The fact that Toby Alderweireld was not in the Tottenham Hotspur squad for Sunday’s Premier League clash against Chelsea spoke volumes.
Mauricio Pochettino’s notion that Alderweireld is not fit is now not reliable due to the fact that the centre-back turned out for Belgium during the recent international break.
The 29-year-old was outstanding for Spurs last season, but it is understood that he is refusing to sign a new contract, which has led to a host of speculation surrounding his future.
Alderweireld has not actually turned out for Tottenham in the Premier League since the end of October, although a hamstring problem kept him on the sidelines for a considerable amount of time.
A tweet from the defender’s social media account cropped up following Tottenham’s 3-1 win over Chelsea on Sunday, and a number of the Spurs supporters reacted in the same way.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
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 appears almost certain that the former Ajax youngster, who is valued at £36m by transfermarkt.co.uk, will be leaving Pochettino’s side in this summer’s transfer window.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
If anyone had said that Southampton vs. West Ham in February would have top connotations they may well have been carted off for some serious psychological examinations… but, alas, the two sides are now set to embark on a ‘six pointer’, which may have a massive impact on the table in a few months’ time.
Southampton currently occupy third, but with the chasing pack of Man United, Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool all closing in, wins are essential, while West Ham are in desperate need of points to keep pace after slipping to eighth. So what factors may decide this one…
West Ham’s ‘bouncebackability’
Since the turn of the year to 2015 West Ham’s top four push has stalled. The Hammers’ impressive results seem to be drying up, and the pressure is now really on following the loss to rivals Liverpool and the draw with Manchester United. Another defeat will leave them eight points adrift of the fabled spots, and with the likes of Spurs, Liverpool and Arsenal all resurgent, the gap may be too large to bridge.
Southampton’s defensive record
With just 17 balls having hit the Saints’ net, Ronald Koeman’ side are, by far, the best team defensively in the Premier League. But their rearguard will be a little patched up tonight, with Ryan Bertrand’s suspension added to Toby Alderweireld’s injury absence. Matt Targett may step in, but even he has some fitness issues, which will put a lot of pressure on the South Coast side.
Southampton’s ability to score
While goals have not been coming at the wrong end, they have also been a relatively rare occurrence in the final third. The Saints are the lowest scorers in the top six with 38, and Graziano Pelle’s early season form appears to have slipped a little of late. Southampton have also hit the post more times than any side in the league (14), of which six have been courtesy of Pelle.
Travelsick Hammers…
With just one win in their last seven trips away from east London, a journey down to St Mary’s is not likely to have been one Allardyce has been relishing. The Hammers have been imperious at Upton Park, but their high tempo, physical approach has not been so present outside of the capital, which has been an issue. However, they can take some solace from the fact Southampton have won only two of their last six home games.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Cheikhou Kouyate
The big Senegalese star has been impressive since moving to West Ham from Anderlecht, with his power in midfield alongside Alex Song having formed a solid bedrock at the Boleyn Ground. But, with injuries an issue he’s been moved into a centre-back berth, in which he again shone against Man United. Can he maintain that form? Or will his rustiness – he has played at CB in the past – be an issue?
Rafael Benitez will be re-acquainted with an old rival Everton and is sure to receive a fierce reception. This won’t be new to him or come as a surprise as he has had to endure a lot of flak from his own supporters during his stay at Chelsea.
He may not be interested in making friends, but he is certaintly turning a few Chelsea fans round with recent positive displays. The 1-0 win at Carrow Road may have been grounded out by the manner of the goal between Oscar and the finish by Mata was impressive. They dazzled too against Aston Villa the game before winning 8-0.
An impressive return of 12 goals in their last three Premier League games suggests they can overcome their problems of lacking firepower up front, even if it may be too early to assure this is the case just yet.
It is not all rosy for the Blues and they need to focus in this fixture as fifth placed Everton could overtake them on Saturday with a win against their opponents.
Moyes will be aware that this will be no easy feat. Benitez appears to have the hold over him with a record of won five wins and a draw in his last six Premier League meetings with Everton.
Everton again will Marouane Fellaini for their latest outing at Goodison Park as he continue to serve his three match ban for head-butting Ryan Shawcross. Darron Gibson is eligible for selection after his suspension was overturned by the FA after he was sent off at Upton Park against West Ham but he has also been struggling with a thigh strain.
Chelsea welcome back Ramires into the matchday squad for this game after recovering from a knee injury sustained on Boxing day. Sunday’s game could be one too soon for John Terry and Daniel Sturridge is expected to be omitted with a move to Liverpool seemingly imminent.
Everton are one of only two teams with an unbeaten home record in the Premier League this season, so Chelsea won’t find it easy clasping all three points here.
Prediction: Everton 0-1 Chelsea
Check the odds ahead of the game at Goodison Park with William Hill here
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
You can also Get a Free £25 Bet on the game by clicking here
Jordan Pickford appears to have stolen a march on Jack Butland in the race to be England’s number one goalkeeper for the World Cup in Russia this summer, thanks largely to his superior distribution.
He is a young goalkeeper with Premier League experience and aptitude with his feet, that led Football FanCast to ask Arsenal fans whether the Everton man would be a suitable long-term successor for Petr Cech at the Emirates.
Cech has enjoyed an outstanding Premier League career but the Gunners would be wise to have one eye on who could take his place between the sticks eventually.
[ad_pod ]
However, it doesn’t appear that the Gunners faithful are convinced and the majority of them do not want Arsene Wenger to move for the Toffees stopper, valued at £18m by Transfermarkt.
60 per cent of them feel a move for Pickford would be a mis-step by the Frenchman and you can check out the full results of our poll below…
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Mario Balotelli has had a far from ideal start to his Liverpool career.
He is still struggling to find his first Premier League goal after nine appearances for the club and has only two goals in total, one each in the Champions League and the League Cup – but scoring against Ludogorets isn’t exactly anything to boast about. The Reds are in need of goals all around really, but especially in the Premier League where they’ve only managed 14, one less than the amount they’ve conceded.
When Liverpool signed Balotelli, Brendan Rodgers tried to make sure that Mario wouldn’t mess around off the pitch during his time with the club by installing a behaviour clause in his contract. However, it’s his performances on the pitch that have raised the questions. Almost every press conference that Rodgers attends includes a question (or six) about Balotelli, exactly what he wouldn’t have wanted when he took the risk to sign the Italian international.
The question has to be asked, is the criticism that Balotelli is facing warranted?
Plenty of high-profile strikers go on goal droughts, Mario isn’t the first and he won’t be the last – he’s not even the only one at this very moment. But you’ve got to feel that no other striker off-form like Balotelli would raise as much interest in the press. There’s a case to be made that Fernando Torres got a fair amount of stick following his £50m move to Chelsea, but the majority of that abuse was from the supporters.
There is no doubting that the 24-year-old is attracts particular interest from the press and Balotelli must surely be somewhat used to it by now. Brendan Rodgers was aware of the baggage that Mario brings, and although he did try and cancel out the bad-boy off the pitch, the bad striker on the pitch has caused him more problems than he would have expected.
It’s been a disappointing start for Liverpool in the both the Premier and Champions Leagues. It mustn’t be forgotten that form is temporary, and that’s old adage applies to both the the team as a collective as well as individuals.
Liverpool’s form will eventually improve given the quality of players they have available, and likewise Balotelli will find his scoring touch again when he re-opens his Premier League account.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Of course Mario will have to improve his work-rate, as suggested here, if he is to find his first league goal for The Reds. There is every chance that once he does open his account, he could go on to score 10+ goals this season. He certainly has the ability, and he’s proven it before.
Jack Wilshere confirmed he is making considerable progress, after the midfielder put in a fine display in Arsenal’s 2-0 win over West Brom at the Emirates.
The 20-year-old has been making a solid recovery since his return to action in late October after a 17-month absence due to an ankle injury.
“Every game that goes by I feel better and better fitness-wise,” Wilshere told The Guardian. “I may be at 90%. When I get to 100% I will really show what I can do.”
Wilshere, who made a return to international duty as a substitute in England’s 4-2 defeat by Sweden in November, has enjoyed playing alongside Mikel Arteta and Santi Cazorla during his revival.
“Mikel is great,” Wilshere said. “Tactically, his positioning is the best around … and he is great with the younger players. You can talk to him on and off the pitch. I speak to him during the game.
“There is a good understanding there. He knows I want to go forward and get on the scoresheet but he is the same … There is a bit of both but he lets me go more than he does.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“I think the partnership has a great potential, especially with Santi in front of us. With him, me and Mikel, I think this midfield could really blossom in the next few months.”
Arsenal will be on their travels in their next three fixture, with a trip to Bradford in the Capital One Cup, followed by league matches away at Reading and Wigan.
Sheffield Wednesday will look to increase the gap between them and the bottom three in the Championship when they face Yorkshire rivals Leeds United at Elland Road on Saturday, on the back of a 1-1 draw against Bolton Wanderers previously.
The out-of-form Owls came into the clash against the Trotters at Hillsborough following successive defeats against Bristol City at Ashton Gate and at home to Ipswich Town, and they looked to be on course to get the three points when George Boyd gave them the lead in the 78th minute, before Aaron Wilbraham equalised in stoppage time.
That result, coupled with those of their rivals in midweek, left the Yorkshire outfit in 18th position and eight points above the relegation zone with nine matches of the campaign left to play.
Manager Jos Luhukay, who has come under fire from his own supporters, has only won two of his 11 league games in charge of the club so far, and he will know that his side need some more wins on the board to guarantee their spot in the second tier for next season.
While Wednesday don’t have the greatest record on their travels having only taken 16 points from 18 matches in the Championship this term, they will certainly take some solace from the fact their opponents this weekend have just the one win in their last 13 league matches.
Luhukay will be considering making some changes to the XI that drew at home to fellow strugglers Bolton as he looks to pick up just his third win in the Championship since he succeeded Carlos Carvalhal, and he will regret it if he fails to make a couple of important alterations to his team.
Here are two big changes the 54-year-old must make to his Owls side when they host Leeds…
While Pelupessy has started and played the full 90 minutes in seven of the nine Championship matches he has been available for since joining Wednesday in January, his performances have certainly been less impressive in the last few weeks.
The 24-year-old dropped to the substitutes’ bench for the defeat against Ipswich Town having been part of the side that was decimated 4-0 by Bristol City previously, but he returned to the XI against Bolton last time out.
However, the Dutchman gave the ball away far too often against the Trotters and generally struggled in the central midfield battle, and Luhukay can’t afford to let that happen again against Leeds in a Yorkshire derby.
Instead, the 54-year-old manager should look to bring David Jones, who has come under fire from the Hillsborough faithful this term, into the team, knowing that the 33-year-old has plenty of experience at this level dealing with electric atmospheres like the one at Elland Road can be.
While Boyd scored his side’s goal in the 1-1 draw against Sheffield Wednesday last time out – one that probably should have been ruled out for offside in hindsight – it wasn’t a great performance overall from the 32-year-old.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
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 didn’t offer too much of an attacking threat until his 78th minute goal, while he also often looked pedestrian in possession and was slow to get around the pitch.
Luhukay should look to take the midfielder out of the limelight at Elland Road – especially with Barry Bannan potentially available for selection on Saturday.
The Scotland international is back in training after injury, and even if he is only 90% fit he should be named in the XI against Leeds because of the energy and quality he can bring for his team in the middle of the park.
Many had billed this as an early season title-decider; obviously, that is a bit too dramatic but you have to say, Manchester City and Liverpool will be right in amongst the honours come the end of the season.
It was Manuel Pellegrini who came away from the Etihad smiling, though, but Brendan Rodgers will be chomping at the bit to get Mario Balotelli in his side.
What have we learnt from tonight’s 90 minutes?
Stevan Jovetic can play a key part for City this season
There were a few raised eyebrows when the starting line-ups were announced and Manchester City’s talismanic striker Sergio Aguero was on the substitutes bench. However, many felt it was Stevan Jovetic’s time to shine and grab his chance…and boy did he do that!
Joe Allen, Liverpool’s unsung hero
Today, Mario Balotelli became Liverpool’s ninth summer signing and, quite rightly, the maverick forward stole all the headlines. However, Liverpool fans will certainly take time out to acknowledge the performance of their midfielder Joe Allen who, despite the result, quietly impressed, tonight.
Liverpool STILL haven’t fixed weak defence
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Despite shelling out for Dejan Lovren from Southampton and Alberto Moreno from Sevilla, Liverpool’s defence still remains a big issue for Brendan Rodgers.
The key opening goal could’ve been easily avoided but Liverpool’s failure to clear the ball resulted in Stevan Jovetic’s opening, and crucial, goal.
Ajax coach Ronald De Boer, brother of head coach Frank De Boer, has admitted the club will be powerless to stop young starlet Christian Eriksen from leaving should a large fee be offered for the attacking midfielder, according to Sky Sports News.
The Danish international, who was named Danish footballer of the year in 2011, has attracted interest from Premier League clubs Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and La Liga’s Real Madrid.
The 20-year-old is set to join the long list of talented youngsters who have been sold before their peak by the Eredivisie champions.
In the past fifteen years, Ajax have sold Wesley Sneijder, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Rafael van der Vaart, Christian Chivu, Nigel De Jong, Thomas Vermaelen, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Jan Vertongen, Luis Suarez and Gregory Van Der Wiel to other European clubs capable of offering large transfer fees.
Earlier this week, Marc Overmars, who is currently Sporting Director at Ajax, told reporters that their Danish hot prospect was not interested in signing a new contract to keep him at the Amsterdam Arena past his current deal which expires in 2014.
“We want Christian to sign a new deal, but he is not interested,” said the former Arsenal and Barcelona winger.
“We do have talks planned with him and his agent, so we will have to see what happens in December.”
Now, Ajax coach Ronald De Boer has admitted it will be difficult to hold on the talented midfielder.
“Eriksen is only 20, but already seems older than he is. He has so much talent and of course it is difficult to keep him,” the ex-Holland international told reporters.
“I think he is a player for Madrid or Barcelona but I think one more year at Ajax wouldn’t hurt him. Although that’s difficult – I can’t predict next year he will be at us.
“It would be great to have him in the team but if a team comes along and puts a big bag of money it would be impossible for Ajax to keep him,” added De Boer.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Eriksen himself has also discussed his future in the press, stating: “I am under contract and happy at Ajax. I appreciate the fact that they want to extend my deal, but I also feel that at some point I will want to try something new.
“My agent is in contact with the club and I have not accepted or declined anything yet,” he added.
As reported by The Express, ex-Rangers chairman Sir David Murray wants to become involved with the Ibrox club again and is considering making a financial investment in the Glasgow giants.
He hasn’t been involved since selling his shareholding at Ibrox to Craig Whyte for £1 back in 2011, a moment that set off a series of events that would lead to financial disaster for the club and cause years of upset to supporters.
Murray’s name is inextricably linked with a period of great trophy success at the club, but his legacy has been overshadowed by years of increasing bank debt, tax scandals and ultimately the sale to Whyte.
[ad_pod ]
Fans have reacted poorly to the recent report linking him with a return, many feeling it would be harmful to the club or is simply unrealistic.
With things going so well on the pitch right now for the Light Blues, this is a distraction nobody needs ahead of the huge match against Celtic on Sunday.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts…