All posts by h716a5.icu

Journalists James Ducker and Daniel Storey have lambasted the antics of Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes during the 7-0 defeat to Liverpool, with Ducker calling him a ‘brat’.

The Lowdown: United abject at Anfield

The Red Devils suffered their heaviest-ever Premier League defeat on Sunday afternoon, quite simply mauled by their most bitter rivals at Anfield.

There was a spell during the first half when United seemed to have taken control of the game, but once Cody Gakpo opened the scoring just before half-time, they never recovered.

It was a day to forget for so many players and Fernandes, who had the armband, was arguably one of the worst individuals on show, both in terms of his lack of impact and attitude.

The Latest: Ducker slams Bruno

Taking to Twitter, The Telegraph’s Ducker didn’t hold back in his criticism of the Portuguese’s display at Anfield, telling Erik ten Hag to take severe action:

“Bruno Fernandes was less Manchester United’s captain than second half super brat at Anfield and Ten Hag cannot allow such a show of rank petulance and insolence to go unaddressed.”

Meanwhile, The i Paper’s Storey was similarly irritated by the midfielder’s abject performance:

“Bruno Fernandes has just totally stopped playing over the last 15 minutes – shoved the assistant referee, moaned about everything, stopped running after the ball. Embarrassment tbh.”

The Verdict: Stripped of the captaincy?

Frankly, this was an embarrassing showing from Fernandes, who wasn’t all the races all afternoon and ended up behaving like a spoiled child as the minutes ticked by.

The 28-year-old lost possession a total of 14 times on Sunday, also winning just two out of eight ground duels, and he didn’t rally the troops in the slightest.

Fernandes couldn’t have looked further from a captain at Anfield, giving up during the second half and resorting to playacting, and Ten Hag would be wise to even consider stripping him of the armband, at least temporarily.

A massive response is required from the 53-cap Portugal international, with supporters no doubt left angry by his antics in what is historically United’s biggest fixture of the season.

West Ham United fans were left fuming with Thilo Kehrer’s latest performance against Aston Villa at the weekend.

The Lowdown: Held to a draw

The Hammers were held to a 1-1 draw against Villa on Sunday, with David Moyes insisting that it was two points dropped for his side, given the amount 0f chances they created.

It was yet another frustrating result for West Ham fans, with their side now sitting in 17th place, outside of the relegation zone on goal difference alone, and one player received particularly scathing criticism on social media…

The Latest: Kehrer slammed

Fans took to Twitter during the game to express their frustration with what they deemed to be another very poor performance from Kehrer.

They said:

“Kehrer is a terrible player!” – @TerryD_

“Thilo Kehrer is a walking liability – horrific decision making and should be nowhere near a starting spot. He was tragic for PSG and how he gets near the Germany team is a mystery.” – @i_am_seamus

“How on earth does Kehrer have caps for Germany he’s awful” – @brad_hass4

“Kehrer is useless.” – @GEORGEALLXN

“Kehrer being targeted, positional/decision making terrible.” – @Stannystan

“Kehrer has been shocking, not getting close enough to Moreno allowing too much time on the ball. Watkins should’ve buried that chance such a massive let off for us.” – @AzamWHUFC

The Verdict: Must improve

It is not the first time that the German has received criticism for his performances this season, with journalist Stefan Bienkowski describing a performance for his national side as ‘horrendous’ back in November.

With an average Sofascore rating of 6.65, the 26-year-old is ranked as the worst-performing defender in the entire West Ham squad, which is extremely disappointing from a player who is clearly talented, given that he has 24 caps for Germany.

As such, Moyes will have to carefully consider whether to start Kehrer in West Ham’s next Premier League match, which is at home against Southampton at the beginning of April.

Arsenal are now targeting Rasmus Hojlund for a summer transfer swoop, with the Atalanta striker becoming their main focus instead of Dusan Vlahovic, according to a recent report.

The Lowdown: Arsenal chasing Vlahovic

The Gunners have been chasing Vlahovic for quite some time, even being linked to the Juventus striker when he was just 16 and playing for Partizan Belgrade, with the rumour re-emerging before the recent January transfer window.

In February, it was reported that Mikel Arteta is ‘very likely’ to sanction another move for the forward in the summer, however they are not the only club interested, with the same report naming Manchester United as potential suitors.

Despite Arsenal’s clear interest in the Serbian, there has now been a suggestion they could turn their attentions to a different option in the upcoming window…

The Latest: Hojlund targeted

According to a report from Tutto Atalanta (via Sport Witness), the Gunners have switched their focus to Hojlund for a summer transfer swoop, and they would be willing to spend €50m (£44m) to secure his signature.

However, they are not the only Premier League club willing to spend big on the 20-year-old, as Newcastle could match the £44m fee, as they are also impressed by his performances in Italy so far this season

The decision to target Hojlund means the Gunners’ pursuit of Vlahovic is set to be shelved for the time being, but it is unclear whether Atalanta would be willing to sell the starlet.

The Verdict: Get it done?

One of the youngster’s finest attributes is his pace, with members of the media hailing him as ‘scary quick’ after his performance for Atalanta against Lazio back in February, during which he scored the second goal in a 2-0 win, also winning a remarkable seven ground duels.

It has been a fantastic campaign for the Denmark international so far, cementing his place as a consistent first-team player for Atalanta by scoring seven goals and bagging two assists in the Serie A, most recently netting a vital late winner against Empoli.

Arteta is already well-stocked at centre-forward, with Gabriel Jesus recently re-joining the squad after knee surgery, while Eddie Nketiah has impressed when called upon, scoring a brace in the important 3-2 victory against Manchester United in January.

As such, a new striker is not an absolute necessity for Arsenal in the summer, but if Arteta does choose to bolster his frontline, Hojlund would be an excellent long-term acquisition.

Journalist Dean Jones has suggested that Tottenham Hotspur’s search for a manager could persuade Harry Kane to stay, with three ‘big names’ in contention.

The Lowdown: Conte rant…

Antonio Conte had already been linked with a Spurs exit before his infamous post-Southampton rant to the press as sporting director Fabio Paratici got to work on a shortlist.

Sky Sports claimed last week that this list of names features Mauricio Pochettino, Roberto De Zerbi, Luis Enrique, Thomas Tuchel, Marco Silva and Thomas Frank.

Reports state that other candidates have also been entering the frame to succeed Conte with one of them being Eintracht Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner, who won the Europa League last season.

Conte laid bare the problems he believes faces Tottenham at both squad and board level, taking aim at the players who don’t want to play ‘under stress’.

The Italian said:

“We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, I see players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart (in).

“Why? Because they are used to it here, they are used to it. They don’t play for something important yeah. They don’t want to play under pressure, they don’t want to play under stress.

“It is easy in this way. Tottenham’s story is this. Twenty years there is the owner and they never won something but why? The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stays here. I have seen the managers that Tottenham had on the bench.”

The Latest: Journalist makes Kane claim amid manager search…

Writing for GIVEMESPORT, Jones has claimed that Tottenham’s quest to find a new manager after Conte could Spurs a ‘better opportunity’ to convince Kane to remain at the club.

He adds that there are three ‘big names’ they’re considering for the job – Pochettino, Tuchel and Enrique – and talks with all three will involve explaining the situation surrounding Kane.

The Verdict: Crucial next step…

Losing both Conte, a serial winner at all of his previous clubs, and Kane upon the expiry of his 2024 contract, would surely be a sore one to take for Spurs supporters.

If Tottenham’s next boss actually cannot sway the England international into remaining in north London, the only logical step for Levy is to sell this summer while he still can.

Spurs’ all time-top goal scorer and prodigal son is near-irreplaceable, especially going by his sensational goal return, and any replacement could well be a step down.

However, the Lilywhites could well be left with little choice if things go sour – making this a crucial next step for Tottenham.

Manchester United are enjoying one of their finest seasons in a long time under Erik ten Hag.

The Dutchman still has a legitimate chance of winning four trophies in his debut campaign and although that is unlikely, the fact that United are merely competing on all fronts is a testament to how much he has turned the club around.

His summer signings have been mostly excellent, taking the Red Devils to the next level, while some players who were already at the club have improved vastly under the former Ajax manager, Marcus Rashford being the key protagonist.

The Englishman has been in wonderful form this term, maturing into one of United’s finest players and indeed, one of the most clinical players in the Premier League.

He has scored 27 goals in all competitions so far, mainly operating on the left wing although occasionally being deployed in a more central role and the 25-year-old is in the form of his life.

Having vaulted into prominence back in 2016 from the academy, Rashford has netted 120 goals for the club and with his exploits over the previous few years, Ten Hag must be scouring the youth system for another like him and Shola Shoretire could well be the next attacking star to come through the system at Carrington.

Who is Shola Shoretire?

The 19-year-old gem already has five first team appearances under his belt, however, Ten Hag has yet to give him a chance this term.

He was given his debut by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer back in 2021, and he then made history by becoming the club's youngest-ever player to feature in European competition when has featured against Real Sociedad.

Across 85 appearances at U18s and U21s level, along with featuring for the U19s side in the UEFA Youth League, Shoretire has scored 26 goals and registered 19 assists and this ability to score often from the flank certainly puts him in a similar mould to Rashford.

Indeed, the teenage gem mainly operates on the right wing, but can also be effective on the left or even as an attacking midfielder and this versality could be a huge plus for Ten Hag and having seen Rashford’s impact on the left wing, especially this season, Shoretire could offer something similar on the opposite side of the pitch.

The “wonderful talent” – as dubbed by journalist Daniel Brown – was given the chance to gain some important senior experience during the second half of the season as he was loaned to Bolton Wanderers.

12 appearances in League One have seen the forward create three big chances, make one key pass per game, succeed with 57% of his dribbles and chip in with one tackle, demonstrating his attacking ability to solid effect and even though he has yet to score, if he continues to probe, the goals will come.

Ten Hag will be keeping an eye on his teen dynamo throughout the rest of the season and having seen Rashford take his game to new heights, Shoretire will be hoping to impress during pre-season as he aims to emulate his success in 2023/24.

Newcastle United are reportedly showing an interest in Nice midfielder, Khephren Thuram, ahead of the summer transfer window.

What's the latest on Thuram to Newcastle?

According to journalist Chris Waugh – speaking in a Q and A for The Athletic – the Magpies' head of recruitment Steve Nickson is said to be an admirer of the 22-year-old, with the young Frenchman potentially set to be an 'intriguing option' for the top-four hopefuls.

Waugh also noted that the Tynesiders' have 'asked to be kept informed' regarding the situation surrounding Thuram's older brother, Marcus, with the 25-year-old also attracting attention with just a matter of months left to run on his existing deal.

In the case of Khephren, the Italy-born starlet has seemingly been on the radar of those at St James' Park over an extended period of time, with the Daily Mail reporting back in January that the midfield maestro had been the subject of 'glowing reports' from the club's scouting department.

How would Khephren Thuram fit in at Newcastle?

As journalist Damien Spellman noted, it is seemingly 'glaringly obvious' that the centre of the park is one area that Eddie Howe and co will be looking to strengthen this summer, with the Englishman's options having been depleted following Jonjo Shelvey's departure to Nottingham Forest.

The signing of young Thuram would then help to provide both depth and quality competition to Howe's current options, with there a potential for the 6 foot 4 sensation to form a dream midfield partnership with another former star of Ligue 1, Bruno Guimaraes.

The latter man – who arrived from Lyon on a £40m deal back in January 2022 – has been a leading presence for the northeast side over the last year or so, having been hailed as "world-class" by teammate Dan Burn due to his stellar impact in English football thus far.

The Brazilian gem has notably averaged an impressive 2.3 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game from his 20 league outings this term as a marker of his midfield influence, with Thuram also able to provide a ball-winning presence as he has averaged 1.5 and one for the same two metrics, respectively, from 28 league appearances.

The two men would also be able to complement each other due to their differing strengths, with Guimaraes potentially offering a more forward-thinking approach due to his superior record with regard to progressive passes this season (127 to 94), as per FBref, although Thuram is far more adept at driving forward from deep, shown by his superior record with regard to progressive carries (66 to 21).

Such an elite duo would also be able to provide the benefit of their quality off the ball, with the current Newcastle man having been hailed by pundit Jamie Redknapp for his "work ethic", while the Nice ace has been described as "very hard-working" by manager, Didier Digard.

To have two standout, classy individuals who are also willing to do the dirty work is a rare commodity, with the signing of Thuram – who is valued at around £22m by CIES Football Observatory – set to be a notable solution to Howe's midfield problem.