All posts by h716a5.icu

[ad_pod ]

England swept Czech Republic aside on Friday evening, and Jadon Sancho proved once and for all that he is the perfect signing for Manchester United.

What’s the word?

Well, Sancho has been strongly linked with the Red Devils for quite some time, with the Mirror claiming way back in February that the winger is the club’s “top target” this summer.

The Telegraph added to those claims, saying it will be a race between Manchester United and PSG for Sancho’s signature.

And just to put the cherry on top, The Manchester Evening News have recently pondered the possibility of signing both Sancho and Gareth Bale.

If any fans had doubts over splashing out what will no doubt be a huge sum of cash for the £72m-rated teenager, then they certainly don’t after his performance on Friday night.

Ripped to shreds

Gareth Southgate’s side outclassed their visitors in every department at Wembley on Friday, and Sancho absolutely ripped them apart from the right wing.

The 18 year-old got one of the easiest assists he’ll ever get early on, putting a low cross on a plate for Raheem Sterling to open the scoring.

Watch the video below to find out what Jesse Lingard is like off the pitch in the latest Match Of The Bae with Emma Conybeare…

His creative juices didn’t stop flowing after that though, as he went on to rack up four key passes, per Whoscored. To put that in perspective, Ross Barkley was second with three, while no other England player had more than one.

While Kylian Mbappe may be leading the way when it comes to goalscoring youngsters, Sancho’s ability to ghost past defenders and create chances for his teammates is unmatched in world football.

Perfect for Pogba

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is well and truly at the wheel, and it seems like only a matter of time before the popular 46 year-old gets the permanent manager’s position.

Undoubtedly his greatest feat so far has been getting the likes of Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba, all of whom were struggling under Jose Mourinho, to play to their full potential.

One thing he lacks badly though is a right winger, as you can see from this graph displaying the average positions of United’s most-used starting XI.

By adding Sancho to a front three that already boasts the pace of Rashford and Martial, the Red Devils would be absolutely terrifying to play against, and no one would benefit more than Pogba.

The Frenchman is one of the best in the world at pinging long balls in behind the defence for his wingers to latch on to, and his assist numbers would surely sky-rocket with the arrival of Sancho.

Borussia Dortmund’s shining star is perfect for the Red Devils in every way imaginable, and Pogba’s stock would go through the roof playing behind such a ferociously fast front three.

[ad_pod ]

Max Aarons is in the news.

A brilliant young full-back at Norwich City, Aarons has long been linked with a potential move to Tottenham Hotspur and, earlier this week, was nominated for the EFL Young Player of the Season.

The Canaries, of course, are enjoying a superb season in the Championship. They have won all of their last six games, scoring 16 goals along the way, and sit top of the table, four points clear of second-placed Sheffield United.

Aarons, at the age of 19, has been ever-present since making his breakthrough under manager Daniel Farke.

After sitting on the bench as his side lost 2-1 to Sheffield United, Aarons made his debut in a September draw with Ipswich Town. Since then, he has gone on to make 35 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals and laying on five assists.

He has also won four caps for the England Under-19s and, speaking in September, after Aarons’ first call-up to the Young Lions, Farke expressed his admiration for the teen.

Quoted by the Pink Un, he said: “I don’t like to praise the young players so don’t tell him, but I love him a lot. Max is a brilliant lad who really deserves to be in the spotlight at the moment.

“With his attitude and workload from pre-season onwards he deserves this England call up. I am pretty sure it is not the end of his progress. Like I have said before, there is no gifts or presents for young players. He has earned this.”

Aarons is an excellent full-back, both in defence and attack. Blessed with genuine pace and the ability to win the ball and move it on effectively, he is perhaps the archetypal modern right-back and is surely poised to thrive in the Premier League, either for Norwich or Spurs or another big-hitter.

Aarons, per WhoScored, averages 1.4 dribbles per game, along with 1.7 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 1.8 clearances. This is a player who can pretty much do it all, and he hasn’t even turned 20.

Per The Sun, Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino holds a keen interest in Aarons, with the potential for both Kieran Trippier and Serge Aurier to leave this summer.

That could be a match made in heaven, with the likes of Luke Shaw, Danny Rose and Kyle Walker all flourishing under Pochettino’s management.

Norwich had better hope that they are able to keep hold of one of the most exciting British talents outside the top-flight.

[ad_pod ]

Arsenal have spent the past week on a warm weather training camp in Dubai and they capped it off with a friendly match against Al Nasr on Tuesday.

The game was notable for a number of reasons – defender Shkodran Mustafi had a day to forget, falling over before the hosts scored the first goal in a 3-2 defeat – but Tyreece John-Jules’ performance will rank highly.

The forward, just 18, scored his side’s third goal, netting in the 72nd minute.

Fresh from winning the ball outside the area, John-Jules skinned two defenders and finished coolly.

Arsenal, of course, have a long history of promoting youth team players. If they are good enough at the Emirates, they are old enough.

And John-Jules may be the latest to benefit.

The teenager has been in prolific form in the club’s youth teams, scoring 17 times in 23 games for the Under-18 side while also finding the net eight times in 25 outings for the Under-23s.

He has been capped at various England youth levels, for the Under-16s, Under-17s and Under-18s. He has scored for all of them while hitting the back of the net seven times in seven games for the latter.

John-Jules is versatile, too, with the ability to play on either flank or through the middle but he plays predominantly as a central striker.

He can strike the ball well with both feet and explained his strengths to Arsenal’s official website in July.

“I score goals with both feet as I’m comfortable shooting with left or right,” he said.

“That’s an advantage as defenders don’t know which way to show me. Being two-footed is important. From a very young age, I worked hard – and still do – on developing my left foot as I’m naturally right-footed.”

Already a goalscorer, he has yet to play for the senior side in a competitive game.

But the fact he was handed a senior outing in Dubai suggests he is almost ready to break through the glass ceiling and make his first-team debut.

Fans had best keep an eye out for John-Jules.

[ad_pod ]

Newcastle United fans on Twitter took the mick as their players were left without a post-match hot shower at the Emirates Stadium on Monday night.

The showery news was announced by The Chronicle journalist Lee Ryder after the game and was met by a series of hilarious replies from members of the Toon Army.

Rafa Benitez’s men were rendered hot water-less by a malfunction in the stadium shower system at Arsenal which would have added insult to injury after a 2-0 defeat – despite the problem being the same for the Gunners stars on the night.

On the pitch, the Magpies put up little fight as Aaron Ramsey and Alexandre Lacazette ensured that the three points stayed in north London, leading many supporters to show a lack of sympathy for their players.

Some believed that the squad wasn’t deserving of a hot shower, while others suggested that they didn’t think a shower to be necessary after the lack of effort in the performance and one mused “try playing Sunday league.”

Check out a list of the best Newcastle reactive Tweets to Ryder’s post, below…

[ad_pod ]

Watford are a side with a stark history of staging dramatic comebacks to triumph in the face of adversity, but even the most optimistic of fans would have been struggling to see a way back for their side at 2-0 down on Sunday.

Wolves were largely fancied by the British media in the pre-match buildup, with their convincing giant-killing of Manchester United in the quarter-final lending reason to believe that a place in the final was beckoning.

But the impact of Gerard Deulofeu from the substitutes bench saw the Hornets stage a historic comeback at Wembley to book their place in the final against Manchester City next month.

The diminutive Spaniard dominated the post-match headlines after scoring a sensational goal to half the deficit before landing the decisive knockout blow in extra-time.

It was the type of cameo performance which naturally evokes interest from journalists and pundits worldwide and, with that in mind, Football FanCast have rounded up a selection of the reaction to the 25-year-old’s deadly impact on the big stage…

Simon Burnton – The Guardian

Simon Burnton of The Guardian drew comparisons with Deulofeu’s first strike of the game and the subtle yet exquisitely intricate motion of a spin bowler.

Just like fans of Australian cricket ritually re-watch videos of bamboozling Shane Warne googlies, Deulofeu’s strike will be replayed by nostalgic Watford fans for decades to come – bowling Gerard!

‘Deulofeu’s first goal, 13 minutes after coming on, was an act of defiance and a thing of beauty, the Spaniard collecting the ball in the area after Romain Saïss headed down a José Holebas long throw, looking up, assessing his options, deciding none of them amounted to much and then flicking his ankle like a cricketing spinner turns his wrist to impart dip and curl on the ball and transform a situation from which little seemed possible into a large stride towards glory.’

Ron Walker – Sky Sports

Sky Sports’ Ron Walker raised a valid point regarding a facet of Deulofeu’s performance which slightly went under the radar within the media storm surrounding his goal scoring exploits.

The former Barcelona prodigy was not only scintillating in the final-third but also a solid defensive pawn.

His devilish charisma in the attacking phase was supplemented with a tireless work-rate and desire to preserve Watford’s defensive shape.

‘The winning goal was meat and drink compared to that strike and while it is unfortunate the substitute had to return to the bench after injuring himself towards the end of extra-time, it summed up his short afternoon that he was hurt tracking back to cut out Ruben Vinagre’s run.’

Phil McNulty – BBC Sport

BBC’s chief football writer, Phil McNulty, left readers with no uncertainty in how highly he regarded the game-changing impact provided by Deulofeu.

The player who once played alongside Lionel Messi in Catalonia was afforded praise of the highest esteem.

McNulty suggested the world’s most gifted footballer of all time would have been watching on with fond admiration when the ball was caressed into John Ruddy’s goal.

‘This maverick 25-year-old, a player of undoubted talent but unfulfilled potential at Barcelona, Everton, Sevilla and AC Milan, chose what looked like Watford’s losing cause to produce a cameo performance as substitute that will write his name into Vicarage Road folklore.

‘Lionel Messi would have appreciated the stroke of genius from his former Nou Camp team-mate that put Watford back in the game after 79 minutes, an astonishing instinctive flick from the angle of the penalty area that sent the ball arcing over Wolves keeper John Ruddy into the top corner.’

The Verdict

The genius behind Deulofeu’s display lay within Gracia’s pre-match decision to omit him from the starting XI. It takes genuine cojones (credit Troy Deeney) to drop a player of his calibre for a high-magnitude fixture, but it was one which ultimately gave Watford’s match-winner the motivation to do something truly special on the big stage.

Not only was this an act of defiance against Wolves’ dream of reaching the final of the FA Cup, this was a rebellion against Gracia’s selection; a reminder to his manager that for however cold he might blow on a Tuesday night against Fulham he can equally blow hot on a Sunday afternoon at the home of English football.

[ad_pod ]

Tottenham Hotspur and Lucas Moura in particular were in clinical form against relegated Huddersfield Town on Saturday lunchtime.

Mauricio Pochettino fielded a handful of fringe players with one eye on a pair of trips to the Etihad Stadium this week, as Fernando Llorente, Victor Wanyama, Juan Foyth and Kyle Walker-Peters all stepped into the starting XI.

All four made the most of their opportunity, albeit against a hapless visiting side, and the latter particularly impressed on a day which forced fans to question why he doesn’t get more of a chance.

The 22-year-old made only his 9th appearance in all-competitions and just his third start in the Premier League this season, but the maturity of his performance pointed towards a much greater level of experience.

His excellent display drew plenty of plaudits on social media as delighted supporters turned out in their numbers to heap praise on the back-up right-back.

But if he continues to take his opportunities with such conviction it won’t be long before Kieran Trippier’s place comes under serious threat.

Here’s what the fans had to say about his performance…

It seems like every summer there is a player who is linked to every club under the sun, and this year that player is Nicolas Pepe.

The Lille winger has been one of the breakout players of the season, with the Ivory Coast international hitting 19 goals and 11 assists in 32 Ligue 1 games this season and guiding Les Dogues to second in the league table.

His name has been linked with Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and now Liverpool have reportedly entered the race for the 23-year-old sensation.

According to L’Equipe via the Mirror, Liverpool are willing to compete with the likes of Arsenal for the £70 million-rated attacker this summer as Lille brace for a summer of fierce contention for their prized asset.

There’s no doubt that Pepe is a talented winger and someone with the potential to become one of the world’s elite attackers, but Liverpool should not be entering the race for a player they simply don’t need.

Jurgen Klopp may well want to add depth to the Liverpool team this season, but in Pepe, Liverpool will be acquiring a player too good to be sitting on the bench behind the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, and for the money Lille want for their star man, it’s also a financial mistake going in for the Ivorian attacker.

FSG should take a step back and stash their money away.

Liverpool should be going in for players who are willing to wait their turn in the starting XI and develop more at the club, whereas Pepe is a player who will be expecting first-team football wherever he goes, and with wingers as exceptional as what Klopp has his disposal, the forward will have to wait his turn at Anfield to impress.

Liverpool fans, would you take Pepe as a summer signing? Let us know!

[ad_pod ]

Are Wolves finally being found out or is there superb first season back in the top flight simply catching up with them?

It’s a concern that will be on the minds of many of the Molineux faithful, but with their season in danger of petering out, they need to do something to ensure their Wembley hangover doesn’t filter deeper than it already has.

The club have been a fantastic story this season and their performances against the top sides have been admirable. However, against poorer teams and on the road, particularly of late, they have been made to look very average.

As a result, what should they do to try and improve their fortunes?

On the chalkboard

Nuno Santo’s favoured three-man defensive system is very unlikely to change but a slight switch in formation, reverting back to something they did earlier in the 2018/19 campaign is needed.

In recent times Nuno has prefered to play two men in attack. However, this switch from previously playing Raul Jimenez as the lone striker has been detrimental.

Although their attacking displays have looked more potent with the improved form of Diogo Jota in 2019, defensively they’ve been extremely poor.

Earlier in the season, Wolves played two men off of Jimenez and had two players sitting in midfield, either side of the wing backs.

It was a system that seemed to produce the best results on the road for the Midlands club, picking up points in their first three away trips of the term. Most impressively, it earned them results at both Old Trafford and the Emirates with the game against Arsenal being one they should have claimed three points from.

A Wolves fan shares his most gutting moment of the last 10 years supporting the club in the video below…

As a result, they need to go back to doing the same. It would be a drastic move to completely overhaul a system that has been so efficient, so reverting to a 3-4-3 that worked in the early stages of their Premier League return would make the most sense.

With Ruben Neves attracting the interest of Liverpool, moving to this formation could also help them prepare for life without the Portuguese star by playing Joao Moutinho and Leander Dendoncker as the midfield pairing.

[ad_pod ]

Ayoze Perez has, per the Daily Mirror, been linked with a move away from Newcastle United.

The Spanish striker, who scored a hat-trick as the Magpies beat Southampton 3-1 on Saturday, has reportedly attracted interest from his homeland.

And he spoke after his hat-trick of the possibility of a departure when the transfer window reopens.

He said: “In the summer, there are going to be options.

“That means I have done ­something well. I’ll be up for hearing what is coming, but it doesn’t mean I am going to leave 100 per cent at the end of the season.

“It is going to be a difficult decision and depends on a lot of things.”

Football FanCast takes a look at the potential consequences of a Perez exit from St James’ Park…

A Benitez demand

If Perez leaves, Newcastle have to replace him.

Rafael Benitez may not be backed to the hilt – he rarely is by owner Mike Ashley – but replacing the Spaniard will have to be a priority.

He has scored 11 goals in all competitions this season and is the club’s top scorer, with one more than Salomon Rondon.

Seeing the club’s most prolific marksman walk away from the club without a replacement being lined up would likely set Benitez’s blood boiling.

Ashley must ensure that does not happen.

A promotion

Elias Sorensen is surely ready for the Newcastle first-team.

A Denmark Under-21 international, Sorensen has scored 15 goals in 33 outings for the Under-18 side at St James’ Park, along with 16 in 22 for the Under-23s.

A loan spell at Blackpool didn’t work out because he didn’t play – he made just one appearance – but his goalscoring record speaks for itself at youth level.

He has yet to make his first-team debut for the club but that could come about next season, particularly if Perez is gone.

More weight given to bargains

Newcastle signed Perez for £1.5million over four years ago, when Alan Pardew was manager.

He will likely earn Newcastle more than twenty times that should he leave this summer, particularly in today’s inflated market.

And that could spell bad news for Benitez.

Ashley has always looked to drive a hard bargain. After all, the signing of Miguel Almiron in January was the first transfer ever to cost the club over £20m.

The sale of Perez and the profit turned would surely lend some weight to Ashley’s recruitment strategy, with bargains again sought.

It remains to be seen if Benitez will stick around to see who comes through the doors, however.

“I want you all to know that I will not be able to play again this season.”

Those were the words of Denis Suarez, who took to Twitter to post a heartfelt message to the Arsenal fans that his time with the club was over due to injury just three months after joining the club on loan from Barcelona.

The Spanish midfielder was brought in by Unai Emery as an attempt to strengthen the midfield and potentially get a preview of who could replace Aaron Ramsey when the Welshman leaves north London for Juventus this summer, but Suarez’s move to Arsenal has been nothing short of disastrous.

The Barcelona playmaker never started a game for the Gunners and only came off the bench six times in all competitions for Emery’s side, 40 minutes less than fellow infamous loan-signing Kim Kallstrom.

Just like the Swedish midfielder, Suarez’s time at Arsenal has been heavily criticised by fans who see the 25-year-old as another pointless signing from the club, and it’s hard to disagree with supporters on this one.

Suarez was brought in for a reported loan-fee of £2 million and has done absolutely nothing to warrant that amount of money. The Spaniard is a player of clear quality, but the whole deal was doomed from the start.

Arsenal are a team who pride themselves in having creative midfielders, and although Suarez could have potentially been a good replacement for Ramsey if he succeeded at the Gunners, it was still a deal that didn’t need to happen.

The signing of Suarez will go down as one of the worst in the history of the club, and it will be a lesson for Emery about future signings the Spanish manager makes in the future.

Arsenal fans, is Suarez the worst Gunners signing ever? Let us know!