Olho vivo! Treinadores falam sobre drone do Grêmio e recordam quando lidaram com 'espionagem'

MatériaMais Notícias

A final da Copa Libertadores de 2017 foi precedida por um inusitado caso de espionagem: a acusação de que o Grêmio teria utilizado um drone para acompanhar a atividade do Lanús (ARG). Embora o flagra divulgado pela ESPN tenha apimentado a decisão, o uso de “espiões” não é visto como novidade entre quem trabalhou no futebol.

Treinador com passagem pelos quatro grandes do Rio de Janeiro, Jair Pereira revelou aoLANCE!que lidou com tentativas de “espionagem” à sua rotina de treinos:

– Ah, já botei muito espião para fora, porque na época os treinos eram abertos. Tinha espião de peruca para acompanhar treinos. Flagrei até pessoas filmando!

O técnico, que venceu a Copa do Brasil de 1990 pelo Flamengo e o Carioca de 1994 pelo Vasco, contou o caso mais curioso com o qual lidou:

– O mais surreal que vivi foi quando treinava o Botafogo. Descobri que em um dos apartamentos do lado de onde a gente treinava ficava um espião, usando binóculo para acompanhar nossos treinos e passar as informações. A gente avisou o porteiro do prédio, que impediu o cara de subir.

Jair Pereira ainda apontou um técnico que perseguia de maneira implacável “espiões”:

– O Telê Santana era terrível, muito precavido. Quando desconfiava, mandava a pessoa embora, e não queria nem conversa!

Comandante da Seleção Brasileira na Copa de 1990, Sebastião Lazaroni também revelou ao L!que passou com frequência por situações de “espionagem”:

– Acontece muito quando se fecha os treinos. Torcedores de equipes adversárias se disfarçam de jornalistas e passam informações ao clube de coração. A gente tenta ao máximo evitar que estas informações saiam, para surpreender em jogadas de bola parada, ou em alguma tentativa de atacar de maneira surpreendente ou de se defender melhor.

Lazaroni confessou que, em uma de suas passagens pelo futebol árabe, a “espionagem” serviu como um trunfo para sua equipe:

– Foi quando eu dirigia o Al-Hilal (SAU). Estava comandando um treino na véspera da decisão, e um atacante me chamou para mostrar uma coisa. Era uma fita de vídeo. Quando fui assistir, eram dois dias de treinamento completos da equipe adversária, provavelmente deixados por um torcedor que quis “municiar” a gente. Acabou ajudando, porque ganhamos o jogo (risos).

DRONE ABRE DEBATE SOBRE PRESENÇA DE ESPIÕES

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O flagra ao drone do Grêmio rendeu alguns questionamentos dos treinadores. Aos olhos de Jair Pereira, o fato de a Libertadores ter chegado à final torna dispensável a necessidade de espionagem:

– Nunca tinha visto uma espionagem a este ponto, com recurso tecnológico, mas não vejo motivo para o Grêmio fazer. O time engole os adversários pela tática e pela técnica e, depois de tanto tempo de competição, já devia saber como joga o Lanús. Em finais assim, não faz muita diferença a presença de um espião para saber como joga o adversário, todo mundo já se conhece.

Sebastião Lazaroni vê a situação como uma nova chance de discutir sobre a presença de “espiões” em treinos:

– Não chega a surpreender, mas, sem dúvida, não é ético. É bom que casos como este surjam para reabrir a legislação.

Também procurado pelo LANCE!, Joel Santana saiu pela tangente:

– Eu não quero me meter nessa história não, deixa o (Renato) Gaúcho resolver essas broncas. Só acho que futebol está com muita apelação.

Postecoglou drops Giakoumakis update

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has dropped a promising injury update regarding Giorgos Giakoumakis.

What’s the latest?

In a recent interview with The Scottish Mail on Sunday (via 67hailhail), the Bhoys boss revealed that the centre-forward is now back in training after recovering from a knee injury, as well as suggesting that the 27-year-old should be in line for a return to first-team football after the winter break.

Speaking about the condition of the Greece international, Postecoglou said: “Giako is close. One session was not enough for him to be right for Sunday. He is back now to almost being available. If we had one more game he would probably be available but we are now looking to get him back after the break.”

Fans will be delighted

Considering the excitement that surrounded Giakoumakis’ £2.5m move to Parkhead this summer, the news that the striker – who has so far started just two games in his Celtic career – is finally back in contention for first-team football is sure to have delighted the Hoops fanbase and the 56-year-old manager alike.

And, if the £2.25m-rated man can hit anywhere near the heights he did at VVV-Venlo last season in the second half of the current campaign, his return from injury will very much feel like a new signing for Postecoglou and his side.

Indeed, over his 30 Eredivisie appearances last time out, the £8.2k-per-week hitman scored a remarkable 26 goals, registered one assist and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 3.2 shots – 1.5 of which were on target – and making 0.5 key passes per game.

These returns saw the centre-forward earn an extremely impressive seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.35, ranking him as the joint sixth-best performer in the entirety of the division – a rather extraordinary feat when considering the fact that he was playing for a side that suffered relegation from the top flight.

As such, should Giakoumakis indeed be able to refind this form in the second half of the current campaign, it would undoubtedly come as a game-changing boost to Celtic’s chances of reclaiming the Premiership crown come next May – an outcome that would delight everyone involved with the club.

In other news: Ange can finally axe £41k-p/w Celtic deadwood with January swoop that “should happen”

Eddie Howe makes Newcastle training changes

Mark Douglas has revealed what changes Eddie Howe has made on the training ground at Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Brutal regime

As per Craig Hope, the 43-year-old sent a lot of brutal messages to his players in first training session since taking over from the departed Steve Bruce.

Some of the messages included: ‘we train as we play’, ‘match sharp’, ‘no jogging’ and ‘if you think you’re maxed out, you’re not’, before then watching the under-11 side train.

It is clear that he is putting a stamp on his authority at St James’ Park straight away as he aims to help the Magpies fight off relegation from the Premier League.

The Latest: Changes

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, Douglas has revealed that sources from the training ground have said that Howe has had a ‘transformational’ impact in the international week, with the intensity and overall mood having ‘lifted’ in the space of just a few days.

The former Bournemouth boss has been getting to know his players and staff, and one of his beliefs is that everyone at the training ground should be ‘adding value’, as he has also been talking to staff about their roles and how it fits into football operations.

The Verdict: Promising

Given the situation in which Bruce left Newcastle, 19th in the Premier League with just five points and no wins after their first 11 games (Premier League), it is promising to see Howe stamp his authority so early on in his tenure.

First and foremost, the aim for the 43-year-old will be to make sure that his team stays up before he can really sink his teeth into the long-term project. If he succeeds, there is no reason not to give him a chance of improving his squad with a big transfer budget, and then he can implement his methods on better quality players.

Judging by Douglas’ insight, Howe certainly seems like a coach who the current crop of players do not want to cross.

In other news: One former EPL goalkeeper had his say on some potentially ‘big’ transfer news for NUFC

كواليس أول مران لـ الأهلي بقيادة كولر.. ظهور كهربا وانتظام مغربي

قاد مارسيل كولر المدير الفني للنادي الأهلي، مران الفريق اليوم الأحد للمرة الأولى بعد توليه المسؤولية وذلك استعدادًا للموسم الجديد.

وكان الأهلي قد أعلن أمس الأول تعيين كولر مديرًا فنيًا للفريق لمدة موسمين.

طالع أيضًا.. فيديو.. رسالة مؤثرة من برونو سافيو لجماهير بوليفار بعد الانتقال إلى الأهلي

واستأنف لاعبو الأهلي تدريباتهم اليوم بعد انتهاء فترة الراحة التي حصلوا عليها بنهاية الموسم الماضي.

وعقد كولر محاضرة للاعبين قبل انطلاق المران، شهدت الحديث عن استراتيجية العمل الخاصة بالفريق خلال الفترة المقبلة، بعد توليه القيادة الفنية بشكل رسمي.

وخاض اللاعبون فقرات بدنية متنوعة في بداية المران، فيما أدى حراس الفريق مرانًا قويًّا تحت قيادة ميشيل يانكون.

وانتظم حسين الشحات لاعب الفريق في التدريبات الجماعية اليوم بصورة كاملة، فيما شارك عمرو السولية وطاهر محمد طاهر ومحمود متولي في جانب من المران الجماعي، قبل أن يستكملوا التدريبات البدنية.

وخاض الثلاثي محمد مجدي أفشة ومحمد شريف وأحمد نبيل كوكا تدريبات تأهيلية، بينما واصل الجنوب إفريقي بيرسي تاو تنفيذ برنامج العلاج الطبيعي الخاص به في الجيم.

وشهد مران الأهلي تواجد محمود عبد المنعم كهربا رفقة اللاعبين، بينما انتظم محمد مغربي مع الفريق بعد قطع إعارته لصفوف تيبليتسه التشيكي.

Ireland aim to burst the Ashes bubble

Pity poor England – Ashes winners one minute, grist to the mill the next. “Not ideal,” is how Paul Collingwood summarised the team’s requirement this week

Andrew Miller in Belfast26-Aug-2009Match factsThursday, August 27, 2009
Start time 10.45am (9.45 GMT)Eoin Morgan will be fired up to play Ireland, but may face some banter•Getty Images

Big PicturePity poor England – Ashes winners one minute, grist to the mill the next. “Not ideal,” is how Paul Collingwood summarised the team’s requirement this week, as they prepared to cleanse their minds of all lingering traces of glory, and get back to the drawing-board in preparation for two Twenty20s and seven ODIs against the all-too-recently vanquished Australians. First-up, however, there is a stop-over in Belfast that might, in days gone by, have represented a convivial way to unwind in a green and pleasant land renowned for its appreciation of a party.But not in this unstinting professional era. The Irish are the pace-setters of cricket’s second tier – streets ahead of their traditional rivals, Scotland (who take on the Aussies in Edinburgh on Friday) and itching to put one over the English, for a variety of reasons that extend beyond mere sporting instincts. For starters, there is the likely presence in England’s line-up of Eoin Morgan – a member of the Irish side that captured the imagination at the 2007 World Cup, but now a targeted man after switching his allegiance to further his career. And then there’s the large Australian influence in the squad, all of whom are gunning for vengeance for their mother country, not least the former captain, Trent Johnston.Form guide (last five matches, most recent first)Ireland – AWWWW
England – WWAWWWatch out for…Eoin Morgan is guaranteed a banter-fuelled reception from his friends and team-mates in the Irish dressing-room, not least the captain Will Porterfield, who has promised to try to unsettle his close mate. However he fares, it’s going to be an emotional day for young Morgan, whose skills in the traditional Irish sport of hurling have had a direct influence on his unconventional batting style, not least his ability to play a paddle sweep with the power of a cover drive. In the absence of Kevin Pietersen, he is shaping up as England’s most innovative member of the middle-order.In the temporary absence of Andrew Strauss, Paul Collingwood is back in charge of England’s ODI fortunes, and he’ll be leading them in the two Twenty20s in Manchester as well. But his tenure could not feel any more ad hoc. His form fell away horribly at the tail-end of the Ashes, with an average of eight from the final three Tests, and while a change of format can sometimes be as good as a rest, his bosses at the ECB aren’t sending out too many encouraging messages about his future. “I am Twenty20 captain at the moment,” he said, “and until I’m told I’m not Twenty20 captain, that’s how I’ll perceive myself to be.”Team newsA forgotten man is set to return to the top of England’s order – Ravi Bopara was absent from the Oval celebrations on Sunday because he was busy on county duty with Essex, where he put his Ashes traumas behind him in some style with a timely double-century. He could well be joined at the top by a debutant, with Kent’s Joe Denly being named in the squad for the first time. Stuart Broad’s new life as a megastar couldn’t really begin in more bucolic surroundings.England (possible) 1 Ravi Bopara, 2 Joe Denly, 3 Owais Shah, 4 Jonathan Trott, 5 Paul Collingwood, 6 Matt Prior (wk), 7 Luke Wright, 8 Adil Rashid, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Tim Bresnan, 11 Ryan Sidebottom.Ireland’s preparations took a blow when their senior seamer, Boyd Rankin, was ruled out with a groin strain, but they are not a unit short on confidence these days, and have sufficient resources to overcome his absence. The captain, Will Porterfield, confirmed his form by top-scoring with 47 for Gloucestershire in their Pro40 defeat to Hampshire on Tuesday evening.Ireland 1 Will Porterfield (capt), 2 Paul Stirling, 3 Niall O’Brien, 4 Kevin O’Brien, 5 Andre Botha, 6 Andrew White, 7 John Mooney, 8 Trent Johnston, 9 Regan West, 10 Alex Cusack, 11 Kyle McCallan.Pitch and conditionsEngland and Ireland both topped 260 in their last encounter in 2006, and the Stormont surface has a reputation as a batting track. The outfield, however, is currently boggy, to put it mildly. It could take some serious super-sopper action to get the game underway on time.Stats and trivia Ireland have played England only twice in official ODIs, including their maiden senior fixture, at Stormont in June 2006. On that occasion, England were indebted to a century from Marcus Trescothick, who carried them to a comfortable but far from convincing 38-run win. Their second meeting came in the 2007 World Cup in Guyana, and again it was tighter than perhaps England anticipated, although Paul Collingwood did his best to assuage any fears. He top-scored with 90 from 82 balls in a 48-run win.Quotes”Tomorrow is a one-day international against a very good side, as we’ve seen in the past. We’ve got to get ourselves up for it, simple as that.”
Paul Collingwood issues a rallying-cry to his post-Ashes England team.“I’ve played against him once before for Ireland, against Middlesex, and he admitted himself he was a bit nervous. I’m sure there’ll be a bit of banter to make him uncomfortable, but he’s a good cricketer and a good lad.”
Will Porterfield promises not to go easy on his former team-mate, Eoin Morgan.

Durham surge towards retaining title

Despite a fighting century by James Troughton, Durham predictably romped to victory in their home match against Warwickshire, with eight wickets to spare in the end

John Ward at Chester-le-Street21-Aug-2009
ScorecardDespite a fighting century by James Troughton, Durham predictably romped to victory in their home match against Warwickshire, with eight wickets to spare in the end. This was their seventh championship victory of the season, and it would take events of remarkable proportions now to prevent them from retaining their title.Warwickshire began the day on 127 for 4, still 11 runs behind Durham’s first-innings total. Their hopes of turning the tables on their hosts depended almost entirely on the overnight batsmen, Troughton (55) and Rikki Clarke (7), as they carried a long tail. They made Durham work hard during a morning session that lost half an hour to rain. The home team might have broken through early, as Troughton got a leading edge and the bowler, Callum Thorp, just failed to hold a difficult chance.Troughton made most of the running as Warwickshire erased their deficit, being particularly efficient on the pull when the bowlers pitched short. Clarke played a mainly defensive role but, when Ian Blackwell came on to bowl his left-arm spin, he made the fatal mistake of trying to hit him for a straight six before having a look at him, and skied a catch that was well held by mid-off running back. This brought in the 17-year-old Birmingham-born Ateeq Javid, who played an admirable innings for his partner and his team. Batting with great patience, he took 36 balls to get off the mark, but his adhesiveness enabled Troughton the freedom to continue his fine innings without having to worry about what was happening at the other end.The morning session of 90 minutes’ play brought 49 runs, of which 38 were scored by Troughton. He reached his century with a dab for a single past point off Blackwell, having taken 207 balls to reach three figures. He’d moved to 111 from 223 balls before he was finally deceived by Blackwell’s arm ball, which had him caught at slip. His fighting and well-judged innings, with indifferent support for much of the time, did him great credit.However, the last four wickets tumbled for 10, mostly to the nagging accuracy of Mark Davies. Javid began to play with more aggression now his senior partner had gone, but Davies had him caught at the wicket driving for 21 after facing 119 balls in more than two hours. His determination and patience may well point to a substantial career. The innings closed for 238, with three wickets each for Mitchell Claydon, Davies and Blackwell. Davies’ three cost him only 19 runs, and his bowling exemplified the same appreciation of the timeless basics of the game as were shown in Javid’s batting.Durham needed 101 to win, which appeared to be a mere formality for the reigning champions. They lost the wicket of Mark Stoneman before tea, flashing outside the off stump to be caught behind off the bowling of Naqaash Tahit for 5. After the interval Will Smith edged a ball from Chris Woakes into the slips to depart for 11, leaving Durham but 38 for 2.But from that point they charged to their target without a care in the world. Michael Di Venuto and Shivnarine Chanderpaul played their strokes freely and Clarke was particularly expensive, with Chanderpaul hitting the first two balls he delivered for four. He also won the match by driving Ant Botha for six, catching Di Venuto so that both batsmen finished on 41; the West Indian needed only 34 balls for his. The Durham bandwagon rolls on apparently unchallenged.

Luke Edwards drops Newcastle update on Fonseca

The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards has dropped a brief two-word update on Newcastle United’s managerial pursuit of Paulo Fonseca.

What’s the story?

After initially seemingly like Villareal boss Unai Emery would be lured away from Spain to take the helm at St James’ Park, the former Arsenal manager revealed he would be staying put in his home country earlier on Wednesday.

And now, following a question from a fan on Twitter about whether the Magpies would turn their attentions back towards Fonseca, Edwards simply said a move for Fonseca now is “very unlikely”.

Fans will be fuming

Talk about making a complete mess of things.

After dilly-dallying over removing Steve Bruce as manager, the Magpies’ new owners appeared to have fumbled the bag with what appeared to be their leading contender for the job in Emery.

In Fonseca though, they would have got someone with similarly extensive experience of managing top clubs in European competition, not least with the likes of Shakhtar Donetsk and AS Roma most recently.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-newcastle-pif-news-martinez-ward-prowse” title= “Read the latest Newcastle news!”]

A profile from The Shields Gazette revealed: “Fonseca is renowned for a high-pressing and attacking style of football. Often favouring a 4-2-3-1 or a 3-4-2-1 formation, Fonseca’s philosophy revolves around intense pressing and swift and dynamic attacks when they win the ball back.

“The 48 year-old also likes his teams to play out from the back and with an entertaining brand of football on offer, this could be an exciting appointment for Newcastle United supporters.”

Indeed, Fonseca himself has previously gone on record to say: “My coaching philosophy? Well, I have very clear ideas – ideas I think you can see in my teams. That involves having the ball, taking the initiative and being an offensive team. These are the aspects that define my game and my aim in matches.”

A move for Fonseca would have been a superb back-up option given his credentials, but Edwards’ latest update on him is sure to have Magpies fans fuming not only at missing out on another potential manager, but what this whole saga has now turned into.

Meanwhile, Newcastle are interested in this European star…

الهلال السعودي يكتسح نوتنجهام الإنجليزي بسداسية وديًا

اكتسح نادي الهلال نظيره نوتنجهام فورست الإنجليزي بنتيجة 6-1 مساء الجمعة في مباراة ودية تحضيرية لعبت في معسكر الفريقين في برمنجهام.

دخل الهلال اللقاء بتشكيل مكون من: “عبد الله المعيوف، ناصر الدوسري، علي آل بليهي، جانج هيون سو، سعود عبد الحميد، كويلار، أندريه كاريلو، ماثيوس بيريرا، سالم الدوسري، موسى ماريجا، لوسيانو فييتو”.

سجل الفريق الإنجليزي هدف التقدم مما تسبب في غضب الهلال ليسجل ثلاثة أهداف في الشوط الأول عن طريق موسى ماريجا ولوسيانو فييتو وسالم الدوسري في الدقائق 36 و43 و45+1.

اقرا ايضا..الهلال يطلب حكام أجانب لمبارياته في الدوري السعودي

وفي الدقيقة 47 سجل أفضل لاعب في الهلال الموسم الماضي سالم الدوسري رابع أهداف أزرق الرياض وأضاف موسى ماريجا الهدف الخامس في الدقيقة 55.

وفي الدقيقة 66 سجل هداف كأس العرب تحت 20 عاما اللاعب عبدالله رديف هدف الهلال السادس.

يذكر أن الهلال سبق وأن حقق الفوز بهدفين لهدف في مباراة ودية أمام ألميريا الإسباني.

وينتظر أن يخوض الهلال ودية أخرى يوم 16 أغسطس الجاري أمام الشعلة عقب العودة إلى الرياض ثم يُلاقي الباطن يوم الجمعة 19 وذلك في ملعبه بالعاصمة الرياض بينما يلعب يوم 25 أغسطس أمام الخليج على ملعب الأمير محمد بن فهد، ضمن منافسات الجولة الأولى من الدوري السعودي الموسم المقبل.

Acabou! Flamengo anuncia a saída do técnico Zé Ricardo

MatériaMais Notícias

O Flamengo anunciou a saída do técnico Zé Ricardo na noite deste domingo. O comandante rubro-negro não suportou à pressão após mais uma derrota em casa, para o Vitória, por 2 a 0. Efetivado em julho do ano passado, o treinador comandou o time da Gávea em 89 partidas, sendo 47 vitórias 25 empates e 17 derrotas, quatro delas no Campeonato Brasileiro. Ele conquistou o Carioca deste ano, mas amargou resultados ruins, como a eliminação precoce na Libertadores da América.O auxiliar técnico Cleber dos Santos também foi desligado do clube.

A campanha decepcionante no Brasileirão foi determinante para a decisão de tirar Zé Ricardo do comando do time. O Flamengo tem 18 pontos a menos do que o líder Corinthians e está na quinta colocação. A decisão foi tomada após uma reunião que teve a presença do presidente Eduardo Bandeira de Mello. Antes contrário à saída do treinador, o mandatário, enfim, cedeu à pressão da torcida rubro-negra.

De acordo com o portal Uol, o diretor geral do Flamengo, Fred Luz, disse que Zé Ricardo estava mantido no cargo logo após o jogo contra o Vitória, na Ilha do Urubu. Já o presidente Eduardo Bandeira de Mello saiu do estádio sem falar com a imprensa. Geralmente, o mandatário conversa com os jornalistas após as partidas. Por isso, o silêncio deixou dúvidas.

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Em entrevista coletiva após o jogo, Zé Ricardo falava em dar continuidade ao trabalho à frente do time, mas não foi o que aconteceu.

– Vínhamos fazendo jogos anteriores nos quais o resultado não acontecia como queríamos, mas tínhamos atuação boa. Hoje, não. Temos de olhar para frente. Vamos juntar os cacos, refletir, para voltar num nível de atuação acima do que foi hoje – sacramentou, em curta coletiva na Ilha do Urubu.

As críticas ao treinador vindas da arquibancada não esperaram o fim do jogo. No segundo tempo, com o placar já em 2 a 0 para o Vitória, foram pelo menos dois coros contundentes de “Fora, Zé Ricardo”, sem contar a “blitz” que alguns fizeram na porta do camarote da diretoria para, além de xingar o presidente Bandeira de Mello, pedirem a saída do treinador.

– Respeito sempre a torcida. O torcedor está na sua de cobrar, buscar a felicidade. Estamos chateados por não dar esse retorno à torcida – disse o treinador, reforçando que não toma decisões com base do que acontece nas arquibancadas:

– Isso nunca norteou meu trabalho, nem vai nortear. Sempre tive confiança no meu trabalho. Você não fica no Fla durante 15 anos se não tiver confiança. Encaro dificuldades como oportunidade de crescimento.

Johnson must unleash Alves vs Fleetwood

While Lee Johnson has seen his Sunderland side get off to a fantastic start in their 2021/22 League One campaign, with the Black Cats picking up 15 points over their opening six fixtures of the season, the suspension of Tom Flanagan presents the Mackems manager with something of a selection headache this weekend.

Indeed, the 29-year-old centre-back has been one of Sunderland’s standout performers over his six League One appearances so far this season, with the Northern Ireland international helping his side t0 keep one clean sheet, as well as averaging 1.3 interceptions, 1.3 tackles and 5.7 clearances and winning 7.7 duels per game.

These returns have seen the £225k-rated man average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.13, ranking him as the Black Cats’ third-best performer in League One this term.

As such, replacing the unavailable defender against Fleetwood Town this Saturday defender will certainly be a challenging task for the incoming centre-back, but the absence of Flanagan presents Johnson with the perfect opportunity to finally unleash summer loan signing Frederik Alves.

Game-changer

While the West Ham United loanee is yet to make a league appearance for Sunderland, the 21-year-old impressed over his 77 minutes on the pitch in the club’s 3-2 victory over Championship side Blackpool in the Carabao Cup, making four interceptions, one tackle and five clearances and winning 75% of his duels.

The £900k-rated man also enjoyed 78 touches of the ball and completed 51 passes in that fixture, with these returns seeing the defender earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.1.

Furthermore, Alves also impressed over his 22 Superligaen appearances in his last full season with Danish side Silkeborg IF, helping them to keep three clean sheets, in addition to making 2.5 interceptions, 1.8 tackles and six clearances and winning 5.5 duels per match.

These metrics saw the man who Johnson himself dubbed a “quality” player earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.08, ranking him as his club’s second-best performer in the Danish top flight.

As such, it would certainly appear as if Alves has the ability to fill in for Flanagan this weekend, and a solid performance from the 21-year-old may even being enough to convince Johnson that he deserves to keep his place in the manager’s starting XI – something which could be a real game-changer for Sunderland this season.

In other news: Sunderland handed major injury boost which will have Lee Johnson buzzing

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