Month: March 2023

Harry Kane believes he could score 100 goals for England. 

Kane, 29, became his country’s top goalscorer when he broke Wayne Rooney’s record of 53 with a penalty against Italy last week and followed it up with a 55th in Sunday’s win over Ukraine. 

The Tottenham striker, who has won 82 caps, intends to play for the Three Lions for as long as possible — meaning a century is not out of the question. 

He said: “Getting 100 will be tough for sure but I never count out anything. 

“I am still young, I am still fit and strong. I want to play for England for as long as I can. 

“Every game there is I will be putting myself forward to try and play. We will take it step by step. 

“The next step will be trying to get into the 60s. 

“A hundred is not out of the question. It will be extremely tough but we will have to see how the next few years go.”

Kane’s record-breaking moment means that number 54 will always be significant and he is marking the achievement in a special culinary way. 

He has created The Record Breaker burger with London’s TOCA Social, a football-based entertainment venue the Spurs star has invested in, with 54% of each sale going towards the Harry Kane Foundation. 

The foundation was set up late last year with the goal of helping children with transforming a generation’s thinking about mental health. 

The Record Breaker burger is available for a limited period at TOCA Social at London’s O2 Arena.  

Newcastle are eyeing a move for England and Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

The 27-year-old joined City from Leeds for £42million last summer but has endured an underwhelming first season with the champions.

Though injury problems during the first half of the campaign have not helped, Phillips remains firmly behind Rodri in the pecking order to be Pep Guardiola’s midfield anchor.

Just five substitute appearances in the Premier League have led to speculation that the out-of-favour ace could already be on his way out of the Etihad this summer.

A report in 90min indicates Eddie Howe’s Magpies are among the clubs weighing up a move for the Three Lions man alongside West Ham, Leicester and Wolves.

City are not expected to stand in the playmaker’s way should he want to leave, with concerns his lack of playing time could affect his chances of making England’s Euro 2024 squad.

He played the full 90 minutes of the 2-1 qualifying win over Italy last Thursday but his continued national team selection will be questioned if his lack of club action persists.

Despite that, conflicting reports in Football Insider say Guardiola is keen to keep hold of Phillips.

In other news

Football Insider claim Tottenham are among the teams chasing teenage Brighton and Republic of Ireland striker Evan Ferguson.

Chelsea are set for a summer fire sale of players in order to comply with financial fair play regulations after reporting substantial losses for the second year running, say The Times. 

Paris Saint-Germain and Argentina superstar Lionel Messi’s potential move to MLS this summer could see each of the 29 clubs in the league contributing to his salary, according to Sport.

Thomas Partey is a fitness concern ahead of Arsenal’s return to Premier League action next weekend after sitting out Ghana’s match with Angola.

The 29-year-old played a full part in Tuesday’s 1-0 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying win over the same opponents, but was not called upon for Monday’s 1-1 draw in Talatona.

Ghana head coach Chris Hughton later explained Partey, who missed two Arsenal games in February with a back injury, was not risked due to a minor problem.

“Thomas has some small issues,” Hughton said at his post-match press conference. “We felt it was too big of a risk to start him.”

Partey, who was accompanied on Ghana duty by Arsenal physio Simon Murphy, has played in 30 of the Gunners’ 39 games this season.

Premier League leaders Arsenal are back in action on Saturday with a home match against Leeds United, before travelling to Liverpool eight days later.

New Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel has reportedly communicated to the board that Tottenham striker Harry Kane is his top priority in the upcoming transfer window.

Kane, 29, is just five goals away from overtaking Wayne Rooney for second on the Premier League’s all-time leading scorers list, after recently surpassing Rooney as England’s all-time top scorer and Jimmy Greaves as Tottenham’s record holder.

With his personal legacy in England already secured, the logical next move is somewhere the striker can secure some team silverware, and that is an area Bayern can deliver.

While Tottenham will be desperate to convince their star to stay put, any indication that he will not sign a new contract will likely force the club to cash-in on their top talent.

TOP STORY – TUCHEL HOPING TO MAKE KANE BAYERN’S NEW CENTREPIECE

According to Football Insider, Tuchel “is a huge fan of Kane from his time in the Premier League managing Chelsea”, and he has communicated to the Bayern board that he should be the main focus going forward.

Despite Kane approaching the final 12 months of his deal, Tottenham are still expected to demand a fee in the £100million (Є113.8m) range to part ways with their club icon, but it remains exceedingly unlikely that they will allow his contract to run out.

However, the report adds Kane would potentially be open to an extension if Spurs can secure former Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann as Antonio Conte’s replacement.

ROUND-UP

– 90min reports 27-year-old Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips is prepared to leave the club amid concerns his limited playing time will affect his spot in the England team, but Football Insider claims Phillips is prepared to stick it out.

– According to Sport, all 29 MLS clubs have agreed to split the salary of Lionel Messi and would allow him to choose whichever franchise he would prefer.

– Paris Saint-Germain are planning to capitalise on a two-week window at the start of July when 26-year-old Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae has a temporary release clause of €52.5m, per Foot Mercato.

– Fichajes reports Barcelona will likely be forced to sell 20-year-old winger Ansu Fati in the next transfer window for financial reasons.

Didier Deschamps was not surprised by Mike Maignan’s superb save in France’s 1-0 win over Republic of Ireland, which he described as “worth a goal”.

Milan goalkeeper Maignan preserved France’s victory in the Euro 2024 qualifier with a sensational late stop, somehow clawing away Nathan Collins’ goal-bound header.

That save followed him keeping out a penalty in France’s 4-0 win over the Netherlands in their opening Group B clash, with Maignan quickly justifying his promotion to France’s number one between the posts following Hugo Lloris’ international retirement.

Having seen his side claim six points from two games, Deschamps was left with plenty to smile about as he reflected on their excellent start, including the shot-stopping prowess of Maignan.

“There is a lot of positive with six points, five goals and none conceded,” said Deschamps in quotes reported by L’Equipe. 

“The calendar had not given us gifts with the Netherlands and Ireland. We were less radiant today than Friday. We had fewer opportunities but we have to win these matches.

“The team showed a very good state of mind and character. There is Mike’s stop. It’s worth a goal. We were able to answer and being less brilliant than in the first game. Ireland defended well. I am happy and proud of this group against two opponents like that. It’s really good to have already taken these six points.”

Of Maignan’s save, he added: “It’s an exceptional stop. But I’m not surprised. I know what he is capable of doing. Hugo was also capable of such stops of his kind. Mike has all the qualities, the wingspan and the mind. He is a leader.

“There was already the penalty stopped against the Netherlands. But this stop is even more expensive. I had no doubts and uncertainties about the succession. When Mike is in full possession of his means, he is of a very high level.”

Prior to Maignan’s save, Benjamin Pavard scored what proved the decisive with a rasping strike from outside the area that flew in off the crossbar.

Pavard’s goal marked his first appearance for France since their opening game of the 2022 World Cup against Australia.

“He had a very complicated match at the beginning of the World Cup,” Deschamps said of Pavard. 

“He had been a starter in previous years. He played the first game and Jules [Kounde] took his place.

“After this goal, I told him that I was very happy for him. Despite his personal disappointment, he has always kept the state of mind.

“He enjoyed his playing time in his club. It’s very good for him and especially for the group.”

Ronald Koeman acknowledged the Netherlands’ “level has to go up” after their meagre 3-0 victory over Gibraltar in the Euro 2024 qualifiers.

Nathan Ake scored twice while Memphis Depay was also on target at De Kuip as Koeman claimed the first win of his second spell in charge, which began with a humbling 4-0 defeat against France three days earlier.

The Oranje’s three goals came despite recording 50 shots and having 101 touches in the opposition box – more than they have managed in any other match since Opta began collecting this data in August 2013.

They also registered a remarkable 5.04 expected goals (xG), and Koeman was disappointed by his side’s general lacking of a clinical edge.

“I didn’t see enough goals tonight,” he told NOS. “The opponent obviously didn’t co-operate, but we were way too sloppy at times.

“From the beginning, we were inaccurate, and we didn’t have the form to create big, good chances. Okay, there was a lot of blocking, but with more sharpness, we score much more often.

“The game and result against France was not good. Now we win, but that makes sense. But overall, it was far too little.

“Aspects such as positional play, ball circulation, taking the right positions – as a winger or defender – really needs to be improved. The football and level has to go up.”

Ake’s double was the undoubted highlight for the hosts, the defender recording more shot involvements than any other player (nine shots, seven chances created), with only Depay registering more in a single Netherlands match since Opta began collecting the data.

And the Manchester City man drew positives from the fact he and his team-mates were able to conjure as many opportunities as they did.

“Of course, the main aim was to win the match and, besides that, we wanted to score as many goals as possible. Obviously, that didn’t work out,” Ake added. 

“That we created so many chances was good, but maybe we should have been calmer in how we tried to convert them.

“It doesn’t happen very often that I score twice in one game. But it was very crowded where our forwards were, so maybe that created a little more space for the rest of us. At some point, I was even considering the possibility of a hat-trick, but it wasn’t to be.”

Benjamin Pavard’s sweet strike edged World Cup finalists France to a narrow Euro 2024 qualifying victory in Dublin as the Republic of Ireland were made to pay for one fatal error.

Pavard’s 50th-minute contribution, which came after he had picked off Josh Cullen’s ill-advised pass across the edge of his own box, secured a 1-0 Group B victory to go with Friday’s 4-0 rout of the Netherlands.

However, it took a brilliant 90th-minute save from Mike Maignan to deny Nathan Collins a last-gasp equaliser in a grandstand finish.

The world’s third-ranked side were made to work desperately hard for the points by an Ireland team sitting 48th in FIFA’s table two years to the day since they suffered the humiliation of a 1-0 World Cup qualifying defeat by Luxembourg at the Aviva Stadium.

France dominated possession for much of the game, but were unable to trouble keeper Gavin Bazunu until Cullen’s rare slip let Pavard in as Stephen Kenny’s men, who handled superstar Kylian Mbappe well, defended diligently and tried to hit them on the break.

Ireland’s fate in this campaign was never likely to be decided on their results against France, and their trip to Greece in June before Gibraltar head for the Aviva will be far more indicative, but Kenny will take heart from the way his young team committed to his game-plan in the face of the sternest of tests.

With wide frontmen Chiedozie Ogbene and Jason Knight dropping in when they were out of possession, the home side were compact, although they were breached with nine minutes gone when Randal Kolo Muani was played in over the top and rounded Bazunu, only for his back-heeled pass to Olivier Giroud as he was driven wide to be cut out by Collins.

The Republic were squeezed ever deeper as France turned the screw with Antoine Griezmann orchestrating, and it took a good 16th-minute block by John Egan to keep Mbappe at bay.

With what little share of the ball they were afforded, Ireland did their best to fulfil Kenny’s instructions to take risks without ever really threatening to pierce the French defence, but they needed Bazunu to spring from his line to prevent any damage after Griezmann’s 24th-minute corner had ricocheted across his six-yard box.

Griezmann instinctively stabbed wide as he attempted to turn Theo Hernandez’s 32nd-minute drive past Bazunu and then missed the target with a header from Pavard’s cross as French frustration mounted.

In the event, a team which had scored three times inside the opening 21 minutes against the Dutch left the pitch at half-time locked in a stalemate having been unable to break down a stubborn and disciplined Irish rearguard.

However, the home side faltered within five minutes of the restart to hand the visitors the lead.

Cullen intercepted Adrien Rabiot’s misplaced pass on the edge of his own penalty area, but then played the ball square, where Pavard pounced before smashing a shot past the helpless Bazunu off the underside of the crossbar.

It might have been 2-0 had Evan Ferguson in the defensive wall not got his head to Griezmann’s 55th-minute free-kick, although the Atletico Madrid star turned up on the edge of his box to block Knight’s goal-bound strike after Ogbene had burst clear down the right three minutes later.

Moussa Diaby tested Bazunu’s resolve with a swerving 69th-minute effort and the Southampton keeper repelled Rabiot’s attempt from distance six minutes later, but Molumby and substitutes James McClean and Alan Browne all went close to an equaliser in a tense conclusion.

But for Maignan, who had seconds earlier clawed the ball from underneath his crossbar, Collins would have snatched a famous draw at the death.

Ronald Koeman claimed the first win of his second spell in charge of the Netherlands as the Oranje dispatched 10-man Gibraltar 3-0.

Nathan Ake scored twice in a game that saw the Netherlands have 50 attempts without allowing one at the other end, as Koeman’s team got up and running in Euro 2024 qualifying following last week’s heavy defeat to France.

Ake’s second-half double came after Memphis Depay had put the Dutch ahead against the Group B minnows in Rotterdam on Monday.

It marked a 19th straight defeat in Euro qualifying for Gibraltar, who had Liam Walker sent off for a rash challenge on Dutch debutant Mats Wieffer.

In need of a response following their hammering in Paris, the Netherlands had control from the off, and the lead came in the 23rd minute.

Following a patient move, Denzel Dumfries – back from suspension – supplied an inviting cross that Depay glanced in.

Georginio Wijnaldum volleyed just over while Wout Weghorst twice went close – spurning a great chance when he shot wide from eight yards out before Dayle Coleing produced a smart reflex save to deny the Manchester United striker.

The Dutch doubled their lead five minutes after the break, Dumfries helping a deep cross back into the centre for Ake to head home.

Gibraltar were reduced to 10 men less than 60 seconds later. Walker caught Wieffer with a dangerous challenge, leaving referee Morten Krogh with little choice but to brandish a straight red.

Coleing denied Donyell Malen and Cody Gakpo while Roy Chipolina blocked Weghorst on the line, but Ake’s deflected strike eight minutes from time added gloss to an easy victory.

What does it mean? Dutch hit an unprecedented half-century

Though they scored just three goals, the Netherlands recorded 50 shots and had 101 touches in the opposition box against Gibraltar. That is more than they have managed in any other match since Opta began collecting this data in August 2013. They registered a remarkable 5.04 expected goals (xG).

The Oranje also extended their unbeaten streak on home soil to 15 matches stretching back to a defeat to Mexico in October 2020.

Depay back on the scoresheet

After Mike Maignan saved his late penalty in Paris, Depay responded with a goal to maintain his impressive ratio, having now netted 44 times in 88 caps.

The Atletico Madrid forward has scored five goals against Gibraltar, making him only the third Netherlands international to net five or more times against a single opponent after Robin van Persie (six against Hungary) and Klaas Jan Huntelaar (five against San Marino).

Wieffer makes his mark

Wieffer turned in a solid performance as he became the third Feyenoord player to make his Netherlands debut in De Kuip this century, after Rick Karsdorp (October 2016) and Ruben Schaken (October 2012).

Though replaced by Daley Blind in the 63rd minute, the 23-year-old completed a game-high 123 passes during the contest.

That included 93 passes in the first half – at least 46 more than any of his team-mates, and four more than the entire Gibraltar team combined.

What’s next?

The Netherlands switch their focus to the Nations League on June 14, when they face Croatia in the semi-finals in a mini-tournament they are hosting.

France continued their red-hot form in the Euro 2024 qualifiers by edging past a resilient Republic of Ireland to a 1-0 win at the Aviva Stadium. 

Stephen Kenny’s side did well to keep Les Bleus at bay in the first-half, with Antoine Griezmann coming closest when he headed Benjamin Pavard’s cross just wide. 

However, the World Cup finalists finally broke through in the 50th minute when Pavard powered a strike from distance into the top corner. 

The Republic of Ireland almost snatched a point when Nathan Collins headed towards the top corner, but new France No1 Mike Maignan provided a stunning save to secure victory.

The result ensured that France maintained their winning start to the Euro 2024 qualifiers after smashing the Netherlands 4-0.

Here are the five key talking points from Dublin.

Pavard rescues frustrated France

Didier Deschamps’ side were exasperated by the number of wasted chances they had early on. 

In the first-half alone, they had six shots — with only one on target — that was highlighted when Griezmann flashed his header wide of the top corner in the 38th minute. 

However, they showed their quality immediately after the break when Pavard smashed his strike off the crossbar and into the back of the net. 

The individual quality was needed to topple what was a defiant defensive display from the Boys in Green.

Defensive strength

The Republic of Ireland showed great grit and determination against the 2018 World Cup winners. 

John Egan did well to marshall his side, keeping the wealth of attacking talent away from goal. 

It was a complete team display from Kenny’s side, who fought for one another and did well in their individual battles.

While the end result will come as a disappointment for the hosts, it presented a show of promise and potential that they can compete with the big boys.

Maignan magic

Following the retirement of Hugo Lloris France were left wondering who could take up the mantle from their former captain and keeper. 

However, following the performance of Maignan they will be feeling confident for the future. 

In the 87th minute he prevented a Jules Kounde own goal, and then in the subsequent corner, he denied Collins’ header with a strong glove.

Those saves were crucial to keeping a clean sheet and securing all three points for Les Bleus. 

Even more experience for Evan

Following his starting debut against Latvia, Ferguson was given the go-ahead from Kenny to start once again and put on a lively display. 

The 18-year-old made numerous attacking runs that kept the France backline on their toes and held the ball up well, bringing his team-mates into the game. 

However, after Mbappe’s warning ahead of the match, Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahima Konate managed to keep the teenager at bay. 

Ferguson was hauled off in the second half — but nevertheless this match was an important learning experience for the Brighton striker.

Mbappe misses the mark

New France captain Mbappe was unable to build upon his dominant goalscoring form for Les Bleus. 

The PSG forward scored two and assisted one during his sides’ 4-0 drubbing of the Netherlands — but was unable to have his usual impact against the hosts. 

Seamus Coleman did well throughout the night to frustrate the forward and stop him from getting into dangerous positions or embarking on his mazy runs. 

In all it was a match to forget for the 24-year-old superstar.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are taking Wrexham to the United States, where the non-league club will face Manchester United.

San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium will host the friendly on July 25.

Wrexham, who this month signed former United goalkeeper Ben Foster, are pushing for promotion from the National League.

They sit three points clear of Notts County, while they also reached the fourth round of the FA Cup, losing to Sheffield United, who have gone on to reach the semi-finals.

The Welsh club were bought by Hollywood A-listers Reynolds and McElhenney in 2020.

“We’re looking forward to being able to play in the United States for the first time in the club’s history,” said Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson.

Wrexham last faced United in an FA Cup tie in 1995. The Red Devils’ team will be mainly made up of academy players.