Sports
Fans Want ‘Useless’ Cody Gakpo Sold
Manchester City landed two late sucker punches as they came from behind to beat Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield. And supporters are fuming with what they saw from one player on Sunday afternoon.
Although the game was played at a high intensity, chances proved to be a premium as two of the Premier League’s best teams sought an early advantage. The best of the bunch in the first half came inside three minutes, as Erling Haaland forced Alisson into a good save before the hosts cleared their lines.
Arne Slot’s side emerged with much more intent in the second half, pushing forward and coming close when Hugo Ekitike headed a delightful pass from Mohamed Salah wide. And they were rewarded for their efforts as Dominik Szoboszlai unleashed a vicious free-kick which crashed in off the post for the winner.
‘Beyond Finished’ – Star Played Looked Past it During Liverpool 1-2 Man City
He struggled in the Premier League game at Anfield.
But with just six minutes left to play, City grabbed a late equaliser as Bernardo Silva poked the ball home after a Haaland flick on. And matters went from bad to worse for Liverpool, as Alisson gave away a late penalty for bringing down Matheus Nunes, which Haaland cooly dispatched.
Liverpool continued to push for a late equaliser, as Alexis Mac Allister’s long-range effort was palmed away by Gianluigi Donnarumma. And just seconds later, Szoboszlai was shown a red card for pulling back Haaland and denying a goalscoring opportunity.
Liverpool Need More From Star After Poor Performance vs City
With City coming into the match at Anfield having drawn their most recent Premier League game against Tottenham, Liverpool’s tails might well have been up ahead of kick off as they sought to maintain pace in the race for top four. But they were ultimately made to pay for a lack of ruthlessness in front of goal.
One player who didn’t have the best of games was left-winger Cody Gakpo. With Luis Diaz sold in the summer, there’s been greater emphasis on him to produce on that flank, but end product has often been lacking from the Dutch international.
On Sunday, it was more of the same from Gakpo, who really failed to stamp his mark on the game. Caught offside on three occasions, he was guilty of bringing Liverpool attacks to a halt on several occasions, while he also lost possession eight times too.
While the 26-year-old is capable of moments which can flip games on their head, Liverpool haven’t seen the best of him in a number of weeks now. It begs the question of whether an upgrade might be necessary in the summer as the reigning Premier League champions seek to add a more dynamic threat to their ranks.
Liverpool Supporters Voice Frustration Over Gakpo’s Display
Although some supporters will no doubt still back Gakpo as a valuable asset to the team, many have expressed their exasperation with him for his performance against Manchester City. One stated on social media: “Gakpo REALLY needs to start moving the ball quicker. Everything is slow, delayed and I have no idea why. Really frustrating to watch.”
Another went even further, writing: “Gakpo is the worst attacker in the league man and the most annoying thing about him is that he thinks he’s good.” And that was echoed by someone else, who added: “Gakpo is the worst player I’ve ever seen.”
One more said: “Gakpo is genuinely the most useless footballer I’ve ever seen in my life.” And there were even calls from some fans for Liverpool to cut their losses. One stated: “Gakpo needs to leave this club. He needs to go. He slows down every counter attack, he can’t pass, he plays in slow motion and he can’t put the ball on target.”
A fellow Red then wrote: “Gakpo genuinely can’t start games anymore. He’s not just bad he’s actually making every single player around him infinitely worse.” And a final fan said: “Gakpo with no competition is one of the worst players I’ve seen play for us. Never known a 6ft4 player to be so useless aerially. Takes too many touches. If Bayern want him for £60m we should send him packing.”
FIFA landed themselves in hot water for its disorganisation amid uncertainty over when England‘s Round of 16 clash with Mexico at the World Cup will take place.
The round-of-16 match at the Estadio Azteca had initially been scheduled for 6 pm local time (1 am BST). Rumours surfaced online that FIFA were looking to move the game to 7 pm BST due to a risk of weather disruption.
The game has now been confirmed to go ahead as planned with a 6 am kick-off. That’s despite floods and thunderstorms being forecast, which led to discussions over moving the game forward by six hours.
Huge claim over FIFA changing England vs Mexico kick-off
It’s now being reported that weather concerns weren’t the only reason FIFA were preparing to make a change. There is talk in Mexico of a change to the kick-off time due to discussions between British broadcaster BBC and FIFA.
Mexican sports executive Pepe Hanan claims that the schedule change was due to a “negotiation between the BBC and FIFA.” He suggested that television coverage played a role in the potential new kick-off time.
Hanan said that neither the English nor Mexican FA “had anything to do with it” and that they weren’t asked for their opinions. The kick-off time prompted outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer to allow pubs to stay open until 5 am on Monday morning.
The BBC took their time reporting on the potential change during coverage of Egypt’s win over Australia on Friday evening. They have since refuted claims in Mexico about their alleged involvement and said the corporation “was not involved in these discussions.”
For Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions, the situation is a massive distraction as they prepare for a daunting trip to the Azteca. While a U-turn hasn’t occurred, it has evidently left the FA looking for answers ahead of a crucial World Cup game.
Marcus Rashford on kick-off uncertainty
Marcus Rashford insisted England weren’t thrown off by the possibility of a kick-off time change and that they remained focused on the game. The Three Lions forward, who started in his nation’s 2-1 comeback win over DR Congo in the previous round, explained how it doesn’t affect Tuchel’s camp:
“It doesn’t matter. It’s a game of football at the end of the day. It doesn’t change our outlook on the game and what we’re trying to do.”
The same can’t be said for England fans who are attending the game, as their travel plans may have been thrown into disarray. FIFA didn’t officially confirm a new kick-off time but reports indicate that there had been a real possibility of them doing so.
There have also been concerns about safety ahead of the match after four fans lost their lives following Mexico’s win over Ecuador in the Round of 32. Mass celebrations involving one million fans in Mexico City led to fatalities, and President Claudia Sheinbaum warned supporters about drinking and to avoid packed gathering spots.
Arsenal and Liverpool will both likely be competing for similar players in the summer transfer window.
The Gunners and Liverpool are both competing in the Champions League next season, so they have the offer of European football to attract players.
Arsenal might feel they have an advantage over Liverpool in the race to sign some stars due to the fact that they reached the Champions League final and won the Premier League last term.
Both sides are still incredibly attractive as long as they remain in Europe, with the attraction of playing in the Premier League also a huge factor for players.
Both Liverpool and Arsenal are in the market for midfield additions this summer, and the Gunners could now be ahead in the race to sign one star.
Arsenal Storm Ahead of Liverpool
According to a report from TeamTalk, Arsenal are prepared to loan midfielder Ayoubb Bouaddi back to the French club in the summer transfer window if they secure his signature.
The Gunners are keen on signing Bouaddi alongside the likes of Liverpool, but they both face plenty of competition.
Arsenal are ahead of Liverpool in the race as Lille might not be happy with the latter’s stance. Liverpool are unconvinced by the idea of loaning Bouaddi back to Ligue 1.
Bouaddi also has interest from around Europe, including Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain.
If a club like Arsenal is willing to sign Bouaddi and send him back on loan for the season, while Liverpool isn’t, it’s obvious that the French club would prefer him to move to the Gunners.
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Liverpool Could Regret Decision
Liverpool could regret the decision not to allow Bouaddi to return to Lille on loan as part of a deal in the summer transfer window.
If that is the only way of securing his signature ahead of other clubs, then the Merseyside outfit should be considering doing so.
Arsenal and other clubs appear happy to remain patient in the race for Bouaddi, who has been described as ‘elite’, which could result in Liverpool missing out on the player.
Either way, it looks set to be a competitive race for Bouaddi’s signature in the summer transfer window, with a host of clubs pushing to sign him.
Manchester United’s dream target for the summer transfer window could be available for £77m, with his club seriously considering selling him.
The Red Devils have already missed out on some key targets in the last few weeks, and they won’t want to see that happen again.
Mateus Fernandes made the move to Tottenham despite United showing a strong interest in the Portuguese midfielder, while Elliot Anderson moved to their rivals Manchester City.
United clearly didn’t want to pay the kind of fees that Tottenham and Manchester City were willing to pay, which is a fine strategy as long as you bring in alternatives.
Signing a new midfielder will remain United’s priority, and their dream target could now be available.
Man Utd’s ‘Dream’ Target Available
According to journalist Rodra, Real Madrid are now seriously considering selling Aurelien Tchouameni in the summer transfer window.
It’s claimed that the Spanish giants will consider selling him for a fee in the region of £77 million, which could be good news for Manchester United.
Reliable reporter Fabrizio Romano recently claimed that Tchouameni is United’s ‘dream’ target for the summer transfer window.
It will be interesting to see if this news prompts United to make a move to secure his signature, as they desperately need midfield reinforcements.
Missing out on both Anderson and Fernandes, United need to get a move on when it comes to midfield additions, and Tchouameni could be the ideal signing.
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Man Utd Need to Make a Statement
Manchester United now need to make a statement when it comes to bringing in a new midfielder during the summer transfer window.
Every United fan knows that Anderson and Fernandes were two priority targets for the Red Devils. They now need to ensure they make a statement move in order to get a top midfielder through the door.
Anderson and Fernandes would have both improved United significantly, and they could risk falling behind their rivals if they don’t make a strong midfield signing.
There is plenty of time remaining in the window, but United fans may be getting frustrated with the difficulties they are having at the moment.
FIFA Considered England vs Mexico Kick-Off Time Move Over TV Coverage
Arsenal Lead Liverpool in Race to Sign Midfielder Ayoub Bouaddi
Man Utd’s Dream Target Aurelien Tchouameni Could Be Sold for £77m
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