Football News: Review Of The Day 1st November 2020

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Review of the Day

Contracts

Cadiz left-back Alfonso Espino has agreed a new 3 year contract.

Transfers

Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti has told the media that Moise Kean will be returning to the club for next season when his PSG loan spell ends. Ancelotti said: "We decided to allow him to go on loan, to play more, to have more opportunity to play more. He is showing his quality and he will be back next season."

Injury Round-Up

Blackpool's Liverpool loanee forward Ben Woodburn is the latest footballer to test positive for covid.

Paris Saint-Germain defender Juan Barnet has revealed that his recovery from ACL surgery had a setback, with a second operation required to clear up an infection.

Managerial Changes

Tranmere Rovers have sacked Mike Jackson after just 3 months in charge of the Wirral club. They had managed just 9 points from their 10 League Two games this season. Jackson was assistant to Micky Mellon, before Mellon left to take charge of Dundee United in July, when he was promoted to manager. Chairman Mark Palios said: "I have regrettably come to the conclusion that it is right for the club to make a change of manager. This is a season which could still yet be shortened due to Covid so we do not have the luxury of time to turn things around." Last season the lockdown saw Rovers relegated from League One after the season was called early and points per game was used to decide league placings.

Disciplinary Charges

PNE Set New Club Record

Preston North End have set an unwanted club record with their six successive home defeat, as Birmingham City snatched a late winner at Deepdale through a Gary Gardner header. Preston did manage to break their run of home games without scoring, that stretched back until 29th August, when they leveled but were unable to stop the Blues from getting back in front.

Pep Rules Out Barca Return

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said, after his sides 1-0 win over Sheffield United, that his time as manager of Barcelona is over, despite presidential candidate Victor Font declaring an interest in bringing Guardiola back. Guardiola said: "As manager of Barcelona my time is over. I lived my period there. [Current Barcelona boss] Ronald Koeman is there, I respect him. He is an incredible friend of mine. It belongs for other people."

Premier League To Continue During Lockdown

Despite England's return to lockdown for 4 weeks, the Premier League will be continuing as planned. Prime Minister Boris Johnson literally gave the thumbs up when asked if the Premier League would be allowed to continue and then added: "Yes to the Premier League." Culture secretary Oliver Dowden followed it up on social media by writing: "The changes mean people should work from home where possible. But where this is not possible, travel to a place of work will be permitted - e.g. this includes (but not exhaustive) elite sport played behind closed doors."

Tuchel Criticises Schedule

Paris Saint-Germain's German head coach Thomas Tuchel has hit out at the hectic scheduling of games, hyperbollicaly suggesting it would "kill the players". Tuchel told a new conference: "We're going to kill the players. That's what I've always said. We are going to kill them because there is an important link between preparation, performance and rest. In football it always falls on the greatest players because they will always play for their country. They play during the break, they travel and that's too much in my opinion. They don't have a recovery phase to allow them to come back and a preparation phase. This is not a secret, it happens in sport. Preparation influences injuries and performance. Without preparation, players are more fragile and difficult to manage. This is not an excuse, it is the truth. We are going to look for solutions and I hope we will find some. Honestly, we came back [from Turkey on Thursday] and [Friday] is our second day after playing. It's the riskiest day in terms of injuries, which means we're doing almost nothing. We are working on recovery and training a little with those who haven't played at Basaksehir and [on Saturday] we are flying out to play another match, this time in Ligue 1. We lose a player for every game at the moment and we are not the only ones concerned. Liverpool, Manchester City and Bayern Munich, it's the same thing."

Former Hearts, Rangers And Leeds Defender Dies Aged Just 36

Lithuanian centre-back Marius Zaliukas has passed away at the age of just 36 after a battle against illness. The defender was a hero to one half of Edinburgh after leading Heart of Midlothian to a Scottish Cup, beating local rivals Hibernian in the final. After leaving Hearts he had spells with Leeds United and Rangers before his retirement. A Lithuanian Football Federation announcement read: "Marius Zaliukas represented the Lithuanian national team from 2006 to 2016 and managed to score one goal. Marius inspired countless young footballers, and his contribution to Lithuanian football will never be forgotten. On behalf of the Lithuanian football community, we express our deepest condolences to Marius' family."

Written by Tris Burke October 31 2020 21:39:12