All posts by h716a5.icu

[ad_pod ]Football.London’s Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has called on Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli to step up and prove that they belong at this level in the Champions League semi-final first leg clash against Ajax on Tuesday.

What’s the situation?

Well, the north London outfit welcome the Eredivisie giants to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium looking to take an advantage ahead of the second leg in Amsterdam, but they will be without the injured Harry Kane and the suspended Son Heung-Min.

As a result there will be a bigger onus on both Eriksen’s and Alli’s shoulders to deliver for Mauricio Pochettino’s men, whether it be in terms of goals or assists.

Gold tweeted on Tuesday: “Massive night for Spurs and Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli in particular. Those two have the ability to sparkle on any stage and if they can bring their A game tonight then that should make all the difference for Spurs going forward. Time to show this is their level.”

Is he right?

He certainly is.

West Ham ruined Arsenal’s unbeaten record at the Emirates in 2007 and history repeated itself at the weekend. Spurs fans don’t take it well in the video below…

Neither player has been at their best this season in terms of consistent form, but they are two stars their teammates will be looking at to make a difference against Ajax.

Tottenham may not have such a great chance of reaching the Champions League final again, and they must take the opportunity rather than bottling it – something we have seen from them on many occasions previously.

In addition, Eriksen and Alli are two players that are yet to prove themselves at the very highest level by helping Spurs win trophies – now is their ideal chance to be an influential part of a team to do exactly that.

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Arsenal have endured a sad end to their league campaign, taking one point from a possible 12 in the race for a top four finish. The string of poor results have left many fans demanding serious investment in the squad this summer, but Arsenal should be looking more towards their academy, something the red side of North London have grown significantly worse at doing year on year.

Once upon a time ex-manager Arsene Wenger and his side were heralded for their promotion of youth prospects, not just for simply giving them the chance but for genuinely developing them into real talents – Cesc Fabregas being the obvious example.

Since then though, Arsenal have moved so far away from their own model of promoting the upcoming talent that it’s left senior players far too comfortable in their positions. Shkodran Mustafi has had his worst season in a red shirt, with Granit Xhaka and Henrikh Mkhitaryan looking just marginally better, but Unai Emery’s unwillingness to drop them for younger prospects means the club are persevering with players who have proven they’re simply not good enough.

In recent years we’ve seen young academy graduates like Serge Gnabry and Wojciech Szczesny leave the club due to a lack of game time and opportunities, while the Gunners have persisted with average and experienced options like Petr Cech and Theo Walcott, and this worrying trend looks set to continue. Gnabry and Szczesny are now enjoying glittering careers at Bayern Munich and Juventus respectively.

It goes without saying that Emery can’t give chances to youngsters just for the sake of it, but perhaps what’s so frustrating about this is that the prospects are there and ready.

Emile Smith-Rowe looked a very accomplished player and mature beyond his years in his bit-part role for the Gunners until January, and it doesn’t take a genius to work out that Reiss Nelson has a promising career to come as well – yet both have had to move on loan for more game time. With Aaron Ramsey leaving Arsenal, the serious lack of depth in the squad and the fact Emery’s men were contesting Europa League football, was this not the perfect time to embed these talents?

The sad truth is that managers don’t have the time to take risks and youngsters are so hungry to play regularly that they’ll take the opportunity of a loan move. But it only makes one fear for Joe Willock, Jordi Osei-Tutu, Dinos Mavropanos and Eddie Nketiah, all of whom have looked very bright in brief appearances for the North London club.

Arsenal were once renowned for their brave stance on youth prospects, but they’ve moved so far away from that old perception in recent years. Hector Bellerin and Alex Iwobi prove that there’s still hope the very best will get the chances that they deserve, though it’s certainly got a lot harder at Arsenal than ever before. Despite all the highs and lows on the pitch, many of which you can excuse, failing to develop the talents they have has surely got to be considered the biggest failure of Arsenal’s recent history.

He has been given chance after chance, but finally, on the last day of the season, Eddie Nketiah scored his first Premier League goal for Arsenal.

The Arsenal youth academy striker is highly tipped to one day become one of the top strikers in English football having dominated the youth leagues for most of his teenage life, and his first strike in league football got many Gunners fans excited about the future of their 19-year-old attacker.

Having made a name for himself last season after scoring twice against Norwich City in the League Cup, Nketiah has slowly but surely been waiting on the sideline for a chance to impress yet again in the first-team, and the striker has been unlucky not to score this season already with the England U-19 forward impressing against the likes of Vorskla and Qarabag in the Europa League.

The striker has also been incredible at youth level, again, this season, scoring nine and assisting four in Premier League 2 as well as scoring for the U-23s in the EFL Trophy.

Nketiah can hang his head up high after scoring against Burnley on the final day of the season in a 3-1 win for Arsenal and can now look forward to a season where the striker is likely to see more first-team football.

If Unai Emery remains with the 3-5-2 formation that has worked well this season, then the Spaniard could see Nketiah as back-up for Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the first-team, and with Danny Welbeck leaving this summer, the 19-year-old has an even bigger chance of getting minutes in the starting XI.

It was a long time coming, but Nketiah is finally a Premier League striker, and next season will likely see more of the promising and talented attacker.

Arsenal fans, can Nkeitah be a solid back-up for Aubameyang and Lacazette next season? Let us know!

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According to reports in The Sun, Leeds will have to pay £20 million if they want to bring Jack Harrison to Elland Road permanently this summer.

That would mean making the 22-year-old the second most expensive signing in the club’s history just behind the arrival of Rio Ferdinand back in 2000.

Not that good

Man City slapping that price tag on the winger is surely more of a deterrent than an actual valuation.

Harrison only contributed to seven goals this campaign, scoring four and assisting three. Therefore the £20 million fee seems to be extortionate.

Despite his less than impressive stats this year, The Sun have reported that the Whites are ‘desperate’ to bring him back to Yorkshire in the summer.

Take a chance on Wilks

Unless the Premier League champions lower that asking price significantly, there is no way that Harrison lines up as a Leeds United player next season.

He hasn’t impressed enough to justify that fee, and with other options being available for a much better price surely Victor Orta and Andrea Radrizzani will look elsewhere.

Callum O’Dowda has already been touted as a possible replacement, but Leeds shouldn’t forget that they have Mallik Wilks returning from his loan spell at Doncaster Rovers, too.

Wilks has been a star in League One, scoring 14 goals and crafting eight assists. If he can get anywhere close to those numbers in the Championship, he will prove to be a better option than Harrison was, and it wouldn’t cost Marcelo Bielsa’s side a single penny.

The 20-year-old has more than earnt his chance at Elland Road next term, and it would be nothing short of foolish to splash all that money on the Man City man when they have a player who could prove to be a better option already in their ranks.

It has been a roller-coaster of a year at Sheffield Wednesday, hasn’t it?

After suffering a dreadful start to the 2018/19 campaign under then-boss Jos Luhukay, the Owls were at risk of being dragged into a relegation battle before Dejphon Chansiri decided to sack the 55-year-old and replace him with Steve Bruce.

Taking over in February, the former Aston Villa manager led his side on an unbeaten run of 11 games which had some supporters dreaming of gatecrashing the play-off positions in the Championship. Yet a mixed end to the season resulted in the Hillsborough faithful having to settle for a 12th place finish earlier this month.

With expectancy understandably high ahead of the upcoming campaign, it is vital that Bruce gets his recruitment spot on over the coming months as if he doesn’t, the Owls could struggle to compete in what is arguably the toughest league in the world.

Having already been linked with a move for several players over the past few weeks, Wednesday may have dodged a bullet by missing out on one of the most inconsistent players in the second tier.

According to The Star, the Owls were reportedly interested in signing Wigan Athletic midfielder Nick Powell but were put off by the player’s wage demands and thus pulled out of the race to sign him.

Out of contract this summer, the £3.15m-rated ace (via Transfermarkt) is undeniably a fantastic player on his day yet his troubles with committing totally to his sport has seen him fail to live up to the potential that he had whilst at Manchester United.

Although he has made a marked improvement to his game since the arrival of Paul Cook as Wigan’s manager in 2017, Powell’s continuous problems with injuries during his career has limited his development and therefore by bringing him, Wednesday would have been taking a huge risk.

Even though Bruce will be disappointed about missing out on the midfielder at the moment, by using the funds available to him in the summer to bring in a more trust-worthy player, the Owls boss will soon forget about this particular saga.

What do you think Wednesday fans? Have you dodged a bullet by not signing Powell? Who would you like your side to bring in this summer? Let us know below.

It has been a tumultuous couple of weeks to be a Leeds United supporter, hasn’t it?

After seeing their side suffer a gut-wrenching defeat in the play-offs to Derby County on May 15th, the Elland Road faithful have every right to be concerned about what the future may hold.

With Marcelo Bielsa still yet to agree an extension to his current deal with Leeds, there is a real possibility that the Yorkshire-based outfit may have to find a replacement for the Argentine this summer.

However, regardless of who is in charge of the Whites next season, it is clear that in order to launch a sustained push for promotion, director of football Victor Orta will have to get his recruitment spot on in the transfer window.

Although the Spaniard can be credited for bringing the likes of Mateusz Klich and Ezgjan Alioski to the club, it is imperative that he doesn’t take his eye off the ball over the coming months as if he does, it could result in the Whites struggling to compete next year.

Therefore, with the pressure definitely on Orta to deliver, he should consider sanctioning a move for one of the most exciting players in Swiss football.

According to Football Insider, Leeds are reportedly one of a number of clubs who are keeping tabs on FC Zurich winger Benjamin Kololli.

An incredibly talented player, the £2.48m-rated ace (via Transfermarkt) enjoyed a hugely impressive 2018/19 campaign for Stadtclub as he fired in 14 goals in all competitions whilst also providing eight assists for his team-mates.

Having lit up the Europa League with his performances for Zurich earlier this year, Kololli could prove to be as effective for Leeds as Alioski has been since the Macedonian joined the club in 2017.

By looking towards his fellow winger for inspiration, it would not be at all surprising if the 27-year-old ends up causing havoc in the Championship as he has all the ingredients needed to thrive at this particular level of football.

However, with both Brentford and Sheffield Wednesday providing competition to Leeds for the services of Kololli, they must act quickly if they are to convince to make the switch to Elland Road.

What do you think Whites fans? Would you welcome a move for Kololli this summer? How would you rate Orta’s recruitment over the past two years? Let us know below.

Liverpool have been up there with the best of them for a number of seasons now. This Champions League final was well-deserved but also somewhat expected from the Reds, seeing their dominant run in the Premier League. Still, getting straight to the doorstep of glory, knocking on the door and then running away before it can answer was how they’ve unfortunately done this dance so far. It was always that one, seemingly simple step that was missing; one piece of the puzzle, and according to Ian McGarry speaking to the Transfer Window podcast via the Daily Star, Jurgen Klopp has potentially found it in RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner.

This 23-year-old German forward has recently fallen out of favour and somehow slipped under the radar as of late. There was a time when Werner was indeed the most talked about young striker in Bundesliga but it seems that some new kids on the block are now bursting onto the scene. This, however, doesn’t really take anything away from his outstanding quality.

Valued at £58.50m, Werner has scored 16 goals and assisted nine in the latest 2018/19 Bundesliga campaign alone, adding three more in the DFB-Pokal with an additional assist in the Europa League qualifiers. But his skill in front of the goal goes beyond the numbers and more into his style of play, and that’s what has Liverpool interested.

Granted, at the moment the Reds are seemingly all set up front and it’s difficult to imagine either one of the Mane-Firmino-Salah trio dropped in favour of any incoming player but Werner would bring about serious competition which would, in turn, yield better results. His energy and pace can match that of Liverpool’s heavy metal system and his proficiency in front of goal means they get an additional reliable outlet when push comes to shove.

Manchester City have edged them out in the Premier League race two times in a row now and it’s difficult to escape the feeling that squad depth was indeed one of the deciding factors. Sure, there’s not much anyone would change with Liverpool’s gala XI but having a strong bench is a must. After all, winning the league is quite a marathon and not a sprint. So even if Werner would come as a substitute, dancing on the edge of that first-team promotion week in, week out, the team would profit of that massively.

Not to mention that a proper Roberto Firmino substitute is something Liverpool have been on a lookout for a while but with no success as of yet. Of course, Nicolas Pepe is still one of those players that could fit the squad and bring the necessary results but the winger is not as big of a priority as someone of Werner’s profile would be.

Having both Mane and Salah means the Reds are quite set in the wide areas and have to shift their focus more centrally. Still, Nicolas Pepe is on the table, as reports from France Football (via Team Talk) suggest and he would indeed be a good choice but not as good as Werner. A kid of his skill, age and consistency could very well be that missing piece that pushes Klopp over the finish line when he feels he’s exhausted all other options.

Kopites, would you rather go for Timo Werner or Nicolas Pepe? Who do you think should be the priority signing this summer? Let us know in the comments below…

While the thought of losing Aaron Wan-Bissaka is gut-wrenching to say the least, hear us out.

Although Crystal Palace could be set to receive a cool £45 million for the 21-year-old, (as per The Daily Mail) the Eagles may be better off with another young, English full-back.

As a result of the uncertainty regarding Wan-Bissaka’s future, the name Reece James continues to be floated around Selhurst Park, as well as many other Premier League clubs. Indeed, Palace were linked by the Mail back in May and it’s easy to see why.

The England U20 international (who is valued at £900k on Transfermarkt) enjoyed a quality breakthrough season with Wigan in the Championship following his loan move to the DW Stadium.

That, in turn, has left plenty of sides wanting to take him from Chelsea once again this summer.

Whether the Blues will end up keeping James is unknown but after claiming Wigan’s Player of The Season, oh and not to forget Players’ Player of the Season as well, his stock is rising by the game.

Yes, it goes without saying, there is a gulf in class between the Championship and the Premier League but because James is such a confident, young player, there seem to be no worries about his ability to thrive in the top flight. The Blues themselves have previously been reported to value him enough to offer him a new deal (as per the Independent) so it’s clear to see he is highly rated.

Wan-Bissaka has been nothing short of brilliant since making his progression into the first-team, hence why it would be such a damaging loss for Crystal Palace.

The loss, though, would be somewhat dampened if the Eagles were able to bring in James because frankly, a defensive player that scores three goals and creates three assists in 45 Championship appearances is clearly a real star in the making.

Palace fans, would you like to sign Reece James? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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Arsenal have seen better days in the Premier League. The Gunners will be gunning for something better than the fifth-placed finish they managed to achieve in their latest campaign when the top flight rolls around once again. This, however, is not going to be easy considering the heavy competition. So following the announcement of the Premier League fixtures list, we give you five key dates that will decide whether Arsenal can improve on last season’s final standing…

31 August, Tottenham Hotspur (H)

Arsenal’s biggest worry in reaching anything higher than that fifth spot will be taking down teams that already occupy it. Spurs managed to beat them by one point last year and winning at home early against them could prove crucial in the long run.

28 September, Manchester United (A)

Following the same pattern, the Gunners will have to be able to stay ahead of those that were below them. United beat them at Old Trafford last time they met there so clinching a win here next time is an absolute must for Unai Emery and his troops. Not to mention the Red Devils will have roughly the same goals as Arsenal heading into the new season.

26 October, Crystal Palace (H)

Even though this one doesn’t seem as big, it really is. Palace are one of those teams that regularly chipped points off of the Gunners last season, both home and away, so getting the better of them and doing it against the Premier League’s rank and file will be vital – especially since they play Wolves at the Emirates the week after. Must win games for them in October if they want to improve.

28 December, Chelsea (H)

Games against Chelsea barely need an introduction and seeing how the Blues are directly in their way to the top four, Arsenal will absolutely have to win their matches against their city rivals. But the trick is that Chelsea at home is a start of an awful sequence of games: Chelsea (H), Man Utd (H), Palace (A). Getting off to a bad start could lead to a very poor run of results.

14 March, Brighton (A)

Brighton away is sort of the cherry on the top of this list. Beating the best is a must but not dropping points against lower-placed teams is somewhat of Arsenal’s speciality. Brighton held them to a draw both times they met last season and this game is also sandwiched between West Ham (H) and Southampton (A), both of whom beat the Gunners in 2018/19. Against this calibre of team, improvement is greatly needed.

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Manchester United are confident of completing a deal for Harry Maguire this summer, as reported by The Daily Mail.

What’s the story?

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is currently busy determining what he needs in his United squad next season to make them a top four side and potential trophy winners again.

An area that needs definite improvement is in defence, with the Red Devils conceding more goals than all but one team in the Premier League top ten last season.

To that end, the club are targeting Leicester City’s Harry Maguire and The Mail say that the Old Trafford side are now confident of landing him ahead of rivals Manchester City.

The paper reckon that the £80m asking price is too much for City, but that United are willing to move close to the Foxes’ valuation of the 6 foot 4 centre-half.

Could United be in the hunt for an £85m blockbuster signing this summer? Check out the video below…

Is he worth that kind of cash?

Maguire truly arrived as an elite player during last summer’s World Cup and there’s no doubt his aerial ability and physical presence makes him a competent defender at the top level, but he doesn’t really have any unique attributes that puts him in a category of player that can make a real difference at United.

For an £80m fee you’d be expecting to sign one of the best defenders in the world or at least a player who has the potential to become that and Maguire falls short of that standard, with United likely able to get a player of similar ability for much less on the market this summer.

His age, 26, is appealing since he still has his peak years ahead of him, but he’s also not young enough that you’d expect some of his weaker traits to be improved upon such as his lack of pace.

A fee of that size would also put loads of pressure on Maguire’s shoulders, turning what should be a logical signing into something of a circus and ultimately making it all a bit too risky.

There are other options out there – Man United should pass on this one and play smarter in the market.