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The Daily Record has suggested that Steven Gerrard could make a move to take Adrian Mariappa from Watford to Glasgow Rangers.

The Gers were recently dealt a huge blow as it was confirmed that Nikola Katic will be out for the foreseeable future with a cruciate ligament injury. As such, Gerrard is light at centre-back with just Connor Goldson, Filip Helander and George Edmundson realistically to choose from, and as such he could be in the market for another centre-back.

This has led to Mariappa being mentioned and, given he will be available on a free transfer once the Premier League term comes to an end, he is certainly an interesting option. The £1.44m-valued 33-year-old – as per Transfermarkt – is coming towards the end of his career but, although he is a far from a household name, he is a player who has played over 150 matches in the English top flight and also has 49 caps for his country, Jamaica.

He has years of experience behind him at the highest level and, on a free transfer, he could be the perfect signing to provide cover in the absence of Katic. With a weekly wage of £15,000 with the Hornets, he would be a realistic signing for Gerrard as well.

Not only can he fill in the hole left by the Croatian’s absence, he also has experience that could be vital as the Gers push for a first piece of silverware since 2011.

Let us know what you think below!

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No topo da classificação do Campeonato Brasileiro, o Botafogo recebe o Internacional neste sábado (20), às 18h30 (de Brasília), no Estádio Nilton Santos. Enquanto o Glorioso busca a vitória para tentar ampliar a vantagem na liderança, que atualmente é de três pontos, o Colorado, sob o novo comando de Roger Machado, quer virar a chave do mau momento na temporada: são sete jogos sem vencer.

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Mas, o que dizem os números do confronto entre Botafogo e Internacional?

Botafogo x Internacional: Raio-X

O retrospecto geral de Botafogo e Internacional é equilibrado: em 69 jogos, o Internacional venceu 28, perdeu 21 e empatou 20. A vantagem colorada é refletida pelo retrato recente dos duelos, já que o Inter venceu seis dos últimos oito jogos.

No último encontro dos clubes dentro das quatro linhas, na rodada final do Brasileirão 2023, Enner Valencia, Alan Patrick e Pedro Henrique garantiram a vitória do time gaúcho por 3 a 1 no Beira-Rio e colocaram um ponto final segundo turno melancólico do Botafogo.

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Aliás, o placar com muitos gols tem sido comum em confrontos entre o Glorioso e o Colorado: quatro dos últimos cinco jogos teve pelo menos três gols. Outro fator comum nos jogos recentes é a falta de empates. A última vez que o placar de um confronto terminou igual foi há mais de dez anos, pelo Brasileirão de 2014.

Além disso, uma estatística que chama atenção é que os times não empatam por 0 a 0 desde o Brasileirão de 2006.

FATOS DO DUELO:

1 – O Internacional lidera o confronto até nas partidas como visitante: são 12 vitórias, 12 empates e nove derrotas.

2 – Os dois últimos jogos terminaram com o placar 3 a 1.

3 – A maior goleada do confronto é do Botafogo: 5 a 1, no Brasileirão de 2004.

4 – O resultado mais comum entre Botafogo x Internacional é a vitória Colorada por 1 a 0.

5 – O Botafogo balançou as redes adversárias em 65% dos confrontos, enquanto o Internacional, em 71%.

Informações gerais da partida

Botafogo x Internacional
Data: 20/07/24, às 18h30 (de Brasília)
Local: Estádio Nilton Santos, no Rio de Janeiro
Transmissão: Premiere

Tudo sobre

BotafogoBrasileirãoInternacional

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

Andy Carroll made his first start since his return to Newcastle in the 2-0 victory over Sheffield United and there were several positives to take from his display.

While Joelinton has stuttered of late with no goals in 12 games it was still a surprise to see Bruce pick the England international, but it was the perfect occasion for him and just what was needed to battle against the Blades’ three centre-halves.

In their last away fixture at Aston Villa the Brazilian’s failure to hold the ball up effectively meant there was constant pressure from the home side, and it was little surprise that the Magpies eventually conceded.

This time it was different, and much of that is thanks to Carroll, who was able to have a significant influence in the opponent’s half despite the visitors having just 26% possession.

He was once again ably assisted by Allan Saint-Maximin, who finally had a goal to show for his efforts.

As his stats indicate, 6 foot 4 Carroll was very hit and miss at Bramall Lane, but what he did do well was vital for Newcastle, as his awareness and intelligence allowed him to bring teammates into the game.

Despite the contrast in the share of possession Newcastle only had two fewer shots on target than the hosts, and without Joelinton they were able make better use of the ball and carve-out chances – with two pacy wingers playing off Carroll.

According to WhoScored, the striker won nine aerial duels and that allowed his team to move up the pitch and apply pressure on the Blades’ backline, which ultimately paid off.

The perfect example of that was Carroll’s flicked header which played through Jonjo Shelvey to score in back-to-back games and wrap up the three points for Steve Bruce’s side.

With Southampton up next it is quite likely that the 30-year-old will start again, though his manager should be keen to ensure he works on his passing in training, as 44% pass accuracy is simply not good enough and too often it meant that attacking moves broke down when they shouldn’t have.

If Carroll’s performances were to drop Bruce could be tempted to seek an alternative option, as Allan Saint-Maximin has now proved he knows where the goal is.

You wonder if perhaps this is going to be the final straw?

Admittedly he should have had plenty of final straws before this, but clearly Pep Clotet has more straws to give out than McDonald’s.

Birmingham fell to Fulham 1-0 over the weekend, with the visitor’s goal coming once again via an error from goalkeeper Lee Camp, as he dropped a high ball despite not being under a whole lot of pressure from Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Following high profile errors against the likes of Leeds United, Wigan Athletic and Derby County so far this season, Camp has been living on borrowed time, and now even Clotet is saying that he might have to consider dropping him.

That’s why despite Clotet’s message about how wasteful the Blues were upfront in the game, Blues fans were convinced that one man, and one man alone should take the blame for the defeat.

Check out the most insane fan meltdowns in the video below…

With the international break now upon us, would this be the perfect time to make a change in goal?

Tottenham Hotspur fans were left fuming when Mauricio Pochettino made his second substitution of their encounter with Sheffield United on Saturday afternoon.

The Argentine manager appeared to make the decision to shore things up at the back when he brought on Juan Foyth in the 70th minute and protect the one-goal advantage they had at that stage of the game, however supporters were far from impressed with the choice of substitution he made.

Whilst Dele Alli was the player to make way for the South American defender, a plethora of Spurs fans were left fuming with the fact that Eric Dier was left on the pitch and still had not been withdrawn from proceedings.

Indeed, the England international would remain on the pitch for the entirety of the game and could not help Tottenham from conceding a George Baldock goal and ultimately leave the match with just one of the three points that were on offer.

Judging by the statistics collected by WhoScored, the 25-year-old did not have the worst of games as he managed six clearances and won six aerial duels, although he did not manage a single tackle or interception, nor make a difference in an attacking sense.

However, that did not stop fans on Twitter from slamming Pochettino’s decision not to withdraw Dier, with many of them angry the defender remained.

Here are just some of their reactions…

Tottenham fans, what did you make of Pochettino’s decision to keep Dier on? Let us know your thoughts by sharing them below!

Leeds United fans on Twitter are concerned that Eddie Nketiah will be recalled after Phil Hay confirmed that he’s picked up an injury.

The journalist tweeted that the striker apparently had some abdominal pain before United’s game against QPR, and he was left out of the matchday squad.

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United supporters have been worried about Nketiah being recalled for some time now, and some believe that this latest injury could be the final nail in the coffin of his Leeds United career.

It’s unknown yet how long he’ll be out for or what the injury is, but fans are concerned that a long period on the sidelines would encourage Arsenal to recall him once the transfer window reopens.

Whether the 20-year-old is recalled or not remains to be seen, but the fanbase are incredibly concerned about the possibility of losing their top scorer in the near future.

After all, he’s already been linked with a move to Bristol City.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on Twitter…

Paul Pogba is a curious case. He is perhaps one of the most enigmatic men in world football and it’s highly unlikely that will ever change.

The water at Old Trafford may be clearer after Manchester United drew with league leaders Liverpool, but there are still huge questions marks lingering over the direction they are heading in under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The fact the former Cardiff manager has the job has been an ongoing debate all season and his shoddy record in charge must surely come to a head soon.

United have changed managers on a regular basis since Sir Alex Ferguson walked out the door but have they ever had someone so out of their depth since he departed? Probably not.

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The Norwegian is cult-hero in Manchester. Famed for scoring a Champions League-winning goal, United have arguably never been so far from winning English football’s most prestigious title in a long time.

Is that down to the manager? Yes. Is it down to the players? Yes. Ed Woodward must also take a large portion of responsibility.

It’s no secret the club have gone considerably downhill; the very fact Ashley Young is club captain attests to that.

But what if there was a brighter horizon? It seems difficult to picture but there could be a starkly contrasting future for both Pogba and the Red Devils.

It hinges on a new manager and one that the Frenchman was one of the best in the world under – Max Allegri.

Check out 5 ways to fix Manchester United in the video below…

The manager who only recently relinquished the reigns in Turin has been linked with the United job and you’d have to dig deep to find a free agent with better credentials.

In Italy, Allegri won multiple titles and also took his side to a European final, all with Pogba in the team.

His record under the Italian in Serie A and beyond makes for rather pleasant reading.

Whether it was an outrageous goal shared across Twitter or a slick moment of ingenuity going viral on Vine, Pogba was your typical social media footballer at Juventus.

The things he could do with a football was sublime and that remarkable dipping and swerving effort he netted against Udinese was simply stupendous.

Rarely have we been treated to those moments in England, even if he did score 13 times in the Premier League last term.

That goes under the radar but the way he’s never really been able to settle makes it unsurprising he’s been the subject of interest from Real Madrid. Pictures have recently surfaced of him and Zinedine Zidane together so a departure may finally be on the cards. Only time will tell whether that is the case.

However, United would be foolish to let him slip through the net for a second time if Allegri is potentially on his way because he could transform Pogba’s time on British shores.

Playing in a more advanced role in a 3-5-2 formation with Mario Lemina and Sami Khedira beside him, one of his best games for the Old Lady came in a Turin derby in which he showcased his elite mentality, scoring a goal and assisting two in a 4-1 demolition.

Pogba was a regular big-game player in Italy. He claimed assists against Dortmund, Madrid and Man City in the Champions League while scoring versus Bayern Munich too.

As for league action, the dynamic France international laid on strikes against Roma, Milan and Fiorentina during his two years under Allegri.

He was sublime when it came to tackling and creativity, making 168 of the former across league and European fixtures.

With that in mind, is it really any surprise his technique and physicality have been described as “extraordinary” by Allegri.

The Italian has given him glowing plaudits, even praising his maturity at the World Cup.

Pogba was still very much a raw talent under the stewardship of his former boss but now he’s grown up the combination of the two could prove even better. That’s a scary prospect.

Man United long for Pogba in full stride and they could finally discover that if Allegri walks through the door.

The Red Devils have his career in the palm of their hands. What happens next could be down to one or two simple decisions.

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Steven Gerrard will be expected to challenge for trophies at Rangers this season as he embarks on his second year in charge of the Ibrox club.

The Gers have seen improvement under the former Liverpool midfielder, with them re-established in the top two of Scottish football and a fixture once more on the continental stage.

However, it’s domestic glory that Bears fans should so desperately crave after so long without winning one of the top honours and their manager will know that this year.

A determined figure as a player, he’s certainly not been afraid to dig his men out if he’s needed to with Ryan Jack admitting only at the weekend that the boss had a pop at them at half-time against St Johnstone.

What’s it like working under such a manager day in, day out though? The first half of this video clip of Andy Halliday should reveal a great deal:

It seems as though Gerrard has got the balance right, judging by Halliday’s words, and Rangers fans will hope that that, in turn, yields results.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to The Daily Mirror, Manchester United are considering Edwin van der Sar to be the club’s director of football.

What’s the word?

Reports in recent weeks and months have suggested the Red Devils are on the look-out for former players to join the club’s hierarchy as they bid to shake things up behind the scenes.

Names like Rio Ferdinand and Darren Fletcher had been mentioned, and now The Daily Mirror claim Van der Sar is “high up on United’s list”.

The ex-Netherlands goalkeeper is currently chief executive at Ajax and has helped the Dutch side to incredible success in recent seasons, most notably their run to the Champions League semi-final last year.

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The report adds however that health issues with his wife have stopped him from moving abroad in the past, and could potentially scupper a move this time too.

Proven experience

Whilst Ferdinand and Fletcher have an established reputation at Old Trafford following their playing careers, neither have the same kind of experience Van der Sar has when it comes to the actual skills for the director of football role.

The Dutchman’s time at Ajax has been an unprecedented success, and he has played a key part in the Dutch side’s revival. The team’s emphasis on youth and attacking football was much-lauded last season, and is exactly the kind of template United are looking to build.

Someone like Ferdinand may be the more romantic choice. After all, he speaks his mind and certainly connects with the Red Devils’ fan-base. But other than sitting on a chair in a TV studio, what has he actually done to stake a claim for a role of such high importance? The logical option would be to turn to Van der Sar, and if Ed Woodward can convince him to return to the club, then it will be a major coup.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Giovani Lo Celso’s cameo against Arsenal suggests he could have a major role to play in Tottenham’s season.

The Argentine was introduced as a second-half substitute with the score at 2-2 in a frantic north London derby.

Coming on for Son Heung-min, the change appeared to be designed to wrestle back some control for Spurs, having thrown away a 2-0 lead. It worked.

Lo Celso, a slick dribbler of the ball, touched the ball just seven times, per WhoScored, but he brought with him an element of calm and tranquillity in a sea of derby noise.

Three of those touches came as he controlled a falling ball on his knee, turned and beat Dani Ceballos, and then earned his team a free-kick as he was bodychecked on the edge of the box.

Throughout his cameo, he appeared to be the most composed player on the pitch and there were signs that he is getting to a level of fitness where he can actually start games, instead of merely influencing them from the bench.

Signed on an initial loan deal from Real Betis in the summer, Lo Celso scored 16 goals in all competitions last season and it is easy to see why.

Against Arsenal, even in a small cameo, Lo Celso showed that he constantly plays with his head up, looking to move the ball forward and progress possession.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

He made just four passes throughout the time he was on the pitch but every one of them was accurate and he also managed to make a tackle.

It remains to be seen exactly where he’ll play once he is fresh enough to be featuring from the start – he is not a winger so it is not difficult to imagine Spurs playing both he and Son together – but the signs are encouraging.

With the international break now underway, Spurs have a number of major players set to come back from injury, including Tanguy Ndombele and Ryan Sessegnon, both of whom were also signed in the summer.

When everyone is fit, Mauricio Pochettino has a number of remarkably strong options to choose from.

Lo Celso could play a key role in all of them.

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