along with superstar attackers - How Chelsea could look next seasonWORRYToney stretchered off during Brentford's win over West Ham as Frank gives updatedone dealCristiano Ronaldo completes eye-watering transfer to Saudi Arabian club Al NassrtroubleBrentford fans taunt Moyes with chant as West Ham boss admits pressure on jobCLASHLiverpool 2-1 Leicester LIVE REACTION: Reds win after Faes scores TWO own goals Cascarino thinks Nunez is already proving how vital he’ll be for LiverpoolHe continued: “He’s doing everything right. Okay, he’s not because he’s not scoring. But he’s doing everything right getting into the positions to score.
“Don’t stop doing that and I really feel like he’ll go on a run, he really will do because he’s got such devastating pace.
“Liverpool fans are actually really enjoying his performances and they’ll take to him because they love his attitude, his desire to get across the pitch and make other people’s jobs easier.
“He does that really well.”
Nunez reminds Cascarino of WernerNunez’s miss that led to Liverpool’s second goal was just one of the many shots Nunez had on the night, and isn’t the first game the Uruguayan has had where he’s failed to convert a handful of chances.
The star has had 52 attempts on goal in the Premier League this season, but scored just five goals.
Nunez isn’t the first player to come to the Premier League and fail to convert despite their large number of chances at the start of their career, with Werner struggling to hit a barn door during his time at Chelsea.
And Cascarino admits he sees similarities between the Uruguayan and German.
Cascarino thinks Liverpool can have faith in NunezBut whilst Werner left Stamford Bridge this summer after scoring just 23 goals in 89 games, Cascarino thinks Nunez won’t suffer the same fate.
“Do you know who he reminds me of? Timo Werner,” Cascarino added.
“Where he couldn’t buy a goal, his pace was brilliant, he never stopped working his socks off, it’s a little like that scenario.
“It feels like Timo Werner, there’s a bit more about Nunez I think, I do think he’ll come good. I was never convinced by Timo Werner.”
Cascarino isn’t the only one that has faith in Nunez becoming a success for Liverpool, with Reds legend Jamie Carragher also backing him.
Suarez was a deadly striker for Liverpool in the endBut instead of comparing him to Werner, Carragher says Nunez’s start to life at Liverpool reminds him of the striker’s compatriot, Uruguayan and former Reds striker Suarez.
And Carragher thinks Nunez can emulate Suarez’s legacy at Anfield, that saw him net 82 goals in 133 games after also having a slow start.
“He just needs to be a little bit more clinical, a bit calmer in certain situations,” Carragher told Sky Sports before the Leicester game.
“He’s got a hell of a strike on him with both feet so I don’t think he’s ever going to be a delicate finisher, he’s always going to put his foot through the ball.
“You mention [Robert] Lewandowski, I mean Nunez already has more goals than he had in his first season at Borussia Dortmund right now.
“And you think of another player here whose finishing was a bit erratic when he came in and ended up being the best striker in the world for four or five years, Luis Suarez.
“Different type of player, but when I first saw him, he’d scuff shots, they’d go past the post, but you knew there was something there.
“I think the players playing with Nunez are thinking ‘we are really close to having something really special’, but of course you have to get more goals, finish more of those chances and I’m sure that’ll come.”
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Manchester United is the best place for Cody Gakpo but the Red Devils must not wait too long, insists Mario Melchiot.
Netherlands star Gakpo made a name for himself at the 2022 World Cup, scoring three goals before his nation were knocked out by Argentina in the quarter-finals.
United could reignite their pursuit of Gakpo in 2023The PSV forward was on United’s radar during the summer transfer window, but the Premier League giants instead spent £86million to sign Antony from Ajax.
Following the recent departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag has suggested the club will try to sign a striker in January.
It is understood Gakpo is one of their main targets – and ex-Netherlands international Melchiot explains why United cannot wait too long to sign the 23-year-old.
“If you want a good player – and Gakpo is talented, fast, he has everything – don’t wait too long,” former Chelsea defender Melchiot told talkSPORT.
“The price will become too expensive. So they should go after him right now.”
Gakpo was available for around £25m during the summer but there are now claims PSV, who are managed by United legend Ruud van Nistelrooy, could demand as much as £50m following the striker’s World Cup heroics.
Gakpo has nine goals and 12 assists in 14 Eredivisie matches this seasonMost read in EredivisieDEMANDPSV chief reveals huge fee Man United would have to pay to land Dutch star GakpoRISEXavi Simons - Chelsea target at 12, now he's played for Netherlands at World CupuglyPitch invading Den Haag fans throw flares and corner flags into away section'better condition'Ajax wonderkid wakes from year-long coma after pitch collapseAjax confirm Abdelhak Nouri has suffered 'serious and permanent brain damage'Man United to sign ex-Liverpool goalkeeper who scores backheel volleys? Nevertheless, Melchiot believes the Dutch connection between Ten Hag and Gakpo makes Old Trafford an attractive destination.
“If someone asked me, I would say go to a Dutch manager,” Melchiot said.
“You need to make sure you go to a team that plays attacking football, you know where you’re going to play – and you need to be sure you can handle that.
“The Dutch league is very technical and tactical. In England, you need an extra third part, and that is character.”
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Tony Cascarino has compared Argentine forward Julian Alvarez to former Middlesbrough favourite Juninho and says he is the ‘perfect’ partner for Lionel Messi.
The talkSPORT host praised the Manchester City forward for his performances at the World Cup since coming into the team in the group stages.
Alvarez has had a big impact on the Argentina teamPint-sized Juninho is a Middlesbrough hero and remembered as one of the top maverick talents the Premier League has ever seenThe 22-year-old was not initially part of Argentina’s first-team plans in Qatar.
Alvarez came into the team in the third group match, replacing Lautaro Martinez, and he has kept his place since, scoring four goals in the tournament.
Cascarino said on the Weekend Sports Breakfast: “Manchester City openly admitted they spent a lot of time chasing him. They allowed him to stay on loan at River Plate. They were obviously signing Erling Haaland.
“When they got the deal done, it’s been interesting watching him from the sidelines and the appearances he makes for Manchester City.
“We saw him against Nottingham Forest where he got a brace and was brilliant on the day. He reminds me a bit of Juninho – the Middlesbrough one.
“He’s got great feet, trickery – you can see the Juninho in him. You can see his goals, the way he plays the game, his enthusiasm and desire.
Alvarez has scored four goals at the World Cup so farMost read in FootballOUTDeschamps rules out Benzema return for World Cup final after star's cryptic Insta postIN THE DIARYWhen is the World Cup final? Date, kick-off time and venueSTUNNINGBrentford star Toney emulates Beckham with stunning strike from near halfway lineDEMANDLeeds, Leicester and West Ham join race for Morocco star as 'many offers' revealedneedJesus a 'huge loss' for Arsenal, but ex-Spurs man says rivals have learned from errorsCHAOSEx-Spurs man hit with metal bin as Melbourne Derby turns ugly and fans storm pitch “He’s the perfect foil for Lionel Messi because Messi is quite static for long periods while Alvarez runs everywhere.”
Meanwhile, South American football expert Tim Vickery has identified the introduction of Alvarez into the team as a crucial part of Argentina’s World Cup run to the final, as they take on France on Sunday – with LIVE commentary on talkSPORT.
He said: “Alvarez has been a change they made. The military people say: no plan ever survives first contact with the enemy.
“Scaloni had a thought: ‘It’s going to be more difficult than we imagined. We’re not going to be able to bring Messi into the game as often as we want because we won’t always have control of the game’.
Alvarez would not have expected ahead of the World Cup that he would have played such a big role in helping Argentina to the final, and possible glory“Messi spends a lot of time wandering around, biding his moment, waiting for his opportunity – if Messi is going to be more sporadic, they need someone to do the running.
“And so Martinez, the out-and-out centre-forward is gone and in comes Alvarez, who is quick, mobile, intelligent and has the soul of the midfielder.
“He takes some of the pressure off Messi by doing the running for him. That adaptation they have had to make under the conditions of the World Cup.”
talkSPORT World Cup 2022 CoveragetalkSPORT is bringing you wall-to-wall coverage of the 2022 World Cup.
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Liverpool may no longer be able to afford a transfer fee for England sensation Jude Bellingham, talkSPORT have been told.
The Borussia Dortmund wonderkid has had an exceptional World Cup and been one of the tournament’s best players.
Bellingham has had a fine tournament in QatarAt just 19 years old, Bellingham had thrilled in central midfield, scored his first international goal, and dominated opponents.
Hype around the player was already high ahead of the tournament with Liverpool and Real Madrid two of the frontrunners for a potential transfer in the summer.
In October, there were reports a fee of £87million could be enough to win the race for his signature.
Now, though, it’s unlikely Bundesliga side Dortmund would settle for anything under £100m give his mature performances in Qatar.
And this belief is held by former Premier League star Tony Cascarino, despite it being at the expense of Liverpool, the club he supports.
He told the Weekend Sports Breakfast: “This kid has got the world at his feet.
Bellinhgham had stars like Griezmann chasing their tailsMost read in Footballcoming homeEngland stars bringing Dave the cat home to UK despite World Cup exit to FranceLEADERBellingham reveals what he told Kane after England penalty miss against FranceangerPepe blames 'Argentine referee' and 'Messi complaining' for Portugal's World Cup exitfeud'You talk too much' - Messi bites back at Netherlands and Van GaalPRAISEDeschamps admits France were 'lucky' but Rabiot says Kane's pen miss was 'justice'protectedPickford ushers cameras away from Kane after England World Cup exit to France “He seems so smart that I can’t imagine somewhere along the way he doesn’t win something major, like a Euros or a World Cup.
“He’s got something that is very rare and that’s a humbleness about him, plus being smart.
“He’s had a terrific tournament. He’s become the talk [of it].
“I’ve hated it because I’m thinking Liverpool can’t buy him now because no one is going to be able to buy him. He’s going to go into that bracket of too expensive.”
Bellingham himself believes he can get one of those major trophies.
Bellingham was devastated by England’s exitHe was understandably emotional at full-time in Qatar, but gave an honest insight into his feelings when the whistle went.
He said: “The overriding feeling is disappointment because of the way we’ve gone out. But the memories that will live with me in terms of the learning in training and the games, playing against certain opponents – it’s invaluable how much I’ve taken from this camp and from the tournament.
“If there’s one feeling that I got after the defeat and in that moment when I couldn’t keep my emotions to myself, it was: I’ve got to get one.
“Whether it’s the World Cup or Euros, the mentality for me is I’ve got to get one.”
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FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been branded ‘tone deaf’ for his ‘offensive’ speech ahead of the World Cup in Qatar.
In an apparent attempt at giving a message of inclusion on the eve of the tournament, the football chief appeared to do precisely the opposite, as he declared: “Today I feel Qatari. Today I feel Arabic. Today I feel African. Today I feel gay. Today I feel disabled.”
Infantino’s speech will be talked about for a while The 2022 World Cup kicks off on Sunday Instead of hyping up excitement for the tournament the day before Sunday’s opening game between Qatar and Ecuador, Infantino did the very thing he warned competing nations not to do – focus on the politics and not on the pitch.
The FIFA boss hit back at criticism of Qatar specifically from European nations, warning against hypocrisy, but ultimately overshadowed his message with a poorly worded one-hour long monologue which only seems to have made things worse.
The rights of the LGBTQ+ community and migrant workers in Qatar have been heavily in focus in the years leading up to the finals, particularly in Europe, but Infantino highlighted Europe’s own shortcomings, both currently and throughout history, in what was an impassioned defence of Qatar’s progress since the finals were controversially awarded in 2010.
But he has attracted criticism for his comments early on in the speech, in which he appeared to say he understands the suffering of ethnic minorities, gay and disabled people because he was bullied for having red hair and freckles when he was a child, as well as the discrimination his family faced as Italian migrants in Switzerland.
But what was meant as a speech to promote inclusivity in Qatar, Infantino has now been accused of being offensive to the very communities he was looking to soothe.
“Just that segment alone, I’m astounded,” said talkSPORT host Natalie Sawyer on the Weekend Sports Breakfast from Doha.
Infantino has accused the West of hypocrisy of its reporting of Qatar’s issues ahead of the World Cup
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“His comments, ‘I feel Qatari, I feel African, I feel Arabian’, it just seems so flippant that he’s trying to make out, ‘I can be on-side with everybody’ and yet it’s totally the wrong way of doing it.
“For him to say, ‘I feel disabled’, how offensive is that to disabled people? Disabled people will see that and be like, ‘No you don’t – how dare you?’.”
Co-host Tony Cascarino said: “I find it extraordinary. It sounds like an incredibly insincere statement, to me.
“We’re not responsible for what happened in the past. The people of today are trying to make change for the better and he is still pointing fingers at something he can’t understand.
“If you’re going to come out and make comments like, ‘I feel gay, I feel like a migrant worker’ – he clearly doesn’t.
“You can’t talk like that. I wouldn’t ever dream of saying that I know how a gay man feels. You can’t! You don’t understand their lives.
talkSPORT host Sawyer was stunned by Infantino’s comments on the eve of the World Cup “How can you on the eve of the World Cup come out with such a ludicrous amount of information and statements in regards to what’s going on in Qatar?”
“He’s deflecting, Sawyer added. “Presumably it’s because he has to deflect from what has already been happening in the build-up to this World Cup.
“He’s saying these ridiculous comments because he’s trying to be on-side with the Qatar ruling authorities, rather than just actually playing it the right way – which is not to say, ‘I feel disabled, I feel Arab, I feel African’, because you don’t, Gianni Infantino! You’ve no idea!”
The Weekend Sports Breakfast hosts were then joined by Times journalist Tom Ruddy, who admitted his surprise that the FIFA president was still trying to diffuse the situation on the eve of the World Cup, admitting the issues facing this tournament are ‘even worse than we expected’.
“For me, this is tone deaf,” he said.
Infantino risked masking his message with his bizarre comments “It’s this attempt at being all inclusive, but the wording is actually quite insulting to many people listening to that, and to all of the communities he’s actually mentioning.
“It’s because Infantino is at the centre of this. He’s living in Qatar, he obviously knows this nation very well and he’s trying to appease everyone here, and I’m not sure he’s doing the best job.
“It was only the other day Infantino was saying he hopes for a ceasefire in the invasion between Russia and Ukraine – this idea of football bringing people together, this idealistic view of the world…
“All these problems were going to appear, and they are, we just didn’t think we’d be getting to the eve of the tournament and they’d be having to try and negotiate all of this.
“It’s a real mess, and it’s possibly even worse than we expected it to be.”
talkSPORT World Cup 2022 Coverage
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We are broadcasting all 64 games in the tournament live, with over 600 hours of coverage across our network.
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Tottenham manager Antonio Conte has been told to play Rodrigo Bentancur further forward to maximise his impact.
The Uruguayan star has been sensational for a stuttering Spurs in recent weeks and a two-goal salvo against Leeds gave them a 4-3 comeback win on Saturday.
Bentancur helped Tottenham pull off a stunning comeback win Injured teammate Heung-Min Son couldn’t believe Bentancur got a brace Not only has he amassed five goals this season, including other vital goals against Bournemouth and Sporting Lisbon, he’s been their best player in a run of below-par performances.
Even his teammates have been lauding his displays in recent weeks.
A £17million signing, which now looks like an a incredible bargain, he was landed from Juventus alongside another standout star against Leeds – Dejan Kulusevski.
And the Swedish winger couldn’t hide his delight with the box-to-box midfielder.
“He is a fantastic player, one of the most underrated players in the world. I am very happy for him,” he told the BBC.
And former Premier League star Tony Cascarino believes Italian boss Conte should take heed of the Uruguayan’s late-game antics and push him further upfield more often at the start of games – not just when they’re struggling.
Bentancur was the late hero for Spurs and is being praised by teammates and pundits Bentancur was also a late hero in the win against Bournemouth
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“I can’t get how they can’t start the game with Bentancur playing higher up the pitch, joining around Kane,” he told the Weekend Sports Breakfast.
“Is it a coincidence that he’s done that a number of times and scored from positions where he’s further forward?
“He’s a talented lad, Bentancur. He’s the one who has got the most ability of the midfielders at Spurs.
“You want to get him higher up the pitch. When he joins higher up the pitch and Conte pushes him forward, because they keep going behind in games, they look a completely different team.”
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Moaning Tottenham fans have been reminded ‘they would have been very happy’ with their season so far at the start of the campaign.
Antonio Conte’s side currently sit fourth in the Premier League, the position they finished in last season after they pipped fierce rivals Arsenal to it at the last minute.
Conte has got Spurs into the top four but supporters are still not convinced by his style of play Spurs have struggled to remain consistent this season – but fans have been told not to press the panic button Spurs are also into the last-16 in their return to the Champions League after a stoppage time goal saw them win at Marseille and make it out of the group stages.
But being knocked out of the League Cup in their first tie by Nottingham Forest and losing to Liverpool last time out in the Premier League has left a sour taste in the mouths of some fans.
While results have come, some supporters are unhappy with the defensive style of play under Conte and with their record of conceding goals.
Now though, Tottenham legend Clive Allen has given those supporters a reality check for both their expectations this season and of their manager.
“If anyone had given Spurs supporters that at the start of the season, getting to the break in the Champions League positions in the Premier League and through to the Champions League knockouts, they’d have been very happy,” he told talkSPORT’s Weekend Sports Breakfast
“It’s Antonio’s way, and he will continue that. The way he plays and the way his teams gets results, if you win it’s great.
Some fans haven’t been impressed with Spurs taking until the the second half to get into games But Allen – who played for Spurs between 1984 and 1988 – says fans would’ve know Conte’s game plan doesn’t always work out
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“If you don’t, obviously people will start to scrutinise it.
“But a victory today will set us up really nicely for the second half of the season.”
Spurs face a revitalised Leeds side at the Tottenham Stadium on Saturday afternoon, as Conte’s side look to go into the break for the World Cup on a high – live on talkSPORT.
To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream.
Bournemouth have been warned Marcelo Bielsa’s style of football will see them ‘beat anybody’ but also ‘be beaten by everybody’.
The Cherries have made the Argentine their sole target as they look for a permanent replacement for Scott Parker, talkSPORT understands.
Bielsa could be making a shock return to the Premier League Bournemouth were taken over by American businessman Bill Foley in October and are now in the final stages of making their first managerial decision.
But according to talkSPORT host Tony Cascarino, the Premier League side need to be wary that ‘Bielsa Ball’ can be both a blessing and a curse – as seen from his time at Leeds.
“He plays fearless football,” the former Chelsea star said on Saturday’s Weekend Breakfast.
“Sometimes you can come away thinking ‘did I just witness that?’ [when he was at] Leeds and the way they played.
“They can be beaten by anybody and they can beat anybody. When it’s good it’s great, it’s much more than that, it’s terrific.
“But it can be bad and suddenly everyone’s going ‘you can’t play football like that’. He’s got people defending, everybody getting forward and chasing everywhere all over the pitch.
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O’Neil is still under consideration – but Bielsa is believed to be keen on taking the job “That’s surely wrong, so I get that as well. You need some sort of pragmatic style to that adventurous play.”
Bielsa’s man-marking system – which emphasises on defending with the same energy and intensity that players press with – led Leeds to promotion back to the Premier League in 2020 after a 16 year hiatus.
It also saw Leeds finish ninth in their first season back in the top flight.
But the wheels came off for Bielsa last campaign, and he was sacked in February after a streak of four consecutive losses in which Leeds conceded 17 goals, leaving them two points off the relegation zone.
The Cherries currently sit 17th in the league, one point off third-from-bottom Southampton.
Bournemouth go into Saturday’s game against Everton – who they thumped 4-1 in the EFL Cup on Tuesday – off the back of four losses in a row.
Alejandro Garnacho is ready to challenge for a place in Manchester United’s starting XI after his dazzling emergence this season.
That’s according to talkSPORT host Tony Cascarino, who claims the 18-year-old Argentine ace has ‘shown more’ in his handful of dazzling appearances than Jadon Sancho has since become a Red Devil.
Garnacho is slowly cementing his place in the Man United first team – having managed two goals and three assists in seven appearances The 18-year-old is tipped for big things in the game Garnacho has made seven senior appearances for United, has really shone in the club’s last two outings in the Europa League and their Carabao Cup comeback against Aston Villa.
The wonderkid impressed in his full debut for the Premier League giants against FC Sheriff, with a performance that saw him compared to Cristiano Ronaldo by Old Trafford legend Paul Scholes.
He then followed that up by scoring his first senior Man United goal with the winner in a 1-0 victory over Real Sociedad, which saw Ten Hag’s side progress from the group stage.
After that game Garnacho was called out for his poor attitude at the start of the season by teammate and vice-captain Bruno Fernandes, who said the youngster is already seeing the benefits after improving his conduct at the club.
Garnacho then came off the bench to provide two assists as United came back from 2-1 down to beat Villa 4-2 to seal their place in the fourth round – where they will face Burnley – in a cameo which got fans out of their seats every time he had the ball.
And former Chelsea striker Cascarino says the teen star has impressed him so much that he can see Garnacho making regular starts for United soon, telling the likes of Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Elanga to watch their backs.
Sancho is struggling to produce his best football in a Red Devils shirt Fernandes’ comments on Garnacho split opinion, but Cascarino says the experienced pro was trying to give the youngster a lesson
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“Garnacho is ready to challenge anyone in that forward line,” said the Weekend Sports Breakfast host on talkSPORT.
“He’s so tenacious, he’s scaring the life out of full-backs, he wants to go past people.
“He does a thing very few wingers can do brilliantly, and that’s running across the line of a defender and trying to get behind them, and then the defender just gets scared.
“All he wants to do is get to a position where he’s either going to set someone up or try to score himself – which he eventually did.
“He’s dangerous and he’s making a good case for himself to be playing in the Man United team now.”
Cascarino also expects Garnacho to push Sancho even further down the Old Trafford pecking order.
England star Sancho has struggled to reach the levels expected of him since his £73million arrival from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2021, having managed just eight goals and four assists in 52 appearances.
Sancho is struggling for confidence after failing to replicate the form he showed at Dortmund “If you look at Jadon Sancho and where he is and how he’s played, I’ve seen more from Garnacho this season in 45 minutes than I have from Sancho since he’s joined United,” Cascarino added.
“Sancho was brought to the club to get to bylines, get to dangerous areas of the pitch and make defenders uncomfortable, get goals and assists, and he’s not done that.
“Garnacho has got hunger and desire, he looks like an angry kid at times, he wants to be really direct – and that sits really well for what United need right now.
“He’s got the lot.”
However, United boss Ten Hag has sent a warning to Garnacho despite his rapid rise.
Garnacho missed team meetings during pre-season and has been carefully managed by Ten Hag ever since The Dutchman appears keen to keep his feet on the ground and make a point about his attitude, and has challenged the youngster to keep working hard to earn a more regular first-team spot.
“It was good that he came on and showed that performance and had that impact in the game, to be able to assist, make the dribbles and run behind,” Ten Hag said after the cup win over Villa.
“There are some things he has to improve, for instance when we go long to go for the second balls. He still has things to learn but quite obviously we are happy with his development and he can contribute to the team.
“It depends on his approach, his attitude. When he keeps working then yes, it is possible [for him to play more]. He wants to improve every day. He has to do the right things in his lifestyle. He has the capability.”
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It’s already been a cracking weekend of Premier League football, and it’s not over yet.
The standout fixture of the weekend is, in the eyes of some, Manchester United vs bitter rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford on Monday night, live on talkSPORT.
Old Trafford will be electric on Monday night, and talkSPORT has live and exclusive commentary for the mouth-watering fixture Neither side has made a good start to the season but there’s no doubt Liverpool are in a better position as a club than the Red Devils.
For Reds boss Jurgen Klopp it is yet another manager in the Old Trafford dugout he faces and joked that his club had saved a fortune by not having to pay off as many managers as their arch-rivals.
Before current boss Erik ten Hag there has been five – permanent and interim – men who have taken charge at Old Trafford since Klopp arrived in 2015.
And he suggested it must have been a costly exercise.
“Imagine the money Liverpool saved from not paying them [a similar number of managers] off,” he said.
“I should have said that when I signed the last contract. It would have been an interesting number.”
Klopp has been in charge of Liverpool since October 2015 In that time Man United have been coached by Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Michael Carrrick (interim) Ralf Rangnick (interim) and Erik ten Hag (pictured)
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If anything it makes it difficult for him to plan to play against United given the different philosophies facing him.
But the stats don’t look great for Man United, who will be looking to avoid a number of unwanted feats against Liverpool.
The Anfield side are looking to win four consecutive league games against Manchester United for the first time since January 2002, and are looking to win three straight away league games against them for the first time in their history.
A defeat for Man United will see them first three league games for only the fourth time in their history, the last coming in the 1986/87 season. Erik ten Hag would become just the second Red Devils manager to lose each of his first three matches in charge of the club since John Chapman in 1921.
Salah scored five goals against Man United last season, including a hat-trick at Old Trafford Losing to Liverpool would also consign them to a fifth league defeat in a row, which they haven’t managed since March 1972.
And a goal for Mohamed Salah will make him become the first Liverpool player in the club’s history to reach double figures against Man United.
In addition, the game on Monday night will be played amidst increasing supporter unrest.
Around 10,000 fans are thought to be planning to march before kick-off against owner Joel Glazer, but there will be fears splinter groups will try and disrupt the match.
A mass protest occurred at Old Trafford in May 2021 prior to the Red Devils’ game against Liverpool because of the actions from the Glazers in relation to the Super League When Liverpool visited Old Trafford in 2021, fans entered the closed stadium, which was shut due to the COVID pandemic, and forced its abandonment.
The recently formed United supporters’ group, The 1958, is planning further protests against the Glazers but, should there be a repeat of that previous disruption, Klopp believes Liverpool should be handed the points for a win.
“I really hope it will not happen but if it does happen I think we should get the points,” he said.
“We have nothing to do with the situation and if the supporters want the game not happening then we cannot just rearrange the game again and fit it in somewhere in an incredibly busy season.
Liverpool will be looking for their first win of the season to get their title challenge back on track Man United are in desperate need of three points, too “I don’t think it will and I really hope this won’t happen – I have no idea what could happen and I don’t think about it. People tell us we are fine, we go there and play the game hopefully and go home. But in a situation like this always the other team should get the points because they have nothing to do with it and they have prepared for it.”
talkSPORT’s Tony Cascarino believes Man United will one day come back, but it won’t be any time soon.
Speaking on The Weekend Sports Breakfast, he said: “United as a football club will come back. They will have new owners one day and it will be different – just not at present.
“It feels like this club is run so badly that every area of the football club is going backwards.
“I don’t work at the club or Carrington training ground but all I see is failure on every level. I don’t even get a vibe of an exciting youth team or young players who are coming through.
“It seems like everyone that’s joining that football club is signing massive deals.”
But for those 90+ minutes come 8pm on Monday, all these problems will be away from the minds of the Man United players as their sole focus is on getting the points and bragging rights against their oldest foes.
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Casemiro has been warned Manchester United’s midfield is ‘a million miles’ from Real Madrid’s and he could encounter the same problems as Bastian Schweinsteiger did.
The five-time Champions League winner will swap LaLiga for the Premier League and sign a four-year contract in a deal worth £60million.
Casemiro is understood to have completed his medical at Old Trafford But he may face familiar problems as to what Schweinsteiger faced The Brazilian is seen as a huge coup for United after playing a vital role in Madrid’s European dominance over the past decade, and will likely slot in as one of the first names on the team sheet.
Erik ten Hag’s side have got off to a dreadful start to the season with losses against Brighton and Brentford, and former Premier League striker Tony Cascarino believes the 30-year-old Brazilian could be in for a shock when he realises the quality, or lack of it, around him.
The talkSPORT host said: “A lot rests on his shoulders in terms of making a big improvement to the team.
“Casemiro can’t really run, he’s not a running midfielder so he needs legs around him for a start. If you’re going to buy Casemiro make sure you’ve got loads of energy and legs around him. The one thing you’ve heard about United the last few weeks is that they don’t run.”
Cascarino then drew an intriguing comparison to another midfield superstar who joined in 2015 and quickly realised the task at hand.
Bayern Munich allowed club legend Schweinsteiger to leave the Bundesliga for Old Trafford with the German boasting a similarly impressive CV to Casemiro.
Schweinsteiger couldn’t repeat his world class form he showed in Germany when going to England
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But the World Cup winner, who also moved at the age of 30, struggled from the off and left after after just a season-and-a-half with only 35 Red Devils appearances to his name.
Cascarino believes the comparison is there, due to the lack of players willing to run in United’s team.
“It reminds me a bit of Schweinsteiger,” he said. “When Schweinsteiger was at Bayern he was a terrific player.
“He came to Man United and his legs weren’t quite the same, maybe that’s harsh on Casemiro but Schweinsteiger needed legs in the team for him to shine and he never got going.
Casemiro will be teaming up up with international colleague Fred, but that might not be enough “I think [Casemiro] will come to Man United, he’ll see what’s happening and quickly realise it’s a million miles from Real Madrid, the players, the quality of the play.
“I don’t think he’s a player that’s suddenly going to hit the ground and make a huge amount of difference.
“The problem is they’ve got a lot of players who don’t want to run, his job is going to get even harder, you might see him get bypassed. Schweinsteiger got bypassed a lot at Man United and that team ran a lot more than this one does.”
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Chelsea have been sent a warning over their reported pursuit of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
“Jurgen Klopp never wanted him back.”
Aubameyang has impressed with 13 goals and one assist in 23 games since joining Barcelona from Arsenal in February Thomas Tuchel is said to be keen to bring his former Borussia Dortmund striker to Stamford Bridge, following the departures of Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner this summer.
Both signings have proven expensive mistakes for the Blues, with £97.5million man Lukaku returning to Inter Milan on loan just one season after his huge transfer back to London, while Werner has re-joined RB Leipzig for a little over half the £47.5m fee they paid the Germans to sign him two years ago.
Chelsea are running out of time to replace them and find a new striker to lead the line this term with less than three weeks until the transfer window closes.
One of their targets is ex-Arsenal man Aubameyang, who has fallen down the pecking order at Barcelona following the Catalan club’s spending spree.
Despite the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha arriving at the Nou Camp this summer, manager Xavi has said Aubameyang remains a part of this plans and doesn’t want to lose him, but Barca may have no choice if Chelsea lodge a bid, due to the club’s need to raise further funds.
Barca pulled another ‘lever’ this week with the sale of a stake in their in-house media production company Barca Studios, which allowed them to register four or their five summer arrivals.
Aubameyang managed 41 goals in 16 assists in 93 appearances for Borussia Dortmund under Klopp However, Jules Kounde – who snubbed Chelsea to join the Spanish giants – remains unregistered ahead of their season opener and selling one of Aubameyang, Memphis Depay or Frenkie de Jong would likely put enough cash in the bank to officially add the French defender to their squad list.
Tuchel is certainly keen, with the manager this week talking up his close relationship with Aubameyang from their time together at Dortmund – which saw the striker finish top scorer in the German coach’s two campaigns in charge.
But former Blues striker Tony Cascarino has sent a word of warning to his old club.
“He is a great finisher and a fabulous footballer, but my only concern is that Jurgen Klopp never went after him,” the Weekend Sports Breakfast host said on talkSPORT.
“He worked with Aubameyang a lot at Dortmund, but Jurgen was never interested in re-signing him.
“He was brilliant for Klopp as well, but never chose to bring him in – what does that tell you?
Klopp faced his old striker during his Arsenal career, but was seemingly never tempted to be reunited with Aubameyang at Liverpool “There’s one thing having a player you had in your 20s and him excelling for you, which Aubameyang did at Dortmund, and then having him again at 33.”
Despite his reservations over his character, Cascarino is confident the striker could be a success in Tuchel’s side on the pitch.
“If Chelsea play a counter-attack style, Aubameyang will get goals,” he said.
“Chelsea created a lot of chances last year and Romelu Lukaku didn’t take enough, and neither did Timo Werner.
“But Aubameyang can do that, he is a good finisher.
“So if Thomas Tuchel wants to play a certain way, to attack and punish teams on the counter, the movement of their players has always been exceptional, and if they add a clinical striker to that I can see Aubameyang getting goals.”
Tuchel refused to comment on the chances of Aubameyang moving to Stamford Bridge when quizzed on the rumours earlier this week, but did reveal his ‘close bond’ with the striker.
Aubameyang got 79 goals and 17 assists in 95 appearances under Tuchel at Dortmund, and they could set to be reunited at Chelsea Aubameyang’s goals helped Dortmund to the German Cup with Tuchel in charge “This is totally separate from anything that is happening now, but I enjoyed a lot working with Auba while I was at Dortmund,” said the Chelsea boss.
“Some players stay your players because you were very, very close. And Auba is one of those players.
“There was always straight away this close bond. They always stay your players in a way.”
Asked about the striker’s sour exit from Arsenal following his falling out with Mikel Arteta, Tuchel added: “I experienced no issues with him.
“This has nothing to do with the situation in Arsenal, about which I will also not comment out of respect.
“In Dortmund there was never an issue.”
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Arsenal fans can expect to see the best of Gabriel Martinelli this season following the summer arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Martinelli helped the Gunners kick off their Premier League season in perfect fashion with the opening goal of a 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Friday night.
Martinelli enjoyed his best season last term with six goals and six assists in the Premier League, and will want to improve on that this campaign Zinchenko also impressed on his competitive Arsenal debut It was an impressive display from Mikel Arteta’s men, but one that showed there is still more to come from his new and improved team after another summer of big spending.
Gabriel Jesus didn’t get on the scoresheet but looked unleashed for Arsenal, perhaps having had the shackles taken off following his departure from Pep Guardiola’s Man City.
But it was another former City man who also caught the eye, with Zinchenko putting in an assured performance at left-back.
The Ukrainian has always been known for his technical ability but looks to have added a new dimension to Arteta’s side, forming a potent partnership with Martinelli on the left.
The 21-year-old Brazilian is still very much a raw talent, as exhibited by when he put what should have been a simple goal wide with a miss-hit shot against the Eagles.
He put that right with his first-half header to mark his first appearance as Arsenal’s new No.11 with the first goal of the Premier League season.
Martinelli scored the first goal of the new Premier League season Zinchenko (right) could form a brilliant left-sided partnership with Martinelli (centre) this season
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And Tony Cascarino believes Martinelli’s full potential will start to be unlocked this season thanks to Zinchenko.
“There were some very good performances from Arsenal, said the Weekend Sports Breakfast host and former Chslea striker.
“Zinchenko on the ball, I mean, wow. He just keeps the ball for fun.
“He’s so comfortable, and not just at full back, but dropping into the midfield area, as a lot of Man City players do.
“Martinelli is never going to have a better opportunity of having a left-sided full-back-cum-wideman to help him become a better player.”
French centre-back William Saliba also starred, bossing the Arsenal defence in what was remarkably his first competitive Arsenal appearance despite being a Gunners player for three years.
Saliba controlled the Arsenal defence against Crystal Palace The 21-year-old was even dubbed a ‘young Rio Ferdinand’ and was given Man of the Match by club legend Martin Keown on talkSPORT, and Cascarino says the decision from Arteta to make the youngster wait for his chance in north London worked out perfectly.
“Obviously William Saliba will be getting a lot of plaudits as well,” he added.
“He was at Marseille last year and they had a really good season, they came second in France and he played very, very well.
“Defensively he was very sound. He looks really comfortable on the ball and doesn’t give the ball away easily.
“Everybody in France couldn’t believe he hadn’t been given a chance back in England, but if he goes out on loan, does really well and comes back to his parent club as a better player…”
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Euro fever is running high as fans count down the hours until England face Germany in the UEFA Women’s Euros final on Sunday.
The Lionesses have been sent plenty of good luck wishes, including from the men’s team. But for talkSPORT host Adrian Durham, he’s taken his support for England to a whole other level.
England are one game away from being crowned champions On the eve of the big game, Durham was joined by fellow talkSPORT hosts Shebahn Aherne and Tony Cascarino on the Weekend Breakfast show.
Durham has been co-commentating for talkSPORT throughout the tournament, and his passion for the women’s game has shone through, helping to give the Lionesses the praise they truly deserve.
The trio were discussing England’s fate, and Durham soon brought up his favourite player – the Lionesses’ often unsung hero and forward Fran Kirby.
And he went on to reveal his admiration for Kirby had led him to make a pretty bold promise on the GameDay podcast – much to the shock of Aherne.
“Fran Kirby I think has been quietly brilliant in this tournament. Disclaimer here, I am an incredibly massive Fran Kirby fan as most people know,” he said.
“And actually I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but if England win I have promised to get a tattoo of Fran Kirby.”
Kirby rounded off England’s victory against Sweden, scoring the Lionesses’ fourth
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After being left gobsmacked, Aherne laughed: “Whereabouts are you getting it, by the way?”
“Well, I can’t tell you that!” Durham responded.
Meanwhile, a video of Gareth Southgate and his England squad wishing the Lionesses luck was released on Sunday morning.
With the caption ‘Our England. Our family. Our time’, Southgate got the video underway, and the Three Lions boss made it clear this day should be all about the Lionesses.
Our England. Our family. Our time.
Full support for the @Lionesses from the #ThreeLions ahead of today's #WEURO2022 final! pic.twitter.com/3KMB1jL8SF
— England (@England) July 31, 2022
“This really isn’t a moment for us [England Men’s] to be involved at all, but we did just want to take the time to wish you all the very best for the final,” he said.
“From myself and everybody involved with the men’s senior team, players and staff, good luck and we hope you can finish the job.”
Harry Kane and Declan Rice were among the players to take part in the video.
Meanwhile, Kyle Walker, as well as featuring in England’s video, posted a message for the Lionesses of his own on TikTok.
Walker made his own video for the Lionesses With his silver European Championships medal from 2022 around his neck, Walker said: “I just want to wish you all the best. Hopefully we can be changing this from a silver to a gold.
“We couldn’t be more proud of you, you’ve done a great job, keep going and it’s just one last push. All the best girls.”
Listen to England vs Germany LIVE on talkSPORT at 5pm on Sunday as the Lionesses bid for a first-ever major trophy
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