All posts by h79snht.top

Tottenham have moved quickly this summer to potentially remedy a long-term problem area for the club, with the recruitment of a number of new central defenders to bolster Mauricio Pochettino’s backline.

Spurs have failed to find a stable centre-half pairing over recent years, but the Argentine trainer’s options have been increased significantly by the addition of two new impressive signings.

Toby Alderweireld and Kevin Wimmer join the North London club from Atletico Madrid and FC Koln respectively, giving the Spurs boss the luxury of mixing and matching at the heart of his rearguard next term.

The Belgian joins the White Hart Lane side after a mightily impressive campaign on loan at Southampton, where he showed that he has all the physical and technical attributes to be a real asset in English football.

Alderweireld is widely expected to partner national compatriot Jan Vertonghen in the heart of the side’s defence next term, with the pair playing together for a number of silverware-laden seasons at previous club Ajax.

Although Younes Kaboul has been offloaded to Sunderland and Vlad Chiriches is widely expected to follow him out the door, Spurs have no shortage of other options.

Wimmer is a confident and physically imposing addition to Pochettino’s contingent, with a deceiving turn of pace also. Although he will take time to adjust to his new environment, the 22-year-old Austrian will look to pick up first-team game time next season and could be an impressive option.

The fact that he is left-footed suggests that he would be an alternative to Vertonghen, rather than Alderweireld.

Federico Fazio had a mixed debut campaign in English football, with his excellent aerial ability and solid stature counter-acted by his notable lack of pace. The Argentine is clearly favoured by compatriot Pochettino, but just how much football he is set to play in 2015-16 remains to be seen.

However, the Spurs star that is in most danger of missing out on regular action next season is Eric Dier. The former Sporting Lisbon man showed in his first season at Spurs that he has the raw ability to be a top central defender, even if he still has work to do to achieve this status.

Pochettino partnered Dier with Vertonghen for a run of games last season, but the England under-21 man was also used at right-back at times and also spent a prolonged period out of the team.

With the Belgian duo’s likely status as first preference for the White Hart Lane side, Dier’s development could well be blunted.

For a young and promising defender like Dier, regular first-team football is necessary to see him proposer and continue to improve.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

With Pochettino playing a back four and having five central defenders at his disposal, six if you count Chiriches, it is evident that there is going to be some disappointment next term.

Dier looks like one of the players set to miss out, which will come as a frustration given his positive showings as a centre-half when given the chance last term.

[ad_pod id=’ricco’ align=’center’]

Former England international Danny Mills has claimed that West Ham United forward Andy Carroll should be taken to the 2018 World Cup.

Carroll won the last of his nine England caps under Roy Hodgson in 2012, and has not been in plans of Gareth Southgate since the 47-year-old took control of the Three Lions.

Carroll, 28, has struggled with a number of injuries this season, but he scored twice in West Ham’s 2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League on Tuesday night.

Pundit Mills has said that the Hammers striker would be the perfect back-up option for England due to his aerial ability.

Mills told Sky Sports:

“I certainly think he would be a Plan B or a Plan C, whichever way you want to look at it. I mean aerially he is fantastic.

“He is still, without a doubt, one of the best headers of the ball in the Premier League. If he’s fit he’s got to be worth taking to the World Cup.”

Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy and Marcus Rashford are expected to fill three of the forward positions in the England squad for the 2018 World Cup.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Carroll, who is valued at £9m by transfermarkt.co.uk, has scored twice for England during his international career, but has not been involved in a major tournament since Euro 2012.

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has explained his reasons for still living in a hotel despite being based in Manchester since the middle of 2016.

Mourinho replaced Louis van Gaal as head coach of the Red Devils at the end of the 2015-16 season.

The Portuguese led the club to three trophies during his first year in charge, and there has again been progress this term despite Manchester City’s incredible lead at the top of the Premier League.

Mourinho strangely has not found a house in Manchester, however, with the 54-year-old still living in The Lowry Hotel, which has been his residence since taking control of Man United.

A number of the club’s fans have previously expressed their concerns with Mourinho’s living situation, but the manager has insisted that he prefers living in a hotel due to his laziness.

Mourinho told reporters:

“If the fans want me to be comfortable, then that’s the way I feel very comfortable, because I am very lazy and because I like to arrive in the hotel.

“I don’t want anyone to be worried about me living in a two-square metre room. I am living in an apartment inside of a hotel where I have all the comfort and support, where I have everything that I want, like I’m living in a house.”

Man United booked their spot in the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 2-0 win over Derby County at Old Trafford on Friday night.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The team are currently in Dubai preparing for next Monday’s Premier League clash with Stoke City.

At the weekend, Arsenal were dumped out of the FA Cup in the third round by Championship outfit Nottingham Forest, and their chances of silverware could be weakened even further if they fail to beat Chelsea in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup this evening.

The Gunners were arguably handed the toughest tie as Manchester City drew Bristol City and ended up earning a 2-1 advantage in the first leg on Tuesday night.

Neither Arsenal nor Chelsea are in scintillating form, but Arsene Wenger and his men have a slight disadvantage as the opening tie will be staged at Stamford Bridge.

The two sides went head to head exactly seven days ago in the Premier League, and in fairness to the teams, it was a thrilling match.

The contest ended in a 2-2 draw, and if there is a similar outcome this evening, then it will be all to play for in the second leg at the Emirates.

Arsenal’s Twitter page tried to get fans in the mood for the encounter, but the majority responded with negativity.

Transfer deadline day madness is alive and well in Scotland with a bizarre transfer triangle involving Celtic, Hibernian and Dundee emerging in the finals hours of the January window.

The Scottish Sun report that the Hoops are interested in signing goalkeeper Scott Bain to solve their current crisis in the position, with his contract at Dundee set to expire at the end of the season.

However, he’s currently on loan at Hibernian and Celtic would require the Edinburgh side to be open to such a switch, say the paper.

Bain hasn’t yet made his debut for Hibs but has been on the bench for their last two matches, meaning a deal is still possible despite FIFA rules dictating you cannot make appearances for three clubs in a single season.

Celtic supporters certainly appear open to the switch, with many believing he’d be a fine addition at Celtic Park, even if just as back-up to veteran Dorus de Vries while Craig Gordon is injured.

They took to Twitter to share their thoughts…

[ad_pod ]

Following a run of seven matches in all competitions without a win – including a 4-1 defeat against Cardiff City at Elland Road last Saturday – Leeds United decided to sack manager Thomas Christiansen on Sunday.

The Yorkshire outfit dropped down to 10th after that result and are now seven points adrift of the Championship play-off positions having been top of the division earlier in the season, but rather than take his time over a new appointment owner Andrea Radrizzani obviously felt that he needed to act quickly and wasted little time in bringing in the 44-year-old’s successor.

Paul Heckingbottom had only extended his contract with the Whites’ local rivals Barnsley last Friday, but just four days later he had been announced as Leeds’ new boss, and it was a decision that came as a surprise to most of their fans.

The 40-year-old arrives in west Yorkshire at a difficult time, with a team lacking in confidence and many key players missing through injury and suspension.

While Radrizzani obviously feels that Heckingbottom is the man to turn things around, the fact that Barnsley only won one of their last 14 Championship fixtures shows that he may not be the quick fix they are looking for – even if the Tykes do have one of the lowest budgets in the division.

Leeds are currently missing club captain Liam Cooper, Samu Saiz and Gaetano Berardi – who was dismissed against the Bluebirds – because of suspension, while Conor Shaughnessy and Luke Ayling are definitely ruled out through injury, and striker Caleb Ekuban may also not be ready to return just yet.

New managers will often hope for a kind fixture for their first one in charge, and while that isn’t very often the case in the Championship, a derby trip to Sheffield United is going to be a really tough one for the Whites this weekend.

Like Leeds, the Blades were flying high just a few months ago but have now not only dropped away from the automatic promotion spots, but also out of the play-off positions altogether, and they will be determined to get back into them as soon as possible.

There is no doubt that they have quality players like Leon Clarke, Ricky Holmes, James Wilson and the familiar Billy Sharp, and backed by a strong Bramall Lane crowd the atmosphere should be electric on Saturday.

The defensive issues that Heckingbottom currently has means that Vurnon Anita could come in at right-back against Chris Wilder’s men if he intends to play with a back four, and that certainly wouldn’t be a disaster considering the experienced Dutchman often played there for Newcastle United when they won the league last season.

The 40-year-old will also be praying that Pontus Jansson is fine to start having been stretchered off against Cardiff, while he needs the likes of Ronaldo Vieira, Gianni Alioski and Kemar Roofe to regain the form they have shown previously following some disappointing displays from the trio.

The goal for Leeds over the course of the rest of the season will be to reclaim their spot in the top six and look to avoid narrowly missing out on a play-off place again – as they did last term.

With just 16 matches remaining and with the current issues they have, that is already looking like a tough ask, and supporters who are expecting instant results under Heckingbottom need to rein their expectations in immediately.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

It is often taken as a given that there will be a ‘new manager bounce’ and more points will automatically be picked up, but that isn’t always the case.

Yes, we all know Leeds are a huge team at this level and the expectations are always high, but the club has appointed a boss who is still learning and is making a big step up to a side where there is far more pressure on his shoulders every week, and far more scrutiny on every decision he makes.

Where the Whites stand now and given the form Barnsley were in, the Elland Road faithful shouldn’t be expecting instant results from Heckingbottom, and they must accept that the 40-year-old could take time to get things right over the remainder of the season – even if it means their play-off hopes have to be sacrificed before the campaign is out.

According to the Mirror, Everton have fallen behind Liverpool and Manchester United in the battle for Stefan de Vrij.

The Dutchman is apparently keen on a move to Old Trafford, after Lazio sporting director Igli Tare confirmed the defender would leave at the end of his contract this summer.

He said: “Lazio have withdrawn the proposal we made for a new contract to De Vrij. We are withdrawing, for reasons that we will explain later on.

“He has been an exemplary professional and we thank him for that, as well as what he’ll do until the end of the season. He gave a lot to the club, just as we gave a great deal to him, but our paths will divide in June.”

De Vrij has some injury concerns, but there can be no doubts about the 26-year-old’s quality when he’s fit. He’s been an integral part of Lazio’s impressive transformation under manager Simone Inzaghi, scoring four times, racking up an impressive 92% passing accuracy and adding 55 interceptions and 114 clearances to go with it.

Everton were linked with the defender in January, but eventually signed Eliaquim Mangala instead, who has endured a pretty disastrous start at the club and is now injured. Mangala is one of three Everton signings this year to have come from a top six club.

If Everton are to kick on to the next level as a club, whether that be under Sam Allardyce or not, they must compete for players like De Vrij – who is valued at £31.5m by transfermarkt.com.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

He will be out of contract in the summer, so it will essentially be a bidding war over wages. If the Toffees want to compete with the best, they need to stop taking on their rejects and start competing with them in the market, and beating their northern neighbours to the Dutch defender would be a big statement of intent.

Everton fans, let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Newcastle United have revealed that influential midfielder Jonjo Shelvey picked up a knee problem during Saturday’s Premier League clash with Bournemouth.

The Magpies led 2-0 at the Vitality Stadium before the Cherries secured a point courtesy of a late equaliser from Dan Gosling.

Shelvey, who is believed to collect £80,000 a week in wages at St James’ Park, played the full 90 minutes of the Premier League clash, but Newcastle have confirmed that the Englishman ‘suffered a knee injury’ during the fixture.

It is currently unclear how long the former Liverpool midfielder will be out of action, with scans on 26-year-old’s knee due to take place later this week.

The news is a bitter blow to a Newcastle side that sit down in 15th position in the Premier League table despite losing just one of their last eight top-flight fixtures.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

A statement on Newcastle’s official website read:

“Jonjo Shelvey suffered a knee injury during Saturday’s draw at AFC Bournemouth. The midfielder will be further assessed and scanned this week.”

Shelvey was widely praised for his performance in Newcastle’s 1-0 win over Manchester United earlier this month, and the midfielder has scored once in 24 appearances for last season’s Championship winners during the 2017-18 season.

Manchester City have humbled many teams in the Premier League this season, but Chelsea seemed to bring that process upon themselves on Sunday as Antonio Conte set up his side for a decisively passive performance at the Etihad Stadium, resulting in a 1-0 defeat.

As much as Chelsea’s players were following the instructions of their manager, it was still a disappointing performance from the Blues; Eden Hazard became completely disinterested after the first half an hour, Willian and Pedro failed to make the most of the few opportunities in which they received the ball, the midfield struggled to have any real impact on the game and the backline was largely found wanting as Bernardo Silva drifted in at the far post for the only goal of the afternoon.

But there’s one player who can return to west London with his head held high, and Chelsea fans won’t be too surprised that it’s Cesar Azpilicueta – the Blues’ Mr. Reliable and undoubtedly the most consistent, versatile and dependable defender in the Premier League at this moment in time.

The Spaniard’s most telling contribution came in the form of a goal line clearance to prevent what would have been a sensational goal from Leroy Sane, and that epitomised what was a decent performance from Azpilicueta under difficult circumstances – especially in comparison to many of his exceptionally quiet team-mates.

Indeed, the 28-year-old also won the most tackles of any Chelsea player, made the second-most clearances and blocked the most shots – an impressive three – while completing 92% of his passes, ranking first throughout the Blues’ XI for touches and not committing a single foul.

Despite the scoreline and the lack of intent Chelsea showed in a disappointingly negative performance, Azpilicueta still found a way to have a positive influence on the match.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Rangers missed a fantastic opportunity to beat Celtic and kick-start a genuine Scottish Premiership title race in a thrilling derby at Ibrox on Sunday.

Ahead in the game twice and then finding their opponents down to 10 men, Graeme Murty’s side have never had a better chance of beating the reigning Scottish champions in recent years, but squandered glorious opportunities in front of goal and eventually lost 3-2.

The biggest culprit was Alfredo Morelos who missed two second half chances to score a vital third goal of the afternoon, one of which will likely be the miss of the season.

Meeting Josh Windass’ saved shot six yards out with an open net at his disposal, the Colombian somehow managed to hit the post when it was easier to score.

Fans were left fuming with his contribution, the miss so bad that many can’t imagine seeing him play for the club again despite his 17-goal haul this season.

They took to Twitter to share their thoughts in the aftermath…

[ad_pod ]