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Vinicius Jr.'s entourage might be reconsidering the player's future in Spain following an unforeseen Ballon d'Or snub.

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Vinicius Jr. finished second in Ballon d'Or rankingsMight be tempted to leave MadridHas garnered interest from Saudi Arabia and EnglandFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Vinicius Jr. could decide to reconsider his future at Real Madrid following his surprise Ballon d'Or snub earlier this week, with Manchester City's Rodri taking the honours at the gala in Paris. Per a report from AS, the 24-year-old's entourage are studying options for the future as they feel a number of circumstances are not quite right for the attacker at his current club.

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Vinicius has had a tough time in Spain ever since he arrived from Brazil at the tender age of 18 in 2018. His first few seasons at Real Madrid were riddled with inconsistency, until Carlo Ancelotti unlocked his potential and transformed him into a world-beater.

While Vinicius certainly feels loved by his coach, team-mates, president Florentino Perez, as well as Madridistas all over the world, the story flips whenever he visits opposition stadiums.

Not only does the Brazilian winger feel unprotected by the referees, but has also had to deal with countless episodes of racial abuse over the years. That, coupled with the Ballon d'Or snub and interest from Saudi Arabia and the Premier League, could see Vinicius seek greener pastures, with his Real Madrid contract expiring in 2027.

DID YOU KNOW?

According to Vinicius' management staff, it was the player's continued battle against racism which led to his Ballon d'Or snub. "The football world is not ready to accept a player who fights against the system," Vini's management staff told Reuters.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR VINICIUS JR.?

The former Flamengo prodigy will now turn his focus to Real Madrid's important visit to the Mestalla this weekend, where he has been targeted with racial abuse in the past two seasons.

The U.S. were brushed away 2-0 by their rivals, ending a seven-game unbeaten streak against Mexico

GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Mauricio Pochettino is many things. He isn't a wizard. There was no magic or spells he could wave over this U.S. men's national team to make it perfect. If you didn't think so before, you definitely realize now.

Ultimately, a short-handed USMNT didn't have what was necessary to go toe-to-toe with their fierce rivals. Poch magic or no Poch magic, this was Mexico's night from bell to bell.

El Tri ran away 2-0 winners on Tuesday night at the Estadio Akron and, in reality, it wasn't even that close. Facing a USMNT group missing seven starters – including team leader Christian Pulisic – Mexico showed no mercy. This was their chance to end five years of frustration, beating their rivals for the first time since 2019 and and taking out their frustration on a USMNT group that felt like a proverbial deer in the headlights.

Raul Jimenez's stunning free-kick midway through the first half opened the scoring but, in reality, that didn't tell the story. A free-kick is an individual moment, but this match was team-wide dominance. Mexico outshot the USMNT 16-5. They nearly doubled their passing output in the opposing half. The USMNT had less than a dozen touches in the Mexico box. That paints a picture of how one-sided this was.

When Cesar Huerta's goal hit the back of the net just four minutes after halftime, it felt like there would be no way back for the USMNT. Whatever halftime speech Pochettino game was instantly rendered meaningless the moment Mexico collectively celebrated their 2-0 lead. There was that infamous "Dos a Cero" again but, this time, it went the other way. The USMNT's all-time record in games vs.  in Mexico fell to 1-24-4.

The USMNT is 18th overall in the latest FIFA rankings, while Mexico is 17th, the highest current rank among CONCACAF teams.

"It wasn't a great performance," Pochettino said following the match. "It's perfect for us to learn [from]…We started the game well, but after we conceded the goal after 22 minutes the impact was massive for us."

A hard lesson, for sure, but one that comes at the right time for the USMNT. The shine wore off a little bit in Guadalajara on Tuesday night, coming off a 2-0 win over Panama in his USMNT debut. And it came in a match that will leave Pochettino with about as many questions as answers.

GOAL rates USMNT players from Estadio Akron.

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  Goalkeeper & Defense

  Matt Turner (6/10):

  Nothing he could have really done on either goal. Did make one big save in the second half, though.

  Antonee Robinson (7/10):

  Probably the only USMNT player that can say he played well in the first half. Even when most of the pieces around him struggle, Robinson's level never seems to drop.

  Tim Ream (4/10):

  Did a good job to win an initial tackle before the second goal, but he'll know as well as anyone that he needed to just hoof it right after. He didn't, and the ball was in the back of the net almost immediately after.

  Miles Robinson (4/10):

  Ream will get a chunk of the blame for Mexico's second, but Robinson also got dusted in a 1v1. That can't happen either, particularly for a player who was handed an unlikely chance to step up.

  Joe Scally (6/10):

  Wasn't fantastic, but also didn't have any horrific moments, either, which puts him ahead of many of his teammates.

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  Midfield

  Yunus Musah (5/10):

  Started out wide again before Pochettino moved him back into the midfield. Was nowhere near effective as he was during the Panama game on Saturday night, even taking away the goal.

  Gianluca Busio (4/10):

  Never coped with the physicality of the game. Was put into the midfield to be the ball-mover and pace-setter, but he was overrun from the opening whistle.

  Aidan Morris (4/10):

  Brought some attitude, but didn't quite have the street smarts for this game, as evidenced from his first-half yellow card. He was admittedly right to be angry about that, but it was a sequence that will have taught him the cleverness required to play in games like this.

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  Attack

  Malik Tillman (4/10):

  Just couldn't get going. Tried to do too much the few times he did get the ball and it never really came off for him. The USMNT needed him to take over this game and he never got close to doing so.

  Brenden Aaronson (3/10):

  To his credit, he battled back in the second half, but Aaronson's first-half was about as bad as it could have been. Unable to really handle the physicality, and the refereeing, Aaronson was pressed into some bad giveaways that could have been bad goals.

  Josh Sargent (4/10):

  Had a whopping 13 touches and zero shots on goal. Never got service, but also never really found a place where he could influence the game, either.

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  Subs & Manager

  Kristoffer Lund (5/10):

  Was caught just a bit too high on Mexico's second goal, leaving Ream's lack of pace exposed. Other than that, was fine.

  Alejandro Zendejas (7/10):

  Brought life to the game in more ways than one. Had one fantastic cross that amounted to one of the USMNT's better looks and then was shown yellow for scrapping with Angulo. To be fair, this game needed that from someone.

  Tanner Tessmann (6/10):

  Replaced former club teammate Busio and definitely looked the better of the two. Did well when he did get the ball, showing off the composure that defined his Olympic run this summer.

  Brandon Vazquez (7/10):

  Made his presence felt almost immediately by winning a header on the edge of the box and then had the USMNT's best shot on goal in the 79th minute.

  Haji Wright (6/10):

  Had just a few touches over his 30-minute run out.

  Auston Trusty (N/A):

  Was given a few minutes at the end. Would have been nice to see more.

  Mauricio Pochettino (5/10):

  Vibes convinced people that Pochettino and the USMNT could walk into Mexico with a weakened team and compete. This result said otherwise. The coach wanted this chance to see how his team would handle an occasion like this in a raucous environment like this. What did he learn? There are plenty of players on this team not yet ready for this spotlight.

Celtic have received an offer in the region of £4m for a player who seemingly wants to quit Parkhead.

Celtic transfer rumours

With the transfer window officially open today, the Hoops and Brendan Rodgers can look to bolster their squad after another Scottish Premiership title triumph last season.

Celtic preparing approach to sign "high-class" star who could be Hart 2.0

The Hoops are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the Premier League ace this summer.

By
Dan Emery

Jun 12, 2024

There could be plenty of change at Celtic Park, though, with a new goalkeeper required to fill the void left by Joe Hart, who has now retired. Rodgers admitted back in February that the club could be brave with their signings.

“I would go with supporters thinking we could maybe be a little bit braver in terms of bringing in another level of player. But that’s up to me to try and fix that over the course of my time here. You look at the strategy here and you have to be careful because in some ways it has worked. You bring in players for a minimal fee and then they go out and make the club a lot of money.

“What I want to hopefully balance in my time here is that we can still do that, because it is an important part of the modern game. But we also want to be brave enough to hang our hat on a ready-made player.”

Along with any incomings, though, there could also be sales at Parkhead, with star midfielder Matt O’Riley continuing to attract intrest and centre-back Gustaf Lagerbielke in the middle of an approach from Italian club Lecce. The Hoops have also received a proposal from KRC Genk for striker Hyeon-gyu Oh, and there have now been further details on a possible move away.

Hyeon-gyu Oh transfer latest

According to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, an offer Celtic have received from Genk for Oh is worth around £4m, with talks ongoing and the player keen to leave for regular game time.

It has since been added that personal terms between Oh and Genk have been agreed, so it looks as if Celtic are in line to make a profit on the £2.5m they paid Suwon Samsung Bluewings for the forward last year.

The 23-year-old played just 722 minutes of football last season, scoring five goals in 22 appearances. In total, Oh is poised to leave Glasgow with 12 goals in 47 games, winning five major honours.

He has impressed at times during his short spell in Scotland, though. Rodgers said late last year after a 4-1 win over Hibernian where Oh scored a brace: “Oh was excellent. He was a really good reference for the team, his hold-up play, in the box he’s there and obviously his second goal shows he can also run in behind.

“Great strength and then really good composure. I was really pleased with him. He came into the game and did really well.

“Kyogo can’t play every game but when you have someone like Oh who can come in and make an impact, it’s good.”

يخوض فريق الكرة بـ الزمالك مباراة قوية أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا مساء اليوم الخميس، خلال اللقاء الذي يجمع بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري.

ويلتقي الزمالك مع سيراميكا كليوباترا، على أرضية استاد القاهرة في إطار لقاءات الجولة الخامسة من المسابقة المحلية.

ويدخل الزمالك مباراة اليوم وهو يحتل المركز الثاني في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، ولديه في رصيده 9 نقاط بعدما فاز في 4 لقاءات وتلقى هزيمة وحيدة.

أما سيراميكا كليوباترا فيتواجد في المركز الخامس بسلم الجدول برصيد 7 نقاط حصدها من انتصارين وتعادل فيما نال خسارة واحدة.

ويخوض الزمالك مباراته الأولى مع المدير الفني الجديد كريستيان جروس، في الظهور الأول له بعد التعاقد معه رسميًا يوم الإثنين الماضي.

طالع | جروس يعلن تشكيل الزمالك أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا.. الجزيري يقود الهجوم

ويشهد التشكيل المتوقع للزمالك، استمرار المدافع محمود حمدي الونش للمشاركة أساسياً مع الفريق، وذلك بعد تعافيه من الإصابة التي كان قد تعرض لها بالرباط الصليبي، بجانب وجود مفاضلة بين الثنائي مصطفى شلبي وميشالاك للتواجد بمركز الجناح.

طالع أيضا | ترتيب الدوري المصري بعد تعادل الزمالك مع سيراميكا كليوباترا تشكيل الزمالك المتوقع أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا في الدوري المصري

حراسة المرمى: محمد عواد.

خط الدفاع: أحمد فتوح – حسام عبد المجيد – الونش – عمر جابر.

خط الوسط: (المفاضلة بين مصطفى شلبي وميشالاك) – دونجا – عبدالله السعيد – محمد شحاتة – زيزو.

خط الهجوم: سيف الدين الجزيري.

The USMNT boss offered insight into his conversations with Matt Crocker and U.S. Soccer

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Pochettino reveals 2026 World Cup goal for USMNTSpeaks on podcast Reveals key people who influenced decision to join U.S. SoccerWHAT HAPPENED?

Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed that both he and U.S. Soccer have set specific targets over the next two years in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The tournament will be played in Mexico, Canada and the U.S., and the new coach is beginning preparations and outlining the approach.

Speaking with Gary Neville, Rebecca Lowe and Jamie Carragher on – a podcast featuring all three media personalities – the USMNT boss discussed expectations, while also offering insight into who helped influence him to take the U.S. job.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT POCHETTINO SAID

The new U.S. manager said that in conversations with the U.S. Soccer Federation and sporting director Matt Crocker, they targeted – at minimum – advancing to the quarterfinals for the USMNT.

"The truth? It's a quarterfinal, it's the target, no? They were very clear and I am very honest to you," Pochettino said to Neville. "I think that was the idea, the challenge, they know that it is going to be difficult, but I am a person, we are people that really believe we can. We think this talented group can perform better. So we accept the challenge."

Pochettino also said that there were two key people that helped influence him to take the USMNT job – USWNT boss Emma Hayes and Inter Miami boss Tata Martino.

"Of course Emma, the first," he said, "and then Gerardo Tata Martino that is in Miami, because he was my captain when I was at Newell's Old Boys."

Pochettino played for the Argentine club from 1989-1994, while Martino repped the club's badge for a decade from 1980-1990. Before accepting the USMNT job, Pochettino's last managerial role was with Premier League side Chelsea – where at the time – Hayes was the manager of the Blues' women's side before taking over the USWNT.

DID YOU KNOW?

Pochettino said that he did not speak with Lionel Messi ahead of his move to the USMNT, despite the duo working together at PSG from 2001-2003. However, in conversations with Martino, the Inter Miami boss – who now coaches Messi – helped convince him this was the right move for his career path.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR POCHETTINO

Pochettino will take to the touchline with the USMNT for the first time in October in a pair of international friendlies against Mexico and Panama. Until then, he'll be working with U.S. Soccer to implement his coaching styles and techniques ahead of the fall camp.

Says going wicketless in the first Test made him “wonder what’s going on”, but now he’s “definitely back”

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jul-2020Becoming the first West Indies bowler to reach 200 Test wickets in 26 years is not Kemar Roach’s favourite moment of his career. At least, not yet.Roach reached the landmark when he bowled Chris Woakes on the second day of the third Test against England at Old Trafford, but the seamer is aware the three-match series, currently tied at 1-1, is still very much alive. In fact, West Indies were in more than a spot of bother at 137 for 6 at the end of day two, after Roach’s four-wicket haul helped them restrict England to 369 in the first innings.”I think winning the series would obviously be the pinnacle right now,” Roach told ESPNcricinfo on Saturday. “We are a little bit behind on the eight-ball but I am sure guys have it in them to come back out of the pit and fight. It [reaching 200 wickets] will be a favourite [moment] for me if we win the series but right now it’s up there as one of the best moments in my career.”Roach had 193 wickets at the start of the series but went wicketless in the first Test in Southampton. Roach is used to an occasional barren spell but this one definitely made him sit up and think. Therefore, getting to 200 wickets brought more a sense of relief than elation.”It did play on my mind, I would be lying if I say it did not,” Roach said. “Some nights I was wondering what’s going on but it’s all about staying focused, staying positive, come out there and keep putting the hard work. That’s how we can break what we call a jinx.”It was tough but I have played cricket for long enough to understand those things happen. It’s all about remaining positive. Go out there, keep fighting every day and we all know once the spell is broken and then you are back into your own. Definitely back [now], close to where I want to be.”[The landmark gave me] a little bit of relief. Obviously it was a bit emotional. I know the journey I have had. It has been very very tough to get back on the field. To get that milestone is a weight off my back. It’s all about how much I can go now, 250, 300 [wickets], probably 100 Test matches. Let’s see how much the body stays up and how long I can play cricket for West Indies.”Once a tearaway fast bowler, Roach had to rebuild his game after a car accident in 2014. But with that came a greater understanding of his bowling and body. When asked what West Indies should do to have him around for a longer period, Roach said: “It’s all about workload management and working smart. I am 32 now. I am not 21 anymore, so the body isn’t the same but I think I am still in good shape to carry on for a couple of more years. I obviously know my game a little bit better now and it’s all about staying on that path. So that’s the goal moving forward.”His 200th wicket aside, Roach will also probably have fond memories of setting up the in-form Ben Stokes in this Test. Roach bowled him a couple of outswingers before breaching his defence with the one that seamed in.”Obviously he [Stokes] has been playing well in the series. I thought he was lining me up very well. So I tried to change something, do something different. I talked to some guys, I talked to Roddy Estwick [West Indies’ assistant coach], I talked to some other guys at home and they told me that I have to change a little bit as he seems a little bit comfortable facing me. I just tried something different and luckily for me it worked out. So let’s see if I can do it again in the second innings and hopefully can get him out for even cheaper.”In a congratulatory video message, West Indies’ leading wicket-taker of all time, Courtney Walsh, praised Roach’s work ethic and asked him to target 300-wicket mark next.”He [Walsh] is obviously one of the greats of the game and we all know how hard he worked when he was playing,” Roach said. “So for him to say he is happy with my work ethic is really good to hear coming from him.”I am always willing to learn. Have some very good people around me bowling-wise, Corey Collymore, Roddy Estwick, my former games teacher Peter Vaughan. I get a lot of advice from these guys every day. They want to see me do well. So it would be sin for me to not put the work in and obviously reward them with some performances. It’s pretty emotional for me right now but I am very proud of what I have achieved today.”

تحدث عماد متعب لاعب الأهلي السابق، عن تعادل الفريق مع البنك الأهلي، خلال المباراة التي أقيمت اليوم الأحد، بينهما، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وتعادل الأهلي مع البنك الأهلي، سلبيًا، في المواجهة التي أقيمت في إطار مباريات الجولة الرابعة من مسابقة الدوري الممتاز.

وقال متعب خلال تصريحات عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورت”: “الأهلي أداؤه تحسن في الشوط الثاني، لكن المفترض أن يستغل الفرص التي تتاح”.

طالع | عماد متعب: لاعب الأهلي الأفضل أمام البنك الأهلي.. ويعلق على إصابة أحمد ياسر ريان

وأضاف: “كهربا أهدر فرصة الحارس تألق فيها، كان يجب أن يضع الكرة في زاوية لأنها سهلة، والكرات السهلة كثيرًا ما تُهدر”.

وواصل: “الفريقان لا يستحقان الخسارة، البنك الأهلي كان أفضل في الشوط الأول وأهدر فرصًا، والأهلي كان أفضل في الشوط الثاني وأهدر هو الآخر فرصًا”.

وأردف: “يُحسب لـ كولر إنه قرأ الملعب جيدًا في الشوط الثاني عكس الشوط الأول، تغيير كوكا ونزول عمرو السولية أعاد الانضباط للملعب، ولم تظهر قوة هجومية للبنك الأهلي”.

وأتم: “رضا سليم يستحق أن يبدأ أساسيًا، لكن على كولر أن يُعطيه الثقة، هو لاعب سريع ولديه جرأة، هو ابتعد بسبب الإصابة”.

Erik ten Hag has pleaded with Jadon Sancho to stay patient and wait for his chance to shine for Manchester United.

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Manager gives brutal response to wingerSancho absent from squad for PL openerUnited visit Brighton nextWHAT HAPPENED?

The winger was left out of the matchday squad for last week's Premier League opener against Fulham but the Dutchman clarified that his exclusion was not because he was waiting for a transfer to go through and was instead a consequence of the heavy competition for places as well as him having an ear infection. On Thursday, the manager urged the winger to try and stay motivated for when he is eventually called upon.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Sancho was exiled from the United squad last year after calling out Ten Hag on social media after being left out of the trip to Arsenal. He rekindled his career while on loan at Borussia Dortmund but there has been little interest from clubs in a permanent move for the 24-year-old. He was reintegrated into the squad after apparently burying the hatchet with Ten Hag. But hopes of him immediately reviving his Old Trafford career were dashed when he was left out of the starting line-up for the Community Shield and then left out of the squad against Fulham.

WHAT TEN HAG SAID

"We have to manage it, the attitude of the players is very important. Sometimes they will be disappointed, they have to deal with it, you win as a squad," Ten Hag said. "The prizes are decided next May and until then we need all the players in the squad and highly motivated, that is not an expectation, that is a demand on the squad."

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DID YOU KNOW?

United sold winger Facundo Pellistri to Panathinaikos this week but Sancho is still competing with four other wide players: Amad Diallo, Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Antony. Ten Hag added: "I hope we will have a squad with double positioning and when we go into the season after September 1 [transfer dealine day], that means you can’t select all the players but you need them all throughout the season."

Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly has been dealt a real PSR worry this week as the prospect of a 2024/2025 points deduction gets floated by the media.

June 30 approaching with Chelsea fire-sale possible

The west Londoners have spent £1 billion since Boehly and Clearlake Capital's takeover of the club in 2022, and this could have a major impact as Profit and Sustainability rules dictate clubs can only make a loss of around £105 million over a rolling three-year period.

Related Al-Ittihad already in talks to sign high-earning ace from Chelsea

The Saudi side are making moves.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Apr 17, 2024

Everton, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City have already been charged with breaches of PSR, with Sean Dyche's side deducted points as the Premier League clamp down on financial firepower.

Given the sheer amount of money spent by Chelsea on new signings over the last two years, speculation has been rife over whether Mauricio Pochettino's side could suffer the same fate as the aforementioned trio.

Chelsea's most expensive signings of Todd Boehly era

Price tag

Moises Caicedo

£115 million

Enzo Fernandez

£107 million

Mykhalo Mudryk

£88 million

Wesley Fofana

£72 million

Marc Cucurella

£58 million

Rival clubs believe Chelsea may have to raise as much as £100 million through player sales by June 30, or risk potential sanctions, and this sentiment is echoed by financial expert Stefan Borson.

"Really, they have to find buyers for Trevoh Chalobah for £20m, Armando Broja for £40m, and Conor Gallagher for £50m," said Borson to talkSPORT.

"It's those sort of deals that need to be done. And by the way, they all need to be done by June 30. That, as we know, is articulated within the Forest decision. There's a whole conversation about how hard it is to sell players in the period before June. The Premier League actually suggested that more or less that it was impossible."

When asked if Chelsea could be in the same predicament as Forest, Everton and Leicester this time next year, Borson responded:

"Yeah. Well, possibly more severe. I think the scale of the losses they're currently forecasting, to me, appear to be vastly in excess of both Everton and Nottingham Forest."

There are a few opportunities for Chelsea to offload unwanted players, like flop striker Romelu Lukaku. Some reports have claimed that the Belgian is attracting real interest from Saudi Arabia. Al-Ittihad are already in contact with Chelsea over signing Lukaku (Rudy Galetti), and they may need deals like this to pull through.

Chelsea may have 2024/25 points deduction after update

According to Football Insider this week, Chelsea could have points deducted ahead of 2024/2025 following an investigation into their hotel sales.

The club sold hotels as assets for £76.5 million and registered it as profit, allegedly in an attempt to loophole financial regulations and abide by PSR. If they're found guilty of attempting to offset their major losses this way, they may face a points deduction ahead of next season and sanctions akin to that of already-punished clubs.

The sold hotels were also to a sister club, under their ownership, which may not comply with Associated Party Transaction rules.

Despite Sunderland's dreadful run of form going into the away contest at Cardiff City on Good Friday, Mike Dodds' Black Cats managed to stroll to a surprise 2-0 victory in the Welsh capital.

The Wearside outfit were winless in their last seven Championship games before picking up a much-needed three points at the expense of the Bluebirds, with Adil Aouchiche and Jobe Bellingham sharing the goals.

It was a masterstroke of a decision from Dodds to play Bellingham in the lone striker role, but this ingenious switch working so effectively could consequently put a nail in one underwhelming Sunderland man's career as he continues to fire blanks up top.

Luis Semedo's season in numbers

Joining from the Benfica U21 ranks last year with a reputation for being prolific in his native Portugal (with 21 goals in total for Benfica in that age bracket), it's fair to say Luis Semedo's time in England has not gone to plan.

The 20-year-old striker is yet to find the back of the net for the Black Cats at senior or youth level, amassing 23 appearances in the process without a single strike to his name.

In stark contrast, Bellingham's goal away at Cardiff on Good Friday means the traditional attacking midfielder is on to seven strikes in his debut season.

Dodds' patience could, therefore, begin to run very thin regarding the ex-Benfica hot prospect with Bellingham starring in his role.

The former Birmingham City teenager notched up three key passes as a lively presence in attack on top of his all-important goal, winning ten duels as a figure constantly wanting to make things happen.

Semedo's hefty pay packet could also be a sticking point soon, with the misfiring youngster currently earning £1k more per week than Pierre Ekwah, according to Capology.

Luis Semedo's wage at Sunderland

Amazingly, despite Ekwah being present in every Sunderland clash since the end of November in the second tier, the Black Cats No 39 finds himself earning £3k per week to Semedo's £4k-per-week salary.

Ekwah has also been far more effective from midfield this campaign than Semedo, helping himself to four goals and two assists when his team have needed him to step up and be impactful.

Semedo also remarkably finds himself earning a healthier wage than regular first-team ace Trai Hume, with the Northern Irishman also coming in at a paltry £3k per week.

Even Chris Rigg earns just £1k per week in contrast to Semedo's bumped-up salary, with the electric Sunderland hotshot starring against Cardiff all whilst still only being 16 years of age.

The homegrown Black Cats product would miss one big chance from midfield in the 2-0 win, on top of making two tackles as an energetic option down the wing.

1. Jack Clarke

£16.9k per week

2. Daniel Ballard

£15k per week

3. Bradley Dack

£15k per week

4. Patrick Roberts

£12.5k per week

5. Anthony Patterson

£10k per week

Sourced by Capology

Semedo is some way off entering into the top five list of wage-earners at the Stadium of Light, but with his lack of goals still irking those with connections to the Wearside club, his salary is arguably burning a hole in Sunderland's pocket.

Dodds will hope he's cracked the conundrum over who should be the starting striker for Sunderland in Bellingham after his standout showing against Cardiff, with Semedo falling further down the pecking order as a result.