All posts by h716a5.icu

After Brentford’s surprise defeat to Stoke saw confirmation that they would be going up as champions, Leeds crowned off a brilliant couple of days by beating Derby County 3-1.The Whites fell behind to a Chris Martin goal early in the second-half, but a rallying comeback saw them clinch victory. One man who showed flashes of promise, was Ian Poveda.The 20-year-old only joined the club back in the January transfer window earlier this year, and has so far failed to really make an impression on the first-team, playing just three times in the Championship.

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But having been handed the chance to start against Derby, he produced the kind of display that left it in doubt why Marcelo Bielsa’s side brought him to the club in the first place.

As per Sofascore, he completed both of his attempted dribbles, provided two key passes and won all four of his ground duels. And after seeing his promising performance, Leeds fans flooded to Twitter to share their reactions.

A couple of Leeds supporters paid arguably the ultimate compliment to Poveda, by suggesting that he has shades of Pablo Hernandez in him, and that he could be the next man in line to the Spaniard’s throne.

Understandably, many Leeds fans seem excited at the prospect of Poveda really showing his potential.

If these early months of his career at Elland Road are just taken as an adaptation period, then the Whites could well see the best of their January recruit when they line up in the Premier League next season.

And with Hernandez continuing to get older, maybe Poveda is the man to take over as his long-term successor at the club.

West Bromwich Albion have sealed their return to the Premier League following after their 2-2 draw with Queens Park Rangers proved to be enough on the most dramatic final day of the Championship season.

Slaven Bilic’s men entered the match knowing three points would guarantee promotion following a long and testing campaign, but anything less than a victory would have them relying on results elsewhere with Brentford sitting just one point behind them.

However, Brentford fell to a last-gasp defeat against Barnsley who ran out 2-1 winners at Griffin Park, and this result in West London meant West Brom sealed second spot after their draw against QPR created a two-point margin ahead of the Bees.

It was certainly a tense finale for West Brom who have been indifferent since the season’s resumption, but their triumphant outcome is still wholly deserved given Bilic’s men have been in the promotion mix since the very start of the campaign.

So, how much can you remember about Albion’s promotion-wining 2019/20 campaign? Take our quiz to find out…

Everton haven’t had the best of seasons, but despite a poor campaign, they seem to be set up for a more successful year next time around.

The Toffees have one of the best managers in history at the helm with three-time Champions League winner Carlo Ancelotti tasked with guiding the Merseyside club back to the top half, but if he’s going to be successful he’ll need a few reinforcements.

Recent reports indicate that Ancelotti could be ready to reunite with one of his former players.

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Serbian outlet Novosti are reporting that the Goodison Park outfit are interested in former Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic.

The 36-year-old is a free agent after his contract at Zenit expired at the end of the season, and it seems as though he could be on his way back to England.

Now, Nobody is going to claim that Ivanovic is still at the level he was when he was winning league titles and Champions League’s with Chelsea, but the 36-year-old has been there and done it all in England, and that type of experience will go a long way in the dressing room and on the pitch.

Everton lost Phil Jagielka last summer and Leighton Baines has just retired, so players with such a level of experience are no longer abundant in the dressing room.

The fact that Sheffield United are keen kept Jagielka on for another season due to his leadership abilities shows exactly what Everton lost when he left, and they could replace that with a 36-year-old Ivanovic who knows what it takes to play at the very highest level in this country.

Ivanovic may not be a bonafide starter week in, week out at his age, but his presence in the dressing room would be incredibly welcome.

Tottenham face a transfer battle with Everton to sign Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey, according to Sport 1.

This isn’t the first time that the Premier League rivals have locked horns in the transfer window, as the Toffees have tried to thwart Tottenham’s attempts to sign Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg from Southampton, but to seemingly no avail.

It is understood that Leverkusen are demanding £36m for Bailey as the Bundesliga side brace themselves for an exodus of attacking players in the summer.

Peter Bosz has insisted that Bailey’s Leverkusen teammate Kai Havertz remains committed to the club despite intense speculation surrounding a potential transfer to Chelsea.

Bailey has scored seven goals and supplied three assists in all competitions this season, having battled his way back from injury and suspension.

Spurs are reportedly keeping close tabs on the six-cap Jamaica international as the £36m-rated Bundesliga ace is apparently ‘dreaming’ of a move to the Premier League. Interestingly enough, he is represented by Aidy Ward from Colossal Sports Management, who are responsible for the likes of Kingsley Coman and Raheem Sterling.

Jose Mourinho will be happy that the Lilywhites clinched a sixth-place finish in the league following the conclusion of the campaign but he will have his sights set on getting Spurs back into the Champions League.

The Lilywhites will need to strengthen if they want to challenge for a spot in the top four and Bailey has shown he is a top-class dribbler, known for cutting in from the wing, so he could provide the cutting edge Mourinho that needs to rebuild the midfield.

Spurs are surely a more attractive option than Everton at the moment, as several players like Hojbjerg have already expressed their desire to work with Mourinho, while the Toffees finished six places lower than Tottenham in the league.

Coupled with the fact the north London club would be able to offer Europa League football, Carlo Ancelotti could have a tough task on his hands to try and persuade him to move to Goodison Park instead.

Tottenham fans, do you think Daniel Levy should sign Leon Bailey? Let us know your views in the comments below!

Burnley have been given a clear message by Nottingham Forest manager Sabri Lamouchi over their reported interest in Joe Worrall.

As per Alan Nixon, the Clarets have been linked with a move for the defender, who according to the journalist is valued at £10m by the Championship club – a fee which Burnley are not willing to even meet halfway.

Lamouchi has now made his stance on the 23-year-old clear as, when asked about the possibility of him leaving, the Forest manager told Nottinghamshire Live: “With Joe Worrall, I have been extremely clear – it is a no; no way for me.”

Nottingham Forest’s need to sell Worrall has diminished considerably in recent days after they bankrolled an initial £14m, with a potential £2m in add-ons still to come, from the sale of Matty Cash to Aston Villa.

As mentioned above, Burnley are still well short of the Championship club’s asking price for their centre-back, with Nixon tweeting this week that the Clarets are unwilling to go beyond £4m in their pursuit of the 23-year-old.

Sean Dyche had been running the risk of going into the new season with a shortage of centre-back experience, being forced to play youngsters Jimmy Dunne and Bobby Thomas during the midweek friendly against Preston.

However, with last season’s first-choice partnership Ben Mee and James Tarkowski both hopeful of being fit in time for their Premier League opener against Leicester in two weeks’ time, the Clarets should be adequately stocked in this area. Kevin Long is also due to come back into the frame at some stage.

With a passing success rate of 80.9%, compared to 71.4% for Mee and 70.8% for Tarkowski, Worrall could bring something different to Burnley’s back-line if he were to move to Turf Moor.

However, with neither the Clarets nor Forest seemingly willing to budge on their respective valuations of the player, and with Lamouchi emphatically indicating that he has no plans to sell him, it is perhaps time for Burnley to move on from a transfer trail which appears to be taking them nowhere fast.

Burnley fans, do the Clarets need Worrall and is he worth £10m? Have your say by commenting below!

Sheffield United announced a trio of signings earlier this week as Max Lowe, Jaydn Bogle and Ethan Ampadu were brought to Bramall Lane.

The Blades have since completed another signing, although the club’s supporters won’t see him in Yorkshire for some time.

According to The Star, Chris Wilder has managed to acquire Mali under-20 midfielder Ismaila Coulibaly from Norwegian side Sarpsborg 08.

However, he is clearly a player for the future rather than the here-and-now as he has been immediately sent on loan to Belgian side Beerschot, a club with whom Sheffield United have very strong links as their owner Prince Abdullah has invested in the Antwerp-based outfit.

The 19 year-old has made 28 competitive appearances, with four goals and one assist to his name (as per Transfermarkt), and Sheffield United’s move for him highlights that they are keen to build for the future.

The Blades’ capture of the youngster should please supporters of the club, as it shows a firm intent to scout hidden gems, enable them to obtain senior experience elsewhere and then return to Bramall Lane when primed for the English game.

A loan move for the 19-year-old is logical as Sheffield United have many central midfielders in the club in John Fleck, John Lundstram, Ethan Ampadu, Sander Berge and Oliver Norwood, to name a few.

It is interesting, though, that they are buying a midfielder, especially with the speculation around Lundstram’s future as he is yet to sign a new contract and many sides are circling for his signature. His current contract expires at the end of next season, so if Coulibaly performs well in Belgium, he could be seen as a possible Lundstram replacement from the start of the 2021/22 campaign.

Blades fans, are you pleased with the move for Coulibaly? Could he be a long-term successor to Lundstram in midfield? Let us know your views in the comments below!

Rangers FC boss Steven Gerrard hasn’t made it no secret that he wants a new midfielder at Ibrox before the transfer deadline and it appears his pursuit has taken a new direction…

What’s the word?

According to Bosnian outlet Sportske, the Scottish giants are eyeing up a move for Everton outcast Muhamed Besic, who isn’t in the plans of Carlo Ancelotti this season.

It’s claimed that the deal is most likely a loan but the possibility of it being a permanent switch isn’t completely disregarded. He could be available at a “low-price” as per the report.

The 28-year-old cost the Toffees €5m (£4.5m) back in 2014 and he has since been sent out on loan three times.

Ferguson-like enforcer

Clearly, Gerrard isn’t happy with his current options in the Gers engine room. An ageing Steve Davis is one of the first names on the teamsheet and then it’s anyone’s guess from the likes of Scott Arfield, Glen Kamara and Ryan Jack.

Perhaps the Ibrox outfit are missing a player similar to the legendary Barry Ferguson – a justified fan favourite who brought ferocity, tenacity and power to the middle. Not to mention his 15 trophies at the club.

And that’s what Besic is, just without the illustrious career.

The Bosnian has played over 100 times in English football, many of which coming in the Premier League, so he’s cut the mustard amongst some of the best throughout his career.

His former boss at Goodison Park, Roberto Martinez, has talked up his abilities in the past. He said:  “[Besic] is strong and aggressive, but Mo has a natural balance. He is a complete player. Besic has a high level of football intelligence. In addition to excellent physical qualities.”

Throughout his career, Besic has averaged 1.9 tackles, 1.3 dribbles and 0.8 key passes per game, via WhoScored, which only emphasises his potential capability of being that enforcer in the heart of Gerrard’s midfield.

Earning around £30k-per-week, the Everton powerhouse could well be the cheap answer to the Gers boss’ demands. Ross Wilson must sanction this move.

AND in other news, Rangers can land the perfect Steven Davis alternative in Bongani Zungu

Contrary to popular belief, Glasgow Rangers have revived their interest in Bongani Zungu, but Steven Gerrard’s side face plenty of competition for the South African…

What’s the story?

According to The Scotsman, Rangers remain firmly in the race to sign the Amiens midfielder, but they will have to battle Olympiacos and several sides in Spain for his signature.

It’s claimed that the Ligue 2 side wanted at least £3m for the South Africa international although Rangers refused to meet their original asking price.

The saga has rumbled on for several months with Zungu rumoured to have been close to moving to the Ibrox Stadium back in July.

For whatever reason, the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement, and discussions seemed to hit a dead end.

However, both clubs are believed to be back on track, with the report adding Rangers have re-entered negotiations with Amiens.

Davis alternative?

At one stage this window, Amiens were reportedly ready to offer the 27-year-old a new deal before sending him out on loan in order to raise his market value.

However, this has still not happened as it stands, and he will be free to agree a pre-contract with a new club in January if a move fails to materialise.

Steven Davis returned to his old club in 2019 after a brief spell in the Premier League with Southampton. The former club captain, 35, played an important part for Gerrard’s side that season but has hardly featured at all this year.

Although the Northern Irishman has made seven appearances in the Premiership this season, only five have been starts and the last two were arguably only due to the fact that Ryan Jack was out injured.

Moreover, a move for Zungu would make most sense, as he has predominantly played in central or holding midfield. He is even capable of playing further up the pitch if required.

Last season, the versatile player played 21 games in Ligue 1, picking up one assist as a result, via Transfermarkt, which suggests he is more than capable of playing week in, week out. He has also earned 24 caps for his country, scoring two goals so far at the time of writing.

Full marks from us.

At 27, Zungu is several years younger than the 117-cap Northern Irish international, so the Gers should invest in a relatively cheap alternative who can play in a variety of positions.

AND in other news, Rangers should reignite interest in Liverpool’s Rhian Brewster…

New Southampton signing Theo Walcott has discussed his excitement to be back at his former club, even if it’s only for the short-term. The Everton winger has penned a one-year loan deal with the Saints, making himself part of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s project to see his side climb the Premier League table.

Speaking to Hampshire Live, Walcott admitted that when news of the potential move came through, he was on board straight away.

“As soon I heard about it I said: ‘This had to happen, this needs to happen. I really want this to happen,'” he said. “Carlo [Ancelotti], Marcel [Brands] and myself have a really good relationship where we can get things sorted and they helped to make it happen in the end which I was really grateful for.”

A permanent Saints move for Walcott?

Now 31, Walcott could be entering the final years of his professional career. His most recent season with Everton saw him become more of a fringe player than he would have perhaps wanted. The winger made just 29 appearances across all competitions and missed a total of 13 Premier League matches (via Transfermarkt).

Ancelotti recruited well this summer and has so far spearheaded the Toffees to a perfect start to the season. Key attacking players Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be untouchable, meaning there’s little room at the inn for Walcott. If the Italian decides the former England international is surplus to Everton’s needs, he could hope for a permanent move to the south coast, especially when you consider how keen he was to make the initial loan move happen judging by his recent quotes.

It certainly seems like a plausible deal, with Hasenhuttl already making it clear that he’s an admirer of Walcott’s.

“There is a lot of history between this club and Theo, so I know how special this will be for him and for our supporters,” the Southampton boss told Hampshire Live after the player signed. “But what is most important to me is that we have signed a player who can help our squad and give us another strong option in our attack.”

Hasenhuttl went on to discuss the other benefits of having Walcott in the squad, including helping to integrate the young talents into the first team. As a three-time FA Cup winner – who spent an astonishing 12 years with Arsenal – the forward has a lot of seniority and knowledge to implement into the team. Bringing him to the club full-time is definitely an option Hasenhuttl and co should be considering next year.

In other news, Southampton cashed in on Morgan Schneiderlin at the exact right time…

Bailey Wright was one of the stars of the show as Sunderland were held to a draw away to Rochdale on Tuesday night, yet his performance alongside his Black Cats defensive partners left manager Phil Parkinson “disappointed”.

Sunderland travelled to the Crown Oil Arena looking to bounce back from their first defeat of the season after a 3-1 loss at home to Portsmouth over the weekend, and begun the League One clash in fine fashion through Charlie Wyke after 15 minutes.

The Black Cats’ lead lasted just 10 minutes, however, as Matty Lund struck his first of the night to pull the game level, something the Northern Irishman would again do just before half-time once Wright had restored the visitor’s advantage.

Lund was able to poke home his fourth of the third-tier campaign thanks to generous defending by Sunderland, leaving Parkinson saddened to see his side’s once superior defensive record further slump having previously allowed just one goal to be scored over the opening six matches.

“I’m disappointed with the two goals we conceded tonight, of course I am,” said Parkinson, via quotes by the Chronicle. “We have been waiting for the goals to come, [but] the bedrock of the team has been in our defensive third.

“I’ve just said to the lads that they need to make sure that is in place, don’t let the frustration of not killing teams off and converting chances stop us defending properly. Prior to the Portsmouth game we were doing so well, we’d only conceded one goal all season, but there was an undercurrent of ‘we’ve got to score, we’ve got to score’.”

While Parkinson was rightly frustrated to see Sunderland ship two goals at Rochdale on Tuesday night, Wright’s efforts in the centre of the Black Cats’ line of three centre-halves surely would have left a positive impression on his boss.

Wright, who has opened all eight of Sunderland’s League One games this term, achieved SofaScore’s highest match-rating for a visiting player against Rochdale at 7.8 out of 10, only trailing the host’s double-scorer Lund (8.3/10).

The North East outfit’s 28-year-old defender warranted his side’s highest match rating thanks to an impressive tally of 82 touches while completing 57 of his 68 passes, both of which were game-high figures.

He further stood out with a match-high eight clearances and blocked two shots, made one tackle, won four of eight duels, found teammates with 15 of 26 attempted long passes and scored with his only shot of the night.

Wright is now one of just six players to have scored for Sunderland in League One this season, highlighting the Black Cats’ need for goals but also demonstrating how he’s helping the Stadium of Light natives to keep a mostly tight unit at the back.

AND in other news, a promotion rival has pinpointed a major flaw in Phil Parkinson’s tactics that could spell dire consequences for Sunderland.