All posts by h716a5.icu

[ad_pod ]We’ve all got a mate who loves to dig out old photos for a laugh and a chuckle, haven’t we? Well, it seems Declan Rice is that friend to Mason Mount.Sunday’s draw against Leicester City means Lampard is the first Chelsea boss to fail to win any of his first three games in charge since Spaniard Rafael Benitez in 2012/13. While this might look bad on paper though, there are definite positives to be taken.Indeed, despite a form guide poor enough to make any ambitious weekend gambler exclude Chelsea from their already doomed 10-fold accumulator, Lampard’s youth-heavy philosophy is beginning to pay dividends.Mount is one of the youngsters entrusted by Lampard to provide some zip to the attacking lineup, and he recently repaid the 41-year-old’s faith when he netted his first senior goal for the Blues at the weekend (with a little help from Wilfried Ndidi, granted).Amongst those to congratulate the 20-year-old was former Chelsea youth teammate Rice…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Toby Alderweireld is closing in on a new contract at Tottenham Hotspur, per Football Insider.

What’s the word?

The Belgium international had a release clause in his contract that would have allowed him to leave for £25m in the summer transfer window.

No club triggered the exit clause, though, and the report now states that he is ready to commit his future to Spurs, with his current deal set to expire at the end of the season.

His wages, the report states, could rise to £120,000-per-week, with the defender making a U-turn over his future.

Alderweireld remains a key part of the club’s defence and has started the first three games of the season, with Spurs beating Aston Villa, drawing with Manchester City and surprisingly losing to Newcastle United.

A timely boost

Questions continue to circulate about Spurs’ current situation, after turning in three under-par performances to begin the season, notably their display at home against Newcastle.

Having Alderweireld at the club for the foreseeable future is only going to improve morale in the camp, particularly given his spotless record at the club.

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He has made 162 appearances for the club throughout his stint in north London, having joined Spurs from Atletico Madrid in 2015 for a fee of £11.4m.

Alderweireld was a key part of the club’s run to the Champions League final and made a total of 50 appearances in all competitions.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

As quoted by The Manchester Evening News, Paul Ince has raised concerns over the consequences Manchester United could face from a season of Europa League football this year.

What did he say?

The Red Devils will be featuring in European football’s second-tier competition this season after finishing sixth in the Premier League.

Whilst Ince praised Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for getting rid of players he didn’t want, he questioned whether the side had enough squad depth to compete on multiple fronts this season.

He said: “What worries me about United is, although it’s good that Ole’s stuck to his word and got rid of players, they’re lacking in squad depth. The Europa League is coming round fast, that means Thursday games and Sunday games, how is he going to deal with that?

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“He’s not got a big enough squad for it, look at what happened to Burnley when they played in the Europa, their league form struggled massively. I can see that happening to United.

“Winning the Europa might be their best chance at a Champions League space, so it can’t be taken lightly. It’s hard for players to suddenly start playing on a Thursday night. When they start travelling and coming back and getting tired from these extra matches, I can see another huge dip in their performances in the league.”

Priorities

The biggest thing Solskjaer will have to work out is where the side’s priorities lay. The United boss needn’t look any further than Premier League rivals Arsenal to see the amount of damage a lack of focus can do to a team. The Gunners seemed like they couldn’t decide whether their main target should be a top-four finish or winning the Europa League last season, and in the end, they did neither.

Come the business end of the season, when – and it really should be a case of when not if – United are in the knockout stages of the Europa League, a decision has to be taken in terms of the kind of team they put out. Do they feel they stand a better chance of winning the competition and thus securing Champions League football? Or would they be better off by throwing all their eggs into the Premier League basket and trying to finish inside the top four?

What they end up doing could well turn out to be the most defining decision of United’s season.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Even though the transfer market won’t be open for business until January, the big clubs are still hard at work and looking ahead to the next window. According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona will be heavily scouting Napoli’s 23-year-old ace, Fabian Ruiz, with an intent to possibly scoop him up next summer.

This would indeed be a good move but one that could very easily indicate Ivan Rakitic’s time in Catalonia is truly coming to an end.

What’s the word, then?

The notion that Rakitic could leave Barcelona is hardly news at this point. The last we’ve heard about it, however, was in the Italian press when they claimed Juventus will look to secure his services as early as January. The titans from Turin apparently tried to land him in the summer as well but with no success.

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But if Ruiz really is one of Barcelona’s targets, that can only mean one thing: Rakitic is surely heading out the exit door.

It’s highly unlikely that Barca would bring in a new midfielder to an already overcrowded area without selling at least one player. And looking at Ruiz as Rakitic’s possible replacement, he does seem like a perfect player to join the squad.

Third time is the charm

Mundo Deportivo also claim that this is not the first time Barcelona have been connected to the 23-year-old midfielder. In fact, they could’ve had him two times before but opted out of the deal on both occasions, with interest first manifesting in 2017. The Catalan outlet also emphasises that this time around they would be happy to get him for a fee under €60m (£53.7m).

But the quality is certainly there. Last season, Ruiz scored five goals and assisted three in a total of 27 games in Serie A, which is something Rakitic also often does as one of the highest-scoring midfielders at Barcelona. Last season, he bagged three goals and five assists in La Liga so the output is quite similar, to say the least.

And Ruiz does a lot more than just score and assist, too. Last season he averaged 89.8% passing accuracy and 2.3 key passes per game in Serie A and he’s set to continue the trend into the new campaign with 91.2% passing accuracy and two key passes on average already under his belt, per Whoscored. His defensive work should also not be disregarded, as he averaged 2 tackles per Serie A game last season.

The final two boxes he ticks are versatility and youth. Ruiz has been known to operate in a conventional midfield position, in a more advanced number ten role, and in a wide left-sided role.

And at just 23 years old, he is bound to continue improving in Catalonia.

On paper, this indeed sounds like a great deal for Barcelona and they shouldn’t miss out on this player for the third time.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

With a lack of football over the international break for Leeds and the rest of the club’s in the Championship and the Premier League, contract talk has seemingly been dominating Elland Road.

Kalvin Phillips has signed a new deal, one that could be worth around £40k, putting him on parity with Kiko Casilla and Patrick Bamford.

There could also be a new deal on the cards for Mateusz Klich after he revealed in an interview that he is on his way to renewing his terms in west Yorkshire.

However, there are still some other contracts that need addressing imminently.

Next summer Pablo Hernandez and Stuart Dallas could also find themselves out of contract and after recent comments from the latter, they’d be foolish if they ignored his desires to stay.

He told Yorkshire Evening Post: “It’s something that’s in the clubs hands, we’ll see.” He also went onto describe how he and his family were well settled, saying: “I love where I live.”

Considering his performances too, the hierarchy must hand the Northern Irishman a new contract.

The fact is that the 28-year-old has been one of the mainstays in the team this season, not just filling in for the injured Luke Ayling but excelling at right back.

The 6-foot utility man has been mightily consistent in 2019/20 and has performed well even when his team have not, something that was evident in the playoffs when he scored twice during a defeat against Derby.

Dallas was one of the few players to stand out when the Whites were beaten by Swansea before the international break, even taking a host of plaudits from the supporters.

It seems fans adore him and it’s hardly a surprise.

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He’s one of the most hard-working players and that’s backed up by the numbers he’s achieved in 2019/20.

So far he’s contributed to one goal and had 1.7 shots per game despite featuring in a more defensive role. According to WhoScored, the defender manages 1.3 dribbles each outing and also proves capable defensively, winning 1.8 tackles per match.

He has been a revelation and is quickly proving himself to be one of the most important members of the squad.

That is surely enough to warrant a new contract. After all, if the player is performing and remains happy they’ll surely get their money’s worth.

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For the first time in years, the Premier League has fallen behind La Liga in terms of transfer spending. Teams in Spain’s top division spent a combined £1.24 billion in this year’s transfer window, doubling the figure spent in 2017.

That’s not to say that Premier League clubs have been exactly frugal in the transfer window, with the 20 clubs spending £1.1 billion between them. Of that staggering figure, there are 5 transfers that stand-out as potential coups.

Read on to find out the 5 most astute transfers made by Premier League clubs over the summer transfer window.

David Luiz: Chelsea to Arsenal – £8 million

Eyebrows were raised when Arsenal spent £73 million on forward player Nicolas Pepe whilst seemingly neglecting their leaky defence. Fortunately for the Gunners they bolstered their defensive lines in the final hours of the transfer window with Brazilian defender David Luiz.

Whilst the former Chelsea man may not be the most reliable of defenders, he is a definite upgrade on Shkodran Mustafi. Further to that, Luiz has worked with Arsenal manager Unai Emery before and performs well in a back three – Emery’s favoured approach.

The acquisition of David Luiz saw Arsenal shoot up in the football tips odds for this season’s top four.

(Arsenal haven’t bought David Luiz for his set-piece ability but it will be an added bonus to Unai Emery’s team.)

Nicolas Pepe: Lille to Arsenal – £73 million

To stick with Arsenal, perhaps their best acquisition of the recent transfer window was the purchase of Lille wideman Nicolas Pepe. The 24-year-old Ivorian was in fine form for Lille last season, netting an impressive 22 times in 38 appearances.

After Arsenal’s failed bid to sign Wilfried Zaha it seems that they have actually struck gold with their ‘second choice’. Pepe will add undoubted pace and trickery to the Arsenal forward line as well as his fair share of goals.

Harry Maguire: Leicester City to Manchester United – £80 million

Last season Manchester United started with a back four of Antonio Valencia, Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Ashley Young on a number of occasions. For a club the size of Manchester United that is nothing short of a disgrace.

All four of those players were signed by long-retired manager Sir Alex Ferguson, making the arrival of Harry Maguire a welcome relief for United fans. The former Leicester man will add organisation and verve to the United defence and should help them achieve their goal of Champions League qualification this time around.

Youri Tielemans: Monaco to Leicester City – £40 million

It seems like a long time since Leicester City shocked the footballing world and lifted the Premier League trophy in 2016. Since then the club have slid down the table and seemingly lost their identity.

The appointment of Brendan Rodgers appears to have sparked belief in the East Midlands that Leicester can have another successful season. Youri Tielemans made his loan move to Leicester permanent in the summer and will be a key cog in Rodgers team.

The energetic midfielder has the ability to dictate the tempo of a game from the centre of the pitch and will be key to Leicester’s success this term.

YOUTUBE LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1AgwIq9tMs

(Leicester’s new recruit has all the ability in the world and can make Brendan Rodgers team tick.)

Rodri: Atletico Madrid to Manchester City – £62 million

How do you improve on greatness? That is the question that Pep Guardiola and Manchester CIty have been asking themselves for the past two seasons. The answer this term appears to be in signing Atletico Madrid’s defensive midfield enforcer Rodri.

It was no secret that Guardiola’s side struggled without Fernandinho last season, especially in big European encounters. Rodri is a definite upgrade on the Brazilian midfielder and should give City the depth they need to go the distance not only domestically, but also in Europe.

It’s hard not to notice Harrison’s abs through his shirt in the image, but despite the fact that the Man City loanee had been working with a personal trainer this summer, some of his former friends from the MLS claimed that the image wasn’t all that it seemed.

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Richie Laryea and Kwame Awuah were quick to try and mug off the Leeds man.

Away from the attempts at banter from his friends, it’s quite incredible to see the shape Harrison is in after a summer of working hard on his fitness. Let’s be honest, he’s ripped.

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Rangers earned a hard-fought victory on Wednesday night in the Scottish League Cup as they edged Livingston 1-0 thanks to a goal from midfielder Glen Kamara.

The Finnish international scored early on in the contest and that proved enough to give the Gers the win, though they certainly had to fight for it.

Indeed, Livingston were more than up for a scrap, Joe Aribo’s horror cut on his head is testament to that, but the away side won out.

James Tavernier, meanwhile, found himself answering questions about his penalty duties after the game, having missed two already this season.

He’s been quoted by the official Gers Twitter channel in saying that he remains confident in his ability and that he will step up for the next penalty as well:

This has got a lot of Gers fans talking, then, with most reacting rather negatively to the skipper’s spot kick remarks. Here’s a look at what they’ve been saying on Twitter…

Tavernier is the set-piece man for the club at the moment, and it seems as though he is not willing for that to change right now.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, John Hartson has hailed Sir Alex Ferguson’s ability to rejuvenate his squad and move players on at exactly the right time.

The likes of Manchester United, and even rivals Tottenham, have been presented with a situation where their most high-profile players have expressed a desire to leave.

The Red Devils have already seen the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez depart in the summer, whilst Spurs face the prospect of losing Christian Eriksen, Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld over the course of the next year or so.

And now, Hartson has tipped his hat to Ferguson’s ability to constantly stay on top of things, and to accurately make strong judgement calls on the players who needed to be shipped out.

He said: “There’s always change at football clubs but that’s where managers show their class.

“Sir Alex Ferguson knew when to get rid of great players. He knew when players were fading away. Sir Alex was great at that.”

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Make no mistake about it, ensuring you’re making the right decision in moving players on is a true art form.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has already seen the perils of trying to refresh his squad, most notably through the current shortage of options they have up front. Would Ferguson have given the green-light to let both Lukaku and Sanchez go in the same window without first having signed a replacement? Probably not.

Solskjaer is still in the infancy of his managerial reign at the highest level, and it is therefore far too ridiculous and premature to expect the Norwegian to have the same sort of nous that United’s greatest ever boss had.

But as the Red Devils continue their rebuild, they have to get things absolutely spot on in regards to the personnel they let go over the coming months and years.

As weird and as unusual as it may seem, Real Madrid are currently bottom of their group in the Champions League after two games played in the competition.

This comes courtesy of the 3-0 thrashing from PSG  and the 2-2 draw with Club Brugge at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.

And that second one was pretty close too. Los Blancos were actually two goals down at the halfway mark but goals from Sergio Ramos and Casemiro ensured a point was salvaged.

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Alphonse Areola also had a good game coming off the bench and replacing Real Madrid’s number one, Thibaut Courtois, who supposedly couldn’t finish the match.

But one player, in particular, who didn’t really impress in that game and was largely expected to was Eden Hazard, the Galacticos’ big-money summer signing whose emergence everyone is still waiting for.

The Belgian was decent but couldn’t really make a difference on the night, tallying three shots, one of which was on target, one key pass and 88.7% passing accuracy.

There was, however, an image from the clash with Brugge that the 29-year-old should definitely take note of and use as motivation for the future.

Some Real fans brought a huge number seven banner to the match, either as a shout out to Hazard himself, who is wearing that number at the moment, or just as a reminder of the legend who used to carry it on his back for many years in the Spanish capital.

Of course, we’re talking about Cristiano Ronaldo, who made a switch to Juventus but is seemingly not yet forgotten among the Madridistas.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

Hazard should definitely take a good look at that banner and ask himself whether he’s actually performing at the level his reputation and that number on his back are demanding.

Ronaldo’s importance to the team was huge, to say the least, and now that the Belgian is the owner of the “number seven”, that responsibility might fall onto his shoulders.

Every player needs an adaptation period when he arrives at his new club but Hazard will have to start performing soon because Real need a leader in attack and that number suggests he is the one to do it.

Only time will tell how successful he’ll be.