All posts by h716a5.icu

It isn’t the easiest of teams, but Tottenham should be grateful for drawing Manchester City in the Champions League.

For the first time in nearly a decade, four Premier League teams will be involved in the final eight of the most prestigious tournament in club football, and for Spurs, they might be one of the few examples of teams to benefit from drawing an English team.

It will be easy to say City are the favourites for this tie. Pep Guardiola’s side have been the best team in the country for the best part of two years, and on recent head-to-head records, the Citizens have been the better side with the current Premier League holders beating Spurs in the past three meetings.

Champions League experience also favours the blue side of Manchester. Since becoming a regular Champions League side, City has made the semi-finals and quarter-finals in the past three seasons, whereas Spurs will be making their first last eight appearances in eight years.

It is important to note, too, that last season City were put to the sword in the Champions League by an English side, Liverpool, who went all the way to the final.

Spurs might not be in the best patch of form against City in recent games, past history shows the north London side are a team capable of beating the Manchester side. Indeed, the timing of the Champions League games will also be helpful for Spurs, as in between each leg the two sides will meet each other in the Premier League, a game Guardiola will be eager to win as City keep on their hunt for a successive league title.

This league game could be what Spurs need in order to sneak past Manchester City and reach their first European semi-final in over 30 years.

As well as luck in the scheduling, Spurs will be hosting Man City, not at Wembley Stadium, a ground Sergio Aguero and co have flourished at in previous seasons, but at the new Tottenham Stadium, which is set to open in April.

The atmosphere will be electric if the game does take place at the new ground, and with it being close enough to the old White Hart Lane Spurs players might find it easier than most other teams when adapting to the new stadium.

Tottenham fans, are you confident for the Champions League quarter-finals? If not, why not? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

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James Ward-Prowse’s sensational free-kick to beat Spurs last time out capped off the latest in a string of fantastic performances from the midfielder, who was – eventually – rewarded for his exploits with an England call-up this week.

The 5 ft 8 ace was certainly deserving of the honour having netted six goals in his last nine league appearances, including three in his last three – a fantastic turnaround after a tough first few months of the season, in which he was benched regularly by Mark Hughes.

Now, though, Ralph Hasenhuttl is in charge and the Austrian has placed huge amounts of faith in the number 16, who has now  highlighted the major change that has been made to his game in 2019:

“It is a good thing to be nice but to get to a certain level you have to have that bite and difference and ultimately, I want to play week in, week out and if the manager demands certain things of me, I have to abide by it and change my ways.

“I feel I have benefited as a person and as a player from those changes.”

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

Indeed, the singularly-capped international was widely regarded as that nice, young player from the academy, although now he has shaken that off – a development epitomised by his reaction to Wilfried Zaha’s dismissal in the draw with Crystal Palace in January.

There is certainly more verve about the Saints star’s game and while the difference made by his free-kicks now hitting the top corner consistently rather than not is huge, that ‘bite’ is equally important when you’re in a relegation battle. Wonder-goals aside, the local lad has come on leaps and bounds since Hasenhuttl’s arrival and both deserve huge credit.

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According to The Mirror, Juventus are weighing up whether to trigger Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Toby Alderweireld’s £25m buy-out clause during the upcoming transfer window, and it is just another reason why Mauricio Pochettino’s summer priority must be to sign a new central defender.

What’s the word, then?

Well, it is no secret that the Belgium international has a clause in his contract that could see him prised away from the north London club for £25m, as per The Mirror, this summer.

The same source now report that Juve have alerted to that fact and are considering a bid to bring the 30-year-old to Turin.

The Mirror say that the Serie A leaders have been further boosted in the race for the centre-back with the fact that Manchester United are likely to have cooled their interest in Alderweireld, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer now only looking for a back-up centre-back.

Pochettino’s priority

The transfer links involving the Belgian continue to come thick and fast and that will no doubt continue throughout the next few months through into the opening of the window.

Find out why not a single Spurs fan will miss Wembley in the video below…

It would certainly be surprising if no club took a £25m punt on him, and Alderweireld could easily decide to go if the offer is right seeing as he has so far been unable to commit his long-term future to Spurs.

While Pochettino may well be targeting the wing and full-back areas as ones that need strengthening in the summer, his number-one aim needs to be bringing a top-class centre-back to play in Tottenham’s new stadium next season.

With Jan Vertonghen getting no younger and Davinson Sanchez still not the finished article, should the popular 30-year-old leave the north London outfit would find themselves in a whole lot of trouble next term.

Considering all the changes West Ham United made in the summer, things have worked relatively well, haven’t they? Sure, there have been some poor performances and inconsistency continues to plague the club, but it would have been difficult for Manuel Pellegrini to have hit the ground running in his first season at the London Stadium.

However, one report is suggesting that might be all the time the former Manchester City manager gets in east London.

What’s the News?

RMC Sport are claiming West Ham are considering to make Bruno Genesio their new manager as his future with Olympique de Lyonnais remains in the air.

It is claimed that the Irons have already contacted Pini Zahavi, the manager’s agent, about a possible move and could look to appoint him in the summer.

The Verdict:

To say the news that West Ham could already be looking to replace Pellegrini in the summer would have to be considered a shock and also ludicrous at the same time.

Yes, the Chilean has hardly set the London Stadium alight, however, he has been a lot better than who the club have had in recent memory and has started to show some signs of progress with the group of players he has at his disposal.

After a huge overhaul last summer, the Irons are still within distance of finishing seventh in the Premier League and are well away from relegation, something that has not always been so sure at this stage of a campaign.

Pellegrini has managed to bring some star names to the club as well, with the likes of Felipe Anderson arriving, whilst he has reinvented the way West Ham play and has added an attractive element to it – although it can go missing at times.

Genesio only has experience of managing Lyon, so looking to replace Pellegrini with him could be a really risky piece of business and rather unnecessary at this moment in time.

West Ham fans, are you shocked that the board could already be looking to sack Pellegrini? Do you think Genesio would improve the team? Join in with the discussion below by sharing your thoughts with us.

[ad_pod ]Charlton extended their unbeaten run to nine games with a 2-0 victory over Plymouth at Home Park on Saturday, with Lyle Taylor opening the scoring before Niall Canavan inadvertently doubled the Addicks’ lead after the break.Taylor’s strike was his 16th league goal of what has been an impressive campaign for the number 9, although the Charlton fans directed their praise towards a player at the opposite end of the pitch.The scoreline followed a trend that has arisen in the previous weeks – straight-forward and comfortable – although it was anything but and could have been very different if not for Dillon Phillips between the sticks.How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…The 23-year-old custodian denied Graham Carey from the spot after Krystian Bielik fouled Ruben Lameiras, and from that point the Addicks seized control of the game from their hosts and went on to win.They went 12 points clear of Peterborough to further cement their place in the play-offs as a result, and they will surely be starting to dream of a trip to Wembley.Here’s what the Valley faithful had to say about 6 ft 2 Phillips’ performance on Twitter…

Everton have asserted themselves back in the race for seventh spot in the Premier League but just imagine where they could strive to finish with a clinical striker in their squad…

Ever since Romelu Lukaku left, there has been the underlying issue for Everton that is still yet to be fixed.

With no out and out forward being good enough, the pressure has since been put on new signing Richarlison and midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson to provide the goals but imagine the damage they could both to with a top forward to feed into.

The Toffees genuinely have the makings of a top side but one final component is missing and that’s a top striker. With someone in their squad like Espanyol’s Borja Iglesias – who was linked with a move to Merseyside by El Desmarque last month – then Everton can really believe they will obtain a European spot at the very least once again.

Iglesias, (who is valued at £18 million on Transfermarkt) fits the description of being a reliable frontman that Everton could turn to so reigniting their interest in him won’t be a surprising move from Marcel Brands.

With 15 goals for Espanyol across two competitions this season, Iglesias finds the back of the net at a far better rate than the current options available to Marco Silva.

The 26-year-old is reaching his best potential and with strength in abundance, joined with clinical finishing as well as intelligence to hold up play or get team-mates involved, he is exactly what Everton need.

He is different to the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Cenk Tosun because he actually scores goals on a consistent basis and he will trouble the goalkeeper with almost all of his efforts. Indeed, he really has made the pair of them look like schoolboys this season with his finishing ability, and they could certainly learn a thing or two from him.

If a higher placed finish is really what Everton are after, then they shouldn’t hesitate in signing Borja Iglesias. Surely he can’t be much worse than some of the current options, right? Having him to act as the finisher at the point of attack in a team with a lot of good passers could be transformative for the Toffees.

Everton fans, would you like to see him arrive? If not, why not? Join the discussion and let us know down below!

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Sky Sports pundit Matt Murray has dropped a hint that Aston Villa loan star Axel Tuanzebe must be giving Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer something to think about next season.

What’s the word?

Tuanzebe is currently in his second loan spell with Villa after initially joining the club in January 2018. The defender impressed so much that the Villans then swooped for him again last summer.

However, his development this term was halted by an injury that has only just seen him return this month after being absent since December.

Before that, he was impressing the Villa Park faithful and despite reports suggesting United may be looking to loan the player out again next season, Sky Sports’ Murray insists Solskjaer must be looking at a player like him ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.

Speaking to The Debate podcast at 37:15, he said:

“And Tuanzebe coming back, he’s so good at the back. I’m looking at that Manchester United team today and surely Solskjaer will be looking at people like him next season.”

Can Tuanzebe answer United’s problems?

There’s no denying where United’s main issue is; defence. Although Tuanzebe is still only 21, he could be the long term answer, especially given his ability to play in the middle of defence and at right back.

Antonio Valencia’s contract is due to expire in the summer and the form of Ashley Young at right-back has been questionable so it’s an area he could become quite useful in.

Even at centre-back, the club’s options are far from convincing and an impressive end to the season for the loanee might do enough to force him into the back of the current United boss’ mind.

The main concern with the player lies with his fitness problems but his potential and his displays for Villa when he has been fit means Solskjaer should consider developing him within the club next season.

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Speaking to The Debate podcast (17/04), Paul Merson has given his view on Leicester’s potential Europa League qualification ahead of next season.

What’s he said?

Under Claude Puel, Leicester looked a shadow of the team they were a few years ago but his sacking appears to have been timely in the race for a Europa League place.

Brendan Rodgers has managed to rejuvenate the club since he walked through the doors at the King Power and they’re now sitting in pole position in seventh place.

The Foxes have rediscovered their swagger under the Northern Irish manager, with Jamie Vardy back among the goals after struggling under Puel.

They’ve looked considerably better at both ends of the pitch and it came as no surprise to see them win four games on the bounce, prior to a disappointing defeat against Newcastle.

With four games to go, the final Europa League spot was discussed on The Debate. Speaking about Leicester’s chances, Merson appeared to think that it would be detrimental if they were to qualify. He said:

“I think with Brendan [Rodgers] he could do without it. Brendan’s just come in and would probably want a long pre-season with his players to bind to what he wants. He’s going to have to bring in some of his players that he likes so he’s going to need a longer pre-season than a Wolves.”

Busy pre-season on the cards?

Competing in Europe should be an honour but when you’re entering the Europa League in the early qualification rounds it leads to quite a hectic pre-season.

As seen with Burnley last summer, they were left feeling the effects of competitive matches so early on and never really recovered, only just now discovering the type of form that makes them such a threat to the bigger sides.

Although Leicester have greater depth and better players, it could also be a hindrance and at the moment, their focus should be on rebuilding. Despite another European adventure looking appealing, it may be difficult for Rodgers to embed everything he wants to in the squad next summer if they had an extra distraction.

It could prove to be a busy summer for Leicester anyway, but one main advantage of securing European football would potentially be keeping Youri Tielemans at the club when his loan spell ends.

However, with games against Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea still to play, things could be out of their hands regardless.

[ad_pod ]Aston Villa fans have taken to Twitter in furious fashion after Patrick Bamford hit the deck feigning an injury, following an altercation with Anwar El Ghazi in the crazy 1-1 draw with Leeds.The two players appeared to clash after Mateusz Klich ran through uncontested to score the opener, despite almost all of the Villans’ players stopping having expected Marcelo Bielsa’s side to put the ball out with Jonathan Kodjia down injured.Who has been the Championship’s best player this season? The Pl>ymaker FC squad discuss in the video below…That moment sparked fury from the Villa players and bench, leading to El Ghazi being shown a red card after the 25-year-old successfully conned the officials.Bielsa did then, in fairness, instruct his side to allow Villa a goal back in what was a moment of great sportsmanship – well, except from Pontus Jansson, who actually tried to prevent Albert Adomah from scoring.

However, replays from Bamford and El Ghazi’s clash showed that the Dutchman actually made no contact with the Englishman, leading to a number of Villa fans on Twitter calling the Leeds striker a cheat…

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According to The Mirror, Ryan Fraser is ready to quit Bournemouth this summer and pursue a move to a top six club after negotiations on a new contract ended.

What’s the word, then?

Ryan Fraser’s contract is due to expire in the summer of 2020, meaning he could leave for free and enter negotiations with other clubs from January next year.

It was thought the winger would hold out for another 12 months to make his move, but the latest reports suggest he is prepared to leave the club this summer as the player ended talks over a new deal.

Arsenal are reportedly one of Fraser’s admirers, who has so far registered seven goals and 13 assists in this Premier League campaign.

The Bournemouth star has reportedly attracted the attention of Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea as well, with his assists tally matching that of Eden Hazard and surpassing Christian Eriksen and Raheem Sterling.

Kolasinac to suffer

Arsenal’s long pursuit for a winger under Unai Emery could finally come to an end in the form of a swoop for Fraser. He predominantly operates on the left-hand side of the pitch, a position currently occupied by Alex Iwobi. However, there’s another Arsenal player in particular who could suffer from this signing.

Sead Kolasinac has been one of Arsenal’s players of the season, especially when he’s operated as a left wing-back. He possesses immense power, a cultured first touch and plenty of vision and execution in his end product to make him one of the most dangerous attacking threats at the club, if not in the league.

However, when Emery has chosen to field a four-at-the-back system, playing with full-backs instead of wing-backs, Nacho Monreal tends to be preferred to the ex-Schalke man.

Emery has been guilty of regularly switching his formations in an attempt to fix the lack of productivity Arsenal have from out wide. He’s played a 3-5-2 to allow his side to attack down the wings more effectively than they would if Iwobi and Henkrikh Mkhitaryan were to start.

One fan is happy (but very confused) after Wolves beat Arsenal in the video below…

With the arrival of the Bournemouth winger, the left hand-side may be the first issue solved this summer for the Spanish coach as he looks to revert to his preferred four-at-the-back system in time for next season. But that in turn would harm Kolasinac’s chances of getting into the lineup as Arsenal’s wing-back.

The stats suggest that Monreal does fair a lot better at left-back than Kolasinac, but doesn’t boast his attacking prowess either. The Spanish left-back has registered more tackles, interceptions, headed clearances and duels won over the Bosnian but Kolasinac’s numbers going forward are incredibly impressive, with five assists to Monreal’s three, more big chances created per game, more crosses and a better crossing accuracy than the Spaniard.

Signing a winger, whether it be Fraser or someone else, will surely damage Kolasinac’s chances of starting for Arsenal unless he can adapt himself to the left-back role more naturally and find a defensive discipline that he’s so far lacked in his time in North London.