Ange Postecoglou has hit out at social media abuse aimed at Brennan Johnson as he quit Instagram following Tottenham's defeat to Arsenal.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Johnson quits Instagram after fan abuseSpurs beaten 1-0 in north London derbyPostecoglou defends Wales internationalWHAT HAPPENED?

Postecoglou has vowed to "punch critics on the nose" after Johnson received a wave of abuse for his performance in Tottenham's 1-0 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday. The 23-year-old deactivated his Instagram account after the match, with Postecoglou admitting he is "lacking a bit of confidence".

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Tottenham boss also highlighted a growing concern he has of social media abuse becoming normalised in football. The 59-year-old believes it's "sad" that players are subject to abuse from anonymous individuals.

WHAT POSTECOGLOU SAID

"I hate how we've just normalised all that stuff," Postecoglou said. "You're talking about a young guy who is probably lacking a bit of confidence at the moment. Things haven't gone his way. But he comes here every day, he's working his backside off, he's asking for feedback, he's doing everything right, he's trying so hard to become the player he wants to be, it's hurting him a lot.

"It's not like he's out on the town and he doesn't care and he rolls up late. So what's his crime? His crime is he isn't performing at the level that people expect of him. As a professional footballer you've got to expect that you're going get criticism about that, that's part of your growth. He's still a young player and I think there is so much more of Brennan that we're going bring out in him.

"It's sad for me that we've kind of normalised that stuff. That getting abuse, and it is abuse and a lot of it personal, is oh well, that's part of the territory. I don't see that. I mean what kind of person writes abusive things to an individual? Criticism is one thing, exasperation at a game, you accept that. To sit down and write something abusive anonymously… say it in front of me, you'll get a punch on the nose, you won't do it again, mate.

"But they won't do that. They'll hide behind this… unfortunately that's the world we live in. When I look at Brennan and I see a young man who is trying his hardest to be the best he can be. It doesn't always guarantee success and it's part of his journey how he deals with all this. But he's a great kid, a great footballer and I'm very optimistic about what he's going to do for us."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportDID YOU KNOW?

Johnson has struggled for consistency in north London since making the move from Nottingham Forest last summer. He scored five goals in all competitions last season and is yet to record a single goal contribution this campaign.

Newcastle United are reportedly believed to be interested in completing an audacious triple signing of three players from the same club this summer.

Big summer ahead at Newcastle

After a disappointing season overall, Eddie Howe is under no illusions as to how important it is to nail their summer transfer business, in order to mount a genuine top-four challenge in the Premier League next term. Newcastle certainly aren't shy when it comes to being linked with various players, with additions required at the back, in midfield and in the attacking third.

One of the most recent reports has claimed that Fulham centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo and Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly could both head to St James' Park on free transfers at the end of the season. That would help ease Newcastle's injury woes at the back, with both Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles still expected to be out for many months with serious knee issues.

Another Cherries player, Dominic Solanke, has also emerged as a transfer target for Newcastle this summer, having enjoyed an excellent season that has seen him score 19 goals in 37 league appearances, as well as winning 2.6 aerial duels per game.

Morgan Gibbs-White has stood out as arguably Nottingham Forest's star man in 2023/24, helping them pull just clear of the relegation zone, and he is believed to be an ideal replacement for Bruno Guimaraes at St James', should the Brazilian seal a move away.

Newcastle eyeing audacious triple Crystal Palace signing

According to an exciting claim from Football Insider, Newcastle are keen on signing Marc Guehi, Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise this summer, eyeing a triple swoop for the Crystal Palace trio.

It is thought that the Magpies have a "strong interest" in them, and the report also says that they are "close to appointing Palace technical director Dougie Freedman to replace Dan Ashworth", perhaps explaining why this rumour has emerged.

This is such an encouraging update, in terms of seeing the level of ambition on show from PIF, even though they will also have to be aware of financial regulations and not risk punishments moving forward, as has been the case with Forest and Everton this season.

Guehi, Eze and Olise all stand out as fantastic options in their respective positions, with the former a consistently strong performer at the heart of Palace's defence alongside Joachim Andersen. He has averaged 3.6 clearances per match throughout the current campaign, and could well feel that this summer is the time to enjoy a new challenge.

Meanwhile, Eze is a brilliant player to watch, finding another gear in recent times and scoring nine goals in the Premier League this season, while Olise is similarly gifted in his wide role, netting on 10 occasions in only 13 league starts, including an excellent brace against Manchester United earlier this month.

The Freedman factor could put Newcastle in a strong position, assuming he comes in as the new sporting director, and managing to sign all three would be incredible, even if it feels unlikely.

Hints at batting promotion for Mohammad Rizwan and more chances for Shadab Khan

Danyal Rasool26-Aug-2020Pakistan captain Azhar Ali reflected on the disappointment of “losing the one session in the series that really mattered” following Pakistan’s 1-0 series defeat against England. With the third Test ending in a rain-affected draw, England clinched the series courtesy of the hosts’ dramatic victory in the first Test at Old Trafford. It was a game Pakistan dominated for much of the first three days, but a 139-run sixth wicket partnership between then-out-of-form Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes led England to a stunning three-wicket win.”The first Test match cost us, of course,” Azhar said. “If we’d won that match, we’d be sitting here as series winners. But there are plenty of positives, even though of course we made mistakes. Unfortunately, the session that mattered most all series we lost. Sometimes that can disrupt a dressing room, and people can start pointing fingers at each other. But we stayed together as a group and tried to move forward. That’s a good sign for us.”While the final result came down to particularly fine margins, one evident point of difference between the two sides was the balance of the starting eleven. While England had abundant lower-order allrounders that ensured they were never either a batsman or a bowler light – even in Ben Stokes’ absence – Pakistan appeared split between playing a bowling allrounder in Shadab Khan or the left-handed batsman Fawad Alam.ALSO READ: Not for the first time, Azhar Ali finds a quietly dignified way through a sticky situationThey went for Shadab in the first Test, where he ended up impressing more with the bat than the ball, before switching to Alam for the remainder of the series, who struggled to get going. Azhar said, however, Shadab was hard done by to be dropped, and hinted at a promotion up the order for wicketkeeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan.”Balance is created in the side by medium pace allrounders,” he said. “We have Faheem Ashraf with us, and he’s working really hard to break into the side. The way Rizwan batted and kept is a huge plus. Even the way Shadab played that first Test, it was very difficult to leave him out, his performance did not merit being dropped.”But the conditions necessitated it. Rizwan’s form gives us confidence we can consider him a proper batsman and push him up to number six. Shadab has shown he’s good enough to bat at number seven. We have to find someone at eight if the conditions are good for seam bowling, so the role we’re looking for is a lower-order seam bowler.”Naseem Shah has a wry smile•Getty ImagesIt was a series that promised much for Pakistan’s youthful side, with particular intrigue surrounding how tearaway teenage pace bowler Naseem Shah would perform on his first tour of England. Just before the Covid-19 pandemic shut down all cricket, he whet the appetite, giving a glimpse of the fearsome ability he possesses by becoming the youngest player to take a Test match hat-trick in a game against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi. Things didn’t go quite as swimmingly for him in England – he managed just three wickets – but the deliveries that Ollie Pope and Joe Root fell victim to made clear how high the ceiling was for him.”We all know Naseem Shah’s talent,” Azhar said. “The way he got top players like Joe Root out and how he bowled was encouraging. Yes, he’s inexperienced, but he’s been with us for a few series and he’s learning. He’s got pace. We all hoped, obviously, he’d get more wickets but it’s cricket. Sometimes that doesn’t go for you.”Even Babar, who everyone had high expectations of, batted very well, I thought. The conditions were hostile for batting, but the authority with which he played few other batsmen did. He’s a world-class player, and he always dominates other bowling line-ups. All you need is one mistake to get out, and there are a few things you can always look at when you don’t win the series. Of course, Babar will know if you get to 60, you should score a hundred. He knows that. But it’s cricket, and that happens. His consistency is an example for all of us.”Until the first-innings hundred in the third Test, the series involved significant personal strife for the relatively inexperienced captain himself. Aside from a concerning loss of form – particularly away from home – Azhar copped heavy criticism for some of his tactics on that fourth day at Old Trafford, where he was deemed to have been too passive as Buttler and Woakes charged England to victory. Azhar insisted, however, the thought of stepping down never entered his mind, his thoughts firmly on the series ahead.”During the series, the contest itself is all I was focused on. There were tough times when we lost the first Test, and I was blamed for it a fair bit. But I was always focusing on how we could turn the series around. Our team management got us quickly back on track, even though we were all hurting after the first Test.”We feel sad but what’s done is done. We can learn from the experience. The disappointment will remain because we came not just to draw the series but to win. We missed our opportunity. Credit goes to England too for performing well under pressure. We’ll try and learn from that mistake and grab the opportunity when it comes next time.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Um dos líderes do Ceará é o zagueiro Messias. Em pouco tempo, ele chegou ao time, assumiu uma vaga entre os 11 e tem sido o porta voz do elenco nos momentos bons e ruins.

+ Veja no aplicativo do LANCE! o resultado dos jogos da rodada

Consciente do momento que o Vozão atravessa, o defensor pede ao grupo que o triunfo diante do Fortaleza não deixe o elenco ‘confortável’ e espera que seus companheiros mantenham o ritmo acelerado dentro de campo.

‘A vitória, em qualquer jogo, gera um emocional melhor, um ambiente melhor. Acredito que com isso a gente terá um emocional mais forte, tranquilo, para o que vem pela frente. Mas a gente vai ter que continuar se empenhando para ganhar todos os jogos. Ganhar clássico agrega, mas não garante nada’, avaliou o zagueiro Messias.

Com a vitória em cima do Fortaleza, o Ceará encostou de vez na zona de classificação da Libertadores da América. Agora, o time é o 7º colocado, com 22 pontos, um a menos que o Athletico, primeiro time do G-6.

RelacionadasCruzeiroLuxemburgo manda recado para torcida do clube e fala sobre sonho do acesso: ‘não será fácil’Cruzeiro05/08/2021ChapecoensePintado vai precisar melhorar o ataque da ChapecoenseChapecoense05/08/2021BragantinoBragantino com desfalques para encarar o SportBragantino05/08/2021

رفض جان بيير جاسبريني، المدير الفني لفريق أتالانتا، التقليل من ريال مدريد قبل مباراتهما المرتقبة غدًا، في إطار منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويحل ريال مدريد ضيفًا على أتالانتا في الجولة السادسة من دوري أبطال أوروبا، 2024/25، مرحلة الدوري.

ويعاني ريال مدريد من أداء سيء في دوري أبطال أوروبا، هذا الموسم، حيث يتواجد في المركز الرابع والعشرين برصيد 6 نقاط.

وقال جاسبريني، في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية: “أنشيلوتي؟ إنه الأفضل في العالم، ليس بسبب الماضي ولكن بسبب ما يفعله في الحاضر”.

وأضاف: “كنت مستاءً للغاية لعدم تواجده في باريس لاستلام جائزة أفضل مدرب في العالم (حفل الكرة الذهبية في أكتوبر الماضي)، انتقاده؟ هذا جزء من عالمنا”.

وعن المرشح المفضل، قال: “لا أحد مرشح أمام ريال مدريد، الفريق الحاصل على أكبر عدد من الألقاب في العالم، غدًا يوم عظيم لجماهيرنا ومدينتنا، النشوة التي قد تكون هناك مبالغ فيها ونحاول أن نتجاهلها، ما سنفعله هو محاولة وضع ريال مدريد في ورطة”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. أنشيلوتي: سنقاتل أمام أتالانتا.. وغدًا مباراة مبابي

وتلاقى الفريقان في أغسطس الماضي في كأس السوبر الأوروبي، حيث فاز ريال مدريد بهدفين دون رد.

واستطرد جاسبريني: “بعدما فزنا بالدوري الأوروبي، كنا نفكر في كأس السوبر، كانت أعلى نقطة في تاريخ النادي، ولكننا خضنا المباراة في ظل سوق انتقالات مفتوح أثر علينا، تحسننا كثيرًا منذ ذلك الحين، إنها مباراة مختلفة عن أغسطس”.

وأكد: “غدًا علينا أن ننسى كل شيء، وألا ننتبه لما يُقال في الخارج، الهدف يجب أن يكون تقديم مباراة جيدة ضد مثل هذا الفريق القوي”.

واسترسل: “ضد هذه الفرق ليس لديك خيار سوى تقديم أفضل ما لديك، لأنهم لن يتساهلوا معك إذا منحتهم أفضلية”.

Aston Villa have not yet completed their first signing of the summer but it's clear that Ross Barkley will be plying his trade at Villa Park next season, with Fabrizio Romano confirming the deal's on the cusp of completion.

Barkley made 24 appearances for Dean Smith's Villa during the 2020/21 campaign, on loan from Chelsea, scoring three times and placing one assist, but failed to really nail down a spot and departed at the end of the term.

Since, the 30-year-old has aged like fine wine, producing a cultured and resurgent campaign with Luton Town over the past year, with Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson even claiming he was "not far off Player of the Season" for his efforts in the Premier League.

Unai Emery and Monchi have made a shrewd move here, and they look keen to swiftly repeat the trick with another former loanee.

Aston Villa lining up another former loan star

According to TEAMtalk, Aston Villa have been put on alert after AS Roma transfer-listed Tammy Abraham for £40m, with the Serie A side scrambling to meet financial rules and revamp their squad under Daniele De Rossi, who succeeded Jose Mourinho in January.

Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United are both named as suitors for a player who has proven himself a top-class goalscorer in the past, blighted this season by a ruinous ACL injury.

Villa will hope their past affinity with the England international holds sway in the proceedings to come, though whether any interested parties would meet the above-mentioned price tag is questionable.

Why Tammy Abraham would thrive with Ross Barkley

Abraham might have only played eight times this season, starting twice and scoring once, but he's certainly enjoyed success in Italy, winning the Europa Conference League in his first season after scoring 27 goals in all competitions. Having enjoyed such fine feats, Abraham was predicted to become "one of the best in the world" by Roma skipper Lorenzo Pellegrini.

Indeed, Abraham remarked that Mourinho had turned him into a "monster", bagging nine times in the Conference League and demonstrating his dynamic style in the league, averaging one key pass and dribble and 5.2 successful duels per game, as per Sofascore.

He'd previously spent a few seasons as Chelsea's talisman before completing his £34m switch to Italy's metropolis, but the first understanding of his prolific skill set emerged during his short-term stint at Villa Park, where his youthful exuberance fired the Lions back into the Premier League.

Languishing in the Championship for the second year, Abraham's contribution proved pivotal, scoring 26 goals from 40 Championship matches. With such an impressive track record across multiple nations, both domestically and in European competition, it's no surprise that Abraham has been dubbed a "goal machine" by ex-Manchester City striker Stephen Elliott.

23/24

Ollie Watkins

53

27

22/23

Ollie Watkins

40

16

21/22

Ollie Watkins

36

11

20/21

Ollie Watkins

40

16

19/20

Jack Grealish

41

10

18/19

Tammy Abraham

42

26

By providing Villa Park with a goalscorer capable of rivalling Ollie Watkins – and one with such pedigree on the continent – Emery could score a real win, especially when considering the partnership that could be forged with Barkley.

As per FBref, the England international ranks among the top 11% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 16% for shot-creating actions and the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90, and it is this assortment of skills that would make such an impact off the shadow of the imposing No. 9.

Indeed, Barkley's robust output and athletic prowess makes for a unique weapon, driving forward and beating opponents to unleash strikes and creative support both.

Given his creativity and willingness to advance into the danger area with such constancy, Abraham could find the perfect ammunition to rediscover his scoring touch back in his homeland.

Of course, Emery already yields one of the Premier League's finest forwards in Watkins, but then, the dynamic Three Lions star could make excellent use of a strike partner cut from a more traditional mould.

Aston Villa could sign their next Abraham in PL star who "causes panic"

This coveted target is likely to be sold this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Jun 7, 2024

Ivan Toney scored his first and second goals for new club Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Toney scores brace in second SPL start
• Helps Al-Ahli to 4-2 win against Damac
• Reminder to Carsley of what he can do

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Toney had a quiet debut for Al-Ahli last week but found his shooting boots on Friday, scoring twice to help his side to a second Saudi Pro League win of the 2024-25 season. The England international scored typically Toney goals, tapping home inside the box having found himself in the right place at the right time on both occasions.

Advertisement

• WATCH THE CLIP

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Toney's prolific form is a reminder to interim England boss Lee Carsley that he is still good enough to represent the Three Lions, despite swapping the Premier League for Saudi Arabia. The 28-year-old was left out of the recent squad and has been warned international career may be over.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR TONEY AND AL-AHLI?

  Following their most recent win, Al-Ahli must prepare to go again in three days against Al Jandal in the King Cup of Champions. Following that, Toney will suit up again against Al-Amal next Friday.

Tharanga Paranavitana, the 38-year old Sri Lanka batsman, has announced his retirement from international cricket. Known as an old-school opener, he played 32 Test matches for his country, scoring 1792 runs including two hundreds and 11 fifties.Paranavitana’s method brought him great success, especially in domestic cricket. With 12,522 runs, he is Sri Lanka’s highest ever run-getter in first-class cricket and even added a half-century to his tally since the domestic season re-started after the Covid-19 induced break.The ability to score big runs put Paranavitana on the senior team’s radar in the late 2000s. The left-hander made a career-best 236 for Sinhalese Sports Club in their title winning season in 2007-08 and that booked him a place on the Sri Lanka A team’s tour of South Africa. It was after that tour that former coach Chandika Hathurusingha called him a future prospect.Paranavitana made his Test debut against Pakistan in February 2009. He scored both of his hundreds in back-to-back Tests against India in 2010, and although he managed a string of half-centuries thereafter, the three-figure mark kept eluding him. He played his final game for Sri Lanka in November 2012.

The England opener is understood to have opted out of IPL 2020 in the UAE

Nagraj Gollapudi27-Aug-2020

England opener Jason Roy is understood to have opted out of the 2020 IPL due to personal reasons. Roy, who represents Delhi Capitals, ESPNcricinfo has learned, will be replaced by Australian left-arm fast bowler Daniel Sams. The development came on the back of ECB announcing on Thursday that Roy had been ruled out of the T20I series against Pakistan due to a side strain he picked up this week.While Roy would become the second Englishman to opt out of IPL, Sams will be the second fast bowler Captials have hired after the auction. Recently South Africa fast bowler Anrich Nortje replaced England allrounder Chris Woakes.ALSO READ: Sams’ Big Bash surge propels quest for Australia honoursThis will be Sams’ first time in the IPL. The New South Wales quick made headlines for Sydney Thunder at the 2019-20 Big Bash League where he finished as the tournament’s highest wicket-taker. That performance earned him an international call-up for Australia’s white-ball tour of England in September. The tour, comprising three T20Is and three ODIs, will be played between September 4 and September 16, with the IPL starting three days later in the UAE.”The IPL is a huge platform for any cricketer, and back home, we all follow the tournament extremely closely every year,” Sams told the Delhi Capitals website. “I feel fortunate to be a part of it this year, and I’m thankful to the Delhi Capitals management for giving me this opportunity. I can’t wait to join the rest of the players in the UAE.”