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Ronaldo Still Has Future In Manchester United – Eric Ten Hag

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Ten Hag insists Cristiano Ronaldo still has a future at Manchester United after the Portugal star suffered the embarrassment of being dropped for his side’s rousing 2-1 win against Liverpool.

United looked far more dynamic without Ronaldo as they stunned Liverpool to end a dismal run of two successive defeats at the start of the Premier League season.

With the aging Ronaldo reduced to a substitute appearance in the closing minutes at Old Trafford on Monday, United were finally able to successfully deploy Ten Hag’s aggressive game plan.

Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Anthony Elanga formed an attacking triumvirate that gave United the pace and energy they lacked in the 2-1 defeat against Brighton and the subsequent 4-0 humiliation at Brentford.

Vindicating Ten Hag’s decision to axe Ronaldo and igniting fresh debate about his future, it was Sancho who scored United’s opener and Rashford who doubled their lead.

After missing United’s pre-season tour due to “family reasons” amid reports he had told the club he wanted to leave, Ronaldo was already unsettled heading into the new season.

United’s failure to qualify for this season’s Champions League convinced Ronaldo he should quit a club without a major trophy since 2017, giving Ten Hag a major headache just weeks after his arrival from Ajax.

But, with United insisting Ronaldo is not for sale, the former Real Madrid and Juventus striker has found himself in limbo.

The 37-year-old, who finished as United’s top scorer last term, hardly appeared committed to the Ten Hag regime when he walked out of Old Trafford before full-time after being substituted during a pre-season friendly against Rayo Vallecano.

A limp substitute appearance in the second half of the Brighton defeat was further evidence of a potential rift between the five-time Ballon d’Or winner and his manager.

Ronaldo played the entire 90 minutes of United’s loss against Brentford, but he offered little attacking threat in one of the club’s worst results in recent memory.

Difficult decisions

That left Ten Hag with a major decision to make as he pondered his team for the crucial clash with Liverpool.

Dropping Ronaldo and then watching United lose to their arch rivals would have put huge pressure on Ten Hag.

But the Dutch coach refused to be cowed by the situation as he left out by Ronaldo and England defender Harry Maguire, a bold move that paid dividends as United climbed out of the relegation zone with their first win this season.

Now United have won impressively without Ronaldo — surely consigning him to the bench for the immediate future — there could be fresh impetus from the striker and his agent Jorge Mendes to force through a transfer.

It is hard to imagine Ronaldo being able to adapt to Ten Hag’s high-tempo philosophy in the twilight of his career.

But, publicly at least, Ten Hag is adamant Ronaldo has a part to play in his plans.

“I think he can. In his whole career he did it under several managers, in several styles and systems. He always performed so why can’t he do this? His age is not an issue,” Ten Hag said after the Liverpool game.

“We have a squad and we have a way of playing, a style and a game plan. You look at what is the best approach to the game. Today it was those players, Saturday it could be different.”

In Ronaldo’s absence, United’s defiant attitude against Liverpool provided the template for the Ten Hag era.

New signing Casemiro, recruited from Real Madrid, epitomises that spirit and Ten Hag wants to see the same from Ronaldo.

“We were talking about leadership, today we had leadership on the pitch, he is one as well,” Ten Hag said of Casemiro.

“Ronaldo has it, so you need some and it is like guidance for young players who didn’t achieve the trophies.”

Pressed on Ronaldo and Maguire’s future, Ten Hag added: “I don’t have to mention Harry Maguire and Ronaldo, they are amazing players and they will play a role in the future, the short (term) future as well.

“It is always difficult (to leave them out) but I have decisions to make.”

Whether that olive branch is enough to stop the Ronaldo dilemma from derailing Ten Hag’s United revolution remains to be seen.

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Nigerian Falconet Exit U20 World Cup After 2-0 Defeat Against Netherlands

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Nigerian Falconet has bowed out of the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup after a loss to the Netherlands on Sunday.

The European side beat the Nigerian side 2-0 in the quarter-finals of the tournament to progress to the semi-finals.

The Falconets gave a good account of themselves, but they could not break the resilient defence of the Netherlands. They could not re-enact earlier round performances, which saw them winning all three group phase matches, in this their quarter-final match in Alajuela, Costa Rica.

The Dutch team shocked the Nigerians after a swift counter-attack in the 11th minute as Zera Hulswit sent a lobbing shot beyond Omini Oyono in goal to send the Europeans ahead.

In the 30th minute, Nigeria nearly got the leveller that their endeavour deserved when Deborah Abiodun seized the ball as the Dutch defence fell into confusion.

But her dipping shot from 25 metres rocked the crossbar and was then tipped away from the head of Chiamaka Okwuchukwu.

In the 33rd minute, Nigeria went two goals down. A miscommunication between Oluwatosin Demehin and Omowumi Oshobukola was pounced on by Ziva Henry, who bundled the ball past Oyono.

This defeat means elimination for the Nigerian team that had won all three group phase matches, scoring five goals and conceding only one.

The Netherlands will now meet Spain on Thursday in the first semi-final fixture, after the European side beat Mexico 1-0 in the first quarter-final match on Saturday.

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No Issues Between Mbappe and Neymar – PSG

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Paris Saint-Germain coach Christophe Galtier on Friday said there was no bad blood between star forwards Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.

Neymar insisted on taking the team’s second penalty against Montpellier last Saturday after Mbappe had missed the first.

Mbappe did not celebrate after Neymar converted the spot kick.

Galtier called the apparent differences between the two an “epiphenomenon”, suggesting the spat was not a symptom of any deeper problem.

“We saw each other quickly the next day to iron out all that, to say what we had to say to each other,” said Galtier told a press conference ahead of Sunday’s Ligue 1 visit to Lille.

“We had a very pleasant week at work. Everyone worked well. I enjoyed all the sessions this week and this epiphenomenon disappeared very quickly, that is to say, the day after our meeting.”

Galtier said after the game that instructions “had been respected” regarding penalty takers.

“There was a precise order in this game, Kylian as number one and ‘Ney’ as number two,” he added.

Other potential penalty takers include Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos, said Galtier, adding that it was “important for our strikers to score goals, to keep the confidence”.

Against Montpellier, in his first competitive game since opting to stay in Paris rather than join Real Madrid, the 23-year-old Mbappe scored in a 5-2 win but cut a frustrated, unhappy and even isolated figure.

Last season, Mbappe was PSG’s outstanding performer, scoring 39 goals in all competitions, while Neymar struggled.

Yet the 30-year-old Brazilian has seemed rejuvenated this season, scoring five goals in three games.

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British Billionaire Interested In Buying Manchester United
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British Billionaire Interested In Buying Manchester United

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

British billionaire, Jim Ratcliffe, would be interested in buying Manchester United if the club would be for sale.

A spokesperson for Ratcliffe earlier told The Times of his desire to buy into the Premier League giants.

“If the club is for sale, Jim is definitely a potential buyer,” Ratcliffe’s spokesperson said.

United are enduring a disastrous start to the season, losing their first two games to sink to the foot of the Premier League table. They have not won the Premier League title since 2013.

The Glazers have been the target of intense criticisms for their failure to invest in the team, which have not won a trophy in five years.

United’s net debt had grown 11% to about £496 million pounds ($598.03 million) by the end of March.

The owners have also been criticised for not improving the Old Trafford stadium, the biggest club ground in the country with a capacity of around 75,000 fans.

Ratcliffe, who owns petrochemicals giant Ineos, made a late unsuccessful bid of £4.25 billion to buy Chelsea earlier this year before it was ultimately sold to an investment group led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. However, he is from the Manchester area and a long-standing fan of the club.

“This is not about the money that has been spent or not spent. Jim is looking at what can be done now and, knowing how important the club is to the city, it feels like the time is right for a reset,” the spokesperson added.

United finished sixth last season in their worst Premier League campaign with respect to points earned, failing to qualify for the lucrative UEFA Champions League.

The club hired manager Erik ten Hag from Ajax in a bid to turn around their fortunes but the Dutchman has not yet succeeded in imposing his playing style, with United losing their opening two games after conceding six goals.

United will play their arch-rivals Liverpool, who scored nine times without reply in their two league meetings last season at Old Trafford, on Monday.

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Nigerian Falconets Defeat Canada, Secure Quarter Final Spot

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Nigerian U20 Falconets have secured a place in the quarter finals after beating Canada 3-1 in the ongoing Fifa Under-20 Women World Cup being played in Alajuela, Costa Rica.

Head Coach, Chris Musa, said before the encounter that his girls would seek to win even as a quarter-final ticket was already in the bag, in order to sustain their winning mentality following hard-fought victories over France and Korea Republic.

Interestingly, it was the Canadian girls that drew the first blood, albeit from an error in the Falconets’ defence.

Goalkeeper Omini Oyono’s poor management of a backpass from Jumoke Alani granted Kala Novak a fortuitous goal less than two minutes after kick-off.

But two goals from the penalty spot by Esther Onyenezide and another goal in the second half by Chioma Olise saw the Falconets cruising to their biggest win so far in the ongoing tournament in Costa Rica.

After falling behind to the early Canada goal, Onyenezide, whose vicious curling shot earned all three points against the Korea Republic, drew the Falconets level from the penalty spot in the 24th minute.

Defender Mia Pante who had handled the ball from a Blessing Okpe shot in the box gifted Nigeria a way back into the game.

Onyenezide was on hand to shoot Nigeria into the lead, also from the spot, in the 32nd minute after Simi Awujo’s dangerous play against Mercy Idoko.

As the Nigeria U20s ended the first half 2-1, nothing suggested the Canadians could mount a fightback in the second half, instead, it was the Falconets that increased their lead.

Substitute Chioma Olise got Nigeria’s third goal as the Falconets finished top in Group C with nine points from three games.

With Thursday’s outcome, the Falconets now have a quarter-final date with The Netherlands in Alajuela on Monday.

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Entertainment

Kizz Daniel Returns to Smoking After Quitting, Says it is not Easy

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Nigerian singer, Kizz Daniel has gone back to his old habit which he has a few months ago publicly denounced.

Sharing a video of himself smoking a stick of cigarette said “e no easy’.

Kizz Daniel had openly admitted his addiction to smoking, as well as condemned the act and vowed to stop.

Kizz Daniel also said that he decided to quit the addiction, because of his newborn kids, Jelani and Jalil.

Taking to his Instagram feed, on May 1, he emptied a pack of cigarettes and solemnly said, “To celebrate my birthday and for the sake of my kids, I quit smoking. Most of you that are still struggling with this addiction… it is not cool and it is not good. Trust me, it is not. May God save us all.”

Kizz Daniel, who broke out back in 2013 with his hit song dubbed, Woju, is one act of the most intriguing musicians of his generation.

After parting ways with his former G-worldwide label, also flipped on his label executive hat with his Flyboi Inc label, signing two other acts – the soundwhiz Philkeys, as well as the fast-rising singer Demmie Vee.

His current record, Buga (featuring Tekno), is also among the most listened to records in the country presently.

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France Football Snubs Lionel Messi In 2022 Ballon d’Or Shortlist

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

For the first time since 2005, Seven time Balon d’or winner Lionel Messi was not among the 30 players shortlisted in 2022 Ballon d’or.

The Ballon d’Or committee has acknowledged that, unlike Cristiano Ronaldo, the current winner Lionel Messi’s first season with Paris Saint-Germain was not good enough to get him on the shortlist for the 2022 award.

Top players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Mohammed Salah and others were included in the 30 men shortlist, so it was a disappointment for fans of the Argentine as he was not included.

Messi’s disappointing first season in Paris ended with him failing to make the final 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or for the first time in 17 years. He finished the season with 11 goals and 15 assists in 34 games, a dismal total by Messi’s high standards.

Fans were outraged by the decision to leave Messi off the shortlist, and France Football, the organisation behind the award, quickly put together a Q&A session to try to put their minds at ease.

“Inevitably, Lionel Messi, with his 15 appearances in a row since 2006, his seven Ballon d’Or victories, his title holder status, weighs very heavily when it comes to the final choice,” the organisers said.

“The Argentinian was part of the discussions to integrate the 30, but the new criteria for the Ballon d’Or were unfavourable to him: disappearance of the criterion of a player’s entire career, and new periodicity, modelled on a season of football and no longer over a calendar year, which does not make it possible to integrate the Copa America of July 11, 2021.

“And then, it must be admitted that his first season in Paris was very disappointing both in terms of the visual impression and the statistics.”

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Four clubs Want To Sign Alex Collado The 23 Year Old Barcelona Attacking Midfielder

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Alex Collado left Barcelona B as their captain and one of the most well-rounded attacking midfielders to graduate from the youth reserves. However, life after that has not quite gone as planned for him.

Last season, he was sidelined due to a bureaucratic error from Barcelona that left him without a team for six months, from July to January. He was then loaned out to Granada, where he gradually became an important player, scoring two goals and creating one.

He was expected to receive some minutes this season under Xavi. The manager is reportedly a fan of the player, but also realises the overbooking in midfield and attack. As such, Collado is seeking a loan exit.

Albert Roge has reported that there are four teams interested in pursuing Collado’s signature. Namely, these are Olympiakos, Celtic, and two unnamed La Liga clubs.

Collado is stuck in two minds as he wants to play European football, but he also liked the experience of playing in La Liga with Granada. The next few days could be key to his future.

The versatile midfielder recently extended his contract with Barcelona until 2024, but wants to leave in search of regular game-time. He has communicated the same to Xavi, who is open to the idea of him departing on a temporary move.

source: www.barcauniversal.com

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RB Leipzig Set To Re-sign Chelsea Timo Werner on Permanent Deal

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

RB Leipzig are expected to complete the signing of Chelsea forward Timo Werner on a permanent deal, two years after he left the club for the Premier League.

Chelsea met the Germany international’s £45m release clause in 2020 but will make a loss, with Werner set to return in a deal thought to be around £25m.

The 26-year-old was pictured arriving in Leipzig for a medical on Monday.

Werner scored 23 goals in 89 games in all competitions for Chelsea, winning the Champions League in 2021.

He was one of the most sought-after forwards in Europe when the Blues signed him in the summer of 2020, having also attracted interest from Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid.

He scored 95 goals in 159 games in all competitions for Leipzig during his first spell at the club, after arriving from Stuttgart in 2016.

But Werner failed to replicate that goalscoring form in the English top flight, netting just 10 times in two seasons,

However he did play an important role in Chelsea’s run to European success in his first campaign, scoring in the semi-final second leg against Real Madrid.

 TIMO WERNER: the new kid on the block

Chelsea initially held talks with Leipzig about Werner returning to the club on loan but that has turned into a permanent deal.

During Chelsea’s pre-season tour of the United States, Werner hinted he could be happy elsewhere, with boss Thomas Tuchel responding: “I would be one of the happiest people on the planet having a contract with Chelsea.”

Werner is thought to be one of the most popular players at the training ground and there is a recognition at Chelsea that he tried incredibly hard but he could not score enough goals.

Despite this, plus the pressure he was under and the criticism he faced, he remained a positive influence at Chelsea and was admired by the club’s fans for his effort.

Leipzig have also announced the signing of 19-year-old Slovenia forward Benjamin Sesko, who will remain at Red Bull Salzburg until July 2023 and will sign a five-year contract until 2028.

“The club’s philosophy of placing trust in young players and playing attractive, attacking football is a perfect fit for me,” said Sesko.

“The city, the stadium and the whole infrastructure at RB Leipzig, as well as the many good discussions with the club, convinced me that this move is absolutely the right decision.” BBC

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Tobi Amasun Qualifies For 100m Hurdles Final

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

WORLD champion 100m hurdles, Tobi Amusan, on Friday qualified for the final of the women’s 100m hurdles at the ongoing Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Amusan raced to a massive 12.40s to dominate Round 1 Heat 3 to qualify for Sunday’s final.

The world champion has the chance to defend her Commonwealth Games title, which she won in 2018 in Gold Coast, Australia.

Still, she will have to fend off competition from Jamaican duo Danielle Williams, Megan Tapper, England’s Cindy Sembre, Michelle Jenneke of Australia, and Devynne Charlton of Bahamas.

Amusan began the 2022 season in fine form, winning the 2022 Diamond League event in Paris, where she set an African record by 0.01s with a time of 12.41s.

Ese Brume and Ruth Usoro also secured their place in the women’s long jump final.

Brume who competed in Group A finished second with a jump of 6.81m behind Ghana’s Deborah Acquah who topped the group with a jump of 8.85m.

Usoro who competed in Group B finished third with a jump of 6.56m to qualify for the final.

The finals of the women’s 100m hurdles and long jump will take place on Sunday, August 7 at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.

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