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Thibaut Courtois wishes Gareth Bale well at Tottenham, but Real Madrid’s former Chelsea goalkeeper is eager to point out that the Welshman will not be representing “the good London team”.

After seven years at Santiago Bernabeu, a familiar face is back in north London.

Spurs have re-signed Bale on a season-long loan, with the 31-year-old being offered the chance to put his recent struggles in Spain behind him.

That agreement is considered to be beneficial to all concerned, with form and fitness issues having become a sticking point in Madrid for a man who was once the most expensive player on the planet.

Courtois believes Bale will thrive back in the Premier League, with his ability without question, but a keeper with strong ties to those at Stamford Bridge has welcomed the opportunity to have a sly dig at a departed team-mate.

The Belgium international joked to El Larguero: “What Bale talked about with the coach is personal.

“I don't know what he thought, but then they are decisions that each one makes.

“I had a good relationship with Gareth and I wish him the best of luck this year, even if he's not playing for the good London team.

“He is a great player.”

Bale made a move over the summer after slipping out of favour at Real under Zinedine Zidane.

He is now working under former Blancos boss Jose Mourinho at Tottenham, with plenty tipping him to make an immediate impact back on British soil.

Peter Crouch is among those to have talked up the talents of an enigmatic performer, with a former team-mate of Bale confident that a proven winner remains as hungry as ever despite the success he has enjoyed in Spain.

“He’s won more Champions Leagues than Manchester United and he has got no financial worries but, trust me, he is as hungry as ever,” Crouch told the Daily Mail.

“All he wanted was to be happy again and now that he is, he’ll bang goals in left, right and centre.

“Fair play to Tottenham for pulling their finger out, as there was interest in Gareth from other clubs.

“I’m not going to say this is a fairytale but it is a piece of business that has left everyone involved — player, club, supporters — delighted. I hope it comes up trumps.”

Bale, who returned to Tottenham nursing a knee problem, could come into contention for a second debut for the club when Mourinho’s men take in a derby date with West Ham on Sunday.

The Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper position was much discussed last season as Daniel Akpeyi and Itumeleng Khune battled it out for the number one position.

Akpeyi initially had his detractors, and did make some high profile mistakes. But the 34-year-old did find some rhythm in the later stages of the campaign with some fine performances and ended up playing 25 league games for the Glamour Boys.

Khune, meanwhile, has been a long-time fan favourite at Chiefs, but struggled with injury problems and fitness last term.

In fact, its been several years since the Bafana Bafana stopper has performed at his consistent best; even in the 2018/ 19 season, he played just 13 times in the Absa Premiership.

Now, however, with new Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt at the helm, and with Sunday's opening game of the season - an MTN8 quarter-final clash with Maritzburg United beckoning, Khune has been gifted the opportunity to reclaim his position from the Nigerian.

That's because of an administrative blunder, as Hunt told SAFM, as quoted by the Citizen website.

“Daniel is not available on Sunday, his passport is expired, it’s a bit of an admin problem. I think Khune might just make the team!”

A solid performance from Khune and the 33-year-old may just reclaim his position as the number one keeper at the club and perhaps even force his way back into the national team fold.

While Hunt will be happy to have someone of Khune's quality to step in, his squad is looking rather thin in other areas of the pitch, especially up front where Samir Nurkovic, Leonardo Castro are injured and Lebogang Manyama is suspended.

Central defender Erick Mathotho is also unavailable and midfielder Willard Katsande is sidelined through suspension for Sunday's clash with Maritzburg at the FNB Stadium.

"We need reinforcements, especially as we are playing in Africa," Hunt added.

"We have a very small squad and right now we have so many out, we are really thin. We need to try [get players] if we can. Otherwise, we have got to look at our younger players. There are six or seven there, it is a great opportunity for them.”

Valencia star Geoffrey Kondogbia has launched a stunning broadside towards Anil Murthy, the club president, who he has accused of “destroying” the team.

Five games into the new season, Valencia have seven points but are on the brink of an internal crisis as head coach Javi Gracia is threatening to leave the club due to broken promises.

The former Watford boss is angry that the club failed to sign any additional reinforcements during the summer transfer window, while numerous important players, such as Rodrigo, Dani Parejo and Ferran Torres were all allowed to depart.

Meanwhile, Kondogbia appeared poised to move to Atletico Madrid, where he would have been the replacement for Arsenal-bound Thomas Partey in midfield, yet the opportunity to switch to the capital was quashed by the president.

“Having already destroyed an ambitious project, you had to deceive your coach and, finally, me. Thank you, Anil Murthy,” the former Inter and Monaco midfielder posted to his Instagram stories.

Valencia are thought to have been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with the club having been forced to cut their wage budget by almost half.

The club has a history of financial troubles, with the Nou Mestalla stadium infamously still under construction due to cashflow issues.

Work began on the club’s new ground as early as August 2007 only for the brakes to be placed on it 18 months later. It is hoped that the stadium will be ready for action by 2022.

Meanwhile, Valencia were one of the dominant sides in Spanish football around the turn of the century, when they won La Liga in 2001-02 and 2003-04, while they also reached a couple of Champions League finals but fell to Real Madrid in Paris in 2000 then against Bayern Munich in 2001 in Milan.

They would, however, taste UEFA Cup success in 2003-04, when a Vicente penalty and a second-half strike from Mista allowed them to claim a 2-0 win over Didier Drogba’s Marseille in Gothenburg.

It was their second European title after they had won the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1980.

Their most recent piece of silverware came in 2019 with victory in the Copa del Rey, their eighth triumph in the competition.

Cardiff are set to sign Harry Wilson on loan from Liverpool for the rest of the season.

The Welsh outfit have seen off competition from a host of Championship rivals, including near neighbours Swansea, to land the 23-year-old, whose move will be finalised before Friday’s transfer deadline.

The Bluebirds have agreed a deal which will see them pay what sources describe as a “significant” loan fee, and are understood to have convinced Wilson and his representatives that they will offer the right “football package” for the Wales international.

The deal is not done yet, with other clubs still hoping to sway Wilson's decision late on, but Liverpool expect the move to be finalised.

Goal can confirm that Liverpool rejected an offer from Swansea earlier this week after they were unable to meet the Reds' financial demands.

Interest from other clubs was strong, with Norwich, Blackburn, Nottingham Forest and Derby, where Wilson spent a productive year on loan in 2018-19, all making moves this week.

But it is Cardiff, managed by Neil Harris, who have won the race. Wilson could now make his debut for his new club at Preston on Sunday afternoon.

Liverpool had looked to secure a permanent buyer for Wilson this summer, and valued the winger at around £20 million ($25.5m). 

But they found takers were limited, rejecting an offer from Burnley shortly before the Premier League transfer deadline. Without a buyer, and with the player desperate to secure regular football having spent last season in the top flight with Bournemouth, they were forced to reconsider their earlier stance that he would not be loaned once more.

He will not be on the only departure on deadline day, with midfielder Herbie Kane on the brink of joining Barnsley in a permanent deal worth £1.25m.

The 21-year-old made his senior Reds debut in the Carabao Cup at MK Dons last season, and travelled to Yorkshire for a medical on Thursday evening, having made his recovery from hamstring surgery in a behind-closed-doors game at Kirkby earlier this month.

Liverpool will retain a 15 per cent sell-on clause in Kane, who also had offers from Luton, Hull and Portsmouth. He will hope to be registered in time to make his debut for his new team against home-town club Bristol City on Saturday.

Liverpool also expect interest to come for Ben Woodburn, Liam Millar and, perhaps, Yasser Larouci before Friday’s 5pm BST (12pm ET) deadline. 

A host of League One clubs are interested in Woodburn, while Millar has interest in the Championship. 

Nat Phillips, sources have told Goal, is now unlikely to be loaned, with Liverpool feeling a permanent move, or remaining at the club as centre-back cover, would be in the player’s best interests. 

Forest, Middlesbrough, Bristol City and Swansea are all interested in signing the 23-year-old.

Nairobi City Stars Noah Abich has retired from active football ahead of the 2020/21 season and joined the club's technical bench.

The defender has been one of the longest-serving players in Kenya football since breaking into the limelight back in 2003 with Nzoia Sugar.

He has since played for 12 teams including Tusker FC, Bandari FC, AFC Leopards, and Sofapaka, among others.

"I wish to make it official that I have retired from football as a player," Abich told Nairobi City Stars' website.

"You can now refer to me as a coach as that is my new direction. 

"It has been a long journey that has had highs and lows. I am now at a point where I want to give back by nurturing the next crop of players. 

"I thank City Stars for allowing me to wind down my playing days and for ultimately giving me the opportunity at their technical bench to start my coaching journey at a high level."

Simba wa Nairobi CEO Patrick Korir revealed the former left-back is in the club's long term plan.

"We thank him for his dedication and diligence to the team and will support him as he scales upward to coaching," the administrator was quoted by the club's official portal.

"He is part of a long-term plan and we will endeavour to build his capacity as we go along."  

Abich has been turning out for the Nairobi-based team since April 2019 and played a huge role in helping the team get promoted to the Kenyan Premier League (KPL).

"He has been a dedicated servant who gave his all on the pitch," Samson Otieno, who is the club's coordinator, said.

"We counted on him to survive relegation when the team needed an experienced hand in the 2018/19 season and he came through for us in a big way with important deliveries and goals. 

"It is now our turn to hold his hand as he ventures into the other side of his career which is coaching."

While at Tusker, Abich won the league title and in 2008 and 2015, he was the best scoring defender for, Sony Sugar and Mathare United, respectively. 

Gor Mahia have confirmed four of their new signings have been cleared by the Federation of International Football Association (Fifa) to play for them in the 2020-21 campaign.

The Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions signed a total of 14 players in the ongoing transfer window, four of them arriving from foreign countries.

The club has now confirmed in a statement that the four players have been cleared to play for the side after receiving their International Transfer Certificates (ITC).

“The international football governing body [Fifa] has finally cleared four players who recently joined the team,” the club revealed in a statement on their official website.

“Burundian Jules Ulimwengu from Rayon Sports, Tito Okello from Vipers of Uganda, Cameroonian Bertrand Konfor, formerly of Al Mudhabi of Oman, and John Macharia who previously featured for FC Guria Lanchkhuti’s of Georgia have all been cleared by Fifa to play for Gor Mahia.

“As per Fifa regulations, all transfers of players between countries must go through a process to get an International Transfer Certificate [ITC] – a certificate provided from one national association to another to facilitate the transfer.”

On being cleared to play for Gor Mahia, midfielder Macharia said: “I am so happy to receive the news that the ITC application process has successfully gone through. It’s a good feeling… my previous club wanted me to go back and so, I wasn’t sure what was in store about my move to Gor Mahia.

“This is good for me because it feels good to train with a team knowing well you are free to play in any competitive match. Now, I have to work… and work hard to achieve the best at my new club.”

Gor Mahia are now free to register the four players for Caf Champions League assignment when the registration window opens on October 21.

Apart from aiming to retain their league title, Gor Mahia will also take part in the Caf competition for the fourth season in a row, and they will be looking to better their performance from last season.

Meanwhile,  Gor Mahia will have quite a task in their quest to retain the title considering their first five 2020/21 fixtures.

The giants have been handed Tusker – their most formidable rivals in the last four seasons – as the first opponents for the new season away from home.

It will be the second straight time the Brewers and K’Ogalo have been scheduled in a season-opening fixture as they had met in the 2019/20 season, when Gor Mahia mounted a comeback to stun Tusker 5-2 in Kisumu.

The Gor Mahia-Tusker tie is one of the matches that have been scheduled to take place on the season-opening day on November 20.

The second match for Oliveira ‘Robertinho’ Goncalves' side will be against the 2010 league champions Ulinzi Stars on November 28.

For their third match, Gor Mahia will entertain the 2008 Kenyan Premier League winners Mathare United on December 4. The Green Army will then host another former league champions Sofapaka in what will be their second home match on December 9.

On December 13, the record league champions will travel to face debutants Bidco United in a game that will be expected to start at 16:15.

Thomas Partey is “the final piece of the jigsaw that makes Arsenal challenge for the title”, says the club’s former scout Francis Cagigao, with the £45 million ($58m) midfielder expected to star in north London.

Mikel Arteta completed his transfer business on the final day of the summer window. The Gunners had been monitoring Partey “for a long time”, with those efforts finally delivering the desired result as the deadline approached.

Arsenal agreed to trigger the release clause in the Ghana international’s contract at Atletico Madrid, allowing him to make his way to Emirates Stadium.

Cagigao believes Partey will deliver an immediate return on the investment made in him, saying it is possible that he could be the man to fire the Gunners back into contention for the Premier League crown.

“He is a player that we pursued for a long time and strongly recommended over the last few years,” a man who left Arsenal in September after 24 years with the club told the Daily Mail.

“I first watched him about six years ago playing for Almeria on loan from Atletico Madrid and he was more box-to-box, attacking even. I think we will see him with the shackles off because he did very much play in a constricted midfield unit [at Atletico].

“He could be the final piece of the jigsaw that makes Arsenal challenge for the title.”

While Partey’s signature was secured, there have been several top talents to slip Arsenal’s recruitment net down the years.

Legendary former boss Arsene Wenger has revealed on a regular basis that he came close to landing some superstars of world football. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Cristiano Ronaldo and Yaya Toure are among those that the Gunners passed up the chance to sign, with Barcelona legends Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique also evading their clutches.

Cagigao added on what might have been: “There are players that get away every season and it's public knowledge that Messi, Pique, Juan Mata and others were very close. In Messi's case work permit issues ensured that we could not get as close as we wanted.”

Arsenal are no longer dwelling on mistakes of the past, with Arteta having helped to turn the club around, landing FA Cup and Community Shield honours along the way.

The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has explained why they released draft fixtures for the 2020-21 FKF Premier League despite the government ban on football activities in the country.

The Kenyan government through the Cabinet Secretary of Sports Amina Mohamed confirmed a month ago contact sports, including football, will remain suspended until further notice owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

Though the government later allowed the FKF to stage a friendly between Kenya and Zambia, and despite several pleas from stakeholders to have the ban lifted, the same government has remained mum on the matter.

On Wednesday, the FKF went ahead to release fixtures for the new campaign, and federation president Nick Mwendwa has told Goal the reason behind the move.

“We want to start the league on November 20, and if we don’t start the league on that date, then we will have problems to end the same because we don’t have enough time,” Mwendwa told Goal.

“The government is still insisting that contact sports remain banned but we are still negotiating with them, they have not communicated if we can start the league but we are hoping for the best.

“We are supposed to play our league to go hand in hand with that of Europe and if we don’t start the league on November 20, then we will be in trouble, we will not be able to conclude the league in time, and this will not augur well with Caf and Fifa.”

Mwendwa continued: “We also have Gor Mahia taking part in the Caf Champions League and also Kenya’s Harambee Stars taking part in Afcon qualifiers, we need the league to resume so that it can conclude as per the set calender, but if we don’t then we will not have a league this season.”

The highlight of the fixtures is the Mashemeji derby which will see AFC Leopards hosting rivals Gor Mahia in the first round battle on March 6, 2021, at Nyayo Stadium before the second round duel set for the same venue on May 23, 2021.

Last season, Gor Mahia won both encounters, beating Ingwe 4-1 in the first round match before edging them out by a solitary goal en-route to winning their fourth straight league title.

AFC Leopards are yet to beat Gor Mahia in their last seven matches with the best result against their rivals the 1-1 draw in the 2017-18 season.

However, the two teams have been given tough starts in this campaign as Gor Mahia will start their title defence with a clash against Tusker – their most formidable rivals in the last four seasons – as the first opponents for the new season away from home.

It will be the second straight time the Brewers and K’Ogalo have been scheduled in a season-opening fixture as they had met in the 2019/20 season when Gor Mahia mounted a comeback to stun Tusker 5-2 in Kisumu.

The Gor Mahia-Tusker tie is one of the matches that has been scheduled to take place on the season-opening day on November 20.

The second match for Oliveira ‘Robertinho’ Goncalves' side will be against the 2010 league champions Ulinzi Stars on November 28.

For their third match, Gor Mahia will entertain the 2008 Kenyan Premier League winners Mathare United on December 4. The Green Army will then host another former league champion Sofapaka in what will be their second home match on December 9.

On the other hand, AFC Leopards will first host Western Stima, who are expected to have a relatively new-look team after Gor Mahia and Wazito FC raided their first team, on November 20.

New Young Africans (Yanga SC) coach Cedric Kaze has promised to entertain the club's fans after arriving in Dar es Salaam to take charge of the record league champions.

After Goal exclusively reported the Jangwani giants had settled to hire the coach after the exit of Serbian Zlatko Krmpotic after only 37 days in charge, the Burundian tactician finally arrived on Thursday night and will be unveiled anytime this week ahead of their next Mainland Premier League match.

Kaze has revealed his delight at getting the job to handle one of the ‘biggest brands’ in East Africa and even the whole of Africa, and promised to achieve bigger things with the Jangwani giants.

“I am very happy to here,” Kaze told reporters on arriving at the Julius Nyerere International Airport. “I am also very proud to be the coach of Yanga, one of the biggest teams in Tanzania, East Africa, and even across Africa.

“I have received a lot of congratulation messages from several quarters for accepting to take up the job and I promise them I will not disappoint, I now know that Yanga is a big brand, and urge all those associated with the club to pull together and support the team as we achieve more success in the coming years.”

Yanga media officer Hassan Bumbuli explained why the club had settled to hire Kaze, immediately they parted ways with Krmpotic, who had won four matches from the five played, with one ending in a draw.

“Like people have been saying in social media, it is now official that Cedric [Kaze] is the new man to coach Yanga, because we have reached an agreement for him to take over and we are happy to have him here," Bumbuli said earlier.

“I have talked to the coach on several occasions before he came to the country and he told me a lot of things, he told me several things on the players, and so it means he was already following the team even while in Canada.

“He knows Yanga very well, not only this season but even the past season because he knows a lot about the team, he knows and also understands the philosophies of Yanga and he also told me is main target when he takes charge is to return the passing football back to Yanga.

“Kaze wants Yanga to possess and pass the ball more, he wants to play the style Johan Cruff introduced to Barcelona during his time, the ‘tiki-taka’ style, and we want to welcome him on board.”

Kaze is an experienced African coach who holds a Caf A License. He started his coaching career as an assistant to Armas Niyamugambo at Prince Louis Rwagasore FC.

He was confirmed as the head coach for the 2005/06 season and his team finished second to Vital’O. He left and joined Atletico FC for the 2006/07 season and he helped the club remain among the top four sides in four seasons in charge.

Kaze was named Burundi’s coach of the season twice; in 2008/09 and in the 2011/12 seasons, although his side finished second.

He lifted the Ligue A title in the 2010/11 campaign.

Kaze has six days to prepare the team for their next league match against Tanzania Prisons at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on October 22.

If Kaizer Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt can get Khama Billiat firing again on all cylinders, it would almost be as good as signing a new player.

Which could prove especially important if Chiefs fail to get their Fifa transfer ban overturned and is particularly crucial at the moment in light of injuries to Samir Nurkovic and Leonardo Castro.

Billiat was a shadow of his usual self last season and the three league goals he scored were his worst ever return since he arrived in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) as a youngster at Ajax Cape Town a decade ago.

He didn't even score in cup competitions and in fact his tally of eight league goals in two seasons for Chiefs matched the amount of goals he scored in his final campaign with Mamelodi Sundowns in the 2017/ 18 season.

Such was the Zimbabwean's loss of form last season that there was constant speculation, not helped by some of Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane's comments on the player, that he wanted a return to the Brazilians.

Perhaps ironically or even cruelly, when Billiat finally did show a flourish of form, with two goals in the final two matches of the season for Chiefs, it came too late as Masandawana snatched the league title away from the Soweto giants.

We may never truly know what was holding the Zimbabwean back, whether it was former coach Ernst Middendorp's tactics, formation, or perhaps it was an uneasy relationship between the two.

Now, with Hunt having replaced Middendorp, Billiat could have the chance to reclaim his former glories and once more become the match-winner and game-changer he has shown himself to be down the years.

And the good news for Amakhosi supporters is that Hunt is keen to work with the player and get the best out of him.

“I think the most important thing I’ve got to do or we have got to do is start to get him playing to his strengths," Hunt said at a press conference ahead of Chiefs' MTN8 clash with Maritzburg United on Sunday, as quoted by the Sowetan.

“Where we can get the best out of him.

"And that’s all I’m going to try and do. Whatever he needs. Support‚ extra work. If he’s willing‚ and I think he is willing‚ I think he’s got huge potential still."

As Hunt rightfully points out, a happy and on-song Billiat could be the difference between finishing second, or actually winning silverware, something which the club has not achieved for half a decade now.

“I don’t want to know what’s gone on here before," the coach said. "It’s got nothing to do with me.

“I just want to see what’s in front of me and hopefully we can get him. He’s certainly a double figures goal-scorer in the league‚ and that’s got to be the first aim.

“If he does his part the rest can do our part‚ and then we’re successful.”

It has been a good few months for esports professionals and content creators around the world.

The coronavirus pandemic has forced people to spend more time at home and in the modern world, that directly results in more time spent in front of screens.

"It has directly affected esports and content creation in a lot of different ways," Saransh Jain, an esports professional who won the Indian leg of the Virtual Bundesliga last year, told Goal.

"It could be said that it was a blessing in disguise, especially for content creation. Now that everyone has understood the importance of gaming and content, there has been a lot of growth for streamers on Youtube and Twitch," the ESL Asia Season 2 winner added. "There hasn't been any growth directly, with no LAN events possible. So it has been difficult but also helpful."

Esports athletes and content creators have seen growth in what can be considered as a rapidly booming industry in India. And with EA's decision to include India as one of the regions for the FIFA Global series, this could be a pivotal moment in the graph for esports in India. 

Saksham 'Sakky' Rattan, a Pune-based professional FIFA gamer who is only the second Indian to win an international trophy for FIFA, became the first player from the country to take part in the Global series last year. But how? He did so from Turkey.

"I finished in the top 500 in the world for Playstation last season without participating in any tournament that awarded Global series points," Saksham, who plays for Turkey-based team Futblistco (where footballer Nuri Sahin as an investor), told Goal . 

Saksham, who has been competing for six years, is confident of doing well in the much-anticipated series. "So I am pretty sure I will be able to finish with a higher rank this year now that India is eligible. We should be having many more tournaments where we can win global series points and I am sure I will be able to participate in many of those."

While esports' growth is certainly remarkable, there are certain aspects that need to be improved if India is going to be a world-class gaming nation. 

"Esports is a massively booming industry in India. It has had a slow start in India but the investors have begun to realise the growth. But in our society, it is not directly looked at as a career option, that is something (that needs to change)," Saransh explained. 

"Most important aspects that need improvement are financial investment and media coverage. Also, the fact that there is a 31.2 per cent of tax deducted at source (TDS) on all prize money given to esports athletes need to be worked on." 

The 19-year-old from Pune also believes the Global series is going to have a big impact on esports in India and is looking forward to kickstarting the new journey with FIFA 21. 

"It is going to completely change the scene for us, I am expecting big things for FIFA esports in India. (With FIFA 21) I am looking forward to the first-weekend league which starts from 16th (October) initially and then the regional qualifiers from November 2020." 
 

Women's football in India is on the rise recently with the establishment of the Indian Women's League and such. 

How much do you know about women's football and its history?

This edition of Goal 's 'Sharp Minds' quiz is for the die hard fans of the Gaurs.

As we see football take a backseat among the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, here's your chance to while away some time.

We will bring you a set of 10 questions, a mixture of easy and tough ones, every week on Indian football. Try answering them on your own (without googling, we hope) and see how much you know about Indian football.

Share your scores with others and showboat. The latest edition of Sharp Minds is right here. Have fun.

NOTE : You are welcome to contact us through social media, if you need any clarification on the answers. We will try, to the best of our abilities, to explain.

Rio Ferdinand has suggested Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should rest Harry Maguire after a difficult few weeks. 

The England defender was sent off in a midweek Nations League loss against Denmark and has struggled to find form at club level this season with the Red Devils losing 6-1 to Tottenham prior to the international break.

Off the pitch, Maguire was caught up in an incident in Greece over the summer that saw him handed a 21-month suspended prison sentence that he has appealed. 

With so much going on for the centre-back, Ferdinand believes a break could be the best thing for Maguire right now ahead of United's next game against Newcastle. 

"In these situations - that I've been in as well - you sometimes need to be taken out of the oven," Ferdinand said about Maguire via the BBC.

"Ole has a big job on his hands and I think quite an important role to play in this. Whether maybe it's time to give him a little rest, let him gather himself and build that confidence back up.

"I got brought off in one game, I think it was Middlesbrough away, the manager spoke to me and said 'Get yourself back to basics, train well and you'll come back in'. That's what happened and I was fine. It's just sometimes that bit of pressure being taken out that can actually help you.

"When you're going game-to-game every three or four days, it's very hard to see through the fog. But when you're taken out of the firing line, you get time to sit back and actually analyse yourself, your performance, your preparation, your recovery - all aspects of what goes around a football match or 90 minutes.

"It's then about rebuilding yourself and playing simple. Effectively trying to get through a game without being seen.

"It might sound silly but that's the way I used to look at it when I was lacking a little bit of confidence. Because at the moment you're being seen for all the wrong reasons."

Jamie Redknapp leaped to Maguire's defence during the week and stressed that he deserves some slack considering everything that's going on his life. 

Peru defender Carlos Zambrano launched a scathing criticism of Neymar's behaviour, labelling the Brazil star a "clown".

Neymar scored a hat-trick as Brazil twice came from behind to beat Peru 4-2 in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying on Tuesday.

In a repeat of last year's Copa America final, Neymar earned two penalties and converted both as he leapfrogged Ronaldo for the second most goals in Brazil's history.

Zambrano was sent off in the final minute of regulation, after substitute team-mate Carlos Caceda saw red three minutes earlier in Lima.

While acknowledging Neymar's quality and status within football, Zambrano – who plays for Boca Juniors – hit out at the former Barcelona forward.

"Honestly, he is a great player, one of the best in the world, but for me he is a real clown," Zambrano told American Television program 'La banda del Chino'.

"[Neymar] is aware of everything he did on the field, he is a great player but he was looking for the slightest foul.

"In the penalty area he threw himself four or five times to see if they would award him a penalty and in the end he achieved his goal, with two penalties, but they weren't."

Zambrano added: "It's Brazil and at the touch [immediately] they went to look at the VAR. Whether the play was positive or negative, they did review the images because it is Brazil."

With 64 international goals, Neymar moved past Ronaldo (62), only adrift of Pele (77) for Brazil's all-time record at the age of 28.

Neymar's treble performance against Peru was also the fourth occasion he has scored three or more goals for his country in a game, but the first time in a competitive fixture.

While Zambrano wasn't impressed by Neymar's performance, Ronaldo praised the 28-year-old for surpassing his goal haul and backed him to keep shining. 

"All my respect for you @neymarjr!," the 44-year-old former striker wrote via Instagram. "He plays a lot, gives assistance, plays, dribbles and thrashes. The sky is the limit. Fly, kid!

"What a beautiful story you are writing. A complete and increasingly mature player. Keep trusting your instincts because the talent is yours and nobody can take it from you.

"You have a lot of records to overcome and marks to leave. Proud to see a Brazilian at the top!"

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed he sent his players a long text message the morning after their 7-2 defeat against Aston Villa. 

The shock loss for the reigning Premier League champions came just before the international break meaning Klopp didn't get the chance to chat to his players once he had time to properly dissect the game. 

After a tough night dwelling on the result and unable to talk directly to his players, the Reds boss decided to send them all a text message relaying his thoughts and feelings. 

Klopp believes that by addressing the situation straight away, Liverpool can now move on and prepare for an upcoming clash against Everton. 

"The night after the game was not the best night of my life but I got up in the morning and I knew I had to speak to my boys but they were not here," Klopp told BBC Sport.

"So I texted them a long, long message which was pretty much my thoughts about the things which had happened and after that I felt much better because then it was out and from that moment we could carry on and that's what we did.

"Now we are here and we have had enough time to deal with it. Losing a game is the exact opposite of what you want, losing it 7-2 makes it of course worse but sometimes we have to show that it can be useful.

"We have the chance to show that on Saturday lunchtime against Everton so that makes it really interesting because we face a team who is flying obviously and we got a proper knock. So now let's see who deals better with what."

The Toffees are currently top of the Premier League after winning all four of their league games so far this season. 

Klopp isn't surprised to see Everton performing so well under manager Carlo Ancelotti - a man he has plenty of respect for. 

"Top team, top manager. What I think about Carlo Ancelotti was never a secret," Klopp told Premier League Productions. "I couldn't respect him more as a person and as a coach. He's a wonderful human being, to be honest. 

"I knew from the first day when I heard that he will sign for Everton, I thought, 'Ah, the next proper challenger in line.'" 

Timo Werner may have endured a slow start to his Premier League career, but former boss Ralph Hassenhutl believes it is only a matter of time before the Chelsea forward begins to shine. 

Werner moved to Stamford Bridge in the summer from RB Leipzig for a fee worth £47.5 million ($60m), missing the Bundesliga club's first trip to the Champions League semi-finals where they went out to Paris Saint-Germain. 

The Germany international has gone on to struggle in his introduction to English football, failing to score in his opening four Premier League games, although he did break his duck in the Carabao Cup against Tottenham. 

Hasenhuttl, who worked with Werner in Leipzig before taking on the Southampton job, nevertheless has full faith that his former charge will soon start finding the net.

"I have worked with a lot players and he is one of the quickest. He is really hard to defend against,’ the manager told reporters ahead of the Saints' weekend clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

"He is getting a more complete striker now and is learning a lot. He is a fantastic signing for Chelsea and he is only happy when he scores, so I hope he is unhappy after the game. ‘They haven’t seen the best of him yet, at Chelsea, in his first games. He has only scored one goal, I think, in the [Carabao] cup.

"It would be a mistake to reduce Chelsea to just Timo, though. They have plenty of other good players in the squad.

"I hope I get to speak to him but not to congratulate him on a goal. I know this player very well. I had two fantastic years with him.

"We brought him in from Stuttgart for small money if you want. ‘We knew the game that we played at Leipzig was perfect for him but he also showed development with the ball last year.

"He was fantastic for me in his first year and scored plenty of goals."

Southampton have begun their 2020-21 Premier League campaign with two wins and two draws and currently sit 11th in the standings, one point shy of Chelsea who occupy seventh. 

England manager Gareth Southgate has hit out at critics who claim he is being too cautious with both his tactics and team selection.

Southgate’s management has been questioned in some quarters following Wednesday’s disappointing 1-0 Nations League defeat against Denmark at Wembley.

It has been suggested he is being too loyal to some of the more established members of the squad and reluctant to put too much faith in flair players such as Jack Grealish, who was man of the match on his first international start in the 3-0 win over Wales last week, but then did not feature at all against Belgium or the Danes.

The Wales win aside, goals have been a problem for England this season, scoring just one goal from open play in their four Nations League ties - Mason Mount’s deflected winner against Belgium on Sunday.

Southgate, though, has dismissed any concerns about his approach, pointing to the fact he gave youngsters Reece James and Ainsley Maitland-Niles their first starts against Denmark, with a youthful-looking midfield in front of them.

“We gave another two 20-somethings their debuts against Denmark, alongside Mason Mount, Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips, who has had four games in the Premier League – along with Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford up front,” Southgate said.

“So I think we’ve been pretty bold in many of our decisions over a long period of time.

“I think we’ve been top scorers in the World Cup, we were top scorers in the Euro qualifiers and we’ve been to two semi‑finals.

"We’ve blooded any number of young players. I suppose I would point to that body of work but it’s for others to have that opinion. I’m not really too concerned.”

Southgate also defended his team’s performance against Denmark, which was decided by a controversial first-half penalty just minutes after Harry Maguire had been shown a second yellow card.

“I leave the camp frustrated that two decisions have cost us the game against Denmark, but in the end I'm so proud of what the players have done and the way they've been across the 10 days,” he added.

“They're a joy to work with. They are growing in resilience. They know how the level of training has to be every day. They know what's expected of each other.

“They fight and dig in for each other and their performance with 11 and with 10 against Denmark was very mature and, in my opinion, a very high level.”

Eric Choupo-Moting has been named the man of the match on his Bayern Munich debut against Duren in Thursday’s DFB Pokal game.

The attacker hit the ground running for the Bravarians in the encounter to help them secure a 3-0 victory over the Blue and Yellow.

The Cameroon international signed for Bayern on a free transfer after leaving French giants Paris Saint-Germain, where he shone.

The centre-forward opened his goal account against Duren with a sublime finish after a fine assist from Senegalese forward Bouna Sarr.

Choupo-Moting then grabbed his second in the encounter with 15 minutes left to play to seal his side’s victory after Thomas Mueller had doubled the lead.

The centre-forward’s impressive performances at Allianz Arena have won him the best player of the game.

Choupo-Moting, who had previously featured for German sides Hamburger, Mainz 05 and Schalke 04, has expressed his joy with his displays on his return to the European country.

 "It was a nice evening. I am happy to be back in Germany and glad I scored two goals. It was a good debut," Choupo-Moting told Sky Sports.

Choupo-Moting had previously explained he was given an option to extend his stay with PSG following his eye-catching performances for the club but revealed he turned down the offer to sign for Bayern.

"Paris wanted me to stay, but I turned them down. There were some interesting offers. My choice was made as soon as Bayern contacted my agents,” Choupo-Moting told the media.

 “It wasn't a shock they came in for me, but it's a huge honour. They're the Champions League holders, the biggest team in Germany. It's a great league. Munich is a beautiful city. I am super happy.”

The forward will hope to continue his impressive showings for Bayern in their next Bundesliga game against Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday.

Besides previously playing in Germany, Choupo-Moting had also featured for Stoke City in the Premier League before their relegation to the Championship.

New Bayern Munich signing Eric Choupo-Moting was pleased to make a positive first impression on his return to Germany after netting two goals on his debut for the club on Thursday. 

Choupo-Moting completed a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the transfer window, but had to wait to make his bow due to the international window. 

He finally got the chance to start in Thursday's DFB Pokal clash against Duren, as part of a much-changed Bayern line-up. 

And he made an instant impact, scoring twice as fifth-tier Duren were dispatched 3-0 in the Allianz Arena. 

The 31-year-old Cameroon international, who was born in Hamburg and spent his entire career in German football prior to his move to Stoke City in 2017, affirmed that he was pleased to be back and among the goals so soon.

"It was a nice evening. I am happy to be back in Germany and glad I scored two goals. It was a good debut," Choupo-Moting explained to Sky after the final whistle.

Thomas Muller was also on target for Bayern on Thursday, converting the second goal of the evening from the penalty spot, and the Bayern stalwart was surprised by the resistance put up by their amateur opponents in the cup tie.

"Duren copied the way we usually play and at the beginning we had some difficulties with that. It did not feel like there were so many leagues between us," the forward explained to Sky.

Choupo-Moting spent two years in Paris prior to his Bayern move, and was offered the chance to extend his contract by the Ligue 1 champions.

But the striker ultimately opted for the team that ended his dreams of lifting the Champions League title back in August's final, and he admitted that he could not pass up the chance to play for the German giants. 

"Paris wanted me to stay, but I turned them down. There were some interesting offers. My choice was made as soon as Bayern contacted my agents,” Choupo-Moting told the media upon signing for Bayern.

 “It wasn't a shock they came in for me, but it's a huge honour. They're the Champions League holders, the biggest team in Germany. It's a great league. Munich is a beautiful city. I am super happy.”