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Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha has admitted he is baffled by the club's struggles of late, adding that he cannot fathom their inconsistent form.

The Red Devils have endured a mixed season so far, with a credible top-four challenge in the Premier League and a quarter-final berth in the Carabao Cup the highlights of their campaign up to now.

United started strongly in Europe but have since slipped out of the Champions League after failing to take a point from their final two games, consigning them to another year in the Europa League.

Such inconsistency has heaped the pressure on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with speculation continuing to question the Norwegian's future at Old Trafford.

Former France international Saha, who spent four years at United between 2004 and 2008, has acknowledged that he has been left bemused by the Red Devils' performances.

"United have a team that has the quality to be in the last rounds of the Champions League but they lack consistency," the two-time title winner told Genting Bet .

"They’re not lacking the fighting spirit, but the actual concentration. They need to know that they can't go down three-nil at half-time – it puts too much pressure on their shoulders.

"It's easy for me to be as objective as possible, but I'm so annoyed. This is a team with a lot of talent and I can’t understand.

"It’s a pity because the team has massive potential but how can you concede that many goals first all the time?

"Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is someone that I really appreciate and do think that he's got the quality for Manchester United. Maybe he’s not given the players themselves the help, or maybe he’s not challenging them enough? I don't know, but there is something missing. 

"There is definitely quality in the squad because they show that in the spirit to come back in games. They show that they can get good runs going but sometimes there’s too much dependency on one or two players, and that's not normal. 

"A team is built on foundations and something needs to be changed. You talk about the management, which is definitely the topic of the press but for me they have good options.

"There is a desire to improve this squad, and this club, because the position of Manchester United is not right. Whatever it is, whether the structure of the club or maybe in terms of transfers, in terms of the academy, I don't know. It's easy for me to say but I do think that Ole has proved that he can get some players in really top form. 

"I really like what he's done in midfield, especially with Fred and Scott McTominay - they have done really well and performed as we would expect the likes of [Paul] Pogba to do.

"The strikers have done okay but when they miss an opportunity, you get the impression that they think ‘it's okay because there’ll be another one’ which isn’t great. It’s not like they're not performing, but the backlines and the midfield need to step up in terms of consistency, the foundation is very important."

Liverpool could welcome Alisson Becker back for their Premier League trip to Fulham.

But Diogo Jota is a doubt for Sunday’s game having picked up a knock in Wednesday’s Champions League game with FC Midtjylland.

Alisson has missed the Reds’ last three games having picked up a hamstring issue during the draw with Brighton last month.

His absence has allowed Caoimhin Kelleher to shine in goal, but Jurgen Klopp confirmed that the Brazilian will resume full training at Kirkby on Friday, and that he could be ready to return to action at Craven Cottage.

He said: “Ali will train today, and if he trains and it is all fine, then he can play.”

Liverpool were able to rest a number of first-team players for their draw in Denmark in midweek, with the likes of Gini Wijnaldum and Joel Matip remaining unused, and others such as Andy Robertson, Sadio Mane, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino playing only part of the match.

But they still suffered some issues, with Klopp confirming that Jota, along with left-back Kostas Tsimikas, would be assessed ahead of the weekend’s fixture.

Liverpool are already without James Milner, Xherdan Shaqiri and Thiago Alcantara, along with long-term absentees Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, but Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is in line to make his first squad appearance of the season after a knee injury.

Klopp said: “We had a game two days ago, and after the game we had some niggles, I would say. The diagnosis is not fully done.

“Kostas, we have to see. Diogo, we have to see. He got a knock as well. That’s it from the game, I think.

“Apart from that, Oxlade is in training for a week or so and now he is in full training. We will see. The situation probably demands that we use him as soon as possible, but I don’t know if the weekend is that moment.

“Nobody else is coming back, I’m afraid.”

On Oxlade-Chamberlain’s return, Klopp added: “Long [time] eh? I still remember the situation where it happened in training. A normal challenge, one gets up and the other does not.

“Tough time for him, but the sun has been shining for him for a month or two because he’s been doing all the necessary rehab, and he has been on the pitch with the ball. Now he’s with the team, great for him, great for us.

“We cannot and will not rush it, but when he’s been long enough in normal team training, then of course he immediately becomes an option.”

Bruno Fernandes believes Manchester United have a chance to win the Premier League title, with the midfielder adding that he came to the club to claim such honours.

The playmaker has been a revelation since his arrival at Old Trafford, emerging as the beating heart and creative engine room of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Red Devils side.

The Portugal international has proven to be a vital matchwinner for United on multiple occasions this term already, helping them mount another top-four push on the domestic front.

Though he was unable to help his side avoid a Champions League exit earlier this week, Fernandes' latest exploits have now earned him another Premier League Player of the Month award, his third of 2020.

Yet, while the 26-year-old is flattered to have picked up the personal honour, he says he will not be satisfied until he wins silverware, an achievement he fully believes is within the team's grasp.

"It's difficult to have one of these, so I'm really proud to have my third one," Fernandes told the Premier League's official website in regards to his Player of the Month gong.

"[But] I will be happy when I win the Premier League. The point to come to England, to such a huge club, was to win the Premier League and I think we have the chance to do it." 

Having averaged a goal every 86.25 minutes last month, Fernandes beat out the other contenders on a six-man shortlist that also included England internationals Ben Chilwell, Jack Grealish and James Ward-Prowse. 

West Ham defender Angelo Ogbonna and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who has quickly become a key component of Jose Mourinho's Tottenham team, were also in the running.

Fernandes made key contributions with a brace at Goodison Park to help United triumph 3-1 against Everton, while his penalty against West Brom secured a first league win at Old Trafford in the 2020-21 campaign.

Last term, he finished as the Europa League's top scorer and was elected to the competition's team of the year - a feat he now has the opportunity to repeat after United finished third behind Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig in their Champions League group.

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has described Billy Gilmour as a “fabulous little player” but insisted there have been no talks with Chelsea over a loan move for the midfielder.

Gilmour is working his way back to fitness from the knee injury he picked up earlier this year, and Blues boss Frank Lampard is mulling over whether to send him out on a temporary move away from Stamford Bridge.

After coming through the ranks at Ibrox, a return to his native Scotland has been put forward as a viable option for the 19-year-old.

Gerrard appears to be a fan of the Scotland Under-21 international, but said no attempt has been made to strike a deal.

“There is always a lot of paper talk and a lot of speculation about a lot of players,” Gerrard is quoted as saying by the Evening Standard . "From what I see from afar, I think Billy Gilmour is pretty settled at Chelsea. 

“He has obviously had an injury. Every time I listen to Frank he is really happy with the player.

"He's a fabulous little player but there has been no contact between the clubs or the managers. I know Frank extremely well and I know his coaching staff extremely well. I think that's just people putting two and two together and looking for stories.

“There is nothing in it from our side but what I will say is that he is a fabulous little player and we wish him well.”

After a five-minute cameo against Sevilla in the Champions League earlier this month, Gilmour played 90 minutes against Krasnodar on Tuesday.

Lampard was happy with Gilmour’s performance and, given how hectic the schedule is this season, the Blues boss may keep him at Stamford Bridge for the remainder of the campaign.

"I thought Billy was outstanding on his return, I felt very comfortable with him coming back in, he's trained so well, done his rehab and he deserved his chance tonight," Lampard said.

"The way he played today and how he trains I see him growing with us, he's going to be a Chelsea player, [it’s] just making sure the pathway is right for him.”

Cristiano Ronaldo's evolution from wide forward to striker reached its peak when Carlo Ancelotti arrived at Real Madrid, winning the Champions League at the end of the 2013-14 season. 

Paul Clement worked with Ancelotti at Chelsea and later at Paris Saint-Germain, Madrid and Bayern Munich and the pair's time at Santiago Bernabeu marked Ronaldo's conversion to full-time striker. 

Clement, who assisted Ancelotti alongside Zinedine Zidane, believes moving Ronaldo up front was both a tactical and man-management masterstroke from the Italian.

"When we first got to the club, he had played as a number nine but Carlo had the idea for him in 2013-14 that he would become a full-time striker so he didn’t have to track a full-back," Clement told Goal.

"He spoke to Carlo and asked to be on the left, cutting inside, shooting, crossing and providing key passes. Carlo just said: 'Look it is important for you to be comfortable and we don’t want you to be uncomfortable'.

"It is an example of how Carlo manages top players; he didn’t put his foot down and say you’re a striker now. It was important for Ronaldo to be comfortable because he was the match-winner and it worked well.

"They had to adjust everything else to ensure he didn’t have to track his full-back so he played one system offensively and another defensively. Defensively, it would be a 4-4-2 where Ronaldo would be a striker with Karim Benzema.

"Then Angel Di Maria, who was on the left of midfield, would move out to the left to create a four. It was a lopsided shape that would change to allow Ronaldo to play more advanced."

Tactical innovation and flexibility are characteristics of Ancelotti's career - traits which have always seen him adapt his methods to the players available. It has brought staggering success for the current Everton manager, who has also won major honours with AC Milan, Chelsea, PSG and Bayern. 

At the heart of Ancelotti's success with Madrid was his relationship with Ronaldo. They won four trophies in a two-year spell, including that 2014 Decima victory against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final, and Ronaldo claimed the Ballon d'Or in his first season in the process. Clement remembers Ronaldo as the model professional behind the scenes.

"I always quote what Carlo says: 'When Ronaldo walks onto the pitch, you have always got a 1-0 lead',” Clement added. "In our two years there, he scored 50 goals a season. So when he misses a couple of games through niggles, then you miss that goal he brings in every game.

"You are starting 1-0 ahead just by having him. What an advantage that is! I liked him a lot. He was a good guy, clever and a businessman with great languages. He was a great people person with a good character for the squad.

"He was always telling stories and he helps his team-mates. That’s before talking about his talent with his work ethic. He worked on and off the field. His job was to provide and score goals. Scoring goals motivated him.

"Off the field, he is super professional with his care and attention to recovery, gym work, strength training, diet and nutrition. It was incredible."

After working in England at Derby County, Swansea City and Reading, Clement has been given his first managerial role overseas working with Monaco's sister club in Belgium, Cercle Brugge.

Indian Super League (ISL) new entrants East Bengal have lodged a complaint against the quality of refereeing with the All India Football Federation (AIFF). 

Robbie Fowler's team is placed at the bottom of the league table after four matches with a point next to their name. They lost their first three matches and managed to get a point against Jamshedpur on Thursday despite playing most of the game with a numerical disadvantage. 

Eugeneson Lyngdoh was shown a second yellow card and was sent off in the 25th minute for a challenge on Aitor Monroy in which the player made contact with the ball first. Towards the end of the game, Jamshedpur were also reduced to 10 men following a second yellow to Laldinliana Renthlei. 

After the game, Fowler had said that his team felt they were against 12 men on the field. Now, the SC East Bengal management has responded to the situation with feedback to the Indian FA. 

Fowler had said, "I don’t think any decision was going our way. Everyone does seem to be against us. We just had to go out there and defend like the way we can and don’t concede and it was important for us to get the point."

"We have suffered in the last three matches so after yesterday's match we have shared our feedback with AIFF, Hopefully, it will be taken into consideration to enhance the quality of referee to maintain the spirit of the game during the remainder of the tournament," a source close to the development told Goal . 

He added, "This is a process that is available to every club where they can share feedback about the officials with the federation."

East Bengal's next match is against Hyderabad on Tuesday. 

Leeds United winger Raphinha has opened up on his move from Rennes during the off-season, admitting that he was disappointed by the Ligue 1 club's decision to sell him to the Premier League outfit without his prior knowledge.

The Brazilian, who had only joined Rennes ahead of the 2019-20 campaign from Portuguese side Sporting CP, played a major part in helping to guide the club to a top-three finish and Champions League football for the first time in their history.

Yet, despite eight goals and seven assists in his maiden campaign, the 23-year-old was sold to Leeds for a reported fee of £17 million ($22m) in early October, and for what was reported to be less than he was originally bought for.

Speaking out on his switch to Elland Road - where he has gradually established himself as a core member of Marcelo Bielsa's newly-promoted Whites squad - Raphinha has acknowledged that he had little forewarning of the move.

"I learned on the Saturday [October 3, two days before his move], when I joined the rest of the squad for training, that Rennes had accepted an offer for me," Raphinha, who signed a four-year contract, told ESPN Brazil.

"I was a little surprised, because I was just finishing my debut season in France. We had started the season well in the league and I was already thinking of playing my first Champions League."

Raphinha acknowledged that the saga - though quickly resolved and executed - left him with a bitter taste, after Rennes moved to quickly replace him with Jeremy Doku, with the winger adding that he had been previously told he would only be sold for a high price tag.

"They told me that they would not want to sell me for less than €60m (£55m/$73m)," he noted. "Knowing that the club accepted the offer, no more and no less, without telling me, I felt devalued.

"The offer was less than what they had spent to recruit me. It made it clear to me that I was not part of the plans of the club and the coach. They just decided to sell me."

Barcelona presidential candidate Toni Freixa has given his full backing to coach Ronald Koeman, but would provide no assurances with regard to Lionel Messi’s future at the club.

The jockeying for position is underway ahead of the vote for the club’s new president, with the majority basing their campaigns on assuring fans that Messi will remain at Camp Nou.

Messi is free to talk to other clubs outside of Spain from January 1, with his current deal to expire next summer, and both Jordi Farre and Victor Font have said in recent days that they confidently expect the Argentina international to remain at the club if they are given the top job.

Given Messi’s importance and links to the club, that is a sensible stance to take. Freixa has adopted a slightly different tone, saying he does not want to talk about the player’s future.

“Messi is one more piece of the team and we believe that commenting on questions about what he did, what he does or what he will do, does not do him or the team any good,” Freixa told Goal .

“Messi is a fundamental piece of the team and I want things to go as well as possible but I don't think that constantly talking about it will help anyone.”

Koeman is under increasing pressure with Barca struggling in La Liga, and they were beaten to top spot in their Champions League qualification group after losing to Juventus earlier this week.

Should Freixa be appointed as club president on January 24, the Dutchman can rest assured that his position is safe.

“I was the first to say it even when other candidates mentioned other names,” Freixa said in reference to Koeman’s position at the club. "I did it for two reasons. First, because Koeman is an indisputable figure of Barcelona and has shown his feelings for the club by accepting the job at such a difficult time. 

“And second, because I believe that giving tranquility and stability to the coach is good for the club. 

"In previous periods of our history, [Josep Lluis] Nunez gave continuity to Johan Cruyff after a difficult first few years, just like [Joan] Laporta gave it to Frank Rijkaard. I think now is another complicated moment and the club needs stability. 

“Koeman can embody that stability. I am pleased that the rest of the candidates are already in agreement.”

Robin van Persie has revealed he called on Arsene Wenger to bring defender Giorgio Chiellini to Arsenal as he felt the club "lacked a winning mentality."

The Dutchman, who spent eight years at the Gunners but failed to secure Premier League glory with the club, was convinced Arsenal lacked the defensive resolve to compete at the top end of the table.

He felt Chiellini would have transformed the club and pleaded with urged Wenger to make the deal, but the Italian never arrived in north London and is now in his 15th year at Juventus.

"At a given moment I felt called upon to say what Arsenal could do better in order to win the league,” he said in an interview on Kaj Gorgels' YouTube channel.

"I felt we lacked a winning mentality, and asked Arsene Wenger to sign Giorgio Chiellini.”

Chiellini is an old-fashioned, rugged defender and Van Persie feels those characteristics were what Arsenal required.

"I have played against him a few times, and he is a genuine winner,” Van Persie said. "You could see that when he played against Holland a few weeks ago.

"He is 36 years old, but he'll dish out nine elbows every game with a smile on his face. He'll keep smiling and never get a yellow card.

"You need those types of winners and killers in your side. I felt we should get him.”

Van Persie claims he put forward other names to Wenger to improve Arsenal’s defensive resolve, but was left frustrated and admits his move to Manchester United in 2012 was to win titles - which he did in 2013.

"I came up with suggestions and names on the basis of my own experience,” he added. “We were very good up front, and scored lots of goals. But your goalkeeper and your defence are the basis of your team.

"To my mind ours were not at the level needed to truly compete for the title."

Commenting on his move to Old Trafford, Van Persie said: “My departure from Arsenal to Manchester United is still a sensitive topic in England.

“I wanted to win, I just wanted to win. And I had to take a risk for that.”

Mohamed Elneny has urged his Arsenal teammates to "fight and give everything" as they aim to bounce back to winning ways in the Premier League.

The Egypt international scored a wondergoal in Thursday's Europa League outing as the Gunners completed their impressive group campaign with a 4-2 win over Dundalk.

Although they have advanced to the knockout stage, Arsenal are enduring contrasting fortunes in the English top-flight, where they are yet to win a match since November 1.

They suffered three losses and a draw since their 1-0 triumph over Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Elneny claims Arteta’s men are giving their best on the pitch and they will continue to do more to end their poor run of form in the Premier League.

“We focus on the Premier League now because we are losing a few games, we know it is hard but we have stuck together as a team always,” Elneny was quoted by FourFourTwo.

“We have stuck together, everyone at Arsenal, we know there is more to come from us and we need to fight and give everything to get into that winning way because we deserve it.

“We give everything on the pitch and we just had bad luck sometimes. Football is like that sometimes but we believe we are going to get back to winning ways.”

Elneny returned to Arsenal’s starting XI on Thursday after playing the role of an unused substitute in Sunday’s North London derby which ended 2-0 in favour of Tottenham Hotspur.

When asked if he is ready to make his sixth league appearance against Burnley on Sunday, the 28-year-old said: “Of course, I’m always prepared to be involved and give everything to my team to help them win the game.

“We did what we need to do and now we push on to do what we need to do and what we need to do is win on Sunday.

“Before the game I felt like I was going to score tonight, we started aggressively and pressed high.”

Meanwhile, former Arsenal defender Martin Keown believes the Egyptian midfielder has sent a statement to Arteta after he scored his third goal for the club in unusual fashion.

"I think that is a message, that goal – 'I am available for the first team. There are places up for grabs, and maybe that is going to get me one of them’,” Keown said, per Daily Mail.

Vllaznia Shkoder have confirmed Kenya international Ismael Dunga will miss their Sunday Premier League game against Partizani Tirana.

The forward, who scored during their last game against Kastioti Kruje when they picked up a 3-2 win, is expected to travel to the country and sort issues with his passport at the immigration department.

“Dunga will be a very big miss for us when we shall face Partizani Tirana during the weekend especially given the good form he has had,” Vllaznia Shkoder announced.

“He is going to miss the game due to matters around his expired permit and passport in Albania and so he has to travel back to Kenya and start the procedure of getting a new passport before applying for the residence permit again.”

Dunga is among the Kenyan players playing in Europe and boasts of experience having played for a number of clubs in different countries.

The former Sony Sugar and Tusker forward joined Vllaznia Shkoder from KF Tirana in 2020. He had joined KF Tirana in 2019 from another Albanian club Luftetari, where, from 2018 to mid-2019, he played in 24 matches and scored seven goals.

The 27-year-old forward played for Greek side Acharnaikos between 2016 and 2017, featured in seven matches, and scored three goals before he moved to Morocco and signed for Raja Beni Mellal.

From Raja Beni Mellal, Dunga signed for the City of Lusaka in 2017, and in 2018 he left for Napsa Stars FC, another Zambian side.

On November 25, Dunga and Vllaznia Shkoder will be up against Teuta Durres away before hosting Kukesi four days later.

Vllaznia Shkoder is the association football branch of the Vllaznia Sports Club, which was founded over 100 years ago. It is also the oldest club in Albania, and have competed in every edition of Kategoria Superiore since 1930, which is the top tier of football in Albania, besides the 1956-57, 1961-62, and 2018-19 seasons.

Although he has been largely overlooked when it comes to the national team duties, different clubs have always come for his services and Vllaznia Shkoder is his 11th employer.

He has also played for Nakumatt and Congo United before he started his journey with foreign clubs four years ago.

The Orlando Pirates squad will likely be acutely aware of the club’s poor form in cup finals as they step onto the park against Bloemfontein Celtic in the MTN8 final on Saturday evening at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Since 2013, the club has lost in two Caf finals (the Champions League and the Confederation Cup), two Nedbank Cup finals, two Telkom Knockout finals, and two top-eight finals.

The only exception was back in 2014, when they lifted the Nedbank Cup trophy.

“I think it has to be a motivation for us, having seen that after six years the team has not won a trophy, and that has to be a motivation,” Hlatshwayo said in the pre-match press conference.

“Looking at how we have performed throughout the tournament, [we have to] make sure that we break that cycle.

“And make sure that each and every player who has not won a cup with Orlando Pirates, writes their history in the club’s books,” the Bafana Bafana central defender added.

Of the current squad of Bucs players, only two men – Happy Jele and Ntsikelelo Nyauza - were around when Pirates beat Bidvest Wits in the 2014 Nedbank Cup final.

Hlatshwayo did win the MTN8 tournament during his time with Bidvest Wits, when they beat Mamelodi Sundowns 3-0 in the 2016 final.

Some of Hlatshwayo’s other former Wits team-mates, now with him at Pirates, such as Gabadinho Mhango and Vincent Pule, also tasted trophy success with the Clever Boys, and that experience may come in handy on Saturday.

“Personally I will draw inspiration from the very same tournament, when we played Sundowns,” the former Ajax Cape Town player said.

“And the leadership around the team, we have a lot of leaders. [I will] make sure that the experience I have acquired, is [fed] to the players. They are capable of doing it, we can see how they performed throughout the tournament.

“Having played difficult teams leading to the final, yes for sure without a doubt probably people will say we are favourites,” he continued.

“But I think we should not fear Celtic, but respect them, because they have been in a final already this year, they are not a small team and we must give them that respect.”

Pirates beat Cape Town City (1-0) and Kaizer Chiefs (5-0 over two legs) to book their spot in the final. Celtic surprised Sundowns in the opening round (1-0) and then saw off SuperSport United 2-1 on aggregate over the two-legged semi-final.

Simba SC striker Meddie Kagere has come out to state he does not have any feud with club captain John Bocco.

Kagere and Bocco were part of the Simba squad that emerged with a 2-0 win over Polisi Tanzania on Wednesday, and reports emerged they had an altercation during the celebration of the team’s second goal.

However, on Thursday, Bocco was the first to dismiss reports there is bad blood between him and Kagere and hit out at unnamed individuals who he claimed are just coming up with stories that are entirely misleading about his relationship with the strike partner.

Kagere has also taken to his Instagram page to deny he has a feud with the Taifa Stars striker.

Kagere wrote: “I would like to be honest about this matter involving me and my captain John Bocco, with great respect I can say I have never had any problem with Bocco or any Simba player.

“I would prefer us fighting our enemies than each other. I really appreciate your concern and hope you understand, thank you.”

On his part, Bocco said: “I have no problem with [Meddie] Kagere at all. We are very okay,” Bocco said in an Instagram post. “What people have been saying is just about what they feel and that is how they go about trying to get news.

“That is how they end up making up news that does not have either the head or the legs. I have no problem with Kagere and he has no problem with me. We do not have any issue within our team at all.”

When the season began there was speculation Kagere and Simba coach Sven Vandenbroeck were not seeing eye to eye but the club’s spokesperson Haji Manara denied such rumours and insisted the Rwandan, alongside Clatous Chama, who had been linked with Yanga SC, were not going to leave the club.

“A lot has been discussed regarding the situation of Kagere and Chama at Simba,” Manara said in an earlier interview.

“The good thing is that the two players have shown a keen interest to continue playing for Simba, they want to stay and we are ready to keep them, we want them to stay beyond the coming two seasons.”

Manara continued: “We want to have a good squad, we want to keep our squad intact and we don’t want to lose our key players, so I want to assure our fans that no player will leave the club unless the club wants the player to leave.”

Chama, Kagere, and Bocco have been key players for Wekundu wa Msimbazi as they have dominated the local scene in the last three seasons and are expected to play huge roles in the ongoing campaign.

Trabzonspor striker Benik Afobe has called for patience from his critics as he aims to end his five-game goal drought in the Turkish Super Lig.

The 27-year-old found it difficult to cement a place at Stoke City which forced his second loan move away from bet365 Stadium after he spent last season at Bristol City.

Afobe has returned three goals in 10 Turkish top-flight games this season for the Black Sea Storm who are placed 13th in the league table with 13 points from 11 matches.

In his assessment of the club's struggle, the former Arsenal youngster claims Trabzonspor players are still working to adapt and he remains confident of their success this campaign.

"I could only contribute three goals right now. We will work more because we are trying to get used to one another. I am trying to get to know them, they are trying to get to know me,” Afobe said.

"I had trouble evaluating the positions we found, but at the end of the season, when we complete that adaptation process and continue, I think we will finish in a very good place.

“I think the best time to criticise is May. I think it is right to evaluate all of what I have done throughout the season at the end of the league in May. Everyone will see that we will be in a good place when the league ends.”

After Monday’s 1-1 draw against Sivasspor, Afobe will aim to fire Trabzonspor back to winning ways when they visit Kayserispor for their league fixture on Saturday.

On his reaction to the alleged racism incident which involved Cameroonian coach Pierre Webo during PSG and Istanbul Basaksehir game on Tuesday, the DR Congo forward said: "It is really bad that it is still going on. I am also disappointed. Because the incident is the fourth referee's ignorance, racism or misunderstanding, I do not know exactly. But everyone in football should know that everyone is against it.

"I think footballers should be professional. However, I think this reaction should be given in such racism and similar situations. Paris Saint-Germain players stand next to the rival players in this match they play with their rivals Basaksehir, they leave the field with them, they do not act with the idea of ​​just winning this game. I think it is important and valuable.

“This is the reaction you need to do in such situations. In unpleasant situations, the players react and leave the field, act together, I think the message they give is correct. Life is more important than football. This is not only for football, but also for life. I think that this reaction should also be given to events in life.”

Swansea City deputy captain Andre Ayew believes form will not matter when they take on South Wales rivals Cardiff City in the Championship on Saturday.

The two sides are set for a matchday 18 showdown for pride and points.

While fourth-placed Swansea come into the game on the back of two wins, two draws and one defeat in their last five games this season, ninth-place Cardiff have one defeat and four victories in the corresponding matches.

“We all know what the game means to the fans, to our community. We know it is not a game like any other game, it is a big one,” Ayew said, as reported by his club's official website.

“But it is still three points to play for, so you have to make sure you don’t get carried away, focus on playing the way we want to play and as well as we can.

"If we do that we can make the fans proud."

Fans, a key fuelling factor of derby games, especially at the stadium, will be absent as the match is set to be played behind closed doors due to the Covid-19 situation.

“The passion is always there, these are the best games when you have a full stadium," Ayew added.

"It’s not the case this time, but we know the fans will be watching the game and we want to make them and the city proud.

“Let’s not hide from it, it’s a big game. Form does not count, who is playing well or not does not count, it’s just a game you need to win for pride, for the club and the people.

“When we won last year, it was special, you can sense that you have made people happy and they enjoyed it. It was one of the best atmospheres I have played in.

“Covid has changed a lot of things in our lives, but it will not change how our fans will feel if we can win for them.”

Last season, visiting Swansea rose up to hold Cardiff to a 0-0 draw after registering a 1-0 home win in the reverse fixture at Liberty Stadium.

Ayew, his club's top scorer so far this season (seven goals in 16 outings) will again be expected to lead the Jack Army's attack in their quest for Premier League promotion.

Kevin-Prince Boateng feels Lionel Messi should pay the ultimate tribute to his fellow Argentina great Diego Maradona by signing for Napoli.

Maradona passed away last month, and Messi has already paid his respects by removing his Barcelona shirt when scoring against Osasuna to reveal a Newell’s Old Boys jersey.

Newell’s was the team Messi came through at, and Maradona had a season at the club towards the tail-end of his career.

It was at Napoli where Maradona cemented his legendary status, with the 1986 World Cup winner guiding the club to two Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990.

Napoli have retired Maradona’s No.10 shirt, meaning Barca’s current occupier of that jersey would need to take on a different number, but Boateng feels it is a move that Messi should make.

"Messi's going to finish his contract at Barcelona, [but] how amazing would it be if he would just call Napoli and say 'I will come'?" Boateng told ESPN .

"'They don't give out the No.10 shirt anymore, [but] I would love to honour Maradona's No.10 and I would love to come and play one year or two years at Naples, without thinking about money or nothing, just heart'."

Monza midfielder Boateng, who spent a spell on loan alongside Messi at Barcelona last year, has described the possibility of a move to Napoli as being like a movie script - but would love it to happen.

"It would be like a movie," Boateng said. "He'd have to go to practice by a f*cking helicopter because people would eat him alive. They'd be so happy.

"But just that story: 'In honour of Maradona, I will come and play for Naples', what kind of story would that be for the world, not only for football, for the world?

"It would be a message, it would be history everywhere. I just wish I would be in Messi's shoes. I want to be Messi. I would call the president of Naples and I would tell him."

For the moment, Messi’s focus is on lifting Barcelona up the Liga table - they currently sit 12 points behind leaders Atletico Madrid - starting with a home game against Levante on Sunday.

Miguel Azeez is over the moon after making his debut appearance for Arsenal in their 4-2 Uefa Europa League victory over Dundalk.

The 18-year-old, who was born to a Nigerian father and a Spanish mother in England, played the final seven minutes of Thursday’s encounter after coming on for Joe Willock.

He is pleased to have contributed to their victory as goals from Eddie Nketiah, Mohamed Elneny, Willock and Folarin Balogun secured maximum points for the visitors.

Azeez joined Arsenal youth academy at the age of five and he was rewarded with his first professional contract at the club in September 2019.

 After the memorable outing in Dublin, the teenage midfielder vowed to continue working hard to earn his place in Mikel Arteta’s squad.

“I'm buzzing. I'm happy and overjoyed with the experience. I'm so grateful that I was able to get the experience and all the hard work has paid off today,” Azeez told the club website.

“I just wanted to play my game because that's why I'm here. I didn't want to do anything that I'm not used to doing. I just wanted to see the game out and make sure we won and put in a good performance.

“I will play with passion because I love the club. I've been here since the age of five so I'm an Arsenal fan through and through and obviously, I just want to give something back to the fans and play my best games every single day.

“Hopefully, whenever the manager wants to put me in I'm just going to take my opportunities. I'll keep training hard, keep making sure that I'm in the managers head and play my game whenever I get the opportunity.”

Apart from Azeez, Ben Cottrell was another youngster who made his first-team debut for the Gunners on Thursday.

Cottrell and Azeez are the 876th and 877th players to play for the first-team of the North London outfit.

Meanwhile, Arsenal secured their qualification for the last 32 stage of the tournament with an unblemished record of six wins in six games which put them at the top of Group B.  

The pressure will only grow for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer following Manchester United's Champions League exit, according to Teddy Sheringham, who feels that talk of Mauricio Pochettino "waiting in the wings" is likely to increase that burden.

The Norwegian saw his side slip out of Europe's top competition after they failed to take a point from their last two group-stage games against Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig.

Having previously beaten both sides in the reverse fixtures earlier in the season, and having held a lead at the top of Group H before then, the Red Devils' failure to secure knockout football has contributed to the perpetual discussion over Solskjaer's future in charge .

The former Molde boss was drafted in as an interim replacement two years ago and was handed the job on a full-time basis in early 2019, but is yet to win a single piece of silverware as manager at Old Trafford.

Sheringham - who memorably partnered with Solskjaer to score the two injury-time goals that handed United the Champions League crown in 1999 - admits that he feels his former team-mate is under the cosh, and that he will know that the gathering dust in the trophy cabinet can only be seen as a failure.

"It’s a result that does put more pressure on him," the former England international told CardsChat .  "There’s been rumours circulating about Pochettino supposedly waiting in the wings and he could have certainly done without failing to qualify for the knockout stages.

"The pressure will grow again if they falter in the league in the coming weeks. Ole is a lovely lad and I don’t want that to happen and very much hope he keeps the job.

"When you play for Man Utd, you understand what the situation is. You listen to Roy Keane and that’s what it’s all about – United to win things. 

"Not to come in the Champions League spots, not to get second, not a bold runner-up. You’re there to win things, you are in the biggest club in the country, in Europe, maybe even the world, so you’re expected to win things. 

"Ole knows that, he’s been around that feeling, that way of life and he knows that anything but success and winning trophies is a failure."

Former Spurs boss Pochettino has been out of a job since Jose Mourinho - the man Solskjaer succeeded at United - took the reins at Tottenham last year, but Sheringham does not feel that the Argentine's spell out of the game will have hurt his skills.

"I’m almost certain Pochettino has been offered jobs already," he added. "He’s probably waiting for the right one. 

"I think he’s got that reputation now where he can pick and choose which job he wants. I certainly thought he was a fantastic manager, so I don’t think it’ll be long before he gets back in."